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Hate Crimes and Violent Attacks Against Homeless People on the Rise, page 5

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

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Volume 4, Issue 6

www.streetsense.org

Redefining “Homeless” A new bill aims to include couch surfers in the official definition

By Katherine Boyle

Though Francine does not have her own place, she is not considered homeless.

HUD’s definition of homelessness.

In mid-February, they introduced H.R. 840, the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2007 (HEARTH).

VENDOR VERsES

The Upper Echelon of the Homeless I’m the upper echelon of the homeless I don’t loiter or beg If you’ve ever seen me working you may ponder what I said I’m a hard working homeless man who doesn’t panhandle for a pence Cause homeless isn’t helpless when you have Street Sense I sell the poetry in Street Sense some say that “It’s the best” But the interest in the articles could be the secret of its success When I vend in the afternoon the papers usually sell

See

Echelon, page 12

See Homeless, page 4

NATIONAL

FEATURES

Washington State proposes a curb on scrap metal sales, page 7

A new cartoon commentary on poverty and social issue, page 12

Getting Results from Gov’t

REVIEWS

VENDOR NOTES

What’s the best way for D.C’s homeless citizens to speak out and prompt change? page 6

Vendor Anthony Crawford tastes the sea at this eatery, page 10

Thanks to those who generously donated items last month, page 14

Inside This Issue POLITICS

Scrapped for Cash

Oceanaire Extraordinaire

NEW: Comics

Goodwill Abounds

Vanderbilt University Register

Francine Triplett, 57, wishes she had a place of her own.

Triplett, a Street Sense vendor, first lost her apartment in 1994. After completing a substance abuse program, she briefly had her own home again, but said she was “right in the midst of drugs and alcohol.”

Now, she “couch surfs,” staying with various friends in order to avoid temptation and the shelter system.

Yet, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) definition, Triplett is not homeless, because she has places to stay.

Reps. Julia Carson (D-Ind.) and Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) hope to address Triplett’s situation and change

The bill would change the current definition of “homeless” to specifically include situations where people are “couch surfing” or “doubling up.” Carson said the expanded definition “will increase flexibility for agencies and organizations that serve homeless populations.”

How “homeless” is defined is so important because often eligibility for certain services and for shelter is tied to whether or not one is considered homeless by HUD. Carson feels very strongly that the narrow definition of “homeless” is limiting the resources homeless people need and that the new definition would give them more opportunities, said spokesman Chad Chitwood.

The legal definition of homelessness provided by Congress includes the phrase, “individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” However, HUD says the definition includes only those who literally have no place to stay and are sleeping in shelters, transitional homes or on the street.

“The more narrow interpretation of the definition (of homelessness) is intended to make sure the targeted resources get to the people who are actually homeless,” said HUD spokesman Brian Sullivan.

But Laurel Weir, policy director of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, said other government agencies, such as the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, use the same congressional definition as HUD, yet manage to include couch surfers in the homeless populations they serve, and thus, provide funding to support these people.

“We think the statutory defini-

A student from Vanderbilt University sleeps on a bench and begs for change during her 48 hours experiencing homelessness.

The Plunge: Spring Break on the Streets

By Jennifer Jett This month, college students are skipping the beach to spend their spring break on the streets of Washington, D.C., among homeless people.

“I wanted to do something that was different and unique,” said Matthew Nobles, a University of Florida senior who first came to Washington for an Urban Plunge two years ago. “I didn’t want to do the stereotypical college kid thing.”

The National Coalition for the Homeless began the Urban Plunge program in the 1980s and now organizes more than a dozen plunges each year. After creating cover stories for themselves, students break into pairs or small groups and spend 48 hours experiencing homelessness – sleeping on the street, eating at soup kitchens and asking for money. “ They know after 48 hours they’re going to go home and take a shower, but for 48 hours they get to feel what it’s like,” said Michael O’Neill, Speakers’ Bureau coordinator at NCH. Paige Blair, a junior at the University of Kansas, found it a fulltime job to travel between shelters for meals – a job made even more

exhausting by the icy reception she received from passersby.

“I’ve never had people not smile back at me before,” she said.

“Within 20 minutes my spirits had completely dampened, and I could see how hopeless things would feel after months and months of people just ignoring you.”

At night groups meet with homeless people who serve as guides, sharing their stories and showing students what it’s like to spend a night in the cold. “I would bring them downtown and we would sleep in the midst of the downtown area with all the noise and people walking by,” said former guide George Siletti. “Then the next night I would bring them to a nice, quiet place so they could see the difference.”

John Harrison, a member of the Speakers’ Bureau, is returning for his third year as a guide. “It wasn’t until after I did it I realized that I enjoyed it, and it was a really eye-opening experience for young people,” he said. “That’s really what kept me interested in doing it. I could tell how much it changed people’s minds about homelessness.”

See Plunge, page 5

Street Sense . March 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 INTERN Rae Boresetti VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Raymond Avrutis, Robert Basler, Katherine Boyle, Cliff Carle, Alice Carter, Conrad Cheek Jr., Rick Dahnke, Carolyn Daley, Eric Doherty, Harvey Droke, Michelle Gaudet, Jake Geissinger, Cassie Good, David Harris, Donna Rae Hendricks, Annie Hill, Alex Hiniker, Dan Horner, Jennifer Jett, Mary Lynn Jones, Jo Knight, Karin Lee, Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson, Jessi LeGarde, Leslie Limmer, August Mallory, Rita Marjandaro, Mandy McAnally, Jill Merselis, Sarah Miller, Mike O’Neill, Amy Orndorff, Swinitha Osuri, Susan Pearce, Jen Pearl, David Pike, Nathaniel Reynolds, Chris Sellman, Eric Sheptock, Jennifer Singleton, Patty Smith, Isabel Toolan, Robert Trautman, Francine Triplett, Adosh Unni, Linda Wang, Marian Wiseman, Corrine Yu VENDORS Willie Alexander, Michael Anderson, Jake Ashford, Tommy Bennett, Corey Bridges, Bobby Buggs, Cliff Carle, Alice Carter, Conrad Cheek Jr., James Coleman, Anthony Crawford, Louise Davenport, Yllama Davenport, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Michael Douglas, Don Gardner, David Harris, John Harrison, Donna Rae Hendricks, Patricia Henry, Michael Higgs, Phillip Howard, Agula Hunter, Patricia Jefferson, Allen Jones, Devon Jones, Mark Jones, Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson, Lee Mayse, Jennifer McLaughlin, Michelle McCullough, Carl Morris, Charles Nelson, Larry Olds, Therese Onyemenam, Ricky Pearson, Kevin Robinson, Chris Sellman, Patty Smith, Steve Stone, Matesha Thompson, Francine Triplett, Amia Walker, Martin Walker, Lawless Watson, 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 news, 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.

In February 2007, the paper started publishing twice a month, and 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.

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February 15-2 Donors lashawn V. Wynn Maliline Johnson Coralie Farlee elisa Joseph ebony Map ranjeev purohit sandy and elliot Feinberg

And a special thanks to Steve Strauch and The Microsoft Giving Campaign

Thank You!

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.

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 - near Metro Center.)

OUR NEXT EDITORIAL MEETING:

Wednesday, March 7 at 6:00 p.m. at our office (1317 G Street, NW - near Metro Center.)

Street Sense . March 1-14, 2007

PROFILE

VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH

Caring for Homeless Kids Between College Classes

Sheena Bhatt hugs one of the children she teaches and cares for at Bright Beginnings.

By Michelle Gaudet It is noon on some idle Saturday morning. While college students across the nation are foggily emerging from their slumber, Sheena Bhatt, a junior at George Washington University, has already done more for humanity this morning than some might during the entire week.

Bhatt, nominated by Bright Beginnings as Street Sense’s Volunteer of the Month, is not your average university stu-

dent. She manages to major in psychology, complete her premed coursework, work at For Love of Children and volunteer weekly at D.C.’s Bright Beginnings.

“Regardless of the amount of stress that school and work may bring, Bright Beginnings is a guaranteed way of bringing a smile to my face,” Bhatt said.

Bright Beginnings is a center committed to assisting homeless families and children with a nurturing educational environment, preparing children for kindergarten and supporting their parents as they strive to stabilize their lives and become self-sufficient.

Bhatt assists trained teachers for two to three hours per week as they attempt to cultivate a nurturing and educational environment for toddler age children (two to six years old).

The program is designed to instill the most basic values in these young children such as sharing, saying please and thank you, following directions, throwing away trash and keeping their hands to themselves.

“Basically they want kids learning, becoming socialized and experiencing the classroom setting,” said Bhatt, who cites showing love and affection as the most important interaction she has with the children. “It is important to show love they may not get at home. Giving three or four hugs in one day may be the only hugs that child gets all week. You can tell some of the kids are seeking affection.”

And Bright Beginnings is very thankful to have Bhatt as a dedicated volunteer, giving out hugs and affection. “Bright Beginnings would like to return that smile and honor Ms. Sheena for her invaluable commitment and dedication to our children,” said Erin Gore-Hills, Development Associate of Bright Beginnings.

Lindsey Molinari, lead teacher at Bright Beginnings, added that Bhatt has helped foster a loving environment for the children to prosper in. “Sheena is very dedicated in working at Bright Beginnings and in the community. She always comes to volunteer between classes and even though she is really busy, she is always really good with the children. She is very patient and the children love when she comes to play.”

Perhaps the most important thing that Bhatt actually does on any given week is merely show up. In lives that are rattled with uncertainty and change, any source of consistency can be a reassuring, calming and confidence-building influence.

“It is precious to see that many of the children remember me and greet me with smiles of recognition and warm hugs,” she said.

Over three years Bhatt has had the opportunity to see these children learn and grow. “One of my favorites is Demarkus,” she said. “He grew up so much in the month that I was absent. It is just nice to see them grow. To see them go from not talking, going to opening books and reading books. I see new things about them every week.”

Bhatt cites both the teachers and children as a source of inspiration.

“The children and teachers have taught me that love and support from other people is more than enough to get you through any circumstance,” she said. “These children face challenges from an extremely early age, and they come to Bright Beginnings every morning with smiles on their faces, ready to play and learn. The children at Bright Beginnings are not only charming and lovable, but are inspirational and much can be learned from them.”

When asked about her own influences as a child, Bhatt said “my mom has taught me the best way to make your day is to make someone else’s day.”

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 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

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

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

Street Sense . March 1-14, 2007

Homeless, from p.1

ess

for

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Sense and Vanguard Communications advocate for the poor and homeless. Working together, we are communicating for social change.

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tion includes people who are doubled up,” she said. “Many of the families who come seeking emergency shelter in the District are doubled up.” d Weir r, an egula r added , d a fixe that doutime lacks nd o h w night a l a ; y u e r d c a bling up divi iden prim an in ttime res o has a d may be (1) h h erate w g i ly op dual te n e i a c t v u a even worse a q i v e d g ad pri n in ivin r a l o : y s

t y i r then living cl t ra (2) ega e e tha sed publi tempo ls, congr lly c n e e d d i i in a shelter te vi ov nta res super ed to pr elfare ho or the me n because it w A) a f g si ng ng cludi er de housi often causes resishelt tions (in sitional rary o a p n d m a o e r families to ional a t d t comm ides titut s, an v s r o n e r i t p l split. she o be hat ded t ion t r, or “Parents titut als inten ill); s n ed fo ons i n g u n i d a s i e ti B) give one or ndiv not d mmoda for i place ping acco m o re k i d s t o e t dence r a o slee priv a relative, the ized; public or , regular s a a C) parent stays with 1986 used ent, . arily elopm v someone else or e ordin an beings D rban um and U in a car or on the for h sing u o H f streets,” she said.

Allient o partm “Not having shelter ance to End HomeUS De forces the break-up lessness, said although doubling of homeless famiup is a “big problem,” changing the definition lies.” of homelessness is not the solution.

Jessica Schuler, a housing policy analyst Berg pointed out that HUD already lacks at the National Coalition for the Homeless, the resources to serve the entire homeless agreed, noting that people staying with a population, and said that all that changing friend or living in a motel are “at just as high the definition will do is increase the number or greater risk” than those at a shelter because of homeless people HUD is not serving. they may not know how to get help.

“The best you can hope for by defining “People living at shelters go to day centers people as homeless is that they are eligible to and have a case manager to help them get the go to a homeless shelter,” Berg said. “We think assistance they need,” she said. “It is a prob- families are better than that. lem that is drastically overlooked here in our “If you know you really can’t solve the city and throughout the country.” problem, maybe you should do something In addition, Schuler said, the HUD defi- symbolic (like changing the definition),” he nition also needs to be expanded to include said, suggesting that approaching Congress those exiting jails, prisons and juvenile justice about increasing homelessness prevention resources would be better. “It’s a better idea to see if you can really solve this problem.”

Judith Dobbins, executive director of CovWhat Homeless Means enant House Washington, had a different take on changing the definition. She said (Literally) Around couch surfers are homeless regardless of how the World HUD defines their situation. At this service provider for young adults about one-third of its 330 clients are couch surfers.

Spanish: “persona sin hogar” “Whether or not the definition is changed, (person without a home) the reality is that ‘couch surfers’ in most cases are sleeping on couches or floors for French: “sans domicile fixe” SDF lack of a permanent address,” Dobbins said.

“They also possess all the other risk factors (without a fixed domicile) that must be addressed with services if they are to overcome these barriers that will keep German: “obdachlos” them poor and homeless.” (without a roof above) Carson and Davis’ bill, which would make couch surfers eligible for such services, currently has approximately 30 cosponsors, acItalian: “senzatetto” cording to Weir. (without a roof) These representatives held a briefing Tuesday, Jan. 27, in order to educate other members of the Financial Services CommitPortuguese: “sem-teto” tee about the legislation. (without a roof) “The goal is to try and get [the bill] marked or “pessoa sem abrigo” up in committee and passed by the House,” (person without a shelter) Weir said. “They are still seeking more congressional cosponsors.”

Until then, Triplett has her own advice Slovene: “brezdomec” for those who are homeless, whether on the (a person without a home) street or on a couch.

“If you are homeless just keep praying,” Source: Wikipedia.com she said. “Go to the right, don’t go to the left.

Somebody’s there to help you.”

Homel

Working

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Street Sense . March 1-14, 2007

Plunge, from p.1 Harrison’s groups have tested how long they could sit in fast-food restaurants before being kicked out and tried to bring their belongings into museums, “things that homeless people need to do but unless you’re homeless you may not really think about,” he said. “You have to carry all your stuff everywhere you go, and just getting on and off a bus becomes a more elaborate undertaking.”

Plungers, as they are called, try panhandling all over town, and Blair found the results surprising.

“I found that the people who were poor gave more,” she said. “When we were in Georgetown we were just shunned, but in the poor areas I think people understood that they were pretty much just a paycheck away from being where we were.”

The rest of the week program participants volunteer at organizations that serve homeless people and lobby on Capitol Hill.

“I was surprised by how much the experience made me question American patriotism,” Blair said, “and how ironic it was that we were in the capital of the ‘greatest country in the world’ and they were allowing the people that we talked to to just wander around the streets with severe mental illnesses. It was definitely a time that I questioned American ethics more than usual.”

LOCAL NEWS 5 Many schools return year after year – the University of Florida, University of Kansas and Vanderbilt all have popular alternative spring break programs that fill up quickly. The program has repeat participants as well. After his first Urban Plunge, Nobles organized his school’s spring break trip the following year.

Although some people reached out to him on the street, Nobles said, help and even acknowledgement was hard to come by.

“You start to be dehumanized after awhile w h e n p e o p l e d o n’t recognize that you’re there,” he said. “By the end of the 48 hours I had lost all hope in humanity because nobody would look at me.”

It’s not uncommon for plungers to return home committed to homelessness issues, O’Neill said. “A lot of them have said how it’s changed their lives,” he said. “They’ve gone back and organized food drives or sleepouts as a result of this experience.”

In Gainesville, Fla., Nobles now stocks his car with bags of toiletries, personal items and resource cards to hand out as he drives around.

“After you see things from the other side,” he said, “then you’ve got to do something about it.”

“You start to be dehumanized after awhile when people don’t recognize that you’re there.”

For more info about the Urban Plunge program, call Michael O’Neill at 202-462-4822.

Violent Crimes Against the Homeless on the Rise Violent Attacks on Homeless People 140 120 100 80

Deaths Injuries

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By David Pike Reported incidents of attacks against homeless men and women reached their highest levels in at least eight years in 2006, according to a report by the D.C.-based National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH).

Last year recorded 142 violent crimes — beatings, stabbings, burnings and rapes — against homeless individuals, the highest total since NCH began studying the problem in 1999. The total included 20 fatalities.

The 2006 attacks represented a 65% increase over 2005 and a 170% increase since 2002, according to the report, entitled “Hate, Violence and Death on Main Street USA.” “It is NCH’s position that many of these acts should be considered hate crimes,” said Michael Stoops, NCH acting executive director. “Crimes against homeless people are motivated by the same intolerance as hate crimes against people of a certain religious, racial, or ethnic background.”

Although federal law does not include homelessness as a hate-crime motivator, Maine has adopted a law giving judges discretion to add jail time to attackers’ sentences in such cases, the report said. NCH and other

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2006

groups have been pushing states to add homelessness to hate crimes laws, and such bills are pending in California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada and Texas.

Last year, Florida led the nation in attacks on homeless people, with 47 crimes, followed

by Arizona with 16 and California with 10.

But, these attacks “know no boundary,” the NCH report said. They “are not limited to coast, region or state” and “have permeated every corner of our society.”

Especially disturbing was that of the known attackers in last year’s crimes, 62% were youths between age 13 and 19, the report said.

“The attackers repeatedly cited their motive of attack as boredom, committing the crimes for the ‘thrill’ or ‘fun,’ because the victim is homeless, or perhaps even more harrowing, because they simply ‘can’.”

Meanwhile, the report concluded, “the victims have endured humilities both great and small, and the injuries they sustained created not only physical pain and scars, but also the crippling effects of wounded self-esteem and dignity of the human spirit.”

To download a copy of the report, visit www.nationalhomeless.org.

STREET LAW

NYC Shop Owner Case Dismissed A prior article in the Feb. 1 issue of Street Sense described a lawsuit brought by an antiques dealer in New York City’s Madison Avenue shopping district, which sought an injunction to keep several homeless persons away from that store, and the use of “public nuisance” doctrine as a legal basis for the request. The shop owner claimed that the squatters frightened off business customers. In that case, it was uncertain whether the plaintiff/dealer would be able to serve papers on the homeless defendants, and whether city officials would help the homeless people involved.

On February 14, 2007, New York Supreme Court Justice Barbara Kapnick disposed of the case by removing it from the court calendar for failure of either side to appear at a court date, and for failure to serve papers on the defendants. That means the case is inactive and dismissed automatically unless revived by a motion to continue it within deadlines set by state court rules.

Meanwhile, the notoriety of that same erstwhile million-dollar lawsuit caused a son of one of the homeless people (defendant Roger Greenlee), to attempt reconciliation with his long-lost father. As reported by the New York Daily News, Dan Greenlee of South Carolina, who had not spoken with his father since at least 1984, has sent word to his father to help him and forgive his abandonment of his family some 30 years prior.

- By Eric Doherty Eric is a writer and attorney who lives and works in Washington, D.C. and writes on law and social issues. He can be reached at ericdoherty@justice.com.

Street Sense . March 1-14, 2007

6 POLITICS

Street Politics By David S. Hammond

From Street-Level Worries to Citywide Commitments Out of the Hearing Room, Into the Conference Room. People who spend their days trying to lay low on a park bench or in a coffee shop still have their own opinions about what they’re going through. There’s a lot of water behind the dam, so a quick question about the shelter or the street can get you an earful of heartfelt perspective – sometimes in heart-wrenching detail. That’s why at public meetings many homeless people, their feelings already stretched to the limit, can hardly contain their eagerness to explain what they’re going through and their need for home, health, and a feeling of purpose.

That’s what happened last fall at a series of hearings sponsored by D.C.’s new Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH). Hundreds of people attended, and dozens spoke out. Their excitement reflects the feelings of many homeless people who see the ICH as a way to get their concerns out of the hearing rooms where grievances are aired, and into the conference rooms where decisions are made.

Being Heard is One Thing – Getting Results is Another. Almost every state now has an ICH, and so do many cities and counties. They range from groups that meet monthly and play an important role in setting priorities and collecting and sharing information, to groups with limited responsibilities and no regularly scheduled meetings.

Like other ICHs, D.C.’s membership is set by law, and includes agency heads, experts, advocates, and people who are or have been homeless. But its actual role, its meeting schedule, and its internal procedures remain up in the air.

Some homeless people hope this council will put muscle behind the longstanding concerns that have been aired so often before. Others see it as just one more way to have a gripe session that will do little to bring change.

Meanwhile, advocates who wrestle with the many needs of chronically homeless people hope the ICH can help the District stop playing catch-up, by fostering long-term thinking on complex topics like housing and mental illness.

To agency heads and service providers, the ICH presents both an opportunity and a risk. It could be a place for expectations to be clearly defined and broadly accepted, or it could simply repeat well-known calls for help, becoming a forum where agencies are asked to do what’s impossible without more money and coordinated resources.

One place to start resolving this is with those ICH tasks that are laid out in the law that created it. Those include drawing up annual and long-range plans, evaluating performance, and commenting on the city’s budget, contracts, and grants.

This kind of data collection can be more useful than it looks at first glance. Most of the people involved in human services are already familiar with one another’s opinions, but they don’t always have a full picture of their clientele, resources, and plans.

Meetings Aren’t Enough ... There is no shortage of hearings and forums in D.C., and summaries of these events have a certain similarity: people want shelters to be cleaner, more welcoming, open longer; they want mental health counseling and employment help on-site; and the city is still short on low-cost housing for people who are working their way out of homelessness.

On the Hill

Exceptions for Financial Aid Title: FAFSA Fix for Homeless Kids Act, H.R. 601 Purpose: On Jan. 22, Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) introduced a bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to reclassify homeless students for purposes of financial aid.

The bill would allow unaccompanied homeless youths to be considered independent students as long as a shelter director, independent living program director or financial aid administrator, among others, could verify the child’s homelessness.

Background: It is nearly impossible for homeless students to access higher education without financial aid. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) offers students a way to obtain funding, but requires financial information about parents and guardians, along with a guardian’s signature.

For students without parents or guardians, this requirement is overly burdensome.

More than 1.5 million children are homeless, but there are no reliable statistics currently available on how many students entering college are homeless. While the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 mandates transportation, food, counseling and academic services for elementary and secondary school students, little has been done to help homeless students seeking higher education.

Sponsor: Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) Co-sponsor: Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-Texas) Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

-Jill Merselis

Help Bring the Homeless in from the Cold

... It Takes Political Will to Get Things Done. So meetings aren’t enough – the other necessary ingredient for making things happen is political will. The Fenty administration says it has that, along with openness and a readiness to act quickly. That’s raising hopes that “going public” with a problem or bringing it to the right people, can get action.

Public Meetings Can Reinforce That Success. The downside of going through a direct channel is that it might not set a firm precedent for the future. A phone call or an e-mail can spark action but doesn’t build transparency or accountability the way public meetings with public records do. When a decision is made on the public record, it can set a precedent for the future, by turning a one-time break into an ongoing commitment.

Of course, that permanence can actually discourage government from making commitments on the public record. But when the District does respond to calls for help, there are plenty of people out there with the street knowledge, the technical expertise and the drive to help D.C.’s social services establishment do what it should be doing.

This year, they have a chance to set precedents, both within the ICH and in less formal contacts, for turning street-level concerns into city-wide commitments.

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

CALL THE

Shelter Hotline 1 800 535-7252 Adrian M. Fenty, Mayor, Government of the District of Columbia

Street Sense . March 1-14, 2007

in other news By Mandy McAnally California: Victory in ‘Homeless Free Zones’ Lawsuit San Diego officials are prohibited from ticketing people who sleep on the city’s public sidewalks and doorways at night as part of the settlement of a lawsuit brought by homeless advocates. Under a new regulation, people are free to sleep on city property from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. unless they are committing a crime, such as being drunk or a public nuisance. The change does not cover sleeping on private property (Steele, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2/21).

California: Senate Looks At‘Homeless Dumping’ State Sen. Gil Cedillo (D) is expected to introduce legislation that would make it a misdemeanor for any hospital facility or worker to transport patients anywhere other than their residences without their informed consent. Those who disobey the regulation would face up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. The legislation coincides with investigations into alleged dumping of homeless patients by hospitals on L.A.’s Skid Row (Blood, AP/Contra Costa Times, 2/22).

Connecticut: Providers Join City for HIV Services Optimus Health Care, which serves the homeless, poor and immigrant populations in Stamford, Conn., is hiring a Stamford Health Department HIV prevention specialist for its Homeless Outreach Team to provide HIV testing at area homeless shelters and soup kitchens. The arrangement was funded by a $45,000 Optimus Health grant that will pay for the HIV specialist to work with the outreach team 30 hours each week (Pinto, Stamford Times, 2/26).

Florida: HUD Awards $2M for Support Services The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded several agencies in Lee County, Fla., $2 million over the next year to provide housing and supportive services to homeless families and individuals. County officials said the grants will go to help homeless individuals and families find emergency shelter, transitional housing and permanent homes (Southwest Florida News-Press, 2/21).

Louisiana: Feds Renew Job Training, Housing Funds The federal government has renewed more than $1.5 million in funding for 16 programs for the homeless in Acadiana, La. The grant recipients said the money will go to fund such services as job training, health care, substance abuse treatment and housing (KATC3 News, 2/26).

Nevada: Protesters Lobby for More Homeless Funding Homeless advocates, who spent the night camped in tents and cardboard boxes outside the Nevada Legislature, recently testified before a House committee in support of legislation that would dispense $20 million in state funds for homeless services. The amount is more than double the $9 million that was appropriated in 2005 (Mullin, AP/Las Vegas Sun, 2/19).

New York: City’s Largest Homeless Shelter to Close The 1,001-bed Camp LaGuardia, New York City’s largest homeless shelter, is about to close after 73 years. City officials said the facility, surrounded by farms and trees on a 300-acre parcel 70 miles away in Chester, N.Y., is too far from jobs and medical and other services in the city. They also said the city wants to move away from temporary shelters to subsidized housing with services for the city’s 35,000 homeless men and women.

The shelter opened in 1934 on the site of a women’s prison and was expanded greatly in the 1980s with the growth of New York’s homeless population (Hill, Redding Record Searchlight, 2/27).

Oregon: HUD Awards $5.7M to Homeless Programs The federal government has awarded 23 Portland, Ore.area homeless programs nearly $5.7 million in renewal funding. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also has earmarked more than $538,000 for a new Transition Projects program to provide permanent housing with services for disabled, chronically homeless adults and youths (Green, Oregonian, 2/21).

NATIONAL NEWS

Scrapped for Cash Wash. State legislators hopes to curb sales of stolen metal

By J. Jacob Edel When David Burke and other homeless men like him made cash riding the rails 20 years ago by pulling a few pounds of metal from freights loaded with scrap, the missing cargo would go unnoticed.

Today, however, local governments and state legislators have noticed that highway guard rails, thousands of feet of wire, and all kinds of metal pipes from construction sites come up missing every day. On top of that, police agencies across the nation are responding to an increasing number of crimes associated with scrap metal.

It’s because scrapping just isn’t what it used to be. Today, the price of copper is around $2.50 a pound and Metal stolen from construction sites like this one could be more tightly controlled. aluminum is half that. And recycling yards will pay anywhere between 10 to According to news reports, police claimed the two sus80 cents a pound, depending on the quality and demand of pects had bludgeoned their victims to death because they the metal. thought the four men had sold them stash of scrap metal left Anyone willing or desperate enough can steal a few hun- in an abandoned warehouse. Days later, the suspects allegdred pounds of metal to make a small fortune — one made so edly dragged the bodies into the manholes to conceal the quickly that it is also hard to track. According to King County crime.

Sheriff spokesman John Urquhart, metal theft in King County David Burke, 50, a former scrapper and current Real and western Washington is a growing epidemic. Similar to Change vendor, said such news is hard to believe. identity theft, though much easier, more dangerous, and less “I haven’t seen the times where it got so bad that people time consuming, metal theft most often occurs as the result would get killed, or risk getting killed, by pulling on hot wire of a methamphetamine addiction, authorities said. for a few bucks,” Burke said.

In an attempt to stop this growing trend of metal theft and Burke acknowledged that the law is a good idea to hold the the exploitation of scrap metal sales from thieves through- shops more accountable. out the state, leaders in the state capitol have proposed two “To a certain extent, it’s obvious they know the metal is companion bills designed to discourage recyclers from buy- illegal,” Burke said. “If a seller has got 2,000 to 3,000 pounds ing stolen metals. of aluminum wiring, then they should have to wait for their House Bill 1251 and Senate Bill 5312 both aim to estab- check. But the shops are still taking it and blaming it on lish new requirements for selling metal to scrap yards and scrappers.” would require yard owners to maintain diligent records of “Some of these shops are accepting metals through the all its transactions worth over $100. back door and creating a market for thieves, because you The proposed legislation prohibits buyers from paying have to go to someone in the business or the metal is worthcash and requires them to record the seller’s driver’s license less,” Urquhart said. and mailing address to send a check as payment after a 30According to Burke, cart pushers will continue using the day waiting period. same etiquette that’s been in place for years.

While this may affect shop owners and metal thieves, little “People have their routes and you know not to infringe on will change for the old school junk collectors and the small- their territory,” Burke said. time recyclers who dig up cans, bottles, and other items from the dumpster, according to Sen. Rodney Tom (D-Bellevue), Reprinted from Real Change News We care. We help. We heal. one of the legislation’s primary sponsors.

The legislation is designed to end large-scale thefts and Quality Primary Care Services for D.C. Medically the black market forces that encourage them, Tom said.

Underserved and homeless Individuals……

Urquhart said there is a huge difference between the thieves stealing wires and robbing construction sites and the folks pushing shopping carts full of aluminum cans, which typically earn them far less than $100.

“These people are stealing what hasn’t been thrown away yet,” Urquhart said. “The only thing in common is that the aluminum makes them money.”

According to Urquhart, metal theft is putting many at risk.

Though there have not been any assaults or homicides associated with metal theft in King County, people are putting themselves in danger by entering power substations and cutting live wires with high voltage. And it’s certainly always For information on medical services in homeless shelters call a possibility that someone would harm another over scrap 202-255-3469. For an appointment at any of our community metal, Urquhart said. health centers call 1-866-388-6489 For instance, in an industrial sector of South Bend, Ind., police discovered the bodies of four murdered homeless men in two separate manholes last month. After investigating the We want to help. We want to help you. crimes, police arrested and prosecutors charged two other homeless men, Randy Lee Reeder, 50, and Daniel J. Sharp, 54, with murder.

NEWS LOCAL PHOTOS & POETRY

Street Sense . March 1-14, 2007

A Secret Life My life is very hard, I always mess around I really don’t mean to But all I tell is truth, I’m always smoking fruit, I like the life I got I’m not trying to mess that Like the direction it’s going, It takes me time To find myself, But once I do It makes some mad, It makes some sad, They think it’s bad, But I see good, And I see right, The right thing to do But I love all you, And I’m pretty sure he’s jealous To tell the truth I know he is, But I’m with him With him I’ll win, I feel that in my soul, For how much God has blessed us, Ain’t trying to go backwards, Do something that will not work, I’ve been down that path before, It always ends bad for me, And what I got works Gonna stick with this Maybe I’m stuck in one spot But I believe It’s what God wants

I like this Yves Saint Laurent hat. Very classy for a baseball cap.

Even homeless people can look stylish in the cold. The fu especially warm and stylish.

This is my favorite hat. It reminds me of the Cheshire Cat, but she wore it well.

Our new mayor also loves hats. And I love this look; he’s Man in Black.

– Baby Alice

Friendship Friendship is something between two or more people.

This is where they learn to live, love, laugh and cry together.

For without a friend to share and care for what is there to life.

For no man is an island and no man Was meant to live off in this world alone.

For we are meant to love our neighbor as ourselves.

So live, love, laugh and cry together.

But most of all care!

– Donna Raye Hendricks

ur hood is

s like The

Street Sense . March 1-14, 2007

PHOTOS & POETRY

Today Today I walk with four companions; they trail behind me seeking glimpses of the wonders of my world.

I lead them to a leafless park where my brothers wander aimlessly; cold hungry and desperate, numbing their despair with potions from fat brown bottles.

Cliff’s Pics With the cold weather still pressing down on D.C., Cliff has decided to pay tribute to the most notable accessory during winter weather – that hat.

He has snapped photos far and wide of the most interesting and stylish hats in the D.C. area.

This woman was really strutting her stuff out in the cold with her matching hat and coat.

My companions watch them and listen to my brothers’ shouts and cries and find wisdom, strength, and perseverance on every face.

Looking through their fresh eyes, I forget my many lonely hours among this ragged crowd.

I lead my companions along busy evening streets while surrounded by their questions, and as a thousand passersby step around our gang in unison, I forget the leaden stares that bore through me every evening.

At night, I lead them to a concrete campsite they lie prone in a row of gaily colored sleeping bags.

A silver moon smiles on them and me and I forget frigid winds on nights like this when I’m curled up in woolen blankets, frozen and alone.

A kofi not only makes a statement but is a great way to keep your head warm..

– David Harris

10 FEATURES

Street Sense . March 1-14, 2007

My Turn At the Table By Anthony Crawford

Oceanaire Extraordinaire

I w a s g i ve n a t r u l y e xc e l lent dining experience at the Oceanaire Seafood Room in downtown D.C., where we went for lunch. Eating there could be quite expensive — the menu prices are not for the faint–hearted.

Also, it was quite obvious that the preferred dress code is business casual. But it seems Anthony enjoys a decadent crab cake at Ocean- that an allowaire Seafood Room in downtown D.C. ance is made for the more informal lunchtime crowd. Although a reservation would have allowed us to be seated immediately, our Maitre d’ indicated that our waiting time would be about five to ten minutes. We were directed to comfortable bar seating during our wait, which in fact was only five minutes.

The restaurant setting was quite pleasant and reminiscent of New England establishments. Once seated, we felt as if we were dining near the Atlantic Ocean.

The service itself was very good. The entire staff gave us the

utmost attention, checking with us regularly to see if we had everything we needed. Our waiter, Shadrack, deserves special recognition. His attention was both pleasant and welcome. He was very helpful in explaining and recommending some of the menu items and in effect helped save us money. His manner was superb and he added very much to an extremely enjoyable dining experience.

We did not order appetizers, but we still got starters, compliments of the restaurant. They were tasty bites that included a slice of tuna marinated in sweet ginger sauce and garnished with cherry tomatoes and celery sticks. They were accompanied by two very large, warm pieces of bread.

The meal I selected from the menu was the Chesapeake Bay–style crab cakes. The two crab cakes were delicious, with generous amounts of lump meat and no breading. I had never tasted such meaty crab cake before, and every bite melted in my mouth. I also had a very refreshing glass of freshly squeezed lemonade.

My companion, vendor manager Jesse Smith, had the Costa Rican Mahi–Mahi. He said that the blackened way it was prepared gave it a spicy flavor that was enjoyable but overpowered the delicate taste of the fish. On the advice of our waiter, we shared a side dish of perfectly cooked french fries, which were enough for both of us.

I was very satisfied with the meal, which came to about $60 (before tip) for the two of us. I would definitely go back if I had the money, and would recommend it to anyone who wants a truly pleasing dining experience.

Oceanaire Seafood Room, 1201 F Street, NW, Washington D.C. (202) 347–BASS, www.theoceanaire.com.

Anthony has been a vendor for Street Sense since November 2006, and he loves to collect stamps.

Getting Ahead of Holiday Debt

By Donna V. S. Ortega Spending money on others during the holidays can make you feel good, but it’s important to make sure that your good–natured giving doesn’t come back to bite you.

The December 2006 Saving for Change cautioned against holiday–induced debt, but if you missed that issue or got a little out of control at holiday time, there is still hope! Here’s a 5–step plan to help you pay down what you owe and get far enough ahead that come this time next year, you won’t be under mountains of holiday debt.

Step 1: Get the facts Take out all your credit card statements and give them a long look. Circle how much you owe on each and also how much interest you are being charged on any balance you aren’t able to pay off each month. Your statement will usually include a section called “Rate Information” that shows what your finance charges are and any other fees.

Step 2: Plan your attack Create a chart with four columns: who you owe (the credit card issuer), how much you owe (your outstanding balance), the minimum payment due to that card each month and the finance charge on each account. Start with the credit card with the highest finance charge (NOT necessarily the one with the highest balance due) and then go down the line listing each credit card and the information under each column.

Step 3: Start with the worst first Add up the minimum amounts due on each card and figure out how much MORE than that amount you can pay each month. Your goal should be to pay more than the minimum amount on each debt each month.

As an example, if you only paid the minimum monthly payment of 2% due on credit card debt of $1,500 with an interest rate of 19.8%, you’d be making payments for 35 years before you were done — in that time, you would have paid

over $5,000 in interest!

Whatever amount you can pay over the total minimum amounts due each month should be put towards your worst debt, the one with the highest finance charge. This is your “get ahead” payment. Make the minimum payments on all your other debts, too, and pay your bills on time so that you don’t get hit with additional late fees or other charges. Try not to use your credit cards while you’re paying them off, because you don’t want to add to your debt.

Step 4: Redirect as needed Keep paying off more than the minimum due each month and once you’ve completely paid off the debt with the highest interest rate, pat yourself on the back and take the money you were putting towards that debt (the minimum payment due on that debt, plus your extra “get ahead” payment) and put that ENTIRE amount towards the debt with the next highest finance charge. You’ve already been able to live with that amount of money going towards getting you out of debt. Keep checking your debts and interest rates on your statements. It pays to stay on top of which debts are hitting you hardest.

Step 5: Lather, rinse and don’t repeat!

Once you pay off that debt, keep redirecting your payments (your “get ahead” payment, plus whatever minimum payments you were making in addition to that amount) to the debt with the next highest finance charge. It can take time to pay all your debt down, but once you do, you’ll have set up a plan for staying on track and learn to live within a budget.

When your debts are paid, you can keep making payments, but this time you can “pay” yourself by putting that money into a savings account for a rainy day!

Send questions or feedback on this article to saving@caab. org. Visit www.caab.org for information on our financial education and savings programs.

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

Helpful Hints from The Homeless By Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson

How do you get from Point A to Point B? That is, from where you are at, to where you need to go for food, to bathe, for shelter, medical services, social services, laundry “I bum transfers from people getting off the bus, ask people for money for the rail, or walk, which can take about one-and-a-half hours from one spot to another.” – Marion Marion was born in the District and has a small cardboard sign that says VET NEED HELP and has been homeless for seven years.

“I am over 66 years old and get weekly bus passes with my social security check. I sometimes take the rail and walk with all my possessions as I do not stay in the shelters because of biblical spiritual reasons.” – Leroy “I walk. I do not ride the bus or take the rail.”

– Jim Jim is from Pennsylvania and been homeless in the District for one year.

“I take the bus. I am in a shelter but have a job.”

– William William has been homeless off and on for five years and said he ended up on the streets because of his bad credit rating. He is now working to improve this at St. Luke’s Shelter.

“When I first arrived in the District, Rowdy Dawg and I walked where we needed to go. Then I discovered Rowdy could ride on the bus since he had been classified as a working dog. I had no money but would find rail passes and be creative with them, something I learned from other homeless people.” – Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson Brenda is a Street Sense vendor and has been homeless four years, five months, three weeks and five days as of the printing of this paper.

William and Brenda rest after their daily travels on a bench in D.C.’s Franklin Square

NOTE: Brenda would like to point out that last year it was reported that in Houston, people staying in shelters could ride public transportation for free.

She strongly suggests that D.C. institute a similar program to take care of its homeless people..

FEATURES & GAMES 11

Street Sense . March 1-14, 2007

February Crossword

A mystery novel in parts

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Coming up next month: the DA’s arrive in Seattle expecting to look for a missing person only to stumble across a murder.

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 Real Change, the street paper there. His favorite author is Joseph Wambaugh. You can reach August at carriergroup2009@yahoo.com.

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As the day wears on in Seattle, a body lies dead in the middle of an alley. A witness contacts the police to give a brief description of what he saw from a distance: two men fighting, and then one man stabbing the other to death. The victim, Mark Richards, was only trying to get his life in order, only to have it taken by a jealous and envious person.

About the same time, Darlene Richards Johnson is on the phone with Marvin Hammerman. “Mr. Hammerman, my brother’s name is Mark Richards. He is a former CPA who lost his job, because of a bad temper. A very bad temper.”

She paused for a moment before continuing. “In fact, he ended up in prison for killing someone. When he was released he went through an ex–offenders program and an anger management program. After his release from prison I spoke with him a few times, but after that I never heard from him again. He once told me that he was staying at a local shelter here in town.

I called a couple of times and they told me he left the shelter and has not been seen for quite awhile. I put out a missing persons report out on him, but the police have not come up with anything. Mr. Hammerman, if you can help me I would truly appreciate it.”

“Ms. Johnson, may I ask you exactly how long was your brother in the ex–offenders program?” Hammerman asked.

“At least one year that I know of, although it could have been longer,” she replied. “Mark would not talk to me much. We never really got along well when we were kids. I guess it’s because mom and dad always favored me as the brain child and really never gave Mark much credit for anything. Maybe this is why he got in so much trouble on his job and ended up in prison. I really am worried, Mr. Hammerman. Would it be at all possible to come to Seattle to investigate my brother’s disappearance?”

“I believe so. I will get in touch with your state attorney to inform him of my arrival. I will be joined by two assistants.”

She sighed in relief. “Thank you, Mr. Hammerman. I look forward to meeting with you.”

Mark Richard’s body had already been examined. Several stab wounds to the lungs and the chest area were ruled as the cause of death.

The murderer, now on the run, lurks about looking for another victim. He makes every effort not to look too suspicious, trying to blend in with crowds and keeping his head down, especially when he sees the police. However, as he moves about, he does not notice the large blood stain on his right pants leg — the blood of Mark Richards.

That is, he doesn’t notice it until he goes to the shelter to get a change of clothes, and the staff person points out the stain. “Hey buddy, what happened to you?

There’s a blood stain on your pants!”

Looking confused and nervous, the murderer answers “Oh, that. I work as a meat cutter and sometimes when you are cutting up a lot of meat you get a lot of animal blood on you. That’s all that is.”

Surprisingly, the staff member falls for it, and issues some clean clothing.

Meanwhile Hammerman and his two assistants, Anna Jackson and Edward J. Hoffman, are making preparations to fly to Seattle.

“So tell me, Marvin, what’s the story on this case?” Hoffman asks.

“Well, we are about to embark on a missing brother’s case. Anna and I have been on these types of cases before. A missing brother, a missing husband, a missing sister, a missing son. You name it, we’ve handled it. And now you, Mr. Edward J. Hoffman, are about to learn the ropes on how an Investigative Assistant District Attorney operates. Prepare yourself to get busy!”

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ACROSS 1 Capital of Ghana 6 Blot 10 To incite 14 Linked ‘rope’ 15 Comedian Jay 16 Festive 17 Pieces of sugar 18 Consumer 19 Actor Alda 20 Arbiter 21 Goofs 23 Alleviating 25 Anthony’s meal in review 26 Hades 27 Famous Russian Ruler 30 State leading in homeless attacks 34 ______ plunge 35 Astringent 36 Wipe 38 Light emitting __ 39 Harness horse 40 Slither 42 Blue 43 Biblical “you” 44 Tropical American mammal

45 Leaseholders 48 Rep. proposing to change homeless def.

49 Agency with narrow homeless def.

50 Dead man in Hammerman 51 Champion 54 Star Trek Automoton’s 55 Spots 58 Harvard’s rival 59 Type of tea 61 Tylenol’s competitor 63 Economics abrv.

64 Fencing sword 65 Democratic Republic of the Congo 66 Popular stadium 67 Phoenix’s BB team 68 Finished

DOWN 1 Organization concerned with civil liberties (abbr.)

2 Friend 3 _____ LaGuardia, NYC shelter 4 Rive 5 Stupid 6 Promotion

January’s Answer Key

Marvin Hammerman

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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

E V I L S I Z E R U S H

D E L L E T S C I N A N I F L E P O E R E E

C O R N E A S Y E A R N E D

7 Fewer 8 Single 9 Tedium 10 Tennis player Andre 11 Indonesian island 12 Eagerness 13 Zest 22 Bolted 24 Sky 25 Garbed 27 Lager 28 Legal proceeding 29 Dwelling 30 Ice sheets 31 Oil 32 Leaks 33 Sound 35 Prick 37 Capital of Switzerland 40 Look at constellations 41 Spree 43 Bears 46 Volunteer of the month 47 Light giver 48 Sedan 50 Styles 51 Tints 52 Every 53 Ice sheet 54 Was 55 Eager 56 Dreadful 57 Sleigh 60 Computer part 62 Newsman Rather

A S K G L E O A N P O A T H E E A T U N L A R S Y E A L L O M A A N

A L I S E O N S E P L T V A I S M A N R I K L

S E O U L

H E N R Y

R U I N S

A G A T E

E D N O E T

Patty’s New Typing Service Has Found a Name:

Is Your Computer Crying Help?

If you need assistance typing documents for a reasonable price, please contact Patty at pattyscoffee@netzero.com or call 202-667-9100.

Call Vendor Chris Sellman for computer repair and upgrades at (202) 725-0482

A special thanks to volunteer editor David Hammond for thinking of the name.

References available at Street Sense: 202-347-2006.

Kitten on the Keys

Street Sense . March 1-14, 2007

12 FEATURES

Echelon, from p.1

And there’s the hot dog lady she always greets me with a smile I don’t know how long she’s been there but she’s been there for a while

Mike or India I will see They have diplomatically solved every misunderstanding between store managers or panhandlers and me I’d heard from several people, then experienced what I was told their blond haired boss, Patty, truly has a heart of gold

I stop to talk to the homeless to see what they will say and give them a Street Sense paper if it will help them along their way

When I’m vending on the corners where I spend some of my time I always keep the safety of others in mind

Sometimes I interview the homeless for political views and where they’re coming from and turn it in to the lovely Lavisa of Talk Radio News Services for homelesscast.com

I’ve stopped traffic on Pennsylvania Avenue so that emergency vehicles can get by This sort of feat not many others would try

The employees and patrons of Starbucks have always treated me well

I’m the upper echelon of the homeless I don’t panhandle for a pence and homeless isn’t helpless cause I have street sense Many people smile, take the paper and hand me a bill including the most beautiful women on Capitol Hill The attractive ladies of Art and Soul have been especially sweet and the support and advice from Marjorie, the owner, has been a special treat Sometimes in the afternoon, on the incense and oil vendor, Carlton, I will call This courteous and polite man has always helped me when my back was against the wall Some of you have seen me when I break for a meal Some of you may wonder What is the deal?

For a delicious Reuben sandwich, at Mr. Henry’s, I’ll have a seat or a tasty roast beef sandwich from Cosi’ I will eat.

I’m the upper echelon of the homeless I don’t loiter or beg If you’ve ever heard me working you may reflect on what I said Would you help a hard working homeless man who doesn’t panhandle for a pence Cause homeless isn’t helpless when you have street cents The Capitol Hill Ambassadors

Comic Relief

I play chess at the Library and teach it to children and adults it really makes me happy when I see good results I’m the upper echelon of the homeless I don’t panhandle for a pence and homeless isn’t helpless cause I have street sense And to the unknowingly homeless I must say this piece The government considers you homeless if your name is not on a lease As the evening grows cold and my hands I begin to rub I can always rely on the warmth and encouragement from my good friends at “Lil Pub” The weekend is coming and at Eastern Market I’ll stand near my friends Steve of Sweet Nuthouse and the fruit and vegetable guy Dan Their friendship and support have been solid as steel and it’s Dan to whom I owe the end of my spiel So the next time you see me around the way Don’t hesitate to point your finger smile, and say ...

“He’s the upper echelon of the homeless He doesn’t loiter or beg If you’ve ever watched him working you can consider what he said Help a hard working homeless man who doesn’t panhandle for a pence And remember... ‘Homeless isn’t helpless when you have Street Sense.”

– Conrad Cheek Jr.

Supporting Street Sense Is Good For You! Inspired Yoga is contributing 1/2 its proceeds from March Community Classes to Street Sense.

Come to class, pay what you can, and leave feeling healthy and knowing that taking time for yourself helped others.

Community Class Schedule Classes start Sunday, March 4th

If you are homeless, formerly homeless or just in tune to poverty issues, your thoughts and editorials are welcome. Please e-mail content to info@streetsense.org or mail it to 1317 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005.

Tuesday: 6:30–7:30 am (all levels) Saturday: 2:30–3:45 pm (all levels) Sunday: 2:30–3:45 pm (all levels) www.inspiredyoga.com · 1115 U Street NW Across the street from the U-Street Cardozo Metro

Street Sense . March 1-14, 2007

EDITORIALS 13

Understanding Unemployment Checks

By Raymond Avrutis

M

any homeless people may not realize that several benefits programs are available to them — if they qualify. Unemployment insurance is an important example, and many people who have had steady work may be eligible. Homeless people, millionaires, and child actors have all received unemployment insurance (UI) since the program began as part of the 1935 Social Security Act. Homeless people may also be eligible for Social Security, SSI, SSKI, and welfare (TANF). Being homeless will not disqualify you from benefits programs, if you meet all the other requirements.

UI is not welfare. UI payments come from a tax on employers, not from the federal treasury. Every U.S. citizen and green card holder has UI rights the government didn’t teach you in school. General ignorance about the program undoubtedly is why the Government Accountability Office said that only 38% of all UI-eligible persons are estimated to have received UI during their first spell of insurable unemployment.

Even if you leave a job you may still be eligible for UI — that is, if you can prove you had “good cause connected with the work, attributable to the employer” for leaving. For example, if your wages and hours were cut by 10% or more for two weeks or more, and you leave the job, you might be eligible for UI. The length of time you held your last job, and the reason you left it, generally determines if you will receive your claim.

D.C. accepts three personal reasons to quit a job and still collect UI: sexual or other harassment, domestic violence, or the worker’s illness. In the case of illness, you will need a note from your doctor.

In any case, you will have to be able to work, available for work, and actively seeking suitable work, related to your prior employment, earnings and training. That’s suitable work, not just “any” job. You must be actively seeking full–time work but

you may look only for part-time work if your “base period” earnings were earned only in part-time work.

You may work part–time and collect a partial check. But you will be disqualified if you lose your part–time (or another full–time) job for a bad legal reason, e.g., you showed up late too often.

If you’re told you will be fired and have the option to quit instead, don’t quit! You have to prove you had “good cause” if you quit. If you’re fired, your employer must prove you committed misconduct, or gross misconduct such as theft, to disqualify you from receiving UI. Usually, only about five months of nonconsecutive work (sometimes less) in your year–long, recent “base period” is required to establish UI eligibility. You may combine base period wages earned in two or more jobs, and in two or more states.

About 97% of all jobs are covered, both full– and part–time, even jobs you knew would end when you started them. But self-employment isn’t covered.

You can file a UI claim in D.C. by telephone. Dial 202–724– 7000 and follow the prompts (Habla Espanol, too!). Two inperson “One Stop” centers are available to file claims as well.

They are located at 1500 Franklin St, NE, and at 2626 Naylor Road, SE. You can call 202–724–7000 for hours and for satellite office locations too.

If you think you have a valid UI claim, the important thing to remember is to be polite, but persistent. Do not accept a verbal denial of your legal right to file a claim — instead, get your denial in writing. Any written denial may be appealed.

Raymond Avrutis lives in Washington, D.C., and is a freelance writer. He is also the author of “How to Maximize your Unemployment Benefits.”

Prison Art Part II: The Paintings in Person

Like all of the gallery’s arts and crafts, this teddy bear was created by someone who is currently incarcerated.

I

n the last issue of the paper, I wrote an article about an ex-convict who opened a gallery for prisoners’ artwork (the Prison Art Gallery, 1600 K Street, NW, www.prisonsfoundation.org). I revisited the gallery and found several pieces of artwork that captured my attention. The following are several pieces that could serve as conversation starters: • A portrait and likely resemblance of Johnnie Cochran on canvas, which displays him trying on the famous glove during the O.J. Simpson trial.

• A drawing of talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey in pencil, which is an excellent drawing of her distinctive facial features.

• If you are a Prince fan (the singer), there is a magnificent

watercolor pastel painting of him in psychedelic fashion.

• Some additional watercolor drawings include a drawing of a lighthouse titled “Lighthouse of Peace,” and ships at a dock.

• “The Teddy Bear” is a portrait of a teddy bear crocheted in yarn. This and other crocheted items are also for sale along with the artwork.

If you are an animal fanatic, there are several astonishing drawings of animals. Three works done in graphite and charcoal, “A Pair of Lion Cubs,” “A Lion in Constipation” (which looks like he is ready to release) and “A Cat Laying in a Tree” are just a few pieces that are amazing.

Another animal piece, “Man is Not Always Smart,” depicts a monkey thinking in the wild. A huge painting in acrylic on linen, it could interest men and some women, too.

Of the pieces that I came across, I noticed a beautiful abstract painting called “I Give Life.” The drawing is an acrylic with glitter and purple accents that enhance the drawing. This painting is the least expensive compared to others in the collection.

When you visit the gallery, you will find a variety of artwork from portraits and paintings of actors, actresses, musicians, political figures, landscapes and garden scenes. You can spend a day looking and browsing through the abundance of available artwork.

The prisoners draw on their childhood experiences, memories, and their surroundings to create their artwork. There is a good selection of artwork that the gallery collects from prisoner Larry Walker, who bases most of his work on his childhood experiences.

The work of the artists is so captivating that it will take your breath away and it will take hours to decide to purchase a particular piece of art. Particularly, when you are purchasing the art for your personal enjoyment and taste.

- Patricia Jefferson Patricia has been a Street Sense vendor for eight months. She loves to write and her favorite food is crab cakes.

In MY Opinion

Straight Talk

By Eric Sheptock

I

am not particularly known for my sensitive ways. (I have a different type of kindness.) I see a need to incorporate a new kind of solution to homelessness called STRAIGHT TALK. I have mentioned this idea to others in informal settings. It is high time that we gave it some serious consideration. We should make it mandatory for ableminded people who are homeless to participate in some sort of group session where they have to be straightforward and honest about their issues and their reasons for being homeless. They should be confronted if they are not making sense and/or their story doesn’t pan out.

They should also receive STRAIGHT TALK about society (what it takes to make it in society and how people might be willing to help those who are at least trying to help themselves, as opposed to those who are just “lazy bums”).

I think that people can be over–nurtured to the detriment of all (the homeless as well as taxpayers who aren’t homeless). Over-nurturing the homeless amounts to mismanagement of tax dollars. Over– nurturing prolongs one’s recovery from homelessness, sometimes to the point that do–gooders lose sympathy and stop their philanthropy. That in turn makes it even harder for one to recover from homelessness.

The homeless shouldn’t have the rug pulled out from under them. They should, however, be constantly told that they need to get on their feet. They should be constantly urged to get jobs if they can work. They should be made to show some concern for their own issues (as opposed to just waiting for hand–outs).

I know that I sound cruel. Life is cruel. I just talk about life. There. I’ve justified cruelty. God bless me.

Let’s begin to do some STRAIGHT TALK. Let’s also demand that others do some STRAIGHT TALK about where their heads are at and what it will take for them to recover from homelessness.

The homeless came out in force at the final 2006 ICH and the hearing on December 9 at One Judiciary Square. Some have begun, on their own, to speak out about their issues. It is imperative that these hearings continue, not only to better inform the “powers–that–be” as to how to best help people who are homeless, but also to help the homeless get in touch with reality (and their government).

In this way, the negative psychological effects of homelessness will begin to reverse. The homeless will look back over their shoulders and realize just how far they’ve come. They will see the changes they are able to make in the world around them. They will begin to feel empowered. And they may want to see what else they are capable of, whether it’s getting a job, or housing, or something else. So let’s help people help themselves.

Eric lives at Franklin Shelter and is a vocal homeless rights advocate. He loves to sing and perform and can be reached at ericsheptock@yahoo.com.

Street Sense . March 1-14, 2007

14 STREET SENSE NEWS

VendorNotes New Employment A special acknowledgement goes to vendor M a r t i n Wa l k e r, who has received not one but two offers of employment as a driver.

Both positions offer a full–time schedule and benefits.

We must mention that one of these potential employers read Martin’s vendor profile in Street Sense and was inspired to call the Street Sense office and offer Martin a job. It is very seldom that members of our homeless community get to make choices; this is certainly a good thing.

Yllama Davenport, a new vendor who has been employed by the Golden Tr i a n g l e , h a s n ow o b t a i n e d a position with the Downtown Business Improvement District’s Safety and Maintenance unit.

She serves as a member of a street–level hospitality greeting service group in her new position, which has given her the advantage of employee benefits.

Congratulations, Yllama.

Clarendon Blitz We conducted a mini–blitz in the Clarendon area of Virginia, near the Metro stop. We did not have any measurable success in terms of sales, but

From the Director’s Desk

By Jesse Smith

we did gain invaluable information about the best times for sales, the effect of weather on sales, and so on. I wish to express my thanks to vendors Anthony Crawford, Brenda Wilson, Cliff Carle, Corey Bridges and Francine Tripplett, who were participants in this the first of our Blitz program. They truly held their own in the midst of adverse conditions. It was very cold.

We will conduct a blitz once a month; next month’s blitz will be announced at our next vendors’ meeting on March 21. Thanks again to all who participated.

Acts of Kindness and Donations Thanks to Tom Gardner and his wife Mimi Donnell for the gift of hand warmers and hats they gave our vendors to help them battle the cold while they were selling papers.

Thanks to D.C. Council Member Kwame Brown, who donated hats and gloves to our vendors in consideration of the recent adverse weather conditions. It is not often that a member of our government reaches out to persons outside of his or her constituency to serve the general populace. This is a case in which a council member saw a need and acted. Thanks very much.

A very special thank you goes out to Maliline Johnson who is 91 years young and lives in Northwest. What is special about her is that she is on a small fixed income and yet she chose to donate $100 to our paper. Our executive director made a special trip to receive the donation and to talk to her.

When asked why she would do this, Ms. Johnson’s reply was, “I don’t need much, and I really wanted to help the homeless this season.”

Now what does that say about the rest of us? Thanks again.

Thanks to LaShawn Wynn and RaShawd Smith for their donation of $50 to our organization, which they gave in my honor. What’s special about them is that they are my daughter and son. Dad says thanks.

We also just received a donation of some much–needed desktop computers, a laser printer and accessories from Economic Research Associates, which is located in D.C. This will definitely be an asset to our vendors and our paper in terms of business as well as computer training for our vendors.

And we also are expecting a relatively new laptop computer from Walmart Watch, through Stephanie Triplett. She is also organizing a drive in her office to collect donations of bottled water and instant coffee for all the hardworking vendors. Thanks to both of these wonderful businesses!

Hello All From August Mallory Vendor #1, August Mallory, continues to keep the Hammerman series alive for our Street Sense readers.

Though he is working for our sister homeless newspaper, Real Change, in Seattle, Wash., he is still a big part of the Street Sense family. He keeps in contact with us every chance he gets and says hello to everyone. We wish him continued success.

Get Twice as Much Street Sense Each Month Delivered Right to Your Door!

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___ YES! I want to subscribe to Street Sense for just $40 a year 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.

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Advertising in Street Sense

O

ne of the goals for Street Sense this year is to dramatically increase our advertising revenue so that not only can the organization grow, but also so we can help vendors gain more income and skills by becoming advertising sales reps. The plan is that after some very specific ad sales training, a select group of vendors will go out and solicit ads for Street Sense, making a 20% commission on all ads that they sell.

To help make the sales pitch easier for these vendors, I created an all–encompassing advertising brochure for them to hand out. After about a week of planning and layout, I came up with a tri–fold booklet that outlines our advertising rates and ad sizes and provides details on our readership, distribution and reasons businesses should advertise with us. This is a huge improvement from our original 4 x 9 inch advertising sheet that was cryptic and without an accompanying explanation.

Fortunately, last year we gathered all of the information needed for the brochure, and it was just a matter of putting it all together in a slick, appealing package. However, the one aspect that I had to create from scratch was the “Why Advertise in Street Sense” page. So I thought long and hard and also consulted with many others, including vendor manager Jesse Smith and Street Sense board member David Walker, the advertising director for the City Paper.

After these conversations, what stood out as the most important message to convey was that placing an ad in Street Sense is not just about acquiring new customers and promoting a product, but also about displaying a caring and compassionate image through supporting an organization like Street Sense. And after much rearranging and rewriting, I came up with the reasons below: Your Advertisement Will Be Seen By Readers: Street Sense is distributed only through vendors who sell it on the streets of the Washington area. Consequently, nearly all of the papers we print get into the hands of readers. And 58% of customers read nearly every page of the paper and 30% of customers read at least half the pages, based on the 2006 readers’ survey.

Your Advertisement Will Reach a Key Demographic: The typical Street Sense reader is a 35–year–old woman who lives in D.C. and works for the government or a nonprofit, earning about $70,000 a year. Consequently, your advertisement will likely reach individuals who are cosmopolitan, open–minded and have some extra money to spend — the perfect retail customer.

Your Business Will Be Associated With a Good Cause: Street Sense is known for empowering homeless people while also shedding light on issues not often covered by the mainstream media. Readers have said that they are more likely to patronize businesses advertising in Street Sense, because these businesses are showing support for the paper’s mission.

Your Business Will Directly Help a Homeless Person: If you buy an ad through a homeless vendor, that vendor gets a 20% commission on the total cost of the ad. This could be anywhere from $14 to $2,880 for one sale. That way, you will be directly helping hardworking men and women earn enough money to get their own housing and get off the streets.

So there they are. Are you convinced?

If so, and you are now considering advertising in Street Sense, please give me a call at (202) 347–2006 or e-mail me at laura@streetsense.org, or better yet ask your local vendor for details. You will receive one of our fancy new brochures and you can see for yourself all the many reasons why Street Sense is not only a great venue for important news and features but also a great venue to promote your business.

- Laura Thompson Osuri

FEATURES 15 SERVICE PROVIDERS & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Street Sense . March 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/DCVillage.html Franklin School (Men) 13th and K streets, NW (202) 638-7424 Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men) 810 5th Street, NW (202) 842-1731 www.grm.org John Young Center (Women) 117 D Street, NW (202) 639-8469 http://www.ccs-dc.org/find/services/ La Casa Bilingual Shelter (Men) 1436 Irving Street, NW (202) 673-3592 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/charliesplace Church of the Pilgrims 2201 P Street, NW (202) 387-6612 www.churchofthepilgrims.org Dinner Program for Homeless Women AND the “9:30 Club” Breakfast 309 E Street, NW (202) 737-9311 www.dphw.org Father McKenna Center 19 Eye Street, NW (202) 842-1112

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

Hypothermia Hotline: 1-800-535-7252

http://www.ccdsd.org/howorwc.php hygiene, laundry, lunch, phone and mail, clothing, social activities

Miriam’s Kitchen 2401 Virginia Avenue, NW (202) 452-8926 www.miriamskitchen.org

Sasha Bruce Youthwork 741 8th Street, SE (202) 675-9340 www.sashabruce.org counseling, housing, family services

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

So Others Might Eat (SOME) 71 “O” Street, NW (202) 797-8806 www.some.org lunch, medical and dental, job and housing counseling

MEDICAL RESOURCES

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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

Bright Beginnings Inc. 128 M Street NW, Suite 150 Washington DC 20001 (202) 842-9090 www.brightbeginningsinc.org Child care, family services

Unity Health Care, Inc. 3020 14th Street, NW (202) 745-4300 www.unityhealthcare.org Whitman-Walker Clinic 1407 S Street, NW (202) 797-3500 www.wwc.org

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 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 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

Catholic Community Services of D.C. 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 Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW (202) 347-0511 www.cflsdc.org housing, job and substance abuse counseling, clothes closet Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW (202) 332-4010 www.foundryumc.org ESL, lunch, clothing, IDs Hermano Pedro Day Center 3211 Sacred Heart Way, NW (202) 332-2874 http://www.ccs-dc.org/find/services/ meals, hygiene, laundry, clothing JHP, Inc. (Jobs and Housing) 1526 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE (202) 544-9126 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 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) 667-4394 http://stlukesdc.edow.org food, counseling St. Matthew’s Cathedral 1725 Rhode Island Avenue, NW (202) 347-3215 ext. 552 breakfast, clothing, hygiene Travelers Aid, Union Station 50 Mass. Avenue, NE (202) 371-1937 www.travelersaid.org/ta/dc.html national emergency travel assistance Virginia Williams 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

Mission of Love 6180 Old Central Avenue Capitol Heights (301)333-4440 www.molinc.org life skills classes, clothing, housewares

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

SHELTER

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

Comm. Ministry of Montgomery Co. 114 W. Montgomery Avenue, Rockville (301) 762-8682 www.communityministrymc.org

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

The Samaritan Group P.O. Box 934, Chestertown (443) 480-3564

MEDICAL RESOURCES

MARYLAND

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

FOOD Bethesda Cares 7728 Woodmont Church, Bethesda (301) 907-9244 www.bethesdacares.com 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 Avenue, Silver Spring (301) 942-1790 www.catholiccharitiesdc.org shelter, substance abuse treatment, variety of other services

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 (703) 548-7500 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 . March 1-14, 2007

VENDOR PROFILE

PHOTO FINISH

Strike a Pose

Willie Alexander

Willie Alexander was born November 12, 1958, in Enfield, N. C., and lived a somewhat nomadic life. As a child, he moved to New York, where he graduated from Franklin K. Lane High School.

After enlisting in the Army National Guard, he took a lateral move to the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served as an active duty cook until he was classified as disabled and released with an honorable discharge.

Willie then moved to San Francisco, where he earned a diploma in Culinary Arts; to San Jose, where he worked as a cook for the Fairmount Hotel; to Richmond, where he worked for Denny’s restaurant chain; and finally, to Washington, D.C., where was unable to secure adequate employment due to his disability. Consequently, he resorted to living in the CCNV shelter and obtaining other necessities on the D.C. streets.

Currently, Willie is earning money as a Street Sense vendor and is eligible to work 20 hours per week, given his disability. Of Willie’s many talents, one that stands out is his great skill as a Gospel pianist.

How did you become homeless?

My mother passed away; then I was divorced. I was unable to recover fully from that experience, and I allowed my credit to suffer as a consequence of depression.

Vendors Martin Walker, Anthony Crawford and Corey Bridges model the new Street Sense T-shirt.

If you are interested in purchasing one for yourself, just fill out the form below or go online and click on the “Buy a Street Sense T-shirt” link at www.streetsense.org

StreetFact

Why do you sell Street Sense?

I get to meet new people, do things on my own time and make some money.

What advice would you give someone who is homeless?

Put your higher power first, the God of your understanding, and things will work out for you.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I don’t know what God has planned for me, so I will leave it open.

Of the 142 violent crimes against homeless people reported in 2006, 62% were comitted by youths 13 to 19 years old.

(For more info, see page 5.)

Source: National Coalition for the Homeless

March 1-14, 2007 • Volume 4 • Issue 6

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Mail To:

Favorite Music?

Jazz, R&B, oldies but goodies, and gospel Favorite Food?

Fried chicken, collard greens and cornbread Favorite Movie?

Foxy Brown and Super Fly Favorite Book?

The Holy Bible, King James version

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

Get Street Sense Style!

Buy a stylish long sleeve, 100% cotton, chocolate brown

Street Sense T-shirt.

Just fill out this form and send it, along with a check for $20, to Street Sense: 1317 G Street NW, Wash, DC 20005 Or just visit www.streetsense.org.

Name:__________________________________________________ Address:________________________________________________ City/State/Zip:__________________________________________ E-mail:_______________________: Size:_____________________ Stock is limited, so send your order in today!

Interested in a subscription? Go to page 14 for more information.