Street roots
7
A p ril 12, 2013
sweet
home
Street Roots vendors Don
and Cynthia get a place
to call their own
BY ASHLEY KORONKO
C O N T R IB U T IN G W R IT E R
t w as cold and w indy w h en I pulled up to
m e e t C ynthia an d D on n e a r w h a t w as
so o n to b e th e ir new a p a rtm e n t a t S ta rk
F irs. T h ey flag m e in, sp o ttin g m e from two
blo ck s away, D on w aving an d C ynthia read y
w ith h e r w a rm sm ile.
Above, Don-and Cynthia with the keys to their new apartment. Below, they sign the paperwork that gets them inside.
We tre k dow n to th e m a n a g e m e n t office
as th e y tell m e a b o u t th e ir jou rn ey . B oth
A fter paying $225 ev ery five days for a
C ynthia and D on s ta r te d w orking for S tre e t
m o tel room , C ynthia and D on s ta r t o p en in g
R oots back in 2011.
ev ery cupboard, c lo set and d ra w e r as th e y
C u rre n tly paying for a m o tel to k eep o u t
begin to realize th a t th e y now have a place
of th e late w in te r w e ath e r, D on and C ynthia
to call th e ir own.
w alk and talk w ith e x c ite m e n t a b o u t having
I ask th e m how th e y a re feeling a t th is
p o in t and a look of joy and g ra titu d e s ta r ts
a p lace to call th e ir own. T h e h elp of m any
to sh in e in th e ir eyes and crack in th e ir
o rg an izatio n s w orking collaboratively h as
voices, so m e tim e s talking o v er each o th er,
m ad e it p o ssib le for C ynthia and D on to
as th e y begin to tell m e how m any p eo p le
m ove in d o o rs.
I
I tuck my camera under my jacket to
k e e p o u t th e s m a tte rin g of icy rain and pull
m y c o a t close a g ain st th e g u sts of w ind th a t
is so infam ous in S o u th e a s t P o rtlan d .
C ynthia and D on d o n ’t se e m to n o tice th e
cold w e ath e r.
We a rriv e and C ynthia is bouncing up and
dow n w ith a n ticip atio n as w e w ait for th e
p ro p e rty m a n a g e r to unlock th e fro n t d o o r
to th e ir a p a rtm e n t. D on and C ynthia w alk in
to e x p e rie n c e th e ir new h o m e for th e first
tim e.
“I t sm ells so clean !” C ynthia re m a rk s
u p o n e n te rin g .
“I t ’s so big!” D on exclaim s.
they wish to thank.
“Thanks to Rick and Moe and everyone
a t S ta rk F irs.”
“We w a n t to give a sp ecial th a n k s to,
C ole M erk el and (th e h o u sin g agency) JO IN
for all of th e ir s u p p o rt w ith th e d e p o sit and
r e n t.”
If anyone d e sire s to w ish th e m well o r
give th e m a hug o r a high five on th e ir
acc o m p lish m en t d o n ’t b e shy, D on w orks in
fro n t of th e W hole Foods in N o rth w e st
P earl d istric t and C ynthia sells at P earl
B akery.
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