Steinbach, MB — The Rotary Club of South Eastman is proud to launch its new Nutrition on Weekends (NOW) program, addressing a critical gap in local food support for children.
In partnership with Soup’s On, the NOW program will provide monthly snack bags to children who currently receive school-day meal support but have limited access to food on weekends. Each bag will be thoughtfully prepared to include three nutritious snacks per day for eight weekend days, helping ensure consistent access to food beyond the school week.
South Eastman Rotary Club, for the fourth year, is offering the opportunity to send two students, all expenses covered, to a Rotary Youth Leadership Assembly, a leadership development camp in summer 2025. Camp is now open for nominations for students ages 12-14 and 15-17.
South Eastman Rotary in Steinbach presents an opportunity for youth to attend a 6-day camp that focuses on leadership development, topics of interest and recreational activities. There are two categories of camps.
South Eastman Rotary was proud to present a cheque to Agape House in support of their basement renovation project — creating a refreshed, trauma-informed space for children and teenagers staying in shelter.
In 2025, 95 children and youth accessed Agape House, totaling 1,337 children bednights. This newly updated area now includes improved storage, new furniture, and — for the first time — a dedicated teen-friendly space where young people can feel safe, respected, and supported.
The renovated basement is already helping provide comfort, healing, and even a quiet place for homeschooling and learning during a time of transition.
Thank you to Agape House for the life-changing work you do every day, and thank you to our community for making projects like this possible.
President @corniepetkau presenting to Lisa Fast, Outreach Coordinator at Agape House.
The Rotary Club of South Eastman hosted its much-anticipated Annual Event on November 19 at the Mennonite Heritage Village Auditorium. Dubbed as “Empowering Tomorrow: An Evening of Impact for Youth and Community,”the event was a wonderful success, bringing the community together to celebrate partnerships and raise essential support for its various initiatives like the DARE program, Rotary Youth Leadership Assembly and The Ripple Effect Project.
You're Invited To An Evening of Impact for Youth & Community!
The South Eastman Rotary Club is thrilled to officially invite you to our annual gala, a powerful and inspiring night featuring our esteemed keynote speaker, Rebecca Atet Deng.
We’re excited to share a brand-new opportunity to get involved in the community!
The South Eastman Rotary Club is partnering with the Southeast Event Centre to help bring the Niverville Credit Union Game-On Play Zone to life — and we’re looking for volunteers to join the team!
Last night, the Atrium Meeting Room at the Southeast Event Centre was abuzz with enthusiasm as the Rotary Club of South Eastman hosted its successful 'Learn & Mingle' evening.
With deep sadness and immense respect, the South Eastman Rotary Club mourns the passing of Constable Kevin Wynn of the Steinbach RCMP, who left us peacefully in his sleep on July 10, 2025.
Constable Wynn was more than a law enforcement officer—he was a mentor, a role model, and a tireless advocate for youth empowerment. For over two decades, he served our community with integrity and dedication, bringing compassion and commitment to everything he did. His legacy, however, will forever be most strongly felt through his passion for and leadership in the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program.
Ready to unwind and have a great time while making a difference in the community?
We’re hosting a Social Hour at Smitty's Steinbach on September 10th at 5:30 pm, and we’d love for you to join us! It’s a relaxed and friendly gathering where you can meet fellow community members, learn more about what the Rotary Club is all about, share your ideas, and discover how you can make a positive impact.
Ready to unwind and have a great time while making a difference in the community?
We’re hosting a Social Hour at Smitty's Steinbach on Aug 13th at 5:30pm, and we’d love for you to join us! It’s a relaxed and friendly gathering where you can meet fellow community members, learn more about what the Rotary Club is all about, share your ideas, and discover how you can make a positive impact.
Over the past week, the South Eastman Rotary Club has been overwhelmed by the generosity and compassion shown by our community. In response to the needs of wildfire evacuees, we launched a donation drive to collect essential supplies—and the response has been nothing short of incredible.
Urgent Support Needed for Northern Manitoba Wildfire Evacuees
Families displaced by wildfires in Northern Manitoba need our immediate help. South Eastman Rotary, in partnership with the Southeast Events Centre is coordinating a community-wide response to provide essential supplies, financial support, and volunteers.
For the 4th year of this comical fundraising initiative of the South Eastman Rotary Club, we are proud to reveal this year's batch of celebrity fugitives who will become jailbirds unless they raise bail money for their freedom! Follow our social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram as we feature two of them each day.
Embark on an exhilarating journey of connection and inspiration at the 2025 Rotary International Convention in Calgary! Engage in riveting discussions, learn from distinguished speakers, and explore enlightening breakout sessions against the backdrop of Calgary's picturesque beauty nestled amid the Canadian Rockies.
This past Wednesday, members of the South Eastman Rotary Club visited South East Helping Hands (SEHH) in Steinbach to deepen their understanding about its role as the region's food bank.
This year’s Annual Fundraiser Luncheon of the Rotary Club of South Eastman brought together community leaders, educators, law enforcement, and members of Rotary to highlight the shared values of service and community building. The event, hosted at the historic Mennonite Heritage Village, attracted 75 attendees and raised an impressive $21,000 in support of the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education)program and the Ripple Effect project.
Join us on November 13 for an inspiring event open to all community members! Tickets are free, and every donation supports impactful educational initiatives, including the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Program, the Rotary Youth Leadership Assembly (RYLA), and the Ripple Effect—building schools in Guatemala.
At the Club's lunch meeting on October 16 at Mennonite Heritage Village, the preparations for the DARE Luncheon were discussed. The meeting also featured a cheque presentation and a Craft Talk by a new member.
On the evening of October 2nd, the Rotary Club of South Eastman proudly welcomed three new members at our Induction Dinner held at Grandpa's Cafe in Blumenort.
At our first meeting of the 2024-2025 year, South Eastman Rotarians came together to reconnect socially, and have some fun while welcoming (3) new and (1) returning members to our club.
Steinbach RCMP have issued warrants for a number of prominent local community leaders in this 3rd annual comical fundraising initiative of the Rotary Club of South Eastman.
On May 22, an RCMP sweep will take place to a special holding cell that will be set up in Clearspring Centre to bring these celebrity ‘offenders’ to justice.
Accused Local Celebrities include RCMP past Staff Sergeant Harold Laninga, "Santa" Thom Doerksen, Fire Chief Kel Toews, and many more! Watch our social media as we announce the hilarious crimes of our philanthropic perpetrators.
Donations raised will support Family Education and Recreation through two local charities, Steinbach Family Resource Centre, and Recreational Opportunities for Children (ROC) Eastman. Donations in support of this event will be directed to our charities via South Eastman Rotary Club. Donate at https://south-eastman-rotary.square.site/product/rotary-jailbreak/20
Click "read more" to see our list of Celebrity Criminals and view their Wanted Posters
South Eastman Rotary makes a difference at home and afar. We are a group of passionate community members giving back to local and international causes through service and fellowship.
South Eastman Rotary will once again be sponsoring TWO students to attend Rotary Youth Leadership summer camp, with all costs covered by our club. Youth are the future! Know a student interested in developing their leadership skills? Nominate them today, or share this form and they can self-nominate!
Thank you for joining South Eastman Rotary November 7th for our Annual Luncheon. Your contribution supports educational projects including the Drug Abuse Resistace Education (D.A.R.E.) Program, Rotary Youth Leadership Assembly (RYLA) and the Ripple Effect - building schools in Guatemala.
Rotarians under construction, donated and installed a new local Little Free Library at Steinbach Family Resource Centre. Partnered with the Centre, and stocked by ROC Eastman Book Fair. Stop by this community literacy corner to find your next read!
2023 Matching Grants from South Eastman Rotary and Rotary District 5550 were presented in support of the Mennonite Heritage Village Summer Education Programming.
Robert Goertzen, Program Manager thanks the Club and supporters. "74 kids attended during our 5 weeks of day camp, as well as many school and daycare field trips throughout spring and summer."
"Funds presented will be used for supplies, snacks, wagon rides and interpretive costs for activities like blacksmithing, rope making, and butter churning.
Your donation allows us to offer an experiential 5 day camp experience for children of local families, while keeping registration fees as low as possible."
South Eastman Rotary Club sponsors 2 emerging youth leaders each year to attend a District-wide Leadership Camp in August. Congratulations to our 2 sponsored students in 2023.
South Eastman Rotary supports education around the world through the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Program, and The Ripple Effect - Building Schools in Guatemala.
This year's keynote speaker, Dorota Blumczyńska, CEO of The Manitoba Museum, shared her powerful story of hope for overcoming adversity. Thank you to our sponsors and classroom supporters. More information at rotarysoutheast@gmail.com
Photo: David Klassen (SAC), Jo-Anne Dalton (Rotary), Dennis Schroeder (Rotary
Art develops critical life skills like work ethic, critical thinking, collaboration and confidence. The Steinbach Arts Council provides free after school arts programs for youth grades 5-12, along with art classes, theatre/dance/music classes, language and culinary classes, and physical wellness programming. South Eastman Rotary members, alongside SAC leadership believe that experiences in the arts build a person’s ability to acknowledge and understand emotional and psychological experiences, building empathy and understanding, and contributing to the overall mental wellness of those who engage in artistic experiences at the Steinbach Arts Council.
South Eastman raised $41,000 for two important charities with their first Jailbreak event. On May 12, Steinbach RCMP issued warrants for a number of prominent local community leaders in this comical fundraising initiative of the Rotary Club of South Eastman. Offenders were held in a special holding cell at Clearspring Centre until they could raise their bail. The Honourable Judge Klassen presided over this fundraising event, and our celebrity offenders have been pardoned on bail collected. Last week, over $40,000 was presented to the two recipient charities.
In July, South Eastman Rotary shared a lunch meeting virtually as we reflected on the year and heard from students involved in the D.A.R.E. Program. As we look ahead, we welcome three new members into our club for the upcoming year. Welcome to Shannon Gerbrandt, Krista Schellenberg, and George Penner. We are thrilled to have you on board!
We also recognize all the efforts of Co-Presidents Leonard Klassen and Dennis Schroeder for their inspiring leadership in a year of challenges, growth, and changes.
It is a good time to be a part of Rotary. Our virtual abilities learned this past year have inspired new and current members through engaging presentations, and our club has seen growth in international projects while sustaining our local commitments.
Rotary membership is about making a personal choice to make an impact on the world.
South Eastman Rotary welcomes newest member Sandra Loeppky to the club. We are thrilled to have had the pleasure of getting to know Sandy and look forward to her personal and professional contributions to all we are doing in the Southeast. Welcome, Sandy!
For information on becoming a member, or to join us for lunch contact rotarysoutheast@gmail.com
On October 17th, the Southeast came together for lunch in support of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program. In partnership with the Hanover School Division, the RCMP, and our sponsors, we heard from students firsthand on the impact of this program, as well as from keynote Addictions Counsellor and TEDx Winnipeg speaker Aleethia Mackay on how we can support our youth to say NO to drugs.
Thank you to all of you who were able to attend the event, and for your ongoing support of this critical program. Together, our community will continue to provide the necessary materials and supplies to keep the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program running for the 2019-2020 school year.
Rob Toews of Lakeview Insurance Steinbach is the oldest of three brothers who grew up in Steinbach. With three boys in the house, he still remembers being banned from watching the A Team and Dukes of Hazzard because of the ensuing chaos him and his brothers were inspired to cause after watching the action. Rob was highly active in sports as a child, playing hockey in the winters and baseball in the summers. He fondly recalls......
Twenty Pot Pies will be distributed to local families thanks to the efforts of South Eastman Rotary.
South Eastman Rotarians gathered as a group on Wednesday February 20th in a non-traditional activity and embodied their commitment to Service Above Self. As outlined in the official AVENUES OF SERVICE...
South Eastman Rotary heard from Executive Director of Red Rock Bible Camp Chris Marchand at their first meeting of 2019. Chris' experience in the social justice system as a young offender took him down a dangerous path. Today he is grateful for the influence of non-traditional Christians, and has dedicated his work life to helping provide youth of Manitoba with the social assets they need to avoid a life of addiction and crime.
Thank you to Carolyn Peters, President and CEO of Silver Lining Care for joining us in October to share her passion for her community and the people in it. Carolyn founded Silver Lining Care in 2015, creating a cohesive caring team to support families. Her values of faith, family and service have created a team of caregivers whose primary purpose is connection with the people they serve. Congratulations to Silver Lining Care for winning the 2018 Medium Business Award at the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce Annual Genereal Meeting this past summer.
The Canadian Red Cross' personal disaster recovery team offers 72 hour emergency assistance in the event of a personal disaster such as a house fire. Thanks to Bob Chochinov for his presentation to our club on November 21st.
The Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program is funded entirely by private contributions through the fundraising efforts of South Eastman Rotary Club. Our annual fundraiser will ensure this essential education program continues to reach classrooms across the Southeast region and develop the resilience of our youth in making safe decisions in the face of peer pressure and bullying.
$300 will sponsor one classroom for the 2018-2019 school year. All amounts are gratefully accepted. Please mail your contribution to:
When a natural disaster strikes, a country is facing devastation due to political unrest or an event has happened that has left a population without shelter they are some of the first to respond.
Steinbach Chamber of Commerce President Kent Ledingham attended a recent Rotary meeting to explain the Chamber's history and role in our community.
The mission of the local Chamber of Commerce is to unite and represent Steinbach and area businesses in the belief that the resulting economic growth and stability provides an enhanced quality of life for residents here. That's according to Kent Ledingham, who took time out of his busy schedule to talk to Rotarians recently.
Ledingham informed South Eastman Rotary members about the different committees of the chamber and how they work together to provide the business community with a way to connect with each other and the community, educate employees and employers and advocate for a business community locally, provincially and federally.
Another highlight of the luncheon was the answer to the question ''Why does someone join the chamber?'' Ledingham explains it's different for everyone but key reasons include member to member programs, networking opportunities and community involvement and support.
Thank You Kent! Rotarians look forward to working more with the Chamber in the near future and years to come.
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