As we enjoy this lovely weather and celebrate Canada Day, I think about all the BBQs and potluck gatherings we’ll have. There are so many good times ahead for us! Please join in this year’s I love Canada Contest and win a semi-fabulous prize for the most correct answers.
Whether you’re enjoying the beach, going kayaking, biking or going birding through Point Pelee National Park, I pray the
Lord blesses you with good rest and relaxation this summer!
Safety reminder:
Summer means it’s sandals season! Please remember close toed sandals and shoes are still required (no flip flops please) in the back of the shop and on the retail floor.
Did you know?
We have a new AED machine located behind cash in the Staff room. May we never need to use it.
Thanks again for all you do and your faithful service year after year.
Happy Summer everyone!
PennyHanslien
General Manager
MCC Thrift on Mill
Connect your Church to MCC
Does your church know about MCC? If not, would you like to see your church engage with MCC? If the answer is yes, consider introducing Stephen Roy to your pastor or another church leader. This could be the first step in starting a conversation about introducing MCC to your church and exploring ways to get involved. If this opportunity interests you, please get in touch with Stephen Roy, Church and Community Relations Associate, at stephenroy@mcco.ca or 226-978-6124.
Welcome, New Volunteers & Canada Summer Jobs Associates!
God keeps growing this family! Please give a warm welcome to our newest volunteers & ToM family:
• Jawade –bubbly and eager to help.
• Sakina– Young, eager, and lending helpful hands with Nancy in clothing.
• Margaret Boldt- A heart for helping and amazing at organizing.
• Louise Wiper- amiable and outgoing.
• Jerick (CSJ Associate)-friendly and flexible.
• Milan (CSJ Associate)- multilingual and kind.
Let us make them feel at home as they step into service!
Mid-Year Encouragement: Faith on Fire
Halfway through the year and look what God has already done! You are benefitting your community and the world by promoting Raw Carrot sales, asking customers to round up their change, and praying for your friends, every hour you have served has planted seeds of change. Keep shining.
Around the Shop
Mill Street Market hippie vibes
Colleen in Cuba
Mill Street Market fun
Mill Street Market
CSJ Associate Milan
CSJ Jerick
Our Colourful Summer Feature
BIRTHDAYS
Stay Connected
Have a testimony to share?
Know someone who deserves a shout-out?
Need to know about upcoming events?
Contact litunjiaolubusi@mcco.ca or put your messages in the suggestion box before the 17th of each month to see your questions answered in the upcoming newsletter!
Open Volunteer Positions
Do you have a heart for help and 2 hours to spare? Volunteer with us! Email litunjiaolubusi@mcco.ca!
• Sales Floor Helper – Love people and bargains? Help customers find hidden treasures!
• Donation Sorter – Be the first to discover donated gems behind the scenes!
• Cashier – Ring up joy and send shoppers off with a smile!
• All-Around Helper – Jump in where needed and keep the shop running smoothly!
• Change Room Attendant – Keep things moving with tidy rooms, friendly vibes, and fashion advice on the fly!
Weather Advisory
July is statistically the hottest month of the year, so please cool off, whenever needful and drink at least 2oz of water after coffee breaks! We want you healthy and safe. You can find filtered water in the cooler and fridge conveniently located in the breakroom.
Monthly Potluck
Let us break bread together! July’s Volunteer Potluck will be July 31, 2025, 10am-6pm in the breakroom. Bring a snack to share and your beautiful smile. RSVP by Sunday July 28, 2025.
Building Tomorrow Our Strategic Plan 2025-2030
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 firsthand 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!
A Strawberry Thanksgiving to Remember
Your work in MCC’s thrift shops is supporting the important work of building relationships with and walking alongside Indigenous communities on the path of truth and reconciliation.
On June 14, more than 170 people gathered at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate in Kitchener to take part in an event co-hosted by MCC that blended learning, relationship-building and celebration: the fourth Strawberry Thanksgiving & Communion. The day was led by Adrian Jacobs, Ganosono of the Turtle Clan, Cayuga Nation and Senior Leader for Indigenous Justice and Reconciliation with the Christian Reformed Church in North America.
For nearly two decades, Adrian has invited churches to reflect deeply on land, relationship and reconciliation. Through the “Spiritual Covenant,”— an idea he received from his elder Rick Hill at Six Nations — Adrian encourages nonIndigenous Christians to work toward tangible land justice. The Spiritual Covenant has three parts: to acknowledgement First Nations jurisdiction over their land, to pay annual token lease payments to First Nations, and a pledge that if the church ever closed, that the land would revert back to First Nations. Saturday’s event brought those teachings to life. Participants from many denominations and closing ceremony dance.
organizations including Mennonite, Christian Reformed, United, Lutheran churches sat side by side to listen, share, and take part in learning and ceremony that honoured both Indigenous and Christian traditions. This included the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address, which is a prayer of gratitude to Creator for all that he provides us; and a communion service with strawberry juice to represent the union with Christ.
Representatives from Southridge Community Church, Meadowlands Christian Reformed Church, Nations Uniting, Waterloo North Mennonite Church, and Stirling Avenue Mennonite Church shared about their journey toward the Spiritual Covenant. With the support of a multidenominational planning team and the partnership of Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, the event brought together generations to learn, reflect and act. In the spirit of the Strawberry Thanksgiving, the day was a heartfelt expression of thanksgiving to the Creator—and a step forward on the path of reconciliation.
To learn more of Adrian’s story and the Spiritual Covenant, listen to MCC’s Undercurrent’s podcast at mcc.org/undercurrents
Undercurrents Episode
In last month’s newsletter, you read a short version of Justin’s powerful story - now listen to the full story in his own voice in the new Undercurrents podcast! You’ll also hear the voice of Esther, a young woman from the DR Congo who shares her greatest hope with us.
