Paulette Bade started selling Street Roots in Portland to fill the days in between her nights at the shelter. She experienced homelessness for the first time this year. But her reason for continuing — at least one of them — is a little different now that she’s housed. It’s black, white and fuzzy all over, and its name is PK. That stands for Paulette’s Kitty.
“She’s one of the reasons I sell, too, so she can have what she wants,” Paulette said with a laugh.
PK was in a shelter, too. From there, the cat was bounced from home to home. The man Paulette got him from was her fourth owner, whom she said, “cared more about alcohol than PK.” But with Paulette, she found her forever home, just like Paulette hopes she has, after five months of homelessness.
Paulette moved to Seattle from Portland in her 40s, and started selling Real Change, Street Roots’ sister street paper, in 1997. This year, at age 66, she returned to Portland to escape a domestic violence situation, but had no place to live. As a senior and a woman, she was especially vulnerable living on the streets.
“You get scared, paranoid,” she said. “You really don’t know who to trust. You don’t know who to talk to, what to do.”
She found a shelter to spend the nights, and started selling Street Roots during the day. She says the paper is a resource for people to learn about the homelessness that’s going on in their city.
After a day of selling Street Roots, Paulette likes to come home, play with PK and watch wrestling on television.
“All the action, like a soap opera,” she said.
She can’t pick a favorite wrestler, though.
“I like them all!” she said.
But even more than that, she enjoys good conversation and companionship with her neighbor, Sandra. The two have been great friends since Paulette moved into the building in August.
“We just help each other,” Sandra said. “We’re very good friends.”
The two are always rapping on each other’s door, chatting about their days, about Sandra’s online criminal justice classes, and sharing their stories.
“She always tells me to get my assignments done,” Sandra said.
The women even celebrated Thanksgiving together, complete with a turkey and all the trimmings.
And the best part is that PK approves.
“PK loves Sandra,” Paulette said.
But not as much as she loves Paulette.
“She greets me when I come in,” she says. “She’s spoiled rotten.”
Paulette enjoys Street Roots, and says she’ll be glad when it publishes each week. Street Roots first weekly paper will be Jan. 2. When it does, you can find Paulette selling Street Roots outside of the Rite-Aid at Pioneer Place.
“It’s a good paper,” Paulette said. “It really is ... I’ve got a good life.”