During the Mennonite Disaster (MDS) Annual Celebration, held Feb. 27-28 in New Holland, Pennsylvania, MDS and its partners explored the theme “Working Together”—and what that means for disaster recovery. As Atlee Kaufman, a board member from...
During reading week in Canada, university students are given time to study and catch up on assignments. But this year, nine students from Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) in Winnipeg, Man. used that time not for books, but to serve others through...
What’s a “typical day” for the Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Family Program? “Wonderful meals, age‑appropriate work (both in tasks and in the length of work periods for the children), crafts and snacks for the kids, and evenings spent...
There is deep meaning behind the name of the Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group on the island of Maui, Hawaii. “Hoʻōla means to rejuvenate, to give life,” explained Rhonda Alexander-Monkres, the group’s executive...
Leann Lovell still remembers the weather forecaster urgently calling out street names and county road numbers in Wynne, Arkansas. A tornado was bearing down on March 31, 2023. The twister would kill four people, injure 26 others, and destroy or...
Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Executive Director for MDS U.S. Kevin King has announced his intent to retire by the end of 2026. During more than two decades of leading MDS U.S., King ushered the organization through Hurricane Katrina in 2005,...
If you were not able to join us in New Holland, Pennsylvania, for the 2026 MDS Annual Celebration, you can still take part. The main events from both Friday, February 27 and Saturday, February 28 are available to watch online. Together, we worshiped...
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...
Enamored by a hammer “They gave me a job as a kid. I thought I had died and gone to heaven,” Jim Herr said about his first Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) experience. “You know what they did? They gave me a can of nails and a hammer and asked...
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