Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 2013)
street roots 2 Feb. 15, 2013 Everyone is equal at Street Roots Some refreshing dialogue around mental health treet Roots has worked in and around the issue of mental health since our inception, some 14 years ago. We’ve watched many individuals and families struggle with the issue of mental health, both through the services we offer at Street Roots and through the institutions and policies we cover editorially. Fewer than two months ago, a person who was clearly struggling with mental health problems used Street Roots as a safe place during the day. The man walked around our block, hour after hour, in the pouring rain. He was obviously scared and not familiar with what resources he had available to him. He was reaching out for us to help. _______________ Being a small, grassroots organization with a limited drop-in When we hear our local service, we did and state leadership not only openly talking about everything in our power the importance of mental to help. We called a range of services. He health care, but also offering a calculated path refused to engage, and no one, including forward on the issue, we ourselves, deemed him have hope. harmful to himself or anyone else. Were we making the right decision? We don’t know. After several days, and one staff member dedicating herself to working with the individual, we finally got him to start communicating to a mental health outreach worker. Things were looking up. Days later, he was gone. We have no idea where he went or if he was helped. His story was replaced by others with severe mental health disparities who each day access groups such as Street Roots for basic services, like a restroom or a cup of S B ill is a hero!” That’s how the email ended from an employee at Powell’s who recently communicated a story that unfolded with a Street Roots vendor. Earlier this month, Bill found what turned out to be a Bronze Star issued to a local military veteran. William let Powell’s know that he B y Israel Bayer had found the medal and that he had placed it on ™ a cross in his apartment. Israel Bayer is the If the owner were to executive director o f call, he had the medal waiting for the Street Roots. You can reach him at person. israel @streetroots. org A couple of days later, the owner of the or follow him on medal did in fact call Powell’s as a last Twitter @israelbayer. resort, thinking possibly someone might have found it. It was a prized family keepsake. Realizing that the family was coming back WHAT DO for the medal, Bill put it in a small, black YOU THINK? jewelry box for a nice presentation. According to the Powell’s employee, he Send letters to the witnessed the exchange between the woman editor to the Street and Bill. “I could see from afar, handshakes, Roots office, 211 NW hugs and tears. It was a beautiful site to Davis St., Portland, OR behold.” This is just one of many stories that come 97209, or e-mail to joanne@streetroots.org. through the Street Roots door from customers and local businesses. On dozens of neighborhood street corners throughout Portland, you’ll find a local vendor who has become a staple in the community. But aren’t homeless and poor people supposed to be scary? Don’t homeless people just sit around and drink and take from society? Aren’t they a menace to commerce? We believe Street Roots is shattering those myths. W e ’ll b e t h e f i r s t t o a d m i t w e ’r e n o t coffee. I t’s overw helm ing at tim es. perfect. One bad interaction with a btreet Roots vendor probably equals 100 great interactions, especially for people that might not know about the paper. You could also probably argue that Street Roots is made up of dozens of people, including myself, that Recently, the Street Roots viewed “Alien Boy:' the Life and Times of James Chasse,” a film that we highly recommend, and one that offers a dark and emotional insight into the failures of our mental health system. Likewise, the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary, and the countless souls that have been forgotten on our own streets, deserve our paramount attention. That’s why when we hear Multnomah County Chair Jeff Cogen, Mayor Charlie Hales, and Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney not only openly talking about the importance of mental health care, but also offering a calculated path forward on the issue, we have hope. Cogen, in his State of the County address, proposed a first-aid training program. Cogen expects the county to offer two-day seminars for mental health training to front line responders, like county workers, nonprofits, teachers and law enforcement officers. Hales has promised to continue to work with law enforcement and the city to broaden training and offer resources for mental health services. Sen. Courtney recently proposed a $330 million plan in Salem to target a wide array of services for mental health, including housing, jail diversion, employment programs and training, to name a few. We commend all of our representatives for their actions What’s needed now is a broader political will, locally and around the state, for their peers to follow the call to action. aren’t polished and are rough around the edges. Street Roots is a community. In the face of some of the most brutal conditions that one can face in the United States, we watch vendors come together every day to better themselves. They choose to work hard, to make a dime and to change the way people see the face of homelessness in this city. We’re not talking about some survival-of- the-fittest mumbo-jumbo or how one rugged individualist can conquer all. We’re talking about how a collective group of people can come together and do better for themselves and the larger community. We believe everyone is equal at Street Roots. It’s not always easy. Bill is a long-time drugstore cowboy. Jimmy is a former Crip and coming off 4-year run in the pen and wants to leave street life behind. George use to run with the Aryan Nation, and turning his life and belief system around. Bobby has cancer and is dying a slow death without adequate treatment. Tammy just became homeless and is running from domestic violence. Carol has finally got it together enough to try to kick the dope. Tom is coming back from two tours in Afghanistan and is fighting demons in his head. Dick has been homeless for 20 years after growing up in abuse. The names have been changed for privacy, but the list goes on and on. What we all have in common is Street Roots. More important than this is the love for one another regardless of our past. Today is a new day, and together we can do great things. Believe. Great things show themselves in many different ways at Street Roots. In the case of Bill, it was returning a Bronze Star to a family. In the case of all of the vendors, it’s th e idea th a t w ith each n ew sp a p er o r —in te rac tio n th a t all of us - including you th e reader - can help individuals overcome the tragedy and heartache that poverty brings. We are a tribe of 15,000 readers and vendors, and together we are making a difference, literally. The Poem By Avendor Here is a poem Sitting all alone There is no one else It’s a rough place to start Its journey into the newspaper But the pen is carried away By a man whose faith of ten wavers The poem is merely something For the man to do To make his time meaningful And the life he must live through The poem won’t pay the rent And probably won’t be posted by the last supper But you can read it with your coffee And show it to your mother. Board of Directors Bruce Anderson (Chairman), Michael Anderson (Vice- chairman), Heather Stadick (Treasurer), Eddy Barbosa (Secretary), Rich Rodgers, Brad Taylor, Leo Rhodes, Ken Hawkins, Nora Coon, Darren Alexander 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.news.streetroots.org dor Coordinator Cole Merkel Volunteers cole@streetroots.org ¡rations Director Sarah Beecroft gram Assistant Kara Dimitruk, Jesuit jnteer AmeriCorps Member kara@streetroots.org mt Writer Sarah Cloud elopment Assistant Cynthia Kiehl rorters Jake Thomas, Alex Zielinski, Robert t, Sue Zalokar rtographers Leah Nash, Ken Hawkins, Kristina ght, Christopher Onstott Mary Pacios, Jan Bayer, Ann Ereline, Vinnie Kinsella, Sharron Thompson, Ann-Derrick Gaillot, Art Garcia, Joe Thick, Erin Fenner, Stacey Heath, Taurin Skinner- Macginnis, Amber Bielman, Bethany Hague, Michelle Holbert, Leah Ingram, John Usifka connected with us online I inh Farphnnk And Twitter 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. n t K t ATran s r ww*. it#-, t.v 75c 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.
