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.