For almost five years, Loki, 45, has sold Street Roots around downtown Portland. It started when a friend of his told him to head down to the offices and attend orientation, promising that it was “basically as good as free money.”
“What do you mean ‘free money’?” Loki recalled asking his friend. Curious, Loki sat in on the next orientation and quickly found himself an official Street Roots vendor. While it wasn’t literally “free money,” Loki was sure he had found a new main source of income.
The first hurdle, however, came in the form of Loki’s anxiety around interaction with people he didn’t know.
“I’m pretty shy, so it's kind of hard sometimes,” Loki said. “But if you just apply yourself a little bit, it's fairly easy.”
He found establishing himself in one area was a quick and easy way to make a sale. The more he applied himself, the more regulars recognized him in the area. In turn, that meant he always had a sale coming his way, even on a slow day.
Loki also found that the Street Roots badge he wore meant more conversations with locals who recognized the organization.
“People stop and talk to you when they see the papers,” Loki said. “And they won’t just walk right by you and just ignore you.”
Loki has found himself lending a helping hand to those in need in places he may not have been because of his vending job. During one of his shifts selling papers near a grocery store, he noticed a woman whose shopping cart had locked up on her a ways away from her car. He made his way over and asked if she needed a hand carrying them the rest of the way.
“She started just bawling, just crying out of nowhere,” Loki said.
It turned out that the woman’s mom was in the hospital. She told Loki that no one had been helping her with the burden, and that he was the first person to lend a hand during her time of need. It was an experience that still sticks with Loki.
Loki’s story is one of hanging in there, and getting through the bumps in the road, applying himself to always look forward to the next opportunity. That’s also the advice he has for prospective Street Roots vendors: “Hang in there, it gets better.”
You can find Loki vending the paper around NW Couch Street and 12th Street around the corner from Powell's books. You can support him via the @StreetRoots Venmo by entering his name and badge number (670) 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.
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