‘For God all things are possible’
In late October, Iglesia Cristiana Menonita de Colombia (IMCOL—Colombian Mennonite Church) issued a public statement declaring that there have been 60 massacres (killings of five people or more at a time) so far in Colombia in 2020. Victims include young people and small farmers, as well as 200 civic leaders. The violence stems from a…
MCC responds to double hurricanes
After two hurricanes in two weeks flooded several countries in Central America twice, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is providing emergency food and supplies and making longer-term plans to help with recovery. Hurricane Eta made landfall in Nicaragua on Nov. 3, and Hurricane Iota, the strongest storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, followed on Nov.…
Victor Neumann
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) began work in Thailand in 1960, but from 1963 to 1975 it had no programs there. In 1979, MCC started working with Indochinese refugees coming into Thailand with job creation, social services, agriculture and education programs. This is a photo of MCCer Victor Neumann of Abbotsford, B.C., with refugee workers processing…
‘There is always a way’
Christen Kong, 27, was part of the community outreach team at Toronto Chinese Mennonite Church when the group started a local butterfly garden to encourage pollinators. Kong marvels at how that small garden project became a “community connector” and a place of healing and wholeness. In a neighbourhood with food insecurity and high unemployment, the…
MCC Ontario AGM goes virtual
Mennonite Central Committee Ontario (MCCO) held its annual general meeting (AGM) online on Sept. 21, 2020. John Head, executive director, reported that most targets in the organization’s five-year strategic plan were met. He said the organization made “strides in effective communication” especially on digital platforms, it increased its capacity in refugee resettlement since 2015, and…
Friends celebrate Leonard Doell’s long service with MCC
When Leonard Doell was hired as Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Saskatchewan’s Native Concerns program coordinator in 1996, he was told his job was “to drink tea with elders.” It was a job description he took to heart. After 24 years, Doell retired in June. On Aug. 21, colleagues and friends gathered on the lawn outside…
MCC connects with supporters through digital media
“One bar of soap isn’t just a drop in the ocean of need. The ripples keep moving out in ways we may not even be able to count.” Sophia Bezoplenko, who coordinates material resources for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Winnipeg, insists that “the small things are not as small as we think.” The reality…
Former Ten Thousand Villages stores in Alberta rebrand
“What would it take to stay open?” asked members of the Edmonton Ten Thousand Villages (TTV) Society after the organization announced its closure in early January. Independently owned stores across Canada held emergency meetings to decide what to do next. According to Ernie Wiens, a board member of the Edmonton TTV Society and of Edmonton…
MCC responding to explosion in Beirut
Mennonite Central Committee is responding to the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, that caused extensive damage throughout the capital city on Aug. 4. The blast is believed to have been caused by large quantities of ammonium nitrate, used for fertilizer and explosives, stored unsafely in a warehouse at the city’s port. “The damage all over Beirut…
EU grant helps MCC support peacebuilding projects in Middle East
With a 994,000-euro grant (C$1.5 million) from the European Union, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is empowering organizations to implement peacebuilding projects across four Middle Eastern countries. MCC and its Lebanese partner, Development for People and Nature Association (DPNA), a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable development, are using the funds over three years to support the…
