Nothing bothered Shuah Roskies more than how administrivia (as she called it) could frustrate the goal of keeping youth safe within the child welfare system. Nowhere was this more pronounced than in relation to housing stability. Shuah couldn’t accept that the system is so broken that vulnerable young people often have to become homeless before they’re eligible for services that would have prevented their homelessness in the first place. It was this commitment to removing barriers and to finding concrete solutions that drove Shuah in her work to improve youth access to housing grants.

Her intelligence, care, and passion for youth drew people to her and created connections between youth and adults, as well as among adults from different sectors, to get everyone working together to find workable answers to the complex challenges facing homeless youth. Whether as Counsel at the Office of the Children’s Lawyer or as StepStones’ Director of Innovation and Awareness, Shuah was a trailblazer in making the lives of young people better and safer. Her relentless commitment to child welfare was felt deeply by everyone who had the privilege of working with her, and her passion and the projects she conceived live on at StepStones. 

Very suddenly and unexpectedly, we lost Shuah last August. Her death has left a huge void in our community and in our hearts. In honour of Shuah, we are proud to announce a new funding initiative for our innovative Homelessness Prevention Program.

The Shuah Roskies Youth Homelessness Prevention Fund is open to all young people who are involved with Ontario’s Child Protection Services, have no support from their families and are at high risk of homelessness, are currently under-housed, or are currently experiencing housing-precarious situations. Donations will be directed towards a variety of urgently required supports to stabilize housing and meet basic needs, including first and last month’s rent, grocery gift cards, move-in expenses, emergency supports, and more. Young people will be able to apply for this support through our online Housing Grant Portal that was co-designed by Shuah. Through this initiative, we continue Shuah’s legacy of empowering and protecting the most vulnerable in our community.

Please join us in celebrating our dear friend’s memory by making a donation to The Shuah Roskies Youth Homelessness Prevention Fund by filling out the form below. Your support will ensure that youth have a safe place to call home and the opportunity to pursue their goals and dreams.