PROGRAM UPDATE VENDING WITH RAELENE BY ELISABETH MONAGHAN AS THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR for the Denver VOICE, Connie Gaitan spends her days greeting vendors, distributing papers and any Venmo payments vendors haven’t picked up, and checking in with vendors that haven’t been by the office in a while. When vendors are looking for services related to mental or physical health, food, shelter, or other critical resources, Gaitan connects them to providers who can help. Gaitan loves her work and interacting with vendors who stop by, but as she was stepping into her role as program coordinator, Gaitan expressed how important it was to spend time with vendors while they were out vending the VOICE. Gaitan participated in her first “vending adventure,” when she accompanied Denver VOICE Vendor Raelene Johnson on a recent visit to Downtown Denver. “I didn’t realize how much of an impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the 16th Street Mall,” said Gaitan. “So many businesses have closed, and the Mall is now pretty deserted.” Johnson also commented on how different foot traffic on PHOTOS: CONNIE GAITAN the 16th Street Mall is compared to the last time she vended downtown. “I was shocked at how empty it was,” Johnson said. “The last time I was down here was for the Big Sell* in February 2020, but now, it’s really depressing.” While Johnson expressed disappointment in seeing how little traffic there was along the 16th Street Mall, she enjoyed interacting with those she saw while she and Gaitan were out. “There were some kids visiting from Canada, who wanted to hear my story, so I told them about my years of being addicted to drugs while sleeping under a bridge in Boulder, Colo,” said Johnson. “They wanted to know more about street papers and bought a paper from me to take back home.” According to Gaitan, Johnson also spoke to a man who overheard her on the 16th Street MallRide talking about the VOICE and was inspired by her story. “The man explained that he was a neuroscientist and was interested in learning more about Raelene, the Denver VOICE program, and finding out how he could contribute to the organization,” said Gaitan. Gaitan also said she looks forward to the next time she can join Denver VOICE vendors when they vend the paper. Johnson said she appreciated Gaitan’s interest in the vendors’ work. “It means a lot to the vendors to have support from Denver VOICE staff,” said Johnson. “Connie does good such great work at the office, but it’s nice to have her out there seeing what it’s like for us,” she said. “If any of our readers or supporters would like to experience what it’s like to vend the paper, they should call the VOICE office, and we can set something up.” ■ The Big Sell is an event held in different cities with street papers, where local celebrities, business owners, and community leaders team up with vendors to experience firsthand what it’s like to vend street papers. The VOICE has not participated in the Big Sell since 2020 but plans to participate in 2024. HOW TO HELP The money we take in from vendors helps us cover a portion of our printing costs, but we depend largely on donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations to help us pay our rent and keep the lights on. 1 4 GET THE WORD OUT We rely on grassroots marketing to get the word out about what we do. Talk to people about our organization and share us with your network. Support us on DONATE Donations to the Denver VOICE are tax-deductible. Go to denvervoice.org to give a one-time or recurring donation. You can also mail a check to: Denver VOICE | P.O. Box 1931 | Denver, CO 80201 3 VOLUNTEER We need volunteers to help with everything from newspaper distribution to event planning and management. Contact program@denvervoice.org for volunteering information. 5 SUBSCRIBE If you are unable to regularly purchase a newspaper from our vendors, please consider a subscription. We ask subscribers to support our program with a 12-month pledge to give $10 a month, or a one-time donation of $120. Subscriptions help us cover our costs AND provide an amazing opportunity to those who need it most. Go to denvervoice.org/subscriptions for more information. @denverVOICE 2 ADVERTISE Our readership is loyal, well-educated, and socially concerned. Readers view purchasing the paper as a way to immediately help a person who is poor or homeless while supporting long-term solutions to end poverty. If you are interested in placing an ad or sponsoring a section of the paper, please contact us about rates at ads@denvervoice.org. March 2023 DENVER VOICE 3
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