One Step Away Magazine Volume 9 Issue 9

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OSAPHILLY.ORG 1 ONE STEP AWAY VOLUME 9 ISSUE 9 CELEBRATING MILESTONES * REDEVELOPMENT * #ICYMI PHILLY * EVICTION COURT AID ONE STEP AWAY IS A PROGRAM OF RESOURCES FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IF YOU COULD WRITE A LETTER TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF, $ 5

2 ONE STEP AWAY CONTACT US OSAphilly.orgosa@rhd.org@OSAphilly DONATE! Return this coupon with a check, money order, or cash to invest in OSA. by mail: One Step Away P.O. Box Philadelphia,63703PA19147 online at: osaphilly.org I AM AN INVESTOR: O $25 O $50 O $75 O $100 O $150 O $200 O $250 O $500 O $750 O $1,000 O City,Address:Name:$State, ZIP: OEmail:Phone:I’dlike to be a monthly donor. I WANT TO INVEST IN ONE STEP AWAY! O To create opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness. My vendor is: O To advocate for social justice. O To learn more about what is happening in my community and around the world. O To support independent media. O To read first-hand perspectives about homelessness, housing, and poverty. O To One Step Away is a program of Resources for Human Development, Inc. (RHD), a certified 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All donations go directly to support individuals experiencing homelessness through One Step Away’s magazine, vendor, and community programming. THANK YOU: HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE YOUR IMPACT Because of you, I can: BUILD CONNECTIONS WITH OTHERS FEEL MORE CONFIDENT IN MYSELF TAKE CONTROL OF MY LIFE BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY OVERCOME HARDSHIP AFFORD HOUSING SUPPORT MYSELF 100 % 73 % 70% 62% 58 % 46 % 35 % 35% OF VENDORS,OUR REPORT ONE STEP AWAY HELPED THEM HOUSING.AFFORD OF OUR VENDORS, CAN THEMSELVES.SUPPORT BECAUSE OF YOU 100 % 35% OF VENDORS,OUR REPORT ONE STEP AWAY HELPED THEM HOUSING.AFFORD OF OUR HOMELESSNESS.OVERCAMEVENDORS, BECAUSE OF YOU 35 % 35% OF VENDORS,OUR REPORT ONE STEP AWAY HELPED THEM HOUSING.AFFORD OF OUR VENDORS, ONLYONEREPORTSTEPAWAYISTHEIRSOURCEOFINCOME. 81 % OFBECAUSEYOU:

OSAPHILLY.ORG 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS #ICYMI: PHILADELPHIA 4 FREE LEGAL AID AT EVICTION COURT 5 THE DEVELOPERS ARE COMING! 8 WASHINGTON AVENUE VENDORS SHARE: THANKFUL 13 THANK YOU: 10 YEARS OF OSA 14 CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENTS 16 LETTERS TO MY YOUNGER SELF 18 UNCOVERED ISSUES 28 HOMELESS MEMORIAL DAY 29 PUZZLES 31 THE MAGAZINE VENDORS BUY EACH COPY FOR $1.50 AND DISTRIBUTE THEM FOR $5, KEEPING ALL OF THE PROFITS! Every time you purchase a One Step Away Magazine you create meaningful income and personal growth opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness or poverty. JOIN US AND HELP OUR VENDORS WORK THEIR WAY OUT OF HOMELESSNESS. 138

for Social Change 16

One Step Away is a program of Resources for Human Development (RHD), a certified 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. www.rhd.org. We are a member of the International Network of Street Papers (INSP), helping 20,500 vendors earn an income each year. www.insp.ngo

One Step Away is a proud member of Broke in Philly, a collaborative news initiative among 22 local news organizations to provide in-depth nuanced, solutions-oriented reporting on issues of poverty and push for economic justice in Philadelphia. OUR AFFILIATIONS Creating Jobs, Advocating

4 ONE STEP AWAY

“This bill is rooted in the basic and steadfast belief that housing is a human right,” said Councilmember Helen Gym.

The report doesn’t suggest, upgrading these low-wage jobs, a recommendation that urbanist Richard Florida recently championed in a report about achieving “inclusive prosperity” in“APhiladelphia.keypillarof inclusive prosperity must be to upgrade current low-paying, precarious service jobs into higher-paying, more-secure and stable, family-sustaining work,” the report says.

Full article by Juliana Feliciano Reyes, The Philadelphia Inquirer

#BROKE IN PHILLY is a collaborative news initiative among 22 local news organizations to provide in-depth, nuanced, solutions-oriented reporting on issues of poverty and push for economic justice in Philadelphia. Learn more at BrokeinPhilly.org.

The Arcila-Adams Trans Resource Center opened Thursday at the William Way LGBT Community Center near the intersection of Spruce and Juniper Streets in Center City. The new hub provides services including health care and therapy referrals, job services, and help enrolling in insurance and food assistance programs. The initiative stemmed from an “urgent need” for focused services for the city’s trans population, said Chris Bartlett, executive director of William Way LGBT Community Center. “[It’s] so that trans folks can plug into our services and to those at other agencies and have a safe place that’s their own,” he added.

PHILADELPHIA’S JOB GROWTH HAS LARGELY BEEN LOW-WAGE, REPORT FINDS

A bill that would secure lawyers for low-income renters in eviction court moved out of a City Council committee. At the City Council hearing, tenants gave emotional testimonies about tumultuous relations with landlords and expressed the difference that having a lawyer made for their cases. The bill passed on November 14.

YOUNG PEOPLE IN WEST PHILLY CREATED

A DIGITAL DROP-IN CENTER FOR HOMELESS YOUTH

Full story by Hector Davila, Jr. at Technical.ly Young people at the nonprofit People’s Emergency Center (PEC) unveiled a virtual drop-in center for youth experiencing housing insecurity. The resource was created in collaboration with local media artist Maria Alarcón. With help from Neighborhood Time Exchange media artist, they used Google Earth Studio, SketchUp, Daz 3D and Unity to create avatars of themselves leading a tour of their imagined center, The Stoop. The final product will be viewable online and eventually be turned into an interactive virtual reality app using the Unity development platform.

Full story by Laura Smythe, Philadelphia Gay News.

Full article by Jake Blumgart, Plan Philly, WHYY

The last 10 years were a period of historic job growth for Philadelphia. But a closer look at the kind of jobs Philadelphia is adding shows the majority are in the low-wage sector, according to a new Center City District report. The report suggests a few possible explanations for this phenomenon, including that employers can’t find the workers they need in Philadelphia so they stay in the suburbs, and that it’s prohibitively expensive to locate in the city. Possible solutions, then, include business tax reform and improving public education.

“Today is about making sure we use every tool at our disposal to keep folks in their homes by creating a more fair and just system.”Thelegislation, which Gym introduced earlier this year, would guarantee legal representation for renters below 200% of the federal poverty line, roughly $33,820 annually for a family of two.The bill was amended in the hearing to expand its scope to encompass not just judicial proceedings, but administrative ones as well, which means the law would cover fair-housing cases before the Philadelphia Fair Housing Commission and a variety of cases before the Philadelphia Housing Authority.

#ICYMI: IN CASE YOU MISSED IT WITH SO MUCH GOING ON IN THE NEWS, YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED SOME LOCAL STORIES THAT AFFECT OUR COMMUNITIES DIRECTLY. HERE, BROKE IN PHILLY BREAKS DOWN FIVE IMPORTANT STORIES FOR PHILADELPHIANS. READ MORE AT THE LINKS LISTED.

WILLIAM WAY OPENS NEW TRANS RESOURCE CENTER

‘EVERYONE DESERVES AN ATTORNEY’: CITY COUNCIL ADVANCES BILL GUARANTEEING LEGAL AIDE TO RENTERS FACING EVICTION

“The threat of being thrown out of your home,” says Gym, “is arguably an impediment to a person’s ability to pursue life, liberty and happiness. So subjecting someone to that without the benefit of an attorney would be a dereliction of our constitutional responsibility to protect that right.”

Philadelphia City Councilmember Helen Gym stepped up a years-long effort to correct this imbalance, beginning hearings on a Right to Counsel bill. Her legislation would provide an attorney to any tenant facing eviction and earning up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, allowing Philadelphia to benefit from an idea already made law in New York, Newark, San Francisco and now Cleveland.“Eviction is a huge issue,” says Gym. “The impact of getting thrown out of your house, particularly because eviction falls disproportionately on black women who are heads of a household, creates instability in entire families.”

“Maintaining your home is one of the most important factors to preserving stability and quality of life,” Domb wrote this week in an email. “This legislation is another tool to allow Philadelphians most in need with legal assistance to help keep a roof over their head and to strengthen their overall well-being.” Still, she won’t predict an easy win in Council, and property owners, represented by the Homeowners Association of Philadelphia, are pushing back. “I think it’s a terrible bill,” says Harvey Spear, HAPCO’s president. “People should pay their rent. Why are property owners the only people expected to give away their product? And then, when people don’t pay for it, they get a free attorney?”

About one-third of the time, eviction cases are settled through a judgment by agreement—no real negotiation at all, say tenant advocates, in which renters accept whatever their landlord’s attorney offers, even if they cannot make the payments, because they think it is the best offer they’ll get.

Gerrell Sampson, a wife and mother of six children, says the first time she walked into landlord-tenant court in winter 2016, all she saw was a wall of attorneys, lined up talking to the court staff.

An attorney would be vital to renters in negotiating with a landlord seeking eviction, but there is no guarantee that renters will prevail in court. Cases that go to trial still would be up to the judge, after hearing arguments from attorneys for tenants and landlords. The ruling could be in favor of the landlord; or, it could be a compromise that would allow a tenant to be evicted, but require more time for them to find a place to live, for example.

She was facing an eviction hearing, the threat of losing her home, and felt like maybe she should just walk out because she didn’t have an attorney of her own. “I lost before I started,” she says. “That’s how it felt.” This was Sampson’s first trip to eviction court, which has traditionally run lopsided. Landlords come in bearing an attorney. Renters don’t. The consequence can be disastrous for individual citizens, families and a cash-strapped city that bleeds tens of millions each year covering the damages.Lastweek,

According to statistics from Community Legal Services, which provides counsel through PEPP, tenants represented by lawyers save an average of $950 off what landlords are charging them, and get about 16 extra days before moving out. They are also about four times more likely to win a judgment outright. These improvements, say tenant advocates, often represent the difference between homelessness, or an unmanageable debt load, and the chance to move on.

Passage of the Right to Counsel bill might depend on recognizing just how big a shift it represents, philosophically. The American justice system awards free counsel to criminal defendants who cannot afford an attorney because depriving someone of their liberty is so serious that providing an attorney is a necessary constitutional protection. In civil court, however, those who cannot afford an attorney must defend themselves. Gym and other tenant advocates argue that depriving someone of the roof over their heads presents a similar crisis.

“You go in the courtroom, and you recognize all these people in suits must be attorneys, and none of them is there for you,” says Sampson. Gym’s bill is short on detail, as she hammers out particulars with Mayor Kenney’s Managing Director’s office. Generally, she has support from the Mayor, Council President Darrell Clarke and five additional co-sponsors, plus Councilmember Allan Domb, himself a real estate mogul and landlord.

In Philadelphia, prior to last year, about 8 percent of tenants walked into eviction court with an attorney of their own, while 81 percent of landlords enjoy legal representation. At the start of each session, court officers instruct tenants to step into a side-room to “try and work something out” with their landlord’s attorney.

A FAIRER EVICTIONS COURT

By: Steve Volk, The Philadelphia Citizen

A study conducted for a Philadelphia Bar Association Task Force in 2018 concluded that a $3.5 million annual investment in attorneys for renters would save the city at least $39 million in eviction-related shelter, medical and social service costs. For instance, in Philadelphia, about 20 percent of those entering homeless shelters report eviction as the cause. At a cost of $40 per person, per day, with an average stay of six months, the city picks up an expensive tab. Gym is seeking about $5 million to fund her proposal, which already has a kind of proof of concept in a pilot program, the Philadelphia Eviction Prevention Project (PEPP), adopted in 2017, which has bumped up the number of tenants receiving counsel from 8 to 11 percent and produced a cascade of benefits.

Proposed legislation would provide free lawyers for Philly tenants at risk of evictions, similar to how defendants are guaranteed counsel in criminal court. Could it help even the playing field here, as it has in New York City?

OSAPHILLY.ORG 5 #BROKE IN PHILLY: IDEAS WE SHOULD STEAL

“And it’s most obvious in the role attorneys play. …Tenants with no attorney are intimidated into reaching adverse agreements.”

It is too soon to gauge results in Newark and San Francisco, where bills were passed more recently. However, pilot programs in Hennepin County, Minnesota and Boston yielded dramatic results—greater numbers of renters who won reductions in money owed, and received ample time to move or avoided eviction altogether.

“The whole system has been geared in favor of the landlord,” says George Donnelly, an attorney with the Public Interest Law Center, a nonprofit protecting civil, economic and social rights.

A recent update by Stout found that Gym’s suggested city cash outlay of $5 million would allow Philly to provide representation to 6,200 tenants and, factoring in the average household size, help at least 18,600 people per year avoid disruptive displacement. According to Stout, the City’s total estimated savings would near $63Sampson,million. who made her first trip into landlord-tenant court unrepresented, has seen both sides of the issue. She felt, that first time, tremendously vulnerable. Her landlord in Kensington had never kept the place up. There were leaks, making every rainstorm a scramble for pots and buckets. Her electrical sockets sometimes threw sparks. Her heater didn’t work. She complained, many times over many months, with no result. But by fall, 2016, she feared the conditions were so bad she might lose her children.

One of her kids suffers from cerebral palsy, requiring regular care from a home nurse. Sampson worried the nurse might report the poor condition of the house, triggering a child welfare investigation. And it was this fear about her kids that motivated her to use what, for tenants, serves as a kind of nuclear option. She withheld her rent, a legal right given the needed repairs.Finally, her landlord acted, sending an eviction notice.“Itjust felt like he had all the power,” says Sampson. “‘Cause here he was, feeling like he could throw me out because I’d asserted my rights. …Then you go in the courtroom, and you recognize all these people in suits must be attorneys, and none of them is there for you.”

“Phasing the program in made sense,” says Susanna Blankley, Coalition Coordinator for the Right to Counsel NYC Coalition. “It’s a big shift.”The difference between New York’s evictions volume and court infrastructure and Philly’s is vast. Philadelphia handled 18,641 eviction filings last year, in one full-time courtroom and another that hears cases one- to two days per week. New York has seven different courthouses that hear housing cases, spread across its five boroughs and handles a volume of 230,000 filings. That said, Gym and her legislative aides have tracked the New York proposal and hope to land on a method of implementation that will look a lot like Gotham’s.

“Without a Right to Counsel, these rights just don’t get exercised as they would with an attorney present,” she says. “The laws go underused because the tenant isn’t sure how to access them or because they fear some kind of retaliation from the landlord at a time when they are very vulnerable.”

6

ONE STEP AWAY

The difference in results is dramatic: The study performed for the Philadelphia Bar Association, by Stout, a financial advisory firm, found 78 percent of low-income renters without attorneys face “disruptive displacement”—a term connoting a forced move with disastrous consequences, like homelessness or payment agreements the tenant can’t meet. But 95 percent of renters with an attorney enjoy more favorable outcomes, from staying in their homes to moving out with a manageable debt and a timeline that will keep them off the streets.

“I think it’s a terrible bill,” says Harvey Spear, HAPCO’s President.

Incredibly for Sampson, that morning started a run of good luck. First, she doesn’t know why, but her landlord’s counsel requested a postponement. She felt a surge of relief, realizing she wouldn’t have to address the court and would have more time in the house. Then, a couple of days later, someone at the Legal Clinic for the Disabled, involved in her child’s care suggested she seek a pro bono attorney. “I had no idea there was any such thing as a ‘free’ attorney,” she says. Of course, most of the time—then and now— there isn’t. But she reached out to Community Legal Services, who connected her to the Public Interest Law Center, a nonprofit legal advocacy organization protecting civil, economic and social rights. “There was some good fortune in that I was available,” says Dan UrevickAckelsberg, who wound up representing Sampson. “The demand for attorneys is far greater than the supply,” leading the lawyers who take pro bono work to decline a lot more cases than they accept. The subject of evictions rose to national prominence in 2016, with the publication of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, a Pulitzer Prize winning book by sociologist Matthew Desmond, who went on to found the Eviction Lab at Princeton University. The book revealed the role evictions play in destabilizing families and entire communities: Evictions disproportionately affect black residents and families with children, even controlling for variables like income. The displacement of kids renders them far more likely to end up in foster care, and sets back their education—even undermining entire classrooms as children around the city are shifted, abruptly, from one home and school to another. The book sparked action here and elsewhere, lending momentum and academic heft to tenant’s rights movements, including the idea of providing free counsel to low income renters. In its wake, Philadelphia has already instituted other tenant protection measures: a provision requiring landlords to supply renters with a brochure describing their rights, and a good cause law, making it a violation to engage in retaliatory evictions, the situation Sampson faced in which she was evicted for insisting on lawfulRachelrepairs.Garland, managing attorney at Community Legal Services, says these improvements are important, but by themselves can only do so much.

“People should pay their rent. Why are property owners the only people expected to give away their product? And then, when people don’t pay for it, they get a free attorney?”

New York City legislators introduced a bill providing attorneys to people earning 125 percent of the federal poverty level, but upped that to 200 percent (the same number Gym is aiming for) prior to passage in 2017. In New York, the law is being phased in to cover a growing number of “Right to Counsel” zip codes till full implementation in 2022. The results are promising. Evictions fell last year by two percent in comparable non-RTC zip codes. But they fell five times as much, by 11 percent, in zip codes where the RTC law went into effect.

Details, though, are scant, because when Gym calls the upcoming hearings a “process,” she isn’t kidding. The measure would require an estimated $5 million for lawyers to represent people earning up to 200 percent of the poverty

In New York, tenants in RTC zip codes are scheduled for particular courtrooms, where they are assigned an attorney who takes the case on from there. Philadelphia tenants would likely receive some notice in the mail of their potential eligibility to receive free counsel and a number to call. Tenants who reach out, via a provided phone number, would be able to consult with an attorney before any scheduled court date. Tenants who show up the day of their hearing would be met by an attorney, who will be able to seek a postponement, if necessary, to get up to speed.

Everybody deserves a place to call home.

Together we’re better.

“You can look at landlords and tenants and tell who’s who without looking at how they are dressed,” Sampson says.

Blankley, in New York, credits a wide grassroots coalition with winning unstoppable support in New York, including a Mayor who initially rejected the idea, which passed in council by a 423-1 vote. Philly advocates, including the seven nonprofits involved in the PEPP program, have tracked New York’s efforts to build support for the bill in the hopes of emulating their success.

Sampson, today, can talk convincingly about what a lawyer meant to her. “To tell the truth,” she said, “I had mixed feelings because I felt bad for the people all around me who didn’t have an attorney like I did.”

OSAPHILLY.ORG 7 level. (Some of that funding already exists, as part of the City’s Tenant Legal Defense Fund—launched in 2017—which contains $2.1 million, including $1.5 million allocated in the 2020 budget.)

Together, we’re RHD.

Gym says she is working on the details with the managing director, so how it will all work is also not yet clear. The program would probably phase in, like New York, over a five-year period. They do not know yet if they will roll it out by zip code or some other means, but the discussion, right now, revolves around ways of deploying it for the people who can use it most: those who live in neighborhoods with high eviction rates, for instance, and neighborhoods that contribute the most to the homeless population.

She saw one woman with pictures on her phone of repair work that hadn’t been completed. At the court’s behest, she went in the backroom with her landlord’s attorney and took a deal in which she agreed to leave, never saying a word to the judge about the pictures on her phone.

“Making sure the process is fair, and everyone has an attorney,” Sampson says. “That’s the best thing we could do.”

From shelters and safe havens to supportive housing and nationally-renowned case management services, Resources for Human Development helps people of all abilities attain and maintain their own housing. RHD is a national leader in pioneering innovative strategies to support people as they work to break they cycle of RHDhomelessness.founded

TOGETHER, WE CAN End homelessness

“You can look at landlords and tenants and tell who’s who without looking at how they are dressed,” she says. “Because the tenants, you can feel the fear in them.”

Consider it a form of survivor’s guilt, but looking around the courtroom, she says, she wanted to tell Urevick-Ackelsberg, her attorney, to go help all these other people. Ultimately, the case against Sampson was withdrawn. She was even plaintiff in a suit that served as a test case for a later class action suit, which alleged plaintiff’s attorneys had violated the fair debt collection practices act. Fact is, she was not legally liable for rent due when the property owner was not in compliance with landlord-tenant provisions, and the case settled. Now, she wants to see everyone enjoy the benefit she did.

“Because the tenants, you can feel the fear in them.” Income screening would probably be the responsibility of the legal service providers, selected through an RFP process and come from existing organizations, like Community Legal Services, with expertise in housing and pro bono services. (City money frequently goes to nonprofits to administer services, like Community Behavioral Health, for example.)Thelogistics of running such a program span the mundane and monumental: The Right to Counsel could result in 10 or more new attorneys being added to an already cramped courtroom on a daily basis. Where will they stand? Or sit? Does the municipal court need to find a bigger room?

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Find out how you can help at www.rhd.org

Also, how will the Right to Counsel evolve? Last year, about one-third of the city’s eviction filings ended in a default judgment for the property owner because the renter simply failed to show up. Tenant advocates believe this is because many tenants figure being there won’t make a difference. With a free attorney provided, how many of these people will take part? Not knowing that answer makes it difficult to figure out how many new attorneys will need to be hired, trained and put to work. The bill also calls for the program’s results to tracked—as PEPP has done—to determine the program is beneficial.

THE FIGHT TO MONEYAVENUEWASHINGTONPRESERVE“THEITALIANMARKETHASFEDTHOUSANDS.TOCHANGETHISAROUNDFORTHEISSELFISH,IT’SAWASTE,THEYCANMAKEADIFFERENCE,BUTNOTINTHISWAY.”

THE DEVELOPERS ARE COMING

By: One Step Away staff In the foreseeable future the corner of 9th Street & Washington Avenue in the historic Italian Market may never look the same. On this corner sits a Philly famous Italian seafood restaurant and market by the name of Anastasi Seafood. Behind this establishment lays a giant vacant lot. Since 2015, Midwood Investment & Development, a company from New York, has been looking to build an apartment complex where the vacant lot and Anastasi’s are located.

Janet Stechman’s family has operated Anastasi Seafood for more than two decades at its Italian Market location. “We’re lucky to have this food and the ability to broadcast it. We should preserve that for the sake of this community. Many businesses have come and gone but us, we’ve stayed the same in culture and improved through the years with our food,” says Salvatore Stechman, a local and employee at Anastasi Seafood.

8 ONE STEP AWAY #LOCAL: GENTRIFICATION

The development company’s initial proposal planned a five-story, 70-unit apartment complex. However, after Councilman Squilla rezoned the land parcel, to accommodate Midwood’s building, the developer upped the project to an eight-story, 182-unit complex, causing mistrust with longtime residents, according to a 2018 South Philly Review article. Since then, residents, Midwood, and the Passyunk Square Civic Association, have been battling out project details at Civic Design Review (CDR) meetings — the last held in May 2019. After the round of meetings, the project is now a six-story, 157-unit property with a parking garage and retail space. Midwood plans to bulldoze the buildings that house Anastasi Seafood and begin construction later this year.

THE NEW ITALIAN MARKET

The project is going to change the community as it loses an establishment that has provided high quality seafood and service for years. “The Italian Market has fed thousands,” says Stechmanm. “To change this around for the money is selfish, it’s a waste, they can make a difference, but not in this way.”The Stechmans plan on moving the fish market to a location across the street, but the relocation destination for the restaurant is still unknown. The Italian Market project is just one of Midwood’s 37 properties the company has acquired in

OSAPHILLY.ORG 9

“The Italian Market isn’t meant for change like this...”, says Marissa Aversa, a local resident and Anastasi Seafood employee. The market is not a neighborhood with high-rise buildings and condominium complexes. Residents believe that such a structure would change the feel of the neighborhood, characterized by local businesses and restaurants.Alongwith the potential for a change in culture, the project raises a concern about interrupting the current pedestrian and traffic pattern of the Italian Market, creating congestion. The developer plans to build restaurants and shops on the ground floor which locals believe will create more foot traffic in the already heavily patronized area.

One of the oldest public food markets in the United States, the Italian Market has found itself under increasing pressure as the surrounding neighborhoods gentrify, bringing tax increases, complaints about cleanliness and other quality of life concerns, according to WHYY.

HOA BINH PLAZA

“THEY ARE ALL ON LOCATE.”AREOUTTHEMTOSOLEASESNOTMONTHMONTH-TO-LEASESLONGTERMINPLACE,IT’SGOINGBEUPTOTOFIGUREWHERETHEYGOINGTO

MIDWOOD’S ITALIAN MARKET BUILDING PLAN

Midwood’s plan to construct a parking garage has become a source of debate as well. Community members oppose having the entrance to the building’s underground parking garage on 9th Street, where the fear is that it could stunt the ongoing revitalization in the area, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Philadelphia since 1998. The company’s website boasts to investors: “Midwood has meticulously repositioned the assets through hands-on leasing, redevelopment and management….Over the past 20 years, rents have increased tenfold.”

Midwood’s core markets are New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., andThePittsburg.projectthreatens change for the Italian Market and is adding to the wave of gentrification that is happening in Philadelphia and across most major cities in the U.S. Locals do not believe this development will be beneficial for the Italian Market or the community.

Hoa Binh Plaza opened in 1990 and became a shopping and community hub for Vietnamese and Cambodian immigrants. The beloved Asian food plaza is home to small Vietnamese businesses, restaurants, and bakeries that have been serving the community for over 30 years. Earlier this year, OCF Realty learned the property was under agreement with developers — unbeknown to the plaza’s business owners and neighbors.InPhiladelphia, when a developer wants to purchase a building and change the zoning, they

As the Italian Market project threatens to disrupt communities east of Washington Avenue, further west developers set their sights on the Hoa Binh Plaza.

ANASTASI FISH MARKET

Additionally, none of the business owners were notified or present at the meeting. Yet the vote still went through approved — essentially evicting all of the plaza’s

A COMMUNITY EFFORT

Regardingtenants.theplaza’s

On June 25, VietLead organized a meeting with Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, business owners, and community members — attendance was estimated at 75-100 people. Councilman Johnson said that he “was under the impression that everyone was on board.” He followed, “I don’t see how I could be supportive of this, outright evicting all the tenants… so no, I’m not going to be supportive of kicking all of the businesses out, that’s first and foremost, and I’ll say that publicly and for theOnrecord.”July24, Vietlead organized a rally outside of the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) office, the date the ZBA was to review Streamline’s application. Streamline requested a continuance on their request to rezone the area. The ZBA approved the continuance allowing Streamline to meet with Hoa Binh business owners and the community to negotiate a new plan, but it’s been months, according to the nonprofit 18 Million Rising, Streamline finally made contact on November 6. However, it might have been too late. In October, Thomas Sininson closed his Nam Son Bakery on Washington Avenue after he was cited with multiple violations by the health inspector. Sininson is not alone, other plaza business owners do not know what to make of the sudden spike in city inspections.According to Lan Dinh, Farm and Food Sovereignty Director at VietLead, business owners at Hoa Binh Plaza report more frequent city inspections this year than in previous years. Some businesses have been inspected multiple times. Dinh and her colleagues met with representatives of the Health Department and License & Inspections (L&I) recently, and L&I confirmed it has been

10 ONE STEP AWAY HOA BINH PLAZA

According to a WHYY report, when Vietnamese advocacy group VietLead questioned the plaza’s 146 neighbors, only a handful were notified of Streamline Development Group’s June 4 approval meeting to purchase and rezone the area.

“IF THERE IS HAPPENINGGENTRIFICATIONWHERECORRELATIONATHATCANBEMADE,THATINAREASTHEREISTHEREAREINCREASESINREPORTING,THENCITYDEPARTMENTSAREBEINGWEAPONIZEDFORGENTRIFICATION.”

Streamline plans to build 44 new “affordable [housing] units for first time home buyers, young professionals, millennials…our target market.”, Kosloski told WHYY. For 20 percent of the units, the starting price will be $240,000. Most residents in Philadelphia, where the median income is $39,759, will not be able to afford that.

tenants Streamline’s vice president Steve Kosloski told PlanPhilly, “They are all on month-to-month leases not long term leases in place, so it’s going to be up to them to figure out where they are going to locate.”

must seek the approval of the area’s Registered Community Organization (RCO) and notify residents who live within 200 square feet of the development at an RCO meeting.

THE FUTURE OF PHILADELPHIA Rezoning of land parcels, lack of government oversight, and the 10-year tax abatement plan are all factors in the ongoing redevelopment Philadelphians have experienced over the last decade or so. As New York and Boston developers continue to gentrify Philadelphia, the question remains for who? What is the future of Philadelphia and who is it being built for?

OSAPHILLY.ORG 11 STREAMLINE DEVELOPMENT GROUP’S HOUSING PLAN

Photos page 8-9 Anastasi Restaurant, anastasiseafood.com. Midwood’s Italian Market Building Plan, midwoodid.com. Photos page 10-11 Nam Son Bakery in Hoa Binh Plaza by Kimberly Paynter/WHYY. Streamline Development’s rendering of the 44 homes planned for the Hoa Bing plaza site Streamline/Harman Deutsch Architects.

Moving forward local businesses will have to work together if they desire to stop this type of development. Some businesses within the Italian Market want to create a Business Improvement District (BID), an organization who would advocate for establishments when high-end development companies like Midwood or Streamline are coming toAsdevelop.thistype of development and gentrification becomes the norm in Philadelphia, the average citizen can play a role, by getting involved with your Registered Community Organization (RCO), and staying informed about what is happening in your neighborhood. Also, remember to vote for City Councilmembers who will put people over profit. Finally, invest locally by supporting local businesses and community establishments. Together, we can keep the Philadelphians in Philly, and our communities intact.

VietLead requested that the departments analyze violation reports from the past few years to see if the reports correlate with redevelopment areas. “This is really serious. If there is a correlation that can be made, that in areas where there is gentrification happening there are increases in reporting, then city departments are being weaponized for gentrification,” Dinh told WHYY. 18 Million Rising is hoping to raise $3,000 by November 27 to hire a lawyer to represent Hoa Binh small business owners. According to their website the money will: hire a lawyer to defend the businesses and represent them before Streamline and the ZBA, thus allowing the business owners to focus on keeping their stores open. To help save Hoa Binh Plaza, visit 18 Million Rising at www.action.18mr.org/savehoabinh. Email the ZBA at rcozba@phila.gov. Call Councilman Kenyatta Johnson at 215-686-3412. And spread the word!

receiving more tips of alleged code violations in the area of Hoa Binh Plaza.

Dinh told WHYY that Nam Son closing is “really heartbreaking…and it’s a huge loss to the community. This is terrible, that it could have prevented, and was brought in part because of city processes that didn’t make sense.”

She continued: “With the continuing business tenants, we want to stay strong and keep working to save the plaza, and keep fighting to make sure no other businesses get closed, feel intimidated, or don’t feel like they have a choice.”

“WHAT IS PHILADELPHIA?FUTURETHEOFANDWHOISTHECITYBEINGBUILTFOR?”

CELEBRATING OSA CELEBRATING OPPORTUNITY,SUCCESS, & ACHIEVEMENT CELEBRATING OSA

CELEBRATING OPPORTUNITY: THANKFUL • Good relationships with God, my boyfriend, and my family and friends. •For One Step Away: the opportunity it has provided for me to write and influence and help others in addition to my employment. • All of the personal growth and challenges I have overcome this year. — Caia Iglehart • Gift of happy goals to •achieve.Giftofhaving life. • Family members with positive communication. • Local friendly shelters. — Dontae Copeland • My son • Family • Friends • Of course God — Kareem Jones • Being alive • Being in church • My job at One Step •AwayBeing in recovery — Kevin James • Restoration of my life. • Being given the chance to help. • Having good friends. • Having the power to make right decisions. — Marcel Broadwater • My higher power • To be alive • My family • My job at One Step —AwayFester Whitley I THANKAMFUL FOR: • One Step Away • No longer being —••homelessGodLifeEdward Johnson • My children • My family • My community • Great organizations like One Step Away — Farugh Maat • My sobriety • My son • Fresh Start Recovery •HouseAfresh start at life when I know I should be dead. — Chester Wilczynski • My family. • God woke me up •today.Ihave a place to live. • Employment at One Step Away, — Neal McLaurin • My daughter • My home • My health • My family and —friendsRichard Ramson • Thankful • Grateful • Opportunity • One Step Away — Roger Bowman • A place to live of my •ownBeing alive • Friends • My family — Maria James • Another chance at —•••life.EnduranceDeterminationVirtueSterlingCrosby “I am thankful for One Step Away, my sponsors, the security and police that watches over us while we’re vending, and good food and fresh clothes when —needed.”William Temple • God. • My fiancé and my •family.Being able to work this job at One Step Away. — ScannapiecoStephanie “I am very thankful to God for allowing me to do all these things in my life. For being able to be very supportive of homelessness in —Philadelphia.”BrianBelcher

We launched the “Knock Out Homelessness” fundraiser around Matt, and its success carried the program, and made it a thing that just would not be denied. We used to joke about it — the scrappy, little homelessness program that could. With no resources and limited capacity, One Step Away kept churning; it was successful, it worked, it really helped people. One Step Away not only survived but thrived against all odds, because it kept effectively helping people in need, and YOU, our community, kept supporting us.

By: Kevin Roberts

Hall of Famer and Philadelphia legend Matthew Saad Muhammad ended up at the Ridge Center. His willingness to engage One Step Away vendors and writers to tell his story was incredible. His story which debuted in One Step Away was picked up by the rest of Philadelphia’s media. For a while we were all over local TV networks and newspapers — just amazing publicity thanks to Matt. This exposure very much entrenched the program and gave One Step Away solidity and credibility.

It was such an honor working with Matt and getting to know him. His support meant so much. A lot of people came out to support One Step Away when it really mattered. Matthew Saad Muhammad, Darren Daulton, Nate Miller, Vai Sikahema...we always had the sense that it wasn’t just us, that the people who interacted with the program on any level could see its value, they got it — it was a cause people wanted to support.

It was always a struggle just to keep One Step Away going all the time, but regularly something would happen — just organically, the program’s unfailing ability to fulfill its mission and genuinely help people — that kept it propelling forward. At the time, a vendor named Neal McLaurin got nominated for an International Street Paper writing award. The Philadelphia Daily News did a feature on him, and Stephanie Farr did a wonderful story that included Neal talking about the uncertainty of this new thing he was trying and in a very Philly moment he called One Step Away a “jawn.” Stephanie followed it with a paragraph that read: “But that jawn was legit.”

We launched One Step Away at the Ridge Center, the largest men’s shelter in 2009. Dainette Mintz the then director of Philadelphia’s Office of Supportive Housing, purchased the first issue. The excitement over this new concept, this innovative approach that people could get behind, was palpable and really encouraging. In so many ways, the city backed this effort, helping create an outside-the-box way of thinking about homelessness and poverty. There were a bunch of firsts and starts in the early days, but we always were carried by the steadfast belief that this was a good idea, and if we could make it work, we would really create an impact.

“WE’RE A LEGIT JAWN!”

CELEBRATING SUCCESS: STREET PAPER MILESTONES

The energy around the launch led to extensive media coverage, and the Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Jennifer Lin got hooked on a story about a young girl named Stephanie at the Woodstock Family Center. Stephanie, very courageously, wrote an essay about her situation announcing to her friends and teachers at school that her family was homeless. It ran on the front page of the Inquirer and was a sensation; gorgeously written, just a lovely piece. The splash One Step Away made when we launched carried us through the early days when it was such a struggle just to get Thenstarted.Boxing

Oh my gosh, what a thing that was — “WE’RE A LEGIT JAWN!”, we shouted at each other.

WHY WE LAUNCHED ONE STEP AWAY…

But the biggest thing I take from One Step Away — and this was true from day one, and it is still true to this day — is the way the program empowers people. It helps people realize their value, gives a boost to their self-esteem, gives people who are so down a reason to believe in themselves.

That’s the biggest thing about this scrappy, little homelessness program that could: One Step Away rebuilds people. One Step Away gives people hope. One Step Away gives people a voice. People come into the program and feel like they have a chance, they can do for themselves, they have a way to get something better. That’s always going to be the best thing about One Step Away. It gives people hope.

THANK YOUFOR

“SOMETIMES

Join us in creating more opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness, by investing in One Step Away.

One of the early films we did about the program showed a vendor named September start crying as she said: “I felt like my life was worthless. BUT IT’S NOT.” Neal, who inspired the legit jawn story, showed up at the program’s last fundraiser and said: “Thank you for giving me a voice”. A vendor named Richard Ramson got his own housing and is able to care for his daughter thanks to One Step Away and said: “Sometimes people just need a chance. One Step Away gave me a chance.”

OSAPHILLY.ORG 15

YEARS!AMAZING

— RICHARD RAMSON Our intern at the time made up t-shirts as a gift that read, “One Step Away: A legit jawn.” We gave one to Stephanie, and on her twitter account she tweeted a picture of the shirt and wrote “breaking jawn news”...our community continuously amazed us. It was just constant affirmation that One Step Away works, it’s credible, it’s really a thing. It’s a legit jawn, man.

PEOPLE JUST NEED A CHANCE. ONE STEP AWAY GAVE ME A CHANCE.”

In our first interactions with people who were experiencing homelessness, their sense of despair was palpable. Chins on their chests, voices so soft they were basically a whisper, a real feeling of hopelessness, just down. But then they’d get this platform, this way to work and do for themselves, and they’d see possibility — maybe for the first time in a long time. And they’d just blossom. There’s no other word.

CELEBRATING SUCCESS: STREET PAPERS 600 TH ISSUE The Big Issue Australia 25 YEARS Real Change, Seattle 30 YEARS Street Sheet, San Francisco 25 YEARS L’Itineraire, Montreal 25 YEARS The International Street Paper Network (INSP) 25 YEARS CAIS, Portugal

“I’ve been able to help my children get off the streets and into —housing.”BrianBelcher

“I’ve been able to get clean, support my family, and get school paid for. I’ve got nothing —appreciation.”butChesterWilczynski AS ONE STEP AWAY PREPARES TO CELEBRATE 10 YEARS, WE ASKED OUR VENDORS: WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS WHILE WITH ONE STEP AWAY?

“I’m not anymore,homelessI’vegotmy life —back.”Kevin James

“I’ve become a peer specialist and have gained a certificate for a housing zoucher.” — Kareem Jones “On August 21, 2019, I gained housing, it was my —accomplishment.”biggestEdwardJohnson

CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENTS: STREET VENDORS

“Since I’ve been with One Step Away I’ve maintained my sobriety and maintained my —housing.”Charles Blakesley “I’ve learned —beingtookStepperformanceleadershipfromOneAway,andreallyawaythatskillbyavendor.”ZacharyCaldwell “Surviving as a homeless person and helping the —community.”homelessRandallCraig

“I’ve been able to gain housing, get a new scooter, and start a savings account. All great things.” — Kevin Wiehsner

18 ONE STEP AWAY IF YOU COULD WRITE A LETTER TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF, INSP: VENDORS LETTERS TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF

we celebrate INSP’s 25th anniversary by asking vendors to write to (or in some cases about) their 25-year-old self. The resulting feature is a twist on the now ubiquitous “Letter to My Younger Self” series made famous by The Big Issue in the U.K. (with the best of them now compiled into a book). For many street paper vendors, this meant dipping into the past. For others, it was a glimpse into the future. And for some, it was a good way to reflect on life right now. Vendors share stories of hardship and tales of hope. As usual, the list of vendors is eclectic and diverse, with nearly 50 vendors from 23 street papers across 17 countries.

My favorite music is Madonna and Prince Hello 1989.

“Maintaining a place to live for the last 4 years, and getting an award for assisting in running One Step Away’s vendor

AND WELCOME TO 25 YEARS OLD.

You enjoy time alone now since they started school and now it’s time to think about your future too. First you will get your diploma and learn a job skill. You like clerical work, so that’s your next plan which is successful.

The campus is a nice place to do this and that’s where we live. In University City you meet all nationalities and there’s nice parks for the children. They have an excellent school program and day care. You will meet new friends. But are too busy to think about anything else.

You also notice parenting is becoming more of a responsibility: you have to be mom and dad. You’re alone, completely alone with two daughters – and it’s harder than you thought it ever would be. Where is this husband? Has he abandoned us completely? You feel sorry for the girls, but they are very young, so they don’t understand completely yet, and now it is time to begin letting go and live again.

BIGGEST—site.”MariaACHIEVEMENT WITH OSA

As always around the festive period, vendors across the International Street Paper Network (INSP) contribute to a feature.collaborativeThisyear

You are still very young, and you have two very beautiful daughters. You’re separated from your husband, the father of both daughters. You dream of getting back together but you know in the back of your mind it won’t happen. The children will miss him and suffer the most, but they are a part of you too and you feel their pain. But you have each other and love each other very much, so that’s all that matters.

By Maria James One Step Away Vendor

OSAPHILLY.ORG 19

20 ONE STEP AWAY

25 – what a good number. You entered religious life at 23 years of age. At this time, you have much strength and you are constantly on the move. You do many chores, some hard and heavy, but you are not bothered or hindered. Of course, being of the religious life, you are not under stress from paying bills and buying groceries, that’s Mother Superior’s responsibility. As I write this, I am going to turn 62 in March, and there is so much stress now! I have learned a lot, but physically, I wish I was 25 again. Enjoy your youth. God bless and good luck.

SISTER MARIE

— WHAT A GOOD NUMBER.

BIGGEST—housing.”CharlesACHIEVEMENT WITH OSA

“Since I’ve been with One Step Away, I have maintained my sobriety and maintained my

OSAPHILLY.ORG 21

22 ONE STEP AWAY

OSAPHILLY.ORG 23

A LETTER TO MY 25-YEAR-OLD SELF FROM MY 45-YEAR-OLD SELF:

24 ONE STEP AWAY

Two decades ago, as you turn 25, you are working for WebMD preparing for the Y2K switch and the implementation of HIPPA. It’s your first and last really corporate job. You seem to have it really together. You realize you are in a dangerous relationship, but you don’t realize how dangerous. It will be several years before you will manage to leave Anthony, but you finally will, just before he gets his settlement, and it will save your life. A year later he will kill himself and the girl he dates immediately following you. If you can manage to cut this and other bad relationships shorter, you can save yourself over a decade of trauma and lost love. In a couple of years, you will manage to go back to school. Try your hardest to finish this time. Maybe pick just one major. Maybe go back and finish your art degree instead. When tragedy strikes, and as I hinted, it will, don’t let it derail you.You will get married and all of your siblings will follow. But if you and your spouse give in to your demons, you will have serious legal issues and your marriage will fail. Do not follow any paths you already know to be dark. You learned lessons young about addiction, alcohol, crime, and exploiting yourself. Please remember to continue to apply them. If you forget, you’ll spend years institutionalized or in re-entry.Youeventually become ready to let your demons go and choose to follow God, and a way is prepared for you. With a lot of hard work and special help, you finally become free of them. But it takes you way too long and you pay way too high a price.Seek a stronger and more consistent relationship with God. Build this relationship first before others. You will understand the importance of this by the time you find a man to fall in love with and want to build a life with. You will finally find him, and he will love you in a way you’ve never been loved. It will be amazing and worth the wait. He will love God as much as you do. You will pray together.Cherish your family. You will lose your dad early and come close to losing your sister early. But, you, your mother, and your siblings, will all do a lot of work over years to heal from the trauma of your childhood. You all finally end up in a pretty good place, and your siblings build strongRememberfamilies.to make as much art and write as much as possible. These are your true gifts and you were given sharingprocrastinateinside,lotYoutoamazingthesegiftshelpothers.haveaofbeautydon’tit.

OSAPHILLY.ORG 25 I KNOW 25 IS HARD.

It is February 14, 2004 and you just turned 25. The world is crazy for you right now. You are deep into your drinking addiction. Your girlfriend died right before your eyes when she was with your child. You are in a deep depression. I know you are lost and confused. Don’t give up. Life will get better. Stop drinking and get into a 12-step program. And if God is for you, then who can be against you. My 25-year-old self, you would be very proud of me today. You’d be amazed that I became a writer and actor. You would have laughed at a street paper and would have never thought about selling it. Matter of fact, I know you would have looked down on a street paper. But it’s a legit jawn. Don’t give up, life will get better!

26 ONE STEP AWAY DESIGNED & SCREEN PRINTED BY LOCAL PHILLY ARTIST @ACEFACEPRINT BUY REPRESENTLOCAL PHILLY & SUPPORT ONE STEP AWAY 1 2 3 BUY OSAPHILLY.ORGONLINE

Willis Towers Watson is a proud supporter of One Step Away and Resources

OSAPHILLY.ORG 27 See frompotentialeveryangle.

for Human Development

BY: ZACHARY CALDWELL

ISSUES GIVES OUR VENDORS AND WRITERS A VOICE. IT IS A CHANCE FOR THEM TO SHARE THEIR STORIES — AND CONNECT WITH YOU, OUR READERS. UNCOVERED ISSUES

Upon examination of 1930 county records from Wyoming County, West Virginia, I learned that my father was born there in 1927. I learned he passed away in 1990 at the same age that I am now – 63. The exact year of his birth and passing was unknown to me until now. With a current population of 200, “Slab Fork” located in a very rural part of West Virginia, is a hard place to locate even on a map.

“I’ve been able to actually

As a result of some brief but very professional investigative work that lasted about a half an hour, one of their volunteers learned some surprising and unexpected facts about my family history on my father’s side.

28 ONE STEP AWAYUNCOVERED

Since I am a Temple University graduate with my degree in history, I utilized my academic skills to investigate both my family history and some other famous African Americans that originate from West Virginia. Bishop T.D Jakes, famous lawyer and civil rights activist Cecil B. Moore, the Reverend Dr. Leon Sullivan, 76er legend and Hall of Famer Hal Greer, journalist Tony Brown, and TV star Steve Harvey, all hail from my late father’s home state. By the way, one last famous West Virginian, “Ain’t No Sunshine” Bill Withers, singersongwriter also came from a very small town in West Virginia, an out of the way place called “Slab Fork”.

PRESIDENT...A ROLE OF PEACE

BY: BRYANT E. CULPEPPER SR.

And still expect folk to fight in wars against those who truly have done nothing to me at all. My dictionary tells me that peace is a state of quietness, calm, and of repose.

Recently I had the occasion to attend a free genealogy workshop at PhillyCam, an organization in which I am currently a member. It was hosted by an African American genealogical society which meets monthly at the Pinn Memorial Baptist Church in West Philadelphia.

BIGGEST—writings.”submitZacharyACHIEVEMENT WITH OSA

Since I had already known some basic facts about my family ancestry it made our research efforts a lot easier than it would have been otherwise. Along with this, I also learned more about my grandfather’s background, “Ray L. Caldwell”, and the names of his wife and children. He was born in 1897, most likely in North Carolina. I discovered that my grandfather was a veteran of the First World War and a coal miner by trade. Along with that, I also found out my father enlisted in the army in 1946.

If I were president, I’d first honor our, or should I say, the Constitution of America. Not the Constitution as it is written by the forefathers. But a constitution that’s absolute in all of its amendments, in lure of true love for the real Father of honor, integrity, and oh yes, trust.

If I were president, I’d open the closed doors for the poor. I’d listen to the contrite even more if I were president. If I were president, I’d start a revolution that would save the rich soils of Mother Earth. Pollution would be at its all-time low.

A PLACE CALLED “SLAB FORK”

If I were the president, secondly I would respect the banner of the red, white and blue. Yes, those three colors of a so-called freedom. The flag behind the flag is that of true equality, truth, spirituality, and much peace. But is it peace that we really get? Was peace being beaten, hanged, and discriminated against?

VENDOR VOICES:

If I were president, the true words of GOD that’s posted in our supreme courts, would be respected and honored at all times. And not just hang there on walls of the white washed. If I were president, there would be no fancy lawyers that could craft and wiggle out and free known killers, and major crime doers. If I were president, I’d constantly oracle that assuring quote that all men are indeed created equal.Yes,if I were president… if I were president, there would be no poverty. Everything would be evenly divided amongst the people. No hunger, no nakedness, no homelessness, no sickness, no illegal drug activity, no rape undealt with, and truly no saddened deaths as results of wrong doing, and truly no greed. If I were president, with the help of the almighty GOD, all would definitely be well. Because when we leave this current state of depravity, our spirits will truly assure us all, that yes, we will indeed all be at a comforting peace… yes I tell you, if I were president.

BY: BRYANT E. CULPEPPER SR.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

to

I’d like to share my version of a tale about the ultimate Christmas tree that was planted by my Lord, Jesus Christ. It all started millions of years ago in the land called, Heaven…

ISSUE’S PUZZLE

CHRISTMAS TREE

There once was a God called, the great I AM. With love in His heart, looked over the land. He took a Heavenly seed, in the palm of His hand. In lure that light, could aluminate the man. He buried it deep in the ground, so it could grow.

NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO LIVE OR DIE ON OUR STREETS

once

Bryant overcame homelessness and now advocates for others through his writings. Here he is pictured reading an original poem at the 2018 Homeless Memorial Day in front of a sign listing the 270 names of individuals we lost that year due to homelessness.

To become a great tree, with divine fruit that glow. Dew from Heaven, watered it with love. Warmth and comfort, from the SON above. He taught through parables, of a sower and his seed. A manifested understanding, from the blood that bleed. Now this particular tree, was a symbol of celebration. Through years of joy, and a holiday anticipation. The ornaments, the lights, the star at its peak. As sugar plums dance, with reindeer in the streets. Gifts from wise men, were placed in its midst. Rosy red cheeks were the heights of this bliss. Children all over, were sleeping with joy. Only to awaken, to muse that awaited toy. This tree stood in awe, of everything around. As jingle bells play, with that holiday sound. No man could ever plant, a tree with such awesome glam. Like this tree that was planted, by the greatest of I AM. So, this tree you see, was the light in me. And all that I be, was solely from this tree. This tale is finished, in hope you understand. The history of the tree, from the hands of I AM. LAST SOLUTIONS time has come for us gather more Day 2019. Homeless Memorial Day is a national event that takes place annually on or around December 21, the first day of winter and longest night of the year. Since the early 1990s, a coalition of Philadelphia advocates, providers, and homeless and formerly homeless persons have organized a gathering to honor the many individuals who have lost their lives and recommit to working to bring an end to homelessness in the city of Philadelphia. We will gather this year to remember those we have lost and call for an end to homelessness.Asalways,we will need a solid core of organizers, volunteers, and committee members to make this event possible. We hope that many of you can join us again this year. If you have any questions, please contact Project Home at memorial@projecthome.org or 215-232-7272, ext. 3106. If you are interested in being a part of this year’s planning committee, please sign action.projecthome.org.up@HomelessMemorialPhilly

B E L L O W S A C U T A N C E W M S S N A P T N T B L U E E P A N N I N G B O G U F A C F K S S J O R W O I P L R P C L I K U H E O H D A R B E V R A E F Z P K S T Y S O I D L B S V O A F M O D E C N S S I E H G P S S I J G T R N D T B N S T O N E T L O T E R U I A B Y R C A N O N L L W E R E S O N I Y R P A P D I R D S G E O C P A A S H O T A N E T L K G Y O N A Y O P T I C Y F I L M S D K O D A K L U M E N T I N T E L I T E N R T M A X Z A P S WORD SEARCH 2 8 7 5 1 9 4 6 3 6 3 1 7 2 4 8 9 5 9 5 4 8 6 3 2 7 1 8 6 3 2 9 5 7 1 4 7 1 9 6 4 8 3 5 2 4 2 5 3 7 1 6 8 9 3 7 2 1 5 6 9 4 8 5 4 8 9 3 7 1 2 6 1 9 6 4 8 2 5 3 7 SUDOKU 1 3 9 2 8 7 1 4 6 5 6 5 4 3 2 9 1 8 7 8 1 7 5 4 6 3 2 9 2 6 9 7 1 3 8 5 4 1 8 3 4 9 5 6 7 2 4 7 5 2 6 8 9 3 1 7 2 6 1 8 4 5 9 3 9 3 1 6 5 2 7 4 8 5 4 8 9 3 7 2 1 6 SUDOKU 2 E M S I S L A M D A M U P P O E S T A T E O B E S E I N N L I G H T H E A D E D T O O L E R I R I S I R E A C R E P R I G L A S S P R I V A T E S C H O O L H A T S W A T E B B S T A M P E R P R E E M P T A I R S A U L A R E R A C K A N D P I N I O N T H E M I C E S U N C O H E N O N C E K A N S A N E N D A N G E R I N G T I S S N E L L P E K O E A N A E A R L Y T R E T S Y E W CROSSWORD

The

for Homeless Memorial

OSAPHILLY.ORG 29

30 ONE STEP AWAY insp.ngo /inspstreetpapers@_INSP 1,850 volunteers support our global movement Over 100 street papers Published in 25 languages Our network in numbers is made up of: Our global network Every month, collectivelyvendorsearn Million$2.78,750 vendors sell street papers at any one time 20,500 vendors earn an income by selling street papers each year Million4.6 readers worldwide in 35 That’scountriesagrand total of $32.4 Million in the pockets of vendors every year 19.4 Million street papers were sold across the world in the past year

OSAPHILLY.ORG 31 PUZZLES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 CROSSWORD FOR ANSWERS PICK UP OUR NEXT ISSUE OF ONE STEP AWAY! CONTRIBUTED BY STREET ROOTS, PORTLAND, OREGON. 2SUDOKU 8 7 6 3 9 5 9 1 8 2 1 5 4 7 2 6 7 2 1 5 7 2 9 7 1 5 4 7 6 8 1SUDOKU 2 8 4 3 8 9 2 9 5 7 4 5 1 1 2 8 2 6 1 5 7 9 4 2 1 8 5 3 4 WORD SEARCH M A R M A L A D E Q O J A Y S B E R L I N C C L O U T D S H P I L N E R A S U R E E I D A S K I D S B M C R A C K E R N Q X N O B D E A H O L E X N A Y F X A L R L U F R E E H S N C A S S U R V I V O R S X O A S L Z C E Y E S S T U O T A K W L D Z S L T P P R V I C S M E H I E I U O E W A S P E I A E A O X C T C C R T S K P S N T L E W X S O T R E A I F U 2 Z A E O F C L A B C M H A F J G R B L M U D D E V O P A O A C M K F C D O O R S T O T O M CakeBoxBlueBerlinAsiaAlarmA-HaAceABCAbbaTops DevoDartsCureCultCutsCrewCrackerCloutCCRCamel KissJamINXSHoleFreeFallExileErasureDoorsDio The object of a Sudoku puzzle is to fill in the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Good luck! ACROSS 1. Computer menu 10.5.optionAheapPractice in the 16.15.predecessor14.ringAshcroft’sStandoutOneofthe Ivies 17. Far from ruddy 18. Fixin’ to 19. Length x width, for a rectangle 20. Collector’s items 23. “Losing My Religion” rock 24.groupPie ___ mode 25. Good name, for 26.shortAddis Ababa’s land (Abbr.) 28. Spot broadcast, 30.oftenJersey call 32. 34.donationChurchO.Henry’s “The Gift of the ___” 35. Assign to, as 38.37.blameRegretsProcesses of transferring paper designs onto other 67.adornments66.65.64.61.59.recruiter54.53.52.50.49.45.44.Islam42.“Moonlight41.objectsBeethoven’s___”Afollowerof___DeeRiverNotesinadiary___Zedong“Ew,noway!”Long,longtimeLion’sshareTypeofBuddyPreviouslyInstigatorComparisonGraduationdayMixture DOWN 1. Victorian, for one 2. Outlaws 3. Inconsistencies 4. Santa’s sackful 5. National cinema 6.chainRelating to marrying outside one’s tribe 7. Bad marks 8. Where urinals are found 9. Bluish gray 10. Junk email 11. 36.35.33.Band31.29....”27.for23.22.21.abbr.13.and12.movementContinuousNitrousoxideothersBiochemistryChinese“way”AppropriateEnginespeed,short“For___ajollyFlexiblemineralPlastic___EyepartAgendaDub 39. Absorbed, as a the63.62.60.“down”59.exam58.57.compound56.Rabbit55.(Var.)53.food51.measurement48.47.quartet46.43.workplace,41.letters40.costFraternityMasseur’smaybeBon___Barbershopmembers“Baloney!”ClothingAbstainsfromIslamicteacherLiketheWhiteCarbonWalkingstickFace-to-faceFrisk,withAttorneys’org.___roll“TheCatcherin___” REMQueenPILOMDOjaysOasisMudMarmaladeManKLF U2T’PauTotoTSweetSurvivorSkidsShaNaNaSceptreRushRex YesYazzXTCWolfWhoWASPUltravoxUFO

32 ONE STEP AWAY 2 One Step Away ● OCTOBER 2017 OSAPHILLY.ORG Tell Us How We’re Doing! TAKE OUR SURVEY BY SCANNING OUR QR CODE WITH YOUR PHONE CAMERA:

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