Threads – Community, Comforters and Global Impact

Episode transcript:

Kyle Rudge (00:02):
It begins with a single thread woven through other thread, and then another and another until we have a single piece of fabric. That fabric is stretched, cut and stitched together with another, just like it. This process is repeated over and over and over until we have a beautiful tapestry that all began with a single thread. Welcome to an MCC Threads, where we look closely at how our stories in Manitoba weave together with the stories of MCC and its partners around the world. Mennonite Central Committee has a lot of things going on at any given moment, but it's rare that the general public is exposed to all of these irons in all of those fires. It's no secret either that when someone says MCC, the first thing that comes to mind is not the international development and relief and peace organization that is doing so in the name of Christ. It's more often than not that thrift shop down the street.

Mary Anne Falk (01:14):
Yes. I'm Mary Anne Falk, and I'm the co-manager at our Carman MCC Thrift Shop.

Kyle Rudge (01:19):
Earlier in February, a handful of MCC staff and myself from Winnipeg took that 90-kilometer trek to Carman Manitoba to visit the Carman MCC Thrift.

Mary Anne Falk (01:28):
My connection to MCC is, I come from the Carman area here, and when this position became available, I did not at all consider it. I had three people ask me if I was going to apply and I said no. And I finally said to my husband, what is God trying to tell me? Is this something that I should consider to be part of? Because I do believe in the work of MCC.

Kyle Rudge (01:50):
Prior to applying for the job and working here, did you know anything about MCC? Did you have any like experience?

Mary Anne Falk (01:56):
MCC has always been part of my background. My grandma came to this country because of MCC and shares how the family would've starved had it not been for MCC.

Kyle Rudge (02:07):
I'm noticing a 50 sign. What am I looking at there?

Mary Anne Falk (02:10):
That's our 50th anniversary of Carman MCC Thrift Shop that officially opened on January 24, 1975.

Kyle Rudge (02:17):
While it was nice to be at the MCC Thrift Shop -

Kyle Rudge (On location) (02:19):
So everything for me is 50% off today.

Mary Anne Falk (02:22):
Well, there are certain things that are 50% off.

Kyle Rudge (02:24):
I tried. I tried.

Mary Anne Falk (02:27):
You tried. Yes you did. Yes, you did.

Kyle Rudge (02:30):
Incidentally, I did find a spring coat that happened to be 50% off, so I got it for $5 instead of $10. But there were many customers that could attest, I was not given any special discounts. Quick fact: that $5 contributes to millions of dollars that MCC Thrift Shops generate to support the work of MCC both locally and internationally. Last year, the MCC Thrift network in Manitoba contributed nearly $4.3 million. All of that aside, it wasn't our only purpose for being there. We were actually there to not only visit the thrift shop, but to also see the intersection between three different MCC initiatives.

Mary Anne Falk (03:09):
And today is our knot tying comforter event that we're doing to promote MCC and the women are here doing that right now, and we're encouraging customers to participate to help out with that a bit. It's just today. Last year we did it for the first time and we decided that perhaps we should make it an annual event. So this is basically our second annual event for part of the MCC Great Winter Warm-Up.

Kyle Rudge (03:36):
The Great Winter Warm-Up is an annual MCC material resources event where comforters are tied and donated as a way of giving the gift of warmth. MCC's goal is 7,000 comforters across Canada before March 31.

Mary Anne Falk (03:50):
The comforters they're knot-tying today, and customers are encouraged to participate, if you wish, is just to bring in awareness to what MCC does. A lot of folks just see us as a thrift store. We do have models up about who we are and what we do, but for many folks, it is just a thrift store. And we wanted to just let them know that we are part of a bigger picture and folks can help out in this way by making comforters and participating in a group.

Kyle Rudge (04:19):
And this brings us to the intersection of three of MCC's initiatives. The first, of course, is MCC Thrift Shop in Carman, Manitoba, but the second is material resources. That's the making of the comforters. And then there is international program, which is the people that these comforters are going to help.

Kyle Rudge (On location) (04:38):
I'm gonna be talking to Yvonne. Tell me a little bit about her.

Mary Anne Falk (04:41):
Yvonne is one of our head clerks. She also works part-time over here and has a love for quilting. And it was her suggestion that this is something we could do in store and bring awareness.

Kyle Rudge (04:54):
So to set the scene, because this is of course an audio medium, we walked into the MCC Thrift Shop and it had various displays out in the front window, but there was a small section right near the front that was sectioned off with a large table and a huge comforter strewn out about, and there was about five or six women and one man that were all around the table tying various knots into this very multicolored comforter.

Yvonne Jeffers (05:19):
My name's Yvonne Jeffers. I'm a part-time clerk here, and I'm tying comforters for MCC.

Kyle Rudge (05:28):
Your manager was telling me just that it was kind of your thought and feeling, wanting to draw these two things together as two loves of yours, the MCC Thrift and the comforter and the quilting. Why did you wanna bring those things together?

Yvonne Jeffers (05:39):
I've been tying quilts for MCC for probably 25 years I think, individually and also with Carman Mennonite Church for a couple of times. It tends to come and go in interest. So I'm still doing it on my own and then I thought, well, you know, we should really do it here. A lot of people in the community don't really know what MCC even stands for. And so I think this is a really good way to say, yeah, it's cool that it's a thrift store, but there's cool things that we do. And why I love quilting is 'cause it's so cold in Manitoba [laugh], and I can't stand to think of anybody going to bed without a cover.

Kyle Rudge (06:19):
Yvonne was wonderful to talk to, and that's as good a reason as any for the Great Winter Warm-Up and contributing in such a way. I also pride a little further as to what was the purpose, what life-giving moment, what is the joy that is found within this project for her?

Yvonne Jeffers (06:39):
I love it. I love it, that we can contribute to a global project from my little town of Carman. I can make a difference, but, you know, it's such a simple, basic way, but it has such an impact and I want people to know that too.

Kyle Rudge (06:54):
So there we are in a very busy day at the MCC Thrift Shop in Carman, Manitoba. We've spoken to the manager, Mary Anne, to discuss about the thrift shop and the event that is going on with the comforter time. We talked with Yvonne, who is the one that is tying some of the comforters, but it's also her initiative to get these things tied and invite customers in to join in the project. But from here, where does it all go?

Konrad Loewen (07:18):
So, I'm Konrad Loewen, and I am the Volunteer and Engagement Coordinator for the Plum Coulee Material Resources Center.

Kyle Rudge (07:24):
Quick history lesson of the MCC Material Resources Center in Plum Coulee. It opened in 2004 as a joint venture between MCC Canada and MCC Manitoba. Four years ago, in 2021, the center was scheduled to be closed, however, due to a strong push from local volunteers and supporters, MCC Manitoba chose to reverse the decision and continue the operation themselves. It has stayed open since.

Konrad Loewen (07:49):
I started 11 months ago. Oh, so just coming up on a one year anniversary,

Kyle Rudge (07:55):
What brought you into the MCC fold? Where are you coming from? What's the connection there?

Konrad Loewen (08:00):
I come from 25 years of pastoring Mennonite Brethren churches and yeah, just sort of, that is sort of my background, having a connection with MCC through that, but actually my MCC connection would probably go back to when my parents were little children and were part of the Mennonites that were in Berlin, in Germany after World War Two and it was through MCC you know, bringing Mennonites to Paraguay.

Kyle Rudge (08:29):
So you heard stories of MCC growing up and things like that?

Konrad Loewen (08:33):
Yes. So my parents and my grandparents talking about that. And then when I was a child and obviously my parents immigrated to Canada as kids from Paraguay. And when I was a kid, my maternal grandmother sewed blankets for MCC.

Kyle Rudge (08:51):
So it's very fitting that you're now in material resources, Volunteer Engagement Coordinator when your grandmother was one of those volunteers at one point in time.

Konrad Loewen (08:59):
Exactly. So I get to inspect and do quality control [laugh]on blankets, but more importantly, be part of a great team of people within material resources who are making the it possible for people to receive those items.

Kyle Rudge (09:14):
Would your grandmother be proud of your quality control work?

Konrad Loewen (09:17):
I'll say, sure. [Laugh]

Kyle Rudge (09:21):
Konrad was a good sport about it all. And who better to ask when it comes to material resources. How does this connect to international program? Where would these comforters go?

Konrad Loewen (09:32):
That's a great question, and obviously we've got, you know, partners across the world in 45 different countries. So it could end up in a place like Ukraine, it could be in South Sudan, Haiti, El Salvador. This is some of the places that in the past are, these items have been shipped to.

Kyle Rudge (09:52):
So as a volunteer how do you connect the story of this blanket's gonna be helping somebody in one of those countries to the volunteer that is just tying a knot today?

Konrad Loewen (10:03):
For me, there's probably a couple of ways. I mean, obviously some of the basic way, or a basic way is just in that sense of Jesus in Matthew 25 talks about when you see the least of these, you know, those who are naked, hungry in prison. And the fact that it's our belief and our trust in Jesus invites us into seeing others in need. And then I also talk about that, you know, this comforter is bringing hope and comfort to someone who has probably lost everything. The vast majority of people who are on the receiving end of the resources from MCC have been displaced from their homes, and they've had to leave everything that they have.

Kyle Rudge (10:51):
I know you're 11 months out of the game, but I know pastors tend to be looking everywhere for anecdotes. If you were to give your sermon anecdote based on people that are coming here to do a comforter, where would you see that connection?

Konrad Loewen (11:04):
Wow. Yeah, that's a great question. [Laugh]. You know, for me, and I guess maybe, one of the things I tell my volunteers, the volunteers that come to Plum Coulee, and I tell people as I talk about my role that Tuesday is a highlight of my week, and it's just the coming together you know, Paul in his letters to the churches talks about how the body is all these different pieces. It's not just a foot or a nose or, you know, an arm. It's all the pieces coming and I see that every Tuesday of all these different people with different skills, different abilities. We sometimes disagree on, you know, certain things that are taking place in the world or how we perceive those things, but we're working together for a common goal. And so as I watch these folks here, you know, they're sitting around the table, they come with their different stories and they're all the different pieces, but they're working towards one common piece. And that for me is I think, really living out what Jesus invites us into. But also what the Apostle Paul writes about what it means to be the local church.

Kyle Rudge (12:22):
What's interesting is, as Konrad was detailing that to me, I had already spoken to both Mary Anne and Yvonne and both of them kind of talked about the volunteer culture and community in much the same way.

Mary Anne Falk (12:34):
The culture or the volunteers that we have come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Basically, they're from our churches, but we do have some who come in and would like to participate in something meaningful. And also we find for a lot of the older folks, it's a place to come for community, do a job, and have coffee, have good conversation, a few laughs.

Yvonne Jeffers (12:57):
You know, we are an important part of the community. We give out vouchers to new immigrants so that they can come and furnish their home. I think that's really important. We also give out vouchers to go with the food pantry so that people can buy children's clothing or get children's clothing. I love it. I love it that we can contribute to a global project. From my little town of Carman, I can make a difference.

Konrad Loewen (13:30):
Even if all you have is one hour in a year. And if you can come and be part of an event like this, or come to the warehouse in Plum Coulee and volunteer, or your local church that says we can pack 10 school kits, do that because it will change a life. It'll change your life, but it's also gonna change a life of someone on the other side of the world who's gonna receive it.

Kyle Rudge (13:57):
MCC Threads is produced by KR Words with story assistance from Jessica Burtnick. Big thank you to Konrad, Maryanne, Yvonne and everybody at the Carman MCC Thrift Shop for allowing us to come in and chat a little bit. If their stories inspired you to help donate your time to volunteer, assist with a Great Winter Warm-Up, or even donate gently used goods to an MCC Thrift Shop nearest to you. You can find all that information and more at mcc.org/manitoba. I'm Kyle Rudge, and this is MCC Threads.