Providing community, comfort and nutritious meals for the holidays

For one night each year, the magic of the holidays and spirit of the season bring a new group of people to the Saskatoon Friendship Inn dining room, with a sold-out crowd of community leaders and caring citizens supporting the effort to provide healthy meals for people in need.

The annual Fill The Plate Holiday Dinner is a signature moment in the Inn’s annual fundraising campaign, with attendees enjoying the same meal of turkey, mashed potatoes and vegetables that is served at the Inn on Christmas Day.

This year, Nutrien is matching up to $125,000 in community donations during the December fundraiser. While Fill The Plate is a holiday campaign, the money raised helps feed almost 1,200 people daily throughout year.

“It’s a night when we can share stories about the work that happens at the Inn,” says Sandra Kary, Executive Director of the Friendship Inn. “It’s a very moving and experiential event. People are sitting in the same spots, at the same tables, as someone who was there earlier in the day needing a meal.

“People understand what it means to eat together. Everyone understands the importance of food and the meaning of hunger. It’s a chance to recognize the impact.”

A Long-time Community Partnership

Nutrien has sponsored the Inn’s Fill The Plate campaign for the past 12 years. It is a part of the company’s tradition of helping to fight hunger over the holidays. In Saskatchewan, Nutrien also provides support to the Food Banks of Saskatchewan, Regina Food Bank’s Hampers of Hope, and the Care & Share Holiday Lunch Program.

“As we say often, our purpose at Nutrien is Feeding the Future. We’re uniquely positioned to have a global impact on food security given the scale and reach of our business, but we recognize that food insecurity is also a challenging reality in the communities where we work and live,” explains Mark Thompson, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Nutrien’s support for the Friendship Inn goes beyond its financial contribution. Over the course of the year, Nutrien’s people put in about 100 shifts at the Inn, donning aprons to support kitchen preparations and serve meals.

“I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to volunteer again last month at the Friendship Inn, one of many critical service providers in the Saskatoon community, as we kicked off the annual Fill the Plate campaign,” says Thompson. “Nutrien’s support for the Friendship Inn and other partner organizations is a way we can meaningfully connect with stakeholders that share our commitment to addressing hunger and improving access to food.”

“It speaks to the realities today,” says Kary. “We all feel it. Nutrien is coming with us on this journey. They’re responsive to the changes in the community and the fact of inflation. Their support has a big impact for us.”

Spreading Good Cheer

In addition to the Inn (friendshipinn.ca), Nutrien supports a number of other longstanding initiatives that touch the lives of families and individuals who need assistance to put nutritious food on their table. We encourage you to consider a donation to organizations that help feed people over the holidays.

• Food Banks of Saskatchewan– Nutrien’s lead donation of $250,000 helped launch the Food Banks of Saskatchewan Feeding Holiday Cheer fundraising campaign. The campaign aims to raise $2 million to support 36 food banks across Saskatchewan. (skfoodbanks.ca)
• Hampers of Hope– Nutrien’s support is used to match donations up to $50,000 to food hampers prepared by Regina Foodbank during the holiday season. (reginafoodbank.ca)
• Care and Share Holiday Lunch Program – In partnership with local hotels, restaurants and other local businesses, Care and Share delivers and serves almost 6,000 hot lunches to students and staff at 18 inner-city schools during the holiday season. (careandsharesaskatoon.com)

“For many of us, it can be easy to take holiday meals with friends, colleagues and family for granted, which speaks to how fortunate we are.” says Thompson. “Working together and connecting with our communities to make these moments possible for others, especially those in need, is a powerful way to live our purpose.”