Uko Akpanuko
Daily Herald
SaskEnergy and the Prince Albert YWCA joined hands to give back to the local community as part of SaskEnergy’s Share the Warmth Days Program.
SaskEnergy employees were on hand to give out essential items, and serve hot beverages and snacks to vulnerable community members at the YWCA’s Community Connection Centre on Tuesday.
This is the fifth of six Share the Warmth programs held across the province marking the 30th anniversary of SaskEnergy’s Share the Warmth program.
“We are proud to be collaborating with the YWCA in Prince Albert. Their work and their commitment to providing shelter and supportive services and programs really demonstrates the purpose of the Share the Warmth program,” Allix Schweitzer, SaskEnergy’s Supervisor of Community Engagement, said in a press release. “Through the program, SaskEnergy wants to support community organizations like the YWCA do what they do best, which is provide support to those who need it the most.”
Infinity Credit Union was also provided support for an ID clinic to offer assistance with obtaining Canadian birth certificates and Saskatchewan ID.
In addition to helping hand out supplies, the Prince Albert YWCA also received a Share the Warmth grant.
“We are grateful to SaskEnergy for their generosity through the Share the Warmth program. This funding will help us purchase supplies like warm clothing, food and water that people in our community need day-to-day,” said PJ MacRae, Manager, YWCA Community Connection Centre in Prince Albert. “SaskEnergy’s support through this program means we are able to help more people and that’s really important.”
Starting out as a sweater recycling program in the ‘90s that redistributed more than a million articles of clothing, Share the Warmth has transformed over the last decade into a grassroots initiative that supports charitable organizations in bringing warm shelter, clothing and mental health services to those who need it most. Each year, SaskEnergy provides grants up to $1,000 to support organizations in launching their Share the Warmth projects.
Some coffee, snacks and an essential bag were handed out to the members of the community. At least 50 residents visited Tuesday morning and were given coffee, snacks and essential bags containing some warm materials.
“The demand is there daily,” MacRae said. “We have regular faces that come to us with needs for warm pair and snacks and then we are always seeing new faces too which is on one hand concerning and on the other hand we are happy with those new faces.”
This event is part of celebrating the program’s 30th anniversary and SaskEnergy has invested $100,000 in grants to charitable organizations across the province this year, doubling last year’s total. Since 2012, SaskEnergy has provided over half a million dollars and has supported more than 500 community organizations throughout the province through Share the Warmth grants.
Other Share the Warmth projects taking place throughout the province will provide a wide range of services to those in need including lessons on how to knit and cook nutritious meals, providing transportation services, and supplying winter boots and essential winter gear for children.
–with files from Jason Kerr/Daily Herald
editorial@paherld.sk.ca
