Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. (WFHR, WIRI) – We know that disasters can happen without warning. Having a Disaster Response Team ready to volunteer can turn community members into a team ready to respond at any time. The United Way of South Wood and Adams Counties realizes natural disasters or extreme weather aren’t preventable, so as a community we must be prepared to respond. Having trained volunteers ready to jump into action can help mitigate the impact of disasters on our community.

What is the VRC?

Volunteers form the Disaster Response Team. They train with the Volunteer Reception Center or 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, we have a team prepared to operate the VRC in the event of a disaster. They are looking for more help from the community!

Training for the Disaster Response Team

Community members can attend an upcoming training and informational session. It’s at the 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. This is in collaboration with Wood County Emergency Management and Marshfield Area United Way. Only volunteers who attend training are activated in the event of disaster. Those attending for the first time will have the opportunity to join the VRC team.

Register for training by March 29th

You can register for the training by contacting Ben Eberlein, Community Engagement Director at 715-421-0390. Or you can email him at ben@uwswac.org. The deadline to register is Friday, March 29th, 2024. You can find out more about the training event on the McMillan Library website. Find out more about volunteer opportunities with the United Way of South Wood and Adams Counties on their website.