Vendors
Page 14
VENDOR CHAT, from page 7
a daily routine, a stable lifestyle th at helps you
a lo t
took steps to get into housing about eight
m onths ago and I was supposed to go through
two interviews. But I m issed my appointm ents,
which didn’t help J hope I will be eligible for
som e help soon. T here are a lot of places in
M ontreal w here I can go sleep every n ig h t
Like shelters w here you can go w hen it really
gets too cold outside.
Is th ere governm ent aid.for th e hom eless in
Portland ?
John: I t ’s mostly donations that come fo r
the most part from the religious community: They
help us a lot. A n d they don't try to convert us, ju st
Help. I am really grateful towards these people. A
lot o f them are regular customers. They help you
organize your day. Because what is difficult about
being homeless is m aintaining a routine. I see
some homeless that sleep till noon. I t breaks my
heart. They don't have an organized lifestyle, so .
they need to regain one.
Jam es: W hat I can understand is th a t you have
Jo h n : Yes, and that's what helped me to get off
the street and to be able to sell the newspaper. I
meet about 100 people a day and it's always
pleasant. They take the time to talk to me, share
jokes. What's more, there are plenty of
opportunities available to me. Sometimes I am
asked to house-sit fo r some people while they are
away. I water their plants, pick up their m ail and
I can even cook in their kitchen. It's , also while I
was on my tu r f selling the paper that I met my
current landlord. He asked me i f I was able to pay
a m inim um rent. I said I could, thanks to my
paper sales. M y landlord's gesture was based on
trust and I fin d that liberating!
able to sleep in a bed like everybody else. I
remember sleeping on the stoop o f bicycle shop. 1
would get up early so the owners wouldn’t see me.
I toted around a lot o f junk. D uring thatpenod, 1
was not allowed into restaurants, even when I
had money to pay fo r a hamburger. T a m so happy
that that's all behind me now. I ju st kept my old
shopping cart as a souvenir. I keep it in the closet
in my room.
Jam es: T h at m ust be good for your self- J
esteem . At 52, I’m starting to think th a t I’m
too old to still be, sleeping outside. W hat is
S treet Roots’ contribution in changing peoples’
J a n ie s : I understand. It’s hard to feel left out,
to be shunned by so c ie ty ... It’s really hard and
it can lead to depression. Especially w hen you
feel like a parasite, w hen people look at you as
if you w eren’t a hum an being.
perception of hom elessness?
John: We are our paper's ambassadors. We give
off a positive image that helps to change the way
people look a t us. Street Roots helps us deal with
our problems with drugs and addiction. The
Street Roots community a n d the homeless are a
good community. There is a lot o f hospitality and
support. There is a lot o f solidarity. The S R team
and the vendors are like a big family. It's really
John: You know, it feels good to be clean, to be
great!
risk of
becoming
homeless?
or at
S W S H < R I D A'N
Transition
Projects
TOM M A Y . ALEXA W E }# J A S P A R LEPAK? MATT MElGHAN
DOUG SM ITH. RICHARD,CQLOMBO. LAURIE UNN
Please call 855.425.5544
or visit 650 NW Irving Street
p e o <TiooD
p le ’s
v
co - op
™
S ’MARKET
WEDNESDAYS 2-7PM
IB
At Health Share, we
believe good health is ;
more than what happens ’
inside your doctor’s office.^
Good health s ta rtsjn y o u r
community and includes ■
staying active:, eating
healthy food and getting ;
regular check-ups.
Share your healthy habits
With family and friends. We
can all have better health
when we share it together.
UP TO $10 MATCH WITH EBT CARD
We’re passionate about helping our community
access healthy food that they can trust. By shopping
at our market, you’ll get extra food dollars while
supporting local farmers and community.
3029 SE 21st Ave. btwn Powell & Division
Better health
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