Volunteer Roles: Thomas is chapter president and hosting coordinator. Carla is part of the local board and sending coordinator. Clemens is a board member and vice chair at the national board, and a key volunteer in the national committee POK. Theres has recently also become a volunteer at POK.
Volunteer Since: 2016
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The family got engaged with AFS when the oldest son Clemens went on exchange with AFS to Japan in 2016 and Carla Merker started volunteering in the board of their local chapter the same year. Later Thomas was also engaged in the local chapter.
In Ringkøbing local chapter, Thomas and Carla Merker have introduced a tree planting project, where their exchange students plant a tree each year as a symbol of their exchange year. Just as AFS has left a lifelong impression on the students, the students are allowed to leave a lifelong impression on the city where they have been on exchange. By each tree it is written who planted the tree and where in the world the person is from. In this way, AFS Ringkøbing engages the students in the local area and creates visibility about AFS.
The Merkers are a good example of how the national level and the local level of volunteers can collaborate – two parts of the organization that sometimes appear far away from each other. It is clearly seen that Thomas and Carla have a good understanding of the connection across the national board, POK (national committee of young volunteers) and the local chapters, as well as Clemens and Theres also have a more nuanced view of the local chapters. The Merkers always support each other in their AFS-work. They are all equal AFS volunteers with different tasks, and so it’s not one supporting the other but everyone taking their part. The understanding of the importance of each other’s role and tasks in the organization is part of what makes them an amazing AFS family of volunteers, as their internal communication and mutual understanding is an example of how all volunteers should work together.
The Merkers are a strong family of AFSers who understand both how to volunteer together and separate without getting in each other’s way. The family relocated from Germany to Denmark and themselves experienced how difficult it can be to learn a new language and adapt a new culture. They therefore have a very good understanding of what the exchange students go through and can provide excellent support to host families as well as sending families. The family is also a great example for all volunteers in Denmark of how understanding each other’s view and realities across local and national levels improves the collaboration and cohesion in the organization.
Peggy and Art Howe Award
Established in 2016, Peggy and Art Howe Award honors the outstanding service of AFS volunteer families. This award is inspired by the Howe family, who volunteered for AFS for more than six decades. Art Howe was a volunteer AFS Ambulance Driver in World War II, President of AFS (1965-1971), and Life Trustee until his passing in 2014.