Thanks to a generous $20,000 donation from two Whistler locals, the Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) will be able to continue its counselling assistance program uninterrupted for the rest of the financial year.
That couple—Jon Dietrich and Carol Leacy—reached out to Jackie Dickinson at WCSS when they learned the well-used counselling assistance program was $8,000 over budget only nine months into the year.
“They gave me a call within 24 hours of the story going out trying to learn more about the financial gap we had … I met up with them on Monday, and they have filled that gap with a $20,000 donation to support our counselling assistance program,” said Dickinson.
“There was an amazing moment where I could go through the office and say to our team—to those people who qualify, we don’t have to turn anyone away.”
The WCSS counselling assistance program is designed to provide clinical mental and emotional counselling to Whistler residents who cannot otherwise afford it, for whatever reason. In December 2023, the program helped 147 people connect with important services, but an annual budget of a little over $30,000 had blown out to more than $38,000 with three months still on the calendar. (WCSS operates on a April-March fiscal year).
Dickinson said WCSS anticipated at least another $15,000 would be needed to keep the program running.
“I was overwhelmed and in tears when they said it was going to be $20,000,” she said.
Dietrich and Leacy are longtime Whistler locals who regularly contribute to groups doing much-needed work in the community.
Dietrich told Pique the WCSS counselling assistance program is a valuable resource for Whistler, especially given the season.
“We believe that counselling can have a really positive impact to a person’s life,” he said.
“It has been a really tough fall for the community, and we would hate to see people not have access to such a valuable resource due to their financial restrictions.”
Dietrich and Leacy have previously made donations like this one to worthy groups in Whistler, such as Whistler Health Care Foundation, Whistler 360 (the board of which Leacy serves as chair), and the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation.
“We are happy to support WCSS, as the services they provide directly impact community members in need,” said Dietrich. “We believe that anyone who donates to WCSS can be confident that their dollars are being put to the best use.”
Dickinson said the donation means the WCSS can not only continue the program, but focus on advocating for additional services to be made available to the community—whether that is employee benefits that include mental health, or access to services through Vancouver Coastal Health.
Users of the WCSS counselling assistance program tend to be those who lack secure housing and cannot afford otherwise vital mental health support. Go to the WCSS website at mywcss.org for more information.
