Mennonite Central Committee
Ohio MCC Comforter Bash
Mennonite Central Committee will hold the second annual Ohio MCC Comforter Bash on Friday and Saturday, April 21-22, in the recreation building at the Kidron Community Park, 4434 Kidron Road, Kidron. Everyone is invited to knot comforters for Mennonite Central Committee at this event. A handmade comforter provides not only warmth but also a tangible message to people that their…
MCC essay contest is for youth
The annual MCC U.S. National Peace & Justice Ministries essay contest highlights the perspectives of youth on significant public policy issues. Are you a youth who attends a Mennonite high school or an Anabaptist church? This contest is your opportunity to express your views in essay format on critical issues facing U.S. society. Submissions are due Feb. 24, 2023, and may…
Webinar to highlight Uniting for Ukraine Program
Since February, more than 14 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes. In response, the U.S. government developed the Uniting for Ukraine community sponsorship program. Join MCC and Church World Service on Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. EST to learn more about the Uniting for Ukraine program and how the faith community can walk alongside Ukrainians as they…
Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale to send $400,000 to MCC
The Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale Board will send $400,000 to Mennonite Central Committee. Based on the recommendation of the group’s treasurer, a motion authorizing that action was approved at the organization’s recent wrap-up meeting. See the Board’s most recent newsletter for more information: Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale Newsletter.
MCC offers worship resource for Day of Peace
To help your church observe the International Day of Peace, which is Sept. 21, Mennonite Central Committee has created a short worship resource. Congregations can choose to celebrate and pray for peace on Sunday, Sept. 25, or another Sunday. International Day of Peace – Worship Resource
Emergency relief supplies distributed in Ukraine
Partners of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Uman, Kharkiv, Nikopol and other places in Ukraine recently distributed emergency relief supplies to more than 16,000 people. Learn more about this relief effort at https://mcc.org/stories/rockets-rosebushes-relief.
MCC requests material resource donations
Mennonite Central Committee’s inventory of material resources is getting low. Needed items include comforters, soap and towels as well as dignity, hygiene, infant care, relief, school and sewing kits. Your donations will provide relief and a tangible sign of hope for people in difficult situations around the world. To get involved, please visit mcc.org/kits.
MCC raises $8.8 million for Ukraine relief work
Thanks to the donations of many individuals, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) has raised $8.8 million to respond to the needs of the people of Ukraine. See MCC’s website for details: https://bit.ly/MCCUkraineDonations.
Explore these webinar offerings
By Ann Leaman Ohio Conference Resource Advocate This month I would like to highlight a variety of webinars being offered by various church-related agencies. The first is an upcoming webinar, and the other three are recordings of previously offered webinars. Housing Mennonite Central Committee will host “Creative Housing Solutions for Refugees and Asylum Seekers” on Tuesday, July 26, at 2…
MCC webinar to explore ‘Gardening for good’
Interested in creation care? On May 26 at 8 p.m., Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) will host a webinar, “Gardening for good: Creation care tips for your backyard and stories from Bolivia.” In this virtual visit, MCC will explore what it looks like to care for the planet ─ from our own backyards to remote Bolivian communities. This presentation will include…
Collaboration seeks to counter military recruitment
Mennonites Against Militarism – a collaboration of Mennonite Central Committee, U.S. (MCC) and Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) – is seeking to launch an initiative to counter military recruitment of U.S. youth. The vision for the project, Alternatives to Military Enlistment Network (AMEN), is to connect young people with volunteer advisors who can help them find non-military career, service and training opportunities. To learn…
Many work together at MCC Comforter Bash
Many people came together to support Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) at the Ohio MCC Comforter Bash on April 22-23. A total of 129 comforters were knotted during the two-day event at the Kidron Community Park Building, with 150 volunteers participating in the work on Friday and 75 volunteers on Saturday. MCC will distribute these comforters to people in need around…
MCC to offer webinar on welcoming refugees
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and Church World Service (CWS) are planning a webinar on Tuesday, April 12, for people interested in learning more about welcoming refugees in the United States. The hour-long webinar will begin at 2 p.m. During the webinar, Charity Stowell, MCC U.S. newcomer connections coordinator, and Ted Blessing, CWS community engagement organizer, will address several questions: Who…
Ohio MCC Comforter Bash set for April 22-23
Save the date for the Ohio MCC Comforter Bash on April 22-23! A handmade comforter provides not only warmth, but also a tangible message to people that their needs are not forgotten. Join others of all ages for this two-day event in Kidron to knot comforters that Mennonite Central Committee will distribute around the world. We invite you to make…
Resource offers conflict transformation tools
Conflict is a normal part of life. It arises in our workplaces, in our churches and with our families. To help people learn to work through divisive issues, Mennonite Central Committee U.S. has produced a new adult Sunday school curriculum, Peaceful Practices: A guide to healthy communication in conflict. It invites churchgoers to follow Jesus’ call to peacemaking through dialogue with…
Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale will be an in-person event this year
Wooster, Ohio — For 56 years, the Mennonite, Brethren, Apostolic and Amish churches of northeastern Ohio have worked together to create a festive event that raises funds for the work of Mennonite Central Committee. After a COVID-limited virtual auction in 2020, the Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale will return in person Aug. 6 and 7. The event will take place in…
MCC offers virtual tour of borderlands
Mennonite Central Committee is offering a Virtual Borderlands Learning Tour June 28-July 2. Sessions will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. each day. This virtual learning tour is designed to engage participants with the reality of immigration from a different perspective. The Ohio Conference Immigration Resource Team is encouraging everyone to consider participating in this learning tour. See http://bit.ly/VirtualBorderlandsLearningTour for…
MCC needs relief kit donations
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) needs more relief kits. MCC reports that its partners have requested 27,000 relief kits this year. But due to the pandemic, MCC’s Material Resources warehouse inventory is significantly lower this year than it was at this time last year. In order to meet this need, MCC needs your help. Learn more at https://mcc.org/get-involved/kits/relief.
MCC seeks summer staff for SWAP
SWAP summer staff needed! Mennonite Central Committee’s Sharing With Appalachia People (SWAP) program is in need of job site coordinators and meals coordinators to support home repair projects in Kimball, West Virginia, or Harlan, Kentucky. Applicants should be at least 19 years old, but these paid roles are not limited to young adults. For more information and to apply, visit…
Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale
The 2021 Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale will take place Aug. 6-7 at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Wooster. Please see the event brochure for details. Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale – brochure-2021
Join MCC’s Great Winter Warm-up
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) invites you to join the Great Winter Warm-up: At Home this winter. Last year, countless volunteers generously gave their time and talents to create more than 9,000 comforters at events across Canada, the U.S. and Europe. This year, MCC is asking people to stay safe and participate by making comforters at home instead. More information, including…
MCC podcast tells stories of migration
Check out the new “On the Move — En Movimiento” podcast from Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) that uses storytelling to challenge current narratives of migration. In the first episode, Ron Byler, recently retired executive director for MCC U.S., reflects on his January 2020 pilgrimage along the southern U.S. border. Ron drove and walked along the border wall and visited with…
Ohio MCC Comforter Bash is postponed
The Ohio MCC Comforter Bash originally scheduled for April 2021 has been postponed for one year. In the meantime, MCC encourages you to continue making comforters for MCC in your homes or churches. These handmade comforters bring hope and comfort to the people who receive them. They provide not only warmth, but also a tangible message that their needs are…
Hurricane recovery donations sought
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) asks for support for Central American hurricane recovery: Not one hurricane, but two hurricanes within two weeks have caused extensive flooding in Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Hurricanes Eta and Iota have destroyed crops and forced people from their homes. MCC is working with churches and community organizations to provide emergency food, hygiene supplies and cleanup support.…
Board to discuss 2020 relief sale results
The Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale Board will discuss results from the 2020 sale during a Zoom meeting Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. If you would like to join this meeting and hear about the results, see https://bit.ly/ReliefSaleWrap-Up.
Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale goes online
In mid-March, it all came to a stop. As with many other events, the global pandemic hindered the planning for the 55th annual Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale. Many relief sales around the nation and Canada were cancelled, leaving Mennonite Central Committee short on funding. With this in mind, the Ohio sale planning committee has committed to an online auction only,…
MCC seeks donations of school kits
With the start of the new school year imminent, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is asking for your help. MCC needs an additional 70,000 school kits to fulfill requests from their partners around the world this year. Making a kit is a fun and easy way to provide life-changing support to children in need. To learn how to pack a school…
MCC plans centennial livestream celebration July 26
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) will celebrate its centennial year with a virtual event on Sunday, July 26, at 6:30 p.m. EDT. MCC will be broadcasting live from Prairie Street Mennonite Church in Elkhart, Indiana, the site of an important first meeting in the formation of MCC when representatives of various Mennonite and Mennonite Brethren groups met in July 1920. This…
MCC plans centennial livestream celebration
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) will celebrate its centennial year with a virtual event on Sunday, July 26, at 6:30 p.m. EDT. MCC will be broadcasting live from Prairie Street Mennonite Church in Elkhart, Indiana, the site of an important first meeting in the formation of MCC. This livestream event will feature a combination of live and pre-recorded speakers and music.…
MCC U.S. names next executive director
Ann Graber Hershberger has been named the next executive director of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. She will begin her new role in October 2020 as current executive director J. Ron Byler retires. The shift reflects a leadership plan determined in 2019 and affirmed by the organization’s board of directors at their June 20 meeting. Hershberger began as associate executive director following…