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CKX.ÜBBÄTIÄTG A » B C Ä » E
street roots
Education * Dialogue* Independence
M oving to Portland because o f its bike-friendly reputation, the Walshes brought, only what they could carry on their backs. For the fir st few months, they lived in a one-bedroom apartm ent in
Beaverton, but the $535 rent proved too high a n d they were forced to leave.
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In Melissa's own words
would like to start out by thanking you
Outside In Clinic. The doctors over there
are working hard to try and help. I am
guys, my readers, and patrons of the ,
disabled with Asperger’s Syndrome, a high-
paper. Without you, my continued
survival would be compromised* I’ve written functioning form of autism.
There are a lot of misconceptions about
this because people have asked me when
being a *paper vendor. The stereotype is a
and if I would be in the paper. I have chosen
middle-age drunken guy who is too lazy to
to self-publish in order to add “extra Value”
do anything else. I am none of the above. I
and make the papers uniquely mine.
am 30, female, married, a renter, and my
This time, I am publishing my story so
husband used to be a nursing aide. The
you can get to know me.
doctors don’t allow him to work now. I have
My name is Melissa Walsh. I have been
homeless off and on since moving to
an associate’s degree, and have tried to find
•Portland in July. I used to have a house, but
and keep work to no avail.
I-have many interests and passions; I am
my husband’s uncontrolled seizures led to
job loss, which in turn led to foreclosure. We a yoga and tai chi practitioner. I study
are currently seeking help for him at the
philosophy, and I’m a semi-professional
I
knitter and spindler. The leaves are
darkening on the trees, and there’s a change
in the air. The transition to fall has begun
already. I look putside my window as I read
this, and the cloud cover is blanketing us
with hues of grey. I wonder when the
seasonal rains will return again, their
solemn drops nourishing the earth for the
preparation of the harvest.
And all I can think of is wool. Wonder-ful,
luscious and warm, wool ’h as helped many
families through the cold months. Wpol is
sturdy and strong and naturally water-
repellent It is also expensive and the price is
out of my reach. And yet I still dream of
crafting warm sweaters for my husband and I.
My life is mostly about subsistence, but
somehow, I still believe in the power of the
ancient tradition of knitting to make it feel a
little better. When I knit, I feel more real,
more human, somehow. I feel like I am doing
something that makes a difference. Knitting
is about hope, bringing comfort and warmth
in every stitch.
Even though I’m a Street Roots vendbr, I
still believe in hard work and doing your
best. Knitting engenders that. I am about
quality, equity and freedom of expression.
Knitting allows for that. Cheers to a job well
done,
— Melissa Walsh
PHOTOS BY
LEAH
NASH
L e ft: W ithout a
car, Melissa and
Sean rely on Public
transportation and
their bicycles. They
estimate that their
commute to sell '■
papers in
downtown Portland
is almost three
hours one way: one
hour by bike, one
hour on the M ax
and 30 m inutes on
the bus. Here they
are transporting
food from a local
food bank.
L e ft, b e lo w : Melissa takes advantage o f Potluck in the Park, which serves free
meals to about 300 to 400 people 52 Sundays per year a t O ’B ryant Square.
With 1D5 percent o f people out o f work, Oregon currently has the third-highest
unemployment'rate in the nation.