In a world of “experts” and “professionals” it’s rare that we hear the true voices of people living in poverty. Baxter’s straight up accounts of poor communities, grass roots activism and initiatives for change are complemented by current statistics on poverty in Canada. Baxter includes interview with other activists, from neighbourhood volunteers to members of parliament, documenting the resistance and compassion that underlies activism for social justice. This book is an essential resource for anyone interested in understanding and fighting poverty in the 21st century.

Danny, a young fisherman from Nova Scotia, found out that he was HIV positive and decided to hitchhike to Vancouver to find his mother who abandoned him as a child. The play unfolds as we see his life on the street in Vancouver, the community he finds there, and the events that lead up to his death.

“When a dumpster becomes a refuge, what is the meaning of life in the city? Death in a Dumpster will tell you. Poverty is only a word but it is very loaded with life, death, grief, family and denial. This play is about that word.”

– Libby Davies; MP Vancouver East

Sheila Baxter became involved in the anti-poverty movement in Montreal forty years ago and has been active in Vancouver’s downtown eastside and west end for the past twenty-five years. She is a street poet, tutor and author of four groundbreaking books on poverty and homelessness, including Under the Viaduct, winner of the VanCity Book Prize. She is also the grandmother of eight.