After volunteering for Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) for nearly 17 years, this year Cheryl Mast is thankful to be on the receiving end. Mast coordinates outdoor education programs for the 360-acre Amigo Centre in southern Michigan, which offers...
One minute, 30 seconds. That’s how much time John and Connie Zuch had to leave their house as flash floodwaters, spawned by Tropical Storm Fred, rushed toward their home on August 18. Their home, built in 1979, had never been through such a severe...
Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) B.C. is monitoring the situation in that province, where torrential rains have caused flooding and mudslides that have affected many communities and residents of that province. “There are three 7.6 centimetre/three-...
It was a bright, clear day as Chris Freur and his father, Ralph, watched bales of hay being loaded into a trailer on their farm in Smithville, Ont. The donated hay, all 50 bales of it, was destined for Saskatchewan through MDS Hay West, headed to the...
The sixth grader tightened the grip on her purse as I approached. The purse was made of pink overlapping sequins. At its top, a unicorn’s horn emerged. A strap secured it around her neck. Amongst this group of older white men, it provided...
“Being able to be a part of something of this magnitude was the best ministry experience I’ve had so far.” That’s what Tim Whitten, who served as Hurricane Florence Recovery director for the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist...
When volunteer fire chief Trent Roberts pulled up to the home of Diane and Reginald Rice in Triton, Newfoundland, on that mid-July day last summer, his heart sank. “The fire was pretty much out by then, the boys had attacked it hard,” said...
The U.S. border is opening! That is news Kelsey Friesen, Volunteer Manager for Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Canada, has waited a long time to hear. The border between the U.S. and Canada closed to non-essential travel in March 2020 due to the...
The year 2021 marks 20 years since terrorists took 2,996 lives in attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. The following brings back some memories of the ways in which Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) responded. “How to get people in...
Sign up to learn how you can help support MDS and receive the latest updates on our work.
