street roots
2
Oct 25, 2013
W
& MM. MSA
a weekly Street Roots matters
A coordinated effort needed to
work with homeless camps
t is a sad reality, but it is a reality nonetheless. Homeless
camps are no longer an anomaly in our social or
economic landscape. They have been decades in the
making, the accumulation of job losses, health care crises,
financially starved social services and war.
All around our city there are groups of people huddled
together in an effort to find some semblance of stability. In
any definition of the word, these living conditions are
abysmal, but they are the home of last resort for hundreds
of people in Portland every night.
So why then do we continue to address these camps and
their residents as deviants and criminals? Why is our best
solution a combination of law enforcement, bulldozers and
shoulder shrugs?
The Oregon
We shouldn't throw our Department of
hands up in the air
Transportation is the
because we as
latest to step into the
ring with a series of
individuals have no
high-profile sweeps along
expedient solution.
1-205, where the
What we need to do is
relatively remote yet
develop a coordinated
urban landscape has
outlook on ending the
become home to
driving forces behind
multiple homeless
such desperation.
encampments. One camp
in particular along
Johnson Creek has become the poster child for all that is
wrong with the camps in terms of environmental and social
impact, when it is the impact on the people living that
should be the first thing addressed.
Indeed, this is about people who are homeless, but it isn’t
about finding a solution to homelessness. These actions do
more tt>‘¿iggfavate the problem, putting vulnerable people in
even more vulnerable situations, with devastating
consequences.
Portland is fortunate to have a dynamic social service
network. But it isn’t enough to keep up with the numbers on
the streets. Poverty around Portland is on the rise. Most
waiting lists for shelter and services are full, and months
away from opening up. The Great Recession ended four
years ago, but the rate of Oregonians in deep poverty is
higher than at any time between 2007 and 2009. This is a
state and national problem, and it will take state and national
efforts to correct.
Until then, people will continue to survive. We shouldn’t
throw our hands up in the air because we as individuals have
no expedient solution. What we need to do is develop a
coordinated outlook on ending the driving forces behind
such desperation. Also needed are coordinated harm
reduction efforts to help camps maintain an environmentally
friendly environment, including help with trash clean up and
waste. When thinking about creating jobs for people on the
streets - what better way to give people a hand up than to
think about helping people experiencing homelessness clean
their camps? It can be done.
Simply clearing camps does nothing but make the
program worse. A more thoughtful and strategic approach is
needed with City Hall, Multnomah County and ODOT when
enforcing camp sweeps. It can be done.
I
sk newspaper vendors what can help
them be more successful at Street
Roots, and the overwhelming
response is, “Can we go weekly?”
Ask readers what
they would like to see
from Street Roots and
IIC T O IO
the response is the
A
Street Roots
By Israel Bayer
currently publishes 26
editions of the
newspaper annually.
Israel Bayer is the
That’s a newspaper
executive director o f
Street Roots. You can
every other week. We know the vast
reach him a t
majority of the sales of the newspaper
israel@streetroots. org
happen in the first week of publication. We
or follow him on
also know readers can be confused on when
Twitter @israelbayer.
the latest edition of the newspaper is
actually available due to the biweekly
schedule.
Can it be done? Going weekly, that is.
That’s the big question.
There’s no doubt that producing quality
WHAT DO
content and being able to maintain a weekly
production schedule is a tall order for Street
YOU THINK?
Roots, or any grassroots media outlet.
Send letters to the
In the past three years, we have worked
with a range of partners, including a
editor to Street
growing individual donor base and local
Roots, 211 N W Davis
foundations to build capacity to even get to
St., Portland, OR
a place of asking the question out loud.
97209, or e-mail to
The editorial team, led by veteran
joanne@streetroots.org.
journalist and editor Joanne Zuhl, has
helped build Street Roots into a reliable and
important news source throughout the
region. The newspaper has also become a
go-to source for conversations on a range of
https://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5474/donate_page/sr
social-justice issues that are important to all
Oregonians.
Since joining the Society of Professional
Journalists, just four years ago, we’ve
brought home numerous awards, including
Scan this code with
your smart phone to
donate to Street
Roots through
Democracy In
Action.
offering people on streets a chance to
stabilize their lives and to build
relationships with readers like you is where
the real magic happens.
Street Roots is proud to know that 15,000
individuals like you read the newspaper and
are connecting vendors with each edition of
the newspaper. Being able to contribute to
giving people a hand up and building self-
confidence in people’s lives is worth its
weight in gold. We’ve witnessed the
transformation in hundreds of people’s lives
at Street Roots. We would like to believe
that for many readers, the newspaper has
also helped transform your way of thinking
and connecting to people that are
experiencing homelessness and extreme
poverty.
On page one, you’ll see we’ve done
something unconventional. We’ve asked
readers to support a campaign for us to go
weekly. Street Roots must maintain its
current level of funding, while also raising
enough money to support two full-time
positions on our editorial team - an
assistant editor and reporter.
We’re asking new readers to chip in this
year and to support Street Roots. We’re
asking longtime readers who may have
never given to the organization to support
us this year. We’re asking longtime
supporters to double-down and help bring
us into a new era at Street Roots.
In this edition of the newspaper you’ll
find an envelope to give to Street Roots. We
encourage you to take the time to give as
much or as little as you can. Your support
will help us build the momentum in the
next year to go weekly. You’ll also find a QR
code on the side of this column. Scan it and
donate in a matter of minutes.
Lastly, Street Roots is also a proud
partner with the Willamette Week
s e v e n f ir s t p la c e a w a rd s fo r in v e s tig a tiv e ,
G iv e lG u id e . S t a r t i n g N o v . 6 , y o t i u b e a b le
arts and social reporting.
In a time when the media landscape is
rapidly changing, Street Roots is playing a
critical role in shaping public opinion
through the newspaper. Being able to give a
real voice to people experiencing poverty is
icing on the cake.
Saying all of that, we know that by
to give to Street Roots through the guide to
support our efforts.
We can’t thank you enough for your love
and support. If there was ever a time we
asked for you to double down to support us,
this is that time. Your donation will go
directly to supporting giving people a hand
up. Help make us strong.
Vendor experience brings a smile to another satisfied customer
My great Street Roots story of the
month: A few weeks ago, I picked up the
latest issue from my regular (but fairly new)
vendor, George, who posts up outside the
front door of Powell’s (which I cut through
on my way to work). I only had a five dollar
bill that day and it was pretty early, so
George didn’t have any singles for change
yet. I told him that it was no problem, and
that $5 is a fine price for Street Roots as far
as I’m concerned anyway.
Then at the end of last week, as I’m
rushing past George while late to a meeting
(typical), having all but forgotten about our
last exchange, George says as I whiz by,
“Hey, do you want change for that $5?”
That’s why I love Street Roots.
-NATE GULLEY
Portland
Board o f Directors
Executive Director Israel Bayer
israe!®streetroo&org
Managing Editor Joanne Zuhl
joanne@streetroots.org
Vendor Coordinator Cole Merkel
cole@streetroots.org
Operations Director Sarah Beecroft
Program Assistant Grace Badik, Jesuit Volunteer,
grace@streetroots.org
Development Director Sarah Cloud
University of Oregon Intern Jasmine Rockow
Street Roots
211 NW Davis St.
Portland, OR 97209
503-228-5657
Fax: 503-227-3117
streetroots.org
news.streetroots.org
Bruce Anderson (Chairman), Michael Anderson (Vice-
chairman), Heather Stadick (Treas.) Eddy Barbosa (Sec.)
Rich Rodgers, Brad Taylor, Leo Rhodes, Nora Coon,
Darren Alexander, Am ber Bielman
Volunteers
John Lisifka, Raven Canoles, M ichelle Breslau, Paula
Cracas, Sharron Thompson, John Barker, M ary Locke
Office Assistant Am ber Bielman
Street Roots Rose City Resource
Reporters Jake Thomas, Alex Zielinski, Nathan
Street Roots publishes the Rose City Resource, a
comprehensive booklet of services for people
experiencing homelessness and poverty.
To inquire about getting guides, call 503-228-5657.
Resources are also available online at
www.rosecityresource.org.
Gilles, Sue Zalokar, Ann-Derrick G aillot
Photographers Kristina W right, Christopher
Onstott
•run ( xn't;n su rcso rA w :.
Mary Pados, Jan Bayer, A nn Ereline, Vinnie Kinseila,
Ann-Derrick C aillot, Joe Thick, Stacey Heath, Taurin
Skinner-Macginnis, Bethany Hague, M ichelle Holbert,
75c
goes directly to the vendor
w ho sold you the paper
25c
goes toward
printing costs
Vendor orientations are at 1 p.m. every Monday,
W ednesday and Friday at the Street Roots office.