05 15 2007

Sherman Alexie speaks candidly about race, class and his new book, page 6

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May 15-31, 2007

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Volume 4, Issue 11

Vouchers Going to Homeless Families

• D.C. housing grants, page 4

By Charles D. Jackson

D.C. Day Laborer Center to Open

By Laura Thompson Osuri For the last two and half years Tomas Tixal has waited outside the Home Depot in Northeast Washington looking for work. On a typical morning, there about 70 people, mostly Latino immigrant men, standing next to the store waiting for 15 to 20 contractors and construction companies that are looking for extra labor that day.

Tixal said that many men will wait until 3 or 4 o’clock in the afternoon and often leave with nothing.

Those who do get work, he said, make minimal wages, and many, including Tixal himself, often don’t get paid for the work that they do.

“It’s been difficult out there. You can wait every day and only work one or two days a week. There is not enough work and no organization,” he said.

Tixal and the dozens of other men who stand in front of Home Depot will soon have a central, organized place to wait for work thanks to a new center that D.C.’s Department of Employment Services is planning to construct on the very same site.

This new center for day laborers, construction companies and the surrounding neighborhood will be called the Multicultural Vocational

jesse smith

Homeless families should receive the bulk of the new rent-assistance vouchers funded in April by the City Council, a spokesperson from the District of Columbia Housing Authority said.

The Council awarded $11.8 million for the Local Rental Supplement Program for fiscal year 2007, with the stipulation that the Housing Authority use 60% of the funding to provide 600 vouchers directly to tenants.

“These vouchers are designed for homeless families,’’ said Dena Michaelson, director of public affairs for the Housing Authority.

It’s not clear if the 350-plus families living at D.C. Village Emergency Family Shelter will receive vouchers under the program. The area’s largest family shelter is scheduled to close in October, to be replaced by a Metro bus garage.

Michael Ferrell of the D.C. Coalition for the Homeless, which operates D.C. Village, said he cannot “confirm or deny’’ that homeless families will receive the vouchers.

City officials said families would be moved into apartments throughout the city. Nothing new has happened on that front, Ferrell said.

“The District is still working on its relocation strategy,’’ Ferrell said.

“I have not been made aware of what the plans are at this time.’’

Michaelson said the new vouchers put a “tiny dent’’ in the authority’s waiting list of 50,000 families seeking rental assistance.

About 12,000 vouchers are currently used throughout the District.

With the vouchers, low-income residents can live in practically any neighborhood, based on fair-market value and family size. The vouchers can cover up to $1,825 for a family to rent a three-bedroom dwelling.

www.streetsense.org

Workers wait to be hired by contractors at the site of the new day laborer center.

Center and is on track to open at the end of the summer, according to Georg Escobar, with D.C.’s Department of Latino Affairs.

The center will not only provide a place for laborers to wait but will also offer them and others in the

neighborhood job training. Additionally, the center will keep information on every contractor who comes in to hire laborers and will follow up on companies that don’t pay their employees in a timely fashion.

The Vocational Center in D.C. follows in the footsteps of other day laborer centers that have recently been established in the Washington suburbs of Reston and Gaithersburg. However, the D.C. center is different in that the government is directly involved in creating and managing the center, whereas the others were run by community groups.

Escobar said that the city does want to have community groups involved in the center and that the logistics of the partnerships are still being worked out.

The Vocational Center was the idea of Council member Harry Thomas, who made it one of his primary initiatives when he joined the Council in January, as a way to address the concerns of both the neighbors and laborers. The neighbors have complained about people loitering and urinating in public, according to Escobar, and the laborers have complained about not getting paid at all or being underpaid for the work they do.

“This is a really positive and proactive way to deal with these issues in a way that provides a service to the community,” Escobar said.

See

Center, page 4

VENDOR VOICES

Much Missing, But Still Selling at Eastern Market

By Conrad Cheek Jr.

T

he weekend has begun and its time for me to go back to Eastern Market.

I first stop to talk with Dan Donahue, a fresh fruit and vegetable vendor, who was previously located at the corner of 7th and C Streets, SE. He claims that prior to the Eastern Market fire, this was a

Inside This Issue

great place for business, food, arts and crafts, and socializing with neighbors. But today he said, “I’m saddened by the effects of the fire.

This should not be a wake but an awakening.”

Currently his stand is located on 7th Street in a space formerly used for parallel parking. He feels that the vendors of Eastern Market will be “experiencing a very, very slow

LOCAL

Youths Speak Out on Jobs Young people offer suggestions to D.C. Council on strengthening job opportunities, page 5

PROFILE

NATIONAL

Eric Sheptock shares his experience recuperating after surgery at Christ House, page 3

Phoenix officials lauch efforts to protect homeless people from summer heat exposure, page 7

Health Care A Silver Lining

Heat Relief for the Homeless

recovery.” In addition, he is “overwhelmed by the social impact.”

Dan claims that they will be operating the same as before because, “We are here to serve the community.”

My next stop was at the Tortilla Cafe to talk with the owner Jose Canales. A man with a pleasant smile,

See

Market page 12

80% graying h a i r, w h o m I found to be very Medical Apartheid personable.

Author examines troubled history of medical I was waitexperiments on African Americans,AsPage11. ing for Jose to finish talking VENDOR’S NOTES with a customer, Winning Horse’s Great Move another patron Street Sense’s come-from-behind win in Kenof the Market, tucky Derby personifies newspaper, page 14 Tracey BroderBOOK REVIEW

Street Sense . May 15-31. 2007

ALL ABOUT US

Our Mission

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

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

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Laura Thompson Osuri VENDOR MANAGER Jesse Smith Jr. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Charles D. Jackson ASSOCIATE EDITOR David S. Hammond (volunteer) INTERN Rae Borsetti

VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Mia Boyd, Karen Brooks, Leonard Cannady, Cliff Carle, Allen Carter, Conrad Cheek Jr., Rick Dahnke, Carolyn Dailey, Harvey Droke, Jake Geissinger, Genevive Gill, Cassie Good, David Harris, Carol Hannaford, Annie Hill, Leo Gnawa, JoAnn Jackson, Patricia Jefferson, Jennifer Jett, Matthrew Jones, Mary Lynn Jones, Maurice King, Jo Knight, Karin Lee, Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson, August Mallory, Claire Markgraf, Rita Marjardino, John Mayberry, Mandy McAnally, Kent Mitchell, Mike O’Neill, Amy Orndorff, Swinitha Osuri, Susan Pearce, Jen Pearl, David Pike, Jennifer Singleton, Katie Smith, Robert Trautman, Linda Wang, Marian Wiseman, Gregory Wragg, Corrine Yu VENDORS Willie Alexander, Michael Anderson, Jake Ashford, Tommy Bennett, Robin Blount, Corey Bridges, Bobby Buggs, Cliff Carle, Alice Carter, Conrad Cheek Jr., James Coleman, Anthony Crawford, Ricardo Dickerson, Louise Davenport, Yllama Davenport, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Michael Douglas, Don Gardner, Leo Gnawa, David Harris, John Harrison, Donald Henry, Patricia Henry, Michael Higgs, Phillip Howard, Patricia Jefferson, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, Greg Lucas, Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson, Lee Mayse, Jennifer McLaughlin, Rodney Morris, Charles Nelson, Kevin Robinson, Chris Sellman, Gerald Smith, Patty Smith, Norvene Thomas, Matesha Thompson, Francine Triplett, Amia Walker, Martin Walker, Lawless Watson, Ivory Wilson, Jason Wrightson

We are proud members of:

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.

Our Editorial Policy

We invite the submission of news, opinion, fiction and poetry, hoping to create a means in which a multitude of perspectives on poverty and homelessness can find expression. Street Sense reserves the right to edit any material.

North American Street Newspaper Association

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

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

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

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

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

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

And to support the increased productin, Street Sense brought on its first fulltime editor-in-chief in April .

International Network of Street Papers

Street Sense Vendor Code of Conduct 1.

2.

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May 1-14 Donors Dina Bear Anna Lisa and Cyman Blount Bobby Buggs Robin Goracke Inspired Yoga Mary L. Liepold Michael Mavretic Microsoft Giving Campaign

Jennifer and Anthony Park Karen Santiago Blair Elizabeth Taylor Allison Watson A very special thanks to David and Doreen Albertson

Thank You!

10.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are no territories among vendors.

I will respect the space of other vendors, particularly the space of vendors who have been at a spot longer.

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

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

WANNA HELP? If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, or have a great article or feature idea, please contact Editor-in-Chief Charles Jackson at 202-347-2006.

If you are interested in becoming a vendor, contact vendor manager Jesse Smith Jr. at the same number or come to a vendor training session on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2 p.m. at our office. (1317 G Street, NW - near Metro Center.)

Street Sense . May 15-31. 2007

PROFILE

Provider Profile

Stay at Health Care Centers Eases Pain of Homlessness

By Eric Sheptock It’s been said that “Every dark cloud has a silver lining.” As it pertains to the dark cloud of homelessness in the District, that silver lining would have to be the health care system in place for homeless people throughout the city. There are many things about which homeless people can complain, but the health care system in D.C. is not one of them.

I recently had my second operation in 11 months through Christ House. Located at 1717 Columbia Road, NW, Christ House is essentially a hospital for the homeless people of D.C. In addition, it offers other services such as substance abuse counseling and lifeskills training.

On June 1, I underwent knee surgery at George Washington University Hospital, courtesy of Unity Healthcare, which has an outlet at Christ House. I stayed at Christ House from the night before the surgery until June 9.

This year it was “same song, different verse” as I returned for surgery on not one, not two, but three hernias. Dr. Lee, who did the followup eight days after the surgery, jokingly asked me if I’d come across a sale on hernias and made sure to get myself three of them. (She must have realized that it hurt me to laugh.) Dr. Abell, the surgeon, made it sound easier and less painful than it actually turned out to be. He told me before the surgery that I’d be out the same day. I therefore began to make plans for the next day. When they woke me up following the surgery, it was a completely different story. I was in such excruciating pain that I was put on morphine.

Contrary to what others might say it does for

them, it didn’t make me feel high. I was out all right – out of commission. Overall, Dr. Abell did an outstanding job.

There was one minor glitch in the process.

Christ House, which is a separate agency from Unity Healthcare, was not informed that I might need a bed following my surgery.

I wasn’t sure that I’d need one either until after the surgery. Therefore, when I called for them to pick me up about five hours after the surgery was completed, there were no beds.

Even though it was not the initial plan, Dr. Abell signed me in to stay the night. I was quite grateful for the favor. For about a day, I had the pleasure of having my own room, my own TV and a whole slew of nurses at my beck and call. What’s more is that at GW Hospital, you’re given a choice of what you want to eat from a rather long menu. Unfortunately, I couldn’t hold anything down after the surgery. I ended up trashing plates of what smelled like delicious food. My overnight stay at GW reminded me of a life that I left behind when I became homeless.

I arrived at Christ House on April 27, the day after my surgery. They cared for me for the next week. On May 4, they transported me back to GW for my followup.

During my stay at Christ House, I was helped by kind nurses and other staff, including a case manager named Bethany. She was most helpful in that she contacted the shelter where I stay to tell them where I was so that they wouldn’t dispose of my belongings. The nursing staff proved to be quite proficient in dealing with post-operative patients. All clients at Christ House must attend Alchoholics Anonymous and the lifeskills program called

MORE ABOUT CHRIST HOUSE

Eric Sheptock relaxes outside Christ House.

New Day. The health care system for D.C.’s homeless population was overhauled just last year, apprently for the better.

Although health care is something that you hope that you never need except for regular checkups, it is no doubt a precious commodity in times of crisis. And the homeless people of D.C. have no worries there. If they can’t make it to Christ House, the Unity Healthcare Mobile Unit will travel to them. Among the many worries that D.C.’s homeless people have, health care is not one of them. It is, in fact, the silver lining in their dark cloud.

For more information call (202) 328-1100 or visit www.christhouse.org.

• A 33-bed heath care facility ·• Homeless men and women stay as long as their illness requires. ·• The first patient came through the doors on December 24, 1985 •· A core group of staff members lives at Christ House with their families, building friendship with those who are wounded in body and spirit ·• 24-hour medical care provided by staff, physicians and team of nurses ·• Case managers offer patient education, lead support groups, obtain legal documents and benefits ·• 12-week intensive alcohol and drug treatment program led by certified addictions counselor · • Patient activities includes poetry workshops, exercise sessions, educational classes, games, movies, excursions to parks, museums, and events • The Kairos program provides a supportive community for homeless men with chronic illnesses •· Volunteers are needed to cook and serve meals, provide medical and nursing care • Financial gifts accepted. It costs $132 to provide 24-hour services for one patient.

• In-kind gifts of food, clothing, toiletries are helpful.

Donate to Street Sense My Information

I will donate:

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

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

You can also donate online at www.streetsense.org

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

Additional items that Street Sense needs: * Office chairs * Bottled water to hand out to vendors

* Laptop computers with at least Windows 2000

* Food for vendor meetings

and 10 GB of storage space

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

LOCAL NEWS

Street Sense . May 15-31. 2007

Grants Open Doors to Low-Income Housing The District of Columbia Housing Authority recently awarded $4.8 million to local housing providers to fund housing units for extremely low-income families.

The housing grant is being divided among 13 agencies to fund 612 units slated to be built, renovated, or currently occupied by low-income residents.

Funding for the rent supplement program was enacted by the D.C. City Council at the end of 2006 under then-Mayor Tony Williams, and is being administered by the housing authority.

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty called affordable housing “the second-biggest crisis’’ in the District. Longtime residents are facing homelessness or having to move away because of escalating rental costs.

By awarding these grants, Fenty said, “Everyone would have an opportunity to stay in the District of Columbia and for the ones wanting to live in the District, we’ll have housing for you as well.’’

People earning 30% of the area’s median income, about $15,000 to $17,000 a year, are considered “extremely low-income” and could qualify for the rental program.

The funding is no long-term solution to the housing crisis, but will “jump start’’ projects to house homeless and low-income people, said Nechama Masliansky, advocacy director for SOME (So Others Might Eat), which operates six facilities that serve homeless individuals.

“This is valuable because it reassures private lenders that organizations building housing and asking for loans actually have the financial capacity to repay the loan,’’ Maslianksy said.

Awardees include Community Connections, Community of Hope, Four Walls Development, Green Door, Institute of Urban Living, Jubilee Housing, Neighborhood Development Company, New Beginnings Co-op/Manna, 16th Street NE Tenants Association, Pathways to Housing, Sarah’s Circle, SOME, SOME & Affordable Housing Opportunities and THC Affordable Housing & NHT/ Enterprise Preservation Corp.

Center, from p.1

Still, Laura Varela said, even without a formal contract the Vocational Center will reduce cases of workers being un- or underpaid. Varela has been gathering stories from day laborers about unpaid wage issues “from those that were not paid for one day of work to some not paid for 14 months of work.”

“At the end of the day, this is really all about exploiting the powerless, and this really is a sad state of affairs,” Varela said.

On Feb. 21, the first of five lawsuits were filed against employers of day laborers. The case is currently in litigation and involves a class of about 300 to 500 people who were not paid fairly for overtime work, according to Varela. The four cases to follow involve workers not being paid at all and involve about 20 different laborers, including Tomas.

While Varela, Meyer and other advocates have been working with the laborers to get them to recognize the benefits of an organized center, Escobar said that he is still working to convince the contractors. One plan is to offer contractors who use the center a 10% discount on Home Depot products so that there will be some obvious benefit to hiring through the center.

“The system has to be contractor-friendly or else they will go somewhere else to find workers,” Escobar said.

As the center will be on the property of Home Depot in the parking lot, in what is essentially a double-wide trailer, according to Escobar, the city is still working out how to go about buying the land back from Home Depot. But Escobar is optimistic that the center will open in late summer.

And Tixal is looking forward to the day when looking for work will be a much more organized and professional process than it has been in the past.

“The center will definitely improve our relations with the neighborhood and Home Depot,” he said. “And we will definitely get more respect.”

About a year and a half ago, day laborers in D.C. started to organize with the help of Foundry Methodist Church on 16th Street in Northwest, in hopes of improving relations in the neighborhood. In December 2006, this group of laborers incorporated as the Washington Workers Union, established a mission statement and elected formal leadership, which includes Tixal as secretary.

Tixal said the Washington Workers Union developed as the situation at the Home Depot became increasingly difficult. “When I first got there, there were 15 to 20 men. In those days we were well regarded, and there were good relationships with the contractors,” he said. “But as the numbers grew, it got harder and harder. And the community and store did not accept a lot of us by the entrance.”

Jana Meyer, the minister of missions with Foundry who first helped organize the laborers, said that the Union has about 150 members signed up with an active core group of about 20 people who come to the Union’s weekly meetings.

The way the center will work is that the laborers will sign in and identify a certain skill set, if any. Contractors will then come and ask for workers for a certain type of job. Those laborers who qualify will be selected on a firstcome-first-serve or lottery basis and will sit down with the contractor and an employee from the center to settle the hourly wages. All wages will be based on a set pay scale according to skill, Escobar said.

While the laborers wait, they will have the opportunity to be trained in certain hands-on skills like carpentry and electrical work. These training classes also will be available to everyone in the neighborhood as well.

No contracts or formal documents will be signed, but a center employee will take down the name and basic information of each contractor along with the agreed-on wages.

To sign up for the program, call the housing authority at (202) 535-1706.

– Charles D. Jackson

Working for

change SStreet

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

20 YEARS of COMMUNICATING for SOCIAL CHANGE • www.vancomm.com

SE N SE T EE F TO ES! R T S OF RAC E TH

SUPPORT 2 Street Senses 2 Locations The Horse The Street Newspaper AT Locations 22 Locations Ventnor’s 2411 18th Street, NW The Ugly Mug 723 8th Street, SE FOR Races 22 Races Preakness: May 19 Belmont Stakes: June 9 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

A minmium $5 donation to Street Sense (the homeless street newspaper) will be collected at the door.

(With each donation, you get to pick a horse of your choice.

If your horse wins, you get a free drink or gift certicate.)

For more info, visit www.streetsense.org or call 202-347-2006.

Street Sense . May 15-31. 2007

LOCAL NEWS

Young Washingtonians: Give Us a Chance to Succeed

By Charles D. Jackson

charles d. jackson

“Teens have a lot of energy and need jobs more than on weekends,’’ said Keagoe Smith, 15, youth member of Facilitating Leadership in Youth.

Smith was just one of the young people and service providers who shared their views this month with D.C. Council member Carol Schwartz, chair of the Council’s Committee on Workforce Development and Government Operations, on ways to expand youth employment opportunities in the District.

The hearing was the first of its kind for Schwartz in her new role as chairperson of the workforce committee. She plans to use information from the youths and providers to produce a comprehensive report that can be used as a guide for future actions on youth employment.

“One of the reasons I wanted to take this committee is I wanted a new challenge,’’ Schwartz said. “I hope we can do a far better job and reap benefits for our young people.’’

Youth programs make up a significant portion of the budget of the Department of Employment Services (DOES), Schwartz said. In the approved 2007 budget, DOES allocated $22 million, which is almost 25% of the department’s overall proposed budget of $110 million.

The department funds and operates several programs, including the Summer Youth Employment Program and programs for outof-school youths (who are neither enrolled in school nor working).

Many of the youths served are from lowincome or poor families, and Schwartz said training and employing youth are critical components of the city’s workforce development. Service providers have said without these services that provide employability skills, youth stand a greater chance of experiencing homelessness or poverty.

Some of the young people seemed nervous, talking timidly into the microphone. Others articulated like seasoned pros, speaking confidently and straightforwardly. But every one of them communicated the same strong mes-

Keagoe and Kristopher Smith and James Pearlstein testify before Council member Carol Schwartz.

sage: Jobs give youths the tools they need to become productive members of society.

Although the Saturday hearing lasted nearly five hours, there weren’t too many dull moments. Schwartz made the young people feel at ease, engaging them in conversation.

Marcus Alston got a chuckle from Schwartz when he introduced himself as “once your worst nightmare turned into an American dream.’’

“I wasn’t doing what was right, but now I am employed by Peaceoholics, and with the right mentors, that keeps me out of trouble,’’ said Alston, 19.

The youths gave Schwartz’s committee several suggestions for a comprehensive strategy to help them achieve that goal, including: • Substantial job training • · A variety of employment opportunities, such as music, art and poetry · • Year-round positions “Summer jobs are nice, but I don’t know many people who just have a summertime deal,’’ said Anthony Graves, a youth mem-

ber of Peaceoholics.

Local groups working with disadvantaged young people, such as the Sasha Bruce Youthwork, YouthBuild, the Urban Alliance Foundation and Latin America Youth Center, Facilitating Leadership in Youth, and Peaceoholics offered several suggestions of their own, including: ·• More extensive counseling for youths ·• Expanding the summer youth program to other agencies •· Improving customer relations at the Department of Employment Services · • Presenting more work opportunities for disconnected youths ·• Requiring contractors to hire locals first ·• Adopting the Brookings Institute’s recommendations as a strategy to strengthen youth employment in the District.

The Metropolitan Council of the AFL-CIO has a construction apprenticeship program for people 18 and older who can “earn while they learn,’’ but certain barriers prevent success, said Josyln Williams, president of the

IN BRIEF

Travelers Aid Serves Nearly 1 Million in 2006 For passengers stranded in Washington, Travelers Aid International offers travel and tourism information, directions and bus vouchers, but another function of Travelers Aid is helping victims of domestic violence and homelessness.

“The social service function of Travelers Aid is a key factor in fulfilling the mission of the organization,” said Michael Oring, Executive Director of Travelers Aid in Washington.

In the last year, the 11 employees and 430 volunteers that work at the Travelers Aid kiosks at Reagan National and Dulles International Airports and in Union Station served more than 970,000 people. The number of social service cases increased 15% in 2006.

The help is free and the organization helps people whose flights were cancelled find alternative flights and lodging, if needed. Volunteers also help travelers with limited English, infrequent travelers or travelers with physical or mental disabilities or unaccompanied minors.

The social service branch aids individuals who have been stranded in Washington for less than six months and victims of domestic violence. Travelers Aid refers people to the appropriate social services in the city and also supplies bus and meal vouchers.

Last month, the kiosk in Union Station had 89 social service clients. While some people asked for help that Travelers Aid doesn’t offer, such as gas for a car, or didn’t qualify because they had lived in Washington for more than six months; two-thirds of the clients received help. About a third received Greyhound bus transportation and another third were referred to other social services.

Travelers Aid is a part of an international network that began in 1913 and is found in 53 transportation centers.

– Amy Orndorff

In Memory of our Dog

JUPITER Q A noble Dalmation Nov. 30, 1972 to June 15 1987 Inci Boman

local union.

“The city and its partners must come up with unique ways of helping young people overcome these barriers, which include drugs, lack of transportation (a must in construction) and a lack of basic work ethics and soft skills needed to succeed in any workplace,’’ Williams said.

Ronald Moten, co-founder of Peaceoholics, said his organization’s aim is to equip young people with personal and professional skills necessary for them to get and keep a job.

“You have to give them some hope, if they don’t have any hope they’ll do negative things,’’ Moten said. “Then we give them a blueprint on how to be successful in life. We also address social ills, and eliminate excuses people come up with, hold them accountable and push them to succeed.’’

Margaret Singleton, vice president of economic and workforce development with the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, said chamber members will again participate in the District’s summer youth employment program.

Working with the DOES, the chamber placed 177 youths in public and private sector jobs last summer.

“The students get the experience they desperately need to get a foothold in the workforce,” Singleton said.

Other young people shared experiences of how service providers are giving them tools they need to succeed.

Interning as a filing clerk at Children’s Hospital through the Urban Alliance job training program, Nicole Jackson said she’s learning the importance of punctuality, money management and goal setting.

“I plan to become a pediatrician, and working at Urban Alliance will help me reach that goal,’’ Jackson said.

Demetrius King dropped out of school at 18. Now 23, he said the Sasha Bruce Youthwork program has motivated him to earn his G.E.D. and further his education.

“One of the reasons I left school is I was very depressed over the large class sizes,’’ King said. “Now, I would like to go on college to become an architect.’’

Foundry

United Methodist Church

A Reconciling Congregation

Invites you to join us in worship on Sundays at 9:30 and 11:00 AM Sign Interpretation at 11:00 Homeless Outreach Hospitality Fridays 9 AM

Foundry United Methodist Church

1500 16th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 332-4010 www.foundryumc.org

Street Sense . May 15-31. 2007

6 INTERVIEW

MY TWO CENTS

Class, Race and the Trouble with White Liberals Over the past two decades, Sherman Alexie has established himself as a major literary voice through his poetry, novels, short stories and movies. Alexie begins a new book tour to launch ‘Flight’ (Black Cat / Grove Atlantic), his first novel since 1996’s ‘Indian Killer’. ‘Flight’s’ anti-hero is a 16-year-old foster kid named Zits, who, like Billy Pilgrim of Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘Slaughterhouse-Five,’ has come unmoored in time and space.

Alexie recently dropped by Seattle’s street p a p e r, R e a l Change, to disc u s s h i s n ew book, Class and Race in America, and the trouble with white liberals.

Real Change: Kurt Vonnegut?

Alexie: Died today! I woke up this morning and walked downstairs, and my wife looked at me and had this look on her face, and I was scared ’cuz I’m a reservation Native American and your wife gets that face and you’re like, “Oh shit, my brother, my sister, my mother? Who? My cousin died?”

And she says Kurt Vonnegut died, which was just devastating.

Sherman Alexie

RC: Yeah, well, he was a big influence on all writers of our generation, and clearly an influence for you.

Alexie: Yeah, the direct influence on this book in particular. But, also on my whole career. The notion of being funny in the most extreme of circumstances. Being funny about Nazis, being funny about the bombing, being funny about genocide. The notion that you could be hilarious and at the same time as approaching the books with a clear moral vision.

RC: You’ve talked a lot about how in post-9/11 world, you are making a point of not having a tribe. How’s that been going for you?

Alexie: (Laughing) You know who it really offends more than anybody is liberals. The notion of advancing forward and advocating for the multiplicity of tribes inside any person is scary for people.

My major focus is about class. I’ve been screaming about that for five years now. That we brown folks especially have to stop talking about race. We have to stop. That is not to say racism isn’t and will not be a problem, but the fact is that our rhetoric alienates the people whose minds we need to change.

We make it about class, we automatically bring in this huge group of people who we’ve alienated: poor and working class white folks. And we need them, and they need us.

RC: I’m curious about your own journey and negotiation of class. Is that something you feel like you’ve figured out, or is that a moving target?

Alexie: Who knows if you figure it out? My survivor’s guilt is pretty much gone. The notion of “How did I make it?” The guilt about that, no, that’s all gone. When you rise through classes, the natural reflex, I think, is to stay in your new class rather than continue to be a person who was a part of all those classes. I’m working on a family memoir and this kind of stuff is a big part of the discussion of how different I am than my father and my grandfather.

How different my children are from me. I was playing with my oldest son, and he wanted to play ‘room service.’ (Laughs) They know they’re Indian. They are not assimilated to that degree, but it’s so less important to them. I can’t see us as an oppressed group anymore, I can’t. Not when we have this hard fought, and hard won, special status. We are sovereign nations, and we want to be treated as such, and we have to start acting as such.

RC: You’re one of those exceptions to the rule that people point to. It’s “Look at Sherman. He was on the reservation, and now he’s a successful professional and therefore anybody can do it.”

Alexie: You have to talk about in a number of ways.

One of the greatnesses of the United States is that in reality, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of people have broken through class barriers, so it is possible.

RC: But then you look at the actual data, and class mobility has gone down.

Alexie: Yeah. The United States is a meritocracy for the wildly talented. But the thing is, once you start moving out of that group, that’s when it becomes a huge issue, because that’s where money and class really plays a part. I teach college classes. Trust me; there are all sorts of upper class and middle class mediocrities doing really well in college who get in there only because of their privileges. So, the issue is, how do we help? For me it comes down again to class-based affirmative action, not race-based. You know who believes in class-based affirmative action?

RC: Rush Limbaugh?

Alexie: Bill O’Reilly. So I agree with Bill O’Reilly! Oh my god! What’s wrong with me? For me the argument becomes autobiographical. We are in the top 5 to 10% of income in the United States. I’m in the upper tax bracket in the United States. If there is anybody out there who thinks my children will have more problems getting into college than the children of a Boeing swingshift worker, they’re idiots and they’re racists. A white farm town kid, a white kid from the Selkirk or Republic, a white kid from Blaine, a white kid from Anacortes or Aberdeen.

RC: Yeah, in terms of opportunity class trumps race.

Alexie: Yeah, you know, and class-based [affirmative action] would cover all those victims of race as well.

And then we eliminate the discussion of race as the primary tactic. I mean, I paraphrase MLK Jr. “I measure people’s chances not by the contents of their characters but by the contents of their refrigerators.” How much food is in the f---king house? That determines it.

RC: I found the whole foster kid narrative in ‘Flight’ very moving, and I’m wondering where your experience in this is. How is this an issue that you are close to?

Alexie: My parents were a foster family on the reservation. During my first 18 years on the planet, we had seven or eight different kids living with us. And because our house was pretty much the safest, sanest

one around, we had plenty of kids around all the time no matter what.

RC: Were the foster kids’ shoes as good as yours?

Alexie: (laughs) We all had shit shoes. We all had Kmart shit shoes with the sizes on the toes. My nickname, I think, in third grade was 6 1/2, because my shoe size was right on my shoes. (laughs) RC: You have this character in the book who gets insight into his own issues by seeing it though different eyes. I sort of read into that the Buddhist idea of individuality being an illusion.

Alexie: Wow…Buddhism. I mean, it’s not exclusively a Buddhist concept, but yeah, the notion of there being multiple sides of a story. It always bothered me, for instance, with the American Indian movement and the Leonard Peltier case. I reflexively supported Leonard Peltier until very recently. I am fully aware of what the FBI is capable of in this country, and has always been capable of in this country. But then I actually looked at what happened that day on the Pine Ridge Res. Whatever happened, there was a gunfight. The FBI agents were mortally wounded, defenseless, and one, two or three — depending on the stories — people walked down the hill 100 yards, went around the cars, stood over the FBI agents, and shot them in the face. By any definition of the word, that is a crime.

RC: It’s an execution.

Alexie: Because certain more violent members of AIM and I share the same ethnicity, I automatically reflexively assume that we shared the same moral system.

And we don’t. I have an entirely different moral system than Leonard Peltier. Russell Means. Dennis Banks. I would say almost all of the white liberals who support the Free Leonard Peltier thing, if they really examined it, would realize how different their moral system - about violence and guns - is from the people they are trying to support. And I get in trouble for it.

RC: Is there anything in particular that you’ve been either inspired or appalled by lately? The big thing I’ve been appalled by is the pessimism of white liberals, and I constantly remind them that they are the most privileged, educated, powerful group of human beings that have ever existed.

Alexie: Pessimism really is a luxury we can’t afford. Their privilege makes them stupid. So I guess I’m always appalled by the stupidity of the privileged.

RC: There is a kind of fundamental optimism that often comes through in your work. Why do you think it is that you are built that way?

Alexie: Part of it has to do with the combination of Christian and native faith. Jesus and my grandma. So, it’s that partnership. Everyday I see dozens of amazing moments. Dozens of amazing interactions.

Last night, I was shopping. I’m an insomniac, so I went grocery shopping late. I was in a 24-hour store.

There was this old black guy. I didn’t see him and he didn’t see me, and we both reached for the same loaf of French bread. We laughed. And he has this raspy voice (imitates) “I love this French bread, cuz even when I make just a baloney sandwich it makes me feel special.”

So, first, just the luxury of being in a grocery store at 2 in the morning, I never discount that, and the beautiful interaction with a stranger over a loaf of French bread, how could you not have hope for humanity?

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

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Street Sense . May 15-31. 2007

in other news By Mandy McAnally Arizona: Phoenix Officials Launch Heat Relief Effort Phoenix officials have launched a citywide heat relief effort to help protect the homeless from heat exposure in the summer months. The city’s mayor is calling on businesses, senior and family centers, and residents to provide single serving water donations throughout the summer. Two years ago, 35 homeless people died due to heat exposure in the city (Smokey, Arizona Republic, 5/2).

safety and protect homeowners and businesses. Homeless advocates say the ordinances are reactive policies that will only worsen the homeless problem in the city (Lim, Bradenton Herald, 5/8).

Florida: Homeless Numbers Drop by Half

San Francisco’s housing-assistance program Care Not Cash has housed about 1,900 homeless residents and shifted 1,870 from general assistance to the program. Trent Rhorer, head of the Department of Human Services, said the three-yearold program’s housing retention rate is over 95%. The city has provided more than $14 million in housing for the homeless (KCBS, 5/3).

A homeless count shows there are fewer than half as many homeless people in Sarasota and Manatee counties as there were two years ago, but advocates say the data is off because of problems with the count. Results of this year’s homeless census recently released showed there were 1,043 people who do not have a permanent place to live –down from 2,427 in 2005. The count is a tally of how many people were interviewed when approached on the streets, in shelters or at social service agencies by volunteers during a 24-hour period in January. Homeless advocates said language barriers may have contributed to the lower numbers. (Sarasota Tribune, 5/11).

California: Lake Tahoe Teens ‘Couch Surfing’

Illionois: Chicago Homeless Ministry Reopens

An increasing number of homeless teens in South Lake Tahoe are “couch surfing”– relying on the accommodations of friends – to stay off the streets. Advocates say there are at least 60 homeless teens in the area depending on their friends for a place to stay. Teens usually end up couch surfing because of abuse, getting kicked out of their homes, the death of a parent, parents leaving the area, and parental incarceration, they say (Jensen, Takoma Daily Tribune, 5/3).

A ministry to the homeless in Chicago is reopening after the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) filed suit against the city for discrimination. The outreach, which is called Hope, Encouragement, Love, Prayer and Salvation (HELPS) will offer food, counseling and other support to the community of Elgin after being granted a conditional-use permit until the suit is resolved. Last November, HELPS was kicked out of Family Life Church for failure to obtain proper permits, despite the fact that the ministry’s founder, Angelo Valdes, had made repeated attempts to secure them. John Mauck, an ADF-allied attorney, said Christian service should not be thwarted by unnecessary governmental bureaucracy (Citizens Link, 5/10).

California: City Housing Program Showing Success

Florida: Arrests Increase After No-Camping Passed More than 35 homeless residents in the city of Bradenton have been arrested or received warnings in recent months for breaking two county ordinances that ban panhandling and sleeping in public areas. County and city officials say the ordinances, which were passed last year, increase public

New York: New York City Clears 70 Homeless Camps New York City officials have cleared 70 homeless encamp-

ments throughout the city. Officials estimate more than 300 people were staying at the sites last year. They said 68 people agreed to be placed in temporary and permanent housing.

Policy and outreach workers will return twice monthly to make sure no one returns to the sites. Homeless advocates say many of the sites’ residents might have moved to the subway system because numbers show an increase in people staying at the stations (Rodriguez, WNYC, 5/3).

Ohio: Tuberculosis Outbreak Hits Homeless Shelter Officials at the Drop-Inn Center homeless shelter in Cincinnati are trying to find anyone who might have been exposed to tuberculosis over a four-month period while staying at the shelter. Seven people from the center were diagnosed with TB and have now been treated. Center officials hope to screen about 600 people that might have stayed at the shelter between Oct. 12 and Feb. 7. They have screened 200 adults so far (AP/Coshocton Tribune, 5/7).

Ohio: Poverty Numbers Up in Richest County Warren County is one of the most affluent counties in Ohio, yet poverty here is becoming a bigger concern, according to a report card on public health and social issues issued Friday.

There was a 21 percent increase in the poverty rate from 2000 to 2003 (the most recent year available), from 4.2 percent to 5.1 percent of the county population. Seven of 10 measures of “stable families” were moving in the wrong direction, officials said. For example, the rate of people depending on food stamps grew from 1.2 percent in 2000 to 1.9 percent in 2005. The number of homeless people counted in the county grew from 339 to 378 people, from 2003 to 2006 (Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/11).

NEWS LOCAL PHOTOS & POETRY

Street Sense . May 15-31, 2007

Having Just Stepped Off the Mothership The sensation is like sliding cold and naked from the womb.

Icy blast of salt air freezes my skin.

I’ve been living in a place where I thought Orient Point was the end of the world.

My life was lived in Village coffee shops, among the newstands hawking papers in a hundred tongues, where chipped curb of Delancey Street was the frontier of a wild and distant Babylon.

My life was lived in brownstones among the chanting voices of girls playing double–dutch, where the the old man at his easel outside Rhaggianti’s Restaurant painted the same scene every day (cobblestone street glistens with morning rain, couples in topcoats stroll gingerly) where blue–rinsed crones in furs and Jaguars disappeared in June to a place where cool salt air aged their mottled skin, where Orient Point was the end of the world.

Cliff’s Pics: Eastern Market In this series of photographs, Street Sense vendor Cliff Carle captures the diligence and tenacity of the community in supporting the revitalization of the Eastern Market.

My life was lived in the shelter of book–lined passageways, and in front parlors with bay windows overlooking leafy lamplit streets.

Today, I feel like I live at the end of the world.

In this photograph, I wanted to show how long the esta

Every bit counts: Vendors solicit support.

Having just stepped off the Mothership, I stare down a slate gray ribbon of redwood–lined highway, cool salt air wets my skin; piney mountains ahead loom like distant hostile gods.

Orient Point is as far behind me as my youth, just beyond the end of the world.

Girlwoman next to me is too tautly curved just like this road; She listens to my tales of brownstones and street artists with the eyes of a young pupil hearing forgotten history and in the fog her presence makes, memory’s eye loses sight of Delancey, the old man with his street scene, and the blue–rinsed ladies who drive their Jaguars to the end the world.

— David Harris The community is standing behind the efforts to revitalize the market. The tents are like the mortar in the bricks that are holding the market together.

Street Sense . May 15-31, 2007

PHOTOS & POETRY

Where I Belong Is it so much to ask For a job at B.K. A steady income I have earned that much Haven’t I proven myself Proving that I was real And my faith’s in God Because God’s my boss And I cherish life I do like my life Because everything is good I do not want destruction I want people to love one another And this has never been about myself But I won’t backtrack Cause I like my home I love my boyfriend I’ll keep creating I like my friends But I stay safe Time for a job It’s time to work I ain’t a smooch I do pitch in Anyone can tell you that I share everything Leaving the competition behind Cause I already got connections I get money here and there I’m looking for a pay check I’m satisfied with my life I get anything I want

— Baby Alice

ablishment has been around. Just as red bricks can’t be consumed, fire can’t destroy a grassroots movement.

Name Your War Roles roll by continuing the continuance, Aim advance toward derelict–ed duties, Mindless men meander meaninglessly forward.

Arm them for merciless pursuit of soul, Take away means of mutilative self destruction, Send out sentries, take command of rights.

Posts of importance pile into concentrated rubble, Needless mercenaries guard garrisoned human garbage, Hopeless suspects surrender freedom at verbal command.

Tricks of mind bring folks to knees, Strikes at Spines sever needed nerves, Bones Bend when forces Snap Back with Potential Energy.

Sign of the times: Banner proclaims vendors’ resolve to rebuild.

— Sean Michael Eldridge

10 FEATURES & EDITORIAL

Street Sense . May 15-31, 2007

About Town By Patricia Jefferson

Cook’s Corner

Bead Museum a Treasure of Jewels

Mesquite Grilled Chicken, Avocado & Tomato in a Tortilla Tartlet

I

Ingredients • • • • • • • • Laura Thompson Osuri

f you are a bead lover, there is a remarkable museum waiting for you. The Bead Museum, located at 7th and D streets, NW, Washington, D.C., has a collection of beads from prehistoric times to the present. Now is the perfect time to go. With the celebration of Shakespeare in Washington, a special Bead Museum exhibit highlights jewels and adornments used in costumes for Shakespeare’s plays. Alluding to the famous Shakespeare quote “To be or not to be,” the exhibit, which IF YOU GO runs through June, The Bead Museum is called “To Bead or Not to Bead.”

Shakespearian exhibit A nonprofit orthrough June ganization that Location: 7th and D streets was started 11 Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, years ago by the 12-6 p.m.

Bead Society of Greater WashingPhone: 202-624-4500 ton, the museum Website: has attracted peowww. beadmuseumdc.org ple from all over the world, including countries such as Australia, Japan and Brazil. Although the museum is small, it has a great deal of information on beads. There are changing exhibits, permanent collections, a bead timeline of history, a library and a gift shop. The mission of the museum is to encourage the study of beads and to promote public appreciation of beads as beautiful and interesting objects.

In addition to two exhibits inspired by Shakespeare, there is an exhibit of religious beads used in Christianity, Ancient Egypt, Judaism, etc. The time line history of beads includes beads from 30,000 years ago to the present. Drawn from a chart in Lois Dubin, “The History of Beads’’ (1987), the time-

The Bead Museum displays items from prehistoric times. line illustrates Peter Francis’s belief that “beads do not decorate people — they function as a ‘status symbol’. ” In primitive times, beads were made of wood or other natural products. Over time, beads have been made of glass, metal and plastic. The collection of contemporary beads, which spotlights contemporary designs by different artists, includes one of Marilyn Monroe made by Emiko Sawamoto in 2005.

After browsing through the museum, I met Victor Steele, the operations manager. Victor is available to answer questions.

The museum’s regular hours are Tuesday through Saturday, noon–6 p.m. The Bead Museum also has special events, such as Family Fun Day, with entertainment for kids. A bead bazaar is planned for November in Gaithersburg, Md.

1 boneless skinless chicken breast 2 Tbls. mesquite seasoning 1 tomato 1 small avocado 2 Tbls. fresh cilantro 1 Tbls. fresh lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste Frito’s “Scoops”

Preparation • Rub a chicken breast with seasoning and let marinate for at least 1 hour.

• Grill or broil chicken until done and let cool.

• Dice chicken into small pieces.

• Dice tomato and avocado and add to chicken.

• Add cilantro lemon juice.

• Season with salt and pepper.

• Fill “scoops” with chicken mix ·

This recipe is often prepared by Fresh Start Catering for the many events they cater. Many of the employees of Fresh Start Catering come from the culinary arts training program of Community Family Life Services.· New Course caters all events from corporate lunches to weddings to 500-person galas. For more info visit www.newcoursecatering.com or call (202) 347-7035.

VENDOR VOICES By Leo Gnawa

Stop the Violence, Correct the Culture

T

he nation is still recovering from the shocking, senseless rampage killings of 32 students plus some 20 other casualties at Virginia Tech. The killer was 23-year-old student Seung-Hui Cho. Sad but true, America was already dealing with another assault, this one verbal, aimed at the character and integrity of college student-athletes, the Rutgers University women’s basketball team, by a foul-mouthed sexagenarian radio talk show host named Don Animalus. Sorry, my bad, I meant Don Imus. (I can’t help but think of the word “animal” because it seems beastly to me to get so low as attacking the integrity and the dignity of young women who are trying hard to achieve excellence. Imus called them “nappy-headed hos.”)

And when I think it through, I conclude there are limits to what we should have to put up with. Some gun advocates suggested that colleges around the country should allow students to carry weapons in the classroom so that students can defend themselves when faced by spree killers like Cho. Some people argued that whatever Don Imus says is his right, and no one should be fired for expressing themselves.

Right to bear arms? OK! Freedom of speech? Fine! But where does society draw the line, when those rights are used to abuse

the rights of others – to offend and harm them?

Does anyone have the right to be protected from being gunned down by a psycho who carries a gun as allowed by his/her constitutional rights? Does anyone have the right to be protected from attacks on their dignity and integrity by some frustrated fools with a radio show? Whose rights supersede whose? The rights of the victim – or of the victimizer?

Firing Don Imus was appropriate not just because his act was an assault (verbal and emotional) on innocent young women who have done nothing to deserve such public insult and humiliation, but also because of the blatant racism that was spewed on the air. I believe that MSNBC and CBS have the right to keep racist and offensive shows off their stations. And if advertisers decide not to put ads on such shows, I believe they have that right too.

I would have objected if the government had arrested Don Imus and jailed him for calling the young ladies “whores,” but that was not the case. Don Imus’ freedom of speech was not violated by the firing. And actually, the problem was not just the words that Don Imus used. It was his target. If Don Imus had referred to strippers, sex video dancers or celebrities with wild, loose images as “whores,” I don’t think anyone, myself included, would have been so angered.

And besides, it is not just the word “hos,” but the expression “nappy-headed,” which is a racist slur. So, I beg to differ with those who argue that Don Imus was no guiltier than rap artists using the word “hos” in their lyrics.

Don Imus is not a rap artist and his show is not a comedy show. And even if it was, there is a difference between comedy

and slander. There is a difference between a joke and a verbal assault on a person’s character and dignity. And although it would be better for rap artists not to use words that denigrate women, one has to understand that they are artists. It may be an offensive form of art for those who abhor violence and obscenity, but it is still art.

Let’s take this debate beyond Don Imus and the rappers.

No, it makes no sense for black rap artists to refer to themselves as niggers and to their women as hos and bitches, and to talk in their lyrics about murdering their people.

But what really makes no sense whatsoever is the whole culture itself – and not just the black subculture – that uses the mass media to glamorize violence and exploit women as mere objects of male sexual gratification.

That is what needs to be corrected. What Cho did on the campus of Virginia Tech is basically a reenactment of what almost every kid who grows up in America, or any kid anywhere in the world who watches American movies or plays video games, sees on the screen.

The culture of guns and violence and sex is what allows sick minds like Cho or Imus to attack other people in the most vicious way, whether verbally or physically.

The right to freedom of speech and to self-defense shall not be perverted by the freedom some individuals take upon themselves to offend and violate the life and the dignity of others, period.

Leo Gnawa has been a Street Sense vendor since February 2005. He enjoys causing controversy.

Street Sense . May 15-31, 2007

FEATURES & GAMES 11

Cryptogram

bOOK rEVIEW By Robert Trautman

Medical Apartheid: Fear of Medicine Rooted in Historical Practices

PT OTN KJF NAX OKGX TE NAX SXIJTO LAT JXXFJ K CXP ETI NAX OVMAN. AX LAT VJ IXHRZNKON NT MVYX AVJ OKGX VJ NAX TOX LAT GTJN OXXPJ JAXHNXI. – YVZNTI ARMT

Hint: N = T

April Solution: Poverty is the worst the worst forme of violence – Mohandas Gandhi

Street Su-Do-Ku Medical Apartheid

By Harriet A. Washington (Doubleday 2007)

sition Company in 1904 commissioned an explorer to hunt men instead of animals and to bring pygmies for its world’s fair.

After the fair, one of the pygmies was put on display in the monkey house in the Bronx Zoo. Other blacks with physical abnormalities, men and women, were put on display for amusement.

This malpractice continued even after death. Washington writes that stuffed, mummified, or skeletal black bodies were displayed in doctor’s offices and in traveling sideshows, and private businesses, some libraries and physicians possessed books bound in skins of African Americans. “Even in death,” she writes, “African Americans were bought and sold.”

Washington’s litany of malpractice continues. In 1932, the U.S. Public Health Service’s Tuskegee Syphilis Study tried to prove the disease manifested itself differently in blacks and so withheld treatment.

In 1958, Mississippi legalized the sterilization of black welfare mothers. And in 1991, there was an effort by U.S. researchers to administer an experimental measles drug to African American and Hispanic babies in Los Angeles, California.

Washington concludes that, while in the U.S. the worst abuses are mostly over, some forms of abusive research do continue and abuse of blacks in Africa parallels closely that inflicted on blacks in the U.S. a century ago.

In the U.S., Washington notes a weakening of the enforcement of informed consent agreements among the poor, prison inmates or military servicemen. She argues for a ban on exceptions to informed consent, adding that the U.S. should “recognize the right of every patient to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ as an absolute value and cease designating groups such as soldiers, unconscious emergency room patients and Third World experiments subjects as appropriate subjects without their input.”

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

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

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

2 4

1

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9 1

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April Solution

“Iatrophobia” is the combination of the Greek words “iatro,” or “healer,” and “phobia,” or “fear,” and according to author Harriet A. Washington’s chilling new book Medical Apartheid, “black” iatrophobia is prominent and rooted in historical patterns that began during slavery.

According to compiled statistics, today a higher percentage of African Americans than whites suffer from diabetes, limb loss, terminal heart disease and cancer. But according to Washington, a visiting scholar at DePaul University, medical researcher and journalist, a peculiar kind of injustice has resulted where “The troubled history of medical experimentation with African Americans – and the resulting behavioral fallout…” now “…causes researchers and African Americans to view each other through jaundiced eyes.”

Washington’s story starts by describing how slaves were appropriated by physicians for experimental surgeries and how impoverished patients, both black and white, were used to devise or demonstrate surgical procedures. All the patients or subjects, Washington writes, were voiceless and unwilling subjects of the medical profession.

Washington recounts that this “research” was conducted in slave quarters or backyard shacks designated as “slave hospitals.” Accounts of these experiments were astonishingly frank, she writes, but not generally known because they were written only for the eyes of other physicians.

Antagonism reigned between slave and doctor. Many diseases were not fully understood and experiments were as likely to kill as cure. Arsenic or chlorine was used as a purgative, induced vomiting was commonplace and medicines addicted, sickened or killed outright. Slaves were particularly vulnerable to these treatments because of the uncompromising demands on their labor, inadequate diets and poor living conditions.

But how did these experiments square with slaveholders wanting healthy and productive workers? As Washington writes, the real client was the slave owner.

Southern doctors derived much of their income from caring for slaves and owners had to be satisfied with results of treatment, which required experimentation on unwilling slaves. Owners benefited from profit in the recovered health of slaves once procedures were perfected. The interests of slaves were outside the equation and in fact, “were often diametrically opposed to the interests” of owners.

From these beginnings, African Americans’ wariness of medicine was reinforced as other segments of the medical profession, some with governmental assistance, continued malpractice.

In the early 1900s, black bodies were displayed in circuses. The St. Louis Expo-

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

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PLACE YOUR AD HERE! With Street Sense now coming out twice a month and reaching nearly 11,000 people each issue, now is the perfect time to promote your business with us.

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Street Sense . May 15-31, 2007

12 EDITORIALS

Letters From SEattle By August Mallory

D

ear Street Sense Readers, In t h e m i d d l e of another month with stories from vendors, volunteers and staff members, I find myself in the city of Seattle, among all of the problems faced in all big cities. As we used to say in the 1960s, life in the inner city is the “pits of the gutter.”

Last year, I turned 50, yet people still look at me as though I am some recent highschool graduate. I wonder: Do I really look that young?

Well, when you are living in the inner city, formerly homeless and an African American, society looks down on you. Even members of your own race will consider you to be trash. I hate to throw this out in centerfield, but I am telling the truth. Even now, as a productive member of society once again, I am still considered by the black community to be among the lowest members of society.

If you don’t dress a certain way and don’t talk a certain way, you are scum. You are mocked and laughed at, ridiculed and accused of being a criminal.

I will admit that there are many black men with felony records, and for most of them, finding a decent job is very difficult. This is part of the reason why many black men are homeless and on welfare.

I read an article recently that described how black men are far worse off now than they were years ago and stated that their white counterparts have it far easier. The question is, why?

I think that I can tell you why. I think that I can tell why there is so much black–on–black crime. I can tell why there is so much home-

lessness affecting so many black men across America.

My dear readers, I would like you to go to the Internet and look up a person by the name of William Lynch. Look for a letter that he wrote to a group of slave owners in Lynchburg, Va., in 1712. I think this will explain to you why there are so many problems in the black community. Long after William Lynch wrote this letter, everything that he predicted has come true.

Why is there so much crime in the black community? Read the letter. Lynch has it all spelled out. His letter will tell you why there is so much racism in America. His letter will tell you why there are so many homeless blacks in America. The letter will tell you everything.

After more than 300 years, Lynch’s predictions still hold true.

As I visit shelters to offer support to the homeless, I cannot help but notice the number of homeless men and women who are people of color. However, statistics show that black women are advancing in education and employment at a higher rate than black men. The incarceration rate is very high with black men. Why is this? Black men grow up in a world of violence and poverty, and they are often taught only how to survive in the streets. This mentality follows them everywhere they go.

Once again, please read the letter of William Lynch. Also, please tune into radio station WOL-AM (1450) and listen in on the More Better Man Show, featuring Mary Hall and all of her wonderful guests. And please contact me, August Mallory, at carriergroup_2020@ yahoo.com with your questions and comments.

Take care; I will talk to you again soon.

August was the first vendor for Street Sense and and was with the organization for three years. He now lives in Seattle, and is on the editorial board of the street paper there. You can reach August at: carriergroup2009@yahoo.

What our REaders are Saying...

Dear Street Sense, Last Sunday, my husband and I had the pleasure of meeting Cliff Carle (vendor #26). He asked us if we wanted to purchase a paper from him, but unfortunately we had no cash on us.

We told him that we typically do support Street Sense every chance we get, but couldn’t at the moment. He must have believed us because he gave us the paper for free! He proceeded to show us his spread of photographs which got us started on a very interesting conversation. I also am a photographer and was inspired by his story. He also told us some funny jokes and showed us a few neat tricks. It was a very pleasant experience.

We thought this opportunity would serve as a great moment for us to congratulate you folks at Street Sense for doing a tremendous job. Every vendor I have met, including Cliff, has been professional, courteous and friendly. (This makes them quite effective sales men and women!)

Keep up the good work and we will see you all out on the streets working hard, selling those papers.

Damone Jones and Karen Santiago

Dear Street Sense, It was a cool spring Saturday morning, perfect for a walk along the river near the Kennedy Center. Returning up Virginia Avenue, I noticed that the exclusive women’s couture shops in the Watergate were having a final sale before they closed. While I’m not an upscale fashion–type gal, I had never been in the shops and was curious. It was warm inside, so I took off my jacket to reveal the Street Sense shirt that you sent after I made a donation. I took your message, “Empowering the Homeless, Educating the Public” into a realm where $7,000 outfits were marked down to $3,000.

Ann Franke

guest editorial By Tom Moore

Racism Should Not Be Tolerated, But Neither Can a Lack of Accountability

W

hile I was saddened to hear about Martin Wa l k e r’s a w f u l brush with racism (“Our Society Still Rings of Racism,” April 15), I have yet to hear the word that would really help to bring a stop to much of the racial conduct towards blacks in America: accountability.

Racism of any kind should never be tolerated. It abhors me to the core and whether it is the Rev. Al Sharpton’s documented racial conduct towards white people, or a Ku Klux Klan cross burning, or a Hispanic cashier refusing Mr. Walker a token to use the bathroom, we need to stand up and speak out against this horrible societal ill.

Yet the point people keep forgetting is that the way to overcome stereotypes that lead to racism is to find the source of the stereotypes and confront and change them. I am a Roman Catholic and have to deal with the weekly barrage of Catholic priest jokes from late-night talk show hosts that they are all sexual predators of young little boys.

The Catholic Church, in fighting back, has had to confront the fact that yes, some of its priests have been sexual predators and the church hasn’t done enough to combat that fact, and at times has even tried to hide that fact.

In order for Catholics to properly fight this stereotype, we have had to demand that our church leaders address this problem and make changes. One can’t effectively joke about something that isn’t true.

It would be old news and not funny.

But a problem that disturbs me is that some in the black community like Rev. Sharpton would rather cry racism at every turn rather than confront the real issues. The horrible way Walker was treated clearly comes from a stereotype that the Hispanic cashier may have had relating to the fact that many young black males in Washington, D.C. statistically have engaged in criminal conduct. She may have been afraid. That’s no excuse for racism, but that’s also no excuse for failing to confront the issues.

Why is it that Rev. Sharpton and others,

in celebrating the firing of white, racially offensive radio host Don Imus, never confront black rap artists for the sexist, disgusting lyrics in rap songs? Why is it that Sharpton and others never apologized to the wrongfully-accused Duke lacrosse players whose names were sullied in the press and whose lives were nearly ruined because of a mentally-deranged stripper some black leaders were quick to defend?

The reason for Sharpton’s hypocrisy is, I believe, a built-in, time-tested racism against whites. Otherwise, he would likely join black leaders like Kweisi Mfume, Bill Cosby, and journalist Cynthia Tucker in demanding that problems within the black community be addressed by blacks themselves before blaming people of other races.

As Tucker pointed out in a 2004 column in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “the problem is not simply one of bigotry.

The worst-kept secret in black America is the m u rd e r r a t e a m o n g black men.”

Tucker writes, “In 2002, black men were likely perpetrators in more than 40% of the homicides in which a suspect was identified.

They also accounted for nearly 40% of the nation’s homicide victims (proving that black men represent the greatest threat to one another). That’s a staggering statistic for a group that represents less than 6% of the population.”

This shows that problems like the tolerance of violent, sexist lyrics in rap music and the promotion of gangs, drugs, and guns need to be addressed, instead giving blacks positive role models in their community, and finding better opportunities through better education.

We can make a difference and bridge the racial gaps in this country. I am personally so proud to have many black friends in Washington, D.C., and Maryland, and I celebrate their successes as they celebrate mine. Racism, like the kind Mr. Walker experienced, disgusts all of us, but none of us feels that blaming other people will effect change. Accountability will instead breed individuals who won’t tolerate anti-social behavior, and those within our communities that keep the stereotypes alive behind the societal ill of racism.

“...the way to overcome stereotypes that lead to racism is to find the source of the stereotypes and confront and change them.”

Tom Moore hosts “The AES Tom Moore Show” Saturdays 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. on AM 680 WCBM in Baltimore. He writes opinion columns in The Baltimore Examiner and his website is www.tommooreradio.com

Street Sense . May 15-31, 2007

EDITORIALS 13

MAURICE SPEAKS

An Administrative Error

I

guess I shouldn’t be surprised. After all, it was probably too much to expect that I would finally find housing after all this time. I had seen apartments available in a property that appeared in the housing list published by the D.C. Department of Mental Health in an area that was very desirable. I wasted no time in contacting my case manager to make an appointment to see the apartments. Soon we made the visit to the property and saw the apartments. They definitely met with my approval. The next step was to go to the property management office to fill out the application form and pay the application fee. My case manager and I made an appointment to go and do just that, and we made the trip out to Rockville for that purpose. So we made the trip, I filled out the form, paid the fee — and then something just had to go wrong, and it did.

The next step was that my case manager had to fax to the property management the confirmation of my DMH housing subsidy, which was a mandatory element in my securing the housing. It was at this point that it was discovered that the paperwork for my subsidy was missing from my personal file, even though I had filed new paperwork at the beginning of 2007 as the DMH requires of all subsidy holders. Then there was the mystery: Where did the paperwork go? Because of the missing paperwork, I lost the opportunity to obtain the housing for which I had made the efforts and paid the application fee. I won’t even begin to talk about the disappointment that I felt, which goes without saying.

Someone asked me the question, “Did you make copies of the paperwork that you filed?” The answer to that question would obviously be no, simply because I don’t have a copy machine at my disposal, which is the case for most people. Even if I had made copies, that would not have processed the paperwork for the subsidy, which is what was required, and I still have no idea if the paperwork had been processed or not. Because of an administrative error, I remain without housing; that is the long and short of the story.

It won’t help now to find someone to blame; the damage has already been done. I’ve lost my chance at that housing opportunity. Opportunities like that are very rare — I have seen precious few like it in the four years that I have been looking.

I hardly need any words to attempt to explain the situation or to console me, as futile as they would be. I need suitable housing, as I have needed from the outset. If a bureaucratic snag has prevented me from getting it, I can’t be the one who has to manage all the facets of all the paper trail that has to take place in obtaining housing when there are other people who are paid salaries to do just that.

Somewhere the channels have gotten clogged — am I supposed to be the one to troubleshoot and resolve the problem here? I should be receiving a salary if so.

If I weren’t already taking antidepressants, I would need them now. Years of stagnation are continuing only because somewhere someone misplaced some papers related to my case. I have every reason to feel more than a bit down about that.

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

Market, from p.1

If you are homeless, formerly homeless or just in tune to poverty issues, your thoughts and editorials are welcome. Please e-mail content to: info@streetsense.org or mail it to 1317 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005.

80% graying hair, whom I found to be very personable.

As I was waiting for Jose to finish talking with a customer, another patron of the Market, Tracey Broderick, said that she had seen him the day after the fire. She said that he seemed calm and somber, while a man that she thought to be his son was in tears.

Jose’s other place of business in the Market had been devastated. He said, “It is a cruel reality.” Before the fire he was making plans for the future. But now he says that they must “cope with the loss” and “reorganize their plan.”

The Tortilla Cafe is facilitating the temporary sale of meat, sausage and deli products. All of his employees from the Market are working. Two are with the Cafe, and one employee is at another location. Jose said that there are people coordinating jobs for the displaced employees.

Although he has seen a few more people today, he says that he has experienced a 50% drop in income.

From my perspective, I miss the smiling face of the tall, elderly man who sold me the smoked Gouda at the cheese counter. I miss being able to purchase a Market Lunch or a kielbasa at the hot dog stand. I miss the young ladies who would smile as they served me a half pound of smoke chicken salad or prepared my roast beef sandwich.

Sara Ashworth of Khan El-Khalili summed up the feeling around the market best. “Vendors are still here selling. It’s important that the people come out and support the vendors and the flea market,” she said. “There has definitely been a slowdown, but we hope, as people realize we are still open, business will get back to normal.”

Conrad has been a vendor for three-and-a-half years and celebrates his birthday May 15.

Goodwill employees Martin Burks, Jason Ingram and Rodney

Brooks celebrate with Muriel Dixon.

Essence of Hope

A

By Jesse Smith

t Street Sense, we strive to support our vendors as much as possible. We stress the idea that the opportunity offered through the selling of the paper and income earned should be considered as a supplement to any other employment, or to assist in their quest for more lucrative job opportunities and to get some of the things they need to re–enter mainstream society. Many of our vendors pursue that course of action in a number of ways.

Vendor Muriel Dixon uses the income she earns for the necessities and as stepping stones to increasing her skills for other potential employment opportunities. She is a prime example of the quality of persons we hope to produce. In spite of the daily demands of surviving on a subsistence level, she found the time to enroll in and complete the Goodwill Industries Environmental Services Training Program. The mission of the Goodwill of Washington is “to educate, train, employ and place people with disadvantages and disabilities, creating a stronger workforce and a more vital community while building dignity for the people we serve through the removal of barriers to personal success.”

The Goodwill Industries graduation exercise was truly a heart–warming experience. Many of the graduates were at risk of searching aimlessly to find some vehicle to save them from homelessness and poverty. Many of them have already achieved a large measure of success by completing the training program. I was impressed with the Goodwill staff members’ personal involvement with each of the graduates.

There were 21 graduates and the staff knew each one intimately. That alone opens up areas of communication and student interaction that aren’t usually available in the anonymous atmosphere normally associated with most organizations of this kind. This allowed the staff to design a personal program for each student to get the optimum results and to ensure that hidden skills were revealed.

Many people contributed to the program’s success. There was Martin Burks, the program facilitator who developed the program and had many words of encouragement for the graduates. Jason Ingram was responsible for the tools, materials and environment in which the students worked. Rodney Brooks seemed to be the most important cog in the wheel in that he had daily interaction with the students, and it was his job to ensure that each student understood the material.

The result is that everyone who completed the program had a full understanding of the materials presented and of what was required of them in order to succeed in the job market.

I was also impressed by the degree of unity expressed by the students, giving each of them a sense of not being alone and knowing that help from their colleagues was unconditional.

Catherine Malloy, the CEO of Washington’s Goodwill Industries, gave words of encouragement to the graduating class.

Her familiarity with the students mirrored that of the other staff members.

Muriel Dixon has made decisions to create a better future for herself. Through her actions, she can be considered the essence of hope for many in our community who find it hard just to survive from day to day.

We are very proud of you, Muriel.

Street Sense . May 15-31, 2007

14 STREET SENSE NEWS

VendorNotes And the Winner Is Street Sense Unless you have been vacationing on the planet Mars, you must have heard the news that the Kentucky Derby was won by Street Sense — not the newspaper, but the Kentucky–bred horse, owned by James Tafel, trained

by Carl Nafzger and ridden by jockey Calvin Borel.

The most remarkable thing about the event was the come–from–behind move from 19th position in a field of 20 horses, ensuring that this spectacular race is forever remembered in thoroughbred racing history. It’s a move that personifies the newspaper Street Sense, in that this paper has grown by leaps and bounds. We’ve come far from the early struggles of the first issue, which was printed on November 15, 2003, when the paper was published once a month with a staff of three people, a small cadre of ten vendors, and small customer base.

Today we publish twice a month, with a list of 122 vendors, 55 active vendors, and an increasing number of loyal customers. In a sense, we have come from behind and are still on the move. The jockey and the owners claim the victory of the Kentucky Derby for the horse Street Sense. We claim the successes of Street Sense, the news publication, for our thoroughbred vendors, without whom we would have no chance of winning.

The Eastern Market Tragedy We all are aware of the recent tragedy at the historic Eastern Market.

This has been an area long patronized

By Jesse Smith

by our vendors and many customers who live in the area. When we mention the Eastern Market location, one of our vendors comes to mind. The person we are speaking of is Conrad Cheek Jr. Conrad has made the list for the most paper sales on a number of occasions. He says that this is largely due to his many loyal customers who frequent the Eastern Market facility.

Many of us believe that when an area or facility is destroyed, the adjustment period can be somewhat long and trying, but some of us make that adjustment immediately. Conrad came to replenish his dwindling newspaper supply on a day last week soon after the fire, which indicates that he is still able to sell the paper in that devastated area. He has yet to point to an inability to make sales because of the destruction of the market. Today, I heard that the neighbors and patrons and the rebuilding crews started work almost immediately on the restoration of the historic site, selecting an area across the street from the original location for a temporary site. In spite of the adverse situation that has affected the neighborhood, progress continues.

Just like Conrad Cheek Jr., who strives to make progress even when the going gets tough.

Donations We wish to express our thanks to Tamara Wilson for her generous donation of some wonderful computer equipment and a much needed television with built–in DVD player. We have been struggling with our old outdated television and separate DVD

components for months. Now with this donation, our tasks will become much easier. When asked why she made such a generous donation, Tamara replied that she had purchased the paper at the P Street location and was impressed with the vendors and the work we do. In her words, “We are all in this together.” Thank you again, Tamara, and thanks to all to the other past and future donors.

More Student Vendors

On May 7, we had a group of 16 students come visit from Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C., and try their hand at selling papers for a few hours.

After learning about Street Sense and watching the vendor training video, the students split up and went out with vendors Chris Sellman and Charles Nelson for an hour selling near Metro Center and around Chinatown.

Charles’s group ended up making the most money, all of which went back to the vendors, but all the students had a great time and really learned to respect the vendors and their hard work.

One student said, “I can’t believe how many people passed me by. Don’t they realize what a great cause this is?”

Get Twice as Much Street Sense Each Month Delivered Right to Your Door!

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

Order a subscription today.

Not only will you receive 24 issues packed with all our latest news, poetry and photography, you will also help raise awareness about poverty in the D.C. area. ___ YES! I want to subscribe to Street Sense for just $40 a year for 24 issues. ___ YES! I want to give half of the cost of a subscription to my favorite vendor: ____________ Name: __________________________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________________ City: _____________________________________ State:_______________ Zip: ______________ Phone: ___________________________________ Email: ________________________________ Please make checks payable to Street Sense.

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

Thanks for your support!

Editor’s Note By Charles D. Jackson

Characters — Committed to Change

T

his place is full of characters: from Boisterous Brenda to Comedian Cliff. Then there’s Political Patty, Ma r v e l o u s Ma r t i n , Mighty Muriel and a host of other vendors whose personas are perfect for prime–time Reality TV. There is never a dull — or quiet — moment in our Street Sense office. Often heard are lively debates, pointed discussions, disgusting encounters and uplifting stories. After a month on the job, I’ve become very familiar with our vendors’ personalities, nuances, and political positions.

Despite their differences, they all share something in common: a strong determination to empower themselves and other homeless people, and a deep passion for this newspaper, which has changed many of their lives.

Brenda has been studying ways to eradicate the bedbugs that have infested the place where she lives, Calvary Women’s Shelter. Disgusted by the lack of an effective response, she’s contemplating writing an investigative piece to uncover the bed–bugs dilemma and other issues at the shelter. “No one should have to live like this,’’ she said.

Cliff, our talkative photographer, can’t stand the fact that someone else is the focus of attention. So when he’s not bantering with Brenda, he’s reciting one of his jokes.

“One thing I found in sales, if you can make your clients laugh or smile, you’ve got them,’’ Cliff said. “Selling the newspaper helps you become a responsible, productive member of society again,” Cliff said. “It teaches how to budget your money; it gives you integrity and something to focus on instead of sitting around the shelter saying, ‘Woe is me.’ ” While Cliff is giving his spiel, Patty sits quietly nearby, dressed to the nines in a business suit. Patty is an activist in the Shaw neighborhood, volunteering with political action committees and community organizations. Patty seemingly has a crush on Martin. Everyday, he’s the first person she asks about upon entering the office.

You may have read Martin’s column last month on facing what looked like overt racism at a local McDonald’s.

Just in case Martin gets a few bucks from Mickey–D’s, Patty wants to make sure she’s counted in. “Hey, Martin, you wanna get married?’’ she said.

A friendly guy, Martin just smiled. He’s a pretty serious individual. While selling Street Sense, Martin is busy looking for ways to help other homeless people.“I’ve found stories about abuse in shelters, police brutality and stories about entire families that are homeless,” said Martin, who added he enjoys working for Street Sense because “it allows me to work for myself.’’

Running into the office at 5:30 p.m. is Muriel, a vendor for nearly two years. She called three times within an hour to make sure we wouldn’t close before she purchased 50 papers for weekend sales. “One thing I know, this thing is real,’’ said Muriel, who shared the good news that she just got a job after graduating from Goodwill’s environmental service program. “I used to be out there with a cup in my hand. But look at me now.’’ Muriel dashes out the door as quickly as she came in.

It’s 5:45 p.m. Friday, almost quitting time. The office is suddenly quiet — a rare occurrence. All the characters are gone. But in my heart and mind, their passion and commitment to change linger on.

FEATURES 15 SERVICE PROVIDERS & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Street Sense . May 15-31, 2007

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

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

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

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

OUTREACH CENTERS Bread for the City 1525 Seventh Street, NW (202) 265-2400 AND 1640 Good Hope Road, SE (202) 561-8587 www.breadforthecity.org food pantry, clothing, legal and social services, medical clinic Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW (202) 364-1419 www.cchfp.org housing, medical and psych care, substance abuse and job counseling Bethany Women’s Center 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939-2060 http://www.nstreetvillage.org meals, hygiene, laundry, social activities, substance abuse treatment Green Door (202) 464-9200 1221 Taylor Street NW www.greendoor.org housing, job training, supportive mental health services Friendship House 619 D Street, SE (202) 675-9050 www.friendshiphouse.net counseling and mentoring, education, youth services, clothing Georgetown Ministry Center 1041 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (202) 338-8301 www.georgetownministrycenter.org laundry, counseling, psych care Martha’s Table 2114 14th Street, NW (202) 328-6608

Shelter Hotline: 1-800-535-7252

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

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Bright Beginnings Inc. 128 M Street NW, Suite 150 Washington DC 20001 (202) 842-9090 www.brightbeginningsinc.org Child care, family services Catholic Community Services of D.C. 924 G Street, NW (202) 772-4300 www.ccs-dc.org umbrella for a variety of services D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 1234 Massachusetts Avenue, NW (202) 347-8870 www.dccfh.org housing, substance abuse treatment, employment assistance Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW (202) 347-0511 www.cflsdc.org housing, job and substance abuse counseling, clothes closet Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW (202) 332-4010 www.foundryumc.org ESL, lunch, clothing, IDs Hermano Pedro Day Center 3211 Sacred Heart Way, NW (202) 332-2874 http://www.ccs-dc.org/find/services/ meals, hygiene, laundry, clothing JHP, Inc. 1526 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE (202) 544-9126 www.jobshavepriority.org training and employment Jubilee Jobs 1640 Columbia Road, NW (202) 667-8970 www.jubileejobs.org job preparation and placement National Coalition for the Homeless 2201 P Street, NW (202) 462-4822 www.nationalhomeless.org activists, speakers bureau available

Samaritan Ministry 1345 U Street, SE , AND 1516 Hamilton Street, NW (202)889-7702 www.samaritanministry.org HIV support, employment, drug/alcohol addiction, healthcare St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 1514 15th Street, NW (202) 667-4394 http://stlukesdc.edow.org food, counseling St. Matthew’s Cathedral 1725 Rhode Island Avenue, NW (202) 347-3215 ext. 552 breakfast, clothing, hygiene Travelers Aid, Union Station 50 Mass. Avenue, NE (202) 371-1937 www.travelersaid.org/ta/dc.html national emergency travel assistance Wash. Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U Street, NW (202) 328-5500 www.legalclinic.org legal services

MARYLAND SHELTER Comm. Ministry of Montgomery Co. 114 W. Montgomery Avenue, Rockville (301) 762-8682 www.communityministrymc.org The Samaritan Group P.O. Box 934, Chestertown (443) 480-3564 Warm Night Shelter 311 68th Place, Seat Pleasant (301) 499-2319 www.cmpgc.org

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

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

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Catholic Charities, Maryland 12247 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring (301) 942-1790 www.catholiccharitiesdc.org

shelter, substance abuse treatment, variety of other services Mission of Love 6180 Old Central Avenue Capitol Heights (301)333-4440 www.molinc.org life skills classes, clothing, housewares Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless 600-B East Gude Drive, Rockville (301) 217-0314 www.mcch.net emergency shelter, transitional housing, and supportiveservices

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

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

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

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

Street Sense . May 15-31, 2007

PHOTO FINISH

Off to the Races

VENDOR PROFILE

Jesse Smith, 57, was born on Feb. 24, 1950, in the Gallagher Hospital (now D.C. General) in Washington, D.C. He spent most of his life in the D.C. area. He attended Dunbar High School, graduating in 1968.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the Federal City College (now the University of the District of Columbia) in 1974 before entering graduate school at the University of Maryland in 1984.

Married in 1969, he moved to Clinton, Md. in 1974, where he owned a house with his wife and two children until 2002.

He was employed as a technician for many of the companies under the parent Bell System, the C&P Telephone Company, AT&T and Lucent Technologies for 27 years, and a major consulting firm employed him for one year. He served as president of the Committee to Save Franklin Shelter. He is now employed as the vendor manager for Street Sense and is a member of the National Coalition for the Homeless Speakers Bureau.

Jesse Smith

How did you become Homeless?

My becoming homeless was the result of a divorce. When I went through that process as far as I was concerned the world had ended. I was one of those persons who believed in marriage until death do you part. Unfortunately my ex–wife didn’t see things that way.

During the proceedings, I relinquished all claims to property and financial remunerations and just walked away with the clothes on my back, which resulted in my being left without a place to go. it really didn’t happen this way, and we don’t believe there is any connection, Street Sense Though the newspaper is certainly excited about Street Sense, the horse, winning the Kentucky Derby.

To cheer on Street Sense (the horse) and support Street Sense (the newspaper) come to our fundraising events on May 19 for the Preakness and June 9 for the Belmont Stakes.

For more information on the fundraisers, see the ad on page 4.

StreetFact In D.C. there are 50,000 families on the waiting list seeking rental assistance.

(For more info, see page 1.)

Why do you sell Street Sense?

I sell the paper because it serves a real need for this community, speaking of the condition of the disenfranchised, the homeless and the general population that is ignored by the mainstream media.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I hope to earned a Juris Doctor degree and become an advocate for the rights of the poor.

Favorite Book?

Agatha Christie novels highlighting Hercule Periot, Miss Marple and various other characters. One book especially, “Ten Little Indians.”

Favorite Music?

Classic Jazz, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Sara Vaughn and Louis Armstrong.

Favorite Food?

Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, greens and cornbread.

Favorite Movie?

Red River, The Maltese Falcon, almost anything with Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Peter Lorie and most World War II movies.

Pages & Pages of Poetry May 15-31, 2007 • Volume 4 • Issue 11

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Mail To:

Interested in a subscription? Go to page 14 for more information.

Now, you can get an 87-page collection of poems from the paper’s first three years in the just released:

Street Verses.

Just fill out this form and send it, along with a check for $12.50 ($10.50 for book, $2 for shipping) to Street Sense: 1317 G Street NW, Wash, DC 20005 Or just visit www.streetsense.org to order online.

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