From surviving to thriving: life-changing services to support in Saskatoon
Hello, dear reader. I’ve had a lot of comments and questions about the 36-Hour Sanctum Challenge - I’m reading them all & am taking some time to personally reflect on my experience. What I would like to share widely though is the importance of Sanctum, a life-changing nonprofit, alongside other services on which I got an education during a very full 36 hours.
Below is not just a list of services, it’s a map of care that people in vulnerable situations have to navigate. Each service below is linked so you can click directly to their websites or donation pages & I’ve tried to share barriers that folks may encounter for each as well as how we can help. There are other organizations doing good things, of course, please feel free to comment those resources. These are the services I specifically learned about along the 36 Hour Challenge.
Food
Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre
We didn’t dive into the Learning Centre & Clothing Depot side of this organization during the challenge, but we did visit the food side. They provide a 2–3 day emergency basket of food twice per month with a Saskatchewan health card. They also have emergency bags for people without access to fridges or cooking.
Barrier: Hours are limited, and without safe storage, food supplies only stretch so far. Transportation adds another challenge.
How to Help: Donate funds or food, volunteer to sort and distribute.
Friendship Inn
A sit-down, community meal program that serves hot breakfast and lunch every day, 365 days a year. Friendship Inn is a gathering place where people find consistency, warmth, and dignity. There’s even a greeter who welcomed us in.
Barrier: Meals are only served at set times, so missing those times can mean missing the meal (though there is a sandwich window outside dining room hours).
How to Help: Volunteer during mealtimes, donate funds, or drop off food items for the kitchen. 95% of the 500,000 Free Meal Program trays they serve every year rely on your donations. $5 buys one plate of food.
The Bridge
The Bridge provides free meals along with clothing, personal care items, and community support. Their programs connect people with recovery, housing, and spiritual care if they choose it.
Barrier: Access depends on the ability to get there regularly, which can be exhausting without stable housing or transport.
How to Help: Donate funds, clothing, or hygiene supplies. Volunteer with meal service or community programs.
Health Services
Naloxone Training
Naloxone can reverse an opioid overdose. Saskatchewan offers free training and kits. The more who are able to help, the more lives that can be saved. Our group took this training at Opioid Assisted Recovery but I’ve also taken it as part of Red Cross First Aid.
Barrier: First aid doesn’t seem like a survival priority compared to food and shelter.
How to Help: Take a free Naloxone training session and carry a kit. Encourage others to do the same.
Health Works Van
An unmarked mobile van that provides sexual health services, harm reduction, and needle exchange.
Barrier: Those who need it most may avoid accessing the van due to stigma or fear of visibility.
How to Help: Share accurate information about harm reduction and advocate for more mobile and low-barrier services.
STC Health Centre
Operated by the Saskatoon Tribal Council, this centre offers health care, culturally grounded supports, addictions care, HIV and STI testing, and harm reduction supplies.
Barrier: Hours may not align with immediate needs, and past experiences with health systems may make people hesitant to return.
How to Help: Support Indigenous-led health services by donating, amplifying their work, or advocating for culturally safe care.
Westside Community Clinic
Provides primary care, sexual health services, harm reduction support, and referrals to specialized health services.
Barrier: Without stable housing or transportation, it can be difficult to keep appointments and manage follow-up care.
How to Help: Donate to the Saskatoon Community Clinic and advocate for more accessible, community-based healthcare.
PORT (Prenatal Outreach & Resource Team)
A Sanctum program that supports pregnant women identified at high risk of infant apprehension. PORT connects clients to health, social, legal, and housing resources.
Barrier: Access depends on knowing the program exists. Fear of child apprehension can prevent parents from seeking support.
How to Help: Donate to Sanctum Care Group, share awareness about PORT, and advocate for policies that prioritize keeping families together through support rather than separation.
Transitional and emergency housing
Sanctum House
Provides supportive housing for people living with or at risk of HIV, and programs that address the link between health and homelessness.
Barrier: Supportive housing is limited in availability.
How to Help: Donate directly to Sanctum.
Sanctum 1.5
Ten beds offering prenatal care, addiction supports, trauma counseling, cultural support, and postpartum help for women who are pregnant and either using substances or living with HIV. It’s one of the most powerful programs I’ve ever seen.
Barrier: There are only ten spots. She might not be accepted.
How to Help: Donate directly to Sanctum. Although their storage is limited, sometimes there are wish list items and they always accept formula.
2nd Steps Transitional Housing
Housing for women exiting Sanctum 1.5 or entering through PORT. Families can be together, and moms support each other through childcare and community.
Barrier: Availability is limited. Apartments start with only a bed and crib, and once transitional housing ends, permanent affordable housing may not be available.
How to Help: Donate funds or household essentials to help furnish apartments. Advocate for more affordable housing options so families have stability after transition.
YWCA Saskatoon
Provides safe emergency shelter, transitional housing, and wraparound supports for women and families experiencing homelessness. Programs include job readiness, counselling, childcare, and crisis support.
Barrier: Demand is high, and space is limited. Access often comes with rules and restrictions that can feel overwhelming in survival mode.
How to Help: Donate to their shelter programs or volunteer with employment and life-skills supports.
Awasis Kids First (Station 20 West)
Supports early childhood development, parenting groups, cultural supports, and screenings.
Barrier: Without an address or stable transportation, attending groups or keeping appointments is difficult.
How to Help: Donate supplies, children’s books, or funds (get in touch to see what they could use). Advocate for more neighborhood-based programming.
Mental Health and Crisis Response
Mental Health & Addictions Services
These SHA services address trauma, depression, addiction, and crisis.
Barrier: Intake can happen quickly, but ongoing care may take weeks. For someone in survival mode, waiting is overwhelming. Many services also require ID.
How to Help: Advocate for stronger mental health funding and reduced wait times.
Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Service
A 24/7 crisis team that responds by phone or in person. They provide immediate de-escalation and referrals and follow a housing-first model.
Barrier: Without a working phone or safe location, reaching crisis services or being found by a team is difficult. Follow-up requires stability that may not exist.
How to Help: Support SCIS through donations or fundraising, and advocate for expanded crisis services that reach people where they are.
HIV and Related Supports
I also learned about:
The ‘acronym’ programs above are all under the Sanctum umbrella, wroking to provide critical medical follow-up, outreach, and housing supports. For people who are unhoused, trust and continuity of care are often the hardest barriers. I was especially moved by the dedicated relationship-building these teams do.
Housing and System Navigation
Sanctum staff help clients fill out housing applications, which often require ID, references, credit checks, or proof of rental history. Many landlords only accept rent through auto-deposit.
Barrier: Missing ID, lack of references, no bank account, or reliance on social assistance can all block access to housing. Waitlists and rejections add more barriers, though Sanctum continues to advocate until housing is found.
How to Help: Support Sanctum to keep growing their transitional housing. Advocate for housing-first models of care.
A call to action
Walking between these services, even though I was really hoofin’ it, we didn’t reach them all within the challenge time. I didn’t do laundry. I didn’t collect recycling. I didn’t make it to have coffee at The Bridge. For someone who’s not able-bodied (or like the girl whose story I carried, someone who’s already in crisis), the distances, waits, and paperwork are HUGE barriers. But there is HOPE. The people at each service are passionate, some having lived experience that guided them into this work to give back.
Sanctum and other programs aim to break down those barriers, meeting clients where they are if possible.
If you feel compelled:
Donate to Sanctum Care Group or to any of the support organizations you feel called to, listed above or otherwise
Donate items to places who need. One Small Step aims to provide updated lists of what is needed, where.
Volunteer your time, even a few hours. United Way has the widest list of volunteer opportunities in Saskatoon,
Advocate to leaders & use your votes for more transitional housing, easier access to ID, and a stronger income assistance system (for instance, everyone I spoke with agreed that moving from SIS to SAID which has direct rent deposit would get people housed faster).
Share the info in any way you can, even simply in conversation
These services don’t erase the gaps, but strengthening these lifelines is a way to begin. And again, there is hope!! With the help of some of these supports, including the programs of Sanctum Care Group, the woman whose story I learned is now thriving with her children. No one has chosen a life that began in trauma. No one sets out to have addiction. All of us deserve to feel hope and be given support. And if you read this far, I know you feel the same. Thank-you.
Maygen
