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MRC Update From the Program Office: December 12, 2005

Dear MRC Leaders and Volunteers,

The MRC Program Office extends another thank you and sincere appreciation for the contributions you and your units made to better the lives of those in the Gulf Coast region. An estimated 6,000 MRC volunteers have supported the response and recovery efforts in their local communities. In addition to this local MRC activity, over 1,500 MRC members have expressed a willingness to deploy outside their local jurisdiction on optional missions to the disaster-affected areas with their state agencies, the American Red Cross (ARC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Of these, almost 200 volunteers from 25 MRC units have been activated by HHS and more than 400 volunteers from over 80 local MRC units have been deployed to support ARC disaster operations in areas along the Gulf coast.

In order to learn form our experiences, we have set up two different surveys for those who participated in the recovery efforts. One survey is for volunteers who deployed through the American Red Cross or the Department of Health and Human Services. This survey can be found on the MRC Web site homepage in the Quick Links box, on the Hurricane Recovery page, and on the Volunteer page (http://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/surveys/survey2.asp).

We also designed a survey specifically for MRC Coordinators and Directors to provide their input on the coordination of events from their perspective. To participate in this survey, please log-on to the MRC Member Resources from the MRC Web site homepage, and click on Edit MRC Unit. You'll find the link to the survey on the corresponding page (www.medicalreservecorps.gov).

If you have questions about the survey, feel free to contact the MRC Program Office at 301-443-4951 or MRCcontact@hhs.gov, and we will be happy to assist you. The surveys will be available on-line through Friday, December 30, 2005. 

By sharing your stories and experiences, we will be better prepared in the future.  It is through these deployments, missions, and activities that we grow stronger.  If you know someone who volunteered or coordinated a unit's activities during the 2005 hurricane season, but did not receive this email, please forward it on to them.  Every survey we receive will help us in our continuing work emergency preparedness efforts. Again, thank you for your commitment and dedication to the MRC, your neighbors, and your country.

Last Updated on 8/14/2006