As Thanksgiving comes to a close, many in the community are grateful for South East Helping Hands, and the organization is just as thankful for the community’s generosity in return. Executive Director and Operations Manager Ken Dyck says the response from local residents and organizations has been incredible. Recent events such as Cram the Cruiser, the Youth Fall Food Drive, the Steinbach Pistons’ Thanksgiving Fall Food Drive, and the Fall Food Drive presented by Steinbach Toyota helped stock the food bank’s shelves. Together, these efforts collected approximately 27,000 pounds of nonperishable food. “It was fantastic,” says Dyck. “Every time we ask for stuff, it shows up. We get lots of it. This year, I think we're about the same as last year, maybe even higher.” @steinbach_online Tour South East Helping Hands with us after all of the community #FallFoodDrives ♬ Vittra - Kasbo While the donations are significant, Dyck notes that many items go quickly. “A lot of people would think, ‘Oh, you're good for the year.’ No, we're not.” South East Helping Hands feeds between 325 and 400 families every two weeks, meaning the need for donations remains high year-round. Dyck reminds residents that donations can still be made at several local drop-off points. “Sobey’s has a bin, Superstore has a bin, Giant Tiger has a bin. We have one, but please only bring it when the blue bin is outside, because we're not always here all the time. So, if it's cold or too hot, it's not good for food.” He says the team is incredibly grateful for every contribution. “Just a great thank you and keep up the good work. Without you guys, we wouldn't be here.” Although the Fall Food Drives have wrapped up, SEHH is already shifting focus to what comes next. “Now we've got Community Christmas, and then once that's over, we bring it back to the way we have it set up, and we start the year all over.” Looking ahead, Dyck says exciting community events are already being planned. “We’re going to come up with ‘Burn the Mortgage.’ We’re very close. We’d love to clean it up [at the] beginning of spring. Then we've also got our second annual golf tournament coming August 14. And then there will probably be a few things in between that we're not sure about yet.”