Mennonite Weekly Review

NEW ORLEANS — Mennonite Disaster Service dedicated its New Orleans project headquarters, a building rescued from the ravages of Hurricane Katrina, on Feb. 26.

MDS volunteers and community members celebrate the dedication of the MDS project headquarters in New Orleans on Feb. 26. — Photo by MDS

MDS has been working steadily to rebuild homes in New Orleans and the surrounding area since shortly after Katrina struck on Aug. 29, 2005.

Immediately following Katrina, MDS was involved in cleanup and debris removal in the city. But it was not until July 2006 that MDS purchased a property facing Lake Pontchartrain as a base for its operations. The building was formerly a church and, before that, a construction company headquarters.

The property was abandoned for several months after Katrina and sustained substantial mold damage. The building is elevated 10 feet off the ground, so it never flooded.

Through December, contractors and a small number of MDS volunteers renovated the building, which will house short-term and long-term MDS volunteers.

Karl Bernhard, pastor of Amor Vivente, a Mennonite congregation in Metairie, called the opening of the MDS site a community celebration.

“This building gives hope throughout the whole city,” Bernhard said. “We know that God has sent you here to help our city. We invite MDS volunteers to come and be a blessing to the city.”

Since the site opened in January, 244 volunteers have served at the project in New Orleans, working on more than 100 MDS job sites around the city.

In New Orleans, MDS has been repairing and rebuilding homes in the Gentilly neighborhood and surrounding areas. Some of the homes include those belonging to Amor Viviente members.

MDS volunteers also responded to damage caused by a tornado that hit New Orleans Feb. 13.

MDS has formed partnerships in New Orleans with several organizations, including Catholic Charities, Crescent Alliance Recovery Effort and Greater New Orleans Disaster Recovery Partnership.

“In our 57-year history, MDS rarely purchased property, but the horrific storms of 2005 were unusual and called for unusual measures, so we decided to buy a building,” said MDS executive director Kevin King. “The MDS site, which is right across from Lake Pontchatrain, is a sign of hope here. It will serve as a lighthouse here for many years to come as we rebuild homes in New Orleans.”

MDS has project sites throughout the Gulf Coast region in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas in response to the 2005 hurricane season.