Mennonite Disaster Service breaks ground on new Kingsburg warehouse

KINGSBURG, Calif. (KFSN) -- A volunteer organization is taking action to serve more victims of the unforeseen.

Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) is set to build a new facility in Kingsburg. The location is off Highway 99, at the corner of Avenue B and Ventura Street.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the facility was held Wednesday morning.

The dirt lot will turn into a 7,200 sq. ft. facility, where volunteers will receive training. It will also serve as the organization's warehouse to store tools and equipment needed for rebuilding projects.

"So instead of getting those vehicles and equipment 2,000 miles away, we're able to get them locally," explained Ron Guenther, director of operations.

"It allows us to get there more rapidly and with better equipment," said Roger Riley, project director.

Their hope is to help even more people.

Currently, MDS is bringing hope to those who lost everything in the 2018 Camp Fire.

Almost four years later, progress is still being made after the fire destroyed the town of Paradise in Butte County.

"We have built eight homes and have four more under construction, and so we're getting a lot of people back into their homes," Riley said.

It's just one of the organization's many disaster response efforts in California. The need for MDS services, such as cleaning and rebuilding, has become increased.

"It's one thing to have faith that something could happen, said Guenther. "It's another thing to put that faith into action."

Construction on the new facility is expected to start as soon as this week, and it should be up and running by May 2023.