Clean, friendly, here to help
Downtown Ambassadors
Look for the new Downtown Kalamazoo gear. Downtown Ambassadors are on the streets seven days a week, keeping downtown clean and helping people find their way.
In shortDowntown Ambassadors clean sidewalks, empty trash and recycling, clear snow and graffiti, water the flowers and help visitors find their way. They work downtown seven days a week and post a report every month.
What ambassadors do
- Keep it cleanSweeping sidewalks, picking up litter, clearing leaves and weeds, and removing graffiti and hand bills.
- Clear the wayShoveling snow so sidewalks and crossings stay open in winter.
- Lend a handDirections, places to shop and eat, and what’s happening downtown today.
- Empty the BigbellysThe smart bins tell ambassadors when they’re full, so they get emptied before they overflow.
- Keep it bloomingWatering planters and hanging baskets, and setting out tables and chairs when the weather turns.
- Get ready for eventsPrepping the Kalamazoo Mall and Arcadia Creek Festival Place before festivals, and cleaning up after.
Need something cleaned up?
Spot overflowing trash, graffiti or a sidewalk that needs attention? Email downtown@kalamazoocity.org or call 311.
Four zones
The team covers downtown in four zones: the Kalamazoo Mall, North, East and West. Each monthly report breaks the numbers down by zone.
Related
Say hello
Meet the Ambassadors
Look for the new Downtown Kalamazoo gear. They’re happy to point you to a good lunch spot or tonight’s show. Just ask.
Skylar Culver
On the team since 2021
Here since the program started, and a familiar face all over downtown.
January through July 2026
2026 so far
Totals from the ambassadors’ monthly reports. That’s about 39 tons kept off downtown sidewalks.
- 77,920pounds of trash, recycling and litter picked up
- 389times they helped someone find their way
- 193pieces of graffiti and hand bills removed
- 278hours shoveling snow
- 4,099gallons of water for downtown flowers
See the numbers
| Month | Trash | Recycling | Litter | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3,950 | 1,525 | 925 | 6,400 |
| February | 5,100 | 1,675 | 1,765 | 8,540 |
| March | 6,950 | 2,600 | 2,000 | 11,550 |
| April | 7,100 | 2,875 | 2,270 | 12,245 |
| May | 7,275 | 3,275 | 2,235 | 12,785 |
| June | 8,650 | 3,925 | 2,195 | 14,770 |
| July | 7,150 | 2,950 | 1,530 | 11,630 |
| Total | 46,175 | 18,825 | 12,920 | 77,920 |
Every month
Monthly reports
Each report has photos from around town, highlights, and the month’s numbers for cleaning, hospitality, safety and outreach, zone by zone.
2026
July 2026
- Helped a property owner clean up a hard-to-reach spot, working with the Public Safety Community Service Team and the City’s Community Planning & Economic Development department.
- Removed 31 pieces of graffiti and hand bills. A friendly reminder to event promoters that posting hand bills isn’t the way to get the word out.
June 2026
- Spent 47 hours getting Arcadia Creek Festival Place and the Kalamazoo Mall ready for Jumpstart and Caribbean Fest.
- City staff fixed brick pavers on the Mall that were causing trip hazards.
May 2026
- Set out gray tables and chairs on the Mall and in Bates Alley, and new flower planters donated by the Peregrine Group.
- Removed the last green trash cans to make way for the rest of the Bigbelly units.
- Celebrated five years with Skylar Culver, who has been with the program since day one.
March 2026
- Warmer weather brought more graffiti and hand bills. The team started marking spots that need pressure washing or paint.
- Set up poster cabinets explaining the changes to downtown parking.
February 2026
- Installed new Downtown Kalamazoo brand panels on every Bigbelly unit in the district.
- Pitched in on the cleanup after a string of storefront vandalism.
January 2026
- Logged 222 hours of snow removal to keep sidewalks and crossings open.
- Worked with the Public Safety Community Service Team to reach people who may need services.
What’s in a report
- Around town: photos of the month’s work
- Highlights
- Numbers by zone
- Zone map
- Year-to-date totals
Questions about a report?
Email downtown@kalamazoocity.org or call (269) 337-8993.
About the program
How it started
The program launched in May 2021 with five full-time ambassadors, working on foot, on bikes and in marked cars. In their first two days they picked up 4,731 pounds of trash, cleared weeds on 36 blocks and removed 101 pieces of graffiti, and introduced themselves to 33 downtown businesses.
The jobs were designed as a workforce program with room to grow, so ambassadors build skills and can move up.
Neighbors who need help
Ambassadors aren’t outreach workers, but they’re trained to treat people experiencing homelessness with respect, share the services that are available, and call on Public Safety’s Community Service Team when someone needs more help. The monthly reports track where the team sees people sheltering downtown, so partners can see which areas need the most attention.
Sources
- City of Kalamazoo: Downtown Kalamazoo (opens in a new tab)
- WMU News: Downtown Kalamazoo Ambassador Program launches (May 2021) (opens in a new tab)
- Block by Block: Downtown Ambassadors hit the streets in Kalamazoo (opens in a new tab)
- WMUK: smart recycling units and the ambassadors (2025) (opens in a new tab)