They Walk 12 Miles a Day to Keep Salt Lake City Beautiful—Meet the Ambassadors

It’s a bright and clear summer morning as I walk with Erick Wright down 200 South in downtown Salt Lake. As we walk and chat, he pokes his head into The People’s Coffee, Maverick and The Pie Hole, calling out each time, “Just checking to see if you need anything.” All reply that they are good, but more than a few ask him if he needs something, like a soda or a slice of pizza. “Not right now, but thanks,” he says with a smile and a wave before we move on down the street.

Erick is not running for political office nor is he a local celebrity. He’s a Downtown Ambassador, and part of a team clad in bright yellow that takes to Salt Lake City’s streets daily to ensure Utah’s capital city is not only clean and welcoming but also compassionate and connected. 

Funded by a Special Assessment Area (SAA), Salt Lake City and Visit Salt Lake, the Ambassadors launched in 2017 as a small six-person crew focused on the downtown core. Today, the team of 31 maintains a presence in the North Temple, Rio Grande, Central City and Ballpark neighborhoods as well as Downtown. With most walking an average of 12 miles per shift, they’ve become a highly visible and deeply embedded presence throughout the city.

“The program has grown alongside the needs of the city,” says Kristina Olivas, program director of the Downtown Alliance’s Urban Affairs division. “From safety escorts to trash pickup to connecting unsheltered individuals with vital services, our Ambassadors are trained to meet a wide range of needs—often in a single shift.”

The team is split into three service areas or teams: hospitality/safety, outreach, and cleaning. “Our team members are cross trained, so everyone handles a bit of each service daily,” Olivas explains. “We also have Team Leads who specialize in a specific service and ensure each team member has the necessary tools and support, as well as 40 hours of training before new team members are sent out on their own.”

The job requires flexibility and knowledge. Each Ambassador rotates through four designated routes daily, ensuring they’re familiar with each service area. Helping visitors with directions or dining recommendations, providing safety escorts and connecting an unsheltered person with one of the many public and private/nonprofit services available to them are examples of some of the needs the Ambassadors address. What the Ambassadors are not is law enforcement or first responders. “Our objective is to provide an environment of safety to help make the city feel more friendly,” says Downtown Ambassadors Operations Manager Landon Olsen.

Downtown Ambassadors Operations Manager Landon Olsen

Likely because of how focused they are on helping people, the Ambassadors have developed a strong culture of commitment. Seventy-five percent of current team members have been on the job for more than two years. “People generally know after two weeks if this job is the right fit,” says Outreach Team Lead Lillie Longani. “It takes mental, emotional, and physical resilience—but it’s so rewarding.”

One of the Ambassadors’ biggest fans in Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, who has also voiced her support for the Downtown Alliance’s plans for a public market building in Pioneer Park that, when completed, will serve as a new home base for the Downtown Ambassadors. “Whenever I spend time with the Ambassadors, I’m always struck by the heart they bring to their work. Many are motivated by personal experiences that deepen their empathy, and it shows in how they care for others and for our city,” Mendenhall says. “I believe they’ll continue to play a vital role in the future of Downtown, and I’d love to see a day when they could have a permanent home at Pioneer Park.”

Getting to Know Ambassador Team Leads, Erick and Lillie

Hospitality Team Lead Erick Wright begins his shift by checking in with the day’s happenings—everything from street closures to festivals. He updates a master calendar at the Ambassadors’ Downtown headquarters before heading out to begin his rounds.

Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Erick came to the Ambassadors after working for more than a decade in the mental health field. “I tried a few other things after that, but I wanted to get back into a job with heart,” he says. “This role is about helping people—and it has meaning.”

Erick sees compassion as the cornerstone of the job. “The best Ambassadors are the ones who care,” he says. While many think of hospitality as simply pointing out restaurants, Wright sees it as a broader mission: “It’s about making sure people feel safe and seen—whether they’re visiting for a convention or just grabbing coffee.”

That care extends to cleaning up the neighborhood, which is his favorite part of the job. “I love knowing a place is improved because I came through there,” he says. Since July 2023, trash pickup has been a formal part of every shift, often followed by interactions with unsheltered residents who ask the Ambassadors to haul away their garbage too. “Even in encampments, people want their space to be clean,” Erick explains. “They’re almost always glad to see us.”

In his off-hours, Wright practices Jiu-jitsu, reads, hikes, cycles, and plays the guitar. But it’s clear his heart remains in the city’s sidewalks—charting every interaction on an app, greeting people by name, and quietly transforming Downtown, one block at a time.

Downtown Ambassadors Rey Graves and Erick Wright

She Once Needed Help—Now She Leads the Team Giving It

Before joining the Ambassadors two years ago, Outreach Team Lead Lillie Longani had been through what she calls “lived in experiences”—including incarceration, drug use, and homelessness. Today, she walks the city offering others the support she once needed herself. “When I was offered a job at the West Valley Overflow Shelter, I paused,” she says. “But I decided I wanted to stay on the frontlines and have remained with the Ambassadors.”

A certified case manager, Longani begins each shift with a briefing on local events and services targeting Salt Lake’s unsheltered population. Services like the free haircuts offered by Nomad Alliance or Street Dawg Crew of Utah’s pet outreach program on Sundays in Pioneer Park.

Outreach Team Lead Lillie Longani

After the briefing, her team begins their cleaning route—but it’s never just about cleaning. “We’re always doing outreach and hospitality while we clean,” she says. “Sometimes people just need someone to talk to. That’s the most common need we see.”

To support her team, Longani created a laminated resource guide. “It gives people ownership,” she says. “And is a reminder that we’re here to empower, not just assist.”

At the weekly Outreach Team meeting on Fridays, Longani leads a review of the “Top 10” list—individuals the team sees often and believes may be ready for deeper support. From arranging detox and housing to calling a client’s long-lost family, the team stands ready. “Not everyone is ready for treatment or something new,” Longani says. “But when it does happen—maybe after 20 conversations—it makes my heart happy.”

Businesses in each of the Downtown Ambassadors’ service areas (Downtown, North Temple, Rio Grande, Central City and Ballpark neighborhoods) can request Ambassador assistance by calling (801) 541-6662.