Dear Vendors,
My time at Street Roots has come to a close, and I wanted to tell all of you goodbye and thank you. Thank you for letting me be a part of your lives this past year. It has been a joy and an honor.
I joined Street Roots to offer a “year of service.” And I hope I was of some service, but what I know for sure is that for whatever I have given, I have received so much more. For whatever difference I may have made, you all made a difference in my life, and you make a difference in the community every day.
You welcomed me into the Street Roots family. Now, I’m not going to say that there weren’t challenging days, but it was a gift to wake up each day looking forward to coming to work. You offered me friendship, laughter, new perspectives, forgiveness and stories. You all are an amazing group of humans.
There is a lot of vitriol, hate and fear surrounding homelessness and poverty in Portland right now. I know that you all confront this head-on as you face the public every day. I commend you for standing tall and working as ambassadors of Street Roots. The relationships you form with customers and interactions you have in the community make a difference. You all are a beacon of hope and goodness in the city.
As I have been with you this past year, I have witnessed resilience, resourcefulness, generosity, humor and love. You have renewed my beliefs that each and every person has dignity and worth, that there is always hope and that no one is beyond redemption.
I am proud of each of you. I’m proud of you for working to improve your lives. I’m proud of you for creating change in Portland. I’m proud of you for the community you create and contribute to each day. Each of you has a special place in my heart, and I believe in you. You are capable of so much. I wish the very best to you.
And, hopefully, I’ll see you around town!
Scott spent the past year as Street Roots’ volunteer coordinator and program assistant in a year of service through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps NW.