SCHENECTADY ‘Ambassadors’ shunned no more Social services clients hired to help visitors BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter
A year ago, Janice Greiner didn’t think of herself as a part of Schenectady. She was the outsider, the one relying on the City Mission. The downtown visitors were the insiders, the ones with the money for shows and fancy meals. But many of the thousands who came to Schenectady for “Wicked” last month say people like Greiner are the best new thing about Schenectady. Visitors said they were taken aback, but delighted, when uniformed “ambassadors” stopped traffic so they could cross busy streets in time for “Wicked.” Imagine their surprise when the same ambassadors pulled out umbrellas to ward off the rain, sleet and snow — and used those umbrellas to shelter their guests, not themselves. Few know that the ambassadors are the same people that the affluent once claimed were so frightening that they would not dare walk downtown. The ambassadors are made up of clients from all of the major social service networks: City Mission, Bethesda House, YMCA and YWCA. Some business owners have lobbied hard to get those social services moved out of downtown on the theory that they discourage shoppers from coming to the area. But when the clients are wearing the distinctive jackets of ambassadors, visitors seek them out, asking for directions, advice — even restaurant reviews. The ambassadors, for their part, go far beyond simply directing traffi c. If someone asks for a place to eat, the ambassadors ask them what they want to eat. Then they rattle off directions to the three nearest restaurants with their preferred cuisine and type of dining. Occasionally, they’ll personally walk the person to hard-to-find sites. They study new restaurants in advance so they can give up-to-date information. If a newcomer needs a place to park, they can lean out a window and holler to an ambassador for help. The ambassador will stop to direct them to the free parking lots that are hidden on Schenectady’s side streets. It has all made Greiner feel like she’s a member of the community again — and able to make a difference in the city where she was born and raised. “It seems to help them enjoy their evening a little more,” she said. “And the more people we get to come into Schenectady — it looks great to see the people. This place had grown to be almost a ghost town.” City Mission Executive Director Michael Saccocio grinned when he heard her say “we.” “To get people to go from the outside looking in to saying, ‘This is our downtown, this is our resurgence’ — that more than anything is the victory for people on the road to recovery.” He found that his clients blossomed on the job, growing confi - dent and eager to work. “Imagine a job where on every shift a couple hundred people say, ‘Thank you.’ That’s what happens,” he said. Greiner was immediately struck by the gratitude she received for the simplest tasks. “The people that you meet are nice to you,” she said. “A lot of them will thank you for holding the door for them.” At first she was hesitant to approach visitors. “I’m not that type of person,” she said. But as her first attempts got her immediate praise, she began to like it. Now she can’t get enough of it. Although she’s graduated from the program, moving on to a store clerk position and renting her own apartment, she wants to rejoin the ambassadors so that she can help people again. In her new job, she doesn’t get as many chances to help — so she was delighted Friday to meet a customer who wanted a shower caddy that’s no longer in stock. She scoured the back room and triumphantly returned with the last one. Saccocio cites her as one of the program’s successes. “Folks really seem to thrive in it,” he said, describing it as one of the mission’s most life-changing programs. Although it doesn’t teach job skills, it does hammer home the soft skills, he said: showing up on time, maintaining a pleasant attitude, preparing for the job beforehand and reliably completing it. Some ambassadors are taking preparation to a whole new level. Jeffrey Campbell used his paycheck as an ambassador to activate his smart phone, which he uses to pull up Google Maps for visitors. “I can keep up with everything around there, and they’ve now added reviews,” he said. He patrols from Hamilton Street to Union Street, searching for lost visitors. “I tend to come across more people with questions that way. Then there’s a reason for them to keep coming down here,” he said. He loves it, even when the wind chill is well below zero. “It really is nothing but fun,” he said. “I look forward to it every time I get an opportunity, no matter the cold.” Because of the program’s popularity, Metroplex Development Authority has provided a grant that pays for some ambassadors, at $10 an hour, and their supervisor. City Mission considers part-time jobs to be critical in preparing recovering clients to move out on their own. They can begin to save up money and buy supplies.
Because of the program’s popularity, Metroplex Development Authority has provided a grant that pays for some ambassadors, at $10 an hour, and their supervisor.
I don't think that it is the roll of the metroplex to 'grant' our tax dollars to pay wages for non profit, social service/city mission clients. Is this in the Metroplex's charter?
It certainly appears that the metroplex has failed in producing jobs that these people can apply for. It also appears that the metroplex is now in the 'employment' business. What next....benefits?
And lastly....you can bet that this grant will become a bottomless pit with no stopping it. The point remains that I think someone, such as the AG, should see if this is legal and written in the metroplex's charter.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
What a great story in the Jan. 11 edition, “Ambassadors shunned no more.” Hiring social services clients to help visitors — what a fantastic way to help someone get back on their feet, plus promote the city of Schenectady. Maybe the city could take it one step further and, based on the number of hours, etc. that an “ambassador” works, they could get a free meal at one of the downtown restaurants or see a show at Proctors or get tickets to a movie at the new theater. Let’s go the extra step to help all we can.
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