Frequently Asked Questions
1. When did Saskatoon Friendship Inn open its
doors?
March 1969
2. Who founded Saskatoon Friendship Inn?
The Inner City Counsel of Churches
3. Why does Saskatoon Friendship Inn exist,
what is its mission?
To provide a safe place for people in need to meet.
4. Who does Saskatoon Friendship Inn serve?
The less fortunate within our community: poor families, single parent families,
senior citizens, the financially disadvantaged, people in need of crisis counselling
and referrals
5. How many people were served the day they
opened?
Through our archive materials it’s been recorded that six people
were served a breakfast on the day Saskatoon Friendship Inn opened.
6. How many people do they serve today?
The Inn serves on average 500 meals a day (approximately 15,000
in a month).
7. How many of these are children?
37 - 40% of those served are children (approximately 6,000 a
month)
8. How many staff members (people who get paid
to work) are here?
There are nine paid staff, seven full time and two part time
positions.
On average there are six volunteers and six fine option people to help
in the kitchen, maintenance (clean-up) and office every day.
Many (50 - 100) volunteers are needed on special events to help
with preparing food, serving food, setting up, cleaning up, taking care of
garbage, sweeping floors, wiping up spills on the floor, manning games, handing
out tickets, and numerous other small tasks necessary have a successful event.
9. What programs does Saskatoon Friendship Inn
have?
Saskatoon Friendship Inn serves two hot meals a day: Breakfast
8:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. and Lunch 11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
The Inn also has a Family Worker on staff who helps people in
crisis either directly or through referral to another agency better able to
serve the client’s crisis.
As a not for profit charitable organization, Saskatoon Friendship Inn is
available to accept Fine Option workers (anyone wishing to work off
their fine(s) rather than to pay their fine(s).
The Volunteer program plays a big part of how well Saskatoon
Friendship Inn can provide the services it does.
Free haircuts are available once a month when students from
Marvel School of Beauty arrange to
come.
Children’s Art Classes are available every second Saturday
when Peter Purdue, an Art History Professor at the University of Saskatchewan,
arranges to come to teach the class. It’s an opportunity for children to have
art instruction and an opportunity for Professor Purdue’s students to teach.
Playing cards are made available to the guests through the
generous donations of Emerald Casino.
Cribbage boards and children’s videos are made
available through the generous donations of the public and school projects.
Reading material in the form of children and adult books and
magazines are available through generous donations.
A courtesy phone is available for making local calls while at the
Saskatoon Friendship Inn.
Resume guides are available for filling out for anyone
requesting assistance. When volunteer
staff is available resumes may be typed up.
10. Do the people have to pay for the programs?
All the programs at Saskatoon Friendship Inn are free for those
in need.
11. Is there any screening (a way to tell if
people are in need) process to come to Saskatoon Friendship Inn?
All people who consider themselves in need are welcome. Saskatoon Friendship Inn itself does not
screen people. It’s a means of offering
respect, trust, and confidentiality.
12. When is Saskatoon Friendship Inn opened?
The Inn is open 365 days a year;
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday
13. What makes Saskatoon Friendship Inn
different from other agencies?
The Saskatoon Friendship Inn is:
a non-denominational, non-racial, non-political agency; is
open every day of the year; provides special events for the
meaningful times of the year like: Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New
Years; it serves children, seniors, single parent families, and the working poor.
14. Where does Saskatoon Friendship Inn get its
funding (money to run the agency with) from?
The Saskatoon Friendship Inn gets 85 % of its funds (money) from individuals,
churches, church organizations, and businesses.
The building is owned by the Catholic Diocese who donates the building
to Saskatoon Friendship Inn for $5.00 a year.