The Lincoln County Medical Reserve Corps unit leader has selected March 31 as the day for the first organizational meeting and is seeking volunteers to join the unit. The Lincoln MRC unit is eager to contact anone who is willing to donate their time and expertise in helping the community prepare for and respond to emergencies.
The organization was founded after President Bush's 2002 State of the Union Address, in which he asked all Americans to volunteer in support of their country. Their mission is "to improve the health and safety of communities across the country by organizing and utilizing public health, medical and other volunteers." It is a sister service of the Citizen Corps, AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Peace Corps which are all part of the USA Freedom Corps, which promotes volunteerism and service nationwide.
While the word "medical" is in the groups title, you don't have to be a trained health care provider to participate. Nationwide, MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, veterinarians, and epidemiologists, but there is a huge need for supporting members as well to serve as interpreters, chaplains, office workers, legal advisors, and in many other challenging positions.
