A Spirit of Giving

After hearing about the devastation caused by Hurricane Felix this past fall, Simon wanted to do something for children who had been hurt by that. He thought it would make them happier if he could send them some of his toys, but after a discussion with his mom, he decided on a different approach.

Simon is 3 years old and his mom, Angela, said it was a bit of a challenge to explain the impracticalities of sending his toys to another country. But they decided that they could sell some of his toys in a yard sale and even bake some cookies to sell as well. They raised $27 with their efforts and sent their cheque to MCC for Hurricane Relief.

“It was a gift to be able to encourage his desire to share,” Angela wrote.

Another unique fundraiser took place this summer when Eva Wiebe and her family decided to raise funds in order to support the renovations of the Chilliwack Thrift Shop where Eva works as an assistant manager. She and her family decided to take advantage of the fields of blueberries around them and pick them in order to raise funds for the shop. Instead of simply picking fruit, they asked people to make pledges per pound of blueberries. The family raised nearly $5500 in the process – that's a lot of blueberries!

The children at Christ Church Anglican have chosen to buy goats through the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Christmas Giving Catalogue, which is filled with projects that helps people in need all around the world as a way to celebrate God's love. This particular Sunday School class set a goal of buying 16 goats, a goal they have met and are now hoping to double.

In order to track their fundraising, the kids coloured a life-sized picture of a goat, which they call their “goat of many colours.” One girl in the class raised $72 by making and selling key chains and bracelets. An adult helped out by allowing the kids to cut his hair for him and paying for it. You can read more about this unique story here.

These are just a few examples of the creative ways in which folks support the ministry of MCC. We are grateful fro the many ways in which people support this work: by volunteering, by prayer, and by making donations. If you would like to talk about other creative ways to support MCC, please contact Phil Schafran our Director of Resource Development at (604) 850 6639 or 1 888 622 6337.