SIGA announced yesterday that they will be donating $10,000 to local non-profits, the Canadian Mental Health Association Swift Current Branch and Southwest Crisis Services. 

Each group received $5,000 of the donation funds to help continue to support community members and combat food insecurities in Sask.

Acting General Manager at the Living Sky Casino, Ashley Peterson was honoured to present the two prominent and impactful groups with their cheques.

"We all know the rising costs of everything in our lives right now and groceries and food being one of the largest," Peterson noted.

"There was a screening process and we took a look at what organizations were having the best impact in our community."

Southwest Crisis Services was thankful and excited to be able to support the shelter's residents and help provide for the community members they serve.

"It will be used to support the residents living within the safe shelter, so groceries for the house," said executive director at Southwest Crisis Services, Becky Walker. "Plus we'll be creating packages for residents living in the southwest.

"Also we get calls into our crisis line where people are just looking for a little bit of food to get by so we're happy that we'll be able to fulfill some of those requests."

The Canadian Mental Health Association Swift Current Branch was appreciative and looking forward to being able to continue funding their meal program which saw nearly 7,000 meals handed out last year. 

"The meal program at our branch is definitely one of the more popular programs for our members and it definitely helps those in need," said Todd Vallee, executive director at the Canadian Mental Health Association Swift Current Branch.

"In today's economy and with the rising prices in food costs, it becomes increasingly difficult to fund our meal program. Helen, our meal program coordinator here does a fantastic job with what she has."

These donations were possible because SIGA redistributes all net revenue back into Sask, 25 per cent to Community Development Corporations, 25 per cent to the provincial General Revenue Fund, and 50 per cent to the First Nations Trust. 

"We would just like to take this opportunity to really thank the Canadian Mental Health Association and Southwest Crisis Services for everything that they do within our communities and making sure our citizens are taken care of in their time of need," Peterson concluded.