American Spirit: Ricky Ferguson

When you first meet him, you notice his captivating smile and quiet, professional demeanor. But behind that smile, Ricky Ferguson is a man on a mission. His mission is to "pay it forward" by giving back to other veterans at the very place that helped him. Working at Volunteers of America of Greater Ohio’s Veterans Resource Center (VRC), Ferguson believes by helping others who have experienced his pain, he can continue his own healing process.

Ferguson answered the Army’s call to "be all you can be" soon after his high school graduation. The service taught him discipline, how to think on his feet and the unique skills needed to perform as a power generation specialist in a combat engineer battalion. However, his duty station became a double-edged sword as frequenting bars and drinking became the only entertainment to engage in after a long day in the field.

His Army career was cut short as Ferguson returned to Youngstown to care for his ailing father. His father’s passing left him vulnerable to the crack cocaine epidemic and rising drug-trafficking violence in the area. One night he was shot multiple times and pronounced dead on arrival at the emergency room. He was miraculously saved by the medical staff on duty that night, but the deep depression that followed sent Ferguson spiraling downward into 10 more years of alcohol and drug abuse. It wasn’t until his mother was ready to send him packing that Ferguson realized he could not even scrape together enough change to buy his toddler son a lollipop. So he sought help.

With guidance and aid from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Ferguson began the process of taking control of his life. "Looking back," Ferguson said, "I am so grateful for God putting so many good people in my path to help me do what I needed to do."

It is with that genuine spirit of gratefulness that Ferguson left the VA program, found a job and moved into the Volunteers of America of Greater Ohio’s Veterans Resource Center (VRC). There, his confidence grew along with his aspirations. He enrolled in the community college, completed his associate’s degree, applied for a position and was hired as a peer counselor in the very facility that had helped him through his roughest times.

Ferguson continues to proactively engage and encourage clients, but now as the program’s director. Those he serves have said that Ferguson is fair and flexible, has a good sense of humor and is a great listener. He chooses to lead by example, never assigning others a task he would not take on himself.

Last November, Ferguson became an ordained minister in the Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church. In May 2010, he received his master’s degree in social work. Although his professor suggested he continue working toward a doctorate, Ferguson is enrolling in seminary school. "God takes all the glory of my personal healing," he said.

Ferguson lives to help others heal. His personal story of hope and redemption serves as inspiration to the veterans who arrive on the doorstep of the VRC just as he did 10 years ago. He is a true American Spirit!