The Regina Trade and Skills Centre (RTSC) has partnered with the Regina Food Bank to reroof the Food Bank’s new building.
Students from RTSC Commercial & Industrial Roofing class will take their training to the site by reroofing 7100 square feet of Regina’s Food Banks’ main building.
The building improvement would have originally cost Regina Food Bank well over $180,000; however, thanks to the RTSC students providing the labour at no cost and due to a $105,000 donation from the Saskatchewan Roofing Contractors Association (SRCA) of materials, the project’s cost has been reduced substantially.
David Froh, the vice president of community for the Regina Food Bank, said the RTSC investment allows them to direct more of their resources into securing food and feeding for their clients.
“These are necessary building improvements that are enabled through this donation. This is over 540,000 meals for Regina Food Bank users during a time when we’re experiencing a record need for support from individuals in our community who are experiencing food insecurity. This partnership emphasizes how powerful it is when the non-profit sector works together. We also believe in supporting skill-building opportunities, and this is the benefit the Regina Trades & Skills Centre students gain from this partnership.”
Rod Scott, Association Director with SRCA, said that this allows the students to have exposure to the actual work and challenges of that work and the weather elements they are not exposed to in a shop setting.
“We then learnt about the Regina Food Bank Project and understood how on-site training is invaluable to the future employment of these students. It was an easy decision for the SRCA to provide any technical advice when needed and to donate the required roofing materials at almost no cost for the replacement of the roof. With the SRCA providing the Regina Food Bank with over $105,000 worth of materials, it allows the Food Bank to direct their dollars where it is needed most – securing food and feeding their clients.”
The students have spent the last week working on the roof and will spend the next two weeks working on completing the project.
