MCC Welcoming Place nears completion

Mennonite Central Committee
Friday, 18 May 2001

AKRON, Pa. -- A new orientation and meeting center at the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) offices here is nearing completion. Known as the Welcoming Place, the new facility will offer accommodations and meeting rooms for more than 1,500 annual visitors.

The Welcoming Place will be dedicated Friday, June 15, with an open house festival Sunday, June 24, from 2 to 8 p.m. Additionally, the campaign to raise $2.4 million is within $500,000 of the goal.

The new facility replaces North Hall, a 50-year-old converted tobacco barn dormitory that needs to be demolished.

To date nearly $1.9 million in donations has been received for the project. "Gifts given to support the Welcoming Place offer a blessing on MCC's mission of sending people to walk alongside a hurting world," said Ron Mathies, executive director.

Under construction since May 2000 The Welcoming Place is a collection of four housing units. Each has 11 bedrooms, a gathering area, an efficiency kitchen and a porch. Placed in close proximity, the houses form a "village." The decor of each unit reflects a continental area: Asia, Africa, the Middle East/Europe and the Americas.

Located at the edge of the village is the Meeting Place, a multi-purpose facility with two large meeting rooms, several smaller conference rooms and a children's orientation center.

The striking new facility has drawn comments from neighbors, construction tradespeople, MCC volunteers, staff and visitors, according to MCC staff. "Some find the bright colors and geometric designs on the exterior walls and the 'tin roofs' shocking for a Lancaster County location," said Dave Worth, director of MCC Constituency Ministries.

"Others feel the design effectively reflects the village settings where many MCC workers and their partners live and serve," Worth added. "One thing's certain -- the Welcoming Place will provide good accommodation and meeting space for the organization for many years to come."

Many guests to the Akron offices are MCC volunteers and staff preparing for assignments. While in Akron they attend a two-week orientation to learn in-depth about global issues and MCC's approach to relief, capacity building and peacemaking.

Other guests include international visitors, some of whom are Mennonite and Brethren in Christ church leaders, as well as guests from partner agencies and MCC board and staff members from MCC offices across Canada and the United States. All of these visitors total nearly 9,000 nights of stay annually.

Contributions for the completion of the Welcoming Place can be marked "Welcoming Place" and sent to MCC at P.O. Box 500, Akron, PA 17501-0500, or donate via credit card at www.mcc.org.

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