Street roots., August 19, 2011, Page 6, Image 6

6
street roots
^*1 T C ’ t TH
Aug. 19, 2011
Spreading
the joy of
just being
human
BY LIZ FOSTEER
¿C o n t r ib u t in g
w r it e r
urt Saindon is just as familiar with
Leo Rhodes accepting the award fo r Street
Roots from the VFP.
Veterans honor
Street Roots fo r
ongoing coverage
, . .STAFF REPORTS
eo Rhodes, a Street Roots vendor,
board member and columnist,
accepted an award from the Portland
Chapter of Veterans For Peace Aug, 4 for
the paper’s ongoing work to raise
awareness about veterans issues.
The award was given during the
Veterans For Peace National Convention
held in Portland April 3-7. The Veterans for
Peace conference drew around 400 people
from across the country for a schedule of
workshops, training and reflections on the
movement
Rhodes, himself a veteran who has been
homeless, accepted the award and spoke
briefly tp TheAa9Sreri£e. The awarariT"
recognizes Street Roots’ “sustained, candid
and compassionate media coverage of
veterans, the true cost of war and justice
for veterans and victims of war.”
Over the years, Street Roots has
reported on homeless veterans, Winter
Soldier, and the personal consequences of
war on Americans and people living in war-
ravaged countries. We’ve covered
recruitment tactics within minority
communities, the U.S. application of
torture, and long-term damage of post-
traumatic stress disorder. More recently,
Street Roots has produced a series of
reports on traumatic brain injuries,
including blasts from war zones, and their
link to declining health and homelessness.
■
K
humor as he is with sleeping outside.
From his sales point along Tom McCall
Waterfront Park, he peppers passersby with an
assortment of jokes. His goofy antics are part of
his pitch to sell Street Roots newspaper,
because, he says, he prefers his customers to
he at leisure as he enthusiastically engages with
them about the content of the paper and the
Kurt Saindon
joys of being a human. Spend time around Kurt
and you will immediately become aware of the
good-natured charisma that he brings to every
conversation.
Kurt’s experience with homelessness began
after being released from the military. He was
prescribed an array of medications for his
PTSD.
“The only difference between the addicts on
the street and me was I had a prescription. I
w asa legitimate walking dope addict.” Kurt
then went on a spiritual journey to rid himself
of the numbness prescription opiates often
bring. He started working for the street
newspaper in Colorado and then was employed
by the Colorado State Hospital as peer support,
transitioning patients as they left the facility.
He left Colorado’s cold weather to seek a
similar peer support position at the Oregon
State Hospital. He needs to volunteer there for
30 days and in the meantime is working with
Street Roots to sustain his living. “This paper
trdly helps people transition; I’ve already seen
it in the short time that I’ve been here”
Kurt says humor “takes some of the sting
away” from the stigma of not having a home. “I
just want to say thank you for all of the random
acts of kindness along the way.” If you ever
spend a few moments with Kurt, you are sure
to be a recipient of some of this kindness.
“This community fooled me, I’m so used to
the government and churches being the ones to
take care of those struggling with
homelessness, Portland is not like th a t This
community takes care of this community.”
W ant to know a little
more about y o u r
vendor? Check o u t
www.streetroots.
wordpress. com fo r
past articles about
the m en a n d women
sellin g Street Roots!
CENTRAL CITY
* a
Changing Lives
Building Communities
Creating Opportunities
T h is J u l y a n d A u g u s t ,
www.GentralcitycorLcern.org
503-294-1681
Downtown
brings you a better way
to give to the homeless.
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