Mykaiel’s journey to sobriety has brought him a newfound perspective on life
Street Roots vendor Mykaiel, or “Arc Angel Mykaiel” as he is known in his community, is a true Renaissance man. A vendor since 2018, Mykaiel and his service dog Petey established their spot in front of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Southwest Broadway downtown. He didn’t know at the time, but that decision would prove transformative.
His spot in front of a premier arts venue created opportunities he never dreamed of — seeing multiple shows in the last year. He’s befriended conductors, musicians, and patrons — drawing them in with his energy, industriousness and his dog Petey, named after Petey from “The Little Rascals.”
“I never thought I’d have the experience of going to shows, and I’ve gotten to go 10 times in the past three years,” he said. “I get to do things that other people get to do. I never thought I’d get that.”
His most memorable show so far was the music of “Indiana Jones,” by the Oregon Symphony.
“A woman gave me a ticket, and it was in the third row,” Mykaiel said. “And I got to enjoy it with my service animal, Petey.”
Seeing live performances of works by great composers like Chopin and Tchaikovsky is a life he couldn’t imagine as a child. He saw his mother murdered when he was 4. His grandmother abandoned him when he was 8. He spent seven years cycling through 10 group homes until he ran away at 15, escaping an abusive home. From there, he spent time in Arizona, Tennessee, California and Washington. He also started getting in trouble with the law and fighting addiction.
“I’ve been battling addiction for a long time,” he said. “I’m finally clean and sober and getting my life together. Since being clean and sober, and working through the steps, I have been able to let the past go. I’ve been able to have the most beautiful mystical experiences — they are better than on drugs.”
A carpenter by trade, Mykaiel worked on several projects in the Pacific Northwest, including rebuilding a historic structure in Port Townsend that housed Aldrich’s, the oldest grocery store in Washington state. More recently, he helped build 10 tiny homes at Northeast 76th Avenue and Glisan Street through Cascadia Clusters, a local nonprofit training homeless Portlanders in building trades.
“Building the tiny homes was really rewarding — to be able to help give keys to people who haven’t slept inside,” he said. “I’m so happy and proud of myself. I’ve never had this feeling before.”
Mykaiel’s perspective on life has fundamentally shifted.
“Now I wake up with joy in my heart, and I can’t wait to see how the day unfolds,” he said.
The positivity he experiences has him overflowing with gratitude for his community.
“I’ve never had friends or a family, and I’m very grateful to everyone who supports me from (concert) tickets to buying papers,” he said, crediting Street Roots for helping him make it this far.
This enthusiasm and energy moved him to establish his own carpentry business. He funded his tools and business cards by selling Street Roots. He’s now saving up to become relicensed. His business is called Arcangel Construction, and he can be reached at arcangelmykaiel112023@gmail.com. As his business cards say, “All jobs welcome — no job is too small!”
“I’ve changed,” Mykaiel said. “I like myself now. I don’t have much, but what I do have, I’m grateful for. And I have a lot to look forward to.”
When not working on his budding carpentry business, Mykaiel and Petey can be found selling Street Roots in front of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Southwest Broadway — and sometimes inside enjoying the show.
In addition, they often sell Street Roots between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday in front of the Multnomah County Courthouse and Friday through Sunday in front of the Portland Art Museum. Mykaiel can also be supported via @StreetRoots Venmo by entering his name and badge number (409) 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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