Right now, Saskatoon's homeless need our help more than ever before. While life as we know it has changed drastically, the fight continues for our community’s most vulnerable and the frontline workers that serve them.
Through the COVID-19 pandemic, our partner beneficiaries in Saskatoon have faced a number of increasing costs including additional staffing to help support the shelters high volume of guests, sanitation costs due to the increased scope and frequency of cleaning, personal protective equipment (PPE) to help keep their front-line staff protected and vulnerable residents safe and higher food supply costs as a result of more and more Canadians utilizing the system.
Vulnerable people find safe sanctuary at the Saskatoon Friendship Inn, located on 20th Street in the heart of the inner city. Free breakfast and lunch meal services are offered 365 days of the year, with no questions asked. On March 4, 1969, the Saskatoon Friendship Inn began serving community when a small group of concerned residents provided six transient men with a bowl of soup. Their initial work with the Saskatoon Catholic Diocese evolved into relationships with numerous community partners and has become non-denominational. Today, the Inn has evolved to become a community centre and provides the largest free meal service in Saskatoon, serving up to 1000 meals per day. The Friendship Inn provides a welcoming environment for anyone in need, offering a range of programming and services to assist individuals and families experiencing poverty.
YWCA Saskatoon is a welcoming and vibrant community-based organization that provides preventative and emergent services to women and their families. Since 1910, we have been a place for people to find stability, grow together, overcome personal obstacles, and gain a new respect for their abilities and passion.
At the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre we are committed to ensuring a food secure community where all people have access to safe, affordable, and nutritious food. The Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre embraces its role as innovative and collaborative leaders in building an engaged, inclusive, healthy and empowered community for all. We also believe it’s important to address the underlying issues contributing to hunger and poverty in our community. In our Learning Centre we operate various learning, self-help and life skills programs that are supportive of learning needs and aspirations within a family oriented, empowering and self-directed environment.
