| Any
regular at West Seattle’s PCC knows Yvonne E.’s
coy smile, knows how it has a way of pulling you toward
it— Yvonne is this week’s vendor of the week
if for no other reason than that smile.
Yvonne came to Seattle after falling on hard times in
her native Sacramento, Cal., in hopes of finding resources
more widely available to the homeless. Within a year,
two Real Change vendors had approached Yvonne and suggested
she sell papers. And, although initially hesitant, Yvonne
has since become one of Real Change’s top-sellers,
covering turf from the University District to West Seattle
and back.
When asked how Real Change has changed her life, Yvonne’s
answer is ready and precise. “Real Change,”
she says, “has blessed me [and] empowered me to
prosper.” She added with a grin that government
assistance had a funny way of changing the way she thought.
To Yvonne, Real Change hasn’t just meant a paycheck,
but also financial independence and self-esteem.
Real Change has another plus for Yvonne, though—
through the paper, people are made more aware of social
problems in Seattle and the nation at large. And that,
said Yvonne, is the paper’s greatest strength.
To her customers—her friends—Yvonne wants
to say, “Thank You!”
—JP Gritton |
