“I want to get involved. How can I get involved more?” I think I hear this phrase once a week from people all over. Some are new to the area and some are seasoned veterans of the Dayton region.
Below, you'll find three ways to help you get more involved and learn more about Dayton.
It is easy to say "I want to do something," and start running around to different organizations trying to fill that void. One crucial step that many people neglect to do is define what gives them that spark, that passion to do something. It is not much fun to be doing something that you don’t care about at all. That’s like going to a pet shelter and taking care of puppies when what you really wanted to do was work at a food pantry.
Some of the best organizations I got involved with were from my involvement with a different group or organization. Dayton is big enough for there to be some great overlap in certain areas, you just need to have a starting point to help springboard you into them. Below are a list of a few things that you can do that have many highly-involved Daytonians within them.
One of my favorite things to do is grab a seat at a bar and strike up a convo with whoever sits down. Now, you have to be mindful of your surroundings in the sense of whether or not the person wants to be left alone or maybe they are just wanting to talk with their friends. I have had some amazing conversations with folks who share one of my favorite pastimes. I have met city employees, small and large business owners, and people just like me looking to chat for a bit. If you are not shy and able to initiate a few words, this is a great way to see what else is out there, or at least pass the time over a beer or two.