Real Change
Multimedia story by Jonathan King, click here to view.
Text by Lisa Porter
Fourteen Years of Real Change
Real Change vendors, many of whom were previously homeless, sell nearly 18,000 papers per week. — Real Change
“There ain’t no way I am going to make $1,300 a month—doing anything—and be homeless. It ain’t that kind of party.” –Edward McClain
Sixty-six-year-old Edward McClain is a veteran presence among the many colorful characters in Seattle’s University District. Stationed outside the Safeway store at 47th Street and Brooklyn Avenue, he sells copies of Real Change, a Seattle-based newspaper advocating for the city’s homeless.
A graduate of Northern Illinois University, Edward holds degrees in sociology and political science. His education helps in his job, he says, because he approaches everyone with an open mind and can see people for who they really are.
He moved to Seattle from Chicago to be near his son. Although he had plenty of money when he arrived, he soon found himself without enough to pay for an apartment. That’s when he became a vendor for Real Change. He coined his trademark phrase “Real Change sir, have a good day sir,” very early in his career, and has used it successfully for 14 years.
Despite the grueling 8-hour days, McClain loves his job and can’t imagine doing anything else. McClain particularly admires the fact that Real Change does not receive support from large corporations. The man and the paper are both independent institutions, and it’s easy to see why they are such a good fit.
3 Responses to “Real Change”
Leave a Reply
Blog at WordPress.com.
Theme: Monotone by Automattic.
So powerful! I would have never known he had two college degrees!
Gave me goose bumps! Loved this story, one of my favs!
Great job Jon! It was good before but the new quote you included is awesome and really adds something to the whole presentation.