OCEAN CITY – A young local was bestowed with a Jefferson Award Tuesday for the tremendous amount of service she has given to the community.
At 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning, Emily Scheiber, 17, was surprised by family and friends at the Ocean City Center for the Arts as she learned she was a 2015 WBOC Jefferson Award winner. Scheiber thought she was volunteering at the Center of the Arts that morning when she received her surprise.
“I am pretty shocked,” Scheiber said. “I was really surprised. My mom and I have talked about the Jefferson Award before but I can’t believe I actually won it.”
Scheiber has been giving back through community service for the past nine years since her family moved to the area. She is currently a senior at Stephen Decatur High School.
She volunteers with a number of organizations including but not limited to Believe in Tomorrow Children’s Foundation, the Worcester County Humane Society, at Stephen Decatur High School, Women Supporting Women, Ocean City Center of the Arts and Temple Bat Yam.
“I enjoy being at Believe in Tomorrow and spending time with the kids. They are always happy to be out of the hospital,” Scheiber said. “Helping others makes me happy and makes them happy, so it’s just something that benefits both of us.”
Scheiber is interested in studying French and continuing community service in college. She has been accepted early to Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa.
A teacher at Stephen Decatur High School, Amanda Wroten nominated Scheiber for the award and Senator Jim Mathias (D-38) endorsed the nomination.
“Emily really has a giving heart. It’s not only the hours that she spends but the organizations that she chooses to be a part of. She really narrows her focus but also gives to a lot of different groups and people. She is inspiring not only for young people but for us who are older as well,” Wroten said.
Donna Hoy, legislative aid for Mathias, presented Scheiber with a citation in honor of receiving the Jefferson Award.
“Senator Mathias sends his heartfelt congratulations to Emily. He is very proud of her and is amazed at how many hours a young girl could contribute to the Eastern Shore as a volunteer. We are all humbled by that, and we should all accept Emily as a role model for public service, and also for ourselves, and our youth,” Hoy said.
Many were in attendance, especially those who Scheiber has helped in some way.
Kim King of Robin Walter Salon & Day Spa and her daughter Berkeley, collaborated with Scheiber in having an event at the salon to benefit Women Supporting Women.
“In 2005, my mother passed away from breast cancer, and my daughter and I wanted to do something in memory of her … on a small scale because we felt it was important to keep the money local,” King said. “Women Supporting Women helps women in our community, and because I work at a salon we thought a cut-a-thon would be a great way to raise money and awareness.”
At the time, King’s daughter and Scheiber, who are friends, were around 12 years old. The girls held a bake sale for the event.
“They baked goodies the night before the event and packaged them individually. Robin Walter gave haircuts and donated all the money to Women Supporting Women, and the girls donated all the bake sale profits as well,” King said.
Women Supporting Women is appreciative of all of Scheiber’s support, said Mary Henderson of Women Supporting Women.
“Emily stays from the moment it starts to the moment it ends, and helps clean up. You don’t find a lot of young people that are that committed to giving back to the community,” Henderson said.
For the past four years, Scheiber has taught Hebrew, Jewish holidays and the culture to preschool children at Temple Bat Yam.
“Emily and her family have been members of the temple since she was a little girl,” Temple Bat Yam President Candy Gusst said. “Anytime we need a volunteer she is there … and every time you turn around there is her smiling face.”
Ocean City Center forthe Arts Executive Director Rina Thaler has known the Scheiber family since they moved to the area and suggested she begin volunteering at Believe in Tomorrow after witnessing her personality.
“When she was 14, she volunteered at the former Art League building and with our summer camp program at Northside Park. She even helped pack up the old building before it was demolished, and when we opened the new building she has been volunteering at events,” Thaler said. “I am happy for her and her family. She has great potential with a lot of different interests, and I am interested to see where she takes it in her college career.”
Scheiber’s mother, Gail, was in tears during the event.
“She has done a tremendous amount for the community. She started with helping at Believe in Tomorrow and she just took it from there,” Gail Scheiber said. “We are very happy. We love our county. We love the State of Maryland. It is a great place to live, and we feel very blessed that she has nominated this award.”
The Jefferson Awards for Public Service are a prestigious national recognition system honoring community and public service in America. WBOC-TV is a partner of the Jefferson Award, which are presented annually to unrecognized citizens on Delmarva who provide extraordinary public service.