01 30 2013

Volume 10: Issue 6 January 30 - February 12, 2013

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Street Sense aims to serve as a vehicle for elevating voices and public debate on issues relating to poverty while also creating economic opportunities for people who are experiencing homelessness in our community.

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Inspirational thoughts for Black History Month.

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The mysterious life of a wandering minister.

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Mourning the loss of a brother.

COVER ART Omar Martin, Kandis Jacobs, Michael Jackson and Cory McRae helped renovate their apartment building. Now they are planning for the future.

PHOTOS BY MARY OTTO; ARCHITECTURAL PLANS COURTESY OF DC DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, ILLUSTRATION BY ERIC FALQUERO

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OUR STORY Street Sense began in August 2003 after Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson approached the National Coalition for the Homeless on separate occasions with the idea to start a street paper in Washington, D.C. Through the work of dedicated volunteers, Street Sense published its first issue in November 2003. In 2005, Street Sense achieved 501 ( c ) 3 status as a nonprofit organization, formed a board of directors and hired a full-time executive director.

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STREET SENSE January 30 - February 12, 2013

History in the Making

NEWS IN BRIEF The Museum event came with a suggested donation of $5. The Museum’s main exhibits remained open during the event with many in attendance taking the opportunity to also tour the museum. Lunch was served shortly after the President’s inaugural address followed by a screening of the inaugural parade.

The African American Civil War Memorial & Museum is located at 1925 Vermont Ave. NW. They may be contacted at 202-667-2667 or at info@afroamcivilwar.org.

- Brandon Caudill

Panel Debates Poverty’s Future

The African American Civil War Memorial & Museum took a break from honoring African American history of the past on January 21, to instead present history in the making, holding its own public screening of Barack Obama’s second Inaugural. While hundreds of thousands of spectators braved the elements on the National Mall just a few miles away, about 20 or so local residents gathered in the museum off U Street to watch the live WhiteHouse.gov feed

of the event. Even in the cozy confines of the museum’s auditorium the small crowd was as lively as those watching from the Mall.

“That’s my man,” one spectator called out when Obama took the stage.

“That’s our man,” another corrected.

The museum audience shared comments with each other and applauded as different speakers took the stage at the Capital, with some even taking pictures of Obama’s image on the big screen

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Government leaders, social activists and poverty experts convened in Washington January 17 to discuss the future of American poverty, and what the government can do to help the millions of citizens trapped in its vicious cycle.

Tavis Smiley, author and television host, challenged the panelists, including Newt Gingrich, the former Speaker of the House, Mariana Chilton, associate professor of Drexel University’s School of Public Health and Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH), to discuss what our nations politicians can do now to eradicate poverty.

The program was held at The George Washington University ‘s Lisner Auditorium, and broadcast live by PBS on the show Tavis Smiley.

“Our problem is that we’re not taking seriously any of our problems. Of course the poor are the most urgent.

They’re the ones clinging, trying to hold on. We’re not taking care of that,” said Jeffrey Sachs, the director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University.

Gingrich and Sachs sparred over the benefits of government programs like food stamps. Cornel West, an author and professor at Union Theological Seminary, protested the use of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s bible at President Obama’s inauguration, and lamented the force of racism and poverty in the country.

The panelists confronted the nation’s education system, the auto industry, the food stamp program as well as the health care system. The discussions became passionate, and the panelists increasingly frustrated with the nation’s lack of progress, but all included a clear message to the Obama administrationnow, at the start of the second term, is the time to work together to end poverty in America.

- Hannah Morgan

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gining a m i e R are to Welf Work

*an occasional series

Building a Future Through Sweat Equity

By Mary Otto Editor-in-Chief Kandis Jacobs, her husband Omar Martin and their three children moved to their apartment in December. On Christmas morning, the kids flew out of their beds to open the presents under the Christmas tree. After the days of joblessness, the homeless shelter and the transitional program, everything about that morning was stunning, magical, blessed.

“God is good,” says Jacobs, summing it up.

Now they are starting a new year and a new life. They cherish everything about their three-bedroom apartment on Wayne Place in Southeast Washington: the comfy couch and beds; the bathroom they have all to themselves; the washer and dryer and the refrigerator decorated with a portrait of President Obama colored by their oldest son, Kamari, 6; the new stove where Jacobs cooks her tasty dinners.

And beyond the apartment’s fresh white walls, they cherish their neighbors who also live in the small neat brick building. They have developed strong bonds participating in a sweatequity program that has given homeless families the chance to renovate a oncerundown property and make it home.

They are working toward a future they had trouble imagining when things seemed to be at their worst. For Jacobs and Martin, the troubles started back in 2009 when Martin lost his job as a security guard. The family eventually ended up at DC General, the old hospital the city uses as its homeless shelter, sleeping in a former hospital room and struggling to take care of other necessities with a monthly Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) check.

“It felt like the world was coming to an end,” Martin admits.

Yet it was there at the shelter that they found about the sweat equity pilot project, part of a larger effort by the city to move families out of home-

lessness and rethink a welfare program where some beneficiaries have languished for years. Central to the push is intensive casework geared toward getting poor parents the skills and work experience they need to move off of welfare and support their families.

But when Martin originally looked into the sweat equity pilot program he was wary.

“My beautiful wife is the reason that we are in the program,” says Martin, with a smile that takes in Jacobs on the couch, and their two younger children, Omar, 2, and Samarje, 3, who clamber and play about the living room and kitchen. “If I hadn’t listened to her we wouldn’t be here now.”

It took months of very hard work to get the place into shape, however. The

Omar Martin with his sons Omar and Samarjae, and his wife Kandis Jacobs.

PHOTOS BY MARY OTTO

It was the pay that worried him most, only about $12.50 an hour. At his old job, as a guard, he had earned twice that much. This seemed like a step down in the world. But his wife told him they should give it a try.

“Baby we’re in the shelter,” Jacobs told him. “Something is better than nothing.”

And the program turned out to offer other benefits as well. Once the sweat equity team had finished the work on the old city-owned apartment building, participants would have a chance to live there for three years. They would pay 30 percent of their incomes as rent. The money would be placed into an escrow account, to be matched three to one by the city . After three years, they would have a nest egg they could use to buy a home of their own, to go back to school or start a business .

building was in a sorry state. Martin and the rest of the crew, nine other men plus two women, had to gut the building and reconstruct it from the sewer pipes up. They regularly prayed to keep their courage up.

Now that they are in their homes, the members of the sweat equity crew have moved on to renovate a city-owned women’s shelter. They are continuing to hone their construction skills. They are taking courses. And they are steadily saving for the future.

Martin says he is looking forward to the day when he doesn’t need the $602 monthly TANF check anymore. But he won’t forget the lessons he and his family learned surviving on welfare.

“You put yourself last, put God first and the children second,” sums up Martin. “They eat before you eat because that’s what it’s really for.”

What will he and his family do when the three years with the sweat equity program come to an end?o How do they plan to invest their nest egg?

“The American Dream is to purchase a home,” says Martin carefully. “My dream is to purchase a home and a business.”

He and a friend and neighbor from the sweat equity project, Michael Jackson, talk a lot about pooling their resources and perhaps buying and renovating another small apartment building, making homes for other families who need a new start in life.

Jackson, who, as if on cue, pops his head through Martin’s front door on this snowy morning, agrees.

They will have their own company.

“This is the CEO,” he says, pointing to Martin. “And I am the CFO.” They are quite the pair when they get together, working and dreaming, and making one another laugh.

“My brother and I: We shared the same visions,” says Jackson. “We’re too much alike.”

Or as Martin sees it, different but compatible.

“We’re like peanut butter and jelly.”

They share a deep faith but beyond that, Martin admires the way Jackson is raising his kids by himself. Jackson and his son and his daughter slept in a van for a while before they ended up at DC General. They all made the best of it. But the thing the children, Erin, 9 and Michael Jr. missed most during their sojourn through homelessness was their dad’s wonderful cooking.

When they got moved in upstairs here on Wayne Place, the kids wanted a gingerbread house for Christmas, so Jackson built one for them.

“That man is Betty Crocker!” brags Martin, grateful to have a friend like Jackson, a fellow traveller taking the journey alongside him step by step.

That’s how to rebuild your life, he says.

“It’s just like a home,” says Martin.

“You’ve got to have the foundation first.

Then everything else comes into place.”

STREET SENSE January 30 - February 12, 2013

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NEWS

Public Rallies for Affordable Housing

By Kate Glantz Volunteer Nearly 7,000 people have no place to call home in Washington D.C. At first glance, you might not realize Cardell Bryan and her daughter have been among them.

An articulate young woman with an easy smile, Bryan found herself on the streets raising a little girl. Living out of her car, then “sofa surfing,” she became an unlikely face of the homeless.

Today, Bryan and her six-year-old daughter live in permanent housing, with assistance from the D.C. Transitional Housing Center. Their future is bright, but Bryan wants to “drop a bug in someone’s ear” about the need for housing support, aware that others are still without a solution.

With more than 66,000 households currently on city waiting lists for affordable housing and the wait for a subsidized studio apartment estimated at 43 years, the District of Columbia Housing Authority announced plans late last year to freeze the housing waiting list. Meanwhile, thousands more renters households are struggling with monthly payments that amount to more than half their income.

With such pressures in mind, hundreds of Washington residents gathered January 26 at the downtown Martin Luther King, Jr. Library to push for more affordable housing. Under the banner “Housing for All”, housing and development organizations, policy makers and residents sent a direct and spirited message to Mayor Vincent Gray: more affordable, quality housing is needed.

The “Housing for All” coalition has called on the District government to adopt and finance a $255 million comprehensive housing strategy that encompasses the entire continuum of housing.

The continuum consists of every degree of need: emergency shelter, supportive housing for people with special needs, rental housing that bridges the cost of what people can afford and the high price of rent, and helping families buy their first home.

The two-hour event included testimony from affordable housing residents and local leaders.

City officials were also present. May-

or Vincent Gray took the stage briefly, noting that recommendations made by the city’s Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force, a 35-member team that represents housing specialists from all sectors, would be announced soon.

Task force member Polly Donaldson, who also serves as executive director of the D.C. Transitional Housing Center and as president of the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development (CNHED) offered the audience a glimpse of the report’s findings.

“We [the Task Force] made some very serious recommendations and there is capacity there to do it. Anyone who needs housing gets it. That’s the ideal.”

Donaldson went on to explain that there is no one size fits all solution to ending homelessness, but that housing and other supportive services are most successful when matched with the specific needs of families and individuals.

“If you give people the tools they need,” she said, “it leads to empowerment and self-sufficiency.”

Although Mayor Gray offered little by way of solution, he told the crowd that there would be a “hugely important announcement” to make at the State of the District on February 5.

Gray said, “We will stand up and make the investments we should make.”

Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans and Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser also addressed the crowd. Bowser recognized winners of “Housing for All’s” writing competition. First place adult and youth prizes were awarded to Street Sense vendor, John “Mick” Mathews and Tyrone Lewis, respectively. Both winners read their poems to raucous audience applause.

Affordable housing proponents and beneficiaries alike will be listening closely on February 5. But for now, it remains to be seen what Mayor Gray’s announcement will entail and whether it will be backed by the dollars needed to make a meaningful difference.

Bryan, who now considers herself an advocate for affordable housing explained, “We want to lead the way for our children and their children. We just need a little more help.”

More than 300 people attended the “Housing for All” rally at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library. Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser (bottom) encourages attendees to vocal about the importance of affordable housing.

PHOTOS BY KATE GLANTZ

NEWS

Goodwill Paves Way to Success

By Jeff Gray Editorial Intern Nadine Prince remembers the first time she saw the flyer for Goodwill job training programs during the winter of 2008.

It was taped to the back door of the Hannah House, a D.C. transitional facility for homeless women where Prince was living after a stint in prison and an extended stay in a halfway home. After spending the entirety of her adult life as an alcoholic hustling drugs on the street, she was ready for a change.

“I was doing nothing, just killing myself,” she says. “I just got tired of that.”

Through Goodwill, Prince was able find a job and turn her life around.

Most people associate Goodwill with thrift stores and donation drop-off centers. Not as well-known are the organization’s extensive job training programs. Here in the District, the organization provides thousands of disadvantaged job seekers with vocational services and employment counseling every year.

“Goodwill’s mission is to transform

lives through the power of education and employment,” says Brendan Hurley, chief marketing officer of Goodwill of Greater Washington. “Our goal is to help people find sustainable employment so they can become self-sufficient.”

To help people achieve the goal of sustainable employment, Goodwill of Greater Washington offers intensive multi-week training courses that provide enrollees with the knowledge and skills to succeed in the workplace.

These courses, which combine classroom instruction with skills workshops, typically last between four and 10 weeks and focus on particular career fields. One current course, Security and Protective Services, prepares students for jobs as unarmed security guards. Another, Hospitality, steers students into hotel employment.

The Career Navigation program offers basic instruction for those new to or unfamiliar with the job market. This includes identifying marketable strengths and appropriate employment opportunities, as well as developing soft skills such as resume writing and interviewing.

Program participants can even get a voucher to purchase clothes for an interview.

Prince, who graduated from the Environmental Services janitorial program, says the course provided her with not only indispensable job training, but also

an environment of warmth and support that she had never experienced before.

“Everybody was so nice and the people were always laughing,” she remembers. “I had never laughed or smiled before. It was beautiful.”

Hurley says training services are offered to anybody who is eligible, but the disabled and disadvantaged are especially targeted. This population includes people with physical and emotional disabilities, ex-offenders, those trying to get off welfare, and the chronically unemployed.

“There are people that come to us with a myriad of disadvantages,” the executive explained. “Our job is to help them navigate through the workforce development system.”

In addition to preparing its students for careers, Goodwill also plays an active part in attempting to place them in jobs after graduation. After graduating on January 23 of 2009, Prince quickly landed a job at a local military base.

During 2012, Goodwill of Greater Washington placed more than 200 people in new jobs. In that same time span, 588 people graduated from job training programs and more than 2,000 received basic services.

The majority of funding for Goodwill’s employment training comes from revenue generated by its retail stores, a set-up that Hurley says gives the or-

ganization unique status.

“We are one of the few non-profits who operate with a very traditional business model,” he explained.

But this is not to say that the organization doesn’t rely on outside funding and private donations. As part of a nation-wide workforce and education funding campaign, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation recently awarded a $25,000 grant to Goodwill of Greater Washington.

“Goodwill is playing a critical role in helping local individuals obtain the education training that they need for 21st Century jobs,” said Jeff Wood, Greater Washington Market President, Bank of America.

Today Prince lives in a tidy two room apartment, the rent for which she proudly states is paid early every month. She has kept steady employment for four years now and is clean from drugs and alcohol.

“I like living here,” she says. “I have peace.”

Where she would be today without Goodwill is fate she would rather not think about.

“I don’t even know [where I would be],” she says, adding that wondering about could-have-beens is not important.

“I know where I’m at now. There’s nothing that bothers me anymore.”

US Department of Education Grant to Boost Learning in Parkside/Kenilworth

By Mark Rose Volunteer Residents of the Parkside/Kenilworth neighborhood in Ward 7 have been buoyed by the announcement of a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education meant to improve life for local parents and children.

But no one is happier than Ayris Scales, executive director of DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative, the community nonprofit that wrote the grant application and is in charge of putting the money to work.

“I’m thrilled and honored,” said Scales. “It’s a milestone.”

Now comes the task of getting the neighborhood fully engaged in the projects she has in mind. DC PNI has been

working in the community for several years helping provide educational assistance and summer programs to keep children involved in positive activities.

The new grant will allow for an expansion of DC PNI’s programs and services .

“I want the community to be as excited and buy into it as much as I and the team do,” said Scales. “Without their support, we’re nothing.”

The grant money will be steered through four schools in the community: Neval Thomas Elementary, Kenilworth Elementary, the Educare School, and Chavez-Parkside Middle and High School. And community members thronged the auditorium of Neval Thomas for a Jan. 23 for a community town hall meeting to weigh in on the project.

Frances Johnson, a local parent iaid

she hoped that expanded tutoring, literacy and summer programs would raise her daughter’s test scores.

“My thing is the child should not be behind, period,” she said.

Alan Davis said that enrichment activities would help his grandchildren, Elijah Davis, 12, and Ezekiel Davis, 4.

“It’s what the community said they needed.”

-Ayris Scales The increased program offerings, “give the kids something to do,” he said. “ I wish they had had something like this when I was growing up.”

PNI’s project specifically targets the educational and social needs of children

and single mothers, since about 90 percent of households in Parkside/Kenilworth are headed by single mothers raising their children alone, Scales said.

While their young children are taught and cared for, parents will be offered life skills and workforce training and will be coached in ways they can help their children at home and in school.

“It’s what the community said they needed,” Scales said. “It all came back to what was happening outside the school as much as what’s happening inside the schools.”

A second community town hall meeting is scheduled for Feb. 27 at Kenilworth Elementary.

STREET SENSE January 30 - February 12, 2013

OPINION

Emulating Malcom X

By Jeffrey McNeil Vendor Now that we are in Black History Month, I reflect on our past, present and future.

During this time, we celebrate the countless heroes whose courage and sacrifice paved the way for the freedom and equality that we all share in today: Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson.

I’d like to mention countless others.

But space demands I focus on the big three who fascinate me: Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Barack Obama.

Malcolm X is the one who I try to emulate. I’ve read his biography three times and I carry it around as a source of reference.

His story is one of the great ironies of history. He was initially viewed as an agitator and a hate-monger. But before he was murdered, his views and philosophy were the same as the views of today’s Republicans. Like Marcus Garvey, he was a black conservative. Malcolm X was pro-life, believed in self-reliance and taking arms, opposed any form of government assistance and was to the right of the NRA when it came to gun control. He believed in self-defense, not peaceful resistance.

His life was similar to mine. We both grew up in white society and were told we were inadequate. He was a self-confessed lowlife who turned to gambling and drugs. I never went to prison, but I became homeless. And under those circumstances we both found our pas-

sion, which was telling our stories on a mass scale. Like Malcolm, I read history, study world religions and philosophy and abstain from drugs. He put his time in prison to good use and became a great debater. He debated and spoke at many of the most prestigious colleges in the country. I hope to do the same one day.

We both have also been hurt by those we look up to. We searched for love and chose poor role models.

His tragic story is an example that loving too much can be just as detrimental as hating too much. And because Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam were the family he never had, history will always paint him as a hatemonger and a divisive figure. That is far from the truth.

While many liked Dr. King’s message of nonviolence, after hearing Malcolm X’s speeches about black pride you couldn’t go back to King’s nonviolence.

Malcolm X said things black people thought but dared not say. Unlike King and Obama, Malcolm X was unrestrained. He made both blacks and whites uncomfortable with his message of self-sufficiency. While King talked about sitting at lunch counters, Malcolm X talked about owning the lunch counter. His message of power sharing was unpalatable to the white establishment, which caused him to be constantly under surveillance.

He was the ghetto weatherman who knew our temperature. As the voice of the inner city blacks, he did more for the black community than anyone before or since. He helped more people get off of drugs than any rehabilita-

tion clinic. He provided breakfasts and lunches for children and taught blacks to be proud and upright. He also was an educator who taught men to wear suits, to respect women and to study their history. He was the first to tell us that before we were slaves, we were kings and queens of Africa.

Many called him a flamethrower, but I think he was authentic. Because of his background he used his life as an open book. You may not like what he said, but you knew where he was coming from.

He took you through the root cause of his anger and made you understand it.

His murder, which was probably arranged by his former colleagues in the Nation of Islam, changed history. His voice was a calming influence, and after its loss many cities exploded in riots. The inner city has not been the same since.

Black America is still mourning the two searing deaths of Dr. King and Malcom X. Many have tried to take their place, but they were once in a generation. Something about them mesmerized people. We had no inspirational leadership of this caliber until the rise of Obama.

I always wonder what Malcolm X would have thought of President Obama.

At first I think he would have felt the same way about our President as he felt about Dr. King and the Kennedy’s, who he believed coopted the civil rights movement for economic purposes.

However, in time I think Malcolm X would’ve understood that Obama’s role is bigger than addressing civil rights or race issues that affect only minorities.

The president has to deal with issues that affect the world.

press themselves.This is a time where African Americans can finally see that it is all about them and that all of the pain we went through is over. God is graceful and faithful because he was there during black people’s time of need, trouble and comfort.

There are people who made a change in our lives today. For example, Dr. King’s dream and life purpose was to have black people treated fairly and have equal rights. Dred Scott was famous for being the first African Ameri-

can to challenge slavery in court.

Jupiter Hammon was the first African American slave to have his literature published. All of these leaders and role models helped us to realize how important black history is to a lot of people and how our history affected our lives today. This is Black History Month and it is here now.

Black History Month

By Evelyn Nnam Vendor February is Black History Month, a time to reflect on the past struggles of black people and embrace their accomplishments.

Black History Month is about family, heritage and culture.

Many people get an opportunity to ex-

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Thank you and God bless you all.

Wilma Rudolph

By Eric Thompson-Bey Vendor Since February is Black History Month I thought that I’d pay tribute to one of the greatest black woman athletes in the history of track and field.

Wilma Rudolph was born June 23, 1940 in St. Bethlehem, Tennessee. As a young child Mrs. Rudolph wore a brace on her leg. While in high school she played basketball, and at the age of 16 she qualified for the 1956 Olympic team. She was the youngest member of the team and won a bronze medal. That’s a big feat for a young girl who at one time wore a brace. After high school she went to Tennessee State University. She qualified for the 1960 Olympic team and won the 100 and 200 meters as well as the 400 relay. She was also the first woman to win three gold medals in track and field. She was named the Associated Press Woman Athlete of the Year twice and was inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame.

Mrs. Rudolph accomplished all these feats in the 1950s and 60s during a period when blacks were fighting for equality and civil rights. She faced racism from fellow Olympic teammates and coaches, but continued to strive to be one of the best track and field athletes in the world. Mrs. Rudolph died on November 12, 1994 from brain cancer, but her legacy lives on.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LORENZA SMITH

A Reverend’s Life Among the Stars

By Julie & Ferris Garel Volunteers The real-life experiences of Reverend Lorenza Andrade Smith are the stuff of modern day parables.

“One night, while I lay partially asleep on the street, I felt a man hovering over me”.

The tension in her voice made clear that this was not a spiritual allusion.

“I saw, in my peripheral vision, that he was holding a knife. I stood up, reached out my hand, and introduced myself.” Self-evidently, Smith added, “He extended his hand, gave me his name, and put his knife away. We talked a while, and we became friends.

It was a moment of true humanity that transformed us both.”

Lorenza Smith was led to Washington D.C.’s United Methodist Church by a strong desire to expand the conversation about poverty and homelessness.

Irony and the church parish relations committee would not permit Smith to provide shelter to the homeless at the parsonage in San Antonio, TX, her home base. Smith saw this as an opportunity to more directly engage in the economic and social issues impacting the poor and marginalized. This is why she has been travelling from place to place and living on the streets since July 2011, and she will continue to do so until July 2014.

Smith has visited Washington, D.C. several times since her journey began.

Most recently, she arrived in town the week of January 14, for several days, to meet with the United Methodist General Commission on Religion and Race and the Methodist Federation for Social Action. Smith also spoke with one of Sam Marullo’s Urban Ministry doctoral classes at Wesley Theological Seminary. She is interested in the possibility of conducting further research in the issues of poverty and power in a complex society at Wesley Theological Seminary. While in town, Smith slept outside at the steps of the Supreme Court and Union Station.

Smith describes her new parsonage as, “under the stars,” a more positive depiction of homelessness that she learned from a man living on the streets

January 17: Washington, DC - Lorenza Smith slept under the stars while in Washington for a speaking engagement on Capitol Hill.

Jan 8th: Nome, AK - Smith trying to Jan 25: Tempe, Ariz. - Smith speaks about stay warm with her “friends who live her efforts and experiences with United under the stars.”

Methodist Women. of San Antonio. “He knew that even when there are clouds in the sky there are bright stars behind them.”

Lorenza Andrade Smith was born in Brownsville, TX in 1969. She grew up in a middle class family with parents who taught her the importance of compassion and human dignity. Both parents were educators. Her family now finds

humor in the fact that,“as a little girl, I always had visions of living in a tent.”

Smith serves the greater homeless community by meeting with groups that wish to hear her message and share their own stories. She goes where Facebook messages and cell calls invite her. El Salvador, Peru, Nome, Alaska, and Skid Row, Los Angeles are among

the many places she has listened to and learned from the homeless.

“I share stories and I challenge those assembled to communicate the love of God,” Smith explains. “When we embody the love of God, that turns into advocacy.”

Smith makes it clear that her mission is to be present, to listen, and to learn. She is neither lobbyist nor agitator. Rather, she has faith that law and justice will align around the many issues that impact marginalized populations when individuals acknowledge, for themselves, the roles they should play.

Throughout her journey, Smith has transitioned through a process of shedding what she considers the superfluous.

She started by selling all her possessions except the clothes on her back and a white shirt she rolled up for a pillow at night. She now wants to shed fear.

She remains fearful, at times, for her safety. Beyond that, she wants to eliminate fear and doubt that might keep her from reaching her full potential. She refers to John 4:18 as the verse she strives to embody in her life, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear…”

Smith recalls another story as a means of describing the results of her current mission.

“I spoke with a gang member who had recently come out of prison,” she begins.

“He offered to pray for my safety, and he asked me to pray for his.”

“The number one killer on the streets isn’t drugs or alcohol,” she adds. “It’s loneliness. The smile I received from that man was a little bit of light in the darkness.” She pauses, and then concludes, “It’s just like the stars.”

Smith is able to meet with groups across the country, and beyond, through gift cards and Greyhound Discovery Passes contributors send to a post office box she maintains. She does not accept honorariums. The gifts she receives allow Smith to meet with even the smallest groups. Smith welcomes new friends on her Facebook page, which documents her journey.

STREET SENSE Januarty 30 - February 12, 2013

Snapshots of life in vendor Phillip Black’s Household.

FEATURE

PHOTOS BY PHILLIP BLACK

By Phillip Black Vendor, “The Cat in the Hat” Ever since gaining custody of my two children, Javonna, 15, and Rasheeda, 13, the three of us have come a long way. For the first time in 5 years, we spent Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years together. It hasn’t been easy, but we’ve made great strides. In October, my aunt took her house off the market and turned it over to us. Never in a million years did I think that could happen.

When we moved into the house, we had absolutely nothing, but we were so happy to move in that it didn’t matter.

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A Home With My Children

As long as we were together we had everything. By staying positive, and through the power of prayer, things started to work out for us. One of my customers and friends, whose name is Sparkle, gave us a washer and a dryer.

She also gave us a microwave, silverware and pictures. Another customer and friend, Jessica, gave us a Dell computer. A customer named Chyerl gave us a sleeper sofa and chair. My

CHILDREN’S ART: LITTLE MONSTERS Made by children living at DC General Family Shelter. The creatures are named Big Monster, Squeakey, Big Eyes, Star, and The Racer Monster.

There are 1,880 children experiencing homelessness in the District. The Homeless Children’s Playtime Project visits 6 different transitional housing and emergency shelter programs to provide weekly activities, healthy snacks, and opportunities to play and learn to as many children as possible.

Courtesy of the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project

very good friends at Eastern Market have helped me and and the girls. Diann, who works at Eastern Market, has given my children clothes, Christmas gifts and money.

My children and I are very grateful.

Javonna and Rasheed are honor roll students. They love to read books and they love their new schools. They are adjusting well since leaving Greensboro, North Carolina and are making new friends.

My girls and I want to thank all of our friends at Eastern Market and 11th and F St. A very, very special thank you to Debbie and Larain. We love you so much. I know my children and I have come a long way and we still have a long way to go. Raising two teenage girls is no easy job. But through determination and my faith in God I’m going to be a great father and role model to my children. Thank you all so much!

COMICS & GAMES

TERRON’S GAME: IN SHARK INFESTED WATERS

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STREET SENSE January 30 - February 12, 2013

OPINION

Homeless Not Hopeless

By Kedist Girma Vendor It can happen to anyone: from the richest of the rich to the poorest o f t h e p o o r.

While financial poverty is among the leading causes to homelessness, a financially affluent individual can also neglect his/her wealth for a life of poverty. Whether by force or through sheer madness, a wealthy individual may become financially desolate and homeless. Whichever path he/she takes to homelessness, it is far from the normal ideal to be homeless. In fact, the reality is that there are approximately 7,000 homeless persons in the District of Columbia on

any given night, according to the 2012 point and time count.

Some psychiatrists have attributed homelessness as a negative symptom in relation to schizophrenia and/or bipolar disorder, while others simply believe homelessness to be a misfortune caused by financial irresponsibility. After my research on the Patriot Act, as an Ethiopian immigrant I believe that there is a possibility that homelessness may be caused by the American government and/or police through the Patriot Act for those suspected of being “terrorists,” who are often immigrants.

The Patriot Act allows government officials to search homes without the homeowner’s permission and/or awareness. Furthermore, the Patriot Act permits government officials to contact through phone wiretapping individuals that are renting homes to the “suspected terrorist.”

Being homeless deprives an individ-

ual of basic constitutional and human rights. It is difficult for homeless individuals to obtain secondary identifications such as state identifications like a driver’s license, open a postal box and/ or bank account. Worst of all, homelessness hinders the ability to gain and maintain employment and to pursue advanced education.

In spite of obstacles faced by the homeless, there are advantages in even the most undesirable circumstances.

As I am saving funds to own a home, I’ve learned gratitude and humbleness through my transitional stage of being homeless. I have also come to very much appreciate my customers while writing and selling Street Sense newspaper.

Lastly, I’ve been encouraged by a Biblical scripture: “Jesus said The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has not where to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20).

Maryland, Virginia and out-of-towner who simply don’t know the rules of the roads or read the signs that are posted on light poles. If I can see them as a pedestrian, why is it those drivers can’t see them ? So, do I assume that some drivers just don’t care because they are in a hurry to get to their destination or they are just plain frustrated trying to find a parking place on the street of not having to pay the high fees of PMI? Just a couple of weeks ago a truck driver was standing in the middle of the road on 14th and I street NW waiting to make a left turn on a “One Way” street sign with an arrow pointing the opposite direction of him turning. Everyone from pedestrians, drivers blowing their horns at the truck didn’t get the signal and makes the turn anyway into a one way. Thank God, the other cars slow down to allow the idiot to move on. That could have been a horrible accident with many lives lost. Another woman did the same thing with pedestrians hollering at her from 15th and I street who makes a right turn on a one way street and is in the same lane as the Suburban Buses and Metro Buses are in. Believe me she was real lucky that evening because she finally realized she was driving in

the wrong direction.

I also propose that rush hour to be extended from 7 AM to 3 PM to 5 AM to 11 PM or have more D.Dot officers on every busy corner in Washington D.C. By those hours there should be less traffic and pedestrians that would be walking on the streets during those hours.

D.C.’s Dangerous Roads

By Aida Basnight-Peery Vendor As a Street Sense vendor, selling papers between 14th K and I Street, there have been quite a few nearaccidents by drivers. Pedestrians really need to be more observant of their surroundings even though they have the right of way to cross the street. Washington DC, is probably the only city that drivers can make a right turn on a red light in front of them while pedestrians have the right to cross the street on a green light. This is a problem not only on 14th K. It’s dangerous throughout the city of D.C. I can’t say how many times I have missed a crossing because of an impatient right turn. Why are drivers so quick to make a right turn on a red light? I say we ban the right turn on red altogether.

I also propose that during rush hour in Washington DC that the only vehicles that should be on streets are buses, police cars and secret service. Now you have a plethora of drivers D.C.,

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Subscribe to Street Sense 1 Year: $40 2 Years: $80 3 Years: $120 I want half of my purchase to benefit a vendor directly Vendor Name Vendor Badge # Name

Address Phone

Celebrating My First Year at Street Sense

By Terron Soloman Vendor Well, I finally made it one year at Street Sense. Since arriving at Street Sense, I’ve learned so much about how to sell the paper: locations, times of day, etc. Basically the paper is an extension of your personality. As my new year starts, I reflect on the progress I’ve made, customers I’ve met, and what I need to do moving forward. My first year was filled with input from other vendors which in turn helped me to generate sales that made it possible to survive day-to-day. It helped me open a bank account and even afforded me extra money to help other homeless people I ran across daily. Now I have a foundation to build on. I have to thank God first and foremost for blessing me with this opportunity. I also thank the customers who support me daily and thank me for the laughter and jokes that help them make it through their day.

I’m currently looking for a place of my own to stay. I’m enrolled in school with the help of Street Sense, and hope to start my own small business. The school is a two month-long program in accounting, taxes, payroll, and licensing. They also give you startup money, depending on how well you put together your business plan. So, when I’m not selling papers I’m hard at work with class and looking for housing. Thanks again to all the customers who support me. I’m looking forward to finishing this class so I can show other people how you can get back on your feet within one year and start your own business.

The Street Sense Writers’ Group is led by two writing professionals and meets every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. The group’s goal is to develop ideas and colaborate on the next great issue of Street Sense.

BEFORE THE RAIN, PT 14: SIMPLY A MARDI GRAS ‘LAGNIAPPE

By Chris Shaw “The Cowboy Poet” Loomis rubbed his eyes--”Can this be--?”

Mojo Man, now far more insistently repeated his previous gravelly suggestion. “So--You be tryin’ my Goofer Dust or is you jus’ cuttin BAIT?!!”

Loomis was scared witless. “M-Mojo Man! I mus’ be tripping. You’re not here--” “NO, Fool, this’ ain’ no KIND o’ Trip! Rather, it’s onliest the bigges’ MIS’FO’TUNE to be-fall the kingdom of New Orl’ns since the 1927 Flood!”, whereupon Mojo collapses in a mighty heap, wearied by his expulsion of ‘explicxcatory’ speaking.

Now, Loomis, dumbfounded, knelt beside him.

“Fer-GIT Dat, Boy! No las’ Rites, neither, please spare me dat. We got work to do, afore WE becomes more Goofer Dust, me no!!”

Now Loomis turned his attention to an odd ivory-and brass bound tubular object. “This yore cigarette

lighter, Mojo?”

From the gimpy old bounder, a barely audible croak, which Loomis took to be ‘yes’. Otherwise all quiet save for the oily Slop-slop of the dark waters surrounding this and all similar shacks in this ward- same as Sixth, Eighth, Ninth...God knew.

Quarter-mile down, close to what the stiffs called the “American Quarter,” Lyndsey Patterson assisted the helmet-sprayed hairdo TV anchor guy out of the Humvee, on to a set of concrete Jersey barriers opposite the old Custom House. Whereupon, this suit droned on, “As I view the dreck and effluvium of Hurricane Katrina, worst weather event to strike New Orleans the better part of a century...”

Lyndsey groaned, and glanced about for a way out. He just wouldn’t stop, painting even more meaningless wordpix: “...Now we track the mess of Harrah’s casino at the foot of Canal, and you can only imagine a handful of solitary gamblers, hoping to throw a value roll or some hi-stake chips to bargain their escape-” “God,” but Lyndsey was actually

mouthing a prayer, as she slipped to the higher ground leading past the Cuistom House, up Royal Street, “please, God save Loomis, at least let me see him- find him one last time...!” Just now, a warped wafting but oddly reassuring sound of brasses and woodwind horns floated over the deep deadly puddles of deluged downtown new Orleans. In slo-motion, a crumbling four-storey brick ‘fun house’ slid into a filthy pile of dust.

Back at Mojo’s House of Charms, Loomis may have heard the music as well. Holding the wavering flame just close enough to pick out yellowed curled messages off an ancient and bowed horsehair board, Loomis thought he heard Mojo instruct him to gulp from a purplish phial of “Lavendar Controllin’ Oil.” Actually, Mojo man hollered out, “Do NOT Drink Dat Oil,” but it was too late.

“Bless St. Expedite, My boy has gone bad to good,” Loomis read from the tiny scroll. Then, another one: “Thanks to St Rita, for bicycles found, and preservation from drowning.” Loom had knocked a tray bearing, Snake Oil,

John the Conqueror, Black Cat Root, and suchbut he had spilled, licked and ingested the lavender drops. Now the transformation had begun. The sky shone bright where only the little roof chuck-hole had been. Mojo in his ratty torn Army pea-coat was a towering gold-tooth god in wrap-around shades- the resurrection of the famous Professor Longhair of New Orleans! The horn parade swelled loud, and the gold tooth magus sang proudly, “I’m, Goin’ To New Orle-eans, And I’m Gonna Goto-the-MARDI GRAS!! And when I gits to New Orleans, I’m gonna know what the Carnival’s for!!”

Loomis swayed dangerously. he heard unknown voices shouting in a cluster, pronouncing his last name, the old, French way, “Monsieur RIDEAU, Allez, allez m’sieur RIDEAU!!”

And more faintly, Mojo Man, wearing a fearsome feathered masque, muttered “Accept it, BoY! Accept this Lagniappe...it gonna be your salvation!”

(To Be Continued)

C=MB: WHERE DO SINGLE MEN AND WOMEN GET HELP?

Second Chance

By Cynthia Mewborn Vendor

By Victoria Beaumont Vendor

Many people face eviction due to no fault of their own.

Some have been harassed by a manager or supervisor for years. Whatever the situation, it often can have very little to do with the person who is involved.

When I recently sought help after losing my income more than seven months ago, I had never faced an eviction nor had my rent been overdue for months.

It had never been difficult for me to find work either.

My landlord stated to me that I could receive help from the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, but I was not prepared for what that meant: only 10 peo-

ple can receive assistance at one time (I had to stay out in the cold for eight hours before being seen), or you have to be within the first 75 people to call in order to schedule an appointment with these agencies on a certain date (when you call, the lines stay busy until a recording announces “we’ve received our appointment for the month”).

According to D.C.’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), only individuals whose household includes at least one of the following--a child age 18 or under, an adult aged 60 or older, or people with a disability--are eligible.

Hence, where do single men or women get help?

There is a definite disparity within this particular program when it comes to single men or women who face eviction. Everything that you’ve worked for or cherished is thrown out on the street or in the garbage for someone else to grab and put in their home. Meanwhile, we are left to seek shelter or lay out on

the street due to the lack of emergency assistance for single men and women.

Although discrimination can be very subtle, its outcome always leaves a lasting impression. Poverty isn’t a policy issue, it’s a moral issue. ERAP has the opposite of its intended benefit on the population of single homeless men and women. The services that ERAP provides are needed by all. Perhaps when the program started, these clauses were satisfactory, but certainly with 7,000 homeless individuals in Washington, D.C., alone — 3,500 of which are single men and women — it’s time for a revision.

If our sole purpose is to prevent homelessness across the board, then it must start with programs that meet the needs of all who face emergency situations like these. Presently, the prevention (do we mean “resources” or “help” instead of “prevention”?) isn’t there!

Everyone deserves a second chance. I’m not sure if any of you watch the show “Pit Bulls and Parolees,” but a woman by the name of Tia and her staff run a non-profit animal adoption facility in Los Angeles. She rehabs pit bulls (Staffordshire Terriers) and matches them with ex-convicts who are on parole.

When I watch this show I cry, not because it’s sad, but because the show is about love and second chances. The dogs and ex-cons help each other. The stereotypes and anger are broken. I see a true love.

My point here is that everyone deserves a second chance no matter what they have done.

In conclusion, please adopt from a local animal shelter and save a life by giving a loving puppy or kitten a home.

STREET SENSE January 30 - February 12, 2013

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FICTION

The Mysterious Masonic Ring

By John “Mick” Matthews Vender

Some people say that life sucks then you die. I really hope that’s not how it is. My birth certificate says my name is William David Dickerson, but you can call me Bill. I’m a native Washingtonian, like that’s anything to brag about.

Try growing up a white kid in Anacostia back in the ‘80s and ‘90s. I had to act like one of those Ozzy Osbourne suicide cases to keep from getting my teeth kicked in on a daily basis, but I gotta admit Randy Rhode’s guitar solo on Crazy Train was genius.

I graduated from Ballou High and went on to University of DC, and that’s when my life got flushed down the toilet. Government waste caused massive budget cuts to the university. Now, I’m not the kind of guy to sit on my duff and let just anything happen, so there I was out in front of the picket lines, getting on the Provost’s bad side. To make a long story short, tuition got too high to pay, my little part-time job got downsized due to economic hell, and to make matters worse, my mother succumbed to breast cancer. The house I grew up in was sold to pay her medical expenses, and what money I had managed to save dried up real fast. I was broke, with nowhere to go, and not much hope.

Here’s a little secret about me. Now I’m sure you’ve read the DaVinci Code, or at least seen the movie. That guy Tom Hanks played, Robert Langdon, that coulda been me. If I had the connections, the mentoring, and the opportunity, I could have been just like him. Except I’d never be caught dead in Harris tweed!

Another thing they say about life is that it’s like a box of chocolates. If you don’t like the one you’re munching on, there’s another piece that’ll be much more to your liking. So far this existence has been less than what I’ve wanted, but that might just change in the near future.

The sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It was the kind of May morning Ned Flanders would describe as “scrum-diddly-icious” or some other Pollyanna-type nonsense. I call it Tuesday.

I was sitting at one of the molded concrete picnic tables at Pershing Park, sipping on a large cup of McDonald’s coffee, smoking a hand rolled cigarette.

I faced away from the table, toward the statue of General John Pershing, the commander of Allied Forces during World War I. Located on Pennsylvania Avenue between 14th and 15th Streets,

the park features a waterfall and artificial duck pond, as well as a marble wall emblazoned with engravings and maps detailing the American and Allied advance on the then Kaiser-ruled Germany.

Sitting on the table itself, perched above me was Kathryn. Everyone else calls her Kittie-Kate, or just Ms. Kittie, a nod to the feline-like sensuality she exudes from just breathing. Most people think we’re an item just because we sleep together. Let’s just say that the hottest thing going on under the covers is the warmest night’s sleep you’ll find outside during the sub-freezing temperatures of winter. Truth be told, between her issues and mine, one of us would get seriously hurt if we hooked up right now, but for some reason we’ve never said “never,” just not right now. A decade from now we’ll probably be married, but for now we’re “best friends with benefits to be determined.”

I was sitting between her legs, facing away from her, while she cornrowed my small-of-the-back-length hair. I like my hair done in ‘rows because it’s easy to manage and very low-maintenance.

Besides, having a woman like Kittie yanking my hair is kinda a turn-on, a bit of safe fun for me.

We were listening to some Dethklok on the MP3 player I won a couple months back at this “D.C.’s Biggest Brain” contest Best Buy held up at Union Station. I got the speaker attached to it from a buddy who “misappropriated” it from an eviction he was working. We were chatting about whatever random thing came to mind, when I saw Marlane, the old woman who slept at the other end of the park, walking over from 14th Street with a large soda from McDonald’s in her hand.

“Bill, Kittie, did you hear about Frank?” she asked as she walked over to us.

“No, I haven’t seen him in a couple days,” I responded, after exhaling a puff of menthol-flavored smoke. “I figured he got locked up again or something.”

“Uh-uh,” she said, shaking her head.

“Nope, they found his body a couple mornings ago over by that little park by

6th and I. His heart just stopped and that was that.”

“Looks like that steady diet of Velicoff and Vicodin finally caught up with him,” Kittie chimed in as she wrapped a tiny rubber band around the tip of another cornrow.

“Yeah, I’m surprised he lasted this long,” I said, taking another sip of coffee.

Frank was an old black guy who sometimes crashed at Pershing. The thing that made him memorable was this gold Freemason’s ring he always wore, with its emblem of a stonemason’s square and compass with a capital letter “G” in the center. I once heard him tell one of the younger homeless guys that tend to flock in the parks during the day that the “G” stood for “God.” That was my first clue that he wasn’t the Mason he claimed to be.

Anyone who’s researched Freemasonry can tell you that the “G” was for “geometry,” the set of mathematical functions necessary to build anything from a tool shed to a skyscraper. This is very appropriate, given that Freemasonry arose from a seemingly ancient form of organized labor dedicated to concealing stone and brick-building techniques from outsiders as a method of increasing security in the houses, castles, and churches they built for their patrons.

I confirmed my suspicions about Frank when I told him that though I wasn’t initiated into the brethren, I was open to doing a good turn for the sake of the “poor widow’s son.” From what I’ve read, “poor widow’s son” is in fact a reference to Hiram Abif, the legendary architect and head builder of Solomon’s Temple, who was murdered guarding the architectural secrets of the temple. Every Mason sees Hiram as a symbolic link to himself and every other Freemason. In modern usage, it’s become a code phrase, letting the listener know the conversation is turning to things Masonic, and that the speaker could be trusted. Frank’s ignorance of this proved to me that he was no Mason.

(To be continued)

My Lonely Cry

Losing My Brother, Part 1

By Vennie Hill Vendor My big brother, my only brother.

He taught me how to fight, how to love animals, how to do karate and how to use the nunchucks (even though my substitute was a broomstick). I had my very first cigarette with him. He also gave me away at my wedding. He made me smile, made me laugh, and made me cry. We never really had too many fights in our 42 years together. He loved me and I loved him. He’s my strength, my brother, my hero!

I lost my brother on January 5, 2013. He passed from cancer, which started in his back and spread to his brain. By the time the doctors found it, it was too late.

Losing him is one of the hardest things I’ve had to go through in my life. I’ll never forget him. It was a very sad experience, but I know as the youngest daughter I had to make it through this. You see, my mom only had one boy and three girls. I lost my father when I was

only one year old, so my brother was the only father I had.

I didn’t have a regular brother, I had a brother with amazing and unimaginable strength. He was a real Hercules. He could take down anybody his size or bigger. He was my hero. He taught me how to take care of myself. He knew that he taught me so well that he really didn’t have to worry about me defending myself. But of course he did worry. He really loved his family.

I sang at his funeral along with his daughter and my niece Egypt.

She asked me at the last minute to join her in a song by Brandy and Gladys Knight called “Missing You.” The song was beautiful, but all that was coming to my mind was the Brandy song “Have You Ever Loved Somebody.” It goes like this: Have you ever loved somebody so much it makes you cry Have you ever needed something so bad you can’t sleep at night Have you ever tried to find the words but they don’t come out right Have you ever found the one you

dreamed of all your life You would do anything to look into their eyes.

My family is very disoriented and very much in pain. My mom is going through hell. I try to stop the pain but then I realized that only God can comfort her. There is really not too much that I can do except pray that she doesn’t give up on me and her other two daughters. I remind her that ‘I for one love you and need you.’ To tell the truth my mom is pretty darn strong. I guess that’s where my brother got it from.

VENDOR PROFILE: JOHN “MICK” MATTHEWS

By Jeff Gray Editorial Intern With his sub-6-foot stature, husky build and thick moustache, John “Mick” Matthews doesn’t look like the superheroes in the comic books he reads. But when he slips on his Street Sense vest he “[becomes] Vendor-Man, champion

of the homeless, in [my] never-ending battle against poverty, standing heroically against my empty wallet and Smartrip in the negative.”

At least that’s what he wrote in a recently published contribution to the paper entitled “Vendor Man.” Back outside his metaphorical phone booth, Matthews is an avid writer and comic book buff born and raised in Southeast Washington. One of his earliest childhood memories is of purchasing his first comic at the age of 6.

“The first one I ever bought was ‘The Avengers.’ I’ve been a fan ever since,” recalls Matthews, who carries a DVD of the blockbuster Hollywood hit by the same name everywhere he goes.

It was Matthews’s passion for comic books that initially sparked his love of writing. His first creative project was a script for a comic series he wrote as a 16-year-old. Wanting to convert the aesthetic appeal of graphic art into the more expansive detail of literature, he set out to write the script.

“I was like, ‘I wonder if I can do this,’” he remembers. “So I gave it a shot.”

While his writing is usually fiction, the villains of poverty and homelessness

By Rashawn Bowser Vendor My heart feels low my heart feels hopeless It cries out to the world, and its cries go unheard My soul is fallen in darkness With no light to guide it - where will it go?

Will my soul fall into oblivion, or will someone come and save it?

My spirit is lost and can’t be found My spirit wanders the world alone Is it doomed to be lost, or will it find its way home?

My body is lost within itself, it cannot get free Is my body doomed to be trapped, or will someone set it free?

My eyes see pain that should have never been seen trapped in itself, will it ever be free?

My mouth talks to the one that I love will he ever listen, or is he destined to fail?

that Matthews has battled in his life are far too real.

His struggle began in 2002 when he lost his job as an office administrator for a siding company. That spring a devastating tornado tore through parts of Maryland, and Matthews’s company was called out to do exterior repair work.

Since the governor had called a state of emergency, the company expected to be paid by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The FEMA money, however, never materialized. The insurance companies wouldn’t cover the work either. Mick was laid off shortly before the company went out of business.

But that wasn’t the end of Matthew’s troubles. He had come back to the D.C. area in 2000 from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and moved into the family home to help care for his mother who had been diagnosed with cancer. She died in 2004. And he not only lost his mother, but his home.

“The house had to be sold to pay for her debts,” he recalls. “That’s how I ended up on the streets.”

Matthews felt he had nowhere to turn. Spurning the “death traps” he calls the shelters, he hit the street.

“I didn’t know anything about being

homeless at all,” says Matthews, who remembers stopping a homeless man on the sidewalk to ask for advice on where to eat.

Matthews had been trying his hand at novel writing, but says he lost all of his work when his mother’s home was sold.

Once homeless, his writing came to an abrupt stop.

“Writing just wasn’t feasible when I was living on the streets,” he laments.

Matthews became a vendor for Street Sense in 2008, initially to take advantage of what he saw as “legalized panhandling.” But in the paper he found not only a financial pickup but also an opportunity to return to writing.

Matthews, now 39, is crashing at a friend’s apartment in a consistent though tenuous arrangement. He claims to be back in the swing of things as he “[goes] through weeks where I do nothing but write.” During these “writing fits,” as he calls them, he cranks out poems, short stories and novellas at a frantic pace.

For Matthews, this return to writing is in some ways a tribute to his deceased mother.

“My mother, before she passed on, was an aspiring novelist. Its just something I wanted to carry with me.”

Service Spotlight: Transitional Housing Corporation

By Ashley Trick Volunteer Founded in 1990 as a faith-based homeless services organization, THC, or Transitional Housing Corporation has grown into a major Epis- copal housing agency. They help families overcome homelessness by providing transitional housing and helping parents find the jobs or skills they need to move toward self sufficiency. THC is currently serving over three hundred families through its housing programs and supportive services.

Beyond housing, THC also offers enrichment fitness, art and tutoring programs to homeless and atrisk youth. These programs serve to engage children in physical activity, promote child literacy, and introduce children to visual arts. In addition, THC provides employment training and counseling, substance abuse counseling, and child abuse

prevention programs. The many services are geared toward helping families move from homelessness to stability and independence.

THC locations may be found in both Ward 4 (935 Kennedy St, NW / 4506 Georgia Ave, NW) and Ward 7 (342 37th St, SE). Hours will vary for each program; more information can be found at www.thcdc.org

DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH ACCESS HOTLINE 1-888-7WE HELP (1-888-793-4357)

SHELTER Calvary Women’s Services 110 Maryland Avenue, NE (202) 289-0596 (office) (202) 289-2111 (shelter) www.calvaryservices.org Central Union Mission (Men) 1350 R Street, NW (202) 745–7118, www.missiondc.org Open Door Shelter (Women) 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 393–1909 www.newhopeministriesdc.org/id3.html Community of Hope (Family) 1413 Girard Street, NW (202) 232–7356,www.communityofhopedc.org Covenant House Washington (Youth) 2001 Mississippi Avenue, SE (202) 610–9600, www.covenanthousedc.org John Young Center (Women) 119 D Street, NW (202) 639–8469, www.catholiccharitiesdc.org

STREET SENSE January 30 - February 12, 2013

COMMUNITY SERVICES 1525 Newton St, NW (202) 737–9311, www.thrivedc.org

2114 14th Street, NW (202) 328–6608, www.marthastable.org

Food and Friends 219 Riggs Road, NE (202) 269–2277, www.foodandfriends.org

Rachel’s Women’s Center 1222 11th Street, NW (202) 682–1005, www.ccdsd.org/howorwc.php

Miriam’s Kitchen 2401 Virginia Avenue, NW (202) 452–8089, www.miriamskitchen.org

Sasha Bruce Youthwork 741 8th Street, SE (202) 675–9340, www.sashabruce.org

The Welcome Table Church of the Epiphany 1317 G Street, NW (202) 347–2635, http://www.epiphanydc. org/ministry/welcometbl.htm

So Others Might Eat (SOME) 71 “O” Street, NW (202) 797–8806; www.some.org

MEDICAL RESOURCES

Academy of Hope GED Center 601 Edgewood Street, NE (202) 269-6623, www.aohdc.org

Christ House 1717 Columbia Road, NW (202) 328–1100, www.christhouse.org Unity Health Care, Inc. 3020 14th Street, NW (202) 745–4300,www.unityhealthcare.org My Sister’s Place PO Box 29596, Washington, DC 20017 (202) 529-5261 (office) (202) 529-5991 (24-hour hotline)

Whitman–Walker Clinic 1407 S Street, NW (202) 797–3500, www.wwc.org

OUTREACH CENTERS N Street Village (Women) 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060, www.nstreetvillage.org Samaritan Inns 2523 14th St., NW (202) 667 - 8831 http://www.samaritaninns.org/home/ New York Ave Shelter (Men 18+) 1355–57 New York Avenue, NE (202) 832–2359

FOOD Charlie’s Place 1830 Connecticut Avenue, NW (202) 232–3066 www.stmargaretsdc.org/charliesplac

15

Bread for the City 1525 Seventh Street, NW (202) 265–2400 1640 Good Hope Road, SE (202) 561–8587, www.breadforthecity.org Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW (202) 364–1419, www.cchfp.org Bethany Women’s Center 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060, www.nstreetvillage.org Father McKenna Center 19 Eye Street, NW (202) 842–1112

Church of the Pilgrims (Sundays only) Friendship House 2201 P Street, NW 619 D Street, SE (202) 387–6612, www.churchofthepilgrims.org(202) 675–9050, www.friendshiphouse.net Thrive DC Georgetown Ministry Center Breakfast served Mon.-Fri., 9:30-11 a.m.

1041 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Dinner for women and children, Mon.-Fri., (202) 338–8301 3-6 p.m. www.georgetownministrycenter.org St. Stephens Parish Church Martha’s Table

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Catholic Community Services 924 G Street, NW (202) 772–4300, www.ccs–dc.org D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW (202) 347–8870, www.dccfh.org Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW (202) 347–0511, www.cflsdc.org Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW (202) 332–4010, www.foundryumc.org Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men) 810 5th Street, NW (202) 842–1731, www.grm.org Hermano Pedro Day Center 3211 Sacred Heart Way, NW (202) 332–2874 www.ccs–dc.org/find/services/ JHP, Inc. 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 544–9126, www.jobshavepriority.org Samaritan Ministry 1345 U Street, SE 1516 Hamilton Street, NW (202) 889–7702, www.samaritanministry.org

SHELTER HOTLINE: 1–800–535–7252

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January 30, - February 12, 2013 • Volume 10 • Issue 6

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