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«NUAL REPORT
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Newspaper’s voice rises above
t’s not a typical newsroom — very little
about Street Roots is typical. But every
other Friday morning, Street Roots is
unlike any other news hub in Portland.
On those days, the office is filled to
overflowing with men and women experiencing
poverty and homelessness, turning their
attention to the morning rundown of the new
edition. It’s a time when vendors give feedback
on what customers are interested in, what they
like or don’t like about the new edition, and
how their customers are going to receive the
latest Street Roots. Some editions are edgy,
some are fun — some are everything in
between.
In the past year, we’ve brought you big
names and new faces, covered national issues
and shined a light on the notable work
happening in our community. We’ve spoken
with syndicated commentator Thom
Hartmann, N PR ’s Ari Shapiro and the Nation’s
Greg Kaufmann on issues of political
engagement and poverty.
While downtown dynamics often get the bulk
of the media’s attention, we turned our eyes
and ears to the suburbs and the communities
around Portland where poverty has doubled
this past decade. It’s an issue we will continue
to cover as suburban poverty outpaces its
urban counterpart, drawing down tens of
thousands of families and individuals along
with it.
Our coverage on regional farmworkers and
the challenges they face economically and
socially took us into the homes of people
working hard to rise above and create a better
life for their children.
And of course we’ve never lost our voice
with people experiencing homelessness, from
the hard realities to the stories of friendship,
camaraderie and hope.
We were honored this year to partner with
The Mission Continues to bring Army veteran
and writer Robert Britt to cover veterans’
issues. Likewise, we’re proud to publish
commentaries and opinions from the Coalition
of Communities of Color, Partnership for
Safety and Justice, the A C L U and of course our
local and state representatives.
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Street Roots has expanded coverage of the
music scene, both local and national, featuring
interviews with Natalie Merchant and the
Indigo Girls, along with Liv Warfield and Sallie
Ford, among many others.
Of course, media today cannot thrive on
paper alone. This winter we experimented
online and in print with #SR24, a 24-hour
Twitter project to observe and report on the
lives of people on the streets one night in
Portland. We echoed that project this spring,
spending a day covering the lives of our
vendors, from the first cup in the morning to
finishing a busy day of sales on turf.
Behind every edition are dozens of
volunteers who write columns, poetry, take
photos, help copyedit and do all the things that
it takes to make this paper and the
organization one of the best in Portland.
This past spring, our journalism took home
four awards from the Society of Professional
Journalists of Oregon and Southwest
Washington, including three top honors for
investigative, social issues and arts reporting.
Next year, as we reach the ripe old age of
15, we hope to be bringing you even more. As
an organization, we’re ramping up our
operations to prepare to publish weekly. It’s
big move and a big investment, but one that
will mean more income and sustainability for
vendors, and a stronger arm for news and
advocacy for readers.
This means more coverage of issues
affecting nearly everyone in our community,
and delving into the big picture concerns that
connect all of use around the globe
Of course none of this is possible without
you, and all of us at Street Roots are
immensely grateful for your continued support
into the coming year. Together, we look
forward to another great year ahead.
Joanne Zuhl
Managing Editor
Newspapers from the past year, covering a
night on the streets, suburban poverty,
Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek, 1968
Olympian John Carlos, musician Natalie
Merchant and author Paulo Coelho.
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The Nick Gefroh Vendor Fund
Nick Gefroh, a former vendor and volunteer with Street Roots.
This year, Street Roots launched the Nick Gefroh Vendor Fund,
made possible through a generous annual contribution from
Nick’s family to support vendors experiencing homelessness
and poverty at Street Roots.
Nick Gefroh was a humble human being. He gave back to the
community and was a mentor for many individuals who walked
through the door at Street Roots. Nick served as a board
member for two years with the organization, and was a longtime
vendor at Northeast Ninth Avenue and Broadway. Nick also
contributed poems, op-eds and artwork to the newspaper.
Nick’s life was cut short at the age of 41, but he left behind a
legacy of great stories and laughter, a reminder to all of us of a
youth of carefree memories and an adulthood packed with
beautiful peaks and troubled valleys.
Nick, along with many fellow vendors who have died before their
time, remind us of how fragile and short life really is, and that
each one of us should never be afraid to go above and beyond
for others.
This fund is dedicated to the many Street Roots vendors who
are working to improve their lives and those at Street Roots who
passed before their times. They include: Nick Gefroh, George
Kay, Roger Gates, Ted Jack, Nathan Roper, Alan Fitch, and
other beloved friends who are missed every day.
You can be a part of this fund with a donation
at streetroots.org
“I show people (the paper),
and say, ‘H ey, how was your
day at work?’ ‘H ow's your
day?' I'm like, ‘M y work
day's going great!' I'm
actually working and that
makes me feel more confident
in myself''