10 15 2007

Intrepid avatar Zeuss Zamani investigates poverty in the virtual world Second Life, page 6

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October 15, 2007 - October 31, 2007 • Volume 4, Issue 21

www.streetsense.org

NOSTALGIA

TECHNOLOGY REPORT

Take Me Back to the Old Days

Blogs Offer Homeless Activists a Soap Box Richard Allen Hohensee, 51, has slept indoors for only a handful of nights in the last year and a half. Homeless but far from hopeless, he’s not interested in moving in with a friend or staying at a shelter. He wants the White House.

He may lack the finances of the presidential candidates as well as the media access, but there’s at least one form of publicity he can afford aside from a few call-ins to a state senator’s weekly radio show and demonstrations near the president’s doorstep.

A blog.

Web logs have been popping up all over cyberspace in the past few years. “Blog� was even declared the word of the year

by Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary in 2004, and Technorati, a popular search engine

See

Blogs, page 5

By Jo Ann Jackson

W

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for blogs, has tracked almost 100 million of them to date.

Blogs can be updated quickly and at anytime from any device with Internet access and a keypad. They are easy to maintain and often provided free of charge, which makes them suitable for a wide range of people â&#x20AC;&#x201D; even people who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford a computer or a home to put one in.

From the quiet cubicles of D.C. public libraries, Hohensee blogs on the social networking site MySpace.com. He uses his blog to defend his presidential platform, which is 6,500 words long and provided in full in an Aug. 1 post.

He urges supporters to lobby their state senators in support of a constitutional amendment, which he wrote himself, that

By Matt Johnson

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TECHNOLOGY REPORT

Internet Lends New Life to Violent Videos

By Jason Corum

SCREENSHOT FROM YOUTUBE

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Grab it as hard â&#x20AC;Ś as you can and wrench,â&#x20AC;? says a homeless man miming a wrenching action. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got to break it.â&#x20AC;? The black gloved hand of the man holding the camera reaches into the frame and clamps a pair of pliers onto one of the manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teeth.

The video begins to move in slow motion as the gloved hand tenses up and yanks the tooth from the manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gums. Because the video is in slow motion, the manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cries of pain sound deep, guttural, and utterly alien. He turns, stumbles a few steps away from the camera, and the shot centers on his bloody tooth clasped in the pliers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going for the next one,â&#x20AC;? says the cameraman.

This video clip is from â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bumfights,â&#x20AC;? a series of popular DVDs in which homeless people perform degrading stunts for which they are paid a few dollars and alcohol.

While a number of retail giants like Target and Wal-Mart have officially stopped selling the Bumfights video series due to pressure from home-

Children re-enact a scene from â&#x20AC;&#x153;BumĂ&#x20AC;JKWV Âľ D YLGHR VHULHV VKRZLQJ DFWV RI YLROHQFH DJDLQVW KRPHOHVV SHRSOH

less advocates, the series is gaining a whole new life on the Internet.

The DVDs are being sold online,

fans are uploading clips from the series to sites like YouTube, and some fans are even creating their own Bumfights-inspired videos to post online.

The videos are now almost exclusively sold and shared over the Internet, said David Pirtle, an advocate for homeless people and a member of the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) Faces of Homelessness Speakersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Bureau. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more anonymous, just like someone would rather buy porn over the Internet,â&#x20AC;? he said.

YouTube, one of the most popular video-sharing Web sites, has been fairly aggressive about removing any videos of homeless people being attacked or humiliated from its Web site. The company relies

on its community to help control the content on the site, YouTube spokesman Brandon Boone said in an e-mail.

YouTube users flag any content they feel is inappropriate. Once a video is flagged, YouTube staff reviews the material promptly and removes the video from the system if it shows someone getting, â&#x20AC;&#x153;hurt, attacked, or humiliated.â&#x20AC;?

However, YouTubeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s self-policing policy isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t perfect. As of the writing of this article, a quick search of the site revealed clips from the Bumfights series that include the homeless man having two teeth removed, a homeless man having his hair lit on fire, and a homeless man

See

YouTube, page 4

hen I hear young men and women refer to â&#x20AC;&#x153;the old days,â&#x20AC;? I smile to myself because I was raised in the old days.

When I was a child, I hated a lot of rules we had to obey. If some of these rules were enforced today, I know we would have more peace and joy, rather than all this shooting and killing.

Respect was No. 1. By this I mean you never talked back to your parents or any adult. You did as you were told and asked no questions.

As for school, we had to ride a bus. If you missed the bus, man, you had a long walk coming. You might make it by lunch time, and then you had to stand in the corner. A note was sent home to your parents and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when your heart sank to the bottom of your stomach.

Today, the beatings we got are considered child abuse and parents can get into serious trouble. If this law were in effect when we were growing up, children would have been raising themselves because all the adults would have been in jail.

You might think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a joke, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m for real. The most famous saying was, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Take off your clothes. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not going to beat something I have to pay for.â&#x20AC;?

My mother told me one day that if I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cry so much, I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be getting a beating. So, the next time I got a beating, I just bit my bottom lip and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t shed a tear.

When I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cry, I was called stubborn and got smacked in the middle of the living room floor.

See

Days, page 12

Inside This Issue

TECHNOLOGY

INTERN INSIGHT

Can You Hear Me Now?

Skid Row Style

Focus on Technology

Cell phones slowly gain popularity among the homeless, page 4

Desiree Perez questions plans for developing L.A.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Skid Row into a hipster retreat, page 12

PRETTY REDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FICTION

PHOTOGRAPHY

All Hallowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eve

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Not Alone

A Metro ride goes badly wrong in Ivory Wilsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest short story, page 10

Street Sense vendor Cliff Carle finds scenes of companionship around the city, page 8

PROFILE

Life on the Line Personal voice mail services let the homeless hunt for jobs and access health care, page 3

Street Sense . October 15 – 31, 2007

2 ALL ABOUT US

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

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

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

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

North American Street 1HZVSDSHU $VVRFLDWLRQ

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Street Sense Vendor Code of Conduct 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Matt Allee, Robert Blair, Sonya Butler, Cliff Carle, Jason Corum, Diana Cosgrove, Mary Cunningham, Rebecca Curry, Rick Dahnke, Darcy Gallucio, Genevieve Gill, Joanne Goodwin, Carol Hannaford, Annie Hill, Brooke Howell, Jo Ann Jackson, Kathy Jones, Mary Lynn Jones, Maurice King, Jessica LaGarde, Jeff Lambert, Karin Lee, Matt Lee, August Mallory, Mandy McAnally, Sam McCormally, Kent Mitchell, Andrea Molino, Mike O’Neill, Swinitha Osuri, Ava Page, Michael Patterson, David Pike, Diane Rusignola, Eric Sheptock, Katie Smith, Terry Snead, Francine Triplett, Eugene Versluysen, Dan Weingarten, Marian Wiseman, Corrine Yu VENDORS Willie Alexander, Michael Anderson, Jake Ashford, George Atwater, Patricia Benjamin, Tommy Bennett, Bobby Buggs, Cliff Carle, Alice Carter, Conrad Cheek Jr., Elena Cirpaci, Louise Davenport, James Davis, Bernard Dean, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Leo Gnawa, Stephanie Gooden, Barron Hall, David Harris, John Harrison, Donald Henry, Patricia Henry, Michael Higgs, Phillip Howard, Jo Ann Jackson, Michael Jefferson, Patricia Jefferson, Allen Jones, DeRutter Jones, Mark Jones, Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson, Arthur Mathis, Charles Mayfield, Lee Mayse, Craig McKoy, Jermale McKnight, Jeffery McNeil, L. Morrow, Charles Nelson, Synthia O’Donnell, Moyo Onibuje, Therese Onyemenon, Forrest Rainwater, Kevin Robinson, Gerald Smith, Patty Smith, Francine Triplett, Alexander Tutt, Ivory Wilson, Jasper Witherspoon, Tina Wright

We are proud members of:

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

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Oct. 1 - Oct. 15 Donors .HQQHWK 7 'XUKDP Jane Hardin Peter Johnson 0LFKDHO 0DYUHWLF Anthony and Jennifer Park Adam Achrati Gary and Mary Ellen Abrecht Emily Goldman Jana Meyer $QG D VSHFLDO WKDQNV WR +ROO\ :LVHPDQ

Thank You!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are no territories among vendors.

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

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

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

WANNA HELP? If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, or have a great article or feature idea, please contact Koki Smith at 202-347-2006 or e-mail editor@streetsense.org If you are interested in becoming a vendor, contact Jesse Smith Jr. at the same number or come to a vendor training session on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2 p.m. at our office (1317 G Street, NW - near Metro Center).

Street Sense . October 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 31, 2007

PROFILE 3

PROVIDER PROFILE

A Personal Phone Number Can Offer a Lifeline

By Melanie Lidman

COURTESY OF ISTOCKPHOTO

Mabel McNair of Washington, D.C., used it to find permanent housing and a job as a chef.

Mel Cornelison of Texas used it to find a job in three short weeks.

Delmar Gray of Texas used it to retrieve a message of encouragement from her county mayor as she began her job search.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s amazing how having a personal phone number can help someone who is homeless achieve success.

Consider the challenges of looking for a job when employers have no way of calling for interviews. Or the difficulties in receiving health care when doctors canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t call to cancel or confirm appointments.

These three individuals benefited from Community Voice Mail, a unique service aimed at helping homeless and chronically poor people by providing them with a reliable voice mail system.

The idea is simple: a personal phone number that someone in crisis can give to family, friends, doctors, landlords or potential employers.

This voice mail system enables people to receive messages that connect them with resources and support when they need them most. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so much of what we take for granted.

We have a cell phone that we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t function [without] on a daily basis,â&#x20AC;? explained Jenny Senh, development director of Community Voice Mail.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;To have reliable communication is critical for them progressing in their path to getting out of a bad situation that was probably no fault of their own.â&#x20AC;?

A national nonprofit based in Seattle, Community Voice Mail was started in 1991 by two job counselors who realized they had no way to contact people when they found jobs for them.

Since then, the organization has expanded to more than 420 municipalities across

the U.S. and provided service to more than 41,000 people.

The voice mail service provides a tangible way for people to get in touch with doctors, employers or landlords without advertising their challenging personal situation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Giving someone your sisterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home number, or the case workerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s number â&#x20AC;&#x201C; thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really difficult,â&#x20AC;? Senh said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When the line of communication breaks down, they are not able to stay in touch or

get timely and relevant information.â&#x20AC;?

Community Voice Mail partners with local aid agencies across the country to identify people who need the service. In Washington, it partners with D.C. Central Kitchen, where Crystal Nichols works with people in crisis to set a list of goals, including housing, employment or access to health care.

Then the client is assigned a personal phone number and records a greeting. The number is local and looks like any other cell phone number, making it impossible to tell that its owner is homeless or in crisis.

The voice mail service boasts a staggering success rate: it reports that about 70% of its users achieved at least one of their goals of finding a job, securing a home or access to health care.

The average user maintains the phone number for seven months but can keep it longer if necessary.

About 54% of users are unemployed, and 52% are homeless.

And around 9% of users are victims of domestic violence, meaning that the phone line truly turns into a lifeline, as counselors can contact them in a safe and reliable way.

In the future, Community Voice Mail will begin implementing advanced voice mail features, which will send job postings, health care information, storm warnings and other essential information to their users.

The voice mail service offers more than a number. In the words of one user, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It made me feel human again.â&#x20AC;?

Donate to Street Sense I will donate:

My Information

___ $50 for two vendor awards each month Name:_______________________________________________________ Address:_____________________________________________________ City/State/Zip:_______________________________________________ Phone:_______________________E-mail:_________________________

___ $70 for one restaurant review ___ $100 for postage each month ___ $200 for the vests of 15 new vendors ___ $500 for monthly rent and insurance

Please make checks payable to Street Sense

___ $1,200 for the printing of one issue Street Sense is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible.

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

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

You can also donate online at www.streetsense.org

Additional items that Street Sense needs: â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

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

â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

Color laser printer Laptop computers (Windows 2000 and 10 GB of storage space) Digital SLR camera

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

44 LOCAL FOCUS NEWS ON TECHNOLOGY

Street Sense . October 15 – 31, 2007

Homeless “iPods” Abound Can You Hear Me Now? Wireless for the Homeless

By Melanie Lidman

Baseline thumping, beats jumping, mouths moving along silently to the words: music listeners are a common sight wherever people travel and congregate in this city.

Telltale white earphones deep in their ears, they nod in time with their own drummers.

The city’s homeless have kept up with the revolution that began when vinyl records gave way to cassettes and music became portable. They may not own iPods, but portable music is of utmost importance to a transient population, providing a welcome respite from the stresses of everyday life.

“Music is a weapon.

It’s an expression of anger against society,” said Mary Rand, a homeless artist who works in a café on G Street, NW, drawing portraits. When she’s working on her portraits, she has no choice but to listen to the satellite Muzak piped into the speakers at the cafe.

Bu t Ra n d , w h o w a s trained as a concert pianist, says her favorite genre of music is classical. Because she chooses to sleep outside rather than in shelters, Rand uses her Walkman to fall asleep at night.

The devices “never last very long,” she laughed. “I’m not Wi-Fi or iPod. I’m very low-tech.”

The prices of portable audio players have dropped dramatically in recent years with the advancement of new technology. This puts the devices within reach for many of the city’s homeless or chronically poor people.

According to memorabilia site ThePeopleHistory. com, a Sony Walkman cost more than $200 in 1980. Today, it can be purchased for less than $20.

Street Sense vendor Patricia Jefferson uses a Walkman with earphones. Her favorite genres are jazz and soul, though she doesn’t have any particular favorite artists.

She often listens to her Walkman in the evenings when she’s back in the shelter.

“Sometimes it’s hard to listen to music, since I don’t have my own place,” Jefferson said.

Because of close living quarters in the city’s shelters, residents are required to use headphones.

“With 30 people to a room, it just gets to be too much noise,” said Michael Ferrell, executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless in D.C. His organization oversees La Casa shelter, a 90-bed shelter for men.

“Portable TVs or radios were disturbing to other people, but with headphones, it’s not an issue,” he added. Portable TVs are quite uncommon at his shelter, but some of the residents do use portable music devices, he said.

Owning a Walkman or radio is important for more than musical appreciation. When you’re homeless, it can help with important safety precautions. Like knowing when it’s going to rain so you can seek shelter.

“It’s helpful to have a radio because if you hear a thunderstorm coming, you can go and find somewhere to go under,” Rand said.

They might not have a home, but they still need a phone.

Outside of D.C. homeless shelters, it’s not unusual to see homeless people with phones on their hips or at their ears.

Reverend Mary, a homeless artist, put it bluntly: “In order to get out of homelessness, you need a phone.”

While cell phone use among D.C. homeless people is not yet pervasive, many have come to view the gadgets as a pivotal means to keep in touch with friends, loved ones, employers and support services.

Michael Stoops, acting executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, estimated that 15% to 20% of homeless people have cell phones, but there are no official statistics.

The need is due in part to a lack of public payphones. Willard R. Nichols, president of the American Public Communications Council, said the number of payphones nationwide is half of what it was seven years ago.

Still, there are roughly one million payphones currently in the U.S., processing 1.7 billion calls each year, with rates ranging from 10 to 50 cents for local calls, according to the APCC. About 4,500 payphones are available in Metro stations and other locations in D.C. But payphones aren’t as handy as cell phones, which is why Street Sense vendor Jeffery McNeil said he is going to the local CVS to pick up a phone for $15, less than half the money he makes in a typical day selling the newspaper.

“It gives notoriety,” McNeil said. “Say you meet somebody who offers you a job and

bucks!” Dean Glanville, a member of the “Bumfights, Get the Damn Job Done!!” group, contributed to one discussion.

Michael O’Neill, director of the homeless speakers’ bureau for the National Coalition for the Homeless, and other advocates, link the trend of young, adolescent males making, watching, and sharing films about violence against homeless people with a much larger nationwide surge of violence against some of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens.

“The kids see the videos and say, ‘Hey, I want to have some fun! Let’s go attack some homeless people!’” O’Neill said.

In a recent study, “Hate, Violence, and Death on Main Street USA,” NCH found 142 attacks last year against homeless people, 20 of which resulted in death – a 65% increase from 2005, when 86 were violently assaulted, including 13 homicides.

Since 1999, the organization has logged 614 violent acts against homeless individuals resulting in 189 deaths. An overwhelming number of the attackers, 88%, were 25 or younger, and 95% were male.

The National Coalition for the Homeless is trying to curb the growing numbers of copycat Bumfights attacks by putting a human face on the issue of homelessness through its homeless speakers’ bureau, O’Neill said.

The Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau comprises people who are or have been homeless and works to educate the public about homelessness and ways to end it.

The coalition is also working with the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty and Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) to pass the Hate Crimes Against the Homeless Enforcement Act of 2007 and the Hate Crimes

“I’m not Wi-Fi or iPod. I’m very lowtech.”

YouTube, from page 1 running head first into a large metal waste container.

When asked for comment, Boone wrote his company does not comment on the videos uploaded to its site.

Videos that have been uploaded to online video-sharing sites but have since been removed show people stealing hats or shoes from homeless people, kicking them, and throwing things at them from car windows, Pirtle said.

Occasionally, these types of videos will appear for a few days before they get flagged and removed for violating guidelines.

Fans of the Bumfights series are also forming groups on social networking Web sites to share clips and photos from the series and organize discussions. On Facebook, a major social networking Web site, the two largest groups dedicated to the Bumfights series are “Bumfights, Get the Damn Job Done!!” with 127 total members and “BFK FOR LIFE” with 80 members.

The majority of the group discussions are simply made up of members quoting lines from the series.

“That’s two teeth, you guys owe me 50

By Matt Johnson

Violent attacks on homeless people increased 65% since 2005

needs a phone number.”

Jeffery said he wants a prepaid TracFone, offered by retailers for as low as $9.99. He could then get 50 minutes every month for $9.99, and may cancel the plan at any time.

Terry Snead, of the Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau of the National Coalition for the Homeless, said he just turned in a cell phone he used while working for the Prisons Foundation. He said having a phone made him a bit of a rarity on the streets among his circle of friends.

Snead has since left his volunteer work at the foundation to pursue speaking opportunities with the NCH and other organizations. He said he’s considering buying a cell phone for business and convenience despite now having an apartment with a landline.

Michael O’Neill, director of the speakers’ bureau, said that while he supports cell phone ownership among the homeless, the public is taking time to catch on. Many times during presentations by his speakers in schools and at conferences, attendees deny that people are actually homeless if they can own cell phones.

Snead said he would always show off the phone before speaking, and then defend his decision to carry one.

Mary, the homeless artist, said she wants a cell phone because employment agencies require clients to leave a phone number in order to get called back with details of possible assistance. Agencies also like to hear from clients by phone after a job interview.

“If you want to get a job, you almost have to have a phone,” she said.

Against the Homeless Statistics Act of 2007.

Collectively, these acts would add homeless people to the list of protected classes under federal hate crimes statutes and include attacks against homeless people in hate crime statistics collected by the FBI. To counter online fans, O’Neill moderates the “We Are Against Bumfights” group on Facebook. His group has more than 130 members.

Striving to end homelessness in Montgomery County based on the belief that every person is entitled to the dignity of a home.

To learn more about homelessness, its solutions and what you can do to help, please contact us at: 600-B East Gude Drive, Rockville, MD 20850 301-217-0314 • 301-217-0824 (fax) • www.mcch.net

#8569

#40234

NATIONAL LOCAL NEWS NEWS 55

Street Sense . October 15 – 31, 2007

GLOBAL POVERTY

Setting Realistic Goals for Poverty Reduction

By Eugene Versluysen The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is being observed this year on Oct. 17. While the United Nations goal of eradicating poverty is laudable, its realization does not seem likely. Instead, lifting people out of absolute poverty and reducing the total number of poor seem to be more realistic.

Of today’s global population of 6.6 billion, 1 billion live in extreme poverty, with daily incomes of $1 or less. Those people are so destitute they cannot afford adequate housing, clothing and food, let alone medical care.

Most of the world’s poorest live in the poorest countries, which have average annual per capita incomes of $900 or less. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for the bulk of those countries, as well as for the bulk of the absolutely poor. In Africa and elsewhere, the poor live mostly in rural areas, surviving on subsistence agriculture.

Women and children almost invariably fare the worst.

Every year, 10 million children under the age of five die of disease and malnutrition. In addition, one of four children is malnourished, every year more than a half million women die giving birth, and in 2006 more than 6 million people died of such preventable diseases as AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Two-thirds of HIV/AIDS infections are among women.

Year after year, the World Bank and other agencies provide tens of billions of dollars in development loans and aid to stimulate growth, boost trade and integrate developing countries into the global economy. But despite years of sustained growth, the number of the absolutely poor hasn’t fallen, massive unemployment and underemployment persist, and income inequality is on the rise everywhere.

To remedy these problems, the U.N. has adopted the “Millennium Development Goals.” They aim to reduce by

Blogs, from page 1 would replace President Bush and Vice President Cheney with himself and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.).

In an e-mail interview, Hohensee said he hopes to achieve through his blogging, “something between personal satisfaction and the Oval Office, preferably both.”

He’s apparently given others some satisfaction for his efforts.

One of his 90 friends on MySpace commented on Aug. 21: “Rick, can’t tell you what a honor it is to have you as a friend in this medium and as an American who has not been brainwashed by these devils in D.C.” Homeless activist Start Loving, formerly known as Jay McGinley, maintains 15 blogs through Blogger, a free service. On his Blogger profile he calls himself a “Disciple of Jesus,” among other weighty designations.

As a man of righteous conviction, Loving wants others to hear his message and learn of his experiences. But he admits he also blogs for himself.

“There is something about putting one’s ideas in front of themselves on ‘paper’ that allows one to then ‘see’ oneself more clearly and grow more rapidly,” Loving said in an e-mail interview. Four of his blogs report on his around-the-clock White House and Sudanese Embassy vigils, which he began in May 2006 after leaving his retail business in Pennsylvania. He recently moved his vigil to the front of the Cannon building on Capitol Hill and has shifted his focus from stopping the genocide in Darfur to ending the occupation of Iraq and preventing a U.S. attack on Iran.

In the past he has been vigilant 24 hours a day, six days a week, sometimes withholding all nourishment except water in order to touch the hearts of policymakers. On the seventh day he rests at the “Peace House,” the office of the Washington Peace Center, where he updates his blogs. He gets about 74 page views per day, adding up to just over 19,000 since his adventures be-

half – not eliminate – the number of absolutely poor and hungry, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, and combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other preventable diseases.

While economists and politicians from around the world regularly gather at conferences in exotic locations to laud that agenda, various organizations are attacking the problem on their own. In the poorest countries, for example, the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh has revolutionized banking by offering some of the poorest of the poor access to microcredit – small loans – sometimes of as little as $20. Those loans finance tiny businesses and such activities as fattening cows. Virtually all of Grameen’s members are women, and its microcredit program has given poor village women the means to generate independent income and elevated their position in a society in which they have virtually no status.

Since husbands now partly depend on their wives’ incomes, domestic violence has also abated.

Following Grameen’s pioneering work, hundreds of microcredit programs are now working successfully around the world – in Africa, across Asia, in Latin America, even here in Washington, D.C. But microcredit and other self-help programs aren’t magic pills to eliminate world poverty. As the Millennium Goals point out, that will require, among other things, better education for all and the eradication of preventable diseases, as well as improved access to clean drinking water and stemming growth of the world’s population.

In the meantime, microcredit and self-help programs can break the mold of social relations that disregard the poor and treat women as second-class citizens. That, in itself, is a major achievement.

An international development consultant, Eugene Versluysen was a principal economist at the World Bank for 16 years.

gan. He doesn’t get many comments, but the ones he gets are encouraging.

Mary Alice, a mother and grandmother of three from Long Beach, Calif., was homeless for a year prior to moving in to the Pennsylvania home of one of her daughters, who needed someone to feed the dogs while she went abroad for business.

In early January of last year, Alice, who struggles with mental and physical disabilities, first took to the Internet in an attempt to lift herself out of poverty and despair.

“When I went homeless I thought I would be dead within weeks,” she said. “I kept waking up thinking ‘I have to do something, I have to do something.’ The Web seemed the perfect way.”

She entered the World Wide Web to sell T-shirts, postage stamps and other products and to promote her services as a freelance writer to make money.

“When I first started my Web sites, I really didn’t know much about blogging at the time. That was all new to me,” she said.

But when she realized she wasn’t making enough to support herself, she took to personal expression.

“Somehow I thought when I started blogging that someone would be interested in my story,” she said.

Alice, back in California, now has a roof over her head thanks to a program called Safe Haven. She continues to be an active blogger, sometimes writing multiple posts in one day. Her Web sites link to several other blogs maintained by current and formerly homeless people, trying to spread awareness of their daily struggles.

Even the names of the blogs she links to provide a graphic glimpse into these struggles: “A Males [sic] Life After Rape,” “Today at the Mission: Daily Life in a Homeless Shelter,” “Hoopty Life: One Homeless Woman’s Guide to Van Dwelling, Car Living and Urban Camping,” and “View from the Sidewalk: The Continuing Adventures of a Formerly Homeless But Still Poor Family Through the Landscape of the Piedmont Triad.”

Witnesses Disagree at Homeless Services Hearings on the Hill

By Desiree Perez WASHINGTON – Advocates agree more needs to be done to combat homelessness nationwide – what they can’t seem to agree on is how to accomplish that goal.

That much became clear during an Oct. 4 hearing held by a House subcommittee on a bill intended to reauthorize a 20-year-old piece of landmark federal legislation that funds homeless services. The Homelessness Emergency and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act, H.R. 840, is sponsored by Rep. Julie Carson (D-Ind.). But key differences with a comparable U.S. Senate bill, S. 1518, have splintered support among advocacy groups.

The McKinney-Vento Act, the only federal legislation to fund homeless services, passed in 1987. Witnesses testified that, as part of a three-tier approach, the legislation funded “emergency assistance” and was intended merely as the first step toward combating the growing national problem of homelessness.

Though never intended to serve as the lynchpin for federal homelessness assistance programs, the act became the only portion of the originally intended legislation that passed into law. Maria Foscarinis, executive director of the National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty, testified at the hearing for H.R. 840 that the McKinney-Vento Act hadn’t accomplished enough in the last two decades. All other witnesses at the hearing expressed the same sentiment.

Perhaps the most divisive issue during the hearing was the definition of homelessness. Expanding the definition of homelessness, as the HEARTH Act does, would only thin resources that are already oversubscribed, said Sen. John McKinney (RConn.) , whose late father introduced the original legislation 20 years ago. Amy Weintraub, executive director of Covenant House, says “it is unfounded” to think that available resources will dissipate if the definition of homelessness is expanded. She countered that people in need who simply do not fit the stereotype of “homeless” will have fewer, if any, options.

The current federal definition of homelessness includes those living in places not meant for human habitation such as parks, sidewalks, and cars, those living in emergency shelters and transitional housing, or those being evicted, being discharged from a treatment facility or prison, or fleeing domestic violence and who have no means of acquiring adequate housing.

Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) said the HUD definition of homelessness neglects many aspects of rural homelessness because it does not include overcrowding, living with friends and relatives, in motels or campgrounds, or in substandard housing. “Homelessness looks different in different parts of the country,” he said.

The next hearing is at 10 a.m. on Oct. 16 at 2128 Rayburn.

:e

care.

:e

help.

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heal.

Quality Primary Care Services for D.C. Medically Underserved and homeless Individuals……

For information on medical services in homeless shelters call 202-255-3469. For an appointment at any of our community health centers call 1-866-388-6489

We want to help. We want to help you.

Street Sense . October 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 31, 2007

6 FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

Virtual World Gives Poverty a Glance and Moves On

By Sam McCormally

ENDING EXTREME POVERTY, A ROAD TO PEACE A CALL TO ACTION

* www.oct17.org * Sign today!

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On a Sunday this month, about 10 parishioners gathered in Pastor Rich Liveoakâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s church to sing hymns and listen to a sermon. The church is in Second Life, an online world where â&#x20AC;&#x153;residentsâ&#x20AC;? interact with one another in a three-dimensional, user-created environment. Pastor Liveoak, who also preaches in real life, considers his Second Life congregation his main church.

I joined Second Life to learn about homelessness in this virtual world. My Second Life persona or â&#x20AC;&#x153;avatar,â&#x20AC;? is a woman I have named Zeuss Zamani, whose appearance is infinitely malleable. Many users purchase additions to their appearance using Linden Dollars, the currency created by Second Lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s designer, the Linden Corp. Some people earn money by designing hair, bodies and clothing that they sell in Second Life stores. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all part of the Second Life economy, which is digital but very real.

I had thought that a church in Second Life, like many churches in real life, might organize charity activities. But Pastor Liveoak told me his church isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t involved in any service activities because most people who come â&#x20AC;&#x153;do that kind of thing in real life.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really see homelessness as a problem in Second Life since most homeless people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have Internet access,â&#x20AC;? he said.

There are tons of references to homelessness in Second Life, but it is homelessness made sanitary and safe. As for real homelessness, residents such as Pastor Liveoak see it exclusively as a problem of the outside world.

Certainly homelessness inside Second Life isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a problem. I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t willing to pay $9.99 per month plus a land-use fee, so I entered Second Life without a place to live. Second Life users use the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;homelessâ&#x20AC;? to describe situations like mine, but the term is misleading: being homeless in Second Life carries with it none of the difficulties of being homeless in real life.

Consider conditions at one of Second Lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;homeless shelters.â&#x20AC;? You can find it by using the Second Life search function, and you can get there by teleporting. The shelter offers free condos for indefinite use. The condos are available any time an avatar is not in them, so you lose your spot as soon as you leave. The amenities are generous â&#x20AC;&#x201C; my spacious one-bedroom condo has a bed, an enormous TV, a sofa and a screen to change behind.

But the condo solves none of the problems of real homelessness: shelter from the elements, a place to use the bathroom, a permanent address to store belongings and receive

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mail. Zeussâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homelessness, like the homelessness of many Second Life users, is strictly literal and hardly a worthy target of humanitarian action.

In an area of the Second Life site called Carnal City, images of police cars and homeless people decorate the alleys that lead to strip clubs and brothels. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a nightmarish vision of the inner city.

Homelessness is part of Carnal Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s erotic landscape, even if Second Life users themselves donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sleep on sidewalks. Second Life users are bringing undesirable parts of real life â&#x20AC;&#x201C; homelessness and crime â&#x20AC;&#x201C; where they can be ex-

Foundry

United Methodist Church

A Reconciling Congregation

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

perienced safely, within oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home.

At the Hobo Railroad Information Hub, another Second Life locale, avatars mingle around a trash fire, watch TV and wander around the railroad yard. I asked a few of the regulars why they enjoyed taking on the identities of hobos. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role-playing,â&#x20AC;? an avatar named Abby told me. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No one wants to do the same thing in Second Life they do in RL.â&#x20AC;?

Abbyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s explanation of role-playing as a hobo points to a particular use of fantasy: exploring parts of ourselves and our world from which we generally stay away. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why Second Life has so many aspects of real life that seem worldly and mundane. Without the context of the real world, our fantasies lose their relevance.

But this seems to me a perverse depiction of homelessness â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a form of harmless play, a lifestyle choice. It permits users to interact with a genuine social problem in a thoroughly sanitized environment.

Pastor Liveoak also implied that it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the responsibility of his Second Life congregation to deal with real-world ills. In fact, many real-life organizations use Second Life for outreach and fundraising for just that purpose.

Mensajeros de la Paz, a Spanish charity, created an attention-grabbing avatar of a small black boy who sits near the virtual NBC headquarters with nothing but a sign and a cardboard box. Homeless Link, a British antipoverty advocacy group, has a display of its plan to eradicate homelessness in Britain, featuring a photograph of a person sleeping on a bench. A â&#x20AC;&#x153;Garden of Shameâ&#x20AC;? decries the tragedy of global poverty by posting real-life images of suffering people and promoting awareness of the UN Millennium Development Goals.

But these displays are clearly referring to something â&#x20AC;&#x153;outsideâ&#x20AC;? Second Life, because the images are captured on a camera and not digitally drawn. This incongruity made me feel particularly distant from the homeless people I was looking at in the photographs.

Pastor Liveoakâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s remark that homelessness isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a problem in Second Life because few Second Life users are homeless illustrates one of the biggest problems with online worlds: theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re glorified gated communities. Users imagine a clean break separating their Second and real lives.

Creating divisions in the world gives me pause, especially when it means creating a world where homelessness is viewed as something distant and external. My concerns were summed up by a large billboard in one of Second Lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s posh neighborhoods. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget the real world.â&#x20AC;?

Street Sense has launched a weekly writers group!

Volunteer to help our vendors work on their editorials, poems and stories.

E-mail Koki at editor@streetsense.org or call 202-347-2006.

GED Preparation

External Diploma Program

Computer Classes

Academy of Hope â&#x20AC;&#x153;Excellence in Adult Education Since 1985â&#x20AC;?

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

To learn more contact us at: Phone: 202.269.6623 Fax: 202.269.6632 Or visit our website at: www.aohdc.org

Street Sense . October 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 31, 2007

IN OTHER NEWS

NEWS IN BRIEF 7

By Mandy McAnally

&DOLIRUQLD / $ 2IĂ&#x20AC;FLDOV $GYRFDWHV 6HWWOH /DZVXLW Los Angeles officials have settled a lawsuit with advocates over a law that forbids people from sleeping on sidewalks. The settlement says that homeless can sleep on sidewalks from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the city as long as they do not block access to doorways or driveways or completely block the sidewalk. If a homeless person blocks an entrance or the sidewalk, police first must issue a warning and then give the person time to move. The deal also allows police to enforce its overnight sidewalk sleeping ban only if it builds 1,250 units of supportive housing for the homeless, with half of those units downtown.

City officials said such action would likely not happen for at least three to five years (Hymon/Zahniswe, Los Angeles Times, 10/11).

Massachusetts: Numbers of Homeless Families Rising The number of homeless families staying in Massachusetts shelters has increased from under 1,400 in June 2006 to 1,800 early this month. Officials attribute the increase in Massachusetts to a combination of low wages, high housing costs, an increase in housing foreclosures and reductions in federal and state housing assistance programs. Two years ago, lawmakers also changed the financial eligibility requirements for homeless benefits from the poverty level to those making 130% of what would be considered a poverty wage. The state spends about $30 million on rental subsidies, compared with about $120 million 15 years ago, and there also have been no new incremental increases in major federal subsidies in about a decade (Eaton-Robb, AP/Google.com, 10/8).

Florida: Resident Stands Trial for Feeding Homeless An Orlando resident is standing trial for breaking a city ordinance that prohibits feeding the homeless. The resident was the first person ever to be charged with breaking an ordinance that bans the feeding of more than 25 people in one area. The city banned the feedings because of complaints from people being uncomfortable with the large gatherings of homeless people. The city has also called it a public safety issue. He stood trial in his own defense, saying he was just sharing his food (WFTV9, 10/8).

Maine: Supportive Housing Programs Save State Costs Providing supportive housing for homeless families can help reduce the costs of social, medical, and other public services, according to a study commissioned by the Maine State Housing Authority. The study is based on interviews from 99 formerly homeless people and data from hospitals, clinics, shelters and the police. The study found that housing the homeless in Maine cut in half the average costs of nonhousing services they receive. The Maine study found that the greatest savings came from the reduced cost of health care, particularly mental health care (AP/Boston Globe, 10/3).

Iowa: Sen. Obama Discusses Plans For Homeless Veterans Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, has outlined a plan for improving veteransâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; care that includes setting up programs to get homeless veterans off the streets. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have a simple policy when it comes to homeless veterans: zero tolerance,â&#x20AC;? Obama said, adding, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll expand housing vouchers. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll set up a new supportive services program to prevent at-risk veterans and their families from sliding into homelessness. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll stand with veterans in their hour of need, just as they have stood up for usâ&#x20AC;? (PressMediaWire, 10/6).

MARYLAND IN BRIEF

Texas: Dallas Church Opens Safe Haven for Homeless A church in downtown Dallas recently opened a â&#x20AC;&#x153;safe havenâ&#x20AC;? for the homeless in its parking lot. About 150 people in the lot sleep under the nightly protection of a security guard and have access to two portable toilets provided by the church.

The churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pastor pointed to the larger problem of more than 5,000 homeless people in the city, according to a city census, and only 1,300 available beds. Officials said the opening of a $23.8 million homeless shelter in April will help address the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homeless issue (Dallas Morning News, 10/11).

Your thoughts and editorials are welcome.

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

By Capital News Service staff

Frederick Rejects Services Cut for Illegal Migrants ANNAPOLIS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Frederick County commissioners voted 3-2 to reject a proposal Oct. 9 to refuse public services like education to illegal immigrants, capping two months of â&#x20AC;&#x153;divisive, contentiousâ&#x20AC;? debate over immigration in the county. The Frederick debate followed this summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passage of similar legislation in Virginiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prince William and Loudoun counties, which will effectively cut off county services to illegal immigrants. It also comes as Frederick County experienced a 250% increase in foreign-born residents between 2000 and 2006, according to the Census Bureau. Commission President Jan Gardner said the failed proposal would have broken federal law: in 1982, the Supreme Court ruled that illegal immigrants cannot be denied a public education. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bernie Becker Wynn Condemns EPA Changes WASHINGTON â&#x20AC;&#x201C; In the first-ever House environmental justice hearing Oct. 4, Maryland Rep. Albert Wynn called new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chemical reporting requirements insufficient, particularly in low-income areas.

A new rule enacted in December allowed EPA facilities to report chemical releases on a shorter form to decrease paperwork. But members of the subcommittee and witnesses testified that the change reduces the amount of toxic chemical information available. This disproportionately hurts minorities and low-income families, who often live in areas where toxic chemicals are released, they said. The Government Accountability Office estimated that the average savings to facilities using the abridged form was less than $900 and would significantly cut information available to communities. Former EPA collecting methods enabled minority communities to research the toxicity of the environment and know the risks to their health. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Danielle Ulman

Montgomery Promotes Grease-Fueled Cars BETHESDA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Montgomery County is part of what is believed to be a first-in-the-nation government effort to link restaurants that want to dispose of waste oil with enthusiasts who need it to fuel cars modified to run on the grease. The Barking Dog is the first restaurant to join an online forum that the Montgomery County Department of Public Works created in August after drivers started calling the county looking for used vegetable oil. Rather than bringing oil seekers to the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crowded disposal area, the exchange hopes to send grease-car owners directly to restaurants, said Rick Dimont of the Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For me itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very practical application. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got the grease sitting here,â&#x20AC;? said Barking Dog owner John McManus, who would otherwise spend about $300 a year to get rid of the used oil. Such a grease-swapping post has been eagerly sought by people like Frank Chu of Rockville, whose 1994 GMC Suburban runs on diesel and vegetable oil and belches French-fry-flavored exhaust. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Kenneth R. Fletcher .HHS +RXVLQJ +HOS )RU %5$& 3HUVRQQHO 2IĂ&#x20AC;FLDO 6D\V ANNAPOLIS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Even with the already-record use of its mortgage assistance programs, Maryland must continue to promote its ability to keep homes affordable as flocks of families move to the state to work on expanding military installations, the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s housing secretary said Oct. 3.

Raymond A. Skinner, secretary of housing and community development, said the programs ensure newcomers can afford homes as demand for them increases. Struggles in the sub-prime mortgage market prompted homeowners to seek help from the state, with a record of 3,900 mortgages totaling $750 million in fiscal 2007, more than double any year before, he said. The comments came during a presentation to Marylandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s base realignment and closure subcommittee

attended by military officials, state department heads and Anne Arundel County officials. The state anticipates 21,800 new households as a result of the base realignment process, which calls for the rapid expansion of Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County and Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County, Skinner said. Projections show about 84 percent of those families would buy homes. There are many incentive programs which help new homebuyers with down payments, mortgages or other costs associated with buying a home in Maryland. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dan Lamothe Coalition Counteracts Talk of Lowering Drinking Age WASHINGTON â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Upper Marlboro native Jan Withers lost her 15-year-old daughter, Alisa, to underage drunken driving. She stands behind a report that 25,000 lives have been saved by keeping the minimum age for drinking alcohol at 21. Critics of the current drinking age charge that soldiers old enough to fight and die in Iraq, for example, should be able to have a beer when they return home. The Support 21 campaign was born to counteract that criticism, and is sponsored by in part by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the American Medical Association and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The group cited data by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that shows that since the early 1980s the annual number of drunken driving deaths of people under 21 has dropped from more than 5,000 to fewer than 2,000. But John McCardell, director of Choose Responsibility, an organization that supports lowering the drinking age, said that setting the bar at 21 just forces drinking underground.

Minors drink in a â&#x20AC;&#x153;clandestine environment,â&#x20AC;? he said, raising concerns about fatalities occurring off the highway. â&#x20AC;&#x153;More than 1,000 lives of 18- to 24-year-olds are lost to alcohol each year off the road ways. Binge drinking by and large does not happen out in the open,â&#x20AC;? McCardell said. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Michael Walsh

8 PHOTOS LOCAL NEWS 8 & POETRY

Street Sense . October 15 – 31, 2007

Even when the city sleeps, the neon lights are the guardians of the street.

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Street Sense Believer I believe In mind over matter I believe In the human spirit that prevails I believe In miracles and blessings Both great and small I believe In possibilities I believe That hurdles in life are meant To be jumped over, not as Something to stop us I believe Street Sense has made A difference in my life.

— L. Morrow, Street Sense vendor #145

Man in the Mirror Have you ever been so alone that you could feel your bones?

An outcast, betrayed, unable to go home?

Have you ever been so sad that you couldn’t even cry — Eyes like the sands of barren land; hopeless, desolate and dry?

Have you ever suffered a broken heart that has went years without its mending?

Knowing still that it may never heal — too fragile for future lending?

Have you ever experienced a depression so deep that it consumed your entire soul?

Have you ever been the owner of an anger so fierce that the burn of its fire was cold?

Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if the life that you lived weren’t so sickening?

Or have you ever attempted to express the pain that you feel, only to realize that no one was listening?

Cliff’s Pics

From neon guardian angels in the night Street Sense vendor Cliff “the Moose” Carle show

If not, then you don’t know me — but if you’d like to, just ask…

For, my life is nothing more than a mirror-image of yours…

Given light by the reflection of glass.

— A.P.

Baskets are never alone when they’ve got their lids, here on display on 18th Street.

Street Sense . October 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 31, 2007

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PHOTOS & POETRY 9

7ZR ORYHUV VKDUH D TXLHW LQWHUOXGH RQ WKH 3RWRPDF

Invention she invented a lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;changing machine to suck me in, grind me up, polish my rough edges, to change the sorrow I drink each day to milk and honey in her dreams, her tangled nest of tubes and wires spits me out, gleaming, bright as springtime sunshine she twists knobs and cranks a handle wringing out my bitter juices. in reality, when her machine grinds to a halt,

It Takes Two

to dancing figures in a fountainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jet, ws youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re never alone in our photogenic city.

I come out torn and mangled, twisted by imperfections in her dreams.

she walks away, sighing in frustration at another dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s invention wasted. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; David Harris

&DQ \RX VHH WKH WZR Ă&#x20AC;JXUHV PRYH Ă XLGO\ WKURXJK WKHLU GDQFH"

10 ADVERTISEMENT

Street Sense . October 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 31, 2007

Street Sense . October 15 – 31, 2007

PRETTY RED’S FICTION

FEATURES & GAMES 11

Cryptogram

By Ivory Wilson

The Night of The Metro Ride

Solve the message below to discover a famous, meaningful quote on poverty and homelessness.

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was out of the train, the dead covered him.

He screamed, and Paul quickly closed the door.

People on the train started screaming, saying “Oh God, we’re all going to die!”

“What is happening? This can’t be happening! This is unreal!”

They were falling on top of each other as they scrambled to get away from the windows.

“People, stay calm. Please stay in your seats. Get away from the windows,” Parker shouted.

As he yelled, the dead burst through the floor and pulled him down. People on the train started trying to pull him back.

Parker broke in half and blood splashed all over them. His head rolled down the aisle.

Mark ran into the driver seat and tried to move the train. The dead people broke the window in his compartment, pulling him out of the window.

He let out a hollow scream. “Help! Help!

Oh God, help!”

Jack ran up the aisle trying to calm people down. Suddenly, the lights inside the train went out. The doors opened.

The dead came in and attacked Jack, and the doors closed again. The train lights come back on. The dead had taken him with them.

The train started to move again. It pulled into Metro Center.

12:00 a.m.

When the train stopped, the doors opened and people were falling on top of each other and stepping on each other, trying to get off of the train.

But then they stopped running. They realized that no one was dead or even hurt.

Drivers Paul, Jack, Mark, Parker and Mitchel got off the train.

They had all had the same Halloween dream.

Ivory Wilson sells Street Sense at the corner of 11th and E streets, NW.

September Solution: Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons.

– Woody Allen

Street Su-Do-Ku This Su-Do-Ku puzzle is easy to solve, but it may get beginners hooked!

Just fill in the numbers 1 through 9 without repeating a number in any column, row or box.

3 9 5

September Solution

3+272 ,//8675$7,21 %< '(6,5(( 3(5(= 675((7 6(16(

I

t was the night of Oct. 31. On this night, the dead walk the earth alongside the living.

The city of Washington, D.C., had set up a special ceremony for five of its Metro drivers. Drivers Paul, Jack, Parker, Mark and Mitchel had received awards for 20 years of service for the city. They were riding the same train together on their way into Metro Center.

Paul was driving the train. Also on the train were people from Majic 102 and AARP. Everyone was dressed in their Halloween costumes going to Halloween parties.

Driver Paul saw a black cloud covering the track.

“What the hell?” he thought as he drove into it. Just then, the train lost all power and came to a stop in the black cloud. Paul tried to call the Metro station.

His cellphone wasn’t working.

People on the train were calm. They thought there was another train ahead of theirs, and that’s why they were stopped.

Inside, however, the train began to get very cold. Passengers began to try their cellphones. They weren’t working either.

Paul, looking out his window, saw people walking to the train, coming out of the darkness. As they got closer, though, he saw rotten flesh on them. He couldn’t believe his eyes.

11:55 p.m.

People on the train began to hear strange noises coming from outside. Looking out their windows, the passengers saw the outsiders approach.

As they came closer, the passengers began to realize that the people outside were all dead.

Driver Paul walked over to the other drivers. “There’s something strange going on outside,” he said.

“Open the door. I’ll go outside and take a look,” Mitchel said.

Paul opened the door. “Be careful,” he said.

Mitchel walked outside. As soon as he

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PLACE YOUR AD HERE! With Street Sense now coming out twice a month and reaching nearly 11,000 people each issue, now is the perfect time to promote your business with us.

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Street Sense . October 15 – 31, 2007

12 EDITORIALS

Days, from page 1 Those were the old days. If you do that now, you would probably go to jail.

Still, if I could, I would rather go back to the old days, because you had respect for all adults and yourself. Young ladies didn’t wear clothes that left nothing to the imagination. Young men didn’t disrespect young ladies by calling them names and they didn’t curse at adults.

If we were playing together and did something we weren’t supposed to, your mother beat us and I got another one when I got home.

When night-time came, you were sitting on your behind on your front porch with your parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters and friends.

You were not allowed to stand at street corners after dark. As a matter of fact, by the time you got finished doing homework, slopping the hogs, picking berries or tomatoes, you were ready for a tub and a bed.

Children didn’t shoot each other. The only

time you saw a gun was if your father was going hunting.

The children of today aren’t afraid of the police like we were. In the old days, all you had to say was “Go home” and you’d see feet and legs hitting the road. Today, a police officer can follow kids for 10 blocks and they keep moving along until the police leave.

For our police officers, while you’re cruising around and seeing children you know should be home or with an adult, don’t just say, “Move along.” Instead, call their parents or take them to the precinct if necessary.

I’m pretty sure a lot of parents would appreciate this, because you may just be saving their child’s life.

The children of today need to know they are our future leaders. But what future are we going to have when they won’t get a job or go to school? They sleep all day and stay up all night seeing which group can kill the most.

If this is the future, I feel very sorry for them. Unless they get themselves together – and some will, I hope – we’re going to build more jails and hospitals.

I wish the old days could come back. We would have a much better society.

“Still, if I could, I would rather go back to the old days, because you had respect for all adults and yourself.”

Jo Ann Jackson is formerly homeless and loves to spend time with her grandchildren.

Reaching Across the Aisle

By Jeffery McNeil

B

e f o re b e c o m in g a v e n d o r, I was not aware of the role politics plays in common sense issues.

I never was a political person. I always thought things like housing, disability, homelessness and health care were social issues that should be American rights and not politicized issues.

Maybe I was naïve, but since becoming homeless I have seen why I do not want to participate in a political system that keeps many of us in poverty. Homelessness is not a political issue. It is a social issue. It should not be a liberal or conservative platform.

Every American should have the right to housing. Mentally ill people should not be forced to eat out of garbage cans because they’re not in the right frame of mind to get their medication. People in wheelchairs should not be stuck outside begging for change.

Winter is coming, and many will be sleeping in abandoned buildings with no electricity or running water. I wish someone could tell us why this happens in the twenty–first century.

As an outsider who always voted for common sense politicians – not the party line – I am disgusted with the gridlock that has become commonplace in American politics.

I begin to wonder what happened to the

great people who worked together to stop human suffering. Whatever happened to the Harry S. Trumans, Mother Teresas, and Martin Luther Kings of the world, who put aside political differences to make a change?

I was reading a book on Earl Warren, a Supreme Court judge who was a conservative. He went across the aisle and played a great part in improving civil rights. Why do today’s leaders lack the courage to stand up for what is right and not be slaves to lobbyists and trial lawyers with deep pockets?

I remember my father as a hardworking person taking care of his family, living paycheck to paycheck. He ended up losing everything after my mom’s illnesses because he could not afford insurance. This was 15 years ago and we still have the same arguments about national health care in today’s politics. Instead of getting something done, people tie up needed legislation that could actually help the public. That’s not politics – it’s plain evil.

Why do people have to wait almost nine months to find housing and, in the meantime, live in shelters that are infested with bed bugs, disgusting bathrooms and secondhand food?

Isn’t this America? What gets to me are the people who don’t seem to care. They’re more concerned with personal vanity than their surroundings. Maybe it’s a fantasy, but I hope for a courageous leader to raise us out of the despair I see in this country.

Jeffery McNeil often puts on a suit to sell Street Sense.

IN MY OPINION

By Eric Sheptock

Stuck to the World Wide Web

I

probably use the Internet much more than the average person t h e s e d a y s. I write my Street Sense articles on the computer and submit them via e– mail. I maintain contact with the D.C. government and report repairs needed at the Franklin School Shelter with my e–mail account. I keep in touch with my family via e–mail.

I even use the Web to search for anything I need to know, as opposed to searching through books at the library.

This wasn’t always the case. Prior to November 2006, I couldn’t use a computer. A year earlier an acquaintance in Florida tried, without success, to teach me.

In June 2006, I was part of the Committee to Save Franklin School Shelter.

As we won support of the local government, there was less of a need to rally and more of a need to conduct business with the committee. I needed to be able to use a computer. David Pirtle, my colleague and companion on the committee, agreed to help me out. He met me at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library and took 15 minutes on a computer to show me how to set up and use an e–mail account.

The very next time I tried to access the Internet, I ran into trouble. I tried every day for a week to re–access my account and was not able to. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. Then I ran into Mike McFadden at the library.

He explained to me when to use “www” and when not to. That was the magic bullet I needed.

I’ve been using the Internet ever since.

It has greatly broadened my horizons. I now e–mail my articles to Street Sense.

I no longer need to cross things out or rewrite them when I don’t like what I’d written. I just delete the undesired portions and keep on typing.

I’ve begun to ask for business cards each time I meet someone new. I’ve amassed over 300 contacts at this point.

I can now contact people for free, since I don’t always keep money. It has become my primary mode of communication at this point.

One of the problems I face now is that

Yahoo! will only allow me to mass e–mail up to 300 messages per hour. If I keep trying for five or 10 minutes straight, I can often override the system. I have to click the mouse like crazy in order to do it. This often results in people getting my messages three to five times, about which they aren’t always happy.

Another challenge I face is that the MLK Library computers generally log you off after an hour and 10 minutes and you can get only two sessions a day. As I am a “hunt and peck” typist, I am not able to do a substantial amount of business in two hours.

Soon after I learned how to use the computer, I heard about the e–BIC, the Enhanced Business Information Center, at the MLK Library. The e–BIC aids those trying to start a business in the District.

It is often not full to capacity, and it does not automatically log you off. As long as I am doing serious business, I’m allowed to use it and if it isn’t full to capacity I can often exceed the two–hour limit.

This helps to make up for my slow typing!

For all my work via computer, I still don’t know much about computers. I’ve figured out quite a bit through trial and error. I’m learning as I go. I still don’t use any of the office programs. I’ve never put together an attachment. All I know are the basics. That works for me.

Due to the library computers I have been able to get the hot water fixed at the shelter at least three times, most recently just this month.

As it turns out, the Web is my only way of being in contact with my family. My mom and I don’t speak so when I stopped calling her I lost contact with my entire family. As it turns out, many of my relatives are on the Internet and I can now keep track of them. My brother Jon, like myself, has a video on YouTube.

My video is of a song I wrote against President Bush. His is of him singing a gospel song, which I’m not allowed to play in the e–BIC center – on the only computers that have sound anymore at the MLK Library.

I guess you can say the Internet has become my life blood.

This article was written by e–mail.

Eric Jonathan Sheptock, an advocate for homeless people, lives at Franklin School Shelter. He loves to sing and perform and can be reached at ericsheptock@yahoo.com.

Your thoughts and editorials are welcome.

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

Street Sense . October 15 – 31, 2007

MAURICE SPEAKS

EDITORIALS 13

By Maurice King

An Unanswered Question

I

n the time I have spent waiting and wondering if I would ever get my life back on track, I have had many, many dark moments. I’ve suspected that the various service providers with whom I work have finally found in me a case that is beyond their capabilities to handle. The length of time alone would lead me to believe that.

It has been over four years now, and I am no closer to finding any form of stability now than I was in the beginning.

I remember back in 2003, when I met with the various case managers at the different agencies, I stated very clearly how I envisioned my needs. At least one of them remarked that he had never had a consumer state his case as I had. As I was to learn, that did me no good at all.

My words either fell on deaf ears or were tantamount to throwing a penny into a wishing well: a gesture unlikely to yield any tangible results at any point in time.

I can recall having one case manager shoot down all my needs one by one, telling me either that her agency did not assist with such matters or that I would not get the help I was seeking. Yet another case manager did little more than write a list of phone numbers on a piece of paper and instruct me to call them, which I had to do on a public phone, as I had no cell phone at the time. Never mind that some of the numbers were for organizations whom I had already approached and who had rejected me, while the others were wrong numbers or fax numbers, for which I still had to pay 50 cents per call.

Very quickly, I grew leery of the whole concept of case management. When I saw what often passed for a case manager, I started to wonder why I was not receiving the salary. After all, I seemed to be doing most of the work myself.

To be fair, I can honestly say that I was fortunate in finding suitable medical care for the most part – without the interven-

tion of a case manager. With the exception of one particular experience in an emergency room that really outraged me, I have managed to receive good medical care, and I have truly needed it.

I won’t say I’ve had success with medical billing or medical insurance because there have been some serious glitches. I’m still working them out, even now. That problem affects Americans across the country, so I’m hardly alone. It has become an election issue, so I’m in good company.

Housing still remains a problem for me. In an earlier editorial, I wrote about how I lost an opportunity to acquire a good apartment because of an administrative error at a provider agency. The paperwork is now in order, but I still have no real guarantee that I will again locate an apartment of comparable quality.

Even the best case manager in the world cannot make properties appear like magic, and quality affordable housing is quite scarce in the District of Columbia.

I also think beyond getting into housing and worry about staying there, as I don’t relish the idea of returning to my current situation again.

Many would tell me that I am being unduly pessimistic. I have to remind them that a pessimist is constantly either being proven right or being pleasantly surprised. Being proven right does not bring me a great deal of pleasure.

Once before in my life, I was in what everyone saw as an impossible situation, but it took a very long time before anyone finally admitted it to me. Even then, it was admitted only off the record, as no professional would give me such an honest assessment.

Now, after years of spinning wheels, I can only wonder again if there’s something I’m not being told. It is a question that I have had for some time but have not asked because I doubt that I would ever get an honest answer.

Maurice King has been writing editorials for Street Sense since January 2004, and is also in the process of publishing his own book. If you have any comments, e–mail him at benadam@cyberdude.com.

Thank You, Rev. Cornelius!

By Francine Triplett

I

don’t know the Rev. Cornelius Wheeler like the rest of Vermont Avenue does, but since the time I’ve been a member he has been a friend and a good pastor to me. I want to congratulate him on being elected pastor at Vermont Avenue Baptist Church. He’s only the sixth pastor in the church’s 1415HY &RUQHOLXV :KHHOHU year history!

Rev. Cornelius’s sermons always impress me. He puts things in a way that you can really understand. When he tells stories from the book of Samuel, or the book of Joshua, or any other part of the Bible, I feel connected to him. I leave church feeling like I can look at my life from a new perspective.

One thing I like about the pastor, he is such a passionate person. He gives it all. Another thing is that he is so good with the children. He takes the time to listen to them. My own granddaughter is crazy about him.

You should see his face when the children usher the first Sunday of every month. I love it.

I was in church on a Sunday when he talked about the youth who went to Charlotte, N.C., for a ministry, and how proud he was of them. When he talks about them, you can see it in his smiling face. He’s a great supporter when it comes down to the youth.

Rev. Cornelius, I just want to say thank you from me and my family. You’ve been a great help. God bless you and your family. I’m so proud to be part of your congregation on Sunday mornings.

Francine Triplett also thanks Rosslyn Wallace and Solomon Sparrow for the great music they give Vermont Avenue Baptist Church. Francine is formerly homeless and has been selling Street Sense since 2004.

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WHAT OUR READERS ARE SAYING...

Read August Mallory’s Letter from Seattle on our blog at www.streetsense.org

Alvin’s Poetry is a Hit! Hello, I am a regular and very happy customer of Street Sense. Yesterday, I was greeted by one of your vendors, Alvin Dixon El, and had a very engaging conversation with him as a result. My intentions for this e-mail are as follows: First and foremost, I would like to say how extremely impressed I was by Alvin as a salesman. Secondly, I was hoping to get in touch with him. He shared some of his poetry with me, which had such powerful messages regarding homelessness and social responsibility, and I would like to ask him if my organization could publish it in our magazine.

And finally, I would just like to take this opportunity to commend the work that you all do.

Best, Kathleen Byrne

Kudos to Bernard Dean Dear Koki, I’ve been in the D.C. area for a year now, and for the past few months have run into one of your vendors, Bernard Dean, on regular occasions. It’s usually a rush to get to work, but I was always impressed by his professionalism and sincerity – which led to me purchasing my first copy of Street Sense.

Now I am sure to read every issue, and continue to be impressed with not only Mr. Dean’s dedication, but also the compelling stories your newspaper publishes. Everyone involved should be extremely proud.

Please let me know if you do have any volunteer opportunities, and also let Mr. Bernard know that the morning commute to Metro Center wouldn’t be the same without him.

Justin T. Herman

Patty’s Turn To the editor: I am writing to compliment and to thank vendor Patty Smith for her friendliness and good service. On Oct. 10, I purchased a few papers from Ms. Smith and had the opportunity to have a conversation with her. I was very touched and impressed by her kindness, authenticity and courage. I feel certain that Ms. Smith’s confidence in a brighter future is a source of inspiration to those lucky enough to cross her path.

I would like to extend my best wishes to all of Street Sense’s vendors, and I hope to have the pleasure of meeting Ms. Smith again.

Cathryn Streifel

Encore, Alvin!

Hello, I just wanted to inform you and your staff that I had a very positive experience yesterday with one of your vendors, Alvin Dixon El. He was able to make everyone around him smile with his thoughtful poetry. He was both professional and fun. Not sure if this message will earn him a pat on the back or not (and hopefully it will), but I wanted to let you know how moved I was by his spirit.

Keep up the great work.

Best, Megan Sheahan

Street Sense . October 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 31, 2007

14 STREET SENSE NEWS

VendorNotes

INTERN INSIGHT

By Jesse Smith Jr.

New Vendors I am truly happy to say that our recruitment numbers have increased tremendously. From August to October, we have trained 25 persons, 17 of whom have completed the criteria necessary to become permanent vendors and earn photo identification. A number of these new persons are female, which is a very good thing.

I would love to take credit for this increase in personnel, but the truth is credit must go to many of our veteran vendors. The majority of persons referred to me for training already had a very good understanding of what this organization hopes to achieve. Many of our veterans have taken it upon themselves to give additional advice and training to these new vendors.

We welcome vendors Richard Gerald, Craig McKoy and Michael Sanders to our family.

A Funny Thing Happenedâ&#x20AC;Ś A couple of incidents reported by our vendors, though somewhat serious, struck me as funny. I asked these guys if they wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind if I share these occurrences with our readers, so here goes.

As reported in an earlier Street Sense issue, there has been a noticeable change in the way many of our vendors dress. I believe this is a good thing. However, vendor Alvin Dixon El had a different experience. A panhandler was working an area where Alvin usually sells his papers. This is not meant to be disparaging toward panhandlers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; everyone survives in their own way â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but it seems many of Alvinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s steady customers were giving money to the other guy instead of buying the paper from Alvin.

Alvin said they would say something like, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I gave what I had to the other man,â&#x20AC;? and then give him a smile. Alvin said this was quite unusual so he asked one of his regular customers, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on?â&#x20AC;?

The customer replied, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I thought you must be doing very well and maybe had another job considering the way you look compared to him.â&#x20AC;?

With that, Alvin said he moved to another location and his sales picked up. Even though he was dressed better and looked healthier, he still needed that income. Although he laughed about it with me, Alvin said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;To me, sometimes looking good can hurt you more than help you.â&#x20AC;? He added he will try to

keep up appearances as best he can because of the pride he has in what he does.

The second incident happened to vendor Kevin Robinson.

Undoubtedly, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re familiar with the reckless driver but have you heard of the reckless wheelchair driver?

While giving his usual sales chant to attract customers, Kevin was struck from behind with considerable force. When he recovered, he saw an obviously intoxicated individual in a wheelchair uttering some unmentionable sentences.

Some bystanders helped this gentleman retrieve a cane that had fallen during the collision. Then the man proceeded to thrash Kevin across the backside, repeating the aforementioned sentences. Kevin, boiling with anger, chose the route of nonviolence with the urging of some witnesses. I appreciate the fact that Kevin maintained his composure and did not resort to his basic instincts.

Kevin told me that if he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t representing Street Sense, he would have rented a wheelchair and taken his revenge on the man. He has the bruises to prove it.

Responding to Panhandlers A pamphlet presented by the Downtown Business Improvement District entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Safety Firstâ&#x20AC;? speaks specifically on how to approach panhandlers. It recommends politely declining giving any money to panhandlers, contributing to recognized organizations working to get people off the street and seeking the police if a panhandler looks like he needs help or displays aggressive behavior. It also suggests referring panhandlers to the Downtown Services Center at 945 G Street, NW, or calling 202â&#x20AC;&#x201C;393â&#x20AC;&#x201C;5400. I recommend everyone read and follow this useful information.

Top Vendor Sales: September 2007 Jeffery McNeil................... 939 James Davis.......................712 Conrad Cheek Jr. .............683 Mark Jones.........................667 Bobby G. Buggs ................538 August Mallory..................454 6HDWWOH¡V $XJXVW 0DOORU\ Moyo Onibuje...................428 VKRUW ' & YLVLW KLJK VDOHV

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1DPH BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB $GGUHVV BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB&LW\ BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB 6WDWH BBBBBBBBBBBBBBB =LS BBBBBBBBBBBBBB 3KRQH BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB (PDLO BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB 3OHDVH PDNH FKHFNV SD\DEOH WR 6WUHHW 6HQVH 0DLO WR Street Sense, 1317 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20005.

Thanks for your support!

By Desiree Perez

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Trendyâ&#x20AC;? Skid Row

I

was reading an article in the Washington Post the other morning. It caught my attention because it mentioned Skid Row in Los Angeles, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s close to where I live.

The article said Skid Row was becoming, well, trendy. L.A. is infamous for its trends and celebrity, but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s near Hollywood, Beverly Hills or Rodeo Drive â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not Skid Row. What Skid Row is famous â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or infamous â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for is homelessness, poverty, drugs and crime. That neighborhood, contained by 3rd Street and 7th Street from north to south, and Main Street and Alameda Street from west to east, is tough.

And apparently, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exactly that edginess thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drawing the new influx of trendsetters. Hipsters, art dealers and the rest of the pseudoâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;counterculture are migrating to the seedy streets of Skid Row in droves, searching for that sketchy bohemian lifestyle.

When I read this, I thought, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sounds interesting. Maybe Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll go check it out when I get home.â&#x20AC;? But then a short paragraph caught my eye: it dealt with the displacement of the homeless population in Skid Row. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when my experience at Street Sense kicked in.

There are a lot of homeless people in Skid Row. Within its borders, there are roughly half a dozen homeless shelters and transitional housing buildings. Churches do outreach ministry, and even run clean needle distribution centers.

However, as more of the industrialized neighborhood is converted into warehouse lofts for the 20â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to 30â&#x20AC;&#x201C;somethings with a couple million dollars to burn, the homeless population will be forced to look for aid elsewhere.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s even more outrageous is the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assessment of the situation. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve upped the police force in Skid Row by 50 officers over the last year. The cops, though, seem to have more incentive to hassle the homeless than anything else.

The mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, is drawing attention to the opening of big chain supermarkets in the neighborhood rather than to the fact that more money is spent harassing a vulnerable population than helping them.

It would make a lot more sense to use the funds to expand housing and care programs for the homeless.

Instead, that money is used to beef up the police force to kick the homeless out.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more, Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton acknowledges the displacement, but brushes it off as a necessary â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and minor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; problem. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Is there some displacement? Certainly,â&#x20AC;? Bratton said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wrong with that in some respects? Why should one square mile of the city be impacted by something thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s effectively a countywide problem?â&#x20AC;? He continued, â&#x20AC;&#x153;So if there is displacement, all well and good.â&#x20AC;?

Mayor Villaraigosa takes a more compassionate approach, stating that the Safer City Initiative will maintain affordable housing in the places where it is most needed.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clear, however, that the burgeoning city renaissance does not include taking care of homelessness. Rather, it sweeps it under the rug and out of Skid Row. Before working at Street Sense, I would have probably overlooked the bigger picture. The development of Skid Row and the increased police force would have seemed like positive and welcome initiatives. Since becoming familiar with the people and the issues here, though, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m able to see the real problems at stake.

Desiree Perez is from Corona, Calif., and is a fall intern with Street Sense through the Fund for American Studies.

FEATURES 15 SERVICE PROVIDERS & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Street Sense . October 15 – 31, 2007

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

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

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

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

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

Shelter Hotline: 1-800-535-7252

www.marthastable.org dinner, education, recreation, clothing, child and family services

activists, speakers bureau available

Rachel’s Women’s Center 1222 11th Street, NW (202) 682-1005 http://www.ccdsd.org/howorwc.php hygiene, laundry, lunch, phone and mail, clothing, social activities

Samaritan Ministry 1345 U Street, SE , AND 1516 Hamilton Street, NW (202)889-7702 www.samaritanministry.org HIV support, employment, drug/alcohol addiction, healthcare

Sasha Bruce Youthwork 741 8th Street, SE (202) 675-9340 www.sashabruce.org counseling, housing, family services

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 1514 15th Street, NW (202) 667-4394 http://stlukesdc.edow.org food, counseling

So Others Might Eat (SOME) 71 “O” Street, NW (202) 797-8806 www.some.org breakfast, lunch, medical, dental, mental health, addiction counseling, housing, job training, social services, senior services

St. Matthew’s Cathedral 1725 Rhode Island Avenue, NW (202) 347-3215 ext. 552 breakfast, clothing, hygiene

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

Travelers Aid, Union Station 50 Mass. Avenue, NE (202) 371-1937 www.travelersaid.org/ta/dc.html national emergency travel assistance Wash. Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U Street, NW (202) 328-5500 www.legalclinic.org legal services

MARYLAND SHELTER Comm. Ministry of Montgomery Co. 114 W. Montgomery Avenue, Rockville (301) 762-8682 www.communityministrymc.org

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

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

FOOD

The Samaritan Group P.O. Box 934, Chestertown (443) 480-3564

Alive, Inc. 2723 King Street, Alexandria (703) 836-2723 www.alive-inc.org

Warm Night Shelter 311 68th Place, Seat Pleasant (301) 499-2319 www.cmpgc.org

Our Daily Bread 10777 Main Street, Ste. 320, Fairfax (703) 273-8829 www.our-daily-bread.org

FOOD

MEDICAL RESOURCES

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

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

Community Place Café 311 68th Place, Seat Pleasant (301) 499-2319 www.cmpgc.org Manna Food Center 614-618 Lofstrand Lane, Rockville (301) 424-1130 www.mannafood.org

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

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Catholic Charities, Maryland

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

Street Sense . October 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 31, 2007

PHOTO FINISH

Walk the Talk

By Desiree Perez

Herman Lee Mayse

VENDOR PROFILE

By Brooke Howell

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Life hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been easy for Herman Lee Mayse.

Struggles with drugs, illness and anger have made his 48 years difficult ones.

Born on April 9, 1959, in Rutherfordton, N.C., Mayse was adopted by his fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first cousin when he was about 9 months old. Although his adoptive family was loving and full with six sisters and eight brothers, Mayse said he believes that his anger began as a result of being given up by his birth mother and father and growing up knowing very little about them.

Mayse has been researching in an attempt to learn more about his birth parents, so that he can write about them in his autobiography.

He has two volumes planned and has already started on one and chosen the titles for both: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gratefulness: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be All Right Somedayâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Been Through the Fire.â&#x20AC;?

His goal in writing is to share his struggles, how he overcame many of them and how he continues to work for a positive future every day.

For years Mayse drank and used drugs. This behavior caused him to be turned out by family members and to have trouble with work, money and housing.

In 1997 he met his wife, Quillia, and they married the next year. Mayse was still using drugs and trying to hide it from his wife until 2000 when he decided to come clean and enrolled in a rehab program.

Just as things should have been looking up, Mayse began to experience aches and pains, which were eventually diagnosed as acute pancreatitis.

To get his health back on track, Mayse had to spend over a year in the hospital. It was a difficult period, but his wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s constant support helped him pull through. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every day that I stayed in the hospital, she went to work, came to see me, prayed and went to church,â&#x20AC;? Mayse said.

Recently, Mayseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health has been better, but he still struggles. He also continues to work hard at keeping the other elements of his life in check. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now enrolled in a culinary program so he can learn to be a chef and proudly wears its black uniform. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You learn from your mistakes,â&#x20AC;? Mayse said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take it back. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change it. I just have to move forward.â&#x20AC;?

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StreetFact An estimated one in five homeless individuals owns a cell phone.

See story on page 4.

Favorite book?

Shaka Zulu Favorite food?

Ju m b o s h r i m p a n d broccoli Favorite movie?

Shaka Zulu

+HUPDQ /HH UHPLQGV FXVWRPHUV WR RQO\ EX\ IURP EDGJHG YHQGRUV DQG QRW WR give to those panhandling with one paper.

Favorite music?

Frankie Beverly and Maze Why do you sell Street Sense?

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a way of giving back to the community and to help other homeless people realize they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to stay where they are and to motivate myself. Street Sense keeps me focused and in check with my anger. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like therapy for me.

SOURCE: MICHAEL STOOPS, ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS

October 15 - 31, 2007 â&#x20AC;˘ Volume 4 â&#x20AC;˘ Issue 21

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

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

How did you become homeless?

I became homeless because I chose to live the life of the street â&#x20AC;&#x201C; gang banginâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and doing drugs and alcohol. I just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care. My family cut me off and I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go to nobody, couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go to no shelter. Since Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been to rehab, though, my family has accepted me back.

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