By Jessica Rapp Carson City Health and Human Services
Sunday, April 18, 2021
April 18-24 is National Volunteer Week. The theme for this year is the value of one, the power of many, which reflects on how one person can make a difference in a community when they volunteer and work with others toward a common goal.
This past year, we have seen people supporting family, friends, neighbors, and strangers. We have seen volunteers working together to support our communities during these unprecedented times. We want to recognize that value of our volunteers and their caring and compassion that they have shown this last year.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic Carson City Health and Human Services has used many volunteers from numerous agencies across the Quad-Counties region of Carson City, Douglas, Lyon, and Storey counties. Volunteers worked in the Quad-County COVID-19 call center answering questions and providing information to our community. They have assisted at COVID-19 testing events and now vaccination events. They helped with scheduling tests, entering data, contact tracing, and with test result call backs. Our volunteers have helped strengthen and protect our communities.
Our volunteers have donated almost 1,680 hours of their time, which has a value of over $45,600, to this response. CCHHS truly appreciates the hard work and dedication of each of our volunteers and we want to recognize that we could not accomplish great things without them. We celebrate, recognize, and thank them for the important work they have done in the Quad-Counties region not just this week, but each and every day.
Volunteers make a huge difference! Volunteering is a great way to help those around you, but did you know that you can improve your own life by being a volunteer? Helping others and volunteering can reduce stress, fight depression, keep your mind focused, and provide a sense of purpose.
Are you ready to volunteer? Here are some tips to get you started:
Find your passion: Finding the right fit is important. Think about what matters most to you and how you can make a difference is a great step to finding the right volunteer opportunity.
Start small: Volunteering can be fun and exciting, but volunteering too much can become tiring. Start by volunteering about an hour or so a week and see how it makes you feel. Chances are, you will end up wanting to do more.
Volunteering helps you: Look at volunteering as a way to reduce stress and increase happiness, meet new people who share your interests, learn new skills, help your community, and break up your routine.
At Carson City Health and Human Services, we are looking for volunteers to serve as part of the Western Nevada Medical Reserve Corps. This group is made up of both medical and non-medical volunteers who teach the community about how to prepare for emergencies and serve community members during disasters.
Volunteers in this group serve Carson City, Douglas, Lyon, and Storey counties. Individuals can also sign up for the Battle Born Medical Reserve Corps which serves the State of Nevada. To learn more about the MRC visit https://mrc.hhs.gov/HomePage. To register for the Western Nevada MRC or the Battle Born MRC visit https://servnv.org/index.php.
For information about services and programs available to you through CCHHS, visit the website at gethealthycarsoncity.org, “Like” us on Facebook www.facebook.com/cchhs, follow us on Twitter @CCHealthEd, or call us at (775) 887-2190.
