Hello

Rick, one of Canada’s leading gang experts, has been well chronicled in the media. Rick was raised in a middle class home environment, but silently suffered bullying from age 10 until his entrance into high school. As a teenager, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Rick was victimized by a pair of heroin addicts. This, and other “street” traumas, contributed to his journey into drug addiction, self-harm, and opportunistic criminality. Rick quickly spiraled into street gang involvement which ultimately led yo his entrance as member of an outlaw motorcycle club. At age 21 he entered into the federal penitentiary system for multiple robbery and weapons offences where he spent 25 years of his life incarcerated in several different federal institutions from coast to coast. During this time Rick completed an apprenticeship and earned his licence as a Class A mechanic. In 1993, after breaking free from drug addictions, he began to reform his life. He earned a B.A. in Psychology from Queens University and continued his studies at McMaster University completing an Addiction Careworker Diploma. His story of redemption allows him to speak with unmatched credibility and power with youth involved in gangs or at the margins of gang membership. After leaving prison around 20 years ago, Rick has dedicated his life to talking with youth about the dangers of garage, drugs, and criminal activity. Now Rick and his wife Heather work together to develop and deliver outreach and programming for youth in need.

Heather Osborne B.A. (Hons), B.Ed., MFA, OTC - Executive Director

Heather attended Queens University, Brock, University and the University of Kings College. She is a member of the Ontario’s Teachers College in good standing. Heather left teaching to pursue community outreach alongside her husband Rick full time. Heather is a Special Education Specialist and has applied her skills in a variety of settings during the last 35 years. Included in her experience is:

Educational and community integration programming for Federally incarcerated men.
Working with adolescents in a treatment program for eating disorders and other co-morbid disorders such as anxiety, OCD, and self-harm.
Outreach and community programming for a First Nations Reserve in Northern Quebec..
Heading a High School Special Education Department.
Heading a High School Alternative Education Department.
Educational Kinesiology Consulting with individuals and group workshops.
Delivering workshops and training programs for strategies to support at risk youth.
Providing planning and support for youth with ADD(H), ODD, Autism, FAS/E and other learning learning and behavioural issues.

Hannah Osborne DIPM - Communications Coordinator

Daughter of Rick and Heather, Hannah has joined her parent’s charitable works. Hannah has an Advertising and Marketing diploma from Georgian College. Hannah is Communications Coordinator and social media manager. Hannah has been involved with Rick and Heather’s community outreach since she was 12 years old. Hannah joined their programs to lend a helping hand where she could and continues to do so now as a young adult. Hannah is who you connect with first when reaching out, she makes sure your request is seen and responded to and ensures next steps are in place. Hannah offers a new approach as a younger demographic and is helping extend outreach through use of social media.