1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: Steinbach churches tackle trash

MAY 11, 2023—More than 1,100 volunteers fanned out around Steinbach on a Saturday morning with the goal of cleaning up garbage on streets, boulevards and ditches within city limits.

The annual event attracted 1,143 volunteers and collected close to 13 tonnes of garbage, beating out the 2022 total of 12 1/2 tonnes.

Southland Church Pastor Martin Gunter, who was one of the event organizers, said the city told them the amount of garbage collected was significant, because the year before it was wet garbage from intense spring rains, while in 2023 the trash picked up was largely dry.

Gunter described the event, which also included a lunch for all volunteers, as “fantastic”.

While this event at one time attracted in excess of 2,000 people, the numbers were still very positive, with 19 churches and several community groups participating.

While churches often have different views, this was one example where they could be unified, Gunter said.

“It’s incredible to walk around and speak to people from other churches, including some pastors. It was incredible to see … we’re all here to be the hands and feet of Jesus.”

Gunter described the lunch afterward as a great time of fellowship.

While this was the first time Gunter and fellow organizer Mallory Dyck took the reins for the event, he’s no stranger to it, having picked up trash himself for close to 15 years.

He said he was excited to take part in this way.

“We want to give something back to the community in a very tangible way and this is the way that the churches can come together and do this.”

Gunter said people don’t always see the work churches do in the community, thinking they are there to only think of themselves.

“They don’t see the tangible ways that churches, in so many ways, reach out to the community and this is just more of a visible one.”