Driving Hope with MDS

Before a Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) project can get started, there’s the driving—trucks, trailers, and vans need to get to the project site to help get things ready for volunteers to arrive.

And driving means that MDS needs drivers. In this case, it was people like Jacob Morris and Hannah den Bak. The two Conrad Grebel University College students volunteered to help drive a van from Waterloo, Ont. to Denare Beach, Sask. in early May so it could be used to shuttle volunteers to building sites.

Jacob Morris (left) and Hannah den Bak (right) at the Saskatchewan border on their way to the MDS project in Denare Beach.

For Jacob, this was his second time volunteering with MDS; the first time was last summer in Lytton, B.C., where he served for five weeks as a summer student on an MDS Canada scholarship. “That was a really amazing experience,” he said.

When MDS indicated it needed help getting a vehicle to Denare Beach, Jacob said yes. “I had free time,” he said, adding “it sounded like a cool and interesting opportunity.”

For Hannah, it also sounded like a great experience.

“I really don’t mind driving,” she said, adding she doesn’t really like flying. Plus, she had never been outside of Ontario in Canada, so this was a chance to see other parts of the country.

Although this was her first time with MDS, she had served three times to help disaster survivors with World Renew, a Christian Reformed organization, when she was in high school.

“I really enjoyed them, and I like being able to help people out in that sort of way,” she said.

Both see volunteering with MDS as a great way for students to do something to help others.

“It’s a great way for them to align their values with their actions,” said Hannah. “It definitely aligns with my values of using my skills and energy to help others.”

Thinking about the people in Denare Beach who survived the wildfire in 2025, but lost everything, Hannah said that “it’s really hard for me to comprehend what they experienced . . . I can’t fathom how difficult it would be to lose your home, and then, on top of that, not be able to have a way to replace it.”

Despite that, she was glad to be there. “Even though I can’t imagine what they’re going through, I want to be there with them and be part of helping to make things better,” she said.

Jacob agreed. “I really like the idea of helping people,” he said, adding that service isn’t something that only happens in the developing world but also right here in Canada.

“Many people who think about doing charitable work think about places like Africa or South America. But there’s a lot of people who need help in Canada, too.”

Hannah den Bak and Jacob Morris take a break by the large loonie in Echo Bay, Ont. on their way to the MDS project in Denare Beach, Sask.

As for the drive itself, it was a great experience, they said.

“The scenery driving from Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay was beautiful,” Hannah said. “I think that was definitely the best leg of the drive.”

After arriving in Denare Beach, both served for a week doing construction together with eight other students from Conrad Grebel.

“It was great to use some of the skills I learned last summer,” said Jacob, who stayed on the project for two additional weeks. Hannah was glad to have “five days of moving and doing some work after all that sitting during the drive.”

John Longhurst, MDS Canada writer