Tony has been a vendor since 2013 and he's invested in the community he's built
Tony Boone has been a Street Roots vendor since 2013. Over the years, he’s become a fixture at New Seasons on Southeast Hawthorne Blvd., where he sells the paper most mornings with his dog, Sinatra.
In fact, many of his customers have been buying Street Roots from him for years. Whenever they need the latest edition of Street Roots, they know where to find him.
“I have a community here,” Tony said.
Tony has lived in Portland on and off since 1995. He was born in Albany, Oregon and raised in towns across the country; his dad was in the Marines and Tony’s family moved often when he was a kid. After settling down in Appleton, Wisconsin in his 20s, Tony hit a rough patch in his life, and he spent some time in prison. After he got out, he decided to make a change. He returned to the West Coast and hitchhiked between San Diego and Eugene before moving to Portland.
He worked as a subcontractor in Portland for a few years, but he lost a lot of work due to mobility issues after he blew his knee out playing basketball. Shortly after, he was living on the streets.
Not knowing what to do, he tried panhandling. A friend recommended he sell Street Roots instead. The rest is history.
“I’ve been selling Street Roots since,” Tony said.
These days, Tony is focused on building community. He lives in his Chevy van in Southeast Portland near Belmont Street, and he’s gotten to know a lot of people in the neighborhood. He enjoys keeping busy and helping others. He journals daily to straighten out his thoughts.
He’s been helping out at the Portland Street Art Alliance, a nonprofit that provides access to resources, networking platforms and professional development opportunities for Pacific Northwest street artists.
He helps locate and prepare spots around town for murals, raise money to hire muralists and pitch ideas for local street art. A mural he helped out with was just finished at the Belmont Market on Southeast 34th Avenue and Belmont Street, and now he’s working to get another at the Tao of Tea across the street.
The Tao of Tea mural has a message: “House keys, not handcuffs.”
“They're calling it the 'Leroy mural,' Tony said. “It’s dedicated to my friend Leroy, who I lived on the streets with for five years. He died a couple of years ago. The first mural I ever helped put up was of him.”
Tony has lived in his van for a long time, and he’s worked hard to make it a home. He has a bed, a stove and heat, and he's grown accustomed to living in a small space. One day, he hopes to find a bigger van — a bus, even — where he can install a kitchen and a shower. But he’s happy with his circumstances for now.
“Seeing other people experiencing houselessness who struggle with addiction and mental health issues is hard,” Tony said.
He suggests that people struggling look into becoming Street Roots vendors like himself.
“Treat it like a job and you’ll get by,” he said. “Consistency is the main thing. Just try to show up every day at the same time, and try to stay there as long as you can. You’ll always get enough. It might not always be what you want, but it’s enough.”
Tony is grateful for Street Roots and for his many loyal customers.
“To all Street Roots readers: Thank you for your support,” he said.
You can find Tony and Sinatra selling Street Roots at 4034 SE Hawthorne Blvd. most days from 7 a.m. until noon. Stop by and ask him about his work with Portland Street Art Alliance and share your own mural idea. If you don’t catch Tony at his sales post or preparing walls for new art, you can support him via @StreetRoots Venmo by entering his name and badge number (508) in the comments.
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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