The Mennonite Aid Section was established by the Mennonite Central Committee on 17 March, 1944 upon recommendation of the Rehabilitation Study Committee appointed by the MCC in 1943 to study the rehabilitation needs of Civilian Public Service (CPS) men who faced World War II demobilization. The demobilization needs were largely met by the individual conferences, but the Aid Section functioned to coordinate the various assistance plans. The largest work of the Aid Section came with the movement of the Mennonite refugees from Europe to the Western Hemisphere after World War II. The Aid Section was composed of representatives appointed by the various Mennonite groups. The Sectional meetings were advisory to the Mennonite Central Committee on matters coming under the Aid Section purview, for the most part in the following areas:

1. To assist Mennonite refugees to countries of their choice where they might settle and earn a livelihood; countries of destination for this assistance were Canada, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina.
2. To assist in economic and community development after arrival in the country of resettlement.
3. Operation of a vocational trainee program which provided opportunity for foreign young men and women to live in American Mennonite homes for one year while receiving practical training in their field of interest.
4. To assist the Council of Mennonite and Affiliated Colleges in the processing of students from areas abroad where MCC relief workers were stationed.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 609. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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