Street Roots vendor Makavalie is singular in his approach: trying to get clothes to people who need them. In particular, this passion manifests itself in the clothing line he designed, some of which include photos taken with comedian Katt Williams in Portland. Makavalie is clear about his intention to introduce Williams.
“I wanted to show that two black men can stand next to each other and not kill each other; I wanted to break the belief that black men are violent,” Makavalie said.
But the clothing line also has another social purpose: to help clothe the homeless. Makavalie has used her earnings from Street Roots to make some samples of her clothes to give to those in need.
“I have a goal,” he said. “Last year 120 people froze to death. I want to be part of the solution, offer my own clothing line”.
Makavalie has been a consistent Street Roots vendor for the past two years, but had a previous stint as a vendor 20 years ago. Makavalie had been homeless on and off since 1996. But in 2016, he was housed and is now proudly housed.
“Housing has meant the world to me,” he said. “I have been able to accumulate and grow my own personal clothing line, and I have a place to store my clothes without fear of police raids. This gives me a sense of responsibility to stay put.”
As a seller, you feel an added responsibility to encourage others to give back.
“I want people to know how I’m helping to give back, and maybe others can do something similar within their communities,” he said. “I want to serve as an example, turn conversations into actions.”
Even one of her Street Roots posts is intentional, at the Goodwill store at Northeast 13th Avenue and Broadway Street, where she also accepts clothing and other items for people in need.
“Think of me as Black Will doing good will in the community,” he said.
Makavalie’s commitment to serving its community is not limited to just providing clothing. As an ordained minister within Universal Life Church, he too wants to officiate weddings free of charge for anyone within the LGBTQ community.
“I’ve never done one before, but I’d love to have my first,” he said. “I hope someone accepts the offer. It is difficult to hold some services without a church building, but I can still do my street ministry.”
Makavalie can be found selling Street Roots and modeling her clothing line most days from 3-6 pm at Goodwill and 3-8 pm at the Food Front Cooperative Grocery on Northwest Thurman Street. She can also receive support through @StreetRoots Venmo by entering her name and license plate number (469) in the notes.
Street Roots is an award-winning weekly investigative publication covering economic, environmental, and social inequity. The newspaper is sold in Portland, Oregon by the homeless and/or extremely poor as a means of earning a living income. The Street Roots newspaper operates independently of the Street Roots advocacy and is part of the Street Roots organization. Learn more about Street Roots. Support your community newspaper by making a one-time or recurring donation today.
© 2022 Street Roots. All rights reserved. | To request permission to reuse content, please email [email protected] or call 503-228-5657, ext. 404
Source: www.streetroots.org