Dear Friends,

Many people I know have fallen in recent weeks and sustained some serious injuries. My sister was one of those who fell, and people came to offer help on a busy city street where it happened. A visit to the nearby hospital emergency room confirmed no broken bones in this case, although others I know did not come off quite so fortunate. 
 
I’m reminded of the text in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 that says that “two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” I think this is a good picture of what MCC does, helping people around the world, striving to share God’s love and compassion through relief, development and peacebuilding. 
 
Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership in the work of the Mennonite Central Committee. God bless you as you bless others in the name of Christ.

Stephen Roy
Church and Community Relations Associate
Mennonite Central Committee of Ontario
https://mcccanada.ca/ontario-speakers

MCC Thrift Shop Volunteers
 
April 16 - 22, 2023 was volunteer appreciation week! And MCC Thrift Shops can’t thank their volunteers enough for the hard work they do!
From sifting through bags of donations, pricing items, organizing merchandise for the shop floor, and being cashiers, MCC Thrift volunteers make these shops run everyday!
If you or someone you know would like to volunteer at MCC Thrift on Grantham, they’d love to hear from you. (905) 682-8944
MCC Thrift stores welcome donations all year long.
And don’t forget to purchase some soup made by the Raw Carrot non-profit group. 😊
https://mccthriftontario.com/stcatharines/
 
MCC - Relief, development, and peace in the name of Christ!

When you make a comforter for MCC it goes to help people in places like Ukraine. Picture a family with a child who has cerebral palsy who has received handmade comforters, a relief kit and cans of meat supplied by MCC. What wondrous love is this!?
In Ukraine, MCC partner New Life Charitable Fund assists people with disabilities in Nikopol with MCC humanitarian relief. Some of them live with relatives, but many live alone. They are reluctant to leave their city, and with limited mobility, it is difficult to access underground bomb shelters.
New Life states that the humanitarian assistance from MCC was a joy not only because it filled a need, but because it reminded the recipient that someone remembered them and cared for them.
Interested in making an MCC comforter?
 
MCC - Relief, development, and peace in the name of Christ!
 
Visit mcccanada.ca/comforters for more information.

Loud noises remind Misha, 6, of frightening artillery sounds in Ukraine. "Fear, he lives in my ears when I hear explosions. I'm very scared," he says.
Veronica, 7, silently clutches a stuffed bear at all times. She doesn’t remember where she came from. Her family escaped, leaving all their possessions behind.
As the crisis in Ukraine passes the one-year mark, we grieve with children whose lives have been forever changed because of war.
We also see hope in the creative ways Nevo, an MCC partner in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, is helping children process feelings of fear and unease through working with clay. - Cheri Wampole
 
MCC - Relief, development, and peace in the name of Christ!
 
https://mcccanada.ca/stories/childrens-war-stories