Local
philanthropist reflects on giving
By Blake Sittler
SASKATOON — Don
Neufeld had only been back 24 hours from 
volunteering
on a Haiti relief mission when he arrived at Saskatoon Friendship Inn
to make a donation of $100,000 for their development campaign.
Neufeld, along with his brother
Murray, operates J&H Builders Warehouse, a local hardware and lumber
chain started by their father in the 1960s. Neufeld’s family has
made a concerted effort to support local charities, including both Friendship
Inn and the Food Bank.
Their family was raised to
live out the ideal that their good fortune should be shared with those
in the community who are struggling, Neufeld said.
“My wife and I and
our kids have volunteered here in serving and we see the need not only
for food but for counselling and some medical attention,” Neufeld
said of the Friendship Inn campaign.
Neufeld supports his staff
in allowing them work time to volunteer at Friendship Inn over the lunch
hour, especially in the winter months. He has seen that in most cases
his staff get more out of the encounter than the recipients of the meals.
“We want to generate
a spirit of generousity in our staff,” said Neufeld.
“The J&H staff . . . love the experience of working here,”
said Geselle Doell, director of Friendship Inn.
Neufeld also sits on the
board of Samaritan’s Purse, an internationally recognized charitable
aid and relief group founded by Franklin Graham. Most people know the
work of this organization through their annual Operation Christmas Child,
which provides children in Third World countries a gift box of toiletries,
toys and small gifts.
Neufeld was pleased to see
“how present” Samaritan’s Purse is in Haiti. “We’re
providing shelter, biosand water filters, and food in co-operation with
US Aid.”
He also noted that one of
the unique offerings of his organization was the provision of sterile
surgical environments for the medical teams that Samaritan’s Purse
is providing. The earthquake caused untold numbers of broken arms and
legs that, due to infection, had to be amputated.
“Our people aren’t
amputating; they’re saving limbs,” said Neufeld.
One of the other areas of specialty is demolition and rubble removal.
Samaritan’s Purse has been providing bulldozers and other equipment
to help clear away the millions of tonnes of debris. Neufeld said their
equipment can clear away a three-storey building in one day, whereas
doing it by hand would take three months.
Port-au-Prince “is
a city in chaos,” he said. “The amount of rubble is unbelievable.
They don’t know where to put it.
Neufeld’s business
model is shaped in part by his belief in the value of family time.
“Our stores are closed
Sundays,” he explained. “Some people tell us that they don’t
share our religious values and I tell them that it’s not about
religion: it’s about giving staff time with their families.”
Neufeld’s parents,
Harold and Viola, were models of how the company continues to operate.
They were involved in children’s summer camps and other charities.
Neufeld’s children have continued this family practice and have
volunteered in different areas, including Haiti, Nicaragua, and Sudan.
Neufeld has been told by
his competitors and customers that he is losing business when he does
not open for Sunday shopping. He says that this practice does other
things for his business, contributing to a strong staff and customers
who share their family values.
“People might not agree with us but they respect us,” he said. “We know we’re foregoing some business, but it’s the decision we’ve made.”
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