Mike has been with Street Roots for 20 years, most recently as part of the Action Team
Like an old family member, Mike Dusek can remember Street Roots origins, 20 years ago, when the office was in the Danmoore Hotel. The residential hotel at Southwest 14th Avenue and Washington Street is now a park with an underground parking lot. Mike was in a clean and sober program at the Danmoore when he discovered Street Roots.
“When I wasn’t in groups,” he said, “I’d try to squeeze in some kind of income. Back then, I was selling in front of Powell’s bookstore. That was such a great post for sales of Street Roots.”
Twenty years later, Mike is just finishing up his role with the Street Roots Coronavirus Prevention and Action Team.
“I loved that job!” he said. “It was a big challenge.”
His assignment was staffing the Street Roots office's front counter. Here, Mike worked to make sure everybody followed the rules on social distancing and wearing masks; kept the coffee brewing and the office area safe and sanitized; distributed vendor mail; and managed flow. “I miss doing it,” he said.
Reflecting on Street Roots’ growth over the years, Mike said that he hoped “we can keep moving forward” and get other outreach programs, similar to the Action Team, in place.
Mike has a generous and positive spirit, a spirit that isn’t vanquished by his own struggles, though he has found it difficult to secure employment. And without secure employment, it’s difficult to secure housing.
“I don’t know where I’m heading as far as housing,” he said. He’s been moving around a lot since COVID-19. Recently, he was exposed to a person who tested positive, so he spent the past week in quarantine at a hotel. But at the end of his quarantine, “they dumped me at the Convention Center.” When asked about the conditions at the Convention Center, Mike said, “I’m not a fan. It’s really crowded. There’s no form of any kind of privacy.”
And the future is uncertain: His stay at the Convention Center was scheduled to end Oct. 31.
But he’s holding onto hope: “I’m really hopeful for a chance to get a decent paying job to help me get back on my feet,” Mike said, “and I’m really hopeful for housing!”
Asked if he has any favorite customer stories, Mike drew one from a pre-COVID time when he sold papers at Portland State University. Mike was particularly proud of a Street Roots profile of Valerie Cleary, the athletics director at Portland State University, written by DeVon Pouncey. Mike shared her story often with his customers. One day, a woman approached Mike, bought a paper and got into a friendly conversation during which she said, “Oh, by the way, I’m that sports director you’ve been telling folks about. DeVon told me to keep an eye out for you.”
“We ended up becoming friends,” Mike said. “She told me that I was her new paper guy. She told me she liked the way I was promoting her story.”
These days you can find Mike selling Street Roots in front of New Seasons at 6400 N Interstate Ave. “I love that spot,” he said with his characteristic positive attitude. Drop by and say hello.
Street Roots is an award-winning weekly publication focusing on economic, environmental and social justice issues. The newspaper is sold in Portland, Oregon, by people experiencing homelessness and/or extreme poverty as means of earning an income with dignity. Street Roots newspaper operates independently of Street Roots advocacy and is a part of the Street Roots organization. Learn more about Street Roots. Support your community newspaper by making a one-time or recurring gift today.
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