Human-caused disasters: How does MDS respond?

As the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks approaches, some Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) responders have looked back on that time as one in which the traditional model of response had to change.

Tom Smucker, who was MDS Executive Director at the time, recalled that, instead of focusing on rebuilding physical structures, MDS—and many other faith-based and voluntary groups—focused on helping people heal, emotionally and spiritually.

Is that the case with other “human-caused disasters?” Sometimes—but not always.

Smucker also recalled when MDS responded to the wave of arson attacks against historically Black churches in Alabama, three of them in the tiny rural community of Boligee. “There was a definite need for physical rebuilding,” said Smucker. “The traditional MDS model worked well.”

Whether a disaster leaves mental trauma, physical needs, or both, compassion, grief, and solidarity become part of the response.

On Oct. 2 this year, 20 years will have passed since a gunman opened fire in the West Nickel Mines School, a one-room schoolhouse in an Old Order Amish community in Pennsylvania. Six young Amish girls died. Shortly after the tragedy, in partnership with Mennonite Central Committee, MDS established and managed the Amish School Recovery Fund. This fund acted as a secure conduit for thousands of global donors. Within months, MDS collected over $551,000 specifically designated for this recovery effort.

At that time, then-MDS Executive Director Kevin King said: “The nation seeks a way to grieve.”

How long, oh Lord?

In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the world, MDS was once again able to respond in unique, loving, and resilient ways. Both MDS U.S. and MDS Canada established relief funds for church congregations severely affected by the virus. Volunteers made masks, delivered food, and reached out in many other ways.

But for many it was hard to not serve the way they were used to serving. Josh Carson, who served as MDS volunteer coordinator during that difficult and frightening time, often talked with MDS volunteers over the phone, hearing them struggle to discern their path of service amid COVID-19.

“I heard them lament that things were so different,” said Carson.

“Like the opening verse of Psalm 13, they asked ‘How long, oh Lord?’” he said. “MDS volunteers love serving. They were so excited to get back out there, and many of them were frustrated that serving was not so simple.”

After completely shutting down projects, MDS gradually reopened—but with delayed starts, early shutdowns, and new safety precautions on MDS job sites, some of which are still in place today.

Human-generated compassion

Sometimes, MDS responders face the stark reality that human behavior—be it negligence, discrimination, or outright criminal behavior—makes conditions ripe for disasters that never had to occur.

Carl Dube, who has led many MDS responses in the Texas Rio Grande Valley, has seen many floods that could have been prevented. “We have so many cases where a historical lack of county oversight, lack of any hint of care about how well things were built, how communities were developed without any infrastructure, or without flood or drainage control,” he said. “That’s because the county was in the hands of the wealthy white orchard growers, who didn’t want to spend any money on communities for their workers.”

It stayed that way for decades, Dube said, pointing out that disasters are often due to lack of human care for mitigation, the changing climate, and many other factors.

“Decent water management practices down in the Rio Grande Valley would have eliminated the need to rebuild many of those houses,” he said.

In addition to traditional responses, human-caused disasters also have other very human-generated responses, many of them rooted in the Anabaptist tradition: forgiveness, tolerance, inclusion, and the capacity to love our neighbor.

“I have often seen what we call ‘natural disasters’ begin with a natural hazard, but the depth of suffering is often shaped by human choices—where and how we build, whose communities are protected, and whose needs are neglected,” said MDS U.S. Executive Director Kevin King. “This should never place blame on survivors; rather, it calls those with power to greater accountability and all of us to deeper compassion. When human actions contribute to disaster, God’s love can still flow through us and still help repair the harm and restore hope.”