Sask Pork and Prairie Meats team up to feed Saskatchewan families at Ronald McDonald House
By Lynn Redl-Huntington
Sixty guests staying at Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon while their children undergo medical treatment had a meal of Saskatchewan pulled pork, thanks to a partnership between Prairie Meats and Sask Pork.
The two organizations teamed up for The Home for Dinner Program to deliver pulled pork, buns, coleslaw, and macaroni salad to families from the province staying at Ronald McDonald House while they have a child in hospital. Supper is served every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
“The Home for Dinner program is a wonderful gift for our families, providing kindness and support during a very stressful time in their lives. Our Home for Dinner program is a volunteer opportunity for corporate groups, organizations, or even groups of friends, to come to Ronald McDonald House to deliver a home cooked meal for our families,” said Karen Linsley of Ronald McDonald House Charities Saskatchewan.
“Prairie Meats is a proud Saskatchewan company with a strong connection to the province and the local communities that we serve. We give back in many ways, including our focus on local sourcing, as well as being involved in a variety of community initiatives, donations & sponsorships, and fundraising activities. We are delighted to partner with Sask Pork in support of the Ronald McDonald House,” said Lisa Hryciw from Prairie Meats.
Prairie Meats first opened its doors in Saskatoon in 1983 and has since expanded to include locations in Regina and Prince Albert.
“We’re proud to be able to work with Prairie Meats on behalf of provincial pork producers to bring a homegrown meal to Saskatchewan families that need comfort and support while traveling far from home for the medical needs of one of their children,” said Mark Ferguson, General Manager, Sask Pork. “We hope that it brings them some measure of comfort to know that our provincial industry, many of which are their neighbors, stand behind them during such difficult times.”
Sask Pork and Prairie Meats will also be supporting the families of pediatric patients in Prince Albert through the Ronald McDonald House Lunch Program at Victoria Hospital, delivering a pulled pork lunch with salads on March 31st.
The Lunch Program began by serving families at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital (JPCH), youth at the Irene and Leslie Dubé Centre for Mental Health and the Alvin Buckwold Child Development Centre in Saskatoon in 2020 after a gap in food support to caregivers in the hospital was identified. The program later expanded to the Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert. Since the inception of the program, over 11,330 family lunches have been served. Since 1974, Ronald McDonald Houses have helped more than 10 million family members by keeping families close in critical times.
If you would like to partner with Sask Pork to provide a meal to families in need at Ronald McDonald House, please contact us at lynn@saskpork.com.