“Our volunteers are our gold”

Ten years ago, when Ross Penner began with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), he was appointed the Director of Canadian Operations. Penner, who had formerly served as a pastor in Mennonite Brethren and Mennonite Church Canada congregations, had recently returned to Canada with his wife, Dawn, from service in Bangladesh with World Vision.

Back then, MDS Canada was seen more like a subsidiary of MDS in the U.S. Its primary role was to recruit volunteers for service in that country, where they repaired and built homes for people who experienced disasters such as floods, hurricanes, fires, and tornadoes.

Today, things are different. While MDS Canada still sends volunteers to the U.S., it is a separate stand-alone organization that works in partnership with MDS U.S. At the same time, it also enables hundreds of people to serve in Canada each year. As Penner prepares to retire in March 2026, he does so as the first ever Executive Director of MDS Canada.

The story of that change is very much woven into Penner’s leadership, starting with the 2016 wildfire that devastated Fort MacMurray, Alberta.

Ross Penner, MDS Canada Executive Director, overlooking the destruction left by the wildfire that swept through Fort MacMurray, Alta., 2016.

“It was the first in a series of major disasters which happened in quick succession after I arrived, and which we wanted to respond to,” Penner said.

That included fires in Williams Lake, Monte Lake, and the Shuswap, B.C.; flooding in Grand Forks, Princeton, and the Fraser Valley, B.C.; a hurricane in Cape Breton, N.S.; and wildfires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

“There had been disasters before that, but not as many and not so frequent,” Penner said. “Prior to that, we were mostly focused on providing volunteers for the many disasters in the U.S. But then they were happening here, too, and we needed to respond.”

Those events not only built up the ability of MDS Canada to respond to disasters, it helped raise its profile in the country as stories were told about how volunteers were lending a hand.

“All those volunteers went home and told other people about their experience,” Penner said, adding that it was enhanced by the organization’s strengthened commitment to telling the Canadian MDS story.

“As people came to know more about us, that yielded more volunteers and grew the reputation of MDS in Canada,” he said. “People began to see MDS as a way to help neighbours in Canada—Canadians helping Canadians.”

It also brought more attention from provincial and federal governments. “Government officials are more aware of us today because of those responses, and they include us in their discussions around disaster response and preparation,” Penner said.

The growth of MDS Canada necessitated some changes in its relationship with MDS U.S., Penner said—things like new protocols and policies that were better suited to the Canadian context.

“I liken it to when children grow up and move out of their parent’s house,” he said. “That’s a normal and good thing to happen, despite challenges along the way.”

Apart from organizational changes, Penner also championed how MDS Canada promoted itself, sending out the message that MDS was for everyone who wanted to serve, regardless of church affiliation.

Volunteers and MDS Canada staff with the Starr family at the Jan. 13 dedication.

“We want everyone to know they are welcome, as long as they share our values,” Penner said, noting this change was prompted by the belief that many people from different faith backgrounds are eager to help their neighbours in meaningful ways.

“We wanted to enlarge the pool of who could serve with us. If God put it in someone’s heart to help those who have experienced disaster, we invited them to join with us,” he said.

Looking back, Penner has many good memories and highlights. But what stands out above all are the many volunteers he has come to know.

Jeff and Sylvia Starr with Ross Penner, MDS Canada Executive Director, at the Jan. 13 house dedication.

“Our volunteers are our gold,” he said. “They are our most valuable asset. Our mission would be impossible without them. It’s been a joy to be part of such an incredible team.”

John Longhurst, MDS Canada writer