Today we’d like to introduce you to James Shearer.
James, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When people think of homelessness they believe that we are homeless because they want to be, another perception is that we are all substance abusers or we’re all mentally ill, Spare Change was created by me and other homeless people and Tim Harris then the Director of Boston Jobs with Peace to change those perceptions and to educate the public by giving ourselves a voice and building a bridge between the haves and have nots. By empowering ourselves and other homeless and low income people, “To present by our own example, that homeless and economically disadvantaged people, with the proper resources, empowerment, opportunity, and encouragement are capable of creating change for ourselves in society.” The creation of this paper quite literally saved my life, I had been homeless on and off for 12 years before that mainly because of bad decisions I had made in my life, I had thrown away an opportunity at 17 because of a misunderstanding on my part, When I was in high school I was a writer and the editor of the school paper, I was well on my way to a journalism scholarship, my life was ahead of me and then I went down the wrong path, Spare Change helped bring me back. Not only did it help me change my life but for the last few years I’ve been the President of the Board of Trustees of the papers parent organization the Homeless Empowerment Project.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It is never easy running a non-profit, especially one that is trying to empower the homeless, we have encountered a wide range of personalities that have either tried to harm us or boost us, employing people and having dedicated board members has been tough as well mainly due to burnout, But are biggest problem has always been funding and trying to keep us from going over the brink. Our biggest challenge today is to stay relevant as print media has taken a beating over the last few years.
Spare Change News – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Becoming a Vendor at Spare Change is actually pretty simple, our rules for selling the paper are not complex, you must be sober while selling and be kind. You sign up get your picture taken. (All vendors must wear badge, they are green this year) after a brief orientation you get your first 10 papers free (they purchase papers for $0, 50 and sell them for $2) pick a location and that’s it, you can make as much money as you want including tips. We also pay vendors to write for the paper and we also have a Speakers Bureau where Vendors can earn money for speaking at schools, churches, etc. What sets us apart is our message of empowerment.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I define success by not giving up, I believe if you want to get out of homelessness you must have the will to do so, if you don’t you will be lost to the streets.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1151 Massachusetts Ave Cambridge Mass 02138
- Website: www.sparechangenews.net
- Phone: 617-497-1595
- Email: director@sparechangenews.net
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