HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM) -
Volunteer
Hattiesburg, the state's newest Volunteer Center, opened a Volunteer Response
Center on Friday.
"One
of the main purposes of this center is to help bring volunteers all under one
umbrella," said Director of Volunteer Hattiesburg, Dena Parker. "Probably one
of the most critical pieces is so that we can track volunteer hours because
that helps the community in their match to the federal government for the
disaster recovery costs."
The
VRC, located at the Hattiesburg Train Depot began training volunteers early on
Friday to assist in operating the center. Volunteer groups are asked to stop by
so that the center can calculate the total hours volunteered in the community.
Pine
Belt residents who would like to help with tornado relief efforts in
Hattiesburg should stop by Hattiesburg Train Depot, which will be open until 4
p.m. on Friday, and from 8 – 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The response center
will operate daily as long as the volunteer flow is heavy. Once registered,
volunteers will be deployed to help at various sites managed by local
organizations.
Residents
of tornado-affected areas needing assistance should contact 1-800-621-3362.
Donations
can be made through PayPal HERE, or by mailing a check or money order to 301
Buschman Street, Hattiesburg MS 39401.
The
Hattiesburg Train Depot is located at 308 Newman Street.
The
response center is made possible by collaboration between Volunteer Hattiesburg
and R3SM, Inc., the USM Center for Community and Civic Engagement, Lamar County
and Forrest County Emergency Operations,
the United Way of South Mississippi Volunteer Center, Mississippi VOAD
partners, Volunteer Mississippi, AmeriCorps programs and other city, community
and faith-based organizations.
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