04 27 2011

Volume 8: Issue 13 April 27- May 10, 2011

Street

donation $1 suggested

sense

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

Catch & Release Returning books to the wild through BookCrossing Page 6

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

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From the Executive Director

Read All About It: “Homeless” books find unexpected readers

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Recent count shows a rise in D.C.-area homelessness

Casting a wide net: Campaigns against malaria in Senegal include celebrities, radio, texting

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A photo essay

by Jennifer Bryn Wallace

Read stories online at www.streetsense.org

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Writer’s Group: Poems

by Robert Warren and Chris Shaw, Cowboy Poet

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Column: The budget battle and saving social services

WEB EXCLUSIVE

View more photos from the Miriam’s Kitchen Art Show

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Comic Strip Barney & Clyde, Now at Street Sense!

Last Word: Intern Kelsey Osterman says farewell

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

Springtime, Spring Cleaning, Spring into Action

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By Douglas Knight Executive Director

hope everyone had a nice Passover and/or Easter holiday this past weekend. Now I know what you’re thinking: “Wow, is he going to talk about matzo bread, or maybe the Easter Bunny, coloring eggs and chocolate?”

Sorry, Hopalong. Not today.

I was enjoying a weekend with my family, and that combination of the holiday and the sunny spring weather got me thinking. Spring is that time of the year when everything seems to be “reset.” We get to leave behind the winter and its shorter days and see the sun and flowers. Then there is that “springtime air” that no one can really explain, but everyone can feel. Spring brings out the “Ctrl-Alt-Del” in us all, resetting our senses and our sense about the coming months like no other time in the calendar.

And yes, it’s also time to think about a real spring cleaning. Out with the old, or the broken, or the unused, and in with an updated, clean slate.

I’d like to also propose a spring cleaning regarding our thoughts about our homeless friends here in our community. We need a fresh take on how we look at homelessness and how we all might find ways to impact this challenge in our neighborhoods. Let’s sweep out the misconceptions, stereotypes and general assumptions. Let’s replace the “what happened to them” with “how can I help?” We have been living in the dust of past conversations surrounding homelessness in our community.

You have a great tool to help with this cleaning. The paper you hold shares stories, experiences and thoughts directly from the homeless community about homelessness. We hope what you read encourages conversation, debate and a connection with the people who need our support, so that we all can live better and stronger, together.

So as the trash cans fill up with old

boxes of stuff no longer needed, as windows open and air conditioners kick on for the season, please consider cleaning out the old ways of looking at homelessness here in our community. Consider volunteering, organizing a fundraising event or calling your local politician and reminding him or her that “homelessness isn’t helplessness.”

And please remember: your financial support of Street Sense allows us to continue to be part of this sweeping change, to introduce our mission to our fellow citizens and to help homeless people move to lives of greater impact and self-reliance.

Talk about a great way to welcome in spring. Well, that and chocolate.

That’s my 2 cents… DK

Email Doug at Doug@streetsense. org or call him at 202-347-2006

ADDRESS 1317 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 PHONE (202) 347 - 2006 FAX (202) 347 - 2166 E-MAIL info@streetsense.org WEB streetsense.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS Lisa Estrada, Ted Henson, Brad Scriber, Michael Stoops, Manas Mohapatra, Sommer Mathis, Kristal Dekleer, Robin Heller, Jeffery McNeil, Jordan Rummel, John Snellgrove, Dameon Philpotts EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Doug Knight EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mary Otto MANAGING EDITOR/NEW MEDIA DIRECTOR Lisa V. Gillespie VENDOR AND VOLUNTEER MANAGER Robert Fulton INTERNS Kelsey Osterman, Gretchen Grant, Mehreen Rasheed, Kelby Miller, Holly Ceasar VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Rhonda Brown, Margaret Chapman, Tracie Ching, James Clarke, Nikki Conyers, Bobby Corrigan, Irene Costigan, Sara Dimmitt, Joe Duffy, Lilly Dymond, Ashley Edwards, Garrett Epps, Rachel Estabrook, Sarah Ficenec, Andrew Gena, Steve Gilberg, Jane Goforth, Jonah Goodman, Roberta Haber, Elia Herman, Cherilyn Hansen, Adam Kampe, Trisha Knisely, Vicki Ann Lancaster, Elle Leech-Black, Lisa Leona, Sean Lishansky, Elsie Oldaker, Katinka Podmaniczky, Mike Plunkett, Willie Schatz, Jesse Smith, Lilly Smith, Mandy Toomey, Brett Topping, Melissa Hough, Kate Sheppard, Marian Wiseman, Kelly Stellrecht VENDORS Michael Anderson, Charles Armstrong, Jake Ashford, Lawrence Autry, Daniel Ball, Kenneth Belkosky, Tommy Bennett, Reginald Black, Deana Black, Harmon Bracey, Debora Brantley, Andre Brinson, Floarea Caldaras, Conrad Cheek, Theresa Corbino, Avram Cornel, Anthony Crawford, Kwayera Dakari, Louise Davenport, James Davis, Charles Davis, Devon Dawkins, Michael Dawson, Chino Dean, Daivd Denny, Richardo Dickerson, Alvin Dixon El, Charles Eatmon, Richard Emden, Pieus Ennels, Betty Everett, Joshua Faison, Larry Garner, R. George, David Ger, Marcus Green, Barron Hall, Dwight Harris, Lorrie Hayes, Patricia Henry, Shakaye Henry, Derian Hickman, Vennie Hill, Anne Holloway, Phillip Howard, James Hughes, Patricia Jefferson, Carlton Johnson, Donald Johnson, Mark Jones, Evanson Kamau, Mike Leach, Michael Lyons, Johnnie Malloy, Kina Mathis, John C. Matthews, Authertimer Matthews, Charlie Mayfield, Robert McGray, Marvin McFadden, Jermale McKnight, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jeffrey McNeil, Kenneth Middleton, Gary Minter, L. Morrow, Jai Morton, Saleem Muhammad, Tyrone Murray, Darryl Neal, Charles Nelson, James Nelson, Sammy Ngatiri, Evelyn Nnam, Moyo Onibuje, Douglas Pangburn, Franklin Payne, Michael Pennycook, Ash-Shaheed Rabbil, Michael Reardon, Chris Shaw, Veda Simpson, J. Simpson, Patty Smith, Gwynette Smith, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens, Leroy Sturdevant, Beverly Sutton, Sybil Taylor, Paul Taylor, Archie Thomas, Larissa Thompson, Carl Turner, Jacqueline Turner, Joseph Walker, Martin Walker, Robert Warren, Terry Warren, Lawless Watson, Paul Watson, Wendell Williams, Edna Williams, Sherle Williams, Susan Wilshusen, Ivory Wilson, Mark Wolf, Charles Woods, Tina Wright

STREET SENSE April 27 - May 10, 2011

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NEWS

Warning Signs Provide Insight to Prevent Homelessness in Scotland According to BBC News, a new study shows that 84 percent of Scottish homeless people between 16 and 24 ran away from home at least once before the age of 16.

Shelter Scotland, the charity that conducted the study, suggests that targeting problems experienced in childhood could help prevent their potential homelessness. Jessie Crawford, children’s service policy and practice cocoordinator at the charity, hopes that this research will help break the link between mistreated children and homelessness.

Approximately 11 percent of citizens under the age of 16 will run away from home or care, and 20 percent of that group first ran away from home before the age of 11 the study found.

“These figures show that the children who run away from home today are much more likely to become the young homeless people of tomorrow,” Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland said.

“By continuing to fail those children who feel their only option is to run away, we are guilty of creating a society where lost life opportunities and squandered

potential thrive.”

Mayor Bloomberg Blamed for Rise of Homelessness in New York City A new report by the Coalition for the Homeless shows homelessness at a new high in 2010 in New York City, despite Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s promise to decrease homeless rates in the city.

Patrick Markey, senior policy analyst for the Coalition, says that more New Yorkers sought refuge in shelters in 2010 than during the Great Depression. Markey and the Coalition for the Homeless attribute the increase to high unemployment rates, the economic recession and a decrease in affordable housing, according to All Media NY. The coalition further maintains that Bloomberg and his administration are responsible for exacerbating the problem.

A main complaint against the administration, is the implementation of limitedtime subsidies, rather than long-term federal housing programs.

The Bloomberg administration disregards the report and claims the findings are based on distorted data.

‘Food Not Bombs’ Willing to

Break Law to Feed Homeless A federal appeals court ruled on April 12 that Orlando officials may legally restrict organizations from giving food to the homeless, but the homeless advocacy group, Food Not Bombs, will continue to distribute weekly meals.

According to The Associated Press, the ordinance was passed in attempts to regulate gatherings in public parks.

However, Food Not Bombs asserts that the ordinance restricts the freedom of speech.

The ordinance allows organizations to apply for permits to distribute food in the downtown area, according to WFTV, but each organization is restricted to only two permits per year.

Since organizations can publicly distribute food twice a year, the court asserts that the ordinance does not limit free speech. “The city has a substantial interest in managing and spreading the burden of large group feedings throughout a greater area,” the ruling said, “And those interests are plainly served by the ordinance.”

Food Not Bombs, a group of political activists who believe food is a fundamental human right, could be fined $500 or spend two months in jail if it continues

THE STORY OF STREET SENSE Street Sense began in August 2003 after two volunteers, Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson, approached the National Coalition for the Homeless on separate occasions with the idea to start a street paper in Washington, D.C. They saw it as a means of empowering the area’s poor and homeless and desided the paper would cover homelessness and other social issues.

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

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

YOUR DOLLAR

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

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

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

65%

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

to distribute weekly meals.

Homeless Veterans Benefit from New Program Minneapolis police are experimenting with a new program to help homeless veterans. Police officers who encounter a homeless person must ask that person if they have served the country. If the answer is yes, they provide that person with a backpack full of donated supplies, including toiletries, clothing, socks, a quilt and information on programs at the Minneapolis Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center, according to Star Tribune.

Cathy Brooke, director of the Office to End Homelessness in Minneapolis, hopes that the program will help veterans, who make up about one fourth of the city’s homeless population, realize the benefits for which they are eligible.

So far, the program is being tested in the city’s second precinct. Advocates like Brooke hope to spread the program citywide.

Items in the backpack have been donated by Quilts of Valor and Soldiers’ Angels, two national nonprofits, according to Star Tribune.

-Caroline Hopper

Vendor Code of Conduct

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

Today, Street Sense has four professionals, more than 100 active vendors and nearly 30,000 copies in circulation each month. The newspaper has become a major source of news for Washingtonians, providing content on issues which often go uncovered by the mainstream media.

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

35% Supports costs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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77.3 percent of the U.S. population were Internet users in 2010, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a branch of the United Nations.

Federal Communications Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, spoke at last months ByteBack graduation about giving students power over their lives through technology.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BYTE BACK

Putting the Pixels Back in People’s Lives The importance of low-income people learning computer skills for a better future

By Gretchen Grant Editorial Intern Eighty low-income adults are now better prepared to find jobs, thanks to the computer and work skills they have gained from Byte Back, a local nonprofit dedicated to bridging the digital divide.

A special honor was in store for the newest grads at their recent commencement ceremony. The keynote speaker of the event was Federal Communications Commissioner Mignon Clyburn.

Clyburn acknowledged the courage

required to leave old ways behind and pursue new skills. And she harked back to lessons she learned from a mentor of her own, a grandmother who taught her the importance of being “investors in our communities.”

Everyone, she said, has something to contribute to his or her community.

That is the case at Byte Back, where not only the students, but a large corps of volunteers dedicate their time and energy to changing lives for the better.

Byte Back’s director of volunteer ser-

vices, Eleanor Grewal, noted that 82 volunteers contributed 9,000 hours over the last fiscal year, helping the organization’s tiny staff by donating funds, teaching classes and spending extra time with students.

Byte Back, working with other local organizations, taught a total of 1,037 low-income students computer and job readiness skills this past year. Students can work their way through six levels of training, from beginning to advanced.

Full and partial scholarships are avail-

able.

Also speaking at the April 1st graduation ceremony, held at the Dance Place in Northeast, was the DC Public Library’s chief technology officer Chris Tonjes, who noted how vital computer literacy is to economic success. Tonjes praised Byte Back for the effectiveness of its program.

The graduates received their diplomas from Byte Back’s director of programs Debony Heart and advanced curriculum coordinator Carine Umuzayire.

STREET SENSE April 27 - May 10, 2011

The United States is the top BookCrossing country, making up 29 percent of all total members.

Germany has 16 percent and the UK makes up 13 percent.

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LOCAL NEWS

Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

By Kelsey Osterman Editorial Intern The book looked homeless at first, sitting all alone in the Friendship Heights Metrorail station.

But a label fastened to its cover explained why it was there.

“I’m not lost -- I’m on a journey!”

The book, released into the “wild” by a member of a mischievous international network of “BookCrossers” was simply waiting to meet its next reader.

The label on the book’s cover included an identification number and an Internet address, www.bookcrossing.com. At the website, each reader is encouraged to log in and write a journal entry for the book he or she has found. The book’s wanderings can then be traced, and the reader can be linked to other readers around the world.

For ten years now BookCrossers have been finding, reading and releasing books of all shapes and sizes, sharing exploits and musings online with the goal of “helping make the world a library.”

“Sometimes they just move magically,” joked local BookCrosser Kate Weber, whose favorite book is The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. “I really wish I could tag along with my books.”

Organizers estimate that since the BookCrossing was founded in April 2001, nearly 1 million members have BookCrossed over 7 million books in 132 countries around the world.

Earlier this month, members from a host of countries including England, Germany, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, who are usually only linked by the Internet, gathered in the District to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their adventure in sharing.

Weber, whose BookCrosser screen name is melydia, along with a couple of fellow book lovers, Kate McDevitt (screen name KateKintail) and Christal Groves (crrcookie) teamed up to organize this year’s convention.

REFLECTION

Crossing Paths with a Book

By Kelsey Osterman Editorial Intern

Above, books are labelled and released into public places, such as parks, malls, coffee shops and buses for new owners to find. Below, Kate McDevitt, Kate Weber and Christal Groves spent two years planning the 2011 BookCrossing Convention.

KELSEY OSTERMAN I STREET SENSE

“It was so much fun,” said Weber “I just didn’t want it to end.”

The three women have been friends for about four years, through the D.C. branch of BookCrossing, called BCinDC. The group, which has about 60 members

When you have possessed a book with your mind and spirit, you are enriched. But when you pass it on you are enriched threefold.

-Henry Miller, The Books In My Life

from Virginia, Maryland and D.C., meets once a month to discuss books and pass them along. Many of BCinDC BookCrossers have become close, but the three convention planners have found friends worldwide through BookCrossing.

“It’s a built-in group of friends everywhere you go,” said McDevitt, a Harry Potter fan.

Continued on Page 6

When my editor plopped a copy of Alfred Camus’ Caligula on my desk, I had never heard of BookCrossing. A reader had found the book and passed it along to her. A Post-it Note on the book revealed that it had been discovered in the Friendship Heights Metrorail station on the red line.

As I researched the BookCrossing organization, I was intrigued by the concept of traveling books. When Mary gave me the assignment, she mentioned the books were homeless in a way, moving around without a permanent home.

But in this case, the concept of “homeless” was positive. Great books were being shared and savored, instead of sitting unread on bookshelves across the world.

And here was this little red book, a book, full of thousands of words, which had made its way through the D.C. Metro system to find me. As a result, an article, made up of hundreds of words, has found its way into your hands, via your local Street Sense vendor. Funny how it’s all interconnected, isn’t it?

The book we originally found is in French, and since I remember little from my years of studying the language, I will not be reading this one before I release it again. But when I met with Kate Weber, Christal Groves and Kate McDevitt, they gave me another book, this one in English. I plan on reading it during my upcoming travels across the country, and before long two little books from the District will be released somewhere new in the U.S. And as for some of the other books clogging up my shelves at home? Well, I have plans for them, too.

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The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments first conducted the annual homeless enumeration in 2001.

Continued from Page 5 When the three women travelled to Amsterdam for last year’s convention, the eruption of an Icelandic volcano forced them to stay for a few extra days. The friends enjoyed the chance to hang out with other BookCrossers, even if it was an unexpected delay to their travel plans.

“I’ve never found a group this generous,” Weber added.

That generosity helped the three convention planners when the 2011 event left them in debt. BookCrossing corporate is not involved in the planning that went went in and does not provide monetary support, according to Weber.

Most of the event funding came from the $150 entrance fee provided by each guest, but Weber, McDevitt and Groves covered the rest of the cost. “Due to very generous donations on the part of BookCrossers and other friends…we’re walking away owing considerably less than we were before, but we’re still owing money,” Weber said.

During the conference, held April 1517, about 100 book lovers took part in a wide variety of events including book buffets, a literary museum-hopping trip, and book-release walks. The weekend also included plenty of sightseeing and a bus tour of the monuments at night.

Even Saturday’s unfortunate weather did not stop the bibliophiles from enjoying their time in the city.

On Sunday night, after all the events were over, the last remaining BookCrossers gathered at Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub in Alexandria, in anticipation of the 2012 convention in Dublin, Ireland.

“I wish it could last longer because I wish I could spend more time with these people… They’re just amazing people, all of them,” Weber said.

And though two years of planning are now over, Weber, Groves and McDevitt still have their monthly meetings to attend.

Visit their And there are website at always more www.bookbooks to read crossing.com and release into the wild.

Homeless Families on the Rise First look at the 2011 homeless count shows impact of hard times

By Mary Otto Editor-in-Chief In spite of innovative programs aimed at housing disabled and chronically indigent individuals and struggling families, homelessness has increased in the Washington area during the years of the economic downturn.

Overall, homelessness in the region has risen 2 percent and family homelessness has increased 9.5 percent since 2007, the year the nation’s housing and financial crisis began, according to the preliminary findings of the Washington Area Council of Governments’ annual homeless count.

This year’s survey, conducted in the last week of January, found 11,988 homeless men, women and children living in shelters, transitional housing and domestic violence programs, abandoned buildings and makeshift encampments in the District and its surrounding suburbs in Virginia and Maryland. The total included 5,315 people living in families, 3,249 of them children. The report showed that 38 percent of homeless adults in families and 20 percent of homeless single people are employed.

The increase in homelessness would have been steeper without the programs the District and surrounding jurisdictions have put in place to resolve and prevent homelessness, according to Michael Ferrell, executive director of the D.C. Coalition for the Homeless and chair of the council of government’s homeless services committee.

According to the report, permanent supportive housing initiatives across the region have moved 7,702 formerly homeless people into homes and apartments and provided them with services to address the disabilities and other problems that contributed to their homelessness.

In addition, programs such as the Emergency Rental Assistance Program or ERAP, which enjoyed a temporary infusion of additional federal stimulus dollars in recent years, helped prevent homelessness by providing families, elderly and disabled people facing evic-

tion with money to pay overdue rent, Ferrell said.

“The primary reason the count has not gone up significantly is because of permanent supportive housing and the prevention and rapid re-housing money made available through the federal stimulus,” Ferrell recently told a group of local homeless service providers gathered for a meeting of the Coalition of Housing and Homeless Organizations.

“Those are the reasons you haven’t had a major increase.”

Such programs are now facing reductions due to budget pressures on the federal and local level. In the District, where 6,546 homeless people were counted, a total virtually unchanged since last year, city officials are struggling to address a $25 million gap in the homeless services budget through a combination of tax increases and “realignments” in resources. Homeless advocates warn that cuts are likely and could be devastating.

“To scale back services for home-

less families and homeless individuals while also cutting eviction prevention programs is creating a dangerous combination,” said Ed Lazere of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, a Washington-based think tank that focuses on policy and public programs that affect low and moderate-income people.

This was the 11th year that the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments has held the point-in-time homeless count, meant to capture a one-day snapshot of the region’s homeless population. The same effort is made annually nationwide, by jurisdictions receiving federal funding to run shelters and other homeless programs.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported last year that 643,000 homeless people were included in the 2009 count.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments is expected to release a final analysis and full report on the regional count in May.

Number of single homeless (light gray) versus number of homeless families (dark gray) between 2007 and 2011 in the Washington, D.C. area.

35 countries account for 98 percent of malaria deaths worldwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

STREET SENSE April 27- May 10, 2011

INTERNATIONAL

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Senegalese women with mosquito nets attempt to protect themselves from malaria, the number one killer of children under the age of five in Africa.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MALARIA NO MORE

Sleep Tight! Don’t Let the Mosquitoes Bite

By Amanda Fortier Street News Service Who wouldn’t like the voice of a famous person talking to them right before they go to sleep? In Senegal, parents and children are treated to a 30-second radio spot every night. But instead of celebrity gossip, the announcements are careful reminders that families should put up their mosquito nets before going to bed.

Every night, just before bed, the voice of Senegal’s superstar musician Youssou Ndour rings out from radio stations across the country.

“It’s 9 p.m.,” he sings in his native Wolof. “Are you and your family safe under your mosquito nets tonight?”

The NightWatch Campaign, the first interactive media project of its kind, was launched last September by the international aid groups Malaria No More and Lalela Project. The idea, to deliver public service announcements in the evenings, harks back to America in the 1980s when parents were reminded to watch over the children late at night.

The campaign in Senegal, known as Fanaan Jamm, or “Sleep in Peace,” has also teamed up with one of the country’s main telephone operators, TIGO. They send out daily text messages to 50,000 people around Senegal reminding them to pull down their nets before tucking

in at night.

Malaria remains the number one killer of children under the age of five in Africa. Every 45 seconds a child dies from this preventable and treatable disease, according to the World Health Organization. Reducing the number of deaths by two thirds, for children under-five, is one of the campaign’s millennium development goals for 2015. While Senegal has made headway, there is still work to be done.

According to Dr. Diouf, deputy coordinator of the National Malaria Control Program in Senegal, their latest research indicates that child deaths have decreased by 30 percent. In 2005, there were 121 child deaths for every 1,000 births. In 2008-2009, this number decreased to 85.

“We think our work on malaria prevention has had a big impact on this reduction of child deaths,” explains Diouf.

“Eight-five percent of households have at least one net. But the use of an impregnated (insecticide-treated) mosquito net for children under the age of 5 is at 45 percent and 48 percent for pregnant women. So you see that in terms of use, there is still a lot of work to do.”

“The power of art captures the attention of people and creates behavioral change far more readily,” he said.

The NightWatch Campaign is a one-

year pilot project that has attracted some of the country’s biggest named celebrities and public figures. Having the support of local footballers, religious leaders and musicians like Akon, Viviane and Youssou Ndour is a big part of the project’s success. Last year, Ndour worked with Malaria No More to help spearhead the Senegalese version of the talent show American Idol. Together they launched a combined cross-country song contest and mosquito-net distribution.

At this event, Ndour stressed the importance of making malaria campaigns culturally relevant.

“When white people come in to talk about malaria, there is a gap… If the local people listen to local people, I think there can be big change. When we talk to them they understand. We have the words to tell them about [malaria], and we have a different effect.”

Ndour has long been an international spokesperson for the fight against malaria in Africa and holds deep influence in his home country.

“Here in Senegal Youssou Ndour is a household figure,” says Yacine Diop Djibo, country director for Malaria No More in Senegal.

“He’s been in our lives for the past 30 years and has written and sang many, many songs. He is a public figure that is very well recognized, and we have done

also, prior to engaging him particularly, a lot of research that pointed to him as the lead person that people looked up to as an example of success and a who that they should be listening to.”

Combing the different mediums of radio, music and text messaging is also proving to be an effective way of informing the public about malaria prevention.

Lalela Project’s founder Andrea Kerzner is an advocate of using art and culture to empower people living in extreme poverty. Her team has worked in countries around Africa using ideas and imagination to address complex problems.

“Creativity and creative means really connect people in a very emotional way,” says Kerzner. “If you get people to engage in a creative setting, you’re going to really engage them on a much deeper level and get them to understand. We feel the power of art captures the attention of people and creates behavioral change far more readily than just giving them the messaging and telling people what they should and should not do.”

The NightWatch campaign will expand into Cameroon this summer as it distributes 8.6 million nets.

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PHOTOS BY JENNIFER BRYN WALLACE

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Fiction

Arctic Ice Hockey: Part 3

By Ivory Wilson Vendor Summary of Part 1: It’s July in the Arctic and Riely and the other polar bears are struggling to find food. They realize they have to go inland, where food is plentiful; otherwise, they’ll starve. In the arctic forest their white fur stands out against the dark trees and they’re spotted by a group of Kodiak bears.

Summary of Part 2: The Kodiak bears don’t want to fight. Instead, they share their food with the polar bears. After a big meal, the polar bears and Kodiak bears decide to go back to the coast for a game of ice hockey. Together, they hike out of the forest and out onto the ice.

Coming up on a huge iceberg, Nayla the polar bear sees three puffins 100 yards away on the iceberg. He whispers, “Everyone, stop. Don’t move.”

Mark the Kodiak asks, “What is it, what’s happening?”

Riely the polar bear says, “Nayla has spotted some juicy puffins. Keep walking toward them, you guys, and we will circle and surprise them. “ Cody, Stanley and Paul spread out on the ice and slowly ease into the icy water, going under and coming up behind small floating pieces of ice, getting closer to the puffins. The puffins don’t see the polar bears circling because they are stunned by the sight of Kodiak bears on the ice.

Peter the puffin rises up from the ice and says, “Hey! Get a look at this.

Kodiak bears. They must be lost or off course. This is ice, not grass.”

Steward the puffin looks up and says, “Hey, Peter. You want to go up and tell them they’re lost?”

Peter replies, “Are you crazy? They’re bears. Bears eat meat. That means us.”

Chris the puffin is chewing a piece of fish. He looks up and spots Cory creeping up. Chris shouts, “It’s a trap! Guys, run for your lives!”

The three little puffins try to make a dash for the water. They turn to run.

Cody, Stanley and Paul are standing there waiting. The puffins are surrounded. Steward takes a look at the bears’ sharp teeth and claws and passes out, falling on his back, feet pointing up.

Cody the polar bear picks up Steward with his teeth. Paul is standing over Chris the puffin.

Reily shouts, “Wait, wait! We can use them.”

Cody asks, “For what?”

Mark the Kodiak bear and his guys have caught up with the polar bears.

They see the puffins. Steward wakes up and sees all the bears. He faints again Reily says, “We need them to ref our hockey game.”

Krugman the Kodiak bear says, “He’s right.” All the bears agree.

Benjamin the Kodiak bear says, “Would someone please wake up that puffin? Tell him not to faint this time.

We’re not going to eat him.”

Pete the puffin spits water in Steward’s face.He wakes. Pete says, “Wait. Don’t faint again. We’re alive. See? The bears need our help.”

Steward blinks his eyes and asks, “Are you sure?”

Pete replies, “Sure, I’m sure. Look.

There’s Chris.”

Chris the puffin, shaking, asks Riely the polar bear, “Does this mean we are friends and can come and go freely to fish here?”

All the polar bears say at the same time, loudly, “No!” Pete, still shaking, says, “Just asking…”

Both bear teams enter the contest.

Riely the polar bear (#41) is the goal tender for his team and Martin the Kodiak bear (#20) is the goal tender for his team. In the first period it seems the puck might never bounce for the Kodiak bears. The goal post crossbar doesn’t yield much on power plays. The polar bears have a two goal advantage, and the Kodiak bears are getting mad. Steward the puffin says, “Looks like it’s going to be a shutout.”

Pete the puffin says, “Yeah, it’s a

tough game. In the first period the polar bears broke through.”

Nayla makes a between the legs pass for a one-timer that beats Benjamin of the Kodiaks and gives the polar bears a 2-0 lead. The Kodiaks’ frequent trips to the penalty box include four calls in the first period alone. Nash of The Kodiaks attacks Paul of The Polar Bears, beating him over the head with his hockey stick. Steward the puffin ref blows his whistle, breaking up the fight, putting Nash into the penalty box.

The second and third penalty come when Krugman and Doug of the Kodiaks team up on Stanley of the polar bears, after Krugman of the Kodiaks makes a shot that ricochets off the leg of Riely, the polar bear’s goal tender, and does not go in for the score. Krugman and Doug both start beating, biting and kicking Stanley of the polar bears in his face.

Ref Chris, the puffin, blows his whistle, stopping the game and putting Krugman and Doug of the Kodiaks into the penalty box.

Second period: Doug of the Kodiaks breaks the polar bears’ streak by slamming the puck past Riely of the polar bears, making the score 2-1 at intermission.

Cody says, “OK. That’s enough. We can’t let them keep pushing us around like this. They want a fight. Let’s break

some bones, guys.”

Cory of the polar bears says, ”He’s right. Let’s turn ourselves into fighting devils on ice.”

Martin, the Kodiak goaltender, says, “Keep up the fast paced pressure on them.”

Mark of the Kodiaks says, “Yes, a loss to us would be a big embarrassment for them. They may want to fight after a defeat.”

Martin of the Kodiaks says, “If that’s what they want, we’ll give it to them, boys.”

Third period, the polar bears come back with fire in their eyes. Cory of the polar bears gets in the center, rushes Benjamin of the Kodiaks, slap shoots the puck between Benjamin’s, Doug’s and Nash’s legs. Martin the goal tender tries to block the puck with his stick, but misses, and it goes in for the score, making it 3-1.

Stanley and Paul of the polar bears double team Krugman of the Kodiaks.

When he tries to slide the puck by them and in for a shot, they pick him up off his feet and slam him head first into the ice. That starts a big fight between the teams.

The three puffins try to stop it, but the fight is out of control, so they run and dive into the ocean, swimming away before it’s over. All I could see was a big ball of bears rolling, biting and punching each other.

STREET SENSE April 27- May 10, 2011

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

11

Writers’ Group

A Shot of Ink

By Robert Warren

Whether your body lets your mind think it’s ok to engrave the images of the world you keep living for.

A shot of ink to see thoughts of who you think you are, who you love - only the Lord knows your heart.

A shot of ink on b-baller, footballer, gangland prison groups, church women too, young man who some times stoops to new lows, baby girls with ink shots on their breast down to their toes.

No one knows how will they pray with no images today. too many shots of ink, no longer a will to think.

What does it all mean in the grand scheme of things?

A shot of ink the images in your mind you keep—words of the Lord.

PHOTO EMILYTS/FLICKR

A bird, a rose, a butterfly--try not a knife through a heart—a snake in an apple tree talking to Adam and Eve.

Lockout Shutdown

By Chris Shaw, Cowboy Poet

A shot of ink in remembrance of I’ll miss you (with the name of a loved one lost) images for your thoughts, memories for your heart.

So. if your favorite team, say the Dolphins, Chargers, Bears or that renegade

A shot of ink on those who forgot to think put no graven images before the Lord.

“Warshington” outfit wants to play and the “Owners” lock ‘em out of their practice facilities,

When will they pray for the whispers for another shot of ink to go away.

Where does that leave you, my friend? You, The Fan!

Maybe one day they’ll know a shot of ink, is the Devil’s biggest joke.

Images put before your Lord. Who prays The Lord will forgive you the day you come back with an image?

A shot of ink your LORD IS NOT.

Quick Answer: No Team, No Game.

And the “Owners?” All steak, sherry, fifteen-dollar cigars, lobster, champagne And caviar.

But no fun for the public And what is this “Owners” Business? Doesn’t that sound more than a bit Like PLANTATION stuff?

Take Congress. Take it, please. In fact, the last time this writer lost some entitlements a beleaguered examiner from SSA grasped his face between two knotty hands and moaned at me, “I’m not at fault for your loss, sir —it’s CONGRESS that wants to reduce your pay!”

Congress wasn’t playing then, and it isn’t playing now.

Had there been an April 8th shutdown of the Fed Gov, guess which major American city would have been declared an `non-essential agency of the government` and have been largely defunded with all its [most essential] services placed, ON ICE? Why, Washington DC, natch!

12

STREET SENSE April 27- May 10, 2011

Op-Ed

COLUMN

Bursting the Bubble

By Peggy Nolting Gallos Volunteer Writer For a new job I began in December, I had to adjust to a new way of commuting. After years of relying on car and commuter rail, I was back to riding city buses and trains. In fact, I was returning to my roots.

I grew up in one of the outer boroughs of New York City and had been accustomed to bus stops, turnstiles and the art of maintaining balance while standing on a moving vehicle.

Old habits, embedded in childhood, reassert themselves in a surprisingly short time. I resumed the habit of keeping a book in my purse because public transit time is great reading time. I rediscovered the skill of navigating a crowded train platform. I found myself enjoying being “automobile-free,” of shedding the responsibility and frustration of managing that hunk of metal and plastic. I liked being light and swift on my feet on city streets.

This new way of life also affected how I regarded and dealt with weather.

It drew my attention to the brutalities of winter on the streets of a city. Life in an automobile is life in a bubble. Soft seats. Music. News. The relative safety of locked doors.

A contained and private place to chat with a passenger. If it is raining, you are dry. If it is cold, you are warm. If it is hot, you are cool. If your body aches, you can sit. If you have bags or boxes, you have an easy way to transport them.

Out and about in the car, you are never terribly inconvenienced or discomforted if you have not anticipated a change in weather. If you have no umbrella, you can run from a doorway to shelter of the car. If you are moving from the garage to the car and from the car to the office, it doesn’t matter whether you wear high heels or if your shoes are not waterproof.

Not so when you commute via Metro bus or train. It is miserable to be halfway to the bus stop when the skies open.

It is unpleasant to wait for a bus when you are not dressed for the weather. Maneuvering escalators and platforms is far more problematic if you are wheeling a

large suitcase or carrying one.

The brisk pace and unrelenting press of people coming and going is far harder to stand up to if your feet ache or you are confused about which direction to head in. I learned this is the early weeks of my new job, when I had not found a permanent place to stay. I was learning about the Red, Blue and Green lines, and often pulling a suitcase with me.

One evening, in those first weeks, I had taken Amtrak in the wee hours, worked a full day and waited in bitter cold for a bus to take me to my temporary lodging, and I was pulling my suitcase behind me.

The January evening was dark, and I stopped at a convenience store, the only option for food that did not involve adding several blocks to my walk home. Inside, self-consciously pulling my suitcase around the cramped aisles and displays, I realized that I had to plan my purchases according to what I could manage to carry in one bag. The walk home was uphill and took about 15 minutes.

That evening it seemed far longer.

It was with such relief that I turned the key in the lock that evening, stepped into light and warmth, set down my bag and suitcase, pulled off my shoes and headed for a warm shower.

A few weeks after that, I emerged from the Tenleytown metro station one evening and hurried to a pharmacy nearby to pick up ibuprofen for my daughter.

It was snowing hard, and the streets of D.C. were a blur of headlights as cars, buses and taxis crawled along. A tall young man was selling Street Sense near the door to the store. He was smiling cheerfully and nodding a polite good evening as he held out the paper to the coming-and-going customers who mostly took no notice of him.

“When I come out,” I said to him. He nodded his thanks, and the snow piled on his hat fell like dandruff to his

shoulders. When I left the store, his hat was again covered with snow. I handed him a bill, and he handed me the paper.

He thanked me profusely. I caught my bus. Because of the weather, it was a rush hour nightmare. The bus crawled.

It slid. Eventually, I gave up on the bus and struck out on snowy streets, walking past the long line of headlights from the stuck cars.

Eventually, I got home, weary and hungry. But by turn of Fate, I was not the young man at the door of the pharmacy.

I don’t know how he could have stood in that driving snow, smiling, or how he made it through that night.

Who’s Getting Rich Off Budget Cuts

By Jeffery McNeil Vendor As the budget battle looms, members of Congress, mainly Republicans from the far right, have taken aim at programs that help people whose only fault is that they struggle.

Fiscal hawks claim they can balance the budget by targeting nonprofits like Planned Parenthood and government programs such as food stamps and school lunches.

U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan’s budgetcutting plan, called the Path to Prosperity, is full of republican talking points, but in the end, who will really prosper? This right-wing fantasy about our national debt is nothing more than corporate thievery also known as Robbing Hood economics: stealing from the poor so the wealthy can go to Aspen.

This doctrine of throwing the poor out on their fannies and telling them to get a job appeals to some voters who you would think would be the loudest voice against cutting the size of government to enable Wall Street to steal more money.

Before going further, politicians should look at Washington, D.C. as the emblem of what happens when you cut aid to the poor and vulnerable.

They should see our city, which has, on any given day, approximately 6,500 homeless men, women and children, as living proof that no one wins by cutting social services. From a social viewpoint, when you close shelters and cut

Continue on Page 13

13

The Funnies

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

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

Continue from Page 12

all people are

Robbing Hood economics comes to federal policy social services that can help the mentally ill, and when you siphon funds from schools that serve the neediest children, the entire city suffers. Unfortunately, someone does profit from cutting social services. There lies the problem.

Did our nation’s capital benefit from closing Franklin School Shelter? Exactly the opposite happened. Instead of making the homeless disappear, they made Franklin Park their new place of residency.

By deinstitutionalizing the mentally ill without giving them any place else to go, we end up with psychotic and schizophrenic people walking the streets unable to take care of themselves.

This “throw the bums out” attitude has a negative effect. People will find shelter and will do whatever they need to do to survive. Crimes will rise because of the desperation of people who have no sort of income.

Property values deteriorate and businesses lose profits because loiterers and panhandlers make the city an unpleasant place in which to live and work.

Social programs should be reformed instead of abolished, because there will be more negative consequences than positive consequences if they are eliminated.

Welcome

here

Join us in worship on Sundays at 9:30 am, 11:00 am, 5:30 pm

Would you like to continue support of Street Sense throughout the year?

Homeless Outreach Hospitality Fridays at 9:00 _____________________________

Would you like to continue support of Street Sense throughout the year?

Foundry United Methodist Church A Reconciling Congregation

1500 16th Street NW | Washington DC | 20036 202.332.4010 | foundryumc.@foundryumc.org

www.foundryumc.org

Order a subscription today!

Order a subscription today!

Not only will you recieve 26 issues with all our latest news, poetry and photography, you will also help raise awareness about poverty in the D.C. area.

Not only will you recieve 26 issues with all our latest news, poetry and photography, you will also help raise awareness about poverty in the D.C. area.

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to Street Sense for just $40 a year (26 issues).

____ I would also like to give half the cost of my subscription to my favorite vendor: _____________________________

to Street Sense for just $40 a year (26 issues).

____ I would also like to give half the cost of my subscription to my favorite vendor: _____________________________

14

Welcome new vendor Gary Minter. Good luck!

Vendor Profile: James Nelson

By Mandy Toomey Editorial Volunteer At age 27, James Nelson is one of the youngest Street Sense vendors I’ve met over the past year of volunteering with the organization. He is currently living in a shelter at 2nd and D NW, a place he’s called “home” for the past year. His “bedroom” consists of 10 bunks in a large open room, and he sleeps on a bottom bed.

James went to high school in Suitland, Md., but was caught selling drugs at age 16 and got kicked out. When school was no longer an option, James’ father sent him to JobCorps in West Virginia. Through this 1 ½ year residential program James earned his GED and a license in carpentry.

During the program, James was learning, putting his skills to work and also working at a local fast food restaurant.

After completing the program but before being released, James was caught dealing marijuana and spent two months in juvenile detention. Although he had already received his certifications, because of the drug charges, he was denied the over $1,000 generally rewarded to program graduates.

When James returned to Washington,

D.C., issues with his family sent him to the street. It was at the shelter on 2nd and D that James met Charles Woods who told him about Street Sense and the earning opportunities with the organization. On the sunny Thursday morning that I met James, three months later, he was buying 50 papers, which he hoped to sell in a couple hours.

It’s James’ goal to be named top Street Sense seller, and he enjoys practicing his salesmanship skills selling papers.

James sees Street Sense as a way to earn money the honest way. His derams are seemingly simple: to live well and have a nice house.

“Eventually I would like to have the finer things in life, but for now I’m doing what I have to do.”

STREET SENSE April 27- May 10, 2011

15

Community Service Service Spotlight: Thrive DC

By Maria Stoyadinova Editorial Volunteer Not only can a person come for a meal at Thrive DC, but he or she will also find many other necessities.

Thrive’s Daily Bread/Daily Needs program, which provides free meals twice a day, also offers access to showers, laundry and computers, as well as health and hygiene supplies.

The program is open to anyone in need of a meal and takes place every morning between 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. and every afternoon between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. The afternoon meal is open to women and children only.

Thrive DC also offers the Real Opportunity Training Program, a six-month program which combines living skills classes with housing and living stipends. The program targets people “who have not been in the

job market for a substantial amount of time,” according to Thrive DC executive director Alicia Horton.

Thrive DC, which has been at work in Washington for more than 30 years, gets much of its support through donations, with additional money coming from government and foundation grants. But with needs rising, and government funding dwindling, resources are stretched thin, Horton said.

Last month, Thrive served 800 more meals than the month before.

“We know that so many absolutely depend on the services we provide we continue to diligently pursue the resources necessary to continue our work,” Horton said.

Want to go?

Where: 1525 Newton Street NW Call: (202) 737-9311

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MEDICAL RESOURCES

Academy of Hope GED Center 601 Edgewood Street, NE (202) 269-6623, www.aohdc.org

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

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

SHELTER Calvary Women’s Services 110 Maryland Avenue, NE (202) 289-0596 (office) (202) 289-2111 (shelter) www.calvaryservices.org Central Union Mission (Men) 1350 R Street, NW (202) 745–7118, www.missiondc.org Open Door Shelter (Women) 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 393–1909 www.newhopeministriesdc.org/id3.html Community of Hope (Family) 1413 Girard Street, NW (202) 232–7356,www.communityofhopedc.org Covenant House Washington (Youth) 2001 Mississippi Avenue, SE (202) 610–9600, www.covenanthousedc.org John Young Center (Women) 119 D Street, NW (202) 639–8469, www.catholiccharitiesdc.org

My Sister’s Place PO Box 29596, Washington, DC 20017 (202) 529-5261 (office) (202) 529-5991 (24-hour hotline) N Street Village (Women) 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060, www.nstreetvillage.org Elizabeths Hospital (Men) 801 East, St. 2700 MLK Avenue, SE (202) 561–4014

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 1640 Good Hope Road, SE (202) 561–8587, www.breadforthecity.org Community Council for the Homeless at

New York Ave Shelter (Men 18+) 1355–57 New York Avenue, NE (202) 832–2359

Friendship Place 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW (202) 364–1419, www.cchfp.org

FOOD

Bethany Women’s Center 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060, www.nstreetvillage.org

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

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

Father McKenna Center 19 Eye Street, NW (202) 842–1112 Friendship House 619 D Street, SE (202) 675–9050, www.friendshiphouse.net Georgetown Ministry Center 1041 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (202) 338–8301

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Catholic Community Services 924 G Street, NW (202) 772–4300, www.ccs–dc.org D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW (202) 347–8870, www.dccfh.org Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW (202) 347–0511, www.cflsdc.org Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW (202) 332–4010, www.foundryumc.org Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men) 810 5th Street, NW (202) 842–1731, www.grm.org Hermano Pedro Day Center 3211 Sacred Heart Way, NW (202) 332–2874 www.ccs–dc.org/find/services/ JHP, Inc. 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 544–9126, www.jobshavepriority.org Samaritan Ministry 1345 U Street, SE 1516 Hamilton Street, NW (202) 889–7702, www.samaritanministry.org

SHELTER HOTLINE: 1–800–535–7252

THE LAST WORD Government of the District of Columbia • Department of Human Services

A Place to Grow

By Kelsey Osterman Editorial Intern

Help

BRiNg FamilieS wHO aRe HOmeleSS iN FROm THe COld FamilY SHelTeRS Families seeking shelter must go to the Virginia Williams Family Resource Center, 920–A Rhode Island Avenue, NE, on Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. At other times, call the Shelter Hotline at 1-800-535-7252 or 311.

SHelTeR HOTliNe

1.800.535.7252

Those who are homeless may call the numbers for assistance,

OR 311

and the general public may call the numbers to seek assistance for someone who is homeless and in need of help.

April 27- May 10, 2011• Volume 8 • Issue 13

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW

Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Washington, DC

Washington, DC 20005

Permit #568

Mail To: Remember, only buy from badged vendors and do not give to those panhandling with one paper.

Interested in a subscription? Go to page 12 for more information.

“Can I get your autograph?” vendor Paul Lee Taylor asked, holding out a copy of Street Sense. The paper was open to a spread of my photographs, pictures I had snapped of spring in the District.

The first blooms had captured my attention as soon as they sprouted from the ground. The daffodils especially, with their vibrant yellow petals. They lined pathways like courageous little soldiers, ready to defy the last of winter’s chilly onslaughts. Yet long before the new growth had sprouted, flowers in the city held a deeper meaning for me.

A week or two before we began our internships at Street Sense, Gretchen Grant and I met with managing editor Lisa Gillespie to finalize internship arrangements.

We also wanted to figure out the route we would normally take to work. We took the Metrorail, since the Metro Center stop is conveniently located around the corner from our office.

The first time I stepped off the Metro escalator on the corner of 13th and G, my eyes were immediately drawn to the flower vendor with his table of blooms. The District was still thoroughly entrenched in January winter, but here were little sprouts of springtime hope. I promised myself that I would buy some of those flowers on the last day of my internship, as a farewell present to myself.

On the worst days, when my stories were frustrating and stressful, those flowers encouraged me to keep going, knowing there was an end in sight. On the best days, they were a bitter sight, reminding me of how little time I had with the wonderful people I met every day.

I met Paul on an early reporting assignment, when he took the time to introduce me to many of his friends and fellow artists at Miriam’s Kitchen.

Paul’s unsolicited hospitality to me was such a blessing, and I was pleasantly surprised when I ran into him again at a later event. When he asked me for my autograph that evening, I laughed good-naturedly. “I’m not famous!” I protested. He smiled and replied, “You are in our circles.” I pulled out a pen and signed the page, feeling utterly humbled.

When first I promised to buy myself flowers, the end of my internship was a long way off. I had no idea the compel-

KELSEY OSTERMAN I STREET SENSE

ling stories I would hear, stories I would attempt to capture through my writing.

I did not yet grasp how the plight of homelessness affected so many people here in the District. And I certainly did not realize how the combination of my experiences, especially the people, would so dramatically touch my heart.

As I walk out of the office a couple of days from now, I’ll stop at the flower vendor’s table to purchase a bouquet. If he has some, I will get daffodils. I think they serve as a good symbol of everything I learned during my time here at Street Sense.

Though I still do not fully understand homelessness, journalism, people or life in general, Street Sense gave me a place to grow in unexpected and wonderful ways. Thank you to all of you who cultivated that growth.