ONE STEP AWAY VOLUME 10 ISSUE 1 THANK YOU FOR 10 YEARS * HOMELESS MEMORIAL DAY * #ICYMI * HAPPINESS * JUSTICE ONE STEP AWAY IS A PROGRAM OF RESOURCES FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT $ 5 CHANGENARRATIVEYOUR YOUTH SAY:
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 THE PEOPLE'S JUSTICE GUARANTEE 6 REMEMBERING THOSE WE LOST 8 HOMELESS MEMORIAL DAY IN HONOR OF MOLLY HUBER 13 INTERNATIONAL VENDOR VOICES 14 YOUTH: "WE ARE NOT AT-RISK" 16 REFRAME YOUR LANGUAGE 18 WITH CITIZEN CAIN UNCOVERED ISSUES 28 PUZZLES 31 THE MAGAZINE VENDORS BUY EACH COPY FOR $1.50 AND DISTRIBUTE THEM FOR $5, KEEPING ALL OF THE PROFITS!
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Every time you purchase a One 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.
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. www.brokeinphilly.org OUR AFFILIATIONS Creating Jobs, Advocating
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Full story by Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC Philadelphia. In December, the Trump administration announced a rule that will tighten work requirements for food stamp recipients. Under the new rule about 50,000 Pennsylvanians who rely on the federal food stamp program SNAP stand to lose their benefits, with Philadelphians taking the largestAccordinghit.
The Free Library of Philadelphia’s new experience pass now gives resident library cardholders the ability to make free reservations at eleven of the city’s top cultural attractions.Theexperience pass, which launched in December 2019, allows Philadelphians aged 18 and older to use their library cards to reserve tickets to science centers, botanical gardens, art museums, and historical sites that typically charge entry fees, at no cost.
#ICYMI was created by Broke in Philly, a collaborative news initiative among 22 local news organizations to provide in-depth, nuanced, and solutions-oriented reporting on the issues of poverty and the push for economic justice in Philadelphia. This effort is led by Resolve Philadelphia, a new hub for the city’s general interest, community and ethnic news organizations to produce collaborative solutions reporting and community engagement activities that address urgent social challenges. For more details, visit: brokeinphilly.org.
LIBRARY CARDHOLDERS CAN NOW ACCESS 11 CULTURAL SITES FOR FREE Full article by Ellie Rushing, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Users can make reservations for two to four people at each site once per calendar year. The reservations can be made online using the Free Library card logins up to two months in advance of the reservation date. The tickets are nontransferable, meaning the cardholder must be present at the visit, and only two reservations can be made at once.
HOUSING INITIATIVE FOR LGBTQ YOUNG PEOPLE STRIVES TO CREATE A ‘FAMILY BOND’
From the Office of Homeless Services. Pennsylvania has eliminated the $20 fee for birth certificates, increasing access to vital services. Now, those experiencing hardship, such as homelessness, can obtain this vital document to apply for jobs or qualify for government services. A similar waiver for Pennsylvanians seeking help for substance use disorders has provided free birth certificates to 3,530 people since the start of 2018.
#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.
4 ONE STEP AWAY 50,000 PENNSYLVANIANS
Full article by Juliana Feliciano Reyes, The Philadelphia Inquirer. Mayor Jim Kenney gave Penn, Temple, and other universities and hospitals a July 2019 deadline to follow the city’s “prevailing wage” law that requires security guards be paid $15 an hour. Many of the 1,400 security guards covered by the law make $12 to $13 an hour. The deadline came and went with no change. Now, his administration is making moves to ensure it has the authority to pull the city’s 25% water bill discount for nonprofits if they don’t comply. Penn has said it is in compliance with all applicable laws while Temple says it’s working with the Kenney administration to see whether the existing law applies to that institution.
MAYOR KENNEY COULD THREATEN TO PULL A WATER BILL DISCOUNT FOR ‘EDS AND MEDS’
TO LOSE SNAP BENEFITS UNDER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
to Philabundance, about 38,000 Philadelphians who rely on SNAP stand to lose their benefits. The rule, announced in early December, will limit the ability of states to exempt work-eligible adults from having to obtain steady employment in order to receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, which feeds more than 36 million people nationally. Under the plan, states can only issue one year waivers if a city or county has an unemployment rate of 6% or higher. Philadelphia’s unemployment rate was 5.2% in November, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The city’s poverty rate, however, is approximately 25%, according to U.S. Census data. The US. Department of Agriculture, who manages SNAP, estimates the change would save roughly $5.5 billion over five years and cut benefits for roughly 688,000 SNAP recipients. The Urban Institute in a study released last month estimated that taken together, the three measures would affect roughly 2.2 million households, and 3.7 million individual beneficiaries.
Full article by Laura Smyth, Philadelphia Gay News. The West Philadelphia-based family resources organization Methodist Services offers ten transitional housing units for LGBTQ young people ages 18-21 in its Quads on Lancaster supportive housing program. LGBTQ residents of Philadelphia County who are experiencing homelessness and have a foster placement history with DHS are eligible for the program. They also must qualify for services through the city’s Achieving Independence Center (AIC) which offers social services to people ages 14-21 who are or have been in foster care and demonstrate potential to live independently during interviews with AIC and Methodist Services staff. "Participants learn life skills and receive referrals to other organizations for health services, education resources, and other needs," says Monica Mason, the youth life coach at Methodist Services. Those interested in joining Methodist Services’ LGBTQ Quads on Lancaster program can contact Jonnelle Taylor at jtaylor@methodistservices.com or Monica Mason at mmason@methodistservices.org.
IF YOU ARE HOMELESS, NO MORE FEES FOR BIRTH CERTIFICATES
POLICY CHANGE
Dear One Step Away, As a proud supporter since 2011, I purchased my holiday gifts with One Step Away. I love the OSA merchandise, the tote and shirts were perfect. I also regularly go out and support the vendors directly. It’s always nice when they remember me and let me know what page their work can be found on.Irecently posted me and Jeff’s photo with the magazine to my social media page to show my support.Iwould simply reiterate OSA mission statement. For me, it clearly states the purpose and the important mission of OSA and its Vendor Program: One Step Away serves as an important voice of advocacy and source of meaningful income for people working to achieve self-sufficiency and break the cycle of homelessness in their lives.So,when you see an OSA vendor stop and say, "Hello," purchase a magazine and take a moment to learn a little bit more them. You'll be glad you did. See you in 2020! Ursula
Thank You Ursula for support!your
#YOUR SAY: READER SHOUT-OUT
In November 2019, Pressley, a freshman representative from Massachusetts, unveiled a resolution titled The People’s Justice Guarantee (H. Res. 702) which “lays out a bold, new vision for justice in the American criminal legal system,” according to a press release from her office. The plan’s priorities include eliminating life sentences without parole; abolishing the death penalty, private prisons and solitary confinement; and decriminalizing sex work and other low-level offenses “which are byproducts of poverty, homelessness, discrimination and/or addiction.” The plan is based on five principles: shared power, freedom, equality, safety, and dignity.Pressley said that the status quo of the current criminal legal system is “fundamentally flawed” and that a new vision is needed.
“It guarantees housing for survivors of crime, and, again, it decriminalizes homelessness, which we know eliminates reincarceration for individuals who failed to securehousing”Andmanywho are released from prison do failtosecurehousing,Pressleysaid.
“They used some other term that was very derogatory,” Pressley recalled. “They said, ‘What is your plan to make our parks safe?’” Pressley responded that her plan was “to end homelessness.”NowaU.S.Congresswoman,
“In order to reduce our incarcerated population by the 80 percent plus that we believe is possible, it means that we need to decriminalize poverty, and that means decriminalizing those that are experiencing homelessness,” Pressley said. “That means decriminalizing fare evasion.
“The People’s Justice Guarantee will invest $1 trillion in the modernization and expansion of social housing stock throughout the country,” Pressley said.
By: Adam Sennot, Real Change, Street Roots, INSP.ngo
“There are so many people experiencing homelessness who do evade fares (on) public transit just to get to shelter before curfew or to try to be gainfully employed,” Pressley said. “And they just don’t have the money, and they should not be arrested and experience punitive consequences simply for trying to get on aAnobetterpath”therkeyaspect to her plan is access to housing.
“It is xenophobic and racist, and just tinkering at the edges with legislative reforms is not going to be enough,” Pressley said. “We need to do something bold and transformative.”
By prioritizing decarceration, it is possible to cut the prison population by 80 percent or more. In order to accomplish this goal, Pressley said, we need to stop punishing poor people for being poor.
Ayanna Pressley, a US congress representative for Massachusetts, known for being part of the group known as ‘The Squad’ along with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Talib, has a bold vision for criminal justice reform, and it calls for decriminalizing poverty and homelessness. She spoke to American street papers Real Change and Street Roots.
6 ONE STEP AWAY #INSP: CONGRESSWOMAN AYANNA PRESSLEY
Pressley has a plan that will not only help accomplish that, but will also transform the criminal justice and legal system that she said perpetuates homelessness.
Ayanna Pressley remembers running for reelection to the Boston City Council in 2011 when a constituent asked her what she was going to do about the homeless people who were sleeping on park benches.
“In Massachusetts, I think at one point,
A NEW KIND OF JUSTICE
Now that she’s put in the work with those affected by the criminal legal system, Pressley said she can turn some of her attention toward colleagues in Congress.
Tristia Bauman, senior attorney at the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, stated she thought the resolution was “long overdue.” Bauman has also served as a public defender representing hundreds of people experiencing homelessness or at risk of being homeless.
“And we know by staying acutely uncomfortable, and listening to those stories, it ensures that we never grow complacent in the work,” Pressley said. “But it’s also by being in the proximity to the hurt and by actively listening and leaning in where we find the best solutions.”
Her father was later able to “do incredible things,” Pressley said, including obtaining two advanced degrees and becoming a college journalism professor and a published author. “I’m very proud of him,” Pressley said.
“So even if they might otherwise be released on their own recognizance, that’s not an option often available as a practical matter to a person without housing,” Bauman said.
Too often people will see those experiencing homelessness as the “other” and will marginalize them instead of seeing them as members of the community, Pressley said.
“For example, there (are) provisions here on money bail,” Bauman said. “We know that the requirement to pay a bond in order to secure release after somebody has merely been accused of a crime keeps people who are homeless in custody, because they can’t give an address where they can receive notice.
When drafting her resolution, Pressley and her staff worked directly with those who are incarcerated or formerly incarcerated, children with incarcerated parents, those battling substance abuse disorder, and the transgender community.“WhenI introduced The People’s Justice Guarantee, some people said to me, ‘Why would you do that without co-sponsors?’” Pressley said. “And I said, well, we have the most important co-sponsor, the people.”
As a child growing up in Chicago, Pressley experienced firsthand the impact incarceration can have on families as her father battled substance abuse disorder and was in and out of the criminal justice system, the Boston Globe reported.Pressley spoke about her father’s struggle during a congressional hearing earlier this year. She said that while her father was incarcerated and in the throes of addiction, “our entire family was serving with him.”
30 percent of those being released from correctional facilities were being released directly to shelter,” Pressley said. “That is not a recipe to support formerly incarcerated men and women in getting on a pathway to gainful employment (and) self-sufficiency.
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“I think that’s often because most people are disconnected from their own reality, which is that many people are a life disruption away from experiencing homelessness,” Pressley said. “They are one government shutdown away, one illness, one layoff, one defaulted student loan away from experiencing homelessness.”
“It is our aim that The People’s Justice Guarantee becomes that new ceiling,” Pressley said, “that North Star, a new litmus test for those that are committed to actualizing, truly, justice for all.”
/ REUTERS Article Courtesy of Real Change / Street Roots / INSP.ngo
“My father was in and out of the criminal justice system because of crimes he committed while battling a substance abuse disorder,” Pressley said. “I know intimately the destabilization, the stigma, the social shame and isolation of having a loved one who is incarcerated.”
“In fact, housing is such a critical determinant … that when people don’t have that we know that it contributes to recidivism,” Pressley said. “So it is really disingenuous to say, ‘OK, now you’ve received maybe some training behind the wall … and then to say, ‘Now go into the world and make a legitimate contribution and make your best contribution when people are experiencing housing discrimination, employment discrimination, and again, many are being released directly to shelters.”
“That’s something that we put into practice in developing every legislation that we have offered, which is to create space and a seat at the table for those that are closest to the hurt and the pain who have been directly impacted.”
“We do like her direct call for the end of criminalization of homelessness and criminalization of people who disproportionately experience homelessness, like people with mental health disabilities, (or) members of the LGBTQ community,” Bauman said.Ifthe initiatives called for in the resolution were enacted into law, she said, it could be “very impactful” for the homeless population.
“And because they are homeless as a result of their poverty, they also do not have money to be able to pay money bail, or the type of assets necessary to put up as collateral in order to secure a Baumanbond.”saidshe also liked that the resolution called out the over-incarceration of black and brown people, and called for reforming sentencing laws, eliminating mandatory minimum sentences, and ending private prisons.“Shecovers a lot of ground,” Bauman said. Pressley hopes the resolution will change the conversation around criminal justice reform the same way The Green New Deal changed the conversation around climate justice, and Medicare for All has affected the conversation around health care.
Photo: Rep. Ayanna Pressley D-Mass: "(The Criminal Justice System) is xenophobic and racist, and just tinkering at the edges with legislative reforms is not going to be enough. We need to do something bold and transformative."
“This was not a resolution developed in an ivory tower. This is not topdown policymaking,” Pressley said. “This is community up.”
“I think my job as a legislator is not just to take up space, but it’s to create space,” Pressley said.
When asked about her experience growing up, Pressley said that her story “is one of millions.”
“Now we’ll work to educate and build consensus amongst my colleagues to be legislative co-sponsors,” Pressley said. “And we already have at least four pieces of legislation in the queue right now that we’ll be proposing that will begin to codify, legislatively, some of the tenets of The People’s Justice Guarantee.”
#LOCAL: HOMELESS MEMORIAL DAY IN 2019 DIEDPEOPLE275 PHILLY'SON STREETS AnthonyAngeliqueAlishaAlfonsoAlexisAlexanderAlbertA.D.A.T.MarquezAlexMartinezFranklinLeGradyAlexandraG.LopezTorres“BigAl”PostellAlfredBellNadineReynoldsAndrePhillipsAngelaDeanesNicoleCriseyEarlGreenmanAnthonyHumphriesAnthonyJ.PaladinoAnthonyWilliamsAntonioKentAntonioThomasBajieNsoBesongBarryKravitz(2018)BeckyEmericBernardDavidNordellBerylSharpBradfordCharlesMillsBrandonAdrianWrightBrendaByardBrian“Rocky”DiCesareB.T.B.V.BrittneyM.RomanoBroderick“Rick”JordanBruceJohnMartin,Jr.CarlLowryCarlVensonC.M.G.CarrieConnorCarrolMcClaryCelesteChandrakantK.ParekhC.T.Charles“Will”SmithCheryl EricDoloresChristopherChrisC.B.B.WilliamsAndrewByrneChristopherLanceCrismondC.H.CliffordBrownCliftonHollyCorissaJamisonCornellSydneyC.K.CurtisWilliamsD.R.DanaCassidyDanceyThurmanD.W.DarrylDennis*DavidCarterDavidLandisDavidLeePollackDavidPritchettD.S.DeanPerry“Dino”JordanJr.DennisYoungReneeGreeneDominicJeromeDonnellyDominiqueBryantDonCornellStewartDonaldCarterD.G.D.T.DougSandersDuaneBeeE.H.E.A.E.P.ElenaSaundersE.K.ChristopherEbloviEricHoodE.O. Essence HerbertGaelanFrancesShondellF.T.F.H.R.F.D.G.R.D.GarfieldG.P.GeorgeGeorgeGerardoG.B.GregoryGregoryGregoryHarrietHaskellHelenLorenzoHerbertHubertIanMcDougalI.I.W.IsabelJacquelineJacquelineJakkiJamesJamesJ.K.JasonJ.M.JeffreyTyroneJ.M.JenniferJeromeJessicaJockoJ.M.All Photos by Ted Goldman of TGoldmanPhotography.com.
Shondell Elliott JacquelineGeorgeGeorgeGarfieldFrancesF.H.R.F.T.MillsF.J.F.D.McanuttyG.R.D.JonesG.P.MurraySassmanGerardoCottoG.B.GregoryJonesGregoryM.KeckGregoryWillisHarrietBlakeHaskellStrongHelenCooperLorenzoCottrellHerbertWilsonRobinsonMcDougalI.I.W.IsabelNolazcoClintonJacquelineRiveraRowlettJamesBarnesOsborneJ.K.JasonHudsonJ.M.TyroneCheeksJ.M.JenniferMiddletonJessicaThomasJockoHudsonJ.M. J.B. John “German John” JonathanJohnCampeJ.C.StoneJ.B.A.SteingraberJordanJ.R.A.JoseA.FigueroaGarciaJ.R.B.JosephBuxtonJ.F.J.V.JoshuaCharlesCruzJ.N.J.S.JustinCraigBarnettKarenBenedettiKarinC.HollomanBellKarlaWiseKathySavadoveKeithLamarBaldwinKerryHolderKevinHillKeyonnaScottKimAllenBerryK.H.K.W.LadedraLynellBondLamontDennisL.R.LaShainniaNavarroLavitaMoxey*L.Z.LeroyWashington,Jr.L.C.L.S.LorettaWashingtonLouisBatesLucretia“Marcie”BrownM.B.MargaretJosephine MauricioMarvinMargaritoThomsonOrtizMariaMarieKentMarkJaworskyM.L.GambrellM.N.MaryM.H.M.M.M.T.XavierEstrellaGonzalezMelanieGreenMichaelBowserMichaelCentenoMichaelLeoneMichaelE.OwensMichaelF.WarrenM.W.MichaelFrancisWilkinsonMichelleMcFarlandMichelleMillsMiguelAngelIrizarryMiguelPintoM.W.MitchellJacksonMohamedBeldiMollyHuberMonicaBonuliM.K.NadirahTabbNayrimPerezNicholasFagnaniNicole“Nicky”WeirOscarSerranoOuthoneOuthonePaulJasonBetcherPaulFlynnPerezPerezP.W. Phillip RandolphRamonRafaelCramerVegaLopezHudson Jr. Rashawn Wise Rasheek ThomasRaymondRashienStaffordStephoneWilkesJosephOteroReginaMcCabeReneeP.BaconR.R.ReynardRomanRichardCapozzoliRichardKinseyR.P.RickyLeeCluffRitaM.FedalenRobertCollinsRobertaBearoffR.T.RosalieNguyenRosinaGlickmanSamuelGolattSantiagoTavaresGonzalezSashaCavanaughSeanNicholsDillon*ShahidahShquandaWilsonS.R.ShannonShaunKStafford-WilliamsSherriJohnsonS.G.D.StephanieStevenBeckerStevenFriedbergS.W.TamikaS.ClarkThaddeusRobinsonTheresaWatsonEdwardBomber Thomas A. Felton Thomas L Martin Thomas Mulholland Thomas Michael Pica Thurman TimothyTimothyDanceyFrielMaxwellJonesTonyaKingTracyCogdellMurphy(2018)T.K.TylerDouglasRuleTyroneFranklynTyree,Sr.UnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownVanadieJacquelineButlerVictorPinckneyVirginiaSchafferVirginiaWalterLoneyWalterMitchellW.C.T.W.C.WilliamGadsonW.P.YolandaRadzewiczYunHuttoBelovedFriendsofOurCommunity:RudyMackeyandGennyO’Donnell. * = Veteran
This year’s theme, “Everyone Counts,” was selected because it encourages us to resist the ways in which we have been socialized to ignore those members of our communities living on the streets, to remember the lives lost, including the transwomen and trans-men (particularly trans-women of color) that have been killed in our city, and to recognize the dignity of every single person regardless of their position in life.
The Homeless Memorial Day is a day of remembrance, but also a call to action to combat homelessness. The annual event commemorated in over 150 cities across the United States is an important way to bring light to a community of individuals who are often left in the dark. For the past 23 years, Philadelphians have come together to recognize those who have lost their lives while homeless or due to their experiences with homelessness.
On the cold evening of Thursday, December 19, hundreds of individuals gathered at Thomas Paine Plaza in Center City to remember the hundreds of
“WE ARE ALL THE SAME, UNFORTUNATELY PEOPLE HIT UNLUCKY BUMPS IN THEIR JOURNEYS OF LIFE.”
Paul Lewis with the Multnomah County Health Department said, “There are too many, too young, and they’re preventable. These are things in your heart, you think, this shouldn’t be happening.” It’s true. Why is this happening?
This week Alvin Robinson, a 61-year old man, was the 680th man to die homeless on the streets of L.A. County this year alone. 680! Since 2013, the number of homeless that have died has now surpassed 5,620 in L.A. County. There’s more.
— EVAN FIGUEROA-VARGAS, MENTAL HEALTH PARTNERSHIP
Many of the causes of death for people on the streets include natural causes, suicide, homicide, and hypothermia — all things that could be prevented with adequate healthcare and housing in America.
10 ONE STEP AWAY NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO LIVE OR DIE ON THE STREETS.
There are literally thousands of people dying homeless on the streets of America. It’s both a national disgrace and a wake-up call to prioritize massive investments in housing at every level of government in the U.S.
In Seattle’s King County, since 2012, 891 people have died on the streets. In Multnomah County, Portland, 530 people since 2011. In San Diego County, 767 since 2010. In San Fran County, 400 since 2016. These aren’t estimates. These are real numbers by health officials. Thousands more are dying on the streets annually across America. No one should die in America without a safe place to call home. These are our mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. They are our neighbors and friends, citizens of the United States of America.Thedeaths of thousands of Americans due to homelessness can be traced directly to the federal government choosing not to prioritize affordable housing or housing justice — leaving millions of people to fend for themselves and experience the hell that is homelessness.
EVERYONE COUNTS
By: INSP.ngo Street Papers around the country
Since the 1980s, the federal government has cut billions of dollars for housing for people with low-incomes, leaving local communities to carry the water for what was once a federal priority. Abandoning the idea of housing as public infrastructure meant to support society.
CDC research shows that the average age for most people dying on the streets is between 45 and 55 years old. You would have to go back to the turn of the beginning of the 20th Century to find a group of people dying en masse at that average age in America.
“Philadelphia’s opioid overdose crisis, the worst of any big city in the nation — is contributing to skyrocketing death rates among people experiencing homelessness,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
“...EVERYONE IN THIS CITY AND ABROAD DESERVES ACCESS TO THE TREE OF LIFE, WHICH MEANS, FOOD, CLOTHING, AND SHELTER.”
homeless and formerly homeless Philadelphians who died in 2019. The event consisted of emcees and speakers who reflected on stories in remembrance of the homeless individuals that they personally knew and cared for who are deceased, set to music provided by the Good Shepherd Choir. The candle-lit vigil remembered those we lost as more than 275 names of individuals who passed away this year were read aloud, while calling for an end to homelessness. Without a home or stable location, individuals who are unsheltered have a severe disadvantage, they lack many basic necessities that are essential to everyday life, while being exposed to the harsh elements without proper protection or resources. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, people who experience homelessness have an average life expectancy of around 50 years of age, and an increased mortality rate that is four to nine times higher than those not experiencing homelessness. Approximately 13,000 homeless individuals pass away each year.
“Homeless Memorial Day is when we reflect on those lost and focus on America’s combined homelessness and affordable housing crisis,” said Liz Hersh, Director of the Office of Homeless Services. “This data shows what a profound, and tragic, effect the nationwide crisis is having on states, towns, and cities like Philadelphia.”ThePhiladelphia Department of Public Health data released prior to the memorial provided additional demographic information of Philadelphians experiencing homelessness who died between 2016-2018. Males accounted for 80 percent of all homeless deaths; of all Philadelphians experiencing homelessness who died 48 percent were white, 38 percent were Black, and 13 percent were Hispanic/ Latino.Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said, “The opioid crisis is both exacerbating the homelessness problem in Philadelphia and increasing the number of homeless people who die of drug overdoses. The Health Department is working with many other City agencies to reduce the number of people who become addicted and help those who are addicted — homeless or not — begin drug treatment.”
OSAPHILLY.ORG 11
— COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL
THE OPIOID CRISIS
CONTINUING OUR EFFORTS TO END HOMELESSNESS Philadelphia has a large network of services and people who work to support the needs of individuals who are experiencing homelessness or who are on the verge of being homeless. It is up to us, as neighbors and residents of Philadelphia, to bring to light this ongoing issue and contribute however we can to help alleviate homelessness.
According to a December 19 press releases from the Mayor’s Office, “new data from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) and the Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services (OHS) shows that America’s nationwide opioid crisis is fueling a dramatic increase in deaths among Philadelphians experiencing homelessness.” The number of Philadelphians who have died due to their experiences with homelessness has tripled since 2009. From 2016-2018, drugs accounted for 59 percent of deaths; the number of current drug-related deaths among Philadelphia’s homeless has now risen to 60 percent. Of these drug-related deaths, 86 percent involved opioids, with nearly three quarters involving the hyperpotent synthetic opioid fentanyl.
— LAURA WEINBAUM, PROJECT HOME special populations — youth, elderly, substance users — need special attention," according to Laura I. Weinbaum, Vice President of Public Affairs and Strategic Initiatives for Project HOME and a Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Public Health Initiatives.
— DARRELL WRENN, FORMER ONE STEP AWAY VENDOR & CURRENT REAL CHANGE VENDOR
Comprehensive and innovative approaches to the systemic issues causing homelessness could lower the homeless death toll and alleviate the overall poverty and homelessness rate in Philadelphia. It is everybody’s responsibility to join in and support our neighbors in need however you can. You can advocate for these solutions and more with local legislators and policymakers, by writing letters, staying informed, and voting for bills and people who truly want to help save lives.
On December 19, homeless providers, advocates, and friends came together to honor those we lost and call for solutions so that no one has to live or die on the streets. The best solutions to the problem are housing, employment opportunities, healthcare, and education.
More opportunities for housing with the specialized services to support the individuals and the unique challenges homelessness poses are needed. Affordable mental and physical healthcare to support people who do not have the resources to afford traditional healthcare and medical check-ups. We must provide the needed educational courses for individuals to gain the knowledge needed to be successful in today's society and employment markets. Finally, we must also help people move beyond homelessness by providing income opportunities that serve as a stepping stone into traditional employment.
12 ONE STEP AWAY
If you see someone who is homeless in need of shelter or other services, contact a street homeless outreach team 24/7, 365 days, anywhere in Philadelphia by calling 215-232-1984. The City encourages Philadelphians who need treatment for addiction to call 888-545-2600, help is available 24/7.
SOLUTIONS Liz Hersh, Director of the Office of Homeless Services, said, “Homelessness is not an unsolvable problem — even when it is opioid-related. It’s a public health crisis with a straightforward solution: making sure that everyone has a safe, affordable place to call home. Housing ends homelessness and saves lives. It is the foundation for recovery.”
ANSWER."ALWAYSHOUSING"AFFORDABLEISTHE — JENNINE MILLER, PROJECT HOME
Together, we can help alleviate the pain and suffering many people without shelter face each day, and together, we can prevent more people from living or dying on our streets.
Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell spoke at the memorial regarding her team’s ongoing advocacy for people experiencing homelessness over her 45 year tenure in office. She continued her legacy as a champion for the homeless honoring the individuals we had lost in 2019 and leading the group’s recital of “The Call to End Homelessness.”
Councilwoman Blackwell stated, “I have been fighting this fight with many good people for years and everyone in this city and abroad deserves access to the tree of life, which means, food, clothing, and shelter. This is something that I feel is deserved by everyone.”
"IT WILL TAKE ALL OF US, EVERYONE, TO ERADICATE THE HOMELESS ISSUE."
"We need more housing with appropriate services so that people can come in...people who are homeless are real people with real stories (tell some, if possible), and "HOMELESSNESS IS NOT A “THING” UNTO ITSELF, BUT RATHER THE ULTIMATE FALLOUT OF ALL OF THE OTHER SYSTEMS..."
OSAPHILLY.ORG 13 IN AGEMOLLYMEMORIAM:HUBER,19
Molly Huber was born as Thomas Huber. I met him last year at the Occupy ICE protest at City Hall. At that time, he went by the name Ghost. He was fighting for the rights of immigrant children —and he was willing to risk anything to try and effect a change in this world. We were living at the occupy site together and we became close friends, sleeping near each other and watching out for each other. Ghost was 18 at the time and exploring and discovering his sexual orientation. While we were participating in the protest, he decided to change his name to Molly and began using the pronoun she/her. We had group meetings every evening and one of the topics often discussed were pronouns and showing respect to all persons participating by using their desired pronoun when addressing them. This was a new idea for some of the people there, but many of the LGBTQ community participating were very familiar with the idea of using pronouns. Molly found a group of supportive friends that encouraged her to fight for the causes she was engaged in and to pursue the discovery of herself as she chose to do so. These new friends had a chance to camp outside the 9th District Police Station offering “jail support” when Molly was arrested at the Occupy ICE protest. Many of us were arrested, and Molly was very proud that she was able to participate on this level for our cause. I saw Molly growing into a new person, and everyone was embracing her and her change. The protest ended when Mayor Kenny made the decision to end PARS. This was one of the main objectives of the protest. Everyone that had been living at the occupy site, including many homeless participants, had to find a new place to live. Molly invited me to stay with her and some of her LGBTQ friends in a house on Walnut that we eventually ended up being evicted from. While we were at the body house, Molly began estrogen injections and also came out (as transitioning) to her father. She was happy with her new identity and it hurt her that her parents could not accept her and her choices. She then moved from the house on Walnut to a camp in Fairmount Park. She turned 19 last spring. She was continuing to explore her new sexual identity, often going on dates. In the early summer, she never returned from one of these dates and was missing for several months. Her body was subsequently discovered in the Schuylkill River badly decomposed andThisunrecognizable.wasincredibly devastating to me and the many friends that Molly had made. We gathered in her honor at a memorial service at Glendinning Rock Garden and burned a fire where drum circles take place weekly on Tuesday nights. Molly had participated in many drum circles and the camp she had been living at was near there. The group walked to the edge of the river and released a candle into the water. We all told stories and favorite memories we had of her. She touched the lives of those that met her deeply during her short life. I will never forget her and the experiences we shared together. Call for an end to homelessness…… call to action.
Speaker: Caia Iglehart Organization: One Step Away, Vendor Representative
By INSP Vendors
As always around the festive period, INSP asks vendors across the street paper network to contribute to a afortheaothers,intomeantFor25-year-oldcasestovendor—INSPreworkedintonowtheBigfamousSelf’toubiquitousaresultinganniversary,wasfeature.collaborativeSince2019INSP’s25ththefeatureistwistonthenow‘LetterMyYoungerseriesmadebyTheIssue(withbestofthemcompiledabook)andbymanymembersweaskedeachtowrite(orinsomeabout)theirself.many,thisdippingthepast.Foritwasglimpseintofuture.Andsome,itwasgoodwayto reflect on life right now. Of course, many are stories of hardship, but all of them are tales of hope. As usual, the list of vendors is eclectic and diverse, with nearly 50 vendors from 23 street papers across 17 compiledEditedcountries.andby Tony Inglis
LUISE SLAMANIG (AGE 62) APROPOS, AUSTRIA In 1982 I turned 25. At that time, there was no street newspaper in Austria. I lived in Vorarlberg, in Bregenz, and I already knew my partner. There were not many opportunities to get an apartment in the city back then, so we quickly decided to make our way to Salzburg. A good friend of ours then helped pay for the trip. It was not an easy journey, but with the support of the social counseling center, Verein Treffpunkt, we managed to return to an ordinary life with an apartment. My partner’s mother helped us a lot and this was an experience that had a big impact on me. At that time, there were some very rough moments too. It was often the case that I was very much at my wits’ end. However, there were also many people who supported us during these dark times. Today, I am very happy with how I have managed to live through that and with how I live now; with my own apartment and my own domain where I can simply lock the door. A warm home is worth a lot and I truly appreciate it. As a 25-year-old today, I would think this about myself: “Hopefully this will never happen to me”; or “It’s not easy for her either”. Perhaps my 25-year-old self would encourage me. If I was 25 now, I would perhaps be well-informed about what is going on. But with selling the street paper, I don’t think that many young people would stick it out. I would advise my 25-year-old self never to give up, no matter how difficult it is. There is always a way out of a sticky situation because I have experienced it myself.
ANDREA HOSCHEK (AGE 57) APROPOS, AUSTRIA
So many years have passed. Today, I am 57 years old. Every day, I go everywhere, from offices, to boutiques to the Rockhouse. I always find new regular customers everywhere. Did Rockhouse exist 25 years ago with its concerts? I think it was maybe just an idea. Yes, I used to be a music enthusiast, but I always avoided loud concerts. Open-air concerts, that was the dream. Can you still remember them in Bregenz back then? Today, it is the Festspielhaus opera house. Yes, those were the days. My dear 25-year-old Andrea, you still had no idea about street papers. That didn’t exist yet. Apropos is only 20 years old. When it came out, there were not many social benefits and the paper was the only income for many people. That has changed now with new social legislation. But the salesmen from Romania, they still mainly live from selling papers. When I was 26, I came to Salzburg from Vorarlberg. There was no support. It was then no longer possible for me to complete my education and training. I simply had no money. No, it was not easy at that time. Support and personal success would have done me good. I worked for a short time on an organic farm once. That was the healthiest time of my life. Since then, I have been eating organic food. Sometime or other, I came to Apropos. Nobody becomes rich from it, but it is virtually our life support. I eventually got my own column where I could write and it has been like that ever since. I am still there and I still write. Today, I must say that I feel good in my life. I can eat healthily and get to know lots of new people again and again through sales. Before, I was not so aware that everything ends. Death was not an issue. Today, more and more people I know die and some misfortunes simply affect me more. What I still wish for is that I can weave pictures in peace and enjoy nature. My dear 25-year-old Andrea, I would still give you this advice: Explore the world while you are still young, walk the Way of Saint James and tell people about the beautiful work at Apropos.
JOHNSENKJETIL (AGE 53) ASFALT, NORWAY You took your guitar and got on a plane to Seattle at the age of 25. In the USA, hopefully your music career would get up to speed. The experience with drugs was already there, and together with your friend you soon discovered that the heroin was thick as tar in Seattle, and — boom! You were hooked. I would tell you not to be so cocky. A lot of good musicians went down the drain because of heroin, and you were no better. The world was easy back then, and you were always told you had a talent for songwriting. If you had seen a picture of what you look like now, you would have thought, “I’m as rock ‘n’ roll as a 53-year-old as I am now!”Iwas only a musician at the age of 25, and have only experience in giving advice to other musicians. You’re too young, too head strong — come on. Don’t follow my footsteps: you end up shot at, stabbed and beaten before you get out of bed. Run while you can. And dress as you please, wear whatever you want! Take a look in the mirror and ask yourself, is this me today? Seize the day.
IF YOU COULD WRITE A LETTER TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF,
INTERNATIONAL VENDOR VOICES
It was a horrible shock, and for a while I couldn’t make heads or tails of anything in my life. That’s not to say I was idle. I went through a number of employers and parttime jobs, and I was active in the music scene as I tried to find my Aroundway.that time, I wrote a song called ‘The Harajuku of my Memories’, the first verse of which begins “Town of my youth, with echoes of my past,” and the second verse goes “Town of my lost spring, regret now marks my path.” I guess that’s how the 25-year-old me saw his own life.Although my life since then has had further regrets, I have slowly realized that the 25-year-old me made it through a lot, in his own way. Post-war Japan rebuilt itself from scratch, so I really regret not seizing the chances that probably came my way. I can’t redo the 77 wasted years of my life, and maybe I won’t be able to accomplish anything in the future either. But still, I have come to think that there’s a message I can pass on to the 25-year-olds of today. What that is exactly, I have no idea. For now, I’ll just offer the words of Dr. William S. Clark that left a deep impression on me when I was young: “Boys, be ambitious!” I would like to say: Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and don’t feel defeated when you do. Always stand up again and give it your all. Your future is as deep, vast, and full of hidden potential as the Pacific Ocean that stretches east from Japan. Remember to keep a fire in your chest and a smile in your heart.
25-year old self saw me, he’d probably be shocked at my appearance! These days I’m clean shaven, but back then I wasn’t. I had a big beard, and if you’d even suggest for me to trim it, I would say no! My dress is different; the way I present myself now is completely different.
I think these days it’s a lot different for 25-year olds. It’s a lot harder. I’ll say if you’re doing school — university, TAFE, whatever — do it for fun and for a profession, but also look at what life skills can you develop from the degree, certificate, or diploma they give you. If I could go back and speak to my 25-year old self, I’d say that you think you know a lot, but you don’t. You’re actually quite naive. You’ve got a lot of growing up to do, a lot of personality to develop. Even though you might think you’re smart, like a lot of people in your age demographic you’re not. There are other people your age who are a lot more switched on then you are, so you’ve got a long way to go!
TOSHIHIKO SAKATA (AGE 77) THE BIG ISSUE JAPAN
TRUJILLOJOSHUA (AGE 36) REAL CHANGE, SEATTLE, USA When Joshua was 25, he thought he knew everything, and didn’t have to comply with probation. He lost his mom while in jail in 2010. His mom was his best friend. The following year, he lost his father. Starting at Real Change was “a better way of doing things, unlike stealing and risking [his] life to end up beyond bars for something stupid — just to impress other people and make friends.” Now, he can make money legitimately, exercising “determination, patience, persistence, and consistency.” Real Change gave him an income and a purpose.At25,Joshua had heard about street papers, but he was skeptical of them. He believed the papers might just be making up stories without being guided by truth. Then, as he kept reading the paper, he saw the value, most notably in an article about the ‘One Night Count’. That really captured his attention, and he realized the paper provided valuable information. His advice to 25-year-olds includes “don’t tell a vendor to get a real job or look down on them. This is not a handout; it’s a real job.” He later added a person needs to “give respect to get respect” and the younger generation needs to be respected more. He also added: “Life is a building block. We all feed off one another.”
Photo Credit: Mark Avellini
DARYL (AGE 41) THE BIG AUSTRALIA,ISSUE MELBOURNE
I turned 25 in May 1967. In theory, I was in the prime of my life, but 52 years later I don’t remember a thing. I was just the cast-aside husk of a man in his so-called prime, mindlessly wandering in an endless fog without hopes or dreams.By1967, the 1960 protests over the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty were a thing of the past, and Japan was riding on the U.S.’s coattails for all it was worth. The country’s economic growth was just getting started. The 1964 Tokyo Olympics had been an incredible success, and Japan had somehow gotten through the post-Olympic recession too. Everyone was looking forward to the Expo ’70 world fair in Osaka. The 25-year-old me wasn’t doing quite so well. Although I had played volleyball since the spring of my second year of university, the team structure changed from nine players to six, and I was told, “We don’t need pipsqueaks.”
Being 25 was a road of self-discovery, trying to form an identity. I was living in Frankston, experiencing long term unemployment. I was pretty close to the beach, maybe a good 15-minute walk. I visited maybe once or twice a week. I was doing a correspondence course, which means I was studying anywhere other than a campus. These days it would be online but back then it wasn’t. They would send you textbooks, stuff you would need to do coursework, and then you would send in assignments by mail. I was studying naturopathy, which is alternative forms of medicine. It was a very different time. This was when we still had VHS, and DVDs were very much fringe. The Internet wasn’t as prevalent as it is now, because back then if you had the internet it was good, but it wasn’t a necessity like today. If you wanted to watch something you had to be home and watch it on a TV, video or DVD. These days you can watch things on your phone. Back in the day people were more pronounced with the way they dressed, very different from the mainstream. People were dressing very different to what was normal, think of hippy, punk, metal-head, and goth. I was going from one to the other, and then found goth. I remained goth for quite some time, I’m technically still goth but I’m not as involved as I used to be. It changed the way I dressed, the music I was listening to, a lot of stuff I was watching and the people I was hanging out with. We were hanging out in clubs in the city. I found out about The Big Issue just after I turned 25. I started selling the street paper when I turned 26, back in 2004. Facing long term unemployment and living by myself, unfortunately a lot of people would tell you it gets a bit hard to cover all your living expenses. I was behind on my rent, and back then due to a lack of experience, qualifications, skills, and having no proper transport, my job prospects were very low. I decided to work for The Big Issue to pay the bills.Ifmy
16 ONE STEP AWAY
By Sophia Burns and Nia Eubanks-Dixon, American Friends Service Committee
At the same time, young people’s stories
Transforming how the media portrays young people
Photos courtesy of the American Friends Service Center.
Throughout history, narratives about groups of people have been used as tools for oppression—or liberation. One of the key tactics of colonialism is to control the narrative so that it benefits their interests. Colonialists use the power of narratives to create stories to dehumanize the people who they have colonized in order to justify and continue to extract land, perpetuate violence, and maintain power.From colonialism arises one of the most vicious methods of maintaining systemic power: racism. Racism places people in a fixed hierarchy created by Europeans to keep themselves on top and all others on the bottom based on false classifications. To keep power and control, colonialists needed to rid people of their cultures and histories. At the same time, they praised their own culture and history as “modern,” “right,” “beautiful,” and “civilized.” These narratives work in tandem to perpetuate and justify white supremacy, capitalism, and war.
#LOCAL: YOUTH SPEAK OUT
“The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.” — Malcolm X
As a result, words like “at-risk,” “thug,” and “vandals” are automatically associated with young people, particularly poor youth of color. These associations go beyond simple questions of representation—they have real consequences for young people’s livelihoods and ability to thrive individually and collectively. From the lack of job opportunities that pay a livable wage to discriminatory policies, practices, and treatment, youth experience the impacts of the stories being told about them in their everyday lives.It’stime to change that. This month, we’re kicking off our “We Are Not At-Risk” global campaign to demand an end to harmful narratives about youth in the media. The campaign was created by American Friends Service Center's Youth in Action (YIA), a global network of youth leaders working together to strengthen their capacity to transform their respective communities.
YIA participants take part in youth-centered, experiential, and trauma-informed organizing trainings that analyze racism, colonialism, and imperialism locally and around the world. They create campaigns designed to dismantle systems of oppression while building infrastructures of liberation. YIA participants serve as mentors and leaders to the next generation of social change agents in their local community.
We all recognize how media influences our ideas about ourselves and the world and people around us. Media can be a powerful tool to understand and embrace people and places that are new to us; it also has the power to reinforce stereotypes and prejudices. In particular, words have the power to shape how the public views young people. That’s why it’s alarming that one in three articles about youth are focused on crime or antisocial behavior, according to a media study by Mori for Young People Now. What’s more, young people were only quoted in 8% of those stories.
In 2018, YIA participants organized our first “We Are Not At-Risk” campaign to resist racism, colonialism, and imperialism by asking all people to rethink about the way they talk about young people. This year’s campaign builds on that momentum, focusing on challenging the media to tell more wellrounded stories about youth.
1. Follow the hashtags #wearenotatrisk and #3billiongstrong on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About the Authors: Sophia Burns: is AFSC’s Young Leaders for Change fellow. Nia Eubanks-Dixon is the youth program officer for AFSC’s international and U.S. programs.
7.Take pictures of your event and share on social media using #wearenotatrisk #3billionstrong.
3. When you share a post, be sure to tag your local media outlets (blogs, magazines, TV stations, newspapers, journalists, etc.) and encourage them to take the pledge at afsc. org/notatrisk.
4. If you are a young person, share your own story on social media.
• One Step Away: @OSAphilly
3.Hostastorygatheringeventfeaturingvisual artorwrittenstoriesinyourcommunityto:
2.Contact local media outlets through email, phone, or social media and encourage them to take the pledge and adopt the Youth Media Framework
of heroes, legacies, and impact are intentionally left out and covered up. Stories of triumph, pride, and resistance are replaced by stories of delinquency and crime to reinforce social and cultural hierarchies.Themedia has continued to paint this negative picture of youth, especially poor youth of color, perpetuating histories of racism and colonialism. These narratives operate within institutions like schools and courtrooms and ultimately impact how young people and their communities are treated by the systems upheld by these institutions.
5.Give attendees postcards for the media, which they can fill out and address to journalists, bloggers, and others.
OSAPHILLY.ORG 17
2. Like, comment, and repost stories and images.
At a time when media plays such a pronounced role in our lives, it is especially necessary to think deeply about the consequences of negative and biased representation. Communities have long known the impacts of being depicted as inherently violent, oversexualized, uneducated, and lazy, and have resisted the normalization of these representations.Wealsoseethe opportunities for systems-level change that exist in organizing around narrative change. Through our 2020 We Are Not At-Risk global campaign, we plan to seize these opportunities through local and global organizing efforts. There are three billion young people around the world. With that incredible number comes significant power to transform our realities. By creating platforms for young people to express their own narratives and holding those in positions of power accountable, we demand narratives that are humanistic, asset-based, and informed by youth’s diverseToday,experiences.youthstorytellers are harnessing the power of art and collective action to start conversations with the media about who they are and the stories they want to tell. We are urging media outlets, journalists, and bloggers to take our pledge to pay attention to the way they describe young people in the media they create.Wehope you will join our campaign from January 6-21. Visit our website afsc.org to find out how you amplify the messages of youth leaders through social media and support their efforts to transform how their stories are told in the media.
6.As a group, drop off postcards at a media outlet or mail them.
4.Discuss the “We Are Not At-Risk” campaign and Youth Media Framework.
3 WAYS WE CAN ALL TAKE ACTION TO STAND WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
The labels we affix to those who have served time can reduce their self-worth and make it difficult to escape a cycle of crime. That is why there are initiative around the county to change the language we use to describe them. The goal is to eliminate this language and replace it with non-judgmental terms like returning citizen, citizen or human being. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
REFRAME
Marginalized communities continue to be inaccurately depicted in the media. Language that promotes stereotypes, erases nuance, or highlights implicit bias is all too common in the news. Meanwhile, distrust of media organizations, political division, and industry upheaval run high. So we want to fix this! Have you lost trust in the media? Can it be restored? How?
18 ONE STEP AWAY
You took part in a crime and you will never be a worthwhile person,” says Derrick.
Examples of this include: ex-con, ex-felons, ex-offenders, former convicts, former inmates, parolees, probationers, convict, crook, culprit, felon, fugitive, gangster, hoodlum, hooligan, lawbreaker, mobster, offender, thug, blackmailer, con, delinquent, desperado, deuce, evildoer, guerilla, heavy, hood, hustler, jailbird, malefactor, mug, muscle, outlaw, racketeer, repeater, scofflaw, sinner, transgressor, trespasser, wrongdoer, yard bird, bad actor, black marketer, and inside person.
YourReframeLanguage
By: Caia Iglehart, One Step Away
A growing number of Americans will go to jail or prison sometime in their lifetime. According to the Sentencing Project website, the US has the highest international rate of incarceration. There are 2.2 million people in the nation’s prisons and jails—a 500% increase over the last 40 years. An estimated 5.1% of all persons in the United States will be confined in a State or Federal prison during their lifetime. The lifetime chances of a person going to prison are higher for men than women, and higher for blacks and Hispanics than whites. People with criminal records endure intense legal and social sanctioning, including segregation, and harassment. Though after six or seven years, a person with a criminal record presents little more risk than a non-offender, pejorative language is often used to describe them for the rest of their life.
THE LANGUAGE WE USE
BE AN ADVOCATE FOR RE-ENTRY
Derrick began by volunteering with volunteering with Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) as an advocate, panelist, and motivational speaker. He then applied for and was accepted to a fellowship with the Reentry Think Tank. From there, Derrick took a position at Resolve Philadelphia, a journalism organization that promotes equity, collaboration and sustainable solutions. Here, he was introduced to solutions journalism; rigorous reporting on impactful responses to social and economic problems, rather than just the problems themselves.
Can you?
FROM CITIZEN CAIN TO CITIZEN Derrick Cain is a Philly native who had a factory job and a family. When his wife wanted to return to school, he supplemented his income by selling cocaine to get by. When the person that got him into selling cocaine turned into a confidential informant, Derrick was charged, arrested, and convicted to the 10-year minimum mandatory sentence. After serving eight of those years, he re-entered society, but he is still under supervision by the system until 2021. He has been working since his release to help reduce the barriers for those like him re-entering created by this language, and to write the narratives themselves.“Havingthat felony on my record… People feel that you will never change.
According to the People’s Paper Coop website, in partnership with the Philadelphia Re-entry Coalition, the Think Tank is connecting returning citizens with artists, activists, and legislative experts to: •Make media campaigns that will theirthosepolitical•Connectcitizens.destroystereotypesaboutreturningreturningcitizenswithorganizationsandindividualsinpoweracrossthecity.•Workacrossthecitytoadvocateforsocial,educational,andplatformsthatwillhelpinreentrysucceedincommunities.
RETURNING TO LIFE
ACTIVITY
Reframe,Ifyoujustwanttostayintheloopaboutsignupforouremaillistbelow.
OSAPHILLY.ORG 19
Everyday we use language that may be hurtful to others whether at school, work, or in the media. That is why One Step Away is joining with Resolve Philly and Youth in Action to "Reframe" and show "We Are Not At-Risk." You can join too.
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED? In spring 2020, a pilot program will be launched with several newsrooms that test the new tools and resources. The pilot we’ll also evaluate how these language shifts impact trust in the audiences of our pilot partners. The goal of the program is not to create another stylesheet, but for news organizations to rebuild that trust and forge genuine connections with their communities. Most people in poverty have had some part in incarceration. These tools are currently in development, if these initiatives are successful, they will help those with a criminal history get over many hurdles regardless of their past.
FORMER CONVICT reframed is
We’ll let you know about big news and other ways to get involve: resolvephilly. org/reframe. Or fill out the above boxes and send them to us on social media: @OSAphilly, our website: OSAphilly.org, or by mail: One Step Away, P.O. Box 637073, Philadelphia, PA 19147.Reframe is a new initiative to help communities have a voice in their communities and reporting.
If you are a newsroom or journalist that wants to test our tools or contribute knowledge and expertise to this initiative please reach out to Aubrey Nagle at aubrey@resolvephilly.org.
THUG reframed is AT-RISK YOUTH reframed is
“Having that felony on my record… People feel that you will never change. You took part in a crime and you will never be a worthwhile person,” says Derrick Cain.
CELEBRATING OSA CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF COMMUNITY AND OPPORTUNITY WITH ONE STEP AWAY CELEBRATING SUCCESS,OPPORTUNITY,AND ACHIEVEMENT
In celebration of 10 amazing years, we recommit ourselves to creating more positive changes in the lives of those experiencing homelessness and the Philadelphia community — we hope you will join us as advocates and supporters as we enter a new decade.Together, we can continue to create opportunities for people to break the cycle of homelessness. We thank you for your support and look forward to many more amazing years.
THANK YOUFOR
Every time, you support a vendor on the street, you break the stereotypes of homelessness and change the way people view and interact with those experiencing homelessness. You provide a platform and a voice to a community often ignored through the One Step Away magazine. Each time you purchase a magazine, you allow OSA vendors to earn an income in a meaningful way — you support a dignified option to begging. You create personal growth opportunities for people experiencing homelessness or poverty through One Step Away. You provide a visibility to the issue of homelessness, breaking the social isolation and invisibility many of our homeless Philadelphians experience. By supporting the magazine, our vendors, and One Step Away, you advocate for viable solutions to address the underlying issues of homelessness and poverty. You are part of the solution.
As a One Step Away supporter, you help us build community, advocate for social justice, and create income and personal growth opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness. Your support creates opportunities to help more individuals gain the skills, confidence, and income they need to overcome homelessness. You help feel the gap in services between becoming homeless and getting back on your feet. Every time you support One Step Away, you help people bridge the gap, you provide a hand to help people back up. You provide a way for people to begin rebuilding their lives, their self-esteem, and everything else they lost when becoming homeless.
Together, YOU helped build this community with us. Thank you. You empower people with every interaction. You help people realize their value, boost their self-esteems, and give people who are so down a reason to believe in themselves. People come to One Step Away and feel like they have a chance, they can rebuild their lives, they have a voice – and that gives people hope. You give people hope and the opportunity to change their lives.
Thank you for 10 amazing years and joining One Step Away and the street paper movement.
YEARS!AMAZING
Director,EmilySincerely,TaylorOne Step Away
Ram bounced around to different facilities, including Easton Homes, Carson Valley School, and others. “I was living at a group home in Norristown when a staff member in her 30s abused me,” he says. “It was my first sexual experience. I didn’t tell anyone.” Ram didn’t talk about what happened until years later, but the effects of abuse and neglect shaped his life. “You can’t put a band aid on trauma. The wounds are too deep. They put you at risk for homelessness and illness.”
In time, he ventured into new terrain. “I started making bracelets and necklaces,” says Ram, a vendor at a September fashion show at MaKen Studios, a repurposed industrial site. “My jewelry that attracts good vibes into people’s lives. It helps them on their journey.”ButRam still didn’t have a place of his own. “Sometimes I stayed with family or friends, in rented rooms, or homeless shelters like Our Brothers Place, Station House, or One Day at a Time on Avenue Lehigh Avenue,” he says. “I could make you a list.” It beat living on the street. “At one point, I lived directly on the street for 20 days. Food wasn’t a problem since I was making money selling the newspaper, but you had to sleep with one eye open because you never knew what was going to happen. You didn’t want people stealing your belongings, and you had to deal with the weather.” A turning point came when Ram learned about a gathering being
— RICHARD RAMSON
“SOME TIMES PEOPLE JUST NEED A CHANCE. ONE STEP AWAY GAVE ME A CH ANCE.”
RAM By: Constance Garcia-Barrio, originially published in Grid Magazine
22 ONE STEP AWAY
#VENDOR SPOTLIGHT:
Between 2003 and 2012, when he began selling One Step Away, Ram worked as a dishwasher at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, in the seafood department at Whole Foods on South Street, in fulfilling tee shirt orders at Amazon, and other jobs. “I mean to support myself,” he says. One Step Away opened avenues for him. “I saw guys on the street selling the paper, and I asked how to become a vendor,” says Ram, who sells the paper near Weavers Way in Chestnut Hill. Contact with the public led to fruitful conversations for Ram, a natural-born talker who does occasional gigs as an emcee. “I got paid speaking engagements at St. Joseph’s University in classes studying homelessness and social issues. I also did substitute teaching in the after-school program at Friends Select.”
Behind most homeless people lie secrets, according to native Philadelphian Richard Ramson, aka Ram. “Most of us have suffered trauma that we don’t talk about,” he says. After facing housing insecurity, including living on the street, since age 10, Ram, now 40, signed a lease in June for the first-ever place of his own. Ram and his 21-month-old daughter, Symphony, moved into their apartment, thanks to a partnership between Berger Rental Communities Philanthropic Arm and One Step Away, a magazine sold by homeless vendors through a program of Resources for Human Development (RHD), a national human-services nonprofit group. “I’ve been selling One Step Away since 2012,” Ram says. “I’m grateful they put a roof over our heads.”Trauma came early for Ram. “My mother was a drug addict and my father was alcoholic,” Ram says. “An aunt living in the Southwark Projects took me in. Things went well until a neighbor introduced her to crack.” Eventually neglected by his aunt, Ram began breaking into cars at age 10 for change to play video games. “I came to the attention of DHS when I got locked up.”
Ram remained with DHS [the Department of Human Services] for eight years. “During that time my father visited me once,” he says. As a young man, Ram was convicted of breaking and entering. When he failed to pay court-ordered restitution, he was put in jail for a month. Incarceration had one positive result. “You sit down and think about how you came to be behind bars,” he says. “Jail can be a time of growth. Look at Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr. I began writing in jail,” says Ram, a poet, rap artist, and actor in local plays. “I got out of jail in the spring of 2003, and I did my first open mic at Little Jamaica [a restaurant] in Germantown.”
“IF YOU SEE SOMEONE LIVING ON THE STREET, YOU'RE LOOKING AT TRAUMA. BE COMPASSIONATE.”
OSAPHILLY.ORG 23 given by Inner Journeys, a healing center that relies on “holistic, energy healing, and natural solutions to support personal growth,” its website says. “When I heard about Inner Journeys from two friends in the same day, I knew I had to go,” says Ram. “Over time, Kathy [Morris] and Sheila [Quarles] [both therapists] worked with me and made me realize that I had to take responsibility for my life. I got to the point where I opened up about trauma. I let go of my secrets,” says Ram, who still attends sessions at Inner Journeys.
“Ram’s willingness to show up showed his commitment and determination to heal,” says Reiki master Sheila Quarles, a partner at Inner Journeys. Inner Journeys changed Ram’s outlook, and he also wanted more stability after his daughter, Symphony, was born. “Children need a stable base,” he says, “an environment where they can thrive.” Going forward, Ram would like to establish his jewelry business and work as a motivational speaker. “I’ve persevered through rough times, and I want to talk about it,” he says. “Some people say that with the life I’ve had I should write a book. Maybe I will. I would also like to tour with the songs I compose. I’m on YouTube at Ram Riches.” Ram also suggests simple ways to help homeless people. “You don’t necessarily have to give them money,” he says. “Food, clothing, and life skills— for example, how to save money—can make a big difference. Giving a homeless person a chance to earn money, the way we can by selling One Step Away, is another huge help.”
Ram and Symphony moved into their first home together in July 2019. They are pictured above seeing their new apartment for the first time. Berger Rental Communities representatives came to celebrate movein day with Ram and Symphony. We are so grateful to Berger Rental Communities for partnering with us through their Hope & Doors inititiave helping to provide four homeless families with a home each year. Thank you for helping Symphony and Ram get their first home.Photo credits: Ken Kauffman.
Resources at homeless shelters could also instill hope, Ram says. “Peer support—guidance from someone who’s lived on the street and then found a home—can make a difference. Sometimes, just having someone listen to you with real attention can help. Maybe people could do that, volunteer as listeners at shelters.” Ram offered a few final words of advice. “If you see someone living on the street, you’re looking at trauma,” he says. “Be compassionate.”
— RICHARD RAMSON
— RICHARD RAMSON
“CHILDREN NEED A STABLE PLACE, AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY CAN THRIVE.”
Willis Towers Watson is a proud supporter of One Step Away and Resources for Human Development
24 ONE STEP AWAY See frompotentialeveryangle.
Everybody deserves a place to call home. 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 One Step Away in 2009 as a voice of advocacy and social justice, and as an innovative way to solve gaps in social services that would help people achieve self-sufficiency. A national human services nonprofit with the broadest possible service mission, RHD supports tens of thousands of people each year in caring and effective services addressing intellectual disabilities, behavioral health, homelessness, addiction recovery and much more. Find out how you can help at www.rhd.org
TOGETHER, WE CAN End homelessness Together we’re better. Together, we’re RHD.
OSAPHILLY.ORG 25 DESIGNED & SCREEN PRINTED BY LOCAL PHILLY ARTIST @ACEFACEPRINT BUY REPRESENTLOCAL PHILLY & SUPPORT ONE STEP AWAY 1 2 3 BUY OSAPHILLY.ORGONLINE 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
“main effect” of sex, not SOGIE-related: being female predicts being poor, 2. A main effect of transgender identity: being trans predicts being poor,3.An “interaction effect” of sex and sexual orientation: being both female and bisexual further predicts poverty.
26 ONE STEP AWAY
Note what the study doesn’t appear to show us. There’s no main effect from sexual orientation — only an interaction effect with sex. And there’s no effect of any sort from mono-sexual orientation — being either gay or straight — only from bisexuality in interaction with being female. But you would never guess this from the headline, would you? In effect, the article takes greater poverty for two subgroups of LGBTs — trans people and bisexual women — and artificially mingles it with other subgroups to create a false impression that being LGBT per se is a predictor of poverty. And why? Apparently for no reason except an ideologically based a priori insistence on viewing it this way.
This has occurred more than once in Gwen Smith’s “Transmissions” column, published in PGN, and also in an article in The Aspergian, an online publication by people on the autism spectrum, titled “The Fallacy of Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria and the Importance of Calling Out Sloppy Science,” by AspieGurl. In the third paragraph she writes: The core issue, however, is that ROGD is sloppy science and has not been conclusively proven to exist at all. This is an example of a “straw man” argument, since researcher Lisa Littman has never claimed that it’s proven science. The original paper in which she introduced this term was explicitly a report on an exploratory study whose purpose was to generate hypotheses, not prove one. Far from being sloppy science, as Littman herself told Quillette (“An Interview With Lisa Littman, Who Coined the Term ‘Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria,’” 3/19/2019): Some of the critics of the paper talk about these methods as if they are strictly the province of pseudoscience, but that is simply not the case. I believe these critics are uninformed about the scientific process. In fact, I attended a panel discussion where speakers referred to my study as “methodologically atrocious” and another study— one supportive of social transition — as “phenomenal,” without recognizing the irony that both studies used the same AspieGurlmethodology.writes, “The research was so widely criticized that Dr. Littman was forced to revise it in 2019.” But as Littman puts it: The manuscript was meticulously evaluated, and, in response to the resulting feedback, changes were made to several sections of the paper, though the methods and findings remained mostly
A possibly even more serious example of science journalism warped by ideology is the way some media have treated the concept of Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria, a trend in which a trans identity is being declared, typically in conjunction with an insistence on rapid social and medical transitioning, by adolescents and young adults, mostly assigned female at birth, who had shown no signs of gender variance previously.
By: Eric Hamell, One Step Away writer and vendor
If you want justice, work for truth
The first example is an article by Victoria Brownworth that appeared in a recent issue of the Philadelphia Gay News, reporting on the findings of a new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. Its title is “LGBT folks face more poverty than straight cisgender people.” But this headline is misleading. Readers find a number of similar statements scattered throughout the article. For instance, one paragraph reads: “Our study shows that all subpopulations of LGBT people fare the same or worse than cisgender straight people,” said lead author M.V. Lee Badgett, a Distinguished Scholar at the Williams Institute. “And factors like living in a rural area can prove especially challenging to their economic stability. As a whole, LGBT people have at least 15 percent higher odds of being poor than cisgender straight people.” But, if you keep reading, you eventually see this: While most significant was the disparity for bisexual women and trans people, the study also found cisgender straight men and gay men have similar rates of poverty, and their poverty rates are lower than every other group. The study also found cisgender lesbian women have similar rates of poverty as cisgender straight women, at nearly 20 percent. However, women of all sexual orientations have significantly higher rates of poverty than cisgender straight men and gay men. Brownworth doesn’t tell us what “similar” means, but in the case of cisgender women it evidently means no more than a couple percentage points. It isn’t even made clear whether these differences are statistically significant.So,inthe language of statistical “analysis of variance,” a close reading of the article tells us there are basically just three effects identified by the study:1.A
CALLING OUT SLOPPY SCIENCE JOURNALISM
To paraphrase a bumper sticker: if you want justice, work for truth. That this needs to be said is a sad comment on the way so many people discuss social justice issues these days. In this essay I’m going to focus on some examples related to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE). (For anyone to whom this may matter, I’ll state up front that I, personally, am both bisexual and on the autism spectrum.)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
higher than usual prior history of difficulty coping with negative emotions. This leads Littman to suspect that it’s a maladaptive coping mechanism rather than a reflection of true transgender identity. If this is true, then failing to recognize the phenomenon actually means leaving these young people at greater risk of suicide and other forms of self-harm.Asithappens, an article appearing recently in Philadelphia Gay News supports that suspicion. “New study highlights suicidal thoughts among trans adolescents” by Victoria Brownworth (11/13/19), reporting on a new study by Dr. Brian C. Thoma of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry, states: His research studying the intersection of gender identity and mental health is the first to ask teens to answer two key questions: What is your current gender identity, and what gender were you assigned at birth? That two-step question revealed disparities within the broad definition of transgender used in all health research. Transgender boys were at the highest risk of a suicide attempt requiring medical Ifattention.asubstantial fraction of those suicidally inclined adolescents now identifying as transmasculine are actually exhibiting a maladaptive coping mechanism for dealing with negative emotions, this is exactly what we would expect. And a failure to reckon with this reality means being unable to help them work through their emotional difficulties and, ultimately, stay alive. Fortunately, the inverse is also true: when the real nature of the difficulties is recognized, the results can be life-saving. As Littman explains:Although the controversy was stressful and often contentious, a lot of good came from it. I believe that my research received far more attention than it would have otherwise…. One amazing outcome is that four young women who experienced gender dysphoria in their teens and then de-transitioned or desisted found each other and created The Pique Resilience Project, a video series they use to share their experiences. All of them now speak openly about having experienced ROGD. And one last thing I’ll add, on a personal note. Although there seems to have been a surge of this problem since the mid ’00s, it’s not without precedent, Around 2000, I heard Susie “Sexpert” Bright speak at Penn, in the course of which she described how, after one of her talks, a young person had approached to tell her about their discovery that they were a trans man. After she’d listened for a bit to their explanation of how they’d determined this — and at the risk, as she related to her audience at Penn, of being very “politically incorrect” — she was moved to ask, “Are you sure you’re not just a lesbian?” To which this young person responded, “You know, I never thought of that!”
Eric is a vendor for One Step Away. He has been with our organization for four years, since July 2015. He is an artistic individual who reads and writes for OSA and other publications frequently. He loves to blog and is dedicated to engaging in evidence-based work regarding social change.
OSAPHILLY.ORG 27 unchanged…. Overall, I am very pleased with the final product and [with the fact] that my work has withstood this extensive peerreview process. As she wrote it in Notice of Republication: Other than the addition of a few missing values in Table 13, the Results section is unchanged in the updated version of the article.
In other words, the findings of the study clearly contradict the notion that these are just parents who are especially resistant to recognizing or accepting gender variance in their children.
And, of course, AspieGurl’s attempt to “explain away” the phenomenon also completely fails to account for the fact that its rate of occurrence has jumped qualitatively in the past decade or so, nor for the fact that this has been accompanied by a total reversal of the natal-sex ratio among adolescents and young adults declaring a transgender identity, and nor for the fact that it so often occurs in whole groups of girls in the same online friendship group simultaneously. Why is this important? Because, if we refuse to recognize that something is going on here that’s different from the previously observed pattern of adolescent onset gender dysphoria, we can’t determine whether a different response is warranted.
Indeed, Littman’s paper suggests it may be, because another difference is the higher rate of emotional distress being exhibited in these cases — rising, not falling, after declaring a trans identity — as well as a
AspieGurl claims: Parents of adolescent girls who did not want to see their daughters as a part of the trans community had latched on to ROGD. But she never offers any evidence that this is actually their motive. Similarly, in an attempt to explain why changes in behavior are only being reported in adolescence and not previously, she writes: Adolescence is the normal time for child exploration and rebellion against one’s parents. Children are very perceptive and tend to learn from a very young age what pleases a parent and what does not. A daughter of a more conservative parent likely caught on quite quickly that her parent smiled more often and bragged on her more when she wore dresses and acted like a “little girl” according to gender norms. But notice this explanation assumes a conservative parent. It’s hard to see how she could believe this explanation if she’s actually read, with an open mind, the paper by Lisa Littman to which she links, wherein we canRespondentsread: were asked, “Do you believe that transgender people deserve the same rights and protections as others in your country?” which is a question that was adapted from a question used for a US national poll…. The majority (88.2%) of the study participants gave affirmative answers to the question which is consistent with the 89% affirmative response reported in a US national poll. All selfreported results have the potential limitation of social desirability bias. However, comparing this self-report sample to the national self-report sample, the results show similar rates of support. Therefore, there is no evidence that the study sample is appreciably different in their support of the rights of transgender people than the general American population.
IT IS A CHANCE FOR THEM TO SHARE THEIR STORIES — AND CONNECT WITH YOU, OUR READERS. VOICES: UNCOVERED ISSUES SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY
VENDOR
Through it all she remained positive and upbeat but after she was attacked you can clearly see that this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Normally she is the happiest person you will see all day.
I am Kareem Jones a One Step Away vendor. I’m usually found in the poetry section. Sometimes write articles to bring awareness to certain important issues in our world. In this article I aim to talk about women who are victims of domestic abuse. One day I saw a woman with a black eye. I do not know her, but I could tell she had been struck very hard because her eye was a plum purple and completely closed. She seemed to be deeply stressed and stared off as if she couldn’t be comforted. The very next day some friends and I were coming out of a store and ran into some ladies walking by. We all noticed the same thing, one of them had a black eye. So naturally we ask if she was okay, she began to explain what happened and it turns out she was struck by a man that wasn’t even her partner. It was a man she just met, and she wasn’t aware of his mental issues until it was too late.The very next day after that I saw my coworker with two black eyes. This is why I chose this topic. Seeing this 3 day in a row makes me feel like the topic chose me. My co-worker was too embarrassed to go home for Thanksgiving, so she spent the holiday alone. The same woman who was too embarrassed to be around loved ones a few short weeks ago has built the courage to allow me to speak on what happened to her. Why would she do that? She knows this could help somebody.Themanthat attacked her was her boyfriend at the time. He struck her multiple times in the face and dragged her by the hair across the ground. He has been arrested for the assault and warrants that were out for his arrest for other crimes he has committed. He will be off the streets for a very long time. My co-worker knows she doesn’t have to worry about him anymore, but she is not the same person. Before the assault she already had issues concerning family, housing, work and court dates.
28 ONE STEP AWAYUNCOVERED
— Kareem Jones BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT WITH ONE STEP AWAY If you or someone you know has questions or concerns about domestic violence, call the 24-hour Philadelphia Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-866-723-3014 All calls are free, confidential, and anonymous. Bilingual counselors are available.
EVERYONE DESERVES TO BE SAFE! DOMESTIC RESOURCESVIOLENCE
ISSUES GIVES OUR VENDORS AND WRITERS A VOICE.
“I’ve become a peer specialist and have gained a certificate for a housing voucher.”
BY: KAREEM JONES
Always smiling, telling jokes and lifting spirits. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her smile or tell a joke. We’re coworkers but we’re also friends, my friend is just not the same and it breaks my heart. I just pray that in time she will be able to trust again and enjoy life again. I thank her for letting me tell her story because stories like this will help another woman to just be more aware of the true evil that lurks out here. I also want to thank One Step Away for letting me write what’s on my heart. I just want to bring awareness to an ongoing problem nationwide. In this day and age women have to be very careful of the men they spend time with. Please, don’t just get into anybody’s car and don’t let just anybody into your home. A homeless woman would need to be more careful because she doesn’t have a door to lock and are looked at as lesser. It’s a good idea for women to travel in groups at night. It might be a good idea to carry pepper spray or a weapon. Women should never feel afraid or too embarrassed to talk about an assault. Keeping it quiet will only make the attacker feel more at eased to do it again. These abusers need to be brought to justice and sent to jail where they can receive punishment for their crimes. Older women should warn younger girls to not be so trusting. I have noticed that people who are truly evil are also the world’s best actors. Make sure you know a guy really well before you lay with him to make sure you are not sleeping with enemy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 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.
FROM INSP’S FEATURE A LETTER TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF.
And oh how I miss being mothered, even more that you’ll ever know.
I never would’ve thought skid row be my home, my life was positive again. It happened overnight and the harder I fight, but for some reason fate was the I’mpain.not trying to rob you and I do come in peace, because my stomach is yearning for IFood.once was on top, but failure prevailed, and claimed I broke some of the rules. I cried through the night of the life that I lost, wanting desperately to truly escape. But something went wrong in my toils and trials, that manifest this down-trodden fate.People don’t know that under this cloud, stands a good man willing to give. But the hand we were dealt we took it in stride, with heartbreaks but yet still we are alive.
My pockets are empty my cupboards are bare, my emotions at an all-time low.
Some folk must suffer the challenges of life, in becoming the greatest hero.
I pray for their souls even unto the night, on in to the wee hours of dawn. I recognized the strength of the underdogs that passed and uprising their love does Ifexist.you’d just take the time to magnify the heart, of God it’s the core of the kiss. This ode that I share comes from way deep within, because this truly once was my life. It attacked from all sides and I had no way out, in being free of this heart wrenching strife. I’m finally free from the strength that I got, borne from the weeps and the woes. This strength that I received from broken hearts that bleed, was inspired from our Heroes.fallen
I then dreamt in another way with other landscapes with a different heart I was married — or that I thought, at least I was worried about the uprisingZapatista about the death in the although(thatloved(Colosio,streetsRuizMassieu)andIwasanengineerinternkeptdoingpoetry(Little)goingindisguiseas“normal”peopleIhadahappylifewasanotherdream)andattimesIforgotonecannotlivethiswayasifbeautydidnotexistandnowIdon’tsaytomyselfsomeforgetinlifeitseemshorribleit’sbetterifyoupayattentiontothebeautyofeverything but firstly it is insidehiddenyou.
FALLEN HEROES BY: BRYANT E. CULPEPPER SR.
JUAN MANUEL (AGE 52) MI VALEDOR, MEXICO
Hello sir, can you spare a dime? I’d really like something to eat. My body is cold I didn’t get much sleep, from traveling on these burnt up streets. I Don’t mean to bother you I’m just taking a chance, I’m down and out on hard times. I’ve lost my job my family and kids, and all that was taken that was mine.
MOTHERED BY: BRYANT E. CULPEPPER SR. Oh momma I miss you so, more than you’ll ever know. I’m burning in the sun, but feeling like it’s snow. There were other mothers, I called mines when you left. And when God called you home, so nothing else was left. No matter the other elders, I adopted as my mom. Although they were lovable, but you were surely on the dime. Our relationship was a bit tattered, I truly rebelled as a child. Not really understanding the love, while walking that teen-age mile. And now I really miss you momma, yes more than you’ll ever know. Still burning in the blazing sun, while feeling like it’s snow. So cold from all the memories, of how I could’ve made it right. But that teen-aged mind I had, to rebel only was my fight. But now that you’ve gone, and God have you in His hands. Oh why oh why my Lord, it took long to understand. There’s nothing like a mother, of whom one can truly adore. A father’s love just as good, but a mom’s a little more. You see, I was raised in an era, where live in fathers was a treat. Something to hold my head high, as I played naively in the streets. But in the absence of our fathers, mothers truly taken the place. Feeding and clothing me well, while keeping smiles upon my face. So this ode is to all the mothers, that gave us warmth through Ofpagessnow.
It’s truly so hard when one makes mistakes, and life is an uphill climb. When comparing the struggles to getting back on top, success is a hard thing to find. I remember these heroes some just from last year, and their spirits still truly goes on.
30 ONE STEP AWAY ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Slobodan is a vendor for One Step Away. He is from Yugoslavia, he’s been selling magazines for 6 years and loves the people of this city, he submits pieces of writing when he’s most available.
THE HOMELESS MAN BY: SLOBODAN MRKOJEVIC No one has the right to wake me up. It’s snowing. I’m sitting on a concrete staircase freezing from the falling snow. But I don’t mind at all. Just an old man without a job. I’m too old for work. I’m 55 I never had anything in life. And I always worthless.felt I don’t even have any dreams. While I’m sitting down the snow is falling more and more. I’ve never had a woman love me. My heart is empty. I never felt like I had any value. Today is armchairMyTEARSCHRISTChristmas.myISBORN.AREfallinguncontrollably.Runningdownmyface.Andfallingontomylap.lapthat’sbeenfullyimmersedinsnow.Allofasudden,thesnowisgone.I’minaroomwithafamiliarsmell.Iseeagreenthatlooks
someAllthatJesuspicturesdecorationsdecorationsChristmasparticulartree.SprinklersandChristmasarehangingonthetree.Oldfashionedwithinsideofthem.PicturesofJesusChrist.Ilovethemsomuch.comesandrisesfromit.Hiseyesareglowingwarmly.Thekindofglowgivesofflove.Ikneeldown.Bowmyhead.IsaidI’msorryfornotlovingyouenough.Hesmilesanddisappears.Iheardmymother’svoice.Comingfromthekitchen.Herecomesthecoffeeandwalnutcakes.Andsweetcherrypreserve.tenderIsaidtomyselfthankyouJesus.Iheardavoiceofmyfatherandthescentofmulledwine.Son,doyouwantmulledwine.It’sgoodwith
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 WORD SEARCH 2 7 8 1 5 9 4 3 6 5 1 4 8 3 6 9 2 7 3 9 6 4 7 2 1 8 5 8 3 7 9 4 5 6 1 2 6 5 1 7 2 3 8 4 9 4 2 9 6 1 8 5 7 3 7 6 3 5 8 4 2 9 1 9 4 2 3 6 1 7 5 8 1 8 5 2 9 7 3 6 4 SUDOKU 1 8 7 2 1 6 4 3 9 5 9 3 1 2 8 5 4 7 6 5 4 6 7 9 3 1 8 2 3 1 8 5 4 6 7 2 9 2 9 5 8 3 7 6 4 1 4 6 7 9 2 1 8 5 3 7 2 9 6 1 8 5 3 4 6 8 3 4 5 2 9 1 7 1 5 4 3 7 9 2 6 8 SUDOKU 2 E D I T R E A M S S P A R R E N O E X C E L P E N N A S H Y G O N N A A R E A P O S T A G E S T A M P S R E M A L A R E P E T H P R O M O M O O T I T H E M A G I P I N O N R U E S D E C A L C O M A N I A S S O N A T A M U S L I M P E E E N T R I E S M A O A S I F E O N M O S T T A L E N T S C O U T P A I S A N O E A R L I E R A B E T T O R A N A L O G Y T A S S E L S M E L A N G E CROSSWORD
cherry preserve I feelarmsomebody’sonmyshoulder I open my eyes A stranger said hey man get up Or You’ll freeze. I cursed at him and said go away. Mind your KnowingRelievedAndyourselfHebusiness.ownsaid,suitfool.movedon.Iclosedmyeyes.I’mgoingbackhome.TotheChristmasI’musedtoCHRISTwasborntodayTheyfoundthemanfrozen.Withasmileonhislips.Withasmileonhislips.THEYBARELYMANAGEDTOSTUFFHIMINTOAbodyBAG.Oneofthemensaidthat’sthethirdpersontoday.AndtherenowhereHesippedHismulledwineAndatesweetcherrypreserve.Andatesweetcherrypreserve. LAST
I was in Atlantic City and I slept on the beach in my two new sleeping bags. When I came home on the train, I saw some very large windmills making green energy and I found this inspiring to my green soul. This Christmas season was very special to me. I enjoyed spending time with other vendors. We went to Dilworth Plaza and took photos. We got on the Ferris wheel which is a new attraction and we saw the very large Christmas tree. We enjoyed that too. It was a long time since I’ve been on a Ferris wheel and I was excited and a little frightened but my friends and vendors from One Step Away were with me, so I didn’t mind at all. They were so nice to me. The afternoon helped me capture the Christmas spirit. Thank you One Step Away.
very nostalgic to me along with this
RANDALL CRAIG MARIA JAMES
ISSUE’S PUZZLE SOLUTIONS HOW VENDORS SPENT THE HOLIDAYS:
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 CROSSWORD FOR ANSWERS PICK UP OUR NEXT ISSUE OF ONE STEP AWAY! CONTRIBUTED BY STREET ROOTS, PORTLAND, OREGON. 2SUDOKU 1 8 9 6 2 7 2 6 9 3 7 1 8 3 7 2 5 6 9 4 2 3 5 4 6 4 5 9 1 3 9 1 8 4 1SUDOKU 6 4 5 2 6 1 4 1 5 6 8 2 5 7 3 6 3 7 2 5 7 4 3 8 7 9 2 3 WORD SEARCH K O R E A B A R U B A T O G O K L S Y E M E N Z Z O M B A C D Y Y A I H R C U B A N M D H I M R L M A O O S C H X U A I R P I L N O M J M A H N C K N I I A A A J A F T E I I O F A S A S K M O N U Y Y R G L R Y H N P F I I S T O E A E O E I K A A U X S Y R M X Q R M N N F E I P O R T A U P R I N C E I T N T E H R A N N U O J H W I O E E I C I Z N G B O U S A H R W X C A H O N S T R S I R C D A A A L N A I W E Z P L K Y T U N I S B L D P K A E R O ChileChadBonnBanguiArubaApiaAmmanAmericaAccra IraqIranIowaHaitianFrenchDCCubanColomChina OhioNigerNewarkMiamiLisbonLimaLaosKoreaIrish SaigonRomeRomanPrincePort-au-PeruPakistanOsloOlympian TroyTogoTexasTexanTehranSyriaSpainSanaSamoa ZombaYemenYangtzeUtahUSAUKTunis 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. Hand-thrown bomb 8. Christopher Marlowe’s “Doctor __” 15. Laid back 16. North of New York 18.17.CityConfessingBusinessthat sells 19.onlineKatmandu’s land 20. “___ say!” 22. Cork’s country 23. Smidgen 24. Legislate 26. “Wheel of Fortune” 27.actionBallpoint, e.g. 28. African capital 30. The loneliest number 31. Like some socks 33. Place of religious 35.seclusionCarve in stone 37. Hang loose 38. Roof 42. Desert hallucinogen 46. Software program, briefly 47. Old-fashioned way to store contacts 49. Annoy 50. Loch ___ 52. Happen again 53. Shopping ___ 54. Bleak 55. Admit, with “to” 56. Black and white diving bird 57. “Like A Virgin” singer 60. Portuguese, e.g. 62. Artist’s workshop 63. Ignore 64. Snuggled up 65. Spectacles DOWN 1. Old-timer 2. Devotee 3. Marrying secretly 4. Honorary Muslim title in old India 5. Angle between stem and branch 6. Animal house 7. Trim 8. Battery 9. Appropriate 10. ___ Today 11. Pigpens 12. Asian palm 13. Womb-related 14. More calm 21. Flock member 24. “College” member who votes for president 25. State cop 28. Adjust 29. Glass ingredient 32. “Absolutely!” 34. Cunning 36. Hidden asset 38. Children’s guessing 41.40.39.gameRunProsAlittle, in Spain 43. Female gonads 44. Portico 45. Ranges 48. Tricking 51. Young salmon 53. Rolls in your hair 56. Prefix with phone 58. Goose egg 59. Born, in bios 61. ___ canto
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