As the days get longer and a chill permeates the air, it is a time of change.
In just a few short weeks we will start the Christmas season! We will be changing up the store and getting ready to launch on Oct 15. A huge thank you goes out to all that have worked so hard on Christmas over the year to get ready for it – we have
Have you met Nosa?
more items ready than any prior year. Its going to be a great season
Thank you for all you do – it is a joy to work alongside you as we help change people’s lives.
Kent Buhrke General Manager MCC Thrift on Kent
Many of you have already met Nosa, who is our new fashion team member, working with Joanie and Alyssa. Nosa grew up in Nigeria and came to Canada three years ago. He said, “I came to study and fell in love with the country.” Prior to working with us, he worked at a House of Friendship shelter. When I asked why he wanted to work with MCC he said that as a Christian he feels that MCC’s vision and mission aligns with his beliefs and values, and that working here is an extension of his faith as he serves the community. In his free time Nosa loves music and playing the guitar - both in a band and at church.
Forced to Flee - Learning Event for Volunteers
This month, please join us for this opportunity to learn about MCCO’s work with refugees. What: an interactive workshop called “Forced to Flee” to help us better understand the realities of refugees who come to our country
Where: Community Room, upstairs
When: from 1:30-3 on Wednesday Oct 29
Note: Please sign up by Oct 22 on the clip board by the snacks if you are planning on attending. If you are scheduled to volunteer on Wednesdays and would like to come – let Giselle know. We will make it work for you to attend!
Welcome!
Have you met any of our new volunteers? (starting between Aug 20-Sept 15)
Ajibola - retail
Teylor –seasonal
Rubenhardware
Judy D – retail fashion
Rubenhardware
Curtisreceiving
Ken – retail store
Aryan – retail fashion
Jack - sports
Bradenelectrical
Rachel –receiving
Rubenelectrical
Jack - sports
Braden –electrical
Tarian - toys
Curtis – retail fashion
Carol - cashier
Alice- seasonal
Juan Carlossports
Tarian -cash
Liam – retail fashion
Lucas – retail store
Kael - receiving
Juan Carlossports
Kael - receiving Abdul-Malik -retail fashion
Jamal – cash/ retail fashion
Mazzyreceiving
Teneille – retail fashion
Tyler – retail store
Tial, Zhengjian & Mikeyreceiving Monday
October
Vicki
Joyce
Mary
Rose
Mervin
BIRTHDAYS
Glenn
Allie
Ann
Saron (retail fashion)
Gert (cash/ toys)
Karen (cash)
We are closed on Monday Oct 13 for Thanksgiving!
If you can help with ‘the pull’ on the morning of Tuesday the 14th, please let Giselle or Jan know. Thanks!
Trick or Treat – Popcorn to eat!
During the week of Oct 27-Nov 1, we will be serving popcorn as a special treat! It is one way of saying thank you for all you do here to support MCC!
We need volunteers!
Do you have a friend, neighbour, niece, grandson or hairdresser who would like to volunteer? At present, we need more people to help in the store and in receiving! Also, drivers are needed for the recycling and dump trips. If you know someone who is friendly and enjoys making the store look good, or is strong and a good driver, please send them Giselle’s way.
Also, for November and December, we are looking for people who would be willing to take on an extra shift to stock Christmas items in the store. Let Giselle or Jan know if this interests you.
Unusual donations of the month:
Have you ever seen one of these?? It is a clothes press. One date on it says 1935, but you can plug it in. I wonder who will buy it :) …
A gorgeous, unique long wool sweater that has quite the swirl to it. Modelled by yours truly, not sure what occasion would call for it – but beautiful!
And, I LOVE this homemade busy board – if I had small children in my life I’d swoop it up! Seems like the kind of things my mom would have made for her grandkids when they were little. Though homemade, it almost looks professionally done. I hope it makes a child happy!
Survey Summary
In spring you were asked to fill out a survey about your volunteer experience here at Thrift on Kent. I want to share some of the key themes that came out of it:
You learn about MCC’s work through speakers and volunteer events. In September we had a trip to the MCC HUB in New Hamburg to learn about Material Resources shipped overseas and about what happens at the cannery. In October we have the Forced to Flee workshop to learn more about MCC’s work with refugees. We hope that you enjoy learning more about the mission of MCC.
Some volunteers would like to try different roles or additional roles. If this is you, please come and talk to me. We need volunteers in a variety of areas of the shop and workroom and I would be happy to talk with you about trying something new.
A number of you are interested in mentoring volunteers. At the meeting about this in September, we discussed that the best way to go forward with this is to not have an official mentor program. Rather, those who are interested in mentoring can informally get to know the new volunteers in their area and offer friendship, assistance and support.
Some of you are interested in helping plan volunteer events, including food prep or decorating the break room for the season. A few of you have contacted me about this, but there seem to be more of you interested. Please let me know if you are interested in helping with the Christmas event this year, as we will be planning that very soon.
Feedback was given to the staff regarding how staff can better support volunteers. There were two main themes. First of all, volunteers want to be welcomed and shown gratitude. Secondly, you want feedback on how you are doing, have staff work alongside you, and work together to solve problems and improve processes.
Thank you again for those of you who responded. We take your feedback seriously, as we want this to be a great place to volunteer.
Now Hiring
MCC Ontario is seeking a Thrift Growth & Performance Manager to lead strategic initiatives that drive growth, enhance shop performance, and support network-wide projects across all thrift locations. This role involves regular visits to MCC Ontario Thrift Shops and requires collaboration with General Managers and crossfunctional teams to implement innovative solutions. Hybrid and flexible work options are available, with a start date of November 24, 2025. If you know someone who would be a great fit for this role - or think you might be - please share or apply. bit.ly/Thrift-Growth-Performance-Manager
MCC Ontario Peace Conference
November 1, 2025 at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate in Kitchener
Join us on Saturday, November 1, for the MCC Peace Conference and explore the art of everyday peace. Attend in person in Kitchener, remotely from home, or at a watch party in St Catharines, Leamington, or Markham.
Active MCC volunteers receive 25% off with the code MCCVOLUNTEER25.
Register by October 15 to secure your spot!
Learn more and register: mcc.org/events/peace-conference-0
Learning, Listening, and Building Bridges: A Journey from Timmins
When Christopher Richardson—receiving team lead at MCC Thrift in St. Catharines—was invited to join a recent MCC Learning Tour to Timmins, he knew it would be meaningful. What he didn’t expect was how deeply it would reshape his understanding of Canada’s story, his own identity, and his role at MCC.
“Growing up, I thought I understood Canadian history,” Christopher reflects. “But so much was missing. I learned a lot over the past five years at MCC’s annual staff Truth and Reconciliation Day trainings, but on this tour, I really began to see through a new lens—an Indigenous lens.”
comfort to those same people is amazing.”
“It was a heavy week,” Christopher admits. “But it was also hopeful. I saw bridges being built— between churches and Indigenous leaders, between
The journey north impressed him with the vastness of the land and the resilience of Indigenous communities. In Timmins, Christopher and the group, mostly other MCC staff, were led by MCC’s Indigenous Neighbours team through a jam-packed itinerary. They learned from partners like Mike Metatawabin, Deputy Grand Chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation. They walked through the city with city councillor Kristin Murray, who shared how huge murals now tell stories once suppressed. The visit to Quilts for Survivors—where handmade quilts are offered as gifts of warmth and healing to residential school survivors— was compelling. “The church did so much harm to Indigenous children through residential schools,” reflects Christopher. “[But] to have this Anglican church building now repurposed to bring hope and
communities, and in myself as I wrestled with what reconciliation means for me and my future children.”
Back at St. Catharines Thrift, Christopher is passionate about sharing what he learned, from dreaming about a mural by a local Indigenous artist to encouraging others to attend powwows and connect with Indigenous leaders in Niagara.
“I’m still working through what this means for me and my identity as a fifth-generation Canadian,” Christopher says. “But I am hopeful that I can do my part in making sure the next generation can view our identity and place in Canada through an Indigenous lens.”
Every day, hundreds of donations and purchases flow through MCC’s thrift shops. That work directly supports MCC’s programs and partners, including reconciliation and decolonizing initiatives like the ones Christopher saw in northern Ontario. Thank you for supporting this vital work!
