Aylmer Mennonite Community Store
20 Talbot Street East, Aylmer
Our thrift store provides a good affordable option for people in our community to obtain good clothing, shoes, books and household items. Donated items come from the public, and are sold often upcycled or repurposed. We are a locally owned thrift shop who support programs in our community and global programs through MCC.
Making Use of Your Unusables
Your Thrift Store Donations @ Work in Your Community and Around the World
Spring cleaning – is it something you enjoy or dread? Either way, whether it happens in spring or any other season of the year, many of us eventually come across the need to purge our closets and basements. Bags and boxes get packed with the things that clutter not only our homes, but our lives, too. 
The only question, now, is how do you deal with all that stuff you’ve put in the boxes and bags? Some things still hold some value – just not to you. You certainly don’t want them thrown into a landfill, but neither do you want to see them sitting on a thrift store shelf somewhere priced at only a dollar or two. Other items are just the opposite, seeming a little too well-used to be of any value to anyone. At the Aylmer Mennonite Community Store, staff and volunteers have come up with creative solutions on best uses for your unwanted items from both ends of the spectrum. Silent Auction: When you pass by the Aylmer Mennonite Community Store you’ll notice our windows filled with unique and interesting collectibles, antiques, and vintage items. You might also see limited edition prints or high-end, brand-name bags, shoes or pieces of clothing. These items are part of our silent auction and must be bid upon in the store. In 2015, over $13,000 was raised through the sale of these items. 
Arts and Crafts: MCS is proud of the many talented people who volunteer at the store. They salvage discarded and otherwise unusable fabric materials andtransform them into works of art. Handcrafted quilts, throws, pillows, and clothing for dolls are some of the things they make. You’ll see these items for sale in the store. Quilts are also made by special-order – come in and speak to a manager to order yours. Recycling program: The cardboard boxes your items arrive in and those clothes and toys that are truly not usable are diverted from the landfill through an arrangement with a recycling company. When you donate to MCS’ Community Store there’s more to feel great about: all the proceeds from the sales of your items are put back into the local community as well as countries around the world. In the last four years, more than $100,000 has been distributed through MCC to aid in world-wide relief and the same amount has been put into programs in Elgin County through MCS. De-clutter, re-use, recycle and raise funds for those in need… now, that’s a lot of impact for your unwanted items!
Programs
Customer Appreciation & Christmas Sales The Customer Appreciation Sale is held in the spring, and the Christmas Sale in November. These events draw many people through our doors, allowing us to rotate stock and present new finds for our customers. Silent Auctions Along with other themed window displays, our silent auctions have been successful in promoting interest from the public and getting new customers into the store. Volunteer Appreciation Activities Volunteer appreciation suppers are hosted at least five times throughout the year. They are hosted by the various churches that are constituents of MCS. Arts and Crafts Many of our unusable fabric materials are given new life through the talents of many people. Some of our volunteers turn discarded fabrics into works of art, salvaging materials for quilts and throws, while others outfit all of our dolls with new, handcrafted clothing or turn old stuffed animals into new pillows that are greatly appreciated by many, including families coming to the area for seasonal work. We send quilts to the annual New Hamburg MCC Quilt Auction to support MCC.
People
Store Manager: Linda Miller Assistant Managers: Agatha Giesbrecht & Marie Dyck
Partners
Our stock is graciously provided by donations from the public. We could not provide any of our services without this generosity.
Store Hours
Winter Hours (Nov – Mar):
Mon – Thurs 9am-5pm
Fri 9am-8pm
Sat 9am-5pm
Sun Closed
Summer Hours (Apr – Oct):
Mon -Wed 9am-5pm
Thurs & Fri 9am-8pm
Sat 9am-5pm
Sun Closed