Vancouver Island Compassion Dogs will receive a sizable donation, from a charitable group of Parksville Qualicum Beach.
During a recent online Zoom meeting, 100+ Women Who Care Oceanside voted the VICD as the organization to receive $26,000 as their quarterly donation for 2020. This will be one of their largest donations to date.
The VICD, a division of BC Guide Dogs, is a non-profit that matches veterans on Vancouver Island and the lower mainland who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with a compassion dog.
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Debbe Patterson, sponsorship and media committee member of 100+WWCO, said the amount was calculated by how many members of the organization they currently have.
“It’s an amazing concept in my opinion,” she said. “Because it costs the women $400 a year, and you know that 100 per cent of that goes directly to the charity – there’s no overhead costs at all.”
Normally done at in-person meetings four times a year, three organizations are pulled from a ‘basket’ and whoever nominated the charity speaks as to why they should vote on their choice. The VICD has not been a recipient in the past and cannot be nominated again for three years, as per the 100+ WWCO guidelines. The choices this quarter were the VICD, the Oceanside Stroke Recovery Society and the Milner Gardens.
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“The nice thing about this group is that there are so many charities that we have no idea even exist,” said Patterson.
“These aren’t large charities, even $10,000 is a lot of money for them. It’s sometimes a difference of keeping the lights on or not.”
Once a donation is made to an organization, they return during the next 100+ WWCO quarterly meeting and speak about what that money has done or will do to better their cause.