Established in 2022 as a pilot program, the success of Denver Action Partners is just getting started
In 2022, the Downtown Denver Partnership approached CSG about participating in a new public health and safety initiative, Denver Action Partners. Denver Action Partners is a coalition of public and private partnerships, including Downtown Denver Partnership, Mayor Michael Hancock and the City and County of Denver; the Department of Public Safety (Denver Police Department, Denver Fire, and the Denver Sheriff); Regional Transportation District (RTD); and the Colorado Attorney General and U.S. Attorney offices. As the current clean team for Downtown Denver Business Improvement District and RTD, CSG was honored to join Denver Action Partners.
CSG established a new team that is dedicated to cleaning and maintaining heavy-use areas of downtown Denver that also have higher levels of crime and public health incidents. The team is called the Downtown Action Team Clean Team and lead by Charles Castaneda. Every day, Castenada and his team of five sweep, pressure wash, discard stickers and flyers; clean up graffiti and vandalism; and remove trash from each of the Denver Action Partners identified areas.
“Denver Action Partners is a collaborative commitment to care for our community, said Linda Lengyel, Director of Finance at CSG. “CSG is honored to work with these organizations to keep Denver the beautiful, safe and welcoming city that it is. Our employees on the Downtown Action Clean Team say they feel an incredible sense of pride to do this work and give back to the community, seeing first-hand the difference they make.”
When the team first increased attention and resources to the areas of heightened concern, there was a lot of work to do to restore downtown Denver’s comfortability. “Our attentiveness helps serve as a deterrent to littering, graffiti and other damages because we clean it up over night,” said Castenada. The team’s swift, frequent and attentive response is only part of what makes this effort successful.
The Downtown Action Clean Team interacts regularly with members of the community - unhoused individuals, persons struggling with drug use or mental health concerns, business owners, and visitors - which is one of Castenada’s favorite parts of the job. He's developed a rapport with many people on the streets and can help to offer information and resources to help members of the community. This makes the work even more rewarding for Castenada. The team gets asked everything from how to locate a business, to RTD public transit directions, and how to connect to job or health resources. The partnership aspect of Denver Action Partners makes it possible to have experts ready and available to help in these areas.
As the work of Denver Action Partners continues, there are regular progress updates and opportunities to address questions from the community. Sign up to be an advocate, attend an event, or share a testimonial. But first, here are a few questions to get to know Charles Castenada, Downtown Action Team Supervisor.
"The DAT Team, with Charles' leadership, has done an exceptional job outside of the Snooze Ballpark location. We really appreciate how nice and clean everything looks. Thank you!"
~ Tiffany "Sweet Tea" Emmons, Assistant General Manager - Ballpark
Why I like my job as Supervisor of the Downtown Action Clean Team, part of the Denver Action Partners
Much of my career has been in facilities management and managing teams. For the Downtown Action Clean Team, I make a plan at the end of the day for the following day’s needs so that we attend to the most urgent issues. I always try to bring positive energy to set the tone for the day, to lead by example and work hard. Seeing the difference our efforts make is rewarding. I like to help others and enjoy meeting new people in our community. Plus, working outdoors is nice. There’s a lot to love about my job!
My favorite places within the Downtown Action Clean Team service areas in Downtown Denver
I’m a Denver native. As a teenager, I used to come to 16th Street Mall with friends. It’s cool to now work in this area and help to make it a place people want to visit today. I also enjoy working in the Golden Triangle Creative District because of all the art in the neighborhood.
Other Favorites
Concert: Prince (best-ever!) and a close second best, Luther Vandross
Movie: John Wick 4
TV: Netflix series Glow
Food: Mexican and Italian (ALL the dishes!)
Sports Teams: Denver Broncos and Denver Nuggets
What I like to do when I’m not working
I like to fish, spend time with my family, workout, and go to concerts.
