Street Roots vendor Peter Clark is excited to be working again and hopes to raise enough money to move back home to Syracuse, New York. He moved to Portland 10 years ago for the medical cannabis program, but now that medical cannabis is legal in many other places, his goal is to raise the money to get back home, where rent and the cost of living are cheaper.
“Being poor is expensive,” Peter said. “When you have to pay for everything individually, it gets really expensive. I’m looking forward to not being labeled as a bum. I want to go back where I can actually afford to live.”
His connection to Street Roots began last year, following a gall bladder surgery where he was released from the hospital and back onto the streets. A week later, he signed up for the vendor training to start selling Street Roots.
“Connecting with Street Roots has meant access to resources — even if it’s just coming in for a hot coffee when it’s 30 degrees out,” Peter said. “Going in you get community, get to help out, get to give back and earn some money. No other organization exists that puts money into the hands of the homeless.”
Even with the high praise for Street Roots, Peter offers some constructive advice to organizations —especially nonprofits and including Street Roots — about how to improve the lives of people who are unhoused: more training with pathways to full-time jobs.
“We can do so much by offering people true income, true education, true training, trade schools, job skills and money management,” he said. “People look at homelessness as a choice — that’s a false narrative. It’s not a choice. The choices are made by the people who write the checks. Stability is what people need. Give real housing and that’s when we will see solutions.”
Peter sees the urgent need out there, and the growing pressures to act. And yet, he feels frustrated that some are so easily able to walk by human suffering and dismiss those around them.
“Compassion is not something to wear on your sleeve as a decoration,” he said. “It needs to come from your heart.”
He worries too about the length of time people are spending on the streets, particularly regarding the mental health challenges that come with being unhoused.
“The more people are outside the more people are susceptible to losing their minds,” Peter said. “The stronger you are mentally, the longer you can last out here. But eventually, it just becomes too much.”
While Peter is anxious to return back home, he’s also looking forward to working and has recently found a spot to sell Street Roots --— in front of Nectar on Northeast Sandy Boulevard and Northeast 33rd Avenue. Peter can also be supported via @StreetRoots Venmo by entering his name and badge number (634) 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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