Samel Leparan Ntiwuas: seeking greener pastures
By Samel Leparan Ntiwuas on Samel grew up in the Bay Area, and wants to find a better life here. But the cycle of homelessness is hard to escape.
Street Spirits
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Street Spirits is a monthly feature in which someone who lives on the street tells us their story.
Star: on the loneliness of living unsheltered
By Martha Cast on Star reflects on the reason why it is so difficult to become housed. Plus, an update about Street Spirit vendor Vernon Dailey.
Josh: Sailor, diver, ‘decent human being’
By Martha Cast on Josh, who is 47, maintains simple, attainable goals: to be happy, and to be a decent human being.
Vinola Stallings: Getting back on track
By Sabrina Kharrazi on If there were ever a person who embodied relentless curiosity and persistence, it would be lifelong Oakland resident Vinola Stallings.
Vernon Dailey: former ‘canvass king,’ currently in search of housing
By Sasha Weilbaker on Street spirits is a monthly feature in which a Street Spirit vendor, or someone who lives on the street, tells us their story.
Shawn Moses: Recently housed and full of hope
By Sabrina Kharrazi on Street Spirit vendor Shawn Moses just moved into housing after spending more than ten years on the street.
Tyrone Jones: Husband, landscaper, adventurer
By Noah Baustin on Street Spirit vendor Tyrone Jones selling papers by the corner of Shattuck Avenue and Vine Street. But Berkeley feels like a far cry from Jones’s childhood in a small community north of St. Louis, Missouri.
Al Mayfield: Jazz musician, fisherman, optimist
By Simone Rotman on On Friday November 13, Al Mayfield sells Street Spirit at his usual spot: the corner of College Avenue and Shafter,
Olantis Livingston: the Big Man of Downtown Berkeley
By Katherine Blesie on Meet longtime Street Spirit vendor Olantis Livingston. “I’ve been through the good, the bad, and the ugly, and this right here is my therapy.”
Alando Williams: friend, father, South Berkeley staple
By Katherine Blesie on Around 12 years ago, Alando began selling Street Spirit. “I’m out here every other day,” he explains. “Some days I come out here and don’t make nothing. I just like conversating with people.”
Ken Jones: Cat owner, Street Spirit vendor, Berkeley staple
By Alastair Boone on Ken Jones stands on the corner of Addison and Shattuck, waiting for people to exit a concert at the Freight and Salvage, or a play at the Berkeley Rep. In the cool evening light, he catches the eye of patrons spilling out of the theaters, flashing a broad smile at each person who looks up as he broadcasts his patter over the crowd.
Celebrating the life of Mike Zint
Michael “Mike” Zint, an outspoken activist whose “Poor Tour” around Berkeley thrust the plight of homeless people in city officials’ faces, died on February 14. He was 53.