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.