A Season for Giving and Gratitude
Dear MCC Thrift Volunteer,
The 2025 Christmas Giving Guide is here—and it’s full of joy, hope, and meaningful ways to make a difference!
As someone who generously gives your time at MCC Thrift, you already know the power of community and compassion. This Christmas, we invite you to take that spirit even further by exploring MCC’s Giving Guide and sharing it with your loved ones.
Whether it’s a fruit tree for $20 to help a farmer earn income, a beekeeping kit for $43 to support thriving ecosystems, or a sewing machine for $150 to empower someone’s livelihood—each gift is a chance to bring comfort and joy to families around the world.
You can:
• Give a gift in honour of someone special and send a personalized e-card.
• Print a card at home or request one to be mailed to you.
GM’s Corner
2025 Seasons We Have Gone Through End of Winter, Spring’s soft thaw, Summer’s blaze, Construction’s endless maze, and now — into Fall, where leaves drift like memories.
This brings to attention that we might need to think about Winter Weather
Procedures:
If you are unable to make it to your scheduled shift due to poor weather conditions, please notify the shop by
Absence Alert
• Share the guide with friends, family, and customers at your thrift shop.
Even though the printed guide may be delayed due to the Canada Post strike, you can browse and shop online anytime (mcc.org/christmas). You can also pick up a copy of the guide at your Thrift shop.
We hope you will choose a gift that celebrates your values and spreads hope.
Thank you for contributing to MCC’s mission. Your passion and compassion help make this season brighter for everyone.
With gratitude and joy,
Kim Lester Associate Executive Director
calling 519-669-8475 or sending an email to your team lead (Jennifer, Monica, Chelsey, or Lori).
Updates regarding shop closures will be posted on our Facebook page, so check for announcements before travelling. Your safety is important—please take all necessary precautions during inclement weather and reach out if you need support.
We are blessed with a number of staff who live in town and can make it to the shop during the winter months and therefore have not needed to close the shop, but travel safety is very important for everyone.
Debbie Siertsema General Manager MCC Thrift & Gift
Debbie is expecting to be absent for a couple of weeks at the end of November. She is leaving you in Lisa’s very capable hands.
Welcome!
We welcome our new volunteers who started with us recently!
Matei – Started Sept 27 – Receiving Ari – Started Sept 19 – Retail
Annual Volunteer Survey Coming Soon!
We value your feedback! Keep an eye on your inbox for our annual volunteer survey, arriving in late November or early December. Your insights help us improve and celebrate the amazing work you do—thank you for being part of our community!
International Travels
Our volunteer and staff team are an amazing group who travel the world, it would be wonderful to share our adventures with one another. If you have photos or stories that you would like to share, please send them to Debbie and she will add to the next Newsletter.
This month we see Lisa enjoying a view of Machu Picchu.
Volunteer Suggestion Box
Allergy and Sensitivity Awareness
Scent-Free & Peanut-Free Zone
To protect individuals with allergies and sensitivities, please do not wear scented products (perfume, cologne, scented lotions, etc.) Staff will work to ensure that cookies purchased will be peanut-free. Thank you for helping us keep this a safespace for everyone.
We acknowledge that there are occasions when our volunteers can identify the same needs as our staff; however, the urgency to address these matters may not always be immediately apparent. Please know that your ongoing feedback and thoughtful suggestions are sincerely valued. They play a critical role in shaping and enhancing our shared environment and the work we do. We are grateful for your continued engagement and commitment to our collective mission.
BIRTHDAYS November
Give Gifts of Comfort and Joy Chris as Giving Guide
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: MCC’s annual Christmas giving guide is back! Every year, MCC publishes its Christmas guide as a way for you to give gifts with impact worldwide. In addition to a nice sweater or new toy for your loved one, add the gift of education for a girl in Ethiopia, or a duck for a family in Bangladesh.
Here are some unique gifts to add to your Christmas list:
Clean water at school
Share a gift of clean water!
This handwashing station at a primary school in Ethiopia helps Selam Bulo, a third-grade student, and her peers in Batu, Ethiopia stay clean, healthy and fully immersed in their studies. $25
Room at the inn
$75
For people on the move, an open door, a warm bed and a listening ear offer great comfort and hope. This gift helps people like pastors Victor Lampón Leon and Rocio Valencia Islas in Mexico have the supplies they need, including mattresses, pads and sheets so that they can extend hospitality to those moving through their communities.
Sewing machine
$150
Go the extra yard with a gift tailor-made for those who love to sew. With a machine of hers own, Mariyum Khatun of Bangladesh can start a new business to support her family.
This Christmas, by helping our global neighbours build skills, grow food or meet basic needs, your generosity brings cause for celebration long after your tree comes down and the lights are put away.
Find the 2025 Christmas catalogues at receiving, cash and volunteer lunch rooms. You can also distribute these to your churches – we have 25,000 copies to give out! Talk to your Volunteer Engagement Manager if you need copies.
You can also shop online by going to mcc.org/Christmas and sending an e-card after making your donation. Or call 888-622-6337 toll-free to talk to an MCC representative. You can select your gifts and request e-cards or paper-cards that you can send to your loved ones.
