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Tucson woman offering empowerment to homeless through words

'We're offering hand ups instead of hand outs"
Heather Street Newspaper
Posted at 6:52 AM, Oct 17, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-17 09:52:14-04

TUCSON, Ariz. — A Tucson woman is using the power of the written word to help homeless people in Tucson feel empowered and get jobs.

Heather Evon is trying to bring a street newspaper concept seen across the United States to Tucson. It's called the Chance to Success Street Newspaper. Twenty-five other cities already have something similar, including Boston and Denver.

Years ago, Heather Evon said this newspaper changed her life in Boston when she was escaping an abusive relationship.

"I was running and running, and I ended up leaving a bad situation," Evon said. "I had a husband that was beating on me. That was my life and I was like okay I need to change that."

She said she had no money and no where to go in Boston, but was looking for a second chance of life and their street newspaper gave her that.

"It's giving me my voice to be able to go okay, this is what happened, and I don't have to be ashamed of it," Evon said.

This newspaper will give the homeless an outlet to tell their story, but also provide them a job.

"Not all homeless people are bad," Evon said. "A lot of those homeless people are on hard times."

Frank Jones is an example of that. He's a homeless Veteran living on the streets of Tucson, but now he's one of Heather's editors.

"When you raise the awareness level and people start seeing what the homeless are really about, not only will it help those people who aren't on drugs or alcohol but it will help the ones that are too," Jones said.

Evon said she wants this newspaper to be a hand up in life, instead of a hand out.

"By selling the newspaper, they have something that gives them that dignity," Evon said. "I want to give them that same dignity that I had back then to the people that deserve it."

Evon hopes to have the first issue out in the beginning of next year.