Final destination: Akron

Mennonite Central Committee
Friday, 3 March 2000

AKRON, Pa. -- For many people beginning an MCC assignment, Akron is just a layover: a short stop on the way to some far-off destination. For me, Akron was the final destination.

Although Akron isn't as exotic as other locations where MCC workers are, it does have its own unique flavor.

The Akron unit has 37 service workers (including children) of various ages and backgrounds. A number are from overseas: Germany, Switzerland, Croatia and Paraguay, so I am gaining a cross-cultural experience living and working with people from other countries. We also have people of various age groups and marital status. We have couples who have retired from their jobs but aren't ready to stop working. We also have families with young children as well as singles.

We are also unique in the jobs we do. Working at MCC headquarters, we take on various positions. Unit members serve at MCC U.S., for Ten Thousand Villages, in the warehouse and the store, as well as for bi-national office. With all the buildings MCC occupies in the small town of Akron, there are about 180 workers including salaried and service workers.

With so many workers you think it would be difficult to know everyone. At least one person here knows everyone. In fact you could say that it's his job to know. That would be Andy Schaefer, the mail clerk from Lage-Lippe, Germany. He delivers the mail to the different offices that make up MCC. So he pretty much knows everyone who works for MCC and where their desk is. There's also Debra Fehr, from Winkler, Manitoba, who meets and greets all MCC visitors from her seat at the reception desk. She's the one on the other end of the phone when constituents call: "Mennonite Central Committee. How can I help you?" She can rattle off almost anyone's extension if you quiz her.

Service workers in the warehouse love their jobs because they get to see new Ten Thousand Village products first. They open the boxes hoping to see all the pieces intact and in the color that was ordered. Some of them are responsible for picking, packing and shipping items ordered to Ten Thousand Villages stores. Agatha Reimer, from Winkler, Manitoba, who works as a purchasing assistant in the international department, sees product samples that come in from artisan groups. Once Ten Thousand Villages decides which item to purchase, Agatha pulls together the order to send back to the artisan group letting them know which item and how many Ten Thousand Villages will purchase.

Ben Sander from St. Georgen, Germany and Sebastian Schulze of Drehnow, Germany, spend six months here and another six months traveling to 33 locations in 12 states and in Ontario in the portable meat canner. The canner can process 3,500 to 4,000 cans of beef, turkey, pork or broth each day.

Then there are those who provide support at 12th Street, MCC bi-national headquarters. There's Dave Lepp, from Harrow, Ontario, the computer services worker, who helps people find files they've lost or who can't open their email -- he's always ready to drop whatever he's doing to come to your desk to figure out why your computer is not behaving. There's the darkroom technician, Tony Siemens, from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, who takes pictures, processes film and prints photos. And then there are the administrative assistants, like me, who keep things running smoothly.

After the work week we find the time to get together to have fun. Since our unit is larger than most we are put into smaller sub-units. In our sub-units we try to eat and play together once a month. Whether it's bowling or a square dance and hay ride there's always time to play.

So even though my final destination wasn't to some exotic locale in Africa or Asia, I've still been able to meet interesting people from different parts of the world. My term of service has also allowed me to give part of my life to an organization that I believe in.

For more information, or to contact Mennonite Central Committee, see their website at: www.mcc.org