In October 2019, the Niverville MCC Thrift Shop donated $14,500 to local charities and projects that enrich the lives of citizens in and around Niverville.
“The Niverville Thrift Shop gave $14,500 in October to local community charities which included Niverville Youth for Christ, Niverville Helping Hands, Niverville Multiplex, Growing Hope Project, Niverville and District Growing Project, Niverville Heritage Centre projects, and Open Doors Niverville,” says Gerald Loeppky, the store’s manager.
Many believe that funds raised through the local thrift store go entirely overseas, and indeed the MCC thrift shops in Manitoba follow the mandate of MCC Canada, which calls for the funds raised from the sale of second-hand clothing, furnishings, and housewares to go primarily towards providing relief and aid internationally.
However, the Niverville MCC Thrift Shop has not been limited to providing international support. They have supported plenty of homegrown initiatives and projects.
Loeppky says that the MCC receives 50 percent of the store’s total sales, and the balance is used for the operation of the store.
“MCC has also made provision for us to donate up to five percent of our total sales to local charities,” he adds, stressing that the board sees the importance of supporting citizens of all ages in our community. “In the past, one of the main beneficiaries of our local donations has been the Heritage Centre and the PCH. We thought it important to support these initiatives so that we could provide a dignified and supportive quality of life to the seniors within our community… This year, we shifted our focus slightly, wanting to recognize the many young families who also support this community in a variety of ways, and we hope that the Niverville [CRRC] will serve them and their families well.”
Loeppky explains that 90 percent of the work done at the Niverville Thrift Shop is handled by volunteers, many of whom are seniors. There are about 170 volunteers working to sort, clean, and sell these items.
“However, when it comes to donations and shopping, we do receive tremendous support from the younger families in the community,” he says. “They deserve our support as well, and our thank-yous.”
In 2018, the Niverville MCC’s sales totalled $475,000, and $230,000 of that was given to global relief aid. According to the MCC Canada website, the three areas that MCC focuses on are relief (“meeting people’s immediate needs for survival during times of crisis, such as a hurricane or war”), development (“strengthening people’s long-term access to food and water, healthcare and education”) and peace (“teaching conflict transformation skills, supporting peace education, advocating for justice and encouraging people to work together despite their differences”).
“The Niverville Thrift Shop has received tremendous blessings from the community for almost 50 years, and as a result we the community have been able to help relieve a lot of suffering around the world offering hope for a better future,” says Loeppky. “I believe that the Niverville community will continue to live generously, benefiting both ourselves and the world around us.”
