Steinbach Raises $41K One Cookie at a Time for Youth

When Steinbach residents got hungry for cookies last week, they ended up feeding hope to hundreds of local teenagers.

Youth for Christ Steinbach raised just under $41,000 through the annual Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign. That total represents 20,500 cookies decorated, sold, and devoured by community members eager to support local youth programs.

Executive director Rueben Singh personally decorated close to 2,000 of those cookies. He's developed a production line system over three years of participating in the fundraiser: all the mouths first, then all the eyes, and keep that icing warm or the smiles get wonky.

Volunteers proved essential to the campaign's success. While they decorated cookies in the back, Tim Hortons staff kept selling them up front, maximizing every hour of the busy week.

"The Tim Hortons team just really knows what they're doing and makes it easy to plug and play," Singh says. He credits their positive energy for making the hectic week enjoyable for everyone involved.

Youth for Christ operates drop-in centers in Steinbach and Blumenort, serving teens aged 12 to 19. The organization provides safe spaces where young people can hang out, build friendships, and just be kids without pressure to grow up too fast.

The programs include summer lunch clubs and after-school activities for middle schoolers. As a nonprofit, every dollar raised keeps the lights on, staff employed, and doors open for teens who need a safe place to land.

The Ripple Effect

Those 20,500 cookies represent more than sugar and frosting. Each purchase signals to a young person that their community sees them, values them, and wants to invest in their future.

The funds will maintain current programming while creating room for growth. Singh notes that building relationships with youth takes people, and people need support to show up consistently for teens who need them most.

The campaign also strengthened bonds between Tim Hortons staff, volunteers, and customers who shared excitement about supporting youth. "We just live in a great region and a great community," Singh says, grateful for a place where people rally around organizations making a difference.

Steinbach proved that small towns can create big impact when everyone pitches in.