Danielle Hoffart's determination and compassion is ensuring kids at St. Mary's Wellness and Education Centre in Saskatoon are getting the supports they need when it comes to food security. She is St. Mary's Aboriginal Student Achievement Coordinator and is a true liaison between her school and the greater Pleasant Hill community.

St. Mary's is home to 300 students with more than 90 percent being Indigenous. The school, which was built in 2012 and is part of the Greater Catholic School Division, also has a nutrition program, wellness centre, Indigenous Elders, social workers, psychiatrist and a pediatric centre. It is a hub for the community and Danielle is one of its leaders. 

Danelle has been involved with food security challenges for many years in Saskatoon. She has a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from the University of Saskatchewan and really developed a passion for the city's core neighbourhoods through working at places like Quint, the Saskatoon Friendship Inn, and CHEP Good Food. 

For the past 14 years, she has worked within the Greater Saskatoon Catholic School Division, first as a Community School Coordinator and now as an Aboriginal Student Achievement Coordinator. 

I came into this interview wanting to focus on Danielle's work in helping students struggling with food security, and it's something we definitely cover in our conversation, but what became clear as Danielle was touring Rona and I through St. Mary's is just how much she loves her students. 

It was a real pleasure speaking with Danielle and I know you're going to love her story. 

A big thank you to Rob Rongve and his team at Rongve Wealth Management Group of RBC Dominion Securities in North Battleford for supporting this episode of the podcast. I sure appreciate your support, Rob!!

Don't forget to leave a 5-star review if you like what you hear and follow the podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. 

Thank you for supporting the podcast and a reminder that I have new YXE Underground zipups for sale! Feel free to contact me through social media if you would like a zipup. 

Cheers...Eric 

 

• Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis