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Te n i c k i a P o l k o v e r c a m e homelessness and domestic violence. Now she hopes to help others do the same.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TENICKIA POLK

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STREET SENSE October 21 - November 3, 2015

3

NEWS IN BRIEF

Advocates Urge Need for Private Bathrooms at Family Shelters

By Alexandra Pamias Editorial Intern

On Tuesday October 13, the D.C. Council’s Committee of the Whole hosted a public hearing to discuss steps to be taken as families are moved from DC General homeless shelter to newer, smaller facilities. Legislation was proposed that would authorize Mayor Bowser to provide shelter for homeless families in private rooms.

The bill also would authorize the Mayor to provide families with temporary emergency shelter while they await full assessment of their eligibility for housing. In addition, the bill would create an expedited appeals process for families that were denied shelter after a failed placement.

Instead being placed in apartmentstyle accommodations, families would be placed in private rooms with shared bathrooms. The closing of D.C. General homeless shelter is one of the priorities of advocates for the homeless community, but at the hearing, many argued that having families share bathrooms was not an acceptable solution.

According to Tomaso Johnson, a policy attorney at the D.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence, living in close proximity to strangers might traumatize families who have experienced domestic and sexual violence.

“The sharing of intimate spaces such as

YES!

bathrooms may be particularly triggering for them,” Johnson said.

Amber Harding, an attorney with the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, presented the committee with examples of disability lawsuits that families presented concerning shared bathrooms.

“One mom with a disability lost her bowels in the walk from her room to the bathroom on a nearly daily basis and had to rely on her teenage daughter to help clean her up,” Harding said. “Even that humiliating task had to be done in shared spaces.

ensure that each family shelter is safe and can accommodate families who have disabilities that require a more private space,” said Kate Coventry, policy analyst of D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute and voting member of the D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

While agreeing that shared bathrooms are not ideal, many argued that the cost of requiring private bathrooms would limit

the number of families that could be taken off the streets.

Chairman Phil Mendelson introduced the bill, titled Advancing Year Round Access to Shelter Policy and Prevention of Homelessness Amendment Act of 2015, at the request of Mayor Muriel Bowser on September 22. The bill is still under council review.

“The sharing of intimate spaces such as bathrooms may be particularly triggering for them” - Tomaso Johnson Shared spaces also lead to an increase in conflict and in outbreaks of diseases and parasites. These living situations can re-traumatize children, causing sleep deprivation and social withdrawal, according to Harding.

“I’m also here to urge the council to

The Committee of the Whole hosts a hearing on Bill 21-352.

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Tenickia Polk Turns Tragedy into Hope

By Alexandra Pamias, Editorial Intern

It was the summer of 2010 when Tenickia Polk lost everything. After years enduring an abusive marriage, she sought help from her church and ended things with her husband. This led to more pain as she lost her home, child and personal health.

Many women have experienced domestic violence and lost everything, and Polk is one of them. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, 1.3 million women are victims of domestic violence each year -- a staggering 1 in 4 women. Tenickia Polk has come a long way since that fateful summer and now leads a busy life fighting for women who experience domestic violence.

One year after everything fell apart Polk founded her own publishing company, TP Rewards. At the end of October she will be releasing, “Jesus Juice for Healing and Deliverance,” which exposes her experience with domestic violence and explores the roots of this problem and how to overcome the trauma.

After Polk ended her marriage, she had to short-sell her house and since her exhusband refused to contribute financially, she couldn’t secure a home for herself.

“I had bad credit,” wrote Polk. “No one wanted to rent to me with bad credit.

And so I was homeless.”

Because she had little money, she sought help from friends and service providers such as House of Ruth to guide her through the continuous court battles. Polk had to fight for court protection orders and then her divorce, which was eventually granted in 2011.

“ I h a d b a d c r e d i t ,” wrote Polk. “No one wanted to rent to me with bad credit. And so I was homeless.”

Polk finally secured an apartment of her own through the non-profit organization Good Shepard Housing, based in Virginia.

This good news was short-lived when she suffered another miscarriage.

“My third one,” Polk writes in her upcoming book. “I could get over the failed marriage, but why-oh-why didn’t God allow my baby to live.”

Fearing that her ex-husband would track her down at work, she quit her job as a school teacher and was unemployed for months.

“He knew where I worked,” writes Polk.

“I just needed time away from him. I just didn’t need the stress of watching my back while going to work.”

All these events took a toll on Polk’s health that led to her developing multiple allergies and food sensitivities. Since she was unemployed, she didn’t have healthcare to back her up.

“I ended up turning to vitamins and supplements which gave me some relief and actually I became very dependent on them,” Polk said. “I started taking them like every three hours or so just to manage all these symptoms.”

Polk went through excruciating days, sometimes just being able to consume one meal and not even drink water.

Mattie Palmore, co-founder of the Women’s Group of Mt. Vernon, met Polk through a colleague when she worked at Good Shepard. Polk is currently the Vice President of this group.

“When I met Tenickia she probably weighed 100 pounds,” Palmore said.

“She was stressed out, her hair was falling out. She was very strong, but her self-esteem was very low. She was just running from herself.”

Palmore explains how Polk started coming to the Women’s Group of Mt. Vernon and immediately participated and helped other people by telling her story. Today she serves as Vice President of the group.

Through the support group, Polk learned about the Be In Health ministry that taught her about the spiritual root causes of diseases. She was suffering from Lupus, an ailment that had been part of her life even before she got married, and through the ministry found out that the spiritual root cause of her disease was self-hatred.

At first she couldn’t believe it. She had always thought that her self-esteem was pretty high.

“I started monitoring my thoughts and I found out it was true because the thoughts that I had towards myself were not very kind,” Polk said. “I was blaming myself for everything that happened.”

She decided to change her mind towards loving herself and when she finally did, the Lupus disappeared and it hasn’t returned in over five years. Polk began to research the rest of her diseases and says she has been cured of many.

“It’s just getting to the root cause, which a lot of times is fear, which a lot of people don’t consider a sin, but it is,” she said. “The whole thing is just lining up with God’s word. Once we can line up with God’s word, our body will do what it is supposed to do.”

One of the most important ways to heal oneself after going through a trauma such as domestic violence is learning how to forgive. Polk states that it doesn’t necessarily mean forgiving your perpetrator but most importantly it is about forgiving yourself.

“It always about teaching people how to move forward in their lives,” said Polk.

“There is physical healing in it, but there is emotional healing.”

“When she forgave her perpetrator she just flourished and began to just keep on glowing,” said Palmore. “She looks back to tell her story, but she never falls back.”

Faith is a huge part of Polk’s life and she says her church was instrumental to helping her get out of her abusive marriage. From the first moment that she disclosed to her ministers that she was not safe with her husband, they worked on finding her a place to stay and a protection order. They accompanied Polk to her home to pick-up her things.

“It was my pastor’s voice that really helped me to finally resolve to leave,” she said. “He just asked me one question: Why would you want to stay with someone who treats you like that? And coming from a pastor, that’s huge.”

The unconditional support she received from her church challenged everything she knew about the church’s relationship with marriage. She had assumed that they would frown upon her divorce, but that wasn’t the case.

“That is when I really started realizing

that maybe God loves me more than this marriage,” Polk said.

In 2009, when Polk was still a schoolteacher, she self-published her first book.

As a computer technology teacher, she felt that her students didn’t have the proper books to engage them so she published her very own.

The book was a huge success with the kids and from there other people started asking her to help them publish their own books.

One of her most rewarding experiences as a publisher was when she o published her mother’s book about her own experience with domestic violence. ntil she worked on her mother’s story, Polk did not know that her mother had gone through this as well.

“That was just further confirmation, divine confirmation, for me that the publishing is something that I needed to do.

I just feel like there are so many stories that are untold,” Polk said. “I’m thankful that I finally did learn her story.”

Christie Jones is one of the authors that have worked with Polk through TP Rewards. Her book “Are We Home Yet?” is a story about a young boy experiencing homelessness.

STREET SENSE October 21 - November 3, 2015

for Fellow Victims of Abuse “Her best characteristics as a person and as a publisher are the same. What she is going to give to you if you know her personally is what she is going to give you as your publisher,” Jones said in an interview. “She is driven and she believes in your story and if she feels as if this is a story that the world needs to know, she is going to work her very best to get that story out.”

Tenickia Polk was fortunate to find the support she did. As a single woman experiencing homelessness as a result of domestic violence, she was lucky to be able to find housing. Sixty-three percent of homeless women have experienced domestic violence in their lives, according to the National Network to End Domestic Violence. And not all of them fare as well as Polk eventually did.

A woman who experiences domestic violence, whether she is single or has a family, has to deal with a lack of affordable housing and long waitlists for shelters. She then has to make a decision: live on the street or go back to the abuser.

According to the Fairfax County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team’s 2014 report, 44 percent of murders that occurred in the county were due to domestic violence. The Domestic Violence Prevention, Policy, and Coordinating Council (DVPPCC) unanimously endorsed these findings during their January 2014 meeting.

The members of the DVPPCC are county leaders who meet to decide on policy

towards domestic violence. Polk recently was appointed a Marginalized and Underrepresented Population Representative at the organization.

The violence that these women face affects them in more ways than one, leading to poor credit scores and employment histories, which in turn complicates their situation even more.

Having a protection order against an abuser is sometimes cause for an eviction by landlords who fear violence on their property. These actions are illegal under the Violence Against Women Act of 2005 and it is important for tenants to know their rights.

Domestic violence and homelessness are widespread problems that too often go hand-in-hand. Polk aims to inspire hope for a better future by sharing success stories and knowledge of support services through community meetings, TP Rewards publishing and her online television show, DomesticViolence.tv “One of the biggest goals I have is just to teach people how to overcome their situations,” Polk said. “It’s to teach coping mechanism as far as how to deal with your anger and disappointment and with the domestic violence, your self-image.[It is] realizing that you are worth more than this relationship.”

The release event for “Jesus Juice for Health and Freedom” will be occur on October 31 at the Sherwood Hall Library in Alexandra, VA.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the Office of the Attorney General is participating in several events to call attention to this nation-wide problem.

-Wednesday & Thursday, October 21-22: Assistant Attorney General Connell serves as faculty at an American Bar Association continuing legal education class on “Intimate Partner Sexual Violence Representation.”

-Thursday, October 22: Attorney General Racine and Assistant Attorney General Turner speak at an OAG/ Rainbow Response Coalition discussion called “Show Me Love!!! A Robust Discussion Promoting Healthy Relationships in the LGBTQ Community.”

-Thursday, October 22: OAG and partners observe Purple Thursday, a day to call attention to the problem of domestic violence by wearing purple.

-Wednesday, October 28: Attorney General Racine speaks about elder abuse, among other issues, at the D.C. Commission on Aging Retreat;

-Friday, October 30: Assistant Attorney General Connell will speak at a conference for D.C. Court staff and invited guests titled “Domestic Violence, the Elderly, and the City” addressing what services are available and how elder abuse differs from other types of domestic violence.

LISTINGS COURTESY OF THE DC OFFICE OF THE DOMESTICVIOLENCE.TV

COVER STORY

Domestic Violence Awareness Month Events in D.C.

-Thursday, October 29: Assistant Attorney General Roseline Guest will join a panel for a seminar titled “Gender in Public Interest Law” that is part of Georgetown University Law Center’s externship program. She will share with the students how her government position fighting domestic violence allows her to incorporate gender justice into her work.

Tenikia Polk Interviewing Reverand Bruce Lagwiser on “Community Chat.”

5

ATTORNEY GENERAL

I Am Stronger

By Roberta Bear Vendor/Artist I am a strong women. I don’t sit around feeling sorry for myself. Nor do I let people mistreat me. I do not respond to anyone who dictates to me or tries to bring me down. If I fall, I will rise up even stronger. I am a survivor and not a victim. I am in control of my life and there is nothing I can’t achieve.

It’s really painful to say goodbye to someone you don’t want to let go of.

It’s really painful to say goodbye to someone you don’t want to let go of.

But it’s even more painful to hold on to them if they never wanted to stay in the first place. If someone doesn’t show you the same love that you show them; if they act as if you are unimportant most of the time, this may be a big clue to the fact that you don’t need them in your life.

The only people you truly need in your life are those who respect you and want you to be in their lives. The healing process takes time, but it gets better every day.

HUD Seeks to Prevent Criminalization of Homelessness

By Jonas Shau Editorial Intern Arnold Abbott made international headlines in 2014 when images of the then 90-year-old chef being arrested along with two ministers for sharing food with homeless people in Florida went viral. According to a Fort Lauderdale ordinance, food may only be shared at sites that are permitted for doing so.

Shortly after Abbott’s arrest, a local judge ordered that the law not be enforced. But the sudden media attention served to highlight a growing number of similar ordinances.

“What am I supposed to tell China and Russia when they call me to talk about democracy?” Abbott asked rhetorically in a previous interview with Street Sense.

According to a report released by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty four months before this arrest, 33 percent of cities had made it illegal to loiter in public throughout an entire city.

This year the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will provide $1.9 billion for homeless services in fiscal year 2015 through the annual Continuum of Care (CoC) grant program. For the first time, that funding will be partially-tied to how well applicants prevent the criminalization of homelessness.

Each Continuum is a coalition of government and nonprofit services that are expected to implement a full spectrum of homeless services within a given city or region.

INFOGRAPHIC COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL LAW CENTER ON HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY 2014 “NO SAFE PLACE” REPORT

A single administrator, in the District’s case this is The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness, applies for a block grant of federal funding to distribute to the coalition.

Through the competitive CoC application process, HUD uses a weighted point system to assess how well applicants are reducing homelessness and carrying out HUD’s plan.

Points are awarded in 57 categories from submitting data on time, to following program models like Housing First, to housing more people in the Continuum.

“What we do is challenge local communities to engage with everyone on this issue of homelessness,” said Brian Sullivan, Public Affairs Specialist for HUD. Ultimately, if an individual requirement is not met, a Continuum of Care will not lose its financial support. Each CoC can score a maximum of 200 points.

Preventing the criminalization of homelessness, for example, is worth a maximum of two points.

“This is just a small case we ask our applicants about in this competition, that is just one of them. We award them up to two points if they are speaking to the local governments … working towards decriminalizing homelessness,” Sullivan explained in an interview.

This new criteria comes on the heels of a court ruling in Idaho where the U.S. Justice Department affirmed that criminally prosecuting homeless individuals for something as innocent as sleeping, when they have no safe and legal place to go, violates their constitutional rights. Many homeless individuals are unable to secure shelter because the city shelters are over capacity or inaccessible to people with disabilities. Enforcing these ordinances was deemed poor public policy.

HUD has long stood against the criminalization of homelessness, against bans on sleeping, loitering, food sharing and other “basic behaviors necessary for life.”

But this is the first time the issue has been tied to the agency’s funding.

“If somebody does everything we ask them [preventing criminalization of homelessness], they get two points. If they don’t, you have to see it in context with all the other things we’re asking,” Sullivan said. “We are not going to defund them.”

Grants for existing CoCs are distributed based on meeting cumulative point thresholds, not scoring more than fellow applicants or scoring in a particular field.

Each Continuum must meet a minimum score to renew previous funding. Surpassing a secondary national standard qualifies Continuums for new program funding.

“We don’t have those really draconian laws that some cities do,” said Anne Marie Staudenmaier, a staff attorney for the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless.

D.C. is thankfully progressive when it

comes to the criminalization of homelessness, according to Staudenmaier. She identifies interpretation and enforcement on the ground as the bigger issue locally.

Staudenmaier pointed to three city ordinances most often used to ticket people experiencing homelessness.

One such ordinance mandates that no one may set up a “temporary abode,” such as a tent or parked car, without express permission from the mayor. This could be applied to most people that choose the outdoors over a shelter but attempt to fortify themselves for the night in any way. According to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty report, 43 percent of U.S. cities prohibit sleeping in vehicles and 34 percent impose city-wide bans on camping in public.

The “disorderly conduct” ordinance, which was amended several years ago to be much more specific and harder to abuse, can also be subject to interpretation. One remaining aspect of this regulation prohibits “incommoding” or obstruction of public passage. This can be used to target panhandlers and people with a lot of baggage.

The third regulation in question deals with “storage on public space.” The law has been on the District’s books since the 1800s, according to Staudenmaier. She posited a scenario when a public space where people may attempt to live, such as an underpass, is “cleared out.”

In addition to giving at least 15 days’ notice, local authorities are required to retain any items of value found during the clean-up, so that the owner can conceivably come collect them. But Staudenmaier suspects homeless people’s belongings are not adequately searched before disposal.

“If an ID is buried in the bottom of a black trash bag, the city is saying they don’t want to look through someone’s stuff,” she said.

Staudenmaier has been giving sensitivity training and an overview of these laws to every single Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) recruit since 2000. The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless created the required “Homelessness 101” class in partnership with MPD after criminalization of homelessness in the District became apparent to the organization.

During a recent class, she also lectured the recruits about Chief-of-Police Cathy Lanier’s general order that says “...people experiencing homelessness, have the right to be peacefully in any public place of the District of Columbia as long as their activities are lawful.”

The order also explicitly affirms that homelessness is not a crime. It is important to remember that the police have duties and rights when it comes to confronting homeless people, and when confronting them about breaking the law.

Another component of the class includes hearing from a person who has experienced homelessness first-hand.

On October 1 that person was native Washingtonian Alan Banks. He works with Friendship Place, a housing, case management and job training program based in Tenleytown. He also runs their speakers bureau, The Voices of Hope. Banks told the recruits about the six years he was homeless, three on the streets and three

Portrait of Alan Banks PHOTO BY DAVID MOSS

in the shelter system.

Nothing feels more degrading than living on the streets, according to him.

Banks’ father passed away suddenly, which turned his life upside down and sent him into deep depression.

Now housed, Banks knows how quickly an incident can turn a person’s situation around.

“I will continue to speak to as many people as I can, getting them to understand that the face of homelessness is every face, that most people in this country are just one or two paychecks away from becoming homeless,” Banks said. “Another common step to end homelessness is to start in the home. The parents need to enlighten their children when they ask why that man sleeps on the streets, or why that lady eats out of the trash can.

Tell them as it is.”

As winter approaches, MPD officers are also briefed on how to look out for the health of people on the street. Officers are given a list of symptoms—weak pulse, shivering, slow breathing and others—that may indicate hypothermia and the need for emergency medical assistance.

“You can’t insert the criminal justice system into homelessness, as a way of solving it. We know that it doesn’t solve anything,” said Brian Sullivan. “Having said that, we are not talking about people who, if they are homeless, are engaged in criminal acting. If someone finds themselves living on the street and struggling to survive, that’s not a crime. That’s the point we are trying to make.”

STREET SENSE October 21 - November 3, 2015

7

NEWS

A Lava Mae volunteer helps a San Francisco man. ava Mae is converting decommissioned city buses into mobile shower facilities for homeless experiencing homelessness. It provides hundreds of showers every week.

PHOTO BY SOLE MOLLER

Council Considers Mobile Hygiene Units

By Olivia Aldridge Editorial Intern In 2013, San Francisco was deep in a food-truck craze that inspired one woman to meet the needs of the homeless community with mobile units. Doniece Sandoval used the crowdfunding site Indiegogo to raise funds that would turn a de-commissioned city bus into a mobile hygiene station for the city’s 3,000-person homeless community. She called the service Lava Mae. Lava Mae buses are installed with toilets, hot showers, and other hygiene materials for homeless individuals who have limited access to such resources.

One of Lava Mae’s driving values is that hygiene is essential to have dignity and opportunity.

Soon the District may bring dignity to homeless residents through a service similar to Lava Mae, but with one key difference: it will be funded by city government. At-Large Councilmember Vincent Orange proposed the Mobile Hygiene Pilot Program Amendment Act of 2015 in September, reported Washington City Paper.

The pilot program would begin with one city-owned bus, recommissioned as a mobile hygiene service for people experiencing homelessness. The Department of Human Services (DHS) would be required to implement the program within 120 days of approval. DHS would then have 2 years and $200,000 to spend on the pilot while also raising funds for a more permanent program. Should the pilot program prove successful, seven more buses would be commissioned so that each city ward could benefit it from its own bus.

Many homeless advocates in D.C. are enthused by Orange’s proposed legislation. One of those is Marcy Bernbaum, of the People for Fairness Coalition, who praised the pilot program for expanding access to hygiene facilities in an email exchange with City Paper. “Unless you know the area, you will have a hard time finding a restroom that will let you in during the day and evening,” she said.

However, there is criticism of the proposed legislation as well. Miriam’s Kitchen

Advocacy Director Kurt Runge believes funds for the pilot program would be more effective if put toward District housing efforts instead, though he acknowledged that the mobile service could serve “important basic needs” short-term.

“People need a home of their own to take care of their personal needs. Although providing showers could meet an important need, how many people could get into housing with the funding that would be required to operate it? Are there other unmet needs that should take priority?” Runge said, also in an email to City Paper.

The bill was referred to the Committee on Health and Human Services and Committee of the Whole, according to a spokesperson for Councilmember Orange.

If the pilot program is commissioned, then D.C. will join the ranks of other cities where mobile hygiene programs in the style of Lava Mae have emerged, such as Honolulu and New York.

Volunteers clean up inside the Lava Mae bus.

PHOTO BY SOLE MOLLER

A volunteer connects a water hose from the Lava Mae bus to a water hydrant to run its on-board shower and toilet facilities for people experiencing homelessness.

PHOTO BY SOLE MOLLER

2015 Showcase of Our Vendor/Artists’ Talent

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Perception or Reality

By Robert Williams, USMC Vendor/Artist Greetings my cherished and most appreciated readers. First and foremost, I would like to thank all who were in attendance at the Street Sense Annual Fall Gala held on October 1.at the historic mansion on 15th Street, NW. My thanks and appreciation (and that of my fellow vendors and Street Sense staff) is also extended to everyone for all your generous contributions and support. Anyone who missed it needs to certainly ensure you are in attendance for the next year’s event.

My heart is still continuously saddened by what I consistently see and hear in regards to the language, treatment and acknowledgement (or lack of acknowl-

edgement) of the impoverished.

If you don’t want to acknowledge the homeless or the homeless epidemic, at least acknowledge your fears. What are they and why do you allow them to cause you to treat the indigent community the way you do? I, as an artist/vendor with Street Sense am first and foremost a spiritual man of God. I am also a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

Though no longer homeless, I can empathize. Not just due tomy personal experience, but because I continue to be subjected to the same disrespect and inhumane treatment disproportionately reserved for the homeless or impoverished community.

All too often people walk by me as though I do not exist. All too often, although I politely greet individuals, they don’t speak back. All too often, though my lips are moving people pretend they

don’t see or hear me. All too often I am told to get a job, referred to by some as “just over broke.”

By 10:00 a.m., a Marine has done more work than an average worker does all week long. We veterans are not lazy people, nor are we afraid to face reality.

Are you?

Veterans Affairs and the rest of the government are playing on your intelligence if they make you believe everything is fine. The reality is this homeless epidemic can impact anyone at any time. Most of you reading this could not endure what these people (yes, people) you ignore on a daily basis endure. What is reality to you?

When you and our society needed us, we dropped everything, answered the call, no excuses at all. We left houses, jobs, families, even college to fight and sacrifice for the freedom and security you are now afforded. Yet most passersby ap-

pear oblivious to this fact. They just stare when I ask for help.

Think about how we responded to you when we were needed and think about how you respond to us now when we need a little help. I ask you: where would you be today without the sacrifices of veterans?

We recently celebrated Columbus Day. Far be it from me to even remotely comprehend how someone can discover a place which is already occupied. Where’s the appreciation and celebration for individual veterans who actually did something and are continuing to do something, never requesting, receiving or deceiving.

What do we get for this? To be among the majority of the homeless community in need of comparable healthcare, affordable housing, employment, etc. I believe in you readers. Let’s wake up and stand for something as opposed to continually falling for anything.

STREET SENSE October 21 - November 3, 2015

FEATURES

Please Expand the Wonderful Market Vouchers

Such Joyful Shots!

By Angie Whitehurts, Vendor/Artist

By Henrieese Robert, Vendor/Artist A few weeks ago, while I was volunteering at a session for the United States Conference on AIDS, I snapped three shots of Dr. Eugene McCray, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of HIV/AIDS. Dr. McCray leads the CDC’s response to slow down the rate of new HIV infection while curtailing the progression of the disease to AIDS in those already infected. He hopes eventually to end the transmission of HIV by using the medication Truvada. Truvada will help some of us infected with with HIV to suppress the disease.

I had an opportunity to speak to Dr. McCray and his team at the conference.

We discussed how I got my press pass. I said that the press should be allowed to attend HIV and AIDS conferences. Dr. McCray said that the pictures I submitted to obtain my press pass, especially the shot of the Sudan Embassy with Dick Gregory, George Clooney, Martin Luther King III and Ben Jealous, were great.

9

“How did you get the pictures at the Sudan Embassy?” Dr. McCray asked “How? I simply asked, was a bit rude, being tardy that day, yet aggressively I headed up to the front to shoot the stars,” I said. “Then suddenly, I could not get my DSLR camera to work, so I moved back to leave the encircled group, getting to the very edge. I asked the policemen, ‘may I get outside the yellow taped area, so I can get a panoramic view of the event?’ They said ‘yes’ and I stepped out, and pulled out my point and shoot camera! Lo and behold, I got about 120 shots of the Clooney team at the Sudan Embassy! A panoramic view of the event, too!”

A t t h e c o n f e r e n c e t h a t d a y, a s Dr. McCray began his presentation, I whipped out my point and shoot, and got three shots of him. He asked me how they looked.

I am proud to have photos of Eugene McCray, our HIV leader at the CDC!

On Saturdays there is a farmer’s food market at 14th and Colorado Avenue, NW. On a recent Saturday, I visited only to find out that the vouchers offered by the D.C. Government, were not available. I wanted to know why. I introduced myself to the man in charge, Mr. James Coleman.

He explained that the vouchers were on hold be-cause of some near end-of-year audit and would be available again in midSeptember. Several Saturdays later they were still not available. Some of us signed a petition to encourage the immediate reissuance of the pro-gram. My understanding was that there were particular times that the Market Managers can go and pick up the vouchers. For a good reason on Mr. Coleman’s part, that did not happen. Mr. Coleman volunteers to help set up our market because he cares and he loves what he does. Hopefully, over the next year, the program can be extended and more administrative support and delivery services of the vouchers to the market can occur. This is a wonderful program that brings healthy, fresh organic food directly to the neighborhoods across the city.

Those like me who are pedestrians, bus, Metro and sometimes taxis riders really need and can appreciate weekly and accessible access to fresh farm grown produce. The markets are of extreme benefit to seniors, young children, the disabled and those in need of extra nutritional food that’s tastier than a bag of chips or an overloaded sugary candy bar. It is also a great social event where you can meet farmers, neighbors and other visitors and even exchange recipes and get new ideas for preparing new foods. Thank you Mr. Coleman for the good job that you do.

Note: If you like free range organic meats, fresh peaches, eggplants, lettuce, acorn and spaghetti squash, olive oil infusions, Kalamata olives, goats cheese homemade jams, breads, fresh ground Ken-yan and other international coffees, then the 14th and Colorado market is great. I have also visited the Foggy Bottom Market at 23rd and the Vermont Avenue Market. They are all fantastic for lovers and connoisseurs of fresh food. Eat, live and Bon appetite! Enjoy.

Angie Whitehurst with Jim Coleman, the market manager of the 14th St and Colorado Avenue Northwest Market.

PHOTO BY ANGIE WHITEHURST

Happy Halloween!

By Patty Smith, Vendor/Artist

PH

Y HEN O TO S B

RIEES E

E RO B E

RTS I L LU ST R AT I O N BY PAT T Y S M I T H PHOTO BY WILLIAM WARBY/FLICKR

Jessica and I went out last year for Halloween. We had gotten ready. I had painted my face all sorts of colors. We went to 8th and Rhode Island Ave. We saw all the little children with their parents. It was a kind of warm night and the leaves had fallen to the ground. They were red fall colors. The children were dressed in costumes. They looked so adorable. They went up to houses all along the block and Jessica and I followed. We got candy, too.

At the end of that night we came home with a bag of candy.

COMICS & GAMES

LEGAL BEAT: Safe biking in the District

By Tim Farrell, Volunteer

s t s ! e n i g k g p u m S al Pu y e o l i G c e p S a

Some District commuters face over an hour in some of the worst traffic in the country each workday. Living in the District allows me to take mass transit or bicycle to work in about fifteen minutes.

I work 12-hour days, so biking to work is not only more convenient and cheaper than driving, but it also gives me my daily exercise without having to go to the gym after a long day. The Metropolitan Branch Trail is an exceptionally convenient and safe way to get into the city center from my tiny studio apartment.

Last week I saw two bicyclists on the ground downtown surrounded by emergency personnel. Clearly, they had both been hit by cars. From the looks of the cyclists’ equipment and clothing, neither appeared to be prepared for the dangers of riding in the city. Having had several close calls myself, I have no doubt that riding in the city can be dangerous. Coming from someone who has worked in the Bering Sea during Opilio crab season, I think this says a lot.

Bicyclists and motorists need to be more mindful of each other to avoid accidents.

Bicyclists should have proper reflectors or lights on their bikes and cyclists should wear bright clothing to catch motorists’ eye. Most importantly, bicyclists should also wear helmets in case there is an accident.

High-end performance helmets can cost over a hundred dollars, but perfectly safe comfortable helmets are available at most bike shops and department stores

for about twenty bucks. Used helmets can be found at thrift shops for even less. As such, anyone getting a bike for riding in the District needs to budget something for safety to avoid getting hurt.

Bicyclists also need to be mindful of traffic laws. It is frustrating to be at a stop light and see a rider blow through.

I understand that waiting at a light takes away from one of the advantages of riding, which can be faster than driving in traffic. It is certainly faster than walking.

Furthermore, getting up to speed from a stop is hard work. Law-abiding bicyclists may in-turn become frustrated when they see pedestrians cross against a light while they sit in an empty intersection.

But this is the legal beat and the law requires both motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists to stop at red lights. District traffic regulations impose a fine of $75.00 for motorists and a $20 fine for pedestrians who ignore stop lights. Bicyclists can be fined $25.00 for disobeying a traffic control device.

If penal laws are meant to encourage safer behavior, then perhaps the D.C. Council needs to consider raising the fines on errant pedestrians and bicyclists to match that of motorists. I haven’t seen too many cars ignoring red lights, so in addition to common sense, fines seem to deter motorists from this unsafe behavior.

Slowing down will make the commute safer for everyone, and may reduce the cost of a potential fine.

STREET SENSE October 21 - November 3, 2015

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OPINION

Washington Works Hard to “Protect” Your Identity

By Ken Martin Vendor/Artist Who am I? I’ve been getting that question a lot lately.

Over a month ago, I made a purchase at one of my favorite department stores in D.C. I used my Visa card. The young clerk, whom I was unfamiliar with, asked to see my ID. I said “no problem,” and gave it to her while I was filling my own bag.

She sat my ID on the counter while I finished arranging my belongings. I did not notice it there and left to go about my day.

When I realized it was missing and returned to the store, the security guard that knows me there said he held it for a while but dropped it in the mailbox on the third day.

That same week, while selling this illustrious periodical near a public school, I spied a photo ID on the ground. It was a D.C. One Card, with the school’s name on it.

I returned it to the school where a teacher

assured me that it would find its owner.

After a week I had not yet received my ID card. It seems now everyone I encounter finds that I don’t know who I am, and requires proof. So I called 311 to inquire whether or not they have my card and if so, how I might get it. Yes we do and no you can’t was their response.

They have my valid ID, but will not mail it to me. Nor may I personally retrieve it.

I must purchase a new identification card.

So I asked, what is the purpose of telling the public to drop found IDs in the mail to “protect others from identity theft?”

That is not exactly what happened when the United States Postal Service became part of this process. Now I have no idea whose hands my ID card has been through or what they are capable of doing.

You tell me that you’re going to keep my valid property for which I’ve paid. AND you will force me to buy another copy.

When were you going to let me know that you had it if I hadn’t called? Never.

This is my hometown’s idea of integrity. This is how you treat your citizens.

Look at the date of birth on that card: I’m 60. The D.C. DMV took something of mine and I have no recourse. I suggested that the 311 operator see that a statement is issued to inform the general public of what happens when someone drops your government issued ID in a mailbox. I was told she couldn’t do that, at which point I asked that she tell her supervisor an irate and disgusted citizen asked her to do so.

That is reason number 857,622 why I am ashamed of my hometown!

That student is leading a carefree life with proof of her identity. I, on the other hand have to purchase another birth certificate and non-driver’s license. That’s $40. And a day of my life I can’t get back!

The original card is out there someplace.

Where I may never know?!

I’m marking my phone number on the back of the new one. Under that will read: PLEASE DO NOT MAIL!!!!

A Living Testimony

By Leonard C. Hyater, Jr, Vendor/Artist On August 12, 1986, I was accused of a crime that I did not commit. However, I was tried, convicted and sentenced to 10-30 years in prison.

The day that I was convicted I swore that I was going to make the woman who was responsible for my arrest miserable while I was incarcerated. I have never had so much hate for a person in my life.

But one day while in my cell, I heard Jesus speaking in my heart. I got on my knee and said, “Lord if there is any hate in my heart, please take it from me.”

Such a huge peace of mind came over me that I was inspired to read the Bible cover-to-cover within a year.

The most important thing I’ve learned through reading the Bible is forgiveness.

It is the only way that you will be able to move on with your life. This is a gift that can happen to anyone, but it is up to you to accept it. I know. I’m living proof.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Can A Liberal Be A Racist?

By Jeffery McNeil, Vendor/Artist

So much for being politically correct when African Americans stray from leftwing orthodoxy. The Democratic Party that doesn’t want to offend anyone has taken the gloves off when it comes to the retired neurosurgeon and Republican presidential candidate, Dr. Ben Carson. One liberal troll wrote a scathing op-ed titled F*** Ben Carson. Others have called him an Uncle Tom. This should be alarming to all African Americans, whether they agree or disagree with Dr. Carson. Imagine how outraged and offended liberals would be if conservatives wrote op-eds titled “F*** Barack Obama,” saying that his statements were a “goldmine of asinine cannon fire.” African Americans and civil rights leaders don’t see how intolerant, meanspirited, and vicious liberals can be when African Americans stray from the Democratic Party and speak for themselves.

What’s even more hypocritical and contradictory about the Left’s attack on Dr. Carson are these self-proclaimed “social justice organizations” such as Black Lives Matter that don’t see free speech as part of the struggle to protect black lives.

There’s Freedom of Speech in America -as long as you’re not a black conservative.

These black bourgeoisies have betrayed the downtrodden and dispossessed African Americans that are so thirsty for leadership. They have allowed white liberals to mislead the black masses into believing

any viewpoint that isn’t their own is nothing more than crackpot heresy.

This shouldn’t be about Dr. Carson, but about a rallying call for African Americans of all viewpoints: “We are in a fight for the black man’s soul!” Like in 2012, when conservatives showed no respect for Obama, we shouldn’t allow white liberals to refer to blacks that disagree with them as stupid.

We will never grow as a race if we allow liberals to insult our intelligence by telling us who we should pick and choose as our leaders. White liberals that claim to be so moral and righteous in fighting for blacks’ rights thinks so little of them as to prefer blacks don’t critically think for themselves.

I don’t endorse or support Dr. Carson, but I no longer sip the wine of the left. I look objectively at all of the candidates.

A few years ago, I would never have entertained the thought of voting for Donald Trump or Dr. Carson. I voted Democrat all my life. I listened to the left saying that black conservatives such as Dr. Carson, Herman Cain, and Allen West were race traitors. But I’ve realized the real Uncle Toms are the civil rights leaders that want African Americans to continue believing that they’re being mistreated and continue down the same tired philosophy of marching, protesting and sit-ins.

It’s the black conservatives that say, “Let’s quit marching and try something

different.” It’s these old-school civil rights leaders that keep clinging to the sixties: recreating Million Man Marches and reminiscing about Rosa Parks, Selma and Birmingham. This doesn’t propel our race forward, but rather locks us in a perpetual state of grievance with empty promises.

Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate what Martin Luther King and Malcolm X did, but they have been dead for 50 years. It’s time to move on. Dr. Carson is the true progressive, while these black activists remain stuck in 1965.

Liberals hate Ben Carson for one reason: he is antithetical to the narrative

that a black man can’t make it in the land of opportunity.

We as a race need to tell another story.

Dr. Carson exemplifies true black manhood. He is living proof of what a man can do when a person stops making excuses and uses his intellect.

We need to break free from these old school civil rights leaders that are more concerned about power than the people.

Think objectively. Look at the results of liberal policies instead of believing in empty promises that are never delivered.

Ben Carson. | PHOTO COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE / FLICKR

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

Dear Customers

Save Our Waters, Please!

Raising My Children

I truly appreciate each and everything that you amazing people do for me. There are no words that can express how I feel. I greet everyone with a smile, which is also power, so here is a poem written by the late Tupac Shakur.

God bless you all and thank you!

I know that we have a problem with our water situation.

Some people today really need that drinking water, just like the marine life in our same waters.

These days, we eat a lot of things that come out of our waters like fish, oysters, crabs, and lobster, which I love a lot. But there are things which are really destroying our waters like oil, pollution, and terrorism. That is why I pray to God every day that these things don’t destroy our food and vegetables or our trees or us.

I depend on water a lot now, especially because of an injury. I will soon be having back surgery and my doctors are watching my water consumption. So people of the world, please do not destroy our water because what God created for us to survive means a lot to us. So Street Sense reasers and the rest of God’s people, let

I never put my hands on my children.

When I had to punish them, I made them stand in a corner and I took things from them that they liked.

Today, I would take the phone from them. And would not give them money.

But, I can’t do that at this time of his life.

You see, he is now 53 years old!

By Lester Benjamin, Vendor/Artist

“The Power of a Smile”

By Tupac Shakur The power of a gun can kill and the power of fire can burn The power of wind can chill and the power of the mind can learn The power of anger can rage inside until it tears you apart But the power of a smile especially yours can heal a frozen heart

By Charles Davis, Vendor/Artist

Winter Approaching

My Life So Far

Winter is approaching fast, as I am keenly aware from being homeless for six years. Winter is very hard for homeless people. Please offer a coffee or a nice ‘hello’ or ‘how you doing?’ It’s a very lonely time: dark, cold, wet, a bad combination of hazards. We all are a part of God’s body.

I heard Mayor Bowser say she’s going to let the shelters stay open for the winter.

Thanks, Mayor.

PS. I am an advocate of Street Sense: I want to tell you something really good, because Street Sense helps me a lot!

My name is Michael Jackson. I was born in the District and graduated from Cardozo High School and Strayer University. I am an ex-military policeman for the D.C. National Guard. For 20 years, I was homeless off and on and was addicted to drugs and alcohol. I refused to go to a shelter for personal reasons, even though I faced death from drinking too much. Eventually I found my way to Christ House, where I gave my life to God. That was the turning point. After four months of healing and Alcohol Anonymous groups, I went into transitional housing at Regional Addiction Prevention (RAP).

I am no longer homeless! I have my own apartment. I also advocate for the

The Right Day

Fights on the Metro

I feel the need to write about my rush to get to this writing class. I have tried several times; however, I kept arriving on the wrong day, at the wrong time. But today, I got here on the right day! I was tardy because of the Metro’s many delays, but I still made it.

On October 8 aboard the Orange Line, two young girls were fighting.

As someone tried to break them up, one pulled out a knife and tried to stab the other. She was arrested. When Metro Transit Authority police took her off the

By Andre Brinson, Vendor/Artist

By Cleo, Vendor/Artist

us please watch the waters that both we and all of God’s creatures depend on, especially our fish. May God Bless.

By John Judkins, Vendor/Artist

Food For Thought

By Ron Dudley Artist/Vendor

Tha Anacostia River.

Look me in my eyes I just wanna say thanks Not for the money, But for the food and the water I drank.

PHOTO COURTESEY OF JENNIFER BOYER/WIKIMEDIA

Post – Season Time Warp

Michael Jackson, Vendor/Artist

By Chris Shaw, “The Cowboy Poet” homeless. I joined the Bible Way Temple Church, where I am a member of the Abundant Life Drug Prison Ministry and sing in the pastor’s choir and the brothers’ club choir.

Other than helping many of those in need by giving clothes and food whenever I am in a position to do, I haven’t looked back on my past life. I also haven’t been on parole since 2004. On Dec. 29, I will celebrate one year of being sober. When I finish my classes at the Bible Institute, I will be certified to teach the Bible based on my spiritual growth.

I have accomplished all these positive things because the Lord has been good to me.

By Phillip “The Cat in the Hat” Black, Vendor/Artist train, she tried to break-off to fight again.

It seems more and more people are fighting on Metro. But what really gets me is that even when they see the Metro Transit Authority police, they still continue to fight. The two girls fighting on the train might have been fourteen or maybe fifteen.

Some people were recording from their cell phones. Here we go again. Something seems to always go wrong with Metro.

Last game home? Reds: Nats Won, made up for 7/8.

(When Still Great)!

[On Mon Sep 28 Nats won a “rained out” game over congratulations 5-1]

Alfonso Soriano Warms Up. PHOTO BY SCOTT ABLEMAN/FLICKR.

Spotlight

By Sasha Williams, Vendor/Artist What is after the spotlight?

A choice to make a message, or to keep that moment.

To move on or to plateau?

To me, there is always more to be done.

North, South, East or West.

I just want to do more than my best.

And so my heart beats don’t rest.

I think actions shows the best.

What is your spotlight?

STREET SENSE October21 - November 3, 2015

AFTER KATRINA: A Ten-Year Roller Coaster, Part 6

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VENDOR WRITING

By Gerald Anderson Vendor/Artist PREVIOUSLY: After 400 of us being evacuated from New Orleans in a Delta plane and stayin’ in the Armory, they sent a bunch of us to Travelodge. They put us right there where women were prostitutin’ and there be drugs. They moved some of us to Howard Johnson’s and then my homeboys and homegirls was getting places. Just like me, they had jail records, but not as long as mine. After another few months, I be given thirty days to get all my stuff and get out of the hotel. But they didn’t give me no place to go...

My homegirl Connie say I could stay with her in the apartment that FEMA got for her. Her apartment was a two bedroom, so I had my own room. I used to

date her in New Orleans and now we were romantic on and off.

I‘d go out and hustle, often washing cars. I wouldn’t see myself panhandlin’ because I don’t see myself askin’ people for money when I know I’m not gonna do the right thing with it. Instead I would wash cars, help people with grocery bags, help people to paint.

I wouldn’t want anyone who know my family or that I went to school with to see me beggin’, which is another reason I never do that. I would use the money I earned to bring home crack cocaine, liquor, and beer, so Connie and I could get high together.

It was a rainy Sunday night. I’ll never forget it. Connie went out to go turn

tricks. Sometimes she brought guys back to the apartment, but she didn’t want me to know she was making money so often she’d go elsewhere.

I saw her get in a man’s car. I see she made a little hustle, and I was thinkn’ she would come back home a little later.

She went out that night to go make some money prostitutin’, and we never seen her no more.

I still don’t know where she at. I’m hopin’ she still alive. I wished I had pictures. I never reported it because I don’t deal with the law enforcement because I was a criminal. I also didn’t want people to think I was ratting on anyone; if they see you talking to police, they think you rattin’

We didn’t have too many people come over—we was just learnin’ the neighborhood. Me bein’ a street guy, I can move around, so it ain’t took long after I got here to learn the wrong part of the hood.

My pattern is you tend to your business.

You don’t just get in with people and think they your friends. I know that now, because I made mistakes. (to be continued)

nothing but horseplay. They were lucky no one had met an untimely death.

They finally made it to a bar. When the three called it a night, they went home to their colorful abodes: Wings and Odd Ostrich at the park and Brian the Hobo at the railroad tracks several miles away.

All three have different plans for their share of the drugs. Brian the Hobo will smoke half and sell half. Odd Ostrich will give hers to some teenagers that she knows and Wings will take all of his.

The next day, Wings had a mishap at work. He was setting up and cleaning the coffee stand. On his way to the back room he slips on water and breaks his right ankle.

Odd Ostrich finds out that she is pregnant, by someone other than Wings or Bri-

an the Hobo. Brian ends up in jail for a few days after he stole some potpourri from “a few boys”. Synthetic drugs such as K2 or Spice are often marketed as “potpourri.”

Odd Ostrich breaks off a branch from the “family tree” behind their bench and beats Wings with it three times. She lets out a yell and then proceeds to terminate the relationship.

He does not know what he will do about the sounds. Wings quits the convenience store. Thrown out of the park, he takes up with Brian the Hobo and several other people sleeping by the railroad tracks.

He believes that the sounds got him into trouble.

Wings is sorry the he lived the homeless lifestyle.

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

Misperceptions

By Michael Craig Vendor/Artist There’s a pit bull in an alley. With a butterfly on his nose and a dove on his back.

There’s a Monkey in a dress in the same alley who saw the pit bull and caught fear.

He didn’t see the butterfly on his nose.

He didn’t see the dove on his back.

He just saw the pit bull, and fear caught fire.

He let his misperception drive him.

The pit bull remained sitting—relaxed and happy—watching the butterfly on his nose.

This is what people do a lot: misperception.

The Monkey’s fear was his own.

He didn’t see the beauty in the pit bull.

All too often we can’t see past our own misperceptions and fear.

Life in the Park

By Deborah Brantley, Vendor/Artist The park was small, about 100 feet by 300 feet. It was triangular. The planners said that wasn’t so small. A man and a woman were in love there. There was jazz playing in the background.

The park was surrounded by trees and park benches. 11 benches. Each bench was occupied by a homeless denizen, with their bags of belongings stacked under each bench. It seems to be very comfortable: staid, solid and velvety.

The man, Wings, was medium height and weighed about 175 pounds. He was black. He wore his hair in dread locks.

He used to work at the steel mill. Now he works at a convenience store. She, his girlfriend named Odd Ostrich, was about 6 feet tall and was also black. She has never

held a job, but had often dreamed of one.

Oftentimes in homeless relationships one partner cannot make it. By that I mean work. So what’s a girl to do? Or a man?

It is hard to be the sole breadwinner.

He would need to make $75,000 in order for both of them to leave homelessness behind. So during the day, the man worked at a convenience store making $9 or $10 per hour. He works there for 8 hours each day.

One night they go for a drink. It was Wings, Odd Ostrich and Brian the Hobo.

They decided to rob about seven old people for money to buy drugs. The leader was Wings. He hit an old many-colored man over the head. Soon the police have been called, but Wings asserts the incident was

A Man of Many Travels

His Plan

This is a tribute to Pope Francis.

The Pope walks in the Holy Spirits of Radiant faith, humbleness, joy, and a great outlook on life.

Pope Francis (to me) is kind, loving and willing to teach positiveness of life, love and Holy Spirits of peace.

Pope Francis shows his love for human beings.

He’s a great man of (God) as many others who teach the words of (God).

A man of many travels May his travels be forever blessed. (Psalm 23:1-10)

When the Pope visited D.C., he left us with the truth about God's plan for his creation. His plan for us can’t be the direction most of us are headed. It is a real disappointment how we show hate, envy, and jealousy to each other.

We let our brothers and sisters live and sleep on the streets, while we see them trying to survive things we wouldn’t let our pets face alone. We let them eat out of trash cans. We let them beg for money.

The God I serve says in his word that some of us will suffer a terrible punishment. The first will be last, the last will be first.

By Phillip Howard, Vendor/Artist

The Changing in DC

By Ricardo Meriedy, Vendor/Artist

My name is Ricardo Meriedy. I have lived here for 55 years. When I was a teenager, I couldn’t have imagined the way D.C. has developed over the decades. I love my hometown and I love the people who live here. The reason I say that is because the ones I meet today are white people. I have never been a racist and I am enthused to have my white friends in my life.

Every day when I am out on the corner selling Street Sense, I also see many homeless people. I ask myself: why are so many people out here living on the street?

It is sad to see black or white people eating out of trash cans when this is supposed to be the land of the free. If I had the power, no one would be out on the street or hungry. This scenario of homelessness is sad. The District government says it is doing the best it can to help find shelter for the homeless. If that statement is true, why do I still see so many homeless people when I sell my papers?

Every time I see one of my friends, they encourage me and give me hope. It feels good to have friends to uplift your spirits.

God Is Love

By Evelyn Namn, Vendor/Artist God’s love is so sweet and refreshing. It strengthens the weak and heals the hurt and sustains the heart. His love is the highest form of love, since it expresses the purest love between God and man. God is love and He loves me and you; don’t you know?

His kind of love feels warm on chilly day and cool on a hot summer day. His love is unconditional, endless and everlasting. His love is pure and holy. We all should love God because he wants us to love Him as well.

The greatest act of love shown to us by God was when he sent His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to die for everyone’s sins. This gave each of us a new life.

God is love and don’t you ever forget it.

By Barron Hall, Vendor/Artist

Homelessness: My Story

By Gwynette Smith Vendor/Artist Homelessness can be an experience that raises questions about what else a person could have been instead of homeless. I left home after my mother died, the city where my father, my sister, her husband and her children also lived. I decided to go to Los Angeles where we had family and I planned to look for work.

I had gone to California a couple of years earlier and taken a civil service test.

Nothing should have made more sense. I could have stayed at the Y and checked if I was eligible to be hired if I had passed the civil service test. But they had never contacted me one way or the other, so I did not know for sure.

I might have liked LA and gotten an apartment and settled in the city or the surrounding area. I could have joined a church, and maybe met some people

with shared interests like tennis, bowling, books, or the theater. I had been a member of the Thespian Club in high school.

When I first arrived in Los Angeles, I stayed at a hotel. My ex-husband, who already lived there, told me to look for work at the unemployment compensation board. A relative told me to get on the substitute teacher list in the meantime, and that I could expect to be paid about one hundred dollars a day.

I guess I should have tried these options. My hotel rent money was almost depleted and I started staying at an all-night theater, where I heard about shelters in the area. Reluctantly, I went to see what a shelter is and started staying at one that allowed mothers and children there.

It was open all day long, but there was nothing to do all day except listen to the radio. Some people gathered a few blocks from the shelter and seemed to talk to each other and have a little more fun.

The Hard Life

By Robert Warren, Vendor/Artist The hard life was just a thought that man had taught: why well-meaning people gather for what they knew they would never do.

For if in life, if we told the truth: The dream of a home to call one’s own would be an everyday thing.

For the poor would sing of champions, only if this life wasn’t so hard.

And the test would start only when one began to understand, No, OVERstand that in the land of the brave and the free, honey for all will never be.

Look to Russia and you will see Christ was a socialist, would you believe?

Man lives and dies without ever telling a lie. Only to themselves.

No heartaches or tears. Never learn to fear and to give of oneself.

To find peace when nothing else is left, but another life.

That is not too hard at all. Only to dream of these things, as we awaken to another unjust day.

To keep man in a hard knock-knock life, never right without his life’s hard works.

For his mercy and grace, let the hard work take place in life.

I moved to another shelter and forgot about pursuing the other efforts to become employed. However, I did apply for jobs that were currently available, like police-community worker. I never heard any more about my applications. I should have followed up on them. For several positions, I had to take a Spanish test. They told me I was qualified to be bi-lingual but I knew I was not fluent in Spanish, so I never pursued any of these jobs.

Living in the shelter had become my life. I also spent time in shelters in Las Vegas, San Francisco and other places.

Eventually, I moved back East and finally ended up in D.C. I worked as a teacher and after an ankle injury healed a little, I saw a Street Sense vendor and asked him how he started selling papers. He gave me his card and I went to the Street Sense office. I got to start selling the paper. It has helped me a lot. I regained some selfesteem and was able to earn money.

Helpless in Southeast

By Jackie Turner, Vendor/Artist

It is a shame you can’t go outside, or open a window without getting a contact high. I am sixty-two years old. I don’t want to be high. I know it’s legal to have marijuana in the District, but there are people who don’t use it and don’t like it.

You can’t take your children to the park because everyone is smoking. I see people with infants in one arm and a blunt in the other hand.

When you walk down the street it is like walking through a maze of smoke.

When you open your windows your house is filled with the smell. God, I am tired of the smell. Lots of times I’m sure I’ve got a “buzz” just from going outside.

They sure did a dumb thing with the new law! Please, can someone help the babies and the old people like me who just want to smell fresh air?

15

STREET SENSE October 21 - November 3, 2015

COMMUNITY SERVICES Housing/Shelter

Food

Clothing

Showers

Outreach

Medical/Healthcare

Transportation

Laundry

Education

Employment Assistance

Legal Assistance

Academy of Hope Public Charter School: 269-6623 | 601 Edgewood St, NE aohdc.org

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

Community of Hope: 232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

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

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

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

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

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

Catholic Charities: 772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CELEBRATING SUCCESS! Hey Y’all!

By Betty Everett, “The Beautiful One from N. Carolina” Vendor/Artist How was your Labor Day vacation? OK I hope. Fall is here and looking at the trees and leaves reminds me of North Carolina.

This year we had a very good summer, going to picnics (including one at Street Sense) as well as block parties. But in autumn I always become homesick, remembering the days of my youth.

I remember running around with no shoes, playing in the fields and riding horses bareback (of course the

horses belonged to the boss’ daughter). My step grandmother, sister and I lived way back up in the woods.

About 5 other families lived within walking distance.

After school all would go ride on the cotton sacks that the field workers pulled and sometimes I would get to pick cotton. Can you imagine a 6 year old kid picking cotton? Also, we played on straw-like peanut stacks.

I never got hurt running around barefoot. Being young is great! I remember having two pairs of shoes for the whole year and wearing socks on my hands to keep them warm.

I recently met new people on the streets – they had

fallen on hard times and reminded me that that could be me. But thanks to the “higher power,” I’m safe for right now. Recently, I have felt vulnerable because of gentrification in my neighborhood. Rents go up every year. Let’s all be thankful for another week, day and time we are still here in this “beautiful world.”

As the saying goes, I complained about having no shoes until I met a man without feet. Ain’t the “higher power” good to us?

I would like to thank by customers, especially those of the Adams Morgan area, for buying Street Sense.

Consider Contributing to Street Sense!

# 28233

United Way of the National Capital Area

United Way NCA Designation Code

# 8871

LAST WORDS: TOO GOOD FOR WORDS

By Beverly Sutton, Vendor/Artist

LAST WORDS: NEVER GIVE UP

By Scott Lovell, Vendor/Artist

October 25th, 1982 is a day I will never forget. On this day, I was hit by two cars.

This incident has made me realize that God has work for me to do.

Thirty-five years later, I am alive and have a testimony to share that can help someone else get through their times of need. I have told a lot of my customers about my life, many of whom respond with, "Oh my God!" and tell me how that must have been a terrible day. But I reassure them that it was not a terrible day at all.

Even though the accident caused me to lose part of my right leg, I am still alive today and willing to share my story. I want to help those that are going through hard times to remember that their situation could be worse. When we trust in God, he will carry us through the storm. I want to encourage everyone to never give up. I want to thank all my friends and customers for supporting, not only me, but Street Sense as well.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2015 PRE-SHOW 6:00 PM AWARDS CEREMONY 7:00 PM HISTORIC LINCOLN THEATRE 1215 U STREET NW WASHINGTON, DC 20009 FREE EVENT

HUMANITARIAN HIGHLIGHT: Street Sense

October 21 - November 3, 2015 • Volume 12 • Issue 25

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW

Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Washington, DC

Washington, DC 20005

Mail To:

Permit #568

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

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

I had to go to the Social Security Administration (SSA) last month for my photo ID and Social Security card. Why? Because I got an apartment!

I had not had an ID for many years because I didn’t have a place to live. I feel so much better with an ID. Now if something happens to me in the street, people will know who I am. Before, no one would have known anything. Everyone needs an ID. Having an apartment is too good for words. It’s a real shelter. I can cook. I have a bed. I have furniture. I can take a bath whenever I want, even when I don’t need it!

MOVING UP: DEALING WITH STUDENT LOANS

By Arthur Johnson, Volunteer

Whether you are already dealing with repaying student loans or are considering going to school, paying back these loans is challenging. Fortunately, several developments have made it easier for borrowers to be able to afford to make their payments.

In the past, your student loan payments were determined strictly by how much you owed and the amount was based on a 10-year repayment schedule. That has changed in recent years due to action taken by President Obama that was designed to make paying back student loans more affordable. One of the biggest changes was to implement the Income Based Repayment (IBR) and Pay As You Earn programs.

IBR was introduced by the President in his first year of office. It had borrowers pay back their loans based on a percentage of their discretionary income after accounting for necessary expenses like housing, transportation, food, insurance, etc. When it was introduced, enrolled borrowers could pay 15 percent of discretionary income, however within the last couple of years that number has dropped to 10 percent of discretionary income. In theory this provides more leeway for borrowers to take jobs in fields that they enjoy rather than taking a job that does not apply to their degree just to make student loan payments.

To sign up for the IBR, you only need to contact the company that is servicing your loan (the loan company that your bank sold your loan to). They will tell you where to get the forms and you submit them with a copy of your most recently filed federal tax return. You can and probably should submit a recent pay stub too, especially if your income has decreased significantly in the past year. If you owe on student loans, make certain you are utilizing the income based repayment plan.

If you run into problems with paying back your student loans, there are options available to you. You can immediately apply for a forbearance or deferment. Both options allow for you to stop making payments for a period of time when you have no ability to make your scheduled payment, such as if you lose your job or can only find part-time work.

The difference between the two is that during a deferment, the interest on your subsidized loans might be paid by the U.S. government. If you get approved for forbearance, you can also stop making payments if approved, but the interest will accumulate and forbearance only lasts for 12 months. Deferment can last up to three years. Keep in mind that even if you are deep in consumer debt, it is almost impossible to discharge your student loans in a filing for personal bankruptcy.

If you file for deferment or forbearance, your loan servicer will ask for documentation to confirm your inability to pay. Without one of these plans, after not making payments for nine months, your loan will go into default. This could bring a lawsuit or garnishment of your wages and federal tax refunds to offset the loans.

Student loans can be very frustrating.

They are easy to obtain but tough to pay back. If you are struggling with them, contact your loan servicer immediately to help you navigate the maze these loans can put you through.

Arthur Johnson holds degrees in Sport Management and Economics and has substantial experience working with the homeless as a Volunteer Financial mentor at The Salvation Army shelter in Minneapolis. Please send questions or suggestions for topics you would like to know more about to AJohnson@streetsense.org