Supervisor Preston Introduces Resolution to Save San Francisco’s Only City-Operated Community Ambassadors Program
SAN FRANCISCO — In the face of Mayor Breed’s budget proposal to eliminate the City’s highly successful Community Ambassadors Program (run by the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA)), Supervisor Dean Preston today introduced a resolution supporting OCEIA’s program and made clear that saving this program is one of his office’s top priorities in the budget process. The program is the only City-run community ambassador program in San Francisco. The ambassadors can be identified by their bright yellow jackets as they help the community by assisting neighbors, small businesses, and visitors.
“OCEIA’s Community Ambassadors Program has been a huge success and these ambassadors are deeply appreciated in neighborhoods across District 5 and the City,” said Supervisor Preston who has championed community ambassadors and the OCEIA program in particular. “The Mayor’s proposal to completely defund this essential program is inexplicable and disrespectful of the dedicated OCEIA staff, the hardworking ambassadors, and the neighborhoods across our City that are benefiting from OCEIA’s important work to improve safety and quality of life for everyone in our communities. The Board should reject this cut and save this nationally-recognized program.”
Supervisor Preston has long championed ambassador programs. In his first year in office, Preston won funding for the expansion of the OCEIA community ambassadors in District 5 and beyond. This was the first expansion of the program in years. The add-back funding brought ambassadors to the Haight, Divisadero, the Lower Haight, Hayes Valley, the Fillmore, the Tenderloin, Civic Center, and the Outer Sunset, among other parts of the City. OCEIA’s ambassador program has long served Chinatown, Portola, Visitacion Valley and the Bayview as well.
OCEIA’s ambassador program is a model for transparent, accountable, and effective service to our neighborhoods. Reports are posted online. The ambassadors promote multilingual community safety by providing safety escorts, reporting emergencies and crime to medical and emergency services, reporting hazards and street cleanliness issues, assisting merchants, helping the homeless by conducting wellness checks and providing referrals, and informing the community about the resources that the City offers for San Francisco residents Not only does the program provide these services, it also provides job training and a pathway to employment for many San Francisco residents.
“OCEIA ambassadors expanded to D5 after Supervisor Preston took office. They’ve had an extremely positive impact on our neighborhoods, and they are part of how so many of the neighborhoods of District 5 got through the pandemic and are experiencing such a strong recovery,” said Christin Evans, owner of The Booksmith in the Haight.
“OCEIA ambassadors have been a wonderful and important addition to our neighborhood,” said Bob Barnwell, Chair of the Public Safety Committee of the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association. “They do a really good job in helping the businesses and the community members enjoy Hayes Valley and other locations. They’re a great support for the law enforcement at Northern Station, and they are also very friendly. This is a good program that should be supported all the time.”
Preston has not only led efforts to bring ambassadors to every part of District 5, but as chair of the Government Audit and Oversight Committee, has been working closely with departments to improve coordination and transparency of all ambassador programs operating in SF.
“Mayor Breed’s decision to eliminate this highly successful community ambassador program is deeply disappointing and must be reversed,” said Preston.
