“Most people don’t realize how much he was actually involved in.”
All are welcome to join South East Helping Hands at a Retirement Party hosted in honor of board chairman Hank Klassen!
After 44 years of ensuring that families in the Southeast have food to put on the table, Hank Klassen of South East Helping Hands officially retired on December 31st, 2024. Months since his departure, his absence at the organization is still bittersweet, but the gratitude for such an amazing person remains.
“I’ve been with him for 27, 28 years already- that’s just in this organization,” says Operations Manager Ken Dyck. “I was with him with the Lions Club, too- he was my mentor. His thing was to get you involved with the organization and right away put you to work. He said if you don’t put a person to work, they’ll get bored, and lose interest, and they’re gone. So here’s me, many years later, still very involved.”
Dyck notes that there are mixed feelings about Hank’s retirement at his workplace, including a personal desire to ensure that Klassen’s hard work is honored and continued.
“I’m sure it’s hard for him, too- it’s hard for anybody that retires from something that they’re passionate about.”
Over the decades, Hank Klassen spearheaded a variety of projects, many branching out from the Steinbach food bank. 100% donation-based, South East Helping Hands has been working throughout southeastern Manitoba since 1980. Hampers are distributed biweekly in Steinbach, and the non-profit also works alongside the Piney, Sprague, Niverville, and Grunthal food banks, Soup’s On in Steinbach, and the Steinbach Family Resource Centre… to name a few.
With the food bank since day one, Klassen was instrumental in planning, distribution, receiving donations, and especially in the realization of the new building at 525 Main Street, Steinbach. Dyck admits that, while he’s known and worked with the new retiree for many decades, he’s still regularly uncovering exactly just how many community-centric pies Klassen had his fingers in.
“I’ve learned about a lot of them over the years. Most of it, I’d say. But I’m still learning about new things,” Dyck shares in reference to Klassen’s many projects.
Well-known by young and old alike across the area, Hank spent the last 40+ years networking, learning about local needs, and encouraging people to support causes they believed in.
“If we needed money, Hank was going to make sure we got it,” Dyck laughs. “He had connections all over, and he built relationships that he’ll always have.”
Hank also received the Governor General’s Sovereign Medal for Volunteers back in 2014, acknowledging his exceptional volunteer work.
“We have other people and organizations that have been there for a long time, and yes, they should be celebrated for doing all the work that they’ve done,” Dyck states. “We should celebrate Hank. Throwing a party is the least we could do.”
Hank Klassen’s Retirement Party happens Tuesday, April 22nd from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Steinbach’s Pat Porter Active Living Centre. The evening will include a ceremony at 7:30 PM, appetizers, a cash bar, music by Island Breeze, and plenty of opportunities to chat, reminisce, and honor Hank. All are welcome to come and go as they please.
“I hope I make him proud by carrying on with his work.”
For more information about how South East Helping Hands is making a difference in your community and beyond, visit their website.