our IMPACT

MAKING A DIFFERENCE 

At the Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre we are committed to ensuring a food-secure community where all people have access to safe, affordable, and nutritious food. Our programs and strategic partnerships aim to address the underlying issues contributing to hunger and poverty.

Together, we strive to solve hunger and create a hunger-free community.

Food Bank Program

The Food Bank Program is available to community members who have nowhere else to turn. Our hampers help provide 2-3 days’ of nutritious food items for families and individuals. In 2025-26, the Food Bank Program distributed 2,880,209lbs of food to the community through 95,863 Food Hampers for families and individuals.

Creating Opportunities Strategy

The Creating Opportunities Strategy (COS) program offers three pathways: The Learning Pathway (LP), Workplace Experience Pathway(WEP), and Employment Transitions Pathway. The Literacy Pathway aims to help individuals improve their literacy, math, and computer skills. Our Workplace Experience Pathway helps individuals gain valuable skills and experience to assist with the transition to enter (or re-enter) the workforce. Participants gain hands-on experience and receive the tools and necessary support to help achieve their personal and professional goals. Our Employment Transitions Pathway provides additional support to past and present COS participants in their search for employment.

Clothing Depot

The Clothing Depot, located at 223 Avenue B South, is a warm and welcoming space where community members can access affordable clothing, personal care items, and everyday essentials. For a small fee, individuals and families can find what they need in an environment that promotes dignity and self-reliance. Whether someone is looking for a winter coat, hygiene products, or basic household items, the shop is designed to reduce barriers and offer practical support. It is more than a store. It is a place of respect, connection, and care.

Clothing Depot Client Quote:

“Thank you for your kind and friendly customer service. Sometimes it feels embarrassing to ask for period pads because of the financial burden, but the staff always smile and offer help.” – Clothing Depot Client

There were 28,966 visits to the Clothing Depot during the 2025 to 2026 fiscal year.

Community Volunteer Income Tax Program

Through the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, trained volunteers help people file their taxes and better understand the process. For many, this support makes an intimidating system easier to navigate.

From April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, over $15,204,426 in benefits and tax returns were returned to community members. That income can help with rent, food, bills, transportation, family expenses, or simply create a little more room in a tight budget.

The program is powered by volunteers. In 2025-2026, 43 volunteers supported the clinic. The program also started a partnership with Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s accounting program where 13 business volunteered to file taxes. Besides giving back to the community, the studnts gained real life work experience.

Community Story

For one older woman, filing taxes meant facing nine years of uncertainty. She was convinced she owed penalties she could never afford. When her return was completed, she learned she was entitled to nearly $40,000 in refunds and benefits. The moment was not just about money. It was relief. It was dignity. It was the feeling that someone helped her find a way through.

Nutrition Program

Our Nutrition Program aims to provide healthy food and learning opportunities to families, children and youth, Indigenous groups, newcomers to Canada, and others. It also provides live, in-person and virtual cooking classes with a trained facilitator that allows participants to acquire additional food skills, often from the comfort of their own kitchens. While enrolled in the program, participants receive a cooking kit with the ingredients required to make a nutritious recipe twice.

Cooking Classes

Our cooking classes, like all of our programs, are designed with community members in mind. We focus the classes on preparing healthy and affordable meals, often using food items commonly received in Emergency Food Hampers. By introducing participants to new recipes and food items, community members can maximize the contents of their hampers.

In 2025-2026, the Nutrition program delivered 178 cooking classes totalling 518 participants, which resulted in 10,051 healthy meals served.

Volunteer

In an average year, the Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre welcomes approximately 1,609 volunteer hours per month. We invite volunteers from all different walks of life and abilities. We enjoy seeing diverse groups of volunteers making a difference in our community - students of all ages, small businesses, large corporations, groups from the faith community, etc. Our volunteers play an integral role in the daily operations of the SFBLC and we are very grateful for every individual and group that chooses to take action against poverty and hunger in our community.

Community members are welcome to complete their community service hours at the Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre. Many of the people who complete their hours return to volunteer. This experience helps strengthen human capacity, creates strong community connections, and increases social capital.

Partnerships

We often partner with other community-minded organizations to ensure a broad range of services and resources are offered to community members. In the past 12 months some of these partnerships have included:

• Saskatchewan Health Authority COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics  

• CLASSIC

• OUTSaskatoon

• National Housing Coalition

• Str8 Up

• Prairie Harm Reduction

• Credit Counselling Society

• Express Employment Professionals

Advocating for Change

Members of the SFBLC team are involved in a number of collaborative efforts in the community: Saskatoon Reconciliation Committee, Saskatoon Literacy Coalition, Saskatchewan Career Development Association, Local Immigration Partnership (City of Saskatoon), Safe Community Action Alliance, Saskatoon Interagency Response to COVID, Food Banks Canada Network of Large Food Banks, Strategic Fundraising Advisory Council , National Policy Advisory Council, and Food Banks of Saskatchewan Board of Directors.

We also serve on a number of action teams and working groups which fall under the umbrella of the Saskatoon Poverty Reduction Partnership (SPRP), including:

• Food Security Action Team

• SPRP Leadership and Management Committee

• Public Washroom Task Force

• Second Chance Food  

These partnerships enable us to find common agendas for awareness-raising, activities, and systems change around poverty, food insecurity, literacy, employment, and reconciliation in Saskatoon.