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Feature - Spirit of Giving

The spirit of giving

It’s alive, in Whistler, 365 days a year

By Kara-Leah Grant

Despite all the Season’s Greetings and Peace on Earth for All there is no denying Christmas is a stressful time of year. It’s tough for families struggling to make ends meet while still meeting their kids’ television-induced expectations of Christmas gifts. It’s hard for people estranged from their families because of distance or family rifts. It’s trying for people who struggle with addictions, whether to food, alcohol or drugs. It is easy to forget that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ. Whether or not you believe he was the Son of God, the historical facts say Christ was first and foremost a volunteer and a community worker. He counselled, he provided hope and he healed.

This is the true spirit of Christmas. It is a spirit flourishing in Whistler, where there are people quietly going about their business, doing what they always do without making much of a fuss. These are the volunteers and community workers who spend their time helping out at the Re-Use-It Centre and the food bank, counselling people within the community or providing support for those who need it most. These are the people who exemplify what Christmas is all about.

Christmas is a time of family, a time of presents and a time of partying. But in Whistler, where the population tends to be younger and often transient, family support is missing, the funds for presents are lacking and partying can easily turn into excess.

Supported by Whistler Community Services, Greg McDonnell, Youth Outreach Worker, has set up a program called Peer Educators. It’s been running for a few years now and aims to take advantage of the fact that most people seek help from their peers before turning to professionals.

"We selected 12 young adults between the ages of 19 and 29 and right now they are taking part in a 10-session workshop training which covers different topics, including community resources and referral, anger management, conflict resolution, abuse in relationships, healthy sexuality and drug and alcohol training," said McDonnell.

"The peer educators then have all this knowledge so if they meet anyone struggling with any of those topics or issues they talk to them and they can refer them to local resources for help. It’s great because it helps me do my job, because I have these 12 trained people out there who are able to refer people that I am not able to meet."

Some of the peer educators live in staff housing, or work for companies with hundreds of employees, and they have access to Whistler’s youth population, those who often need that little bit of extra support but won’t seek professional help.

Jennifer Campbell moved to Whistler last September, and once she’d settled in she started thinking about ways she could volunteer in the community.

"I’ve always volunteered but had lapsed for the last few years because I was travelling," said Campbell. "The peer educator program sounded like an interesting program. It was working with youth, which can be intense, but it is intensely gratifying as well."

At 26, Campbell is young enough to know exactly what youth in Whistler are going through, but with a degree in psychology and experience working for Victim Services she has the expertise to help youth with problems.

"Greg’s done a fantastic job in picking people who are able to give us information that is pertinent to what we are going to be doing," said Campbell. "The training is a good refresher for me and my background plays in nicely. In the group there are a lot of people interested in psychology, or have a similar background and have done lots of volunteering."

The Peer Educator Program aims to fill a gap in the community and make Whistler a more supportive place for those who need it most.

"People are very young when they come here and it’s often their first time away from home. It’s scary and difficult to deal with, say, roommates you don’t get along with or someone who may be giving you a hard time, or is charging you too much rent. How do you deal with that, who do you talk to?" said Campbell.

"Because I’m close in age, people are more likely to sit down and see you as a friend and to be able to want to confide in you, they don’t feel like they are in a clinical counselling session. Plus I’m closer to having gone through the same things they are going through as well, and they therefore think I can relate to them a little better."

Campbell says she thinks volunteering is very important for the health of every community.

"I hope that anybody who ever thinks about volunteering takes the step to do it because it’s a lot of fun and very rewarding. It’s a good way to feel a part of the community and bring your esteem up."

Chris Winter was only having vague ideas about giving something back to the community when he made a comment to someone at a party in late 1997.

"I was thinking of starting a company in Whistler that dealt with tourist youth, like a summer camp, so I was going to use that infrastructure when it wasn’t busy with tourists to bring up disadvantaged youth from Vancouver. I mentioned it to someone at a party, and they mentioned it to somebody at a party in Vancouver and then my phone rang in January 1998," explains Winter. "It was a woman from a street youth resource centre in Vancouver called Dusk to Dawn."

Twenty-four hours later, Winter had ski passes, equipment and instructors lined up, just from people he knew in the community.

"I realized how receptive people in Whistler were to helping out."

Four years later, Zero Ceiling has just achieved charity status, has a board of directors and has introduced hundreds of street youth to the joy of snowboarding, some of whom have gone on to become Whistler-Blackcomb snowboard instructors.

"There are nine young adults living here now and the program has been very successful," said Winter. "One of them who moved up two years ago won Snowboard Instructor of the Year, and another one won Most Improved. They really shine. Whistler is a great place to be, but the community lacks in substance and culture and texture. I was really excited to do what I could to change that."

Zero Ceiling is very dependant on the support of the community, particularly Whistler-Blackcomb, which donates passes, equipment and instructors.

"All the people I have asked for help from over the years in Whistler are inspired when they realize someone they know is making a difference and they can help out, it’s a win-win all around," said Winter. "There are a lot of generous people here and they are craving a channel for their generosity."

Connie Robertson found her ideal channel when she volunteered to work as a Big Sister. She moved to Whistler four years ago and as soon as she realized this was where she wanted to stay, Robertson called up Big Brothers Big Sisters and asked to be matched up with a ‘Little’.

"I’ve done a lot of volunteering – environmental, sustainability, fundraising events – and I’m lucky enough to be with a company that gets involved in a lot of volunteering, so we’ve been tree planting and stuff like that," said Robertson.

"But I wanted to hang out with someone, spend time with them, be there for them and enjoy it through the good times and the bad."

Once Robertson had decided she wanted to be a Big Sister, she was interviewed and reference checked, and then she finally got to meet a Little Sister.

"The process was the most frustrating because you want to make sure it is a good match and the first time we were together it was only for 20 minutes, just to see if there is a connection," explained Robertson. "I was lucky, and we went forward from there."

As a Big Sister, Robertson meets up with her Little once a week, on average, and just hangs out.

"We’ve been together for two years now and it’s like hanging out with a little sister," said Robertson. "What you do depends on what they are going through at that time. Is it school? Is it summer? Are they fighting with mom or dad? Who’s their favourite band? Are they taking lessons? You get in with the activity with them, you chat on the phone, and now we’ve discovered the computer."

Robertson says one of the most rewarding aspects of the program is she feels like she has a second family.

"Something else I have gotten out of it is the relationship with both her parents. They are incredible people," said Robertson. "Plus she’s a friend. It’s that feeling of knowing you’ve connected with someone. It’s not like a chore, it’s something you look forward to. I’ve seen her grow, which is very rewarding, watching her mature, I’m very proud of her."

A Big Brother Big Sister relationship continues indefinitely and is evaluated once a year by a social worker. It’s a volunteer commitment that directly affects a child, but Robertson thinks it is also critically important for young people to have that extra support.

"With society the way it is right now, drugs and violence and bullying are important issues for children," said Robertson. "It helps to be aware of that and be able to identify signs and give the parents a hand, and for them to give you a hand. It’s more support for the development of the child."

Like all the volunteers, Robertson says she thinks Whistler is a strong healthy community.

"There is a stronger fabric here. I’ve lived elsewhere and no doubt about it when you need something in Whistler, you just have to put the word out and someone will find it or find someone who can help you," she said. "It’s a good feeling to know you can be a part of that, or to know that support is there if you ever need it."

Some of the people who make the biggest difference in Whistler are not volunteers, but working in paid positions which enable them to offer important social services to those who need them most. Marlise Witschi is a drug and alcohol counsellor working for the Sea to Sky Community Services Society.

"There is no words to say how important these services are," said Witschi. "Addiction is involved in mental health problems, medical problems, family problems and traffic accidents. It’s involved in so much but addiction is still taboo in this society and there is still huge denial over it."

Whistler has an international reputation as a party town, and with partying come substances, whether they are alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, cocaine or ecstasy. All are freely available, and among the youth population, it is normal to use any one of these substances.

"That is a problem, the denial about the danger of abusing drugs. Plus Christmas is emotionally the hardest time for people," explained Witschi. "It’s when people break down because it’s emotionally charged and related back to family and childhood and memories, good and bad. People are more vulnerable to substance abuse over Christmas and on top of that, Christmas is a time of over indulgence and it’s a part of society to use (alcohol and drugs)."

Witschi loves the work she does because she feels like 80 per cent of the time, she makes a difference in somebody’s life.

"I love to help people go beneath, because most people who abuse drugs have a negative self-image. I explain and show them another perspective on what addiction is and why they did the things they did," said Witschi. "Drugs are a way of self-medicating against pain. The main goal in abusing drugs is to not feel feelings, negative feelings, pain, sadness, anger, things from childhood. But the person abusing drugs is not usually conscious of this."

The party culture of Whistler ensures that most people think they are just using recreationally and can control their intake. But days off due to hangovers and the resulting comedowns negatively affect the health of a community.

"It’s important for the health of a community these counselling services are freely available. I would like more people to be aware there is a substance abuse program and want to do more about their use," said Witschi. "People try so long to control their use for years and years and sometimes it takes 20 years before they decide they can’t control it and seek help."

Christmas is difficult for those addicted to alcohol, drugs and food, but it is just as difficult for those who can’t afford food. Whistler Food bank fills a huge need in the community, helping out those who temporarily need a little help filling the kitchen cupboards. Sandra McCarthy is the co-ordinator for the food bank. She’s had the job for about a year and a half and says being able to find paid work doing something that enabled her to give back to the community fit her perfectly.

"I’m a single mom with three kids and having time to do volunteer work wasn’t something I was in a position to do. But I was helped out a lot as a single mom by different people in the community and as my kids grew older, I wanted to give back. This job gave me that opportunity."

McCarthy says she believes Whistler has a very strong social fabric.

"Just from what I have experienced and seen, there is a strong community sense here. I do Mountain Hosting and when I put the word out this year that there was higher demand at the food bank, Mountain Hosts started their own food bank bins," said McCarthy.

"There is an understanding among the people in Whistler of the difficulties of living here, especially for young people. They understand the nature of the town and they have compassion. I think it’s because people feel in a sense privileged to live here and they are thankful and grateful for what they have and want to help others out."

These five people are only the tip of the iceberg in Whistler. There are many more volunteers and community workers helping to make Whistler a supportive place to live. There are many businesses that give generously when people like Chris Winter or Sandra McCarthy come calling, asking for donations.

And then there is the general population, those who turn up to countless fundraisers, turning their social life into a giving activity. There are also those who see a friend in need, someone who can’t work for a few months due to an accident, someone with nowhere to live after being evicted at that worst time of the year and step in to offer what they can, do what they can.

Christmas is next week, but in Whistler, the Christmas spirit operates all year round.



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