05.10.2023

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DC has a social worker shortage. Councilmembers hope these proposals will help

Unhoused residents across the District are feeling the impact of the city’s social worker shortage. Anyone seeking to use a housing voucher in D.C. must be first assigned a social worker to begin the process, so with a dearth of social workers, people approved for housing vouchers have had to endure months-long waits to sign leases and move into apartments.

The D.C. Council is considering two bills that would respond to the shortage, both introduced by At-large Councilmember Robert White. Together, these bills would remove two of the largest barriers to social work in D.C. –— education and testing requirements.

Social workers, also referred to as case managers, are an essential piece of the homelessness services system. They walk clients through applications for vouchers and housing and are tasked with providing support to people throughout their experience with homelessness. One of the main reasons D.C. has been slow to use the 2,400 vouchers funded in 2022, according to homeless services providers, is a lack of case managers.

This shortage, local nonprofits who employ social workers say, is at least partially due to costly requirements. In order to work with clients, social workers need to, pay a $200 licensing fee and pass an exam. Many positions also require a master’s degree.

Bills offer solutions

The Pathways to Behavioral Health Degrees Act, which White first introduced last council session, would create a free master’s in social work program at the University of the District of Columbia, covering tuition, books and living expenses for

people living and working in D.C. After graduation, participants would have to work for at least two years for a D.C. school, agency or a nonprofit that is contracted with the D.C. government.

With the current proposed funding of $6 million, the program could serve 20 people in its first year, and 40 people in each of the following three years. The funding will need to be approved by the full council as part of the 2024 budget.

One aim of this bill is to diversify the District’s social workers — by lowering financial barriers, White hopes D.C. can support more Black and Latino social workers, meeting a need D.C. residents expressed in 2016. The second bill, called the Social Work License Modernization Amendment Act of 2023, also addresses racial disparities, by removing exam requirements that have historically disadvantaged Black, Latino and bilingual social workers. In D.C., from 2011 to 2021, just 45% of Black social workers passed the nationally-used exam, compared to 90% of white social workers, according to data from the Association of Social Work Boards.

Currently, the D.C. Board of Social Work requires licensed social workers to pass the test, but local nonprofits have argued that with training and supervision, it isn’t a necessity. Fourteen states have already done away with the requirement. Since 2020, the D.C. homeless services nonprofit Pathways to Housing has had to turn away at least 80 otherwise qualified social workers because they couldn’t pass the exam, Will Doyle, director of housing operations at Pathways, said in the press release announcing the bill last month.

“This is a common-sense step that the District can take to make a real, immediate impact on our shortage of social workers,” White said in the press release.

The bill, which is supported by nine other councilmembers, is currently being reviewed by the Health Committee.

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NEWS

DCHA director will step down amidst agency overhaul

D.C. Housing Authority (DCHA) Director Brenda Donald will step down this summer midway through the troubled agency’s overhaul, according to a DCHA press release. The agency serves around 30,000 low-income D.C. residents, who rely on public housing, housing vouchers and other supports to stay stably housed.

Donald took control of the housing authority as interim director in June 2021, fresh after a nine-year stint leading the city’s Child and Family Services Agency. DCHA’s board officially appointed her executive director that August. DCHA’s announcement did not clarify why Donald is leaving before her contract expires in September or when her last day at the agency would be.

The day after DCHA announced Donald’s resignation, the Washington Post published an article finding Donald had attempted to coordinate with landlords to release opinion pieces presenting a favorable view of the agency.

Donald’s tenure at DCHA has been challenging. In October 2022, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a report finding the agency was deficient on over 80 action items. For many D.C. residents, the report confirmed that DCHA was not living up to its mission. HUD found public housing residents lived in subpar conditions, as thousands of work orders went unaddressed, and that DCHA was failing to manage its 40,000 person waitlist for housing. A series of concerns about fraud and mismanagement at the agency, both before and during Donald’s time there, only harmed the agency’s reputation further.

Donald has overseen the response to these findings, launching a series of policy reforms approved last month. But the implementation of the reforms is only just beginning, and the agency is still working with HUD to fix the issues identified in the federal agency’s report.

“I’m proud of the work my staff and I did to put DCHA back on the right track to serve public housing residents and voucher participants,” Donald said in a press release. “I truly think it’s now on the right path for continued improvement.”

Over the last several months, Donald has made it clear she planned to leave when her contract expired in September, and even considered resigning this winter, according to D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson.

After DCHA announced her resignation, Donald posted on her LinkedIn page calling her decision to step down “my birthday gift to myself.”

“I’m a card player, and I believe I played the hand that I was dealt as well as anyone,” Donald wrote on her LinkedIn. “Good card players, like good leaders, know when it’s time to step away from the table.”

Donald has been criticized widely for her lack of public housing experience. Most recently, At-Large Councilmember Robert White, who chairs the council’s housing committee overseeing DCHA, called attention to what he sees as a lack of transparency in the agency, including around Donald’s $41,000 bonus last year.

Throughout the disputes, Donald has argued that the council’s close oversight, including of her bonus, could scare off applicants for the next director — a theory that will now be put to the test. The agency’s Stabilization and Reform Board has already begun a search for the position, according to DCHA’s press release.

“Given the numerous recent investigations and suspensions at DCHA, I encourage the Stabilization and Reform Board to select an interim leader with a record of unquestionable integrity, transparency, and independence,” White wrote in a statement following Donald’s announcement.

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t
D.C. Housing Authority Director Brenda Donald speaks after a press conference this spring. Photo by Annemarie Cuccia
“I’m a card player, and I believe I played the hand that I was dealt as well as anyone.”
~ Brenda Donald, director of the D.C. Housing Authority

Homelessness in DC increases for the first time in years

Homelessness in the District has increased from last year, according to annual Point-in-Time Count results the D.C. Department of Human Services (DHS) announced May 5. That increase follows several consecutive years of declining numbers. Last year was the lowest count in 17 years: the 2022 Point-inTime survey identified 4,410 people living outside or in shelters — a 13.7% drop from 2021.

That record low was made possible by federal emergency spending during the COVID-19 pandemic, including through the American Rescue Plan Act and emergency rental assistance programs to help people pay rent. But as federal protections have winded down, evictions have also gone up.

This year the District counted 4,922 unhoused people –— an 11.6% increase from 2022, with a 12.1% increase among families and a 10.2% increase among single “unaccompanied individuals.”

Of those 4,922 people, 50% are experiencing homelessness in D.C. for the first time.

That’s driven up overall numbers. While there’s been a 57% increase in people who were able to transition out of homelessness from last year, DHS says the number of people who became homeless for the first time is outpacing the number of those who found housing. Those counted as experiencing homelessness for the first time might include residents who moved to D.C. while already experiencing homelessness, in addition to those who were already D.C. residents.

The population of people who are experiencing homelessness is also skewing younger than in previous years, and there’s a higher prevalence this year of substance use.

While this year’s Point-in-Time Count marked an increase from last year, it is overall a decrease by nearly 23% from before the COVID-19 pandemic. Family homelessness has also decreased by nearly 50% in that three-year period.

DHS Director Laura Green Zeilinger said her department is “making investments in outreach, prevention and diversion services, shelter renovations, and supportive services,” while maintaining investments in housing assistance for people transitioning from homelessness.

“Our analysis leads to a clear call to action,” Zeilinger said in a statement. “We are doubling down on reforms underway that build on a resilient, efficient, and effective homelessness response system for families.”

Referencing the increase in people experiencing homelessness for the first time, DHS says that earlier intervention for those just losing their homes will become a greater priority.

The new numbers on homelessness in the city come just as the D.C. Council is finalizing the budget for the upcoming year, and working to reverse some of the cuts to housing programs proposed by Mayor Muriel Bowser. Lawmakers said this week they are looking to increase funding for emergency rental assistance after Bowser slashed the program’s budget by some 80%; as well as find money to pay for new housing vouchers.

“Our homeless services system cannot accommodate a flood of people entering the system after getting evicted,” said at-large Councilmember Robert White on Wednesday. “It is undoubtedly true that if we don’t fund new housing vouchers this year, there will be a time soon when we don’t have vouchers available and we will fall behind on the progress we have made to end chronic homelessness in the District.”

Evictions slowly began ticking up across the region last year after a significant slowdown from 2020 to 2021 made possible

by eviction moratoriums and COVID-19 rental assistance programs, though the numbers did not immediately return to pre-pandemic levels. DHS says the dismantling of pandemic protections likely contributed to the increase in numbers.

How does the count work?

The Point-in-Time Count is held annually across the United States on a single night in the winter, and took place this year in late January. (May 5’s data is just for the District.) Volunteers and street outreach workers go out to speak with those who are experiencing homelessness in the streets. They track the data in an app and provide necessities like winter clothing. Simultaneously, shelters and other programs count the people using their services so that no one is duplicated in the count.

Some local advocates have disputed the accuracy of the Point-in-Time Count, which does not include people who may be experiencing homelessness while couch surfing or otherwise doubled up with friends or family (DHS says people sleeping in cars would be considered homeless under the count, in

accordance with HUD guidelines). Because the count is held in the winter, some people who might otherwise be outside might seek protection from the cold weather in abandoned buildings and other hard-to-detect places, further contributing to a possible undercount.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments includes data from the District in a regional analysis and annual report on homelessness, along with data from neighboring Maryland and Virginia jurisdictions. The council’s Homeless Services Planning and Coordinating Committee is set to publish the 2023 regional report on May 10.

Martin Austermuhle contributed reporting.

This story was originally published on DCist/WAMU

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG // 5
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Data by The Community Partnership For the Prevention of Homelessness. Graph created in Datawrapper by Athiyah Azeem

Budget cuts could wipe out small organizations that serve survivors of domestic violence

Organizations that serve domestic violence survivors say they have an annual ritual.

They examine D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposed budget, and inevitably determine it falls short of their needs. Then they plead before the D.C. Council to add money back to the Office of Victims Services and Justice Grants (OVSJG), the agency that provides the vast majority of their D.C. government funding.

“It’s like a yearly little dance that we do,” said Krittika Ghosh, the executive director of the Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project.

The local coalition of domestic violence service providers did this last year, when the mayor’s budget mostly flat-funded crime victims’ services — despite what organizations said was a growing and dire need after the increase of reported domestic violence during the pandemic.

Members of the D.C. Council heeded their calls and added additional funding for fiscal year 2023. It was easier to do then, because the city was flush with federal COVID relief funds. That federal assistance contributed to significant growth in the agency’s budget for the past two fiscal years: In fiscal year 2021, the OVSJG budget was $58.6 million, and in the next two fiscal years, it grew to $89 million and then $110 million.

But Bowser’s proposed budget for next fiscal year gives the agency about $75 million — a 30% cut from the previous year,

placing the organization back at pre-pandemic funding levels.

And this budget cycle feels different. The proposed reduction to OVSJG’s budget is part of a host of cuts to social services and the city’s economic safety net for the poor — which Bowser says is a recognition of tough economic realities that require bringing the city “back to basics.” New collective bargaining agreements mean higher pay for teachers and first responders, inflation is making construction more expensive, remote work continues to challenge the city’s economy and federal COVID relief funds have dried up.

As Bowser put it in her budget presentation to the D.C. Council, “our resources are shrinking while at the same time our fixed costs are increasing.”

Bowser’s proposed cuts translate to an estimated 16% — or $6.7 million — cut to victims’ services, the portion of the OVSJG budget that funds organizations that provide housing, legal representation, therapy, cash assistance and myriad other supports for crime victims and survivors of domestic violence. Advocates say that in reality, the cut to grant money available for victims’ services is closer to 20%, because the budget adds staff positions to OVSJG.

The cuts come at a time when the need for victims’ services is increasing: certain categories of crime, including homicides and carjackings, are up. One legal services provider testified that domestic violence related filings were up about 65% in D.C. Superior Court during the first part of this year. And reports of

sexual assault in the District are up 111%, according to recent council testimony from Elisabeth Olds, an independent expert who evaluates D.C.’s adherence to best practices in sexual assault response.

So the coalition of domestic violence providers in the city returned to the D.C. Council this year with an even more dire message than they brought last year. They told councilmembers that even with the current funding levels, they’re unable to meet the needs of their clients. Some organizations say budget cuts on top of that could force them to shut down entire programs, and scale back their services even more than they already have.

For smaller organizations that serve specific cultural communities, the proposed cuts may present an even more existential threat.

“Immediately our existence is what comes to my mind,” says Lul Mohamud, who runs The Person Center (TPC), a small organization focused on supporting African immigrant survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence. “Not just a part of what we do, not just, you know — one program may have to be let go or paused. I’m thinking the entire organization here.”

Mohamud, 25, runs a small staff of one case manager and one finance director at TPC. Today, Mohamud says, TPC receives 70 to 80% of its funding from the D.C. government.

It’s still unclear exactly how OVSJG would handle the cut to its funding for victims services. During testimony before

6 // STREET SENSE MEDIA // MAY 10 - 16, 2023 NEWS
Kaylie Nguyen, Avantika Shenoy and Krittika Ghosh of the Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project sit in their downtown coworking space. Photo by Jenny Gathright // DCist/WAMU

the D.C. Council last month, OVSJG Director Jennifer Porter gave no indication of how the budget cuts would affect the size of individual grants — OVSJG could choose to cut funding to specific programs, or the agency could reduce all grants they give to service providers by a certain percentage.

“It could be a 20% cut across the board, and some of our longer-term, larger-budget programs might be able to weather a 20% cut,” says Micaela Deming, a policy director at the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “Smaller programs, which tend to be our culturally specific service providing programs … a 20% cut there is catastrophic.”

At any given time, TPC serves about 12 clients — many of whom have complex needs as they try to escape abusers amidst the complexity of the U.S. immigration system. TPC helps clients navigate physical and financial abuse, including providing culturally competent support — for example, helping clients who feel they can’t leave an abusive situation because their partner threatens to withhold remittances to family in their home country.

“The reality is that when you feel like someone is looking down on you or someone doesn’t respect your beliefs or where you come from, you’re not likely to feel safe with them either. And so for a lot of our survivors, they’re making a decision between a known abuser, or the system as an abuser,” Mohamud says.

Ghosh’s organization, the Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project (DVRP), works with about 40 clients in D.C., mostly recently arrived immigrants. It has a small staff of case managers that Ghosh says are constantly at capacity.

Ghosh told DCist/WAMU that DVRP provides a service other mainstream organizations can’t — like support for survivors in the languages they speak, help with immigration,

and culturally competent therapy.

Kaylie Nguyen, who manages DVRP’s case managers, says what they offer clients goes beyond a temporary protection order or civil protection order in court — and includes services unique to the immigrant experience, like helping them with English classes, or helping them get clothes. Many of their clients, she says, arrived to the United States recently. Others have lived here longer, but spent most of that time under the control of an abusive partner.

“A lot of clients will leave their abusive situation having nothing,” she says.

But if the proposed budget cuts remain, Ghosh and her staff say they’ll likely have to cut back — like potentially cutting therapy offerings to their clients.

“I think there’s a continual expectation of smaller organizations, culturally specific organizations, to do more with less,” Ghosh said. “And historically, we have done it, but we are tired.”

Providers like Mohamud and Ghosh say the cuts couldn’t come at a worse time. After an explosion of domestic violence that began during lockdowns in 2020, they say, their clients are still struggling.

“It’s like the Pandora’s box has opened, and you’re closing it and expecting things to stay shut when it’s not going to,” Ghosh says. “So yeah, there’s a crisis brewing in D.C. if they’re going to make these radical cuts.”

Moreover, as inflation tightens the D.C. government’s budget, it’s also making it more difficult for clients to afford food and other basic necessities. And on top of that, other programs that serve survivors of domestic violence are facing budget cuts, too: a program that funds free legal services for low-income residents fighting eviction, trying to obtain public benefits or seeking civil protection orders could be cut in half

if the current budget proposal passes the D.C. Council.

Last week, Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto, who chairs the D.C. Council’s judiciary committee, announced that with an addition of $300,000 from the council’s labor committee, and another $950,000 she transferred from other areas of the judiciary budget, she was adding $1.25 million additional dollars for domestic violence services. It does not close the $6.7 million budget gap in victims’ services — and Pinto’s committee wrote in its report that it urged the whole council to “identify even more funding to account for the gap in the Mayor’s budget proposal.”

Pinto left the largest pot of money under the purview of her committee — the $500 million budget for the Metropolitan Police Department — untouched, touting her commitment to providing the department with the resources it has asked for amid a higher murder rate than the city has seen in two decades.

Providers of services to domestic violence survivors argue that they are a key part of public safety too, including homicide prevention. About 9% of homicides in the District each year are domestic violence-related, according to the city’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board.

“I think that this work is not understood and appreciated,” Ghosh says. “I think that there is more funding going towards things like policing when it should be going towards community based organizations that are doing this much critical work — because most of our community members do not feel safe going to structures like the police, but they’ll come to us for support.”

The first of two council votes on the budget takes place in mid-May.

This story was originally published by DCist/WAMU

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG // 7
OVSJG Director Jennifer Porter testifying before the D.C. Council’s judiciary committee, chaired by Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto, last month. Screenshot by DCist/WAMU

New legislation could allow DC to help tenants purchase their buildings. Some worry it could encroach on community land trusts

Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau intends to introduce legislation to the D.C. Council that would give tenant groups more support from the city to purchase property.

Dubbed the “Prioritizing Public Land Purchase Amendment Act” (PPLPA), the legislation aims to reduce the overall financial stress tenant groups face when purchasing properties. Under the “Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act” (TOPA), tenant groups have the first opportunity to purchase their buildings when landlords put them up for sale, but the high combined cost of the land and building can sometimes prevent them from taking advantage of it, according to Nadeau.

The legislation would provide tenant groups with the option to work with the D.C. Department of Housing and Community

Development to coordinate the purchase of the land where the building is located. Under PPLPA, tenant groups would purchase the building while the city would purchase the land. Then the city would enter into long-term ground leases with tenant groups in order to maintain tenant control of the property. The program also functions similarly to the District Opportunity to Purchase Act (DOPA) which allows the city to purchase apartment buildings to help maintain affordable housing.

Nadeau announced the legislation on April 25, though she has not formally introduced it yet. A press release from her office called the provisions of the bill the “first of their kind in the District and possibly the nation.” In an interview, Nadeau said the bill is intended to build off of previous affordable housing solutions in the District and push the city closer to

meeting its housing goals.

“It’s really important and special that we have things like the Housing Production Trust Fund and that we’re growing land trusts and that we’re strengthening TOPA and DOPA,” Nadeau said. “This really builds on that track record and gets us to the next level and provides more opportunities for us to meet our housing goals and our affordable housing goals in particular.”

But what other affordable housing solutions has made advocates for community land trusts question if the bill is necessary.

Community land trusts (CLTs) have been operating in the District for years and play a similar role in TOPA. CLTs buy the land that a building sits on, so a resident or tenant group only needs to buy the building and can lease the land from the CLT in long-term leases. If they chooses to sell, the CLT

8 // STREET SENSE MEDIA // MAY 10 - 16, 2023 NEWS

retains ownership of the land, and the resident must sell at a restricted price to keep the building affordable.

CLTs in the District have been partnering with tenant groups for years. In 2019, the Douglass Community Land Trust worked with tenants of Savannah apartments to buy and renovate the apartment block. And recent legislation, like the “Community Land Trust’s Access and Homeowner Support Amendment Act of 2023” introduced in early February, plans to expand CLTs’ purchasing abilities by giving the groups early access to TOPAeligible properties, right behind tenant groups and the District.

PPLPA could make CLTs less effective, as CLTs are the most successful when they don’t have to compete for scarce resources, said Coy McKinney, a representative on the board of the Douglass CLT and a lead organizer for SW D.C. Action, which aims to expand the Douglass CLT into Ward 6.

“If we bring all of these tools into the kitchen, then it’s going to make the other tools less effective,” McKinney said. “And so for me, it’s just kind of stepping on the toes of what a community land trust would do.”

McKinney also pointed out that the private and nonprofit structure of CLTs brings expertise. Tenant groups on their own may not have the experience or background necessary to maintain a building, a benefit CLTs can bring. Along with residents and community members, CLT boards also tend to include industry professionals who can help run the property, McKinney said.

McKinney said he worries that without additional technical support maintaining the property, tenant groups who are aided financially by the District won’t have access to the resources necessary to succeed.

“They’re running a co-op as like a part-time job,” McKinney said. “So then they might run into issues with maintenance and governance and all that stuff, that a CLT could provide more assistance with and more expertise.”

In a written statement to Street Sense Media, Nadeau said that her intention with the bill is to increase the District’s access to public land. CLTs are private nonprofits, and the land they acquire and lease is private, not public, which means the District can’t turn to them to solve the city’s lack of available public land.

“I’ve been a big supporter of land trusts, which are also a great tool, and different than what I’m proposing,” Nadeau said in the statement. “My bill increases the amount of public land for community benefit. Community land trusts do a great job as a private partner helping with preservation and stabilizing things and preventing displacement on a neighborhood level.”

Nadeau co-introduced the “Community Land Trust’s Access and Homeowner Support Amendment Act of 2023,” and the PPLPA would not prevent the public land acquired by the city from being stewarded by a community land trust, she said.

Instead, it would serve to streamline the District’s ability to purchase land for properties not included under TOPA. Given both D.C.’s population density and it’s lack of undeveloped land, acquiring more public land and property could allow the District more freedom in what they build, rather than having to choose between affordable housing and public amenities.

The act would establish a five-day window where the city would have the first opportunity to purchase non-TOPA eligible properties on the market. Sellers would not be obligated to accept the city’s offer, but if they did, they would be exempt from the deed and recordation tax usually imposed on property sales in the District.

Nadeau said that she was hopeful that sellers would see the appeal, but that the greater point of the bill was to give the District a greater directive to make offers and acquire land.

“At least this gets us in the game, and I think that’s the key here, is creating that mechanism for us to purchase property,” Nadeau said.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG // 9
Photo by Tierra Mallorca // Unsplash.com

Homelessness is not an image problem

omelessness is an image problem” is a message

I’ve received often. I’ve been encouraged to spend what little money I have to improve this image by investing in clothing, makeup and more to establish I am just like everyone else. The expectation is that I can generate acceptance, change opinions about homelessness or otherwise promote positive change for myself and others who are homeless with the right PR and appearance.

My immediate needs and circumstances require I budget differently. As a result, people have stepped in, out of kindness, to buy me clothes, makeup, perfume and more, which they believe will help me overcome the image problems associated with homelessness. But in my experience, this came with the new assumption on the part of others that I was for sale. I was seen as a prostitute, or ready for prostitution, and recieved other negative sexual attention and pressure that made my life worse. Furthermore, I might have looked better, but I was dressed for the office, the workplace, indoor environments, not outdoors.

As a result, I sought free clothing from distribution sites. There were so many people, no matter how many times I went. I only managed to get a little of what I needed. Most of the

The island of ‘enchantment’

clothes appropriate for homelessness were grabbed up quickly and the great majority of clothes were also for “the office.”

It is a matter of survival that I have the right clothing, shoes and gear appropriate for the weather and conditions, with enough money to supply my basic needs, from food not provided by community meals, to laundry, a cup of coffee, unexpected needs and more. Overlooking survival needs, basic needs, and essentials for others’ expectations, in my experience, isn’t enough to satisfy others, and can be dangerous. I’ve learned what people think I need and what I actually need while surviving homelessness are very different.

Investing in “image” and “appearance” is less important than the gear and means I need to survive. This is further complicated by lack of restrooms, showering facilities and safe and adequate shelter spaces that provide real, concrete steps for people on an individual case by case basis to break down and resolve the obstacles and barriers leading to the ultimate goal and solution: housing.

Do I have the right to protect myself?

Idon’t really understand gun violence and mass shooters. Many people blame gun violence on mental health issues. But the problem has been around for a long time. There’s always been a gun problem in the hood. And no one ever talks about that. It wasn’t until the violence spread to other communities that suddenly people started paying attention to it.

I am a former felon, not a violent felon, but I never think about hurting other human beings. However, this means I can’t purchase a gun to protect myself or my family. But someone who has a mental illness, on the other hand, can walk into a store and buy a gun.

Last year, I was attacked at least six times. My question is, do I have the right to protect myself? Well, the law says I don’t.

Andre Brinson is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.

The magic of Puerto Rico and the creation of the embassy of PR

There are 50 states in the United States of America. Neither Puerto Rico or Guam are one of them. Both these islands are “non-incorporated” territories of the United States.

I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where I grew up without many of the rights that citizens have in the continental U.S.

Our culture, language, traditions and lifestyles are under an alarming socioeconomic attack. Some of us think of our present situation as being a result of our designation as a historical target of political warfare. We see it as an empire’s systematic destruction of a nation in order to install a political structure in the Caribbean under a colonial regime that was destined to exploit the resources of its citizens and to use its territories for military and other experimental purposes.

The actual situation has become critical. And it threatens our survival. We need an organized editorial effort to get a fair description of our complex situation out to the world, and help guide our people to a collective clarity. We need a process of change that honors the truth of our right to govern ourselves.

I truly want to be able to create a newspaper to do this. And I want to learn how to help my community in Puerto Rico and those living in the greater diaspora, through organizing a group to represent truth, morality and justice.

John Alley is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.

10 // STREET SENSE MEDIA // MAY 10 - 16, 2023 OPINION
Lori Smith is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.
“H

After Tucker Carlson was fired, I can't see myself returning to the old neighborhood

Fox’s firing of Tucker Carlson feels similar to what happened to Atlantic City. Seeing its decline can make you feel old and nostalgic. I can remember when Fox was the only cable news worth watching. Now, I’ve seen it morph into another mouthpiece for neoconservatives, warmongers and corporate interest groups.

Like Atlantic City, Fox News was, for a long time, the redlight district of cable news. It was everything liberals hated. It featured second amendment absolutists, anti-abortion and anti-science evangelicals.

What made Fox great was there was no political correctness. If a liberal came on the studio to speak about racism, equality and oppression, the host would shut the show down and bounce them off the set.

I miss the Fox of Roger Ailes. The network’s decline feels like the old family dinner you go to after work. It was like the kind of dinner you would have at a family business, where they took time to make a good pasta. But then, one day, you hear the family sold the business to some corporate entity. Instead of keeping the menu, the new owners change everything until it’s unrecognizable.

Was Ailes not a good person? I don’t know. To me, he was a J. Edgar Hoover. He had files on anyone who tried to place

him in a compromising position. He was also a genius at latenight broadcasting. It was Ailes who created “The Five,” and brought the likes of Brit Hume, Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity to the network.

This was Fox’s appeal. Carlson was one hour of a white male showing no empathy or remorse for left-wing ideas or policies. He did not hold back. He triggered people. His documentary on Jan. 6, for example, provoked some fake neoconservatives to leave Fox entirely. Carlson was truly the modern-day Daniel. He never apologized or backed down from his convictions about vaccines or the jailed Jan. 6 protestors. He also loved bringing academics, experts and liberal scholars to his show. He gave them all the air time to speak. What was great about him was when they said something contradictory or ridiculous, he would give you this look, laugh and say, “We have to cut to the commercial.”

Like that neighborhood deli I loved, I saw it go downhill when they fired Ailes and appointed the “Never Trumper,” Paul Ryan to its board.

Fox's standing began to unravel when Donald Trump ran for the presidency. His candidacy caused a civil war to break out between Trump enthusiasts and “Never Trumpers.” It was a battle between conservatives who wanted to defeat the Democrats and between those who were perfectly comfortable

with Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi or Joe Biden. Whenever someone said something unfavorable about Trump, the former president would call in and berate the guest as “second-rate.” If they tried to swing back, Trump would embarrass the person on Twitter.

Soon after, I stopped watching Fox except to tune into Carlson’s show. He was the only person on cable news that was not advocating for a pandemic lockdown to save peoples’ lives or persuading his audience that vaccines are safe and effective.

Carlson, like Joe Rogan, never took sides. But he was willing to bring on controversial guests such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Kanye West, who had a friendship with Alex Jones.

I miss the old Fox. Carlson’s firing feels to me like experiencing a death in the family. There was once a time when Fox was a boomtown news channel. Fox has replaced Carlson with a panel of saccharine Republicans such as Brian Kilmeade and Lawrence Jones. I don't have enmity for them and hope they fill the shoes of their predecessors.

However, I will continue to think of Fox in the same way I think of Atlantic City. There’s no reason to go back. I have no hard feelings, but there are times when you must part ways. So long, Fox. I wish you the best.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG // 11
COREY SANDERS Artist/Vendor This is Lushiss. He’s a loner but he’s okay with that because he knows in life sometimes, you have to walk alone to be seen and heard. Jeffery McNeil is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.
ART
AIDA PEERY Artist/Vendor

To be free

Artist/Vendor

Freedom trained

A freedom ride

Rode to the next stop

Not guaranteed to be free

No constitutional mandate

Protecting the looseness

No more nooses

Of those not allowed

Even when the law said “not to be” aloud

They did not fool my parents or their legacy forward

With those yet to be

Should it be as they say

Freedom is not, cannot, will not be free

But I say

It is a coming

Just watch and see

Author’s Note: This poem was read at the People Music Network’s Juneteenth Celebration for inclusivity on June 16, 2022.

Black mental health matters

Artist/Vendor

Michelle told me that my “health is my wealth”

So I called up Fritz and started eating superfoods on stealth. I had to hide what I was doing because the world

Wants me to be fat,

To stay fat and mentally ill, but most of all, an unhealthy Black. The world wants to keep me silent, dumb and off track. But I refuse to stay down!

My electricity, my energy and my ancestors say I deserve my crown. So I watch what I eat, Exercise three times a week

I build relationships and friendships; covalent bonds. I tear down my ruins, build a foundation that’s strong. I stay on top of my meds, take them even when I don’t want to, I stay under my man, as he supports and guides me; This little BBW.

I got to work, I volunteer, I cook; try to stay as clean as possible, My body is a temple now, dirty food and drugs make me feel awful. I check in with friends, I always check on that strong one I call my dad and we argue, because that’s what he likes to do, Then I call my mom to talk and tell her I love you. Black mental health matters more than any other hashtag Reread this poem if you’re looking and hoping to snap back. It’s okay to take care of yourself first, above all other beings

Change your ways now, it’s too early for a hearse to be all that you’re seeing.

You don’t know me

Artist/Vendor

You don’t know me, my ancestry. The reason why my hair is nappy, each nap is a story of our pride and glory, how we struggled as slaves and how cornrows got their name. Would you even bother to ask if you were concerned about our past? I am that little girl whose smile could light up the world but who had to sit in the back because Blacks were not allowed. You don’t know me because if you knew me you could see that you are me!

Three haikus

Denise’s house

It is just that dark Always in Denise’s house The sun must prevail

Good dreams

Oh what day is there

Good dreams were in my vision

Denise, thank you

Dirt is dirty

Digging in the dirt

Brings me happiness and joy

It does for plants

Why do people die?

Why do people die over their shoes? Because they don’t have them, like the other people do.

There are shoes for everybody. Why do people die? Because they don’t like themselves. They take drugs, they kill themselves over drugs, that’s the answer.

Why do people hate on you? Because they don’t like you because you dress nice and you wear nice clothes.

That is why Jesus told us to wear clothes and nothing can take that away from us.

People love us and hate us. Don’t hate us.

Serendip x 8

Saturday bode well. (Heck…) a fond chum hailed, old news to exchange and tell, no indication toward implied cash hell! The bank machine rang a mean bell –why could not my payback be mailed, yet an unknown angel my bill befell, and I experienced the story of “till” full-sailed!

Remnants of the Alameda

I reflected on a period in my life where I was at peace I lived in a 700-squarefoot apartment where I had a million-dollar spiritual bank Yesterday, I said, my spiritual bank is depleted I will refill my spiritual bank with meditation and prayers

The art of —

Love is an art.

The thing that we feel the most is sometimes the strongest and most beautiful thing to us all.

Muse is a being that possesses the power to inspire. Intelligence, love, compassion, respect.

Those are the bases of sympathy.

Our world needs this. To feel something real.

To praise God.

To let her know all things that we’re feeling right or wrong.

To me this is art. Love, family and friends. Love is the people we don’t like all the time. We must show them all respect. To me this is art.

To know it. To love it. Poems. Poets. Friends. Lovers. People who have a natural base in all reality. That is art. Music tells stories that only the soul can hear.

That feeling is there like a memory that never goes away.

It makes you stronger, not weaker. That’s art. God told us her words.

She will never let us down. Her words. So, respect, love, cherish all of her children and forgive. That is art.

12 // STREET SENSE MEDIA // MAY 10 - 16, 2023
ART

The month of May

This is May Day. May brings Mother's Day, Day of Prayer, Love a Tree Day, Burger Day, Memorial Day, Bring Flowers to Someone Day, Paper Airplane Day, World Asthma Day, Take your Parents to the Playground Day, National Pick Strawberries Day, Lucky Penny Day, Cinco de Mayo, National Barbeque Month, National Pet Month, Bike Month, a full flower moon, Turtle Day, Water a Flower Day, Bird Day, National Wine Day, Iris Day, Chocolate Chip Day, Vanilla Pudding Day, and Grape Popsicle Day. It brings spring, May flowers, the emerald birthstone, lilies of the valley and hummingbirds. There is so much happening in the month of May: more beautiful flowers, green fresh grass being cut, warmer weather, more insects and happier birds.

Chirp!

That was birds chirping in beautiful nature.

Mother’s Day is in the month of May. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers of the world, including the mothers of pets, that show love and affection towards their babies. Happy Mother’s Day to my beautiful mom. She is a precious jewel, like diamonds and pearls, and sparkles like gold and silver. She deserves lots of flowers and gifts, showers of gold and a nice dinner. She deserves an award for best mother in the world. I love you mom. Everybody enjoy your Mother’s Day.

Happy Mothers Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, godmothers, stepmothers, foster mothers, adoptive mothers and all the women who take children in their care. Mothers are so special! Mothers will do so much for their child without thinking twice! Mothers will put the child's needs and wants before their own so that their child can be taken care of. Mothers are the light we need in this world when we have our dark moments. Mothers are simply amazing. They are as soft and gentle as a dove and can be as hard and beast-like as a lion when it comes to someone who hurts their child. Mothers deserve all the respect and praise because they do so much, all the words in the world cannot describe it.

There is nothing in this world with which you can repay your mother for everything she did to give birth and raise a child. A mother is special, with wisdom and love to share, guiding us through life's journey. We want to say thank you, mother! A mother's love is so unique, it's so warming that it covers you like a blanket and heats you up like sipping hot chocolate by an open fire. A mother's bond is like no other bond. A child is nurtured from birth until that child has its own wings to fly. A

mother sacrifices their time, emotions, body and everything they have, giving it to raise their child.

When a woman becomes a mother, the instincts that a mother has will click like a lightbulb. The time from the moment when mothers have their first touch with their newborn to when their child leaves them to move on with their own life is very crucial. Those moments make the child who they will become. A mother's love will always be there. Regardless of if you're far away or not as close as you want, a mother is always a mother. We appreciate you mother, the way you hold the family together and make everyone around you happy.

We are grateful for you, mother, for just being you. A mother isn't perfect but a mother is a person who shows that they are there no matter what and no matter the cost. We simply say thank you again for all you do! Happy Mother's Day to all the women who have experienced motherhood and all the women who care for a child like it's their very own.

Thank you!

Spring is here already

The weather is changing from cold to warm and hot days. Next thing you know, it will be summer time. People will be sitting in parks, taking their dogs for walks. There are green trees and flowers are blooming. Mother’s Day is on May 14.

My mother died in 2009. We miss her. She is in a better place and is at peace. This year, I will be sending my love with Mother’s Day cards and balloons, to make mothers happy. Mother’s Day is a time to spend with family and loved ones. Love you all.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG // 13
JOSIE BROWN Artist/Vendor This is an illustration of a young dude reaching over his shoulder to grab his arm as if he has to hold on to it! The other picture is a horse frowning with a face of concern.

FUN & GAMES FUN GAMES

Across

1. “Atlas Shrugged” author Rand

4. Thrusts a knife or other pointed object toward (2 wds.) (5,2)

11. Kind of order intended to suppress leaks

14. Say “See ya in court”...officially

15. Ruling against a tight end, maybe (2 wds.) (2,5)

16. Award bestowed by a British monarch (abbr./ acron.)

17. They often autograph one another’s annuals (2 wds.) (6,5)

19. Pink lady ingredient

20. Hosiery shade

21. Icicle site

22. OB/GYN ‘S prefix with -gram

23. Wide-opened eyes, metaphorically (U.S. CARES anagram)

26. Give a half-hearted effort (2 wds.) (3,2)

27. Says “Thanks, but I haven’t done anything all that great,” say (2 wds.) (5,8)

31. Bambi’s aunt

32. Tag on a sale item, maybe (2 wds,) (2,2)

33. Word before chord or tide

34. Nile reptiles seen in “Indy said with a gasp ‘Snakes. Man, how I hate them!’”

37. TV characters Sheldon Cooper and Abby Sciuto, e.g.

39. Ice ___ (penguin or polar bear perch)

40. Two past Tue.

41. Puts two and two together...literally

42. B’way hit sign (abbr./initialism)

44. What the pre-ghost visitation Scrooge thought Christmas gifting and carol-singing were (2 wds.) (7,6)

48. Capital of Bolivia (2,3)

49. Big benefit of first class airline seat for LeBron

James

52. Kind of round in a tournament, informally (abbr.) (MILE anagram)

53. Chooses, with “for”

56. Western Samoa’s capital

57. Seven up?

58. Pygmies and dwarves (2 wds.) (5,6)

61. Lt.’s inferior, in the Navy (abbr./acron.)

62. People opening gifts or dealing with knotted laces, e.g.

63. Bout stopper, for short (abbr./initialism)

64. Abbr. before Friday, Pepper or York

65. “Unh-unh!” (often addressed to a non-existent “Bob”) (2 wds.) (2,5)

66. Tax form ID (abbr./acron.)

Down

1. Often described as “bad,” they may be “kicked,” “kissed” or “whipped”

2. New Mexico’s state flower

3. Kind of jackets named for a much-loved Indian PM (HE RUNS anagram)

4. ___-Caps (candy)

5. “My mama done ____ me” (classic old blues lyric)

6. Ability or authority to enter into

7. ____ Men (Bahamian junkanoo band best known for “Who Let the Dogs Out?”

8. R-W connectors

9. Fictional maker of earthquake pills and tornado

seeds

10. Ending with four or ten, but not three or nine

11. Female dancer in a cage during the 60’s and 70’s (2-2, 4

12. Latin phrase and legal term meaning “from the beginning” (2,6)

13. The unique sequence makeup of one’s DNA (GEN Y POET anagram)

LAST EDITION’S PUZZLE SOLUTION

SOLUTION: What’s that? You have a pal in Rome?

Puzzle by Patrick “Mac” McIntyre

18. Cries of pain

22. Fa follower

24. Long, long period in the earth’s history

25. “Hotel ____” (2004 historical drama starring Best Actor Oscar winner Don Cheadle)

26. Insult, in slang

28. Like words that often result in the need for apologies and peace offerings

29. Currency exchange board abbr.

30. “Are you glad I’m back?”, briefly (2 wds.) (4,2)

34. Students awarded letters for representing their educational institutions

35. Growing shallower and more clogged, as an inlet (SLAIN HOG anagram)

36. Like the thickest orange juice, probably

38. Big name in ice cream

39. Closing time for NYC bars (2 wds.) (4,2) (Incls. abbr.)

41. Woodworker’s tool

43. “Notorious” late Supr. Ct. jurist’s monogram

45. Dr. Seuss’s Sam ___ (2 wds.) (1,2)

46. Heavy overcoat, usually of tweed, named for an Irish province (RUSTLE anagram)

47. Cheer heard at NFL games played in Foxborough, Mass. (2 wds.) (2,4)

50. Noises made by a pen?

51. Name after James, Marsha or Perry

53. “Heaven forbid!” (2 wds.) (2,2)

54. Pea holders or miniature sci-fi vehicles

55. “Star Trek: T.N.G.” counselor

58. Word before beam or bonnet

59. Charlemagne’s realm (abbr.)

60. “It’s no ___!”

*This crossword puzzle is the original work of Patrick “Mac”McIntyre. It is provided to us courtesy of Real Change News, a street paper based in Seattle, Wa. Learn more about Real Change News and the International Network of Street Papers at realchangenews.org and insp.ngo.

Illustration of the Week

14 // STREET SENSE MEDIA // MAY 10 - 16, 2023
CROSSWORD A Meh Puzzle
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66
____ Issue R 1 I 2 P 3 A 4 O 5 S 6 H 7 A 8 S 9 C 10 E 11 N 12 E 13 A 14 N O D N 15 O U N C 16 H A O S F 17 R O M L 18 E F T T O 19 R I G H T T 20 E L E 21 S A U M 22 A R L I E P 23 I 24 T T S 25 T 26 E P P E T S H 27 A G U E E 28 N S S 29 T R A P P A 30 R 31 T S E 32 C 33 O 34 E 35 M T S N 36 P R I 37 G L U E 38 L Y R 39 E G A L 40 L 41 A G E R H 42 E R I 43 A M S O M 44 A 45 D 46 E 47 E D A M 48 O 49 S S A E 50 M O N E Y O 51 M 52 N I L 53 A 54 A 55 A 56 N D T H E N 57 B A C K W 58 A R D N 59 I D R E S 60 I T U I 61 D E A T 62 O S E E F 63 L A B T 64 S A R
AKINDELE AKEREJAH Artist/Vendor

All services listed are referral-free

Academy of Hope Public Charter School 202-269-6623 // 2315 18th Place NE aohdc.org

Bread for the City - 1525 7th St., NW // 202-265-2400 - 1640 Good Hope Rd., SE // 202-561-8587 breadforthecity.org

Calvary Women’s Services // 202-678-2341 1217 Good Hope Rd., SE calvaryservices.org

Catholic Charities // 202-772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp

Central Union Mission // 202-745-7118 65 Massachusetts Ave., NW missiondc.org

Charlie’s Place // 202-232-3066 1830 Connecticut Ave., NW charliesplacedc.org

Christ House // 202-328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd., NW christhouse.org

Church of the Pilgrims // 202-387-6612 2201 P St., NW food (1-1:30 on Sundays only) churchofthepilgrims.org/outreach

Community Family Life Services 202-347-0511 // 305 E St., NW cflsdc.org

Community of Hope // 202-232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

Covenant House Washington 202-610-9600 // 2001 Mississippi Ave., SE covenanthousedc.org

D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 202-347-8870 // 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW dccfh.org

Downtown Day Services Center 202-383-8810 // 1313 New York Ave NW https://www.downtowndc.org/program/the-center/

Father McKenna Center // 202-842-1112 19 Eye St., NW fathermckennacenter.org

Food and Friends // 202-269-2277 (home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc) 219 Riggs Rd., NE foodandfriends.org

Foundry Methodist Church // 202-332-4010 1500 16th St., NW ID (Friday 9am–12pm only) foundryumc.org/ministry-opportunities

Friendship Place // 202-364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave., NW friendshipplace.org

Georgetown Ministry Center // 202-338-8301 1041 Wisconsin Ave., NW georgetownministrycenter.org

Jobs Have Priority // 202-544-9128 425 2nd St., NW jobshavepriority.org

Loaves & Fishes // 202-232-0900 1525 Newton St., NW loavesandfishesdc.org

Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 marthastable.org 2375 Elvans Road SE

2204 Martin Luther King Ave. SE

Miriam’s Kitchen // 202-452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave., NW miriamskitchen.org

My Sister’s Place // 202-529-5991 (24-hr hotline) mysistersplacedc.org

N Street Village // 202-939-2060 1333 N St., NW nstreetvillage.org

New York Avenue Shelter // 202-832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave., NE

Patricia Handy Place for Women 202-733-5378 // 810 5th St., NW

Samaritan Inns // 202-667-8831 2523 14th St., NW samaritaninns.org

Samaritan Ministry 202-722-2280 // 1516 Hamilton St., NW 202-889-7702 // 1345 U St., SE samaritanministry.org

Sasha Bruce Youthwork // 202-675-9340 741 8th St., SE sashabruce.org

So Others Might Eat (SOME) // 202-797-8806 71 O St., NW some.org

St. Luke’s Mission Center // 202-333-4949 3655 Calvert St., NW stlukesmissioncenter.org

Thrive DC // 202-737-9311 1525 Newton St., NW thrivedc.org

Unity Health Care 3020 14th St., NW // unityhealthcare.org - Healthcare for the Homeless Health Center: 202-508-0500 - Community Health Centers: 202-469-4699

1500 Galen Street SE, 1500 Galen Street SE, 1251-B Saratoga Ave NE, 1660 Columbia Road NW, 4414 Benning Road NE, 3924 Minnesota Avenue NE, 765 Kenilworth Terrace NE, 555 L Street SE, 3240 Stanton Road SE, 3020 14th Street NW, 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, 1717 Columbia Road NW, 1313 New York Avenue, NW BSMT Suite, 425 2nd Street NW, 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 1333 N Street NW, 1355 New York Avenue NE, 828 Evarts Place, NE, 810 5th Street NW

Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St., NW // 202-328-5500 legalclinic.org

The Welcome Table // 202-347-2635 1317 G St., NW. epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable

Whitman-Walker Health 1701 14th St., NW // 202-745-7000 2301 MLK Jr. Ave., SE // 202-797-3567 whitman-walker.org

For further information and listings, visit our online service guide at StreetSenseMedia.org/service-guide

Team Member

Whole Foods // 2323 Wisconsin Ave NW

Full-time / Part-time

Currently hiring for a variety of roles in the store, including in counter service, stocking, sanitation and cashiering.

REQUIRED: Must be able to lift 50 pounds.

APPLY: tinyurl.com/wholefoodsgloverpark

Housekeeper

Marriott Residence Inn // 1199 Vermont Avenue NW

Full-time

Change bed linens and make beds, dust furniture, sweep and mop floors and clean public areas.

REQUIRED: N/A

APPLY: tinyurl.com/downtownmarriotthousekeeper

Restaurant Team Member

Potbelly // 2301 Georgia Ave. NW

Part-time

Responsible for operating the cash register, restocking food, using the automatic slicer to prep food items and providing an excellent customer experience.

REQUIRED: N/A

APPLY: tinyurl.com/potbelly-georgiaave

Hiring? Send your job postings to editor@StreetSenseMedia.org

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG // 15
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COMMUNITY SERVICES
From your vendor, Street Sense! 5,700 VENDORS WWW.INSP.NGO 3.2 million READERS 90+ STREET PAPERS 35 COUNTRIES 25 LANGUAGES NO CASH? NO PROBLEM. WE HAVE AN APP! SEARCH “STREET SENSE” IN THE APP STORE MAY 10 - 16, 2023 VOLUME 20 ISSUE 24 Invites You to a Get Your Free Tickets at https://bit.ly/40DLaS0 Thursday, May 18 at 7:00 PM at the E Street Cinema 555 11th St NW, Washington DC Watch the teaser here Join us as we gather for a loving and fun evening together to screen our feature-length film, Homelessly in Love. Afterward, we'll talk with featured protagonists Michelle, Alyssa, and Loraine, and filmmakers Lalita Clozel and Ariane Mohseni
This program has been funded in part by a grant from We all need food, shelter, and clothing. We also need love.
Private Preview Screening of
AIDA PEERY Artist/Vendor
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