About the Print shop Eva’s Print Shop is a full-service digital printer that supports youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness with training opportunities and meaningful work. You help prepare youth for employment in the graphic and print sectors when you print with us. Learn more here. About the Graphic Communications and Print Shop training program The Graphic Communication and Print Training Program is designed to provide youth experiencing homelessness and those at-risk youth with career preparation support and [...]

Leanne Rabinowitz, Food Services Coordinator, at Eva's Phoenix, and Eugene Silva, Chef, at Eva's Place, pose for a photo. Eugene Silva believes that food can fix almost anything. “Food feeds not only the body but the soul, too. You can think better and do better when your stomach is full,” said the head chef at Eva’s Place, our 25-bed emergency shelter in North York. He should know. Eugene has been cooking for our youth for over 25 years. He’s [...]

As a teen, Raiesa lived in a group home and experienced an abusive situation where she was given drugs and trafficked. “There would be days at a time that I would go missing and no one checked up on me,” she says. Thankfully, a guidance counsellor at Raiesa’s school stepped in and found her a place at Eva’s. “It changed my life,” says Raiesa. “Before, so many people were trying to take advantage of me. Eva’s was the exact [...]

In the summer of 2019, Angel was struggling to find work. Fresh out of foster care and uncertain about her future, she needed to get a job or enroll in school to stay in the semi-transitional housing where she was living. “I was really stressed about it, so my therapist suggested I apply for the Graphic Communication and Print Training program at Eva’s because I like to draw and paint,” said Angel. “They invited me for an interview and [...]

In 2016, while working at a youth shelter, social worker Breanna Phillip noticed their donation closet did not have products for Black hair care. “We got a lot of donations for hygiene products, and our closet was full of shampoos and conditioners, but the shampoos were not healthy for Black hair. There were never any products for braiding hair, nor leave-in conditioners, oils, alcohol-free gels, twisting creams, and other products that Black youth need.” “The issue of Black youth not [...]

It can be difficult for any young adult to know what career path to pursue. For the youth we serve at Eva’s, it’s even harder. As youth at risk of or experiencing homelessness, they may be processing trauma or dealing with social stigmas and discrimination associated with being Black, racialized, Indigenous and/or 2SLGBTQ+ – any and all of which makes it tough to plan for employment. That’s why we offer our 20-week Youth Succeeding in Employment Program (YSEP): to [...]

You won’t find a profession more connected to community than real estate practitioners. It’s their business to understand the health and wellbeing of the neighbourhoods they work in. And when it comes to giving back, they look for ways to help those communities thrive.  To honour their 66,000 members’ collective values, the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) donates around $1 million to approximately 100 charities that elevate communities every year. Eva’s has been one of their recipients since [...]

It was a tip from a stranger that changed the course of Otto Pick’s life – and those of his descendants – forever.   Driving down a dusty road in his native Czech Republic, Otto gave a ride to a young man who was in rough shape. The year was 1939 and the man was Jewish, from Germany. On their short drive, he told Otto about the atrocities the Nazis were committing in his homeland. Also Jewish, Otto was naturally [...]

In June, we celebrated Chef Eugene Silva’s 25 years of working with Eva’s. Eugene works as the food coordinator at Eva’s Place. He creates a delicious menu providing three meals and two snacks for the young people staying with us each day. “I’m motivated by my passion for cooking and the ability that food has to make youth feel comfortable,” says Eugene. “It’s receiving a compliment about my food from a young person and knowing that I’m a big [...]

When Brianna lost her job in customer service, she wasn’t sure what to do next.   At 25, she qualified for the Youth Succeeding in Employment Program (YSEP) at Eva’s Phoenix – and the experience changed her life.    “Being a part of the program gave me a lot of skills to find a job, have a better resume and cover letter, do well in interviews and dress professionally. I also learned soft skills like conflict resolution and how to adapt [...]

There are lots of ways for high school students to achieve their required community service hours. Grade 10 students Jaden DaSilva and Beketa Million made theirs count by co-organizing a neighbourhood event that raised $1,800 for Eva’s last summer. It all started when Pamela Osorio-Kettle received a call from Eva’s fundraising team during the height of the pandemic. “They talked about the impact of COVID-19 on youth and the services that Eva’s provides. That conversation really stuck with me. [...]

He may not be a household name, but EW Bickle’s legacy looms large in Toronto. As a successful financial professional in the 1950s, he created a charitable foundation in his own name to help elevate the lives of Torontonians who didn’t share his good fortune. He also helped co-found the United Way and served as Chair of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute where, today, the EW Bickle Centre for Complex Continuing Care treats people of all ages who live with [...]