Vendor Asks Square To ‘Spare Change'

For more than a decade, passersby in Harvard Square have been greeted by a familiar booming voice in front of Au Bon Pain imploring them to “have a heart.”

Some people shuffle by, staring at their feet, while others shell out a dollar, convinced by the signature catchphrases of Gregory H. Daugherty, a Boston native who stands outside the crowded coffee shop selling Spare Change newspapers in almost any weather.

Daugherty, who lives in a homeless shelter in Quincy, Mass., attributes his marketing skills to his father and friends, but adds that his own outgoing nature comes in handy as a salesman.

“I love to sell,” he says. “God was good to me. I never trained myself how to deal with the public.”

Daughtery has become a Square fixture with his effusive interactions with passersby, even making a cameo appearance in Good Will Hunting. He says many people ignore him, and others simply pay for their newspapers without a word. But a few, he says, stop to talk with him.

“I get a lot of love out there,” he says.

PROMOTING INDEPENDENCE

Daughtery is one of about 120 vendors who sell Spare Change newspapers produced by the Homeless Empowerment Project (HEP), a Cambridge-based organization that aims to provide opportunities for homeless people to earn their own income and enhance their business skills.

The newspaper, begun by a group of homeless people in 1992, covers a wide range of material, from homeless-related news to movie reviews, poetry, and editorials. Writers come from all walks of life. Some, who are not homeless, volunteer their efforts, while homeless writers receive a stipend of about $50 per article, according to Samuel Weems, one of two overseers of Spare Change distribution.

The non-profit HEP was founded in 1994 to support the production of Spare Change. The newspaper publishes about 10,000 copies of each of its biweekly issues, and all profits go directly toward funding the production of future issues, Weems says.

Weems explains that the organization hopes to foster in its vendors a sense of financial independence without getting deeply involved in their personal lives.

Vendors buy the papers from the office for 25 cents, then sell them on the streets for $1. Weems says some vendors are able to make $600 to $700 a week.

“They don’t work for Spare Change, they work for themselves,” Weems says. “They’re self-employed. They’re empowering themselves.”

Since the organization is flexible, Weems says, the number of vendors varies each day. Although there are about 120 individuals on Spare Change’s list, on average only about 80 buy papers from the office each week.

Weems also explains that not all of the vendors are homeless. Some used to be homeless, and some are simply low-income and looking for a way to pay their rent.

He says people frequently spit on or curse at vendors and tell them to get a job, but he adds that selling Spare Change is no different from selling any other paper.

“That is their job. It’s not slumming,” Weems says. “They wouldn’t do that to someone selling the [Boston] Globe or the [Boston] Herald.”

CAMPUS CELEBRITY

Taking a short break in Au Bon Pain earlier this month on one of the coldest days of the year, Daugherty, bundled in a bulky blue coat, says he appreciates having a dignified way to earn money.

“[Spare Change] is a good thing for the homeless who don’t have a job,” he says. “It gives them motivation, a chance to see life in a different way—that’s what it was like for me.”

Daugherty says when he came to Cambridge in 1991, he started out by distributing coupon books on Brattle Street before becoming a Spare Change vendor. He originally received 10 papers to sell and used the profits to buy 40 more.

He says it is difficult to estimate how many papers he sells now, because so much depends on outside factors like the season, the weather, and the mood of his customers. He says some days he might sell 100 papers, while others days he sells fewer.

Daugherty says the HEP sent him to San Francisco three years ago for a conference on homeless newspapers, and after seeing the conditions of homeless people there, he believes Cambridge does a better job providing help for its homeless population.

Daugherty says it’s hard to guess how many of his regular customers attend Harvard, but he notes that the Square is a profitable spot for the homeless from all over Cambridge.

Daugherty adds that he appreciates both the wealth and diversity of the Square community.

“Harvard is a rich place to be,” he says. “Where else can you see so many cultures of people?”

Weems also says that vendors enjoy working in a college town and attribute much of their profits to college students.

Daugherty says that after more than a decade, he doesn’t intend to continue selling Spare Change newspapers for much longer, adding that he hopes to find another sales job.

But in the meantime, he continues to be a campus celebrity. Over 75 students belong to the “Spare Change Guy Fan Club” on thefacebook.com, which pays tribute to Daugherty’s trademark sales pitches, including “Pretty lady, show me a smile,” and “Sister, can you spare a dime?”

“He’s an essential part of the Harvard experience,” says Anna L. Dickerman ’05, the group’s co-founder, who adds that she always greets Daugherty when she passes him in the Square. “He paid me a compliment and it really brightened my day.”