11 15 2005

*** SECOND ANNIVERSARY ISSUE *** NEW Politics Page, p. 8 Puzzle Page, p. 14

INSIDE: Local Advocates and Public Figures Voice Their Opinions on Homelessness, pgs. 6 and 7

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Where the Washington area's poor and homeless earn and give their two cents Volume 3, Issue 1

November 15, 2005 - December 14, 2005

Recent Property Rights Ruling Stirs Old Fears Many Worry that Poor Neighborhoods, Shelters Could Be Target of Government Land Seizures

By David S. Hammond A recent Supreme Court decision is drawing new attention to old questions about property rights and poor neighborhoods. And in Washington, D.C., and around the country residents are worried about losing their property.

To homeowner Ken Wyban, whose house is being taken to make way for the planned baseball stadium in Southeast Washington, the issue is a simple one. “They can just send you a letter and take your house,” he said.

Wyban, a middle-income Army retiree, is talking about eminent domain, or government’s power to take ownership of private property for public use.

This traditionally been has

allowed for such things as roads, government buildings, and public utilities.

Over the last 50 years, eminent domain often was used for urban renewal, or “slum clearance,” the names given to the rebuilding programs that once remade city neighborhoods nationwide.

Those projects uprooted people, often poor people and minorities, leaving lasting memories of displacement.

The Supreme Court decision earlier this year changed things and started the current debate. In Kelo vs. the City

See RULING, p.5

Inside This Issue Homelessness on Campuses, pg. 4 Sex Offenders in Shelters, pg. 9 Poetry, pg. 10 and 11 Book Review, pg. 12 NEW: Restaurant Review, pg 12 Community Events, pg. 18

Demand for Winter Shelter on the Rise

District Government Releases 2005-2006 Hypothermia Plan

By Julie Buss After witnessing an unprecedented demand for shelter on the coldest days of last winter, the District of Columbia has stepped up its plan for this season, in hopes of protecting all of the city’s homeless from the threat of hypothermia.

The $1.3 million budget for the 2005-06 Winter Plan would cover up to 110 hypothermia

alert days, when the wind-chill temperature dips below 32°F. On hypothermia alert days most shelters will remain open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., hours when they would normally be closed.

Although last year there were only 72 days with hypothermia alerts, the previous year a hypothermia alert was issued on 110 days during the November 1 to March 31 season.

According to Debra Daniels, spokeswoman for the District’s Department of Human Services, the Winter Plan is “designed to make sure we do everything we can to prevent homeless individuals from succumbing to hypothermia.”

She added that an important objective is to educate District residents about the need to report any homeless persons they see out in the cold.

The need for shelter beds

has risen each year. Last year saw an unprecedented demand for family housing on the coldest days. An estimated 8,925 adults sought shelter during hypothermia alerts, and the overall demand for shelter increased 23% over the 200304 season.

The District has allocated more shelter beds this year in every category—men, women, teens, and families—and has procedures in place to provide further shelter in case of overflow capacity. Housing for women has increased by 25 beds to 290 spaces over last season, while shelter for men has gone up by 63 beds to a total of 1,253 spaces. Housing for families has increased by 75 beds over last year.

These beds may not meet the growing need, however.

See WINTER, p.4

INFORMATION

Page 2

CONTACT INFO:

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 August Mallory Michael Stoops Kathy Whelpley

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Laura Thompson Osuri

SENIOR EDITOR Ted Henson

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Street Sense Mission Statement and Editorial Policy The main objective of Street Sense is to make the public more aware of issues related to poverty and homelessness. Its secondary goal is to provide homeless people with an economically beneficial opportunity and forum to be published.

Articles in Street Sense reflect the perspectives of the authors. We invite the submission of journalism, opinion, fiction and poetry, hoping to create a means where a multitude of perspectives on poverty and homelessness can find expression. Street Sense reserves the right to edit any material for length or style.

Interested in a Subscription to Street Sense?

Are you from out of town and want to continue to support Street Sense throughout the year? Do you live in Washington and want to make sure that you get the latest copy of Street Sense? You can now order a subscription.

Street Sense is a monthly newspaper with a circulation of about 13,000. When you order a subscription, you are contributing to the efforts of raising awareness on poverty and helping the homeless.

David S. Hammond

VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Gwen Arnold Donald Brooks Julie Buss Jessica LeCompte Jake Geissinger Leo Gnawa Carol Hannaford David Harris Enoka Herat Annie Hill Alex Hiniker Daniel Horner Maurice King August Mallory Jill Merseli Michael O’Neill Amy Orndorff David Pike Kendra Rinas Diane Rusignola Patty Smith John Stauffer Stanford Swinton Francine Triplett Robert Trautman Linda Wang Valerie Wexler Marian Wiseman Mark Youseff Kat Zambon

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer please contact Laura Thompson Osuri at Street Sense.

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STAFF EDITORIAL

Page 3

Two Years of Two Cents: Street Sense Celebrates Anniversary With Success and Changes

Dear Readers, This issue is a big one for us as we mark our two-year anniversary. And while two years might not seem like a long time for a typical business, it is a lifetime in the publishing world and, in particular, street newspapers. Many street papers across the country have tried to start but have quickly closed up shop. We are happy to report that for the last two years we have published a new issue each month with different and varied articles in each issue.

When board member Ted Henson and I founded Street Sense two years ago, we could barely see past the first issue and never imagined that there would even be a two-year anniversary to celebrate.

I can say now that what has happened

since then is beyond anything we could have dreamed. Our circulation has more than doubled since we started, as we are now printing 13,000 copies. We have also seen the number of vendors grow significantly. In November 2003, we had a core of about a dozen vendors; today we have more than 30 vendors who sell consistently. Also in the last two years, about 220 homeless men and women have tried their hand at selling Street Sense.

This past year alone was filled with a number of firsts for us. Most importantly, we became a nonprofit in March. We held our first large fundraiser, a concert at the Black Cat. And we started a new tradition of an annual Poetry Slam in September.

And recently changes have abounded.

If you are a regular reader of Street Sense you have probably noticed that things look a little different this month.

The paper is whiter. The logo is different. New features and pages have been added. And for you new readers, all of these changes may have caught your attention for the first time.

The organizational structure of Street Sense also looks a lot different. For one thing, in October we finished putting together a full seven-member board of directors and held our first board

meeting. Ted is on the board along with local advocates, an attorney, a nonprofit expert, and two of our vendors. And after operating solely through a network of volunteers over the last two years, we finally hired our first paid staff person.

I became the executive director of Street Sense on November 15 and feel very honored and fortunate to have this opportunity.

The organization has accomplished so much in the last two years completely by volunteers. Besides Ted and me, we have a dedicated core that has kept us afloat. Our staff ranges from Amy Orndorff coming in consistently and manning the office each Wednesday, to Carolyn Cosmos writing up lastminute stories with relative ease, to Annie Hill copyediting meticulously for the last two years, to Jake Geissinger updating the website every month, to David Pike’s never ending search for a matching grant donor. And then there is David Hammond, who started out copyediting 18 months ago but quickly got involved in writing about the politics behind poverty and now has taken on a leadership role as associate editor.

And even though we now have one staff member, I hope all these volunteers will continue to help out long into the future of Street Sense as their help is still greatly needed.

Since I can fully commit my time and energy to Street Sense, I anticipate big things in the next year. For one thing, I plan to apply for more grants and step up advertising and donations. On the editorial side, I hope Street Sense increases its circulation by at least one-third and, by the summer, starts publishing an issue twice a month. I also want to help to increase our vendor network and provide these men and women with more support and direction to help them get off the streets.

Without our vendors Street Sense would not exist and, as the new executive director, I want the organization to do all it can to help them out. As readers of this paper, I hope you will do all you can to help out the vendors as well. And I don’t mean simply the dollar or two you give when you buy the paper, but a warm smile, a brief conversation about current events, or a firm handshake to let them know they are appreciated.

Thank you readers, volunteers, donors and, most importantly, vendors for contributing to Street Sense’s success this past year, and I hope you continue your support and involvement as we enter year three.

--- Laura Thompson Osuri Executive Director

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Mail a check or money order to: Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Street Sense is a 501(c)(3).

All donations are tax deductible.

You can also donate online at www.streetsense.org

Page 4

LOCAL NEWS

Homeless, Students Come Together On Campuses

By Stanford S. Swinton Students from around the world attending institutions of higher learning in the Washington, D.C., area may hope to brush shoulders with the giants of the city.

Instead of running into top government officials on their way to class, however, it’s much more likely the students will encounter those on the other end of the power spectrum: the homeless men and women who call these schools’ campuses their homes.

“I prefer the campus to the rest of the city,” says Derek Shuford, a homeless man who divides his time between the Georgetown and Foggy Bottom areas.

Shuford says he likes “hanging out” on the city’s campuses because “students are much better to be around than the city’s professionals.”

At the same time, Sarah and Larisa, sophomores at George Washington University (GWU) in Foggy Bottom, say they feel comfortable with their homeless neighbors and are on a first-name basis with many of them, including their friend Moses.

Moses “speaks French and is the selfproclaimed ``king of the park’’’ near the campus at 19th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Northwest Washington, Larisa says.

But not all homeless men and women prefer the relative safety and pleasant surroundings of college campuses.

WINTER, from p.1 The Southwest section of the city has only 25 beds—not even close to the 100 beds that used to be available at the Randall School Shelter, which closed in November 2004. Many shelters in other parts of the city were already at capacity on November 10, as Street Sense went to press. The New York Avenue Shelter for men counted 365 people for its 360 spaces, and the Franklin School in downtown D.C. was full.

Still, some service providers believe that the District has done a good job of improving its Winter Plan each year.

“I think the Winter Plans over the last couple of years have been more timely and more responsive to the needs of the community,” said Chapman Todd, Regional Director for D.C. Housing and Support Services for Catholic Charities, which runs the majority of the winter shelters in D.C. Elements of the plan other than bed capacity remain unchanged since last year. The hypothermia hotline (1-

And not all students share Sarah’s and Larisa’s enthusiasm about getting to know homeless people, even though GWU and other area colleges offer a variety of programs aimed at connecting the two disparate groups.

Instead of interacting with their neighbors who share a common ground, ``students simply ignore the homeless,’’ says Marc Bohn, a second-year GWU law student. ``It’s easier for many to block out these people because we are too busy, we don’t feel the need to help, or we don’t know how to help.’’

The experiences of GWU sophomores Jill and Shari seem to confirm Bohn’s assessment. Although the two students live on campus, they were surprised to hear that many homeless people spend the night in the park at 19th and Pennsylvania, less than three blocks away.

They also did not recall ever seeing any homeless people on the same block as their dormitory, even though Wes, a homeless man, often sits just across the street.

Jill and Shari also refuse to go out at night alone because of safety concerns.

Bohn says the students’ concerns about the homeless presence on campus should be addressed.

Perhaps “reasonable time and place restrictions” on the presence of the homeless on campus “might be justified to protect students,” he says.

But such fears do not seem to have any basis in fact. The GWU campus police report very few incidents involving

the homeless, with the exception of an occasional case of a homeless man or woman contracting hypothermia.

The reaction of the students’ homeless neighbors to sharing the campus area is equally mixed.

For Wes, being overlooked by students is preferable to getting his picture taken by them, which he says happens occasionally.

But John Wood, who did not realize he was only yards from the GWU campus, rates his occasional nights at the 19th Street park favorably compared to other parts of the city.

Sarah, one of the GWU students who enjoy interacting with their homeless neighbors, says students have a better rapport with the homeless than most residents.

“Students understand the money crunch that many of the homeless are facing,” Sarah says.

The disparity in generations between working professionals and students also may account for their different attitudes, Sarah says. “Either the older generations have become jaded, or perhaps our generation is just more aware of the homeless.”

Area colleges also are trying to bridge the gap.

The GWU Human Rights Law Society has dedicated its awareness campaign for November to homelessness It is also sponsoring a late November “Homelessness in D.C.” event to educate students about the issues surrounding homelessness in the city as told by residents of North Street Village, a local homeless shelter.

The society also has encouraged students to participate in the Nov. 19 Fannie Mae Walkathon.

GWU also offers permanent courses in education for homeless children and youth, and it sponsors such projects as “Healthcare for the Homeless,” in which participants screen and test the homeless for diabetes.

In addition, the university’s Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution Program has published contact cards for the area’s homeless residents that list some of their rights and the phone numbers and addresses of shelters, soup kitchens, and health care facilities.

800-535-7252) is still in place for the anyone to call for assistance, and free transportation to and from shelters is available on hypothermia days. The moderate distribution of blankets, clothing, and food that took place last winter is expected to continue this year.

Some people expressed skepticism that the District is doing enough to help during the winter season.

Donald Brooks, a Street Sense vendor who sleeps at the Community for Creative Non-Violence shelter downtown, said that the city needs to provide more and better transportation to shelters in the winter, especially since many of them are far from downtown. He added that the shelters also need better facilities.

“They can’t just warehouse people,” he said. “We also need showers, meals, and much better security.”

Mr. Jones, a 78-year-old homeless man,

and a fixture in a park near the White House, thinks the hypothermia hotline is not effective and that transportation needs to be greatly improved. He believes the flurry of activity by the police in response to a call is simply a show for the public. “You know what happens?

When somebody calls the hotline, the police come in and make a big fuss,” he said. He thinks that the actual numbers of people being helped and using shelters are much lower than the District says.

Asked whether he would go to a shelter on cold days this winter, Mr. Jones said, “I prefer to stay on the street than to go in there,” referring to the often overcrowded and unclean hypothermia shelters. He hopes to find a single room he can afford before Christmas, but admits that it is unlikely

because of rising rental prices.

Daniels, who has managed the public outreach campaign for the Winter Plan since 2001, said she believes the message for the public to be vigilant and active is getting out. “The absolute evidence of that are the calls placed to the United Planning Organization for van service” she said of the transportation service contracted by the District.

The 2005-06 Winter Plan calls for expanding the use of the involuntary commitment order known as “FD-12” to allow severely intoxicated or mentally ill persons to be taken from the streets and placed in shelter, detox, or hospital.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, warning signs of hypothermia may include shivering, exhaustion, confusion, slurred speech, and drowsiness. Users of alcohol or drugs and the elderly are at a much higher risk of falling victim to hypothermia, and the confused state that can result from exposure to such low temperatures may mean that victims are unaware or unable to communicate their need of assistance.

“They can’t just warehouse people. We also need showers, meals, and much better security.”

LOCAL NEWS

Keeping it Clean...

Youth with Homestretch team with volunteers from Earth Sangha in Annandale (Photo by V. Wexler)

Transitional Housing and Environmental Groups Come Together in Northern VA

By Valerie Wexler “How many of you brushed your teeth this morning?” asks Georgetown University student and Earth Sangha member Natalie Gilliom, standing on the damp grass behind a large plastic model of a watershed. “What did the water look like when it came out of the faucet? Did it look nice and clear?”

Across the table, Farah Noori and two of her friends nod.

These girls, as well as other children scattered throughout Wilburdale Park in Annandale, Va., are here on an outing sponsored by Homestretch, a transitional housing provider for homeless families with children. In addition to traditional transitional services like housing, career counseling and life skills training, Homestretch sponsors social and educational programs that might not otherwise be accessible to low-income children. On this cool Saturday in late October, they have partnered their youth with Buddhist environmental group Earth Sangha to learn about Virginia’s local watershed and the importance of keeping it clean.

Standing by the park’s small stream, Earth Sangha member Joanna Cornell

is teaching a small group of girls how to tell if a watershed is healthy. After a brief lesson, the girls pull on bulky overall waders and hold Joanna’s hand as they climb down the muddy bank.

Joanna holds the net under the water and tells the girls to move their feet around in the stream to bring organisms under the water to the surface. “Dance around!” she tells them..

On the other side of the park Tanya Amrhein, another Earth Sangha member, explains to Nick, Ignacio, and their Homestretch friends about storm water. She explains that roads are impermeable, meaning that they cannot be penetrated by water. She shows them the drains that had to be built to let the water go somewhere else.

As the groups finish up, some of the children grab trash bags and pick up litter. The boys clean up the stream, while the girls work in the woods and around the street.

The instruction from Natalie, Joanna, and Tanya seems to have an impact on the children. In a final discussion about keeping the local watershed clean, one of them says, “Maybe everyone together should just pick up trash around the world.”

Each month, more than 13,000 copies of Street Sense are sold in the District of Columbia. Advertising in Street Sense can be a great way to market your business.

For rates and more information, call (202) 347-2006, or email info@streetsense.org.

RULING, from p.1 of New London [Conn.], the Court said that government can seize land from one private owner and give it to another private owner if the action is taken as part of a comprehensive development plan. This can favor would-be owners who promise to produce more income and tax revenue from the property after redevelopment, and threaten such properties as nonprofits and low-income housing.

Threat to the Poor Hilary Shelton, the NAACP’s Washington bureau director, described the impact this can have on property owners in poor neighborhoods. Those areas, he said, are vulnerable specifically because they produce less property tax revenue.

Additionally, eminent domain can deprive property owners of a higher sale price just as their neighborhoods begin to attract interest from buyers.

“These are houses and properties that are the lowest cost,” he said. And “if you have ... homes that are paying 4 or 5% property taxes into their local coffers, and private entities can ... say that [they] can actually triple or quadruple the squarefootage value of this property [through redevelopment], then that is a compelling reason for the local government to ... employ eminent domain.”

When that happens, Shelton said, property owners lose the chance to “hold out for a higher price” from developers.

And, he said, the threat of eminent domain has sometimes forced owners to accept low initial offers, lest the later offers be even lower.

All this has made eminent domain an effective tool for urban renewal. But for low-income renters who are displaced by development, said Shelton, the effects can be especially severe. That is why the NAACP has been asking lawmakers to take those people’s experiences into account.

Congress Considers Limitation Now Congress and many state legislatures are looking at ways to limit eminent domain. In October, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill (H.R. 4128) that would deny federal economic development money to areas where eminent domain has been used for economic development.

The debate in the House of Representatives brought together supporters of property rights and limited government, and champions of lowincome urban areas.

Mike Pence (R-Ind.) cited “the fear of development and the unbridled appetite of urban areas against rural areas.”

Reps. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) also supported the measure.

Lee cited fears that New Orleans’ poorer neighborhoods might be targeted for

Page 5 redevelopment - and eminent domain proceedings - in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Rep. Tom Osborne, a Republican from Nebraska, spoke about the fears of low-income, low-tax-revenue property owners.

“Nonprofits such as churches, Salvation Army, Goodwill Industries, shelters, are very vulnerable,’’ he said. ``They generate little or no tax revenues so almost any project can supersede them.”

The House passed the bill 376 to 38, and the measure has gone to the Senate.

Eminent Domain in Washington In D.C., the city is using eminent domain to assemble land for the baseball stadium in Southeast, a project smaller in scope than those once seen nationwide.

Property owners who have refused the city’s offers to buy their land recently have been receiving orders to vacate their premises on short notice.

Ken Wyban’s neighborhood in Southeast Washington, where the baseball stadium may go up, includes a few residents and a larger number of businesses. But, he said, the people who live there enjoy close ties to the neighborhood and have community spirit.

Those factors stand in contrast to the blight pointed out by supporters of aggressive redevelopment in Southeast Washington and elsewhere. Nationally, supporters of eminent domain as a redevelopment tool say it enables government to do what the market cannot or will not do – open up semiabandoned areas for new growth.

The national debate over the Kelo decision has affected Washington. After the decision was announced in June, Mayor Anthony A. Williams said in a press release that he was “pleased” by it.

And while noting that “[e]minent domain is not a power to be used lightly,” he called it “one of the most important tools city officials have to rejuvenate their neighborhoods.”

At a press briefing in early November, Williams repeated his earlier point that “all the Supreme Court did was just leave the status quo in place.” But he also said that “no local official would ever, in a ... gratuitous way, go around taking property. It’s one of the most difficult things you can do, especially because you’re dealing with all these challenges and obstacles, last but not least being ... the community itself.”

Meanwhile, the city is moving forward with its efforts to take land for the stadium. And Mayor Williams described the strong demand in neglected communities for revitalization, saying that eminent domain can be a way “to see that the community interest is vindicated.”

SPECIAL FEATURE

Page 6

Throwing in Their Two Cents In most every issue over the last two years Street Sense has run an interview of some famous author, advocate, politician or celebrity. But since this is our two-year anniversary we wanted to do something a little different.

This time we have 15 mini interviews all asking the same two questions about the problems contributing to homelessness and the solutions to these problems.

Here are their various answers.

The questions

What is the biggest problem contributing to homelessness in the Washington area?

How do you propose to solve that problem?

“It is unconscionable that in a nation of our wealth and prosperity, more than three million people experience homelessness every year. Having a safe place to call home shouldn’t be a luxury in America.”

“We have to put poverty and homelessness back on the national agenda. To begin with, we need to make work pay again. There are only four counties in this country where a full-time minimum wage worker can afford a one-bedroom apartment. That is simply wrong. And we must invest in programs that expand access to affordable housing. If we commit ourselves to devoting the necessary effort and resources, we can make great progress toward ending homelessness.”

“I feel that a lack of education and training often prevents people from finding a meaningful place in society. That’s why in addition to providing shelters in the District, we aim to provide counseling and job training to the homeless.”

“I am committed to ending homelessness. I have worked to increase the number of beds in the District, but more importantly to provide better shelters that are cleaner and safer and offer more services. I, too, want to reduce the number of homeless people in the city by giving people an opportunity to find low-cost housing and by creating job-training programs that will help people find meaningful work.”

--John Edwards, Director of the Center for Poverty Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill (former senator and V.P. candidate) “The biggest problem is housing affordability.”

“The biggest cause of homelessness today is the shameful action of the Republican congressional majority in pushing affordable housing and remedies for homelessness to the bottom of the national agenda.”

“In the face of out-of-control housing and rental costs, we must fight back by preparing for the upcoming 2006 elections, fanning out from our own districts if necessary, to again gather a working majority in the Congress for affordable housing and relief from homelessness.”

--Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)

“The biggest issue is the lack of affordable housing.”

“We need to create more affordable housing. In the late 1980s, Bob Hayes, founder of the National Coalition for the Homeless, said, ‘There are three things we need to fix to solve homelessness and they are housing, housing, and housing.’ I think that’s still true today.”

--Carol Fennelly, Founder and Director of Hope House (Mitch Snyder’s widow)

“We need to get homeless people into housing rapidly and provide housing subsidies to pay for it.”

--Nan Roman, President of the National Alliance to End Homelessness

“We have grown accustomed to the stark fact that we have people living permanently in emergency shelters or outside on our sidewalks and in our parks.

Each and every Washingtonian walks by homeless people on a daily basis. It doesn’t even give us pause or a second thought to walk by a human being living outside—it has become a part of our urban landscape. Somehow we rush in with aid to help Katrina survivors, but the ‘old and regular’ homeless are left in a ‘survival of the fittest’ mode.”

“If I were mayor of Washington, DC, I would begin a massive project to build more low-income housing in every ward of our great city. I would announce that we would end homelessness not ten years from now, but two years hence at the very most. Two years from now all of our emergency shelters would be closed, as homelessness was ended in the world’s capital.”

--Michael Stoops, Acting Executive Director, National Coalition for the Homeless

These quotes were compiled and collected by Linda Wang, Alex Hiniker and Kat Zambon.

SPECIAL FEATURE

Page 7

“For me, it’s a toss-up between the shortage of affordable homes and our unwillingness to deal with mental illness and addiction in a more profound way.”

“The biggest problem is a carefree lifestyle, not being afraid of authority figures. We also do not like to go into shelters because we are afraid that our possessions will be stolen.”

“I would fight hard to secure the grounds of Walter Reed Hospital for housing and economic opportunities. This is a massive tract of land, and it would allow us to build thousands of new homes (and provide employment opportunities) for folks of all income brackets. I would also push very hard to enforce fair housing laws so that all communities in DC are open to small group homes for folks who now avoid large shelters. This involves a real dedication to moving from the shelter mentality, talking openly with our citizens about our shared responsibilities, and developing a housing and economic inclusion plan for the city, so that those who are currently at the bottom have a realistic ladder to climb up.”

“What we need is more transitional homes and more relaxed conditions and understanding attitudes. We also need more help from government and private donations.”

--Robert Egger, Founder and President of DC Central Kitchen “Some of the main causes of homelessness in Washington, D.C., include the lack of truly affordable housing as well as the lack of a freestanding case management system for those who need it.”

“In order to address these issues, it is necessary for the government to have the will and resources to meet its mandate to provide for those who are most vulnerable. Homelessness is currently not a priority, and the homeless are treated like second-class citizens. The government needs to step up to the plate and create a plan that includes everybody.”

--Mary Ann Luby, Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless

“The biggest issue that I see with regard to homelessness and why there’s homelessness is the lack of affordable housing, and of course Washington, D.C., has the least amount of affordable housing in the United States.

And I also think that because of much of the gentrification going on, it’s very difficult for people to find affordable housing in our city or in the Washington area.” “[At SOME], we’ve made it a goal to try to establish another 800 to 1,000 units of affordable housing in the next five or six years for low-income people.

But the biggest obstacle to that is finding buildings in the city, for example, that aren’t going condo. That’s what’s happening with a lot of the apartment buildings.”

--Fr. John Adams, President of SOME (So Others Might Eat)

-- Patty Smith, Street Sense Volunteer and Vendor “Clearly, the number one problem is that housing prices are high and wages in D.C. are not high enough for many to afford decent housing. The gap between wage levels and rents is wider in D.C. than in all but a few other regions in the U.S. We are losing affordable housing in the private market faster than we can produce new subsidized housing. Combined with this, the District lacks a coordinated plan to help households at risk of homelessness.”

“The solutions, many of which have been laid out by the draft report from the city’s Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force, include the following: Local funds to address the drop in federal housing assistance, creation of a local rent supplement program to enable local housing programs to serve the lowest-income households, and an emergency assistance program for people facing eviction. This winter, extra funds for energy assistance will be critical.”

--Ed Lazere, Director of the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute

“I believe that the biggest problem contributing to homelessness in the city is the lack of affordable housing.”

“There are over 29,000 abandoned houses, some now owned by the city, of which a portion can be renovated to provide apartments and single room occupancy (SRO) for the working poor.”

-- James Davis, Vendor and Street Sense Board Member “I think the biggest issue is the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill that took place in the 1980s and the lack of structures in place to deal with it.”

“We need to rethink our policies towards those mentally ill who cannot take care of themselves and who are a danger to themselves.”

--Michael Tanner, Director of Health and Welfare Studies, CATO Institute

“In our area, I think that the major reason for homelessness in 2005 is actually the combination of several factors. From an affordability standpoint, for someone with limited skills or education it is virtually impossible to find a reliable living-wage job, and in our area there is an absence of any real housing options for most of those at very low incomes. Also, the streets and the emergency shelters have become a long-term home for far too many people that are dealing with physical and/or mental illness or unresolved addiction issues, and we don’t yet have a coordinated strategy to effectively combat these situations.”

“As for the future, we clearly should be working on a housing strategy that ensures that an affordable housing option is available for everybody. Too much of our energy and resources is going toward a homelessness strategy, when we should be focused on a housing strategy.”

--Chapman Todd, Director, Housing and Support Services of Catholic Charities

“In my view, the main cause of homelessness stems from economic circumstances. Due to financial hardships caused by the loss of a job or a medical condition, too many Americans are forced to go without the basic human need of shelter.”

“There is no single way to address this problem.

A multipronged solution that includes more resources for education, job training, and unemployment benefits is crucial in keeping people off the streets and helping those in tough situations get their lives back together. An effort to better educate our society on mental health issues and a commitment by the government to provide parity in all forms of health treatment is also vital.”

--Congressman James P. Moran, Jr (D-Va.)

POLITICS PAGE

Page 8

Street Politics

A monthly look at the politics surrounding public policy “Homelessness is a 24/7 job, no days off.” So said Street Sense vendor Brenda Lee Wilson, testifying before the D.C. City Council’s Committee on Human Services at a late October oversight hearing.

Wilson described specific concerns at the city’s public shelters for women, including food, transportation, friction with staff, inconsistent enforcement of rules, and checking in and out of nighttime-only shelters, especially in cold or rainy weather.

Wilson noted the compassion and courtesy shown by some staffers, and called on all human services workers to show “respect, kindness, consideration for all,” promising that “most all [homeless people] will respond in like.”

A round of applause showed that her remarks had been well received by others attending the hearing.

Calling All People on the Street – For a “Pledge of Responsibility.”

Wilson is not the only person talking about doing the right thing on the streets. Some homeless people and advocates are talking about developing a “pledge of responsibility” for homeless people, and they would like to hear everyone’s opinion.

At a recent meeting at the National Coalition for the Homeless on “street rights,” the discussion turned to people’s responsibilities to one another, and how homeless people themselves can support public and private outreach efforts.

Cheryl Barnes, who was once homeless, pointed out that, despite some people’s preference for solitude in the shelter or on the street and the reality of homeless-on-homeless crime, people often look out for each other’s safety and well-being.

Many area homeless people report informal networking to share information on job opportunities, shelter and other assistance, and safety and health issues on the streets. And historically, hobos and other transients sometimes developed explicit guidelines for respectful behavior and mutual assistance.

Barnes is now calling on homeless people and others to share their ideas for encouraging greater thoughtfulness and helpfulness. This might mean circulating a questionnaire in local parks and shelters, or establishing a volunteer task force to gather, and then publicize, ideas.

And ultimately, said Barnes, people should feel more comfortable speaking up when they see someone who is unsheltered or underdressed in cold or rainy weather, or if they know someone in trouble with an addiction or someone who does not know where to find food, shelter, and other help.

Barnes said that organizing people to do so, and developing a clear statement of purpose for the effort, would “let folks know we’re serious about this – when you’re on the streets, try to help somebody.”

That sounds like self-government in its clearest, most direct form.

If you would like to share your thoughts on this, or help out, call the National Coalition for the Homeless at (202) 462-4822, or e-mail info@nationalhomeless.org.

- David S. Hammond What’s on your mind? E-mail StreetPoliticsDC@aol.com.

Hill Spot:

A Look at Upcoming Legislation Issue: House Bill 1461 and the Affordable Housing Fund Summary: This bill’s overarching goal is to reform the regulation and oversight activities of the Fannie Mae Foundation (Fannie Mae) and the Freddie Mac Foundation (Freddie Mac), both Federal government-sponsored entities that encourage private homeownership. However, the bill also dedicates 5% of these companies’ after-tax income to an Affordable Housing Fund. The money in the fund would be distributed to nonprofit and for-profit companies to increase homeownership of low-income families, to preserve and increase the supply of affordable rental units, and to increase investment in affordable housing and any related infrastructure development.

Status: At the end of October, the House of Representatives approved the bill and referred it to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. As of November 11, it remains in committee.

Pros: In this first-of-its-kind fund, most of the money would benefit people with low and extremely low incomes for certain designated purposes, such as providing down payment and closing cost assistance. Such benefits are available only to groups at the bottom of the income ladder. The fund would also help draw developers to poorer neighborhoods, which has long been a challenge for many communities.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition has estimated that the fund will generate between $400 million and $600 million in the first year and more than $1 billion in additional years.

Cons: The bill bars nonprofits that provide very low-income housing services from receiving the money if they also provide voter registration or get-out-the-vote activities. It also disqualifies nonprofits if they participated in any of these activities within the past 12 months. (This does not apply to for-profit entities.) This provision goes against the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, which requires nonprofits to provide voter registration services to receive housing or other social service money from the states. Affordable housing advocates agree that as the bill is structured now, it would either prevent some of the most capable nonprofits from receiving these funds or would effectively suppress the voting rights of very low-income Americans.

Mayoral Forum Gets Specific on Hot Issues At a recent forum Michael Brown, Linda Cropp, Adrian Fenty, Marie Johns, and Vincent Orange answered questions from a panel of political journalists and from audience members about important issues in the District.

Public education and how to pay for it, economic development, especially for disadvantaged parts of the city, and affordable housing came up all evening. Three of the candidates currently serve on the city council, and they debated their work on these issues.

The large number of District residents living in poverty also came up. Much of what was discussed at the event has to do with getting people out of poverty, and keeping them out.

All of those topics are closely related to the city’s budget, and that aspect of lawmaking, as well as the District’s improved financial standing, will continue to be a focus of both political campaigning and council activity.

Bill Would Create Commission on Poverty Legislation before the D.C. City Council would establish a city commission on poverty. The commission would include poor people as defined by federal law.

Commission activities would include evaluating anti-poverty programs, both those in operation and those proposed for future development, and making an annual report to the mayor and City Council on poverty in the District. The Commission would also comment on District and federal legislation and other policies affecting poor people, and work to publicize poverty and related issues.

The Commission’s scope would include numerous factors affecting poverty, including race, wages, employment practices, and educational opportunities.

The bill number is B16-387, the “Commission on Poverty in the District of Columbia Establishment Act of 2005. It can be read online at the Councils’ website, http://www.dccouncil. washington.dc.us/. Click on “legislation” to search for the bill.

The Council’s Committee on Human Services held a hearing on the bill November 9. Witnesses included experts on poverty in the District.

The hearing can be viewed on the District’s website, at http://octt.dc.gov/services/on_demand_ video/channel_13.asp.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Homeless Sex Offenders Find Refuge in Local Shelter

By Kevin Cleary Sexual offenders face a number of barriers to gainful employment and housing once they have served their time, and many more are in danger of becoming homeless as a result. This poses a number of problems for the individuals themselves, the community at large, law enforcement, and homeless shelters which must balance a variety of sensitive issues while serving their mission.

The Cuyahoga County Sheriff ’s Office registry of Sexually Based Offenders shows that there are nearly 100 registered sexually based offenders who list 2100 Lakeside Ave., the area’s largest homeless men’s shelter, as their primary address. 2100 Lakeside provides shelter for up to 550 men per night, meaning that roughly 1/6 of 2100’s clientele are sexually based offenders.

Sgt. David Synkowski of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff ’s Office states “it involves a lot more work” to track homeless sexually based offenders, but that shelters and programs such as 2100 fully comply with registration and reporting requirements.

These requirements occupy a gray area in that there are currently no criminal penalties for violating the distance requirements (living within 1000 feet of a school), unless the offender is doing so in direct violation of his or her parole conditions, according to Synkowski.

However, it is technically against the law for a sexually based offender to live within these distances, which are measured by property lines. Synkowski states that the Cuyahoga County Sheriff ’s Office does a great deal to ensure that offenders do not unintentionally violate the law. When individuals come into the office to register, they fill out a questionnaire, notify the department of their address, or new address, register their motor vehicle, and inform the department of their place of employment.

The most serious offenders, labeled sexual predators, must do this every 90 days.

Synkowski states that Cuyahoga County crosschecks this information to ensure that the individual is not in violation, and asks them to sign papers stating that they have been notified of this law. Within 3 days to a week, a team is dispatched to verify the information the individual provided.

The myriad issues surrounding sexually based offenders and their ability to co-exist within various communities have proven difficult in more places than just Cuyahoga County. Organizations such as the National Coalition for the Homeless place a large part of the blame on government for the inherent chaos and confusion in dealing with these concerns, the burden of which is often shouldered by homeless shelters.

According to NCH’s Policy on Sexually Based Offenders Within the Shelters, “The reality is that there is a lack of discharge planning for people exiting the criminal justice system especially with regard to people convicted of sexually based crimes or violent crimes.”

Brian Davis, an NCH Board member from Cleveland said, “It is unfortunate that the legislators did not devise a strategy for housing sexually based offenders when they pass Megan’s Law, but we certainly are thankful that many

shelters open their doors to all who are in need.”

Many feared this problem would worsen with Ohio’s House Bill 473 taking effect earlier this year. The law was changed to allow prosecutors and law directors to sue to evict sex offenders whose residence violated the distance requirements through a process known as injunctive relief.

Previously, only landlords, neighbors, and school districts had the ability to bring actions against those violating the law. Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro recently defended challenges to the new law in court against claims the law was unconstitutional, citing the need to protect children from potential harm.

According to Synkowski, there has not yet been an increase in the number of homeless sex offenders since the law was passed: “No, I have not seen an increase, at least in Cuyahoga County.”

The issue continues to remain difficult. Those charged with sheltering sexually based offenders risk losing support in their communities if they accept offenders into their shelters.

According to an Editorial in Issue 60 of The Homeless Grapevine, publicly funded shelters in Columbus were forced to sign “good neighbor policies” which prohibited them from sheltering sexually based offenders. This had the unintentional side effect of unobserved sexually based offenders roaming the streets for lack of a place to sleep.

Davis says that most shelters do not want the responsibility of housing predators, but claimed that “the community is better off if they are in shelter than on the streets.”

Synkowski states that 2100 Lakeside is within 1000 feet of a school, but since it is a temporary shelter rather than a permanent residence no attempts at filing for injunctive relief have been made. Michael Sering, Director of Housing and Shelter for Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry, the organization that manages 2100 Lakeside, indicates that the shelter has a positive effect for the individuals and the community at large.

“There are people with sexual offenses that live or pass through many communities, and ours is no different,” says Sering. “People with these offenses would benefit from programs and services to address their varied issues, and for the benefit of the community and the individuals we applaud any efforts to increase such programming.”

The reality is that there is a lack of discharge planning... with regard to people convicted of sexually based crimes.

from Homeless Reprinted © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org

Grapevine

Page 9

Public Protest Reverses Vendor’s Ban From Shopping Center in UK

By Carrie Briffett A popular Big Issue vendor banned from selling the magazine at a south Wales shopping precinct has been allowed back into the center, after protests from local residents.

Howard Brown had been vending at Bethel Square shopping center in Brecon for two years when the center’s manager told him he could no longer sell there because it was “private property”.

But local residents were so outraged at the decision that they began writing to their local paper, The Brecon And Radnorshire Post, and boycotting the shop at the center of the incident in protest.

Brown said the dispute began last month when the center’s manager asked him to move because the bakery Greggs had objected to him selling outside its shop. But when Brown moved further down the arcade, half an hour later the manager approached him again. “He said he thought we had come to ‘an amicable agreement’. And I said, ‘We have. I’m not outside Greggs.’ He told me it was private property and to leave.”

When The Big Issue Cymru contacted John Michell from King Sturge, which manages the Bethel Square shopping center, he said that the manager of Greggs had complained because of concerns that customers would be hindered from coming in and out of the shop door due to Brown’s position.

But Michell added that Brown is welcome to sell inside the center anywhere where he wouldn’t be an obstruction. He said: “Only if someone is being offensive or dangerous, affecting a health and safety issue like obstructing fire exits, would we move them on. We certainly would not have any policy against The Big Issue. In fact we encourage all sorts of local charities and so on in our shopping centers. I would say categorically that we wouldn’t issue instructions to one of our managers to remove a vendor.”

During the dispute, Brown vended opposite the center and said that although it had not affected his sales, it meant he had no shelter from the rain and cold weather. He said: “Lots of people came up to me and said how petty it was – even people who don’t buy the Issue. My sales even picked up for a couple of days, although they are back to normal now.

Reprinted by The Big Issue Cymru

Street Sense would like to especially thank: Jill Stanley THE HERB BLOCK FOUNDATION Dan Logan THE REVA AND DAVID LOGAN FOUNDATION Their generous donations ensure that Street Sense can hire its first Executive Director. Their support is greatly appreciated.

POETRY

Page 10

Fear

The Least Among Us

My childhood closet monster waits for total darkness to extend thickly muscled tentacles toward my trembling form; my monster lives, eons later in a volley of footsteps approaching along a dim alley, in a camera’s flash, in the jittery glare of a police car’s lights trailing my innocent steps, and in the shadow of a jet plane soaring miles overhead which imprints upon my brain visions of twin exploding towers.

I wish and pray for freedom from my monster’s grasp so I can soar like that plane, hopefully aloft.

Look at the faces of the least among usthree bright-eyed girls skipping rope behind a chainlink fence on a field sown with rusted needles and shards of bottles, a young mother kneeling with a scrub brush washing away years of grime, a stooped old man trudging a grocery cart bearing all the artifacts of a full and turbulent life, swollen feet bursting out of rotting shoes.

Look at the faces of all these mothers, sons, wives, grandfathers.

In the glow of morning light, my monster retreats, and melts into crumpled jacket sleeves sprawled across a closet floor; searching cameras are blind to the image of my face; jet planes soar safely to distant airports, and footsteps in a dark space signal the approach of a friend.

-- David Harris ballpointbeacon@yahoo.com

Feed My Sheep I feed his sheep, bring them to Him. His food is good, it cancels sin.

What food is this that leads to bliss?

The word of God, best food there is.

He came to earth, that glorious day, The angel even came to pray.

He knew His life would not be fun, He came to save us one by one.

I thank him so for saving thee, And praise His name for saving me.

-- Al Szekely, Sr.

Do not offer scraps of moldy bread or threadbare garments worn by six generations of bodies; do not offer pockets full of spare change or tears of leftover pity.

Look at the faces of the least among us, see how they mirror yoursyou who are a sister, daughter, cousin, son, friend to someone just like those who wander deserts, looking for a drop to quench their thirst.

-- David Harris ballpointbeacon@yahoo.com

POETRY

Page 11

As You Pass Me By As you pass me by, I might ask why.

Why would you pass me with one single eye?

As I again call out Street Sense, Street Sense, help the homeless, You pass me by and give to the musician and to the beggar.

As you pass me by, I might ask why.

I might ask why you mock my call.

I might ask why you act in hostile gall.

As you pass me by with the look of negative care, Tell me what are you thinking and what are you saying.

As you pass me by, I might ask why.

So I say again Street Sense, Street Sense, help the homeless.

As you pass me by I might ask why.

-- August Mallory

Day In, Day Out People come to and fro, Street Sense vendors are selling their papers As the traffic stops and goes As the paper’s circulation grows Street Sense worries when the paper piles get low Since the paper comes out once a month They hope that there are more issues to hunt As the vendors take the spots to get the new issue out 10, 20, 30, 40 issues a day Many vendors are trying to increase their pay So here is a shout out Hurry and get the new issue out So that we can get on our way And continue to have a say In our newspaper and to get paid.

-- Donald Brooks

One World It only takes one World To accept diversity, to Recognize cultural differences, and to live peacefully, It only takes one love to Drop a gun, respect the hue Of blood, and embrace with A hug, Retrospectively there’s an Urgency for unity, it only Takes one nation under a Groove to fulfill this prophecy, It only takes one media To drive the vehicle of keeping hope alive, to make one public the subject of one struggle, It only takes one dream to Be pursued, to change the mood From negative to positive, One phone call can start The process of atonement Reconciliation, one radio Station can bless the Airwaves with harmony, One death, one last breath Is one too many, human beings Need the luxuries of longevity.

It only takes one God, one Life, one smile, one family, one Wife, one child, one friend, It takes one understanding –one World.

-- Dewayne Harrison

Page 12

REVIEWS

Book Review

My Turn At the Table

Discriminating Restaurant Reviews From Street Sense Vendors

A Temporary Family Shelter Can Become a Functioning Home Many think of a homeless shelter as a temporary place for poor and or sick families to live until they can get back on their feet and move into a home.

However, in many cases these temporary shelters have become permanent homes for families that would otherwise live on the streets.

Ralph da Costa Nunez, a professor of public policy at Columbia University, examines this and other issues of homelessness in his book A Shelter Is Not a Home – Or Is It? (White Tiger Press, 2004).

Nunez writes that for the past 20 years there have been numerous plans to reduce homelessness.

“But,” he adds, “family homelessness persists, and it is worse today than at any time before. Each evening across America hundreds of thousands of men, women and children sleep in abandoned buildings, tents, shelters, or on streets -- they are homeless. Hundreds of thousands more live doubled or tripled up in tenuous housing situations -- sometime in the future they will become homeless as well.”

But there is a solution, Nunez writes.

In his book, Nunez looks closely at past successes and failures of efforts against homelessness. Nunez recounts the “orphan trains” that transported homeless children from the northeast United States to adoptive families throughout the Midwest in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

He also looks at the evolution of shelters throughout history. In the past, a shelter was an unpleasant place of last resort. As shelters become safer and cleaner, often offering on-site medical services to the sick, these temporary structures now house families for longer time periods.

After recounting past attempts to reduce homelessness, Nunez puts forth his own ideas for how families can emerge from poverty. According to Nunez, to eradicate family homelessness citizens and policymakers must realize that homelessness is the result of a multitude of social shortcomings. He writes “we have to come to grips with the fact that little low-income housing has been built and even less appears to be on the horizon.”

In his ideas for decreasing homelessness in the United States Nunez emphasizes New York City, where he has concentrated his academic and hands-on efforts. Nunez writes that New York’s “communities of opportunity” could give more permanent shelter to homeless families. These communities provide the homeless with more services than typical shelters do. Equipped with private living suites for families, these units have classrooms, computer laboratories, indoor and outdoor play areas, while connecting residents to the outside community through tutoring and library services.

Additionally, these communities provide health care to families, and job training and child care for mothers seeking or maintaining employment. Older children also have access to quality schooling to help them avoid homelessness in their futures.

What is the cost of these communities? Nunez said that in New York City these communities spend about $25 per person, per day, which includes housing, education and childcare.

While Nunez’s experiences are specific to New York City, he believes that the city has developed a viable framework for ending family homelessness that should be put to wide use. He adds that to end family homelessness in the United States, impoverished citizens need a new community of opportunity that should begin in shelters.

“If we don’t,” Nunez writes, we will be faced with yet another generation of homeless families, idling in shelters across the country, waiting for the housing that may never come. For the time being at least, a shelter has indeed become a home.”

- Robert Trautman

Ceiba (pronounced SAY-bah) is a unique Latin American restaurant at 14th and G, NW, that opened in September 2003. The establishment is owned by the same folks that operate TenPenh and D.C. Coast restaurants. We chose to go there for our first restaurant review simply because it’s close—in the same block as our offices.

As my guest, David Hammond, and I arrived, a most gracious host greeted us in a plush and elegantly decorated reception area. We had no need to stay there, because we were immediately seated at a table near the window.

The atmosphere was professional but casual as the XM station piped out Latin and Caribbean music.

The lunch menu began with Cuban black bean soup and offered such mouth-watering dishes as Yucatan shrimp cocktail ceviche and grilled octopus salad—all moderately priced from $6 to $12.

As we selected from the entrée list, a friendly waitress named Wendy took our order. I finally settled on the grilled skirt steak churrasco, medium well, which is served with cebollas fritas, chimichurri sauce, and rosemary grilled mushrooms.

David chose pumpkin seed crusted tilapia, which came with sweet plantain mash and a Caribbean Creole sauce.

Ceiba also offered side dishes to share for $5. From a selection that included poblano corn bread, coconut rice, and

rice and beans, we decided to go with the Fufu mash and braised collard greens.

My compliments go to executive chef Jeff Tunks, and chef de cuisine Travis Timberlake for the superb preparation of these dishes.

My steak was grilled to perfection, and the mushrooms, stacked on a toothpick, were delectable. I was offered a sample of David’s lightly buttered tilapia, a tangy but somewhat sweet-tasting fish with an aroma that takes you back to the tropics.

Dessert anyone? The Dulce de Leche cheesecake with pepper roasted pineapple pound cake and macadamia nut brittle was definitely, as they say, to die for. David chose the key lime tart with sherbet, which of course I sampled. I found it equally appetizing. The tasty treats are the culinary handiwork of executive pastry chef David Guas.

So if you happen to be looking for a dining experience where you can get away without “going away,” Ceiba may just be the place for you.

Entree prices range from $11 to $17.

-James Davis James has been a vendor for Street Sense since it began in Nov. 2003, and he serves on its board of directors. He is now in the process of finalizing details with a job in electrical engineering.

What our readers are saying...

To Whom It May Concern: I am writing to comment on the poetry found in Street Sense. It is both a rude awakening and touching, capturing the essence of being without a home. David Harris’ poetry in particular was moving, with sensory details portraying the very harsh realities and sorrows of being homeless.

I recently went on a weekend excursion to Washington, D.C. and stayed at The Pilgrimage. My group and I delivered food and conversation to homeless around the city, and heard a panel conducted by former and currently homeless people. David Harris was one of the speakers, delivering an eloquent version of his rise from being homeless.

His poem entitled “Taft Bridge, 4AM” is especially moving because I’ve heard the story behind it. I think it is very well written, and the poet should be proud, not only to have written it, but to have survived it. I think it is inspiring to read poetry written by the homeless, and proves they are not as a whole mentally ill or incompetent. I am grateful for the opportunity.

-- Ashley Colletti

FEATURES

orner

Cooks

Page 13

Stuffed Zucchini Preparation Ingredients • • • • • •

1 onion 8 oz. mushrooms 2 Tbs. vegetable oil 3 medium potatoes 3 zucchinis 3 strips bacon

This Recipe was created and prepared by Quinton Council. Quinton is a student at Community Family Life Services culinary arts training program.

These students work at Third and Eats Restaurant and at the U.S. Tax Court cafeteria. Many of them also work for New Course Catering.

New Course caters all events from corporate lunches to weddings to 500-person galas. For more info visit www.newcoursecatering.com or call (202) 347-7035.

• • • • • • • • • • •

Boil potatoes until soft and then mash them Cut zucchinis in half widthwise and then lengthwise Cut out the inside seeded part of the zucchini Bake zucchini skins in oven at 300 degrees for 20 minutes Cook bacon as instructed Chop onions and mushrooms In a frying pan, cook onions in oil until soft Add mushrooms and zucchini insides In a large bowl combine onion mixture with potatoes Spoon mixture into zucchini skins Crumble bacon and sprinkle on top

Marvin Hammerman: Book 2, Part 11 At Mercy Hospital, Walter Lacey is still struggling with the loss of his memory.

As Walter goes into a deep sleep, he starts dreaming of his childhood. As he dreams, he recalls his playmate, Anna Jackson. He then sees himself at school having fun with other kids. He hears in his subconscious mind his name being called -- the name “Walter Lacey.” As he dreams of being in high school, he sees himself talking with fellow student Anna Jackson. Again he hears the name Walter Lacey.

He tosses and turns in his sleep. He then recalls how he and his father argued and how he walked out. He remembers that dreadful moment when he clashed with Louis Henley.

Immediately, Walter Lacey awakens from a deep sleep and shouts out very loudly, “My name is Walter Lacey -- my name is Walter Lacey.”

Right away, two nurses come running into his room. “Sir, sir, are you are all right?”

“My name is Walter Lacey.”

“Yes, sir, we know this. Oh, my goodness, your memory has returned.”

Right away, the nurses call their supervisor, who then notifies the lead doctor. Suddenly there are several doctors and nurses in Walter Lacey’s room.

Meanwhile, in the Arbutus, near

Baltimore, Louis Henley is still hiding out. He comes upon an abandoned junkyard and sits down to rest for a while, falling asleep quickly. Suddenly, the noise of passing vehicles awakens him, and as he attempts to leave, he is spotted by a night watchman.

“Hey you – stop.”

When Henley hears the command to halt, he makes a quick break for it and runs through the junkyard to the street. The night watchman starts on his trail but quickly loses him. He calls his supervisor on his radio and gives an accurate description of Henley. His supervisor informs the night watchman that Henley is wanted by the police for questioning about several recent events.

The night watchman is instructed to detain Henley if he sees him again.

Meanwhile, at the 7-11 not far from the abandoned junkyard, Detective Hoffman, Marvin Hammerman, and Anna Jackson are reviewing a videotape of Henley stealing food from the store. Hoffman’s cell phone rings; it’s the Mission director with news about Walter Lacey.

“Well, Hammerman, Miss Jackson, it seems as though Walter Lacey has regained his memory.”

“Oh my goodness, Marvin, that’s wonderful. Hoffman, can we get this videotape for evidence for the courtroom?”

The store manager releases the tape, and the three are off to Mercy Hospital to see Walter Lacey. As they head toward downtown Baltimore, they pass a man who appears to be homeless, but they don’t realize that it is Louis Henley.

As Henley continues on his way back to downtown Baltimore, he stays on Patapsco Avenue. He realizes that West Baltimore is a large area. One wrong turn and he is bound to be caught real fast. If he steps on private property again, he may be arrested or even shot for trespassing. Henley knows now that he has to be careful. He has been identified by a few people now, and his luck is running short. He is weary and he is tired. He knows that he must rest somewhere, but where? Henley finds an old service station along Patapsco Avenue and sits at the door to sleep.

A mystery novel in parts by vendor August Mallory

Along Patapsco Avenue, pedestrian traffic is slim, so Henley has a good chance of not being recognized right away. As Henley nods off to sleep, though, he is unaware that a person on a bicycle has seen him lurking about. The cyclist becomes suspicious of Henley and calls the Baltimore police. The police tell him that Henley is wanted for questioning and instruct the cyclist to leave the area.

Meanwhile, back at Mercy Hospital, Odell Lacey is with his son, Walter.

“Hello, Dad. Hello, son -- you do recognize me.”

“And I also recognize this young woman. Hello, Anna. It’s been a long time.”

“Hello, Walter. How are you feeling?”

“Well, other than feeling like I was danced on by a ninja turtle, I guess I am doing O.K..” As Walter begins to tell his story, Anna and Hammerman take notes in preparation for prosecuting Henley for theft and possible murder.

Next issue: Part 12. Walter Lacey has regained his memory. Louis Henley is unaware that the police have been called to check him out as he sleeps at an old service station. All evidence points to Henley as preparations are made to arrest him.

PUZZLE PAGE

Page 14

Leo’s Fill-In Game

Street Sense CRYPTOGRAM

I was not sure what to call this game that I came up with, although I adapted it from the Washington Post’s Su-Do-Ku game. But I did not copy their game. I just made mine from scratch and decided to use the planets instead.

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

Fill in the blank spaces in the grid so that every vertical column, horizontal row and every 3X3 box contains the name of each of the 9 planets in the solar system.

Leo has been a vendor for nearly a year and is now helping out with vendor program coordination.

HW XKY PHOYBT SW XKY

Earth Saturn

ASSB EY IDROYJ QSX ET XKY

Pluto

Mars

NDCO SW QDXRBY, ERX ET

Jupiter

Uranus Mercury

Jupiter

Uranus Earth

SRB HQOXHXRXHSQO, FBYDX

Neptune

Saturn

Saturn

HO SRB OHQ.

Uranus

Pluto

Neptune Earth

-- IKDBNYO JDBCHQ

Uranus

CROSSWORD: NOVEMBER ISSUES 2

3

4

5

6

7

8

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21 24 31

41

37

42

50

51 56

57

63 68

10

34

11

12

13

28

29

30

35 39

44 48

45 49 52

58

59

64

69

27

38 43

47

55

26

33

46

67

25

32 36

40

9

22

23

Jupiter

Neptune

Pluto

Earth

Hint: E = B

1

Mercury

65

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53 61

54 62

66

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ACROSS 1 Kimono sash 4 Meat alternative 8 Artist of illusion 14 Gender of most SS vendors 15 Asian nation 16 Edam 17 Tree 18 Corn syrup brand 19 Has hairs 20 Egging on 22 Ball 23 Opposed 24 Club game 27 Country house 31 DNA component 33 Wing 35 Greedy person 36 Present 38 Aced 39 Maimed 40 Adopts (2 wds.)

44 Lasted 46 Not under 47 Texas Congresswoman 49 Expression of surprise

Saturn

50 New Jersey’s neighbor 51 Years of Street Sense 52 Annoyance 55 Waste matter 58 Prig 61 Challenge 63 Spiritedness 65 Tropical destination 67 Colorless person 70 Cafe 71 Fraction 72 Earthy 73 Wields 74 North American Indian 75 ______ Sense 76 What increased in Winter Plan 77 South southeast DOWN 1 End of the alphabet 2 Be suitable 3 Prisoner 4 Carved Polynesian pendant

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Great ape Wells __ Spanish “one” Reverberate Splinter of glass Restaurant in review 11 That woman 12 East southeast 13 Crimson 21 ____ Prog. for Homeless Women 25 GWU Human Rights __Society 26 Ice sheet 28 Burn 29 _____stretch 30 Mature 32 Aurora 34 Hammerman’s assistant 37 Seaken 39 Angolan capital T I N C SW E A P OW D D B A I D I V E U F O O F W R O M A G M U C L A G R A N F O R U S E L S D

40 Director at Cath. Charities 41 Declare 42 Property rights court case 43 Information 45 Daniels is its spokeswoman 48 Long time 53 Verse meter 54 Features 56 Church steeple 57 Street ______ 59 Fat 60 Bundled hay 62 Sugar-free brand 64 Bard 66 Snake sound 67 American Cancer Society (abbr.)

68 Tons 69 Exclude 70 Knight

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Page 15

“I’d really like to make a difference.”

WE’VE ALL TALKED THE TALK. NOW LET’S WALK THE WALK. Exercise your good will and join the fight to end homelessness.

WHEN:

Saturday, November 19th, 2005 7am registration, 9am start time

WHERE:

National Mall, Smithsonian Metro Stop

HOW:

Register at helpthehomelessdc.org

MILLENNIUM SPONSORS:

Help the Homeless WALKATHON

MEDIA PARTNER:

HONORARY CHAIR:

Marlon Byrd of the

EDITORIALS

Page 16

Focus on Baltimore:

Through A Vendor’s Eyes

Violence Among the Homeless

By August Mallory It’s Saturday, Oct. 1, 2005, and as I come in from Baltimore to Washington to do some sales of Street Sense, my attention is diverted to an incident involving two homeless men who apparently had an argument over a card game. When I arrived at Franklin Park between 8:30-9:30 a.m. I saw emergency units giving first aid to two people. I looked around closely, and saw a big pool of blood on the ground. I looked around a little more and saw liquor bottles and beer cans thrown about and then a deck of cards scattered about everywhere.

It wasn’t hard to put two and two together to figure out what happened. This was a knife fight. The two were having a card game and obviously drinking, and suddenly a disagreement broke out. They both had knives and began stabbing each other. But from what I could tell one was able to get more stabbings in than the other was. It was a gruesome scene. The emergency units were able to get both men to a nearby hospital. I don’t know if one or both survived, or not, but incidents like this are not uncommon among the homeless.

Later that day, I returned to Baltimore, and as I walking down Greenmount Avenue I came across the scene of more violence. A homeless man had been beaten to death with a large rock or brick and his skull was crushed.

The homeless are the one group of people who are the most targeted, by each other and by others, and the hatred shown towards them is truly appalling. Many times crimes against them go unsolved and many times law enforcement officials turn their heads the other way, feeling that homeless people are worthless and do not merit the time bothering with.

And this I think is very sad. I have to ask myself just what is it that makes the homeless targets of attack, by each other and by others. I have always thought and felt that homeless people would support one another due to their situation, but, as I travel around from city to city, I find this is not the case.

Two weeks later I am back in Washington, standing at the Farragut North Metro station, selling Street Sense. As I call out “Street Sense, Street Sense,” I am suddenly interrupted by a fight between a homeless man and a woman. The man apparently had hit the woman and about ten minutes later, she had found a large “U” shaped bicycle lock, approached him behind and struck him in the head with all the force possible, sending him falling to the ground face down.

I keep asking myself, why is there so much violence among the homeless. I think it all boils down to the hate within themselves, and the anger that they feel for being in their situation.

I am very relieved to be off the streets. When I was out there I saw fights and stabbings and suicides and other horrific things go on. I still shake my head over it.

There’s a lot of drug use and alcohol among the homeless, and many times that is what brings the demon out.

It’s three days later, and I’m back in Baltimore, on North Gay Street, and I come across the scene of another incident. This time a homeless man is lying face down with his legs and neck broken. And who was the perp? Another homeless person of course. After these few days of witnessing such incidents I had to go into seclusion for a while. This stuff was beginning to turn my stomach. I would ask the public that when you see such incidents don’t turn your head the other way. Think. That person is someone’s son, or father, or daughter, or relative. Or that person may be related to you.

August Mallory has been selling Street Sense since its first issue in Nov. 2003, and he has been writing about Baltimore for just as long. He currently lives outside of Charm City in an apartment of his own. If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail him at carriergroup2009@yahoo.com.

Republican Reflections

By Donald Brooks I have begun this column several times in my mind, but due to constant changes that have occurred on the national and international scene, I have had trouble deciding which subject that I would tackle first. Since this is Washington, D.C., and I was raised, educated, and live here, I will discuss the local current events first.

When the president and his Republican Party came to power, they made promises to bring integrity, family, and moral values back to the country after the Clinton administration.

“The proof is in the pudding” as my mother would often say. Sure enough, it was politics as usual in D.C.: scandals, corruptions, and most of all, a return to the mistrust of government.

One major difference between the current and past administrations is the extremely high price paid in lives

by American citizens through faulty, aggressive war decisions.

A recent event that brought me a glimmer of hope was the possibility of becoming a Supreme Court Justice nominee! I thought this was possible because Harriet Miers and I had a lot in common. She had no jurist experience and neither do I. We both can be wishywashy on certain issues and most of all, we both wanted the job (Ha! Ha!).

After taking a serious look at how this administration is selecting the Supreme Court nominees, one (especially me) gets the feeling that the Bush administration is preparing for future pardons once this administration is investigated and legal matters play out.

I look at the untold amount of money that is being made from the war, the

hurricanes, and the events that cost America so much, and all of it seems to be traced to this administration. But, I have to give it to the “old Pres. and his Crew,” they sure know how to fire up the American people and their flags even if it is under false pretense.

The Democrats, after sleep-walking through the last two presidential elections, the Slime-War reasons, the unqualified nominees, the Un-American Patriot Acts, and the indictment scandal; the weakened Democrats have gone to OZ. They not only have gotten a heart, but a brain, and a conscience too, to stand up to the corruptions, deceptions and the immoral government that the American People have had to live under for the last 6 ½ years.

The Democrats finally said, “Enough already!”

Thank goodness, cause I was getting used to the pain and agony. Any government official who doesn’t agree with this administration is liable to face other problems, if you get my drift.

But let’s change gears for a moment.

Before I end this column, I would like to thank Rosa Parks for sitting down, so a brother like me would be able to sit down and write a column for a newspaper, to have it published without being placed in the back of any situation I don’t want to be in. Thanks, Rosa.

Any government official who doesn’t agree with this administration is liable to face other problems, if you get my drift.

Donald Brooks is the vendor liaison for Street Sense. He currently lives and works at the CCNV Shelter in downtown D.C. If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail him at DLBrooks54@hotmail.com.

EDITORIALS

Maurice Speaks: It was a cold day in October and I was riding a bus along Rockville Pike in Maryland from Bethesda to Rockville, much as I had done in April 2003 after having lost my apartment in Silver Spring.

The sight that I saw on the highway was a grim reminder to me of the Victorianism that still governs that region: all along the way on the highway dividers stood homeless men, most of them Vietnam veterans, holding signs indicating their plight and asking for help.

I did not need to ask why they were standing there as I knew their situation all too well. I remembered clearly how the woman at the Crisis Center in Montgomery County had said to me without batting an eyelash, “We don’t give shelters to men.

Hypothermia season has ended. We only help women and children.” These men had little choice but to stand out in the cold because Nov. 1, the magic date that would grant them recognition as human beings, had not yet arrived.

I found such an attitude hard enough to tolerate when I was the one being turned away. And I found it no more acceptable to see others being rejected in a similar manner, especially in one of the wealthiest areas in the nation that prides itself in its social welfare programs.

The memories of all the homeless men sleeping in front of the computers at Kinko’s in downtown Silver Spring that I saw that April night in 2003 still haunt me,

Nothing to Miss

as well as the memory of my initiation into the grim realities of homelessness.

I still remember the feeling of panic that gripped me and the fear that made me wonder what organization I could contact that would not turn me away for being a man. The blanket rejection of all homeless males in Montgomery County, Md., drove me into the District of Columbia, where at least I would not be rubber-stamped as the enemy because of my gender.

Nothing has changed since that night in April 2003. I was angry then; I’m still angry now. I did not accept the attitude then and still do not. Quite obviously I have reason to feel the way I do now, but even before I became homeless, when I was living a comfortable life of a middle-class man in the suburbs, I

still reviled against the neo-Victorian attitudes around me. Back then I did express my disapproval and disdain for the insensitivity showwn toward the less fortunate, almost as if I sensed that the day would come that I would be counted among them.

And it’s still wrong what’s happening to Montgomery County homeless men.

Such a wealthy community that claims to be an all-American community should certainly do better. There is certainly no excuse for leaving so many men out in the street, certainly no excuse for turning them away because of their gender and because of an arbitrary calendar date.

When I left the area, I left with the distinct feeling that I had nothing to miss. The relative comfort of the area with its upscale luxuries could not offset the ill feeling that the past events had created in me. With all the money the region might have, it clearly is a very heartless place that cares very little about persons who are down on their luck. This is clear as the county casts anyone, regardless of gender, into the street in such a cavalier manner.

Maurice King has been writing editorials for Street Sense since January 2004, and is also in the process of publishing his own book. He is now living at the CCNV shelter.

If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail him at benadam@cyberdude.com

Page 17

Education in the Shelters

By Al Szekely Sr.

As a homeless person – yes, person – I often think of things which should be changed to improve the situation in the homeless community. Here is one thing to think on, and to try to change.

I’m an American who worked, paid taxes, etc., all my life, yet I hit a brick wall trying to get some education to help get me back to being a productive citizen with a small place to live.

So what I’m asking is, “Why is there free education in our prison system and why isn’t this available to the homeless?”

These thieves, rapists and murderers can take classes, job training and complete their GED while behind bars all thanks to the Federal Bureau of Prison.

So why not me, a law abiding citizen, who happens to be without a home?

Go and e-mail your congressmen and lobby for free education in shelters.

If this happened, we could become productive citizens and not be herded in at 7 p.m. and herded out into the streets with all we own at 7 a.m. We are NOT cows—to be warehoused and then tossed out to fend for ourselves!! We are people and many of us need a better education.

Help us to help ourselves. Put education in the shelters so homeless people will no longer be called hopeless.

Al Szekely has been a vendor for Street Sense since Sepember 2005.

Mommy, When I Grow Up I Want to Be Homeless

By Cliff “The Moose” Carle Most kids have some dream of what they might like to be when they grow up – a cowboy, a lawyer, a doctor, a police officer – yet upon reflection, most, if not ALL, homeless people, even in our most perverse dreams, NEVER dreamed of being homeless.

To say it clearly: being homeless in itself is a sobering, humbling, degrading experience.

Am I ashamed of being homeless?

Oh, no. If so, I would be held a prisoner of my own bad memories. But I’m also not proud to be homeless. Me, I take full responsibility for my seemingly insurmountable dilemma.

And you see, my trail out of homelessness has already been blazed by others before me.

I – the pompous, ignorant, arrogant, all-knowing fool that I was – used to look

down on homeless people, never giving a second thought that not too far in the seemingly distant future I would be there.

Today, I truly appreciate and live each God-given moment to its fullest, ever striving not to judge, condemn, condescend, or even belittle – even with a glance – anyone or anything except rats and roaches. (I got issues about them.)

I’ve seen true kindness, true love, and true friendship displayed by many who take precious time out of their busy, hectic, FULL lives and

still give back what they’ve gotten in life simply by helping others in life itself. To these kind hearts, I say God Bless, and thank you, even if no one else does or will, I will thank you and say, God Bless!

Now, about those intellectual idiots who look down their noses at homeless people – and yes, we are people. If the eyes (as it’s been said) are the doors to your soul, then I can look into your eyes and perceive the same stinking thinking I used to have when I looked at homeless people.

I...used to look down on homeless people, never giving a second thought that not too far in the seemingly distant future I would be there.

One of the most degrading experiences I’ve ever had was recently while I was selling the paper. I saw two guys and a gal stop to pet a dog. Yet, when the group passed ME, selling homeless papers, they acted like I had bubonic plague and took steps to make sure they did not even come close to me. Well, that was their loss, not mine!

It doesn’t matter. I always say, “Have a blessed day,” and I always have one.

All this is to say, never EVER look down on anyone unless, of course, you are trying to help them get up!

And ask yourself – did you ever say, “Mommy, when I grow up, I want to be ... homeless”?

Neither did I. Cliff is a vendor for Street Sense and has been selling the paper for the past month.

Page 18

COMMUNITY PAGE

Vendor Notes

Thanksgiving Meals Central Union Mission 1350 R Street, NW Mon. Nov 21 11:30 am-2:30 pm Georgetown Lutheran Church 1556 Wisconsin Ave., NW Wed. Nov 23 6 pm Zacchaeus Community Kitchen 945 G Street, NW Thanksgiving Day Nov 24 9:30 am-11:30 am CCNV 2nd and D streets, NW Thanksgiving Day Thurs. Nov 24 12:00 noon So That Others May Eat 71 O Street, NW Thanksgiving Day Thurs. Nov 24 12:00 noon Dinner Program for Homeless Women 945 G Street, NW Thanksgiving Day Thurs. Nov 24 6 pm

Other Events 18th Annual Help the Homeless Walkathon When: Saturday, November 19, 2005, Rain or Shine 7 a.m. Preregistration Check-in and Event Day Registration begin 8:30 a.m. Pre-Walkathon activities begin 9 a.m. Walkathon begins Where: Between 7th and 14th Streets, N.W., on the National Mall, Washington, D.C. Take Metro to the Smithsonian Station (Orange/Blue lines); Metro opens at 6 a.m.

Who: Sponsored by the Fannie Mae Foundation What: Help raise money to support hundreds of homeless services providers in the D.C. Area.

Last year, 110,000 people raised more than $6.5 million that benefited 180 organizations that battle every day to provide services to homeless people and prevent and end homelessness How Much: Walkers can preregister at www.helpthehomelessdc.org at a cost of $25 for adults and $15 for youth (age 25 and younger). Registration also takes place the day of the event at a cost of $30 for adults, $15 for youth (age 25 and younger).

For more information visit www.helpthehomelessdc.org.

Mobile soup kitchens will be sending out their vans as usual to parks and other sites where homeless people gather on Thanksgiving Day. Breakfast- First Helping Van387-2015 Dinner- Salvation Army Grate Patrol van -332-5000 Dinner- McKenna’s Wagon 328-6608

_________________________________

Fourth Annual Trot for Hunger When: Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2005, 8:30 a.m.

Where: The run/walk will begin and end on Ohio Drive, SW, between Independence Avenue and West Basin Drive.

Who: SOME (So Others May Eat) and the WB50 Family Fund What: Help raise money to support SOME’s efforts to house, feed and provide other services to help those living on the streets.

How Much: Registration is $20, and all participants will receive an event tshirt and refreshments.

For more info visit www.some.org or e-mail trotforhunger@some.org.

On November 12, August Mallory and Donald Brooks made a trip to Baltimore to receive awards for their hard work with Street Sense. At the 14th annual LAB Awards, they were each presented with an “Outstanding Citizens Award” for their educational achievements through Street Sense and on the “More Betterman Show” on WOL-AM. We here at Street Sense have known for a long time what hardworking and engaging people these two men are and are happy that they are finally getting some public recognition for their accomplishments.

Two Street Sense vendors – August Mallory and David McCullough – have discovered they have more in common than being U.S. Navy veterans who sell D.C.’s street newspaper. During a recent vendors’ meeting at the Street Sense office, the two men realized they had both served on the USS Saratoga in the early 1980s.

Mallory was a machinist’s mate, helping keep the ship’s heating and plumbing in order, and McCullough was a bosun’s mate, assisting with maintenance and general upkeep.

Although the two believe their service on the ship overlapped, they don’t remember meeting there. “It’s like a city,” said Mallory.

“You’ve got 4,000 men aboard an aircraft carrier.”

That’s a large vessel, but it’s a small world, indeed. And it’s nice to be reminded, again, of what fine people are always coming aboard at Street Sense.

Lastly, many of our vendors, like Donald Brooks and Anthony Crawford, are still searching for a permanent place to call home. If you have a room or apartment to rent in or around Washington, D.C. and would consider offering it to a Street Sense vendor at a favorable rate, please call Laura Thompson Osuri at 202-347-2006 or e-mail info@streetsense.org.

SERVICE PROVIDERS/VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES SHELTERS Calvary Women’s Services 928 5th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 783-6651 Hours: 8:30am-5:00pm (M-F) Central Union Mission (Men) 1350 R Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 745-7118 Community for Creative Nonviolence (CCNV) 425 Mitch Snyder Place, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 393-1909 Community of Hope (Family Services) 1413 Girard Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-7356 Dorothy Day Catholic Worker 503 Rock Creek Church Road, NW Washington, DC 20010 (202) 882-9649 Franklin School (men) 13th and K St., NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 638-7424 Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men) 810 5th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 842-1731 House of Imagene Shelter 214 P Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 518-8488 House of Ruth: Madison Emergency Shelter (Women) 651 10th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 547-2600 John Young Center (Women) 117 D Street NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 639-8469 La Casa Bilingual Shelter (Men) 1436 Irving Street Washington. D. C. 20010 (202) 673-3592 Martin Luther King Shelter (Men) Martin Luther King, Jr., Ave. SE Washington, DC 20032 (202) 889-7634

New York Ave Shelter (Men) 1355-57 New York Ave, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 832-2359

Covenant House of Washington 3400 Martin Luther Ave., SE Washington, DC 20032 (202) 610-9630

Open Door Shelter (Women) 2nd and D Streets, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 639-8093

Father McKenna Center 19 Eye Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 842-1112

SOUP KITCHENS

Food and Friends 58 L Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 488-8278

10th Street Baptist Church 1000 R Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20001 202-232-1685

MEDICAL RESOURCES

Charlie’s Place 1830 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-3066

Christ House 17 Columbia Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 328-1100

Church of the Pilgrims 2201 P Street, NW Washington, DC 20037 (202) 387-6612

Community of Hope (Health Services) 2250 Champlain Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232 9022

Dinner Program for Homeless Women 945 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 737-9311

Unity Health Care, Inc. 3020 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 745-4300

Eofula-Spanish Senior Center 1842 Calvert Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20009 202-483-5800

Whitman-Walker Clinic 1407 S Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 797-3500

McKenna’s Wagon 2114 14th Street Washington, DC 20009 (202) 328-6608

OUTREACH CENTERS

Miriam’s Kitchen 2401 Virginia Ave, NW Washington, DC 20037 (202) 452-8926 So Others Might Eat (SOME) 71 “O” Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20001 Phone: 202-797-8806 Washington City Church of the Brethren 337 North Carolina Ave, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 547-5924 Zacchaeus Community Kitchen (“9:30 Club”) 10th and G Streets, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 393-9144 EMERGENCY FOOD

N Street Village (Women) 1333 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 (202) 939-2060

Bread for the City 1525 Seventh Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20001 Phone: 202.265.2400

New Endeavors by Women 611 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 682-5825

1640 Good Hope Rd. SE Washington, DC 20020 (202) 561-8587

Bethany Women’s Center 1333 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 (202) 939-2060 Georgetown Ministry Center 1041 Wisconsin Ave., NW Washington, DC 20007 (202) 338-8301 Martha’s Table 2114 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 328-6608 Rachel’s Women’s Center 1222 11th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 682-1005 Sasha Bruce Youth Work 741 8th Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 675-9340 Friendship House 619 D Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 675-9050 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Byte Back 815 Monroe Street, NE Washington, DC 20017

Page 19

Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm (M-F) (202) 529-3395 Capital Area Food Bank 645 Taylor Street, NE Washington, DC 20017 (202) 526-5344 x223 Catholic Charities Homeless Services of Washington, DC 924 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 772-4300 Catholic Charities Emergency Center 1438 Rhode Island Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm (M-F) (202) 526-4100 Coalition for the Homeless 1234 Massachusetts Ave, NW Washington, DC 20005 (202) 347-8870 Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness 801 Pennsylvania Ave, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 543-5298 Downtown Services Center 945 G St., NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 393-5400 Catholic Charities Northeast Community Services 1438 Rhode Island Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 526-4100 Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 347-0511 Hermano Pedro Center 1501 Park Road, NW Washington DC 20010 (202) 332-2874 JHP, Inc. 1526 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20003 (202) 544-5300 Jubilee Jobs 1640 Columbia Road, NW (202) 667-8970 Virginia Williams Family Resource Center 25 M Street, SW Washington, DC Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St., NW Washington, 20009 Outreach Advocate (202) 328-5505 (202) 639-8093

Street Sense would like to thank its vendors for making the past two years such a success.

Please continue to support them and to only buy from badged vendors.

FAST FACT : Of those living in poverty in Washington, D.C., 16% were homeless at some point in time during 2004.

Soure: Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness, www.community-partnership.org.

Fill out the form on page 2 to become a subscriber

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005

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And the winner is........

VANGUARD COMMUNICATIONS Street Sense would like to thank Vanguard Communcations and Ryan and Eddie for their winning entry in the logo design contest.

They donated their time and talents to provide the newspaper with its new and improved look.