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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 2016)
Vendors Page 6 Cactus b y L a rry R ic h e r Ron Sanford I heard rustic rivers cry Oasis in the desert dry Holocaustal visions came The color of the sun had changed Toxic levels rising in the air I asked the cactus if it cared BY COLE MERKEL V E N D O R P R O G R A M D IR E C T O R Street Roots • Sept. 30-Oct. 6, 2016 Burnside Bridge on Thursday nights. He used to be unable to attend Night Strike due to the 7:30 p.m. check-in time at Portland Rescue Mission, where he had been staying. Ron was able to obtain his housing voucher for medical reasons with the help of fter spending the better part of a decade homeless on the streets of Portland and Las Vegas, longtime vendor Ron Sanford has obtained the keys to his very own Old Town apartment “It’s beautiful,” Ron said. || “It’s a one-bedroom with .■.^¿^,-■''*•8^ lots sPace- H’s clean and it’s quiet, I don’t hear a lot of traffic and noise outside. ■ “It feels overwhelming | almost At first I’m going to I rest a little bit. My first few I nights had a nice bath and got I cleaned up, got a haircut” | Ron got a haircut at I Night Strike, a A I stared through the summer sky To see if the black hole was a lie A strange fog lay on the ground Not a living thing left to be found It caught the people unprepared I asked the cactus if it cared i service for homeless individuals that meets S under «M SB ! Central City Concern’s Old Town Clinic and Home Forward. “Health care is connected to housing, and it will save a lot of money in the end and it will contribute to me being healthier and having the stability to have housing,” Ron said. “It’s awesome to have had this opportunity. I wish more people could have it. I waited two and a half years on the Home Forward list, and that’s one of the toughest things, being patient and persistent. I’m just so glad for all the help I got from not only Street Roots, but churches, local charities and Central City Concern and Old Town Clinic. My friends and family have helped, too.” So what’s next for Ron? He wants to keep enjoying life. “I’m still playing Scrabble, still trying to get back into drumming, still writing.” And, after spending years receiving the help of area social service agencies, he’s considering ways to return the generosity. “I feel so blessed,” he said, “that I want to give back to the community in some capacity, like volunteering, even if it’s small.” Answers to puzzles on page 15 Is 8 6 P 9 z V 8 6 Ç Z 9 8 P L 8 P 9 t 8 Z S 8 6 L 8 Yl Z I L 9 V 9 8 d L 8 6 P Z (oV ( n 3 a n 8 N V A R 3 n ( n 1 M i P W 9 M 0 3 0 0 V (R i ( v l a a o X 1 s S N V IAI 3 ( n 1 s 1 3 N 3 V IAI V N 0 H 1 H n 8 N i a 9 8 9 8 6 9 6 8 8 J 6 P L Z Z 9 8 9 6 P L 8 9 V 8 9 9 9 I P 9 L Z Z 8 L 6 P 8 1 l a V 3 3 a (s i V 9 0 s IAI 3 N AA p i V (31 1 1 N (31 3 a a a V 0 a a IAI 3 0 V 0 AA 9 a 0 3 N V a 1 d N 3 V 9 r AA n i >1 >1 1 IAI a À X H a H V AA 0 s 3 a 3 a a IAI a 0 V N 0 W M W £ 3 s s i 8 N 0 0 3 3 S V ± s 0 w a 9 3 N S à V N 9 3 H N 3 3 a a H 1 IAI 9 H IAI A V 3 IAI a V 0 3 V 1 0 V 0 a a w w w w W W AA 3 a 1 V V w W V 3 9 a 0 3 s n N i » 9 IAI IAI V i 1 3 i 1 1 S a 3 S 0 d À 3 a 1 3 1 V A o 3 3 3 0 9 9 N 1 N 1 V a 3 a 0 S 3 à S 1 3 3 3 9 n 8 3 ± 1 V a 1 3 a V 3 3 I 3 9 s 3 1 3 a 3 s 0 9 1 N 3 IAI 3 9 a 3 3 AA 0 N X 9 V 0 N 1 AA IAI V V 3 V s (3 O S s 9 1 AA 1 N 0 9 9 3 3 S a 0 1 3 s H 3 V 3 IAI 1 V o 3 V 1 i a 3 3 V a Í3 V 3 V 3 s ! s V a 1 0 a a a Curiosity * Engagement »Choice COFFEE 3)idnkuulL3)o-yooiL 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 Interested in serving Central City Coffee at your office? Get In touch with us and we can help you make that happen. 503.226.7387 ON OUR WEBSITE Buy Central City Coffee online and have It shipped directly to you or a friend. "Nothing happens until something m oves" Intentergy (888) 391-5059 SE Portland Office s V a V IAI ± a N 3 A 3 1 d 3 s CENTRAL CITY Holistic * Self-Em pow erm ent Physical & Em otional W ell-Being a S V IAI 3 a Á X s n a H S V N 9 V 3 a V o N V n 0 9 V i 0 1 i s S d Follow our Facebook page for updates and specials. centralcitycoffee.org facebook.com/CentralCityCoffee coffee@ccconcem.org Veterans/Mllitary/EMS personnel Sliding scale (first session, free)
