Real Change News | Vendor of the Week: Daryl Bennet

September 17, 2008
Vol: 15 No: 39

Vendor of the Week

Vendor of the Week: Daryl Bennet

by: Danina Garcia

Daryl Bennet, Vendor of the Week.

Photo by: Danina Garcia , None

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I like Daryl Bennet, but I’m biased. He’s the only vendor who I can talk Philadelphia with when I’m homesick. So sitting down and finding out who he is, instead of just where he’s from, was pretty cool.

The first thing I find out floors me: since elementary school, Daryl’s wanted to go into the priesthood. “I’ve always been religious and spiritual,” he says; “now it’s time to enact my desired vocation.” He sees himself as part of a tradition of older professionals who retire to the priesthood; says it’s a common thing, and would like to do it.

The second thing I find out is a little sadder: like many people here, his journey starts with a funeral. When his mom passed away, he needed to leave Philadelphia; a short plane ride and a loooong bus ride later, he took a job at a friend’s gardening company in San Francisco, where he worked for 14 years.

Later, he stopped in Seattle on his way to Alaska, looking for work. He’d sold San Francisco’s street paper and been successful, so when another vendor showed him Real Change, it seemed like a good fit as he “sows his spiritual roots.”

The third thing I find out about Daryl is that he’s got a tough, but fair, judgment to deliver on Seattle’s care for its homeless. He cites the lack of consistent nighttime buses, and talks about sleeping in Park and Rides because the last bus stopped at 10. He describes walking all night, feeling the lack of any nighttime drop-ins or walk-in-off-the-streets shelters for somebody who just needs a roof. He names a few shelters — which I won’t — and tells me about harsh regulations, constant barriers, and one-mistake-and-you’re-barred policies. He’s not ranting, just telling it like it is.

You can find Daryl telling it like it is near UW, walking up and down the Ave. His message to his customers is simple: “Thank you very much. And please buy the next issue!”

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