“What I appreciate about my fellow vendors is that these are people who come from or have been in the same situation that I’ve been in, which is a homeless situation. And we’re all in the same cause of working our way out of a homeless situation to better ourselves in a constructive manner. You know a lot of us could be out doing crime or selling drugs, but we choose not to. We choose not to break the law. We choose to work our way out of a bad situation the best way that we can. Real Change allows us the opportunity to do that.” — Buddy McArdle, Real Change vendor since 2003
“Real Change vendors add a crucial link between people because they take the ideas and stories that [the Real Change editorial staff] are writing about and bring them to the customers and readers. And in the process, [the vendors] create this conversation that wouldn’t happen if they weren’t there. It’s a people-to-people conversation, and I appreciate that because it’s really unique to have that kind of conversation with all kinds of people across all classes and races.” — Amy Roe, Real Change editor
“[Real Change Vendors] are helping people who are homeless go from invisible to visible to a valued part of the community. That’s the sort of relationship-building we need in society to progress, and really [Real Change vendors] are out there doing it every day.” — Jenn Pearson, Real Change volunteer coordinator
“There’s a lot of people still out on the street, still out here doing doing drugs; they’re still addicted. They look at my life [and the lives of other Real Change vendors] and they see what kind of change we could make, that I could make, with Real Change selling papers, and then they want that, too. You know, they got a hunger to better their life.” — Addis Michael, Real Change vendor since 2008
“I think the thing that I appreciate most about [the Real Change vendors] is that sometimes I’ll see a vendor give his last dime or his last quarter to another vendor to get a couple of papers, and I find that really inspiring to see somebody just giving the last little bit they’ve got to help somebody else. The paper, and the vendors themselves, add a lot of culture and education to the city. We’ve got a lot of ambassadors out there selling the paper and speaking out against poverty and poverty issues.” — Scott, Real Change volunteer
“The thing that’s been most noticeable to me about the vendors is the absolute generosity I see. I’ve literally seen somebody give somebody the shirt off their back in the Real Change office. A guy came in one day and he was just soaking wet and all he had on was a T-shirt. It was about 40 or 45 degrees out, and this vendor comes up and says, ‘Here, you need this worse than I do.’ I’ve never seen that happen anywhere else.” — Dennis, Real Change volunteer
“The vendors are always very enjoyable to talk to; frankly they’re very professional [in] the way they sell the paper. They’re remarkably cheerful for [people who are deemed] ‘not our most successful citizens.’ I look forward to just having a few words with them — they know how to hold down their turf and win their [customers] over.” — Jim, Real Change customer, Whole Foods at 65th & Roosevelt
“Thanks Real Change vendors. You make a difference. Thank you!” — Davi, Real Change customer, PCC, West Seattle
“The Real Change vendors provide a point of view that you can’t get from commercial newspapers. I want to diversify my reading; in fact, I kind of stopped reading the commercial sources. Real Change is the only paper I buy now. The Real Change vendors are wonderful people. They’re working and selling a good product. If you care about your community you should know other perspectives and stories — there’s more than one side to the story. — Valerie, Real Change customer, PCC, West Seattle
“What I appreciate most about Isaiah is his great spirit. He’s always happy. I think he attracts a great group around him, and that really benefits the store. I’m always happy to see him — he makes people happy. Real Change Vendors add to our community by being out there doing something for themselves. It shows the people of our city that there’s value there.” —Tami, Whole Foods store team leader, Whole Foods, South Lake Union
“I think that every person has a value, and all of us can be in any situation. So when I can help, I help because you never know in a year where you can end up yourself. You never know who will help you next; it could be Reggie [RC vendor]. Reggie is a part of the community, and we are all equal, so he’s no different than me and I’m no different than him. I appreciate that we all see the diversity, and sometimes people’s hearts get softer when they help others. So in this way Reggie serves us; when we help him, our hearts get softer for those of us whose hearts have become too firm. It’s not about the size of your home, it’s about the size of your heart.” — Leana, Real Change customer, Specialty’s Cafe & Bakery, 3rd & Spring
“Terry adds to Ballard. Real Change is a good product and provides information about local and national issues that I like to see. Thank you Real Change, and thank you Terry.” — Real Change customer, Bartell Drugs, Ballard
“I appreciate that my local Real Change vendor is selling newspapers that are informative and well written. The vendors add color, information and a sense of caring to our community.” — Susan, Real Change customer, Bartell Drugs, Ballard
“My fellow Real Change vendors are very hard-working people and most of them treat the customers with respect, and I appreciate that they are there for our customers. The paper itself, it sells itself. The customers come in and get the paper, and they look forward to it. So it adds a lot to the community because it keeps [our customers] aware of things that are going down and things that are happening before they see it on regular news. Thanks Real Change vendors; keep making it happen!” — Terry Cunningham, Real Change vendor, Bartell Drugs, Ballard