March 26, 2026
Sometimes a story begins long before anyone realizes it. For Frances Kuetche, a newcomer from Cameroon, her MCC Thrift journey started not in the shop itself, but in an Edmonton, Alberta, hotel lobby down the street.
The story starts at the end of February 2025. Andy Arthur, Prairie Thrift volunteer manager, was traveling to visit the thrift shops in the Alberta network and had just finished a day at the newly established Edmonton MCC Thrift shop. He was back at his hotel when he overheard a man, Merlin Kuetche, asking about job opportunities for his wife in the hotel lobby. The couple had recently immigrated and she was eager to find a place to gain Canadian experience. Andy stepped forward, mentioned the new MCC Thrift shop opening nearby and shared a link to apply as a volunteer. The conversation was brief and they went their separate ways.
A month later, when Andy returned to visit the new shop, one of the staff, Verna Leighton-Beedie, excitedly told him about a wonderful new volunteer who was learning quickly and helping across multiple departments. Andy asked to meet her and that is when he was introduced to Frances. As they talked, the pieces fell into place.
Andy asked if her husband worked at the hotel down the street. She responded that he did, and they both realized the connection. The chance encounter had come full circle.
For Frances, those early days at MCC Thrift left a deep impression.
“I remember feeling an immediate sense of warmth and purpose,” she says. “Even coming from a French speaking background and being new to Canada, I didn’t feel like a stranger. I felt welcomed.”
She described the shop as calm, organized and deeply kind. “It didn’t feel like a typical retail environment. It felt like a community hub where everyone was working toward a common goal of helping others.”
By the summer of 2025, her dedication and quick learning led to something unforgettable: a job offer.
“It was more than just a position,” she says. “It was a sign that the team believed in me and my potential, even while I was still mastering English. It gave me the boost I needed to feel like I truly belonged.”
Working at the till became her daily classroom.
“Those small lightbulb moments when I realized I was joking and laughing with my coworkers in English without translating first made me feel like I truly belonged.”
Frances logged more than 100 hours in her first month volunteering.
Some of her strongest memories are simple ones.
“Sitting in the breakroom with other volunteers and staff felt like being at a family table,” she says. “Even though we came from different countries and spoke different languages, sharing a laugh made me feel like I had found a second family in Canada.”
Her time at MCC Thrift opened doors beyond retail. With growing language skills, Canadian experience and a strong reference, Frances eventually transitioned back into education, the field she worked in back in Cameroon. She is now studying in Canada and is set to graduate in 2027.
“I am taking education courses, since I want to continue in the education field. With my Cameroon diplomas, I’ve been placed at level three [in the undergraduate program]. So, next year will be my last year and I will obtain my bachelor’s degree in education.”
She still visits the shop regularly to say hello, shop and reconnect with the community that supported her as she found her footing in Canada.
Andy says he feels privileged to have witnessed her journey unfold in small snapshots over the months. He hopes more newcomers will find the same welcome, purpose and community at MCC Thrift, a shop rooted in the Christian mission of service that continues to draw people in.
MCC Thrift helped Frances find her footing in a new country and in turn, she’s helped make it a place where others feel at home too.