Jared Coffey shares his stories of hope and healing with his customers
Jared Coffey has only been a Street Roots vendor for about a year, but he is a lifelong storyteller, standup comic and YouTube personality. He likes to be called “Coffey” or “Dirty Hippie Freak” which is also his social media personality and stage name.
While he frequently draws people in with his humor, it’s his insight into a wide range of topics that gets people to stay. He talks passionately about houselessness policy, wealth inequality, psilocybin use for mental illness, addiction services, ghost guns, geopolitics, music, feminism, travel and especially love.
Often he combines multiple topics, finding connections in unexpected ways, and “love” features prominently — especially phileo love, or the concept of brotherly love. Paraphrasing “King’s X,” an American band, he said that it’s love that holds it all together.
“All I really want is the love of my brothers and sisters,” Coffey said.
With a background in sales, including several years at a Radio Shack in Berkeley, California, he also worked for an internet service provider and was an early adopter of the internet. Originally from Central California, Coffey spent several years in the Bay Area before making his way to the Portland area and first connecting with Street Roots in 2017.
Approaching 60 years old and with an innate curiosity about the world and people around him, Coffey’s easy demeanor draws people into conversation. He is a talented storyteller, and his customers can be gifted with his stories of healing, hope and faith. A street performer, Coffey plays music and writes both original comedy and political parody, and also writes about more serious topics.
One such song which gained Coffey notoriety performing at Sacramento’s Music Circus is called “For What It’s Worth 2016.” Coffey describes the piece as “a 60’s song with ambiguities filled in with events of the last decade — as prophecy, tongue-in-cheek.”
What the song could not predict is the acute hardship and devastation of the past couple years. The pandemic has been a challenge, but he noted hardships from the pandemic are not unique to him and have created a universal experience across the entire population.
“The pandemic has been bad for everyone,” Coffey said.
Homeless for several years, Coffey just celebrated one year of being housed. He isn’t the first to laud the importance of a housing-first policy.
“If people have housing, they can shower and wear clean clothes and interview for a job,” he said. “If we make it so the homeless have hope, then the fear of becoming homeless is not as great.”
Selling Street Roots is a natural fit for Coffey, and he loves his customers. He greets people right when they come up to him, and he’s grateful for the interactions he has with his customers.
“I have some of the best customers on earth,” he said.
He also has a perfect spot for his sales — right outside the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts in Beaverton (12625 SW Crescent St.), and if you don’t catch Coffey outside on a show night, he can also be supported via @StreetRoots Venmo by entering his name and badge number (643) 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 making a one-time or recurring gift today
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