Downtown Roanoke Ambassador Program

Having a clean, safe, and welcoming downtown is the foundation of a great city. Our 8-person Ambassador team is downtown 6 days a week providing nearly 300 hours of weekly services. Our Ambassador Program builds on existing services and allows us to expand and improve the downtown experience for residents, employees, and visitors.

Ambassador Services

Clean Team

• Removal of litter and debris
• Weed control
• Graffiti and handbill removal
• Power washing

Hospitality Team

• Engage and welcome visitors
• Answer questions
• Provide directions and recommendations

Outreach Team

• Conduct business outreach
• Address quality of life issues
• Check in with those in need and help connect them with services
• Work closely with Roanoke City Police to report and share information

Ambassador Hours

The current hours for our Ambassador Team are noted below. This schedule is subject to change as we make adjustments during the early stages of the program.

• Monday – Thursday 8:00am – 4:30pm
• Friday & Saturday 8:00am – 10:00pm

For Ambassador assistance during operating hours, call (540) 553-6638.

K-Town Connect Ambassador Program

When you see our friendly team out and about downtown in their bright green attire, feel free to ask for directions on where to park, eat and generally have fun. The K-Town Connect team is a fantastic source of information for your downtown experience. For additional assistance, maps and more, be sure to stop by the Visit Knoxville Visitors Center at 301 S. Gay Street.

Our Ambassadors help improve our downtown by providing the following services:

Hospitality and Information – Ambassadors greet pedestrians and provide general assistance, maps and/or directions, information on historic sites, shops, restaurants, public transportation, other places of interest and general information that may be helpful and welcoming. Ambassadors help and support the general public to address a wide range of situations and needs, such as: assistance with the use of parking meter stations, repairing a flat tire, opening a door, escorting employees to parking garages, and by offsetting any potentially negative experience with a positive interaction.

The Vista Downtown Ambassador Program provides safety services to the City of Vista.

Small but versatile program to provide cleaning services in the heart of Brooklyn New York.

Small but versatile program to provide cleaning services in the heart of Brooklyn New York.

BENEFITS OF GREEN TEAM PROGRAM

• Comprehensive data reporting
• Increased visibility with an integrated brand
• Efficiencies in communication and coordination of services
• Enhanced hospitality across all services

San Francisco is a city where everyone is always welcome. While you are in San Francisco, you’ll find plenty of friendly faces ready to greet you. Meet our official San Francisco Welcome Ambassadors!

San Francisco’s Welcome Ambassadors are ready to help improve your visitor experience.

• Not sure how to get to Fisherman’s Wharf? Our Welcome Ambassadors can provide directions to popular visitor attractions.
• Looking for restaurant recommendations near your Union Square hotel? Our Welcome Ambassadors can help you find exactly the kind of meal you’re craving.
• Need someone to take a picture of you and your fellow travelers in front of a legendary San Francisco landmark? Our Welcome Ambassadors would be happy to do that for you.
• For visitors and residents alike, our Welcome Ambassadors provide a friendly welcome during commuting hours at main transit stops along Market Street from Powell Street to the Ferry Building.

Our Welcome Ambassadors are knowledgable, multi-lingual, and committed to sharing their love of San Francisco with you. You can find them out and about, 7 days a week, in some of our most popular neighborhoods—including Chinatown, North Beach, and SoMa—from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Just look for their bright orange jackets—the same color as the Golden Gate Bridge.

The City of Louisville collaborated with Block by Block to provide cleaning and safety services to key neighborhoods in the Metro Area.

Ambassadors patrol a 40-block stretch of Atlantic Avenue, from Pacific Avenue to the bike path, focusing on delivering cleaning and hospitality services in the resort area of Virginia Beach. 

Downtown Greensboro has a dedicated team of Ambassadors who provide a variety of services to the center city. Whether it be providing directions or offering a helping hand to those who need it, our Ambassadors are here to help.

• Welcoming and assisting visitors
• Hospitality escorts to and from any downtown business
• Promoting downtown amenities and businesses
• Providing maps and visitor information
• Assisting with downtown special events
• Calls for assistance to police, fire, EMS
• Connecting those in need to social services
• Business check-ins and resident assistance
• Panhandling and suspicious activity observation and reporting
• Litter pickup from public sidewalks
• And more

The University District is comprised of the neighborhoods surrounding one of the nation’s largest public universities, The Ohio State University. It is an eclectic mix of thirteen distinct neighborhoods: The Circles, Dennison Place, Glen Echo, Indianola Forest, Indianola Terrace, Iuka Ravine, NECKO, Northwood Park, Old North Columbus, Peach District, SoHud, Tuttle Park, and Weinland Park.  Block by Block will be providing supplemental cleaning, safety and hospitality services to the University District.

Downtown Boulder Ambassador Program

Downtown Boulder Ambassadors can be easily identified by a bright blue shirt with a green Downtown Boulder Ambassador logo and are trained to provide information to residents and visitors, give directions/recommendations, escort visitors and employees safely to and from vehicles and businesses upon request, help visitors find parked vehicles; work with Boulder Police Department to locate lost items, patrol the district and address unfavorable activities/ordinance violations (e.g. smoking in public spaces, dogs on the Mall, etc.) , Identify and offer assistance to individuals in need of social services.

Downtown Boulder Partnership (DBP), in partnership with the City of Boulder, implemented a more robust version of our Clean and Safe Ambassador Program in downtown that launched on July 1, 2021. Overall, the program provides cleaning, safety and hospitality services within the 49-block Business Improvement District (BID) along with the city’s Civic Area and, in partnership with the University of Colorado, the University Hill business district.

Downtown Ambassadors support City of Boulder staff efforts to keep the streets clean by removing trash and debris, pulling weeds, cleaning graffiti and supporting other programs of the Downtown Boulder Business Improvement District to beautify downtown and keep it clean, safe and welcoming.

Downtown Boulder Ambassadors patrol over 49 blocks serving as the concierges of downtown. Ambassadors provide pedestrian assistance, directions, transit information, activity recommendations and more, while walking the district as well as at the Visitor Information Center.

DBP ambassadors will help to continue to foster a downtown environment that is clean, safe, and welcoming every day of the year.  If you are people-orientated, outgoing and community focused, become a Downtown Boulder ambassador and work with a fun and passionate team of individuals through our partners at Block By Block. View available positions. (Search using zip code 80302.)

If you are a downtown business owner and would like to make a operational request during business hours, please call 720-498-9601. You may also reach out via email to Guillermo (Coco) Coconati, our Operations Manager to submit requests for graffiti removal and other maintenance needs. If you are not sure who to contact about a specific issue, please refer to our downtown maintenance, ‘Who’s Responsible’ webpage with detailed information.

LEARN ABOUT THE HILL AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

In the fall of 2017, the MBTA introduced the Transit Ambassador customer outreach program. Transit Ambassadors wear bright red polo shirts, sweaters, or jackets with T logos and can be found at stations throughout the system. They can help you buy tickets and passes, figure out the best way to get to your destination, and provide real-time travel information.

Transit Ambassadors also provide assistance during special events, system outages, and service disruptions.

Block by Block provides supplemental cleaning, safety and hospitality services to the Short North Alliance, a thriving arts district in Columbus, Ohio.

The Downtown Tulsa Ambassador Team is on the job seven days a week to ensure Downtown is clean, vibrant, and welcoming to everyone. Their goal is to improve Downtown with enhanced cleaning, safety, and beautification services, which are made possible by Downtown Tulsa property and business owners. The team works hand-in-hand with the region’s service and outreach organizations to aid Tulsa’s most vulnerable populations.

Ambassador Services Include

• Trash and litter removal
• Directions and area information
• Hospitality services
• Graffiti and stickers removal
• Pressure washing sidewalks
• Safety escorts and checks
• Special beautification projects

For Service Call: 918-202-4093

Block by Block provides supplemental cleaning services along Myrtle Avenue from Flatbush to Classon Avenues in the Clinton Hill and Fort Greene neighborhoods of Brooklyn.

Block by Block provides supplemental cleaning services to the 144 block area of the Midtown Community Benefits District in central Baltimore. This includes four distinct communities: Bolton Hill, Charles North, Madison Park, and Mount Vernon.

Small but versatile program to provide cleaning and safety/hospitality services in the heart of Augusta, GA while demonstrating the value of a program to the downtown stakeholders during BID petitioning.

Look for the smiling face in a red shirt! For assistance, call 574-400-3949. A key strategic goal for us is to provide hospitality and assistance to merchants, residents, and visitors in downtown South Bend. Ambassadors are available as an information source, for safety patrols and escorts, motorist assists and more from 7:30 a.m. – 11:00 p.m

Downtown Ambassador are hired locally and trained to accomplish the following:

• Assist merchants, residents and visitors downtown
• Offer maps, brochures and directions to visitors
• Speak with business owners to learn their issues and concerns
• Provide information and opportunities through DTSB
• Discourage panhandling and promote safety
• Report code violations, damage or hazards to city departments
• Plant and maintain 250+ flower baskets and 3,000+ flowers in 150+ beds
• Install hundreds of flags, banners and seasonal decorations

Our ambassadors are your guide to the best Downtown has to offer. We are here to help you.

The Downtown Ambassador Program, managed by Block by Block, was created as a direct result of the growing downtown area and the needs of the community. The program will provide a direct, accessible connection seven days a week to meet the cleaning and hospitality needs as the district continues to attract new businesses, residents, and visitors.

Ambassadors will proactively engage in services ranging from daily cleaning services like emptying trash, sweeping sidewalks, power washing walkways, and seasonal leaf/snow removal, to hospitality and outreach services including providing directions to visitors, developing relationships with local businesses, and supporting downtown events and programs.

All program ambassadors, whether specializing in cleaning or hospitality, will be trained in providing customer service while observing appropriate physical distancing and safety protocols.

The Downtown Kalamazoo Ambassador Program is supported by the generous financial contributions of several community organizations and entities, including the City of Kalamazoo, Consumers Energy Foundation, Discover Kalamazoo, Harold and Grace Upjohn Foundation, Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, The Jim Gilmore Jr. Foundation, and Metro.

WELCOMING FACES, FRIENDLY PLACES

Milwaukee’s walking concierges. Downtown’s spirit squad. Information gurus. Our Public Service Ambassadors (PSAs) go by many names. What remains consistent is their unwavering dedication to keep downtown Milwaukee clean, safe and friendly. From locating missing children to assisting disabled motorists, the PSAs serve as an extra set of eyes and ears for Milwaukee’s police and fire departments—making BID #21 one of the safest districts in the city and one of the safest downtown’s in the country.

Weather permitting, Milwaukee Downtown also employs a PSA bike patrol to heighten visibility. On top of contributing to safety, this amiable crew is on the front lines welcoming visitors on a daily basis. Need suggestions on things to do? How about where to stay or where to dine? Just track down a PSA. Equipped with informational brochures and a world of downtown knowledge, the PSAs always have a pulse on what’s happening.

If you walk around Rosslyn, you are likely to see Rosslyn’s Ambassadors in their familiar purple sweatshirts, jackets, and hats. Their mission is to keep Rosslyn’s streets clean, give directions, offer restaurant suggestions, and even call a tow truck if a person’s car breaks down. They removal litter, weeds and graffiti. They also set up, provide hospitality services and tear down for many special events in the district. A Safety Ambassador element was added to the program to enhance the awareness of the organizations services throughout the district as well as support events and other programming.

Meet the Team! 

Public Service and Hospitality

An important area of focus for the DID is working to ensure that Downtown is a safe and inviting environment for those who work here, those who live here and those who visit to dine, shop or be entertained. Uniformed and highly trained Public Service Ambassadors are charged specifically with the responsibility of achieving these objectives. Their list of services, programs and communications is varied.

Public Service Ambassadors

• Concierge assistance
• “Eyes and Ears” for local law enforcement
• Foot patrols
• F.R.E.D. – Free Ride Every Day
• Monthly inventory of inoperable street lights
• Community Services Board Resource Guide
• Referrals to human service programs
• Security alert system
• Safety escorts
• Security training programs for business
• Special event support
• Trespass enforcement
• Norfolk Cares – an opportunity for you to help
• Visitor Information bicycle kiosk

District Support Certification:

• VDOT Work Zone certification for Street Closures

DNC Ambassadors are on patrol Monday-Thursday, 5am-9pm; Friday and Saturday, 5am-11:30pm; and Sunday 7:00am-3:00pm.

CLEAN STREETS / AMBASSADORS – In 2017, Uptown Dallas, Inc. proudly announced the addition of Block by Block, a cleaning, hospitality, safety and outreach company that helps us keep Uptown in pristine condition. If you see them out and about throughout Uptown (they’re the ones wearing bright blue with the Uptown Dallas, Inc. logo) be sure to say “Hi!”

More info to come!

The Operations team works to ensure that Downtown is one of the cleanest and safest neighborhoods in the city. Together, Operations and the Houston Police Department work to ensure public safety, while also addressing homelessness. The District provides the cleaning and care of Downtown’s sidewalks and streetscapes, removing over 2,000 tons of litter in 2019, and addresses the improvement of Downtown’s quality of place by collaborating in the creation of a number of ordinances and regulations.

• The District collaborates in the creation of a number of ordinances and regulations addressing the improvement of Downtown’s quality of place.
• The District collaborates in significant changes related to coordinated housing and services for the homeless with a 54% reduction in homeless from 2011 to 2020 based on the annual Point in Time count.

The Downtown Ambassador Program is the hospitality service team provided by the Downtown Public Improvement District (PID). The Ambassadors are circulating throughout downtown in their vibrant green pick up, on foot, on bicycles, and on Segways assisting visitors, creating a friendly and welcoming environment, and adding extra eyes and ears on the street.

Downtown Ambassadors Hours: 
Sunday – Saturday 7 am – 12 am.

Contact:
Ambassador@dfwi.org
On Duty Supervisor 817-484-3723

The Downtown Ambassador Team provides the following services:

• Hospitality Services
• Directions
• Safety Escorts
• Coordination with Clean Team
• Coordination with Security Providers
• Homelessness Outreach
• Referrals to Social Services

The Downtown Ambassador Team expanded to include an Outreach Coordinator in early 2020.The Outreach Coordinator joined the team to focus on building relationships with homeless individuals to provide strategic case-level management directing them to needed services.

Outreach Coordinator Contact:
682-218-8156

Program managed by Block by Block. Block by Block operates programs in over 100 districts nationwide, including seven districts in Texas.