Dear Street Sense Readers,

Nov. 15 marks the three-year anniversary of the first issue of Street Sense. As we turn the ripe old age of three, I officially can say that the terrible twos were not terrible at all. In fact they were wonderful and very prosperous.

In the last year, 91 men and women have sold Street Sense as permanent “badged” vendors and we currently have 44 active vendors, 25% more than this time last year. This is due in part to better word of mouth recruiting from our existing vendors and a vastly improved vendor training process, which includes a formalized vendor training packet and 10-minute video.

Advertising in the paper has significantly increased, although we still could do more. Our advertising income so far this year is about 15 times more than last year at this time. This increase was aided by the fantastic results from our readers’ survey in June and our new information pamphlets.

Editorially, there have been quite a few positive results. We changed the paper’s layout twice, and have also seen some direct impact from our articles. A story about homeless people being hired well below minimum wage to evict tenants spurred a class action lawsuit against the eviction companies. Also, our intense coverage of the closing of the Franklin School Shelter and the backlash from residents that followed played a role in the city’s recent decision to keep the shelter open.

All of this comes during a year that was markedly different from the first two; a year ago I was hired as the executive director, Street Sense’s first fulltime employee, and it was also the first year we applied for – and received – grants from private foundations.

Besides these obvious increases to the checkbook and staffing, there were also many unassuming improvements that made a huge difference in the success of Street Sense these past twelve months.

First of all, there was the increased professionalism and poise among our vendors. Among the hundreds of responses from our readers’ survey were comments like, “The vendors are always warm and kind,” “Our contact with vendors has been meaningful and a growth opportunity,” and “The vendors are doing an excellent job. Very friendly and professional.”

Additionally, volunteers are more dedicated and skilled then ever. This comes through in a more up-to-date website, improved pictures and graphics, many more in-depth and investigative stories, and near mistake-free copy.

Also, the commitment from donors and readers grew last year. This was clear the night of Raising Dollars and Sense – our first formal fundraiser -- when about 140 people came out to show their support. The September event was a huge success, raising more than $9,000 and, more importantly, raising awareness about what we do.

With all this success and change behind us, we move into our fourth year of operations anticipating even more positive growth. Most importantly, we have just hired a new vendor manager, Jesse Smith, Jr. He comes from our vendor and writer ranks and I am thrilled to have him on board. I am confident that his skills and expertise will help to increase the number of vendors and improve the opportunities and training for existing vendors.

In the next few months, we also hope to hire a fulltime editor, tripling our staff from last year! This will allow the paper to start publishing twice a month, and will also help to further develop our editorial content and layout.

So, it is safe to say that we have come a long way in three years. When Ted Henson and I released the first issue of Street Sense on Nov. 15, 2003, we barely could fathom getting out the next issue and rounding up a dozen vendors, let alone becoming the professional operation we are today. We have gone from a small project with handful of vendors and 5,000 copies to an independent nonprofit with two employees, nearly 50 vendors and dozens of volunteers, printing 13,500 issues a month with plans to soon print semi-monthly.

Thank you to all who have helped us along the way to reach this level. Whether it was giving money, donating your time, selling the paper, or simply reading Street Sense and spreading the word, your contribution helped further our success and is very much appreciated.

Please continue to support Street Sense and its vendors during this next year. We have big plans for Year Four but they cannot be fulfilled without your involvement and help.

Happy Anniversary, Street Sense!

Laura Thompson Osuri
Executive Director