I buy a copy of 'The Big Issue' every week from a street vendor at one of the locations in Brighton. Robert is 62 years old and lives on the streets. Not because he wants to but because of circumstances that caused his dilemma, like so many other of our homeless folk.
Selling The Big Issue is a business. The vendor has to buy his copies for £1.25 each and sells them for £2.50. You need to sell many copies each week just to keep yourself fed. But, it's a leg up, not a hand-out. I always spend at least five minutes talking with Robert and discussing his welfare and his love of cats. Today I gave him my copy of the book about Dewey, the cat that lived in a library in the USA and touched everyone's heart who came to know him. Robert loves to talk about A CAT NAMED BOB, the book that tells the remarkable story of a cat and the street person who came to 'adopt' him and certainly the most heartwarming story of love and redemption that I have read in a long while.
Big Issue vendors are human like you and me. Don't pass them by in the street or worse still, cross the road to avoid them. All vendors that I have come across are friendly, polite and love to chat. And buy a copy of the publication. You might be surprised to learn that it is full of excellent journalism and you will be helping someone to regain their self esteem, which just might help towards their securing somewhere to live.
A small act of kindness can work wonders.
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