Vendor Story: Keith Hardiman

In the mornings I am at Lake Street and Michigan Avenue in front of Starbucks from 6 to 10 Monday through Friday. I catch the morning crowd coming to work: people who open up, bosses who come early, those who have been away since the pandemic and have come to get supplies from work. I am staying consistent, being polite.

I haven’t really changed my habits. It’s a good location where I am. But some days I go down to Michigan Avenue and Pearson Street, across from the Water Tower, from 12 to 3 or 4 o’clock.

The 3 o’clock crowd is the shoppers. It’s been quite a few. But I’ve been frustrated. They bypass me and go to the panhandlers, the ones with the signs and the cups. It’s not me. They figure the panhandlers need more help than I do because I am out there selling magazines.

Macy’s closing is not going to put a damper on everything. People are still coming to the Water Tower to shop. Then you have 900 N. Michigan, the John Hancock, Fourth Presbyterian Church. It’s a lot of other things.

I don’t make as much as I used to before the pandemic. Now I barely get $25 to $35 in the whole week. But I stay consistent because there are people who know that, since the pandemic, I have been struggling. They donate to me and buy magazines. Some have subscriptions. Some saw me modeling GiveAShi*t [in StreetWise magazine during the holidays, with all proceeds going to StreetWise]. They bought some shirts for the family as Christmas gifts.

I pay by the day at a hotel; that’s $35 a day. This whole pandemic year, I have spent $13,200 on the hotel. I have been struggling. But due to the census [StreetWise vendors were paid to find homeless people and encourage them to fill out the census through a YWCA Metropolitan Chicago outreach program] I was able to survive this summer and everyday I’m here. I have been trying to apply over the phone and online for housing, Section 8, but nothing has come of it.