| Dear Friends,
Today, on Giving Tuesday, we invite a gift in support of hardworking volunteers responding in communities affected by disaster in the U.S. and Canada.
Together we are able to assist people in towns like Crisfield, Maryland. Located on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, Crisfield was hit hard by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and has suffered repeated flooding since. The home of Edward and Nicole Gillespie and their two sons (pictured above) filled with water in late 2021. As Edward worked long hours to support his family, he had little time to work on the house. "The lights were flickering on and off," he said. "People asked me how I could still live there, and I would tell them that my family was in there. We were praying and praying and praying."
The Gillespie family now has a new home constructed by MDS volunteers. The house is elevated to help it withstand future flooding. Nicole shared that when her boys arrive back at their new home after school, they can't wait to hang out in their rooms. "They say, after a storm, you get a rainbow," she said. "These volunteers were definitely a rainbow."
A gift from you makes it possible for volunteers to rebuild stronger and safer for more families like the Gillespies. This winter volunteers will be responding to hurricanes in Louisiana and Florida, flooding in Maryland and Virginia, and tornadoes in Kentucky, Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama.
With much appreciation, | 
