Travel to the Hillsdale Library during mid-week, and you will run into Street Roots vendor Nathaniel Yanzecick in a bright T-shirt with a beaming broad smile, selling the newspaper.
“The customer is always right,” Nathaniel, who embraces life with earnest enthusiasm, said.
Nathaniel spends two hours traveling by bus to his post, where he stations himself near the retail stores Basics Market and Baker & Spice, three days each week. He lives in East Portland, in a Multnomah County foster home supporting clients with disabilities.
His work week is busy. On Mondays and Fridays, he buses to Cascade Station, where he works on a cleaning crew for Old Navy. His salary from the department store goes toward his group home rent. The money he makes selling Street Roots goes toward extras such as recreation and vacations.
“I really like to do active things,” Nathaniel said.
He likes to swim in the Ida B. Wells-Barnett High School pool or work out at the Planet Fitness Gym in his spare time. Nathaniel is also enthusiastic about visiting many Portland recreation centers like the Portland Zoo, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and Oaks Amusement Park. When Nathaniel isn’t working or visiting his favorite spots, he listens to music and watches The Simpsons.
But he likes to explore, and trips with his group home can facilitate this. He traveled to Florida on one trip and is planning a trip to California next month.
“I can’t wait to see the giant pandas at the San Diego Zoo,” he said.
Nathaniel has a mother, brother and sister in the Portland area who he visits frequently. He has lived in a foster home since 2012 and worked as a vendor since 2018. In earlier years, he attended Grant High School.
“I like working as a vendor,” Nathaniel said. “I sell a lot of papers. Some people buy them and some don’t, but I meet many people. Sometimes special customers give me $10 or $20 even $50 — that is nice. I would like to meet a girlfriend so we could help each other.”
You can find Nathaniel at his post at the Hillsdale Library on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays or support Nathaniel through @StreetRoots Venmo by entering his name and badge number (411) in the notes.
Street Roots is an award-winning weekly investigative publication covering economic, environmental and social inequity. The newspaper is sold in Portland, Oregon, by people experiencing homelessness and/or extreme poverty as means of earning an income with dignity. Street Roots newspaper operates independently of Street Roots advocacy and is a part of the Street Roots organization. Learn more about Street Roots. Support your community newspaper by making a one-time or recurring gift today.
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