Welcome to Street Roots’ 2014-15 annual report. What an amazing and historic year.
In January, after three years of planning and community support, Street Roots doubled its publication schedule to weekly.
By going weekly we have been able to give vendors a more stable income, week in and week out. Newspaper sales have increased 60 percent. That’s amazing. With 15,000 readers around the region, that means giving vendors a real hand up.
Being a weekly publication also allows Street Roots to be timely in the news department, offering the same quality journalism and voices from the community that readers have come to expect from the newspaper.
There’s something powerful about being able to support individuals and families who endure the hard realities of poverty while overcoming their circumstances collectively to improve their quality of life. Readers play a critical role in both the success of Street Roots and the success of individual vendors selling the newspaper. By working together with local businesses, community members and others, we are able to witness both the power of love and the strength of the human spirit.
Since going weekly Street Roots has gone from 75 regular vendors to more than 125 vendors working with more than 70 local businesses throughout the region.
The simple act of purchasing a newspaper allows the community to come together across class lines and to hold a conversation in a safe space. The newspaper allows individuals and families to not only gain an income, it offers self-confidence and self-worth. It allows both the public and vendors to build authentic relationships that would otherwise not happen without Street Roots. We are grateful.
The newspaper
•Street Roots published 39 quality editions of the newspaper last year (July-June) highlighting an array of social-justice issues. (It will be 52 next year after a full year of the weekly cycle.)
• The newspaper highlighted more than 100 individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty.
• Street Roots has put a special focus on issues facing people of color in our community, including immigrants and refugees, the environment and the criminal justice system.
• The newspaper gave a voice to more than 40 social-justice organizations working on issues ranging from immigration and criminal justice reform, the environment, affordable housing and homelessness, marriage equality and equity.
The vendor program
• Street Roots provided a safe place for more than 450 people experiencing homelessness and poverty — including access to computers, a mailing address, hygiene items, socks, fresh water, coffee (Thanks, Stumptown!) and public restrooms.
• We created a vendor health fund to support vendors when they are sick or in an extreme crisis.
• Street Roots offered hospitality 365 days a year, rain or shine.
• Street Roots partnered with CareOregon and Central City Concern to sign up more than 90 percent of our vendors with health care.
• Street Roots partnered with JOIN, Northwest Pilot Project, Central City Concern and Transition Projects to facilitate housing for more than 40 individuals, while helping prevent homelessness for more than 100 people.
• Street Roots hosted a weekly Writer’s Group for people experiencing homelessness and poverty.
• Street Roots also hosted and partnered with Write Around Portland a writing workshop.
• Street Roots also hosted a vendor holiday party — serving more than 80 vendors a fresh holiday meal.
• Street Roots worked with individuals and institutions to provide monthly summer barbeques for vendors, tickets to Hops games, visits to the zoo, ice cream parties and marching in the Veteran’s Day and Pride parades.
• Partnering with Ride Connections — vendors received more than $7,000 worth of bus and MAX tickets.
Street Roots’ Rose City Resource
• Street Roots published 150,000 Rose City Resource guides distributed to more than 300 nonprofits, businesses, health care providers and government institutions. (See more on page 3 of the annual report.)
Advocacy
• Street Roots has put much of its energy in the past year into developing leadership and support for the Welcome Home Coalition. The coalition, starting with six organizations, now has more than 100 organizations joining forces to support creating additional revenue for affordable housing in our community. Street Roots is a founding member of the organization.
What’s next?
The focus of Street Roots this next year is strengthening the organization and maintaining weekly publication.
The organization is in the process of finishing a new, three-year strategic plan. The plan focuses on a range of goals to improve both the vendor and editorial programs — which includes expanding sales locations throughout the region and supporting vendors to increase their income.
Street Roots is currently working with Frank Creative, an award-winning marketing firm in Portland. The company also works with Friends of Trees. The organization and Frank Creative have been developing a marketing plan that we will be unveiling in 2016. The goal of the marketing plan will be to increase readership to support vendors. Frank Creative is donating both their time and expertise.
Saying all of that, going weekly was no small achievement. To many, going weekly felt like the ending to a long race, but in reality it was just the beginning. Being able to maintain a quality publication week-in and week-out is the upmost importance to Street Roots. Giving vendors and readers the best possibly publication and being able to provide quality news will remain our top priority.
We appreciate both your readership and love. #TuckABuck and support your neighborhood vendor each week. We promise you won’t be disappointed. Love.
Read the full Street Roots annual report here .
Read Managing Editor Joanne Zuhl's reflection here .
