After six years of dedicated leadership, our Executive Director, Louise Smith, will be stepping down on March 14, 2025, to take on the role of CEO at Ronald McDonald House Toronto. While we are sad to see Louise go, we are incredibly grateful for her leadership and the impact she has had on Eva’s. Under Louise’s guidance, Eva’s has navigated the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and developed a new strategic plan that reaffirms our commitment to youth. She [...]
Eva’s is proud to announce its involvement with the Shelter and Support Board Advocacy Coalition (SSBAC), an initiative dedicated to fostering systemic change and advancing the strategic goals of non-profit shelter and supportive housing organizations in Toronto. Our board chair, Aisha Francis, represents Eva’s in the critical work of this coalition and is actively contributing to shaping the sector's future. What is SSBAC? Formed in 2023 by Fred Victor’s Board, the SSBAC is a collaborative network made [...]
Mesha had just completed a successful first year as a fashion student at a local university. She was engaged in her studies and becoming more passionate about her photography hobby. The future looked bright—except that she had nowhere to live in the city as second year approached. “I don’t have financial support from my parents and OSAP could only take me so far. I was working 25 to 30 hours in my job, but finding the funds to pay [...]
Scotiabank has been a longstanding supporter of Eva’s Initiatives. The partnership has been instrumental in advancing our mission by supporting our emergency shelters, transitional housing, Print Shop training program, and independent life skills programs. Additionally, Scotiabank’s sponsorship of key fundraising events, such as Taste Matters and Home for Life, has been crucial in expanding our reach and impact. Scotiabank’s social impact initiative, ScotiaRISE, helps people reach their full potential by funding programs that support them to be resilient, adapt [...]
When Isaac arrived in Toronto from Uganda via Montreal, it was in the middle of a cold February night in 2023. “I was homeless for three days and four nights. I slept on my clothes on a bench at 129 Peter St. [a Toronto intake centre]. I was given numbers of shelters to call but they were full,” he said. At 3 a.m. on the fourth cold night, he called the city’s shelter intake centre again. When they [...]
Financial setbacks mean something different for youth experiencing homelessness. A new savings program at Eva’s Phoenix and Youth Belong aims to help youth become more financially literate and save for their future. It’s delivered as part of Eva’s life skills programming and integrated into case management. “When we meet with a young person, savings is part of the whole picture we look at to help them figure out their next steps,” said Annik Scholz, Team lead for Eva’s Youth [...]
On August 15 and 16, 2024, over 70 volunteers from The Home Depot Canada gathered at Eva’s Place to breathe new life into the 30-year-old emergency shelter. With dedication and energy, they transformed the space where countless youth have found support and safety over the years. This Community Build marks the latest milestone in a 17-year partnership between Eva’s and The Home Depot Canada Foundation, bringing much-needed improvements to the well-loved facility. The volunteers who participated included associates from [...]
Susan Nalwoga, Ubuntu Bites program participant and Leanne Rabinowitz, Eva's Health and Wellness Team Lead As Eva’s Health and Wellness Team Lead, Leanne Rabinowitz understands the importance of culturally appropriate food. “A huge issue for newcomers is shelters not providing food they’re familiar with. It can cause digestive upset, but they also miss the soul nourishing part of eating,” said Leanne. Ubuntu Bites, a new program that brings together youth staying at Eva’s shelters with African asylum [...]
Eva's Satellite has undergone a transformation in recent years. According to Senior Site Manager Monique Thompson, Canada’s first harm reduction shelter for youth has been called upon to almost exclusively support refugees or asylum seekers since the summer of 2022. “For a lot of our youth, their first stop after getting off the plane is Eva’s Satellite. They simply have nowhere else to go. Some are as young as 17 or 18 and may be fleeing persecution or forced [...]
As we commemorate 30 years of supporting youth experiencing homelessness, we continue to be guided by the powerful ethos of our founder, Eva Smith, a Jamaican immigrant and fearless Black community activist. She passed away in 1993 before she could witness the magnitude of her legacy. Still, her advocacy for Black youth is embedded in everything we do across Eva’s Place, Eva’s Satellite, Eva’s Phoenix, and YOUth Belong. We remember the woman who gave us our [...]
At Eva's, a legacy of compassion and perseverance thrives, rooted in the vision of Eva Smith, a Jamaican immigrant and fearless Black community activist. Today, we proudly continue this legacy, boldly embracing our heritage as we step into a new era. Our new video, "Our Mission," showcases our commitment to building a future where every young person can flourish without limits. We believe in each young person’s boundless potential and strive to create opportunities for them to thrive, uninhibited and unstoppable. [...]
If you need to know how to fill out a student financial aid form, find mental health support in Toronto or get familiar with your rights as a tenant, ask Elise Yusef. As a follow-up support worker, she knows how to navigate the many challenges of living in Toronto—and she shares it all with the youth she works with. “I’m a trans Black woman, and I was precariously housed for a period of time, so I have an understanding [...]
