Mother, grandmother, Street Roots vendor, Portlander, volunteer, Oregon travel promoter – those are some of the many hats Sharon wears each day. And each is a meaningful part of her identity.
“I love it here in Portland,” she said. “I was born and raised in Portland, and I lived in Southeast Portland for most of my life. I went to Marshall High School.”
She first learned about Street Roots a few years ago, and since October, she’s been a steady vendor at the Walgreens in the Sunnyside/Belmont neighborhood.
“I love it there — the people who work at Walgreens are so wonderful,” she said. “They watch after me and make sure I’m safe, and the customers are really awesome.”
Sharon likes having the extra money to fund her modest travel. Recently, she used money she earned from selling Street Roots for a special trip to the Columbia River Gorge with her daughter, and she is currently saving money to travel to see the Redwoods. Experiences are important to Sharon.
“We took advantage of the weather and went to the gorge,” she said. “We saw Multnomah Falls, Starvation Creek and Bonneville Dam and the fish hatchery. We then went to Stevenson, crossing over into Washington and back into Oregon.”
She also loves camping, particularly the trips she took to Detroit Lake with her son.
Even more important than experiencing Oregon’s scenery, however, is sharing it with her three children and one granddaughter who live in Oregon (the others live in Oklahoma). They are a tightknit and resourceful bunch.
Sharon lives in HomeForward housing in Southeast Portland, and her family is a tremendous help. She is also grateful to have another caregiver who she says is incredible.
“My oldest daughter is a wonderful help to me — she helps me with showering and making my bed,” she said. “My son works and helps out with grocery shopping, and my youngest comes on Saturdays to help me.”
Sharon credits her strong relationship with her children in part to her parenting approach and being a good communicator.
“Communication was so important in my family,” Sharon said. “I showed them and told them I loved them, and they turned out just wonderful. It is so wonderful to have my children around me — I love it.”
Since joining Street Roots, her notion of family has expanded to include the many vendors, volunteers and staff at Street Roots.
“Street Roots has become kind of like a family — I love it here,” she said. “They gave me a job, even though I’m disabled and can’t stand. Street Roots really works with me. And today I volunteered to serve coffee.”
Sharon can be found selling Street Roots on Walgreens at Southeast Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard and Belmont Street, and at the Street Roots office volunteering and serving coffee. If you can’t find Sharon when she’s out selling, but still want to help her see those California redwoods, you can support her travels through @StreetRoots Venmo by entering her name and badge number (480) in the notes.
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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