By Rick's Heart FoundationOur ImpactMarch 11, 2024
Community is an integral part of Rick’s Heart Foundation. Our founder firmly believes in taking care of one another, lifting each other, and encouraging each other. As a member of the Whistler community, he has been giving back to his neighbors for many years. In this story, we will highlight three groups that Rick’s Heart Foundation supports: Soap For Hope, Whistler Adaptive Sports Program, and Whistler Community Services Society.
The Whistler Community is giving back through clothing donations via the Whistler Community Services Society. The clothing donations are going to the Union Gospel Mission ‘Repair to Wear’ program, supporting individuals learning the skill of sewing and providing a stream of income. The ‘Repair to Wear’ program has helped many individuals get back on their own two feet financially and become independent.
Shout out to Louise, for coordinating this!
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Whistler Adaptive is committed to introducing individuals with a disability to sport, recreation and therapeutic sport programming. Whistler Adaptive supports sport for life by breaking down the financial, physical and social barriers as well as creating skills that will lead to future employment within sport and beyond.
Soap for Hope Canada collects and repurposes hotel hygiene products, linens, and lost & found which would otherwise end up in landfills.
We process these gently used products, extending their useful life, and distribute them to Community Facilities, such as low-income Seniors’ Centres, Shelters, Transition Homes, Food Banks, and more.
In the 80s, Whistler was riding a wave of growth, and then an economic slump slowed things to a halt. Recognizing the ups and downs of living in a resort town, community members came together to open the Whistler Food Bank and start a Christmas hamper program. These visionaries also saw opportunity following the crisis. Instead of using only grants to back the non-profit Whistler Community Services Society, they built a social enterprise to fund programs that respond to the community’s social and emotional wellness needs. The Re-Use-It thrift store opened 20 years ago and is now an economic engine supporting a range of social programs and services while diverting over one tonne every day from landfill.
Your recent donation from Rick's Heart Foundation to Whistler Community Services Society just came to my attention, and I wanted to send along a personal thank you for your support and for your partnership with Re-Use It. Your generous contribution was in my inbox this morning, and we are deeply grateful for your kindness. Donations such as yours truly go a long way in allowing our organization to continue delivering low-barrier programs and services.
Your donation will help ensure that WCSS can continue the good work of supporting the most vulnerable members of our community with food security and outreach services. Thank you for joining us in our mission.
Have a wonderful day.
Kind Regards, Imogen
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