Community grants support summer in the city of Saskatoon

On a sunny Saturday in July, a team of volunteers is leading kids through heritage games outside the Western Development Museum in Saskatoon. The old-time atmosphere is the perfect setting for the visitors – and the volunteers – to learn about the traditional values of service and community-building at the heart of Saskatchewan.

The leaders are part of the Youth Volunteer Program (YVP) operated by Child and Youth Friendly Saskatoon, one of 65 organizations included in Nutrien’s “Building Stronger Communities Together” program in 2025. The $2,500 grant from Nutrien helps support the program, which introduces students between the ages of 11-18 to the spirit of volunteering.

“The kids get hands-on experience with community involvement,” says Marcy Cook, Program Coordinator for YVP. “For a lot of them, they’re discovering new ideas and getting experience that helps them decide what careers they want. For some, the community involvement helps them get into universities or earn bursaries and scholarships.”

The recent Nutrien grant helps fund one of four paid summer positions for university students to be Team Leaders, who train and oversee 70-90 youth volunteers. The teams lend a hand wherever they are needed– from food programs to community gardens to other local agencies.

“A lot of the kids are thinking about careers in education or social work,” says Marcy. “This gives them some experience with volunteering and is something they can add to their resumes.”

And when the seed of community building is planted, it can grow into a life-long passion. Dr. Beshmi Kularante, a dentist and current President of the Child and Youth Friendly Saskatoon board, was a Team Leader in the program during her university career.

“It becomes self-sustaining,” says Marcy. “It’s a perfect place for young people to network and contribute to the community.”

Improving Summer in the City

Several of Nutrien’s grants are used by local organizations to make summer in the city a better experience for kids and families faced with economic challenges.

“The ‘Building Stronger Communities Together’ program gives us the flexibility to work alongside people and agencies that share our desire to create a healthy community,” says Renee Glushyk, Senior Manager, Community Relations and Investment at Nutrien. “We want to create meaningful impact in the places it matters most.”

Food and family well-being are critical needs, especially in the summer when school support programs may not be available. This year, Nutrien grants are helping a diverse list of groups that includes:

• Family Service Saskatoon’s “Snacks for Health” program;

• Ronald McDonald House’s “Garden Next Door”;

• Global Gathering Place’s “Nutrien Nourish Nook”;

• Saskatoon & District Labour Council’s Summer Snack program; and

• EGADZ Early Learning Centre nutrition program.

For Family Service Saskatoon, the Nutrien grant is used for healthy snacks, but also helps feed a different need. The agency hosts support groups for adults and children dealing with intimate partner violence, anxiety and trauma. Participants can attend for support and a nutritious snack.

“We offer a space where participants are encouraged to share and hopefully go forward as healthier individuals.” says Janine Baumann, Executive Director of Family Service Saskatoon. “We offer childcare support as well and provide snacks for the children in those child-care groups. We talk to them about healthy snacks being good for our bodies, which helps lead to healthy minds, which is how you create healthy individuals.”

And healthy individuals become part of healthy communities. That’s the spirit behind the “Building Stronger Communities Together” program.