OnCall For Vermont

Volunteering

It's National Volunteer Week! Are you interested in volunteering to help out your community? Consider reaching out to your local MRC unit and join today!

In an emergency, your neighbor may need a hand. How about yours?

Anyone can join the Medical Reserve Corps and learn the skills necessary to help out your neighbors and community members in the event of an emergency.

Vermont thrives on volunteer efforts—and never is that truer than during emergencies. From trained medical professionals who respond daily to citizen volunteers who step up during natural disasters, Vermonters like you make all the difference in our communities’ health, safety, and preparedness. OnCall for Vermont offers two opportunities for health-focused volunteering–Medical Reserve Corps and Emergency Medical Services.

Medical Reserve Corps

Vermont’s Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) units are community-focused volunteers who supplement local public health and emergency response resources. They receive training in emergency preparedness, prepare for and respond to emergencies, and promote public health throughout the year. Part of the national MRC network, Vermont’s eight MRC units are a shining light in their community.

The first step to joining the MRC is registering with the Vermont Volunteer Responder Management System. This will connect you with your local MRC unit to learn more about the program.

Register here!

Watch the video below to learn why some members of Vermont's MRC group joined!

Emergency Medical Services

Vermont’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) volunteers often see people on the worst day of their lives–providing timely care to help Vermonters in their most critical times of need. When a call comes in, you never quite know what to expect. These dynamic and unpredictable situations require a high level of coordinated teamwork–a cornerstone of the EMS experience.

Find a Volunteer EMS Opportunity

MRC Spotlight: Volunteer of the Month

an image of a female MRC volunteer sitting in front of an In Call for Vermont Banner.

Our Volunteer of the Month for April is Rebecca Levesseur-Oettinger. Rebecca is a retired Nurse Practitioner who still keeps her license active in order to participate more fully in the MRC. She currently lives in Burlington, VT and is a member of Northwestern VT MRC. We asked Rebecca these five questions about her MRC experience:

What was your reason for joining the Medical Reserve Corps program?

I joined through OnCallforVT.org. I had retired from my work as a nurse practitioner in November of 2019. My retirement coincided with the start of the pandemic in January. I time and had to do something to help out. My license was still active, so I volunteered to help vaccinate.

Tell us about your professional experience.

I grew up in the Upper Valley area of Vermont and went to nursing school directly out of high school. I attended the Mary Hitchcock School of Nursing at what is now the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. I worked in Women's Health and NICU in Virginia and Vermont. I met nurse practitioners and knew this was what I wanted. Nurse practitioners were a new profession in the 1970s, so I needed hospital experience and then attended a nurse practitioner program in Women's Health at UCLA /Cal State Long Beach in California. I then had worked in Women's and Reproductive Health until 2019.

What’s something we should know about you?

I have a strong commitment to community. I believe that people should be closely involved in where they live and give back in whatever way they can. Having grown up in a small town, I have that sense of community and how everyone contributes and works together. It’s a great opportunity to meet and brings together people who wouldn’t normally meet.

What was your favorite moment, or most memorable experience of your MRC work?

Some unforgettable experiences stick out: giving vaccines during COVID, especially the early clinics. They emphasize the importance of public health and vaccination. The early clinics with the 80+ year old people; they had suffered through polio and other childhood illnesses in a time without vaccines. Some people literally cried for joy getting their vaccine and being able to safely interact with their families. One elderly woman literally walked over a mile from downtown Burlington to the Old North End School through a heavy snowstorm, with no way to get home because she was so eager to get her shot (We arranged a taxi to get her back). There was an overwhelming sense of excitement and gratefulness to be a part of it. I still do vaccine work with the Burlington District Office when needed.

I have also just started providing foot care in Burlington. I attended a talk about foot care, put on by another unit (Southwest MRC) during an MRC Summit. It sparked an idea for me, that we could provide this care locally. I met with a representative from the First Congregational Church in Burlington who organizes the JUMP (Joint Urban Ministry Project), a social service referral program, and offer foot care on the same day people come in for JUMP services. We have a nurses and a doctor from MRC, a nurse and other volunteers from the JUMP program to provide care and help out. I wondered how it would take off, but we have had 3 very busy and interesting clinics so far, with plans to continue on a monthly basis.

What are your parting words to anyone considering joining the MRC?

Take advantage of the programs, trainings, and workshops offered. CPR, First Aid, Stop the Bleed, helping with flood recovery are only a few of them! You will meet people within your unit and other groups from the state and community. Visit other programs and projects you are unfamiliar with, try new things. There is also great opportunity for working with your leadership to recommend new programs if you see a need. Lastly, you should know that you don’t need to be medical person to do this work. There are just as many opportunities in MRC for non-medical folks as for people with that background.