Doreen Klassen and Gerald Klassen, Burns Lake, British Columbia
Governor General's Caring Canadian Award
For the past 12 years, Doreen and Gerald Klassen have served the Mennonite Disaster Service, a non-profit disaster relief agency. Together they have participated in 11 terms of service, each term two to three months long, in cities across the United States. They work with local city councils and humanitarian organizations to assist victims of earthquakes, hurricanes and floods in rebuilding their damaged homes. Mr. Klassen also volunteers more than 200 hours a year with the RCMP Auxiliary, with duties including responding to reports of violence and substance abuse. Living in trailers, churches and camps for months at a time, Mr. and Mrs. Klassen have sacrificed time, energy and personal comfort in order to help victims of disasters reconstruct their homes and their lives.
