HUNTINGTON, West Virginia. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteer members of the Medical Reserve Corps have served our community tirelessly to ensure that all needs of the community were met. Whether that be COVID-19 testing, vaccine appointment scheduling, or vaccine administration, and everything in between, volunteers have made our COVID-19 response efficient and impactful. For their efforts, we are extremely grateful.
The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a nationally recognized volunteer group that is pre-organized to respond to natural and man-made disasters and to provide emergency responses for public health. MRC volunteers fill many critical roles during a disaster; from greeting and directing people to registration and triage stations, to helping distribute medicine, food or supplies, to managing traffic flow and parking volume, to answering phones, to making sure people feel comfortable and safe.
“Without help from our local volunteers, it would be difficult to respond to the needs of our community,” says Joe Reckard, Cabell-Huntington Health Department Threat Preparedness Coordinator.
There are approximately over 1,000 MRC units in the United States. The local MRC unit is co-sponsored by the Cabell-Huntington Health Department and Wayne County Health Department. Both medical and non-medical volunteers are needed. You don’t need a medical background or any special skills to be a part of the MRC, just a willingness to help in a time of need.
MRC volunteers receive free training on how to support public health and other first responders during a health crisis. Volunteers will be educated on Cabell and Wayne counties local emergency and health procedures. Professional volunteers will be required to provide proof of their credentialing and training expertise. You must be 18 years of age to volunteer. Serve your community/country today by volunteering for the Cabell-Wayne unit.
If you are interested in joining please visit wvredi.org and select not registered or contact Joe Reckard at joe.reckard@chhdwv.gov.
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