About

Street Paper:

The Contributor is Nashville’s only street newspaper. We strive to print a monthly paper that accomplishes the following:

• Provides a diversity of perspectives and info on the condition of homelessness while highlighting the contributions of homeless and formerly homeless individuals.

• Provides homeless and formerly homeless vendors with a source of income.

• Creates community between vendors and customers.

"Street Newspaper" is a term for a newspaper that focuses on the issues surrounding homelessness and poverty and is sold by homeless and formerly homeless individuals on the street as an alternative to panhandling.

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Vendors:

All of the vendors selling this paper have experienced homelessness and they keep the profit from each paper that they sell. We start them out with free papers, and, if they like selling, they return and purchase their supply from us for 25¢ each, sell them on the street for $1 and keep the profit.

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Submissions:

Our issues are released the final Wednesday of each month and the submission deadline for content to be considered for publication is the Wednesday two weeks before release.

If a contributor is homeless or formerly homeless, they may submit content on any subject. If a contributor has never experienced homelessness, then the subject of their submission needs to be on homelessness or poverty.

Submissions may be emailed to thecontributorstaff@gmail.com.

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Staff:

Tasha French (Director; Designer) is a photographer in heart and homeless outreach worker and graphic designer by profession. She became interested in homelessness in 2002 upon moving to Nashville and working downtown. She has since spent time out on the streets, photographing and interviewing homeless individuals and looking for God. This project can be found at: www.sanshouses.com. Tasha has recently joined the NASNA board of directors. With the help of some good therapy and some fine friends, she hopes to one day find faith and peace of mind.

Tom Wills (Director of Vending; Treasurer) is a local artist, Nashville native and a member of The Downtown Presbyterian Church where he and other artists have studio space. He has been volunteering for 13 years at the church's weekly lunch for the urban poor. He was also a founding member of Belcourt Yes!, a non-profit formed to reopen the Belcourt Theatre in Hillsboro Village. He runs a blog reprinting two devotional texts chosen by theologian/poet Charles Williams: tomwills.typepad.com/thenewchristianyear

Andrew Krinks (Copy Editor) is a barista, a writer, and a newlywed. He first became involved in issues surrounding homelessness in his junior year of college when he and his friends were surprised to find themselves organizing a demonstration in front of the Metro Courthouse in downtown Nashville, petitioning the mayor to build more low-income housing. Since then, he has volunteered at the Campus for Human Development teaching creative writing and washing feet. He is most interested in how creativity and theology are mutually informative and hopes to explore this further through graduate studies in the coming years.

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Please Help:

Currently we operate with a volunteer staff and need individual donations to stay in production, to continue providing materials, such as work clothing, to vendors, and to begin paying part-time staff to be able to continue and expand the mission of The Contributor.

The North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA, a 501(c)3 tax-deductible organization) has agreed to be the fiscal sponsor for The Contributor as we enter into the final stages of applying for our own 501(c)3 status. This agreement allows us to immediately begin accepting tax-deductible donations. Please send checks to our P.O. Box below made to NASNA with “The Contributor” in the “For” blank. You may also donate securely via the PayPal link below. If you need to donate by another means, please contact us any time.

Please contact us with any questions. Any donation is greatly needed and appreciated.

Thank you so much for your support!

We also currently need volunteer help with grant writing and updating this website.

Thank you so much for your support.

Email us questions, comments or requests to volunteer, be added to our mailing list or to advertise at thecontributorstaff@gmail.com.

The Contributor
P.O. Box 332023
Nashville, TN 37203

615-829-6829

 

The Contributor is a member of