Serving the community at Saskatoon’s Friendship Inn

Every day, the Saskatoon Friendship Inn welcomes people who need a hot meal, a safe place to go and a sense of community. As more people turn to the organization for help, volunteers play an important role in supporting its work.

Recently, six SaskEnergy employees spent an afternoon volunteering at the Friendship Inn. They helped with the busy lunch service and donated food and personal care items.

The Friendship Inn serves hot, nutritious meals every day of the year, providing up to 2,000 meals daily. During busy meal times, volunteers help prepare and serve food, clean tables and keep the dining room running smoothly.

“The place runs like a well-oiled machine,” says René Kreutzwieser. “Everyone except me was serving hot meals to guests. I worked in the kitchen making hundreds of sandwiches for the bag meal program.”

René is a SaskEnergy employee in Saskatoon who organized the volunteer outing. He volunteered alongside fellow employees to make sure guests received their meals as quickly as possible.

“We were on our feet the whole time,” René says. “We wanted to make sure everyone received a meal soon after they sat down.”

For René’s coworker, Lisa Kiryk, the experience showed just how important the Friendship Inn is to the community.

“My favourite part of the day was connecting with guests,” she says. “Just saying hello or having a short conversation helped create a welcoming environment.”

René had volunteered at the Friendship Inn before. This time, he decided to invite his coworkers to join him.

“The number of people experiencing homelessness is growing in our city, so it feels good to support such an important cause,” he says. “The Friendship Inn appreciates every volunteer who helps. It was also great to show my coworkers how much of a difference a few hours can make.”

SaskEnergy supported the project through its Community Action Grant program, which supports employees who team up together for local volunteerism efforts. The volunteers used a $250 grant to buy items from the Friendship Inn’s wish list, including non-perishable food and personal hygiene products.

“It’s amazing that employees have access to a program like this that can provide extra support to organizations in our communities,” René says.

Allix Schweitzer, SaskEnergy’s Supervisor of Community Engagement, says the project shows the impact employees can have when they work together to give back.

“René saw an opportunity to help and took the initiative to make it happen,” she says. “He created a meaningful experience for his coworkers and helped an organization that serves vulnerable people in our community.”

By the end of the shift, the volunteers had given their time, energy and resources to an organization that depends on community support every day.

“The Friendship Inn serves more than 500,000 meals each year to people who need support,” says Lisa. “Being able to play even a small part in that was very rewarding.”

Through the support of volunteers and donors, the Friendship Inn continues to provide meals and a welcoming space for people who need it most. For the SaskEnergy employees who volunteered, the experience was a reminder that even a few hours of giving back can make a meaningful difference.