How do you tell the story of life on the streets? How do you tell the story of those who are homeless, those who develop deadly addictions with no support, those who are on the very lowest rungs of our society and bridge the gap with those who are much more fortunate? Joshua believes that’s what makes Street Roots a great newspaper. The bridging of opposite worlds.
“It’s the relevance of Street Roots,” they said.
Joshua has been living in Portland since March 2022 and has been a Street Roots vendor for the past four months.
“I love newspapers,” they said.
When they met a few vendors selling the paper in Portland, they knew they wanted to get involved.
“I really love the camaraderie at Street Roots,” they said. “And I love the idea that we all share the core values of coming together and helping others. I love Street Roots and plan on supporting this organization when I’m no longer homeless.”
Joshua is from Berry, Michigan, originally. Their own story is a difficult one for them to share: coming from a single-mother household, being placed in foster care as a very young child, then transitioning to a boy’s home before joining the Jobs Corps. They made it to college but got involved in drug culture there and got addicted to heroin.
“Before that, I’d never lost my ‘know,’” they said. “My self-will, my self, that part of me that says ‘no, I’m not gonna do this.’ You may ask how I lost that part of myself. Using heroin.”
Heroin use landed them in prison, the place that — they believe — saved their life.
“Thank god I went to prison then, or I’d be dead now,” Joshua said.
Joshua has been sober since 2011.
Since then, Joshua has worked in the concrete business pouring concrete. They have traveled from Michigan to Kentucky, to Ohio, to Florida, to Great Falls, Montana. Wanting to move further west, they found Barrien Concrete in Salem, Oregon.
“One of the owners of Berrien Concrete, his kid went to the same high school as I did in Michigan,” Joshua said. “I figured, hey, that’s gotta be a sign.”
So they’ve made Portland their home since 2022.
“Laying concrete is rewarding work,” they said. “It’s the physicality.”
Their numbers are impressive. They helped to lay 3,300 yards of concrete a day for an Amazon Prime facility in Kentucky, where the sand squalls from the hills that were being peeled back for the facility nearly overwhelmed them and their co-workers.
“It was like the movie Mummy,” they said, smiling.
They have worked at various sites, like school buildings, ADA ramps and airport facilities. In two summers, they figure that they laid 160 acres of concrete. They talk of their work in the concrete business with pride.
“I loved the creation,” they said. “I made sure my edges were perfect. Just as for any skill, the artistry is in the longevity; it’s the details.”
Reflecting on the story of their life, “After going through everything I have, I’d rather have justice than shelter,” they said.
They are compassionate about their fellow vendors and passionate about the pursuit of justice.
“To be on the very lowest rung of our society,” they said, “I’ve learned so much about others in need. Someday I’d like to help empower others who are disenfranchised.”
You can support Joshua via @StreetRoots Venmo by entering their name and badge number (899) 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.
© 2023 Street Roots. All rights reserved. | To request permission to reuse content, email editor@streetroots.org or call 503-228-5657, ext. 404