By Morgan AmosA man stood along downtown’s South Michigan Avenue, shouting to people as they walked by. “StreetWise!”
“Buy StreetWise!”
The man with the salt and pepper goatee, selling the magazine that focuses on the homeless and related issues, seemed undeterred, even by a sudden burst of rain. It was 3:30 p.m. on a Wednesday. Nearby, people stood at bus stops, listening to music. Others passed the street vendor on their way about their business.
And yet, Daniel Howard, the man hawking StreetWise, remained steady as the rain that fell on Michigan Avenue, even despite the lack of sales and the evidence that passersby were more interested in escaping the cold and rain than in buying the magazine. This is how Howard makes his living.He is a vendor for StreetWise, which for some homeless has proven to be one road to a better life, at least one off the streets.
Among them is Howard whose eyes tell a story of sadness and pain, though also show a glimpse of the hopefulness he now has with a new job he has had for slightly less than a year, but that he says in many ways has already changed his life.
“It made me look at myself in a different way,” he said during a recent interview. “It made me start saving up my money instead of messing it up all the time. It made me want to go and get an apartment and start school again.”
Howard says that he has been off the streets for nine months now and that StreetWise—
at least the opportunity of being able to make money selling and promoting the magazine—has greatly impacted his life.
Before StreetWise, Howard says he used to live on Lower Wacker Drive—the underground makeshift street haven where many a homeless man in Chicago dwells in the shadows of downtown buildings–in cars and cardboard havens. He said that he used to get his food from local pantry places. That he makes some money on the side by helping his family with any construction work they need done whether it’s laying tile or putting a new light bulb in.
Howard, a vendor for StreetWise, is part of the franchise that StreetWise has established. StreetWise Magazine was started by Judd Lofchie and has been around since 1992. It is a non-profit organization designed to help men and women who either are homeless or near homeless find a way to have a source of income through selling StreetWise magazines. Suzanne Hanney, editor-in-chief of StreetWise, says the way in which vendors like Howard make their money is a two-step process.
First, those interested must attend an orientation on Mondays or Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Then they receive 15 free newspapers and a temporary orange identification badge. To become a fully-fledged vendor, they must sell at least 50 papers within two weeks. Those who do get a permanent badge with their picture on it.
Once the orientation is complete, StreetWise sells the papers to vendors for 75 cents, and the vendors, in turn, sell the magazine for two dollars on the streets. Annually, 416,000 StreetWise Magazines are sold, according to officials.
The name StreetWise means wise to the ways of the streets and the people who live there. At 51, Howard says he is wiser and in some ways richer.
It was 5:25 p.m. as he walked down Michigan Avenue on a wet and cold evening, carrying StreetWise magazines to sell.
“I am content with my life right now,” he said. “I have my own apartment. I have food, clothes, and I am taking it one day at a time.”
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