By Israel Bayer, Staff Writer
A month ago, Paul Gefroh came to talk to me. It had been two
years since he had lost his son. The memory of Nick is still very fresh in his
heart.
We talked about Nick’s involvement with Street Roots, his
childhood and his compassion for others. Nick was a former board member and
vendor with Street Roots and had sold the paper on Northeast Ninth and
Broadway, in front of the old Portland Teachers Credit Union (now OnPoint).
The one thing Paul and I had in common, even though we
didn’t know each other well, is that we had seen his son at his absolute best
and at his absolute worst.
Nick was a true Oregonian, growing up in Estacada. He had a
vast knowledge of sports and the Grateful Dead. He loved the Oregon Ducks, the
Portland Trail Blazers and the New York Mets. He had a smile and a laugh that
was warm and charming, capturing the hearts and minds of those around him.
Nick struggled with addiction on and off for most of his
adult life. When he was doing well, Nick contributed to the world around him by
mentoring others. During his time at Street Roots he not only helped vendors,
he helped contribute to the future vision of Street Roots by serving on the
board of directors.
One vendor in particular that Nick looked out for was Don G.
— a gentleman who had cerebral palsy. Don was restricted to a wheelchair and
would journey to Street Roots every day from a nursing home on the eastside of
Portland to sell the paper in the Lloyd District. Nick would regularly help Don
to his location and check on him to make sure hustlers on the streets were not
taking advantage of him. Nick was a patient and caring human being.
When Nick wasn’t doing well, an alcohol and heroin addiction
rendered him hard to handle. He drifted in and out of homelessness and time
again broke the hearts of those around him, especially his family.
Sometimes there is no explanation for the storm that builds
inside a person. Regardless of how many lighthouses remained lit for Nick, in
the end, the storm was too strong and consuming. Nick passed away at the age of
41.
In the end, Nick’s family decided to create a vendor fund in
his name. We are able to honor Nick and by doing so we’re supporting his memory
and supporting the vendors.
Readers can give a donation to the fund by writing a check
to Street Roots, Attn: Nick Gefroh Street Roots Vendor Fund, or by giving
online at www.streetroots.org. All donations will go toward supplies for
vendors to be successful.
Thank you to Nick’s family and everyone who supports our
vendors.
This article appears in 2013-04-12.