10 07 2015

$2

Volume 12: Issue 24 October 7 - 20, 2015

Street

suggested donation

sense

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

Housing First:

Who Gets Left Behind?

pg 7

Mentorship a powerful tool

for fathers in Southeast D.C. pg 4

New Arlington Service Center

unparalleled in D.C. Metro Area pg 5

Our v e exper ndor/artis ts ie Pope nces with ’ Franc is pgs 8 -9

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 or poverty in our community.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES www.StreetSense.org •

•

Sounds From the Street Ep. 9 features the second half of Angie Whitehurst’s interview, where she talks about the power of art: StreetSense.org/audio In Case You Missed It: H o wa rd U n i ve rs i t y T V (WHUT)partnered with The United Planning Organization to host a forum on poverty and the media: StreetSense.org

COVER ART

One of many people experiencing homelessness in Northwest Washington, D.C. where Georgetown Ministry Center completes outreach runs.

PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA PAMIAS

ADVERTISE WITH US streetsense.org/ advertise

SOCIAL A new issue comes out every two weeks, but you can stay connected to Street Sense every day!

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 an independant contractor for Street Sense. That means he or she reinvests in the organization with every purchase.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Margaret Chapman, Margaret Jenny, Elizabeth Canizares, Reed Sandridge, Max Gaujean, Heidi Keller, Robyn Kerr, Jeremy Scott, Jennifer Park, Martin Totaro, John Senn, Anne Willis

Vendors purchase the paper for 50 cents/issue, which will then be sold to you for a suggested donation of $2.

Street Sense publishes the newspaper.

75% 75% supports the vendors helping them overcome homelessness and poverty.

Street Sense

Vendors buy the newspaper for 50 cents each.

&

25% 25% 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

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.

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.

© STREET SENSE, INC 2015

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Brian Carome EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Eric Falquero SALES & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Jeffrey Gray VENDOR & SALES MANAGER Josh Maxey COORDINATOR OF EVENTS & AUDIENCE ENGATEMENT Shira Hereld INTERNS Olivia Aldridge, Lindsey Habenicht, Victoria Jones, Alexandra Pamias VENDORS Shuhratjon Ahamadjonov, Gerald Anderson, Charles Armstrong, Lawrence Autry, Daniel Ball, Aida Basnight, Roberta Bear, Phillip Black, Reginald Black, Melanie Black, Phillip Black Jr., Maryann Blackmon, Viktor Blokhine, Debora Brantley, Andre Brinson, Donald Brown, Joan Bryant, Elizabeth Bryant, Brianna Butler, Melody Byrd, Conrad Cheek, Aaron Colbert, Anthony Crawford, Walter Crawley, Kwayera Dakari, James Davis, Clifton Davis, Charles Davis, David Denny, James DeVaughn, Ricardo Dickerson, Dennis Diggs, Alvin Dixon-El, Ronald Dudley, Charles Eatmon, Deana Elder, Julie Ellis, Jemel Fleming, Chon Gotti, Marcus Green, Barron Hall, Tyrone Hall, Richard Hart Lorrie Hayes, Patricia Henry, Jerry Hickerson, Ray Hicks, Rachel Higdon, Ibn Hipps, Phillip Howard, Leonard Hyater, Joseph Jackson, Carlton Johnson, Donald Johnson, Harold Johnson, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, Morgan Jones, Linda Jones, Darlesha Joyner, Juliene Kengnie, Kathlene Kilpatrick, Hope Lassiter, John Littlejohn, James Lott, Scott Lovell, Michael Lyons, Jimmy M. Ken Martin, Joseph Martin, Kina Mathis, Michael Lee Matthew, Authertimer Matthews, Charlie Mayfield, Jermale McKnight, Jeffery McNeil, Ricardo Meriedy, Cynthia Mewborn, Kenneth Middleton, Cecil More, L. Morrow, Evelyn Nnam, Moyo Onibuje, Earl Parkin, Lucifer Potter, Ash-Shaheed Rabil, Henrieese Roberts, Anthony Robinson, Doris Robinson, Raquel Rodriquez, Lawrence Rogers, Joseph Sam, Chris Shaw, Patty Smith, Smith Smith, Gwynette Smith, Ronald Smoot, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens James Stewart, Beverly Sutton, Sybil Taylor, Archie Thomas, Shernell Thomas, Craig Thompson, Eric Thompson-Bey, Sarah TurleyColin, Carl Turner, Jacqueline Turner, Leon Valentine, Grayla Vereen, Ron Verquer, Martin Walker, Michael Warner, Robert Warren, Angelyn Whitehurst, William Whitsett, Wendell Williams, Sasha Williams, Judson Williams III, Ivory Wilson, Denise Wilson, Charles Woods

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

Address Phone

STREET SENSE October 7 - 20, 2015

3

NEWS IN BRIEF

Advocates Visualize Victory for Homeless Vets

By Olivia Aldridge Editorial Intern Representatives of The Way Home campaign delivered clear buckets of plastic army men to District council members in their Wilson Building offices on Thursday, October 1. Each toy represented a homeless veteran living in the District. The Way Home will return to remove army men from each buckets every month equal to the number of homeless veterans that have been successfully housed. By the end of this year, organizers hope for the buckets to be empty.

The Way Home, comprised of partners from various D.C. organizations as well as cabinet-level officials, has a stated goal to end chronic homelessness in Washington by 2017. That means housing everyone who “has been homeless repeatedly, or for years, and struggles with a chronic health condition.” By targeting a specific subset of the chronically homeless, The campaign hopes to provide a model for how to end chronic homelessness in the District at large.

YES!

“We’re just super excited to see that this is possible, and I think it shows that if we work together we can eliminate chronic, and then family, and then youth homelessness," said Jill Carmichael, U.S. Director at National Community Church and a leader of The Way Home campaign. "It’s just a stepping stone to ending all of homelessness.”

This effort’s success would affirm the District Interagency Council on Homelessness’ (ICH) Homeward DC 5-year plan to end homelessness, as well as Mayor Bowser’s proposed $18.7 million toward the initiative for FY 2016. The Way Home has urged the D.C. Council to invest $5.1 million more so that they can achieve their 2017 goal of ending chronic homelessness.

Over the past 23 months, The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness has tracked homeless veterans with 49 partner agencies through a Coordinated Entry system. Participating organizations are trained to provide a

common assessment of homeless individuals that make contact with the organization using D.C.’s Homeless Management Information System. Based on the assessment, individuals deemed to have the highest vulnerability to injury or death are prioritized for permanent supportive housing solutions, including 30-35 percent of assessed veterans.

According to counts with this methodology, 354 veterans were in need of housing at the end of July, down from 757 in January. By the end of August, 284 were in need. To represent this decrease, each councilmember was asked to count out and remove 70 army men from their bucket at the distribution event.

“We’re really confident, because we know that we have a list of who these 284 are,” said Jesse Rabinowitz, Advocacy Specialist at Miriam’s Kitchen and a leader for The Way Home campaign.

The effort to find permanent supportive housing for the most vulnerable indi-

viduals is in line with the Housing First method, which operates under the philosophy that homeless individuals should be housed before being forced to pursue other goals, such as sobriety or treatment for mental health issues.

At the distribution event, Rabinowitz shared the story of one such individual, a Vietnam War veteran named Andrew.

Before Pathways to Housing helped him find housing through the Housing First approach, Andrew spent 40 years sleeping on park benches in the District. Now housed, Andrew has finally received the help from his mental health provider that he has needed. According to Rabinowitz, Andrew and other recently housed veterans will accompany The Way Home to the Wilson building each month to share their stories and, hopefully, watch the buckets be depleted.

Knowing these individuals’ names and backgrounds, the ICH and The Way Home understand that there is no one-sizefits-all solution to housing for a diverse homeless population. To help represent this diversity, The Way Home recognized homeless female veterans as well. Because female toy soldiers are not commercially manufactured, The Way Home used a 3D printer to produce several female soldiers for each bucket. White instead of green, they stand out.

If the goal to end veteran homelessness is met by the end of 2015, then The Way Home will move on to chronic homelessness by 2017 and then all homelessness by 2020.

Success to the ICH would mean that homelessness in the District is “rare, brief (that those who do become homeless are housed within 60 days), and non-recurring.”

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

Southeast Community Leaders Recognized at National Conference

By Jonas Schau and Olivia Aldridge Editorial Interns Jamycheal Mitchell.

IMAGE COURTESY OF IFREEPRESS.COM

Mentally Ill Inmate Dies at Virginia Jail

By Alexandra Pamias Editorial Intern On August 19, A mentally ill inmate died in a Virginia jail while he waited to be sent to a mental institution, reported the Washington Post. At age 24, Jamycheal Mitchell was sent to Hampton Roads Regional Jail after stealing $5 worth of products from a 7-11. The theft of a Zebra Cake, a Mountain Dew and a Snickers Bar sent this unstable young man to his death.

Other inmates reported seeing Mitchell naked and covered in his own filth as he displayed increasing signs of severe mental illness. He refused to eat and take his medication but the jail denies any wrong doing.

The theft of a Zebra Cake, a Mountain Dew and a Snickers Bar sent this unstable young man to his death.

Officials claim that Mitchell was treated like any other patient and perhaps that was the issue at hand: Mitchell was not the average inmate. He had mental issues and needed proper treatment and living quarters.

After Mitchell was diagnosed by a psychologist on May 30, Portsmouth General District Court Judge Morton V. Whitlow ordered for Mitchell to be sent to Eastern State Hospital for treatment. But the hospital had no beds available for him, so he stayed in jail.

Officials in Virginia say that there are 89 mentally ill inmates waiting to be sent to appropriate facilities. The overall number of mentally ill inmates has increased over the years, as have psychiatric admissions to hospitals.

There are 10 times more mentally ill people in jails and prisons than there are in mental hospitals nationwide, according to The Treatment Advocacy Center. Jails and prisons are not equipped to treat these patients properly, which leads to tragedies like this.

When Christopher Wiggins, 26, was released from incarceration, he knew it would be difficult to raise his two young children without making some changes himself. That’s where the Smart from the Start program came in.

Upon entering Smart from the Start’s office in Woodland Terrace—a D.C. Housing Authority community that has experienced enough violent crime recently to merit 24-hour police protection—a clean and colorful living room grabs your attention. Bright red plush couches contrast to the building’s dull exterior. Several play rooms and a closet full of books donated by the First Book foundation make it seem like a daycare at first glance.

However, Smart from the Start is geared toward the whole family. The third floor is dedicated to parents, and includes relaxation area, a computer lab where various classes are offered and even an area where mothers receive prenatal and postpartum counseling. “[Smart from the Start] works exclusively with low-income families to provide them with the skills, resources and tools they need so we can prevent the academic achievement gap for young children, but also start breaking cycles of poverty and chronic school underachievement," said Kathleen Chapman, manager of Smart from the Start's special projects and strategic relationships. "So we do a very holistic approach,” Chapman called the involvement of parents in child education Smart from the Start’s “secret sauce.” By energizing family units, she said they hoped to bring energy, light, and hope to the Woodland Terrace area.

“While our focus is early education and preparing the children, we know that it's not sustainable if the family isn’t thriving," Chapman said. "So we invest a lot in parenting programs too, to really make sure that the parent is accomplishing their short term and long term goals towards self sufficiency.”

A prominent example of their investment in parents is the Leadership, Empowerment, and Advocacy Program (LEAP), the goal of which is to empower young fathers in low-income communities through education and job readiness. This was the door-opener for Wiggins and fellow participant Markel Dinkins, also a formerly incarcerated young father.

Both men participated in a three-week mentorship program called Project Empowerment, where mentor Paul Thomas, hired in partnership with the Office of

Markel Dinkins and Christopher Wiggins traveled to New Orleans for the A Gathering of Leaders conference focused on empowering young men of color.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DC HOUSING AUTHORITY

Returning Citizens and the Department of Employment Services, trained them in eco-friendly cleaning to make the pair more competitive in the job market.

When Wiggins and Dinkins proved their leadership skills through these avenues, the D.C. Children’s Trust, which funds LEAP, provided them with scholarships to attend a conference in New Orleans, Louisiana focused on the empowerment of men of color. They joined a group which consisted of representatives from various D.C. organizations hoping to share their perspectives and bring new strategies back to the District.

Before Dinkins and Wiggins left for the conference, Chapman gave them a piece of advice: “You have that real experience and that’s irreplaceable and such a big value. So don’t be afraid to speak up,” she told them.

Wiggins and Dinkins reflected on the conference in personal interviews.

"It wasn't difficult to speak up, because people were so interested in our story."

Wiggins said, "I was trying to be interested in their story!”

Dinkins noted that many of the other conference attendees were interested to hear from them the reality of low-income community life. He was surprised by the attitude of attendees from older generations than him.

“I thought we were going to learn from them, but they were coming to learn from the youth,” he said.

The conference speakers stressed the importance of sharing wisdom across generations. Both Wiggins and Dinkins expressed their eagerness to become leaders within their community in order to pre-

vent younger generations from falling into cycles of low education and achievement, citing mentorship and leadership as key needs in their neighborhood.

“If they could follow you through the wrong times, I know they can follow you through the good times and just make this community a better place,” Wiggins said, confident in Woodland Terrace’s potential.

Wiggins and Dinkins have received many reactions from their friends and family since joining Smart from the Start, especially when they received the opportunity to go to the New Orleans conference. Most were surprised, but ultimately supportive of their strides toward becoming Woodland Terrace leaders.

“If I keep pushing, if all of us keep pushing, we can make a big difference to the youth under us,” Dinkins said.

This month Wiggins and Dinkins will have the opportunity to be the “tour guides” in their own city. In October, the two men will speak as panelists at the National Black Child Development Conference about young fatherhood in this generation. Chapman is confident the conference will be enriched by having them onboard.

“Smart from the Start will be talking about our model and mission, and Markel and Christopher about the vision they see for their communities and for their children,” she said.

Wiggins and Dinkins continue to participate in Smart from the Start programs, as do their children. The conference was a chance for the two to network and open themselves up to future opportunities.

They agreed that while the New Orleans trip was their first plane ride, it would not be the last.

STREET SENSE October 7 - 20, 2015

See more photos from the center in our gallery on StreetSense.org

One of five respite beds at the new center.

PHOTO BY MATAILONG DU

5

NEWS

Elizabeth sits at her bunk in the new Homeless Services Center in Arlington, Virginia.

PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA PAMIAS

Computer lab for service center clients.

PHOTO BY MATAILONG DU

Arlington Center First of Its Kind in DMV Area

By Mark Rose Volunteer Arlington County, Virginia has opened a new 24-hour center for homeless residents of the county in downtown Arlington, near the Courthouse Metro. The new center gathers together under the same roof facilities for providing food, shelter, a full-time nurse practitioner with medical respite program, counseling and job training. All of that cuts down on the amount of time needed to move someone from homelessness to having housing.

Beforehand, Arlington depended upon a homeless shelter that was open only five months during the winter. Arlington’s old services for their homeless clients were cumbersome compared to the everything-under-one-roof arrangement the new center enables. The old winter shelter is only a block from the new comprehensive center.

An estimated 400 county dignitaries and citizens attended the October 1 grand opening. The county’s state Congressional delegation and Congressman Donald Beyer attended.

All officials who spoke said Arlington reached this milestone, though delayed by construction setbacks, by making homelessness a government priority. County Board Chairman J. Walter Tejada reminded everyone that ending homelessness is part of the county’s 10-year plan.

“We ran for election because we wanted to make a difference,” Tejada told the assembled crowd. “We’ve had a good number of people take on leadership with this in Arlington; we need a safety net for our most vulnerable people.”

The new $9.68 million center is the only one of its kind in the Washington region, according to a fact sheet provided by Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network (A-SPAN) - the nonprofit contracted by county government to run the center.

Kathleen Sibert, CEO of A-SPAN, said the new facility is not the “endgame,” but a bridge to independence. A-SPAN’s fact sheet says these new resources will enable

them to end veteran and chronic homelessness by the end of 2016.

The center provides 50 year-round beds, as well as 25 additional winter hypothermia prevention beds and five medical respite beds.

On a recent walk-through, bedrooms, bathrooms, eating area and counseling areas were painted with bright, pleasant, inviting colors. There is an emphasis on opening up spaces to be larger and more welcoming. ASPAN Senior Director of Development Scott Miller said the bright, open, naturally lit spaces don’t cost any more than the fluorescent lighting used in most office buildings.

The Center occupies the second and third floors of an office building that will eventually also house county government agencies.

During its approval process, many residents of nearby condominium buildings fiercely opposed the center. At public hearings they proclaimed to fear loiterers on the premises of their condos as well as sexual predators accosting them as they walked to the Metro two blocks away.

The county’s response was to build an eight-foot wall that separates the shelter’s back door from the nearest condominium building. There will also be a security guard patrolling the grounds from 4 p.m. to midnight, and continuously monitored security cameras.

The price tag for all this is shared among Arlington County, which has put up $1.3 million, A-SPAN, which has managed to gather $2 million, federal funds and private donors.

The services are restricted to Arlington County residents; those from elsewhere are directed to services provided by their home jurisdictions. All new entrants have 96 hours to provide documentation that they are Arlington County residents.

According to A-SPAN’s fact sheet, the Arlington community saves 50 percent by moving somebody into a home rather than their staying homeless. It costs the county $45,000 each year for a person to live on the street. That amount is cut to $22,000 when that person is housed. The A-SPAN program served more than 1,600 people annually before the new center opened.

Residents interviewed for this story emphasized they are within reach of their own housing and/or jobs because they didn’t give up on themselves or their lives. Each one especially swore by the efforts of their caseworkers at the center.

Elizabeth was in an abusive relationship with a man she described as strictly friendly while she lived with him and his son. The man was a crack cocaine addict.

She paid him $600/month for what she understood to be a rent-sharing arrangement. She made money walking dogs. The

Shameka stands in the doorway of the room she shares with another resident at the Homeless Service Center in Arlington, Virginia. PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA PAMIAS

man told Elizabeth after a while that he needed to move to the West Coast to care for a sick relative.

She described that the relationship had gotten so bad that, “Either I was going to kill him or he was going to kill me.”

Shortly after he left, police came to the door and told Elizabeth she needed to leave because the couple was several months behind on rent. They also said her “friend” was a con man who had used the money she gave him for rent to fuel his addiction.

Elizabeth knew she needed help. She has a bad knee, neck and back. In addition to the physical pain she said, “my soul hurts a lot … from what I see on the street.”

Several of Elizabeth’s friends recommended A-SPAN, which is well-known for its work in the Arlington community. Like other occupants interviewed, she said the A-SPAN case managers and workers have helped her a lot and treated her like a person rather than one of society’s misbegotten.

Elizabeth wants badly to have new housing. She said she’d be living under a bridge if it weren’t for A-SPAN. Another client, Shameka, found out about A-SPAN through the Arlington Social Services office. She is looking for part-time work at Burlington Coat Factory and Goodwill.

The medications prescribed to Shameka for manic-bipolar disorder and manic depression should not be combined. So she doesn’t take any, although she does see a psychiatrist regularly.Shameka was kicked out of her apartment in Arlington for failure to pay rent.

She was also quick to praise A-SPAN’s employees.

“They are not quick to bash you for having issues; they’re willing to help if you’re willing to help yourself,” Shameka said.

Shameka thinks she’d be living on somebody’s floor if it weren’t for A-SPAN. According to her, everybody needs to make sacrifices to get themselves where they need to be.

“Don’t ever give up,” she said. “You push and fight for what you want; that’s it.”

THE POLLS ARE IN: Ivy City Continues to Call for Community Center Colored stickers were used at a recent Our RFP meeting for community members to visually vote how they want the Alexander Crummel School space to be used. The majority on each board showed a preference for a recreation/community center public use, public space that encourages active use - such as a playground, and no space used for developement. The city expects to solicit RFPs for the site this fall.

Read the full story on StreetSense.org!

PHOTOS BY COLLEEN COSGRIFF

Ralliers: Addiction an Urgent Heatlh Crisis

By Victoria Jones Editorial Intern Tens of thousands of people from all around the country converged to help people recover from drug addiction at the biggest rally of its kind on Sunday, October 4. UNITE to Face Addiction brought these individuals and over 700 partner organizations together for the first time on the National Mall in order to destigmatize drug addiction.

Many advocates stuck around to visit Capitol Hill the next day and lobby congress for healthcare solutions to addiction and pathways back to the workforce for people convicted of addiction-related crimes.

Drug addiction is one of America’s biggest and most hidden health crises. Addiction affects about 22 million Americans with more than 350 lives lost each day to alcohol and other drug problems, according to rally organizers. Twenty-three million more Americans are in recovery.

The rally not only brought a huge crowd to talk about their experience with drug addiction, but the kickoff concert also brought celebrities, politicians, and inspirational speakers to share their personal experience with addiction.

Artists such as Steven Tyler, Joe Walsh, and Sheryl Crow performed. Numerous other public figures—Television host Dr. Oz, Congressman Patrick Kennedy and Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld to name a few¬—spoke about their personal experience with drug and alcohol addiction or that of someone close to them who has been struggling with addiction.

Rally organizers called for change and more laws and legislation that will get addicts the treatment and resources they need to overcome the disease, instead of sending them to jail without treatment.

“Together we must find solutions to the addiction crisis and put a face on the hope that survivors offer,” Dr. Oz said during the rally.

One of the common themes among speakers was that drug addiction does not discriminate and it can happen to every-

one, no matter their social class, race, gender, or any other distinguishing feature.

Everyone wanted drug addiction to be recognized as the disease that it is and to be able to receive treatment for it at any time just like you would be able to do for cancer or diabetes. In order to achieve this, many of the political figures that spoke talked about different laws that they introduced or worked on to help get drug addiction treated like any other disease.

President Obama even addressed the crowd via video to discuss what he and Congress are doing to help those who are facing addiction. Before the event was over, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy announced that he will be conducting the country’s first ever report on drug addiction - a huge win for the UNITE To Face Addiction organizers and participants.

On Monday, October 5, Advocacy Day participants and volunteers met with their state representatives to give personal testimonies on addiction and why there should be more legislation on the matter.

Requests included getting treatment to— and insurance coverage for—those in need and helping nonviolent drug offenders get out of jail and back to being a functioning part of society.

Patricia Wilder, who has been in recovery/clean for 25 years, came from Secaucus, New Jersey for Advocacy Day. Wilder is very passionate about early prevention and education for children, so they won’t fall into the disease of addiction later in life.

“It’s imperative that we begin to reach as many young people as we can as quickly as we can, so early intervention and prevention is absolutely necessary going into elementary schools, high schools, and colleges,” Wilder said. “You can send your child off to college and they can pick up their first drink, their first drug, their prescription, crystal meth, and get swallowed into the disease of addiction.”

Elisa Hertzan was another advocate from Summit, New Jersey who is a part of The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD). Hertzan recently became an advocate a few

months ago after facing five years of her daughter being addicted to heroin, going through re-entry after prison and not receiving treatment while in prison.

“Living with this nightmare for five years has become my motivation to become an advocate,” Hertzan said. “Many advocacy groups like NCADD were encouraged to come here by the UNITE to Face Addiction organization. We were asked to volunteer to meet with our legislators and senators to pass the CARA Act and the REDEEM Act.” The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) expands prevention and education efforts and promotes treatment and recovery, according to CADCA.org. It was introduced in February, sponsored by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI], and referred to the Committee of the Judiciary.

The Record Expungement Designed to Enhance Employment (REDEEM) Act calls for the sealing or expungement of records relating to Federal nonviolent criminal offenses. It was introduced in March, sponsored by Representative Chaka Fattah (D-PA-2).

“Reducing recidivism and keeping kids from a life of crime will improve economic output, save money by driving down incarceration rates, and make our communities safer,” reads the official website of New Jersey Senator Cory Booker in reference to the REDEEM Act. Psychiatrist Carla Hammond, from Piscataway, New Jersey came to Advocacy Day to support bills that will get people treatment, to address the severe opioid epidemic in New Jersey, and to help addicts get better access to treatment and mental health services. Hammond is board certified in addiction medicine and is a part of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

“We’re really trying to get people better access to suboxone and other treatment like methadone, outpatient treatment programs, and mental health parity: where the mental health providers are getting paid the same level as people providing other medical services,” Hammond said. “If we can get that and the substance abuse facilities as well, then I think it will open up for people to get more treatment.”

STREET SENSE October 7 - 20, 2015

7

COVER STORY

Looking for Cracks in the System

Winkfield examines an individual; he is complaining that his legs are sore.

PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA PAMIAS

By Alexandra Pamias Editorial Intern “There was a gentleman here this morning who, for whatever reason, had determined that I was a sorcerer and that I was trying to kill him,” Beau Stiles said to about ten people cramped in a small room one Wednesday morning in September.

Computers lined the walls, all of them in use, but at the sound of his voice everyone pulled up a chair and turned to Stiles to hear what he had to say.

Stiles is the program coordinator for Georgetown Ministry Center. He leads a community meeting like this one every week for the center’s guests.

“First and foremost I assure you all: that was not the case. I was not trying to kill anyone,” Stiles went on.

He proceeded to explain how the gentleman called the police, who came down to the homeless drop-in center to question Stiles and heard the man’s story.

“They opted not to charge me with sorcery, which is a good thing,” Stiles said.

“And he left.”

His story was met with laughter, but ultimately there is a lesson to be learned.

Stiles has no hard feelings towards the man. Although this situation may seem fairly comical to outsiders, it exemplifies a common problem for outreach centers: how to provide services to individuals experiencing homelessness who also have a mental disorder.

Gunther Stern, executive director of Georgetown Ministry Center for the past 25 years, identified the biggest challenge he faces with one word: Anosognosia.

“It is a syndrome associated with neurological disorders. About half of people with mental illness also have some degree of Anosognosia, which is the inability to understand that they have a problem,” said Stern. “So they might be yelling and

howling at the wind but they don’t perceive that they have a mental illness.”

This issue becomes especially deadly during hypothermia season, the period between November and March when temperatures regularly drop below 30 degrees Fahrenheit and endanger the lives of those living on the streets. The D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness approved it’s Winter Plan in September, which outlines how to best help people experiencing homelessness during this time. The 2015-16 plan includes a significant expansion of street outreach.

In order to best help people with a mental illness that refuse help during hypothermia season, there is a process called FD12 that can be invoked to get them to safety.

“If a person is exhibiting signs and symptoms of a mental illness and they are placing themselves in danger, there are police officers, mental health professionals, and a variety of people that have been trained to make that assessment,” said Dr. Tanya Royster, Director of the Department of Behavioral Health. “Then they can forcibly, involuntarily remove the person and get them to a safe situation.”

Royster stressed the importance of evaluating people to make sure they are indeed experiencing metal illness. Free will is a right, and the government can’t take that away without thorough examination.

There is an ethical line drawn between forcing people to accept help and respecting their decisions as people with free will.

“And that is hard for us, because we want to take care of everybody,” Royster said. “But in the end, people have some choice if they are mentally able to do so.”

As a way to help people get off the street faster, District government has embraced the Housing First model. This form of permanent supportive housing is based on the concept that, first and

foremost, an individual or family should obtain stable housing before they can properly address other issues such as addiction or unemployment.

Stern emphasized that Housing First is a tool and not the end-all solution to homelessness. People are going to be left on the street even after Housing First has been adopted universally, according to Stern.

“The people that I work with are mostly missed by [Housing First] for two different reasons,” Stern said. “One is that they don’t get hit because they are too low functioning. Or the second is that they are too low functioning that they are unsuccessful once they receive housing.”

He believes that half the people out there won’t be served by Housing First because they will refuse service.

“There’s a woman, Janice, at the bottom of the street here who stays in the same place and every time I see her and ask her if she is interested in housing she says ‘I’ve got two houses,’” Stern said.

“She sleeps by the bank. And she shits and pees where she sleeps. There is not much I can do.”

Stern and the Georgetown Ministry Center offer the homeless community services such as showers and laundry facilities, case management assistance, access to the Internet, phones, and medical care.

Staff members, usually accompanied by medical staff, will regularly go on outreach runs to extend a helping hand to the homeless community and provide them with a friendly face and medical assistance. On a rainy Wednesday afternoon I accompanied Stern and nurse practitioner Devora Winkfield on one of these walks through the streets of northwest D.C. looking for people who might need healthcare.

Medical professionals look for symptoms such as severe swelling, sores, or respiratory difficulties during these outreach runs, according to Winkfield.

Stern lead everyone around the area, stopping in locations where he knows people will be. Almost everyone we en-

countered knew him by name.

The group made a brief stop at the West End Interim Library where Stern checked in to see if anyone needs help.

“The library is probably the biggest day center in the country for homeless people,” he said.

Just around the corner from the Foggy Bottom Metro station, Stern and Winkfield asked a gentleman sitting on a bench whether he needed any help. While he initially refused, after a few minutes he decided to let Winkfield take his blood pressure. It was very high.

Stern and Winkfield then discovered that the man is on medication and they advised him on how to take it, which he had been doing incorrectly. “Same time everyday, preferably with water and after a meal,” Winkfield told him. There is hope that he will heed their advice.

“We have to change the way we look at people with mental illness who decide to live on the street, and actually intervene whether they want us to or not,” Stern said. “I have been talking to the same people for 25 years. People do occasionally move up. But most of the people I talk to are still there. Or they’ve died.”

There is no easy solution. People are difficult to engage in treatment, especially if they mistrust the system that is there to help them or if they deal with mental health issues, according to Tanya Royster.

“So we know that there are a lot of people out there that we can continue to serve, but we could always do more,” Royster said.

“Everyone could always do more.”

Beau Stiles ended his opening statement at the Georgetown Ministry Community meeting by asking everyone to be sympathetic to those with a mental disorder.

“It’s important to remember that we all have different perceptions,” Stiles said.

“When you encounter that type of behavior, just be conscious that one — its probably not personal and two — its very real to them. And be sensitive to that.”

Stern and Winkfield walk on K St. looking for people who might need assistance.

PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA PAMIAS

The Pope Speaks Loudly with a

By Olivia Aldridge Editorial Intern

Shaking Pope Francis' Hand Article and Photo By Anthony Crawford Vendor/Artist I shook the pope’s hand. It was a very warm, spiritual experience for me. It made me feel blessed. I’ve been blessed with a lot of things. I’ve been blessed to find Street Sense, to get housing, to help other people… I’ve just been blessed. This was the very highlight.

Then I got to meet two of his archbishops. They blessed me as well and we took photographs together. Then I met former lieutenant governor of Maryland Anthony Steele, and his wife. They served me lunch and ate with me. We talked politics and football. His wife is a big Steelers fan like me.

We talked a little bit about homelessness, and agreed there should be no homeless people in this country. This country is so rich in resources. Just here

A Diverse Crowd

By William Mack, Volunteer

It was pretty cool. There was a very large crowd - a diversity of faiths and a diversity people. But there wasn’t a huge roar liked you expect to hear at a big event. I don’t know if everyone was being reverent, or if they were all focused on getting the right photograph with their phones.

in D.C. there are nonprofits like Catholic Charities, Martha’s Table; and government agencies such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) headquarters. The people running these organizations should do more outreach, like Pathways to Housing.

We said prayers, took photographs and went our separate ways. I went home and told some people about my experiences.

I called my wife and told her. I called my buddy Reed and told him.

After that I felt good. When Pope Francis shook my hand, I felt like he was blessing me because I found the means to get myself off the street.

(More about the Steelers in my next column!)

Pope Francis’ September visit made headlines and history as the first papal visit to America to include an address to a joint meeting of Congress. His comments during the United States visit often focused on poverty and placed an imperative on church and government alike to help disadvantaged members of society.

I had the privilege of witnessing one such address when I attended the Holy Mass and Canonization of Blessed Friar Junipero Serra at Catholic University on Sept. 24. Because I am not Catholic and had been to only a few masses, it was an eye-opening experience.

My ticket was for a standing-only section located on the side of the Basilica where we watched the mass on a large screen. Most of the other ticketholders in my section were Catholics who had won tickets by lottery.

Large buses stopped on the asphalt drive between us and the screen. As cardinals stepped out of the buses, the people around me cheered and waved as they picked out their cardinal.

The Hispanic Catholic community was particularly prominent in my area, and as the pope’s motorcade flashed across the screen,

many of them shouted “Papa Francisco!” in anticipation. Standing in his white popemobile, Francis smiled and waved past the 2,500-person crowd assembled for the mass. Our section was on tiptoe, hoping for a glimpse of his head and shoulders above the crowd.

As the mass proceeded, I was unfamiliar with many of the traditions used. This, combined with my rudimentary knowledge of Spanish—Pope Francis’ native Argentinian tongue—made the mass difficult to comprehend at times. While the Spanish-speakers around me were particularly attuned to the service, the mass included languages from around the world. Once “universal prayer” contained sentences spoken in everything from Creole to Tagalog to American Sign Language. There were also English subtitles on the screen throughout most of the mass.

In Pope Francis’ homily, he honored 18thcentury friar Junípero Serra, who was canonized during the mass. Francis said that Serra was a Catholic leader who “was excited about blazing trails, going forth to meet many people, learning and valuing their particular customs and ways of life,” and he encouraged modern-day Christians to follow that example.

“Jesus did not provide a short list of who is, or is not, worthy of receiving his message

The Pope's Real Message

By Aida Basnight, Vendor/Artist

I am not Catholic and I don't plan to become a member of that faith or any other denomination anytime soon. However, I do believe in a power greater than I am: My Angels. I call on them for guidance and protection. When I misplace something important like keys, documents, or recipes, suddenly I find what I'm looking for because My Angels helped me.

The pope is a man just like any man, because he does not have the power to turn a rock into a loaf of bread. But he is inspirational because he captures peoples' struggles and passions: homelessness, hunger, climate change, social injustices, and forgiving women who either have had abortions or considered having one. I admire the pope because he preaches what the Bible says: don't judge what others do.

That is God's job, not the pope's. We are all human and we all judge others, but not always loudly enough to be heard. All pastors can learn from the pope about what to say and how to spread their messages to their congregations.

I hope the pope's speeches will encourage more people to think about what he says. Rather than viewing him as a saint or just the pope, they should see him as a man preaching the right way to start helping others, by being more merciful and compassionate.

Involve Yoursel

By Gwynette Smith, Vendor/Artist

Although I am not a Catholic, I was interested in Pope Francis when he recently visited the United States, including Washington D.C. As a priest, this son of Italian immigrants to Buenos Aires made his reputation as a person who supported the poor. He is also characterized as down-to-earth.

I took take some pictures of people waiting to see his motorcade near St. Patrick’s Church.

I also went to the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception even though I did not have a ticket.

There was an area where people could watch on a large television. The music at the mass was moving and the people seemed positive. There

STREET SENSE October 7 - 20, 2015

9

FEATURE

a Soft Voice and his presence,” Francis said. “Instead, he always embraced life as he saw it. In faces of pain, hunger, sickness and sin. In faces of wounds, of thirst, of weariness, doubt and pity. Far from expecting a pretty life, smartly-dressed and neatly groomed, he embraced life as he found it. It made no difference whether it was dirty, unkempt, broken.”

This homily marked a theme in the pope’s rhetoric that continued throughout his visit. The following day, he spoke and shared lunch with the homeless community at St. Patrick’s church, also the headquarters of Catholic Charities.

“We can find no social or moral justification, no justification whatsoever, for lack of housing,” he said to the group.

The pope also paid a visit to Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia and spoke out against mass incarceration in the United States, which was a key component of Catholic Charities’ Walk With Francis pledge campaign. In reaction to his words on criminal justice, a prayer vigil formed outside of Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles on September 29.

Throughout his visit, Francis' soft voice managed to be heard by millions. As more facts of the visit become known, that voice becomes one neither Republicans nor Democrats are able to perfectly mold to their

lf

agenda. While praised by Democrats for his inclusive rhetoric during his visit, he has garnered criticism this week for reports that he met with Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses. Francis told her to “stay strong.”

(The Vatican has said she was one guest in a group meeting, though Davis’s lawyers say differently). Meanwhile, Republicans’ appreciation of his support for the anti-choice movement and traditional marriage was tempered by his effort to give these issues only vague coverage while here, favoring environmental and immigration issues instead.

Perhaps it was because Pope Francis did not universally embrace the agendas of either party that his visit brought a brief sense of unity to D.C. and the other cities he visited, which, in all their diversity, occasionally need an outsider to bring them together.

Regardless of the dissent that may naturally begin to emerge among parties in Francis’ wake, the homeless community can count his visit as a victory, especially if Francis’ challenge of compassion is taken to heart.

“Go out to proclaim the good news that error, deceitful illusions and falsehoods do not have the last word in a person’s life,” he said in his homily. “Go out with the ointment which soothes wounds and heals hearts.”

Picnic With the Pope

By Derian Hickman, Vendor/Artist

was a good size crowd, but not as large as at the Cathedral. People sold water, flags, buttons with the pope’s picture, and pictures of the pope.

People were also asked to sign up to support the pope in his fight against hunger. Fans were given to those that did. I left before the subway trains became packed and delayed and took my fan with me. The fight is to involve yourself in helping and advocating. I couldn't get close-ups at St. Patrick's. It was too crowded.

Like his namesake St. Francis of Assisi, the pope cares very much about impoverished people and finding ways to help them.

See my photos on StreetSense.org!

When someone mentioned Pope Francis would visit the United States for the first time since his conclave, I imagined the entire country visiting him. I hope he inspired those that did as he inspired me.

If the pope could take the time to visit and bless the food of the homeless, then maybe my personal financial crisis or that of our country has hope. I hope you enjoy my video of the pope at the picnic with the homeless in Washington, D.C. on StreetSense.org!

My kind friend and customer who gave me a ticket to see the Pope.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SUSAN ORLINS

You Show me a New Life and a Way to See the Pope

By Gerald Anderson Vendor/Artist One of my customers came up and asked me would I like to go out and see the pope.

At first I say no, because I didn’t want to miss work selling my Street Sense papers.

But a downtown worker overheard the man telling me about the ticket and she say, “Why would you turn down a chance for something you may never get a chance to see again?”

And then my kind customer who was giving me the ticket say, “Ok I’m going to step out and go to lunch with a friend. I’ll be back to see you Mr. Anderson.”

He came back to see what my decision gonna be. But first he say, “Y’know there’s gonna be a lot of celebrities there. And you are a celebrity, so you should want to go there.”

I smiled. That’s when he reached me the ticket and I told him, “Yes, I’m goin’.”

He explained to me the gate open at five and the pope start speaking at nine and that there be a seat for me on the lawn of the Capitol.

So the next morning, I got dressed up in my blue suit and got on the train. I arrived from Virginia at Gallery Place.

The Metro ladies, they all bust out laughin’ when they see me all dressed up and say, "Look at him! Where you goin’?"

I told them I got a hot date.

They say, With who?

I say, “The pope. You didn’t know I was a big celebrity in this city?”

And then I show them the green Capitol ticket I had.

They say, He ain’t lyin', he sure got a ticket.

I tell them, “It’s funny, ten years after Katrina I got a book out, and now I got a ticket to go see the pope at the Capitol.

It’s amazing, workin’ at Street Sense, and I have all these supporters reaching out to help me."

There’s no way in the world I will let anyone stop me or knock me from my Still Standing.

And to each and one of y’all, l want my message to go out to you too. No matter what, you are still standing. I tell you that with a big smile on my face. You help show me a new life, a new place, a new up step in life. If I got that close to the Capitol, that let me know I got a lot more places to go and I will make it!

I just gotta hang in there. It’s gonna be all right! And by the way, I really like the pope’s message of caring for others.

My book, “Still Standing: How an ExCon Found Salvation in the Floodwaters of Katrina” is now on Amazon. I hope you will visit my website www.katrinastillstanding.com and tell your friends about it!

for in! h k c p r m a u e P e t and th the Perfec

COMICS & GAMES

STREET SENSE October 7 - 20, 2015

11

OPINION

Up From Homelessness

By Jeffery McNeil, Vendor

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, for some people becoming homeless can be an earth-shattering experience.

However, I believe homelessness was the best thing that happened to me because if I didn't end up sleeping outside, I would still had a mindset that government is responsible for my well-being.

Today I consider myself a stronger person because when I needed government it rejected my requests. I never did care for the federal bureaucracy, I hated waiting in long lines nor did I care for probing questions when I needed assistance.

Because I had contempt for government bureaucrats I believe they purposely denied me public assistance, such as food stamps, unemployment and public housing. This forced me to make life and death decisions such as whether to live on the street or stay in a shelter.

I decided to live on the street and lucky to be alive. The streets are a dangerous place, I been assaulted several times as well as beaten and left for dead. However, being hospitalized may have been the best thing to happen to me because it

showed me that people loved and cared about me.

What I discovered being homeless was that I couldn't rely on anyone not even Washington. It was the start of my evolution from being dependent on government to self-sufficiency. Although I believed in self-reliance, I still consider myself radical.

Although I personally abhorred food stamps & Welfare I didn't look down on others that received it. I never wanted to eliminate government I just wanted to limit their power. I didn't blame the programs, but the people that ran the agencies. What disturbed me about government was the people that were in charge had power of life and death over you.

Most evolutions to the right don't start with the dislikes towards the President or Congress It starts with local politics.

My drift rightward started not from being successful but from being homeless. After being homeless, I managed to save money from selling newspapers. I worked long hours sometimes from sunup to sundown.

When I finish sometimes I would see these Human Rights people. One Day one ap-

proached me about world poverty breaking down in tears, I lost it. I asked this idealistic college kid of privilege. Why are you so concerned about the world's poor when you have people right here in your own neighborhood eating out of garbage cans? I got flash backs, I served my country and had to get grief from a welfare administrator about food stamps.

Only to see people forking out dollars for the world's poor while showing not a care for the homeless here in America.

That’s when the scales came off my eyes, I saw Liberalism for what it was worth. oOur institutions are failing our children!!! Our education system is producing children that have no concept of the real world. These kids don't see the poor and the homeless as Human Beings but as noble savages to be studied and examined like animals for a research project.

After that encounter with an idealistic leftist, I began to reexamine my life.

What does a man do when he realizes everything he’s been taught was a lie?

I had to come to the sobering reality that if you're born poor in America you are

like a salmon swimming up the stream.

You are going to be indoctrinated with ideologies that seem normal and harmless.

It’s hard to break away from ideologies when you don't know you're being manipulated with nonsense. How do you break away from an education system feeding you lies when they have the power to pass or fail you? How do you break away from an all-powerful state when they pass laws which redefine and undermine traditional values and morality?

I feel lucky today because my eyes are wide open. If it wasn't for being homeless I wouldn't had the time to be by myself.

Being homeless gave me the time to write reflect and educate myself.

Today I have no tolerance for people that tell you that the game is rigged because that's not true. I came to Washington DC with a quarter in my pocket slept on the sidewalk went to the government and they rejected me, if I listen too progressives I would still be waiting on government handouts. I took the bull by the horns pulled myself up and now am on the road to self-sufficiency.

hold assets cannot exceed $3,250.00.

“SNAP targets benefits according to need: very poor households receive larger benefits than households with more income since they need more help affording an adequate diet.

or participating in a qualifying workfare or job training program.”

Americans Need More Help Buying Food, Not Less.

By Charles McCain, Volunteer

“She just sits on her fat ass eating all day while taxpayers fork over their hardearned cash to pay for the handouts she gets...Taking advantage of the system, single mother Mei Xiang…gave birth to two more children out of wedlock this week and continues to leech off the government.” - Passage from satirical online publication The Onion.

This is the stereotype many Americans believe about a single mother on food stamps. In the case of Mei Xiang, however, this stereotype is absolutely true. Worse, this lazy woman is an immigrant! Obama should deport her but he won’t!

What a great narrative this could be for right-wing extremists in America —especially those who control the House of Representatives. No doubt stories similar to this one can be found on websites throughout the right-wing blogosphere.

But conservatives who are demanding massive reductions in the food assistance programs which keep Americans from going hungry, can’t use this narrative. Why? Because Mei Xiang, who did give birth recently, is a female panda at the Washington National Zoo. This story would be amusing if the issue weren’t so serious, the consequences of cuts in food assistance so devastating, the misinformation broadcast by the right accepted so readily by Americans. Unfortunately, there are as many myths about those who receive food stamps than are found in an entire book of Greek mythology.

The following facts and quoted material come directly from the website of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, www.cbpp.org.

Isn’t It Mainly Lazy, Unmotivated People Who Are On Food Stamps?

No. That is just not true. Below are the percentages of people who are helped by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly the Food Stamp program: 44 percent are children under 18, 19 percent are elderly or disabled, 37 percent are non-disabled, non-elderly adults.

(Over half of this last group is employed.

They just don’t make enough money to buy enough food to keep themselves and their families from going hungry.)

Don’t People In These Programs Get a Tons of Government Money?

Not quite. The average nutritional benefit received by qualifying households is $271.00 per month. This amount does not allow a diet of steak and champagne. Under SNAP, the average, per-person cost of a meal is $1.40.

Is SNAP Just Another Government Giveaway? tually, no. In fact, contrary to popular belief, not one U,S. Government program hands out cash to anyone who simply claims to be poor. SNAP is means tested and you have to disclose all your income to the U.S. Government. Furthermore, house-

Lots of People Lie and Cheat to Receive Government Food Assistance.

“The percentage of SNAP benefit dollars issued to ineligible households or to eligible households in excessive amounts fell for the seventh consecutive year in 2013 to 2.61 percent, newly released U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) data show.”

How Many People Stop Working When They Start to SNAP? “Only 4 percent of SNAP households that worked in the year before starting to receive SNAP didn’t work the following year… Some decline in work participation may be expected because many people qualify for SNAP in the first place because they lost their jobs.”

Why Should the Government Pay AbleBodied, Unemployed Adults SNAP? The U.S. Government doesn’t pay anyone to just hang-out if they can work.

“Most unemployed childless adults are limited to three months of benefits in many areas of the country, unless they are working at least 20 hours per week

Don’t Federl Breaucrats Pay Themselves To Operate the program?

Once again, a myth.

“The US federal government spent about $76.2 billion on SNAP in fiscal year 2014.”

95 percent of this amount is used by hungry people in the SNAP program to purchase food.

The remaining 5 percent “goes toward administrative costs, including reviews to determine that applicants are eligible, monitoring of retailers that accept SNAP, and anti-fraud activities.”

In plain English, of every dollar appropriated to SNAP by the Congress of the United States, 95 cents is used to purchase food and 5 cents is used to administer the program and prevent fraud.

76 billion dollars sounds like a lot of money. But the United States has a population of 321,216,397 as of July 4 2015 according to the US Census Bureau. So 76 billion dollars isn’t enough money to keep millions of Americans from going hungry.

In the United States of America, millions of our fellow citizens go hungry many times during a year. Millions. Somehow we are not outraged about this. Right-wing politicians want to keep cutting food assistance programs in our country. Yet funding for these programs needs to go much higher to prevent hunger in America—not lower.

The Street Sense Writers’ Group is led by 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.

September Blues

By Sybil Taylor, Vendor/Artist

September will not be the same without you.

Your smiling face and radiance glow your heart and soul of honor over the years.

Your cheerful laughter and smile your wonderful touch of glow to the family, especially mom heart of gold and silver.

September leaves will fall all colors of love and honor but the colors of fall leaves will be thought about you and how beautiful you are to us.

Leaves will fall but the one leaf of you will always be remembered. The sun will shine and the moon will glow, always be the sunset and sunrise. Of each glory day, the sparkle on us smiling twinkling, and the glowing amber and shining star of the day.

The Rabbit and the Lion

By Michael Craig Vendor/Artist

A rabbit is standing in a meadow on top of a mountain, painting the beautiful clouds she observes. She’s relaxed. She’s patient. Her canvas and oil paints are strewn about. She has the creativity intelligence to make beautiful artwork, A lion lays by the rabbit’s side, comfortable. He’s protecting her. The Lion represents the courage that the rabbit has as a creative intelligent artist.

As human beings – it’s one thing to be creatively intelligent. It’s another thing to have the courage to exhibit it, show it and share it.

Artwork doesn’t belong to you, it’s something that is instilled by God for the world. But you have to have the courage to share it.

Bring your gifts to the world. If you got it, bring it. You don’t know how many people you can make happy. We have to bring at least one smile a day to somebody else – and it will put a smile on your face too.

STREET SENSE October 7 - 20, 2015

13

VENDOR WRITING The Street Sense filmakers co-op directors were recently invited to an advance screening Ramin Bahrani’s new film 99 Homes, which opened in theaters Friday October 2.

How do you get 99 Homes for Dirt Cheap?

By Cynthia Mewborn Vendor/Artist "99 Homes". directed by Ramin Bahrani, encapsulated what actually happens when a person loses her home for the first time when it is not her fault and how ones tries to survive from the aftermath. Single father Andrew Garfield (Dennis Nash) tries to figure out what’s next for his family after they suddenly and wrenchingly become homeless. When the U.S. Marshal and the foreclosure man knock on your door, there isn’t much time to prepare for everything you brought to be thrown out on the street.

Hard decisions must be made in a very short time, and if you’re lucky a marshal might give you a few moments to grad a few necessary personal belongings (picture, ID,’s, clothes, medicine). If you’ve never experienced an eviction or never had to live out on the streets this event can be overwhelming. Shocked at the turn of events, Andrew tries to figure out what happens next.

The only job available is working with the same people who foreclosed him a few weeks. Wealth is often made off the backs of other misfortunate people, and so it goes with "99 Homes." Real estate mogul Rick Carver (Michael Shannon) built his empire by being dishonest to the homeowners, government and realty companies. His modus operandi were stealing and reselling interior items for market price and forging documents to purchase homes for dirt cheap and making a deal with the foreclosure owner called "keys for change", in which homeowners receive $3,500 for forgoing their mortgages. The millionaire then resells the homes for far more than he paid, thereby scamming the legal system.

Andrew now finds himself trapped in this web of lies, struggling to reconcile fighting to regain his old home while enjoying making a serious piece of change for foreclosing homeowners.

Andrew's internal angst intensifies when his best friend receives a foreclosure notice. As Carver's second in command, Garfield is the man with the foreclosure plan. So, will he throw his best friend's family into the street, as Carver did to his? Or, will he carry out the job for a corrupt, ruthless boss who has made Andrew wealthy beyond anything he imagined? In moral terms, will he become the very thing he despises or just walk away from it all? This move touches on many aspects of the human dilemma when someone is put in a very uncomfortable place where doing an act you abhor becomes the motivation for survival, but you know that act is not necessarily the final response. True, Andrew Garfield is a fictional character. But, he isn’t much different from real people who face similar challenges on a daily bases and must decide in deciding whether to sell out or stand by their definition of truth.

"99 Homes" leaves the audience questioning personal challenges they might be facing and how they might respond. This is definitely a must see movie!

Hits Home

By Sasha Williams, Vendor/Artist I was able to go to the screening for “99 Homes” and I just want to say, Give People Back Their Homes!

The movie is good, bad and ugly. My father went through filling a bankruptcy and he had to get rid of the house in which my siblings and I grew up. I think it was a short sale and we had to leave the place my grandma- R.I.P- gave him. To have to learn that way that people can get away with forging a document was horrible.

Bless Metro

By Phillip Black Vendor/Artist, “The Cat in the Hat” One day before the Pope came to D.C., a transformer blew out at Stadium Armory Metro. People, including myself, were stranded for more than 10 hours. It took me over 2 hours to walk home. If I can talk at this very moment, I would ask Him to please bless metro. The same speech the Pope gave to congress, the Pope needs to give it to metro.

I know it will work. Each and every day, something seems to go wrong with metro. So if I had just one wish for the Pope, I would ask him, to please bless metro. Trust me, they need it.

PERCEPTION OR REALITY: Blood or Bond

By Robert Williams, USMC Vendor/Artist, Family is generally considered to be those related by blood, creating an unbreakable bond. It can also be a non-blood tie and still create an unbreakable bond. So to me, it’s the bond not the blood that actually creates family. It’s two or more with an understanding, respect and love for one another, built on trust. Unity or oneness is actually what ties people to together. The ability to look beyond the surface and one’s faults and still possess love enough not to judge but to want the best for each other and still care.

The Funeral

By James Davis Vendor/Artist Everyone there were dressed in the same colors sitting around like some Sunday church service Oh, they were not silent for the most part having conversation about the times that were shared and brief interludes into the future Hot and humid the weather outside better to find cool comfort in the company of relatives and strangers and maybe a long lost acquaintance Kind words were said by the people Who were brave enough to go to the podium, echoed by the nodding of heads and amens All present had known for some time that the star of this show would go back to the place that he came from, eventually, and receive his eulogy.

More poetry can be had with the soon to be published Arugula Salad and other food for thought.

From my upcoming poetry book, Arugula Salad and Other Food for Thought.

Helping Others

By John Judkins Vendor/Artist I like to help people to get their live together, and until then man is going to be a snowball in hell.

To get started we have to put God in our life’s first then love ourselves (one another), our women, and children, in that order.

15

STREET SENSE October 7 - 20, 2015

COMMUNITY SERVICES Housing/Shelter

Food

Clothing

Showers

Outreach

Medical/Healthcare

Transportation

Laundry

Education

Employment Assistance

Legal Assistance

Academy of Hope Public Charter School: 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

Community of Hope: 232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

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

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

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

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

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

Catholic Charities: 772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Martha’s Table: 328-6608 2114 14th St, NW marthastable.org Miriam’s Kitchen: 452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave, NW miriamskitchen.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CELEBRATING SUCCESS! Street Sense Gala Snapshots! Photos by Ken Martin, Vendor/Artist

VENDOR PROFILE: STREET SENSE SELFIES

LAST WORD:

BREAKING THE CASTE, SHATTERING THE MOLD

By Collins Mukasa, Vendor/Artist

By Nolan Casey, Editorial Intern

October 7 - 20, 2015• Volume 12 • Issue 23

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW

Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Washington, DC

Washington, DC 20005

Mail To:

Homelessness in the District is a monumental crisis and we have grown blind to its heights. We decide to look the opposite way of our fellow men and women who have fallen on hard times. We disregard their humanity and turn them to stone, urban scenery; believing that they share the cold, unchanging fate of statues.

Open Arms Housing works to break that caste. Established in 1997, Open Arms assists women experiencing homelessness in the District, guiding and housing them with a compassionate hand.

Currently they house and support 16 women in the Dunbar building. Each woman has her own apartment, kitchen and bathroom. They also share a community room stocked with phones, televisions and computers.

Open Arms will soon take in more women as they plan to open their second building, Owen House, by the end of this month: another crack in the mold.

“In the housing industry today and in the homeless industry today we have to do real surgery and put in some real stitches. Open Arms Housing is doing just that,” said Sandy Allen, a D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development employee, in a speech at a September 30 fundraiser for Open Arms.

This ‘real surgery’ has been explored by the fundraiser’s keynote speaker, Dr. Sam Tsemberis, who is credited with developing the Housing First model.

“Ending homelessness is the easiest part of the job. The real challenge is providing the support services to treat severe mental health and addiction problems. When a person is living at home, treatment has a much better chance of success,” Tsemberis was quoted in a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 2012 report.

Janet Starke, a 2-year resident of the Dunbar building and soon to be Resident Assistant of Owen House, agrees.

“How important it is that our people get the same opportunity I have... providing them the ability to experience life in a positive way,” Starke said to the crowd.

That is our basic human right: through

proper merit, we should be forever able to pursue happiness.

Open Arms provides versatility in this pursuit, so that individuals can follow the path which best suits their needs.

This versatility is Tsemberis’s Housing First model, which allows those experiencing homelessness to gain independent residency before long-term employment, addiction treatment, mental health assistance or other forms of recovery.

But it’s not just an idealized concept: it works. In its first year of implementation, the model supplied a housing retention rate of 84 percent, according to the SAMHSA report. Since then, Housing First has continued to produce positive results across the United States and the world.

Dr. Tsemberis further defended his model in his keynote address, striking the issue at its core; he states, “people who are homeless have to improve themselves much more than the rest of us do in order to get into housing. There is a great injustice in the way that people who are homeless have to earn their way back into housing; through sobriety or through treatment in order to prove themselves worthy.”

Tsemberis directly criticizes our assumptions, our prejudice toward the homeless.

“How many of us would be going home tonight if we had to be sober?” he asked the audience.

In our sameness we realize that, as Tsemberis says, “It’s not about us and them... it’s all about us working together.” He continues in saying that, yes, we should work together on “ending homelessness as a policy decision and fighting that war, we should, but it’s also a personal decision to include [the homeless] among us, to open our arms in a way that is all inclusive.”

Open Arms Housing will continue to do just that, with four residents expected to move into Owen House at the end of October.

Alongside Open Arms, it’s on you and I to resist the urge to look the other way, catching only frozen scenery. It’s on us to see the arcing of limbs in motion, the tension of muscle beneath skin; to understand that we are all incredibly, irrevocably human.

Permit #568

Remember, buy only from badged

Ken Martin - 10/5

vendors and do not give to those panhandling with one paper.

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

Martin Walker - 8/5