The Partnership Home Program (PHP) took shape in the hearts of MDS staff and volunteers, as a way to “bring as many families home as possible, in the shortest amount of time.”

The primary objective of PHP, in conjunction with the mission of MDS, is to increase our ability to meet more needs with more volunteers by building quality houses for families that lack traditional means of resources, such as insurance, skilled labor and funds. The PHP bridges the gap between need and service, client and volunteer, by providing survivors with a home, and giving a sponsoring church the opportunity to partner with other congregations.

This program can include a church group traveling to a site and constructing a house over the course of several weeks, or another option that has gained recent momentum is to build panel houses at various locations such as warehouses, universities, churches, parking lots, and gyms. After construction, the panels are placed on a truck and shipped to the homeowner’s site, at which time the same volunteers assemble the panels and complete the remaining construction of the house.

Families have already benefited from this program. During the 2007 Mennonite Church USA convention held in San Jose, CA, volunteers constructed a single house, beginning in the parking lot, in five weeks—one week to complete the foundation at the building site, one week in San Jose to build the panels, and three full weeks to erect the panels and finish the house. Church members were excited as they witnessed the panels being built. Volunteers exclaimed, “We can do that!” Since then, churches have been asking MDS how they, too, can participate.

MDS understands the financial burden placed on volunteers, especially those in the construction trade, as they leave family and jobs for a week or more to work at a project. This program relieves some of this burden by allowing volunteers to construct panels in their own church parking lots. Volunteers who cannot commit to being away from home for large amounts of time have the option of spending a few hours or days constructing panels. Others may be able to serve long-term and commit to several weeks, from building the panels to completing the house. Either way, the PHP provides opportunities for all types of volunteers, short-term or long-term.

The PHP is composed of four partners: the clients, the sponsors, the community, and MDS. The clients are those without a home; the sponsors are churches that provide the materials, labor, and funds needed to build; the community group assists the program by serving as the local connection for client identification and resource gathering; and MDS assists by connecting participating parties together, seeing projects to completion.   

If for any reason a sponsoring church cannot raise all of the funds needed to build, they can, through MDS, work with other sponsoring churches to share the cost.  In some cases, clients are able to provide some resources if the sponsor cannot raise all of the funds. Although this program seeks to serve those in need, and is a vital part of the mission of MDS, it does not replace other programs and projects.

The success of this program depends on volunteers and sponsors like you who are willing to sacrifice convenience for service. MDS already has a number of clients that are qualified and waiting for sponsors to commit and begin serving. Please consider sponsoring a project for a deserving family, and by doing so, you will be “bringing one more family home.”

Homes Completed in 2008:  3

Homes Completed in 2009:  8

Homes Completed in 2010: 5

Homes Completed in 2011: 9

Homes in Progress: 2

Click here to see the blog from the PHP homes currently being built by the Hartville, Ohio group: Hartville PHP Build

Click here to see the blog from First Mennonite Church in Newton, Kansas about their PHP build in Franklin, LA.  First Mennonite of Newton PHP build 

Click here to see a program Portland Mennonite Church made for children that explains their PHP house: PHP YouTube Link 

Click here to follow the progress of the PHP home being built in Cameron, LA by Maple Grove Mennonite and Hartville Mennonite: PHP House

In Progress and Complete Homes (Completed homes have year completed):

Sponsor: Gingrich Mennonite Church -2008

Home Location: Jasper, TX

Sponsor: Akron Mennonite Church - 2008

Home Location: Cameron, LA

Sponsor: Lititz Mennonite Church - 2008

Home Location: Woodville, TX

Sponsor: Shenandoah Valley - 2008

Home Location: Gulfport, MS

Sponsor: Northern New York MDS - 2009

Home Location: Baldwin, LA

Sponsor: Pleasant View Mennonite - 2009

Home Location: New Orleans, LA

Sponsor: Portland Mennonite

Home Location: Escondido, CA

Sponsor: Landsville District - 2009

Home Location: Franklin, LA

Sponsor: Eastern VA MDS - 2009

Home Location: Cameron, LA

Sponsor: Kansas MDS and Hesston College - 2009

Home Location: Picayune, MS

Sponsor: Ephrata Mennonite, Indiantown Mennonite, Blainsport Mennonite - 2009

Home Location: Cameron, LA

Sponsor: North Leo Mennonite

Home Location: Ertha, LA

Sponsor: Sarasota MDS - 2009

Home Location: McNeil, MS

Sponsor: Maple Grove Mennonite - 2010

Home Location: Cameron, LA

Sponsor: Newton First Mennonite Church

Home Location: Franklin, LA

Sponsor: Reedly Area Churches

Home Location: Dulzura

Sponsor:Garden Spot/Petra

Home Location: New Iberia, LA

Sponsor: Hartville Maple Creek

Home Location: 5 homes in New Iberia, LA

Sponsor: Mahoning Valley Mennonite Churches

Home Location:

Sponsor: Chapel Hill Mennonite Church

Home Location: Cameron, LA

Sponsor: Washington MDS Unit

Home Location: Ramona, CA

Sponsor: Hartville Mennonite Churche

Home Location: Church in Boligee