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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 2015)
Vendors Page 6 Answers to puzzles on page 15 S 1 s d 0 g y 1 3. |d s i 11 |v 3 S d .3 3 a V 1| fa 3 1 S A 0 S S 3 d d 3 a 3 n d N 0 3 1 1 1 d d V v H Pu 1 d 3 1 P a £ ¡1 S d V fv fr 0 d| P 0 1 V a 1 1 3P 0 N 1 d 3 A ¡V 1 V 1 Oj 1 a 1 3 N 0 3 B T Ö 1 Á d a 0 3 A N V 0 □ d 0 H N 3 1 V d Q 3 |i K 1 1 d d v ° 3 d fa 3 A 3 V A 0 1 y 1 ï IAI 1 3 d A d IAI 3 N V IAI 0 d A T 0 H |d d 3 1 s n a 0 d 3 A 0 d 1 1° y a| 1 1 d 0 s ■a: 1 3 Jo E g O(N (p a d a O N 3d CXI 6 LO § 9 Z fr £ 1- Z £ 8 Z 6 1 b O k X 9 Z 9 6 8 d |Z|| F 8 £ Z 1 9 6 9 Z fr 9 6 fr 8 £ £ L 9 Z fr 9 9 6 il L 8 L £ ç 9 9 Z fr 1. 6 9 6 Z 9 8 L 9 Z fr L fr 8 6 9 £ Z £ 1. 8 9 Out of Luck? Free Counseling for Gambling Problems Call 503-239-5952 Janick Webb N 3 £ædià VENDOR WORK ADS Farmer Shaun: If you need gardening, clean-up or any general labor services call Farmer Shaun. 971-222-9938. BY LEONORA KO STAFF WRITER anick Webb is a life coach. He just happens to be on the street when he practices. So many people with mental health problems really should not be on the streets,” Janick said. “For instance, (one man) finally got housing because of his mental health. But then the next problem is, he’s still digging in the trash can for coffee and cigarettes. “I buy him coffee and cigarettes every now and then. And I ask him, ‘Why are you doing this? You’ve got Social Security now and housing. Dude, wouldn’t you like to have your own little coffee pot at home? You’d get up in the morning, have your own hot coffee, and have your own little cigarette. “And he goes, ‘Yeah, that’d be kind of nice.’ “We need follow-up care for people such as him, so they can have a better life. When he comes down and digs in the trash can, people glare at him, like he’s some scum of the Earth. But you know what his problem is? He had to do that for years, and it’s become something that he feels is normal. It’s hard for him to not see otherwise.” Janick would like to help the man more but he suffers from debilitating pain I episodes. The ambulance took him to the hospital three times in the past two months. But Janick doesn’t dwell on his health issues and stays positive. “Once a pain episode is over and done with, it’s time to go back and enjoy life again,” he said. “I stay positive by recognizing the negatives first Get those out of the way, and figure out how to change the things you can change. The ones you can’t change, you can’t do anything about those. So ■ move on from there.” One of the benefits of selling Street Roots near City Hall is that Janick has opened ’ some minds. He has . gotten to know some of the City Council members and has WS | discussed housing J issues. •; Janick often uses the ■ word “fortunate” to describe himself. But he could definitely add “a positive attitude” to the mix. Janick moved to Portland 17 years ago for the same reasons that many come here. “I like the outdoors,” Janick said. “I spent Support Street Roots' outstanding vendors and great journalism. Give a one-time or recurring donation today streetroots.org my time hiking, biking, swimming, kayaking, you name it. I would take off as much as I could during the summer months, travel around and hit all the national parks.” Janick sold educational products to schools and subbed for managers at Plaid Pantry stores across the region. Both jobs gave him the funds and flexibility to travel. “I did everything I ever wanted to do,” he: said, “with no lying, no cheating. I had a very good, moral lifestyle, and on top of that, I really enjoyed myself! “And so, when you’re in a circumstance like I am now, where you can’t really do that much, I’m sitting here goiiig, ‘You know what? Been there, done that.’” Janick has severe nerve problems that strike without warning. “I call them my 10-plus episodes because they are so bad,” he said. “On a recent Sunday, they had to haul me away in an ambulance, and I’m literally sitting there, screaming.” He said the pain prompted him to stop working in 2012. “I did everything right - no drugs, no alcohol, no criminal history. I had a year’s worth of rent saved up, and I still ran into problems.” Janick found a housesitting job to bridge the gap until an opening became available at a shelter. After several Street Roots • Nov. 20-26, 2015 months on a waiting list, Janick got into Transition Projects Doreen’s Place, a temporary shelter for men. But permanent housing was tougher to * find. Over a month, Janick researched online to find low-income housing and came up with a plan. “I started calling all over New Mexico for housing because of the weather and shorter waiting lists,” he said. “My top three choices were Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Truth or, Consequences. I literally had to call every single building about whether they were accepting applications. In Albuquerque, I called 65 different buildings. “When it hurts to talk and spend that many hours on the phone, I can’t tell you how awful that was. I would literally go to ; the courtyard and scream in pain, and come back in and do some more.” Janick’s hard work and smart thinking paid off when an opening was found in Truth or Consequences, N.M. He said working with Street Roots Lg saved him. With his newspaper & earnings, Janick was able to pay for HML his phone, buy stamps to send JBL applications, put down a security .H'. deposit for his new place and pay for transportation to New MH Mexico. “I’m not even sure how I got that lucky, honestly,” Janick said with a delighted laugh. “It really |||V should not have happened. I’m in love with it B “The nice thing about Street Roots is I was able to go out there at title MBk times I was feeling better and make enough to do^ah of what I needed,” he said.. “Because if I didn’t have that money, then I wouldn’t be IBMWBB able to do the housing.”
