A rafting trip down the Grand River this summer gave me a good reminder of the goodness of God and the beauty of his creation. Four hours floating along in a wellmade raft with friends and family provided a beautiful adventure and a memorymaking Sunday afternoon!
The rafting company has a simple goal: “…to make paddling the Grand as easy as possible.” Their website claims that, “between May to October, over 50,000 people experience the Grand River with us.”
For MCC Thrift, our goal/mission may seem a little more complex: “to create meaningful local and global impact through innovative nonprofit enterprises.”
BIRTHDAYS
Yet, at its core, it’s simply about serving people well and meeting needs. Last month, I shared many ways that we create local impact as part of MCC Thrift’s mission. This month, headlines from MCC’s website give insight into our global impact:
• Emergency Food for Zambian Families. After a devastating drought, your help has arrived.
• A Warm Welcome after a Long Journey – your support is meeting the needs of refugees in Cairo.
• Because of your compassionate support, 146 migrants near the Mexico- U.S. border received shelter, care, psychosocial support and protection at Casa del Migrante.
• For more stories, visit MCC’s website at this link: mcc.org/impact/stories
Thank you for investing your time in making real and lasting impact on people around the globe!
Tim Albrecht General Manager
MCC Thrift, St. Catharines
Welcome!
Welcome to the following new volunteers who joined us recently!
Chris’ Engagement
“Tree
of Thankfulness”
Our Receiving Team Lead, Chris Richardson, was recently engaged to his fiancée, Emily. We join in celebrating this milestone with Chris and Emily and we wish them a lifetime of happiness! MCC
Photo/Chris R.
In October volunteers will work together to add leaves to a tree trunk and branches to create our own Tree of Thankfulness. Each volunteer will have the opportunity to write on a leaf the things they are thankful for. Stay tuned for November’s newsletter to see our volunteer Tree of Thankfulness.
Jake T.Receiving
Gaby M. - Retail
Izzy G. - Retail
James R. –Receiving Devon R. (Co-op student)
Around the Shop
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
Thrift costumes galore! Which actor shall we send to “Canada’s Got Talent”? Sep. 17
Ana G. and Rachel S. Ana… you’re being silly…again! :) MCC
Photo/Ana G.
Wesley C., our Hard Goods Processing Team member, and volunteer, Ryan V., ran into each other at another community event! Sep. 16. MCC Photo/Wesley C.
Thank you, Erna, for 50 years of volunteering with our shop. Thank you for your generous contribution of time, energy, commitment and support of MCC’s work which has resulted in meaningful impact. Thank you for making a difference.
On Thursday, September 18, MCC Thrift Staff joined staff from our Associate Shops in Welland (New to You) and Port Colborne (Port Thrift) for a Learning Day on the theme, “Doing Retail Differently.” We continue to learn about how to serve our customers well. MCC Photo/Kirsten B.
Survey Said… (from April’s Volunteer Survey)
Earlier this year volunteers responded to the MCCO Thrift survey. Over the next couple of months we will share a few highlights with you.
The survey says many volunteers are looking for a sense of community and belonging as well as meaningful work. We are thankful for the sense of community and belonging that is created here and MCC Thrift’s work is definitely meaningful and making a difference around the world.
Sherry Main
Volunteer Engagement Manager
MCC Thrift, St. Catharines
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.”
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 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 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!
