Medical Reserve Corps get recognition

SCHUYLER COUNTY-- The Schuyler County Department of Health has announced the county Medical Reserve Corps has been recognized with two awards for COVID-19 vaccination efforts and significant use of volunteers. Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Emily Warfle, who applied for the awards, said the honors were both well deserved.
"We just did not have the energy or the staff to do this alone so to have these volunteers, we couldn't have done it without them, they were so important," said Warfle.
Calling MRC volunteers a joy to be around, they not only performed their duties with a smile but also provided a massive net savings for the county.
"I believe they have over 1,200 hours of volunteer time," said Warfle.
The first award, which came with a $5,000 grant, was used for two volunteers to accompany Warfle to Atlanta, Georgia for the Preparedness Summit where Warfle said they split up different activities and seminars to ensure they came back to Schuyler with the most up-to-date information possible. As a result of the award, the MRC was recognized by Dawn O'Connell, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
"We were told we were doing a lot of activities with our MRC... so they recognized us for all the different work we do because we not only do COVID clinics but also rabies clinics, health clinics, contact tracing and more," Warfle stated.
When working with dedicated volunteers Warfle added it is nice to see them receive such richly deserved recognition.
The other award was an honorable mention for the MRC Community Response-COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
"It was (through the help of MRC volunteers) that we didn't just hold vaccination clinics in one place but instead went to people," Warfle explained. "We are a pretty rural community so we went to the Harbor Hotel and fire departments across Schuyler County (and more) and that wouldn't have been possible without them."
Warfle also called attention to the service of volunteering when so many others had to stay home.
"It's great to see that someone other than myself has recognized them for their work, because they have been so dedicated even during the pandemic when so many people have backed off doing volunteering and they just kept helping and helping, so it is so exciting to see them get recognized at a higher level than myself," Warfle added.