Welcome to MCC Ontario!
In addition to more than 490 projects worldwide, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is actively engaged in making a difference in Ontario. We walk towards reconciliation with Indigenous Neighbours and alongside newcomers building a new life in Canada. We support those impacted by crime or facing the realities of poverty and homelessness. We work to build stronger and safer communities.
Across Ontario, the Indigenous Neighbours program facilitates reconciliation through relationship, art, and advocacy. We help share culture by supporting Indigenous artists through the Niska program, and help address issues of systemic poverty by advocating for justice and promoting sustainable livelihoods. We are actively responding to the Calls to Action put forward by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to begin the processes of healing and peacebuilding with Indigenous partners. mcco.ca/indigenous-neighbours
Nearly 90 years ago Mennonites from Western Canada migrated to Mexico as a result of the rising nationalism and changing elementary education legislation. They viewed these changes as a threat to their religious and social values and as a reneging of governmental promises. Low German newcomers who are eligible to return to Canada receive assistance from our programs in overcoming barriers to health information and social services and assistance with settlement services. We network and liaise with providers and agencies in delivering culturally sensitive services in order to build mutual positive attitudes and relationships between newcomers, community helpers and churches. mcco.ca/low-german-communities
MCC's Material Resources program collects and ships desperately needed aid materials all over the world, mobilizing volunteers and donors across the province to amplify their impact as we foster peace by meeting the basic needs of our brothers and sisters in need. From nutritious dried soup mix to fly-in Ontario Indigenous Communities to emergency food and shelter supplies in Syria, Material Resources connects the province of Ontario with those in need around the globe. mcco.ca/kits
Our People in Poverty program walks alongside people in our community facing the realities of poverty and homelessness through our Circle of Friends and TOOLS (Toronto Ontario Opportunities for Learning and Service) initiatives. MCC Ontario also champions the Living Wage movement and supports the Raw Carrot social enterprise in Kitchener. mcco.ca/poverty-reduction
MCC has a long and rich history of responding to the needs of refugees. We were one of the first organizations to become a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) with the federal government in 1979. Most recently, MCC Ontario has been active in responding to the sponsorship of refugees from the Middle East, growing our program significantly since 2014. We work with churches, neighbourhood associations, institutions and municipalities who open their hearts and communities to welcome newcomers. mcco.ca/supporting-refugees
Restorative Justice (RJ) looks at crime not only as the breaking of laws, but also as the breaking of relationships. RJ asks questions of who has been hurt, what are their needs and who is responsible to begin to make things as right as possible. RJ works to address the needs of those who have been victimised, the community who has been impacted by the crime and the offender. At MCC, our RJ work encompasses supporting individuals returning to the community after incarceration through Faith Reintegration Initiatives, Circles of Support and Accountability and Dismas Fellowship and additional community based activities responding the needs of communities and individuals who have been impacted by crime. mcco.ca/rj