The Sagitawa Friendship Society

What The Sagitawa Friendship Society does

The Sagitawa Friendship Society is a non-profit Friendship Centre incorporated under Alberta's Societies Act on September 24, 1964, and headquartered in Peace River, Alberta. It is the third Friendship Centre established in the province and operates as a status-blind community organization, the Cree word "Sagitawa" meaning "a gathering place, where the rivers meet." Its core offering is a portfolio of nine interconnected social-service programs delivered through three owned facilities: emergency shelter (Out of the Cold Shelter, with a winter mat program), youth services (Ground Level Youth Centre for ages 10-29, Youth Employment Program), family and early-years support (Strengthening the Family Circle, Building Better Babies), Indigenous health programs (Northern Indigenous Health Alliance for HIV/Hep C/STIs, Circle of Life cancer-care navigation), food security (Charley's Good Food Box), and youth homelessness support (Outreach Support Services Initiative). Two social enterprises — the Hide 'n Seek Handicraft Store and Golf World on the Peace — supplement program activity with earned income.

The organization's delivery model integrates Indigenous knowledge, traditional ceremonies, and Elder involvement with modern social-service interventions (e.g., harm reduction supplies, STI testing, prenatal vitamins, employment-readiness training). Services are provided free of charge to community members except the Good Food Box, which offers a $60-value produce and dairy box at a $20 contribution. Marketing is community-based, relying primarily on Facebook and word-of-mouth referrals rather than digital campaigns.

Commercially, Sagitawa is a grant-funded non-profit with diversified funding sources, including a confirmed $500,651 award from Prairies Economic Development Canada in June 2023. The customer base is geographically concentrated in Peace River and surrounding communities and segmented across homeless/at-risk individuals, youth (10-29), families, expectant/new parents, Indigenous cancer patients, and people living with HIV/HCV/STIs. There is no parent company, no institutional investors, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed annual operating budget. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors rooted in its founding 1964 model of balanced Indigenous and non-Indigenous representation.

Name

The Sagitawa Friendship Society

Legal name

Sagitawa Friendship Society

Website

https://sagitawa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Sagitawa Friendship Society is a non-profit Friendship Centre in Peace River, Alberta, founded in 1964, that delivers free, status-blind social services — shelter, youth, family, health, cancer-care, food security, and youth-homelessness programs — to Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members in the region, integrating traditional Indigenous knowledge with modern support services and operating two social enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Community Social Services

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Community social services
• Homeless shelter services
• Indigenous youth programs
• Family support services
• Community-based health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Peace River

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Sagitawa Friendship Society is a non-profit Indigenous Friendship Centre that delivers community-based social services in Peace River, Alberta. It operates an emergency shelter (Out of the Cold), a youth centre for ages 10-29 (Ground Level), family strengthening and prenatal/postnatal programs, an Indigenous health alliance serving people with HIV/Hep C/STIs, a cancer care support program, a subsidized fresh food box, and youth homelessness outreach. It also runs two social enterprises (a handicraft store and a seasonal golf operation) that fund youth employment.

Product overview

The Sagitawa Friendship Society is a non-profit community organization offering a diverse portfolio of social service programs and social enterprises. The organization operates multiple interconnected programs including shelter services (Out of the Cold Shelter), youth development (Ground Level Youth Centre), family support (Strengthening the Family Circle, Building Better Babies), health services (Northern Indigenous Health Alliance, Circle of Life), food security (Charley's Good Food Box), and youth homelessness support (Outreach Support Services Initiative). Additionally, the organization operates two social enterprises: the Hide'n Seek Handicraft Store and Golf World on the Peace. The programs are designed to serve Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members in Peace River, Alberta, with a focus on culturally-based services guided by Elders and traditional Indigenous knowledge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ground Level Youth Centre: Youth centre providing programs for youth ages 10-29, including health workshops, mentorship, art, music, social activities, and employment readiness.
• Hide'n Seek Handicraft Store
• Golf World on the Peace

Products and services

• Out of the Cold Shelter Emergency shelter providing services and support to the homeless population, including a winter mat program offering overnight accommodation (11pm-7am), meals, laundry facilities, and outreach support.
• Ground Level Youth Centre Youth programming center for ages 10-29 offering after-school programs, health workshops, mentorship, cultural activities, arts, music, social activities, employment readiness, and connection to Elders.
• Strengthening the Family Circle Family support and advocacy program providing hands-on life lessons including positive communication, healthy relationships, traditional parenting, life skills, healthy nutrition, creative play, home visitation, and referrals to community organizations.
• Building Better Babies No-cost, voluntary prenatal and postnatal assistance program providing home visitations, monthly food hampers, prenatal vitamins, nutrition information, labour and birth information, breastfeeding support, and postnatal support until baby is 6 months old.
• Northern Indigenous Health Alliance (NIHA) Health support program for people living with HIV, Hepatitis C, STIs, and STBBIs, including testing and support, harm reduction supplies, connection to traditional Indigenous ceremonies, medicines and Elders, and education and awareness programming.
• Charley's Good Food Box Monthly food box program providing $60 value of fresh fruits, vegetables, and dairy products at a $20 cost to families, with interactive workshops and recipe ideas.
• Circle of Life Cancer care support program exploring and implementing strategies where the cancer care journey is self-determined by Indigenous peoples, including community engagement, awareness programming, navigation support, and environmental scanning.
• Outreach Support Services Initiative (OSSI) Youth homelessness support program providing education, training, employment, skill development, community engagement, cultural activities, leadership opportunities, and housing stability support.
• Hide'n Seek Handicraft Store
• Golf World on the Peace Seasonal golf course operated as a social enterprise, typically open from early July to end of August, providing summer youth employment through the Youth Employment Program.
• Youth Employment Program

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC): National umbrella organization for the Friendship Centre movement in Canada; not a direct competitor but a peer in the same movement, providing funding coordination, advocacy, and shared infrastructure that Sagitawa can leverage for funding and program partnerships.
• United Way Canada: Major Canadian funder and coordinator of community social services; comparable as an ecosystem participant that funds and convenes many of the same program types (shelter, youth, family, food security) that Sagitawa delivers.

Regional players

• Inn from the Cold: Calgary-based family emergency shelter and housing program; comparable in emergency-shelter and family-stabilization service delivery, though operating in a different Alberta urban market than Sagitawa.

Broad incumbents

• YWCA Canada: National non-profit focused on women, families, and youth with shelter, housing, and employment programs; comparable to Sagitawa's family support, prenatal, and youth employment programming.
• Salvation Army Canada: Major national non-profit providing shelter, food security, family services, and community programs; an incumbent with overlapping program categories (shelter, food, family support) but a much larger footprint and different governance model.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada: National youth-serving organization with after-school programs, mentorship, and employment readiness — directly comparable to Sagitawa's Ground Level Youth Centre and Youth Employment Program offerings.
• Food Banks Canada: National food-security organization coordinating food programs across Canada; directly comparable to Sagitawa's Charley's Good Food Box food-security program at a network/aggregator level.

Direct peers

• The Mustard Seed: Alberta-based non-profit operating emergency shelters, meal programs, and community support services; highly comparable in the Out of the Cold Shelter service line and social-enterprise funding model.
• Boyle Street Community Services: Edmonton-based non-profit delivering shelter, housing, youth, and Indigenous cultural programs to vulnerable populations; comparable program mix and target segments (homeless, at-risk youth, Indigenous community) to Sagitawa.
• Calgary Friendship Centre: Another Alberta-based Indigenous Friendship Centre providing cultural programs, youth services, and community support — directly comparable in mandate, governance model, and Indigenous-knowledge-led service design to Sagitawa.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SagitawaFriendshipSociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sagitawa-friendship-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Sagitawa Friendship Society