Vendor of the Week - Joe Howard

Vendor of the Week - Joe Howard
Feb 17, 2010
www.realchangenews.org
click "more info" to learn about Joe!

"I was a track maker, I was a lyricist, I was a show performer and a magazine writer."

Joe Howard believes in self-expression: "Self-expression helps the person to develop internally and to learn more about the world around them and themselves."

This week the nominated vendor wrote his own article. We thought it was great. So here it is:

Vendor of the Week: Joe Howard

By Joe Howard, The One and Only

Tucked away partly in on the block of 12th and Pine, facing the liquor store across from the police parking lot, stands a friendly, tall, strong looking vendor tossing sales questions to passersby, with a unique and interesting account of his present, past, and of course prospects for the future that entail, as he puts it, "more than my fair share of trials and tribs."

"Everything happens for a reason," he wisely exclaims, "Life has a funny way of doing things; good things come to those who wait but mostly those who hustle."

Joe is no rookie to the streets, having been on and off [of them] in four different states: Virginia, California, Florida, North Carolina and Washington DC. [This] has shaped his perspective of life and society in all sorts of critically profound ways.
"Its made me want to learn a whole lot about how money works," he says excitedly, "Selling is my thing; its one of the best and oldest ways of makin paper, catch my drift." "I love sellin' Real Change, it helps me reconnect with the community and penetrate silent barriers."

Joe arrived here in Seattle from Miami three years ago to start a home-based home inspection business when the realty market in Seattle was still strong. However, as things took a dip for the worse, so did his prospects and he ended up back doing day labor, which, as he puts it "sucks. All they do is use you and pay you peanuts."

Joe actually bounced in some of South Beachs ritziest night clubs, like the Opium. "I was the only one who didnt wear a bulletproof vest and was pretty well known in the local hip hop scene here in Seattle and achieved some notoriety in Miami nightclub magazines."

His plan for the future? "Id like to get into selling pet products and network marketing. It seems to be the best thing with the way the economy is."

To his customers: "Thanks a lot for the support and much love, come back and see me, ya hear, you guys have been real good to me."

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Joe Howard
• real change
• street newspapers
• homelessness
• community
• seattle