When we open the doors on Saturday morning, you’ll see blue rain barrels placed near the entrances. We’re hoping our store visitors will help us fill them with cash donations for the Mennonite Disaster Service. Additionally, we’ll be donating 10% of Saturday’s sales to MDS.
MDS is rather like the Red Cross, and has volunteers from Mennonite communities worldwide. Our founder, Jay Lehman, and many of our employees are members of the Mennonite Church, and Lehman’s supports many Mennonite charities.
The Mennonite Disaster Service has gotten help out to the areas affected by Hurricane Sandy almost immediately. On their website, a recent update notes that generators are already en route to Virginia, where one will be set up in a shelter, and another at a nursing home. Further plans for assistance in New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania are being firmed up now.
Donations may also be made to MDS online here, if you aren’t able to make it to the store on Saturday. Currently, news reports say that the damages from the storm will run into the billions of dollars. Thousands of people remain homeless, and the need for assistance is great.
We hope you’ll stop in on Saturday, and help us help those in need.
