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

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STREET SENSE November 18 - December 1, 2015

3

NEWS

City Braces For Winter Emergency Needs

By Olivia Aldridge, Editorial Intern

November 1 marks the beginning of hypothermia season, a 5-month period of increased risk for anyone living outdoors.

D.C. is legally required to develop a winter plan each year to handle the needs that cold weather places on individuals experiencing homelessness, especially increased need for shelter.

A press briefing on the 2015-16 winter plan was held November 13 at City Hall with Department of Human Services Director Laura Zeilinger and Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) Executive Director Kristy Greenwalt. The briefing primarily reiterated information about the plan that was originally released September 1.

The plan has been the target of skepticism for what some have considered to be conservative estimates of the number of individuals who will be seeking shelter. According to the ICH, when they provided the estimates they took into account projections of the number of exits from shelters that will result of vari-

ous ICH initiatives. Zeilinger added that the plan’s success would not be measured on the accuracy of its projections, but on the ability of the District to meet each need that presented itself.

Greenwalt emphasized that a datadriven approach had been employed in constructing the plan. She said that more data would be available in other areas, thanks to several new technologies and approaches involved in this year’s plan.

Families will be housed in motels when space in shelters has been exhausted. Individuals will be given emergency shelter in recreation center locations if rendered necessary by a Hypothermia Alert. According to Greenwalt, they expect to need 1600 private units for single adult men and 500 for single adult women. All overflow housing will be located in the District.

ICH and DHS are not able to provide estimates for the number of youth who will need shelter this winter. During August

2015, the District government conducted its first Homeless Youth Census. Based on the new data this census provides, ICH plans to release a strategy regarding youth homelessness in January 2016.

According to the plan, ICH currently has provisions to house 226 youth age 1824, or Transition Aged Youth (TAY). At the November 13 briefing, Zeilinger estimated that nearly 40% of TAY identify as LGBTQ. Acknowledging these high numbers, ICH has added 12 housing units specifically for these clients, several of them with Casa Ruby.

Last winter, 103 Hypothermia Alerts were issued. This winter, the protocol has been broadened to issue Hypothermia Alerts not only on nights forecasted at 32 degrees or below including wind chill, but also on nights forecasted at 40 degrees or below when the likelihood of precipitation is forecasted at 50% or higher. As a result, ICH anticipates an increase in the number of alerts issued this winter season.

ICH has also increased their transportation resources for this winter with 9 new vans operated by the United Planning Organization (UPO) for transportation to shelters. In tandem, ICH is currently testing a new app called Hope One Source, originally developed in relation to the recovery efforts for the Haiti earthquake in 2010. According to Greenwalt, ICH hopes to track transportation response times and make note of the “outcomes of those engagements” using this new technology.

Established methods of contacting UPO transportation are the 311 app and the transportation hotline (1-800-535-7252).

“We expect that we’ll be able to decrease our response time with these added transportation resources,” Zeilinger said, although she was unable to offer statistics on what response times have been in the past.

For more information on the winter plan, visit ich.dc.gov.

Metropolitan Police Take No Chances With Montgomery County Veteran Receives Farragut Homeless Man Housing, Desires Employment

By Eric Falquero Editor-in-Chief Violence erupted on the corner of L and 19th Streets NW Friday afternoon, November 13. The block was effectively shut down when at least 5 Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) vehicles responded to the incident: a lone homeless man.

"They're trying to kill me!" the unidentified man could be heard screaming as he was subdued.

Most employees at surrounding businesses were aware of the commotion, but didn't see anything.

A Sweetgreen team member heard the man had punched a security guard.

"That's funny," a Melt Shop crew member with nothing to report said to another.

"D.C. police kicked the sh** out of a homeless guy, now [a reporter] is here."

Local parking valet Ashenafi Metaw didn't see how the altercation started, but he saw it finish and knew the man involved.

"I know him almost like five, six months.

Sometimes I give him one dollar, two dollars," Metaw explained. "He's an honest guy. It's not fair."

A security guard who works that block agreed. "He never bothers nobody, something must have happened to set him off."

Metaw said the man regularly slept in the alley across the street from his parking garage.

"So many police for one man, it's not fair," Metaw reiterated. "And this was a white guy."

Elias Meles, Metaw's friend and week-

By Mark Rose Volunteer end soccer teammate, also works nearby and recorded the scene.

"I was waiting to cross the 19th Street.

It was hard to tell what was going on, but there was a kind of argument between the cop and the guy," Meles recalled.

He started filming when the officer put a hand on the man's wrist. He quickly seemed to be resisting arrest. Someone in the gathering crowd said, "It looks like it's time for Taser."

"They pinned him to the ground. His boot was off to the side," Meles described.

"His jacket and everything was on the ground. His shirt was ripped down the middle. His arm was bleeding."

First there were three officers on the scene, then they called for backup.

"There had to be ten police cars," Meles said. "For one man."

The man was putting up enough of a struggle that he could not be handcuffed properly: his arms were contorted in an obviously painful manner.

"Finally, this captain came. He was nice. He told the guy to be calm, that they were just going to readjust the handcuffs," Meles said. "Then they took him away in the van."

Video available on StreetSense.org, courtesy Elias Meles.

Heyradine was down on his luck. The four-year U.S. Army veteran had injured both his knees in a training exercise where he was stationed at Ft. Benning, Georgia.

His doctor told him not to lift heavy things, and to otherwise go easy on the knees.

That keeps him from holding a lot of jobs he’d otherwise be able to do. And the $1,500/month veteran disability income he receives does not enable him to live on his own.

Heyradine had to live between his car and a homeless shelter for eight or nine months. The shelter only allowed occupants to live there for two months at a time.

He went to the Montgomery County Crisis Center and they put him in touch with the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless (MCCH). He waited and waited for an apartment and, of course, looked for a job. Heyradine was about to give up.

He had gone so far as to buy a plane ticket back home to Niger in Africa, thinking he was not going to be able to stay in America. However, within a couple of weeks of that flight leaving, he got a phone call from MCCH saying they had found Heyradine an apartment.

He was moved into the new apartment in a Silver Spring, Maryland high-rise on Veterans Day. “It’s a great day; I’m happy I have a place to stay,” Heyradine said with a big smile on his face.

The apartment is paid for by MCCH and furnished with furniture donated by a successful PCC Construction Components in Gaithersburg.

He’s still going back to Niger for a short break as planned, but then he’s coming back to the U.S. As soon as Heyradine gets set up in his apartment, he is going to look intensively for a job. He said that he sees a very big problem with employers hiring veterans in this country, and especially injured ones like him. Disabled vets ought to be considered for what they CAN do, not emphasizing what they can’t.

“Please hire vets – please,” Heyradine implored local firms. He says they all say they’ll hire vets, but don’t follow through.

“People like me are struggling.”

Heyradine has his sights set on working for a non-profit. “I want to make people happy, to improve people’s lives just like they (did for) me.”

Heyradine, who is in his 30s, is the latest homeless veteran to be housed by MCCH. The county has a goal of housing all homeless veterans by the end of this year, which is part of a national campaign, called Zero: 2016, to end veteran homelessness by the end of.

Heyradine drove home the same point, “Vets are really struggling. A lot are willing to work, but (employers) don’t want to hire somebody with a disability.”

Mayor Celebrates New Housing, New Business

By Joas Schau Editorial Intern

Mayor Bowser spent Friday, November 6, running between seven groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings to highlight advances in affordable housing and new businesses.

She called it Scissors and Shovels day.

"The District is a city on the move. Businesses are opening, jobs are being created and economic opportunity is coming to all corners of the city," Bowser said during a kick-off event held at the new Uber East Coast headquarters at Dupont Circle.

More than one year after residents were told they'd have to temporarily move to accommodate renovations, The Phyllis Wheatley Young Women Christian Association (Wheatley YWCA) at 901 Rhode Island Ave, NW, broke ground on renovations as part of Scissors & Shovels Day. Wheatley YWCA has received grants to refresh both the interior and exterior of its building, which has housed women with low income and women with special needs since its opening in 1920.

Wheatley YWCA partnered with Dante’s Partners, an affordable housing developer in the District, for the renovation. The company focuses on sustainable energy and keeping the traditional look of the buildings it develops.

“The renovation of Phyllis Wheatley YWCA presents a unique opportunity to both preserve affordable housing and revitalize an historic building in the rapidly developing Shaw neighborhood,” said Buwa Binitie, the managing principal of Dante’s Partners LLC, at the event.

Wheatley YWCA residents are relieved that the building is benefitting from the collaboration between nonprofit organizations and corporate partners. Robin Mendes-Newell, a resident since 2006, says it makes her happy that more women can get affordable housing now.

"A couple of years ago we feared closure of this building, but demonstra-

tions and mobilizations between fellow residents and other persons outside of the building, who saw the importance of keeping this place open for women, probably saved Phyllis Wheatley,” she said.

Mendes-Newell is also surprised by how many donations of household items Wheatley YMCA receives throughout the year.

“I came to a furnished room, but the giveaways from local schools, organizations and private persons make it more homey around here. Also, the building is a safe place for women experiencing domestic violence,” she adds.

The building’s renovation is scheduled to be completed in Fall 2016, at a cost of

Robin Mendes-Newell.

Photo by Jonas Schau

$17 million, $2 million more than originally projected. Wheatley YWCA will then offer 84 housing units for women. This is fewer than the 117 dorm-style units currently available, but many of the new units will have private restrooms and kitchenettes, designed to move residents towards self-sufficiency.

The renovation project is designed to ensure that the building’s current residents can remain in their homes and not be displaced. All lease-compliant residents will have the opportunity to stay in the renovated building. Rental rates will remain affordable, and the building’s current residents will not see their rents increase. New residents will receive vouchers through the District Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Only women with incomes at or below 30 percent of the area median income will qualify.

Continuing to provide housing to women with low-income or special needs nearly a century after Wheatley YWCA's founding is an important principle to board president Patricia Plummer. In her remarks she

highlighted that the Wheatley YWCA is the only YWCA in D.C. that provides permanent and affordable supportive housing catering to women.

“There is so much history in this building, so we have good partners which will both develop the living standard and also keep the traditional look of the building,” she added.

Among other benefits Mendes-Newell and the other residents can look forward to this year is a big Thanksgiving dinner and a Christmas celebration. Next year the YWCA will also have social services staff working there to support resident's path to self-sufficiency.

Weinberg Commons Leads Way for Greener Housing in the Future Next, Bowser ran across town for the official opening of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Commons in Ward 7. Operating this family housing project is the nonprofit Transitional Housing Corporation (THC), which provides housing and comprehensive support services to homeless and atrisk families.

Weinberg Commons stands out from the houses nearby it on Southern Avenue, SE due to the sustainable, green architecture used in its construction.

“Weinberg Commons is a giant step forward in THC’s effort to carry out its mission to boldly confront family homelessness and to interrupt its transfer to successive generations," THC President Phil Hecht said.

This complex provides 36 affordable housing units, 12 of which will be set aside as permanent supportive housing for persons experiencing homelessness. Quinn Miller of THC confirmed that all 12 of the permanent supportive housing units have been filled.

"All but two families have officially moved in, and we expect the last two will

be in before the end of the month. The Department of Behavioral Health selected these specific families for this location," he said.

Zavos Architectural and Design (ZA+D), was also a partner in the development of Weinberg Commons.

“We hope that this type of architecture may set the new standard of environmental friendly designs in the future.," ZA+D President Bruce Zavos said. "It creates better ways of furnishing and significantly lowering costs for air conditioning, heat and water consumption.”

Mayor Bowser cuts the ribbon to officially open the Weinberg Commons, flanked by city officials, project financiers, representatives from public and private sectors, and community members.

PHOTO BY JONAS SCHAU

STREET SENSE November 18 - December 1, 2015

5

NEWS

Controversial Encampments Signal Rise in Homelessness

By Eric Falquero Editor-in-Chief For one night only, Wednesday, December 2, E Street Cinema will be screening the new documentary "Under the Bridge."

"This film is to the criminalization of homelessness as Rodney King was to exposing police brutality," said Don Sawyer, filmmaker and accidental advocate.

Sawyer credits co-writer Stephen Talbot—who holds 2 Emmys, 2 Peabody Awards and 2 duPont-Columbia Silver Batons for broadcast journalism—with overseeing the project from start to finish.

In the coming months, a team of the filmmakers including Sawyer, Emmy-winning editor and co-writer John MacGibbon and co-director Sam Mirpoorian will bring this Indianapolis-centered indie film to as many screens as possible, countrywide.

The National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty are sponsoring a stop in Washington that includes a panel discussion after the screening.

Proceeds from the D.C. screening will help carry Sawyer and his colleagues to their next event in Boston.

"Under The Bridge" started as a simple re-edit of the film "Uncharted" that Sawyer co-produced with Mirpoorian in 2014, shortly after moving to Indianapolis.

"When I lived in Los Angeles, I would go down to skid row on a semi-regular basis, just taking clothing and having conversations with the people down there," Sawyer explained. "But I’d never been an activist or an advocate in that way."

After arriving in Indianapolis, similar habits led Sawyer to a camp of homeless folks living under a nearby bridge. He formed a relationship with the guy that ran it and they talked in passing about creating a YouTube channel to dispel stereotypes about homelessness and homeless people.

Mirpoorian and colleagues arrived at the camp independently to propose shooting a documentary to the camp leader.

The YouTube plans were put on hold.

Sawyer quickly formed a relationship with Mirpoorian and his group. They became a film crew.

"This criminalization issue wasn’t even on our radar," Sawyer said. "We spent about 6 months in the camp before reaching out to service providers and the mayor’s office. We started doing interviews with these people that were entirely out of touch with what was going on."

To criminalize homelessness is to outlaw basic acts of survival in public space, such as sharing food, sleeping or panhandling. The federal government is against such regulations, but state and city ordinances tell another story.

For instance, the National Law Center

on Homelessness and Poverty's "No Safe Place" report found that in 2014, 65 percent of cities banned loitering, loafing, and vagrancy in specific areas.

"We’re seeing efforts from cities to wrestle with homelessness, but they're not responding with long term systemic solutions," said Megan Hustings, Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH).

"They're responding with punitive measures that do nothing to help the problem."

Homelessness is on the rise, according to Hustings. The numbers don't show it yet because it's generally people that are not all that visible: people staying in hotels, cars, encampments and elsewhere.

"We just get more and more phone calls from people that are struggling. And we know things aren't getting better." Hustings said. "The sequestration alone cut 100,000 housing vouchers. The SNAP program is continually up for cuts. TANF benefits are set to expire for many people in the next year. There are a lot of programs that have been lifting people out of poverty that are continuously getting cut."

The United States has massively deinvested in affordable housing and safety net programs. In 1979 the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's budget included $16 million for affordable housing. By 1983 that item was below $2 million. Now a growing number of people have nowhere to go.

John MacGibbon, formerly of PBS FRONTLINE, saw "Uncharted" when his sister hosted a screening. He called Sawyer and suggested some options for a re-edit to make the film more powerful.

Sawyer raised funds and brought MacGibbon on board.

But after he saw what hadn't made it into "Uncharted," MacGibbion told Sawyer "I just cannot believe the footage you did not use. You don’t even get these types of interviews at frontline, we’ve got to make another film."

The people of Indianapolis reacted swiftly to "Uncharted." Several legislative attempts at a local 'homeless bill of rights' made varying degrees of headway.

Proposal 291 even passed the city council, only to be vetoed by the mayor.

Sawyer hopes to attain a similar national reaction to "Under the Bridge," and more meaningful change.

Before the release of "Uncharted," local law enforcement cleared out the camp Sawyer and Mirpoorian documented.

"Some left town. Some just kinda disappeared, dropped off. A few of them are still around," Sawyer said.

Initially, some people just went to other camps around town. But those camps were threatened with closure, too. Sawyer attributes a lot of these efforts to a period of major gentrification Indianapolis is going through.

"I’ve never seen a place build up this fast. The formula is build it up so people will come, but people don’t want to see the homeless, so hide the homeless," Sawyer explained. "They don’t want big congregations of people who don’t have any place to be. They keep it hidden so people don’t have to see it when they come down to Colts games."

The Department of Justice recently ruled on a case in Boise, Idaho, which would have made the Indianapolis bridge clean-up a violation of the eighth amendment, reported the Indianapolis Recorder. It would have been cruel and unusual punishment because the city provided nowhere for those campers to go.

Even if the city had offered shelter, that's not a solution to get people off the streets, according to Megan Hustings.

There are many reasons people choose to avoid shelters. Some folks who work can’t follow a shelter's time restrictions. Some shelters take women and children but not men, and families don't want to split up.

Religious restrictions are not unheard of.

There are a lot of barriers to accessing community shelters, and most shelters out there do not receive federal funding and are thus not required to follow federal guidelines on admission.

"The thing is, a lot of people are working, but they can’t find viable work," Hustings said. Wages are way behind the times. The National Low Income Housing Coalition just released Out of Reach 2015, a report showing that there's not a single state in the country where you can work 40 hours per week on minimum wage and afford decent housing."

"Under the Bridge" is a film that happened in Indianapolis, but it’s the same story across the country, according to Sawyer.

True enough, Honolulu made national headlines when its governor cleared out one of the country's largest homeless encampments. And Seattle created controversy when it announced city-sponsored homeless encampments.

On Monday November 16, the first day of NCH's National Hunger and Homelessness awareness week, District workers moved in to clear-out a long-standing encampment on Virginia Avenue in Foggy Bottom. At least 15 tents where visible next to Rock Creek Parkway and under Whitehurst Freeway.

While notice of the “cleanup” had been posted more than two weeks prior, and outreach workers had reminded campers of the upcoming action on Friday November 13 - unclear messaging left nearly all

campers confused and frustrated come Monday. A protocol in the 2016 winter plan prohibits the seizure of blankets and other items that could keep a person warm during hypothermia season. That season began November 1st and lasts through February of next year. Meeting minutes from a District Interagency Coucnil on Homelessness workgroup that met the afternoon of the cleanup indicate that the written protocol it must be clarified to reflect whether or not tents fall into this category of protected items.

It is illegal in the District of Columbia to have any sort of “temporary abode,” such as a tent, without express permission of the mayor. But with nowhere for these homeless campers to go and winter approaching, it is a difficult situation. Eight of eight campers asked whether or not they would go to a shelter said no, citing lack of cleanliness, lack of safety, interference with work, and potential split up from romantic partners.

As of Tuesday November 17, Mayor Bowser maintained that the campers would have to leave. The tents were still when Street Sense went to press.

"I believe that the average citizen of any city would not want to live in a place where it is illegal for any American citizen to exist," Don Sawyer told Street Sense. "If a homeless individual cannot legally be on private property, and cannot legally rest on public property, they are by definition a criminal for being anywhere."

Sawyer and his fellow filmmakers aim for one thing: raising awareness.

"Once we get [criminalization] out of the way, we can get on to this issue of how much cheaper it is to house people with supportive services than to provide them services on the street," Sawyer said.

After over 30 years of operation, NCH still sees a great need to raise awareness about the realities of homelessness. Sharing this information with your friends and family actually makes a big difference, according to Hustings. Programs that build public education are effective at getting people involved in a meaningful way.

"I came out of the film energized to work harder, and angry at the system that keeps people living on the street," Hustings said.

Continued updates at StreetSense. org/CampWatergate.

Filmmaker Fuels Call for Empathy and Health

By Alexandra Pamias Editorial Intern Rain fell lightly on the Georgetown campus during the evening of Monday, November 9. While the rest of the campus was quiet and solitary, one of the lecture rooms in the Medical School was bustling with activity.

In the crowd of students, a beautiful little girl named Eboni was the life of the room. She captured everyone’s attention with her joyful disposition and at one point she got ahold of a stethoscope and ran around listening to people’s hearts.

The reason for this gathering at the Georgetown University School of Medicine (GUSOM) was to screen Eboni’s mother’s film, “Raise to Rise.”

Sasha Williams, Street Sense vendor and founding member of the Street Sense Filmmakers Cooperative, shared her and her daughter’s story through this self directed documentary.

Williams has been dealing with homelessness since 2003. During her last stay with her daughter at DC General family shelter she decided to record her experience and present it to the world.

The film is a portrait of Williams and her relationship with Eboni.

“This is me. This is raw me,” said Williams. “No make-up. It me and the things that I have to deal with.”

Lauren Antognoli, a second year student at GUSOM and the main organizer of the screening, stepped up to the podium, and officially began the event.

The Street Sense Film Co-op has actively made itself available for private screenings and they have received many requests. But the connection at this event is special and unique.

Williams met Antognoli at the HOYA Clinic when she was still living at DC General. The clinic is free and run by Georgetown medical students. They offer their services at the shelter. As part of the HOYA Child Assessment Team at DC General, Antognoli conducted an evaluation of Eboni.

“After only a few minutes with Eboni, I

realized she was incredibly sweet, bright, vivacious, and very very fast,” said Antognoli on the stage. “She never stopped running, giggling, and playing.”

She described Williams as a “strong, smart, motivated woman with unmistakable devotion to the health, happiness, and well being of her daughter.”

“This was a very special duo,” she added.

After their interaction at the Hoya Clinic, Antognoli eventually bought a Street Sense paper down at Eastern Market one day and was very excited to see a picture of Williams. The picture accompanied an article in which she explained what she and Eboni wanted from Santa.

It was here that Antognoli learned about Williams’s passion for film and how she was progressing as a filmmaker. After not being able to attend the sold out screening of “Raise to Rise,” she reached out to Street Sense and organized the screening at Georgetown University School of Medicine.

“You’re not just progressing as a filmmaker, like you said in your article last year,” said Antognoli as she finished up her opening statement for the event. “You are a filmmaker and we welcome you here tonight at Georgetown.”

Bryan Bello is the founder and facilitator of the Street Sense Film Cooperative and he firmly believes in the power of film to help people express themselves.

“Our work began as an opportunity for individuals who are often sort of documented to give them a chance to speak for themselves, and to find themselves,” said Bello at the event.

As part of the co-op, members get to direct their own stories and work with other individuals who have had similar but different experiences as well. Everyone partners on somebody else’s film as well as creating their own.

Williams joined the co-op after it was founded in April 2014 and since then has been one of the most active members.

Bryan Bello adresses the room at the “Raise to Rise” screening at Georgetown.

PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA PAMIAS

Sasha Williams and Angie Whitehurst answer students’ questions. PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA PAMIAS “She came in a couple of months later but she has pretty much never missed a class,” said Bello. “Right away it was evident that she was going to be a sustaining and powerful participant so we made her a founding member.”

The film’s producer, Angie Whitehurst, attended the film screening alongside Sasha and Eboni. Whitehurst is another strong figure in the Street Sense community and, as she said she was once described, her “blunt and succinct” manner entertained the students during the Q&A session.

But despite the initial light tone, she got serious when talking about what the medical community can do for people experiencing homelessness.

“What we need is our medical community, our community leaders, our seniors, everybody to stand up and advocate for basic services and basic respect,” said Whitehurst. “That would be a start.”

She also brought the issue of medical time lags to the discussion. According to Whitehurst, having people wait a month to treat an illness only worsens the situation for those in need.

“One medical issue gets chronically worse before you can get treated for the other,” she said. “And this is bad for seniors, it’s bad for mothers with children, it’s bad for everybody. And if we keep people healthy, we can keep them from being homeless.”

Students who attended the screening of “Raise to Rise” were captivated and touched by the film.

“I was just very impressed by how brave she is to tell her story. I was so moved and it really made me think about all the things I have in my life that I take for granted,” said Jennifer Clark, one of the medical students present at the screening. “It was really inspiring.”

Caitlin Sorensen and Caitlin Ingraham are Health Justice scholars at the GUSOM and coordinators at the HOYA Clinic.

“I could tell that she was very inspired to be a filmmaker and to find a way to tell her story,” said Sorensen. “And like what [Bello] had said earlier, a lot of times these people have stories written about them but they don’t get to tell their own story.”

“It reminded us of a saying about how important it is to remember that patients are people and that they have lives outside of what we are seeing in the hospital,” added Ingraham.

As medical students advance in their education, studies have shown that there is loss of empathy that hardens them towards their patients.

Dr. Tobie Smith is the Medical Director at Health Care for the Homeless in Baltimore County and Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Georgetown University. She was one of the moderators of Monday’s film screening and she stressed that this trend is pretty well known in medical schools and medical education but “it is obviously not the outcome we want for our students.” “[There is a need to] connect with patients and understand their life situations and kind of have that environment for health care,” said Dr. Smith.

Bryan Bello explained how at the film coop many stories come out that were never shared before because of the trust that the group members have in each other.

“We might have a filmmaker who, because he or she is directing their own story, is including information that they never told a mental health worker despite having years of experience with a case worker or a psychologist,” he said.

Bello stressed the importance of not labeling every person who is experiencing

STREET SENSE November 18 - December 1, 2015

Justice homelessness as the same. He explained that if a doctor assumes that everyone is cut from the same cloth then the patient will pick up on that and not open up to him or her.

“You have to understand that as a doctor, [when a traumatized patient comes to you] there is probably going to be a little distrust,” said Bello. “If you can’t get someone to trust you by showing some empathy you’re kind of making your work irrelevant because you’re not committed to the most positive final outcome.”

Sasha Williams’s film is a great example of a way people can get to know the humanity and unique stories behind patients.

“She just sort of bears her soul to the camera and it’s so brave to share it with the world,” said Bello. “I think people learn something new every time they watch it and I think that was the case at Georgetown.”

Bello, Whitehurst and Williams worked closely for weeks to create and execute “Raise to Rise.” Whitehurst explains how the three of them would meet for days on end to edit the film and make sure that all the pieces fit together.

Williams was given an iPhone to film herself and record different vocal part of the life she was living with her daughter at DC General.

When they would show up at DC General to film, guards appeared and started asking questions. Residents would talk loudly, disapproving of what Williams and the co-op was doing.

“It was a little intimidating,” said Whitehurst. “But we were cool, Sasha was cool, and of course Eboni makes everybody cool.”

The result of this hard work is an emotional and eye opening film.

“When Sasha tells her story, you feel her humility, you feel the tone of some of her sadness, you feel the wish and desire to get up and out of a bad situation and you feel her tenderness and concern as a mother,” said Whitehurst.

“Showing “Raise to Rise” at GUSOM was an incredible opportunity for students and faculty to learn more about life at DC General - and beyond! - through the eyes of Sasha and Eboni,” said Antognoli. She added that the students had appreciated the Q&A session at the end of the screening.

Williams has plans to continue directing and capturing people’s stories on film just as she did with hers.

“If I could keep capturing the voices of people, meeting people and interacting with them, I know I’m going to do more,” said Williams. “This is just the beginning for me.”

# 7

ANNIVERSARY

Theater Workshop Sets Stage for Intergenerational Learning

By Roberta Haber Volunteer Since September, eight high school students and four Street Sense vendors have met at Church of the Epiphany on Wednesday afternoons to participate in a theater group called Devising Hope.

The group leader is Elizabeth Kitsos-Kang, a part-time professor of theater at George Washington University and co-founder of Educational Theatre Company (ETC), an Arlington-based non-profit. ETC seeks out people who don’t necessarily travel in the same circles and gives them tools to explore their differences and find common ground.

ETC, founded in 1998, has been bringing together disparate groups for years; often the groups are intergenerational.

A 3-year partnership between ETC and Street Sense is planned, with three or four 10-week theater group sessions per year; there will be Street Sense vendors and high school students in each group.

The students participating in the current theater group are from H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program, a public high school in Arlington, Va. At the start of each meeting, KitsosKang gives a prompt to stimulate discussion among the twelve participants. This might be a poem by Langston Hughes, a sonnet by Shakespeare, a word, a game.

The prompt allows the group as a whole to begin a conversation; they talk about family and relationships, misconceptions, their deferred dreams, their heroes or any topic that means something to them.

Next, they break up into smaller groups, usually two students and one vendor, and continue their discussions. They all know their conversations are being recorded, but that doesn’t stop them from getting personal.

After each meeting, Kitsos-Kang uploads the sound files to Dropbox and sends the link to all participants. On their own, group members listen to the files and continue the process of creating pieces for the group to perform.

Chloe Dillon is a junior at Woodlawn who heard about Devising Hope from one of her teachers. Dillon told Street Sense that though she’s already busy with school, homework and other activities, when she realized how much she liked Devising Hope, she made it a priority, saying, “Deciding to join was one of the best decisions I’ve made this year.”

When asked which prompt was most memorable, Dillon said she doesn’t remember the prompts as much as the discussions. One of the best discussions was about family, a topic that got everyone going, even people in the group who were often reticent. She said she always knew everyone has something hard in their life, but that idea seems more real to her now.

Dillon describes the theater group as a place to “sit down and listen,” a place where a person can speak openly and feel safe, because a no-judgment policy is deeply woven into the experience.

Leonard Hyater is a Street Sense vendor and a member of Devising Hope. He joined because, “I figured I had more to gain than I had to lose.” He described a group discussion. “I told them about myself, and they were very open minded. If you talk to them in a civilized manner, they’ll talk to you in a civilized manner. I felt respect was very important between both age groups. I was surprised how the young people conduct themselves. They conduct themselves like little ladies and

Members of Devising Hope pose for group pictures. COURTESY OF ELIZABETH KITSOS-KANG

gentleman. I think it’s pretty positive.

It’s sort of helps to relieve some personal stresses that I’m going through. And it beats staying in that shelter all the time.

It’s something positive to do, and that’s a good thing.”

Hyater’s message to the young people he’s been working with is, “Please stay in school, listen to your parents. You might not agree with them but they’ve been through what you’re going through and you’d be wise to listen to them, whether you agree or disagree.”

“A no-judgment policy is deeply woven into the experience.”

Chon Gotti, another Street Sense vendor who participates in Devising Hope, said he does it because he was asked to be a mentor, which he enjoys. “Working with the kids, they need to know about life before it happens.” Gotti says he’s willing to reveal parts of his life, but life experience has taught him to keep some things private.

Kitsos-Kang says her goal with Devising Hope is to take two communities that often feel misunderstood and give them a bond, a place to vent and a chance to understand each other; she says the experience is “cathartic and empowering” for all.

Devising Hope will perform on Dec 2 at 7 pm at H-B Woodlawn, 4100 Vacation Ln, Arlington, Va and on Dec 3 at 7:30 pm at Church of Epiphany, 1317 G St NW, Washington DC.

Former Vendor Turned Artist Welcomed by Artomatic

Artists set up for Artomatic opening day.

By Nolan Casey Editorial Intern On October 30, 1,500 people flowed in and out of Artomatic 2015’s opening day.

This was the first wave of an expected 75,000 total visitors during the approximately month-long event, according to an opening day press release.

“At first, a tsunami hit me,” visual artist Shanthi Chandrasekar put it best, stunned by the influx of people.

However, after the initial shock, the seemingly endless four floors of art swelled with intrigue and introductions. Artists and guests intermingled, a whole spectrum of people connecting through creativity.

Artomatic “lets artists do what they want, no judgment”, artist Cherie M. Redlinger explained.

Provoking pieces like Redlinger’s bloodied mattress in a makeshift alley can introduce

PHOTO COURTESY OF @PLAZA_ART_STORE

controversial topics such as coat hanger abortions, which are usually tip-toed around.

Completely volunteer-run and partially funded by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Artomatic is free to the public and non-juried. This art show is an all-expenses paid trip into the uncensored art of the metropolitan expanse.

It’s a “glimpse into the art of the region,” described artist Mason Calhoun, whose primary focus in art is 2D cityscapes and mountains.

This glimpse transcends socioeconomic and educational barriers. While some of the artists have gone to art schools and made a career of art, others are government workers or scientists who make art in their free time. While some have lived their entire lives in the luxury of the middle class, others have been far less fortunate.

Dele Akerejah, known in the art world and at Artomatic as “Scissors Balanciér,” is

one of those less fortunate artists.

A former vendor for Street Sense, he experienced homelessness from 2008 to 2012, hitting street-level homelessness from 2010 to 2012. Dele, 3 years later, now has his own apartment in the District and works as a mixed media collage artist.

“When you’re homeless you’re looking to the sky for hope and to the ground for coins.... We have a different eye,” Akerejah said in an interview.

Homelessness, he says, taught him how to be resourceful and grateful. That has formed the artist he is today.

“What happened here?” a woman asked, signaling to the small set of paintings leaning against the wall shortly after Akerejah settled into his exhibit.

He explained how his art hanging supplies had run out and his attempt to impro vise was unfortunately unsuccessful.

Akerejah went on to explain how the displaced set, a failed improvisation, became the perfect conversation starter.

“The Dolls”, numbers 1 through 5 of which sat patiently at the show, are an ongoing series for Akerejah. They wait invitingly in their frames, dripping with pop artist Keith Haring’s simplicity and movement while still bursting with originality.

Andy Warhol was also an inspiration in the series of paintings; each one a newly colored take on the same curvy woman in her well-fitted dress. Dele explained that this Factory-style production would create hundreds, if not thousands of dolls by the time he met his end.

What managed to stay on the wall was

not nearly as simplistic as the ode to Haring. Crowded collages, with or without a focused subject, parade the hall.

Focused subject or chaotic collection, Akerejah’s art seems to hold one uniting feature: the female.

“Women are extremely beautiful in real life,” Akerejah explained. He naturally enjoys making art of them, but, “it’s not anything particularly carnal.”

A woman with big hoop earrings is the first to catch your eye. A marvelous mixed media mash-up of acrylic paint, magazine clippings, a hoop earring, costume gems, and more; so casually she stares you down, applying her rich red lipstick.

“The Amelioration of Dope Love” by Scissors Balanciér PHOTO BY NOLAN CASEY

National Geographic YOUR SHOUT Program Visits Street Sense

By Angie Whitehurst, Vendor/Artist

Shock, fun and awe is the best way to describe the outdoor, hands-on, professional seminar the Street Sense photography workshop experienced on November 17.

Globally renowned photographer Mark Thiessen and other top-level National Geographic (NG) staffers made time to spend their morning and share their talents with us.

To top it all off, Channel Five’s Ronnie McCray tagged along to “follow a day in the life of Street Sense Vendor Ken Martin.”

A lot of action, cooperation, humor and serious learning occurred. It was a beautiful experience. Street Sense Photography Workshop leader and professional photographer Sue Dorfman described the seminar as a reminder as to how much there is still to learn about photography.

It is an adventure and a never ending processes.

Mark Thiessen presented the best hands on lesson and demonstration of lighting, shadows, shading, props and shortcuts to

good smart portraits. He demonstrated each technique and the workshop members used their cameras to try out each exercise presented.

“The best camera is, whatever you have with you,” Thiessen replied when asked about the type of camera one needed. “It’s the golden age of photography because the technology is available to almost anyone.”

For boring or mundane subjects, he recommended trying to be creative.

For Portraits, train your eye to look for opportunities, i.e., background and lighting.

When shooting pictures take many of them, that way one avoids what I interpreted Mark to say as the “woulda, shoulda, coulda, I wish I had a ______” syndrome.

Do review your work and “go back and look at it often. Get rid of the extemporaneous material.

Ken noted that all the effort he spent on trying to set the camera without success, was in vain, when all he needed to

do was watch the sun, the cloud cover and just physically move. Simple ploys, such as a hat, exposure, angle and placement can make all the difference in the world.

Chon called the experience beautiful.

Carlton said he got great shots, had a nice time and a lovely experience. Leticia seemed positively elated over the opportunity and inspiration she received from the NG team. And Jeffrey was motivated to try photography after being told that he had a good eye.

See what a little exposure, training and willingness to help your fellow human being can do?

Matt Adams, new to National geographic, described the hiring process as being approximately six months-long, including portfolio presentations, interviews and patience. Originally from Pittsburgh and an instructor, Adams said he loves his job and it is exciting. To be a photographer, he said you must look for good stories. See, feel and hear the passion from the subject

matter. There must be an amazing history that stands out and grabs your attention.

For Portraits, Adams recommended trying to focus on personality. He demonstrated how to do this while posing as a portrait subject and then asking Chon to stand in.

Adams directed and the other workshop members snapped photographs, practicing what they had visually just seen.

Shout Out program director Monica Corcoran recommended that we do photo studies on each other, an idea Sue Dorfman reinforced. This was an amazing session and one of the most exciting, informative and encouraging activities. We look forward to signing up for SHOUT OUT at National Geographic. Anyone can register and upload their photos for potential publication online or in print.

Thank you National Geographic Shout Out! Also a big thanks for the sharp Shout Tee Shirts and pins.

Lauri Hafvenstein , Marie Mcgrory, Stephen Mefford and former Street Sense

STREET SENSE Noember 18 - December 1, 2015

c Community Beside her, goddesses and other beautiful women peer out knowingly.

In some of the more chaotic pieces, semi-pornographic images of women take a moment to register behind paint splatters. Peeking out of the blur of mixed media, they don’t hold the same air of celebration as those other women.

“Marketing beauty is something I’ve always been a part of, even in the underworld.” Dele states, a glimpse into his darker past, where he marketed the beauty of women in a very different sense.

Together these pieces he brought to the show, which where almost entirely made in October, serve as a “sampler platter of what’s been made over the years.”

Raw and unrestrained, Dele’s sampler platter fits in with Artomatic’s scene, a convergence of so many unique and humbling perspectives. Artomatic is it’s own collage of mixed medias and styles, everything from painting and sculpture to film and performance art.

It’s the kind of place Dele refers to as an “underground mega art show”. And underground, coming from Dele, is an enormous compliment.

In being so underground and judgement-free, Artomatic caries on that phrase by McLuhan which Warhol loved: “Art is what you can get away with.”

Artomatic is a free event that will take place until December 12, a ten minute walk from the New Carrollton Metro stop.

Visit Artomatic.org for more information.

Photo Workshop Board Chair Brad Scriber were the other awesome NG staff with us that morning.

Special thanks also to NG librarian and Street Sense photography workshop volunteer Michael Mickey Jordan.

Lighting tips. PHOTO BY CHON GOTTIE

9

ANNIVERSARY

Podcast Reclaims Dignity, Amplifies Dialogue

By Olivia Aldridge Editorial Intern

In 2014, a podcast series called “Serial” made its debut, chronicling a gripping tale of a murder with details yet unexplained. “Serial” rapidly became one of the first audio smash hits since the golden days of radio. In the aftermath of its success, podcasts spanning every genre and topic spun into production, creating “the podcast boom.” Though podcasts were created as a medium over a decade ago, they did only recently became an important part of the changing landscape of media.

In June, Street Sense debuted its own podcast, created by National Endowment for the Arts Media Production Specialist Adam Kampe. “Sounds from the Street” is a bi-monthly audio feature that offers a unique window into the lives of men and women in the District who have experienced homelessness. Each podcast episode begins the same, with the soulful voice of Aloe Blacc on the chorus of “I Need a Dollar (How to Make it in America): “I need a dollar, dollar, dollar that’s what I need, and if I share with you my story, would you share your dollar with me?”

Music was always a passion for Kampe, so picking the right theme song for “Sounds from the Street” felt essential to him.

“Lyrically, the chorus knocked me upside the head,” Kampe said. “Ultimately, it’s exactly what Street Sense and the Media Center is all about: storytelling and story sharing ... We share stories to foster understanding about a marginalized community and to help break down stereotypes and misconceptions about homelessness.”

Kampe began dabbling in audio production in 2003 when he first moved to Washington and participated in a workshop at local radio station WPFW. Realizing how much he enjoyed the craft, he decided to attend the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine, to further develop his production chops.

He returned to a program coordinator position at WPFW before beginning his job at the NEA in 2006.

Kampe began to conceptualize “Sounds from the Street” soon after his move to Washington. He was volunteering at Street Sense in his free time while he worked on projects at WPFW and searched for a more permanent job.

According to Kampe, though he has volunteered in many capacities throughout his life, homelessness is the issue that he felt real passion for.

“This is an issue that’s solvable if everyone thought a bit more about it and didn’t act as if it’s not even there,” he said. “Everyone’s tendency is to ignore things they’re afraid of or that they’re saddened by.”

While volunteering, Kampe became convinced that the stories of Street Sense vendors would be well-expressed through the medium of sound. Over the next few years, he pitched the idea for a podcast to multiple executive directors of Street Sense, and the time was never ripe for the organization to take on a new project.

But Kampe never gave up on the idea, and with persistence, he eventually gained the support of current Street Sense Executive Director Brian Carome, who was looking to expand beyond the newspaper to other projects. Carome believes in the power of digital mediums to engage new audiences and educate the public about homelessness.

“When you’re listening to stories in the person’s own voice, I think it’s really powerful,” he said.

Voice was exactly what Kampe had in mind when designing the podcast. Most episodes have featured Street Sense vendors as they reflected on their experiences with homelessness. Vendor and filmmaker Cynthia Mewborn was the subject of a “Sounds from the Street” episode several months ago in which she discussed the challenges involved in recovering from the trauma that accompanies homelessness. Beyond her own experience as a podcast subject, Mewborn enjoys gaining insight into her fellow vendors through the window “Sounds from the Street” offers.

“You can see the growth level of people through these podcasts,” Mewborn said. “Who wants to hear about people stagnant? That’s a victim mentality. We might have been victimized, but we’re not victims. We can take full responsibility for our lives.”

Kampe places great importance on the opportunity the podcast gives subjects to show this growth. He believes that oral storytelling can be an empowering experience for the Street Sense community.

“People lose their dignity a lot when they discover that they no longer have a place to call home,” Kampe said, “And I think these stories, with people kind of letting their guard down, [help them] to regain a little bit of that lost dignity and self-respect. This audio allows them to be heard, even if it’s just by me.”

Their stories are being heard by more than just Kampe. Regular listener

Hugh Scott weighed in on the value of the podcast.

“I like the narratives. I like the insight ... when you hear people’s tone and you hear their voice, you can understand things you might not just in writing,” Scott said.

As Program and Management Analyst for the Department of Veteran Affairs, Scott considers Street Sense to be primary research for his work. His first interaction with Street Sense was in discussion with vendors, who helped to educate him on the realities of homelessness. From there, Scott became plugged in to the newspaper and, eventually, “Sounds from the Street.” According to Scott, the newspaper and podcast have different functionalities for Hill staffers like himself.

“I like the paper when I’m riding the metro, and I like the podcast in the office or at home,” he said.

While appreciative of the new medium the podcast provides for Street Sense, Scott is critical of the lack of awareness surrounding “Sounds from the Street.”

Now that the podcast has become established, building a stronger audience is a priority for Kampe. In tandem, he hopes to broaden the subjects covered in “Sounds from the Street” to include District authorities on poverty and homelessness, such as Department of Human Services Laura Zeilinger, whom he has interviewed for an upcoming episode.

Kampe also hopes to collaborate with other Street Sense Media Center ventures to grow the podcast with new creative endeavors. Recently, he collaborated with Street Sense’s Interactive Art Bus, providing audio clips from the podcast to be played in the vehicle. Among other projects, he hopes to collaborate with Sue Dorfman, who runs a photography workshop with Street Sense, to create a gallery that uses both picture and sound to greater combined effect. In the future, he also plans to extend the reach of the podcast through partnerships with local public radio and beyond.

Whatever new developments are in store for “Sounds from the Street,” Kampe is determined to keep his vision for the podcast intact. Enabling individuals to tell their stories will always be the core of his mission.

“At the heart of it, I want to humanize people that are left behind or forgotten,” he said, “Giving a voice to the voiceless is what this is all about.”

“Sounds from the Street” is available at StreetSense.org/audio, SounCloud and the podcast app Stitcher.

OPINION

Gathering Our Opinions

By Brian Carome

In this issue, the first of our 13th year of publication, we are launching a more formalized opinion and editorial section of the paper. Our aim is twofold. First, we want to clearly separate the assignment, curation, editing and publication of our news and arts reporting from articles that express the opinion of the writer and/or the organization. Secondly, we want to share more opinion pieces with our readers from what we hope will be a widening circle of contributors.

To accomplish this, we have assembled a team of professional journalists who will oversee these pages. Rachel Brody is associate editor for opinion at U.S. News & World Report. Arthur Delaney is a reporter for Huffington Post. He previously wrote

for the Washington City Paper, The Hill newspaper, Slate Magazine and ABCNews. com. In 2008 he won the Street Sense David Pike Excellence in Journalism award.

Britt Peterson is a freelance writer, a contributing editor and columnist at Washingtonian Magazine and a columnist for the Boston Globe.

Content for these pages will come from a variety of voices. Perhaps most importantly, you will hear from men and women who are or have been homeless. Some of those voices will be familiar to our regular readers, like the prolific vendor and writer Jeffery McNeil, Ken Martin and Robert Warren. If this section succeeds, other vendors will also lend their opinions.

Additionally, we extend an invitation in

We Should Matter to Each Other

By Robert Warren

Being a black man in America and old enough to have experienced racism, I know we have come a long way in this country as far as race relations go.

But I have also listened to those on the right, who have the most racist and biased views of people of color, and would have people believe racism no longer exists in America.

Sean Hannity and other people of Fox News will tell you that the young people who started the Black Lives Matter movement out of Ferguson, Missouri are doing so based on a lie. They will tell you Michael Brown was a young thug whose life really didn't matter, and shooting him six times was justified. I believe very few black Americans would agree with those statements.

I know that black lives matter when it comes to how people treat other people. For too long now, we have not been dealing with how we should matter to each other. The Lord has blessed us to be all we can be, so now it is up to us, all of us, to work together and teach our young people and older brothers to show one another the love we need for our community to matter in this world. We cannot let those on the right, or those at Fox News, tell us it ain't so.

My hope moving forward is that the Black Lives Matter movement will begin educating people in the black community about how we should matter to each other, and that we will not paint a picture that all police are bad, or out to keep blacks locked up and down and out. But just like the few in the black community for whom other black people really don't matter, so it is with some police officers who work the streets in black communities. So, yes, we have to keep making it known who these people are so we can move on as thriving communities.

Robert Warren is a formerly homeless vendor/artist for Street Sense, co-founder of the People for Fairness Coalition and board member for the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty.

these pages to nonprofit leaders, elected officials, policymakers, researchers and academics.

Opinions matter. When thoughtfully stated and shared, opinions can make a difference. Like insightful news reporting, opinions can bring focus to a problem.

They can spur dialogue. They can change hearts and minds. They can create the opportunity for change.

Street Sense was born out of a conviction that homelessness is unacceptable, an ugly blemish that reflects poorly on the values of our community. The pages of this paper, and the content of all Street Sense media, is meant to have an impact on those who consume it. We are out to change the way you think about homeless-

ness, and the men and women it banishes, out of a hope that you will take action. On these two pages, we are going to go beyond sharing what we have learned about homelessness. We are going to tell you what we and others think about it, and what we believe should be done to end it.

And if anything you read here, or elsewhere in the paper, spurs you to opinions you want to share, please consider submitting an opinion piece of your own.

Letters to the Editor and longer opinion pieces from our readers are most welcome in these pages. Send them to us at opinion@streetsense.org.

Brian Carome is the executive director of Street Sense.

D.C.'s Rent Is Too Damn High

By Elissa Silverman

The District of Columbia is a wonderful place to live – if you can afford it.

I am very concerned that our city’s housing is becoming too expensive for residents of all stages of life, and I am particularly worried that many residents who are trying to provide for themselves and their families don’t make enough money to rent or buy even a one-bedroom apartment.

The high cost of housing makes ending homelessness in our city more of a challenge.

Yet, I am optimistic that this is a challenge we can and will overcome. No District resident who works, or who has spent a life working, should be in poverty and homeless.

Those who have struggles which cause homelessness should be housed in a safe, humane shelter until those difficulties can be addressed.

In my 10 months as a D.C. elected official, I am proud that the District has taken extraordinary steps to take on the issues of homelessness and housing affordability. I commend Mayor Muriel Bowser for setting clear targets for ending homelessness, and stating publicly that it should be rare, brief and non-recurring. There is consensus among everyone inside and outside D.C. government

that D.C. General emergency family shelter should be closed as soon as possible, and never again should a case like that of Relisha Rudd happen in our city.

I am optimistic about ending homelessness because the mayor has hired some of the nation’s top experts to develop a comprehensive strategy for addressing our problem, including Department of Human Services Director Laura Zeilinger and Interagency Council on Homelessness Director Kristy Greenwalt. That strategy is now known as Homeward DC, and this year the Council approved $145 million to fund this effort.

One of the core principles of the Homeward DC plan is construction of six new, small, neighborhood-based shelters so that D.C. General can finally be closed. Just a few weeks ago, the D.C. Council took the next step by approving additional measures for the design and operation of those shelters. In that same legislation, we approved a process that will ensure people applying for shelter have a place to stay while caseworkers determine the best place for them, and that they receive a fair hearing if they disagree with their placement decision. In the coming weeks, we will learn the proposed locations of the new shelters so that contracts can be executed and the development process can begin.

The critical factor in ensuring this plan has a chance at success is everyone’s willingness to come to the table. We need everyone – every agency, every nonprofit, every elected official and every willing resident – to work constructively toward solutions. Ending homelessness isn’t just about giving someone a place to sleep at night, but also setting them on a path to self-sufficiency.

But where can you live after leaving a shelter? That is another challenge that the mayor and D.C. Council have taken head on. We have put an unprecedented $100 million this fiscal year into what’s known as the Housing Production Trust Fund to both build and preserve affordable housing. We need to make sure this money is invested wisely and has a good return. We need to be strategic, and that’s the focus of another important effort.

I’m proud to be a member of the D.C. Housing Preservation Strike Force, an 18-member group of real estate professionals, nonprofit leaders, D.C. agency heads and yes, even elected officials, who the mayor has tasked with developing big strategies to keep the affordable housing we do have and not let it slip away.

The strike force needs to act quickly.

We have many properties in our city that are affordable now, yet will become unaffordable soon if we don’t take coordinated steps to preserve their affordability. Once again, I am encouraged by the political will to come up with big ideas and real solutions. The strike force will be delivering recommendations to Bowser in the next few months.

I look forward to Thanksgiving because of my family traditions: Getting together, eating certain foods, saying thank you to those who matter most in your life. We often invite friends who can’t make their family celebrations to join us. I am lucky to have a nice home in which to host this holiday, and I will work hard during my time on the D.C. Council to make sure every D.C. family has the same opportunity for a safe, happy home.

Elissa Silverman is an independent at-large member of the D.C. Council.

Have an opinion about how homelessness is being handled in our community? Street Sense maintains an open submission policy and prides itself as a newspaper that elevates community voices and fosters healthy debate. Send your thoughts to opinion@streetsense.org.

The Pursuit of Privacy budget is no excuse to change the law to accommodate political and fiscal maneuvering. Find the money. If you need a clue, let me suggest reviewing the costs of other services we all have to pay for when intervention occurs: the emergency room, D.C. mental health access, the police, the D.C. courts, social services and other self-help entities. Prevention and common sense is what is needed. We automatically spend less and save more. Society is about human beings, not CPA-certified accounting audits and banking.

Dormitory-style shared bathrooms for temporary transitional housing for the unsheltered, house-less, homeless disconnected community is egregiously lacking common sense. The Washington Legal Clinic, the Fair Budget Coalition and other advocates are to be lauded for their efforts in standing up and fighting for the life and wholesome welfare of our citizens and residents. It is hoped that there will be an appeal and a redress to this thinking and action.

We recognize that our new mayor has dynamically risen to the occasion in listening to the voters and some of our most

11

OPINION

Educating Ken

By Ken Martin

By Angie Whitehurst

I'm not spoiled, but privacy is a life essential.

Epidemiology, as in public health and safety, dictates appropriate sanitary conditions for the safety of self and society.

Each family is unique and has needs that will not withstand the imposition of others outside of their nuclear group. They can range from frequency of use and specific medical conditions to intellectual and physical disabilities.

But the decision on the part of the D.C. City Council to no longer mandate that families be housed in “apartment-style” shelter (with private bathrooms) is [merely?] a cost-saving measure. With dormstyle shelters, fewer bathrooms need be built per structure. The lack of private bathrooms, however, will chronically exacerbate the families’ already tenuous [?] well-being.

You cannot fix one problem – i.e., by closing the despicable D.C. General complex – then move to a temporary situation that only chronically exacerbates these families’ problems in other ways, in the name of lack of money.

The fact that it does not fit into the

STREET SENSE Noember 18 - December 1, 2015

affected communities. We say, YOU CAN END HOMELESSNESS! Let us also check on the actual available rental units, abandoned houses that can be refurbished and real estate resources that can be developed into short-term and long-term decent, reusable housing. We must remember that homelessness is not a disease, but an occurrence that can happen to anybody, at any time in life. This is an issue, as people, we can do a lot better in addressing and resolving.

However, we must work together across the socioeconomic span, the "all 8 ward" of our great city. And yes, we should set the example for the rest of the country. Let us find the money, make the sacrifice and put human life first. As I have said for years, a healthy nation is a productive, creative, and successful global leader and nation. Fix the plan. This is our America, our city. And Madam Mayor, YOU CAN DO IT. Angie Whitehurst, a native Washingtonian, has been a Street Sense vendor and an advocate for the homeless for the last three years.

This morning, I read the following headline: "Ben Carson Says Many Americans Are Stupid." I am somewhat inclined to agree.

However, the count would have to begin with him and me.

Carson, because he was "stupid" enough to make that statement while running for president and permitting it to be quoted by the media. Me, because the older I get, the more I discover how little I really know. Over the years, many have referenced my massive intellect. I have been called "smart alec,” "smartassed " and “smartypants” – all of which leave me dumbfounded.

However, the Creator has blessed me with many opportunities to experience things many of my background would never attempt. As a result, I have the good fortune to know a little about a lot, but never all about anything – unlike my friend Ben. Ken Martin is a Vendor/Artist for Street Sense. He has a background in community organizing as well as real estate. Ken operates a pop-up hat shop in the District. Learn more at www. brims4you.com.

including those banning panhandling and sharing food with homeless people, have resulted in positive outcomes for homeless people and their advocates.

But much more work remains to be done to protect the rights of our nation’s homeless people.

Even in D.C., where the city has done many things right to reduce the criminalization of homelessness, including implementing a positive code of conduct for its police force, homeless people continue to experience discrimination at the hands of local law enforcement. Indeed, in an April 2014 survey by the National Coalition for the Homeless, 67 percent of homeless people reported experiencing discrimination by police.

Law enforcement is not the only problem, however. The same report also described discrimination against homeless people by private business, medical services and social services. While these forms of discrimination are distinct from criminalization practices, they similarly harm homeless individuals’ ability to enjoy the rights that many of us simply take for granted. And, like criminalization policies, they harm homeless persons’ opportunities for escaping homelessness.

To address pervasive discrimination against homeless people in D.C., a coalition of local homeless advocates has been

lobbying for an amendment to the D.C. Human Rights Act to include homelessness as a protected status. Amended multiple times over the years to protect vulnerable populations from discrimination, the change in the law would provide needed protection to homeless people in accessing housing, employment, public accommodations and educational institutions.

Our city can and should build on its positive efforts to minimize the criminalization of homelessness and provide legal protection to homeless people who continue to experience multiple forms of discrimination in the District. Doing so will benefit not only homeless people struggling to get back on their feet, but also benefit our larger community by helping to eliminate barriers to escaping homelessness.

Our Founding Fathers proclaimed that all men are created equal and throughout the generations, our nation has continually labored to live up to this declaration. Now, it is time for our nation’s capital to affirm equality and dignity for all once again by incorporating homelessness as a protected category in its human rights law, demonstrating to the entire nation that no one’s human rights should be jeopardized simply because they cannot afford a home.

Tristia Bauman is a senior attorney at the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty.

Homelessness Is Not a Crime

By Tristia Bauman

There is an affordable housing crisis in America. This fact is well-known to Washington, D.C. residents. Indeed, the Washington Post reported in March of this year that apartments in the District renting for $800 or less fell 42 percent since 2013, and there are no longer any such apartments available on the open market.

This mirrors what is happening across the country, where 1 in 4 renters is paying more than 50 percent of her income toward rent. These renters, who must make heart-wrenching choices between paying for housing, child care, health care or other necessities, are one unfortunate event away from homelessness. And, once they become homeless, it is an incredibly difficult cycle to escape.

In such an era, it is important that we support policies that promote housing stability and homelessness prevention. Just as importantly, we must oppose those policies and practices that perpetuate and worsen homelessness for those who fall victim to it.

One important way to do this is to put an end to discrimination against homeless people.

One particularly egregious form of discrimination is the criminalization of homelessness. In 2014, the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty published “No Safe Place: The Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S. Cities,” which reported an explosive growth of laws

that treat the life-sustaining activities of homeless people – such as sleeping or sitting down – as crimes. These laws, designed to remove visibly homeless people from business centers, tourist districts, and gentrifying residential neighborhoods, do not address the underlying causes of homelessness. Instead, they exacerbate the problem by saddling homeless people with criminal convictions that can compromise their ability to obtain housing, employment, and needed social services.

Moreover, these laws waste precious taxpayer dollars. Temporarily cycling people through the expensive criminal justice system, only to release them to the streets with no new housing or shelter options, costs communities millions of dollars each year. Indeed, a growing number of cost studies have shown that the criminalization of homelessness costs communities two to three times as much as simply providing housing to homeless people.

These laws also cost communities by exposing them to litigation for violations of homeless persons’ civil and human rights. The U.S. Department of Justice has stated that it is unconstitutional to arrest homeless people for sleeping in public places when there is no lawful alternative available to them.

And, in the past five years, the majority of cases challenging criminalization laws,

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

Thanksgiving While Being Homeless

By Gwynette Smith Vendor/Artist Being homeless is a difficult circumstance, but there are some bright periods though.

During the holidays, a cheery “Happy Holidays” means a lot whether it come from strangers or other homeless people. I usually enjoyed those time of the year. There was always good food, sometimes at more than one place. At some places, there was the chance to meet someone famous.

At one shelter they gave people a choice between two meat entrees on Thanksgiving.

Family and loved ones were not with me, but there was often the feeling of being part of a festivity and people were more interested in each. People who never talked, smiled at each other were suddenly aware of each other and seemed to be happy in the presence of other people.

There could have been more presents distributed to the homeless during Christmas, I think, but these times were a little better than others.

My Parents. PHOTO COURTESY OF SYBIL TAYLOR

Sorrowful Thanksgiving

By Sybil Taylor,

Vendor/Artist

Just last year you were here with the family. Last Thanksgiving you were in the hospital for your operation. They sent you home in an ambulance a few days later.

You fought the battle of your illness. You made it home for Thansgiving.

You smiled and cheered. Mom prepared a nice turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and rolls. The Hospice care sent you and mom a large Thaksgiving basket.You enjoyed a hot Thanksgiving meal as you sat up in bed with us. You will have your first Thanksgiving with Jesus and your loved ones this year.

This time, the table will be big enough for you and the Angels. Your spirit is still with us at Thanksgiving here. You will be missed. Thanksgiving will be very sad and upsetting without you. Without your glowing, charming smile. Without your love and your blessing the table to give thanks.

Tears fill my eyes as well as mom’s, Dorian’s, Tracey’s, Sean’s Bridgett’es and Darlenes eyes. Someone is missing, and that person is you dad.

The table is empty without you. But your love for us is there and your angel spirit is sitting before us at the table.

Thanksgiving is different without you here. Many memorable moments of you will be thought about always. I cry a million tears of sorryow. I cry because I miss you. I cry because I am hurt that you are gone. Gone home to Jesus. To live a new, healthy life of joy and happiness, no more pain.

One day we will all be together for Thanksgiving and this will be a cry of joy and happiness as we are reunited as one family. Mom has been strong for everyone.

This Thanksgiving you’re at the welcomed table in spirit with us. Smiling.

You have never left us. You are still here in memory. We will always love you.

I will miss you watching the football game and the Macy’s Parade.

Dad, you are always in our hearts. Every day and forever remembered by us.

Thanksgiving is different this year, but yoru love still lives in us forever and ever.

Through the Holidays

Giving Thanks

Hi this is Elizabeth Bryant, everything is not fine.

I don’t have a perfect program, but God and the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ’s name is really working in my life.

It was suggested by my doctor to exercise for my arthritis, so I go to water aerobics Wednesday and Friday, from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM and I feel a lot better. I can’t totally do all the exercises without hitting my head but most of them, I can. I used to wear size 18 pants now I’m down to size 12 pants.

I still go to church and my NA meetings.

If I continue not to drink through January 2nd, 2016 and don’t die, I will have been blessed with 10 years sobriety. I’m blessed either way.

I am very thankful as a Street Sense vendor to meet all types of people.

This is one of my favorite groups I am thankful for this year: The Catholic University College Ministries.

They are a group of students that go on food runs once a week to feed the homeless.

The university’s dinning services donates 60 hot meals and water to the homeless each week.

Dan Pezzola is one of the students that come out each week. He started going out on food runs his first at CUA and has been doing it ever since -- he say he fell in love with it. He did it to get some time off campus. Last year, he became a student leader . He said that was an honor to him.

He said one of his friends was me. He met me at the Farragut North Metro stop. He said I was one of those people that could hold a conversation for hours to talk about sports, politics, news, life, and homelessness. We have begun an amazing rela-

By Elizabeth Bryant, Vendor/Artist

By Scott Lovell, Vendor/Artist tionship. He say I am one of the reasons he keeps coming back. He see me there rain or shine. I always have a smile on my face. He says I am like a celebrity at the Metro, since many people who pass by grab a paper. He says I have an impact on everyone he talks to. And that I make sure to speak to all the students on the food run. He said he is truly blessed that his school gave him the opportunity to meet people like me on the streets. He said he thanks God every day for the opportunity to meet people like me and people on the street. It has definitely made an impact on the way he lives.

I am very thankful for the opportunity to meet people like Dan and the other students on the food run.

I still go to church and my NA meetings.

If I continue not to drink through January 2nd, 2016 and don’t die, I will have been blessed with 10 years sobriety. I’m blessed either way.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS! — 2nd Annual Life Stories Writing Competition streetsense.org/LifeStories Our vendors share so many of their personal stories. Now we welcome you to share a true story from your life or from the life of someone you know!

Street Sense will be accepting submissions of prose, poetry and creative nonfiction through Friday, December 4th. Please limit your stories to 500 words.

Please e-mail submissions to editor@streetsense.org or mail them to 1317 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 Attn: Writing Competition Although any theme is encouraged, our writers groups often start with prompts. So here are a few ideas to get you going: childhood, holiday, independence, facing fear, anticipation, overcoming, twist of fate, surprise, romance, food, embarrassed…

Submissions will be judged by our Writers’ Group, and the winners published in the December 30th Winter Reading Issue of Street Sense for thousands of Washingtonians to enjoy.

STREET SENSE Noember 18 - December 1, 2015

13

THANKSGIVING

Giving Thanks!

By Charles Davis, Vendor/Artist When I wake up in the morning, I always give thanks to God for another day, because every day is not promised to us. Be thankful for each day that you see. And it is always good to count your blessings.

Sometimes, at night, I may be too tired to say my prayers, but I do try to pray twice a week. Especially with my injuries.

My face was injured recently. It was so serious, I had to have surgery as soon as possible. I went to the Washington Hospital Center. I lost so much blood and my face was cracked so much, but I didn’t even know it until I was sent to the hospital.

There, I began to start praying. However, I was in so much pain and my arthritis in my back became so serious, I could not even lie on my back. I was forced to do so because of my injuries. But, as I write, I still have to get major back surgery be-

cause my arthritis is starting to spread.

And when I was attacked and kicked in the face for no apparent reason -- that really messed me up.

I had to cancel my appointments at Howard Hospital and also my workshop classes to get into the University of the District of Columbia. But, as my father taught me: Always keep the faith and give thanks to God, because you are not alone and he will always be there for you.

As I end this article, I would say this to Street Sense vendors: I hope that my healings on my face and back are successful, and I hope and pray that I can still continue my education and get back into school again.

May the power, the kingdom, and the glory be with us always. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Thanksgiving Is Near

By Evelyn Nnam, Vendor/Artist

Oh Thanksgiving!

What a wonderful time of giving thanks for everything God has done.

It’s that time when we have turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and so much more!

Thanksgiving is soon coming I can’t wait for Thanksgiving Day to come when relatives, family, and friends come together to spend time with each other.

Thanksgiving is not just a holiday but it’s a day when we give to the less fortunate and those who do not have anything at all.

Thanksgiving is near and when that day comes it will be wonderful.

Not only is Thanksgiving going to occur, but Black Friday as well.

Black Friday is just when stores have big sales so that when people are shopping for things for Christmas or Thanksgiving, it will be less expensive so everyone can enjoy.

When Thanksgiving comes it will be a day filled with colorful leaves, pumpkins, and especially pumpkin pies.

Thanksgiving is coming near and when it comes I won’t ever forget it.

Thanksgivings Past and Thanks for Friends Met While Selling Street Sense

By Beverly Sutton Vendor/Artist A lot of past Thanksgivings I was living on the street. Each year I went to the So Other Might Eat (SOME) house for a Thanksgiving meal.

When I was a kid, I had two sisters and five foster sisters. We all lived in a foster home on Emerson Street. I stayed in that big white house into my adulthood, until my mom passed. She wasn’t my real mom, but I called her mom and stayed with her till she passed at age 83. I was 39 years l’d at the time.

The other girls were gone way before that. They got married, had children, and moved to different states. I didn’t have anywhere to go, so she kept me and I helped her out cleaning the house, taking out the trash -- things like that.

During meals we would watch TV or talk. I learned from mom what to do in life when I got out on my own. She would

tell me she loved me and I loved her too.

She felt like she was my real mom.

On Thanksgiving I helped her cook turkey dinner. Everyone helped when all the sisters were there. Mom missed that after everybody scattered.

I miss that whole family I was living with. But, still, I enjoy Thanksgiving. It’s usually with whoever shows up at SOME. I have two people I feel close to now.

One is named Alice. She came to visit me yesterday unexpectedly on Van Ness Ave., where I was selling the paper. We met because she bought Street Sense one day I have another friend, but she has a hard name that I can’t remember. I also met her selling Street Sense. I see her every day.

It means a lot to me that I met these two friends because of Street Sense!

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANTHONY CRAWFORD

It Doesn’t Take Much

By Anthony Crawford Vendor/Artist It doesn't take money all the time to help someone. Sometimes just a handshake or a smile. You never know what kind of night that person may have had, or what they are really going through. Just a few words of encouragement can go a long way.

I even enjoy little Rosie the Chihuahua that comes to bark at me every couple of

days. I have some great folks out there that come say hello and ask how my day is. I ask how's there's.

Below is a letter from CBN News reporter John Jessup who attended my anniversary celebration of getting off the street.

If I can do it, other people can as well.

Getting off the street, getting into housing - just enjoying life. Period.

Help Wanted: Improve Let Me Follow the Human Touch

By Gabriel Raphael

By Angie Whitehurst Vendor/Artist Take my hand and grasp it strong. Look and see beyond the checklist of words and forms. Care a soulful boot about the human being. After all, it is me. It is you.

We are one, not the sum total of those written data entered, s tamped, sealed, recorded, archived, approved or unapproved words.

I live You live I breathe And so do you Efficient containment is just that: One iota of a bureaucratic part.

Not sufficient, but A start.

Remember, it is the interaction and connection of the whole that makes us who I am and who you are.

Open up and embrace.

Share the care.

If not we will all cease to be.

Improving our human touch is mandatory.

Help is a must, not a dare.

Last, but not least, hear my words: Housing first, A home a must.

Take on the challenge and DARE!

Hope

By Ken Martin Vendor/Artist Hope, like a carrot before a mule Is easily dangled before the disparate With equal, if not, superior results.

Give the homeless hope Give the bean counters numbers Give the social workers pay raises Give the medicos more patients Give the “big pharmacies more ‘scripts” Give the bankers deposits Only the ones that count have positive outcomes…

But that’s not our problem… …or is it?

Vendor, Artist

Let me follow you, War Horse From your Prussian fields Through the Balkans, Your herd is a motley crew Of blue-bloods.

Requisitioned from circuses and castles.

Race tracks and barracks.

Lead me with your senses, Your hearing, your sight.

Let me follow your awareness Of the scent of battle, The courage of your innocence And the fate of your Christ.

A Moment That Changed Me…

By Patty Smith, Vendor/Artist

When I first moved into my own place there was a curfew. I said to myself “I’ll just have to get used to this.”

I mean look at this place. I get a comfortable room. I share it with another girl.

There are only two of us. Not like it was at the shelter. There is a nice dresser, a radio and a high bed. Sleeping at night is good. I started recently missing my other friends, some of them I had known for years. I cannot be out at night visiting them. I am up at my new place all by my lonesome and that’s scary. I’ve called and have talked to work buddies and that has broken some of my lonely feeling.

I started spending a lot of time with a few case managers to ease the tension.

Movies are also a thing I’m looking into.

Theatre and illustration classes are also an interest.

When I do get me army pension I hope to be spending more time writing articles.

Enough money to let me relax and enjoy life. I want to spend time at home and acquire the things that would make life more enjoyable. I want to spend time with friends and take a vacation for a week. I would like to buy some new clothes for winter. First and foremost, I want to visit the Church of the Epiphany more often.

Over the last couple of months, I have wondered ifit was a good idea coming here, and I’m still wondering. 3 small meals. A staff that tells you everything to do: do this, do that – concentration camp style.

My God, some days are heaven, some day’s are hell. Well any way, I have my job to get me away. How long will I be here? Will I be placed in a better place?

I know my roommates are wondering the same thing. Oh how did I get in here. Most importantly, will I get better?

After Katrina A Ten-Year Roller Coaster, Part 8

By Gerald Anderson, Vendor/Artist

The recycle guy, who run the business say, “On Friday when y’all get off, I got a theater where y’all can come to watch movies.” We went there on Fridays and some Saturdays.

By washin’ cars, I got to know the neighborhood. I meet people and find out where the drugs at, who the man in charge, who run the hood with the drugs. I reach out, talkin’ with people.

After that I tell ’em I use drugs. I say to myself, Man, this car look like a doughboy (rich drug dealer) car. I get acquainted with him.

I ask him, “Who be selling crack?”

He say, “That what you wash cars for?”

I say, “Nah, I like cash.” But really I did wanna buy crack and I tell him, “I don’t know what your product be on a scale of 1-10.”

He say, “It’s a nine or ten.” But I look at it and it look like baking soda, more powder than crack.

After tryin’ out a sample of the guy’s product, I tell him, “I give it a 7. Then we exchange some words.

He’s like, “Aw, man, I give you some for free. Most dealers won’t give you a tester.”

I tell him, “Most dealers’ product don’t like yours do. With yours, when I drop it on a plate, dust come from it, like powder.”

That’s when he looked like he wanted to say something outta the way, but I told him, “I’m gonna leave it alone, gonna go out and wash some more cars.

Get my hustle on and try to make some more money.”

So that’s when I went up the street to go back to one of my home girl’s house.

I wanted to share the tester with her.

I get there and me and her talk. She say, “Damn, you’re here early today.”

I say, “Yeah, I just met one of the DC supposed to be kingpin. And he give me some of his product. It Attire skin-deep ain’t really all that but I’m wri Ȝ els ov sleep. willin to share with you.”

After that we sit down and got high and I told her Well I’m not gonna stay too long, I wanna go out and make some money. She told me whenever I wanna stop buy I’m welcome with drug or without drug.

She told me be careful, don’t go out there and get in trouble.

PREVIOUSLY: Miss Linda from HUD recommend me to psychiatry. She ask me what I was incarcerated for, and I open up because she trying to help.

I told her I dropped out of school in seventh grade and that I was a burglar.

When I was in prison in my teens, some older guys offer me a cigarette, if I learn to read. They say, “You smart.”

You can be a gangster, a killer, a cool cat but you need a education. When I was 18 or 19, I was sent to Orleans Parish Prison. Two days after getting out I stole a car and got caught...

After Katrina and being evacuated to DC, everyone got a check from FEMA. But I didn’t. Instead of stealing, I was going out cutting grass. If people needed they house painted, I learned how to paint.

I put my phone number on telephone poles: HANDYMAN WORK 24 HOURS. Then I met this guy who do electricity work. I saw him moving some furniture out from his car and I asked him did he need some help.

He say not really. That’s when I explained to him I don’t have a job. I came here from Katrina and just tryin’ to make a few dollars.

So he told me, “Come then.”

We start talkin’. I introduced him to some of my homeboys. He asked if I willing to go on a 24-foot ladder. He had us work on takin’ light bulbs from a ceiling to recycle them. We got paid three dollars a light. At first I made a hundred dollars a day. Eventually I got good at it, and I made three hundred a day.

Thank Youe

(to be continued)

By Franklin Sterling Vendor/Artist

15

STREET SENSE November 18 - December 1, 2015

COMMUNITY SERVICES Housing/Shelter

Food

Clothing

Showers

Outreach

Medical/Healthcare

Transportation

Laundry

Education

Employment Assistance

Legal Assistance

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

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

Community of Hope: 232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

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

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

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

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

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

Catholic Charities: 772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TOUSSAINT: The Overture of My Life CELEBRATING SUCCESS! ALLEN

By Chris Shaw, “The Cowboy Poet” HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Eric Thompson-Bey | 11/22 Shernell Thomas | 12/1

Very unexpectedly, the great composer, arranger and pianist so representative of New Orleans Culture has passed away- November 10th, in his hotel in Madrid, following a performance in the Spanish capital.

What a shock! Though seventyseven years of age, this maestro of all things pianistic; and all emotions Human (high and low), cannot really have departed this realm-- how can this loss be possible? But wait! We have the music! The songs- "Don't

You just know It?" "Fortune Teller?"

"Working In a Coal Mine?" The elegies-- "Southern Nights," "Louisiana Suite," "Freedom for the Stallion?"

My greatest piano mentor, Dick Heintze- a Tidewater keyboard genius gone since 1986-- was an Army buddy of Mister Toussaint; he swore the bubbling Allen steered his life's path on to the 'ivories.'

That is the warm, generous manner of the good Monsieur. Seldom without a smooth suit, tie and

silk scarf, he spun his magic one night a few years ago for my dear companion and me, in a darkened Blues Alley (save for one crimson spot). Spinning a heartfelt memory of beloved Grandparents rocking on the old oaken porch under a bayou moon, the great Toussaint then led us through "Southern Nights," and left us in tears of joyful remembrance of the way things once had been.

Patty Smith celebrates 4-months in housing.

The first homeless filmmakers cooperative showed 5 original documentaries over the course of 2 screenings at E Street Cinema.

Anthony Crawford celebrated his 2-year anniversary of housing.

Vendor Scott Lovell appreciates his customers!

November 18 - December 1, 2015 • Volume 13 • Issue 1

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW

Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Washington, DC

Washington, DC 20005

Mail To:

Permit #568

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

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

The Street Sense “I Have a Home Here” art bus visits Artomatic 2015.