What is Citizen Corps of Delaware County? This organization is a group of people dedicated to assisting in situations where residents need help, and through training, demonstrate best practices, provide comfort, safety, shelter, and preparedness skills.

Before the Covid-19 Pandemic, CCDC trained for 10 years for such an event and for events of natural disasters including floods, hurricanes, tornadoes. Training such as standard first aid, fire prevention, and emergency preparedness, human and animal sheltering and crisis stress management are all part of our toolbox. After the pandemic, we will go back to that training and develop more best practices based on our experiences.

CCDC is not just an organization, it is a culture of planning, practicing, and implementing the best way to help one another. This culture is an environment in which we learn new skills, techniques, and methods of accomplishing a task that is sometimes out of our comfort zones; taught by professionals to a diverse group of men and women of all ages, and backgrounds who are interested and curious about being a better version of themselves. Games, exercises, and role playing gently nudge a member to reach higher and farther, move differently, and become a more strategic thinker, a more confident individual and eventually a confident leader.

CCDC is the umbrella for many other organizations whose best practices are integrated into a very dynamic group that can learn many different areas of assistance: ARES/RACES, Citizens Emergency Response Team, Delaware County Animal Response Team, Delaware County Crisis Outreach Team, and Medical Reserve Corps. We have many hats and change them depending on the need and who is funding the mission. Make sure that you learn about each of these groups in their ReDI Program descriptions.

CCDC, in its continuous training, teaches us about ourselves, increases our levels of confidence, and makes us leaders beyond a scope that we never believed we could achieve. Working, learning, and engaging at one’s own pace allows each member to improve their personal best and develop a sense of accomplishment. We have all become leaders in CCDC unknowingly for some and surprisingly for others. By participating in CCDC we have created a family with whom we trust and care for. It is said that the best leaders care for those with whom they lead.

Helping our friends and neighbors is a passion for CCDC and it is what drives us to volunteer time after time. We hope that when the pandemic is subsided enough for us to resume our training and learning, that you will stay on and join us. We will continue to serve Delaware County in other ways and continue to build our Blue Army with the knowledge of our shared experiences.