These things are very important for you as you make a new home here:
- Apply for a Social Security card. You will need your passport, I 94 and your original RMI birth certificate so that you can apply for a card at a Social Security Administration office.
- The closest Social Security Administration office is about 45 miles away in Lima, Ohio: 401 W North St, Lima, OH 45801. (Phone: 800-223-0288)
- Find housing for your family. You’ll find more information here.
- Rent a post office box at your local post office to make sure that your mail is secure during the time you decide where you will be living. There are post offices in Celina, Coldwater, St. Henry, Maria Stein, Chickasaw, Fort Recovery, Rockford, Mendon, Montezuma and Burkettsville.
- Enroll your children in school. You’ll find more school information here.
- Obtain an Ohio driver’s license if you plan to drive. Learn more at the Celina Deputy Registrar License Agency, 320 Portland St., Celina, Ohio. Phone: 419-586-7144.
- Purchase car insurance as soon as you purchase a car.
- You’ll also need a license plate and registration for your car, which you can also obtain at the Deputy Registrar License Agency.
Here are some ways to get to know the town where you now live, and the people who live there:
- Introduce yourself to your new neighbors.
- Get out of the house every day. Drive, ride or walk around to learn more about your town and to find the grocery store, the post office and the library.
- Keep in touch with your old friends and family.
- Subscribe to the local newspaper The Daily Standard, listen to local radio stations (WCSM, 96.7 FM; WKKI, 94.3 FM), check out local news websites Mercer County Outlook
- Volunteer at your church or school.
- Join a sports league. Sign your children up, too!
- Visit yard sales.
- Be patient and give yourself time to adjust.
- Invite new friends over for a visit. Ask them for advice about living in Mercer County.
- Encourage your children, partner and friends to follow these same steps!
People in the U.S. celebrate many holidays through the year. On some of these holidays, banks, schools and some businesses will be closed. Others are open every day. No mail is delivered on some of these holidays.
Some holidays include:
January 1, New Year’s Day. People have their families over to celebrate the start of another year. They eat pork for good luck. (No mail, banks and schools closed.)
January, third Monday: Martin Luther King Day. Martin Luther King was an African-American man who bravely argued for equal rights for his people. (No mail, banks and schools closed.)
February 14: Valentine’s Day. We celebrate our partners, loved ones and friends. Children bring valentines to school.
February, third Monday: Presidents’ Day. This day honors George Washington, our first president, and Abraham Lincoln, who was our president during the U.S. Civil War. (No mail, banks and schools closed.)
March 17: St. Patrick’s Day. On this day people celebrate the Irish people. They wear green clothes. It is a day for fun.
Easter: Falls on a different date each year, always on a Sunday. This is a Christian holy day.
May, last Monday: Memorial Day. This day honors those who fought in a war. (No mail, banks and schools closed.)
September, first Monday: Labor Day. This day honors workers. (No mail, banks and schools closed.)
October 31: Halloween. This is a day for fun. Children may wear costumes to school. Adults may wear costumes to work.
November, third Thursday: Thanksgiving. This is a day when families gather to give thanks to God. They eat a big meal together. (No mail, banks and schools closed.)
December 25: Christmas. This is a Christian holy day. (No mail, banks and schools closed.)