Perishable items were donated to The Lighthouse Supported Living and Friendship Inn in Saskatoon, Moose Jaw and District Food Bank and Prince Albert YMCA
When in-person hospitality, culinary arts and food services classes came to an unexpected pause in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s School of Hospitality and Tourism saw an opportunity to help others.
School of Hospitality and Tourism programs and Hospitality Services in Saskatoon, Moose Jaw and Prince Albert arranged for unused ingredients and some prepared items, which would have been used in student labs and on cafeteria plates, to be donated to The Lighthouse Supported Living and Friendship Inn in Saskatoon, Moose Jaw and District Food Bank and YMCA in Prince Albert.
A total of $4,500 in perishable food items was donated for these local non-profit organizations.
“The programs in Saskatoon have worked with the Lighthouse and Friendship Inn previously,” says Paul Wheeler, program head for Sask Polytech’s Culinary Arts program. “It’s important to support these organizations, so many people are having a difficult time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Items that would have not have lasted well for six months or more in the fridge or freezer were donated. “We donated perishable items to non-profits we worked with previously including produce, dairy, protein and some prepared items includes soups and sauces,” shares Bobbi Bates, Hospitality Services manager at Sask Polytech.
“Sask Polytech hospitality programs are well-recognized for quality culinary arts, professional cooking and food service training,” notes Julian Tomlinson, dean School of Hospitality and Tourism. “From food prep to short order cooking to fine dining, students learn what it is like to work in a commercial kitchen, and our employees and students have access to exceptional on-campus food services.”
Published May 2020.