Vendors
Page 6
VENDOR PROFILE
Norm Chamberlin
Untitled
by Daniel Cox
Gentle raindrops
cleanse the soul
night and day
all is to be told
all is to behold
BY LEONORA KO
STAFF W RITER
TL orm Chamberlin and his dog, Heidi,
I ^1 are goodwill ambassadors for their
X 1 community and on the street
Untitled
by Joe M.
Everyone says good,
But you think - no,
Of course, when it’s your own work
You think so.
Answers to puzzles on page 15
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“Heidi provides good therapy for me and
others,” Norm said. “When somebody (in
the apartment building) comes downstairs
in the morning and they’re looking kind of
wrung through the mill, I’ll offer them a
‘Heidi fix.’ They’ll hold Heidi or just pet her
for a while, and two minutes later they’re
better.
“There’s lots of good feelings, lots of
loving, lots of care. These are things
that are in my heart.
“So that’s what an
ambassador does,” Norm said.
“They’re action oriented,
and they make things
happen. And that’s
what we do. We
make things
happen.”
On weekdays,
Norm and Heidi sell
Street Roots from 5 to 9
a.m. at the Starbucks on
Southwest Fourth Avenue and
Morrison Street.
“A friendly face in the
morning, first thing, is
something that everybody
appreciates,” Norm said.
“People will walk by and I’ll say
good morning to them. Or I’ll
wish them a great day - not a nice
day, but a great day - and they’ll
stop for a minute and chat. So I send
people off to work with positive feedback,
Norm often explains to his customers
what it is like to be homeless.
“A lot of times people will ask, ‘What’s
your story?’ he said. “I’ll tell them: I was
O ut of Luck?
Street Roots • March 18-24, 2016
homeless for 15 months. So I know what it’s
like to be on the street, and I have a place
in my heart for homeless people.
“It happened overnight I had a job and a
place to live, and I went to work one day
and (the business) was closed up tight. I
never even got a paycheck for my last week
of work. So I found a place where I could
sleep - and sleep safely. I slept under a
billboard on Highway 212,
“After about a month of looking, I found a
job at Fred M eyer... but I couldn’t get the
money together to get an apartment
because I was using (the money) to eat.
Then once a week I would come downtown
to one of the homeless places to take a
shower and.wash my clothes.
“As luck would have it, after 15 months,
this guy saw me sleeping out on Highway
212, and he came up to me at Fred Meyer
the following
day. He
asked
me if
“ I wake up feeling good. I go
to bed fe e lin g good. A nd I owe it
all to S treet Roots.”
Norm added: “What I want
to do is I want to thank my
customers. Without them, we
—
wouldn’t get paid. And without
.
(the newspaper), they wouldn’t
¿■JJI' be able to find out about the
■ ■ J H H homeless issues that we’re
|.Y » confronted with today.
■HHr “It becomes school for both
of us, and we’re both getting
A-pluses.”
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CENTRAL CITY
C O FFEE
ifaW i well. S)o. good,.
Free Counseling
for Gambling Problems
Call 503-239-5952
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everything was all right.”
The man wrote out a $900 check to
Norm, who used the money to rent an
apartment from Central City Concern. He
has been in his apartment for nine years.
Last November, Norm began selling
Street Roots to supplement his retirement
income and to do something new.
“I was a chronic isolator,” he said.
“Stayed in my room and just took Heidi out
to go to the bathroom. My doctor said that I
needed to do something more.”
On weekends, Norm and Heidi sell the
paper at Mother’s Bistro & Bar on
Southwest Stark Street and Second Avenue.
He greets customers before they walk into
the restaurant, and the employees welcome
his presence.
“They’re very generous with me, they
come out and bring me a cup of coffee
sometimes,” Norm said. “Last week, this
lady bought me a ham and cheese sandwich,
and she got a couple sausages for Heidi. So
me and Heidi had lunch together.”
Norm says Street Roots and his
customers have improved his life.
“Street Roots is an adventure because
you don’t get tied down to the same old stuff
every day,” he said. “There are different
people, different days and different
experiences. And through experiences, we
grow.
“So this has been a blessing for my
mental health. My case manager and
my psychiatrist tell me I’m looking
better now than I ever have. And I
feel i t I feel good.
Sourcing & roasting craft coffee to
benefit programs at Central City Concern.
IN STORES
New Seasons Market, Whole Foods, Food Front
Cooperative Grocery, Green Zebra, Chuck's
. Produce and Will Leather Goods.
AT YOUR OFFICE
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