Growing up, I was blessed with the opportunity to be surrounded by a loving family that taught me the value of service through real-life examples. My parents were always going the extra mile for others, and urging my sisters and I to do the same. I would have to say the example set by my family prompted me to further embrace serving others when I left home for college.

       Wishing to keep service as a priority in my life, I found myself following in all three of my sisters' footsteps and attending Mercyhurst College. As a student at Mercyhurst, I was offered multiple opportunities to live out the Mercy Mission through participating in various service clubs and organizations. My sister joined Mercy Volunteer Corps when I was a freshman in college, and it opened my eyes to an incredibly exciting service experience. I was able to visit her in Sacramento and work with her at Loaves and Fishes. I came to love the environment and overall purpose of the organization. Both my family experiences and my four years at Mercyhurst greatly influenced my decision to join Mercy Volunteer Corps post graduation.

       This year I am living in Savannah, Georgia and serving at St. Mary's Community Center. Each and every day brings new situations through the front door at work, and I love ever second of it! The services offered at St. Mary's range from a pre-school and GED program, to a free eyeglass clinic and free income tax preparation, to monthly senior citizen grocery deliveries and neighborhood access to the food pantry. This MVC experience has truly taught me the importance of looking at situations from different perspectives. In the past six months, I have been granted with countless experiences that have taught me incredible life lessons from both the clients which I serve and the community which I live in. Most importantly, this experience has reemphasized my desire to serve others whether it's through sharing a smile & a hug, lending a listening ear, or just being present and available to help to others each and every day.

-Colleen O'Hara, '11

I have been blessed to have a family with such generous and open hearts. My mom has always served as an example for what real-life service looks like - keeping an eye out for anyone in need and always providing a warm and delicious meal and cup of tea to any visitor. This loving framework combined with my education at Mercyhurst College (in Erie, PA) has greatly influenced my desire to serve.

           During my four years at Mercyhurst, my eyes were opened to the great need for social change. I spent much time working with inner city at risk children who brightened my days with laughter and heart-warming stories. Yet at the same time, my heart would break to know that many of them would never escape the cycle of poverty they were born into. I was eagerly looking forward to making a "real change" and dedicating a year of my life to serving in the Mercy Volunteer Corps, although a whole different population and location, as I moved across the country to work with the homeless at Loaves & Fishes ('07- '08) in Sacramento, California. My MVC year was so deep and rich that I decided to move back to Sacramento after my service year and keep the connections alive. I am currently serving as a MVC support person and visit my homeless friends at Loaves & Fishes as possible. I was so excited as Colleen also decided to serve with MVC and am looking forward to visiting her in Savannah, GA to share in her MVC experiences.

-Meghan O'Hara, '07