It’s been 25 years since Eva’s Place opened in North York, thanks to the advocacy of our founder, Eva Maud Smith. At the time, Eva was being told that there we no homeless youth in North York– but she knew better. Shedding light on the ‘hidden homeless’ – young people in precarious situations who are not visibly street-involved – Eva saw how especially Black young people were facing barriers in education due to housing instability. Eva Smith’s advocacy was [...]

Last year as part of our Black History Month celebrations, we hosted a series of movie nights at Eva’s Place. These successful events brought many young people together to watch and discuss the best of contemporary Black cinema. This year, we expanded on the concept, with each film including a pre- and post-discussion that framed the viewing experience in terms of a specific issue or concept related to Black experiences. As young people at Eva’s Place do this, we [...]

As we celebrate Black History Month at Eva's, we honor our founder Eva Maud Smith. Last month, we celebrated the anniversary of Eva's birthday. Young people at Eva's Phoenix wrote some heartfelt notes to Eva as they enjoyed some cake! "Eva is the real OG!" "You give us all strength." "You are amazing, thank you for saving me." "Thank you for never giving up and helping the youth of Toronto. Thank you for giving us hope to achieve our own dream." [...]