WE ARE GIVING OUR VENDORS A RAISE!

StreetWise exists to elevate marginalized voices and provide opportunities for individuals to earn an income with dignity. Anyone who wants to work has the opportunity to move themselves out of crisis.  StreetWise provides “a hand up, not a handout.”

Assistant Director Alex Diamond jokes that his professional abbreviation, “A.D.,” should really stand for “Anxious Director.”

“We always have to think of what could go wrong, and what could be an issue,” explained Diamond, a graduate of Columbia College and a veteran of several local independent productions. A resident of Chicago’s West Side, he is currently working as an assistant director on the longtime NBC drama Chicago P.D.

Over 150 active vendors buy and resell StreetWise each month, with over 350 vendors who sell the magazine each year. Vendors purchase the magazine for $0.90 and resell for $2.00, keeping the profit and any tips. Selling the magazine is an opportunity to earn an income to meet immediate and basic needs. We offer a "hand up, not a hand out." StreetWise vendors are investing in their future as they seek a pathway out of homelessness and poverty.

The S.T.E.P. (StreetWise Transition to Employment Program) empowers individuals to get ready for a job, get a job, and keep a job. We offer job skills training, connections to employment opportunities, and ongoing support services.  S.T.E.P. offers a soft skills workshops for job seekers to build workplace skills, develop resumes and online profiles, as well as improve job search and interview techniques.