One Step Away’s Emily Taylor breaks down the street paper’s ethos

“Around the Corner” is a PhillyCAM show that offers local social impact leaders the opportunity to share what impact their work is having on the Philadelphia area.

If you’re not familiar with One Step Away (OSA) through our profile of vendor Brian or OSA’s many partnerships, you might at least be familiar with the vendors’ bright yellow vests.

You may have even purchased a paper from one of the vendors on a city street corner — or you may have blown right by them.

One Step Away is Philly’s street paper and a program of Resources for Human Development. OSA employs about 60 people monthly as vendors in Center City and surrounding neighborhoods.

The goals are twofold: Provide steady income for people experiencing homelessness (or who are at risk for experiencing homelessness), and advocate for social justice within the homelessness community.

“It’s a lot harder to end up homeless and then have to build yourself up than if we just help people stay in their house,” which can happen by participating in OSA, said Director Emily Taylor.

Learn more about OSA in Taylor’s “Around the Corner” interview.

PhillyCAM is Comcast channel 66/966 HD/967 and Verizon FIOS channel 29/30 in Philadelphia.