The Face Behind Downtown OKC’s Green Team Outreach
The Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership’s mission is to create and champion a vibrant and diverse downtown through placemaking, advocacy, and promotion. One of the keys to creating a welcoming downtown is by keeping our districts safe and clean, and our Green Team helps us do just that. The Green Team is funded by and provides supplemental cleaning and safety services within the six downtown neighborhoods of the Downtown Oklahoma City Business Improvement District (BID). Over the years we have worked closely with various providers for homeless outreach services, but with the launch of our Green Team, we were excited to have outreach services dedicated to the downtown area.
As a result, the Green Team welcomed Tiffany Tagbo as their Outreach Specialist, a role in which she devotes her time to canvassing areas in the Downtown BID for unhoused individuals who may need assistance. On an average day, Tiffany’s time is spent recording data and becoming aware of consistent patterns among the unhoused population in addition to meeting with retailers and property owners who observe individuals who may benefit from services. Her goals also include identifying gaps in services to determine how she can better meet the needs of the downtown Oklahoma City community.
An important aspect of Tiffany’s role is educating business owners and staff on how to communicate and connect with our unhoused neighbors by conducting business check-ins. When business owners are able to build relationships with the same individuals who frequent their business on a regular basis, they are better equipped to talk to unhoused individuals, deter any unwanted behaviors, and perhaps connect them with available resources.
The owners of Katiebug’s Sips & Sweets in Automobile Alley experienced Tiffany’s help firsthand last fall. “Tiffany is a true gem, and we are so fortunate to have her as part of the downtown team. She goes above and beyond, even switching to the night shift one week to help us make contact with an unhoused person who was experiencing a crisis. She truly cares about the people she’s helping. She is so genuine and a joy to work with in Downtown OKC,” said Melissa Morgan, co-owner of Katiebug’s.
With a background in small business administration and social services, Tiffany is passionate about helping those in need. “On hard days, knowing that the work I do makes a difference to someone keeps me going. Life can be extremely hard for people experiencing homelessness,” Tiffany explained. “ When someone is struggling and just wants to feel heard, I am there to listen. I am just one person, but I can also be the reason someone did not die on the streets feeling like no one saw them or cared about them. This keeps me motivated to continue the work I do as an outreach specialist day in and day out,” she shared.
The work Tiffany does makes a tremendous contribution to our downtown community with several success stories resulting in helping individuals obtain housing, find and maintain employment, and reconnect with loved ones. Since August, Tiffany has performed 448 welfare checks and the Green Team as a whole has performed over 1100 welfare within the Downtown BID.
“Tiffany has made a significant impact on the downtown community in her six months of service on the Green Team. She is a compassionate individual with a big smile and an even bigger heart! She is building relationships and trust with our unhoused neighbors, and I hear often from downtown stakeholders how thankful they are for her hard work and dedication,” said Heather Scott, Vice President of Corporate and Administrative Initiatives at Continental Resources and Chair of the Downtown OKC BID Advisory Board.
You may see Tiffany riding around in the Green Team Kubota from 9am to 5:30pm on weekdays. She and the Green Team can be reached for service or maintenance requests at 405-240-1944. More information about the Green Team can be found at DowntownOKC.com/Green-Team.
