SEPTEMBER 2026
THRIFT VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER
Keeping our valued volunteers informed
GM’s Corner The Work of Becoming For the past few months, the retail flip has dominated our attention. Between meetings, conversations about fixtures, cash desks, and deciding where everything should go, there were days when the shop felt like one big puzzle. Now that the biggest part of the flip is behind us, I am incredibly happy with what we accomplished together. The difference is something you can see, touch and experience as soon as you walk through the doors— and something we can be proud of. But the flip is only the most obvious sign of the transformation already taking place. Change has been happening in many areas, some visible, others less so. We have made improvements, tried new ideas and continued to look at where we can do better. The flip simply brought much of that change into view. There is still much ahead. Other physical spaces need attention. Some practices need to change and processes need to develop. We need more volunteers, better supports, and new ways to serve customers, donors, and our community well. In truth, moving shelves and fixtures was probably the easy part. We often like the idea of transformation more than the process of being transformed. The vision is exciting, but the work takes time, patience and a willingness to question what has become familiar. Some changes are welcomed; others are harder. Even as change begins, it is only the beginning. Becoming takes time. That’s true in life as well. Some of the changes that shape us most are ones we never saw coming or would not have chosen. Some are painful, yet looking back we see how they changed us, our faith and what matters most.
Life changes us constantly, but Christian transformation asks whether we are allowing God to shape who we are becoming. Paul writes in Romans about being “transformed by the renewing of your mind.” I keep coming back to that idea of renewal: being willing to see differently, to learn and remain open to where God may be leading. That matters in my own life, and it matters for MCC Care & Share too. At our best, Care & Share is more than a shop. We are a place where people serve, connect, belong, and use their gifts; where customers and donors are welcomed and cared for; and where our work supports MCC’s wider mission. The challenge is to hold onto what is good while continuing to ask how we can do better—as a shop, as a community and as a ministry. The retail flip is worth celebrating. It demonstrates what can happen when people work together toward a shared vision. But it is not the end. There is still much to do. Becoming means celebrating what has changed while recognizing that transformation is ongoing. For MCC Care & Share, that means being open to who God may still be asking us to become. For me, that is at the heart of Being the Care and Living the Share: holding onto who we are while continuing to ask how we can serve, care, grow and become more fully the community and ministry we are called to be.
Brian Ingram
General Manager MCC Care & Share
SEPTEMBER 2026
THRIFT VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER
Around the Shop
Together is better!
Someone add in ‘Bubble specialist” to his job description!
Gravity who? They’re doing their best to think outside the box
THRIFT VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2026
What a Difference a Week Makes It’s hard to believe how much can change in just a week. After months of planning, our retail flip is complete, and I couldn’t be happier with what we’ve accomplished. A huge amount of work went into it. Staff and volunteers moved fixtures, stocked shelves, reorganized departments, cleaned, and stepped in wherever needed. None of this would have been possible without you. Thank you to our staff team for their help with planning and execution. Daya was instrumental in turning months of ideas into reality. We were also fortunate to have support from MCC’s head office. Amy Izzard and Caitlin Sousa helped with planning, with Amy working alongside us Thursday through Sunday. Greg and Joel from IT supported the technology setup, and Alvaro and the Facilities team made multiple trips to help bring our new cash desk to life. And to our volunteers: thank you for your patience through all the change. You continue to be the best volunteers around. There are still a few tweaks ahead, but for now, we can simply enjoy what we’ve accomplished together.
SEPTEMBER 2026
THRIFT VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER
Bill G Marg B Susan T Terina Y Alain B Yi Ping Z Herb F Marilyn R Ross J Christian B
September
BIRTHDAYS Phyllis G Shirley K Anna C Andrew C Marie H
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Joke of the Month Q: Did you hear about the first restaurant to open on the moon? A: Great food, but no atmosphere.
Welcome!
We welcome our new volunteers who started with us recently! Sarana V Ditta M Kiel F Kareena L Catherine L Alex X Julia W Bonnie B
Chelsea M Elana M Rehan U Fiona L Cici S Eileen V Patricia R Laura K
Undercurrents Podcast Before the next season of Undercurrents kicks off in September, take a moment to catch up on last season in a recap episode (#41): mcc.org/undercurrents. Each episode includes discussion questions so you can gather a group and listen together!
SEPTEMBER 2026
THRIFT VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER
Wordsearch of the Month Put on your detective hat and find all the hidden words! Have fun!
September Word Search Find all the cozy autumn words below!
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� Word Bank � • Acorn
• Apples
• Autumn
• Equinox
• Harvest
• Hayride
• Breeze
• Leaves • School
• Cider
• Maple
• September
• Cozy
• Pumpkin • Sweater
THRIFT VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2026
GTA Mennonite Festival for World Relief We will be at the GTAMF this year with a selection of items from the shop. Admission is free! Bid on quilts, enjoy delicious relief sale food, wagon rides, apple picking and more. Hope to see you there! Saturday, September 19 from 10am – 4pm. www.gtamennonitefestival.ca
Peace Conference: Nourishing Peace Together Saturday, November 7, Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, Kitchener If you’re hungry for connection, meaning and practical ways to resist despair in a world that feels overwhelming, plan to be at this year’s Peace Conference. MCC Ontario is hosting an in person event for people who don’t have everything figured out but who want to build peace. Attendees will: • Learn how to practice peace in everyday life • Hear from courageous people pursuing justice, reconciliation and care in hard places • Share food, stories and space • Take action, like knotting comforters and sending advocacy letters, to remind us we’re not powerless Register at mcc.org/Ontario-Peace-Conference
THRIFT VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2026
Peaceful Practices for Everyday Life Peaceful practices grow out of MCC’s Christian faith and Anabaptist peace tradition, but they offer wisdom for people of all faith backgrounds or no religious background at all. Peace is not only something we hope for in the world; it is something we practice in everyday interactions. These practices invite us to listen with care, stay curious, speak honestly and treat each person with dignity. This quarter’s invitation: In a moment of tension or disagreement, pause before responding. Choose curiosity, ask a thoughtful question or listen to understand. Small choices like these help us grow together as a community of peace.
Creating a Respectful Volunteer Environment Our Volunteer Code of Conduct helps create a welcoming and respectful environment for everyone. Volunteers are expected to volunteer in a manner that reflects our mission: “MCC shares God’s love and compassion for all in the name of Christ by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice. MCC envisions communities worldwide in right relationship with God, one another, and creation.” One important expectation is: Deal with conflicts or difficulties in an appropriate manner. Challenges and disagreements happen. What matters is how we respond. We encourage volunteers to bring concerns forward respectfully, listen to different perspectives, and work with staff toward a constructive solution. A helpful reminder: If something is bothering you during your volunteer experience, please speak with your supervisor, manager or use the Speak Up service. We want to hear your concerns. Want to learn more? The full Volunteer Code of Conduct is included in the Volunteer Orientation Manual and the Speak Up service information is posted on a designated board. Ask a staff member where you can find a copy of the Volunteer Orientation Manual or the Speak Up poster and take a few minutes to review it. Thank you for helping us live out our mission through the way we treat one another.
You’re invited: Truth & Reconciliation (TR) Learning Days 2026 Volunteers are warmly invited to take part in one of MCC Ontario’s TR Learning Days 2026, Walking the Path of Peace: Learning from Indigenous approaches to relationship, community, and reconciliation. This virtual half-day learning opportunity will be offered on Tuesday, September 22 from 9 am - 12 pm or Wednesday, September 23, 9 am - 12 pm and volunteers are welcome to choose one of the dates that works best for them. Together, we’ll listen, reflect, and consider what MCC Ontario can learn from Indigenous understandings of peacebuilding, right relationship, community, and care for creation. The morning will include time in virtual small groups for conversation and connection, as well as self-guided learning using the resources provided. Those who register will receive the agenda and more details about how to participate. For more information contact volunteerservices@mcco.ca to register visit bit.ly/trdmcco2026volunteers.
THRIFT VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2026
Bucket of Thanks On Saturday, August 29, The MCC Hub in New Hamburg became a place of connection, generosity, and hands-on service. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, people of all ages gathered to pack MCC relief kits into buckets, filling them with practical items that will one day bring comfort, dignity, and hope to families facing hardship around the world. As I watched towels, bath soap, laundry soap, shampoo, nail clippers, combs, toothbrushes, and feminine pads being packed into buckets, I couldn’t help but think about where these supplies came from. They were purchased through the Round-Up for Relief campaign that many of you helped promote in our thrift shops earlier this year. Every time you invited a customer to round up their purchase, you were helping make this day possible. What may have felt like a small conversation at the cash register became something much bigger. Because of the generosity of customers and the encouragement of our volunteers, more than 250 relief kits were packed and prepared for a future MCC shipment from New Hamburg. The photos from the event tell a wonderful story. They show people packing buckets, working side by side, and sharing in a common purpose. They also tell another story, one that began months earlier in our shops. The impact captured in these pictures is a direct result of volunteers who took the time to ask, customers who chose to give, and a community that came together to turn generosity into action. Thank you for being part of that story. Thank you for the many ways you support the mission of MCC through your service in our thrift shops. Because of your efforts, these buckets are now ready to make their journey into the hands of people who need them most. Your work matters. And this Bucket of Thanks is for you.
Lynda Lynch Thrift Director