“Selling a street paper gave me back my dad”

Street papers aren't just a source of income for thousands of people across the world. They are also a lifeline. Sandra Corfitz from Denmark explains how Danish street paper Hus Forbi reunited her with her estranged father.

After Sandra’s father Leif abandoned her for a life of addiction and homelessness when she was a child, she never expected to see him again.

Leif Milatz with his grandson on his birthday last year. Photo: Lars Ertner

But then Leif began working with Hus Forbi. When he was interviewed for an article in 2008, Leif said of his then 19-year-old daughter, "She grew up with my mother. When she was two years old, I took her home to my mother and asked her if she would take care of her while I scaled down my drug habit. I'm still working on that."

In the years he had no contact with Sandra, Leif lived on the streets and in shelters. Whenever he was thrown out of a place because of drug abuse, he would go back to living under the main railway station in Copenhagen.

When he started to get back on his feet, Leif asked a family friend finally to contact Sandra on his behalf. "My grandmother and I had almost given up," she recalls. "We were just waiting for the funeral."

"But then he began to sell Hus Forbi. He came back to real life again instead of just sitting and melting in his abuse."

When Leif died in 2013 and Sandra wrote a moving thank you to the street paper through Facebook.

Sandra Corfitz with her son Kristian. Photo: Lars Ertner

"Thank you for the extra 10 years I got with my father," wrote the 25-year-old mother of two.

"Thank you for giving him the strength and the desire to try to be better. Until 2003, I feared losing him to his drug abuse. What changed that year was that he was a Hus Forbi vendor.

"He got a purpose in his life, a way to support himself, a desire to get up and get out. Finally, there was something who expected anything of him in terms of being sober and presentable.

"I had my father again, as I remember him from when I was little. You do a fantastic job and has meant a great deal for my father, my grandmother and me."

This is a summary of an article written by Hus Forbi's Poul Nielsen Struve for the INSP News Service. INSP members can view and download the article in full here. 

Charity single 'Living on the Street' released to help feed Danish vendors

By Laura Smith

A Danish singer songwriter has released a single to support sellers of Hus Forbi, her local street paper, just in time for Christmas.

Natasja Lee Dickinson's charity single, 'Living on the Street' was inspired by the many hours she spent on the street with Hus Forbi vendors last year.

Natasja gets a Christmas kiss from a Hus Forbi vendor

"As a musician and songwriter, I have met many people on the street and in homeless shelters," said the 37-year-old from Praesto.

"Hearing the magazine sellers' life stories and experiences inspired my thoughts and lyrics, so I wanted to give something in return."

The song was released on 1 December through iTunes. All money raised through sales within the first three months will go towards providing meals for people who sell the street magazine across the country.

"A meal not only nourishes them but offers another opportunity for socializing - both are necessary fuel for a life that can be quite hard when one is excluded or homeless," explained the singer.

"I also wanted to enlighten the Danes about why some people end up on the street - who they are and the story behind their circumstances."

Natasja is well aware of the importance of street papers and has formed a close friendship with her local Hus Forbi seller, so much so that he often doesn't want her to pay for the magazine.


"Life on the street is hard and not everyone can cope with it," added the singer.

"I think selling the magazine prevents loneliness, brings back self-respect and gives vendors a reason to get up in the morning.

"Not only is it a good way to help those in poverty help themselves, it is also a way for society to keep in touch with those who sometimes lose their grip on life."

You can download Natasja's single "Living on the Street" on iTunes here.

Photos by Mette Kramer Kristensen during a Christmas lunch held for the Hus Forbi vendors in 2013.