News
Psychotic city: Combination of meth plus mental illness plays out on Portland streets
Walking through downtown Portland, it’s not unusual to cross paths with some poor soul yelling obscenities into the air while erratically darting among pedestrians. On the sidewalk outside the Street Roots editorial office in Old Town, the tenor of neighborhood inhabitants speaking to unseen others often varies between incoherent ramblings and highly aggressive shouting throughout…
Street Roots 2018 annual report
PDF: Read Street Roots' full 2018 annual report WELCOME to the Street Roots 2018 annual report. I am honored to have completed my inaugural year as executive director of an organization valued by people across our region. More than 700 people struggling with homelessness and poverty earned an income selling Street Roots this past year.…
Culture
For David Schwimmer, new film brings deeper empathy, understanding of homeless crisis
“I had a friend who was homeless for two years, living on Skid Row in Los Angeles. He kept it a secret from us, his close friends. We had no idea. And that is one of the most dangerous places in the U.S.” This is David Schwimmer. The 52-year-old is world-famous for his role as…
Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor profile: Building stability over the years
The steady presence of a gentle soul is a valuable treasure in the Street Roots vendor office. Jason Scheer is just such a soul. Jason is the first to volunteer if there’s a job that needs doing, such as helping carry heavy supplies to the basement or mopping a dirty floor. “When I first started…
Opinion
Director’s Desk: Courage comes in many forms – just like our vendors
The rain was coming down hard, but still vendors sold Street Roots, draped in ponchos, gripping umbrellas, their newspapers and zines protected in plastic sleeves. It seemed fitting to mark the one-year anniversary since I became executive director by visiting vendors at their sales posts; last year on my first day on the job, I…
