The Mennonite Central Committee awarded their first ever local grants on Friday afternoon. Five organizations from Steinbach were handed cheque's in the MCC thrift store downtown Steinbach.
Among the recipients was South East Helping Hands Director Hank Klassen. He says this couldn't have come at a better time.

"Well, I don't know what it is, but whatever it is will help the cause. Because we are kind of sucking a bit on the funding for our hampers. We hadn't anticipated that amount of hampers going out, we have to find the money somewhere and this will help".

Today House, fairly new to the community, also received a grant. Chair Simone Penner says the acknowledgement is especially encouraging.

"Well it means there is more encouragement. And it means that with being a new organization when someone congratulates us or gives us a donation or encourages us, we have taken the right step to open this homeless shelter".

Anna's House Executive Director Vicki Olatundun says this grant will go a long way.

"It means a whole new world for us. I have to say its going to help us with programming, it's going to help us make changes and improve things and improve services for the clientele and the children who come. So for us its an exciting, exciting opportunity - for us what it is is an opportunity, to make change and to make a difference. So I'm really, really grateful".

Soups on and The Eden Foundation's Segue Program also received a grant.