In order to be eligible to present to our membership, nominated organizations must be based in the Sea to Sky community (Whistler, Squamish, Pemberton, Mount Currie) and must be a registered charitable organization eligible to provide tax receipts for donations. It must be previously established (no start-ups). No national or international charities, programs or organizations will be considered at this time as the current focus is on contributing to our local community. Charities that are nominated and selected to present to membership are not eligible to return to the nomination list for 1 year. Charities that are nominated and selected through ballot vote to receive 100 Men of Whistler funds are not eligible to return to the nomination list for 3 years.
The Whistler Public Library is one of the only truly inclusive and accessible spaces in the heart of the Village — a place where families can rest, play, and learn together in an environment that feels calm, welcoming, and free for all.
Through recent community engagement and feedback from our family patrons, it became clear that our community needs a purposefully designed, sensory-friendly space to support families with neurodivergent children and youth.
With support from 100 Men Whistler, we plan to enhance our Children’s Department by installing a series of three Sensory Pods — interactive, cozy, and inclusive play structures designed to help children of all abilities regulate, explore, and create.
While Whistler Public Library is deeply grateful for the ongoing financial support of the Resort Municipality of Whistler, our municipality is currently in a period of fiscal austerity. The library has always been responsible for fundraising all public-facing furniture and technology — meaning that without the support of organizations like 100 Men Whistler, this project simply cannot happen.
These sensory pods directly address challenges identified in our Space Needs Assessment while strengthening Whistler’s capacity to support neurodiverse, anxious, and overstimulated children. Beyond providing a calm and creative refuge, this project helps destigmatize neurodivergence and builds a community where every child feels safe, seen, and supported — right in the heart of Whistler Village.
Since 2018, Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) has proudly supported local schools through our School Food Program, providing no-cost, accessible food to students across the community. We maintain stocked fridges in all five major Whistler schools—Myrtle Philip Community School, Whistler Waldorf School, École La Passerelle, Spring Creek Community School, and Whistler Secondary School—serving nearly 1,300 students of all ages.
Twice a week, volunteers make deliveries to restock these fridges with over 81,000 nutritious food items annually. Offerings include volunteer-made sandwiches, rainbow wraps (colorful veggie hummus wraps), and zucchini bread, along with fresh fruit, vegetables, yogurt, and more. This program directly enhances student well-being by tackling food insecurity and ensuring that no child goes hungry during school hours—supporting physical development, academic engagement, and overall learning outcomes.
Unfortunately, food insecurity continues to rise in our community. In our 2024/25 fiscal year, our food bank saw 21,865 visits—a 23% increase from the previous year. What’s more concerning is that visits from children grew by 61%, showing the alarming and disproportionate impact on our youth. For many families, the School Food Program has become a critical safety net, offering relief and stability during increasingly difficult times.
Marie’s Safe Home is a confidential emergency housing site in Whistler for women and gender-expansive/diverse people and their children fleeing intimate partner violence. Survivors access Marie’s Safe Home by contacting PearlSpace’s 24 hour support line where our trained staff guide them through an intake process. PearlSpace staff determine whether Marie’s Safe Home or one of our other emergency housing sites is the best fit given the needs of the individuals accessing services and taking into consideration safety planning. Families staying at Marie’s Safe Home have access to 24 hour emotional support with PearlSpace staff on site 4 days per week to check in with the family and support them in accessing services, obtaining resources, and supporting with next steps. Stays are typically 10 to 30 days.
PearlSpace obtained Marie’s Safe Home in partnership with BC Housing in April 2024. In the past year we have supported 15 adults and 18 children with emergency housing at Marie’s Safe Home. Due to limited resources for capital expenses, Marie’s Safe Home has only received minor upgrades since we were provided an operating agreement from BC Housing. This has meant we have not had the resources to replace the carpeted flooring in the two bedrooms. Due to the high turnover of clients in the space, and as a result of PearlSpace’s policy to allow survivors to bring their pets when they stay, the carpets are already in very bad shape. Funds from 100 Men Who Care Whistler would go towards replacing the carpets in the bedrooms with durable vinyl plank flooring that can withstand the wear and tear that Safe Home’s incur. This small but important renovation will ensure that Marie’s Safe Home is able to turnover quickly when families are in crisis and support the reduction of allergens in the space ensuring a healthy home during a time of crisis for families in need.
For almost 30 years now, Sea to Sky Community Services has operated Healthy Pregnancy Outreach Program (HPOP) and for many years it has been the only perinatal drop-in program in the Sea to Sky Corridor.
The program supports prenatal and postpartum parents who may be facing financial and social barriers, as well as caregivers looking to improve the physical and mental health of themselves and their babies. The program provides a safe, inclusive space to meet other parents, access support and resources, enjoy a nutritious meal and pick up healthy ingredients to take home. Discussion groups offer an inclusive and safe space to ask questions and share concerns about childbirth or early parenthood. Guest speakers, mentorship opportunities and professionals answer questions about birth and preparing for new parenthood at each session. One-on-one support is also available.
The connection new parents get through sharing and learning from one another is priceless. However, as participant needs are increasing, so are costs to run this program. Pregnancy and postpartum are transformative times of life that also come with unforeseen challenges and evolution of self. Community support during these transformative times can have a huge impact on the entire family and improve their future overall health. This grant would help us continue to maintain and enhance the quality of this underfunded program.
We are specifically requesting support to provide food for individuals who participate in our HPOP program. The ability to access healthy foods during pregnancy is vital yet it is increasingly challenging during this time when the cost of groceries has risen 6.5% over the past year (Aug 2022 to Aug 2023- Source: BC Consumer price index). The recent Squamish Vital Signs report highlighted that the average monthly cost of a nutritious food basket for a family of 4 in the Sea to Sky area in 2022 was $1441 (which is $130 higher than all of Vancouver Coastal Health Region).
Líl̓wat Nation has 2,275 members, approximately 1,490 of whom live in their community located 7km north of Pemberton. They are the third largest First Nation in British Columbia.
A key need right now is support for the Youth Centre programming – and the most important program is their hot meal program. The Youth Centre provides a safe space for young people after school and in the evening. They can come and drop in and spend time together, connect with staff, participate in activities, and have some time for themselves. The Youth Centre has a range of activities throughout the year including cultural activities with the Elders, Knowledge-Keepers and youth, planting and tending a garden and making pizza from the grown vegetables, and support for homework, training, and finding jobs.
The most recent expanded program is the daily hot meal program, served at 5pm every day. This program helps youth feel loved and cared for. Food security is a challenge for many in the community and providing a hot meal every day has been a positive way to care for them. The majority of youth who attend are male and as well as a healthy, hot meal, this program provides an incentive for them to come to the Centre where they build positive relationships with the skilled staff team. They are able to develop relationships that provide a safety net when they need it.
In a few short years, these youth will be leaders. By choosing to support the program we are providing funding to help feed and care for the youth at the Youth Centre for at least the next 12 months.
Each quarter 100 Men Who Care Whistler will randomly select three registered charities from our collection of member-nominated organizations. These three charities will be asked to come and present to our membership group. A vote will take place after all three nominees have presented and majority wins. The selected charity organization will receive the entirety of funds from our membership group ($100 per member).
Their logo and organization description will appear here!