4 GROUNDCOVER NEWS PANHANDLERS Panhandlers vs. street vendors There are many hustles in the streets of America when it comes to low-income and unhoused people. In the streets of Washtenaw County, you might see the unhoused panhandling or selling Groundcover News to make money. People might think panhandling and selling street newspapers are the same thing, but they are not. There are a lot of differences between the two street hustles. I thought the same way when I first started selling Groundcover News, but soon I became educated by reading the publication. I learned quickly that I was involved in something much more than making a few bucks. I read an article written by Groundcover writer and vendor William Shakespeare on Ida B. Wells, titled, “Anti-Lynch Crusader.” Then I came to learn about Frederick Douglass, an American Abolitionist, and how they both used publications like street newspapers to bring awareness and to make change during turbulent times in American history. A panhandler is like a rebel without a cause, whereas a street newspaper vendor is representing a cause whether he or she knows it. The main purpose of a street newspaper is to provide employment for the homeless and low-income individuals, and to bring awareness to homelessness, poverty and social justice. Most panhandlers panhandle for their immediate wants and needs. Some panhandlers plead in the name of food, knowing damn well they’re going to get some crack (drugs). Don’t get me wrong, this is not always the case, because some panhandlers have good intentions and mean well. MIKE JONES Groundcover vendor No. 113 Unlike the street newspaper vendor, the panhandler doesn’t have to put money into making money. A newspaper vendor has to pay for the newspapers he or she sells. At Groundcover News the vendor pays fifty cents per newspaper and then resells the newspaper for two dollars, making a $1.50 profit. Another difference is accountability. The street panhandler has nothing and no one to account to. Whereas the newspaper vendor has not only the street newspaper as an organization to account to but also his fellow vendors. What most people don’t know is that newspaper street vendors are independent contractors who provide valuable information to the community by being a part of production (writings and photos) and newspaper sales. Groundcover provides the unhoused and those in poverty a platform for their voices and support in Washtenaw County through the publication itself and through social and civil engagements, where vendors can voice their opinion and concerns in civil and public matters that concern the unhoused / low-income community. Before Groundcover News, when I was unhoused and addicted to drugs and alcohol, I used to panhandle to get what I felt I needed, like food, alcohol and drugs. As I grew as a man, I got off drugs and alcohol and got a job. I began to regain my sense of pride. I didn’t want to have to ask others for food, clothing and shelter. It's in our nature to be independent. As parents we have watched many times our children seek their independence — they don’t want to hold your hand when crossing the street, or they want to zip up their own coat. It's normal to seek independence! There are a lot of unhoused individuals who suffer and have been diagnosed with mental illnesses. Some unhoused mentally ill individuals are on drugs, furthering the problem of mental illness and their unhoused status. I have been asked several times while selling Groundcover News by customers: “How do I know who to give money to because I don’t want to give money to someone who is going to buy drugs with that money?” I always tell them to seek conversation with the unhoused and learn their story. A lot of the unhoused and those with mental illness have few friends, so friendship goes a long way in the unhoused community. Make a friend and assess their needs, and offer aid and assistance where you see fit. I myself give to people regularly because I know their story. I have been involved in the unhoused community for over 20 years and I learned that by communicating, one can gain a better picture of the unhoused community, and the individual whom you met. Support street newspaper vendors and the unhoused community! Happy Holidays!!! NOVEMBER 28, 2025 Groundcover Vendor Code While Groundcover is a non-profit, and paper vendors are self-employed contractors, we still have expectations of how vendors should conduct themselves while selling and representing the paper. The following is our Vendor Code of Conduct, which every vendor reads and signs before receiving a badge and papers. We request that if you discover a vendor violating any tenets of the Code, please contact us and provide as many details as possible. Our paper and our vendors should be positively impacting our County. • Groundcover will be distributed for a voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for more than the cover price or solicit donations by any other means. • When selling Groundcover, I will always have the current biweekly issue of Groundcover available for customer purchase. • I agree not to sell additional goods or products when selling the paper or to panhandle, including panhandling with only one paper or selling an issue more than 4 weeks old. • I will wear and display my badge when selling papers and refrain from wearing it or other Groundcover gear when engaged in other activities. • I will only purchase the paper from Groundcover Staff and will not sell to or buy papers from other Groundcover vendors, especially vendors who have been suspended or terminated. • I agree to treat all customers, staff, and other vendors respectfully. I will not “hard sell,” threaten, harass or pressure customers, staff, or other vendors verbally or physically. • I will not sell Groundcover under the influence of drugs or alcohol. • I understand that I am not a legal employee of Groundcover but a contracted worker responsible for my own well-being and income. • I understand that my badge is property of Groundcover and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing the papers. • I agree to stay off private property when selling Groundcover. • I understand to refrain from selling on public buses, federal property or stores unless there is permission from the owner. • I agree to stay at least one block away from another vendor in downtown areas. I will also abide by the Vendor Corner Policy. • I understand that Groundcover strives to be a paper that covers topics of homelessness and poverty while providing sources of income for the homeless. I will try to help in this effort and spread the word. If you would like to report a violation of the Vendor Code or leave positive review of a Vendor experience please email contact@ groundcovernews.com or fill out the contact form on our website.
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