A past resident shares how Eva's changed his life. Young people at Eva’s need allies just like you to help end youth homelessness. Monetary donations ensure that Eva’s can continue to provide essential services and supports for youth experiencing homelessness. Join the movement for brighter youth futures. Donate Now
We are pleased to announce that Eva's Initiatives was selected for Charity Intelligence's Top 10 Canadian Impact Charities, Top 10 Canadian Youth Impact Charities, and Top 5 Toronto Impact Charities of 2020 lists! This honour comes at a time when Canadian donors are putting much greater scrutiny into where they are donating their hard-earned money. Charity Intelligence researches Canadian charities so donors can be informed and give intelligently. Charity Intelligence uses their demonstrated Social Return on Investment (dSROI) framework [...]
Meet Gian Carlo Badilla, a Youth Service Worker (YSW) at Eva’s Satellite and now during the COVID-19 pandemic at the hotel. Gian has been with Eva’s for just over a year now and says his age gives him a unique perspective. “I am 23 years old. I am the same age/demographic of the people we serve. What’s special is that I can relate to whoever comes in, I find there’s always a connection,” says Gian. “Whether it’s discussing music [...]
Eva’s residents will be participating in a newly revamped culinary program called ‘What is on the menu? This five-week workshop uses tactile activities like creating a meal to incorporate other skills like financial literacy, time management, and budgeting. “I didn’t want to replicate a classroom setting with these sessions, cooking should be an enjoyable process that anyone, regardless of their skill-set can be proud of the meals they create,” says Linda Frempong, Program Facilitator, Eva’s Phoenix. “It is a [...]
We are thankful for each community-organized event in which individuals, businesses, groups, or schools raise funds on behalf of Eva’s. From golf tournaments and wine tastings, to bake sales, online garage sales, bowling nights, and virtual fundraising parties, no event is too big or too small. Every dollar raised will help give youth escaping a fresh start. A huge thank you for our community members! Game Changers Game Changers built a culture of individuals who are caring and compassionate about [...]
A key part of Eva’s is our Print Shop. It is a commercial printer and social enterprise that provides print and graphic arts training and life skills to youth experiencing homelessness and barriers to accessing housing. The Print Shop reinvests any profits back into our shelter system and the youth we serve. The social enterprise provides a paid employment training course, where students learn about customer service, digital printing, bindery, clothing printing, large-format printing, prepress and graphic arts using Adobe Creative Suite. [...]
Meet Bina Velinor, Residential Supervisor, Eva’s Satellite. “Our House” Bina Velinor has been with Eva’s for just over a year now. She believes that one of her essential tasks is connection. The first thing this Supervisor does each day, after checking in quickly with her staff, is to take a moment to connect with the youth she serves. “I may sit down with a young person, or sometimes I even play basketball with the youth,” says Bina. “And then, [...]
Dobijoki Bringi’s approach to life has never been ordinary. She’s always been an innovator and someone for whom limitations do not exist. That’s the same approach she took when first starting as a Housing Success Worker at Eva’s. Dobijoki Bringi, Housing Success Worker at Eva’s Dobijoki felt it was necessary to have a stronger understanding of the housing market and the different experiences that may confront young Black people when searching for housing, so she attended some [...]
Kola Iluyomade, Housing Program Manager at Eva’s. Eva’s Initiatives for Homeless Youth was always intended to be more than just a shelter where youth could lay their heads…it was designed to be a home. Indeed, Eva Maud Smith, who founded the organization in 1989 under the name North York Emergency Home for Youth, believed in creating a circle of care around the young people she served. Today, Eva's is striving to keep this legacy alive. We are [...]
There is no doubt that this is a very different world than just a few weeks ago. For young people, no matter their situation, adolescence can be a difficult and challenging time, but for youth experiencing homelessness, their challenges are heightened and exacerbated by their circumstances. Trying to navigate a pandemic and manage existing traumas can increase anxiety levels and set youth who have been making progress back even further. Here at Eva’s, the young people we serve are [...]
...are resilient and driven. The most common characteristics of youth experiencing homelessness is a determination to overcome the circumstances that lead to their homelessness and a desire to improve their lives and learn the skills they need to be housed and employed. … face unique barriers. Homeless Canadians share common concerns such as a lack of access to affordable housing. But homeless youth face their own unique barriers. For example, for many reasons, homeless youth typically have not gained [...]
Last updated January 10, 2023 How is Eva’s managing COVID-19? As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, our organization remains committed to protecting the health and safety of young people and staff. This includes abiding by protocols to reduce the risk of transmission within our shelters and housing programs while continuing to provide wraparound supports for young people in need. We have put in place several changes including: Adapting our programs to be able to support young people [...]
