Franklin Web Printing Empowers The Contributor for Nearly Two Decades

For nearly two decades, a partnership has turned the act of printing a newspaper into a vehicle for social mobility and human dignity. Since its first issue in 2007, The Contributor has relied on Franklin Web Printing to transform the raw stories and art of homeless and formerly homeless people into thousands of physical copies that serve as both a voice for the marginalized and a source of income for those selling them.

This isn’t just a vendor relationship; it’s a civic pipeline. The collaboration between the newspaper and the printing house creates a tangible path from the written word to the streets, allowing individuals experiencing homelessness to act as entrepreneurs by buying the papers wholesale and selling them retail.

The Architecture of a Street Newspaper

The process begins long before the ink hits the paper. It started with a shared vision among four advocates—Tasha French Lemley, who took photos of homeless and former homeless people; Will Connelly, who wanted to hear stories of homeless and former homeless people; and Steven Samar and Tom Wills. These four collaborated with Lee Stringer, who was associated with Street News in New York City, to bring a proven model to Tennessee.

By utilizing a toolkit from the International Network of Street Papers (INSP), the group established a framework where the content is the catalyst for the cure. The editorial team works directly with vendors to help bring out their writing and artwork, ensuring that the people most affected by poverty are the ones defining the narrative. This approach shifts the power dynamic from charity to contribution.

Once the layout—complete with stories, photographs, and crosswords—is finalized, the digital files move to Franklin Web Printing. The printer, which is nearing 50 years of age, has provided the consistent industrial capacity required to scale these individual voices into a city-wide conversation.

Entrepreneurship on the Downtown Presbyterian Church Steps

The physical journey of the newspaper ends at the vendor operating post at the Downtown Presbyterian Church, a location where Tom Wills and his family have long been a part of. Here, the transformation from “homeless person” to “entrepreneur” becomes literal.

The economic model is straightforward but vital: vendors purchase the newspapers at a wholesale rate and sell them to the public. Every single paper sold gives a vendor a better outlook at prosperity. For the customer, the purchase provides a window into the Contributor community; for the vendor, it provides a legitimate means of earning a living while maintaining their dignity.

“It’s best to watch what one puts down because exactly what one puts down can turn around and one day have motion.”

The Tension Between Visibility and Stability

The “motion” mentioned by the organization isn’t just about the movement of paper from the press to the street—it’s about the movement of a person from the periphery of society back into its center.

Franklin Web Printing was recognized with an Editorial Ally Award because the newspaper relies on the printer’s consistent work and commitment to the organization’s mission.

The cycle is complete when a reader picks up a paper, reads a story written by someone who has slept on the street, and pays the vendor for the privilege. In that exchange, the written word becomes a currency of respect.