A seller of "The Big Issue" - a primary participant in ISNP
This is part of our regular series of dispatches from our foreign correspondent currently on location in Scotland:
Walking down the street in Edinburgh, I run into a lot of people (sometimes figuratively, mostly literally) who want my attention.
Actually, they want any body’s attention. They are trying to promote events, sell mobile phone service, ask for money for charity, or sell newspapers.
But what really got my attention was this recent newspaper article about the street newspaper sellers.
These sellers are Hawking for the Homeless!
The article tells that the International Network of Street Papers provides job opportunities to some participating cities’ homeless and impoverished populations. This program allows them to purchase the newspapers at 50% of the cover price, and what profit they make they get to keep. This helps participants work their way into permanent employment.
Sounds like a pretty good idea. Perhaps is this another reason to support the print newspaper industry?
Next time I see someone on the street hawking papers, I’ll be more tempted to buy a paper. Like the saying goes, there is a story behind every paper… and every paper seller.
