Madison's homeless will soon have another option when it comes to seeking employment and having their voices heard. To finalize their first issue, members of the Homeless Cooperative street paper met Tuesday night to formulate ideas that may provide the homeless of Madison with a chance for employment and a place to voice their concerns.
The idea for the paper was born after members of the Madison Warming Center Campaign went looking for a proactive project to help Madison's homeless.
\There isn't much for the homeless in Madison, and it is really sad how the people in this town without money fall through the cracks,"" said Jeff, a member of the paper's staff and also part of Madison's homeless community.
The paper will offer self-directed employment to the homeless or financially struggling in Madison who otherwise would not be able to get a job.
""For many reasons, homeless people find it very difficult to get employment. One reason can be criminal records, another if you don't have a residence. This is a way to give them something to sell without a judgment or legal procedure,"" Mel Motel, UW-Madison senior and co-editor of the paper said.
Papers will be sold to homeless vendors for $.25 and then they will in turn sell them for $1 and keep the profit.
""It's a great job opportunity because it lets people self-manage. People who are capable of the job do it,"" Motel said.
Another goal of the paper is community development and the building of community dynamics.
""The relationship between homeless folks and non-homeless folks in Madison seems kind of tense and frightened and confused sometimes,"" Motel said.
The paper is partly inspired by the over 35 other street papers in North America.
""This paper is really looking to show the whole community that homeless people are people too,"" added paper staff member and UW-Madison junior Jon Patberg.
The first issue of the paper will hit the streets later this month. It will start off as an eight-page paper and members are looking to expand.
Sections in the paper will include features, a ""Hearts & Minds"" section featuring rants and web logs from the community, and an outreach section that will provide access to information on how to get help for those who need it and those who want to help.
The paper is looking to get vendors on State Sreet and other high-traffic areas in the city.
