History

1969
Operation Springboard is conceived by two former offenders. We begin by providing counseling services and transportation to family members wishing to visit incarcerated offenders and keep their families united.

1974
Operation Springboard incorporates. We now provide transportation to all major Ontario correctional institutions & penitentiaries as well as support services to ex-inmates and their families.

1985
The bus service provides transportation for 1,711 clients, and the total budget is over $174,000.00

The board of directors of the John Howard Society of Metropolitan Toronto assumes responsibility for Operation Springboard, which becomes a separate corporate entity within the John Howard organization.

1986
Operation Springboard separates from the John Howard Society. We now offer 10 group homes, a 24-hour distress line for inmates, a community service order program, counseling, education, and job services, and a literacy program. Our total budget exceeds $6 million annually.

1994
At the twentieth anniversary of its incorporation, we now have 14 locations in Ontario providing services to over 8,800 people each year, with an annual budget of over $8.5 million.

1999
We celebrate our 25th year since our incorporation. Our programs and services assist 9,400 people in 1998-1999 with a budget of over $9 Million annually.

2005
Springboard’s management release a 5-year strategic plan highlighting our priorities and goals. With the participation and support of the community, we offer over 20 programs in the areas of justice, services for the developmentally disabled, housing, and finding and keeping employment. The agency now reaches up to 13,000 people per year and administers an annual budget of $11 million.

2008
We launch the innovative HUB Interactive Programming in our attendance program. The HUB programming shows immediate improvement in client completion rates and retention.

2010
Springboard staff, management and board members begin work on a new 5-year strategic plan to determine the priorities and goals of the organization moving forward. Our goals will focus on broader community development and new engagement strategies for our clients, service organizations, and community partnerships.