Mennonites complete home restoration mission two years after Selma tornado

After nearly two years of repairing and rebuilding tornado-ravaged homes in Selma, Mennonite Disaster Services has completed its mission and will be leaving for their next disaster relief site this week.

But first, they will host their final new home dedication on Thursday, this time for the Reynolds family on Lawrence Street.

Since October 2023, nine months after a powerful EF-2 tornado hit Selma and destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes, the Mennonites have built five homes from scratch and repaired 38 homes damaged by the strong winter storm.

Mennonite Project Director Michelle WhiteEagle told the Rotary Club of Selma on Monday that the organization donated 12,000 volunteer hours in Selma over the last two years. Volunteers came from as far away as Pennsylvania and Canada and as close as Birmingham.

Funding came from donations made to the Mennonites and to the United Way of Selma & Dallas County and the Selma Long Term Recovery Group.

Repair work took place in the hardest-hit areas of Selma on streets like Alabama Avenue, Philpot Avenue, Martin Luther King Street, Mechanics Street, Primrose Street and 3rd Avenue.

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Families were chosen based on need, especially those without insurance or resources to afford to make improvements, WhiteEagle said.

“We choose those who won’t recover without our help,” she said.

WhiteEagle knows what it’s like to need help and get it from the Mennonites. Her family had a flood at their home and had no insurance. The Mennonites helped them rebuild. That’s when she joined the effort and works with them now, traveling the country to help others after disasters.

While surrounded by Rotarians offering thanks, WhiteEagle said those working with the Mennonites always feel like they “receive more than we are given” when helping others.

“People tell us when they see us that their hope for humanity is restored,” she said.

The Mennonites have teams assisting disaster victims across the country, including a team in Paradise, California, helping after the wildfires.