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For those who can't afford free speech
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Vendors

  • Locate a vendor
  • Arrange a bulk subscription
  • Meet our Vendors
  • Become a vendor
  • Request a vendor
  • Voice a concern
  • View the Health certification

Street Roots provides an opportunity for people experiencing homelessness and poverty to earn an income by selling the newspaper.

Vendors

People walk in off the streets, go through orientation, and begin selling the weekly newspaper. Ten complementary papers launch their efforts, and then they purchase each paper for a quarter that they sell for $1, keeping all profits and tips. Street Roots works with more than 800 vendors annuallly, and about 75 percent of vendors are unhoused. Our commitment to getting money into people's pockets is straightforward: Income is an antidote to poverty. There are too many barriers to housing and employment, and we are committed to supporting people aspire to their best futures. 

 

 

 

 

Street Roots

Vendors are central to Street Roots. All our work at Street Roots is connected to a larger sense of community for people who are disenfranchised from power and societal belonging. Vendors form community with each other as well as staff and volunteers at Street Roots, coming to the office for morning coffee, poetry groups, and conversation. They also form relationships with customers, often across socio-economic divides. Through our work and our engagement with each other, we are stronger together, lifting each other up – and for 20 years, that's what Street Roots vendor program has brought to the Portland metro program area. 

Tina Drake talks about the vendor program. Thank you to Leif's Auto Collision Center for producing this video.

 

 

Become a vendor

New vendor orientation is held every Wednesday and Friday at 12:15 pm in the vendor office at 211 NW Davis Street. When you arrive, please wait outside the front door until a staff member comes to take a photo for your vendor badge ID and get you situated inside. Please allow 45 minutes to an hour for orientation. No documents or ID are required.


Locate a vendor

Street Roots vendors sell all over the Portland area on public sidewalks outside local business and community partners. Look for vendors wearing an official Street Roots badge. Please note, Street Roots offers a low-barrier program that allows our vendors to make their own schedules. Vendors' selling hours and days at each location may vary greatly. Here are locations where vendors frequently sell:

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North Portland

St. John's Plaza
American Red Cross (N Gatenbein & Cook)
New Seasons Interstate (N Rosa Parks & Interstate)
Green Zebra (N Peninsula & Lombard)

NE Portland

Starbucks (NE Grand & Lloyd)
Corner of 14th & Fremont

New Seasons Concordia (NE Emerson & 33rd)
Alberta Co-op (NE Alberta & 22nd)
King Farmer's Market (NE 8th & Wygant)
Safeway Lloyd Center (NE 10th & Broadway)

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NW Portland

Starbucks (NW 11th & Couch)
Startbucks (NW 11th & Lovejoy)
REI Store (NW 14th & Johnson)
Rite Aid Pearl District (NW 10th & Hoyt)
Stadium Fred Meyer (NW 20th & Burnside)
World Foods (NW 9th & Everett)
Food Front (NW 23rd & Thurman)
Safeway Pearl District (NW 13th & Lovejoy)
 

 

 

SE Portland

Bella's Bakery (SE 91st & Couplet)
Bipartisan Cafe (SE 79th & Stark)
Lents Farmers Market
Imago Dei Church
Grand Central Bakery (SE 23rd & Hawthorne)
New Seasons Hawthorne (SE 40th & Hawthorne)
New Seasons Woodstock (SE 45th & Woodstock)
Powell's on Hawthorne

Corner of SE39th & Belmont
QFC (SE Duke & Milwaukie)
Moreland Farmer's Market 

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SW Portland

USPS (SW 2nd & Madison)
PSU Farmer's Market
Corner of SW 2nd & Oak
Target (SW 10th & Morrison)
Central Library (SW 11th & Yamhill)
Karam Restaurant (SW 11th & Jefferson)
Starbucks (SW 5th & Oak)
Home Forward (SW 2nd & Ash)
Safeway (SW 11th & Jefferson)
Hillsdale Shopping Center
OHSU Aerial Tram

Corner of SW 10th & Columbia


 

 

Gresham

Gresham Farmers' Market (NW Miller & 3rd)

Arrange a Bulk Subscription

Branching Out With Street Roots


 

Branching Out With Street Roots

Street Roots vendors can deliver the newspaper weekly to housing complexes, businesses, and anyone who can buy a minimum of $25/week on a recurring basis using Street Roots Venmo or through other arrangements. Interested in setting this up? Email Kodee Zarnke at kodee@streetroots.org to make arrangements.

Request a vendor

Do you have a location that you'd welcome a vendor to sell at? Let us know so we can encourage a vendor to sell there. Email Kodee Zarnke at kodee@streetroots.org.

 


Voice a concern

Do you have a concern about a Street Roots vendor? Please contact the vendor program director, DeVon Pouncey, at DeVon@streetroots.org.

 


Meet our vendors

Street Roots
photo of vendor Zale L. next to a quote from him that says, "“Portland has my heart.  It’s the people and  attitudes of Portland.  I love it here.”

Street Roots vendor profile | Connecting with customers and community

A fairly new vendor, Zale enjoys selling Street Roots and contributes poetry to the paper
By
Jessica Hamilton
December 8, 2021
Street Roots
Photo of vendor Tamara Knapper next to a quote by her that reads, "always look for resources because there is help out there."

Street Roots vendor profile | Searching for resources and restoring your life

Tamara encourages others to look for resources and keep their heads up
By
Dylan Jefferies
December 1, 2021
Street Roots
Photo of Street Roots vendor Dorothy with a scarf on and a quote that reads, "Thank you Street Roots, for starting this new chapter in my life."

Street Roots vendor profile | Accomplishing goals and looking ahead

Recently housed and attending college classes, Dorothy is embracing a new chapter in her life
By
Kat Wasula
November 24, 2021
Street Roots
Photo of Street Roots vendor Gary Serventi with a quote next to him that says, "But I can’t stay closed in. Street Roots gives me the opportunity to get out and meet people and be productive.”

Street Roots vendor profile | Engaging with empathy

As a vendor and ambassador Gary found his sense of purpose
By
Jessica Hamilton
November 17, 2021
Street Roots
Photo of street roots vendor Kerry Anderson next to a quote that reads, "It's a source of income, sure. But more importantly it's a meeting place. I have a lot of good friends here."

Street Roots vendor profile | Drawn to Street Roots through poetry

Back from Central Oregon, Kerry is writing poetry and selling papers
By
Robin Havenick
November 10, 2021

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