PULSE Volunteers - Co-authors of Dayton's Story

PULSE gratefully welcomes guest blogger A.J. Ferguson. A.J. attended the University of Dayton, earning a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering and a Master's in Renewable and Clean Energy. As a River Steward in the Fitz Center’s Rivers Institute, A.J. led the creation of a bike rental program for campus and sparked the start of Ohio’s Great Corridor Association, an alliance of cities along the Great Miami River. A.J.’s lessons from the Fitz Center led him to opportunities at Sustainable Pittsburgh and Dayton Regional Green 3, supporting these organizations’ efforts to create more sustainable regions. He is now the director of UpDayton, a non-profit that seeks to spur economic growth in the Dayton region by attracting and retaining young talent. He also serves on the PULSE Advisory Board.

 “I’m moving to Dayton to do a year of service with PULSE!”

Moving to Dayton

Choosing where to live and work is a big decision. Serving as a PULSE volunteer includes choosing to make Dayton, Ohio home for a year. PULSE participants are not just volunteers living in intentional community and serving specific organizations; they also become neighbors, citizens, and friends of a city. They become Daytonians.

 

An impromptu meeting with a City Councilman

So What Kind of City is Dayton?
Dayton is a city with enormous needs and challenges. PULSE volunteers see these every day in their work. It’s been called Little Detroit and the Overdose Capital of America. Without a doubt, Dayton is up against enormous social and economic challenges. But that’s not the whole story. Dayton has a booming downtown, cultural and recreational assets that rival far larger cities, and a constant barrage of comeback city headlines. Dayton is a city with enormous opportunities and many are proud to call it home. Dayton’s narrative is complex. It’s both heartbreaking and hopeful. PULSE volunteers are invited to be part of the whole Dayton story.

  

                                             Becoming Co-Authors of the Dayton Story

As an advisor to PULSE and a community leader working to attract more young leaders to our community, I’ve been excited to engage the PULSE volunteers and invite them to be bigger parts of the Dayton story. The daily challenges of direct service can be exhausting. Sometimes even the victories seem too small. My hope is for PULSE volunteers to feel part of a larger movement and part of Dayton’s thriving community of social change agents. Dayton is full of difference makers who passionately believe the hopeful narrative will overwhelm the heartbreaking. For me, this context is an essential source of inspiration and energy. The challenges become a little less daunting, and the victories ring louder. PULSE volunteers are co-authors of this city’s epic story.

Serving and Thriving

Good stories need a little comedic relief. Volunteers need a chance to relax and recharge. When a free evening or weekend rolls around, PULSE volunteers have a city packed with fun experiences and hidden gems to discover. They can catch a Dayton Dragons baseball game, bike on the river trails, hike a MetroPark, or find a new favorite festival. Thriving cities are made up of thriving people. When PULSE volunteers love life in Dayton and when they find ways to thrive here, they add to the hopeful narrative. Dayton feels a little more like home. The people and organizations they serve become neighbors - fellow Daytonians!

A.J. and #MP2 on a recent Dayton Fun Day