I replied to the request by submitting a community gardening article highlighting my family's garden while growing up on Long Island, New York. I wrote about my mother taking over my maternal grandmother's garden and growing a variety of vegetables, herbs and flowers over two decades. I relived my K through 12 grade years writing about our neighborhood, and later focusing on local community garden networks in Boston.

After this article was published, I was invited to attend an editorial meeting. I developed a story outline for what would be my next piece and reviewed it with the editor. The editorial and newspaper management were receptive to a vendor/writer contributing journalism focused on community service, food and health related issues.

Over the past year, I became the second writer with the exception of Poetry Editor Mark Goldfinger to write in every issue. Under our current editor, Adam Sennott, I am now one of five vendors who writes regularly for the newspaper.

Everyday people frequently come up to me and share supportive comments, always saying, "I've read one of your articles." I realize that writing for the newspaper has been a tremendous selling point. Two years later, I estimate that sixty to seventy percent of my newspaper sales go to someone who has read one of my articles.

My work at Spare Change News has helped me to create a journalistic base with career growth potential. I am utilizing my writing skills to compose grant letters and proposals for my nutrition outreach work. In addition to my roles at Spare Change, I serve as the director of the Nutrition Education Outreach Project.

My future goals revolve around continuing to write for Spare Change while continuing to develop a professional journalistic style. I would like to develop a third ongoing series focused on current events, which would include interviewing our political leaders. In addition to writing for Spare Change, I would like to finalize my two long terms goals: complete the incorporation of the Nutrition Education Outreach Project and obtain grant funding for this organization that I have founded.

Spare Change News represents a progressive, entrepreneurial organization that provides many individuals with a job selling the newspaper. This organization shows people how to successfully be their own boss and earn a living. For me, the paper has also provided a second job: that of a staff writer. I am proud of the fact that I am one of two vendors who writes regularly for the paper.

Links to my articles:

Reaching Out: Harvard Divinity School
Food Not Bombs
Healthy Meals for the Homeless
CHAF
Cambridge Farmers Markets
Origins of the Tea Party Movement
Faith Based Groups and Fair Practices Mortgage Lending
Interview with Mark Flanagan
Federal Relief for Mass. Farmers
Ted Kennedy's Legacy