03 22 2017

$2 suggested donation

Volume 14: Issue 10 March 22 - April 4, 2017

Street

sense

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

NO INFO NO RESOURCES NO PrEP FOR HIV pgs

4-5

Pope F secon rancis gran d t to str interview s ee netw t paper or vendo k rs.

pg 7

Street Sense is the street media center of our nation’s capital. We aim 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 facing homelessness in our community.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES www.StreetSense.org

How It Works

• See Gwynette Smith’s photos from D.C. International Women’s Day events at StreetSense.org

Each vendor func as an independent contractor for Street Sense. That means he or she

• N o m i n a t e g r e a t l o c a l journalism on homelessness for our 2017 excellence awards: StreetSense.org • Hear ar tist Patty Smith sing her latest song at Facebook.com/streetsensedc

COVER ART Dominique Anthony works at the front desk and as a peer educator for HIPS, an advocacy, education and health/wellness nonprofit that serves sex workers and drug users in a “respectful and non-judgemental” space.

PHOTO BY JEANINE SANTUCCI

ADVERTISE WITH US streetsense.org/advertise

SOCIAL A new issue comes out every two weeks, but you can stay connected to Street Sense every day!

/streetsensedc

- 1317 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20005

( 202.347.2006 7 StreetSense.org * info@streetsense.org

every purchase.

Vendors purchase the paper for 50 cents/issue, which will then be sold to you for a suggested dona $2.

Street Sense publishes the newspaper.

75% 75% supports the vendors helping them overcome homelessness and poverty.

Street Sense

Vendors buy the newspaper for 50 cents each.

&

25% costs at Street Sense.

11

The remainder of your supports the vendor.

@streetsensedc /streetsensedc

OUR STORY Street Sense began in August 2003 after Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson approached the National Coalition for the Homeless on separate occasions with the idea to start a street paper in Washington, D.C. Through the work of dedicated volunteers, Street Sense published its first issue in November 2003. In 2005, Street Sense achieved 501 ( c ) 3 status as a nonprofit organization, formed a board of directors and hired a full-time executive director.

Today, Street Sense is published every two weeks through the efforts of four salaried employees, more than 100 active vendors, and dozens of volunteers. Nearly 30,000 copies are in circulation each month.

1. Street Sense will be distributed for a voluntary donation of $2.00, I agree not to ask for more than $2.00 or solicit donations for Street Sense by any other means.

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

3. I agree to treat all others, including customers, staff, volunteers, and other vendors, respectfully at all times. I will refrain from threatening others, pressuring customers into making a donation, or in engaging in behavior that condones racism, sexism, classism, or other prejudices.

4. I agree not to distribute copies of Street Sense on metro trains and buses or on private property.

5. I agree to abide by the Street Sense vendor territorial policy at all times and will resolve any related disputes I

have with other vendors in a professional manner.

6. I understand that I am not an employee of Street Sense, Inc. but an independent contractor.

7. I agree to sell no additional goods or products when distributing Street Sense.

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

9. I understand that my badge and (if applicable) vest are property of Street Sense, Inc. and will not deface them. I will present my badge when purchasing Street Sense. I will always display my badge when distributing Street Sense.

10. I agree to support Street Sense’s mission statement. In doing so I will work to support the Street Sense community and uphold its values of honesty, respect, support, and opportunity.

© STREET SENSE MEDIA 2017

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jeremy Bratt, Max Gaujean, Margaret Jenny, Jennifer Park, Reed Sandridge, Dan Schwartz, Jeremy Scott, John Senn, Kate Sheppard, Annika Toenniessen, Martin Totaro EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Brian Carome EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Eric Falquero COMMUNICATIONS & SALES MANAGER Jeff Gray VENDOR PROGRAM MANAGER Mysa Elsarag EVENTS & ADMINISTRATION MANAGER Dani Gilmour INTERNS Ashley Clarke, Bryan Gallion, Ariel Gomez, Ji Kim, Jeanine Santucci WRITERS GROUP LEADERS (VOLUNTEER) Donna Daniels, Willie Schatz OPINION EDITORS (VOLUNTEER) Rachel Brody, Arthur Delaney, Britt Peterson EDITORIAL VOLUNTEERS Lenika Cruz, Roberta Haber, Jesse Helfrich, Laura Osuri, Andrew Siddons, Jackie Thompson, Marian Wiseman VENDORS Shuhratjon Ahamadjonov, Gerald Anderson, Charles Armstrong, Lawrence Autry, Daniel Ball, Aida Basnight, Phillip Black, Reginald Black, Melanie Black, Phillip Black Jr., Maryann Blackmon, Viktor Blokhine, Debora Brantley, Andre Brinson, Donald Brown, Joan Bryant, Elizabeth Bryant, Brianna Butler, Melody Byrd, Conrad Cheek, Aaron Colbert, Anthony Crawford, Walter Crawley, Kwayera Dakari, James Davis, Clifton Davis, Charles Davis, David Denny, James DeVaughn, Ricardo Dickerson, Dennis Diggs, Alvin Dixon-El, Ronald Dudley, Charles Eatmon, Deana Elder, Julie Ellis, Jemel Fleming, Chon Gotti, Marcus Green, Barron Hall, Tyrone Hall, Richard Hart Lorrie Hayes, Patricia Henry, Jerry Hickerson, Ray Hicks, Sol Hicks, Rachel Higdon, Ibn Hipps, Leonard Hyater, Joseph Jackson, Carlton Johnson, Donald Johnson, Harold Johnson, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, Morgan Jones, Linda Jones, Darlesha Joyner, Juliene Kengnie, Kathlene Kilpatrick, Hope Lassiter, John Littlejohn, James Lott, Scott Lovell, Michael Lyons, Jimmy M. Ken Martin, Joseph Martin, Kina Mathis, Michael Lee Matthew, Authertimer Matthews, Charlie Mayfield, Jermale McKnight, Jeffery McNeil, Ricardo Meriedy, Cynthia Mewborn, Kenneth Middleton, Cecil More, L. Morrow, Evelyn Nnam, Moyo Onibuje, Earl Parkin, Lucifer Potter, Ash-Shaheed Rabil, Henrieese Roberts, Anthony Robinson, Doris Robinson, Raquel Rodriquez, Lawrence Rogers, Joseph Sam, Chris Shaw, Patty Smith, Smith Smith, Gwynette Smith, Ronald Smoot, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens James Stewart, Beverly Sutton, Sybil Taylor, Archie Thomas, Shernell Thomas, Craig Thompson, Eric Thompson-Bey, Sarah Turley-Colin, Carl Turner, Jacqueline Turner, Leon Valentine, Grayla Vereen, Ron Verquer, Martin Walker, Michael Warner, Robert Warren, Angelyn Whitehurst, William Whitsett, Wendell Williams, Sasha Williams, Judson Williams III, Ivory Wilson, Denise Wilson, Charles Woods

Listen to our Sounds From the Street podcast!

StreetSense.org/audio Subscribe to our newsletter!

StreetSense.org/newsletter Be Active in the community!

StreetSense.org/calendar

STREET SENSE March 22 - April 4, 2017

3

NEWS Residents Rally for More Affordable Housing Dollars as Auditor Reports Mismanagement

By Ashley Clarke and Jeanine Santucci Editorial Interns

one case, a resident earned $82,000; in another, a unit sat empty for nearly six months; and in a third instance, units for senior citizens were simply never built.

The Department of Housing and The audit found that developers are Community Development, which oversees failing to pay back loans and uphold D.C.’s costliest initiative to increase promises of building affordable-housing affordable housing for low-income units. DHCD was unable to provide all residents, is not doing its job, according necessary financial statements from to an audit of the Housing Production Trust borrowers, according to the audit. These Fund. The HPTF provides loans and grants financial statements which should be to for-profit and nonprofit developers provided on an annual basis, are meant who are seeking to build or preserve to help DHCD determine the borrower’s existing affordable housing. The audit was ability to repay the loan. requested by Councilmember Jack Evans There is a substantial need for and released March 16 by the Office of the affordable housing in D.C. Almost 40 D.C. Auditor, headed by Kathleen Patterson. percent of households in the District spend DCHD reported that 158 multi-family more than 30 percent of their income on projects — just over 9,500 units — were housing. Thousands of families are waitfunded by the HPTF between 2001 and ing for housing . According to a Point in 2015. However, the audit found that data Time (PIT) survey and census conducted to be unreliable. in 2015 by the Community Partnership for “I am not totally surprised. I am the Prevention of Homelessness, concerned, though, that we do not over 7,000 persons have the kind of records that were experiencing we need to actually count homelessness. actual affordable units.

For the sixth year That’s a big concern,” in a row, hundreds said Councilmember of demonstrators Anita Bonds, chairperfilled Foundry United son of the Committee Methodist Church on Housing and Neighon March 18 to call borhood Revitalization. for more affordable The audit indicates housing funding. that the nearly $700 The Housing for All million effort to create campaig n, part of the affordable housing is not Coalition for Nonprofit being managed properly.

Fourteen out of more Staff from behavioral health Housing and Economic than 100 projects were clinic Community Connections Development, and The Way Home campaign chosen to be audited. attended the rally.

PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN hosted the More for According to the audit, Housing Now rally two the 14 sites “represented days after release of the audit. a mix of wards, types of projects (rental As part of their recommendations for and homeownership units), types of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s upcoming fiscal year developers (nonprofit and for-profit), as 2018 budget, organizers proposed that at well as funding purposes (acquisition, new least $125 million be invested in the trust construction, tenant purchase, etc.).” fund, which they lauded as “the backbone Seventy percent of sites within the sample of affordable housing preservation and had compliance issues. development in the District.”

“I don’t feel that the agency is More for Housing Now included mismanaged. I feel that the agency is resident testimony on affordable housing huge, and there are many programs programs including the trust fund, the that have been created over the past announcement of the 2017 Housing for 10 years,” Bonds said. She suggested All art competition and addresses by that the DHCD was so complex and District officials including Bonds and multifaceted that it could probably be Councilmember Elissa Silverman. broken up into smaller agencies.

At the rally, Bowser addressed the Most striking, the audit said, was the audit by calling the timing of its release discovery that each housing property had “curious” because it came shortly before different methods for certifying household her budget release and does not reflect income, “which varied greatly in quality.” the work DHCD’s director, Polly Donaldson, In addition, DHCD had no procedures to has done. The mayor said that only one implement policies required by law and of the audited projects was begun during had a “hands-off” approach to projects.

The audit cited examples to illustrate her administration; the other 13 originated some of the failures of D.C.’s multi-millionbefore she took office. dollar affordable-housing initiative. In “I don’t know what department they

were talking about, but they’re not talking about my housing department because Polly Donaldson is turning it around,” she said. “They are trying to dissuade you from asking for more money for housing.”

Auditors said DHCD should improve management of the trust fund to effectively create affordable housing that is being properly utilized.

The 45-page report lists 39 recommendations to help improve management of the trust fund and create affordable units. They include: ● Enforce income & rent limits ● Provide training on income certification ● Improve data collection and standardize procedures for loan repayments ● Ensure that projects target extremely low and very low-income households “I’m very happy to have the study complete. I think it’s a very smart starting point for the housing committee and we appreciate it greatly. But I am not sure how we can move forward on some of the measures that are suggested,” Bonds said. ■

‘Taking a Leap of Faith’:

Black Women Face Challenges in HIV Awareness, Prevention

Angela Hodges and Patricia Nalls at the Women’s Collective office. | JEANINE SANTUCCI

By Jeanine Santucci jeanine.santucci@streetsense.org

I

t can be in a doctor’s tone when asking a routine medical question, or in the way a nurse raises an eyebrow. The stigma surrounding HIV can be exhausting.

For Angela Hodges, a 51-year-old D.C. resident, it led to initial denial of her status as HIV-positive after her diagnosis.

Hodges lives at Miriam’s House, a residence for women who are HIV-positive and experiencing homelessness. The stigma has made it difficult for her to go to medical facilities. For example, Hodges described a conversation for an entirely unrelated surgery. The first question the doctor asked was, “How did you contract HIV?” Fear of judgment can deter people from having conversations about sexual health.

For Black women, and especially for those with low incomes or who are homeless, information about treating the symptoms or halting the spread of HIV has been lacking.

Support from organizations focused on community and advocacy eventually gave Hodges what she needed to invest in her self-care and emotional well-being, but it was not an easy path.

D.C. initiatives have gained ground in investing in Black women’s sexual health. They are led by policymakers like Councilmember Robert White, who recommended that D.C. invest in HIV prevention resources, and by organizations such as the M.A.C. AIDS Fund, which pledged $1 million to increase women’s access to an HIV prevention drug. Increasing concern over the high rate of HIV infection among the city’s Black female population, who comprise one in five new diagnoses in the District, have fueled these initiatives.

The nation’s highest HIV rates are here in Washington, D.C., and the fight to combat HIV has long been at the forefront of city government’s funding efforts. In 2015 Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the 90/90/90/50 by 2020 plan to ensure that by the year 2020, 90 percent of D.C. residents who are HIV-positive will know

their status, 90 percent will be receiving treatment, 90 percent will reduce their viral loads so that they are undetectable and D.C.’s rate of new infections will drop by 50 percent.

P r E P, s h o r t f o r p r e - e x p o s u r e prophylaxis, is a once-daily prescription anti-HIV pill that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2012 for use by individuals who are HIV-negative but at risk for contracting HIV. When taken every day, it can reduce the chance of contracting HIV through intercourse by 90 percent and the chance of contraction by injection drug users by 70 percent.

But District residents do not have equal access to PrEP, to sexual health education or even to medical care for those who are HIV-positive. Recommendations for PrEP usage put forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2014 were largely targeted toward men who have sex with men, and public perception of the drug’s use largely mirrors that focus.

While Black men who have sex with men do make up D.C.’s most at-risk population for contracting HIV, Black women are the second-highest demographic at risk.

Despite this high need among Black women, education outreach to them has been lacking, and they have little awareness of PrEP. David Sternberg is the clinical services manager at HIPS, a nonprofit that provides services, advocacy, resources and support to people in D.C. engaged in sex work or drug use. “I’ve done a lot of testing and advocacy and sexual education in the past amongst different populations,” Sternberg said. “White gay men in certain socio-economic positions know a lot about PrEP and with their insurance are able to access it. Of course, it’s not a blanket statement [about] all of that population, but more than not, in my experience.”

In his research surrounding women engaged in transactional sex work, the majority of whom were Black, Sternberg found that they have very little knowledge about PrEP. “It was kind of shocking,” he said.

HIPS is one of the few organizations in

D.C. that takes steps to connect clients to PrEP and it aims to do so in a judgmentfree atmosphere. HIPS sends out teams to shelters and street corners where they conduct HIV tests. For those who test negative and are interested in PrEP, HIPS provides referrals to clinics that can prescribe it.

Low-income Black women or those who are homeless face systemic barriers to accessing PrEP when they are HIV-negative.

If they are HIV-positive, they face significant stigma surrounding HIV in society and even within the medical community.

Since PrEP requires a prescription and follow-up appointments every three months, people with unstable housing face additional challenges in trying to obtain PrEP. Simply lacking a place to store the medication is a problem.

Dr. Monica Vohra, a primary care physician at Bread for the City, noted that transportation is a large problem for adherence to PrEP by patients experiencing homelessness. “How do you get to your provider to have these followup visits that are pretty much required for you to be able to take the medication?”

Vohra asked. “PrEP is useful if it’s taken correctly. Its efficacy really reduces if it’s not taken on a consistent basis.”

Gerald Sabb, a community health nurse at Bread for the City, noted that not having a permanent phone number is another barrier for homeless people,

because it is hard to locate patients for follow-up care.

PrEP is one tool for women to have sexual agency, according to Dr. Jennifer Huang Bouey, an associate professor in the School of Nursing and Health Studies at Georgetown University.

“PrEP can be an option when other options are not available. And in this sense I think that women particularly can benefit from using PrEP because it’s more of an empowering practice that they can control,” she said.

Bouey and Sternberg are both part of a research team that conducted a study regarding PrEP and health care access for street-based sex workers in D.C. Among this population, which is at high risk for HIV infection, awareness of PrEP was low.

The researchers also found that health care providers are uncomfortable discussing sexual health with Black women and transgender women, sometimes fearing offending them by asking questions about HIV. In addition, Sternberg noted that sometimes “providers have a hard time not putting their own moral beliefs in their care.” For example, health care professionals who have internalized stigma may ask the questions “How many sexual partners do you have?” or “Why do you think you need PrEP?” in condescending tones.

Insurance restrictions limiting the amount

Where to get PrEP

Andromeda Transcultural Health, Decatur Center 1400 Decatur Street NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 291-4707

Mon–Fri: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sat: By appointment only Sun: Closed

Whitman-Walker Health 1525 14th Street NW Washington, DC 20005 (202) 745-7000

Mon-Thu: 8 a.m.- 8 apm.

Friday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Sat-Sun: Closed

MetroHealth 1012 14th Street NW, Suite 700 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 638-0750

Mon: 8:30 a.m. -7 p.m.

Tues, Thurs & Fri: 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Wed: 9:00 a.m. - 7 p.m.

*MetroHealth closes for lunch from 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. every day.

Children's National Medical Center 111 Michigan Avenue NW Washington, DC 20010 202-476-7000

Mon: 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. & 1-3:30 p.m.

Tues: 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Wed: 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Timebanks Build Communities and Treatment Rather Than Give Handouts of time a doctor can spend with a patient compound the problem of not discussing sexual health during a doctor visit. Medicaid allows only seven to 15 minutes for some appointments, for example.

Such obstacles in health care make it important to provide access to judgment-free spaces where Black w o m e n w h o a r e H I V- n e g a t i v e c a n obtain PrEP and where those who are HIV-positive can obtain treatment.

Hodges has been going to Bread for the City not just for health care, but for the supportive staff, whom she credits for helping give her a voice and learning how to be an advocate for herself and others. Additionally, she learned about the work done at the Women’s Collective, an organization that provides HIV prevention, care and support for women in D.C. The community aspect of the Women’s Collective and the education it offered about HIV helped Hodges the most.

Through the Women’s Collective she was inspired to acknowledge and take control of her HIV status.

“Because of a stigma attached to it, I didn’t want anybody to know,” Hodges said. “At the very beginning I saw a news article that featured [Patricia Nalls]. She had founded the Women’s Collective, and it looked like something that maybe would help me. … It took a while. It didn’t start immediately from me going from denial to acceptance. But it was very helpful at the time.”

Hodges is now using her experience to help inspire others to live strong lives while HIV-positive.

“Being of color, we grow up with a lot of self-esteem problems within our culture,” Hodges said. “I’m working on a nonprofit for young girls to be able to have high esteem and self-worth and self-love. To know that they never need to take the path that I took to get to where I am now.”

Hodges and Nalls believe that above all, people must understand that Black women who are HIV-positive are not guilty of anything. They can be mothers, productive workers and valuable members of society, just like anyone else. Hodges has come a long way since finding out her HIV status; she is thriving in her activism and has a vibrant personality.

“I’m always told that I don’t look like — you know, people have a false sense of what someone who is homeless looks like, a false sense of what someone who has been an addict looks like or what someone with HIV/AIDS looks like,” she said. “I had to take that leap of faith against my fear of revealing my status. … If I can help somebody else, I think that that will be very beneficial for myself as well as others. So I’m staying healthy.” ■

STREET SENSE March 22 - April 4, 2017

5

NEWS

By Ji Kim ji.kim@streetsense.org

R

ather than going to a shelter, a food bank, a handout center — what about an equal exchange of time? It’s called a timebank. And D.C.’s is growing.

Here’s how timebanking works: A group of people get together to exchange their time, but no money is involved. For example, one person helps another with gardening work and for that service gets a time credit in exchange. That person can then use the earned time credit to ask someone else for a service such as singing lessons, pet-sitting or even food to make it through the week.

A woman in Mount Rainier, Md. who had run out of food was able to exchange her credit to get enough to eat from her local co-op through Anacostia Hours, a social-currency initiative similar to timebanking that was most active in 2014, said Nick Williams, then president of the organization. But with Anacostia Hours currently inactive and the new Silver Spring TimeBank only celebrating its second year, the D.C. TimeBank is the largest and most active timebank in this area.

The organization used to have 750 registered members, but the timebank removed inactive members from the website in order to keep the online community personable and engaging. In 2016 the timebank had a core group of 150 members which has since grown to 221 members as of now.

The D.C. TimeBank has collaborated with other organizations such as Disco Soupe at Bread for the City where, throughout 2014, the timebank helped turn produce waste into meals for those experiencing homelessness and in need.

However, there has not been outright work with ending D.C. homelessness specifically, according to Debra Frazier, TimeBanks USA board member.

On the national level, timebanks have worked with organizations involving senior citizens, incarcerated and recently released prisoners, hospice patients, social workers and refugees. In Japan, timebanking is especially used to foster relationships between the young and the old, particularly in villages where nearly half the population is over 65 years of age.

Most recently, in October 2016, the D.C. TimeBank launched its first Movement Makers Fair, where the goal was “to create a space where advocacy and community organizing groups in D.C. can share skills and

foster mutual exchange beyond the dollar.” This year D.C. TimeBank also welcomed its newest organizational member, ONE D.C., a nonprofit focused on “Organizing Neighborhood Equity.”

T h e D . C . Ti m e B a n k is growing as a space for activism. Advocacy, fundraising and anything related to working for social change counts as time credit, which is kept track of using TimeBanks USA Community Weaver “D.C. Timebank holds frequent social events to software. The software also encourage members to engage with one another allows members to connect and stay active. | PHOTO COURTESY OF D.C. TIMEBANK with each other through the issues of social injustice and inequality is their timebank website and to keep by building relationships and trust.” track of service offers and requests.

She emphasized the problem with Yet, even with over 200 active current models of traditional nonprofits timebanks in the U.S. and in more than and charities where there is, according 32 countries worldwide, TimeBanks USA to TimeBanks USA, an unsustainable is still growing awareness of timebanking one-way flow of resources. since its founding in 1995.

“Why can’t those ‘clients’ also help “The challenge of these systems the organization help themselves and is trying to establish and maintain a others?” Frazier said, “Why can’t they be network of services, of people,” said volunteers as well, why can’t they also Williams of Anacostia Hours. After be their own advocates—why do we need Williams retired and moved out of to bring in and spend money on outside the area, Anacostia Hours became people coming in to fix something and inactive due to lack of sustaining give handouts?” involvement. The infrastructure is still Williams had a similar perspective. there, however, for someone to revive, “People in populations that are according to Williams. needy—recipients of welfare programs— Mary Murphy, a co-founder of the those people also have something to Silver Spring TimeBank, related to the offer. It’s kind of dehumanizing to just challenge of keeping up anp organization put them in the status of just being running completely on volunteer power. recipients. They will have more self“As a new organization, we have not esteem and social value in the eyes of yet reached out to more vulnerable the community if they are participating, populations, we’re still trying to build if they are doing as well as receiving.” the community and infrastructure.”

TimeBanks USA was founded by Dr. The personnel challenge of how to Edgar Cahn, co-founder of the National coordinate and check in with people is Legal Services Program and what is now a continuous difficulty, said Frazier of the David A. Clarke School of Law at the TimeBanks USA. “With any social justice University of the District of Columbia. movement, people fall out over time,” Cahn built timebanking on idealistic Frazier said, “...we do lose people but values that he discusses in his book “No we manage to find passionate people.”

More Throw-Away People,” in which he TimeBanks USA encourages explains that everyone has something to timebanking groups to hold regular give of themselves, something innately gatherings and potlucks as a way for valuable as a human being where members to keep in touch and build solutions are based on the foundations relationships. The D.C. TimeBank of empathy, equity and sharing. regularly hosts a monthly potluck It hearkens back to a day before rapid where members reconnect, welcome mobilization and relocation, said Frazier, newcomers and request or offer services to a time where co-production, sharing to one another. and timebanking was simply called a “This is the crux of how we address homeneighborhood. ■ lessness,” said Frazier, “How we deal with

Gay Talese and the Homeless Woman With Two Homes

By Adam Sennott Volunteer

T

he first encounter was on a cold Autumn afternoon in 1989. A woman carrying two bulky bags over her shoulders caught the attention of legendary journalist Gay Talese as she stood on the corner of Lexington Avenue and 59th Street in New York City.

She appeared to be in her early 40s, with delicate bones, blue eyes and short curly blond hair. Talese continued on his way, but the image of the woman stuck with him. A few blocks later he turned around and walked back to ask her an awkward question. “Are you a homeless person?”

The encounter was striking. Her appearance wasn’t that of the stereotypical homeless person and neither was her story. She was a married hair stylist who once owned her own salon. Her husband lived in Queens with their three children in one of the two homes they bought together. The other was in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. But she left it all behind for reasons she didn’t say.

Talese wrote “The Homeless Woman with Two Homes” in New York Magazine and it was recently republished in his latest book, “High Notes: Selected Writings of Gay Talese.”

While her story was unique, he also noted at the time that “urban destitution and despair are now spreading to the degree that identifying their victims visually is often impossible. Increasingly, the victims in our streets are looking like the rest of us.” It was the first time Talese, famous for defining literary journalism with his profiles of Frank Sinatra and Joe DaMaggio, had spoken to a homeless person so directly. But it wouldn’t be the last.

Talese has since gotten to know some of the homeless individuals near his third-floor apartment on the East Side of Manhattan, where he has lived with his wife Nan for almost 60 years. One such person panhandles in front of a bakery two blocks from his house. Another is on Madison Avenue.

“There are people that have been in my area who have been here for years,” Talese said in a recent interview with Street Sense. “There’s certain streets that I know certain individuals. You see them there, it’s their turf.”

He sees them as businesspeople who are just trying to make a living.

“When you see a business from year to year still located in the same place, you have to say they’re doing business,” Talese said. “Whatever it is they’re selling, it’s selling enough they’re paying the rent. Well, when you see the same faces soliciting funds with their hand out begging for a dollar, or maybe settling for less, they must be doing enough to keep themselves from starving to death.”

“That’s not a comforting thought,” he said.

In 2009, around the height of the great recession, Talese decided to lend his writing skills to some of the panhandlers in his neighborhood by helping them make their cardboard signs more timely and attention-grabbing.

He had been on his way to cash a check on Madison Avenue when he stopped to ask a panhandler, “How’s the economy affecting you?” Talese wrote in his column for The New York Times.

“No different,’’ the panhandler said. “It’s always lousy.’’

Later, Talese saw another panhandler, this time with a sign that read “Homeless. Please Help.’’

“I dropped a dollar into his container, but at the same time thought that the sign might benefit from updating —

“I don’t care whether it’s an Obama world, or a it needed a touch of stimulus, that word that dominates Trump world, or George Bush, or whoever the president the headlines,” Talese wrote in his column. is,” he said. “There’s no excuse for how little regard and He pulled out a strip of laundry board and wrote: humanity is shown to people who have lost their way.”

“Please Support Pres. Obama’s Stimulus Plan, and begin Especially in a city as wealthy as New York. right here … at the bottom … Thank you.” The panhandler “I have seen how sad the city is in the shadows of some promised to copy it to his sign the next day. of its churches and some of its stores along main avenues “The next day, on Sunday, and during the Monday holiday in the afterhours from 6, or 7, or 8 o’clock at night — as well, I handed out these boarded messages at random especially in the warmer months,” Talese said. to people who approached me for money, explaining why “The city of New York, with all of its money, shouldn’t I thought their economy would be stimulated by my street have those sights,” he said. “They’re the result of our own signs,” Talese wrote in his column. “I further pointed out greedy capitalism and our lack of heart as a democracy.” that the big bankers and industrial leaders the government As for the person he wrote about in “The Homeless was bailing out had lobbyists and public relations companies Woman with Two Homes”, Talese called several salon doing their bidding; but these wandering men who were owners he knew and hoped to get her a job, but he never seeking handouts in the street had to tap into the topicality heard from her again. of their plight, had to link themselves into the headlines and “She said she’d call me, I gave her my phone number, the top priority of President Obama. Stimulus, stimulus!!” and I then called these people before she was supposed He later went back to see the panhandlers he had given to call me back, and they said signs to. yes, they’d be glad to see her “Some of them said they had a When you see a business from year [and] offer her a job if she was lot of conversation with people,” qualified as I thought she Talese said. “They saw this sign to year still located in the same as probably was,’” Talese said. and it was different. And this prompted conversation. So those place ... it’s selling enough they’re “She never called me back.” people, seeking whatever kind Homelessness has of financial help they could get, paying the rent. Well, when you see skyrocketed in New York City were not faceless.” the years since Talese wrote the same faces soliciting funds with in One of the reasons homeless about the homeless woman. people have become faceless their hand out begging for a dollar ... Over the past two decades, is because they don’t have the homeless population living they must be doing enough to keep in the city’s shelter system has anyone to represent them, according to Talese.

115 percent, from themselves from starving to death. increased “The people that are 23,868 in 1994 to 60,000 in homeless are very often quiet That’s not a comforting thought.

2016, according to the New York people,” he said. “They don’t City Department of Homeless have lobbyists, they’re not Services shelter system census. organized in a union, so they don’t have a spokesperson, For most New Yorkers, Talese said, homeless people “are you don’t know about them, and sometimes they don’t want considered an inconvenience.” It’s an observation he made you to know about them either because they have their own nearly 30 years ago, after he took the time to get to know shame, and their own secrets, and their own willingness or a homeless woman at Lexington Avenue and 59th Street. their own eagerness to be divorced from others.”

“These mysterious people live among us each day, “They are in the shadows of our vision,” Talese said. sleep at our door, walk shoulder-to-shoulder with us on “And because they don’t offer us any reward for caring, the street,” Talese wrote in “The Homeless Woman with they don’t increase our sales, they don’t increase our Two Homes”. “Yet, regrettably, we do not know them, ratings or give us hits … they represent nothing that’s and too many New Yorkers, with the donation of a few desirable. And so, they go from generation to generation, quarters daily, are able to buy their way out of whatever generally, unrecognized in any meaningful way.” momentary concern or discomfort is caused by the Talese believes homelessness should be a bipartisan issue. presence of the homeless.” ■

POPE: ‘One must treat all people with humanity’

By Stefano Lampertico Scarp de tenis — Milan, Itlay

A

The appeal was heard by many people in many parishes — they listened and answered. In the Vatican there are two parishes, and every parishioner welcomed a Syrian family as guests. Many churches in Rome opened their doors in welcome, and I know that some others, not having the space to host guests, raised enough money to cover a whole year’s rent for the needy and their families.

Our goal must be integration, and so it is important to provide support and company at the beginning. Much has been done, all over Italy. Catholic schools, convents and many other organisations all opened their doors. This is why I say the call was answered. I know that many people made monetary donations to help those without accommodation pay for somewhere to stay.

Much has been written about the papal shoes. The media devoted considerable attention to your chosen n e w p a i r [ i n 2 0 1 3 , Po p e F ra n c i s abandoned the handmade red leather shoes of his predecessor for more modest black ones]. Why did the shoes capture the public's imagination to such a degree? Is it because in today’s climate we find it increasingly difficult to put ourselves in someone else's shoes?

It is tiring to put yourself in another’s shoes, because often we are slaves to our own egotism. At the most basic level we could say that people prefer to think about their own problems than to fully acknowledge the difficulties of others. There is another aspect to it, however. To put yourself in the shoes of another requires a great capacity for understanding, to comprehend a situation and all its difficulties. I’ll give you an example: In times of mourning most people send their condolences; they attend the wake or the funeral mass, but few will truly imagine themselves in the shoes

7

FEATURES

spend it on a glass of wine.” If a glass of wine is his only happiness in life, then so be it. Ask yourself instead what you do, when you’re alone. What secret “happiness” do you pursue?

Or, when you compare yourself to him, you see yourself as more fortunate, with a house, a spouse, a family, and so you find yourself saying, “Let the rest of you worry about him!”

It is always right to give help. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s good to just throw some coins in the direction of a beggar.

What matters more is a good deed, helping someone who asks you for help, looking in their eyes and touching their hands.

Throwing money at someone without looking at them is not a Christian gesture.

y e a r a n d a h a l f s i n c e Po p e Francis first spoke to the street paper movement, he has again sat down with one of the International Network of Street Papers’ members for an exclusive interview. The Holy Father met Milan, Italy’s Scarp de tenis vendor Antonio Mininni and the paper’s editor Stefano Lampertico. He told them that it is “always right” to give alms to people begging for help on the streets: Holy Father, let us talk about the invisible people, those who are homeless.

A few weeks ago, at the start of winter when the cold became severe, you appealed to all the churches to open their doors and welcome homeless people.

What was the reaction to your appeal?

STREET SENSE March 22 - April 4, 2017

How can you teach someone to help?

Scarp de’ tenis editor Stefano Lampertico interviews Pope Francis.

PHOTO COURTESY OF L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO

of the bereaved. Certainly, it isn’t easy.

They feel grief, but that is all. Consider how life necessarily involves solitude — we often lonely, and putting yourself in another’s shoes is an embodiment of servitude, humility, magnanimity. It is also an admission of need: I need someone to put themselves in my shoes, too. Because we all have need of understanding, of company and of counsel.

How many times have I met a person who, after seeking comfort from a Christian — be it a layperson, a priest, a nun, a bishop — has told me: “Yes, they listened to me, but they didn’t understand me.” True understanding means putting yourself in the shoes of another. And it isn’t easy. Sometimes to make up for a lack of greatness, a richness of humanity, we lose ourselves in words. We talk, we talk; we give advice. But when there are only words — in a way too many words — then we never achieve the “greatness” required to put ourselves the shoes of another.

Your Holiness, when you meet someone who is experiencing homelessness, what is the first thing you say to them?

“Hello, how are you?” Sometimes we only exchange a few words, other times we are able to build rapport and I am able to listen to fascinating stories: “When I was studying at college ...” or “I once knew a really good priest …”

You may ask, why does this interest me?

People who live on the streets can tell immediately if there’s genuine interest from the person speaking to them or if it’s only out of — I don’t want to call it compassion — it’s more like penitence.

Some people see a homeless person just as another person — others treat them as if they were a dog. If you look at someone differently, they of course realise it.

In the Vatican, there is a famous story of a homeless man, of Polish origin, who could

normally be found at the Piazza Risorgimento in Rome. He never spoke to anyone, not even the Caritas [Catholic charity] volunteers who would bring him a hot meal in the evening. Only after a long time were they able to learn his story: “I am a priest, I know your Pope well; we studied together at the seminary.” These words eventually reached Saint John Paul II, who heard the name and confirmed they had been at the seminary together. He wanted to meet this man. They embraced after 40 years apart, and after an audience the Pope asked him to hear his confession — this priest who had once been his friend. Afterwards, he said to the Pope, “Now it’s your turn.” And the Pope heard his confession.

Thanks to the deeds of the volunteer, a kind look, a hot meal and some words of comfort, this man was able to resume the path to a life like his old one, eventually working as the chaplain of a hospital.

The Pope helped him, certainly, perhaps this counts as a “miracle” but it’s also an example to remember grand dignity that the homeless possess.

When I was archbishop of Buenos Aires, a homeless couple and a family lived under the archway to our entrance hall, between the pavement and the grilles. I met them every morning when I went out. I always said hello, and we would exchange a few words. It never occurred to me to chase them away. Somebody once said to me, “They are a stain on our church,” but to me those words were the stain. I think one must treat all people with humanity, not as if they owe you a debt, and not as if they were impoverished dogs.

Many wonder if they should give alms to those who beg for help on the street.

What would you answer?

There are many ways to justify one’s actions when not giving alms. “But why should you? If I give him money he’ll just

Let me tell you the story of a lady I knew in Buenos Aires, mother to five children, although at that time she had only three. Their father was at work, and they were at home having lunch, when they heard a knock at the door. The eldest went to open it. “Mamma, there’s a man at the door asking for something to eat,” he returned to say. “What should we do?” The three children, the youngest of whom was four, were sharing bistecca alla Milanese [a beef steak in breadcrumbs].

“All right,” said the woman, “we’ll cut our steaks in half for him.” “But Mamma, there’s another whole one,” protested the children. “That’s for this evening, for your father,” she replied. “If we are to give, we must give what is our own.” With these simple words the children learnt that you must give away only what belongs to you.

Your own family history includes your father’s parents, with their son, crossing the ocean to Argentina. What was it like growing up the child of an immigrant?

Did you ever feel uprooted, at all?

I never felt uprooted, or out of place.

In Argentina we are all immigrants. That is why interfaith dialogue is the norm.

I went to school with Jewish immigrants who had mostly come from Russia, as well as Syrian and Lebanese Muslims, or Turks with passports from the Ottoman Empire. We were a brotherhood. There were few people of indigenous origin. For the most part we were originally Italian, Spanish, Polish, Middle Eastern, Russian, German, Croat, Slovenian … In the last two centuries migration has been a far-reaching phenomenon. My father was in his 20s when he arrived in Argentina, and he worked in the Bank of Italia. He was married there. ■ This interview has been condensed for space. Translated from Italian to English by Eleanor Susan Lim, courtesy of Scarp de’ tenis / INSP.ngo.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS: 1. Jesus is condemned to death

by the mob. (“Disrupting the Cradle-to-Prison Pipeline” at The United Methodist Building)

INSTALLATION BY NDUME OLATUSHANI, 2017

“

D

a pilgrimage for art lovers

By Ji Kim with photos by Ian Erasmus ji.kim@streetsense.org

at The Church of the Epiphany in D.C., and isrupting the Cradle to Prison Dr. Aaron Rosen, religious studies professor, Pipeline” was created by an have in mind: to give people a new way artist who served 20 years to experience the story of Jesus’s journey on death row for a crime he did not and struggles on the day he was crucified commit. After nearly 28 years in prison, using new and familiar works of art that Ndume Olatushani was released in transcend any one religion.

2012 and has been advocating against Laing was inspired in 2016 by Rosen’s the death penalty by telling his story. contemporary take on the Stations of the He is currently one of three artists Cross. Traditionally the commissioned for the stations a series of 14 D.C. Stations of the small representations Cross exhibit, a new placed along a path at way for people to a church or a series of reflect on the story of chapels. The London Jesus’s crucifixion.

Stations of the Cross Olatushani created exhibit, however, took an expansive art people across the city to installation to represent churches, the National Station One: Jesus is Gallery of paintings condemned to death and public memorials by the mob. The work such as the statue of most prominently Mahatma Gandhi in d i splay s a n ora ng e Parliament Square. jumpsuited prisoner B y m a k i n g o n e ’s trapped in a cage that replicates the four- 9. Jesus falls the third time. way around the city, by-nine-foot solitary (“Lamentation for the Forsaken” Rosen said, it would at Church of the Epiphany) bring a spiritual confinement cell that SHROUD BY MICHAEL TAKEO MAGRUDER, 2016 meaning, a feeling he was imprisoned in that one was truly for 23 hours a day. taking a pilgrimage that would “stimulate Outside the United Methodist Building, interfaith and intercultural dialogue.” all of the figures pointedly face the “I was inspired by how it can speak to a Supreme Court. wider audience,” said Laing, “about how This is the goal that co-curators Reverend the meaning of being a human is to know Dr. Catriona Laing, interim associate rector

all the sides, to know suffering as well as joy, to know hatred as well as love.”

Laing reached out to Rosen, and they mapped a path for the 2017 D.C. exhibit, including places such as the MLK memorial, the American University Museum and collaborating cathedrals and churches.

The exhibition opened on March 1 and will continue until the end of Lent on April 13. The exhibit is supported by the Cambridge Interfaith Program, Coexist House, the Episcopal Evangelism Society and Trinity Church, Wall Street.

People are encouraged to travel the Stations trail by referring to the Coexist House website or by using the custom-made app Alight: Art and the Sacred. Both provide a map, descriptions and podcasts to accompany each station.

Lent, a religious observance meant as a time for reflection on Jesus’s sacrificial 40-day fasting in the wilderness, is also an opportunity to have conversations about social injustices and suffering in the world, said Laing.

“The point about Lent and these contemporary stations,” she said, “is that it evokes these important questions and challenges of our society today.

Jesus was a refugee, Jesus was homeless, Jesus had this important encounter with women [Station Eight] — we can reflect on these parts of Jesus’s life to explore these issues.”

4. Jesus meets his mother (Vietnam Women’s Memorial) MONUMENT BY GLENNA GOODACRE, 1993

STREET SENSE March 22 - April 4, 2017

10. Jesus is stripped of his garments. (“Homeless Jesus” at Catholic Charities)

9

FEATURES

SCULPTURE BY TIMOTHY SCHMALZ, 2013

5. Simon of Cyrene

helps Jesus carry the cross (Marine Corp War Memorial - Iwo Jima)

MONUMENT BY FELIX DE WELDON, 1954

2. Jesus takes up his

cross and begins his journey. (Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial)

MONUMENT BY LEI YIXIN, 2011

The other artists joined the project for a second time, having created work for the London exhibition. Leni Diner Dothan displayed two works for D.C.’s Station Eight, the representation of when Jesus heeded the women of Jerusalem to not worry for him but for their own futures and that of their children.

“Mother and Child” displays a photograph of Dothan and her young son as they look into a black void. In the video installation “Dead End” Dothan isolated the lens to only her bare feet walking the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, the same path that Jesus is said to have walked on the way to his crucifixion.

“I wanted to create the feeling of being trapped, not knowing where you are

heart of downtown D.C., is a figure that and can go, of not knowing the future,” many pedestrians could easily mistake for Dothan said in reference to both works. its real counterpart: a person wrapped in Michael Takeo Magruder created a blanket and lying on a bench. “Homeless “Lamentation for the Forsaken” for Station Jesus” is only recognizable if you were to Nine, when Jesus falls the third time. By stop and look closely at the holes in the cataloguing and selecting news and social statue’s feet and the small accreditation media, Magruder made a fluid, “digital plaque off to the side. tapestry” of Syrian names and images “The world sees them [the homeless] overlaid with the iconic Shroud of Turin, as irrelevant and juxtaposing the Syrian insignificant,” Laing refugee crisis with the said, offering her own story of Christ. reflection on Station “I wanted to create Ten: Jesus is stripped of a space to think his garments. “We must about an issue in a have time for them different way … make and not dismiss them connections people immediately. Someone wouldn’t have thought else’s time is as valuable t o p u t t o g e t h e r, ” as your own.” ■ s a i d M a g r u d e r. H e expressed his surprise “Alight: Art and the at the enormous scale Sacred” is available o f t h e c r i s i s . “ I t ’s through the Google not acceptable. In a Play and iOS app democracy, we are all 12. Jesus dies on the cross. stores. A devotional partially to blame.”

Other stations are (“Abu Ghraib 73” at the American walk will be led by University Museum) Catholic Charities CEO readily recognizable PAINTING BY FERNANDO BOTERO, 2005 John Enzler on April 7 such as the Vietnam at 11:30 a.m. through Women’s Memorial, the three stations on G Street NW. The chosen to represent Station Four as a walk will begin in the sanctuary of contemplation on the sorrow and anguish Church of the Epiphany and end with of those who remain after a person’s death. lunch at Catholic Charities, where the And perhaps you may have walked by “Homeless Jesus” statue resides. some already. On G Street NW, in the

OPINION

The Martin Luther King Jr. Library Closes

By Gwynette Smith

On March 5, the main branch of the D.C. library system — the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library — closed. A major renovation is planned that will take about two years to complete. There will be a large auditorium, a café and an outside seating area, among other changes.

I will miss the library. It seems that the present support it gives to the community outweighs any advantage that would come from remodeling. Children and teenagers have a computer room; there are plenty of CDs to choose from.

There are a few pay phones and a public restroom available. In summer evenings, there are free sandwiches and weekly coffee and a regular get-together in the computer room.

There is also a state-of-the-art computer lab, which hosts computer technology and practical classes like how to mend your clothes.

The library has been a gathering place for the homeless and a place to receive dental care as well. A social worker is sometimes available to help people with problems.

During the renovation, a few computers will be added at each of the other branches of the library. The displays, interactive exhibits, concerts, lectures and discussion

PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN

periods will be missed. The books will, also. I read Barack Obama’s autobiography by borrowing a copy from the MLK Library.

There are all kinds of books, plus some law encyclopedias available but not local or federal law books.

It is a good place to have access to your email to keep in touch with others.

The services there help the homeless, the lonely and those who really want to be involved with the community.

There is a room that had books suited

for people who had trouble reading or wanted to learn more about subjects they may have forgotten or not learned while going to school.

I started coming to that library about eight years ago. The 15-minute use of computers in the lobby was convenient for quick research. At that time there were not many computers in the library. Street Sense became involved about four years ago with the issue of whether big bags could be brought in with visitors. Street Sense worked with the library to allow big bags to be brought in.

The ability to come in from the cold and rain and see a welcoming face meant a lot to people who were or are homeless.

Maybe they were homeless, maybe they were not, but there was an agreeable warmth inside. Hopefully, the library will reopen and continue to be a positive experience for all citizens.

It seems that any place that can help people is out of place here. I bid the staff and other visitors farewell and hope that all goes well for all of us.

Gwynette Smith is a Street Sense vendor.

Does The Minimum Wage Help or Harm The Poor?

By Jeffery McNeil

Although elites have demonized cheap labor, the truth is that menial work is not as immoral as some would have you believe. Menial work gives unskilled and underemployed workers opportunities to get better skills for higher pay. In addition, menial work provides a source of income for people who are not qualified for skilled jobs and would otherwise be panhandling or working under the table.

Wages are not determined by emotion or good feeling but supply and demand.

The reason why LeBron James makes more than a cashier at McDonald’s is that very few can play basketball at a professional level, while there is an overabundance of unskilled workers.

Truth is that the minimum wage should be lowered, not raised, because it would allow companies to employ the unskilled and unemployed rather than automate.

While much of the debate is about paying people more for unskilled work, very few discussions are about the unintended consequences of higher wages.

When wages increase, all the company does is pass the cost back to customers.

While the bourgeoisie can enjoy a latte, those who are living on the margins will have to shop at Aldi’s, because the higher

wage will be priced in at Starbucks.

Historical evidence proves conclusively that raising the minimum wage has been destructive among disadvantaged groups such as teenagers and minorities.

When I was growing up, I wasn’t a promising student. No one saw any potential in me. Like many who were neglected and left on the margins, menial work provided an opportunity to gain skills, manage a budget and have an appreciation for hard work. My first job was in 1983, when the minimum wage was $3.35 an hour. What were called dead-end jobs are now jobs that progressives say teenagers and unemployed Americans don’t want to do. I disagree. I believe it’s better to do something menial than be reduced to panhandling or hustling.

My first job was working behind a counter for a family grocery store.

Because they were a mom-and-pop store, they operated on shoestring profits. They took a risk hiring me and I’m grateful the owner didn’t cut his losses and fire me.

He was losing money. I didn’t know how to do anything and I was clumsy, awkward and inexperienced. Although I started off at a minimum wage, after I gained some experience I got a raise and was

eventually promoted to manager.

Like many people, I thought those that opposed the minimum wage were cruel and heartless. But seeing so many people in Washington poor, homeless or reduced to hustling, I realized the minimum wage helped only people that had jobs — not the poor and unemployed. The minimum wage prices out and excludes potentially troubled youth that may find hope by doing menial work. It also forces companies to replace low-skilled workers with machines. Recently, the fast-food giant Wendy’s decided to install selfordering kiosks in 1,000 of its franchises to reduce labor costs.

I oppose the minimum wage because jobs bagging groceries or washing dishes were never designed for someone driving an Audi or buying a home in suburban America. These help marginalized people develop skills so eventually they’ll find more lucrative opportunities. America isn’t Russia or Venezuela. No one is doomed to

a life of squalor. If you don’t like working for a minimum wage, you can do things to make a maximum wage or you can try the marketplace and demand a raise.

I urge President Trump to veto any government-sanctioned wage increase. In Washington, D.C, African-American unemployment has been the highest of any state in the country. I believe the minimum wage, “equal pay for equal work” and the DavisBacon Act all indirectly affect minorities. So instead of our politicians getting out the way and allowing businesses to invest, our leaders sabotage the poor by advocating a $15 minimum wage. The problem isn’t inequality — it’s that liberals don’t know a damn thing about economics!

So I fervently urge President Trump to say a resounding “Hell No” to the living wage.

Jobs bagging groceries or washing dishes were never designed for someone driving an Audi or buying a home in suburban America.

Jeffery McNeil is a Street Sense columnist and vendor.

Have an opinion about how homelessness is being handled in our community? Street Sense maintains an open submission policy and prides itself as a newspaper that elevates community voices and fosters healthy debate. Send your thoughts to opinion@streetsense.org.

Hope and Housing

STREET SENSE March 22 - April 4, 2017

1#1

OPINION

By Anonymous

Living in the shelter was like being in a jail from hell.

I lived there from 2014 through 2016.

Some of the men would not bathe or shower. At one point, my belongings were stolen from my bed, so I learned to carry everything with me when I went to the bathroom. I also found out the hot water tank would run out of hot water, in part due to some bad people leaving the showers on when they were done, or just going in the shower room, turning on the water and leaving it running. I would turn it off when I saw this happening.

On weekdays, it was generally quiet, with most people in bed by 11 p.m. But the weekends were pure pandemonium.

The incessant loud talking only increased.

You couldn’t hear the TV if you wanted to, and it was hard to sleep. People would sneak liquor in and drink in the bathroom.

As it got warmer, some of the men started drinking out back, too. Over time, consumption of alcohol increased until nearly everyone at the shelter was out back drinking. I found out this is how some of the men cope with being there, which saddens me. Sometimes they even engage in doing crack cocaine, weed and synthetic drugs like K2.

There was a man with dreadlocks who was nice to me. I introduced myself, and he said, “What’s up? Nice to meet you.

You want a beer?”

I told myself I shouldn’t be drinking, but took the beer anyway. I soon found myself being accepted by everyone who was back there partaking in the beerfest.

While outside with the others, I would listen and watch my fellow men express what they felt inside. Some of the comments I heard were true. But half of the talk was negative: blaming city government for their homelessness or blaming the White man for not being able to get a job. I stepped away from it, ‘cause I did not want to hear it.

Later in the summer, I saw the man with the dreads behind the shelter again, with a 24-pack of small Ice House beer cans.

He had already drank six, and he was smiling. He looked so happy. And he wasn’t selfish; he gave some of his beers away to others. Just a week later, I noticed him in a drunken stupor, gesturing wildly. The nice man with the dreads had transformed into something out of a sci-fi or horror madefor-TV film — possessed. I stepped away to the other side of the alley as he drank and chugged down one beer after another. But I get it: He was overcome by his addiction and trying to drink his problems away.

One day when I met the man with the dreads while he was sober, I asked, “Do

you want your own apartment some day?”

He said no, because his kids are grown and he has a place to stay at the New York Avenue Shelter. He is content with no job and getting a monthly disability check, with no bills to pay. He can cope and does not want a better living condition.

But I don’t think a lot of people would An ambulance crew stops at New York Avenue men’s shelter in October 2016. agree with the man, and I don’t think his IMAGE COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS, STREET VIEW situation is that simple. The cost of an apartment is too high — it is not affordable. It feels hopeless trying to get one or imagining earning enough to keep one. I heard one shelter resident say, “The old people got way too many [affordable] apartments. What about us?” From what I’ve seen available in Northwest and Southwest, I’d tend to agree.

We all need more hope.

Talking with some guys who did not drink in back of the New York Avenue Shelter, I was told to come to Bible study on Wednesdays. So I started to go, and address the causes, consequences, and/or solutions to homelessness. it brought me some hope. I went back relate to the D.C. metro region or national policy on homelessness. everytime after I found it. I’ve even gone have been published between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016. back a couple times since moving out Print, web, television, and radio pieces will all be considered. of the shelter. You come away feeling You may submit more than one article in each category. inspired, like a better day will come if you let God guide you. I’ve tried to get others to join me, and one friend from work came once — but no one else was interested.

Mayor Muriel Bowser seems like she is trying to be like former Mayor Marion Barry.

But she can’t honor his legacy through talk or by naming programs after him. Homeless people need jobs. I hope Bowser will be a leader in bringing more companies here, creating more jobs and — most importantly — training District residents to fill those jobs.

Anyone can nominate a story. Please submit a link or PDF of the article.

CALL FOR ENTRIES!

8TH ANNUAL STREET SENSE

EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM AWARDS Entries must:

Categories

News/feature reporting Opinion and commentary Photography

Please send submissions and questions to AWARDS@STREETSENSE.ORG

The author is an artist/vendor for Street Sense.

When contacted to confirm the plausibility of these experiences, Catholic Charities, who is contracted by the city to run New York Avenue shelter, said: “At Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, it is our protocol to have local authorities and on-site security regulate illegal activity and we work with them to ensure each of our shelters is a safe place for those seeking shelter.

We welcome client feedback and have mechanisms in place for those staying in our shelters to have their voices heard.”

Please also indicate the category and provide your email and phone number.

The deadline for the receipt of all submissions is April 1, 2017 You may view past winners at http://streetsense.org/awards

The Street Sense Writers’ Group is led by writing professionals and meets every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. The group’s goal is to develop ideas and collaborate on the next great issue of Street Sense.

The Weeping Angel

ILLUSTRATION BY DWIGHT HARRIS

ILLUSTRATION BY DAMON SMITH

By Robert Warren Artist/Vendor Someone sees all that you do, someone is watching you. The eyes of life and in death too. The two angels who accompany you, looking to see if you would believe the CIA is turning devices against you the video camera way up high the eyes in the sky the birds that fly drop a crumb and they will come … the big brother your mother told you to keep an eye on. Keep track of all that you do.

You have never known the eye witness who snitched on you, someone sees all that you do, the reason you have two eyes. It’s been said the Lord sees all that you do I believe that to be true.

The devil who whispers to you in the hope to see what you do; for he knows someone is watching you, the baby girl and boy; the eyes of the world look in the mirror and you will see someone is watching you.

The Broken

What’s Missing.

And What’s to Come?

By Reginald E. Black, Jr. Artist/Vendor The broken, the broken Who is helping them?

Those with hands and feet Are they really out on the streets?

All day and night, the broken sleep Unprotected, unsheltered Seemingly unloved They seek and seek, as you do But what makes the difference?

Is it the amount of loot?

How do you fasten secure bootstraps?

Where is the all-seeing justice at?

All around us, what are we looking at?

Past, present, future generations Truly, where are we?

What is the State of the Nation?

Crane after crane, and still no homes No heart, no compassion Feeling like I need to take action Weapons of peace, are they having any effect?

What can we expect next?

If no one knows, then the poor need homes with heart We are all called to do our part Help all men, keep your eyes forward You might be one to fix the broken

By Elizabeth Bryant Artist/Vendor You are all probably tired of hearing this, but my life is incomplete.

I miss my daughter Bernice and the grandkids like crazy, but I remember that they belong to God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ first.

I look at my part and how I messed it up. She has every right not to talk to me. But it hurts so much.

I’ve been trying to grow up because I finally realized I can’t stay a child forever. There’s been no drinking or drugging for a long time now. And I’m still going to school I had to grow up so I can take proper care of my children.

Some people can’t have children, but God blessed me with two.

I pray that I can still be a blessing for them.

STREET SENSE March 22 - April 4, 2017

13

Raheem DeVaughn, My Guardian Angel

50 Years of Civil Rights

By William Mack Artist/Vendor

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Thurgood Marshall’s appointment to the Supreme Court. Late last month Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) hosted a Black History Month conversation to discuss civil rights, voting rights and the nation’s first African-American justice.

At the event, titled “50 Years of Civil Rights Since Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall,” Norton moderated a panel of guests featuring Danielle Holley-Walker, dean of Howard University Law School; Todd A. Cox, director of policy at the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund; and Angela Rye, CEO of Impact Strategies and former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus.

HolleyWalker spoke very proudly

of Marshall’s being educated at Howard University and said that his being solicitor general of the U.S. prepared him to be the nation’s first African-American Supreme Court justice. Considering Marshall’s work declaring segregated schools unconstitutional, she went on to say that today, schools located in areas of dire poverty that cannot create stable environments of actualization need to be economically and racially integrated to bring more tax dollars to struggling school districts.

Thurgood Marshall had many accomplishments and merits. I’m proud that a memorial statue of him was erected in 1996 on Lawyer’s Mall near the Statehouse in Annapolis, Md. — my hometown. I urge more of our readers to dig in and research his legacy.

Martin, Malcolm, and Medgar — though with differing standpoints — died young fighting for a better world. A world that was never in agreement with any of them!

These were men that stood for their beliefs, not for their bankroll.

James Baldwin walked it with them.

He had a better vantage point (than mine), though, and shares that in this film.

For those who want a better understanding of that Black experience without the pain we endured, this is the film to see. For those that are open to changed perspective, this is the film to see. For those that need inspiration to step up, stand up and make a difference, this will certainly fuel your fire.

But it is a documentary about a different time: a struggle by a people segregated, misunderstood, proud and dignified in the midst of their suffering; more intelligent and humane than ever given credit; considered three-fifths or less human; yet arguably in greater possession of human spirit than those who would claim to be “their betters.”

It was said to me of this film: “It’s another movie talking of where we were.

Now it’s time for them to talk on where we are, where we are going and how the hell we gonna get there. The road has been tread by these great people. What’s next?”

I suggest you and a few friends see this film and talk about it. Then you tell me.

The need for us to change how we see and treat each other, though altered by time and evolution, remains as it was for many Americans, Black, White and brown. Unless they have lived it or educated themselves or viewed this film and others like it, folks won’t know that “I’m not your Negro!”

Feeling Grateful

Ran into Raheem DeVaughn today, Feb. 22, 2017 at the Hamilton restaurant while asking for a donation for Street Sense newspaper. He treated me to dinner and gave me a donation.

So, what happened is that I saw two well-groomed and casually dressed men outside of the Hamilton restaurant and I asked them if they’d like to make a donation for a Street Sense newspaper.

One of them told me “Yes, come along with us and I got you.” So, we go into the Hamilton restaurant and Raheem told me to order whatever I wanted for dinner. He also gave me a donation for the paper.

After all this I asked the gentleman what his name was. He said simply, “I am your guardian angel.” But I looked at him again and thought that this was someone that I knew. Then it hit me. “You are Raheem DeVaughn,” I said.

He smiled and told me “Yes, I am.”

I immediately pulled out my phone and went to my profile on the Street

By Henrieese Roberts Artist/Vendor

William Mack and Raheem DeVaughn at The Hamilton. | PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAM MACK Sense website to show this R&B singer and songwriter the interview I did with him last year. The article was about his organization, the “Love Life” foundation, which provided a five-star full-course meal complete with waiters and menus at the New York Avenue shelter for men. We both laughed and he told me I could contact him in the future if I needed anything.

I Am Not Your Negro

By Ken Martin Artist/Vendor I’m not your Negro!

And neither am I your n****r, Slave, Shine, Spook, Spade, Colored, African-American, Afro -American, Black, Soul Brother.

In my relatively short span of time on earth, I’ve been called everything above except one: “Slave.”

It’s the only one I ever truly was!

I had accepted Black and Soul Brother because I was either too young or too stupid to “get it.” I am not your any-ofthe-above and that, from my viewpoint, is what James Baldwin was telling you.

Telling you? Yeah, you! Not me.

I believe this film was produced to educate. And like the general audience, I experienced emotions. But for myself and those enlightened people of color in

ART

attendance, it was nothing new. These were things I no longer needed to learn because I’m so polished from the coarse sandpaper rubs, grinding stone and sand blasting of the Hard Knox University Black life experience.

I know that I am “Hue-man.”

I feel his film was produced for people of my era to review and direct the unknowing to view. This illustrative documentary reinforces that it needs to be seen. Humans need to know. They need to know what we learned the hard way.

I am blessed to have lived during many of the misfortunes depicted; to survive the deaths of those who might have rescued us from the terrorist acts of those with such hatred for us, they’ve convinced us to toss away pride and self-loathe as they do.

By Paula Essex, Ken Martin’s Niece

I recently met a woman from out of town with her three small children looking for shelter. She had gone to a church which she had heard offered emergency shelter.

But the volunteers that greeted her knew nothing about it. They said she could store her belongings, but the family couldn't stay.

Distraught, the woman immediately phoned her prophetic mother back home, who calmly assured her that God was going to perform a miracle and that the woman would be calling back with good news.

In the meantime, the woman decided to go inside of a Wendy's to rest. She was uncomfortable, since she had no money and felt people would look at her strangely — some did.

Eventually, someone walked in and asked if she could buy the family something to eat.

They not only purchased them anything they craved, but gave her money, their phone number and invited her and her children to their home. Not feeling comfortable with the invitation, she thanked them and went back to the church to collect their belongings.

When they arrived, her 12-year-old daughter suggested they go to the other side of the church. There they discovered the emergency shelter they sought! Needless to say, she called her mother back. Now, just two days before the winter shelter would be closing on March 18 — when this woman thought she’d be separated from her children — social services placed them in housing. What a breakthrough for my New Jersey sister and her three little blessings.

Lover’s Lane

I Wish

By Patty Smith Artist/Vendor

By Sasha Williams Artist/Vendor

Trees are here, fences are here, I love you, you love me.

I’m climbing high to you Need you bad.

I fall on my knees at night Because of you, honey please See that sky, stay blue The rail won’t.

Trees are here, fences are here All I do is climb to you I see you in my dream That’s all I want to know Is your love I can’t depend on no one but you.

ENCOURAGEMENT:

Crisis of Faith

Proverbs 3: 5-7

By Levester Green Artist/Vendor

By Shana Holmes Artist/Vendor

Lack of faith mortally wounded me ... It sent me into a spiritual spiral that lasted me all of eternity.

So nowadays I'm gun shy. Can't let too many haters get too close to me. They could be like ghost to me, haunting me nightly. Whatever they got to say, they had better tell it to me nice and softly. The Lord HAD mercy ... supposed to be a man of peace. So keep your ear to the street and hear what you speak ... ‘Cause I see dead people.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the Lord, and depart from evil."

I am very sad about my aunt's recent death. But I still trust the Lord to help me through my pain. No matter what challenges you face in life, still have faith and trust the Lord with all your heart.

I have learned how to put all my trust in the Lord with all my heart. I try not to decide everything by myself. I acknowledge the Lord in all areas of my life. He has helped direct my paths and my choices. I respect the Lord and with all my heart I depart from evil because being evil gets you nowhere in life. I also try not to be wise in my own eyes.

I wish I could take the shade in the winter when it is blazing in the summer.

I wish I could take all seasons and it will never be too hot or cold, just nice.

I wish I could tell everyone that you cannot promote or demote anyone; who do you think you are?

But I don't know everyone.

I wish that babies could speak and teach us about the life they journeyed before entering the world again and we could all learn from each other.

STREET SENSE March 22 - April 4, 2017

15

COMMUNITY SERVICES Housing/Shelter

Food

Clothing

Showers

Case Management

Health Care

Transportation

Laundry

Education

Employment Assistance

Legal Assistance

Vivienda/alojamiento Coordinación de Servicios

Seguro

Educación

Assitencia con Empleo

Academy of Hope Public Charter School: 269-6623 | 601 Edgewood St, NE aohdc.org

Bread for the City: 265-2400 (NW) | 561-8587 (SE) 1525 7th St, NW | 1640 Good Hope Rd, SE breadforthecity.org

Calvary Women’s Services: 678-2341 1217 Good Hope Road, SE calvaryservices.org

Catholic Charities: 772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp

Ropa

Comida

Central Union Mission: 745-7118 65 Massachusetts Avenue, NW missiondc.org

Charlie’s Place: 232-3066 1830 Connecticut Ave, NW charliesplacedc.org

Christ House: 328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd, NW christhouse.org

Church of the Pilgrims: 387-6612 2201 P St, NW churchofthepilgrims.org/outreach food (1 - 1:30 on Sundays only) Community Family Life Services: 347-0511 | 305 E St, NW cflsdc.org

SHELTER HOTLINE: (202) 399-7093 Línea directa de alojamiento YOUTH HOTLINE: (202) 547-7777

Duchas

Transportación

Lavandería

Línea directa de Violencia doméstica

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOTLINE: 1-888-793-4357

Assistencia Legal

Community of Hope: 232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

Línea de juventud

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE: (202) 749-8000 Línea de Salud del Comportamiento

Jobs Have Priority: 544-9128 425 Snd St, NW jobshavepriority.org

Covenant House Washington: 610-9600 2001 Mississippi Avenue, SE covenanthousedc.org

Loaves & Fishes: 232-0900 1525 Newton St. NW loavesandfishesdc.org Martha’s Table: 328-6608 2114 14th St, NW marthastable.org

D.C. Coalition for the Homeless: 347-8870 1234 Massachusetts Ave, NW dccfh.org

Samaritan Ministry: 1516 Hamilton Street NW | 722-2280 1345 U Street SE | 889-7702 samaritanministry.org

Sasha Bruce Youthwork: 675-9340 741 8th St, SE sashabruce.org

So Others Might Eat (SOME) 71 O St, NW | 797-8806 some.org

Father McKenna Center: 842-1112 19 Eye St, NW fathermckennacenter.org

Miriam’s Kitchen: 452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave, NW miriamskitchen.org

Food and Friends: 269-2277 219 Riggs Rd, NE foodandfriends.org (home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc)

My Sister’s Place: 529-5991 (24-hour hotline) mysistersplacedc.org

Thrive DC: 737-9311 1525 Newton St, NW thrivedc.org

N Street Village: 939-2060 1333 N Street, NW nstreetvillage.org

Unity Health Care: 745-4300 3020 14th St, NW unityhealthcare.org

New York Ave Shelter: 832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave, NE

Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St NW | 328-5500 legalclinic.org

Patricia Handy Place for Women: 810 5th Street, NW, NW | 733-5378

The Welcome Table: 347-2635 1317 G St, NW epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable

Foundry Methodist Church: 332-4010 1500 16th St, NW foundryumc.org/ministry-opportunities ID (FRIDAY 9-12 ONLY)

Friendship Place: 364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave, NW friendshipplace.org

Georgetown Ministry Center: 338-8301 1041 Wisconsin Ave, NW georgetownministrycenter.org

D.C. Low-Income Tax Clinics

IRS.gov: The filing deadline to submit 2016 tax returns is Tuesday, April 18, 2017, rather than the traditional April 15 date. In 2017, April 15 falls on a Saturday, and this would usually move the filing deadline to the following Monday — April 17. However, Emancipation Day — a legal holiday in D.C. — will be observed on that Monday, which pushes the nation’s filing deadline to Tuesday.

Community Tax Aid and the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program both identify $54,000 or less as qualifying household income for free assistance. ($35,000 for individuals, via CTA)

Samaritan Inns: 667-8831 2523 14th St, NW samaritaninns.org

PREPARATION (WALK-IN ONLY) Edgewood Terrace 601 Edgewood Street NE Sundays, 1pm-3pm Family Strengthening Collaborative 3917 Minnesota Ave NE Saturdays, 9am-3pm Wardman Court, 350 Clifton St NW Thursdays, 6pm-7:30pm SE Community Credit Center 2831 Alabama Ave SE Wed. 6-7:30pm, Sat. 9am-3pm Anacostia Neighborhood Library Tues. 11am, Thurs. 1:30pm Bellevue Neighborhood Library Saturdays, 10am

Deanwood Neighborhood Library Mondays & Wednesdays, 10am Georgetown Neighborhood Library Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 1pm Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Library Mon. 10am & Thurs. 1pm Petworth Neighborhood Library Mondays & Fridays, 12pm Shaw Neighborhood Library Saturdays, 10am Southwest Neighborhood Library Mon. 2:30pm, Wed. 1:30pm Woodridge Neighborhood Library Tuesdays & Fridays, 10am

St. Luke’s Mission Center: 333-4949 3655 Calvert St. NW stlukesmissioncenter.org

Whitman-Walker Health 1701 14th St, NW | 745-7000 2301 MLK Jr. Ave, SE | 797-3567 whitman-walker.org

PREPARATION (APPOINTMENT) CentroNía ... (202) 332-4200 Gallaudet University ... (202) 651-5312 Howard University ... (202) 684-8228 Jubilee Jobs ... (202) 830-1480 MLK Library Replacement ... (202) 869-2999 UPO Petey Greene Center ... 202-231-7903

REPRESENTATION UDC ... (202) 274-5073 American Univserity ... (202) 274-4144 ***The D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue walk-in center, 1101 4th Street SW #W270, will prepare District individual income tax returns free for anyone 8:15 am to 5:30 pm, Mon.-Fri.

Ray Hicks - 3/11

Patty Smityh - 3/19

Volume 14: Issue 10 | March 22 - April 4, 2017 Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005

Mail To:

Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Washington, DC Permit #568

Thank you for reading Street Sense!

Interested in a subscription? Visit StreetSense.org/subscribe