03 18 2009

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March 18 - March 31, 2009

Where the poor and homeless March 18- March 31 , 2009

earn and give their two cents

D STE GE ON G S U N AT I DO

Volume 6 Issue 10

I’m not dead!

DC Takes a New “Housing First” Approach Page 4

Vendor Jermale McKnight on Role Models Page 12

Ve n d o r ’s s t o r y reveals anonymity of life – and death – on the streets.

See page 5.

Vanderbilt Students Plunge into Homelessness Page 14

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March 18 - March 31, 2009

Our Mission

Street Sense aims to serve as a vehicle for elevating voices and public debate on issues experiencing homelessness in our community.

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

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kristal DeKleer Lisa Estrada Ted Henson Mary Lynn Jones Sommer Mathis Brad Scriber John Snellgrove Michael Stoops Martin Walker David Walker Kathy Whelpley EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Laura Thompson Osuri EDITOR–IN–CHIEF Mary Otto VENDOR MANAGER Gregory Martin ASSOCIATE EDITOR David S. Hammond (volunteer) VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Sherry Antoine, Laura Arico, Robert Basler, Robert Blair, Cliff Carle, Jane Cave, Rebecca Curry, RickDahnke, Jessia Gaitan, Cassandra Good, Joanne Goodwin, Roberta Haber, Carol Hannaford, Justin Herman, Annie Hill, Dan Horner, Phillip Hoying, Kayne Karnbach, Michael Kelly, MauriceKing, Geof Koss, Brenda K. Lee-Wilson, Starlett McNeill, Kim O’Connor, Gabriel Okolski, Robert Orifici, Swinitha Osuri, Michael O’Neill, Jon Pattee, Katinka Podmankzy, Sarah Pope, Cara Schmidt, Jamie Schuman, Jesse Smith, Matthew Taylor, Robert Trautman, Francine Triplett, Eugene Versluysen, Jerry W., Linda Wang, Denise Wilkins, Marian Wiseman, Corrine Yu VENDORS Willie Alexander, Jake Ashford, Kenneth Belkosky, Tommy Bennett, Reginald Black, Corey Bridges, Bobby Buggs, Cliff Carle, Conrad Cheek Jr., Louise Davenport, James Davis, Bernard Dean, Muriel Dixon, Patrick Ebitit, Alvin Dixon El, Randy Evans, Tanya Franklin, Barron Hall, David Harris, Patricia Henry, Phillip Howard, Jo Ann Jackson, Michael Jefferson, Patricia Jefferson, Carlton Johnson, Jewell Johnson, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson, James Lott, Robert McCray, Charles Mayfield, Lee Mayse, Jermale McKnight, Jennifer Mclaughlin, Jeffery McNeil, L. Morrow, Charles Nelson, Sammy Ngatiri, Eveykn Nnam, Moyo Onibuje, Thomas Queen, Kevin Robinson, Tyrone Rogers,, Franklin Sterling, Sybil Taylor, Eric Thompson, Francine Triplett, Carl Turner, Jerry W., Martin Walker, LawlessWatson, Ivory Wison

The Story of Street Sense

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

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

For the first year, Street Sense operated as a

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

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

A year later in November 2006 , the organization hired its first vendor coordinator, and began partnering with several service providers.

In February 2007, the paper started publishing twice a month and to support the increased production, Street Sense brought on its first fulltime editor–in–chief in April.

As of January 2009 the paper has 80 active vendors and prints about 30,000 issues a month.

Do you want to continue to support Street Sense throughout the year?

Order a subscription today!

Not only will you receive 26 issues packed with all our latest news, poetry and photography, you will also help raise awareness about poverty in the D.C. area. ___ YES! I want to subscribe to Street Sense for just $40 a year for 26 issues. ___ YES! I want to give half of the cost of a subscription to my favorite vendor: ________________________________ Name: _______________________________ Address: ______________________________ _____________________________________ City:__________________________________ State:__________________ Zip: __________ Phone: _______________________________ E-mail: _______________________________ Please make checks payable to: Street Sense.

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

We are proud members of: North American Street Newspaper Association

International Network of Street Papers

Vendor Code of Conduct 1.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I agree to stay a block away from another vendor and respect the space of all vendors.

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

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

Last Month’s Donors: Thank You For your support!!

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March 18 - March 31, 2009

Food Stamp Act Contains More Benefits for DC Working Poor

By Denise Wilkins On March 10, at the John A. Wilson District Building, Councilmember Michael A. Brown, along with representatives from D.C. Hunger Solutions and D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, announced the introduction of the Food Stamp Expansion Act of 2009.

The Act relaxes some key eligibility requirements, which, according to Councilmember Brown, will allow nearly 4,800 more D.C. families to qualify for muchneeded assistance.

Aluveller Perkins, who told her own story at the gathering, said the food stamp expansion would make a difference for families such as hers. The single mother of four boys who works as an administrative assistant at Catholic University, said she found herself struggling to pay her bills. Faced with tuition bills, as well as rising food and energy costs, she sought assistance but was quickly deemed ineligible as her income exceeded 130% of the poverty threshold.

The federal government has set the 2009 poverty threshold for a family of three at $17,604. To qualify for food stamps, the income for a family of that size must not exceed 130% of that threshold, or $22,884 a year. If approved, the Food Stamp Expansion Act will loosen the eligibility requirements for District residents in two ways: (1) The income threshold will be raised to 200% of the poverty level, or approximately, $35,208 in annual income. Additionally, rules regarding assets will be relaxed. Currently, working-class families with savings and automobiles, suddenly unemployed or underemployed, are ineligible for assistance because of these assets and are forced to quickly draw down their savings in order to qualify.

(2) A second element, called the Heat and Eat Initiative, allows food-stamp recipients to take the maximum standard utility allowance which will lower their income levels, qualifying them for a greater benefit. This may provide participating households between $30 and $60 more in food-stamp benefits each month.

According to D.C. Hunger Solutions, these new benefits, provided entirely from federal funds, will cost between $13 and $19 million annually; however, economists estimate that for every $1 in food stamp benefits distributed there is a $1.73 boost to the local economy.

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

Donate to Street Sense My Information 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

In Kind Donations Needed

I will donate: ___ $50 for two vendor awards each month ___ $70 for food for vendor meetings ___ $100 for postage each month ___ $200 for the vests of 15 new vendors ___ $500 for rent for vendor office ___ $1,200 for the printing of one issue ___ Another amount of $_______ ___ Another amount of $_______ for vendor: ________________

* Messenger and tote bags and backpacks for vendors

* Laptop computers with at least Windows 2000

* Bottled water to hand out to vendors

and 10 GB of storage space

* Food for vendor meetings

* Laser color printer

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March 18 - March 31, 2009

District Touts New Housing Effort

By Robert Blair An ambitious local plan to end chronic homelessness is moving forward, despite a range of challenges, a district official told area social workers gathered for a recent conference at Gallaudet University.

Fred Swan, Administrator for the Department of Human Service’s Family Services Administration, told the social workers, most of whom worked for city agencies or for local non-profits, that the District’s Permanent Supportive Housing program, which started at the end of the 2008 fiscal year, has so far housed 414 individuals and 1 family.

The economic slowdown has had an impact, Swan acknowledged.

“We did take some cuts this year in our program,” he said. However, Swan expressed hope for the future, noting that that the program’s goal for fiscal year 2009 is to house an additional 400 individuals and 80 families.

The District’s Permanent Supportive Housing program represents a “Housing First” approach to fighting homelessness. Similar programs are taking shape in juridictions across the country. The program aims to end longterm homelessness by moving vulnerable individuals and at-risk homeless families into permanent housing as rapidly as possible, and provide necessary social supports along with that housing.

“You are more motivated to participate in other services when you have a stable place t o c a l l h o m e ,” Swan explained.

Such an approach constitutes a major shift away from the traditional emergency shelter system for helping the urban homeless, moving clients out of shelters and on to temporary transitional housing only when they show they are “housing ready” by staying sober, for example, or participating in a rehabilitation program.

“This was a bold aggressive move,” said Kelly Sweeny McShane, executive director of Community of Hope, one of the housing organizations working with the city on the new effort.

“It’s challenged us to think in a different way. It’s very much a learning process,” added McShane, who joined Swan in speaking at the conference. She noted that Community of Home, a family-focused service organization, had not yet placed a family in permanent supportive housing.

The reason that so few families have been housed, Swan explained, is that the family portion of the program only began in December. In addi-

Social workers understand how policy decisions are going to impact the clients and staff, they need to be involved in the policy decision process, too.

tion to having started later, he added, the initial funding had been done using local funding sources that do not involve the delays often associated with federal funding.

“Local dollars allow us to move more people in faster,” Swan told the audience. “With federal dollars the process is different. Federal resources have higher documentation requirements.”

Most of the local funds had been used for housing single adult men and women by the time that families were being addressed. Their part of the program is relying mainly on federal funds.

Role of Case Managers Swan, McShane, and Amanda Harris, of Pathways to Housing, another organization involved in the permanent supportive housing effort, all emphasized that social workers, and the expertise they provide, are crucial to the success of the program.

“Social workers are involved in all levels of the PSH program,” said Swan. He added that because “social workers understand how policy decisions are going to impact the clients and staff, they need to be involved in the policy decision process, too.”

The supportive housing program’s targets for clients-per-case manager are 15 single individuals per case manager, or 10 families per case manager. The program demands above average case management expertise, Swan conceded. Because the program is targeted to the most vulnerable of the homeless, clients often have mental health issues, perhaps accompanied by alcohol or drug dependency.

Besides working with clients to establish individual goals and service plans, case managers must serve as liaisons between the clients and their landlords, meeting with the landlords monthly to help iron out any concerns.

Harris explained that because supportive housing units are scattered across the various city wards, clients may find themselves in neighborhoods distant from the service sites – such as shelters and food kitchens – on which they had formerly depended, and around which they may have formed communities. So program case managers also must assist their clients’ social integration into the new communities where they now live.

In the case of homeless families there is the additional element of ensuring the safety and education of the children.

Finding the Most Vulnerable In its efforts to identify the single men and women most in need of permanent supportive housing and associated services, the Department of Human Services sought the assistance of a New York-based non-profit, Common Ground, that helped pioneer the use of Housing First efforts in the U.S. for the most difficult cases – people who have spent years on the street, suffering from mental illness, addiction, chronic disease or other physical problems.

Common Ground has extensive experience canvassing people who live on the streets and do not use the shelter system, documenting that population and persuading them to apply for the program.

Working with Common Ground, the Department of Human Services developed an index for assign-

ing priority to individuals and families for housing eligibility. Priority was based on vulnerability and the length of time the individual had been homeless. The District’s vulnerability index helps identify individuals who have been “street homeless” for more than six months, and either suffer from one or more of a number of serious medical conditions or are over 60 years old.

Swan noted that a key factor to identify the most vulnerable was a person’s use of emergency medical services.

For homeless families, the vulnerability index also includes domestic violence issues, the need for stable housing for children (to allow family reunification), and repeat episodes of homelessness.

McShane pointed out that almost all families seeking emergency shelter and housing assistance in D.C. go through one central intake site, the Virginia Williams Family Resource Center, where they are screened to determine eligibility for housing and other forms of assistance. She related that 350 families already had been surveyed for the 80 family housing units that are expected to become available this fiscal year.

Roughly 75% of the families that Community of Hope assists, Shane said, are headed by women.

About 60% are dealing with depression or different kinds of trauma. Appropriate family housing is more difficult to locate than singles units, she said, because families often require two or three bedrooms.

Moving Forward Swan outlined for the social workers how his department will be working with the eight organizations that have contracted to provide case management services to the program.

“We meet bi-weekly with all case managers,” Swan said, “and there are monthly meetings with the provider organizations.” He also pointed out that the city has a monitoring team that randomly checks on how the case management process is working.

He noted that the expansion of the program had one downside.

“Initially, no one thought this was for real. But once we started housing people, it really got everyone’s attention,” Swan said. Now that it is up and running, the program is beginning to attract people from other local jurisdictions and states, he added, noting that DC’s residence requirements tend not to be restrictive.

Right now, Swan admitted, the program defines success in terms of clients retaining their housing and developing a service plan, but his department is talking about developing a more formal evaluation component to the program.

The vulnerability survey will also require some tweaking, he admitted. It doesn’t account for severity of medical problems, only their existence. At first it was not a problem because the organizations working with the department knew who the chronically homeless and long-term shelter users were.

Now the department finds that some applicants understand that the more fragile they seem, the more likely they’ll be housed. So, he said, verification of information could become an issue.

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March 18 - March 31, 2009

Life, Death, and Uncertainty on the Street

By Mary Otto At an annual vigil held last Dec. 21 on the cold and windy first night of winter, the names of people who died homeless in the District in 2008 were read aloud.

The name Orin Andrus was among them, although it was spelled on the list as Orin Andres.

The news came as a sad shock to his colleagues at Street Sense, where Andrus had been a vendor before resigning late in the summer. A tall lanky fellow, Andrus was fondly remembered as a “gentle giant” who loved gardening.

Street Sense was recently surprised again – this time in a good way – to learn that Andrus is alive and well, despite having been listed as deceased last year.

And the effort to untangle how this happened revealed some important things about the impact of anonymity and rootlessness in the lives – and deaths – of homeless people.

In preparing the story about the Dec. 21 vigil, Street Sense found that details about Andrus’ reported death were sketchy. According to an advocate who helped collect names for the memorial list, Andrus was reportedly found dead at 11th and G streets, NW. That had been the very corner where he had sold his papers.

Calls to city agencies for further details, including the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, went unreturned as the Christmas Eve issue of Street Sense went to press.

And on March 4, Andrus walked into the Street Sense office, hearty and tan.

“I’m not dead,” he announced. He was carrying a shopping bag containing Cuddles, his cherished toy stuffed cat, along with his birth certificate and other documents.

“This is all my stuff to prove I’m alive,” explained Andrus, 46.

A Cause for Celebration He said that after he left Street Sense he had found well-paying landscaping work out in Arlington, Va., earning enough to rent himself a small room.

When a friend told him about the Dec. 24 Street Sense article reporting him dead, Andrus laughed. But he decided he needed to come back and set the record straight.

“I think it was a mistake,” said Andrus. “I feel pretty good for a dead man.”

Andrus’ surprise return was a cause

In high-profile or public cases, the office is allowed to inform the press of the cause and manner of death. In many other cases however, the official said “telling about the death would be an invasion of privacy.”

Orin Andrus and Ken Belkosky take time to catch up on the past three months.

for celebration at the newspaper office. But it was also a haunting reminder of the difficulties of keeping track of homeless people, both in life and in death.

Living in Plain View, Anonymously For homeless people and the people who work with them, it’s a complicated matter. Some homeless people don’t want to be named or found.

Some are estranged from families or ashamed to be homeless, or in flight from justice or from abuse. Many have no identification, because it is so easily lost or stolen.

Street Sense has no formal system of keeping track of vendors and former vendors, who are not employees but independent contractors.

And their lives, like the lives of many other poor and homeless people, are often transient. Many are not reliably reachable by telephone or mail. They do not always contact the newspaper when they move on to a new job, enter a hospital or rehabilitation program, or serve time in jail.

During his March 4 visit, Andrus said he would have liked to let Street Sense know how he was doing but it was difficult while working in Virginia.

“I worked ten hours a day, six days a week. I had a cell phone and it got stolen,” he said Remembering the Deceased National Homeless Persons’ Memorial events such as the local vigil have been held nationwide every year since 1990, to remember the homeless people whose lives and deaths might otherwise go without any public rec-

ognition. The observances are cosponsored by a number of homeless advocacy organizations including the National Coalition for the Homeless.

Vigils are typically observed the evening of December 21, the first night of winter and the longest night of the year. The 2008 D.C. vigil memorialized 52 people believed to have died in the District and Alexandria, Va. during the year, including Andrus.

The event was one of nearly 100 held throughout the country.

The names that are read aloud at the D.C. homeless vigil are garnered from a number of nonprofit groups who serve the homeless, and compiled by the National Coalition for the Homeless, which is a sponsor of the event.

Mary Ann Luby of the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, who helps gather names for the memorial event, said she got Andrus’ name from an investigator at the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Luby said she checked with the investigator again this month and her source insisted that an Orin Andres, spelled with an E, not a U, did indeed die.

The investigator did not return calls from Street Sense for this story, but in an interview, another official at the medical examiner’s office, who asked not to be named, said she could find no record of Andrus’ name, spelled either Andres or Andrus, in the office system.

The official said it would be impossible to confirm the other names on the memorial list due to privacy restrictions.

“There is absolutely no way,” the official said.

Anonymous – Even in Death The efforts that go into collecting names for the annual memorial vigils are no substitute for a more formal system of gathering the names of people who have died while homeless, said National Coalition for the Homeless Executive Director Michael Stoops.

“We need a better system of keeping track of people who died homeless,” said Stoops. But the task is just one more of the challenges of helping people who live and sometimes die in the shadows.

“When you are a homeless person, your life can be anonymous. Your death can also be anonymous. No one will know if you pass away.”

Over the years, Stoops has often been called upon to identify the bodies. It’s a difficult task, he said “especially when it’s someone you know.”

The List Goes On Names for the 2009 memorial vigil are already being collected. Three days after the 2008 vigil, the body of local homeless man Yoshio Nakada was found in Foggy Bottom, apparently bludgeoned to death as he slept outdoors.

The official from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said autopsies are still being completed on Byron Alexander, who was reportedly found dead Feb. 1 at North Capitol Street and Florida Ave., and Ellen Gong, whose body was found Feb. 5 at 14th Street and New York Ave. in Northwest.

A third homeless person, a 50-yearold white male, was found dead on March 9 at 13th and Perry Streets in Northeast, according to Luby. And a fourth, named Robert Pryor, about 52, was found alive on Sixth Street, NW on March 1, she said. But on March 10, he also died.

Alive and Well and Working Hard On his recent visit to Street Sense, Andrus enjoyed a doughnut with his friends and then decided he had better get back to Virginia. He is anxiously awaiting spring, and more gardening and landscaping work.

“I’ll probably be planting trees and flowers,” he said with a smile. He promised to stay in touch.

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March 18 - March 31, 2009

Street Politics

By David Hammond

Watching “the street” for signs of economic life We’ve heard a lot about Wall Street the last few months.

But what’s happening “out on the street”?

The same things as on Wall Street and everywhere: some people break the rules, some are pulling in their horns, some are getting desperate, and some are watching to see what creative new thing happens next.

Wall Street’s miscreants and mismanagers have held the media spotlight recently. But there have also been stories about garden-variety theft – crimes of personal enrichment – on the rise.

These stories are neither uniform nor universal, and it’s too early to say with certainty which way national trends are going. Experts also say the connection to the economy is complex and sometimes indirect.

But the impact of high unemployment is always a concern, and will be watched closely in the coming months.

Some lighter-side relief from all the bad news has come from stories about thrift-store shopping, creative pennypinching, and thrifty recipes from the Great Depression.

And there have been stories about professionals reinventing careers and lives that once seemed predictable and secure.

Stress, limits and creativity For those with less education and fewer skills, the scope for self-reinvention is not so expansive.

One longtime observer of life in the District says “you’ve got people taking jobs now they’re overqualified for, just to feed their families. That means someone who’s qualified for that job won’t get it. It will be a chain reaction – and where does that leave the person who has a lack of education?”

So, he said, “some people are gonna start hustling.” And “people who have the smarts not to do illegal ... things ... are gonna go into a gray area like selling socks, hats, or T-shirts.”

“It’s the small signs you look for,” he said. “Like if you get a lot of kids out on the streets here this summer – there might not be enough summer jobs for these kids. ... It’s gonna be a rough one.”

Another local says that along with signs of stress, he sees reason to expect creativity of every kind to climb if the recession continues.

“Money’s getting tight,” he said. “And everyone has a mission when they leave the house – to find food, or work.

We’re gonna see two types of people: those who are willing to panhandle, and those who aren’t, and will use their bare hands.”

“Street beefs are getting worse,” he said. As for the summer ahead, “we’re gonna see people begging, but there’s gonna be a horde of entrepreneurs. African-Americans, and Latinos, even if they don’t have any capital. It will be at the lower level, in all-cash businesses.”

He sees more street vendors of every kind, including people with an armful of new T-shirts or a sack of used DVDs. “And I’m seeing more flower people” selling cut flowers at major intersections, he said. It’s a popular line of work among Latino immigrants but, he said, “I even saw a white guy doing it.”

So while national institutions try to regroup, look for many other people to do the same – with economic activity that takes them in new and unexpected directions.

On The Hill

DC in the House?

By Street Sense Staff A bill that would give the District of Columbia its first seat in the House of Representatives has hit a hurdle after significant progress toward final passage.

The District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2009 was introduced in the House by D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and in the Senate by Sens. Orrin Hatch of Utah and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut on January 6, 2009. It would also add a new House seat for the state of Utah.

The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 61-37 in February, but included an amendment added by Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign that would repeal the District of Columbia’s gun laws and prohibit any new regulations. It is now up to the House of Representatives to decide whether the bill will pass with or without the amendment. If the House adopts an amendment identical to the Senate’s, that bill will go directly to the President for his signature. The question that will then face the president – as well as all supporters of District voting rights – is: Are voting rights worth losing all gun regulation in the city?

The National Rifle Association has threatened to punish House members who support a procedural vote to remove the gun amendment from the Voting Rights Act. This would be especially harmful to vulnerable representatives from conservative states.

In a March 10 letter to her Democratic colleagues, Del. Norton encouraged them to stand up against the gun amendment, saying: “The consistent support of our Democratic Caucus for equal rights, regardless of our differences on other issues, has been so strong for so long that I have no doubt we can remain a unified party on civil rights and avoid an unprecedented split in our ranks on this civil rights bill.”

House leaders hope to have a compromise on the voting rights act – which could mean a separate D.C. gun law bill – to the president for his signature before the end of year.

www.homecourtdc.org

Congress vs. Georgetown A Basketball Benefit for The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless

Members of Congress will battle Georgetown Law Faculty after rasing over $325,000 last year!! tickets@homecourtdc.org for andvance sales or groups

tickets $15 w/t-shirt $20

all proceeds benfit the clinic

April 1st, 7:00 pm

Gonzoga College High School 19 Eye Street NW

S treetS ense.org

March 18 - March 31, 2009

Malawi Takes Lead on AIDS

By Phillip Pemba When Barack Obama was last year declared leader of the free world, inexplicable jubilation hovered around the human race, especially on the African continent.

“Symbolic,” “historic,”… were some of the terms used to describe the worldly celebrated victory which brought grins of hope on many people’s faces and instilled a new spirit of optimism.

“Yes we can,” is one of the catchy phrases Obama constantly used on his way to the White House, holding in package convincing ideas to change the state of affairs in America and the world.

Back home Obama’s success coincided with outstanding performance of Malawi in the fight against the global challenge that heads of states and governments have overtime banged heads to fathom out its lasting solution but to no avail.

Malawi finished the year 2008 with tremendous and historic record as the country with the fastest growing HIV/Aids national response program in the world, courtesy of effective systems put in place to fight the pandemic.

Principal Secretary for Nutrition and HIV/Aids Dr. Mary Shawa attributed the standing to numerous strides made in different areas relating to voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), administration of antiretroviral (ARV ) drugs and reduction of HIV infection rates in various age groups.

“The HIV/Aids national response program in Malawi is the fastest growing in the world. This is the reason why the Global Health Council decided to hold the 2006 Silver Jubilee and International Candle Light Memorial in Malawi on May 18, 2008,” she said.

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She said the foremost achievement for the country is the successful integration of HIV/Aids and nutrition program which she said has made Malawi act as an example for many countries in the world.

“Countries are coming to learn from us. The world believed non-medical people cannot perform HIV/ Aids activities, but Malawi went out of the line to train non-medical people to provide HIV/Aids services.

“Nurses and clinical officers started administering ARVs. A lot more services are provided by people who are non-medical,” said Shawa.

She said the use of non-medical personnel has helped take HIV/Aids services to rural communities where most people are live.

“The placing together of nutrition and HIV/Aids is the most unique thing. Besides, prevention and management of nutrition disorders and HIV/Aids is one of the top priorities in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS). This is an achievement on the policy front,” stated Shawa.

Mobile services and those provided in community health centres increased the number of people undergoing HIV testing to about three million by 2008 from close to 420,000 in 2004, with over 1.4 million people testing within 2008 alone, according to Shawa.She further said the general survival rate for both HIV positive adults and children has gone up, with 20 percent decrease in adult death rate and survival rate in children pegged at 86 percent.

Shawa identified the community based therapeutic care programme and reduction of serious malnutrition cases as chief factors behind increases in survival rates among adults and children.

“On provision of antiretroviral (ARV ) drugs, in 2004 only about 4,500 people were on ARVs and these were paying for the drugs, but by September 2008, we had more than 200,000 people on ARVs and over 70 percent of them are still alive,” she said.

She added the default rate of Aids patients on ARVs was reduced from 50 percent in 2004 to 10 percent in 2008.

However, Shawa said provision of adequate nutritional support for ARV taking patients remains a big challenge for the country as some patients stop taking the drugs because of lack of food.

“When you stop taking ARVs, the drugs develop resistance which creates problems. Such a person may need to be taken to regime two of ARVs which is expensive. It is better to monitor the majority of the patients on regime one,” she emphasised.

Provision of HIV/Aids information as an integral component in the fight against the pandemic is another area in which Shawa said Malawi has recorded progress with over seven million people reached with HIV/Aids messages as of 2008 compared to only about 660,000 in 2006.

She said over 700 channels including newspapers, television and radio programmes were used to transmit the messages.

The HIV/Aids national response program in Malawi is the fastest growing in the world. This is the reason why the Global Health Council decided to hold the 2006 Silver Jubilee and International Candle Light Memorial in Malawi on May 18, 2008 - Principal Secretary for Nutrition and HIV/AIDS Dr. Mary “We have also had an increase in provision of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) services, with more than 500 facilities providing services to over half a million women.

“So you can see that progress from 2004 to 2008 has been steady. HIV prevalence rate has gone down from 14.4 percent in 2004 to 12 percent in 2008,” said Shawa Besides, she said the proportion of men paying for sex reduced from 21 percent in 2004 to five percent in 2008 and the number of people with multiple sex partners went down from 33 to 12 percent in the same years.

To hasten progress in the fight against the pandemic, Shawa wished stakeholders put their zeal on community service delivery, saying doing so would help the country work on mountains.

“We need to train community workers to move door-to-door and work with people to give them information about HIV/Aids,” she appealed.

“We also need to reduce infection in young people especially between ages of 15 and 24. Infection is high in girls due to inter-generation sex between old men and young girls.”

At the end of 2008, Minister of Sports and Youth Development Simon Vuwa Kaunda reportedly asked for more involvement of young people in the K5 billion (about £230 million) Aids grant from the Global Fund to improve the quantity, quality and time implementation of Aids programs.

“In terms of quantity, there are set goals such as training 10,000 youth in life skills,” said Kaunda emphasizing the skills should be life changing to bring in the element of quality.

The achievements Malawi made last year in the area of HIV/Aid saw Shawa and her working colleagues in the department of nutrition and HIV/Aids getting remarkable recognition by receiving the Diversity Leadership Awards from Inc Media.

Reprinted from The Big Issue Malawi

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March 18 - March 31, 2009

Sitting in the office bored to death, So tired I can barely catch my breath.

Waiting for coffee that I can drink.

Waiting for PEACE, So I can think.

The office is crowded, Many people here, The crowd is thick, It’s truly dense, Everyone wants The new Street Sense.

- By Shawn Herring

A Day Sense V

S treetS ense.org

y in the Life of Street Vendor Shawn Herring

March 18 - March 31, 2009

I am looking at myself My wonders on the shelf Things I was meant to do Sometimes...

I don’t have a clue Attractions Distractions All of the above Sometimes we forget That JESUS Was love.

- By Shawn Herring

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gREGORY’S gREAT gAME Vendor Manager Gregory Martin loves to create seek-and-find puzzles and drive the Street Sense staff crazy trying to find the answers. Below is his latest puzzle. Good Luck!

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Who’s Who of the Homeless

By Carlton Johnson Famous individuls who have been homeless, and where are they now:

Number Time 48223 48408 56396 58804 58844 58932 62626 17878 27494 29345 39339 37070

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SUDOKU street sudokuo: puzzle 10 Difficulty level: MEDIUM

LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS

There just happen to be one Nobel Prize winner and two nominees; six Oscar winners and 10 nominees; eight Emmy winners and 11 nominees; nine Grammy winners and 13 nominees, and in fact six best-selling authors to date, also one recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and moreover, one recipient of the English knighthood, who have been homeless at some point in time.

Now for the Who’s Who of the Homeless award winners: Tyler Perry, actor, director, writer, producer and playwright. Went from living in his car to building and controlling a $500 million entertainment enterprise.

Sally Jessy Raphael, Emmy Award-winning television talk-show host and author who also lived in her car.

Dennis J. Kucinich, Legislator. Born October 8, 1946, in Ohio. America’s Congressman. Democratic member of the House of Representatives who served as the 53rd mayor of Cleveland. Ran for U.S. president in 2004 and 2008.

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March 18 - March 31, 2009

Will write for food: Writer’s Group Writer’s Group meets Wednesdays 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Street Sense office. A poetry after party is 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Spring and Earth Day

Try writing an original essay of your thoughts on Earth day and how it relates to the upcoming season of spring.

MAN AND EARTH

By Elexi Arbluckle

Popping out flower heads greenery everywhere with a sun on a sparkling lake are the beauties I think about when I think about earth Pollution - a dying rainforest skin cancer and dangerous rays from the sun are the things I think about when I think About the destruction of the Earth. I can only hope that blissful thoughts of the earth and pro-active solutions will prevail over the destructive ways of man upon the earth.

Elexi is a participant of the group, contact: Borgenstine@aol.com

BEAUTIFUL PLANET

By Reginald Black

I know we have a beautiful planet. Do I know all about our Earth maybe not? But I do know there are those out there that feel for our planet. It’s interesting to find out Earth Day was a political concept. Earth Day founder Senator Gaylord Nelson’s words were striking to me. how is it possible that Earth Day organize itself? I believe that people are starting to realize that the earth as our home instead of the planet we live on. Most people get out and take walks on Earth day. I think the fresh foliage of spring put people in a green mood and they want a green planet. I think we all have a part in the ultimate survival of the earth and that lies in the hearts of all mankind or as some would say God’s children.

THE DAY OF EARTH

by Robert Warren

On Earth day, I often think about the earth and if the earth has thought like you and me. I know without the sun and the water we could not be and still the thought that we came to be from the thought that God gave to the earth.

If the earth has thought, then what are the earth’s thoughts on what man is doing to the Earth and does the earth repeat those things. Because it is inside that the first law of nature is self preservation so with that maybe it past time to think about clean up our misuse is for the earth and the sun that gave life anew to the earth will kill you and me and our children. I believe that we can start making cleaning up the Earth dig business and with that out children will have much spring to come that just my thoughts I’m sure I’m not the only one Robert is a participant Contact: Robertwarren47@yahoo.com

Reggie’s Reflections: Dreadful Night

By Reginald Black

I was still ducking and hiding around my neighborhood panhandling this day was not good profit day for me and I only wanted a pack of Newports. Not having enough, I purchase something called an AL Capone. I was also chatting in mail with a girl. I have visited before I was homeless. She kept asking when I would see her. I also asked the same question of her. She asked me to come out to her mom’s house.

I arrived in Mount Rainier with a semi dead battery after a long stint of finding power. I soon reached the rendezvous. She met me at a Safeway and we sat and talked for a while. It was cold I couldn’t help notice she forgot some clothing at home. We talked and joked around. We then walked to her complex. I did everything I could to get her. But it seemed my efforts were in vain.

I walked her to the door and said goodnight. I headed for the nearest metro station. Not having any more money I attempted to jump the gate. I moved quickly behind a Caucasian woman but was stopped by an officer so I guess I failed. I had to accept a ticket and he told me that I could not use the station. I left disturbed and upset but what choice did I have? After a long walk to Mount Rainier, I rode back to my neighborhood frustrated and wondered will I ever find someone who didn’t judge me being homeless. It was a question that needed an answer but I just couldn’t find one.

Reggie works on layouts, contact: roninworrior@yahoo.com

GW Poetry Slam

By Carlton Johnson and Reginald Black Thursday November 20th 2008 Carlton Johnson and Reginald Black where specially invited to George Washington University, one of the most prestigeious college campuses in the D.C. area. Hosting their yearly poetry slam by the ladies of Strong Hall, Carlton and I arrived about six o’clock and after setting up Carlton and I took a walk around the college campus and prepared ourselves for the slam.

It was then Carlton gave me a little history on how he became a poet also taking timeout to mentor a young talented man like myself.

We then headed back to the event which started at seven o’clock. Upon return, an attendant told us that we can leave our papers at the table. To my surprised the event mediator Sarah O’Conner who invited us was sitting in the room. I introduced myself and discovered she is actually one of my customers at my daily spot Farragut North Metro Station. I also introduced myself to the other attendants who were busy helping Sarah with posters and banners at the sign-in table. At this point everything was ready. The audience started filling the chairs within the piano room. Throughout the room art was displayed by artists of Miriam’s Kitchen with a beautifully display self-serving set up of food.

First to perform was Miriam’s Kitchen’s Writers group. Surprised to learn the room listened to their that such a talented group, tuned ears throughout performances. The first poet Roy from their Writers group was exceptionally well versed. Emotions filled the room when he read a poem about a lost friend, also performing another poet form their Writers group another talented writer preformed and up next yours truly dazzling the stage with his own work of artist skills in writing Reginald Black as a hush filled the room I was thinking that I had a tough act to follow, but after introducing myself and getting a round of applause I felt good about wanting to be heard. The poem I preformed was called “Lost and Confused.”

Afterward I introduced Carlton who also was given a round of applause. Carlton won the crowd over with his infamous “Passions of One’s Soul”. Disappointed we had to leave in such a hurry we packed our things and headed over to our next engagement that night. I felt being an advocate was hard work that night.

Contacts: Carlton Johnson inkflownation@gmail.com, Reginald Black roninworrior@yahoo.com

PRODUCTION, HOSTING, LAYOUT AND SUPPORT:Cara Schmidt, Carlton Johnson, David Hammond, Jerry W., Patty Smith, Reginald Black

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No End in Sight

By Eric Sheptock

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eople are always asking me about the mayor’s “Ho u s i n g Fi r s t” plan known as Permanent Supportive Housing.

They want to k n ow w h e n t h e Department of Human Services will resume housing the homeless like they were doing during the last quarter of 2008, right after the Franklin School Shelter closure.

Well, the word is out on housing and it’s not good. In order to grasp the full gravity of the situation, you must first understand what has transpired so far.

D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty announced his housing plan for the city’s chronically homeless people in April 2008.

That plan called for housing 400 homeless singles and 100 homeless families per year for 5 years (fiscal 2008 thru 2012) and included 2 more years to work out all the kinks.

That would have meant that 2,000 homeless saingles and 500 families had been housed by 2014.

This would have also met some of the requirements of the 10-year-plan to end homelessness that was constructed by the administration of former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams. (That plan, which was adopted in December of 2004, actually called for the 2,500 units of Permanent Supportive Housing that I just described above plus 3,500 units of affordable housing. People have all but forgotten about the latter provision.)

In order to justify the Franklin School Shelter closure and pacify the homeless community, the mayor needed to create at least 300 housing units for men – the number of beds Franklin had, with it having been an all-male shelter.

So, from September 11 to December 11 of 2008, DHS housed 403 people – mostly men.

As of February 25, 2009, a total of 414 homeless singles and one family had been housed. For those who are not so mathematically inclined, this means that about 135 people were housed per month for the last quarter of 2008 and six people per month have been housed for the first two months of this year.

Due to the mayor’s ambitious housing plan having fallen behind schedule, the goals were lowered during the latter part of 2008. The Department of Human Services now wants to house 800 singles and 80 families by the end of fiscal 2009.

In November of 2008, the D.C. Council cut and froze the budgets of various departments, including that of DHS. The homeless and their advocates came out

in force to protest the massive cuts to the housing programs and managed to have some of the money put back. Even so, the D.C. government’s efforts to house the homeless have slowed considerably.

The D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray stated in November that the council would review the budget in February and possibly return some of the monies that it had taken for a rainy day fund. February has come and gone.

The economy has sunk further into despair. The money has not and will not be returned to the respective departments from which it was taken.

And the homeless have been given a new ray of hopelessness.

On February 25, D.C. Government’s Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) held its bimonthly meeting. During that meeting, Fred Swan of the Department of Human Services broke the bad news to us.

He explained that over 3,100 homeless singles and over 360 homeless families had completed assessment forms in an effort to obtain Permanent Supportive Housing, out of which 414 singles and one family have been housed.

He also said that those applicants who’ve already been assigned a caseworker (which is the next step toward being housed) would most likely be housed this year.

Then came the bad news. Those homeless singles who’ve not been assigned a caseworker already most likely will not be housed this year.

Fortunately for homeless families, they are becoming the new focus of the Department of Human Services.

All of this brings two truths to mind. One is that, during an economic downturn, we need a social safety net. The other is that, during an economic downturn, social services are the first programs to be defunded.

All in all, the homeless community of our nation’s capital was just told that 2,700 homeless singles and almost 300 families who’ve applied for housing won’t be housed this year. D.C. has at least 6,044 homeless people according to a point-in-time count that was done in January 2009.

The silver lining in all of this (if there is any such thing in this economy) is that President Obama’s stimulus package contains about $40 billion for the homeless and for affordable housing efforts. (The National Alliance to End Homelessness circulated a form at the ICH meeting which gives a breakdown of the funding.)

While I don’t know much about spending that kind of money, I’m inclined to believe that those $40 billion amount to putting a band-aid on someone who is experiencing a “general crisis” (the medical term for when a person has suffered numerous life-threatening injuries, such as might happen during a traffic accident.)

Nonetheless, we’ll take what we can get in the way of relief.

Eric is an advocate for the homeless who stays at CCNV shelter.

Lack of Life Coaching Skills

By Jermale McKnight

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he problem with life is that young people a re n o t b o r n knowing to play fair.

What I mean is, they don’t take care. Many youths find out too late that if you bring nothing to the table of society you are going to be out of luck, hoping someone will spare some change, or that the trash can will have something to offer.

It’s like the “hipness” of life, when we are young, blinds us from our maximum potential.

When I was young, I was concerned with dressing well, girls, and getting wasted. Meanwhile, life was passing me by. Nobody told me to play fair, to serve in the military, to be civil and have good manners.

Eventually I learned that the path to prosperity is being good, being fair. If someone looks out for you, then you return the favor to them or somebody else.

If men and women serve their country before asking for something in return, then they place themselves in a position of priority in this country.

It angers me that I wasn’t informed about how the real world works.

Now, I sell “Street Sense,” and I want to become a doctor, police officer, or go into the military, gain some skills, and provide some service for the people I love. Plus I’ll be good and get paid for it.

The problem is, I’m late because I didn’t catch the fire. I was not amazed by the righteousness of life. I had no good life coaching, and the result is who I am today.

I really wish I never drank or did drugs. I wish I had just been a square in life. You know, like sticking with my family and friends, having a great career, being someone my parents could glory in.

Instead, I only heard the hustlers. I followed them and failed. If only someone had turned me on to dignity!

Now, people, as I speak, some kids are still on Cloud Nine. Will the real Christians and others of good conscience take a stand with me to help prevent future bums, inmates and punks?

Jermale has been a vendor for two years.

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March 18 - March 31, 2009

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Techniques for Winning Sales

Dupont Delicious

By Jeff McNeil

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ome of the qualities I’ve learned from selling newspapers were from trial and error and from actively talking to customers. I have encountered every possible condition. I believe I can share some things to help people become better sellers and entrepreneurs.

Be original. To be a winner, you have to stand out amongst the others. When I first sold newspapers my sales were second-rate. I started learning how to market and wearing nice clothes, and my pitch became different from the other vendors. I created a style that was recognizable to my customers, and my sales took off.

Display your merchandise. Sales is 3% skill and it takes a lot of luck. But great salespeople don’t wing it or con people.

They find a feature or focus to sell their merchandise. They get their customers enthused about the product they sell. When I sell papers I find something to show people, like my article or poetry – something to promote my product.

Sales are a little bit of showbiz so entertain your customers with thrills and suspense. I see many vendors who stand like a statue and don’t tell the customers about Street Sense. Get people involved to be a winning salesman.

Small-ball your goals. Little things will lead to big things. And to get good at anything you need to learn and improve.

When I sell papers I never have an exact amount, I just go one sale at a time. I set small goals like 10 sales an hour, and to get there, I will talk to 30 people. Prac-

tice and small goals will help you achieve big goals.

It’s not the product, it’s the person that’s selling it.

When I train new vendors and they talk about corners I often tell them it’s not the corner or spot that makes the money, it’s the person in the spot. A good salesman has charisma or that something that makes people want to buy.

You have to be original and creative especially selling newspapers. So don’t be a copycat; show the people you are unique and the customers will be lined up for your products.

Sales is a business. We don’t panhandle – we are businesspeople. When we buy papers from Street Sense and don’t sell them to customers, we take a loss.

You should track your sales, save your money and look for opportunities.

Street Sense is a business opportunity but in order to grow you have to be a sharp businessman and look for areas to expand.

I am always asking customers good locations, and studying Google maps for new business. Make your name noticed, make business cards, market your product, and you will always be a winner in sales.

Adjust the odds in your favor. My last secret to winning sales is a winning attitude.

Winners know how to get the edge; they read the rules and “how-to” manuals, and look for an advantage. They also know how to charm people.

The winner loses just as much as the other guy, but they know how to tilt the borderline buyer into saying “yes.” In sales, even a winner will fail 90% of the time.

So to have a big sale, or regular sales, you need to service the 10% who buy from you.

Learn that trait and you will always have a rewarding life in sales.

By Kenneth Belkosky

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his review is about Circa at Dupont Circle.

The restaurant, which is located at Q Street and Connecticut Ave, NW is a good place to eat. I had been curious about the food there. It is very close to the corner where I sell my newspapers.

Finally, I had a chance to enjoy a meal there, thanks to one of my best customers, Luis, who is from Los Angeles.

I give the place three Street Sense stars, I did like the food I ate.

I had corn chowder, a Circa burger and onion rings and a diet Coke. For dessert I had a dish that was something like a banana split.

The chowder had plenty of pork, plus corn and potatoes, good and hot. The burger was juicy yet well done. The onion rings were big, well-seasoned and crispy.

The dessert was served in a dish. It included plenty of ice cream, chocolate, vanilla and butterscotch, served with a waffle cone, banana, whipped cream and a cherry.

Luis had the same meal that I had and also enjoyed his food. This was also his first visit to Circa.

The place was dark inside with candles, making it hard to read the menus. But the ambience was nice and the waiters were polite. The service was quick.

The bath was clean but, it had only cold running water. The prices were fairly ritzy.

I may go back again.

Jeffery is one of Street Sense’s top vendors and hails from New Jersey.

Ken has been a vendor for six months.

He enjoys soccer and frequently writes for Street Sense.

BOOK REVIEW

By Patty Smith

“Who Does She Think She Is?”

by Benilde Little, Simon&Schuster, Inc. 2005

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ove affairs, an engagement party, ski trips, a French magazine publisher – and the life stories of three generations of women, the grandmother, the mother and the daughter. All three of them are trying to figure out who the daughter is going to marry.

It’s a three-part story: Geneva tells her life story, how she married a jazz musician and she is a grandmother. Now the mother is Camille, and her story is that she thought that she had brought shame to her mother Geneva when she had a child – her daughter Aisha – when she was 18 years old.

And now there is Aisha. Aisha has gone to some of the best schools herself, and she is one who is really

hard to please. She has straight hair and her father was half-white, with green eyes. She is sporty and high-spirited and she loves life to the fullest.

The story revolves around Aisha, who is supposed to get married to a guy named Will, who is a rich white man. She threw herself at Will to get him; he’s a rich Yuppie who came from a really rich area.

When Will’s mother had lunch with Aisha she had asked her what did her name mean. Aisha said well she could have called me Sunshine. Will’s mother was trying to figure out who this is, that her son was going to marry. And her son is going to marry a black woman. They left on good terms.

But Will is so spoiled and used to having his own way. And at a party Aisha meets Miles, an upper-class black man, and she starts trying to catch his attention. Will can’t believe he won’t get whatever he wants, and that’s where Aisha thought the problem lay.

According to this book, the women wanted what

they wanted out of life for themselves and they did not care who got hurt. And how does it feel for a white and black couple to get married? How does it feel for a white and black in America to have a relationship?

The women all had ideas of how it was to be married to a white man.

Did I learn anything about love? After all this mayhem, someone got someone and they all ended up happy. And what did I learn about Aisha?

One of Aisha’s friends asks her “Who does she think she is?” The answer is complicated. It involves race, sex, and class.

I had fun reading this book because there’s the saying “how do you catch a man?” This book had all the elements of “how do you catch a man?” in it. Read the book, and find out for yourself.

Patty is in school studying math and she is originally from Pittsburgh.

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March 18 - March 31, 2009

Vanderbilt U. Sends Students to the Streets

By Alecia Peterson During the month of March, college students from all over the area spend part of their spring break experiencing something different - something they’ve never done before. They become homeless for 48 hours. The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) began what is now known as the Homeless Challenge back in the 1980s. Geared toward increasing awareness of homeless issues, it teaches students exactly how it feels to be on the street without food or permanent shelter.

Jony Bell, NCH’s Homeless Challenge director, has put together events for an estimated nine different universities this year alone. Groups usually consist of 12 participants who are then divided into smaller groups of three to four. Group guides, who are homeless themselves, lead the students to specific shelters or soup kitchens, sharing their expertise on how to “panhandle,” or ask passersby for money, and where to find the best places to eat and sleep.

Vanderbilt University recently sent a group of 12 students to experience homelessness and learn about current issues involving homeless people.

The students learned not only about the way a homeless person lives but about their own notions about homelessness.

Julie Won, a 22-year-old college student, said, “My low point was when I realized how prideful I was. I wanted to blow my cover and tell everyone that I was actually a college student at a nice uni-

Vanderbilt students gather in front of the National Coalition for the Homeless office before they head out on the Homeless Challenge.

versity and didn’t need help. It was embarrassing, and I feel very naive.”

There were stories of terribly rude and mean encounters with D.C. citizens, but some of the students had stories of generosity to share after the event as well. Michelle Leung, 19, had been sitting in a restaurant for a very long time but had no money for food. Finally the manager came up to her and told her to follow him. “The manager took me to the back of the café and fed me. He risked his job to give me something to eat,” Leung said.

FOUNDRY A Reconciling Congregation Invites you to join us in worship on Sundays at 9:30 and 11:00 AM Homeless Outreach Hospitality: Fridays 9:00 AM

Foundry United Methodist Church

1500 16th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 332-4010

www.foundryumc.org

Several students also said that they had felt that they were under the watchful eyes of other people at all times. Everyone was wary of them, and they felt very alone. Trevor Burbank, 19, said, “At certain points I did not feel that I was part of either community - society or the homeless. Neither group wanted me, and I felt like we were invading someone’s territory, because sometimes a few other homeless people would start following us and glaring at us.”

Many students’ favorite part of the experience was finding help where they least expected it from those who were less fortunate then they were. Skyler Jacobs, 19, received more than she had expected when she asked someone for money: “We were in Franklin Park and I really wanted to try panhandling but couldn’t find the nerve. When I finally asked this woman in her twenties, she stopped and just looked at me. She then came and sat next to me and said, ‘Tell me your story.’

I told her my fake story, and as I lied it made me feel terrible. The woman opened up her coat and pulled out the tag, saying, ‘Well, I am unemployed right now and the jacket I am wearing I can no longer afford, so I’m on my way to return it.’”

Jacobs said that the woman continued, saying, “During these tough times we all need to help each other.” Then she gave Jacobs two dollars and walked away.

“This is the exact kind of story we are looking for,” Bell stated. He explained that “the ultimate goal is to break down the stereotypes. It’s about educating these students so that once they know what the issues are they have the knowledge and can act on it.”

The minimum age for participants in the Homeless Challange is 18. If you are interested, contact your university.

S treetS ense.org 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 Covenant House Washington (Youth) 2001 Mississippi Ave SE (202) 610–9600 www.covenanthousedc.org Housing, education, job prep 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 www,catholiccharitiesdc.org My Sister’s Place PO Box 29596 Washington, DC 20017 office (202) 529-5261 24-hour hotline (202)-529-5991 shelter and other services for domestic violence victims N Street Village (Women) 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060 www.nstreetvillage.org 801 East, St. Elizabeths 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

March 18 - March 31, 2009 www.churchofthepilgrims.org

mental health services

Dinner Program for Homeless Women AND the “9:30 Club” Breakfast 309 E Street, NW (202) 737–9311 www.dphw.org

Friendship House 619 D Street, SE (202) 675–9050 www.friendshiphouse.net counseling, mentoring, education, youth services, clothing

Father McKenna Center 19 Eye Street, NW (202) 842–1112

Georgetown Ministry Center 1041 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (202) 338–8301 www.georgetownministrycenter. org laundry, counseling, psych care

Food and Friends 219 Riggs Road, NE (202) 269–2277 www.foodandfriends.org Miriam’s Kitchen 2401 Virginia Avenue, NW (202) 452–8926 www.miriamskitchen.org The Welcome Table Church of the Epiphany 1317 G Street, NW (202) 347–2635 http://www.epiphanydc.org/ ministry/welcometbl.htm

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

OUTREACH CENTERS Bread for the City 1525 Seventh Street, NW (202) 265–2400 AND 1640 Good Hope Road, SE (202) 561–8587 www.breadforthecity.org food pantry, clothing, legal and social services, medical clinic Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW (202) 364–1419; www.cchfp.org housing, medical and psych care, substance abuse and job counseling Bethany Women’s Center 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060 http://www.nstreetvillage.org meals, hygiene, laundry, social activities, substance abuse treatment Green Door (202) 464–9200 1221 Taylor Street NW www.greendoor.org housing, job training, supportive

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

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Academy of Hope GED Center 601 Edgewood St NE 202-269-6623 www.aohdc.org Bright Beginnings Inc. 128 M Street NW, Suite 150 Washington DC 20001 (202) 842–9090 www.brightbeginningsinc.org Child care, family services Catholic Community Services 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 DC Food Finder Interactive online map of free and low cost resources. www.dcfoodfinder.org Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW (202) 347–0511

15

www.cflsdc.org housing, job and substance abuse counseling, clothes closet

MARYLAND

VIRGINIA

SHELTER

SHELTER

Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW (202) 332–4010 www.foundryumc.org ESL, lunch, clothing, IDs

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

Alexandria Community Shelter 2355 B Mill Road, Alexandria (703) 838–4239

Hermano Pedro Day Center 3211 Sacred Heart Way, NW (202) 332–2874 http://www.ccs–dc.org/find/ services/ meals, hygiene, laundry, clothing JHP, Inc. 1526 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE (202) 544–9126 www.jobshavepriority.org training and employment Jubilee Jobs 1640 Columbia Road, NW (202) 667–8970 www.jubileejobs.org job preparation and placement National Coalition for the Homeless 2201 P Street, NW (202) 462–4822 www.nationalhomeless.org activists, speakers bureau National Student Partnerships (NSP) 128 M Street NW, Suite 320 (202) 289–2525 washingtondc@nspnet.org Job resource and referral agency 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 emergency travel assistance Wash. Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U Street, NW (202) 328–5500 www.legalclinic.org

The Samaritan Group P.O. Box 934, Chestertown (443) 480–3564 Warm Night Shelter 311 68th Place, Seat Pleasant (301) 499–2319 www.cmpgc.org

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

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

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Catholic Charities, Maryland 12247 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring (301) 942–1790 www.catholiccharitiesdc.org shelter, substance abuse treatment, variety of other services Mission of Love 6180 Old Central Avenue Capitol Heights (301)333–4440 www.molinc.org life skills classes, clothing, housewares Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless 600–B East Gude Dri Rockville (301) 217–0314; www.mcch.net emergency shelter, transitional housing, and supportiveservices

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

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

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

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

Shelter Hotline: 1–800– 535–7252

S treetS ense.org

March 18 - March 31, 2009

Cliff Carle

Vendor Profile THe Last Words

New Vendor Manager

H

ello, my name is Gregory Martin, Vendor Manager for Street Sense. I have been in this position for a little over a month now. You may remember me as a vendor from Gallery Place Metro station, 20 & K or even 18 & K. First of all I would like to thank all of you who bought the paper from me and gave me donations, especially the pastor who gave me monies for my rent deposit, the lady at Gallery Place that would give me $20 dollars and wouldn’t even buy the paper, and the gentleman at 20 & K with his words of wisdom. Your thoughtfulness and generosity were greatly appreciated.

Since becoming Vendor Manager I’ve been walking the streets observing vendors. I’ve also been asking customers for their perspectives on how things are done and what we can do to make it better. Your responses have been great, especially when a woman told me she bought a paper from a vendor because of his pretty smile. I have been receiving emails with compliments and complaints and please keep them coming. As some of you may know, I will respond as quickly as I can.

Because I’ve been on both sides of homelessness, I just want to help make this company grow and with my experience I believe we can make it work and make it better. I know the vendors appreciate your donations. As a matter of fact, we are in need of restaurant review donations. If you would like to donate you can email me (gregory@ StreetSense.org) or mail it to the office. If you have any comments or suggestions please let me know.

Thank you!

-Gregory Martin, Vendor Manager

Cliff Carle is 60 years old and grew up traveling around the country. He was an “army brat” and until he was 13 his family moved every two years. He graduated from Technical Highschool in Springfield, Mass.

He currently lives at Community for Creative Non-Violence (CCNV) and has no alternate job to Street Sense.

He loves photography and occasionally sells his photos. Cliff hopes to become self employed as a photographic vendor and is in the process of obtaining his vendor license.

He came to Street Sense in October 2005 after hearing about the newspaper from someone he met in a shelter.

Cliff has one daughter and one son as well as two grandchildren.

What is your favorite kind of music? Jazz; my favorite is Jimmy Hendrix What is your favorite food? Prime Grillers from Morningstar What is your favorite movie? Kill Bill 1 and 2 How did you become homeless? On July 4, 2005, I was taking a shower and the sheriff came into my house and told me I was being evicted. He said I didn’t pay the rent but I knew I had. Turns out the landlord hadn’t been paying the rent so I got kicked out. On July 8th I got hit by a car and on the 11th I lost my job.

Shop | Eat Have | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | you been homeless before? Yes, but not for this long. | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I hope to be self-employed and living in a condo Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | E doing very well. | miDCity | Cliff Shop Eat Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat would| like to say| to his clients, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I would|notExplore | be where I am today without your support!”

City | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miD Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | his is Kenneth Belkosky and I would like to say thank | youEat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | fashion in MidCity for all your prayers. I know all the readers have heard that I | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | E was worried about my health but now I found out that IExplore am o.k. I would like to say thank you for everything, even your prayers. | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | Some people say prayers do not work but I know prayers do work 1603 U Street|NW City | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity Shop |1736 Eat14th| Street Explore | miD and I know some readers also know that prayers do work. I also know NW www.caramelfashion.com that you all have prayed for a lot of the homeless. That they get the www.circleboutique.com Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity |Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | S help they all need.

-By Kenneth Belkosky vendor 225 Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | E | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | 1338 U Street NW City | Shop | Eat | miDCity | Shop | Eat |Floor Explore | miD 1911 | 9thExplore Street NW 2nd www.lettiegooch.com www.dekkafam.com March 18– March 31, 2009 • Volume 6 • Issue 10 Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Street Sense Nonprofit Org Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | E US Postage Paid 1317 G Street, NW | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | Washington, DC Washington, DC 20005 1512 U Street NW Permit #568| Shop | Eat City | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miD www.moojooken.com 1734 14th Street NW www.redeemus.com Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity |S Cliff Carle Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | reminds customers to only buy Mail Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | E from badged vendors and not to | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | give to those panhandling with 1528 U street NW 1803a 14th Street NW City | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop |afterEat | Explore | miD one paper. www.nanadc.com.com shopping MidCity— www.rue14.com unwind at Cafe Saint Ex Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Interested in a subscription? Go to page 2 for more information. www.midcitylife.org | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | E | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore | miDCity | Shop | Eat | Explore |

Thanks for Your Prayers

T

caramel