There is a particular kind of magic that happens in southeastern Manitoba when a church basement or a community hall fills with the smell of fried onions and boiled dough. It is the alchemy of perogies and farmer sausage, a meal that has sustained generations of families in this region, carried over from the Mennonite and Ukrainian kitchens of the Prairies. On Thursday, September 17, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m., that same comfort food will be served from a drive-thru at Rest Haven Care Home, 185 Woodhaven Avenue in Steinbach — not from a basement, but from the parking lot of a building that has anchored this community for decades.
The Perogy & Farmer Sausage Drive-Thru Fundraiser asks a minimum donation of $20 per meal, payable by cash or cheque at the time of pick-up. Orders are placed ahead of time by contacting Kim at [email protected] or calling 204-326-2206 ext. 7385. And for those who want a little piece of history with their supper, the organizers note that 80th Anniversary Cookbooks will also be on sale at the pick-up table. The cookbook is a fitting companion to the meal, because this fundraiser is about far more than a convenient supper. It's about celebrating a milestone and sustaining a mission.
That mission began in 1946, when the Evangelical Mennonite Conference — then known as the Kleingemeinde — made a decision that would shape senior care in Steinbach for generations. The conference purchased the Invalidenheim, an invalid home owned by Maria Vogt on Hanover Street, for $10,000. It was a modest beginning for what would become HavenGroup, a faith-based organization that today operates Rest Haven Care Home, Woodhaven Manor, Greenwood Meadows, Cedarwood Supportive Housing, and Parkview Apartments. What started as a small home for aging members of one Mennonite congregation has grown into a full-service seniors care provider serving families across southeastern Manitoba.
The numbers tell part of the story. Rest Haven Care Home itself was built in 1984 with 60 beds, and the organization has continued to expand alongside the community's needs. A 143-bed personal care home was later announced to be constructed next to the existing building and the 86-suite Woodhaven Manor, reflecting the province's recognition of the growing demand for seniors care in Steinbach and the surrounding region. But the soul of HavenGroup is not in the bed counts or the construction schedules. It is in the mission statement that guides everything: to provide resident-focused care in Christ-centred life-giving communities, in an environment of purpose, comfort, and hope.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of that 1946 decision, and the drive-thru fundraiser is, in many ways, a celebration of that legacy. The 80th Anniversary Cookbook is more than a collection of recipes; it is a testament to the people who have made Rest Haven a home for so many — the residents, the staff, the volunteers, and the families who have passed through its doors over the decades.
The choice of perogies and farmer sausage as the fundraising meal is no accident. This is comfort food with deep roots in the region. Steinbach was first settled in 1874 by Plautdietsch-speaking Mennonites from Ukraine, and their descendants brought with them a culinary tradition that has become inseparable from Prairie identity. Perogies — pillowy dumplings stuffed with potato, cheese, or sauerkraut — and farmer sausage, a smoked pork sausage seasoned with a distinctive blend of spices, are staples of church suppers, community fundraisers, and family gatherings across Manitoba. The meal evokes memories of grandmothers rolling dough at kitchen tables, of harvest season gatherings, and of the communal spirit that defines small-town life in this province.
For HavenGroup, the fundraiser serves a practical purpose as well. Proceeds support seniors in the Steinbach area, helping to fill gaps that government funding cannot always cover — enhancements to resident life, equipment, programming, and the kind of extras that turn a care facility into a true home. Those who give more than the $20 minimum can request a tax receipt, a small incentive for generosity that goes a long way.
The drive-thru format is a modern adaptation of an old tradition. Instead of gathering around tables in a church basement, supporters stay in their vehicles, roll down their windows, and receive a warm meal prepared by the HavenGroup community. It is accessible, efficient, and safe — a way to participate in community care without leaving the comfort of one's car. For seniors themselves, many of whom may no longer drive or cook, the drive-thru offers an easy way to support the organization that serves them, or to be served by it.
The event also speaks to a broader truth about Steinbach and the Mennonite communities of southeastern Manitoba: the importance of caring for elders is woven into the cultural fabric. The Kleingemeinde's 1946 decision to purchase a home for aging members was rooted in a biblical and communal ethic of hospitality — the belief that those who have spent a lifetime contributing to the community deserve to be honored and cared for in their final years. That ethic has not faded. It has evolved, adapted, and expanded, but it remains the beating heart of HavenGroup.
The perogy and farmer sausage drive-thru is a small event, lasting only 90 minutes on a single Thursday evening. But it is also a thread in a much larger tapestry — one that stretches back to a $10,000 purchase of a small invalid home on Hanover Street, and forward to the continued growth of seniors care in a community that refuses to forget its obligations to its oldest members. When the cars line up at Rest Haven Care Home on September 17, each one carrying a $20 donation and a hungry appetite, they will be participating in something more profound than a convenient meal. They will be honoring decades of care, one perogy at a time.
For anyone wishing to take part, orders must be placed in advance by contacting Kim at [email protected] or 204-326-2206 ext. 7385. Payment is by cash or cheque at pick-up, with a minimum donation of $20. And if you happen to pick up an 80th Anniversary Cookbook along with your meal, you'll be taking home a piece of Steinbach history that will last far longer than the supper.