REPORT
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News that truly has an impact
ifteen years ago, Street Roots was ah
organization with little more than a big heart
to build upon.
Today, we’re laying the foundation to go weekly.
Going to a weekly publication cycle will mean
more news and features in a newly formatted
publication. It will still be the familiar Street Roots,
but brought to you in a more timely fashion. At the
core of this decision is the significant benefit this
will have for the vendors. A weekly cycle means a
more Stable income and, over the long-term,
increased sales. This is community journalism with
a real impact.
With each year, sales of the newspaper increase,
and this year was no exception. We’re delighted to
reach more readers with each edition, which we 1
know means more interaction among the
community.
This year, we were proud to highlight some of ?
Portland’s dynamic residents, spanning the arts,
advocacy and social justice. They include
reproductive rights maverick Judith Arcana, artist
Samir Khurshid, Sen. Ron Wyden, in addition to
local lawmakers and officials.
We’ve investigated stories about Nevada sending
mentally ilkpatients on one-way bus trips to •
Portland and other cities with little or no support,
and the impact of a payee Service closure thatleft a
thousand low-income and homeless people
struggling to restore a
vital financial service.
| | We reported on the
lawsuit Oregon
bpearheaded against the
[Drug Enforcement Agency
after it was discovered
(that the DEA was tracking
your prescription records.
S
we told you about continued concerns regarding
the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office close ties
with federal immigration efforts to detain
undocumented immigrants.
We brought you an in-depth interview with
author and journalist Todd Miller on the
militarization of our borders. And we told you
about local efforts — arid challenges — to helping
Iraqi and Afghan interpreters who have become
targets in their own countries.
Some of our most compelling stories come
from guest writers. Among them was an
insightful, first-person piece by A1 Jazeera
America reporter Paul Beban, who-was covering
the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the
Philippines.
We covered famous names, including
comedians Richard Lewis and Matt Braunger,
author Ann Patchett and director John Waters. And
we introduced you to some not-s^famous names
with compelling stories, featuring the voices of
people from all walks of life.
But there’s no question that our most popular
stories are about our vendors. We were delighted to
tell the story of Raymond Thornton, a long-time
vendor who has persevered through physical
challenges and addiction and is now in recovery. His
customers pooled together the money to restore
his smile — literally — by paying for dental care and
dentures. And the life of soft-spoken Allen Bennett
was documented in a photojournalism package,
from his early mornings and helping out his
roommate to greeting customers and selling the
newspaper. They join the dozens of vendors who
appear in our paper every year in pur regular
profile feature.
And of course, we wouldn’t be Street Roots
without poetry. From our first printing, opr poetry
has provided readers with another view to the
Streets - both the good and the bad, from
thoughts of whimsy to despair. It will always be a
part of this newspaper.
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Leave the
Miller ami lh.i formas
m e m b e rs co m e to v isit o u r o rganization, th e y ask
how we develop our stories. Street Roots relies on
people like you, our readers, along with people
reporting from the streets and the tremendous
experience that our city has to offer. Our Editorial
Committee brings together people from many walks
of life, and we’re proud to share the table with'so
many creative and innovative minds. Together with"
our expanding team of talented reporters, we
produce a newspaper vendors are proud to sell.
That’s why we’re looking forward to the coming
year, to a new weekly product and bigger and better
opportunities for our vendors. And we’re excited to
be sharing this remarkable journey with readers
like you!
And
Take two pihs and
IheOEAwiicaB
Joanne Zuhl
Managing Editor
The Nick Gefroh Vendor Fund
Last 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 asa board member for
two years with the organization,
and was a longtime vendor at
Northeast Ninth Avenue and
Broadway. Nick also contributed I
Paul Gefroh, the father o f Nick Gefroh, awards Willie Bradford the 2013 Vendor o f the Year
honors at the Street Roots Family Breakfast Bradford received the honors for his work in the
community and being a mentor for many Street Roots vendors.
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, reminds us of how fragile and
short life really js, 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 time. 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.