Debbie DeBusk became a Real Change vendor roughly five years ago after selling The Seattle Times on the street corner. Debbie said selling a paper in that setting wasn’t working out, and she had a friend who was a Real Change vendor.
“I asked her, probably about a month later, I asked her how it works. So I said, ‘Oh, man, I’m gonna go try it.’”
Debbie currently sells at the post office in Magnolia, where she enjoys having solid relationships with her regular customers.
“I’ve been there about five years. Every year is different, I get a few of them that just hand me a dollar here and there, once in a while I’ll get a 20 from somebody, and the people are nice to me.’”
Her favorite part of Real Change is the people. Debbie says she can’t get another job because of limits that come with her Social Security benefits, but really enjoys selling the paper.
“[My customers] are good to me, and I have gotten comments on how I, you know, approach the people, you know, I don’t get angry or something, you know, I have a lot of comments because of that.”
Debbie’s favorite moments at Real Change are when customers give her a little extra for the papers, and when a specific issue of the paper sells really well for her.
She was particularly happy with the April 12 and 19 issues.
“That was a good issue, and the week before that was a good issue.”
Debbie said the newspaper is drawing in customers she’s never seen before.
“But that makes me feel good, you know, when I can sell good, you know, be more here or there and almost every day I’d go home with maybe one paper, two papers [left over]. But yeah, that makes me feel good, when I can sell good.”
Debbie is one of 300 active vendors selling Real Change. Each week a different vendor is featured. View previous Vendor Profiles.
Read the full May 17 issue.