2025 MRC V.I.S.I.O.N. Recognition

 

The Medical Reserve Corps V.I.S.I.O.N. (Valuing Individuals Serving with Integrity, Outreach, and Nobility) Recognitions showcase individuals and units who exemplify the values and spirit of the MRC. They celebrate the exceptional contributions of MRC volunteers whose integrity, service, and commitment to their communities truly stand out. The work of these volunteers strengthens public health and disaster response across the country. Below you'll find descriptions of this year's recognitions.

The Community Preparedness and Resilience Category: The Community Preparedness and Resilience Recognition will honor an MRC unit that has demonstrated contributions at the community level aimed at reducing vulnerabilities, building resilience, and improving public health preparedness. This award category applies to all activities and unit efforts for 2024.

The Community Response Category: The Community Response Recognition honors an MRC unit that has significantly contributed to disaster or public health emergency response efforts in the last year, including at the local, state, and/or national level. Recognized units may have participated in a variety of emergency response efforts in 2024, and/or contributed significantly to a single response effort.

The Innovator Category: The Innovator Recognition honors an MRC unit that has initiated and carried out a novel and innovative activity over the past year that has helped build on MRC unit and housing organization efforts, engaged unit volunteers in the process, and contributed to strengthening the community's public health, preparedness, and response infrastructure. This award category applies to all activities and unit efforts for 2024.

The Outstanding MRC Preparedness and Resilience Volunteer Category: The Outstanding MRC Preparedness and Resilience Volunteer Recognition honors an MRC volunteer who was actively engaged in carrying out disaster and public health preparedness activities with their MRC unit during the past year. This award category applies to all activities and volunteer efforts for 2024.

The Outstanding MRC Responder Category: The Outstanding MRC Responder Recognition honors an MRC volunteer who played an instrumental role in responding to a disaster or public health emergency on behalf of their MRC unit during the past year. This award category applies to all activities and volunteer efforts for 2024.

The Mentor Category: The Mentor Recognition honors an MRC leader who successfully collaborated with other members of the MRC network over the past year to share practices, participate in activities, and carry out initiatives that have strengthened individual and collective groups of MRC units.

The Outstanding MRC Housing/Sponsoring Organization Category: The Outstanding MRC Housing/ Sponsoring Organization Recognition will honor an MRC Housing/Sponsoring Organization that has served as an exemplary host agency to their MRC unit and have successfully supported and helped integrate the MRC into their local community's public health, preparedness, and response infrastructures.

The Outstanding MRC Partner Organization (or Partnership) Category: The Outstanding MRC Partner Organization Recognition honors an MRC Partner Organization (or Partnership) that helped support an MRC unit in carrying out its local mission and has provided the MRC with more opportunities to participate in public health, preparedness, and response activities. The exemplary partner has played a role in helping to raise MRC awareness and foster MRC integration into the local community's public health, preparedness, and response infrastructure.

The MRC Picture of the Year Category: The MRC Picture of the Year Recognition highlights a photograph of MRC volunteers in action at public health, response, training, or other events.

The New Leader Category: The New Leader Recognition recognizes outstanding integration and engagement in the first year of leadership within the MRC network.

The State Coordinator Category: The State Coordinator Recognition recognizes outstanding coordination, management, and administration in state leadership in the MRC network.

The Elizabeth Fitch Category: The MRC Program Office established the Elizabeth Fitch recognition following her death from breast cancer at the age of 36 in 2011. It recognizes individuals who exemplify the outstanding passion, commitment, spirit of volunteerism, partnership, and leadership that Elizabeth embodied and inspired in others.