About Jill Andrew - Advocating for Feminism and Phat Girl Pride in the Media and in the Community

Jill Andrew can remember the day she sat outside with her mom trying to find a shelter that had a bed available for them. It was one of the coldest days in January, and she sat on a stoop while her mom used up a collection of quarters at the payphone calling shelter after shelter. Jill was 11 or 12. Finally, they found space in a shelter focused on Native women.

The shelter was only a small part of a long struggle with homelessness and poverty, where most of their time was spent sleeping on matresses in friends' basements, or on friends' couches, or with relatives. Jill's mother had a government job, but as a single parent and with the loss of work due to several unfortunate medical conditions, affording a home had become difficult.

"It was hard, but you just keep working for the life you want, and eventually we found our way."

Through the struggle, Jill learned to work hard at school and to go after absolutely everything she wanted for herself. 3 university degrees later, Jill has already built a name for herself as an advocate, philanthropist, entrepreneur and award-winning journalist.

Never to be stopped by barriers, Jill pursued every opportunity to write for the media. Despite many rejections, Jill persisted and soon became one of the first black columnists in the country, with her career/education column, Ask Jill. In 2005, she won the Best National Column Award from the Canadian Ethnic Journalists & Writers Board (CEJWC) an organization closely affiliated with Rogers Communications and OMNI TV.

Jill has also created her own media and communications firm, Jill Andrew Media, where she caters to clients and also creates fund-raising events, such as the Curvy Catwalk; a plus sized fashion show to raise money for women's charities.

With what little spare time she has, Jill has written a book that is slated for publication in 2010: Phat Girls in Search of a Pretty World: Hot Lil’ Fat Chicks Speakin’ Out! An anthology chronicling the lives of plus size women. Called the "Budding Oprah", Jill is also developing a pitch for a talk show.

Read more about Jill here :

Budding Oprah- YorkU Magazine