Volunteer Reception Center

United Way of Dubuque Area Tri-States, Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), and AmeriCorps are collaborating agencies that focus on educating and increasing awareness of Volunteer Reception Centers during a natural disaster. 

Volunteer Reception Center (VRC) serves as a point of mobilization, registration and referral for spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteers who emerge in response to a disaster. Using a VRC focuses on making the best possible use of volunteers, serving as a buffer between first responders and well-intentioned volunteers, and connecting volunteers to critical community needs. 

What kind of volunteers are we talking about? 

Spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteers: people who are interested in assisting in disaster yet are not associated with any local emergency management organization. 

Affiliated, Trained volunteers: Have been trained in the specific skill and they are affiliated with an emergency management organization. 

Convergent Groups: Individuals with a distinguishable identity and/or organizational structure but do not have affiliation with emergency management.