Mosaic funding Moose Jaw organizations with new $1.5 million donation

The Mosaic Company has announced a donation of $1.5 million in funding after renewing its partnerships with community organizations in Moose Jaw.

Moose Jaw Health Foundation, Moose Jaw & District Food bank, Hunger in Moose Jaw and Wakamow Valley’s Mosaic Community Food Farm are among the organizations who will be receiving a portion of the funding.

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Mosaic’s announcement comes in the midst of Saskatchewan Mining Week. The funding will support and improve health care, food security and community well-being in Moose Jaw and across the region.

“We’ve had some discussions with our partners, what do they need, where are they going, and what’s going to help the community the most,” explained Marnel Jones, Mosaic’s director of government and public affairs.

“We really focused on what that looked like for all of our different partners to make sure that they’re delivering the services the people of Moose Jaw need, and we’re so happy to be partnering with them again.”

Jones said the partnership is a three-year agreement.

Moose Jaw’s mayor, James Murdock, echoed Jones’s enthusiasm.

“(It’s a) tremendous day. Mosaic’s commitment to community has been instilled in this province for decades, and to see the continued partnerships that they have established over the years in the city of Moose Jaw is inspiring for us all,” he said.

Sharla Sept, who is the executive director for Hunger in Moose Jaw said the funding will provide great opportunities for the organization to build its programs and support families in the city.

“We are serving over 400 children a day and doing lunches, and this funding allows us to plan for the future,” Sept shared. “It allows us to support those children in any way possible.”

Sept said Hunger in Moose Jaw will receive $180,000 dollars over the three years of the funding agreement.

“This funding goes directly into our child nutrition program. It provides the food and the resources to keep that program going,” she said.

“Prices are going up (and) families are having to choose between rent, mortgages and food, and in the end they need to make that decision. This money helps them support that, and it takes one thing off their plate.”

Ryan Hrechka, chair of the Moose Jaw Health Foundation, said he is excited to continue the partnership.

“It’s amazing,” he said, explaining that Mosaic has been a long-time partner with the health foundation.

“They’ve provided funding for us for many years and Saskatchewan is a great community. People always give, and it’s just wonderful to see.

“We can’t say thank you enough to them for everything they’ve done and continue to do for our communities,” Hrechka said.

He said he wants the Moose Jaw Hospital to have state-of-the-art equipment so it can continue to serve the community.

“We are going to be using it to focus on again updating surgical equipment and diagnostics to make sure that again those are the most up to date,” Hrechka said.

The Moose Jaw Health Foundation will receive a sizable portion of the funding, at $1 million.

“Moose Jaw is home to many of our employees and their families, and we are proud to support with these local organizations who do such important work looking after the needs of this community everyday,” Jones said.