The Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Thrift Shop in Niverville has been a popular destination for 48 years. In 2022, their history of giving back generously continued with a donation of $17,500 to various charitable organizations.

Merris Dyck will take over as the new manager of the Niverville MCC Thrift Shop in April when current manager Gerald Loeppky retires after 15 years of service. Dyck explains that the MCC’s business model has them donate 50 percent of the money they take in from store sales to MCC Manitoba to help fund mission programs around the world. The other 50 percent of proceeds are used for local operating costs, as well as local charities.

“We have been fortunate to have given 50 percent of our sales to MCC Manitoba each year, even through business expansion and through COVID restrictions,” says Dyck. “The last few years, we have been blessed with being able to also donate to local charities.”

This past year, the seven-member board chose to make donations to five different nonprofits: Youth for Christ Niverville, the Heritage Life Personal Care Home Chaplaincy, the Opa’s Park Restoration Project, the Golden Friendship Circle, and the Niverville Fire and Emergency Services Department.

The first MCC Thrift Shop opened in Altona 50 years ago. The shop in Niverville opened just two years later, in 1974, after some local residents had the idea that they too could start their own venture.

Five women from five different churches spearheaded the project—Kathy Dyck (Word of Life Mission Church), Sadie Friesen (Niverville Mennonite Church), Hedy Peters (Niverville Mennonite Brethren Church), Katherine Unger (Niverville Christian Mennonite Conference Church), and Frances Klassen (Elim Mennonite Church).

The thrift shop’s original location was a building behind the current Chicken Chef. Afterward it moved to the building which currently hosts Back in Balance Massage Therapy. The shop was then moved further down Main Street to the building where Anya’s Hair Studio can be found.

Finally, in 2008, the shop grew large enough to move to its current location, which was formerly a hatchery. This current location has lent the organization much more space, both for the shopping area and area reserved for sorting and receiving.

Dyck hopes to continue the shop’s rich local history long into the future.

“We welcome any volunteers that would like to assist us,” Dyck says. “It is a wonderful place to meet new people and learn more about the community as well as helping with our goal of feeding the world and loving our community.”