Northville Ambassadors Aim to Improve Out-of-Towners' Experience in Downtown Area

The Northville Ambassadors will be back on the downtown streets this summer and they're looking for volunteers to help make the city more visitor-friendly.

"It got started two years ago and it was started off by several of us walking around downtown seeing all the cigarette butts on street," said organizer Jay Wendt. The city department of public works wasn't able to clean all of the cigarette debris.

"We said 'we’ll do it,'" Wendt said.

In addition to light cleaning, the ambassadors greet visitors. They also, wearing brightly colored ambassadors T-shirts, can direct out-of-town guests to various shops, restaurants and other downtown locations. They'll also pass out maps. Groups of ambassadors will be out five to six days a week.

The program quickly blossomed when it began two years ago. Last year it took a brief hiatus due to the amount of construction in the downtown area.

"The first year we had it, it was very successful. We had 45 volunteers," Wendt said. "It's nice exercise. You get to walk around town."

The group has the support of the Northville Downtown Development Authority (DDA), which provides brooms and other equipment to the group.

"It’s a lot of fun," Wendt said. "People enjoy being out there talking to people. Several small towns like us have this."

In its first year, the group had the sponsorship of the . Manager Philip Martinez sponsored the T-shirts that the group wore which promoted the ambassadors and his business.

"We just feel that it’s important to give back to the community," Martinez said. "I personally feel that in food and beverage industry we probably have a lot of garbage floating around."

He said that in addition to benefitting his business, the city of Northville benefits.

"It lets everybody know we are a nice community, a friendly community, a clean community," he said.

The ambassadors work regularly with downtown businesses, Wendt said. And that is part of the group's purpose.

"The more money in the pockets of the businesses, the more tax dollars for the city," he said.

Interested in volunteering?

The Northville Ambassadors are looking to have a core group of 20-25 volunteers, Wendt said. The goal is to have volunteers work two days a month for 2-3 hours.

To volunteer, contact the DDA at 248-349-0345.