Street Roots vendor profile | Finding kindness in Portland

“I don’t need much. Just bus passes, food and water.”

Ronald J. Barnes knows what he needs. Having alerted the Street Roots staff that he had too much hip pain to walk up the stairs, he led the way to an office that served as a makeshift interview room. After sitting in the unpadded chair available, he borrowed a dog bed in the office, placed the bed on the chair and unceremoniously sat down on it. Then he was ready to talk.

Knowing what you need is not the same as getting it. Ronald’s two months in Portland have brought him significant challenges. He recently experienced misfortune with temporary housing. His roommate stole essentials, such as food and water. She also kept leaving her beer bottles on his side of the room, causing Ronald to lose housing and work.

Despite these difficulties, Ronald said Portland is his favorite place he’s lived. And he has lived in a lot of places. He counted rhythmically on his hands and listed the cities: Houston, Austin, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Oklahoma City, etc. He quickly ran out of fingers.

Ronald likes to see new places. He said that he “enjoy(s) natural beauty and then the people that (he meets)” while traveling. Still, the shadow of anti-homeless sentiment and violence follows him over each new horizon. In Oklahoma, a lot of people get killed due to hatred and prevalent gun ownership, Ronald said. In Albuquerque, tent cutters destroy homeless individuals’ dwellings and belongings because people who live in tents are viewed as “trash.” He moved on from both of these cities to seek a better place.

Ronald described his stomping grounds as Sweetwater, Texas. He said, “There’s mostly cactus, mesquite trees and rattlesnakes there.” The rainy and cold weather in Portland has starkly contrasted with what he’s used to. He added another contrast, noting, “Back where I’m from, people are kinda nice, but they’re kinda dicks.” The people in Portland seem kinder in the time he’s been here.

One particular way Ronald has found a difference is in his employment at Street Roots. In Oklahoma City, he sold a street paper called the Curbside Chronicles. He said that selling the paper there earned him enough for a weekly public transit ticket. Selling Street Roots earned him enough for an annual bus pass. His job at Street Roots helps him meet his transportation needs and provides income to fulfill other priorities.

Ronald finds fulfillment through his spirituality. He identifies as agnostic but says his upbringing in the Church of Christ and Baptist churches informs his spiritual practice. He found it interesting that at his college, religion was classified as philosophy — a way of thinking. Ronald took a class called Intro to World Religions, and his thinking on religion changed.

Ronald still prays to Jesus or God. He said this feels most comfortable because of his upbringing. He enjoys the sense of camaraderie in church or other religions. He believes that religion “provides inner (sustainability) … It provides inner peace to the soul.” Ronald seeks what he wants — including natural beauty, personal connection, and spiritual experience — and continues to strive for these things as well as for finding a bed each night.

Ronald is still looking for a regular spot to sell Street Roots but can frequently be found at the Concordia New Seasons or the Stadium Fred Meyer. You can also support him via @StreetRoots Venmo by entering his name and badge number (1147) in the memo.

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.

This article appears in January 8, 2025.