In the fall of 1959, John Roth and Clarence Yordy from Morton, IL visited Arthur looking for support for a new MCC Relief Sale to be held in Congerville, IL. Their first contact was with Orva Helmuth from Arthur Mennonite Church. With Orva, they spent the day visiting local Amish church leaders, generating a great deal of interest in the Congerville sale.

On March 12, 1960 Ura Yoder and Orva Helmuth transported a pickup load of items from Arthur to that first Relief Sale in Congerville. The following year, an even larger pickup load of items went and the sale netted over $5,000. Soon people started wondering if Arthur should have their own Relief Sale. The Arthur area had long been involved in various relief efforts including a yearly meat canning initiative for MCC that had started in 1945. Financial support for MCC began in Arthur in 1948 when one area church, Arthur Mennonite, started taking a monthly relief offering. Interest in a local Relief Sale seemed to be a natural continuation of the relief efforts that had already been taking place in the community for several years.

A committee was formed that included representatives form all of the Mennonite churches in the Arthur area and plans were put into place for the first Arthur Mennonite Relief Sale to be held in 1962. That first sale was held on February 17th at the Arthur Sale Barn just north of town and raised approximately $2,000. Items for sale included several quilts and other new items and a bake sale was also held.