Raising the Roof was collectively born by a group of Canadian housing and homelessness activists who were concerned about the growing gaps in the support system serving persons who were homeless and organizations who needed the funds to provide much needed supports to homeless people in communities across Canada.

 

The roots of Raising the Roof can be traced to a group of dedicated individuals who were active in supporting the needs of homeless people in the 1980’s and 1990’s and being led by a core of individuals involved in the former Canadian Urban Core Support Network and the Canadian Non-Profit Housing Foundation. 

 

During the same period similar groups such as Red Nose Day and Comic Relief were born in the United Kingdom and the United States. 

 

Today we take our toques off and give a very big thank you to the founding Board of Directors Catherine Boucher, Derek Ballantyne, David Hulchanski, Ann Harvey,  Steve Garrison, Susan Woods and Beverly Wybrow.  It was through their leadership and vision that Raising the Roof was founded back in 1997.

 

We also give thanks to the core team of crazy dedicated and hardworking people who toiled behind the scenes to launch the organization and started to put a toque on the heads of so many Canadians.  Our first Executive Director, Suzanne Gibson, and the team of Lesley Sims, Lise Desrochers and Donald Murphy.

 

As Suzanne Gibson recalls: “We wanted to look much bigger than we were and have a high presence in the media.  We were very fortunate to have the creative volunteer help of former advertising executive Donald Murphy; he came up with the idea of the toque campaign.  It was brilliant.  He also suggested we run a comedy event called Raising the Roof.  Everyone loved the idea so much that the Board chose to name the organization “Raising the Roof”.

 

Over the years Raising the Roof has raised awareness on solutions to homelessness, held sold out Comedy events, sponsored a local pancake breakfast in St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador, partnered with major corporate sponsors such as the Royal Bank of Canada, Global Television, Home Publishing Group, Home Depot, Virgin Media; surveyed Canadians on solving homelessness, engaged tens of thousands of volunteers, through Toque Tuesday partnered and raised funds for dozens of local agencies, engaged and advised  governments, contributed directly to housing Canadians and sold close to a million toques.

 

These are the roots of Raising the Roof - those seeds planted some thirty years ago that have been growing ever since.  The growth and success of Raising the Roof is a story that continues to be written and acted out throughout Canada as Canadians continue to work to raise awareness and end homelessness. 

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