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street roots
D ec. 7, 2012
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New projects to engage, enlighten this holiday season
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Invest in Portland from the
grassroots up
xperiencing a city like Portland doesn’t just happen
by accident. From our creative neighborhoods to
our lush urban forests, we are proud of the
environment in which we live. We have some of the best
music and arts on earth. We are humane and care for one
another. We ride bikes and offer random acts of kindness
to strangers. We love animals.
Portland is an ever-changing city made up of immigrants
and innovators, entrepreneurs and freaks, geeks and
truth seekers — all collectively working to make the city
and the world we live in a better place. We live in
E
neighborhoods that
connect to one another,
The reasons for giving
doing the best we can
back the community are
to take on some of the
many. Hundreds of
toughest issues that
nonprofits are doing
make up a great society.
amazing work on any
M any of these issues
are taken up by
number of important
Portland’s robust
issues.
nonprofit sector.
Is all of this enough to
be content? Absolutely not. We have miles and miles to
go on a long journey to achieve real greatness and
equality. We will continue, one generation to the next,
seeking justice and a better quality of life.
Thousands upon thousands of individuals contribute in
small ways to make Portland what it is. Possibly, you work
or give to a good cause yourself. Possibly, you have a
friend or family m ember dedicated to improving the
world around us and you support them by giving a
donation to something they work so hard towards.
Maybe it’s political, or a feeling of social responsibility.
The reasons for giving back the community are many.
Hundreds of nonprofits are doing amazing work on any
number of important issues.
According to a recent report from the Oregon
Community Foundation, individual giving by Oregonians
shows signs of recovery from the recession. Oregonians,
across income levels, are giving more generously than
national averages. Oregon continues to rank in the top 20
states for charitable giving. In 2010, Multnomah County
residents gave nearly $765 million to nonprofits. That’s
impressive.
If you are a longtime philanthropist, or this is the first
year you have given a donation, thank you. Your amazing
efforts continue to inspire.
If you have never given before, or are on the fence this
holiday season, we challenge you to step up to the plate
this year and give a donation to your favorite cause. Even
a modest figure makes a real and concrete difference to
the city you live and the peers you admire.
Engagem ent and support doesn’t always mean money. It
can begin by simply paying attention to your peer
network’s social media posts or having a conversation
over beers with friends about their favorite groups. You
can check out local foundations website or tune into
projects like Willamette Week GivelGuide where more
than a hundred nonprofits are highlighted.
The reality is that giving is fun. It’s easy, and there’s not
a person alive who doesn’t feel good after giving a
donation to a group they are connected too. More
importantly, it’s contributing to making the city we love a
better place.
believe the vendor program is a great perk.
treet Roots will be experimenting next
One supporter recently told me he actually
week with a new way of giving
hates the newspaper, yet loves the idea of
Portlanders and others a look inside
the issue of homelessness. On Thursday, people doing something for themselves.
Regardless of why you arrive around the
Dec. 13, Street Roots
proverbial campfire that is Street Roots -
will have a group of
■■■■■■■■■■■■■ reporters out for a
we are glad to have you.
24-hour period
We work hard to present stories and
jy I » « w o w
covering
narratives that spark provoking
S B B Ä
homelessness on
conversations for readers. We aren’t shy
Twitter. We hope to
about tackling tough issues and giving
By Israel Bayer
bring Portlanders a
readers a look inside a world they may or
look at what’s
may not completely understand. We believe
happening on the
in providing a roadmap for important social
ground through
justice issues, focusing on solutions instead
interviewing people on the streets, policy
of engaging in sensationalist journalism that
makers and people working on the front
will sell more newspapers.
lines. Tune in next week to the coverage on
This holiday season we ask you to dig
Twitter @StreetRoots with hashtag #SR24.
deep for Street Roots. Maybe you’re a
Also look for extensive coverage in the next
regular donor, or give once in a while.
edition of Street Roots.
Maybe you’ve never given to Street Roots
The following week, Street Roots will be
before, or to any nonprofit. At the end of
launching our long-awaited news website. In
the day it doesn’t matter why you give to
the next year, Street Roots will be creating
Street Roots. What matters is that people
more of presence online. The goal is
know that we are working hard to give
continue to educate people on social justice
people an income, hope and dignity. We are
issues while having a conversation about
also creating real change in our community.
important issues affecting our community
It’s not easy putting together a newspaper
and highlighting the voices and stories you
that pound for pound competes with any
simply aren’t going to find anywhere else in
media outlet in Portland. It’s your support
the city or state.
that will keep Street Roots fresh and
People support Street Roots for different
moving forward, unafraid of risk or change,
reasons. Many people support the idea of
giving vendors experiencing homelessness
but instead embracing new ways to engage
and poverty a hand up through the sales of
the community. It’s your support that
the newspaper. Others love the journalism,
makes Street Roots, plain and simple. We
and/or the commentary and poetry, and
thank you!
Israel Bayer is the
executive director o f
Street Roots. You can
reach him at
israel@streetroots. org
Fond memories of Ted Jack
Several o f you wrote in response to o u r
memoriam on Ted Jack, a vendor, volunteer
and frien d to Street Roots. Ted passed away in
November.
ot many
people
have made such
an impression
on me as Ted
did. My name
is Marty. I
work for PG E
and I so looked
forward to
visiting with
Ted on my daily
’Sounding the deeps of his nature’
walks. Always
Remembering Ted Jack
a smile, a warm
hello and a
lively conversation, even if brief, Ted always
displayed such a positive attitude. I found
myself going out for a walk, if nothing else,
to visit with Ted. His wide array of
figurines that he displayed so proudly
brought many conversations, to the point
that I brought him one of my treasured
ones. I worried, as I didn’t see him for a few
N
days, but w hen he returned h e was so
delighted with the figurines I gave him! We
laughed together, shared some stories and
generally had me smiling all the time. I
heard recently that he moved to Alaska in
search of his dream. I understand that his
dream was short lived, but I know with the
positive attitude that Ted had, it was a
wonderful time. He will always remain in
my heart as a dear friend.
-MARTY
hat a wonderful writing! 1 feel 1 ve
been honored with the privilege of
reading it. Thank you so much for telling us,
the readers, about Mr. Ted Jack’s short,
tumultuous, inspiring and extraordinary life.
It couldn’t have been told in a better way.
Somehow here I will also be paying my
respects to someone that has left a legacy.
— JAIRO VARGAS
W
just finished your article on Ted Jack, and
I must say how comprehensive and well-
written it was. Very fine work.
Congratulations.
I
-CHUCK
Oar mission
Street Roots creates income opportunities for
people experiencing homelessness and poverty by
producing a newspaper and other media that are
catalysts for individual and social change.
Street Roots publishes every two weeks, launching
on Fridays, and is available exclusively through our
street vendors or by subscription. W e are proud
members of the North American Street
Newspaper Association and the International
Network of Street Papers.
Street Roots
211 NW Davis S t
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 Dimitruk, 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
J l
Mary Pacios, Leo Rhodes, Jan Bayer, Sue Zalokar,
Robert Britt, Shannon Lattin, Jim Quinlan, Ann
Ereline, Vinnie Kinseila, Sharron Thompson, Ann-
Derrick Gaillot, Art Garcia, Joe Thick
e
nt i m » si,
oi id
Street Roots Rose City Resoui
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 C i
Resource for distribution, please write to
pdxrosecityresource@gmail.com. Resources are a
available online at www.rosecityresource.org.
goes directly to the vendor
who sold you the paper
Vendor orientations are at 1 p.m. every Monday,
Wednesday and Friday at the Street Roots office.