07.27.2022

VOL. 19 ISSUE 36

$2

JULY 27 - AUGUST 2, 2022

Real Stories

TEMPERATURES ARE RISING

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

@ STREETSENSEDC

Real People

suggested donation goes directly to your vendor

Real Change

BUT DC’S HEAT PLAN ISN’T WORKING

2 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // J U LY 2 7 - A U G U S T 2 , 2 0 2 2 © STREET SENSE MEDIA 2003 - 2022

BUSINESS MODEL

1317 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 (202) 347 - 2006 streetsensemedia.org info@streetsensemedia.org

How It Works

Street Sense Media publishes the newspaper

Each vendor functions as an independent contractor for Street Sense Media, managing their own business to earn an income and increase stability in their life.

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DONATION

per newspaper copy

goes directly to your vendor, empowering them to overcome homelessness and poverty

VENDORS Abel Putu, Abraham Aly, Aida Peery, Amina Washington, Andre Brinson, Andrew Anderson, Angie Whitehurst, Anthony Carney, Anthony Pratt, Archie Thomas, August Mallory, Betty Everett, Beverly Sutton, Brianna Butler, Carlos Carolina, Carlton Johnson, Carol Motley, Charles Armstrong, Charles Woods, Chon Gotti, Chris Cole, Chris Sellman, Conrad Cheek, Corey Sanders, Cortney Signor, Daniel Ball, David Snyder, Debora Brantley, Don Gardner, Doris Robinson, Earl Parker, Eric Thompson-Bey, Evelyn Nnam, Floyd Carter, Franklin Sterling, Frederic John, Fredrick Jewell, Gerald Anderson, Gracias Garcias, Henry Johnson, Ivory Wilson, Jacqueline “Jackie” Turner, Jacquelyn Portee, James Davis, Jeanette Richardson, Jeff Taylor, Jeffery McNeil, Jeffrey Carter, Jemel Fleming, Jenkins Daltton, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jermale McKnight, Jet Flegette, Jewel Lewis, John Littlejohn, Joshua Faison, Juliene Kengnie, Justin Blakey, Katrina Arninge, Kenneth Middleton, Khadijah Chapman, Kym Parker, Laura Smith, Lawrence Autry, Levester Green, Malcolm Scott Jr, Marcus McCall, Mark Jones, Maurice Spears, Melody Byrd, Michael Warner, Michele Rochon, Mildred M. Hall, Morgan Jones, Patricia Donaldson, Patty Smith, Phillip Black, Queenie Featherstone, Redbook Mango, Reggie Jones, Reginald Black, Reginald C. Denny, Ricardo Meriedy, Rita Sauls, Robert Warren, Rochelle Walker, Ron Dudley, Sasha Williams, Shawon McCrary, Sheila White, Shuhratjon Ahmadjonov, Susan Westmoreland, Susan Wilshusen, Sybil Taylor, Warren Stevens, Wendell Williams BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NO CASH? NO PROBLEM.

Mary Coller Albert, Blake Androff, Jonquilyn Hill, Greg Jaffe, Stanley Keeve, Clare Krupin, Ashley McMaster, Matt Perra, Michael Phillips, Daniel Webber, Shari Wilson, Corrine Yu

Pay vendors with the Street Sense Media app!

S earch “S treet S ense ” in your app store .

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Brian Carome

AVA I L A B L E

Darick Brown

As self-employed contractors, our vendors follow a code of conduct.

1.

I will support Street Sense Media’s mission statement and in so doing will work to support the Street Sense Media community and uphold its values of honesty, respect, support, and opportunity.

2.

I will treat all others, including customers, staff, volunteers, and fellow vendors, respectfully at all times. I will refrain from threatening others, pressuring customers into making donations, or engaging in behavior that condones racism, sexism, classism, or other prejudices.

4.

5.

I understand that I am not an employee of Street Sense Media but an independent contractor.

While distributing the Street Sense newspaper, I will not ask for more than $2 per issue or solicit donations by any other means.

I will only purchase the newspaper from Street Sense Media staff and volunteers and will not distribute newspapers to other vendors.

The Truist Bank temperature gauge read 100 degrees in DuPont Circle on July 24.

PHOTO BY HANNAH LODER

CASE MANAGER

Leo Grayburn

DIRECTOR OF VENDOR EMPLOYMENT

6.

“I will not distribute copies of “Street Sense” on metro trains and buses or on private property.”

7.

I will abide by the Street Sense Media Vendor Territory Policy at all times and will resolve any related disputes with other vendors in a professional manner.

Aida Peery, Clifford Samuels

8.

I will not sell additional goods or products while distributing “Street Sense.”

9.

I will not distribute “Street Sense” under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Jeff Barger, Haley Gallagher, Roberta Haber, Ann Herzog, Kevin Jaatinen, Jacob Kuba, Eva Reeves, Mauricio Reyes

10. I understand that my badge and vest are property of Street Sense Media and will not deface them. I will present my badge when purchasing “Street Sense” and will always display my badge when distributing “Street Sense.”

INTERESTED IN BEING A VENDOR? New vendor training: every Tuesday and Thursday // 2 p.m. // 1317 G St., NW

The Cover

Doris Warrell

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS

VENDOR CODE OF CONDUCT

3.

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

The Street Sense Media Story, #MoreThanANewspaper Originally founded as a street newspaper in 2003, Street Sense Media has evolved into a multimedia center using a range of creative platforms to spotlight solutions to homelessness and empower people in need. The men and women who work with us do much more than sell this paper: They use film, photography, theatre, illustration, and more to share their stories with our community.

Our media channels elevate voices, our newspaper vendor and digital marketing programs provide economic independence. And our in-house case-management services move people forward along the path toward permanent supportive housing.

At Street Sense Media, we define ourselves through our work, talents, and character, not through our housing situation.

Thomas Ratliff

VENDOR PROGRAM ASSOCIATES VENDOR PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS

MANAGER OF ARTISTIC WORKSHOPS

Maria Lares

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Will Schick

EDITORIAL STAFF

Kaela Roeder, Athiyah Azeem, Annemarie Cuccia

MICHAEL STOOPS FELLOW

Jasper Smith

INTERNS

Atmika Iyer, Hannah Loder, Holly Rusch, Hope Davis, Ingrid Holmquist, Riley Nee

ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE

Ariane Mohseni (Film), Bonnie Naradzay (Poetry), David Serota (Illustration), Lalita Clozel (Film), Willie Schatz (Writing)

ARTS EDITOR (VOLUNTEER)

Austine Model

OPINION EDITORS (VOLUNTEER)

Rebecca Koenig, Emily Kopp, Lydia DePillis, Bill Meincke, Ben Shimkus, Candace Montague, Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, Orion Donovan-Smith

EDITORIAL VOLUNTEERS

Josh Axelrod, Ryan Bacic, Katie Bemb, Lilah Burke, Chelsea Ciruzzo, Lenika Cruz, Alison Henry, Kathryn Owens, Nick Shedd, Andrew Siddons, Jenny-lin Smith, Rebecca Stekol

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

FEATURED ART

Fishing your way out of writer’s block JEFFERY MCNEIL Artist/Vendor

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AT A GLANCE VENDOR PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS • The new women’s workshop is every Tuesday at 2 p.m.!

• We’re redesigning the Street Sense vests! Do you like the tagline “I’m Working to End Homelessness”? Let us know.

“Ten minutes and I’m fighting this river monster,” said Street Sense vendor Jeffery McNeil, who after catching and letting this large catfish fall onto the ground, stopped to catch his breath. Photo by Jeffery McNeil

I

haven’t been writing, because I’ve taken time off to relax and fish.

I recently came back from the Jersey Shore, but the weather was rather rough. However, I wasn’t going to allow rough seas and rain to stop me. Bad weather can produce great catches, because the crabs and clams get swept on shore and the bigger fish follow them in.

When I go to New Jersey, my favorite places to fish are Point Pleasant, Manasquan River, or Barnegat.

I walk the beach looking for seagulls diving. When you see the water boiling, it usually means pelagic fish, such as bluefish, stripers, weakfish and albacore are beneath them.

The trick is to use something that pops or is flashy. Others use a treble hook, trying to snawg a shad; Mehadden or herring, just let it float.

I used a trick my dad taught me, which is to use gulp bait or Slug-Gos. I made a perfect cast, and in a minute whack, pole bent, the fish veered towards me. Then, when I was ready to real, my line smoked, it headed straight for the depths, so I did a pump and ran to pull him up. Striped bass have delicate mouths, so they’re very hard to catch without a net.

Heading back home to D.C., I saw the river was alive, so I stopped at Safeway to pick up shrimp and beef liver.

If you want to catch big blues and channels, I suggest beef liver, I prefer shrimp because stripers will pick up the shrimp.

While everyone loves fishing the Potomac, I love Rock Creek Park. It’s quiet and recreational.

Street Sense vendor Jeffery McNeil posing with the large However, you need bug spray, and don’t be surprised if you see wild catfish he caught at Rock Creek Park. Photo courtesy of animals such as foxes, raccoons and beavers if you are fishing at night. I Jeffery McNeil discovered the most vicious are Canadian geese. If you stumble upon there chicks they were ram right into you.

I’m writing then I feel the bump the line starts peeling. Not a little on “big fish” he’s heading for the log, my line is too tight, and I don’t want it to snap. Goodness, gracious. Ten minutes and I’m fighting this river monster.

He’s still has fight when I’m tired, had enough and I get my net until he makes his final run.

She’s tired blood coming out her mouth and we let her fall to the ground, she starts flipping around as I gasp for a breather.

A good day, I believe because of the rain the water temperature hasn’t risen that’s why there are so many big cats in the river but hopefully, when I go to New Jersey I can take pictures of a saltwater fish.

Whenever I have writer’s block, a good way to start writing is by fishing.

• “Beat the Streets” is every Thursday at Street Sense at 3 p.m. Let’s go out and sell papers together!

• Papers for vaccinations?

Show us your CDC card and get 15 papers for being fully vaccinated plus 10 more for being boosted.

BIRTHDAYS Anthony Crawford Artist/Vendor

July 29

James Davis Artist/Vendor

August 1

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NEWS

USICH encampment engagement guidance critiqued for promoting site closures ATMIKA IYER Editorial Intern

DMHHS workers clear an encampment on FedEx property in NoMa on July 21. Photo by Hope Davis

T

he U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) — the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness — published a set of new guidelines last month directing municipal governments to be more thoughtful in their approach to addressing homeless

encampments.

These guidelines come as communities throughout the United States grapple with how to address a perceived growth in the number of local encampments.

Unsheltered homelessness is a more visible problem than sheltered homelessness, which is on the rise, USICH Executive Director Jeff Olivet said. Requests for quick solutions in response, then, are not coming from advocates or people experiencing homelessness, but from the general public, the business community and people residing in nearby neighborhoods, according to Olivet.

“Where we see communities deviate from these principles, it’s when there’s such political pressure to act quickly,” Olivett said. “People are displaced from friends and connections and often from outreach teams that are attending to their health care and their other needs.”

2020 was the first year that more people experiencing homelessness lived without shelter than with it, the USICH reported.

Encampments garner frequent attention and interaction from local government entities who oversee encampment removals that displace homeless people.

Lori Smith, a vendor with Street Sense Media, has lived in several encampments in Portland, Ore. and D.C. According to Smith, living in an encampment can be tough especially when authorities attempt to remove people from them.

“I do see it is a problem that we have been criminalizing homelessness and poverty for so long. You take desperate people who will crack at some point due to the tremendous stress and suffering and misery that they’re experiencing,” Smith said. “It is miserable to be impoverished and homeless and houseless. And our main way of navigating that in our culture has been to incarcerate them, institutionalize them.”

The agency’s stated goal is to promote more humane encampment engagements by providing communities with guidance they hope will improve the way local authorities work with unsheltered homeless people. Olivet described encampment engagements as any local effort to interact with encampment residents. This includes outreach and providing services, as well as clean ups and encampment dissolutions.

USICH recommends a “holistic community response” that involves local government officials, the homelessness response system, encampment residents, public housing authorities and law enforcement.

For instance, the agency recommends conducting outreach between encampment residents and potential services, involving encampment residents in determining how to resolve encampment disputes, and providing storage options to people who have nowhere else to store their belongings.

They also ask that communities attempting to remove encampments offer residents access to alternative housing

opportunities and develop pathways for them to obtain permanent housing.

But some homeless rights advocates think the guidance offered by the USICH is counterproductive. Aaron Howe, co-founder of the D.C. mutual aid organization Remora House — believes the guidelines ultimately promote encampment closures and are filled with inconsistencies “I had a hard time with that document, because it is good on paper. I like a lot of what I’m seeing, but [there is] the underlying impetus of wanting to close the camp, and I can just see all the loopholes that different cities could use to say they’re following these progressive guidelines and are clearing camps,” Howe said.

Law enforcement involvement People experiencing homelessness often have frequent and traumatizing interactions with law enforcement and many homeless rights advocates see this as a major oversight in USICH’s guidance.

The National Homelessness Law Center published a report in 2021 which states that many communities criminalize homelessness with laws and policies that forbid people from sitting, sleeping or eating in public.

“These laws and policies violate constitutional, civil, and human rights, traumatize homeless individuals and negatively impact their physical and mental health, and create arrest records, fines, and fees that stand in the way

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

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DMHHS conducts an encampment removal on June 16 near West End. Photo by Athiyah Azeem

of homeless people securing jobs or housing,” the article stated.

Communities should designate law enforcement as a supporting partner for encampment engagements, according to USICH. This practice contradicts some advocacy organizations’ guidance of excluding law enforcement because their presence can escalate conflicts to violence and traumatizes people experiencing homelessness.

“We’re not going to get on board when your underlying goal is to remove these camps,” Howe said.

Olivet, however, believes that law enforcement does have a role to play in encampment engagement, particularly after sites have been cleared.

Input from people with lived experience Historically, people with the lived experience of being unhoused have not been given a voice in how to address homelessness. USICH said it hopes to change that pattern by encouraging authorities to involve encampment residents in deciding how to “resolve” encampments.

“Too often decisions have been made about people without their input — and that’s especially true for people experiencing homelessness,” Olivet said. “I think when you do expand that table, and include more people who are closest to the problem, who have experienced homelessness themselves, then you get better solutions.”

Smith said that communities must deconstruct their biases against people experiencing homelessness in order for their input to be relevant.

“If you do not get familiar with the issues on the ground floor that people care about and you walk in with your biases, they will pick up on them very quickly, very fast.

And they might not say anything, but those are matters of survival for someone who’s homeless, or these are threats to our existence,” Smith said.

The USICH guidance advocates for “meaningfully …

elevating” the lives of the encampment residents through these principles.

Howe argued that this goal is better achieved through D.C.’s 2020 policy of trash-only engagements. In 2020, the CDC put out encampment engagement guidelines, advising communities to not displace encampment residents during a global public health crisis.

In accordance with these guidelines, D.C. decided to pursue minimally invasive clean-ups where encampment residents need not tear down and rebuild their homes during a cleanup; instead, they were asked what they wanted removed, and what they wanted to keep.

Racial disparities within homelessness According to USICH, street outreach should prioritize the individual’s needs but ultimately put housing at the forefront of their support. The outreach should be trauma-informed, culturally sensitive and consider racial disparities within people’s living environments, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

This can be accomplished through a Racial Equity Team that creates core goals and beliefs for all members of a homeless response team to follow, HUD elaborates.

In addition, HUD suggests that encampment residents providing a perspective of lived-experience should be compensated for their time.

Many communities treat racial disparity as discrepancy in political belief rather than the product of systemic abuses.

In 2021, Pew Research reported that 47% of Republicans believe that very little has to be done and 30% believe that nothing needs to be done to ensure equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their ethnicity or race.

Olivet said that communities that don’t recognize racial disparities in homelessness need to have a fact-based conversation about how people of color are dramatically over-represented in the homeless population.

How communities engage with encampments can further perpetuate racial inequalities, according to Howe.

“We’re seeing a huge increase in permanent addiction in camps, and heavy handed approaches: ticketing, citation. All of those things reinforce and reproduce racial inequality,” Howe said.

Procuring resources & housing Smith said that unless permanent housing is provided, people are simply being shifted around. Their struggles with experiencing homelessness do not change, it simply becomes less visible to the outer community.

“They come into their camp, about 50% of them are served something to shelter or hotel or lodging and then they’re back out again because there aren’t any solutions — real solutions — waiting for them,” Smith said.

Homeless Response Teams and outreach workers should consider that encampment residents may be dealing with physical and mental illness, and thus require a variety of housing options to find a place of residence that accommodates their needs, according to HUD. Olivet said that a variety of housing accommodations include sobriety housing, multigenerational housing and shared housing.

Unfortunately, the current system of working with service providers and mutual aid groups to acquire housing is complex, Smith said, to the point that caseworkers can fail their clients due to an unnecessarily convoluted system.

Howe and Smith found the underlying goal of closing encampments to be an inherent flaw of USICH’s guidelines.

Smith said that closing encampments in a flawed rehousing system will still lead to displacement.

“You’re putting the cart before the horse and you’re not prioritizing effectively, which begs my confidence in any of these propositions they’re making,” Smith said.

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NEWS

Casa Ruby quietly closes and employees go unpaid, as the founder is MIA AMANDA MICHELLE GOMEZ DCist

Casa Ruby founder Ruby Corado speaking at a regional conference in El Salvador on LGBTQ+ rights. Photo courtesy of Ruby Corado

C

asa Ruby is a household name for providing services to the local LGBTQ community. A new report from the Washington Post alleges the decade-old nonprofit based in D.C. has failed to pay staff, their landlord, and some vendors before quietly closing this year and leaving vulnerable people without housing or other lifesaving care.

Casa Ruby has not formally announced the closure. The nonprofit makes no reference to it on its social media, or on its website. Someone momentarily shared the Post story on the nonprofit’s Instagram stories. As of Monday afternoon, their website says “Casa Ruby is open.” No one answers the phone number listed on the website, and their mailbox is full.

Casa Ruby was one of the few organizations offering housing to queer people in the District. D.C. is not opening a cityfunded shelter for LGBTQ adults until August, and only several nonprofits like the Latin American Youth Center and SMYAL offer transitional housing to queer young people.

Multiple Casa Ruby employees tell the Post that they have not been paid for several weeks, while the nonprofit’s landlord and some of its vendors, such as their security company, also say they are owed money. However, the nonprofit has received at least hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants and donations. Casa Ruby founder Ruby Corado is reportedly in sole control of the nonprofit’s bank accounts, and former staff and local officials seem to not have been able to reach her.

Tania Cordova, who managed programming for LGBTQ asylum seekers, told the Post that some clients and staff have relapsed since the nonprofit shuttered. Cordova and others who lived in the nonprofit’s transitional housing were forced to quickly relocate after suddenly being evicted in the spring.

“And mostly, we have all been addicted to alcohol or drugs, and we had overcome all these problems,” Cordova said. “But now, all this depression and everything that we are facing at

Casa Ruby has triggered our anxiety. The impact is not just financial. It’s emotional, mental and physical.”

At a press conference Monday morning, Mayor Muriel Bowser said she was sad to learn of what happened at Casa Ruby. “A lot of people here know Ruby and know the organization and especially knew the organization when it was doing work that nobody else was doing,” she said. “But I also know when we give hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars and if vendors aren’t getting paid, employees aren’t getting paid, we got a problem. … So I’m sad about it because that was an organization that has done good work. We have to figure out what happened and fix it.”

The nonprofit made headlines after the city’s Department of Human Services decided against renewing a large, sustaining grant for them last year. “Grant renewal decisions are based on ensuring accountability and continuity of quality services and the safety of our residents. We value the community organizations who deliver these services and honor the contributions of Casa Ruby,” said Director Laura Zeilinger in a statement to DCist/WAMU at the time.

Corado accused the D.C. government of effectively retaliating against her by denying the grant because “I didn’t kiss their ass.” She also said her nonprofit would have to halt its low-barrier shelter for queer people experiencing homelessness as a result. She later raised over $130,000 to keep the 50-bed shelter and 24-hour drop-off space open for clients, as well as to keep 30 people employed, most of whom are transgender or homeless themselves, according to the fundraising page.

She also raised another $108,585 after having disputes with the landlord of the shelter.

But the Post investigation complicates Corado’s claims. A person who worked at the shelter during that time, Denzel Mackall, said he was still laid off without notice. Meanwhile, the landlord of the Georgia Avenue space, Menkiti Group, told the Post that Casa Ruby owes more than a million dollars in

unpaid rent, as well as utilities and late fees. The nonprofit had disputes with landlords of other spaces it uses for transitional housing and other services too.

The founder stepped down as executive director shortly after the government contract was terminated. “I’m not leaving the girls … I’m just not going to be the main target anymore,” Corado said during a Facebook live video where she announced her resignation. She had been quite successful in her tenure, earning a six-figure salary by the time she exited her post.

She earned credibility in some communities according to the Washington Post, leading Nellie’s Sports Bar to hire her as their director of community engagement following calls to boycott the establishment. According to the associate general counsel in the executive office of the mayor, Cristina Sacco, Corado maintained control of the nonprofit’s finances. DHS did not immediately respond to further requests for comment.

Former Casa Ruby employees have not been in contact with Corado nor has the local government, according to the Post. “Ruby Corado is out of the country and we have not had contact with her,” reportedly said DHS deputy administrator Tania Mortensen in March 2021. Corado reportedly attended events in El Salvador in March of this year.

Several people who read the Post report said they were not surprised. “We have told folks about her for years,” tweeted Preston Mitchum, director of advocacy and government affairs with the Trevor Project. “It’s frustrating because I’ve been hearing these mismanagement rumors about Casa Ruby for years (way before the pandemic even), but it was still allowed to get to this crisis point and leave so many vulnerable,” tweeted Tracy Hadden Loh, a fellow with the Brookings Institution.

This article was originally published by DCist

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A snapshot of street papers in Latin America TONY INGLIS International Network of Street Papers

Photo courtesy of the International Network of Street Papers

S

treet papers have been present in Latin America for over 20 years, representing the diversity and scale of the street paper network. With active publications located in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Colombia, and with others present, at one time or another over INSP’s existence, in Uruguay and Peru, the ethos and mission of street papers to empower those who are experiencing homelessness, poverty and social exclusion is alive. Here, papers across the region tell us in their own words about their work, and what drives their existence.

Mi Valedor, Mexico City, Mexico “Mi Valedor is a social project that — through a bi-monthly magazine, workshops and the construction of healthy support networks – provides an opportunity to vulnerable groups, like those who are homeless, migrants, older adults and people with disabilities, for social and labour reintegration,” says the organisation’s director Arturo Soto.

“Those who sell the magazine are homeless people or lowincome people looking for an opportunity to get ahead. These people face different problems such as discrimination on the streets, including economic problems. The main one we deal with is exclusion from society.”

The magazine’s pages are “dedicated to documenting the wonder of a beautifully alive Mexico City, a place that is full of contradictions.”

Soto continues: “At Mi Valedor, we seek to create an environment of equality that benefits vulnerable populations, who join the project as supporters: sellers of the printed magazine and as content creators for it. Your participation continues your skill recovery process, and the sale is your legitimate and ongoing source of income.”

Revista Traços, Brasília, Brazil “Traços has been circulating for seven years spreading information and news about artistic and cultural initiatives in the city of Brasília,” says Juliana Valentim, the street paper’s editor-in-chief. Traços is one of the newest members of INSP’s network, joining last year.

“The outlet is known as a reference for artists and promoters of culture,” adds Valentim. “In addition, we are a social project

that works for the reintegration of homeless and vulnerable people into the field of work. From the sale of the magazine in places with large footfall (such as bars, restaurants and cultural spaces), the sellers — referred to by us as “cultural spokespeople” — manage to overcome a situation of extreme poverty, and pay for basic expenses such as housing, food and health.”

These “spokespeople for culture” come from different background. “They are people living on the streets or with a history of homelessness or extreme vulnerability, of all genders, ethnic origins and age over 18. They are linked to one or more institutions in our partners’ network, which may be social assistance, education, health, culture or public security.”

The award-winning magazine, which has recently also started operations in Rio de Janeiro, “addresses cultural diversity as its main theme and promotes a timely intervention in the field of social policies, considering the potential of culture to promote substantial social and economic changes.

Traços offers information on cultural programming, interviews with local and national artists, as well as material on records, books, exhibitions, plays, films, and photography. Recently, the effects of tourism has been a key subject.”

Aurora da Rua, Salvador, Brazil Aurora da Rua, a street paper based out of the city of Salvador in the Brazilian region of Bahia, has been running for 15 years, having been established in 2007. Originally published on newsprint, it later became a magazine in 2018, and is published bi-monthly by a team of volunteers.

“The salespeople are the most important though, more than the product,” says the street paper’s founder and director Henrique Guyader.

“Our themes always have to do with homeless people: their beauties, their challenges, their joys and pains, their achievements, their dreams. They make the voices and faces of an invisible people audible and visible. In 15 years publishing, we have gathered a unique collection of topics about homeless people,” he says enthusiastically about the magazine’s editorial outlook.

“Our vendors are all from the street or have passed through the streets. Over the course of 15 years, more than 350 homeless people have benefited from the paper in various ways, not just through income generation: gaining self-esteem, work training, autonomy, confidence, medical and psychological

assessments. We have a code of conduct that was prepared by the first salespeople, is updated each year by themselves, and is published in the magazine, alongside a profile of a vendor in each edition.

“Many pass through the magazine and go on to new paths afterwards. It’s as if the magazine was their first step towards insertion in wider society, in work, getting them back with the family.

“A great difficulty we encounter is chemical dependence. For this, our salespeople have the full support of the community of the magazine, with medical, psychiatric, and psychological care. Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous organizations also work at the Aurora da Rua headquarters. We also offer shelter to those who are still on the streets and start selling the magazine through an accompanying housing project completes. It’s about allowing them autonomy and dignity.”

Recent innovations at Aurora da Rua, which all in engages with 40 people including staff, volunteers and vendors, have included a partnership with local government to ensure the street paper can be sold in waiting rooms and bus platforms, where footfall is especially high (up to 30,000 people at the city bus station). People can also support through individual and corporate subscriptions.

Ocas”, São Paulo, Brazil São Paulo-based street paper Ocas” is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Over that time, it has been publishing cultural and social articles “We have vendors who have lived in the city for a while and have been selling the magazine for ten years,” says Ocas” editor Alan Faria. “There are other who buy magazines to sell them in addition to other jobs to increase their income.

“The magazine is produced exclusively by volunteers (editors, journalists, photographers and designers), meeting virtually to decide what we are going to write about, though of course we have a physical place vendors can come to purchase copies to take out to sell.

“The main things we cover are cultural events such as exhibitions, with artist interviews, and social and political stories about LGBTQI+, homeless rights and racism.”

Hecho en Bs. As., Buenos Aires, Argentina “Hecho en Bs. As. (HBA) is an independent magazine sold in the streets by homeless or jobless people,” says one of the paper’s editors, Micaela Ortelli. The project was founded in 2000 by Patricia Merkin, a long-time champion of street papers. Sadly, she passed away in 2020. The magazine has been at the forefront of producing journalism on environmental issues., with a focus on the community economy, human rights and culture too.

“HBA provides these people the opportunity to earn an income, as well as a learning environment and a context for social relations,” continues Ortelli. “Most of the vendors have been selling the paper for a long time. HBA is like a family to them.”

Courtesy of the International Network of Street Papers

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NEWS

Is DC’s heat plan working for people experiencing homelessness?

ANNEMARIE CUCCIA, HANNAH LODER AND HOLLY RUSCH Staff Reporter and Editorial Interns

The Palisades Recreation Center is a confirmed public cooling center on the D.C. heat plan, but has a sign on its door that reads, “Facility is closed during camp hours. We open at 6 p.m.” Photo by Hannah Loder

T

he tent Chris Cole lived in was a sauna. It wasn’t even 7 a.m. and she could already feel the sun. Her thin roof offered little protection as the temperature outside climbed to 95 degrees. She could hardly breathe. She had to get indoors. ”There’s no relief — there’s nothing you can do but get cold water,” said Cole, a Street Sense vendor who used to live outside.

On those days, Cole often headed to the Downtown Day Services Center, which operates as a cooling center for the public during heat emergencies.

For the second year in a row, Street Sense conducted an audit of cooling centers listed in the city’s summer heat plan.

Up to two-fifths of D.C.’s 44 designated cooling centers are not fully operational. Those that are functioning have limited hours, and none are open on Sundays except in extreme circumstances. What’s more, eight of the 10 vendors Street Sense surveyed said they either weren’t aware of the centers or didn’t feel comfortable going.

D.C.’s temperature has hit 95 degrees — the specified threshold for a heat emergency — 22 times this summer.

Mayor Muriel Bowser declared the first on May 20, and the most recent on July 25. During these emergencies, designated locations across the city are supposed to open as cooling centers for members of the public to access air conditioning, in addition to their usual function as community or recreation centers. Outreach workers check on people living outdoors and distribute bottled water. D.C.’s shelter hotline provides limited on-demand transportation to shelters with open beds.

This year’s heat plan suggests people in need of relief from the extreme temperatures visit five low-barrier shelters, 44 cooling centers, six senior wellness centers, seven indoor pools, 18 outdoor pools, 34 kiddie pools and splash parks, and 26 libraries. Shelters and cooling centers are the only facilities listed in the section of the plan that addresses resources available to people experiencing homelessness.

Senior centers are exclusively for people over 60, and pools

and splash parks don’t offer many cooling options other than the water.

Street Sense Media journalists called the five low-barrier shelters and 44 cooling centers listed in the plan and, after identifying themselves as reporters, asked about their availability as a place for the public to come in and cool off.

Nearly three-fifths of the cooling centers — 25 of the 44 — told Street Sense they are open during heat emergencies.

Sixteen were unsure of their status as a cooling center or had some limitations, two said they were not a cooling center, and one did not respond to multiple calls. While some designated centers are not following the heat plan, more are adhering to it than last year, when only half confirmed they were cooling centers.

The D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation operates most of the 16 centers with unclear status. A department spokesperson told Street Sense all the locations are open for cooling, but employees at seven sites said people were welcome to visit but only for short periods of time. Some sites indicated that the cooling centers were open to the public only after summer programming for youth ended, around 6 p.m. Eight insisted they were not cooling centers.

Street Sense Media also spoke with D.C.’s shelter transportation hotline, where personnel confirmed the availability of transportation to shelters and cooling centers during heat emergencies.

D.C.’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) did not respond to requests for comment by publication.

When cooling centers aren’t operational Regardless of the number of functional cooling sites, people experiencing homelessness don’t always have somewhere to go. In April, the D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness conducted a review of the city’s heat plan and identified a major shortfall the city did not address with an

update to the heat plan: All of the cooling centers are closed on Sundays.

“Folks in the homeless community are homeless seven days a week,” Robert Warren, a Street Sense vendor and member of the ICH Executive Committee, said in an interview. “If it’s 100 degrees on Sunday and everything is closed where you can go cool off at, and everybody is at home in their cool homes, then folks are still out there suffering.”

All of D.C.’s low-barrier shelters are currently open 24/7, but options for people who live outdoors are limited. While some libraries are open from 1-5 p.m. on Sundays, many impose a limit on bags, which means unsheltered residents can’t bring all of their belongings with them. During the heat wave over the weekend of July 23, D.C.’s three day centers expanded their operations to include Sunday hours, but that’s not a permanent policy.

There are also sparse options on Saturdays after 1 p.m. and weekdays after 5 p.m. Some cooling centers Street Sense called gave different hours than the ones outlined in the heat plan, often closing at 5 p.m. instead of the listed times of 6:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. Most heat emergencies start around 11 a.m. and last until at least 6 p.m.

“It can be 99 degrees at 5 o’clock, and you’re closing,” Warren said of the resulting disconnect. “And the sun is beaming, and people still might need to be in there, in a cooling center, until at least sunset.”

When cooling centers aren’t enough Daniel Ball, another Street Sense vendor, has experienced periods of unsheltered homelessness in D.C. But he had never heard about the option to go to a cooling center.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard of that,” he said.

In fact, eight of 10 Street Sense vendors surveyed said they hadn’t heard of cooling centers and didn’t know where to go to find one. That could be why most cooling centers see few visitors. Sites that confirmed their status as cooling

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 9

D.C.'S 2022

Cooling Centers Cooling centers... are places you can go to get air conditioning when it's over 95 degrees.

A map with dots indicating all designated cooling centers in the DC heat plan. The green dots mean yes, the locations are functioning as cooling centers. Map by Annemarie Cuccia

centers do not keep a detailed record of who uses their facilities, but some said no one has come in yet this summer while others provided an estimate in the single digits.

Cole found out about the Downtown Day Center at 1313 New York Ave. NW from passersby who were mutual aid workers.

People living downtown may be more likely to know about the day center, Warren said. More may have heard they can duck into a library or recreation center, but not know about specifics of the heat plan.

The city could build awareness around cooling centers by posting information near where unsheltered people sleep, Warren suggested. But he understands why some people might choose not to go to a cooling center.

The Downtown Day Center was always crowded when Cole went there, and Warren said some people worry about contracting COVID-19 since the building doesn’t have a mask mandate.

Given that not all cooling centers allow people to bring belongings in, people who sleep outside are left to choose whether to cool off or keep their possessions safe. And centers that don’t normally serve people experiencing homelessness may come across as unwelcoming or even discriminatory.

Given these concerns, Warren is hoping the city can come up with more cooling options that are outdoors. One possibility, he pointed out, is to stop conducting encampment removals in the summertime – particularly in shaded areas. D.C. has conducted several encampment evictions over the last year, including one at New Jersey Avenue and O Street NW. The park there has several large trees, which encampment residents could sleep or sit under. With the encampment closed, there’s one less place for people experiencing homelessness to get cool.

Warren would like to see more outdoor spaces such as Franklin Park used to distribute cold water; Cole suggested handing out batteryoperated fans as well. While the United Planning Organization, which provides help to low-income residents, already passes out water as part of its outreach, Warren said adding a few central locations would be helpful. The need is great,

he said: When he’s conducted outreach during the summer, he has never come back with any leftover water.

What to do in a heat emergency D.C. is likely to experience several more heat waves this summer. AlertDC has a portal where users can sign up to receive text messages and email updates on emergencies. Street Sense also maintains a spreadsheet and map of operational cooling centers. D.C.’s shelter hotline — reached at 202-399-7093 or 311 — can arrange transportation to a shelter or cooling center for people who may be suffering from heat exhaustion.

According to HSEMA’s publications, residents should be on the lookout for signs of heat cramps, exhaustion and stroke. Cramps are an early sign a body is suffering from the heat, according to the Mayo Clinic, and present as pains in the legs or abdomen. If experiencing cramps, rest and cool down, drink water or electrolytes, and gently stretch the affected area.

Heat exhaustion is more severe, and causes ashen skin, headaches, nausea, dizziness, sweating, weakness, fast or weak pulse, cramps and chills, according to HSEMA and ReadyDC. If suffering from heat exhaustion, rest in the shade or inside, drink water, and remove any extra clothing.

Heat stroke is the life-threatening result of ignoring heat exhaustion. The condition causes high body temperature, red skin, loss of consciousness, fast shallow breathing, confusion, vomiting and seizures, according to HSEMA and ReadyDC. If someone may be experiencing heat stroke, call 911 immediately and apply a cold compress. Do not drink water while experiencing heat stroke.

Hope Davis contributed reporting.

This article was co-published with The DC Line.

Here's a few that should be open: CENTER

HOURS ADDRESS

Downtown Day Services Center

M-F: 9-5 SAT: 10-3

1313 New York Ave, NW

801 East Day Center

M-F: 7-7 SAT: 9-1

2722 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE

Adams Place Day Center

M-F: 7-7

2210 Adams Place, NE

Marion Barry Building

M-F: 7:305:30

441 4th Street, NW

Volta Park Recreation

M-F: 11-7

1555 34th Street, NW

Raymond Recreation

M-F: 12-7 SAT: 9-12

3725 10th Street, NW

Sherwood Recreation

M-F: 10-9 SAT: 9-5

640 10th Street, NE

Fort Stanton Recreation

M-F: 10-9 SAT: 9-5

1812 Erie Street, SE

Benning Stoddart Recreation

M-F: 10-9 SAT: 9-5

100 Stoddart Place, SE

Need more options?

Scan this QR code with your phone camera to see the full list of cooling centers.

1 0 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // J U LY 2 7 - A U G U S T 2 , 2 0 2 2

OPINION

Ending homelessness would cost far less than treating it BELLE REN

I

'm calling for a war.

This nation seems to love spending its money on wars. Right now it already seems to be waging war on the homeless. I propose we switch targets. Instead of waging war on the homeless, I'd like us to begin waging war on the conditions that create homelessness. The people without homes are not the problem.

The factors that make them incapable of finding homes and the trauma they endure while waiting for assistance is the problem.

I was a substitute teacher before the pandemic. My unemployment benefits were cut off in June 2021 — a month during which there was no hope of returning to my previous employment even if I wanted to. So I sought other avenues. I looked for friends to live with. Family was not a safe option.

I wasn't offered any resources to help with paying my rent, so I had nowhere to go.

Unfortunately, I was in no condition to be working anywhere either. The pandemic had gutted my life: four deaths, a very traumatic break-up, and the loss of the place I'd been renting for the previous two years. My 20-year-old car had no air conditioning and was beginning to really feel its age. But I was trying. An Uber Eats background check lingered in limbo until after I had to make the hard decision to let go of my car and pack my things into storage and go looking for another way forward.

“Unfortunately, I was in no condition to be working anywhere either. The pandemic had gutted my life: Four deaths, a very traumatic break-up, and the loss of the place I’d been renting for the previous two years.”

I probably could have qualified for disability payments. But that, too, is a six-month process and I was trying to find a way to survive. Easing access to disability would be a huge help

to people experiencing homelessness. I think a lot of trouble could be saved by conditionally approving access to any benefit and then allowing someone to prove their need for it. The alternative is contrary to our own principles of justice in this country. We supposedly assume innocence until proof of guilt, but for the crime of being unable to work we sentence people to unsafe living conditions. Then, we force them to prove themselves innocent of wrongdoing or malingering before they are entitled to a basic standard of living.

Also, the government shouldn’t have cut benefits until their own offices were once again open and operating normally.

What business does the government have telling me that I should be out working when its own offices are holding up my access to work? It took 43 days to finish a process that took two weeks pre-pandemic. If they're not back to business as usual, why am I expected to be?

This is how I found myself wandering the streets of Washington, D.C. on July 4, 2022, without enough money for a safe place to sleep. It wasn't the first time this happened in the last year. I ventured out of my home state in search of ways to earn with whatever tools I had at my disposal. This led me to a series of cities where I struggled to keep a roof over my head in hostels, sometimes ending up on the streets or in shelters.

On this night, it was the streets, because the D.C. shelters were full. I no longer felt safe in the encampment on McPherson Square where I briefly resided. Someone died there recently and I haven't been back since. I looked for a shaded place to lay my blanket. A friend was supposed to be helping me with a tent today, but that night I had to make do with a blanket. I made my bed near Dupont Circle. And as I discovered shortly after laying down, I had missed the cockroaches. I must have made my bed on a nest of them for what came next. I'm allergic to them. Not ten minutes after laying down I was covered in blotches. Swollen patches of skin. Itching everywhere.

I am a former EMT, and didn’t want to call 911 if I could make it there under my own steam. I didn't want to waste public resources on an ambulance. Nevertheless, public resources were wasted last night. My visit last night probably cost more than double what a month of shelter would cost. A low-cost 24/7 urgent care with a hotline to call for transportation could have helped. But the emotional and physical damage from this ordeal is immeasurable. The only way to reduce it is to find a way to offer safer places to sleep than outdoors.

The public resources that aren't being spent to house me are being spent elsewhere. The public resources that could be helping me get back on my feet are instead being used to

Join the conversation, share your views •

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treat injury and illness that never would have happened to someone with a roof over their head. Why are we so penny wise and pound foolish? In an effort to spend less on sheltering the homeless, we cost ourselves so much more in treating the symptoms of homelessness. That price tag includes the cost exacted in human suffering.

“The public resources that aren’t being spent to house me are being spent elsewhere.”

It's a travesty, really. The public pays more to keep us homeless than they'd pay to give us homes. The math checks out. My suffering is more costly to the taxpayers of this country than my comfort and financial rehabilitation would be. A homeless person costs approximately $30,000-$50,000 per year in supportive services. Two years of that is enough to pay for an entire house in some cities. There are about 500,000 homeless individuals in the U.S. The price tag to treat the malady of homelessness works out at least $15 billion per year. How does it make any sense not to just fix it? I'm a first generation college graduate. I devoted my life to public service up until I slipped through the cracks — more like gaping chasms — in the social safety net to end up here. And I'm pretty peeved about it.

People die on housing waiting lists. Six months is the minimum wait for housing that I've heard. In D.C., they’re still housing people who’ve been on the list since 2004. I've tried living in the shelters. They're dangerous and crowded and just all around not healthy places to be. Again,our suffering costs more than our comfort and healing would.

All around me I see the conditions people point to as the root cause of the plight of homelessness. Mental illness. Drug addiction. I wonder how it is that people think anyone deserves this. Addiction and mental illness are signs of trauma. And how much of it is actually caused by the condition of homelessness?

Why haven't we stopped this yet? Why are we continuing to allow this drain on our society, both in terms of financial cost — and in terms of the cost to our human potential?

Belle Ren is a vendor with Street Sense Media.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

Breath of fresh air ANDRE BRINSON Artist/Vendor

When summer comes for the people of the streets, it’s like a breath of fresh air from the cold living outside. I lived on the street for eight years straight; others on the streets taught me how to keep my clothes dry during the rainy days by packing belongings in bags and turning it upside down. It’s not good when all your clothes get wet, living on the streets, that’s a disaster. From summer to winter, the change is difficult, because cold air is terrible for the homeless. I never slept at shelters; I always slept at a church, knowing that if something were to happen to me while I am sleeping, I felt I would be close to God. True story, true thoughts, my biggest issue is that the police in 2015 to 2016 were very ugly to the homeless people on the streets, but that’s another story in itself.

My situation has gotten much better. Thank God for the people that encourage me to stay strong and help me push through.

Corner of darkness (Need for safe restrooms) CHRIS COLE Artist/Vendor

During my homelessness, I’ve had to use the restroom in some really embarrassing places. Any unhoused person can tell you about the horrors of not making it on time or nearly soiling yourself. Not to mention the lack of safety.

I vividly remember an attack that happened to me, because of trying to find a safe place to urinate at night. I was at a bus stop that was well lit, but it was about 9 p.m. and very dark outside. My bus was delayed and I knew I couldn’t wait.

I looked behind the bus stop to see bushes and a corner of privacy where I thought I could handle my business. There were three men at the bus stop, so I wasn’t alone, and I didn’t feel afraid.

That couldn’t have been further from the truth. As I stepped into that corner of darkness, I dropped down and quickly relieved myself. As I began to pull up my pants, I heard quick movements as the bushes around me parted, and one of the men from the bus stop approached. I yelled in horror and told him, “Get back!” and that, “I wasn’t finished.”

Before I could even finish the words and get my pants all the way up, this large young man tackled me. He seemed so angry. I can still remember the whites of his eyes and his pupils looking wild.

He tackled me to the ground, sat on my stomach and started to pummel my face.

I tried to block and defend my face as best I could, but his punches were coming too quickly. I screamed and cried as the other two men from the bus stop just watched me through the dirt glass of the bus hut. I was so hurt. This man was still punching me as I tried to scratch his face and block his hands. With surprising speed he grabbed my head and slammed it backwards into the ground.

I started to see blackness and became dizzy. I was sure I would pass out. I could hear him and feel him start to fumble with his belt buckle as someone else finally started to yell from the distance.

He quickly got up as if nothing had happened and ran to a bike that had been propped up against the bus hut. He rode away, and I never saw him again.

I laid there for a couple of minutes and cried, as I tried to assess my injuries by running my fingers over my swollen face, but I became so distracted by how much blood there was that I rallied myself to get up off the ground. I finally zipped and buttoned my pants.

I cried and yelled at the men who did nothing to call 911, and surprise, surprise they did nothing again. After flagging down someone who cared enough to help me call 911, I was seen at the hospital for a broken nose, concussion, cuts and bruises, and a dislocated finger.

And to think, I was so lucky, because I could have been further assaulted or died.

All of this stemmed from not having a safe place to use the restroom.

// 11

What I have learned since becoming homeless COREY SANDERS Artist/Vendor

I learned being homeless can happen to anyone, I learned being homeless is really no fun, I learned being homeless is not just a state of mind, I learned being homeless can sometimes leave you confined, I learned being homeless can sometimes have you dreaming to be rich, I learned being homeless will make you protective of your own ditch.

I never thought that being homeless could turn you into a man, until I woke out of that homeless state I was in and said, “I can get out of this; I can.”

I don’t want to be homeless no more, the end

The seed (or, the essence of resolve) FREDERIC JOHN Artist/Vendor

My dad wiggled a wise finger, “There, you see son?

He forced it…

Shouldn’t force anything — not machines, nor nature.”

My dad inveighed Do not force. But, instead, Allow, for what the good lord

Elaboration for why we don’t snitch REDBOOK MANGO Artist/Vendor

“Officer, I saw the whole thing” Doesn’t that title have a ring ‘Cause in D.C., if you snitch, You’re considered a rat, not a king Snitches get found in ditches, For exposing someone’s business See no evil and hear no evil Now it’s open and shut repeat what I don’t know what you’re talking about If you saw something, and you want To live, Don’t give information to the cops, Or someone might put a hit in your head

Trust no one but God, not even your mama cease-fire, don’t smoke the brothers Just like my company D.C. dream team A violence protection program, the youth is our dreams MBYLI was a program I was in To become an entrepreneur and only work for him See when his son died, I must admit “Officer, I saw the whole thing,” right Now I would be dead and killed, Vengeance ain’t mine, I saw nothing, I lied God is the hitter and that why he spared me my life “Officer, I saw the whole thing,” No you didn’t, You try snitching, Your name on paperwork Stand on it; in D.C., you ain’t safe, Never go to protective custody If you love your life, just pretend you saw nothing.

1 2 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // J U LY 2 7 - A U G U S T 2 , 2 0 2 2

ART

Working in the seams

What is love to me?

KYM PARKER

LEVESTER GREEN

Artist/Vendor

Artist/Vendor

Love, to me, gives me hope.

It shows me I can be a selfless being.

Would you do anything for love?

I know I will.

Sometimes, I use it. Other days, I don’t.

But, it was always given to me in a selfless way.

Love. Unconditional love lets us all know where we stand.

It shows right or wrong; it gives strength to the poor and the weak.

To live with it is unconditional, to live without it is wrong.

It helps us when we have states of depression, hate and sadness.

It hits us.

It helps.

Love is true.

I was somewhat of a modeling talent scout, as I did an interview with an agency way back. I can’t quite recall their name. I shot my shot straight out of high school as a model with a talent agency out Tyson’s Corner in ‘91. It was a great interview as I attempted to read a poem but I was still fresh, as this was about the time that I had brought my first poem “Love maker” into existence. I didn’t exactly knock it out of the park but still, my personality shined through! I had the same issue then with my size and girth so I didn’t make it as a model but I was very much so interested in becoming a talent scout as it was more in tune with me. As I would still go about acquiring such said talented friends anyway. Only, I didn’t have any resources to offer, as I find myself saying even currently in the homeless community as possibly an outreach guy or person of contact. So, no, it doesn’t quite work for me, still! But yeah, especially by me eventually linking up with the studio and more talented individuals.

Don’t let me go on about how they’ll backstab you when you do look out for them or let them in the door. How the hell did I become a bum, huh man!?

Inner city blues make me wanna holler

Summer breeze MICHELE ROCHON Artist/Vendor

The joy of summer lying on a beach, watching seagulls fly over your head, feeling the cool sand run through your toes, having someone pour your coffee, watching children play in the sand.

Oh, how I can’t wait to get back to these days!

LATICIA BROCK Artist/Vendor

Now you know what the old saying is “I brought you up in this world, and I will take you out,” If I chastise my kid, you better not pout You disrespect me once, I’ll beat you with a switch I can be the sweetest woman in the world And shower you with kisses It’s my duty to take care of you Until you are grown But ain’t no child gonna disrespect my home You never bite the hand that feed you Is what I was told because the same ones You mistreat might have to take care of you When you get old But just like Marvin Gaye said In his song on the have-nots Make me wanna holler the way they do My life because the way my tent city babies Live, I know it ain’t right.

I don’t wanna see nobody sleeping in the tents But not being accepted by your own parents Can sometimes push you to the streets But if you are the mayor, it’s your duty to help Out the homeless, not spoon feed my babies And only come out when it gets ugly.

Now you and your girlfriend adopted Ya’ll beautiful baby Now can I have a budget so I can help My tent city babies. Ya’ll politicians Looking like new money, but my babies Sitting out there rotting, dying without getting housing And we can’t keep a cell phone to keep up with the news Pwezzy is Little Marvin Gaye The finest inner city blues.

Why the hat PHILLIP BLACK Artist/Vendor

Everywhere I go, people always want to know, why do you wear the hat?

Well, many years ago I was working in Tenleytown on Dr. Seuss’s birthday, which is on March 2. I was doing a speaking engagement and most of the kids were wearing Dr. Seuss hats. One of the kids from the Jannie school asked me if I wanted one. And I said, “Sure.”

It was kind of cool having it on. It was so hard trying to get the hat to stand up. So I ended up using a newspaper to prop it open. (By the way, I have the who Dr. Seuss suit).

The Cat in the Hat is my logo, and it’s a lot of fun. The kids just love it. I go everywhere with that hat: to parties, football and baseball games. Now you know, I am the hat, the one and only cat in the hat.

Flower power JACKIE TURNER Artist/Vendor

I wish I was a flower, sitting in the grass, making the place look good, showing off my beauty, growing and waiting for the bees to spread my seeds

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 1 3

A letter to Street Sense Media WARREN STEVENS Artist/Vendor

This is a long hot summer. People are taking their kids out swimming or keeping them in the house. I am drinking plenty of water. I am also going to the pool around the corner where I live. August is hotter than July. I enjoy watching the fireworks on TV on the Fourth of July. My son and his family are doing fine. He and his girlfriend got together with family and friends over the holiday. The next holiday is Labor Day in September. Stay safe with love.

I believe what he says

Adjusting back to the community

RITA SAULS Artist/Vendor

RONALD SMOOT Artist/Vendor

I believe what God says to me, every word and every promise he keeps. When I’m high on the mountain top, I know who put me there. When I’m low in the valley, I know he sees me there, keeping me in his care. His never ending love will never change, he’s the same for always. On all days, just observe his sabbath, that means everything. Yes, you can work, and you can play, but not on that day. It’s for resting and meditating on his word. Read the scriptures on that day, give him thanks, then watch him rank you above every limit, obstacle or hurdle that’s in your path, like hard math, like an unachievable task, like corona without a mask. He will forgive your sins and give you a pass. So, believe what God says to you, and in your heart be true, then watch him make you new.

I’ve been home for four months, and I’ve accomplished most of the things I had to do. A new ID, replacing my birth certificate, a new social security card, and getting all of the other documents. I keep going to mental health, maybe they will help me get a high paying job. I keep my medical appointments and also take care of my housing appointments. I’ve been talking to my lawyer about my housing issues, because I’ve been gone for some time now and am adjusting back into the community. I take it one day at a time, so I can get the rest of my life back together. My mental health team is sending me back to RSA rehabilitation program for employment, which I hope will help me get a good, high paying job. I need a job to help me achieve my goals. I also need to obtain my driver’s license, so I can save transportation money, because it is hard for me. I also want to be an individual entrepreneur, because I am tired of working for other people. None of this will happen for me, if I don’t maintain my sobriety; that is an absolute must, and I’ve been doing it, so I can feel more positive and more confident in myself, because it’s very hard.

Above the law ROBERT WARREN Artist/Vendor

Okay, what can one man say? Would the DOJ have charged Obama yesterday and today and tomorrow? On that day after? I pray for righteousness and justice for every man, that no man is above our Lord’s laws, even the one with all the charm, who never tells a lie.

I pledge allegiance to the flag, only in America. How will the Republicans stand to be governed by one man? How will democracy bring forth justice today? Everyone should be held accountable for their crimes, no more lies.

Have you heard of a president who told his people over 35,000 lies? A woman died, who once served her country with honor, to say there was no blood on his hands, who really planned Jan. 6? And, where was the cover, and who was the commanderin-chief? If he runs again, will it be for the border, will justice ever come to one man who is not above the law, or is he?

How do we forget what we hear with our own ears? We all saw the confederate flag flying high in the Capitol building, tell me who lived and invited his people? He told them he loved them and peacefully now go home. Black lives matter, he told to stand down and brought troops to a church to shut them all down.

Once upon a time Chocolate City was mine, not the Proud Boys’. A president’s toy soldiers to Make America Great Again.

Tell me, when we were not the greatest nation on earth? MAGA, can you please open your eyes and see you have been conned by a snake oil man, who had a plan to stay in power, but he forgot that no man is above the law, or is he?

HELP! WE’RE LOOKING FOR

volunteers Become a Street Sense Media volunteer and help further our mission to empower people experiencing homelessness.

Get to know the vendors and make a difference in their lives and yours!

You’ll support hard-working newspaper vendors by volunteering your time, four hours a week, distributing newspapers at the Street Sense Media office.

If interested, please contact Thomas Ratliff thomas@streetsensemedia.org 202-347-2006 (x103) For more information about these opportunities and other volunter positions, visit StreetSenseMedia.org/volunteer

OnlineCrosswords.net This 1 4 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // J U LY 2 7 - A U G U S T 2 , 2 0 2 2is the Daily Crossword Puzzle #2 for Jul 18, 2022

Find the solution at https://onlinecrosswords.net/7514

FUN & GAMES

Across Across 1. Part of a doorway 1. Part of a doorway 5. Defect 5. Defect attack 9. Prolonged 9. Prolonged attack Easy Sudoku Puzzles by KrazyDad, Volume 19, Book 11 14. London Magazine 14. London Magazine essayist essayist 15. Misplace 15. Misplace 16. "Circle of Life" singer 16. “Circle of Life” singer John John 17. Emulate a raindrop 17. Emulate a raindrop 20.20.

Work Worka aform form 21.21.

Splits Splitsup upevenly evenly 22.22.

Occupational suffix Occupational suffix 23.23.

Moll Flanders' Moll Flanders’ creator creator 24. 24.

Avoid fire Avoidincoming incoming fire 28. 28.

Type Typeofoflog log Rumford-to-Bangor dir. dir.

32. 32.

Rumford-to-Bangor Versesof of tribute tribute 33.33.

Verses Novafollower follower 34.34.

Nova 36.

To any extent 36. To any extent 38.

Right away 38. Right away ChichenItza Itza attraction 40.40.

Chichen attraction 41. Grayish green 41. Grayish green 43. Breaker 43. Breaker 45. Mediocre mark 45. Mediocre mark 46. Bit of residue 46.47.

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-- Billy Connolly

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.

Author Gene Weingarten is a college dropout and a nationally syndicated humor columnist for The Washington Post. Author Dan Weingarten is a former college dropout and a current college student majoring in information technology. Many thanks to Gene Weingarten and The Washington Post Writers Group for allowing Street Sense to run Barney & Clyde.

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