These meetings are a highlight for all. They present a chance to hear about challenges and successes from the week just passed. Together we celebrate victories–like selling ten magazines in two hours or getting into an apartment. Rob Burbank, who spearheads business and community development for Speak Up, always brings a couple boxes of donuts. Coffee flows like…coffee. We laugh a lot. And sometimes cry. Vendors, volunteers and Speak Up employees intermingle on the couch, in chairs and around the table.

It feels a lot like family.

Above: Rob Burbank with a Speak Up vendor.

Here are a few laugh-aloud moments from today's meeting:

As we discussed life goals, a new vendor said, "My goal is having a sports car, because in the end that's all you've got." He paused, thought for a moment and added, "And maybe a horse."

A 29-year-old vendor said, "I've had 30 jobs, 30 cars and 30 homes. I'm a very successful man, but look at me now."

On a more serious note, our most successful vendor of 2012 shared one of his keys to success:

"Like Patrick Swayze said in Roadhouse, 'be nice.' And I'm nice–no matter what, I'm nice. Someone snarled at me, 'no, I won't buy your magazine!' and I said, 'thank you.' The next day they came back by, said 'you were really polite yesterday' and bought the magazine. You've got to be nice!"

If you're reading this, please accept an invitation to our vendor meetings. It's a great way to learn about Speak Up and what makes us tick. Mondays at 10am. Directions.

To supplement the traditional sales method, we're introducing countertop magazine racks. Over the last week, our most active vendors have been placing these racks with small businesses in Charlotte. They sit next to cash registers in coffee shops, nail salons, pizza parlors and a variety of other places.

Each rack is personalized with the vendor's name and photo.

As with street sales, the magazines in each rack are owned by a specific vendor–who have already purchased each magazine for $1.50. Our vendors are excited about this additional method of distributing the magazine. Already we can see that a variety of individuals will benefit from this concept:

• Vendors with a physical disability and cannot stand on their feet for hours.
• Vendors that own vehicle, which they can use to supply and maintain many racks.
• Vendors who want to sell on bad-weather days–they can ride the bus to check and restock their racks.
• Vendors who've shown a lot of initiative with street sales but need additional income to reach their goals.
• You. Because even if you don't know where to find a vendor, you can always find a copy of the magazine.

View Speak Up Magazine Racks in a larger map

How you can get involved:

• Host a magazine rack. Do you own or manage a small business, church or any organization that people visit on a regular basis? This is a great way to directly support needy individuals and spread the word about Speak Up.
• Seek out a rack and buy the magazine. And please thank the owner and manager for allowing the rack in their store.
• Sponsor materials to build more racks. The materials cost of making these racks is about $5 each.
• Build more racks. Are you a handy man or woman and have a workshop? We need more volunteers to help produce more. This is a fun project!
• Let us know if you see empty racks. Vendors are expected to keep all of their racks stocked with magazines, but we want to help keep them accountable.

 Val Cripps and Bill Shaw building the first batch of magazine racks.

To get involved in any way, please contact Matt Shaw at matt.shaw@speakupmag.org.

From Amazon.com (see wish list):

• Lanyards for vendor ID badges
• Red Vests for vendors
• Toner for Brother Laser 2240DL
• Camera — Speak Up Magazine needs a camera!
• A DSLR (like Canon's 60D) would be huge.
• A point and shoot would also be much appreciated.

From Grocery stores like Trader Joe's or Sam's Club

• Coffee for vendor meetings (plus creamer and sugar)
• Granola or snack bars
• Bottled water
• Disposable cups, paper towel

Cash Donations

• For any of the above items
• Peddler's Licenses — Speak Up pays half of the $50 license that vendors need to sell the magazine.
• Magazine printing and production
• Transportation
• General vendor support
• Administration

What did you read this week? Take a moment and check out these local stories related to homelessness and needy people.

Not exactly homeless, but related. "The city has a big target on it."
Charlotte has good reason to worry about DNC protests The Atlantic Wire (12/09/2011)

Encouraging picture of local philanthropy
Calls, emails, offers of help show Charlotte’s heart Charlotte Observer (12/03/2011)

Let's not try to fool ourselves: The homeless are still with us
The Alternative to hiding Charlotte's homeless Examiner (12/05/2011)

Charlotte's libraries engage their homeless patrons
Budget Cuts Have One Positive Impact on Public Libraries Fox News (12/05/2011)

Good cause or not, what you're doing ain't legal!
City Shuts Down Charity Event, Calls it "Illegal Retail Operation" Fox News (12/06/2011)

Currently Speak Up has over 20 homeless vendors who've been trained and equipped to sell the magazine. As a result, one of our–and their–biggest volunteer needs is for vendor mentors. As a vendor mentor, you'll give 3 – 4 hours of your time each week to encouraging and supporting vendors while they sell the magazine.

Your duties may include:

• Giving a vendor a ride to their sales location
• Standing near them on the street and offering advice and encouragement
• Being an advocate for them with law enforcement officers and security guards
• Buying them a hot chocolate/coffee in cold weather or cold drink in hot weather
• Driving them around to place magazine racks
• Listening to their needs and challenges
• Being a friend

"Don't Help The Homeless Directly"
QC Business Leaders Discourage Spirit Of Giving In Uptown, Fox Charlotte (12/01/11)

Getting by in a Weekly Hotel Room
Family of four crowd into a hotel room, Charlotte Observer (11/30/11)

Serving with a Smile
Local volunteer is agency's True Blessing, South Charlotte News (11/30/11)

Big Needs
Homeless families need help this Christmas, WBTV (11/28/11)

Celebrating the Unsung
Celebrate your favorite silent heroes, Charlotte Observer (11/27/11)

Church People Give Big
Coats + Blankets, Elevation Outreach (11/25/11)

Occupiers vs. Homeless?
Steele Creek advocate fears Occupy Charlotte protest could hurt homeless, Lake Wylie Pilot (11/22/11)

Here’s a comment from one of our vendors:

“I went to so many different ministries asking if they’d help me pay the overdue rent on my storage unit–only $39! It’s where I keep clean clothes and my things. They all said no. But within two days at Speak Up, I was able to pay that bill and have money left over.”

Speak Up provides people who are financially desperate with the chance to work and earn money. For those willing to take it, we provide a hand up out of homelessness.

One of our biggest needs moving forward is raising awareness.

As Speak Up becomes more commonplace, the job of the vendors will be easier–people will want to buy the magazine because they already know about it. But right now it is an incredibly hard sell. “You want me to pay for a magazine that I’ve never even heard of?” Is a common refrain.

This is why we welcome media attention for Speak Up–to help our hardworking vendors make money. With increased public awareness of the magazine, our vendors benefit financially.

This year we have a great awareness-raising opportunity: to walk in the Thanksgiving Day parade in Charlotte. Normally it costs a few thousand dollars for a spot in this parade, but through a friend we’re in for free. The Carolinas Belk Parade is the fourth largest Thanksgiving parade in the U.S. and will be viewed in person by over 100,000 spectators.

We want to take advantage of this chance to raise awareness by handing out free copies of the magazine. I'd love to see 5,000 magazines go out on Thursday. To do this, we need your help.

Will you donate copies of Speak Up magazine for us to pass out during this year’s parade? We have thousands of unsold magazines already printed, but since most of our budgeted funding comes from the sale of these magazines to vendors, we can’t afford to give them away.

The magazine cover price is $3, but we’d like you to help sponsor these giveaways for the vendor price of $1.50 per copy. Please click one of the amounts below to donate.

• 25 magazines ($37.50)
• 50 magazines ($75)
• 100 magazines ($150)
• 250 magazines ($375)
• 500 magazines ($750)
• 1000 magazines ($1,500)
• Other (any amount)

The impact of this has limitless potential, but it is proportionate to the number of magazines we can give away. Thank you for partnering with us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

If you're in the Charlotte area or a nearby town, please come out and walk in the parade with us. Details on the Speak Up Facebook Page.

"I've been in Charlotte my whole life," he said. "Before this office was even here. I used work roofing, construction, all over the place. But its been awhile and I'm tired of doing nothing…"

Tired of doing nothing.

Now, with Speak Up, he has a focus, hope and a work opportunity of tremendous potential.

Our vendor was ready quit at the start of the confrontation. I wonder how many other vendors or homeless-class citizens get pushed around just become someone with a badge tells them to get lost.

Bottom line: the supervisor apologized to us. Speak Up vendors have a right to be on public property.

–Matt