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Raised in a family of dedicated civil servants, Siena Parrish has always been drawn to the public service sector. After moving from Sonoma County to Humboldt last year, Parrish took a part-time gig at the Eureka Visitor’s Center, where she joined a group of like-minded locals who care deeply for this foggy little place we call home. 

“This kind of work is what I grew up wanting to do,” Parrish told the Outpost as she plucked a bit of litter from the ground and plopped it into an orange five-gallon bucket during a recent community clean-up. “I think community is as good as how you treat those who need it the most, and the fact that we have so many small business owners and city employees who take the time to [volunteer] and are clearly passionate about what they do is what makes Eureka really special for me.”

Parrish is one of the Old Town Stewards, a small but mighty team of city employees and volunteers working to “promote goodwill and hospitality” in Eureka through beautification projects, community outreach and engagement. Modeled after successful ambassador programs in other cities, including Arcata, the City of Eureka launched its Old Town Stewards Volunteer Program last summer to provide residents and visitors with a friendly, knowledgeable presence around town. 

The group, led by Uplift Eureka’s Social Services Coordinator Hannah Ozanian, meets at Clarke Plaza every Wednesday to pick up trash and tidy up planters around Old Town. When they’re not sweeping up cigarette butts and wrangling loose wood chips, you can find the stewards chatting with locals or sharing tidbits of Humboldt history with visitors. 

“We are community liaisons trying to provide local resources, whether that’s directions to the Carson Mansion for a tourist from out of town, or whether it’s directions to the Eureka Rescue Mission for someone who’s unhoused,” Ozanian told the Outpost during last week’s clean-up. “Our main focus on Wednesdays is to do a deep clean of Clarke Plaza, and then we move out around Old Town toward the gazebo. If we can keep an area clean, that’s a hospitable thing to do for everyone, right?”

The idea is to make Eureka a better place for everyone, whether that be local business owners or unhoused community members, Ozanian said.

A couple of times a week — usually Tuesdays and Thursdays — the stewards host the Connections Club, a community-building coloring circle at St. Vincent de Paul’s dining facility. There, attendees can tap into their creative side or use the materials to write letters or greeting cards to loved ones. 

“I look at outreach as [a way to] connect with people, and I love the Connections Club,” said Kimberly Keisling, a local realtor and one of the Old Town Stewards. “The people who are perceived as being unhoused belong here as much as we do. Sometimes they just need a smile and a conversation, you know? Maybe if we can connect and develop a relationship, we can kind of guide them to the resources that are available here.”

For Omar Abi, a steward and local business owner, the Connections Club is an opportunity to make a positive impact and meet new people. “It keeps me grateful,” he told the Outpost. “And it gives me a chance to connect with people on an interpersonal level that I normally wouldn’t have interactions with otherwise.”

Before assuming stewardly duties, each volunteer undergoes comprehensive training and orientation sessions in city policies, de-escalation techniques, safety protocols and local resources. The stewards also get a crash course on the history of Old Town and its various attractions. 

Each volunteer brings their own area of expertise to the table. Roy Marin, a 40-year Eureka resident and retired school bus driver, is the group’s history buff.

“I’ve watched Old Town evolve from way back in the late ‘70s when [the city] was really talking about tearing it down,” Marin said. “I like taking people on little spontaneous walks around Old Town and pointing out, for example, the spot down the boardwalk where you can look and see a perfect view of the Carson Mansion. And I encourage them to walk over to it and explore!”

Marin said he’s been working on a motto for the stewards: “‘Promote, protect, preserve’, or something like that.”

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If you think you’ve got what it takes to become an Old Town Steward, they’re always looking for new folks to join the team. You can find an interest form at this link or email oldtownstewards@eurekaca.gov.

And if you’re hankerin’ for a little bit of barbecue at some point today, you’ll want to pop by the Block Party BBQ at St. Vincent de Paul’s dining facility (35 W. Third Street in Eureka) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Details here.