EDITOR’S NOTE WHEN VENDORS FIRST TALKED about what question they wanted to answer for this month’s Ask a Vendor, the initial ideas were about love and friendship. And then we discovered our longtime vendor and dear friend to many, Brian Augustine, had taken his life. Suddenly, the focus shifted to ELISABETH MONAGHAN MANAGING EDITOR celebrating Brian’s life.For anyone who knew Brian, he had his share of physical health challenges. Sometimes, months would pass before he would stop by to help out at the office or purchase his papers, but we knew it was only a matter of time until he would show up with a bright smile, wearing a baseball cap or one of his signature holiday-themed hats. What we didn’t recognize was just how greatly the countless obstacles Brian faced weighed so heavily on him. On social media, people frequently post reminders to treat others with kindness and compassion because we never know what hardships or difficulties anyone else is facing. We are told to check on the people we love and let them know we’re thinking of them. Yet, despite those reminders, people dear to us slip through the cracks. How do we make sure there are no cracks to slip through? Love should be all we need, but maybe it’s more important to know we are loved. This issue is dedicated to Brian Augustine, but it is also dedicated to the other vendors we’ve lost since February 2020. Others who participated in our program in the past may also have died, but the vendors whose deaths we’re aware of include Dwayne Pride, Alvin “Mustafa” Cotton, Victor Bowie, and Brian Augustine. Each of them was a member of the Denver VOICE family. Each of them played an important role in ensuring we fulfill our mission to give everyone a second chance by offering low-barrier opportunities to earn an income. We can never fill the void left by the loss of Dwayne, Mustafa, Victor, or Brian, but in the spirit of love and friendship, we will continue to recognize how their lives enriched the Denver VOICE and made us all better people because of them. ■ THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS BRIAN AUGUSTINE was a Denver VOICE vendor for12 years. He was a frequent contributor to the VOICE, including the last installment he wrote for this issue in his column “Back on the Streets.” GILES CLASEN is a freelance photojournalist who regularly contributes his work to the VOICE for editorial projects, fundraisers, and events. He has also served on the VOICE’s Board of Directors. DENVERVOICE.ORG CE.ORG @deeOCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR James Kay MANAGING EDITOR Elisabeth Monaghan PROGRAM COORDINATOR Connie Gaitan GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hannah Bragg VOLUNTEER COPY EDITORS Aaron Sullivan Laura Wing ARTISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS Breez Giles Clasen WRITERS Breez WHAT WE DO The Denver VOICE empowers homeless, impoverished, and transient individuals by creating job opportunities through our vendor program. We give our vendors a job and help them tell their stories; this creates a space for them to be part of a community again. Vendors purchase copies of the VOICE for 50 cents each at our distribution center. This money pays for a portion of our production costs. Vendors can buy as many papers as they want; they then sell those papers to the public for a suggested $2 donation. The difference in cost ($1.50) is theirs to keep. WHO WE ARE The Denver VOICE is a nonprofit that publishes a monthly street newspaper. Our vendors are men and women in the Denver metro area experiencing homelessness and poverty. Since 2007, we have put more than 4,600 vendors to work. Our mission is to facilitate a dialogue addressing the roots of homelessness by telling stories of people whose lives are impacted by poverty and homelessness and to offer economic, educational, and empowerment opportunities for the impoverished community. We are an award-winning publication, a member of the International Network of Street Papers and the Colorado Press Association, and we abide by the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics. John Alexander Lando Allen Brian Augustine Rea Brown Giles Clasen Raelene Johnson Jacob Marsh, Sr. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nikki Lawson, President Chris Boulanger, Vice President Jeff Cuneo, Treasurer Zephyr Wilkins, Secretary Donovan Cordova Raelene Johnson Jennifer Seybold Julia Watson Cabal Yarne EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT editor@denvervoice.org VENDOR PROGRAM program@denvervoice.org • (720) 320-2155 ADVERTISING ads@denvervoice.org MAILING ADDRESS PO Box 1931, Denver CO 80201 VENDOR OFFICE 989 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 80204 With the money they make selling the VOICE, vendors are able to pay for their basic needs. Our program provides vendors with an immediate income and a support group of dedicated staff members and volunteers. Vendors are independent contractors who receive no base pay. OFFICE HOURS: Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Orientation is held every day we are open, but prospective vendors must arrive by 10:00 a.m. 2 DENVER VOICE February 2023 STAFF CONTRIBUTORS BOARD CONTACT US
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