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Charity-minded ‘100+ People Who Care’ group launched in Surrey

Members of new 'giving group' will each donate $50 at quarterly meetings in Cloverdale
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Logo for the charity-minded group 100+ People Who Care - Surrey.

SURREY — When Jen Robbins heard about a global movement that began a decade ago as “100 Women Who Care,” she went about creating a similar chapter here in Surrey.

“I loved the idea so I pitched it to some of my favourite get-er-done types,” Robbins, a Sullivan-area resident, told the Now.

“We’re just getting started here.”

The local chapter, called “100+ People Who Care - Surrey,” was launched with a Facebook page early this month, and the website 100peoplesurrey.com went live this week.

Members of the so-called “giving group” will meet four times a year to each give $50 to a registered charity in the Surrey/White Rock area, for a per-person commitment of $200 annually.

During an hour-long meeting, three nominated charities will make their pitch to receive the group’s money. A secret-ballot vote decides the winner, and each group member then writes a cheque directly to the chosen charity. Tax receipts are issued, and administrative costs are nil.

Robbins (pictured) said it was important to keep the Surrey group open to both men and women.

“So far we have 25 people signed up as committed,” Robbins said on Wednesday. “We already have 70-something people on the Facebook page, and of those 20 people signed up almost immediately, once they saw it.

“People really are looking for a way to give back, and it’s a great concept,” continued Robbins.

“I think it will really gain traction as more people hear about it.”

The “100PWC Surrey” steering committee members are Robbins, Cindy Dalglish, Francesca Clarke, Pauline Kloyber, Lindsay Walters, Jenn Foster and Nicole McLaren.

The Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, located on 64th Avenue in Cloverdale, has donated space for the group's quarterly meetings, Robbins said.

Similar groups have been established across Canada and around the world.

According to a post on the website 100wwc.org, 100 Women Who Care was started in November of 2006 by Karen Dunigan of Jackson, Michigan, “as a brilliantly simple way to raise money efficiently and quickly for local charities.”

Robbins heard about a “giving circle” group in Santa Cruz, California, and decided to bring the concept to Surrey.

“It’s a great way for smaller charities, in particular, to benefit, the ones without big marketing budgets,” said Robbins, who works as an executive assistant at The Centre For Child Development in Surrey.

“It’s very competitive for donations because there’s so much need out there.”

tom.zillich@thenownewspaper.com

 



Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
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