Celebrating a half-century of MCC Thrift
The first Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) thrift store opened in March 1972 in Altona, Man. In 2022, the thrift stores are celebrating the 50th anniversary of this first store in Canada. Celebrations are taking place at various times in different locations. There are 47 thrift stores in Canada, and 39 stores in United States. A…
Celebrating 50 years of MCC Thrift
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is celebrating 50 years of thrifting with the anniversary of the opening of the first MCC Thrift shop in 1972. The MCC Thrift network provides financial support for the work of MCC around the world. Over the last 50 years, MCC Thrift shops have contributed over $305 million to help people…
Watch: New video highlights thrift shop’s impact
A new video highlights the impact a Mennonite Central Committee thrift shop in southerwestern Manitoba has on its surrounding community. Volunteer Manitoba, an organization that supports the voluntary sector in the keystone province, recently selected the Brandon MCC Thrift Shop as one of three volunteer programs to highlight at its annual awards dinner. Although the awards…
Thrift shopper, peacebuilder
I was walking to church for an event a few weeks back and stopped by our local Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) thrift store for my usual weekly peek and to say hello to the dear ladies who faithfully volunteer their time. I thought I might actually be leaving the store empty-handed for the first time…
Watch: “The Story of MCC Thrift”
The story of Mennonite Central Committee’s (MCC) thrift shops is given a unique retelling in a new video. Filmed in one camera shot, the video starts with the creation of the first thrift shop in Altona, Man. in 1972 and traces its growth into a North American-wide network of more than 100 shops that bring…
Vintage hockey card auction nets over $13,000 for MCC
It was standing room only in the community room at the Woolwich Memorial Centre in Elmira, Ont., for an auction of vintage hockey cards, hosted by the local Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Thrift and Gift store on March 16. Potential buyers lined up early to view the cards and other memorabilia, including rookie cards for…
Grand opening for Edmonton MCC Thrift Shop
On Sept. 1, 2018, the Edmonton Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Thrift Shop held the grand opening for its new location at 12343 149th Street. In a busy area across from a Costco, the new location includes extra space for sorting and storage, as well as a larger display area, while cutting previous rental costs in…
Edmonton store to contribute to Ten Thousand Villages sustainability plan
On June 27, 2018, supporters of the Edmonton Ten Thousand Villages (TTV) store voted overwhelmingly to grant its board the authority to gift $100,000 to the TTV program of Mennonite Central Committee (Canada), in a one-time attempt at a sustainability plan. The Edmonton store was the final partner to agree to the plan that also…
Selling thrift by the pound
Volunteers who work at any of the many Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) thrift stores know the sorrow of unsold goods: clothing that hangs around for more than a month or dishes that don’t move out the door to grace someone’s table. The Generations Store in Waterloo, Ont., had a “We want your quality thrift goods,…
