2. THE CONTRIBUTOR –
NASHVILLE, TN
The contributor is a nonprofit, social enterprise in
Nashville, Tennessee that was founded in 2007.
It was created to provide a earned income opportunity
for homeless and formerly homeless individuals.
Vendors buy the newspapers for $.50 and have the local
homeless sell it for a $2.00 profit.
Vendors create community with their customers and gain
a restored sense of purpose, pride, and dignity.
4. THE
COMMUNIT
Y THEY
SERVE
Nashville officials have located 2,300 homeless people.
It is believed that over 20,000 homeless citizens are currently living
on the streets, in cars, camps, motels, and in shelters.
There were 124 documented deaths of homeless people last year,
but more than 1,000 have vanished.
Nashville, Tennessee is a urban city with a population of 667,650.
This city is filled with opportunities, but somehow still has one of
the highest rates of homeless people in Tennessee.
5. HOW IT
WORKS
http://thecontributor.org
The Contributor is a nonprofit, social enterprise
publishing a street newspaper every other week
sold by people experiencing homelessness and
poverty.
New vendors interview, train, and receive a yellow
badge and 10 free newspapers to start out.
Vendors can choose where to sell, except at spots
where other Contributor vendors are eligible to
claim if they buy a certain number of newspapers
each month.
In these newspapers, daily information about
activities and current issues in Nashville are
discussed.
Not only does this include information about
Nashville, but it also extends to the surrounding
cities such as Franklin, Hendersonville, etc.
6. STRENGTHENING THE LOCAL
COMMUNITY
By employing the homeless and those who
live in poverty in Nashville, TN , they have
been able to reduce the percentage of those
who live in poverty by 7% over the last 3
years.
Not only does this newspaper provide
information to the local citizens of
Nashville, but it also gives a chance for the
homeless to share their stories with those
who consistently buy these newspapers.
This newspaper has created a sense of
togetherness and community for over a
decade throughout the community.
7. JEFFERY’S STORY
Back in 2008, I was still in elementary school. Every morning my
father would take me to McDonald's to get two sausage biscuits.
When leaving we would speak to this homeless man named
Jeffery who sold for the Contributor. He would tell us new
information about himself everyday. He was a survivor of
Hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans in 2005. He fled to
Nashville, TN to start a new life, but due to the expensive
lifestyle Nashville provides, he was not able to afford to live
here. He had several jobs, but he still did not have a income that
would be able to provide for him and his family. His main goal
was to save up enough money to reopen his restaurant that he
had back home. Nearly 3 years later, due to the Contributor he
was able to open a Cajun Seafood restaurant in Nashville, TN.
His business is currently still thriving and on the weekends he
volunteers for the Contributor and shares his success story.
8. BARRIERS AND SOLUTIONS
The main issue that the Contributor has faced is a
consistent group of employees. Many times, some of the
homeless might disappear for weeks at a time without
notice. They have “unassigned assigned” areas that each
employee would work. If they were to see a decline in
sales in a certain area, then they would be alerted that
maybe an employee was not present. In order to retain
the employees, the contributor has increased the
amount of outlets that they have for the homeless.
Before, they had contacts at several shelters and job
employers, but now they have extended their services.
With this improvement, many of the homeless in
Nashville now see the Contributor in a different light.
9. EFFECTIVENE
SS THROUGH
MEDIA
The Contributor utilizes
several media platforms and
due to this they are able to
gather sponsors, volunteers,
and vendors. It would be
harder to get this
information through word of
mouth. Therefore they
publish openings in their
newspaper and on their
social media sites. They also
advertise weekly vendors
and weekly employers to
showcase what is being
done in the community. The
local news channels also
provide advertisement for
10. REFLECTION
The Contributor has given several opportunities to many homeless
and those who live in poverty in the Nashville area. Not only are they
providing a job for these individuals, but they are also providing other
resources such as shelter and food. Through the Contributor, locals
are able to get daily news and information on what is currently
happening in Nashville. By purchasing this newspaper, you are able to
provide income to those in need.
