Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) has partnered with the Canadian Red Cross to service a large reception centre for wildfire evacuees in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Since last Friday, MDS volunteers have welcomed evacuees to the centre, at 770 Leila Avenue,...
On May 28, the Government of Manitoba declared a provincewide state of emergency as wildfires intensified, threatening communities in northern and eastern Manitoba. Evacuation orders have been issued for the city of Flin Flon, Pimicikamak Cree Nation...
“It was his orientation. He was always helping.” Gord Friesen reflected on his father Cornelius (C.N.) Friesen’s volunteer history with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), a commitment that spanned more than a half-century. C.N.’s personal...
Sometimes, experiences with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) come full circle. This was the case for Deb and John,* who were introduced to MDS in 2008 when John was invited to volunteer on an MDS assignment in New Orleans, Louisiana. He “caught the...
“We didn’t think we were going to be eligible.” That’s what Owen Collings said of federal government grants for wildfire survivors in his village — people who had lost their homes to the Lytton Creek Fire in 2021. Mennonite Disaster Service...
Dodie Lepp was 12 years old when a series of tornadoes touched down near her family’s home in Goshen, Indiana. It was her first experience with a disaster. “It was Palm Sunday, and I’ll never forget it,” she recalled. “It was just...
What’s Evelyn Peters-Rojas been up to? She retired in April 2021 after 15 years with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Canada, mostly in the area of volunteer coordination, but she hasn’t retired from volunteering! She does miss the people,...
When Burton Friesen agreed to accompany Benny Penner on a Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) home visit, he didn’t know what he was getting himself into. Penner, the Atlantic Canada Unit Chair, was responding to a call for help from Truro, Nova...
Eight students received scholarships to serve with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) across Canada this summer. Stepping away from papers and required readings, and into four weeks of service with MDS, Grace Bahula loved the opportunity to work with...
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