March

StreetWise merges with the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago

StreetWise and the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago merged! By leveraging our collective resources, we are able to provide more opportunities for our vendors and job seekers and to have access to additional resources for growth. We are also able to focus more on innovation and new social enterprises that increase low barrier opportunities to employment. As a trailblazer in social enterprise and micro-entrepreneurship, StreetWise had been searching for an innovative, collaborative partner to re-imagine solutions for stabilizing the lives of at-risk individuals through expanded employment and supportive services. We have found that partner in the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago. This is such an exciting time for StreetWise as we launch a new chapter in our evolution.

Travel Issue & Lockdown

For those who may not know, StreetWise Magazine operates on a 2-week production schedule, meaning we sent our March 16 edition to the printer one week prior, with another week in production, and could not foresee the trials the world is facing due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Our always entertaining and beautiful Travel edition (which highlights vendors from around the world and their favorite spots to visit in their hometowns) was released on the first day of shelterin-place. Looks like no one is going anywhere! As we navigated the quarantine, we decided not to publish a March 23 edition, to encourage vendors to shelter-in-place. As a result of the lockdown, StreetWise began publishing digital editions on April 6, offering single issues and subscriptions, with sales still benefiting vendors. The digital version of Street- Wise is now a permanent part of our production schedule, and subscriptions are available at www.streetwise.org/subscribe, but please always support your local vendor when you can!

I’M STILL HERE

StreetWise launched the I’M STILL HERE campaign to raise funds for StreetWise Vendors and to enable StreetWise to continue to provide essential services, food, masks, and hygiene kits to our vendors. The campaign kicked off with a news story by ABC7. Flyers were created for vendors, who posted them at their selling spots to remind customers that they are, in fact, still here, with information on how to support the vendor and how to subscribe digitally. Funds raised from the campaign also allowed us to provide stipends for vendors while print production was halted.