Street Sense (newspaper)

"Street Sense" is a Washington, D.C.-based 16-page bi-weekly street newspaper that was founded in 2003. Its mission is to raise public awareness on the issues of homelessness and poverty in the city and to create economic opportunities for people experiencing homelessness. The newspaper features writing and articles about homelessness and poverty, written by homeless or formerly homeless people and other volunteers.

History

"Street Sense" began in August 2003 after two volunteers, Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson, approached the National Coalition for the Homeless on separate occasions about starting a street newspaper in Washington, D.C.

After bringing together a core of dedicated volunteers and vendors, "Street Sense" published its first issue in November 2003 with a print run of 5,000 copies. For the next three years, the paper published consistently on a monthly basis and greatly expanded its circulation and vendor network.

For the first year, "Street Sense" operated as a project of the National Coalition for the Homeless, but in October 2004, the organization incorporated and moved into its own office space.

In March 2005, "Street Sense" received 501(c)(3) status, becoming an independent non-profit organization.

In October 2005, "Street Sense" formed a full board of directors, and in November that year, the organization hired its first employee, co-founder Laura Thompson Osuri, as a full-time executive director.

A year later in November 2006, the organization hired its first vendor coordinator, Jesse Smith, Jr.

In February 2007, the paper started publishing twice a month as the network of vendors expanded to more than 50 homeless men and women. To support the increased production, "Street Sense" brought on Charles Jackson as its first full-time editor in chief in April.

Jackson left two months later, and "Street Sense" hired Kaukab Jhumra Smith as its new editor in June 2007.

Vendors

With a monthly circulation of 11,000 issues, "Street Sense" is always sold by individual vendors who are homeless. Each vendor pays US$0.25 for a paper to cover publishing costs, and in turn, sells each paper for a $1 "suggested donation". Customers often choose to pay more than $1 for a paper as a charitable donation.

Vendors must wear a "Street Sense"-issued identification badge while selling papers. Many also wear a yellow vest with the "Street Sense" logo. They agree to abide by a code of conduct, listed below, while selling papers.

According to a December 2006 survey of 30 vendors:
*52 percent have lived in D.C. all their life
*36 percent sell Street Sense 20 to 40 hours a week
*14 percent moved into housing since selling Street Sense
*27 percent started full- or part-time jobs since selling Street Sense

Vendor code of conduct

All vendors must agree to the following code of conduct:
*"Street Sense" will be distributed for a voluntary donation of $1. I agree not to ask for more than a dollar or solicit donations for "Street Sense" by any other means.
*I will only purchase the paper from "Street Sense" staff and will not sell papers to other vendors (outside of the office volunteers).
*I agree to treat all others—customers, staff, other vendors—respectfully, and I will not "hard sell," threaten or pressure customers.
*I agree to stay off private property when selling "Street Sense".
*I understand that I am not a legal employee of "Street Sense" but a contracted worker responsible for my own well-being and income.
*I agree to sell no additional goods or products when selling the paper.
*I will not sell "Street Sense" under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
*There are no territories among vendors. I will respect the space of other vendors, particularly the space of vendors who have been at a spot longer.
*I understand that my badge is the property of "Street Sense" and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing the papers and display my badge when selling papers.
*I understand that "Street Sense" strives to be a paper that covers homelessnes and poverty issues while providing a source of income for the homeless. I will try to help in this effort and spread the word.

Funds

"Street Sense" is funded through vendor sales, advertising, grants, and donations. In 2006, the total income for Street Sense was $132,175. Of this, $46,000 came from grants, $34,407 from donations, $18,260 from newspaper sales, $9,954 from contributed goods and services, $9,077 from advertising, and $2,375 from subscriptions.

In 2006, the total expenses for "Street Sense" were $100,371. Of these, $43,328 went toward payroll and taxes, $19,248 to printing, $8,768 to marketing and fundraising, $6,233 to professional fees, $5,159 to technology and communication, $4,330 to office supplies and postage, $2,407 to vendor support, $1,856 to insurance and $9,042 to "Other."

Affiliations

"Street Sense" is a member of the North American Street Newspaper Association and the International Network of Street Papers.

External links

* [http://www.streetsense.org Street Sense official website]
* [http://www.nasna.org North American Street Newspaper Association]
* [http://www.street-papers.org International Network of Street Papers]