08 31 2007

Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson seeks answers on unconditional love in the face of adversity, page 12

$1.00 Suggested Donation

Where the Washington area's poor and homeless earn and give their two cents August 31, 2007 - September 14, 2007 • Volume 4, Issue 18

www.streetsense.org

HEALTH SPECIAL

Fairfax County Wants ‘Housing First’ Approach

Farmers Markets Help Low-Income Consumers

By Sam McCormally

By Andrea Moline

See

Diet, page 4

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This September, Fairfax County will likely begin phasing in northern Virginiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only Housing First program to combat homelessness, a strategy which emphasizes moving homeless people quickly into permanent housing. There are about 1,813 homeless people living in Fairfax County, according to a point-in-time count taken in January.

The countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actions follow the completion of a 10-year strategic plan in April called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Blueprint for Success: Strategic Directions for the Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness.â&#x20AC;? The plan calls for measures to prevent homelessness, add affordable housing

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Fairfax, page 7

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lost Boyâ&#x20AC;? of Sudan Leads Way in America

By Diane Rusignola

J

ohn Bul Dau arrived in the United States in 2001, one of nearly 3,800 so-called â&#x20AC;&#x153;lost boysâ&#x20AC;? who left behind their homes, their families and the Second Sudanese Civil War, one of the twentieth centuryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s longest and deadliest wars, to start a new life in America.

The boys dispersed throughout the country. Dau ended up with six others in Syracuse, N.Y. Dau spoke to Street Sense recently about his adjustment to life in America, his memoir and awardwinning film â&#x20AC;&#x153;God Grew Tired of Us,â&#x20AC;? and his work as an activist.

Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d rather not be known as a Lost Boy, a phrase with connotations of helplessness and defeat, but as a humanitarian who is spreading awareness of the crisis in Sudan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I react to the term â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lost

Inside This Issue

â&#x20AC;&#x153;God is not going to spoonfeed us everything. How do I appreciate my car if I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how to travel on foot?â&#x20AC;?

- John Bul Dau, author of â&#x20AC;&#x153;God Grew Tired Of Usâ&#x20AC;?

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More and more nonprofit groups that work with low-income residents of the Washington area are partnering with farmers markets to improve their clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; access to nutritious fresh food and to link them with fruit and vegetable growers in a personal and sustainable way.

Although the United States is the richest nation in the world, 35 million Americans, including 13 million children, are hungry or at risk of hunger, according to the advocacy group D.C. Hunger Solutions.

Of that total, more than 68,000 District residents, including 35,000 children, currently live on the edge of hunger.

A growing trend among nonprofit organizations in the District combines their direct services with access to fresh fruits and vegetables, food preparation classes and farmers markets.

Nonprofits can increase impoverished residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; access to high-quality food and nutrition because they strategically link the most affected populations and communities with needed resources and policy makers, area professionals said.

Capital Area Food Bank, the largest public food bank in the Washington area, collaborates with Clagett Farms in Upper Marlboro, Md. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Half of the produce that is grown at Clagett Farms is given to people who are low-income,â&#x20AC;? said Nadja Strucker, operations and outreach associate at the Capital Area

Boys,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; it becomes a stigma that canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave me,â&#x20AC;? Dau told Street Sense. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The phrase will never go away, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not what somebody calls you that makes you bad. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how you react to it.â&#x20AC;?

Dauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book, â&#x20AC;&#x153;God Grew Tired of Us,â&#x20AC;? was released in January just four days after his movie of the same name hit theaters. The movie won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize for a documentary at the Sundance Film Festival last year. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie donated $100,000 to Dauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nonprofit foundation and attended the movie premiere with Dau, along with Edward Norton and Nicole Kidman. Kidman also narrated the film.

LOCAL

DIRECTORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DESK

Back to School But Not a Home

A Rose By Any Other Name

Franklin Shelter Gets a Makeover

Children face tremendous challenges staying in school when theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re homeless, page 8

Laura Osuri examines the power of a name, page 14

Staff volunteers from Catholic Charities give the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s facility a scrubbing and a paint job, page 6

PROFILE

FEATURES

Leading by Example

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Bottom Billionâ&#x20AC;?

Terry Snead interviews Saeed Woodall of St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shelter, page 3

A new book argues the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s failing nations fall into the same traps, over and over, page 10

LOCAL

Dau has spent the past six years spreading the message about the horrors in Sudan that he and his fellow immigrants lived through on a daily basis. His tireless efforts have produced a book, a documentary, a foundation and even a medical clinic back home in Sudan. Dau is studying public policy at Syracuse University.

One of Dauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most poignant memories from his early years in the U.S. was figuring out the concept of snow. The congregation at his church often discussed how the Lost Boys needed heavy clothes, hats and mittens. But Dau, who had never known snow in Sudan, didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand the discussions until a friend took him to see snow firsthand. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I looked at the ground, it was just white,â&#x20AC;? Dau recalled. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I touched it with my hand and it was just water, and then my friend threw a snowball at me. So then I did the same thing, and we had fun. When we left, I took a ball of snow home, and I told everyone, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This is snow that the American people are always talking about.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; We took it inside and looked at it on the dining room table until it

See Sudan, page 7

Street Sense . August 31 - September 14, 2007

2 ALL ABOUT US

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

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

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Laura Thompson Osuri VENDOR MANAGER Jesse Smith Jr. EDITOR IN CHIEF Kaukab Jhumra Smith ASSOCIATE EDITOR David S. Hammond (volunteer) INTERNS Matt Johnson Melanie Lidman Desiree Perez

We are proud members of:

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

Our Editorial Policy 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.

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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.

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

VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Matt Allee, Robert Blair, Mia Boyd, Sonya Butler, Cliff Carle, Jason Corum, Diana Cosgrove, Mary Cunningham, Rebecca Curry, Rick Dahnke, Darcy Gallucio, Genevieve Gill, Joanne Goodwin, Carol Hannaford, Annie Hill, Brooke Howell, Jo Ann Jackson, Kathy Jones, Mary Lynn Jones, Jessica LaGarde, Jeff Lambert, Karin Lee, August Mallory, Mandy McAnally, Sam McCormally, Kent Mitchell, Andrea Molino, Mike O’Neill, Swinitha Osuri, Ava Page, Michael Patterson, David Pike, Diane Rusignola, Eric Sheptock, Katie Smith, Terry Snead, Francine Triplett, Dan Weingarten, Marian Wiseman, Corrine Yu

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Street Sense Vendor Code of Conduct 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

VENDORS Willie Alexander, Michael Anderson, Jake Ashford, George Atwater, Tommy Bennett, Bobby Buggs, Cliff Carle, Alice Carter, Conrad Cheek Jr., Elena Cirpaci, Louise Davenport, Yllama Davenport, James Davis, Bernard Dean, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Don Gardner, Leo Gnawa, Barron Hall, David Harris, John Harrison, Donald Henry, Patricia Henry, Michael Higgs, Phillip Howard, Michael Jefferson, Patricia Jefferson, Allen Jones, DeRutter Jones, Mark Jones, Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson, Arthur Mathis, Charles Mayfield, Lee Mayse, Craig McKoy, Jeffery McNeil, Rodney Morris, Charles Nelson, Moyo Onibuje, Therese Onyemenon, Forrest Rainwater, Kevin Robinson, Gerald Smith, Patty Smith, Francine Triplett, Alexander Tutt, Martin Walker, Ivory Wilson, Tina Wright

August 15 - 30 Donors Rachel Choate Robin Goracke Jennifer and Anthony Park Ranjeev Purohit Trish Savage Imani Johnson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are no territories among vendors.

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

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

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

WANNA HELP? If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, or have a great article or feature idea, please contact Koki Smith at 202-347-2006 or e-mail editor@streetsense.org

And a special thanks to Al and Peg Minert Laura Platter

Thank You!

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

Street Sense . August 31 - September 14, 2007

PROFILE 3

SERVICE PROFILE

By Terry Snead This is my first interview and it is with a special person, Saeed Woodall. Saeed is the residential supervisor of St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shelter and has been working there for five years.

St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s provides emergency shelter, transitional shelter and case management for up to six men for six months at a time.

I can testify about the program at St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shelter because I lived there. I also graduated from the program and this experience has been life-changing. The program works!

Saeed is a Washingtonian born in 1953. He has one brother and one sister. He has been married for 11 years and has four children, one boy and three girls. Saeed graduated from Eastern High School where he played football and had a passion for black history.

Before coming to St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Saeed gained valuable experience at a Florida Avenue group home where he supervised residents from Oak Hill Youth Center in Laurel, Md. His understanding of folks who have abused drugs and his knowledge of the effects of drugs have been very useful in his work.

When I asked Saeed why he chose St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, he replied that working there gave him a sense of accomplishment because he was making a difference in peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives.

Saeed has always wanted to work with the disenfranchised and feels like St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is his second home. For the most part, he says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I find myself no better than anyone else.â&#x20AC;?

Saeed said the success of St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan for its residents depends upon a combination of

structure, good communication and a sense of commitment from residents themselves. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Actions speak louder than words,â&#x20AC;? he said.

I asked Saeed if there have been any low points during his tenure at St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shelter.

He replied that the low point came about a year and a half ago when certain staff and volunteers left St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, its ministers changed, and the Next Step Kitchen, a certification program that taught people how to become food service professionals, closed because of financial constraints.

To make matters worse, the related Out of Poverty program, a life skills class and support group for homeless individuals, also ended. But St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is back on track now, Saeed said. The Out of Poverty program has been restarted with the help of a new staff member.

Those times were a challenge for Saeed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It helped me learn more about myself,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It helped me learn more about dealing with change and recognize that all change is not for the worse. Some change is for the better.

It helped in my own personal growth and in the development of the services I provide to the residents.â&#x20AC;?

Saeed said his work would not be possible without the other people at St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, especially Glenn Ralph and Joe Boddie, who bring diversified skills, years of experience and winning attributes to the staff.

He also wanted everyone to know that St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fifteenth anniversary gala dinner will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 24, at the Savoy

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St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Supervisor Leads By Example

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Hotel. For more information call (202) 3334949.

This job keeps Saeed focused and grounded, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t talk about it. Be about it,â&#x20AC;? he said.

This interview was more like a family reunion. Saeed, it was a pleasure, brother, and I am honored to be in your company. I would like to give thanks for this golden opportunity to interview a person who is making a difference in the world of homelessness. You

certainly have made a difference in my life.

Thank you!

Terry Snead was homeless for 10 years.

Diagnosed with depression, he spent seven months at St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shelter and graduated from the first Next Step Kitchen program. He now lives in his own apartment, volunteers for the Prisons Foundation and is on the speakersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bureau for the National Coalition for the Homeless.

Donate to Street Sense I will donate:

My Information

___ $50 for two vendor awards each month Name:_______________________________________________________ Address:_____________________________________________________ City/State/Zip:_______________________________________________ Phone:_______________________E-mail:_________________________ Please make checks payable to Street Sense

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Street Sense is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible.

___ Another amount of $_______ ___ Another amount of $_______ for vendor: ________________

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

You can also donate online at www.streetsense.org

Additional items that Street Sense needs: â&#x20AC;˘ Items for our silent auction on Sept. 27: Sports tickets; gift certificates to hotels, restaurants and spas; gift baskets; artwork; barware, vases, decorative rugs; home services like cleaning or landscaping

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Tote bags and backpacks for vendors Bottled water to hand out to vendors Food for vendor meetings

â&#x20AC;˘ Office chairs â&#x20AC;˘ Laptop computers with at least Windows 2000 and 10 GB of storage space â&#x20AC;˘ Digital SLR camera

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

4 LOCAL HEALTHNEWS REPORT

Street Sense . August 31 - September 14, 2007

Diet, from page 1

Soaring Rates of Chronic Illness Among Homeless Linked To Poor Nutrition

By Mandy McAnally

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Food Bank. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This partnership is a model for local farmers and nonprofits to join together to help reduce the issue of hunger in the District.â&#x20AC;?

The relationship is positive for both farmers and residents, local farm representatives said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I started working with the Capital Area Food Bank seven or eight years ago, and I like connecting fresh produce to people in the District,â&#x20AC;? said Dave Richards, who works at Richards Farm in Brandywine, Md., and comes to the Anacostia Farmers Market every week.

Likewise, residents in such areas as Wards 7 and 8, which have only two grocery stores to serve more than 140,000 people, enjoy having a place where they can buy fresh, highquality produce.

Lindsey Buss, president of the nonprofit Marthaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Table Inc., has seen firsthand the impact of the fresh produce donated weekly from the new farmers market at 14th and U streets, NW. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We get a very good response from our clients for any fresh produce, including the produce we receive from farmers markets,â&#x20AC;? Buss said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The best indicator for this is that there is never enough. We go through it very quickly and always have people asking for more.â&#x20AC;?

A frequent visitor to the Anacostia Farmers Market, who gave his name as Santa Clausse, agrees. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having somewhere to buy fresh veggies five and a half months out of the year is not enough,â&#x20AC;? Clausse said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When the market closes, it is hard to go back to not eating fresh produce. Unfortunately, that is how it is.â&#x20AC;?

Kendra Sudano, a case manager at the District nonprofit Bread for the City, said more must be done in the area of hunger and nutrition advocacy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We must come up with holistic and creative strategies to address not only the effects, but the root causes of the crises we see every day,â&#x20AC;? Sudano said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One specific way of doing this is to provide as much fresh produce as possible to clients through creating partnerships between our food pantry and local farmers markets. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Another way is to use our organizational voice to support initiatives to increase the overall health and wellness of the communities we serve.â&#x20AC;?

One such initiative would increase the number of Electronic Benefit Transfer card (EBT) machines at local farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s markets. This would allow low-income shoppers to use their food stamp benefits to purchase fresh produce at their local farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market. EBT machines are currently available only at the Anacostia Farmers Market, but advocates are working to make them more accessible across the District. For more on pending legislation for food assistance, see â&#x20AC;&#x153;Street Politicsâ&#x20AC;? on page 6.

District residents should urge their City Council members to subsidize local farmers markets and promote EBT machine accessibility in the Food Stamp Program and grocery stores that sell high-quality and affordable foods, advocates said.

Residents also should buy locally at the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s farmers markets, many of which run through the middle of November.

And they could plant an extra row in their household or community garden and donate the produce to a local nonprofit that provides emergency food services.

Andrea Moline is a student at Saint Louis University. She was a 2007 summer Advocacy Intern at Bread for the City.

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PLACE YOUR AD HERE! With Street Sense coming out twice a month and reaching nearly 10,000 people each issue, now is the perfect time to promote your business with us.

For information on our rates and to get a copy of our new advertising brochure, visit www.streetsense.org/advertise.jsp, call Laura or Jesse at 202-347-2006 or e-mail info@streetsense.org.

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

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Foundry

United Methodist Church

A Reconciling Congregation

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

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

Street Sense . August 31 - September 14, 2007

HEALTH LOCALREPORT NEWS 5

I Struggle With Diabetes Every Day. So Did My Family.

By Francine Triplett

W

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hen I was a teenager, my 12year-old niece had diabetes.

I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand what was happening with her. Her mother used to inject her with insulin and my niece stayed in and out of the hospital.

As I got older, I found out my father was a diabetic. He had both his legs amputated. I said whatever he had, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want it.

My mother died from kidney failure. As I got older, I wondered which one I was going to get.

I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find out about my diabetes until I became homeless. There used to be a truck that came around McPherson Park every Wednesday evening that had a doctor on it for the homeless. So when they came around, I used to go to the truck just to check myself out.

One Wednesday, I got to see a doctor and get checked for high blood pressure. It was so high the doctor told me to come up to Christ House. Christ House is a clinic for homeless people.

Then they tested me for sugar and I found out I was diabetic. I also found out being a diabetic is nothing to play with, especially with high blood pressure.

Sometimes I control it well, sometimes I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m asking for help for me to control it

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a little better. Sometimes I eat stuff Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not really supposed to eat, sometimes I just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not homeless anymore and I want to know how to eat right and still enjoy it.

My weight goes up and down. So I started

going to a support group for diabetes and I enjoy the group. I went to my first one on August 11 at Martin Luther King Library. It was run by the Washington Hospital Center.

The leader of the group was very patient

with us. We did exercises sitting in our chairs and we laughed and talked. I met a lot of interesting people. We had a good turnout of nearly 40 people. Most of them were women.

We had a good time and we got free pedometers and glucose meters.

To all diabetics, please do whatever you have to do. It is so serious. Do the right thing and follow your doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s orders. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t eat that food that you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t supposed to eat.

I used to get mad at people who said I was overweight because they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how to talk to me. I used to stay so angry all the time because of my weight. I can understand their concern but there is a way to say things to people without hurting their feelings.

I used to check my sugar every day but I got tired of sticking myself two or three times a day. Now I check it twice a week. I am trying to eat light and doing a lot of walking and do exercises sitting in my chair.

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to lose my eyesight or get anything amputated. So please, if anyone reads this and you know about diabetes and you can give me some tips, I will appreciate it.

Francine Triplett has sold Street Sense since 2004. Contact her at the office at 202347-2006 or e-mail dcma4real@yahoo.com.

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Street Sense . August 31 - September 14, 2007

6 POLITICS

Street Politics

Capitol Hill Gets on Board The subsidy system probably wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get reformed this year, either, but there is plenty of interest on Capitol Hill in maintaining and even expanding nutrition programs. In the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Food Stamp Challenge,â&#x20AC;? public officials, including several members of Congress, joined advocates for a week of eating on a food stamp budget. Media across the country have reported on public office-holders facing tough choices in the supermarket and mealtimes that are sometimes unappetizing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and all too often leave them wanting more.

That heightened awareness bolsters support for nutrition programs. Ellen Vollinger of the Food Research Action Council said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The biggest issue is how much money will federal lawmakers make available for the food stamps program. Not many people disagree with the need for, or the effectiveness of, the program.â&#x20AC;?

And, Vollinger points out, the House rejected President Bushâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s requested cut to food stamps this year, and did not approve any cuts to food stamps in the last Congress either.

The tough part for supporters of expanded nutrition programs, though, is translating that general acceptance into support for specific expansions. What the experts call â&#x20AC;&#x153;food insecurityâ&#x20AC;? doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t generate gripping TV footage or headlines. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more of a slow grind â&#x20AC;&#x201C; just like the long-term drive to bring help to more hungry Americans.

This year, though, that drive is showing some results. The farm bill now goes to the Senate.

Poverty in District A Tough Nut to Crack Poverty has declined slightly in the United States, according to new annual figures from the Census Bureau. But it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t dropping in D.C., and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got experts worried that low-income Washingtonians could fall even further behind in the struggle for housing and health care.

The Census Bureau says 12.3% of the country lives below the poverty line, defined roughly as an annual income of $20,000 for a family of four. It also reports that the number of Americans without health insurance rose from 15.3% to 15.8%, continuing to fuel the national debate over health care.

Meanwhile, the District has a poverty rate of 19.8%, only a slight rise from the previous year but up from 15% in 1999-2000. That means about one in five city residents is living in poverty.

The poverty debate usually boils down to arguments about personal responsibility versus limited opportunities. In D.C., private and public agencies race just to keep a safety net under the poorest residents. The cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consistently high poverty rates may prompt more pointed discussion of those efforts.

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Franklin Shelter Gets a Face Lift

By Matt Johnson Across from Franklin Park, a patch of green connecting four streets in Northwest D.C., stands Franklin School Shelter, a converted Board of Education building from the days of Jim Crow that now serves as an emergency shelter for about 300 men.

On Aug. 22, about 50 staff volunteers from Catholic Charities, the faith-based nonprofit that administers the shelter, braved fumes and grime for several hours as they paint-rolled, brushed, swept and scrubbed. Staff ranging from the senior vice president to the desk clerk from the Alexandria, Va.-based national office as well as a handful of the shelter staff got to work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have come to help paint and clean around Franklin â&#x20AC;&#x201C; [to] freshen things up,â&#x20AC;? said Luis Vasquez, clinical manager for the D.C. branch of Catholic Charities.

In its Aug. 15 issue, Street Sense published a front-page editorial by Lance Cheslock, director of a homeless services program in Colorado, that described his experience with rats, lice and bedbugs during a stay at the shelter. Cheslock spent the night at Franklin after attending the National Alliance to End Homelessnessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; conference at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill.

In the same issue, Street Sense vendor Jeffery McNeil, writing under â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anonymous,â&#x20AC;? wrote about his own stay at Franklin. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As soon as the lights were turned out, I noticed something was biting me. I thought it was mosquitoes but then someone turned the lights on and I saw my T-shirt was infested with bedbugs and my face was a lump from all the bites.â&#x20AC;?

There was no mention of an infestation as Vasquez and his crew did everything from â&#x20AC;&#x153;deep cleaningâ&#x20AC;? Franklinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s communal bathrooms to laying bricks over errant dirt in the courtyard out back. Working from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a break for lunch, the volunteers looked and functioned like a team, sporting matching T-shirts that read, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Poverty in America: A Threat to the Common Good.â&#x20AC;?

The vestibule was cluttered with ladders, paint brushes, rollers, buckets, mops and volunteers. Plastic was taped down to prevent paint spills from staining the hardwood floor.

The deskman paused from his secretarial duties to angle an extended paint roller to a hardto-reach place.

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Farm Bill Fights Hunger with Food Stamps, Emergency Food Poor people sometimes face an ugly choice: pay the rent and bills or buy food.

This year, with the â&#x20AC;&#x153;farm billâ&#x20AC;? and its nutrition programs up for renewal, Congress has a chance to help more Americans get the food they need. Food stamps and emergency commodity food programs have a chance at significant expansion this year, although probably not to the extent some advocates hope.

In the Washington area, tens of thousands of people are hungry or at risk, according to Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Second Harvest, a national network of food banks. Those numbers have been rising, an increase reflected in the demand at area soup kitchens and food banks, said Shania Holloway of the Capital Area Food Bank.

Experts say the working poor, those who are employed but remain below poverty levels, especially need the help offered by food assistance programs. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because their income can disqualify them from receiving some aid, but they may still not make enough for all their needs, including food.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s farm bill comes in. The version passed in July by the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. 2417, puts an additional $4 billion into food stamps over the next five years, up from the $33 billion a year currently spent on the program.

The bill also supports local growers and promotes healthier eating with new grant money for farmers markets to buy equipment for reading electronic food stamps. This builds on a recent drive to bring food stamps to farmers markets, an initiative that has made headlines nationwide and that aims to help low-income people find more wholesome food. See our front page story for more details on farmers markets.

The House bill also increases annual funds for the Emergency Food Assistance Program from $140 million in 2008 to $250 million in 2012. The Emergency Food Assistance Program also helps stock food banks and homeless shelters, providing immediate nutrition to people who are not in the food stamps system.

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By David S. Hammond and Ted Henson

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One woman stopped for a moment to show off the pearly white door she had just painted. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We hope to create a better environment for the men who live here and make it a more homey and cheery place for them,â&#x20AC;? said Colleen Sutton, director of marketing and public relations for Catholic Charities USA. Monica Maggiano, a volunteer from the Alexandria office. said her staff had reached out to the coordinators at the shelter in late July.

She said the timing was convenient for Franklin because of Catholic Charities D.C.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent grant to provide mental health services to its residents.

Last summer, Franklin residents formed the Committee to Save Franklin Shelter to address living conditions at Franklin, including bed bugs and substandard facilities.

On Aug. 17, Street Sense Editor Koki Smith toured the shelter with Chapman Todd, director of homeless services for Catholic Charities.

During the tour, a large rat dashed out of a bathroom on the second floor.

Robert Walker, senior program manager at Franklin, said his staff cleans up daily. The shelter was last painted at Christmas by a Jewish charity, he said.

Street Sense . August 31 - September 14, 2007

IN OTHER NEWS

By Mandy McAnally

California: Buildings Set Aside for Homeless Veterans Officials have dedicated three vacant buildings on the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs campus for programs for 15,000 homeless veterans in the county. The buildings will likely be used for housing and medical services, officials said. Clinical staff will now request proposals for a social service provider to run the programs (Hanatani, Santa Monica Daily Press, 8/22).

Colorado: Survey Shows 8,000 Homeless in 7 Counties There were 8,482 homeless people living across seven Colorado counties in January, according to a survey by the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative. Reported factors include loss of jobs, difficulty finding work, a family break-up or death, and high housing costs. Most people reported living in transitional housing, hotels, motels or temporarily staying with family or friends (Parmelly, YourHub.com, 8/21).

Georgia: Albany Receives $70,000 to Help Homeless The city of Albany has received $70,000 in grants to help the homeless. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs awarded the city of Albany $50,000 to operate an emergency shelter for housing homeless families and $20,000 for providing legal services to the homeless, and to help people pay their rent, mortgages and utilities in order to keep their homes. Families are allowed to stay in the emergency shelter for 60 to 90 days. The award is a $15,000 increase over last year (WALB News, 8/22).

Louisiana: Homeless Numbers Double Since Katrina Estimates show the number of homeless in New Orleans and its suburbs has nearly doubled since Hurricane Katrina.

The homeless advocacy group UNITY of New Orleans said the number increased from about 6,300 to 12,000 from January 2005 to January 2007. Sixty percent of the general population returned to the city during this time. At the same time, shelter representatives said their beds were reduced citywide from 832 to 232, forcing them to turn away hundreds of people each night. Record increases in trespassing arrests and vacant-building fires indicate there could be thousands of homeless staying in abandoned buildings in the city (KGBT4, 8/17).

Massachussetts: Counties Create Homelessness Plan The cities of Springfield, Holyoke and Northampton created a three-county council to form a plan over the next six months to address housing opportunities, family stabilization, homelessness prevention, access to mainstream services and chronic homelessness. The council will present the plan to Amherst city officials, who said they are looking into creating a similar task force (Carey, Amherst Bulletin, 8/16).

CFC# 76258

NATIONAL NEWS 7

Sudan, from page 1 started to melt.”

To say he faced culture shock is an understatement.

“What you have in America is the opposite of what is in Africa. Seeing women drive cars, seeing a lot of food in the grocery store – these things were so different for me,” Dau said. He did not know what a salad was until he came to the United States, he said.

To help adjust to the vast cultural gap between Sudan and Syracuse, Dau’s group of seven remained tight and saw each other often. They still keep in touch. “Now we see each other when we can. We have the responsibilities of work and most of us are going to school,” Dau said. “The good thing in America is you have a communication system. It’s so easy in America to talk to each other and follow each other.”

Dau was among only eight people honored by the National Geographic Emerging Explorers Program this year, which “recognizes and supports uniquely gifted and inspiring young adventurers, scientists, photographers, and storytellers – explorers who are already making a difference early in their careers.”

Why did he title his memoir “God Grew Tired of Us”?

“My feelings for God never changed. In Sudan, the government was raping women and killing young men and torching our houses,” Dau said. “I thought, ‘Why does God allow these guys to be so powerful?’”

Somehow, Dau retained his faith. “But God is my personal savior, and without him I will not be in America,” Dau said.

Fairfax, from page 1 and streamline service delivery.

A 95-member implementation committee to oversee programs serving the county’s homeless population was created as a result of the strategic plan and will present its recommendations to the county board of supervisors in September.

Under the Housing First approach, homeless people move into permanent housing without having to first wait for other services such as employment training or mental health support. Participants retain their homes as long as they comply with the terms of their lease, rather than the terms of their social services programs.

Proponents of the Housing First approach say that homeless people have better outcomes under such a program, thanks to the stability that comes with living in a permanent residence.

Housing First is also more cost-effective, according to the county. Providing housing for a family of three in a shelter costs more than $40,000 per year, while providing housing for the same family using a voucher system costs $10,500, according to the “Blueprint for Success.”

While the implementation committee is still working on details, its proposal will include resources to prevent homelessness and create more affordable housing, says Kerrie Wilson, director of Reston Interfaith and a member of the implementation committee.

Everyone interviewed for this article cited the shortage of affordable housing as the single greatest factor contributing to homelessness in Fairfax County. Although the meteoric rise of housing costs in Northern Virginia has slowed in the last year, the median price of a single family home has risen 26% since 2004.

“When we didn’t have a shortage of affordable housing, we didn’t have widespread homelessness in this country,” said Nan Roman of the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

In Fairfax County, the affordable housing shortage affects low-income residents beyond those who are homeless. The county has 1,063 people living in public housing, 3,096 receiving support through vouchers and 10,000 more people on the waiting list for governmental housing assistance.

Although the county’s median household income is nearly $84,000 a year, more than 5 percent of county residents live in poverty, according to census figures. Census estimates put the county’s current population at over a million.

Fairfax County has made preserving and increasing the

“I would not be successful and doing so many things. God is the Lord and, no matter what, He is always with you. The war was not happening because of anything we had done.”

He compared his experience to the biblical story of Job. “God is not going to spoonfeed us everything. How do I appreciate my car if I don’t know how to travel on foot? How do I appreciate the clothes I am wearing if I don’t know how it is to be cold in the winter?” he asked.

Dau holds dual citizenship in Sudan and the United States, but he plans to spend the majority of his time in the States.

He returned to Sudan in 2005 to select the site in Duk County where his medical clinic would be built. It opened in May this year, and “now they are helping lots of people,” he said.

During his return to Sudan, in another miracle, Dau was reunited with his father after 19 years.

With about 45 speaking engagements lined up from September through November to help spread the word about his clinic, Dau’s schedule is “getting really crazy,” he said. He’s traveling all over the country – Chicago, Los Angeles, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, Ohio – but Syracuse is still home.

“Syracuse has now become a base. Of course, I will eventually leave because of snow, though,” Dau said with a chuckle.

Dau will speak at the National Geographic Society in Washington on Sept. 11. Visit www.dclearns.org/calendar/002243. html for details.

For more information about the John Dau Sudan Foundation, visit www.johndaufoundation.org. supply of affordable housing one of its six top priorities, county spokesperson Merni Fitzgerald said. The county currently allocates one penny of every dollar of the real estate tax to the acquisition of affordable housing, which totals about $20 million per year. The strategic plan proposes doubling that allocation.

Despite the county’s immense wealth, confronting homelessness in Fairfax is difficult because homelessness is hidden from public view.

“Our people live in the woods,” said Pam Michell, director of New Hope Housing and a member of the implementation committee. “So people don’t think about it.”

And the search for locations to build affordable housing can be impeded by residents who worry that public housing and housing designated for Section 8 vouchers will lead to depressed property values and social ills.

In July, the Connection Newspapers reported that about 100 local residents showed up at the county government center to protest the construction of what they erroneously believed to be housing for homeless people near their neighborhood.

“The myths that affordable housing brings down property values are not borne out by empirical studies,” Michell said, adding that county government should help dispel those misconceptions.

The Fairfax effort to prevent and end homelessness is a public-private partnership that includes county government, area nonprofits, faith organizations and businesses.

Proponents say that the public-private nature of the initiative is one of its strengths. “[Nonprofits] can get services to people much faster to more people, much more easily than government bureaucracy,” Michell said. “We’re out there, we know the people.”

Participation by the county government and individuals from such for-profit organizations as Chevy Chase Bank and Freddie Mac is crucial to securing financial support for the program, she added.

Unifying the county’s public and private resources under one governance structure will streamline service delivery, Wilson said. She supports the creation of triage teams to provide people with all the knowledge and resources available. “We all hate it when we get moved to the next person,” Wilson said.

Fitzgerald added that homeless representatives have participated in the formation of the strategy, including taking part in a community summit meeting in April 2006, although a video of the event did not show any people speaking who said they were homeless.

8 8 LOCAL LOCAL NEWS NEWS

Street Sense . August 31 - September 14, 2007

We cordially invite you To join vendors & staff in celebrating

“The Many Faces of Street Sense” Reception and Silent Auction On Thursday, September 27, 2007 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm At the Josephine Butler Parks Center 2437 15th Street, NW (Columbia Heights Metro)

Tickets

$25 - Standard: Auction access, hearty appetizers, beer, wine and soda $50 - Silver: In addition to standard benefits, your name listed in the event program. $100 - Gold: Standard benefits, name in the event program and in a thank you ad in the Oct. 1 issue.

Please note: Once purchased, tickets will be mailed directly to you and you will be added to the guest list.

Tickets available online at www.streetsense.org or by mailing a check for the appropriate amount to: 1317 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005

Tickets will be available at the door for an additional $5.00

Street Sense needs donated items for its Annual Silent Auction and Reception!

Please see our donation form on page 3 for details.

For Homeless Children, Heading Back to School Isn’t Easy

By Ava Page As summer gives way to fall, children all over the country are returning to school with new notebooks and clothes. For homeless youth in the Washington, D.C., area, however, entering the school year is a lot harder than choosing the perfect outfit for the first day of class.

Often, youth who lack a permanent residence or reliable transportation, or who cannot supply proof of identity and residence, don’t have the same access to the public education system as their peers.

More than 22% of homeless children are not able to attend school regularly, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

But a six-year-old federal law is helping public school systems in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia integrate homeless youths into their academic programs with the help of nonprofit advocacy groups.

Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvement Act of 2001, the federal government defines homeless youths as those who “lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence,” which can include living in public spaces, cars, transitional housing and shelters, as well as foster children awaiting placement.

Homeless youths, especially those without guardians to advocate for them, can face numerous obstacles when attempting to enroll in classes.

Typically, schools in the Washington area require proof of residence, a birth certificate and immunizations for enrollment. These requirements can be

waived if a child is found to be homeless, but often schools do not have the capacity to identify each homeless student, according to Richard Hooks Wayman, a senior youth policy analyst at the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

The McKinney-Vento Act seeks to identify and support homeless youths through accessible enrollment policies, free transportation to and from school, and notification to youths and families of their educational rights. The act also seeks to spread awareness of homelessness in communities.

The law, which operates as part of the No Child Left Behind law, also requires every school district to have a liaison person to provide help to homeless youngsters.

The liaison person is supposed to function as an advocate for homeless youths, the federal act states, by “provid[ing] assistance to the parent or guardian of each homeless child or youth (or, in the case of an unaccompanied youth, the youth)… coordinat[ing] with the local educational agency with jurisdiction for the school selected by the parent or guardian (or youth), to provide transportation and other necessary services.”

But the liaison position does not always function as it should, advocates contend.

Wayman said many schools lack the resources to cultivate an effective liaison program. “The problem is capacity,” he said. “Most school systems merely appoint the guidance counselor to the role of liaison.”

About 1.35 million children in the United States will experience homelessness each year, according to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty.

Homeless Advocates Hold Baltimore Protest

By Sam McCormally Protesters demonstrated in front of Baltimore city hall on August 22 in response to the Downtown Partnership’s displacement of homeless people sleeping in a parking lot earlier in the month.

Students slept out on the streets with the homeless, and in the morning, walked to city hall carrying signs reading, “Move?

Where to? Affordable Housing for All!” and “Homelessness is Not a Crime.”

Deputy Commissioner for Housing Reggie Scriber met with the group and promised housing for the homeless.

Raymond Garrett and Henry Sandler, two homeless men, said they were awoken on the morning of the August 17. Partnership workers warned them their personal belongings would be thrown away if they were not moved, and told them to “vacate the premises now,” Henry said.

“We were down here not bothering anybody,” said Henry. “They think they’re part of the police department.”

Henry said the Downtown Partnership is a private entity with no authority to force people to move.

The men said such interactions with the Downtown Partnership are common. The incident gained publicity when the Baltimore Sun ran the story on August 16.

Mike Evitts, spokesperson for the Downtown Partnership, rejected the men’s accusations and “what we see as a onesided series of articles in the Sun.” “We didn’t move anybody,” he said.

“Our goal is never to imply to somebody that they have no choice, that this is some sort of police action.”

Evitts said Partnership workers needed to clean the parking lot, and so asked the homeless people to move and pick up their personal belongings. He said that the Partnership tries to be sensitive to homeless people by cleaning the same places every day at the same time, a claim Raymond and Henry disputed.

Evitts agreed that the Partnership cannot legally force people to relocate, but said it has the same right to ask people to

move as any private citizen. He acknowledged that Downtown Partnership employees have been mistaken for police.

“We’ve never knowingly taken personal belongings, certainly never medications,” Evitts said, emphasizing the Downtown Partnership’s homeless outreach programs.

The Downtown Partnership has hired 62 formerly homeless people as clean sweep ambassadors, including one manager, Evitts said.

Daniel Anderson, an organizer of the protest and a member of the homelessness advocacy group Project Jumpstart, said he knows homeless people who have had personal belongings, including IDs, thrown away by the Downtown Partnership because they have nowhere to leave their things during the day.

Anderson said the disposal of IDs is part of the vicious cycle of homelessness.

“You pretty much need an ID to get an ID,” he said, adding that a government ID is required to enroll in many government programs.

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September 2007

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BACK TO SQUARE ONE (detail) by Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, Georgia; Cardboard, paper napkins, paper clippings, and wax, 10" by 26", Suggested donation $160 (#S210)

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ABSTRACT (detail) by Michael Jewell, Powledge State Prison, Texas; Acrylic on watercolor paper, 4 1/2" by 6 1/2", Suggested donation $50 (#S226)

RENDITION OF PRIMA BALLERINA (IN GREEN) by Tenola Gamble State Prison, California; Pastels, 19" by 25", Suggested donation $160 (#S232)

CALLA LILIES by Rene Vu, Gatesville State Prison,Texas; Color pencils, 9" by 12", Suggested donation $50 (#S214)

BLUE TIME by Rene Vu, Gatesville State Prison, Texas;Pencil and watercolor, 9" by 12 ", Suggested donation $250 (#S216)

ABSTRACT (detail) by Michael Jewell, Powledge State Prison, Texas; Acrylic on watercolor paper, 4 1/2" by 6 1/2", Suggested donation $50 (#S222)

METAMORPHOSE by Ahmad Kemet Ali, Straits State Prison, Kinross, Michigan; Pencil, colored pencil and ink, 18â&#x20AC;? by 24", Suggested donation $300 (#S204)

ABSTRACT (detail) by Michael Jewell, Powledge State Prison, Texas; Acrylic on watercolor paper, 4 1/2" by 6 1/2", Suggested donation $50 (#S224)

DYING TO LIVE by Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, Georgia; Cardboard, paper napkins, paper clippings, and wax, 10" by 11", Suggested donation $160 (#S238)

THE MAN by Ahmad Kemet Ali, Straits State Prison, Kinross, Michigan; Pencil, colored pencil and ink, 19" by 25", Suggested donation $300 (#S206)

OVER CROWDING by John Hahn, State Prison, North Carolina; Acrylic on stretched canvas, 18" by 24", Suggested donation $75 (#S239)

RENDITION OF RENAULT'S PROSTETUTE BEFORE A MIRROR by Tenola Gamble, State Prison, California; Pastels, 19" by 25", Suggested donation $160 (#S233)

TONY SOPRANO by Larry Walker, Trenton State Prison, New Jersey; Acrylic on canvas, 17" by 23", Suggested donation $250 (#S209)

FRAGMENTED by Miles Santiago-Serrano, State Prison, Yacolt, Washington; Pencils, 7 1/2" by 9 1/2", Suggested donation $80 (#S236)

CLOWN BOBO by David Schofield, Pack State Prison,Texas; Colored pencils, 8" by 11", Suggested donation $70 (#S237)

ABSTRACT (detail) by Michael Jewell, Powledge State Prison, Texas; Acrylic on watercolor paper, 4 1/2" by 6 1/2", Suggested donation $50 (#S225)

RIVER SCENE by George Bozeman, State Prison, Kentucky;Oil on stretched canvas, 11" by 14", Suggested donation $125 (#S240)

RENDITION OF CORTER'S UNTITLED by Tenola Gamble, State Prison, California; Pastels, 19" by 25", Suggested donation $260 (#S234)

RENDITION OF TANNER'S THE THANKFUL POOR by Tenola Gamble, State Prison, California; Pastels, 19" by 25", Suggested donation $250 (#S230)

Thank you for making the ex-prisoner show at the Kennedy Center a big success!

Prisons Foundation In association with American Civil Liberties Union of the National Capital Area Drug Policy Alliance Families Against Mandatory Minimums Grace Episcopal Church Prison Art Gallery Proudly presented* ABSTRACT (detail) by Michael Jewell, Powledge State Prison, Texas; Acrylic on watercolor paper, 4 1/2" by 6 1/2", Suggested donation $50 (#S223)

THE PAIN OF JESUS by Lynda Baker, Scott State Prison, Michigan, color pencils, 8 1/2" by 11 1/2", Suggested donation $80 (#S227)

PRETENDER by Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, Georgia; Cardboard, colored pencils, wax, white out, toothpaste, blue ink and creamer, 15" by 18", Suggested donation $250 (#S217)

from

PRISON to the STAGE Presented as part of the Kennedy Center Page-to-Stage Festival John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Washington, DC Saturday evening, Sept. 1, 2007

*Support also provided by

KNOTTED CONFUSION by Rene Vu, Gatesville State Prison, Texas; Pencil, 15" by 15", Suggested donation $100 (#S213)

RENDITION OF FOCUS (IN GREEN)

by Tenola Gamble State Prison, California; Pastels, 19" by 25", Suggested donation $160 (#S231)

Become a Friend of the Prison Art Gallery Yes, I want to become a friend of the Prison Art Gallery and support its program of prisoner rehabilitation and victim assistance. My tax deductible donation in the amount of _________ is enclosed (or you may charge my credit card in this amount.)

Card type_________ #_________________________________ Exp_______________________

Robert Novotny Lloyd Rubin Horton Dance!, Inc. Inner Ear Studios Criminal Justice Policy Foundation Art Appreciation Foundation Govrn.net The Sentencing Project Welcome Home Program The Justice Policy Institute First Trinity Lutheran Church Universal Madness ACLU National Prison Project

I understand that as a friend of the Prison Art Gallery I will be invited to free special events and receive other benefits.

Name___________________________________________ Address_________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Email____________________________________________

Prison Art Gallery 1600 K Street NW, Suite 501 Washington, DC 20006 202-393-1511

Design: Katie Smith President: Helen Thorne Development: James Tracy Art Preparation: Emelinda Crabbe Outreach: Anita Winston Tel. 202-393-1511

Webmaster: J.B. Pruitt Jr. Special Events: Bryan Parker Art Consultant: Lloyd S. Rubin Music Ambassador: Dennis Sobin Logo: TAKK takkdesign@gmail.com

www.PrisonsFoundation.org

Street Sense . August 31 - September 14, 2007

PHOTOS & POETRY 9

Educate Yourself Standing on the corner with My head held high Today I feel proud as pedestrians Pass me by. They look at me differently now, because I’m not asking for a nickel or dime.

I’m selling a paper, but at least I’m trying to earn a living.

Treat us like you would want to be treated. We’re homeless but we’re just as human as you are.

Respect is beginning to come my way. I’m doing something else besides panhandling and loafing all day.

Every day I sell more papers because I’m not begging. I’m selling a paper that’s interesting and full of good and special information.

Suddenly, I just thought of something else, a statement that’s heard very often. “They need to get a job, just living off of my tax money.” That’s so senseless, because we’re homeless and may not have a job. I guess you think when we purchase items from a store we don’t pay taxes, because we’re homeless.

Like I said, educate yourself, get the facts before you react.

Everyone who thinks all homeless people are unemployed and don’t want to work, education will help you find out that quite a few homeless people are employed, but they just can’t make enough to get a room or apartment, because rents are so high the only way to get a place is if the rent is very low and in D.C. you should know that’s a no–no.

Education is your best information before you listen to a whole lot of hearsay. If you don’t want to buy a paper, you can do something else that will change your opinion.

Become familiar with a person that’s homeless. We won’t bite, we can talk and I’ll bet you’ll be surprised at how much intelligence we have.

We’re not all drug addicts, lazy, want to be homeless or crazy.

Educate yourself, read one paper and I’ll bet your opinion will change.

So, please stop judging and putting us down. Give us a helping hand just like you would want somebody to do for you if you happen to have a stroke of bad luck.

Easy for you to say they’re just lazy.

They’re just trying to survive.

It’s not hard for you to joke, laugh and make fun, but I hope that you don’t have to become homeless before you find out that one day you might have to say, “I never thought I would have to live this way.”

Please educate yourself and family, because you never know when someone you love may become one of us!

— Jo Ann Jackson

Now, those who are waiting for public housing or Section 8 have been waiting as far back as Watergate and then longer.

Let the Curtain Fall To Slow Music The True Meaning of Happiness I’ve been in your shoes when you wonder if the misery will ever end.

When all you do is sing the blues and darkness is your only friend.

I went from having it all to learning how to live again.

I was blind to the warning signs that can send you spiraling out of control.

Although I couldn’t understand it at the time, I do now.

I was learning lessons when things turned bad.

Sometimes you must let the past stay in the past, when you are pushed to the point of no turning back.

If you know the feeling of having to give things up that are bad for your health, Then you are one of us.

Unfortunately, some lead to death.

And that they do if you do too much.

I once had a good job, plenty of friends, and made a decent wage.

But I lost everything when I fell from grace.

It felt like I was robbed.

But the only blame was on me that I fell flat on my face.

You sure find out what you’re made of when you are faced with so much adversity.

You want to break.

But after the storm is over, in your heart you know that You have been made stronger than ever.

And in this world that is so unforgiving, you have the peace of mind, That you can trust your faith.

When all is said and done, and I look back in time through my mind’s eye, I hope I see that what happened to me gives someone barely holding on That little spark it takes to cope.

What you need to know is, after the pain, then through the change, (I know because it happened to me) You can truly be happy.

— W.J.C.

I see a young woman in a garden with sturdy, patient hands that nurture fragile, growing things I see her eyes watching a chrysalis about to burst with life, then, the unfolding, dewy wings of a delicate creature prepared to fly But this was a green summer vision; a season’s change is upon the landscape in the cruel, changeless rhythm of calendars and clocks Bleak days are ahead in the garden; the leaves will turn and fall leaving bare trees to stand, forlorn, as skeletons along the horizon A quietly glorious drama had unfolded in the garden, but now the curtain will descend over strains of soft mourning music; the house lights will shine reality’s steely glare to wake a sleeper from his dreams Tender hands will depart leaving the gardener to his weeds and darkness will fall upon the landscape once the gardener’s gone.

— David Harris

10 FEATURES

Street Sense . August 31 - September 14, 2007

BOOK REVIEW by Robert Trautman

Breaking Out of the Trap Although many of the world’s developing countries benefit tremendously from economic aid, the poorest countries are actually losing ground, “living and dying in fourteenth century conditions.”

Or so argues Paul Collier, economics professor and director of the Center of African Economies at Oxford University, in “The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It” (Oxford University Press, 2007).

The population of the developing world numbers some five billion, Collier writes.

“Most of the five billion, about 80%, live in countries that are indeed developing, often at amazing speed. The real challenge of development is that there is a group of countries at the bottom that is falling behind, and often falling apart.”

Collier offers bold, concrete steps that the G-8, the grouping of the world’s major governments, can take to remedy this inequality. His recommendations include preferential trade policies, new laws against corruption, new international charters, and carefully calibrated military interventions.

Many of these falling or failed nations are caught in “traps,” Collier argues, describing what he perceives as the most common predicaments and ways to get out of them. These include: The Conflict Trap. Wars stop growth, foment unemployment, and create a pool of jobless young people ripe for recruitment into new anti-government militias, Collier writes. Along with prompt and long-term aid, countries in postconflict stages need an external military presence for long periods, maybe even a decade, to prevent the rebels from regrouping.

The countries contributing these military forces must be willing to accept casualties. In return for the security these external forces provide, the host government must be required to drastically downsize its own army.

The Natural Resources Trap. Developing countries with abundant natural resources can face booms and busts. During the booms, governments spend heavily and the country loses money through bribery or theft by corrupt government officials. During the busts, living standards plunge. These booms and busts can spur civil wars.

Collier calls for transparency agreements by foreign companies who extract natural resources – from oil to diamonds – from these countries and those who export them. Such agreements would assure the money from the resources goes to legitimate parties and not to Swiss bank accounts or to rebel groups.

The Trap of Being Landlocked with Bad Neighbors. There’s probably not much that can be done about that, right? Well, Collier

Consolidate Your Student Loans

By Kyle Chin

The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It

By Paul Collier (Oxford University Press, 2007)

says there is.

Trade barriers between the landlocked country and its neighbors can be lowered.

Foreign aid can help create transport corridors. And infrastructure can be modernized to make the landlocked country a center for industries like financial services that don’t need physical export corridors.

The Trap of Bad Governance. Corrupt governments can be ousted in many ways, by a growing middle class, by democracy or by a civil war. But historically, on average, it takes nearly 50 years for a country to emerge from its status as a failed state.

Collier advocates external military intervention, despite a likely lack of support for such actions following the U.S. invasion of Iraq. There is good reason for international invention in failing states as a way to restore order, maintain a post-conflict peace, and prevent coups, Collier says.

Such intervention is necessary, Collier writes, not just to save lives in a failing country, but because “the consequences of civil war spill over to the rich world in the form of epidemics, terrorism and drugs.”

The liberal left needs to move on from selfflagellation and idealized notions of developing countries and realize that poverty is not romantic, Collier writes. And the conservative right needs to move on from the notion of aid as essentially welfare to scroungers and crooks.

Collier calls on the G8 to act: “If we let this continue, our children are going to face an alarmingly divided world and all its consequences.”

“If we let this continue, our children are going to face an alarmingly divided world and all its consequences.”

– Paul Collier

Nearly half of all undergraduates are taking out loans to meet the rising costs of college, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. If you’re like many students, you probably have multiple loans with lots of paperwork and bills to track.

You may even receive offers to consolidate your loans, but it’s hard to know what to do and who to trust. But don’t worry, help is available.

If you meet some basic requirements, you may be eligible for a Federal Consolidation Loan. With a low fixed rate that will not exceed 8.25% and lower monthly payments, Federal Consolidation Loans are a viable option for many borrowers.

With the possibility to extend the life of the new loan up to 30 years, you can lower your monthly payments drastically.

Here’s how.

First, note that you must have at least one Direct Loan or PLUS Loan in order to qualify for a Federal Consolidation Loan.

Second, contact the Direct Loan Origination Center’s Consolidation Department (http://loanconsolidation.ed.gov or toll–free at 1–800–557–7392) or your lender to find out which Federal Consolidation Loan(s) you are eligible for and which one would best fit your financial situation.

A newly consolidated federal loan can be paid back in four different ways, depending on how much you want to pay monthly and how far into the future you want to extend your payments. Even though longer loan lives equate to higher repayments in the end, you can switch between repayment options at any time.

A new federal loan can also be deferred without your principal loan amount increasing or interest accruing depending on your financial circumstances.

With all the contingencies and exceptions, it is best to contact your lender and ask whether you are eligible for a Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) and/or Direct PLUS Consolidation Loan.

Consider some of the following before looking into consolidation: How far along are you in paying back your student loans? If you have a substantial portion of your original loan(s) left then consolidation may decrease your monthly payments and the stress of having to pay several different lenders.

Do you have a plan set up with your curUHQW OHQGHU WKDW JUDQWV \RX VSHFLDO EHQHÀWV or rewards? With some loans, like the Perkins loan, there are benefits that will be lost if you choose to get a Federal Consolidation Loan.

How far into the future do you want to continue paying off your current loans? If you are financially stable enough to stay with your current loans, extending your repayment time to 10 or 20 years with a Federal Consolidation Loan may not be the wisest plan.

Is the extended payment time worth the total cost? Calculate the total repayment you would actually have to pay over an extended period of time—is the extra money spent worth the time? (Online programs can help you calculate this: click “online calculator” at http://loanconsolidation. ed.gov/borrower/bconsol.shtml) Go online and check out the available checklists and guidelines to see what is truly in your best interest. Interest rates vary with time, but with a consolidated loan you get to lock in a loan at no higher than 8.25%.

The U.S. Department of Education will pay off all your current loans and consolidate them into one low–interest loan with low monthly payments. Check out http:// loanconsolidation.ed.gov/ for checklists, applications, and an online calculator to get the latest interest rates.

If you are unsure of your current loan status and who is servicing your loan, visit www.nslds.ed.gov. You will need your FSA (Federal Student Aid) PIN and other financial aid information you submitted in your original FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

The National Student Loan Data System is a quick and easy guide to your federal loan and grant information. Contact the Direct Loan Origination Center’s Consolidation Department at 1–800–557–7392 for all your questions about consolidation.

Paying off your student loans is just one of the first steps towards becoming financially successful after college.

You shouldn’t pay more than you need to — find out if consolidation is right for you.

This regular financial column is presented by Capital Area Asset Builders, www.caab.org, a nonprofit organization that helps people of all incomes to improve their financial management skills, increase their savings, and build wealth.

This summer, CAAB hosts Kyle Chin, a sophomore at the University of California, San Diego, as part of the OCA (formerly the Organization of Chinese Americans) internship program.

Send your questions or ideas for future topics to saving@caab.org.

FEATURES & GAMES 11

Street Sense . August 31 - September 14, 2007

September Crossword

Marvin Hammerman

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Septemberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Answer Key

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S C A T A L V E W A I N P S T E L U M S A S E A I A N T N E N D E A T G E N E A D I R L E E S A D L E

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Augustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Answer Key

P A C T

1 Agreement 2 Ca. University 1DWXUDO Ă&#x20AC;EHU 4 Gas a place 5 Hit the water 6 Capital Area Asset Builders (abbrv.)

7 Spr.. month 8 Earn (2 wds.)

9 Deer 10 Nut 11 Bass horn 12 Little Mermaidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love 13 Sold at a discount

F F L U A M X I G W A R T I E T E

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21 Hamburger topper 23 One of Street Senseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new interns 26 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lost Boysâ&#x20AC;? home country 27 Pen 28 Insightful 29 Wake up 30 Rounded 31 Alcoholic beverage from honey 32 Hold 33 Look-alike gold (2 wds.)

34 Georgia city building shelter 39 Connections 42 Sports channel /LPS OLNH D Ă RZHU 47 Those who are opposed 48 Smooth tightly twisted thread 50 Baths 51 Lifted upwards 52 Persia 53 One out of this many in DC live in poverty 54 Flap 55 Capital of Western Samoa 56 Speak loudly 59 Can

S U D A N

47 Swiss mountains 49 Pen stuff 50 Jefferyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite movie (VFDSH E\ Ă \LQJ 57 Harbors 58 Except 60 Gawk 61 Use 62 Clean 63 Demonic 64 Street _______ 65 Tinted 66 Signet

W A V E

Pant Sham Reduces American Civil Liberties Union (abbr.)

15 Male parent 16 Sporty car brand 17 Chowder ingredient 18 Revel 19 Gasoline company 20 Yellow toll car 22 Hug 24 Car fuel 25 Capital 26 Path 28 Camp bed 29 Admiral (abbr.)

32 Pains 33 Soft drink brand 35 Unhappiness 36 Adios 37 Less than two 38 South American animal 40 Value-added tax %LJ Ă RZHU 43 Cycled 44 Compass point 45 Cagy 46 Not waxed

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A N T I S

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

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Coming up: The killer makes a stupid move and comes to the area where Hammerman, Hoffman and Jamison are.

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H O V E

As nightfall sweeps over the city, Hammerman, Hoffman and Jamison are now prepared to search for Mark Richards. The three men are now at Pioneer Square near the waterfront. At this time, homeless men gather about to shoot the breeze and wait on the food trucks that come by to feed the poor. Hammerman decides to make another call to Darlene Richards Johnson, the sister of Mark Richards. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mrs. Johnson, this is Marvin Hammerman calling again.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh, Mr. Hammerman, I was hoping you would call. Is there any news on my brother?â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nothing yet, but I have the private investigator with me that I was telling you about. He will be working with us on this case. If anyone can locate your brother, this person can. We have worked many cases together. Trust me, he knows what he is doing.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do trust you, Mr. Hammerman. Please keep me informed on what you find out.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I will. Goodnight, Mrs. Johnson.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Goodnight, Mr. Hammerman.â&#x20AC;?

As the night wind picks up, the three men head for park benches to spend the night. The killer of Mark Richards returns to the city, unaware that Marvin Hammerman is searching for him. As Bus No. 101 stops at Third and James streets, the killer gets off the bus and heads toward the waterfront in the direction where Hammerman, Hoffman and Jamison are sleeping.

The killer stops short at Second Avenue and heads towards Jackson Street. As the killer is en route to Jackson Street, he sees a store open with only one clerk inside. As he is about to commit another dastardly deed, he sees a security person making his rounds about the store. The killer moves on toward Jackson Street to figure out another plan.

The wind continues to pick up even more strongly. Hammerman, Hoffman and Jamison are starting to feel the very cold chill of the night. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think we had better get more blankets. The Seattle Union Gospel Mission is just on the next street.â&#x20AC;?

The three men make their way to the mission to get blankets and return to their spots for the night. As the men sleep, they are awakened by loud noises made by other drunken homeless men. The drunk men soon leave the area and head elsewhere, and the three men go back to sleep.

The killer does not sleep. He roams around Jackson Street like a wild animal looking for food. But he is very weary and tired and wants to sleep. The time grows later and later. Soon the killer finds a place to sleep. He wants to eat, but all of the shelters and soup kitchens are now closed.

He tries to think of a local McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that throws away food late at night.

He remembers one on Third Avenue. He waits for midnight. After the store is closed, he will make his move.

The killer knows now that he is being sought by police, but he must lay as low as possible. As he curls up in a doorway to wait for the McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to close, people pass him by as though he is not there.

It is now colder, and the wind is blowing very hard. At the city morgue, medical examiners are still trying to figure who Mark Richards is with little to go on.

They have to list him as a John Doe. They do know he was homeless, so they will place his photograph at soup kitchens and shelters. Hopefully, someone will be able to identify Mark Richards and tell them who he is.

Hammerman, Hoffman and Jamison are still asleep on the park benches on First Avenue in downtown Seattle and the time has passed by very fast. There is still no sign of anyone looking suspicious or acting nervous around them, so the men continue their nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sleep.

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Street Sense . August 31 - September 14, 2007

12 EDITORIALS

A Day in My Life

By Patricia Henry

T

oday marks my first week as a full-time participant in homeless services at Judiciary Square. I recently finished three and a half years as a receptionist and office cleaner at the National Coalition for the Homeless. I helped answer the phone and clean areas shared by NCH and organizations at the church where its offices are located.

Since the emergency and overnight shelter closes at 7 a.m., I’m either staying outside the shelter or going up to McDonald’s to wait for the “9:30 Club” to open.

Today, I found out that the program lets participants in at 8:30 a.m. (you have to sign in and behave), although breakfast doesn’t begin until after the official opening at 9:30 a.m.

So that’s only one and a half hours hanging around on the streets!

This morning there were just–ripe bananas, fresh peaches, and bowls of salad for us before the formal breakfast. You wouldn’t believe how good salad is first thing in the morning after a night out on the street!

When I first became homeless in Boston years ago, the main or only dish on the opening buffet of the women’s day center was lots of salad, no dressing, which may have been donated by a hotel or restaurant at closing the night before.

WHAT OUR READERS ARE SAYING...

All Voices Sing One Song Each day I quickly beat the rush hour traffic trying to get to work in the morning and school at night. As I rush out of the Farragut North Metro station, I cannot help but notice a homeless man or woman out the corner of my eye. I see them holding dirty white Starbucks coffee cups partly filled with coins.

Some days, I’ll drop a penny or two in a cup and others I’ll simply ignore their request for money. Their faces become invisible to me.

One Monday morning, I started as usual — jumping off the Red Line train, jogging up the escalator and speed–walking down L Street. I was immediately stopped at the corner by a flashing red street signal.

Anxiously waiting for the light to change, I heard a man exclaiming behind me, “Street Sense!”

I had never heard of Street Sense, I thought. I slightly turned to see who this man was.

I saw a homeless man with a blue apron stuffed with newspapers in its pocket and an identification badge lingering around his neck.

Tirelessly, he wiped the sweat from his face. Taking deep breaths of air, he exclaimed, “Street Sense newspaper for a dollar!”

As I stared into his eyes, my heart shattered in a thousand pieces. Here is a man trying to get back what I have taken granted for years, I thought. This man has decided to lift his head up once more and give life a second chance.

For the first time, I purchased Street Sense for a dollar. Finally, the light changed allowing pedestrians to walk across the street. I took one last stare at this brave, homeless gentleman.

I opened my Street Sense newspaper and began to read. I was amazed at how interesting this newspaper was. I became informed about how homeless individuals were being abused and mistreated by street gangsters; city government distribution of monies for emergency shelters and protection for homeless individuals; real talk about being homeless; and successful stories of individuals who defeated their homelessness.

I sat at my desk and fumbled back and forth throughout the newspaper, re–reading some of my favorite poems by homeless individuals. I concluded reading the last line of what became one of my favorite poems. I smiled and silently said, “How sweet.”

That instant, I realized that homeless, middle class and wealthy individuals all have a tune in a song. If we carefully listen to each, we will notice it is just one song: a song that sings of our need to be accepted in this life.

Charmaine Jones

A Reminder of Priorities I bought a Street Sense last Thursday and it was such a good issue. I’d had a not– so–great day at work and reading the paper put me back on track thinking about the meaning of life and my priorities.

I especially like the article about the hobos and the article about the fellow who saw the contrast between staying in the shelter and attending the convention.

Jenny Lesselbaum

Gracious and Informative Vendors One of the pleasures of buying Street Sense is the interaction with the vendors. They are always gracious and informative.

I bought my latest issue from Mark Jones. At first, I told him “later,” as I knew I had no small bills with me. His reaction was so positive that I stopped 20 feet away and checked for coins. Sure enough, I had $1 and so I went back.

Mark told me he hopes to write for Street Sense soon. I said goodbye to him feeling about 200% more cheerful (and I was already feeling good) than before I met him.

Barbara Ucko

When the “9:30 Club” closes at 11:30 a.m., it’s back to the street until 3:30 p.m. when the Dinner Program for Homeless Women opens. I guess the men get their second meal of the day, and possibly bag lunches for dinner, at So Others May Eat, which is a walk from Judiciary Square.

Dinner is the only meal served in emergency shelters even on storm or hypothermia days and often on holidays. Hopefully, the dinner program and “9:30 Club,” new to the neighborhood, will be welcome here in Judiciary Square while a new home for them is being developed.

And hopefully, a drop–in center for the middle of the day will be developed where participants can take shelter from the cold, heat, rain, snow and stigma of the streets.

Patricia Henry is originally from New York and has been a Street Sense vendor since the second issue.

Am I Homeless or Have I Just Misplaced My Keys?

By Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson

S

ometimes I re f l e c t on the “good ol’ days” when I slept in the storage unit I still pay rent for in Texas, or the drug–infested motel where I bartered my labor in exchange for a room, or even the public shelters where I spent two years and three months of my life.

Most of that time, I had something that, next to my faith in God, sustained my very existence — my beloved Rowdy Dawg, a cross between a chocolate Labrador and a black Chow, who went to live with God on Nov. 23, 2005. Never would I have imagined that I would long for that horrible lifestyle as a comfort zone, if only due to the unconditional love the dog gave to me and to everyone who crossed his path.

Two days ago, while waiting on a bus at the Pentagon Metro Station, I overheard a woman speaking very loudly to no one but herself.

She was not headed in my direction. Thank God, I thought to myself, and then Murphy’s Law took over. Suddenly she was standing in front of me. First, she politely asked for a cigarette and then, in the same breath, asked if I was still homeless. I could not recall her face from the 10 months I spent at John Young Shelter, or the 18 months I spent at D.C. General Shelter, or the nine months I spent at Calvary Shelter. I sat with a large–brimmed hat that covered my entire head and I was toting a “wheelie,” items I never possessed while Rowdy and I were homeless. How did she know me?

I spoke of Street Sense, indicating I was still with the paper and handing her the latest edition, and of the Dinner Program for Homeless Women where I was a regular and then a volunteer until several months ago. Neither of these offered the answer I was searching for.

Then she asked me, “Where is your buddy?”

I thought she was referring to the man I told her I had moved in with. No, it was my four– legged and furry friend. She was unaware that he had become terminally ill and had to be euthanized.

She said, “Isn’t having the man better than

the dog?” I could not bring myself to say yes, even though I love this man with all my heart and plan on marrying him someday. I started to cry. She told me I looked pretty and very healthy and left. I could tell she felt uncomfortable as she meandered away and the tears continued to flow down my face. My head was hairless and I had put on 15 pounds.

Today as I was coming to the Street Sense office where I volunteer on Thursday afternoons, another homeless woman I recognized from the shelters flagged me over to inquire about my “buddy.”

This time, I knew it meant Rowdy Dawg as not many of my sorority sisters of the shelter system know I am now residing with the two– legged and no–fur variety. Once again, sadness was expressed, but this time it was she who was crying for the loss of my beloved dog.

Rowdy was not welcomed at first as a necessary part of my life by society’s standards when I was a homeless human being. He was criticized, condemned and critically hurt by individuals that had lost touch with God’s greatest commandment to us — “Love one another as you love yourself and so I have loved you.”

Through time and perseverance, Rowdy helped others overcome the learned prejudices they inflicted upon his unconditional love.

I am aware the situation before me is similar to the animosity experienced by Rowdy Dawg. The difference is that the abusiveness comes from the one who is the object of my affections and who claims love for me.

I defend him as adamantly as I did Rowdy. I know Rowdy didn’t always like what I was doing, but he loved me unconditionally. He was always faithful and he would never leave me.

I believe he was God’s tangible form of love.

After all, dog spelled backwards is God. I had prayed for this man and God delivered him to me. I must hold fast to the unconditional love that I have through God’s grace and mercy and continue to exemplify this as best I can in my struggles to be free from harm, heartache and the living hell one human being can induce upon another in the name of love.

Surely, God will help me find my keys.

Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson has been a Street Sense vendor since March 2005. She loves dogs and loves to organize anything.

Street Sense . August 31 - September 14, 2007

EDITORIALS 13

How to Profit From Helping People

By Jeffery McNeil

I

’m going to tell you about a woman from Atlantic City, N.J. Her name is Jean Webster.

Now if you have never been to Atlantic City, it’s a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah. They love you when you win, but if you lose, out on the street you go. There’s one shelter, and it is awful. The food is terrible, old and rotten. They treat homeless people like animals.

Now my story begins in 1984 when Jean, who was a chef working at one of the casinos, saw a homeless guy eating out of trash cans. She decided to take him home and cook him a meal. She didn’t complain.

In fact, Jean made up her mind that no one should be eating out of trash cans. She started getting off of work, picking homeless people up and making them breakfast. Next she built a cafeteria and started feeding the hungry.

Soon all the restaurants were donating food, plates, silverware and money. She built one of the largest churches in Atlantic City.

I have to add Jean had several heart attacks but even then she made sure people were fed. She did not give out any bologna sandwiches, either. She served full-course meals: biscuits for starters; a plate of chicken, collard greens, mashed potatoes, fried fish and seafood; and, salads, fruits, dessert and juice. She would give you seconds and thirds. She made sure you were full when you left. No one starved in Atlantic City, I promise you that.

Jean did not set out to make a buck or fatten her purse. Is

she a saint? Not at all. She can be vicious and a downright pain in the ass. However, she saw injustice and did what she felt was right. She is a Rosa Parks in her own right but see how God works through people.

Guess who became impressed with Sister Jean, as she is affectionately known? Donald Trump. He became a supporter of Sister Jean and gave her all the leftover food from the casinos. Even though there is a business motive here, it is irrelevant.

You would think all this success – she has been inducted into the Atlantic County Women’s Hall of Fame – would change Sister Jean. Not at all. I have never seen her turn down one person for food.

Furthermore, you might think that she is not out there feeding because she is 75 years old now. Not at all. She just continues to give. Sister Jean’s a modern-day Mother Teresa.

America should follow Sister Jean’s example by showing that if you have a passion for something, the profits will come.

It is people that create profits, not computerized models or college professors and politicians and businesspersons.

Profits come by getting a feel for the community, looking at the environment and serving the people’s needs. Maybe one day Sister Jean will write a book about doing what’s right instead of pleasing Wall Street investors or catering to some lobby or a vote. I doubt there will ever be people who do not need to be fed.

I hope God keeps Sister Jean healthy for a while so poor people can be fed.

Jeffery McNeil moved to Washington, D.C., from Atlantic City and regularly puts on a suit jacket to sell Street Sense.You can read his profile on the back page.

Risking My Freedom For Others

By August Mallory

A

s a strong advocate on the issue of homelessness in America, I have risked my own freedom to stand up for the rights of homeless people. On the night of July 30, I investigated the complaints that many homeless people have brought to the attention of the street newspaper I work for.

It was late Monday night, and I was in Occidental Park in downtown Seattle. I observed drunken patrons coming out of a corner bar. I did not see very many willing to leave the area but I ignored this and proceeded to go to sleep to see if I would be harassed by the police. The time grew later and it was now around 2 a.m.

While I was sleeping, I heard a loud bang on the park bench.

I jumped up immediately to see what was going on.

It was one of the drunken patrons from the corner bar. I was ready to ram my foot down this guy’s mouth. His girlfriend stepped between us and urged him to move on, so the guy did. I tried to go back to my deep sleep but I noticed there were vehicles still parked about me, about three to be exact. One vehicle was parked about 14 feet from where I was sleeping. I waited to be roused by the police. There was some silence. The time was now 4:45 a.m. It was show time. I was suddenly awakened by one of Seattle’s finest. There was a very bright light glaring in my face, nearly blinding me.

I was ordered to produce ID, so I did. So did several other men who appeared homeless. But I noticed that there was a vehicle still parked about 14 feet from where I was but the police officer did not approach it. In my mind, I wondered why. I always thought the law applied to everyone.

We were issued exclusion notices and ordered to leave the park. I looked at my exclusion notice and the officer wrote that I refused to sign the notice, when in fact the officer never asked me to sign it.

I was given a seven–day ban from the park as a warning. I notified the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation and gave them my side of the story. I was immediately cleared of any wrongdoing because the officer failed to do his job properly. The officer did not approach a vehicle that was parked in the same area as I was. If I am given an exclusion notice, then everyone, including motorists, should get a notice. But that did not happen in this case. The officer saw people who appeared to be homeless hanging out in a park late at night and gave us all notices but not a vehicle that was parked nearby.

As I completed my investigation, I saw the homeless were telling the truth. They are targets of discrimination. I did in fact risk my own freedom to stand up for the rights of people who are poor and homeless and I will do it again until everybody in America is treated fairly. I will go to jail if need be, if it means that poor people get equal rights in America.

I remember what Martin Luther King Jr. did. His campaign had a big impact on America. Dr. King went to jail many times because the laws in America discriminated against poor people, women and people of color. If it means going to jail to get equal rights for the poor, then so be it. America, we need to stop showing discrimination towards those less fortunate.

They are people, they have rights, they are human beings and they are not as stupid as many may believe.

The Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation can be reached at (206) 684–7113.

August Mallory was the first vendor for Street Sense and was with the paper for three years. He now lives in Seattle, and returned to Washington, D.C., for a visit in late August.

Women’s Shelter Opened Doors

By Patricia Jefferson

I

became homeless when the relative I was living with left town while I was unemployed. I was devastated.

I was homeless about two years, living in my vehicle and, at times, staying with friends. One day, while staying in my vehicle, I was told about a women’s shelter and went to inquire about it. I realized there was hope for me and that I could live in a homeless shelter.

I went to Open Door Women’s Shelter in September 2001 and have been residing there since that time.

At the time, the shelter was located in a trailer which was unexpected to me, but I managed to survive the unusual circumstance. After a month of staying in the trailer, I learned that the shelter would be moving to another location in two months.

In the meantime, when I left the shelter in the mornings, I began eating breakfast at a church nearby until I was told about a day center for women. I was informed about Rachel’s Women Center, which is a center for women located on 11th Street, N.W. The center provides breakfast and lunch meals for homeless and indigent women.

Rachel’s is a place that not only provides meals, but lifts your spirits. The staff seem to care about every woman who enters the center. The center has laundry services, shower facilities, social activities, life skills meetings and case management services.

These services not only boost a woman’s morale, but provide her with the necessary tools to move forward with her life.

In November 2001, Open Door Women’s Shelter moved to its present location, 425 2nd Street, N.W. Although I didn’t like the idea of living in a shelter, I soon adjusted. I realized the shelter provided hope for me due to arthritis in my leg, which needed rehabilitation.

I continued to eat breakfast and lunch at Rachel’s.

The meals at Rachel’s are nourishing and have helped me tremendously. Due to a regular regime of eating there for a long time, I have been able to gain strength and mobility in a weak leg.

After eating at Rachel’s, I continued to eat my meals at places for the homeless, such as So Others May Eat and the Dinner Program for Homeless Women.

Presently, there is a difference in my life since I came to Open Door Women’s Shelter.

Patricia Jefferson loves to write and has been a Street Sense vendor for a year.

Your thoughts and editorials are welcome.

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

Street Sense . August 31 - September 14, 2007

14 STREET SENSE NEWS

VendorNotes

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

New Vendors

Craig McKoy

Forrest Rainwater

During August, five people joined our ranks as Street Sense vendors. They are Jeffery McNeil, Forrest Rainwater, Craig McKoy, Tina Wright and Arthur Mathis. They have all completed our training program successfully. Our training video only suggests ways to promote Street Sense and they’ve asked questions about which sales methods work best.

Many of our veteran vendors have taken it upon themselves to give pointers to new people to help them build confidence and develop their own techniques. I wish to thank these veteran vendors for the assistance they have given their fellow members.

Creative Use of Posters Vendor Jeffery McNeil came up with a new approach to sell the paper. He created posters with various statements that promote the paper and his skills. He said it works quite well for him. This may be an idea that some of our vendors employ as a tool to help with paper sales. If our vendors do decide to use posters, we ask them to be careful that their message does not detract from the Street Sense mission. I have seen some of Jeffery’s posters and, quite frankly, they are quite whimsical. Way to go, Jeffery. Read Jeffery’s profile on the back page.

Beware Impersonators There has been a proliferation of people misrepresenting themselves as Street Sense vendors. A number of these persons were vendors at some point and for various reasons have become separated from our program. These persons have failed to return certain items that are the property of Street Sense and have used these items to impersonate legitimate vendors. They harm the potential income of our legitimate vendors and indulge in behavior that hurts the image of homeless and disadvantaged persons. We ask that customers purchase their papers only from legitimate vendors wearing a yellow Street Sense vest and an identification badge.

If you are in doubt, don’t buy anything, and if at all possible, please inform us of impersonators. You can e–mail me at jesse@streetsense.org or call me at 202–347–2006. Thank you. – Jesse Smith Jr. Welcome to Our New Interns We are delighted to welcome three new interns for the fall! Melanie Lidman, a senior at the University of Maryland, College Park, is fluent in Spanish and Hebrew and writes for the Hyattsville Life & Times and for her school paper, The Diamondback.

Desiree Perez joins us from Riverside Community College in California through the internship program at Georgetown University’s Institute on Political Journalism. She’s the co– founder of an independent music and art magazine in Corona, Calif., and the opinions editor of her school paper.

Matt Johnson, a senior at the University of Maryland, College Park, writes for the Greenbelt News Review and The Black Explosion and spent last summer coordinating a team of 20 editors for the Washington Spark. Matt also participated in a journalism program last summer in Hong Kong.

Our talented, intrepid interns will put in between 15 and 30 hours a week at Street Sense, covering news around town, writing, editing and proofreading stories, helping design the newspaper and updating our Web site and blog at www.streetsense.org.

Please wish them a warm welcome and a fulfilling experience on our team! – Koki Smith

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What’s in a Name?

I

t’s interesting to observe how attached some Street Sense vendors are to their names.

God forbid you drop the “Jr.” from “Conrad Cheek Jr.” If you do, you will inevitably get a lecture about how Conrad Cheek is Conrad’s father, a former Tuskegee airman, not a Street Sense vendor. If you drop the “El” from “Alvin Dixon El,” you’ll get a diatribe about Alvin’s African heritage.

Then there is Brenda Karyl Lee–Wilson, who if you simply call “Brenda Wilson,” will tell you she uses all four names to remind her of her dramatic personal history. And don’t ever call Patricia Jefferson “Pat” or “Patty,” or you will get a stern, “My name is Patricia.” Patricia won’t sign anything if one letter of her full name is not clearly spelled out.

When I asked some vendors about the reasons behind this meticulousness, I got a response that makes perfect sense: when you are homeless and own nearly nothing, your name is the only thing that is truly your own. So you hold on to that with whatever selfishness you have left.

When you lose your home, whatever name you might have had in the past — your middle name, maiden name or family name — takes on the utmost importance.

The ironic thing, though, is that while most vendors insist on my getting their names right, almost all of them have nicknames for me and use them regularly. There is the very authoritative “Boss” or “Chief,” or, as Vendor Manager Jesse Smith likes to call me, “The Ayatollah.” Then there is the more affectionate “Lo–Lo” or “princess.”

Unlike the vendors, I am not really attached to my name and quite enjoy all the nicknames. (Heck, it took me nearly a year to change my maiden name to my married name.)

Your name is your only possession when you’re homeless but perhaps one of the few forms of power you can exert while homeless is changing someone else’s name.

So when you see a vendor on the street, make sure to call them by their full name. Ask them their name’s heritage, or why they prefer “Patricia” over “Patty,” or about any other pet peeves associated with their name.

It’s like asking someone about their car or home, only more personal.

– Laura Thompson Osuri

Want to research past stories?

Find more service providers?

Learn the history of Street Sense?

Then visit :

www.streetsense.org While on the site, check out our new blog!

FEATURES 15 SERVICE PROVIDERS & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Street Sense . August 31 - September 14, 2007

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

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

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

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

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

Shelter Hotline: 1-800-535-7252

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

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

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

Wash. Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U Street, NW (202) 328-5500 www.legalclinic.org legal services

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Street Sense . August 31 - September 14, 2007

PHOTO FINISH

Bathing Spaces

By Kaukab Jhumra Smith

Jeffrey Allen, Perry Oakley and Durrell Turner, aides at So Others Might Eat, show off the newly-renovated shower facilities at O Street, NW. More than 50 homeless men and women use the showers every day, a number that is growing as word of the renovation spreads. Changing out the old rubber mats and grungy surfaces has changed client attitudes, too. “They don’t be so grouchy no more!” Oakley said.

StreetFact Nearly one out of five Washington residents lives below the poverty level, one of the highest rates in the country, according to census figures.

SOURCE: DC FISCAL POLICY INSTITUTE AND SO OTHERS MIGHT EAT

August 31 - September 14, 2007 • Volume 4 • Issue 18

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

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

VENDOR PROFILE

Jeffery McNeil

By Jesse Smith Jr. Jeffery McNeil was born May 7, 1967, in Zanesville, Ohio. He was raised in Toms River, N.J., where he graduated from the Toms River High School East.

After high school, McNeil enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served for four years.

He returned to New Jersey after an honorable discharge and lived for a short time in Philadelphia. He performed many odd jobs in order to earn an income.

McNeil’s specialty as a chef was acquired through training while he was in the military. He also worked as a salesman for Toyota dealerships in the New Jersey area, where he lived and worked for nearly 20 years.

During this time, McNeil was engaged to someone he hoped someday to marry. Unfortunately, the relationship began to sour until, finally, the engagement ended. McNeil said this situation sent him into a state of depression which propelled him to seek other activities to fill the void.

He moved to Atlantic City where he began to drink and gamble at an uncontrolled rate and miss days at work. Living so close to Atlantic City gambling casinos only added to his decline into a world devoid of rationality and substance.

McNeil said he had a hard time finding a job in the area to support his gambling activities.

So he left the city to come to Washington, D.C., because he had heard the job prospects were better. He proposed to work for a while to get enough money to return to Atlantic City and resume his gambling practice.

When he got to D.C., McNeil found out it was just as hard to get employment here as it was in New Jersey. But he came to adore D.C. because he has an innate love of history and art and D.C has many museums, art galleries and historical monuments. These occupied a lot of his time and helped relieve some of the depression that had consumed him for so long.

One day, McNeil was lounging in the park at Franklin Square when he heard about Street Sense as a way to make some money. He became a vendor in early August and so far has not looked back.With the money he has earned so far, McNeil has been able to open a bank account and purchase much–needed items. He is planning to get off the streets and to invest money into other businesses when he receives more substantial and permanent employment.

McNeil says he has little thought of gambling any more and with the money he used to buy a drink, he now chooses to buy food and go to a movie. He is an avid fisherman and is interested in politics.

How did you become homeless?

I lost a small business and my house due to gambling and other frivolous activities.

Why do you sell Street Sense?

I see a lot of people who would like to work but who don’t have the proper credentials to get a job. Many other employers don’t offer the same opportunities you get by being an independent contractor. This is a paper where with a little bit of ingenuity and hard work you can accomplish something.

What is your favorite book?

“Made in America,” the autobiography of Sam Walton, and “Doyle Brunson’s Super System: A Course in Power Poker” by Doyle Brunson.

What is your favorite music?

Classic jazz and classic R&B. John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield.

What is your favorite movie?

“The Deer Hunter,” with Robert De Niro and “The Shining,” starring Jack Nicholson.

What is your favorite food?

I love seafood, fried fish, lobster and, occasionally, a juicy steak.

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