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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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The living wage fight moves to Union Station.

Street Sense vendors share their thoughts on the Trayvon Martin case.

and Loomis 13 Lyndsey head to Atlantic City in Before the Rain: Part 27.

COVER ART An artistic homage to the experience of Street Soccer.

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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.

Today, Street Sense is published every two weeks through the efforts of four salaried employees, more than 100 active vendors, and dozens of volunteers.

Nearly 30,000 copies are in circulation each month.

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STREET SENSE July 31 - August 13, 2013

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Sequester Cuts Draw Protesters to Capitol Hill

By Angela Harvey, Editorial Intern

Rally demonstrators called on Congress to repeal the sequester and approve a Senate bill that would increase funding to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

About two hundred people gathered at a July 24 rally on Capitol Hill sponsored by the National AIDS Housing Coalition, Housing Works and Harlem United. Participants said supportive housing programs are reeling from the sequester budget cuts.

The Center on Budget and Policy reported the automatic reductions in federal spending that took place this spring decreased funding for housing services by more than $2 billion. HUD estimates 100,000 formerly homeless and homeless individuals will be will removed from housing programs or shelters as a result.

“Housing is health care, fund HUD now!”

“Fight, fight, housing is a human right!”

the crowd cheered.

Anthony Jones, 42, of Harlem, N.Y., has been living in a shelter since his public housing was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, which battered several states on the East Coast in October of last year.

“Trying to get back into permanent housing has been such a challenge. I’ve noticed this time around that some services and staffs are being cut,” Jones said.

He recently began working with Harlem United, an AIDS service organization that provides housing and support services, to find a housing solution.

“In New York, the cuts have already taken away more than 3,000 Section 8 vouchers. The New York City Housing Authority is also slated to lose nearly 7,000 housing vouchers,” said speaker Tim Houghton, the executive director of the Supportive Housing Network of New York. “That’s 10,000 people who are not going to be able to get

housing because of the sequester.”

A Section 8 voucher is a housing subsidy that is paid directly to a landlord on behalf of the program participant.

Meanwhile, Congress still needs to reach an agreement on HUD’s budget for the next fiscal year. The House and the Senate have proposed their own versions of the Transportation-HUD appropriations bills. Federal funding for HUD, including transportation and community development, is $51.7 billion for this year. The Senate bill would increase funding by $2.3 billion, or 4.5 percent. The House bill would decrease funding by $7.7 billion, or 15 percent.

Demonstrators voiced their support of the Senate bill, saying many housing programs will not survive another round of budget cuts. They are lobbying Congress to reach an agreement that does not reduce HUD funding.

While the crowd gathered outside, 60 representatives from Supportive Housing Network of New York walked the halls inside the Capitol attempting to speak with the 29 members of Congress from New York, said Houghton.

“You are not alone out here. There are others working with you,” he said to the crowd. “We must work diligently to bring attention to these issues.”

Homeless Organize to Fight for Shelters

By Harry Frey, Volunteer

YES!

urgent, said homeless leaders at an Aug 27 town hall meeting organized by the grassroots group Shelter Housing and Respectful Change (SHARC).

Homeless men and women and their “housed allies” showed up for the gathering held at the sprawling Community for Creative Non-Violence (CCNV) shelter on Second and D streets NW. The shelter, the city’s largest, houses roughly 1,400 people as well as several nonprofits that serve the homeless. But a 30-year federal agreement that requires that the building be used for homeless services expires in 2016.

A city task force proposed by City Councilmember Jim Graham will convene to discuss plans for the facility, which is badly in need of repair and located on prime downtown real estate, making it vulnerable to development pressures.

Another rising issue for the homeless community involves the 801 East shelter.

The 400-bed men’s shelter is located on the grounds of St. Elizabeths Hospital in Southeast, which is being redeveloped as a hub for federal agencies and technology companies.

As with CCNV, homeless leaders at the town hall said much remains unknown about the future of the shelter itself. But they stressed the importance of ensuring that homeless men and women are involved in decisions about the two facilities and the city’s other shelters and programs.

With two major city shelters facing uncertain futures, the need for action is

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8/2/2013 12:43:26 PM

The Fight for a Living Wage

By Kelsey Reid Editorial Intern Standing in front of her workplace, Union Station, Lucia Ramirez addressed President Obama and Congress directly.

During a July 18 protest, her message was this: low-wage, federally contracted workers badly need a raise.

Ramirez, 55, has been cleaning Union Station for more than 21 years and makes $8.75 an hour with no benefits. She said she struggles to pay for housing and worries about ever being able to retire. She recently went on strike with Good Jobs Nation, an advocacy grouping calling for an increase in the wages of federally-contracted workers.

“I’m calling on President Obama to be a good landlord,” she said, in a reference to the President’s executive authority over the wages of federally contracted workers. She demanded that the president reform wage regulations for federallycontracted workers like herself.

And hers is far from a lone voice. In loud marches and colorful protests, the struggle for a so-called “living wage” has spilled out into the streets of Washington in recent weeks. Inspired by the fight, workers and advocates from a variety of workplaces and groups have been speak-

ing out. Some come from the ranks of low-paid contract workers who clean and maintain federal office buildings and landmarks like Union Station and the Smithsonian Institution.

Others have been weighing in on a highstakes city council debate over whether retail giants such as Wal-Mart should be required to pay better wages to their workers. They are asking for changes in federal and local laws that they say would enable them to earn enough to pay for housing, food and other necessities in the costly D.C. region.

At a July 24 press conference, Ramirez spoke about the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013, which would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour and index it to inflation so it will keep pace with the cost of living.

The event marked four years since Congress last increased the national minimum wage, which currently stands at $7.25. Earlier this year, the president himself said the federal minimum wage should be increased to at least $9 an hour and indexed to inflation. His remarks helped advance a minimum wage discussion in Congress.

Some Congressional backers of a federal increase were on hand at the July 24 press conference. They spoke of the significant impact they believe the proposed

increase could have for millions of lowwage workers and their families.

“This increase means the difference in being able to afford childcare, transportation, and put healthy food on the table without having to rely on public assistance,” Congresswoman Donna Edwards (D-MD) said.

But some proponents of living wage reform said the issue requires more immediate action. Joseph Geevarghese, Deputy Director of Change to Win, a sponsor of Good Jobs Nation, said he believes minimum wage is unlikely to pass given the current makeup of Congress.

“We face a widening income inequality and a growing low-wage workforce,” Geevarghese said. “We can’t wait for Congress.”

Instead, Good Jobs Nation and other living wage advocacy groups are calling for President Obama to issue an executive order that would establish a living wage for federally contracted workers for food service, cleaning, and retail companies that contract in government owned buildings such as Union Station, the Smithsonian and Reagan executive building.

Due to the fact that contract workers are hired through executive agencies, the President could raise and enforce workplace standards for these workers by de-

claring that the government will prefer companies with higher “good job” standards, including wages, when establishing contracts.

Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN), chairman of the Progressive Caucus and a supporter of Good Jobs Nation, said he believes the government should set the standard of paying fair wages for private companies.

“America should be a place where hard work pays,” Ellison said. “People expect to be treated fairly when working for the government, and they should be.”

During the July 18 Union Station protest, Rev. Michael Livingston, National Director of Public Policy and Interfaith Worker Justice Washington Office, described how the meals in the capitol’s cafeterias are subsidized for members of Congress but the workers who serve them that food are not paid living wages.

Geevarghese said these low-wage, federally contracted workers aren’t just in DC and are a much larger demographic than citizens may expect.

“The federal government is the largest low-wage job creator and spends more than a trillion dollars on federal contracts.

A lot of that goes to big corporations who pay workers poverty wages and so they have to go to the government for Section

PHOTOS BY KELSEY REID

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8 housing, food stamps and healthcare. So taxpayers are billed twice,” he said.

It’s the same argument proponents of the D.C. City Council’s Large Retailer Accountability Act of 2013 are making.

On July 10, the D.C. City Council approved a living wage bill requiring large retailers to pay their workers a 50 percent premium over the city’s minimum wage of $8.25 an hour. Advocates were thrilled.

But Wal-Mart officials have warned the law could jeopardize plans to open six stores in the city. Mayor Vincent Gray, who has backed the new stores as a source of jobs and neighborhood revitalization, is weighing whether to sign or to veto the bill.

If approved by the mayor, the bill would require retailers who make more than $1 billion in profits to pay their employees $12.50 an hour minus benefits. Mike Wilson, an organizer with Respect DC, said this will allow low-wage families to share in the recent economic boom the local economy and large retailers are seeing.

“This will help give people a chance to live here and support themselves. These workers will be able to consume more so it will boost the whole economy and workers will be able to share more in the profits of these companies,” Wilson said.

Some opponents of the legislation have disagreed with targeting large retailers and say changes are needed for retailers as a whole. Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Target, AutoZone, Lowe’s, Walgreens and Macy’s have expressed their disapproval of the bill in part because of its targeting of large retailers. Alex Barron, a regional general manager

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for Wal-Mart, also said in an editorial that the legislation would result in fewer jobs and higher prices in the District.

On the other h a n d , Re b e k a h Peeples Massengill, author of “Wal-Mart Wars: Moral Populism in the TwentyFirst Century” and a lecturer at Princeton University, predicts that while the legislation only directly addresses large retailers, it will have an affect on the District as a whole.

“Wal-Mart changes affect so many other workers and impact other employers,” Rebekah said. “It does have a depressing effect on wages at other retailers when it enters a market.”

Rev. Graylan Hagler of Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ and member of Faith Strategies said he believes targeting large retailers is acceptable because the City Council knows they can afford to pay their employees more. When Hagler met Wal-Mart executives during their visits to community and church groups when the company began their move into the city two years ago, Hagler said they promised to pay a starting wage of $13 an hour.

“The Wal-Mart CEO makes $11,000 an hour, that’s the hypocrisy of Wal-Mart,” Hagler said. “When I asked them more recently about them pushing back on $12.50 when they promised us $13 two years ago they said, ‘Guess we don’t like regulations.’”

Is Wal-Mart Reneging on the Deal?

By Aida Basnight-Peery, Vendor

While the idea of Wal-Mart opening stores in the DIstrict has a lot of people excited, some small businesses and and some city residents have been have been worried about Wal-Mart coming to town.

The small businesses are concerned that the mega-billion dollar retailer is a threat to mom-and-pop stores and some residents point out that Wal-Mart is famously stingy with wages.

The way I see it, that is what you call capitalism. And mind you, I have nothing against capitalism but I also believe in socialism and the two do come together.

You can be a sole proprietor of a business/ idea and capitalize off of it but you need people- socialism- to do it. Sometimes people forget that for some reason or they just don’t understand the word.

But one thing should be clear. If D.C. councilmembers had done what Mayor Daley did in the city of Chicago, the District wouldn’t be going back and forth with Wal-Mart about the wage issues.

When I was a little girl growing up in Chicago in the 1960s, private developers wanted to tear down the Cabrini-Green public housing project because it was occupying prime real estate on the city’s gold coast. I remember the late Mayor Daley asked these private developers what would happen to all of the families who would be left with no place to live if they tore down Cabrini-Green.

The private developers responded that it wasn’t their problem what happened to the families. So Daley said simply, “No, you can’t tear down Cabrini-Green”.

Years went by and the work of fixing up other neighborhoods progressed; lakefront properties and Northwest, Westside and part of the South Side. But the private developers still had that prime property where Cabrini-Green was sitting on their minds. Finally, the private developers approached ex-Mayor Daley again, but with more respect this time. The private developers made an agreement with the city officials stating that the developers would be responsible for the families of Cabrini-Green, allowing them to have apartments either in their buildings or

somewhere else that was affordable.

The D.C. City Council and Mayor Vincent Gray should have written up a contract with Wal-Mart before going through all the construction sites and getting everyone in the city excited about having a Wal-Mart stores in different wards. Trust and believe me: Wal-Mart believes in the Christian faith, but the company believes in money even more. The company executives make sure to pay the workers as little as possible, knowing that otherwise, they themselves will be out of a job.

I agree with D.C. Councilmember Phil Mendelson’s point that $26,000 a year isn’t going to break Wal-Mart’s bank by any means. In fact, even $12.50 isn’t enough for an individual to obtain or keep a roof over her head, let alone to pay for food and transportation, not only in Washington, D.C. but in many other places in our nation.

Wal-Mart has already spent a fortune planning for stores in different wards of the city. If Wal-Mart were to pull out of the District, it would be a financial fiasco for the company.

But the city has options. Shoot, we could build more Target stores in those wards and simply say to Wal-Mart “see ya and good riddance”.

So, to all you city councilmen and women of D.C.: don’t back down.

8/2/2013 12:43:27 PM

Boosting Confidence and Raising Hopes at Horton’s Kids

By Kristen Farnam, Editorial Intern

For some of the city’s most underprivileged kids, a public library may be more than just a pleasant amenity. It can be an afterschool refuge, a vital link to learning, a lifeline. Yet more than a quarter of District children live in a neighborhood without a public library, according to DC Kids Count, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The children growing up in the Wellington Park Apartment complex don’t have the luxury of a public library to call their own. Living in the stressed and crime-ridden neighborhood cluster of Buena Vista, Sheridan and Barry Farms in Anacostia, these kids are living in what is known to be the most dangerous part of a deeply troubled area. But Horton’s Kids is there to help.

This award-winning nonprofit is geared toward providing wrap-around services to meet the needs of children growing up in a community where single-parent families subsiding on less than $10,000 a year is the norm. Knowing that nutrition is a building block for learning, because of hunger’s detrimental effects on a child’s ability to focus and contribute, Horton’s offers breakfasts,lunches and snacks. It also operates a food pantry for the families. Working with the Capital Area Food Bank, it sends students home with “weekend bags” which include 4 to 6 pounds of nutritious food, to ensure the children receive adequate nutrition during the two day break from school.

But the program’s main mission centers on building reading skills, said Kristin Frontiera, a development associate at Horton’s Kids. There is nothing more important she believes than building a solid foundation in literacy. “If a child is behind in reading in third grade,” she said, “he will never be able to catch up.” The liter-

acy gap will remain for the rest of his life.

And so for Horton’s Kids in kindergarten through fourth grade, the goal is to work with the child to get him closer to or maintaining his ability to read at grade level.

When the school year ends and the kids are out for summer break, the push for literacy and learning becomes particularly urgent for low-income children. Studies have shown that children can lose up to one month of learning during summer vacation, with the impact falling the heaviest upon the poor. While middle-income children may be able to make some gains in a subject during the summer, low-income children can lose skills in the same area. A RAND study even concluded that “summer learning loss is cumulative and that, over time, these periods of differential learning rates between low-income and higher-income students contribute substantially to the achievement gap.”

The summer camp is not held at the Horton’s community center in Anacostia, because the space cannot accommodate the large number of children enrolled.

This year, it is being held at the Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism and Media Art, near the Navy Yard. Last year, it was held in a church in Anacostia.

Frontiera explained that it is always a bit of a struggle to find a larger space for the summer, yet they always manage to do so, even if at the last minute.

Every day about 50 Wellington Park kids ride a bus to the charter school for this summer’s camp. They get four hours of educational activities, with sports and arts mixed in. The children also receive breakfast, lunch and a snack for the bus ride home.

A rising third-grader named Danielle, who has been part of Horton’s Kids since kindergarten, has nothing but praise for

Horton’s Kids enjoy arts and crafts in between their reading and math work.

PHOTOS BY KRISTEN FARNAM

the program.

“My favorite thing to do is learn new stuff,” she said.

Danielle, whose favorite subjects are math and science, has been in the program since she entered kindergarten. She is now going into the third grade at Savoy Elementary School and hopes to be a veterinarian one day. When asked what Horton’s Kids has helped her with the most, she explained that participation in the program has boosted her confidence.

“It’s helped me get over my fear of third grade,” she said, “Nobody is smarter than me in my class.”

Fronteira points with pride to such signs

of success.

Two Horton’s Kids alumni, both college students with full-ride scholarships to their college told her they had Horton’s Kids to thank for their success. And both remembered a field trip they had taken with the program. It was not to a water park or to a skating rink. It was to a public library, filled with books and other resources they were free to use. The wonder of that experience has stayed with them both, she said. Now they get help from the program in paying for their college textbooks.

“Once a Horton’s Kid, always a Horton’s Kid,” said Frontiera.

ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID SEROTA

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Keeping Hunger at Bay in the Summer

By Angela Harvey, Editorial Intern

A child’s need for a nutritious meal does not stop when school cafeterias shut down in June. Across the District this summer, free meal programs are expected to serve hundreds of thousands of meals to hungry kids, in an effort to make up for those missing school lunches.

The need is very real. During the school year, nearly 70 percent of the District’s roughly 45,000 public school students qualify for free and reduced-price meals provided by the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs.

Getting nutritious food at home can be a struggle for low-income families. One in eight households in Washington experience food insecurity or lack of access to healthy foods, according to the nonprofit DC Hunger Solutions.

Through the D.C. Free Summer Meals Program, children and youth under 18 years of age are able to sit and eat healthy meals at more than 200 locations throughout the city. The food service sites include public libraries, schools, community and recreational centers and churches. At designated “open sites” such as libraries and community centers, any child can receive a meal. Additional “closed sites,”

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which operate through school-based summer camps, provide meals exclusively to children participating in the camps. The meals offered vary by location but can include breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The effort has won accolades. “The D.C. Free Summer Meals Program has been ranked the best summer food program in the country for six consecutive years for reaching the highest percentage of lowincome children,” said Signe Anderson, a child nutrition policy analyst for the Food Research and Action Center, speaking at this summer’s kick off event June 12.

“Last summer, it served more than one million meals to children and youth, and we expect to serve even more this year.”

Despite its past success, the program has seen overall participation drop in the last several years. Officials worry it is not reaching all of the children in the District who might face food insecurity in summer. Last July, 60 percent of low-income students received summer meals – a 20 percent decrease from 2010. That figure is still higher than the national average, according to DC Hunger Solutions.

In an effort to boost participation, city libraries and communitybased organizations have tried to increase participation by opening more sites and and advertising.

For the past three summers, children and adults with special needs have been able to come to the Anacostia Library for lunch Monday through Saturday. The program runs from July 8 until August 16, and serves about 40 lunches a day. Cold lunches, requiring no preparation, are delivered daily by refrigerated trucks, said library manager Yvette Davis. She has regulars who come in almost every day, and thinks some of the children would probably not be getting a nutritious meal if not for the program.

“I do believe the program provides a well-balanced lunch to children who may not have that at home,” Davis said. “Last week, we had some kids who really wanted to come in. We open at 1:00 p.m., and they were waiting at the door at noon.

When they came in, they raced downstairs to the eating area.”

The meal on July 22 was a turkey and cheese sandwich on a whole wheat bun, a mixed fruit cup, coleslaw and chocolate milk. All 40 meals were served within the first 22 minutes of the 90 minute lunch period. Davis said participation in the program has increased each week, and she

plans to order 50 meals, the refrigerator’s capacity, for next week.

The library did not have a refrigerator large enough to accommodate the meals until DC Hunger Solutions paid for one.

The organization worked with the D.C. Library Foundation to equip all 13 participating libraries with refrigerators, as well as training in food handling for the teenagers working in Summer Youth Employee

Program who serve the food.

The summer meals program is federally-funded through the farm bill and is overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is included in the same bill that provides funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called food stamps. In the District, the summer meals program is managed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

8/2/2013 12:43:29 PM

Top: Jose Rodriguez takes a shot on goal during against St. Louis July 21. Middle: Bilingual Outreach Worker David Ordonez paints the public mural as part of a project organized by the Chilean street soccer team. Street Soccer USA Cup participants were invited to paint the mural during Closing Ceremony festivities in Times Square July 22.

Bottom: Arlington Tigers players and coaches Edgar Osorio, Sarah Morse, Juan Cedillo, Fernando Cedillo, David Gomez, Ordonez and Rodriguez.

PHOTOS BY KELSEY REID

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STREET SENSE July 31 - August 13, 2013

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1. Jose Rodriguez paints part of the community mural July 22. 2. Fernando Cedillo races for the ball during a game against Chicago July 20. 3. Edgar Osorio hugs a Minneapolis player during the Closing Ceremony after Minneapolis won the National Cup July 22. 4. Tigers players Fernando Cedillo, Osorio, Rodriguez and Juan Cedillo. 5.

Coaches Sarah Morse and David Ordonez strategize with players Rodriguez and Juan Cedillo before a game.

6. Tigers players pose with a fellow player in Times Square during Closing Ceremony festivities July 22. 7.

Rodriguez challenges a Philly defender during their July 22 game. 8. Osorio sprints to defend a breakaway by a Los Angeles player July 21. 9. The Tigers huddle with Coach Morse before their July 22 game in Times Square. 10. Osorio warms up before the Tigers’ first game of the Cup against Minneapolis July 20.

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Tigers Aim for Bigger Goals

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By Kelsey Reid Editorial Intern

A proud smile spread across the face of Arlington Tigers player Jose Rodriguez’s face as his shot went past the goalie to the back of the net. With a crowd of fans cheering him on in the light of the Jumbotrons of Times Square, Rodriguez was a star.

The field, or “pitch” set up in Times Square was a far cry from the Tigers’ makeshift practice area, a swath of grass in a community park in Arlington. The Tigers, a street soccer team sponsored by Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network (A-SPAN), was one of nineteen teams from all over the country that traveled to New York City to compete in the Street Soccer USA National Cup July 20-22.

“My favorite part was bringing them to the city, seeing how they interacted with the other players and watching them soak everything in and just enjoy it,” said Tigers’ coach, Sarah Morse.

The annual games are organized by the nonprofit Street Soccer USA, which has programs in 20 cities across America. The programs engender teamwork and fitness.

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And they offer a curriculum of additional services as well. Players get job preparation and life skills training that can help them connect with the work, education, and housing they need to leave homelessness behind.

“Playing soccer gives them physical activity, a social outlet and support, role models in the volunteers, a positive environment and just the joy of playing,” Morse said.

In Times Square, the Cup games showcased the competitive nature and commitment of the players. During the first morning of the tournament, a player from the Tulsa, OK team broke his leg during a game and had to be taken to the hospital. Mid-afternoon a cab pulled up outside the pitch and to the team’s surprise, their teammate had come back to watch them play. When asked why he was so rushed to leave the hospital and come back, he said, “I have to be here for my family.”

Many players talked about the bonds street soccer has helped them form with their teammates, coaches and society.

Tigers’ player Fernando Cedillo said that connection grew stronger in the atmosphere of the National Cup. “The cheering fans really helped us keep going during the games,” Cedillo said, as interpreted by A-SPAN Bilingual Outreach Worker David Ordonez. “This event gives us a chance to collaborate with society.”

Morse said involvement in street soccer and A-SPAN has helped her players grow in other ways as well. Since joining the Tigers, Rodriguez and teammate Edgar Osorio have been introduced to A-SPAN’s winter shelter. Rodriguez also started to look for housing, has made medical appointments and started working on his health. Morse said soccer becomes an important link to players’ broader goals.

“We connect them with other services for food, showers, etc. and the soccer reinforces their connection with A-SPAN,” she said.

The Tigers had four players for the whole tournament and David Gomez, who took a bus to New York to join the team

after attending the last session of a class he was taking at a local technical college.

Many of the Tigers’ regulars at practice couldn’t attend the Cup because they now have steady jobs or are enrolled in classes and were unable to leave for the weekend.

Strong ties were also formed between Tigers and players from other teams. After each game handshakes, hugs and well wishes were exchanged. Between games, players talked about soccer and their struggles with homelessness. On the last day of the tournament, players rushed around the event getting pictures with their new friends from around the country.

“For most of [the players] it was their first time in the city and interacting with other teams and players and seeing that they were equal to them. They are all struggling with the same things,” Morse said. “So through those short conversations with other players I think [Tigers players] started to see what the bigger picture of Street Soccer USA is.”

8/2/2013 12:43:37 PM

COMICS & GAMES

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8/2/2013 12:43:38 PM

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STREET SENSE July 31 - August 13 2013

Guilt, Charlatans and Racists: The Economics of Race Hustling

By Jeffrey McNeil, Vendor

The historic election of Barack Obama as President of the United States in 2008 was a fulfillment of Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream.

And Obama’s overwhelming re-election in 2012 proved that his first election was not an aberration. Winning two former slave states, Virginia and Florida, with people of all colors waiting in long lines to re-elect him, was hailed as a sign that racism was coming to an end in America.

For many blacks, a black man in charge of the free world was better than reparations, affirmative action and preferential treatment. For them, Obama’s presence in the White House seemed better than an economic boost: it was a celestial one.

People endowed him with magical powers. He was going to deliver the poor, down-trodden people known as the black underclass out of poverty. Men would be fathers, crime would dissipate and in rough neighborhoods, trouble and need would be replaced by order and prosperity.

And for some white people, this was also a great moment of shared relief.

They saw their racial debt was paid and they no longer felt guilty for past wrongdoings. It was the passing of the torch to the black race.

However, with power comes responsibility.

Because there were minorities in power at federal, state and local levels, blacks could be now called racists instead of victims.

No longer could someone say he or she was being held back by “the man,” because a black man was in charge. There could be

no more excuses or finger pointing.

Was this a new age, a post-racial society?

Was this the end of institutional racism? Many would hail such a development as a tremendous breakthrough. Yet there were those who saw it as a threat.

What would happen to the institutions that made money on racial grievances? They were destined to become obsolete. If there were no race issues, there would be no need for people to feel guilty about past grievances and they would not be compelled to open their wallets and write checks.

It would also mean the end for spokesmen like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, labor bosses and black officials, who inject race to advance their agendas or win elections.

While most of America is moving past race, the “aggrieved industry” found itself in a crisis. Without racial controversies and hysteria, it faced irrelevancy.

Obama won with not just black voters, but witha cross section of America which gave him two majorities, and a mandate to lead all of America, not just black America.

However, this news did not sit well with liberal radicals and activists. The first to take shots at Obama were Tavis Smiley and Cornel West. They bet heavily on Hillary Clinton, believing they would receive access if she won. However they, like Jesse Jackson, were very critical and President Obama made them irrelevant by shunning their requests. Both felt betrayed. They went on a poverty tour dedicated to criticizing Obama for not have an Afrocentric agenda.

By 2010, the frustration of far-left liberals, race frauds and the Congressional Black Caucus grew. The Black Caucus toured the country where Charles Rangel and Maxine Waters begged their black constituents to speak out against the president.

But the post-racial society was not unfolding well for blacktivists. Then in 2012 , controversy stirred when George Zimmerman, a Peruvian-American neighborhood watchman shot Trayvon Martin, a black teenager carrying a bottle of iced tea and a bag of Skittles. Facts did not matter. Although Zimmerman was born in Peru, he looked white, and although an eyewitness saw a man beating Zimmerman, he was labeled a racist. Blacktivists knew that capturing this story would bring race to the forefront once again.

White people who no longer felt guilty about racism would conjure guilty feelings about the poor and start writing checks again.

When Obama injected himself into the discussion, the liberal media hailed him as Abraham Lincoln and the race industry was back in full swing. They took a tragedy and used it to raise their visibility.

The news channels also capitalized on the death. They gave round-the-clock coverage to the Trayvon Martin case.

After spending years in the wilderness, Al Sharpton once again became the voice of Black America and got his own talk show.

The conclusion is this: blacks are galvanized by the Trayvon murder. But who has benefitted more from his death? The poor or the race-hustling industry?

Things We’re Not Supposed to Talk About

By Robert Warren, Vendor

I know we are not supposed to discuss the topic. But I will, because George Zimmerman’s acquittal left a bitter taste in many Americans’ mouths.

Even though Trayvon Martin didn’t do anything wrong, a lot of people on the right wanted to portray him as a young thug who got just what he deserved and that there was nothing racial about what happened on the night Zimmerman shot him to death.

They blame the victim as a way of masking their biases. And they don’t stop there. Many on the right wrongly insist racist laws are things of the past. Their views about how to address poverty and disenfranchisement continue to inflame and exacerbate racial tensions. And they continue to wage war on President Obama.

Conservatives equate anything Obama proposes to help working people or the poor as an attack on either small business, the Constitution, or both. But they cannot change the fact that many people in my community think Zimmerman racially profiled Martin on the night in question.

Street Sense_07.31.2013.indd 11

In addition, Zimmerman was clearly negligent when he failed to identify himself as a neighborhood watch person as he approached Martin with his concealed 9-millimeter pistol.

As President Obama pointed out, things could have been a lot different had Trayvon Martin been of age and armed with his own pistol. In a rare show of A Baltimore rally protesting the Trayvon Martin verdict, the support, some conser- weekend t was announced. vatives actually praised PHOTO BY GARY MINTER the president’s remarks. I hope those conabout race and religion this country so servative Republicans might think about desperately needs. joining the president in giving poor and Of course, as it is with George Zimmerhomeless Americans the help they need man, only the Lord knows what is in the to move up to the middle class and in hearts of men. so of course nobody gives strengthening the middle class with afany guarantees. But, I promise you this: fordable healthcare and living wage jobs. we will surely be asked why we left our And maybe, just maybe, that segment of brother on the sidewalk to die. society can engage in the real discussion

OPINION REGGIE’S REFLECTIONS:

The Alliance

By Reginald Black Vendor, “Da’ Street Reportin’ Artist” T h e Wa s h i n g t o n scene changes from week to week.This week it was the Renaissance Hotel that underwent a transformation, playing host to the National Conference on Ending Homelessness.

This huge three-day affair, organized by the National Alliance to End Homelessness offers nonprofits, researchers and advocates from across the country a chance to exchange ideas about programs that states and counties can adopt in keeping with a challenging national commitment made four years ago to end of chronic homelessness in America by 2015.

I attended the conference as a representative of the People for Fairness Coalition (PFC), a self-advocacy group which holds its weekly meetings Miriam’s Kitchen. At the conference I joined crowds of other representatives from many cities, eager to learn about the new strategies to address homelessness. One workshop that impressed me centered around how service providers, government and everyone in between should use accurate data to state their cases, whether in seeking funding or making statements to the public.

I could feel the speaker’s message loud and clear.

At another, I listened as representatives from housing authorities gave their suggestions on how to move forward with creative solutions to homelessness. One powerful speaker explained how her housing authority is harnessing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds to get families into housing. I was amazed by the many policies and initiatives. And I was grateful to hear folks from other cities say how impressed they were to learn about Washington’s self-advocacy groups including PFC. The only city that had anything close was Portland, Maine.

The conference ended with a huge rally held to bring attention to cuts to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development programs due to federal budget sequestration. After talking with a group from Philadelphia, I ended up missing the rally, which was a big disappointment.

But, I still had a wonderful time.

I left the conference feeling deep gratitude to the Alliance and the many communities that want to see an end to homelessness. That goal is something I see as sacred and important, believing as I do that housing is a human right.

8/2/2013 12:43:39 PM

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.

Still Standing

The Tears of Others

By Rashawn Bowser, Vendor

Someone here is crying Someone here is dying Someone is sad and feels all alone And prays to a god that does not answer and makes it no better They see the world Like no other would ever Not knowing the joy of comfort They hurt each other And every time they think of being alone It’s not them that they see It’s not the world it used to be It’s not life as it once seemed to them And what they feel or hear or see Isn’t anything like the pain within them

Gerald Anderson, Vendor

There is no one to hear to them There is no one there They just want the world to know They just want the world to see them Because no one knows them by name But one thing is true and that is their pain No one will ever know the tears of others

Violence on Campus

By Phillip “The Cat in the Hat” Black, Vendor One Monday, July 22, a young woman got off of a city bus, on her way to Howard University campus. A male passenger that was also on the bus followed her into the school, pushed her into a classroom and sexually assaulted her. Police were called, but no arrests were made.

Since September, Howard University has dealt with violent crimes, armed robberies, thefts and assaults. And on Tuesday, July 23, Superior Court Judge Herbert Dixon sentenced Alazajuan Gray, 20, to 14 years in prison after he and his friend Clifton Smith were found guilty of robbing two Maryland college students.

It makes you wonder, how could this happen? This is getting out of hand. We need to add extra security on our college campuses. Safety should be our main concern when we send our children to college.

The Day

By Jaqueline Turner, Vendor Sunshine wake you up Brightness help you get started Clouds keep you going

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When I was selling Street Sense papers in Tenleytown, a very good friend of mine, who was attending American University, was robbed of his iPhone. While I was talking to him at CVS, he said the person who did it was standing outside of the store.

And to make things even worse, the guy who robbed him was using his phone. We called the police, the guy was arrested and my friend’s phone was returned.

Now, there is more police presence to assure parents that their kids will be safe on and off campus. But until things get better, I’ll say to all college kids, be more aware of your surroundings. At night, make sure you’re in well-lit areas. Try walking with more friends. Some things can be avoided just by being smart. Safety is the number one concern.

Flowers show you the way So look up look around The world is just like church All that’s missing is you!

Ch_ rch

Hi, I’m a Street Sense vendor. My name is Gerald Anderson. I’m from New Orleans.

I came to DC in 2005, after Hurricane Katrina. I lost my home in the storm and had to leave my family behind in Louisiana. I thank God for letting me still be here. It’s a lot I’ve been through. It’s forgiven, but not forgotten. It’s been eight years since I saw my family. I lost my mother in 2010.

But I’m still standing.

Just a few days before I came to write this, one of my lady customers was talking to me. It really touched me when she said, “We are your family.” I say this from my heart, to everyone in this world, whatever happens, never give up. Whenever you see me and you want to talk, please feel free. And to all my customers and everyone else, good morning, good morning, good morning! Have a nice day!

Street Sense Vendors Promote a New Way to Give

By Cynthia “C=MB2” Mewborn, Vendor What happens when charity begins in the homeless population?

Temporary equal opportunity, that’s what. On June 18, ten of Street Sense’s vendors were commissioned to work for several hours for the promotion of a new nonprofit volunteer company called Voolla. The name combines “volunteers” with “moolah”, and speaks to the nonprofit’s goal of “turning volunteer skills into money for charity”. Stephanie Downs, the chief volunteer, launched Voolla last November. She turned to Street Sense vendors to help promote the company because, as she says, she is “a regular supporter of Street Sense and wanted to hire vendors for this particular event due to vendors’ hard work ethic”. She further stated that “each vendor followed up, each confirmed the event’s date and after the event I felt all the vendors were fantastic and it was an amazing experience.”

On Voolla’s online market place, clients can hire the services of volunteering professionals. The amount the volunteer would normally charge the client is given as a tax-exempt donation to a charity agreed upon by both client and volunteer. The volunteer and the client may also agree to spilt their donation fifty-fifty with two charities. In either case, ninety percent of the donation goes to the charity, with the remaining ten percent allotted to credit card fees (three percent) and company costs (seven percent).

The original idea was sparked when a

friend of Downs needed a full-scale brochure designed for his business. Downs, having a marketing background, wanted to help her friend without charging him.

He suggested that she donate the money to a charity organization instead, and thus Voolla was born.

The 120 organizations which accept donations from Voolla support a wide spectrum of causes, everything from organizations that fight poverty to charities that help children, animals and Alzheimer’s patients. And the range of volunteer skill sets is equally wide-- there are hundreds of profiles incorporating everything from architecture and scientific consulting to ice skating and graphic design.

Currently, the organization operates nationwide but it has the potential to go global. In Voolla’s expanding world however, helping the local community remains a guiding principle, says Downs.

“Charity should always start at home and with more then seven thousand homeless individuals in Washington D.C., this is the best place in getting started in making the right policies for the homeless.”

When organizations like these come to the poorest of the poor and give them a second chance it can’t help but be a winwin situation. And for the Street Sense vendors who were commissioned to promote Voolla, that’s actually what it was.

Thank you, Voolla.

More information is available at Voolla.org.

8/2/2013 12:43:40 PM

STREET SENSE July 31 - August 13, 2013

13

VENDOR WRITING

BEFORE THE RAIN, PART 27:

Somebody was in the Nobody’s Inn Celestial

By Chris “The Cowboy Poet” Shaw

In Missy Gaulinfat’s one and only Beauty-Torium, the juice was back running. Partially thanks to the City of New Orleans, but more directly to the diligent efforts of Poseidon, Missy’s spouse, successfully pokin’ round the shop’s ancient fuse box with a wooden dowel instead of a metal trowel. Ergo: no fried Poseidon! Now Fats Domino was amiably drawling over their ancient jukebox, “see ya Bye and Bye, ‘cause I’m a-WWWalkin’ To New--Or-L’ns!” Missy tugged on her florid blue-crimson headscarf, wondering aloud, “Now whut mischief could dat big Lummis be getting in, I’m thinking...”

A stocky unshaven trucker, Julian Hernandes, had heard the real Loomis serenading his sweet lady friend, reunited, Lyndsey Pattison, on the Secaucus access to the Jersey Turnpike toll plaza. “WALK-IN’ TO NEW- OR-LEANS, La-lalalaa...”.

Hernandes liked what he heard.

He motioned roughly to the love birds. “Get in. I got no radio in my camion but I like musica. Mucho!!” Lyndsey, with supernatural strength, hauled the dazed Loomis up into the cab and they were off like Captain America and his Easy Rider pals.

Jouncing thru Jersey, Loomis came a bit alive, “You sure dem sports writin’ freaks didn’t get a piece of your action, Lyndsey?” Upon her strident refusal, Loomis broke into raucous song, explaining a lil’ history to their willing host.

“Here’s one I heard sung by the late and definitely Great, Wilbert Harrison...’FROM ‘BOTTOM OF M’ HEAAAAART, IT’S A MESSAGE- I LOVE YOU...” Whereupon Loomis leaned over, kissed Lyndsey’s ear and fell fast asleep.

Julian hipped Lyndsey that they were going to stop in Mahwah. He had a half-pallet of charcoal briquettes in the back for a beat, old comedy joint called “Nobody’s Inn.” Lyndsey warmed to the notion, hopeful that the proprietors might dig their singing duo just for “funsies.”

“Hey man,” Julian piped up. “Nowaday, anythin’ goes.

We’ll lay over there, a bit, an’ we’ll see.” Half an hour later, Julian had uncorked the load of charcoal cubes, and Loomis and Lyndsey sat entwined on stage, enchanting Stan Rosenszweig, owner, chief cook, and bottle-washer of Nobody’s. Julian signaled madly that now was time for him

to split, but the lovebirds were singing “Hi-Draped Pants,” and Stan was sold on the act.

With their means of “escape” gone, Loomis and Lyndsey didn’t hesitate to accept Mr. Stan’s offer of a room and fifty per show, good dough for a pair of “Nola ‘Fugees” under the circumstances.

Shown their quarters, Loomis fell atop the bed. Fats Domino Lyndsey joined him, her PHOTO COURTESY OF AFFENDADDY/FLICKR nightgown already on. “I feel funny for some reason, Loomy..”

He drew her close. “Y-yer just gonna hafta get use to it, babe. We’re in for the long haul.”

A crude electric buzzer jolted the pair awake; five hours later they sat at their podium amidst a squinchy room full of guffawing drunks. Just when it all seemed lost, Lyndsey whipped out Liza Minnelli’s version of “Together,” and Loom apparently knew the comeback lines. Heckling melted into a warm and fuzzy love feast. Loomis tossed a lil’ Creole humor, as in “Love ya like frog’s eggs”, and the night was won.

After another day of drawn curtains and pledges of eternal fealty, Thursday evening arrived. Though the house wasn’t as packed with stiffs (apparently Wednesday’s children of woe liked Nobody’s a bit more); things looked okay.

But a huge oaf, a friend of Mr. Stan no doubt, hurled some derogatory Katrina jokes and Loomis took less than kindly.

While Lyndsey was going into “Get Happy,” Loomis lofted her chair into “Nutso,” and Stan’s floor men leapt into action. Through the checkered-glass doors of the club flew Lynds and Looms, landing unceremoniouslyon the parking lot’s gravel, right at the feet of one Enderth Parks. (to be continued)

The Mysterious Masonic Ring: Chapter 5 (Cont’d)

By John “Mick” Matthews, Vendor

“Hey, turns out a bunch of Catholic-hating, so-called ‘Know Nothings’ stole a block of stone donated by the Pope and then took over the construction committee. They stopped the progress of building, which was further delayed by the Civil War,” she said. Her footsteps headed back to the bedroom, but she left the bathroom door open so we could continue our conversation.

“The Civil War?!” I exclaimed, grabbing a towel. “Back up a minute, when did construction start?”

“Ummm...” she mumbled. I could almost hear her flipping the pages of the brochure. “Let’s see, ground was broken on July 4, 1848.”

“So it took almost fifty years after the city became the functional capitol to break ground on the monument,” I figured. “And I thought government was slow nowadays.” I’d finished drying off at this point and was slipping on a clean pair of boxers.

“Anyway, work on it didn’t resume until 1876,” she added, “because they wound up doing a slight redesign, making the height ten times...” “...The length of the base,” I finished her sentence. “The classical proportions of an ancient Egyptian obelisk.” Ancient religions were an academic specialty of mine.

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“I was just about to say that, smartass,” she retorted.

“You know this history stuff is more interesting than an episode of Jerry Springer.”

“And more twisted,” I added, “why do you think I’m so into it. Hey babe, call us a cab, it’s time to play tourist.”

The cabbie dropped us off at 14th Street and Constitution, and we hiked the rest of the way. As we approached the World’s Tallest Obelisk, our enthusiasm shrank. A giantsized Erector set worth of scaffolding surrounding it.

“Oh shit! The earthquake!” I exclaimed. “I forgot all about it!”

“Of course you’d forget,” she chided me, “you weren’t the one holding on to a toilet for dear life at the time.

That’s something I’ll NEVER forget!”

“And you’ll never let me forget it from now on, will you?”

I rolled my eyes in mock aggravation.

“Of course not,” she smiled. “So what do we do now?”

“Well, most major memorials in this town have a visitor center,” I replied. “Usually a couple of museum-grade exhibits and a gift shop with tourist-trap souvenirs. Let’s see if we can find one.”

(To be continued)

Subterranea Part Two

By Dele Akerejah, Vendor

As difficult as it is to believe, in these times a glass of water could bring enmity to the nuclear family of any home. The unreachable, unbreachable hive provided many of the meager means to the poor men and women of the streets through its bank governors who ran things from the looming onyx towers. Yes, the looming towers themselves were controlled by the “Company.” The men in charge of these institutions were bitter exiles who once attended court in the interior of the antiseptic hive. Having fallen from grace, they demonstrated an unusually insecure haughtiness in their dealings with the merchant class, the upper middle class of Neohades.

The bankers themselves were the bourgeoisie class, organizing everything in commerce from distribution of goods to collection of payments and taxes on behalf of the “gods that dwelt in the sky”. It was little different from the ancient systems of priesthoods controlling the resources and giving tribute to the gods, while collecting taxes for the purpose of doing this. After- rather, under- the merchants were the peddlers who set up shops throughout the city.

On the ground, paramilitary police units paraded through the cobblestone streets with automatic assault rifles in uniforms of dark samurai cyborg gear.

These armed forces operated like ghosts in shells.

The souls of willing and unwilling men alike were regularly fused into the military hardware that was controlled through wireless networks of a command center deep in the 9th realm of the hive. All of the activities of the people were regulated by this herd of law enforcement that was set up and established by the “Company”. They were beings with a sense of what it is to be human, but with none of the empathy. As they marched through the cobbles and past the wheeled carts and motor cars, they inspired as much fear as the bandits and gangsters. Even though this was the case, they were still machines and thus predictable in their routes, routine and movements.

On this particular evening of the year 2131, the usual hubbub of activity was halted by a series of obvious glitches in the city’s labyrinth-like power systems. Lights flickered with interims of darkness and deadness- the whole megapolis was like a malfunctioning Christmas tree. The citizens seemed to stop and go as if the activity of the lights directed their move/halt dynamic. Even the police force, dubbed the Ifrit, followed this anomalous pattern.

And then darkness took over the brittle flickering of light and nothing was heard any further as every gear and wheel grinded to a halt. (to be continued)

“Lights flickered

with interims of darkness and deadness—the whole megapolis was like a malfunctioning Christmas tree.”

8/2/2013 12:43:40 PM

A Fallen Angel Star, Broken Halo With Tears

By Sybil Taylor, Vendor

I was once a beauty queen. A professional model with everything going for me. A beautiful smile with dimples, beautiful makeup and my hair was long. Hairstyles from flips to mushrooms, pinned up with chopsticks, upswept style, braids. I had dynamic clothes: Sergio Valente, Jordache, BonJour- you name it, I had it. I was offered parts by famous movie stars - just by modeling, I was expanding my career. I modeled to my favorite songs, such as “Glow of Love” by Luther Vandross and “Hot on a Thang” by Chi-lites, on the runway in New York.

It was very hard modeling -- diet, high heels -- keeping the figure. I lived at home with my parents, tried to figure out my life. What to do at 15 years old. When I finally got old enough I took a job working in the government and slowed the modeling down. I got involved with guys, and got hurt, became depressed. The first guy cheated on me, most guys I dated hurt me. Finally, I was with one guy for five years. I was so in love with him that we moved in together. Then it became violent and he betrayed me. Beatings and attacks, he put me in the hospital. He almost killed me several times. He caused me to have a nervous breakdown. I wanted to kill myself. I figured I was unattractive to everyone. I did drugs, a lot, hard. I drank heavily everyday and smoked a pack of cigarettes a day. Many times, he would take my hard-earned money to spend on another gal. I worked at a hotel.

I was a room attendant and housekeeper at the Ritz Carlton, Sheraton, Omni, Marriott Washington Court, Hotel Washington, Harrington Hotel and Madison Hotel. I was with a temp agency and went from job to job. It was hard. Hard taking the beatings, getting black eyes, busted lips and getting hit in the face while going to work. I was hit with a pole, struck in the head, called names and thrown out of vehicles. He almost had me killed over drugs. It got so he didn’t care about me. I cared for him so much, I made three-course meals every day and showed him the best of me. He never loved me, he loved my money. Love hurts when you ask, “Do you love me?” and the answer is “No.” How do you take “no” for an answer? So I left him.

Afterwards, I worked many different jobs: 1. D.C. Superior Court-Juvenile Counselor 2. Treasury Department- Secretary, File Clerk and Typist 3. Department of Labor 4. Smithsonian- Grill Cook 5. Georgetown Hospital- Dietary, Food Staff, Cashier 6. George Washington Hospital- Dietary, Food Staff, Cashier 7. Nationals Stadium- Food Service 8. Subway Sandwich 9. Billy’s Pit Beef 10. International Square Farragut West I always kept a job-now a hotel job is what keeps me in my apartment in Silver Spring.

Still I ask the angels, “Do you hear me?” Why can’t we be with the ones we love?

A Poem About August

By Evelyn Nnam, Vendor

August is the month when the heat still sizzles in the fields.

In August summer still yields.

The sun shines to no regret, wind sauntering ‘til sunset.

Though the heat is being cooled off by the rain, preserving flowers and meadow green.

Fragrance with fugacious wings, bounty blooms, butterflies, bees and insane birds.

Crickets sing and the night listens, summer sky, bright burst so clear.

It’s the late August in summer’s fair.

Summer in August still in standby, sooner balmy weather is coming by.

The hot temper will bicker with cool air, with soothing breezes, here comes September.

A - the Awesomeness that Summer brings.

U - the Unique love that we have for one another.

G - the God-given talents we use in our summer activities.

U - the Unfailing God that we serve.

S - the Summer moments that we share and laugh about.

T - the Times that we remember our families over the summer season.

This is what the month of August is all about. So sit back, relax and enjoy the day in August.

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Lessons of Hope

By Kristen Farnam, Editorial Intern “Lessons of Hope: A Forum Discussion on Youth Homelessness”, was hosted by Street Sense July 16. A panel of professionals offered insights into the challenges of addressing what they described as a hidden crisis. While homeless and runaway teens are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, communities often lack the types of services they need. To make matters worse, reliable data on the size of the population is unavailable.

“We do not have a very good number on homeless youth,” said Mary Cunningham, a researcher at The Urban Institute. “The numbers are really dated.”

When moderator, Kavitha Cardoza a special correspondent for WAMU radio, asked about the type of young person who is at-risk for homelessness, panelist Jasmine Williams offered a personal story.

She said she left home to escape her abusive stepfather. Luckily, she found a safe haven at Sasha Bruce Youthwork, an organization aimed at providing resources and improving the lives of homeless and neglected youth.

While some teens leave home to escape abuse and exploitation, many also

fall prey after they are on the streets, panelists said.

“Traffickers know where to go for kidsthey are outside of schools,” said Priya Dhanani, Director of Prevention Education at FAIR Girls. She explained that “there is a very high correlation” between youth that experience sexual violence and those involved in sex trafficking.

Kenneth Walker, Director of Workforce Development at Sasha Bruce spoke of the special vulnerability of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth, who may run away after being misunderstood or rejected by their families. When he posed the question “If you weren’t LGBTQ would you be homeless?” to twelve of his clients, all responded that they believe they would not be.

More awareness and funding are needed to provide the kind of programs necessary to address youth homelessness, panelists agreed.

“It’s very important that there is a unified message to Congress about what works and what they can do,” urged Darla Bardine, Policy Director at National Network for Youth.

Help Me, Help You, Help Yourself

Finding Me

By Veda Simpson, Vendor

When there is nothing left, Try relying on self.

Somewhere down the line you took a hit, Knocked you off your feet into a ditch.

Help me, my friend, to help you, to help yourself from that great fall, Grab my hand, I’ll pull you to your knees Then together we will rise and stand tall.

There is not much I can do I am human, just like you.

But if you will look to the sky, And let the clouds go by.

You will see the creators face, All the grace and blessings you will taste.

Help me, help you, help yourself, When nothing is left, Rely on self.

By Elizabeth Bryant, Vendor God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ have always been in my life, but I didn’t know it until I got sober from alcohol and drugs. I have been sober seven years as of January 2, 2013. He and his fellowship really helped me when my young daughter died. I didn’t have money but I didn’t drink or do drugs. He woke me up and I am learning. I learned gratitude is action and I am working on my self-esteem. Of course, money is not everything. I just lost me. He gave me back and I am going to ride this along as God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus let me. I am free. You can be locked in your mind. I look to God and the Holy Spirit. But I am nothing without them. I am scared, but true God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ know best.

8/2/2013 12:43:41 PM

Service Spotlight: Training for Change

COMMUNITY SERVICES

By Reginald Black Vendor, “Da’ Street Reportin’ Artist” This weekend, I participated in a special training course for leaders. This training took place at Bread for the City in Southeast Washington. The session was led by Training For Change, an organization which helps people become leaders here in the United States and in countries all over the world. In areas of poverty, the organization trains leaders at minimal or no cost.Training for Change is supported by a grant as well as individual donations.

The training focuses upon facilitating groups in any kind of setting. All of us who participated in the course were involved in some type of social action.

The class was interactive and a lot of fun. I would recommend that other leaders take these classes

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

because they are vital to communities that want to see change. Hopefully I will be able to take Training for Change’s Super-T class, which is a seventeen-day course in facilitation. I loved the time I spent with my socially active peers and enjoyed the priceless information given. With time, courses like these will eventually empower new nations. I can only hope that I will be an active part in what I originally took the course for: Change.

Community of Hope: 232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

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STREET SENSE July 31 - August 13, 2013

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

Street Sense_07.31.2013.indd 15

8/2/2013 12:43:45 PM

E. RACISM

“The first day I got my place I went

By James Davis, Vendor

shopping to get towels, sheets and pillows.

Look at them! Have they no shame!

Walking the streets together You tell me who’s to blame One of them is black the other one white I heard someone yell out, what a sight!

People stare and whisper as they walk by Some passing judgement, asking themselves why?

Have you ever seen such a pair Snubbing their noses and putting on airs Some are curious as to how they met Wondering if they have any regrets If this were ancient Rome, The Romans would throw rocks Change your mindset all of you It’s just a pair of socks!

I took a nice long, hot shower. Stayed in and relaxed with the air conditioner.”

From an upcoming poetry book “Arugula Salad and Other Food for Thought”

A PLACE TO CALL HOME: ANTHONY CRAW-

FORD

By Angela Harvey, Editorial Intern

Washington Kastles

By Eric Thomspon-Bey, Vendor

As some of you may already know, I am a big sports fan, especially a Washington sports fan. And local teams give me a lot to cheer about: Redskins, threetime Super Bowl Champions; Washington Bullets, 1977-1978 NBA Champions; D.C. United, four-time MLS Champions; Georgetown Hoyas, 1984 NCAA Men’s Basketball Champions; and the Maryland Terrapins, 2002 NCAA Men’s Basketball Champions and 2006 NCAA Women’s Basketball Champions. The Capitals and Nationals have yet to win a championship, but they are still two of my favorite teams. Oh, I almost forgot about the Washington Kastles.

The Kastles made American sports history on July 9. They beat the Boston Lobsters, 25-12, for their 34th consecutive victory. It’s the second longest winning streak in American professional sports history. The record is held by the San Diego Sockers. They won 48 consecutive games.

Who are the Washington Kastles? They are one of eight professional tennis teams that play in the World Team Tennis league.

Team owner, Mark Ein, brought them to Washington in 2008. They have won three WTT Championships (2009, 2011, 2012).

In 2011, the Kastles became the first WTT to go undefeated. They also went undefeated in 2012. They were the first American professional team to have backto-back undefeated seasons. Their roster consists of eight players, four women and four men. Two of the eight players are alternates. The players are from six different countries and their two most notable players are Venus Williams and Martina Hingis. Williams was the 2012 Championship MVP and Hingis was the league’s 2012 Female MVP. Another player, Bobby Reynolds, was the league’s 2012 Male MVP. Do we have a dynasty in DC? I would say yes. No other Washington area professional team has dominated their sport like the Kastles have. The Redskins and DC United also have multiple championships, but neither team has ever gone undefeated.

So as the WTT season goes on, let’s see if the Kastles can win a third straight title.

July 31 - August 13, 2013 • Volume 10 • Issue 19

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW

Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Washington, DC

Washington, DC 20005

Mail To:

Permit #568

For nearly 24 years Anthony Crawford called the streets of Washington, D.C., home. That all changed on July 15 when he signed a lease and was handed the keys to his own room at a men’s transitional living center.

“The first day I got my place I went shopping to get towels, sheets and pillows. I took a nice long, hot shower,” he said. “Stayed in and relaxed with the air conditioner.”

Crawford’s room at the Father McKenna Center came furnished with a twin bed, small refrigerator, dresser and a TV stand.

He plans on getting a television soon, and is looking for the perfect place to hang his Pittsburgh Steelers banner. The center houses 30 men in single rooms on 15th and Park Road in Northwest. The men share the bathrooms, kitchen and backyard.

Crawford thinks the spacious yard will be good spot to have the housewarming BBQ. When Crawford told his sister the good news she was excited for him; “She said, ‘it’s about time and congratulations. I knew you could do it.’”

Besides selling Street Sense, Crawford works as a guide for the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH). He helps participants in the NCH’s 48 Hour Urban Challenge events, where students learn how to survive on the streets. Now, Crawford walks past the area on Connecticut Avenue he called home for so long on his way to work. Sometimes he stops and thinks: “I’ve come a long way from that corner right there.”

Crawford’s way out of homelessness began with a chance meeting three years

PHOTO COUTESY OF YEAROFGIVING.ORG

ago. He was standing on the street when a man approached him and asked if he could take his picture. He agreed and the guy gave Crawford $10, no strings attached.

The man turned out to be Reed Sandridge, a businessman, blogger and philanthropist.

Back in 2010, when Sandridge found himself between jobs, he embarked upon what he called a “Year of Giving” project. Each day he offered a different stranger $10.

Then he blogged about the people he met.

Crawford and Sandridge kept in contact and became friends. Sandridge, who is now a board member at Street Sense, promised to help Crawford get off the streets. He put Crawford in contact with Pathways to Housing which in turn reached out to Catholic Charities. Crawford then began the application process. A few weeks after he took a physical exam and passed drug and alcohol tests, Crawford got word that he was accepted into the center. Pathways to Housing paid his security deposit and Sandridge paid the $425 first month’s rent.

Crawford feels confident he will be able to make his rent each month.

“I definitely feel as though homelessness is behind me. I will make it.”

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.

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Anthony Crawford - July 28 James Davis - August 1

8/2/2013 12:43:51 PM