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Sheila Baxter

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sheila Baxter (born 1933) is a Canadian anti-poverty activist who has written several books about poverty and mental illness in Canada.

On September 28, 2017, Baxter was awarded the governor general sovereign medal for volunteers, for co-foundeding Chez Doris, a shelter for women, that has grown significantly since opening in 1977. Due to her dedicated efforts, many marginalized and vulnerable women have found support and safety.

Life

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Baxter became active in the anti-poverty movement in Quebec, Canada in 1970. Baxter also co-founded Chez Doris, a drop-in centre for women living on the streets of Montreal,[1] and has more recently been active in Vancouver, British Columbia, as a counsellor and welfare advocate at the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre.[2] Baxter is a poet, educator and author of five books on poverty and homelessness, and is currently active with the Vancouver City-Wide Housing Coalition.[1][3]

She read at the Vancouver Public Library.[4][5]

Awards

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  • VanCity Book Prize [6]
  • Sovereign Medal for Volunteers,

Works

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  • No Way to Live: Poor Women Speak Out (New Star Press, 1988) (Photos: Lori Gabrielson)
  • Under the Viaduct: Homeless in Beautiful B.C. (New Star Press, 1991)
  • A Child is Not a Toy: Voices of Children in Poverty (New Star Press, 1993)
  • Still Raising Hell: Poverty, Activism and Other True Stories (Press Gang Publishers, 1997)
  • Death in a Dumpster: A Passion Play for the Homeless (Lazara Press, 2006)

References

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  1. ^ a b ABCBookWorld
  2. ^ Lazara Press, a progressive publishing house in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada » Sheila Baxter
  3. ^ Sheila Baxter | Authors | New Star Books Publisher, Vancouver British Columbia Canada, Newstarbooks, catalogue
  4. ^ Ruth Ozeki and Sheila Baxter Both at the Library
  5. ^ "Sheila Baxter at the Library Tonight". Archived from the original on July 8, 2008. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  6. ^ "Vancity Women's Book Prize - Sheila Baxter". Archived from the original on October 13, 2008. Retrieved March 14, 2010.