Dorothy plans to continue school as she pursues her dream of opening a business
Dorothy Pepper was addressing thank-you letters to donors at the Street Roots office before her interview for this profile. She has been a Street Roots vendor for just over a year and has been involved with its Coronavirus Action Team, passing out winter gear and taking surveys to record the opinions of unhoused people.
“I have met some of the most compassionate, understanding and loving people here,” Dorothy said. “Street Roots takes the time to treat me like a human being.”
And Dorothy walks the walk by paying that kindness forward in her work and life. Before finding Street Roots, Dorothy was a member of the C3PO Queer Affinity Camp in Portland. She said it was the most gratifying and beautiful experience of her life.
She met someone there she connected with so deeply and who she describes as one of her best friends. Dorothy leaned back and smiled as she said, “They just make me so happy. I am so grateful to have met them and that they are in my life.”
Her favorite story is from the Bible, “The Book of Esther.”
“I love this story because it is an example of the legacy that Esther left,” she said.
Esther was an orphan cared for by her uncle; she was beautiful, gracious and kind, and she reached a safe station in life. She and her people had been forced out of their homes and coerced into relocating to a new community in a new place where they were outsiders. Esther was encouraged to hide parts of her identity from others in fear of not being accepted by her new community. That was until the day came when her people were in grave danger, and she had no choice but to reveal her true self to her new community. In doing so, Esther bravely saved her people from very clear and immediate danger.
“That is what I tried to do at the camp,” Dorothy said. “I’m a fighter, just like Esther, and I know the role that I play in protecting my people.”
Dorothy has about two years of college classes under her belt, and she’s looking forward to starting back at school again this spring. She would like to pursue her associate degree while focusing her studies on business management.
“I know it’s just a piece of paper, but when I finish my degree, it will really mean something to me,” she said. “It will show everyone how hardworking I am.”
One day, Dorothy would like to open up a coffee shop and name it Adam’s House of Coffee after her brother, who died from health complications. She took her first step in becoming a business owner by printing out the Oregon Business License information, which she keeps in a special folder.
A kind gentleman at Rose Haven helped her find the information online. With a smile on her face and tears in her eyes, she said, “I just have so much gratitude for all that the Portland community has given me.”
In her free time, Dorothy writes poetry and creates collages. She is dedicated to her schoolwork and her job with Street Roots. She glanced down at her freshly painted nails with a smile and said, “I look at the little things, like the snow falling, and I think of how grateful I am to be here.”
The snow reminds Dorothy of her brother.
“Adam is my angel, and he gives me strength,” she said. “I call on him, along with God, to give me faith. I have the both of them to rely on to carry me through difficult times like these.”
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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