Street Roots vendor Raven Thickett often carries her sketch pad and colored pencils to turn her words into pictures.
Raven first came to Street Roots 11 years ago after moving from Ashland and has sold papers at various posts off and on for the last decade.
“I was homeless at the time, trying to get in somewhere, and Street Roots offered me resources like a mailing address and telephone number,” she said.
Street Roots gives Raven the motivation to keep moving forward.
“I can be part of society,” Raven said. “Being on the street, we can get lost. If it wasn’t for Street Roots, I don’t know if I would still be standing today.”
Art has long been Raven’s talent, and she has won several contests over the years. Raven specializes in lettering and images that her friends describe as tattoo art. She also designs notecards, and she has done occasional face painting at the Saturday Market.
“I am an artist, I love to draw,” Raven said. “And I write as well. Back in 2019. I was getting published a lot in Street Roots. Then my youngest daughter died, and at that point, I quit writing and just turned my words into pictures.”
Raven has been homeless for six years. Her name has come up for housing through Central City Concern several times, but because she has been swept so often and is always on the move, Raven didn’t receive the letters notifying her before the deadlines.
“I went into the office last week again and updated my information and left a little side note that the best way to contact me is through email,” Raven said. “No matter where I'm at, I can always check it, so I hope I will be contacted.”
When homeless people are on the move from sweeps, it makes it difficult for outreach workers to contact them when housing becomes available.
“I have been swept more times than I can count, like every week, sometimes a couple of times in a day," Raven said. “I put my tent up and stuff, and I have to move.”
Life on the street, too, makes it difficult to attend to the basics.
“Being housing unstable or whatever, it's near impossible, like just trying to make it to my doctor's appointments and stuff like laundry," Raven said. “It is baby steps, baby steps."
Raven, who had beautician training and worked in tattoo art, has a dream.
“I would like to have a day spa type thing where I can display my artwork and sell it hopefully and work on it in my spare time,” Raven said.
Raven said she camps close to downtown because she feels safer.
“I usually just stayed around Chinatown,” Raven said. “It seems like the safest. If I go any further out in the city, being a single female by myself or whatever can be pretty scary.”
Her street family gives her support.
“They're the reasons why I'm still here,” Raven said. “They help keep me safe. I just recently had someone come into my tent while I was sleeping and spray me with bear mace. If I became rich one day, I would like to buy something like a parking garage with parking spaces where people could put up tents and have a decent space where they can lay and sleep in a safe place.”
Because Raven is on the move, you can find her walking from post to post in the Portland State University area. You can also support Raven through @StreetRoots Venmo by entering her name and badge number (530) in the payment 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.
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