From house cleaning, cooking, laundry, home maintenance and financial literacy to conflict resolution, self-esteem and emotional control, these skills will help ensure that our youth are able to maintain stable housing when they leave our shelters.

Since life skills are not normally taught in a classroom setting, Eva’s structures its learning through a combination of formal and informal workshops incorporated through real-life situations and weekly group activities.

The Independent Living Program (ILP) is a mandatory training program for every resident at Eva’s Place, Eva’s Satellite, and Eva’s Phoenix. The program’s objective is to build the life skills of homeless youth to prepare them to lead fulfilling, self-sufficient and healthy lives and to support them in their transition to independent living. This is done by teaching youth the basic skills they need to live interdependently including:

Financial Literacy

Our program will help our residents manage their finances by learning about saving, budgeting, credit, debt repayment, and income tax. We help them understand the differences between their needs and their wants so they can make responsible choices with their money.

Cooking and Nutrition

Residents are taught essential cooking and nutrition lessons that will help them understand the basic food groups, how to cook on a budget, and how to prepare healthy meals on their own.

Housing Access

Residents will learn to clean and manage their own space by doing maintenance, laundry, and other common household chores. They also learn how to secure long-term housing, negotiate tenant agreements, and access resources in their new neighborhood.

Interpersonal Skills

Learning to build healthy relationships with others is an important part of our program. Residents learn to communicate effectively, keep a positive attitude, resolve conflict, and manage their time effectively. Residents also learn about the importance of personal hygiene and living a healthy lifestyle.

Recreation

We encourage health and wellness, fitness, and healthy relationships in a fun and non-judgmental environment. In the summer, we host a robust camping program that has been a big success year after year.