EDITOR’S NOTE FOR THIS MONTH’S Ask a Vendor question, Raelene Johnson, who has been with the VOICE for 16 years, suggested we ask vendors what lessons they’ve learned from vending the Denver VOICE street paper. If you’ve met Raelene, there’s ELISABETH MONAGHAN MANAGING EDITOR a good chance you’ve heard her compelling story. While Raelene will share some of her darkest moments leading up to becoming a Denver VOICE vendor, she also talks about how grateful she is to have been given a second chance. In our In Your Own Words section of this issue, you’ll see that Raelene has changed up her “Self Talks,” and instead, she has expanded on the list of lessons she has learned from being a VOICE vendor. While those lessons come from her experience, they apply to all of us. Learning to love ourselves is no easy feat, but Raelene’s words are a great reminder that it is worthwhile to make time to develop that relationship with Self. Another vendor who is a regular contributor to In Your Own Words is Gigi Galen. When she brought her illustration of the tiger (see page 13), Gigi told me it had a special meaning to her. The words “strong,” “defiant,” courageous,” and “assertive,” are pieces of herself she draws upon when she has to deal with unpleasant people, who treat those dealing with housing or financial instability as inferior beings. Gigi is a quiet soul, who likes her privacy and prefers being out of the limelight. But she is a strong and courageous person, who will assert that she – like any other human – deserves common courtesy, and when she or anyone around her is the recipient of someone’s inhumanity, she will defiantly challenge their behavior and intolerance. Whether it is a poem, story, illustration, or their answer to our Ask a Vendor question, Denver VOICE vendors put themselves out there so others can learn from their experiences, and those experiences teach us all the lessons of perspective and gratitude. ■ THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS ROBERT DAVIS is an award-winning freelance reporter for the Denver VOICE. His work has also appeared in Colorado Newsline, Business Insider, Westword, and Medium.com. FRANK DIANGELI is a PNW transplant who has spent six years in Colorado. He has previously spent much of his professional career working in case management at a homeless shelter. He loves movies, making music, and throwing any kind of flying disc. ADRIAN MICHAEL is a Denver-based photographer who specializes in editorial, portraiture, documentary and street photography. He’s been creating images for over 15 years and has a passion for capturing the true essence of people. DENVERVOICE.ORG E.ORG @deeOCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR James Kay MANAGING EDITOR Elisabeth Monaghan PROGRAM COORDINATOR Connie Gaitan GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hannah Bragg VOLUNTEER COPY EDITORS Lanie Lee Cook Aaron Sullivan ARTISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS Gigi Galen Adrian Michael WRITERS 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. Robert Davis Frank DiAngeli David Gordon Raelene Johnson Adrian Michael Jerry Rosen Steve Szloboda BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nikki Lawson, President Chris Boulanger, Vice President Jeff Cuneo, Treasurer Zephyr Wilkins, Secretary Michael Burkley Antonio Diaz Jennifer Seybold Julia Watson Cabal Yarne 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. 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 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 September 2023 STAFF CONTRIBUTORS BOARD CONTACT US
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