DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSFORMATION

The Bakersfield Street Ambassador Project supports:

1. The revitalization of Downtown Bakersfield by creating an environment that is clean, safe, economically thriving, and welcoming to all.

2. The revitalization of at-risk persons in the Downtown Bakersfield area.

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OVERVIEW

The Street Ambassador Project proposes to:

• Connect at-risk individuals who frequent or reside in the Downtown area to services, including transformative education and employment strategies, that will move them toward long-term positive change
  
• Provide on-the-job training to at-risk individuals through a transitional jobs program  
  
• Beautify downtown through neighborhood cleanups and outreach 
  
• Create a welcoming and safer environment in Downtown with Street Ambassadors.

THE PROJECT

Under this project, DBDC will partner with local businesses, government, and nonprofits to provide the above mentioned services. The services will help create a Downtown that is cleaner and safer for residents, businesses, consumers, and visitors, and moreover, transform the lives of individuals, forever brightening their futures and the futures of their families.

PROJECT NEEDS

Community concerns about the safety and cleanliness of the Downtown area create hindrances to the revitalization of Downtown Bakersfield. The area is frequented by at-risk individuals who grapple with the challenges of poverty, crime, mental health, and substance abuse. These challenges not only impact the at-risk individuals, but carry high economic and social costs to Downtown businesses, residents, and our entire community. 

THE STRATEGY

Garden Pathways' time-tested approach in addressing the root issues begins with the transformation of the residents that are engaged through:

1. Street Outreach — Experienced, street-smart outreach staff actively seek out participants in the streets and alleys. They build relationships, thwart potential criminal activity, and connect at-risk persons, including gang members who want to change their lifestyle, to supportive services.

2. Neighborhood Clean-Up — Clean-up activities open doors to build relationships with residents, connect them to services, and encourage them to take pride in their neighborhood.

3. Transformative Education — Topics include self-esteem/identity, purpose and passion in life, changing negative patterns, setting appropriate boundaries, developing leadership qualities, empowerment for employment, communication, conflict management, family dynamics, and parenting.

4. Employment Strategies — For those with life-challenging barriers to employment, Garden Pathways offers training (including WESTEC Training for Success safety certification), intensive client advocacy, and holistic support, using a proven model of self-directed job search and on-the-job training through the transitional jobs program.

5. Mentoring — Caring and trusting relational support through long-term one-on-one and group mentoring, and support services, including access to health care, lead to the transformation of residents. When residents discover dignity and self-worth, they take responsibility for their choices, develop skills, and gain employment, finding lasting freedom from poverty and at-risk conditions. When residents are transformed, neighborhoods are transformed from the inside out.

In "Building Community from the Inside Out," we move participants toward educational advancement, employment, family stability, healthy living, self-sufficiency, and improved quality of life resulting in a positive impact in the transformation of the community. The relational and mentoring component of this project is the core of  Downtown Bakersfield Development Corporation's mission and core values, and it is the key to experiencing sustainable transformation and sustainable social change.