03 15 2007

Author Steven H. Miles on Torture, Medical Complicity and the War on Terror, page 6

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Volume 4, Issue 7

www.streetsense.org

Homeless Hate Crimes Bill Passes Md. Senate

Street VOICES

Veterans in Shelters All Too Familiar With Neglect

By Jen Pearl

By David Pirtle

O

Health Care for The Homeless

Maryland is poised to be the first state to enact hate crime legislation protecting homeless people and their property, pending passage of legislation in the Maryland House of Delegates and signing by Governor Martin O’Malley.

On March 6, Maryland’s senate overwhelmingly passed a bill that expands protected classes of people to include homeless people among groups protected on the basis of race, color, religious beliefs, sexual orientation and nation of origin.

Senator Alex Mooney (R–District 3) introduced the bill after seeing footage of a homeless person in Florida being beaten by teenagers with baseball bats, said Michael Hough, Mooney’s legislative aide.

“We did some research and saw that it was a problem in more states,” Hough said. “There were even a couple cases in Maryland and Baltimore a few years ago.”

Reported incidents of attacks against homeless men and women across the country have reached their highest level in years, according to a recent report by the National Coalition for the Homeless(NCH).

The report details 142 violent crimes

Homeless individuals and advocates gathered at the Maryland State House in Annapolis in late February to petition for several bills that will help the state’s poor and homeless, including the hate crimes bill.

nationwide against homeless individuals in the past year; that is the highest number of incidents since NCH’s annual study began in 1999 and represents a 65% increase from last year.

“It is NCH’s position that many of these acts should be considered

hate crimes,” said Michael Stoops, the executive director of NCH, who is also a Street Sense board member.

“Crimes against homeless people are motivated by the same intolerance as hate crimes against people of a certain religious, racial or ethnic background.”

Recent violence against homeless people in Maryland included three fatal beatings in 2001 of homeless men in Baltimore, according to NCH. A group of teenagers was charged in the string of homicides.

See

ver the last few weeks I’ve heard a great number of news stories describing the deplorable conditions that veterans of the war in Iraq have had to endure while being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, including mold, rats, roaches, and substandard medical care.

But while most of the nation found these revelations shocking, for me it was simply deja vu.

The District is home to an estimated 2,400 homeless veterans, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. As a long-term resident of Franklin Shelter in downtown D.C., I shared a dorm with a number of them who continue to live in conditions that mirror or

Hate, page 4

Police Response to Mentally Ill Waiting to Improve

By Diane Rusignola

as teams are already in place and working in Baltimore and Montgomery County.

The Crisis Intervention Team program in D.C. would not involve hiring new officers, but rather training current police throughout the city. According to the Police Complaints Board, an independent police oversight committee appointed by the District government, trained officers would have the “expertise to deescalate a mental health crisis and quickly connect individuals in crisis to appropriate treatment.”

The idea for such training came in response to citizen complaints about interactions between people living with mental illness and D.C. police. The Police Complaints Board estimates that 7% of calls responded to by the Metropolitan Police Department on an annual basis involve a person with mental illness. In certain cases, people demonstrating behavior stemming from or symptomatic of mental illness have been arrested or subject-

See

Mental, page 5

Michael Brooks

Advocates and government officials have been trying for months to work with the Metropolitan Police Department to establish a Crisis Intervention Team in D.C. in order to improve police responses to mentally ill people.

But since listening to the initial recommendation in September 2006, the District government has taken no action on the proposal.

“Being the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., should be a leader

in protecting our most vulnerable citizens – those living with mental illness,” said Michael Fitzpatrick, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “Until we have adequate mental health care in this country, people living with severe mental illness will continue to populate our nation’s jails unless we train police officers to recognize the signs of mental illness.”

The National Alliance on Mental Illness, located in Arlington, endorses the creation of the Crisis Intervention Team, especially

Ed is just one of D.C.’s many homeless veterans facing Walter Reed-style neglected conditions in the shelters.

See Veterans, page 13

LOCAL

EDITORIALS

HUD reports the first-ever analysis of the homeless population demographics, nationwide, page 5

A take on the Showtime T.V. show, we ask the homeless in D.C. what they would do with $100,000, page 13

Donations Meters and More

HELPFUL HINTS

VENDOR NOTES

From donation parking meters in Denver to a top-of-theline shelter in Hawaii, a round-up of poverty news across the country, page 7

Tips from area homeless on how to get the dirt out without your own washer, page 10

College students are getting a taste of the vendor life and learning how to sell Street Sense for a day, page 14

Inside This Issue NATIONAL

New Homeless Assessment

How Do the Homeless Clean Their Clothes?

Reversal of Fortune: $100,000

Student Vendors Come to Town

Street Sense . March 16-31, 2007

ALL ABOUT US

Our Mission

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

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

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Laura Thompson Osuri VENDOR MANAGER Jesse Smith Jr. SENIOR EDITOR Ted Henson ASSOCIATE EDITOR David S. Hammond INTERN Rae Borsetti VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Larry Allen, Robert Basler, Katherine Boyle, Michelle Bundy, Cliff Carle, Conrad Cheek Jr., Rick Dahnke, Carolyn Daley, Eric Doherty, Harvey Droke, Michelle Gaudet, Jake Geissinger, Genevive Gill, Cassie Good, Joanne Goodwin, David Harris, Annie Hill, Dan Horner, Jennifer Jett, Jo Knight, Karin Lee, Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson, Jessi LeGarde, August Mallory, Rita Marjandaro, Claire Markgraf, Mandy McAnally, Jill Merselis, Sarah Miller, Tessa Moran, Sean O’Conner, Mike O’Neill, Amy Orndorff, Swinitha Osuri, Jen Pearl, David Pike, David Pirtle, Nathaniel Reynolds, Dian Rusignola, Chris Sellman, Jennifer Singleton, Patty Smith, Robert Trautman, Francine Triplett, Adosh Unni, Linda Wang, Lawless Watson, Marian Wiseman, Corrine Yu VENDORS Willie Alexander, Michael Anderson, Jake Ashford, Tommy Bennett, Corey Bridges, Bobby Buggs, Cliff Carle, Alice Carter, Conrad Cheek Jr., James Coleman, Anthony Crawford, Gina Corrington, Louise Davenport, Yllama Davenport, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Michael Douglas, Don Gardner, David Harris, John Harrison, Donna Rae Hendricks, Patricia Henry, Michael Higgs, Phillip Howard, Agula Hunter, Patricia Jefferson, Allen Jones, Devon Jones, Mark Jones, Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson, Lee Mayse, Jennifer McLaughlin, Michelle McCullough, Charles Nelson, Larry Olds, Ricky Pearson, Kevin Robinson, Chris Sellman, Gerald Smith, Patty Smith, Steve Stone, Matesha Thompson, Francine Triplett, Amia Walker, Martin Walker, Lawless Watson, Wendell Williams, Ivory Wilson

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.

We are proud members of:

Our Editorial Policy

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

North American Street Newspaper Association

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

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

March 1st to 15th Donors Adrienne Fields Anonymous Michelle Bundy Kristen Norden Barbara Basler Michael Mavretic Jennifer & Anthony Park C. Michael Lewis

Thank You!

greatly expanded its circulation and vendor network.

For the first year, Street Sense operated as a project of the National Coalition for the Homeless, but in October 2004, the organization incorporated and moved into its own office space. In March 2005, Street Sense received 501(c)3 status, becoming an independent nonprofit organization.

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

A year later, in November 2006, the organization hired its first vendor coordinator.

In February 2007, the paper started publishing twice a month, as the network of vendors expanded to more than 50 homeless men and women.

CLarification The Article “Gay Youth’s More At Risk of Homelessness” on the front page of the Feb. 15, 2007 issue of Street Sense, mistakenly said that “Covenant House does not offer any specific services to the LGBT population.” This was due to incorrection information given by a Covenant House staff person.

Covenant House does work closely with SMYAL, Different Avenues, Metro Teen Aids and other organizations to address issues specific to LGBT teens.

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, please contact Laura Thompson Osuri at 202-347-2006.

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

(1317 G Street, NW - near Metro Center)

OUR NEXT EDITORIAL MEETING:

Wednesday, April 11 at 6:00 p.m. at our office (1317 G Street, NW - near Metro Center)

Street Sense . March 16-31, 2007

PROFILE

Provider Profile

Consumer Action Network: Empowering the Mentally Ill

By Larry Allen

Like many cities around the country, the District of Columbia struggles to maintain quality provider care for consumers of mental health services. Thousands of mentally ill people often go without proper treatment, and many don’t even realize what is available to them.

In early 2003, Effie Smith and Mary Blake decided to do something about it.

Smith was an experienced advocate, working to help the District of Columbia implement the 1974 court ruling in Dixon et al. v. Williams, which called for care to be administered in the least restrictive setting possible. Smith wanted to see the whole individual cared for, and for recovery to be a part of the process.

Blake had direct experience with providers in D.C. She knew the areas that needed improving and what was important for individuals to reach their goal of recovery. Together, they decided to form the Consumer Action Network (CAN).

“We bid on our first contract before we had any funding,” recalled Blake.

“And we got it!” Smith adds.

CAN started and still exists today as a peer advisory group that facilitates the voices of actual mentally ill consumers, as opposed to speaking for them, and getting consumers in touch with the services that are available. CAN also calls its clients ‘rights specialists.’

The principles of CAN are based around having mental health consumers speak for themselves and empowering them in their own recovery. CAN believes that when people are given the right resources and understand their responsibility, they can move forward at their own pace. Blake and Smith strive to provide exactly what their clients need because

they believe that “the standard services aren’t meeting them where they are.”

Though some providers were initially wary, Blake says they now see CAN as “honest brokers and very knowledgeable.”

CAN feels that housing presents the biggest problem. Many housing programs call for the participants to have resolved issues before moving in. “They don’t understand that housing is vital to recovery,” Blake says.

Another problem comes from consumers themselves. Blake says of new clients, “Some people are afraid that if they start to get better, they will lose their safety net.”

If consumers move out of the system and then find themselves in need again, they have to go to the back of the line.

CAN advocates for a gradual system, where people are continually supported until they are standing completely on their own.

CAN points to a client named Willie to illustrate the sort of service they provide, and the sort of success they frequently see. Willie had spent time in prison, had a history of substance abuse, and experienced frequent seizures. He was in and out of the Community for Creative Non-Violence’s shelter and when Willie did get into a housing program, the provider ignored doctor’s orders regarding his seizures and moved him to an upper-floor apartment. Later, he was moved into an area notorious for substance abuse.

CAN helped Willie file a formal complaint about his housing situation and work with his provider to get care customized to his needs. Willie became interested in advocacy work, and contributed to panels with his vast knowledge of the system, helping to promote a better standard of care for everyone in the D.C. area.

If Blake and Smith had to give a wish list for their organization it would be that they could take part in a quality assur-

ance task force for the Department of Mental Health, and that barriers could come down that prevent consumers from being heard. Blake said, “Our agenda here is for the consumer to have a say.” There is hope for D.C.’s mental health care, and it is in collaborations fostered by groups like CAN. Later this spring, the Consumer Action Network is hoping to launch an emerging entrepreneur project geared toward promoting individuals starting small businesses.

The organization is also hoping to launch a full volunteer program in the fall. Until then they are accepting volunteers for special projects, and are open to phone calls 24 hours a day.

You can reach CAN via phone at 1-866-314-9226, or (202) 842-0001.

We

care.

We

help.

We

heal.

Quality Primary Care Services for D.C. Medically Underserved and homeless Individuals……

For information on medical services in homeless shelters call 202-255-3469. For an appointment at any of our community health centers call 1-866-388-6489

We want to help. We want to help you.

Donate to Street Sense My Information

I will donate:

Name:_______________________________________________________ Address:_____________________________________________________ City/State/Zip:_______________________________________________ Phone:_______________________E-mail:_________________________ Please make checks payable to Street Sense Street Sense is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible.

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

You can also donate online at www.streetsense.org

___ $50 for two vendor awards each month ___ $70 for one restaurant review ___ $100 for postage each month ___ $200 for the vests of 15 new vendors ___ $500 for monthly rent and insurance ___ $1,200 for the printing of one issue ___ Another amount of $_______ ___ Another amount of $_______ for vendor: ________________

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

* Shredder for office

* Bottled water to hand out to vendors

* Laptop computers with at least Windows 2000

* Hats, gloves and warm socks for vendors

and 10 GB of storage space

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

LOCAL NEWS

Street Sense . March 16-31, 2007

Hate, from p.1 In 2002, two Maryland police officers were indicted for beating and unleashing a dog on a homeless man. In 2004, a homeless man was fatally beaten after he made negative comments about another man’s girlfriend.

In 2006, a police officer in Takoma Park was indicted for assaulting a homeless man detained for questioning.

Stoops added that there have probably been more incidents, but such violence often goes unreported, as there is a lack of data on violence against homeless people.

Adam Schneider with Health Care for the Homeless, Inc. in Baltimore, said that he knows firsthand that there are many unreported violent attacks on homeless people, many of which could be motivated by hate.

“We come across individuals who have been attacked relatively frequently -- far more than a typical medical clinic,” Schneider said.

“Life on the streets is inherently violent, and individuals who live on the streets are particularly vulnerable to attack.”

“Our clients are victims of violence much more often than they are perpetrators. Due to an understandable distrust of the system, victims very likely underreport incidents of violence.”

Schneider added that, like NCH, Health Care for the Homeless is in favor of this legislation and has been advocating for it.

If it is enacted, those found guilty of a hate crime-based attack on a homeless person, like those convicted of other violent hate crime offenses, would be subject to imprisonment for up to 10 years and/or a fine of up to $10,000.

If a violation results in the death of a victim, the violator is subject to imprisonment for up to 20 years and/or a fine of up to $20,000.

Other states currently considering similar hate crime bills include Massachusetts, Florida, California, and Nevada, said Stoops.

According to the FBI’s most recent report on hate crime statistics in 2005, law enforcement agencies reported that there were 8,804 victims of hate crimes nationwide that year.

An analysis of data on victims of single-bias hate crime incidents showed that 55.7% of the victims were targeted because of a bias against a race. The next largest group of those victimized was for a bias against a religious belief, in 16% of cases, followed first by a bias against an ethnicity or nation of origin and then by a bias against a sexual orientation.

No data are readily available on homeless individuals.

Overall, it is impossible to determine just how effective hate crime legislation has been as a deterrent to future attacks, according to Jack Levin, Northeastern University Professor

Laura Thompson Osuri contributed to this article.

StreetFact

142 violent crimes against homeless people occurred in 2006, including one said to involve a Maryland police officer.

Source: National Coalition for the Homeless

Health Care for The Homeless

and co-author of Hate Crimes Revisited.

“Actually, it is difficult to make this determination for laws in general. We know that certainty of punishment works more effectively than severity of punishment. But hate crime laws have a more symbolic importance. They direct attention of the public to offenses committed against an extremely vulnerable group of people. Hate crime laws send a message, both to would-be perpetrators and to victims -- namely, that it is not ‘cool’ to attack helpless members of society, that Americans will not tolerate hate and violence against the vulnerable.”

Levin notes that the United States leads the world in terms of passing hate crime legislation. Great Britain has patterned many of its hate laws after those of the United States, but British legislation is focused more on the conflict between racial groups than on broader hate motivation. In Germany so-called hate laws focus more on political crimes.

“On the other hand, Europeans do not have first-amendment protections, so that they also tend to outlaw hate speech that does not rise to the level of crime,” Levin says. “We do not.”

This is the second time that Mooney has introduced this legislation in the Maryland Senate. The text of the bill introduced this year is virtually the same as that of the bill Mooney introduced at the end of the 2006 session that failed by one vote, said Michael Hough of Mooney’s office. What is different this time, he said, is that they submitted the bill much earlier in the session and had much more help from lobbyists and homeless advocates. For example, through NCH, Mooney showed a group of senators a taping of a 60 Minutes piece on “Bumfights” and beatings of homeless people.

“Hopefully [this bill] will bring more attention to these issues and, hopefully, people won’t do this kind of crime anymore,” Hough said.

Some members of the Maryland Senate have criticized Mooney, a conservative Republican, for introducing this hate crime legislation in order to water down existing protections based on sexual preference.

Hough from Mooney’s office did not comment on this criticism and said that from what he knows, Mooney introduced the legislation on the basis of the merits of the bill.

While the bill has yet to come up for a vote in the House of Delegates, both Michael Hough and Michael Stoops are hopeful about the House’s decision and said that O’Malley has indicated that he will sign the bill.

Annapolis Hears From Homeless Some of Maryland’s poorest residents took their concerns to Annapolis March 1, when some 500 homeless people, friends, advocates, and supporters, including the NAACP, the YWCA, and Catholic Community Services gathered for the 21st annual Homeless Persons’ Lobby Day. A rally at the statehouse was supplemented with briefings and visits to legislators.

Organizers say the group visited several dozen members of the General Assembly, and legislators and staff attended the briefings, along with John Colmers, Maryland’s secretary of health and mental hygiene.

Baltimore Health Care for the Homeless, which organized the event, works with some of the state’s neediest residents, including homeless and disabled people.

The visit’s impact remains to be seen, but the rally clearly made an impression. One statehouse regular said “I’ve never seen Lawyers’ Mall fill up so quickly from an empty space to an overflowing crowd. Truly impressive!”

A former Health Care for the Homeless client and current board member, said “I’m glad I came down. I got to meet with several senators and tell them about the needs of our fellow citizens: affordable housing, comprehensive health care, and livable incomes.”

− David S. Hammond

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

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

Community Class Schedule Classes start Sunday, March 4th

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

Street Sense . March 16-31, 2007

LOCAL NEWS

First National Assessment of Homelessness Released Asian, 1.2%

Black or AfricanAmerican, 45.6%

American Indian or Alaska Native, 1.7%

Multiple races, 5.1%

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 0.2%

White,Hispanic/ Latino, 5.7%

White, NonHispanic/nonLatino, 41.1%

Age of the U.S. Shelter Population Under 1, 2.4%

1 to 5, 8.7%

Age not reported, 2.9%

Race of the U.S. Shelter Population

6 to 12, 7.5%

13 to 17, 4%

62 and older, 1.8% 51 to 61, 10.3%

18 to 30, 21.3%

31 to 50, 1.3%

By Rae Borsetti The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) just released its first Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress, marking the first comprehensive study of the homeless community HUD has undertaken since 1984.

The study is also the first analysis to move beyond traditional point-in-time counts, which advocates and the government claim are notoriously unreliable, to looking at changes in homelessness over time. Beyond quantifying the homeless community, the report provides details about the community’s demographics and looks at how it is using shelters.

The report is based on a new system called Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS), which has been implemented in 80 randomly chosen and geographically diverse communities. This system tracks how many people are using emergency shelters or transitional housing. Although this study was limited to a period between February and April of 2005, HUD hopes to continue to use the system to identify long-range trends in homelessness.

Since HMIS tracks only sheltered individuals and a limited number of communities, it was used in addition to point-in-time counts conducted by organizations in thousands of communities all over the United States.

The study found that approximately 754,000 people are homeless on an average night and that approximately 704,000 used emergency shelters or transitional housing at least once between February and April.

In looking at the demographics of the population using shelters, the study reported that 65% of the adults are male, while 35% are female. It also showed that 66% are individuals while 34% are families with children.

Racial minorities comprise 59% of the homeless population, and 19% of the population are veterans. According to the report, 75% of homeless people are located in large cities, while only 25% percent live in rural and suburban areas.

In D.C. alone, HUD reported that 5,518 people are homeless on any given night, including 566 families with children. Of these 5,518, over 800 are severely mentally ill and about 1,000 have substance abuse addictions.

Over 300 are victims of domestic violence and over 400 are veterans.

Alphonso Jackson, HUD secretary, said that it is important to collect these figures so that we can know “not only how many people are homeless, but also what their needs are.”

“Understanding homelessness is a necessary step to ending it, especially for those persons living with a chronic condition such as mental illness, an addiction or a physical disability,” Jackson said.

Although Jackson noted that the length and scope of the study were limited and focused primarily at revealing characteristics of the sheltered homeless communities, he added that it provides direction and a framework for future studies to learn more about the characteristics and needs of the entire homeless community.

To download a copy of the report visit: www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/ahar.cfm.

Is Your Computer Crying Help?

Call Vendor Chris Sellman for professional computer repair and upgrades at (202) 725-0482 References available at Street Sense: 202-347-2006.

Mental, from p. 1 ed to use of force by police.

Sometimes, although far less common, police force used with mentally ill people has even resulted in death, as in two recent incidents: the fatal shootings of Terrance Andre Nowlin in April 2005 and Justin Fisher in nearby Anne Arundel County in May 2006.

The Office of Police Complaints first proposed the Crisis Intervention Team in 2005 after its executive director Philip Eure learned a b o u t t h e Me m p h i s Police Department program. He then sent two staffers to Memphis to investigate the program, and the policy recommendation followed in September 2006.

“C o n s i d e r i n g t h e length of the proposal, the process flowed pretty quickly,” Eure said. “The program should have been instituted a long time ago, actually.”

The September recommendation lists 14 steps that need to be followed in order to implement the program, including designating a Crisis Intervention Team task force liaison within the Metropolitan Police Department and applying for grants to help fund officer training.

“The program will require training for of-

ficers but no increase in hiring,” Eure said. “In other cities and counties, it has really resulted in an elite core of officers. They are very proud of it, they are recognized for it, they apply specifically to be part of it. The idea really generates the best possible officers.”

Besides participation from officers, the D.C. Department of Mental Health, mental health service providers and mental illness advocates will also need to collaborate and emb rac e the pro gram, Eure said.

With the recent mayoral change in the city, the institution of the program has not been immediate. Rumors of potential appointees within Police Chief Cathy Lanier’s camp who would be very empathetic to the mental illness plight are circulating nonetheless, so there may be hope for the policy initiative yet.

“Good discussions went on last fall, but it’s too early to tell what will happen to the proposal,” Eure said. “I have respect for the new police chief [Cathy Lanier]. She can’t put people into positions until she’s confirmed, so it’s a waiting game right now.”

“... People living with severe mental illness will continue to populate our nation’s jails unless we train police officers to recognize the signs of mental illness.”

More information on the Crisis Intervention Team proposal is available at www.policecomplaints.dc.gov.

Street Sense . March 16-31, 2007

6 INTERVIEW

MY Two Cents

Torture, Medical Complicity and the War on Terror

‘‘

effect on medical treatment?

Miles: There were two policies. The first was set up by [Secretary of Defense Donald] Rumsfeld to engage health professionals in the design and monitoring of harsh interrogations, as outlined in an April 2003 document. Rumsfeld sent that document to Guantánamo where Gen. Jeffrey Miller [formed] BSCTs [Behavioral Science Consultation Teams] that were headed by psychiatrists or psychologists who developed a two-pronged approach: First, a psychological approach to target the particular psychological vulnerabilities of Arab men: gender attack, attack on dietary rules, and so forth. Second, culling medical records and [designing] specific scripts to psychologically attack a particular prisoner. That embodied standard harsh interrogation techniques.

The second medical policy pertained to concealing deaths from torture. There was a standard procedure by which deaths from torture were concealed from the outside world at the level of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.

There was a system of post-dating death certificates and failing to notify the outside death registry [in violation of the Geneva Conventions].

Also, pathologists remained silent as the Pentagon denied the deaths or falsely claimed these deaths were due to natural causes RC: In your extensive research of prisoner conditions, what abuses did you find?

Miles: Pretty much the whole array of sordid abuses that we see in any torturing society. Beatings, kicking, isolation, exposure to extremes of heat and cold, thermal and chemical burns, dietary and water restrictions, sexual degradation, threatening the relatives of prisoners, and so forth. The only abuse I did not see that is practiced in other torturing regimes [was] mutilation of prisoners. I did not see mutilation, but I saw deaths — deaths preceded by prolonged, severe trauma.

RC: What can a physician do who witnesses or takes part in abuse or neglect?

Miles: A physician can report and protest up the chain of command, or alternatively go outside the chain of command to human rights agencies, as physicians have done in other torturing societies. I’m unsympathetic to the claim that they felt intimidated because, [in] other torturing societies, I almost always see that physicians have played a major role in [assuring that] those countries abandon torture at vastly greater risk than assumed by U.S. healthcare professionals.

We have seriously damaged our image in the world.

If the United States had a chance to act as a midwife to a civil society in Iraq, we blew it with these abuses.

Real Change: What sparked your book on medical complicity and torture?

Dr. Steven Miles: When the pictures of inmate abuse from Abu Ghraib prison came out, it was clear that there had to be doctors who were aware of this abuse because doctors are in every prison at all times. They see the prisoners the Red Cross never gets to, and they are there when the Red Cross isn’t. So they saw the abuse, or the signs of the abuse, and the question was why hadn’t they blown the whistle on it.

That problem gets even more severe [because] these abuses [occurred in] a set of prisons: at least 20 in Iraq, a half dozen in Afghanistan, plus the Guantánamo complex.

That raises the possibility [of] an overarching policy for medical involvement, which I think there is.

RC: Can you talk about these policies and the

‘‘

Steven H. Miles

Physicians and other medical professionals swear to do no harm.

But some U.S. military medical professionals have been implicated in the neglect and abuse of prisoners in the war on terror in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay. They have betrayed their oath as healers by failing to provide adequate medical care, altering documents to cover up torture and homicide, force feeding prisoners, designing and monitoring coercive interrogation — and remaining silent rather than reporting these abuses, these crimes of war.

In his shocking and acclaimed book, Oath Betrayed: Torture, Medical Complicity and the War on Terror, Steven H. Miles, M.D., details the role of health care professionals in military prisons, and Bush administration policies that have undermined the United States as a leader in international human rights, based on his review of over 35,000 pages of government documents and unprecedented eyewitness accounts.

Like most Americans, Dr. Miles was horrified by the photographs of tortured and abused detainees at the U.S. prison in Baghdad, Abu Ghraib. And he immediately asked, “Where were the prison doctors when the abuses occurred?”

Dr. Miles is a professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School and a faculty member of its Center for Bioethics. Dr. Miles discussed with Robin Lindley, a reporter with Real Change in Seattle, his research and ethical concerns about the role of health care professionals in torture.

RC: Can you talk about officials whose actions led to these abuses?

Miles: Sure. Rumsfeld was certainly responsible for these abuses. Undersecretary of Military Intelligence [Stephen] Cambone was directly in the chain of command. Gen. Miller at Guantánamo, Lt. Gen. [Ricardo] Sanchez in Iraq, and probably Gen. [Dan] McNeil in Afghanistan are

the senior officers who are responsible for these abuses.

RC: You write that most detainees are not associated with al Qaeda or other terrorist groups.

Miles: The data in Iraq suggests that around 85% of the prisoners were innocent or ignorant of any insurgency or al Qaeda activity. In Guantánamo, 60% or 70%, but it may be higher because that data was collected after a number of non-involved people were released. Huge numbers of these prisoners were innocent.

RC: What are the global consequences of the administration’s policy on torture?

Miles: It’s had multiple disastrous consequences. For example, when we asked [in 2004] for proper care for a Chinese dissident who was a friend to democracy in China, citing international law pertaining to prisoners, China told us to get lost.

In addition, bad information from torture has had an adverse effect on U.S. public policy. For example, we took a guy to Egypt, tortured him there, and he was the source of information that Saddam and al Qaeda were cooperating on bio weapons, and that became part of the public argument for going into Iraq. The information was false and recanted by the guy as a torture-induced confession, [but] was used by [Secretary of State] Colin Powell before the UN and George Bush in his State of the Union address.

Furthermore, a Marine intelligence official who was in Iraq from 2003 to 2005 told me we’re sending our troops on dangerous missions where they’re exposed to severe combat that are essentially wild goose chases [based on] bad information procured by torture.

This has been a thorough disaster for the United States. We have destroyed the ability of the Geneva Conventions to protect our soldiers who become POWs. We have seriously damaged our image in the world. If the United States had a chance to act as a midwife to a civil society in Iraq, we blew it with these abuses. The number of people in Iraq supporting our presence dropped from 75 to 25% after the Abu Ghraib pictures came out.

RC: What can professionals and average citizens do to stop torture?

Miles: It’s important for ordinary citizens to keep up the pressure. Medical societies [recently] moved into play, which is a welcome relief after they ignored this problem.

Curiously, the legal community, while addressing the rights of prisoners, has been utterly unwilling to apply sanctions to its own members, the architects of these policy documents.

[Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General John C.] Yoo, [Attorney General Alberto] Gonzales, [former Attorney General John] Ashcroft … all of these attorneys continue to enjoy major positions of prestige and have not been pursued by bar associations for serious violations of international law. When a guy like Yoo writes the background memos for U.S. policy, that’s an act of legal culpability for which he should be held accountable.

Reprinted from Real Change News © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org

Headline bo NATIONAL NEWS

Street Sense . March 16-31, 2007

in other news By Mandy McAnally Colorado: Old Parking Meters Make Good Denver residents can now donate change to the homeless at locations throughout the city. Thirty-six decommissioned Denver parking meters have been redesigned and placed around the city for this purpose. Through a public-private effort, the change that goes into these Donation Meters will help Denver’s Road Home project.

So far the parking meters have raised $36,000 from s p o n s o r s h i p by 3 6 c i t y b u s i n e s s e s a n d i n d i v i d u als at $1,000 each (Marcus, Denver Daily News, 3/6).

California: Formerly Homeless Man Helps Save Shelter A formerly homeless man recently gave $10,000 to an emergency shelter in San Diego where he had stayed earlier this winter. Staff said the man had promised to donate the money when he received an expected inheritance. The shelter was due to close at the beginning of March but can stay open through the month and beyond, thanks to the man’s gift and other donations (10News, 3/8).

Hawaii: New Shelter Opens on Island of Hawaii

campment to get a permit from the city and to identify sex offenders. The dwellings must be built at least 20 feet from neighboring properties and have 6-foot-tall fencing (Nohara,The Herald, 3/12).

Maryland: Shelter Demand Up Dramatically Baltimore County shelters are seeing a sharp increase in demand, according to over 100 advocates for the homeless who recently visited the county council. Barbara Donaho, a county public health nurse who works with homeless people, said, “The numbers are heartbreaking.” A county shelter in Catonsville is seeing about 90 guests a night, up from 25 a night a few years ago. And a shelter at Franklin Square Hospital hassome 185 guests a night, up from 40 guests a night a few years ago.

In addition, area shelters are seeing more guests with serious medical conditions and needs (Sears, Towson Jeffersonian, 3/13).

Alaska: Anchorage Shelter Reaches Capacity

Hawaii officials recently opened a $7 million homeless shelter on the island of Hawaii’s Waianae Coast. The new Pai’olu Kaiaulu shelter, which is made up of several hut-like buildings and surrounded by a fence with security guards at the entrance, will house 300 people when it is fully operational (Shikina, Honolulu Star Bulletin, 3/2).

The main homeless shelter in Anchorage has seen a record number of homeless clients this winter. The nonprofit shelter, which operates on a budget based on a nightly population of 135 homeless, reached its maximum capacity of 240 recently.

The shelter’s program director said the cold weather, seasonal job layoffs, gas prices and expensive housing have contributed to the higher number of shelter clients (AP/KTVA 11, 3/6).

Washington: Monroe Passes Encampment Ordinance

New York: City’s Shelter Population Increases

The city of Monroe just passed new legislation to regulate homeless encampment. Monroe does not have any encampment yet but the rule was prompted by a dispute over encampments in nearby King County. Everett, located 15 miles away, passed a similar ordinance in July.

Monroe’s ordinance requires the sponsor of such an en-

The number of homeless families living in New York City shelters reached a record high of 9,287 in February, up from 7,805 in February 2006, according to a report by the Coalition for the Homeless. Homelessness in the city has continued to increase despite Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s (R) five-year plan, launched in 2005, to reduce homelessness by two-thirds.

The report also showed that the total number of homeless New Yorkers in shelters rose from 31,472 in February 2006 to 35,252 last month (Lee, New York Times, 3/8).

Rhode Island : Shelter Closing Leaves Some Behind The state’s largest homeless shelter is slated to close this month, making way for a new state police headquarters, but advocates say that several dozen residents still have nowhere else to go. The 100-bed Welcome Arnold House in Cranston has been preparing for this change, and state officials say alternate arrangements are now complete and all the people who used the shelter will have a place to go. But Jim Ryczek, executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless, said the state is not taking into account people who recently applied for homeless services and some who have used Welcome House in the past and plan to come back.

Advocates for the homeless say Rhode Island’s new “community-based” shelter system has many positive features, including better services and allowing residents to leave their belongings during the day. But, they say, the Arnold Center offered welcome help to people experiencing homelessness for the first time (AP/Turnto10 NBC TV, 3/13).

California: County Matches Funds for Housing Mentally Ill Santa Clara County is the first county in California to match Mental Health Services Act funds to house mentally ill homeless people as part of its 10-year plan to curb homelessness.

The county awarded $2.45 million from its Housing Plus Fund to four projects that will provide 49 housing units for individuals who are mentally ill and chronically homeless.

The $4 million Housing Plus Fund was created by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in January 2006 to fund homeless housing projects (Palo Alto Daily News, 3/1).

David S. Hammond contributed to this piece.

NEWS LOCAL PHOTOS & POETRY

Street Sense . March 16-31, 2007

Cliff’s Pics

In this series of pho all the unique build often-criticiz

Walking From Union Station Each morning I walk from Union Station Passing the homeless of this Nation When I can afford to offer them a buck I realize that they are just down on their luck I realize that for the moment this is their fate But if they are faithful God can open a gate To bring about change and raise the awareness That they are not homeless they’re just caught up in a mess They didn’t do anything to place them here They lost their job but society didn’t have an ear To hear them as they pled for a place to belong But instead they are just passed by as we move along We rush to our jobs on the Hill and the square We pass them by as if we don’t care They don’t want our pity, they just want help They are trying to make it back to being one’s self So when you walk past them in the morning at Union Station Be kind, give them a handout, they are part of this Nation Is it really one Nation under God?

– M. Antoinette Bundy (A Street Sense Customer)

Voice To even finely honed perceptions I am a phantom just a cipher, a murmuring voice lost in the clamor of the street, a face as invisible as a breeze, trampled by hustling feet like a weed; even mikes and cameras don’t detect me.

I love this view of the contrast of light and dark and all the angles. It’s at the Canadian Embassy downtown, but who would think you a

Yet armed with pen and keyboard, my voice roars resonating through the corners of your mind dropping drenching storms on you.

My moods whip across your consciousness like bitter winter weather and though I might frighten or disgust you you will succumb to my seduction and I will leave you awakened and transformed.

So, take heed to the random lost soul your eyes avoid on the street; I am beautiful and treacherous if you dare to listen to my voice

– David Harris

This is the Washington Gas building. I just like the perspective and depth of field of the photograph. It makes me dizzy.

Street Sense . March 16-31, 2007

PHOTOS & POETRY

otographs Cliff “The Moose” Carle is taking note of the dings in D.C. , reminding residents of this town with its zed architecture that concrete can be beautiful.

How Can I? I can read your words on paper, so sweet And anticipate the day when both of our pens meet I can imagine your smile’s glow filling my eye But to find total peace and comfort, I ask, “How can I ?”

As I smell beaded sweat on your warm skin at night Feeling the silkiness of your body as your limbs hold me tight You tell me to let go, saying, “There’s no reason to cry.”

I hear you, I feel you, but come on, how can I ?

Run past my bed, jump into my head And with such a short start, you take over my heart My soul starts to sing, as you run through my blood But how can I just let you take me like a flood Girl, back up and get real, I’m a man you must feel And if you can’t get to that, then you know the deal I refuse to come out of the side of my mouth Just to calm all your fears and ease all your doubts I’ll shoot you no line girl, ‘cause you know you’re fine girl We’ve got time, win my all, make me know that you’re mine girl You know my words are true; I’ll go right to the point If you really want me, take me past this joint Take me to places that I’ve never known Take me to places that few, GOD has shown Take me to some place I didn’t know could exist Eve, come get your Adam, and take him from this But this time, my helpmate, when that snake rears its head Let’s put our hands in GOD’s, and stomp ‘til it’s dead This is one of my favorite buildings on F Street between 12th and 13th. I love all the angles and different perspectives.

are in D.C.?

For, you see, Queen, with me, it must be more than just fun My soul–mate, my whole–mate, and I must be one There’s much more to it, you must do it, in and out of our beds To satisfy, and keep the eye of both of my heads No more two to five years and the relationship’s gone No relationship can last just by riding the bone So if you’re not determined to put GOD in this mix Then let’s pack our bags and to each other say, “Bye!” ‘Cause when stuff hits the fan with real problems to fix We must sit down and trust that each other won’t lie So now think, pray and tell me, be honest, be sure Do we give us to GOD, or do we head for the door We have both been crushed by an ex–lover’s cry But no more baby, no more, how could you? How can I ?

This is a new building on Pennsylvania Avenue. It reminds me of a radiator or something with all the distinct floors.

– Lawless Watson

10 FEATURES

Street Sense . March 16-31, 2007

FEBRUARY TOP VENDORS PAPER SALES

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

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Most Valuable Vendor: Martin Walker (For helping out in a pinch.)

Zucchini Stuffed With Italian Rice Ingredients ·1 large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise 5 oz. rice ·1 medium red onion, chopped 1 stalk of celery, chopped 4 tbsp. butter 1/2 c. tomato bruschetta ·Italian seasoning Salt and pepper to taste ·1/4 c. shredded parmesan

Preparation • ·• •· • •· •· •· ·•

•· ·•

How Do You Keep Your Clothes Clean?

Not everyone who rents or owns homes has a washer and a dryer; the homeless in addition to this disadvantage must also carry everything they own with them.

Cook’s Corner

• ·• • ·• ·• ·• • • •

Helpful Hints from The Homeless By Brenda Karyl Lee–Wilson

·Steam zucchini for 10 to 15 minutes.

Cool and scoop out center of zucchini.

Smother each half of zucchini with 1 tbsp. of butter. ·Sprinkle each half with salt, pepper and seasoning.

Cook rice as instructed.

Sautee onions and celery in 2 tbsp. of butter until tender.

Mix onions and celery into rice.

Add bruschetta and 1/8 c. parmesan into rice, mix until combined.

Top zucchini halves with rice mixture.

Sprinkle remaining parmesan on top of rice.

This Recipe was created and prepared by Constance Dickey. The runner-up was Maria Taylor with Glazed Carrots.

Constance and Maria are students at Community Family Life Services’ culinary arts program.

This student works at Third and Eats Restaurant and at the U.S. Tax Court cafeteria. Many also work for New Course Catering.

New Course caters all events from corporate lunches to weddings to 500–person galas. For more info visit www. newcoursecatering.com or call (202) 347–7035.

Mark: “If they are nice clothes like the jeans I have on now, I take them up to the laundromat on 14th Street. I use some of the change that people have given to me to pay for the detergent and machines. If not, I throw them away and get ‘new’ used clothes from some of the local agencies that distribute them.”

Mark is “existing” at the 13th & G streets Metro station and has been for at least two years.

Mark and Brenda pose in their clean clothes.

Toni Thomas: She utilized the once-a-week services at the 9:30 club (now defunct), and the once-a-week services at Rachel’s Day Shelter and now she is back to cleaning the shelter where she stays during the day so she can utilize the shelter’s machines.

Toni arrived into the public shelter system in Febuary, 2004 at the John L. Young Shelter at 2nd and D streets NW. Lea Ciochetti: Lea finds it convenient to just throw away clothes that get dirty and obtain fresh clothes from agencies that specialize in free clothing for the homeless.

Lea has been at the John L. Young Shelter since its opening in January, 2004.

Lauren: Lauren has lived on the streets of D.C. since late summer, 2004. She depends upon the generosity of the public to provide her with clothing. She now is in need of undergarments and because of her circumstances, can only accept a gift certificate to Macy’s or Filene’s Basement.

Lauren can be located often in front of the Church of the Epiphany at lunch and at quitting time 4-5pm. She is a tall woman and wears glasses.

Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson: “I have done the cleaning at both the John L. Young and D.C. General shelters in order to access the machines. I have dragged Rowdy Dawg’s little red Radio Flyer wagon ‘loaded for bear’ to the laundromat, and I now am able to do my laundry at the home of the people who employ me as a home helper.”

I have used a bathtub with a bar of soap, and like a lot of the women who stay in the public shelters, I will take clothes into the shower or bathroom sink, use travel shampoos as laundry detergent and do the best I can. I have to then hang them somewhere on my bed and pray that they dry before morning when I must exit the shelter and either put them into my bag or wear them.”

Brenda has been a Street Sense vendor for 2-and-a-halfyears and currently stays at Calvary Women’s Shelter.

Street Sense . March 16-31, 2007

FEATURES & GAMES 11

bOOK rEVIEW By Robert Trautman

The ‘Fast Food’ Job Track: Why It Works, Sometimes Doesn’t

Solve the message below to discover a famous, meaningful quote on poverty and homelessness.

PSAN T PBK RECNI, LEFAOMR PBK KE XEWWEN MSBM PA HTHN’M GNEP TM SBH B NBWA. - VRNHEN Q. YESNKEN Hint: H = D

FebruarySolution: It would be nice if the poor were to get even half of the money that is spent in studying them. ~Bill Vaughan

Street Su–Do–Ku Chutes and Ladders

By Katherine S. Newman (Harvard 2006)

crimination is both real and consequential, the working poor insist that the best way to get ahead is to ignore racism and prove the bigots wrong.”

Signaling — Convincing a prospective employer that you are a notch above others applying for the job, by how you walk, talk and dress.

Said one: “So, if you come out, ‘Hey, what’s going on? Wuzz up? Wuzz up?’ they’re going to treat you the way you present yourself. It’s all about presentation’ Yes, I come from Harlem and yes, I come from a neighborhood, and yes, I’m black, but that doesn’t mean I’m that type of person. You understand? I’m not, you know (a loser)’.”

Sussing — This is deciphering the hidden codes and tricks of survival, figuring out the underlying rules of the game without being told.

Newman writes, “The men and women who toil in the underbelly of America’s urban economy do not have unreasonable hopes for the future. But reality strays from expectation for many Americans, especially those from poor neighborhoods. Without higher education and the right connections, a well–paying job is often elusive. Tuition money and long workweeks discourage workers from returning to school.

Soaring real estate prices keep home ownership beyond the reach of many working class families. And aspiration for a contented family life bump into the prickly realities of the ghetto.”

She says the successful ones move when better work opens up; no one has to tell them that they could do better for themselves; they do not have to recast their cultures or their values.

They “jumped” at the chances they could find, and they made it, sometimes with the help of family and friends, and sometimes with the help of public housing or health care.

But, Newman has to add, “theirs is not the majority’s story. Many of their co–workers from the Burger Barn days are still treading water, earning enough to get by but not enough to rest easy. But the experience of these high–flyers tells us what is possible.”

This Su–Do–Ku puzzle was put together by vendor Chris Sellman, who says he is obessed with this game.

He promises that the puzzle below is easy to solve, but warns it may get beginners hooked!

February Solution

How the poor and disadvantaged manage to get ahead, and how some don’t, and why, is given in–depth treatment in Chutes and Ladders through case studies and some good advice, some of it what your mother told you, but all of it worth studying, and heeding.

The “chute” downward is reached by, among other things, staying in bed ‘til noon. The “ladder” upward is through perseverance and, sometimes, swallowing some pride and some bad treatment, for a while, at least.

In Chutes and Ladders, subtitled Negotiating the Low–Wage Labor Market (Harvard 2006), Katherine S. Newman charts the job tracks of black and Hispanic fast–food workers in impoverished areas of New York City. Their experiences are similar in other big–city situations.

Newman, professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton University, says the fast–food chains are the No. 2 proving ground of the nation’s low–skilled workforce, second only to the U.S. military, and so a vital subject for investigation into how some youths win and others lose.

Newman interviewed a number of workers at the low–wage Burger Barn chain in New York and then some 10 years later returned to assess their progress, or lack of it.

One worker she followed — she called him “Jamal” — had a pattern of job–hopping not unfamiliar among low–wage workers. He was working, for low pay, of course, and with little chance for advancement, but developed family problems and migrated west, where he found a job in a lumber mill, gradually moving up the ladder, in pay and responsibility.

But Jamal was soon demoted, the victim, as he saw it, of a personality conflict with the supervisor and some work “infractions.” Later, he moved back into a better job at the mill, but then lost that one. However, problems with his girlfriend and her family arose, along with growing financial demands. He couldn’t find a job that paid enough and returned east. But jobs there were tight and he was soon back into fast foods. Then other moves, and finally, a return to the West Coast lumber mill, and working steadily, and Newman writes, “living the kind of life that he would not have dreamed possible in 1994 (when she first interviewed him).”

The reason for this, she writes, is that Jamal is more responsible, has learned to control his temper, stopped his occasional use of marijuana and cocaine, and pays attention to his family.

Newman recounted other cases similar to Jamal’s, and reviewing the workers after 10 years, she found no clear–cut road map to success, but some markers, some of which foretold success, others of failure.

Of course, a high school diploma was all but necessary, as a starter.

Among the other markers: Patience — Some might call it acquiescence, Newman says, but it often is the key to longevity and even promotion.

“Soft–skills” — Enthusiasm, reliability and the ability to learn.

“The Man” — Don’t blame “The Man” for your troubles. Newman writes that “Despite ample sociological evidence that racial dis-

Cryptogram

Just fill in the numbers 1 through 9 without repeating a number in any column, row or box.

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PLACE YOUR AD HERE! With Street Sense now coming out twice a month and reaching nearly 9,000 people each issue, now is the perfect time to promote your business with us.

DEMOGRAPHICS And who your business will be reaching can’t be beat. Our typical reader is a 35-year old woman who lives in D.C. and works for the government or a nonprofit earning $70,000 a year.

RATES Rates are about half the cost of the neighborhood monthlies and are as low as $57 for a 1/16 page ad that runs multiple times.

DISCOUNTS Discounts offered to nonprofits and to those that prepay for multiple ads.

Call Laura or Jesse at 202-347-2006 or email info@streetsense.org for more information and to get a copy of our new advertising brochure. Or ask your local vendor, who can earn 20% commission from ads sales.

Street Sense . March 16-31, 2007

12 EDITORIALS

Letters From SEattle By August Mallory Dear Street Sense Readers, Well, in this week’s letter I am happy to say that I am officially a writer for the Stone of Help Ministries Newsletter, a Christian community newsletter for the city of Seattle. Stone of Help Ministries is a nonprofit organization associated with the Ebenezer Church of God in Christ Church, which is located in South Tukwila, Wash., a Seattle suburb.

I know, I know, your next question will be, “What ever happened to Real Change?” Well, I am still with Real Change. I am on the editorial committee and involved in several other projects with it, and I am still operating Division One International, which is going well.

Now, you are probably wondering, with all of this going on when do I sleep? Never!

Just kidding. I do find some down time to unwind.

So, continuing on, I was on my way to work one day when I was caught up in a police sweep. I was about to catch a bus when several police officers came out of nowhere to round up drug dealers. I was wondering what in blazes was going on.

Here I am, on my way to work, and all of a sudden I am being frisked down by police officers looking for illegal drugs. This was around 6:30 in the morning. The police are asking me all sorts of questions and my only response is that I have no idea what is going on. I am simply on my way to work.

Well, they wanted to know where I worked, who my boss was, did I have warrants on me and was I ever in the Department of Corrections (DOC) system before. They also wanted to know where I was from because my accent is different than most black people in Seattle.

All I could do was just shake my head in

disgust. I told them I came from Washington, D.C., but was born in Indiana, and that I work with a local street newspaper called Real Change. Immediately that name struck a chord. The police know about Real Change.

So, after a background check, which came up with nothing, they let me go. They had nothing to hold me on.

There are people who are residing at a halfway house in downtown Seattle, people who have been through the DOC system.

And every now and then, some halfwit will go out and start smoking crack and doing other street drugs. I have a good mind to walk over to that halfway house and kick every one of their behinds for standing on the corner getting high. If people want to do that sort of thing, fine, that’s their business, but don’t get me involved with that mess. I was an innocent bystander without knowledge of what was happening at the time.

As I stated in an earlier issue of Street Sense, crack cocaine is rampant in Seattle.

And, if you are not watchful, you may be mistaken for a drug user.

Because the use of drugs is really bad here in Seattle, you might be thinking, “Are you ready to come back to D.C. yet?” Well, not quite. Even though I was detained by the police, I must say they were very polite about it all. They treated me with respect, and that’s all I ask of anyone in a position of authority.

Well, it looks like I have talked enough, so I will say good–bye for now. Please take care, and please e–mail me if at all possible. I would love to hear from you.

And, my shout goes out to Mary Hall and the More Betterman show at WOL–AM 1450.

One more thing: To learn more about Stone of Help Ministries, please send your letters to August H. Mallory, Stone of Help Ministries Newsletter, 14275 Interurban Avenue, South Tukwila, WA 98168 Take care.

August was the first vendor for Street Sense and was with the organization for three years.

He now lives in Seattle and is on the editorial board of the street paper there. You can reach August at: carriergroup2009@yahoo.com.

What our REaders are Saying...

Dear Street Sense, Now that the paper has switched to bi– monthly publication, I am enjoying twice the amount of interaction with Street Sense vendors and I really appreciate being consistently updated about issues affecting the homeless population in D.C. Thank you!

One feature of the paper, however, consistently alarms me and I would like to express my unease. In theory, “My Turn at the Table” is a wonderful opportunity for Street Sense to explore the diversity of food within the district. In practice, however, the restaurants that are featured in the column are nowhere near affordable for the majority of the District’s population. Moreover, it is my personal belief that spending such a gross amount of money on food is unethical. The Feb. 15, 2007, issue, for example, featured a lunch with a bill that came to $70! That is an outrageous price for a meal and seems especially inappropriate when placed alongside articles about people’s

Comic relief By Harvey Droke

struggle for warm shelter for the winter.

There are many affordable food options available in the District. I would be very interested in reading about creative places that Street Sense reporters have discovered that offer a filling meal for a reasonable price. Take the Hitching Post on Upshur and 2nd streets NW, for example. This restaurant has a very homey and welcoming feeling. There you can order one chicken meal for two people, and it comes with eight large pieces of delicious chicken, two large sides of vegetables and bread with butter for $11. For about $6 per person and with leftovers to take home, this is an example of a restaurant that would be more appropriate to feature in “My Turn at the Table.”

I would be interested in your thoughts on this issue.

Warm Regards, Lauren Mardirosian

Help Bring the Homeless in from the Cold

CALL THE

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

Street Sense . March 16-31, 2007

EDITORIALS 13

VETERANS, from p.1

MAURICE SPEAKS

“Don’t You Have Family?”

“T

here’s no way that I can feel like a man to be in my 30s and be living with my parents,” my friend said, and it made me wonder how living in a homeless shelter could make him feel like more of a man.

My friend, a man I used to work with, had taken a vacation during the Christmas holidays to visit his parents in North Carolina. A number of unforeseen incidents prolonged his visit beyond the time that he had expected to be absent from the shelter, and when he returned he discovered that he had lost his bed. He accepted the fact and sought alternative shelter. He called his family to tell them what had happened, and his parents offered to let him come back home to live.

In the end, he lost his bed but ceased to

be homeless as a result.

I know he had some ideological differences with his parents, and no doubt those differences will be felt as he lives under their roof on a day–to–day basis.

However, he said time had passed and his parents had reached the point where they missed him, so perhaps these problems will not be so pronounced. Only time will tell.

Not all of us are fortunate enough to have families that will help us out. My family made it very clear to me that coming home to live was “not an option,” and there was no room for further discussion.

Of course, this revelation came as no surprise; after all, my brother was turned away when he was dying, so it only stood to reason that I would be turned away when I wasn’t.

Too often I have heard people ask, “Don’t you have family?” Family is not always a magical solution for all problems.

It would be nice if families did indeed look after their own, but there is no guarantee that this will be the case. There are also times when families are unable to help even when the good will is there, so the end result is the same.

Often enough, family ties cannot save a person from homelessness, so the argu-

ment that families and private charities alone can end the problem falls flat.

My friend found his solution, at least for now, and I certainly wish him all the best. His family was willing and able to end his homelessness for him, and it is a true ending, not a mere doubling up in someone’s home in which he must sleep on a sofa and then wander the streets during the day wondering how long he will be able to survive in a make-shift arrangement. Just how often does anyone hear stories that end as well as this one?

It certainly raises a lot of questions about the so-called family values that one hears being trumpeted all over the nation when a story like this has to be regarded as an exception and not the rule. Then again, the very fact of homelessness also poses a lot of difficult questions, most of which continue to go unanswered.

My friend found his way out of an existence plagued with questions, and he is most fortunate. He has his family to thank for it, and I hope it works out for him.

Maurice King has been writing editorials for Street Sense since January 2004, and is also in the process of publishing his own book. If you have any comments, e–mail him at benadam@cyberdude.com.

surpass those of the now notorious military hospital.

At Franklin Shelter, black mold covers the ceilings and walls of the shower rooms, and raw sewage drips down upon the heads of those attempting to utilize the toilets on the first floor. Rats, roaches, lice and bedbugs run rampant in the facility, making life intolerable for residents. Water damage continues to deteriorate the structure as the District drags its feet on long–promised renovations.

As for medical care, according to a study by the Johns Hopkins Medical Center, homeless veterans are more likely to have both chronic physical and mental health conditions than the general homeless population, but nearly half rely solely on the medical services provided at shelters, which usually means standing in line to receive less than comprehensive treatment from the back of a van.

One of my friends, a 10-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, told me that at the Southeast Veterans Service Center in D.C. there are already homeless veterans filing in from the current war.

As we begin to re-evaluate our commitment to the men and women who have fought under the banner of the American flag on the other side of the world, we must not forget those who continue to suffer, unacknowledged, right under our noses.

David is the secretary of Until We’re Home Inc., formerly the Committee to Save Franklin Shelter. He is formerly homeless and now lives in his own place in Southeast

Reversal of Fortune: If a TV Show Gave You $100,000

By Tessa Moran

I

t seems that at nearly every financial level, Americans dream that having more money would make them hap-

pier.

But what about those at the lowest financial level?

A recent Showtime documentary titled “Reversal of Fortune” asked this very question. The documentary served as a sociological study in which a homeless man named Ted Rodrigue was given a suitcase filled with $100,000 in cash and was followed to see how he spent the money.

Over the months, Rodrigue proceeded to purchase cars for himself, a friend, and a girlfriend. He rented an apartment and purchased furniture. Meanwhile, the filmmakers offered him counseling and services from a financial planner. Within six months, Rodrigue had spent nearly all the money he was given.

Rodrigue and the film’s director appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show last December.

During the show, Rodrigue said that since the documentary, he had no money and had returned to homelessness.

The visibly frustrated director noted the services that had been available to Rodrigue, and concluded that throwing money at the problem wouldn’t make it go away.

D.C.’s homeless generally agree.

Eric Sheptock, who is homeless, believes he could handle a large sum of money, but says, “I wouldn’t suggest that for everybody.” He

claims that about 90% of the homeless people he knows would not be able to improve their lives with such a fortune, and would instead waste the money on drugs and alcohol. But according to Sheptock, wastefulness is not solely a homeless problem. “It’s not just dealing with homeless people,” he says. “It’s dealing with people in general.”

Sheptock believes that the best fix for homelessness “wouldn’t cost that much” and would give homeless people “a second chance”. He recommends that the federal government install antidiscrimination laws for homeless people so that they can more easily obtain jobs. He also recommends that the government provide incentives to employers who hire homeless people.

Another man, who chooses not to be named, doesn’t trust himself with money. He says that he and his friends have drug and alcohol problems and would be better served by community-run job training or federally funded low-income housing. “I’ve never learned the value of a dollar,” he says. If given a large sum of money, he says he would live by the philosophy “play now, pay later.”

A middle-aged man calling himself “Big E,” says $100,000 “ain’t gonna go but so far.”

He would spend the money modestly, first purchasing a home for himself. “Everyone should have reasonable living quarters,” he says. Though “Big E” claims he would use the money responsibly, he says, “not everybody’s going to treat that money right.” He

Vendor Chris Sellman said with $100,000 he would start his own computer repair business.

recommends that federal money be allocated toward on-the-job training because most homeless people “won’t follow up” on regular educational programs. He adds that “some of the money needs to go to mental health.”

John Beo, a 67-year-old homeless man, would give $90,000 to his mother and niece who have been “the two most supportive people to me.” He adds, “I don’t have many years left” and he would rather the money go to them. He says the remaining $10,000 would be enough money for him to purchase clothing, rent an apartment and pay off small

debts.

Beyond providing for the means of living, some homeless people would hope to use the money for entrepreneurial ventures. Chris Sellman, a vendor for Street Sense, would start a computer repair business. “I’ve learned to be homeless, but I have the knowledge and I know how to get out of it.” He often jokes that he is currently “on vacation.”

Bobby Buggs Jr. also would use the money to build his own business. He views the venture as an investment, otherwise, he “might pinch it away.”

Street Sense . March 16-31, 2007

14 STREET SENSE NEWS

VendorNotes

By Jesse Smith

Street Sense Plunge Many of you know about the National Coalition for the Homeless urban plunge program. And many students who are plunging are also becoming vendors for a day. The way it works is that the students learn about Street Sense and get trained as vendors. Then they go out for an hour with a vendor, who show them selling techniques and helps the students sell on their own. The students then give the vendor all their paper sales money.

A group of students from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee was the first group this spring to do this on Monday, March 5. Because it came at the last minute only vendor Willie Alexander participated and had 11 students to man-

New Employment This is a tribute to our resume writing program. Vendor Johnnie White asked us to help to develop a resume to distribute to various employers she might contact. She submitted a resume to the D.C. Public School system. The next day she received a call asking her to come in for an interview. Upon her arrival and identification, she was asked to make herself comfortable and get to work.

She called to give us her story and thanked us for rewriting her resume; she says that did the trick. We certainly like to think so. Vendors, please take advantage of this program as evidenced by Johnnie’s experience, it has its uses.

Street Sense TV We currently have six vendors participating in the brand new Street Sense TV project. They are Corey Bridges, Conrad Cheek Jr., Patricia Jefferson, Brenda Wilson, Anthony Crawford and Cliff Carle. The program is headed in a good direction under the guiding eyes of Gregg Wragg through DCTV. In just two sessions the vendors have produced a promotional piece about themselves and their involvement with Street Sense and toured DCTV as a part of the program. Eventually they will be producing their own show about homelessness and other issues. We have high hopes for this venture for the expansion of Street Sense as well as to present new opportunities for our vendors.

Students and vendor Martin Walker bond after selling together.

age. At the end of the day Willie went home with a substantial addition to his income. I won’t say exactly how much Willie received; suffice it to say that Willie paid his credit bill and paid for a bundle of papers to be held in reserve.

More important than money, though, is the experience the students received and that the information about many issues affecting the poor and homeless has been distributed to hopefully many new readers.

And on Monday, March 12, a group of students from Nebraska Wesleyan University did the “Vendor for a Day” thing. The vendor leaders this time were Michael Higgs, Martin Walker and Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson. They did something which is unique under this program; they had a contest to see which group sold the most papers. The results are as follows: Michael Higgs group 50, Martin Walker 40 and Brenda Wilson sold 30 papers. The thing to recognize is that they turned a teaching-learning process into a fun filled event. Great work, folks!

Appreciation I wish to thank Allen Jones for his initiative in stocking the entire shipment of 9,000 copies of the last issue of Street Sense in the entrance of the church where we are located, thereby keeping them from exposure to the elements. The reason for thanks is that he did this by himself which is definitely labor intensive.

The shipment came a lot earlier than scheduled, and Allen didn’t wait around for anyone given the weather conditions. This is the caliber of people who work for Street again. Al, thanks a lot.

Homeless Humor In a discussion about religion the other day, Martin Walker asked Cliff Carle, “Do you know why Moses didn’t get to the Promised Land”? Cliffs’ reply: “He didn’t have ID?” This comment made us all laugh, but it also raised a very important concern for the homeless, many of whom don’t have any identification.

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___ YES! I want to subscribe to Street Sense for just $40 a year for 24 issues. ___ YES! I want to give half of the cost of a subscription to my favorite vendor: ____________ Name: __________________________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________________ City: _____________________________________ State:_______________ Zip: ______________ Phone: ___________________________________ Email: ________________________________ Please make checks payable to Street Sense.

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

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upcoming events Franklin Shelter Rally

Celebrate D.C.’s decision to keep this shelter open.

When: Friday, March 31, afternoon Where: Franklin Square Park, 13th Street, between K and I, NW Who: Until We’re Home Inc. (formerly the Committee to Save Franklin Shelter) What: Celebrate the continued operation of Franklin Shelter, as well as commemorate the date slated originally for its closure. Meet residents and as well as the staff of Until We’re Home, and find out their new plans and purpose.

If you would like to volunteer for the event or help in any other way (food, equipment, or a monetary donation) please contact us at (240) 566–8343 or email info@savefranklinshelter. com.

Bright Beginnings 5K Run/Walk

Race to Support Day Care for Homeless Children When: Sunday, April 15. Pre–race activities begin at 7:00 a.m., race begins at 8:00 a.m., post–race activities and awards begin at 9:00 a.m.

Where: East Potomac Park with the start and finish areas located at the end of Hains Point Who: Bright Beginnings, a child and family development center for homeless infants, toddlers and preschoolers whose families live in emergency shelters or transitional housing in Washington, D.C. What: The annual Bright Beginnings 5K has become a springtime tradition!

This is a run/walk to raise funds for the Bright Beginnings Center, providing support to the 150 children that it serves.

How Much: $25 online/$30 day of Race To register, please visit www.brightbeginningsinc.org and click on the link at the bottom of our home page.

6th Annual Labor Seder

Celebrate Passover and Highlight Labor Struggles When: Wednesday, April 11, 7:00 p.m.– 9:30 p.m.

Where: Temple Shalom – 8401 Grubb Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815.

Who: Jews United for Justice and fellow, labor, immigrant rights and Jewish community organizations.

What: Join us as we highlight the struggle of local workers and bring the labor and Jewish communities together in the shared commitment to social and economic justice. This year’s Seder will focus on the rights of domestic workers and will feature immigrant rights activists, domestic workers, local rabbis and a special labor Haggadah. Dessert and symbolic Passover foods will be served. Children’s Seder and baby sitting provided.

How Much: $10 general admission, $5 for children, students, and people of limited income (more at the door). RSVP required.

For more info and RSVP, e–mail info@jufj.org. Mail checks to 1413 K St. NW, 5th floor, Washington DC 20005.

Learn–a–palooza

Explore Your Talents, Try Something New When: Saturday, April 28, all day Where: At various businesses including Hinckley Pottery, Tranquil Space Yoga, and Unsung Designers and community facilities such as Josephine Butler Park Center in the Adams Morgan, U Street, Columbia Heights and 14th Street areas.

Who: Residents and local businesses.

What: For this special Saturday anyone with an inkling to try new things will get a chance to sample everything from dance to home repair through dozens of 25- and 55-minute–long classes.

How Much: Absolutely free!

For more info, visit www.learnapaloozadc.com

FEATURES 15 SERVICE PROVIDERS & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Street Sense . March 16-31, 2007

Community Service Index WASHINGTON, D.C. SHELTER Calvary Women’s Services 928 5th Street, NW (202) 783–6651 www.calvaryservices.org Central Union Mission (Men) 1350 R Street, NW (202) 745–7118 www.missiondc.org CCNV (Men and Women) 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 393–1909 users.erols.com/ccnv/ Community of Hope (Family) 1413 Girard Street, NW (202) 232–7356 www.communityofhopedc.org DC Village (Family) 2–A DC Village Lane, SW (202) 561–8090 www.dccfh.org/DCVillage.html Franklin School (Men) 13th and K streets, NW (202) 638–7424 Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men) 810 5th Street, NW (202) 842–1731 www.grm.org John Young Center (Women) 117 D Street, NW (202) 639–8469 http://www.ccs–dc.org/find/services/ La Casa Bilingual Shelter (Men) 1436 Irving Street, NW (202) 673–3592 N Street Village (Women) 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060 www.nstreetvillage.org 801 East, St. Elizabeth Hospital (Men) 2700 MLK Avenue, SE (202) 561–4014 New York Ave Shelter (Men) 1355–57 New York Avenue, NE (202) 832–2359 Open Door Shelter (Women) 425 Mitch Snyder Place, NW (202) 639–8093

FOOD Charlie’s Place 1830 Connecticut Avenue, NW (202) 232–3066 www.stmargaretsdc.org/charliesplace Church of the Pilgrims 2201 P Street, NW (202) 387–6612 www.churchofthepilgrims.org Dinner Program for Homeless Women AND the “9:30 Club” Breakfast 309 E Street, NW (202) 737–9311 www.dphw.org Father McKenna Center 19 Eye Street, NW (202) 842–1112

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

Hypothermia & Shelter Hotline: 1–800–535–7252

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

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

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

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

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

MEDICAL RESOURCES

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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

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

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

OUTREACH CENTERS Bread for the City 1525 Seventh Street, NW (202) 265–2400 AND 1640 Good Hope Road, SE (202) 561–8587 www.breadforthecity.org food pantry, clothing, legal and social services, medical clinic Comm. Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW (202) 364–1419 www.cchfp.org housing, medical and psych care, substance abuse and job counseling Bethany Women’s Center 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060 http://www.nstreetvillage.org meals, hygiene, laundry, social activities, substance abuse treatment Friendship House 619 D Street, SE (202) 675–9050 www.friendshiphouse.net counseling and mentoring, education, youth services, clothing Georgetown Ministry Center 1041 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (202) 338–8301 www.georgetownministrycenter.org laundry, counseling, psych care Martha’s Table 2114 14th Street, NW (202) 328–6608 www.marthastable.org dinner, education, recreation, clothing, child and family services Rachel’s Women’s Center 1222 11th Street, NW (202) 682–1005

Catholic Community Services of D.C. 924 G Street, NW (202) 772–4300 www.ccs–dc.org umbrella for a variety of services D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 1234 Massachusetts Avenue, NW (202) 347–8870 www.dccfh.org housing, substance abuse treatment, employment assistance Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW (202) 347–0511 www.cflsdc.org housing, job and substance abuse counseling, clothes closet Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW (202) 332–4010 www.foundryumc.org ESL, lunch, clothing, IDs Hermano Pedro Day Center 3211 Sacred Heart Way, NW (202) 332–2874 http://www.ccs–dc.org/find/services/ meals, hygiene, laundry, clothing JHP, Inc. (Jobs and Housing) 1526 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE (202) 544–9126 www.jobshavepriority.org classes and employment Jubilee Jobs 1640 Columbia Road, NW (202) 667–8970 www.jubileejobs.org job preparation and placement National Coalition for the Homeless 2201 P Street, NW (202) 462–4822 www.nationalhomeless.org activists, speakers bureau available Samaritan Ministry 1345 U Street, SE , AND 1516 Hamilton Street, NW (202)889–7702 www.samaritanministry.org HIV support, employment, drug/alcohol addiction, healthcare

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 1514 15th Street, NW (202) 667–4394 http://stlukesdc.edow.org food, counseling St. Matthew’s Cathedral 1725 Rhode Island Avenue, NW (202) 347–3215 ext. 552 breakfast, clothing, hygiene Travelers Aid, Union Station 50 Mass. Avenue, NE (202) 371–1937 www.travelersaid.org/ta/dc.html national emergency travel assistance Virginia Williams Resource Center 25 M Street, SW (202) 724–3932 www.dccfh.org/VirginiaHse.html family housing Wash. Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U Street, NW (202) 328–5500 www.legalclinic.org legal services

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

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

FOOD

SHELTER

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

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

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

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

MEDICAL RESOURCES

MARYLAND

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

FOOD Bethesda Cares 7728 Woodmont Church, Bethesda (301) 907–9244 www.bethesdacares.com Community Place Café 311 68th Place, Seat Pleasant (301) 499–2319 www.cmpgc.org Manna Food Center 614–618 Lofstrand Lane, Rockville (301) 424–1130 www.mannafood.org

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

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Catholic Charities, Maryland 12247 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring (301) 942–1790 www.catholiccharitiesdc.org shelter, substance abuse treatment, variety of other services

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

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Abundant Life Christian Outreach, 5154 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria (703) 823–4100 www.anchor–of–hope.net food, clothing, youth development, and medicines David’s Place Day Shelter 930 North Henry Street, Alexandria (703) 548–7500 www.carpentersshelter.org laundry, shower, workshops, hypothermia shelter Legal Services of Northern Virginia 6066 Leesburg Pike, Ste. 500 (703) 778–6800 www.lsnv.org civil legal services Samaritan Ministry 2924 Columbia Pike, Arlington (703) 271–0938 www.samaritanministry.com social services, employment services, HIV/AIDS services

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

Street Sense . March 16-31, 2007

VENDOR PROFILE

PHOTO FINISH

The Office

By Laura Thompson Osuri

You thought your office was nutty! This is just a typical day in the Street Sense office when dozens of vendors pass through to pick up papers, share ideas and do work. The camaraderie is important, but with so many people in such a small space, chaos often ensues.

Michael Higgs

Michael Higgs, 31, was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He grew up in an extremely stressful foster home environment with a transient population of 50 children. In spite of this situation, he managed to earn a high school diploma from Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale. After high school, he encountered the pains of seeking employment with no success and resorted to life on the streets.

Fortunately for Michael, an elderly gentleman, David Morris, took an interest in him and tried to get him to change his ways. According to Higgs, David told him, “Mike, you’re a little tougher than the rest, and all you’ll do if you don’t change is wind up in prison or dead.”

David then marched Mike to the local Marine Corps recruiting office, where he enlisted.

Mike was assigned to the Marine Corps Infantry Division, where he earned an honorable discharge after 10 years of service. During his tour of duty, a portion of that time was spent in Iraq, where he rose to the rank of E–5. Upon his discharge, he traveled around the United States and earned an additional diploma from the Sheridan Vocational School in marketing distribution. Even with this additional training, he continued to have trouble finding substantial employment.

Eventually he made his way to Washington, D.C., where he has been living on the streets, primarily in the Georgetown area. He panhandled for a time, and then came to Street Sense in December 2006.

How did you become homeless?

My ex–wife drained me; we separated and I was unable to maintain my apartment and pay my bills.

Why do you sell Street Sense?

It is respectable and I can earn honest money.

StreetFact Of the homeless nationwide living in shelters, 52% are female and 59% are part of a racial minority group.

(For more info, see page 6) Source: National Coaliition for the Homeless

What advice would you give someone who is homeless?

Keep your head up and think about what you are doing and can do to make your life better, then do it.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Hopefully in a stable environment and for once able to relax.

Favorite Music?

Rap Favorite Food?

Steak, medium rare Favorite Movie?

“Platoon”

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

Favorite Book?

The Pelican Brief

March 16-31, 2007 • Volume 4 • Issue 7

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