05 02 2018

VOL. 15 ISSUE 13

$2

MAY 2 - 15, 2018

Real Stories

Real People

Health clinic expands to keep pace with poverty STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

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Melissa Millar, director of policy and advocacy for Community of Hope, stands in front of the recently re-opened Marie Reed Health Center in the Adams Morgan neighborhood.

Photo by Ken Martin // Artist/Vendor

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The Street Sense Story, #MoreThanANewspaper Originally founded as a street newspaper in 2003, Street Sense Media has evolved into a multimedia center using a range of creative platforms to spotlight solutions to homelessness and empower people in need. The men and women who work with us do much more than sell this paper — they use film, photography, theatre, illustration and more to share their stories with our community.

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At Street Sense Media, we define ourselves through our work, talents and character, not through our housing situation.

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EVENTS

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NEWS IN BRIEF Private companies have failed to hire D.C.’s unemployed residents, according to audit The District government has failed to enforce its “First Source” program that requires private companies with city contracts to hire unemployed city residents, according to a recent report from the D.C. Auditor. The District has a registry of more than 4,000 unemployed residents, but the Department of Employment Services was unable to say exactly how many of these residents had been hired by private companies during the 30 years the “First Source” program has existed. Between 2013 and 2016, DOES issued just a single fine for noncompliance. The audit also revealed that companies often are not submitting the required paperwork to verify they are hiring local. In response to the audit, DOES said that throughout the last year it has held training sessions with contractors and private companies to inform them of the requirements of “First Source.”

Candidates forum on homelessness Time: 5:30 p.m. reception and refreshments // 6:30 p.m. forum Location: 1317 G Street, NW // The Church of the Epiphany Join Focus Attitude and Commitment to Excellence, a team of D.C. homeless and formerly homeless advocates, for their third town hall event, a forum with candidates for mayor and chairman of the council. The audience of housed and un-housed community members will pose questions to candidates about building housing that is truly affordable.

POORPEOPLESCAMPAIGN.ORG

Poor People’s Campaign meetings Campaign Town Hall Meeting/ Training May 5, 9 am // 9721 Good Luck Rd., Lanham, MD Reverand Barber: Sermon on War and Militarism May 6, 7 pm // 1313 New York Ave NW Take Action in Washington May 14, 2 pm // United States Capitol

UPDATES ONLINE AT ICH.DC.GOV

D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness meetings Housing Solutions Committee May 2, 1:30 pm // 1800 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE Executive Committee May 8, 1:30 pm // 441 4th St NW Street Outreach Work Group May 9, 2:30 pm // Join mailing list for meeting details Winter Plan Family Subsystem Debrief May 10, 10 am // 441 4th St NW Shelter Conditions Work Group May 10, 10:30 am // 441 4th St NW

SUNDAY, MAY 6

Atlas Brew Works Charity Bartender Series Featuring Street Sense Media May 6 // 1-8pm // 2052 West Virginia Ave NW On Satuday, May 6, come have a beer with our friends at Atlas Brew Works and support Street Sense Media’s mission to end homelessness.

Submit your event for publication by e-mailing editor@streetsensemedia.org

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9:46 AM - 26 APRIL 2018

Amanda Riske @AKARiske

Angie Whitehurst, a writer and vendor with @streetsensedc, shared her powerful poem with the #servicelearning group. #poetry #media #homelessness #humanizedata 12:48 PM - 20 APRIL 2018

HUD’s proposed legislation could severely hurt the nation’s poor and housing unstable Proposed legislation from the Trump administration could triple the cost of rent for tenants in federally subsidized housing, the New York Times reported. The legislation, propelled forward by Trump’s budget director Mick Mulvaney as well as Housing and Development secretary Ben Carson, would allow local governments to establish work requirements for public housing tenants if they are considered fit enough to work. It would also increase the rents of elderly and disabled people after six years, agency officials told the Times. Carson said the proposed legislation was intended to start a conversation about reducing housing assistance as a strategy to decrease the deficit. The legislation has been condemned by congressional Democrats and is not predicted to pass the Senate.

Two years after being sued for its derelict housing conditions, landlord Sanford Capital agrees to leave D.C. Embattled landlord Sanford Capital, sued two years ago by the District for the horrific living conditions at some of its properties, came to an agreement with D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine which requires the company to relinquish all ownership of its residential properties throughout the city. Under the agreement, Sanford must take “all practicable steps” to divest its properties within six months, according to a Washington City Paper report.

The Bethesda-based company will also be forced to leave the District for the next seven years. The company has financed itself primarily through housing vouchers that partially fund the rents of many of its tenants, the majority of which are are low-income people of color who have been living in disrepair, unable to move due to a lack of other housing options. Sanford has owned more than 65 buildings across D.C. and raked in millions annually by collecting rents subsidized by local and federal monies. Tenants in some of Sanford’s buildings worked with tenant advocates to raise awareness of their deplorable living conditions and persuade the District government to take legal action against Sanford Capital.

Compiled by Olivia Richter from previously published reports.

— olivia.richter@streetsensemedia.org

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NEWS

A newly renovated exam room at the Marie Reed Healtch Center in Adams Morgan, a clinic run by Community of Hope that aims to predominantly focus on people making 200 percent or less of the poverty line. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN PHOTO COURTESY OF ELVERT BARNES / FLICKR

'Right Care, Right Now' line to free up emergency rooms and improve patient outcomes

BY OLIVIA RICHTER olivia.richter@streetsensemedia.org

T

hose who call 911 in D.C. with nonemergency medical concerns may now be forwarded to the new “Right Care, Right Now” phone line. The line is managed by nurses at 23 clinics who, following telephone triage protocol, will determine the best course of action for the caller.

Mayor Muriel Bowser launched the new initiative on April 19 to preserve the resources of District hospitals for medical emergencies and connect patients in nonemergency situations with more effective care.

Redirecting non-emergency calls will reduce overcrowding in emergency departments, according to Lisa Edmondson, a nurse manager at American Medical Response, the medical transportation company used to transport non-emergency patients in D.C. The switch will also increase the capacity of the fire department to dedicate its paramedics to real emergency situations. “[The line] will actually get people the right care at the right time,” Edmondson said.

Nurses answering the phones can coordinate Lyft rides for non-emergency patients needing transport to a clinic, such as those run by Community of Hope and Bread for the City.

All Medicaid beneficiaries and D.C. Healthcare Alliance enrollees will receive free transportation to the medical clinic as well as a free return trip. Medicaid beneficiaries should have transportation within 30 minutes of their phone call with the nurse, according to a press release.

“Sometimes this may take longer than 30 minutes, but

you should have transportation to the clinic on the same Holman said a patient may call 911 because of, for day that you call the nurse,” the release states. example, a bladder or skin infection and will be treated The Right Care, Right Now line is receiving more and for those symptoms. However, both ailments could be more calls every day, Edmondson said. signs of uncontrolled diabetes. Often, the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical details of the emergency room visit will not Services plans to slowly increase the be relayed back to the patient’s primary care number of calls transferred to the Right doctor and they will get “fragmented care.”

Care, Right Now line, starting with about The underlying cause of the symptoms 65 calls per day and then doubling that that the patient called 911 about may not amount within six months. be addressed until their next primary care The District has one of the highest EMS visit, which in many cases may not happen call rates in the country, and about 25 percent for a long time. of those calls are non-emergencies, said For people experiencing homelessness, Dr. Robert Holman, the medical director emergency room visits are often frequent, at D.C. FEMS. When someone calls 911 as Street Sense reported in November. with a non-emergency health concern, an Hospital visits offer immediate care for EMS team still arrives in an ambulance to unmanaged symptoms, can be more take the patient to the emergency room. convenient than visiting a primary care “Our units will be tied up there for about physician, and may also be a place to stay if 45 minutes waiting for the patient to be symptoms are bad enough to keep the patient accepted by the emergency department,” overnight. However, in order to receive Holman said. “They don’t just drop them free transportation to and from clinics, off and say goodbye; they have to actually patients must have Medicaid insurance or Dr. Robert Holman wait for a nurse team to take them over. So be a member of D.C. Healthcare Alliance. our units are out of service for a good hour.”

Holman said that FEMS is “relying on them The goal of the Right Care, Right Now line is not getting Medicaid so they can realize those benefits.” only to free up EMS and hospital resources for true “One of the things that’s really important for lowemergencies, but also to improve outcomes for nonincome and homeless individuals is to really try and emergency patients. At a clinic, a nurse will evaluate develop that good, effective doctor-patient relationship their presenting symptoms and attempt to determine with a team at one of the comprehensive care clinics whether it is a sign of a greater health problem, something in the city,” Holman said. “I think this effort really emergency departments may not have the time to do. enforces that.”

The District has one of the highest EMS call rates in the country, and about 25 percent of those calls are nonemergencies.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

Jesse Rabinowitz, Sheila White, Waldon Adams, Keri Thomas and Reginald Black spoke to the councilmembers in attendance as part of the April 25 Way Home Campaign budget briefing in advance of the April 27 Committee of the Whole budget oversight hearing. Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White records a portion of the statements. sPHOTO BY OLIVIA RICHTER

Advocates to D.C. Council: Bowser's budget is a step in the right direction but does not meet 75% of the need for homeless services

BY OLIVIA RICHTER olivia.richter@streetsensemedia.org

M

ayor Muriel Bowser ’s budget proposal for homeless services only meets one-fourth of the overall need, advocates told D.C. councilmembers during an April 25 briefing at the Wilson Building. Representatives from Wards 1, 6 and 8 were present, along with three of four at-large councilmembers.

Jesse Rabinowitz, an advocacy specialist at Miriam’s Kitchen, began the meeting by stating that the District has the available resources to end chronic homelessness — defined as when an individual is continuously homeless for one year or more or has experienced multiple episodes of homelessness — but that more funding is necessary than what has been allotted in the FY2019 budget.

Rabinowitz explained that the Way Home Campaign had recommended the mayor allocate less than one half of 1 percent of the total $14 billion budget “to put D.C. back on track towards ending chronic homelessness.”

The Way Home Campaign’s proposed budget investments garnered support from organizations such as the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development, the Fair Budget Coalition, the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute and So Others Might Eat. “D.C. can and must do more to house our most vulnerable neighbors,” Rabinowitz said, “and the mayor’s budget only got us 25 percent of the way there.

We’re here today to call on the D.C. Council to invest an additional $32.8 million to end chronic homelessness for

1,400 individuals and 259 families who are in need.”

The campaign recommended an investment of $7.1 million for 400 units in the Target Affordable Housing program. The mayor’s budget proposal provided for $1.3 million, or 70 units, for the program, which supplies long-term affordable housing for individuals who no longer need the supportive services that permanent supportive housing provides, or for whom rapid re-housing isn’t a good fit. According to the Way Home Campaign, that investment would only meet 18 percent of the total need for targeted affordable housing.

The campaign also recommended that the District government allocate $19.6 million for 820 units of permanent supportive housing, which involves subsidizing rent and providing supportive services such as mental health care for those who need it. Bowser’s budget proposal allocates $13.6 million for PSH, or 570 units, which is an increase from previous years but, according to the campaign, meets just 30 percent of total housing needed in that area.

Adding more PSH would be cost effective, Friendship Place Program Director Keri Thomas said, because putting people into permanent housing will decrease reliance on hospital visits, crisis intervention services, and shelters.

“We know permanent supportive housing works,” Thomas told the assembled councilmembers.

Rabinowitz said during a meeting of the Committee of the Whole on April 27 that the market has proved it has the

capacity now to take in residents with housing vouchers. “I think it’s not an issue of capacity,” he said. “It’s an issue of political will.”

Waldon Adams, a formerly homeless District resident and member of the Way Home Campaign steering committee, was one of the first individuals to be housed under PSH through Friendship Place 10 years ago. During Waldon’s first year in permanent housing, he not only got sober after an almost lifelong battle with drug addiction, but also ran a marathon.

“I cost you all a lot of money,” Waldon said of his life before being housed, when he spent “a majority of [his] life” in hospitals.

Being placed in permanent supportive housing “saved my life,” he said.

Reginald Black, a “consumer representative” nominated to be an official voice for the homeless community on the D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness, called on councilmembers to prioritize investing in supportive services for homeless individuals along with improving shelters. Black, who is also a Street Sense Media vendor, said shelters are built to save lives but do not provide avenues for shelter stayers to get back on their feet through employment, housing or medical services.

At-Large Councilmember Robert White said he has seen almost the entirety of his family priced out of the District as the cost of living continues to increase.

“One of my frustrations in this city is I don’t think we put enough of an emphasis or priority on affordable housing,” White said. He called on the council to challenge developers building in D.C. to increase

the amount of affordable housing they include as well as to put an emphasis on building family-sized housing.

As Street Sense Media reported in the previous edition, the Mayor’s budget proposal has also received criticism from the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute and the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless. Both organizations knocked the budget’s lack of assistance for D.C.’s lowest income residents as well as its $6.6 million allocation to rapid rehousing—the largest housing enhancement included in the budget. Rapid rehousing has been widely criticized for placing families in leases they cannot afford, resulting in their eviction once government subsidies end.

At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman closed out the meeting by saying that the allocation of District resources is flawed. “We put a lot of resources into things that don’t work,” she said. Silverman argued that more resources need to be put into the programs that are known to work, such as Housing First, permanent supportive housing, and targeted affordable housing.

“Every single person we’re advocating for is a person who has been denied the dignity of a home for years, for some folks often decades,” Rabinowitz said, met by several nods throughout the room. “In a city as rich, powerful and prosperous as ours, that’s unacceptable. The thing we are missing is bold investments from our elected officials.”

The council will hold its first vote on the fiscal year 2019 budget on May 15.

Jake Maher contributed reporting.

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NEWS predominantly white audience that evening.

“An ally says, ‘I love you’ from a distance,” he told them. “An accomplice says, ‘I’m implicated in this too, and I have to use my awareness to do something different.’”

Since April 2017, McKesson has hosted “Pod Save the People,” a weekly podcast focused on social justice issues, and he recently co-founded OurStates.org, a platform for resisting the Republican agenda through state policy advocacy.

Before Portlanders greeted McKesson with a standing ovation, he sat down with Street Roots and one of its vendors, “Netty” Johnson, to take questions about the Black Lives Matter movement.

DeRay McKesson.

PHOTO BY CELESTE NOCHE

DeRay McKesson: ‘It doesn’t have to be this way’

BY EMILY GREEN Street Roots — Portland, Oregon

F

ou r y e a r s a g o , D e R a y McKesson was virtually unknown.

When he watched the protests that followed the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown on television, he was working as the human resources director at Minneapolis Public Schools.

He thought that the least he could do was drive down to Ferguson, Mo., for the weekend. Soon after, he decided to take a leave of absence from work to organize with protesters full time.

McKesson tweeted videos of police clashing with protesters and distributed a newsletter describing on-the-ground events. He quickly rose to prominence on social media, becoming one of the most recognized voices among activists decrying police brutality.

One year after he arrived in Ferguson, McKesson co-founded “Campaign Zero”, which advocates for policy changes aimed at lowering the number of fatal police shootings in the U.S. to zero.

It may seem like a lofty goal, but as McKesson told his audience during a recent

visit to Portland, “it doesn’t have to be this way.”

U.S. police kill more people in a matter of days than many countries kill over the course of many years, according to “The Counted,” a project run by The Guardian that compiles data on police shootings.

For example, in England and Wales, there were 55 fatal police shootings between 1990 and 2014, while in the U.S., there were 59 fatal police shootings during the first 24 days of 2015. Iceland has had only one fatal police shooting since the country was established as independent in 1944.

“For so many of us, we’ve forgotten how to imagine and how to dream of a better world,” McKesson said.

He was in town March 15 to raise funds for Oregon Justice Resource Center, a nonprofit that promotes justice system reform and provides legal assistance to immigrants, incarcerated women and those who are wrongfully convicted.

The lower level of a large auditorium at First Congregational United Church of Christ was packed with several hundred people who had purchased tickets to hear McKesson speak.

McKesson sought to mobilize the

Netty Johnson: I’m honored to get the opportunity to meet you. Street Roots asked me, would I like to interview you regarding the Black Lives Matter movement? I wasn’t really familiar with the whole movement, so I asked quite a few questions and talked to a few people because when I first saw the Black Lives Matter sign – it started coming up in the neighborhood I live in, which is predominantly white – I was offended, because I know that every human matters.

When young children see the sign that says, “Black Lives Matter” and hear that police are coming for them, they need to be ready because violence might happen and they may be misjudged by any movement. Do you believe that’s sending the right message to our kids? When I tell my nephew, “Hey, if the police pull you over, don’t move, follow the rules.” Do you believe that “Black Lives Matter”, the statement only, is confusing to a young child?

I am mindful that we are saying out loud and in public what was already true. The police have been killing people in neighborhoods way longer than we’ve been saying it in this moment. We’re not the first people to say it, and hopefully we will be some of the last people to say it. When I think about the message, the message is not bringing the trauma into people’s neighborhoods; the trauma was already in the neighborhood.

We’re just saying that this is happening. When I think about the power of the statement for young people, and I think about the power of the statement for adults, it is about saying that black lives have value, even when the system doesn’t treat them as such. It’s about creating a common language and a shared understanding of that.

You wouldn’t go to a breast cancer rally and say, “colon cancer matters.” We can focus on one thing and be proud of focusing on that one thing, and we are. When I think about myself as one of the people in Ferguson and the initial wave of the protest – the police killed Mike Brown; they killed him – there might have been a space for a consequence for whatever law he seemingly broke, but it wasn’t death.

And the police have killed so many people all across the country since. And we have just been saying that out loud.

NJ: I have been in and out of prison for over 22 years. I have 14 years now in recovery, and a lot of that, when we look back at it 14 years later, a lot of it was related to mental health issues that I’m still working on. Out of 11 of my family members, six were incarcerated. What events in your own life influenced your decision to drive to Ferguson, Mo., and join the movement?

Three big things. One is that both of my parents were addicted to drugs. My mother left when I was 3; my father raised us. I’m 32 now; she came back when I was 30. And I think about what it meant as a young person to grow up in a community of recovery and to see people, adults, all around me, every single day, putting their lives back together in ways that they had been told were impossible.

So, when I thought about me taking risks, it was like when I grew up seeing people taking risks in their own personal life every day and making communities again when they said it was impossible.

Second, I used to teach middle school. I used to teach sixth-grade math to 11-year olds, which was great, and it wasn’t their fault that the world wasn’t fair. It wasn’t their fault that they grew up in poverty. It wasn’t their fault that they grew up in the projects. They didn’t do anything wrong. It was a system that failed them. And when I think about my role as an adult, I always think about those kids. It’s one of my responsibilities as an adult to make sure that they grow up in a world with different choices. They didn’t do anything wrong, and they shouldn’t be penalized for it.

And the third is that they killed a kid. Mike was 18, about to go to school. At that point in my life, I was having this moment of questioning what it means to live the things that we say we’re committed to, and that if I truly believed, then the least I could do was go down for two days. I went down on Saturday morning, and I was just going to go for two days and help out where I could and see what happened, and I got there, and I was like, this is crazy! I stayed much longer, and now I do a lot more. But at the beginning, it was like the least I could do was just see what was going on.

Emily Green: You grew up, went to college and worked on the East Coast, but since becoming deeply involved in the civil rights movement, you’ve traveled to places like South Carolina, Missouri. What has being involved in the movement in those parts of the country taught you about today’s civil rights struggles in America?

People will ask me, why am I making it about race? And it’s like, race is making it about me. I didn’t do that. And that is all across the country, everywhere I go, I’m reminded – you think about places like this where you can’t see the disparities – there are some cities you walk in and you see the disparities. I’m from Baltimore. You just drive down the street and you see them: the disparities are stark.

There are places like Minneapolis, places like Portland, where you don’t see the disparities in the same way, even though the disparities

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

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AT A GLANCE are present. And I’m even more mindful of how it’s easy to give lip service to the idea of equity; it’s easy to do the performance and da da da, but the issues are actually everywhere. The disparities, the outcomes are still bad all across the country in communities of color.

So that’s one, the second is that there are people who are committed and ready everywhere. They might not always believe they have the power or the influence; they may not understand that there are people who will stand with them when it gets hard, but the people are there.

EG: Was there anything that was surprising to you when you visited those parts of the country?

Not the places; more so the time. You think about the beginning of the protests.

People thought there was a problem in Ferguson; they didn’t think that there was a problem in America, so it didn’t matter where we went in the beginning.

Everywhere we went, people were like, “Oh Ferguson has a problem.” They were like, “My town’s fine,” or “My city’s OK.” It’s like, no. The police are killing people here, too. Everywhere sort of had that problem in the beginning.

NJ: When a person has a criminal record and they’re trying to make it in life, it haunts them. You try to apply for a job, get an apartment, or get pulled over by the police, and they run your name. Is there anything that Black Lives Matter is aiming to do to help individuals who have a past that’s not pleasant but who have made a complete change and who want to participate? People, for example, who want to get a job that is not going to involve a lot of dealing with people’s other assets and who just want to make a difference but who are being held back by their past?

The movement is a big space with a lot of incredible people all across the country. One area of acknowledgement is that we know prison is not constructed to be a place of rehabilitation and that people continue to need resources and support, and that it is actually a choice that society has made, to not support them. That is not how it has to be, it’s not like the system is just set up and there is only one way it could be. That’s a choice. So, we’re always reminding people that it’s a choice to not employ people and it’s a choice not to give people health care. That is a choice that we have made as a society, and we can make a different choice. When people say that the system is working exactly the way it was designed, what I’m always mindful of is that people designed it, and people can choose something different. From a program perspective, I think, yeah, there are a lot of really interesting programs

that we could do, but from a structural perspective, it’s like we could actually just make a different commitment and we could invest different money. It’s never a money issue; it’s never a resource issue; it’s always a will issue. It’s a matter of do we think that people are worth this?

And do we think that people will make good choices with the resources we give them? So that’s what I think about when I think about that.

EG: Do you think the Black Lives Matter movement has influenced the way media covers issues around police, poverty and mass incarceration?

If anything, I think the movement has definitely changed both the content and the tone in which the conversation happens in public. I think about in the early days of the protest, how we all worked so hard to challenge the news calling us a “mob,” and those sorts of things. It was also incredibly important in St. Louis because the police were as violent with the reporters as they were with us, so we didn’t actually have to convince them; it was like, they got tear-gassed and they made Chris Hayes (of MSNBC) march down the street like they made all of us, right? So that actually helped because no longer did we have to lobby the media. It was like, you know that just happened, so you should report it because it happened to you. And it was people with huge platforms that it happened to, so that was a lot of our work. And now you see reporters across the country being much more skeptical. They push; they ask questions; they see the holes in the police story – things that we’ve been saying were happening for a long time.

I’ll say though, changing the conversation is not the same thing as changing the systems and structures.

While it’s incredible that we’ve shifted the conversation – we now share language and we talk about police violence, those things are wins – the outcomes are still bad. More people got killed in ’17 than in ’14, ’15 and ’16.

EG: “Campaign Zero” has outlined 10 policy solutions, including ending broken-windows policing and making union contracts for police fairer. Of all those goals, what do you think is most attainable? Do you see us moving toward really embracing any of those solutions?

We thought they all were attainable, which is why we put them together and why we named it Campaign Zero. We didn’t name it “Campaign Almost Zero,” or “Campaign Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda Zero” or “Campaign I Hope We Can Do It.” We named it “Campaign Zero” because we felt confident that we could live in a world where the police don’t kill people. Where we just have a different conception of what safety looks like.

We created the first public database of

use-of-force policies and the first public database of police shooting contracts and have been working with communities across the country to change those things. We do a lot of work around body cameras, which are positive and negative depending on where they’re used. We believe in the 10 pieces – and the reason why we put them all together and didn’t really prioritize them is that it will take all of them working in concert for things to happen. We can fix the police shooting contract, but if there’s not community oversight, it doesn’t matter, and vice versa – so we think about them all as being necessary components of what change will look like.

EG: Is there anywhere in the country that you think really stands out as being especially progressive in moving toward these goals?

I think places have done pieces – we were just in Austin, and Austin City Council unanimously voted against a police shooting contract, which we hadn’t seen happen before. So that was powerful; that just happened. A lot of places have rewritten their use-of-force policies so that they make more sense.

There are places that have done pieces of it really well. I don’t think there is a place that has done a range of them well.

NJ: Do you follow most of the police shootings that happen in the United States?

Yes. NJ: Are you familiar with Che Taylor, who got killed (in February 2016 by police) in Seattle, and Andre Taylor, his brother, who is trying to bring justice for him?

I don’t know that case.

NJ: He’s from my hometown. When I found out that happened, it became personal. It actually was when I started realizing about the Black Lives Matter sign because I saw that this shooting in Seattle, where I’m from, and I felt afraid for my nephew. I want to thank you for bringing Black Lives Matter out into the public eye. I had to do a lot of homework before we met today, and I’m kind of embarrassed to say, like I said earlier, that when I first saw the sign, I was ashamed that the Black Lives Matter issue still has to be fought for in 2018. We know we matter! And so I really want to thank you for everything that you’ve done.

I’m just one of many people. There are so many people. When I think about the movement in the streets in the beginning, before protest was cool, about the many people who put so much on the line to make this happen.

Courtesy of Street Roots / INSP.ngo

Artist and Vendor Angie Whitehurst talks to a class of seventh graders at Georgetown Day School about homelessness, media and untold stories. PHOTO COURTESY OF AMANDA RISKE

BIRTHDAYS Jeffery McNeil May 7 ARTIST/VENDOR

Conrad Cheek Jr. May 15 ARTIST/VENDOR

ACCOMPLISHMENTS James Davis

Elected to the board of directors for East of the River Family Collaborative.

ARTIST/VENDOR

Jeffery McNeil

Recognized as a top salesman at the gym where he works, both in the regional district and the country.

ARTIST/VENDOR

Our stories, straight to your inbox Street Sense Media provides a vehicle through which all of us can learn about homelessness from those who have experienced it. Sign up for our newsletter to get our vendors' stories in your inbox.

www.StreetSenseMedia.org/subscribe

8 // ST REET SENSE ME DI A / / MAY 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 1 8

ART Our tour of the WAMU studios!

BY VINCENT WATTS Artist/Vendor

Visiting American University Radio was like visiting a compact CNN newsroom with the appeal only NPR could bring. Last month, vendors from our media center got to meet with some of the station’s own media team.

I used to sling newspapers for Detroit Free Press and appreciated the high-end production. The technology, media booths, modern furniture, huge soundstage, and the smell of Starbucks and crescent rolls goes into every piece this team puts out.

Tyrone Turner, a visual editor and photojournalist for WAMU, led our tour and talked through some of their production processes. He is brilliant. Turner’s day-to-day routine varies, and it sounded awesome as he described the photo shoots he sets up for portraits, agricultural, cityscapes, and just about whatever he wants to focus on.

He led our group through a series of stories with the staff, and the corridors that hold them. I left with a great impression and can't wait to visit again. It makes me wonder what might be achieved if even larger news conglomerates could change the tone of the office: Heavenly people covering heavenly events. Just a thought.

Street Sense Media Photography Workshop members Vincent Watts, Chon Gotti, Henrieese Roberts and Ken Martin stand with WAMU Visuals Editor Tyrone Turner (center). Turner led a tour of the studio and discussed his photography work and how he collaborates with other staff members at the station. PHOTO COURTESY OF KEN MARTIN

Ken Martin, Leila Drici, Sue Dorfman, Vincent Watts and Chon Gotti of Street Sense Media follow WAMU Visuals Editor Tyrone Turner on a newsroom tour. PHOTO BY HENRIEESE ROBERTS

Leila Drici, Street Sense Media workshop manager; Michelle Fleitz, American University analyst, Tyrone Turner, WAMU visuals editor and Sue Dorfman, Street Sense Media photography artist-in-residence. PHOTO BY CHON GOTTI

After our visit to WAMU with Tyrone Turner, a visual editor and photojournalist, l visited the opioid memorial in President's Park. Tyrone's story on glue addiction among young Brazilian children (tyronefoto.com/ glue-kids-of-brazil/) and his story about the death of an opioid-addicted child (tinyurl.com/WAMUdaughter) make one realize how easily we are all susceptible to opioid addiction.

PHOTOS BY HENRIEESE ROBERTS

Kojo Nnamdi (left) hosts his daily broadcast while two producers collaborate on the show in an adjacent booth. PHOTOS BY KEN MARTIN

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 9

NEWS

ABOVE: The enlarged dental facility has grown from two to five patient chairs.

Medical receptionists Sandra Huerta (left) and Alemtsehay Abegaz (right) and dental receptionist Diana Encarnacion at the front desk of the Marie Reed Medical Center. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN

LEFT: A painting that has been around since before the renovations awaits in new home at Marie Reed. It sits in a portion of the Marie Reed Learning Center that is being reallocated to the Health Center.

PHOTOS BY KEN MARTIN

Adams Morgan health clinic gets overhaul to serve more patients

Ward 1 Councilmember Nadeau (left) walks through the Marie Reed Health Center guided by Community of Hope President and CEO Kelly Sweeney McShane. COURTESY OF KEN MARTIN

BY JAKE MAHER jake.maher@streetsensemedia.org

C

ommunity of Hope, a D.C. nonprofit devoted to serving the homeless, has reopened the Marie Reed Health Center in Adams Morgan after almost two years of interior and exterior renovations. Fifty patients visited the clinic April 9, its first day open to the public.

The redesign will give the center the capacity to serve 1,400 patients per month, up from the 1,000 it was previously able to see. Marie Reed Health Center has also switched to an “open access” approach, meaning that it tries to schedule appointments within five days of being requested.

The Marie Reed Health Center is one of several clinics to respond to the urgent need for health care among immigrant and other communities in and around Adams Morgan. “Even with gentrification going on, we focus on people making 200 percent or less of the poverty line—a lot of people on Medicaid or uninsured,” said Kelly Sweeney McShane, the Community of Hope president and CEO. She added that the clinic now accepts private health insurance to offset these costs. The clinic also receives a grant from the D.C. Department of Human Services to be the designated agent for providing health screenings for refugees and asylum seekers.

According to McShane, the new medical technology, natural lighting and cheerful paint job are a major improvement over the cramped and dim clinic where malfunctioning heating and airconditioning often caused the clinic to close during the summer.

The clinic is in a building of the Marie Reed Learning Center, which was scheduled for renovation in 2016. At that time, no funding was allocated to renovate the clinic. McShane said that without the funding the clinic received since, it would have been forced to close.

Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau’s support on the D.C. Council was important for finding money to keep the clinic open.

She said that the clinic’s renovation needed much less funding than the school’s, but seemingly no one had thought to provide for that funding. Nadeau added that as a result of her office’s “deep involvement” in every step of the process, she was able to guarantee that the clinic would receive funding.

Nadeau and McShane shared a moment of gratitude during a tour of the new facility April 13. “For me it was really

Dr. Tessa Thompson has been treating Street Sense Media artist and vendor Ken Martin for approximately five years. COURTESY OF KEN MARTIN

special that you came to me and said, ‘We have this need in the community, we see the moving vehicle, can you help?’” Nadeau told McShane. “The fact that you raised the alarm allowed us to start those conversations … and then were able to secure the funding for you, which I was so excited about.”

“I’ve seen many a doctor over the years,” said Ken Martin, a patient of the health center and a Street Sense Media vendor.

“The doctors here are first-class.”

The clinic, which raised $500,000 for new equipment, now has a new exam room, two new dental chairs and two rooms for behavioral health, according to McShane. She said dental work is one of the most sought-after services the clinic provides.

Nadeau and McShane also said that the clinic offers specialized resources to serve the immigrant and asylee communities in Ward 1. Community of Hope employs a full-time coordinator who speaks Amharic to educate asylees on the American health-care system, McShane said, and the clinic has expanded its behavioral health services to respond to psychological trauma that many refugees and immigrants have suffered.

“Many patients have been chomping at the bit for [Community of Hope] to get back over here, because we really do not like going all the way over to Conway,” said Martin, who found housing in Ward 1 during its absence. The Conway Health and Resource Center, a clinic run by Community of Hope, remained open in Ward 8 while the Marie Reed center was closed for renovations.

The funding for the renovations came at an ideal time for Community of Hope, which is seeing an increase in demand for its services. McShane said that it had a 22 percent increase in patients in 2017, even with the Marie Reed Health Center closed during that time period.

1 0 // S T REET SENSE ME DI A / / MAY 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 18

OPINION D.C. adult literacy programs are under threat

BY STEPHEN LILIENTHAL

A woman whom I tutored in reading stunned me years ago when I mentioned the Vietnam War. Even though we both grew up in the 1960s and 70s, she never knew it happened. She didn’t know about World War II or many other events of which most American school children would have a foggy grasp.

This was not because she lacked intelligence, but because the schools she attended in Georgia and our city ignored her learning problems and kept passing her.

Such an experience may strike Street Sense readers as difficult to understand. But it is all too common for volunteers who tutor with adult basic literacy programs in D.C. But this experience is not the only one that underscores the importance of basic adult literacy programs.

Graduation problems at Ballou High School and ongoing problems at the so-called new D.C. Public Schools also ring alarm bells.

The Washington Post reported that Ballou test scores were in the single digits for 2016. "Mired" may be too strong a word, since they improved the next year, but not enough to indicate that most students at Ballou were proficient in either English or math.

So you might say standardized testing showed Ballou students in 2017 improving their performance in English (22 percent meeting or near proficient) and math (10 percent meeting or near proficient) over the previous year (9 percent English and 8 percent math). Nonetheless, either set of statistics is damning.

These statistics demonstrate that the need for adult basic literacy programs will not disappear anytime soon.

But funding for three key adult basic literacy nonprofits—Literacy Volunteers & Advocates, Washington Literacy Center, and Southeast Ministry— is threatened by cuts in Mayor Muriel Bowser’s budget proposal to the Career Innovation Pathways Fund, on which all three programs relied. Instead, the mayor is emphasizing funding for workplace training programs.

The three nonprofits, which constitute the newly formed Alliance for Beginning Adult Learners, are calling on the D.C. City Council to restore a minimum of $500,000 for basic adult-level literacy instruction, and to restore the Career Innovation Pathways Fund, allowing the literacy nonprofits to not only continue serving their learners but to continue improving their educational and support services.

Kenneth Parker, the executive director of Literacy Volunteers & Advocates, stressed the need for adult basic literacy when he testified before the D.C. City Council last month: “Weekly, we receive referrals from … organizations like the D.C. Public Library. Additionally, we have experienced an increase in the number of referrals from family members, friends, and case managers of returning citizens with inadequate resources to serve all those individuals.”

In an interview, Parker noted that his organization

Republican 'work requirements' won't work

received approximately $125,000 yearly from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education to serve their

BY ANGIE WHITEHURST learners—80 percent of whom are adults who start out reading at the second-grade level when they enter Literacy Volunteers and Advocates’ program. Without that funding, New food stamp work requirements under all three nonprofits will face cuts to needed instruction consideration on Capitol Hill would put harsh, and services for their learners. punitive red tape and time-consuming new Adult basic literacy is an essential first step to prepare restraints on program participants. adults who lack the basic skills needed to enter jobs in today’s If you are a childless adult between the ages of workplaces. But it is more than that.

18 to 59 and not classified as disabled, you would Take the woman I tutor. She was fortunate enough have to work at least 20 hours per week to keep to obtain a mailroom job at a federal agency and still your benefits. holds it over 40 years later. She survived by knowing We know this won't work from the days when the names of the individuals and buildings and the room you had to stand in line for hours every two weeks numbers she served. to submit forms and then wait to be approved by But her lack of strong literacy skills clerks to get a check. If not in compliance, under prevented her from obtaining higherthe new proposal you could lose food assistance paying opportunities where she works. for up to three years.

Originally, her reason for enrolling at And if your family has a small increase in the Washington Literacy Center was to income, you lose! Choose between food, utilities, “stop being taken advantage of” when rent or medical needs. Are we trying to really making purchases and filling out forms. make America -- as in "the people" -- better? This After Washington Literacy Center, political ploy does not help people get or keep jobs she entered the Academy of Hope, to and it definitely is not going to keep them healthy further those skills and obtain a GED enough to be stable and productive. or National External Diploma.

The Center for Community Change is organizing Now, with retirement approaching, against the Republican food stamps proposal, which she holds a license in food preparation was written by House Agriculture Committee and serving. She wants to obtain a chairman Mike Conaway (R-Texas.). A coalition certificate in home care for elders. of grassroots organizations from across the country But before the latter occurs, she gathered and peacefully visited Conaway's office must obtain her National External in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Diploma. It took her years just to Hill last week as part of an "Empty Plates, Empty demonstrate the requisite proficiency Promises" campaign against Conaway's bill. Each in reading and math required to gain empty plate was inscripted with a message to vote entrance into the NED program. But no to food stamp cuts and changes. she perseveres in her studies.

The CCC encourages everyone to stand up Simultaneously, she always emphasized the importance of and tell their elected representatives to vote no. education to her grandchildren, both of whom are enrolled at We are talking about food for an estimated 40 one of the city’s more academically demanding charter schools. million people in America. You must have a That is what makes adult basic literacy so important. healthy nation in order to have a secure nation.

It’s about helping people to be better parents, Congress should recognize it is cheaper to keep grandparents, consumers, citizens and workers in America fed than not.\ today’s America. It’s about ensuring people who’ve been shortchanged by life, and often the educational Angie Whitehurst is a Street Sense Media vendor. system, receive a needed second chance.

D.C. Councilmembers and policymakers at the Office of the State Superintendent of Education and the Workforce Investment Council should not only reinstate the grants to these three adult basic literacy organizations, they should enhance their support and invest in our city’s - Have an opinion about how homelessness is being addressed in our community? future.

- Want to share firsthand experience?

Funding for three key adult basic literacy nonprofits is threatened by cuts in Mayor Muriel Bowser’s budget proposal. Instead, the mayor is emphasizing funding for workplace training programs.

Join the conversation, share your views

- Interested in responding to what someone else has written?

Stephen Lilienthal volunteers as a tutor with the Academy of Hope and served as a tutor with Literacy Volunteers & Advocates.

Street Sense Media has maintained an open submission policy since our founding. We aim to elevate voices from across the housing spectrum and foster healthy debate.

Please send submissions to opinion@streetsensemedia.org.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

/ / 11

ART Perception or Reality:

I see what I see

BY ROBERT WILLIAMS, USMC

I am a Marine Corps veteran. Though housed, I am unemployed with zero income and in need of quality health and dental care.

As an advocate, I try to convey how imperative it is to house people experiencing homelessness and to build much more affordable housing.

As I continue this work, I become more cognizant of the extent of mental instability that exists in the homeless community.

Actually, there’s quite a bit in the so-called “normal” community of housed individuals, too. But since they don’t have housing instability and are employed or otherwise at a certain economic level, different labels are utilized.

Some people’s issues develop after becoming homeless. Some probably grow weary and find themselves unable to deal with life in these extreme conditions. Having walked in those shoes, I understand.

Most of what you see in the actions and behaviors of homeless people is trained and conditioned behavior.

Those responsible manipulate most of us and protect themselves, their power.

Lots of what transpires in this world is not by happenstance. While everyday events seem spontaneous or isolated, unraveling before your eyes, the system in which they occur is by design. Like laboratory rats, monkeys and guinea pigs in a grand experiment, some of us

are rationed just enough, some of us are forced to endure scarcity and some of us are privileged with excess.

Perception, or reality?

Naturally, the test subjects with excess learn to expect it and to seek more of it. I’ve seen a number of people parks converted to dog parks, fenced and unwelcoming to a homeless person. I now see dogs playing with their masters in small quiet areas where I used to see homeless people sleep and obtain precious rest. For people that refuse to endure the horrific conditions of the decaying shelters — theft, drugs and bed bugs, to name a few — there is nowhere left to go.

I am an avid animal lover. This isn’t about the dogs. It’s about their oblivious masters.

One such park, Franklin Park, has grown inhospitable and will soon be closed for renovation. It sits across from an old school building that served as a shelter at one time — one of the last downtown. It has sat vacant since 2008.

These areas, a shelter convenient to walking and transit, and a park welcoming to all, used to protect the homeless.

But things are changing. Space is shrinking. Tension is growing — at least it is for those concerned only with themselves.

Perception, or reality?

I’ve experienced this on a personal level. I was recently discriminated against. I’m not sure if it was income,

race, personal appearance, perceived homeless status, or all of the above.

Two individuals, part of new ownership at the Foggy Bottom Johnny Rockets, refused a woman that was trying to buy food for me.

Now, I know this location. I’ve been going there since 2012. Before I worked with Street Sense Media, I would panhandle there from time to time. The long-term staff is excellent and they have always treated me with respect.

And when I questioned their denial of this paying customer, they called the police. A white lady who had been inside approached me after the incident. “Excuse me sir, I saw what happened, that’s a shame,” she said, handing me a donation.

“I hope this helps.”

Her kindness was everything in that moment: there is still some good in the world. But it also underlined just how fouly the new leadership had treated me, backed up by law enforcement.

I’m a Street Sense Media vendor and artist.

If you want to prevent situations like what I described in this article, please join me on the evening of Friday, May 4 to ask the candidates for mayor and council chairman how they plan to serve the homeless. 1317 G Street NW, Church of the Epiphany. Refreshments will be served at 5:30 p.m. and the candidate forum will be begin at 6:30 p.m. More details in the events calendar. on page 3 of this newspaper.

Who will end youth homelessness?

BY ILYAS MUHAMMAD

Is life tough? Ask young people who are experiencing homelessness. On the first day of spring, despite heavy snow, I left for work at 5 a.m. to supervise our delivery crew unloading the latest edition of Street Sense. A few blocks away from the office, I saw a young man on the street, probably 14 years old, asking for money for breakfast.

He is not alone in his circumstances. A 2017 study shows that there are 4.2 million adolescents and young adults in the U.S who are experiencing homelessness. Why are these young souls experiencing homelessness and on the streets? There are countless reasons.

Let’s start with the commercialization of real estate, which happened decades ago. Rent is so high today that the majority of Americans, 78 percent as of 2017, live paycheck-to-paycheck and cannot handle small emergencies. Speaking for myself, more than 50 percent of my income directly goes to my landlord, which is ridiculous.

These high rents have made many parents incapable of taking care of their children because they themselves are experiencing homelessness. Domestic violence, lack of parents’ economic stability, single parenthood, individualistic culture, sexual harassment and abuse, lack of proper care in foster homes and aging out of foster homes have all also contributed to youth homelessness.

Homeless youth often face mental trauma, sexual abuse and sex trafficking, lack of mental health care, difficulty completing their education, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, untreated physical health issues and lack of safety. They are more vulnerable to a vast majority of problems that can ruin their lives. Approximately 5,000 youth die every year while experiencing homeless, according to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.

In a society where everyone is so worried about their education, health, lifestyle, professional grooming and career, 4.2 million members of the next generation are totally deprived of education, health, professional grooming and careers. This is a foundation that perpetuates inequality.

If these 4.2 million youth are provided with reasonable housing and opportunities for educational and professional development, they will contribute a lot to the betterment of the country. This is the time for government, nonprofits and civil society to further their efforts to minimize youth homelessness. The question is, who is going to start this serious effort?

This piece was first published with Atlas Corps and reprinted with their permission. Ilyas Muhammad is Street Sense Media’s vendor manager.

The eye in war

BY ROBERT WARREN // Artist/Vendor

Maybe war is a good thing.

Like they say, no guts no glory Standing up for justice to see A woman with child smiling She knows her husband didn’t Die in vain.

Someone’s always trying to make Man fearful, beating the drums Of war.

Like the right ones we left Behind. Like death won’t reach you When it’s your time to die.

Going back to being fearful, They, you know, those people on the Right, they always got some baby You need to fear.

Did you say they created ISIS? I wonder why no one talks about fearing Christ?

I heard He was coming back With a sword in the one hand, The right, and a scale in the left.

All of the disciples went to war And died.

Does our Lord command that we stand up For what is just?

To fight the Devil All one has to do Is look in the mirror, And go to war.

Hurry, hurry they say. When Christ Comes back, for he will eat heads Off of every warring devil.

And the woman and children will Smile and righteousness will praise God.

Gun control

ANTHONY CARNEY Artist/Vendor

Guns are for hunting food, not for killing. They are also part of the solution for war: bring your rifle and do not shoot until you see the whites of their eyes. But let's forget about that. Let's sit at the bargaining table and talk and think this issue through without guns. Let's share food, not the death of another human being.

1 2 // S T REET SENSE ME DI A / / MAY 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 18

ART We’re all in the working class

BY REGINALD BLACK Artist/Vendor

May 1 was International Workers’ Day

A smile

People often question what specific types of work homeless people engage in. Whether it is a person holding down multiple jobs who does not earn enough for rent, or a person who tries and tries to find work — impoverished people are the hardest workers.

It takes immense work just to survive. Impoverished people do produce, they do achieve.

So, why do people constantly say “get a job” to those experiencing homelessness?

“Work” can't be defined in a paycheck. When survival is at stake, we are all in the working class.

ILLUSTRATION BY VINCENT WATTS

BY LEONARD HYATER Artist/Vendor

To everyone at Street Sense Media,

When someone smiles at me it motivates me to do what I do best, that is to give good customer service when selling my papers. It also makes my day when a individual walks by me and smiles.

Smiling is good medicine for the soul and a healing. It shows a positive side of you.

It doesn’t cost anything to smile at someone when they’re having a bad day.

The reason I said this is because you never know what that individual is going through, so when you see someone who is feeling down and out, give them a smile that would make someone’s day. A smile can go a long way.

Thank you for the opportunity to learn and grow with you. Your dedication and the work you do here means a lot to me and others like me. As we embark on new ventures and avenues together, I just want you to know you are greatly appreciated. May we continue to make homelessness known to the public and continue to teach new skills to vendors like me and my colleagues.

Thank you family,

SHEILA WHITE // Artist/Vendor

Wage theft

BY LEVESTER GREEN // Artist/Vendor ILLUSTRATION BY JENNIFER MCLAUGHLIN

“Wage theft” — how is that possible? Well, it happened to me when I went to work for a day with my cousin.

(Some of the family has been through to check on me while living on the streets.)

It was hit or miss as far as getting on for the day. And when I got on, the procedure for payment wasn’t quite clear for temporary workers.

I never got a check at the end of the day, and I messed around and missed my ride for payday. So I contacted the company, and there was a lot of “Who?” “When?” and “Where’s the paperwork?”

I mentioned it to my job counselor at Green Door (now MBI Health Services), who pursued the matter and provided the proper paperwork. Yet the company still stalled on delivery of a check. They came back and said they had already provided my check. They said I signed for it! Yeah, right.

Why would I be contacting them for my pay, especially for only one day, if I had received the check? The matter never got corrected or pursued beyond that point. So either the company was irresponsible enough to let someone else pretend to be me and pick up ILLUSTRATION BY RICHARD MOONEY the check, or I’m a victim of wage theft!

Knowing your self-worth

BY PHILLIP BLACK, A.K.A. “THE CAT IN THE HAT” Artist/Vendor

ILLUSTRATION BY DWIGHT HARRIS

Some people feel that selling the Street Sense Media newspaper is a form of begging. I once had a guy say to me that Street Sense is a cult!

Just let me tell you, my friends, selling this paper is a job. And just like any job, you have to work hard to reach your goals.

Being self-employed is a comfort and a confidence-booster. If no one else will give you the chance to work, hire yourself! Knowing your self-worth is so important. That’s the opportunity that Street Sense Media provides, a chance to take charge of your life.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

Frenemies

The swinging whirlwind of justice

BY RON DUDLEY A.K.A. “POOKANU” Artist/Vendor

BY FREDERIC JOHN Artist/Vendor

Crime near the Capitol

BY SHUHRATJON AHMADJONOV Artist/Vendor

I was robbed on the 30N bus on the night of April 26 at 12:55 a.m.

The crime was committed blocks away from the Capitol building, the bus stop near the intersection of Constitution Avenue and 7th Street, NW. I sat at the end of the bus in a corner. The male robber sat down on a seat in front of me and pulled my bag, which was at my feet, to him. He lifted it and ran out from the bus. The robber was accompanied by another man and a young lady. They all left together. "Stop the bus — my bag — robbery!" The driver pulled over and called the police.

Th e d r i v e r, three other passengers and I waited there until Metro Transit Police Officer E. Ferrell arrived at 1:13 a.m. The officer listened to the driver and me."Please, to connect the interpreter from Uzbek," I said. But he said he did not have the opportunity to connect with an interpreter. Nonetheless, I provided a list of the 14 items that were in the bag that was stolen. The officer said that the incident was recorded, gave me the report number, and said it would be available within five business days.

Usually I notice a special employee on each bus to ensure the safety of the driver and passengers. But this employee was not on this bus.

Therefore, I believe that this robbery was planned in advance. In a large bag was my folder (case) with papers, documents and articles, and a RussianEnglish dictionary. I'm sure they were interested in my document folder. The real question is, who sent them?

I have been robbed four times and stolen from 13 times between November 2012 and now. But the police did not investigate any of these crimes. Therefore, the crime against me continues.

// 13

I don't need nobody but my kids Cuz my friends, they left me for dead And when they see me, they treat me like a stranger Forget the time and the dangerous situations that they put you in And they’re never around you when you need a friend And they’re never around when you going through it Make up excuses like, "I was gonna do it" Make up excuses like, "I was high" But who was there for you when you about a die?

The Diamond ne’er glistened so intensely, As Bryce, Anthony and Wilmer, House, Pedro and Michael A, Took to city Field With brustling bats!

This is “where it’s at.”

Let’s resurge good Nats, Our newly minted manager— Spotting bright red Like a teasing Tanager Shall wield the bom tornado Of Baseball Justice.

Upon De Gran, and “Thor,” and Reyes.

The usurper will not soon forget Shining blades humiliating him For multiple months, weeks And so many painful days!

That's why I stay to myself Too many fake friends can't be good for your health Too many fake smiles can't be good for the heart That's why every day we see friendships fall apart But I got family, that's all I need 'Cause blood is thicker Like the earth to a seed My grandma and grandpa told me so

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHNMAXMENA2 / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

“I believe that this robbery was planned.”

Don't let fake friends control your mind Just know one day you are gonna shine Gotta watch where you walk cause the grass is fake Gotta watch how you move when you around a snake But my cousin told me straight up, don't trust a friend 'Cause they fake, they pretend, and their every now and then Money money money money money money problems Friends ain't around when a brother ain't got none Money money money money money money issues When you got money fake friends come an’ get you It ain't hard to tell who's real 'Cause a real true friend won't let you steal And a real true friend won't let you kill But a real true friend might let you live.

I got the remedy, for all my frienemies Positivity, no negative energy

I have been violated

Some people I’ve made time for recently, because they matter.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHON GOTTI

Time will always be more important

BY CHON GOTTI Artist/Vendor

Have you ever met someone that is content with working seven days a week or a whole lot of overtime, or double shifts? All they do is work and sleep! They have a nice home, clothes, cars, etc., but they never get to enjoy any of it. They never get to enjoy life.

What is the point of working like that for years and years if one day you wake up and realize your life has passed you by? Don't you ever want to see a movie, go to a fancy restaurant, be in the arms of another human being receiving love

and comfort? I know sometimes extra work is necessary to obtain a goal, but working like that tells me a lot about you. Whether I'm right or wrong doesn't matter because you're working and you don't have time to listen.

Oh well. See you next lifetime. If you ever take off work long enough to realize you had one and threw it away.

Time is more valuable than money.

So use it wisely on the things you love to do and stop wasting it working for others. Making the time for your loved ones is a matter of choice, of making a real decision to produce more free time for yourself.

BY LATICIA BROCK Artist/Vendor

Oh yea, it’s me, P-wezzy The one you did greezy My life ain’t been easy But through those struggles I know how to hustle I put it on my chest and handle this mess Forgiveness is the key If my creator can forgive me I can surely forgive thee Laticia, or Pwezzy Village, runs a video series on YouTube and Facebook called “Pwezzy Village & Sequan.”

1 4 // ST REET SEN S E ME DI A / / MAY 2 - 1 5 , 2 018

FUN & GAMES

Intermediate Sudoku by KrazyDad, Volume 8, Book 2

Sudoku #5

Venera

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Sudoku #4 Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each SUDOKU: Fill in block contain all of the digits 83-by-3 2 11 thru6 9. 4 3 7 9 5 8 the blank squares If you use logic you can solve the 3 so that each row, 9 4without 2 guesswork.

8 puzzle 1 5 3 7 6 each column and Need a little help?

The hints page shows a logical solve 2Useeach 3 5 7 8 6order 4the1puzzle.

9 to2 it to identify next square you should solve. Or use the answers page 3-by-3the block really get contain all stuck. of the 9if you 5 2 1 7 9 3 8 6 4 digits 1-9.

4 7 3 8 6 5 4 1 9 2 6 6 4 9 1 2 8 5 3 7 LAST 7 1 7 3 5 4 2 6 8 9 EDITION’S 9 8 2 3 7 6 4 1 5 1 PUZZLE SOLUTION >> 5 4 6 5 9 8 1 7 2 3

9 1

8 7 3 4

5 6 2

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9 4 7 5 1 3 7 6 9 3 5 1 2 8 4 6 7 5 1 3 8 4 9 2

Sudoku #6 7 3 2 1 6 9 5 8 8 1 4 7 9 7 3 6 5 2 8 9 1 4 6 2 2 6 7 5 3 5 1 4 4 8 9 3 Sudoku #8 6 9 7 1 3 1 2 5 5 8 4 7 7 5 9 6 4 3 8 9 2 6 1 4 9 7 3 2 8 4 5 3 1 2 6 8

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BY MARCELLUS PHILLIPS // Artist/Vendor

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© 2014 KrazyDad.com

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BY FRANKLIN STERLING // Artist/Vendor

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You're living in your own private Idaho.

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8 4 2 8 9 5 4 1 The dead un that is to love.

7Intermediate Sudoku by KrazyDad, 5 Volume 8, Book 2 Sudoku #2 1 9 8 6 4 2 5 8 3 9 68 1 2 7 7 Pay it forward 2 8 1 3 6 4 7 7 6 4 3 599 4 3 9 2 5 4 8 6 I wake up in the morning with different thoughts in my mind. At my age I do a lot of reminiscing 1 7 1 4 6 8 7 3 about the past, whether it be good or bad. Life is 8 5 6 3 4 1 full of lessons and blessings and it’s always best to 2 5 2 4 7 3 8 49 61 be grateful for what you have been through.

The last three years have been a constant roller 2 1 1 35 65 7 2 coaster. Most recently, my uncle died. A lot of doors

4 6 8 3 7 1 2 2 5 3 9 4 1 2 5 7 6 4 3 5 8 9 7 1 3 8 4 8 9 7 6 6 2 5 1 9

2 5 4 8 7 6 6 1 3 3 8 1 7 2 5 5 3 9 1 4 8 9 6 2 4 9 7

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are closing as new entrances are opening up. Nothing stays the same. Luckily, I was taught to re-adjust to people and situations when I was growing up. As a child, I went to several different schools because we always moved. That taught me early how things can change so quickly.

Stability is one of many successes I'm shooting for. Nothing comes easy and hard work always pays off, especially when you have faith in yourself. I’m a hard worker with many goals and I refuse to become complacent with my situation. I thank Street Sense Media for their guidance. My ultimate goal is to be able to provide better jobs for Street Sense vendors and other hard-working men and women in the D.C. Area. Street Sense has helped me and my goal is to return the favor.

ILLUSTRATION BY BARBARA POLLARD

The loose-coat monkeys

BY MICHAEL CRAIG // Artist/Vendor

The monkey was tired of societal stress and the pretentions that accommodate it.

It decided to enjoy its existence, regardless. So, one day, the monkey left its village.

“I ain’t worrying about all this mess,” said the monkey.

“I’m going to enjoy my life and be peaceful.”

And it serendipitously found a banana orchard that was vacant. The monkey went up a tree and just observed the beauty of nature. It simply needed a break and remained there until it found solace.

Then the monkey returned to the village with its chin up and shoulders tucked back. Yes, this monkey would wear life like a loose coat and let it blow in the wind. All of us can too, if we choose.

Author Gene Weingarten is a college dropout and a nationally syndicated humor columnist for The Washington Post. Author 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 Writers Group for allowing Street Sense to run Barney & Clyde.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

COMMUNITY SERVICES

SHELTER HOTLINE Línea directa de alojamiento

(202) 399-7093

YOUTH HOTLINE Línea de juventud

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE Línea directa de violencia doméstica

(202) 547-7777

Education Educación

Health Care Seguro

Clothing Ropa

Legal Assistance Assistencia Legal

Case Management Coordinación de Servicios

Food Comida

Employment Assistance Assitencia con Empleo

Transportation Transportación

Showers Duchas

All services listed are referral-free Academy of Hope Public Charter School 202-269-6623 // 2315 18th Place NE aohdc.org

Bread for the City 202-265-2400 (NW) // 561-8587 (SE) 1525 7th St., NW // 1640 Good Hope Rd., SE breadforthecity.org

Calvary Women’s Services // 202-678-2341 1217 Good Hope Rd., SE calvaryservices.org

Catholic Charities // 202-772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp

Central Union Mission // 202-745-7118 65 Massachusetts Ave., NW missiondc.org

Charlie’s Place // 202-232-3066 1830 Connecticut Ave., NW charliesplacedc.org

Christ House // 202-328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd., NW christhouse.org

Father McKenna Center // 202-842-1112 19 Eye St., NW fathermckennacenter.org

Food and Friends // 202-269-2277 219 Riggs Rd., NE foodandfriends.org (home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc)

Foundry Methodist Church // 202-332-4010 1500 16th St., NW ID (Friday 9am–12pm only) foundryumc.org/ministry-opportunities

Friendship Place // 202-364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave., NW friendshipplace.org

Georgetown Ministry Center // 202-338-8301 1041 Wisconsin Ave., NW georgetownministrycenter.org

Jobs Have Priority // 202-544-9128 425 2nd St., NW jobshavepriority.org

Loaves & Fishes // 202-232-0900 1525 Newton St., NW loavesandfishesdc.org

Church of the Pilgrims // 202-387-6612 2201 P St., NW food (1-1:30 on Sundays only) churchofthepilgrims.org/outreach

Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 2114 14th St., NW marthastable.org

Community Family Life Services 202-347-0511 // 305 E St., NW cflsdc.org

Miriam’s Kitchen // 202-452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave., NW miriamskitchen.org

Community of Hope // 202-232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

Covenant House Washington 202-610-9600 // 2001 Mississippi Ave., SE covenanthousedc.org

D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 202-347-8870 // 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW dccfh.org

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOTLINE Línea de salud del comportamiento

(202) 749-8000

Housing/Shelter Vivienda/alojamiento

1-888-793-4357 Laundry Lavandería

New York Avenue Shelter // 202-832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave., NE

JOB BOARD

Patricia Handy Place for Women 202-733-5378 // 810 5th St., NW

Samaritan Inns // 202-667-8831 2523 14th St., NW samaritaninns.org

Samaritan Ministry 202-722-2280 // 1516 Hamilton St., NW // 202-889-7702 // 1345 U St., SE samaritanministry.org

Sasha Bruce Youthwork // 202-675-9340 741 8th St., SE sashabruce.org

So Others Might Eat (SOME) // 202-797-8806 71 O St., NW some.org

St. Luke’s Mission Center // 202-333-4949 3655 Calvert St., NW stlukesmissioncenter.org

Thrive DC // 202-737-9311 1525 Newton St., NW thrivedc.org

Unity Health Care // 202-745-4300 3020 14th St., NW unityhealthcare.org

Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St., NW // 202-328-5500 legalclinic.org

The Welcome Table // 202-347-2635 1317 G St., NW epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable

My Sister’s Place // 202-529-5991 (24-hr hotline) mysistersplacedc.org

N Street Village // 202-939-2060 1333 N St., NW nstreetvillage.org

// 15

RISE Demonstration Center // 2730 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE // Doors open 9am-12pm, 1pm-4pm

On May 7-10, Events DC will be hosting the Entertainment and Sports Arena Job Fair in anticipation of DC’s newest venue—opening this fall, and will be hiring technical and entry level staffers. A full listing of the open positions are available at ESAontherise.com as well as the Events DC website. For more information, contact: careers@eventsdc.com or 202-249-3282.

Food Service Monitor D.C. General Shelter // 1900 Mass Ave SE

Full or part-time, Hourly Position This position plans and implements the weekend activity schedule; makes regular house check inspections; maintain records; respond to emergencies. REQUIRED: High school diploma or GED, 2-3 years experience working with youth or in human services, valid driver’s license.

APPLY: Send resume and cover letter to DCGHR@community-partnership.org with “Food Service Monitor” in the subject line. t

Utility Worker D.C. General Shelter // 1900 Mass Ave SE

Full or part-time, Hourly Position The Utility Worker is a manual service position whose primary job function is to maintain the cleanliness of the facility in healthful manner in accordance with Shelter policies and procedures. Under the supervision of the Utility Supervisor, the Utility Worker will perform a wide variety of maintenance duties to ensure a sanitary environment. He/she will report to the Utility Supervisor. REQUIRED: High school diploma or equivalent, excellent customer service and communication skills, ability to operate basic cleaning equipment.

APPLY: Send resume and cover letter to DCGHR@community-partnership.org with “Utility Worker” in the subject line.

Shift Manager D.C. General Shelter // 1900 Mass Ave SE Whitman-Walker Health 1701 14th St., NW // 202-745-7000 2301 MLK Jr. Ave., SE // 202-797-3567 whitman-walker.org

For further information and listings, visit our online service guide at StreetSenseMedia.org/service-guide

Full or part-time, Hourly Position The Shift Manager Supervises 10-15 employees during their shift. The shift manager requires an ability to efficiently multitask, a capability to confidently delegate work to others, excellent customer service skills, and strong leadership qualities.

REQUIRED: High school diploma or equivalent, excellent customer service and communication skills, ability to operate basic office equipment, and ability to work effectively under pressure.

APPLY: Send resume and cover letter to DCGHR@community-partnership.org with “Shift Manager” in the subject line.

My best, bad days

BY REGINALD DENNY Artist/Vendor

The spirit of 1976, the Bicentennial, America's 200th birthday, and the starting of our Metro Rail system.

I was fortunate enough to be one of the first people to ride this "new" system. March 27, 1976, marked the day the first portion of the system opened. My mother (now deceased) allowed me to go up to Union Station to share in this historic moment. At the ripe age of 12 years, no father in the home, my Mom always told me that a bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush.

It was at that very instant that I had made up my mind to fend for myself. Early on, I acquired a "go get it" attitude, which was passed down from my Momma. See, she

worked two jobs to keep clothes on me and my siblings’ backs, food on the table and shoes on our feet. You know, down through the years, God's been truly good to me and my Mom, especially, my Mom. She taught me how to cook and clean and sew, at an early age. I used to prepare baked cakes and goods with my mother.

I remember some mornings, while she was preparing to go to work for these two Chevy Chase lawyers, as their housekeeper, I would assist her in the ironing of her dresses, blouses and sometimes the mending of her worn stockings. It was then I learned that finger nail polish was not only used for fingers but also for mending stockings.

My Mom is a teacher and she left a legacy which I can continue to pass on and build on. She, not the last or the least, told me before she passed that "God bless the child that's got his own."

Happy Mother's Day (RIP). You are my role model.

py ers p a H oth !

M Day

Mothers do it all

BY RITA SAULS // Artist/Vendor

Mothers are a subject that can vary wildly from individual to individual. Some are a gift from God. Others are the salt of the earth, which really is not much different.

Unfortunately, many just hold the title and are considered the worst person ever to be called "mother."

A true mother cares, loves, and puts family or child before herself or her wellbeing or personal pleasures. When she raises a family, it doesn't stop when the child or children reach age 18 or 21. The sacrifice continues throughout her entire life. She continually nurtures and gives as much as she did to her infant child and small children. This can include food, housing, money, and, in some cases, vital organs. There's no limit for a true mother, even to the extent of death.

I am so glad I was able to experience a true mother who dedicated 89 years of her life to me and leaves behind a lifetime of memories.

PHOTO COURTESY OF D.C. SCORES

Meridian Hill Park Uh oh! I stepped on dog poop!

EWWWWWW! I stop running! Gross.

Nothing ruins a day in the park like a smelly pile on my shoes.

But then!

A bird flies by above me.

TWEET TWEET I look up.

In the park there are big, huge, tall trees Much taller than me.

Meridian Hill Park is full of trees with bark.

Ch ch ch I feel the acorns breaking when I walk.

Ch ch ch I see a big blue sky and puffy clouds. Wooosh I hear dogs barking.

BOYS: Woof woof!

GIRLS: Arf arf!

My sweet moms

Meridian Hill Park is a place where dogs bark.

BY MARCUS GREEN Artist/Vendor

No man comes to the Earth but through the vessel of a woman. Cherish them with all your heart, the blessing comes right back to you.

My mother died when I was one year old, so I don’t personally know what it feels like to have that nurturing. My godmother helped, but it’s never really like the real love of a mother.

So, to all my customers that I hug, it’s because you remind me of my sweet moms. God bless.

MAY 2 - 15, 2018 VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 13

I feel the wind blow my hair and my face. WHOOOOOOOSH

There is a famous statue with a woman on a horse.

If I stand in front of that statue, I can see the Washington Monument. WOW! I smell the honey sweet smell of pretty flowers.

I see my team playing soccer.

Ay no! The soccer ball rolled into the street. Pop! There are ups and downs to a day in the park… but just look on the bright side We have a team We have friends And we have a beautiful park to practice soccer Meridian Hill Park is deep in our hearts.

BY THE H.D. COOKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL D.C. SCORES TEAM

Through this partnership, Street Sense Media aims to bring you a poetic perspective of our city from the future generation being shaped by it. D.C. SCORES creates neighborhood teams for kids in need by giving them the skills and confidence to succeed on the playing field, in the classroom and in life. It accomplishes this for 2,500 kids at 59 D.C. elementary and middle schools by combining poetry and spoken word, soccer, and service-learning in an innovative after-school program. To learn more or support: www.DCSCORES.org.

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Street Sense Media 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005

There is a beautiful waterfall with wonderful trees and gorgeous fountains.

Is that a wishing well?

I threw a penny in it anyway!

BLINGGGGG, SPLASHHHH

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