For Hub City Times

MARSHFIELD — When natural disasters occur, people often come from all over to offer their time and skills to rebuild communities affected by the devastation. People come with diverse levels of skills and ability, and sometimes there is confusion as to how and in what ways people can help. A volunteer reception center screens and organizes volunteers during this time to keep communities safe and to maximize the productivity of the individuals offering assistance.

Being prepared is the best thing for the community. Marshfield Area United Way will put on a two-part training series on April 5 and April 12 for individuals interested in becoming part of the response team for northern Wood County. Both of the training sessions begin at 5 p.m. and will be held in the back of the United Way office.

The first training session, on Tuesday, April 5, will be a classroom-setting where the how and why of a volunteer reception center will be explained. The second training session, on Tuesday, April 12, is a mock exercise where volunteers will be given a scenario, and a volunteer reception center will need to be established within a certain amount of time.

Dinner will be provided on the evening of April 5 and snacks on April 12. Please register for the training by calling 715-384-9992 or by sending an email to unitedway@tznet.com. For more information call Marshfield Area United Way or visit marshfieldareaunitedway.org. Current members of the volunteer reception center team for northern Wood County are strongly encouraged to attend the training as well.