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eva's news fall/winter 2011

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Evas Phoenix Has a New Home!

December 2, 2011 ByEva's Staff

We are pleased to announce that the often intense

and complex negotiation process has ended in our

favor and we have been leased a new space for

Phoenix.

We are thrilled with the outcome, said Executive

Director Maria Crawford. The property meets all of

our needs and we are excited about what we will be able to do with it. Its a great location in a welcoming

neighbourhood, with close proximity to all of the supports and services we need for the youth.

The heritage building, located at 505 Richmond Street West, will enable us to replicate the residential

component of Evas Phoenix as it currently is, as well as accommodate the Print Shop, Training Centre

and our proposed Community Kitchen.

We will be part of an exciting redevelopment of that site, which will also involve other services, and an

historical revitalization of the southern face of the building. The planning phase of the work will take up

much of the next year. We will be able to remain at Evas Phoenix until at least September, 2014, with

provision for extension if needed. We are confident we will be able to move to the new location by 2014,

but will keep you posted on our progress.

This represents a huge Win-Win on many fronts. Taxpayers are benefiting from the substantial revenue

the City will generate from the sale of the properties involved; the City has been able to use theopportunity to ensure the long-term viable operation of Evas Phoenix

and to refurbish and transform a wonderful old building into a vibrant new

home for homeless youth. Evas will be able to continue its long-term

work on ending youth homelessness, and the ground breaking work

done at Evas Phoenix will now be able to continue for years to come. I

am confident our youth will be very pleased, Maria said.

There have been a huge number of people working endlessly behind the

scenes to both make the deal, and then to have it approved at Council. It

has truly been a collaborative effort of residents, ex-residents, staff, theBoard of Directors, community, politicians and supporters in the

construction and real estate industry.

We are very grateful for the support and assistance of the Mayor and City Council, Maria said. This

outcome could not have come about without their support, and the collective effort of a vast network of

citizens and supporters. I am confident that many of our young people will sleep much more soundly

knowing that the long-term future and viability of Evas Phoenix has been secured.
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The unexpected relocation will require revenue that was not budgeted for; however, so we are mounting a

major fundraising campaign to cover those costs. To donate now, please click through

toCanadaHelps.organd make a donation to our Evas Phoenix Relocation Fund.

Taste Matters Raises $120,000 for Evas YouthAResounding Success!

December 1, 2011 ByKari Klassen Photos by Gary Slye

This years Taste Matters was a

resounding success, raising

$120,000 a seven per cent

increase from last year. A big thank

you goes out to TD Securities and

TD Financial Group for being ourevent sponsor and another special

thank you goes out to planning

committee co-chairs Jenn

OCampo-King and Ettie Dawkins.

The co-chairs and other committee

members, Tanya Piazza,

Francesca Briggs, Barry Stafford,

Jessica Squibb and Maria

Campodonico, made the night

magical.

What makes this event different from all other fundraising food and wine events is the participation of

Evas youth, said Director of Development Marie McCormack. We were proud to have youth hosting

food stations from all our sites as part of the Virgin Unite funded mentorship program. This year, youth

were involved from conception of the ideas right

through to serving the finished product.Evas Place

youth were mentored by Jessie Kaur for the second

year in a row. I am so glad and grateful to be a

part of this project, Kaur said. The youth teach me

so much and I am happy that I am able to put this

together with their energy and desire to make it a

success.Place youth participated in researching,

testing and sampling and will come out of the

experience with a Food Handlers Certificate. Their

veggie sushi masterpieces were such a hit that they

were gone by 7:30 p.m.
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The youth from Evas Phoenix were mentored by

our community partners at West End Food Coop &

Park. They went out on a field trip to St. Lawrence

Market to buy local produce to be used in their

canning recipes. They brainstormed ideas, learned

about presentation, and the result was a work of art.

Lisa Carrington, Mentorship Facilitator at Phoenix,

said the youth were very proud of their

accomplishments. But I dont think they expected to

be as proud as they wereonce they realized how

much people liked what they did.

Evas Satellite youth were mentored by expert baker

and Satellite Program Manager, Grace Costa and

Krystal-Ann Gauthier. They had several weeks of

tasting, sampling and testing to produce cookies

and other delectables enjoyed by all. They were

also all decked out in new black and white clothing

appropriate for food service.

The powerful impact for all of us was witnessing how they were transformed [at the event], said mentor

Krystal-Ann Gauthier. Their sense of accomplishment and pride brought tears to our eyes. Who knew a

little bit of flour, eggs and a mixer could create such magic for both youth and staff?

TD Securities representative, Lionel deMercado welcomed 400 people who enjoyed an evening of wine,beer and fabulous food, while vying for some truly outstanding auction items including a week in France

for six people. He was personally moved to make a donation when he was approached by one of our

youth who thanked him for what he had contributed and told him he was surprised so many people cared.

The evening wouldnt have been the achievement it was without our wonderful host, Tony Aspler, and

Auctioneer Extraordinaire Don Lee. Thanks also go out to Taxi Chain who provided the music for the

evening. Most of all, we thank the 400 people who came out to support us in this very important cause.

Because of you, youth have a warm, safe place to stay, and some hope for the future.
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Evas and Virgin Unite Launch Evas Awards for Ending

Youth Homelessness

December 1, 2011 BySiobhan Ernest

With lessons drawn from six successful years,

recognizing eighteen organizations from coast to

coast to coast, and generously sponsored by

CIBC, Evas Innovation Awards have drawn to a close. On November 24th, Evas launched a new awardsprogram in collaboration with the Sprott Foundation and Virgin Unite (Canada) Inc: Evas Awards for

Ending Youth Homelessness. The aim of these four $25,000 awards is to put the spotlight on programs

working towards preventing and ending youth homelessness. This focus challenges us all to think beyond

the emergency needs of vulnerable youth. The goal of ending homelessness means equipping youth in

multiple domains of their lives to achieve greater and longer lasting stability. It means program impacts

that have results on different levelsfrom housing outcomes, for example, to skill building, employment,

improved health and other outcomes.The goal of the awards is to recognize community initiatives that

are:

Moving beyond responding to the most basic needs of homeless and at-risk youth

Demonstrating significant impacts in the lives of vulnerable youth

Delivering programs or services aimed at preventing youth homelessness

Breaking the cycle of homelessness among youth by integrating supports such as: housing,

education, employment, family connections, and interventions to address mental health concerns

and/or addictions.

Young Canadians deserve to have the best possible opportunities to grow and thrive. These awards will

acknowledge and support organizations that make a difference, whose efforts look down the road to the

end of a young persons homelessness, said Rachel Gray, Evas Director of National Initiatives.

The deadline for applications is 9 p.m. EST, Friday January 20th, 2012. For more information on eligibility

or to download applications, please see our awards website at http://awards.evasinitiatives.com or our

main website at www.evasinitiatives.com.
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Deloitte Barbecues in the Rain for Place Youth


On September 23rd, Staff and Youth from Evas Place gathered in a downpour to partake in Barbecue

prepared by volunteers from Deloitte Canada for their annual Canada-wide Impact Day. The 15

volunteers laboured to prepare a delicious meal, despite the rain. One volunteer approached Suganthy

Barnett, Operations and Site Manager at Place, and let her know how touched the volunteers were by the

youths many thank-yous for the hard work put in by Deloittes team.

Thanks go out to Deloitte, who always provide valuable service to us, said Barnett. Thanks are also due

Evas Place staff and youth for making the most of a rainy day.

Hilborn Ellis Grant Day at Phoenix


On November 22, the folks

fromHilborn Ellis Grant kindly shut

down their office for the day and

trooped over to Evas Phoenix. The

entire staff of 30 chartered

accountants and staff volunteered

their time painting all the youth

houses and installing new light

fixtures. Now there is a way to

literally brighten someones day!

The youth and the volunteers had a

fun and very productive time

renovating and getting to know

each other. Thanks very much to

the volunteers who opened their

hearts andworked hard giving Evas Youth a hand to succeed.

Although Phoenix will be relocated, the need for cheering the place up was pretty serious. Andrew

Macdonald, General Manager of Phoenix explains, Until the last day we are here we have a mandate to

provide a quality of life/standard of service that meets and exceeds guiding frameworks such as the citys

Shelter Standards and Quality Assurance, as well as our own Health and Safety standards. Given that,

and in the context of the shifting relocation sands, which could see us here anywhere from two to four

years, weve made careful decisions to move forward with specific shelter repairs, improvements and

program delivery enhancements. From the viewpoint of a building development two to four years may be

a heartbeat, for our youth its a very long time.
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Paul Johnston, Chief Operating Officer, had this to say: Everyone involved without exception said that

they had a fantastic experience and really enjoyed the day. Working directly with the youth at the shelter

was a wonderful way to learn more about the important and necessary work done at Phoenix. Thank you

to everyone at Phoenix for allowing us to help in our small way with your collective success.

Temple Sinai Opens Farmers Market toEvas Youth

December 1, 2011 ByKari Klassen

This past summer,Temple Sinai, an Evas supporter for many years,

offered us a table at their farmers market. Evas volunteers handed out

information about our programs and Evas youth helped to prepare organic

vegetables. Leftover produce was shipped to Evas Place and Satellite. The

Food Services Coordinators at both sites were thrilled to work with fresh, highquality ingredients.

The youth enjoyed the work and the pleasant chatter with other volunteers who made them feel welcome

and included.

The experience had some positive spin-offs for our youth. One commented about the pleasure he felt

in having an honest days work in the fresh air.Evas Place also set up a workshop on the

importance of growing and eating organic and it was enthusiastically attended. Many youth participated in

Places gardening program and have eagerly claimed to be able to tell the difference between organic

and regular produce. Staff at Place believe this interest in organic gardening was created by the

experience with Temple Sinai and Farmer Daniel.

For the Second Year, Elevator Digital Takes Youth on a

Journey to Self


Seven youth from Evas Place learned to look at the world differently, though the eye of a

camera.Wayne Salmon, Community Support Worker at Place, took them on a metaphorical journey to

self, based on a quote by Albert Einstein:A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a

part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something

separated from the resta kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison

for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must

be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures

and the whole of nature in its beauty.
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They had to work on self-portraiture, without actually taking a picture of themselves, Salmon

explained. One youth saw himself in a vine tangled up in a metal gridanother as a massive tree, strong

and hard to knock down. Another saw himself as a thornbuilt strong and tough like him, even though he

is a gentle looking guy.

Youth learned to look at a project from beginning to end, Salmon said. For the second year,Elevator

Digitaltook youth through the history of photography, the darkroom, right through to framing the

finished photograph.

[Elevator Digital staff] really took to the kids, Salmon said. Theyd spoken to young people at university

and our youth asked the more interesting questions.

The youths photographs were displayed at Evas Taste Matters event on November 8th. They were in

awe at seeing them framed and matted. They were also happy they got to talk with people about their

work, Salmon said. They were very excited and talking about it when they got back [to the shelter].

The photography mentorship project was not just about learning to take pictures. The camera forced

them to slow down and look at the valueor the beauty, if you want.

Evas is grateful to Virgin Unite for funding the Mentorship Program.

Evas Youth Honoured By Toronto Police Service


Every summer Evas teams up with the Toronto

Police Service for a Troops Camping Trip, involving

kids and youth aged 10 to 22. Last summer one of

our former residents was chosen out of hundreds

of campers to speak at the Toronto Police

Service Annual

Gala at the Ritz

Carlton, Oct. 29,

2011.

Evas staff member Stacy Mills accompanied Mike,

22, to the gala and explained why he was chosen.

He was selected because of his excellent leadership

skills and his kindness to the younger kids. He was

basically involved in everything.
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Toronto Police gave Evas $500 to buy Mike a suit and shoes and sent a limousine to pick him and Stacy

up for the evening. On arrival he was thrilled to have his photo taken with CTV anchor Ken Shaw. His

speech was well received and he had a very good time.

He absolutely loved it! Stacy said. He felt like a celebrity. He said, I couldnt even move five feet

without someone talking to me.

Phoenix Takes FlightBecomes An Official Printer of the

Pan-Am Games

December 1, 2011 BySiobhan Ernest Congratulations are in order to thePhoenix Print

Shop, which was awarded one of four contracts as Vendor of Record for the Toronto

2015 Pan-Am Games.The announcement was made by the TO2015 committee in

September.

What Does it Take to Grow a Great Tomato?


Guided by volunteers with passion and knowledge,

three Phoenix youth dedicated themselves to building

a thing of beauty. They planned and researched,

prepared the soil, bought the supplies and plantedthe seeds and seedlings and then spent the next 14

weeks watering and tending. They had a really good

time and they used the herbs and veggies to cook

with, said Lisa Carrington, Mentorship Facilitator at

Phoenix.

The outcome was really good. The whole

exercise grew not only fresh food but self-esteem

too.

Mentorship

Evas Mentorship Program is tailored to the unique

needs and circumstances of homeless and at-risk

youth. The program provides examples of long term,

one-on-one healthy relationships, positive adult and

youth peer role models, access to caring and
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successful people in their community and opportunities to learn and develop skills that translate to stable

and meaningful employment.

Mentorship needs to be long term because rebuilding after a life of abuse or neglect takes a significant

investment of time. True mentorship needs to provide positive role models and connections to the

community, open doors to new skills, talents and interests and build self-esteem.

A Message from Juliana Sprott


We have all had times when life gets complicated. I know I have had times

when I felt like an insignificant cork, bobbing in the massive ocean called Life,

unsure about what my future held.When life was feeling its most challenging, I

was given the opportunity to research meaningful charities in Toronto and

abroad, and help these charities continue their amazing work by giving them

donations on behalf of The Sprott Foundation, my familys charitable foundation.

I was no longer a bobbing cork. I had found my purpose.The Sprott Foundation

has dedicated itself to addressing urgent human need, homelessness and

hunger for more than 20 years. We gladly support Evas Initiatives for a bunch

of reasons. Here are three of them:

1. Getting off the streets and into a shelter is a vital step towards being a happy, healthy person. Evas

provides a caring space for recovery and growth.2. Learning employable skills will set young people up for careers, which translate into steady

paycheques and meaningful contributions to our community.

3. When I visited Evas, I was totally impressed with all aspects of the program. The positive

atmosphere was inspiring!

If you are a homeless youth who has come upon this newsletter, or you know someone who is living on

the streets and wants to make a change, please seek out Evas. We here at The Sprott Foundation, along

with our friends at Evas, are behind you 100%. We want to support you as you seek a new direction in

life. You are not an insignificant cork in the ocean of Life. You are special and important. Evas can help

you discover your purpose, too.

~Juliana Sprott

Reprinted with permisson

*Photo viahttp://www.sprottfoundation.com/Juliana_Sprott.html
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Corporate Donor Spotlight


Evas has been the recipient of the generosity of theTD Financial

Group, specifically TD Securities and TD Asset Management for many

years. TD Asset Management has made our youth their focus since

2000 and TD Securities became our Taste Matters event sponsor in

2008. In November we were also made the recipient of the TD

Financial Literacy Grant Fund.

Too many homeless youth are excluded from mainstream financial

institutions, but theylike everyone elseneed to make financial

decisions everyday, said Evas Executive Director Maria Crawford. This grant will enable us to help

homeless youth gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to make better economic choices in a way that

takes into account their unique challenges and situation. We plan on sharing what we learn with

organizations across Canada to empower even more street involved youth, said Crawford.

TD Securities:

Giving back to our communities is a source of pride and differentiation for us at TD. Its extremely

important to us that we do our part to strengthen the communities in which we work and live. Thats why

TD Securities is proud to support Evas Initiatives and the important work they do to help homeless and

at-risk youth. Evas is known for their innovative approaches to finding long term solutions to youth

homelessness and for helping youth acquire the life skills needed to reach their full potential.

Congratulations on your achievements and for making a real difference in our communities.

Evas sends out a very special thank you to Lionel DeMercado and the traders on his team for

their continued personal support.

TD Asset Management:

The TD Asset Management Charity Committee has been proud to contribute to Evas Initiatives for

approximately 10 years. Our Committee is composed of individuals from several Asset businesses

representing approximately 600 staff members from one building.

The Committee has raised thousands of dollars for Evas through events like the ever popular Bake Sale,

Used Book Sale, Ice Cream Sale, Executive Harvest Pancake Breakfast and our premiere fundraiser, the

Holiday Raffle. We raise funds with the help of dozens of volunteers at each event. We also appreciate

the support and participation of the TD Asset Executive team.
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Mark wanted to return immediately to his aunt and the only home he knew. I didnt feel welcome.

Marks moms boyfriend, Louis treated Mark with more respect than his mother could muster. He hired

the youth for $9.50 an hour, doing work under the table for him. His first paycheque was $275 for a week.

I thought, wow! I am rich! In my country I would have made $20 in a day.

Marks mother told him she needed him to help with money to pay for his landed status. He set off to earn

her all she needed. In trying to get more work, he was told he needed a Social Insurance Number, so he

set out to get one. In the process of doing so, he found out that there had been no paperwork on his

behalf. His mother had been lying to him and gambling his money away.

I felt used, he says. He got angry. He went home and confronted his mother and she accused him of

being rude.

She kicked me out (in the cold) with a light sweater. Marks sister let him back in and he went to sleep.

Later he was awakened to someone stirring him from his sleep. His mother had called the police on him.

The police took him to Bathurst and Finch and dropped him off. He had nowhere to go, so he returned to

the building his mother lived in, buzzed some random numbers and someone let him inhe hid in the

elevator room.

The next day he got up and went to school. At lunch, he came home and the babysitter let him in to

shower. Mark tried this for a couple of days but was eventually caught by his mother, who again called

police. This time the police took him to Evas Place. I didnt even know what a shelter was. Place

became home and family for Mark from age 16 to age 18, where he attempted another reconciliation with

his mother.

This attempt with his mother didnt go any better than previous attempts. His mother wouldnt allow him to

eat any of her food. She would feed his sister and her boyfriend, but not him. She would shower the

boyfriend with gifts and clothing. His needs mattered.

Mark got frustrated with his mother and asked her how she could put her boyfriend ahead of her own

kids? Her boyfriend even said that was how he felt, too.

The final straw for Mark was when his mother told him she loved his sister more than him. I was killing

myself trying to please her and to help. She took advantage of me.

Mark returned to Place. It was better there.

Marks sister was soon kicked out by his mother, too, and she was placed in Foster Care in a group

home. She told my sister that she was a whore and that wed never make it in this country. My sister is

now in college, he says proudly.


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One of Marks proudest achievements is that he never turned to alcohol and drugs. I want to be a good

example for my children, he explains.

Mark went on to finish high school and got a job in a print shop. I didnt want to be on welfare. I just

wanted to work.

He is waiting on final word on his resident status and dreams of the future. I always wanted to be an

actor. Ive done a few commercials. Mark also plays drums, steel drums and keyboards. I sing, too, he

says and adds that he is a break dancer. I dont want to do it for money or fame; I just want to do it

because I love it.

Mark says if he did make money and become famous he would use it to help other young people like him.

I want to tell youths in shelters that I made itanything is possible.

High Tea at Satellite


This December 1st, the youth at Satellite kicking off the holiday season in high Savoy style with a High

Tea in the Satellite dining room. Following our very

successful Taste Matters fundraiser in November,

at which the youth got dressed up to join in the

glam and glitter, both youth and staff at Satellite

thought it would be fun to turn the Satellite dining

room into an afternoon tea experience just like the

Savoy Hotel in London England, says SuganthyBarnett, Site Operations Manager at Evas Place

and Satellite. The event gave youth the

opportunity to don their best once again and

sample some finger sandwiches, scones, and clotted cream. And tea. Colleen Coman, a volunteer

helping to raise awareness and funds for Evas, hosted the Tea along with her son Andrew and his friend

Cassandra. Special thanks are due to Andy in Food Services and Grace, Program Manager, for their

invaluable contributions every day and at this event in particular.

Source:http://www.topfoto.co.uk/gallery/1907/ppages/ppage1.htmNew Years Eve at the Savoy

Restaurant in theSavoy Hotel. Scene fromThe Illustrated London News Saturday, January 5, 1907(No. 3533, vol. CXXX) Centrefold p.20 drawn byMax Cowper.
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New Board President: Rob Myers


By day Rob Myers is the Executive Vice President of

Synovate North America. By night he has taken on

steering Evas ship as our Boards President. Rob, a

Chartered Accountant, has used his education in the

financial realm to successfully turn many a business

around. Evas is grateful for his proven abilities to

strategize and build.

My family and I moved back to Toronto from London,

England in 2007, Rob said. At the time I decided that I

really wanted to do more for the community in Toronto and was especially interested in helping an

organization that is focused on youth and the future. Evas impressed me from the start and I continue to

be amazed by the passion of both staff and youth. It is an honor serving on a board that is truly helping

improve the lives of our youth.

New Board Member Profile: Howard Quon


Howard Quon is a tax partner and the National Tax Markets Leader for PwC

Canada. Prior to joining PwC, Howard was the Vice President, Global

Taxation, at a leading Canadian-based multinational company. Howard

received his Chartered Accountant designation in 1995. He holds a Bachelor

of Arts and a Law degree from the University of Toronto and was called to the

Bar of Ontario in 2000.
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New Board Member Profile: Graeme Young


Graeme is a Senior Vice President with Colliers International, a commercial

real estate brokerage and services company with offices around the world.

Graeme has over thirty years experience in the real estate industry and

focuses on providing lease strategies for tenants and corporate users of

space on a national basis.

He learned about Evas Initiatives as a board member and past president of

NAIOP, an industry association that selected Evas for support through their

giving program. As the liaison between NAIOP and Evas, Graeme became more and more interested in

the organization. With his real estate background and connection to the business community, he thought

he could assist Evas with the great work it does for the youth of Toronto.

New Board Member Profile: Dr. Pamela Leece


Pamela Leece is a family physician, and is continuing her residency

training in the Public Health and Preventive Medicine program at the

University of Toronto. She currently works part-time as a staff physician at

Hassle Free Mens Clinic in Toronto, and works occasionally with other

sexual health and general medicine clinics. Her current areas of clinical and

research interest include sexual health, addictions, inner city health, and

global health. As the work of Evas Initiatives contributes to many

determinants of health for the youth, Pamela would like to support this

effort to ultimately improve the physical and mental health of those served by the organization.

AnnouncementBeryl Smith


It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of our

namesake Eva Smiths sister, Beryl Smith, May 8th, 2011, at age 83.

Beryl was originally from Norfolk, England and came to Canada as a war

bride in September, 1946. Her support for Evas and her warm words of

encouragement were always appreciated.
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