Frequent Questions
Yes! Our donation centres are open 6 days a week, Monday to Saturday and we’d be happy to take your donations at one of our local thrift shop locations:
- MCC Thrift on Kent, 50 Kent Ave., Kitchener
- MCC New Hamburg Thrift Centre, 41 Heritage Dr., New Hamburg
- MCC Thrift & Gift, 59 Church St. W., Elmira
MCC Picks Up is operated by a charitable organization. Your donations not only support people in your community but people in Ontario and around the world. All proceeds from sales of donated goods fund Mennonite Central Committee programs.
For 50 years, we have operated MCC Thrift Shops in Ontario and we know that not everyone has the capacity to drop off donations. Therefore, MCC Ontario has launched MCC Picks Up to assist new donors in directing their donations where the impact is multiplied.
Both MCC Thrift on Kent and MCC New Hamburg Thrift Centre operate furniture pick-ups. Furniture pick-ups require two people and specific loading techniques. MCC Picks Up is a program of convenience and by accepting bagged and boxed goods only, we are able to do more pick-ups in a day.
For many reasons, some people find it difficult to physically donate to our shops. MCC Picks Up allows more people access to contribute to a worthwhile charity right from their homes.
Yes, this is a specialized service and needs a conversation so we can understand your needs. Please call or email us.
There are multiple reasons, efficiency, safety and flexibility are the main reasons. You don’t have to be home for us to collect.
Absolutely, we have established partnerships with many multi-unit addresses already. We want to make it easy for you and your neighbours to donate. Please call or email us.
No, we are not a dumping service. Any items deemed as garbage or not suitable to be resold in our shops may be left behind. By taking these unusable items, we have to pay fees to discard them.
Your donated items are sold within the MCC Thrift Shops and there are certain items that Health Canada does not allow us to sell. For instance, baby safety items (car seats etc.), recalled items and helmets are just a few. Please click here for a detailed list of items we do not accept.
You will receive an email confirmation and a text message with a window of time, we try and keep that window small.
We are currently operating MCC Picks Up within the Region of Waterloo and some outlier communities. As we establish MCC Picks Up, we will be adding more addresses. So please, continue to check or email us at mccpicksup@mcco.ca with a suggested community.
Unfortunately, there are many reasons why something may have been left behind. You may get an email or a note was left behind with details. Some reasons are:
- Box or bag exceeded 50 pounds or 23 kilograms
- Bag or box was ripped or rummaged through prior to our arrival
- Item was on the list of things we can’t take
- Bag or box smelt heavily of smoke
Your donations are distributed to our three local MCC Thrift Shops. At the local shop, volunteers unload, price and merchandise your items to sell within our local communities.
- MCC Thrift on Kent, 50 Kent Ave., Kitchener
- MCC New Hamburg Thrift Centre, 41 Heritage Dr., New Hamburg
- MCC Thrift & Gift, 59 Church St. W., Elmira
