director ’ s letter
Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) is a volunteer network of Anabaptist churches that responds in Christian love to those affected by disasters in Canada and the United States. While the main focus is on cleanup, repair and rebuilding homes, this service touches lives and nurtures hope, faith and wholeness. Our programs, funded by contributions, aim to assist the most vulnerable community members, individuals and families who, without assistance, would not have the means to recover. MDS volunteers — women and men, youth and adults — provide the skills and labor needed to respond, rebuild and restore.
Hands of hope
As I read through this issue of Behind the Hammer , I was struck by how many volunteers and homeowners have something in their hands. MDS is responding to disasters from Alaska to Florida, from British Columbia to Maryland. Some are carrying logs, holding tools, lifting cabinet door frames, or pulling machinery levers. They are giving wall-hangings and planting trees. I call it hands of hope! Pay particular attention to our focus on building back
better on pages 12-13. MDS is committed to getting disaster survivors back to a home that is safe, sound, and secure. It shows that we care. This may mean elevating the home, and fortifying the structure with metal straps to withstand high wind speeds. Sometimes it may mean complete relocation of communities as occurred in West Virginia (floods of 2016) and Texas (Hurricane Harvey in 2017). Volunteer labor, matched with utilizing the highest standard of building codes, is a tremendous gift that can be offered to the disaster survivor,
Behind the Hammer is published quarterly by Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) and is available for free upon request. This magazine shares the stories of MDS work in the U.S. and Canada and of the more than 5,000 annual volunteers who are the core of MDS. The stories are meant to encourage people to continue expressing the love of God through the work of MDS. Printed on Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) certified paper using environmentally friendly plant-based inks. Executive Director: Kevin King Communications Manager: Jesse Huxman Production Coordination: Jesse Huxman, Judith Rempel Smucker Writers: Susan Kim, John Longhurst Photographs: Caleb Gingerich, Paul Hunt, Julie Kauffman, MDS volunteers Designer: Julie Kauffman STAY CONNECTED If you have story ideas, need subscription information, want to donate or volunteer, please contact us:
Denny Wyse constructs kitchen cabinets as part of an initiative of the MDS Kansas Unit to put local volunteers to work and supply MDS-built homes with needed cabinetry.
and the community. The return on investment is huge. And it is not just dollars and cents. Psychologically, for disaster survivors, there is a reassuring confidence that they are in a house built to withstand another round of disasters. Building back stronger also is a way of helping many vulnerable disaster survivors to build equity and put a stop to generational poverty. Join us in prayer, with your ongoing financial gifts, and volunteering – you will find joy in using your hands to share the load.
MDS Binational Office 583 Airport Road, Lititz, PA 17543 USA tel: 717-735-3536 | toll-free: 800-241-8111 fax: 717-735-0809 mdsus@mds.org MDS Canada 200-600 Shaftesbury Blvd. Winnipeg, MB R3P 2J1 Canada tel: 204-261-1274 toll-free within Canada: 866-261-1274 fax: 204-261-1279 mdscanada@mds.org
Kevin King Executive Director
www.mds.org
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behind the hammer
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