Friday, Dec. 7, 2012 -- By Capt Nicole Fiedler, MCSC Corporate Communications
What do you call a 5-foot-6-inch, blonde-haired woman who balances a full-time job at Marine Corps Systems Command, has a husband and two young children and still finds time to dedicate 244 hours a year volunteering in the local community? Some might call her “Superwoman.” She also goes by Amy Mersereau-Cooper.
On Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, Mersereau-Cooper received her second President’s Volunteer Service Award, making her a Bronze-level award recipient. She spends time volunteering at the Action in Community through Service (ACTS) Homeless Shelter and the Dumfries Neighborhood Library, often with her children.
“They love to help out,” Mersereau-Cooper said. She said her children are part of the reason she volunteers as it fosters constructive, family-building time and teaches her children the importance of giving back.
Mersereau-Cooper recommends volunteering in the community as people often don’t know how many services – like the one the Dumfries Neighborhood Library provides – run strictly on volunteer efforts.
“Places like the library are a lifeline for the community,” said Mersereau-Cooper. In addition to being an invaluable resource, the Dumfries Neighborhood Library is often visited by military retirees who want to remain connected with a new generation.
Why is this work so important to her? “There were times when the community gave to me, so this is my way of giving back to them,” she said. “I don’t do it for the award.”