The Contributor

The Contributor This is our official page. Welcome! The Contributor is Nashville’s street paper.

Like other street papers around the world, The Contributor focuses on the issues surrounding homelessness and poverty, and is sold on the street, by homeless and formerly homeless individuals who keep the profit.

Like everything we do here at The Contributor, the Unseen Walking Tour was born from a desire to center our incredibly h...
05/27/2026

Like everything we do here at The Contributor, the Unseen Walking Tour was born from a desire to center our incredibly hard-working vendors whose stories deserve to be told and heard. We believe that the best way to get to know our organization is to meet the vendors who make up our heart.

If you and/or your group is looking to embark on an alternative tour of downtown where we focus on lived experiences and the real impact that social and political decision-making has on our unhoused neighbors, we invite you to join us on The Unseen Walking Tour! We may not have a tractor pulling a hot tub or a pedal tavern, but we do have people you need to meet and facts you need to hear.

More details, FAQs, and tickets can be found at the link in our bio or by scanning the QR code above! Tour dates/times for June are now posted!

The new issue of the paper comes out tomorrow and we thought today would be a good time to remind you that the community...
05/19/2026

The new issue of the paper comes out tomorrow and we thought today would be a good time to remind you that the community at The Contributor extends far beyond what you might see on the side of the road.

With your support, we are able to continue publishing the paper, as well as feeding our vendors and anyone else who comes through our doors. For some, this may be the only access they have to a nutritious, filling meal that day, or the only time they feel safe to talk through their barriers with one of our staff members who can help guide them toward their best next step. For others, this is a place of celebration where they get to see their work published and collaborate with friends and colleagues in an open, nurturing environment.

We ask that you donate today to make tomorrow and every breakfast day one to remember! And if you want more information on how to get involved, please contact our Community Engagement & Gratitude Officer, Lindsey, at [email protected].

Maurice B. is hanging out at the Mott Cha market down by the fairgrounds from 12pm-4pm today. Come hear about our missio...
05/16/2026

Maurice B. is hanging out at the Mott Cha market down by the fairgrounds from 12pm-4pm today. Come hear about our mission, listen to Maurice’s story of moving from homelessness to owning his own LLC, and browse all the print media we have to offer!

This is why we do it! This is Kenneth. You’ve probably seen him selling the paper on the Church Street exit off I-40. An...
05/07/2026

This is why we do it! This is Kenneth. You’ve probably seen him selling the paper on the Church Street exit off I-40. And this is his new home!

Kenneth is a joy. He’s always ready to greet you with a smile, no matter what he’s facing in his personal life. Like many of our friends and vendors, Kenneth has been unhoused for well over a year. All the while, he hasn’t stopped.

He is patient and optimistic in a way very few of us have ever been challenged to be. In January 2026, the Tennessee Housing Development Agency closed their waitlists after they received over 20,000 applications and only awarded 500 housing choice vouchers. As openings become available, thousands of individuals re-apply for an opportunity to call someplace home. And today, Kenneth was one of the lucky ones!

We acknowledge the brokenness of the system while celebrating when one of our friends gets their new keys. And today, despite every frustration and hiccup along the way, we get to celebrate you, Kenneth! Welcome home! 💕🏡

Today our team grieves the loss of one of our own, our vendor and friend Billy Ray, who passed in a tragic accident on M...
05/06/2026

Today our team grieves the loss of one of our own, our vendor and friend Billy Ray, who passed in a tragic accident on Monday. Billy Ray, like all of our vendors, was a beautiful, complicated man who loved big, shared freely, and tried repeatedly to fight addiction, in addition to the many other hardships faced by our unhoused neighbors.

We are fortunate to be informed of Billy’s passing, as many of our friends living on the street pass away with nothing and no one. The statistics regarding mortality and homelessness are staggering and continually under-researched, though a recent account from the National Bureau of Economic Research estimates “homeless individuals face 3.5 times the mortality rate of those who are housed.”

We exist to give individuals like Billy Ray a fighting chance to thrive in a society that so often leaves them to fend for themselves. We grieve repeatedly when we lose our friends, yet we still believe that we can work together to build a world where homelessness is a brief, rare occurrence, not a premature death sentence.

Fly high, Billy Ray. We’ll hold you with us always.

It’s a beautiful day to come hang out with us at The Girls on the Run event! We’ll be here in vendor village (what an ap...
05/02/2026

It’s a beautiful day to come hang out with us at The Girls on the Run event! We’ll be here in vendor village (what an apt name!) until 10am! 🏃🏻‍♀️📰

Act now! There’s only ONE MORE WEEK to sign up for the May 2026 monthly membership subscription from UnZine. If you’re i...
04/27/2026

Act now! There’s only ONE MORE WEEK to sign up for the May 2026 monthly membership subscription from UnZine. If you’re into original art and storytelling, zines, comics, poetry, & more, this is your opportunity to get it delivered straight to your door!

For only $19.99/month, you’ll receive two original zines and the latest issue of the paper. Best of all, your support goes directly to the vendor artists who make the zines! You can learn more about this project by scanning the QR code and by following on Instagram!

We’re officially ONE WEEK away from our annual vendor awards show and silent auction! Don’t wait! Get your tickets today...
04/23/2026

We’re officially ONE WEEK away from our annual vendor awards show and silent auction! Don’t wait! Get your tickets today to show our hard-working vendors your love and to support the programs that allow us to do the same!

New Issue Alert 📣Last Wednesday, The Contributor published another issue! This issue features the story of Nashville's f...
03/04/2026

New Issue Alert 📣

Last Wednesday, The Contributor published another issue! This issue features the story of Nashville's first Black Girl Scout Troop and how it is connected to Nashville troops today.

At our paper release breakfast last week, we:
🗞️ sold 1,852 newspapers
🗞️ distributed $470 to vendors for paper submissions
🗞️ distributed $461 in online newspaper payments

Be sure to pick up a copy of the new issue from your local neighborhood vendor! $2 cash or SQUARE payments 💛

Thank you to and our supporters for helping us stock up for the cold weather! If you are in need, come by our vendor of...
01/23/2026

Thank you to and our supporters for helping us stock up for the cold weather! If you are in need, come by our vendor office and we will help you out ❄️

Our vendor office will be closed tomorrow and we plan to re-open on Monday. We will keep you posted as the weather begins!

Address

154 5th Avenue North
Nashville, TN
37219

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 3pm
Tuesday 10am - 3pm
Wednesday 10am - 12pm
Thursday 10am - 12pm
Friday 10am - 12pm

Telephone

(615) 499-6829

Website

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