Home News Spirit of MDS Fund Makes Second Round of Disbursements in Canada

Spirit of MDS Fund Makes Second Round of Disbursements in Canada

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Three Mennonite Brethren congregations receive $1,000 grants

WINNIPEG, Man. — The MDS Canada Spirit of MDS Fund issued 19 new grants to churches across Canada in May and June, including three Mennonite Brethren congregations.  

Since launching in April, 40 churches and other organizations have received a total of $43,000 for programs and services to help people impacted by COVID-19.  

The Spirit of MDS Fund was created by MDS Canada in April to help Canadian churches, especially in the Anabaptist/Mennonite traditions, respond to people in their communities facing hardship due to the virus.

“MDS normally responds to natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, fires, and earthquakes,” says Ross Penner, Director of Operations for MDS Canada.

“But the pandemic is a disaster for many people in Canada. Since we aren’t able to respond in the usual way, we want to do it through local congregations that are on the front lines of responding to needs.”

The three Mennonite Brethren congregations that received funding are: 

River of Life Community Church, a Mennonite Brethren congregation in Sorrento, B.C. will use the funds to top-up the Canada Emergency Response Benefit for a student who is interning at the church and who will be serving seniors. He will especially help them to get connected online so they can fully participate in the life of the congregation.

Scott Street Mennonite Brethren Church in St. Catharines, Ont. will use the funds to provide food, counseling and other service to people living near the church who are struggling with addiction, poverty and mental health issues. This will include providing a weekly lunch for families.

Northend Church, a Mennonite Brethren congregation in St. Catharines, Ont., has received a second grant to help community children attend its virtual day camps. The funds will be used to help defray the cost of kits of materials such as pens, pencils, paper and other items for each child that attends the camps. For more information about the Spirit of MDS Fund, or to apply, visit https://mds.mennonite.net/.

John Longhurst, MDS Canada Communications Coordinator

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