August 5-11, 2009 by StreetWise

V O L . 17 N O . 32

2 Buy StreetWise only from a badged vendor

A U G U S T 5 - A U G U S T 11, 2009

YOUR CITY FROM THE STREETS

M I S S I O N: TO

H E L P P E O P L E H E L P T H E M S E LV E S TO S E L F - S U F F I C I E N C Y T H R O U G H G A I N F U L E M P L OY M E N T

From the Director By Bruce Crane Executive Director

Like most businesses, we strive to have our public perception match our reality. Sometimes, what a business does goes beyond the scope of what the public generally knows. This is true with StreetWise as well. We have long been associated with the homeless, and rightly so. Though most of the people who come to us are homeless, most of the StreetWise vendors have found stable housing and are not homeless. They couldn’t have done this without three ingredients: their hard work, your support through purchasing StreetWise magazine, and the resources at StreetWise. The first two are pretty well understood by the public. Most buyers of the magazine recognize the work and determination of the vendors and encourage and assist them by purchasing the publication. Surveys have told us that it is the third ingredient—the resources StreetWise provides—that is less well known. Much of what we do is to prevent homelessness, either from happening to an individual, or from reoccurring to an individual. Homelessness often is a chronic problem that reoccurs for impoverished men and women. Using StreetWise resources, most vendors are able to break that cycle and attain permanent housing. The second most important item for me as

Executive Director is to expand those services so we can assist more individuals, and serve them more fully, increasing both the magnitude and breadth of the help we can offer. Unfortunately, the first most important item for me is fundraising, for without that, we can do little else. But as our fundraising activities have incremental success, so can the services we offer expand in turn. Most of our vendors have complex educational needs. In order for educational programs to be successful with them, they need experienced tutors and understanding mentors to help them take advantage of the educational opportunity. We have embarked on creating partnerships with colleges and agencies to expand the educational opportunities for our vendors. We have also been forging partnerships with universities that can meet the vendors’ ongoing needs for graduate student interns for the assistance they need. We have computer workstations for the vendors to use in their coursework. We supply clothing not only for everyday life, but for job interviews as well. Coupled together, these ingredients will make more of our vendors successful in getting the education and preparation so important to today’s employers. When they may obtain full time employment, they truly become part of the solution to homelessness. And in the process we hope you, our public, gain more insight into what StreetWise does. We strive to end homelessness one vendor at a time and one StreetWise customer at a time.

Tune in to StreetWise Street Scene Join us every Thursday at 4:30 for our CAN-TV21 call-show, now in its 6th season! 2

W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

STREETWISE STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/PUBLISHER BRUCE CRANE BCRANE@STREETWISE.ORG EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SUZANNE HANNEY SUZANNESTREETWISE@YAHOO.COM DIRECTOR OF DISTRIBUTION GREG PRITCHETT GPRITCHETT14@YAHOO.COM

& VENDOR SERVICES

PRODUCTION & MARKETING MANAGER BEN COOK BCOOK@STREETWISE.ORG DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT GRACE FEDERIGHI GRACE@STREETWISE.ORG

ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVES D. MARTINEZ MARY FAITH HILBOLDT PROOFREADER ROBERT CASS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS ROB FEDERIGHI—PRESIDENT CHICAGOBROKER.COM

JUDD LOFCHIE—FOUNDER LOFCHIE & ASSOCIATES, INC.

PETE KADENS—VICE PRESIDENT SOCORE ENERGY

ADAM MEEK BROWNFILED MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES

JUDD R. HORWITZ—TREASURER JUDD R. HORWITZ & CO. P.C. RAY GILLETTE—SECRETARY NONPROFIT CONSULTING LEE BARRIE KURMAN COMMUNICATIONS, INC. RICHARD BOYKIN BARNES & THORNBURG LLP

JASON MERSEY J.P. MORGAN TIMOTHY RAY NEAL, GERBER & EISENBERG LLP JONATHAN REINSDORF STONEGATE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, LLC

ERIC BRINKMOELLER OVERSEAS STRATEGIES, LLC

PATRICIA TILLMAN VENDOR REPRESENTATIVE

DANNY K. DAVIS U.S. CONGRESSMAN, 7TH DISTRICT, ILLINOIS

KEVIN WARD THE FORWARD GROUP

PAM FRYE RETIRED JOHN J. LEONARD MORGAN STANLEY

ERIC WEINHEIMER CARA PROGRAM IRA WILLIAMS CEDA

STREETWISE IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY AND IS SOLD BY THE POOR AND HOMELESS OF CHICAGO. STREETWISE IS A REGISTERED 501(C)3 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION AND IS A MEMBER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN STREET NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION.

1201 W. LAKE, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60607 OFFICE: 312.829.2526 FAX: 312.829.2623

A U G U S T 5-A U G U S T 11, 2009

On the Street 2016 Olympic Community Talk

Chicago 2016 takes its case for Olympic Games to South Shoreâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and faces a dubious crowd. page

StreetWise Events Lollapalooza Rundown Bud Billiken Parade and picnic Wrigleyville Summerfest, Ginza Festival and a musical reimagining of the 1972 camp disaster flick Poseidon Adventure.

page

Entrepreneur Spotlight

Chicagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Latino Homeless

Learning to fly again Edward Becvarik is weathering the fallout of the economic storm and the effects of his past decisions through the undescriminating opportunity found at StreetWise.

Facing increasing homelessness, Latino immigrants are turning to their own family members, churches and community for support, thus escaping page official counts.

page

news

streetwise

entertainment

volunteer

INSP page 5 This Week in Chicago page 7 Cover Story page 10-13

The Playground page 14 Vendor Profile page 15

Ginny & the Chef page 6 DineWise page 6 Event Calendar page 8-9

Volunteer Chicago

A U G U S T 5-A U G U S T 11, 2009

W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

Online at www.streetwise.org

From the Streets: Chicago 2016 hard sell WWW.DEVIANTART.COM

By Shea Gibbs StreetWise Contributor

t a recent neighborhood meeting of South Shore residents, there was vocal opposition to the proposed 2016 Summer Olympics. It’s not that residents don’t want the games to come to Chicago—they just want to make sure the Olympics benefit their neighborhood. “Where’s our guarantee?” asked Douglas Brown, an area man who was among more than 100 individuals who attended the July 15 meeting at the South Shore Cultural Center. It offered residents of the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th wards a chance to come out and respond to a presentation given by Chicago 2016, a nonprofit launched to attract the Olympics to the Windy City. Chicago’s currently in the running with Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, and Madrid to host the 2016 summer games; the host city will be voted on and decided by the International Olympic Committee on October 2. According to Chicago 2016, hosting the games would be a boon to the infrastructure—not to mention the coffers—of Chicago, and residents have nothing to worry about, particularly when it comes to displacement of renters and home owners. Chicago 2016 supporters point to the international spotlight – a worldwide viewing audience of four billion – that Chicago would gain from hosting the Games. “It’s my hope that 2009 will be

the beginning of a new era for Chicago—one of renewed civic pride, expanded sport programs for youth, an elevated international profile and a stronger economic foundation,” Pat Ryan, local insurance magnate and Chicago 2016 Chairman and CEO of the nonprofit says on tbe Chicago 2016 Web site. Supporters say also that the Olympic and Paralympic Games will create the equivalent of 315,000 full time jobs for one year, over half of which would be in Chicago, at over $7 billion in wages. Economic development over 11 years would amount to $22.5 billion. The proposed site of the Olympic athletes village would become mixed income housing and retail with up to 30 percent affordable housing. “You should expect that Chicago 2016 will . . . stage an outstanding Olympic Games that will make our city very proud . . . [We will] manage the games efficiently and within our budget [and] ensure that the benefits from hosting the games will be shared by the entire city,” Ryan said. But some groups aren’t about to take Chicago 2016 at its word. The Kenwood Oakland Community Organization offered a similar view to that of Brown and other attendees of the recent meeting: according to a group spokesperson, the organization would support the Olympics coming to Chicago only if it receives “a legally binding community benefits agreement.” Others at the meeting wondered if they could

trust the city of Chicago to keep their best interests in mind given the municipal government’s track record.The Chicago 2016 committee repeatedly stressed that it’s not a government entity but rather a group of volunteers. However, the “guarantee” referenced by Brown refers to a sum of money Chicago must commit to providing should private funding fall through, or if its hosting duties run significantly over budget. Another opposition group, No Games, says the one thing that’s guaranteed is that the city will be required at some point to pony up those funds. According to community coordinator and No Games spokesman Tom Tresser, no city has earned any profits from hosting the Olympics in the modern era, and the only real beneficiaries of hosting duties will be the games’ corporate sponsors. “Chicago already is in the red,”Tresser said.“Our city is falling apart.” No Games contends there will be at least three direct negative effects if Chicago hosts the 2016 Summer Olympics: the city will be forced to pay money it doesn’t have, residents will be displaced from their homes, and parklands will be damaged. Tresser also said he believes the city will attempt to clear its streets of people it deems undesirable. “It’s like a mini police state,” he said. “Young men of color will be swept off the streets.” At any rate, the next significant date for the bid to host the 2016 summer games is something everyone can agree on. On October 2 the IOC will vote to determine which of the remaining contender cities gets to host the games; between now and then, Chicago 2016 will attempt to convince Chicago residents that the games will be profitable and that the exposure the city receives will be positive and attract tourists in the future. “We believe we can truly change the city and become world-class,” said Chicago 2016 president Lori Healey. “We need your support. We need the support of the people of Chicago in order to win.” No Games will carry the opposite message to the people of Chicago as well as the voting members of the IOC. The group shadowed the IOC in protest as it toured Chicago in April, and it distributed information to dissuade the committee from voting for Chicago at a recent meeting to discuss the four finalists in Switzerland. Meanwhile, at the July 15 meeting, a woman who didn’t identify herself as a member of No Games repeated a mantra that’s become associated with the group: “No blank check.” The phrase refers to the guarantee required of the city of Chicago in order for it to continue with its bid for the 2016 summer games.After rolling out a poster board emblazoned with the slogan, she attempted to rouse the crowd into chanting it along with her. It didn’t take.

Contributing Writers Ginny & the Chef: Originally a professional chef, Chef J now writes a syndicated weekly newspaper column on food and fitness in Chicago. He’s also the president of the Chicago Research Chefs LLC and president emeritus of the Chicago Nutrition Association. Ginny has written nutrition and fitness articles for several local and national publications, such as the Chicago Tribune and On-Health magazine. She has a bachelor’s degree in nutrition science and dietetics and a master’s degree in nutrition communications and marketing.

Alex Filipowicz was born in 1992. He is a student at Northside College Preparatory high school. He learned to speak Polish from a young age. He enjoys making surreal drawings. He also enjoys listening to obscure music and watching dark comedies. He plans on becoming a fiction writer. Brenna Daldorph, a summer intern at StreetWise, covered topics of immigration for the magazine. She became passionate about immigration issues after first-hand experience volunteering with undocumented migrants crossing the W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

Sonora Desert. Next year, she will be a senior at the University of Kansas Shea Gibbs is a Chicago-based writer and editor. He is senior editor of trade publications Modern Casting and Metal Casting Design & Purchasing and a copyeditor for the American Law Enforcement Association’s Air Beat magazine. Gibbs earned his master’s degree in journalism from Columbia College Chicago in 2005.

A U G U S T 5-A U G U S T 11, 2009

Cambridge:

INSP: City Sprouts International Network of Street Papers Street News Service By Robert Sondak Spare Change News ambridge is the home of academia and biotechnology in New England. It’s therefore appropriate that the city is also the center of an innovative local program that creates gardens within schoolyards. These community gardens represent outdoor classrooms for children in kindergarten through eighth grade in which to learn about wholesome food, the environment, and basic science. The program itself is called City Sprouts. Founded in 2003, it was inspired by school-based gardens on the west coast, and it started with gardens at four Cambridge public elementary schools: Haggerty, King Open, Morse, and Peabody. Over the past six years the program has expanded to include 10 public secondary schools, and by this fall all 12 of the public grade schools will be participating in the program. City Sprouts helps each school community build a garden on its own property. By doing so, the program expands upon the traditional classroom to include garden-based lessons with practical learning applications, which are tied to the curriculum that Cambridge teachers are mandated to follow. For example, children in grades K-8 can learn about the process of converting sunlight into energy for plants to grow (photosynthesis), or how to determine the position of the solstice sun. Garden installations are also educational and include solar fountains and movable stream tables for the study of water. Finally, children gain practical knowledge by helping to plant fruit trees and herb gardens. City Sprouts assigns a garden coordinator with a background in urban gardening to each elementary school.These garden professionals work with the schools and provide academic support to the teachers. In collaboration with Cambridge Public Schools, City Sprouts has developed garden-based lessons with practical applications that include elementary science, food and the environment, math, and social studies. Meanwhile, the garden coordinators work directly with students to help maintain the gardens. They also offer specialty lessons for students that include how to press apple cider, how to harvest and grind wheat into flour, and the optimal conditions in which to plant a variety of beans. As far as educational philosophies go, City Sprouts promotes healthful behavior, environmental understanding, and good citizenship. These values are taught through a series of afterschool drop-ins, cafeteria tastings, and food lessons that employ the knowledge and, literally, the fruits of the school garden. For example, during the 2008 school year, cafeteria tastings of a variety of school-garden-based vegetables were

A U G U S T 5-A U G U S T 11, 2009

offered; recent tastings focused on tomatoes, red and sweet potato fries, and herbs, including basil, chives, and parsley. City Sprouts has also sponsored farm visits. Last year Ellery Kimball of Blue Heron Organic Farm, based in Lincoln, Massachusetts, visited both the Martin Luther King and Haggerty schools. Students at each school met with her in their library for discussions about the process of growing tomatoes organically. At the end of each talk, Kimball invited students to the cafeteria for a tasting of herbs grown at BHOF. Everyone also tasted parsley and chives grown in their own school garden. Last summer, while school was out, City Sprouts offered internships to middle school students that expanded classroom learning through study of the local food system, nature, and the environment.Teams of five students from each of the 10 Cambridge schools represented in the garden program at that time participated.The internships represented an intensive, month-long experience in growing and harvesting food in an urban garden. In the City Sprouts internship program, each participant works as part of a team within his or her own school or neighborhood garden. During the four weeks of the program, interns spend four hours per week with their garden coordinator in the school garden or on field trips within or outside of Cambridge. City Sprouts further enhances the lessons the interns receive by inviting guest teachers to the school gardens to give special lectures. Last summer City Sprouts interns visited the Food Project urban garden in Dorchester, the Gaining Ground Farm in Concord, and Community Servings in Jamaica Plain. They also W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

participated in the harvest of herbs and produce for Community Servings’ school-based garden. Two weeks ago I met with Gretchen Friesinger, the Morse and Fletcher schools’ garden coordinator, at the Squirrel Brand community garden, located on Broadway in Cambridge. "Kindergartners grow wheat and learn how to make waffles," she said, demonstrating an example of the holistic approach to learning used by City Sprouts. Ms. Friesinger also mentioned that the children have grown corn, beans, and winter squash just as Native Americans did three centuries before them. "The children learn about what is good food through the school-garden lessons. School-based lessons give children the experience of growing food in the inner city," she said, highlighting the importance of having an agricultural experience in an urban environment. Significantly, all City Sprouts gardens are organic. Ms. Friesinger noted that the coordinators work with community volunteers and teachers to provide compost and mulch and cultivate the gardens. Garden-based school programs that expand the traditional classroom from beyond the school and into the community merit volunteer and financial support from the public, as well as that of corporations and foundations. These lessons help to enable young children to lay foundations for future careers and make Cambridge, as well as the U.S., competitive in the 21st-century global environment. © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org Courtesy of Inter Press Service © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org

FoodWise with Ginny & Chef J

By Ginny & Chef J StreetWise Contributors (www.ginetics.org, www.researchchefs.us)

Milk is Nutrient Power House! Milk is “hot” right now. And it’s in plentiful supply. Milk prices are actually going down, and in today’s economy that’s a rare and wonderful thing! Every person on earth is a mammal.The definition of a mammal is “an animal that drinks milk.” That’s us. All of us were born to drink mother’s milk; it’s always been the perfect food for babies, but over the course of human history, the enzymes and digestive systems needed to continue drinking milk into adulthood have evolved. For most of us, milk is still a perfect food. Chef J. and I attended the Organic Trade Association Show at McCormick Place a few weeks ago. There we learned that organic milk and dairy are a great source of many nutrients. As children we grew up drinking milk at almost every meal, but today milk is only one in a long list of processed beverages. Look around—does the average person “look” better today? Perhaps milk really is better for us mammals than sugary soda or fake diet drinks! What’s so great about it? In eight ounces of fatfree milk you get 30 percent Daily Value (DV) of calcium. You also get: Vitamin D (25 percent),

phosphorus (20 percent), protein (16 percent), Vitamin A (10 percent), potassium (24 percent), riboflavin (24 percent), and more in that glass of delicious milk. All that nutrition in one glass. Many studies have shown that milk after exercise is a better recovery beverage than traditional sports drinks or fluid-replacement beverages. It’s also a great source of whey protein, and whey has been shown to be a beneficial protein in many weight-loss studies. Other great foods come from dairy—how about yogurt, cheese, and ice cream! Yogurt is the top-selling “health food product.” Most people love its taste, first and foremost, and know that it’s good for them, second. We saw an amazing new frozen yogurt product at the OTA show called Cloud Top that tastes great and is better for you than most frozen yogurts. To find out more, go to cloudtopyogurt.com. Chef J. and I recently performed a live show when we attended the Florida Dietetic Association’s annual convention in Naples, Florida. Our presentation was all about dairy. Chef created an original recipe using Cabot Cheese’s new Reduced Fat Jalapeño Cheese, which we’re including in this week’s column. Cabot also has award-winning cheddar cheese; they and other cheese makers are producing cheese that’s better for you by adding in Omega3 fatty acids, more vitamin D, more calcium, and probiotics. But remember that most cheese is naturally high in fat and calories, so be sure to measure your portion sizes. Ginny and the Chef love milk. Chef drinks as much as a gallon a week! And we both love a good, natural cheese. Dairy products provide a wide range of wholesome, good-for-you nutrients at a very affordable price. So next time you reach for a super-size diet soda or a giant sports drink, think about milk instead. Or just ask any expert, including our favorite—kittens.

Chef J’s Secret Recipe The Best Macaroni & Cheese Ginny’s Shopping List: • 2 oz. Earth Balance Spread • 4 oz. Fritos Corn Crips (crunched) • 2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano (grated) For macaroni and sauce • 4 oz. Earth Balance Spread • 1 oz. Wondra flour • 36 oz. Evaporated milk (fat free) • 16 oz. Cabot Fat Reduced extra-sharp Jalapeno Cheddar •2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano (grated) •16 oz. Barilla Plus Protein Enriched - elbow macaroni (cooked) • .01 oz. Black pepper • .5 gram MSG (optional) • 16 oz. FRESH Cherry Tomato ( 1 per serving )

Chef’s Cooking Instructions: Make topping: •Preheat oven saute’ pan to medium hot. •Melt Spread. Then - stir together with Fritos (crumbs) and topping cheeses in a bowl until combined well. Make sauce: •Melt butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat and stir in flour. Cook roux, stirring, 3 minutes, then whisk in milk. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly, then simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 minutes. Stir in cheeses, and black pepper until smooth. Remove from heat and cover. Make Macaroni: •Cook macaroni in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 4 quarts water) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water and drain macaroni in a colander. Stir together macaroni, reserved cooking water, and sauce in a large bowl. Transfer to buttered shallow baking (individual) dishes. •Sprinkle topping evenly over macaroni. Garnish with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. Serve! WWW.FLICKR.COM

Chicago DineWise Hiro’s Cafe: Not your typical sushi spot—not your typical buffet By Lee Barrie & Cindy Kurman Barrie StreetWise Contributors

Here’s a twist on your typical sushi experience: an all-you-can-eat buffet feast for $17.95, a price that can’t be beat. Many of us sushi lovers find that while the food is wonderful, the price tag—if we order the quantity we really want—can be considerable. The folks at Hiro’s Cafe have found a way to offer very good sushi, plus traditional Japanese entrees and some Korean offerings, at a price we can more than live with. The storefront eatery is casual and pleasant—not overly chic but not drab, either. It has a loungelike atmosphere and is conversation friendly. The service is hospitable, and the vibe is upbeat. The main attraction is the large buffet menu, which was added about two months ago. It’s not the kind of buffet where you go to the line and take what you

want from a large display. In fact the buffet is a virtual one—a special menu with roughly 50 selections of standard maki rolls, nagiri, and sashimi, plus some specialties, like fried albacore, “samurai sexy,” “smokey bear,” and “sangria.” The specialties are particularly delicious. Appetizer selections are also included on the menu. Here’s how it works: you can order two maki at a time, and you can keep on ordering as much as you want. It’s a great way to enjoy new things; come with a group so you can share. The buffet menu changes frequently, so there’s always something new to try. As an added bonus it’s BYOB, and there’s a liquor store nearby if you need a bottle of sake or wine. Beyond the buffet menu you’ll find a wide range of Japanese and Korean classics and some more complex maki choices. Your meal ends with a complimentary fresh orange, a nice refreshment after such a fulfilling food journey. W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

Hiro’s Cafe 2936 N. Broadway, Chicago 773-477-8517 Hours: Mon-Tue and Thu 5-11 p.m., Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-midnight, Sun noon-11 p.m.; closed on Wednesday Prices: $17.95 buffet Cindy Kurman Barrie and Lee Barrie are the principals of Kurman Communications, Inc., a Chicago-based marketing and public relations agency. Please visit their blog at gotbuzzatkurman.com

A U G U S T 5-A U G U S T 11, 2009

By Alex Filipowicz & Sylvester Quast, Vendor #6908 StreetWise Contributor & Vendor Volunteer

25 Years Ago... On August 1, 1984, the Cubs were able to grab a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field, pushing them into first place. The Cubs eventually won the East Division that season and finished with the best record in the National League. During the five-game NL Championship Series, a long-established scheduling format prevented the Cubs from enjoying a home-field advantage against the San Diego Padres, who had won the West Division. Since 1969 the arrangement in the National League was that in even years the team that won the East would play at home for the first two games of the NLCS. The Cubs had won 51 of 80 games that season at Wrigley Field, where they won both of their NLCS games, but they lost the final three of the best-of-five series in San Diego. The Padres then advanced to the World Series, where they lost in five games to the Detroit Tigers. On August 2, over 100 children gathered at Carver Park in Altgeld Gardens to participate in the first annual basketball clinic sponsored by the Chicago Bulls, the Mayor’s Office of Special Programs, and the Chicago Housing Authority Summer Youth Program. At each clinic, Bulls center Dave Corzine and guard Ronnie Lester shared basketball techniques and life experiences with the children who attended.The program had started on July 30 at Cabrini-Green and continued at various CHA locations; the final clinic, held August 6, was for girls only at Englewood High School. On July 31, a group of state legislators and black ministers accused the Chicago Board of Education of “railroading” the general superintendent, Dr. Ruth B. Love, out of office. They called for a joint House and Senate investigation, as well as a second one headed by the City Council’s education chairman. State Rep. Larry Bullock (D-Chicago) said the group was “appalled and distressed” that on a 6-5 vote the board had voted not to renew her $120,000 contract.

The board had also picked Dr. Manford Byrd as her successor, so the group criticized the selection process and the board’s failure to first conduct a national search. “Chicago needs Love,” Bullock said.“It doesn’t need another chapter in the sordid tale of political interference, wheeling and dealing, and backstabbing.” Board president George Munoz refused to back down, defending the board’s stance by saying, “This personal matter must not be politicized any more than it already has been by Love.The school board made a nonpolitical judgment on the merits of Love’s overall performance.” He continued, “In recent days she has [sought] political intervention in school affairs . . . has publicly and personally attacked board members and the mayor . . . and promoted division of the board among racial and ethnic lines. She also undermined the board’s confidence in accuracy of reporting test scores. The system couldn’t successfully address problems with this kind of mistrust and tension for another four years. No organization, public or private, can function effectively with an embittered chief executive at odds with a divided board. Education would suffer.” Dr. Love herself vowed to “fight back,” refusing to step aside and allow the board to buy out her contract. She claimed, “It ain’t over yet,” adding that her sudden ousting “was a slap in the face of all women.There could have been a beautiful transition. I’m no political hack.” She said the board members were a bunch of amateurs and that she was no longer fighting for her job but rather for her reputation, credibility, and respect. In 1984 Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale named Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate, the first woman on a national party ticket. However, the Rev. Willie Barrow of Chicago was angered, saying Mondale didn’t even interview a minority for the position. “It was [Jesse] Jackson who pushed the issue of a female running mate,” Barrow said.“Now that we have one, we feel ignored and offended that Mondale did not even interview a minority female

WWW.UPI.COM

This Week In Chicago

Walter Mondale & Geraldine Rerraro campaigning in 1984

candidate. Not only did Mondale ignore us, but his other half [Ferraro] did the same thing. We feel cheated. We [black women] are the biggest voting bloc among the minorities. We vote more so than black men . . . To ignore us is to say, ‘I’m not sure I want to win.’ Black women are the most loyal voters in the party, yet they never hold key posts.” As a result of the Democratic Party choosing to support Ferraro rather than Jackson, Barrow joined with Shirley Chisholm, Maxine Waters, C. Dolores Tucker, and Eleanor Holmes Norton to found the National Political Congress for Black Women on August 2, 1984. “We as black women of color and conscience will demand to be included and to be respected,” Barrow said. “Our time has come.” The Mondale ticket was not salable, she said, because it lacked a commitment to jobs, peace, and justice. “This exclusion sends a clear message to Black women and leaves us uninspired [to get out the vote] to date,” Barrow said in the July 30, 1984, Chica go Defender . Barrow, who had served as Jackson’s Illinois campaign manager during his run for president in ’84, went on to serve in the leadership of Operation PUSH.

Have you taken our readership survey yet? There’s still time! We want to hear from you. Log on to www.streetwise.org to take the survey online or call us at 312-829-2526 and we'll fax or send you the survey. A T 5-A UG S T 11, J U NG EU S24-J UN E U30, 2002009

WW WW W.. SS TT RR EE EE TT W W II SS EE .. O O RR GG W

COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG

Event Calendar for August 5-August 11

Saturday: 80th Annual Bud Biliken Parade & Picnic

Thursday

Saturday

Hell in a Handbag Productions remounts Poseidon! An Upside Down Musical, its drag parody of the classic 1972 disaster film The Poseidon Adventure. Through 8/16: Thu-Sat 8 PM (except Sat 8/8, 7 PM), Sun 5 PM. Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. $25-$29. For more information call 773.278.1500.

The 80th annual Bud Billiken Parade and Picnic, the country's largest African-American parade (named after a mythical guardian of small children), features a tribute to President Barack Obama along with 320 units, including high school drill teams, floats, dance groups, nearly 50 marching bands, and the Bud Billiken King and Queen.

Rudresh Mahanthappa's Chicago Legacy Ensemble featuring Bunky Green performs at 6:30 p.m. at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St. Free. For more information call 312.742.1168.

Friday The 54th annual Ginza Festival, an indoor and outdoor Japanese cultural celebration, features folk dancing, taiko drummers, craft demonstrations, live music from Yoko Noge & the Jazz Me Blues Band (on Saturday), martial arts demonstrations, anime screenings, and food, beer, and merchandise vendors. Fri 5:30-9 p.m., Sat 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Sun 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Midwest Buddhist Temple, 435 W. Menomonee St. $4, $3 students and seniors, free kids under 12. For more information visit ginzachicago.com or call 312.943.7801.

W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

The parade, expected to last until nearly 4 p.m., begins at 39th Street and Martin Luther King Drive (3900 S. King Drive) and proceeds south to Washington Park (at 51st Street); a picnic in the park takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. For more information visit budbillikenparade.com or call 773.536.3710. The seventh annual Wrigleyville SummerFest features live music and food vendors, plus family activities and a kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; zone with interactive games. Sat noon-9 p.m., Sun noon-10 p.m. 3309 N. Seminary Ave., from Roscoe to School. $5 donation. For more information call 773.665.4682.

A U G U S T 5-A U G U S T 11, 2009

Special Feature:

2009 Lollapalooza Rundown

August 7-9 Friday Budweiser Stage 12:15 p.m. Manchester Orchestra 2 p.m. White Lies 4 p.m. Ben Folds 6 p.m. The Decemberists 8:15 p.m. Kings of Leon PlayStation Stage 11:30 a.m. Hockey 1 p.m. Zap Mama 3 p.m. Bon Iver 5 p.m. Fleet Foxes 7 p.m. Andrew Bird Perry's Stage 12 p.m. Last Band Standing Remix 1 p.m. DJ Mel 2 p.m. Dark Wave Disco 3 p.m. Rye Rye 4 p.m. La Roux 4:45 p.m. The Bloody Beetroots (DJ set) 5:45 p.m. A-Trak 7 p.m. Simian Mobile Disco (DJ set) 8:30 p.m. Crookers 9:25 p.m. Kid Cudi BMI Stage 11:15 a.m. April Smith 12:30 p.m. Gringo Star 1:45 p.m. The Builders and the Butchers 3 p.m. Kevin Devine 4:15 p.m. Eric Church Kidzapalooza Stage 11:30 a.m. Yuto Miyazawa 12:30 p.m. Paul Green School of Rock All-Stars 1:30 p.m. Frances England 2:15 p.m. Secret Agent 23 Skidoo 2:45 p.m. Zach Gill 3:45 p.m. Lunch Money Citi Stage 12 p.m. Other Lives 1 p.m. The Knux 2:15 p.m. Amazing Baby 3:30 p.m. The Virgins 5 p.m. Asher Roth 6:30 p.m. Peter Bjorn and John VitaminWater Stage 11:30 a.m. The Henry Clay People 1 p.m. Black Joe Lewis & the

A T 5-A UG S T 11, J U NG EU S24-J UN E U30, 2002009

Honeybears 3 p.m. Heartless Bastards 5 p.m. Crystal Castles 7 p.m. Of Montreal

BMI Stage 11:15 a.m. Band of Skulls 12:30 p.m. Dirty Sweet 1:45 p.m. Langhorne Slim 3 p.m. Joe Pug 4:15 p.m. Blind Pilot

South Stage 12:15 p.m. Hey Champ 2 p.m. The Gaslight Anthem 4 p.m. STS9 6 p.m. Thievery Corporation 8 p.m. Depeche Mode f.y.e. Autograph Tent 2:20 p.m. Zap Mama 2:45 p.m. Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam 4:20 p.m. Heartless Bastards 6:30 p.m. Asher Roth 8 p.m. Peter Bjorn and John 8:50 p.m. Andrew Bird

Saturday Budweiser Stage 12:30 p.m. Delta Spirit 2:30 p.m. Los Campesinos! 4:30 p.m. Arctic Monkeys 6:30 p.m. TV on the Radio 8:30 p.m. Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Beastie Boys canceled after Adam “MCA” Yauch was diagnosed with a “very treatable” cancerous tumor.) PlayStation Stage 11:45 a.m. Ezra Furman & the Harpoons 1:30 p.m. Federico Aubele 3:30 p.m. Robert Earle Keen 5:30 p.m. Santigold 7:30 p.m. Ben Harper & Relentless7 Perry's Stage 11:30 a.m. Last Band Standing Remix 12:30 p.m. Moneypenny 1:30 p.m. Kaskade 2:30 p.m. Animal Collective (DJ set) 3:30 p.m. Prophit 4 p.m. Perry Farrell 5 p.m. Hercules and Love Affair (DJ set) 6 p.m. LA Riots 7 p.m. Diplo 8:30 p.m. Bassnectar

Kidzapalooza Stage 11:30 a.m. Frances England 12:30 p.m. Zach Gill 1:30 p.m. Quinn Sullivan 2:30 p.m. Secret Agent 23 Skidoo 3 p.m. Care Bears on Fire 4 p.m. Ralph's World Citi Stage 12 p.m. Thenewno2 1 p.m. Constantines 2:15 p.m. Ida Maria 3:30 p.m. Chairlift 5 p.m. No Age 6:30 p.m. Lykke Li VitaminWater Stage 12 p.m. The Low Anthem 1:30 p.m. Miike Snow 3:30 p.m. Gomez 5:30 p.m. Glasvegas 7:30 p.m. Animal Collective South Stage 12:45 p.m. Living Things 2:30 p.m. Atmosphere 4:30 p.m. Coheed and Cambria 6:30 p.m. Rise Against 8:30 p.m. Tool f.y.e. Autograph Tent 2:50 p.m. Langhorne Slim 5 p.m. Chairlift

Sunday Budweiser Stage 12:30 p.m. Friendly Fires 2:30 p.m. Kaiser Chiefs 4:30 p.m. Neko Case 6:30 p.m. Lou Reed 8:30 p.m. Jane's Addiction PlayStation Stage 11:45 a.m. Sam Roberts Band 1:30 p.m. Portugal. The Man 3:30 p.m. The Raveonettes

WW WW W.. SS TT RR EE EE TT W W II SS EE .. O O RR GG W

5:30 p.m. Dan Auerbach 7:30 p.m. Band of Horses Perry's Stage 12:30 p.m. Yello Fever 1:30 p.m. Car Stereo 2:30 p.m. He Say, She Say 3:30 p.m. Hollywood Holt 4:30 p.m. The Glitch Mob 5:30 p.m. Boys Noize 7 p.m. MSTRKRFT 8:30 p.m. Deadmau5 BMI Stage 11:15 a.m. Mike’s Pawn Shop 12:30 p.m. Esser 1:45 p.m. The Greencards 3 p.m. Neon Hitch 4:15 p.m. Kesha Kidzapalooza Stage 11:30 a.m. Care Bears on Fire 12:30 p.m. Q Brothers 1:30 p.m. Ralph’s World 2:30 p.m. Lunch Money 3:15 p.m. Peter DiStefano & Tor 4 p.m. Paul Green School of Rock AllStars with Perry Farrell Citi Stage 12 p.m. Carney 1 p.m. Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam 2:15 p.m. Cage the Elephant 3:30 p.m. Gang Gang Dance 5 p.m. Passion Pit 6:30 p.m. Deerhunter VitaminWater Stage 11:45 a.m. Alberta Cross 1:30 p.m. Bat for Lashes 3:30 p.m. Dan Deacon 5:30 p.m. Cold War Kids 7:30 p.m. Silversun Pickups South Stage 12:30 p.m. Ra Ra Riot 2:30 p.m. The Airborne Toxic Event 4:30 p.m. Vampire Weekend 6:30 p.m. Snoop Dogg 8:30 p.m. The Killers

At Right: Three members of the Ruiz* family sit on the porch of the home they may soon lose. It will be the third loss this year. Their father, Juan, is currently detained in Arizona. The eldest son, also Juan, 17, was killed in a drive-by shooting on July 25.

StreetWise Feature

Providing their own

Sanctuary Story and photos by Brenna Daldorph StreetWise Contributor

driana Villanueva*’s three children scamper down the bustling sidewalks of 26th Street, where elote men sell plastic cups of melon, cucumber, and pineapple, colorful beach balls, and off-brand purses. The children want everything, drawn in by the magic of Chicago’s Mexican commercial district.

Yet this busy scene has hidden woes. Many of the peddlers used to have jobs. Their colorful booths and the empty storefronts behind them show the recession’s toll on Chicago’s Latinos. So do Adriana’s tired eyes and the children’s neediness. A few months ago they lived in a spacious apartment; now their living space has been reduced to one tiny room as Adriana fights a daily battle against homelessness. At night, when she and the children are curled up in the bed they share, the buzz of 26th Street disappears into darkness. This, too, is evidence of new woes. A few years ago nightlife here was vibrant. Then Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials started camping out, ready to pounce on late-night revelers. On other occasions helicopters buzzed overhead, officials raided homes, and shoppers at a local mall were arrested. According to the Latino Union, in an average week, more than 300 Chicago residents are deported. One of those may soon be

Latino homeless remain unseen to those outside the community

Adriana’s husband, Vicente*, who is awaiting deportation in Cook County Jail. Immigrant Latinos, already living “in the shadows” of society, are some of the first to fall through the cracks. High job losses, immigration raids, and steep housing prices all contribute to increased homelessness, yet the most recent Chicago Coalition for the Homeless survey stated that only 6 percent of the city’s homeless are Latino. Official statistics might tell one story, but any religious leader or community member of Pilsen or Little Village will testify that Chicago’s Latinos are definitely in trouble. “It’s very, very bad,” says Father Charles Dahm of Saint Pius Church, 1919 S. Ashland Ave, one of Pilsen’s largest congregations. Contrary to the stereotype that immigrants drain public resources, Latino immigrants are turning to their own family members, churches, and community for support and thus escaping official counts based on shelter enrollment and use of public resources. Various factors prevent this tightly knit but suffering community from seeking and accessing public aid.

Families On a warm July afternoon, Efenia Ruiz* sits with two of her children on the stoop of her small brick house in Back of the Yards. Efenia is fighting losing battles. One is to keep Isaiah*, 8, who has Down syndrome, from eating dirt. Another is to secure the release of her husband, an undocumented immigrant now imprisoned for illegally crossing the border. She is also losing the fight to keep her home of three years. With her husband’s presence reduced to his sketched W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

cartoons and photos of him in orange prison garb on the mantel, Efenia feels as if the house is the only stability left for her children. “I always dreamed of having a house for my kids,” she said. “Before, I was moving from place to place.At least with a house I feel more secure.” Without her husband’s income, Efenia makes about $800 a month—not nearly enough to make mortgage payments. She sells soap and Mary Kay products in the neighborhood but spends most of her time caring for Isaiah, who’s too difficult to leave with a friend or neighbor. Her American-born children receive some benefits—especially Isaiah and Ofelia*, 11, who’s also disabled. But because she’s undocumented, Efenia doesn’t qualify for much more assistance. Her story is common in Little Village, which Padre José Landaverde of the Latino Union estimates is 90 percent Latino and 80 percent undocumented. Mexican immigrant households have been experiencing serious declines in income since 2000, and their poverty rate is rising faster than any other population, according to a report issued by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Job losses and spousal deportations have left many families without a steady income; moreover, rent prices are rising in gentrifying communities like Pilsen. During the housing boom, undocumented residents could get high-interest loans. Now, even President Obama’s loan modification program doesn’t alleviate steep mortgage payments. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, more minorities are suffering foreclosures than whites. These families gather in the back room of Our Lady of Guadalupe Anglican Catholic Mission, which occupies a storefront on 26th Street. With the door thrown open to let in the breeze and the smell of chicken cooking, Marilu Vargas sits among stacks of corn tortillas and fresh tomatoes, providing food for the clients for whom she and Padre Landaverde help to obtain loans. When he established the mission in 2007, Landaverde, a refugee from El Salvador and a community activist who founded the Latino Union in 2000, sent busloads of his parishioners to help the needy in Mexico and New Orleans. These days, most of his work is community based. Luis and Dulcidia Blanco, permanent residents, joined the mission because they loved the emphasis on helping others. Now they’re turning to the mission for help themselves. Their four children have grown up in the house on Cicero that they’ve owned for the past 15 years. However, with Luis, a truck driver, unable to find work, they’re now facing foreclosure. “Mom gets really depressed,” said their daughter Joceline, 14. “She cries a lot. Sometimes I come into the room and she is just staring at the wall.” Dulcidia shakes her head. “Sometimes I just want to escape, to leave it all behind,” she says. Though the family received a loan modification grant, it only knocks about $800 off of a $3,000 mortgage. Some weeks Luis makes less than $100. “If they take the house away,” said Dulcidia, “what are we going to do?”

A U G U S T 5-A U G U S T 11, 2009

StreetWise Feature

Doubling Up Local churches offering aid can do little besides referring a homeless family to a shelter or housing them for a few nights in the church itself. Even though Saint Pius does have subsidized housing, most of it is still too expensive for the parishioners. The answer? “Homelessness is different here than in other communities,” says Landaverde. “You end up with two or three families living together.” Welcoming people into the home is a common practice in Latino immigrant culture, and “doubling up” was a major issue discussed at the Todos Conta mos forum on Latino homelessness. Lorena Duran, a career counselor at San Jose Obrero Mission, 1856 S. Loomis St., in Pilsen, emigrated from Mexico as an undocumented child. “At the symposium it came to me that there was a time when my own family was homeless,” she said. “When we arrived, we moved in with family. I had a roof over my head and I wasn’t out on the street, so I never considered it. Here, in Pilsen, from my experience, family relies on family, or even close friends.” Jorge Mújica, policy director of Our Lady of Guadalupe Anglican Catholic Mission, 3442 W. 26th St., agrees. “That’s how the community is,” he said. “We open up our homes.The other day my wife and I were counting how many people we had had to stay—it’s been 34 in the past few years. That’s just how we are. You know, if a young, undocumented man comes here they afford the rent by living maybe 12, 14 to a house.” People doubling up often don’t consider themselves homeless. The city doesn’t, either, meaning government money for specialized services never reaches the community. Thus, a major goal of Todos Conta mos was to change the definition of homeless to include those doubled up.

A T 5-A UG S T 11, J U NG EU S24-J UN E U30, 2002009

Above: Anaclaudia Villanueva*’s sunny smile brightens the family’s basement apartment. Top Right: A family worships at St. Pius Catholic Church in Pilsen. The predominantly Latino congregants at Pilsen’s largest church are facing job loss and immigration raids. At Right: Deported in February, Juan Ruiz* tried to re-enter the U.S. in April after learning of the hospitalization of his wife, Efenia*. She lights a candle to St. Jude—the saint of impossible causes— to get him out of prison. Bottom Right: Adriana Villanueva* and her three children, Pablo, 3, Anaclaudia, 6, and Dahlia, 8, share this basement room with the daughter of another family.

Beyond cultural practices, there are other reasons an immigrant family wouldn’t access government services:They may not realize they qualify, or they may be fearful of providers who don’t offer translators or culturally sensitive help. And many are terrified of being turned in. “Why should they trust the system?” said Israel Vargas, director of San Jose Obrero Mission. “The system has never worked for them.” Finally, years of corruption in Mexico and Central American countries have led to a cultural distrust of government. “In Mexico, if you need help, you go first to a priest or a schoolteacher,” Mújica said. “The priest can maybe give you beans, and the teacher can give you advice. If they don’t help, you go to a doctor. Only fourth might you go to the government.” While seemingly generous, overcrowding is often a safety hazard and causes emotional strain. This is true for the Villanueva family. A dresser, two beds, a TV, clothes, and toys of Dahlia*, 8,Anaclaudia*, 6, and Pablo*, 3, lobby for WW WW W.. SS TT RR EE EE TT W W II SS EE .. O O RR GG W

StreetWise Feature

Top Left Detail: A makeshift living room provides a touch of home for homeless day-laborers staying in an abandoned factory. Left: Day-laborers sleep in an abandoned building in Little Village. Above Detail: The men who sleep in this room of the abandoned factory use blankets and plastics to keep warm during winter months. Above: Twenty-sixth Street, known as Chicago’s Mexican Shopping district, buzzes with street vendors. Despite the festive air, most peddlers can find no other work and many shops are closed. Lower Left: Padre José Landaverde, a community organizer and immigrant rights activist, welcomes local families into Our Lady of Guadelupe Anglican Catholic Mission. Bottom Left: Staff at Our Lady of Guadelupe Anglican Catholic Mission have assisted Dulcidia and Joceline Blanco, 14, in getting a loan modification. They may still lose their home.

space between the narrow walls of the tiny basement bedroom. The family, who owns the house, formerly lived in the spacious upstairs apartment and rented the basement to tenants. Vicente worked two jobs, earning $700 a week. After his arrest, Adriana found jobs scarce and often requiring documentation. Finally she found housecleaning work and now earns about $100 a week. In a desperate attempt to keep the home, she and the children moved in with their downstairs tenants, freeing the upstairs for new renters. Even now, the kids sometimes forget they no longer have free reign of their home—none of their things can go out of the tiny bedroom. “The hardest thing is the kids,” Adriana said. “Things upset them, they get more rebellious. The husband of the family we share an apartment with gets upset and tells them off. We try not to be there.” Adriana avoids going home. “Sometimes I will be leaving work and I want to get out of the car and walk and walk and walk and never come back,” she said.“But I have to be a strong woman. What do I gain by giving up? I lose everything. If I look around, a lot of people are willing to help me.” The stress of overcrowding, fear, and unemployment have caused terrible community issues. Domestic violence has steadily increased, according to local priests. “Domestic violence has its roots in poverty,” said Landaverde. Sol Flores, director of La Casa Norte, 3533 W North Ave., a service for homeless or at-risk youth and families in Humboldt Park, reported that staff at the Department of Child Services told her there were increased cases of Latino child abuse. That’s not all. “Drug and alcohol use have increased,“ Landaverde said. “We see a lot of violence—the domestic violence is high, and there have also been shootings.”

W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

On the Streets “There are different types of homelessness,” Landaverde said.“These days there is only a small percentage on the streets because of mental illness; most are because of the economy.” Ten economic refugees camp out in an abandoned factory in Little Village. Trash, glass, and stagnant puddles litter the wide floor. But there are also signs of humanity: magazine pictures taped to the walls, parked bicycles, and old mattresses stacked with blankets and clothes. A few chairs and overturned crates form a makeshift living room for the residents. “This is like a family house,” said Ramon Flores*, one resident.“The people who can work buy food. We look out for each other.” Ramon, a day laborer, usually finds work only one or two days a week, even if he waits for hours at Home Depot for jobs. Contrary to the stereotype, most men on the streets of Pilsen and Little Village work, often as day laborers. But even during good times, a day laborer with steady work makes only about $10,000 a year, according to a 2000 survey conducted by Landaverde. Now it’s even worse for the undocumented—temporary day labor agencies ask for documentation, and bosses bully those without papers. On July 23 ICE officials scanned the Home Depot lot. Still, the underground economy flourishes. Waiting for work in the oppressive sun is Marcos Gonzalez*, 26. It’s already four o’clock and he’s still without work, an earlier venture gone awry when the employer tried to pay him substandard wages. This shy man with a round, friendly face tells his story in a quiet voice. Born in Belize to parents fleeing the civil war in El Salvador, he grew up in Texas.Two years ago, on New Year’s Eve, he was stopped at the Mexican border, after partying there with friends. Though he had a green card pending, he was detained for seven months and then deported to Belize, a place he hardly knew. After encountering terrible working conditions, he knew he had to make it back to the U.S.

A U G U S T 5-A U G U S T 11, 2009

StreetWise Feature

“Yes, I understand there are some illegal methods of entry,” Vargas said. “The fact of the matter is, they are here. As brethren it is our job to make sure they aren’t on the street starving, we need to pick them up and help them the best we can.” He’s been here since February looking for work. “America is great,” he said. “I’m so lucky to be here, so lucky. All of that—it’s like a bad dream, seems so long ago. After seeing what it was like over there, I’m just happy to be here.” Marcos stays at Pacific Garden Mission,1458 S Canal St., a shelter just south of downtown. Only a few shelters serve the Pilsen and Little Village communities; the emergency men’s shelter run by Centro Familia, 2622 W. Cermak, sleeps 130 but often turns away 10 to 20 per night. While the nationwide unemployment rate reached 9.4 percent by May, the Latino unemployment rate was 11.4 percent. Thirty-one percent of Mexican immigrants work in manufacturing: in May alone, manufacturing lost 156,000 jobs, more than in any other sector. “Those who are immigrants or are undocumented are the first to be let go and the last to be hired,” Flores said.

The Community Responds Community members try to ease the suffering. Churches are at the forefront of this struggle, said Father Jim Collins of St. Procopius, 1641 S.Allport St. “I am proud to be Catholic in a parish like this,” Collins said. “We may bicker among our bishops in the church, but we have a vibrant clothing closet, soup kitchen, food pantry.” Most programs for the poor at St. Procopius Church are run by an army of dedicated, older Latinas raised in a tradition of religion and charity. Robertina, 57, a round woman with clean, quick hands and frizzy salt-and-pepper hair, comes to Mass daily and volunteers despite her own hard times. Her two sons lost their jobs and the family is now living together in a crowded home. “Serving people who don’t have is serving God,” she said.“When I was young, we were often hungry in Mexico. Still, when people came by hungry, we’d give them food to eat.” In the 22 years he’s been at Saint Pius, Padre Carlos Dahm, or “Father Chuck,” has sculpted the church to fit the needs of his parishioners, 90 percent of whom, he estimated, are immigrant Latinos. He’s blended religion with social services and politics, establishing a soup kitchen and secondhand store and filling the newsletter with stories of immigrants’ struggles. But the increasing need strains churches. Dahm looks haggard, evidence of stress and of recent health problems. In Little Village, Landaverde sometimes works himself to exhaustion while laboring to help everyone who turns to him for assistance.

A T 5-A UG S T 11, J U NG EU S24-J UN E U30, 2002009

A Fresh Start

At the San Jose Obrero Mission, a cramped corner building in Pilsen, impossible odds are overcome. According to its director, Israel Vargas, the mission is the only shelter in the Midwest catering specifically to Latino males. A dynamic Puerto Rican immigrant with closely cropped hair and a pressed suit, Vargas spouts ideas and energy. “In my perfect world, there’d be fast music and everyone would be moving and all my men would be in suits, ready to go,” he said. At the mission, 32 residents are given roughly four months to get back on their feet. Case managers connect the men to services offering ESL classes, computer skills, and career and resumé training, and further help them to develop goals. The men get haircuts, three hot meals a day, and use of an on-site computer lab. In return, Vargas expects sobriety, curfew adherence, and hard work. He understands what the men need to get back on their feet—he himself was once in jail, homeless, and on drugs. “Here, we aren’t playing games—I know the games,” he said. However, it sometimes feels like residents fight impossible odds. The program’s goal is to get the men into their own homes and to hold steady jobs. But for the undocumented, stability is almost unachievable. “You see the immigrants coming back,” Vargas said. Still, Duran, the San Jose Obrero career counselor, offers undocumented immigrants the same opportunities as other residents—including the chance to have a mock interview with Vargas. “Yes, I understand there are some illegal methods of entry,” Vargas said. “The fact of the matter is, they are here. As brethren it is our job to make sure they aren’t on the street starving. We need to pick them up and help them the best we can.” For one resident, José Lopez*, coming to the U.S. has been a mixed bag. “The market is hard to break into and the bad part is the unemployment,” he said. “The good part is this place.” In Little Village, Centro Familia provides similar services for homeless families. However, even if a family does leave the shelter, they often enter substandard living situations. Recently, three families moved out—and into a shared apartment. “Sometimes you got to do what you got to do to survive,” said Julio Gonzalez, program manager for the men’s shelter.

Final Notes The Latino community of Chicago is faced with increased job loss, homelessness, and raids. While these struggles go unnoticed in the wider community, WW WW W.. SS TT RR EE EE TT W W II SS EE .. O O RR GG W

Pilsen and Little Village residents band together. Even in hard times, laughter and love exist, whether shared over tortillas in an abandoned factory or over huevos ra ncheros in the back room of Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission. Efenia laughs when Isaiah strips off his clothes and charges down the hall of the house they may lose. Adriana offers a tired smile when her little Pablo dances in his car seat as they drive endlessly, avoiding returning to their tiny one-room home. These scattered moments don’t alleviate worry for the future. Funding cuts mean less money, of course, even if officials do take notice of the community. But though Congress is debating immigration reform, which may include amnesty for permanent residents, poor, documented immigrants face many of the same challenges as poor, undocumented immigrants. “I’d love to be out of work,” says Deacon Jose Herrera of Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission. “But that’s not going to happen.” Epilogue: Fatal gunshots on July 25 added more loss to the lives of the Ruiz family. They are already facing the impending foreclosure of their home and a husband and father who could spend up to ten years in prison for attempted re-entry of the U.S. The family’s oldest son, Juan, 17, was shot in the head while sitting outside a friend’s house just a few blocks from the Ruiz residence. He died the next morning in a nearby h ospital. “He had just been accepted at a school, had just gotten a job,” said Deacon José Herrera of Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in Little Village. “He was hope for the family.” So little hope already and it is suddenly extinguished.

* For the sa fety of those interviewed, StreetWise ha s cha nged the na mes of a ny undocumented person a nd a ny child. Tra nsla tions were provided by José La ndeverde, José Herrera , Lorena Dura n, Joceline Bla nco a nd Jim Collins.

Pictured: Marcos Gonzalez* awaits work in a Home Depot lot. The lot, a notorious day labor pick-up, was recently visited by immigration officers.

The Playground

Ask Eugene

Crossword

“all the brilliance that will fit”

Dear Eugene: What do you do with wedding presents that you don’t want? —Jim Dear Jim: I can’t believe that you would do this to me. That remote control toaster is by far the nicest of its kind and I thought that it would be a practical addition to your life, but I guess not. I’m submitting my two weeks notice... on our friendship. Now, if you are talking about a gift that someone else gave you, then you should donate it to me or other worthy causes. Dear Eugene: What do you think is overated? -Ryan Dear Ryan: Asking a cynic what is overated? You asked for it. (Deep breath) Facebook, post-1998 Disney, the color blue, texting, entertainment news, credit card/shopping point systems, Segways, brunch, high-definition cable TV, organic cat food, tanning, Youtube, golf, celebrity scent lines, scarves, Twitter, vintage rock band T-shirts worn by people who like emo music, farewell tours, timeshares, made-for-TV exercise equipment, Orlando Bloom, bacon on things, period dramas, first-editon books, Woodstock, dance competitions, laser light shows, Star Wars, high-fives, stuffed animals as gifts, electric toothbrushes, and..... I could go on forever...

You can send Eugene your questions at 1201 W. Lake, Chicago, IL, 60607 or e-mail him at supreme_eugene@yahoo.com. Need to post a legal notice or a classified ad?

Sudoku Difficulty: Medium

Last Week’s Answers

Deadline: must submit 3 Mondays prior to desired publication date. StreetWise publishes every Wednesday

W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

A U G U S T 5-A U G U S T 11, 2009

Entrepreneur Spotlight

Learning to take off again

Meet: Edward Becvarik

By Ben Cook StreetWise staff

such a demanding treatment schedule. That’s why being a StreetWise vendor , a job that dward Becvarik used to live the high allows the entrepreneur to set his or her own life. After graduating from high school hours, was a perfect fit for Becvarik’s needs. As far as vendors go, he’s a relative newbie, he moved to Hawaii with a bunch of but he’s making progress. Since April he’s his friends and became a flight attendant. been selling magazines outside a Living in a brand-new apartStarbucks in Oak Park in the ment there in the late ’70s and mornings. His confidence is early ‘80s as a jet-setting young building. man with free drugs readily “I’ve sold over 700 papers in available, it was hard for him not It’s nice. The the three months I’ve been to live like his friends and urge isn’t there here. It’s still beginner level, but coworkers. It was also, unfortunately, the age before cell as much... so it’s not too bad, right?” Each time Becvarik sells a phones: one day he was trying now I’m able to paper, he feels good about himto catch up from his fast lifestyle think about a self and where he’s at in his life. by taking an afternoon nap, and “It’s nice. The urge isn’t there as suddenly, poof, he was fired after lot of other much [to go out and get a his boss couldn't reach him. “I things besides drink], so now I’m able to think was twentysomething at that where my next about a lot of other things time. I’ve learned since then that if something bad happens you drink is going to besides where my next drink is going to come from,” he says. can usually fix it if you try—but come from. “I’m just really appreciative of I didn’t try. I just took the ticket all the people who have been so back to Chicago.” generous.” Becvarik came back, but so He’s hopeful about the future did some bad habits from as well—his resumé is up-toHawaii. Over the years he’s been a limo driver, a grocery cashier/produce date and ready to be passed along to anyone stocker, and an online college telemarketer, who’s interested. Although he’s worked in a but each time he relapsed and started drink- variety of jobs he would like to become a flight attendant again. ing again, costing him his job. In the meantime he’s weathering the ecoHe finally decided to get serious. For the last three years he’s been enrolled in one nomic storm by selling StreetWise. Now that detox program after another: 28-day live-in he has a steady income, securing his housing programs, “90 meetings in 90 days,” Jack situation is the next item on his list. “I have a Clark’s Place, the Chicago Christian Industrial rental subsidy, and I have a case manager League, even a summer camp where atten- working with me, so I hope to be in an apartment by August 1, or September 1 at the latdees relearn basic life skills. Detox programs are difficult in that they est.” Congratulations on learning to fly again, often require some form of payment or rent, and the meetings take place so often that it’s Edward. We’re proud of you, and keep up the difficult to find a job that can accommodate good work.

‘

’

Look for the Badge!

Where the money goes...

Please purchase your copy of StreetWise from badged vendors only! For questions or comments regarding our vendor force, please contact Greg Pritchett at (312) 829-2526 or at gpritchett14@yahoo.com.

Vendors buy StreetWise for 75 cents, and the remaining $1.25 goes directly to the licensed vendor.

A U G U S T 5-A U G U S T 11, 2009

W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

15 7