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Downtown Ambassadors’ night watch is making a difference

This article was originally shared on WUFT | By: Martine Joseph

A new program aimed at making downtown Gainesville a safe and welcoming place for residents and visitors has been ongoing for nearly four months.

The Gainesville Downtown Ambassador Program, which launched on Dec. 2, has introduced a lime-green uniformed team of ambassadors to provide hospitality, safety and outreach in the Downtown Gainesville Service Area and the West University Corridor Service Area.

Block by Block, a national provider of urban ambassador services, manages the program, which was approved by the Gainesville City Commission and is part of a three-year, $3.1 million contract.

The program is paid for by the Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area’s downtown Gainesville budget, which is jointly funded by the City of Gainesville and Alachua County.

Reed Johnson, a team lead for the Gainesville Downtown Ambassadors, said he starts every shift by observing the area.

“Every day has a different face,” Johnson said. “I like to walk through the entire area that we cover and know who’s where and who’s hanging out with who. It kind of gives you a preview of what the night will look like.”

Johnson and other safety ambassadors have built relationships within the community to know the area and its residents well, he said. They are on a first-name basis with many unhoused individuals and greet passersby on the streets with familiarity.

Joey Johnson, an unhoused man who is not related to Reed Johnson, said he appreciates the presence of the ambassadors.

“They’re friendly,” Johnson said. “Like Martin Luther King said, the content of their character.”

Beyond providing a friendly and familiar presence, the ambassadors serve as mediators, resolving disputes before they escalate. One night at the Rosa Parks bus station, Reed Johnson said he found himself mediating a dispute between two individuals who ran up to his vehicle, shouting.

“We helped them resolve the dispute, and they went their separate ways,” Johnson said. “Some stuff you just get called to do because you have a relationship with them.”

When fully staffed, the program has 14 ambassadors, according to the city of Gainesville. In the first two months of the program, ambassadors have engaged with 114 people experiencing homelessness and helped 15 people find places to live.

In January, they made 35 referrals to Veterans Affairs to connect veterans with housing, healthcare and other essential support, according to the city.

More than half of the ambassadors’ work focuses on assisting the unhoused community. Employees initiate much of this work because they see its value, Johnson said.

When Johnson’s coworker brought in a bale of blankets, the ambassadors were able to distribute them during the cold winter months.

“People knew that we had them, so they would stop us and say, ‘Hey, do you guys have blankets?'” Johnson said. “That’s not something that’s written into the agreement we have with the city. That’s just something we as employees of the company took up ourselves.”

Instead of throwing away clothes they may find while patrolling the city, Johnson and his team collect and redistribute clothing items to the unhoused community living in the downtown area.

“Some of these folks may not change for weeks at a time,” Johnson said. “As we just ran into individuals that needed something, we just gave it out. They ended up feeling like, you know, a new individual. And they’ll tell you too.”

One key resource the ambassadors value highly, Johnson said, is the blue card for St. Francis House, which provides meals, showers, and cold-night shelter.

“A lot of times we come across new people and introduce ourselves and try to make sure they get blue cards,” Johnson said.

In addition to their work with the unhoused population, ambassadors regularly stop and engage with local businesses in the area.

“We try to make it a habit to stop in, like, two or three businesses a day,” Johnson said.

According to the city of Gainesville, the ambassadors operate on foot, bicycle, and vehicle. Business owners often call on them for assistance when individuals are loitering or disturbing customers.

Jessie Ives, a barista at Kavagator, said she sees the ambassadors as a constant presence.

“We have a lot of homeless people, and inherently they’re not bad, but sometimes they can get kinda scary,” Ives said. “They come in around 7:30 and check on us constantly and ask if we need anything.”

Makenzie Dalton, a fourth-year sports media and journalism student who has worked at Relish for two months, said she has already built a friendship with the ambassadors and appreciates having someone in her corner.

“Where I worked before, we really didn’t have people come in and check in on us, so it’s nice having someone there for you,” Dalton said. “Obviously, there’s a lot going on downtown, and sometimes being a girl can feel unsafe.”

The ambassadors’ presence has also lessened the burden on local law enforcement, said Johnson.

“They’re able to be dispatched to other parts of the city,” Johnson said. “Plus, they know they have a dependable ally that will call them in case of emergencies.”

As the program continues to develop, Johnson emphasizes other qualities that make a great ambassador, in addition to compassion and empathy.

“Just being personable, approachable, and not being afraid of people,” Johnson said. “Especially regardless of what their current state might be.”

Mobile Ambassadors Clean Up 44 Parades over 20 Days

When most people think ‘Mardis Gras,’ it’s usually in relation to New Orleans. But, Mobilians will remind you the first Mardis Gras took place in Mobile, Alabama. Today, Mobile celebrates its Mardis Gras history with nearly three weeks of parades that host over 1 million visitors. 

Since Mobile is only home to around 180,000 people, 1 million visitors and daily parades can take a toll on the downtown landscape. That’s where Mobile’s Downtown Ambassadors come in, and their work begins long before the partygoers arrive.  

Downtown Mobile Operations Manager Allie Barker meets with the Downtown Mobile Alliance months in advance to figure out the logistics of the multi-week event and the responsibilities that the Ambassador Team will take on. 

This year, before any parades began, Ambassadors hung district decorations, distributed promotional materials and set up event fixtures, like handwashing stations and trashcans. 

 While a few Safety Ambassadors handed out candy and stickers to promote a positive image of Downtown Mobile’s brand during the parades, the real “bread and butter” of Ambassador work, Allie said, began the morning after every parade day. 

Each day, the team arrived at 6:30 a.m. to start cleanup efforts. While street-sweeping vehicles arrived overnight to clean the roads, Ambassadors cleaned the sidewalks and other areas in the public right of way. Using leaf blowers, Ambassadors blew all trash, beads and other parade debris into piles at the end of each block to collect it more efficiently.  

“We gotta crush it,” Allie said. “We gotta get on the streets and clean, clean, clean.” 

Working their magic, Ambassadors successfully got the district back to its clean, pre-parade norm by 10-11 a.m., just in time for parade-goers to start filling the streets again. 

Parades and their afterparties lasted late into the evenings, so cleaning wasn’t possible at night. Parade debris and other garbage generated each day would be left on the sidewalks for the Ambassadors to tackle the next morning. And, like clockwork, the Ambassadors were right back at 6:30 a.m. to clean it all again. 

For 20 days, this is Downtown Mobile’s life cycle, and the Ambassadors are an essential part of it.  

“This community here is pretty cool because a lot of the people that are down here take time to stop and thank our Ambassadors, which means a lot to them,” Allie said. “You can tell by that what it means to the community.” 

Block by Block Launches New Ambassador Program for Ballpark District in Denver

DENVER, CO (March 5, 2025) – Block by Block is excited to announce the launch of a new Ambassador Program in Denver, Co., for the Ballpark General Improvement District (GID), commonly known as Ballpark District.

Ballpark District is located in the residential neighborhood and surrounding area of Coors Field — home of the Colorado Rockies, the city’s Major League baseball team.

Fourteen Ambassadors will patrol the district’s 30 blocks, providing cleaning, safety, hospitality and outreach services to district residents, visitors and property owners.

“There is a real excitement in the Ballpark District with the formation of the GID and increased resources being directed at neighborhood improvements,” Chip, Block by Block West Coast Division Vice President, said.  “We are so honored to have been given the trust to be a part of this transformation.”

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/

About Ballpark General Improvement District

The Ballpark GID is a new district founded to represent Ballpark’s property owners, business owners and residents. Together, the community has invested in improving the district’s safety, cleanliness and beautification.

By forming a GID, the community has secured investments to improve the vibrancy of the district, benefit Ballpark stakeholders and garner further support from the City of Denver or other community partners.

For more information on Ballpark GID, visit https://ballparkdenver.org/.

Ballpark Denver General Improvement District funded by residents to keep community safe, clean

This article was originally shared on CBS News Colorado

By Chierstin Susel | Updated on: March 6, 2025

The Ballpark Denver General Improvement District became the fifth improvement district in Denver when it was established through a special election back in November 2024. Nearly 90% of the district’s homeowners and residents chose to tax themselves in order to make the area they live and work in safer and cleaner. 

Starting Monday, a team of more than a dozen ambassadors in orange and burgundy will be walking around the Ballpark District, which includes Coors Field and spans a total of 40 blocks. 

The launch of the program is a long time coming for Stevenson Farnsworth, a resident and the Ballpark GID treasurer. Farnsworth helped spearhead the initiative. He has owned a home in the area since 2009, and throughout the years, he began to see a noticeable decline. 

“But, when the new mayor came in and with Darrell Watson, we saw massive investment to make sure this neighborhood was livable for all folks,” Farnsworth said. “And that’s kind of what spurred this whole process.”

It’s an overall win for the community. Some might be asking if it should fall on the backs of the residents. 

“Are there gaps on services? Of course,” Farnsworth said. “But we were the neighborhood in downtown that didn’t have a business improvement district or a general improvement district.”

For lead ambassador Madonna Ellerbee, the initiative is personal. 

“It doesn’t feel like my Denver,” Ellerbee said. “So I’m very committed to making this a city that people want to come to and walk around in.”

Ellerbee will be overseeing everything from safety escorts, to cleaning services, to the ambassador hotline residents can call for assistance. 

The program also has financial contributions from partners such as the Colorado Rockies baseball team. Currently, the revenue from the GID assessment is about $1.3 million for 2025. The district’s hope is that amount will increase to $2 million annually in the coming years.

ARPA Funds Help Bring Street Ambassadors Program to Downtown E.C.

This article was originally shared on VolumeOne

By McKenna Scherer | February 28, 2025

Beginning March 1, program staff will assist homeless individuals find available services, keep public areas clean, more in downtown Eau Claire.

Thanks to one-time funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the City of Eau Claire will launch its Street Ambassadors program this spring. Easily identified, uniformed staff will be seen working downtown beginning Saturday, March 1.

Last fall, City Council narrowed down a number of proposals for the new program, and ultimately decided to contract with Block by Block. The company got its start in downtown Louisville in 1995 and has since expanded to service communities nationwide, including neighboring cities like the Twin Cities, Rochester, and Milwaukee.

Block by Block offers services in five categories: Hospitality and Safety Services, Cleaning, Outreach, Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance, and Transit. In its custom plan for Eau Claire, it appears program staff will largely be working on safety, cleanliness, and customer service in the downtown area. This support could reduce the number of calls and requests currently handled by emergency services and other city departments.

Neighborhood Services Manager Billie Hufford said the program – which she saw in action during a visit to Milwaukee – will work to build relationships with all downtown stakeholders. “(The program’s staff) will engage with people experiencing homelessness to help ensure individual are aware of services, help clean public spaces, provide direction to residents and visitors as needed, and assist businesses when situations arise that are not necessarily ordinance violations,” she said.

There will be a team of four working as street Ambassadors, including Operations Manager and longtime local Stephney Brick. The Block by Block team said their training includes education around mental health and de-escalation, as well as basic cleaning services.

“Outcomes vary in program types,” the Block by Block team said, pointing to things like less trash being left in public spaces to assisting homeless individuals sign into a shelter, find a meal, or get to appointments.

While the city has contracted Block by Block for these services, Brick will be responsible for operational oversight and quality assurance, as described on the Block by Block website.

The program, funded through the end of 2026 through the allocated $200,000 in ARPA funds, will seek feedback in the future from businesses, residents, and visitors about how the program has impacted their experience in Downtown Eau Claire.

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Learn more about Block by Block at blockbyblock.com. Learn more about the City of Eau Claire’s homelessness and housing efforts and more at www.eauclairewi/gov.

An Advocate for Compassion: Gainesville Ambassador helps to house 30 in under 4 months

GAINESVILLE, Fla – Outreach Coordinator Eric Davis is a true beacon of compassion in his community. He is philosophical, passionate and devoted to helping individuals experiencing homelessness. With a motto of “Nothing is Impossible, it’s just a time issue,” he believes in holding space for people, meeting them where they are, consistently showing up in their lives and never giving up.  

Since the Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area Ambassador Program launched in December of 2024, Eric has helped find housing for 30 people who were experiencing homelessness in Gainesville.  

His secret? Using his connections to resources in the city to bridge gaps for accessible housing.  

Single Room Occupancy: A Revolutionary Idea 

Before joining the Block by Block ranks, Eric was the Director of Housing Services with St. Francis House, a shelter in Gainesville. It was there that he noticed a common problem: people on fixed incomes could not afford traditional rents as most rental facilities require applicants to earn an income of three times the rent. 

“Living alone is a luxury most people can’t afford,” Eric said. 

Eric searched for possible solutions to this housing crisis and found inspiration from college students who live affordably by sharing facilities and splitting expenses. He recognized the similarity between college dormitories and Single Room Occupancies, where individuals have their own bedrooms, but share kitchens and bathrooms with other renters. 

He realized this same business model could be applied to help individuals experiencing homelessness get off the streets. While a person may not have enough to afford an entire rental unit, they could afford a Single Room Occupancy in a larger building.  

Single Room Occupancies were popular in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries when downtowns across the United States saw an increase in population density. Despite the transition away from Single Room Occupancies since, communal living opportunities do exist today and offer an affordable solution to living in large cities. 

Eight years ago, Eric met a private real estate owner and convinced him to take a chance on the model. It worked, and today, that owner has ten properties that cater to single-tenant occupants. Eric has built a strong relationship with the owner and is now trusted to recommend tenants. No matter where a person is on their journey — even if they have bad credit, evictions or a poor history — Eric can get them in. 

Eric says Single Room Occupancy buildings are like pseudo-family environments for many people he helps house who may not have had contact with their family for years or may not have any family left. Living together in a community-style environment empowers people to build relationships and rely on one another. These communities help people feel valued and appreciated, giving them the chance to make lasting change in their own lives.  

Eric has formed relationships with numerous other Single Room Occupancy owners and has even been approached by two new parties interested in creating more communities like them. Through his connections, he can refer people to 17 different facilities in Gainesville and the surrounding areas, including 15 Single Room Occupancy facilities and two Assisted Living Facilities. He can also help them find financial support for move-in costs through local social service providers.

While Single Room Occupancies are a great resource, they are not for everyone. For older individuals or those needing more dedicated attention, Eric has found success recommending them to Assisted Living Facilities.  

In the last few months, he has helped individuals with dementia, memory loss and mobility issues find housing through connections with Assisted Living Facility owners in the region. By moving off the streets and into these facilities, people with health issues can receive dedicated care as their needs progress. 

Diverting Individuals Out of Homelessness 

Another way Eric helps individuals living on the streets is by reconnecting them with a family member willing to support them.  

Eric’s passionate, calm and encouraging demeanor serves him well when he meets a new street resident. By building a friendly rapport, Eric can learn a person’s story and find out if they have family somewhere who might be willing to support them. 

If they have family, Eric will even make the call for them. He’ll explain the situation over the phone and find out if the family can help “divert” their loved one out of homelessness. In his experience, Eric has found that even if a person has made mistakes or been out of touch for years, the answer is yes.  

Local social service providers will even provide bus tickets and other financial assistance to help get people experiencing homelessness back to their families. 

Giving Others a Voice 

Eric’s days are full of helping people and no two days are the same. Whether it’s by ordering birth certificates, building resumes and looking for jobs, setting up Social Security benefits and direct deposits, or applying for and securing housing — Eric is changing lives in Gainesville. 

He believes sharing peoples’ stories is a powerful opportunity to raise awareness and get others involved in change to break stereotypes of homelessness. 

“One of my favorite parts of my job is learning people’s stories,” Eric said. “Giving them a voice is important to me and the work that I do.” 

Not Done Yet 

As he finishes his degree in business, Eric dreams of applying the Single Room Occupancy model he has used to help individuals find housing in Gainesville on a grand scale.  

“I know in my being, the system I created eight years ago I can duplicate anywhere,” Eric said.  

Eric’s work has caught the attention of local community organizations. In addition to being approached by investors interested in his work with Single Room Occupancies, Safety Net Collaborative, a county-wide initiative that brings service providers together through the University of Florida, reached out to him to include Block by Block in their efforts. He will even be a featured speaker at one of their events in November.  

“So many of us think the world can’t change, that we can’t change the world,” Eric said. “I don’t buy that. My experience has taught me I am a part of this world. We all are.” 

Their Stories 

As part of Eric’s personal mission to highlight people’s stories, we’d like to share a little bit about some of the individuals Eric has helped over the last few months. 

Eric received permission from each of the following individuals to share their photos and stories. 

Antonio

Antonio is a professional dancer who had encountered some struggles that led him to living on the streets in Gainesville.

“He talked about dance like it was the air in his lungs,” Eric said.

Eric helped to get him housing and back into dance spaces so he could pursue his passion again.

“Outreach isn’t just about food or shelter, it’s about reminding people they are still worthy of their dreams,” Eric said. “Antonio isn’t a homeless man who dances; he’s a dancer who faced homelessness, and his story is exactly why we need more people to believe in the power of second chances.”

Shawn 

“Shawn is what society would call ‘invisible homeless,’” Eric said.  

Eric met Shawn when he was working a full-time job and paying taxes. He was living out of a tent on the streets because he couldn’t afford rent. Eric encouraged him to save up for Single Room Occupancy move-in costs. He did, and thanks to Eric and his connections, Shawn was off the streets a month later. 

Jimil 

Jimil, like Eric, is a father. Jimil told Eric if he had his own home that his youngest children could visit and celebrate life’s successes. Now, that dream can happen.  

“Man, I really appreciate you guys and what you have done for me. I was ready to give up. I didn’t think I was ever going to have a home again,” Jimil told Eric. 

Stewart 

Stewart’s life wasn’t always defined by hardship. In the 1980s, he was an exceptional hockey player drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins into the National Hockey League. He turned down the opportunity to pursue business, ultimately becoming an executive at General Motors. 

Eventually, his life took a turn as personal struggles led him to alcoholism and living in his car, and then the streets. Suffering from dementia, he had lost track of his Social Security benefits and pension. 

“He would tell me: ‘I don’t want to die on these streets downtown. I really want an ALF [Assisted Living Facility] and three hot meals a day,’” Eric said. 

Eric began calling Social Security for Stewart and after a long two weeks of calling, he finally got through. Stewart is now living in an Assisted Living Facility with a new bank account, direct deposit and his three hot meals a day.  

Birdman 

Birdman suffers from a Traumatic Brain Injury that affects his day-to-day life, but he always has a smile on his face and a great sense of humor. After experiencing chronic homelessness, Eric found a private owner who would house him and even drove him to sign the lease. 

“I’ll never forget what you guys have done for me. I am going to go lay down in my bed and cry,” Birdman told Eric.  

Ms. Tracie 

Ms. Tracie has experienced chronic homelessness for decades, first becoming homeless at age nine. Today, she is completely blind. 

Eric was able to connect Ms. Tracie with an eye surgeon who is scheduling a cataract surgery for her. She will be able to see for the first time in years.  

Shantell 

Shantell moved to Gainesville to live with her brother but encountered struggles once she arrrived. Despite working a full-time job and a second job, she couldn’t support her three daughters.  

After finding out she and her daughters had to sleep in their car overnight, Eric scrambled to find a solution. Confirming they had family willing to help them in Ft. Lauderdale, Eric purchased them food and a gas card to get them there.  

Instead of entering into the homeless system, they will stay with family until they can get back on their feet.  

Gary 

“I was concerned we would lose this man who fought for all of our freedoms,” Eric said. 

Gary, a Vietnam Veteran, had been chronically homeless for nearly a decade, with his health in decline in more recent years. He has limited mobility and memory issues. 

“Please get me off these streets, my mind is going,” he told Eric.  

Eric worked with an Assisted Living Facility to accomplish that goal and now Gary can rest easy, receiving the care he needs and deserves.  

Solomon Kaimimoku connects culture and community in Waikiki

This article has been shared from Aloha State Daily | Stephanie Salmons

Kaimimoku became general manager of the Waikīkī Business Improvement District’s Aloha Ambassador program last August.

Solomon Kaimimoku says a lot of people call him Mr. Aloha.

So it’s fitting, he says, that he became the general manager of the Waikīkī Business Improvement District’s Aloha Ambassador program, a role he stepped into last August.

Born and raised in Kāne‘ohe, Kaimimoku — a Castle High School graduate who previously owned a food truck and is the owner and chef at Bad Ass Burgers, a catering business — says he was looking to do something that would benefit not only his family, but his community and culture.

“When I saw this opportunity, I did a little more research on what it was,” he recently told Aloha Sate Daily. “It aligned with everything that I was praying for and meditating on and what I wanted in my life, so I went for it.”

Mālama ‘āina, he says, is “so important to my family.”

“Being able to be a part of something that’s actually taking care of the community that I’m raising my son in, was the cherry on top.”

Aloha Ambassadors

If you’ve walked around Waikīkī, you’ve probably seen them, wearing bright shirts emblazoned with “Aloha Ambassador.”

Aloha Ambassadors handle an array of services throughout the community.

WBID President and Executive Director Trevor Abarzua told Aloha State Daily it’s the “core of our clean and safe program.”

According to the program’s website, Aloha Ambassadors can be contacted if you need directions to or recommendations on anything in Waikīkī; safety escorts; assistance with flat tires, car lockouts and jumpstarts; to report trash, graffiti or suspicious activities; or for mental wellness response or services.

The Aloha Ambassador Clean Team collects trash, clears debris, removes graffiti and works to maintain “an overall pristine environment,” while Aloha Safety Ambassadors engage with business owners, employees and residents on safety concerns or needs and maintains close communication with local law enforcement; and Aloha Hospitality Ambassadors are located throughout the district and can offer directions, recommendations and answer questions, the site explains.

Having these “Ambassadors” is “a nationwide best practice,” Abarzua said.

But if you go to other cities that have similar Ambassadors, “I don’t think they do it like us in Waikīkī,” he says. “I think that what makes us unique is that aloha spirit of it all, and just the staff that we have and the team that we have and the pride that people take in the role here.”

Language and history

Kaimimoku, who has a degree in Hawaiian studies from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, says it was important for him to bring his knowledge of the Hawaiian language and Hawaiian history and present it, “not only to the community in Waikīkī, but also to my staff.”

For example, he says he works with his staff on pronunciation of words and tells them that when speaking ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i, “it’s super important to speak it right, because in our language, you can pronounce it wrong and you’re talking about something totally different.”

“Bringing that cultural awareness to the team was super important to me,” he continued. “And for them, it’s also growing their knowledge of the place that they’ve grown up in or that they’ve decided to come and move to. [It’s] super important for me to have them find a connection to this place and to the language and to the culture, because with that, when they walk around Waikīkī, they see Waikīkī as their home.”

To integrate the culture and language with the team and community, Kaimimoku said he has labeled items in the office with Hawaiian words and shares the history and stories of certain places during briefings.

“Connecting the modern things that are here to the things that are from our past in Hawai‘i is so important  because they start to see the connections of ‘why this is here,’ ‘why this is named that,’” he said. “Just sharing stories, legends about Waikīkī … Just having them be aware [that] there’s a whole culture and so much history here in Waikīkī that we can share with our guests visiting.”

It makes the interaction with visitors “just a little bit more valuable” and they gain a little more insight, too, he said.

“And for the guests that’s receiving this information that I share with my team, they now have a connection to this place, and I feel like they gain a love and a respect for it as well.”

Abarzua said integrating the culture and language with the Aloha Ambassador program is “the brand,” but there’s more to it, too.

“When people come to Hawai‘i to go on vacation here, to visit here, even to move here and to live here, that’s the connection they want to feel, and that’s something that is unique about Hawai‘i,” he said. “To have that from the brand perspective is huge. But I think the biggest thing is, just from the staff perspective. What we’ve seen and what we have observed when Solomon took over is just that comfortability with their boss, in that someone that we have on our team that is from here, that did grow up here, connects on more of a deeper level to Solomon. … Solomon cares. He reaches out and makes sure that they’re OK. It’s not just a boss-to-employee relationship. It feels like a family over there.”

A staff that’s happy and like their jobs, are better Ambassadors on the streets, Abarzua said.

“They’re more willing to smile at someone as they’re walking by. They’re more willing to take more emphasis in the role that they’re doing,” he continued. “I think we’ve seen an elevation in the services we’ve provided, not because of more money or more staff, just because of the demeanor of the team since Solomon took over.”

Kaimimoku said one of his goals as GM of the program is to elevate the cleanliness of Waikīkī.

“I feel like we’ve come so far, and at the point that it is … outsiders come and they see it and they’re amazed at how clean it is, and it’s because of the passion and integrity that our workers have,” he told ASD. “For myself, it’s just to upkeep that and keep it elevated even more.”

He also would like to eventually expand the program to other districts, “and be able to grow this program and really show the different cities how important it is to have this type of program, and how it changes the life and the way that a lot of these cities are looked at.”

There are currently more than 50 Aloha Ambassadors, including eight who are part of its second-chance program, which Abarzua says is formerly incarcerated individuals who have recently been released, some of whom have been homeless in the past.

More information about Aloha Ambassadors can be found here.

Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.

Albuquerque – City expanding program providing jobs for homeless people

This story has been shared from KOB4 | January 31, 2025

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The City of Albuquerque is expanding a program that is offering a “Better Way Forward” for people who are homeless.

The “Better Way Forward” program is giving jobs to people staying at the Gateway Center and the Westside Emergency Housing Center. The jobs involve tasks like cleaning streets and sidewalks. Workers get transportation to the job site. Then, when they’re not working, they receive lessons on topics like financial literacy.

DCP’s Ambassador Team preserves beauty of Downtown Wilkes-Barre

This article has been shared from: The Times Leader | By Sam Zavada | szavada@timesleader.com

WILKES BARRE — The Diamond City Partnership’s Ambassador Team is in place to provide a sense of cleanliness, comfortability and attractiveness to the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Improvement District (BID). Dressed in fluorescent orange while roaming the streets — seven days a week — the Ambassadors have made themselves known downtown.

“We’re there to really help build a sense of friendliness and vibrance for the community,” said Jeff Mead, the Ambassador Team’s leader and the Diamond City Partnership’s operations manager.

Mead’s crew, originally called “the Clean Team,” is responsible for a number of beautifying tasks, including sticker removal, cleaning up trash and graffiti, installing and maintaining baskets of flowers and shoveling snow. More recently, the team has emphasized community outreach, whether that be helping a person in need find a helpful service or offering a simple greeting as someone arrives at the James F. Conahan Intermodal Transportation Center.

The team performs its tasks within the BID, a 232-acre stretch of Downtown Wilkes-Barre that includes more than 300 property owners and 4,000 residents. The BID itself is both a collective of property owners and a geographic rectangle, contained by North, River and Academy streets and Pennsylvania Avenue.

The BID’s borders encompass many of Wilkes-Barre’s most crowded attractions, which also makes it the Wyoming Valley’s most pedestrian-heavy area. Because of this, the work done by the ambassadors is crucial. They tie together what might otherwise devolve into a disjointed experience for those who live, work and visit Downtown Wilkes-Barre.

“It’s important that people are able to get around on foot, and that they see that they’re in an environment that’s beautiful,” said Larry Newman, who serves as executive director for both the DCP and the BID. “One of the purposes of a BID is to allow a group of property owners and business owners — all of whom are independent — to work collaboratively together and in concert.”

Within the BID

The property owners that pay into the BID each bring their own thoughts and concerns to the table. For instance, a resident may have different priorities than a large business. In either case, the paying members of the BID want to see their investment appear in the look and feel of Downtown Wilkes-Barre.

“We take very seriously our responsibility to [the BID property owners], to provide them with a return on their investment,” said Newman. “It’s an investment in creating a downtown with an improved level of economic vitality and an improved level of quality of place.”

According to Newman, much of the work being done by the Ambassador Team is meant to reverse the effects of the so-called “broken windows theory,” which, in part, suggests that visible signs of decay in an area will breed further decay in that same area.

Regardless of that specific theory’s viability, the BID’s aesthetic improvements, brought on by the Ambassador Team, are perceived as an upgrade in the area’s general condition.

“That’s what this is all about. It’s about tending to the broken windows. It’s about tending to the quality of the place, and raising the level of quality of the place — systematically, over time, day in and day out — to create a place where people understand that this is a managed place,” Newman said.

The Clean Team

At the end of 2024, the DCP shared statistics that show the Ambassador Team’s work is making a difference. In 2024, they were responsible for the following improvements:

• 410 bills/stickers removed.
• 12,333 sidewalk clean-ups.
• 15,972 pounds of trash removed.
• 78 forms of graffiti removed.
• 483 ground planters watered.
• 3,222 hanging baskets watered.
• 39 human hazardous wastes cleaned.
• 387 pet hazardous wastes cleaned.
• 33 needle pick-ups.
• 269 hours of snow removal.
• 219 hours of weed abatement.

Through the Ambassador Team’s comprehensive software, Mead is able to keep track of everything his team does throughout the day to beautify the community. While some clean-ups are random based on the way the wind may blow on a given day, other areas do require a bit more attention. In a heat map showing the clean-ups across the BID, Public Square and Main Street are the areas that receive the most concentrated attention as far as clean-up services.

“I don’t think it should surprise anyone that the highest concentration of work is done in the highest traffic areas,” Newman said, adding that every portion of the BID is looked over every day multiple times.

The Ambassador Team is split into a number of subsections within the BID, allowing them to pay closer attention to each property. For their part, the individual team members have fully bought in to making sure Downtown Wilkes-Barre is as clean and welcoming as possible.

“It’s a hard job to do, and not everybody wants to do it,” Mead said of his team. “These guys are really great guys, and they take pride in it.”

A post-pandemic world

The COVID-19 pandemic had a great impact on the DCP’s vision for the BID’s future. Downtown Wilkes-Barre was hit especially hard during that time, and the past three or four years of recovery have been somewhat slow.

“We went from having around 11,000 people working within the boundaries of our 232 acres on an average weekday to having a little over half of that,” Newman explained. In exact numbers, 2024 saw only 57% of 2019’s total number of employee visits to the downtown area.

Despite the statistics, the Ambassador Team has remained committed to beautifying the BID. The DCP received relief funding from Luzerne County Council, which they used to redouble their efforts and expand the team.

Good neighbors

Newman said that increasing homelessness in the Wyoming Valley is a “regional issue,” but the impacts are more heavily felt in the BID.

“The reality is that downtown is bearing a disproportionate share of the burden for the region in caring for and providing services to at-risk populations,” Newman said. “That is a reality. We are the neighborhood that everyone expects is going to pick up the slack when there are more homeless folks, or where there are folks who are struggling personally and find themselves on the street. The services that meet those needs — most of them — are located in and around downtown.”

This is where the outreach component of the Ambassador Team comes into play. One member of the team’s distinct responsibility is to build a rapport with those in need and connect them to the appropriate services. While not everyone approached in this manner is receptive, the overall results have been encouraging. In 2024, the outreach-based employee logged 896 separate instances of assistance.

The City of Wilkes-Barre is a collaborator in helping the DCP and the BID remain successful, but there’s only so much city and county government can legally do.

“Our team really confines itself to the areas that are the responsibility of the businesses and property owners to maintain,” Newman said. He added that the city and county largely maintain areas like Public Square and the River Common, which otherwise would fall in the BID’s territory.

Newman said that the DCP, as a nonprofit, is more equipped to serve as an agent of incremental change and a complement to city government’s more sweeping measures.

“We supplement and deal with what are ultimately the responsibilities of the property and business owners within our district,” Newman said.

Among the public, the people in the fluorescent orange are hearing good things. As time goes on, and their presence becomes clearer, the Ambassador Team’s contributions are getting the praise they deserve.

“I love hearing people say, ‘Oh, you’re doing such a great job,’” Mead said. “Every week, it’s more and more now. We really know we’re getting the job done that we set out to do.”

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.

Seeing Downtown Through the Eyes of Austin’s Caretakers

An afternoon with Austin’s Ambassadors

By Benton Graham, Fri., Dec. 27, 2024 | This article was originally shared on The Austin Chronicle

When Erik Mendoza visits other cities he has to stop himself from picking up litter off the sidewalks. That’s what happens when you’ve been a Downtown Austin Alliance Ambassador for eight years. “Our motto is, ‘No one walks by litter,’” he said.

In recent years, the folks in red shirts who clean the sidewalks, give directions to tourists, and paint over graffiti have become a staple of Downtown Austin. The DAA, which contracts with a company called Block by Block for the program, launched the program in 2016 and now has around 90 ambassadors.

The Ambassadors fall into different job buckets: hospitality, cleaning, special projects, and power washing. It also has representatives in green shirts at Waterloo Park and Republic Square, a Downtown Safety Team in fluorescent yellow, and one person on South Congress in a blue shirt.

I decided to tag along with Mendoza, an Operations Manager, as well as Taylor Sole, a General Manager, to see what Downtown looks like from Ambassadors’ eyes.

Keep Austin Nice

From Seguin, Ruben Alvarado had been in an Ambassador role as a cleaner for two months when we spoke. When he was in his early 20s, he frequented Downtown Austin. It was a big town, and he loved the music.

One time, he went Downtown to celebrate his cousin’s 21st birthday. At the end of the night, Alvarado recalled that the group was ravenous. They got a pizza … and promptly dropped the pizza on the street. When they woke up in their hotel room the next morning, their stomachs felt off. “What did we eat?” they asked each other. Then, they saw the pizza box covered in dirt and completely empty.

“There’s a lot of work for me to do, but there would be a lot more if people weren’t so polite.”–Downtown Austin Ambassador Ruben Alvarado

Alvarado moved to Austin 10 years ago. The job as an Ambassador has given him a new perspective on Downtown. The bigness of it feels normal now. He’s already seen Josh Brolin trying to secretly leave an event through a back alley. But the smaller side of Austin has been more interesting to him. He’s been surprised by how much residents seem inclined to chat or roll up their sleeves and clean alongside him. “There’s a lot of work for me to do, but there would be a lot more if people weren’t so polite,” he said.

Dream Pants

Sarah Marks also has a deep history with Austin. She was born in the city. In a Downtown where new skyscrapers seem to go up every other week, she said that Waterloo Park is one of the biggest changes that she’s seen. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, she wasn’t a big fan of Downtown, but it’s grown on her – particularly since she became an Ambassador six years ago. Now, if someone visits her from out of town she takes them to the 2nd Street District and then to Waterloo Park.

One of Marks’ favorite things about the park is the Creek Show. Her favorite installation was the Dream Pants from 2022. “They had some that were on bikes, some that were crossing the river, some that were doing a picnic, one reading a book,” she said. “That was pretty cool.”

Bigbellies

Taylor Sole is new to town. When we spoke, he’d been living in Austin for 30 days, but he’s been working with Block by Block for nine years. Like Mendoza, the job has infected the way Sole thinks about cities. “Oh my gosh, I haven’t seen that kind of trash can before,” he’ll catch himself thinking.

Can Waikīkī’s Business Improvement District Be a Model for Downtown?

This article was originally shared on Hawaii Business Magazine  | November 22, 2024 | Ryann Coules

Businesses agreed to increase property taxes for hospitality, cleaning and landscaping, and more security. Many say the extra cost is worth it.

Centro San Antonio Ambassadors Work to Save Lives Amid Frigid Conditions

This story was originally shared on Kens5.com

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In addition to looking after people, the organization is also taking care of landscaping features, planters and vegetation that make the downtown area beautiful.

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Downtown Louisville Ambassadors save dozens of people stuck because of snow

This news story was originally shared on WDRB.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The storm that brought 10 inches of snow to Kentuckiana made for a messy situation in downtown Louisville.

Even though many of the businesses were closed, the Downtown Ambassadors were hard at work all day Monday.

They saved dozens of people who were stuck in the snow and helped the business owners who did open clear the snow from their sidewalks if they didn’t have the proper equipment to do so.

They even got someone to a shelter.

Some of the Ambassadors hopped out of their truck to throw salt down if they noticed some corners looked icy.

“It’d be 80 cars stuck right now. We helped a lot of people,” Miracle Thompson, Downtown Ambassador safety team lead said. “It’d still be people on the streets like before the snow came and we knew the bad weather was coming, we was getting people and taking them to shelters to get them off the street because it’s white flag. They can’t turn them away. Yeah they need us. We are very important to downtown.”

The Downtown Ambassadors are out helping people seven days a week from 7 a.m. to midnight.

To hear more and watch the coverage, click here. 

“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

 

Aloha Ambassadors Participate in Waikiki’s Aloha Festival Floral Parade

This was originally shared to YouTube by Waikiki Business Improvement District. The text has been copied from its original format from YouTube.

Join the Waikiki Business Improvement District’s Aloha Ambassadors as they proudly participate in the Aloha Festival Floral Parade! Led by WBID President and Executive Director Trevor Abarzua and newly appointed General Manager Solomon Kaimimoku, the Ambassadors bring the spirit of aloha to life. Watch as they celebrate the culture and community of Waikiki, spreading joy and showcasing the importance of keeping Waikiki safe, clean and welcoming for all.

 

Downtown Denton: Welcoming Faces, Cleaner Spaces

The Downtown Denton Ambassadors have been working to keep the community clean, safe, and vibrant during the 2-year pilot program. For their assistance call or text: (940) 354-5767