“I realized that life and healing can only take place in sunlight,” George McCarthy, poet and Street Roots vendor, said.
George’s nine-year journey in Portland — living in shelters, on the streets, and now in subsidized housing near Portland State University — has been full of challenges. He moved to Portland from South Carolina seeking a milder climate but quickly discovered that his meager savings were not enough for the housing requirements of first and last month’s rent, plus deposit.
Houseless and without work, a woman working at Pioneer Square suggested George check into Street Roots.
“I wouldn’t be here without it,” George said. “Life has been really terrible, and thanks to Street Roots, I have been able to earn a living. I have a place to go and access to other people.”
His years in Portland have been a rocky journey, and his poetry describes it best.
“My life is an anchor, and I drag it behind me,” George writes.
Throughout nearly a decade in Portland, he has had many sources of income, from working in a glass factory to donating enough plasma to fill a six-pound bowling ball every month. All this has taken a toll on his physical and emotional health. George has post-traumatic stress disorder and attention-deficit disorder.
“You don’t get better staying homeless,” George said. “My mind is a rabbit stew, and I’m doing my best, but 10 years of homelessness doesn’t do a lot.”
Several years ago, George was placed in a subsidized studio apartment near Portland State University. With permanent shelter, things have become smoother, and he can now buy groceries for the week instead of searching for food every day. He no longer has to worry about rats attracted to food stored outside.
George lives simply in his studio apartment, without a car or television. His goal is to reinvent himself so he’s not dependent on outside help and can pay his own way.
When he has the cash, he buys a pass to the Portland Art Museum and spends his days reading books full of imagery and writing. Many of his poems have been published in Street Roots, and he has a new poem included in “Flowers of the Litter,” a collection of poetry by and for people living on the streets.
George was born in New York, attended community college on Long Island, and studied broadcasting, literature and theater in Oneonta, New York.
“I like to read; I like to walk,” George said. He recently finished reading the journals of Dorothy Wordsworth, known for her English walkabouts in the Lake District. His reading tastes are eclectic. He recently reread “Catch-22”, and is currently reading a book on string theory by physicist Ed Whitten, along with another on the chemicals in perfume.
On Sundays, George sells Street Roots at First Congregational Church in downtown Portland’s park blocks.
“I’ve had a lot of good experiences with people buying the paper and good experiences with people not buying the paper,” George said. “I remember one woman who I knew for about a year; she said she felt bad never buying the paper. I said, ‘Don’t worry about it. It’s really nice having you just say hello.’”
You can find George at his post at First Congregational United Church on Sundays in the downtown park blocks or support him through @StreetRoots Venmo by entering his name and badge number (246) 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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This article appears in October 30, 2024.