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The SAMs returned to church for the February SAM of the Month meeting, this time at First Congregational United Church of Christ (945 G Street), part of a new, 10-story, mixed-use building at 733 10th Street, which the church partnered with Skanska USA Commercial Development to build.  In January, the DowntownDC BID bestowed Momentum Awards in the Landmark Development Project category on both entities for creating the Class A LEED-certified building.

The BID’s relationship with First Congregational extends back to 1998, when it set up and funded the Downtown Services Center in the church’s previous building located in the same spot at 10th and G Streets. The Center, which brought together various DC nonprofits to assist the homeless, closed in 2007 after the church decided to demolish the building to construct a new home and commercial space.

First Congregational has a long history of community service. Founded in 1865 and led by Christian abolitionists, it was the first racially integrated congregation in DC. In 1867, it even played a prominent role in Howard University’s founding. Its motto: “No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.”

The SAMs felt very welcomed, indeed. Meg Maguire, chair of the church’s Site Development Task Force, recognized them for being a major part of Downtown’s revitalization and always making her feel a little safer on Downtown streets. She noted that First Congregational will make a docent guide of its new building available to the SAMs to distribute to Downtown workers, residents, and visitors.

During the meeting, two Downtown BID staff members, Blake Holub, the quality control manager, and Alissa Greer, the special events manager, provided brief reports on defect reporting and the National Cherry Blossom Festival, respectively.

Blake, along with BID staff member Kenneth Gregory, a program specialist, will train the SAMs in reporting defects—everything from loose pavers and graffiti to faulty street signs—using a new ticket that outlines 45 items in the public space realm. He said hand-held devices for reporting the information is currently in the development stage and will be distributed to the SAMs in Phase II of the process.

Alissa informed all that the National Cherry Blossom Festival will begin on Tuesday, March 20, and will end five weeks later this year on Friday, April 27. With hundreds of thousands of domestic and international visitors expected for the annual springtime celebration, the SAMs will be busy providing directions and ensuring that Downtown streets remain clean and safe. As Alissa noted, “Everything will be bigger, better, more, and all things cherry very soon!”

During the meeting, SAM Safety/Hospitality Team Member Jahmil Thompson and Maintenance Team Member Rosa Rosales were honored as the January SAMs of the Month.

Jahmil joined the SAM Team three years ago. The native New Yorker is a former fast food restaurant manager, a position that required him to enforce food safety rules and interact with customers. So he knew a thing or two about safety and customer relations before joining the SAMs. Says Jahmil of his current role: “It’s been great but unusual because you see a lot of unusual things on the street,” where he’s ever vigilant, observing and paying close attention to the environment and passersby. In his spare time, Jahmil enjoys spending time with his seven-year-old daughter, Lanaisha.

Rosa has been a Maintenance Team member since 2008. Like Jahmil, the one-time volleyball and ping pong player has found a new home with the SAMs and in the DC area. Originally from El Salvador, she came to the U.S. in 1993. Rosa moved from the restaurant industry to security before joining the SAM Program. Besides ensuring that Downtown streets are clean, she fancies another part of her job, which is having the privilege to say “May I help you?” to people needing assistance while traversing the DowntownDC BID area’s 138-block territory. Rosa enjoys leisure time with her husband, two children and two grandchildren.

Congratulations, Jahmil and Rosa!

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