Our Mission
Better the lives of our homeless neighbors by providing opportunities to achieve income, dignity, self-sufficiency, housing, and community.
The Better Collective provides a flexible earned income opportunity to Utahn’s experiencing homelessness by producing a monthly publication to be purchased and resold to the public for a profit. After attending an orientation, our vendors receive 10 free papers to help start their micro-business. Vendors then purchase additional papers for $0.50 per copy and resell them to the public for $3. All profits and any additional tips go to the vendor who can then purchase more papers, save for housing, and cover daily living expenses. Our system provides a low-barrier income opportunity that allows greater flexibility than traditional employment.
How The Program Works
New to Utah - Proven Wordwide
90+
Active “Street Papers” Wordwide
$23.6M
In the pockets of vendors last year
3.2M+
Readers worldwide
Street Papers, as publications similar to The Better Collective are often called, are a proven method of combating poverty and aiding the homeless. Similar programs have been run for decades in cities across the globe and currently benefit thousands of homeless vendors. There are over 20 active street papers in the United States operating in cities like Denver, Nashville, Chicago, Seattle, Detroit, Cleveland, and more. The Better Collective aims to model these successful programs to aid our homeless citizens in Utah.
*statistics provided by the International Network of Street Papers