I was invited to speak at a chapel service at Pleasant Manor Retirement Village in Niagara-on-the-Lake on a recent Thursday morning. I asked the group, “How many of you have donated or shopped at the Benefit Shop?” (as our Shop has colloquially been known over our 51-year history). Of the 40-50 people there, most raised their hands. Then I asked former “legacy” volunteers to share the tasks they had committed themselves during their tenure. Oh, the stories that our former volunteers can tell!
Marlies served in the book department. Annelies sorted clothes for over 40 years. Jake tested electronics. Liese served customers at cash. Someone reminded me that our Shop’s very first collection of donations had been stored in her dining room. Another said, “I still send money to MCC regularly.” Another told me, “I’m still volunteering … people give me their donations and I deliver them to the Shop.” What great passion and excitement for the work of MCC Thrift exuded from these residents! These folks have NOT forgotten the joy of volunteering. Their lives were better and richer because they gave, and continue to give, their heart to the work of the Shop.
These verses from the Bible provide an accurate description of these “legacy volunteers …”: “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream … It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jer. 17:7–14). The fruit of these volunteers continues to grow in you, our current volunteers.
This past month we also celebrated Trudy’s good work among us as she prepares for the “Retirement” chapter in her life. In an interview posted to our social media pages recently, Trudy made the parting comment that echoes the above thoughts: “I want to live full and die empty.” Our hope is that the work you commit to during your shifts at MCC Thrift brings you joy and purpose and inspires you for years to come!
Tim Albrecht General Manager
MCC Thrift, St. Catharines
BIRTHDAYS
Welcome to the following new volunteers who joined us in December
Note of Appreciation from Trudy Enns, Retiree
A big THANK YOU to my MCC FAMILY for all your kind and generous well wishes for my retirement! I still have difficulty saying that word.....RETIREMENT ! You helped create such a celebratory atmosphere at my retirement celebration. It was truly appreciated! ! I’ll be looking for you in the near future when I join you as a volunteer. :) Oh, the joy & satisfaction as we continue serving together ! See you soon !
Trudy’s Retirement Celebration
Processing
Tracy Morrell
Meet Lacey Willmott
Lacey Willmott joined us as a volunteer in April 2024. She volunteers on Thursdays and Fridays in our Processing Area (hard goods). Lacey has spent many years in the academic world and is currently teaching geography at Brock University. Lacey enjoys volunteering at MCC Thrift because because it has helped her meet great people and settle back into the community in Niagara, while contributing to important peace work.
One project Lacey has been passionate about is An Inch for Each of the Dead. She describes the project here: “In the wake of the devastation
inflicted upon the people of Gaza, grassroots efforts have emerged to bear witness and envision a future of peace and justice for all in Palestine–Israel. One such initiative is a collaborative quilted memorial banner titled An Inch for Each of the Dead. According to the project site, the quilt aims to serve as a vibrant memorial and communal grieving piece, as well as an act of protest against ongoing violence. Textile artists, crafters (and everyday lovers of peace!) have been invited to contribute 10x10 inch quilt blocks made of 100 one-inch squares. Each quilt block represents and remembers 100 lives lost to this violence and persecution. Once sewn together by organizers in
Pennsylvania, the piece will consist of more than 600 blocks and will be more than 125 feet long. Makers from across the world have contributed more than 250 squares so far, with messages indicating their reasons for involvement.
Shop volunteer Lacey Willmott heard about the project through Palestine peace and justice advocacy networks, and she contributed squares sewn with material purchased from the shop. With the help of her mother-in-law, Karen Sawatsky’s sewing machine and skills, they contributed several squares.
“When I heard about this project, I knew I wanted to contribute but especially contribute with material purchased from our thrift shop. I am grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to peace by volunteering at the shop, and I wanted MCC Thrift to have representation in this project. Being a part of initiatives like this helps me grieve, bear witness and remember that I have a part to play in working toward peace.”
You can read more about the Inch for Each of the Dead project here They are currently still accepting submissions and are in the process of sorting out next steps for finalizing and exhibiting this work.
Lacey in the MCC Thrift fabric section with completed quilt blocks. (MCC Photo/Ana Galindo)
Lacey in the MCC Thrift fabric section with completed quilt blocks. (MCC Photo/Ana Galindo)
10x10’ squares in the making. (MCC Photo/ Lacey Willmott)
Volunteer Farewells
Francisco Guillen exceeded the Community Service hours required for high school and served a total of 63 hours with us.
Thanks, Francisco!
Our General Manager, Tim Albrecht, was invited to speak at a chapel service at Pleasant Manor Retirement Village, in Virgil. Many former volunteers were in attendance. February 13, 2025. MCC Photo/Stephen Mason
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.
