'I wouldn't turn my back on them': StreetWise magazine celebrates 30 years in Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago's award-winning independent news source and the nation's longest running street publication is celebrating its 30th anniversary on Wednesday.
StreetWise is more than a magazine, it's a social enterprise with the mission of helping the city's homeless and at-risk community.
CBS 2's Shardaa Gray shows us how the publication has stayed in business for so many years.
"StreetWise today?"
At the corner of 16th and Clark...
"Thank you anyways. Enjoy the rets of your day."
Right outside of Mariano's, you'll find Kianna Drummond, who works for StreetWise.
"I was homeless, living house to house. I didn't have anywhere to go until I met StreetWise," said Kianna Drummond.
StreetWise is a nonprofit weekly magazine that spotlights homelessness , poverty, injustice, inequality and life in Chicago. Wednesday will be its 30th anniversary, August 24th, the day it was founded.
Executive Director, Julie Youngquist said the magazine initially started as a newspaper in 1992.
"The idea came from Judd Lofchie, who is our founder, he had seen a similar model in New York City and thought, we should just bring this concept to Chicago," Youngquist said.
More than 350 homeless individuals purchased and sold more than 60,000 issues of StreetWise within the first five weeks. Youngquist proudly showed CBS 2 30 years of vendors' badges.
Today, StreetWise has 115 active vendors, mostly homeless men and women, who make $1.85 for every magazine they sell, plus tips.
The vendors sell about 13,000 magazines a month and 160,000 a year with some increased inventory for special editions. The magazine sell for $3.00, but in 1992, it sold for $1.00.
"All of those dollars matter so they can afford rent, utilities, their phone," Youngquist said. "All of those other things that are sort of a lifeline back into the community."
Drummond said every now and then, she'll get other job opportunities, but turns them down.
"They saw me, they helped me when I thought there was no help. So it's like, I wouldn't turn my back on them," Drummond said. "Even if I do find another job, I still would purchase magazines."
StreetWise will celebrate Wednesday at its headquarters, but will also be at Union Station with signs and balloons.
Have you gotten your #StreetWise30 anniversary edition yet? Debbie has copies at the Whole Foods in Lakeview on Halsted! (She is also a cover model!) pic.twitter.com/XgO75gK263
— StreetWise (@StreetWise_CHI) August 23, 2022