The fact is: it’s not a matter of if disaster will impact our community, but when. We can’t prevent natural disasters or extreme weather, so we must be prepared to respond. Without the right training and oversight, well-intentioned community members may accidentally interfere with response efforts – or worse – jeopardize their own safety and put lives at risk.
To organize volunteers in disaster situations, United Way of South Wood & Adams Counties coordinates a Volunteer Reception Center (VRC). The VRC provides a system to safely and efficiently turn a crowd of spontaneous volunteers into a screened and organized workforce assigned to specific jobs. Thanks to volunteers who participate in twice-annual training exercises, there is a team prepared to operate the VRC in the event of a disaster – but more help is needed!
Community members are invited to attend an upcoming training and informational session at McMillan Library on April 3rd from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. A brief presentation followed by a training exercise & discussion will be provided by United Way of South Wood & Adams Counties in collaboration with Wood County Emergency Management and Marshfield Area United Way. Only volunteers who attend training can be activated in the event of disaster – those attending for the first time will have the opportunity to join the VRC team.
Register for the training by contacting Ben Eberlein, Community Engagement Director at 715-421-0390 or ben@uwswac.org. The deadline to register is Friday, March 29, 2024.