>> Whether you find them on the street corners or outside the grocery store.

Streetwise magazine has been a staple in many Chicago neighborhoods for decades.

For the people who sell copies of the magazine.

It's more than just a job.

It's often their way out of poverty.

Homelessness are other challenges.

They're telling their own stories in a new book called Who We are.

Stories from the Chicago Street Wise community and joining us with more are Allen Street wise vendor.

And the book's author Anthony Matos students at Evanston Township High School Rising senior.

Congrats to you.

Thank you for both being here.

We appreciate it.

Thank you so much for having Alan, let's start with you.

You've been with street wise for 15 years.

What was going on in your life when you found them and went she was it was a way up and out of all.

>> drug addiction.

When I came to see whether was like that, that house on the block was I was addicted to alcohol and drugs and I finally got clean for a year.

And I want to keep my sobriety.

So when I came this tree was it was a way open.

Drug addiction and alcoholism.

Okay, and and know.

And and we are you.

She was every time I thought about all.

What most I my magazine, okay, I will go on sale in magazines and that was a way of lost.

And so before me, okay, a way to redirect your attention and being the head year.

I got Anthony, you had frequent encounters with streetwise vendors.

When you were growing up.

>> Tell us about that.

>> I agree.

But having said there to this day growing up, I encountered a vendor in the neighborhood.

His name is Alonso.

He still is a street vendor.

And every time encountered him, he had so much pride in selling the magazine and always talk about me.

So when deciding what I wanted the main topic this book to be, I kind of recall to those memories growing up.

And then that motivated me to choose to tell the story is out of the people who are selling 3 wise, including the man who sitting right next to you.

>> What what is selling street was mean to you?

What is it?

It's been 15 years.

Obviously it served its purpose in the beginning.

What does it mean to you today?

>> It means that the ability to be entrepreneurial and to navigate my own life.

she was awful, lot of opportunities to to be on on to be self employed.

Want to be entrepreneur, which I get to choose where I want to seal what times I want to I want to out to snow.

The people, you that's very important to me, you know, to To be able >> Sort of steer your own Syrian course.

Ryan Player, course, make their voices for yourself and earned income.

Yes, that's very important me.

what are some common misconceptions that people have about streetwise and its vendors?

A lot of people believe that she the homeless.

This newspaper.

When in reality simply isn't rather she a model of self entrepreneurship.

As doors open to anyone.

Streetwise operates under model where vendors buys where vendors can buy the magazine at the present a dollar and $0.15 and then they could resell the magazine at $3.

So the games begin a profit.

This makes it so that they are their own boss.

On, for example, he get to choose his own hours.

You can choose where he works.

And is this such a great experience?

And >> It really is you know, through Web matsui's a hand up not a handout, you know, and that's very important, you know, because she Wedeman is I'm not out big and we as as entrepreneuers.

We give you something in exchange for your money and not only for your you help an individual what you helping organization as a whole.

No organization is is organization reaches out to the homeless whatever situation of whatever questions you may be going thankfully Mass with drug addiction.

What I was homeless for 3 years in steal, people come through the doors, then a home missing before we up and how of homelessness, whatever your situation maybe would crisis may be.

She was can offer you some help.

>> What does it mean for you to have someone else interested in telling your stories, right?

Oral histories in a book?

>> That that's that's very important.

And I want to thank Anthony right here right now for doing the book because all the proceeds go to a street wet and I recommend that everyone read the book because she was a lot of a lot of the employees on vendors.

Marjorie, last with a lot of people don't know this but Anthony have a way of explaining it.

I think you did a good job.

You were very close was she was.

And I really appreciate you for doing >> Anthony, aside from that, the business model, which is obviously unique or it's different.

What what makes streetwise different from other magazines for publication is for folks who maybe have not had the chance to pick one up yet.

When you want to tell them about what's inside.

>> In order to reach streetwise, you have to check to vendor.

She wise is an online publication.

There's no way to reach wise their website or through pay wall like a lot of other newspapers and magazines in order to reach wise interact your local vendor.

And it really makes us beautiful connection between you.

>> And another core member of your community.

And these and all the vendors they make up Chicago.

They're crucial pillar of the Chicago community.

And that's truly something special.

>> What you want folks to know about what's inside streetwise why they should pick one up.

>> And I appreciate that.

You breaking it down very well, Anthony, because it is like a personal relationship between comes to mind of India.

You know, a lot of people, bad people, you know, not just for the content and a papal, but the cotton is a lot of people want just develop relationship with the vendor because I look at it has Like you have a lot of people incident so high and mighty and then you have the the the the lower class with, you know, they have there barely making living, but there's a lot to be discussed among them.

Okay.

>> And this is the magazine is the the and between, you know, what would people?

People you normally would need just like I normally wouldn't have met But I'm today because she was in same way out >> We said in the papers, people that you normally would meet, you know, because I get a chance to lawyers, doctors, walk in Texas.

Yes, and today I get to meet the 2 of you.

So thank you both for joining us because I know you've got 2 copies with you.

One that celebrates Juneteenth another with Pope Leo.

>> Celebrating his Chicago roots on the front.

And I also notice is a Venmo QR code.

Yes.

so if you don't have cash people, you can still purchase street was OK. And now today, as of today we use and PayPal to PayPal as well.

So no excuses.

We have to leave it