Wednesday was a quiet day at the Onondaga County Central Library. Some Central New York citizens were casually reading on the couches or using the computer cubicles. However, one man by the entrance was not there to check out a new book or any of the above.
Danny Ayers was there volunteering because its his passion. Ayers was handing out pamphlets on HIV/AIDS prevention for ACR Health, a non-profit organization that tries to help spread awareness for a number of diseases, at a table next to the entrance to the Central Library. He has done this every other Wednesday for almost seven years as a Peer Educator for ACR Health.
“It’s a labor of love,” Ayers said with a smile on his face. “The satisfaction comes in seeing a person grow and change their life and change their situation and prosper.”
Ayers says he’s been an AIDS activist since the 80’s and once he moved to the Syracuse area a friend helped him continue to spread his message by introducing him to ACR Health. He now gets to see plenty of success stories on a weekly basis through volunteering.
“We’ve had many many over the years. They’ve gone on to college. They’ve lived with thier diganosis. They’ve become undetachable,” Ayers commented. “They’ve adopted a healthy life style. They take their medication. They’ve become responsible, law-abiding, citizens of society.”
These success stories are what motivates Ayers to keep volunteering to a cause, he says, gives him joy each and everyday he does, regardless of the amount of people he interacts with.
“It makes me feel that I am accomplishing the purpose that I was intending to accomplish,” Ayers said.
