Donations pour in for Red River flood relief

Winnipeg

A man in Calgary who won $150,000 in a lottery called to say he was donating a fifth of his winnings. The Steelworkers Humanity Fund gave $30,000. A group of unemployed fishermen in the Maritimes are coming to Manitoba to help with cleanup. A business in Montreal offered to send a truck load of cleaning products.

These are just a few of the offers of money and help that are pouring in to the Mennonite Disaster Service office in Winnipeg to help victims of Red River flooding.

"We're overwhelmed with the generosity of Canadians," says Syd Reimer, who is project coordinator for the MDS Red River flood cleanup effort. "People all across the country want to do something to help."

In addition to the private and corporate donations, the federal government has also offered generous support for MDS cleanup efforts, Reimer adds. Reimer says that he has heard that $7-10 million has been raised across Canada so far for Manitoba flood relief.

The flood of donations is a "happy problem", though, he says. But he is concern that other MDS projects are not receiving the same attention.

"We're involved in flood clean-up in Kentucky and Ohio, following floods in those states earlier this year, as well as in repair and clean up work following an earthquake in California and a tornado in Arkansas," he says. "Big disasters like the Red River flood can cause smaller disasters like these to be ignored."

As a result, MDS has decided that funds left over after the agency has completed its work in the Red River valley will be made available to help other victims of disasters across North America, Reimer says.

MDS clean-up efforts in the Red River valley are already underway, with volunteers working in Breckenridge, Minn. and Wahpeton, N.D. where flood waters have receded. "We'll start there and work our way north along the Red River," says Reimer.

Reimer says that MDS expects to need about 5,000 volunteers or more for clean-up efforts in the US and Canada. People who want to volunteer can call (204)261-6381 or 1-888-240-5480.

MDS is the North American disaster response arm of the US and Canadian Mennonite churches, together with the Brethren in Christ and the Amish. It is associated with Mennonite Central Committee.

People who want to send donations to MDS can mail their cheques to MDS Flood Relief, 134 Plaza Dr., Winnipeg, Man. R3T 5K9.

MCC release

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