Street roots., April 27, 2012, Page 6, Image 6

street roots
6
April 27, 2012
E v e ry D ay
Passing the
blessings
forward
By Ja so n W o l f
I live ju st to die another day
I sit and watch helplessly
as another piece of me w ithers away
I -start to w onder
does the pain ever come to an end
The fact that it doesn’t leave
m eans th at it’s my only friend
It does me no good
to talk about it or cry
I’ll never get the answer
to the question of why
I have been swallowed whole
by the lonely abyss
I wish som etim es th at death
would blow me a kiss
The only peace I get
is when I’m asleep in my bed
To wake up in the morning
only fills me with dread
So day in and day out
I will die a little more
Until the day the Grim Reaper
com es knocking on my door.
BY COLE MERKEL
C O N T R IB U T IN G W R IT E R
ynthia can be brought to tears when
she witnesses the goodness in people.
“The other day I started crying
because of my customer,” Cynthia explains,
tears filling her eyes again. “She gave me a
buck, then her grandma, who she was with,
pulled out money and said she didn’t want the
paper, but she wanted to donate to me. After
I thanked them, the customer said, ‘Anything
for you. T hat’s why we’re here; to help you.’
C
Cynthia
That touched my heart. She just brightened
my day.”
Cynthia sells on NW 23rd Ave, typically at
the Starbucks on Hoyt. There the baristas
know her by name. “I’ve got this one for you,”
the man behind the counter tells her with a
smile giving her a free refill.
“The people here are awesome,” Cynthia
says enthusiastically, “They brighten my day.
T hat’s why I love this job. It’s like a blessing
from God. God decides what he wants me to
live on for the day.”
A strong faith in Christianity has helped
Cynthia get through tough times in her life.
She is an active m em ber of Cam s United
M ethodist Church and attends most
weekends when she visits her parents in
Oregon City. Cynthia’s faith in people has
gotten her into trouble in the past. “I have an
CENTRAL CITY
Changing Lives
Building Communities
Creating Opportunities
P H O T O BY C O LE M E R K E L
Having Street Roots in my life has helped me
have purpose. I’m doing this not only for
myself, but it’s a gift from God to help me in
my heart. I’m a people person.”
She is also a family person. The m other of
three boys, Cynthia has gotten her oldest son
William involved as a Street Roots vendor.
having experienced homelessness in her past
makes Cynthia keen to* help others.
She often gives money she makes selling
Street Roots to other people on the streets.
“We always pick one person to give a dollar
or more to,” she says. “I love to help people.
It’s kind of like pay it forward; that’s my
in n o cen t m ind. I believe everybody’s word
She w as b ro u g h t to th e p a p er by h e r
m o t t o . I t k e e p s t h e w o r ld g o i n g r o u n d
and everybody’s word down here isn’t always
true.”
“Street Roots has really been a blessing to
me,” she says. “Before I started with Street
Roots I was down and out and I was homeless
and not doing too good and I just felt lost.
boyfriend Don, who sells close by at the
Starbucks on NW 21st and Lovejoy. Her
dream is to get married to Don. And possibly
move somewhere warm. After a lifetime in
Oregon, Cynthia may be ready to get out of
the rain.
Cynthia and Don are in shelter now, but
because homeless people need help. I’m
almost homeless myself; I’m in a motel,
which is right off the streets. Now I’m trying
to get enough money to get first and last
months rent and a deposit to move into a
better place. People give me hand-ups so I
like to hand up too.”
Vendor Wish List
www.œntrcücityconœrn.org
503-294-1681
Donations keep Street Roots and our vendors
working by keeping our operating costs low.
Paper cups
Hygiene items’
Towels
First-aid supplies
■ TriMet bus
tickets/passes
■ Printer paper
Answers to puzzles on page 15
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Street Roots strives for accuracy, but
we're human. So we also strive to correct
. errors in our paper whenever possible.
Please report any errors to our managing
editor, Joanne Zuhl, at 503-228-5657, or
write to joanne@streetroots.org
BY LE A H N A S H
Leah Nash Photography Exhibit
A Different Kind of Normal: Stories of Asperger’s Syndrome
May 4-June 30
Opening reception 6-9p.m. Friday, May 4.
Artist talk, 2-3 p.m., Saturday, May 5
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Autism is the fastest growing disability in the U.S. with an economic impact of more than
$90 billion. And according to the Autism Society of Oregon, Oregon state has one of the
highest rates of autistic diagnosis in the country.
Photographer Leah Nash spent more than a year focusing on five individuals with
Asperger's, exploring the diversity and complexity that exists across the spectrum.
However, in the 2013 edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
t e diagnostic encyclopedia of American psychiatry, the term Asperger’s will be discarded
altogether, replaced with the broader diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
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For more information about i witness gallery or NCP visit
www.nwcenterforphotography.com
Leah Nash is available for interviews.