Vendor of the Year John Brown travels the farthest every day to get to his sales location. Without fail, he can be found at Food Front Co-op in the Hillsdale Shopping Center. John has become a part of the fabric of that community, taking perch each day on Food Front’s porch. On the days with the worst weather, John is typically invited into the store to sell the paper.
John Conlin, the store manager for Food Front Cooperative Grocery in Hillsdale, and his assistant, Jeff Hough, took the stage at Street Roots’ Annual Family Breakfast to present the Vendor of the Year Award to their friend John.
“Almost six years ago, I came to Food Front, and when I met this guy out on our store’s patio, selling Street Roots,” Conlin said, “almost instantly we clicked as being from the East Coast, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., actually. I am always on the look out for those with whom I can talk sports. Well, to say the least, John was that guy.
“Over the years since, John has almost every day been out on our patio or, when the weather is really foul, inside in our seating area, greeting all of our customers and gracefully offering them a Street Roots paper.
“I check in with John just about every day to talk some baseball – Yankees and Tigers especially – but often we drift to politics, world affairs, books, movies, a bit of George Carlin memories and anything else that is happening. John has become so much more than a vendor at our store. He is a part of our store team, and my team and I all love him.
“On the occasional days he is not there, my staff always ask about him, for he’s a part of our family. At the co-op we have on our signage, ‘We are stronger together,’ and John truly embodies that message every day.
“When I am out talking with him, I get to see the awesome interactions he shares with all of our customers. Everyone loves John, and they all take a moment from their busy days to share a smile or a few words with him. And every day, with every person he encounters, John gives a genuine, warm smile and a kind word, subtly reminding all of us that we are all on the same team. That each one of us matters and that we can make our lives, our communities and our world better if we all just take a moment to see with better eyes and try to connect with those we encounter along our paths. I truly feel honored today to present to all of you the Street Roots Vendor of the Year, my friend John Brown.”