We told you earlier this week about the Saskatoon COVID-19 Community Response Fund and the need to help front line staff working with the most vulnerable as well as helping the clients themselves. You heard from Mayor Charlie Clark who made an urgent call on behalf of community leaders for the government to provide funding so the homeless and marginalized don’t end up ill with the health care system becoming over run.

The Saskatoon Community Foundation says their city-wide mobilization effort is paying off but they continue to need more donations. Executive Director Carm Michalenko says time is of the essence. She says the Board of Directors for the Community Foundation approved an open contribution into the COVID-19 Community Response Fund and they have redirected $340,000 grants available to support charities coping with the crisis.

Reconciliation Saskatoon will receive $10,000 for Survivor’s Circle, Global Gathering place, $20,000 for Cultural Health Navigators; Chep Good Food, $15,000 for immediate food needs; Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Services, $20,000 for staffing for Mobile Crisis Service; Saskatoon Friendship Inn: $10,000 for immediate food needs. Applications for the remaining $200,000 will be open from April 6th to April 27th.

Comparatively speaking, the Ministry of Social Services announced this week it is providing $171-thousand in total to be divided between 10 emergency shelters, to provide additional support during the COVID-19 pandemic to deal with any of the cleaning supplies they need. But Minister Responsible Paul Merriman says because of social distancing there are fewer people in the shelters so they will continue to pay them on a per diem basis.

The province says it plans to, if the emergency shelters are at capacity, to fund the expenses of a hotel stay.

Donate now at saskatooncommunityfoundation.ca or unitedwaysaskatoon.ca and help those that need it the most during this time.

–