“When bad things happen, good people show up and get you back on your feet.” That’s what Sylvia Starr, 70, said on behalf of herself, her husband Jeff, 67, and their two adult sons on January 13 at the dedication of their new house in Libau,...
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When Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) volunteer Jim Reimer tells a disaster survivor he knows how they feel, he’s telling the truth. Reimer, who lives in Steinbach, Man. with his wife, Marlene, lost his house to a fire in 2022. Most of their...
For over 40 years, the Poplar Park Hall was the centre of community life in rural Libau, Manitoba. When it no longer met the community’s needs, it was sold to Jeff and Sylvia Starr. For the Starrs, who have been living in Winnipeg, it was a great...
After their first assignment in 1991, Jerry and Doreen Klassen accumulated more than 1,500 days of voluntary service with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) over 14 years — simply by responding to a call when asked. In 1990, Jerry had resigned from a...
Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) has partnered to service a Canadian Red Cross reception centre for wildfire evacuees in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Since last Friday, MDS volunteers have welcomed evacuees to the centre, at 770 Leila Avenue, round-the-clock...
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...
We arrived late Sunday, July 9th in the afternoon to serve at the Red Lake Nation. It was hit by a tornado in 2021, which brought with it heavy amounts of baseball sized hail and damaged siding and broke windows. We worked on a total of four houses,...
As a project director with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Canada, Jim Reimer knows it can be stressful for a homeowner to cope with the loss of their house. He just never expected to experience it first-hand. That’s what happened July 6 when,...
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