For 20 years, Melissa Hansen worked a variety of jobs in Alaska.
“I fished on fishing boats, logged as a choke setter, worked in restaurants,” Melissa said. “I even went trapping for bears and wolves.”
Her Alaska adventure began over 30 years ago, having just graduated high school in Portland, where her father owned a business on Swan Island, Mar-Dustrial and Mariners Supply.
With a mariner’s spirit, she set off on her own and enjoyed the challenging and rewarding work. But 20 years of the extreme Alaskan seasonal swings from near full darkness to near full light took its toll on her mental health.
“I had issues with all that darkness,” she said.
She traveled south and settled in Seattle, where she lived for seven years and worked as a vendor for Street Roots’ sibling street paper Real Change.
“I always had a smile on my face,” she said of working for Real Change, but she never felt at home in her Seattle job.
The customers “didn’t really ever get to know me, even though I had the same post for seven years.”
So she set off again, this time for home, Portland. The year was 2011.
“My dad’s health was failing,” she said. “I’ve always been a daddy’s girl.”
And with the help of her friend Willie Bradford, Melissa found her way to Street Roots.
“I hooked up with Cole Merkel,” she said. “He was a go-getter.”
At the time, Cole was Street Roots’ vendor program coordinator. Now he is co-director of Portland’s Here Together Coalition.
She has a lot of fond memories of those times working with Cole, “Everyday it was cool, us together,” she said, “me and Cole and Willie.”
But over the past few years, she’s seen a lot of changes in Portland.
“I lost so many friends to COVID,” she said. “I think COVID changed a lot of things for everyone, especially those living on the streets.”
Melissa has been living on the streets since she moved back to Portland.
“It’s brutal,” she said. “These days there’s so much violence. Portland is just not like it used to be. It’s scary.”
She’s very grateful for the support of Central City Concern.
“Thanks to them, I’m off the street as of a week ago,” she said.
She’ll be staying in transitional housing for 90 days, then she can move into an apartment.
She also feels a deep connection with Street Roots.
“I love everyone at Street Roots,” she said. “At Street Roots, we all help each other by pulling together. It feels like my family.”
Melissa’s sales post is Case Study Coffee Roasters at 852 SW 10th Avenue across from the downtown Multnomah County Public Library. She has many great customers, regulars who share stories and jokes and come by sometimes just to check on her. She sells at this post Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
On Sundays, she attends church at the Lincoln Street Methodist Church at 5145 SE Lincoln Street. She sells Street Roots there on Sundays as well.
“The people at (Lincoln Street Methodist Church) rock,” she said. “They’re so supportive of me. In bad weather, I can go over there and sleep on the porch.”
Melissa celebrated her 54th birthday on June 1 and looks forward to a summer in her new home.
You can support Melissa via @StreetRoots Venmo by entering her name and badge number (384) 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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