At Wilson M. Beck, our motto is “We care. We help.” And, while we live by that in our day to day lives at WMB, it also carries through many other facets of our team members’ and valued partners’ lives. Intact Insurance has created and implemented an initiative called Better Communities. Their values align closely with ours, which makes for a great connection. One of the core values of this program is to be socially responsible; they believe in making the communities where they live and work safe, healthier and happier. The Better Communities Program “provides you with an opportunity to apply for a donation to a registered charity that matters to your brokerage, and supports our mandate to address.” They offer a variety of different categories, such as child poverty, youth successes, mentorship/leadership, and education and exclusions.

Outside of the office, our team members at WMB are involved in so many different community programs; they truly care about giving back where they live. Monica Jang and Glen MacRae are shining examples of this mentality.

Monica Jang has been heavily involved with the Dixon Transition Society. Their mission is “to raise awareness about domestic violence and to provide a continuum of services including safe housing, support and counselling for women and children impacted by violence.” The Dixon Society offers the most fundamental and important resources for people who are starting over at an extremely vulnerable time. Over the years, Monica has supported this initiative in different capacities. Recently, she applied for a grant through the Better Communities program for the Dixon Transition Society, and it was selected! The funds from this grant will help support the variety of services that this program offers to the community. Particularly through the last year with all of the effects of COVID-19, the support that the Dixon Transition Society offers to the people who need it is as important as ever. There are many ways to support this society. Aside from donating your time or household items, gift cards for stores such as Walmart, Super Store, London Drugs, etc. are extremely valuable. Donations of any kind are always valued and appreciated. Gift cards, however, carry an additional value; they provide the opportunity for people to be empowered in selecting their own items while shopping. If you’re interested to know more about the Dixon Transition Society or would like to offer your support, click here.

Glen MacRae has been very actively involved with the Mossom Creek Hatchery and Education Center, operated by the Burrard Inlet Marine Enhancement Society (BIMES), for many years. This charitable organization is committed to providing environmental education and stewardship activities in the Burrard Inlet area. Glen has been a board member, an insurance advisor, and a champion for this incredible organization. WMB has also been involved with the BIMES program for many years, particularly from an insurance perspective, but also as an advocate of their work. This year, Glen applied for the Better Communities grant on behalf of BIMES, and it was approved! These funds will go to support the further environmental education provided by the hatchery. Like other programs, COVID-19 has impacted the ‘normal’ function of the hatchery; however, that hasn’t dampened the spirits of the amazing people who pour their sweat and tears into this initiative. They have been able to pivot and are looking to offer some more programs virtually later in the spring. To learn more about the BIMES program or if you would like to donate, please follow the link listed above. In addition, we have also highlighted this program in the Community forum on our website.

The Better Communities program offered the opportunity for our people to further support initiatives that they care about. These programs do so much to support the people in our community when and how they need it, so we feel so fortunate to be able to be part of that journey. From these two programs that are in our community doing the work, to our team members who give their time and energy to these programs because they feel connected to them, to our valued partners, such as Intact through the Better Communities program – it just goes to show the power of community and how much can be done when you come together.