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Block by Block Refines Training from the Ground Up

At Block by Block, innovation drives how we deliver services to our teams and customers nationwide. We recently undertook an initiative to revitalize employee training at every level, from frontline Ambassadors to Regional Vice Presidents, with the addition of a Director of Learning and Development. After an extensive search, longtime Block by Block employee Semu One Bear was selected to fill the new role.

Over the last 12 years, Semu has held almost every job title we have at Block by Block, including Ambassador, Team Lead, Operations Supervisor, Operations Manager, Regional Director, Regional Vice President and Senior Project Manager, with most of his time spent in California.

With this extensive, boots-on-the-ground industry knowledge, Semu is uniquely qualified to make Block by Block’s state-of-the-art training even better. So, in December, he gave up the California sunshine to come to Louisville, KY, to take on this brand-new training role.

As the public space environment is ever-evolving, we must continually refine how we deliver services in our communities. Semu will assess Block by Block’s current training module portfolio to identify opportunities for updates and address any gaps in training. He will also take over the hands-on training of new managers when they come to Louisville for our monthly Managers Training.

“I am looking forward to hearing from the different groups of folks and getting feedback from them to just keep improving things,” Semu said.

And about that relocation to Louisville, while he hasn’t been loving the winter weather, he says the comparative traffic, local hospitality, vibrant food scene and excitement of this new position have made the move more than worthwhile.

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Semu grew up on Native American lands with parents who were Japanese and Chumash. Learn more about his diverse heritage in this feature we published during Native American Heritage Month.

“I Love Block by Block and My Job!”

At the end of every year, each of our programs across the country chooses an “Ambassador of the Year” for their program. These Ambassadors represent the best of the best at Block by Block, someone who has been a standout, a leader and a great example of what it means to serve their community.

In Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance, Team Lead Stacey Marlow was chosen to receive the honor by Operations Manager Mike Snow.

“Stacey is an exemplary Ambassador; she has a kind heart looking out for the street resident population and her Ambassadors,” Mike said. “She’s always willing to pick up an extra shift or go out of her way for our client.”

A familiar face in Downtown Myrtle Beach, Stacey’s worked with Block by Block for four and a half years, building strong relationships with community business owners, employees and stakeholders.

“There is not one person who works in our district who doesn’t know who I am,” Stacey said. “They know they can talk to me about their concerns, and I will take them seriously and get them the answers they need or get their issue taken care of.”

Stacey has also worked to establish relationships with members of the street population, building familiarity and a resilient rapport that has come in handy when she has had to be firm or communicate district policies.

“They all know that I will do everything I can for them, and they respect me enough that when I have to come to them about an issue, they listen,” she said.

Stacey finds her work rewarding, with many opportunities for healthy challenges and new growth. She was honored to receive the award with her team’s support behind her and hopes to one day be an Operations Supervisor when the program is big enough.

“I am blessed that I get paid EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. to exercise, see the beach, talk to people, pet puppies and help rebuild our downtown,” Stacey said, adding, “I love Block by Block and my job!”

Congratulations to Stacey! We are so grateful that she is a part of the Block by Block family and are inspired by her dedication to and love for her work in Downtown Myrtle Beach.

We can’t wait to see what her future holds for her here at Block by Block.

The Most Rewarding Work of My Life

Many of our Ambassadors work to help individuals experiencing homelessness across the country. While the work can be challenging or heartwrenching at times, they are making a real difference in people’s lives.

Ambassador Theresa Patterson in Downtown Grand Rapids, MI, shared two stories that have given her purpose in the work she does.

We’ll let her take it from here. Only minor edits have been made for clarity.

Trigger Warning: This story mentions blood and the loss of life. Please be cognizant if and when you choose to read this story.

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My work with people experiencing homelessness has got to be the most rewarding work I’ve ever done in my life. I have so many stories to share, but there are a couple in particular that do stand out.

There was a gentleman by the name of Waldo. He’d been experiencing homelessness for probably about 10 years, is what I was told, if not more. He was frequently underneath one of our bridges that was close to our headquarters.

I had just started hospitality after working in horticulture for the summer month, so part of my job was to check on street residents to make sure that they were OK, just to do welfare checks.

I always walked by Waldo first in the morning. On this particular day, it was late in November and it was very cold out. I saw Waldo on the ground, and I immediately went to check on him. It was not good.

He was reaching his hand out to me, but his skin was bluish in color. I saw that he could not lift his head and he was lying in a pool of blood.

I had such a good rapport with Waldo. He had called me his angel. And perhaps this story is the reason why. I called for help and said that I needed 911 immediately. 911 came, and they took Waldo right away. I was left there in shock of what had just taken place. He was still alive when they took him.

I went back to my headquarters, and I had to debrief myself because what I had come across was very emotional. My Operations Manager and my Operations Supervisor were very good to me while I sorted this out and wrote my incident report.

I did not hear anything that day about Waldo’s condition and was anxious to find out what had happened to him. The next day, my Operations Manager and my Operations Supervisor took me to the side in private and let me know that Waldo had passed away.

I was extremely heartbroken, but at the same time, I know that by finding him that day and calling to get him help, at least I let him go to the hospital where he could be warm with people caring for him instead of just lying on the ground and passing away.

I found out that he had laid on that ground for almost 10 hours and I was probably the first person that stopped to see if he was OK.

This incident had a huge impact on me and I know now why Waldo called me his angel is because that day I found him and let him go to the hospital to keep his dignity as a human being. I will never ever forget Waldo. He stays with me every day.

[The name in the following story has been changed to protect the individual’s privacy.]

The next story that I would like to share also has to do with finding somebody on the ground. I saw a gentleman on the ground, and he was unresponsive. I called and called for him to wake up, and he would not move. I even touched his boot with my shoe just a little bit to see if that would wake him up.

I immediately called for 911, and they came right away. First, the first response firefighters came, and then the ambulance came. They checked on him right away, and his oxygen level was very low. And he was unresponsive to them as well.

One of the firefighters knew him and told me his name was [John] and that they had already had an encounter with him. It appeared that he had been beaten up because he had a very big lump over his eye with bruising starting; somebody had probably hurt him.

When the EMTs arrived, the firefighters did let them know that his oxygen was very low, so they got their oxygen tank out. I heard the EMT tell me that they were gonna give him 100% oxygen to see if that would wake him up.

It sure did, but he woke up swinging, and he was trying to fight the firefighters and the EMTs, but they did calm him down. And then they whisked him away to the hospital. With this gentleman, I did not know the outcome of what had happened to him as nobody knew enough about the situation to tell me.

However, several weeks later, I did run into [John], and he was sober and looking good. He had a bit of the bruising still left on his face. I called to him and asked him how he was doing. I told him that another one of our Ambassadors and I had found him that day. And I told him how worried I was for him.

He gave me a big hug, and he said that I saved his life, and I believe that I did. He said because of that incident, it had encouraged him to seek some help for his alcohol abuse, and he had been sober ever since that had happened.

He said he would never forget what I did by calling help for him because he said that nobody ever does anything to help him. He said that he had taken a beating from somebody, but that was because he wasn’t doing the right thing.

These two stories have touched my heart, and there are so many more stories that I could share, but these ones I think about: that I saved Waldo from dying on the street with nobody caring for him and I saved [John] by getting him to the hospital on time and getting him the treatment that he needed, waking him up to become sober.

Thank you for letting me share my stories.

A True Representative of the Block by Block Spirit

Massachusetts Boston Transit Authority (MBTA) Ambassador William Cabey made such a difference in one rider’s journey that she began scheduling her doctor’s appointments on days she knew he would be working so he could provide her much-needed assistance on and off the train.

William’s work is exactly what being a Block by Block community Ambassador is all about – going above and beyond and making a difference one person at a time. We applaud him for his dedication and are proud to call him part of our Block by Block family.

Here’s his story in his words, with minor edits made for clarity:

When I was regularly working at Charles/MGH Station, I got to know this regular rider who needed assistance with a bridge plate [a device that creates a ramp from the train door onto the platform]. She asked me my name one day, and I gave it to her. She wrote it down, which I found odd, as well as asked me what days I worked there, so I gave her that information as well.

The following week, I assisted her again. She told me that she made her appointments on days that I told her I regularly worked there, as well as wrote something about me on MBTA’s website on how great I was at my job and went above and beyond for her as she traveled from out of the city via commuter rail for her doctor’s appointments at Mass General. She added that she wished all the Ambassadors were like me. Made me feel good to hear that.

Fixing a Part of Me

As we celebrate some of the greatest stories we’ve heard across our programs this year, we turn to Denton, TX, and Ambassador Gabrielle Rupe. Gabrielle shared with us a story that illustrates her passion for the work she does every day, and we are eager to share that story so that it may inspire others.

Here is the story as she told it to us, with minor edits made for clarity.

The story I’m about to tell begins when I started working for the Ambassador Program here in Denton, Texas. My name is Gabrielle Rupe, and I’m 21 years old. Sounds like I might not have many years to my name to have such a passion for what I do, but age can be quite deceiving.

When I first joined the program, I was a bit nervous about big changes. I was also questioning if the loss of my mother and her addiction, along with homelessness, would affect my duty to help people. What I didn’t realize was that this job would become a calling—something deeply personal and transformative for both myself and the people I’ve been fortunate to meet along the way.

One particular day stands out vividly in my mind. It was a sunny afternoon, the kind where the streets were alive with activity. Amidst the lively hum of downtown, I noticed a man sitting on the curb, visibly distressed. His hands trembled as he held his head, and he seemed to be battling a storm within himself.

As I approached, I could see the fear and pain in his eyes. He was muttering softly to himself, overwhelmed and lost. Without hesitation, I knelt beside him and gently introduced myself. “Hi, I’m Gabrielle,” I said, keeping my voice calm and steady. “Are you okay? Can I help you with anything?”

At first, he didn’t respond. But as I stayed there, patiently waiting, his breathing began to slow, and he looked up at me. He admitted he was having a rough day, struggling with his mental health and feeling like the world had forgotten him. My heart ached for him because I knew that feeling all too well.

There was a time in my life when I felt lost, when every day felt like a fight just to stay afloat. I’ve also seen loved ones grapple with these same struggles, and I’ve watched how easily society overlooks people who are hurting. But I’ve also experienced the healing power of compassion, and that’s what I wanted to offer this man at that moment.

Together, we walked to a nearby bench under the shade of a tree. I encouraged him to take deep breaths and reminded him he wasn’t alone. He began to share pieces of his story—his struggles with homelessness, his fight to manage his mental health and his feelings of isolation. I listened without judgment, just as others had once listened to me when I needed it most.

By the time our conversation ended, he seemed calmer, more grounded. He thanked me with a shaky smile, saying, “You don’t know how much this means to me. I didn’t think anyone cared.” His words brought tears to my eyes because I knew how powerful it was to feel seen, to feel human again.

This moment wasn’t just about helping him—it was about healing a part of myself too. My past has given me a deep understanding of the struggles people face, and this job has become a way for me to give back. Every conversation, every small act of kindness, feels like a step toward mending not just others’ lives, but my own.

Being an Ambassador isn’t just a job for me. It’s a way to connect, to listen and to remind people—and myself—that no matter how hard life gets, there’s always hope. The path I’ve walked has taught me that we are all capable of rising above our challenges, especially when we have someone willing to stand beside us, even if just for a moment.

That day, I realized that while I may have helped him find calm, he gave me something far greater: a renewed sense of purpose and gratitude for how far I’ve come. Every day, I get to go home to my family and talk to them about how I was able to give back to someone. I wish the people I’ve been so lucky to meet know that they’ve fixed a part of me.

Jacksonville Opens Doors for Next Step Ambassadors

During our requests for praise stories for our 12 Days of Praise this year, we received many stories about our Ambassadors making a difference in their communities. One such story was submitted by Jacksonville Downtown Vision, Inc. (DVI) Operations Manager Jason Hatley. He wanted to share the story of one of his newest Ambassadors who came to the team through a community second-chance program and has been thriving as a representative of DVI, the Jacksonville Community and Block by Block.

Here is the story as Jason submitted it to us, with minor edits made for clarity:

Our program in Jacksonville receives a grant that works with the City Rescue Mission (CRM) to assist members of the community who have experienced homelessness, are recovering from drug or alcohol addiction or even re-entering society from the penal system. The CRM has a program to support the efforts of those enrolled in successfully being reintroduced into society, and this program is referred to as the “Next Step Program.” A portion of that training has those participants getting jobs while they still live at the Mission and complete the requirements of the program.

Funded through a grant, we have an agreement with CRM to allow their program candidates to work side by side with our Block by Block Ambassadors. This acclimates them to reporting to work every day. We have a Team Lead who works directly with them to educate them on our job skills and emphasize the importance we place on hospitality and enhancing the downtown experience of all of our patrons.

Dulani Mitchell began as a “Next Step Ambassador” with us in early August as part of the grant program.  He has learned the Block by Block way, sharing positivity throughout our downtown while also cleaning and making it a beautiful place. He made such an impact on our team that he became part of the family. I am happy to share that upon completing of certain milestones within the program with the Mission, Dulani was hired by Block by Block to be a Cleaning Ambassador with our program earlier this month. His success has also allowed the CRM to send us additional “Next Step Ambassadors” to begin their journeys.

This is especially rewarding for us as Dulani came to us searching for his path going forward. Not only has he found a full-time permanent job, but he has also found a family with the entire Ambassador Team. He is extremely humble and grateful for the opportunity to grow with Block by Block and is a great representative of our Ambassador Team. We are so proud of his accomplishments and welcomed him with open arms when he was eligible to join our team.

Beyond the Yellow Uniform

The following story was written by Downtown Fort Worth Ambassador Nathan Bogan about one of his experiences working as a Block by Block Ambassador.

As a Downtown Fort Worth Ambassador, my job is to help people find their way, offer assistance and share a little Texas charm. Most encounters are brief and straightforward, but some stay with me long after they happen.

One afternoon, near a parking garage, I noticed an older man standing by a wall outlet. His phone was propped on his walker as it charged. His worn, black backpack hung loosely over the side of the walker, its seams fraying and fabric faded from years of use.

The man stood hunched slightly, gripping a nearby post. I noticed his legs trembled faintly, as though it took a great deal of effort just to stand there.

“Good morning,” I said as I approached. “How’s it going today?”

He glanced at me briefly, his face lined with age and wear, not saying a word.

“I’m an Ambassador,” I offered, trying to sound helpful. “If you need directions or anything else, just let me know.”

He remained silent, staring deeply into my eyes.

It was clear he wasn’t in the mood to talk, so I nodded and began to walk away. But before I got too far, I heard his voice call out behind me.

“Hey—wait a second.”

Turning back, I saw him waving me over. His expression had softened slightly, though his voice remained rough.

“Sorry about that,” he said. “I’m just old, grumpy and been through a lot. Didn’t mean to brush you off.”

“No problem,” I replied with a smile. “We all have our days.”

He shifted his weight slightly, still holding onto the walker for balance. “The name’s George,” he said, finally looking me in the eye. “I’m a Marine. Vietnam. I’ve seen it all.”

From there, the conversation unfolded. George told me about his time in the service, sharing snippets of his life as a Marine. “I used to jump out of airplanes,” he said, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “The thing is, by the time you’re halfway down, they’re already shooting at you. And when you land—well, that’s when the real fight begins.”

As he spoke, his grip on the walker tightened. “Standing here’s no picnic either,” he said with a dry chuckle. “I took a bullet over there. Almost didn’t make it. I’ve been shaking like this ever since. Some days, just staying on my feet feels like a battle.”

His words weren’t spoken with pity—just the matter-of-fact honesty of someone who had been through more than most.

Then, after a pause, George straightened up as best he could and looked me square in the eye. “You know what we Marines say? Oorah. Means ‘keep moving forward.’ Doesn’t matter how bad things get. Marines don’t quit. We never surrender.”

His words carried a weight that resonated deeply. It wasn’t just a motto—it was the way he lived his life, even now.

We talked for a little while longer, and I shared information about local shelters and food resources that might help. George listened, nodding thoughtfully.

“Thanks for stopping,” he said as I prepared to leave. “Most people don’t even look twice at me. I’m not the easiest guy to talk to, but I’m glad you did.”

A few days later, I spotted George again outside a convenience store. He was standing by his walker, his phone tucked into the pocket of his black backpack. When he saw me, he gave a faint smile and nodded.

“Hey there,” he said, lifting a hand in a small wave and shouted out to me. “Oorah.”

I yelled back. “Oorah.”

As I walked away, I reflected on the strength it must take to live each day as he does—not just carrying the weight of his past but finding a way to keep going, even when the simplest tasks are a struggle.

George reminded me of something important: resilience isn’t about perfection or grandeur. It’s about persistence, about refusing to quit even when life feels like a battlefield.

As an Ambassador, my job is to help people find their way. And George reminded me what being an Ambassador means, but most importantly, he helped me find a deeper understanding of what it means to endure, to stand tall—even when the world tries to knock you down—and to keep moving forward.

The Difference Familiarity Can Make

The following was written by Outreach Specialist Brittani Stidham from Downtown Oklahoma City (OKC). Only minor edits have been made for clarity.

 

While I have many stories to tell, one really has stuck out for our team here in Downtown OKC due to the teamwork and community believing in our work.

We had a known unhoused gentleman who did not want to utilize our resources, but our team continued to check on him daily and make sure he had somewhere warm to go.

He had refused to go to the night shelters, and it was below 25 around this time of year. Our Ambassadors had tried to provide him with blankets and clothing to assist him in staying warm at the least. Although he was very cold, he would not take our helping hand respectfully.

The gentleman was so cold one night our team approached him and had to take him to the hospital. Our fantastic, kind-hearted Ambassador Lola was able to convince him to go. He stayed several days as he had frostbite on a couple of his toes. Afterward, we had not seen him for about a month with the assumption that he had found a warm place to go and had received assistance. I continued to check the area for him as it was still freezing temperatures.

He finally popped back up, not because our team had spotted him, but because a business across the street had called our Hotlines Team Lead Martin, who contacted me for assistance. The business and a few residents had already contacted police, but due to the response time, they had not made it to him yet. This is where the good old saying comes into play: “Green Team to the rescue.” We pride ourselves on being community heroes.

Martin and I responded within 10 minutes and went right into outreach and welfare check mode. The police arrived as well. Because the unhoused gentleman had a great trusting relationship with our team, he was very reluctant to receive help from the police. He was trying to put socks on and needed shoes. What no one noticed except for Martin and me was a familiar smell of infection and burnt-like skin. The man was trying to cover up the severe frostbite that covered his feet to his calves. He was also missing a small portion of his foot because of the infection from the frostbite.

The officers made several attempts to get him to go to the hospital as they had dispatched for Emergency Services. I stepped in with Ambassador Martin and we asked them to stop engaging with the man. While we knew they were trying to help him, we also knew him and that the interaction was triggering his mental health issues. We could tell he was not comfortable going with them. Using our outreach communication skills and being extremely mindful of his situation, Martin and I were finally able to convince him to go to the hospital. He only agreed because he trusted us. Once they were able to start treating him on-site, they disclosed to us that he was so severely frostbitten and the infection was so bad that they were shocked he was still alive and able to talk and attempt to even walk.

While this was happening, I was able to contact his worker because that very day, he was due for a housing intake that I had been working on. I was able to assist with getting him rescheduled. He did not know how to go about missing his appointment and was mainly reluctant to go to the hospital because he knew he had to get to his appointment for housing. He was not worried about his health. He simply wanted to get into his home for the first time in many years of experiencing being unhoused.

Unfortunately, upon checking on him at the hospital, he did not have family to be by his side. He had put me down as his emergency contact. The hospital told me he was in surgery, and he had to have his feet and calves amputated because of the severity of the frostbite and infection traveling through his body. He would not have made it another night in his state. The news was heart-wrenching, but we were just thankful we were able to convince him to go. We were extremely grateful to have assisted in getting him to the hospital, but even more so that he was in good hands, safe and out of the cold.

After a month of being in the hospital, he was still in need of getting into housing as he had missed his appointment for housing, and the facility was not willing to reschedule. Thankfully, I was able to get him into a shelter that specifically works with unhoused individuals experiencing disabilities or who have long-term disabilities. He was able to connect with his worker and transition to his new way of living in his wheelchair.

Our team still checks on him, and he often tells people about us. The police, residents in the area and businesses have gained an even more positive perspective of our team. We don’t often wear our crowns, capes or shields visibly, but as soon as we start our shifts…we are the superheroes! I love our Downtown OKC Green Team and our Downtown OKC Partnership.

“With pride, we make public spaces friendly and vibrant for the communities we serve.” Block by Block’s mission is what we go by daily and why we truly do what we do!

A Chance Encounter Turns into a Battle Against Time

This story was originally shared by Union Square CEO Marisa Rodriguez at a Union Square Board Meeting.

A Life on the Brink: A Chance Encounter Turns into a Battle Against Time

While traveling down Stockton Street toward Ellis and Market, Ambassador Jerome Hunter noticed two men sitting in the alcove of the building at 800 Market Street. From a distance, it was clear they were using drugs. Rather than ignore the situation, he chose to engage with kindness, hoping that a simple act of hospitality might shift the dynamic. As he approached them, he greeted them and asked how their day was going.

One of the men glanced up, his gaze distant, but then his expression shifted. Without warning, his eyes rolled back, and within seconds, his complexion began to change–first pale, then an alarming shade of purple. Realizing something was terribly wrong, Ambassador Hunter immediately dialed 911. At that same moment, a passerby quickly stepped in and began performing chest compressions while Mr. Hunter relayed the situation to the emergency dispatcher.

Minutes passed, and the good samaritan began to fatigue. Without hesitation, Ambassador Hunter took over, keeping the 911 dispatcher on speaker. They urged him to apply more pressure with each compression. Following their instructions, he pressed harder, hoping it would make a difference. Slowly, the man’s color began to return, and to his immense relief, the gentleman started to move, regaining consciousness. Moments later, the ambulance arrived, and medical professionals took over, ensuring he got the care he desperately needed.

A Bus Ticket Home

“We are always on the lookout for people who need a hand up and we are sure to always be ready to offer it when the situation arises,” Outreach Ambassador Isaiah Henderson said.

Isaiah is on the Nashville Downtown Partnership (NDP) Outreach Team led by Operations Manager Antonio Tomlinson. In addition to offering general outreach services in Downtown Nashville, the team can also help individuals experiencing homelessness get back to warm, safe homes by providing them with free Greyhound bus tickets through a program called Homeward Bounds. Often, family members in other states are willing to take in their family who may be living on the streets, but they may not know where they are or have no way to get them home. Homeward Bounds fills in this gap.

Isaiah told us that on one particular day, Antonio was inundated with Homeward Bounds when a young couple with an infant came to request help.

“Right away we were captivated by the sheer amount of hard times this YOUNG family was going through,” Isaiah said.

Antonio immediately got to work on finding the family the tickets they needed to get to the woman’s mother in Houston, TX. After arranging their travel, Antonio went to check on them before they left the bus station, offering them comfort for their journey.

“We don’t have to go check on anyone after they are given the ticket; 99.999% of them are never heard from again. But just before they leave, we go and check on them, to comfort them, and offer them a few words of encouragement before they’re off to begin their next step in life,” Isaiah said.

Isaiah is proud to be working with NDP alongside his teammates to help the community of Nashville and is always looking for ways to go beyond the call of duty.

“My boss steps up to the plate constantly, and that is the same way we were trained… Adam, Tasha, Antonio and myself, we were taught to go above and beyond,” he said.

While a bus ticket may not seem like a lot, for the people Antonio’s team helps, it can mean a way out of living on the streets and into a supportive family structure, and that can make all the difference.

“So yes, we get people bus tickets, but it is the act of kindness and gentleness that keeps us moving like a team that’s been working together for years,” Isaiah said.

A Year of Saving Lives in Downtown Santa Monica

We’ve featured stories about our Downtown Santa Monica (DTSM) Outreach Ambassadors before, but they never cease to impress us. This year, as we cycle through our 12 Days of Praise, we want to bring special attention to this team once again and share some of the impressive stories they’ve shared this year.

The team is a small but mighty group of three led by Operations Manager Ernie Lopez and Outreach Specialist Donovan Wilkes. They patrol areas of Santa Monica that are frequented by members of the street population with the goal of connecting them to essential resources in the area. An important part of their job is to carry Narcan, a lifesaving medicine that can reverse the fatal effects of a drug overdose.

The DTSM Outreach Team is no stranger to utilizing Narcan; this year alone, they have administered the medicine five times.

In many of our programs across the country, our Ambassadors are trained to carry Narcan, recognize the signs of an overdose and administer the life-saving medicine.

Training Put Into Action

A few months ago, Outreach Ambassador Marc came across a sight that no one ever wants to see – a person on the ground, slumped over, blue in the face.

Marc’s team has been trained to recognize overdoses, so when he saw the man’s blue face, he knew what was happening.

Remembering this training, Marc sprung into action. He called 911, administered two doses of Narcan and rolled the man into a recovery position. Shortly after, emergency services arrived, continued to provide aid and transferred the man to the hospital.

This was not Marc’s first overdose he has encountered since becoming an Outreach Ambassador in 2023, but each time he still feels the weight of the work he’s doing.

“I’ve administered Narcan four or five times now, and even with the training I’ve received, that tight knot in my stomach never goes away. It’s a constant reminder of what’s at stake every time,” Marc said.

Outreach Ambassador Amy was the first to reverse an overdose in 2024 on New Years Day after an Ambassador found an individual unresponsive in a local park. It was her first time doing so. Outreach Ambassador Michael also administered Narcan for his first time this year. And, even DTSM Operations Manager Ernie has used Narcan on an unresponsive individual.

DTSM is only one city in our entire nation that is facing issues with drug overdoses. Having teams on the ground who are trained in utilizing Narcan is just one way to help fight our country’s drug problem at the base level.

Combatting A National Problem

Block by Block has thirty Outreach Programs nationwide, most of which have received life-saving Narcan training. Even many of our traditional Cleaning, Safety and Hospitality Programs have Ambassadors who have received training on how to properly use the medicine.

In Los Angeles County and across the United States, drug overdose deaths have been steadily increasing from 1999 – 2021.

The most recent available data from 2021 shows that in Los Angeles County alone, there were 2,322 overdose deaths, compared to a nationwide 106,699 overdose deaths.

While this data can be disheartening, teams like Donovan’s in DTSM are helping battle this. Armed with knowledge and Narcan, our Outreach Teams and Ambassadors nationwide can help and are helping save lives.

If you’re interested in learning more about Outreach Ambassador programming or how a Block by Block program could work in your district, please reach out to Chris Tin, Vice President of Business Development, at ctin@blockbyblock.com .

 

SLC Ambassador Offers Helping Hand on One Man’s Journey Home

“It has reminded me that at any time, you never know when you will be part of something MUCH bigger than yourself,” Salt Lake City Ambassador Lillian Logani said. “It makes my heart warm and gives me motivation to continue doing what I do and continuing doing the next right thing.”

Lillian was one of a handful of individuals 91-year-old Korean War Veteran Michael Black encountered on a multi-day, 200-mile hitchhiking journey that spanned three states. Michael suffered from dementia, and his wife was desperate to find him.

The day before Thanksgiving, Lillian came across Michael, who was looking confused as he came out of a building. She spoke to him and found out he had been staying at a shelter but didn’t know where it was or how to get back. She made a few calls, discovered he had been housed at The Men’s Rescue Mission and offered to take him there since it was a good distance away.

“On our way down to The Mission, he told me stories of him being in the Korean War,” Lillian said. “We got to know each other, and when we reached the shelter, he recognized the place and began to cry. He thanked me for helping him find his way.”

Lillian had a feeling the man might be suffering from an age-related mentally debilitating condition, so she spoke to the shelter staff and asked them to keep a special eye on him.

On Saturday, Lillian turned on the TV to see the man she had helped just a few days earlier: he was a feature story. Through a series of fortunate events, Michael’s wife Avril spotted him in the background of a news segment. A local station featured the shelter (the one that Lillian dropped him off at) hosting their Thanksgiving dinner. As some b-roll spanned across the crowd, there was Michael. Avril called it her “Thanksgiving miracle” and quickly made the journey from Wyoming to Utah to pick up her husband.

But, as fate would have it, just days after Michael got home, he became sick with a cough that became influenza. After a short stay in the hospital, he was released on hospice and passed away at his home.

Avril expressed her gratitude to everyone who helped Michael on his journey and was thankful she was able to spend his final days with him.

The news station that had originally aired the story about the shelter’s dinner continued coverage even after Michael’s passing.

“If you had not shown that on the TV and I hadn’t put it on. He wouldn’t have gone in peace. Maybe he would’ve fallen in a ditch somewhere,” Avril told the news station. “It was his time, it was his time, and he had an adventure, and he enjoyed his little adventure. That’s life, I guess.”

After finding out about Michael’s passing, Ambassador Lillian was sad but grateful that he was able to get back home.

“It makes me emotional; however, I am at peace knowing that his wife was able to spend the last days of his life with him,” Lillian said.

To learn more about this story, visit:

https://www.live5news.com/video/2024/12/06/wife-spots-missing-husband-news-segment/

https://ksl.com/article/51206360/missing-husband-dies-after-miraculously-being-found-on-ksl-tv-news

https://www.gofundme.com/f/michaels-final-days-avril-needs-your-help

Outreach Ambassador Gets Family Housing In Time for the Holidays

While bright color uniforms have come to be a staple of Block by Block Ambassador Programs, due to the nature of their work, Outreach Teams often do not wear any uniform at all.

These Ambassadors dedicate their working hours to helping individuals experiencing homelessness get connected with essential services. And, over time, we’ve found that they make more connections when they aren’t in uniform, as a uniform can be intimidating.

One of our Louisville Downtown Partnership Outreach Ambassadors, Quinton “Q” Thompson, has worked with us for one year, but in that short amount of time has dedicated himself to helping the Louisville community. He began as a Safety Ambassador but quickly found that he had a passion for outreach. Q can be seen confidently patrolling Downtown Louisville in his street clothes, making connections and meeting people with the purpose of helping get them off the streets into better circumstances.

Through a local initiative with the City of Louisville and Volunteers of America, the Louisville Outreach Team was approached to help find unhoused families who could move off the streets into a brand-new, block-wide campus that has both a shelter and permanent affordable housing built in.

“The family shelter has room for 15 families, and after seeing it on the tour, we were all excited and eager to do our part in helping to fill it and get families off the streets,” Q said.

Often, a challenge that Outreach Ambassadors face is finding street residents who want help or are willing to take help. But, just as Q was looking for families to move into this new facility, he serendipitously met a couple with four children who had recently moved to Louisville. Although they were unhoused, the parents were actively looking for work.

“Upon arriving here, they fell on hard times…I would never have even seen them had they not been out looking for work to improve their current situation,” Q said.

After meeting the family, Q knew instantly that they were a prime candidate to move into the new development. And, with his assistance, they were able to do just that. Right before some frigid Kentucky nights, Q helped get this family off the streets.

“For me to be in the right place at the right time to help someone who was trying to help themselves made it feel less like work and more like the right thing to do,” Q said.

Thanks to Q, this family will be celebrating the holidays with a warm place of their own.

Beverly Hills Ambassador Saves Child

It’s a parent’s worst nightmare and can happen in an instant: a child darts from the safety of the sidewalk and straight into oncoming traffic.

Beverly Hills Ambassador Christopher Johnson saw just this situation unfold before his eyes during his first week of work at Block by Block. It was his quick thinking that prevented what could have otherwise been a tragedy.

Christopher was patrolling his assignment when he spotted the terrifying situation: a young girl started running straight into the street, with cars barreling down the road. Without thinking, Christopher jumped into the street, putting himself right in harm’s way. Seeing Christopher, traffic came to a screeching halt.

In those extra seconds when Christopher jumped into the street to stop the cars, the young girl’s father had just enough time to safely retrieve the child and pull her back to the sidewalk.

Christopher has been hailed a hero for his quick thinking and bravery.

“Although he has only been with us for two months, he has shown a remarkable willingness to go above and beyond his work assignments to represent the program and the city with the excellence it deserves. He consistently takes the necessary steps to ensure residents and visitors feel happy and safe while enjoying everything the Business Triangle has to offer,” Operations Manager Jon Hunter said.

We applaud Christopher for this outstanding act of bravery and are so grateful that he was on that sidewalk that day. We can’t wait to see what his future at Block by Block holds.

Block by Block Launches New Ambassador Program in Gainesville, FL

GAINESVILLE, FL (December 4, 2024) – Block by Block Ambassadors have taken to the streets in Downtown Gainesville for the start of a three-year program.

The new Ambassador Team will cover portions of downtown and West University Avenue seven days a week. Funding has been provided by the Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area (GRCA) and tax increment financing from a local redevelopment trust fund.

The team will focus on hospitality, outreach and cleaning with 14 Ambassadors, including seven Safety Ambassadors, two Cleaning Ambassadors, one Outreach Ambassador, one Operations Manager and other positions as needed.

“We would like to help be part of the revitalization of downtown, just by making people feel more comfortable being here,” Clayton Ratledge, Regional Vice President of Block by Block’s Southern Region, said about the program.

The district has been divided into three zones, West University Corridor, Downtown Zone 1 and Downtown Zone 2. Ambassadors will cover these zones strategically to improve district conditions.

Block by Block has a robust history working in downtowns since their first program launched in Louisville, KY in 1995. More than strictly a clean and safe service provider, Block by Block has developed an optimized operating model built on best practices, research, development and modern technology that has attracted partners in more than 150 locations nationwide, including improvement districts, parks, college campuses, transit systems and other public spaces.

For more information on Block by Block, visit https://www.blockbyblock.com/

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About Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area (GCRA)

“The GCRA is a department of the City of Gainesville Department reporting to the City Manager, governed by the City of Gainesville Commission, and guided by a citizen advisory board.”

For more information on GCRA, visit https://gainesvillecra.com/about-gcra-team/

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For more information on this new partnership, you can also visit: 

WCJB TV20: https://www.wcjb.com/2024/11/22/3-million-program-hopes-better-downtown-gainesville

Alachua Chronicle: https://alachuachronicle.com/gainesville-ambassadors-to-enhance-downtown-experience

Main Street Daily News: https://www.mainstreetdailynews.com/news/block-by-block-gainesville-program

 

Louisville Downtown Partnership Ambassador Nominated for Award

Each year, people from all over Louisville are nominated for Louisville Tourism’s Rose Awards. These awards signify individuals who make a different in Louisville’s tourism industry. This year, one of Louisville Downtown Partnership’s (LDP) very own Ambassadors was nominated for a Rose Award.

When The 81st Annual General Convention of the Episcopal Church was held in Louisville over the summer, an iPad belonging to a member of leadership at the convention was stolen. This iPad contained sensitive information about clergy members, financial data and other valuable, irreplaceable information. Thankfully, LDP Ambassador Joseph Huff found the iPad and instead of turning it over to a lost and found, went to incredible lengths to get it back to the church, located in New York City.

Joseph was able to find the church online, contact them and verify that it was indeed their iPad. The team was able to mail it back to the church all the way in New York.

“They were extremely appreciative and his action led to his nomination for a Rose Award,” General Manager Jake White said.

Congratulations to Joseph on this honorable recognition!

 

Chattanooga Operations Manager Receives Award

“[Randi] is well deserving of this award and I’m very happy she was recognized for all the work she does creating a diverse workplace and giving opportunities to those with disabilities.” – Downtown Chattanooga Alliance Director Steve Brooks.

Last week, Downtown Chattanooga Alliance Operations Manager Randi Haynes was awarded The Jill Hindman Employer of the Year Award!

The award recognizes someone “exemplifying all the characteristics of the importance of innovation, creative and unique way of doing business that citizens with disabilities bring to a company.” Congratulations, Randi!

We are grateful for Randi’s work and how she continues to represent Block by Block! Randi has also been recognized for delivering a baby on the sidewalk in Downtown Chattanooga, and also for having a day named after her – March 22nd, Randi Haynes Day.

Reinvesting Growth into Operational Efficiencies

Since 1995, Block by Block has grown from one Ambassador Program to more than 150 Ambassador Programs nationwide. Our very first customer, Louisville Downtown Partnership, is still our customer today. As we have found success throughout the years, we have always reinvested it into delivering better operational efficiencies to our teams in the field and to our customers.

In parts of the country like Los Angeles, California’s Bay Area, Boston and Louisville, we have a high-density of programs operating in close geographical proximity. Because of this, it generates many added cost and time-saving benefits for our customers and managers alike.

Within the city of Louisville, we have five local programs with five different types of customers to whom we provide a variety of services. While these programs do not share the same customer or customer type, we can apply Block by Block’s flexible operating model, share a variety of resources and generate added benefits and cost savings for all of them.

In the last year, the Louisville Downtown Partnership Ambassador Program has doubled in size, growing from 18 Ambassadors to 36, operating seven days a week, 7 a.m. to midnight. Also in the last year and a half, we have added two new programs in Louisville – LOUMED and Transit Authority of River City. With this rapid growth in the city, it was time to invest in a local General Manager who could provide support and ensure all five of these programs were operating at the same top-level Block by Block standard that we have come to be known for.

Creating Culture and Consistency

As part of our reinvestment in our company infrastructure, Block by Block’s own Jake White was promoted to General Manager of Louisville Operations, where he has already demonstrated his leadership skills and commitment to elevating operations. In his new role, Jake is focused on providing quality assurance for customers, supporting managers and ensuring all programs follow Block by Block’s Operating Guidelines.

Jake is also looking at how we can better serve our customers and make sure we are exceeding their wants, needs and goals. He believes there is always more that can be done to partner with our customers to improve our role and the way we serve, and he is eager to look for innovative solutions to further integrate our programs with them.

“I’m going to be looking for any opportunities we can find for us to serve our clients in creative ways,” he said.

With the addition of Jake in Louisville, local Operations Managers have the support needed to focus on big picture goals for operations. Jake says this allows them to begin thinking about their programs as small businesses and brainstorm ways to improve them. He is also helping them build culture within their teams, citing his time in the United States Marine Corps as a driving force behind his perspective on the subject.

“I believe that positive reinforcement is the most powerful tool that any manager can use,” he said. “That was actually taught to me in the Marines…I had this one officer…He built everybody up…I want to empower the managers to create a culture within their teams where good work is recognized regularly and it’s rewarded.”

Jake isn’t the only member of Team Block by Block who is focused on culture. Tish Hicks, Field Support Coordinator, makes it a point to bring the Block by Block Mission and Vision Statement into the training of all Block by Block newly hired Ambassadors at the Louisville Operations and Training Center.

“I think it’s important to teach [new Ambassadors] the Mission and Vision Statements because we as a company take pride in both,” Tish said. “Our Ambassadors hold the key to executing the Vision to the community and the people that we come across.”

The Louisville Operations and Training Center

The Training Center is one of the newest investments to reinforce company infrastructure and efficiencies at the local level. All newly hired Ambassadors from the Louisville area are sent to this facility for employee orientation, which includes equipment, company standards and hands-on, scenario-based training. Tish leads this training, ensuring all Ambassadors throughout Louisville are prepared to enter the field operating at the consistent, exceptional quality we promise to deliver to our customers.

Since the Training Center launched in late 2023, local teams are already seeing the benefit of this added resource.

“Managers are saying the quality [of new Ambassadors] is better than it’s ever been,” Jake said.

The Training Center doesn’t just generate great employees, but it also saves Operations Managers immense time and allows them to focus on delivering the best possible return on investment for our customers. Instead of training each Ambassador individually at each location, training is streamlined and standardized through Tish. This creates a fleet of Ambassadors with fluidity that can transfer, float or fill in from program to program if needed.

Block by Block has also developed similar training facilities in the Bay Area, Boston and other major program-dense cities. Jake believes these training centers are essential to retaining great employees.

“Ultimately, if you’ve got somebody [who] wants to build a career and they need to move to more responsibility, you keep them in the company by moving them to an open position,” Jake said. “It keeps the talent here; it gives them a path of upward mobility. Keeps them excited to come to work.”

Centralized training not only gives local Ambassadors more opportunity for upward mobility if, for instance, a leadership position opens at another program that they are qualified for, but it also enables us to be much more equipped locally to fill Ambassador vacancies if one team is ever short-staffed or if Ambassadors want to transfer.

While the Training Center helps generate excellent Ambassadors in the long term, sometimes situations require an immediate solution. For instances like this, we have found that having Ambassador Flex Support comes in handy.

Flex Support Ambassadors and Equipment Continuity

“Failing to plan is planning to fail,” as the saying goes.

So, we’ve invested in preparing for the worst. Flex Support Ambassadors, led by our Flex Manager David Guiterrez, is a highly adaptable team that can step in temporarily in the event of illness, employee absences, special events or even tragedies. Additionally, David can step in immediately as an interim manager to keep operations running and, most importantly, provide support during times of program management absence or transition.

Another way we stay prepared is through equipment sharing. Our Training Center has space to store a variety of extra equipment that can be used to fill in if something at a program goes down or is being repaired or if a program just needs a little extra capacity for special projects or spring cleaning initiatives. In most situations, we can have a replacement piece of equipment in the field on the same day. All of this is taken care of on the back end, so there is no lag in service or added stress for our customers.

Part of the overall support structure we’ve deployed in Louisville, and other program dense areas throughout the country, we also have trained maintenance techs to make minor repairs to vehicles, pressure washers and other large equipment that would otherwise have to be outsourced at an additional cost to the customer.

Reinvestment Never Stops

As you can see, Block by Block is constantly rethinking ways to improve operations to better serve our teams in the field and our customers. As we continue to grow, the opportunity to enhance the service delivery for our customers and Ambassador Teams will always be at the forefront of our operations.

Block by Block programs are built to drive customer outcomes, operate with flexibility and improve the places we serve, one block at a time. If you’re interested in discussing what options exist for your program, reach out to Derreck Hughes at dhughes@blockbyblock.com

Waikiki Ambassadors Unite to Locate, Identify Missing Juvenile

Our Waikiki Ambassadors are making waves again! (Pun intended!) This time, their cross-team collaborative effort led to locate a missing juvenile and help with his safe return to his family.

BBB Waikiki Safety, Aloha and Outreach Ambassador Teams operate out of one Operations Center, allowing for open collaboration and communication across teams. In this facility, Operations Manager Taylor Sole has made it a point to have a wall dedicated to posting flyers of missing children and juveniles (under age 18), which he says is a problem there.

During a recent patrol, Safety Ambassador Wisdom saw something unusual – a young male teen living on the streets by himself. Wisdom radioed Outreach Ambassador Susan, who followed up to check on the young man, making sure to take a photo of him before they parted ways.

While Block by Block Outreach Ambassadors primarily work to connect individuals experiencing homelessness with resources available to them, they can also help with family reunification if someone is known to be looking for a missing family member.

When Susan made it back to the Operations Center, she checked the teen’s photo against the missing flyers wall and found a match. Following protocol, she reached out to the Attorney General’s Missing Juvenile Department and the reunification process began.

With the help of Aloha Ambassador Saul’s keen eye, the Honolulu Police were able to locate the young man a second time and returned him safely to his family.

The Ambassador Team and The Waikiki Business Improvement District received accolades from Amanda Leonard from the Attorney General’s Office following the reunification.

In a letter to the District President, she said:

“The successful recovery of a 14-year-old juvenile who had been missing and endangered for nearly eight months would not have been possible without the vigilance, determination and swift action of the Aloha Ambassadors. I would like to specifically commend Susan, Wisdom and Saul for their crucial roles in this positive outcome. Their reporting and interactions with the missing juvenile significantly increased awareness for law enforcement and ultimately led to the juvenile’s safe recovery in Waikiki by the Honolulu Police Department.”

We are so proud of these three Ambassadors for their combined efforts to locate and identify this missing young man, helping him get back to his family! Stories like this really help remind us that at the core of everything, including service delivery, is a human factor. Thank you, Wisdom, Susan and Saul! The work you all do each and every day really does matter!

Block by Block Ambassador Programming Comes to Downtown West Palm Beach

WEST PALM BEACH, FL (July 3, 2024) – Block by Block launched a three-phase hospitality, safety, cleaning and pressure washing Ambassador Program in Downtown West Palm Beach, Florida.

The five-year contract began with its first phase on July 1st with cleaning and trash collection services. The second phase will begin on August 1st to add pressure washing and the final phase will launch October 1st with safety and hospitality services. In all, the program will employe nearly 40 Ambassadors in the district.

Some of the services, including safety and trash collection, were previously provided by city workers and a separate company. Block by Block, however, can provide all services needed in West Palm under one roof, saving money and resources and guaranteeing the highest quality results. This new partnership also frees up city workers’ time so they may focus on other areas of the city needing attention.

“We’re approaching or over 10,000 residents in downtown. Additional resources are necessary. City has staff that does work in downtown and has always done work in downtown. But they also have over 50 square miles of the entire city of West Palm Beach to deal with as a special district,” Downtown Development Authority Director Raphael Clemente said of West Palm.

Block by Block has a robust history working in downtowns since their first program launched in Louisville, KY in 1995. More than strictly a clean and safe service provider, Block by Block has developed an optimized operating model built on best practices, research, development and modern technology that has attracted partners in more than 150 locations nationwide, including improvement districts, parks, college campuses, transit systems and other public spaces.

For more information about Block by Block, visit https://www.blockbyblock.com/

About West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority

The West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority (DDA) was created in 1967 as an independent special taxing district to promote and enhance a safe, vibrant Downtown for residents, businesses and visitors through the strategic development of economic, social and cultural opportunities. We improve and maintain Downtown West Palm Beach by offering information and services to visitors, residents and business owners.

To learn more, click here.

Block by Block Expands Programming in San Francisco to Yerba Buena and Downtown

San Francisco, CA (July 1, 2024) – Block by Block is proud to announce the addition of two new clean and safe Ambassador Programs to its roster of San Francisco Programs: Yerba Buena Community Benefit District (CBD) and Downtown San Francisco Partnership. With the addition of these two programs, Block by Block now provides services to more than half of the CBDs in San Francisco.

Twenty Ambassadors will begin in Yerba Buena, while a Team of seventeen will work in the heart of Downtown San Francisco’s financial district, providing cleaning and safety services seven days a week. Each contract is for a three-year period that also includes hospitality, special projects and dispatch.

The addition of Downtown Ambassadors will connect Union Square, another district with Block by Block programming, with Yerba Buena. These moves are part of a larger “Action Plan for Downtown’s Heart.” The plan states that “The twin neighborhoods of Union Square and Yerba Buena, connected by San Francisco’s downtown spine of Market Street and Powell Street station, are where hospitality, entertainment, arts and culture, retail and tourism (HEART) combine to draw visitors and residents alike. It is a unique district with a deep history and tremendous potential.”

Part of this initiative also includes continuing Block by Block’s Union Square and SF Travel Ambassador Programs, which have both already experienced widespread success.

Block by Block has a robust history working in downtowns since their first program launched in Louisville, KY in 1995. More than strictly a clean and safe service provider, Block by Block has developed an optimized operating model built on best practices, research, development and modern technology that has attracted partners in more than 150 locations nationwide, including improvement districts, parks, college campuses, transit systems and other public spaces.

For more information about Block by Block, visit https://www.blockbyblock.com/

About Downtown SF Partnership

Downtown SF Partnership leads the way in building a thriving downtown where business gets done, people feel welcome, come to explore and make memories.

They are a nonprofit CBD working to enhance the downtown core, the traditional Financial District and historic Jackson Square through public/private partnerships, placemaking, activating the public real, clean and safe operations, marketing support, economic development and more.

Visit their  FAQ page to learn more about them.

About Yerba Buena CBD

Yerba Buena CBD is a nonprofit dedicated to improving the Yerba Buena neighborhood in Downtown San Francisco — the City’s cultural district. The Clean Team, Community Guides and Bike Patrol Officers help to keep the public spaces clean, welcoming and safe. They promote district businesses and attractions, hold events, and enhance public spaces. They work with our volunteer Board of Directors and committees and as partners with residents, world-class museums, Moscone Convention Center, hotels and educational institutions to enhance the neighborhood.

Click here to learn more.

Downtown Decatur Launches New Clean and Safe Ambassador Program with Block by Block 

DECATUR, GA (June 22, 2024) – Block by Block is excited to announce the launch of a Clean and Safe Ambassador Program in Downtown Decatur, GA beginning May 29th, 2024, and lasting for a one-year trial period. The team is made up of six Ambassadors who will provide services primarily around The Square and Ponce De Leon Avenue.

The program is supported financially by the Decatur Downtown Development Authority, the tourism bureau and the city. The funds that each entity had previously allocated toward other district service elements like public works cleaning and off-duty police officer security will now collectively go to support the efforts of the Block by Block Clean and Safe Ambassador Program. The new team will deliver pressure washing, beautification, landscaping, safety, graffiti abatement, weed removal, hospitality and more.

Planning and Economic Development Director Angela Threadgill said the team “would be providing a bit of public engagement [like] directions [and] recommendations for restaurants, but also business outreach, and that’s something we don’t have on a day-to-day basis…They’re going to be observing, they’re going to be reporting and reach out to our Square officer when it’s necessary. They’re going to be providing safety escorts.”

Block by Block has a robust history working in downtowns since their first program launched in Louisville, KY in 1995. More than strictly a clean and safe service provider, Block by Block has developed an optimized operating model built on best practices, research, development and modern technology that has attracted partners in more than 150 locations nationwide, including improvement districts, parks, college campuses, transit systems and other public spaces

For more information about Block by Block, visit www.blockbyblock.com

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About Decatur Downtown Development Authority

The Decatur Downtown Development Authority and the citywide Decatur Development Authority were established by special State legislation. They are independent authorities established for the purpose of planning, organizing, and financing projects that will revitalize and redevelop Decatur’s commercial business districts. The Downtown Development Authority focuses on the historic commercial downtown central business district and works to market a positive image for the city. The citywide Development Authority was established to build on the success of the Downtown Development Authority. It is empowered to work with neighborhood business districts and other commercial zoning districts in the city. The Development Authorities are staffed by Angela Threadgill, Planning & Economic Development Director. Call 404-371-8386 or email angela.threadgill@decaturga.com

Downtown Iowa City Launches New Clean, Safe and Hospitality Ambassador Program with Block by Block 

IOWA CITY, IA (June 20, 2024) – Block by Block is excited to announce the launch of a three-year Clean, Safe and Hospitality Ambassador Program in Downtown Iowa City, IA, beginning June 3, 2024.

The program is a collaborative effort between the City of Iowa City and Iowa City Downtown District (ICDD) to provide Ambassadors in the central business district and downtown parking garages. In addition to their traditional clean and safe role, the new Ambassadors will be trained in hospitality to offer recommendations, wayfinding, community information and a friendly presence to downtown visitors, residents and businesses alike.

Executive Director of ICDD, Betsy Potter, applauded the new program, saying, “This is a great opportunity to have a positive impact on the community and to be a part of the team…By bringing this nationally recognized cleaning and hospitality service to downtown, we’re creating a cleaner and safer space for the public to gather and enjoy.”

Block by Block has a robust history working in downtowns since their first program launched in Louisville, KY, in 1995. More than strictly a clean and safe service provider, Block by Block has developed an optimized operating model built on best practices, research, development and modern technology that has attracted partners in more than 150 locations nationwide, including improvement districts, parks, college campuses, transit systems and other public spaces.

For more information about Block by Block, visit www.blockbyblock.com

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About Iowa City Downtown District

“Downtown Iowa City has had an active business association since the turn of the 19th Century after the founding of Iowa City in 1839, becoming the territorial capital in 1841, and the official state capital in 1846. After more than a century of growth, the business association rebranded in 2012 as the Iowa City Downtown District by a successful petition to property owners to generate tax revenue through a Self Supported Municipal Improvement District to enhance Downtown. The ICDD is a 501(c) (6) nonprofit organization representing property owners and stakeholders in the Downtown and Northside Neighborhoods of Iowa City charged with overseeing the reinvestment of these funds as they advance a mission to steward the area.” For more information, click here.

Randi Haynes Receives Good Samaritan Award

Downtown Chattanooga Alliance Operations Manager Randi Haynes received the honor of a Good Samaritan Hero Award from the Tennessee Red Cross in April for her assistance delivering a baby in March of 2023. Randi was in the right place at the right time when a driver abruptly pulled their car over in Downtown Chattanooga. The driver of the car hopped out and said “Oh my gosh – my daughter’s having her baby!” As fate would have it, Randi has a background in home birth midwifery and knew just what to do until firefighters arrived. Since the delivery, Randi has received many accolades for her assistance in this woman’s time of need with the most recent being this Good Samaritan Hero Award.

Randi is a one of a kind individual and we are so proud to have her on Team Block by Block! To hear the full story, check out this video from Tennessee Red Cross.

Launching Your Ambassador Program

How Block by Block Manages Every Aspect of Your Program Implementation

Choosing Block by Block as your service provider means the heavy lifting won’t be on you or your district’s shoulders. We manage every aspect of your program from A to Z, including everything from hiring great people to ordering your new equipment and all the nuances in between. Block by Block has the operational capacity and know-how to create a one-of-a-kind program for you based on best practices we’ve learned not only from operating over 150 programs nationwide but also from being in business for nearly 30 years.

While our roots are firmly grounded in providing clean and safe operations to downtown districts, we’ve grown well beyond this into more types of services in more types of places than any of our competitors. Today, you can find us in downtowns, transit centers, parks, universities, shopping centers and other public spaces, providing cleaning and safety, of course, but also hospitality, outreach, environmental maintenance, landscaping and more.

When it comes to launching our programs, whether they are a brand new startup or a transition from another service provider, we make it easy for you, the customer.

Once we’ve carefully worked together to establish a contract that works for both of us, we start to hand-curate your program based on your public space’s unique wants and needs. At this point, we will have already visited your district multiple times to get a good feel for your vision for the program and how we can help you reach district goals.

Your Program Manager

Your program will be assigned one of eight experienced Program Managers (PMs). Your PM will be on-site to ensure a smooth start-up or transition of services. They will familiarize themself with the contract, district parameters and everything you want your program to be. They will begin ordering and sourcing supplies from an internal Block by Block supply list that catalogs everything a program could ever need to operate based on the contract’s operating budget. We understand how big of an investment an Ambassador Program is, and we promise to be good stewards of those dollars. The PM will order just what your program needs, nothing superfluous or short of the best industry standard tools.

Your Operations Manager

While a PM will help your program get started immediately, your program will be run by an Operations Manager (OM) who will be responsible for operational oversight and quality assurance as well as serve as your daily point of contact between you and the program. They are also responsible for recruitment, training and performance counseling when necessary.

At Block by Block, we pride ourselves on promoting from within whenever possible, so all OM positions are first shared internally to see if we can hire someone already familiar with company operations and standards. Sometimes, OMs may relocate from one program to another, while other times Team Leads or other management staff are promoted to the position of OM at your new location. If we are unable to hire from within, we will hire a qualified individual directly from your community.

The PM assigned to you will work directly with your OM to ensure your expectations are met and exceeded, training them one-on-one on best practices along the way. If there is a delay in hiring an OM, your PM can also act as a stand-in until one is hired.

Within their first few months, Block by Block will fly your OM to attend our monthly Manager’s Meeting at our home base in Louisville, KY. This four-day meeting will train them on everything it takes to be a manager, from building SMART Reports to interacting with members of the street population and facilitating community partnerships to practicing responses to real-world scenarios. This meeting will add to the training they’ve already completed alongside the Project Manager and through Block by Block’s online training system on Cornerstone.

Your District, Branded

Your PM can help you finalize any branding decisions you need to make. While many districts or customers may already have established brand standards, some may not even have a logo. We can meet you where you are, whether that’s designing a logo from scratch or using your color scheme to design impactful equipment wraps, stickers, or even banners. Our In-House Graphics and Design Team will work directly with you and your PM to create the look and feel you want for your district.

Additionally, our corporate office has invested in a large-scale Roland printer that can print stickers for your equipment on-site to increase the visibility and impact of your program. Stickers can be applied to Mega Brutes, Tennax Machines, Bikes, Buckets and so much more! And, since we print and mail these directly to your team, there’s no lag time with a third-party vendor for these small branding jobs.

For printing needs that outweigh the capacity of our printer, like full vehicle wraps or large district signage, we work with trusted vendors nationwide, with a preference to use a local company in your community.

Finding You Great Employees

Our Field Recruiting Specialists will have begun finding the right candidates for your Ambassador Team by creating local job postings, filtering applicants and scheduling interviews beginning about a month before your program launch date. Qualities we look for in great candidates are a strong sense of community, a love for helping others and the endurance to work a full shift outside in various conditions. As a company, we believe an employee’s personality goes a long way, so we are willing to provide necessary training if an otherwise qualified candidate lacks experience. We strive to hire for personality and train for skills.

Our Recruitment Team will take the time to screen candidates over the phone before sending them for in-person interviews with the OM or PM. This helps familiarize applicants with the job description and its physical demands, ensuring they understand they are applying for a hands-on, outdoor job with lots of walking. This first step weeds out many individuals who may not have been a good fit for the position and frees up time for the new OM and your PM to focus on other aspects of the launch.

In some locations, our customers have expressed to us a drive to hire Second-Chance employees, individuals who were formally incarcerated and who traditionally encounter roadblocks to employment but who are deemed low-risk to repeat offenses. In these instances, we can work with community partners to hire or adjust our job listings as needed to find candidates in this applicant pool.

Transition of Service from Another Vendor to Block by Block

Not all our new customers will launch completely new programs, and whenever we take over for another company, we are always very courteous and respectful of their work. Often, we are expanding current service operations beyond cleaning to include other service elements like safety, hospitality or outreach. We recognize that some previous employees will have been with your district for many years and have formed meaningful relationships with district stakeholders. Whenever possible, we work to retain previous employees during a transition.

After being awarded your contract, we will explain to your employees what it means to work for Block by Block during in-person district visits. Thanks to our size, national reach and strong financial backing, our company usually offers higher pay and better benefits than the incumbent vendor. For those employees who want to transition with us, we are happy to give them the opportunity to do so. Of course, we make sure any transitioning employees measure up to our work performance standards and background check requirements because, after all, there is a reason you chose to switch to us.

As the leader in our industry, we do things differently. Therefore, we often have to order new equipment to replace old, outdated or underperforming equipment from previous operators. If possible, we will keep equipment that works and meets our standards. One company-wide initiative we have in place is to “Green Your Fleet” by bringing in Tenax Machines to perform litter and debris collection. Tenax International is an Italian company that manufactures 100% electric street sweepers and we have an exclusive partnership with them to provide their sweepers to our customers across the country. Their machines are quieter, to prevent unnecessary added noise; more efficient, to standardize operations; and fully electronic, meaning they’re better for the environment! We have been replacing off-market ATLVs with these Tenax machines and have already seen great results nationwide!

Training Your Ambassador Team

At Block by Block, we understand the importance of training to the overall success of a program. We have set the standard in our industry for the training of our frontline employees and we continue to expand on topics to keep the curriculum modern. Every firm talks about delivering training, but we really have built out topics and deliver training to our field employees that prepare them for every aspect of their position.

All Ambassador Programs nationwide undergo general training on our online training system, Cornerstone. In addition to this, we will work with you to develop specific training that you want your Ambassador Team to focus on in your district. If you have a particular concern, like a problem with visitors feeding birds which leads to excessive droppings and debris on sidewalks, we will coach your team on informing district-goers of the reason for not feeding the birds, as well as to focus their attention on removing feed immediately if they see it.

If your program is made up of different service elements, like Cleaning and Safety, all members of your team will receive basic cross-training in cleaning, safety and hospitality. This not only creates a collaborative and unified team where all employees have a baseline knowledge of all fields, but also flexibility in your deployment and a robust Ambassador Team.

We fully believe in continuing training well past onboarding to keep our teams operating at the highest level. We have ongoing refresher courses based on feedback from the field delivered bi-monthly. Not only does ongoing training keep knowledge fresh for our Ambassadors, but it also helps maintain consistency for all our programs across the country.

Your Program Launch

When your start date finally arrives, your Ambassador Team will be fully prepared to head out into the field. They will conduct business drop-ins to inform local businesses in the area about the program and services they provide, often handing out informative fliers we call “At Your Service” cards. These include information about the new program and the number to call if people need to request an Ambassador response or a Safety Escort, or if they need to report other issues or disturbances to the team.

Your OM will also work to establish strong community relationships depending on your unique service elements, from community outreach partners to police departments or even second-chance employment programs.

Once your PM has established that your program has what it takes to stand independently with your trained, professional Ambassador Team, they will leave, but not before guaranteeing ongoing support to your OM. Your OM is never left to figure it out themself. They are invited to stay in contact with your PM with any questions or concerns that might arise and can even reach out to their Regional Vice President (RVP) if they encounter any difficulties along the way.

Our Accountability Never Stops

Once your program is off the ground and your PM has left, we continue to be with you every step of the way.

• Your Ambassador Team is held accountable to complete logged, monthly online training.
• Members of our Corporate Team will be on-site multiple times each year – both announced and unannounced – to evaluate the program. If things are ever not working out between you and our Ambassador Team, we can increase visit frequency and managerial attention until outcomes we both desire are met.
• Twice a year, your RVP will conduct an on-site, comprehensive review of your program that measures team visibility, equipment utilization, team morale, SMART metrics, adherence to all operating processes and more.
• Every year, we also ask our customers to complete an Annual Survey to learn how we are operating from your perspective. This gives us valuable insight into what we’re doing right and what we need to work on to deliver the best service imaginable.

Our Promise

If you choose Block by Block as your service provider, you can rest assured we will walk alongside you every step of the way to deliver the Ambassador Program of your dreams. If you think a Block by Block operated program could be a good fit for your public space, we’d love the opportunity to discuss what we can do for you. Reach out to Derreck Hughes at dhughes@blockbyblock.com to schedule a conversation today!

Connect & Share 2024: Block by Block in San Francisco

At the end of March, we brought our managers from across the country together in San Francisco for a week of extended learning, development and networking at our biannual Connect & Share Conference. It is a unique opportunity for our managers to meet people who do what they do in other cities across the country, build camaraderie and learn from one another.

Over the last few years, Block by Block has experienced immense growth, including a company-wide development of 29.9% since our last Connect & Share in Houston, TX, in 2022. In that time, we have added 26 new programs across the United States, bringing the highest standard of clean and safe services to more and more places nationwide. We’ve added 742 employees to the Block by Block family, including nine new corporate field positions who help our programs run more efficiently by supplementing and supporting the Operations Manager’s administrative work so they can stay focused on street-level operations.

As we reflected on this growth over the last two years and how far we’ve come since we started serving our first downtown district in 1995, we felt this meeting was the perfect time and place to set new standards and re-establish best practices for our local operations. The conference theme “Forward: It Starts with Us” helped capture that sentiment and emphasizes our collective responsibility to spearhead the next phase of our company’s evolution and the evolution of service delivery industry standards.

San Francisco provided the perfect backdrop for our event, not only for its reputation as a premiere tourism destination, but also because of the city’s forward-thinking approach to placemaking and activations, the number of high-profile districts and community benefit districts located in such close proximity and the diversity of programming Block by Block offers in the area.

Connect & Share 2024 was a blend of structured learning sessions, panel discussions and hands-on exploration.

Learning Sessions

New Processes Unveiled

During the conference, we unveiled new standardized operational guidelines, improvements to our STOP. THINK. ACT. safety program, Key Performance Indicators to track performance of our teams and new tools to help centralize communication and information sharing using Microsoft Teams and a revamped, optimized Block by Block SharePoint Site. These tools will provide guidance for our local managers and create streamlined processes to improve day-to-day operations.

 

Operating Guidelines: Carin Cardone, Derreck Hughes

Carin, East Division Vice President, and Derreck, Vice President of Operations, discussed a new standard for Block by Block operations. While administrative content has always been available in the company-wide SharePoint site, operations details have not been readily available in an accessible format. That’s why Block by Block took the time to compile all standard operating basics into one location. The guidelines are presented in a binder format that allows managers the ability to flip through sections dedicated to specific topics on operating best practice. This guidebook clarifies the standards by which all Block by Block programs are run and can be referred to on a regular basis by managers, effecting more consistency in our programs across the country. While it does not address every possible scenario, it covers topics from Standards of Professionalism to Building and Retaining a Team, Ambassador safety to Equipment and so much more! It is a much needed asset for managers to have on standby.

Microsoft Teams and SharePoint: Kori Parvin

Any company that has been in operation for nearly 30 years is going to have its fair share of old paperwork, files and data. Until now, much of this has been stored in our SharePoint, a web-based service for sharing and storing information that multiple users can access. Over time, the files became cluttered and difficult to search, with many unneeded or redundant documents being stored. Kori, Vice President of Field Support, spearheaded a restructuring of Sharepoint dedicated countless hours sifting through these files organizing, archiving, deleting and rewriting. The result of these efforts is a flawless, easily accessible and — most importantly — organized SharePoint site. Managers can quickly navigate the site for documents they’re looking for, search and find with ease and upload their own content as needed.

On theme with this newly organized file-access system is Block by Block’s widespread rollout of Microsoft Teams to managers across the country. Managers will be able to use Teams to communicate with their Ambassador Teams, corporate staff and community partners. They will be able to create file sharing within groups to make work easier and more efficient. Teams will connect Block by Block staff and mangers from coast to coast for both platforms and all man>agers will have access to these tools by the end of 2024.

Building Ideal Teams: Angela Grether, Jay Jones

Angela, Director of Talent Acquisition and Culture, and Jay, Conference Keynote Speaker from Quantico Coaching, both session offered invaluable insights on ways managers can craft teams that thrive on collaboration, synergy and shared purpose. Block by Block utilizes Patrick Lencioni’s team-building philosophy outlined in his book The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate The Three Essential Virtues. It suggests three virtues that define exemplary team players: humility, hunger and people smarts. Conference attendees were given Patrick’s book to take home, read and begin putting the principals into practice to continue building great teams at their home programs.

Key Performance Indicators: Blair McBride, Derreck Hughes

This year, Block by Block set a new company-wide standard process for determining the performance of employees and programs across the board by establishing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). KPIs give a broader snapshot of overall performance that goes beyond just seeing things individually, instead offering a complete picture of how a program is operating as a whole. Some KPIs introduced by Blair and Derreck included: revenue, risk/safety, human resources, customer satisfaction, the SMART System and more.

Blair, President, emphasized how KPIs allow us to look for patterns in outcomes and behavior to improve overall performance for Block by Block as a whole. KPIs will begin being used to assess programs nationwide in the coming months, guaranteeing that the services we provide our customers are up to par with the exemplary Block by Block standard we are known for.

Stop. Think. Act. Program: John Koch, Carin Cardone

Safety is a priority at Block by Block, and one of the ways we prioritize it is through our Stop. Think. Act. Program. Part of the program is tracking the frequency of unsafe incidents. Traditionally, we have used wristbands for this program that indicate either 2+ years (green), 1+ year (yellow) or >1 year (black) without incident by their color. Now, however, as John, Central Division Vice President, and Carin revealed, a flag will be hung in every operations center that is either green, yellow or black, corresponding to time without incident.

While we want all of our programs to strive for green flags, we understand that some incidents will occur and we do our best to train and prepare our teams to react appropriately or work to prevent them in the first place. For this reason, there are new additions to this program, including updated Safety Talks and Clarified Reporting Tools. There will be Safety Summits four times annually, beyond just our traditional Safety Day, that are fun and engaging gatherings where safety and recent incidents are discussed. New Safety Captains and Safety Committee Members will disperse safety responsibilities across every team. Further safety standards will be enforced by regular Site Safety Inspections that are a part of new KPIs.

SMART 2.0: Tina Durbin, Manny Singh

Connect & Share also featured the first live demo of SMART 2.0, which is set to begin rolling out to our customers this summer. Tina, Customer Success Manager-SMART, and Manny, Lead Product Owner from SMS Holdings, have been working tirelessly at revitalizing the SMAT System. SMART 2.0 will set a new global standard for data collection and reporting software for public spaces. This was a process nearly two years in the making with developers Cube84, who are well-known in the placemaking industry for their work with District360. The revamped SMART System will feature an enhanced user experience for mobile and desktop, a highly intuitive command center, bilingual integration and real-time notifications sent from the public to field Ambassadors. Essential naming conventions will also be added for ease of searchability and long-term data organization. It is set to roll out in June/July of this year and promises to improve usability and efficiency for logging and storing data.

Panel Discussions

The learning sessions were broken each day by a panel discussion led by Block by Block West Coast Division Vice President – and San Francisco enthusiast – Chip. Local industry experts discussed the challenges facing placemaking operations and how to plot solutions.

 

Defining San Francisco Challenges and Plotting Solutions

Steve Gibson (President of Urban Place Consulting), Paul Frentsos (Chief Operating Officer of San Francisco Travel) and Chris Corgas (Deputy Director of Economic Development for the City and County of San Francisco) discussed the city’s struggles with balancing a booming economy while struggling to provide basic needs to some of its most vulnerable residents.

A Tale of Two Neighborhoods

San Francisco neighborhoods can differ vastly, while only being a few blocks apart. This panel with Kate Robinson (Executive Director of Tenderloin Community Benefit District) and Marisa Rodriguez (Chief Executive Officer of Union Square Alliance) outlined some key differences between their respective neighborhoods – one experiencing widespread, open drug use and the other a bustling tourist district – and the challenges they each face. Managers would experience firsthand the neighborhood sights during the afternoon session walking tours.

Walking Tours

Seeing the City at the Street Level

We couldn’t bring our teams to San Francisco without letting them explore everything the city has to offer. Our Managers spent the afternoons on guided tours through Downtown San Francisco to see our operations in action and the impact Block by Block Ambassadors have on their public spaces. They also got an in-depth look at some of the challenges facing many of our public spaces from around the country and what some people are doing to find solutions. We saw firsthand the impact of urban placemaking in transforming public spaces to be more vibrant and inviting for those who live, work and visit downtown San Francisco.

Market Street Track: SF Travel, Moscone Center and The East Cut

SF Travel Director of Operations, Paulita Elliott, led a presentation on how she makes her SF Travel program unique through employee engagement, community programming and team building. SF Travel Ambassadors provide essential hospitality to tourists throughout San Francisco. Their welcoming, outgoing demeanor makes visitors feel comfortable and at ease asking for assistance. Managers learned from Paulita ways to improve Ambassador morale, create a strong team culture and  some of the ins and outs of SF Travel’s behind-the-scenes operations.

At the Moscone Center, managers were able to see some new equipment Block by Block has been rolling out to the field nationwide. Through a new partnership with Tenax International, Block by Block has begun delivering new, maneuverable electronic vehicles that pick-up litter and leaf debris. The machines are clean, green and – important for city neighborhoods – quiet.

While touring The East Cut, managers saw the impact developing unused space can have on a neighborhood. The Crossing at East Cut was formerly a bus depot, but had ceased being used. With much thanks to efforts of Block by Block’s Moe Tinoifili and James Laqui, The East Cut was developed into a community park with pickleball courts, a soccer field, an open-air gym and more. While this development was only meant to be temporary, the community rallied around it enough to make part of it permanent, even after development of a new building in the adjoining lot is complete. Managers learned a lot about how intentionally-developed placemaking can impact a community.

Tenderloin Track: Union Square Dispatch, Tenderloin Neighborhood and Outreach Support Services

Union Square Member Services, also known as Dispatch, operates out of the same building as SF Travel, so managers returned to the historic Flood Building to learn about how Ambassadors are dispatched to community requests. Calls come into the Dispatch Center and are dispersed based on need to appropriate Ambassadors or community partnership organizations.

As the group continued their tour to the Tenderloin Neighborhood, the scene changed drastically from the tourist-bustling neighborhood of Union Square. The Tenderloin is home to many small, single-room occupancy apartments that share a bathroom at the end of the hall, so many residents will hangout on the sidewalks during the day. The narrow sidewalks of the Tenderloin have become a mecca for people sitting and lying down. They were full of individuals experiencing homelessness, open-air drug use and even a tent here and there. During the tour of the neighborhood, the group had to step over people or squeeze past people and tents on the crowded sidewalks.

The group learned of an initiative begun by the community called “Safe Passage,” where community members ensure children get to and from school or daycare by leading them from place to place with a leader at the front and back. It has wide community backing and ensures children get where they need to be safely. They learned about the passion of community who call the Tenderloin home and take great pride in its history by making it a better place for all through community parks and other initiatives.

Local outreach in the neighborhood was also discussed that expanded on the panel session from Steve, Paul and Chris on Defining San Francisco Challenges and Plotting Solutions.

Closing Out the Conference

As Block by Block does, we had lots of fun. And, of course, we made sure to celebrate all the amazing individuals who make our organization so special.

Block by Block Regional Vice Presidents chose two outstanding managers from each region as Rookie ofthe Year and Frank Zammarelli MVP of the Year. These individuals represent the best of the best in Block by Block leadership for their dedication to their team and program. The overall winner of the Rookie of the Year went to Operations Manager (OM) Jason Stewart of Ybor City in Tampa, FL. Sonja Brunner, OM of Downtown Santa Cruz in CA received the award for MVP of the Year. We are so proud of these two and of all our nominees for the work they do each day in their districts! The other nominees included:

As a company, Block by Block has always set the standard for Ambassador services. We believe in our past success and we recognize the importance of our present to impact the future of public space service delivery. We take that responsibility very seriously and that’s why we always continue to train, excite and stimulate our managers with new and innovative ideas to make our industry better from the ground up.

We consider this Connect & Share one of our absolute best, and we look forward to seeing how the seeds we planted in our managers in San Francisco bloom into creative, energized outcomes in their  programs across the country.

Bridging Gaps through Empowerment, Resources and Compassion

“It’s brought very sincere moments for me that have opened my eyes and makes me really love the work that my team and I do,” Downtown Santa Monica (DTSM) Outreach Coordinator Donovan Wilkes said reflecting on his work with individuals experiencing homelessness.

Through determination, repeat interactions and immense patience, Donovan and his team of Outreach Ambassadors in DTSM make a real difference in the lives of people who are unhoused by connecting them with community resources.

Every day, Donovan loads his backpack with supplies to serve street residents in DTSM and then hits the streets on foot. His typical walking route includes Downtown’s Promenade and other hotspots where he finds some familiar faces — the regulars of the street community — hanging out. His goal each day is to meet and greet people who are unhoused, offer them connections to resources and generally form relationships with them.

When speaking to someone, he always asks if they “know anyone” who might be looking for services. By asking if they know someone and not if they need the services themselves, the people he talks to don’t feel pressured by his presence. If they’re interested in information, Donovan will share it, but if they’re not, he’ll just carry on with his walk and plan to try again another day. For the regulars, he’ll just see how they’re doing or if anything new is going on.

These conversations are generally light and friendly. As he makes his way through the district, he radios his other team members or messages them on their WhatsApp group to see what is happening in the other areas covered by the team. He keeps a lookout for other social service providers to say hello or join forces and walk together to nurture a working relationship toward a common goal of providing solutions for people on the streets.

Donovan has worked with Block by Block (BBB) off and on since 2015, first as a Safety Ambassador in West Hollywood and later an Outreach Specialist for Westwood in 2017. At Westwood, he got the Outreach Program up and running and was promoted to Operations Manager within two years, where he stayed until 2020. After a brief hiatus working in the non-profit field, Donovan returned to BBB in 2022 and began working with DTSM as an Outreach Coordinator, where he leads a small but mighty team of three Outreach Ambassadors.

The Outreach Team and the Area They Cover

BBB’s dynamic Outreach Team led by Donovan consists of three dedicated Outreach Ambassadors — Amy, Michael and Marc — who all worked in community outreach before they joined the team. Their experience and pre-existing relationships with social service providers have helped prepare them for the work they do each day.

The DTSM Outreach Team efforts are focused on downtown and three parks: Palisades, Reed and Tongva. The parks offer an enticing environment for members of the street population with places to sit, lay down or hide — all with less enforcement than downtown. Palisades Park also faces the ocean, providing a scenic view for transients just passing through the district and local street residents alike.

Beyond this core team, BBB provides the added resource of an experienced outreach expert in Director of Outreach, Chico Lockhart. Chico has an uncanny ability to mix humor and fun with serious, informative, real-world training. He is an asset to all BBB Outreach Teams nationwide, providing valuable insight, direction and advice. He travels to check in with BBB Outreach Programs across the country and meets with the teams virtually every month for essential mental health training, collaborative discussions and more.

“The [DTSM] team has a great leader who is very knowledgeable about services and how to get people help in the community.” Chico said. “Donovan is also spearheading meetings with the city/DTSM to discuss system gaps and trying to find ways to collaborate.”

One way Donovan illustrates these gaps in services is through data. Data plays a large role in understanding the unhoused crisis and working toward solutions for service providers, urban placemaking organizations and stakeholders alike. While the real impact is on the lives of individuals being served at the street level, data is essential to prove the value of the work being done each day by the team and to illustrate why additional services might be needed in the community. Some of this information can also be added to BBB’s proprietary SMART System to produce data and reports for district stakeholders detailing the impact the team has on the community.

The Outreach Team utilizes SMART System’s “Persons” tool to track the Top Ten people seen and interacted with in the district. Outreach Ambassadors will go over the Top Ten list monthly, making sure the team is aligned with how they are engaging with the individuals they see most frequently. Data can also show if there are any shortcomings in community-wide service delivery, if businesses have repeat incidents with the same people, the number of individuals seen using drugs in the open, interactions made and other pertinent figures.

The Things They Carry: Snack Packs, Flyers, Narcan and More

Each member of the DTSM Outreach Team carries a backpack with essentials for whatever they might encounter on their daily walks. In their backpack, they have what they refer to as “Snack Packs,” a prepackaged drawstring bag that includes water, an electrolyte drink, protein shake, tuna or chicken salad, chips, granola bar and, most importantly, Donovan’s business card.

These packs help get people essential vitamins and nutrients they may be lacking while informing them of local resources and service organizations that are listed on the back of Donovan’s card. Their purpose is to show individuals on the street that our team is here to help them find long-term service solutions that can guide them from Point A to Point B.

Also in their backpacks are gloves and first aid supplies, hygiene kits and service flyers. The flyers share information on different providers in the area and the specific services they offer, as well as schedules for available services. Donovan stresses the importance of not only putting information in their hands, but making sure information is accurate. Having the right information, Donovan says, is one of the secrets to a successful Outreach Team.

“A very big difference that my team makes for the community is we provide accurate and supportive information to those at the street level,” Donovan said. “They do know where to go and we are constantly motivating people. The information that we provide, but also the drive we provide to people who are on the streets, letting them know, encouraging them to get ahead of the system and not fall victim to the system.”

One final item that Outreach Team Members carry is a lifesaving tool called Narcan. Narcan is a medicine that can quickly reverse a narcotics overdose. All team members have been trained to use Narcan. Since they have started carrying it in their packs and storing it at podiums throughout the district, they have responded to six overdoses, five of which they were able to successfully reverse with the medicine.

In fact, on the same day Marc was trained to use Narcan, he reversed an overdose by himself —quite likely saving the person’s life.

“Overdoses are happening at alarming rates, not just in Santa Monica,” Donovan said. “Being able to actually respond to someone experiencing an overdose—I commend my team very much. I applaud my team for that–being able to take action in times that are life and death, giving [people] a second chance to kick addiction.”

According to The American Journal of Medicine, from 1999 to 2020 overdose deaths in the US more than quadrupled from 6.9 per 100,000 deaths to 30 per 100,000. The US also had more overdose deaths from May 2022 to May 2023 than any other 12-month period in history. Narcan is a powerful resource that helps BBB Outreach Ambassadors fight this fatal problem at the street level.

To read more about Donovan and his work in DTSM, click here.

Getting The Right Information: Advocacy and Nurturing Relationships with Community Providers

Outreach workers are key to helping connect those on the streets with services throughout the city, so those referrals need to reflect accurate information. If a member of the team were to give out incorrect information on services, that could spread quickly through the street population and the team could lose their credibility and respect.

“DTSM’s Outreach Team not only focuses on relationship building for those experiencing homelessness, but also with the local service providers,” Donovan says. “By building these relationships, a sense of trust is created instantly when making warm handoffs from DTSM’s Outreach Team to the local service providers.”

The team often goes into the field alongside workers from various community organizations to meet new people together, make recommendations for services or connect individuals they may already know with the other’s resources.

When not in the field, Donovan spends time researching new resources available to individuals experiencing homelessness. If he finds a new resource, he’ll reach out to the provider to begin fostering a relationship with them, asking to meet for coffee so he can learn more about what they do.

Some of the community partners DTSM Outreach currently works closely with includes:

• The People Concern – a leading housing provider
• The Salvation Army – provides a meal program almost daily and assists people going through detox
• Safe Place for Youth – for youths to get into housing quickly, sometimes even within a week
• St. Joseph Center – another leading housing provider
• West Coast Care – focusing on family reunification by helping individuals find their families and problem solve together
• Department of Mental Health – take on clients who have more severe mental health issues
• Chrysalis – a non-profit assisting with employment
• Clare Matrix – a treatment program for people battling substance abuse
• SMPD’s HLP Unit – an initiative that provides special training and awareness to police regarding people who are experiencing homelessness

“DTSM’s Outreach Team has established strong relationships with those experiencing homeless in DTSM,” Donovan says. “These relationships have resulted from the team continuously checking in with the unhoused and being knowledgeable of resources in the area. By creating these relationships, the Outreach Team is recognized as a reliable support of the [unhoused] community with the [unhoused] population now referring others to inquire about services with DTSM’s Outreach Team.”

BBB Outreach Members are able to work in tandem with social service providers through use of Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), a local information technology system used to collect client-level data and data on the provision of housing and services to individuals and families at risk of and experiencing homelessness.

Social service providers across the country enter data on specific individuals experiencing homelessness into HMIS, including providers they are working with, medical history, where they are from or were last located, whether someone is looking for them and much more. Chico was instrumental in getting DTSM’s Outreach Team access to HMIS, which is usually only given to social service providers.

“It’s typically places like shelters, mental health providers, substance abuse treatment, housing providers and outreach workers at nonprofit agencies,” Chico said. “This is a way for them to track who is helping people and also helps get more funding for those agencies based on metrics…We are not service providers like entities within the Continuum of Care, so we act as a referral source, and we are able to document who is on the streets to keep them on the radar for housing.”

Chico continued, “HMIS is a game changer because it allows our Outreach Workers to get our unhoused people on the housing list without having to depend on other entities. It also allows us to see where our clients are in the process, whether they’re in shelter, case management, substance abuse treatment or housing. We can also see if they have been approved for housing, so we are able to then find our client and do what is needed for the housing before the voucher window expires.”

Donovan’s Team can assess resources they should recommend to a person, add notes, photos or documentation into the system and even help locate missing street residents.

In February of 2023, Donovan’s Team was instrumental in locating someone who was considered “lost.” The Consulate of Sweden came to DTSM looking for a Swedish citizen who had been living in the US for three years as a street resident. In collaboration with the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) and BBB’s DTSM Ambassador Program, Donovan was able to locate the missing man.

“[The citizen] was transported to and put into a motel by DTSM where SMPD was able to transport [him] to and from The Consulate’s office to prepare his passport and flight tickets. [He] has since returned to his home in Sweden,” Donovan said.

Perceptions and Realities in DTSM

The City of Santa Monica conducts a yearly “Homeless Count” to determine the number of individuals experiencing homelessness. Between 2022 and 2023, the number of individuals living on the street increased 15%. Donovan co-led the 2024 count, and he said early results appear similar to or slightly higher than the numbers from 2023. He said while data has shown that people experiencing homelessness are finding housing, there are also many individuals exiting housing back to the streets.

“Affordable housing isn’t the most affordable.” Donovan says.

Housing rates have increased, the cost of living is not cheap and there is not enough affordable housing in Los Angeles or Santa Monica. He says that these factors, mental health and drug abuse are major contributors to the number of people living on the streets.

“Even spending a week on the street, your mental health will decrease drastically; living on the street puts you in survival mode,” he said.

When asked about the perception of individuals living on the street versus reality, Donovan says many people just want to be left alone and aren’t necessarily a problem to the public.

“There are a good amount of people who have mental health [concerns] and mix that with substances, can be frightening. Many people are just living their lives and don’t want to be bothered,” he said.

Because the Outreach Team has relationships with individuals living on the street, they are often called to de-escalate “scary” situations. They can address the person who might be causing a scene or other incident by name and ask them what’s going on, putting onlookers at ease and finding a resolution without police involvement.

Donovan recalls a time when his team was called to help with a “notable character” in the district suffering from mental health struggles.

“He did not engage well. He was racist…He did not do well with women either…so, there were gaps with engaging,” Donovan said. “He had severe mental health issues and was a high functioning substance user.”

While he wasn’t the nicest, he did want to get off the streets. So, the team was determined to help him. At one point, they managed to secure him housing, but he was kicked out for his behavior, making it unlikely he would be offered housing again. The team worked tirelessly with him to change his ways and, ultimately, were able to encourage him to take the medicine he had been prescribed to help with the mental health issues he was experiencing.

“He took the medicine [and] his behaviors changed drastically.” After that, Donovan said, he was admitted to housing and is still there today.

What’s Next for DTSM Outreach?

Donovan has many goals for his team in 2024 beyond connecting those experiencing homelessness to local service providers. First and foremost, he wants to build an even stronger relationship with The City of Santa Monica to make the best use of their investment in street-level outreach — ensuring the Human Service Department and DTSM Outreach efforts are in line with one another. To do this, Donovan aims to meet with Santa Monica’s Human Service Department, share DTSM Outreach success stories and plan collaborative events.

Another hope for the future? To get at least one dedicated bed in a local shelter where the team can send a person in need. Currently, the Outreach Team must work through other providers to get individuals in shelters. Donovan dreams of his team being able to directly provide that service to at least one person.

The Big Takeaway

When faced with a problem as large as homelessness, it is hard to imagine a way to effect real change. Donovan and his team are the boots on the ground doing just that — putting in the time, building relationships and trust with people living on the streets and guiding them in the right direction to live better lives.

What Donovan finds rewarding about his work is these relationships he builds and the growth he sees in many thanks to the help of the right connections. He watches and reflects on each person’s journey from those first interactions when they may be down on their luck, to those moments when they are housed and on the other side.

While the work may not always be easy, Donovan and his team are dedicated to making a real difference in DTSM. More than anything, Donovan wants people to know his team’s purpose: “To bridge gaps in communities by empowering people and promoting resources with a compassionate approach.”

 

Who You Gonna Call? Dispatch Services!

A Look at Block by Block Managed Dispatch Service Programs for Hollywood Partnership and Union Square

Block by Block is known for delivering exceptional service in public spaces, but our operations go far beyond what is seen at the street level. We operate sophisticated, multifaceted programs that support our teams, customers and their stakeholders in the field. With the addition of dispatch services, we can elevate our service level capacity for our customers.

While most Block by Block Ambassador Programs across the country respond to calls and requests for services, we are seeing an increased need for formalized dispatch services for the districts we serve. Urban place management organizations (UPMO) have brought dispatch services to the community level to fill gaps in services provided by city resources.

District-led dispatch services operate much like traditional emergency response — answering calls, dispatching teams, monitoring surveillance and providing an added layer of support for the community. They also lend to the customer service experience by doubling as call-in concierge services for business, residents and visitors alike. Our teams are equipped to handle requests for service ranging from cleanups to intercepting individuals causing disruptions in the public space.

Dispatch services also have a positive impact on businesses and stakeholders in a community. Public Safety escorts create a better employee experience in today’s tough job market, immediate response to calls means the frustrations of street level incidents are easier to manage (aiding employee retention) and the reports generated by this work can be directly tied back to the specific properties, enabling UPMOs to show the value of the work and identify areas where resources could be more effectively deployed.

Supplementing services

For many UPMOs across the country, bringing services like cleaning, public safety and dispatch in-house has allowed districts to create better outcomes for their community by supplementing amenities currently provided by the city. By utilizing in-house Dispatch Services, district users can expect quicker response times while preventing unnecessary calls to the police department.

In January of 2023, The Hollywood Partnership (HP) in Los Angeles unveiled its new Community Dispatch Center which aimed to streamline cleaning, safety and hospitality efforts across the district. It operates around-the-clock with about 90 Safety Ambassadors, Cleaning Ambassadors and Dispatch Members working at any given time. General Manager Sergio Andrades says the community is “like Vegas—never stopping, never sleeping.”

In their first six months, HP Dispatch received over 9,400 calls for service, including requests for welfare checks, cleanups, safety escorts and more (Hollywood Partnership Community Dispatch Center 6-Month Update). Sergio said most of the calls that come through in the evening are for safety escorts and requests to intervene with members of the street population.

In many communities across the country, if a member of the street population is causing a disturbance, the police are called. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, they receive 140,000 calls related to homelessness each year. This occupies police time, can escalate the situation unnecessarily and upset the unhoused individual further.

Because our Ambassadors spend considerable time in their districts, they are known to many members of the community — including the unhoused. When responding to non-emergency calls, Ambassadors can use their established relationships and de-escalation training to handle matters with care and compassion. The Dispatch Center can also help connect individuals with the proper social service agency while monitoring the situation as it unfolds at the street level.

Working with UPMOs, Block by Block has found implementing operations focused on community-based resources for the unhoused and increased safety initiatives, like dispatch centers, is working to enhance perceptions of public safety for our customers all while improving quality of life for the community at large.

“I wanted to commend you on all the work you all put in everyday to make Hollywood Boulevard a better place.” Hollywood resident Sydney Koepke shared via email. “[Before the Ambassadors], it felt super unsafe and dirty. I see a huge difference every day…in how Hollywood is being turned around. I really appreciate you all for continuing to help Hollywood become a safer, cleaner place for all of us.”

Synergy of Services

Block by Block launched hospitality services for HP in 2019 with a team of just 14 Ambassadors. By early 2023, Block by Block expanded services to include cleaning, safety and dispatch, growing the program to 90 employees. The client, already familiar with Block by Block, knew working with one company who can fulfill a variety of service needs effectively is easier than consulting with multiple companies to complete tasks that often overlap.

We’ve seen a similar transition for the Union Square Alliance in San Francisco. Block by Block has provided Ambassador Services in various capacities for the improvement district since 2015. Upon contract renewal in October 2023, Block by Block expanded programming to include Member Services — dispatch and other community resources — which was previously managed in-house by Union Square staff. Block by Block not only took over operational duties for the Member Services, but also administrative responsibilities like human resources and payroll for the team.

An added benefit is having a cohesive program all under the operational oversight of one person — General Manager Lance Goree. Lance oversees all elements of the Union Square program including cleaning, hospitality, placemaking and dispatch services. Not only does this provide budgetary benefits for customers, but also elicits a unified response to calls for service.

According to Sergio, Block by Block’s ability to manage Dispatch Services “sets us apart” from other service providers. Without a dedicated Dispatch Team, handling calls for requests falls on UPMO management or the Ambassador Team. These calls can interrupt the busy workload of these individuals, leading to difficulty following up and making sure tasks are completed. With devoted Dispatchers, requests are always completed from beginning to end.

“Our Dispatch Team is waiting for your call,” Sergio said. “They help alleviate requests coming in and they trust that the requests will be completed by the teams in the field. They trust but verify by calling and getting photos. They then follow up with the people who made the requests.”

 

Expanding Community Partnerships 

The HP Community Dispatch Center is unique in that it is a collaborative partnership with the City of Los Angeles, Council District 13, Los Angeles County, LAPD and Hollywood 4WRD. When a call or request comes in, depending on the need of the call, the dispatch team directs the call to one of the aforementioned agencies or to BBB Safety, Hospitality and Cleaning Ambassadors. This allows requests and incidents to be funneled to the appropriate channels which are best suited to handle them most effectively.

A March 2022 survey conducted by the International Downtown Association identified addressing homelessness as the top priority for its U.S. members. For HP, that means working to address homelessness, addiction and mental health concerns for unhoused people in the district by connecting them with programs that can provide services to get the help they need. As calls come in regarding individuals who are unhoused, they can be directed to those in the partnership who work with the specific need.

Recently an assault resulting in a head injury was reported to the Community Dispatch Center. An HP Ambassador was the first to respond and consequently called 911 for an elevated response due to the violent nature of the assault. LAPD response took 30 minutes, during which the Ambassador Team mobilized to keep eyes on the suspect and monitor his location.

The Ambassador had taken a photo of the victim and collected all pertinent information to give to LAPD upon their arrival on the scene, which was after the victim had been transported to the hospital. The Ambassadors directed the LAPD officers to the suspect and subsequently an arrest was made.

“If it weren’t for [the Ambassadors] sticking around and gathering all the information while concurrently monitoring the suspect’s location, LAPD would not have been able to make an arrest and it’s possible the incident wouldn’t even have been documented, much less an arrest effected,” Angela La Riva, Vice President of Operations for HP, said.

“Due to our footprint in the [Hollywood Entertainment District], we are often the first to receive reports of violence and theft. With our [law enforcement] partners being so severely understaffed, we are often tasked to assist in connecting victims with [the police department] and providing important information so an investigation can be conducted. We play an important role in keeping Hollywood safe. This is fantastic work and a great example of how our team can partner with our public safety partners and help victims in the community.”

 

Quick, Efficient, Response

Having a dedicated Dispatch Team makes a significant difference in the ability to respond to requests for services. Both HP and Union Square Alliance utilize software that ensures every request is followed through from beginning to end. This guarantees service delivery for community stakeholders, promising districts they always get what they pay for.

The average response time for a request to HP Dispatch is 8-minutes (Community Dispatch Center 6-Month Update). Two HP Dispatchers monitor phones 24 hours a day, seven days a week, awaiting calls and emails from district stakeholders, visitors, businesses or residents.

Once a request is received, it is inputted into a software application that alerts the Ambassador Team of the request. The team will respond by priority based on the severity or urgency of the request. For instance, a request to handle a disgruntled individual would take precedence over a graffiti removal request. Sergio said lately there have been many calls requesting trash cleanup, and in June alone his teams collected 78 tons of garbage.

When Dispatch Team Members arrive for their shift, they review the app to ensure requests are being taken care of and reports are being closed. To document a request’s completion, HP Ambassadors will send photos of the completed work in the app or to Block by Block’s proprietary data collection and reporting software, the SMART System.

A Union Square Ambassador sweeps up a mess.

Like HP, Union Square Member Services operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Phone lines are monitored around the clock to ensure all requests are heard, documented and handled. Union Square also has an elaborate security camera system in place the team monitors for unfolding situations or possible threats that may need to be addressed by Ambassadors, security personnel or police officers.

As calls and requests come in, the team will triage them based on priority and to which department they need to be directed. Requests involving members of the street population are forwarded to the security team, while those that can be handled by Ambassadors are sent to them accordingly. If the situation escalates or calls for it, it will be handed over to local police officers. The requests are dispersed via radio, a queue on SMART System or by calling Team Leads directly on their work phone for requests that are more private in nature.

Union Square uses District360 to manage requests. District360 is a Customer Relationship Management system that works directly with Salesforce that BBB Ambassadors use on their devices. Like in HP, not all requests are for BBB Ambassadors. So, requests are always first entered into Salesforce before being distributed to the responsible parties who may be using other software programs or response plans.

When a request is inputted into Salesforce for an Ambassador, Ambassadors will be pinged in District360 on their handheld devices to notify them that something needs to be addressed. Most of the time, Member Service Team Members will follow up to confirm tasks have been completed, ensuring guaranteed service delivery from beginning to end for stakeholders in the district.

As the landscape of public spaces continues to evolve, the importance of community-based services remains a priority for many UPMOs. Block by Block is focused on providing Ambassador Programs that go beyond clean and safe, and Dispatch Centers like those in Union Square and Hollywood show the value of having a service partner who can deliver on bettering districts.

If you want to discuss how BBB can provide Dispatch Services for your district or community, reach out to Aaron Perri at aperri@blockbyblock.com . 

A Union Square Ambassador provides hospitality.

Semu One Bear: Respecting Heritage and a Heritage of Respect

“The Chumash used every bit of what Mother Nature gave them. I am so proud of that culture that I have.”

November is Native American Heritage Month, a month dedicated to recognizing the many contributions Native Americans made and continue to make to The United States. This month, we would like to highlight Block by Block (BBB) Regional Vice President of Northern California, Semu One Bear, who spent his formative years growing up on a Native American reservation in Southern California.

A Love that Crossed the Pacific to Chumash Land

Semu’s history may seem unique to some, although to him – it’s just the way he was raised. He grew up in a culturally diverse household made up of both Native American and Japanese traditions. Semu’s father was a member of the Chumash Tribe in Southern California, while his mother is Japanese. His father was stationed in Japan while he served in the military, and after serving he later returned to study Japanese. It was then that he met Semu’s mother and the two fell in love.

According to Semu, because of Japanese perceptions of The United States after WWII, his mother’s family did not approve of the relationship at the time. So, the two eloped and moved to The United States, where they would start building their life and family together on land that Semu’s grandfather, a full-blooded Chumash Tribe member, had secured from the United States government.

The Chumash Tribe are some of the original true Californians.

“The Chumash very much used a lot of the gifts that Mother Earth gave them through the ocean. They used natural tar that washes up on shore for their boats and canoes. The land in California provided a lot for the people and they lived off the land very beautifully.”

To this day, you can see locations throughout California named after Native American names, so there is the opportunity to remember the history of the original Californians if one looks close enough.

“This was once a country where we lived off the earth and treated Mother Earth with the respect she deserves. Hopefully, people will eventually realize that and we can go back to that.”

In Chumash culture it is typical to be named after your grandfather, not your father. For this reason, Semu was named after his grandfather, a well-respected Medicine Man in the Chumash Tribe.

Life on the Rez: The Native American Way of Life

While living on “the Rez,” as Semu and his sister called it, Tribe Members stuck together and were very close.

“All of the men in the camp were my uncles, I consider them family. It was a very free, very spiritual upbringing,” Semu said.

One school Semu attended while living on Chumash land was a two-room schoolhouse with just a classroom and a gym where first grade to high school students were taught in the same room. Students would even arrive for school on horseback.

There were times when he and his family would stay in teepees. At one point, while they had a cabin being built, they lived exclusively in the teepee until the cabin was finished.

“I loved it as a child. There was a lot of freedom growing up. I would go with the rest of the kids to the mountains and hills, hunting, fishing, and living outside like the old ways. It was very spiritual.”

“My Grandfather Semu Huaute, a Chumash medicine man and who I’m named after” – Semu

As Medicine Man, Semu’s grandfather provided alternative medicine for those who were dealing with physical or mental ailments that didn’t require a trip to the hospital. He also led spiritual ceremonies and sweat lodges.

“When you go to a sweat, you’re supposed to sweat the bad out of your body and pray to the Great Spirit in the sweat lodge. We’d run out after to go jump in the river because we were so overheated.”

Semu danced, drummed, sang and attended powwows. During powwow birthdays, the family celebrating a birthday would give out presents to the rest of the band or camp, the opposite of traditional birthday parties most of us are familiar with.

Even though Semu and his family eventually left the reservation around the time he was in middle school, they did not stop participating in Chumash traditions.

Home Life Growing Up: Japanese and Chumash Worlds Collide

Semu’s father was a strict military man who taught Semu and his sister to respect their elders and not to talk back, helping lead them down the right path. He worked for the school district and held Semu and his sister to high standards of studying and participating in their cultural heritages.

After moving off the reservation, the family still participated in powwows, including The Stanford University Powwow that is held every year. Just to participate in Powwow dances, Semu would have to spend three hours, twice a week, practicing dances after school. Semu’s father also made traditional Native American turquoise jewelry to wear and sell at these events.

In addition to teaching his children his Native American heritage, Semu’s father also devoted time to raising Semu and his sister with his wife’s Japanese culture.

Since his father spoke fluent Japanese and his mother was Japanese, they only spoke Japanese in the house. Semu and his sister weren’t allowed to speak English at home.

Semu remembers being “forced” to study Japanese reading and writing and feeling bitter about it at the time. Now, however, he realizes what an advantage it is to know a second language and is grateful for the work he did to learn Japanese and speak it fluently to this day.

Semu’s father also wouldn’t allow them to participate in sports, so instead Semu studied Aikido, a Japanese martial art that empowers one to overcome their ego to prevent violence when possible. At one point, he did sign up for wrestling with the sneaky help of his mother. But, once his dad found out, he had to quit.

“He wasn’t trying to be cruel. He just wanted us to be more traditional,” Semu reflected.

The family celebrated traditional Japanese holidays like Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day) and Tango no Sekku (Boys’ Day) to remind them of the old ways. They also participated in Obon Festival, which honors deceased ancestors, much like the Mexican holiday El Día de Los Muertos.

During middle school, Semu had long hair, something that signifies strength to Native Americans. He said this and growing up with a name like Semu One Bear brought him the wrong kind of attention and he would get teased and end up in fights.

Semu remembers experiencing discrimination in those days.

“It was different back then. It wasn’t cool in the 70s, 80s or 90s to be Native American. You were still considered a lower-class person then… Native Americans had a bag stigma. My dad dressed Native American—with the hat, shirt with a choker. Once, we were at a store near Red Wind and a guy called my dad a [racial slur]. My dad got upset and went over to educate him.”

While he endured bullying and, at times, discrimination, today, Semu has nothing but gratitude for the way his mother and father raised him and the respect that they instilled in him.

“I’m very connected to the Native American way of life…Every weekend, I go to nature to go hiking or camping. The love of nature and the spirituality surrounding it has followed me everywhere.”

Respect: A Way of Life into the Workplace and Beyond

While Semu no longer dances or sings, his sister and niece both dance in the Japanese Obon Festival each year, and he attends to watch them. His sister has also gotten in the habit of attending The Stanford University Powwow again, just as he and his family did when they were younger. He wants to start going back as well to support the local artisans who are doing just as he and his family used to do.

Today, Semu attributes his way of life and outlook on life to the influence of Japanese and Native American traditions during his upbringing.

“I’m very liberal in a lot of ways, I think, as far as preserving the earth. I call it Mother Earth; it is my Mother Earth. I care for the environment. I spend a lot of time outdoors. I’m conscious of recycling, making sure not to litter.”

He also believes that respect and the diverse cultural influences empowered him to be the strong leader he is today at BBB.

“I learned respect the most. In our cultures, it is all about respect. So much is based on respect. I learned respect and I carry it over to everybody. I treat a first day Cleaning Ambassador with the same respect I treat Derreck [Hughes, BBB Vice President of Operations].”

Semu also made a special point to mention that his respect extends heavily to the LGBTQIA+ Community, a community with a strong presence in the region he oversees. He intentionally works to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone working in his region.

“That one word—Respect…I use that same respect any time I deal with anyone in the workplace…I was one of the first to ask for personal pronouns and the people I asked were so happy that I asked…My childhood taught me to never judge somebody by their culture and it is important in my role to keep learning about [gender identification and pronouns] because it is all about respect.”

His connectedness to nature also influences his placemaking work, something BBB implements in many of our programs throughout California.

“I always think of the consequences of projects. The first thing I look at when I look at designer plans is the natural aspect. What are we going to do to make sure we keep the native plants and native wildlife here? How do we make something nice for everybody to enjoy, but keep in mind the river has been here long before us and will be here long after we are gone?”

Semu has worked for BBB since 2009. He began, as many of our upper management do, as an Ambassador before working his way up to Operations Manager with San Jose, Groundwerx. His drive and determined work ethic led him to being promoted to Project Manager, then Regional Director and, ultimately, Regional Vice President (RVP), his current role. As RVP, Semu oversees operations for 20 programs throughout Northern California, ensuring they all run smoothly and efficiently to BBB standards.

We are honored to have Semu in our ranks and grateful to be able to share his story. We join the country in celebrating Semu and Native American Heritage Month.

If you are interested in learning more about Chumash culture and the Tribe today, you can visit their website. There is also a lot of history that exists surrounding Semu’s grandfather Semu Huaute, as he traveled the country and world extensively sharing Chumash history and traditions. This can be found by googling his name.

The Changing Environments and Responsibilities of Ambassadors

The world of urban place management is constantly changing, and our industry relies on evolution and collaboration to succeed. Every year, we look forward to the International Downtown Association’s (IDA) Annual Meeting to come together with our peers and work toward creating better public spaces.

The 69^th Annual IDA Conference took place in early October, where many members of our Block by Block (BBB) management team attended, led sessions and connected with customers, potential customers and our many friends in the field.

John Koch, Central Division Vice President, and Aaron Perri, Vice President of Strategic Growth, led sessions focused on Ambassador operations. John presented on “The Changing Environment of the Ambassador,” and Aaron joined leaders from Visit Knoxville and Nashville Downtown Partnership (NDP) to panel “The Evolution of Ambassador Programs Since the Pandemic.”

 

The Changing Environment of the Ambassador

In the session titled “The Changing Environment of the Ambassador,” John discussed factors that influence the daily work of Ambassadors like wages, technology, mechanical equipment and other environmental elements.

John highlighted incentives BBB utilizes to attract and retain Ambassadors. He presented the Three “M’s” of Incentivizing Ambassadors: Motivational, Meaningful and Monetary Incentives.

Motivational incentives help Ambassadors feel the importance of their work as a vital resource to their community. According to John, these incentives can include “making Ambassadors part of the problem-solving process, including them in strategy conversations and inviting them to district events with the customer.”

Downtown Vision Inc. (DVI) is one of our operations that regularly uses motivational incentives. DVI provides tickets and allows time for the Ambassador Team to experience tourist destinations for fun, team-bonding experiences that help make them experts on what to recommend to visitors who come to the district. Recently, the team went to the Museum of Science and History where they explored a local attraction they may later recommend to a visitor while bonding as a team.

Continuing to make Ambassadors feel valued, BBB believes in providing meaningful incentives, like goody bags from district businesses, food truck lunches, or even gift cards for team members’ Thanksgiving dinners. Monthly, DVI community partners provide lunch or dinner to Ambassadors to show them that the community appreciates them and their work. Most recently, in mid-October, lunch was provided by First Baptist Church as the Team celebrated birthdays and Ambassador of the month.

Finally, of course, there are the monetary incentives. Beyond traditional wages or bonuses, through community partnerships in select areas, BBB has been able to provide unique benefits for our teams, like annual bus passes or the first and last month’s rent for an Ambassador living in the areas we serve.

Ensuring your team is happy is essential to retaining high-value employees. By providing incentives like these, Ambassadors feel valued and appreciated. An employee who feels valued and appreciated is an employee who is likely to stay.

 

Evolution of Ambassador Programs Since the Pandemic

Derreck Hughes, Vice President of Operations, moderated Aaron’s session on the changes in service operations since the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic. As the pandemic changed the local landscape of districts, new ideas were necessary to keep districts not just afloat but also thriving when there were noticeably fewer workers and tourists in the district.

During the session, Derreck discussed sourcing new sponsors, unique partnerships and collaborators to expand and deploy street-level services. This is a concept we have seen activated in  Knoxville and Nashville, providing funds needed to implement BBB-operated Ambassador Programs to enhance public perceptions that encourage users to return to the districts.

Downtown Knoxville, K-Town Connect

Kim Bumpas, Visit Knoxville President, was essential to establishing the K-Town Connect Program. This program was created with the goal of enhancing Downtown Knoxville’s visitor and tourist experience while making it the place to host conventions. She was able to not only secure financing from the Convention and Visitors Bureau but also from both the City and County to fully fund the program.

The K-Town Connect Ambassador Program launched in May 2022, providing highly visible hospitality and quality of life services in Downtown Knoxville. After a year of successful service delivery, further interest was garnered, and the University of Tennessee (UT) signed on as a sponsoring agent. This additional sponsorship expanded K-Town Connect onto Cumberland Avenue, a main commercial thoroughfare on UT’s campus.

Nashville Downtown Partnership

Tom Turner, NDP President, introduced two ways his organization sought expanded funding for Clean and Safe Services in Downtown Nashville – one of the Nation’s fastest-growing cities.

NDP uses the Business Development Fund (BDF) which applies a 0.25% sales tax on certain goods and services sold within the downtown central business district. The BDF funds initiatives that enhance cleaning and public safety in the district. Since its launch, the BDF tax has enabled NDP to expand Clean and Safe Services and fund special security and traffic management detail within the downtown.

Through a collaborative sponsoring effort with the Music City Center, NDP has further expanded Clean and Safe Services to Lower Broadway and areas immediately adjacent to the convention center, locations that have seen a rapid influx of new development.

Innovative efforts like these can increase a district’s presence while also deepening a connection with and increasing relevance within the heart of the community.

Block by Block

For BBB, diversifying funding partners and expanding services into other realms outside of traditional place management boundaries will be key to maintaining vibrant, clean and safe streets into the future. BBB deploys a variety of programs across the country, including the expansion of Ambassador services to public sectors like parks and transit systems. We’ve also seen an increased interest in city-wide programs like those we operate in Louisville and San Francisco where services are not exclusive to one specific district boundary.

“Ambassadors are being utilized in other city segments outside of traditional downtowns,” Aaron said. “Parks and recreation agencies, public transit systems, visitors’ bureaus and even college campuses are all finding new ways to deploy Ambassador Programs.”

With more than 30 years of providing unique Ambassador programs for customers across the country, BBB has the experience and knowledge it takes to create one-of-a-kind, tailor-made service deployment programs that meet and exceed the changing needs of our cities.

We’ve seen a trend in many epicenters across the country where their needs have drastically changed over the last three years. As such, our Ambassador Programs have adapted.

For organizations like San Francisco (SF) Travel, which focuses on maximizing tourism and user experience in the city, recovering after COVID meant emphasizing hospitality. BBB launched the SF Travel Welcome Ambassador Program in the fall of 2021.

Welcome Ambassadors are experts on all things San Francisco. They’ve been known to answer questions in a variety of languages for non-English speaking tourists, snap photos of families from Union Square to Fisherman’s Wharf and even show the way to destinations by hopping on trolleys with direction-seeking tourists for that exceptional hospitality experience.

We often receive praise from tourists about their great experiences with our SF Travel team, like this praise from Shivangi P:

“Ambassador Emily at Ghirardelli Square not only went out of her way to drop us off at the cable car station, but she also went above and beyond to give us recommendations for other interesting places to visit during the rest of our stay in SF. I wanted to appreciate her for her help and thank you for setting up posts throughout the city to help us tourists!”

BBB also services parks and recreation agencies, like the Rose Kennedy Greenway Park in Boston, MA. Greenway Ambassadors provide traditional cleaning, landscaping and snow removal services, but they also staff the park’s unique Trillium Beer Garden and Carousel amenities. Who knew operating a carousel could be an Ambassador job?

Our Ambassador services are flexible and cater to meet program demands, even as they change over time. Another non-traditional partnership that has expanded the realm of Ambassador programming is our partnership with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), which began in 2017.

MBTA Transit Ambassadors are stationed throughout the transit system to help travelers with directions, ticket purchasing and real-time travel information. These friendly team members also help operations during special events, system outages and service disruptions, ensuring the best possible service to MBTA customers during what can be stressful situations.

BBB is excited for the future of Ambassadors services as it continues to evolve and expand into new and unchartered territory. If you think expanded Ambassador services could benefit you or your stakeholders, please contact Aaron today! (aperri@blockbyblock.com)