Mennonite Disaster Service – 
What Happened:
In March 2025, a house fire left three brothers in Orillia, ON, homeless and living in their car.
What MDS Is Doing:
MDS Ontario volunteers are rebuilding their home from the ground up.
Get Involved:
To volunteer, email [email protected].
To donate, mark your gift or e-transfer “MDS.”
MDS – Being the hands and feet of Jesus to those affected by disaster.
🔗 mds.org/response/orillia-on
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For decades, Poplar Park Hall in Libau, Manitoba, served as a community hub until it was sold to Jeff and Sylvia Starr. The couple enjoyed rural life, but after Jeff’s stroke and the hall’s deterioration, they couldn’t keep up with repairs. In 2022, heavy rains caused the roof to collapse, and their home was condemned. With limited government aid and no insurance, they faced losing everything.
 
Darlene Oshanski, an Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, connected them with Partners in Disaster and Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS). Seeing the Starrs’ age, disabilities, and lack of resources, MDS stepped in to rebuild their home at no cost. Volunteers hope to finish by Christmas, giving the couple a new start after years of hardship. “We are so thankful!”
 
Mennonite Disaster Service - Respond. Rebuild. Restore.
https://mds.org/story/i-never-thought-there-were-so-many-kind-people-in-the-world/

Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) aims to be the "hands and feet of Jesus" by responding to disasters, rebuilding homes, and restoring hope through volunteer efforts in the U.S. and Canada. They achieve this by organizing and empowering volunteers to repair and rebuild homes for those affected by disasters.
 
Volunteer with MDS to help wildfire evacuees in Manitoba. With a new provincial state of emergency called and more community evacuations in process, MDS is once again servicing a Canadian Red Cross reception centre in Winnipeg. Please contact Megan at [email protected] or call 1(866) 261-1274 to volunteer for a day or evening shift. More information is available at mds.org

Jeanne Gauthier and Steve MacKenzie’s home has flooded three times since 2017. It’s taken a toll on both their physical and mental health and left them without safe shelter.
The Ontario Unit started building the couple a new house in mid-February — well above the Ottawa River’s flood levels. Since then, more than 40 volunteers have been on site with a total of 230 volunteer days put in.
“I just can’t believe how blessed we are that this even came about. I’m still pinching myself,” reflected Jeanne. “It’s just going to make things so much easier. That’s relieving a lot of the stress and trauma that I feel.”
Want to support MDS? You can give online. You can give by your offering. If by cash, designate the envelope “MDS.” If by cheque, make the cheque payable to the church and designate “MDS” on the memo line/ envelope. By e-transfer, put “MDS in the message box. Any questions? Our treasurer Lorraine would love to help.
 
MDS - Striving to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those affected by disasters.
https://mds.org/

Sometimes, MDS experiences come full circle. This was the case for Deb and John, who were introduced to MDS in 2008 when John was invited to volunteer on an MDS assignment in New Orleans, Louisiana. He “caught the bug” and participated in three more assignments in the years following.
Fast forward to 2025 and the couple is unexpectedly served by a local MDS crew after a spring ice storm hits their central Ontario community. “It was music to our ears, those chainsaws,” said Deb. “We celebrated how God created such a great surprise… being a full circle with MDS for us. A blessing that came back to us.”
What to support MDS? You can give online. You can give by your offering. If by cash, designate the envelope “MDS.” If by cheque, make the cheque payable to the church and designate “MDS” on
the memo line/ envelope. By e-transfer, put “MDS in the message box. Any questions? Our treasurer Lorraine would love to help.

MDS - Striving to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those affected by disasters.
https://mds.org/ 

MDS began when a Sunday School class of younger adults in the Wichita area wondered about how they could respond to a tornado in the area. There were also similar stories in Canada, when the newly formed BC Unit was asked to feed a boat load of 4000 Hungarian refugees. By the late 50’s the Canada and US initiatives merged to form the MDS we know today. In rebuilding after disasters, MDS always aims to build back better. 

This past summer, MDS was finally able to build one house in the town of Lytton that burned three years ago. Project leaders were aware of the guidelines for net zero energy ratings and fire-resistant ratings, but felt with the skill level of volunteers, that would not be possible. Doing the best they could, inspectors told them after the fact that the project had achieved the first net zero ready and fire-resistant rating ever, for a house in Canada. That’s building back better MDS style.

Southern California fires have destroyed thousands of homes and other structures. While MDS response is focusing on planning for a long-term recovery, MDS regional and state leaders have been contacting the area Anabaptist churches and conferences to determine the extent of loss, if any, and to offer encouragement and prayers.

MDS responders have also personally visited churches and pastors, connecting them with information about filing insurance claims and funding available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration. For more information go to the Mennonite Disaster Services website or talk to Dave Brubacher, MDS Canada Board Chair.
https://mds.org/story/connections-and-caring-response-to-california-fires/

MDS: We strive to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those affected by disasters.