As we continue to enjoy summer, we’re grateful for all the energy, generosity, and kindness that continues to fill our shop. Whether it’s through volunteering, shopping, donating, or simply sharing a kind word, your presence makes a difference every single day.
I encourage you to take a moment, slow down and reflect on all the blessings we have been given. In this
month’s newsletter, we’re sharing stories that inspire, updates from the shop, and a few reminders that help keep things running smoothly.
Thank you for being part of our journey!
Kent Buhrke
General Manager
MCC Thrift on Kent
Save the date for our next BBQ!
Come join us for our end-of-the-summer barbeque! Even if you aren’t scheduled to volunteer on Thursday, you are welcome to join us.
Who: volunteers and staff
When: August 21 from noon to 1 pm
What:
• Food – meat, vegetarian and halal; gluten free
• Musicians - please bring your instruments
• Outdoor games
• Time to spend together and celebrate summer!
If you would like to help set up, please contact Giselle.
Canada Day Winners!
Thanks to all of you who participated in the Canada Day Word Jumble. The winners are:
• Ananda (Thursdays – clothes)
• Sharon (Wed – linens)
• Violeta (W/Th/S – retail fashion)
Welcome!
Welcome to all our new volunteers! We are thankful for your willingness to help with our mission here at MCC TOK! I have listed them by the shift when they volunteer, so that you can make note of who is new when you are in and can make a point to welcome them! We are happy to welcome some high school students this summer, including some who have been volunteering in the evenings and are joining us during the day as well in the summer! (Summer students are highlighted in blue.)
Caroline–fashion
Brody – retail store
Mia – retail fashion
Simon –receiving
Rose - clothes
Dawn –clothes
Jeevn –hardware
Daniel & Lucya– retail store
Cohenreceiving
Caroline–fashion
Alec – toys
Sydney –receiving
Riley –seasonal
Alec & Leofurniture
Wail - sports
Mia – retail fashion
Caroline–fashion
Simonreceiving
Violeta – retail fashion
Russellhardware
Rose - cashier
Brody – retail store
Sydney – retail fashion
Fatima – retail fashion
Violeta – retail fashion
Yohana –cashier
Wail - sports
Simonreceiving
Brody – retail store
Aiden & Leofurniture
Nicole & Krystal – retail store
Misha – toys
Jordie – toys
Veronica – retail fashion
Jeevnhardware
Simon –receiving
Luis – electric
Gentle - electric
Fatima – retail fashion
Simon –receiving
Aidenfurniture
Violeta – retail fashion
Aiden & Cohen – receiving
Russellhardware
Have you met Jane?
Jane is one of our new Community Outreach and Safety Associates. After Stephen left, it was determined that we would have a full-time and a part-time person in this role to cover more of the hours we are open. Stay tuned for our other staff who will be starting soon.
Jane has worked at the House of Friendship as a shelter care support worker. She has first-hand training on how to de-escalate, is traumainformed, has violence and harassment training and anti-racism training… these all equip her to be a great fit for this role.
She is passionate about meeting different people with their different stories, as it helps her to check her patience level as she really gets to know people and not judge them. She gets to hear their stories and some she can relate to and some she asks, “how can I help?”
She loves long road trips and trying new restaurants – Asian is her favourite. She has driven to Kingston and wants to go to Sudbury next. She is hoping for a weekend getaway soon. Her dad is her hero because he is a very resilient person. He really did not look at class, he could mingle with the high and mighty or mingle with the lowly and never let anyone talk down to him. He would speak his truth anywhere.
Join us in making her feel welcome as she adjusts to this new role!
This workshop helps you learn simple ways to speak up or take action when you see something harmful happening. You’ll get tools to feel more confident in everyday situations. MCC Ontario volunteers are not expected to step into unsafe situations—always talk to staff if something serious happens. This training is about helping you feel ready and supported. Contact Holly McClement, hollymcclement@mcco.ca, if you are interested in registering for and participating in the next workshop on Wednesday, Sept. 10th, from 9:30 am-12pm ONLINE.
Prayer Bulletin Board
We are a large and diverse community, and as with any community we have members who love to pray for other people, and we have many people who would appreciate prayers. We have created a prayer board outside Giselle’s office, because as a faith-based organization we want to provide a space for people to communicate their prayer requests, and for others to be able to pray for them.
We invite any of you to post prayer requests, praise and answered prayers! If you are someone who loves to pray for people, we invite you to come by and see what requests there are and intercede on their behalf. If you have circumstances in your life that you would like prayer for or are thankful for, please feel free to write it on a cue card and add it to the bulletin board. A few things to keep in mind:
• You can be as specific or as vague as you want.
• We ask that you respect the confidentiality of the people you are asking for prayer for.
• Please put a date on it, and we will clear requests every few weeks.
We ask that this not become a source of gossip but be treated with the respect and confidentiality that is appropriate.
Survey says: You want to mentor new volunteers
In May, many of you responded to the survey regarding your experience as a volunteer. One question asked about interest in mentoring new volunteers, and 42% of respondents are interested. We would love to meet with you to figure out how to get a mentor program up and running. Please come to a meeting on Tuesday Aug 12 at 1:30 in the Community Room upstairs.
Unique Donations of the month
If you come across a note-worthy donation, please feel free to take a pic and email it to Giselle for next month!
Circle of Friends Celebrates 25 Years
Circle of Friends celebrated 25 years of relationships and community-building with a gathering of old and new friends and volunteers. It started in the year 2000 with a simple observation of the profound loneliness of folks coming off the streets into secure housing. Margaret Nally, one of the key people who helped to envision and establish Circle of Friends, recalls the testimony of a woman who used to live at Mary’s Place, a shelter of the YWCA. “She said, ‘I never had a door to close to protect myself at the shelter or on the street... but once I got an apartment and that door closed, I broke down in tears.’” Circle of Friends was created to fill that void of loneliness.
Circle of Friends is made up of a small group of
volunteers and a staff member who meet weekly over coffee or card games with monthly activities with other circles. It’s a time of community-building, relationship-growing and just plain fun.
The anniversary event featured trivia, food and drinks, a few words from MCC executive director Michelle Brenneman (who worked with Circle of Friends in the early days!) and reflections from participants and volunteers. Tex, a Circle of Friends participant, shared these words: “Circle of Friends helped me to not only make friends, but to grow as a person, too.”
MCC Ontario Peace Conference
November 1, 2025 at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate in Kitchener
The MCC Peace Conference is your chance to learn the art of everyday peace and experience first-hand how you and MCC are changing lives and communities through peacebuilding. This event will inspire and inform through general sessions and conversations with messengers of peace. Save the date (November 1) and stay tuned for more details!
