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How Grand Rapids and Detroit Ambassadors Make A Tremendous Impact Everyday

Our Grand Rapids and Detroit Ambassadors recently received a feature in Michigan blog, A Healthier Michigan, which included an interview with Grand Rapids operations manager, Melvin Eledge. Julie Bitely, of A Healthier Michigan writes:

“They don’t wear capes, but ambassadors working the downtowns of Grand Rapids and Detroit sure know how to save the day.

Whether providing directions to lost visitors or changing a flat tire, their job is to ensure a warm and hospitable encounter for everyone they meet.

‘We get to be superheroes for the day,’ said Melvin Eledge, operations manager for the Grand Rapids program, which started in Sept. 2013. ‘We get to turn people’s bad days into much better days.’

The ambassadors who work in downtown Grand Rapids and in midtown and downtown Detroit are part of Block by Block, an organization which has implemented ambassador programs in over 70 cities in the United States. The Grand Rapids and Detroit programs are the only two in Michigan so far, working closely with Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. and the Downtown Detroit Partnership, respectively.”

Bitely continues, “Ambassadors make their rounds during a typical shift, working to help with clean-up activities, graffiti removal and general Midwest friendliness. They guide out-of-towners to their destinations and answer questions about downtown events. They’ll help people in need of a car battery jump or tire change and even scrape car windows in the winter.

In addition to making downtowns friendlier, ambassadors also serve as an extra set of eyes and ears for police. They’ve been trained in CPR and first-aid, and can also help make connections to services for the homeless men and women they meet during their rounds.

‘There’s not much we don’t do,’ Eledge said.”

View the full story at A Healthier Michigan.

Photo courtesy of A Healthier Michigan.

Meet a Block by Block Operation Supervisor from Waterfront Partnership in Baltimore

Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore shared an excellent introduction to one of our very own, Block by Block operation supervisor, Faneca Porter!

We wanted to share the intro to give you a closer look at the Operation Supervisor role and how someone like Faneca serves her district and her team everyday. So without further adieu, we’ll hand the reins over to Megan, Event Coordinator from Watership Partnership:

“Hi! I’m Megan, Event Coordinator for Waterfront Partnership. I have the best job in Baltimore and work with some pretty cool people. Our team out on the promenade work tirelessly day and night to make sure that folks are safe, answer any questions asked of them, and help to make sure our grounds stay clean.

We can’t keep the awesomeness of these guys and gals to ourselves so I’m going to interview a few of the team members and spotlight them on our blog.

If you see our staff out in the Inner Harbor make sure to stop them and say hello!

I walked into the Harbor East Starbucks to meet Faneca, our Operation Supervisor to interview her for this blog post. As I walked through the doors I heard her before spotting her. She was laughing and chatting with a patron and if I didn’t know Faneca I would assume they were already friends. But as I walked up they parted ways and she confirmed my suspicions, “she just wanted to thank me for all I do and asked if I was keeping warm”. Faneca Porter has become a staple in the Inner Harbor. Her contagious positivity, beaming smile and belly laughs are hard to ignore. Listening to her talk to tourists and locals alike about her love for Baltimore is inspiring and it’s easy to assume that she grew up here based on her deep rooted love for the city.

However, that’s not the case. Faneca made the move to Baltimore from Alabama in 2009. She wanted diversity, opportunity, and a change of pace which she was sure Baltimore could offer. After moving to Charm City her thoughts were validated and she soon learned that most Baltimoreans judge on character first. After talking to Faneca for a few minutes you will easily see why she’s loved by so many people.

After moving to Baltimore she took a position with Waterfront Partnership and quickly moved up through the ranks. On an average day Faneca does everything from internal paperwork, training new hires, monthly training sessions, updates the team on news happening around the harbor, hits the bricks and walks through the district to check on everything. Her favorite part of the day is interacting with businesses and folks walking through the harbor.

Faneca was quick to assure me that there is no typical day on the job. Whether she’s sitting at her desk cranking out payroll, helping our team with event set up or buzzing through the Inner Harbor on a segway, she’s always on the go.

For Faneca the best part of working for Waterfront Partnership is the team. Moving up North she left her extended family behind and found that her co-workers quickly filled that void. Working for an organization that “supports one another from all sides” has been life changing and allows Faneca to enjoy coming to work every single day.

When she’s not working you can find Faneca enjoying a rack of ribs at Dinosaur BBQ or checking out the view from the Top of the World observation deck. She is also a member of Meet Up and enjoys exploring Maryland while meeting new people.

There is one thing I HAD to know about her time in the harbor- what is the strangest question someone has asked?

“Have you ever seen a whale in the harbor?” Faneca laughed and shook her head. Considering the harbor is only 30 feet deep (at it’s deepest point) that would be pretty interesting to see!”

Thanks for all you do, Faneca! And thank you to all of our operation supervisors and managers for helping make our downtowns great!