Board Member Feature

“I was at the lowest point in my life. The people in the AVP showed me how to find, build, and maintain safety through connection with others. I couldn’t believe that in the eyes of these strangers I mattered and that I had something of value to contribute. I started to remember what it feels like to be human. I didn’t change overnight but that weekend set me on the path I remain on today. I had a tremendous amount of healing and growing to do, and I’m still learning and growing. Without RJ I wouldn’t have had a chance to give back and probably wouldn’t even be alive. RJ is the reason I’m where I am today, and it’s the reason I do what I do.”

"Alongside my commitment to the field of restorative justice, I maintain sincere dedication to my own personal and spiritual healing. This serves me both as a mom to my two beautiful children (Ella 6 and Blake 5) and as a restorative justice practitioner. I have learned that accountability to my wholeness is a precondition to accompanying others on their journey toward the same." Read more from Gillian Lundquist in this months Board Member Profile.

I have been involved in the field of victim services since 1995 – first as a volunteer then in 2001 as a paid police victim services caseworker and in 2012 as the program coordinator of a police victim services unit.  During this time, when the concept of Restorative Justice was introduced to me, it was deemed to be more beneficial for the offender and it set aside the needs of the victim.  It wasn’t until I attended a conference in 2018 hosted in Halifax that I had an ‘ah-ha’ moment:  Restorative Justice focuses on restoring the harm. Harm cannot be restored unless those who have been harmed have been considered and engaged.