One year ago this month, all of our StreetWise Magazine vendors lost their jobs. But these aren’t typical jobs with unemployment benefits; these are small businesses they are managing, at which they earn an income with dignity. With empty streets and shuttered buildings, their small businesses folded with little hope for a swift return to pre-COVID sales anytime soon. This issue marks the one-year anniversary of pulling magazine vendors off of the streets, publishing only the
digital version of our magazine, and turning our mission “a hand up, not a hand out” on its head as we prepared to provide emergency financial support to our vendors for the next 10 weeks. Unfortunately, this sudden loss, sudden change, and sudden shift to a new normal, is well, normal for many of our vendors. However, they are resilient, resourceful, and innovative in how they manage the systemic and situational barriers to their success.
March 22, 2020 StreetWise began its first round of emergency financial support
“I am getting most of my meals here so I can save the money to pay rent.” “This cash assistance means the difference between sleeping in a bed and sleeping on the street.” “It’s scary out there. I gotta have a mask so I don’t get sick. I’m so thankful that I can get a supply of masks each week.”
April 6, 2020 Print publication of the magazine stopped; StreetWise became a digitalonly publication
May 18, 2020 Vendors returned to work, doing U.S. Census outreach with homeless people throughout the City
March 5, 2020 StreetWise merged with the ywca metropolitan chicago
March 13, 2020 Shelter-in-place order in effect; streetwise remains open
March 27, 2020 StreetWise moved from Uptown to 2009 S. State Street
StreetWise Magazine [Letter from the executive director _ / _ 2020 _ timeline] [PG _______________________________________________________004]
April 13, 2020 Launched the “I’m Still Here" Campaign to encourage subscriptions, purchases, and general support for vendors
