03 02 2011

Volume 8: Issue 9 March 2 - 15, 2011

Street

donation $1 suggested

sense

The AIDS Issue

Read more and get involved at www.streetsense.org | The D.C. Metro Area Street Newspaper | Please buy from badged vendors

D.C. fights the HIV/AIDS epidemic Pages 4 - 7

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

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News in Brief

As D.C. struggles with an AIDS epidemic, an HIVpositive poet speaks out

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City’s oldest needle exchange program closes doors

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Art in the Kitchen: Miriam’s Studio showcases homeless art

Mannequin 10 Fiction: The Keeper: Part 3 online

Read stories online at www.streetsense.org

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Writer’s Group: the Cowboy poet returns

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Comic Strip Barney & Clyde, Now at Street Sense!

WEB EXCLUSIVE

Read about an AIDS awarness event

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Jeff McNeil on labor unions and “Koch” Dealing Last Word: Taking on city government’s SUVs and salaries

A new issue comes out every two weeks, but you can stay connected to Street Sense every day! /streetsense @streetsensedc /streetsensedc Cover art by Lisa Gillespie

From the Executive Director

The Power of the Dollar

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By Douglas Knight Executive Director

o you ever stop and think of the power that resides inside that currency folded up in your wallet or stuck in your purse? You know, that piece of paper with that Washington guy’s face on it? It’s amazing what we go through every single day to acquire, and spend, that piece of paper, that dollar bill.

When you think about the power of money, your mind might travel to the top of the “financial food chain,” the government, banks and those Wall Street firms who trade upon all those pieces of paper, and who gather more and more of them into their own bank accounts.

Well, allow me to make you think another way, a more immediate way, and see the true power of the dollar. Economic power in the real world. Right here.

Right now.

It’s in your hand.

This paper also holds economic power.

Our vendors are members of our community who too often are left out of the conversation about how we shape our society. They are not in the conversation because they lack access to resources, permanence in residence. They face many barriers. But let me also ask you to consider the economics of this. One of our vendors creates a transaction with you for this paper and receives the suggested $1 donation – economics take hold. Profit is made, and that money is put into immediate use, re-shaping a life.

Perhaps these funds allow for a coat, or some new shoes. The dollar is ready to put food on the table, or support a family struggling with the everyday life on the street. Savings necessary for a rental place start to accrue. A dollar might be a quick soft drink break for you during the work day – but to our vendors, it can have a more lasting impact.

Remember: the vendor pays 35 cents for a copy, money used to help cover the cost of producing this paper. Then the

money you pay the vendor stays completely with the vendor. None of that money comes back to Street Sense. The profit of that sale is for the vendor alone. That means that we as an organization are also looking for dollars – to allow our own economic impact to continue, and to expand our ability to help more and more of the members of our homeless community to feel the economic power of the dollar.

It only takes a couple of those greenbacks to get that economic impact going. Pass a hat, encourage co-workers to match a donation. Ask your favorite restaurant or bar to offer up a night where a percentage of the house profit that night will be a donation to Street Sense.

Split the pot of your NCAA College Basketball Tournament pool with us (yes, we know you have a pool, it’s OK) Those little things turn into big things (remember that “We Can Do Big Things” I talked about in a recent column?), and those allow for economic impact to happen.

I know you can help. I bet you a dollar you can find a great way to support our work here at Street Sense. Any takers?

E-mail Doug at Doug@ streetsense.org

ADDRESS 1317 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 PHONE (202) 347 - 2006 FAX (202) 347 - 2166 E-MAIL info@streetsense.org WEB streetsense.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS Lisa Estrada, Ted Henson, Brad Scriber, Michael Stoops, Manas Mohapatra, Sommer Mathis, Kristal Dekleer, Robin Heller, Jeffery McNeil, Jordan Rummel, John Snellgrove, Dameon Philpotts EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Doug Knight EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mary Otto MANAGING EDITOR/NEW MEDIA DIRECTOR Lisa V. Gillespie COMM. DEVELOPMENT & PROGRAM MANAGER Amy Vokes INTERNS Kelsey Osterman, Gretchen Grant, Mehreen Rasheed, Kelby Miller, Holly Ceasar, Craig Hudson VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Rhonda Brown, Margaret Chapman, Tracie Ching, James Clarke, Nikki Conyers, Bobby Corrigan, Irene Costigan, Sara Dimmitt, Joe Duffy, Lilly Dymond, Ashley Edwards, Garrett Epps, Rachel Estabrook, Sarah Ficenec, Robert Fulton, Andrew Gena, Steve Gilberg, Jane Goforth, Jonah Goodman, Roberta Haber, Elia Herman, Adam Kampe, Trisha Knisely, Vicki Ann Lancaster, Elle Leech-Black, Lisa Leona, Sean Lishansky, Elsie Oldaker, Katinka Podmaniczky, Mike Plunkett, Willie Schatz, Jesse Smith, Mandy Toomey, Brett Topping VENDORS Michael Anderson, Charles Armstrong, Jake Ashford, Lawrence Autry, Daniel Ball, Donna Barber, John Bayne, Kenneth Belkosky, Patricia Benjamin, Tommy Bennett, Jimmy Bigelow, Reginald Black, Emily Bowe, Debora Brantley, Andre Brinson, Floarea Caldaras, Percy Carter, Peggy Cash, Conrad Cheek, Simona Ciurar, Virginia Clegg, Aaron Conner, Theresa Corbino, Avram Cornel, Anthony Crawford, Kwayera Dakari, Louise Davenport, Charles Davis, James Davis, Devon Dawkins, David Denny, Ricardo Dickerson, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Deana Elder, Richard Embden, Joshua Faison, James Featherson, Tanya Franklin, Samuel Fullwood, Larry Garner, David Ger, R. George, Marcus Green, Barron Hall, Dwight Harris, John Harrison, Lorrie Hayes, Patricia Henry, Shakaye Henry, Shawn Herring, Derian Hickman, Philliip Howard, James Hughes, Richard Hutson, Margaret Jenkins, Donald Johnson, Alicia Jones, Mark Jones, Evanson Kamau, Clinton Kilpatrick, Hope Lassiter, Mary Lisenko, James Lott, Michael Lyons, Johnnie Malloy, Kina Mathis, John C. Matthews, Charlie Mayfield, Herman Lee Mayse, Robert McCray, Marvin McFadden, Jermale McKnight, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jeffery McNeil, Kenneth Middleton, L. Morrow, Saleem Muhammad, Tyrone Murray, Darryl Neal, Charles Nelson, James Nelson, Sammy Ngatiri, Evelyn Nnam, Moyo Onibuje, Douglas Pangburn, Franklin Payne, Michael Pennycook, Edward Perry, Gregory Phillips, Tracey Powell, Frank Pruden, Ash-Shaheed Rabbil, Michael Reardon, Melania Scott, Chris Shaw, Ronald Simms, J. Simpson, Veda Simpson, Gwynette Smith, Patty Smith, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens, James Stewart, Leroy Studevant, Beverly Sutton, Paul Taylor Sybil, Taylor, Steve Thomas, Larissa Thompson, Louise Thundercloud, Deborah Tibbs, Ronald Turner, Christopher Walker, Jeanette Walker, Martin Walker, Robert Warren, Lawless Watson, Paul Watson, Michael J. Welsh, Edna Williams, Sherle Williams, Wendell Williams, Susan Wilshusen, Ivory Wilson, Mark Wolf, Charles Woods, Tina Wright

STREET SENSE March 2 - 15, 2011

District Hypothermia Alert Failed on Snowy Night In Washington, D.C., on Presidents’ Day, Feb. 21, the weather started out fairly mild but didn’t stay that way. As the hours passed, the temperature dropped. The light rain turned to sleet and snow. Yet throughout the evening, homeless people waited in vain for help getting out of the cold.

Because of a glitch in the District’s hypothermia alert system, it was not until midnight that the signal actually went out, deploying vans to offer rides to shelters, and informing shelters to open extra cold weather beds.

A week later, at a Feb. 28 operations and logistics committee meeting of the Interagency Council on Homelessness, officials, shelter operators and representatives from the homeless community attempted to figure out exactly where the system broke down and how to prevent it from happening again.

“There was a mistake made,” said Patricia Handy, of the city Department of Human Services.

Normally, when the actual or forecasted temperature dips below 32 degrees or the wind chill factor creates the effect of 32 degrees, the District’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency sends out an official hypothermia alert to the United Planning Organization, the city’s designated community action agency and the District’s

NEWS IN BRIEF

hypothermia hotline. The hotline then calls each shelter to inform personnel that the alert is in effect. Handy said that on Feb. 21, the homeland security call did not go out in a timely manner.

While the homeland security agency had no representative at the meeting a spokeswoman defended the agency’s handling of the Feb 21 alert in a telephone interview with Street Sense.

“We did send out a hypothermia alert on Monday, Feb 21 at 9:55 a.m.” she said.

The message, sent out to email subscribers including a “hypothermia group” read “the hypothermia alert is off today because the temperature is 45 degrees and the alert will be back on tonight starting at 7 p.m. when the temperature will be in the upper 20s.”

Whether due to the holiday, a furlough or some other reason, on Feb. 21, the alert was not activated until 11:33 p.m., much too late to help many people get to shelter that night, said Chapman Todd, of Catholic Charities.

“I understand it was a one-time glitch, but it was a cold day, a snowy day,” said Todd.

“The people we serve could be at risk. As far as I know there were no deaths on the streets. But a number of folks at the breakfast programs (the following morning) were surprised the shelters did not open and were not in great physical shape.”

-Mary Otto, editor

Interns Help Homeless Speak

Three interns created “Underheard in New York,” where they gave four homeless men prepaid cellphones and Twitter accounts.

The project was launched after Rosemary Melchior, Willy Wang and Robert Weeks received a challenge to “do something good, famously,” by their internship site, New York creative advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty, the LA Times reported.

The interns taught four men to text and Tweet, hoping to enable the men to promote their stories through social networking, possibly leading to better lives. All men have since each gained more than 1,000 followers on Twitter, some of whom have sent numerous messages of support and encouragement, as well as some job leads and advice.

Emergency Shelters Provide Needed Resources Advocates for the homeless in Providence, R.I. say that the city has enough beds to satisfy the homeless population this winter.

Raising $175,000, advocates and providers have added about 130 new beds and cots through more than a half-dozen emergency shelters and programs since November. Advocates are still worried about the spring, when 130 people will be put back on the street once emergency shelters close.

Jim Ryczek, executive director of the

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 with the idea to start a street paper in Washington, D.C. They saw it as a means of empowering the area’s poor and homeless and desided the paper would cover homelessness and other social issues.

After bringing together a core of dedicated volunteers, Street Sense published its first issue in November 2003, printing 5,000 copies.

About a dozen vendors sold the first issue of the paper. For the next three years, it pub-

YOUR DOLLAR

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lished on a monthly basis and as a project of the National Coalition for the Homeless. In October 2004, the organization incorporated and moved into its own office space. In March 2005, Street Sense received 501(c)3 status, becoming a nonprofit organization.

In October 2005, Street Sense formed a full board of directors, and in November, the organization hired its first employee, a full-time executive director. A year later, Street Sense hired its first vendor coordinator and began partnering with several service providers.

In February 2007, the paper increased the frequency of publication to twice a month.

65%

Each vendor makes a personal investment in Street Sense, by purchasing is- Directly sues at a rate of 35 cents per copy. This aids the money helps cover out production and vendor printing costs for the paper, while still allowing the vendors to sell the paper at a low price and substantial profit.

Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless, told the Boston Globe that the goal is to provide permanent housing to the homeless.

Looking into America’s Poorest County More than 60 precent of people live at or below the poverty line in Ziebach County, S.D., America’s poorest county. Failed attempts to create jobs there have lasted for generations, according to The Tribune, due to the isolated location, the area’s poor infrastructure, a poorly trained population and a Sioux tribe that struggles to work with businesses.

Most of Ziebach County’s resisidents are Sioux Indians living on a reservation. Without a viable private sector, every part of life in Ziebach depends on federal money, which pays for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education and the Indian Health Service, three of the reservation’s largest employers.

Hope for the tribe will arrive later this fall, when the Sioux will start receiving payments from a $290 million settlement with Congress related to farmland that was lost to the Missouri River flooding, and will receive annual interest on the settlement money.

Ziebach citizens hope that the money can be used for infrastructure improvements, economic development and education.Compiled by Caroline Hopper

Vendor Code of Conduct

In order to support the increased production, Street Sense brought on its first full-time editor-in-chief in April.

To d a y, S t r e e t S e n s e h a s f o u r professionals, more than 100 active vendors and nearly 30,000 copies in circulation each month. The newspaper has become a major source of news for Washingtonians, providing content on issues which often go uncovered by the mainstream media.

Street Sense is a member of the National Association of Street Newspapers (NASNA).

35% Supports costs

1. I agree not to ask for more than $1 or to solicit donations for Street Sense by other means.

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

3. I agree to treat others respectfully. I will not “hard sell,” threaten or pressure customers.

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

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

6. I agree to sell no additional goods or products when selling Street Sense.

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

8. I will stay a block away from another vendor.

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

10. 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.

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If you are pregnant, or think you might be, go to a local health department about getting an HIV test. The sooner you take those medications, the more likely your baby will be protected.

A Poet Rises from an Epidemic Open mic raises awareness of HIV/AIDS & serves as therapeutic outlet for survivors

By Mehreen Rasheed Editorial Intern “Her mother was doomed to a life full of death/ And so was she/ It was predicted that she would breathe her last breath before 5/ But now/ Here she stands 5 foot 9/ 15 years after her expected demise.” Mary Bowman’s voice did not waver as she spoke of her oncepredicted death. She gripped the microphone with a defiant vivacity, as tightly as she gripped the audience.

Bowman contracted HIV from her mother at birth, making her one of the three percent of D.C. residents diagnosed with HIV. That number surpasses some Western African countries according to city health officials. Experts estimate the number is more like six percent because of those who do not know they have it.

Bowman’s mother died from AIDS three years after she was born. However, Bowman began writing poetry in high school. Now 22 years old, Bowman writes and performs poetry under the stage name Marie Elaine. Her aim is to help those who face similar struggles.

Bowman was born in the District and grew up in Prince George’s County, Md., where she currently lives with her stepmother in Clinton. Although she discovered that she was HIV Positive in fourth grade, she did not begin sharing her status until a year or two ago.

“I used to be a part of a support group … and part of it is about accepting your status and really learning how to deal with it,” Bowman said. “I was inspired to write a piece, which was my first time talking about my status. And since I got a great response, I just kept writing and trying to share my story and help other people that are walking in my shoes.”

Bowman’s first open mic was Spit Dat! at the Emergence Community Arts Collective. “The family feel really made me comfortable sharing exactly who I was,” she said. “I had only been to one Spit Dat!, then I went home and wrote the poem, went back and started spitting.”

Bowman sees poetry as a release, even a therapeutic process. Completing

Mary Bowman, 22, contracted HIV at birth. She later found solace through poetry and spoken word at open mic nights. Above, she performs at the Metropolitian Community Church.

CRAIG HUDSON, STREET SENSE

and publishing her first collection, Lotus, pulled her from depression and kept her out of it, she says. The book was published on Feb. 22 by 2 Pens & Lint.

Bowman performed her poetry at Metropolitan Community Church’s open house last month, joining performers such as Teens Against the Spread of AIDS and the church’s dance group. The event

aimed to raise awareness about HIV/ AIDS. Also present were organizations offering free HIV testing, educational materials and safe sex kits. For Naomi Harris, an HIV counselor at Whitman-Walker Clinic, participating in mobile events helps her reach people outside the clinic who may not be well informed about HIV

or shy away from it due to stigmas.

“We combat the stigma by trying to make HIV testing a regular thing,” Harris said. “We also want to reach minority populations in areas that don’t have the same resources … because stigmas do exist based on culture, but it’s also class and education.”

In 2008, 78 percent of AIDS diagnoses in D.C. were African-American and about 4 percent were Latino, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, efforts to spread awareness and education among these groups doesn’t always work, according to sexual health program coordinator Wilbert Quintanilla at the Latin American Youth Center.

“A lot of our youth don’t feel like it can actually affect them,” said Quintanilla. “A lot of people are saying how we need education for the youth, but honestly most of them already know… At the end of the day, the question is, how do you change behavior and a mindset?”

Despite this problem, efforts to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS are ongoing throughout the District. In addition to mobile testing centers such as Whitman Walker’s, safe sex kits are widely available since the city began providing free condoms in 2009 under then-Mayor Adrian Fenty’s D.C. Condom Distribution Program. In November, the city also began the “Rubber Revolution,” a social media campaign to encourage young people to request and use condoms.

The DC Center, a community center for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered community, which also takes advantage of the program to distribute condoms, has developed a unique marketing technique. A “Fuk!t” or “Toolk!t” consists of two condoms and a sachet of lube and can be found at Town Danceboutique, Zigfields/Secrets and other Continue on Page 5

STREET SENSE March 2 - 15, 2011

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LOCAL NEWS

Every nine and a half minutes someone in the US is infected with HIV.

Continued from Page 4 gay bars in the city. At 3,000 packets per week, the center distributes almost 11,000 per month.

“Town keeps asking us for more, which can only mean people are taking them,” said Calvin Gerald, co-chair of the HIV working group at the DC Center.

Men having sex with men is the leading cause of HIV in D.C. and nationwide, followed by heterosexual sex. The LGBT community tends to be more knowledgeable about it and attachs fewer stigmas to it, Gerald said.

Efforts to prevent HIV via the third major cause, injection drug use, have been subject to more scrutiny in the District.

Needle exchange programs enable injection drug users to exchange used needles and syringes for clean ones. The controversial ban on federal funding to these programs was lifted in 2007. At that time, PreventionWorks! was the only program in the city. However, after it closed late last month, it left behind three similar programs: Bread for the City, Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive and Family and Medical Counseling Services.

Kayleigh White, the needle exchange and medical clinic coordinator at Bread for the City, believes that harm reduction is imperative in a city with such a high HIV rate. Despite arguments that needle exchanges enable injection drug users, White said that Bread for the City provides information on rehabilitation and counseling. The idea is not to scare people who might try to detox by pressuring them with rehab, she said, but to make sure that they know where to get help when they make that decision.

“With people addicted to any sort of substance, you can’t expect them to stop immediately,” said White. “I see this as a way to treatment for a lot of people...

We’re reducing the risk of HIV and other infections and providing an atmosphere that always leaves the door open.”

Although sex and injection drug use are leading causes for HIV, those who were born with it face a very different struggle, according to Bowman. “When you’re born with it, there’s a tendency to kind of victimize yourself,” she said. “You can seek sympathy, like, ‘Oh, it’s not my fault — feel bad for me.’ The depression is tough to deal with, because you can’t really blame anybody... Especially for me, not knowing my birth mother put a lot of strain on the situation.”

However, Bowman has felt fortunate for the continued support of her family and friends and the stability of her treatment. She has always gone through the Children’s National Medical Center for her treatment, including a youth support group program for which she is a facilitator.

At 22, she is Graphics by Kelby Miller looking for the right adult care and especially, the right doctor. “I’ve been with my doctor for years now, since I turned 12, so that bond is there,” she said. “I

trust her with everything. I want someone I can be really open and honest with and who will tell me straight up what’s going on.”

Though she hasn’t had to deal with getting health insurance, Bowman has heard plenty of stories from friends.

“When they apply and say they’re HIV positive, it makes it harder for them to get health care,” she said. “People shy away from people like that, because they look at them as a liability.”

Although people with HIV are covered under the Americans With Disabilities Act, Continue on Page 6

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People with HIV often don’t look or feel sick. You can have HIV without even knowing it. Taking an HIV test is the only way to know for sure whether you have HIV.

Continued from many still face discrimination in employment and medical care, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

One major barrier of health care for people with HIV/AIDS is lack of stable housing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Housing of Urban Development’s Ho u s i n g O p p o r t u n i ties for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) provided grants to local organizations that would provide housing for individuals with HIV or AIDS. However, HOPWA has had to make some cuts to previously funded programs. The Northwest Church Family Network had a program for people with HIV, but had to close in June after HOPWA funding was slashed.

“I wish it would come back,” said Victoria Harris, a case manager at Northwest Church. “It would benefit a lot of families in the city. It’s the most important thing when you’re sick like that; you can’t lean on [anybody] else if you don’t have your family.”

Transgender Health Empowerment, a program aimed toward transgendered individuals who are HIV positive, receives about one-fifth of its funding from HOPWA. However, according to Housing Manager Vanessa L. Jackson, many programs overall are being cut. “Government dollars are drying out faster than anyone would have imagined,” she said. “Many programs have gone out of business. But there is a huge need for housing.”

Jackson thinks that the District will be able to come back from the cuts. “Being in D.C., we have not had the housing downturn other jurisdictions have had, meaning we have more housing available,” she said. “We are in a unique position where the government can enter contracts with property owners.”

However, President Barack Obama’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2012 allocates $335 million to HOPWA nationwide, a $5 million decrease from this

you need a place to stay, you could stay there, and everything you need would be right there in the house.”

For this, she will first return to school to study business management and social work or public health.

She works as a mail clerk at the Department of Justice after dropping out of college. She also plans to start

Above, Bowman performs ‘Dandelions,’ one of her first poems she wrote. Below, Bowman with her birth mother at three months. This is the only photo she has of them together.

CRAIG HUDSON, STREET SENSE

year’s funding. The budget also called for $3.5 billion to be distributed across the department to expand access to affordable treatment, care and prevention.

But overall, domestic spending on HIV/ AIDS is expected to rise in 2012 with a proposed $21.4 billion from this year’s

$20.5 billion.

Bowman, too, plans to start her own nonprofit organization for people living with or affected by HIV or AIDS. “My idea is to have a house where people can come seek treatment, mentally, emotionally and physically,” she said. “If

a community support group with some friends, which will be open to young people between 16 and 21.

But for now, Bowman doesn’t worry about the future. She recalls hitting a low point in her depression around this time last year, but she’s been able to stay out of it with a support system of family and friends. As Marie Elaine can be found at Spit Dat! any given Thursday, spreading her message: “No one is alone out there, and we’re more alike than we are different.”

In 2007, people infected with HIV through injection drug use accounted for nine percent of all HIV diagnoses.

STREET SENSE March 2 - 15, 2011

NEWS

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Lack of Funds Sticks Needle Exchange

PreventionWorks! closes down

By Gretchen Grant Editorial Intern

The closing of a well-established AIDS prevention program is being felt by its many clients. What’s more, the recent loss of PreventionWorks! is affecting the lives of hundreds of volunteers and 11 staff members, committed to the fight against AIDS. One of those staffers, Zhilphia Turner, is not sure where she will find another job that fits her so well. She has been living with HIV for 22 years and spent 13 years as an outreach worker at PreventionWorks! administering HIV testing and serving as head of the program that delivered clean syringes to bedridden clients.

PreventionWorks! closed its doors in February after 15 years of providing injection drug users with clean needles to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDs. Those involved with the nonprofit say it was a casualty of reduced funding and the controversial nature of its primary mission: providing drug users with clean needles.

PreventionWorks! began in 1996 as a project of the Whitman-Walker Clinic running on local funding. Two years later, it became an independent organization after Congress passed legislation forbidding D.C. from using its local government funds to support harm reduction services and prohibiting organizations that received federal funding from operating a syringe exchange program.

In 2007, the policy was reversed and organizations were allowed to use local government funds to provide needle exchange services. With this reversed policy, three other needle exchange programs got started.

But adequate funding continued to be a concern at PreventionWorks! said Mary Beth Levin, the director of organizations programs and services. “Just because the money is approved, doesn’t mean that it’s available,” she said. “We really needed support throughout and we haven’t gotten that” She worries that closing the program will have a wider impact on prevention efforts around the

Above, Zhilphia Turner talks about her 13 years as an outreach worker at PreventionWorks!. She is now looking for a new job after it closed last week.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PREVENTIONWORKS!

city. “My concern is that we not lose momentum from that support just because of the closing of PreventionWorks!.”

The targeted population for PreventionWorks! includes injection drug users, as well as those who need HIV testing and HIV case management for people who have tested positive. Narcotics anonymous and education are also a substantial part of PreventionWorks!.

Levin defended the philosophy of harm reduction. Critics contend that giving addicts clean needles makes it easier for them to continue to use drugs. But supporters of the approach maintain that they are helping keep people alive long enough to address their addictions and change their lives. Needle exchange isn’t needle distribution.

“One of the benefits of harm reduction and needle exchange programs is that we get dirty needles off the streets,” she said. “It also prevents the transmission of HIV and hepatitis among drug users.”

Clients have the option to be transferred to Bread for the City, HIPS or Family Medical Counseling services to continue safe needle exchange, HIV testing and other services.

Although other prevention programs will accept PreventionWorks! clients, funds are not available to provide jobs for the PreventionWorks! employees.

“They are all eager, but don’t have the money right now,” said Levin.

Turner was living in New York, but relocated to D.C. before giving birth to her third child in 1989; shortly after, doctors informed Turner that her baby was HIV positive.

After an HIV test, Turner also discovered that she was HIV positive.

Turner’s two older children, who were fathered by a different man, were also

tested, but results showed that they were not infected.

Once confronted, her ex, an intravenous drug user, confessed that he was HIV positive and had been for many years.

“He didn’t want to tell me because he said he was scared that I would leave him,” Turner said. He died two years later from AIDS-related complications.

Twenty years later, her daughter is a sophomore at North Carolina State University and is no longer HIV positive.

Turner took her daughter to the hospital for repeated treaments of one of the first drugs that was found to fight AIDS, Zidovudine. Although her daughter’s treatments were successful, Turner remains HIV positive.

“He’s [her ex] dead, she doesn’t have it anymore, but I’m stuck with it,” she said.

Turner’s daily pill intake has declined from 27 to 12. But the side effects of the medicine are something that will continually affect her health.

“I have developed high blood pressure and high cholesterol from the medicine, but my T-cells are over 1,000, so that’s good,” she said.

Healthy HIV negative adults have between 600 and 1,200 cells per micro liter of blood. As a person’s HIV progresses to AIDS, their T-cell count can drop to 200 cells per micro liter of blood.

“Protect yourself and get tested. It’s not a joke,” Turner stressed. “If you have HIV, it turns into AIDS eventually and you have to take medicine for the rest of your life.”

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Serving up Bea

By Kelsey Osterman Editorial Intern

James Mitchell has only be since January, but he has alrea in the art show.

“I just want to have fun,” h featured at Miriam’s Kitchen’s sage: Art Extravaganza!” “I do Mitchell is just one of man cased on the basement walls on Feb. 25. The exhibit featu am’s Studio, a twice-daily art not limited to the visual arts haircuts, or creative writing. “ e.e. cummings, Bayard Rustin, and it’s only Wednesday,” said at Miriam’s Kitchen.

At the art extravaganza, a s up where guests could presen who would then craft a person More than 100 guests turne gling among tables covered Each table also held a piece the meaning of the “vernissa

Though the show at Miriam’s the word was chosen for its ow the exhibit.

“We love the word ‘vernissa visual artists, but we’re also w Mitchell said he never know when he begins painting, some

ing art as a child, he used ta straight. But these days, his w

that goes with having left man “Being homeless is more fre Without a job to solidify a c is anchored by the art group, in his life.

Though both use vibrant co ferent from the paintings of C since he was 11 years old, bu

face peered at passers-by from miring glances and comments Surprises were everywhere who, with a little help, have paint or clay or a handful of d rediscover their stories and ta “We’re focusing on individu are experiencing homelessnes

STREET SENSE March 2 - 15, 2011

Pics & Poems

auty

een working with acrylic paint ady had eight paintings featured

he said of his pieces which were s third annual art show “Vernison’t want it to feel like work.” y artists whose work was showat Western Presbyterian Church red work produced during Mirigroup. But the studio hours are s. They also include yoga, free “This week alone we’ve covered Nikki Giovanni and Mary Oliver…

Catherine Crum, deputy director

spontaneous poetry table was set t a topic to one of three poets, nalized poem on the spot. ed out for the celebration, minwith paint-splattered cloths. of green paper that described age,” a French word describing

Kitchen was open to the public, wn beauty as much as to describe

ge,’” Crum said. “We’re not just written-word artists.” ws where he’s going with a piece etimes layering new art over old pe to make sure his lines were work is uninhibited. He wonders

ny things behind. eeing,” he said. onstant schedule, Mitchell’s day , providing a sense of structure

lors, Mitchell’s work is very difarl Foley. Foley, 62, has painted t said he has only now reached

m a painting, catching many ad. in the show, created by people a safe place to work and some donated beads, are managing to alents. als as artists, not as people who s,” Crum said.

KELSEY OSTERMAN | STREET SENSE

9

10 10

Fiction

The Mannequin Keeper: Part Three

By Ivory Wilson Vendor Summary of Part 1: For 25 years, Patrick had been in charge of the mannequins at a downtown department store. Now Hudson, the store owner’s grandson, wants to put him out to pasture. Anxious and depressed, Patrick goes outside for a walk and finds himself at an outdoor market where a statue of a fallen angel is for sale. Patrick is shocked when the stone statue opens its eyes and offers to make Hudson go away.

Summary of Part 2: Patrick makes two purchases at the market: the statue of the fallen angel and an antique wooden mannequin. The next day Patrick hides the old mannequin in Hudson’s locker. Hudson touches it and is killed, and his body is transformed into a mannequin. Patrick fishes Hudson’s wooden body out of the dumpster and takes it home.

A long time ago Patrick made a deal with the fallen angel; he let the devil into his home.

It’s been many years since Patrick retired from Macy’s. He stores the fallen angel and the wooden mannequin in the attic where he used to repair mannequins from Macy’s — he still has a few of them upstairs. He has kept the fallen angel and the wooden mannequin far from everyone’s touch.

Patrick is now 80 years old. He moves around his house forgetting where he put things. He has forgotten the fallen angel in his attic.

Winter has arrived again in Washington, D.C. and his heating system has not been working, so he calls the serviceman to check it out. The heating service sends a man named Barry, someone who is a church minister on Sundays. In his spare time Barry likes to shop for antiques. Some of the old things Barry buys, he keeps, and some he sells to a dealer at the flea market.

To get into Patrick’s attic you have to stand on a chair, reach to the ceiling, and pull a handle that brings down the staircase. Because of his age, Patrick is no longer able to reach the handle or climb the stairs to his attic.

Barry drives to Patrick’s house, gets out of his van, walks to the door, and knocks.

There’s no answer, and he knocks again.

Patrick, using a cane, slowly comes to the door, opens it and looks out. The man at the door says his name is Barry and he works for Jones’ Heating Service. Patrick opens the door wider. He says, “Yes, come in.” Barry says, “I’m here to check your heating system and heater.” Patrick tells him it’s in the attic, and using his cane, he takes Barry to the upstairs hallway.

Patrick points his cane at the ceiling. He says, “It’s up there in the attic. You’ll have to reach that handle and pull on it.

The stairs will come down.” Patrick says, “You can use one of those chairs to stand on so you can reach the handle.” Barry smiles and says, “Thanks, Mr. Patrick.”

Patrick goes downstairs and sits on his couch to watch television.

Barry stands on a chair and pulls the handle which releases stairs. He walks up the stairs in the dark, feeling the wall for a light switch. The lights suddenly come on, and Barry assumes Patrick turned them on downstairs. Barry sees the heater. He also sees the mannequins. He says, touching them, “Patrick must have worked on mannequins in his younger days.” Barry sees the old wooden mannequin and the fallen angel. He thinks, “What kind of old wooden mannequin is this?” But he doesn’t touch it. Barry thinks that if the mannequin has a date on it, 1920 or 1930, it could be worth a hundred dollars, and he can sell it to the vendor at the flea market. He thinks about asking Patrick if he would sell it, but first he must get the heater working. He examines the heater and finds the problem: the vents are stopped up with dust, as if they haven’t been cleaned in years. The dust prevents the heat from coming through.

Barry feels a chill, like some evil spirit is trying to enter his thoughts. It is the fallen angel’s spirit trying to enter his mind, but it cannot, because Barry is not a sinner.

He’s a true Christian man of faith.

Barry finishes cleaning out the heating vents, and now they’re working fine. He picks up his broom and his tools and looks at the fallen angel. He thinks, “I can buy this, too, if he’ll sell it. The flea market dealer will like this statue.” He walks down the stairs to the living room, where Patrick has fallen asleep watching television. Barry touches him on the shoulder and says, “Mr. Patrick, your heater is

KELBY MILLER, STREET SENSE

working. A little dust had it stopped up.”

Patrick asks, “How much do I owe?”

Barry smiles, “No cost,” he says, “Mr. Patrick, I noticed a statue and a wooden mannequin that I would like to buy, if you’re willing to sell them.”

Patrick is old, and he could use a little money. Not thinking clearly, he asks how much Barry is offering.

Barry says, “One hundred dollars for the two.”

“In cash?”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Patrick. In cash.” Barry smiles, pulls out his wallet and pays Patrick one hundred dollars. Then Barry says, “I have to put my tools in the van. I’ll be right back to get those things from the attic.” Barry goes outside to put his tools in his van. He calls the flea market dealer on his cell phone and tells him about the merchandise. The flea market dealer says, “Why sure, Minister.”

When Barry comes back inside the house, Patrick gets up and says, “I’m going to lie down on my bed. Pull the door

closed behind you when you leave.”

Barry says, “OK, Mr. Patrick.” He goes back to the attic and touches the wooden mannequin, looking for a date on it. He brings it downstairs to the living room and goes back to get the fallen angel.

Patrick returns to the living room to get the money he left on the table and sees the wooden mannequin. His mind starts flashing back, remembering the fallen angel. The wooden mannequin enters Patrick’s body, turning Patrick to wood. The fallen angel has taken Patrick’s soul.

Barry brings the statue down from the attic and carries it outside to his van.

He comes back inside, looks down the hall, and sees the closed bedroom door.

He picks up the wooden mannequin and thinks, “How did this thing get so much heavier?” He takes the mannequin to his van, goes back to Patrick’s front door and pulls it shut. He returns to the van, takes his seat behind the wheel and drives off to bring the fallen angel and its wooden mannequin to the flea market dealer.

STREET SENSE March 2 - 15, 2011

Street Sense offers our vendors the chance to share their stories and poetry every Monday from 10 to 11 a.m at our office on G Street.

This page is completly conceived, written and designed by Writer’s Group members.

11

Writer’s Group

Loretta’s Tale

By Gwinette Anderson

Loretta’s father drove slower and slower after they arrived at the small-town site of his alma mater. The two had never been close, but Loretta was convinced that it was a good idea for her to go to a school that knew him. One day, she thought, she’d be educated, independent, and married with a family of her own. Well, life happens, and it is for us to decide whether the facts are better than the dream.

Years later, the facts were more positive in many ways. Sadly, Loretta had no children. But many men had entered her life and most had treated her very well.

True, there had been bouts with drugs and illnesses. But she had lived in major cities, was educated, and to some extent had used her training. She had experienced so-so family ties. Friends came, then she and they would part, and that was that. Loretta rarely tried to look them up again. The government off-and-on had been her third parent: assistance, tax refunds, job training, you name it. Maybe the problem had been that the government-parent could turn on you harder than a real one if you don’t do what the government wants, like be one of its flunkies in one of its flunky jobs. But even the government’s status as her occasional third parent wasn’t enough to persuade Loretta to accept a federally funded day care job. She probably declined the opportunity because she didn’t like all those helpless whining children. If she had had kids of her own, though, she probably would have taken the job.

Now Loretta’s mother was dead. In some ways she had been the best friend Loretta had ever had or would know. Yet they had not been close, and it was hard for Loretta to drum up tears.

The somber preacher stood still and tall behind the lectern. On the level below him was the beautiful closed, silver-gray coffin that Loretta convinced her father, who was retired, to pick up the tab for. She knew she would need her money in a few days to split town for parts unknown.

After the service, her parents’ friend, Ms. Taylor, and many others stopped outside the church to give their condolences. “You had a wonderful mother,” Ms. Taylor said. “Your family was so lucky to have had her.”

Yeah, Loretta thought. And her death, and her own departure, might make it even more wonderful.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR/GRUFNIK

CHANGING OUR MAYAN CLOCKS

By Chris Shaw (Cowboy poet)

Dig, my brethren and sisteren!

Invisible, and possibly light-transmitting beams are Already zapping bakk-n-forth from Cairo to Tenochtitlan; the Mayan wheel goes blank beyond the twenty-first (WHICH TWENTY-FIRST, or Twenty-Fifth?)

We know not, Nay We know not, but have been informed A single ray must pass thru the shaft At the foot of Cheops’ Phynx. Then, will we hear the joyful granite obsidian And gypsum grinding, As the massive slabs slide back. thus freeing the Great Records of the Pharaohs’ Halls come a’tumbling Out-

12 The Funnies

BARNEY & CLYDE IS A COMIC STRIP ABOUT AN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN A HOMELESS MAN AND A TYCOON. IT’S ABOUT OUR MODERN, POLARIZED ECONOMY OF HAVES AND HAVE-NOTS. IT RE-EXAMINES TRADITIONAL MEASURES OF SUCCESS, FAILURE, AND THE NATURE OF HAPPINESS.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: GENE WEINGARTEN IS A COLLEGE DROPOUT AND THE NATIONALLY SYNDICATED HUMOR COLUMNIST FOR THE WASHINGTON POST. DAN WEINGARTEN IS A FORMER COLLEGE DROPOUT AND A CURRENT COLLEGE STUDENT MAJORING IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. MANY THANKS TO GENE WEINGARTEN AND THE WASHINGTON POST WRITER’S GROUP FOR ALLOWING STREET SENSE TO RUN BARNEY & CLYDE.

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STREET SENSE March 2- 15, 2011

13

Op-Ed

COLUMN

Koch Dealing

By Jeffery McNeil Vendor Kudos to the protesters in Wisconsin, who stood up to the special interest groups bent on destroying democracy.

Since Republicans have been in control of the House of Representatives and many state legislatures, a new breed of conservatives believe they have a mandate to balance the budget at all costs.

Leading the charge are governors such as Scott Walker of Wisconsin, vowing to cut, slash, or burn.

Thanks to the faceoff in his home state, Walker has been getting the most attention, but another confrontational budget enforcer is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, whose bouncerstyle approach to government employees has captivated the Republican Party leaders who have started to talk about him as a possible presidential candidate for 2012.

This new breed of conservative has decided the best approach is going nuclear by lambasting labor unions, the poor and government employees as leeches that are sucking the taxpayers dry. However, those who work in the public sector and recipients of public assistance have made concessions. I can’t say that I have heard of any of our elected leaders cutting their own salaries, which are also paid for by the taxpayer.

While these budget superheroes bellyache about mounting deficits because of entitlements, they show little embarrassment when their corporate johns ask for tax breaks.

They would rather pose for the cameras blaming the poor, the unemployed, the unionized.

Such attacks are being cheered by special interest groups, and billionaires such as the Koch brothers, whose money and influence help candidates win elections. They would like nothing more than to dismantle unions and labor for good. This is about redistribution of wealth and control over the lower classes.

Will the showdown in Wisconsin serve as a larger wake-up call for labor unions and the poor, a signal that it is time to stand up against these bullies? Only time will tell.

Superpowers Need Safety Nets, Too

By Gretchen Grant Editorial Intern America is arguably the most powerful country in the world. Yet we still have an outstanding number of citizens that are young, old, even disabled, who are living below the poverty line.

In the third installment of the Urban Institute’s The New Unemployment and What to Do About It, a panel discussed the safety net programs that are intended to protect people who are poor or unemployed.

Among the panelists were Elaine Sorensen, senior researcher in the Urban Institute’s Income and Benefits Policy; David Stapleton, director of Studying Disability Policy at Mathematica Policy Research; Karina Fortuny, associate at Urban Institute’s Center on Labor,

Human Services, and Population; and Arloc Sherman, senior researcher at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Pamela Loprest, director of the Urban Institute’s Income and Policy Center, served as the mediator.

Sorensen spoke about how child support differs from other services because the family is responsible for providing an income to support children, not the taxpayers.

An estimated two and a half million noncustodial parents are unemployed and therefore are not able to pay child support, helping explain why so many children are still living in poverty.

The employment rate of people with disabilities has been declining in comparison to the employment rate of others. The Great Recession has disproportionately impacted disabled workers, according to Stapleton.

Providing equal opportunities is something that America prides itself on, yet people who are suffering from disabilities that

impair their working skills find it hard to receive the same opportunities as others without disabilities.

Fortuny focused mainly on lowincome immigrant families and the barriers that are causing them to remain in poverty. Children of immigrants have a 21 percent poverty rate in comparison to the 15 percent poverty rate of American-born children. Nearly half, 49 percent, of the children of immigrants are living in poverty. Only 35 percent of native-born children are living in poverty.

Sherman discussed benefit programs for the unemployed and made the point that those workers experiencing unemployment right now face increased chances of long-term joblessness.

Immigrants face special vulnerability in the job market due to language barriers and the lack of available programs to address those barriers. Language and cultural barriers are also preventing immigrants from gaining knowledge about the benefits that they are entitled to by law.

America’s safety net programs are meant to assist the poor and unemployed.. It is our duty to provide people with the benefits they deserve.

America has the resources needed prevent low-income families from ending up in the endless spiral of poverty. It is necessary for the government and citizens to work together to take the necessary steps to end this crisis.

America has the resources needed prevent lowincome families from ending up in the endless spiral of poverty.

GRAPHIC BY KELBY MILLER, STREET SENSE

14

Happy Birthday to our February vendors: Evanson Kamau, Paul Taylor, Robert Warren and Charles Woods.

Volunteer of the Month: Garrett Epps

Vendor of the Month: Daniel Ball

Garrett Epps, a professor of law at the University of Baltimore, has been an editorial volunteer for Street Sense for the past two years. He heard about Street Sense through vendor Conrad Cheek, who gave him an understanding of homelessness and the way Street Sense helps people become self-sufficient.

With a strong background in journalism and traditional writing (work includes time at the Washington Post as well as two published novels), he has played several roles at Street Sense. He wrote a “how-to write a news story” guide for Street Sense’s editorial and reporting volunteers, which is now an integral part of new volunteer training, and assists with copy editing on a regular basis. In December 2010, during a sabbatical from work, he was especially helpful. When Street Sense is short on volunteers and interns, Garrett comes in to proofread and ensure that production goes smoothly and that the paper is ready to go to press on time.

Garrett enjoys seeing the vendors around the city and knowing that they are earning from the paper more than just cash but also a sense of dignity. He also feels that the paper is giving something back to the community by providing news from the perspective of homeless people and homelessness advocates, which is something you don’t find anywhere else in the city. “The professional staff at Street Sense, as small as it is, has a lot to be proud of. I think it’s a good paper.”

Daniel Payton Ball was nominated by a Street Sense staff member for all he’s contributed during his two years with the organization. Since the beginning, Daniel has helped unload the delivery truck at 7 a.m. every other Wednesday morning when new issues come in. In addition, he takes papers to be recycled every Sunday, taking a position of leadership in the team of ten vendors on newissue Wednesday. He hasn’t missed a Wednesday morning in at least eight months.

Daniel was born and raised in D.C., but has lived with his mother in Maryland for the past eight years. Up until 2009 Daniel worked for Wendy’s, but since then he’s been relying on Street Sense for his income.

Daniel sells papers at the Farragut West Metro Station, and he appreciates his regular customers. “I love my customers,” he said.

With the money he makes through Street Sense, Daniel likes to help his mother out with rent money. These days, most of Daniel’s time is spent reading the Bible, watching comedy shows and selling Street Sense.

Working for Street Sense, Daniel has learned many lessons, but perhaps the most important is persistence. “Sometimes it’s difficult being out there for two or three hours before someone wants to buy a paper. It’s easy to start doubting yourself,” confessed Daniel. But he’s been happy that he has been able to stay with the organization, and sometimes good things happen. Daniel said one customer gave him $100 a couple weeks ago. He was able to pass along half the money to his mother.

Daniel enjoys the many opportunities available to vendors through the organization, like the writer’s groups, vendor meetings, trainings and more. Looking ahead to the future, Daniel hopes to get a good, steady job. He is considering a return to the fast food industry or trying to learn more about computers. In the meantime, Street Sense really appreciates his hard work and his willingness to help out around the organization.

STREET SENSE March 2 - 15, 2011

Service Spotlight: Latin American Youth Center

By Maria Stoyadinova Editorial Volunteer The Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) offers a variety of social and educational services to local youth in D.C. and neighboring Maryland communities.

From small beginnings in 1968, the nonprofit has grown to include 151 staff members with a wide range of expertise, from social and outreach workers, to computer instructors, substance abuse counselors and clinical supervisors. LAYC currently receives financial support from corporate sponsors, as well as its individual donors. The organization’s budget for the 2011 fiscal year is $15.2 million.

In keeping with its name, one of LAYC’s missions is to help children and young people with services, such as emergency and transitional housing for homeless youths and runaways, crisis intervention, case management and counseling. LAYC Development Director Linn Shapiro explains that LAYC’s goal is to provide safety and security so young people can rebuild their lives. Living services are provided in four houses that

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

SHELTER Calvary Women’s Services 110 Maryland Ave, NE (202) 289-0596 (office) (202) 289-2111 (shelter) www.calvaryservices.org

offer “home-like settings with individual bedrooms, shared kitchen and living rooms,” Shapiro said. “The young people in the houses go to school, hold jobs and are in counseling with LAYC staff in order to gain the skills to be able to live on their own. In emergencies, we find short-term housing with families.”

Two houses are for young men, one for young women, and one for teenage parents (male or female) with young children, she said. In many cases, young people needing help are referred to LAYC by the D.C. Child and Family Service Agency. “Our teen parent house is funded differently, thus we are able to accept any teen parent who meets the age and income guidelines and is homeless,” Shapiro added.

In addition to the housing programs, LAYC also offers career planning and counseling to older teens and young adults as well as an art and media program for middle- and high-school-aged youngsters.

Want to go?

1419 Columbia Road NW, (202) 319-0141 My Sister’s Place PO Box 29596, Washington, DC 20017 (202) 529-5261 (office) (202) 529-5991 (24-hour hotline)

801 East, St. Elizabeths Hospital (Men) 2700 MLK Avenue, SE (202) 561–4014 New York Ave Shelter (Men 18+) 1355–57 New York Avenue, NE (202) 832–2359

Open Door Shelter (Women) 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 393–1909 www.newhopeministriesdc.org/id3.html

FOOD

Covenant House Washington (Youth) 2001 Mississippi Ave., SE (202) 610–9600, www.covenanthousedc.org John Young Center (Women) 119 D Street, NW (202) 639–8469, www.catholiccharitiesdc.org

Community Service St. Stephens Parish Church 1525 Newton St, NW (202) 737–9311, www.thrivedc.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MEDICAL RESOURCES Christ House 1717 Columbia Road, NW (202) 328–1100, www.christhouse.org Unity Health Care, Inc. 3020 14th Street, NW (202) 745–4300,www.unityhealthcare.org Whitman–Walker Clinic 1407 S Street, NW (202) 797–3500, www.wwc.org

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Academy of Hope GED Center 601 Edgewood St., NE 202-269-6623, www.aohdc.org Catholic Community Services 924 G Street, NW (202) 772–4300, www.ccs–dc.org D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW (202) 347–8870, www.dccfh.org Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW (202) 347–0511, www.cflsdc.org

OUTREACH CENTERS N Street Village (Women) 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060, www.nstreetvillage.org

Central Union Mission (Men) 1350 R Street, NW (202) 745–7118, www.missiondc.org

Community of Hope (Family) 1413 Girard Street, NW (202) 232–7356,www.communityofhopedc.org

15

Charlie’s Place 1830 Connecticut Avenue, NW (202) 232–3066 www.stmargaretsdc.org/charliesplac Church of the Pilgrims (Sundays only) 2201 P Street, NW (202) 387–6612, www.churchofthepilgrims.org Thrive DC Breakfast served Mon.-Fri., 9:30-11 a.m.

Dinner for women and children, Mon.-Fri., 3-6 p.m.

Bread for the City 1525 Seventh Street, NW (202) 265–2400 1640 Good Hope Road, SE (202) 561–8587, www.breadforthecity.org Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW (202) 364–1419, www.cchfp.org Bethany Women’s Center 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060, www.nstreetvillage.org Father McKenna Center 19 Eye Street, NW (202) 842–1112 Friendship House 619 D Street, SE (202) 675–9050, www.friendshiphouse.net Georgetown Ministry Center 1041 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (202) 338–8301 www.georgetownministrycenter.org

Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW (202) 332–4010, www.foundryumc.org Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men) 810 5th Street, NW (202) 842–1731, www.grm.org Hermano Pedro Day Center 3211 Sacred Heart Way, NW (202) 332–2874 www.ccs–dc.org/find/services/ JHP, Inc. 425 2nd St, NW (202) 544–9126, www.jobshavepriority.org Samaritan Ministry 1345 U Street, SE 1516 Hamilton Street, NW (202) 889–7702, www.samaritanministry.org

SHELTER HOTLINE: 1–800–535–7252

THE LAST WORD

Government of the District of Columbia • Department of Human Services

The Browns and the Have-Nots

By Lisa V. Gillespie Managing Editor There are two classes of people in the District, those who have and those who have not.

Those who have: we know them well.

They drive fancy cars, eat at restaurants where I couldn’t imagine buying dinner and have hefty savings accounts. Sometimes they’ve worked very hard to get where they are, and sometimes it’s been given to them. Either way, they have.

Then there are those who have not.

Sometimes we don’t recognize them as well. Homeless people are the most visible, but there are others who work hard yet never get far because of life circumstances. They often lack the safety net that those who have, well, have: family, money, resources.

That’s where the charities and nonprofits come in. They take the place of those things that act as natural safety nets, like family.

Last week, the House Republican plan was released with a proposed $80 million in funding cuts from the federal government. District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray released a short statement after calling the House of Representatives’ cuts “another serious blow” and signaled potential tax increases to cover losses to local agencies.

And then came the news that Council Chair Kwame Brown had rejected one SUV because of the color of its upholstery and had another one ordered. Though Brown says he is now getting rid of the cars after a week of heavy media criticism, they cost the District $4,000 in the past month alone. That’s $8,000 in the two months he’s been in office. The city also released a report on Monday that the cars were ille-

gally requested because they got less than 22 miles per gallon. Kwame Brown eventually gave up the cars before the report was released, but if he’d kept them, it would have cost taxpayers $48,000 in 2011, a quarter of the Street Sense 2008 operating budget. This is also nearly the annual salary of a lawyer at Bread for the City, a local nonprofit that provides an array of services to D.C.’s impoverished.

Then, there was Sulaimon Brown and his $110,000 salary to be a special assistant in the Department of Health Care Finance.

BRiNg FamilieS wHO aRe HOmeleSS iN FROm THe COld He took the position in January and has made $18,333 alone this year. This does not include the 15 days of paid adminisFamilY SHelTeRS trative leave before he’s officially fired.

Families seeking shelter must go to the Virginia Williams Family After a press conference last Thursday, he pleaded with reporters, saying he had a Resource Center, 920–A Rhode Island Avenue, NE, on Monday SHelTeR HOTliNe four-month-old baby. through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. At other times, call “When I go home I have to look at my 1.800.535.7252 the Shelter Hotline at 1-800-535-7252 or 311. four-month-old and think [of] a bad economy [and] how are you going to feed your OR 311 Those who are homeless may call the numbers for assistance, family. That means more to me than anyand the general may call the numbers to seek assistance Shop | Eat | Explore |public miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Sh thing.” for someone who is homeless and in need of help.

In 2008, 17 percent of|District residents Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | E lived below the poverty line, which stands Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Exp at $18,310 for a family of three. | miDCity He’s already made more money this | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | m year than a family of three scraping by.

City | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCi Whether or not he actually was at fault Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Sh for doing something that led to his firing, |onEat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | E his salary was a cruel joke the residents whom he was supposed to be serving.

Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Exp Brown’s family of three should not have | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | m to live in poverty, but neither should any 1603 U Street City | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity |NWShop |1736 Eat14th| Street Explore | miDCi other family of three in the District.

NW www.caramelfashion.com www.circleboutique.com Both Browns need to spend some time Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity |Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Sho with real people. Maybe they’d find that Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Ea their cars and salaries weren’t really worth Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Exp it after all and maybe, just maybe, they’d reduce those taxes Gray | talked about and | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | m miDCity give up some of their luxury.

1338 U Street NW

Help

fashion in MidCity

caramel

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