If you’d like a little lift in your step, engage in a conversation with Street Roots vendor Bama Hayward. He bubbles with the joy, confidence and strength of his new life, clean and sober.
“I wake up with a smile on my face every day,” Bama said.
Bama has so much to be happy about these days. “I’ve got a new life,” he said.
Over the past two decades, Bama has battled addictions; he’s traveled from Alabama to Washington state to Portland, attempting each time to outrun the forces that kept him addicted.
“Temptations are everywhere,” he said. “Especially if you’re homeless. Everywhere you turn, there are people using and selling.”
How was Bama able to finally conquer those forces? He explained that you have to be completely committed.
“Basically, the only way to make that change is you’ve got to be that change,” he said. “You’ve got to get to the point that you know for sure, deep down, you wanna make the change.”
Bama also credits his girlfriend, Diamond, another Street Roots vendor, for his success.
He’s very proud of Diamond’s strength and accomplishments. “She’s an amazing woman,” Bama said. Diamond was accepted for a Stone Soup internship as a prep cook, work that she loves.
“Because it makes her happy, it makes me happy,” he said. “Without Street Roots and Diamond, I never could have gotten clean.”
Bama said that Street Roots has allowed him to hold his head high. He first became a Street Roots vendor in 2013, but he explained that because of his addiction, he couldn’t use that work to his advantage.
“Because I was dealing with addiction, I didn’t have the people skills to sell,” he said.
All that changed when Bama fully committed to his new clean and sober life.
“It was a Saturday, February 11th," he said. “I said to myself , 'This time I’m going to stay clean.'”
Now Bama feels like a part of the Street Roots team.
“Street Roots helps you to reconstruct your life," he said. "Street Roots opened so many doors for me. You know, when you don’t have people that believe in you because of the homeless situation that you’re in, Street Roots gives you a chance.”
These days, Bama has many favorite customer stories.
“I feel like Diamond and I are making friends when we sell,” he said. “Our customers just make us feel better.”
He appreciates how people in the community acknowledge him and Diamond and “thank us as Street Roots vendors even if they don’t buy a paper.”
Bama is excited about Street Roots’ future. “It’s changing,” he said, “for the better.” He described Street Roots’ new space on Northwest Third Avenue and West Burnside Street. He believes that by creating this new space in downtown Portland, Street Roots is building a greater connection with the community.
“A lot of people are connecting with us as we grow,” he said. “People are hearing and reading about us in the news. You can feel it.”
You can support Bama via @StreetRoots Venmo by entering his name and badge number (133) 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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