Michelle Bilek,
Partner

She is a long-standing supporter of democracy, human rights, justice, embedding and living through JEDI/ARAO and taking actions for the protection of our environment. As an advocate against intersectional forms of violence, homelessness and poverty, she has been driven to challenge the status quo and make a difference in the lives of community members.  Michelle continues to work tirelessly for those that feel they do not have a voice, and those who are marginalized in our community. 

Michelle most currently worked for the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness as the National Political Organizer, providing policy, advocacy and research support to pan-Canadian, Intersectional and diverse Allied Networks, organizations and communities to elevate the needs and voices of our most vulnerable community members. Michelle’s work to end homelessness started locally, bringing activists, advocates and stakeholders together to form the Peel Alliance to End Homelessness, which she is the founder and co-chair, where purposeful and meaningful work on housing, homelessness, systems integration and service provision has had a tremendous impact in local policies and system wide coordination. Michelle has worked as a High School Teacher in Toronto, in Long-Term Care within Peel Region as a Community Resource Manager and at Princess Margaret Hospital in Psychosocial Patient Education. She is a FAST (Families and Schools Together) Facilitator at various marginalized grade schools in Peel Region, and developing productive and trustworthy relationships between our schools, educators, students, and families. Michelle continues to provide education support to students of all ages, including ESL adults as a tutor. Michelle has been on the Board of Directors for The Regional Diversity Roundtable of Peel for 12 years, supporting programing and development in DEI leadership within Peel Region. She has been on the board of the Homelessness Strategy Partnership, Community Advisory Board for 5 years, where she works with community partners to distribute fiscal support for sustainable and affordable housing and services to community members. Michelle is also a Board Director for MOYO Health and Community Services, supporting community members with programs, services and advocacy for those living with HIV and AIDS but also championing an end to stigma and Harm Reduction approaches to care and service delivery in Peel, and supports for the LGBTQ2S+ community.  As a Peel Diversity Champion, she contributed to the creation of the landmark document, The Diversity and Inclusion Charter of Peel. 

Michelle also contributed to the Peel’s Food Security Taskforce and to the creation of the Food Security Charter of Peel, and as a member of the Peel Poverty Reduction Strategy, supported the Peel Poverty Reduction Strategy’s 10-year Poverty Reduction Strategy refresh. She is past Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Services (SAVIS), and has spent two years as a Victim Witness Court Watcher for the Ontario Supreme Court violence against women court system. Michelle is also a host on Sauga News Talk 960am radio show “Peel Matters” discussing issues and champions in Peel Region.  She volunteers at Eden Food For Change, by providing service support, and fresh food with dignity to those who are experiencing food insecurity. Michelle is a Diversity on Boards mentor for Girls20, where she supports the journey of young women to leadership roles on Boards of Directors and in society.  She is a long-time member of the Council of Canadians, Interpares, Broadbent Institute and Fair Vote Canada, and others. She also has been a guest editor with Canadian Women’s Studies Magazine and a member and participant in the Peel Poverty Action Group, Habitat for Humanity, Make Poverty History and Equal Voice, an organization that promotes the election of women at all levels of government.   

Michelle has received an education in Psychology & Sociology from McMaster and has subsequently studied and received a Masters in Women’s Studies & Gender Studies from York.  Michelle believes that systems and cultural priorities must be placed on the needs of people, an addressing the core causes of poverty, malnutrition, and homelessness with urgency: with access to affordable health and dental care, access to affordable housing, access to affordable transportation, access to affordable nutrition, access to affordable education, and that a livable wage is a social responsibility with economically beneficial results.

Michelle believes a better way can be achieved by creating a society based on inclusion, fairness, equity and justice, and approaching society with empathy, compassion, understanding, caring and sustainability.  It is al just a matter of choice.