For immediate release:

Eva’s Initiatives’ Launches Awards for Ending Youth Homelessness

Toronto, ON, November 24, 2011—Eva’s Initiatives, the Sprott Foundation and Virgin Unite (Canada), Inc. are pleased to offer four awards of $25,000 each for organizations working with homeless and at-risk youth.

“In 2006, Eva’s Initiatives launched the Awards for Innovation, through generous sponsorship from CIBC,” explained Rachel Gray, Eva’s Director of National Initiatives.

Six years of the Innovation Awards recognized the achievements of 18 organizations from coast to coast to coast. “Because of the inspiration and learning from this experience, we have shifted our focus for this new awards program,” said Gray.

With the launch of the 2012 program, Eva’s and our partners Virgin Unite  and the Sprott Foundation are putting the spotlight on what works in terms of preventing and ending the homelessness that youth experience. 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 also means program impacts that have results on different levels—from 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 person’s homelessness,” Gray said.

The deadline for applications is 9 p.m. EST, Friday January 20^th, 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.

Eva’s Initiatives works with homeless and at-risk youth, ages 16 to 24, to get them off the streets permanently. Each year we help over 5,000 homeless and at-risk youth through our emergency and transitional housing, harm reduction services, counselling, employment and training programs, social enterprise, and services to reconnect youth with their families.

Eva’s Initiatives Awards for Ending Youth Homelessness are generously supported by the Sprott Foundation and Virgin Unite (Canada), Inc.

For more information or to inquire about interviews, please contact Rachel Gray, Director of National Initiatives at (416) 977-4497 x 127

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