Vendor RP values the kindness of others and building relationships by selling the newspaper
He was named after a police officer in California, Roy, but most folks call him RP. Though he’s not known as “RSP,” RP will tell you “Safety is my middle name,” with pride.
It’s a badge of honor RP has worn all his life. He was only nine years old one sunny summer day in California when he rescued a six-year-old boy from a swimming pool.
“At first, there were a bunch of kids in the pool, and when everyone had gone, I walked over to the pool’s edge and saw a little child face down in the pool,” RP said. “I dove in and got the child out. The newspaper story called me a hero.
“I’ll do the same for anybody. I wanna help others.”
So, it’s not surprising RP’s work in the industrial field included trying to keep others around him safe. RP worked around oil drums in the Portland shipping industry “fresh out of high school” for the next 30 years.
“You gotta know what you’re doing,” he said. “You gotta follow directions and respect those big machines. I worked really hard, and I kept people around me safe.”
It’s a credo that RP lives by, along with staying clean and sober.
“I’d buy a screwdriver before I’d buy drugs,” he said. “Drugs will kill you!”
These days, RP’s best investment from his previous work is the gear keeping him warm and dry while he lives and works on the streets.
“I’m fine in the rain with my rain gear,” he said. “I’ve had this gear since 2012. It keeps me warm and dry. I gotta be very careful and protect it.”
RP has been a vendor with Street Roots since 2017. Like many vendors, RP learned of the opportunity by meeting other vendors throughout the city. He was delighted to find how friendly people were in the Street Roots office.
“They invited me in for a cup of coffee,” he said. “Then they gave me the opportunity to work for myself!”
RP’s current sales post is right in front of Ben and Jerry’s on Northwest Everett Street and 10th Avenue, and he loves it.
“It’s a very cool neighborhood — people working around you and enjoying being together, eating and drinking,” RP said. “Not a bother in the world. And nothing ever goes wrong.”
What RP loves most about his work as a Street Roots vendor is meeting and talking with his customers. Those conversations are memorable for RP.
“It’s so cool,” he said. “I love this work. When I’m working in that neighborhood and being with my customers, I’m not worrying about anything. I keep myself professional. My part is the newspaper, selling a quality product.”
RP is also grateful for Street Roots, its vendors and staff.
“Thank you, Street Roots, for being here,” RP said. “Because of you all, I feel less alone; I know I’m not the only one. There are other people to share this experience (of houselessness) with. I feel the love and kindness from everyone who works with Street Roots. I feel taken care of.
“Street Roots makes me feel like a quality person. I want to represent Street Roots in the best way possible.”
Those feelings of friendship and appreciation are mutual.
“RP always brings so much energy and enthusiasm to the office,” Kodee Zarnke, Street Roots community partnerships coordinator, said of RP. “Seeing RP is a sure way to brighten my day.”
Why not brighten your day? Drop by RP’s post on Northwest Everett Street and 10th Avenue Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can also support RP through @StreetRoots Venmo by entering his name and badge number (847) 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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