Ben Stalets opened his presentation at the Toledo Rotary Club Monday looking slightly abashed.

“Most of the time, I’m introducing myself to people who are in crisis,” he said — a description that probably applies to very few Rotarians.

Mr. Stalets is the vendor manager of the Toledo Streets newspaper, a monthly publication sold by independent vendors on the streets of Toledo. The organization is a work force development nonprofit that also provides a community and a support network to people who are going through tough times. Together with co-presenter Bryce Roberts, he explained how selling newspapers as part of a community of vendors lends a lifeline to people who are struggling.

“Street papers are a really simple idea,” he said. “We sell the papers to vendors for $0.25 per paper, but

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