The Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District (SID) works to keep downtown Columbus clean and safe.
The SID is funded by private property owners and provides safety, environmental maintenance and outreach services.
Ryan Jefferson is one of three outreach specialists who have assisted 83 individuals in getting off the street this year.
“I think the day to day for the outreach team is, you know, going out, finding folks who are, you know, living on the land, and just kind of engaging, building rapport with each one of them and ultimately assisting in any way that they feel necessary,” Jefferson said.
Tyjuan Jones and Michael Watts are two of the SID's eight safety ambassadors and they're both team leads. The role of these ambassadors is to conduct well-being checks and engage with individuals in crisis. On Thursday, they were on their bikes, stationed at the SID’s Pearl Market.
During this heat wave, they’ve been working to support unhoused people deal with the hot weather.
“Recently we've been checking places, what we call 'hot spots,' where we know for a fact that individuals are sleeping. We'll engage with them. We carry water in our bags. We'll try to get them to some of the cooling centers, like, for example, the library,” Jones said.
Ambassadors keep lists of cooling centers, shelters, food pantries and other necessary resources that unhoused people in the community can access. During this heat wave COTA buses are free, but normally outreach specialists would also provide unhoused people with bus passes when needed.
Throughout the winter, there are a lot more shelters for unhoused people to go to, according to Watts. During the sweltering summer months, this can be a problem for unhoused people.
“And I'd say the biggest thing for us, we build a big rapport,” Watts said.
Watts noted that the ambassadors are very familiar with unhoused people in the area. Unhoused people typically know that the ambassadors carry food and water and can help out with other issues. SID’s outreach specialists will help unhoused people get proper identification and help them find housing or get them into treatment centers.
“I would say that it's very rewarding when we are able to successfully get someone off the streets and into shelter or even housing,” Jones said.