The Board Chair for Steinbach MCC says sales were down slightly last year at their thrift store.

The organization held its annual general meeting Thursday evening and Gordon Kornelson reported total revenue for 2017 worth $1.388 million. That is down about $25,000 from 2016. Kornelson says they sent $380,000 to MCC Manitoba, donated $40,000 to local charities and used the remaining funds for operating expenses. Kornelson admits he's not sure why revenue was down last year.

As for Ten Thousand Villages, Kornelson says total revenue was $217,000, which is very similar to 2016. Kornelson says the Ten Thousand Villages store in Steinbach has higher sales than most. He adds The Joy of Giving campaign held at that store over Christmas brought in sales worth $18,500.

At Thursday's meeting, it was announced Sara Dueck of Kleefeld has stepped down from the board after serving six years. Grace Schmidt of Steinbach is also leaving the board after four years. Replacing them are Lois Loewen Epp and Heidi Martens. Mike Unger, Ben Penner and Susie Harder were all re-elected.

Meanwhile, Kornelson says they have changed their operating structure by creating a new position. Effective March 1st, Jason Hiebert will take over as General Manager for the two stores. Renate Peters manages the thrift store, while Laurie Koop holds that position for Ten Thousand Villages.