The Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Material Resource Center of Harleysville was started in 2003 as a satellite center of the MCC Material Resources Center in Ephrata. Norman Good and Abe Landes, MCC East Coast Board members from Franconia Mennonite Conference and Eastern District Conference, along with Brenda Sims from the Brethren in Christ denomination were instrumental in getting the Material Resource Center (MRC) established.

The goals of the MRC were stated: to relieve the load at Ephrata Material Resources Center, to involve more volunteers from the Souderton area who cannot take a day for the trip to Ephrata Material Resources Center, and to bring awareness of MCC involvement in mission locally and globally. The Material Resource Center of Harleysville was to be one hundred percent in support of Mennonite Central Committee, started with a local initiative for the support of MCC, and was to be financially independent of MCC governed by its own board and supported by local churches and individuals.

The first location for the MRC was on the farm at 461-C Indian Creek Rd, Harleysville which was rented with a 5 year lease from Franconia Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities. The dedication and open house for this space took place May 4, 2003, with representatives from MCC East Coast and local supporting churches present. Some of the first projects included collection of school kits and health kits. We also sorted over 8,000 pairs of children’s shoes donated by Richter Office Supply; items they acquired in a building purchased when they expanded their business.

By 2006 the MRC was open Monday through Thursday from 9:00-3:00 for volunteers to donate their time for cutting patches and cotton rags, sewing and knotting comforters, quilting, and checking and packing MCC kits. Books were collected for Booksavers, located in Ephrata, where books are resold to schools and homeschools or shipped abroad.

The first official board for the MRC was formed in 2005 .

Members included:

• Dorothy Detweiler, Franconia Mennonite Conference
• Norman and Helen Good, Franconia Mennonite Conference
• Abram C. Landes, Eastern District Conference
• Henry and Mildred Moore, Franconia Mennonite Conference
• Brenda Sims, Brethren in Christ Churches

In 2006 nine acres of land on Souder Road, Souderton was donated to the MRC by Nelson Souder. Work on getting the land subdivided and ready for occupancy for the MRC occupied the board’s energies until July 2009. At that time the decision was taken to put that property up for sale and buy a unit from Rod Kratz from Good Plumbing and Ken Clemmer from Syna Tek in their building at 737 Hagey Center Drive. The center moved to that location in late January 2010. A dedication and open house was held June 4, 2010, with over 200 local church leaders and representatives from supporting churches and MCC East Coast in attendance.