Mennonite Disaster Service

An update on our Fall 2026 U.S. national projects:

Lahaina, Hawaii: Twelve new weekly volunteers joined twelve long-term volunteers to form our second team on site, and their week started with an unexpected twist when high winds from Hurricane Nolo blocked the route between the airport and camp. Local partners opened their home so volunteers had a place to stay for the night. Once back on site, the team painted a home a beautiful red, the homeowner's choice. At another home, the homeowner stopped by and said, "It's so big, it's so big!" By move-in day, she will have moved six times since the fire, and we are anxious to get her "home" at last.

Crisfield, Maryland: Our long-term team (volunteers serving four weeks or more) has arrived! They met with the local long-term recovery construction supervisor to visit clients, look at jobs, and sign job cards. They also cleaned and prepared the project site to welcome this season's weekly volunteers.

Read the full weekly reports at mds.org/weekly-reports/

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Thank you to everyone who came out for volunteer trainings in Winnipeg last week! 20 participated in general leadership training, 14 in construction leaders and 12 in cooks training. Participants travelled from Chugiak, Alaska to Burbank, California, Nanoose Bay, B.C., Deep River, Ontario, and from communities in between.

Amy Shrupka, a local to Winnipeg, participated in cooks training. She said, “I very much enjoyed attending the sessions. I found it so life-giving and energizing. It stirred up lots of excitement.”

We’re so glad each of you made it out and appreciate your generosity of time and skills — to projects you’ve already served on and the ones we’ll meet you on in the months and years ahead.

Our Fall 2026 projects are underway, and some teams are already on the ground. Here is a list of areas we will be this Fall:

MDS National Projects:
Swan Valley, Manitoba (flooding)
North Carolina Bridges (Hurricane Helene)
Elk, Washington ( the Gray fire)
Crisfield, Maryland (flooding)
Lahaina, Hawaii (Maui wild fires)
Asheville, North Carolina (Hurricane Helene)

RV Project:
Perry, Florida RV (Hurricane Idalia)

Amish-led projects:
DAO Bridges, North Carolina (Hurricane Helene)
Black Mountain, North Carolina (Hurricane Helene)
Elizabethton, Tennessee (Hurricane Helene)
Augusta, Georgia (Hurricane Helene)
Spartanburg, South Carolina (Hurricane Helene)
Hindman, Kentucky (flooding)
Texas City, Texas (Hurricanes Ike, Harvey, Beryl)

View our current response page here: mds.org/current-responses/

Mennonite Disaster Service is hiring!

We are seeking an Equipment Maintenance Specialist to service and repair equipment stored in Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Columbus, Mississippi warehouse for deployment to project locations.

If you or someone you know has strong mechanical skills and shares our mission, vision, and core values, we invite you to apply at: mds.org/job-opening/equipment-maintenance-specialist/

Send your cover letter and resume to [email protected]

Help us spread the word!

MDS in 1965 —> MDS today

Different equipment, same purpose: Respond. Rebuild. Restore.

A warm welcome to our new executive director, Clair Good, starting October 1st. He steps in as Kevin King retires after over 20 years of faithful leadership at MDS.

Clair joins from Mennonite Central Committee, with four decades of ministry and community development spanning the U.S., England, the DRC, and Kenya. Raised on a dairy farm near Canton, Pennsylvania, he says the job found him.

"It feels exciting, overwhelming, challenging, and impossible without God," Clair said. "We all move forward in faith together."

Read all the details about the transition here: https://mds.org/story/clair-good-appointed-new-executive-director-of-mennonite-disaster-service-u-s/