Two young farmers in the mountains of Nepal — Ishwor and Puja —support each other through shared knowledge and experience. Facing the challenges of climate change, economic pressures, and urban migration, they demonstrate how collaboration can transform farming. From raising cows to growing strawberries, they are building a hopeful future together. 

The MCC partner organizations that are implementing this Youth Empowerment and Eco-entrepreneurship Project (YEEP) are Hilly Rural Development Organization in Northern Morang (HRDON) and Group of Helping Hands (SAHAS Nepal). 

Mennonite Central Committee – Relief, Development, and Peace in the Name of Christ

Check out our Christmas Tree in the Foyer for Gift Ideas. 
You can give online at https://mcc.org/christmas or you can give at our church through cash, cheque, or e-transfer. Be sure to note that the donation is for MCC – Give Gifts of Comfort & Joy!
You may have received the magazine MCC “Gifts of Comfort and Joy” in the mail. If not, there are copies available under the tree.
Blessings!

Your generosity makes a difference for people like Sangita Sarkar Nodi, 9, whose family in Bangladesh is adapting to more frequent flooding from the nearby Jamuna River with innovations like hanging vegetable gardens and raised structures to protect livestock.
This gift can help families rise above not only floods but also challenges like conflict and poverty.
Explore the Christmas Giving Guide on the MCC website. If you are a regular giver to Mennonite Central Committee, you should have received their Christmas Catalogue.
https://mcc.org/christmas/give-gift-hope 

With the escalating violence in Lebanon, people’s lives are in danger and the need for basic necessities is great. MCC partners have mobilized in central Lebanon and Beirut to help, providing meals, hygiene items, bedding, health services, hot meals and psychosocial support for children.
 
Every donation made by Canadians to a Humanitarian Coalition member is matched to a maximum of $3 million until November 3, 2024. MCC participates in the Humanitarian Coalition through our membership in Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
 
You can give through our offerings - by cheque or cash and note on the offering envelope “Lebanon Crisis”, or by e-transfer and enter “Lebanon Crisis” in message box. Thank you for your gifts in this difficult time in Lebanon.

In the years after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi — which turned neighbors against neighbors, friends against friends, and in which moderate Hutus were also killed — Rwandan and international organizations started various peacebuilding initiatives. 
 
And, Francine Muhawenimana explains, “Even the children, they have conflict between them,” which can lead to arguments, theft and even physical altercations in schools.
 
The organization she works for, MCC partner Transformational Leadership Center (TLC), saw an opportunity to rewrite this narrative. Seeking to instill a culture of peace and a lifelong love of reading in children, TLC opened its first peace library in 2005. Today, the organization runs six libraries across Rwanda.
 
In addition to activities like these, children partake in peace debates. They are presented with a topic, and with a stance to take on it. They research the topic using library resources, and then practice public speaking skills when they state their case to their peers.
 
Mennonite Central Committee: Relief, development and peace in the name of Christ
https://mcc.org/our-stories/novel-approach-peacebuilding
​

Happy National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! Each October, NDEAM shines a spotlight on disability-inclusive employment and its impact.
The Raw Carrot provides supported employment for people living with disabilities and mental illness. Jobs are a sustainable means to address poverty and livelihood insecurity through a hand UP (instead of a handout).  
You can buy our great soups at MCC Thrift on Grantham! https://therawcarrot.com/

Please pray and donate for the people of Lebanon. The cycle of violence continues, with hundreds killed in Israeli military strikes on Monday. MCC continues to respond to displacement from southern Lebanon and is developing a further response. Contributions designated for MCC’s Gaza crisis response help to meet needs in southern Lebanon, as well as in Gaza and the West Bank.
 
Lebanon has been devastated by ongoing crises. 80% of the Lebanese population is below the poverty line. 90% of the country’s 1.5 million Syrian refugees face extreme poverty.
https://mcc.org/what-we-do/where-we-work/lebanon
 
Mennonite Central Committee: Relief, development and peace in the name of Christ

​Celebrating 50 Years of Thrift – Thanks to YOU!
2 PM on October 6th at Bethany Community Church,
1388 Third Street, St. Catharines.

We're marking 50 years of our Thrift Shop, and we couldn’t have done it without the incredible support of our volunteers, supporting churches and friends like you! Join us for a special Thrifted Threads Fashion Show, showcasing unique outfits that highlight the heart of thrift. It’s our way of saying thank you for your dedication and generosity over the years.

​Enjoy light refreshments, fellowship, and a look back at all we've accomplished together! 2 PM on October 6 at Bethany Community Church, 1388 Third Street, St. Catharines. Space is limited, so please let us know you are coming before Sept 30 by signing up in the shop, emailing [email protected] or calling 905-682-8944 and press 4.

Buckets of Thanks is a way to express your gratitude at Thanksgiving by paying it forward with generosity.
Each Bucket of Thanks (also known as a relief kit or relief bucket) is a five-gallon pail that’s filled with essential hygiene items and sent to people and families in need around the world.
To show your gratitude and help give hope to others this Thanksgiving, you can:
A.Pack a relief bucket and drop it off at your local MCC kit drop-off location. Contact your local MCC office to find out where you can pick up relief kit buckets to fill with supplies.
B.Sponsor a bucket for just $65 and cover the cost of supplies needed for a bucket. You can honor someone you love by sponsoring a bucket in their name with a printable Thanksgiving card.
C.Gather and drop off some or all of the supplies that go in a relief bucket at your local MCC kit drop-off location – Grace MC or MCC Thrift. Every item helps!
Help us meet our goal of donating 2,000 relief kits before October 31, and give buckets full of hope to those who need it the most. If you can’t get your buckets in this month, don’t worry — donations of relief kits are also accepted throughout the year.
https://mcc.org/get-involved/fundraiser/buckets
 
Mennonite Central Committee: Relief, development and peace in the name of Christ

Do you have newly retired friends with “time on their hands?” Do you know of teenagers that need to get their volunteer hours in? Send them to MCC Thrift.
We value the talents and passion that each of our volunteers bring to their role.
Generally, our volunteers fill the following positions: cashier, receiving, sorting, pricing, displays, workroom helper, or kitchen helper.
If you would like to start making a difference immediately, contact the shop at 254 Grantham Ave.
St. Catharines, at 905-682-8944, or [email protected]
 
MCC Thrift - Where Every Purchase Is A Gift To The World!