Whistler
Whistler Community Services www.mywcss.org
Whistler Farmers Market www.whistlerfarmersmarket.org
Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) Food Programs Links:
Food Bank Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) distributes food through its food bank the first and the third Monday’s of each month. The coordinator is also on call between distribution days for emergencies. Funds are raised through the WCSS run Re-Use it Centre, among other programs. The WCSS Food Bank also receives lots of community support through food drives from local businesses and individuals, from donation drop boxes in all 4 grocery stores as well as Sponsors. The food bank often receives calls to help people from Pemberton access food and they are helped on a “one time basis” and are directed to the Pemberton Food bank for further assistance. An onsite garden will be built this spring to be maintained by users of the food bank.
www.mywcss.org/food-bank
Community Greenhouses The focus of the Community Greenhouse Project is to promote social and environmental sustainability. The project allows community members to grow their own organic herbs and vegetables six months of the year while engaging in a welcoming community environment. Ten percent of the crops harvested are donated to the Whistler Food Bank.
www.mywcss.org/greenhouse-project
Community Kitchens (to start in the spring of 2010) WCSS’s Community Kitchens will continue to focus on low cost meals using whole, fresh and seasonal, local products. The recipes will be easy to master and without many obscure ingredients. In the “seasonal theme” we will offer canning classes in the fall in lieu of the regular cooking class. Classes will run twice a month, schedules will become available. There is no charge for participants who are financially restricted.
www.mywcss.org/community-kitchens
Food Buying Club (to start in the spring of 2010) The club will offers WCSS members access to items at wholesale prices. Purchases are made once a month via WCSS online store. The focus will be on whole foods and natural products. Overly packaged or highly processed foods, foods with little nutritional value or foods with other negative environmental impacts will not be offered. The online store will be a useful site to inform consumers on the impact the food industry has on the environment, energy demands of different foods along the supply chain and will ultimately teach people how they can make better food choices.
www.mywcss.org/food-buying-club
Welcome Dinner During November, WCSS runs a week of events designed to welcome our new arrivals to Whistler and let them know about how the community works. During that week, we offer a $3 gourmet dinner, held at the Whistler Conference Centre. Up to 850 guests and locals enjoy a $3 'slow food' meal, featuring local produce and local chefs. Hundreds of local businesses volunteer goods and time to make this happen.
www.mywcss.org/welcome-week-dinner
Whistler’s Farmers Market Coupons A pilot project and a partnership between the Whistler Farmers Market and Whistler Community Services Society and funded by the Whistler Farmers Market. WCSS distributed coupons to financially restricted individuals giving them better access to the Farmers Market.
Santa’s Helpers Sponsors are linked with families who are struggling during the Christmas season. Each family receives two hampers, one with personalized gifts and one with enough food for a Christmas dinner including a turkey or funds to purchase a turkey, as well as about a weeks worth of staple foods items.
www.mywcss.org/santas-helpers-christmas-hampers
Food Redistribution Day old pastries picked up at two Starbucks locations 2-3 times weekly. A total of 3 bags are collected each time that would normally be thrown out and redistributed at the Whistler Food Bank. Damaged goods from Nesters and IGA, ie: dinted cans, damaged cereal boxes etc are collected and redistributed at the food bank. The Whistler Food Bank shares food when there is an over supply of a particular item on an ad hoc basis with the Pemberton and Squamish Food Banks. The Whistler Food Bank is looking for more opportunities to connect with restaurants and redistribute food and reduce the amount of waste while serving our clients better.
Greenhouse Education After building and running 4 organic community greenhouses in Whistler for the past 6 years, WCSS has a pretty good idea of how to do it. WCSS offers support such as budgets, supplier lists and other support to other organizations and groups interested in starting a community greenhouse.
www.mywcss.org/community-greenhouse-education-program
Interim Housing Project The Interim Housing Project runs seasonally each October and November. This program is for individuals who are having challenges finding housing and getting low on funds. They must be suitably employable and have exhausted all other sources for support (family, friends or social assistance). WCSS provides up to 12 warm beds and an evening meal for successful applicants.
www.mywcss.org/interim-housing-project |
