Volunteer
Raise your hand to support your community during emergencies! Volunteers are an essential part of our community’s mitigation, preparation, response and recovery efforts during emergency situations. Numerous opportunities exist for volunteers in nearly every capacity and commitment level. Answer the call today!
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training
Register for the free education course on preparedness for hazards that may impact your area and training on basic disaster response skills to help yourself, your family and your neighbors.
Explore the many ways you can help below
RespondDE (link opens in new tab)
RespondDE (link opens in new tab) (formerly the Delaware Medical Reserve Corps) is sponsored by the Delaware Division of Public Health and is a volunteer corps comprised of dedicated medical and non-medical professionals who give their time and expertise to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies. Volunteers also participate in health promotion and education in local communities.
RespondDE has three county units (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties) and provides the structure necessary to pre-identify, pre-credential, pre-train, and activate volunteers in a timely matter.
Delaware Animal Response (DAR) (link opens in new tab)
Delaware Animal Response (DAR) (link opens in new tab) is a program within the Division of Public Health Office of Animal Welfare that works to prepare the community for emergencies and disasters where domestic animals and their caretakers may be affected. DAR’s mission is to develop and implement preparedness, response, and recovery plans necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of domestic animals, and the people who own or have responsibility for animals during emergencies and disasters.
The DAR program operates a State Animal Response Team (SART), made up of volunteers trained and ready to respond during emergency situations. Volunteers with diverse experience and interests are encouraged to apply. People with veterinary medical experience may sign up for the Veterinary Medical Reserve Corp (VMRC), a section within SART. Access the volunteer recruitment flyer (PDF opens in new tab).
Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (link opens in new tab)
If you are part of a nonprofit organization that would like to assist during a disaster here in Delaware, contact the Delaware Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (DEVOAD) (link opens in new tab). View DEVOAD video on YouTube (link opens in new tab). For opportunities to donate or volunteer throughout the U.S. and our territories as an organization or as an individual, visit the National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (NVOAD) website (link opens in new tab).
Volunteer Delaware (link opens in new tab)
Volunteer Delaware (link opens in new tab) is a website with more than 900 community agencies looking for volunteers throughout Delaware. There are new and exciting volunteer opportunities for you, your family and your community. Volunteers can register on the site and perform a search to look for opportunities using keywords to define their search and zip code to match their needs and interests.
American Red Cross – Delmarva Chapter (link opens in new tab)
For more than a century, the American Red Cross has worked to help people prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. Every day the Red Cross helps communities by providing disaster response (most often for home fires), support for military members and their families, life-saving training courses, the collection and distribution of much-needed blood and blood products, support for international issues, meaningful volunteer opportunities, and much more.
The American Red Cross – Delmarva Chapter (link opens in new tab) covers the state of Delaware, Caroline County, Cecil County, Dorchester County, Kent County, Queen Anne’s County, Somerset County, Talbot County, Wicomico County, and Worchester County in Maryland, and Accomack County and Northampton County in Virginia.