06 19 2013

Volume 10: Issue 16 June 19 - July 2, 2013

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

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Cereal and the kindness of a stranger.

Our vendors weigh the merits of proposed changes to the Homeless Services Reform Act.

Thrifty Dish 14 The Challenge results are in!

COVER ART ILLUSTRATIION BY TYLER HARCHELROAD.

DATA COURTESY OF THE CAPITAL AREA FOOD BANK AND MATHEMATICA POLICY RESEARCH.

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

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STREET SENSE June 19 - July 2, 2013

HUD Conducts National SameSex Housing Discrimination Study Same-sex couples experience discrimination more often than heterosexual couples when responding to internet ads for apartment rentals, according to the newly released findings of a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD.) The study, announced June 18, also found that gay male couples experience more discrimination than lesbian couples.

“A person’s sexual orientation should or gender identity should not be a reason to receive unfavorable treatment when searching for housing,” said Bryan Green, HUD Acting Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.

The study, conducted in 2011, was based on nearly 7,000 email tests organized throughout 50 different metropolitan housing markets. For each paired test, two emails were sent to the landlord regarding the apartment for rent. The only difference between the two emails was whether the couple seeking to rent was same-sex or heterosexual. Same-sex couples more often received unfavorable responses such as being told the apartment was unavailable than heterosexual couples.

The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate in rental sales and lending on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability and familial status.

However the federal law does not include sexual orientation or gender identity as protected classes. Still, HUD issued a final rule in early 2012, requiring HUD-funded and HUD-insured housing providers and FHAapproved lenders to provide equal access

YES!

without regard to sexual orientation, gender identity, and marital status. And many cities and states that have laws prohibiting the discrimination of LGBTQ couples.

The HUD study concluded that adverse treatment of same-sex couples is present in every metropolitan area where tests were conducted.”

This solution to the UK’s housing crisis is not being handled appropriately and has created many more problems in its attempts to provide housing for families at risk for homelessness, the report concluded.

UK Turns to B&Bs for Housing

Although not the first state to do so, Connecticut has passed a landmark piece of legislation concerning the rights of homeless individuals. On June 5, at 11:30 pm, Connecticut lawmakers passed SB 896, better known as the “Homeless Person’s Bill of Rights”.

In June 2012, Rhode Island passed a similar bill, inspiring Nate Fox, a project supervisor for the Faces of Homeless Connecticut chapter to support this bill for Connecticut.

As reported by Mint Press News, the bill is awaiting signature by Governor Dan Malloy. If signed, it will go into effect, October 1, 2013. Advocates also say that the “key impetus” for these changes are coming from homeless men and women themselves.

ThinkProgress reported that the protections of the bill include a homeless person’s right to move freely in public spaces, have equal employment opportunities, receive emergency medical care, register to vote and to cast his or her ballot, protect personal information, have some privacy in his or her personal property and receive fair treatment from state agencies.

Although this bill was passed in Connecticut, a similar bill has just been put on hold in California. The San Francisco Public Press has reported that the bill has been suspended for a year, mainly because of cost issues. An estimate of nearly $300

The United Kingdom has spent nearly £2 billion on temporary housing for families in danger of becoming homeless.

As reported by the International Network of Street Papers (ISPN), the shortage of affordable housing has forced authorities, most commonly in London, to temporarily place families in bed and breakfasts, hostels and shelters.

According to a study conducted by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, £1.88 billion has been spent on these temporary accommodations. This money could have easily built 72,000 homes in London, but it was mismanaged and inappropriately spent.

Of those that have been rehoused, 32,643 have been moved outside of their home boroughs since 2009, and a 16 percent rise from last year to the current year has been noted as well.

This has put a strain on the outer suburbs of London. Not only have rents been raised, but schools are feeling the pressure of added children as well.

ISPN reported that Jack Dromey MP, Labour’s Shadow Housing Minister, said: ‘Ministers’ failure to get a grip on this crisis is causing misery for tens of thousands of families who are being uprooted from their local communities, friends, schools and places of work.’”

The Homeless Bill of Rights

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NEWS IN BRIEF million has been put forth by the Appropriations Committee, citing the construction and operation of hygiene centers to be the biggest expenditure.

Local Team Gearing up for Street Soccer USA’s Annual Cup The Street Soccer USA National Cup will be held July 20-22, in New York City.

It is an annual event held for homeless or formerly homeless individuals to play competitive soccer.

There are 20 cities throughout the US that have Street Soccer programs. Each one has a chance to represent the United States at the Homeless World Cup, which will be held August 10-18 in Poznan, Poland. This year’s cup will host 64 countries, 48 are involved in the men’s competition, and 16 in the women’s competition.

There is also a SSUSA West Coast Cup, where teams are competing to be “the best in the bay!”

This is the time for the Arlington Tigers to get ready for the National Cup in New York. Even though I am no longer with the team I started, I still care.

The goal of Street Soccer USA is to use soccer as a tool to help homeless men and women change their lives. As reported by SSUSA, 75 percent of players move off of the streets within a year.

The Tigers started their practice last Tuesday and they practice every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 pm at Jennie Dean Park. The team can use some help.

Please call A-SPAN if you can help. (703) 820-4357.

-By Ken Belkosky *COMPILED BY KRISTEN FARNAM FROM PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED REPORTS

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Photos by Molly Kraybill

Building Community Through Meals at Miriam’s Kitchen

By Molly Kraybill Photojournalism Intern

When you enter through the doors of Miriam’s Kitchen with a growling stomach, it doesn’t matter if you’ve slept on the street the night before or if the only possessions you own are in the bags you carry. You’re a dinner guest now, and just like at any five-star restaurant in the District, you’ll only be served the highest quality food.

At least that’s the standard that 25-year-old chef John Murphy strives for.

Murphy is the director of kitchen operations at Miriam’s Kitchen, a nonprofit in Foggy Bottom that has been providing nutritious meals and support services to

the homeless for the last 30 years.

“It started with a small soup kitchen, and 20 years later it has transformed into something completely different,” says Murphy. Now, along with its breakfast and dinner programs, Miriam’s offers yoga classes, art therapy and case management services.

Murphy’s work in the food industry has evolved, too. After a ten-year stint in the restaurant business he found himself in the hospital with acute pancreatitis. The experience left him feeling vulnerable, and helpless -- with mounting hospital bills, he was close to being put out on the streets himself.

“It felt like if this can happen to me, it can happen to anyone,” says Murphy.

“I realized I had this need and desire to help people.”

That’s when he discovered Miriam’s Kitchen. For the past four years he has been integral in helping senior director of meals Steve Badt create the evening meal program and serving as a liaison to community gardeners and urban farmers.

But mostly it’s back in the kitchen where you can spot Murphy.

Murphy navigates through the chaos of pots of boiling water and bowls of kale, organizing the preparation of the evening meal. The clanking of pans and the sweet smell of pastries fill the kitchen. Volunteers help slice watermelon or cut meat for fajitas.

“Hey John, I need seasoning over here,” says a volunteer. Murphy goes over to his counter and helps him add spices to the

burger patties.

Miriam’s relies on donations from local grocery stores and farmers for the majority of the food, including a student-run garden on George Washington University campus that donates all of its harvest to the kitchen. Thanks to these kinds of donations, during the growing season 60 percent of Miriam’s food comes from fresh sources.

Murphy enjoys the challenge of receiving food donations and whipping them up into something delicious.

"Part of the fun is never knowing what you're going to get. Like trying to figure out how to use 100 pounds of fresh venison," he says.

On one particular day, Lisa Davis, a

volunteer from the hunger-relief charity Feeding America, is in a corner slicing meat for fajitas. She is one of a thousand volunteers yearly that don a Miriam’s Kitchen apron and devote their time to helping in the kitchen.

“Food is the foundation of so many things--health, child development, education. It signifies family and tradition,” she says.

For Murphy, even on days when things get a little bit too hot in the kitchen, he reminds himself of the reason why he does the work he does: to see the guests go through the serving line with colorful and delicious food stacked high on their plates.

“Food is community,” he says.

STREET SENSE June 19 - July 2 2013

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NEWS

For the Price of Lunch

By Kristen Farnam Editorial Intern

It is Tuesday afternoon, about one o’clock, and you are headed for the closest sandwich shop, prepared to grab a quick lunch.

How many truly hungry people did you pass on the way?

Would you be willing to give up your sandwich to someone in dire need of a meal?

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), approximately one of every six people living in the D.C. region does not have enough food. And that rate is dramatically increased when applied to children under the age of 18 living in the region: one in three is at risk for food insecurity.

As defined by the USDA, food insecurity is a “household-level economic and social condition of limited access to food.” This lack is often experienced as hunger, which is characterized as “an individual-level physiological condition that may result from food insecurity.”

From July 8 until July 19, teams will raise funds for the Capital Area Food Bank’s “Skip Lunch Feed a Bunch” program, a competitive fundraising event to continue providing meals to those at risk for hunger. On the last day, the top five teams raising over $500 will receive a prize.

The event is not only aimed at raising money for the D.C. area’s hungry men, women and children, but also aims to increase hunger awareness.

The minimum donation is $10. That is the average price of a local lunch, organizers say. But, they add, $10 is also enough to provide 30 meals to the hungry people who turn to the nonprofits that partner with the food bank to feed needy families and individuals throughout the re-

gion. For $15, 45 meals will be provided; for $20, 60 meals will be provided.

Donations may be made on an individual basis at any time, through the CAFB website, by text message or by check. For the 12-day period in July, teams can be created to raise funds.

According to Shamia Holloway, a communications manager at CAFB, the “Skip Lunch Feed a Bunch” event has raised $70,000 since its launch in 2005. At last year’s event there were about 30 fundraising groups. Despite these large numbers, Holloway said, “We are trying to grow it.”

Raising funds for the summer months is especially important because school is not in session and many families who rely on school meals for their children will

ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID SEROTA

have to turn to food banks and other programs to provide safe and healthy meals.

Although there are many summer food service programs available, families are not always aware of them or do not know how to access them, and thus do not take advantage of them.

From its 100,000 square foot food storage facility in Northeast Washington, CAFB provides both perishable and non-

perishable food items to more than 700 partner agencies.

“Skip Lunch Feed A Bunch” will help bolster funding for CAFB throughout the summer, allowing the organization to continue providing food to their partner agencies that strive to meet the need of the countless men, women and children at risk for hunger.

The CAFB, located at 4900 Puerto Rico Avenue, NE in Washington, DC, moves over 30 million pounds of food a year through its food storage area.

PHOTOS BY KRISTEN FARNAM

The Capital Area Food Bank’s Urban Demonstration Garden

By Ferris Garel and Eric Falquero Volunteer, Art Director On a recent Saturday, several picnic tables-worth of volunteers gathered to chuckle and chat and admire the progress they have made in creating a new Urban Demonstration Garden at the Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB).

The June 15 open house and volunteer appreciation event was an chance to celebrate the growing garden, as well as a growing team of helpers who are making it a reality.

Back in April, when CAFB broke ground on the learning and growing space next to its facility on Puerto Rico Avenue in Northeast Washington, nearly one hundred volunteers cleared 5,000 square feet of sod and prepared more than 1,200 feet of

URBAN GARDEN PLAN COURTESY OF CAFB

lumber to get the project underway. Since then, friends, neighbors and master gardeners from local universities and community colleges have volunteered their time and energy to move the project along.

“Every weekend we have a bigger group of volunteers,” said Sarah Howell, a volunteer leader who has been a part of the demonstration garden project since planning started back in March.

The site now sports 17 raised beds (3 waiting to be filled), 2 bee habitats, and a tool shed. By the end of the week of June 16, the garden is also expected to have a working rain irrigation system complete Volunteers Sarah Howell and Greg Orndorff in the Urban Demonstration Garden with two 5,000 gallon drums that collect PHOTOS BY ERIC FALQUERO water from the food bank’s roof. The water will be pumped through a complex filspace is to serve as a demonstration for duce in urban areas where soil conditions tration and UV sterilization system before the partner organizations the food bank are not optimal.” reaching the garden. works with. To bring them in and show Seeds provided through National CapiAt the Saturday open that whatever kind of space you have tal Food Bank’s teaching program include: house, the hum of earthavailable, even just an office with a big tomatoes, pumpkins, herbs, peppers and moving equipment was yard, how you can [use it to] grow food in beans. SEED, Inc. also operates a charter ample music for the different ways,” she said. school where urban gardening is expected volunteers’ celebration CAFB provides education and training to to provide some important lessons. as the final pipes in the its 700 partner agencies to help address “We want to teach the kids how to help system were being laid. the food requirements of nearly 480,000 their families eat healthy food while on a According to Abby Steinarea residents. The demonstration garden budget,” Knott added. er, the food bank’s Food will help partner agencies and their cliSarah Howell said her favorite part of Growing Capacity Coorents learn how to grow their own food. volunteering is being able to see the gardinator, the drums fill up Steiner sees this form of outreach as a den take on a life of its own, through the after just 2 inches of rain way to build capacity and increase access dedicated work of so many. thanks to the large surto healthy food within the network of “I have really felt rewarded in how face of the facility’s roof. partners for the people they serve. quickly we’ve transitioned the space from Food bank officials “We teach the importance of healthy just a plot of grass. The first weekend I say that even though the eating on a budget. We will use this space came it had just poured rain for 3 days garden’s focus is educato help our partners incorporate food growbeforehand, so this was all just mud...” tion, it should also yield ing into their programs. Growing fruits Another volunteer, Greg Orndorff, at least 10,000 pounds and vegetables stretches a budget and who has helped build the bee habitats, wor t h of f r e s h f ood . promotes good health,” explained Steiner. said he shares this sense of ownership CAFB distributes 33 milMany of the chronic diseases that afand fulfillment. lion pounds of food anfect Americans, particularly those on a “I actually don’t have a lot of gardening nually, which translates low income, can be prevented or managed experience,” said Orndorff. “I was looking into 27.5 million meals, through healthy eating. Obesity increases for a place to spend my extra time and I through its 700 partner the risk of many conditions including Type wanted a learning experience.” agencies. The demand 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood presHowell and Orndorff are Northwest for food assistance has sure, stroke and some cancers. residents who both see the flexible time grown dramatically over SEED, Inc. is just one of the partner commitment and variety of tasks that go the past several years agencies that has already reaped the beninto the project as a great way to get inbecause of factors such efits of the demonstration garden. SEED volved in the local community. as rising unemployment, is planting a garden of its own in order to That is a real perk of the garden, said slow economic growth, supplement the fresh food it incorporates Steiner. and the high cost of housinto its pantry service.

“We’ll focus mainly on educating our ing and health care.

The process began when SEED’s outpartners, however we see this as a really By its presence, the reach coordinator Amanda Knott attended great communal space and we want to engarden speaks volumes an introductory gardening class at Capital courage other organizations that do food about how much food can Area Food Bank. growing education, cooking [and] health be grown with soil, some “The class gave me a bag of seeds to education to use this space in some capacsun and rain, and some plant and many seeds of ideas on how my ity, so we’re going to explore what that willing hands, Howell organization can develop new programs to would look like,” Steiner said. Then she pointed out. feed our communities,” reported Knott. got to work making another batch of mint “The vision for this “I learned about new ways of growing proand lemon slushies for her team.

STREET SENSE June 19 - July 2, 2013

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NEWS

Chef Has Ingredients for New Life

By Eric Osman Volunteer For a decade, Darrell Wainwright was trapped in a punishing cycle of addiction, crime and homelessness.

Then he decided to change his life. But he needed help.

Luckily, a friend from a drug rehabilitation program told Wainwright that he had found a job as a cook at a local restaurant with help from a local nonprofit organization and that Wainwright could do the same.

“I was skeptical at first because a lot of people tell you things that don’t always work out,” Wainwright said. “But I thought I had to give myself a chance on this one.”

Now he is glad he took that leap of faith.

Wainwright, 48, recently became one of 19 new graduates of the DC Central Kitchen’s (DCCK) Culinary Job Training (CJT) program. It’s a program designed to prepare unemployed, previously incarcerated people and homeless adults for careers in the food service industry.

Since stepping into DCCK last fall, Wainwright said he has found regular housing thanks to a program geared toward helping homeless vets. He has been hired as a production assistant at the kitchen. And while his past problems cost him his marriage, he has now remarried his wife.

“The program really changed my life around,” Wainwright said. “A lot of people here actually care about your well-being, which is something you don’t get too much of on the streets. I’ve learned to start living again, as opposed to just surviving.”

He hopes the help and skills he has acquired can help him beat the odds. As of 2010, nearly 5 percent of District residents have criminal records, a percentage higher than those in 48 of 50 states.

Once these individuals have served their time, they struggle to find jobs, as only about 50 percent of Washington’s parolee population is employed. Half of these returning citizens find themselves back in prison within three years, according to statistics from the Council for Court Excellence.

“The goal of the Culinary Job Training program is not to just lessen the numbers of people going back to jail but to also provide them with opportunities that can allow them to go from being dependent to independent,” said

Marianne Ali, director of the CJT program.

The program enrolls ex-offenders after they pass a procedure that evaluates their readiness for DCCK’s services, their commitment to a new career and the nature of their prior offenses, as they do not admit anyone with a history of crimes against children.

Twenty-five students enroll in each class cycle and attend classes Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the DC Central Kitchen in Judiciary Square. The 14week culinary curriculum includes hands-on training from culinary instructors who teach knife skills, cooking techniques and food safety practices. Other classes teach students how to prepare different foods such as fruits, vegetables, meat and seafood.

Not all of the enrolled students will graduate due to drug relapse, attitudinal problems or frequent absences, but since 2008, only 2 percent of CJT’s graduates have been convicted of a subsequent crime. In 2012, close to 90 percent of those who graduated found jobs through the DCCK’s culinary partners, which include local restaurants, hotels and the D.C. Public Schools.

“When students arrive here for the first time a lot of them are initially untrustworthy due to their street life mentality,” said culinary instructor Afiya Howell. “As time goes on though, they become more open, more competent, and leave the program feeling good about themselves.”

Many of the students say they find inspiration from their culinary instructors and fellow classmates.

“I was surprised to find out that a lot of my classmates had some of the same life experiences as me,” said Matoka Green, 20, a current DCCK student. “Just goes to prove it doesn’t matter what walk of life you come from, the kitchen is a safe place for everyone.”

“A lot of the teachers here have had problems in their past which they have overcome,” said Cecile Bryant, 55, another student at DCCK. “If they could do

A cook-off between classmates from the ninety-second graduating class of DC Central Kitchen.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DC CENTRAL KITCHEN

it, why not us?”

In addition to teaching culinary basics, the curriculum also includes life skills sessions designed to encourage open dialogue about personal challenges and develop strategies for dealing with them.

For many students, this is reportedly one of the hardest parts of the class.

“Before I came to DC Central Kitchen I was isolated from the world and in a dark place emotionally,” said Randall Blaine, 49, a current student at DCCK. “The life skills class helps me cope with some of my past problems and we (classmates) all get to know each other really well.”

The last four weeks of the program consist of a full time job search, when students talk to job search counselors, and spend time filling out applications and participating in interviews.

Graduation is an emotional event for both the students and instructors. At the beginning of the ceremony, each student is called to a podium to be given his or

her own butcher’s knife, imprinted with their name and class number, representing their completion of the program.

“It’s hard to hold back the tears once you see them dancing up to the front of the room to receive their knife after realizing how far they’ve come,” said Howell.

As for Wainwright, he is enjoying his new life, walking to work, donning his black and white apron, and slicing vegetables and cooking meat; helping to prepare fresh meals for homeless shelters in the Washington area.

He is also dreaming of an even brighter future. Along with his current job at the kitchen, Wainwright said he is also taking night classes at the University of District Columbia in hospitality and management with a goal of someday working as a chef in a Washington hotel.

“I think everything’s gonna keep getting better,” Wainwright said. “The dark days are over.”

Photos by Molly Kraybill

Blessings By the Bowl

By Molly Kraybill Photojournalism Intern Michael Bennett pushes a shopping cart laden with boxes of Cocoa Puffs and Fruit Loops down Massachusetts Ave. A crowd of homeless people follows close behind him, dragging their bags. It’s the second time the security guards outside of the Union Station Post Office have asked him to relocate, and he’s hoping the third time will be the charm.

“This will do,” he says, as he parks his cart several yards down from the guards.

The crowd gathers around him as he unloads cereal and milk and juice by the gallon onto the cement curb, which for the next couple hours will function as a table.

Bennett has been running his own feeding and supply program for the homeless for the past ten months. Every Sunday morning, he pushes a shopping cart full of food and supplies from his house to Union Station, about a half hour walk. It operates as his portable closet and pantry to whoever stops by, stocked with everything from sneakers and razors to bagged bologna sandwiches.

But it hasn’t always been an easy life for Bennett. It used to be him out there on the streets, living under a bridge in New York City and sleeping on a mattress surrounded by a cardboard box. In 1992 he was able to get out of his homelessness, which he calls a blessing.

“I didn’t want to live like that anymore,” says Bennett. “I left and I didn’t go back.”

Bennett’s personal experience with homelessness has given him insight into what the homeless need. And he has discovered that sometimes all you crave is something comforting, like a big bowl of something nostalgic from your childhood.

He believes this is cereal.

“Everyone likes cereal because it is something we have grown up on,” says Bennett. “A lot of the shelters don’t offer it.”

Bennett finishes laying out the spread of milk and cereal ,and the area soon turns into a whirlwind of homeless people pouring themselves bowls of Fruit Loops and cups of juice. They sit on the curb, happily munching on spoonfuls of cereal in Styrofoam bowls. As they eat, Bennett starts to hand out supplies.

“Razors...who needs razors? Socks... who needs socks?”

A woman approaches him and asks for a razor.

“I was saving this pink one just for you,” he says as he rummages through his cart. She looks delighted.

Bennett then notices a man sitting off to the right of him whose sneakers are tattered and falling apart. He pulls out a pair of brand new neon green sneakers from a bag and hands them to the man.

He slips them on his feet. It’s a perfect fit.

Regulars have come to know Bennett and rely on his Sunday breakfast.

“This guy is a blessing to the homeless,” says a man by the name of Terry, pointing to Bennett. “He does us a fantastic service.”

After the first half hour, a majority of the crowd has dissipated, though a few folks linger and talk. By the end, Bennett tries to get them to grab more sandwiches or have another helping of cereal.

“When I run out of something, that’s

good. I don’t want to take this stuff home with me,”he says.

Bennett finances all of his own food and supplies, which he often finds challenging on top of paying rent.

Finally, everyone has been fed. All that remains of his morning supplies are a couple of fallen Fruit Loops, floating in a puddle of milk on the curb. Bennett knows he is doing the right thing.

“This is what I am called to do in my life, so I know it will work out,” says Bennett.

“This guy is a blessing to the homeless.”

Grill, Grapes & Jazz Street Sense had the honor of benefiting from HR Source Foundation’s 3rd Annual “Grill, Grapes & Jazz” event on June 6. We stood alongside A Wider Circle, Girls, Inc, Jobs, Housing and Recovery, and Mission of Love Charities.

To the ambiance of musicians John Lewis and Benjamin C. Sands, Jr - those in attendance got to experience some of the best barbeque of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Professional and Amateur Chefs competed against each other as champions for the benefiting charities. Executive Chef Franklin Thomas (Franklin505@hotmail.com | 301-536-4578) competed in the pro bracket on our behalf. Chef Gerald Mays (hopekhia@msn. com|202-701-7374) brought his 20 years of barbeque experience to bear and won second place in the amateur bracket to win foundation funds for Street Sense.

Street Sense would like to extend a big thank you to HR Source for the opportunity and to Thomas and Mays for lending your (delicious) talents to our cause!

Chef Gerald Mays, second place winner in the amateur chef grill off, with Brian Carome, Executive Director of Street Sense.

PHOTO COURTESY OF YEAROFGIVING.ORG

STREET SENSE June 19 - July 2, 2013

Local Market Offers Pleasure By the Bushel

By Cynthia Mewborn Vendor, “C=MB2” Every farmers market has its own personality.

I like the one at 14th and U Streets NW for its urban feel, its accessibility and its diversity.

The vendors at 14th and U offer products that make this market especially quaint and unique. Since this is a producer-only market, the vendors themselves grow, raise or create what they have for sale. They are all local too, coming from the Chesapeake Watershed region, according to market director Robin Shuster.

That means you can expect plenty of delicious and fresh vegetables and breads, meats and fruits.

What’s more, the farmers and producers at U & 14 Street Farmer’s Market accept all forms of federal nutrition assistance benefits, including SNAP (food

stamps,) WIC and WIC Cash Value (for mothers and their young children); Senior “Get Fresh” Checks and Produce Plus vouchers (for low-income elders) and vouchers from the innovative FVRx program.

FVRx, now in its second year, is a fruit and vegetable prescription program developed and supported by the national nonprofit Wholesome Wave to track the impact of increased fresh fruit and vegetable consumption among low-income, obese patients. Currently, 25 local families are taking part to see whether by eating fruits and vegetables, participating in exercise and cooking classes, they can reduce the risk factors for obesity, high cholesterol and other health-related problems.

Now let me tell you about some of the vendors at 14th and U and some of the bounty they offer: Pennsylvania’s Mccleaf’s Orchard brings

a variety of fruits: apples, peaches, plums, apricots, blue berries, cherries as well as a range of seasonal vegetables. Some of their specialty items includes, apple butter, apple sauce, apple cider and unsweetened apple juice.

Mountain View Farms, a USDA certified organic farm in Virginia, sells beets, snap beans, carrots, kale, onions, peppers, strawberries, chard and a variety of other vegetables and fruits.

From the micro-climate of Virginia’s Northern Neck, Garner Produce brings garden salads, zucchini, squash blooms, turnips, herbs, springtime flowers, hot pepper preserves and bloody Mary mix.

Pecan Meadow Farm offers organicallyfed beef, sausages, lamb and goat, duck, and rabbit. The farm stall at the market also sells duck eggs, brown chicken eggs and goose eggs and these particular eggs make excellent omelets. Pecan Meadow, which is located in Pennsylvania, also grows corn, Indian pop corn and makes cornmeal.

Truck Patch from Maryland sells produce and meats including pork. The farm is known for its asparagus and salads and raises its own pigs.

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Kuhn Orchard from Pennsylvania even offers apples in June. According to farmer Mary Margate they pick them at maturity and store them in a controlled atmosphere which helps in keeping the apples crisp for a longer periods of time. They have also have absolutely gracious rhubarb and make their own honey and jams.

Then there are baked goods by local bakeries. One called Wisked offers pies made from scratch. Among their famous cookies to check out are salty oak and milk chocolate nutella. The sweets are wonderful and they donate their leftovers over to local hospice house.

Another bakery, PANoRAMA, creates a variety of French styles breads whole wheat and white, rye, pumpernickel and they also make French style pastries.

Cherry Glen Farm from Maryland specializes in southern French style goat cheese. They offer ricotta and an awardwinning brie-like cheese. They even offer free samples of these cheeses, made from

CHILDREN’S ART:

Work from a child at D.C. General, done to the sounds of classical music after learning about the tecniques of Wassily Kandinsky, a Russian abstact artist.

There are 1,868 children experiencing homelessness in the District. The Homeless Children’s Playtime Project visits 6 different transitional housing and emergency shelter programs to provide weekly activities, healthy snacks, and opportunities to play and learn to as many children as possible.

Courtesy of the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project

COMICS & GAMES

TERRON’S GAME: STREET NBA FINALS

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STREET SENSE June 19 - July 2, 2013

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OPINION

HSRA Amendments Just Won’t Die...

Escrow Amendment Could Help Families Thrive

By Reginald Black

Aida Basnight-Peery Vendor

Vendor, “Da’ Street Reportin’ Artist” A. R. C. going for a second round of meetings with the council offices. Jeff Taylor, who is an unsheltered resident of McPherson square, repeatedly said this is a huge lurch for social Darwinism; it’s no good for anyone he said. This is a liberal city, and if passed [it’s] referring to any form of the amendments, is a toe in the for G. O. P ideology,” We’re pretty Left to right: George Brown, Eric Sheptock, Nkechi Feaster much socialist in this city and Charles Crews discuss talking points outside of Wilson he said. Still that was only Building before meeting with Council Members.

Thursday afternoon.

PHOTO BY REGINALD BLACK On Friday; S. H. A. C. Two weeks after advocates from held a mini-rally to address the proposed around the city converged on city hall in amendments. Eric Sheptock who serves as support of funding for services that help S. H. A. R. C.’s Chairman said to Phil Mento decrease homelessness in Washington, delson, the Chairman of the city council, one issue seems to have stuck like a fly “We think it is unprofessional for the mayto flypaper. or to make these amendments without the The budget support act proposed by I. C. H. (The Interagency Council on Homethe gray administration contained changlessness). We want the homeless to be able es to the H. S. R. A. (Homeless Services to weigh in he said. Eric also pointed out Reform Act). People experiencing homethat the I. C. H. was not consulted when lessness and homeless advocates say the amendments were drafted. that these amendments will create more Valerie Williams, who lives in Ward 1 homelessness in Washington. On Monday said, “This is the people’s building and if June 3 Jim Graham held a public hearing you don’t do what will ask you to do then on the issue where he expressed that he we will remove you. She also presented would like to have something that made him with a detailed letter about the issue sense by Tuesday June 18th. and urged him to read it.

In response to this, the S. H. A. R. Council Chairman Mendelson asked C., (Shelter. Housing. and. Respectful.

“What would solve homelessness?” ObaChange.) group decided to take a repeatdiah Black responded with, “We need afed strike approach to move the council to fordable housing and living wage jobs “. start over from scratch.

When the Council Chairman mention the The S. H. A. R. C. group held meetings 100 million dollars allocated for homeless will councilmember offices Thursday and services, Charles Crews who ran for a City held a mini rally on Friday.

Council At-Large seat said, your spending In Thursday’s meeting with council56 million tearing down one development member Bowsers office. Tim D’Emilio a in Barry Farms and 50 million to build resident of ward 4 said that these folks parks in the (NOMA) the north of Massaare smart they don’t want to stay in chusetts avenue neighborhood, that’s 106 shelter and these amendments seem to million dollars and that will not create punish people for being poor, he went enough housing. on to say that the developers need this Charles was followed by Robert Warren type of discipline. who serves a director of people for fairness George Brown, who is a resident at coalition said you need to create affordthe 801 East Shelter in southeast said able housing for those making less than 30 “We need affordable housing. He went on 000 dollars. We believe this Mayor and City say that you need to let the people know Council are trying to distract folks from the just what affordable housing means. real issue he said. Those making less that George made it clear that housing should 30 000 dollars a year are being economibe to base on the person’s income not cally discriminated against he said. a medium of those who are in a better Robert concluded by saying “We will financial situation. work really hard to let the district resiClearly the amendments are a raindents know that they are being discrimistorm subject for those that these amendnated against and that there will be ments will affect, and this was only one of consequences. With a markup and vote Thursday morning’s meetings. looming in the next coming days it will The conversation with the offices conbe interesting to see what the council tinued into Thursday afternoon with S. H. decides to do.

A June 3 hearing before the D.C. Council’s Committee on Human Services sought public opinion on several controversial changes to city’s Homeless Services Reform Act. I did not attend the hearing because I was worried about what I would say to those who opposed the amendments. I would have told them to welcome the proposed changes to the law, which are intended to help families move more quickly out of the shelter system.

One of the amendments proposed by Mayor Vincent Gray would require clients in some city shelters and transitional housing programs to place 30 percent of any monthly income they might have into a an escrow or savings account. I think it’s a good idea. If you have never had a savings account, your money is gaining interest plus you will have money to pay for your monthly rent! How many people in this town can say that they only pay 30 percent of their income for mortgage or rent? Most people who have jobs for 1 to 20 years of their lives will tell you that they live from paycheck to paycheck and are scared of becoming homeless.

It can happen to anyone. So, the amendment is putting people into homes first and then they can start working on their lives and finding permanent jobs or training programs. This can make them more marketable, to make more money and not have to rely on DHS’s 30 percent

escrow for the rest of their lives. They can pretty much move onto something different in their lives and feel comfortable.

The way some people talk, you might think the amendment would shut down all shelters for families and individuals. But that’s not what it would do it all. City officials are simply saying that families need to take their monthly income—whether it’s Temporary Aid for Needy Families Assistance, Social Security income, or whatever —and put 30 percent into an escrow.

I’ve been on TANF Assistance and wished that I had a place for my two kids and me to live that only required having to put away 30 percent of my monthly income.

Not having to live with relatives and having to deal with their rules would have helped me while I was going back to college and raising two children.

It’s overcrowded in the DC family shelters, and the city needs to move clients into permanent housing. Stop claiming that the amendments would allow the housing department to throw families out of shelters and make it impossible for other families to move into shelters. Isn’t it time for the city officials to do their jobs to prevent families and individuals from having to go into shelters? You have excellent homeless service providers in this city, who are expanding and doing a great justice for homeless men and women who are putting their 30 percent income into an escrow and are living in their own apartment. Why can’t this program be expanding towards families in Washington, DC?

FLOOD VS KHUN: PART 1 Jeffery McNeil Vendor In my last column I looked at baseball at a few of the lessons baseball can teach us about democracy. This time I want to explore the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1972 Flood vs Kuhn decision. The case arose when Curt Flood, a player for the St. Louis Cardinals, refused to be traded and sued Major League Baseball. including commissioner Bowie Kuhn.

Over the years, there have been many challenges to baseball’s antitrust exemption. But Flood’s case was in many ways the most important. It left a lasting mark, not just on baseball but on the Court that made it.

In 1969, Flood, a 12 year veteran for the Cardinals, a three-time all-star, was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for three ballplayers.

Philadelphia was the worst club in baseball, the last team to integrate, and the most unwelcoming. Fans shouted taunts and threats at Jackie Robinson. The team’s first black all-star Dick Allen was

virtually run out of Philly and was glad to be traded for Curt Flood.

Marvin Miller, who at the time was head of the Major League Baseball Players Association believed the way to challenge baseball’s antitrust exemption was through arbitration not legal battles.

But Flood approached Miller about the suing Major League baseball, then wrote a letter to acting commissioner Bowie Kuhn declaring himself a free agent. His request was rejected. On June 19, 1972, his case went to the Supreme Court. The court ruled 5-3 in favor of Major League Baseball.

Flood lost his career became an alcoholic and died of throat cancer in 1997.

However ,his battle uplifted the lives of other players. In 1975, a federal judge ruled that two players, Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally, who played without a contract for one year, were free agents.

That decision ushered in free agency in baseball as well as in other sports.

The Flood decision has been remembered as an embarrassment to the nation’s highest court. Flood’s sacrifice should be remembered as an act of great altruism.

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

Young People Today

By Jacqueline Turner Vendor In the year 2013, there are vast reasons for people to be confused. Technology has made people unable to socialize other than on the Internet. People get online and expose their most personal things.

Who wants to know who is doing who and how? Yet all these personal and disgusting things get top play.

The young people don’t seem to know the difference between good and bad.

The Miraculous Journey Vampires are good. One side of a woman’s head shaved is good. Pink or green or blue hair is good. Tattoos all over a woman’s body are good. Piercings are good. The raggedy look is good. Showing the top part of your butt to the crack is good, for both males and females. Saying curse words and calling each other curse words is normal.

Watching how other people live every day on reality TV shows is the most popular form of entertainment. Housewives, preachers’ wives, doctors’ wives, low-

income, low-education--all of them can become a reality TV star.

Lots of people are on meds to get up, to lay down, to be happy, and so on, with all the types of side effects. Then there are illegal drugs that are killing off all ages. And if that’s not enough, people are doing bath salts, smoking fake marijuana and all types of other craziness.

The children are watching and don’t know what to say or do. Is there any wonder that people are homeless? Confusion + no money + no help = homelessness.

thing. So happy birthday, Mom and Dad! It’s Phillip’s birthday again.

June 21 is the first day of summer. After surviving the long winter and selling Street Sense in the bitter cold, summertime is the best. It gives me the chance to go more places and see more of the attractions that Washington, DC has to offer.

18th and Constitution on the Mall is one of those places. People are flying kites, playing with frisbees, eating ice cream. It is so much fun to see. And since I’m the Cat in the Hat, people always want to take pictures of me. I sell lots of Street Sense papers that way. I know lots of other vendors

who, like me, enjoy summer because we can stay out longer selling papers. Lunch time is a great time, because more people will go out for lunch and they want to get out of the office to enjoy the weather. You get to meet more people, sell more papers and Street Sense vendors just love it.

To the new Street Sense vendors who are looking for the best spots to sell papers, here are a few ideas: 7th and Constitution Ave., the Tidal Basin, Ford’s Theater, and Chinatown. Remember, summertime is the best time. Let’s take advantage of it. My birthday and summer: my kind of time.

Summer Birthday

By Phillip Black Vendor, “The Cat in the Hat” June 19 is my birthday. June 21 is the first day of summer. I love celebrating my birthday. It’s the day my mom and dad gave birth to that crazy kid named Phillip Black. And even though they have both passed away, I know that they would be really proud of me for turning my life around. No matter how much I messed up or gave up on myself, they never turned their backs on me. And when it came to June 19, they made that day very special for me. They gave me the best of every-

By Carlton Johnson Vendor, “InkFlow” My explanation of this miraculous journey is eloquent, comprehensive, illuminating and amazing. As the world’s extraordinary interactions, unseen changes, untold timeless renewals and transformations are the makeup of countless populations.

The many nations’ diverse languages with the understanding of intellectual faculties and the treasures of divine dazzling beauty without room for stereotyping, negativity, war and racial divide intertwined, deeply rooted in space, with nowhere to run, no place to hide, rolled up in life’s miraculous momentum prosperity.

Refer to the totality to more strongly comprehend the influencing of mankind.

Imagine perfection, the immeasurable understanding of a world with with no reason for dangerous weapons, wars and the need for self-destruction; only normal conditions such as self-preservation, equality, freedom, justice and the infinite passion for life’s mysteries, compassion for the world and its countless creatures dwelling within my explanation of this miraculous journey.

BEFORE THE RAIN PT 24: ITS ALL IN THE RECORDZ, BABY- ‘TWAS MEANT T’HAPPEN THIS WAY!

By Chris Shaw Cowboy Poet Oooh! Aaaaah!! Lyndsey Pattison had no idea an Astros-Padres game could be so exciting. Maybe that cute, hunky Mr. Street may have been a factor, but what the hey. Loomis loomed large in her thoughts, and perhaps her breathless demeanor was a combination of fatigue, confusion and euphoric recall--

Hadn’t Lyndsey been an outstanding softballer on the Northwood High girls’ squad, back when?

“Loomis, Oh dear God, where art thou, Loomie...” If only Lyndsey knew, but an odd quirk was about to glean a better idea was to where this dude was. A seagull from the Ship Channel dive-bombed her, and snatched the cheap straw sun hat from her frazzled honey- ponytailed head.

Lyndsey stumbled out the overpass from Minute Maid Park, muttering like the pert, pixelated mad woman she had become-- “Aughh! Like that execrable SQUAWKING CHICKEN in Buras, now it’s a Dog-gone GULL! Aaaughh- I DETEST these dirty BIRDS!” Behind the stadium on Yarborough Lane, were a pair of sagging, tar paper covered lean-to shacks that had apparently evaded the massive slum clearance so prevalent in Houston.

“Gosh, it is HOT,”Lyndsey moaned, and nearly flung herself into the smaller, teepee-like structure she nearest her wobbling gait. An odd rush of cool air caught her full, and now she sank without too much effort into a squishy gold sofa. A tinkling, windchime sound caught her attention, and

without warning a tanned, dainty lady in heavy makeup and sporting a lavender bejeweled towel/turban stood over her.

“Velcome. I am Madam Brazoa, and I knew youm be heah,or should I say--” Here, Madam flashed a cell phone whose screen was now alit with strange characters-- yet fully familiar to our squirrelly social worker in distress--”Ah, should I say the RECORDS showed me you vere coming by..for a veesit, my deah..”

“Omigosh,” sputtered Miss Pattison, quite nonplussed. “The AKASHIC RECORDS! Those damnable THINGS foretold that--” “Yas. Dis is right,” purred the turbaned soothsayer. “The camp Town Races, Dooh-Dah... Do you know, vat diss meanss, my deah.”

“Well I probably should, but I do not-” “In New York City, there is another baseball man player. By de nime of DooDah. “Luks Du-Dah!” Lyndsey’s eyes got pie-plate wide. “Another Ball player? But what about Loomis.

My LOOMIS!” “Yass,” Madam Brazoa’s eyes got misty and faraway in their focus. “He is there.

You were meant to Rass-cure Heem!”

Lyndsey fumbled through her bag fran-

tically. “I must SAVE him, but these cards(she flung them about carelessly) are maxed out. What’ll I do?”

“Here, my take this gold coin. Go down to Schlegel’s Pawn, you vill haff enughh to--” Lyndsey wailed pathetically, “B-but, I can’t do THAT--” “No,” the old woman droned on insistently, “De Great God, Mithra, he say so--So You MUST..”

Next we see Lyndsey stumbling down Broadway, as if in a trance, examining the strange lumpy gold disk of ancient vintage. At Schlegel’s we leve her, as..

On Mott Street, in New York’s Chinatown, Chang, Ovetta Rheems’ saturnine driver parts the arras, to reveal Loomis, cradled in Ovetta’s velvet-clad lap. They are taking turns, slurping Won Tons and kissing wildly. Ovetta purrs, “So Loomy. Whaddya think, eh?”

“Mmf, good! But I need to find Lyndsey and git back to N’awlins where I belong!”

Miss Rheems glared icily at Chang.

“He’s still delirious, See? So what do we do now.”

Chang replied drily, “Only one thing to do at this time...”

(to be continued)

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The Mysterious Masonic Ring

STREET SENSE June 5 - 18, 2013

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FICTION

Chapter 5: The Secrets of the Ring (cont’d)

By John Matthews Vendor, “Mick” Previously: Bill receives three hundred dollar bills from a fellow Mason, who tells him, “It’s all in the box.” Over dinner at Ruby Tuesday, he tells Kittie about this curious good fortune, but she pushes it aside, grateful for the meal. Bill cannot get the Mason’s words out of his head though, and becomes curious about the mysterious box...

I pulled out the ring box and started examining it closely. Opening the box, I noticed a tiny cardboard tab protruding between the side of the box and the black velvet on which the ring had previously rested. Clutching the tab between the nails of my thumb and forefinger, I pulled up on it, revealing that the velvet was discreetly glued to a piece of cardboard that slipped right out of the box. Underneath was a piece of white paper, folded over and over on itself, forming a one-inch square at the bottom of the box. Plucking out the paper

with my thumbnail, I carefully unfolded it and read what was written: “The shadow of freedom points your way, in the morning sun atop the dome of New Rome, where the image of the Worshipful Master defied; showing the 555 steps which begins your journey to the phallic symbol dedicated to his memory.”

Shadow of Freedom? I thought, 555 steps? Worshipful Master defied?

I think Masonic here is Bill. You’re in the Mason’s world now, think like it. And then I knew, just like that. A light bulb went off in my head, and I just knew. With a devious smile, I read the clue out loud to Kittie.

“Shadow of Freedom?! New Rome?!”

Kittie exclaimed, “What’s all this supposed to mean?”

“The way I see it, this poem is a message telling us we need to go somewhere.”

ISOTOPIA

By Ibn Hipps Vendor

The life of goodness revealed. While at work, Josh sneaks some workout time.

Exercise: push-ups, sit-ups, crunches. And he’s still able to complete his security work at the same time. The prayers and chants got him ready, mentally and physically.

Josh feels proud that God chose him and his family. As Josh works, he thinks about how it is most important not to cross family members. A strong man and a strong woman equals a strong family household and strong family values. This is very important to the one God. That’s the reason he sent the human-like child to Josh and his family, because of their strong family values and love for each other. To the evil forces, that type of power, within a family household, is impenetrable. The one God gave the first Isotopian male a female partner, one to equal a great force of power and love, a gift from the one God himself.

Josh thinks about the one God as he works and tones up his body.

Leaving work, Josh realizes that he must meet with the Secret Circle of Love. He rides down the highway that has crazy wicked turns, a highway that’s not even on the map of the city of Isotopia. Leaning back in his 280 XZ, Josh knows the Circle is not happy with his decision to keep the human-like child a secret. Powerful storms, hurricanes and earthquakes have destroyed half of the world of Isotopia. Maliki is now 7 years old, and things have gotten much stranger. Josh and his family are used to

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it. For 7 years, they went through dreams, visions, sleepless nights, and strange happenings around the world - and in their neighborhood, and in their schools. The storm has cleaned half of Isotopia, spic and span, through natural disasters.

As Josh drives at high speed, he hasn’t been questioning his faith in forgiveness.

Since the baby has been with him and his family, he doesn’t wonder about forgiveness of his past sins anymore. He knows they are forgiven because of his mission from God to find his way at the end of an ultimate battle between good and evil: physically, mentally and spiritually Josh knows his mission is here. The winner takes all. And the loser, well, he just loses. And in the city of Isotopia, all thoughts of evil just vanish, erased. Vamoose! Adios Amigos! Because the one God is that powerful.

Josh knows the battle sums it all up, the truth will be revealed! Josh pushes the pedal to the metal on highway Strive 77 drive, up to the secret headquarters of the Secret Circle of Love. A most important meeting, Josh knows he must attend.

Though everything Josh went through, he already made up his mind: he’s not telling any lies to the Circle. The baby is 7, and things have gotten worse than ever before. Josh knows he needs all the help he can get, and the Secret Circle of Love is perfect for the job. Since everyone in the Circle has survived all the storms and earthquakes, Josh thinks to himself, “this must be the truth.”

Josh enters the meeting. (to be continued)

“But where?” Kittie asked.

“Well, it seems to be written in the language of Masonic symbology as it relates to D.C. geography. Freedom… atop of the dome of New Rome. It sounds like a reference to the U.S. Capitol building to me,” I explained.

“Okay, smartass, how’d you come to that conclusion?” Kittie retorted playfully.

This was typical of Kittie who is often annoyed of my knowledge of trivial facts, when we both know damn good and well, it’s part of her attraction to me.

“Let’s start with the ‘Shadow of Freedom.’ Note that Freedom is capitalized, like a proper name. And it sits atop the dome of New Rome. Follow me so far?”

“Sure, but we’re on the other side of the world from Italy,” she responded, “and I’ve never heard of a ‘New Rome’ anywhere in the world.”

“Ah, now here’s an interesting part of American history the common man tends to ignore,” I began to answer. “The Founding Fathers were in love with a lot of the ideals that came out of the pre-

imperial Roman Republic. It turns out that the working name for the Federal City that the Constitution called for to be the capital of the young nation was “Nova Roma,” or New Rome. It’s why so many of the older federal buildings downtown are based on Greco-Roman architecture, to go with the New Rome theme.”

“So ‘New Rome’ is D.C. but what’s the deal with Freedom’s Shadow?” she asked.

“Well, atop the dome of the U.S. Capitol building is a statue of a woman, often mistaken for a Native American princess, but in fact dressed in the manner of a Greco-Roman goddess. Her name is Freedom,” I responded.

“So we need to go to the Capitol?” she asked, “So why all the other references, and what is this about a Worshipful Master?”

“No, the Capitol is just the clue which points to where we have to go. I’ll get back to that part in a minute,” I started.

“The Worshipful Master is a reference to George Washington himself.” (to be continued)

Gayle arrives in LA

Part 2

By Gwynnette Smith Vendor The story so far: After finishing law school Gayle Tyler came to LA to work in the Office of Legal Aid. She found a nice room at the Loma YWCA. She still must pass the California Bar Exam.

After settling in at the Y, Gayle got ready to start her job. Finally, it was time to report downtown to the Legal Aid Office. Her supervisor, Mr. Esposito, showed her around. She would be trained for about two months, then take time off to study for the bar, and then come back, sharing clients with another attorney until the bar results came out. If she passed her tests, she would have her own clients.

She started off training under a Mrs. Jackson, a very competent middle-aged woman who seemed used to helping young lawyers get started.

Finally, the good news came. Gayle had passed the bar exam, would be a fullfledged attorney and would have clients of her own.

She settled in with the cases she was to handle. One of them, a young man named Sam, was a cute fourteen-year old with the brightest eyes and an infectious smile; Gayle liked him right away.

They laughed and kidded around. He was a sweet kid. They’d get lunch together in the courthouse cafeteria sometimes, when his case was before the court. She often thought that she felt somewhat of a friendship with him. She had told him a

certain amount about herself.

Sam’s case was resolved. An informant had gotten charges against him dropped by implicating Sam in a crime and the case against Sam was weak after that.

Time passed. One day, Sam pushed through a crowd in the waiting area, came into Gayle’s office, slammed the door and demanded that she listen to him right then. He had a backpack and took it off. He reached inside and pulled out a gun. “This here killed one of those cops,” he said. “They’re looking for it. I’m dropping it off with you. It can’t come up at the trial. It’s on you now.” He then left.

Gayle had never faced a situation similar to this one. “What should I do”, she thought. Maybe she could tell Mrs. Jackson or Mr. Esposito? But they might see her as a problem. They might think something she had done with Sam could have caused this problem. Also, there was something about Sam’s threat that made her believe she would be in danger if anything came up about the weapon.

Gayle worked on her other cases and kept more of a distance from her clients.

She met people at the Y and convinced a group of girls there to go out for dinner one night on the refurbished Queen Mary.

It was supposed to be splendid. Everyone wanted to see inside it, even more than they wanted to see Marilyn Monroe’s house that was now open to tourists.

(to be continued)

Thrifty Dish Challenge Matt Loftus Challenge Judge The most successful recipe, given nutritional value and budgetary needs,is the beef and stuffing recipe submitted by reader Angela Shock. This recipecaptures the two key components of eating a healthy meal at a veryminimal cost.

These two main components included both proficiency in the kitchen as well as at the checkout line. The high cost protein-rich component, ground beef ($3.49), is nicely supported by the low cost convenience items -- the stuffing mix and the salsa. Purchasing all ingredients separately to create the stuffing and salsa from scratch would drive your overall cost way up while not necessar-

ily providing more nutritional intake. In addition, these convenience items will have an extended shelf life if you were to adjust the amount of each you use in Angela’s original recipe. By doing this, you have now created an extension of what you originally spent in terms of ingredients and you will now have them available for use in further meals.

In keeping with this theme, frozen vegetables are also a great idea for any low cost nutritional meal. These vegetables (broccoli, spinach, peas, beans, carrots, etc.) retain their nutritional value by being frozen-fresh. They also have the added benefit of a long shelf life. By returning the vegetables you do not use to the freezer, you will have less waste due to spoilage. As far as the cooking profi-

- Special Thanks to our Professional Judge Matt Loftus is a Native Washingto-

nian and product of the D.C. public school system (Brent, Hardy and Woodrow Wilson.

“As a graduate of Drexel University and the Culinary Institute of America, my path has lead to vocations in Boston, New York, Lake Tahoe, and Washington, D.C. working in various restaurants. With more than 15 years of experience, I look forward to a new adventure in combining my love of cooking with sharing the value of nutrition and healthy diet with others.

An active fan and participant of all things food and Washington, D.C..”

MicroGreens is an innovative pro-

gram that works with schools and nonprofit organizations to educate children and low-income families about how to make healthy choices based on a government-supplemented food budget. Through 1 class a week over an 8-week period, MicroGreens fellows showcase how anyone can shop for, prepare, and enjoy a healthy meal based on a total budget of $3.50 per meal for a family of 4. Microgreens is actively recruiting volunteers and interns for the the fall teaching semester. www.Microgreensproject.org

ciency component, try to focus on learning how to create meals using cheaper, larger protein choices. Buying beef top round at $ 2.89 a pound would make a nice cost cutting option for Angela’s recipe. This would allow more room in the meal’s budget for other healthy additions such as vegetables. These larger and cheaper choices (such as using a whole pork shoulder versus cuts of pork or a whole chicken versus chicken parts) in the proteins that you purchase will almost always call for longer, slower cooking times. Lastly, always remember to incorporate your soup-making recipes into your budget. Soup is a great vehicle to get the most nutritional value out of the products you buy and of course water is free.

W

BEEF AND STUFFING

By Angela Shock

 1/lb of ground beef ($3.49)  1 small box of stuffing mix any flavor; no cornbread stuffing! ($1.09)

Ingredients to Prepare Stuffing  1 egg ($.08)  4 tablespoons of salsa  leftover shredded cheese - just a sprinkle will do

Directions 1. mix stuffing as per the instructions.

2. add uncooked ground beef to the stuffing mix 3. roll into 4-6 balls (or more depend ing how big you want them to be 4. place balls in a greased muffin pan 5. make indentations in the balls, and fill with salsa 6. bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Other Thrifty Selections

Kielbasa and Rice

Pulled Pork Sandwich with Pickled Carrots

 1 green pepper, chopped ($0.89)  1 onion, chopped ($0.50)  Kielbasa (pre-cooked), cut into chunks on a slant ($2.99)  1 cup rice ($0.22)  28oz canned tomatoes (do not drain) ($0.22)

   

Price = $5.60 Directions 1. Stir all together.

2. Bake at 300-350F for 1 - 2 hours.

3. The dish may need more water, check at half hour intervals.

Courtesy of Microgreens

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil ($0.06) 8 slices whole wheat bread ($1.28 4 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar ($0.08) 4 teaspoons hot sauce ($0.12)

   

By Reginald Black Vendor

N N ER IN

I’ve made these a few times and they are tasty and will store well for leftover lunch the next day.

By Rebecca Stewart

Elks Lodge

4 Tablespoons Soy sauce ($0.39) 4 carrots ($0.60) 4 Tablespoons water ($0.00) 2 Pounds pork shoulder ($2.21)

Price = $4.74 Directions 1. Place pork shoulder meat in a medium pot or crock pot along with soy sauce. Add just enough water to cover and cook on medium heat for about 2-3 hours or until tender.

2. While pork is cooking peel and thinly slice carrots.

3. Submerge carrots into water and cider vinegar. Allow to marinate for one hour and up to one week.

4. Remove pork from cooking liquid saving cooking liquid for other recipes.

5.Shred pork with a fork and combine with hot sauce.

6. Divide pork evenly among four sandwiches and top with the marinated carrots.

On Saturday, June 1, the Columbia Elks Lodge held its annual breakfast for the homeless. Although I was not able to make the service beforehand, being that I got lost, it was a good experience. The menu consisted of sausage, grits, eggs, homestyle biscuits, coffee and tea. The food was amazing and it was a great feeling to enjoy a ten-star meal with some of the guys who stay at Adam’s Place Shelter.

I hope next year I can see more of this annual event, but for now it is great not to have missed a really good meal.

A Fathers’ Day Meal

By Phillip A. Howard Vendor A father’s time of joy, A child’s smile of encouragement.

A father’s time with family, A wife’s moment to cry with love.

Parents’ time to razzle and dazzle, And dance the night away.

Happy Father’s Day

Country Wild Recipe (Perfect for Father’s Day)

 1-bowl of hot grits (with butter)  2-slices of raisin toast (plain)  2-slices of smoked country bacon (West Virginia)  1-egg, scrambled well (a little milk added)  1-cup of coffee or tea (one packet of Equal)

Service Spotlight: Mercy Ministries

COMMUNITY SERVICES

By Reginald Black Vendor, “Da’ street reportin’ Artist” You can find bright spots in every corner of the District. Usually these are people and organizations helping their peers. Sometimes, though, that bright spot may come from an area that is not a part of the city. One example is the Church of the Nazarene.

Based in Woodbridge, Va., the church helps those facing poverty in D.C. through its Mercy Ministries program. Its mission is to clothe, feed and minister to the physical and spiritual needs of the unsheltered on the streets of the District and in eastern Prince William County. On the first Saturday of each month the ministry comes to the District to serve 200 homeless people by providing meals, seasonal clothing and toiletries and by providing love and compassion to those in need.

Academy of Hope: 269-6623 601 Edgewood St, NE aohdc.org

15

STREET SENSE June 20 - july 2 , 2013

In addition, a Night of Hope is held every year in the District on the last Saturday night in June. On the Night of Hope, the Mercy Ministry goes beyond its regular outreach efforts and provides a shower truck, barber shop and first aid station, as well as live performances and supplies of all sorts.

The Mercy Ministry also has a food gleaning network to gather and distribute food to the community.

The Ministry also provides clothing to local shelters and emergency assistance. The Mercy Ministry also holds seasonal free yard sales to reach out to the community to provide the opportunity to fill their clothing needs for each season at no cost to anyone.

Community of Hope: 232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

Housing/Shelter

Clothing

Outreach

Transportation

Education

Legal Assistance

Food

Showers

Medical/Healthcare

Laundry

Employment Assistance DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH ACCESS HOTLINE 1-888-7WE HELP (1-888-793-4357)

SHELTER HOTLINE: 1–800–535–7252 Martha’s Table: 328-6608 2114 14th St, NW marthastable.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Catholic Charities: 772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp

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

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

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

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

Central Union Mission 745-7118 1350 R Street, NW missiondc.org

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

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

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

Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place: 364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave, NW cchfp.org

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

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

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

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

Gospel Rescue Ministries: 842-1731 810 5th St, NW grm.org

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

John Young Center: 639-8569 119 D Street, NW

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

Open Door Shelter: 639-8093 425 2nd St, NW newhopeministriesdc.org/id3.html

Rachel’s Women’s Center: 682-1005 1222 11th St, NW rachaels.org

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

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

Subscribe to Street Sense 1 Year: $40 2 Years: $80 3 Years: $120 I want half of my purchase to benefit a vendor directly Vendor Name Vendor Badge # Name

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

Address Phone

VENDOR PROFILE: STEPHEN THOMAS

God Is Doing His Work Through You

By Angela Harvey Editorial Intern

By Veda Simpson Vendor

If you ask Stephen Thomas his favorite place in D.C. he will tell you it is Eastern Market. There, he sells Street Sense and his outgoing personality allows him to engage in conversations with people from various backgrounds, learning from differences and discovering common bonds.

“I meet a lot of people from all different countries. They tell me about their culture and what’s going on in their government,” Thomas said. “I’m learning a lot just by being out there communicating with people while selling the paper.”

While at the market, Thomas, 24, looks for opportunities to help people while also earning money. He sees himself as a “people person” who is able to capitalize on his friendliness by making money helping vendors unpack and set up their products.

Eastern Market provides a change in environment from the Southeast where Thomas and his three sisters were raised by their grandmother, and where he currently lives with his aunt. He considers himself to be homeless because of the housing uncertainty he faces, but is thankful he has not needed stay in a shelter.

“My living situation is not stable. At any given time my aunt will put me out and I have to go look for somewhere to lay my head.”

Despite the ups and downs, he credits his supportive family with helping him make it through a difficult childhood. His mother died from AIDS when he was just six years old, and his father died from the same disease while in prison when Thomas was 12. There were times during his adolescence when his grandmother could tell he was struggling with his emotions and offered to get him counseling, but Thomas said he always fought against it.

“Not having a bond with my mother and father growing up was hard. But, for some

reason I thought I could deal with it on my own. I had a lot of anger at a young age. I would get into fights, skip school and do a lot of things that I shouldn’t have done.”

The importance of having parents involved in a child’s life has taken on new meaning to Thomas now that his girlfriend is three months pregnant and he is expecting his first child in December.

“Once I found out I was going to be a father, it made me realize that I have no time to waste. Every day I need to do something productive to better myself,” Thomas said.

He is looking for full-time employment while also pursuing his GED. He plans on enrolling in a trade school to study carpentry, a skill he picked up in the past while working odd jobs in construction, or to become a truck driver. He plans to instill the importance of education in his child and looks forward to helping with homework and school projects.

“I want to teach my child from an early age to focus on school. I want my child to go to college and start a new tradition in my family where all the kids go to college.”

Thomas says he has developed a new interest in learning and expanding his thinking. Reading and writing have become his hobbies, and he hopes to contribute articles to the paper about his favorite subject: sports.

Thomas says he follows all sports except for soccer. Like many Washingtonians, he is a fan of the Redskins and the Wizards. But unlike most fans, his love for the Nationals and the Capitals is displayed in ink. He has a tattoo of the Nationals logo on his right upper arm and the Capitals logo on his chest.

Looking towards the future, Thomas remains optimistic, believing that he is in control of his own destiny.

“If you are motivated and determined, you can overcome your situation no matter what it is,” Thomas says. “But you have to want it. You can’t just sit and talk about it, you have to get up and push yourself to do it.”

June 19 - July 2, 2013 • Volume 10• Issue 16

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW

Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Washington, DC

Washington, DC 20005

Mail To:

Permit #568

Remember, buy only from badged vendors and do not give to those panhandling with

in vain. Help when needed because God is doing his work through you. So work, for the night is coming.

Lord, I’ll go if the Lord needs somebody … Here I am, send me!

At this day and time, God needs us to be fishermen of men. Don’t do things looking for a reward. I am speaking to my co-workers. The vendor managers have to say if you come to a meeting, you’ll get 30 free papers. Help us unload the truck and you’ll get 30 free papers.

Writers’ Group gets you 10 free papers.

Help a new vendor, you get free papers.

Be a V.I.P., and you get free papers.

Heck, all of these things are for your benefit. So why in God’s creation do we have to give you something? If you didn’t come to a meeting, you wouldn’t know what’s going on with this organization.

If you don’t unload the truck, you would have nothing to work with. Without Writers’ Group, you wouldn’t learn the skills to know how to write. Helping new vendors--somebody helped you! And if you’re a V.I.P., someone has to be the voice for the vendors to the management.

The Lord needs you to step up to the plate. As for everyone else... God needs us to volunteer at shelters, orphanages, hospitals, old folks’ homes, etc. He wants us to give of yourself unconditionally. Our lives were never ours from the beginning.

We were put here for a purpose. It says if I can help someone, then my living is not

A Poem for my Business

By Evelyn Nnam, Vendor With Street Sense, I sell newspapers to people around me and I enjoy doing that. Sometimes I may have conversations with them and they go on. Many of the stories in the Street Sense newspaper talk about the homeless and how we can help them to live better and have homes that are comfortable for them. The other parts of the newspaper talk about the relevant events that are going on in the country and the environment. Vendors also write something in the newspaper about current events or other things in their lives. Street Sense is what I do every Monday to Friday.

Street Sense is a business that I enjoy doing, no matter what. The rain, snow, or sun will not stop me from doing my work diligently and consistently. I like Street Sense. I look out for my co-workers and for my customers. I have done Street Sense for five years and am enjoying myself. I love the work I am doing and hope more people come and join the team like I did. It’s something that you can learn from.

Ask Yourself: What Have I Done Lately?

By L. Morrow Vendor He once walked this earth. He was homeless. In fact, he was stoned once on a corner. Only one person helped him! Was that you?

A homeless man carried a cross for half a mile. He was laughed at, cursed at, spit on and stoned. Only a few, during that half-mile walk, cried out with their hands out to help him. Some came to him to carry that cross. Some wet his head, their hands out to him to clean the blood running down his body!

He was carrying the burden of the homeless of the world!

You were in that crowd of watchers.

What did you do?

Now you see his image in 2013, carrying bags, pushing a shopping cart with all his worldly belongings, bedded down near a bank or a money machine, sleeping on the sidewalks of America as you walk by. Yes, these are God’s children. They are carrying the burden of the homeless on that half mile walk!

Ask yourself. Where am I in that crowd of watchers? Did I reach out to help? Or did I just look the other way? Remember -- you could be walking that half mile. No one is exempt from that walk! Did I come forward to help?

This is 2013 and he is still walking that half mile with his children! Ask yourself.

What have I done lately? Or now? Love God, love yourself and share some love.

Bless you all.

one paper.

Phillip Black - 6/19 Interested in a subscription? Go to page 15 for more information.