No one wants to think about disasters affecting us, but they do happen. Natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes and tornadoes, or man-made disasters like mass shootings and train derailments, occur with some regularity around the country. When these unfortunate events occur, we need to be able to turn to each other to help our families and our communities respond and recover.
The best thing we can do is to act before the event to prepare, reduce vulnerabilities and build resilience. Volunteering is one way to take this action.
Nationwide, more than 200,000 Americans volunteer with the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) to help improve health and safety in their communities. MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals, as well as individuals without medical training who can provide other support. And with [last month] being designated as “Older Americans Month,” it is fitting to note that many seniors continue to be vital in efforts to improve communities’ preparedness. In fact, nearly one-third of the volunteers in the MRC are people 56 and older— many of whom are retirees.
MRC volunteers are regularly involved in activities like responding to emergencies, participating in drills and exercises, supporting medical teams at public events, conducting public-health outreach and supporting vaccination clinics. MRC volunteers are usually able to volunteer at their leisure, as most MRC units do not have a required time commitment for volunteers. Some older MRC volunteers even have chosen to join units where they vacation for part of the year, in addition to where they live.
Because local MRC units train and partner with local emergency-response organizations, older adult MRC volunteers can also serve a key role in sharing their perspective with emergency management officials to provide insight on the needs of older adults in disaster planning to ensure they are considered.
Older Americans have been there for our country time and again, and I applaud the contributions they have made to our great nation. Through the MRC program, they can continue to improve the overall health and resiliency of our communities.
If you are interested in volunteering with the MRC, learn more about local opportunities and the MRC by visiting medicalreservecorps.gov and using the “Find a Unit” feature.
Capt. Rob Tosatto is the director of the Medical Reserve Corps, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
