Tag: voices from the streets
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Remembering when
There are times when I find myself drifting back into the past. Some memories are good. Others not so much. But when an old friend passes, I drift back to a time that makes me laugh and makes my heart ache at the same time. There was a time in the early ‘80s when I…
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Just a Kid
On a rainy Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago, I was making my way to Shaw’s supermarket to pick up a couple of items in time for a sporting event I planned on watching that evening. On the way out, I noticed a kid who couldn’t have been more than 14, maybe 15. He was…
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Another Year
This month, Spare Change News turns 24 years old. It’s hard to believe. I’m not going to get into how we got started. That’s a story for another day. But I will say that I’m surprised we’re still here, and even more surprised at where I am now compared to where I was then. Before…
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More Work to Do
Last Tuesday the body of a young homeless woman was found in a tent in Lynn Woods. A few days before that, I’d bragged about how my adopted hometown was ahead of the curve when it comes to homelessness. That may be true, but death still claims those living on the streets. This means there’s…
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Vending from Coast to Coast: An Interview with Marlon Crump
My name is Mike, and I’ve been a Spare Change News vendor at Whole Foods Market on Prospect Street in Central Square, Cambridge for over six years. This past October, I visited a friend in Portland, Oregon. One day, while in downtown Portland, I came out of a 7 Eleven Store and saw a blue-suited…
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The Frustration of Homelessness
On March 21, a group of homeless advocates and homeless and formerly homeless people visited Boston City Hall for a hearing with members of the Boston City Council to secure the mayor’s support for funding the Housing Voucher Program. The goal was to develop a program that would use city funds to house individuals and…
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Fare Increase… Again?
It’s been a while since I’ve spoken ill of the MBTA. In fact I haven’t spoke about them at all, mainly because there’s been little to talk about, at least with me. After all, given the heat they took last winter, what could I possibly add to that? But, as we all know, it’s only…
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The Church of The Coveted Glen (Conclusion)
Read part one here. Lucy practically moved into his residence. Greta, at first, took great umbrage at the Lucy Pharr invasion. This, in itself, was extremely unusual. Most of the congregational women that had fallen under the spell of the passionate minister had not even registered the flicker of an eyelid belonging to the now…
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Plan…? What plan?
A couple of weeks ago, several homeless advocates and I received word that a homeless man from a Boston shelter had died from meningitis. A few things ran through my mind as I talked with the other advocates. Obviously, my first concern was making sure our own vendors were safe. My other thought was: why…
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Voices from the Streets: A Hidden Violation (Conclusion)
Read part one here. (I had just gone into the courtroom, attempting to take care of a matter that was more serious than I had presumed: a felony possession of heroin with a suspended sentence.) I placed my hands on the rail so Judge Luby wouldn’t see them shaking. My public defender explained that I…