“It felt like the roof was going to come right off.” That’s how Tara Babcock described the night Hurricane Fiona struck her home in Sydney, Cape Breton. As it was, the storm—which hit September 24, last year—tore shingles off the roof and blew in the front door. Rain poured into the holes, soaking the ceilings and walls. “It was pretty scary,” she said, staring up at the collapsed ceiling in her living room. She and her partner were upstairs when that happened. “We were lucky not to be there or it would have fallen on us,” she said. Today the house has a new roof, thanks to Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) volunteers, and soon more will be coming to repair the inside of the house—gutting it and repairing walls and ceilings upstairs and in the living room. “It feels terrific to know people are coming to help,” said Tara. “I won’t be able to thank them enough, from the bottom of my heart.”
MDS was in Cape Breton last fall doing clean-up following the storm. Working with its partner, the United Way of Cape Breton, MDS has gone back in 2023 to repair homes damaged by the hurricane. Over 200 people have already signed up to volunteer from March to October. More are needed! Those who want to serve can contact Clara Flores at cflores@mds.org or visit www.mds.org. Travel subsidies are available.
Since releasing this story, we received an update...
“It’s terrific to know people are coming to help.” That’s what Tara Babcock of Cape Breton says about help she is receiving from Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) in Cape Breton. The home she shares with her partner in Sydney, was damaged by Hurricane Fiona last fall. It tore shingles off the roof and blew in the front door. Rain poured into the holes, soaking the ceilings and walls. Today the house has a new roof, thanks to MDS volunteers, and soon more will be coming to repair the inside of the house—gutting it and repairing walls and ceilings upstairs and in the living room. “I won’t be able to thank them enough, from the bottom of my heart,” she says. After two months, 76 volunteers from across Canada have completed 11 of 39 jobs on Cape Breton. More volunteers are needed for the weeks of June 11-17; June 25-July 1; July 30-August 5; August 27-Sept. 2; and Sept. 3-9. Contact Clara Flores at cflores@mds.org if you want to sign up or visit www.mds.org. Travel subsidies are available.
