WCSS at the Whistler Multicultural Festival

Fun last Friday at the Whistler Public Library! A great turn out for food, musical performances, crafts, martial arts and demonstrations from many different cultures. It was a great event to welcome and experience the cultures of Whistler and get involved in something new and fun! Thanks to the Whistler Multicultural Network and the Whistler Public Library for involving Whistler Community Services in the celebration.

To learn more about the Whistler Multicultural Network visit http://whistlermulticulturalnetwork.com/

Wahoo Walking Wednesdays!

I was lucky enough to get a chance to fill in for our Seniors Needs Action Planner for our Wednesday Walking group for the last two weeks. What a great way to start the morning! A group of seriously fit 55+ and I got to chat and cruise the valley trail for some great views and great conversation. Lucky for me we split into several groups so we could walk at our own pace (some of those walkers are speedy)! If you are looking for some fresh air and some fresh faces join the 55+ walking group that meets Wednesday mornings at 9:00am. Visit our SNAP page on our website for more details. 

What is a Community Kitchen?

Community Kitchens class in action

Community Kitchens (CK) is a fun, interactive cooking class where participants learn to how to prepare healthy, delicious meals on a budget.  If you come to a CK you will learn about nutrition, seasonal eating and will meet like minded community members. Not a bad deal for only $10!
Next week we have 2 great classes planned. On Monday, May 27th Tracey Higgs; chef and holistic nutritionist is teaching people how to make Pork Marbella (tenderloin with prunes, capers & olives). The best thing about Tracey's classes is her obvious passion for food. She shows you how to cook with love and can answer practically any question on nutrition.
Then on Wednesday, May 29th raw food chef Sarah Uy is going to teach participants how to make Vanilla Pudding with Berry Aspic. The focus on this class will be using the ingredient agar agar. What is agar agar? Come to the class to find out:)

What our participants are saying about the classes:

• Talya, Just wanted you to know that I took two young ladies from Japan, who live with me, to the Community Kitchen. We made a delicious Chorizo and white bean soup with Matt Prescott. It was great to see Yuko and Hiroe interact with all the friendly people, learn some great cooking techniques and experience our culture and community. They have already bought all the ingredients to make the soup again at home tomorrow! They are so excited! Thanks! Kate Linton
• I really appreciate that you offer this service, thank you so much!
• Carolyne was an excellent teacher and hope to do more courses in the near future.
• Sarah`s classes are awesome.  I love learning about raw foods.

Classes are held at 1519 Spring Creek Drive (Whistler Blackcomb Foundation Social Services Centre) at 6:30pm. Contact Talya at 604-935-7717  to book your spot. Please sign up before 10am on the day of the class to ensure your spot.

 

Watch for our canning classes this summer and fall!

http://www.mywcss.org/pages/community-kitchens

Getting to the Doctor On Time- or at all

I'm sure all of you know at least one person who hurt themselves this winter and found themselves scrambling to get around. Last year WCSS had 22 requests for long distance drives through our volunteer based 'Helping Hand' Program. Helping Hand is a program that can help in more ways than just driving- food prep, light housework, new parent support, senior support are some examples. For the this blog post, I'm going to focus on the driving. Getting to a doctor/specialist appointment in Vancouver can be a big problem. Even if you own your own car, many procedures require you to leave with a friend. For many Whistlerites asking a friend to take a day off work and drive to the city and back feels like an imposition. For some, there isn't a friend who even has a car and/or the means to skip a day of work. Thankfully, due to the ongoing funding source of the Re Use It and Re Build It Centres WCSS has some money available to cover costs for volunteer driver's gas. And even more thankfully, Whistler has some dedicated volunteers who will drive people to these essential appointments (big shout out to Carleen Leidal and David Oakes). Unfortunately our dollars at WCSS can only stretch so far and we can't offer this service to residents of neighbouring communities. And truly, as Whistler grows with more permanent residents we're uncertain as to how sustainable the program is long term.

So, what to do? Well, over the past year this issue has been brought up in the Sea-to-Sky Corridor and representatives from health, social services, nonprofits, First Nations, and community groups have had multiple meetings to discuss our perceived needs as service providers on behalf of our clients. The trouble is, while we all agree that there is a need, we are not sure how big it is and if given certain options, would people in need of health transportation even want the style we've discussed? Realizing before we can really come up with solutions, we need to research the facts. In comes, Vancity with some funding for a researcher. Margaret Forbes in consultation with the Sea-to-Sky Health Transportation group designed an online survey to find out what is going on for people.

It is our hope that the online survey will be distributed widely to people who may be impacted by this issue. Please share this survey with your networks, family and friends as the more people who fill it out, the more comprehensive our information will be. This survey will remain active until May 31, 2013.  The online survey can be accessed at:

http://fluidsurveys.com/s/Sea-to-Sky-Health-Transportation-Need-Survey/

If you'd rather to a pen & paper survey, Margaret can get one to you if you email her at  s2s.htsurvey@gmail.com or call 604-902-3647.

If this blog has inspired you to become a volunteer driver with the WCSS Helping Hand Program, please contact Melissa Deller- helpinghand@mywcss.org or 604-902-0865. WCSS is always recruiting for extra drivers and the commitment is really based on your schedule.

Drug and Alcohol Education in Whistler

These kids have a lot of knowledge! As a new member to the WCSS Outreach team, it has been super exciting to be involved with the youth in Whistler. One of my new roles is getting into the classrooms to teach our Healthy Choices program. Some of the topics we cover are: decision making, bullying, acceptance, nutrition, drugs and alcohol, toxic chemicals and risk management.

Every time I have a chance to work with these kids I am blown away at how intuitive they are. Some examples are: one grade four student was very keen to educate his classmates on the efforts large corporations make to market sugary products to children. Right!? At the high school, students are quite aware that Whistler has a unique demographic and they are mindful of what that means for access to substances.

My favorite thing about this program is that it does not tell youth what decisions are right or wrong, rather; it equips them with the knowledge and critical thinking skills, which allows them to make their own choices. Empowering these kids with the information and confidence to think independently is very important to me, and the best news is, it can be really fun!

There are so many stories that get missed; a cup of coffee with the SNAP coordinator can provide an opportunity for these stories to be heard.

There are so many stories that get missed; a cup of coffee with the SNAP coordinator can provide an opportunity for these stories to be heard.

Growing old is not an easy task. Society inundates us with the benefits of one’s youth and only offer ways to “turn back the clock on aging”, not embrace the aging process and normalize it. As one ages there will be losses of physical abilities, friends, partners, independence and list can go on.

Having support can make the difference in how one manages the challenges they face as they age. As the Senior Needs Action Planner(SNAP) my role offers outreach services to those 55+. What is outreach and why do we need it in such a small community where everyone knows everyone? Outreach workers provide a confidential non-judgmental listening ear with the knowledge of the local resources and support that one could access in their time of need. Some examples of situations or conversations that are common in an outreach role are, grief support, caregiver support, and helping one navigate the health care system. This role can be viewed as ‘the connector” to resources.

Why does a cup of coffee make such a difference? In some cases the older population do not have the same social connections as they once did. It can be that the cup of coffee might be the only social outing that individual has in a week. Social Isolation among seniors is difficult to identify, and more common than people want to recognize. That cup of coffee connects an individual with resources they might not be aware of, such as a being matched with a volunteer for weekly coffee or a walk.

Here are 2 examples of the experience I have had as the Seniors Outreach worker. A daughter called me from out of town, to inquire about her parent living in Whistler. She was unaware of what was available in Whistler and wanted to know how she could start a conversation about the possibility of moving into a retirement home, assisted living, or nursing home. Hard stuff, as an outreach worker, I was able to provide the differences between all the housing options, and some resources on each style. When you are equipped with information, making decisions is less overwhelming and easier to express to the one you love.

Another example of how a Seniors Outreach worker can help is when I was approached by an older adult whose main caregiver was leaving town which would result in them being alone. This situation was causing them to feel worried as they were uncomfortable being alone. They shared their concerns and together we created a plan that would help them feel confident, supported and manage for the time they were living alone. When I met with this person at the end of their time alone and we discussed the past week they were so grateful they were successful I received a big hug.

Each day can bring a new challenge in outreach. April 2012 to April 2013 I have had 154 meetings with seniors in Whistler. Most often the cup of coffee offers a space to speak, a comfortable area to discuss a challenge that someone is facing. Many times I’ve been able to support seniors, as they are unaware of resources available for their health care and support.

Setting the Record Straight

I’m Setting the Record Straight!

Taking on the role of manager at the WCSS Re-Use-It Centre has been quite an adventure.  The month of May – my first month – was epic to say the least.  I entered the store at the busiest time of the year.  Spring cleaning and the 1000’s of seasonal workers leaving town made for some mind blowing donations.  At times I wondered if we could be buried alive!  And although the donations continue to pour in in record numbers (thank you Whistler!) I finally have my footing and am getting down to the business of running this important place. 

We have two important roles; to support those in need by raising funds for Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) programs/services and to promote sustainability.  At the Chamber of Commerce Business Awards night a couple weeks back WCSS won the Sustainability award.  It was very cool, because it was the first big high five for the sustainability side of what we do.  Before managing this store I was not a regular to thrift shops but I decided to fully embrace the spirit of the award and go as the Re-Use-It girl!  I shopped off the rack at the store for my outfit (photo above).  Dress - $15, earrings - $4, necklace - $3, handbag - $3, wrap - $5.  I did the same for the Oysterfest at the Bearfoot Bistro. Pants - $6, top - $3.75, ring - $2, bra - $3.50.   I loved my outfits!

I am a true Re-Use-It Centre advocate now! This place rocks!  And it is amazing how many rumours are circulating out there that aren’t just true.  So as the new manager, I need to set the record straight on a few of those Re-Use-It myths. 

1.       The Employees get all the good stuff.  Nope!  Not even close to being true.  In the month of May we processed 2219 garbage bag equivalents of donations.  In June it was 2443 bags.  That is a lot of stuff!  And consequently a lot of great stuff!  If the employees did in fact get all the good stuff, they would essentially have moved the Re-Use-It Centre to their homes.  Not something any of us want.  Sure there are perks to this back breaking work, in that we get to see everything before it goes on the floor, but we all exercise a great deal of restraint when deciding what we purchase to take home.  We gotta love it!

2.       We’re Expensive.  Sure our primary role is to fund the many important social programs in Whistler, but we are still a business.  And it would be just plain silly of us not to do our best to remain competitive in the discounted retail environment.  So we price check our competition regularly.  This includes Consignment and Thrift shops in Squamish and Vancouver as well as Walmart and the dollar stores.  Ask us about it next time you are in the store. 

3.       What about all those TV’s?  Here is the myth busted about all those TV’s wrapped up outside.  We’re not taking them home!  They’re broken!  We have a very success recycle program whose proceeds are becoming important contributors to all those programs we support.  Actually you can bring down pretty much any electronic thing with a cord and we can put it into its proper recycling spot.  That goes for your lights, bulbs & drinking bottles too.  When you recycle with us you support your community. 

4.       We throw things away.  Ok we do!  Not a lot, but we do.  Of the 2219 bags of donations we got in May, 235 of those went into the land fill.  Along with all the great things that come in, we do get garbage – broken things, ripped, torn or unusable items that just don’t qualify for our store or our charitable partners.  We even get people’s garbage (we hope by accident) every once in a while.  But don’t you think it’s pretty amazing that of the 2219 bags of donations only 235 went into the land fill?

The health of our community depends on the success of the Re-Use-It Centre.  Thank you for your support Whistler – be it as a donor or a shopper.  We love seeing the smile on your face when you offer your spring cleaning donations to our receivers or when you find that perfect ‘treasure’ for a fraction of its real cost!   

Cheryl Skribe – Manager, Re-Use-It Centre,Whistler