The Centro
Ambassadors

"My position at Centro is more than just a job. It’s a purpose, my purpose. A purpose given to me from God. Centro has been an integral part of my journey from death to life. Frona interacting with the public to picking up trash, every aspect of Centro provides me with the opportunity to grow physically and most importantly spiritually my coworkers have become family and my managers are mentors. I do not see this job as a responsibility but a gift from God. I'm not the only employee who feels this way, we all see Centro as a blessing in one way or another. To be a part of this organization is awesome. We create an atmosphere that invites people in, we serve all types of people and businesses. Even before Covid I knew Centro was essential. With that being said, I will say this...Centro is necessary for not just its employees but for the community. Centro is answered prayers to me."

"I like working with people who are downtown and enjoy talking to visitors from all over the world. Recently I helped to reunite a mother with her 14 year old daughter. I encountered two lady’s on the Travis Street Bridge who told me that they lost their daughter. While I was talking to one of them and get a description and any information necessary, the other one was talking to SAPD. I radioed the description to OPS and within 5 min. our team located the young lady at Mad Dogs. When we informed SAPD that we found the young Lady, they looked puzzled. Things like this makes it worth working at this job."

"I like helping people. I love what I do because I also live Downtown. This is my home and I like to take care of it. People always walk up to me and thank me for what we are doing. It makes me proud that everybody notices our efforts. This is a very rewarding job for me."

"Why I love working for Centro as an Outreach Worker for the unsheltered population is not something I can just put into a couple of words. This position allows me to give back what so many people have given to me, along with making an amends to society. I am a person in long-term recovery who was at one point homeless therefore I am very familiar with the challenges of making changes towards a better life. Centro has blessed me with so many opportunities to be able to freely share my story and use my experiences to help people make changes IF they want it. Outreach is a lifestyle that I have the pleasure of living everyday thanks to Centro."