Street Roots newspaper vendor Ricky Wagner is a model of resilience and grit with an upbeat approach to life.
“When I wake up, it’s with a positive thought,” he writes in a poem in the new Street Roots holiday zine just published. “Even though when I sleep, battles are fought,”
Ricky was trained as a nurse to serve on the battlefield during the Persian Gulf War. When he returned home to Wichita, Kansas, he found it difficult to return to nursing.
“It was hard after the war, the trauma and all the flashbacks because I was a combat medic and nurse,” Ricky said.
With his disability, he couldn’t continue nursing but now has his PTSD under control.
“I had some mental health issues that are corrected with medication,” Ricky said. “I am a more mellow person now.”
Ricky is steering his medical background in a new direction and is now enrolled in the Funeral Degree Service Program at Mt. Hood Community College. When he finishes his coursework at Mt. Hood, Ricky plans to enroll in an online program to complete a four-year degree in Funeral Service at the University of Central Oklahoma. He says his background in transporting injured soldiers in Kuwait makes this new career a natural fit.
Ricky moved to Portland in 2004 and has been a vendor with Street Roots for 19 years.
“I met some vendors who were at Blanchet House, and they told me about Street Roots and that it was a good idea to earn some money, so I began shuffling papers,” he said. “I found myself homeless and isolated, and I slowly adjusted back to society. And Street Roots helped me with that because the staff has open arms.
“They have shown me genuine compassion and concern. Street Roots is like a family.”
He was homeless for 13 months.
“It was difficult, I had to have a lot of patience,” Ricky said. “People were calling for me and helping me out, and eventually, housing came through.”
Ricky finally found veterans housing, a one-bedroom, one-bath apartment.
Ricky has continued to work four hours most days selling papers as he likes the connection with people, and the extra income he makes helps pay for food and electricity.
When Ricky isn’t selling papers, he hikes, goes salmon fishing, reads, writes poetry and hangs out with Roswell, his pitbull terrier he adopted in Roswell, New Mexico.
“Selling Street Roots gets me out and keeps me from being isolated,” Ricky said. “I like to interact with people. I have found good rapport and support with the community. People give me coffee or something to eat.
“People are really kind, I was amazed at that.”
Sometimes, he gets an extra surprise, like the time he was selling papers at a farmer’s market and was handed a $100 bill from a customer.
Roswell often accompanies Ricky at his post in North Portland at the intersection of Northeast Shaver Street and Mississippi Avenue. He is at his post most days selling the paper and the Street Roots holiday zine, which contains selections from his poetry.
You can also support Ricky through
@StreetRoots Venmo by entering his name and badge number (638) 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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