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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 2011)
16 street roots April 15,2011 Dear Street Roots Supporter, When I first met vendor Ted Jack, he was recovering from a career-ending back injury he had gotten while working as a fisherman in Alaska. Unfortunately, Ted was also in the depths of his addiction to alcohol. He lived under a bridge and was socially alienated from the rest of society. Sometimes when J meet people on the streets, it's hard to imagine them ever coming back to a normal life. They may be dealing with any number of problems that stem from being homeless— mental health, addiction, trauma, etc. Ted was no different, and I honestly thought Ted would probably become another statistic for the coroner's office. We. often say at Street Roots for one person it may take a month to climb up the mountain, for another a year, and for some an entire lifetime. Ted has climbed the mountain. Today, Ted still sells the paper downtown, only now he is sober and housed. But it's more than that. During his journey from the streets to sobriety and housing, Ted has overcome his physical disability and stereotypes, and has found a way to give back to the community. Ted makes bologna and cheese sandwiches weekly for vendors, along with volunteering in the office on Mondays where he often has a crockpot full of soup in tow or homemade jerky or fresh fish he has smoked for vendors to start the week. "Selling Street Roots has helped me build my self-esteem. It has allowed me to build positive relationships in the community," says Ted. "The paper gives me something to be a part of. I am part of the solutions. It allows me to earn money without being a strain on the community. It has also helped me make important connections to better my life." In a time of great economic hardship for many people in Portland, the newspaper offers not only a tangible approach to gaining income, but it gives thousands of readers the chance to be a part of the solution. From buying Street Roots and building relationships with neighborhood vendors, to reading the newspaper and becoming educated on issues that affect our community, the newspaper is a catalyst for individual and social change. In 2011, Street Roots will work with hundreds of people just like Ted. Our harm reduction approach to working with people on the streets to gain a respectable income and place in the community is unique in our city. Street Roots is asking for your support this spring to help us stay strong. It's people like you that will continue to help people like Ted and others maintain an important voice in our community. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Israel Bayer Executive Director Street Roots Please think about a one-time or recurring donation to Street Roots at www.streetroots.org. By Soup Can Sam, staff astrologisi Aries (March 21-April 20) Mosquitoes have 47 teeth. So the next time you think you’re just a tiny, buzzing voice in the wilderness, with people hearing but no one listening, no one concerned about what is important to you, remember that mosquitoes have 47 teeth. If you get 5,000 of your mosquito friends together, that’s .... well that’s a lot of effing teeth.And'you can all fly! Fast! And you can do something with this! Remember, you’re a mosquito now, and time is not on your side. Act accordingly and watch out for SWAT. Aries (March 21-April 20) Don’t let the nimbostratus and stratocumulus get you down. Soar higher, into the mighty tails of the cirrus, saddle up and ride them ponies north! Taurus (April 21-May 20) Sometimes you just have to say what you mean. Even if the cat is crying in your ear, your co-workers piss you off and all you want to do is scream. Move through it, like the rock star you are. It will be over soon. Gemini (May 21-June 21) You are not a goldfish! Sure, you might feel like you’re swimming in the same stale stew prepared for you last year, but this is a new season. Opportunities abound! You don’t have to fall back on what you know, push forward to what can really make a difference! Explore a new neighborhood, try a new food cart; consider that the police aren’t the solution to every Pt" R 97209 social problem that has existed for decades or even centuries. Goldfish have the memory span of 3 seconds, that’s why they keep swimming in circles. You are not a goldfish. Cancer (June 22-July 22) Solution to the economic meltdown? A corrective measure for the housing market? How to keep politicians from spending all of our money on bombs? Soup Can doesn’t have a clue. But this stargazer does know a thing or two from the vantage of the cejestial, and that is that there is gold in them thar mountains! Riches in green, browns, yellows, reds and blue. Mine your future in higher, more peaceful altitudes, and share the wealth. Leo (July 23-Aug. 23) What a joy it is to scour. It not only works out your upper arm muscles, but also rubs out a lot of those nasties that want to do you harm. They don’t do this in an intentionally malicious way but in that, sorry—our-antiquated-belief-system-derived-from-our- economic-need-to-propagate-seems-to-have-hurt-your- health way. So scour, Leo, and keep the population in check. Virgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 22) Darn those socks! If there were ever a time to be frugal - and, hell, when isn’t there a time - it’s now! Use your needle and thread to take care of the holes where the rain gets in, where your appendages stick out and your nerves get prickly. Fill in the gaps, connect the dots and so forth, and your tender parts will be safe and sound. And then buy a new pair to donate to your local homeless assistance outlet. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Paper, pencil, pen, scraps, bag, notepad, marker, cardboard, crayon, ink, newsprint, charcoal, processor, screen, keyboard: Write. Scorpio (Oct.24-Nov. 22) Things are cookin’ now! (And not just radioactively!) You’re one red hot potato but too tightly wrapped to see your own beäuty! Get a good look at yourself, and then let everyone else enjoy! Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec.23) Jupiter is all up in your shit this month. Stay calm and take comfort that it will be another 17 months before he comes back. Relax this week, and take it like a Sagittarius. Capricorn (Dec. 24-Jan. 19) Your horoscope has been relegated to three sentences. This is the second. Good luck this week; you’re going to need it. Aquarius (Jän. 20-Feb. 19) Get out and enjoy springtime in the city this week. Much like you’ve enjoyed the winter. Be at one with the wetness and enjoy the time spent walking around in soggy, and wet shoes. The warmth of the rain this spring will pull you through until May, when we’ll be preparing for nice summer showers. Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20) it’s time like these when you should set back and enjoy the fruits of your spoils. For Portlanders this means enjoying a nice meal of farm-fed chicken with wheat grass and a side of soy Latte coffee. Let yourself go wild on the vegan donuts and don’t shy away from the chocolate covered hazelnuts. SUPPORT STREET ROOTS WITH A CONTRIBUTION OF: Return service requested. $35 $50 $100 $250 $500 $______ Send your check to: Street Roots, 211 NW Davis, Portland, OR, 97209 Street Roots is a 501(c)3, nonprofit organization. Your donation may be tax deductible. Or donate securely online at www.streetroots.org
