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D.C. Funds Earmarked for Feeding Homeless Children Are Not Being Used, page 5

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Where the Washington area's poor and homeless earn and give their two cents February 1, 2007 - February 14, 2007

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Volume 4, Issue 4

www.streetsense.org

Federal Budget Shortfalls Strain Subsidized Housing

VENDOR VOICES

By Tim Taylor

Vendor Manager Jesse Smith talks to new police officers about homelessness.

The New Blue

Teaching Police About Homelessness

By Jesse Smith

W

ith the election of the new mayor of Washington, D.C., people expect there will be many positive changes made in our social institutions, affecting the poor and disadvantaged people in this city. One area that may change as a result of this new political structure is police-community relations.

Already this is apparent with the appointment of Washington, D.C.’s first female chief of police, Cathy L. Lanier, which indicates that the department may be headed in a new direction. I personally had some indication of possible improved relations between the police and the community through a recent experience I had at the Police Department Training Academy.

In mid-January I had the opportunity to participate in a training exercise with cadets for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless has an agreement with the MPD to conduct a sensitivity training course with each group of new recruits at the Police Academy in Southwest.

Consider the idea of 25 to 30 potential police officers with an average age of 21 to 25 years, all of whom have a very serious attitude about their future careers in law enforcement. They are rough, rugged, and determined individuals about to embark on their life’s quest as police officers.

To them, it probably seemed as though this was just another boring class in a long list of courses necessary See BLUE, page 13 to graduate.

JoAnn Jackson, a 60-year resident of the District, lives in a senior citizens’ building in Northwest and has been living in this public housing building for 10 years, paying $154, or one-third of her income, each month.

However, she is worried that in the next year her building may be sold or fall into disrepair because of a shortfall in federal funding.

She also worries about many of her friends and associates who are homeless and on Section 8 voucher waiting lists.

“The cuts are going to be very bad,” Jackson said. “Public housing is for people who can’t afford the condos and houses in the city, but the city can’t afford to have a lot of homeless people. It’s going to affect

a lot of people.”

The budget cuts to which Jackson is referring come by way of a Joint Funding Resolution that will set funding levels for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs for fiscal year 2007 (through Sept. 30) at the previous year’s levels. Congress is expected to pass this resolution by Feb. 15, when the previous budget resolution, which also funds HUD at last year’s levels, expires.

The lack of an increase will cause public housing subsidies to be underfunded by 25%, according to a report released by The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) last month. The report also explains that HUD needs an additional $487 million to cover all existing Section 8 housing and vouchers for fiscal year 2007. With-

See

HOUSING, page 6

Count Shows Shelter Shortage

By Michelle N. Williams

DC Area Homelessness 10000 9000 8000 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 D.C.

Maryland Sheltered

Virginia

Unsheltered

Inside This Issue

INTERNATIONAL

FICTION

Africa is the next target for new paper, page 7

August Mallory starts a new story, page 11

LOCAL

FEATURES

NEW: Homeless Helpful Hints

NEW: Director’s Column

A NYC shop owner is suing homeless people as a “public nuisiance,” page 5

Vendor Brenda Lee-Wilson gets suggestions on how to stay warm, page 10

Street Sense director starts a monthly column examing key issues of the month, page 14

NEW: Legal Column

out this money, 107,000 Section 8 vouchers cannot be renewed.

The NLICH projects that about 14,000 homeless people will have to endure another year of homelessness if funding for housing programs is not increased by at least $185 million.

In addition, Jackson said, decreases in federal funds will affect local businesses and housing management companies. She said that many buildings whose residents receive Section 8 benefits will be unable to repair and renovate their buildings to meet federal and local housing requirements.

Locally, the effects of these cuts may be even more sharply felt. The District of Columbia currently has 10,959 units subsidized under Sec-

Street Papers’ African Expansion

Hammerman Moves On in Seattle EDITORIAL

The Homelessness Research Institute of the National Alliance to End Homelessness released a long-awaited report in mid-January that revealed the numbers and demographics for homeless people nationwide.

This point-in-time count from 2005 shows that there are 744,313 homeless in the United States on any given night. This number included 41% who were in families.

Locally, there were 5,518 homeless individuals in the District of Columbia, 7,995 in Maryland and 10,346 in Virginia. Overall, the numbers and demographics were fairly consistent with where they have been in the past.

The most shocking aspect of the survey, according to Nan Roman, president and chief executive officer of the Alliance, was the number of unsheltered homeless people - 44% of the total homeless population. Roman added that while the accuracy of this number is open to question, the shelter shortage in the country definitely needs to be addressed.

See COUNT, page 4

Street Sense . February 1-14, 2007

2 ALL AbOUT US

Our Mission

1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 347-2006 Fax: (202) 347-2166 info@streetsense.org www.streetsense.org

bOARD OF DIRECTORS Robert Egger Ted Henson Barbara Kagan David Pike John Snellgrove Michael Stoops Francine Triplett David Walker Kathy Whelpley

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Laura Thompson Osuri VENDOR MANAGER Jesse Smith Jr. SENIOR EDITOR Ted Henson ASSOCIATE EDITOR David S. Hammond AD SALES MANAGERS Jake Ashford Muriel Dixon Allen Jones Mark Jones Brenda Lee-Wilson VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Robert Basler, Carole Bledsoe, Cliff Carle, Allen Carter, Ralph Dantley, Carolyn Daley, Eric Doherty, Jake Geissinger, Carol Hannaford, David Harris, Annie Hill, Dan Horner, Genivive Gill, Cassie Good, Joann Goodwin, Wade Guard, Donna Rae Hendricks, Jo Knight, Jessica LeGarde, Brad Lehman, Brenda LeeWilson, Allendra Letsome, Mandy McAnally, Jill Merselis, Carolina Moore, Sean O’Conner, Mike O’Neill, Amy Orndorff, David Pike, Nathaniel Reynolds, Patricia Robinson, Eric Sheptock, Jennifer Singleton, Katie Smith, Patty Smith, Francine Triplett, Robert Trautman, Tim Taylor, Adosh Unni, Linda Wang, Michelle Williams, Marian Wiseman, Corrine Yu VENDORS Willie Alexander, Jake Ashford, Tommy Bennett, Corey Bridges, Bobby Buggs, Cliff Carle, Allen Carter, Conrad Cheek Jr., James Coleman, Anthony Crawford, Lousie Davenport, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Michael Douglas, Don Gardner, David Harris, John Harrison, Patricia Henry, Phillip Howard, Michael Higgs, Agula Hunter, Patricia Jefferson, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, Brenda Lee-Wilson Lee Mayse, Jennifer McLaughlin, Michelle McCullough, Carl Morris, Charles Nelson, Larry Olds, Therese Onyemenam, Kevin Robinson, Chris Sellman, Patty Smith, Steve Stone, Mathesha Thompson, Francine Triplett, Amia Walker, Martin Walker, Wendell Williams, Ivory Wilson

We are proud members of:

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.

Our Editorial Policy

Editorials and features in Street Sense reflect the perspectives of the authors. We invite the submission of journalism, opinion, fiction and poetry, hoping to create a means in which a multitude of perspectives on poverty and homelessness can find expression.

North American Street Newspaper Association

The Story of Street Sense Street Sense began in August 2003 after two volunteers, Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson, approached the National Coalition for the Homeless on separate occasions about starting a street newspaper in D.C. A street paper is defined as a newspaper about poverty, homelessness and other social issues that provides an income to the homeless individuals who sell it. About 25 street papers operate in the United States and Canada in places like Seattle, Chicago, Montreal and Boston, and dozens more exist throughout the world.

After bringing together a core of dedicated volunteers and vendors, Street Sense came out with its first issue in November 2003, printing 5,000 copies.For the next three years the paper published consistently on a

monthly basis and greatly expanded its circulation and vendor network.

For the first year, Street Sense operated as a project of the National Coalition for the Homeless, but in October 2004, the organization incorporated and moved into its own office space.

In March 2005, Street Sense received 501(c)3 status, becoming an independent nonprofit organization.

In October 2005 Street Sense formed a full board of directors and in November the organization hired its first employee, a fulltime executive director.

A year later in November 2006 , the organization hired its first vendor coordinator and in February 2007, the paper started publishing twice a month as the network of vendors expanded to more than 50 homeless men and women.

International Network of Street Papers

Street Sense Vendor Code of Conduct 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

January 15- 0 Donors Ramona Monroe Mike Campbell Jackie and Bob Van Hook Harold Sharlin Ellen Marshall David Jacques

Judith Snellgrove George Bergquist John Herron Rebecca Reeve Nicholas H. Cobbs Eileen Kelly Anonymous

Sophie Prevost Special Thanks To

Deb McKeeman & Louis Eby

10.

Street Sense will be distributed for a voluntary donation of $1. I agree not to ask for more than a dollar or solicit donations for Street Sense by any other means.

I will only purchase the paper from Street Sense staff and will not sell papers to other vendors (outside of the office volunteers).

I agree to treat all others – customers, staff, other vendors – respectfully, and I will not “hard sell,” threaten or pressure customers.

I agree to stay off private property when selling Street Sense.

I understand that I am not a legal employee of Street Sense but a contracted worker responsible for my own well-being and income.

I agree to sell no additional goods or products when selling the paper.

I will not sell Street Sense under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

There are no territories among vendors.

I will respect the space of other vendors, particularly the space of vendors who have been at a spot longer.

I understand that my badge is the property of Street Sense and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing the papers and display my badge when selling papers.

I understand that Street Sense strives to be a paper that covers homelessness and poverty issues while providing a source of income for the homeless. I will try to help in this effort and spread the word.

Thank You! CORRECTIONS

WANNA HELP?

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact Laura Thompson Osuri at 202-347-2006.

If you are interested in becoming a vendor, contact Jesse Smith Jr. at the same number or come to a vendor training session on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2 p.m. at our office (1317 G Street, NW).

OUR NEXT EDITORIAL MEETING:

Wednesday, February 7 at 6:00 p.m. at our office.

In the Jan. 15 edition of Street Sense, the article “DC’s New Leader: A Mayor For All Seasons” mistakenly said that Mayor Adrian Fenty was sworn in by Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

The article also left out thanking Tene Dolphin for helping vendors get tickets to the Inaugural Ball. These errors were both due to editing errors.

Street Sense . February 1-14, 2007

PROFILE

Provider Profile

Bread For the City Saved My Life

By Donna Raye Hendricks When I first came to Washington, D.C., in 1993 I was homeless. When I passed by Bread for the City, I went inside and asked what they could do for me. They said they could give me some food and a change of clothes, and they also gave me a list of shelters to go to.

I explained to them that I had psychological and medical problems, and they referred me to an organization that helps

people with emotional disorders. I had a primary physician there who was my doctor for over 13 years. When he retired, I came back to Bread for the City, and now they treat me for my diabetes and any other medical problems I have.

I credit the medical clinic for saving my life twice. Once, I was having a heart attack and didn’t know it, and once I was close to a stroke.

Bread for the City became my Rep-payee to help me with my finances, because at the time I was in a bad mental state.

They’ve really seen me at my best and at my worst. Bread for the City also helped me to start receiving my Medicaid and SSI benefits, which comes to $603 a month. With $450 going to rent, and only $78 in food stamps, that doesn’t leave much. Bread for the City is my one-stop shop – the services I receive there really make a difference to me. Now, I’m in charge of my own finances. It’s a challenge, but it feels good that I can do it.

I love Bread for the City, and I love the people who work there. They help keep me together.

Not only do they give me groceries every month, I’m in the Fit for Fun program. I lost 11 pounds at my last weigh-in!

I go to their clothing room. Like I said before, I’m using the medical clinic; they just set me up for a mammogram. I also have a therapist for my emotional needs. I use all of their resources.

And once in a while, when I can, I give a monetary donation because I know they can use it. If my health was better I would volunteer, but I try to do what I can. I was interviewed for a TV news segment about Bread for the City the other day, and I was happy to do it—it’s one way that I can repay everyone here for how they’ve helped me.

Donna Raye now lives at the YWCA but still visits Bread for the City and is also now a vendor for Street Sense.

This Page Is Sponsored By:

Lois Dunlop

Congratulations and all the best wishes to Street Sense as you expand to publishing twice a month.

- Lois HONORING VOLUNTEERS Street Sense is looking to honor dedicated, hardworking volunteers who serve the homeless in a new feature called “Volunteer of the Month.”

If you know of someone who should be recognized, please e-mail to info@streetsense.org his/her name, contact information, volunteer organization and a sentence or two explaining what makes this person so special.

Donate to Street Sense My Information

I will donate:

Name:_______________________________________________________ Address:_____________________________________________________ City/State/Zip:_______________________________________________ Phone:_______________________E-mail:_________________________ Please make checks payable to Street Sense

___ $50 for two vendor awards each month ___ $70 for one restaurant review ___ $100 for postage each month ___ $200 for the vests of 15 new vendors ___ $500 for monthly rent and insurance

Street Sense is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible.

Mail to: Street Sense, 1317 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20005.

You can also donate online at www.streetsense.org

___ $1,200 for the printing of one issue ___ Another amount of $_______ ___ Another amount of $_______ for vendor: ________________

**All readers who contribute $100 or more get a complimentary Street Sense T-shirt.** Additional items that Street Sense needs: * Messenger and tote bags and backpacks for vendors

* Shredder for office

* Bottled water to hand out to vendors

* Laptop computers with at least Windows 2000

* Hats, gloves and warm socks for vendors

and 10 GB of storage space

Please call 202-347-2006 or send an e-mail to info@streetsense.org if you have any of these items to donate.

LOCAL NEWS

COUNT, from p.1 “We can solve our shelter problems, there’s no reason to have the shortages and current conditions,” said Roman.

D.C. seems to be doing comparatively well when it comes to housing homeless people, with just 354 individuals or 6.4 percent usually unsheltered, according to the count.

The report, “Homelessness Counts,” is a result of efforts to estimate the homeless population nationwide for the first time in a decade, and is viewed as the first step in more accurately counting homeless people on an

“We believe the number is a gross undercount and gives the impression that everything is fine,” Stoops said. annual basis. The data were collected by all 463 U.S. Continuums of Care (CoCs), which are local HUD-defined jurisdictions overseeing homeless services and programs.

However, the data cannot accurately be compared to any previous counts due to the countless discrepancies and difficulties intrinsic to the data collection process, according to the report. These include: different methodologies in collecting and enumerating data among CoCs, sampling/extrapolation, logistical and political challenges, and issues relating to the very definition of homelessness.

When compared as a state to other states, the District of Columbia ranks highest in terms of the percentage of homeless people in the general population with 1% homeless, meaning that one out of every 100 D.C. residents in January 2005 was in some state of homelessness. Compared to similarly-sized CoCs however, D.C. did not have a significantly larger than average homeless population.

Other states with very high percentages of homelessness were Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Rhode Island, with homeless populations between 0.38% and 0.68% of the general population. States with the lowest percentages of homelessness (0.06%-0.10%) were Alabama,

Street Sense . February 1-14, 2007 Mississippi, North Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming.

In Maryland, 27% of the homeless population lived in two CoCs in the D.C. metropolitan area: Bowie/Prince George’s County and Montgomery County. Likewise, in Virginia, 28% of the homeless population lived in the five areas neighboring D.C.: Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Alexandria, and Manassas City and Park/Prince William County.

According to the report, about one-fourth of all homeless people in the U.S. were chronically homeless, defined by HUD as having been homeless for at least a year or having experienced homelessness at least four times in three years. Under this definition, a chronically homeless person is unaccompanied, has lived in an emergency shelter or in a place unfit to live, and has a disabling condition (physical or psychological illness and/or substance abuse). For D.C. this number is higher than the national figure, with about one-third of homeless people chronically homeless.

According to the report, HUD does not include in its definition of homelessness those families that are “doubled up” in housing.

Although sometimes these families can be stable and eligible for programs if deemed at risk for homelessness, some of them should be included in counts, adding to the numbers, said Roman.

Michael Stoops, the acting executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, also pointed out that this report did not go far enough so as to count all the homeless people living on the streets, a group that is not visible and therefore difficult to count.

Consequently, he said, the numbers across the country should be much higher.

“We believe the number is a gross undercount and gives the impression that everything is fine,” Stoops said. “Our sense is that homelessness is increasing and numbers like this can be used against us.”

Throughout the report is an emphasis on the fact that the point-in-time estimates provide only a glimpse of the homelessness situation in the U.S. For example, The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness found that one in every 31 D.C. residents was or became homeless during the course of the 2004 fiscal year.

Roman said that the longer annual timeframe would add significantly to the number of homeless individuals counted in the report. She noted that many people who experienced temporary homelessness ended up not included in the point-in-time count.

Nonetheless, “at the same time, D.C. com-

munities take the count very seriously and try to do their best to include everybody when doing point-in-time surveys,” said Roman.

“People use them for planning to try to solve problems.”

The Alliance plans to release similar reports each year, in order to better track progress across the country. Since 2003, CoCs have been required to collect data on their homeless populations every two years, with HUD providing technical and other support.

Each year, data systems and data collecting methods of CoCs will become more consistent, Roman said “We are looking for better and more complete information from more communities covering more of the system,” she said.

However, the National Coalition’s Stoops said that counting the homeless every year is not necessary and the funding for these surveys should go elsewhere.

“We spend too much money counting homeless people and developing plans,” Stoops said. “And we should be using our time and money to house homeless people.”

The Alliance report does address this housing issue, noting that HUD’s policies are being more geared toward permanent housing through its homeless assistance program.

Roman also stressed that local communities, nonprofit organizations, various levels of government, and the private sector have been committing and collaborating more than ever to end homelessness locally and nationally.

D.C., along with over 200 other communities, has created and started following through with a 10-year plan to end homelessness.

“We’ve found in Congress, state and city governments, a desire to solve the problem,” said Roman, who affirmed that homelessness has become a bipartisan issue. But “housing affordability is the driver in homelessness.”

StreetFact Forty-one percent of homeless individuals in the United States are part of families.

Soure: National Alliance To End Homelessness

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Street Sense . February 1-14, 2007

LOCAL NEWS

Money to Feed Homeless Children Going Unspent

By Mandy McAnally Valuable resources to provide food in shelters are going unused in D.C. These resources include grant money to provide healthy meals and snacks to children in emergency shelters, including homeless, domestic violence and family shelters. And this money comes from the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), an outreach arm of the D.C. State Education Office, that receives money annually from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a variety of nutrition programs in the District.

CACFP received about $3 million in federal funding in fiscal year 2005, according to records from the advocacy group D.C. Hunger Solutions.

But no shelters applied for the money.

Why is this?

Sources cite a range of factors, such as confusion about the application process, lack of government outreach and red tape. It’s a competitive and nerve-racking process, one shelter’s grant writer said.

Fragmentation of homeless services is another reason. “Homeless services are contracted into multiple levels, allowing people to point fingers at others,” said Shana McDavis-Conway, nutrition advocate at D.C. Hunger Solutions.

McDavis-Conway said about 10 shelters in D.C. are eligible for CACFP funding, and she has reached out to many of them in the past year without success. To be eligible for participation in CACFP, an emergency shelter must provide residential and food services to homeless children and their parents or guard-

ians. The shelter must be sponsored by a nonprofit organization and it must meet state or local health and safety codes.

Shelters that participate in CACFP can receive money to help defray the cost for up to two meals and one snack daily per child served: $1.23 for breakfast, $2.40 for each lunch or supper and 65 cents per snack, according to Hunger Solutions records.

Sarah Ladner, special assistant to Cynthia Bell, executive director of Nutrition Services for the D.C. State Education Office, said one issue is marketing CACFP. She said the agency has been trying to convince shelter sponsors to put general funding toward other services, such as clothing, and then enroll in CACFP to get funding specifically for food.

Meanwhile, some shelters say they still have not heard of the program, and others say they remain wary of seeking federal funds at all, which reveals a need to ramp up marketing and recruitment efforts.

Bell said, “At this point, we know we need to do additional outreach to encourage more participation in CACFP. The plan is to look at existing coalitions that already focus on homeless issues and either become part of the coalitions or begin dialogue or discussion with them.”

She added, “If [a coalition] doesn’t exist, then we’d like to invite people to the table more like a collaborative - then look at different services being provided.”

For more information about the Child and Adult Care Food Program, contact the D.C. State Education Office at 202-727-6436 or D.C. Hunger Solutions at 202-986-2200, ext. 3023.

N Street Village was founded in 1973 by Luther Place Memorial Church as an ecumenical community endeavor and has since thrived and grown to become a separate financial and legal entity. The winner of The Washington Post 2006 Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management, N Street Village empowers homeless and low-income women to claim their highest quality of life by offering a broad spectrum of services and advocacy in an atmosphere of dignity and respect, serving over 600 women a year.

Street Law

NYC Homeless Sued: Public Nuisance or Publicity Stunt?

A New York State Supreme Court has been asked to grant a novel legal ruling by an antiques dealer, who recently sued several homeless people as a “public nuisance” to the operation of his Madison Avenue shop. As reported in several major media outlets, antiques dealer Karl Kemp alleged that several “John Doe” defendants, all homeless, have stayed on a sidewalk and air vent fronting his exclusive antiques dealership, for which he pays more than $45,000 monthly rent.

According to the lawsuit, the homeless verbally harass prospective customers, sleep on cardboard, urinate, drink alcohol, spit and store bags of belongings on that property. The shop owner claims that these activities scare potential shoppers in this worldfamous exclusive shopping area.

News articles cite the novelty of suing for $1 million, but quote Kemp and his lawyers as saying that more than two years’ efforts to get them to leave have failed. The case, they say, is not hard-hearted; instead, they hope to force the City of New York to intervene, and that the money demand is included for legal reasons.

The future of the court case will depend partly on some procedural requirements, like serving papers on transient homeless people, according to Michael Zen, an attorney for the shop owner. A court date had been scheduled to request an injunction prohibiting the street people from occupying this sidewalk, but it will be adjourned for procedural reasons.

Still, the case raises a potentially important approach to a modern social problem. If the Kemp lawsuit prevails, would more business owners sue to drive homeless people from business spots as a “public nuisance?”

The “public nuisance doctrine” is a centuries-old court-made rule, which allows a court to order offensive activities to cease. According to professor and legal historian Alfred Konefsky, of SUNY Buffalo Law School, the doctrine has been invoked in courts throughout U.S. history and since at least the early 1800’s, with differing results. “Public nuisance” has been asserted in historic situations, to stop the laying of railroad tracks that cut off a city street, or to prohibit the building of river docks that interfere with another owner’s property. In the last several years, the doctrine has been argued in products liability claims, and other cases.

Private parties suing on a public nuisance claim must prove a nuisance (an interference with the health, well-being or property rights of the public) plus two facts: (a) that the nuisance is intentional, negligent or abnormally dangerous; and (b) that the harm suffered is particular, and different-in-kind from that suffered by the public.

Those requirements raise questions in the problem of homeless squatters. What is the source of the harm here? Is it conduct by homeless squatters or is it attitudes possessed by shoppers? Is homelessness here a public nuisance or a nuisance only to affluent shoppers?

Kemp’s lawsuit raises the important question of whether a shop owner can convince a court to enjoin homeless squatters from his storefront because their intentional presence and particular conduct harm his business. Is Kemp injured by the presence of the homeless on New York sidewalks more than the rest of the public?

Almost by definition, if his customers are scared from entering his store, then he suffers just as they do, and he is not particularly harmed, as this theory of claim requires.

If the suit is successful, it may bring a spate of like claims, which will take the very complex problem of homelessness out of public view, but without real solution. If that happens, the case will cost more than money to the problems faced by homeless people; it will deny them visibility on public streets in an open society.

- Eric P. Doherty Eric is a writer and attorney who lives and works in Washington, D.C. With 15 years’ experience, he has previously written on law and social issues, and is a new Street Sense contributor. He can be reached at ericdoherty@justice.com.

This Page Is Sponsored By:

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In Honor of

Mom www.nstreetvillage.org ∙ 202-939-2072

Street Sense . February 1-14, 2007

6 POLITICS

Street Politics By David S. Hammond

On the Hill

Expanding Health Coverage for Kids Title Kids Come First Act of 2007 Purpose On Jan. 4, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) introduced this bill to amend the Social Security Act to give states the option to receive more federal matching funds for Medicaid spending on children in poverty if the states expand health care coverage for those children.

Under Medicaid, each year states have to calculate a figure called the Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage (FMAP), which is based on the square of the state’s per capita income multiplied by the number of people in the state living below the poverty line. (A state with more people in poverty would have a higher FMAP.) The FMAP can range from 0 - 100% and determines what the federal matching funds will be for that year. For example, if a state’s FMAP is 75%, for every dollar a state spends on Medicaid that year, the federal government will reimburse the state $0.75.

Most states fall below an FMAP of 80%, but if enacted, this law would allow states to receive a 100% FMAP, and corresponding federal matching funds. However, this will only occur if the state expands its health care coverage for all children in working poor families under Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

Background Congress found that currently nine million children under 19 are uninsured. This figures to about one out of eight children living without insurance.

Comparatively, one in five Hispanic children and one in seven African American children are uninsured. Three-quarters of these uninsured children are eligible but not enrolled in the Medicaid program or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

If signed into law, this bill would eliminate the cap on SCHIP funding for states that expand eligibility for children. The bill would also amend the Internal Revenue Code to provide an income tax credit for health insurance coverage of children.

Sponsor Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.)

Co-sponsors Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), Sen. Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.), Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.)

Status Referred to the Committee on Finance.

-Jill Merselis

HOUSING, from p.1 tion 8 vouchers and other federal multifamily programs, with contracts for 4,505 units set to expire between April 2006 and March 2007, according to the Urban Institute. Housing advocates estimate that the waiting list for Section 8 vouchers is close to 20,000 residents.

With the Census Bureau reporting 10,000 more D.C. residents falling below the poverty line in 2005 and with housing costs remaining high, the demand for subsidized housing is only expected to increase.

Ryan Juskus, coordinator of Affordable Housing Advocate of D.C., said that the current situation in the District, combined with the absence of a federal funding increase, is “very bad” for the city.

He said that in order to make up for the federal shortfall, local officials will have to cut back in other

areas of the city budget.

Charles Allen, a spokesman for D.C. Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), a member of the Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, said that city leaders are still trying to understand the impact of the budget reductions. He added that Wells has met with city housing officials to try and assess the budget cuts and how the city can respond.

Jackson suggested that city officials convert many of the condos and abandoned buldings into low-income and Section 8 housing to deal with the federal cutbacks and the long waiting list for vouchers. She pointed to the abundance of condos and apartments throughout the city, many of which are too expensive for city residents.

“There are so many empty buildings and these places cost far too much for most of us who have been here all our life,” she said.

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Homeless Veterans – Finally Getting Their Due?

Veterans of the armed services make up about one-third of homeless men, and nearly one-quarter of homeless adults, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Those jaw-dropping statistics can seem overwhelming, but advocates report a renewed sense of energy and purpose, both on Capitol Hill and elsewhere. Congress closed out 2006 with legislation (which President Bush signed into law) expanding support for veterans’ health care, treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), transitional housing, and other programs, including those targeting homeless and at-risk vets.

Participants at a January forum sponsored by the National Housing Conference see this as evidence that their issue has momentum, but say that much still needs doing.

“The good news is, there are more places to get help than there were 15 or 20 years ago,” Cheryl Beversdorf, head of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, told Street Sense. But “we’re all worried about the next generation.”

Beversdorf said that veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq have not shown up in shelters in large numbers, but some of them will face the same problems that have put other veterans on the street – difficulties making the transition to civilian life, a mismatch between service-based skills and those wanted in civilian job markets, mental illness, addiction, and untreated PTSD. “We can learn from the failings of the Vietnam era,” said Jeremy Rosen, another forum participant. Rosen oversees homelessness and mental health programs for the Volunteers of America. “We know what needs to be done,” he said. “The task is to grow and improve the program.”

And it’s not only advocacy groups that are talking about veterans’ needs, Rosen told Street Sense. “When members [of Congress] go home to their districts, they’ll have events where they meet and talk to veterans,” including those who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq. That may be moving veterans’ issues – and seats on the congressional Committees on Veterans Affairs – higher on members’ agendas.

Broader Coverage of Homelessness, Poverty

If you think you’re noticing more news about homelessness and poverty, you’re right – and it isn’t just stories about cold weather and the holidays. Cities, counties and states have been adopting “ten-year plans to end homelessness,” and tracking the homeless population.

At the same time, some cities have taken new steps to control where homeless people can eat or sleep. And a string of sensational assaults on homeless people has also drawn sustained media attention.

Poverty in general is pushing back into national policy discussions; it even surfaced in the 2004 presidential race, and may again for 2008. Hurricane Katrina sparked an entire year of detailed reporting on poverty and its human costs. And Michael Stoops, head of the National Coalition for the Homeless, says that mainstream news reporting on homelessness is definitely growing more sympathetic.

Daytime TV, too, has joined in. Last year Tyra Banks’ show followed the supermodel spending a day on Skid Row with a formerly homeless woman as her guide. And Dr. Phil McGraw discussed the “Bumfights” videos on his show.

This is more than just a hunger for human-interest stories. With concerns about housing, health care and economic insecurity now holding their place on policy and legislative agendas, we can expect to see more news stories, opinion, and political analysis.

Media By, For, and About Homeless People

Some of that will come from the growing street newspaper movement, of which Street Sense is a part. Check out streetnewsservice.org, nasna. org and the news finder at homeless.org.au/news. And of course, there are now homeless blogs. You can check out a few in the links section at thehomelessguy.blogspot.com and of course check out the Street Sense blog at www.streetsense.org.

What’s on your mind? E-mail StreetPoliticsDC@aol.com.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Street Sense . February 1-14, 2007

in other news By Mandy McAnally City Sued for Raising Subsidized Rents California: A coalition of public interest law firms and civil rights groups has filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the Los Angeles Housing Authority for raising the rent of more than 20,000 poor residents living in subsidized housing. The Housing Authority reduced rent subsidies in 2004 by about $121 per month per family, lawyers say.

They say the city was required to give tenants a year’s notice before raising the rent but instead sent tenants a “nondescript” flier that “failed to convey any useful information.”

About 23,000 of the roughly 100,000 tenants in the Section 8 program will be affected by the lawsuit (Los Angeles Times, Jan. 19).

Cop Drags Homeless Cart, Is Punished Florida: A police officer in the city of Bradenton has been ordered to go to retraining and counseling for pulling a homeless woman’s packed shopping cart beside his police car for 12 miles to the city jail. This incident occurred after he arrested her for an outstanding warrant. Homeless advocates praised his actions, but his supervisors said he demonstrated reckless conduct and brought negative attention to the department (Local6 News, Jan.18).

City Gets $850,000 to Improve Shelters New York: The City Mission in Schenectady has received an $850,000 grant from the latest round of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York’s Affordable Housing Program to improve its homeless shelter for men. Renovations will include additional beds, an electrical system upgrade, commercial laundry machines and a new shower and bathroom. The construction work is scheduled to begin in April and is likely to be finished by the fall (Albany Times Union, Jan. 17).

Sleep Out Planned to Raise Awareness Nevada: About five Nevada state legislators and 100 other people are expected to sleep in tents overnight outside the state Legislature in Carson City on Feb. 18 to publicize the need for transitional housing and mental health assistance for homeless people in the state. Assembly member Sheila Leslie, who organized the event, said she’s pushing a bill to appropriate $20 million to assist homeless people, more than double the $9 million spent after the 2005 Legislature. Temperatures for that night in February usually are in the mid-20s with snow (AP/Las Vegas Sun, Jan. 18).

Intervention Helping Homeless Teens New Mexico: A study of homeless teenagers in Albuquerque found that a comprehensive intervention program can dramatically improve their life situation. The study involved 180 teens age 14 to 22 who regularly visited a drop-in center for homeless youth between 2001 and 2005. The study found that youth who finish the program significantly reduced their substance abuse and depression and increased their social stability, including the number of days living off the streets, compared to those who received standard treatment (AScribe Newswire, Jan. 19).

Homeless Housing Complex Nixed Texas: A homeless advocacy group in Dallas has withdrawn its proposal to build a housing complex for the homeless after meeting opposition from area residents and officials. The nonprofit had proposed building a community center and 25 to 50 rental cottages for permanent housing.

Another group remains in the running with a proposal to build single-occupancy units for homeless people and to provide them with clinical and vocational services. The city of Dallas is managing redevelopment proposals, but the federal government makes the final decision (Dallas Morning News, Jan. 19).

New Street Papers Focus On Africa

By Joanne Zuhl From a desk in Monrovia, Liberia, young Geeza Williams surveys the toll 15 years of civil war has taken on his homeland: an impoverished country emerging from years of slaughter with virtually no health care or economic structure to build upon. An estimated 200,000 Liberians were killed in the civil war, which started in 1989 and created nearly a half a million refugees around the world, including Williams.

“The conditions in Liberia are horrible in terms of the infrastructure; damages exist both physically and emotionally due to over 15 years of civil These children in Kenya’s the Kibera slum may soon have a street paper, where 30 people are war,” Williams said. “Poverty is being trained in sales and marketing to be street paper vendors. at its highest with over 90% of the a month. Half of that goes to rent. Cosmas will be running the people unemployed and the 10% that work making less than 30 U.S. dollars a month. People vendor services at the new street paper.

“It is young people of Kibera that will be the future vencannot feed their families, and they rely on relatives living dors of the street paper,” said Maclean. “There is obviously mainly in the United States.”

A journalist by trade, Williams has become an activist by dire poverty there and high levels of unemployment and necessity. But he didn’t just want to tell the story to the rest crime. However, what I noticed was that there is also a great of the world; he wanted journalism to tangibly improve the eagerness to take part in entrepreneurial projects and a huge lives of people living on the streets of Liberia. By the end of desire to have the opportunity to improve their lives and supthis year, he hopes to begin publishing a street newspaper port themselves and their families. There is a lot that can be there, joining a movement of emerging African publications done.”

The quantity of inquiries for starting new papers and the mentored by a new focus project of the International Network dire need for aid across the continent made Africa an obvious of Street Papers (INSP).

“A street newspaper will firstly help vendors, who are focus for the INSP. But for Mel Young, one of the founding homeless and unemployed to at least make something from organizers of the INSP and its honorary president, Africa is the paper for a daily meal, keep them out of crimes, prob- not a special case in the sense that the poorest and homeless lems,” Williams said. “Secondly, it will inform people about of all nations need a new solution.

“I don’t like the way Africa is suddenly being singled out by social and health issues and attract help from foreign donors, agencies who see this plight and will assist where possible. the rest of the world as a ‘disaster’ area,” Young said. “Through It will also highlight the need of the homeless, creating op- doing things like publishing street papers that provide real portunities for them where possible and focusing on their and practical solutions, we can begin to make a difference.

The continent of Africa should share in this [street paper iniproblems.”

With the assistance of the INSP, including a 1,000 Euro tiative] just like any other continent.”

Clement Njoroge is a former resident of the Kibera slum contribution from BISS, a street paper and INSP member in Germany, Williams has established a foothold on the proj- who today is leading a team of 10 people in Nairobi in training ect. Across Africa, the INSP and its members are building a about 30 vendors from the Kenyan slums in basic marketing, new network of street newspapers, including partnerships in public relations and other skills needed to run a newspaper.

Kenya, Zambia, Cameroon and Malawi. The INSP is match- “These are young people of ages between 17-26, who are ing the movement on the ground with the knowledge and jobless and are interested in living a decent living,” Njoroge resources of more than 80 newspaper members worldwide, said.

Njoroge and his team plan to release the inaugural issue of spanning 30 countries and counting more than 30 million their paper, The Big Issue Kenya, in January to coincide with readers.

The INSP board has set a directive to establish at least five the World Social Forum to be held in Nairobi. Koinonia Menew papers in Africa, as funds become available, and to foster dia Centre, publishers of newsfromafrica, an internet based a network of existing and new papers on the continent. Along magazine since 1996, and Kenya Youth Congress Foundation with providing employment, the INSP is seeking to establish a came together to form The Big Issue Kenya as a charitable organization. The monthly magazine already has office facilities free press in countries that lack an independent media.

“The INSP supports projects who in turn support home- and equipment through Koinonia, and in two years, Njoroge lessness and marginalized people,” said INSP Network Di- expects the paper to be self-sustaining. It is likely to be a critirector Lisa Maclean, who is one of only two staff members cal source of income for slum dwellers, particularly youths, who make up about 65% of Kenya’s total population. coordinating the INSP under a volunteer board of directors.

“They continue struggling with various problems, includ“I think that INSP has an important role to play here in helping to make individual street papers as strong and ef- ing unemployment, susceptibility to crime, drug abuse and fective as possible,” she added.” For example, if we help to HIV/AIDS, eroding cultural values, exposure to immorality, start up a street paper in Kenya, we will have assisted the em- amongst many other challenges,” Njoroge said.

“We felt that the media has a vital role to play in bringployment of, say, 100 people within one year, which has an indirect impact on 500 other people by providing food and ing into the limelight some of these issues that the media in Kenya has given less priority. This project will shelter for families.”

Maclean recently visited Kenya for a training, assessment engage young people in articulating their views. Above and planning mission. The trip took her to Kibera slum, one all, young and disadvantaged youth will have an opporof the biggest in Africa with 800,000 people living in mud huts tunity to work in the project and earn a decent living.” with corrugated iron roofs and without running water or elecReprinted from Street Roots, tricity. There, Maclean met Cosmas, a Kibera resident who © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org coordinators youth projects and works part-time, earning $22

PHOTOS LOCAL NEWS & POETRY

Street Sense . February 1-14, 2007

Love Scenes i cannot watch love scenes on screens or streets those visions only remind me of chilling loneliness: no warm body to hold sweet kisses to share That man over there looks so content gazing into that girls eyes with a casual hand on her shoulder i turn away & clutch a memory that causes me to weep; i cannot watch love scenes even in my mind

– David Harris

A Nightly Prayer Now I lay me down to sleep Pray the lord my soul to keep See me safely through the night Wake me with the morning light Amen, Amen, Now I lay me down to sleep Pray the lord my soul to keep If I die before I wake Pray the lord my soul to take Amen, Amen, How ever you word it It has the same meaning It’s a prayer Something good Something towards God Something towards light Closer and closer I come Don’t know why I back away Cause I love the good Because I love God My intentions are good dawg And they have been all along Regardless of what I choose Because I do help people I share all that I got Because my soul is good I pray to do right I pray every night I always turn back to God Because God is who’s my boss

She is only about three years old, but this little girl was fearless. She loved sledding and wanted no part of having Mommy or Daddy h

Cliff’s

In this issue vendor Cliff Carle celebrates winte was fortunate to be at a relative’s house when t pictures of people in northern Virginia

– Allen Carter

This plant is representative of snow in D.C. just a little taste, but not enough to cover up the greenery. I also like how you can almost make out individual snowflakes.

Street Sense . February 1-14, 2007

PHOTOS & POETRY

Who am I But One of You? Searching for warmth in the cold cities, they huddle together over subway grates and on park benches.

Cold and hungry, they wait.

Every day, suits and stockings hurry past, disregarding those whom society has thrown away.

Their multi-layered figures and unwashed faces incur scorn, disgust and the habitual blind eye.

Their requests for small change disguise their deeper plea for recognition of their humanity; and even that is more than we give.

Good intentions will fill a pauper’s grave as only failure to care for our fellow human can.

And their grave marker will proclaim the simple truth that we choose to ignore: like us, they were born, like them, we will die.

– Allendra Letsome A Street Sense Reader)

I love this picture because it captures motion. The person is still, but the background is speeding by in a blur.

I Lie Awake

help her down the hill.

s Pics

er with the Washington area’s first snowfall. He the snow came down, and snapped some great a enjoying the first real taste of winter.

I lie awake baked For God’s sake Just let me take One more hit to last me To blast me Past the edge and beyond To the golden pond.

Stare out amazed And glazed And dazed Emerald laughter Working its ways Lie awake And think about the days And the nights Of the bliss And strife Of this This binge This binge On the fringe Of disaster.

This is my niece. I caught her as she was out of breath after climbing up the sledding hill. She looks exactly like her mother (my cousin) as I remember her as a child.

– Wade Guard

10 FEATURES

Street Sense . February 1-14, 2007

My Turn At the Table By Martin Walker

Southern Goodness At Georgia Brown’s

Martin Walker enjoys the tasty “Low-Country” cuisine and southern hospitality at this downtown restaurant.

Upon our arrival at Georgia Brown’s, my lunch date, Patty Smith, and I were greeted very warmly by our lovely young hostess and quickly seated. We first attempted to eat at D.C. Coast Restaurant, where we were told that without a reserved table it would be at least a 30-minute wait. So we decided on Georgia Brown’s instead – best decision of the day.

After we were seated, our waiter, Daniel, very quickly took our order. Since we were working on a lunch budget, we decided to share an appetizer – crispy fried chicken livers. It took only about 10 or 15 minutes, which was not a long wait at all considering the size of the lunch crowd. The appetizer arrived in some sort of tangy Dijon gravy, which turned out to be very good.

While awaiting the main course, Patty and I had a chance to talk. We talked first about the restaurant’s ambiance, which was very delightful. Patty took a special inter-

est in the ceiling, which had a creative wavy wood pattern woven into it.

While we were talking I couldn’t help but to marvel at the creative décor of the restaurant, which not only made a great setting but also was definitely very artistic.

After finishing our appetizer, the main course was arriving. It was now time for the real taste test: the main course.

Patty ordered sugar and spice pork chops with yams and southern greens. Since Patty had eaten there before, she allowed me to sample her pork chop. It was a very generous portion to say the least. It was cooked just right, and the glaze on top was very tasty.

As for me – you probably read in the last issue that I’m a seafood fanatic. I had to try the Louisiana devil shrimp.

It was accompanied by macaroni and cheese atop fresh spinach. Upon receiving the meal, I first thought they could at least give me one more shrimp (even though shrimp, being true to its name, has a tendency to look small). But as it turned out, one more stuffed shrimp would have been one too many.

The crab imperial that was on top of the shrimp was delicious, and the texture was perfect. The macaroni and cheese and fresh spinach also were very good. I barely finished the meal in its entirety, but with food this good it’s unthinkable to let one drop go to waste, so I managed to finish it.

So what can I say about my Georgia Brown’s experience? Sweet, sweet Georgia Brown’s – it was definitely a truly wonderful experience. The food was excellent and the service was great.

All in all I’d have to give it two thumbs up. I suggest that if you’ve never been there, go ahead and treat yourself to the Georgia Brown’s experience. You’ll be glad you did.

Martin has been a vendor for the last year. He just decided he wanted to pursue a career in journalism.

What NOT to Do With Your Tax Refund

By Pat Philippe It’s that time of year again.

Some of us will be fortunate to receive refunds this tax season. On the other hand, some of us will discover that we owe good ol’ Uncle Sam, some of us will choose not file, and many of us who do get refunds will squander them irresponsibly and sometimes, immediately.

This year, let us all make better financial decisions. The textbook sign of foolishness is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting to reap different results.

Here are five simply things to consider NOT doing with your income tax refund.

1) Don’t blow it at the mall.

Retailers are working hard to target consumers with sales and promotions geared to encourage people to spend part or all of their refund on electronics, new clothing, food and entertainment (i.e., liabilities).

2) Don’t get taken for a ride by the car dealership.

Some dealerships will try to make you believe that you need a new car and can use your refund as a down payment. The truth is that most times paying for repairs on your current vehicle is far less expensive than the cost (and aggravation) of purchasing a new one.

3) Don’t ignore your debt.

With rising interest rates, one of the best things you can do with your refund is to pay off debt. If you do this, in

the long run you will save money by avoiding outrageous finance charges. Consider paying off your credit cards, paying off your car, or getting one payment ahead on your mortgage. By doing this you might also boost your credit rating.

4) Don’t forget to save! Save your refund for college.

Save for the upcoming holidays. Save up for the down payment on your house. Start or expand your emergency fund. Whatever you do, save a portion or all of your refund if possible.

5) Don’t think short-term.

Tax refunds combined with lack of financial planning result in impulsive (oftentimes reckless) spending. Remember that instant gratification leads to ongoing stress. This year when you receive your refund, think LONG-TERM. If we avoid these mistakes, our tax refunds can be a tool to get a few steps closer to financial freedom, instead of a shovel that we use to dig ourselves into a deeper financial grave.

Helpful Hints from The Homeless By Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson

How Do You Stay Warm Outside in the Winter?

Marizieh and DeAnn take a break in the warmth of the Dinner Program for Homeless Women.

“I eat two hotdog buns with cooked onions, I am a vegetarian. The onions warm my insides and that keeps my outside warm.” – Marzieh Behzadnejad Marzieh was homeless for six and a half years and is a resident of the YWCA in D.C. “I cover myself with as many blankets and sleeping bags as I can.” – DeAnn Butler DeAnn was homeless for 19 years “Befriend a veteran, because they have been taught how to survive and carry a trash bag to use like a rain coat from the snow and sleet.” – Susan Susan is homeless and has been for 12 years. She sells Avon and volunteers at the Dinner Program.

“I wear two pair of slacks, three sweaters, two coats and sometimes two pair of socks.” – Joan Linahan Joan is 65 years old and currently homeless.

“I put my hand - that is all my fingers in my mouth - to warm them from the heat in my mouth. I also eat onions and drink green tea, to keep my insides warm.” – Regina Regina has been homeless off and on for at least three years.

“I use cardboard to block the wind and cold,” – Brenda Lee-Wilson You can read more about Brenda on the back page of the paper.

This Page Is Sponsored By:

Need help filing your tax returns?

The D.C. EITC Campaign provides free tax preparation and electronic filing services to low-income residents at 20 locations throughout D.C. Visit www.dceitc.org or call 202-463-6211 to find a free service near you. Tax sites have afternoon, evening and weekend hours from late January through mid-April. This year, file smart and save more.

This regular financial column is presented by Capital Area Asset Building Corp. (www.caab.org), which provides financial counseling and housing and small business assistance to low-income individuals. Send your questions on this topic or ideas for future topics to saving@caab.org.

Combating Hunger Creating Opportunity www.dccentralkitchen.org

Street Sense . February 1-14, 2007

Marvin Hammerman A mystery novel in parts BOOK 4, PART 1

By August Mallory

FEATURES & GAMES 11

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Coming up: Hammerman embarks on a new adventure – this time on the West Coast.

His new DA gets his first view of what an Investigative DA does.

August was the first vendor for Street Sense and and was with the organization for three years. He now lives in Seattle, and is on the editorial board of the street paper there. You can reach August at: carriergroup2009@yahoo.com.

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_____ 8 Housing Because of this Vane direction Mr..’s wife Part in front of the ankle Mole Bible book Government agency Ads Cover all your __ Negative Clips State nixing

January’s Answer Key P E E P A R R I L E N T A T A D E R I C A G A S M A R T S L Y H T A C O A D H E F O R F R I Y E S

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This Page Is Sponsored By:

Anthony Minerva In Honor of his dog

Columbo.

homeless complex Clique Snake like fish Book holder Cartoon character Stage of life Teeny Federal Housing Department 47 Mod 49 Neither’s partner 50 Grain 53 Nerd 55 Expand 57 Snag 60 Otherwise 62 Border 63 Recess 64 Baseball team 65 Tack 66 Hit 67 Mail 40 41 42 43 44 45 46

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It is an extremely rainy day in the city of Seattle, Washington, and in downtown Seattle, at the Union Gospel Rescue Mission, the men are being let out into the pouring rain at 4:45 a.m. As they sign up for their beds for the coming evening, each man is given a rain poncho donated by a local church.

Mark Richards, a former certified public accountant who was once very vibrant in his field, lost his job due to his violent temper, and for constantly getting into arguments with his supervisors and peers. His insulting remarks and his near-physical confrontations with clients went too far. He had a habit of drug and alcohol use when he was off work, and the effects of the drugs and alcohol finally showed in his attitude with his peers. Before long he was out of a job.

Unfortunately, Richards was not able to find other employment. His past followed him. Other employers learned why he was fired from his past job and refused to hire him.

Richards decided to get temporary work in his field only to find that CPA assignments are very few and far between. He had to settle for what he could get – a job with much less pay and uncomfortable working conditions. One day, as Richards, and a few other workers were on a job assignment one worker decided to tell Richards what was what—to make him face up to his violent temper. Richards, knowing that the other worker was trying to provoke him, tried to keep from exploding into a violent tirade, and tried to explain to this coworker what he was assigned to do. In response, the coworker became extremely nasty with Richards who now was on the brink of coming to blows with this worker.

Before the confrontation became physical another worker stepped between them.

“Come on you guys, knock it off!” he ordered. “Listen, tell this guy to back off or he will see a side of me that he will not like,” Richards said. “Oh, yeah. We will see about that, you punk,” replied the coworker.

The matter eventually simmered down, and Richards did his best to avoid the other worker. As the day ended the company van picked everybody up and returned them to the temporary service office to get paid. As Richards picked up his pay he forgot about the earlier argument and went to a nearby diner to grab a bite to eat. When he finished his meal, he went outside to smoke a cigarette and wait for a bus back to the shelter.

Suddenly out of nowhere the angry coworker confronted Richards, words were exchanged, and the two men get into a physical confrontation. Richards managed to get the better of the other man but did not notice that a knife was being pulled out. He was stabbed in the left leg, then in the right shoulder blade, again in the left leg, then again in the midsection, and finally another stab to the midsection. When it was over, there was a count of fifteen stabs to the midsection.

Suddenly Richards was lying face down in a pool of blood, a witness in the diner called the police, and James Kevin Downing, a high school dropout from New York who had never held a full-time job in his life and had been in and out of jail since he was 14, was now wanted for murder.

Meanwhile, at the office of K. Cromwell Morgenstern Esq., where Minnesota District Attorney Marvin Hammerman worked, Hammerman and his assistant, Anna Jackson, were interviewing Edward J. Hoffman, a recent Harvard Law School graduate, as their new Assistant D.A. “Edward, Anna and I would like to personally welcome you to our firm,” Hammerman said to Hoffman. “You will be working closely with Anna on many of our cases. Basically many of our cases deal with people who are poor and homeless. We investigate a lot of missing persons who are homeless and vicious landlords who may have thrown people out without just cause. Sometimes it’s just to be mean spirited. We also have a private investigator that we work with. You will be meeting him as well. He is Russell Jamison, a highly skilled private eye, a former U.S. special forces intelligence officer who is highly trained in martial arts.”

Suddenly the phone rang and Anna Jackson answered, “This is Marvin Hammerman’s office, may I help you?” “Yes, I wonder if I may speak with Marvin Hammerman, please?” “It’s for you,” she said, handing the phone to Hammerman, who answered, “This is Marvin Hammerman.” “Yes, Mr. Hammerman, my name is Darlene Richards Johnson. I am calling concerning my brother Mark Richards. He’s been missing for several months now, and I am concerned.” “If I may ask where are you calling from?” “I am calling from Seattle, Washington. Is it at all possible to come to Seattle? I will give you all of the details then.” “I am sure I can. I will need to get some information from you.”

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1 Street ______ 2 Sign of the zodiac 3 From that 28 time 4 Act as usher 5 Hypothesis 6 Billboards 7 Hoopla 8 Perch 9 Brush and ___ 10 Strong drink 11 Terminal abbr.

12 Put on 52 15 Trims 20 Pixies 22 Climbs 26 Dogma 27 Time period 28 Vendor with Tommy Wells 29 Short-term memory 30 Not strictly 31 U.S. Air Force 33 Cook vegetables 34 Ragu’s competition 35 Greased 36 Was 39 Formal “your” 40 Disconsolate 42 ______ Sense 43 Twist 46 Upright 48 Heron 49 Bird homes 50 Frat 51 Agricultural student 52 Adolescents 54 New York shop owner suing 56 Air (prefix) 57 Bro.’s sibling 58 North northwest 59 Wing 61 MGM’s Lion

Not to worry the Su-Do-Ku and Cryptogram will now be appearing only in the issue coming out on the 15th of the month. The crossword will only be in the 1st of the month issue.

Street Sense . February 1-14, 2007

12 EDITORIALS

Giving From the Heart

By Carole Bledsoe

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would like to respond to some parts of an article entitled “Giving Love Won’t Cost A Thing” by Eric Sheptock, which ran in Street Sense’s Dec. 15 issue. This article mentioned some of the positive and negative aspects of some of the items that homeless residents receive as gifts, and the author includes some ideas for changes and improvements on the part of donors.

First, I would like to address the comment about receiving too many toiletries and not enough of other items that would be more useful (especially money). This comment was an insult to me. I realize that just because a person may be homeless they do not lose their right to be selective, however sometimes people can make comments that seem a bit insensitive. If this person has received a great deal of soap and toothpaste, simply refuse the next time someone offers it.

Additionally, if a person has a “two-year supply” of soap, I would suggest that he or she pass it on to someone else that is in greater need.

In my personal involvement with gift exchanges, there have been many times when I was given a gift that I couldn’t use or already owned, but I did not complain.

I thank God that the person thought about me enough to include me on their gift list. I suggest that the author of the article look beyond the type of gift that is given and think about the age-old idiom: “It’s the thought that counts.”

Second, I want to comment on the author’s lament that we could find other ways to share with the homeless population other than with food and useless gifts. I am sure that the problem of affordable housing in the District of Columbia will be with us for many years to come and that some type of long-term solution is necessary for a permanent end to this issue. However, I have learned that one should not knock a particular way that a person has chosen to serve the particular needs of the community.

Many people have felt some type of higher calling and take their volunteer service as a

duty to serve those who are housing challenged. One of my fellow church members had a program where she passed out cough drops and tissues during a church service for the participants of our homeless outreach program. I know of another colleague who takes it upon himself to cook a Sunday dinner and take it to a neighborhood park to serve anyone who wishes to eat. This particular person is not wealthy and this is a real sacrifice for him, but he does it with a sense of appreciation and self-enhancement to help out others who are in more need.

I work with a group of at-risk children who come from very sad experiences. Many of them face challenges of poverty, family issues, poor educational opportunities and negative images being introduced to them by some in our society. A few of my students have firsthand experiences of problems with lack of housing and being left to become homeless. Despite the many obstacles that they deal with, my group wanted to provide some type of small blessing.

They did so by several projects, including a donation of some of the soap that seems to be unwanted and apparently unappreciated.

Sometimes it is not about what you want but allowing yourself to serve as a vessel for another person to extend kindness and friendship. That way we all can serve in a way that we are not just blessed, but we can serve as a blessing.

In conclusion, I think that this somewhat individual needs to reevaluate some of his involvement with the various services that the city has to offer.

I do not want to assume anything about the person, but I would hate to see someone have a change of heart and not serve those who really need assistance because of the snide comments of one individual.

I suggest that the author of the article [Eric Sheptock] look beyond the type of gift that is given and think about the age-old idiom: “It’s the thought that counts.”

Carole is a reader and member of the Church of the Epiphany.

This Page Is Sponsored By:

Sheila A. Walsh

who offered this space up to a vendor

In Honor and Memory of

Peg Marris

vendor Michelle McCollough’s mother, who passed in January 2007

In MY Opinion

Supportive Housing

By Eric Sheptock

Common Ground provides unique supportive housing for homeless people in New York City, and has been very successful at helping people move on.

M

embers of The Committee to Save Franklin Shelter and some D.C. service providers recently made a thought-provoking trip to New York City. Sponsored by the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN), the trip provided an opportunity for participants to learn how Common Ground and New York City’s Department of Homeless Services function.

Common Ground, a New York City service provider, creatively addresses a host of problems faced by the homeless. We returned to Washington eager to apply the New York example, but also clear about the different challenges in Washington.

LoriAnn Girvan, the director of new initiatives at Common Ground, explained how the system works. As it turns out, Common Ground is not a shelter. It is what is called “supportive housing.” Supportive housing is a set-up where there are single room occupancies (SROs) on the upper floors of the apartment-style building, and various tenant services on the lower floors. These services include casework for mental and physical disabilities. They also include drug treatment.

There is also a gym, cooking classes and access to DVDs books and magazines. An off-site employment coordinator makes regular visits to the facility. The stay is free (just like a shelter). However, people are encouraged to move onward and upward. Their stay is not indefinite. It is something like the housing-first model supported by Mayor Adrian Fenty.

There is too much to their system for me to fully address in one article, so I’ll just touch on a few highlights. The benefits include privacy, getting people off the streets and out of the elements quickly, and a high success rate. Less than 0.5% of those who pass through this system are evicted thereafter.

I think the system works because of an awesome set of principles endorsed by the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). One such principle is that of immediate assistance. Robert Hess, the department’s commissioner, told us that it doesn’t make any sense to tell someone who is living in the streets today that you’ll get back to them after the paperwork is done. In New York, they house the person first and do the paperwork later.

Emphasis is put on centralized services, in part because DHS is aware of how laborintensive it is to be homeless. People who are homeless walk everywhere. Many don’t use services either because they can’t find them or because they can’t get to them. DHS also does outreach to get people into the shelters; they believe it makes no sense to have services that no one knows about or can get to.

A plan called “New York, New York” that combines funding from the city and state has made the Common Ground supportive housing system possible. Duplicating this idea presents a challenge here in Washington, D.C. We, of course, don’t have a state to work with. The feds can be impossible partners.

However, we are not alone in this struggle. Girvan travels to teach the Common Ground system to other cities. She is presently working with New Orleans – and she has Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., in her sights. I explained that our mayor has been to New York City to learn from Michael Bloomberg how to run the school system.

Now we have visited New York to learn how to help the homeless. I guess the Big Apple is getting some things right.

Funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development was just cut by 25%, so now is a difficult time to ask them for such assistance. Ours may be a tougher fight.

So let’s get started. The sooner we start, the sooner we’ll finish.

Eric lives at Franklin Shelter and is the spokesperson for Committee to Save Franklin Shelter. He loves to sing and perform and can be reached at ericsheptock@yahoo.com.

Street Sense . February 1-14, 2007

EDITORIALS 13

What’s Up With Gang Violence?

By Patricia Robinson

W

hat’s up with gang violence? My black people are killing each other and I am angry. The question I have is, where are the parents of these young doctors, writers, singers and preachers?

The reason why children are in gangs and are killing each other is because they don’t know which way to go. Maybe they were pushed too hard to do right, maybe their mother is on drugs, perhaps their father left when they were born so now they are confused. Mothers and fathers, please be there for your children so that they can stop killing.

Every other day my niece Sadirah has to fight her way through life so that the children of irresponsible parents will leave her alone. When she goes out to play with her friends – the friends that she does have left – there is a fight every other day. I’m grateful that her mother taught her how to defend herself. We must make our streets a better place for our

BLUE, from p.1 The materials presented by Ann Marie Staudermaier meyer of the Legal Clinic called attention to many of the causes that contribute to homelessness, including information about affordable housing, the minimum wage, the growing teenage or youth homeless population, and the lack of shelter space for the increasing homeless population.

The recruits took in the information with a sort of placid attentiveness. Then, Staudermaier posed questions which prompted group interaction.

First, she asked, “How many of you know a homeless person?” There was no response from the students. She followed with the question, “How many of you have seen a homeless person?” The entire class raised their hands. Finally, she asked about their perceptions of the persons they encountered and the well-known stereotypes about homeless people. The cadets answered with perceptions of low education, poor hygiene and belligerent attitudes.

At this point, I was given the opportunity to address the cadets. I shared my experience as a person with a middle class background, a stable family and explained what caused my demise into homelessness on the streets of New Jersey and

children to play, for our women and men of all races to be able to work, go to school or whatever it is that our people have to do with their daily lives. The only way that we can do that is to get the children and adults that are lost and confused off the streets.

Mothers and fathers, teach your children how to live like human beings and not wild animals. Show them that there is so much more to life then guns, sex, money and nice cars.

Children, go to school and get all the education that you can get. Be proud of yourselves and don’t let anyone make you think any different.

Keep in your mind that you are somebody special and will be much more in the future.

Remember, the children are the future.

Patricia lives in Trenton, N.J. and takes computer classes at HomeFront, a nonprofit providing training to homeless and low-income women.

Philadelphia and a shelter in D.C. I also spoke of my continuing struggle to reenter mainstream society, a common challenge for many homeless and previously homeless individuals.

At the conclusion of my explanation, I believe a new sensitivity as to the struggles of the homeless community emerged, and I hope the cadets will incorporate the information they learned into their attitudes and approach to the homeless population.

I don’t believe a great metamorphosis occurred. Rather, our interaction on that day showed the value of the tools of communication and tolerance, which will help those officers serve homeless people in search of a better life and improved self-esteem.

I also believe if the tools are properly employed, they will lessen the fear homeless persons have of the police.

Finally, I think this group of cadets will see the poor and homeless members of this community as a salvageable and valuable resource, and share these beliefs with others, creating a more accepting society.

Jesse is originally from D.C. and has been Street Sense’s vendor coordinator for three months.

What our REaders are Saying...

Dear Street Sense, You continue to amaze me with your drive, your growth, and your resolve to empower and build up members of the homeless community. Thank you for listing the names of those who had passed this year. It saddened me to read it, but reminded me that we must continue to work together to keep life and hope alive.

I wanted to remember another member to your readers, Corbin Newcomb, who also passed in 2006. He was a wonderful man, a talented artist, always full of life, helping me to laugh on a daily basis with his wonderful sense of humor. He will be missed.

Thank you for what you do, Sam Hensley

I just read “Union Station, Saturday Morning” by David Harris. It is a beautiful, difficult poem that immediately takes me to the many times I have passed through Union Station.

While I usually pass on poetry, this week I had just been reading a lot of my favorite poet, Mario Benedetti - who refuses to be “neutral” when confronted by human injustice and poverty - and so when I saw David Harris’ poem, it caught my eye and I was struck by the power of his words.

Thanks for Street Sense, Katharine Gordon

Dear Street Sense, I like the restaurant reviews, they offer a unique perspective. Thanks for the work you do and good luck!

Michele Late

What Miracle?

I rarely take pictures in the city as I walk around, but this sight just struck me as poignant - Bobbie Gotischalk, Street Sense reader.

Street Thoughts By Ralph Dantley

The Homeless Shantytown

W

hen one thinks of shantytowns, one thinks of South Africa or other third-world countries.

Well, think again. Right here in the good ole USA. Shantytowns are here, and they may be the new low-income housing solution, thanks to highpriced housing and a court ruling.

According to the January 16 New York Times, Miami may become the leader in legal shantytowns in America. Liberty City, a neighborhood located in Miami, has a group of people who set up a shantytown settlement and gave it a name – Umoja – which means unity in Swahili. This settlement, sounding like a Jamestown or something, was started by one Max Rameau, whose former home was in a 62-unit low-income apartment building torn down in 2001 and never replaced. Now where did those people go? Check this out. Florida has a 1998 federal court ruling which says that, if shelters are filled, Miami cannot criminalize homeless people for conducting “life sustaining acts” including eating, sleeping, lighting a fire and building temporary structures on public land.

Now all this didn’t come about without a fight from the city. The city commissioner, one Michelle SpenceJones, tried to shut it down with an ordinance requiring a permit for gatherings on public land. But, after several visits to Umoja, she was filled with compassion and let it stay in place. On top of that, she arranged for trash pickups three times a week. You Go Girl! The only thing she didn’t allow was a mailbox. Hey, what about my check?

Umoja has areas for growing food, a portable toilet, stacks of wood for burning, a kitchen (must be communal), a pantry, and an improvised shower (hmmm, I wonder where the water’s coming from). It seems to be working well. Maybe this is a new way to urban plan the low income into a way of living among the rich, who don’t care if you live or die. After all, you still have to get to work. I wonder if the bus stops there.

Somebody get the D.C. books out and see if we can get a piece of that kind of action here. If we have to start living like animals, let’s do it legally and in your face. I’ve talked about tent communities in Hawaii for the homeless. Now I’ve added a little flavor by imagining one here in the District. Rock Creek Park would be prime real estate for an operation like this. With tennis courts, an outdoor theatre, and a few extras, you’ve got upscale living. Police station down the hill; talk about security.

When folks read this article, who knows? These types of settlements may become real all over the country. I guess, with this type of living, the U.S. will restructure certain areas in cities and label them “Fourth World Livers.” After New Orleans, anything is possible in America, be it for better or worse.

Look out D.C. and other cities; Mr. Rameau might start franchising his Umoja shantytown concept.

Ralph has lived on and off the streets of Washington, D.C., for many years. He is trying to start his own outreach organization. You can reach him at rdantleygoodsuccessservantservices@yahoo.com.

14 UPDATES

VendorNotes

Street Sense . February 1-14, 2007

By Jesse Smith

New Vendor Board Member Congratulations are in order for longtime vendor and volunteer Francine Triplett for her election to the board of directors for the Street Sense newspaper. She will join an illustrious group that includes the co-founder of Street Sense, Ted Henson; the acting executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, Michael Stoops; and Robert Egger, the president of D.C. Central Kitchen, to name a few. We expect that she will add new energy and innovative ideas to the board’s operations.

Also we want to wish a very happy birthday to Francine, who was born on January 31. We invoke the privilege of the “ladies’ prerogative” by not giving the year. Suffice it to say that she is some years over 20.

Graduation Day Congratulations are also in order for vendor Jennifer McLaughlin, who g ra d u a t e d f ro m the Culinary Training Program at D.C. Central K itchen Congrats to Jennifer on Jan. 24 after 12 on her graduation long, hard weeks of and new chef job! training. On graduation day, she was smiling from ear to ear, showing off her new chef’s jacket, proud of her accomplishments.

She also has a job lined up at an area restaurant and plans to start in midFebruary.

Inquiring Students at Street Sense On Jan. 25 a group of eight students from the eighth grade at San Miguel charter school in Columbia Heights vis-

ited Street Sense. They were in the office for about 90 minutes and met several vendors, including Brenda Lee-Wilson, Chris Sellman and Martin Walker, and heard their stories. They also learned about the production and writing processes behind Street Sense in hopes of applying them to their new school newspaper, The San Miguel Tribune.

And special thanks to their teacher Kevan Morshed for bringing the group and to student Yancy Rivera for visiting Street Sense on his day off and asking some great questions.

Good Credit To all vendors: thank you for your help and understanding in adhering to the new credit policy. Because of you, the list of vendors owing money has been reduced considerably. It is now being used more for the reason for which it was intended, that is, to be a resource in time of need. Keep up the good work.

Sad, Happy Note Street Sense vendor Bryan Morris passed away last year, and there was a concerted effort to locate a relative, next of kin, or anyone who could get information concerning his life prior to his Interview with Human Services Chair becoming a vendor. All of these efforts went unrewarded.

Though, after a television broadcast conducted by NBC, aired on Jan. 16, that focused on Street Sense and its philosophy, a friend of the late Morris bought a copy of the paper and recognized Bryan’s name among the list of deceased homeless persons from 2006.

She contacted the office and got information concerning Morris’ passing and was able to bring closure to a family who was waiting to hear from their son.

Patty Smith and Tommy Wells share smiles.

Through a sad discovery, the family Street Sense’s David Hammond and is happy to finally know why he had not vendor Patty Smith recently interviewed been communicating. They can now go Tommy Wells, the representative of Ward forward with their lives.

6 and the chair of the Human Services Committee for Washington, D.C. Is Your Computer They had a great interview, and Smith asked some tough questions about Crying Help? policy and programs that concern the Call Vendor homeless and poor populations. At the Chris Sellman end, Smith and Wells even had a little for Computer photo shoot to add to the collection of repair and photos of Street Sense vendors and loupgrades at cal politicians. Check out the article in (202) 725-0482 the next issue of Street Sense, due out Feb. 15.

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When you do, not only will you receive 24 issues packed with all our latest news, poetry and photography, you will also contribute to raising awareness about poverty in the Washington area.

___ YES! I want to subscribe to Street Sense. At the special 2 by 2/2 rate of $35 for 24 issues. ___ YES! I want to give half of the cost of a subscription to my favorite vendor: ________________ Name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________________________________ City: _________________________________________State:_______________ Zip: ______________ Phone: _____________________________________________________________________________ Email: _____________________________________________________________________________ Please make checks payable to Street Sense. Street Sense is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization.

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From the Director’s Desk

A Vital Resource

A

s you probably know, the big news surrounding this issue is that it’s being published at the beginning of the month – marking the start of Street Sense’s new semimonthly schedule. With this new twice-a-month cycle come some obvious changes, such as the shrinking of the paper from 20 to 16 pages and the absence of some regular features like Maurice King’s “Maurice Speaks,” and the “Recipe of the Month.”

(Don’t worry, all of these features will appear regularly only in the issue coming out on the 15th of each month.) But there is another - even bigger - change that might not catch the attention of our average reader: the update of our Community Service Index.

The changes to this index are substantial, and all were undertaken to help make this guide more userfriendly. For the first time, we have included providers in Maryland and Virginia; this is to emphasize our new push to expand our presence and coverage into suburban D.C. We have also added website listings for every provider that has one. And lastly, for listings under “additional resources,” we have added a short list of the specifics offered by each provider.

Some readers may ask, “Why include this index in every issue?” or “Wouldn’t this space be better used for more news articles and stories from homeless people?”

And to be honest, I have had those same questions in the past. The index has been included in Street Sense since the first issue, in part because we saw similar listings in other street papers and thought it was a good idea; and in part, frankly, just to fill space.

But after hearing from our vendors and service providers in the area, I am convinced that the index is much more than filler and should always run.

One vendor, Mark Jones, told us that when homeless people ask him for help, he gives them the paper and opens it to the last page to show them all the services out there. “I can just go down the list and say go here for a hot meal or go here for a shower or go here to get your ID,” he said.

And a few of the vendors who are new to the area use this index to help them find necessities like shelter or medical help. It seems that while service providers have in-house guides, there are no other resource guides regularly available to all homeless individuals.

I have also seen firsthand and have been told by others that the index is posted in many shelters and service providers in the area.

When we get calls from people asking for the number to the Franklin Shelter or New York Avenue Shelter (numbers that are not available by calling 411 or looking in the phone book), we can just simply turn to page 19 (now page 15) and read off the number in the index. And just last week, when I needed to respond to an e-mail from someone saying “I need to get a list of homeless shelters to give to a friend as quickly as possible,” all I had to do was copy the text of our shelter index and paste it in a return e-mail.

So, as you can see, the Community Service Index has proven to be a vital resource and lifeline to many homeless people in D.C. And I hope that all the changes and additions we’ve just made will make this index even more helpful to those in need.

FEATURES 15 SERVICE PROVIDERS & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Street Sense . February 1-14, 2007

Community Service Index WASHINGTON, D.C. SHELTER Calvary Women’s Services 928 5th Street, NW (202) 783-6651 www.calvaryservices.org Central Union Mission (Men) 1350 R Street, NW (202) 745-7118 www.missiondc.org CCNV (Men and Women) 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 393-1909 users.erols.com/ccnv/ Community of Hope (Family) 1413 Girard Street, NW (202) 232-7356 www.communityofhopedc.org DC Village (Family) 2-A DC Village Lane, SW (202) 561-8090 www.dccfh.org/eshelterfamilies.html

Food and Friends 219 Riggs Road, NE (202) 269-2277 www.foodandfriends.org Miriam’s Kitchen 2401 Virginia Avenue, NW (202) 452-8926 www.miriamskitchen.org The Welcome Table Church of the Epiphany 1317 G Street, NW (202) 347-2635 http://www.epiphanydc.org/ministry/welcometbl.htm Zacchaeus Kitchen (“9:30 Club”) 4th and E streets, NW (202) 393-9144

MEDICAL RESOURCES Christ House 1717 Columbia Road, NW (202) 328-1100 www.christhouse.org

Franklin School (Men) 13th and K streets, NW (202) 638-7424

Unity Health Care, Inc. 3020 14th Street, NW (202) 745-4300 www.unityhealthcare.org

Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men) 810 5th Street, NW (202) 842-1731 www.grm.org

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

John Young Center (Women) 117 D Street, NW (202) 639-846 http://www.ccs-dc.org/find/services/ La Casa Bilingual Shelter (Men) 1436 Irving Street, NW (202) 673-359 N Street Village (Women) 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939-2060 www.nstreetvillage.org 801 East, St. Elizabeth Hospital (Men) 2700 MLK Avenue, SE (202) 561-4014 New York Ave Shelter (Men) 1355-57 New York Avenue, NE (202) 832-2359 Open Door Shelter (Women) 425 Mitch Snyder Place, NW (202) 639-8093

FOOD Charlie’s Place 1830 Connecticut Avenue, NW (202) 232-3066 www.stmargaretsdc.org/charlieplace/ Church of the Pilgrims 2201 P Street, NW (202) 387-6612 www.churchofthepilgrims.org Dinner Program for Homeless Women 4th and E streets, NW (202) 737-9311 www.dphw.org Father McKenna Center 19 Eye Street, NW (202) 842-1112

OUTREACH CENTERS Bread for the City 1525 Seventh Street, NW (202) 265-2400 AND 1640 Good Hope Road, SE (202) 561-8587 www.breadforthecity.org food pantry, clothing, legal and social services, medical clinic Comm. Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place 4713 Wisconsin Avenue. NW (202) 364-1419 www.cchfp.org housing, medical and psych care, substance abuse and job counseling Downtown Services Center 4th and E streets, NW (202) 393-5400 http://www.downtowndc.org breakfast, substance abuse treatment, jobs, housing, social services Bethany Women’s Center 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939-2060 http://www.nstreetvillage.org meals, hygiene, laundry, social activities, substance abuse treatment Friendship House 619 D Street, SE (202) 675-9050 www.friendshiphouse.net counseling and mentoring, education, youth services, clothing Georgetown Ministry Center 1041 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (202) 338-8301 www.georgetownministrycenter.org laundry, counseling, psych care

Hypothermia Hotline: 1-800-535-7252

Martha’s Table 2114 14th Street, NW (202) 328-6608 www.marthastable.org dinner, education, recreation, clothing, child and family services Rachel’s Women’s Center 1222 11th Street, NW (202) 682-1005 http://www.ccdsd.org/howorwc.php hygiene, laundry, lunch, phone and mail, clothing, social activities Sasha Bruce Youth Work 741 8th Street, SE (202) 675-9340 www.sashabruce.org individual and family counseling, child and family services, housing So Others Might Eat (SOME) 71 “O” Street, NW (202) 797-8806 www.some.org lunch, medical and dental, job and housing counseling

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Catholic Community Services of DC 924 G Street, NW (202) 772-4300 www.ccs-dc.org umbrella for a variety of services D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 1234 Massachusetts Avenue, NW (202) 347-8870 www.dccfh.org housing, substance abuse treatment, employment assistance

1516 Hamilton Street, NW (202 )889-7702 www.samaritanministry.org HIV support, employment, drug/alcohol addiction, healthcare St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 1514 15th Street, NW (202) 607-4394 http://stlukesdc.edow.org food, counseling Travelers Aid, Union Station 50 Mass. Avenue, NE (202) 371-1937 www.travelersaid.org/ta/dc.html national emergency travel assistance Virginia Williams Family Resource Center 25 M Street, SW (202) 724-3932 www.dccfh.org/VirginiaHse.html family housing Wash. Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U Street, NW (202) 328-5500 www.legalclinic.org legal services

MARYLAND SHELTER Comm. Ministry of Montgomery Co. 114 W. Montgomery Avenue, Rockville 301-762-8682 www.communityministrymc.org The Samaritan Group P.O. Box 934, Chestertown 443-480-3564

Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW (202) 347-0511 www.cflsdc.org housing, job and substance abuse counseling, clothes closet

Warm Night Shelter 311 68th Place, Seat Pleasant 301-499-2319 www.cmpgc.org

Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW (202) 332-4010 www.foundryumc.org ESL, Friday morning: lunch, clothing, ID, birth certificate

Bethesda Cares 7728 Woodmont Church, Bethesda 301-907-9244 www.bethesdacares.com

Hermano Pedro Day Center 3211 Sacred Heart Way, NW (202) 332-2874 http://www.ccs-dc.org/find/services/ mea hygiene, laundry, clothing JHP, Inc. (Jobs and Housing) 1526 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE (202) 544-5300 www.jobshavepriority.org classes and employment Jubilee Jobs 1640 Columbia Road, NW (202) 667-8970 www.jubileejobs.org job preparation and placement National Coalition For the Homeless 2201 P Street, NW (202) 462-4822 www.nationalhomeless.org activists, speakers bureau available Samaritan Ministry 1345 U Street, SE , AND

FOOD

Community Place Café 311 68th Place, Seat Pleasant 301-499-2319 www.cmpgc.org Manna Food Center 614-618 Lofstrand Lane, Rockville 301-424-1130 www.mannafood.org

MEDICAL RESOURCES Community Clinic, Inc. 8210 Colonial Lane, Silver Spring 301-585-1250 www.cciweb.org Mobile Medical Care, Inc. 9309 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda 301-493-8553 www.mobilemedicalcare.org

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Catholic Charities, Maryland 12247 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring 301-942-1790 www.cccs-dc.org

shelter, substance abuse treatment, variety of other services Mission of Love 6180 Old Central Avenue Capitol Heights

VIRGINIA SHELTER Alexandria Community Shelter 2355 B Mill Road, Alexandria 703-838-4239 Carpenter’s Shelter 930 N. Henry Street, Alexandria 703-548-7500 www.carpentersshelter.org Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless 3103 Ninth Road North, Arlington 703-525-7177 www.aachhomeless.org

FOOD Alive, Inc. 2723 King Street, Alexandria 703-836-2723 www.alive-inc.org

Our Daily Bread 10777 Main Street, Ste. 320, Fairfax 703-273-8829 www.our-daily-bread.org

MEDICAL RESOURCES Arlington Free Clinic 3833 N Fairfax Drive, #400, Arlington 703-979-1400 www.arlingtonfreeclinic.org

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Abundant Life Christian Outreach, 5154 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria 703-823-4100 www.anchor-of-hope.net food, clothing, youth development, and medicines David’s Place Day Shelter 930 North Henry Street, Alexandria www.carpentersshelter.org laundry, shower, workshops, hypothermia shelter Legal Services of Northern Virginia 6066 Leesburg Pike, Ste. 500 703-778-6800 www.lsnv.org civil legal services Samaritan Ministry 2924 Columbia Pike, Arlington 703-271-0938 www.samaritanministry.com social services, employment services, HIV/AIDS services

If you are an area nonprofit serving the homeless and wish to be included in this index please e-mail all the relevant info to info@ streetsense.org.

Street Sense . February 1-14, 2007

PHOTO FINISH

Starting Them Young

By Cliff Carle

vendor photographer

VENDOR PROFILE

Brenda Lee- Wilson

Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson, 51, was born in San Antonio, Texas. With a father in the military she moved around all her life, going to different schools each year.

She said all this moving“is why I am such a friendly gal. My parents taught me to be outgoing.” She went to the University of Texas at Austin when she was 16 but dropped out after two years because she wanted to party.

After getting all the partying out of her system, Brenda moved to Los Angeles and worked in the airline and restaurant industries for several years. She then moved back to Texas and lived with her grandmother.

She came to D.C. in February 2004 – accompanied by her chow/lab mix named Rowdy Dawg – after troubles stemming from a court decision. Rowdy, who was 12-and-a-half years old at the time, had to be put down on Nov. 23, 2005, due to kidney failure. “I miss him with every breath I take,” she says.

Brenda has been selling Street Sense since March 2005,and is now staying at Cavalry Women’s Shelter.

How did you become homeless?

I first became homeless in September 1994, when my sister and brother denied me access to my grandmother’s home where I lived with her for nine years. This was related to a trust account at Merrill Lynch, which is still being made inaccessible to me, involving railroad commission, AT&T stock and land in Alabama leased to the government until 2058.

My second bout of homelessness began in September 2002 when the fifth judge in my divorce took my home in Texas from me.

One of Street Sense’s youngest readers, takes a look at the January 15 issue after her mom bought it from a friendly vendor near Whole Foods on P Street, in Northwest.

StreetFact The states with the highest rates of homelessness in 2005 where Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.

Source: National Alliance to End homelessness

Why do you sell Street Sense?

I began because it enabled me and Rowdy to get income that I could not acquire any other way. And I would not panhandle. I still sell it because I think it’s necessary to educate the public about homelessness because it could happen to anyone at any moment.

What advice would you give someone that is homeless?

Hold onto God and not the way of the world.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Only God knows that. But God’s plans are not the same as mine. If they were, I wouldn’t be homeless.

Favorite Music?

The blues.

Brenda reminds customers to only buy from badged vendors and not to give to those panhandling with one paper.

Favorite Food?

Catfish.

Favorite Movie?

Moonstruck.

Favorite Book?

To Kill A Mockingbird.

February 1 - 14, 2007 • Volume 4 • Issue 4

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