Who We Are
Our Vision
Refugee claimants in our neighbourhoods are safe, thriving, and knowing that they belong.
Our Mission
The Romero House community welcomes refugee claimants with housing, immigration and settlement support.
Our Values
We live together as good neighbours, valuing care and mutuality.
We respect the dignity of all.
We trust one another.
We are present in joy and suffering.
We are inspired by the radical example of Oscar Romero.
Our History
Over the past 30 years, Romero House has grown beyond what was ever imagined. Dive into the story of Romero House with some of our founders and long time community members.
Romero House came to life in 1991 when a small group of people, including several refugee families, took over a refugee shelter threatened with closure. They had a unique idea: that newly arrived refugee families could live together with others seeking to be a community. They lived together in a spirit of trust, interacting as neighbours rather than clients and settlement workers. They had no plan, no sense of what their little experiment would become.
Meet Our Team
In addition to our wonderful staff, Romero House is held up by six young people in the Worker program, who commit one or two years of their lives to living and serving in community. This team, together with a dedicated group of volunteers, continue to support and build the ever-growing community of Romero House
Francesca Allodi-Ross
( She / Her )
Executive Director
Francesca has been part of the Romero community for more than 15 years. She started as Executive Director in 2022, bringing experience as a facilitator, frontline social service worker, and former lawyer. She loves dancing and singing and is grateful that this community celebrates both.
Mary Jo Leddy
( She / Her )
Founder
Renowned for her creative use of leftovers in making delicious meals, and her dedication to our neighborhood. She is a social activist, teacher, and writer, whose long term commitment to Romero House has formed the foundation of this community.
Jenn Stephenson
( She / Her )
Assistant Director
Our Assistant Director brings an extremely helpful enthusiasm for operational management and organization. She is our health and safety guru and knows far more about social media than anyone else on the team.
Ann Khatter
( She / Her )
Bookkeeper
Our wonderful bookkeeper, is a bright light in our office, bringing with her a very welcome love of organizing our cluttered spaces.
Robbie Arzumanov
( He / Him )
Community Services Coordinator
Robbie is from Georgia and is taking on a new role at Romero House. He is an amazing guitar player and a great gym buddy. He is excited to continue to share his Georgian food recipes with the Romero community.
Robelin Severino
( He / Him )
Maintenance Manager
Our Buildings and Maintenance Manager Robelin brings amazing enthusiasm to Romero House while keeping our houses in great shape. He loves to make music, is a talented bachata dancer and a great cook!
Karen Sierrra
( She / Her )
Housing Access Coordinator
Karen is our Housing Access Coordinator and faithful volunteer of over 4 years! She’s no stranger to our community and brings contagious energy to everything she does. When she’s not helping people find their perfect home, you can find her enjoying extreme adventures, dancing, swimming, or jamming to music with family and friends.
Elaina Mohr
( She / Her )
Worker
We are welcoming Elaina back for her second year. She is from Grimsby, ON, and is an improv wiz and boxer extraordinaire! Elaina has enthusiastically stepped into the role of Housing Worker.
Sarah Buisman
( She / Her )
House Coordinator
She is from Guelph, ON, and she loves music and ensures we all get a healthy dose of yummy kale salads! Sarah is our very organized volunteer coordinator and a great Companion.
Rafael Llamas
( He / Him )
Worker
Rafael joins us for his first year of being a Worker. Rafael is on the Companion Team and is our Food Security Coordinator. Rafael brings awesome tech skills, a superb enthusiasm for teamwork, and delicious empanadas to our team!
Marisol Larrea-Clark
( They / Them )
Worker
Marisol joins us from Parkhill, Ontario, bringing amazing spunk and energy to our team. Marisol is our community glue, organizing many fun outings and social events for our residents. They are on our Companion Team and have taken on the role of communications.
Suyeon Kang
( She / Her )
Worker
Suyeon comes from South Korea, she is a very dynamic person who has experienced many volunteer and community placements throughout the world. She is community programming coordinator. She plays ukulele and sings very well, she is very enthusiastic.
Moses Simbeye
( He / Him )
Worker
Moses is joining our team and comes all the way from Zambia. He is our intake coordinator and is very committed to his work. He plays the guitar and is a great swimmer. He speaks seven languages, and has amazing linguistic skills!
Meet Our Board of Directors
Lori Neale
President
Michael McMorrow
Member
Anil Varughese
Vice President
Tom Abel
Member
Sara Guerrero
Treasurer
Amensisa Neway
Member
Kathy Butkovich
Secretary
Shahid Akhtar
Member
