Eva Smith: RBC Black History Month Student Essay Competition Entry

RBC, with the support of Free the Children, asked students applying to college or university to tell us their stories of how black Canadians have helped define Canada’s diverse heritage.   Every day, we’re publishing a new essay from the competition to celebrate our youth.  Pick up your copy of Sway magazine in March to find out who the three scholarship winners are.

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By David Grant
Age: 17
Grade: 12

A black Canadian who has helped define Canada’s diverse heritage and identity is Eva Smith whose compassion and dedication helped young people and marginalized Canadians achieve their goals.

Eva came to Canada, trained as a dental technician, in 1956 from Rio Bueno, Jamaica with the hopes of a better life.  During this time, government policy was discriminatory; for those coming from the Caribbean, the only alternative was to enter the country as a domestic. In her spare time, while completing her domestic contract, Eva Smith attended Ryerson Polytechnical Institute and later became a counselor for the North York Board of Education.

Children were very important to her, especially when it came to the issue of staying in school. She saw it as a way for them to gain the discipline to reach their potential; she believed kids staying in school benefited society instead of being a burden to it.

Eva Smith

In 1987, she helped found the North York Emergency Home for Youth, but died six months before the shelter actually opened. In her honour, the shelter was named Eva’s Place.

Since then, the shelter has grown to be one of the largest youth shelter organizations in Toronto. Eva’s Initiatives, which now operates three shelters, all bear her name: Eva’s Place, Eva’s Satellite and Eva’s Phoenix.

Eva’s Initiatives has a program to share information with other organizations throughout Canada to help them improve their programs for at-risk and homeless youth.

I am impressed to see that her work is not only touching the lives of people in Toronto, but across Canada and the world.  I had the privilege to volunteer many times at the Eva’s Phoenix Shelter.  When volunteering there, it touched my heart to look around and take note of all the youth who are just like me, who have a place to live and another chance to succeed in society—all thanks to one special woman.

As a young Canadian with Caribbean roots, what I especially admire about Eva Smith is not only her hard work that gives youth a second chance to try to achieve their goals, but also that she never forgot her roots.  She not only helped the youth, but also fought also for the rights of domestic workers living and working in Toronto’s Caribbean communities.  She also helped to create the JCA (Jamaican Canadian Association), which helps provide support, training and employment opportunities for not only Caribbean people but people from all backgrounds.  She was indeed an impressive woman, which is why I dedicate this essay in her honour.

The essays submitted pursuant to the RBC® Black History Month Student Essay Competition and provided herein are the original work of the students who have entered the Competition.  Neither Royal Bank of Canada nor Sway assume any responsibility whatsoever for material that is false, inaccurate or violates or infringes upon the rights of third parties, including privacy and intellectual property rights.

Lft to Rt: Muggsy Bogues, Second Harvest E.D. Jo-Anne Sobie, Mike Gartner

On January 21^st, Second Harvest organized a food delivery and basketball clinic with Eva’s youth. Former Leaf Mike Gartner and former Raptor Muggsy Bogues spoke to about 20 youth from Place, Satellite and Phoenix. Muggsy spoke about challenges he encountered in making his dreams come true. The point guard measures 5 feet 3 inches tall, and had to battle to get coaches to take him seriously in a sport where players usually tower well over 6 feet. With determination and skill, he proved his worth.

Already accustomed to challenges greater than most people have to endure, the youth hung on to Muggsy’s every word. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment brought duffle bags full of basketballs and after the question and answer session, Muggsy showed some very excited youth ball handling skills.

Second Harvest also brought pizza and donuts which were happily torn into after the skills clinic.

A note of gratitude goes out to Second Harvest and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment for an important and fun day for our youth.

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Reporting to the Manager of Employment Services, the Intake/Follow-Up Worker is responsible for the case management of participants of the Eva’s Phoenix Youth Succeeding in Employment Program. This position is responsible for assessment and ensuring that adequate outreach is done so that the intake and referral targets are met. This position also is responsible for following up and tracking clients’ progress once they exit our program, and for maintaining the resource information on community programs. The Employment Intake/Follow-Up Worker will participate in the overall team approach of the agency and the employment team.

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Posted: January 13, 2012
Closed: January 27, 2012

Eva’s was chosen as a Top Pick by Charity Intelligence for the second year in a row. As only 33 organizations were chosen out of the whole country, the designation is quite an honor. People often don’t have the time to research charities, so Charity Intelligence puts us under the microscope for you.

There are many reasons for our selection including the fact that we have highly measurable programs like Family Reconnect. In 2010 the program…

• assisted 19 youth in their return home from the shelter
• moved 37 youth into independent or supportive housing
• helped 15 youth remain at home through early intervention

*The monthly savings for each youth to the Toronto shelter system was $1,705.05. The savings to the shelter system for 2010 was $363,271.50, based on an average three month stay.

Other reasons for our selection:

• Our employment training program boasts a 70 per cent success rate with youth finding jobs or returning to school
• Our social enterprise—Eva’s Print Shop—has a 70 per cent success rate and a 16 per cent increase in sales growth in 2010
• We are cost effective—our fundraising and admin costs are at 15 per cent, well under the Canadian Revenue Agency’s guidelines of 30 per cent.
• We are transparent—our Annual Report is available online and our financial statements are open to anyone wanting to see them

What Clare encountered instead was more hardship. Her step-mother rejected her and conflict in the family eventually drove her father off. Clare stayed with a family friend until she could complete high school.

Clare then moved in with her step-brother and his wife, but their marriage ended and Clare found herself staring at the doors to Eva’s Place.

Unable to work due to her immigrant status, Clare volunteered at a hospice, food bank, Meals on Wheels and a hospital while staying with Eva’s. The gift of her time and commitment to these places inspired her to become a nurse.

In December 2010, Clare applied for permanent status in Canada and, after securing stable housing, plans to attend university.

Donation Options

Online

Please visit our donation page at CanadaHelps.org and select the Phoenix Relocation Fund in the Funds designation drop-down box (donations through CanadaHelps are subject to a 3.9% administration fee by Eva’s).

Kelly Services 1 University Staff Team

 ”Kindness in words creates confidence.  Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.  Kindness in giving creates love.”~Lao Tzu

For the past several years, the Family Reconnect Program’s youth and families have been privileged to receive holiday gifts from the staff of Kelly Service’s University Ave., Bloor St., and Woodbine offices.  Through the kindness and thoughtfulness of Branch Managers Cathy Campbell and Kim Torrance and their staff teams, our families-in-need have their wish lists filled every year.  They also beautifully wrap the gifts, create stockings and always add gourmet treats.We are honored to work with the wonderful people of Kelly Services and are grateful that they help make wishes come true. Thank you.

Kelly Services 33 Bloor St East Staff Team

Kelly Services 7030 Woodbine Ave Staff Team

As an agency that operates three unique shelters for youths, 16-24, we can tell you that the number of our residents with serious mental health issues averages around 40 per cent. That is statistically significant and connotes a larger issue. Youth shelters are being used as dumping grounds for youth that do not fit anywhere else.

Our staff are regularly frustrated and often devastated in trying to get seriously mentally ill youth the help they need, only to have the youth released back into our care without anything more than advice to continue their medications. This cohort is falling through the cracks in alarming and disturbing numbers.

A youth-specific mental health system must recognize youths’ need for autonomy, their risk-taking behaviours, their brain development, the unique and unprecedented issues that youth are struggling with today, as well as the distinct determinants to successfully and positively engage the youth in the process.

To better serve these youth, all staff involved in delivering services to youth, including teachers, child and youth workers and hospital staff should be comprehensively trained and educated on the emergence of mental health issues in adolescence.

Homeless youth present some additional challenges as, during the often long waits for service, they have moved from shelter to shelter and contact is lost. Due to the unique needs and transient nature of this population, the approach to counselling, case management and coordination requires contacts that are frequent, supportive, offer immediate response in times of acute crisis, and that must assist youth in a variety of areas geared to their individual circumstance.

Eva’s is not alone in our desire to see a mental health system specifically aimed at youths. We partner with youth agencies across the country under the umbrella of the Learning Community, and this is an issue of great concern to us all.

We are seeking a highly skilled Director of Development to lead our Development Department in the provision of strategic leadership in designing, implementing and evaluating the organization’s fundraising plan in order to build and maintain a long term base of support for the organization. The Director will work closely with the Executive Director and Resource Development Committee of the Board to create and implement successful strategies for meeting our fundraising goals.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced fundraiser and dynamic communicator with strong leadership and management competencies at a senior management level. The Director of Development reports to the Executive Director and has operational responsibility for fundraising/resource development, donor relations, public relations and communications functions for the organization.

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Re-posted February 17, 2012

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This time last year, Mark, a lanky, soft-spoken 18-year-old, was just another lost youth in the big city – homeless, unemployed and on his own. It wasn’t that he’d left his family – his family had left him. His mom had moved back to her country of origin and parked him with some cousins, who were not exactly thrilled to have him.

Charities working hard for your money – The Globe and Mail.

Margaret Wente

Many youth employment programs focus on simply getting young people jobs – any job. At Eva’s Phoenix, the Youth Succeeding in Employment Program (YSEP) is about providing at-risk youth with employment opportunities that will assist them to get their “foot in the door” to a career of their choice. By working closely with youth, the YSEP team at Eva’s Phoenix seeks out the passion and aspirations of each individual, and then work with them to build a career-based action plan that is driven by that passion.

YSEP begins with a 5-week employment preparation component called Career Exploration and Preparation (CEP). In CEP, 8 youth will be hired to participate in a 5-week series of employability and career-exploration workshops. Participants are paid a training stipend of minimum wage, work 30-hours Monday to Friday and develop important skill-sets that raise their profiles on topics ranging from personality dimensions, budgeting, team work, communication to networking the hidden job market. Through supportive employment counseling and individualized action plans, participants increase their awareness on how to become the type of worker they want to be while preparing for the second component of the program which is called the Work Experience Placement (WEP).

A WEP is designed to give youth a real-life glimpse into a chosen career. Participants are matched with an employer of their choice and placed for up to 12-weeks based on their individual career goals. Each participant can work 35 hours per week and will be guaranteed a starting salary of minimum wage. Throughout a WEP, participants receive guidance and support from YSEP staff to ensure that they’re meeting the goals and objectives created in their action plan. As well, access to continued training, tools and materials are available as additional supports. This innovative model links ambitious youth with employers seeking motivated staff and provides youth with vital experience and information related to their desired career.

Past WEP’s have included positions within the business administration, hospitality, customer service, information technology, social services and skilled trades industries. Upon completion of a WEP, YSEP staff facilitate a performance appraisal with the focus of permanent employment in mind.

Finally, YSEP understands that the road to employment is a long one. The key is not to give up if one approach doesn’t work. YSEP believes in working with youth and employers to create a plan of success. That is why Eva’s Phoenix follows up on its YSEP graduates on a regular basis for up to a year, and provides assistance to link them to other community supports and resources once they leave the program.

How Do I know if I’m eligible?

You are eligible for the YSEP if you are:

1. Between 15-30 years of age (inclusive)
2. Out of school
3. Have a valid social insurance number
4. A Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person who has been granted refugee status in Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
5. Legally entitled to work according to relevant provincial legislation and regulations
6. Not in receipt of Employment Insurance (EI)
7. In need of assistance in order to overcome barriers to employment
8. Be willing to work Monday-Friday between 9-5

When is the YSEP available?

Call the YSEP Employment Intake/Follow up Worker @ 416-364-4716 ext 248 to learn when the next available session begins.

How do I apply?

Admission begins with an in-depth assessment and intake interview. You will meet with the YSEP Intake/Follow up Worker to explore your employment goals for the future, and together build an action plan to achieve them.

There is no “right answer” for what this can mean. All that is necessary is that you’re willing to discuss your employment barriers, hear about ways to establish a career path that best meets your long and short-tem goals and be open to having a positive outlook.

You can contact us directly to book an assessment appointment or, you can download our YSEP initial contact form and fax it to our YSEP Intake/Follow up Worker.

Where is the YSEP located?

Our program is located at:

Eva’s Phoenix, 11 Ordnance Street, Toronto, Ontario M6K1A1 Telephone: 416-364-4716 ext 248 Fax: 416-364-2985

Are you an employer looking to hire?

YSEP participants have a broad range of interests from business administration, hospitality, customer service, information technology, community work and the skilled trades. We link ambitious youth with employers seeking motivated staff and we provide support to make the experience successful for all parties.

Employers will receive…

• A new employee eager to learn about a career in your industry
• An employee whose wages are fully subsidized at minimum wage and retained on Eva’s payroll
• The opportunity to assist a youth in furthering their career aspirations
• Regular, individually-tailored evaluations with the employee
• Ongoing contact with the YSEP staff to ensure a high level of satisfaction
• Increased advertising opportunities to showcase your business to a larger market
• An opportunity to promote youth company’s Corporate Social Responsibility

Next steps…

• Over 250 businesses have participated in YSEP since 2000. If your company is interested in benefiting from this unique opportunity please do not hesitate to contact a the Manager of Employment Services at 416-364-4716 ext 233. We would be happy to answer any of your questions on how this partnership can serve as a win-win opportunity