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 )
Settlement and
Logistics Coordinator
Robbie is from Georgia and provides support to former residents as well as our operations and admin team. 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 Sierra
( 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.
Suyeon Kang
( She / Her )
Worker
Suyeon comes from South Korea, and her deep passion for the community has taken her to experience diverse volunteer and community placements around the globe. She is excited to step into the role of Communications and be back with our Companion team. In our community, you can often find her strumming her ukulele or on a quest to discover the best bubble tea spot.
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 served as a Worker from 2021 to 2023, and we are delighted to have her return as our House Coordinator.
Rafael Llamas
( He / Him )
Worker
We are welcoming Rafael back for his second year as our Intake Coordinator, ready to warmly greet and support walk-ins at the office. 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 a Community Programming Coordinator and on our Companion Team.
Marnie Klassen
( She / Her )
Marnie comes to us from Winnipeg, but grew up in B.C. She is our Volunteer Coordinator, helping folks like you find their fit in the Romero community. She’s also on our companion team. When she’s not coordinating volunteers or working with families, she enjoys a slow coffee in the morning, watching Oscar nominees, feeding her friends good food, gardening, and exploring Toronto.
Meet Our Board of Directors
If you are interested in serving as a board member, click here to express interest.
Lori Neale
President
Anil Varughese
Vice President
Sara Guerrero
Treasurer
Kathy Butkovich
Secretary
Michael McMorrow
Member
Tom Abel
Member
Amensisa Neway
Member
Shahid Akhtar
Member
