Susan Garwick Slagle’s earliest memory of sewing dates back to when she was a little girl. That’s when the resident of Holmes County, Ohio learned to use a treadle to put rags together for her grandmother, who then used them to braid rugs. Over...
For the Scott St. Mennonite Brethren Church in St. Catharines, Ont., money from the MDS Canada Spirit of MDS Fund was “a great encouragement to our congregation and a catalyst for ministry,” says pastor Rob Patterson. “It made us feel that we...
A crew from JZ Engineering—designers of the driveway bridges MDS volunteers have been building for several years in West Virginia—volunteered in July to build a bridge in Pocahontas County. Johann Zimmermann, principal engineer, and his employees...
A schoolteacher and his family in Bessemer City, North Carolina, are safely in a newly repaired home thanks to volunteers coordinated by the North Carolina Unit of Mennonite Disaster Service. After a windstorm ripped part of the roof off the home,...
Even though most MDS projects remain closed, we bring you news of volunteers working creatively—and safely—as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect tens of thousands of people every day in the U.S. and Canada. I understand that MDS volunteers...
Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) volunteers are arriving in Willow, Alaska, ready to work as quickly as possible to get wildfire survivors safely into their homes before the onset of winter—and do it as safely as possible during the pandemic....
Photo: Karla Hovde, Faith Mennonite church member After the death of George Floyd, people in Minneapolis took to the streets to work through their pain and their anger. During the protests, some stores and businesses were looted and damaged....
Ron Long can easily recall times in his life when his job was extremely difficult, both physically and mentally. As a young man, after considering going into social work, he realized he liked using his hands. He began his career in construction as a...
The MDS Canada Spirit of MDS Fund issued 19 new grants to churches across Canada in May and June. Since launching in April, MDS Canada has provided a total of $43,000 to 40 churches and other organizations for programs and services to help people...
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