Thanks to the hundreds of volunteers that serve at the Winkler M.C.C. Thrift Store, more of the dollars generated on a yearly basis can be forwarded on to help others.

Outgoing Board Chair, Garry Bueckert says, of retail stores in Manitoba, the Winkler M.C.C. is noted to have the largest number of volunteers, and the lowest number of paid staff.

"The number that we often hear, is around 300 volunteers," said Bueckert. "Some of those people come in there and work every day...so because of their work as volunteers we don't have to hire many people." The paid staff at the Winkler M.C.C. equates to three full-time employees, which allows the majority of sales earned to pay expenses, and then forward on to M.C.C. Canada, and for local donations.

At its annual meeting Monday night in Winkler, it was reported Winkler M.C.C. was able to donate $540,000 to M.C.C. Canada in 2018. "Part of that ($540,000) stays in Manitoba, but the majority of it goes overseas to the various projects around the world."

$28,000 was also granted to a number of local charities. Each receiving $3,000 from Winkler M.C.C. in 2018 were, The Bunker, Salem Foundation, Faith Mission, Eden Foundation, BTHC Foundation, Pembina Valley Pregnancy Care Centre, and Gateway Resources. The Pembina Counselling Centre and Winkler Family Resource Centre were each granted $2,500, and $2,000 went to Winkler/Morden/Altona Big Brothers Big Sisters.

"Then the final piece is that emergency relief is the emergency relief that we give to people who move in here and have to start from scratch. They're able to receive some goods from the store to help them get started."

Meanwhile, Winkler M.C.C. will again be opening a seasonal Ten Thousand Villages store at the Southland Mall in Winkler. Bueckert says the store will open this Friday, November 9th and will be open until just prior to Christmas.

Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit fair trade organization that markets handcrafted products made by disadvantaged artisans from more than 120 artisan groups in more than 35 countries.

"A lot of good things happen for those (artisan) families, and helps them to earn a living."