13
Street roots
March 4, 2011
Remembering the brief lives of some extraordinary children
ng, bang, bang... That was a sound
that people heard at a gathering for
- L / Rep.
r Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson,
Arizona.
Some people got shot, a few mortally
woupded.
President Obama spoke at the memorial
service. One particular person he talked
about was an 11-year-.
old girl named
Christina Taylor
Green. President
Obama said, “she
showed an
Sppreciation for life
uncommon for a girl
her age, and would
remind her mother, ‘we are so blessed. We
have the best life.’ And she’d pay those
blessings back by participating in a charity
that helped children who were less
fortunate.”
President Obama also said, “imagine ...
just becoming aware of our democracy, just
beginning to understand the obligations of
citizenship ... glimpse the fact that someday
she tod might play a part in shaping her
nation’s future...”
I was in a McDonalds on 5th and Main S t
when I saw this. Such a tragedy, the whole
thing, but Christina in particular.
This reminded me of ahother youth. His
name was Brendan Foster. Brendan was
also eleven years old, and suffering from
leukemia. Brendan dnd his mom, drove by a
parking lot with a lot of tents, in the
U-District (University of Washington),.
Brendan asked his mom about the tents. His
mom told him that people lived in the tents
a n d they were homeless. They were looking
at Nickelsville, a shantytown in Seattle, WA.
f i
Leo Rhodes is a street
activist a n d homeless
advocate. H e is also a
vendor w ith Street Roots
a n d a regular conributer to
the newspaper.
Brendan thought about this then said, “We
should give them something,.” His answer
was to give us sandwiches, half peanut
butter and jelly, the other half ham. “Cause
somebody might be allergic to peanut
butter,” was Brendan’s logic.
. .
I started to think about other interactions
with the youths. I wrote earlier about some
youths drinking around me while I was
trying to sleep on a park bench. And the
youths that gave me a rude awakening by
hitting me on the side of the head, twice,
while I was sleeping. An also the hurtful,
painful things they’ve said. When we were
going to start Tent City 4, in the suburbs of
Seattle, WA. Some kids were holding signs
saying, “We’re scared for our life.”
“Homeless people go home.” These are just
some of thé negative stuff.
*
Now for the positive. I met a
philanthropist and the his kids. The older
the kids got, the more interest they had in
homelessness, I thought this was great
Living in Seattle’s Tent City 4, a hot meal
was given every night Some of the people
that prepared ànd served the meal were
young adults. After the meal I would give
them a tour through the camp. I would
always start by thanking them for their
interest in homeless. “Cause you’re our
future,” I would tell them, “If we don’t get a
hold of you now, we don’t have a future.”
Selling Street Roots hete in the
Hollywood area, at the Whole Foods arid
Panera Cares on 43rd and Sandy, teenagers
stop by and buy a paper. Some of them even
know my name. Then there’s the faririly
with kids. One father told me that his;
daughter says, “There’s Leo. Stop. We have
to give him something,” asthey’re driving
by. Other parents ask their children to give
me a dollar for a paper. Sometimes they
refuse; other times its no problem they give
me the dollar for the paper.
I’ve had .kids approach me cautiously,
eyes wide open, looking very scared. I bend
down to get eye level, and smile real big.
Then say, “Thank you,” as I hand them a
paper. Nervous as they are, sometimes they
hand me a dollar and try to leave without
the paper.
If they’re not scared or nervous, I like to
tell them, “Good day, sir or madam. In this
issue we have a fine selection for your
reading enjoyment” I usually get a smile.
Other times they just stand there looking at
me until the parent says, “come on, let’s
go.”
At the farmers market here in Hollywood,
there are a few kids who like to give me
fruit and vegetables. One time a lady and
her daughters bought a paper, then they
went into Whole Foods to shop. When they
came out, the mother said, “she wants to
give you something,” I smiled at the mother,
then bent down to make eyri contact with
the little girl. She approached me with her
little arm out, hand closed.. She opened her
hand then a penny dropped into my hand.
Smiling at the little girl, I said thank yori.
She smiled shyly then went to her mom.
The whole time the mom kept saying, “She
insisted on giving you th a t” I watched as
the mother and little girl went down the
street, the little girl skipping.
Oh, if you want to see Brendan Foster, go
to Youtube.com, in the search box type, “a
boy’s last wish, Brendan Foster.” Then after
you watch that, go to “Brendan Foster died
Friday 11/28/08.”
In my darkest hours, there were many who shined a light
_______ Pori t w rhnrr.h. Behind
me a t the
are Red
people
care; Behind
that put
a smile are
on people
my who care; that put a smile on my
sitting
Door who
church.
me
face a spark of hope in my life. I kept
were my three bags I was hiding because I
checking with him every so Often. I found a
was afraid of Others knowing that I was
am not writing this article to be
source of a modest income while I was
homeless.
Around
me
was
despair,
broken
vindictive or angry, but rather trying to
checking with him.
lives.
The
weather
outside
was
raining
and
find a good solution to one of our social
With help of a great lady called Rebecca
crappy. Nothing seemed possible, nothing
problems: homelessness.
Childs they found a place for me and I am
tasted
good.
I recently visited those plains. No one in
normal again. I don’t have the words in my
A man stood' up and said, “If yori need
their right mind would want to be there. I
vocabulary to thank them enough. They are
help
with
housing,
this
lady
Jessica
is
here
have slept in my car from time to time in
a credit to our community and the city.
to help you.” She went around talking to
the p ast I thought that was homeless, but
Another group of people come from
recently I have had to sleep in doorways and other people. I did not raise my hand
Woodlawn, Wash., to Portland to feed people
because
I
thought
that
I
was
beyond
help.
under bridges - and riot just one night. It
Before she walked out, I put my hand up. -
in need and give them clothes and blankets.
actually went o n for weeks. What I saw was
She walked towards me smiling, as if to say,
They do that every Saturday. They do that
ugly, but everyone must take some
“Hi. I am Miss Hope and I am here to help
out of their pockets. They don’t expect any
responsibility for what takes place in their
donations or glory. They do good deeds for
you.” During our conversation Iw as
lives. It is not a mission impossible. It takes
thinking that nothing and no one can help
the sake of good deeds. Their names are:
will.
,
; me. She insisted that I go to her office and
Deborah Bennett, Rhod Larson, Angela
Now I want to talk about people who
talk to them. I carried my three bags' and
Baumgarmi, Mike Rindahl, Alex Briggs of
make a difference, starting with the director
walked the 14 blocks.
Street Reach Northwest
of this paper, Israel Bayer, who won a good
When I got there, I was sweating, I
The last people are Andrew and Tim of
deal of money for a job well done and turned
walked m and the receptionist Dee Dee
the Union Gospel Mission. They never said
around and donated it to this paper so it can
Richardson was professional and caring. So
n a to me when I knocked on their door
serve the community better. One can never
far so good, I told myself., I m et Jason
asking for something, whether it was a
ignore th a t
Coulthurst; we talked for a while and he was sleeping bag or a blanket I needed. They
In my personal experience the
most reassuring. He gave me $10 and some
would give it to me even if the place was not
“mavericks” are the people of the
bus tickets to get around and told me to
open for the public. People like that shine
Northwest Pilot Project, from Susan
check with him in a couple of days. All of a
Emmons to the iriost recent employee, they
like a star on a cold, crisp, and clear, night
sudden everything seemed different There
are great. This is how it went with me. I was
■
•
BY SAM AL-JONDI
C O N T R IB U T IN G W R IT E R .
S
S a m Al-Jondi is a
Street Roots Vendor
LOOKING FOR AN
affor d able place to rent .
Your online housing search just got easier.
1 Ü ''
<
&
t r-f
i
’
i c j ; -
Thousands o f listings - Free serv.ce
Includes special
equalhousino
" o p p o r t u n it y
Call 2-1-1 o r 503-802-8562
------- ™“
3035 S.E. Division • Portland, OR 97202
503.234.7499