Faith Group Students Rebuilding Minot - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Faith Group Students Rebuilding Minot

One volunteer organization has certainly made an impression on the Minot Community following the 2011 flood....
The majority of the volunteer workers are students... working towards a degree is Disaster Management.  
Jordan Pederson tells us how they are working their new knowledge, while bringing hope to the community.

While the main focus is to clean up, repair or rebuild homes, the Mennonites bring more than just tools and able bodies...they bring hope.
The Mennonites Disaster Service is a faith based volunteer organization.
MDS has a disaster study program in partnership with Hesston College in Kansas that offers a degree in Disaster Management.
(Donald Horst, Mennonite Disaster Service) "The freshman students have to spend eight weeks on an internship in the summer time."
The 2011 Flood disaster provided the perfect internship experience for these freshman.
(Donald Horst, Mennonite Disaster Service) "We bring them out on sites not necessarily to make them good at any particular thing but to make them aware of all different types of work.
The MDS network is divided into five regions of response.
Four regions in the United States and one region in Canada--which has a university offering a disaster recovery course.
(Rachel Robinet, Student, Canadian Mennonite University) "So we've been in the kitchen, we've been in the office and then we have been out in the field. We have even went around with the project director just so we understand what each part of the organization does."
But it's more than slipping on a tool belt or picking up a paint brush..
(Luke Ropp, Student, Hesston College) "Here with MDS we really learn how to interact with survivors and really try to present a sense of normalcy."
The Bible Fellowship Church is a product of MDS students and volunteers.
Located on 4th avenue in NW Minot, the church was damaged heavily by floodwaters.
It now serves as a home base for volunteers to stay while working in Minot.
Even though the days are long.. the work load overwhelming.. these students are determined to help bring back the valley.
(Luke Ropp, Student, Hesston College) "It is really nice to be able to lend that helping hand."
(Rachel Robinet, Student, Canadian Mennonite University) "When someone give me a job to do I'm just happy to do it because just to see it come together is, I just enjoy that more than anything."
As these students helps to rebuild residents homes in the valley... those very residents are helping these students build an education.
Jordan Pederson, KX News.

The students will all be in Minot for another three weeks, continuing in their disaster relief efforts.