03 05 2008

An unexpected bounty of white cotton socks overcomes a local shelter, page 5

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March 5, 2008 – March 18, 2008 • Volume 5, Issue 9

www.streetsense.org

Loudoun Heals After Ugly Fight Over Homeless Center

from the street

Drugs, Money and Women

By Freddie Smith

S

Bob mcnanley/good shepherd alliance

More than 100 people joined in a circle of prayer at the Center of Hope’s groundbreaking in Ashburn, Va.

By Brittany Aubin Last fall, a Loudoun County community’s aggressive stance against a nonprofit’s plan to build a new administrative office, thrift store and drop-in center for the homeless shocked many observers and homeless advocates with its force, ultimately forcing the nonprofit to omit the drop-in center from the facility.

Despite agreeing to the change, the faith-based nonprofit Good Shepherd Alliance is still working to ease tensions within the Loudoun County community of Ashburn, Va. Good Shepherd representatives said they have learned several lessons through the divisive experience.

With the proper communication, service providers can ease the transition into new communities and create lasting relationships, said Nicholas Graham, spokesman for the Good Shepherd Alliance.

Graham has become the community liaison in his organization’s tense expansion into Ashburn, a residential suburb 30 miles from Washington, D.C. The organization originally began plans to consolidate administrative offices in Leesburg and a thrift store in Ster-

ling into one Ashburn building last spring, hoping to save thousands of dollars on overhead costs, Graham said.

Although the organization announced its plans in early June and met with various town officials to obtain proper permits, the community remained largely unaware of the project until the Washington Post and other local newspapers began reporting on it in October.

And that “started the whole thing,” Graham said.

Shortly after the stories ran, nearly 400 people attended a community meeting to discuss the organization’s expansion. Many were particularly concerned about the plan to include a drop-in center for

See

Loudoun, page 8

treet life, as I have known it, is about drugs, money and women.

My family taught me about street life — how to hustle and make a fast dollar. I grew up during the 1950s and ‘60s in a twobedroom house at 12th and K streets, SE, with my dad’s large family of nine brothers, three sisters and two alcoholic parents.

The basement was off limits for the kids, but at the mischievous age of 10, my friends and I snuck down there.

We saw my father, his brothers

and their friends cutting and bagging drugs.

They would do business with the men first, and then, when the drugs were packaged, they would bring over their women and friends to party.

I did not think I wanted that lifestyle, but I was dealing and using drugs with my friends by the time I was 17.

My dad, his brothers and my friends did not care what happened to me or anyone else as long as they got what they wanted. Instead of keeping me from their drug habits, they brought me in to their business, because they knew I had some money and could make more.

Not only did I have a job at the Washington Hospital Center, but I also had street skills and was a successful gambler. When they asked me for money, I gave it to them because they were family. I wanted my money back, so I sold

See Voice, page 12

Base Closures Create New Opportunities Military properties available to homeless nonprofits at no cost

By John Brandt In the battle against homelessness, service providers have an unlikely ally in the fight: the United States Department of Defense.

Property at DoD facilities selected for closure by the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission is made available to nonprofit homeless assistance providers at no cost through the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 and the Base Closure Community Redevelopment and Homeless Assistance Act of 1994.

The BRAC Commission, which is chartered by the Secretary of Defense, has selected 125 major bases and 225 minor military bases and installations for closure since 1988.

Through the 1994 Redevelopment Act, the cities and municipalities

Inside This Issue

affected by the nearby base closure must form Local Redevelopment Authorities (LRAs), made up of local citizens and elected officials, which are then responsible for developing a reuse plan for the surplus military facilities.

By law, these LRAs must consider the needs of the homeless along with economic and other types of development.

LRAs are required to inform homeless service providers about what properties are available and provide a workshop for those groups to view the properties and learn about the redevelopment process so that the provider can submit an official notice of interest in the property.

These providers have to show that they estimated the area’s homeless population, and they

LOCAL

Montgomery Boost

LOCAL

Freddie Mac gives $800,000 to a Montgomery County housing program, page 5

More than one in three adults in the District has below basic literacy skills, page 4

INTERNATIONAL

Illiteracy in D.C.

Train-Hopping Modern-day hobos find adventure on the trailways, page 7

must demonstrate a need for more housing in the community. They must also show an ability to finance and operate whatever facilities they propose redeveloping.

The provider’s plan goes to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for review. After a successful review by HUD, that plan is sent to the branch of the armed services that holds the property, which makes it available to the homeless provider through a legal agreement with the LRA. One standout property for homeless assistance providers has been the former naval base on Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay. Slated for closure by the 1993 BRAC commission, property on this man-

See

BRAC, page 7

POETRY

A Bad Day When a birthday goes really bad, page 9 INSERT

Prison Art A showcase of art by prisoners around the country, insert

ALL ABOUT US

Street Sense . March 5 – 18, 2008

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 James Davis Robert Egger Ted Henson Barbara Kagan Brad Scriber John Snellgrove Michael Stoops Francine Triplett David Walker Kathy Whelpley EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Laura Thompson Osuri EDITOR IN CHIEF Kaukab Jhumra Smith VENDOR MANAGER Rita Renee Brunson ASSOCIATE EDITOR David S. Hammond (volunteer) INTERNS Brittany Aubin and Jessica Elliott VOLUNTEERS Mary Pat Abraham, Matt Allee, Robert Basler, Robert Blair, Jane Cave, Jason Corum, Rebecca Curry, Rick Dahnke, Colleen Dolan, Jessica Gaitan, Joshua Gardner, Genevieve Gill, Joanne Goodwin, Carol Hannaford, Justin Herman, Annie Hill, Dan Horner, Aimee Hyzy, Mary Lynn Jones, Maurice King, Geof Koss, Jessica LaGarde, Karin Lee, Brenda K. Lee-Wilson, Katie Leitch, Claire Markgraf, Kellie Marsh, Mandy McAnally, Sam McCormally, Kent Mitchell, Mara Schechter, Jamie Schuman, Dan Seligson, Kat Shiffler, Jennifer Singleton, Katie Smith, Kathryn Taylor, Matthew Taylor, Robert Trautman, Francine Triplett, Eugene Versluysen, Linda Wang, Dan Weingarten, Marian Wiseman, Corrine Yu VENDORS Willie Alexander, Michael Anderson, Katrina Angie, Jake Ashford, Lawrence Autry, Tommy Bennett, Emily Bowe, Corey Bridges, Bobby Buggs, Leonard Cannady, Conrad Cheek Jr., Walter Crawley, Louise Davenport, James Davis, Bernard Dean, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Ronald Franklin, Barron Hall, David Harris, John Harrison, Patricia Henry, Phillip Howard, Jo Ann Jackson, Michael Jefferson, Patricia Jefferson, Jewell Johnson, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson, L. Morrow, Charles Mayfield, Lee Mayse, Jermale McKnight, Jennifer Mclaughlin, Jeffery McNeil, Charles Nelson, Moyo Onibuje, Therese Onyemenon, Thomas Queen, Kevin Robinson, Ed Ross, Dennis Rutledge, Gerald Smith, Patty Smith, James Stewart, Gary Stoddard, Archie Thomas, Ingrid Thomas, Francine Triplett, Carl Turner, Jerry W., Martin Walker, Mary Wanyama, Lawless Watson, Inell Wilson, Ivory Wilson, Tina Wright

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. Street Sense reserves the right to edit any material.

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 Washington, 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 board of directors, and in November, the organization hired its first employee, a full-time 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 as the network of vendors expanded to more than 50 homeless men and women.

To support the increased production, Street Sense brought on its first fulltime editor in chief in April 2007.

Feb. 20 – March 4 Donors Benjamin Miller Amee Master Gisela Marcuse David Kucharski Theresa M. Thomas Dolly Sparkman James O’Brien Robert J. Davis Martha Wiethorn

Laura and Bill Slover Paul Jett Rachel Huennekens David Levitch Kristan Cilente Noreen Meagher Miriam Yarmolinsky Gloria Petit-Clair Deborah Press

Chesapeake Landing Condominiums

Thank You!

International Network of Street Papers

Street Sense Vendor Code of Conduct 1.

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.

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 all others – customers, staff, other vendors – respectfully, and 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 the paper.

7.

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

8.

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.

9.

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.

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.

WANNA HELP? If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, or have a great article or feature idea, please contact Koki Smith at 202-347-2006 or e-mail editor@streetsense.org If you are interested in becoming a vendor, contact Rita Brunson 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).

Street Sense . March 5 – 18, 2008

PROFILE

Service Profile

Zagami House Provides a Safe Home for Families

Brittany Aubin/Street Sense

By Brittany Aubin

Letitia only moved into her apartment on 19th and R streets a few days ago, but already the place feels like home. The simple living room lacks furniture but boxes of cereal rest on a fridge and toiletries perch on bathroom porcelain. Afternoon sun floods from a window overlooking the intersection and the future playground site where Letitia’s two young sons soon will play.

“It’s my first place on my own,” said the 30-year-old Letitia, a nursing student at the University of the District of Columbia and an aspiring physician’s assistant.

Letitia and her sons are one of 12 families now living in Zagami House, a new Local Rent Supplement Program run by So Others Might Eat (SOME). Tenants, all moving out of situations of homelessness, overcrowding or precarious and substandard housing, pay 30% of their monthly gross income for rent, said SOME’s director of family services Portia Maillard-Laws. The remaining costs are covered by the D.C. Housing Authority.

The building, which was purchased in April 2006 and completely renovated, opened Jan. 23 and contains 12 two- and three-bedroom units, each equipped with new dishwashers, refrigerators, stoves and water heaters. Walls are painted a cheery cream and apple green and skylights fill the hallways with natural light. At the lower level, a computer lab, laundry room, kitchen and community space await programs and tenants.

All of SOME’s housing programs involve comprehensive support services for their

The entrance to Zagami House, a new Low Rent Supplement Program run by So Others Might Eat (SOME).

clients, Maillard-Laws said. Families create various goals, from employment to education, and work with two in-house staff members to reach them.

“Our final goal is home ownership,” Maillard-Laws said. Families are encouraged to aim towards financial independence within five to seven years. The House provides a safe place to move above the poverty line, start saving and rebuild credit, she said.

Families meet with a case manager once

a month and can attend workshops on finances, health and continuing education, Maillard-Laws said.

Vania Fields, the childhood development specialist at Zagami House, will meet with the House’s 20 children once Letitia’s is one of 12 famia week, she said. lies in the Zagami House In the coming months, Fields will start cooking classes, teaching parents and children to make healthy choices and building family time.

The House provides after-school care as well, including computer classes two times a week, tutoring and arts-and-crafts, Fields said. The majority of the children will attend school two blocks away. In April, Giant and KaBOOM!, a nonprofit specializing in creating recreational spaces, will build a playground on the Zagami site, she said.

The building also respects the outdoors, with energy efficient appliances, individual water heaters and CFC light bulbs. “It’s a totally green building,” Fields said. But residents wouldn’t need to worry about conservation for monetary reasons. All the utilities and gas, as well as Internet, are included in their 30% fixed rent.

Zagami House is part of a larger SOME ini-

Zagami House is part of a larger initiative to provide longterm affordable housing in the District tiative to provide long-term affording housing in the District. Because of the housing crisis, families who move from SOME’s two-year transitional programs face increasing hardships in securing housing, Maillard-Laws said. The Affordable Housing Development Initiative plans to create 1,000 new units of affordable housing in three years. The organization now has 339 units that are either functioning or in various stages of development. In addition to Zagami, two other units – Independence Place and Barnaby Street – house 31 families.

In her two-bedroom apartment, Shanita’s son plays video games while she gives an informal tour. A life-long D.C. resident, Shanita and her three children, ages 12, 10, and 9, have lived in the House for two weeks.

This program has allowed her to have a home with her kids, said Shanita. “I’m grateful for that.”

Donate to Street Sense My Information

I will donate:

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

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

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

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

You can also donate online at www.streetsense.org

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

Additional items that Street Sense needs: * Messenger and tote bags and backpacks for vendors

* Office chairs

* Bottled water to hand out to vendors

* Laptop computers with at least Windows 2000

* Food for vendor meetings

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 5 – 18, 2008

Illiteracy and Poverty Go Hand in Hand

By Matt Siemer

“Continued illiteracy often boils down to a lack of support systems.”

BRAC, from page 1 -made island has been used by several homeless assistance providers to provide transitional housing to low-income San Franciscans.

According to Laurel Weir, policy director at the National Law and Poverty Center, the expectations for redevelopment differ on the basis of the type of surplus property available.

“If you have a base closing with thousands of acres of property there is an expectation to provide something for homeless protection,” Weir said.

That is, the LRA has a responsibility to consider the impact of a base closure on the community and the effect it will have on local low-income residents and how the property can be used to help them.

After all, says Linda Charest, the base closure coordinator at HUD, “Nine times out of ten when Uncle Sam leaves an installation he’s the largest employer in town and it behooves people to get that property back on the tax roll” and create various development opportunities in the community.

Surplus properties jettisoned in previous BRAC rounds have been put to a variety of

Former military housing in California has been turned into housing for homeless adults with mental illnesses.

uses by homeless service providers. Often, military family housing is turned into transitional or permanent housing or as childcare centers for the homeless. Former military warehouses often become food banks or job training centers. Former military housing at Fort Ord in Monterey, Calif., has been turned into Shelter Cove, a transitional housing facility for homeless adults with mental illnesses.

However, as with any homelessness assistance facility, providers are often subject to Not

Rates of “Below Basic” Literacy in D.C. Ward 8 Ward 7 Ward 6 Ward 5 Ward 4 Ward 3 Ward 2 Ward 1 PHOTO COURTESY OF BREAD FOR THE CITY

Many of those living in poverty cannot read this article. That’s a key consideration when thinking of things that force people into poverty in the first place, per haps even above health care, affordable housing, low wages and the rising cost of food.

A study commissioned in 2003 and published last year by the State Education Agency estimates that just over one in three D.C.-area adults are functionally illiterate, far higher than the national average of roughly 14%.

Studies show that illiteracy has a direct relationship to poverty, and D.C. is no exception. District Wards 7 and 8 (which make up the Anacostia region) have both the highest rates of illiteracy and poverty.

Roughly half of adults in Anacostia qualify as functionally illiterate – 50.4% in Ward 7, 48.9% in Ward 8 – and they hold the highest poverty rates in D.C., one in four and one in three respectively. The SEA study notes that low literacy levels in many cases lead to either unemployment or jobs that pay below the poverty line with almost no access to promotions or benefits like health care.

Education experts emphasize that smaller class sizes and an increased ability to address learning disabilities are crucial to successfully raising reading levels, but factors outside the classroom must also be addressed.

Nancy Schwalb has taught in southeast D.C. for 13 years, and is also the artistic director for the D.C. Creative Writing Workshop based out of Hart Middle School in Anacostia.

“In order to begin to reverse the prevalence of illiteracy in D.C., we need to address the problem holistically,” Schwalb said. “Kids from very poor families have many other possible obstacles to overcome as well, including poor nutrition, poor health care, lack of sleep, and the difficulty that single working parents have in providing supervision after school. Some lowincome parents do an absolutely amazing job raising healthy, well-educated children against the odds, but those odds remain high.”

Once the child becomes an adult, illiteracy has dramatic long-term consequences as he or she tries to enter the job market. The State Education Agency study estimates that roughly 47% of job opportunities in the District require a college or advanced degree. For those with the lowest reading comprehension levels, a return to an educational facility is difficult and requires a major investment of time and money.

Stacey Smith is a social services case manager at Bread for the City, a D.C.-based direct-services nonprofit. Stacey runs the organization’s pre-employment program in Anacostia, and has witnessed how difficult it can be to overcome education barriers.

“Many of the people coming to our program need current skills for an entry level position,” Smith said. “Most don’t have a high school diploma or GED, don’t know how to build a resume, and almost all have to rebuild from the ground up.”

Smith notes that building community engagement and infrastructure is critical to beating the cycle of poverty.

Stacey Smith, social services case manager for Bread for the City, says building community is critical to beating poverty and illiteracy.

“Continued illiteracy often boils down to a lack of support systems,” he said. “Getting an education is a big investment of time. If you don’t feel like anyone cares whether you fail or succeed, if you don’t have that kind of accountability, then you won’t work toward long-term success. People will find an easier way to fill that need for support like gangs, drugs, or under-the-table jobs.”

Schwalb agrees that the community is important. “Schools don’t operate in a vacuum,” she said. “Our children need better homes, neighborhoods, and opportunities to come home to when the school day is over. They need to be surrounded by concrete examples of the benefits of education, instead of just being punished for their problems in In My Backyard sentiment from local citizens.

When formulating the plan for redevelopment the LRA can work with the homeless assistance provider to counter possible objections from the community.

As a possible way to counter stereotypes, Weir suggests that “if the nonprofit is running another program they could invite the neighbors to tour the existing program. Often that can help dispel fears and when they meet people living in housing that can sometimes make people feel much more comfortable…. (It) can be helpful to show how housing can be used to support people and help people to function more fully and to even improve.”

The most recent round of BRAC closures was in 2005, and the redevelopment phase for those properties is already well under way.

However, future rounds of BRAC commissions will be necessary as the DoD continues to look for ways to trim its budget, phase out property for discontinued weapons programs, and eliminate operational redundancies.

According to Bryant Monroe from the DoD’s Office of Economic Adjustment, DoD will continue to look for cost savings, particularly in real estate that can be redeveloped for other use.

48.9% 50.4% 37.3% 48.2% 42.2% 8.2% 20.8% 43.6%

Source: The State of Adult Literacy Report, State Education Agency

Literacy Groups in D.C. n State Education Agency: www.literacydc.org n DC Learns: www.dclearns.org n Academy of Hope: aohdc.org n DC Creative Writing Workshop: www. dccww.org school.”

Reversing the high illiteracy rates in D.C. requires a number of improvements to lowincome areas.

“Without improvements in housing, daycare and early childhood education, nutrition, recreational opportunities, neighborhood crime and violence, health care, and opportunities for higher education,” Schwalb said, “kids in poverty will always have an uphill battle.”

Matt Siemer is the volunteer coordinator for local nonprofit Bread for the City, and has been active in literacy campaigns since 2004.

Foundry

United Methodist Church

A Reconciling Congregation

Invites you to join us in worship on Sundays at 9:30 and 11:00 AM Sign Interpretation at 11:00 Homeless Outreach Hospitality Fridays 9 AM

Foundry United Methodist Church

1500 16th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 332-4010 www.foundryumc.org

Street Sense . March 5 – 18, 2008

LOCAL NEWS

Cotton Bounty Leaves Mission Scratching Its Head

By Colleen Dolan

“Being blessed, we blessed others.”

colleen dolan/street Sense

Ten thousand pairs of socks.

The Central Union Mission, a social service ministry in downtown Washington, D.C. anonymously received about 50 boxes of white, ankle-high socks in late January, each box containing about 200 pairs. That’s – count ‘em – 10,000 pairs of socks.

No one at the organization knows the identity of the donor other than that it was “a big marketing firm,” said David O. Treadwell, the mission’s executive director.

This was, in fact, “the most socks [the mission has] ever received, though [we] regularly receive larger donations of food,” Treadwell told Street Sense.

Luckily, Treadwell said, the mission has a large garage and was able to store the 10,000 socks in there until a decision was made about what to do with the socks. But the boxes nearly filled even the large garage, Treadwell said.

Though the mission serves many people in need, 10,000 people needing socks would probably not pass through the mission in the immediate future, so a decision was made to share the wealth with other local nonprofits.

Upon “being blessed, we blessed others,” said Phillip Ford, Treadwell’s executive assis-

Here’s what nearly 200 pairs of white, knee-length socks looks like. Now imagine 10,000.

tant. Nine thousand of the 10,000 pairs have been given away to organizations such as Samaritan Ministry, the National Coalition for the Homeless and Adams Place Shelter. Even Street Sense asked for and received 200 pairs, which are being distributed to its vendors.

“We called and e-mailed [the organizations] that we are accustomed to working with

through our homeless advocacy and church networks,” Treadwell said. “Most [organizations] took two boxes (about 400 pairs).”

For weeks though, the garage at the mission remained chock full of box upon box of thick, white socks – simply because, well, it’s difficult to find homes for 10,000 pairs of socks. As for the approximately 1,000 socks

that remain, they are being kept at the Mission for internal needs, Treadwell said.

Samaritan Ministry, an organization designed to help homeless people in the Washington, D.C. area, was one of the organizations that received a portion of the donation.

Dianne Lewis, director of communications at Samaritan Ministry, was surprised at the unusually large donation, and said that the 200 pairs that they had received were “not distributed yet, but in the process” of being distributed to many of the program’s participants, and others “trying to make changes in their lives.”

Street Sense, too, has worked hard to give away its 200 pairs of socks to its vendors. But with so many socks and only so many feet, there are still nearly 100 pairs waiting to be claimed.

Freddie Mac Grants $800,000 to Expand Model Program

courtesy of Ayana lee

Ayana Lee spent six months in the shelter system with her young son. A program by the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless helped her find an apartment and go back to school. “They make it so you have no choice but to succeed,” Lee said. “I don’t know how you can fail in permanent housing.”

Ayana Lee and her son in an undated picture

By Brittany Aubin Ayana Lee and her 6-year-old son first moved into their Montgomery County apartment in 2003, after spending six months in the shelter system.

In the following years, Lee began studying medical coding and billing, earning a 3.9 GPA with a full course load at the Career Technical Institute. Her son “loves school” and finally knows he is safe. Lee credits her turnaround to Partnership for Permanent Housing, a Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless program that places homeless families immediately into long-term stable housing rather than transitional homes. The program, based on a Housing First model, offered stability, supportive services and a case manager who Lee still keeps in touch with today.

“They make it so you have no choice but to succeed,” Lee said. “I don’t know how you

can fail in permanent housing.”

Now, an $800,000 grant from the Freddie Mac Foundation will expand MCCH’s program by a dozen families, and help support administrative services and rental subsidies for all the program’s clients over the course of two years.

Stories like Lee’s and others helped MCCH to secure funding, according to Shawn Flaherty, a spokeswoman for the Freddie Mac Foundation. “We feel that they put the money to good use and have been really impressed with the results,” she said.

MCCH’s program began as a pilot in 2003 with support from the county government and the Housing Opportunities Commission, according to the organization’s Web site. A grant last year from the Freddie Mac Foundation, along with continued assistance from the county, has allowed them to expand further, said Sarah Mahin, director of development and communications at MCCH.

“We are avid believers in Housing First,” Mahin said. “The primary goal of working with someone who’s homeless is getting them into permanent housing.”

A strong relationship with a case manager keeps families from slipping back into homelessness, she said. Last year, 97% of families were able maintain their housing in the program, according to the Web site. All of the single individuals maintained housing in 2007.

In 2007, the foundation funded mainly administrative services, Mahin said. The new disbursement of $800,000 will also go to deep rental subsidies, or housing subsidies for very low-income clients. This type of assistance is unusual for foundations and will permit MCCH to provide a high level of support to their clients, Mahin said.

The organization has placed seven of the twelve households already at a rate of one per month and identified two more to begin

the process, she added.

Once everyone has been placed, MCCH’s Partnership for Permanent Housing program will serve 140 households, made up of 100 families and 40 single individuals or childless couples, Mahin said. Families coming in have been staying in shelters or motels and are placed in areas depending on employment and schools nearby.

“When families first come in, they need a lot of support,” Mahin said. Case managers visit these families in their homes every week. Later, meetings become quarterly. If the family goes through a crisis, then the case manager comes back in, she said.

The services offered by the case manager are tailored to the needs of the client, Mahin said. Some may include budget planning, introductions to health and community resources, job training, or continuing education. Parents are taught to be advocates for their children in local public schools.

“I can talk to her about pretty much anything,” said Lee of her case manager. “They don’t just let you loose. They guide you along the way.”

About 1,500 people are homeless on any one day in Montgomery County, according to the MCCH Web site. While the organization has seen this number remain fairly steady over the years, there is much transition in the actual population affected, Mahin said.

Freddie Mac, the largest corporate giver in the D.C. region, has moved much of its funding to the city’s outer suburbs in recent years. Flaherty said. Its current focus is stabilizing homes for children.

Street Sense . March 5 – 18, 2008

6 LOCAL NEWS

the uninsured

in other news

Maryland Uninsured Get Mobile Health Care

By Laura Schwartzman Capital News Service (UMD) BLADENSBURG – The Governor’s Wellmobile parks outside Bladensburg Elementary School on Thursdays administering vaccinations and providing physicals and basic health care, all for free.

No questions asked.

“I’m certain that we’ve saved people’s lives,” said Chris Simmons, 35, a nurse practitioner and team coordinator of the Central Maryland Wellmobile, a wheeled clinic with two exam rooms, a waiting area and a lab.

Operated by the University of Maryland School of Nursing in Baltimore, the Governor’s Wellmobile Program has four mobile clinics that travel around the state serving uninsured or underinsured patients at different locations four days each week, often in school parking lots or shopping centers.

They’re not intended to be primary care providers or emergency rooms. People with gushing blood, broken bones and women in labor get sent to nearby hospitals. Instead, the Wellmobiles aim to save the state money by preventing future hospital visits.

Rebecca Wiseman, the program’s director, estimates the clinics saved Maryland $2.7 million last year by treating roughly 7,300 patients who often had nowhere else to turn except costly emergency rooms, which are reimbursed by the state.

Patient Dora Hercules, 49, of Oxon Hill said the clinic is always welcoming. A breast cancer survivor, Hercules was previously insured but her current job offers no health benefits.

She relies on the Wellmobile for preventive care.

Hercules recommended the clinic to family and friends.

“They help all people,” she said.

A majority of patients are employed, but the absence or inadequacy of health insurance can force people into emergency rooms for routine problems, Simmons said.

In a report issued last year, the Census Bureau estimated that Maryland had about 755,000 uninsured, or about 13.5% of the state population, in the period from 2004 to 2006. That is a slightly lower rate than the nation as a whole.

And there are those who slip through the cracks.

“Some patients make just too much to

qualify for the state Medicaid program, but don’t make enough to buy private insurance,” he said.

The Central Maryland Wellmobile serves locations in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, primarily treating Spanish-speakers. They see about 15 to 20 people a day, Simmons said, although this can shoot up to 40 or 50 when they perform school and sports physicals for students.

About five or six times daily, they might send “acute” patients to nearby hospitals

These wheeled clinics are not intended to be primary care providers or emergency rooms.

Instead, they aim to save state money by preventing future hospital visits. for appendicitis, blood clots, abscesses and other emergencies. They sometimes diagnose cancer and draft treatment plans that involve coordination with hospitals, state programs and nonprofit organizations.

The bulk of cases are diabetes related, Simmons said. The disease can lead to catastrophic problems for sufferers who are undiagnosed or left untreated.

“If we can help people gain control of their diabetes, they’re much less likely to fall victim to wounds, amputations, very costly hospital stays, kidney disease, heart disease, loss of vision,” he said. “It has a huge impact down the road.”

The Wellmobile program started in 1994 as an effort to boost Maryland’s rates of childhood vaccination and evolved into a care provider in 1998. The clinics now handle primary care and more, including women’s and men’s health, cancer screenings, blood tests and annual exams.

The Wellmobiles mostly advertise through word-of-mouth and see patients by appointment, but walk-ins are also permitted.

Most units have a supervising family nurse practitioner, a case manager, an outreach worker and a professional driver.

Nursing students can also staff the Wellmobiles to get hands-on, supervised experience required for graduation and licensure.

Mette-Jaya Ramanathan, 29, a family nurse practitioner and nurse midwife student, was on hand in Bladensburg on a recent Thursday.

“As a student, it gives you an exceptional clinical site for learning because the clinical instructor is an educator, not just a clinician,” she said. “It increases what you can get out of the site.”

Trilingual clinical outreach worker Grace Flores, 30, is a Spanish translator but also speaks French with patients from Haiti, Cameroon, Cote d’Azur and other countries.

A former health hotline operator with CASA de Maryland, Flores helps patients connect with other government and nonprofit resources.

Director Wiseman said the program gets overwhelmed at times and will stop accepting new patients for a month or so, but such instances are rare.

“We really haven’t had to turn anyone away, but they may have to wait [or come back next week],” she said. “We triage them and try to see how urgent their care is.”

Each clinic costs about $1,000 per day to operate, she said.

The governor’s budget provides about half the program’s necessary funds, and private grants from MedStar Health, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and smaller sources make up the difference.

With looming health care staff shortages in the state, Simmons predicts a need for more safety-net providers.

“Demand is much greater than our resources,” he said. “There’s so much more that needs to be done in terms of addressing disparities in health insurance, individuals with no health insurance and lack of access to basic medical care.”

Simmons wants to spread the word about the Wellmobile, especially for routine physicals, vaccinations and preventive care.

“A lot of people don’t realize how sick they are until they start feeling better,” he said.

By Mandy McAnally

Ohio: Cincinnati Homeless Living in Foreclosed Houses An increasing number of homeless people in Cincinnati are taking shelter in homes that have been foreclosed as a result of the mortgage crisis, authorities said. About 1,300 people are homeless in Cincinnati, and about 200 of them do not use facilities such as drop-in centers. They are the most likely to take up residence in vacant homes, experts said (WLWT.com, 2/19).

Maryland: Senate Votes to Expand Homeless Protection The Senate has voted to expand hate crime laws to protect homeless people. Attacks against homeless people gained national attention in 2006, when teenagers attacked homeless men in Florida. Current hate crime laws apply to a person’s race, color, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or national origin (Danya, WMDT47, 2/21).

N. Carolina: Army Sergeants Hike to Raise Money for Homeless Vets Two former Army sergeants who served together in Iraq plan to hike the Appalachian Trail to raise money for the nation’s homeless veterans. They will begin the 2,000-mile trek to Maine on March 8. About 195,000 veterans are homeless on any night, and about 400,000 experience homelessness throughout the year, according to the Veterans Affairs Department (nbc17.com, 2/18).

Michigan: Lansing Residents Rally for Homeless Dozens of Lansing residents recently rallied at City Hall to push for more affordable housing. They want to turn a vacant apartment building downtown into a home for the homeless. The city says it’s already reaching out to the homeless and it has other ideas for the apartment (WLNS, 2/20).

Business and Professional Women’s Foundation presents

Veterans Knowledge March Fair27, 2008 PRESENTED BY:

Business and Professional Women’s Foundation Business and Professional Women/USA Street Sense

March 27, 2008 ƕ 1317 G St, NW

Check out current news or our archives at

ƕ 8:30– 9 a.m.: Continental Breakfast ƕ 9–10 a.m.: Briefing on career transitions issues facing women veterans and homeless veterans.

ƕ 10 a.m.–12 p.m.: Veterans Knowledge Fair,

Career Coaching, and Veterans Focus Groups

Sign up for veterans benefits and get information from area support services, take advantage of coaching on resume writing and interviewing. Tell your story!

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Registration is FREE.

Pre-Registration Not Required.

RSVP is appreciated.

foundation@bpwfoundation.org

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California: Fresno Radio Show for Homeless Issues on Air A radio program promoting homeless issues in Fresno is back on the air at a local radio station. The Homeless Marathon program is being broadcast by the KFCF radio station, and advocates hope it will raise awareness about the city’s growing homeless problem. The city built sheds for the homeless after the program was broadcast in 2006 (KFSN-TV, 2/21).

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Street Sense . March 5 – 18, 2008

street news service

Train-Hopping: The Last Great Adventure

photo courtesy of istockphoto

Train-hopping can also be dangerous: there were 58 rail-related fatalities in Canada in 2006.

“You wouldn’t think I was a train-hopper by looking at my fingernails,” said Rodney, rotating his wrist to face his palm to the ground. “Most train-hoppers have dirt under their nails that takes a long time to wash out.”

Rodney Graham is a 51-year-old resident of Winnipeg who, after spending over 15 years writing about social issues for various street papers all across Canada, met some train-hopping squeegee kids – youth who wash car widows at intersections for change – or rather, modern-day hobos.

Deciding to check it out for himself, he first train-hopped from Jasper to Vancouver in 2004 and has been hooked ever since.

While there are a small number of “recreational” train-hoppers, the majority of railriders are transients.

“In the States, they still sometimes use the term ‘hobo’ . . . there’s still a lot of traditional hobos in the States,” said Graham.

“In Canada, most train-hoppers are in their mid-20s.”

In Canada, in particular, most train-hoppers are transient and homeless youth, Graham said. In the ’80s and the mid-’90s, there were a lot of squeegee kids who trainhopped, but Graham has found that the number has decreased slightly in the last decade.

Nonetheless, train hopping remains of interest to a number of alternative photographers and filmmakers, who have made efforts to document modern day train-hoppers and transient youth, including underground documentaries like the 2003 film, “Catching Out.” Even the New York Times printed an article on the subject in 1998, entitled “A Different Breed Of Freight-Hoppers,” discussing modern day train-hoppers.

(The sub headline read “REAL hobos don’t use cellular phones.”)

Also, in keeping with the roots of the train-hopping tradition, a PBS doc-

umentary entitled “Riding the Rails” documents youth rail-riders in the time of the Great Depression, who numbered around a quarter of a million.

“They hit the road because they wanted adventure, wanted to see ‘the big wide world’ out there,” the documentary begins.

“Or, to escape unhappiness at home. Or, as one of them painfully recalls in our film, because a destitute father with too many mouths to feed told him he had to go.”

In the 70 years since the Great Depression, the reasons behind train-hopping youth remain largely the same.

“The less fortunate ones can travel this way, and they can afford it,” Graham said.

“With these young train-hoppers, they tend to live for the moment, day-to-day, and that’s kind of an appeal, too.”

“It borderlines on an obsession with me, personally,” said Graham, on why he writes about modern day hobos, or “the wanderers” as he affectionately calls them. “Because I’ve done it myself, and I’ve met these very interesting people. It is so different, and adventurous, and it’s very exciting.”

“I think I would prefer to train-hop to Saskatoon than go sky-diving,” he said.

Graham’s got some authority on comparing adrenaline: he was a smoke-jumper, part of an initial parachute-in response team for forest fires, in British Columbia for the Ministry of Forests for 10 years.

Graham, who has train-hopped all over Canada, including a non-stop, cross-country trip from Jasper to Toronto, offered some important pointers for would-be train-hoppers.

“Water is the main thing people never take enough of,” he said. On his trip to Toronto he didn’t have enough water and

‘‘

and a wide-brimmed, tan Tilley hat, chooses to continue train-hopping, despite the endless hours of hiding, waiting, the personal discomfort, fines, and looming threats of injury and death, what did he answer?

While staring at his hands, envisioning the next time the inescapable mud and soot will become tellingly caked underneath his fingernails, he declared, “It’s the last great adventure.”

It’s hard to disagree. One only has to imagine staring out the partially opened door of a boxcar, the metal doorway framing the landscape as it whizzes by — a memory left in the past, the excitement of the future laying comforting, ominous or unknown, at the end of the tracks.

And when every chug of the engine kicks up dust clouds like the opening scene of a Steinbeck novel, one can almost see the grim, creased faces of laborers, immigrants and wanderers on the move, to nowhere in particular, but everywhere, searching for a place to be.

The whistle on the wind calls forth memories and visions of new experiences to come, juxtaposing the past and present; images of bindle stiffs and squeegee buckets; of tired, migrant faces and dingy dreadlocks; cans of beans, fields of wheat, cell phones and cyber space; of young and old, always moving, always seeking.

Rolling on, down a track that cuts through the field like a reminiscent bullet through the panoramic scenery of time.

Rolling on, into the changing seasons and the rise and fall of the sun in the sage and eternal sky, Rolling on, And on, And on . . .

“The less fortunate ones can travel this way, and they can afford it,” Graham said. “With these young train-hoppers, they tend to live for the moment, day-to-day, and that’s kind of an appeal, too.”

‘‘

By Melissa Hiebert

eventually had to succumb to drinking ditch-water that was full of bacteria and left him with lung problems. Since then, he urges train-hoppers to take about four litres of water per person for a 12-hour ride.

Graham also suggested snagging a crew change manual before a long journey.

“Crew change manuals will tell you when the crew change is, what part of town it’s in, if a train is east-bound or west-bound,” he said, explaining that the best place to look for the guides are through local “anarchist” groups.

“Train-hopping is not good for you if you are impatient,” Graham warns. “It isn’t easy.

Sometimes you spend hours and hours waiting in the bush.” Graham said that he once spent 24 hours hiding in a bush in Montreal waiting to catch off.

However, train-hopping is not all adventure and glamour, and at times can be dangerous or deadly.

According to Operation Lifesaver, a national public education program to help prevent rail-related injuries or fatalities, there were 91 “trespasser incidents” in Canada in 2006, involving 27 serious injuries and 58

fatalities.

The numbers are much higher in the United States. According to the Office of Safety Analysis at the Federal Railroad Administration, there were a reported 990 injuries and deaths in the same year.

Graham said that he has known some kids personally who have lost legs and feet. One girl, he remembered, had her foot severed in the Fort Rouge train yard in Winnipeg.

“I ran into her boyfriend the next day,” recalled Graham. “The authorities called an ambulance, and they also gave them the maximum amounts of fines they could, this girl with her foot cut off, they gave her a fine.”

Train-hoppers can be slapped with all kinds of fines ranging from trespassing to property damage to mischief, which can cost hundreds of dollars apiece. “[ Train-hopping] is very dangerous.

In fact, I don’t recommend it to people,” warned Graham. “If you can get a bus ticket, I would recommend that.”

But, he added, “The chances of getting killed are slim, if you are careful.”

Asked why he himself, Rodney Graham, with a few missing front teeth and bad lungs

Reprinted from Street Sheet Canada. © Street News Service: www.street-papers. org

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LOCAL MY TWONEWS CENTS

Street Sense . March 5 – 18, 2008

Street Success

From Homeless to Hopeful

By Aimee Hyzy even a job at McDonalds requires a GED or high school diploma.

As a young man, Mark met and married a woman with whom he had a “beautiful” relationship and three children. However, Mark committed petty theft and was repeatedly incarcerated. Consequently, he and his wife eventually divorced and she raised their children without him.

Most of his adult life was marked by additional prison stints, the last of which culminated in a work-release program. Toward the end of his sentence, Mark’s estranged daughter contacted him. From her, he learned that his mother had passed away months before. Mark was grief-stricken but was eager to make up for lost time and reconnect with his family.

Upon his release, Mark went to live with his children’s aunt so that he could be closer to them. He had accumulated savings through the work-release program but gave the bulk of the money to his children and to their aunt for rent. Unfortunately, someone else living in the house was engaging in criminal activity, so Mark chose to leave the security of a home rather than risk his newfound freedom with involvement.

With nowhere to turn, Mark looked to the Salvation Army for help. He was grateful for their assistance, particularly so for the clothes he acquired there, but the solution was short-term. Though his children had helped him develop basic reading skills over time, Mark was still without a high school diploma or GED, so job opportunities were non-

existent. It was a vicious cycle with no feasible end in sight.

After the Salvation Army, he had exhausted all options, and he was homeless for the first time.

Mark lived on the streets for several years. During this time, he acquired money for living expenses pri- I am caption and say nice things about a picture marily by panhandling. One day, his friend and longtime Street Sense vendor, James Davis, introof his life now is giving presents to duced him to selling the newspaper as an alterna- his two grandchildren when possible. tive income. Since then, with dedi- He enjoys being part of his children’s cation and the help of Street Sense, family because he was absent from Mark’s life has been on a decidedly their daily lives growing up.

“I bought [my grandson] a bike upward trajectory. and one of those Yamaha keyboards,” With the income he earns selling he proudly tells me. He pauses, and Street Sense, Mark can afford to rent that comfortable basement apart- worry clouds his face. “I don’t like ment. He says he is finally happy and those video games though…too much violence.” feels more self-sufficient.

Mark names one of his favorite “I’m not a jitterbug anymore, not moving around all the time. I can aspects of Street Sense as getting give my kids money if they need it,” to meet new people every day. As a vendor, he has developed his comhe adds.

One of the most rewarding parts munication skills by talking with

passers-by from around the world.

Most importantly, Mark believes that Street Sense is not just a quality newspaper. It is an organization that helps any homeless people who are ready to help themselves. As Mark puts it, “good things come to those who wait…but not too long.”

In the future, with the stability that the steady income of Street Sense offers, Mark hopes to secure a long-term job that would in turn allow him to purchase a car and rent his own apartment.

As he flashes a wide smile, he says, “The world is wide open now.”

Loudoun, from page 1

of the Ashburn Village Homeowners Association. After four years as president of the homeowners association, Clements said he has seen the community at its worst.

Clements received over 600 email messages regarding the nonprofit, including hate mail from both sides. Many residents “just woke up one morning, read it in the paper, and didn’t know what to think,” he said.

Some residents were mainly concerned about the facility’s effect on area security and property values, Plummer said. Following the community’s reaction, Good Shepherd removed the plan for a drop-in center at the Ashburn facility, Graham said. The decision was “heart-breaking and challenging,” he said.

Despite that concession, there was a sense among some of the residents that the organization was

pulling the old bait-and-switch and would change their administrative building into a shelter or drop-in center later, Clemens said.

In an effort to eliminate suspicion, the organization also removed showers and lockers from its floor plans and wrote a letter to the community insisting that a drop-in center would not be part of the Ashburn facility’s mission, Graham said.

The organization is working with Loudoun County to transfer the management of a drop-in center there to government agencies, said Graham.

Plans for the county-run drop-in center are still tentative and lack a firm date and location, said Susan Jane Stack, the community resource director for the county’s Department of Family Services. “We don’t know any details yet,” she said, but any action will be a result of the controversy in Ashburn.

The organization now has a media plan with a focused message, something essential to any nonprofit that needs to interact with a community, Graham said.

A newly formed Neighborhood Advisory Council made up of area homeowner associations and residents will meet once a month this year and quarterly the next, giving concerned citizens a forum for discussion and Good Shepherd a distribution channel for information.

Graham sees it as a model for other service providers and their communities. At the first meeting on Feb. 16, the Good Shepherd Alliance discussed background checks, landscaping and further efforts to be a good neighbor, said Graham.

“However small it seems to you, it will be a big deal for local residents,” he said. “People notice. If you don’t tell them, they get angry and confused.”

the homeless in the new building.

Without thorough engagement with the community, unanswered questions and concerns became overreactions, said Laura Plummer, the president of the Ashburn Farm Homeowners Association’s Board of Trustees.

“There was a huge fear factor,” Plummer said. “The community felt they were not informed.”

Although a slumping economy and the recent mortgage crisis would probably lead more of Ashburn residents to rely on the Good Shepherd Alliance’s services, some residents worried that drop-in facility would attract homeless people from outside their town, Plummer said.

Misinformation and rumors flew, said Rick Clements, president

photo creditT!!!

Mark Jones is a smiling, welldressed man whose presence dominates the room. From the moment we meet, he is friendly and warm.

When we first sit down to speak, he is somewhat reluctant to share, but after just a few questions, he is remarkably open.

His voice is tinged with pride as he describes the finished basement space he rents in a friend’s home.

“It’s big, you know, with a sofa and a television.”

Though his room has a television, Mark prefers to dedicate time to reading. His most recent effort is Bill Cosby’s “I Am What I Ate.” He finds time to read between employment and frequent visits with his children and grandchildren, whom he now lives near.

Unfortunately, Mark’s life was not always so full of promise and hope.

Just three years ago, he was homeless and living on the streets of Washington, D.C. His turning point was discovering Street Sense.

Growing up, Mark’s parents struggled to secure a stable family life. By the time Mark was born, as one of the youngest of nine sons, his parents were able to provide financial security. However, from a young age, Mark held a variety of part-time jobs because he enjoyed earning pocket money. By high school, the temptation of a greater income proved too great and he dropped out. Even though he attended school until the 9th grade, Mark never learned to read or write, so his job prospects were extremely limited. As he points out,

“Good things come to those who wait. But not too long.”

Graham, a public relations specialist for ask.com and AOL, said he has been shocked by local resistance to the nonprofit’s expansion to Ashburn. “I got really angry,” he said, and he recognized the communications problems the organization faced. With a volunteer board and a small number of paid staff, the nonprofit just didn’t have the resources or the know-how to run a successful media campaign, he said.

The nonprofit has since embarked on a comprehensive, easy and cheap plan to educate the Ashburn community and prevent future misunderstandings.

Representatives of the nonprofit attend monthly homeowners association meetings and write updates for community newsletters.

Graham or another alliance representative meets with politicians at the local level to go over new plans.

Visit the Prison Art Gallery, 1600 K Street NW, Suite 501, Wash. DC. Open 7 days until 5pm. 202-393-1511

Prison art Prints Beautifully matted

Only $15 each.

See page 3 for selection.

Art for Justice is published monthly in conjunction with Street Sense

Sponsored by Prison Art Gallery

Funded in part by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts

March 2008

TEARS OF SORROW by Cannon Hubbard, Snake River State Prison, Oregon; Watercolor, 12” by 16”, Suggested donation $320 (MC169)

GOD’S LOVE by Lawrence Joseph Watson, California State Prison; Colored Pencils and Acrylic with Paper Mache frame, 28” by 23”, Suggested donation $180 (MC151)

THE DYNASTY CONTINUES by Ringo Harris, McDougall State Prison, Connecticut; Acrylic on linen, 19 1/2” by 19 1/2”, Suggested donation $200 (MC168)

All art can be viewed and purchased at the Prison Art Gallery, 1600 K Street NW Suite 501 Washington DC or purchase by phone 202-393-1511 or email (PayPal payment address Dennis@PrisonFoundation.org).

Please add $10 shipping and handling for each order. All major credit cards accepted. Thank you for viewing and purchasing this beautiful art in support of our program of prisoner rehabilitation, re-entry and victim assistance.

Your tax deductible donation is greatly appreciated. 202-393-1511

REFUGE by Lavelle Mayfield, Moose Lake State Prison, Minnesota; Colored pencils and oil pastel, 22” by 31”, Suggested donation $300 (MC170)

DOWN TIME by Charles Milbry, Columbia State Prison, Florida; Ink and markers, 7” by 10”, Suggested donation $120 (MC166)

PORTRAIT OF TUPAC SHAKUR

by Sudan Paul Miller, Ionia State Prison, Michigan; Mixed media, 9” by 12”, Suggested donation $100 (MC167)

From our extensive collection of Pano art.

THE WAY OF LIFE by Antonio Chavez Mora, Robertson State Prison, Texas; Colored pencils and ink on Handkerchief, 6” by 6”, Suggested donation $80 (MC153)

Pano art is made by prisoners using handkerchiefs and bedsheets and is a prison tradition.

Own a unique Pano now at special prices.

HOME SWEET HOME by Samuel Johnson, Mahanoy State Prison, Frackville, PA; Colored pencils and ink on Handkerchief, 16” by 16”, Suggested donation $60 (MC164)

GOD FORGIVE ME by Jose Carlos Alanis, Garza State Prison, Texas; Pencils and ink on handkerchief, 16” by 16”, Suggested donation $120 (MC156)

PEACE OF MIND by Chen Quang, McConnell State Prison, Texas; Pencils and ink on handkerchief, 12” by 12”, Suggested donation $120 (MC160)

FLOWER POWER by Charles Milbry, Columbia State Prison, Florida; Pencils and ink on handkerchief, 15 1/2” by 15 1/2”, Suggested donation $120 (MC154)

ROSE by Edward Stafford, Robertson State Prison, Texas; Pencils and ink on handkerchief, 15” by 15”, Suggested donation $75 (MC157)

WISHES by Antonio Chavez Mora, Robertson State Prison, Texas; Colored pencils and ink on Handkerchief, 6” by 6”, Suggested donation $80 (MC161)

FREEDOM THROUGH AN EAGLE’S EYE by Darrell Dwayne Hickman, Dooly State Prison, Georgia; Pencils and ink on handkerchief, 14 1/2” by 15”, Suggested donation $80 (MC155)

TEDDY BEAR WITH HEART by Terrill Calhoun, Garza State Prison, Texas; Pencils and ink on handkerchief, 15 1/2” by 15”, Suggested donation $80 (MC158)

THE WET HAWK by Robert Lay, Mahanoy State Prison, Frackville, PA; Acrlyic and markers on handkerchief, 7” by 6”, Suggested donation $120 (MC162)

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS by Robert Lay, Mahanoy State Prison, Frackville, PA; Acrylic on Handkerchief, 8 1/2” by 11”, Suggested donation $100 (MC152)

CAT GIFTS by Albert Taylor, Eastham State Prison, Texas; Pencils and ink on handkerchief, 16” by 16”, Suggested donation $100 (MC165)

OH NATURE by Albert Taylor, Eastham State Prison, Texas; Pencils and ink on handkerchief, 16” by 16”, Suggested donation $150 (MC159)

GOTCHA by Terrill Calhoun, Garza State Prison, Texas; Pencils and ink on handkerchief, 15 1/2” by 15”, Suggested donation $70 (MC163)

Tenola Gamble, California State Prison (#P41)

Tenola Gamble, Russ Luncsford, Iowa California State Prison State Prison (#P43) (#P42)

Dwayne Murray, Minnesota State Prison (#P46)

Ted Berkey, Federal Prison, AZ (#P3)

Tenola Gamble, California State Prison (#P44)

Ritchie Weatherspoon, Michigan State Prison (#P48)

Richard Hinger, High Desert State Prison, NV (#P9)

Larry Walker, New Jersey State Prison (#P47)

Rene Vu, Gatesville State Prison, TX (#P26)

David Porter, Roxbury State Prison, MD (#P13)

Ras Mosi, South Carolina State Prison (#P45)

Larry Walker, Trenton State Prison, NJ (#P24)

Timothy Burleson, Coffield State Prison, TX (#P40)

Curtis Easton, Southeast State Prison, IL (#P25)

Brent Fategoni, Rikers Island Prison, NY (#P28)

Brian Driggers, Snake River State Prison, OR (#P16)

Anita Winston (mother Ras Mosi, Evans of prisoner), DC (#P30) State Prison, SC (#P37)

Richard Seymour Jr., Auburn State Prison, NY (#P35)

Kevin Smith, Rikers Island Prison, NY (#P29)

Selvyn Tillett, Maryland State Prison (#P39)

Beautifully matted Prison Art Prints just $15 each Limited edition, numbered Prison Art Prints (11” by 17”) Only $15 each.

Also available framed (16” by 20”) for Only $25 each (reg. $40). All credit cards accepted Russ Luncsford, State Prison, IA (#P12)

Frederick Benjamin Thompson, South Woods State Prison, NJ (#P14)

John Grubb, State Prison, SC (#P20)

Ras Mosi, Evans State Prison, SC (#P19)

Lynda Baker, Scott State Prison, MI (#P2)

Brian Cole, Rivers Prison, Winton, NC (#P21)

Ronna Baer, Federal Prison, FL (#P4)

To order, call 202-393-1511, email Staff@PrisonsFoundation.org, or visit Prison Art Gallery, 1600 K Street NW, Suite 501, Washington, DC (entrance on 16th St)

Michael Jewell, Powledge State Prison, TX (#P27)

Ras Mosi, Evans State Prison, SC (#P36)

B.K. Nash, Brushy Mountain State Prison, TN (#P22)

Brian Cole, Rivers Prison, Winton, NC (#P5)

Ras Mosi, Evans State Prison, SC (#P18)

George Bozeman, State Prison, KY (#P34)

Ritchie Weatherspoon, Francisco Gonzales, Ionia State Prison, MI Arizona State Prison (#P1) (#P8)

Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, GA (#P32)

Sudan Paul Miller, Ionia State Prison, MI (#P11)

Tammy Williams, Federal Prison, WV (#P15)

Derrick Steilman, Washington State Prison (#P31)

Cannon Hubbard, Snake River State Prison, Oregon (P50)

David Schofield, Pack State Prison, TX (#P33)

Michael Jewell, Powledge State Prison, TX (#P10)

Carolyn Cosmos, DC Jail (#P6)

Tito Parra, El Paso County Jail, TX (#P38)

Brian Driggers, Snake River State Prison, Oregon (P51)

Larry Walker, Trenton State Prison, NJ (#P23)

Frederick Benjamin Thompson, South Woods State Prison, NJ (P49)

Larry Walker, Trenton State Prison, NJ (#P17)

Laura Crescio, Federal Prison, IL (#P7)

PRISON ARTIST ANTHONY DYE USES MUSTARD, COFFEE, CARDBOARD AND OTHER SCRAPS TO CREATE GREAT ART!

Anthony Curtis Dye, born in 1955, is incarcerated at Dooly State Prison, Georgia. Because of lack of art supplies, Anthony has had to be creative in the materials he uses. He draws and paints on paper bags and cardboard scraps with paints created from materials such as wax, instant coffee, white out, mustard, creamer and spinach. “Wish I had a brush,” he says.

SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET

by Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, Georgia; Mixed homemade media, 9” by 15”, Suggested donation $350 (MC179)

ATTENTION ARTISTS TRANQUILITY by Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, Georgia; Mixed homemade media, 8” by 12”, Suggested donation $180 (MC176)

A SPECIAL MOMENT IN TIME by Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, Georgia; Mixed homemade media, 11” by 14”, Suggested donation $280 (MC171)

ONE WOMAN’S INNER SELF by Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, Georgia; Mixed homemade media, 10” by 12”, Suggested donation $190 (MC175)

You can make a difference in the lives of struggling prison artists. Enroll in our FREE workshop to become an art mentor for prisoners in local jails. This FREE training will take place on a Saturday and could lead to both volunteer and paid positions in prisons.

Contact Staff@PrisonsFoundation.org or call 202-393-1511 Funded in part by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanites, an agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts

ENCROCHMENT by Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, Georgia; Mixed homemade media, 8” by 11 1/2”, Suggested donation $350 (MC173)

RIDING WITH DEATH by Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, Georgia; Mixed homemade media, 8” by 10”, Suggested donation $200 (MC174)

TRAVESTY WITH A HEART by Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, Georgia; Mixed homemade media, 12” by 10”, Suggested donation $250 (MC178)

MOUSE TRAP by Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, Georgia; Mixed homemade media, 12” by 15”, Suggested donation $400 (MC177)

BREAKING DAWN by Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, Georgia; Mixed homemade media, 15” by 13”, Suggested donation $220 (MC172)

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Street Sense . March 5 – 18, 2008

POETRY

39 (Perils of Naomi)

Listening with sympathy, I confess “I’ve had birthdays a lot like that.”

[Springtime predawn frozen in memory: I lay bruised and twisted beneath the stone bridge leading to Georgetown, a puzzle in my fuzzy head: “How did I get here?”]

Aftermath of a celebration: she approaches, freshly bruised, maple–colored hair fluttering stalely in cold morning wind.

She was 39 on the eleventh, three months my elder; on the morning of the twelfth, she awoke half naked in a grassy field hard – by the abandoned bowl of RFK, miles from home.

Wintry morning words outside a soup kitchen: “I’m not really a street drunk but I sometimes found myself with unremembered scars.”

On the morning on the twelfth she wears a borrowed trenchcoat to conceal her body – some of the guys at breakfast snicker and sneer: “I saw her sprawled on a grate, all her glory exposed to frigid air and carnal eyes.”

“How did I get there?” she wonders – suddenly found with no buttons on her blouse and a craving for a cigarette; she asked a stranger for directions to Constitution Avenue He asked “Where exactly are you trying to go?”

She replied “I’m going nowhere.”

At 39, she’s survived yet another gin–soaked night, bereft only of her buttons, sunglasses, and dignity.

Three months behind her, I listen to her woes with the empathetic ear of a kindred spirit.

The Calling As I sat in my room I heard a strange noise Someone calling me – I asked, who’s there?

And somebody replied It’s me, your mind We need to have a talk Why don’t you use me when you should?

To escape your imprisonment in that place you call ‘hood’ To go to college and computer school To become that person you dream about being at night The one with a nice job and a car and a wife Two pretty kids and a big old house With a two–car garage for you and your spouse These are all the things you can have If you just use me and stay on the right path.

— C., age 17, an inmate at DC Jail

— David Harris

10 FEATURES

Street Sense . March 5 – 18, 2008

About Town

By Patricia Jefferson

Donut Pleasure PHOTO COURTESY OF DUNKIN’ DONUTS

The original Dunkin’ Donuts shop in 1950, long before the new store on F Street, NW.

A

fter passing the Gallery Place subway station on 7th Street, NW, one pleasant morning, I stumbled on a banner that said, “Now Open.” My thought was geared toward another new restaurant in the area. But instead, when I gazed in the window, I was amazed at the shelves stocked with a variety of tempting doughnuts.

When I looked up, the name on the door stated “Dunkin’ Donuts.” The new store at 7th and F streets, NW, opened in this area in February. It is conveniently located next to the Verizon Center and the Gallery Place shopping area.

Dunkin’ Donuts has emerged as competition to Starbucks over the years. It started in 1946 when Bill Rosenberg founded a luncheon service company in Boston. Afterward, he opened his first coffee and doughnut shop called “Open Kettle.” Then, after that success, he opened his first store called Dunkin’ Donuts in 1950 in Quincy, Mass. The store has been serving an array of baked goods with different varieties for half a century, as well as bagels, breakfast sandwiches and coffee beverages.

The new store also offers oven–toasted sandwiches, including the traditional sausage and bacon breakfast sandwich.

I decided to try the new store, and on an early morning visit, was not able to try any of the oven–toasted breakfast sandwiches. However, I decided on a coffee roll after viewing the different varieties of doughnuts and pastries.

The coffee roll was fresh and light in taste and went well with coffee, of course. There is seating available for your comfort.

So, don’t forget about Dunkin’ Donuts. Stop by and get a doughnut to ease your shopping adventure.

Vendor Patricia Jefferson regularly writes about happenings around town.

What our REaders are Saying...

A Response to Moyo Onibuje’s “Motivating Myself” Mr. Onibuje: Thank you for your article (1/23/2008) and for your contribution to Street Sense. I agree strongly with your thoughts on self–motivation. Your article has reminded me of the ongoing importance of being constructively critical of one’s self and of one’s community as a whole.

Specifically regarding your thoughts on a discouraging environment, and the frustrations that come from a society that is capable of making you and those around you feel a sense of “worthlessness,” it occurred to me that those individuals who act callous in words or, worse yet, in physical abuse as you mention, are themselves severely lacking in the self–motivation to continue working at being a better person by treating all individuals in their community with due courtesy, understanding and respect.

Despite the immediate emotional, psychological, and physical conditions that surround us all at any given time – from the homeless to the disproportionately successful, one common struggle is to maintain the action of consciously trying to better ourselves, and to do so honestly. It is often easier just to ignore this impulse, but your article reminds us that the most rewarding way is often the one that requires the most effort.

I wish you much success in your continuing pursuits towards order, security and personal momentum, and I want you to know that for every person who treats the homeless with disdain or harshness, there are equal numbers of us in this city who are sincerely appalled by such behavior, and who, in the path of our own betterment, must find the courage and solidarity to speak out directly against such offenses.

Best regards, Bryan Keever Thanks to Jo Ann Jackson from an ANC Commissioner Dear Editor: On Jan. 3, I was elected to serve as ANC Commissioner for Single Member District 1B11. ANC stands for Advisory Neighborhood Commission, which is made up of volunteer, elected individuals representing the interests and concerns of about 2,000 citizens within a certain district (called Single Member Districts), to D.C. City Council and Mayor Adrian Fenty. There are 286 ANC commissioners working to serve the community across Washington, D.C. I owe a large portion of my successful campaign to Street Sense writer Jo Ann Jackson. The largest concentration of residents in my Single Member District reside in LeDroit Park and Kelly Miller apartments at 4th and W streets, NW. In order to be elected, I needed to bring my message to these residents and encourage them to vote for me on Jan. 3. Jo Ann, who lives in LeDroit Park, quietly listened to me, as I spoke to residents; I wouldn’t make any promises, but I assured everyone that nobody would work harder than me.

That message resonated with Jo Ann, and every time I turned around, there she was, handing out flyers, passing out food at Meet and Greets, knocking on doors to turn out the vote and encouraging voters to cast their ballots in support of my campaign. At the end of the day, I won a landslide victory, and Jo Ann Jackson is one of my most devoted and effective volunteers.

I am so grateful for her support, and honored to serve as the ANC Commissioner for 1B11.

Sincerely, Margot Hoerrner

Book rEVIEW

By Robert Trautman

Modern Day Slavery The mass taking of slaves ended with the banning of the Atlantic trafficking in humans nearly 200 years ago and, in the United States, legal slavery was abolished some 50 years later. But just making something illegal doesn’t necessarily end it.

Veteran antislaver Kevin Bales writes that even today, children are sent away into bondage to work 16 hours a day so we can have beautiful rugs in our homes, and women are sold or rented for sex.

In “Ending Slavery: How We Free Today’s Slaves” (University of California Press, 2007) Bales says, “Behind closed doors, in remote places and right under our noses, the slavery of some 27 million has continued, making people rich, feeding our lifestyles, and burning up our lives.”

But with positive economic trends worldwide and the growing acceptance of human rights, “if there ever was a tipping point when slavery could be brought to a full stop it is now,” he says.

Bales knows of what he speaks. He is president of Free the Slaves, the U.S. sister organization of Britain’s Anti–Slavery International and author of “Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy.”

People, by far children and young women, Bales writes, become slaves for money, money to support themselves and their families, but little or none of the money they earn goes into their own pockets. Instead, it lines the pockets of their holders.

The parents of a poor farmer are approached by a factory owner and told he has a job for one of the sons; the child will be cared for and will be able to send money home for food and medicine. Or a young rural woman is told of a well paying job in the city, which turns out to be that of a prostitute. They are ill treated and threatened with violence if they should try to run away. They become today’s slaves.

Bales writes that this is not just happening in the Third World, but in the First, as well. We have all heard of the young girls brought to Tokyo for its “entertainment” industry – read prostitution; of nationals brought to Washington to work in embassies but then virtually locked and stripped of their passports; and of Central Americans isolated in the farm fields of California and Florida.

But it is far worse in the Third World.

Bales says, “Almost everywhere you find slavery in the developing world you find police or government officials on the take or turning a blind eye.”

Slavery is being fought by his organization, but far more needs to be done to end this by promoting education, health and good government. These are long–term solutions, but for now, Bales calls for: • Publicizing the work of antislavery forces in the Third World, which are often persecuted or murdered.

Ending Slavery: How We Free Today’s Slaves

By Kevin Bales (University of California Press, 2007)

• Giving the antislavery forces the tools they need. Send money to the local antislavers to buy bicycles or Jeeps or cell phones so they can communicate and get around as quickly as the slavers. Don’t go there yourself or as a group, as you might to help the victims of Katrina. You yourself can’t fight a corrupt bureaucracy in Africa or Asia.

• Making developing nations aware of the extent of slavery in their countries, and helping them to write laws to fight it and the tools to prosecute it.

When a local liberator can turn to the police and point to a clear violation of antislavery law and when police know exactly how to enforce that law, “the flow of slaves to freedom will dramatically increase.”

• Training police in the developed countries to step up enforcement of their own antislavery laws as they have stepped up the prosecution of narcotic and computer crime. An estimated 17,000 people are trafficked into slavery in the United States every year.

• Finding how freed slaves have been affected by their captivity and then finding ways to treat them. There are treatment centers for victims of torture, but none for freed slaves.

Bales may be overly optimistic that his way to end slavery will succeed, but he comes to the cause with wide experience, and any solution to a seemingly intractable problem must begin with a dream.

He writes that none of these tasks is beyond us and notes that in 1776 few people envisioned the end of the slavery in the United States, but it came about less than a hundred years later.

Bales sees the end of slavery coming and quotes Martin Luther King Jr.when he was asked when equality might come: “How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.”

Street Sense . March 5 – 18, 2008

Copy Read Poor Sell Vendor Paper Street Sense Badge

Street Sense vendor Gregory Martin loves creating puzzles.

Simply find the following words in the grid below. The solution will be published in the next issue.

Customers Vest Mission Office Male Photos Female Poetry Homeless

Ideas News Poems Sale Income

Cryptogram Solve the message to discover a meaningful quote on poverty and homelessness.

“DBB VA TAA RL TRSARHA DF DHO SRSAHF MT D THDWTGRF RL FGAMJ BMLA, FGAJA MH JMZGAT RJ WREAJFO, MH NRO RJ KATWDMJ. THDWTGRFT

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WANTED Street Sense Board Members Street Sense is calling all qualified readers to consider joining the Street Sense board of directors. We are looking for people who have a passion for helping empower homeless individuals and who have innovative ideas to help our organization succeed.

All board members are unpaid and requirements include board meetings and work team meetings every other month, and about three to six hours of work outside the meetings each month.

We are looking for potential board members who are: • • • • • •

Attorneys Accountants Journalists Marketing Specialists Members of the Small Business Community Leaders at Nonprofits That Serve the Homeless

If you are interested, please send your resume and a cover letter explaining why you would be a great addition to the Street Sense board to board president Ted Henson at ted@streetsense.org

KRH’F TGRV FGA SMBBMRH KAZMTMRHT FGDF BAK FR FGDF SRSAHF.” – JMZGDJK UDZG Hint: A = E

February Solution: If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin. – Charles Darwin

Street Su-Do-Ku February Solution

Gregory’s Great Game

FEATURES & GAMES 11

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Street Sense . March 5 – 18, 2008

12 EDITORIALS

Are We Headed For Another Shipwreck?

By Jeffery McNeil

T

here are many reasons that people become homeless and poor. Some are due to obvious, self–in duced behaviors.

But there are also many social, political and psychological problems that lead to people becoming poor and homeless.

One of the reasons I believe we are all becoming poorer is outsourcing and globalization. I hope in this editorial I can show why our country is taking its eye off the ball to please the greed and lust of big corporations that pollute, take advantage of other countries by exploiting children and set up offshore accounts to avoid taxes, while the middle class and the poor are footing the bill.

I’m going to use examples of two famous shipwrecks: the Titanic and the Exxon Valdez.

Two examples of mismanagement, arrogance and the destruction of our environment, one at the cost of life, the other damage to our planet.

The idea of the Titanic began under the finance of J. P. Morgan under a trust of the International Mercantile Company, which at the time was trying to monopolize the shipping industry. The building of the Titanic began March 31, 1909, and the ship was launched two years later on March 31, 1911.

At the time of completion, the Titanic was considered a technological and modern achievement. The best and brightest at the time called it “unsinkable.”

At the time it was a shining example of safety with 20 lifeboats, though that was not enough room for all the passengers on board.

It had all the luxuries of opulence and magnificence, with the finest furniture, Turkish baths and a state–of–the–art swimming pool.

Commodore Edwin J. Smith commanded

the Titanic and was nicknamed “the millionaires’ captain.” Many of the wealthy who traveled on these liners felt confident when he commanded, despite having two accidents with his last ship, the Olympic, and costing the White Star Line undisclosed amounts of money.

The Titanic first arrived in France to pick up first-class passengers; then it went to Ireland to pick up third-class. They sailed out to the Atlantic for their maiden voyage to New York.

On April 14, 1912, the ship struck an iceberg, and three hours later it sank deep into the frigid waters of the Atlantic. After a government investigation, many told about how few lifeboats there were and how the middleand third-class were left to sink while the wealthy tried to save themselves.

While Commodore Smith wasn’t paying attention on the Titanic, the captain of the Exxon Valdez was driving under the influence.

In spite of the havoc he caused, he was fined only $50,000 and 1,000 hours of community

service.

This disaster began March 24, 1989, when a harbor pilot guided the Valdez from the Valdez Alaska oil terminal. Capt. Joseph Haywood, who admitted to having two or three vodkas, allowed his third mate to steer the ship while he retired with orders to return at a later time. But at 12:04 a.m., the Valdez struck a reef and spilled 11 million gallons of oil and caused one of the worst ecological disasters in history.

The reason I cite these two disasters is because they show that nothing changes but the time. The first case was arrogance between those at the top and their lack of concern for those in the middle, the bottom and the boiler room. The other case was one of drinking and delegating responsibility to others’ lack of experience. The ultimate price was paid by the everyday people who were trying to work, raise families and put food on the table.

Jeffery McNeil regularly puts on a suit to sell Street Sense.

A Yuppie’s Story: Our Shame, Their Pain

By Joan Dawson

S

ince returning to D.C., I’ve felt very nostalgic for the city I once fell in love with and lived in for five years.

In fact, it felt quite like a second honeymoon when I returned. My overwhelming feelings for this city are positive – its majestic monuments, its ornately detailed architecture, its quaint neighborhoods. However, one issue in particular bothers me – its large homeless population.

Now, by all accounts, I look like a yuppie. I am a well–educated white woman. And while I come from a working-class background – dad delivered beer and mom worked in a factory – most people (whether I am employed or not) consider me middle–class. So, as I meander the streets of D.C., I have pangs of guilt as we yuppies – often young, white and working in offices – bypass, with barely an acknowledgement, the homeless population – often middle-aged, black and working to stay warm.

One of the reasons I left D.C. in 2002 was that my landlord raised my rent by $600, all at once. My neighborhood was being gentrified.

I sadly said goodbye to my city.

Having returned some five years later, I experienced “sticker shock” at the cost of rent.

Voice, from page 1 the drugs they bought with the money I gave them; it was a cycle sustained by sick people with street lifestyles.

At first, I thought I could control my drug use, but you cannot manage addiction. I could not satisfy my habit with the income from my job and selling drugs, so I started getting money by shoplifting, robbing and stealing. Soon, I would take any risk to get my fix.

I learned about more than just drugs from my dad’s family; I also learned about how to

I now live further from the downtown area.

One block to the west sit gorgeous homes and a few blocks to the east are thrift shops, dollar stores and not a few shady characters.

I like my neighborhood. But as an unemployed “yuppie,” it can be extremely hard to hold your head above water. Rents are high, transportation just went up, and food is expensive.

So what do people with fewer resources do?

The No. 1 cause of homelessness in the U.S. is the lack of affordable housing. From my brief foray into real estate, I found that one–bedroom condos start at $200,000. No wonder people are homeless!

But I wanted to learn more. I called the National Coalition for the Homeless and talked to the director, Michael Stoops. What are the causes of death of the homeless, I asked. He told me that it was extremely dangerous to live outside. He told me they often die of natural causes, murder, suicide and hypothermia. And while most Americans can expect to live to about 77 years old, homeless people will only survive to about 50.

Mr. Stoops told me that 41% of the homeless in D.C. are families and the rest, the ma-

jority, are single. While many of the homeless are aging, like the rest of society, 25% are under 18 years old. Women and children are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. Up to 50% of these women left their homes to escape domestic violence.

We spend about $60 billion a year in the United States to house and feed prisoners, people who have raped and murdered and who knows what else, and yet we can’t provide housing and food for women escaping domestic violence or veterans fighting the cold. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development spent roughly half that amount – $33.6 billion – for homeless programs last year.

We deprive citizens of their basic human rights: shelter, food, health care and basic necessities. More disturbingly, we deprive them of something that is absolutely free … their dignity.

Sometimes I think we fool ourselves. We believe that if we don’t look at homeless people, we won’t have to think about them. We tell ourselves that they have gotten themselves into this situation and if they work diligently enough, they can get themselves out of it.

We think they have drug or alcohol prob-

lems. Maybe they do. We think if we give them money, they will buy booze. No matter if we buy a round of drinks for our friends or overlook our buddy’s drinking problem. Somehow, giving a homeless person some change will make us feel guilty of contributing to their demise.

Instead of having these internal dialogues, we should start conversing with homeless people. We should at least smile or nod at them in acknowledgement when we pass them. But I think we should do more than that.

As yuppies, we often yield power. We should ask our politicians why we spend so much money housing prisoners and fighting wars and can so shamelessly forget about those who’ve lost their homes – not because of natural disasters but because of manmade ones.

Until we start acknowledging this problem and doing something productive about affordable housing, we will live in stark contrast as those– with–homes versus those–without– homes, sharing the same planet but not the same resources, and calling ourselves citizens of the same country, but not reaping the same benefits of such citizenship.

treat people, especially women. My dad and his brothers did not treat women with respect.

They used and abused them. They all had multiple women, some with more than three pregnant girlfriends at one time. So, I did the same.

They cheated on each other — the brothers and their girlfriends. When I watched them mistreat women, I would do the same. I did not care about anyone’s feelings because I was too busy seeking out the pleasures of drugs and sex.

On the street you meet all kinds of women.

Some women try to see how far they can push you, hitting you and yelling at you. It seems like some women like to be hit, perhaps because they need love and will take it any way they can get it.

As I got older, I started thinking about my mom and sister and my behavior changed. I realized that I did not want them to get hurt, so I should not hit and cheat on women.

However, even when I try to have a monogamous relationship with one woman, she cheats on me. Some girlfriends hit me — not just one time, but many times — but I always try not to

respond with violence; I just let them hit me without doing anything in response. The only way I have found to deal with the violence and anger of street life is that when I see someone getting angry, I try to remove myself from the situation.

Sometimes you go through hard stuff and come out on top, but it takes a long time to find a different way, especially on the street. I used drugs until I was 57 years old, but now I have been clean for a year.

See Voice, page 13

Street Sense . March 5 – 18, 2008

EDITORIALS 13

MAURICE SPEAKS

By Maurice King

Part III: The Mills Family

Pre–Election Banter

By Jo Ann Jackson

he developments in the primaries seem to be indicating that the candidates for the upcoming elections will be Barack Obama and John McCain, unless some major reversal happens in the interim. As usual, I have to ask the question: do the homeless stand to benefit from either candidate being elected to office?

If not, there’s no great reason to get excited about the election.

Let’s face it: the homeless go unrepresented in government. No homeless candidate can run for office because homeless people cannot amass the wealth needed to fund a campaign. The most the homeless can hope for is a sympathetic ear. For years there has not been a sympathetic ear in the White House for the homeless; when people speak of a desire for change, the homeless wish for change to a much greater extent than the rest of the population, because in truth, there should be no homelessness in the United States, a country with enough wealth and resources to eradicate the problem.

The greatest cause of homelessness was, is and will continue to be a lack of affordable housing. Unemployment is not the main reason; homeless shelters are heavily populated with persons who hold jobs but who still cannot afford to maintain housing on their own because of the exorbitant cost.

With rental housing slowly disappearing and condominium buildings being erected everywhere, the problem seems to show little chance of going away in the near future unless somebody intervenes. That somebody will most likely have to be government, the body that allegedly protects the public’s welfare. It is hard to imagine a solution coming from any other source unless there are private individuals and/or organizations that operate according to an unusual degree of altruism that is exceedingly rare. Even a solution from government would not appear quickly; it has not appeared so far even though the need for it has long been recognized.

Some people will say, “What do you expect? Do you want everything handed to you on a silver platter?” Such a remark is ridiculous and exaggerated, and anyone asking such a question cannot be taken seriously.

However, my point is that there really is no excuse for homelessness in the United States. The current presidential candidates have not addressed the problem and may continue to ignore it even beyond the election in November. In the meantime, we can only wait and see. There are certainly more enjoyable activities than marking time for seven months, but we have little choice in the matter.

It is worth noting that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama began launching populist campaigns as soon as John Edwards dropped out of the race. The reason for their doing so was probably less a shift of policy than political maneuvers in the hopes of gaining the support base that John Edwards had commanded.

John Edwards was the only candidate who had made a plan for dealing with poverty a part of his campaign from the outset.

If Clinton and Obama thought of including such plans only later on, it seems that relating to the problem of poverty was not a high priority topic for either of them.

Then again, it’s hard to expect presidential candidates to understand fully the problems of the poor when one remembers how many millions of dollars they have to acquire in order to be elected to office. As much as Americans talk of everyone being created equal, we still seem to honor a class system that insulates our elected officials from knowing firsthand the difficulties that persons of lower income brackets deal with on a daily basis.

Such a situation almost ensures a government that will probably find it difficult to represent low to average income people. Another government for the wealthy we don’t need.

R

eaders, please f o rg i ve m e. I was so excited about talking about my time in junior high and high school that I forgot to mention two people who are very special to me. They are Peanut’s parents, Edna and Jaywell Mills. These two people were loving, caring and kind. When God made them he had to use a special formula.

I used to pray that one day Edna Mills would give me hugs like she did her own children. I wanted her attention so bad that I used to sit on my front porch until she came home. She was so beautiful in her sparkling white nurse’s uniform. I would wait for her to wave to me as she passed my home. I wanted that hug and I was going to get it no matter what it took.

I wasn’t supposed to leave my porch unless I was given permission. This particular day I didn’t care, because when Ms. Mills turned the corner I ran off my porch to meet her. When I got close enough I just started hugging her. Ms. Mills looked at me, smiled, and gave me what I had wanted so bad – a great big hug and a kiss on my forehead.

Ms. Mills asked, “Did you get permission to leave your porch?”

“No ma’am.” I didn’t know my uncle was standing at the door.

Ms. Mills said, “Good evening,” and Dumb–Dumb Uncle bowed his head.

“I hope she won’t get in trouble.”

“No, she just has her chores and homework to do.”

The lying skinny dog. I always did my homework and chores before I went outside.

“Tell Ms. Mills you’ll talk to her later, Aunt Fannie needs you.” Another big lie, because Aunt Fannie was asleep.

When she let my head go, I just wanted to tell her what was happening to me, but I was too scared.

Upon going in the house, he said, “Go in the basement,” and I started crying, because I knew what he was going to do.

It’s time for me to move along, because I can feel tears building up.

I started Roosevelt High in 1961, and as I said earlier, I was one of the first African Americans to integrate Roosevelt.

Everything was difficult but exciting. I loved English and biology. These were my favorite subjects and I got A’s straight through.

Gym was horrible, because when we took our showers everyone except me wore bras and fancy underwear. I didn’t wear a bra because I didn’t have anything to put in one. The only thing I had going for me was long, pretty

Voice, from page 12 I thought I was going to die a drug addict, but finally I have been able to find a better way to live. For many, many years, I thought that doing drugs was “my business,” but I finally learned that when you use drugs, you hurt other people, especially your family members. I went through multiple drug treatment programs, but they did not stop my habit.

I am not sure exactly why I stopped using. I think I was tired of being tired from using drugs. All the treatment programs and doctors in the world do not work unless a person

hair. The girls would look at me, point and start laughing. It’s a good thing that lunch was after gym because I wouldn’t undress and shower until everyone left.

A few days later I had a plan. Before going to school the third day, I borrowed a training bra from a friend and stuffed it with toilet tissue. Everyone was looking, including my homeroom teacher. I always took the attendance cards to the office.

When my homeroom teacher called me up to the desk, she said, “Let’s go in the hall.” When we were outside of the classroom, my teacher looked at me and smiled.

“Jo Ann, go to the restroom and take whatever you have on off, because breasts don’t grow in three days and neither do they grow slanted.”

I was so embarrassed that I wished I could have faded away.

When I went back to class, one of the students said, “I told you that she was weird, she had a chest and now it’s flat.”

That day was very humiliating for me. I cried all the way home. I just wanted to be like everyone else.

I was slow in developing. The only thing I had going for me was my long, pretty hair, and brains. Other than those two, I was lost. Then I noticed something about me that I didn’t like. I was becoming very mean and nasty, especially if they teased me.

I would say things to students like, “If you were ugly like I am, you’d have brains and get A’s and B’s instead of C’s and D’s. The only award that you receive is the one for having so many D’s, and that stands for ‘dumb.’”

Then I apologized for what I said. “If you would like some help I’ll be more than glad. We can study in the library on our free period if you want.”

During my free period I went to the library, still afraid because I felt no one would show up and they would make fun of me instead. After sitting in the library for five minutes, I was getting ready to leave with a broken heart and tears streaming down my face. When I stood up to leave, a young lady and two guys said, “You’re going to leave? You promised to tutor us.”

All I could do was hold my mouth and eyes open in shock.

The three students that I worked with began to improve. Even the teacher could see the change.

We had a test about two weeks later, and the English teacher made this statement, “I was in shock when I corrected these papers. I see three of my students whom I didn’t think would make it got all B’s. I don’t know what you did, but keep it up. You’re even answering questions and that’s something new.”

“Shirley, please stand up. You’re really studying at home like I asked. See how that helps? Jo Ann, you trying to get my job at such an early age?”

“No, I just like to help.”

Find out what happens just because I helped my classmates. To be continued…

Jo Ann Jackson is a Street Sense vendor and proud grandmother.. has made an individual decision to change.

I have learned that even though I have been clean for a year, the battle has just begun. I am still around people who are caught up in the game of street life. They are my family, my friends. It is hard because they are all waiting for me to fall again; they are betting on me to fall.

But I have finally learned to listen to the voice inside myself, the voice that wants to live a clean life.

Freddie Smith has worked at the DC Central Kitchen for nine months as a kitchen production staff member. Kelly Cooper helped Freddie tell his story.

T

Maurice King has been writing for Street Sense since January 2004 and is in the process of publishing his own book. E–mail him at benadam@cyberdude.com.

Street Sense . March 5 – 18, 2008

14 STREET SENSE NEWS

VendorNotes In Memoriam: Matesha Thompson

rap and oldies music. She had the following advice for anyone who was homeless: “To get off the street takes time. If you continue to do what you’re supposed to do, you will be successful.”

rect, the voice-over was not changed at all so it said we are only two years old (and not four) and indicated Osuri was the only staff member when there are now three people on staff.

Matesha will be missed by her family at Street Sense but we are grateful to know she is finally at peace.

Still, it was great to get the publicity again, with no effort on our end, and all the vendors were certainly excited and surprised by their lastminute television appearance.

Street Sense on NBC4 – Again

Matesha Thompson Matesha Thompson, a former vendor for Street Sense, passed away in November after a long battle with cancer.

Matesha, 34, was known for her upbeat attitude and bright smile, and the great friendship between her and vendor Muriel Dixon.

She was diagnosed with cancer two years ago and went through several forms of treatment, and was bound to a wheelchair for nearly a year. Prior to battling cancer, she studied culinary arts, worked in childcare and then worked as a certified nursing assistant at a senior center for several years.

Street Sense interviewed Matesha on the back page of its Feb. 15, 2007, issue, available online at www.streetsense.org/archives.jsp.

In the interview, Matesha said she loved anything by Maya Angelou and loved listening to jazz, R&B,

From the Vendor Manager

By Street Sense staff

In case you missed it, Street Sense was on NBC4’s 5 p.m. news broadcast on Feb. 27 in a twominute segment called “What’s WorkPhillip Howard ing.” The segment featured executive director Laura Thompson Osuri and veteran vendors Conrad Cheek Jr. and Phillip Howard and showed how the paper was working to get homeless men and women off the streets.

In case you missed the broadcast, you can view it at: http://video.nbc4.com/player/ ?id=223449#videoid=223449 Vendor Sales: February Jeffery McNeil......................1,256 Mark Jones...........................1,161 Conrad Cheek Jr.....................936 James Davis............................613 Moyo Onibuje.........................599 Bobby G. Buggs......................576 Leonard Cannady...................565 Carlton Johnson.....................538 Lawless Watson......................485

And for all those longtime readers who are thinking this sounds familiar – you’re right! This segment was actually a repeat of a segment NBC4 did on Street Sense nearly two years ago.

While all the basic facts are cor-

Top vendor Jeffery McNeil

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Order a subscription today.

Not only will you receive 26 issues packed with all our latest news, poetry and photography, you will also help raise awareness about poverty in the D.C. area. ___ YES! I want to subscribe to Street Sense for just $40 a year for 26 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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Thanks for your support!

My Mission at Street Sense

By Rita Renee Brunson

A

lthough we sometimes trip over them as they sleep in doorways, or try to ignore them when they hit us up for spare change, homeless residents are mostly invisible, unnoticed and unseen. I want to help people understand how they ended up on the streets, and why they deserve our attention and possibly, a helping hand.

Homelessness is one of our nation’s most serious social problems. While it is often the result of interwoven systemic and personal problems, the primary cause of homelessness among families is the growing gap between housing costs and income. The emergency shelter system is able to accommodate only a small fraction of the growing number of homeless in need. Individuals are forced to live in their cars, in garages, in other places unfit for human habitation or to move from place to place with their children, staying intermittently with friends and families. Even a short period of homelessness can lead to depression, mental illness and child neglect, yet increasing numbers of individuals are homeless for months and sometimes years. Emergency shelters are unable to provide the intensive long-term assistance that homeless require in order to stabilize their lives.

People who stay in shelters or on the street become invisible to others and often lose hope and their sense of self-worth. Street Sense wants to promote the voices of the homeless so that their lives and experiences have meaning and value to the general public. Our goal is to increase understanding, to bridge the gap and build relationships between those who have few choices and those who have many choices.

All of us need others to inspire, invigorate, and challenge us to live more fully in this life or perhaps to make a difference in the world. My mission is to end homelessness through Street Sense.

Rita Renee Brunson, the new vendor manager, taught high school special education in Montgomery County for three years.

Help Wanted

Help the Homeless Through Advertising Sales Job Title: Street Sense Advertising Director Responsibility: • Generates ad sales, focusing on local and nonprofit accounts • Manages accounts receivable for advertisers • Works closely with publisher to understand which features can be sold.

Requirements: • Minimum of two years of sales experience, advertising sales is a definite plus • Excellent verbal and written communication skills with strong negotiating ability • Ability to organize and manage many different projects and information • Understanding of online advertising a plus.

Benefits: Flexible hours, great location (we are located at Metro Center), and the most rewarding advertising sales experience you will ever have. Salary will be mid-$20,000s to lower $30,000s, plus competitive compensation and the option for health care benefits.

To apply: Please forward resume and cover letter to Laura Thompson Osuri at laura@streetsense.org. Call 202-347-2006 with any questions.

FEATURES 15 SERVICE PROVIDERS & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Street Sense . March 5 – 18, 2008

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 Miriam’s Kitchen 2401 Virginia Avenue, NW (202) 452-8926 www.miriamskitchen.org The Welcome Table Church of the Epiphany 1317 G Street, NW (202) 347-2635 http://www.epiphanydc.org/ministry/ welcometbl.htm

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

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 Community 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 Green Door (202) 464-9200 1221 Taylor Street NW www.greendoor.org housing, job training, supportive mental health services 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

Shelter Hotline: 1-800-535-7252

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

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Bright Beginnings Inc. 128 M Street NW, Suite 150 Washington DC 20001 (202) 842-9090 www.brightbeginningsinc.org Child care, family services 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. 1526 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE (202) 544-9126 www.jobshavepriority.org training 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 Wash. Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U Street, NW (202) 328-5500 www.legalclinic.org legal services

MARYLAND SHELTER Comm. Ministry of Montgomery Co. 114 W. Montgomery Avenue, Rockville (301) 762-8682 www.communityministrymc.org The Samaritan Group P.O. Box 934, Chestertown (443) 480-3564 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 Mission of Love 6180 Old Central Avenue Capitol Heights (301)333-4440 www.molinc.org life skills classes, clothing, housewares Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless 600-B East Gude Drive, Rockville (301) 217-0314 www.mcch.net emergency shelter, transitional housing, and supportiveservices

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

FOOD Alive, Inc. 2723 King Street, Alexandria (703) 836-2723 www.alive-inc.org Our Daily Bread 10777 Main Street, Ste. 320, Fairfax (703) 273-8829 www.our-daily-bread.org

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

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Abundant Life Christian Outreach, 5154 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria (703) 823-4100 www.anchor-of-hope.net food, clothing, youth development, and medicines David’s Place Day Shelter 930 North Henry Street, Alexandria (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

Street Sense . March 5 – 18, 2008

PHOTO FINISH

Sunset Dreams

By Jerry W Street Sense vendor

Vendor Jerry W. caught this magnificent sunset at Freindship Heights. He knows the Washington area well, and as this picture shows, has an eye for beauty. Jerry told Street Sense, “In my photos, I like to remember serene things. For me, this sunset was comforting. And the park where I took it is something else.”

VENDOR PROFILE

Gregory Martin

By Jessica Elliott Gregory Martin was born in 1957 in Washington, D.C., where he lived with his parents and seven siblings. He graduated from Phelps High School where he was involved in track and field. His proudest accomplishments from track and field include second place at a cross country meet.

After graduating from high school, Gregory decided he needed a change, so he joined the Air Force, where he stayed for the next three years.

After gaining experience in the military, he left to pursue a full-time job with the government. For the next several years Gregory worked as a public affairs specialist, and later went on to work for a private company doing administrative work.

Gregory has been married for 28 years but is now separated from his wife. He says, “There are two sides to every story, but I’m in this situation and I am going to make the best of it.”

He and his wife had three children, a son and two daughters. Unfortunately, Gregory lost his son to meningitis at the young age of 16. Gregory has been through many struggles in his life, but has found inspiration in his four granddaughters.

As far as being homeless, Gregory says, “It is a problem everyone needs to take hold of. Some people choose to be homeless, and others fall into it. You just have to have faith.”

At this point in his life, Gregory is looking to reconcile with his wife and get a full-time job in customer service.

How did you become homeless?

When my wife and I separated, I fell into deep depression.

Why do you sell Street Sense?

It betters my morale and gives me a way to earn some money.

StreetFact

Where do you see yourself five years from now?

I see myself back together with my family on vacation in Disney World. I also see myself owning my own giftware business.

One in three D.C.-area adults is functionally illiterate, far higher than the national average of 14%.

See story on page 4.

Your favorite music?

Contemporary pop: Stevie Wonder.

Your favorite food?

Spaghetti and meatballs Your favorite movies?

The Wizard of Oz (the original) and The Matrix.

Most inspirational person?

Martin Luther King Jr.

Source: State of Adult Literacy Report, STATE EDUCATION AGENCY

March 5 – March 18, 2007 • Volume 5 • Issue 9

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

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

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

Remember Street Sense comes out every other Wednesday.

Look for the next issue March 19.