Bill Merchant feels compelled to serve his community.

The Irwin resident cannot help but get involved in community service and volunteer work, and his actions belie his feelings.

As president of the Norwin Rotary, he has spearheaded the group's fundraisers and service projects. As a parishioner at St. Anges Catholic Church in North Huntingdon, he has worked in various ways to support the charitable actions of the local church.

For his actions in the parish and in the community, the Greensburg Diocese of the Catholic Church has selected Merchant as the 2008 Communities of Salt and Light Humanitarian of the Year.

For the last 10 years, the award recognizes outstanding service and dedication to the community. Merchant was nominated by members of the Rotary, as well as the priests at St. Agnes and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in North Huntingdon.

The award came as something of a surprise to Merchant, who does not consider himself anything special.

"Certainly I was humbled and deeply appreciative of it," he said. "I also feel somewhat uncomfortable being recognized for doing things that are not out of the ordinary."

For Merchant, doing good works is as natural as breathing. He said his gratitude for the blessings in his life, from his family to his good health, naturally prompts him to bring blessings to others.

"I can never repay the blessings I've received through service, but as some would say, that's no reason not to try."

His commitment, or as he calls it, compulsion to service springs from a deep sense of faith as well. Merchant takes inspiration from a quote by the humanitarian Mother Teresa, who left a life of privilege to serve the poor in India.

"Service is really love in action."

The award takes its name from Christ's biblical injunction that Christians should serve as the salt of the earth and a light unto the nations.

Merchant said he also takes inspiration from his parents, who from an early age volunteered at the church and in their community. His parents worked for Meals On Wheels and the Guild for the Blind when he was growing up, and his 80-year-old mother still visits people in the hospital every week.

The act of serving also brings its own motivation. Merchant said his work with Catholic Charities' food bank opened his eyes to the struggles of the working poor, and seeing what they had to go through just to provide for their families made him want to do more.

"In a country as affluent as ours, people shouldn't go hungry. It just shouldn't happen."

But as much as service is now a part of his life, Merchant said he did not always have the same focus. He admits having been much more self-centered growing up, and he said he did not really discover the importance of service until he started his own family.

"Having children was definitely a turning point for me," said Merchant, who added that the experience of caring for his three children taught him the importance of caring for someone besides himself.

Merchant, along with the Philanthropist of the Year, Hobart "Butch" Kane of Slickville, will be honored at the diocese's annual fundraising dinner on April 23.

All proceeds from the dinner go toward Catholic Charities, a group committed to providing services to needy families and individuals in the diocese regardless of religious affiliation.