Marcus Ruby was born in Davenport, Iowa, where he lived for 22 years before moving to Tennessee. He moved to Portland in 2012 and has been living here ever since.
“I was on the streets from then up until about a year ago. When I first moved out here, I didn’t have a care in the world. I got caught up in the world of drugs and it just wasn’t good,” Marcus said.
Marcus has been able to maintain sobriety since he moved into his new place. He believes it is because he can stay away from the drugs on the streets.
“It is just so hard to stay away from it out there. There are days when I’m so stressed, and I just want to break down, and give up all my sobriety,” Marcus said.
He lives with his partner, Becca, in a single room occupancy. They have their ups and downs, but they hold each other accountable, and that really helps.
Last year, Marcus came to Street Roots for orientation to become a vendor. Not long after, he put in an application to become a Street Roots Ambassador, and he got the position almost right away.
“It is a great program; it has helped me move further along in my life,” Marcus said.
The Ambassador Program accepts vendors who are willing to build on their strengths to create income opportunities.
Marcus talked about how he recently broke down and spent all of his money on a toaster oven so he could bake some food to eat in his and Becca’s room. They don’t have a kitchen in their single room occupancy.
“I was just so sick of eating fried food, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I was able to buy myself some salmon to bake, and that was so good,” Marcus said.
He hopes that one day soon he and Becca will find a bigger apartment with more storage, a place to put a small TV to watch movies and a kitchenette.
To save up for a bigger apartment, Marcus picks up shifts at Ground Score, a program that gives people fair-wage jobs to collect recyclables and trash off the streets. Ground Score treats him really well. Barbie, the program’s co-founder, understands Marcus’ needs and helps him when she can.
“She gives me leeway when I need it. I once told her I couldn’t make it in for my shift, and she just understood, and she let me come back the next day.”
Marcus says having flexibility with work is essential, especially because he has a particularly hard time sleeping at night due to a back injury he sustained this past October.
Marcus says that he is healing slowly but surely. He hopes to heal sooner rather than later, so he can start riding his bicycle again.
“I love to ride bikes, and I am in the process of putting one together right now. I’m so looking forward to riding again,” Marcus said.
Determination, compassion and his hopes for the future propel Marcus forward. He is a lighthearted person, who laughs often and is incredibly polite. He looks forward to the day when he can have his own kitchen again.
You can buy newspapers from Marcus at his post at Starbucks on Northwest 23rd Street.
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