For Andie Howard, a day vending for Street Roots is a whole lot more than selling papers. It’s a starting place, the first step to creating positive change in the community and in her own life as well.
“I’m very proud of Street Roots, and what it represents”, she says with her characteristic enthusiasm.
To Andie, what it represents is an honorable job for the vendors, a reliable and trustworthy news source for the public, and a bright future for her.
Over the past six months or so, Andie has been representing the paper, recently settling into a bustling spot downtown at Fourth Avenue and Washington Street. After her father passed away, Andie transitioned from her background in human services to fulfill a goal of working for a paper. After asking him what he envisioned for her when she grew up, he suggested she would make a good writer.
“I’m going to pursue this interest in his memory”, she says. She hopes this will mean taking writing classes and contributing to the paper, especially the sort of background stories of individuals featured in the Vendor Profiles, she says.
Andie sees the need for the invaluable information the paper provides, especially in this era of sensationalized reporting.
“I like that this has a focus on local issues that we ought to be aware of.”
Awareness of these issues can start a dialogue between readers and vendors, one that Andie sees as necessary for Portland. “This paper is really good to help people get back on their feet and give them inspiration and inspire the community. It’s a great vehicle,” she says.
Among many other passions, Andie is particularly interested in sharing the stories of veterans who are currently on the streets, being herself from a military family. She also stresses the importance of giving back, in whatever way works for people. For her, that means donating to churches that provide much-needed services to folks who lack stable housing. Extremely humble in all that she does, she sees her place with the paper as a great opportunity for change.
“My main goal is to overcome the stigma,” Andie says, that in her experience is often applied to Street Roots vendors. She points to a lot of common misconceptions people hold about vendors, and those who are homeless in general. “A lot of the public has the wrong idea” about the complex ways that may lead to homelessness, Andie says. “I see them as people who are trying to do something honorable and work, and they’re struggling.”
Between the realities of life for vendors and possible misunderstandings the public may have, Andie is determined to bring some understanding. “I want to help bridge that gap.”
