While some human-services agencies are focused on offering immediate assistance, Real Change News provides homeless and low-income individuals with a steady source of income through its Vendor Services program.

The Seattle-based newspaper employs about 300 vendors per month. The vendors, who sell the publication, are mostly in Seattle, but they are located throughout the Puget Sound area — including Redmond.

A STEADY SUPPLEMENTAL INCOME

For more than a year, Kenneth Gutman has been selling Real Change in front of the Trader Joe’s in downtown Redmond as a way to supplement his fixed income. At 71, he receives social security after working in various industries. Gutman had previously worked as a fisherman, welder and truck driver, but eventually, his age and health caught up with him.

“I grew too told to keep up with the industry pace,” he said.

This being said, Gutman “still had to make a living somehow” and said he is very fortunate that Real Change exists. As a vendor, he purchases the paper at 60 cents each and sells them for $2. He works in front of Trader Joe’s every day except Tuesdays from about 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Gutman, who lives in Seattle, said before he started working at his current location (he has worked in front of other stores in Seattle and along the Snohomish-King county line in the past), he made sure to receive permission from Trader Joe’s to be there. He admits he has been on the receiving end of some hostility but said that is just the nature of his job.

“When you are facing the public, there is always some hostility,” he said.

He added that he never forces the paper on anyone and keeps his distance from the sidewalk so any accusation of him being intimidating is “absurd.”

Megan Do, program coordinator for Real Change, works as a liaison between vendors and the community and said before they can work, vendors sit through an orientation and must follow a code of conduct.

“Most of the time, our vendors are awesome and we don’t have to field (complaint) calls,” she said.

VALUED IN THE COMMUNITY

“His situation is actually pretty typical,” said Real Change founding director Tim Harris about Gutman. “A lot of our vendors…are on a fixed income.”

Harris said the majority of their vendors are 50 or older and it is pretty typical that they used to work in manual labor and can no longer do so.

“They’re not asking for a handout,” he said, adding that their vendors are independent contractors and self employed.

Do said Real Change vendors work very long hours and are out on the job rain or shine — because they need the money.

“This is their job,” she said. “For most of them, this is their only source of income.”

In 2012, Real Change conducted a survey of its vendors. Out of the 285 individuals who responded, 43 percent said they are currently homeless and 49 percent said they have previously been homeless.

Harris said the mission of Real Change is to provide opportunity and a voice for homeless and low-income individuals through the Vendor Services program as well as the publication’s content, which focuses on poverty, homelessness and social justice.

By providing a valued product for the community, Harris said working for Real Change can be transformative for their vendors. While they may have been isolated in the past, they become valued in the community.

Currently, Real Change is concentrated in Seattle, but Do said they also have vendors in Bellingham and Olympia and hope to bring the paper to other communities.

“We’re hoping to expand more into the Eastside and I believe Kitsap County,” she said.