Vendors
Page 6
VENDOS PROFILE
O ut of Luck?
Dennis Chavez
BY LEONORA KO
STAFF W RITER
Free Counseling
for Gambling Problems
ennis Chavez is an Army veteran
with a different kind of mission:
finding permanent housing and a
steady job.
He was born in Orange County, Calif.,
and joined the Army as a Chinook
helicopter mechanic, serving during the
conflicts in Central America. He flew
between Nicaragua and Honduras between
1986 and 1990.
He was shot at once, bn what he was
told was a training mission.
“We were down there supporting the
Contras,” he said. “So I’m flying over triple
canopy jungle and all of a sudden my
Chinook helicopter, which is normally very
dark (inside), is getting brighter and
brighter. Somebody down in the jungle was
shooting at us (making bullet holes). I shot
back. It’s the only time that I ever shot at
anybody. Ih o p e I didn’t hit anybody. Just
trying to stay alive.”
Dennis served his four years and
then took advantage of the G.I.
Bill to study political science at
Washington State University
He followed a rigorous work
and class schedule,
delivering the campus
newspaper in the
predawn hours,
attending classes
until noon and
working at another
job in the afternoon.
“I was a 27-year-old
freshman, was
married and had a
daughter,” he said. “I
worked 40 hours a
week the whole time I
was a full-time student.”
After graduating, Dennis got jobs
in the state of Washington, first as
D
Call 503-239-5952
Answers to puzzles on page 15
Street Roots • April 29-May 5, 2016
an employment counselor for dislocated
loggers and fishermen and then as a
caseworker to help families get off public
assistance. The government ended funding,
and Dennis, along with 60 others, was out
of work.
In 2003, Dennis moved to Portland
because he thought job prospects would be
better. He found a good position with a
business research company called
Marketing Strategies and developed
successful relationships with customers.
But in 2009, the company moved to
Arkansas, and he said that’s when his
downward spiral began.
For the past three years, Dennis has
been on and off the streets, depending on
whether he can find a job.
“There’s really not a
lot of work in this
town other than call
centers, going
door to door,
selling
something. I
look every day,”
he said.
His most
recent job was
knocking on
doors and
soliciting donations for an organization. He
said the job was “a nightmare. If you didn’t
make enough money you were in trouble.
... My last week that I worked there, I
worked six days (and only) brought in for
myself $17.”
Now, Dennis said, he can make that
much in a day with Street Roots, and his
relationship with the community is more
fulfilling. He sells the paper at a spot
between the Portland Art Museum and the
YMCA near the corner of Southwest 10th
Avenue and Southwest Main Street.
Even though Dennis has sold Street
Roots for a short time, he has quickly made
friends with customers and museum
employees. When a new security guard ran
Dennis off of his selling spot, other
museum staff stood up for him.
“One of the head maintenance people
said, ‘Oh Dennis, I’m glad I found you. We
had a meeting about you. You’re fine, you
can come back over here.’” Dennis recalled,
“Other security guys came by the next day
to say, ‘Sorry it happened. This is a public
sidewalk. You’re just always out here
smiling, talking to people. No problem.’”
Dennis chuckled, “I actually kind of felt
honored.”
Things are looking up for Dennis. He
now stays at the downtown Peace Shelter,
which he described as a “really nice
facility.” The shelter was made possible by
the prominent real estate Menashe family,
who donated vacant space in their building
and partnered with Transitions Projects
and the city of Portland to quickly erect the
shelter in January.
His next goals are to get an apartment
and a job w ith enough incom e so th a t h e
gi
7,„—
can support himself. He is working with
Transitions Projects to get housing and
spends two hours a day at a library
computer, looking for a job.
Dennis has been on both the helping and
receiving end of social services and said he
hoped his story would help others.
“Don’t ever give up. It’s not worth giving
up because there are good people out
there, and you’ve just got to connect with
them. Stay strong. Believe that things will
get better. And then they will.”
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