Nutrien provides a $250,000 lead donation for the Feeding Holiday Cheer campaign

Every year, Saskatchewan holds an annual Feeding Holiday Cheer campaign in December. The Feeding Holiday Cheer campaign in 2023 has a goal to raise $2M between December and January of 2024, which will be used to address food insecurity in Saskatchewan. All donations received during the campaign will be distributed to 36 food banks across the province and donors can designate their donation directly to one of the registered food banks.

Since 2019, Saskatchewan food banks have seen a 49.8 percent increase in usage, putting strain on the 36 food banks across the province and highlighting the important role they play in emergency food provision. As per Michael Kincade, Executive Director of Food Banks of Saskatchewan, “With rising costs and costs of living…we’ve seen over the last year a 24 percent increase in people needing to use the food banks in Saskatchewan.” he said. “We have 36 food banks across Saskatchewan that feed approximately 35-thousand people a month”. This year, Kincade suggests that Saskatchewan Food Banks might be able to come close to their annual target of raising $2bn as he urges more people to join in and help.

Here are some examples of accepted cash donations:

– $175 provides a family a complete hamper for the holidays
– $75 provides Christmas breakfast for a family
– $35 provides fresh produce for a healthy meal

Since 2010, Nutrien has donated over $8.5M to the Food Banks of Saskatchewan. Renee Glushyk, Manager of Community Relations and Investment at Nutrien, says “We are proud to partner with the food banks of Saskatchewan on the Feeding Holiday Cheer campaign again this year. Feeding the future is our purpose and we believe it starts by ensuring people in our local communities have food on the table. As the lead donor to the campaign, we invite everyone in Saskatchewan who has the means to do so, to please join us in giving generously to your local food bank.”

With inflation reaching an all-time high for the last forty years, it is not just those in the lowest-income households but also those in medium-income brackets that have been impacted by hunger and food security. Saskatchewan’s food banks are seeing increased demand with the rising costs of food, fuel and housing. Contributions to the Feeding Holiday Cheer campaign can be made at www.skfoodbanks.ca.