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Aug. 20 – Sept. 2, 2008 • Volume 5, Issue 21

Inside This Issue LOCAL NEWS

D.C. Councilmember Takes the Homeless ‘Urban Plunge’ Marion Barry takes a one-night immersion course in homelessness, page 4 POETRY

Food For Thought Dewayne Harrison riffs on current events, page 8 EDITORIAL

Poor, Black and a Veteran Former vendor August Mallory is back from Seattle to express his views, page 12 IN OTHER NEWS

NYC Mayor Bloomberg’s Plan to Reduce Homelessness Stalls In 2004, Bloomberg announced a plan to cut homelessness by two-thirds, but the numbers of those in shelters hasn’t changed, page 6

A Two-Wheeled Revolution in Denver A bike shop does it’s thing for the homeless, page 7 FICTION

The Homeless Traveler Ivory Wilson’s latest story is short, powerful and pure poetry, page 9

Advocates Honor Activist’s Memory, Find Inspiration

Editorial

A New World, An Office

By Mary Otto Aug. 14 would have been Mitch Snyder’s 65th birthday. A small white candle was lit and set near the curb at Thomas Circle before the brownstone church where his ashes are buried.

A small knot of friends, colleagues and admirers remembered the passionate activist who died in 1990 of an apparent suicide, after rising to national prominence as a spokesman for the homeless.

Recalling Snyder’s fearless streetguerilla style, his penchant for tent encampments and coffin parades, they invoked his spirit for the struggles ahead.

“Mitch was so creative,” recalled Mary Ann Luby, of the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless.

“This guy was some kind of awesome guy,” said homeless activist Eric Sheptock, who, at 39, is part of a younger generation of advocates.

“The fight continues.”

As Sheptock spoke, he held a sheaf of flyers concerning the scheduled Oct. 1 closure of the 300bed Franklin School Shelter, just a few blocks south of Thursday’s curbside service.

The evening before, Luby and Sheptock, a three-year Franklin resident, helped lead a meeting in a corner of Franklin Square Park near the embattled shelter. At the small

See

Franklin, page 4

By Maurice King

I

Photo by Cliff Carle/Street Sense

STREET NEWS SERVICE

www.streetsense.org

Dozens of men line up to enter Franklin School Shelter. The shelter is slated to close Oct. 1, and many residents and advocates say there is not enough space at other shelters for all of the homeless men who will be displaced.

t took me by surprise when a recruiter called me about a potential job opportunity at the end of June. What surprised me even more was how quickly the interview procedures passed. Within a week, I had been offered a job. I was given a week to decide if I wanted the position, but I didn’t need that long. It was a good offer, so, naturally, I accepted it.

I really couldn’t complain. At a very respectable salary, I would be working for an agency that was a short commute by bus or by Metro, whichever I chose. It was definitely the sort of work I have been trained to do.

My first day was sitting through an orientation at the firm’s location in Reston, Virginia. During the orientation, the staff presented a film describing the firm’s mission and goals, and discussed “the particulars,” things like the company’s benefits and how the new hires could register for them.

Although it was a six–hour affair that included lunch, provided by the firm, it wasn’t too tiring of a day.

The most difficult part was getting out to Reston and back riding on

See

Office, page 12

Homeless Voters Question At-Large Candidates

By Robert Blair A local organization that serves the poor and homeless found itself involved in politics recently.

The Father McKenna Center (FMC), a soup kitchen and day center located in the basement of St. Aloysius Church on North Capitol Street, hosted a candidate forum for homeless voters on Aug. 11.

A group of about 50 FMC clients and visitors, most of whom indicated by a show of hands that they were registered District voters,

listened to presentations by Carol Schwartz and Michael A. Brown, candidates for “at-large” seats on the D.C. Council.

Opening questions were directed to each candidate by Tom Howarth, the FMC director who organized the candidate forum, and then the floor was thrown open for additional questions from the prospective voters.

Carol Schwartz, a former special education teacher and four-time mayoral candidate who has served on the D.C. Council for many years,

arrived first and spoke with the audience for about 25 minutes. Moments after she departed, Michael Brown, a business lobbyist and 2006 candidate in the Democratic primary for mayor, arrived and addressed the group for about 15 minutes.

Schwartz spoke on several topics, including the proposed closure of the Franklin School Shelter on Oct. 1 and the need for more city investment in nonhousing services for the homeless.

Schwartz said that she was the council member who had origi-

nally discovered the reference in an administration economic analysis that indicated the mayor’s intent to close the Franklin School Shelter and brought it to the attention of her colleagues.

In response to a question about Mayor Adrian Fenty’s authority to close the Franklin Shelter without council approval, Schwartz explained that, although she didn’t know if continuing to use the Franklin School as an emergency shelter was the best long-term use for the facility, she opposes closing it in Oc-

tober, at the beginning of the hypothermia season. “I will fight that,” Schwartz declared.

“If we close Franklin at any time,” she added, “plans need to be in place for alternative housing.

There need to be sites found [for the displaced].”

Schwartz referred to claims that other city shelters would have adequate space for the men displaced from Franklin Shelter as “one of those pie in the sky things.”

See

Voters, page 5

Street Sense . Aug. 20 – Sept. 2, 2008

ALL ABOUT US

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1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 347-2006 Fax: (202) 347-2166 info@streetsense.org www.streetsense.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS James Davis Robert Egger Ted Henson Barbara Kagan Brad Scriber John Snellgrove Michael Stoops Francine Triplett David Walker Kathy Whelpley EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Laura Thompson Osuri EDITOR IN CHIEF Mary Otto VENDOR MANAGER Rita Renee Brunson ASSOCIATE EDITOR David S. Hammond (volunteer) VOLUNTEERS Matt Allee, Robert Basler, Robert Blair, Jony Bell, Cliff Carle, Jane Cave, Jason Corum, Rebecca Curry, Rick Dahnke, Lee Davis, Ben Edwards, Jessica Gaitan, Joshua Gardner, Genevieve Gill, Cassandra Good, Joanne Goodwin, Roberta Haber, Carol Hannaford, Justin Herman, Annie Hill, Dan Horner, Phillip Hoying, Aimee Hyzy, Alicia Jones, Mary Lynn Jones, Maurice King, Geof Koss, Jessica LaGarde, Jeff Lambert, Karin Lee, Matthew S. Lee, Brenda K. Lee-Wilson, Claire Markgraf, August Mallory, Sam McCormally, Kent Mitchell, Max Nepstad, Kim O’Connor, Gabriel Okolski, Robert Orifici, Swinitha Osuri, Katherine Otto, Jon Pattee, Brittany Pope, Rebecca Ratner, Derek Culver Schlickeisen, Cara Schmidt, Jamie Schuman, Dan Seligson, Eric Sheptock, Jesse Smith, Katie Smith, Romney Smith, Kathryn Taylor, Matthew Taylor, Robert Trautman, Francine Triplett, Eugene Versluysen, Jerry W., Linda Wang, Denise Wilkins, Marian Wiseman, Corrine Yu VENDORS Willie Alexander, Michael Anderson, Katrina Angie, Jake Ashford, Lawrence Autry, Tommy Bennett, Corey Bridges, Kanon Brown, Bobby Buggs, Cliff Carle, Conrad Cheek Jr., Walter Crawley, Louise Davenport, James Davis, Bernard Dean, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Randy Evans, Barron Hall, David Harris, John Harrison, Patricia Henry, Phillip Howard, Jo Ann Jackson, Michael Jefferson, Patricia Jefferson, Carlton Johnson, Jewell Johnson, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, Charles Mayfield, Lee Mayse, Jennifer Mclaughlin, Jeffery McNeil, L. Morrow, Charles Nelson, Moyo Onibuje, Therese Onyemenon, Thomas Queen, Kevin Robinson, Ed Ross, Dennis Rutledge, Gerald Smith, Patty Smith, Franklin Sterling, James Stewart, Gary Stoddard, Archie Thomas, Ingrid Thomas, Eric Thompson, Francine Triplett, Carl Turner, Jerry W., Martin Walker, Mary Wanyama, Lawless Watson, Wendell Williams, Inell Wilson, Ivory Wilson, Tina Wright

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

North American Street Newspaper Association

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

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

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

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

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

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

To support the increased production, Street Sense brought on its first fulltime editor in chief in April 2007.

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Street Sense . Aug. 20 – Sept. 2, 2008

PROFILE

Service profile

New User-Friendly Interface Increases Access to Food

By Ben Edwards

sponsible. Communities with many grocery stores offer the cheapest food, while comAs food prices increase, access to cheap munities with sparse food offerings demand food becomes crucial for D.C. residents. A new higher prices. user-friendly interface, the DC Food Finder According to a report by DC Hunger So(www.dcfoodfinder.org), offers an online map lutions, Wards 2 and 3 in the Northwestern to locate free meals, low-cost groceries and part of the city have 1 food store for every other sources of healthy food in Washington, 12,000 residents while Wards 7 and 8 have 1 D.C. communities. food store for every 70,000 He a l t h y A f f o rd a b l e people. The same report reFood for All (HAFA), a coveals that 35,000 D.C. resialition of advocates, serdents are at risk of hunger. vice providers and local “Food insecurity and food activists, created DC hunger bear many conFood Finder. sequences. It can prevent S u z a n n e He n l e y, a children from reaching child nutrition associate their full potential by stuntat DC Hunger Solutions, a ing physical and mental member of HAFA, said the development; and for the — Suzanne Henley, project began after she elderly, adequate nutrition child nutrition associate, discovered a similar site is particularly important DC Hunger Solutions based out of New York. for health because of their “The need for a service like increased vulnerability to this in D.C. is very high,” disease,” according to a Henley said.

2002 report released by the Administration On the site, options to select free meals, on Aging. cooking classes, food assistance centers, Though the new tool increases access to farmers markets, and more, give users a slew food for residents with Internet access, the of locations throughout the city to choose homeless often have the greatest need for from. Nutrition and access are major themes food security but are least likely to have reguon the site, as a major goal of the coalition is lar access to the Internet. to encourage healthier eating habits among “We built the DC Food Finder so both those who frequent restaurants and corner moderately poor people with Internet access stores, as opposed to preparing meals them- and those that interact with the homeless can selves. locate inexpensive food,” Henley said. “We The increasing cost of food presents a chal- expect (homeless) shelters and kitchens will lenge for D.C. residents, but the distribution visit the site frequently,” she said. rather than the overall food supply may be re“My hopes are that social workers and oth-

“The need for a service like this in D.C. is very high.”

DC Food Finder maps are color-coded and users can zoom in and out to find food sources.

er coalitions will use this tool, and word will spread about the resources,” Henley said.

The DC Food Finder went live in early July and had 15,000 visitors in its first two weeks.

Access to affordable food may be just as important as access to healthy food. According to a 2005 study by the Trust for America’s Health, over half of all adults living in D.C. are overweight or obese. The DC Food Finder targets healthy food outlets, an approach that aids both hungry people and those suffering from obesity.

As food prices increase, healthy foods like vegetables bear most of the price increase.

Much of the cost that goes into producing unhealthy foods like candy and chips includes processing costs. Increases in food prices are less likely to affect the cost of processing, which shields consumers from much of the

price hikes. As food becomes more expensive, resources that find cheap, healthy food becomes increasingly important as well.

“The outreach strategy (for the DC Food Finder) consists of distributing flyers and other material to local food banks and other food suppliers,” said Henley. “We’re not using any online tactics at this time,” she said.

HAFA will update the interface upon the request of food outlets, which helps the coalition that created the service avoid overlapping efforts to provide free and low-cost food.

While the DC Food Finder displays only food outlets inside D.C. proper, HAFA will consider expanding the tool to the D.C. metro area once it measures its success.

Craig Downs, a Street Sense intern, contributed to this article.

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LOCAL NEWS

Street Sense . Aug. 20 – Sept. 2, 2008

Councilmember Takes the Homeless ‘Urban Plunge’

By Jony Bell Two decades ago, the National Coalition for the Homeless began hosting Urban Plunges for college students, who experienced 48 hours of life on the streets – sleeping, panhandling and looking for their next meal away from the usual comforts of home.

Now, the program has challenged political candidates, incumbents and public officials to take a similar immersion course on homelessness.

On the night of Aug. 12, Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry accepted the Candidate Homeless Challenge and spent the night sleeping at the Catholic Charities 801East Housing Assistance Center, a shelter in Southeast D.C. While a participant certainly cannot experience homelessness entirely when a bed and food awaits back home, the challenge does offer new insights into the life of a person without a home – waiting in soup lines, walking great distances to access services, feeling ‘invisible’ to those not homeless. The challenge provides candidates time to interact with an often neglected component of their

constituency, becoming familiar with the so- by the shelter residents. cial services network for homeless people and And Barry seemed anxious to address the how homeless people survive. men’s questions and concerns.

And this is the type of “I’m here to listen and experience the Ward 8 learn,” he told the audicouncilmember (and D.C. “I’m here to listen ence. “I’m not too proud Housing Committee chair) to learn. And I’m not too and learn. I’m had last Tuesday. proud to be here,” he conSeventy homeless men, not too proud to tinued. “I hope my visit along with staff from Cathhere will help to highlight learn. And I’m not olic Charities, representathis situation.” tives from NCH (including too proud to be He told the men that NCH Speakers’ Bureau the whole council – and here.” member Steve Thomas) certain members in parand members of Barry’s ticular – were sensitive to — Marion Barry , campaign crammed into issues facing the homeless City Councilmember a small dining area to disin D.C. But, he said, they cuss the issues facing the should not rely exclusively residents of the shelter, as on the shelter, the public well as the homeless popuofficials and others responlation across Washington, D.C. sible for providing services. He urged them to Issues such as the lack of affordable hous- play the biggest role in getting their own lives ing, the criminalization of homelessness, vot- turned around to the point they wanted. The ing, health care, a living wage, job training shelter residents were encouraged to come and attacks against the homeless – including make their voices heard at the City Council physical beatings and discrimination – were hearings, as well as at the hearing Barry plans all brought to the councilmember’s attention to hold in the fall regarding shelters and sub-

just the latest episode in a long-running drama that Snyder helped define 30 years ago, when he started his first shelter at Luther meeting, under the darkening sky, a handful Place Memorial Church on Thomas Circle. of homeless people gathered to discuss plans It was in that period when, over three frigid to pressure Mayor Adrian Fenty for a meet- D.C. winters, 26 homeless people died in the ing by visiting his office, or by marching to his city – some virtually in the shadow of the home. They also mulled strategies to appeal White House. Snyder brought attention to to the City Council for emergency legislation the mounting toll of homelessness, building to stop the closure of Franklin at least until a movement around hunger strikes and street April of next year. theater in the nation’s capital.

“Do you want to have a sleep-in?” asked As a result of one of Snyder’s long fasts durJohn McDermott, a homeless man and activ- ing the presidential campaign of 1984, the ist. administration of President Ronald Reagan Fenty has said his plans to close the shel- turned over an abandoned federal building ter at 13th and K streets to Snyder’s group, the ComNW fit into a larger longmunity for Creative Non-Viterm effort to replace such olence. The shelter, which “If you close the temporary emergency faonce housed 1,350 and cilities with permanent shelter, the quote continues to shelter roughly housing for the chroni800, has been known as one unquote eyesores cally homeless. of America’s largest.

But advocates for keepthat are inside the But efforts to move being the Franklin shelter yond emergency shelters shelter are going open argue that the perto more comprehensive manent housing units to be outside on responses to homelessness will not be in place soon continue. the street.” enough, or in adequate At the curbside memorial numbers to shelter all the on Thursday, those gathered — Eric Sheptock, men who currently stay at sought to summon up SnyFranklin resident Franklin. der’s energy and imagina“One thousand guys go tion. His longtime colleague through there in a month,” and companion, Carol Fensaid Luby. nelly, recalled the “laugh boxes” he passed And they predict that if the closure is part around to disrupt a city meeting. Others reof a strategy to gentrify the neighborhood, the membered his love for civil disobedience and effort will ultimately backfire. his phone calls with the invitation: “Would “If you close the shelter, the quote unquote you like to get arrested?” eyesores that are inside the shelter are going At the end of the small Thursday service, to be outside on the street,” predicted Shep- Snyder’s friends sang “Happy Birthday.” And tock, who lives in the shelter himself.

Jack Rieffer, parish administrator at Luther Fenty’s office did not return requests from Place, offered a benediction.

Street Sense for comment.

“Help up remember Mitch’s example to The slated closure of Franklin Shelter is find new ways to accomplish new things.”

Franklin, from page 1

sidized housing.

After nearly two hours of taking questions and having a candid discussion with the shelter’s residents, the councilmember settled into his bed for the evening alongside the 60 or so other men in the dormitory who found themselves without a home that night.

In the morning, Barry also spoke with the residents as they had breakfast.

Steve Thomas, who spent two nights at this shelter about 18 months ago, was encouraged by the councilmember’s visit. “My hat goes off to him. I think the guys [at the shelter] were very receptive to him being there.”

Ultimately, Barry’s was certainly not the most authentic homeless experience. His campaign team arrived with him, announcing to the entire shelter his impending arrival more than a day before he pulled into the parking lot in his personal vehicle. His advisors stayed close to the councilmember throughout, even helping to make his bed before he settled in. They left him only to go home for the few hours between bedding down and serving breakfast.

See

Plunge, page 5

Street Sense . Aug. 20 – Sept. 2, 2008

LOCAL NEWS

Bond Between Pets and Homeless Can Create Challenges

By Rebecca Ratner When Brenda Lee-Wilson, a formerly homeless woman from Texas, came to the Washington, D.C., area in 2004, all she had was a few personal items and her Labrador mix, Rowdy.

She quickly realized that having a pet would prevent her from getting into most shelters and housing programs, but rather than leave her dog behind and try and find housing for herself, she chose to stay on the streets.

“The two things that people could never take away from me was my faith in God and my dog,” she said recently.

She was given information by shelters about boarding her pet at a humane society or a dog shelter, but she refused to leave his side. Her dog was all she had to keep her grounded and feel loved when the rest of the world seemed to turn its back and walk away.

Rowdy stayed with Wilson and helped keep her strong.

“That is why God spelled backwards is ‘dog.’ It’s God’s tangible form of love for us,” she said.

Lee-Wilson is not alone in her struggle to find shelter with a pet. Nationwide, many homeless people opt to sleep on the streets rather than get rid of their pet. Genevieve Frederick, executive director and founder of Feeding Pets of the Homeless, a nonprofit organization that provides shelters and food banks with pet food for homeless pets, as well as grants for veterinarians who want to help such animals, notes that many homeless people develop strong ties with their pets.

“There is a bond between humans and animals,” said Frederick. “It’s amazing because

Voters, from page 1 “I side with you on this” she told the audience. “We need to have Franklin open this winter.”

Schwartz also expressed concern that the city was not providing adequate nonhousing services to the homeless, including more workforce development and addiction treatment programs.

In his remarks, Brown didn’t directly address the proposed Franklin Shelter closing.

Instead, he attacked the leadership record of the Fenty administration and the council. He also spoke about the importance of the city’s providing more job skill training.

Noting that he is a third-generation D.C. resident, and that his father, former Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown, had been a social worker before he became a “hot shot” political figure, Brown opened his comments with an observation about the lack of vocational schools in D.C. today compared to when he was growing up.

Brown stressed what he said he saw as the fruits of poor leadership in D.C. government.

“We’re at the top of the list [of U.S. cities] in all the bad stuff,” he said.

He also chastised the D.C. Council for its alleged failure to provide effective oversight of the Fenty administration’s policies and program directions.

“The current council is letting the mayor

many of the animals don’t have leashes and they just stay with the person because they have a sense of being needed.”

Similarly, having an animal gives many homeless people a Brenda Lee-Wilson and her dog, sense of beRowdy. ing needed and wanted.

Frederick said it’s not uncommon to see “an obese animal and a malnourished human because the person is going to give the animal whatever food they can scrounge up and not worry about themselves.”

But the strong relationships between pets and their homeless owners poses challenges for shelters, many of which are unable to accommodate animals. The issue is further complicated by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, which makes it unlawful to discriminate against the disabled, including the mentally impaired. That has allowed some homeless people to obtain letters from doctors saying their animals provide emotional support, creating a situation where shelters are forced to take in animals.

Lee-Wilson was able to obtain such papers that allowed her to bring Rowdy into any shelter she chose, but she said she was sometimes

do whatever he wants to do,” Brown said.

“There’s no accountability.”

Referring to the city’s investment in the new baseball stadium and to the growth of condo development, Brown called for a different approach. “Folks have to stand up to the business community,” he said.

In response to an audience member’s question about how the city should deal with the issue of senior citizens with mental health issues, Brown replied that many seniors also had difficulties obtaining food stamps, covering increasing transportation costs, and paying higher property taxes while living on a fixed income. While indicating an appreciation for these problems, Brown presented no specific policy or program recommendations.

The FMC candidate forum is something that Howarth hopes to expand this year. He intends to invite Kwame Brown and Dee Hunter, two other candidates for “at large” council seats to address homeless voters, and, if possible, to include representatives of the Obama and McCain campaigns.

“Homeless folks should register and vote and be treated like any other voters,” he said.

But the reason for FMC’s candidate forum goes beyond empowerment through the ballot, Howarth added. “The deeper reason is that by marching and questioning the candidates, the men [at the FMC] are standing up for themselves,” he said.

questioned by shelter workanother resident. ers, who noted that she was In San Francisco, the not blind or suffering from a Street Outreach Services mental disability. has a branch dedicated While this loophole in to helping the pets of the the system may be good homeless. Founded in 2001, news for Lee-Wilson and for the organization provides other homeless people with physical examinations, vacpets, shelters are struggling cinations, and acute medito maintain facilities that cal care to homeless pets, as can accommodate pets. well as leashes, collars and And some are beginning to pet food. question the validity of the In Washington D.C., the emotional support claim.

Alliance for Stray Animals So-called “compassion aniand People provides services mals” can create work for for the financially struggling shelter staffers and put other — Brenda Lee-Wilson individuals who need help residents at a disadvantage. with animals, including To cope with the problem, contributing toward veteriSt. Stephen’s Shelter in Minnary services, according to neapolis, Minn., considers homeless pet own- its Web site. ers on a case-by-case basis. Allison Hoberg, a Unfortunately, local shelters who allow staffer at the shelter, said the facility started pets are less common. Calls to 10 shelters in taking in dogs when one of their workers who the Washington, D.C., area and Virginia rewas also a resident of the shelter had a dog vealed they do not allow animals of any kind that was sleeping outside in the brutal cold. to stay in the shelters with their owners, unIf a resident plans on being in the shelter less a homeless person has documentation for an extended period of time, Hoberg said that their animal is a “working animal” and the shelter can arrange for dog foster care. they need it either for emotional support or “I send out e-mails to all the people I know because of a physical or mental disability. and oftentimes someone will feel bad about Lee-Wilson was fortunate to have found the situation of a homeless person and will a way to keep Rowdy by her side. However, want to help, so they will take in their dog for many other homeless are still struggling to a while.” They will also arrange for veterinary find a place to stay with their pets, an upservices for dogs if they are needed. The fa- hill battle that shows no signs of getting any cility does not accept cats or other animals; easier.

Hoberg said cats pose separate challenges because they are less likely to remain near their Rebecca Ratner is a summer intern for the owners and could accidentally be let out by National Coalition for the Homeless.

“The two things that people could never take away from me was my faith in God and my dog.”

Plunge, from page 4 And Thomas was cautiously optimistic about the outcomes this visit would have for the city’s homeless. “It was a little bit strange to be back [at the shelter] for a night,” he reflected.

“It bothered me that a year and a half later, the same questions were going unanswered; I saw the same faces in the shelter.”

Thomas wants to see more councilmembers – and any public official – take this challenge.

In the end, however, it seemed the experience was valuable for all who were involved. The residents met an official who has been active in the city government for years and got a chance to voice their con-

cerns. Barry was able to hear from fellow D.C. residents who can’t afford soaring prices for their own place, even with a fulltime job. And shelter staff and homeless advocates were reminded first hand why they must continue to work tirelessly to prevent and end homelessness here in D.C. and across the country.

For more information about the Homeless Challenge Project, how you can get involved and for more on the nation’s most pressing homeless issues, visit www. nationalhomeless.org or contact Jony Bell at jbell@nationalhomeless.org or (202) 4624822 x 230.

Jonathan “Jony” Bell is development associate for the National Coalition for the Homeless.

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Street Sense . Aug. 20 – Sept. 2, 2008

6 NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

IN OTHER NEWS

By Jon Pattee

Beijing’s Homeless Lose Out to Olympic Games As Beijing scrambles to present a clean and modern look to the media and tourists at the Olympic Games, homeless residents have been sent to relief centers on the outskirts of the city.

According to an Aug. 5 Wall Street Journal article by Sky Canaves, hundreds of thousands of migrant workers may already have been sent packing ahead of the Olympics. Protests are rare and quelled swiftly. China stands out for how it “forcibly displaces people on such a scale,” Nicholas Bequelin, China research director for the New York activist group Human Rights Watch, told the paper.

Report: NYC Mayor’s Challenge to Homelessness Stalled New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s initiative to end homelessness is far from a success, according to an Aug. 7 New York Times article

by Fernanda Santos. The effort, begun in 2004, surprised many with the ambitious goals of slashing the number of homeless people by two-thirds in five years by building more homes, channeling more money into prevention, and trying to ensure that shelters would be used only by the truly needy.

But according to the city’s Independent Budget Office, almost as many families were living in city shelters in March — about 8,500 — as when the mayor unveiled his proposal, though investment in prevention services had increased by at least 20%.

Soaring Numbers of Homeless Women in UK The number of homeless women in the United Kingdom has risen by nearly 80% in five years, according to “Women and Homelessness,” a report released by the Conservative Party on Aug. 3. Tens of thousands of single women and children are being forced to live in hostels, sleep outdoors or rely on friends and family as waiting lists for low-income housing get longer, said an account by Nina Lakhani and Jane Merrick in The Independent. The majority of adults in the UK’s temporary housing are single mothers. The government has pledged to halve the number of people in temporary housing by 2010.

Weak Economy Swells Ranks of Salt Lake City’s Homeless According to advocates for the homeless in Salt Lake City, the struggling U.S. economy is leading to homeless shelters bursting at the seams with families and women either evicted from their homes or fleeing domestic violence. An Aug. 11

Associated Press report noted that the Davis County shelter for battered and homeless women was hard-pressed to find space for everyone who needed it. Salt Lake City’s Road Home shelter, meanwhile, is putting an average of 15 families on extra cots in the board room and hallways each night, and has more than 70 families on its waiting list.

Sacramento Reports Fewer Chronically Homeless California’s city of Sacramento claims that local and national efforts to find shelter for people who are homeless for extended periods are working.

An Aug. 11 report by Ed Fletcher in the Sacramento Bee cites city officials as reporting that from January 2007 to January 2008, the number of chronically homeless was down 5%, even as the total number of homeless within Sacramento County increased. The article attributed the reductions to a federal push to move resources from temporary shelters to supporting long-term housing efforts aimed at keeping the chronically homeless off the streets.

New Threats Haunt Homeless Asylum-Seekers in S. Africa Refugees from violence against foreigners are now facing trouble in South Africa for breaking the law by camping next to a highway. The African Diaspora Forum (ADF) compiled a list of the names of 466 asylum seekers, of whom 278 said they now wanted to return to their country of origin. South Africa has been wracked in recent months by riots targeting foreigners over competition for resources. According to a July 28 article in The Star by Kanina Foss, the ADF is suggesting that the foreigners be temporarily accommodated at a nearby nongovernmental organization. But they are still waiting for the go-ahead from the government.

Needs of Homeless Vets Increase in Phoenix The need for help for homeless veterans is rising in Phoenix, according to an Aug. 9 article by Connie Cone Sexton in The Arizona Republic. The Phoenix Veterans Affairs office helped 1,269 homeless vets in fiscal year 2007, reported Sexton, compared with the national site average of 514. Some 154,000 homeless vets live in the United States.

Of those, about 2,700 are in the Phoenix Valley, said Steve Cohen, a coordinator for the homeless for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Each year, Phoenix’s Project CHALENG (Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Education and Networking Groups) conducts a survey regarding unmet needs of homeless veterans. The 2007 survey highlighted the need for dental care.

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Street Sense . Aug. 20 – Sept. 2, 2008

NATIONAL

Street News Service

Derailer: A Two-Wheeled Revolution for the Denver Community

By Morning Glory Farr

Photo Courtesy of Denver Voice/Street News Service

Homelessness. Poverty. Environmental destruction. Sexual discrimination. Sweatshop labor. Gender bias. In the world of social activism, there are many causes. And for each of these causes, there are nonprofits formed to deal specifically with the issues related to their chosen injustice. But in a back-alley warehouse in the Santa Fe district of Denver, one nonprofit is managing to address all of these issues, with one simple solution: bikes.

The Derailer Bike Collective, started in 2001, did not set out to be a cure-all nonprofit. It began as a simple idea in a few students’ minds: Get bikes to people who need them, and once they have them, teach them how to fix them so they can keep using them.

“We started opening shop, mostly because of the demand in the neighborhood,” said Mac Liman, who has volunteered with the Derailer for several years. “We had some resources and then people had these needs, so we got to create it as a response to what people were actually wanting.”

Three days a week, the Derailer opens its shop and helps low-income, homeless and marginalized community members build a bike or repair existing bikes for free.

As a testament to its much-needed services, the Derailer Bike Collective has an average of 60 visitors per day during its shop hours.

The Derailer does no formal outreach, with almost all of its visitors having heard about the program through a relative, a neighbor or a friend.

It is this sense of community, along with the “Be the change you want to see in the world” Gandhi-style attitude embodied by the Derailer founders and volunteers who have built the idea of a simple bike shop into a visionary nonprofit. As one bike after another was built, the Derailer simultaneously built its own nonprofit frame of empowerment, acceptance and sustainability.

“Bikes are an amazing context for all these things to happen, because people need transportation, people need a way to get around from one place to another,” said Sarah Graves, a volunteer bike mechanic at the Derailer.

“If you don’t have a lot of money, you don’t have a lot of great options, and there are a lot of people in the city who don’t have a lot of money.”

It’s Thursday afternoon, Build-a-Bike day at the Derailer Bike Collective. John Alexander is busy putting the last touches on his newest used bicycle. Alexander came to Denver more than seven years ago, homeless, with

The Derailer bike shop in Denver is open three days a week to help homeless and low-income community members build a bike or repair existing bikes for free.

“Bikes are an amazing context for all of these things to happen, because people need a way to get around from one place to another. If you don’t have a lot of money, you don’t have a lot of great options, and there are a lot of people in the city who don’t have a lot of money.”

— Sarah Graves, volunteer bike mechanic

limited resources. After finding out about the Derailer Bike Collective from his brother, he has been visiting its shop ever since.

“I have been here probably 50 times, to do repairs and little stuff,” said Alexander. “I’ve had four bikes since I lived here – my last one got stolen, so now, I got this one.”

Alexander was able to acquire several of his bikes by building them, with the help of a Derailer volunteer bike mechanic. It typically takes about two days to build a bike, and once it’s done, bike owners can return to the shop for repairs, replacement parts or simply for camaraderie.

In the homeless community, bikes are ideal for many reasons. They provide transportation to get to services, like food lines, overnight shelters and medical clinics, which are often spread out across miles. They cost nothing to operate. They provide the owner with a sense of freedom and agency that is often missing in people who have to rely so heavily on others for assistance. Alexander is readily embracing that sense of freedom.

“I’m planning on biking out to California, to the beach,” said Alexander. “It will be a lot of pedaling, but I have my bike, so I got what I need.”

Street Sense Writers’ Group Every Wednesday 2:30 p.m.

Everyone is welcome. Snacks will be provided.

Contact editor@streetsense.org for information.

But the benefits of bikes are not reserved solely for the homeless and low-income community. The Derailer also encourages girls and women to take part in building and repairing bikes. Founded by women, the Derailer Bike Collective has always promoted a shop environment that is tolerant, respectful and welcoming to everyone, regardless of race, gender, class, sexuality or age. In addition to its Build-A-Bike and Open Shop hours, the Derailer offers a S.P.I.N. workshop on Tuesday afternoons. S.P.I.N. stands for Super Power Inclusion Night, and is open to women and gender-variant participants.

“This is a really great context for accessing education and for people to get to use tools.

That is a rare thing in a lot of people’s lives, especially girls and women,” said Graves.

“I think that is really empowering – somebody can go through this process of learning about something, make it work, and then they have this bicycle that is now their free form of transportation, and it can take them anywhere.”

Other elements of the Derailer, including environmental awareness, consumer consciousness and long-term sustainability, naturally presented themselves in the form of bikes. Soon after opening the shop, the Derailer volunteers quickly realized that bikes were everywhere in the city. Well, pieces of bikes: in alleyways, in trash heaps, rusting in backyards across the city.

The shop receives all of its bikes and parts from donations, largely from individuals, but also from commercial bike shops in the area.

This, along with the fact that all of its mechanics are strictly volunteer, keeps the Derailer’s operating budget extremely low and, thus, financially viable.

The Derailer does receive some financial contributions as well, largely on an individual-donor basis.

But being economically feasible is only half of the equation of sustainability. The other important element is the people who use the shop’s services. It is their contributions and involvement that will help the Derailer continue to develop and be a lasting part of the community.

“Our aim, ideally, is that people who are using the space are running the space,” said Graves.

“We want it to be a community-based shop, that people feel ownership over it, and feel empowered to use it as they need to use it.”

Reprinted from Denver Voice © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org

LOCAL POETRYNEWS

Street Sense . August 20 – September 2, 2008

FOOD FOR THOUGHT What’s the world coming to Other than plagued jalapenos And AIDS–laced tomatoes?

An African American running a 100–yard dash For president while the great Tim Russert takes up residence in Journalism heaven (Go Buffalo Bills!)

Meet the pressure in the dissed–trick as gun laws pull out beach Chairs, picnic blankets to relax, catch suntans Can one man really rescue the United States when many teens’ reality of Dr. King’s dream is simply living Lohan and/or contaminating the heights Of hip-hop culture with the vigor of Lil Wayne?

The N word remains a spin word That gas prices slash the cost of living is so unrighteous, so unforgiving The economy receives another autopsy, yet the cause of death Is inconclusive FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Picture Paris Hilton and P. Diddy tying the knot, or Flavor Flav And Britney Spears jumping the broom In the meantime, 48 of Michael Vicks’ monsters find loving Homes, Hannity and Colmes travel to Israel with Mahmoud Ahmandinejad in tow Raul Castro and Angelina Jolie share a banana split at Camp David Watching an Afro’ed Michelle Obama on the defense with Wolf Blitzer, CNN’s Late Edition Back in the dissed–trick the infamous mayor of Southeast, The Great Marion Barry, hints at 100 yard dashing for Adrian Fenty’s Pimp seat It gets greater later as Republicrats and Demopublicans sling mud and Throw bricks to arrive early at the Green after party hosted by none other Than Ralph Nader himself Formaldehyde–soaked FEMA trailers used as check points on Trinidad?

Bagdhad in Brentwood? What’s good in your neighborhood?

He who speaks is like silver, but she who listens is like gold Get your FOOD FOR THOUGHT at Street Sense.

— Bro. Dewayne Harrison brotherdewayne1@aol.com

Street Sense . August 20 – September 2, 2008

PHOTOS & POETRY

It Do What It Does

The Homeless Traveler From city to city I roam with no real place to call home.

My family is all gone. Walking the highways and sleeping in the streets. Maybe I could stop at this service station for a drink. A lady is standing there dressed all in pink. I pass her to get a drink. I wonder what she thinks. Because my clothes are all dirty and my feet stink. She glance at me but didn’t stare as she walk away with her head in the air.

I’m the Homeless Traveler. I didn’t care.

I’m hungry now, walking a little ways down the street.

I see Kentucky Fried Chicken, all you can eat. I decide I’ll walk in and see what I can eat.

I took a seat, cross my hands, started to pat my feet thinking to myself, “Mash potato and gravy chicken, man that would be sweet.” Some customers gave me some cold and dirty looks and mean stares. I gave all of them a homeless stare back saying, “I’m the Homeless Traveler. I don’t care.”

I looked to my right and left. What do I see – a waitress staring at me. Her eyes were saying, “Hu hu, I see you. I’ll let you take it but you better not come back.”

So I got up on my feet and headed straight to the table with the meat and out the door and on to the street, looking for a place to rest and eat my meat.

You may ask why I live this way, homeless everyday. You may see me in your hometown or on your streets, want to stop and take a peek. Look and stare, just remember I’m the Homeless Traveler. I don’t care.

— By Ivory Wilson

It do what it does.

This is about love, A big love story, It’ll end how it’s s’pose to, Everything’s together, I pray it don’t fall apart, I got a good thing going, I love the man I live with, It’s a baby babe world, This ain’t a man’s world, It’s unconventional, Baby Alice in control, Because baby is the queen, Baby’s got to keep this together, In order for everything to work, My man loves me, Takes care of me, Helps me with everything, And been keeping me clean, It is when he’s not around, Is when I’m vulnerable, And scared of the world, Baby goes with people, Hates herself for what she does, Because he’s too good to me, I belong with him, I’m his property, If I’m anyone’s property, I am the property of God, God’s baby’s boss, Spread peace and love, Pray things are good, Praying for life.

— Baby Alice

10 FEATURES

Street Sense . August 20 – September 2, 2008

As Street Sense moves up its circulation and its vendors move up and off the street, we ask you to join us and help move on up the prices of auction items at...

Movie In Review

By Maurice King

“Mamma Mia”

Movin’ On Up Street Sense Third Annual Silent Auction and Reception October 2, 2008, 7pm Josephine Butler Park Center, 2437 Fifteenth Street, NW Tickets start at $25 a piece and go on sale Monday August 25. For more info or to buy tickets, visit www.streetsense.org.

And for those who cannot attend, part of the auction will be on Ebay.

Sell on eBay, Give to Street Sense Through eBay Giving Works you can donate 10% to 100% to Street Sense simply by checking “donate a percentage of the sale” on your eBay sales form, and selecting “Street Sense.”

What You Get:

• Charity ribbon icon in search results • Tax-deductible receipt for your donations • Pro-rated fee credit when your item sells

My Turn At the Table

• A new source of donation income • Increased exposure • Potential new readers and supporters

$

• Close 40% higher • Sell 50% more often • Receive 20% more bids

By August Mallory

Legal Seafood

What We Get:

Items on eBay GivingWorks verses regular eBay items:

O

n July 18, “Mamma Mia!” had its debut to enormous box office success. “Mamma Mia!” had the largest weekend opening of any musical in United States history and is the sixth highest grossing musical film in U.S. history. It was also number one in Greek and United Kingdom box offices.

For those of you who have not yet seen “Mamma Mia!,” it is a fun film and should be viewed as such. Musical movies are not meant to be cinéma vérité, and anyone expecting such is indulging in wishful thinking to the extreme. The film is set in Greece, where it was filmed, with some extremely impressive scenery and cinematography that would serve as an excellent travel promotion for the Greek tourist industry. The film is filled with very impressive choreography and dancing. Of course, one would expect that from a Broadway play transformed into a movie.

The score highlights the music of ABBA. Though ABBA fans are certain to love the movie, even non–fans have reported they found the film very enjoyable. As far as the

musical performances are concerned, for the most part, the cast as a whole performs well.

However, it must be remembered that certain cast members, such as Pierce Brosnan, were chosen mostly for their appeal to women, not for their singing voices.

The story is set on a fictitious island named Kalokairi in Greece dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite. Donna (Meryl Streep), a hotel owner on the island, is the mother to Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), who is about to get married to Sky (Dominic Cooper). Sophie hopes to be given away at the wedding by her father.

The only problem is her mother apparently lived a rather wild life as a youth and is not really sure who Sophie’s father is. Unbeknownst to Donna, Sophie finds her mother’s diary and reads references to three different men (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard). Donna had been intimate with each of these men around the time Sophie was conceived. Sophie, therefore, contacts all three to come to her wedding, never dreaming all three of them would show up. Of course, these three men arrive knowing nothing of one another’s existence or, for that matter, of any daughter’s existence. All they knew was their time with Donna, who is less than delighted to see them turn up on her island on the eve of her daughter’s wedding.

When Donna was younger, she had supported herself as the lead singer in a group, Donna and the Dynamos. Her friends from the group, Rosie ( Julie Walters) and Tanya (Christine Baranski), also show up for the wedding. They provide Donna with moral support during her time of need, and over the course of the film, the three perform a number of songs together.

Interestingly, original ABBA members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus were involved in the making of the film and make cameo appearances in the film.

During the final credits, the members of the cast appear in the glittery clothing ABBA made trendy during its reign.

And so ends a film that is geared toward enjoyment, and that delivers.

$

For more information visit www.ebaygivingworks.com

I

t is a warm and sunny afternoon in downtown D.C. and Street Sense trio August Mallory, Lee Davis and Rita Brunson head for the Legal Sea Foods restaurant in Chinatown. We were killing two birds with one stone. Lee was celebrating his last day as a Street Sense volunteer before heading off to school to study photography, and we were seeking to do a restaurant review.

As we enter, we are warmly greeted by the host and our server takes our order. Our food is served promptly.

Quite impressive, if I do say so myself.

Well, Lee ordered the fish and chips, which he heartily devoured, and I ordered the crispy Montauk calamari dish, which consisted of French fries, fried squid, and nice warm biscuits with butter. I also ordered an appetizer, which included shrimp and an assortment of

other items.

I looked around the restaurant, and the atmosphere was absolutely superb – a very comfortable down home feeling. The meal was nice, and the employees were nice. I have visited many restaurants across the U.S., and I have to honestly say that Legal Sea Foods has to be one of the finer restaurants in America.

The menu had a very nice variety of things.

Rita said the portions could have been larger. As for me, I still have a hankering for some shark. I didn’t see this on their menu, but I am sure one of their other restaurants offers it.

I would highly recommend Legal Sea Foods for any seafood lover. And if you are looking for a place to meet for lunch meetings or an evening out with friends or the family, Legal Sea Foods is the place to be.

Street Sense . August 20 – September 2, 2008

ADVERTISEMENT 11

Street Sense . August 20 – September 2, 2008

12 EDITORIALS

Who Are the Poorest of the Poor?

Your Donation Makes a Difference

By Jeffery McNeil

By August Mallory

I

Of us poor in America, who do you think is the poorest? I would have to say the blacks.

Blacks have been struggling since the days of slavery, having been brought to America and sold as slaves to pick cotton. Even after the abolition of slavery, blacks still face discrimination in a country that has alienated them.

Now, in the 21st century, conditions for some blacks have not improved. Most strikingly, in many parts of the country, many blacks live in homeless shelters because they cannot afford a decent place of their own to live.

Worse still is that many homeless blacks, especially males, have a background in the military. This is what I call a national disgrace to our veterans and to our country. With all of the resources and wealth in America, no veteran should have to live in poverty, regardless of his or her race, ethnicity, or religion. Yet many veterans have to and the sad thing is that there is little help for them.

What a shame to America. It hurts to see this. I’m a Navy veteran myself, and I watch my fellow comrades struggle day to day. This is a disgrace before God. We write to our politicians about this issue, they know about this issue, but are very reluctant to do more to resolve this matter.

I have lived in Washington, D.C., for nine years and the many veterans that I see on the streets here is just a shame.

Is America really concerned about its poor citizens? Whether black, white, or Hispanic, does America really care?

Of course not. Affluent Americans have their pockets full, so “screw those damn tramps on our nation’s streets.”

“Tell those S.O.Bs to get a job.”

How is that possible when homeless individuals have no telephone, no physical address, and no way to get back and forth from a job, and nowhere to sleep if they get off work late at night?

It is very sad when one has to constantly go to shelter after shelter, night after night, soup

kitchen to soup kitchen, just to get a bite to eat. Then they have to deal with being kicked out at 6 a.m., with nowhere else to go. They wander around town all day and if they sit in a park on a park bench, they are hassled by police or park security and ordered to leave. So they wander and wander all day, all the while, subjects of police harassment on a consistent basis. It’s a shame that America cannot do more to accommodate the poor.

Even organizations that claim to help the homeless don’t always do so. There is always some red tape involved in the process. Additionally, there are many homeless shelters that require clients to pay for a night’s stay, and that occurs all over the country. I once heard somewhere that everybody is making money off the poor, except the poor and the homeless.

Well, America, you have all of this money that you are making off of the poor, so where is our cut? Or have you realized that if the poor and homeless did not come to your shelters you would be out of business?

Homeless shelters and soup kitchens are in business because of the poor and homeless. With that in mind, why do so many places that serve the homeless not treat them with dignity and respect? This is another problem going on across the United States.

There are a lot of problems in homeless shelters as well, so the homeless are not always safe, even in a shelter. There have been fights and stabbings in shelters. Many shelters have security personnel on hand, but even that does not guarantee a person’s safety. I have heard cases where people have been smothered to death with pillows and jumped on and beaten to death in their beds.

People wonder why so many homeless will not go to a shelter; these reasons that I have given you are just a few. These are the many trials of America’s poor. Think about what a homeless person has to go through before you condemn a person for living in poverty or on the streets.

’ve been a vendor for about a year. I always get a thrill when someone who has never bought a paper becomes curious a b o u t St re e t Sense. One of the main questions they ask is where the money goes. I always say we send a portion back to getting our message out through the paper and the other 75% goes to the vendor you buy from. Furthermore, when you buy a paper from a vendor you are investing in someone who doesn’t want to beg or panhandle for change, but someone who wants to contribute to his or her own welfare.

The reason Street Sense was created was to give homeless people an opportunity to earn income and develop skills, so maybe in the future they can assimilate themselves back into society, get employment and one day find a steady place to live.

Many people who pass me by have preconceived notions about homeless people, some of which cannot be defended. Others paint the whole group by the same brush. The truth is many people fail to realize the difference between someone who is experiencing homelessness, depression or mental illness and someone who is a street person who connives and steals to survive.

Many people get conned by the street person who pretends to be homeless.

They become bitter and angry that

Office, from page 1

It is true I never stopped writing throughout that time, but my writing had not been structured in a daily format the way it was before becoming displaced. I had to feel grateful for the opportunities I had found along the way, especially those at the Community for Creative Non–Violence shelter.

CCNV provided me with both a stable place to live and activities that helped me stay in touch with the high–tech world during what could have easily become inactive and unproductive years. I was truly fortunate in that regard. Many people who lose their places of residence end up in 12–hour shelters that force them out into the streets every day, destroying their possibilities for stability

and pretty much torpedoing any chance they have of rebuilding a future for themselves.

Overall, I have been glad to transition back into the workplace though some aspects of returning to work have been a bit awkward for me, most notably the social aspect of being in a workplace.

At our orientation, one of “the particulars” included sexual harassment sensitivity training, which was actually extended to include social sensitivity training in general. It left me second–guessing my social interactions. I did not want to appear too stand–offish, but at the same time, I felt rather intimidated by the warnings the orientation had implied.

Then there was the irrefutable fact that I

I’m a Navy veteran myself, and I watch my fellow comrades struggle day to day.

public transportation. I can affirm it can be done (though it does help to start out with the attitude that it’s a doable task).

When I arrived for my first day on the job, I was excited to discover an unexpected plus – I was to have my own office. My coworkers were friendly and I was soon brought up to speed as to the sort of work I would be doing.

All the while, I could not help but be struck by the enormous gap between the world I was entering and the one I was coming from.

Every day for five years, the world I had lived in brought me closer to losing all hope of ever regaining the life I had known before.

they were duped and unfairly judge the homeless community that did nothing to that individual.

I also see many people who develop relations with panhandlers and give them change, meals, cigarettes, etc.

Inmy opinion, if you feel comfortable and develop a bond, that is a blessing, because you are giving that person some joy, however brief the encounter.

Many times when I have a decent day selling newspapers, I give my change to a panhandler and don’t judge what he does with the donation.

Because when I was homeless, someone didn’t judge me. They just wanted to see me not suffer.

I’ve learned a dollar is not going to make or break me. There are things more important in life than if someone buys from me.

Most vendors want to be respected for trying to make a living, rather than just accepting someone’s change because someone feels sorry for you. I sell papers so I can share the message on how to get people out of homelessness. I feel no one should have to beg for a living, especially if there are organizations giving you a chance to make a living.

Also, I like to show there is a difference in homeless people. Many don’t panhandle or ask for money, but just want to be respected. If you take the time to say hi, you’d be amazed by some of the conversations and knowledge they can offer. So remember: just a simple gesture can turn a ragweed into a violet.

“...when I was homeless, someone didn’t judge me.

They just wanted to see me not suffer.”

Jeffery McNeil regularly puts on a suit to sell Street Sense. E-mail him at jeffery_mcneil2000@yahoo.com.

had lived the past five years of my life in a situation I really could not discuss freely, and to me that was – and is – very awkward.

My story is an ongoing one. I have been at the job for one month now and have enjoyed it so far. After five years of waiting for nothing to happen, I am now getting up every morning to go to work and going to bed early every night so I will be able to get up in the morning; in itself, that is a major change for me. I am hoping I will be able to enjoy it for as long as this contract lasts.

Maurice King has been writing for Street Sense since January 2004. E-mail him at benadam@cyberdude.com.

Street Sense . August 20 – September 2, 2008

Street Sense does not exist without you.

Without our readers, our donors, our volunteers, our contributors and our vendors, Street Sense would not exist.

Tell us what you think.

Submit your editorials, letters to the editor, ideas for news or feature stories, poetry, fiction, photography or whatever.

We cannot guarantee publication, but we will let you know if we can publish your material.

Please e–mail content to editor@streetsense.org or mail to 1317 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005.

GAMES 13

Gregory’s Great Game: The Olympics This puzzle is created by vendor Gregory Martin, who has been at Street Sense for nealry a year, and who is one of the kindest vendors around.

Gregory’s Great Game: Solution to August 6 Puzzle

Summer

Blue

Silver

Olympics

Diving

Bronze

August

Swimming

Museum

USA

Field

Tommy

Red

Medals

Birthday

White

Gold

Street Sense . August 20 – September 2, 2008

14 STREET SENSE NEWS

Vendors’Corner

What our REaders are Saying...

The National Breadline Act of 2008 To the Editor, Homeless people need a daily breakfast breadline at the U.S. Department of Labor’s plaza, just one block from the CCNV shelter where 1,400 homeless (and hungry) people live.

If there is an overflow crowd, put breadlines in Franklin Square, Dupont Circle and Lafayette Park – and in Wards 7 and 8 as well. Serve lunch and dinner as well.

Send food stamp outreach staff to all the breadlines, soup kitchens and food pantries. And have a breakfast and lunch breadline mainly for poor mothers with young children at the city’s main welfare office.

Food needn’t be fancy, but always nutritious and plentiful, with seconds (if available) served on biodegradable plates 45 minutes or so after the meal begins.

The “National Breadline Act of 2008” is long overdue – just ask any chronically hungry person! Using a justifiable fair formula, put a breadline wherever poor, homeless or unemployed persons are a significant percentage of a neighborhood’s population.

Raymond Avrutis Keep on Going Strong To the Editor, My name is Jenn Balarezo and I am a small business owner in Arlington, Va. A few months ago, there was a news report on your organization and I think it is great what your company does and the dedication of your street vendors is awesome.

I am a pre–med student and teach for a few local hospitals in the District as well. I taught for GWH the other day and was looking for parking. I noticed a

gentleman wearing a neon yellow vest labeled Street Sense, I believe. I saw people accepting the newspaper without donating while others did donate.

I was upset to see people accept the paper and not bother to reach in their pocket to hand over anything.

He’s not asking for a handout. He’s working just like you and me. He’s trying to do the right thing.

That’s when I turned my frustration into action. I pulled over and asked him what he was selling and a little more about the newspaper even though I had an idea that I had found one of your Street Sense vendors. Hopefully my donation was able to compensate for the other people who failed to do so. I understand it is “suggested,” but come on. It’s a dollar, people!

He eagerly told me about the newspaper and his article on page 12 marking his one–year anniversary with Street Sense. I am really impressed with his article. I am so happy for him!

I donated some money and he whole–heartedly thanked me. I really should’ve been the one thanking him for all of his efforts. I’m not one who needs recognition for helping out; it simply makes me feel great to help another person when I can. I read his article and am so proud of him. I grew up in the metropolitan area and know how brutal the weather can be in winter and summer.

I’d like to cheer Jeffery McNeil on and encourage him to keep on going strong! His efforts, along with the other vendors, do not go unrecognized. On behalf of people in the D.C. metro region, thank you so much for everything you do for and at Street Sense.

Please feel free to pass my comments to Jeffery McNeil and if he’s looking to take on another side job, I’d be happy to find something for him to do with my company!

Thanks, Jenn Balarezo www.gotcpr.net

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Not only will you receive 26 issues packed with all our latest news, poetry and photography, you will also help raise awareness about poverty in the D.C. area. ___ YES! I want to subscribe to Street Sense for just $40 a year for 26 issues. ___ YES! I want to give half of the cost of a subscription to my favorite vendor: ____________ Name: __________________________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________________ City: _____________________________________ State:_______________ Zip: ______________ Phone: ___________________________________ E-mail: _______________________________ Please make checks payable to Street Sense.

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

Thanks for your support!

VENDOR SERVICES NEEDED • Free medical care/insurance.

• Free education or training in all areas.

• Rooms for rent.

JOBS WANTED • Photographer looking for work.

Cliff Carle, PHOTOGRAPHER with outstanding interpersonal and organizational skills. Works well in both team and independent environments. Possesses a wide range of photographic skills. Cliff specializes in natural, fun, creative photographs of people.

• Landscaper/Painter/Carpenter seeking work.

Orin Andrus loads and unloads trucks, moves supplies, tamps earth excavations, and levels ground using shovels, tamper, and rakes. He also mows, trims, does edging, and has other landscaping skills. Orin performs interior and exterior painting (one stories only) and does light carpentry and decks, and hardwood, laminate, and tile flooring.

• Carlton Johnson is skilled in carpentry, decks, and hardwood laminate and tile flooring.

DONATIONS NEEDED • Household items sought.

Vendors Jeffery McNeil and Moyo Onibuje recently moved into their apartments, and are both in need of computers and furniture.

If you can help, please contact Renee Brunson, Street Sense vendor manager, 202-347-2006.

PLACE YOUR AD HERE! With Street Sense now coming out every two weeks and reaching nearly 12,000 people each issue, now is the perfect time to promote your business with us.

DEMOGRAPHICS And who your business will be reaching can’t be beat. Our typical reader is a 35-year-old woman who lives in D.C. and works for the government or a nonprofit earning $70,000 a year.

RATES Rates are about half the cost of the neighborhood monthlies and are as low as $57 for a 1/16 page ad that runs multiple times.

DISCOUNTS Discounts offered to nonprofits and to those that prepay for multiple ads.

Call 202-347-2006 or e-mail info@streetsense. org for more information and to get a copy of our new advertising brochure.

Or ask your local vendor, who can earn 20% commission from ads sales.

FEATURES 15 SERVICE PROVIDERS & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Street Sense . August 20 – September 2, 2008

Community Service Index WASHINGTON, D.C. SHELTER Calvary Women’s Services 928 5th Street, NW (202) 783–6651 www.calvaryservices.org Central Union Mission (Men) 1350 R Street, NW (202) 745–7118 www.missiondc.org CCNV (Men and Women) 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 393–1909 users.erols.com/ccnv/ Community of Hope (Family) 1413 Girard Street, NW (202) 232–7356 www.communityofhopedc.org Covenant House Washington (Youth) 2001 Mississippi Ave SE (202) 610–9600 www.covenanthousedc.org Housing, education, job development Franklin School (Men) 13th and K streets, NW (202) 638–7424 Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men) 810 5th Street, NW (202) 842–1731 www.grm.org John Young Center (Women) 117 D Street, NW (202) 639–8469 http://www.ccs–dc.org/find/services/ La Casa Bilingual Shelter (Men) 1436 Irving Street, NW (202) 673–3592 N Street Village (Women) 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060 www.nstreetvillage.org 801 East, St. Elizabeths Hospital (Men) 2700 MLK Avenue, SE (202) 561–4014 New York Ave Shelter (Men) 1355–57 New York Avenue, NE (202) 832–2359 Open Door Shelter (Women) 425 Mitch Snyder Place, NW (202) 639–8093

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

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

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

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

Shelter Hotline: 1–800–535–7252

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

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Academy of Hope GED Center 601 Edgewood St NE 202-269-6623 www.aohdc.org Bright Beginnings Inc. 128 M Street NW, Suite 150 Washington DC 20001 (202) 842–9090 www.brightbeginningsinc.org Child care, family services Catholic Community Services of D.C. 924 G Street, NW (202) 772–4300 www.ccs–dc.org umbrella for a variety of services D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 1234 Massachusetts Avenue, NW (202) 347–8870; www.dccfh.org housing, substance abuse treatment, employment assistance DC Food Finder Interactive online map of free and low cost food resources. www.dcfoodfinder.org Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW (202) 347–0511 www.cflsdc.org housing, job and substance abuse counseling, clothes closet

www.nationalhomeless.org activists, speakers bureau available National Student Partnerships (NSP) 128 M Street NW, Suite 320 (202) 289–2525 washingtondc@nspnet.org Job resource and referral agency Samaritan Ministry 1345 U Street, SE , AND 1516 Hamilton Street, NW (202)889–7702 www.samaritanministry.org HIV support, employment, drug/alcohol addiction, healthcare St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 1514 15th Street, NW (202) 667–4394 http://stlukesdc.edow.org food, counseling St. Matthew’s Cathedral 1725 Rhode Island Avenue, NW (202) 347–3215 ext. 552 breakfast, clothing, hygiene Travelers Aid, Union Station 50 Mass. Avenue, NE (202) 371–1937 www.travelersaid.org/ta/dc.html national emergency travel assistance Wash. Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U Street, NW (202) 328–5500 www.legalclinic.org

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

Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW (202) 332–4010 www.foundryumc.org ESL, lunch, clothing, IDs

FOOD

Hermano Pedro Day Center 3211 Sacred Heart Way, NW (202) 332–2874 http://www.ccs–dc.org/find/services/ meals, hygiene, laundry, clothing

Community Place Café 311 68th Place, Seat Pleasant (301) 499–2319 www.cmpgc.org

JHP, Inc. 1526 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE (202) 544–9126 www.jobshavepriority.org training and employment Jubilee Jobs 1640 Columbia Road, NW (202) 667–8970 www.jubileejobs.org job preparation and placement National Coalition for the Homeless 2201 P Street, NW (202) 462–4822

Bethesda Cares 7728 Woodmont Church, Bethesda (301) 907–9244 www.bethesdacares.com

Manna Food Center 614–618 Lofstrand Lane, Rockville (301) 424–1130 www.mannafood.org

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

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Catholic Charities, Maryland 12247 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring (301) 942–1790 www.catholiccharitiesdc.org shelter, substance abuse treatment, variety of other services Mission of Love 6180 Old Central Avenue Capitol Heights (301)333–4440 www.molinc.org life skills classes, clothing, housewares Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless 600–B East Gude Drive, Rockville (301) 217–0314; www.mcch.net emergency shelter, transitional housing, and supportiveservices

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

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

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

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

Street Sense . August 20 – September 2, 2008

Franklin Sterling

VENDOR PROFILE

PHOTO FINISH

A Cooling Service

By Lee Davis Franklin Sterling has been a Street Sense vendor for the past four months. He lost his job as an apartment complex desk clerk back in April.

Born in Florida, Franklin has spent most of his life in the D.C. area. His sister and father live in California.

After graduating from high school, Franklin took humanities courses at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and studied writing with Beat poet Allen Ginsberg and meditation at the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colo.

By Lee Davis

How did you become homeless?

I lost my job.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I see myself working, with a place to live in the D.C. area.

Favorite music?

American jazz and the Second Viennese School.

Favorite movie?

“Showgirls” Andrew Wolfe of Be the Change In DC distributes water on August 3 to a homeless woman in Franklin Square park. The water project is part of an ongoing outreach effort spearheaded by the local advocacy group, which is seeking to learn more about the needs of the homeless.

StreetFact 35,000 D.C. residents are at risk for hunger. Wards 7 and 8 have one food store for every 70,000 people. See story page 3.

Source: DC Hunger Solutions

Aug. 20 – Sept. 2, 2008 • Volume 5 • Issue 21

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005

Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Washington, DC Permit #568

Favorite Book?

“The Harps That Once…” A collection of Sumerian poetry.

Franklin reminds customers to only buy from badged vendors and not to give to those panhandling with one paper.

Save the Date:

Thursday October 2, 2008

Movin’ On Up Street Sense’s Third Annual Silent Auction and Reception For more information see page 10.

Mail To:

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

If you are interested in donating goods or services to be auctioned off, please send an e-mail to info@streetsense.org or call 202-347-2006.