“What Neighbours Do.”

Unlike other Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) volunteers who came to Grand Forks, B.C. in early June, Sheila and Mike Davis didn’t have to travel hundreds or even thousands of kilometres to be of service.

The retired couple live in nearby Trail, just about an hour away from the city.

“This is what neighbours do,” said Sheila. “We help each other.”

Sheila, who worked as a teacher, and Mike, who worked in the mining industry, are members of the Trail Alliance Church.

“We saw the need next door and decided to help,” she said of the decision to sign up with MDS—even though, as she pointed out, “I have no construction skills.”

But that’s not a problem, she added. “The crew leaders teach us what we need to do. They’re good at teaching.”

On this day, Sheila is doing drywall and taping in a house that filled with water when the rivers overflowed.

“It’s meaningful work,” she said. And despite what she said about a lack of renovation skills, she’s doing a pretty good job. “I just glad I can make a contribution,” she said.