2007Annual Report

Building on Our Strength R E S P O N D I N G R E B U I L D I N G R E S T O R I N G

Mennonite Disaster Service

If MDS 2007 would have a medical checkup here is what I believe the doctor would write on the charts:

• Number of volunteers served saw a growth of 540 over last year’s checkup.• Clients served is up by 550, clean up increased to 541, minor repairs to 500, major to 112, and rebuilds to 38.

Although MDS is aging (58 this summer) and is increasing its numbers, it is not ready to retire.

MDS’s vital signs may also be measured in financial numbers. Our auditors have given us another clean bill of health.

If a stethoscope was held to the hearts of our clients, what would we hear? Perhaps a better indication of this last year’s strength would be the following:

• Number of pots of jambalaya and pounds of shrimp offered to our volunteers• The number of smiles that will not go away• After the visit with the client and the door is closed, the number of “Thank you Jesus!” expressions.

MDS realizes that the strength of a neighbor’s helping hand is stronger than the storm. I believe the work of MDS is 100% physical and 100% spiritual. Mathematically that doesn’t add up. But with God’s math it does. A volunteer working in Louisiana recently wrote, “I have not been a religious person, but this experience has given me reason to look at it again.”

Personally, I look to 2008 and envision the following with our wonderful staff:• Ensure that we have meaningful work for our many volunteers.• Develop and strengthen our leadership base.• Implement and expand on the program whereby churches can get directly involved in a home partnership building project. • Secure US $2.8 million in cash, pledges, and in-kind gifts to begin construction of our new office/warehouse building.

Thanks be to God “MDS 2007” is of sound mind and health. Now let’s put our work clothes back on and get back to work.

Kevin King

A message from the Executive Director

“The strength of a neighbor’s helping hand is stronger than the storm.” —Survivor of a recent tornado in Webster County, Missouri

2007 at a glance* 2006 Comparison

Binational teamHeather Good Receptionist/Administrative AssistantJerry Grosh Director of Field OperationsRon Guenther Director of Finance and AdministrationGlenda Hollinger Bookkeeper/Administrative AssistantNathan Hoover Project Logistics CoordinatorCathie Kearsley Director of Human ResourcesLorraine Kehler-Plett Bookkeeper/Administrative AssistantKevin King Executive Director Doreen & Jerry Klassen Disaster Response CoordinatorsArleta Martin Executive AssistantLois Nickel Director of Programs & Region RelationLeonard & Lorena Penner Gulf Coast Response CoordinatorsRebecca Peters Enns Receptionist/Administrative AssistantEvelyn Peters-Rojas Human Resources CoordinatorGinny Sauder Administrative Assistant/DatabaseScott Sundberg Director of CommunicationsBarbara Weaver Communications Assistant (Interim)Cletus Yoder Construction Consultant

Nearly 40 volunteers worked three weeks in Dulac, Louisiana

completing a panel house that had been partially built in San

Jose, California at the MC USA convention.

Board MembersPaul Brubacher, Ron Enns, Abe Ens, Gordon Friesen (secretary), Millard Garrett (treasurer), Freeman Hershberger, Willis Hochstetler, David Hoover, Betty Kasdorf, Wilbur Litwiller, Karen Martin, William Mast, William McCoy, Dan Miller, Albert “Rocky” Miller (chair), Ross Miller, Vernon Miller (vice chair), Carlos Santiago, Rolando Santiago, Vernon Schmucker, Albert Schrock, Amos Schwartz, Sanford Swartzendruber, Willis Troyer, Paul Unruh, Anne Wiens, Alfred Yoder, Ray Zimmerman

• 6,650 people volunteered• 14 binational projects• 1,615 first-time donors to MDS• 541 clean ups were accomplished• 500 minor repairs• 112 major repairs• 38 houses were rebuilt

*Statistics do not include Storm Aid, a branch of MDS.

• 6,103 people volunteered• 9 binational projects• 5,500 first-time donors to MDS• 178 clean ups were accomplished• 357 minor repairs• 75 major repairs• 31 houses were rebuilt

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“The strength of a neighbor’s helping hand is stronger than the storm.” —Survivor of a recent tornado in Webster County, Missouri

Working together with our partners to respond, rebuild and restore communities affected by disasters

George Reno, long-time pastor of Lighthouse Fellowship Church in

Buras, Louisiana, and his wife Ruby saw their home, their shrimping boat and their church destroyed by Hurri-

cane Katrina. MDS partnered to help rebuild the church as well as build a

new home for the Renos.

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Volunteers at Iglesia El Buen Pastor, a Mennonite Brethren Church in Or-ange Cove, California, package food to assist workers impacted by the citrus freeze. MDS gave a $15,000 grant to help in these efforts spearheaded by Jose Elizondo, MDS Church Conference Representative.

A typical show of gratitude from homeowners is food, and Gulf shrimp are a frequent gift to MDS volunteers,

which are here being peeled by Jim Kearsley, Josh Dean, Cathie Kearsley,

Ryan Troyer and Marilyn Frank.

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Binational project statistics

Working together with our partners to respond, rebuild and restore communities affected by disasters

AlabamaBayou La Batre [Hurricane Katrina] 244 volunteers | 15 clientsChunchula RV [Hurricane Katrina] 12 volunteers | 3 clientsMobile [Hurricane Katrina] 296 volunteers | 16 clients

British ColumbiaTerrace [Flooding] 42 volunteers | 12 clients

KansasGreensburg [Tornado] 3,446+ volunteers | 223 clients

LouisianaCameron [Hurricane Katrina] 197 volunteers | 4 clientsDiamond [Hurricane Katrina] 614 volunteers | 41 clientsHackberry RV [Hurricane Rita] 35 volunteers | 10 clientsJohnson Bayou RV [Hurricane Katrina] 12 volunteers | 3 clientsNew Iberia [Hurricane Rita] 132 volunteers | 9 clientsNew Orleans [Hurricane Katrina; Tornado] 562 volunteers | 132 clients Point Aux Chenes/Dulac [Hurricane Katrina] 248 volunteers | 15 clients

MississippiPass Christian [Hurricane Katrina] 721 volunteers | 20 clients (Storm Aid—not available)

TexasNewton [Hurricane Rita] 89 volunteers | 22 clients

Summer Youth ProjectSt. Jamestown/Toronto 90 volunteers

Region/unit statistics volunteers (partial)

Region I 1390 includes Conklin, NYnot including drought responseRegion II 7100 including Nappanee tornado clean up and rebuildingRegion III 365Region IV 46Region V 490

Financial snapshot

Responding, Rebuilding and Restoring with good stewardship of your gifts

2007CN $

REVENUE

EXPENSES

ENDING BALANCE

Program

Supporting Activities

713,000

237,000

Total 950,000

873,000

1,045,000

BEGINNING BALANCE

1,122,000

Financial Activity

2006CN $

643,000

184,000

827,000

856,000

1,122,000

1,093,000

Canada United States2007

US $

2,884,000

769,000

3,653,000

2,870,000

7,802,000

8,585,000

2006US $

3,248,000

651,000

3,899,000

4,326,000

8,585,000

8,158,000

Contributions and Grants

Myron Hicks and Nate Hoover helped to frame

George and Ruby Reno’s house in Buras/Diamond,

Louisiana. The Reno house was one of 38 houses that

were rebuilt in 2007.

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Responding, Rebuilding and Restoring with good stewardship of your gifts

*numbers do not include Pass Christian Storm Aid volunteers

Program Leadership Gulf Coast HurricanesTerrace, BCRegion V Unit ProjectsOthe Binational/Region ProjectsGeneral Project Expenses Supporting ActivitiesTotal

CN $36,000

348,00030,00052,000

26,000221,000237,000950,000

Program:Program LeadershipKansas StormsGulf Coast HurricanesEast Coast HurricanesAmish School Recovery Fund GrantsGeneral Project ExpensesSupporting ActivitiesTotal

US $151,000182,000

1,643,00012,000

222,00073,000

601,000

769,0003,653,000

United States Expenses

Major Expenses Report

Canada Expenses

Supporting Activities21%

General Project Expenses

16% Grants

2%

Amish School Recovery Fund

6% East Coast Hurricanes

0%

Gulf Coast Hurricanes

46%

Program Leadership4%

Kansas Storms5%

Program Leadership Kansas Storms Gulf Coast Hurricanes East Coast Hurricanes Amish School Recovery Fund Grants General Project ExpensesSupporting Activities

SupportingActivities

25%

General Project Expenses

23% Other

Binational/RegionProjects

3% Region V Unit Projects

5%

Terrace BC3%

Program Leadership4%

Gulf Coast Hurricanes

37%

Program Leadership Gulf Coast Hurricanes Terrace BC Region V Unit Projects Other Binational/Region Projects General Project ExpensesSupporting Activities

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Hawai

85

913

3,445842 1,365

Where do the volunteers come from*?By MDS region

Binational Office1018 Main Street, Akron, PA 17501, USAPhone: (717) 859-2210 | Fax: (717) 859-4910E-mail: mdsus@mds.mennonite.netExtension Office 6A-1325 Markham Road, Winnipeg, MB R3T 4J6, CANADAPhone: (866) 261-1274 | Fax: (204) 261-1279E-mail: mdscn@mds.mennonite.net

www.mds.mennonite.net

Front photos, from left by Kevin King (Greensburg, Kansas); Kevin King (Diamond, Louisiana); Julie Kauffman & Paul Hunt (Dulac, Louisiana); bottom: Kevin King (Diamond, Louisiana)

“If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.” —1 Peter 4:11

The Newton, Texas RV Project oper-ates in an area impacted by Hurricane Rita. MDS Office Manager, Pat Wil-lems, recently noted about working in the area, “If we allow Jesus to be the cornerstone, he uses our diversity to spread the gospel and provide the needs of other people, just as the cement block serves as a cornerstone to hold the parts of Mr. Joe’s house together.” The picture shows Mr. Joe and volunteers Walt and Dick. “Diversity brings strength, balance and extended outreach into God’s work. God’s love, like mortar bonds us together to strengthen each other.”

Mennonite Disaster Service is a volunteer network through which various constituencies of the Anabaptist church can respond to those affected by disasters in Canada and the United States.

While our main focus is on clean up, repair and rebuilding homes, this activity becomes a means of touching lives and helping people regain faith and wholeness.

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