Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Ontario’s meat cannery was recently featured on CTV’s Made Right Here. The facility brings volunteers together to can chicken that is shipped to families facing disaster and food scarcity.
“Protein, especially shelf-stable protein, is really hard to find in times of disaster or war,” said MCC Ontario Executive Director Michelle Brenneman. “We receive requests from our partners to deliver meat that can be distributed to people in need.”
Each canning day, raw chicken is prepared, sealed, pressure-cooked, cooled, labelled and packed for shipment. Volunteers play a vital role in every step, ensuring that each can is handled with care before it reaches families in need.
In its first week of operation this September, the cannery produced 2,000 cans. This year’s goal is 60,000, each providing vital food and hope to someone in crisis.
MCC has been sharing canned meat with families in crisis since 1947. The New Hamburg facility, launched in 2025, strengthens that commitment with the capacity to produce up to 50,000–60,000 cans each year.
This work is only possible through community support. Volunteers, donors and staff are coming together to make a lasting difference — one can at a time.
You can help make this impact possible. Watch the full CTV News feature here: Made Right Here: Mennonite Central Committee – CTVNews
Want to see the impact up close? Visit the MCC Hub in New Hamburg for a behind-the-scenes tour of meat canning, comforter making and relief kits. Contact (519) 745-8458 or email info@mcco.ca for more details.
September 24, 2025