Craig enjoys interacting with his customers and encounters with people as he sells the newspaper
Craig Preston’s Street Roots origin story is similar to many vendors. Out of work as a car salesman, he walked the streets downtown, came upon a man selling Street Roots, and asked how he could get a job like that. Once Craig walked into the Street Roots office he was sold, “It was so inviting,” he said. “Really nice people invited me in, served me fresh coffee, and told me about the vendor program.”
That was December 1, 2006. “I’ve been with Street Roots for sixteen years,” Craig said. “Street Roots has always been a great place for me. I love selling the paper. It’s so fun to interact with people on the street; my customers make me happy. And Street Roots is a great product. I’m happy to sell it.”
Craig also works as an Ambassador for Street Roots, joining a team each week to provide support, bringing information and supplies to those in houseless communities. He’s proud of this service. “Street Roots is the best,” he said.
During the early years of Covid, when it was especially difficult to sell Street Roots, Craig got a job with Uber Eats, work he continues alongside his Street Roots responsibilities. As a delivery person, Craig rides a Biketown bike. “What’s cool,” Craig said, “they’re electric. I go everywhere on those bikes.”
Craig is mechanical by nature, having spent many years in auto sales. He’s also in good shape for this kind of physical work, with a background in hiking and cross-country skiing.
He’s also a mushroom aficionado. Never underestimate the power of giving someone a book. Street Books, the Portland bicycle-powered mobile library, serving people who live outside, gave Craig a foraging book. Craig has been foraging in Estacada, on Wildcat Mountain, Lolo Pass. He knows where to find fresh chanterelles, porcini, lobster and shiitake.
Craig gets happy when talking about foraging. “Fresh mushrooms are the best,” he said. “To get one in the woods. They’re so solid. They’re like a fossil on a branch.”
He’s also happy to share about the help he’s received throughout his life, from youth services like Jackson Street Youth Services: The Corvallis House and Camp Tillamook Youth Transitional Facility to the kindness and support he appreciates at Street Roots. Given the difficulty of navigating life on the streets, Craig is especially grateful for Street Roots. “Street Roots is so peaceful,” he said.
Stop by his post in front of Powell's Books on Hawthorne, 3723 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard, and ask about the best strategies and locations for foraging mushrooms this fall. You can also support Craig through his via Venmo by sending a payment to @StreetRoots and entering his name and badge number 184 in the notes.
Street Roots is an award-winning weekly investigative publication covering economic, environmental and social inequity. 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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