Wendy Taylor

CFUW Orillia has been my home club since 1998. I first joined CFUW in Aurora/Newmarket (1992–94) before my family relocated to Chicago for my husband's work, then returned to Canada and settled in Orillia. Eager to reconnect and get involved, I quickly joined the Executive and turned my attention to advocacy. Though not an educator myself, my volunteer work at a women's transitional home sparked a strong interest in local high school dropout rates and the barriers young mothers face in accessing affordable childcare.

That interest led then Ontario Council President Linda McGregor to invite me to serve as Education Chair for CFUW Ontario Council from 2006–2010, where I focused on childcare policy. I'm proud that this work, alongside Margaret McGovern and the Toronto Caucus, helped contribute to the federal government's move toward a National Childcare Policy aimed at reducing costs and improving accessibility.

Looking ahead, my focus for the next two years is School Food programs. I'm pleased CFUW Ontario Council has become a supporter of the Ontario Coalition for School Food — because every child deserves access to the nutritious food they need to learn and thrive.