Canada Without Poverty is governed by a Board of Directors who individually have experienced poverty first-hand.  Their lived experience and that of many of our members and supporters informs our mission, vision, values and work.  Our current Board consists of:

Cindy Buott (Trent Hills, ON) has worked for years to combat poverty in her community by organizing events, delivering workshops and sitting on numerous boards and committees.  Cindy’s contributions were recognized with a civic award issued by the City of Peterborough in 2001.  Cindy also serves on the Board of the CWP Advocacy Network.

Vilma Dawson (Calgary, AB) was born into deep poverty in India and is the eldest of 10 children raised in an extended family.  Since 1992 she has been the Executive Director of the Calgary Centre for Culture, Equity and Diversity.  She is the recipient of several awards including the Alberta Centennial Medal, recognizing “Outstanding Service to the People and Province of Alberta”.
Debbie Frost (Saskatoon, SK) holds a degree in aboriginal social work and is active with community, provincial and national organizations.  Debbie works to support low-income people to attend training sessions and events of benefit to them.  In 2009 was recognized by Flare magazine as one of 28 semi-finalists for a Volunteer Award, recognizing outstanding voluntary contributions by Canadian women.  Debbie also serves on the Board of the CWP Advocacy Network.

Geraldine King (Ottawa, ON) lived all of her child/youth years and has lived some of her adult years in poverty.  From the Gull River First Nation in northern Ontario, Geraldine currently works for the National Association of Friendship Centres.  In her everyday work and personal life, Geraldine is reminded of the socio-economic conditions and environmental realities that exist for Canada’s First Peoples.  Geraldine also serves on the Board of the CWP Advocacy Network.

Marc Laferriere (Brantford, ON), MSW, RSW is a social worker with the Grand River Community Health Centre.  He experienced poverty in childhood, as a youth and as a post-secondary student.  He has conducted research on aging and health and designed and implemented client-centered research on community development needs for those in affordable housing.  Marc is a former coordinator and leadership team member of the Brant/Brantford Roundtable on Poverty (www.bbrop.ca) and is the current Co-Chair of the Brantford Community Garden Project.

Ruth MacDonald (St. John’s, NL) is the Neighbourhood and Citizen Engagement Facilitator with Vibrant Communities St. John’s, a community-led collaboration of partners from all sectors committed to a long-term action approach to poverty reduction in the community.  Ruth is a single parent and has experience of living on social assistance.  Her diverse work experience includes 10 years in the jewel retail business and as an academic social work research assistant.  Ruth also serves on the Board of the CWP Advocacy Network.

Harriett McLachlan (Montreal, QC) has a Masters in Social Worker from Carleton University and has been working in the field for over 20 years.  She applies an anti-oppressive structural analysis to community development that focuses on poverty and inequality at the ground level with the lived experiences of people’s lives.  Her early life of childhood violence and sexual abuse, and subsequent 33 years of poverty, 17 years as a single parent, has inspired her to effect positive change within the community sector.

Sharon Murphy (Halifax, NS) is a retired social worker whose extensive volunteer service was recognized with the Volunteer of the Year Award for Nova Scotia for 2006.  Sharon is the former Chair of the Cumberland County Poverty Action Committee and serves on the Social Justice Committee of the Nova Scotia Association of Social Workers.  She is also helping represent Canada Without Poverty in a major research project, led by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, on disabilities and poverty.  Sharon also serves on the Board of the CWP Advocacy Network.

Regena Russell (Charlottetown, PE) experienced poverty in the 1980s as a young single mother on welfare.  Returning to school, she earned a law degree with a thesis on the implications of welfare reform for women and children, and then practiced law for 12 years.  Reggie is presently a family mediator working to facilitate agreements between spouses in dispute resolution.  Reggie also serves on the Board of the CWP Advocacy Network.

Reanna Sutton (Whitehorse, YK), born and raised in the Yukon, endured poverty in childhood and as a post-secondary student and young adult, including motherhood.  Reanna has studied early childhood education and criminology and is close to completing a degree in social work.  She recently completed a couple of years working in community health for the Vuntut Gwichin First Nation in the remote northern community of Old Crow.  Reanna also serves on the Board of the CWP Advocacy Network.

Catherine Wirt (Winnipeg, MB) has in her past survived on low paying jobs, student loans, unemployment insurance, and income assistance.  Only in the last few years has she enjoyed the security of medical benefits, insurance and retirement savings.  She has worked with Winnipeg Harvest since 2003.  As Referrals Coordinator, she leads a team of that refers clients to food banks and other community resources, as well as provides information, mediation and advocacy.