Local Nonprofit Paper Gives Voice and Opportunities to Homeless Population
Each morning, I walk from the lower highlands neighborhood to my office off of Park Avenue and Tremont. The walk itself, just over two miles, typically takes about 35 minutes, and each day I try and take a different route. Sometimes I head north immediately towards Park Avenue, other times I walk East for a while, enjoying the skyscraper views and busy morning commutes. Regardless of which path I choose, I always see the same man, selling the same paper at the same corner each and every day. He might not know it, but he’s become a cornerstone to my daily commute. I’ve never quite known who he is, or what he is selling, but after meeting with the Denver Voice last week, I wish I had asked.
As it turns out, this man is a vendor for the Denver Voice, a monthly newspaper that is sold exclusively by the homeless and/or poverty stricken community. The paper not only offers an income for its vendors, but also helps to tell their story. As its mission statement explains, the Denver Voice aims to “…facilitate a dialogue addressing the roots of homelessness by telling stories of people whose lives are impacted by poverty and homelessness and to offer economic, educational and empowerment opportunities for the impoverished community.”
The paper was first published in 1996 as a grassroots movement by the homeless population, and took a brief hiatus in 2006. After changes were made regarding staff and published content, the Denver Voice returned to print in 2007, and has been in regular monthly circulation since. Today, their offices are located in ULC’s Mountain View Nonprofit Tower, a seven story nonprofit center acquired in 2014 in downtown Denver. Their content varies from month to month, but uses articles from their membership of the International Network of Street Papers to help share stories from across the globe. The Denver Voice also asks vendors to tell their stories, encouraging them to write as often as possible.
“The paper is about trying to give a voice to people who are not always heard and do not always have a platform to be heard,” said Linette Hidalgo, the Program Director for the Denver Voice. “We like to try and take the opportunity to break down generalizations and give more of an individualized view…it’s really easy to think ‘homeless’ and have an idea of what that is.”
Hidalgo is currently part of the three person staff that makes up the Denver Voice. She explained that becoming a vendor for the paper is relatively simple, and in order to start, participants must attend a 45-minute orientation process. Upon completion, vendors receive their first 10 papers for free. After these are sold, they purchase each paper for an additional 50 cents, and vend for a suggested donation of $2.00. The entire process allows vendors to take charge of their situation, and make their own income right away.
“This gives them an opportunity to not have to pan handle and to have something they can feel proud of and say ‘this is a product that I believe in, something that is good for the community,’” Hidalgo said.
The flexibility of the job is one of its best attributes, as it allows vendors to choose the hours they work, where they would like to sell the paper and for how long they would like to vend. This is critical for the homeless population as they are often dependent on shelter hours, which are very time sensitive. Imagine trying to plan your day around waiting in line for food and abiding by shelter hours, all while trying to earn a living without a car or often times public transportation.
Today, the Denver voice has about 50 vendors, with an additional 6-10 people going through orientation each month. Hidalgo explained that many use the vendor program during a transitional phase in their life, while others sell the paper to supplement a preexisting income such as social security. A small percentage has even used their income from the Denver Voice to live in a house and have a car, although this is typically aided with a supplemental income.
At this point in time, the Voice’s readership reaches over 18,000 people each month, and vendors are currently selling 6,500 papers on a monthly basis. With 50 vendors located throughout the Denver Metro area, it is relatively simple to find someone selling a paper, and you should buy one today! To learn more about how else you can support Denver’s only nonprofit street paper, click here.