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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 8, 2017)
Street Roots • Dec 8-14, 2017 Page 3 O p in io n Given the chance, people will do the right thing t’s about that time. My days at Street Roots are winding down. Next week, I will be writing a reflective piece of my experience at Street Roots and a snapshot of homelessness today. Saying that, this will be my last Director’s Desk. The new executive director, Kaia Sand, will be taking the ERECT©] reins starting next D ESK week. Most of my adult life By Israel Bayer has lived on these pages, working to defend the rights of people experiencing homelessness and being a part of an amazing team helping make Street Roots what it is today. I’ve described Street Roots many times as a small train carrying a heavy load. That hasn’t changed. I’m proud that Street Roots has nestled itself into the local media landscape while working to change the face of people on the streets. We couldn’t do it without the support of readers and supporters like you. For long-time readers, you’ve watched us grow from a scrappy monthly publication to an award winning weekly publication over the past 18 years. Today, we continue to deliver a range of critical dialogue and reporting on social justice issues facing the larger community. That won’t change. In a time when our country appears to be lost at sea, our community divided over the issu e of h o m e le s s n e s s — S tre e t R oots helps bridge the gaps between the general public and the homeless population. After all, people experiencing homelessness are our neighbors. They are mothers and sisters, fathers and brothers, sons and daughters. They are human beings that simply don’t have a safe place to call home. Street Roots means not only giving people dignity and hope, but becoming engaged with people in an intentional way that changes people’s perspectives and offers people a meaningful way to give back. I believe that given the chance that most people, regardless of their experiences want to do the right thing. I believe Street Roots is an I Israel Bayer is the executive director o f Street Roots. You can reach him a t israel@streetroots. org or follow h im on Twitter @israelbayer. example of this. Your support of vendors is real. It’s tangible. It’s right in front of you. It’s beautiful. Everyone at Street Roots works so hard to deliver the newspaper week-in and week-out. One of the things we are most proud of is that the Street Roots office have been open to vendors and people on the streets 365 days a year for 18 years! That’s 6,570 days. Given the small team we have, that’s an amazing accomplishment. We haven’t missed a beat. It’s a testament to how much we all care, not only about giving people a hand up, but to also be able to provide a space for readers to understand the issue of poverty at a very deep level. In celebration of this accomplishment, I’m asking readers to do a few things. One, stop by and thank your neighborhood vendor for the work that they do. Rain or shine, vendors are working hard to improve their lives. Two, start drinking Street Roast. If you haven’t heard, Marigold Coffee launched a new coffee line in Portland. Every bag sold goes to support the mission of Street Roots. Street Roast is available in New Seasons stores throughout Portland. Lastly, regular readers know I’m not shy about asking for money. It will be the last thing I ask of you after spending most of my adult life dedicated to Street Roots and the street paper movement. I believe in this organization with every once of my being. I believe in the vendors, I believe in the readers. I believe in the idea that no matter where you come from or where you’re going, we all have something to offer. Please take the time to make a small or large donation to support Street Roots. You can make a recurring donation at streetroots.org or a one-time donation at the Willamette Week GivelGuide at giveguide.org. Thank you, readers, for a great ride. Keep the faith. No matter how hard the winds blow, we are stronger together. Thanks for believing in Street Roots. I believe in you. Hours: 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat. and 7:30-1 p.m. Sun. Prado, Jared Paben, Amanda Waldroupe, Stephen Quirke, Helen Hill Photographers Diego Diaz, Arkady Brown Canvasser Desmond Hardison Board of Directors Chairman Brad Taylor Vice-Chairman Rachel Langford Treasurer Heather Stadick Secretary Dan Jones Directors Michael Anderson, Sandra Hahn, John Brown, Nels Johnson and Alison Hallett Volunteers Jan Bayer, John Barker, Stacey Heath, Anjali Rathore, Zoe Kiingmann, Dan Jones, Dennis Hogan, Monica McKune, Susan Wolfe, Lucas Hawthorne, Thomas Buell Jr., Jason Cohen, Doug Spangle, Susannah Kamala, Jon Raymond, Diana Richardson, Paul and Madeline Gefroh, Mary Anne Joyce, Del Shawn Davidson, Gillian Floren, Mark Oldani, Bianca Butler, Alex Cherin, Jenny Farres, Evan Firsick, Camber Hansen-Karr, Miranda Woods, Henry Brannan, Megan Smith, Luke Scheuermann, Helen Hill, Lily Krai, Mary Emerson, Brooke Anderson, Kathleen McFall, Robb Hengerer, Bronwyn Miles, Maile Yeats- Rowe, Erin Parsons, Bridget Brown and Megan Pickerel-Winer. If you're interested in volunteering with Street Roots, please submit a volunteer application at streetroots.org/volunteer. Or you can call for more information at 503-228-5657.
