Living on the streets day to day can be rigorous, tough or just an all-out fight for survival. Unfortunately, unhoused people succumbing to those conditions are far too common. At Street Roots, we honor each vendor who has passed away with a memorial for their courageous fight and impact they left during their life on Earth.
The process of honoring one’s life can bring about a wave of thoughts, emotions and actions. Often, staff at Street Roots are made aware of the passing of a vendor from a fellow vendor. Because of the tight-knit and familial relationship unhoused people have, they are often some of the first to discover the passing of their friends on the streets, sometimes even before the biological families of the deceased are made aware.
Once staff confirms the death of a vendor, we let the team know, usually at our Friday vendor meetings. Friday vendor meetings are integral to the organization because it is often when the largest concentration of vendors are in the office at a time to discuss upcoming vendor events and what is in the newest edition of the newspaper, which is released just minutes after the meeting. When the announcement of a deceased vendor is made, tears flow, and people begin to reflect on the life of their deceased loved one. They then become eager to know when we will celebrate the life of that particular vendor at the Street Roots office.
“It’s a loss,” said vendor Kerry Anderson. “Some of us have been friends since before we started working at Street Roots. I think about my close friend Andy (a deceased vendor) who sold on the corner of 10th and Jefferson. I sell there now, and his old customers that don’t know that he passed will often ask about him. His old customers that do know that he passed will tell me about old memories of him being their vendor. He was a good ambassador for Street Roots so it’s only right that he be honored by the organization.”
Memorials at Street Roots can also be an eye-opener for the biological families of the deceased vendors. If staff are able to reach the families, we extend an invitation to come honor and celebrate the life of their relative with Street Roots. They hear stories, share food and ultimately gain knowledge and understanding of the love and impact that their relative had. Sometimes they hear these things for the very first time.
“We need these memorials here for closure,” said longtime vendor Mark Rodriguez, who’s attended many memorials in the office. “I didn’t truly understand what closure meant for a long time. You can make your peace about the passing of a dear friend. You can also have a place to show feelings for a friend that passed. People need the closure whether they realize it or not, because later they don’t want to have to say, ‘Oh I wish I would’ve honored their life when I had the chance.’”
Street Roots is an award-winning, nonprofit, weekly newspaper focusing on economic, environmental and social justice issues. Our newspaper is sold in Portland, Oregon, by people experiencing homelessness and/or extreme poverty as means of earning an income with dignity. Learn more about Street Roots. Support your community newspaper by making a one-time or recurring gift today.
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