About MRC

OUR Mission

The Material Resource Center was founded in 2003 as a satellite of the Ephrata center. Norman Good and Abe Landes—MCC East Coast Board members from Franconia Mennonite Conference and Eastern District Conference—along with Brenda Sims of the Brethren in Christ denomination, were instrumental in establishing the center.

The MRC was created to ease the workload at Ephrata, involve more local volunteers from the Souderton area, and raise awareness of MCC’s mission both locally and globally. While fully supporting MCC, the Harleysville center was launched through local initiative, governed by its own board, and financially supported by area churches and individuals.

Its first location was a rented farm at 461-C Indian Creek Road in Harleysville, dedicated on May 4, 2003. Early projects included collecting school and health kits and sorting more than 8,000 pairs of children’s shoes donated by Richter Office Supply.

By 2006, the center operated Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with volunteers sewing comforters, quilting, preparing kits, and collecting books for Booksavers in Ephrata.

An official board was formed in 2005, representing Franconia Mennonite Conference, Eastern District Conference, and Brethren in Christ Churches. In 2006, nine acres on Souder Road were donated by Nelson Souder, but after several years of development efforts, the board chose to sell the property and purchase space at 737 Hagey Center Drive. The center relocated there in January 2010, followed by a dedication and open house on June 4, 2010, attended by more than 200 church leaders and MCC representatives.