Two Ocean Beach civic organizations have teamed to create a concierge-like volunteer ambassador program to educate locals and tourists about all the community has to offer.

“The Ocean Beach MainStreet Association, along with the OB Town Council began the Downtown Ocean Beach Ambassador Program this past April and our dedicated volunteers have been out and about each Saturday,” said Kristen Keltner, OBMA’s event and program manager. She noted the business improvement district’s Clean and Safe Committee chairperson, Matt Kalla, has been exploring a community ambassador program for some time.

“Matt has looked at what programs several other communities, such as Oceanside and San Luis Obispo, were doing,” said Keltner. “OBMA’s Clean and Safe Committee is committed to seeing this program grow. We’ve received a ton of good feedback from the community and business owners. So our goal is to increase awareness and volunteers for the fall and winter.”

Volunteer beach ambassadors set up a booth at Veterans Plaza Park each Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. They direct visitors to restaurants, retail shops, beach rentals, public parking, and public transportation as well as provide general event information. They also provide information about current and future OBMA and OBTC programs, projects, and initiatives. They are also tasked with collecting pertinent data from visitors and locals to help improve future visits to downtown Ocean Beach.

Noting OB Ambassadors are taking time to “get up and running” and to “gain traction,” OBMA board member Kalla said volunteer community ambassadors have become the community’s “eyes and ears acting like concierges for folks visiting the town. The whole idea is that they serve the community by making people who come here more comfortable to walk the streets, and to acquaint people with OBMA business owners and steer people toward them.”

Kalla said the hope is that the OB Ambassador program will become successful enough to “continue it year-round.”

Anna Firicano, one of the ambassadors who lives on the top of the hill in the community, said she got involved with the program out of a sense of community commitment. “I’m just one of the people in the neighborhood who just got frustrated with all the crime and all the homelessness and how dirty everything is getting,” she said. “I thought this would be a great opportunity to get into town, meet people and talk up our local community organizations and get people excited about volunteering for OB. And, while we’re (volunteers) at it, we’re picking up trash and sweeping.”

Added Firicano: “It just feels like a win. Every time we set up down there (Veterans Plaza) we find people who didn’t know there were opportunities to volunteer, and they sign up. It’s little baby steps. But I think in the long run we’re getting people excited to be in the community and do good things.

“We need to change the perception that people have of OB. Sitting on my couch and posting on Next Door (social media) isn’t helping anybody or anything. I did it (ambassador) and it’s been great.”

Look for ambassadors in OB wearing bright yellow vests who are welcoming visitors and locals to Ocean Beach and providing them with information to help them explore the area and enhance their experience while visiting the eclectic town.

If you would like to volunteer for this program, the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association and Ocean Beach Town Council are seeking highly enthusiastic individuals ages 16 and older to serve weekly as ambassadors for two, two-hour Saturday shifts from 8-10 a.m. and 10 a.m.-noon.
For additional inquiries, email Dayna at [email protected]. To learn more about the program visit OceanBeachSanDiego.com or call 619-224-4906.