FAQ

It is an organization formed to organize and supervise an annual relief sale and auction fundraiser for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a nonprofit organization devoted to meeting human needs around the world “In the Name of Christ.”

It is sponsored by over 100 churches: Amish, Apostolic, Brethren, Mennonite and Conservative Mennonites in Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.

The Relief Sale is now the 2nd Friday/Saturday in July in Mount Hope, Ohio

Mt Hope Auction Center
8076 OH-241, Millersburg, OH 44654

The Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale has a policy of selling only donated items. These are brought in prior to the sale.  There are also priced and tagged items. Registration is required to bid at any of the auctions. Payment is made at the booths or at the check out location.

There are approximately 100 handmade quilts plus wallhangings and crib quilts, along with several hundred general items, including handcrafted furniture, hand tools, lawn mowers, vehicles (it depends on the year.) Children’s activities include a jumping house, kids’ games. Foods include baked goods, sausage or bratwurst sandwiches, barbequed chicken, noodles, Laotian Egg Rolls and homemade ice cream. Stands with items pre-priced include live plants and crafts and needlework as well as the special MCC display of items shipped in from 10,000 Villages.

People say, “It’s like a folk festival.” “It’s a festival atmosphere where people come from communities far and wide to eat, visit, and buy.” “It brings people together with a hearty how-do-you-do.” “It’s a thousand things happening at one time.” “The smells of food are wonderful!” “It’s love in action.”

It’s hard to estimate as no tickets are sold. Entrance is free. It was approximated that around 2,000 attend each year. Of the 43 relief sales found in the United States and Canada, Ohio ranks fourth. Relief sales with higher revenues are believed to have larger attendance. They are Kansas, Pennsylvania, and Michiana.

The first Relief Sale in 1966 raised $3,000. Recent events have raised upwards of $300,000 to $375,000.

The money is sent to Mennonite Central Committee offices located in Akron, Pennsylvania and Winnipeg, Manitoba where the proceeds are sent around the globe. The agency has hundreds of workers in more than 40 countries Approximately 8% is used for overhead expenses. All the rest goes directly to relieve hunger, homelessness, disasters caused by flood, wars, famine, earthquakes etc.

• MCC does not receive significant USAID funding. MCC receives some reimbursement from USAID ($140K in this fiscal year) for shipping material resources. This was for MR shipments to Burundi, Chad, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Malawi and Zambia. Most of MCC’s annual income comes from individual donors.
• MCC recognizes that we can’t work alone as we walk alongside communities impacted by conflict or disaster. It takes an international community working together for the common good. Ultimately, reduced funding through USAID (or a complete shut down) means that countless people and communities will suffer, including people facing humanitarian crises in places like DR Congo, South Sudan, Ukraine and Syria. As a result, global humanitarian needs will be more acute. MCC is deeply saddened by how this will impact our global neighbors.
• Some MCC partners (who receive USAID funding on their own or through another agency) are directly affected by the funding pause and uncertainty at USAID.
• MCC and our partners will continue to respond as we have in the past. We will continue to listen carefully to our partners and expect that they’ll identify increased gaps/needs as other organizations in the sector begin to feel the affects.
• At this point, with so much uncertainty, MCC does not yet have direct plans to scale up any of our work. We will continue to respond based on need and requests from our local partners as resources allow.