You could recognize Omar's laugh from a mile away. Cheerful, kind-hearted, and talkative, it's no wonder that he's one of Real Change's top sellers. "I only sell about a thousand a month," he says. But at a dollar a paper, that's not bad.
His thoughtfulness isn't merely reserved for his customers, either. Vendors down on their luck often find that Omar has donated papers to the office, just for them. He does it because he cares, plain and simple. And he knows what it's like to live on the streets.
"I used to be homeless for one year," he tells me, "but I made so much money last Christmas that I've been able to get off the streets and pay the rent now."
To pay rent, Omar works day and night selling Real Change, just like any other full-time job. "I'm out here because I have severe ADD," Attention Deficit Disorder, he says, "I can barely read or focus very well, so I've never been able to keep a job for more than three months."
But he's been selling the paper for about a year and a half going strong. Nevertheless, he doesn't plan to take a break anytime soon. Last week his car broke down, which makes seemingly easy tasks that much more challenging. Like grocery shopping.
"Right now I gotta take a whole day out and catch the bus downtown to the Viet Wah. And another whole day out just to get another bus to go to the Grocery Outlet."
"Why don't you shop at another store?" I ask.
"I have to go to the cheap stores...[otherwise] I lose about $30 in my food stamps."
You can find Omar at the Safeway at 85th St. and 15th. Ave., so be sure to pay him a visit and buy a paper. With your support he just might be able to get a new car.
To his faithful customers, he says, "Thank you very much."