Marg has held the position of Chairman of the Ontario Block Parent Program's Board of Directors since May 2005. She and her husband Tom have been Block Parents since 1984, applying after the birth of their son when thoughts naturally turn to ensuring a safe environment for your children. She became involved with the administration of the London Block Parent Program as a school coordinator in her neighbourhood school. She later joined the Central Committee of the London Program and held a number of positions, including being chairman for a period of five years. She retired from the London committee in 2002 after accepting a Director's position on the Ontario Board.

Born and raised in London Ontario, Marg also married a fellow Londoner so has very deep roots in the community. After graduating from high school, she worked in the Actuarial Department of London Life Insurance Company for twelve years before deciding to become a stay-at-home mom with their son. She volunteered with the Parent-Teacher's Associations and School Councils at both the grade school and high school levels and was also involved with a number of youth ministries at her Church.

Gardening, knitting and craftwork are a few of Marg's other interests and she always finds the time to enjoy long lunches with special friends, many of whom are associated with the Block Parent Program!

Born in Poland, Teresa came to Canada in 1959 and settled with her family in Oshawa. She worked for the Oshawa Public Library, Oshawa City Hall in the Planning Department and for the Unemployment Insurance Commission. After graduating from Brock University with an honours degree in Urban and Environmental Planning, she remained in St. Catharines where she worked as an engineering and architectural draftsperson. She moved to Niagara Falls in 1986.

Teresa and her husband Cliff became Block Parents in 1987 and she soon joined the Niagara Falls Block Parent Committee as a School Rep. She was the Newsletter Editor from 1990 to 2009 and Treasurer from 1994 to 2009. She designed the Niagara Falls Block Parent web page which Cliff maintains.

While her son was attending school, Teresa was active both as a volunteer in the classroom and on the School Council. She served as School Council Chair for ten years and as a computer lab tutor for three years. She was also active on several committees with the District School Board of Niagara.

Teresa has received service awards from the Niagara Falls Block Parent® Program, the District School Board of Niagara, the City of Niagara Falls, the United Way of Niagara Falls, the Niagara Falls Camera Club and the Rainbow Country Quilters. She also has the Ontario Volunteer Service Award for 15 years of volunteering.

Although she is happiest when in front of a computer, Teresa also enjoys quilting, gardening, tole painting and photography.

Terra is the newest member of the Ontario Board. She currently holds the position of Community Outreach Co-ordinator for the Chatham-Kent Block Parent^® Program. She and her husband, Nick became Block Parents in 2008.

Terra was born and raised in Chatham and, after a brief move to Toronto, moved back to marry her childhood sweetheart in 1997. Volunteering has always played a major role in her Christian Kingdom Hall involvement. After a 15-year career with BMO Financial Group she has decided to give even more back to the community with part-time employment.

In her spare time, Terra enjoys playing the piano, biking, canoeing, and spending time with her 2 cats and Jack Russell Terrier puppy named Buford.

It is hard to describe the great satisfaction that comes in being involved with the Block Parent program compared to my previous professional experience but I am so excited for what the future holds!

Sandra joined the Ontario Block Parent Program's Board of Directors in May 2007 as their Treasurer.

Sandra was raised in the Village of Fonthill, now known as the Town of Pelham. After graduating from Pelham District High School, she went to Toronto where her career started in the accounting field. Sandra met her belated husband while preparing his company's accounting records for an audit. They worked together in business and raised their family of six children. In 1970, Sandra took a position with Burnac Corporation and worked her way up to Assistant to the Chairman of the Board.

In 1984 Sandra obtained her real estate license and in 1985 returned to Fonthill with her two youngest children to pursue her new career. The older children were working and living in the greater Toronto area. With Vesta Realty Ltd., Sandra became an Associate Broker on the Welland and St. Catharines Real Estate Boards. After her retirement from Real Estate, Sandra continued her bookkeeping business for several companies.

Deciding it was time to give back to the Community, Sandra became involved with the Pelham Block Parent Program and the Pelham Canada Day Celebrations Committee. Currently the Chairman of Pelham Block Parent Program, Sandra is also the Treasurer of the Pelham Community Policing, and Vice-Chair of The Voice of Pelham – the community newspaper.

During her spare time Sandra enjoys playing cards, traveling and spending time with her family and friends.

Mary is currently the Office Administrator of the Waterloo Regional Block Parent Program and has held that position for seven years. She also assisted with reviving the Guelph Block Parent Program a few years ago.

Mary was raised in Campbellville where she attended a small three-room school. She was involved in Girl Guides and achieved her Gold Cord, the highest award in Guiding. She graduated from Milton High School and began work at Mimico Correctional Centre and later transferred to Maplehurst, in Milton in the Records Department.

After three years Mary decided to attend Ewart College , in Toronto and study in the area of Christian Education to work within the Presbyterian Church assisting in children and youth ministries. She found her way to Cambridge working in a downtown church.

Mary has three children, who, when they reached school age, she decided to Home School. So, for the next ten years she was a stay-at-home mom teaching her son and two daughters. She became very active in the Home School Community and was one of the founding members of the Ontario Christian Home Educators Connection (OCHEC). Even though she no longer Home Schools she continues to help with the planning of the Annual Home School Conference in Kitchener.

Mary is also on staff at Michael House, a pregnancy home for teens, in Guelph. She finds this to be a very rewarding experience as she helps these young girls prepare for the birth of their child and to gain the necessary skills needed to move out on their own.

In her spare time Mary enjoys crocheting, jig saw puzzles, reading, and, in the summer, swimming in her pool.

Laurie and her husband (of 34 years), Edward became Block Parents in 1984. Laurie held a few positions on the Sault Ste. Marie Board of Directors such as Area Rep and Public Relations Director, and then took on and held the position of Chairperson until 1995 when she found someone to take over the local program and joined the Ontario Board of Directors as Public Relations Director. She still helps out the Sault Ste. Marie program when she can, but has devoted much of her time to the Ontario Board.

Volunteering has been a major part of Laurie's life and some of the other programs she has donated a lot of her time to are: working member of the Parent Association at her children's elementary school and then President of the same association for ten years. Once her children graduated she stayed on at the school as a Community Rep for the Parent Council for another two years. Laurie has also helped in the Neighbourhood Watch Program, helped on two different campaigns for two candidates, canvassed for the Alzheimer's Society and also has canvassed for the Cancer Society for the past 20 years. She is also a member of the ACW at her Church.

Some of the jobs Laurie has had over the years have been: babysitter, waitress, desk clerk/switchboard operator, child care provider, elderly care provider, respite care provider and most recently, Campaign Manager for the Sault Ste. Marie Health Coalition.

Laurie feels that volunteering for the Block Parent Program has helped her grow so much as a person. It has given her the confidence she never thought she had and given her the opportunity to do many things and travel to and learn about so many great communities in the wonderful province and country that we live in and meet some extraordinary people. Laurie is proud to be associated with this very worthwhile Crime Prevention Program…The Block Parent Program.

Johanna was born in Whitby, Ontario in 1962. She was raised on the family dairy farm where she assisted with farm chores. Her father taught her to be responsible, take pride in her work, and always identify and initiate tasks. In 1978, Johanna accepted a part-time position at Judy's Flower's and Gifts. Her employer admired the work ethic that Johanna brought to the store. During this time, Johanna volunteered at Fairview Lodge Nursing Home. She was then offered a summer student position at the Nursing Home in the Physiotherapy department.

Johanna worked from May through August at the nursing home for 5 consecutive years while she attended Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) in Waterloo , Ontario . For two years, Johanna was a Residential Assistant (Don) in a female residence on campus where she mentored and helped students adapt to university life. She co-organized the 1984 Shinerama Campaign which raised over $8000 for Cystic Fibrosis research. Johanna graduated with an Honours Degree in Psychology and a Minor in Sociology in 1985.

She returned home to Whitby and worked for the Oshawa Association for Community Living, where she provided support to adults with developmental handicaps in a group home setting for 3 years. In 1988, Johanna was hired by Lake Ridge Community Support Services (LRCSS) in Oshawa to assess young adults being transferred from institutional to group home settings. After the transition was complete, Johanna accepted a position as a Behavioural Therapist with LRCSS. In this role, Johanna provided assessment, treatment and training plans for adults with challenging behaviours. She also developed and presented workshops to group home staff to help them develop the skills to teach positive behaviour. During this period, Johanna married her University sweetheart, Dave, and started a family.

In 1998, Johanna decided to retire (freedom 35) and stay home to raise her three young sons. In addition to helping neighbours with their day care needs, Johanna volunteered her time in her sons' school: she worked in the library for 2 years and then joined the Parent Advisory Council on which she was treasurer for 3 years and then Chairperson for 2 years where she oversaw parent-initiated activities and coordinated the annual school fundraiser. Johanna remains an active member of the Parent Council and School Community.

Johanna's father passed away in 1985, but the strong work ethic he instilled in Johanna remained deep-rooted. In 2000 she read about the needs of the local Block Parent Program and decided to get involved. Johanna co-chaired the Program for 2 years and then became Chairman in 2002. For the past 7 years Johanna has reached out to the community, police services, municipal leaders and education providers to heighten awareness of this important safety program and expand the network of Block Parent homes. With the support of her husband Dave, Johanna truly hopes that one day there will be a Block Parent window sign on every street in Whitby and Brooklin.

Claudette’s involvement with Block Parents started as the founding chair of the Pittsburgh Township Block Parent Program in 1992, a year after moving to Kingston with her husband and young family. She now heads the post-amalgamation Kingston Block Parentg Program. She joined the Ontario Board this spring (2008).

Claudette has an Honours BA from Laurentian University, completed Third Party Neutral Mediation Training at St. Paul’s University, recently attended St. Lawrence College for a one-year post-grad Human Resources Program, and is currently working on attaining her designation as an HR Professional.

An active community volunteer, Claudette served as School Council member (and frequently, chair) throughout the school years of her three children, the eldest a new RPN, the younger two in University. A Library Trustee since 2001, she currently serves as the Kingston Frontenac Public Library Chair. She volunteers with Victim Services and is active in her local church community. Claudette will be a huge asset to the Board as we maintain the Block Parent Program in this phase of its service to the safety of our communities.

Erin Susin was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. Though raised in the city, she was always was country at heart, going up north to the Haliburton Highlands almost every weekend and every summer.

After completing high school, Erin moved to Banff, Alberta where she spent a year living in the beautiful mountains and working at one of the fabulous resorts.

Moving on to Calgary, Alberta she volunteered at The Children’s Cottage, a safe haven for children who need a loving environment in emergency situations, for short periods of time until a long term care facility can be provided. She received her diploma in Early Childhood Education at Mount Royal College before opening up a daycare of her own, which she ran for 6 years before moving back to Ontario.

Now living in Niagara Falls with her 4 daughters, Erin is currently a volunteer in the fitness department at the YMCA. She has been an Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper for a construction company for the past 6 years. She is working at home giving her the best of both worlds raising her children and being in the working world in the Ontario Block Parent® Program’s position of Administrative Assistant. Contributing to such a wonderful program is the perfect way to spend her free time.

During her spare time she enjoys spending time with her girls, camping, watching her kids’ karate class, kickboxing, going to the gym and reading.

Cst. Nicole Abbott was raised in the City of St. Catharines. She attended Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School and then proceeded to attend Algonquin College from where she received a Law and Security Diploma. She then attended McMaster University from where she graduated with a B.A. in Religious Studies.

At the age of 21 Nicole became a member of the Niagara Regional Police Service with which she has served for the past 12 years. Over this time she has been posted to Uniform Patrol in the Cities of Welland, Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake, and the Casino Patrol Unit. Cst. Abbott has also had instruction and experience as a Scenes of Crime Officer, Bike Patrol Officer, School Liaison Officer, Fraud Investigator, Domestic Violence Investigator and Undercover Operator. Currently she is assigned to the Community Services Unit as the Crime Prevention Officer for the Region of Niagara.

Cst. Abbott accepted the position as Police Liaison to the Ontario Block Parent Program Board of Directors in April 2007.