Latest news with #MennoniteDisasterService


CTV News
29-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Community rallies to rebuild home for Orillia brothers after tragic March fire
Tom, Gary, and James Fraser are the trio who lost their house on John Street in a fire on March 18, 2025 while they were attending their sister-in-law's funeral. Pictures taken on July 29, 2025. (CTV News / Rob Cooper) After a fire destroyed their home, three brothers in Orillia found themselves living out of an SUV and cooking over a bonfire. Tom, Gary, and James Fraser are the trio who lost their house on John Street in a fire on March 18 while they were attending their sister-in-law's funeral. 'Next thing we know, somebody says, 'Your house is on fire,'' said Tom Fraser, one of the displaced residents. 'And we say, 'No, you have to be kidding.' So they showed us a picture of our house, and we got in the truck and beat it here.' Tom, Gary, and James Fraser Tom, Gary, and James Fraser are the trio who lost their house on John Street in a fire on March 18, 2025 while they were attending their sister-in-law's funeral. Pictures taken on July 29, 2025. (CTV News / Rob Cooper) The three siblings lost everything in the blaze. They lived in a vehicle on their driveway for months before the Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) loaned them a trailer to live in, while the group and dozens of volunteers work to rebuild their home before winter arrives. 'We're completely gutting and rebuilding the interior of the house from fire damage,' said Dan Mills with Mennonite Disaster Service. 'There's going to be a new roof put on it, and there's going to be some brickwork done in places that need to be fixed.' It's a big job. The brothers say it's been a difficult time since losing their home, but they're thankful for the support from the community. 'Oh yeah, you couldn't imagine the help we've been getting,' said James Fraser, also of Orillia. 'And the feeling I've got from the people around here and the Mennonites… it means a lot to you? Well, yeah.' Tom, Gary, and James Fraser Tom, Gary, and James Fraser are the trio who lost their house on John Street in a fire on March 18, 2025 while they were attending their sister-in-law's funeral. Pictures taken on July 29, 2025. (CTV News / Rob Cooper) Every day, volunteers show up to help clean up and prepare the home for the brothers. A few tradespeople are being paid, but most are helping simply because they can. 'Part of it is compassion and knowing the help is needed,' said Mills. 'Without us, these guys really don't have a chance of getting their home back.' To help speed up the rebuild and reduce costs, the city has waived some fees and expedited the process for the three brothers. 'It's hard to put into words,' said Gary Fraser. 'It's… ah, very humbling would be a good word to use.' Work on the home began three weeks ago and is expected to be completed by October. The total cost of the renovation is about $150,000. Anyone wishing to volunteer is encouraged by the city to step forward.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
After Hurricane Helene, Virginia couple welcomes new home built by volunteers
A Virginia elderly couple who nearly died during Hurricane Helene had their home rebuilt by a group of volunteers and nonprofit organizations, making it one of many homes set to be rebuilt for storm victims. Carl and Linda McMurray's new home, which was built by the Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), was celebrated Friday in the company of local leaders during a ribbon-cutting ceremony, including Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va. The overall project to rebuild victims' homes is expected to cost about $1.4 million. Funding comes from a mix of public and private sources, including Washington County, the Town of Damascus, the United Way, individual donors and private foundations. Family That Lost 11 In Hurricane Helene Mudslides Says Community Sacrificed 'Life And Limb' To Save Each Other Last October, when floodwaters ripped the McMurray home apart, the couple were forced to take shelter on the second floor and wear life jackets. The house began to collapse, and Carl was swept downstream by the heavy rainwater before eventually clinging to a tree for hours until he was spotted by a neighbor and rescued by helicopter nearly four hours later. Linda, meanwhile, remained trapped alone on the darkened second floor of what remained of their house, using just the light from her watch to see and Afghan blankets to stay warm. Read On The Fox News App "All night I kept praying, repeating the Lord's prayer and the 23rd Psalm," she said, according to a local news report. She was rescued 16 hours later. The couple, married 57 years, believed the other had been lost to the flood until they were reunited. "There are still so many families that need to have the exact same sense of opportunity and option and rebuilding that Linda and Carl have today," Youngkin said during his speech. "There were heroes everywhere, and that was a moment when we needed heroes," Youngkin added. "The number of water rescues was astounding, and that is something to say amen to." "Neither knew if the other had survived, but when Linda finally walked into Carl's hospital room, their prayers were answered," Youngkin said. Puppies Rescued From Hurricane Helene To Be Rehomed With Military Veterans MDS offered free labor and thousands of volunteer hours to build the McMurrays' new home. Its Amish counterpart, Storm Aid, sent skilled workers weekly to assist onsite. Volunteers often rotate in for a week at a time, tackling multiple homes and offering expertise in everything from roofing to framing. Each home costs about $130,000 to build, Youngkin's office said. Homeowners are asked to contribute roughly 10% – between $11,000 and $12,000 – from their Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster assistance. The rest is covered by Trails to Recovery, a nonprofit organizing the rebuild. They pay for materials, coordinate trades like plumbing and electrical, and work directly with MDS to keep construction on schedule. A full-time MDS project manager stays onsite for weeks at a time to keep things moving. Trump Praises Elon Musk As 'Patriot, A Brilliant Guy, And A Friend Of Mine' Amid Doge Exit Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm that struck the Gulf Coast in late September 2024, caused widespread devastation across southwest Virginia, particularly in Grayson, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe counties as well as the city of Galax. The storm led to the closure of hundreds of roads and bridges, leaving many people isolated in their towns. Nearly 310,000 Virginians lost power and 3,700 farms were reportedly affected, resulting in more than $630 million in damages. After the devastation, Youngkin established the Office of Hurricane Helene Recovery and Rebuilding to coordinate state and federal recovery efforts. The office is led by Chief Transformation Officer Rob Ward. Virginia has not received the $4.4 billion in federal funding requested by Youngkin in November for recovery from the disaster. In January, Vice President JD Vance traveled to Damascus, a town on the southwestern edge of the state that was one of the hardest-hit areas and criticized the previous administration's response to the devastation. "The local government's working, the state government is working as hard as it can, the local communities and the nonprofits and the churches are working at breakneck speed, and yet you have the federal government out there, the biggest institution with the most money, that's not doing its job. It just drives home how much better we can do," Vance told Fox News Digital when asked about FEMA's response to hurricane-damaged areas across the Southeast. Fox News Digital's Audrey Conklin contributed to this article source: After Hurricane Helene, Virginia couple welcomes new home built by volunteers


Fox News
29-04-2025
- General
- Fox News
After Hurricane Helene, Virginia couple welcomes new home built by volunteers
A Virginia elderly couple who nearly died during Hurricane Helene had their home rebuilt by a group of volunteers and nonprofits, making it one of many homes set to be rebuilt for storm victims. Carl and Linda McMurray's new home, which was built by the Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), was celebrated Friday in the company of local leaders during a ribbon-cutting ceremony, including Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va. The overall project to rebuild victims' homes is expected to cost about $1.4 million. Funding comes from a mix of public and private sources, including Washington County, the Town of Damascus, the United Way, individual donors and private foundations. Last October, when floodwaters ripped the McMurray home apart, the couple were forced to take shelter on the second floor and wear life jackets. The house began to collapse, and Carl was swept downstream by the heavy rainwater before eventually clinging to a tree for hours until he was spotted by a neighbor and rescued by helicopter nearly four hours later. Linda, meanwhile, remained trapped alone on the darkened second floor of what remained of their house, using just the light from her watch to see and Afghan blankets to stay warm. "All night I kept praying, repeating the Lord's prayer and the 23rd Psalm," she said, according to a local news report. She was rescued 16 hours later. The couple, married 57 years, believed the other had been lost to the flood until they were reunited. "There are still so many families that need to have the exact same sense of opportunity and option and rebuilding that Linda and Carl have today," Youngkin said during his speech. "There were heroes everywhere, and that was a moment when we needed heroes," Youngkin said. "The number of water rescues was astounding, and that is something to say amen to." "Neither knew if the other had survived, but when Linda finally walked into Carl's hospital room, their prayers were answered," Youngkin said. MDS offered free labor and thousands of volunteer hours to build the McMurrays' new home. Its Amish counterpart, Storm Aid, sent skilled workers weekly to assist onsite. Volunteers often rotate in for a week at a time, tackling multiple homes and offering expertise in everything from roofing to framing. Each home costs about $130,000 to build, Youngkin's office said. Homeowners are asked to contribute roughly 10% – between $11,000 and $12,000 – from their Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster assistance. The rest is covered by Trails to Recovery, a nonprofit organizing the rebuild. They pay for materials, coordinate trades like plumbing and electrical, and work directly with MDS to keep construction on schedule. A full-time MDS project manager stays onsite for weeks at a time to keep things moving. Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm that struck the Gulf Coast in late September 2024, caused widespread devastation across southwest Virginia, particularly in Grayson, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe counties as well as the city of Galax. The storm led to the closure of hundreds of roads and bridges, leaving many people isolated in their towns. Nearly 310,000 Virginians lost power and 3,700 farms were reportedly affected, resulting in more than $630 million in damages. After the devastation, Youngkin established the Office of Hurricane Helene Recovery and Rebuilding to coordinate state and federal recovery efforts. The office is led by Chief Transformation Officer Rob Ward. Virginia has not received the $4.4 billion in federal funding requested by Youngkin in November for recovery from the disaster. In January, Vice President JD Vance traveled to Damascus, a town on the southwestern edge of the state that was one of the hardest-hit areas and criticized the previous administration's response to the devastation. "The local government's working, the state government is working as hard as it can, the local communities and the nonprofits and the churches are working at breakneck speed, and yet you have the federal government out there, the biggest institution with the most money, that's not doing its job. It just drives home how much better we can do," Vance told Fox News Digital when asked about FEMA's response to hurricane-damaged areas across the Southeast.