100+ Women Who Care to donate $26K to Vancouver Island Compassion Dogs

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.

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.

"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.