Chelsea Merriman, a junior psychology major, believes that community service is her responsibility. "I've been so incredibly fortunate and I realize that others are not in the same position I'm in," she said. This is why she has accumulated around 3,000 service hours.
Her passion for community service has led her to be in a position of state leadership. She was recently appointed as the youth representative for the Ohio Community Service Council by Gov. Ted Strickland.She applied for the position because she thought it would be a good way to develop her skills and meet people in the service community. Plus, she "wanted to represent youth voice in the state of Ohio," she said.
Merriman is serving a three year term, attending bi-monthly council meetings to determine the approval or denial of grants for service projects in Ohio under the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993.
Being the only youth to represent Ohio on the council, Merriman attended her most recent meeting Jan. 17. After re-establishing the council, the members brainstormed the idea of community service and how it should look under Strickland.
"Ohio is trying to become the leader in AmeriCorps programming, competing against the entire nation," said Merriman.
Participating on the Ohio Community Service Council, Merriman will also sit on the executive boards for "Make a Difference Day Ohio" and "Forging New Links," both of which are programs organized by the council. Both programs emphasize volunteerism in and around Ohio.
Merriman began doing community service at the age of 10 in a nursing home during the summers. Merriman and her brother were at church when a nun said a nursing home where she worked was in dire need of volunteers. The both spent three summers working at the home. "I've worked with our older population, the physically challenged, at-risk youth and students," she said.
Merriman is currently actively involved with Otterbein's service community. She is currently the president of the Cardinal Corps Leaders, a group of Otterbein students dedicated to service programs and community plunges, in which she is the site coordinator.
Merriman also organizes The United Methodist Children's Home (UMCH), volunteering with at-risk foster care children. She is responsible for recruitment of Otterbein volunteers and writing the curriculum for the program.
She said her favorite volunteer-related memory was receiving the Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter Foundation grant in 2006. This grant funded the program "Grow Something With Them," which Merriman and another Otterbein student developed.By starting a gardening project with the at-risk youth UMCH worked with, she realized she was making a major impact on their lives.
"They [the kids] were all shocked that people across the nation would know what they were creating," said Merriman.
Merriman is also active in Learn and Serve America Youth Speakers Bureau, a program where twelve students from across the country represent service learning initiatives in their areas, speaking at various conventions.
Merriman spoke in Washington D.C. in October and is scheduled to speak about Otterbein and its service opportunities in Minnesota in the spring.
She encourages all students to participate in community service to broaden their horizons. "You get to hear some really awesome stories," she said.
