Kindness Calendar initiative

As the leaves turn and the cooler weather starts to set in, we start to transition into our “hibernation” mode, looking for comfort and coziness! Within our own community there are people who aren’t as fortunate, and it is that time of year where we turn our attention to ways we can give back to our community.

As many of you know, the PharmD program requires students to complete a Service Learning course. In this course, Year 1 students complete service learning in community-based organizations (CBOs) that we have longstanding partnerships with. This invaluable experience is meant to provide students with a different perspective and to learn to view our society through a different lens. Students gain appreciation of what care means to others, including how the social determinants of health affect the care they receive. 

The EL Office will once again be facilitating our Kindness Calendar initiative- this year in a more simplified form! Each week, we will be highlighting and collecting one of the most needed items in our community. See the attached poster for details. This initiative will run from October 23rd until November 17^th, with a deadline of November 20^th to get all donations in.

This year we have chosen to partner with the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Center (SFBLC).

Did you know?

• Last year, 1,965,825 lbs of food were distributed to the community through 63,166 Emergency Food Hampers for families and individuals.
• Last year, the center’s Milk for Children program provided 68,363 litres of fresh milk to children 17 years and younger and pregnant or nursing mothers to ensure children receive the nutrients necessary to sustain their growth and development.
• One in five children in Saskatchewan are experiencing poverty and 41% of people relying on SFBLC emergency food hampers are kids.

The SFBLC does not canvas door-to-door for financial assistance and relies on partnerships with other community-based organizations and donors for support. Because of your support, last year we had a huge success with this campaign supporting the Global Gathering Place. We encourage you to participate in any way that you can- even if that means you can only contribute a jar of peanut butter or a couple cans of fruit. Be creative- challenge a colleague or classmate or create a team challenge. Collectively, we can make a much larger impact in our community!