Romulus official takes positive message to youths

As the community development director for Romulus, Richard Marsh can be all business - when he has to. But as coordinator of Merry Heart Productions, Marsh takes on a decidedly less businesslike approach - most of the time.

Richard Marsh

His goal, through Merry Heart, is to reach local children through skits, plays and workshops that show them that there is more to life than violence, drugs and destructive behavior.

"We have a generation of teens who have a sense of loneliness," Marsh said. "What we want to do is have a positive impact, because they're the ones who will be setting the standards for the future generations. If we can help these kids then we have done our job."

Marsh, who has no children, still believes it is his - everyone's - responsibility to help and nurture children in the community.

"It's so overused, but it's true, it really does take a village to raise a child," Marsh said.

Marsh said he sees the development of children with four distinct legs; parents, church, school and community activists. He and his "Merry Heart" band of five are the community activist part of the equation.

"We try to get them away from the junk that society, mainstream society, seems to promote: promiscuity, bad language, violence - that's what our community is promoting and we want to have a positive influence."

Marsh's nonprofit group was incorporated May 29, and has already held a fundraiser, July 13. That event, along with others in the planning stages, will help fund further activities.

That's when Marsh's business background comes in handy, coordinating events, lining up speakers and making sure the kickoff event, and those that follow, are a success.

Marsh managed to nab Lee Thomas, feature reporter for Fox 2 television news as emcee, and well-known comedian/impressionist Arturo Shelton as the headliner.

But it was the message, not at all businesslike, that Marsh was trying to get across to the crowd of youngsters - a moral message of non-violence, positive thinking and constructive behavior.

The group used laughter, drama, music and participation to get the audience involved, and thinking about the message of constructive behavior.

Marsh hopes to bring his merry band into schools and community venues with their message throughout the school year.

Plans are in the works to contact other theater companies and put on presentations touching on teen pregnancy, drugs, conflict resolution, anger management and diversity.

Marsh said he strongly believes that if you get the message across when people are young, you can fend off many learning, discipline and criminal problems later, a philosophy that's backed up by all of the latest statistical data.

"We will go to schools and auditoriums, we will bring in motivational speakers and peer mediators, who will be trained," he explained. "We'll have facilitators who will ask questions, and have a parent university and have a motivational speaker for the parents, because they are part of this picture, too.

"You have to ask 'Are you spending time with your kids? Are you part of the equation?'"

Marsh mentioned the popularity of rapper Eminem, who says in his songs he's rootless, had a fatherless upbringing, with a drinking mom: "He sings about these things and that's why he's popular. He reaches kids with his message. We have to bring a different message, a positive message."

The target audience is teens, he said, but the group will also go to elementary schools.

"A lot of kids are having babies because they need love, a lot are doing drugs to avoid loneliness and depression," Marsh said. "We think there's a better way to deal with those problems kids are facing today."

Marsh said he's putting a strategic plan together now, and is looking for volunteers. He plans to start with the communities of Downriver - 21 communities south/southwest of Detroit - and spread out from there. Merry Hearts Productions is not a religion-based group, but will be teaching value-centered principals.

For more information, call (734) 882-1616.

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