George has worked with Street Roots since 2015. This spring, he has been selling papers inside a local church downtown in the Park Blocks area every Sunday. He also has a contract with Cascadia Health to drop off 20 papers a week for their clients and staff. George enjoys his current schedule because it’s “low stress” and allows him a lot of flexibility.
As an experienced Street Roots vendor, George knows what works for him, and what doesn’t. One of his previous locations on the eastside was great because he had many regular customers, but the outdoor setting presented significant challenges, such as working in all conditions.
“When you’re out all day in the hot sun, it can be rough,” George said. “There’s nowhere to relax.”
Although the building he worked at would let him come inside from time to time, there was no shaded area, which made for some long days during the summer, and eventually he moved on.
George spends much of his free time going on walks, and spending time in nature. Some of his favorite locations to walk in Portland are local trails, like Forest Park and the Marquam Hill area. He particularly likes quiet places and liminal spaces. Spending time in nature helps him to feel safe, and to relax and reflect.
“I just like to be outside, and learn from what I encounter,” he said.
He has strong feelings about how we as individuals should take care of our green spaces now so that other people can benefit from them in the future.
“Other people should think about what it’s like for the people that spend time outside,” he said. “We need to keep the trees around, so we can enjoy the shade.”
George is also an avid reader. He enjoys reading “things that make me think,” including dystopian literature. He enjoys the works of John Steinbeck, and noted that books don’t have to be long to be interesting — it’s great when they have something new to say. George greatly values the importance of connection, whether that’s through his own learning or talking to people he meets through selling papers.
Asked to pick his favorite part of selling Street Roots, George replied without missing a beat.
“Variety!”
He made plans to attend an art workshop focused on photography, and often takes part in the vendor programming and workshops that Street Roots offers.
“There’s always something new here to check out,” he said.
You can find George at the 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 memo.
This article appears in May 20, 2026.