November 2024 MCC Thrift, St Catharines Volunteer Newsletter
Keeping our valued volunteers informed
GM’s Corner
At our 50th Anniversary Celebration on October 6, we shared the total dollar amount that has been forwarded to MCC over our 50year history … $10,640,000! That’s a big number that represents countless volunteer hours. But beyond the number, we recognize the countless stories of impact that keep us all motivated to continue this good work. Friendships forged. Needs met. Treasures discovered. Environmental impact. Partnerships developed. Community supported.
In our early years, a strong theme that motivated our work came from a biblical letter to a church … “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). Ron Wiens has lived out this truth in his years of service to our shop and community. We said a “retirement farewell” to Ron in October and wish him blessings and joy in the next chapter of his life.
You’ve likely noted that we’ve made some changes to our retail floor in recent weeks. This has been done in preparation for our busiest months of the year—November and December. We’re grateful for very positive reviews already. We’re also anticipating a new staff member in our processing area to oversee “hard goods.” Splitting responsibilities in our processing area (soft goods / hard goods) will allow staff to focus attention and specialize as necessary. Thank you for your support of our staff team and your ongoing investment in our work together.
Tim Albrecht General Manager MCC Thrift, St. Catharines
Joanne Thiessen
Emma Pritchard
Eileen Goodyear
Elsie Klassen
Sara Klassen
Stephanie Smith
Luise Wohlgemut
Edward Berg
Jamilee Spicer
Jo-anna Langbroek
Eva Schmitt
Pete Thiessen
Tymbi Gonsalves
Eileen Bridle
Zahra Abdulwahid
Tiantian Jiang
Helen Koop
MCC Thrift staff, Chris and Ana (2nd and 3rd from right), recently participated in Crucial Conversations Training, at MCC Ontario’s office in Kitchener. This training empowers MCCO staff to grow their ability to have conversations when there are “opposing opinions,
stakes
Peace Buttons
We will have Peace buttons available for volunteers who wish to wear them this Remembrance Day. Check with a staff member to obtain one.
Training Active Bystanders Workshop
If you are a bystander witnessing a harmful situation, you have a choice to make. Learn how to interrupt harmdoing, generate positive actions by others and be more than a spectator through this important workshop. It is not an expectation of MCC Ontario for volunteers to step into unsafe or risky situations while volunteering. Please always seek out staff should these types of situations arise. The TAB training is to give tools for and reflections about everyday life situations you may come across to feel more equipped to know what to do.
Workshop options:
ONLINE - Wednesday, November 6th – 10:00am - 12:30pm
To register either click HERE or contact Holly McClement – hollymcclement@mcco.ca for support.
IN- PERSON - Thursday, November 7th – 1:30pm - 4:00pm (Only for those in the KW area—there is an inperson TAB training happening at 50 Kent on the 2nd floor)
To register either click HERE or contact Holly McClement – hollymcclement@mcco.ca for support.
When you register, please use MCCVOLUNTEER in the payment section. This training is $25 for those who are not MCC staff or MCC volunteers. If you accidentally pay $25 for the training, please let me know and MCC will reimburse you.
Welcome!
We welcome our new volunteers who started with us recently!
(Processing)
Kufran M. (Processing)
Helmut W. (Processing) (Retail Floor) (Retail Floor) (Retail Floor)
Tymbi G. (Receiving) (Processing) (Retail Floor)
MCC Thrift Celebrating 50 Years
What started as an idea in Altona, Manitoba, in 1972, led to an afternoon of celebrating a 50th anniversary in St. Catharines, Ontario, on Sunday October 6, 2024.
When Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) was no longer shipping gentlyused clothes overseas, four women from Altona dreamed up the concept of opening a temporary shop turning second-hand clothing donations into cash to give to MCC.
In 1973 Olga Rempel returned from a meeting in Winnipeg, and she introduced the idea of starting a thrift shop in St. Catharines. Mary and John Harder of Vineland were the coordinators of the first thrift shop. The name has changed several times to the current MCC Thrift, and there have been seven moves to the current location on Grantham Avenue. With each relocation, the square footage of every building expanded in size. Fourteen churches were partners with the first shop.
John Himes, Assistant Manager for the shop, took us through the afternoon which included refreshments, a thrift shop history trivia quiz, ballots for prizes, picture-taking opportunities and a grand fashion show with the staff modelling some of the thrift gems. Much sharing was done around the tables, and three volunteers on a panel shared some of their early experiences as volunteers at the first shop.
Three former volunteers represent over 120 years of service in our thrift shop! Margie Steingart, Margaret Penner and Annelies Pankratz represent many who have served through our 50-year history. They shared stories of impact through the years and reminded us that there is still a need for the ongoing work of our shop in the years ahead. October 6, 2024. MCC Photo/Vic Ens
Michelle Brenneman, Executive Director of MCC Ontario, closed the afternoon festivities with comments about MCC— how it is mission-driven, loving neighbours locally and abroad and caring about customers and the community, with many people working long hours to make the 1972 dream become a reality. We have much to thank God for!
- Maria H. Klassen
Tim Albrecht, General Manager of the shop, took us through the many changes that have taken place over the years, using a slide show and a memory book. Along with relocations and additions, churches brought their own managers to the shop for their assigned time until a board was established in 1983. In 2009 the first paid managers were hired. In 2014 a new computer system with bar codes was installed.
Today there are five full-time and two part-time hired staff, with 147 active volunteers. A few high school students are included amongst the volunteers, working toward their 40 hours of volunteer service. From $11,000.00 donated the first year, expected donations for this year are estimated at $400,000.00. Over $10 million have been donated in these 50 years. Besides the money raised over the years, there are other benefits: the lasting friendships formed, the joy of giving back to MCC, finding meaningful work after retirement and being an inspiration to younger volunteers.
Maria Klassen is a retired elementary school teacher, living in St. Catharines. She enjoys writing articles, a few of which have been featured in the Canadian Mennonite magazine and have highlighted the work of MCC Thrift.
Talk Climate, Practice Peace
As part of our ongoing commitment to care for God’s creation, MCC is encouraging our supporters to talk about climate. Join us in talking about climate change with your congregation, community, family or friends! Sign up to receive tips and tools in your inbox on how to navigate differences and uncover shared beliefs and interests. Be a brave peacemaker: Talk climate, practice peace! Sign up today
50TH ANNIVERSARY Celebration Photos
MCC Associate stores celebrate milestones! New to You (Welland) celebrated 50 years and Port Thrift (Port Colborne) celebrated 40 years!
Welland’s New To You Thrift Shop opened in 1974, just a few months after our St. Catharines’ shop. Originally, we shared the same name. Port Colborne Thrift opened in 1984.
New To You in Welland celebrated 50 years and Port Colborne Thrift celebrated 40 years. These shops celerbated together on Wednesday, September 25. We are thankful for our ongoing partnership with them.
Guests at our fiftieth anniversary event were entertained with a timeless tradition … a thrift fashion show. Trudy, Ana, John and Tim model outfits easily found in our donated thrift collection. October 6, 2024. MCC Photo/Vic Ens
Danielle Stell and Walli Bukhari shared why they are passionate about volunteering at MCC Thrift. They represent many volunteers who are excited about the “next 50 years” of our shop. October 6, 2024. MCC Photo/ Vic Ens
Give the Gift of Change
December is around the corner, and all of you at MCC Thrift know a thing or two about gearing up for Christmas! While you are all diligently processing and selling Christmas trees, ornaments, and other items that might make it into a stocking, we’d like to talk about two projects that make meaningful gifts this season.
Bees-ness is buzzing
Beekeeping is a sweet way to enhance the livelihoods of small holder farmers in Northern Karamoja, Uganda by diversifying their income sources through integrated sustainable food systems. In response to the increasing impacts of climate change and conflict, this project, coordinated by MCC’s partner Dynamic Agro Pastoral Development Organization (DADO), provides training on income-generating activities, marketing, village savings groups, livestock and beekeeping. The project will be implemented in Opotipot, Kachapangole, Kangole and Geremech parishes, targeting 1,800 women and 1,600 youth.
As part of the beekeeping team, Robert Loketo (pictured above) can harvest honey to use for his family or to sell. He also benefits by establishing the beehives in strategic places to keep his crops safe from wild animals, especially elephants who are frightened away by bees. $11 assists beekeepers in
buying bees and beehives. Starting November 15, you can make a meaningful donation by purchasing “Bees” at MCC Thrift shops in Ontario.
Sew much more
MCC partner Jordanian Women Qualifying and Training Society (JWQTS) aims to strengthen families and foster peaceful coexistence by empowering women economically, socially and psychologically. The sewing project trains women in sewing, cosmetology, mobile maintenance and cooking, and it promotes cultural understanding through shared activities. A group of 40 marginalized women from Ma’an district in southern Jordan will benefit from this program. By gaining vocational skills and exposure to diverse perspectives, these women will become change agents in their families and communities, promoting gender equality and social inclusion.
Jumlah, a mother of six children, enrolled in the course, even though her husband did not want her to work. He grew to understand the importance of her building a career for herself and her passion for sewing and for intricate details. After her training at JWQTS, Jumlah continued perfecting her craft and now is known in her village near Petra as a skilled seamstress. She sews prayer sets, baby blankets, children’s dresses, curtains and aprons, and she makes alterations to clothes. Each piece is meticulously crafted. JWQTS has gifted her a Singer sewing machine for her to use at home. Jumlah is a role model for women in Jordan who face struggles in a culture dominated by men. Her drive and ambition have helped her to build and market her own business, which began with this sewing course.
$150, provides a sewing machine, empowering women like Jumlah to build livelihoods and uplift their communities.
Visit mcc.org/christmas/sewing-machine for more details.
Go to mcc.org/Christmas to find more gift ideas— from goats, to chickens, to fresh-water wells. And thank you for your continued work in MCC thrift shops across Ontario! Your skills, time and good cheer are a huge part of MCC’s work supporting people around the world live with peace and dignity.
Beekeeper Robert Loketo talks about the DADO apiary project in Kachapangole, Uganda. A beehive is in the tree in the background.
