Dear Readers:
My name is Alvin, and I’m a Street Sense vendor and an advocate for the homeless. You’ve probably seen me on Capitol Hill from time to time.
First of all I want to thank those of you who’ve taken time to acknowledge the first and only newspaper for, by, and about the many homeless individuals in our nation’s capital. Thank you for your donations, kind words, and continued support of our paper. And while I encourage you to keep up the good work, there’s still much work to be done. There are still thousands of everyday citizens who totally refuse to acknowledge those of us who do the very best we can with the limited resources at our disposal. Some people can give such a cruel look, that it makes one feel uneasy in approaching them. Some people make harsh remarks, and others act as if close proximity will contaminate them.
So, today I challenge you to buy at least two papers. One will be for you, and give the other to a friend, relative, or coworker. Help us to change the face of homelessness and eradicate these stereotypes. After all, we may be on top of things today, but we never know what comes our way tomorrow.
