“I like selling Megaphone—it helps the poor and by selling the paper I’m helping educate people about poverty and the Downtown Eastside. I’ve been in sales most of my life. I like dealing and talking with people from all over the world. And I get that opportunity with Megaphone.

“I was born in Vancouver. I’m 63-years-old and on disability. Selling the paper helps supplement my income. You don’t get that much on disability; you only get enough to survive. This way I can also help my daughter and grandson.

“I went to jail in 1976 for drugs. But I haven't been in trouble for 30 years. I went on methadone for four years and now I don’t have any desire to take any opiates of any kind—not even Tylenol 3s. I don’t have that voice in my head saying ‘I need more heroin’ and I want to keep it that way. People need to try and understand that a lot of the drug use down here is because people live in such poverty. Getting high takes away their problems for a few minutes.

“To help people get clean you gotta have a program that educates, houses and feeds them. I’m talking about employment education. You gotta change their situation. People don’t have hope down here—you gotta give them some hope.

“I just want to say thank you very much to my customers. I appreciate your support, Megaphone appreciates it and the people down here appreciate it.”