Biking and hiking raise funds for Alberta organizations
This summer, Alberta supporters of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and Camp Valaqua got physical to raise funds. MCC Alberta The group that calls itself Wheels of Waterton grew out of Ernie Engbrecht, Ron Esau and Dave Neufeldt’s love for cycling and support for MCC. In 2020, COVID-19 put a stop to the annual relief…
MCC reverses decision to close Plum Coulee warehouse
In January 2021, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Canada and MCC Manitoba declared that they would close their warehouse in Plum Coulee, Man., about 100 kilometres south of Winnipeg, and move material resource operations to New Hamburg, Ont. The Manitoba and national MCCs jointly operated the Plum Coulee distribution centre since 2004 and MCC Manitoba didn’t…
Outdoor MCC festival fundraiser a success
The parking lot of the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Centre on Gladys Avenue was filled with 400 volunteers and thousands of attendees on Sept. 18 for the annual MCC B.C. Festival for World Relief. This year’s in-person celebration was a welcome contrast to last year’s in the midst of the pandemic, where festival- goers could…
Circle of Friends program ‘transformative’
Circle of Friends is described as a “humble program” with “humble goals.” Margaret Smart, the program’s coordinator, believes it is “an amazing example of the power of small things.” Part of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Ontario’s larger Walking With People in Poverty program, Circle of Friends “supports individuals and families transitioning from homelessness and shelter…
Locked down but uplifted
“The love from Indonesia.” For Enosh Rupamajhi, Jeu Song and Olicky Muchindu—members of the Young Anabaptist Mennonite Exchange Network (YAMEN)—the warmth of relationship from their hosts and each other is a hallmark of their year. YAMEN, is a joint program of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and Mennonite World Conference (MWC) that offers young adults from…
New vision, new life
Adjust the dial. Pick a colour. Pop, snap. A new pair of glasses is ready to wear in five minutes. This is the project of Global Vision 2020 (GV2020), an organization based in the United States, that works internationally to screen vision and distribute prescriptive eyeglasses to the 2.5 billion people who need them…
MCC program shares ‘tools’ to combat homelessness
In 2013, the first cast of Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz’s “Homeless Jesus” was installed. The bronze statue, which depicts the Christ figure as a person sleeping on a park bench, was offered to two churches before being installed at Regis College at the University of Toronto. When Pete Olsen, coordinator of the Mennonite Central Committee…
A rewarding experience
Connecting with children can be a rewarding experience. When someone says thank you, it feels good. This is what happened at a Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) newcomers engagement project, held at various venues in St. Catharines, including Grantham Mennonite Brethren Church and a local library, from July 6 to Aug. 31. The project included activities…
What resilience looks like
From dealing with disaster to mental health recovery, partners of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Nepal and their beneficiaries demonstrate resilience. That was the theme of MCC’s first-ever trekking learning tour. From April 1 to 19, participants from all over Canada and the United States hiked around Nepal, taking in the vistas while visiting MCC…
Buildings crumble but faith remains
In the old city of Aleppo, Syria, Rev. Ibrahim Nseir stands on the pile of rubble that used to be his church. The building where his congregation once worshipped is now a pile of broken stones and dust. Although its church building has crumbled, the faith of the National Presbyterian Church of Aleppo has held…
