Save the Date for our June Celebration!
Greetings to you from the crew at Street Books, where we are focused on staying upright in sideways times, supporting one another with love and respect during political tumult and cruelty. It's a challenging time to be a nonprofit when so many organizations and vulnerable people are threatened. We are determined to be part of the growing movement in Portland, building a community where all people belong and are known, where everyone has access to safety and security and the resources to thrive.
When you get behind Street Books, what do you get for your money? A kinder street, books to the people, Naloxone for the overdose, and steady work on solutions and root causes of houselessness. We provide resources and advocacy for people living outside, and cultivate mutual relationships rooted in dignity and autonomy. Thank you for your support.
Last month, the writer Stephen King sent a box full of his own books. Okay, it was his assistant that actually mailed the box, but we were reminded of how many writers around the country have supported Street Books from the beginning. That's why we created Writers for Street Books, a movement of writers who believe in the power of literature and want to ensure access to people living outside in Portland. Are you a writer who would like to donate your books, talents or funds to Street Books? Simply fill out the form and we'll get in touch with you.
As we mark Year 15 on the streets of our city, we thank you for your support and invite you to our annual Revelry & Community Celebration, June 26th from 5:30-7:30). Our event will feature the writer Karen Russell and musician Laura Gibson and readings from Street Books library patrons! See you there!
(Peter Parks, with his son Daniel, delivering supplies from the Joint Office of Homeless Services to Street Books librarians to hand out on the street))
Why do you support Street Books?
I have been doing community organizing work for many years, including with undocumented people and now mostly with houseless people. My dear neighbor Diana Rempe introduced me to Street Books years ago and it was immediately a perfect fit for my support. My wife May and I have donated books and money to help the amazing work Street Books does, not just to make books available via the bicycle library, but more importantly to encourage community among those living on the streets and between houseless and housed folks. This is grassroots organizing at its best and a major way we are going to get through and beyond the present fascist tendencies.
What book(s) are you reading right now or what’s one you recommend to people?
I read a lot of books. I especially read Native and Black authors. Toni Morrison is my all time favorite. The one book I recently read that I like a lot is The Mighty Red, by Native author Louise Erdrich. The last book I read is The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by the English author Rachel Joyce.
Interested in volunteering for Street Books? Email librarian@streetbooks.org
