BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
SHEILA BAKER
Jefferson County Member At- Large
Board member Sheila Baker was raised in Bridgeport, CT and went to school at
UAB. She currently resides in Birmingham. Like many of us, she moved here to be
closer to her family.
When I asked Sheila what she likes most about Alabama, she replied, “I like the
feeling of being home. I love that the signs upon entering the state say, Welcome
to Alabama the Beautiful. I could go on and on about this.”
“The land is beautiful, whether it be rivers, farm land, the mountains, awesome beaches or the inner city streets. I also love how communities come together in the spirit of doing what is in the best interest for our communities.”
The only things Shelia doesn’t like about Alabama: Too many tornadoes and not enough snow. Sheila is employed as a Social Worker with Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging. She says she enjoys her job because she helps people become self-sufficient by empowering them.
Sheila has been on the Cawaco Board since 2007, when working in the same building with the Cawaco staff, she became intrigued by RC&D. RC&D, she realized, went hand in hand with her own beliefs of self-empowerment. She is most appreciative of the Cawaco project that helped to bridge the digital divided between seniors and the rest of their community. “It is awesome to see seniors using the internet to keep in contact with their families, receive and sending
pictures of grandkids and great-grandkids or to complete a job application on-line.” she said. One thing that Sheila finds disturbing is the lack of healthy food choices for the elderly and lower-income individuals. “If healthy foods were affordable, people would be more inclined to eat healthy. But how many can realistically afford to eat healthy when the cost is so much greater than purchasing cheaper,
processed food?”
When I asked her what she would like to see Cawaco do, she said “I would like to see Cawaco become completely self-sufficient. I envision us as having income that is generated for our community projects earned by ventures from us. I know it’s good business sense and in my heart of hearts I know we will make this great achievement especially with the leadership that we have in the Staff and our Board Members.”
Among Sheila’s many hobbies and interests, she enjoys reading, cooking and traveling
