A major component of Care & Share is to involve the business community with Saskatoon community schools, and most importantly, have them assist in meeting the needs of Saskatoon’s children.  Our Mentorship Program does exactly that. Care & Share finds local community-minded businesses to partner with community elementary schools in long-term relationships.  Care & Share then introduces the mentor company to the school and helps to establish a rapport between the business and the school’s principal and community school coordinator.  Subsequent meetings allow the company to assist with the needs of the school’s kids and give the schools a chance to assess how the company’s resources can be best utilized for the students.  As a thank you for the Mentor’s contributions to the school for the year, Care & Share provides an annual Holiday Lunch whereby the Mentors are invited to serve a hot turkey dinner to the students and staff and then enjoy the meal and festivities with them.

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Mentor companies sponsor events, they help at track and field meets, play days, Pow Wows, and host barbecues.  This involvement puts a whole community in a schoolyard to cheer the kids on and become part of the activities.  Care & Share asks each mentor company to make an annual financial commitment to provide assistance with a specific school project or programs unique to their school.  These funds have been used to purchase white boards for the classroom, school signs for the front lawn, school team uniforms; they have funded music programs and literacy programs.  Other mentor companies help the schools reach larger goals such as providing materials, labor, and capital funds to update school kitchens, set up bike stands or playground equipment, build hockey rinks and install outdoor lights for the playground or they donate computers, iPads, books, school supplies and winter coats.  Some provide the opportunity for school trips to Regina’s Science Centre and RCMP Museum, Pike Lake or Wanuskewin Heritage Park.  Some mentors provide volunteers to attend the school and read with the younger kids and those new to Canada and are just learning English.  The forms of contribution by the company’s staff vary in each school.