Downtown Streets Team Launches in Salinas City Center

Downtown Salinas is the second location in Salinas to benefit from the wonderful work of  Downtown Streets Team (DST)

On January 16, 2020 the City of Salinas and Downtown Streets Team announced a second Team of volunteers launching in the Salinas area; they have been working in Chinatown since September 2019 and with this second Team they have been focusing their efforts specifically in the Downtown area (Salinas City Center).

Since their launch in Chinatown this past September, Team Members have already removed over 69,000 gallons of trash and debris, 16, 350 cigarette butts, 682 needles, and 30 pounds of domestic batteries. Since mid-January the Team Members have removed 8,978 gallons of debris, 1,447 cigarette butts, and safely removed 6 needles from the Downtown streets.

“We are happy to continue to work with the City of Salinas and are thankful for the overwhelming support we have received from the community since we started here.” Said María Cambrón, Project Manager of the Salinas Downtown Streets Team.

So what exactly is Downtown Streets Team? It is a volunteer work-experience program working to change the perception of those experiencing homelessness. The DST model offers a pathway out of homelessness by providing its volunteers, who are referred to as Team Members, the opportunity to help clean up their community in exchange for gift cards to aid basic needs, access to employment opportunities and case management services to support them in attaining their goals. Through their work experience, Team Members will rebuild effective work habits that benefit them in reentering the workforce as well as opportunities to discover a sense of pride in the community and a renewed sense of self-worth. Through the Teams’ work experience Salinas City Center will benefit from a cleaner, more vibrant, and welcoming downtown… it’s a win for everyone.

Want to learn more or join Downtown Streets Team? Anyone is welcome to attend the weekly meetings every Wednesday at 12:30pm at The Pal
, 100 Howard St.

More About the Downtown Streets Team

In 2005, the Palo Alto Business Improvement District conducted a survey of local business owners to determine the biggest issues facing downtown businesses. The group identified cleanliness and homelessness as the most pressing challenges. Downtown Streets Team (DST) emerged as result of the collaboration of local businesses, law enforcement, the Palo Alto Downtown Association and community leaders striving to make Palo Alto a better place to live and work. Since 2005, the organization has evolved from simply a job-training program to an organization that offers job search skills training, community mentoring, and case management services for their team members. Collectively, this approach and each of these innovative programs has helped hundreds of individuals return to self-sufficient lives. In 2011, DST expanded to serve the Coyote Creek corridor in San Jose and in August 2012, launched a new project in collaboration with the City of Sunnyvale and Sunnyvale Community Services. In 2013, DST expanded to San Rafael. With a franchise in California and Florida, and inquires from all over the country, DST is positioned to become a national solution to help end homelessness and restore dignity for those most in need.

To learn more about the Downtown Streets Team or to make a donation, please call 713-3697.