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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFranklin’s Leap of Faith
Franklins Leap of Faith
....The Contributors Director of Vending gives an important update on the current state of newspaper vending in Franklin, Tennessee
(snip)
Since 2007, The Contributor has been for sale on and from sidewalks in Nashville, Tenn. What began with a group of 10 homeless and formerly homeless vendors and a few volunteers has grown into the largest distributing street newspaper in North America (by circulation) and the largest in the world (circulation per capita). Last year, 400 vendors sold 115,000 copies every month. Vendors, who determine their own sales locations, have spread from the sidewalks of downtown Nashville to the far reaches of Davidson Countyand beyond. For over five years, these micro-businessmen and -women have been putting a face on homelessness and demonstrating how the general public can help address the issue.
Nashville, Tenn., was an ideal incubator for The Contributor. With time, the message of Homeless Paper $1.00 Thanks found a home in the buckle of the Bible Belt where members of the homeless community could find a respectable and dignified alternative to panhandling. We also realized that our mission includes the face-to-face interactions that take place daily between people who have experienced homelessness and people who have not. That speech is changing lives on both sides of the economic divide.
Thus, growth was the norm. In 2008, The Contributor distributed 5,900 copies; in 2009, 56,000 copies; in 2010, 580,000 copies; and in 2011, 1.3 million copies were distributed. The vendor force grew from 10 to 400 per month. Vendors began to find markets outside of Nashville, southwards to Brentwood and Franklin and northwards to Goodlettsville and Hendersonville.
In late 2010, early 2011, the city of Brentwood, Tenn., cited seven vendors of The Contributor newspaper for vending on its sidewalks. The vendors went before the local court with a pro-bono attorney and were found guilty of violating Brentwoods ordinance. The only problem at this point was that the ordinance in effect at that time was unconstitutional. Modifications were made to the Brentwood ordinance which resulted in a ban on any vendor to vehicle occupant sales. A lawsuit resulted which is still in process challenging modifications made to the Brentwood ordinance.
Fast-forward to 2013, when Franklin began considering a law similar to Brentwoods. The ordinance that was finally adopted reflects what Alderman Dana McClendon called a leap of faith.
Rest of article here: http://thecontributor.org/franklins-leap-of-faith/
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I am curious if orgs like this exist everywhere, or is this just Nashville?
I live in Franklin and understand the property laws are some of the toughest in the state (besides Brentwood). If Franklin can "bend" to change the laws, other places can to.
This is a tremendous help to our homeless in Middle Tennessee. It can be in your city, too.
Wounded Bear
(58,440 posts)congrats Tennessee for innovation and compassion (leaders of Brentwood excepted, apparently).
Sissyk
(12,665 posts)Thanks for the post. It is indeed a good story.
Sissyk
(12,665 posts)Featured Vendor: John Parker
....
When did you start selling The Contributor?
In 2009. I heard about the paper one day when I was down here [at the Downtown Presbyterian Church] eating lunch, and I heard some people talking about it and I followed them and I saw where they went and I went in there and thats where I met Tom and he told me what to do, so Ive been here ever since.
Do you like selling The Contributor?
I wouldnt be here if I didnt like it. Come on, now! It gives me something to do in my old age, you know, sitting at home and looking at them walls drives you crazy, so it gives me something to do. It keeps me alive. I like meeting people, stuff like that. And Ive met a lot of people, too. Yeah, many of them here in Nashville and in Madison. I really dont have no problem selling this paper. Its a good thing for a person that doesnt have an income, you know. Im 66 years old and Im not thinking about retiring from The Contributor until Im about 76, and then I might feel better than than I do now, so I might go to 86 [we both start laughing]. Thats right! If Im here that long. I have these medical problems, but they are working out alright.
Tell me about the people youve met.
Oh, there are some lovely people out there, Im telling you the truth. You know, I always did know that Nashville has some of the most beautiful people in the world, because Ive been in Nashville all my life. These people, you cant beat em. Sure cant. Customers, friends, some of them, I call them a friend because they look for me. They ask me about this and that, and you know, anytime someone is providing you with currency, I think they your friend. It all depends on how you treat people. How you present yourself and how you treat people. When Im not selling out there sometime, I come back and they ask, Where you been? How ya doin? Stuff like that. Men and women and children. The children are so incredible, its beyond my comprehension. Theyll be hanging out their window with their money in their hand, little ol bitty devils, and I got a habit of waving at kids. They be in the backseat and boy, they just be wavin. And then sometimes when they come by and Im not waving at them, theyll be knocking on the window. That makes you feel pretty good. Probably the first time they ever waved at somebody in their life. Probably the first time a 80-year-old lady drive up to me, give me a dollar and smile. She probably aint smiled in a long time. I can see it in their face.
You see, Im out there making people smile, Im happy. They make me smile, I make them smile. Pass it on. Thats joy. You know what I mean? Yeah. Thats where I get my joy fromseeing people happy. I hate seeing people down and everything. Sometimes you have to be, sometimes I am, but I try to hide mine.
What was it like growing up in Nashville?
Well, I was the 11th child out of 12. I was next to the baby. And, I growed up in the Baptist church, as a matter of fact, Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church. And, Ive been there all my life. I still go. Im just going to stay there until I die, I guess. You cant run me out of that church. Ive been singing there ever since I was 7 years old. And Im still singing. I sing on the mens chorus, when Im able. Everything is just beautiful. I had some bad times, I took myself through some bad times. God is so forgiving that he brought me out of that.
When were you homeless for the first time?
I left home when I was 11, and I stayed with some friends of the family. I stayed with them until I got about 16. I was homeless then, but I was just staying with them. When I became 19 I went down to the Mission and stayed there for a long, long time. I got fortunate and stayed with some people, but it didnt go right. I think my last homeless day was when I was 57 years old. Thats when I got my Section 8 apartment.
Where else did you stay during that time?
Well, I found a half of a school bus right out here on Murfreesboro Road. I kept seeing it, and I was trying to see if anyone was going over there and stuff. So, I started moving mattresses and chairs and covers and cardboard boxes and I stayed in there for about three years. I froze my butt off. People kept coming around giving me blankets, so I had about 17-20 blankets and I stayed up under them.
It was a big ol bus. It looked like somebody cut it in half and set it over there. Wasnt no seats, empty front half, there wasnt no steering wheel or nothing in there. But it had all the windows, so I just set up camp, sure did. It was so far back off the road that you really couldnt see if anyone was over there, but you could see the bus. I had a little table in there, candles, everything. I used the Mission address to get my food stamps and I was going to various places to get canned food. Then, I got my Section 8. I had signed up for it, but it took so long to get it. Everything fell into place. God makes things fall into place, all you have to do is sit back and let him work. Thats right.
Did you work during that time?
No. My mind was tore all to pieces like a fried egg.
I used to be a cabinet builder. I worked at a cabinet company here in Nashville. I worked for them for a long time, and I got too slow so I had to leave there. Those cabinets were on an assembly line and you have to keep up. I was the door person who put the door on the cabinet. They had to be equal and I had to be fast because I had to get back off that cabinet and look at the doors and they had to be even. If they werent even, I had to take that sucker out and get it even. So you had to be fast. If youre putting out anywhere from 1,500 to 1,800 cabinets a day
that wheel was rollin.
But, here in Nashville, people dont want to hire you when you get a certain age. But, the last job I had, I worked at the Hard Rock Café. I opened them up on my birthday, the 21st of June. I worked there a little while, and there had to be speed in that, too. I was over the dish room and I had two little workers in there from Scotland or somewhere and they couldnt speak my language and I couldnt speak their language, but we worked together. We got the job done. They was twins. Two little Scottish twins.
What are your hopes for the future?
Well, I been trying to get closer to God. Ive come a long ways, Ive had some good days and Ive had some bad days. Right now Im trying to get closer to God and trying to teach my children the same. Because without God, I wouldnt be nothin. Probably wouldnt even be here because he has blessed me tremendously. Probably wouldnt have known you. So, Ive come a long ways to meet you. So, thats just about it. I just hope everybody finds what they are looking for, but keep God first. Sounds good to me.
Sissyk
(12,665 posts)Sissyk
(12,665 posts)Guess everybody is too busy arguing. lol!