What will three hours and $150 a year get you? Three tax receipts and a warm heart.
What will it get the recipients of that time and money? A welcomed helping hand.
Following the lead of several like-minded groups in the region, 100 Laker Women has formed to assist local Lake Cowichan area charities.
The group’s first voting meeting took place on Oct. 24 at the Cowichan Lake Sports Arena and Palsson School PAC was the first group to receive funding, to the tune of $2,500.
The new collective is a chapter of 100+ Women Who Care, a world-wide giving circle that supports a different worthy charity three times a year.
SEE RELATED: Cowichan has another 100+ Women Who Care chapter
How does it work? It’s pretty simple. To become a voting member of 100 Laker Women, you must commit to giving $150 a year. The group will meet three times a year with the intent of giving $50 each to a local charity. (If you can’t make the meeting you still need to send in your $50.)
But who picks where the money goes?
“Members will nominate a charity, the nominations go into a hat, and three are randomly chosen at the meeting,” explained organizer Denise Allan.
From there, the three selected will get five minutes to explain why the group they nominated needs the financial help.
“The members will then vote,” Allan said. “Votes will be counted right at the meeting and the members will write their cheque for $50 directly to the charity. The charity will then issue a tax receipt to each paying member.”
It’s easy and simple, Allan said. The charities will always be local and the meetings will never last more than an hour.
“Our mission is to use the power of collective giving to support registered charities and non profits in the Cowichan Lake area,” Allan said.
New members are always welcome. Visit the group’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/562075744207894/
sarah.simpson@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
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