1K Volunteers Sought To Boost Delco Coronavirus Vaccinations

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — Delaware County's citizens volunteer group is seeking more residents willing to step up to support the county's coronavirus vaccination efforts.

An additional 1,000 volunteers are sought for the Citizen Corps of Delaware County to bolster vaccine administration in the county.

The Citizen Corps of Delaware County (CCDC) is planning to significantly expand its
volunteer base and is currently recruiting and training to meet this critical goal.

While Delaware County has already begun vaccinations for the segment of the population classified as Phase 1A — which includes healthcare workers, EMS workers, medical examiners, funeral staff, and residents and staff of long-term care facilities — the effort to vaccinate all residents of the county over the next several months will require significantly greater resources.

"Residents can serve their community during a very critical time as we fight this pandemic," said Ed Kline, Volunteer Management Coordinator for the County’s Department of Emergency Services. "We are asking all residents to step up as we fight this together. Many residents have been asking how they can help. This is your chance. This is an opportunity to serve your community and do the greatest good for the greatest number."

Delaware County residents of all backgrounds, regardless of skills or medical training, are encouraged to volunteer to provide the critical support necessary to ensure the county can complete a successful vaccination drive and help end the coronavirus pandemic.

Every volunteer will make a difference, and the CCDC’s goal is to recruit 1,000 additional volunteers from all races, religions, and cultures across the county.

Volunteers are required to participate in a free online orientation. Orientations are held each
month. The next orientation will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14. Residents who are interested can register online here. More information, including specific dates and times of future orientations, is available on the website.

Residents who register will receive a welcome email that contains additional details regarding the
orientation and credentialing process.

After orientation, additional training will be provided free of cost, including training for our vaccination efforts. Deployments are assigned based on the volunteer’s availability. Volunteers are assigned to positions they are comfortable performing.

The Citizen Corps is a branch of Freedom Corps and offers both medical professionals and non-
medically qualified volunteers the opportunity to receive free training and to be part of a team to
support a broad range of emergency/disaster responses to help our fellow citizens in the county.

The mission of the Citizen Corps is to improve the emergency preparedness, health, and safety of
the residents of Delaware County by establishing a group of individually affiliated volunteers and
affiliated community, faith-based, non-government, and business partners committed to augment our existing first responders and emergency management staff during times of a major emergency or disaster in or around Delaware County.

Citizen Corps volunteers serve as a critical core of a larger system of preparedness and response.

Volunteers can attend important trainings on disaster mental health, emergency and disaster response, public health preparedness, and more.

Delco volunteers are part of the county emergency operation plan and participate in important exercises that test our county and regional emergency response.

Enthused and motivated volunteers are integral to fulfilling our commitment to serve our county in times of need