Keeping our valued volunteers informed
GM’s Corner
A Season of Turning: Lent and the Road to Easter
In these past few newsletters, I’ve been following a theme: waiting, choosing, loving—and now turning. Advent reminded us to watch for hope. January invited us to begin gently—with gifts instead of guilt. February helped us see how love becomes real in community, in families, and in the small acts of service practiced here at MCC Care and Share.
March brings spring and, with it, the urge to open our windows and clear out what has become stale— in our homes and in our lives. A natural time for reflection that makes space and a turning that leads to repair.
That’s also the heartbeat of Lent, the 40-day season leading to Easter. Many see Lent as “giving something up.” But it’s deeper than self-denial. It’s about making room for transformation—slowing down, taking stock and turning to God and the world so our lives may be reshaped from the inside out.
One word that captures the essence of this turning is metanoia. It’s a Greek word used in the New Testament and often translated as “repentance,” but its full meaning goes deeper than feeling sorry. My old classics professor put it well: A fundamental transformation of outlook and character. Not simply stopping something but becoming someone. Metanoia is where Lent’s themes connect:
• Reflection is the honest look: Slowing down to see what’s really shaping us. Creating space for what needs to change.
• Repentance is the turn: moving away from what harms and turning to what heals.
• Reconciliation is the result: restored relationships—with God, with others, and with ourselves.
The Classic Lenten Practices (and why they matter) Lent focuses on three simple practices: prayer,
fasting, and giving—not a test of will, but practical ways that make room for change.
• Prayer helps us reconnect, pay attention and remember what grounds us.
• Fasting isn’t about food. It’s about simplicity— loosening our grip on what distracts or numbs us.
• Giving helps us show up—choosing generosity that strengthens others.
In Christian language, Lent is a season of “returning” to God. In everyday language, it’s a season of returning to what’s true and life-giving.
How Lent fits the heart of MCC Care and Share
Many may not think of a thrift shop as a spiritual place, but at Care and Share, our staff and especially our volunteers show that something deeper is going on here—our customers see it and feel it.
We see it when a mother finds kids’ clothes at a price that leaves room for groceries. When a household item helps make a home in a hard season. When a simple interaction provides dignity to someone who often feels unseen.
MCC Care and Share exists because we choose to be the care and live the share—that conscious choice connects naturally and beautifully to Lent. Lent asks: What can we let go of that may help others? What can “love in action” look like—right here, right now?
In this and in all seasons, I give thanks for each of you. Your servant heart helps make the Care and Share a place where dignity is protected, needs are met, and hope remains possible.
Brian Ingram General Manager MCC Care & Share
Joke of the Month
If a King sleeps on a king mattress and a Queen sleeps on a queen mattress, what does a Prince sleep on?
Welcome!
New volunteers added to our family so far this month! Let’s welcome:
Hadi A
Claire B
Sam H
Jim M
Evan D
Lauren S
Austin K
Eezo D
Chloe M
Sophie M
Abisha R
Justin S
Nathan W
March
BIRTHDAYS
Adela S
Karen W
Liam K B.J. R 3/1 3/2 3/2 3/5
Klaus R
Jill O
Scott S
Jessie D
Nazanin K
Estelle R
Alex R
Oakley N 3/5 3/7 3/7 3/21 3/21 3/25 3/26 3/30
Around the Shop
Thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes! My first birthday here at MCC Care & Share was truly special, and your kind words made it even better! I’m so grateful to work alongside each and every single one of you! Lots of love, Selina
Bill-ding maintenance underway!
Adam didn’t choose the pug life; the pug life chose him.
Mission accepted. Clothing sorted. Victory secured.
Crossword of the Month
Put on your detective hat and find all the hidden words! But don’t scribble all over it—save some fun for the next person!
A legacy of giving our best
At the MCC Hub in New Hamburg, Thrift and Material Resources (kit packing and distribution) share space. The connection between Thrift and aid distribution goes back decades, though. Learn how they are connected in the latest episode of Undercurrents (MCC Ontario’s podcast) and get a behind-the-scenes look at everything that takes place at the MCC Hub. Watch the video for the full experience here: mcc.org/our-stories/ undercurrents-ep-32-giving-our-best
A gentle invitation for this season
If you’d like a simple way to step into Lent— whether as faith practice, personal reflection, or community-minded living—here are a few ideas:
• Make space daily: a short prayer, a quiet moment, a gratitude note, or a pause before the day gets loud.
• Choose one “turning” (metanoia in action): release a habit that hardens you, take one step to make things right, or offer an apology where it’s needed.
• Practice reconciliation: reach out, listen well, forgive what you can, and seek peace in the relationships and situations you touch.
• Give intentionally: donate thoughtfully, volunteer with patience, extend kindness, or support someone who’s carrying a heavy load.
MCC in Ukraine
As the war passed its fourth year, Ukraine is a country filled with heartache and hope — heartache with the lives that have been taken and buildings that have been destroyed, and hope that the war will soon end.
Kateryna longed to protect her daughter Polina and give her a childhood despite the war. Feeling helpless, she reached out to MCC partner Reimer Center, where she finally felt understood. Polina began horse therapy (see photo), slowly learning to trust as she discovered how horses sense emotions. The first time she sat in the saddle, her face lit up. Kateryna saw her daughter come alive again— smiling, sincere, and truly a child.
MCC and MCC partners continue to support
Ukrainians like Kateryna and her daughter with emergency food and mental health support. Read the latest MCC story from Ukraine: mcc.org/our-stories/learning-cope-adapt-ukrainefourth-anniversary-invasion-looms