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Page 40
a r t in
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Advertise
with (Jversity
L u t h e r K in g J r .
January 13, 2010
sp ecia l edition
Poverty and Civil Rights
continued
from page 34
A t a b o u t a n y g iv e n tim e , S R
h as a b o u t 5 0 to 7 0 v e n d o rs, e x ­
^ P o rtla n d
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Israel B ay er, S tre e t R o o ts ’ d i­
p la in e d B ay e r, w h o ra n g e fro m
re c to r, said th at his o rg a n iz a tio n
p e o p le w h o ’ve lo n g b e en h o m e ­
lo o k s to M artin L u th e r K in g Jr. as
less to o th e rs w h o h a v e ju s t re ­
an e x a m p le o f h o w to e n g a g e
c e n tly e x p e rie n c e d a c risis a n d
p e o p le o n issu e s fa c in g th e in d i­
n e e d so m e in c o m e .
g e n t, a n d o fte n fra m e s p o v e rty in
T h e p a p e r sells fo r a d o lla r.
the s a m e m o ral te rm s as the civ il
V e n d o rs k e e p 7 5 p e rc e n t o f th e
rig h ts icon.
p ro fit, w h ic h th e y ty p ic a lly use to
“ I th in k th at a s an o rg a n iz a tio n
w e lo o k at h im as a m e n to r in the
w ay he liv e d his life,” said B ay er.
b u y fo o d , p a y m e d ic al b ills, o r g et
housing.
B a y e r e x p la in e d th at v e n d o rs
photo by J ake
T homas /T he P ortland O bserver
Street Roots Director Israel Bayer proudly displays a
copy of his paper in his Old Town office. He's been with
the paper since its inception 10 years ago.
d e v e lo p a m u c h -n e e d e d s e n se o f
r a n ts a g a in s t th e in ju s tic e o f
s e lf-w o rth fro m e a rn in g m o n e y .
h o m e le s s n e s s .
H e a lso sa id th a t th e p a p e r h e lp s
B u t o v e r th e y e a rs, S R h a s
d e e p e n th e g e n e ra l p u b lic ’s u n ­
ste a d ily p ro fe s s io n a liz e d its c o n ­
d e rs ta n d in g o f h o m e le ssn e ss.
ten t. A n O re g o n ia n p a g e d e s ig n e r
M an y ven d o rs establish a co n sis­
v o lu n te e re d to h e lp w ith la y o u t. It
tent spot to sell the paper, often near
a lso sc ra p p e d to g e th e r th e m o n e y
a gro cery store o r a b u sy street
to h ire a n e d ito r a n d re p o rte rs,
com er. T h e ir reg u lar presence helps
w h o p ic k e d u p a c o u p le o f a w a rd s
th em d ev elo p a rapport w ith repeat
fro m O re g o n ’s S o c ie ty o f P ro fe s ­
custom ers, w hich B ay er said helps
sio n al J o u rn a lis ts la st y ear.
p eople understand that the ho m eless
a re n ’t ju s t “b u m s,” bu t real people
w ith their o w n stories.
It takes one mind
to have a dream,
and many hands to shape it.
It has been nearly 50 years since M a rtin Luth e r King Jr. shared his
vision fo r a g e n tle r, m ore h arm o n io u s w o rld . Today, his w ord s
c o n tin u e to inspire us all.
A t Providence, w e 're p ro u d to be p a rt o f o u r P ortland co m m un ities,
as a caregiver and an em ployer. We believe every life touches all
those a ro u n d it. A n d th e best w ay to fu lfill a dream is to share it
fo r a life tim e .
«4- P“ ^ ''ID E N C E
www.providence.org/oregon
Health & Services
“ I a lw a y s k n e w th e p o te n tia l
w a s th e re ,” s a id B ay er.
T h e p a p e r h a s k e p t a ste a d y
“ O u r g o a l is to c h a n g e th e w a y
fo c u s o n issu e s fa c in g th e in d i­
p e o p le th in k a b o u t h o m e le ssn e ss,”
g e n t, b u t h a s b ro a d e n e d its c o v e r­
s a id B ay er.
a g e a n d p a rtn e re d w ith o th e r stre et
L e o R h o d e s, a h o m e le ss m a n
w h o sells th e p a p e r o u ts id e T ra d e r
p a p e rs to b rin g re a d e rs n a tio n a l
a n d in te rn a tio n a l n e w s.
J o e ’s in th e H o lly w o o d D istric t
“ A s sm all a s w e are a n d as
a n d s e rv e s o n S R ’s b o a rd , said
s c ra p p y a s w e a re , w e w o rk ; an d
th a t he h a s re p e a t c u s to m e rs w h o
w e g e t b e tte r e v e ry y e a r,” said
tell h im th a t th e c o n te n t o f th e
J o a n n e Z u h l, th e p a p e r’s m a n a g ­
p a p e r, w h ic h h a s a h e a v y fo c u s o n
ing ed ito r.
p o v e rty , a n d th e ir in te ra c tio n w ith
T h e p a p e r h a d p la n s to g o fro m
h im h a v e c h a n g e d h o w th e y p e r­
p u b lis h in g e v e ry o th e r w e e k to
c e iv e h o m e le ssn e ss.
e v e ry w e e k , b u t s te p p e d b a c k
‘ ‘A m an ’ s g o t to w ork,’ ’ he added,
a fte r th e re c e s sio n hit. S R d o e s,
d escribing ho w the p ap er has given
h o w e v e r, in te n d to set u p a p a p e r
him a m u ch -n eed ed incom e.
d istrib u tio n site in e a s t P o rtla n d
B ay e r, w h o h a ils fro m w h a t h e
d e s c rib e s a s a “ v e ry b lu e c o lla r”
d u e to th e g ro w in g c o n c e n tra tio n
o f p o v e rty in th e re g io n .
b a c k g ro u n d in s o u th e rn Illin o is,
B u t th e fa c t th a t it’s h e ld ste a d y ,
w a s w a n d e rin g a im le ss ly a c ro ss
a n d w a s p o is e d to g ro w , is re ­
th e c o u n try in th e 1990s b e fo re
m a rk a b le fo r a lm o s t an y m e d ia
e n d in g u p in P o rtla n d , w h e re h e
o u tle t, w h ic h Z u h l a ttrib u te s to its
g o t in v o lv e d w ith S R ju s t a s it w a s
u n iq u e m issio n .
g e ttin g started .
“ W e ’re n o t g ro w in g fo r th e
A t th e tim e , it w a s a sc ra g g ly
sa k e o f g ro w th . W e ’re lo o k in g
a n d th in p u b lic a tio n , full o f p o e m s
a h e a d at w h a t th e n e e d s a re fo r
fro m p e o p le o n th e s tre e t a n d
th e p e o p le o n th e stre e t,” sh e said .