Our Social Purpose

The Hon. Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, Former Member of Parliament (Left), Jo-Ann Turner Crean, Past-President British Columbia Bereavement Helpline (middle), and Christopher Ducharme, BCBH Past President and Founder of BC Victims of Homicide (right). At a Government of Canada Federal press conference and announcement of our first federal funding for the BCVOH program.

Our helpline provides compassionate listening, support, information, and referrals to resources.

Our provincial Helpline has assisted over 40,000 calls and emails since its inception in 1988 and continues to be the only free, grief-specific helpline via phone and email in Canada. When you contact the BC Bereavement Helpline, your call or email will be answered by a caring, compassionate volunteer who, through the BCBH Resource Directory, can access information for 300+ organizations that help those coping with grief and loss located in over 80 communities in BC.

Volunteers are also trained to provide compassionate listening, so if all you need is to talk to someone, the Helpline volunteers are there to listen. Your call is free, confidential, anonymous, and will be treated with care in helping you find the most appropriate support for your specific type of loss.

Our helpline provides compassionate listening, support, information, and referrals to resources.

Our provincial Helpline has assisted over 40,000 calls and emails since its inception in 1988 and continues to be the only free, grief-specific helpline via phone and email in Canada. When you contact the BC Bereavement Helpline, your call or email will be answered by a caring, compassionate volunteer who, through the BCBH Resource Directory, can access information for 300+ organizations that help those coping with grief and loss located in over 80 communities in BC.

Volunteers are also trained to provide compassionate listening, so if all you need is to talk to someone, the Helpline volunteers are there to listen. Your call is free, confidential, anonymous, and will be treated with care in helping you find the most appropriate support for your specific type of loss.

“I felt it was valuable for all of us to learn each other’s stories and how each person handles their pain. The classes were well put together and I found that I learned more regarding P.T.S.D. and how to handle my stress better.”

~Victim/Participant (anonymous) – https://bcbh.ca/grief-support/homicide-grief-support/

My Story

The Inspiration

​I began my philanthropic career around the same time that the movie ‘Pay it Forward” was released in the year 2000. At the same time, I met my first Canadian hero, Michael Cuccione, from The Michael Cuccione Foundation inspired me to live with love and compassion. He opened my eyes and introduced me to amazing circles of people including his parents, Gloria and Domenic, in 2002 who gifted their love and compassion to everyone they met. From then onward, I noticed all the beautiful people in this world who were committed to ‘making a difference’ (Michael’s quote), and it made me want to follow in their footsteps. Michael died at the age of 16 with a dying wish that no other child would suffer from cancer again. Truly an honorable and admirable young man.

The Motivation

The mechanism of coping with grief and bereavement hits close to home; following the high-profile 1996 murder of my mother, Patricia Grace Ducharme, by a former Vancouver Police Officer, I began my long journey through grief and living with trauma. After years of therapeutic counseling to help come to terms with the complex grief, it became apparent there was a lack of resources required for victims, like me, to move forward in their lives. Luckily, for me, I discovered a homicide-loss support group in Edmonton, which made a big difference and instilled my passion to create support programs, resources, and law reform to make a meaningful difference.

Putting Passion into Action

Through a series of personal processing, making meaningful and powerful connections, and moving back to BC I was determined to start up BC’s first homicide support group program. Partnering up with Jo-Ann Turner-Crean and the BC Bereavement Helpline (BCBH) proved to be just the answer to achieve my dream of helping other surviving victims.

The BCBH has a 30+ year history of providing bereavement support services and is a leading global organization in the field of bereavement, Ducharme created the BC Victims of Homicide. Local, federal, and municipal governments, partners, local funders, and many volunteers successfully provided a then new critical service to homicide survivors in their journey.

BC Victims of Homicide continues to operate under the umbrella organization, The British Columbia Bereavement Helpline, and still requires ongoing support!

Healing Through Sharing…

When you lose someone to murder, whether a family member, a co-worker, or a friend you become another victim of the crime and a homicide survivor. Murder is a deliberate act causing a devastating loss. The extraordinary experience of this type of loss can bring about sensitive issues such as guilt, fear, shame, anger, sorrow, revenge, suicidal tendencies, and regret.

Articles, Videos & Resources

Links:

• Bio – Christopher Ducharme
• Aftermath of Murder – Survivor Stories – Campaign Project Report
• Watch Aftermath of Murder – Survivor Stories Videos (Season 1)
• Watch Aftermath of Murder – Survivor Stories Videos (Season 2)

Articles & Videos Section:

• Article: Expression Kept Me Alive – Battered Women’s Support Services Society
• Video: Christopher’s Journey – National Victims of Crime Awareness Week
• Video: Difference Makers – Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary
• Podcast: A Kickass Life with David Wood Interview – Forgiving my mother’s killer

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