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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (April 26, 2013)
2 street roots April 26, 2013 An open letter from a Street Roots board member M Where to turn when the going gets tough? Locally. How is itpossible that under the Obama administration that we’re about to experience a $2 billion cut in housing and homeless programs from the federal government? Eighty-five billion-dollars in all will be cut from domestic programs over 10-years and that will affect workers and businesses from sea to shining sea; Many blame Congress, others say that Obama and ftis team played high stakes poker and lost big. Whatever the reason, Oregon and the rest of the country are beginning j to feel the fallout of a federal government whose. priorities seem to rest more m maintaining a staggering military budget and giving large corporations subsidies. that actually taking care of its people. Nationally its estimated that 140,000 fewer families will have housing vouchers.. " If the Portland region Locally, the Feds are ' and the rest of the state cutting $13 million hope to compete in a dollars through the State modern age than it w ill of Oregon and millions require prioritising the more through local 2 support of people experiencing poverty." jurisdictions, including more than $1 million from Portland. It’s hard’-to know exactly where to turn. We know in* Portland and Multnomah County that we’re looking for local governments to prioritize the safety net. In Salem, - it’s time for the Governor Kitzhaber and this legislature ■ to step up to the plate and fund housing and homeless , services, including support for Tèmporary Assistance for Needy Families. Gutting this program and other, programs for the Department of Human Services is short-, sightedand will have devastating effects on our foost ’ vulnerable citizens. p Isra el B ay er is the executive d irector o f Street Roots. You can reach h im a t israel@streetroots.org o ï fo lio te ’h im on Tw itter @israelbayer. ichael Anderson, a Sheet Roots* board member and longtime housing advocate<ecently wrote a piece about how Street Roots makes Portland. ^ better place for all. He pinned the following commentary D IM C T O IT S for the organization: I love Street Roots. B B SK S For foe news that'« matters most to me, By Israel Bayer there is no better medja outlet'inOregon., Whether I am reading a vendor profile, a music review, an indepth news article, or foe hilarious April Fools edition, Street Roots keeps me informed and entertained. The quality of reporting'fodthe commitment to journalism of the éditorial staff make Street Roots-^hmfoue and wonderful community^sset. Street Roots covers stone's that might otherwise go . unreported, such as tracking foe number of people who die on the street'feach year or profiling community heroes like Kathleen Saadab Nowhere else can you find in depth reporting on issues related fo poverty in Oregon. What makes Street Roots all foe ipore amazing is that the newspaper is just one facet of foe orgânization. Or perhaps, more accurately, the newspaper is a means to an end. Where it all begins with Street Roots is with thé vendor and creating an opportunity to earn a legitimate, consistent income for people otherwise locked but from foe job market. Selling Street Roots may not make a person rich, but for fnany vendors (selling papers is a'huge part of paying the monthly bills-and that is a big deal in year five of a recession. All of us who buy the paper know at least one vendor. Like the person from whqm We buy our morning coffee or the Tri-Met driver that takes ps to work each day3 vendors áre "part of foe daily routine that define our experience in Portland and make us love this city. In addition tp foe newspaper and foe 1 vendor program, Street Roots provides real time news coverage through its website and social media, maintains and distributes foe Rose City Resource, ancLengages in advocacy efforts related to homelessness and housing in Portland, throughout Oregon and around the United States. For the second consecutive year, Street Roots is playing an essential lead role in the We Are the Safety Net campaign to protect out-most vulnerable neighbors from being damaged by upcoming budget cutsjn Portland and Multnomah County. I know you love Street Roots as much as I dp. For Street Roots tofoontinue to grow its wonderful work, community members like us need to step up and lend our financial support Join me in becoming a supporter pf Street Root?, and a part,of foe Street Roots community. Supporting Street Roots makes Portland a better place for us all! (Find out more on page 16.),,’’V - We may not be able to control what happens in Washington D„C- Locally, we have choices. If the Portland region and the rest óf thè state hope to compete in a modern age than it will require prioritizing the support of people experiencing poverty. More so, the health care reform that’s taking place g currently must prioritize housing as a core component of its upstream approach to curbing health care costs and caring for citizens. Having housing near the epicenter of ! any statewide approach to health'care reform is absolutely critical. Without it, we will be doomed to faiE We know how tp take care of one another. We understand the best and most cost-effective approaches to giving hard working people a safe place to call home. - We’re looking to electived officials from around the state of Oregon to make the right dhoices. We’re looking for Portland and Multnomah County stand up and do what Washington D.C. can not do. Prioritize it’s own citizens and give people an opportunity to be successful. Drawing by Helen Hill Our 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 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 tire krtemational Network of Street Papers. Street Roots 211 NW Davis St. Portland,OR 97209 503 228 5657 Fax:503-227-3117 www.foeetrbots.org www.newsfoeetroots.org Board of Directors Vendors Bruce Anderson (Chairman), Michael Andersonf'/ice- chairman), Heather Stadick (Treasurer), Eddy Barbosa ' (Secreiary), $ ch Rodgers, Brad Taylor, Leo Rhodes, Street Rootsvendors buy We newspapers for 25 cents earii and seil the® for $1, keeping We 75 cents in profit for themselves, in orefer to keep the cost low to our vendors, wereceiye additional support from donations and in-kind contributions. Ken Hawkins, Nora Coon, Darren Alexander Volunteers cole@foeetroots.org Operations Director Sarah Beecroft Program Assistant Kara Dimitruk, Jesuit Volunteer AmeriCorps Member kara@streetroots.org Grant Writer Sarah Cloud Development Assistant Cynthia Kiehi Reporters lake Thomas, Alex Zielinski, Robert Britt, Sue Zalokar Photographers Leah Nash, Ken Hawkins, Kostina Wright, Christopher Onstott Stay connected with us online through Facebook and Twitter Mary Paries, Jan Bayer, Ann Ereline, Vinnte Kinsefe, Sharron Thompson, Ann-Derrick GatHot. A rt Garcia, Joe Thick, Erin Fenner, Stacey Heath, Taurin Skinner- Macginnis, Am ber Bieiman, Bethany Hague, Michelle Holbert, John foifka, Rowen Canoles Street Roots Rose City Resource Street Roots publishes the Rose City Resource, a > comprehensive booklet of services for peopie 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. goes direedyto the vendor who sold you We paper goestoward printing costs Vendor orientations afe at 1 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Street Roots office.
