Raising the Roof

Toque Tuesday, our annual national public awareness day is on February 2nd, 2010. Purchase and wear your toque with pride. Let’s put a cap on youth homelessness!

There ARE solutions to youth homelessness in Canada

Buying a toque is a great way to participate in and fund those solutions. Our National Toque Campaign gives everyone the chance to have fun while raising funds and awareness in the fight against homelessness in Canada.

The difference a toque can make

Providing homeless and at-risk youth with educational and employment training and opportunities, stable, secure housing helps them to develop essential life skills, so that they can grow into independent, self-sufficient, contributing members of society. (Based on the Raising the Roof 2009 report “Youth Homelessness in Canada: The Road to Solutions” – a key outcome of the first phase of the Youthworks)

Your purchase of a toque funds grass-roots agencies working to help youth break away from street culture towards a better future. It’s an investment that makes sound economic and social sense.

1 Toque = a bus pass or some clothing for a youth’s all-important first job interview.
10 Toques = supportive housing for one youth for a week, allowing him/her to learn essential life skills to help break away from street culture.
200 Toques (1 case) = enough to support a youth to go back to school for a year or enrol in an apprenticeship program for two months.

Where can I buy my toque?

Your exclusive Virgin/Raising the Roof toque is only available at Virgin Mobile stores or at Virgin Mobile on-line. Pick one up now. LET'S PUT A CAP ON YOUTH HOMELESSNESS!

Toques are $10 each and are available in a variety of colours and styles, as shown. Here's how to get yours:

Order online through Raising the Roof directly.
Go to any Virgin Mobile store (Virgin Mobile Canada is Lead Partner of our National Toque Campaign), or order on-line.
Go to our Regional Toque Campaign Partner, Crystal Glass locations in British Columbia Interior or Alberta.

Organize your own Toque Campaign

It's fun, easy and rewarding to launch a Toque Campaign at your office, school, community group or place of worship.

Toques come in sleeves of 10 and cases of 200. Order Now. Contact for more information on tools and tips to support your efforts.

Toque Campaign funds support Raising the Roof’s work

The Campaign:

Raises funds for community-based agencies providing direct services to the homeless – organizations that often lack the resources to do their own fundraising;
Educates Canadians about the causes of and potential solutions to homelessness. Read our report Youth Homelessness in Canada: The Road to Solutions
Builds partnerships by giving corporations, community groups and individuals easy ways to participate in solutions to homelessness.