When I first meet William, downtown was shuttered by a snowstorm. Despite having slept outside in the cold the night before, William is in a good mood. “Today is a good day,” he says. “Sympathy day.” For William, it seems bad weather makes for better sale ...
10 Mar 2014 - Ann-Derrick Gaillot
Every morning at 5 a.m., Street Roots vendor Shaun Followell wakes up, carefully packs up his gear and heads to the Starbucks on 15th Avenue and Fremont Street to sell papers. After a couple of hours, he hops on the bike he made himself and rides downtown ...
29 Jan 2014 - Ann-Derrick Gaillot
If you’ve shopped at the Lloyd Center Safeway during the past few months, you’ve probably seen George Burdine selling Street Roots outside, lifting the spirits of passersby and shoppers. One of the first things one notices about George is his large spirit ...
19 Dec 2013 - Ann-Derrick Gaillot
Jason Scheer may well be the most outgoing introvert you will ever meet. When we meet for coffee, Jason seems as though he does not have much he wants to talk about, but as time goes on he shyly reveals himself to be a mindful and sensitive artist, a dete ...
21 Nov 2013 - Ann-Derrick Gaillot
Rick Buck is one very busy man. In addition to dedicating time every day to selling Street Roots, Rick also holds three part-time jobs and volunteers his time with the Salvation Army and Sisters of the Road. From the time Rick wakes up in the morning to t ...
6 Nov 2013 - Ann-Derrick Gaillot
Frequent visitors to Hawthorne Avenue will recognize vendor Keith Montgomery, who sells the paper, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday through Friday, outside Powells Bookstore. “I’m always here during those times,” he says, “unless I have a prior engagement like a doc ...
9 Oct 2013 - Ann-Derrick Gaillot
It was easy to pick out Lorry Clark when I went to meet him at his old selling spot at Northwest 11th Avenue and Lovejoy Street. A tall man with an easy posture and a big smile, Lorry could look down on the tops of the heads of most of the people who word ...
24 Sep 2013 - Ann-Derrick Gaillot
Nick Sullivan has come a long way from his first day selling Street Roots. “At first it was scary,” says Nick about the experience. “But once I get out there and I have my Street Roots shirt on and I hold up my papers, I sort of relax and it always seems ...
11 Sep 2013 - Ann-Derrick Gaillot
Street Roots vendor Mary Starr has the kind of dedication to family that many of us only wish we had. After the death of her husband five years ago, she left work to take care of sick family members. For her, the decision was an easy one. “I’d do anything ...
17 Jul 2013 - Ann-Derrick Gaillot
Every day of every week, George Ellars wakes up, gets dressed, and goes out to sell Street Roots outside the Burnside door of Powell’s. He holds issues of the paper in a plastic case around his neck and, if it’s not raining, he’ll hold a copy in his hand ...
2 Jul 2013 - Ann-Derrick Gaillot