Disaster Services

The Center provides national, state and local training to groups and individuals in disaster services, recruiting, training and mobilizing groups to be pro-active in a disaster situation. The Center is responsible for setting up Volunteer Reception Centers to receive and place unaffiliated disaster recovery volunteers.  A favorite saying among volunteer centers is ~ When it happens, they WILL come! ~ People want to help their neighbors in the event of a disaster and wonderful, skilled volunteers can make the difference in a successful recovery effort after the event.  The Volunteer Reception Center is an ideal way to manage these volunteers - capturing pertinent information, training them in safety proceedures and getting them out to where they can do the most good.  The records kept at the VRC also assist jurisdictions in reimbursements from expenses incurred during the recovery. 

Locally, The Volunteer Center works in Cooperation with the following community programs:

• Hampton Citizen Corps
• Peninsula Disaster Recovery Task Force
• RAMA (Riverdale Area Ministries Alliance)
• VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster)

To understand more about Volunteer Reception Centers and training volunteers to staff the center - check out this link to a news report of a training held by The Volunteer Center for Rappahannock United Way ~

http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2010/012010/01162010/521437