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One Step Away, Philadelphia’s first street newspaper, gives voice of advocacy to city’s homeless
12/11/2009 8:28:39 AM
Contact: Kevin Roberts, RHD Communications, kevinr@rhd.org
PHILADELPHIA (Dec. 15, 2009) – One Step Away, the first street newspaper in Philadelphia’s history, hits the streets with its debut issue, giving the city’s homeless a voice on issues of shelter and affordable housing.
One Step Away is a monthly tabloid produced and distributed by men and women without jobs or permanent shelter. Homeless men and women from the Ridge Shelter and the Woodstock Family Shelter in Philadelphia are producing most of the publication’s content and are selling the paper on street corners in the Philadelphia area.
“This is our voice,’’ said Robertus Duncan, one of the members of the newspaper’s editorial board.
Resources for Human Development, a national nonprofit human services organization headquartered in Philadelphia, is sponsoring the initial press run. RHD operates the Ridge and Woodstock programs and plans to invite other homeless programs in the city to participate in One Step Away as it grows.
All One Step Away street vendors sign an agreement to abide by a code of appropriate conduct. They pay RHD 25 cents to offset the printing cost of papers that they then offer to the public for $1 donations, keeping the difference.
“Homelessness and affordable housing have always been important issues to RHD,’’ said Bob Fishman, CEO and founder of Resources for Human Development. “We’re thrilled to help provide this opportunity for the residents of our shelters to productively earn money, while also elevating the plight of homelessness on the city’s social radar.”
There are 26 street newspapers across the country, according to the North American Street Newspaper Association, but according to Andy Freeze, NASNA executive director, One Step Away will be the first street newspaper in Philadelphia’s history.
These newspapers historically have provided a much-needed means of income for the most vulnerable members of society. They have also been valuable means of expression for stories, artwork and poetry.The name One Step Away was chosen by the homeless men and women who make up the paper’s editorial board. The name has a dual meaning: Many people are one step away from homelessness, and the homeless men and women producing this newspaper are one step away from getting off the street.
“Each newspaper people buy helps a lot of us get one step closer to independence,’’ said Rosa Bermudez, an OSA editorial board member.
