2 GROUNDCOVER NEWS GROUNDCOVER letter to the EDITOR Last week, I was walking in downtown Ann Arbor when a Groundcover News vendor (I'm not going to use his name out of respect for his privacy) asked me if I was interested in buying the latest issue. As is often the case, I was running late, but I love Groundcover News content and always enjoy meeting the vendors. So, we chatted for a minute while I paid for my copy of the special edition and then I kept it moving toward my destination. As I was walking away, I heard the vendor asking another person nearby if they were interested in buying a copy. When I didn't hear anyone respond, I decided to observe from across the street to see how it would play out. In the few minutes I stood observing across the street, I saw multiple people, some with young kids, walk past this vendor, either ignoring him entirely, acting as though they didn't hear him speaking to them, or demonstrating an unwillingness to talk with him through their dismissive body language. I know there are many other people who DO acknowledge or stop to speak with vendors or others when approached on the street, but I've seen the opposite happen enough times that it feels necessary to say something. If you feel such a sense of urgency to get to your destination that you choose not to acknowledge that someone is speaking to you, please take time to reflect on why you prioritize your own sense of urgency over respecting another human being's humanity. If you're not familiar with the work of Tema Okun, please take time to learn about White Supremacy Culture and how this behavior perpetuates it. (tinyurl.com/00001441) If you find it scary or uncomfortable to be approached by a stranger in public, please take time to unlearn the “stranger danger” myth and learn how to identify and respond to legitimate safety concerns rather than fearing all strangers and teaching your children to do the same. (tinyurl.com/14410000) Whether folks we encounter on the street are selling things like Groundcover News to make money, asking for money without having anything to sell, or just trying to be acknowledged and seen as fellow human beings, the very least we should do is acknowledge them with kindness and care. Our children are watching how we move through the world. We have a responsibility to move with kindness and care for everyone in our community, especially for the folks who are the most marginalized. If you've read this far and find yourself feeling defensive or like your individual experience isn't reflected, please try to recognize that a 700 word piece can't possibly capture all of the contextual factors that may impact each person's capacity for engagement with strangers. That said, we have to be mindful of the power dynamics inherent in our interactions with the people around us. Our individual traumas, mental illnesses and upbringings don't exist in a vacuum. To borrow from my own experience, I'm a therapist who specializes in treating trauma, in part because I have a history of complex PTSD. Because of my professional and personal privilege, I have access to the quality therapy and psychotropic medications that I need to help me function. Even so, I have struggled at times to be emotionally regulated enough to demonstrate kindness to folks who approach me on the street. If you're healing from trauma, caring for your mental health, dealing with the effects of prior street harassment, etc., and it prevents you from engaging with the folks who approach you on the street, I truly get it and empathize with how difficult that can be. And, I hope you receive the kindness and care we all deserve and you're able to pay it forward when strangers approach you for help or support. — Erica Johnson JUNE 30, 2023 CREATING OPPORTUNITY AND A VOICE FOR LOW-INCOME PEOPLE WHILE TAKING ACTION TO END HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY. Groundcover News, a 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in April 2010 as a means to empower lowincome persons to make the transitions from homeless to housed, and from jobless to employed. Vendors purchase each copy of our regular editions of Groundcover News at our office for 50 cents. This money goes towards production costs. Vendors work selling the paper on the street for $2, keeping all income and tips from each sale. Street papers like Groundcover News exist in cities all over the United States, as well as in more than 40 other countries, in an effort to raise awareness of the plight of homeless people and combat the increase in poverty. Our paper is a proud member of the International Network of Street Papers. STAFF Lindsay Calka — publisher Cynthia Price — editor Layla McMurtrie — deputy editor ISSUE CONTRIBUTORS Kevin Allgood Mohammed Al Mustapha Luiza Duarte Caetano Dalon Eaton Heather Feather Markona Love James Manning Erica Johnson Mike Jones Ken Parks PROOFREADERS Susan Beckett Elliot Cubit Zachary Dortzbach Anabel Sicko Sandy Smith VOLUNTEERS Jessi Averill Loga Brown Luiza Duarte Caetano Glenn Gates Alexandra Granberg Harleen Kaur Robert Klingler Holden Pizzolato Alex Tarbet Melanie Wenzel Mary Wisgerhof Max Wisgerhof Claud VanValkenberg Navya Yagalla Emily Yao GROUNDCOVER NEWS ADVERTISING RATES Size 1/8 1/6 1/4 1/2 full page Black/White $110.00 $145.00 $200.00 $375.00 $650.00 Color $150.00 $200.00 $265.00 $500.00 $900.00 Dimensions (W x H in inches) 5 X 3 or 2.5 X 6.5 5 X 4 5 X 6.25 5 X 13 or 10.25 X 6.5 10.25 X 13 CONTACT US Story and photo submissions: submissions@groundcovernews.com Advertising and partnerships: contact@groundcovernews.com Office: 423 S. 4th Ave., Ann Arbor Mon-Sat, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Phone: 734-263-2098 @groundcover @groundcovernews DONATE, PITCH A STORY + LEARN MORE www.groundcovernews.org linktr.ee/groundcovernews PACKAGE PRICING Three Months/Six Issues: 15% off Six Months/Twelve Issues: 25% off Full Year/Twenty-four Issues: 35% off Only run for two weeks/one issue: 40% off Additional 20% discount for money saving coupons
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