You may have seen people hawking newspapers in the last year outside Metro stations who said it was to “help the homeless” and thought it was just a scam. If they were selling copies of the Street Sense newspaper, think again: the people behind the paper say at least six formerly homeless vendors of the paper “now have apartments of their own, and more than two dozen have started part time or full time jobs — many of which were offered to them while selling the paper.” Street Sense is D.C.’s version of a national phenomenon – newspapers written and edited by volunteers and homeless people, and sold by homeless vendors to provide them a way to make some money.

Street Sense is about a year and a half old, and they said in December 2004 they had about 20 vendors selling newspapers every day. The papers cost $1, and the vendors keep $.70 while $.30 goes back to the nonprofit organization to pay printing and other expenses. The newspaper has been featured on WAMU’s Metro Connection program, as well as on PBS’s News Hour last December. We’ve heard recent editions contained some interesting poetry as well as extensive coverage of the closing of the Randall Street shelter. Interested in helping out? The organization is always looking for volunteers. Pictured is Jake, one of the Street Sense vendors.