Donate to the Street Roots Winter Fund Drive!

Dear Street Roots supporter,

The organization has raised nearly $5,000 in the first two weeks of the winter fund drive. The organization has set a goal of raising $20,000 for technology, staffing and the vendor program before December 31st.

Street Roots has been opening up every morning at 7:30a.m. since 1999. We’ve never been closed, not one day. It’s important to all of us to have consistency, and while we’ve not always had the resources to do the things we’ve envisioned, we’ve always stuck together.  Each morning you will find up to 20 vendors in the office drinking hot coffee, getting warm, and discussing politics, sports, and their up and coming work day.

Portland has developed relationships with hundreds of vendors over the years. When asked what matters most to vendors they have responded with a professioanl newspaper, extra cash, and last, but not least - customers themselves.

People tell Street Roots, I buy my paper from my favorite vendor in Hollywood, on Alberta, at Trader Joe’s in the Northwest, on Hawthorne or in downtown. Being able to build relationships with one another is one of the most powerful aspects of the organization, and vendors have built relationships with 7,000 unique individuals that buy the newspaper every two weeks in Portland.

One of the goals we have set for this fund drive is for the vendor incentive program. When asked what vendors want from the organization we hear a variety of things -  a color paper, a weekly paper, and more items for vendors to sell. Street Roots takes what our vendors say seriously. Beyond being the eyes, and ears of the organization, vendors are the heart. We are looking at what it would mean to go to a color format. Is it possible to go weekly in a couple of years, and what it would mean to expand our coverage of social justice issues locally, and internationally?

In the short term, we are focusing on what’s tangible, which includes providing extra items for vendors to sell on the beat and expanding coverage with the newspaper.

In 2007, we will be providing buttons, bumper stickers and other sales items for vendors to sell to make additional income. Of course, none of this is possible without the communities support. We hope you will take the time this holiday season by making a donation to Street Roots.

Donate

Thank you readers for your consideration and dedication to the community.

Sincerely,

Israel Bayer
Director
Street Roots
211 NW Davis
Portland, Oregon 97209
503-228-5657
streetroots@hotmail.com
www.streetroots.org

Be a Block Captain!
The organization also has 20 volunteers serving as Street Roots Block Captains throughout the Portland region. Each captain is asking 20 friends, co-workers, and/or neighbors to donate $20. If you are interested in being a block captain please contact me in the office at 503-228-5657.

Mission: "Street Roots is a grassroots newspaper assisting people experiencing homelessness and poverty by creating flexible income opportunities. Through education, advocacy and personal expression, we are a catalyst for individual and social change."



http://www.streetroots.org/about_us/fund_drive.html.