Late edits: Corrections were made to this piece.

Yvonne talks to a lot of people. She said she sells 350 to 500 Real Change newspapers per week at PCC Natural Markets on California Av., five and a half days a week.

"Someone, an elderly woman, once gave me $500 for a newspaper when I first started five years ago," said Yvonne. "She told me not to open my hands until she left the parking lot. I held onto it for a long time because she was old, and I thought she may have made a mistake. But I never saw her again."

Yvonne said she has no children of her own, but that that is OK. "All the children are my children. I love them all," she said.

She loves her location. "They are more generous this time of year, but generous all the time in West Seattle. I have lots to be thankful for." She is not now homeless and has an apartment in the U-District.

Yvonne wrote a poem she read at C & P Coffee Nov. 24 as a featured reader at PoetryBridge night there. Here is a hint. She likes the color red.

All that's red. Red, red and more red. Red dishes. Red scarves, red hats, red gloves, red coats, red slacks, red shoes, red leg warmers, red blankets, red pants, red blouses, and a red comb, a red brush, red place mats, red ink pens, red sheets, and red dainties. Red sweats, red glasses you see, red earrings glistening, red red, and red. Red and more red. You cannot have enough red you see. All that red was inspired by a customer for me.

Read more about Yvonne and why she loves red here: http://www.realchangenews.org/index.php/site/archives/4612/