You’ve probably seen the vendors out on the street and in subway stations who sell Spare Change News for one dollar. What you might not know is that same person keeps 75 cents of every paper sold, he or she may write for the paper, and many Spare Change vendors are homeless or have been homeless.
The mission of Spare Change News is to serve the homeless and raise awareness of the less fortunate. To expand on that mission, the paper recently brought a new editor-in-chief on board, the Rev. Osagyefo Sekou.
"When this opportunity came open to serve as the editor-in-chief of a paper that was run by — as well as served — the needs of the homeless, the low-income, and those who essentially live on the 'night side' of American democracy ... it was not even a question whether or not I'd apply for the job," said Rev. Sekou. Rev. Sekou replaced veteran journalist Tom Benner, who was at the helm of the paper since 2011.
"Our mission is not only to offer some supplemental income, but it's also to make homeless folks more visible," said Rev. Sekou. "Our paper may not end homelessness or poverty, but we want to create a discourse that can impact those who see homeless folks in their community."
Spare Change News was established in Cambridge, MA in 1992 by Tim Hobson. It had early support from Cambridge luminaries like Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn, who championed its dual-purpose mission to spread knowledge while helping those in need. Other cities have tried similar publications, but none have lasted as long as Spare Change News.
"Boston is privileged to host the nation's oldest continuous street newspaper. We have published 500 issues and have never missed an issue," said Rev. Sekou.
Spare Change News operates at a time when poverty affects as many as one in ten Bostonians. Spare Change publishes monthly, and vendors are located at train stations and intersections throughout the city.
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