Apply to Volunteer

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Apply to Volunteer

Anyone can volunteer.

Whatever your experience or training, your community needs you. In Texas, there are 28 Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) units and more than 9,900 volunteers. Because each community has different needs, the MRC units throughout Texas vary in structure and activities.

MRC volunteers can choose to support communities in need nationwide. When the southeast was battered by hurricanes in 2004, MRC volunteers in the affected areas and beyond helped communities by filling in at local hospitals, assisting their neighbors at local shelters, and providing first aid to those injured by the storms. During this 2-month period, more than 30 MRC units worked as part of the relief efforts, including those whose volunteers were called in from across the country to assist the American Red Cross (ARC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

For more information about upcoming events, information sessions, and more, view the HCPH MRC Event Calendar here.


How Volunteers Support Our Community

Harris County MRC volunteers support their communities in many ways…

Medical Surge Training
  • 87 of the MRC Medical Shelter Team attended in person training on Medical Shelter Operations (June/July).
Pandemic Activations (On-going)
  • MRC received a request for volunteers to assist Harris County Public Health at their COVID-19 Phone Bank. The pandemic activation lasted from 3/21/2020 through 4/4/2020.
  • MRC received a request for volunteers to assist Harris County at two stationary Specimen Collection Sites and 4 mobile testing units. This activation started on 4/22/2020 for stationary sites and 4/13/2020 for the mobile sites. This request is on-going and volunteers are still needed daily to help in these efforts.
  • MRC volunteers were requested through the Statewide volunteer request system to assist a long-term care facility. This activation went from 5/1/2020 till 5/21/2020.

Public Health Outreach and Training
  • MRC volunteers assisted in the various activities at the Harris County CERT Rodeo event and had an exhibitor table (2/8/2020).
  • MRC volunteers assisted Harris County Public Health at their Northwest Harris County Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) event. This assessment is the systematic collection, analysis, and reporting of information about the health of a community. By assisting Harris County Public Health gather the needs and strengths of our community it allows them to identify solutions to improve the community's health. (2/22/2020)
  • MRC volunteers assisted Harris County Public Health at their Mobile Health Village. This allowed the team the opportunity to educate the public on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), as well as help hand out food to the community. (3/7/2020)

Large Scale Exercises
  • Harris County Public Health Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response conducted a full-scale exercise in coordination with Harris County and Regional partners. MRC volunteers were actors and role played as citizens which allowed the county to test the region's ability to dispense lifesaving medications to the public.
Jr. MRC Team
  • There are two Junior MRC Teams, Klein ISD and Klein Cain, both participated in events throughout the 2019/2020 school year around 6 topics including; certifications and training, strengthen public health, serve vulnerable populations, support a non-emergency community event, develop or strength the HOSA/MRC partnership, improve community preparedness or resilience, train or exercise to improve community response capability, and support an emergency response.
  • Both Junior MRC programs participated at the regional level of The HOSA Competitive Events Program and qualified for state in the 2019/2020 school year. Both teams competed in multiple different categories in the Medical Reserve Corp Competition.
  • MRC volunteers assisted in teaching 7 Stop the Bleed Classes at Klein ISD which taught 272 students the life-saving skills of stop the bleed. (2/14/2020)


How to Register As An MRC Volunteer

Visit the Texas Disaster Volunteer Registry at https://www.texasdisastervolunteerregistry.org/*

  • Click on the Register Now button on the right side of the screen. The very first thing on the application page is Organizations – click Add Organization.
  • A screen will pop up allowing you to search for Harris County Organizations.
  • Click on the + plus sign which drops down all organizations within Harris County.
  • Check mark the option Harris County Medical Reserve Corps then click on the Select button.
  • Complete the rest of your application.

*If you are a Medical professional, please fill out the Occupation page fully.