09.10.2025

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VENDOR PROGRAM

THE TEAM

VENDORS

Abel Putu, Abraham Aly, Archie Thomas, Aida Peery, Akindele Akerejah, Amia Walker, Andre Baltimore, Andre Brinson, Andrew Anderson, Angie Whitehurst, Anthony Carney, Apollos Robinson, Bailey Green, Beverly Sutton, Brian Holsten, Brianna Butler, Cameé Lee, Carlos Carolina, Charles Armstrong, Chon Gotti, Conrad Cheek, Craig Thompson,

Cynthia Herrion, Daniel Ball, Darlesha Joyner, David Snyder, Debora Brantley, Degnon Dovonou, Dominique Anthony, Don Gardner, Donald Davis, Donte Turner, Drake Brensul, Elizabeth Bowes, Elynora Houston, Eric Glover, Eric Thompson-Bey, Evelyn Nnam, Faith Winkler, Flegette Rippy, Frederic John, Frederick Walker, Gerald Anderson, Gloria Prinz, Gracias Garcias, Greta

Christian, Henrieese Roberts, Henry Johnson, Invisible Prophet, Isaiah Brookings, Ivory Wilson, Jacqueline Gale, Jacqueline Turner, James Davis, James Hughes, James Lyles III, Jay B. Williams, Jeanette Richardson, Jeff Taylor, Jeffery McNeil, Jeffrey Carter, Jemel Fleming, Jenkins Dalton, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jewel Lewis, John Littlejohn, Josie Brown, Julienne Kengnie, Kenneth Middleton,

e provide people experiencing homelessness and poverty in D.C. with a low barrier economic opportunity to earn an income. Each one of our vendors functions as an independent contractor for Street Sense Media, managing their own business to earn an income and increase stability in their lives.

Kendarius Tucker, Kym Parker, L.Q. Peterson, Laticia Brock, Lawrence Autry, Leo Hughes Jr, Levester Green, Marc Grier, Marcus McCall, Maurice Carter, Melody Byrd, Melveon Harp, Micheal Pennycook, Michele Modica, Morgan Jones, Nikila Smith, Patricia Donaldson, Patty Smith, Paul Martin, Peggy Jackson Whitley, Phillip Black, Qaadir El-Amin, Queenie Featherstone, Rachelle

The Cover

COVER PHOTOS BY JELINA LIU, NINA CALVES, AND STREET SENSE STAFF, COVER DESIGN BY KEVIN AKAKPO

Ellison, Rashawn Bowser, Reginald Black, Reginald Denny, Ricardo Meriedy, Rita Sauls, Robert Vaughn, Robert Warren, Rochelle Walker, Ron Dudley, Ronnell Wilson, S. Smith, Sasha Williams, Shawn Fenwick, Sheila White, Shuhratjon Ahmadjonov, Starchild BLK, Steve Miller, Sureyakanti Behera, Sybil Taylor, Tasha Savoy, Tim Holt, Tonya Williams, Victoria Green, Vincent Watts, Warren

Stevens, Wayne Hall, Wendell Williams, Wendy Brown, William Hargrove, William Shurford, Willie Futrelle, William Young, Zero

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ashley McMaster, Blake Androff, Clare Krupin, Chris Curry, Cole Ingraham, David Grant, Jonquilyn Hill, Matt Perra, Michael Vaughan Cherubin, Nana-Sentuo Bonsu, Stanley Keeve

This summer, D.C.’s city-run homeless shelters were nearly full on the hottest days

SACHINI ADIKARI Editorial Intern

Space at D.C.’s year-round low-barrier shelters was limited throughout the summer, with many shelters reaching full capacity as early as 7 p.m. on the hottest days. Shelter capacity reports from singles shelters from June and July suggest that on at least nine days, not everyone experiencing homelessness who wanted to sleep in a shelter could.

In response to the federal government’s crackdown on unsheltered homelessness, the city opened an additional 100 shelter beds in mid-August. The most recent census, from Sept. 7, showed over 100 available beds.

D.C. experienced 40 heat alert days from June 18 to Aug. 18, including 15 extreme heat alert days. Individual shelter beds were full or nearly full across the District every single heat alert day, with men’s shelter Adams Place and women’s shelter St. Josephine often having only one or two extra beds available on hot days

During the summer, the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) issues a heat alert when the heat index forecast, or what the outside temperature feels like, reaches 95°F or higher, according to the updated guidelines in the 2025 District of Columbia Heat Plan. The city added an extreme heat alert category this year to keep up with the rising temperatures across the country, government officials said in an Interagency Council on Homelessness meeting on the plan. Extreme heat alerts are issued when the heat index forecast hits 105°F or higher.

Advocates often worry about summer shelter capacity because while some additional resources, like extended hours at day centers, are available during heat alerts, the city does not open more shelter beds. This is unlike in the winter, when the city opens hundreds of seasonal beds so people experiencing homelessness can stay safe from inclement weather.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser activated the first heat alert of summer 2025 on June 18 and issued an extreme heat alert from June 22 to June 26, citing “feels like” temperatures of 105°F or higher.

All the city-run men’s shelters in the District, 801 East, Adams Place, Emery, and New York Avenue reached full capacity on June 18, according to the city’s shelter census. Pat Handy and St. Josephine women’s shelters, both filled 95% of their beds on June 18, while Harriet Tubman women’s shelter had 99% of its capacity filled. Living Life Alternative LGBTQ+ shelter filled all its beds on June 18.

During the heat emergencies from June 22 to June 26, there were between 19 and 33 emergency shelter beds open each night. On June 24 and 25, there were no available beds for men.

Over a month later, every shelter in the District reached full capacity on July 28 after the city issued an extreme heat alert through July 27, as temperatures were expected to “feel like” 105 degrees or higher throughout the day.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

OFFICER

Brian Carome

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS

Darick Brown

DIRECTOR OF VENDOR EMPLOYMENT

Thomas Ratliff

VENDOR PROGRAM ASSOCIATES

Aida Peery, Chon Gotti, Nikila Smith

VENDOR PROGRAM

VOLUNTEERS Ann Herzog, Aiden Eisenschenk, Beverly Brown, Madeleine McCollough, Roberta Haber

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Annemarie Cuccia

DEPUTY EDITOR Donte Kirby

EDITORIAL INTERNS

Alaena Hunt, Jelina Liu, Mackenzie Konjoyan, Nina Calves, Sachini Adikari

Some days over the summer, men’s shelters reached full capacity while women’s shelters had a few available bed spaces. Demand varied based on shelter. Men’s shelters 801 East in Ward 8 and Emery in Ward 5 reached full capacity on at least 39 heat alert days.

Women’s shelters in the District had the most vacancies over the summer, with Pat Handy and Harriet Tubman having only three and four full capacity days, respectively. St. Josephine had the most full bed spaces over the course of the 40 heat alert days, with at least 12 full capacity days.

Living Life Alternative LGBTQ+ shelter was full every single heat alert day Street Sense had data for, except June 18, June 25, and July 26. Street Sense was not able to confirm shelter capacity for six heat alert days, June 23 and Aug. 13 through Aug. 18. Capacity reports only include data from city-run shelters, and do not include the large shelter at the Community for Creative Non-Violence.

President Donald Trump federalized the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under Section 740 of the Home Rule Act and deployed the National Guard to D.C. on Aug. 11, directing law enforcement to remove tents from unhoused encampments as he threatened to remove people experiencing homelessness from the city.

The city opened more than 100 additional shelter beds in response to the crackdown, according to the D.C. Department of Human Services, and is prepared to provide additional beds if needed. A noncongregate shelter in Ward 6 will also open in the next few months.

There were still 764 people sleeping outside by the end of August, according to a city count of unsheltered homelessness. The numbers suggest that rather than moving into housing or shelter, most people are just moving from place to place. At least 80 people have gone into shelter as of Sept. 2.

EVENTS AT SSM

ANNOUNCEMENTS

□ Starting Sept. 22, signup in the admin office for a free vendor-only ticket to the Artshow (Sept. 25, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. at Metrobar). Only 30 tickets will be given away.

□ The final month of the Sell-a-Thon has been postponed until October. Fall will be a blast at Street Sense!

□ Find a list of vendor announcements and other useful information just for you at streetsensemedia. org/vendor-info.

BIRTHDAYS

Invisible Prophet Sept. 12

ARTIST/VENDOR Carlos Carolina Sept. 23

ARTIST/VENDOR

VENDOR CODE OF CONDUCT

Read this democratically elected code of conduct, by vendors, for vendors!

1. I will support Street Sense Media’s mission statement and in so doing will work to support the Street Sense Media community and uphold its values of honesty, respect, support, and opportunity.

2. I will treat all others, including customers, staff, volunteers, and fellow vendors, respectfully at all times. I will refrain from threatening others, pressuring customers into making donations, or engaging in behavior that condones racism, sexism, classism, or other prejudices.

3. I understand that I am not an employee of Street Sense Media but an independent contractor.

4. While distributing the Street Sense newspaper, I will not ask for more than $3 per issue or solicit donations by any other means.

5. I will only purchase the newspaper from Street Sense Media staff and volunteers and will not distribute newspapers to other vendors.

WEB INTERN Zachi Elias

GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERN Kevin Akakpo

ARTISTS-INRESIDENCE Alexandra Silverthorne (Photography), Bonnie Naradzay

(Poetry), David Serota (Illustration), Leslie Jacobson (Theater), Roy Barber (Theater), Willie Schatz (Writing), Molly Pauker (Watercolor), Debbie Menke (Watercolor)

EDITORIAL VOLUNTEERS

Abigail Chang, Alina

Edwards, Atmika Iyer, Ben Litoff, Chelsea Cirruzzo, Dan Goff, David Fucillo, Dhanya Addanki, Franziska Wild, Ingrid Gilles, Kathryn Owens, Loren Kimmel, Madi Koesler, Natalie Kinkead, Nora Scully, Ryan Bacic, Trevor Skeen, Sarah Eccleston, Virlly Chapple

6. I will not distribute copies of “Street Sense” on metro trains and buses or on private property.

7. I will abide by the Street Sense Media Vendor Territory Policy at all times and will resolve any related disputes with other vendors in a professional manner.

8. I will not sell additional goods or products while distributing “Street Sense.”

9. I will not distribute “Street Sense” under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

10. I understand that my badge and vest are property of Street Sense Media and will not deface them. I will present my badge when purchasing “Street Sense” and will always display my badge when distributing “Street Sense.”

Homeless people scatter after recent federal and local encampment closures, but many are still living outside

ANNEMARIE CUCCIA, MADI KOESLER, AND FRANZISKA WILD Editor-in-Chief and Freelance Volunteer Reporters

Three weeks into the federal government’s crackdown on visible homelessness and crime in D.C., an impromptu count of people experiencing homelessness found hundreds of people are still living outside in the District. Combined local and federal efforts closed at least 50 encampments in August, according to the White House, though Street Sense has only confirmed 24 closures since the surge began on Aug. 11. (The White House has not provided a list of closed encampments, or responded to questions about why it could not provide such a list.)

But even as President Donald Trump claimed victory for his efforts, a census of people sleeping outside conducted by the D.C. Department of Human Services (DHS) suggests unsheltered homelessness in the city did not meaningfully decrease due to the encampment closures, which advocates argue do more to move people around than to move them into housing. Without a doubt, the federal crackdown decreased the number of visible encampments in the District. The count found 54 tents across the city, compared to 107 at the end of July. And the human impact has been clear. People living both at encampments closed by law enforcement and the city’s encampment team have scattered, often losing possessions and community in the process. Some “rough sleepers,” people who sleep outside but not in a tent, have made it a point to avoid law enforcement.

But it’s harder to tell if the crackdown has impacted the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness overall. While about 80 new people went into shelter in August, according to the city, at least 764 were still sleeping outside each night, according to the census. This is just 30 people fewer than the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count found were sleeping outside in January, though the city cautions against directly comparing the two numbers due to differing methodologies. These numbers don’t include people who are homeless but sleeping in shelters; the January PIT Count recorded a total of over 5,100 people experiencing homelessness in the District.

Meanwhile, the city has scheduled several encampment closures through September, including at encampments that have not been closed recently. The city has closed 16 encampments in the last three weeks. While this is an uptick in local encampment closures compared to the summer, it’s not unprecedented, as the city averaged three to four encampment closures a week as recently as this spring.

“We have a relatively small encampment problem in D.C.,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said at an Aug. 27 update on the federal crackdown. “However, it is highly visible.”

The new state of homelessness in D.C.

Shelters, across state lines, friends’ couches — where have people gone since Trump threatened the widespread removal of people experiencing homelessness in the District?

Surveys by Street Sense confirmed that while some people impacted by encampment closures are considering shelter, most stayed outside, either in new spots or without tents. A few crossed state lines into Virginia or Maryland. With the help of mutual aid groups, some residents in special circumstances temporarily moved into hotel rooms. But the question of “where are people going?” is still heavy on the shoulders of D.C.’s unhoused population and outreach workers.

“There has been a significant disruption in the lives of people who live unsheltered,” Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Wayne Turnage said ahead of the unsheltered count.

When encampments are closed, people move, and if they don’t have reliable phone service or lose their phone in the closure, they can lose touch with outreach workers. Andy Wassenich, the director of policy at local outreach and housing nonprofit Miriam’s Kitchen, said his team has lost contact with at least 25 people since the takeover began.

Christine Hong, the chief of services to end and prevent homelessness at the Department of Human Services in Montgomery County, Maryland, said the county has been closely monitoring the data it receives from street outreach and emergency shelters since the White House announced the federal surge. So far, the county has not seen a significant influx of new people, Hong said. But anecdotally, outreach workers and county residents are seeing “new faces,” including people who won’t share their names or where they’re from, which could indicate they’ve recently moved from the District.

“Whenever you clear encampments and the residents do not accept the offer of shelter that you make, they will tend to scatter, so that creates difficulty for our outreach team to relocate and continue the offer of homeless services,” Turnage said.

The homeless census was conducted to ensure the city could better provide outreach services to people experiencing homelessness. The census somewhat explaining the homeless census was conducted to ensure the city could better provide outreach services to people experiencing homelessness.

The census somewhat mirrored the annual PIT Count, conducted every January, and attempted to determine where people were sleeping outside the night of Aug. 28, following the mass clearings.

During the census, DHS volunteers and outreach providers walked every block of the city between roughly 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. to count people they assumed to be experiencing homelessness. Counters didn’t individually survey people, meaning there is no confirmation that everyone counted is experiencing homelessness. Instead, volunteers cross-referenced recent data from outreach workers about where people often slept.

Because of the difference in methodology, the city cautioned against comparing this census to PIT Count data, though it is the most recent public data on unsheltered homelessness in the city. The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness’ PIT Count data reported 798 people sleeping outside in 2025, 900 in 2024, and 825 in 2023, just slightly above the 764 people found in August. The PIT itself is largely understood to be an undercount.

The census was the city’s idea, according to Turnage, and as of the night of the count, there’d been no discussion of sharing results with the federal government.

As winter approaches, the city plans to use data from this count to increase shelter beds, officials said. The city opened 100 new low-barrier shelter beds in early August. D.C. is actively working to increase homelessness services capacity by at least 300 more beds, Bowser announced in a press conference the same week of the census. This includes 190 beds at the new noncongregate facility on E Street set to open in September.

“We don’t expect that we’re gonna have homeless encampments, and we are gonna work to make sure people can come into shelter,” Bowser said at the conference on Aug. 27, ahead of the count. More beds might sound like an ideal solution to move people inside, but many unsheltered people in D.C. prefer their encampments to the city’s shelters. Encampment residents feel like they have more privacy and autonomy when living outside or in tents than in shelters. Many shelters in the District have curfews, bag limits, and security checks. They also prohibit pets and are, for the most part, single gender, meaning couples and adult families may have to split up. People living outside emphasize that shelters are not a home. Encampments can provide a sense of community and more freedom than shelters. Having a space that is all their own, even though it’s outside, provides a sense of privacy and ownership that the communal style of shelter living can strip away, even as it offers more protection from the elements.

“You have to cure the problem, not put a band-aid on the problem,” said one person experiencing homelessness, who asked to remain anonymous to protect their safety while living outside.

Coco stands near a cross walk on Columbia Road in Adams Morgan where she’s bounced between encampments in the neighborhood over the past two years. Photo by Madi Koesler

City-driven encampment closures

Encampment closures during the first week of the crackdown were mired in confusion, as law enforcement led many closures, and it seemed the city’s social service agencies and encampment team were not always aware of closures beforehand.

“When we first got started, it was a little difficult to try to figure out how it would work,” Turnage said on the night of the count.

But now, he said, the federal and local teams have worked out a protocol. The federal government can inform D.C. about sites it finds and ask to get a team there to close the site.

According to a White House official, MPD patrol units are also working to locate and close encampments. The White House is reporting a much higher number of encampments closed than the city, suggesting there have been several closures the city wasn’t at or doesn’t have information about.

“President Trump is cleaning up D.C. to make it safe for all residents and visitors while ensuring homeless individuals aren’t out on the streets putting themselves at risk or posing a risk to others. Homeless people will have the opportunity to be taken to a homeless shelter or receive addiction and mental health services,” Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, wrote in response to questions about encampment closures.

Street Sense followed up, asking how the White House is able to ensure people are offered shelter or treatment if the relevant D.C. agencies aren’t aware of a closure. It also requested a list of sites closed by law enforcement at the behest of the White House without DMHHS involvement. White House officials did not provide responses to either question.

Since Aug. 18, the city has closed 16 encampments: three scheduled before the federal surge, four regularly scheduled local closures, six emergency closures, which the city calls immediate dispositions, and three federally mandated closures. None of the residents Street Sense was able to speak to at the closures moved into shelter.

The first federally mandated closure was on Aug. 18, outside the Downtown Day Services Center, where people go for meals and other resources. There was one more each of the next two weeks, on K Street downtown and outside the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, where people who sleep outside like to congregate. The closures were conducted by the city, but ordered by the federal government, according to a spokesperson from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services (DMHHS), which oversees encampment closures. At least one person staying outside the library lost belongings during the closure, including a phone and other valuables, according to the resident, who emailed Street Sense after the closure.

Three immediate dispositions, near Washington Circle, the Arboretum, and a southwest overpass, took place the last week of August. Street Sense did not know about the closures ahead of time and cannot confirm how many people were affected. Another three immediate dispositions near Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Eastern Market, and Federal Center during the first week of September displaced five people.

Three closures originally scheduled for the first week of the takeover were pushed to the end of August. On Aug. 20, DMHHS conducted the most recent of several closures at a spot in Mount Pleasant. On Aug. 21, DMHHS cleared an encampment on Pennsylvania Avenue and 7th Street SE. The encampment resident, who did not want to speak with Street Sense, has been living around Eastern Market for at least six years, according to neighbors.

In a nod to the increased police presence in the city, two MPD officers arrived at the closure and returned shopping carts to the nearby Trader Joe’s. A man riding by on an electric scooter shouted at the officers, “Nothing better to do?”

On Aug. 27, DMHHS closed an encampment in the woods behind a liquor store on New York Avenue. The two residents, who declined to speak with Street Sense, moved their valuables in suitcases down the road.

Clearings scheduled for Aug. 26 at 26th and L Streets NW near the Godey Lime Kiln and at 27th and K Streets NW were cancelled because the residents moved before the closure, according to the DMHHS spokesperson. MPD cleared the encampment near Godey Lime Kiln as part of the spate of clearings on Aug. 15.

In early September, the city scheduled nine encampment closures for the following three weeks, largely at locations that have not been cleared recently, suggesting either people have moved there in the past several weeks or they’ve newly been identified for closure.

On Sept. 2, the city cleared a one-person encampment near the Cleveland Park metro station for the fourth time this year. The resident moved nearby.

Ahead of an encampment closure in Adams Morgan on Sept. 3, the resident, Coco, packed up their cart and moved from outside the Columbia Road Truist to a small park a couple of blocks away. Before DMHHS threw away her unwanted belongings, outreach workers repeatedly offered Coco bridge housing at the Aston.

On Sept. 4, the city closed an encampment in Glover Park near the Guy Mason Recreation Center and the vice president’s home. The resident was not there, and city employees removed her setup, which included a couch, daybed, three sets of matching wicker and wire chairs, and several coolers.

Over the two years Coco lived outside in the Adams Morgan neighborhood, they said they had tried shelters and bridge housing, but felt like they took away her freedom. As a voucher holder, Coco is holding out for a space she can feel is her own without a curfew or roommates.

“I feel like I’m outside unjustly,” Coco said. “People like me [that] have a voucher – get me housed!”

Uncertainty around arrests

So far, Street Sense has not been able to confirm any arrests of people experiencing homelessness using the two statutes the White House has said MPD would enforce to potentially fine or jail people for camping or sleeping outside. These laws include D.C. Code 22-1307, which makes it illegal to block a sidewalk and could, in theory, be used to arrest someone for sleeping outside, as well as D.C. Municipal Regulation 24-100, which bans camping in D.C. Several people have been arrested under D.C. Code 22-1307 in recent weeks, but all in conjunction with protests near the Capitol.

Throughout the takeover, two people have been arrested at encampment clearings on the charge of assaulting an officer, according to a White House official. The city encampment team was not present for either arrest. The White House did not provide Street Sense with any specifics about the arrests, meaning reporters could not independently verify their circumstances.

But a number of people experiencing homelessness have been arrested, mostly on minor charges such as having open containers of alcohol and fare evasion. These arrests can be disruptive and traumatizing to people. They’ve also been upsetting for surrounding community members. A recent widely shared video depicts the arrest of an elderly woman experiencing homelessness.

In the video, as nearly a dozen federal agents and local officers walk the handcuffed woman to a police cruiser, neighbors can be heard screaming expletives in anger at the officers. “Yes, we know her, she sits here for years,” one bystander yells, her voice rising in anger. “The f— ing FBI is here.”

Miguel Trindade Deramo, an ANC commissioner from a nearby neighborhood, took and posted a video on the social media platform X. He described the experience as upsetting.

“It’s so disproportionate, it really made me wonder what was the precipitating event,” Deramo told Street Sense. “It’s one thing for MPD to do it, another thing for federal agents.”

Using the time and location of the arrest, Street Sense confirmed via arrest reports the woman was arrested for having an open container of alcohol while she sat on a nearby stoop.

Though the official police takeover expires on Sept. 10, Bowser signed an executive order requiring indefinite cooperation between the city and federal law enforcement. Outreach workers and people experiencing homelessness are still waiting to see the long-term impacts of the crackdown.

One man, who used to live in Washington Circle until he was displaced during the first set of encampment clearings carried out by law enforcement, said he wanted people to know that homelessness does not make someone a criminal.

“Just cause you’re homeless doesn’t mean you’re a drug addict,” the man, who declined to give his name, said. He has a job, pays child support, and makes too much to qualify for food stamps, he said, but doesn’t make enough to pay rent.

“We got people out here actually trying to do better for themselves,” he said.

Mackenzie Konjoyan and Katherine Wilkison contributed reporting.

Denise Ann Allman drags her suitcase preparing to move from her Foggy Bottom encampment before a scheduled closure this spring. Photo by Gabriel Zakaib

Meet the vendors who keep Street Sense’s operations running

ALAENA HUNT Editorial Intern

Behind the bright red doors of a downtown church is a hive of activity. On any given day, the Street Sense office is bustling with vendors, interns, staff, and volunteers putting together the bi-weekly paper and running distribution. The face of Street Sense is the vendors, approximately 114 people who sell the paper and create poetry and art. But behind the scenes, several Street Sense vendors are also hired to be part of the operations that keep the paper humming along.

Some of these vendors are hired as vendor program associates (VPA). VPAs work part-time, up to 25 hours a week, and advance their professional skills with tasks that include answering phone calls, distributing payments to vendors, and participating in staff meetings. Out of the nine VPAs the organization has employed since the program started in 2019, seven have been Street Sense vendors who have experienced homelessness. Before 2019, volunteers handled most of the responsibilities VPAs now have. A year after the start of the VPA program, the pandemic made in-person volunteering difficult, and VPAs became crucial to keeping the office running, in part because they work as a bridge between vendors and staff. Today, responsibilities are shared between volunteers and VPAs.

One VPA is Aida Peery. Peery has been with the newspaper for 13 years and mainly works paper sales at the front door, distributing papers to vendors who then go out and sell them on the streets.

While Street Sense offers workshops, case management, and a small respite space for its vendors, some choose to only sell papers, meaning Peery and other VPAs who work the front door are the only ones who see them face-to-face. According to Thomas Ratliff, the director

of vendor employment, a number of the highest-selling vendors rarely step foot into the office, meaning staff rely on VPAs to communicate with them.

“Aida, particularly, has been a voice for what the needs of the high-selling vendors are, needs that are maybe unseen by the organization otherwise because they’re not inside its walls,” Ratliff explained. Peery is good at getting the job done. Since Street Sense shares a lobby with a church, she knows she needs to get vendors in and out of her paper sales station quickly to be respectful to others in the building, she said. Although she’s all business at first, if you strike up a conversation with her, she’ll be sharing stories and laughing in no time.

A vendor doesn’t have to have been with Street Sense for as long as Peery to become a VPA. Sometimes, newer vendors get involved.

Stepping into Street Sense for the first time in October of 2022, Nikila Smith knew the newspaper was special. Dressed in a suit with her nails and hair freshly done, she said no one would have been able to tell she was living on the street. Three years later, she has become a vital member of the Street Sense community and works as a VPA.

When she first came to the newspaper and was living outside, she said she needed someone with whom she could have a real conversation. Nikila Smith found that at Street Sense, and it is one of the reasons she loves her job so much. She works the front door sometimes, but spends a lot of her time in the administrative office, answering phones, paying vendors the money they earn through selling and writing for the paper, and making sure everyone gets where they need to go.

Nikila Smith has held many jobs in her life. She was a nurse, worked in maintenance at a school, was employed at a private cleaning company, and was a supervisor at an airport in

Aida Peery, a Street Sense vendor program associate, works the organization’s lobby, distributing papers to Street Sense vendors. Photo by Jelina Liu

Vendor program associates like Nikila Smith work the front desk, answering phones and talking to vendors. Photo by Jelina Liu

Philadelphia. She likes to be moving, she said, and has had many periods in her life where she held two to three jobs at once. It is almost impossible to find her slacking, and she’s proud of this.

“I was always the first person here. I’ve never been late for work,” she said.

Working as a VPA, she has learned SharePoint, QuickBooks, and how to do editorial work. Although she loves working at Street Sense, she is only a part-time employee, so she finds it frustrating when her hours, and thus her pay, are limited. Her dream is to become a case manager and then a full-time employee at the newspaper.

Chon Smith, the third VPA, is also a hustler. Whether working paper sales or the admin desk, he strives to always keep his mood positive.

“Some jobs, you have a lot of negativity going on,” he said. “Here it’s all about just enjoying yourself, being yourself, and just, you know, trying to make Street Sense a better paper.”

This can sometimes be a difficult task. While distributing papers or money, he occasionally encounters vendors who are having a moment of crisis or just a hard time. VPAs have to be skilled in de-escalation, Ratliff said, and be able to work with people who have gone through severe trauma.

Chon Smith is not a stranger to working at a newspaper. When he was younger, he delivered papers to people’s doorsteps for a bigger news organization. He is also an entrepreneur, having made jobs for himself throughout his whole life. Recently, he gained his certification as an independent energy advisor for Think Energy. Since 2022, he has owned and operated a travel planning company that organizes travel experiences.

Chon Smith’s business mindset might be why he has succeeded in selling papers since he joined Street Sense as a vendor in 2013. But for people who are less used to selling papers, the vendor orientation can help them become familiar with Street Sense. Two vendors, Queenie Featherstone and Andre Brinson, work at Street Sense a few hours a week, running the orientations. Their job is to introduce vendors to the code of conduct and give them tips on how to sell the paper. Featherstone, known affectionately as Ms. Queenie, has been a vendor orientation leader for five years. She is still a vendor and writes for the paper, but also spends a lot of her time advocating for people experiencing homelessness. It is rare to find her without spare snacks or a smile on her face.

When talking to new vendors, she often tells them that “you get out of it what you put in it. You work hard, you’ll prosper.”

Due to her previous work as a para-educator in Montgomery County, she takes her job teaching the ins and outs of Street Sense very seriously.

“I’m a proud parent. I have no birth children, thank you, Jesus, but I have the Street Sense vendors as my children, and when they come and participate and write articles and poetry, it makes me so happy to see them again,” she said.

Brinson approaches the orientation with a similar mindset. While experiencing homelessness in 2010, he found Street Sense and started selling papers. He has years of experience in the business and works hard to convey this knowledge to new vendors. One of his main tips is to stay optimistic and maintain good energy.

“I tell them, don’t get discouraged, because everyone’s not gonna buy a paper. It’s just that simple. If I had a camera on my eyeglasses or my shades, you’d be surprised what you see out there,” he said. No matter how customers are acting, he tells new vendors that if they remain upbeat, people will buy the paper.

When he’s not leading the orientations, Brinson continues to sell papers. Most of the vendors Street Sense employs part-time still participate in vendor programs, either selling the paper, writing for it, or both.

As the VPA program continues, Ratliff hopes to continue to hire more vendors, as he is constantly impressed with their work.

Nikila Smith, in particular, can’t see herself anywhere else. She compared Street Sense to a house.

“When you get older, you start thinking I have to find a house that I want. This is going to be the family house, because you are going to die in the house,” she said. “That’s this house. That’s the only way I know how to put it. So this would be the last job at my last stop.”

Editor’s Note: Street Sense Media occasionally reports on itself and its vendors. No executive leadership was involved in the production of this story.

Chon Smith has been with Street Sense since 2013, and works both the lobby and the front desk. Photo by Jelina Liu

Queenie Featherstone leads new vendor orientation in the vendor lounge every week. Street Sense file photo

Andre Brinson brings his cheer as a vendor orientation leader. Street Sense file photo

Longtime vendor opens up for a look inside his days selling Street Sense papers

MACKENZIE KONJOYAN Editorial Intern

ne morning in late summer, Eric Thompson-Bey sipped his daily Grande Pike Place coffee from a Starbucks in downtown D.C., just across from his regular spot. The cracked sidewalk, amidst the hustle and bustle of downtown commuters, is where he has sold Street Sense papers during the week for the past three years. Thompson-Bey starts his days early in the summer, waking up at 4 a.m. and arriving by 7 a.m. to beat the heat.

As an experienced vendor, Thompson-Bey has sold in all seasons, showing up for his customers no matter what. Even on days when he doesn’t want to get up and do what can be physically demanding work, he makes sure to be there for his regulars. It’s his way to repay the kindness they have shown him.

“All the articles I write, they keep them,” Thompson-Bey said. “They put them on their refrigerator and everything.”

Come rain or shine, Thompson-Bey sells the biweekly paper of Street Sense Media, which he has been working with for 17 years, since 2008. Street Sense Media publishes news related to homelessness and poverty in coordination with the vendor program, which provides economic opportunity for those who have currently or formerly experienced homelessness.

Thompson-Bey has nothing but good things to say about Street Sense. He got teary-eyed when he remembered the way the organization supported vendors when they couldn’t sell papers during the pandemic. He said Street Sense Media provided him with community through a social media page for vendors, as well as compensation through online donations.

Now that his selling schedule has gotten back to normal, Thompson-Bey usually sells around

80 papers each weekend and more during the week, meeting his regular customers at the spots he has cultivated around the city.

“This is my way to make money,” Thompson-Bey said. “I don’t have to steal or nothing, I can just work with Street Sense.”

That morning, he had 20 papers to sell which, they could bring in at least $60.

Thompson-Bey has learned a lot during his long career selling papers, including how to “build up a spot” through consistency, as well as how to brush off the people who walk by and intentionally avoid or ignore him. He would rather have those passing by engage, even with a simple “no, thank you,” he said. But over the two hours he was out selling, Thompson-Bey greeted everyone with an exuberant “good morning” and “happy Tuesday.”

“Sometimes I might come here, I might sell two papers. Sometimes I might come here, I might sell 20 papers. It’s always good to be here. Even if you make nothing, just come, to meet the people,” Thompson-Bey said.

This morning, many of Thompson-Bey’s regular customers passed by, and each conversation, no matter how short, made him smile even brighter. One woman,

Street Sense vendor Eric Thompson-Bey has been selling at his spot downtown for several years. Photo by Nina Calves

Eric Thompson-Bey uses his charm to draw in customers. Photo by Nina Calves

walking by swiftly to work, told him the Commanders needed to get their act together.

During a mid-morning lull in customers, Thompson-Bey reminisced on the sports column he used to write for Street Sense. He’d always ask those he was selling to what they were interested in him writing about. One of his favorites to craft was his series “American Heroes,” in which he wrote about former professional athletes who served and died in combat. Thompson-Bey has also written articles sharing his thoughts on the services provided in D.C. and the different opportunities he has found for building community in the city.

Thompson-Bey was always looking for feedback on his stories, whether positive or negative, but said he had written less frequently recently because when he does, he puts his whole self into his work in the hopes of making a difference.

“If I write an article, it has to mean something,” Thompson-Bey said. “People have to get something out of my article.”

As the morning chill thawed, Thompson-Bey went to check if another favorite spot of his was open. Another vendor was already selling there, so he headed home for the day, glad to be out of the heat. This summer has been brutal, especially for those working outside. D.C. experienced the highest levels of humidity in July since 1933. This came after an oppressive heat wave at the end of June and amidst an onslaught of thunderstorms, leading the city to issue several flood watches. Thompson-Bey makes it a point to be out most weekday mornings, but his big sell-out days are on the weekends at the farmer’s markets. On Saturdays, Thompson-Bey sells at Petworth Community market and Mount Pleasant market, but on Sunday mornings, Thompson-Bey can be found at the Dupont Circle farmer’s market. Every week, he is there building his spot on the corner of Hillyer Place and Connecticut Avenue. Each Sunday, he usually sells 40 papers, he said. From coming to the Dupont neighborhood as a child with his father to bringing his own son, ThompsonBey has cultivated a “second home” where he is known, continuously motivated by the people he meets. Thompson-Bey has found opportunity and adventure from the connections he has made while selling at the farmer’s markets across the city. Winn Schulteis, the owner of Quaker Valley Orchards, saw Thompson-Bey’s hardworking spirit every Sunday and hired him to work on his farm in Pennsylvania during the summer of 2016.

Through his “Down on the Farm” series, Thompson-Bey recounted the new experiences he had as a city boy out in rural Pennsylvania. Earlier that year, Thompson-Bey had moved into an apartment after being unhoused for many years.

“I got that job on the farm and my apartment where I live at at the same time,” Thompson-Bey said.

“I was so happy. I have never been so happy.”

Over the 17 years Thompson-Bey’s worked with Street Sense, he’s found moments of deep connection that keep him going. While selling recently at the Petworth market, Thompson-Bey told one of his regular customers his Venmo was down, and he was worried it would make it harder for people to buy the paper. The people rallied, though, finding cash and making a way for Thompson-Bey.

He recounted the moment as he wrapped up at the Dupont Circle market one Sunday.

“That’s why, people. Meeting people, that’s what it is,” Thompson-Bey said, selling his last paper before biking off to take his son to buy school supplies.

Editor’s Note: Street Sense Media occasionally reports on itself and its vendors. No executive leadership was involved in

Through the years, Eric Thompson-Bey has formed lasting relationships with his customers. Photo by Nina Calves

Eric Thompson-Bey finds community through selling papers. Photo by Nina Calves

On any given day, Eric Thompson-Bey can sell between one and 40 papers. Photo by Nina Calves

this story.

Espionage and mental health

INVISIBLE PROPHET

y opinion piece is based on visiting the International Spy Museum, which is steep for a small building with minimal exposure. I was intrigued by the number of exhibits relating to spies, including the agent who is the creator of “The Master of Disguise,” Tony Mendez. The movie “Argo” was also based on his career, and his book is about a rescue he orchestrated. His wife, Jonna Mendez, is named the chief officer of disguise, and has also written books on their careers. The museum has a whole exhibit of his work, even a piece of false genitalia he made to keep secrets. I didn’t ask how. Not sure I need to know.

MI’ve started reading Jonna Mendez’s book, “In True Face: A Woman’s Life in the CIA, Unmasked;” however, I skipped to the part about her having a family and the experience she’s had as an agent. When Jonna announced that she was pregnant at the CIA, many were happy for her; however, they also had this presumption that she wouldn’t be a mother. My question is, how does any agent foresee their mental health not leading to paranoia and strictly enforcing safety procedures on their family? Is there a balance between a healthy mental state and the conditioning of their training? Can CIA agents have a second life with a family? Agents often live in a state of deceit and manipulation to gather intelligence.

Another aspect of researching mental health is the recent podcast I watched about an ex-CIA agent and his wife discussing their marriages, family, work, and espionage. In some way, their occupations left baggage for their children to inherit. Where is the accountability? Can CIA agents successfully separate their conditioning as agents before they have children? Would they force their career choice on their children at an early age? Would their children be molded into this field?

In other research, the Discovery and History channels have many stories on government agents discussing their successful careers, but also conducting safety protocols with their families. How can anyone reproduce with such dangerous jobs? The agent in the podcast said that during “a trip,” his cover was blown. He called his wife about the danger he was facing, using their secret code. As they did the interview, emotions were overwhelming the conditioning he would call training. I feel that in that moment of his cover being blown, his whole world should have crashed down around him, thinking about his family.

The interviewer asked, “Do you date outside the CIA?” They answered that it’s not encouraged to date outside the CIA because they’ll have to lie all the time. Then they stated that with other agents, they know what’s going on and don’t have to lie to each other. I mean, it’s understandable, but having children is selfish. And it’s even more selfish to bring them into a war that’s not theirs. Can they find a healthy balance for their mental health? Are agents safe to say they are empathic or compassionate without being manipulative and using their CIA training?

The jobs at the CIA are status quo, meaning those who rank the highest make the decisions. If you don’t make the grade and have a family, then you’re able to take time off by working a lighter load. The ex-agents weren’t approved for this privilege because they were high-ranking workers. It’s disturbing how someone has to balance their family life with their career. Is this love or an escape? Are agents and others in government able to love without the need to control or hurt someone? Is any agent’s mental state benevolent? Do the agents go to therapy? Do they suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or any other mental illness relating to their careers?

As I watched and listened to these agents discuss their book as husband and wife, I also thought about the effects of their careers and their retirement on their family. How do they sustain a healthy mental state and leave behind all the training they have done? I guess this can apply to multitudes of government jobs. How do you keep your sanity when everyone is seen as an enemy, especially when they don’t have anything? The agent discusses the techniques they use when building information while working for intelligence. A few of these techniques target someone’s personal life or vulnerability. It’s like the playbook for mastering manipulation. Listening to his conversation, I felt he was conditioned to believe this is righteous, and there’s malicious intent, but for his line of work.

Can agents separate fact from fiction relating to the misinterpretation of a target? How do you focus on the importance of your own mental health, let alone a target, when obtaining intelligence? Are their thoughts chaotic, worrying about their families, their spouses? I don’t know the answers to so many questions; however, it’s important to research a multitude of mental health scenarios. Yes, these agents are human, and I understand everyone has a right to build a family and structure. Do they have a conscience lying awake at night? The way of the world is carried by disassociation from humanity.

Realistically, these individuals work and live in an abusive environment. In another interview, the ex-agent stated there are places for agents to go who are repeated adulterers, alcoholics, and addicts called broken toys. The title itself is abusive and dehumanizing. A justification for these agents is they cannot be retired into civilian life because they hold so many secrets. So they are in a building; I suppose on desk duty, whatever that may be. I’m curious to know, do CIA agents’ brain chemistries change when they have a family opposed to their conditioning? May I suggest, instead of espionage, why not sit down and have an honest, homemade meal to gather intel? My immigrant grandmother and grandfather, who taught me how to cook, said food is love. Everyone is hungry, even someone’s enemies. Let me be clear, I do understand the whole be careful, my food may be poisoned. Maybe I’m being naïve.

Before I wrote this article, I also applied to the CIA to research a theory. It was solely based on the experience of how filling out this type of application could be intimidating. Of course, with any government job, there’s a thorough background check. That wasn’t the intimidating part; it was me sitting there for three hours uploading and answering questions to specific interests of job titles. Simplistic questions, however, is there a secret trick in answering the questions? And each job title, I swear, is in code, but that’s speculation on my part. No, I don’t expect to be hired, nor did I write this for attention. I clearly like to stimulate my brain with knowledge in understanding inherited trauma, especially in government jobs. At some point of radical acceptance, have you, as a CIA agent, cried and screamed with actual tears flowing down your face? The ex-agent spoke about how all agents are trained with conditioning against fear. I think that would be an awesome feeling to not feel fear, but are there side effects, such as becoming a psychopath? Can you pull yourself back from that trance or state of mind? A thesis and a hypothesis would be great for anyone to study because this topic is never discussed.

Invisible Prophet is an artist/vendor with Street Sense Media.

Big beautiful “Nazi” bill

AIDA PEERY

Everybody who is a D.C. resident is in agreement that carjacking/ stolen cars, tires slashed, and car windows busted in is a “crime.” Every agency sometimes needs a little help. MPD does its best to curb crime in most D.C. neighborhoods. I don’t mind if our National Guard paves the way in our neighborhoods. I have a problem when other states’ National Guards want to enter D.C., that’s a “public state Nazi” mess.

Here comes Jeanine Pirro to drop all charges against anyone who comes into D.C. with rifles and shoots guns, for President Donald Trump to say a week later he wants to bring back capital punishment. When someone murders someone else, who gets the right to say “selfdefense?” I betcha it isn’t anyone Black or brown who will be able to claim self-defense! I don’t care if they are MAGA fans.

I’ve had some conversations with my older peeps, and they don’t want the National Guard in their neighborhoods at all. I’ve missed a lot of events in the Southeast for the past 10 years. I’m just too scared to go over there. That’s where the National Guard needs to be. When people say to me, “We don’t need the National Guard in our neighborhood,” I ask them what part was done to prevent carjackings, stolen cars, and the constant shootings of Black children dying from guns?

I don’t want other states’ National Guard in D.C. D.C. alone has over 2,400 National Guard. D.C. is a valley of a city. It’s not like NYC or Chicago. Our D.C. National Guard doesn’t need help from other states! Especially now they are being armed.

I’m smelling a setup against all people that are brown, Black, and queer in D.C., and of course, all unhoused men and women. They want to arrest protesters who are American citizens, too. MAGA fans, you aren’t off the hook either.

Republicans are trying to get rid of the U.S. Constitution and the New Deal bill, so they can have a dictator in place rather than having a president for a term in the Oval Office. They already used redistricting in Texas to remove Black women from their congressional seats. Now they are attacking Utah using redistricting. World War III is going to be right in the U.S. People will resist! I feel like I’m living in a Shakespeare era. All that I mentioned is your beautiful Nazi bill. If you aren’t frightened right now, you will be later on. ICE is being sneaky to pull motorists over in the early morning. All Black men that might have “owl jobs!” That happened in my neighborhood off of Mass Avenue on 11th Street NW. There, I’ve seen a military truck that doesn’t look like a jeep or a green tank, but it clearly says “military” with its antenna sticking out for everyone to see.

Aida Peery is an artist/vendor with Street Sense Media.

UDC PATHS program helped families rise. Its legacy must live on

DIKLA MASHIAH

For more than 20 years, the PATHS Program (Paving Access Trails for Higher Security) at the University of the District of Columbia has been a lifeline for families navigating hardship. On Oct. 1, 2025, the program will close, ending a chapter that changed countless lives but leaving behind a legacy that must not be forgotten.

PATHS was created through a partnership between the D.C. Department of Human Services (DHS) and the University of the District of Columbia’s School of Business and Public Administration, part of Washington’s only public historically Black university. It was designed to help Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) participants pursue education and training while still meeting the requirements of the program. For many, PATHS was the crucial link that allowed them to turn education into stability.

Every year, PATHS supports hundreds of TANF participants. The program connected parents to GED and high school completion programs, vocational certifications, and college opportunities. Just as importantly, it provided the support that made success possible: childcare referrals, stipends, and consistent case management. For families balancing school, work, and parenting, these resources were often the difference between giving up and moving forward.

Behind the numbers are the human stories. I have met parents who arrived exhausted, discouraged, and uncertain if they could continue their education. With PATHS’ support, they re-enrolled in school, completed training, and walked proudly across the stage at graduation ceremonies. Their children clapped from the audience, learning that perseverance and opportunity can overcome barriers. These are the moments that revealed the true power of PATHS: restoring hope and opening doors to a brighter future.

The closure of PATHS is the result of funding ending, not because of a lack of success or impact. Beginning in October, DHS will transition families to other TANF education and training providers. But those of us who work directly with vulnerable populations know that transitions are never seamless. For families already facing childcare shortages, housing insecurity, and limited transportation, even a short disruption can threaten their stability.

The end of PATHS should serve as a reminder of what works. The program showed that when families are given access to education, childcare, and steady guidance, they rise. Every parent who graduated from PATHS not only built a better future for themselves but also became a role model for their children and community. That ripple effect is the true measure of its success.

As PATHS closes, I celebrate the remarkable work of UDC, its faculty and staff, partner organizations like TBG Trains, and the families who committed to their education against the odds. Their dedication turned a program into a community and a requirement into an opportunity.

The PATHS Program may be ending, but its legacy must live on. If we want to build a stronger, more equitable District, we must continue investing in education and workforce programs that empower families. PATHS proved what is possible. Now it is up to us to carry that work forward.

Dr. Dikla Mashiah is a case manager with the PATHS Program at UDC and a public health professional serving TANF families in Washington, D.C.

ART

The light in the dark room

CARLOS CAROLINA Artist/Vendor

Loneliness, pain, regret; And everything else I wish I could give back

You see,

I accepted them when I was blind to the fact It’s bittersweet when you receive The bad that comes with the good When I asked for success

I just wanted the best... I guess

For in “times” you can feel Cursed to be blessed

As I journey through life embracing my purpose, Praying I don’t pass in the process because yes, Life is a process where nothing is promised but death

Doesn’t it feel good to be blessed?

Experience opens eyes!

Deep in thought, wondering where I would be If I didn’t see the signs or hear the call to answer My calling that led me swiftly to light from the dark

Would I be another memory of — or a — face plastered to the front of a T-shirt, tied to a tree, surrounded by bottles on the ground after a candlelight?

For it takes vision to see the light Dream big, then channel life

But first, you’ve got to see it with your mind’s eye In the meantime, still keep hope alive

While you strive to persevere in the meantime Because we in times, and only time will tell So, until then… Keep thinking of ways to succeed more

When you strive for content, it is The only way you can have it all Without feeling you need more

Get yours and keep going — Be gone!

But, hold on — Would it be that easy for you to move If you were the light in the dark room?

G Gang

NIKILA SMITH Artist/Vendor

When did you get in this gang?

I’ve been a member all my life

Every time you see me, I’m high

And under the influence of love

When you got jumped in your gang, It was painful

When I became a member of my gang, It was spiritual

You rob, steal, and kill

For what?

To be with him

I know my place is with the G Gang

We shoot your spirit

With the word of the Lord Build up to keep him out

My initiation was beautiful, My friends and loved ones attended

But knowing G was watching

Makes me permanently grateful

In your gang, you have false hope

That love is not unconditional

I can’t even say it’s temporary

If I go astray from G

I’m welcomed back with open arms

And I weep because I know love

And I weep because of the anger

But I know love because of anger

So many people suffer from it

I have done wrong, had terrible things happen to me

But I’m not angry, just aware things like this Are meant to make me aware

A strong soldier for G

That’s me

So break away from him

And follow G

Illustration by Nikila Smith.

We need to come together

ABEL PUTU

Artist/Vendor

We need to come together in 2025 and keep social distancing away. We need to unite, stop discrimination, and come together. And if we don’t do that, there’s going to be a big protest, and people will have to protest again. I think the whole world is falling apart and coming to an end, not only the USA, but the whole world. Things are changing, and the distance between people is not only here but all over the world. Everybody needs to come together and speak on it. Then we can make things better and make it great. The old generation doesn’t know what’s going on right now, and the new generation is trying to figure out what is going on, but we need to come together all around the world. Fela Kuti said we need to come together as one. That was the message of Alpha Blondy, and the message of Farrah Khan, Martin Luther King, and all our great leaders all over the world, who are speaking the truth. We need to come together. And we can do that when we have a meeting, at a convention center, for everybody, to tell what they’re going through, and we can come together and break away from this social distance. It’s not all about riches, but unity, love, reducing inequity, and making it better, and we can make the world great. So keep the mamba mentality.

If I say their names

ROBERT WARREN Artist/Vendor

I heard a story from a brother I knew from back in the day. He died the other day, just days before I was told not to say his name; he’s just a client who has now passed away. There’s a 99% chance he won’t make it into a grave wrapped up in fine white linen cloth, like Jesus was back in the day when we used to say their names. After George Floyd, I thought things had changed, but it’s back to business as usual, the same old game. Poverty pimps will take a dip in federal funding, that’s what the climate says, but still, I will say their names. No one should die in vain. Systematic changes, HUD is leaving D.C. I don’t know what that means, maybe a new building, but nothing for the poor who need housing and community development even more than ever before. I know, say their names, for housing is their human right. No, it’s only a commodity for those who can afford it, right? Let’s keep it tight. I’m so glad I’m no longer a paycheck away from being homeless, right? I got an apartment, they say it’s rent reasonable. The federal government and the billionaires, they subsidize their plight. We can’t have poverty pimps and billionaires losing money, right?

Just thinking about that story in the night, no one wants you to say their names, right, but they tell them to the angels all the same. So the angels know their names and the injustice they live under each and every day. Let us say their names. With no accountability, nothing will change.

Let us say their names. Without it, all the advocacy and lives lost will just be in vain. Systematic racism, will it ever change? Not to get religious, but we must continue to pray for the promised day while standing up for justice as we live our days, always remembering to say their names. Lord willing, He will remember us on Judgment Day, so say their names.

D.C., my city

DEGNON DOVONOU Artist/Vendor

D.C., the city of a thousand colors, welcomed me

In the valley of life’s difficulties, D.C. has been my rampart

In the depths of a wicked world that leaves some behind —

A city welcomes me

The city of plural diversity

The city, my city of all cultures

Land of thousands of civilizations

A small world, but very popular for its multiculturalism

Let us dare to give this wonderful city its colors that shine bright

Its resplendent beauty seduces and welcomes

The portion of land that brims with a whole planet

A history of all the earth

A city that welcomes the widow and the orphan

A city that fights to give every human being their dignity

A city that teaches and dictates the values of plural civilization

The land of valiant freedom fighters from all corners of the world

A stronghold of beauty and joy

Oh, D.C., the city of my gratitude

The city of brave children from the world

The laboratory of truth and reality

The library of thinking minds and action hands

The homeland of justice and sincere men

The promised land where all hands tie and stand tied

The house of the world

The representative place of the 50 states

The place of commanders

My art teacher’s demonstration

BRIAN HOLSTEN Artist/Vendor

Good teachers demonstrate disciplines and techniques enabling their students to become well-read and aware of their world. One concept that helped my classmates and me learn these responsibilities was our current affairs assignment. We would read the newspaper and construct paragraphs that discussed and analyzed the world’s marketplaces, its economy, its innovations, and sometimes, its tragic endings as societies evolved. Our art teacher used samples that helped us understand artistic language and expressions.

One example the teacher chose to illustrate life, death, and change through remembrance is Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica,” his oil-on-canvas masterpiece depicting the April 26, 1937, tragic Nazi bombing of northern Spain. The painting expresses a language all its own about a new nightmare — a war from the sky — becoming reality. Using a gored horse, a hideous bull, screaming women, a dead baby, a dismembered soldier, and raging flames, Picasso shows the suffering caused by violence and chaos.

My classmates and I asked our teacher why she chose such disturbing images. She said it is our responsibility to learn, obtain knowledge, and grow within our own essence by acknowledging the truth, and to be up-to-date about living in the real world versus living in a figment of our imagination. She also said “Guernica” shows us the realities of an ever-changing world in which we can never forget and will always remember the horrific consequences of war.

A new light

SURYAKANTI BEHERA Artist/Vendor

When I arrived in the United States, I was filled with hope yet overwhelmed by uncertainty. I didn’t know anyone, and with my immigration status nearing its expiration, anxiety loomed large. I often wondered if I would have to leave this country that had started to feel like home.

In search of connection and support, I joined Street Sense Media as a vendor. It was a brave step into the unknown, but after a while, I stopped attending. The fear of my uncertain future became too heavy to bear, and I felt lost once again.

Before I could leave the country, I decided to return to Street Sense Media one last time. I wanted to share my story and let others know about my journey. On that first day back, I was nervous but determined to make the most of this opportunity.

To my surprise, I met someone who would change my life. This new friend understood my struggles and offered a listening ear. We connected instantly, and I felt a new light shining in my life. Their kindness and support filled me with hope, and they promised to help me navigate my challenges.

As the days turned into months, our friendship blossomed. We supported each other through the ups and downs of life, sharing our dreams and fears. My friend’s unwavering encouragement gave me the strength to believe in myself again.

Together, we explored new opportunities, celebrated small victories, and built a life filled with joy. In this partnership, I found not just a friend but a true companion who stood by my side.

Now, almost a year later, I look back with gratitude. My friend has been a guiding light, helping me overcome obstacles and embrace the future. I no longer feel alone; I have someone who believes in me and shares this journey.

As we continue to navigate life together, I am filled with hope for what lies ahead. I know that no matter what challenges we face, we will tackle them side by side. This friendship has transformed my life, and I am thankful for the new beginnings it has brought.

Fall is here

SYBIL TAYLOR

Artist/Vendor

Fall is here, summer is gone. Leaves are falling, and grass has stopped growing. The sun rises early and sets late, and the evenings are cooler. The days are brisk, there are more squirrels, more birds, people taking early walks, and walking dogs. I can’t believe it’s fall. What happened to summer? It’s getting breezy and cold. I’m hoping for a great shelter for the homeless. I am hoping that my situation will be resolved so I will not become homeless through a terrible family dispute. Please pray for me and support me through this tough battle I am facing. I am selling Street Sense to earn an honest living.

Playlist: “Trouble Man,” “What’s Going On,” “Wholy Holy,” and “Mercy Mercy Me,” by Marvin Gaye.

The month is September

ROCHELLE WALKER

Artist/Vendor

It is September, it is time for families and friends. It is the colors that change what the color of the day is. Also, the colors and leaves are falling too. School clothes, backpacks…

People are attending college and higher levels of education. It is the ninth month of the year, and it brings us several things to cheer. September is the time for fun. If you stay in school, it makes you cool. Learning and accepting what the fall will bring. The wind and rain are not in our way. It may be time to clear the outside pools. Here comes fall, we can all go outside. Enjoy the weather. Eat an apple each day, and it will keep the doctor away. The changing colors and leaves will bring fall in the month of September.

Red line blues

GRACIAS GARCIAS

Artist/Vendor

In goes a shipwreck smell to a subway car Humanity’s elixir is about to raise the bar

All commuters became sailors; all raised a brow

A cross-eyed, toothless, tits-out, figurehead to bow

A morning windward breeze hits a flesh dress in rags

A premium working first-class car turns into oflags

Where all colors of white America gather to ride They’re met with a pouring vial of dreams long died

She towered chest naked, still in open air… While sharing the truth of heaven to hell…

On the Red Line, toward downtown D.C. Standing on the Red Line between you and me

Let me fix it

WILLIAM YOUNG

Artist/Vendor

I thought I was as wise as an owl or a fox. Thought I had everything figured out when I came to D.C. and thought I could box; I can only say ouch, it cost me. I left everything behind and lost it all so that I could come to D.C., hoping our government would be willing to allow me to be part of helping all of humanity; instead, another great fall has destroyed more of my sanity.

Where I stand, many are talking and being way too bold; you and your army are outnumbered by a thousandfold. I’m not saying to fight or give in, just cooperation. Before this war can unfold, invite me in and give me a place to stay. I know a better way. I have people who help calm things down. They are tired of waiting for our government to make everything structurally sound. Let me help now before this country gets run into the ground. They are starting to change for the worse, and it’s the rich man and the government who created this curse. I know how to fix it all. Please let me help now, or we will all suffer a great fall, and we will lose it all.

My bed calls

LEVESTER GREEN Artist/Vendor

The job was simple enough, and it only took him to remove the metal rack from the device. My major concern currently is my apartment has been breached by a foul odor for two days in a row. The odor was left behind by debris of some sort.

I initially thought the debris was crack rocks. So I removed the debris cautiously to avoid suspicion or blame. There was no evidence of entry into my apartment, but the possibility of forced entry was followed up on by building management, as there is a camera at the end of the hall. The police did just so happen to approach me at a Whole Foods after purchase to fake inquire about a receipt for my purchase. I am a regular consumer!

Furthermore, the next day, which also included the foul odor, my inflatable bed began to leak! There has definitely been entry and violation here! The voices and badgering through the walls are the same issues I was having at my last residence. The voices are the same and familiar as well. It was a brand-new air mattress that I was enjoying. These are major violations, and there’s been no proper follow-up to my grievances. That’s when my mattress got destroyed and I still haven’t gotten a replacement yet and I have personal back problems and injuries brought on by the police nonetheless!

Back in the day, in 1997

DOMINIQUE ANTHONY Artist/Vendor

My story is about my friends and I going to Cardozo. We were friends in high school, and we had so much fun in school. We used to go to the go-go and see Backyard Band and Black Hoe. We used to go to football games, and we went to swimming pools. We worked our summer jobs, we hung out at the malls, and we’d get our money to buy shoes and clothes for back to school. We had summer jobs from Mayor Marion Berry’s youth program.

Backyard Band was one of my favorite go-go bands. We used to go to “Back to School” jams and concerts. My favorite mall was at Union Station. I learned the Capitol wasn’t that far from Union Station, and at night, it was a beautiful place to see. The Capitol was also a nice place to watch fireworks and hang out with people. They used to have a movie theater at Union Station, and then we would go to the City Place Mall and get on the train. I miss the way you could hang out until 2 a.m. in the morning in summer and listen to music. I used to wear white shirts back in the day. I learned to roll my funnel joints of weed. I remember you could get a big ass funnel jay, and we would smoke on Cardozo’s big hills.

I love D.C.

FREDERICK WALKER

Artist/Vendor

I love Capitol Hill. I love the Eastern Market. I love Ward 6. And I love the Washington team, now the Commanders, for winning the 1981 Super Bowl and for playing at RFK Stadium back in the day. I would love for them to come back there, and I really hope they do that. I just love staying in Washington, D.C.!

The science

WENDY BROWN Artist/Vendor

Getting to work in a homeless situation can be difficult because some decisions about your life are being controlled by others while under supervision. You have to create a schedule flexible with shelter where needs are being taken care of, and ensure things such as transportation, clothing, and food are available. This is an exact science. If there is one mistake in the system, nobody is working.

Each street should adopt a “watch” policy that enables neighbors to look out for their neighborhood by means of each person’s abilities. Ready, willing, and able. Helping somebody move is probably dealing with some emotional baggage, and then you have to worry about whether they’re going to do what you told them. We can complete this if you just do as trained. A lot of people who help others can accomplish the tasks designed to accommodate the needs of government and private industry.

Superstition

ANDRE BRINSON Artist/Vendor

My mother always told us to never believe in superstitions. I believe her, but I’m skeptical. This is the story that truly made me not believe in superstitions.

One night, I was walking home, and to my surprise, a black cat walked out from an alley in front of me, literally in front of me, and kept looking back at me. I was afraid something was going to happen to me. That night, I thought maybe a piano or something was going to fall on me, LOL. I was relieved when the cat turned away to the next corner.

Resume

WAYNE HALL

Artist/Vendor

Eighteen-year-old bagger

wet rack master

the best produce manager fired by a Hater for being an Interracial Dater brown & pink pill

mentally ill cool on a grill life on a chill

dishwasher, clock watcher lion’s line cook

lead gym janitor

loader of a fast casual shift

Freedom Writer

FUN & GAMES

Across

1. “____ can” (2008 political slogan) (2 wds.) (3,2)

6. Photo ___ (camera sessions)

9. Part of U.S.D.A. (abbr.)

13. Broadway icon Merman or film legend Barrymore

14. “And what is so ____ as a day in June?” (James Russell Lowell)

15. Sharif of film

16. Flip response?

17. Apt letters to add to “... b_sic uni_ _f _atter”

18. “___ #1!”

19. Popular salad dressing option

21. “___ for the Prosecution”

23. Fix, as software (BUDGE anagram)

25. Ed McMahon’s old nightly line “___ Johnny!”

26. Popular cylindrical caramel candy brand

29. Gross (and illegal) pitch, slangily

32. Carding at a bar, for short (incls. abbr.)

34. “___ there, done that”

35. “Fee, fi, fo ____”

38. Rearrange how your furniture is arranged... or a literal hint to what you’ve got to do to a ‘traveling’ word in the theme answers with circled letters? (4 wds.) (4,2,3,6)

42. “... ___ he drove out of sight”

43. Top of the line (1-3)

44. How “boeuf” may be served (2,3) (Fr.)

45. Give a name to, as a book, play, movie or song

48. Magazine debut of March 3, 1923

49. Squirreled-away item

52. “Ready, ____! (race starter’s cry) (2 wds.) (3,2)

54. Kitchen countertop covering option (TEARING anagram)

57. One who’s not all there?

61. Word that sounds like its first and last letters

62. “___ and the King of Siam”

64. Nimble

65. Elevator inventor

66. Old Russian autocrat

67. “The Persistence of Memory” and “Lobster Telephone,” for two

68. Slug, song or gab add-on

69. Bout enders, for short (abbr./initialism)

70. “Como ___?” (“How are you?”) (Sp.)

Down

1. Abominable Snowman

2. Coup d’____ (change of government by force) (Fr.)

3. Islamic sect

4. A prized compliment/evaluation or a frownedupon steak order (2wds.) (4,4)

5. Beast of Borden?

6. Muesli morsel

7. Ship’s front

8. 18-wheeler

9. Bummer

10. Arab leader (var.)

11. Analyze a phrase or sentence syntactically

12. Amount of hair (RESTS anagram)

14. Incurred, as a running total or bar tab (2 wds.) (3,2)

20. Stomach muscles, briefly

22. Lobbying grp. that butts heads with Moms Demand Action (2 wds.) (3,3) (incls. abbr./ initialism)

24. Gravy morsels (LEG BITS anagram)

26. Frosty white coating

27. Aroma

28. Not prerecorded

30. Address book abbr.

31. Leaves in the afternoon?

33. Late couturier Versace

35. Japanese film maker named for a mountain

36. E pluribus ___ (Lat.)

37. Dept. store goods for sale (abbr.)

39. Preschooler

40. “Gimme ___!” (start of an Iowa State cheer) (2 wds.) (2,1)

41. Not running on empty (3 wds.) (3,2,3) (AUTO FOGS anagram)

45. Writer Hemingway or Best Actor Oscarwinner Borgnine

46. “The Merry Widow” composer Franz

47. In-flight info, for short (abbr./initialism)

49. “The ____ Innocence” (Edith Wharton’s classic novel and Scorcese’s 1993 film adaptation) (2 wds.) (3,2)

50. Jalopy or orange container

51. Desert haven

53. Forest clearing

55. Bulletin board fastener

56. Car designer Ferrari (ZONE anagram)

58. Weaken, as an aging flower

59. Pelvic bones (Lat. pl. ending)

60. “___ of the D’Urbervilles”

63. Initialism describing the U.S. military installation located on Whidbey Island, Washington

ILLUSTRATION OF THE

This crossword puzzle is the original work of Patrick “Mac”McIntyre. It is provided to us courtesy of Real Change News, a street paper based in Seattle, Washington. Learn more about Real Change News and the International Network of Street Papers at realchangenews.org and insp.ngo.

Puzzle by Patrick “Mac” McIntyre

COMMUNITY SERVICES

Housing/Shelter Vivienda/alojamiento Case Management Coordinación de Servicios

Academy of Hope Public Charter School

202-269-6623 // 2315 18th Pl. NE

202-373-0246 // 421 Alabama Ave. SE aohdc.org

Bread for the City 1525 7th St., NW // 202-265-2400 1700 Marion Barry Ave., SE // 202-561-8587 breadforthecity.org

Calvary Women’s Services // 202-678-2341 1217 Marion Barry Ave., SE calvaryservices.org

Catholic Charities // 202-772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp

Central Union Mission // 202-745-7118 65 Massachusetts Ave., NW missiondc.org

Charlie’s Place // 202-929-0100 1830 Connecticut Ave., NW charliesplacedc.org

Christ House // 202-328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd., NW christhouse.org

Church of the Pilgrims // 202-387-6612 2201 P St., NW (1-1:30 on Sundays only) churchofthepilgrims.org/outreach

Community Family Life Services 202-347-0511 // 305 E St., NW cflsdc.org

Community of Hope // 202-232-7356 4 Atlantic St., NW communityofhopedc.org

Covenant House Washington 202-610-9600 // 2001 Mississippi Ave., SE covenanthousedc.org

D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 202-347-8870 // 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW dccfh.org

Father McKenna Center // 202-842-1112 19 North Capitol St., NW fathermckennacenter.org

Food and Friends // 202-269-2277

(home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc) 219 Riggs Rd., NE foodandfriends.org

Foundry Methodist Church // 202-332-4010 1500 16th St., NW foundryumc.org/idministry

Identification services

Friendship Place // 202-364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave., NW friendshipplace.org

Georgetown Ministry Center // 202-338-8301 1041 Wisconsin Ave., NW georgetownministrycenter.org

Jobs Have Priority // 202-544-9096 1526 Pennslyvania Ave., SE jobshavepriority.org

Loaves & Fishes // 202-232-0900 1525 Newton St., NW loavesandfishesdc.org

Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 marthastable.org 2375 Elvans Rd, SE

2204 Martin Luther King Ave. SE

Miriam’s Kitchen // 202-452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave., NW miriamskitchen.org

My Sister’s Place // 202-529-5991 (24-hr hotline) mysistersplacedc.org

N Street Village // 202-939-2076 1333 N St., NW nstreetvillage.org

New York Avenue Shelter // 202-832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave., NE

Patricia Handy Place for Women 202-733-5378 // 810 5th St., NW

Samaritan Inns // 202-667-8831 2523 14th St., NW samaritaninns.org

Samaritan Ministry 202-722-2280 // 1516 Hamilton St., NW 202-889-7702 // 1345 U St., SE samaritanministry.org

Sasha Bruce Youthwork // 202-675-9340 741 8th St., SE sashabruce.org

So Others Might Eat (SOME) // 202-797-8806 71 O St., NW some.org

St. Luke’s Mission Center // 202-363-4900 3655 Calvert St., NW stlukesmissioncenter.org

Thrive DC // 202-737-9311 1525 Newton St., NW thrivedc.org

Unity Health Care unityhealthcare.org - Healthcare for the Homeless Health Center: 202-508-0500 - Community Health Centers: 202-469-4699

1500 Galen Street SE, 1251-B Saratoga Ave NE, 1660 Columbia Road NW, 4414 Benning Road NE, 3924 Minnesota Avenue NE, 765 Kenilworth Terrace NE, 850 Delaware Ave., SW, 3240 Stanton Road SE, 3020 14th Street NW, 425 2nd Street NW, 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 1333 N Street NW, 1355 New York Avenue NE, 1151 Bladensburg Rd., NE, 4515 Edson Pl., NE

Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St., NW // 202-328-5500 legalclinic.org

The Welcome Table // 202-347-2635 1317 G St., NW. epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable

Whitman-Walker Health 1525 14th St., NW // 202-745-7000 1201 Sycamore Dr., SE whitman-walker.org

Woodley House // 202-830-3508 2711 Connecticut Ave., NW

For further information and listings, visit our online service guide at StreetSenseMedia.org/service-guide

Our stock clerks know about all of our products and what aisle they belong in. They also restock and organize the shelves throughout the day. When an area needs tidying up, they are on it right away (they’re experts in dairy, produce and grocery). This is just a general overview of their job duties. You may be asked to assist in other ways too, depending on the needs of your store.

Required: N/A

Apply: tinyurl.com/GiantClerk

Seasonal positions

Target // D.C.

Part-time

The position enables a consistent experience for our guests by ensuring product is in stock, available, accurately priced and signed on the sales floor in our smallest format stores. Experts of service, operations, process and efficiency. This team is responsible for being proficient in all areas of the store to complete duties such as, but not limited to, cashiering, stocking, presentation and price accuracy. You’ll provide exceptional guest service, customizing each experience and anticipating their needs.

Required: N/A

Apply: tinyurl.com/TargetSeasonalDC

Various positions

Costco // Washington D.C.

Full-time/ Part-time

Hiring opportunities may include: cashier assistant, food service assistant, stocker, service deli assistant, gas station attendant, member service assistant, tire installer, cashier, forklift driver, membership clerk, production assistant, distribution assistant, and production line assistant.

Required: N/A

Apply: tinyurl.com/DCCostco

WILLIAM HARGROVE Artist/Vendor

JACQUELINE TURNER Artist/Vendor

SHAWN FENWICK Artist/Vendor

CYNTHIA HERRION Artist/Vendor