Nancy Bissell
Birthday: 1939
Nancy Bissell was nominated for the Amazon Foundation's Women Activists Arch in the Women's Plaza of Honor by Primavera Foundation. Nancy Bissell has served her community well. Through a lifetime of commitment to peace and social justice she has spoken for those who were ignored and rallied for the rights of individuals to live their life with dignity and personal freedom. A former Peace Corps volunteer to Bolivia Nancy fights for the rights of the individual. She opposes oppression in her stands against sexism homophobia and other unjust perspectives. Nancy's life displays a long history of advocacy for homeless people. She brought to her Tucson community in 1982 St. Martin's soup kitchen organized by her and sponsored by the Episcopal Church of Arizona. Her experience listening to the men women and families who came for food encouraged her and another Tucsonan Gordon Packard to further extend assistance to people caught in poverty. The Primavera Foundation was born. In its 21 years Primavera has developed day shelters an emergency shelter transitional housing complexes employment training programs and other services to help homeless people with basic needs and opportunities of self-empowerment. Over 6000 people a year benefit from these programs. As an active board member Nancy remains involved with this evolution of services. The community has recognized Nancy's commitment. Among the honors Nancy has received are the Jefferson Award for Public Service National Association of Social Worker's Community Service Award AFP's 2001 Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser Award and an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from the University of Arizona. Each award is in response to Nancy's commitment to challenge oppression and promote justice. Nancy Bissell is a social activist par excellence.
--Primavera Foundation