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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 2012)
2 street roots Nov. 23, 2012 Jump on board the Street Roots train! » if 1 T So many reasons to celebrate this year ost of us will be gathering together with friends and family this time of year to celebrate, well, friends and family, above all else. And even in the manic state the holidays bring, this is also a time when people give pause for those who are struggling in their lives, through poverty or homelessness, isolation and despair. In this edition, we reflect on the life of someone who knew all of those trials, and many more. Ted Jack was a well-loved vendor and volunteer with Street Roots who passed away earlier this month. Most people in Portland knew him as Every day, when the a smiling, soft-spoken office is overflowing man, ready with a paper and a kind word. with vendors gathered Only the tattoos on his to talk about the news, hands gave the you w ill hear of the slightest hint to hard times, but you'll passersby of the hear more about the tragedies and pain he good. worked so hard to keep at bay. Every tragedy is personal, but Ted’s life is a mirror to so many people who have experienced the streets. Many who rise above, like Ted, and others who never find that respite in the storm. Still, there are so many reasons — and people — to celebrate. We celebrate George, Charles and the young couple who just recently started vending the paper, all of whom came into the office this year holding the keys to their new apartments, taking them off the streets. Right behind them are many vendors who have just started navigating th e course to getting inside. _____ We share the joy and pride of vendors who proudly announce the anniversary of becoming clean and sober, or any of the countless milestones reached by the men and women who cross our threshold. We celebrate this season among people who didn’t give up on themselves, even though the darkness and isolation would have made it easy to do so. They didn’t give up because someone didn’t give up on them, whether it was family, friends, a fellow vendor across the office table or a customer who shares a smile and a laugh through the rain. The power of that connection can fuel hope and potential after even the worst night. Every day, when the office is overflowing with vendors gathered to talk about the news, you will hear of the hard times, but you’ll hear more about the good. That’s what Ted Jack was a part of. He would spontaneously show up some mornings with a hot plate, pancake batter and a bowl full of sausages to serve the crew. He volunteered at the front desk with a gentle voice and a smile, a mentor of sorts to people going through what he already had. We can never forget that. And far beyond our doors, people will remember the stranger with the smiling eyes who handed them a fresh sandwich when few others would look them in the face. That’s worth celebrating every day. M Israel Bayer is the executive director o f Street Roots. You can reach him at israel@streetroots. org lsrael@streetroots.org catalysts for Individual and soda! change. Street Roots publishes every two weeks, launching on Fridays, and is available exclusively through our street vendors or by subscription. We are proud members of the North American Street Newspaper Association and the International Network of Street Papers. Street Roots 211 NW Davis St. Portland, OR 97209 503-228-5657 Fax: 503-227-3117 www.streetroots.org www.streetroots.wordpress.com joanne@streetroots.org Vendor Coordinator Cole Merkel cole@streetroots.org Operations Director Sara Beecroft Program Assistant Kara Dimltruk, Jesuit Volunteer AmeriCorps Member kara@streetroots.org Grant Writer Sarah Cloud Development Assistant Cynthia Kiehl Reporters Jake Thomas, Alex Zielinski, Robert Britt, Sue Zalokar Photographers Leah Nash, Ken Hawkins, Kristina Wright, Christopher Onstott Stay connected with us online through Facebook and Twitter house or the extra cup of coffee you will he rainy season has arrived. We want buy this week for a friend can go to help get to thank our brave vendors for being people off the streets, one corner at a time. out and about during the stormy season bringing readers the lastest Street Street Roots is people-powered by folks just like you, and we need your support this Roots. We also would year to maintain the quality content you’ve like to thank you for come to expect and to help give more than taking the time to 400 individuals a hand up on life. It’s for , (j ' @ jj | stop and purchase real. the newspaper — We can’t thank you enough for taking the even if it means time and for pitching in. We realize how getting a little wet. By Israel Bayer much this means in today’s busy world We’re asking when it feels like a million things are readers to dig deep coming at you. It really does mean the this winter and world to us. support Street Roots. Donations go directly Give by going to www.streetroots.org, or toward supporting the newspaper and through the GivelGuide at www.wweek. helping the many vendors experiencing com/giveguide or at 211 NW Davis, homelessness and poverty. Portland, OR. 97209 The loose change you have around your Heartbreak is prison break By Marlon Crump A state of depression A world of hurt On God’s Green Earth What does one do locked inside walls? Someone enters them to perish you Not to rescue you Behind or even outside bars Patty Smyth, “The Warrior,” sang: “You run, run, run away! It’s your heart that you betray!” How does one heal to hurt others? Like a temp job for you to perform With no lifetime career of happiness. For an unsheltered heart hit with a thunderstorm Loneliness, a holocaust to the heart Murderous to the mind, savage to the soul A spear to the spirit. Fake heat from a cold heart becomes a blizzard For misery in a lifetime motion as a social misfit Love in its truest definition like a high stakes poker game Only there are no winnings if it was just a bluff Or a tell for selfish gain. What does one do when trapped in crap tables? Choreographed into betrayal built for bondage? A winning card caught in a deck of demons Carrying chaos and carnage A cold climate creating a culture complacent To isolate self even wider Self is the provider Our own demons are the divider chairman), Heather Stadick (Treasurer), Eddy Barbosa (Secretary), Rich Rodgers, Brad Taylor, Leo Rhodes, Ken Hawkins, Nora Coon, Darren Alexander Volunteers Mary Pacios, Leo Rhodes, Jan Bayer, Sue Zalokar, Robert Britt, Shannon Lattin, Jim Quinlan, Amber Tyrrell, Ann Ereline, Vinnie Kinsella, Sharron Thompson, Ann-Derrick Gaillot. Street Roots Rose City Resource Street Roots publishes the Rose City Resource, a comprehensive booklet of services for people experiencing homelessness and poverty. To inquire about getting an order of the Rose City Resource for distribution, please write to pdxrosecityresource@gmail.com. Resources are also available online at www.rosecityresource.org. in yj profit for themselves. In order to keep the cost low to our vendors, we receive additional support from donations and in-kind contributions. « O ‘: TitK » » Vi-7' h i t .'2 75 goes directly to the vendor who sold you the paper 25c goes toward printing costs Vendor orientations are at 1 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Street Roots office.
