Standing Against Femicide: Tribute to Cheryl Sheldon

Hello, our names are Megan Walker and Fabienne Haller and we are fundraising to ensure Cheryl Sheldon has a final resting place in Quebec and a place for her friends to visit in London.

Cheryl Lynn Sheldon was 62 when she was tragically killed in London, Ontario on June 22, 2024. A man, described as living with Cheryl, has been charged with second degree murder.

Cheryl’s friends remember her as a kind hearted individual who spent most of her life homeless and living on the streets, but had recently been housed. Her friends report that Cheryl was courageously trying to escape “an abusive relationship” and had reached out to local agencies for help. Unfortunately, aside from providing referrals, these agencies left her to navigate her perilous situation alone. Cheryl did everything right. Based on media reports, she reached out for help but the help she desperately needed was not provided. Her femicide, like almost all femicides, was preventable.

Cheryl’s brother Mark and sister-in-law Paula travelled to London from Quebec recently to collect Cheryl’s belongings and her cremated remains. Speaking with them, we felt their profound grief and devastation. We too are devastated by Cheryl’s femicide.

We are reaching out to you to ask for your help in honouring Cheryl's memory. We aim to fund a headstone for her resting place in Quebec. Too many women and girls, victims of male violence against women, are buried without any markers, invisible in death as they often were in life.

Additionally, we hope to create a place in London, Ontario where Cheryl’s friends can gather to remember her. We hope to install a bench bearing her name in one of London’s parks, a place of solace and remembrance for those who knew and loved her. We have already spoken with the City who assured us a place for a bench will be available by fall.

We are calling upon those who champion the cause of creating a safer community for women and girls. Your support will help ensure Cheryl is remembered both in London, Ontario and in Quebec, and that her final resting place bears her name.

The $6,400 fundraising goal will be allocated to honor Cheryl's memory and support her family. Specifically, $4,500 will be used for a commemorative bench in London, ON, offering a place of reflection and remembrance. Another $1,300 is designated for a grave marker at her final resting place in Quebec. Additionally, $300 will cover the cost of the burial plot, and $300 will help reimburse her family for travel expenses incurred while retrieving her ashes and belongings from London, ON. Your generous contributions will help create lasting tributes and provide crucial support to Cheryl's family during this difficult time.

Thank you for considering this request. Any amount you are able to donate will bring us closer to our goal and ensure Cheryl’s memory is honoured appropriately.

About the organizers: Megan Walker and Fabienne Haller have been active in the community for a combined 60 years. They are passionate women's advocates who even in retirement remain actively involved in helping women and addressing the systems that oppress women. Their passion for women's issues is a lifelong commitment to women and girls.