Highlighting Saskatchewan community organizations through Share the Warmth Days
There is a lot of good that sharing a little warmth can do.
In honour of the 30th anniversary of SaskEnergy’s Share the Warmth program, we launched Share the Warmth Days. The initiative — which ran until February 13 — featured a series of events across the province aimed at highlighting community-based organizations who bring warmth, including shelter, food, clothing and mental health services, to those who need it most.
For Share the Warmth Days event, SaskEnergy volunteers partnered with a local organization that was one of this year’s Share the Warmth grant recipients to hand out bags of essential items, including a water bottle, toothbrush, tissues, healthy snacks and a warm piece of clothing, such as a toque, mitts or scarf.
SaskEnergy launched Share the Warmth Days on January 21, 2025, with an event at the Saskatoon Public Library. At the event, SaskEnergy employees handed out the bags, along with cups of coffee, to visitors in need at the Frances Morrison Central Library branch.
“I didn’t realize that the library was where people went to keep warm during the day. That was eye-opening for me, and I was happy we were able to provide them with some extra items to help them out,” says SaskEnergy employee Shawn Waskewitch who volunteered at the Saskatoon event. “It was nice to know that we were the reason for their smile that morning.”
The Saskatoon Public Library is one of the organizations that received a Share the Warmth grant of up to $1,000 this year. The organization used the grant to purchase warm clothing items to distribute to those in need throughout the winter.
On January 22, SaskEnergy volunteers joined the CMHA in Swift Current to help serve lunch and coffee, and to distribute essential items bags. The CMHA hosts breakfasts and hot lunches on Mondays through Fridays throughout the year for vulnerable people in the community. The CMHA used its grant to purchase food and holiday items that were then put in hampers for those in need.
On January 29, an event was held in Weyburn. The Southeast Advocates hosted our volunteers, who helped serve a hot lunch and handed out essential item bags. Southeast Advocates offers services to people who come from out of province or out of country who need help integrating into the community and workforce. The organization used their Share the Warmth grant to purchase winter boots, toques and mitts for newcomers.
On February 5, SaskEnergy employees in the Yorkton area volunteered to spend the day giving out essential item bags and hot chocolate to local youth. BGC Yorkton provides a safe place for children and youth to experience new opportunities and develop confidence and skills for life. BGC Yorkton used their grant to make warm items available to children and youth in the area.
Volunteers from the Prince Albert area joined with YWCA Prince Albert to hand out essential item bags and coffee at the Community Connection Centre on February 11. The YWCA strives to improve the lives of people in their community and end homelessness. The organization used its grant to purchase warm items and food to give out to people in need.
Our Share the Warmth Days wrapped up in Regina on February 13. Volunteers joined with the Circle Project at the Cornwall Centre to hand out essential item bags and coffee to those in need.
The Circle Project is an organization that provides support and programs based on the Indigenous vision of wholeness, balance and healing. They used their grant to purchase mitts, toques and socks that those in need could access at their drop-in centre.
During all the Share the Warmth Days events, our employee volunteers assembled and provided 1,000 essential item gift bags to those in need.
“Through SaskEnergy’s Share the Warmth Days, we really want to recognize the work, and the impact, non-profit organizations have on their communities, and also do our part to help spread a little kindness and caring,” said Allix Schweitzer, SaskEnergy’s Supervisor of Community Engagement.
In 1994, Share the Warmth began as a way to redistribute warm clothing to individuals across the province. Today, the program provides funding to charitable organizations that help vulnerable citizens manage our cold prairie winters. Through an annual application process, organizations can receive a grant of up to $1,000 for their project.
Since 2012, SaskEnergy has provided more than half a million dollars, and has supported more than 500 community organizations throughout the province, through our Share the Warmth grants. This year, SaskEnergy invested $100,000 — doubling last year’s total — in support of 106 charitable organizations.
