Mennonite Disaster Service

What does it mean to show up for a community you have never met?

Anna Wiebe, a student at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario, has done it twice now. First in Amory, Mississippi, and most recently in Denare Beach, Saskatchewan, where wildfires destroyed 200 homes last summer. She travelled six hours by van with a group of Grebel students and staff to help MDS volunteers rebuild.

"Being involved in small-scale acts of dedication to each other and the land gives me a sense of hope."

In her article, Anna reflects on what keeps bringing her back and why volunteering with MDS has been such a meaningful experience for her.

Read the whole article here - https://uwaterloo.ca/grebel/news/volunteering-joyful-practice-and-radical-resistance -ig-eafa91d1-6311-4ac2-9934-3349998833ef

The community pictured here in Ironton was struck by Hurricane Ida on August 29, 2021, one of the most destructive storms in Louisiana history. Ida ranked as the second-most damaging hurricane ever to make landfall in the state, behind only Katrina in 2005, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph at landfall.

Some of the homes you see in these photos are the standard for MDS construction in storm surge prone communities, built to withstand severe weather and reduce flood damage in vulnerable communities.

MDS needs volunteers with a wide range of skills, including construction supervisors, office managers, drivers, cooks, weekly volunteers, and yearlong volunteers. See how your skills can make a difference for communities still recovering from storms like Ida:

https://mds.org/ways-to-volunteer/

Twenty-two volunteers, including 15 Goshen College students, arrived in Lahaina, Hawaii on May 4th ready to work. Some came with no prior construction. By the end of the week, they were hanging drywall and setting tile in the Maui heat across four job sites.

The team visited the community-led roadside memorial on the Lahaina Bypass, built to honor the 102 lives lost in the August 8, 2023 wildfire. Standing there together, they were reminded of why this work matters and the hope that rebuilding can bring to a community still healing.

Lahaina, we are not done yet. Thanks be to God for every hand that showed up.

We need crew leaders this summer. Crew leaders are the backbone of every MDS project. They organize the work, support weekly volunteers, and build relationships with homeowners and community partners on the ground.

If you are a motivated leader who works well with others and feels called to serve, these dates still have openings:

May 28 - June 6, Crisfield, MD
June 13-20, Spencer, IA
June 18-27, Perry, FL
July 2-18, West Asheville, NC
August 1-15, Spencer, IA

Crew leaders serve a minimum of 4 weeks and are the backbone of every MDS project. If you are a motivated leader who works well with others and wants to make a lasting difference, we want to hear from you.

Follow the link for more information and to apply.

Leadership and RV Volunteer Needs | Mennonite Disaster Service Leadership Volunteers are responsible for the day to day operations of an MDS project. The MDS Recreational Vehicle (RV) program is a vol...

Congratulations to our faithful leader at MDS, Kevin King, for accepting the National VOAD Leadership Award.

Over 20 years of service. Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Harvey. The California Wildfires. Puerto Rico. Saipan. Maui. And countless communities in between, met with steady, faithful leadership.

We are grateful and humbled. Well deserved, Kevin.