"A lot of people will come and go and leave their stamp," Larson says, "But the idea will continue to have life, to grow, to be exciting for years to come or at least until they abolish homelessness."

And the strength of this idea has inspired volunteers from the surrounding community.

One such volunteer is Ulka S. Anjaria '01, who has been working at Spare Change for two years. She has written stories for the paper, including interviews and vendor features. In addition, she comes to the church once a week to help in the office, where she types, edits and proofreads stories.

"The community in the office is amazing," Anjaria says. "The work is very individual, but it's also a nurturing community. The vendors often hang out there."

Assistant editor Cynthia J. Baron says that being a part of such a community helps her realize the tenuous line between homelessness and stability.

"Any one of us could become homeless tomorrow," she says. "It means a great deal to me to do this sort of work."

Anjaria remembers the outpouring of support when a vendor was wrongly arrested.