As we step into June, there’s a fresh sense of energy in the air—and it’s not just the warmer weather. Summer brings with it new opportunities to connect with our community, deliver great experiences, and build on the momentum we’ve created together. This season is all about engagement—simply creating memorable moments for every guest who walks through our doors. I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued dedication and enthusiasm. It’s your efforts that keep our team strong and our customers coming back.
We’re also heading into a season of growth. With continued new products, exciting in-store experiences, and a focus on service excellence, now is the time to shine. Let’s keep communication open, creativity flowing, and continue supporting one another in the day-to-day wins that drive long-term success.
Here’s to a strong June and a summer full of progress, positivity, and shared achievements.
Debbie Siertsema General Manager MCC Thrift & Gift
New arrivals at the MCC Thrift & Gift for the Summer
Our staffing levels continue to shift and change over time. Our team structure changed in April with Betty’s retirement and Greg’s departure, after years of stability. While we miss their presence it has given us an opportunity for change. Jennifer has replaced Betty as Team Member, Retail Focus, ensuring our retail floor remains well supported.
The Volunteer Engagement role will not be immediately filled. Other shops are testing this role before we add this role back to our team. In the meantime, we are lucky to have Holly McClement, Volunteer Services Manager, to help us out. Holly oversees the volunteer services for MCC Ontario in Thrift and in the other Ontario Programs. She will join us twice a week until mid-October. Holly will be learning Thrift and assisting us in re-learning volunteer processes.
Peter Koke will return to a Warehouse/Receiver contract for the summer. His work tasks and responsibilities will be expanded, as they have been each year. Peter begins June 1 and we look forward to welcoming him back.
On June 23, we will be welcoming another Canada Summer Jobs student. This individual will focus on our Warehouse/Receiving area. The selection process is still underway, and the chosen candidate will be introduced shortly.
Both Peter and the Canada Summer Jobs student will remain until the end of the summer. It will be exciting to get to know all these associates much better over the summer.
Three Generations; One Family’s Legacy of Service with MCC
In the heart of our community, one family is weaving a beautiful story of faith, compassion, and service — a story that spans three generations and reflects the core values of the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).
Meet the Lichti/Kamari
Family: Viola, Jennifer & Isabella
Three generations, one local mission — united by a deep commitment
to MCC and a shared focus on peacebuilding. The Lichti/Kamari family has walked faithfully alongside MCC for many years, living out its mission to share God’s love and compassion for all.
Viola began volunteering with MCC in 2017, and as of May 15, has contributed an incredible 2,563 hours of
service. Week after week—often two or even three times—Viola has faithfully supported our shoppers at the cash desk, offering them both efficiency and warmth. Her dedication, wisdom, and guidance have been a consistent gift to our team and community.
Continuing the tradition, Viola’s daughter Jennifer joined our team after returning from service in Rwanda. She initially volunteered in the same cashier role before officially becoming part of the staff in April. Jennifer’s faith is a core part of her journey and deeply informs her passion for MCC’s work.
The newest volunteer in this inspiring family is 17-yearold Isabella. Over the past several weeks, she has stepped into a cashier role on Thursday evenings. We are grateful that, after a brief pause, she is open to returning on an on-call basis.
This family’s story is a powerful reminder of the lasting impact of service passed from generation to generation — a legacy of love, faith, and commitment that continues to ripple outward in beautiful and meaningful ways.
New arrivals at the MCC Thrift & Gift for the Summer
Some souvenirs are postcards. Others are keychains. But others? A golden bikini!
What started as a playful vacation accessory quickly turned into the stuff of legends. The pair of golden bikinis made its debut at the MCC Thrift shop on a Tuesday morning and throughout its time at the shop caused many giggles and much laughter until one day they were sold. Sold to two friends who wanted to take them on vacation – for a sunny trip, meant they were meant purely for fun and laughs.
Friends, fellow travelers, and curious bystanders all left their mark — quite literally — by signing it. Each name shares a memory, each scribble is a snapshot in time. Now, this sparkling piece of swimwear is more than just a garment; it’s a golden time capsule of a time filled with shared laughter and sun-soaked adventures.
A Voice for the Voiceless: Justin’s Journey from DRC to Canada
Your work in volunteering at MCC’s thrift shop allows MCC to support refugees and their sponsors who are generously choosing welcome to support refugees resettling in Canada.
Justin Zihindula is one of those people. Justin has not only sponsored folks to resettle in Canada, but he himself was a refugee once and carries the weight of decades of war, displacement and survival. A nurse practitioner from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Justin fled his homeland in 2003 when the conflict that began with the fall of President Mobutu in 1997 turned into a prolonged humanitarian crisis.
“The entire country was invaded… people were killed… the displacement is unspeakable,” Justin says. According to reports, over 6 million people have been killed in the conflict since 1997.
He lived in Uganda for six years, witnessing thousands of Congolese trapped in refugee camps without basic needs. He eventually resettled in Canada in 2009 with his wife, children and niece. Determined to help others, he sponsored additional family members and, more recently, a young woman and her children whose lives were threatened after she resisted a job offer from an illegal organ trafficking operation.
continues to advocate for those still waiting for safety. “There are very many Congolese currently in Uganda who have been there for over 10, 20 years… They have no clean water, they have no food, they have nothing.”
The ongoing crisis in eastern DRC has reached a new level of urgency. In January 2025, the rebel group M23 escalated violence in Goma, displacing hundreds of thousands. “My family members had to run for their lives,” Justin says. “Children saw corpses lying in the streets. It’s horrifying.”
Through it all, Justin remains deeply grateful:
Bahati Kamara Chance, receives food from MCC partner ECC MERU during the distribution to war-displaced people at the Poste camp in Minova, South Kivu, DRC. She received corn flour, salt, and beans. MCC has been working in DRC since 1960.
“Thank you to MCC for the tremendous work they have invested in… helping many refugees who are stuck and who have no voice. I pray that MCC continues to connect with new sponsors—people with the heart to help. We need them.”
Despite the trauma, Justin has not turned away from the needs of his people. He returned to DRC in 2020 to assess the impact of displacement and famine and
With more than 8 million people displaced inside DRC and over 1 million seeking refuge abroad, MCC’s commitment to peace, advocacy and sponsorship offers a lifeline of hope. In addition to supporting refugee sponsorship here in Ontario, MCC is also responding to the humanitarian crisis in DRC with hygiene kits, cash distribution, and long-term livelihood trainings and development projects for those affected by the violence.
