VOLUNTEER
With The Medical Reserve Corps by Dawn Cobb | photos courtesy of Judge Andy Eads & thank you photo courtesy of the Medical Reserve Corps social media page
A
s Paul Carter planned his retirement, he searched for opportunities to give back to the community. He and his wife had volunteered with their local church and at the Flower Mound Police Department. With their children grown and out of the house, they were looking for more. A friend mentioned the Medical Reserve Corps. Some 13 years later, the Flower Mound resident now volunteers at the vaccination clinics held across Denton County. “It just makes me feel good helping with the vaccination clinic,” he said. Members of the Medical Reserve Corps assist during times of need, whether a disaster, inclement weather event or a pandemic. Members have access to an assortment of training – from
cardiopulmonary resuscitation to
Stop the Bleed courses and much more. The training not only applies to
emergencies but also to everyday life. If an accident were to occur in his outings, Paul said he feels prepared. “I can at least be a stopgap measure until emergency help arrives,” he said.
The vaccination clinics offer a chance
to interact with individuals. And there’s
plenty to do – from staffing a call center to guiding traffic flow or checking in with residents while they await the COVID-19 vaccine shot.
“We need a lot of help,” Paul said. “And we get more out of it
(volunteering) than we give.” Anyone interested in assisting with the vaccination clinics can sign up
with the Medical Reserve Corps at
www.dentoncounty.gov/758/MedicalReserve-Corps. Volunteers will undergo a background check and complete a 1-hour online orientation. “To me, everybody there (at MRC) are really great people,” Paul said. “We’re all there for the same reason. We’re doing it to help the community.”
photos above are of Covid-19 vaccine volunteers at Texas Motor Speedway 30 | LAKE CITIES LIVING | FEBRUARY 2021
www.LakeCitiesLiving.com
