By early August, the 13 ambassadors who will be feet on the street for the Downtown Chattanooga Alliance should be on the job.
“We’ve got uniforms, and we are excited to get started here in Chattanooga,” said Ashley Cannon, who works for Block By Block, the vendor that won a $625,000 contract to provide services and oversee the program.
Cannon spoke Wednesday to the board of directors for the alliance and said she has been in town since Sunday working on recruiting ambassadors and setting up the program. She said candidates for the roles have been strong, and she anticipates a start date in about two weeks for the 13 ambassadors and the operations manager who will oversee them.
Chico Lockhart, who does outreach during the establishment of programs for Block by Block, has been in Chattanooga talking with people on the streets, trying to learn whether they are transient, long-term homeless or panhandlers, he told the board.
“Your town is very friendly, including the people on the streets,” Lockhart said.