By SALT SPRING ISLAND WOMEN’S INSTITUTE
February is Women’s Institute Month, honouring the birthday of Adelaide Hunter Hoodless, the founder of the Women’s Institute. To celebrate this important month, the Salt Spring Island Women’s Institute (aka “The Pie Ladies”) would like to inform our supportive community of our 2024/2025 donations because many of you ask where the proceeds of our fundraising are distributed.
We are a group of 35 members members, and with the enthusiastic help of 10 community women, we were able to make and sell 725 pies at the 2025 Fall Fair and Apple Festival. The wonderful support we get from the community when we sell our pies, plus donations from Salt Spring Island gardeners, farmers and grocery stores help keep our costs down so that we can give more money away.
In 2025 we reached an important achievement: we sold our 10,000th pie since 2001 at the Fall Fair. Our next milestone will be 15,000 pies sold at both the Fall Fair and the Apple Festival. We should reach that number in 2028.
Because we sold out so early at both the Fall Fair and Apple Festival, we will be introducing a limit of one whole pie per purchase and we will no longer store pies for pick-up later. We hope these changes mean that more people will be able to have a taste of our wonderful pies and fewer people will go home pie-less.
This year, we are donating over $14,000 to local, provincial, national and international groups and organizations. We have made over 13,000 pies since 2001 and have given away over $90,000 in the past 10 years and over $145,000 in the past 20 years, outstanding amounts for a group that has historically had fewer than 20 members. We make all of our pies by hand and from scratch.
The Women’s Institute emphasizes donations to groups that help children and women, especially in agriculture and health care.
Donations for Children and Youth on SSI
Santa’s Workshop: $300 to buy Christmas gifts for children in families who would not have enough money to buy them gifts.
SSI Girl Guides: $300 to help with their programs and to thank them for washing the reusable plates at the Fall Fair.
GISS Bursary: $2,000 for a GISS graduating student who will be studying agriculture, environment, or education.
SSI 4H: $500 to pay the membership fee for four children who might otherwise not be able to join.
Donations for Families in Need on SSI
Copper Kettle: $500 for a group who helps so many on a shoe-string budget;
SSI Food Bank: $500 for an important community service;
SSI Transition House: $500 for start-up kits for families fleeing domestic violence;
Island Comfort Quilts: $200 to purchase supplies such as batting and backing for quilts from the SSI community for people undergoing medical treatments;
Greenwoods Eldercare: $500 for improvements to the garden and grounds.
Lady Minto Long Term Care: $250 to purchase arts and crafts supplies.
Donations to SSI Institutions
Salt Spring Farmers’ Institute: $1,200 for the rental of the booth at the Fall Fair.
Salt Spring Island Museum: $400 for enlarging photographs for a historical display featuring island women.
Salt Spring Seniors Centre: $500 for help with renovating parts of the building.
Fulford Community Hall: $500 – Fulford Hall is an important community asset which was originally built and paid for by the South Salt Spring Women’s Institute and rebuilt twice, after being damaged or destroyed by fires. We donate money to help keep this hall in good shape for the future.
South Salt Spring Community Gathering Place (formerly Fulford Seniors): $850 for memberships and for use of their rooms and facilities.
Donations for BC Women’s and Children’s Health and Wellbeing
BC Children’s Hospital: $500 for an institution of which the WI was a founder.
Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island: $1,500 for an institution which offers specialized health supports for children. Another institution of which the WI was a founder.
BC Women’s Institute (BCWI): $500 for outreach and communication with other Women’s Institutes in BC.
Forensic Nursing Bursary: $1,000 for an initiative from the BCWI for nurses who wish to continue their education to obtain a Forensic Nursing Examiner certificate. Forensic nurses help victims of violence and ensure evidence is properly collected if the justice system will be involved.
Donations to National and International Groups
Associated Country Women of the World International Fund: $500 for international projects emphasizing agriculture and women’s health. See https://acww.org.uk/home for more details.
The SSI Women’s Institute has been active on SSI since 1920 and is dedicated to helping family and community. We are always looking for new members. If you would like to join our local institute, please contact us at ssiwomensinstitute@gmail.com.