Right Now Downtown

For many tenants, workers and visitors, the Capital Crossroads Clean and Safe Ambassadors are the face of downtown.  While the ambassador program is operated out of the Capital Crossroads SID offices on Fourth Street, it is managed by an outside business specializing in SIDs and clean and safe services.  Since the beginning of January, a new, locally-based company has taken over the contract: Ohio Support Services.

Since the SID’s inception, the clean and safe program was overseen by a national company called Block By Block.  Though Block By Block had done a commendable job, in 2009, the CCSID and Discovery SID boards determined that a request for proposal should be made.  This was done to ensure that the SIDs were indeed getting the best service possible for the best price.

Nine proposals were received, and four companies were chosen to interview, two local and two national.  Ohio Support Services, a local company with experience providing clean and safe services for a number of downtown buildings, eventually won the contract.

“After studying the proposals and going through the interview process, the boards decided that, all things being equal, they would like to go local,” explained Lisa Defendiefer, Downtown Safety Coordinator.  “Block By Block did a good job, especially when we were getting the program off the ground, but the property owners definitely saw the value in supporting a local company.”

Because OSS’s offices are local, it has freed the Capital Crossroads Operations Manager and Operations Supervisor to be out on the street more, working directly with the ambassadors and the public.  In addition, OSS provided security in buildings throughout the downtown; these relationships have served to improve the network of security offered by CCSID.

The boards were also impressed with OSS’s president, Scott Tucker, who is committed to downtown and cares about the community.  He has a history of giving back, and has been actively involved in ASIS, an organization that helps train security officers to be top of the line employees.

The good news for downtown tenants, residents and workers is that you won’t really notice the difference.  While the change improves function within the CCSID offices, the services provided for both cleanliness and safety on the streets will remain the same.  In addition, both OSS and Block By Block worked together to smooth the transition, so CCSID was able to retain more than 95% of the ambassador personnel.  One change is the new CCSID Operations Manager, Ben Barker, who was previously with OSS as a security manager at the Grange Building. 

“OSS received hundreds of applicants for the position and eventually narrowed the field to two highly qualified candidates.  Cleve Ricksecker and I sat in on the final interviews and were definitely struck by Ben’s depth of security knowledge, enthusiasm, confidence, and love of new challenges,” added Defendiefer.  “A change like this could have been tough on the ambassadors, but they have handled it well.  OSS has just done a great job with the details of the transition; it’s been pretty seamless.”

Once again this fall, Capital Crossroads and Discovery Special Improvement Districts  coordinated the Toiletry Donation Drive, from October 14 – November 6.  This drive, in it’s 3rd year, is an effort to help the local downtown homeless shelters prepare for the winter months.  Homeless shelters enter a winter “overflow” mode from October through April, during which they accept all who come to their door and in turn are stretched beyond their capacity to provide a warm and safe environment for the homeless.

Through the Toiletry Donation Drive, Capital Crossroads and Discovery SIDs are able to provide much needed supplies to the downtown homeless shelters and help them get through the winter “overflow” months.  Requests were sent to the downtown workforce throughout the SID, requesting donations of unopened travel-sized toiletries, such as shampoo, conditionar, bars of soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shaving cream and lotion, as well as packaged undergarments, such as undershirts, socks and underwear.  Donation drop boxes were set up throughout the SID, and all items will be donated to Faith Mission, Friends of the Homeless and Engagement Center at Maryhaven before Thanksgiving.

Thanks to the generosity of those living and working in both the Capital Crossroads and Discovery Special Improvement Districts, more than 260 pounds of soap, 270 pounds of shampoo, and 115 pounds of lotion, along with many other items, will be donated.  Capital Crossroads has long encouraged the generous souls of downtown to “Put Your Change Where You Can Make One”; that is, to give money and support to organizations helping the homeless rather than giving change to panhandlers downtown.  This drive is another example of a great way to facilitate change.

Our thanks to the following SID members who provided a donation drop-off location:  LeVeque Tower, Key Bank Building, Bricker & Eckler, Huntington Bank, Huntington Plaza, 85 Marconi Boulevard, 57 E. Main Street, 326 S. High Street, 22 E. Gay Street, 15 E. Gay Street, 140 E. Town Street, Capitol Square Office Tower, Lazarus Building, One Columbus, Fifth Third Center, The Columbus Dispatch, The Motorists Insurance Group, Seneca Apartments, Midland Building, OEA, and State Auto.

Our three-part guest blogger series concludes with thoughts from Lisa Defendiefer, Safety Coordinator, Downtown Special Improvement Districts.

I am consistently impressed with how much our social service community can do with so few resources.  This was reinforced at a recent meeting hosted by Capital Crossroads and the Discovery Special Improvement Districts, where social service providers and the Division of Police came together to discuss the current state of homelessness in Columbus.

Everyone noted an influx in the number of people who are homeless.  Faith Mission’s shelters have been at capacity most nights of the week this summer.   Friends of the Homeless and the Engagement Center at Maryhaven reported the same.  All of the providers indicated that the numbers are only going to increase.  Shelters are just beginning to see the fallout from the mortgage crisis.

Despite these challenges, shelters continue to focus their efforts on providing the best care they can for people in need.  However, I do wonder how much more they can stretch to accommodate the growing homeless population.  Unfortunately, at a time when the needs for supportive services are increasing, the funding sources for the service providers are not.  If people would donate the value of one cup of Starbuck’s coffee a week to a shelter, they would make a world of difference in the lives of people who are less fortunate.

vendor of the week: Sweet Thing Gourmet

Sweet Thing Gourmet is one of those indie businesses that make you smile and feel all excited again about working for yourself.

Owner Kyla Touris talks to us this week with her inspiring tale of moving to Columbus and starting a new life.

Here is what she had to say:
Okay, so I’m a jammer.  I learned from my mother the basics, and I dabbled in it a bit after college, mainly making presents for friends and such.  I was living in Montana at the time, and I would drag my husband with me to pick wild huckleberries.  It took hours to pick enough for one batch of jam, but it was amazing!  We made some as gifts and were told we should go into business.

When we moved to ohio with our infant son, we both planned to work and put out child in daycare.  I had mixed emotions about it.  Then we found our we were pregnant with twins, so that plan was derailed!  We scrimped for a few years on one salary and meanwhile, my mother-in-law had given me a subscription to Victoria Magazine, where I pored over stories about female entrepreneurs.  I was inspired by some of the stories and thought “Hmmm… there could be somthing there.”

I started researching outlets in our area and found the Worthington Farmers Market.  I wrote a business plan, shelled out money for some fancy jars and designed a logo and label with my husband.  We launched out product that year with four flavors of jams and some biscotti.  At first it was very seasonal, but gradually we began picking up holiday shows, home parties and gift boxes.  By 2005, we were going strong and our list of flavors grew quickly.  Now we are up to about 35.

The good and the bad of being your own cottage industry:
I’m my own boss, and I get to make all the decisions.  I keep the hours I want, which at times are very long.  Around the holidays, the business becomes my life, and it can be hard to shut it off.  While I started this to be home with my kids, it can be difficult to keep a balance between the two.  The creative part is fun, but the business part is a lot harder.  So much I am learning!  As the business grows, new expenses crop up and there is the challenge of maintaining the quality.  And still do it all out of our home.  My husband works with me now, and there are challenges there.  But then we turn on the music and get into the Zen of creating, and start to work through it all.

What do I love about Columbus?
I’m still learning about it.  We’ve been here almost 10 years, but so much of that has been devoted to our kids.  I love the downtown area a lot, though, with the urban feel to it.  I’m excited about the plans for the City Center site!  That’s what I love about the Pearl Market, too – it combines my country side with my urban edge.  And not to brown-nose or anything, but I love the people who run the Market.  Adam, Kacey, Tiffany and the rest of the crew are incredibly helpful and positive.  Really, it feels like a party!  Oh, and another thing about Columbus is CD101 and WCBE.  They keep me going much of the day!

Top five blogs/shops on the web?
I feel so unhip, there seems to be so little time to spend on the computer.  I did just discover Daily Candy, and I love columbusfoodie.com.  Oh, I’m so uncool!  I’ll work on it!

Who would I love to meet at the Market?
Eric Clapton!  Maybe he could come “jam” with me!

Thanks so much Kyla!  Make sure you go visit her fabulous stand at the Market and go check out her Web site too!  Tell her the Market Maven sent you!

WHERE’S MY

You may have heard the television spot featuring the voice of our country’s President asking, “Where’s MY moon, my levy… my dream?”  He’s referring to community opportunities to serve and make an impact.

This weekend, your moon is right here in the Discovery District when the Columbus Arts Festival arrives on June 5, 6 and 7.  Believe it or not, it’s the volunteers that make this event especially successful for the city and its guests.  You don’t need to be artistic to help out, but you do need a big smile.

According to the Greater Columbus Arts Council’s Emily Swartzlander, helping hands can still get on board through early this week at the organization’s Web site.  She says, “We have all kinds of activities for volunteers to help with – they can ‘booth sit’ for artists, help our hands-on art activities folks, work the information center, sell souvenirs and more.”

Want an even more influential role in the festival?  Every January, the festival launches a search for new committee members to help with event planning.  It’s a bigger time commitment, but it’s a great group and lots of fun.

And what good would volunteering be, without some accolades?  Swartzlander is quick to give kudos to the volunteers, “Our volunteers are the true power behind the Columbus Arts Festival, making sure everything runs flawlessly throughout the weekend.  This is a huge event, and we couldn’t make it happen without them.

More info at www.gcac.org/fest/.