Street Roots • Dec. 28, 2018-Jan 3, 2019
Community
“My podcast just got picked up by a
network here in Portland,” he said.
Pouncey also expanded his media
interests and began freelancing for Street
Roots in early 2018. His first cover story
was an interview with former NBA star
Eton Thomas on the intersection between
athletes and politics.
Joining the staff as the vendor program
coordinator is “a perfect match,” Pouncey
said.
“I could be in a newsroom and also work
with the social skills I have experience
with,” he said.
Since going weekly at the start of 2015,
Street Roots’ vendor team has doubled, with
approximately 160 regular weekly vendors
selling the paper. Pouncey’s position marks
the first full-time expansion to vendor staff -
bringing the number to two. The Street
Roots vendor office is open 365 days a year.
So, what’s it like, working at Street
Roots?
“It has exceeded my expectations on a lot
of levels,” Pouncey said. “Getting to know
the vendors I think has been one of the
most joyous parts of working here. It’s been
crazy, just kind of seeing the family-type
atmosphere that’s here at Street Roots, that
definitely caught me by surprise.
“I’ve never really been around a homeless
community,” he continued. “I expected it to
be everyone in it for themselves because
they are living a tough life out on the
streets. I came into it thinking I would be
dealing with individuals case by case,
survival of the fittest in a dog-eat-dog type of
environment, hut it’s really not like that at
all.
“A lot of these vendors are family. They
told him to do something he wanted to do.
stay in these communities together, just like
“I knew I liked to talk and communicate
any type of family. The family atmosphere
with people, so I ended up majoring in
just blew me away. There are people trying
general media.”
to survive in what can be a harsh
Pouncey soon became involved with the
environment, but here it is more loving and
campus radio station and started a Sunday
caring and compassionate, even with the
hip hop show called “Vibin’ with Pounce.”
turmoil they go through day to day. People
As graduation neared, Pouncey needed an will literally give you the shirt off their
internship to complete his requirements,
back.”
and he landed a coveted position with John
But there are hard parts of the job, too,
Canzano, lead sports columnist for The
Pouncey said.
Oregonian and one of the most prominent
“This is a place where (people) feel safe,
sports media personalities in the nation.
but the reality is they are dealing with
“Canzano and I ended up being very close
traumatizing situations out there, and
that summer,” he said. Pouncey completed
sometimes they bring that into the vendor
his Bachelor of Arts in General Media and
space.” Pouncey said. “It’s not intentional,
walked the stage to receive his diploma in
but it’s the reality. Usually you can have a
May of 2017. A week later, Canzano helped
fun and vibrant relationship with them, but
set him up as a cohost on a local sports
sometimes they’ve been dealing with
radio show.
something super traumatizing outside of the
As he worked to complete his degree,
space. So it’s definitely tough to try and
Pouncey was increasingly drawn towards
balance when it’s time to laugh and smile,
another of his life’s passion - social work.
and when it’s time to try to emotionally
He starting working at The Albertina Kerr
connect with these vendors who are dealing
Center as a life enrichment specialist The
with something I don’t have a clue about.”
Albertina Kerr Center is a celebrated
It’s also been a particularly challenging
Oregon nonprofit organization that provides
year for the vendor team, with the deaths of
services for children, adults and families
numerous vendors from many causes.
with mental health challenges and
“Since I’ve been here there’s been a lot
developmental disabilities. DeVon was
of deaths. I got acclimated to that real
assigned to a residential group home for
quick. Most people don’t have to do that in
teenage boys. “I still work there,” he said. “I their job. That part is definitely hard too,
make sure they are fed and taken care of,
knowing this community just lost one of
they need to be watched 24 hours a day.”
their soldiers, their friend, their family they
In March 2017, Pouncey launched a
see day to day. It comes with the territory.
podcast called “Wake Up and Win with
“This job has grown to be more than I
DeVon Pouncey.”
could have ever imagined. It has enhanced
“I am still doing it to this day,” he said.
everything about my life, my interactions
“The podcast focuses on the
with people, my care for people. It’s crazy
intersectionality of sports, politics and
how much I refer to things I see and learn
urban and pop culture,” he said.
and deal with here at Street Roots.”
DeVon Pouncey
Street Roots’ new vendor program coordinator
emphasizes communication in challenging role
BY HELEN HILL
S T A F F W R IT E R
here is anticipation in the early
morning air. Vendors gather on the
sidewalk, looking up and down Davis
Street for the delivery truck that will bring
the latest edition of Street Roots. Inside, old
and new friends unload their bundles and
catch up around the tables while pot after
pot of coffee streams through the well-worn
machine.
Another Friday morning is in full swing in
the Street Roots’ vendor office.
DeVon Pouncey helps hold down the front
desk, greeting each vendor by name with a
heartfelt smile and a booming voice. Since
his arrival in July, there’s a different vibe
around the vendor office, the music, for
starters. Pouncey doubles as a DJ on the
weekends, and he has a wealth of excellent
music at his fingertips. He is related, on his
mother’s side, to the Family Stone of Sly
and the Family Stone fame, a pivotal funk,
soul and rock band from the 1970’s.
DeVon was born in Berkeley, Calif., and
grew up in the Bay area. He was a three-
sport athlete, playing baseball, football and
basketball. “Growing up I had the privilege
of traveling all over the country playing
high-level sports. I narrowed it down in high
school to basketball, I just love the game.”
After high school, Pouncey attended
Diablo Valley Junior College in Concord,
Calif., and then transferred to Pacific
University in Forest Grove to play
basketball. It was there he honed in on the
intersecting passions that led him straight
to Street Roots: activism, media and social
service.
It was the advice of a college academic
advisor who put him on the right track and
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