Ash-Shaheed Rabbil’s Sales Skills Stand Out

Is that Street Sense vendor balancing an Apple laptop on his arm!!! I did a double-take. No, it’s not a sexy white Apple Mac he’s holding. Surprise changed to curiosity. I approached the vendor, Ash-Shaheed Rabbil, and told him laughingly what my first impression had been. He proudly showed me his invention.

“I found some white posterboard and cut it so my stack of Street Sense could nest right inside. The corners I laced together with black shoelace. Then I notched a loop to slide a pencil in.” Ash-Shaheed plucked at the elastic band stretched over the newspapers so they wouldn’t fly away.

“I pasted a front page of Street Sense onto this posterboard sign here. It’s detachable. I can sit it into the front of the box or take it out, slip my hand into this handle hold, and wave it to attract customers, like this.” (see photo)

– Barbara Becker

Jeffery McNeil Columns Leave An Impression

As a supporter of “Street Sense,” I would like to compliment Mr. [Jeffery] McNeill on his well-written columns [and] fighting spirit. I work as a monthly volunteer in the Church of the Pilgrims soup kitchen and observe the valiant struggles of individuals such as your columnist. He is touching many lives outside of his own.

– P.M. McCarter/Washington

Smoking Article Provided Great Information

Hi! I really enjoyed the smoking article in the current edition- very interesting. The note about cigarettes serving as a cure for boredom was particularly intriguing, and made a lot of sense. It also made me wonder if Street Sense or other homeless organizations have a way to make donated books available to the street community? I realize the homeless have access to the public libraries but also imagine they’d like books of their own. If you know of a place to donate books, I’d really appreciate learning of it! It seems like a good way to help cure some boredom – it certainly works for me.

– Carrie Callaghan