Mary Otto is the editor of Street Sense. She came to the paper from the Washington Post newspaper. She had won a year-long fellowship at Harvard University for writing about the homeless.
MARY OTTO: “Some people are homeless for a few days and some are homeless for most of their lives.”
Mary Otto says severe mental disorders prevent many homeless people from seeking shelter. Such problems can also block them from having close relationships with other people.
Street Sense provides training to the homeless people who want to become part of the sales team. After the training, each student is given ten free copies of Street Sense. Once those are sold, trainees become real sales people. They buy papers for thirty-five cents each and sell them for a dollar.
Lisa Gillespie is the managing editor of Street Sense. She says the newspaper plays a part in homeless people’s lives that other media can not.
LISA GILLESPIE: “The mainstream media does not usually cover poverty or homelessness too much, unless someone dies or there’s a big rally or something.”
(SOUND: Veeda Simpson singing)
Veeda Simpson has been selling Street Sense for four years. She has a group of usual buyers.
The people like the paper and Ms. Simpson’s voice. Now, she and her eight cats have a home.
Critics say Street Sense is an excuse for the homeless to remain homeless. But the sales people say it permits them to be active and earn money while being their own employer.
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25