If someone doesn’t take the paper when I’m selling it and just try to give me money, it can feel like panhandling. Even if someone comes up and says, “I only have one dollar,” I’ll say, “ok no problem here’s a paper anyway.” You know, just for the fun of it. Then they take the paper anyway because I think it’s that important that they should read it. I don’t want to throw them away if they don’t sell. If I have any old papers, I’ll also keep them around for people who may have missed an issue and want to still read it. I get up at 5 a.m. and leave my house no later than 7 a.m. to get out on my corner. I’ve been out in the same spot for years. Then, I leave around 12 and I’m so tired I go back home. I want the public to know that The Contributor is also helping put people into housing. Also, where I go to church at, they are very helpful and get me things I need, and they want to make sure I can stay in my current apartment.My counselors in school told me I’d never be able to live on my own or manage my own money because of my learning disabilities. But I’ve learned what I’ve had to learn when I was homeless and I can do the basic things around my apartment like dishes, laundry and grocery shopping. I got to do them because food stamps don’t last that long. You can get that much for $70 anymore. I just want the general people to understand that if you think you have it bad, I’m out here trying to maintain a house and things I need to do and I feel the pinch every single day. I have COPD and I probably have emphysema because it runs in my family. Try putting tennis shoes or boots on and you’re just trying to be able to breathe. It hurts so much just to walk. I just want the general public to realize what it takes to be a Contributor vendor when they see someone out there selling the paper and maybe that will encourage them to buy the paper. I hope everyone who buys the paper reads it.
How will you know what the community is doing for the homeless without reading about it? Years ago, downtown wanted all the homeless off the streets. They don’t want us sitting around doing nothing, but they also don’t want to help. So, what can you do when you see things like that? I just like to let people know they should take the paper and read some articles in it. You might get educated! We used to have a kids page in the back so there was something for everyone. I think we can find more stuff to help people read the paper more and more. I have a friend who does a bicycle ministry and she told me it takes her almost two weeks just to read the paper. She buys one from me at church when she sees me. Her daughter is going to Kentucky University. When she goes, I’m going to tell her how to read the paper online so she can tell people about what Nashville is doing.