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S L L A T S 5

Homeless Man’s Murder goes unsolved, pg 3

Americans With Disabilities

Y L L N University Food Insecurity U O remedied by George Mason student, pg 7 I F T S A S C E I C F I C R U S NT E Y T G I N N U W M TO M A O N I C H C face additional barriers to housing, pg 4

G P

McM ill prepa an Park r chang es for e years after 28 o stagn f ation

pg 8

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COVER ART A July 20 event rallied community members in support of Museum Square tenants’ affordable housing.

PHOTOS BY MARK THAYER, DESIGN BY RAZI BERESIN-SCHER

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STREET SENSE July 29 - August 11, 2015

3

NEWS

The corner at St. Luke’s where Joel regularly slept, where he was killed.

PHOTO BY COLLEEN COSGRIFF

A bench at Georgetown Ministry Center dedicated to Yoshia Nakada, who was murdered in 2008 at age 61. PHOTO BY COLLEEN COSGRIFF

Georgetown Man Remembered for Quiet Integrity

By Colleen Cosgriff Editorial Intern Joel Johnson Jr. was fatally stabbed where he regularly slept: the porch of Saint Luke’s on the 3600 block of Calvert Street NW, D.C. on Friday, July 17, just past 10 p.m. He was 53.

Few people knew Joel Johnson personally. He was a quiet, reserved man. He made an effort to keep to himself. At the time of his death, Johnson was homeless and regularly visited the Georgetown Ministry Center (GMC) to use the Wi-Fi. He rarely spoke to anyone, but had a routine of sitting in the same corner whenever he visited.

Those who met Johnson at GMC said they learned more about him from attending his funeral service than they ever did from speaking to him. Roy Witherspoon, GMC’s Director of Outreach, remembers Johnson as quiet but not without a sense of humor.

“He kept to himself, but he would be in the corner cracking a big smile if something funny was going on,” Witherspoon said.

Johnson’s family knew of his achievements and his hobbies, but did not know he was experiencing homelessness. He studied Fine Arts at East Tennessee State University, ran track and was a photographer. In a July 5 article, The Washington Post reported that Johnson lost his job in 2011 or 2012, when the store he processed film for closed. Johnson then lost his apartment. He chose not to tell his family he was homeless and kept his social media accounts so well updated, his family didn’t realize he was sleeping on the porch of Saint Luke’s.

John Mead, one of Johnson’s only close acquaintances, described him as a person of integrity. The two men often shared sodas, which Mead said were Johnson’s favorite drinks.

“He never took more than his share,” Mead told Street Sense. “Other people

would try to get more or be greedy. But not him.”

Despite Johnson’s recent death, Mead doesn’t feel any more unsafe than usual.

Several GMC guests echoed this sentiment.

Over the last fifteen years there have been more than 1,400 hate crimes against homeless people by housed people, according to a National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) report. Of those, 17 percent resulted in death. Victims of hate crimes against homeless people are often middle-aged men, according to the report. In 2013, 90 percent of homeless victims were male and the average age was 44.

While the motive for each attack is not always evident, some attacks were deemed opportunistic and committed because the person experiencing homelessness was more vulnerable. Those at GMC who knew Johnson do not believe he had a feud or tension with anyone else Johnson’s death was a surprise given his quiet nature, but the acts of violence against people experiencing homelessness were not.

“It is common for people to get robbed when they sleep, they’re constantly losing their important things overnight while sleeping,” said Gunther Stern, the Executive Director at GMC. During an interview with Street Sense, Stern described two other GMC regulars who were killed, Ronald Winsor and Yoshio Nakada. Both men experienced homelessness at the time of their deaths. A bench in the courtyard of the GMC has been dedicated to Nakada’s memory. Neither his nor Winsor’s case has been solved.

“I don’t think there is a priority to solve these cases. I haven’t see that it’s a priority,” Stern said.

The police have not released any further information regarding Johnson’s case at this time, but ask that anyone with information regarding Johnson’s death come forward. Saint Luke’s is a sleeping spot for many homeless in the District, though

none of the other people who slept there on July 17 have reported any leads on Johnson’s death.

“Someone knows something and they haven’t come forward. Too many people were there to not see anything,” Mead said.

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said that they are still actively pursuing Johnson’s case.

“This is being investigated as a homicide. The Metropolitan Police Department investigates all homicides,” an MPD officer said when asked if Johnson’s case is a priority for The Department.

Johnson slept in the corner of the porch at Saint Luke’s, similar to his habitual corner spot at GMC. A week after his death, both Johnson’s corner and the porch are empty. Two bouquets of roses rest in front of the entrance, already wilted. Flyers asking people to report any information

on the circumstances of Johnson’s death to the MPD are hung on the walls of the porch. “Joel’s Life Mattered” is printed on them. His name will be read at this year’s Homeless Memorial Day vigil.

“I don’t want to remember Joel as a homeless man. He was a gentle man who came to our Center almost every day.

He was polite, reserved, and certainly a man of few words. Though we never got to know him well, we all liked him and thought of him as a positive addition to our program,” Stern wrote in statement posted on the GMC website in memory of Johnson.

The Metropolitan Police Department asks that anyone with information on Joel’s death call 202-727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s Text Tip Line by messaging 50411.

“Joel’s Life mattered” flyer. PHOTO BY COLLEEN COSGRIFF

Unaccessible Housing and Shelters Commonplace for People with Disabilities

Cincinnati celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. PHOTO COURTESY OF ALLY KRAMER/TWITTER

By Megan Panagopoulos Editorial Intern In 2001, the District was sued in Young et al v. D.C. Housing Authority. The government was left under court order to provide more handicap and wheelchair accessible public housing. Much of this was provided in the form of single bedroom apartments. Now, as the number of homeless families grows steadily, it’s increasingly more difficult to find a handicap accessible unit for more than one person.

There is no such requirement for private landlords that provide affordable housing by accepting Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers.

“Over the last few years, the government has put an emphasis into housing

people with disabilities though subsides,” Amber Harding, the program director of David M. Booth Disability Rights Initiative, said. “But when the time comes, it’s hard to actually find houses that are handicap accessible.”

Units that are wheelchair accessible are very hard to find and units without stairs are virtually non-existent, according to Harding.

Options remain limited as the affordable housing stock continues to decline.

The District lost 25,000 low-cost apartments — units with a monthly rent of $800 or less — between 2002 to 2013, reports DC Fiscal Policy Institute (DCFPI), cutting

the total number of units in half, according to a report from the (DCFPI) The housing crisis is widespread, with local rents growing far faster than incomes for most renters. In 2013, the typical income of a middle class citizen rose $4,000, but this increase was completely negated as rents for the median-priced apartments rose $5,000, according to the DCFPI report.

Chronically homeless people have been most affected by the crisis. A chronically homeless person has experienced homelessness consistently or very frequently for over a year, and generally has a physical or mental health disability. Recently, government funding has shifted towards ending chronic homelessness.

President Obama’s 2016 fiscal year budget requests included a $265 million increase for The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Homeless Assistance Grants. If approved by Congress, this would work to end chronic homelessness in 2017 by creating supportive housing communities. In the long run, this act would save money by cutting down on emergency services and shelter costs.

In the meantime, many disabled homeless people wait for permanent housing solutions in shelters, where conditions are not much better.

“I see a lot of people with various health conditions--knee pain, back pain, other various chronic pain conditions-having a hard time because of the way shelters are run,” Harding said. “You must walk up and down stairs, wait in line, and perform other actions people with chronic

pain just can’t.”

Attorney Will Merrifield believes that all people have a human right to housing, and one of the major problems in getting a roof over everyone’s head is the unbending nature of the rules and regulations regarding shelters and housing.

“If there’s no money at the time, there’s nothing that can be done,” Merrifield said. “You can have the most disabled, sick homeless person on their death bed, but the system is just like ‘too bad, that’s the way it works.’”

While people suffering from mental and cognitive disabilities don’t require handicap accessible housing, there are other barriers that hinder them.

According to Harding, homeless people suffering from cognitive conditions such as depression, dementia, or ADD often struggle with landlord discrimination or an inability to navigate barriers to housing such as obtaining a birth certificate or social security number.

July 26 marked the 25-year anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was created to remove discrimination against disabled people in many areas -- including housing. Yet Harding and Merrifield agree that in order to create a comfortable limbo between housing for people with disabilities, the professional culture needs to change.

“We need to treat people as individuals, not as a large group,” Harding said.

“We manage behavior rather than serve people. People with disabilities are being denied there legal rights due to the fear of a ‘slippery slope of exceptions.”

Local Faith Community Anticipates Arrival of Pope Francis

By Megan Panagopoulos, Editorial Intern On Wednesday July 22, Cardinal Donald Wuerl from the Archdiocese of Washington and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington President and CEO John Enzler announced a joint campaign of service to prepare for the pope’s arrival in September.

“There are three simple ways to do this. When you take the pledge you’re saying that I’m going to pray/learn until the pope arrives, I’m going to perform a service of some form or other, or I’m going to do something to actively help those in need,” said Monsignor Enzler.

Cardinal Wherl stressed that the Walk With Francis Pledge is open to all members of the D.C area, regardless of religion, orientation or background. He spoke highly of Pope Francis’ ability to

include everyone and the Pledge’s asks of service to the poor and care for human.

Individuals, families, and groups can participate by pledging to pray, serve, or act – and documenting their pledge progress on social media. Upon Pope Francis’ arrival, Cardinal Wuerl will present him with a collection of every single post and pledge. If anyone does not have access to social media, pledges can be recorded manually and turned into local parishes.

Cardinal Wherl’s hope for this campaign is that it will bring the community together in preparation for the pope’s visit. The name, Walk with Francis, represents inclusivity where the community, not just members of the Catholic Church, can come together for the greater good.

“Frankly, I couldn’t be more excited and honored that Pope Francis is coming here to celebrate our work,” Monsignor Enzler said.

Catholic Charities provides clothing, shelter, and health programs to over 120,000 people in the Washington metropolitan area each year. Monsignor Enzler pledged to spend a night with homeless people between now and September to be able to truly get a glimpse of what they are up against.

Robert Crawford, a formerly homeless man who frequents Catholic Charities, also took a pledge.

“My pledge is help out someone who is trying real hard to get back on their feet.

Because I’ve been there and done that and I know the struggle.” said Crawford.

Cardinal Donald Wuerl (left) and Catholic Charities CEO John Enzler announce plans for Pope Francis’ arrival.

PHOTO BY MEGAN PANAGOPOULOS

STREET SENSE July 29 - August 11, 2015

5

COVER STORY

Symbolic Fight to Preserve Affordable Housing Continues in the District

Andy Shallal (right) watches as Jasmine (left) tells the audience that she hopes to continue living in Museum Square. PHOTO BY MARK THAYER.

By Mark Thayer Editorial Intern The temperature continued to rise as a crowd gathered inside the 5th & K Street Busboys and Poets on Monday, July 20.

Over 100 local tenants, business owners and other active community members heeded Busboy’s owner Andy Shallal’s call to fight for affordable housing.

“Museum Square stays! Museum Square stays!” the excited crowd chanted.

Museum Square, a 302-unit subsidized housing complex located at 401 K Street NW, has had an uncertain future since the property’s developer, Virginia-based Bush Companies, decided it would not renew the complex’s Section 8 contract that expires in October of this year. In June 2014, Bush Companies informed the residents of Museum Square that the company would no longer be accepting government subsidies for low-income housing.

According to Christine Goodman, a spokesperson for the D.C. Housing Authority, residents that face displacement, due to Bush Companies opting out of its Section 8 contract and pursing the development of multi-family housing and market-priced apartments, will receive Enhanced Housing Choice Vouchers that may provide more opportunities for relocation. The D.C. Housing Authority will also offer unit

search assistance for families upon request through its Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Counseling Program.

Monday’s event at Busboys and Poets was co-sponsored by Think Local First DC and Jews United for Justice, to celebrate Museum Square tenants’ combined efforts with the community to advocate for the protection of their homes. Residents of Museum Square were given the opportunity to speak out in defense of their homes, and were met with overwhelming support from all in attendance.

Jasmine, a young resident of Museum Square, pleaded for support in protecting her home. She expressed her hopes of remaining in the home she’s grown up in all her life.

“Do not underestimate our resilience!” said another Museum Square tenant Omeed Tabiei, who worked closely on this event for Think Local First DC, mobilized the local business community in support of the event. Sweetgreen, Mandu, and Baked and Wired each made large donations of food. They were eager to help their neighbors in the fight to maintain their home in the community, explained Tabiei.

“The goal of this event was really to

bring the residents together, and through love among the greater community, empower [Museum Square residents] to stand up for themselves and take it from there,” Tabiei said. “It’s events like this that we hope will push the tenants along and help form the solidarity they need.”

Monday’s event showed that the Museum Square residents are not alone in their fight against this case of gentrification. Museum Square has been in the public eye because of its location, diverse tenant population, and standing as one of the last fully subsidized housing complexes in the area.

But it is far from the only property in the District facing this issue. Chinatown’s Wah Luck House also offers affordable housing, but has a Section 8 contract that is up for renewal this year, while the Columbia Heights neighborhood is facing rapidly increasing gentrification as well.

District law obligates Bush Companies to first offer the property for sale to the residents under the Rental Housing Conversion and Sale Act of 1980, specifically regarding the defined Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), before pursuing plans to raze the property. TOPA requires that owners of a housing accommodation must provide tenants with an opportunity to purchase the accommodation at a price representative of a bona fide offer of sale.

Bush Companies offered Museum Square at a price of $250 million—equating to more than $800,000 per unit—a sum well surpassing the current market value and any projected near-future value. In 2014 the property was assessed at just over $36 million, according to the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue. The value of the Museum Square property did increase to $42 million in a 2015 assessment, and is projected to receive an assessment of $43

million in 2016, which remains well below the Bush Companies offer.

The $250 million offer of sale was based on a projected value for potential redevelopment plans, determined by Bush Companies—who could not be reached for comment. The real estate market trends in the area raise the question of whether or not the $250 million offer was indeed genuine. In the Mount Vernon Square, Chinatown and Penn Quarter areas, the median listing price for real estate is $520,000—with only few listings reaching above $800,000.

Tenants have found success in court. In April 2015, the D.C. Superior Court ruled that the rights of the tenants—regarding TOPA—were violated due to the extravagant offer price. Bush Companies is in the process of appealing that decision.

An emergency resolution to improve TOPA was proposed by D.C. Councilmember Anita Bonds on July 13, and passed unanimously by the Council. The legislation clarifies what a bona fide offer is and defines tenants’ right to seek independent appraisals if they believe a proposed offer is too high. Barry Weise, Councilmember Bonds’ legislative director, explained the resolution as a response to interests within the city that actively seek out loopholes in laws and regulations such as TOPA. Now in effect, the emergency resolution is in the process of being processed into permanent law within the District.

“What is really great about [Museum Square] is that it has become a symbol for keeping people in their homes,” said Weise. “[Councilmember Bonds] will do whatever she can within the powers of her office, that is legal and ethical, to help save this building.

The interior of the Busboys and Poets on 5th & K Street where the Museum Square rally was held. PHOTO BY MARK THAYER.

*Many more photos available online @ StreetSense.org/article/article_type/news/

National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference Finds No “One Size Fits All’ Solution

By Dottie Kramer, Mark Thayer, Lindsey Habenicht, Editoral Interns What works for some people, won’t work for others. Through a lot of repetition, this concept became increasingly clear at The National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) 2015 conference, held in the District of Columbia July 1517. Attendees from 47 states brought a range of experience and approaches to solving homelessness. Actor Richard Gere gave a keynote speech that mentioned his upcoming movie “Time Out of Mind,” a story about a homeless man attempting to reconcile with his estranged daughter.

Actor Richard Gere. PHOTO BY MARK THAYER Mayor Muriel Bowser encouraged conference attendees to talk to Congress while in D.C. Thursday’s events concluded with preparatory meetings regarding the lobbying efforts that were to take place the following day.

There were 98 workshop sessions spanning many different topics. Some of the common threads were that rapid re-housing works to end homelessness; veteran’s homelessness can be ended; and not every plan works everywhere.

Rapid Rehousing Works

Rapid rehousing is the most promising crisis intervention option the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has found nationwide, said National Alliance CEO and President Nan Roman in her opening remarks. Rapid rehousing consists of three basic procedures: find housing, pay for housing, stay in housing.

Unique from other housing first models, such as permanent supportive housing or transitional housing, rapid rehousing is time-sensitive and meant to empower clients to find the means to pay rent while reducing the overall time spent in shelters.

Though it’s not perfect and doesn’t end poverty, Roman noted that rapid rehousing does one thing: ends homelessness.

Throughout the conference, rapid rehousing was presented as an approach that could end homelessness anywhere. But many working in the field remain skeptical, believing rapid rehousing only works when supported by wrap-around services such as job development, case management, and assistance stabilizing finances.

“People who say [rapid rehousing] is a blanket solution simply don’t understand rapid rehousing. They don’t understand the continuum of care,” said Jean-Michel Giraud, Chief Executive Officer at Friendship Place, a D.C.-based service provider that describes itself as finding person-focused solutions to homelessness. “[Rapid rehousing]’s not for everybody. It’s for people who are rebuilding.”

According to Giraud, rapid rehousing works best for individuals and families who can secure an income in a matter of weeks that will allow them to be self-sustaining long-term. For those who cannot, rapid rehousing may not be the best so-

lution, as there are outstanding concerns regarding its short, expiring time limits.

In order to best serve as many people as possible through rapid rehousing, Friendship Place spends a lot of its time working to find employment for its clients.

That way, they are better prepared to pay for housing when the subsidy runs out.

In the NAEH conference panel Make It Work: Linking Rapid Rehousing and Employment, Jermain Hampton, AimHire Director at Friendship Place, an organization that provides services to people in our area who are without homes, asked who in the audience had job developers in their programs.

Only four people in a room exceeding 100 service providers raised their hands.

Employment assistance is absolutely necessary in addition to rapid rehousing services, according to Hampton. Without it, most idividuals don’t qualify for rapid rehousing because, in order to qualify, people must demonstrate their ability to pay rental costs following rapid rehousing assistance.

However, Giraud said rapid rehousing cannot be discredited, as it has housed many and progresses the conversation around what services work best in making homelessness rare and brief.

“If you put someone in permanent supportive housing who just needs rapid, then you’ve over-served and under-empowered them. You’ve taken away their ability to begin to become self-sufficient,” Giraud said.

Friendship Place’s AimHire program, which helps people who are homeless and unemployed find jobs and housing at the same time, has seen over 250 graduates— most of whom came in with zero income.

According to a HUD report published in 2013, 87 percent of families had not returned to shelter after two years of rapid rehousing assistance.

However, opponents of rapid rehousing argue that this study does not represent whether or not families are having to double up or couch surf when subsidies run dry -- it only shows that they have not retrieved back into the shelter system.

When service providers integrate employment into the effort to obtain housing, as Friendship Place has, they’re able to track clients from a retention standpoint and check in on the stability of their housing.

While rapid rehousing remains a promising and integral takeaway from NAEH 2015, panelists cautioned service providers to remain flexible in how they choose to serve diverse populations in diverse settings. Friendship Place’s employmentcentric model is one example of successful adaptation.

the will to figure out how help them. We cannot be given the tools and resources to end homelessness among veterans and fail though our own lack of urgency and determination to achieve that goal. And we cannot fail to return children who are homeless tonight to housing as quickly as possible, because as imperfect that housing may be it is better than being homeless, Roman said. .

The conference also featured the Washington’s mayor, Muriel Bowser.

“Ending homelessness in the district of Columbia is one of my top priorities as mayor of the district of Columbia,” Bowser said.

The prosperity puts many pressures on many corners of our city. I would love to tell you that we don’t have homelessness in our town, but we know this isn’t true.

Too many of our residents can’t afford to live in their own neighborhoods, far too many. That’s why we are on a mission.The solution is not simple, and one size does not fit all. The solution requires real collaboration. We have to make an investment into affordable housing, Bowser said.

The event also featured Richard Gere, who debuted a film called Time out of Mind. In the film, Gere plays a homeless man in New York City.

If you keep your eyes open, you see it all the time, he said. It’s not about a movie about backstories, it’s about emotion. The closeness of losing who we are is always lurking. It’s not about numbers, the more numbers we get the number we become.

Gere challenged those at the conference to become engaged.

“This can be solved,” he said, “I want

Veteran’s Homelessness Can End During a workshop on Rapidly Re-Housing Veterans, Jonathan Castillo representing PATH in Los Angeles, CA, Teresa Grenawalt representing Community Catalysts of California in San Diego, CA, and Gary Grier representing the Coalition for the Homeless of Huston/Harris County in Huston, TX discussed their successes in rapidly rehousing veterans through Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF).

The topic of veteran homelessness was also discussed in regards to connecting veterans to mainstream services that can aid the already homeless, or help prevent the at-risk population from reaching a state of homelessness. During the Connecting Homeless Veterans to Mainstream Services workshop, audience members described programs in place in their own communities that aid homeless veterans beyond the

The Progress Thus Far

By Regginald Black, Vendor, “Da Street Reportin’ Artist” During the week of July 13,, service providers and advocates converged on Washington to discuss homelessness at the annual conference of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. The conference itself is a place where hundreds of people with the same mission — ending homelessness in the United States — come together to guide each other through best practices in housing models and outreach efforts. They also try to influence legislation.

Nan Roman, who is the executive director of the alliance, said there was a tremendous amount of content this year. This year held lots of challenges for us on the issue on homelessness.

The gap between people that have and those that don’t have is growing, and many people who don’t have really don’t feel the opportunities to escape poverty are shrink-

ing and not expanding. There is a tremendous and persistent racial disparity we hear so much about and see so often. The cost of housing is increasing and incomes are not keeping pace with that, she said.

At the national level funding is getting hard to come by. The congress is a little ornery these days. The work that you all are doing is more sophisticated, Roman said.

Houston has ended veteran homelessness, Roman said. Virginia has also reduced homelessness.

There is a lot of innovation around the country, and I hope you will take lessons from that. It feels to me that we are a bit in the moment about poverty and income inequality, she said.

We have a special moral call to action before us today. We cannot abandon a generation of youth because we don’t have

STREET SENSE July 29 - August 11, 2015

most common federal programs.

The overall message of the day in regards to veteran homelessness was that great progress has already been made, and the various goals of initiatives to end veteran homelessness will be met in the coming years.

The Pop-Up Pantry:

you all out of a job in the next ten years.

We have to find a way to know each other in the building; we have to find a way to know each other on the streets.”

Also present during the three day conference was Robert A McDonald, secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“We have to care for him who was born to battle,” he said, “We also think we have the best values in the world. We’re not there yet but we are making progress.

We’re only at the beginning. We gotta house every American. We got to build a system today for veterans that might be coming 10 12, 20 years from now. We want to partner with you. Let’s work together we’re only at the beginning. I know your heart I know your mind and together we can get this done.”

NEWS

How One Student Convinced Her University To Combat Student Hunger

By Lindsey Habenicht Editorial Intern

Not Every Plan Works Everywhere Youth homelessness was one of the more prevalent topic at this year’s conference. Until recently; most organizations did not even account for independent young people.

Youth have a certain set of needs that greatly differ from the needs of single adults and families. The Host Home program provided by Minneapolis-based Avenues Homeless Youth strives to meet these needs by providing shelter and food through volunteers for up to a year.

The program is a unique alternative to foster care in that the youth get to choose the host family that seems like the best fit for them.

Program director Ryan Berg works tirelessly to connect youth to volunteers in this transitional housing program.

In order for youth to participate in Host Homes, they must be referred to the program by an outside case manager who retains case management for the youth throughout the year. The most important thing for youth is stability, according to Berg.

The hosts must go through an application/interview process and training in order to become hosts. Even upon completion, some people aren’t chosen.

“Our program philosophy is one of solidarity, not charity,” Berg said, “We aren’t looking for saints or saviors.”

7

Yara Mowafy, co-founder of George Mason University’s Pop-Up Pantry PHOTO COURTESY OF EVAN CANTWELL, GMU NEWSDESK

College hunger is often portrayed as satire: a coming-of-age cliché including late night bowls of 25-cent ramen and refills of drip coffee. But more often than not, these circumstances reflect the harsh reality of choosing one necessity over another: tuition over food, food over housing.

While the negative impacts that hunger leaves on elementary school students is well established, hardly any attention has been given to the significant barriers that hunger poses to young adults in college.

On average, tuition tends to increase about eight percent per year. An eight percent inflation rate means that the price of a college education doubles every nine years, perpetuating hard financial decisions for many students.

In the fall of 2014, Yara Mowafy, a graduate student at George Mason University, began to recognize the plaguing effects of homelessness and hunger on her campus.

Unsatisfied with her university’s response to the problem, Mowafy founded a campus food pantry.

According to the 2012-2013 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), there are 58,000 homeless college students in the United States, but Mowafy predicts otherwise.

“We think that there are double the amount,” said Mowafy. “There could be up to 100,000 homeless students if you count those who are socially homeless.”

which refers to the population of students who have been kicked out or cut off financially.

Mowafy believed that if there was a known chronically hungry student, the university would find ways to feed them.

But upon proposing her food pantry, she met resistance from administrators, professors, and university offices.

“They all told me ‘homelessness isn’t a problem here,’” Mowafy said in an interview with Street Sense.

So, she began examining food insecurity among George Mason students. Of the students that took Mowafy’s survey, 10 percent -- over 1,000 of them -- said they feared not being able to afford to eat in the next semester. This survey sparked a sense of urgency and proved to Mowafy and George Mason administrators that their students were in fact struggling.

By December, Mason’s Pop-Up Pantry was launched with the help of on-campus donations. It has since grown to be an integral part of the Fairfax community.

A group called Farm Table brings fresh fruits and vegetables to the pantry every Thursday. The local Panera drops off bread every evening, Trader Joe’s donates paper bags, and other stores donate gift cards so that the pantry can buy whatever is most needed.

In addition to food donations, Mowafy has organized personalized coat drives

and calls for school supplies at the pantry. Each campaign is an attempt to better serve the individuals who come to the pantry seeking assistance.

In an unlabeled storage closet, Mason’s Pop-Up Pantry goes unnoticed by most -- and that’s the point. The tech-spaceturned-pantry offers a semi-private space that encourages students to come forward about their food insecurities. There is no need to stress about any stigma of asking for help. No student has to declare their hunger to a room full of their peers.

During the school year, the pantry serves about 100 students per month and doesn’t regulate who is allowed to come by or how often. Instead, its primary goal is to assist whoever comes forward in whatever way possible. There are no regulations regarding who is allowed to come by or how often. The mission is to assist whoever comes forward in whatever way possible.

Mowafy strives for the pantry to be a place with no barrier to access. She suggests that people sign out from the pantry with their name, year in school and answers to a few short yes/no questions, pantry guests are never asked to provide evidence of hardship. The optional assessment is simply to gage how the pantry can better serve the students who benefit from it.

“They all told me ‘homelessness isn’t a problem here.’”

“Hardship is hard to prove in college aged students,” Mowafy said. “If students have been kicked out in a social sense but their parents appear to make enough money to support them, they won’t receive any additional aid.”

Legal dependency on their parents also makes it difficult for most college-age students to access government assistance programs such as food stamps.

College hunger has become so prevalent that nearly 200 universities in the U.S. have launched food pantries, according to the College and University Food Bank Alliance.

“We’re trying to help the best we can.

We just need the students to come forward,” Mowafy said.

Photos By Lindsey Habenicht

Developers Prepare to Break Long-Neglected Park

By Colleen Cosgriff Editorial Intern

McMillan Park is a 25-acre parcel of land near the large medical complex that includes Children’s National Medical Center, Medstar Washington Hospital Center and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

The Ward 5 site, which is bordered by North Capitol Street, First Street Northwest, Michigan Avenue, and Channing Street Northwest, was once part of a 92acre Reservoir and Filtration Plant. The land has been unused since 1987.

The historic row houses across from the park have had the same view for decades: a chain link fence that was erected during World War II when the U.S. government feared someone would attempt to poison our water supply. The fence was built with the promise that it would come down, but it has remained a constant in the lives of the residents of the Bloomingdale and Stronghold neighborhoods.

Now, after 28 years, the Office of the D.C. Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) and partner developer Vision McMillan Partners (VMP) expect to break ground in 2016 on a long disputed redevelopment plan.

McMillan Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr, and built in the late 1800s as a public park. Olmsted designed the site to be part of the “Emerald Necklace,” the series of parks that surrounded D.C. The park was named after Michigan Senator James McMillan, who helped plan the park and reservoir as part of an city beautification project in the early years of the 20th century. The park was one of the first integrated parks in the city, and was enjoyed by both black and white families.

The U.S Army Corps of Engineers had jurisdiction over the land and built a tunnel to bring water tp eastern D.C. The new reservoir was named McMillan Reservoir in 1906. The McMillan Reservoir became the site for a Slow Sand Filtration Plant; the site still contains the underground cells and tunnels that once were used to filter water. The park became neglected when the plant was replaced in 1986 by a chemical treatment facility. Some of the cells and tunnels have withstood years of weathering and neglect, and McMillan Park is included on The National Register of Historic Places.

The park was purchased by the District from the federal government in 1987 for $9.3 million dollars. The Army Corps offered

to sell the land to the District for $1 if the city agreed to use the site as a park, but the District chose to buy the land at market price with the intention of allowing its development. McMillan Park has remained closed and undeveloped since its purchase.

For Kirby Vining, McMillan Park is a source of both fascination and frustration.

In 1989, when the District was considering a plan to use the land to build a K-Mart Department Store, Vining became involved in an effort to save McMillan Park.

The land was also being looked at as potential location for a jail, but those plans were halted due to community opposition.

Vining is now involved in the McMillan Advisory Group and Friends of McMillan Park, two community groups actively dedicated to saving the park.

Today’s effort to “Save McMillan” today is complicated. The existing space is fenced off and cannot be used by the community. There are “No Trespassing” signs on the fences and there is no legal way to enter. The space has not been used as a park for decades. Consequently, the “Save McMillan Park” movement has been criticized for its choice of words.

“That’s as much as we could fit on a button or a sign. It would be [be accurate to use the words] ‘revitalize McMillan Park consistent with the community wishes, the current zoning laws, the comprehensive plan, and the historic status of the sight.’ But how do you get that into four words?” said Vining in an interview with Street Sense.

In 2006 the District instructed The National Capital Revitalization Corporation (NCRC), an agency created to develop public properties in the city, to issue an open solicitation to developers to to assist in the beginning stages of McMillan Park development. The NCRC selected VMP, which is comprised of three firms: EYA, Jair Lynch Development Partners, and Trammell Crow Company, to work on “Phase One” of the Development Plans.

Goals of Phase One included site assessment, land use planning, Master Planning of ready to build pad sites, obtaining the appropriate approvals (historic, environmental, etc.), traffic planning and engineering, and site stabilization and demolition.

In 2007, before Phase Two (solicitation of bids, selection of additional developers

and implementation of the Master Plan) could be set in motion, Mayor Adrian Fenty disbanded the NCRC and placed DMPED in charge of McMillan Park. VMP sought exclusive rights to develop the park and the city granted VMP the right to buy and develop the land without soliciting bids from other developers.

Members of the community around McMillan park created the McMillan Advisory Group (MAG), and the city authorized MAG to work with VMP to address concerns the surrounding neighborhoods had about redevelopment plans. The relationship between MAG and VMP grew tense, as both groups had different ideas for how the land should be used. VMP wanted to utilize the space as much as possible to develop it, while MAG wanted more green space than VMP had planned. As time went on, many members of MAG have been concerned that VMP has not communicated with them effectively about the development plans for the park or taken the needs and desires of the community into account.

“VMP should be challenged, they have not actively worked to negotiate with community groups….they gave presentation, and there was only three minutes for

and valuable to have the District present this information and for the community to hear it directly from the City. We wanted to create a positive environment that promotes dialogue. We also provide information from the MAG to others,” Stucker said in an interview with Street Sense.

Between the Preserved Cell, the two “Healing Gardens,” two walkways, a courtyard, and the central park, the VMP-sponsored Envision McMillan website states that the total green space will be 10.2 acres. The park was originally going to be significantly smaller, only 2.3 acres, but VMP changed the acreage size after listening to the community.

The grassroots organization Friends of McMillan Park continues to oppose the plan, believing the plan should include more green space and attention should be given to preserving the historic aspects, especially the underground cells. Vining sees the potential in the land to be a community park, as it was before it was fenced off.

Friends of McMillan Park is also concerned that as proposed, the development will cause an influx of traffic. The area that surrounds the park already experiences heavy congestion daily.

Today's effort to “Save McMillan” is complicated ...

The space has not been used as a park for decades. community input,” MAG meeting minutes of October 9, 2014 state.

VMP has not attended a MAG meeting since December, 2014.

“For past two months, VMP has not returned any MAG correspondence. Anne Corbett verbally told MAG that VMP has been instructed by DMPED to no longer communicate with MAG. VMP will not even communicate in writing their decision to no longer communicate with MAG. This is disappointing and shocking after 7 years of engagement between MAG and VMP,” MAG meeting minutes of November 6, 2014 state.

Gilles Stucker, the DMPED McMillan Park Project Manager, did not agree with the criticism of DMPED. “DMPED attends the MAG meetings to present the information they receive directly from the developer and District agencies. It has been both effective

In late 2013 another group, “Create McMillan Park” began circulating signs around the neighborhood in support of the development plans. Though the Create McMillan Park group had the appearance of a spontaneously formed grassroots organization, that effort was organized by a Baltimore based public relations company, Fontaine & Company. The Friends of McMillan website has two of the documents used to plan the Create McMillan Park group. The documents were obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. District of Columbia Council Chairman Phil Mendelson described what Friends of McMillan is calling Create McMillan Park’s “fake grassroots campaign” as a “bit of a PR disaster.”

Many in the community were outraged; because VMP is paid by DMPED, it appeared that tax payer money was used

STREET SENSE July 29 - August 11, 2015

FEATURES

Ground at

to support the Create McMillan Park PR campaign to challenge Save McMillan Park, which they saw as an organic community grassroots organization.

The money was quickly returned to the city after campaign documents surfaced.

Despite the past tensions and controversy, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration has its eyes set on the future and the potential for developing the site. Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie supports the project. McDuffie has lived across from the McMillan Park for most of his life and has never experienced it as a functional asset to the community.

“The site has been completely unproductive in my lifetime....My support is because as a resident and neighbor I want to see the fence finally coming down,” McDuffie said in a June 23, 2015, interview with the New York Times.

Most of the DMPED employees who were the first to work on the McMillan Park project have since retired or moved on.

Stucker has only been involved with the project since December of 2014. Stucker and the current administration’s vision for the space is for it to be utilized for affordable housing, new jobs for D.C. residents, and local and small business opportunities.

DMPED is excited that the plan includes more affordable housing. Of the 146 townhouses, 9 will be affordable for residents with 50 percent Area Median Income (AMI) and 13 will be affordable for residents with 80 percent of AMI. Of the 531 apartments, 85 senior units will be affordable for residents with 50/60 percent AMI, 25 will be affordable for residents with 80 percent of AMI. In an interview with the New York Times, Mendelson said he would like to see more of a park, but “the horse left that barn a long time ago...it’s too late to be unwinding that deal.”

However, Friends of McMillan Park doesn’t agree with the Bowser Administration’s plans to move forward with the project or put the past behind them.

“Right now we’re getting stonewalled by [the] Mayor and the Council. They’re saying it’s too late... [But the Mayor and the Council] could pull this back if they have questions,” Vining said in an interview with Street Sense.

A point of concern for Vining and for Friends of McMillan Park is the height of

9

the proposed structures. The neighborhood across from the park is made up of historic row houses, which are by no means tall. The park has views of the Washington Monument and the Capital. Vining was dismayed to see the tall building get cleared

by Zoning, especially when he believes so much of the underground space could be used, as opposed to building up.

Stucker disagrees with Vining. “The Historic Preservation Review Board, Zoning Commission and National Capital Planning Commission determined what could be done with the land. The taller buildings in the plan will be on the North side of property.

The North side of the property is near the existing hospital buildings that are taller than the existing row houses on the South side. The lower structures in the plan will be on the South side of the property,” Stucker said in an interview with Street Sense.

Friends of McMillan Park has filed appeals against the “bogus Zoning Commission decision that will result in the destruction of our park,” according to the group’s Facebook page. They hope to halt the impending groundbreaking and see that the development plans are revised.

An online fundraiser has collected $12,740 to support the group’s legal appeals as of July 28, 2015.

“I would prefer this fence stay up until the city says ‘Hey we have some laws that prevent you from doing this [allowing buildings over one hundred feet in the area],’” Vining said.

Vining believes the current situation may have been different if the community had been given the opportunity to be involved in the earlier stages of development.

“I think that with an open RFP which includes bidding and competition, we’d be able to see what is possible, and have... several companies...showing different angles to try to get government and community support. We’ve had none of that with VMP. We got ‘here’s the plan, tough luck, we didn’t consider anything else,” Vining said in an email to Street Sense.

Recently, the District has been working to reform its RFP process to include more community involvement. However, the plans for McMillan Park appear to be set in stone, soon to be literally so in 2016, unless Friends of McMillan park can appeal them.

Family Picture of us — then the uprising!

PHOTO BY HENRIEESE ROBERTS

To Be Free

By Henrieese Roberts, Vendor The movement for black lives convened last weekend at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio.

We were invited to come with the intention to assert that all black lives matter.

There were many goals we were to strive to reach.

The session resonated painfully, driving me close to a panic attack, which is physical pain that snaps breath from your body due to pain and anxiety.

Harry Belafonte’s daughter was with us, offering solace.

We were informed “Black faces in high places do not save our lives.” We must save ourselves.

We were told stories of our slain children, led by Erica Gordon, a family member of Emmett Till, a Chicago teenager who was brutally murdered in Mississippi in 1955, after being seen speaking to a white woman. Friday, July 24, was his birthday. He would have been 74 years of age. We sang Happy Birthday to him.

Erica spoke of the courage and grace of Mamie Till, Emmet Till’s mother, who used Emmett’s face as a symbol to drive her people to seek freedom. Mike Brown parents put forward their commitment to our children as a reason they remained steadfast. They expressed sincere gratitude to us for listening to them and supporting them.

Their goal is to secure a healthier, safer future for our children and to keep the lives of their child alive by etching their memories into our lives. They are making DVDs and Mike Brown’s Dad shared the one he and Mike and family had made. We enjoyed the story immensely while being greatly pained regardless.

We noted the growth of our children when we convened in a uniform body.

They swayed to music and cultural expressions that swept them back into one of our mother lands— this one Africa.

We were stirred by grief as they pledged to say “we will survive” and “we will be okay.” We strive to be free.

As I was leaving, they were having a disagreement with Cleveland Police in the street. We strive to be free.

Mike Brown’s Dad, Mrs. Carr, Eric Garner’s Mom and other Family members.

PHOTO BY HENRIEESE ROBERTS

COMICS & GAMES

LEGAL BEAT:

Protect Yourself against Bounced Checks

By Tim Farrell Volunteer It happens sometimes. You work a long day, your employer gives you a check and it bounces. A check is said to bounce when there are insufficient funds in the employer’s checking account. You get tagged with an overdraft fee because you were counting on that check to cover your rent. What do you do?

Fortunately, there are criminal laws forbidding the practice. DC Code 221510 strictly forbids the behavior under the threat of up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine for checks in the amount of $100 or less, and up to three years in jail and a $3,000 fine for amounts greater than that.

That is, if a prosecutor establishes that the action was intentional. The best thing to do if your employer’s check bounces is to immediately inform the employer. If the he or she does not make it right within five days, fraud is presumed, which makes the prosecutor’s job easy.

In all likelihood, the employer will make good on the check, properly apologize and everyone can remain friends after being informed. If not, then a written demand should be made. Here again, the D.C. code provides some aid, this time with a form at section 28-3152 (g). Simply fill it out and mail it to your

employer (certified is best with a copy for use as evidence). If there is no response within thirty days, then any lawyer will take the case.

Why is that? The code provides for reasonable attorney fees to collect on bad checks. In addition, the code will even cover your attorney’s filing fees, copies and other costs to bring the matter to the court’s attention. Finally, the court can award damages up to two times the amount of the check, in addition to the value of the check.

Bad checks are serious business for those living on the edge. Fortunately, there are criminal laws against it. As a result, most bounced checks are accidents.

But if the matter is not remedied quickly, the law provides ample incentives for legal help and double damages for victims of bounced checks in the District..

Tim Farrell is a member of the D.C. Bar Association along with the bars of Ohio, Oregon, Washington, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. When not reviewing documents, his practice focuses on litigation.

STREET SENSE July 29 - August 11, 2015

11

OPINION

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

A Shocking Lack of Knowledge As a long time supporter and fan of Street Sense, I am stunned that the article “I Agree to Disagree” by Jeffery McNeil was published in the July 15, 2015 edition. It is indefensible for any newspaper to publish such an article as it is nothing less than hate speech directed at a vulnerable segment of our society, the LGBTQ community.

I find shocking the author’s lack of knowledge of and regard for our LGBTQ sisters and brothers. Stating that “gay people can go in the closet and hide their sexual preference” is the epitome of callousness and abject ignorance. To suggest that LGBTQ people must hide who they really are tells us that their true selves are shameful, when it is homophobia and transphobia that are despicable.

The notion that one’s sexual orientation is a preference is archaic and would be laughable if it weren’t so damaging.

Mr. McNeil writes “Nor do I approve of sharing a locker with Chaz Bono or Caitlyn Jenner.” We have seen this argument used by blatant racists who have vehemently opposed the racial desegregation of sports and locker rooms. Jackie Robinson is turning in his grave.

Mr. McNeil’s article resonates with misinformation, jaw dropping hate, a complete disregard for logic and untenable irresponsibility. I expect more from Mr. McNeil and from Street Sense.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE/FLICKR

Sincerely, Melba R. Conway

Melba Conway has more than 40 years of experience in education, specializing in African American and Chicano studies.

DEAR READERS:

An Apology

My decision to publish Jeffery McNeil’s column “I Agree to Disagree” in our last edition was recently called into question, and rightfully so.

Several of his statements specifically attacked the transgender and broader LGBTQ community. I offer my deepest apologies for sending it to print in that state. While you will at one time or another disagree with the diverse views printed in our pages, no reader should feel accosted when perusing them.

Street Sense exists to foster a more wellinformed and empathetic community.

As a consistent[ly contentious] contributor and vendor of our newspaper, who meets deadlines without fail and readily accepts criticism, I will continue to uphold Mr. McNeil’s freedom of speech. Taking more time to work with the author on drastic revisions, I would publish this column again. As a journalist, I failed in my responsibility to minimize harm. This piece challenged my own personal values, and I overcompensated for objectivity with inaction.

It is our media center’s mission to elevate Mr. McNeil’s voice -- and that of many homeless or formerly homeless men and women. His columns often run against the grain of the rest of our publication, clearly exhibiting that his perspective is unique. And he has a devoted readership.

However, elevating one marginalized voice to attack another only damages public discourse.

Mr. McNeil’s column resides on the Opinion page because his views are his own. They do not represent our organization, our vendors, or the homeless community. His statement that “gay people can go in the closet and hide their sexual preference,” among others, is indeed indefensible.

I would like to thank long-time reader Melba Conway for calling my office to demand an explanation for how this essay could appear in our newspaper, in 2015.

For everyone that speaks up, it can be assumed that at least ten others felt the same way but didn’t feel empowered to do anything about it.

In person, Mr. McNeil claims he’d be the first one to stand up or come to the aid of a transgender person being harassed or attacked. But on paper, he and I can both do much better.

I’m always working to improve Street Sense. Our Opinion page welcomes anyone’s response to our content. So please, continue to engage with us: write-in, comment on social media and speak with your vendor today.

Thank you for reading Street Sense.

Sincerely, Eric Falquero Editor-in-Chief ericf@streetsense.org

PHOTO COURTESY OF BROOKINGS INSTITUTION/FLICKR

Voice of a Silent Voter

By Jeffery Mcneil Vendor Washington can keep deluding itself, but there is a wave of discontent in our country. Americans are tired of both political parties that assume the masses are uncultured and unrefined dupes that need pollsters, experts and consultants to tell us what to say, think, and do.

When I see how the establishments try to take out Donald Trump, I identify because I’ve also received hate mail, rebuttals and condemnations for not being politically correct.

I don’t agree with Donald Trump but I find it refreshing to see someone kicking over the applecart known as Washington D.C. I once considered myself a Democrat, however I never thought the Democratic Party would let the inmates run the asylum. When I saw what happened recently at the Netroots Convention where Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley were being booed for saying “All lives Matter” instead of just “Black Lives Matter,” I felt a pit in my stomach. I don’t regret leaving the party.

I also don’t agree with Bernie Sanders, but respect his authenticity. He’s a man with great integrity whose championed civil rights as well as the working class. If Bernie Sanders isn’t liberal enough for the far left, I don’t know who will be.

I don’t support Democrats anymore because I feel they have no backbone. They let the special interests do whatever they want, no matter how destructive their behavior is.

There are no Harry Truman’s or John F Kennedy’s that stand up to the fringes of the party. The Democrats of today are cowards. They are like the kid that keeps getting his lunch money stolen. How can you vote for someone like Martin O’Malley that apologizes for saying “All Lives Matter?” If you can’t stand up to the extrem-

ists, how are you going to stand up to ISIS or Vladimir Putin?

There’s this notion among white liberals that you can’t criticize the victim class because they will become wounded.

However most of the aggrieved are middle class, The American Dream is working for them, feeling guilty or condescending does not help -- it keeps our nation in perpetual dysfunction.

Hillary will lose because people like authenticity. She represents all that’s wrong about the Democratic Party. Instead of focusing on bread and butter issues she’s pandering to every interest group, promising things that can’t be delivered without congressional approval such as amnesty for illegal immigrants, equal pay for feminists and cradle to grave welfare for single moms and minorities. This has been the Democratic Party playbook for fifty years: promise a lot, deliver a little and hope the base doesn’t start a riot for next election cycle.

That is why Donald Trump’s message is resonating. It’s not just Tea Party voters, it’s disgruntled Democrats such as myself that want to hear about jobs instead of sexual and gender politicking. Straight talk is refreshing voice in a sea of political correctness. The polls say people are pissed, they don’t like the direction this country’s headed and they’re in rebellion mode.

Like Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump will shock the establishment. Both parties think working class people are stupid.

They are trying to peddle retreads from the past so they can continue their globalist agenda. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is awakening the sleeping giant known as the Silent Majority.

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

#

Kindness of Strangers As soon as I get off the Metro at Woodley Park, I see a million women and men with babies. Oh, they make me feel good!

After I’ve left my job for the day I feel only tired and exhausted for the longest time just thinking about the commute home.

At the end of my commute, though, I am okay. Because I am greeted by a million women and men, babies and big kids.

They’re all smiling, as if to say “Well, I guess you made it again.”

-Patty Smith, Vendor

ILLUSTRATION BY ANGIE WHITEHURST ILLUSTRATION BY RONALD DUDLEY

Get ‘em here, get ‘em now!

Get ‘em while they’re hot!

The latest edition of Street Sense!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Tenleytown vendor makes good!

But, you knew he would!

Yes, thank you for your support. Through all the long weary dreary days and cold and uncomfortable sleepless nights, the two constants in my life were knowing that God provides and knowing I have my wonderful readers and purchasers. You know who you are and what you share.

Now I want to tell you that your investment in my future is paying off. My enterprise, Brims, is materializing. My relationship with my children is stronger than at any time in the past three years.

And me? I am photographing, sketching and inbound marketing (blogging.) I am also back to advocating for the homeless as a writer and a member of three organizations. I even gift-wrapped a school bus!

And, it’s all because of those two mainstays in my life: God and YOU! -Ken Martin, Vendor

While I’m out on the corner working my Street Sense papers, I see different people every day. Some smile. Some don’t. Either way, you never know someone unless you talk with them. I may not converse with everyone who donates or buys a Street Sense paper, but when people

do stop to talk to me, I get to know their names and they get to know my name.

Now we are not strangers. And, as I can testify from experience, a stranger can become your friend. You know what else? The donations for the papers are less important than the kind words my customers say and the time they take to tell me what a good job I am doing.

-Ricardo Meriedy, Vendor

We wake, it’s a new day, it just begins.

We take a shower. Something happens, we feel it grow.

We get on our way, in the street.

Yet ideals for the day are not enough.

We see our customers, oh my!

They help me find my new smile..

-Teddy Leggett, Vendor

ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL BALL

I love meeting new people that are kind and nice. What people don’t always know is that their smiles and kindnesses rub off on others. There are people that don’t even acknowledge me. That’s ok, because I will still speak and say “Hi, Good Morning,” or “Good Evening”--and I will keep smiling always.

I am happy and thankful to say that my baby girl Anyah is coming to stay with me for a week. It feels good to say yes to her when she asks me to come to my house. I am currently looking for employment and seeking my Commercial Driver’s License. Also, I am working hard at everything else, with some setbacks.

God keeps me strong in spirit.

Thank you to my family. (I call my customers my family.)

-Andre Brinson, Vendor

Since becoming homeless, I am in the presence of strangers all day, every day.

Most strangers with whom I interact are kind and pleasant. Others merely tolerate my homelessness; I can tell by their body language. Most strangers support me when I sell my Street Sense papers.

I converse with many of my regular customers. I am thankful for the ongoing support of strangers in every area of my life: food, water, clothing, suitcases, and Metro cards.

Without the kindness and support of strangers, I never would have survived the rough days that have been extremely hard. I am grateful for every stranger who has touched my life--the good, the bad, and the indifferent--because I know that as a child of God no stranger has crossed my path by happenstance. All is in divine order.

-Grayla Vereen, Vendor

STREET SENSE July 29 - August 11, 2015

13

VENDOR WRITING

AFTER KATRINA

A Ten-Year Roller Coaster, Part 5

By Gerald Anderson, Vendor

By Chris Shaw, “Cowboy Poet” Episode 38

“THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT, OH YES !!”

It was a mad whirlwind of activity for Billy Luck and Skipper Mizelle. They spent part of the next morning embracing beneath the down covers of the Willard Executive Suite-- the Presidential being snarfed up by the Shah of Iran and his delegation-- and then-While Skipper closed the deal on a cozy Capitol Hill town house over the goldplated French Provincial bedside phone, Billy had to hotfoot it over to Pershing Park to meet with Al K. hall, Al’s snarling dog “Yaller,” and Ms. Macedonia Green, regarding ‘travel accommodations’ to the grandstand of Laurel Race Track. “we don’t have a whole lotta time, guys,” worried Billy aloud.

“Just leave it to me,” burbled the hefty Macedonia, “and by the way, Reverend, uh Rev’ Billy.”

Al’s dog Yaller barked his concerns, until Billy petted his snout and calmed him down. Al K. Hall took a tote of cherry brandy and snorted approvingly. “What might that be, Macedonia,” Billy replied.

“Fustly, I did get my buddies the O’Neal Twins to set up a show on th’ infield after the ninth race; Then, Carlille done agreed to give you two a late wedding present--” Billy frowned. “Just what might that be!”

“Oh,” Macedonia went on. “We’ll have to bring you and Skipper to the Astoria Hotel for DAT!” “Astoria Hotel-- Whaddya mean, woman?”

“Oh, you gonna see all right. Cholo is waitin’ up, to boot!”

Broken out in sweat, Billy excused himself and ran to get Skipper from the Willard lobby.

Gervais Jean, the towering Haitian major-domo, was instructed to hold all her luggage. They found her Buick up the block, in front of Garfinckel’s ladies’ department store. Persons unknown had stolen the windshield, not only that, but the engine was dead, AND-- “My damn RADIO is trashed! Imagine, a daggone U.S. Senator--” They galumphed up Fourteenth Street, two blocks, all out of breath, Skipper gesticulating in indignation, (A newly crowned Tennessee Senator! Having to WALK! To an old Flop House!”

Billy just shrugged, but as they crossed H Street over to the tired-looking Astoria, Billy went from shrugs to hugs. There, before the now-boarded up entrance to Cholo’s pornographic magazine and book store, sat a decked-out, cherry-red, 1967 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD SEDAN!! Proudly beside the driver’s door stood Phil Carlille, DC Police sergeant extraordinaire, and the stubby Cholo, former porn honcho

of “the Strip!”

Carlille couldn’t hold back. Planted a big ‘buss’ on the lips of his one-time flame, and then exclaimed, “This was too good to be true! My rich nephew Clyde Frothwick from Potomac Maryland had this classic in his barn, and it was mine many moons ago, right after I came up from Memphis. And his girl Annie, who I believe used to hang with Reverend Luck up in Delaware- why, she suggested it might make just the right wedding gift.”

At this, Billy burst out laughing, Skipper began to weep, with Macedonia holding her up for support; and Carlille ordered all the assembled “Flock” from the Mission and the “Strip” of New York Avenue, to pile into the “Big Bus” of Greyhound Lines (specially chartered, of course,) and head out to Laurel.

After an afternoon of Surf, Turf, beverages both hard AND soft (for Billy and Cholo, primarily), everyone gathered in a huge circle near the finish line and prayed fervently, clutching their mutuels win tickets for the grey horse “ITONLYTAKESBUTONETOWIN”. This steed was from Clyde’s CF StablesHe tore around the far turn and CAME IN TO WIN at 20-1 odds!

“It’s a miracle,” screamed Macedonia.

“Plum Luck,” whispered Skipper, hugging a beaming Reverend Luck. From inside the winner’s circle tent, Annie, in white dress and straw skimmer, squeezed her fiancé Clyde’s hand.

A tiny tear traveled down her cheek, and she didn’t even have to think about what might have been.

On the infield, drums boomed, cymbals crashed, and the huge Hammond electric B-3 organ tootled out, behind the stout O’Neal Twins, clad in matching silver and azure lame suits.

Proudly and melodically the Twins proclaimed in beautiful song, “And, That’s The Way God Planned It, Oh, Oh Yes !!” And so our story shall go on, around and around, and where it stops, Nobody knows...

(THE END!)

PHOTO BY BRETT MOHAR

Previously: We had told the doughboy—the dealer—where we was stayin’ and after that, guys start comin’ by the Armory in nice-lookin’ cars, tryin’ to meet some South girls. Some girls don’t want no part of datin’ them. But some fall for the okeydoke. One night one of my homeboys had to go to the hospital after getting high on embalming fluid.

It mess up the head. An inmate I knew from prison in Angola be full of that stuff one time and threw kids from the fourth floor of the project building. Finally FEMA moved some of us in a van to TraveLodge.

A week or two later they give us gift cards with $395 and take us over the bridge to Walmart. We come to find out the football player LaVar Arrington, number 56 for the Redskins, had give us that. I used the money for a Saints Starter jacket, just like the one a friend in New Orleans got killed for. That kind of killin’ happen a lot where I’m from, like what happened to my cousin...

My cousin got killed for a big medallion he wore around his neck. A few weeks before he got killed, he wrassled with these guys that attacked him for his leather jacket, and they shot him in the back. He let loose once the shot hit him and they got the jacket.

My cousin never was no trouble. He was a college student at SUNO (Southern University New Orleans). A few months after he got shot for his jacket, a guy tried to rob him for his medallion piece. That guy shot him and killed him. That one that killed him was another inmate I knew when I was in Angola.

Now that I be in D.C., the authorities was givin’ us all a case manager to help you get your food stamps, hotel, and medical attention. If you have mental health problems, they help with that too.

They didn’t put no time limit on how long we stay at the Travelodge. But the news say it was any day we could be moved out.

They put us right there where women was prostitutin’ and there be drugs. We

go to Checkers for hamburgers and right there too, that’s a strip—everybody know that—the nice-lookin women be there— we flirt with them—hey baby what’s goin’ on?—and then the women tell us they hustlin, tryin’ to get some dates.

And, y’know, I know what time it is. I know they’s hustling girls. I know I don’t have the money. They ask where I stay at.

I tell them Travelodge and that I’m from New Orleans.

They say a lot of your homies be there, they might want to rent their rooms out.

The ladies say they’ll pay a few dollars to rent rooms for a couple of hours.

Some of my homeboys and homegirls was rentin’ out their rooms for a few hours for people to get high. Also to have sex. Word got back to an employee at the hotel about what was goin’ on, and he say we gonna find a way to put you out.

Why would they put us in a area like that in the first place?

After around three months they moved us to Howard Johnson’s Hotel in Maryland.

We had the majority of rooms there.

Managers was comin’ room to room at Howard Johnson’s to see if anybody not supposed to be there be sleepin’ there.

My case manager told me not to let anyone sleep in my room. I hadn’t done that anyway.

By that time my homeboys and homegirls was getting places. Just like me, they had jail records, but not as long as mine.

After another few months pass, and I be given thirty days to get all my stuff and get out of the hotel. But they didn’t give me no place to go. (to be continued) Good news — you can buy my memoir on Amazon: Still Standing: An Ex-Con Finds Salvation in the Floodwaters of New Orleans. The Kindle version is up and if you don’t see the paperback it’ll be there real soon. Ask me about it! And tell your friends! Thank you for all your support that brought me to this point!

PERCEPTION OF REALITY: Acknowledgement

By Robert Williams, Vendor

Interaction: Arsenial Hall, night time talk show host, used to say things that make you go “hmm” (change your mindset). Journey with me for a bit and open your minds to this question or statement.

Most peoples minds are trained and/or conditioned. So that is any perception, you have your own perception, and one’s perception is their reality but is their reality an actuality, reality? You decide.

Take a look around you in your office, home, train, bus or whatever environment you are currently in. What do you see? Who do you see? Look in the mirror, glass, etc. anything reflective of yourself.

What do you see, who do you see. Now ask yourself what you see, or have envisioned, is it perception or reality...

Now think back, reflect upon your journey to where you presently are. Do you remember the homeless guy or gal you passed on the corner that no doubt asked for some change or something to eat.

When you looked at them what did you see or did you even look at them?

Did you greet them? Why/why not?

Did you greet the people in your present

environment in which you ventured to?

What in your mind differentiates the two.

Perception or reality the mindset can be altered by your decisions to decide to untrain, uncondition your mind. Why do you think that homeless guy or gal was there?

And why do you think that?

Do you ever wonder? Have you ever stopped to acknowledge them as human beings or as equals? Homeless people are just that, people too... What if it were you, a friend or family member? Could you handle it? How would you prefer to be handled? Ask yourself am I one whose mind is trained/conditioned. Perception or reality. Please feel free to share these questions with family and friends and see where the journey takes them. It doesn’t matter what or where it takes you at this point. It’s about awareness; however, change starts with each individual and statistically the average working person is one pay check (40-80 hours) away from homelessness.

Thank you for your continued support and participation.

COLLAGE BY SYBIL TAYLOR

A Tribute To My Father, Pt. 4

By Sibyl Taylor, Vendor

That evening was very sad, cold, and lonely. Even the night was very cold. This morning, Bridgette heard a lot of heavenly birds singing so beautifully all day, letting us know the angels have arrived to take him home to his resting place. Sadness and tears filled our eyes. He is no longer here in the bed. My dad was receiving meals from Hops Care everyday. My ma and sister would always get hot meals. No more Hops Care, no more food delivery, no more looking at T.V., the football, basketball, and football games, his favorite Redskins team, and his news everyday. No more listening to the radio, sitting on the porch with ma, or reading his paper.

My father is speaking from heaven about his joy, peace, and happiness. Dad, I miss you. I miss you, ma, and Bridgette going to the store together. Everybody knows your joyful face on K Street N.W. You gave love to the homeless. When you went to pick up your medicine at CVS you

were greeted by a lot of friendly Happy faces. You will always be with mom in peace, holding her hand as an angel with a soft touch. Mom, dad is near you, smiling so joyfully. The last look at the funeral home was his last smile to you. Mom showed him the valentine’s card. He never got a chance to see it. He smiled at you, me, and Bridgette from the casket as he laid in the funeral home. We viewed dad before everyone else could see him. He looked very nice for the public view. He smiled at mom saying, “Thank you” as the card with a shimmering moon glow and beautiful blue glitter, a touch of love. “I smiled to say thank you for your love and concern. Thank you for coming. Thank you for picking up my brown suit, shirt, and tie. I am still holding your hand as I rest in peace. I wish I didn’t have to leave you, but I do. God has called me home to come to his mansion. I was tired and sick”

The Importance of Family Jackie Turner, Vendor

Illustration by Razi Beresin-Scher, Graphic Desgn Intern

There are lots of people who live alone, and are disconnected from family. There are lots of reasons for being disconnected from the ones we love: jail, illness, confusion and the feeling of unworthiness. You should look beyond those things, because everyone wants to be loved and give love.

Family can also be friends that you grow close to.

Sometimes its an organization or a neighborhood. The important thing is that everyone gets a connection with someone they can talk to and share life with. It’s hard to be alone and harder still when you actually feel alone. It tears down your feeling of worth. I hope

that everyone who reads this article understands that there are lots of people willing to connect.

Then there’s the all powerful! Yes, I am talking about Him. Through God, my prayers are answered.

It’s like when you were a child, and might have had an imaginary friend. You could summon that friend at any time.

And if you think you are bad, or not worth it, or even if you think you’re are a super person that doesn’t need anyone - God is always there.

Everyone needs someone to love.

God bless

15

STREET SENSE July 29 - August 11, 2015

COMMUNITY SERVICES Housing/Shelter

Food

Clothing

Showers

Outreach

Medical/Healthcare

Transportation

Laundry

Education

Employment Assistance

Legal Assistance

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

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

Community of Hope: 232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

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

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

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

Martha’s Table: 328-6608 2114 14th St, NW marthastable.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

Catholic Charities: 772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp

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

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

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

• New permanent vendor Ted Leggett received a housing voucher!

• Vendors Robert Warren and Reginald Black were hired by Department of Human Services!

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

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

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

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

CELEBRATING SUCCESS!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More from North Carolina

by Betty Everette Vendor

Hey y’all, I’m back from North Carolina with more news. In my previous article I described growing up and my rich childhood friend Sandy. She is living in Durham. I was told she was at the funeral of my great aunt, who raised Sandy. (Would you believe that when Sandy was a little girl my great aunt would call her “Ms. Sandy” even though my great aunt was much older?)

Anyway, thanks to all my customers and my new customers to come. I thank God for getting me up every day. I am still seeking full-time employment, preferably my own food truck. (Yes, it’s too expensive...now. But, maybe someday...) I am also so thankful for my good health and meeting great people like you.

LAST WORD: THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL

By Scott Lovell, Vendor

VENDOR PROFILE: CYNTHIA MEWBORN

By Mark Thayer, Editorial Intern

A year of living on the streets of Washington, D.C. left Cynthia Mewborn traumatized and exhausted, but did not break her spirit.

During her time experiencing homelessness, Mewborn faced numerous hardships, but remained determined to improve her conditions. As a result of her time living on the streets, Mewborn developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)—a condition that she says she will have to live with for the rest of her life.

“It was the grace of God that got me through. I said my prayers every day when I was homeless and had miracles happen,” said Mewborn. “I had this one kid paint me a beautiful picture, and when he gave it to me, he told me I had a contagious smile.”

Mewborn came to Street Sense in 2013 eager and open to experience all that the opportunity had to offer. She began by selling editions of the paper, and continues to do so today. Now a year beyond her spell of homelessness, she recognizes that the classes and programs offered at Street Sense, such as its theatre workshop, have been the most invaluable to her.

“When you are homeless, you lose all of your energy. You are always on the move and don’t get a chance to really rest,” Mewborn said. “The stability and routine

of classes really helped me. They helped me when I was homeless, and still help me now.”

Though Mewborn is thankful for her involvement with Street Sense, she is already seeing her life progressing on to new endeavors. Her faith in God and her love of science are two things driving her forward. Mewborn plans to continue writing, and one day hopes to publish a spiritual book, and possibly some scientific writing after that.

Advocating for homeless people is also something Mewborn is considering for her future. Though still in the process of returning to what she considers a normal life, Mewborn thinks she may want to be an advocate for the senior homeless population one day.

“What most [people experiencing homelessness] want to do is get back to work. We want to have normal lives,” Mewborn said. “But it isn’t easy coming back from homelessness to lead a normal life. It takes time.”

Cynthia will be premiering a documentary she directed about her experience with homelessness at E Street Cinema on August 26. Learn more at StreetSense.org/film.

July 29 - August 11, 2015 • Volume 12 • Issue 19

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 one paper.

Interested in a subscription? Go to page 15 for more information.

I am grateful to have customers in McClean, Va., and all the customers in D.C. that support me by purchasing papers from me.

I recently used some of this money to go to my hometown of Charlotte, N.C., to clean up my mother’s grave and put flowers on it. I was also able to go to a cookout and reunion of people I grew up with.

My mother and granny taught me to be thankful and grateful for people and things that happen in my life. I am grateful that God has allowed people to come in contact with me through selling Street Sense. I am grateful for Digital Hope’s instructor for working with me, teaching me how to write blogs and to be able to make more money so I can travel to see friends and family. Some I had not seen in 20 years! I had a great time and am very thankful for the customers that support us.