OCTOBER 16, 2026 ON MY CORNER MEET YOUR VENDOR Cindy Gere, Groundcover vendor No. 279 In one sentence, who are you? I am a street pirate. Where do you usually sell Groundcover? At Sweetwaters on Ashley and Washington Streets in Ann Arbor in the morning either from 7-10 a.m. or 10 a.m. - noon. When you die, what do you want to be remembered for? My kind heart. What book, show and/or movie read/seen recently would you recommend and why? Game of Thrones, and other action adventures and fantasies are fun. It’s one big journey of anticipation. If you could travel back in time, what time period would you travel back to and why? I don’t want to go to the past, I would rather go to the future. 2065 when we got flying cars and cyborgs, robots and life free of taxes. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? Japan because of the advanced world they live in and the Trust Society they have. They do tech differently. If you could choose any two famous people to have dinner with, who would they be? Call me nuts but Elon Musk and DJT because I would talk to both about a mandate for hiring homeless people for all jobs. We need a WPA! If you could instantly become an expert in something, what would it be? I always wanted to be a cattle person but do it with bison and elk and help my tribe up North in the Deep Woods. If you had to teach a class on one thing, what DENISE SHEARER Groundcover vendor No. 485 would you teach? I would teach people about how to pack properly as a homeless person with one basic pack and nothing else. Being a minimalist matters as a homeless person. If you could give a piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be? Believe you can do it no matter what is thrown at you because you got you always. Tell us about an experience or person that/who changed your life in some ways? The Traditional Shaman from up North in my Tribe who told me how my life was going to be — it all turned out to be true and it’s only getting better. What is the reason you get up in the morning? My late grandfather got up at four in the morning to go fishing and then hunting — he is inspiring. What would your entrance theme song be? "Revolution Calling" by Queensrÿche. What is a compliment you wish you received more frequently? We all love you Panda. Describe your perfect day. My perfect day is when everyone gets along and shows it outward to each other in Ann Arbor. What is something you would not want to change about yourself? My optimism. What was your happiest memory from this past year? Christmas party at Groundcover. October is a beautiful month. It is a time for being thankful for everything good in the month, like treats, good food, festivals and gatherings. It is a time everybody can be who they want to be on Halloween. It is also a time to celebrate Jesus while you are enjoying Halloween. Churches do special activities for Halloween, including giving out treats at Trunk or Treat events. The church activities are indoors or sometimes outdoors when the weather is nice. I really like the fall colors in October. Orange, brown, yellow, red and purple – just like the colors of the tree leaves and the flowers that pop open during the month. 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. October joy GROUNDCOVER NEWS 3 October is a busy time for animals. I see bunnies, deer families, squirrels, chipmunks and birds eating and collecting food and getting ready for the winter time. Some people call October harvest time. It is a good time to enjoy the harvest for everybody. For example, I like to watch the German Oktoberfest on YouTube on my TV. I like to listen to the festival’s polka music. Some people are singing to the music on stage or at the tables where people are sitting and eating. It is nice to watch everyone dancing to the polka music and seeing how much of a fun and an enjoyable time it is for everyone there. I really like the clothes people wear for the festival. October is one of the most beautiful fall months!
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