Vol. 19, No. 36 |
July 20, 2000 |
Goodwill Ambassadors Program steps off in Newark
 In addition to new street signs and municipal parking lot improvements, a more personal touch — a group known as the Goodwill Ambassadors — has been added to assist visitors to downtown Newark.
Since June 30, the city has been using green-shirted ambassadors to help insure that visits to downtown Newark are pleasurable and hassle-free for weekend visitors. The ambassadors are trained to provide information about goods, services, entertainment, dining options and parking facilities in the downtown area. They supply visitors with downtown maps and directories and offer on-the-spot assistance about the parking meter program. If necessary, they also serve as walking escorts, making sure visitors arrive at their destinations. Dressed in city of Newark polo shirts that bear the Goodwill Ambassador Program logo, the downtown diplomats make their rounds along Main Street, extending from Tyre Avenue (Market East Plaza, near the former Newark Senior Center) to the University of Delaware Mall. Their route also includes the Newark Shopping Center and municipal parking lots. The program was suggested by Carl Luft, city manager, and the Downtown Newark Partnership, including its Business Services and Communications Subcommittee. The partnership, a public-private effort that includes UD, is devoted to the economic enhancement of the Downtown Newark area. According to Maureen Feeney Roser, assistant city planning director who oversees the ambassadors program, "The ambassadors have been well-received, not only by visitors to downtown but by business owners as well. Our merchants appreciate having the ambassadors direct people to their establishments and making it easier for visitors to find what they need."
"Goodwill Ambassadors," Roser said, "are just that — Newark residents with great enthusiasm for and knowledge of Downtown Newark. Their sole purpose is to help ensure that an individual's visit to downtown is pleasant and hassle free. Ambassadors like Downtown Newark, and they like what they are doing." "The Goodwill Ambassadors," Luft added, "will help the Downtown Newark Partnership meets its vision of fostering a friendly, vibrant and diverse downtown shopping experience for residents, seniors, young people, students and thousands of Newark's annual newcomers. Their greetings for Newarkers and guests will certainly, as the Downtown Newark Partnership intends, live up to the program's motto, 'Bridge the gap between downtown and you.'" Newark resident Vernae Winchester coordinates the ambassadors, who are on the job from noon-7 p.m., Fridays; 1-8 p.m., Saturdays; and 1-5 p.m., Sundays. The pilot program will run through Sunday, Oct. 1. Want to be an ambassador? Goodwill Ambassador positions are still available. Pay is $8 per hour, and polo shirts and training will be provided. For information, call Maureen Feeney Roser at 366-7030. — Ed Okonowicz |
To some of the ambassadors, their weekend effort is more than a part-time job.