09 25 2013

$2 suggested donation

Volume 10: Issue 23 September 25 - October 8, 2013

Street

sense

Read more and get involved at www.streetsense.org | The DC Metro Area Street Newspaper | Please buy from badged vendors

e V

o t

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.

7 11

Advocates organizing for Homeless Bill of Rights.

Cynthia Mewborn finds trash in unlikely places.

Staten 15 Timeka highlights

community events.

COVER ART The Living Wage BIll is dead, what comes next?

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ERIC FALQUERO

ADVERTISE WITH US streetsense.org/ advertise

@ STREETSENSE.ORG A new issue comes out every two weeks, but you can stay connected to Street Sense every day!

/streetsense

North American Street Newspaper Association

How It Works ADDRESS 1317 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 PHONE 202.347.2006 FAX 202.347.2166 E-MAIL info@streetsense.org WEB StreetSense.org

Each vendor functions as a selfemployed subcontractor for Street Sense. That means he or she reinvests in the organization with every purchase.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Yebegashet Alemayehn, Margaret Chapman, Kristal DeKleer. Max Gaujean, Heidi Keller, Robyn Kerr, Reed Sandridge, Brad Scriber, Allison Sherry, Michael Stoops

Vendors purchase the paper for 75 cents/issue, which will then be sold to you for a suggested donation of $2.

Street Sense publishes the newspaper.

62% 62% supports the vendors helping them overcome homelessness and poverty.

Street Sense

INTERNS Nkongho Beteck, Dennis Forster, Jenny Gudmundsen, Ramanda Lazaris, Michael Oatley, Claire Sloan, Ashley Trick

Vendors buy the newspaper for 75 cents each.

&

38% 38% supports the production costs at Street Sense.

11

The remainder of your $2 donation directly supports the vendor.

@streetsensedc /streetsensedc OUR STORY Street Sense began in August 2003 after Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson approached the National Coalition for the Homeless on separate occasions with the idea to start a street paper in Washington, D.C. Through the work of dedicated volunteers, Street Sense published its first issue in November 2003. In 2005, Street Sense achieved 501 ( c ) 3 status as a nonprofit organization, formed a board of directors and hired a full-time executive director.

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

Nearly 30,000 copies are in circulation each month.

1. Street Sense will be distributed for a voluntary donation of $2.00, I agree not to ask for more than two dollars or solicit donations for Street Sense by any other means.

2. I will only purchase the paper from Street Sense staff and volunteers and will not sell papers to other vendors.

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

4. I agree not to distribute copies of Street Sense on metro trains and buses or on private property.

5. I agree to abide by the Street Sense vendor territorial policy at all times and will resolve any related disputes I

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Brian Carome EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mary Otto ART DIRECTOR Eric Falquero SALES MANAGER Brandon Caudill DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Rebecca Stewart

have with other vendors in a professional manner.

6. I understand that I am not an employee of Street Sense, Inc. but an independent contractor.

7. I agree to sell no additional goods or products when distributing Street Sense.

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

VOLUNTEERS Monica Anderson, Jane Cave, Margaret Chapman, Johnathan Comer, Julie Garel, Jeffrey Gray, Jane Goforth, Roxanne Goldberg, Marisa Grotte, Roberta Haber, Thomas Hedges, Jesse Helfrich, Maurice King, Sean Lishansky, Victoria Hatterman O’Banion, Jenny Hopkinson, Sarah Mandhart, Ashley Perks, David Piper Kristin Roach, Mark Rose, Willie Schatz, David Sellers, David Serota, Kate Sheppard, Ernie Smith, Lydia Stepanek, Charlotte Tucker, Bryan Watkins, Marian Wiseman, Eugene Versluysen VENDORS Clinton Allen, Gerald Anderson, Glenn Artis, Aida Basnight, Grady Baxter, Kenneth Belkosky, Phillip Black, Reginald Black, Viktor Blokhine, John Branges, André Brinson, Brianna Butler, Seneca Cooper, Anthony Crawford, Kwayera Dakari, James Davis, Charles Davis, Clifton Davis, Chino Dean, David Denny, Alvin Dixon El, Pieus Ennels, Linda Euell, Samuel Fullwood, Larry Garner, Richard Hart, Shakaye Henry, Ibn Hipps, Phillip Howard, James Huges, Leonard Hyater, Donald Johnson, Carlton Johnson, Morgan Jones, Allen Jones, Linda Jones, Mark Jones, Anne Marie Kirby, John Littlejohn, Authertimer Matthews, John Matthews, Kina Matthis, Jennifer McLaughlin, Ashley McMullen, Jeffery McNeil, Juanita Mendez, Cynthia Mewborn, Kenneth Middleton, Gary Minter, L. Morrow, Ash-shaheed Rabbil, Quentin Sanders, Chris Shaw, Veda Simpson, Gwynette Smith, Terron Solomon, Tamika Staton, Warren Stevens Jr, Tony Sutton, Sybil Taylor, O. Shernell Thomas, Eric Thompson-Bey, Sarah TurleyColin, Jacqueline Turner, Ronald Turner, Leon Valentine, Ronald Verquer, Martin Walker,

Donate Directly To A Vendor Vendor Name

Vendor Badge #

9. I understand that my badge and (if applicable) vest are property of Street Sense, Inc. and will not deface them. I will present my badge when purchasing Street Sense. I will always display my badge when distributing Street Sense.

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

Comments

Name Address Email Phone Number

STREET SENSE September 25 - October 8, 2013

Floods Don’t Discriminate Sleeping bags are in high demand in Colorado Springs as many chronically homeless people in the area have lost all their earthly possessions in the recent flooding.

But shoes and tents are not all that has been lost in this natural disaster, as reported by the Colorado Gazette. 54-yearold Danny Davis was on-and-off the streets for years and his body was found Sept. 12 in Fountain Creek.

Thousands have joined the ranks of the Nation’s homeless population in the wake of the flood, and hundreds have been evacuated to safety.

At least 100 residents of Pinewood Springs and others have opted to wait it out even when given the chance to evacuate, according to the Denver Post.

“My 2-year-old wants to know when she can go home, and here 90 percent of the people just want to know when they can take a shower,” said Selina Merkt an Evans resident whose home is flooded and may be beyond repair.

More than 900 rescuers in Boulder County gave hope to the people they delivered to safety - some by the system of “ropes, pulleys and a human sized basket.” These rescue teams are made up of Army National Guard personnel, and volunteers with the fire departments and search-and-rescue teams. These heroes are everyday, American citizens.

“These people were trapped in their homes, where they should expect to be safe,” said Steve Wilson of The Alpine Rescue Team. “They lost so much, their homes in some cases, their communities.

3

NEWS IN BRIEF It’s just different, and it was an honor for us to be there to help any way we could.”

Wilson is proud to be a part of this team. “These are people who spend their own money and risk their lives to help people they don’t know and they’re never going to see again. And they don’t want anything in return,” he said.

-Claire Sloan

One Good Deed Deserves Another The honest actions of a homeless man in Boston have garnered praise and an outpouring of generosity.

Glen James, who lives in a shelter, flagged down Boston police on Sept. 14 after he found a backpack containing $2,400 in cash and $40,000 of travelers checks at a local shopping mall. The police helped get the bag back to its rightful owner.

James, who once worked at a Boston courthouse, said even if he were desperate he wouldn’t have kept “even a penny” of the money he found. Boston police honored James with a special citation.

After hearing news reports about the incident, Ethan Whittington, an accounts manager from Midlothian, Virginia set up a crowd-funding website to help James “The fact that he’s in the situation he is, being homeless, it blew my mind that he would do this (turn in the backpack),” Whittington told reporters.

Donors have now contributed more than $111,000 to the fund for James, Whittington said.

“This isn’t only about rewarding a great guy. I think it’s a statement to everyone in America. If we come together and work toward one thing and work together, then we can make it happen.”

Whittington acknowledged to reporters that he has encountered some skeptics who question whether his efforts to raise money for James could be a scam.

“It’s almost kind of depressing, to do something for a great cause, and you’ve got the naysayers out there,” he said. But he assured the press he has spoken with James on the phone and hopes to travel to Boston soon to work out how the money will be distributed to him.

-Mary Otto

Appeals Court Considers Ivy City Plan At the District of Columbia Court of Appeals Sept. 17, a three-judge panel considered whether to let stand an injunction that blocks the city from moving forward with a plan to open a tour bus depot in the District’s Ivy City neighborhood.

City Mayor Vincent Gray and the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation (USDC) are seeking to move forward with the project, which would open a newly renovated parking facility at the historic Alexander Crummell School as a depot serving up to 65 tour buses at one time.

Neighborhood activists, who say they worry about the pollution and traffic the depot could bring to the area, are fighting the plan. They say they would like to see the

school redeveloped as a community center.

In December, Superior Court Judge Judith Macaluso issued an injunction blocking the depot project, finding city officials had not consulted with Ivy City’s ANC or conducted a required environmental review.

The city appealed the decision and at the Sept 17 hearing, Senior Assistant Attorney General James C. McKay, Jr said the Ivy City advocates had not demonstrated that the project would cause them actual harm.

He also argued that the city should not have been required to do an environmental review because the use of the property is not really changing.

“It was a parking lot, it still is a parking lot,” explained McKay. During the hearing Chief Judge Eric Washington, along with Judges Anna BlackburneRigsby and Stuart G. Nash questioned every aspect of McKay’s argument.

After listening, Ivy City counsel Johnny Barnes suggested he would not have to say a word to make his case. But Chief Judge Washington cautioned him not to get too comfortable and the panel strenuously questioned him as well.

City officials say the city has begun the required environmental review and it is expected to be completed within the month.

But Ivy City advocates hold out hope the court of appeals may rule in their favor.

Barnes said he expects a decision in about three months.

An October status hearing on the injunction is expected to be delayed pending the appeals court decision.

-Eric Falquero

YES! I want to donate: My info: $1500 can cover the cost of printing an issue. $ 1500 Name $1000 can help us orient, train, and support new vendors $ 1000 Address $500 can help purchase needed software $500 $250 can provide badges for 50 vendors $250 $100 Every dollar helps us further our mission! $________ Email

DONATE ONLINE

Street Sense seeks to offer economic opportunities for people experiencing homelessness and poverty in our community. Our vendors work hard as self-employed contractors distributing the newspaper, with all proots directly supporting their success.

Comments

Please make checks payable to “Street Sense” and mail to 1317 G Street NW Washington, DC 20005

Thousands of Local Families to See Food Stamps Cut

By Ramanda Lazaris Editorial Intern

On September 19, the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation that would cut the food stamp program by nearly $40 billion over the next decade.

President Obama has promised to veto the measure in the event it is passed by the Democratically-led Senate. But no matter what ends up happening in the ongoing battle over food stamps, come Nov. 1, more than 47 million beneficiaries will need to start doing more with less.

That date marks the scheduled end of the boost in food stamp funding provided by the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. As a result, a family of three can expect to see $29 less per month in food assistance. The loss of assistance will leave families with roughly $1.40 per person to spend per meal, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The reduction will have a real impact on poor families, say food advocates, who are trying to get the word out to the households they serve.

“On Nov. 1, things are going to get painful for families,” predicted Catherine Benvie, of D.C. Hunger Solutions.

In the District, more than 144,000 people participate in the program, up 3,353 beneficiaries (or 2.4 percent) from the previous year.

Nationally too, food stamp rolls have burgeoned since the 2008 recession. But the rapid growth in spending on the food stamp program, officially known as SNAP

DATA COMPILED FROM D.C HUNGER SOLUTIONS

for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, has prompted demands from conservatives for a sweeping overhaul.

The House vote to cut the program, through passage of legislation titled the Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act, is being seen as a victory for Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a Virginia Republican.

“People need food,” Black added. “There are too many hungry people out there.”

In addition to deeply cutting spending for food stamps, the bill would restrict the ability of able-bodied childless adults to receive the benefits without meeting work requirements. It would also allow states to impose additional work and job training requirements on such beneficiaries.

Conservative supporters of the bill say such steps are necessary to reduce waste and fraud in the program.

“The House Nutrition Bill will close up some loopholes. It gives to those who truly need it,” said Rachel Sheffield, a policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation.

“There is an option where states can create work programs for able-bodied adults so that food stamps don’t become a one-

way handout.”

Yet at the same time, government statistics point to continuing problems with hunger across the country.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture just released information and a survey reporting that an estimated 14.5 percent of American households were food insecure at least some time during the year in 2012, “meaning they lacked access to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members.”

And advocates for the poor say more spending on such programs is needed, not less. They said even the reduction scheduled to go into place Nov. 1 will take a serious toll.

“I think this will be hurtful for folks because they are used to having a certain amount of food in their homes and if just two dollars were cut, you would still actually see a difference in how much groceries you can buy,” said Reggie Black, a Street Sense vendor, writer, and activist.

“People need food,” Black added. “There are too many hungry people out there.”

COURTESY OF THE DAILY BEAST

The number of Americans who now live in hunger or on the edge of hunger is 31,000,000.

Some programs and organizations that are trying to help these Americans are: -USDA’S The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) - Provides food to local agencies that they have selected, usually food banks, which in turn, distribute the food to soup kitchens and food pantries that directly serve the public.

-Global Impact- Provides organizations and donors with effective ways to give to causes, regions and crises throughout the world.

-SNAP- While food stamps are scheduled for reductions, the program will remain an important source of nutrition for thousands of District households. SNAP/ food stamps can be used to buy food at grocery stores, corner stores, and even farmers’ markets across the city. Out of those 37 markets, 24 of them provide bonus dollars for food stamp users.

Additional nutritional resources can be found at: DCFoodFinder.com or by calling (202) 644-9807.

STREET SENSE September 25 - October 8, 2013

5

COVER STORY

The Power of the Precedent

City advocates gather to pressure City Council members to override Mayor Gray’s veto of the living wage bill.

PHOTO BY DENNIS FORSTER

By Dennis Forster Editorial Intern DC Mayor Vincent Gray’s recent decision to veto a controversial “living wage bill” left members of the DC City Council painfully divided. Some saw the legislation, which would have required the city’s largest retailers to pay at least $12.50 per hour in wages and benefits, as an important tool for moving workers out of poverty. But like the Mayor, some other council members viewed the Large Retailer Accountability Act (LRAA) as a job killer.

There were no such divisions among the cadre of activists gathered inside and outside the Wilson building on Sept 17, hoping for the nine council votes needed to override the Mayor’s veto.

“We’re here to say: you need to listen to your boss!” announced the Rev. Graylan Hagler to the crowd awaiting the council’s decision. Hagler and the various advocacy groups present, including OUR DC, Respect DC and the AFL-CIO, called on the mayor and council members to remember the public mandate. “You can’t keep a job if you don’t listen to your boss,” Hagler insisted. The protesters cheered, holding up signs that read “My next mayor supports the LRAA.” Their efforts ultimately fell short.

When, in a 7 to 6 decision, the council allowed the veto to stand, the protesters struck up a chant of “we won’t forget!”

They pledged that in the next election, they would punish the Mayor and the lawmakers who supported him. (Voting to

override the Mayor’s veto were Council chair Phil Mendelson, and council members Kenyan McDuffie, David Grosso, Vincent Orange, Jim Graham, Jack Evans and Marion Barry. Casting votes that allowed the veto to stand were council members Yvette Alexander, Muriel Bowser, Mary Cheh, Tommy Wells, Anita Bonds and David Catania.)

The bill was passed by the council in July only to be vetoed by Mayor Gray early in September. But during its short life, the measure became the focus of a national debate over low-wage jobs. According to living wage advocates, the LRAA would have set an important precedent in tackling corporate greed, preventing exploitation, and lifting families out of poverty. It would have required retailers with over $1 billion in revenues and operating stores over 75,000 square feet to compensate their employees at a rate that would have been substantially higher than the current city minimum wage of $8.25 per hour.

LRAA advocates saw the bill as a forceful challenge to the business model responsible for the low wage standard, a model they say pits consumers against workers, lower prices against higher wages, any job against no job. When employers pay poverty wages, they argue, the taxpayers end up making up the difference in food stamps, housing assistance and other types of support.

“What good is a job if you’re still poor,

if you’re still dependent on government assistance, if you’re still dependent on even getting other jobs to survive?” asked Erica Smiley, Director of Campaigns at Jobs With Justice (JWJ), a national organization engaged in the effort to address the problems with low-wage jobs.

She and other LRAA supporters pressed the city government to hold highly profitable companies like Wal-Mart accountable for their workers’ welfare. They also cited public policy research concluding that WalMart could well-afford to pay higher wages, lifting people out of poverty while boosting the overall economy.

“Large retailers could pay full-time, year-round workers $25,000 per year and still make a profit – satisfying shareholders while rewarding their workers for the value they bring to the firm,” wrote Catherine Ruetschlin of Demos, a New York Citybased think tank, in a study entitled “Retail’s Hidden Potential.” Since “low-income households [are] more likely to spend new earnings immediately”, the companies – and the national economy -- would eventually profit from their customers’ increased spending power, too, she wrote.

Ruetschlin argued that some retailers, including Safeway and Costco manage to offer low-priced goods while paying their workers comparatively generous wages.

Wal-Mart, the biggest corporation targeted by the bill, raised the stakes in the battle when it threatened to cancel plans to open six new stores in the District if the LRAA was allowed to stand. The giant retailer’s abandonment of the District would have deprived underserved areas of “jobs, economic development opportunities and more affordable shopping options,” WalMart spokesman Steven Restivo asserted.

For the mayor, the choices seemed stark.

“This bill did not represent a choice between low-wage jobs and better jobs; it represented a choice between jobs and no jobs,” he said in one tweet.

Gray informed the DC Council of his decision to veto the bill in a letter to council chairman Mendelson on September 12.

“The bill, while well-intentioned, is flawed and will fail to achieve its intended goals,” Gray concluded. One of his major criticisms centered on the bill’s “arbitrary” exemption for retailers with labor agreements, benefitting unionized retailers like Safeway, and only fueling Wal-Mart’s fierce opposition to what the company characterized as “discriminatory legislation.”

Even as he vetoed the bill, Gray expressed his belief in the living wage cause.

He proposed to “raise the minimum wage for all District residents – regardless of who employs them.” At the same time, several members of the council moved forward with new legislation geared toward raising the city’s minimum wage.

One measure, the “Living Wage for All DC” bill, introduced by Wells, would raise the minimum wage to $10.25 over the course of two years. Another, by Bowser, would establish a commission to consider revising the city’s minimum wage. A third, by Orange, would raise the minimum wage to $12.50 an hour in four annual steps.

The LRAA may be dead but the bill’s supporters believe their cause is gaining momentum. In the District and across the country, legislative efforts are moving forward to raise wages, said Erica Smiley, of Jobs With Justice.

“They may think this is the end of this bill in DC but frankly, we’re looking to move this to San Francisco, to New York, anywhere, everywhere where we can finally get a precedent.”

“We’re looking to move this to San Francisco, to New York, anywhere, everywhere where we can finally get a precedent.”

—Erica Smiley

I

A New Home for Central Union Mission

By Claire Sloan Editorial Intern Domonic needed a ticket out of a life filled with violence and drug addiction.

He was so driven to change that he left his home in South Carolina and ended up in Washington, D.C., searching for a shelter - searching for hope.

“I came into the Central Union Mission in January 2011 a broken man,” Domonic said. “I was 24 years old, confused, frustrated and lost.”

Through the mission’s Spiritual Transformation Program, he turned his life around. “I have learned that I don’t have to be high to enjoy life. I have experienced what it feels like to have people genuinely care about me and my circumstances,” he said.

Domonic is one of dozens of men whose lives have been radically changed by the assistance and services received at the mission. The Central Union Mission daily fulfills its purpose of “renovating lives,

PHOTOS BY CLAIRE SLOAN

restoring hope.”

“We are compelled by our faith to serve the poor, but we never compel faith on the part of anyone to receive our services,” said David Treadwell, Executive Director of the mission.

The mission staffers follow their Christian duty to care for the destitute, but they offer more than merely a warm meal and a dry bed; they offer the tools to transform the mind, body and soul of any man who voluntarily seeks their assistance, according to Treadwell.

Job and computer training, literacy training and GED instruction take care of mental needs. The medical, dental, and drug treatment services take care of physical needs. And the Spiritual Transformation Program and chapel services take care of spiritual needs.

After operating on 14th Street NW for many years, Central Union Mission is almost ready to open at its new location at the old Gales School building at 65 Massachusetts Avenue, NW. The goal is to have open doors by Veteran’s day, Nov. 11.

“This project goes back to 2000 when we first noticed the gentrification of 14th Street. By 2003, in earnest, we were pursuing a new location to build a state-ofthe-art facility, and yet not get too far from downtown,” Treadwell said.

Jeffrey Schonberger of Alturas Real Estate Interests, the new owner of the previous mission facility, has already begun renovating the building into unique, fashionable condos, according to the Washington Post article, “Central Union Mission’s Move Means New Condos on 14th Street NW.” Working with the D.C. City Council and Mayor Fenty’s office, mission supporters came up with the Gales School proposal.

Treadwell described the compromise as: “A marriage somewhat made in heaven.”

After owning two different major fa-

cilities and now leasing the Gales School, til I could find a new job,” Ryan said. But Treadwell is concerned that the mission may he found so much more. Not only did he never be able to own property again. The get clean and change the trajectory of his mission has spent more than $14 million in life, he also began giving back to the comreconstructing the 130 year old building and munity by helping lead the Men’s Ministry will operate solely on its own funding. and eventually was promoted to executive “The biggest thing for me is that we assistant to the executive director. have been able to The mission’s move work with the city, “...we were pursuing a new has not been an easy while not receiving process. Restoring city finances, in order location to build a state-of- the old walls was an to serve the people extreme challenge that we feel God has the-art facility, and yet not because they sufcalled us to serve,” fered much damage Treadwell said. get too far from downtown.” during the time the In one year alone, Gales School had no 179,597 nourishing David Treadwell roof, said Treadwell. meals were served to Executive Director, Central Union Mission The construction was men, women, famidelayed by months. lies, and children struggling with hunger When completed, the 35,000 sq. ft. and food security, and 831 individuals restate-of-the-art facility will be handicap ceived professional services such as physiaccessible on all four floors and able to cals, eye exams, testing, treatment and a sleep 150 men each night. wide range of medical and legal support, The First floor will include a kitchen according to the Central Union Mission’s twice the size of their previous one, and final report for fiscal year 2012. a Multi-Purpose Room with 200 seats for These statistics represent real people dining and for chapel. with real stories. Many lives that came in The second floor includes three large contact with the mission have been forrooms for overnight guests, as well as ever changed - lives like Ryan’s. the lawyer, doctor, and dentist offices, “I came to Central Union Mission for an and classrooms. ‘oil change’---some meals, a bed---just un-

STREET SENSE September 25 - October 8, 2013

7

NEWS

A Homeless Bill of Rights Advocates poised to work for civil rights legislation in the District

By Claire Sloan Editorial Intern This fall, volunteers for the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) will be heading out to shelters, parks and soup kitchens on a unique mission.

Armed with surveys, they hope to gain insights into discrimination as it is experi-

ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID SEROTA

enced by homeless people.

The survey results will be used to help build a case for legislation designed to protect the civil rights of homeless people to use public space, vote, feel safe, obtain legal help, social services and education.

In early 2014, the NCH hopes to petition the DC City Council for a Homeless Bill of Rights.

Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Illinois have passed such bills. Similar legislation is under consideration in Vermont, Missouri, Massachusetts, Oregon, and California.

Such laws are needed, according the the NCH, because homeless people are vulnerable to discrimination locally and nationwide. The laws include provisions aimed at ensuring homeless people enjoy the same civil rights as everyone else, such as the ability to use and move freely in public spaces, such as sidewalks, public parks, public transportation, and public buildings, and the right to vote, register to vote, and receive documentation necessary to prove identity for voting without discrimination due to housing status.

This fall’s survey will include a range of questions exploring everything from police harassment to access to medical treatment. Included among the questions are these: “Have you ever felt that you have been discriminated by law enforcement officers because of your homelessness?”

“Do you believe that you have been denied employment or fired because an employer was aware of your homelessness?”

“Have the DC police ever taken or destroyed your belongings in a situation when you were not arrested?”

In drawing up the questions, the authors got help from homeless advocate David Pirtle who tapped into his own experiences during a period of homelessness.

“I was stoned several times; people throwing rocks at me, both in New York and in Washington, D.C.,” said Pirtle, who

participates in the NCH’s Faces of Homelessness Speaker’s Bureau.

Pirtle said he believes the survey and the Homeless Bill of Rights are good ideas.

“My situation is by no means unique,” Pirtle said. “That’s why these bills are so important.”

A search of newspapers turned up other examples. Tina Carter was given a ticket in Oct. 2009 for standing on a sidewalk in Nashville, because a business called the police and complained. She subsequently spent 10 days in jail for failing to appear in court, according to the Nashville Contributor.

A Homeless Bill of Rights would aim to protect Carter from discrimination from businesses that believe the presence of a homeless person negatively affects their profits.

In order to draw up a Homeless Bill of Rights, the general public as well as public officials need to know about homeless discrimination and criminalization, said Michael Stoops, Director of Community Organizing at the NCH.

“My situation is by no means unique,” Pirtle said. “That’s why these bills are so important.”

Stoops wants the NCH to be at the forefront of this battle, so the organization drafted the survey to collect data in D.C. for the first time.

Volunteers will survey up to 500 single adults experiencing homelessness in D.C. and give the data to George Washington University graduate school students for a report, Stoops said.

Celebrating Big Ideas - and Breakfast

By Jenny Gudmundsen Editorial Intern An annual public policy conference brought national leaders, as well as a hearty breakfast and free health screenings to a local program that serves the poor and homeless.

The 8th annual Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) Community Breakfast and Health Fair was hosted by Thrive DC, which offers meals, housing assistance and other help to the poor out of the basement of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Northwest Washington.

About 10,000 people were expected to attend the CBFC’s four-day Annual Legislative Conference, aimed at developing solutions to the challenges facing Black communities around the world through issues forums, brain trusts, a town hall meeting, networking sessions, and more. This year’s theme, “It Starts With You,” was a call to action urging individuals to champion change in public policy.

But the community breakfast, held this year on Sept 19, has come to be seen as a lynchpin of the larger event, providing a chance for lawmakers and other members of the CBCF to serve the community. .

“The breakfast is a part of our mission, the mission of the foundation, to end disparities. Here we are able to reach out to the community, and give back to the entire community, especially those who are facing challenges,” said Muriel Hairston-Cooper, a spokeswoman for the CBCF and the CBC Spouses.

Among the speakers at this year’s event was U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, who said he looked forward to attending the annual event.

“The entire Congressional Black Caucus Foundation is the conscience; they remind us every single day what why we’re in these jobs and what they’re about. If they are the conscience, the spouses are the conscience of the conscience,” he said.

Donovan added that he was happy to see the many communities represented in the room. “What you see in this room today, is one example of what we need

to do in this country. If we come together we can actually solve these problems. One meal at a time, one health screening at a time, one housing at time, we can solve these problems”, he said.

In addition to the breakfast, attendees were offered free health and dental screenings, food and giveaways. The Sears Associate Gospel Choir provided rousing entertainment.

One attendee, Tyrone Chrisholm Jr said he visits Thrive DC three times a week

to have breakfast. “Here they serve you breakfast and you always get a smile when you come. I also use the computer lab here, to get my resumes done”, Chrisholm explains.

He said this was his first Community Breakfast and that he was looking forward to enjoying the many offerings.

“I will go upstairs and have a look at the screenings and the gospel choir after I’ve finished this interview”, he says with a smile in his eyes.

Nick Rosenbach, President of Thrive DC, said he was happy with the event, but admitted that the attendance seemed a little light. “Normally it’s about 200 people at the breakfast, but today there is a much lighter attendance”, Rosenbach said. He noted that he had been announcing the community breakfast every morning but added. “I think many of the clients found the big speakers a bit intimidating.

However, those who are here, really take advantage of the event’s offers.”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL SEBATIAN OATELY

STREET SENSE September 25 - October 8, 2013

9

FEATURE

titanium

platinum

gold

silver

bronze

1330 Maryland Avenue, SW

ALLY SHEEDY

community advocate award honoree

WENDY RIEGER emcee

plus 500 of SMYAL’s closest friends

...like YOU!

smyal.org/fallbrunch.php

Tony Anderson & Kevin Lorei Douglas Armstrong & Steve Dobberowsky Andrew Barnett Daniel Berler Dennis Black & R. Scott Wallis Susan & Dixon Butler Cheryl Clarke Billy Fettweis Matt Gillette Chuck Goldfarb & Bo Hong Rich Gottwald & Jim Harden Tony Green

special thanks to

Donna Greenfield & Burkey Belser Jason & James T. Hafferman Peter Hill & Murat Sor Ken Kadlec & Richard Russo Heather Kaye Jeff & Trevor Blake Krehely Jack Krumholtz & Kevin DiLallo Eric Lamar Jason Laney & Hudson Young Elizabeth Rose & Richard Jerome

Danielle & Aisha Moodie-Mills Jeffrey Nelson & Rob Cogorno Edward Palmieri & Christopher Schriever Todd Peterson Betsy Pursell & Schroeder Stribling Jeff Reamy Mike Schwartz & Carl Menninger Brian Scott Mark Seifert & Jeff Dygert Chrisopher Suranna & Andrew Love Caroline Willis Damon Wilson

COMICS & GAMES

STREET MUSIC BUSINESS

dy” s “New Bud

Glaph’

By Terron Solomon, Vendor Street Music Business

Q

S

H

P

A

R

G

O

T

U

A

L

T

M

B

O

B

N

J

A

Z

Z

T

M

E

S

P

R

I

K

X

R

C

P

R

C

K

B

R

A

W

O

L

N

S

F

B

N

A

T

A

O

C

N

E

T

L

W

T

X

P

R

C

L

G

P

B

D

P

S

B

P

R

E

T

S

D

R

L

C

I

M

T

A

O

F

C

N

R

R

F

A

S

V

R

N

G

T

A

M

O

A

O

V

T

P

C

T

I

A

S

M

R

C

S

C

T

I

I

I

X

O

M

I

R

O

D

T

E

W

N

C

S

E

P

U

T

K

B

W

B

R

C

U

R

U

A

N

W

R

X

P

T

K

W

P

M

A

M

B

T

R

A

S

M

R

A

C

record label

tours

music video

platinum

autographs

artist

interviews

points

Billboard

contract

Burke Herbert

STREET SENSE September 25 - October 8, 2013

111

OPINION

Misleading the Vulnerable? Answers

By Jeffery McNeil, Vendor

During the Cold War, many educators, reformers, and activists traveled to Russia to study Marxism up close. Officials of the KGB would take these crusaders and show them what they called the Workers’ Utopia, also known as Potemkin Villages - structures built merely to mislead others into thinking conditions were better than they really were.

Many returned from Russia inspired that Marxism was the preferred utopian vision for humanity. This was a vision of a world with no classes or property, where everyone was equal and capitalism would be abolished. Vladimir Lenin had a name for these idealistic crusaders who romanticized Marxist visions. He called them “useful idiots.”

I truly believe there are no kinder words to say to someone than, “You can do it without my help.”

During the Great Depression capitalism seemed heartless and cruel. People were being evicted. They were out of work and without hope. This era gave rise to populist left wing demagogues such as Huey Long, isolationists such as Charles Lindbergh, and right wing anti-semites like Father Coughlin. The thirties were also the highwater mark of the Eugenics movement and the Ku Klux Klan.

By Reggie Black, Vendor

Whether from the right, left, or center, their strategies were the same—appeal to the most vulnerable, the poor downtrodden masses that want to believe in a savior or hero. These fiery rhetoricians usually garnered support by appealing to ethnicity or expressing utopian visions such as “a chicken in every pot.”

Are today’s orators and demagogues any different? Is the isolationist rhetoric delivered by Rand Paul or Ted Cruz any different from that of Charles Lindberg or Robert Taft? Are the orations of Barack Obama and Al Sharpton any more beneficial to those who hunger, work, and toil than speeches from the communists and trade unions of the thirties?

It is safe to say the masses have been nothing more than useful idiots for the charismatic orators who use class warfare not to promote the most vulnerable, but to enrich themselves through television shows, political office, or administrative positions at foundations and nonprofits while the poor still must agitate, protest, and rally for jobs and justice.

Populism has always had appeal among the masses, whether it’s class warfare, us versus them, or the man of the people, but who is benefiting? It seems like more people are losing their jobs, homes, and prestige while these guys advance their agenda.

One has to shake his head in disbelief seeing the Wal-Mart mom arguing against living wages or gun lovers defending assault weapons. The left is just as misguided, wearing hoodies for Trayvon Martin while our black children shoot each other.

They are used as pawns for labor unions and civil rights leaders who protest for jobs that won’t necessarily go to them.

I believe the poor’s problems don’t stem from oppression, but from a failure to grasp economics. The poor are vulnerable because they are disorganized, disenfranchised and fight amongst themselves.

This leaves them vulnerable to smoothtalking demagogues who pump the poor with idealistic visions of utopia while they stay uneducated, misinformed and broke.

Power is in numbers. Truth is, if the poor put their change together, they could collectively create their own economic base, have their own lobbies, and form enterprises that hire people in their own community instead of degrading themselves and begging Wal-Mart and McDonalds for a living wage.

When the masses quit relying on rhetoric and learn to depend on instinct and intuition, they will no longer be heartbroken by these fiery orators who give passionate speeches that lead to bankruptcy and unemployment.

Marcus Garvey once said, “Liberate the minds of men and ultimately you will liberate the bodies of men.”

I truly believe there is no kinder words to say to someone than, “You can do it without my help.”

History has shown relying on others will leave you susceptible to a fire-breathing orator who doesn’t have your interest at heart and always leaves you mislead, uninformed and broke.

Finding Trash in Unlikely Places

By Cynthia Mewborn, Vendor

I recently noticed on 13th and L Streets NW, a number of trees adorned with trash.

It dawned on me that as the capital of the United States the United States, with 18.9 million tourists last year, it is despicable to find garbage hanging from branches just about every other block or so. As a homeless resident, I take great pride in this city and hope we all do.

So, when tourists visit our neighborhoods and see the trash, it tells them we don’t care about our city or our environment.

That is not the city I want to show them.

To witness trees such as our ginkgo, cherry, maple, and dogwood, to name a few, ornamented with all sorts of garbage sends the wrong message to our citizens and other visitors. This city should be the world’s cleanest. So, when I see the city’s

PHOTO BY CYNTHIA MEWBORN

licensed arborists trimming trees in my community but leaving the trash hanging from branches, I wonder whether they care about the trees or only about the money they’re making.

Trees are the most important and lifegiving tall plants on the planet; yet we don’t seem to care enough to care for

them properly. It seems as though every day we read about fires and floods that happen because trees were improperly or illegally removed. But we can prevent situations like this. I suggest the city pass a law requiring the arborists to remove all trash from trees during sprucing and trimming. This would beautify our city and help our trees live longer.

No one expects trash in trees. Yet we find it all over our neighborhoods. It’s time to ensure trees are given the tender loving care they need. And what better place to start than here? We need our trees and our trees need us. If we continue irresponsibly and recklessly cutting down our forests, we will have more dangerous fires and floods. If that happens, we may all be homeless. How we can prevent that? By respecting our trees.

Remember: Trees give us life. So let these magnificent creatures live!

In efforts to reduce the level of homelessness in Washington, D.C. advocates for the poor spend many hours attending meetings, listening for vital information that could affect the lives of the city’s most vulnerable residents.

But often, democracy can be a little frustrating. The issues that are so important to advocates do not always merit much mention by the higher-ups.

Robert Warren, executive director of People for Fairness Coalition, puts it this way.

“Sometimes I come down to the Wilson Building and I don’t understand the disconnect.”

I often have that same feeling.

Here is an example: on July 2 the Committee for Economic Development held a hearing about the Saint Elizabeth campus in Southeast Washington.

District leaders have enormous plans for the site. In a decade, they hope to see a $2.5 billion “Innovation Hub” on the grounds of the historic psychiatric hospital.

The project will require the demolition of some of the buildings that are currently located on the property. One of the structures is known as 801 East. It’s a yearround mens emergency shelter with 380 beds, run by Catholic Charities.

For the homeless men who depend on the shelter, the city’s plans for the redevelopment, and for that building, are a source of worry.

At the meeting, Councilwoman Muriel Bowser offered reassurances. She said there is no time limit on the shelter. Yet some men who stay at the shelter have reported that there is some kind of construction on the campus, contributing to their concerns.

One thing I can say for Bowser. She did not dismiss the idea the people need jobs.

She also said that if we really look at the numbers, homelessness can be addressed and that we can end it.

That is a place where she and Robert Warren see eye-to-eye. He often talks about the importance of ending homelessness. It particularly bothers him that lifelong District residents are being displaced by gentrification.

“I know guys that have been in this city all their life,” he likes to begin, as he describes the painful fact that native Washingtonians are being left homeless, or being pushed out of their own city. Some of them are elders, which reminds me of another meeting.

On July 3, advocates spoke before the DC Commission on Human Rights. They came armed with complaint forms from homeless seniors who feel that they have faced discrimination. What will happen to these complaints remains to be seen.

As usual, we advocates are waiting for answers.

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

The 50th Anniversary of Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged the March on Washington By Elizabeth Bryant, Vendor

By Gwynette Smith, Vendor I remember the original March on Washington and seeing all of the people assembled around the reflecting pool.

I could not go. I was a teenager then.

I knew how important the event was, though. So, when the anniversary march was scheduled, I became determined to go to it.

The day arrived and rain was forecast.

I carried my umbrella, and stopped by the library where jazz musicians were playing. Then I headed toward the mall. The walk was kind of long, and people began to converge, going in that direction.

As we got near the Washington Monument we saw people selling souvenirs. I bought one. We’d have to stop at times to move into the Lincoln Memorial area.

The rain was intermittent,and there was no large-screen TV to watch the program, but the stops were not for a long time.

Finally, we were there and I could hear very well. I was not very far from the stage. There was a large-screen TV too, and I could see the speakers. The speeches were stirring, interesting,and not drawn out. We were charged to not only consider ourselves, but to identify with the problems of others also. Together, if we care about each other, we can change the world, we were told, reaffirming what we already knew.

I was moved and grateful that I had gotten the chance to come and pay homage to those people who came many years ago to Washington, D.C., for the original march. Many had nowhere they could stop along the way, and they had to carry their food with them because of segregation.

Everything that has been accomplished in the civil rights era is because of them.

Unfortunately, there are still things to be done, including getting more jobs for people because over two million people in this country are presently unemployed.

It really bothers me to see the pain of people who are homeless. It’s painful to see, and I am glad when it’s over. I recovered from alcohol and drug addiction. I have been homeless myself and lived in shelters, but now I have an apartment. It makes me cry to see others experiencing what I’ve been through. Many people act like they can’t see homeless people.

You never know what the future may hold for you, though. Only God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ know. Ask yourself, do you think you are like them? You may not like someone today, but you may have to kiss their butt in the future to get what you need.

If you can’t accept people who are experiencing homelessness, how can you accept God? Recently, I was selling papers and a woman thought I was homeless. She said, “The homeless can help themselves.” I’m not homeless now, but for me and many others, Street Sense is a way for the homeless to help themselves.

You shouldn’t make assumptions about people’s circumstances. There is often a lot more to the story than you can see. Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged.

What I Think about Selling Street Sense Papers

By Charles Davis, Vendor

By Carlton “Inkflow” Johnson Vendor The immeasurable understanding Strongly comprehending, The totality within life’s mysteries Imagining perfection Unexplainable excitement entangled Delightful treasures…

(part 3)

By Jacqueline Turner, Vendor The reason that Ted and Ann’s son was in with adult company was because he got caught with a rock of crack cocaine he was holding for a friend. He knew it was wrong to do this, but that is what happened. Since he was 17, he was charged as an adult. He had no prior record and it was only $10 worth, but he still got 10 years.

So at the dinner, the atmosphere was down. Then Sally and Bill got blue because their daughter Sophie was having trouble with her baby coming. She refused to say who the father was. This should have been the point that the family’s stopped and prayed instead they drank and looked sad.

“Only Mike and Sophie knew the father’s name.

The four parents had no idea. Sophie and Mike have been sneaking around since When I am selling Street Sense papers, it motivates me a lot, especially when it comes to keeping my mind off being homeless. Being homeless makes me so miserable and bored.

The thing I like about selling papers is that it gets me ready for the online classes that I take. My classes are accounting and bookkeeping. It also keeps me going through and trying to get closer to God, the Almighty!

I always hope and pray that I excel at selling Street Sense, because some days are so long. But it’s all good, because no day selling Street Sense will be easy. So I try not to make it so hard. I appreciate selling Street Sense because I get a chance to meet a lot of new people. I like that, because I like meeting people. I hope that I will be around for a while. Sales is a good business to get into. God bless!

Force and Chaos

By Kenneth Middleton, Vendor My mind opens on a scene that is all too real. Wondering why I am here I force myself to become a person that finds order in chaos peace in overwhelming oddsand happiness in great grief. I walk through the paths that lay before me and I find peace in my chaos. I am a person of great power of mind and self control. With every path I conquer I become stronger and more at peace with myself.

Though I walk in chaos my heart sings of peace and tranquility and my mind reaches for absolute knowledge of the world around me.

Something Changes Immeasurable Excitement

A Modern Love Story

By Angie Whitehurst, Vendor

In the span of existence that comes and goes How often is it that something changes In some little way.

And what effect does one care Until, as they say, it comes to light Opened to bare.

The glare A blank stare Blinking eyes Suddenly aware and wide.

Good or bad, only gray matter can decide.

Something rare and now a norm Waiting for the storm tide to retreat and say Oh – that’s what it is today The change is here to stay.

What you thought What one did is passé.

Hello little something That changed life today.

Hip Hip Hooray – embrace the Day!

she was 13, and he was 15.”

Everyone looked forward to mail from Ted and Ann’s son, Mike. Mike was finding it hard to cope with being in jail. It was his first time away from home and he was feeling alone. He didn’t know who to trust. He made friends with a guy named Sam that had five years for robbery.

Sally and Bill’s daughter Sophie, fifteen and pregnant, gave them something to be down about. She was also keeping her baby’s father’s name to herself. Only Mike and Sophie knew the father’s name.

The four parents had no idea. Sophie and Mike had been sneaking around since she was 13 and he was 15. Their relationship could really hurt the two families; or even end their 20 year relationship.

(To Be Continued)

STREET SENSE September 25- October 8 2013

13

VENDOR WRITING

Today’s Joy

BEFORE THE RAIN PT 31:

What We Have Got Here is a Royal Mess!

By Phillip A. Howard, Vendor Today’s joy - fresh like roses in a garden.

Today’s joy - warmth of the morning sunlight.

Today’s joy - feelings of greatness.

Today’s joy - thanks to the Father above always.

By Chris Shaw, Vendor

In Memory of 9/11 – God Loves You All

By Tamika Staton, Vendor

On September 11, 2013, President Obama honored those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 with a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., the time that the first plane hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center. This month, we the people of the United States are honoring those who lost their lives and the military that helped us to save our country.

On the 9/11 anniversary, Mrs. Obama visited the USO Warrior and Family Center and the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Intrepid Spirit One, at Fort Belvoir.

She acknowledged the heroes that saved lives and thanked all the soldiers.

President Obama said in his remarks about 9/11, “They left this Earth. They slipped from our grasp. But it was written, ‘What the heart has once owned and had, it shall never lose.’ What your families lost in the temporal, in the here and now, is eternal.”

President Obama’s speech about the 9/11 attack makes me think back to when and where I was that day. First thing – I was devastated. My first thoughts were to stay strong and wonder who was going to get hit next. I pray every day that it will never happen again to America.

A Few Words

By Robert Warren, Vendor Oh, if I could say a few words about who we are. The pace and homelessness some don’t want to see; men and women, who do the strangest things. They talk and walk, would you believe; they work and read, they take care of their families, and they love to care for their children’s needs.

They sleep at night, under stars as they breathe. They eat lots of different foods, not always the healthiest things. They rise up from where they use to be, they have been trained to do many things. They live their lives in hope to live them doing things proper and believe in the Lord of all things. Strangers and strange people don’t believe if you take time to look, you’ll see what I mean. The poor and the homeless just might be like you and me if they had a home. They might not do such strange, strange things.

1986

By Harold T. Bomer, Vendor 1.Life as we know it has come to an end.

2. 2013, in my opinion is the year of government.

3.At the least, data trolls and information eating beast.

5.I have come from afar to be displayed as a technological martyr.

6.Not willing to go without a victory asking of not robots but the human race to bear with me.

7.The fight is within. Find it within yourselves to be better and exercise caution against aggression.

4.Try to control our action by manipulating how we think.

Our Condolences Lester L. Benjamin, Vendor

Our condolences from “Street Sense”, to the family and friends of the victims at the Navy Yard.

Losing a loved one is the hardest of all.

No sadness is greater, no grief is more real. Yet each heart that consoles and surrounds you with love is touched by the depth of the sorrow you feel… Although there is so little that anyone can say, may these heartfelt thoughts of sympathy help comfort you today. God Bless you all.

I find meaning in the words of an old song, Love Me Now: “If you’re ever going to love me, love me now, while I can know. All the sweet

PHOTO COURTESY OF USA TODAY

and tender feelings which form real affection flow. Love me now, while I am living; do not wait till I am gone. And then chisel it in marble … warm love words on ice cold stone. If you’ve dear, sweet thoughts about me, why not whisper them to me? Don’t you know it would make me happy and as glad as glad could be? If you wait till I am sleeping never to wake again, there’ll be walls of earth between us and I couldn’t hear you through. So, dear, if you love me any, if it’s but a little bit, Let me know it now while living; I can own and treasure it.” RIP, Navy Yard victims.

Well, when we last joined up with Lyndsey and Loomis, they were sort of side by side in provincial detention cells on the outskirts of Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Lyndsey was checking her stash in her stocking-(Cash that is), and Loomis was clearing his pipes, a-fixing to sing.

How they beat this kerfuffle, as we rejoin our dear Orleanians, pulling themselves up from a far greater disaster-- the aftermath of Katrina!

Missy Gaulinfat and Poseidon, over across Canal Street, are hanging the “Open” neon sign back up atop theirprecious Beauty-Torium. Mister Roger Purslane and his wife are positioning themselves on the section of their front porch that a wildly eager army of young volunteers have already rebuilt.

Professor Harkelius is, well, missing from his Chicken compound and big Bafuba is running the henhouses presently.

Legba and his disciples Victor and Ed are back in Girod cemetery, guarding some fresh graves.

Saint Roch Church and its garden of magic crosses and crutches have largely survived, though some of the little matchstick-and-beads ‘shrines’ did wash away.

Big Al, the trombonist, is wandering up and down Royale Street, in the Quarter, though no longer claiming to be planning a hookup with the James Brown show in Mobile.

Callie, our nursing student hopeful, lost her shotgun house in the Lower Ninth, but she is helping some hunky National Guardsmen clean and muck out some neighborhood block frontage.

Algiers Island, the Louis Armstrong Statue, and Bobby’s Clip Joint are yet standing--Galatoire’s will shortly re-open; Et Vive La Frontage!!

(To Be Continued)

Love

By David Denny, Vendor It dwarfs all of the galaxies Shines brighter than stars above Its breadth surpasses the oceans and rivals the flight of the dove It’s the answer to all of my questions The song angels sing It’s the mission of every cherub And the wafting grace of each wing It’s a mixture of bliss and happiness Added with joy from above Stirred in with truth and affection That makes up this thing called love

I TOLD YOU SO

By Michael Bennett, Volunteer A GASSING GRILL THE OVEN STOVE A POTENT PILL OF BURNING LOVE A BUCKET LIST A THINKING THOUGHT IS THIS A FIGHT THAT SHOULD BE FOUGHT A GIFT TO GIVE, TO SAVE A LIFE FOREVER MAN, FOREVER WIFE BACK IN THE DAY OF SON OF SAM OF WATERGATE, OF VIETNAM THE HIPPIE HOPE SO SAD TO SAY SOME ANSWERS IN A HANGING ROPE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS HE HAD A DREAM SO MANY DIE, SO MANY FIGHTS TO SAY IT BEST,TO SOON A DEATH MARTIN,JOHN AND MALCOLM X THERE WAS A MAN WHO GAVE US HOPE HE MADE US FANS OF ROPE A DOPE UNTOUCH THE WAYS OF WILLIE MAYS OF JACKIE R, THE DISCO DAYS AND YES THE WAR IN VIETNAM WHAT WAS IT FOR?,THEY GAVE A DAMM? A 33,A 45,THE HOOLAHOOP THE JAWS OF JIVE A TERROR STRIKE AND HUNGER RULES THE PRICE OF NIKE,THEY BREAK THE RULES AND SO I FEAR HOW ARE WE HERE? TO HAVE SOME KOOKS TO BUILD THEIR NUKES? TO SOME SO FUN, TO SHOOT A GUN ABORTION WAVES,KILLING OUR BABES I'LL MAKE A MAP WHERE DO I STOP? AND ENDLESS FLOW THE CLUELESS CROP GROWING TO GROW THE SIGHT OF FROOTPRINTS IN THE SAND TRUE POWER IN US HOLDING HANDS I'LL WALK AWAY WON'T LET IT GO SO SAD TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO

Adaptability and Comprehension

By James Featherson, Volunteer After years in the U.S. Army being trained by the Green Berets, we learned to be Paratroopers, speak another language and trained for weeks in the damn rain during Monsoon season to live off the land, and eat raw snake. It’s all a test of your ability to stand if you are captured.

“This is how waterboards feel like,” the Special Warfare Instructor said. Perhaps Charles Darwin who spoke of evolution was right; it is not the strongest species that survive, but the species that adapt to change. One must adapt to the situation otherwise you do not survive, you just exist.

You must be able to hold a job, and not make the same mistakes over and over again. For some, it’s a day to day, week to week struggle just to get by. Carrying all your past problems around you (hate) and no peace of mind, no respect for others, no discipline, just never ending hate.

The mind that cannot adapt to change will always be struggling. It is important to note, however, that you must always be focused on the change of events that go on around you.

Justified or not, you must adapt. It’s priority number one on my list. Not being focused, you never have peace; you are a lost soul out there on the streets (the mean streets) just existing, that is all.

Just running away from life, running away from love, running away from responsibility. According to Sigmund Freud, no one is totally sane: some are more sane than others. Think about it, always screaming with anger. A mind that malfunctions is an undisciplined mind - a lifetime of struggle just to hold on, preparing oneself to take on the work to be optimistic (I will make things better for myself) despite all the bad things around me. I will move on to a better life. Staying away from psychological hardship, and may God walk with you always.

James Featherson is a former vendor of Street Sense.

By Tammy Karuza, Volunteer Jamie Rich, leader of the Arron Lake Baptist Church Celebrate Recovery Program, continued to tell his story of hitting rock bottom. “By this time I had four DUIs, I was in and out of jail more times than I can even think of, totaled vehicles, almost killed people, I had lost my wife, I lost my kids from my addiction -- just a total wreck. I was ready to end my own life.” He sought help through various venues; self-help groups, rehab centers, and psychologists.

None of it seemed to work. Then, one night in February Jamie had enough, making the fateful decision which would eventually lead him to the point of helping others going down the same road, and even some going down a different selfdestructive path.

Though they were separated at the time, he called his wife, Amy, in his moment of desperation. “She said ‘I can’t help you, but I know someone who can, and His name is Jesus Christ.’ Life’s just

never been the same since.” He still wondered, however, what made him go down the path he did, a need that would burn inside him until, at long last he utilized Step Study class, an innovative concept of Celebrate Recovery (CR), wherein one peels away the contrived layers under which they’ve buried the pain. “It forced me to do some steps to get to a point in my recovery that I understood why I turned to the drugs and alcohol. It was very exciting to me that I had some closure.”

Jamie and his wife, Amy, knew early on that they wanted to bring the benefits of CR to their home church and so began attending at Destiny Now on Owen Drive.

Amy, is a small group leader, as well as a training coach. A working mom of two teenage daughters, she is very active in her church. She originally became involved with CR because of Jamie. “He was jacked up,” she chuckled. “I was going to help him with his problems, but I quickly learned that I had my own problems.” (to be continued)

Live and Learn

By Sybil Taylor, Vendor

Life is a struggle and attack Life is tough and rough Life is good, and exciting Life is a challenge, a way of life.

You learn from all your mistakes not to make The same mistakes as you made before.

Live the life you want and be happy.

Give God the praises for another beautiful day.

There are sad and unhappy times for everyone.

Those that we love, who mistreated us when We had nowhere to run, nowhere to go.

Life is a sad thing when nobody cares about you.

Remember to hang in there through life Disappointments remember to hold your head up high When things don’t quite go your way. Be proud And smile and say Thank you LORD for keeping Me strong and alive.

Live and learn by everything you ever Done wrong or right in life. Through relationships, Everyday living, jobs, careers, and goals to achieve.

Love and honesty.

Your best days ever Your worst days ever Happiest

And saddest Days ever

Spotlight: September/October Events

COMMUNITY SERVICES

By Tamika Staten, Vendor •University of the District of Columbia Community College CAAB Capital Area Asset Builders “Can I Afford My Life?”

Monday, Sept. 16, 2013- Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013 2:00pm- 4:00pm or 4:30pm-6:30pm Washington, DC 20032 •Crowdfunding for Nonprofits Trainings DCPCA Friday, September 27,2013 9:30am-1:00pm DC Dept. of Health 899 North Capitol Street NE 4th Floor Room #406-407 Washington DC 20002 •The Laramie Project -Ford’s Theatre September 27-October 27,2013 1998 Murder of Matthew Shepard- A young gay man living in Laramie Wyoming Performance

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

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

Calvary Women’s Services: 678-2341 1217 Good Hope Road, SE calvaryservices.org

Catholic Charities: 772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp

Charlie’s Place: 232-3066 1830 Connecticut Ave, NW charliesplacedc.org

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

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

Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place: 364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave, NW cchfp.org

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

•The 6th Annual Tenat Summit Saturday, September 28,2013 8:00am-5:00pm Lunch and registration The Kellogg Conference Center at Gallaudet University 800 Florida Ave, NE Washington DC, 20002 •A Tribute to Past and Present Leaders of the African Diaspora Monday, September 30, 2013 6:00pm-10:00pm Howard Theatre 620 T Street, NW Washington DC, 20001 RSVP: http://bit.ly/doafricanheritage (202)727-5634

Housing/Shelter

Clothing

Outreach

Transportation

Education

Legal Assistance

Food

Showers

Medical/Healthcare

Laundry

Employment Assistance DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH ACCESS HOTLINE 1-888-7WE HELP (1-888-793-4357)

•Get Hired! Careers at Community of Hope Sign up! October 3, 2013 6:30pm- 8:30pm 1840 14th St NW Washington DC 20009

SHELTER HOTLINE: 1–800–535–7252

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New York Ave Shelter: 832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave, NE

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

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

Food and Friends: 269-2277 219 Riggs Rd, NE foodandfriends.org (home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc)

Foundry Methodist Church: 332-4010 1500 16th St, NW foundryumc.org/ministry-opportunities ID (FRIDAY 9-12 ONLY)

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

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

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

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

Community of Hope: 232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

15

STREET SENSE September 25 - October 8, 2013

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

Open Door Shelter: 639-8093 425 2nd St, NW newhopeministriesdc.org/id3.html

Rachel’s Women’s Center: 682-1005 1222 11th St, NW rachaels.org

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

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

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

Subscribe to Street Sense 1 Year: $40 2 Years: $80 3 Years: $120 I want half of my purchase to benefit a vendor directly Vendor Name

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

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

Vendor Badge # Name

Address Phone

WHAT:

Bringing the Story Home is the gala event of the decade, celebrating Street Sense’s 10 years of service and supporting our mission to elevate voices and create economic opportunities.

Silent Auction & Gala Event Heavy hors d’oeuvres / Open Bar Business/Cocktail Attire Buy Tickets Now @ StreetSense.org/gala

StreetSense.org/gala

WHEN:

Thursday, October 10 6pm

WHERE:

Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square 801 K Street NW Washington, DC 20001

We are honoring:

Founder’s

Good Neighbor

Award

Award

Street Sense: Ten Years of Transformations at Washington’s Crossroads From its inception, Street Sense has been helping men and women experiencing homelessness help themselves, while also informing the public about the issues this population faces. About a dozen vendors worked to sell the first paper we published in November 2003. They left behind the dehumanizing labor and invisibility of panhandling to become the self-employed sales force and ambassadors for a new and innovative newspaper. But the pages of Street Sense have always been more than a product homeless men and women

can sell. The newspaper is an amplifier for their creativity, views and life stories.

Street Sense has also been about the business of building common ground between lives separated by housing status and economics. In a city too often divided into haves and have-nots — and with the misconceptions and false stereotypes that separation perpetuates — our hope is that this common ground could be a starting point for building a better, more just community. We believe that each time a customer learns something from an article in

September 25 - October 8, 2013 • Volume 10 • Issue 23

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW

Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Washington, DC

Washington, DC 20005

Mail To:

Permit #568

Remember, buy only from badged vendors and do not give to those panhandling with one paper.

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

the paper, is moved by a poem written by a homeless poet, or has a conversation with a vendor at a Washington crossroads, we all move closer to that better day when chronic homelessness is a part of our history, but not our present.

More than 500 homeless men and women have followed in the path those first vendors paved. Another 500-plus volunteers have helped write and edit articles, work in the office and plan special events. Well over 100 aspiring journalists and graphic designers have completed semester long internships with us. And for ten years, you, our loyal readers and donors alike, have all said “keep the presses rolling.”

We heard you. And thanks to our dedicated staff with contributions from the many vendors and volunteers, Street Sense has delivered new issues on time — every single time — once a month for our first four years, and every two weeks since.

What lies ahead for the next ten years of Street Sense? We are working hard to help our vendors transition toward housing and health care faster. We are looking to me-

dia beyond the newspaper – including public forums and theater – to convey the story of homelessness. We hope to expand our distribution and coverage umbrella into the suburbs. And we plan to expand our internship program to include youth and young adults who have experienced homelessness.

From the moment we conceived Street Sense to the moment you bought the issue you hold in your hands, we have relied on the generosity of readers like you to support our vendors and programs and spread our message. You are an integral part of the collaborative team that is Street Sense.

This October 10, we will celebrate our Decade of Impact in the nation’s capital and all the opportunities that lie ahead for our future. Please join us! For more information, visit www.streetsense.org/gala.

Gratefully yours, Laura Thompson-Osuri, Co-founder Ted Henson, Co-founder Brad Scriber, President Brian Carome, Executive Director

L. Morrow - 9/28