Founded | 1950 |
---|---|
Focus | Disaster Relief |
Location | |
Area served | United States, Canada[3] |
Key people | Kevin King, Executive Director[1][2] |
Revenue | $2,870,251 [1] |
Employees | 11 [1] |
Volunteers | 3,000+ |
Website | http://www.mds.mennonite.net |
The Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) is a volunteer network through which various groups within the Anabaptist tradition assist people affected by disasters in North America.[3] The organization was founded in 1950 and was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 1993.
The MDS currently involves more than 3,000 members of the Mennonite, Amish and Brethren in Christ churches (BIC).[4][5][6] The primary focus of the service is cleanup, repair, and the rebuilding of homes.[7] The work of the group supplements the disaster relief provided by the Red Cross.[8][9] The Mennonite Disaster Service also works closely with Mennonite Central Committee.[4]
A quarterly newsletter called Behind the Hammer is published.[10]
The volunteer amateur radio group Mennonet provides communication services for MDS.[11][12] Radio equipment was first deployed by MDS in 1960.[4]