Casper moved gingerly through the Street Roots office with the aid of a walker that had lost-dog posters tucked under bungee cords on the seat. He’s had a rough couple of months. First, he seriously injured his back, breaking bones and suffering a bulging disc. Then someone broke into his apartment and stole his dog, Rose.
“She was stolen out of my apartment while I was at a doctor’s appointment,” Casper said. “Someone who wants a dog thought they deserved my dog more than I do.”
As he spoke these words, another vendor appeared in the doorway with two leashed dogs. The Street Dog Distribution System had been activated. The vendor had found a young male dog in need of a home who bore an uncanny resemblance to the missing Rose, and he thought Casper might want him. Casper eagerly agreed to take the dog in, hopeful that Rose would be returned to him and the two dogs could be friends.
At the time of the interview, Casper hadn’t been able to sell the paper for a month, because he’d been in the hospital and recovering from his injuries, but he was looking forward to getting back out there. He credits Street Roots with changing his life, but it was the promise of seeing his poetry in print that first led him to become a vendor four years ago.
“On top of getting my poems published, (Street Roots) helped me get my first book printed and published,” Casper said. “My book took 15 years in the writing of it. Volume one is out and volumes two and three are in the making. I never thought that I would get published, let alone get a book out. I’ve had 319 poems published in Street Roots.”
Street Roots has done more than the important work of supporting his writing, though.
“Street Roots showed me a better way of life,” Casper said. “It showed me how to walk in a different light. Prior to Street Roots I never had a job. I was a drug dealer. Street Roots turned my life around. I don’t have to deal drugs. I can make my money legally.”
He appreciates his regular customers, who get excited when he has a poem published in the paper.
“Having poetry in the paper pretty much weekly, people want to buy the paper from me because they know that I’m writing, putting something out there,” Casper said. “My customers all help me. They don’t just give me a dollar. They give me anywhere between two dollars and a hundred-dollar bill depending on who it is and what day it is and how they’re feeling. So it’s a day-to-day life. That’s the only problem that I have with the paper is that it’s the same thing as being a dealer — you’re living your life day-to-day. But as long as you work the job, you’ll always have Venmo.”
Despite his recent troubles, he tries to maintain a positive attitude.
“I am a work in progress,” Casper said. “I’m a disabled veteran who is in a life struggle, but through Street Roots, my struggle is not as bad.”
Once he’s back in action, you’ll find Casper selling the paper on most weekdays on the corner of Southeast 26th Avenue and Division Street. You can also send him a tip via @StreetRoots Venmo by entering his name and badge number (639) in the memo.
Street Roots is an award-winning weekly publication focusing on economic, environmental and social justice issues. 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 8, 2025.