As I look out at the snow-covered cityscape, I am reminded that even though everything may look still and a little desolate, there is life underneath all that snow. The days are getting longer so we are getting more hours of sunlight now. I am thankful that spring is right around the corner! It’s important to practise thankfulness. Indeed, researchers found that having an attitude of gratitude can improve your quality of life and length of years.
The power of gratitude: Being more thankful can extend your life, by Chris Melore based on the research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Credit: Helpguide. org)
A positive outlook and volunteerism are also linked to greater satisfaction and a communal sense of purpose.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead (I first saw this quotation at the Human Rights Museum in Winnipeg. If you’ve never been to it, I highly recommend it! :) )
“Volunteering can help you make friends, learn new skills, advance your career, and even feel happier and healthier.” by Jeanne Segal, Ph.D. and Lawrence Robinson on Helpguide.org. Helping others boosts your mood too!
Research shows that volunteering reduces feelings of isolation and loneliness and your risk of depression. Doing good can make you feel good. Experts say volunteering improves mental health by reducing stress, lowering anxiety and increasing feelings of purpose, accomplishment, and happiness. (Courtesy: Volunteering and health benefits in general adults: Cumulative effects and forms - PMC)
I hope you all feel the love and gratitude we expressed to you throughout Volunteer Appreciation week. We truly couldn’t do this work without you, but with you, it’s a whole lotta fun and we’re helping a whole lotta people. Blessings to all for a happy and plentiful March!
Edgar K. (and grandson—not pictured), for sanding and refinishing our processing tables, thank you!
Shop News
Lowest the clothing cage has ever been
Abe and Jacob standing in the clothing cage (Courtesy: Nancy Dick)
Kyle reached out to the other shops to see if they had any donations to share with us but no such luck. We need donations. Spread the word, please. Next year we plan on doing clothing drives at three high schools in January to offset this lag.
Thank you for your suggestions surrounding Peavey Mart. I have moved them forward.
Thanks also for updating your personal contact and emergency contact information and for filling out our annual volunteer survey. We do this once or twice a year just to make sure we have the most up-to-date information (in case of emergency) and to make us the best we can be. Anyone who has not already done so please send that ASAP to thriftonmill@mcco.ca. We love your suggestions.
We are in the midst of a volunteer recruitment campaign, so shoulder-tap anyone at your church to come be a part of something so much bigger than ourselves! New!
Speaker’s Corner
Can you strike up a conversation with just about anyone? Are you a naturally curious individual? We are looking for four changeroom attendants—see
Penny or Jennifer if you would like to help us get to know our customers better as a changeroom attendant.
Also: We need Receivers on Saturday mornings and afternoons. Let Ken know.
Quilts! Quilts! Quilts!
Huge thank you to Rachel, her granddaughter and hubby of LUMC once again for creating these beautiful comforts. Thank you also to Kyle Bartsch and Alecia Webber (Material Resources New Hamburg) for helping transport more than 80 quilts this past February!
“I want to thank you and the staff for your kindness to the volunteers, offering pizza and snacks for break. A special thanks for making it special for Patrick by getting him a gluten-free one; Kyle was kind enough to get it. It was much appreciated. Thank you all again.”
Maureen
Edgar K.
John P.
BIRTHDAYS
John F.
Mohammad A.
Cheryl R.
Avery
Left to right: Melissa, Joanne, Rita, Anita, Peg, Char and Patty. Huge shoutout to Jennifer for making these exquisite desserts!
TOP: Penny, Rosemary, Kat, Joanne NEXT: Caitlin, Herb, Nancy Tracy and Michael Sharron report he is doing much better and thank you for your prayers!
Have you met Martha Wiens?
On February 3, Martha brought three very ornate quilts she’d made for the MCC New Hamburg comforter sale (end of May) to us at the Thrift on Mill. We coordinate the transport of quilts made by loving volunteers all over Leamington and Essex County. Every stitch holds care, attention and love.
Martha learned how to sew from her mother, who would make clothes for her sister and her after supper. She learned how to embroider when she was seven. She made her first quilt when she was 16 years old. She became a school teacher and planned to make quilts when she retired. She made her second quilt when she was 60!
A good friend of Ruth Owens, Martha has been making quilts ever since she retired. She also makes them for Gleaners and recalls loving going to the NH sale every year with her mother. “We would go up Friday night, stay in London, then get up early and spend all day at the sale in New Hamburg.” They would sample all kinds of food and spend all day there shopping and enjoying looking at all the items for sale.
she said at 87 years young.
“We were helped by MCC early in life. I just enjoy sewing,”
God bless you, Martha, for literally bringing comfort to those in need!
“I like playing with colours and such—designing and matching colours and fabrics.”
Anna and Agatha
Louise W.
Marg K.
Hope Starts at Home: Exciting Developments at the MCC Hub
The MCC Hub in New Hamburg is buzzing with activity as volunteers continue to make a lasting impact on vulnerable communities here in Ontario and around the world. On January 18, the MCC Hub was filled with excitement as over 700 people gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the new MCC Meat Cannery. This state-of-the-art facility will produce 50,000 cans of nutritious food annually for families facing crisis. The 10,000-square-foot facility marks a new chapter in MCC’s long-standing commitment to humanitarian aid.
Local officials, community members and volunteers joined the festivities, with Kitchener-Conestoga MP Tim Louis and Region of Waterloo Chair Karen Redman helping celebrate the milestone. “We’ve got the space, the logistical efficiencies, and when we
scale up, the impact will be huge,” said Jon Lebold, MCC’s Material Resources coordinator.
This facility will strengthen MCC’s ability to meet food needs in disaster zones and areas facing food insecurity. For example, in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi, MCC provides 11,520 cans of meat annually to families like that of Samuel Haki Innocent, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “We only eat meat when there is a distribution of canned meat,” Samuel shared, underscoring the significance of this new facility in meeting critical needs.
The event also featured tours of the facility, where visitors learned about the meat-canning process. They were invited to add messages of support to fabric squares that will be sewn into comforters, connecting this new chapter in MCC’s work with the comfort and care that volunteers create.
Just one week later, the MCC Hub was once again alive with the spirit of giving as 140 volunteers gathered for the Great Winter Warm-Up (GWW) on January 25. These volunteers knotted 30 comforters, working together to meet the goal of 7,000 comforters by March 31. The comforters will be sent to communities in need around the world, offering warmth and compassion.
“What a wonderful outpouring of community support,” said Michelle Brenneman, MCC Ontario’s executive director. The comforters are more than just blankets—they represent love, care and the power of community. As Leah Brown, MCC Ontario’s Material Resources program associate, said, “The more hands we have, the more comfort we can share.”
From the canning facility to the comforter frames, the MCC Hub continues to be a place where volunteers come together to make a difference. Whether you’re contributing to the meat-canning process or knotting comforters, there’s always room for more hands to join in these efforts of compassion and community.
