01 09 2008

Hunters curb the deer population while helping poor families eat better, page 4

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January 9, 2008 – January 22, 2008 • Volume 5, Issue 5

OUTSIDE VOICES

HUD Gives Own Housing Approach Lukewarm Review

By Robert Blair

See

HUD, page 4

By Mary Catharine Martin

T

COURTESY OF CHRIST HOUSE

Few systematic improvements in client behavior have resulted from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s new “Housing First” approach to the needs of chronically homeless adults suffering from severe mental illness, according to the first tentative evaluation by the department.

There was no appreciable improvement in the sobriety, employment or income of new clients of three Housing First programs over a 12-month study period, according to a HUD study released in September. Eighty-four percent of the new clients were still in permanent housing at the end of the study period, but 41 percent had returned to the streets during the year, some for extended periods.

“This study raises a lot of questions,” said Darlene Williams, HUD assistant secretary for policy development and research, “and it is important for both the public policy and advocate communities to try and evaluate these programs so we know what works and how to improve them.”

The Housing First approach involves a commitment to offer permanent housing to hard-toserve homeless persons – including those suffering from mental illness and alcohol or drug addictions – as a first step,

rather than requiring a period of sobriety or successful treatment to demonstrate readiness for housing. Supportive services are also offered, but clients are not required to use those services as a condition for access to housing.

The HUD study is an initial effort to identify the types and potential impacts of the various Housing First models being developed in San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia, New York City, Los Angeles and Columbus, Ohio.

The report’s authors point out that in recent years Congress and HUD’s leadership have encouraged the development of permanent housing for homeless, and that there has been a shift of funds toward housing as opposed to supportive services, as well as an increased attention to the needs of chronically homeless persons, many of whom are mentally ill.

“In recent years, increased public attention has been focused on the hardest-to-serve, chronically homeless population, a substantial number of whom are mentally ill. Because it addresses this population and its needs, the Housing First approach has emerged as a favored policy among many in the advocacy and practitioner communities,” the report said.

This is Not a Story

A hospital in southeast D.C. means accessible health care for the city’s poorest.

New Ownership Could Save Southeast Hospital

By Sam McCormally The sale of the financially troubled Greater Southeast Community Hospital to Specialty Hospitals of America, with $79 million of the city’s money, has been accompanied in recent weeks by a slew of bad news and virulent criticism. But some health care analysts and city officials are cautiously optimistic that the new ownership can nurse Greater Southeast back to health.

Greater Southeast, the District’s only hospital south of the Anacostia River, and the closest hospital to a large portion of Prince George’s County, has been hemorrhaging money for over a decade. Eight years ago, the hospital was bought out of bankruptcy by Envision, but the hospital’s facilities and quality of care have remained on the decline.

Envision has sunk $30 million into

the facility in the last three years, company chairman Paul Tuft said.

Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) warned this summer that past infusions of cash into Greater Southeast have failed to keep it afloat. Handing over money to another company, he argued, would change little.

When the city council voted in November to authorize the sale of the hospital to Specialty using public funds, Councilman Marion Barry (DWard 8) said he supported the deal because the only alternative was to allow the hospital to close. To many city officials, that was unacceptable.

“The goal is to ensure that we have access to health care, local access, for all DC residents,” said a spokesperson for Mayor Fenty. And many acknowledged that the city had few options.

“Short of the city stepping in, no

See

Hospital, page 6

oday, at Project Homeless Connect in San Francisco, a man yelled at me.

I was interviewing him for a public awareness project that gathered stories and photographs about the lives of homeless clients.

“I’m not angry at you,” he later told me. “I’m angry at everyone. Anger is a condition of homelessness; it’s a big problem. Wouldn’t you be angry?”

That being said, however, most of the 2,000 or so clients there weren’t yelling. They were waiting in line for vision checks and eyeglasses. They were talking to people about finding a job. They were getting socks.

They were getting IDs, or food, or making cards for loved ones, or getting check ups, or finding out about permanent housing or – as in my little corner of the floor – they were telling their stories.

What a personal, scary thing it is to tell one’s story. To talk to a stranger about one’s thoughts and dreams, ups and downs.

I should have thought about that, but I hadn’t. I was ready to hear stories. We read stories all the time.

People tell us stories. We hear stories on the news. Perhaps because of the sheer plethora of stories out there, we guard ourselves.

See Story, page 13

Thanks to everyone for supporting “Four More Years” $25,080 $20,000

LOCAL

EDITORIAL

Health Update

Unspoken Signals

DIRECTOR’S DESK

The District gets a new state health plan after 18 long years, page 5.

Moyo Onibuje explains how to read the body language of the homeless, page 12.

Four More Years!

FICTION

POETRY

Black Cowboys

Who Am I?

The latest short story by Ivory Wilson, based on his childhood on a Texas ranch, page 10.

Maurice Davis spins a poetic riddle about a destructive force, page 9.

Inside This Issue Laura Osuri can’t get over the generosity of Street Sense readers, page 14.

$16,000

$12,000

$8,000

$4,000 $0

Street Sense . January 9 – 22, 2008

2 ALL ABOUT US

Our Mission 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 347-2006 Fax: (202) 347-2166 info@streetsense.org www.streetsense.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS James Davis Robert Egger Ted Henson Barbara Kagan Brad Scriber John Snellgrove Michael Stoops Francine Triplett David Walker Kathy Whelpley EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Laura Thompson Osuri EDITOR IN CHIEF Kaukab Jhumra Smith ASSOCIATE EDITOR David S. Hammond (volunteer) VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Matt Allee, Robert Basler, Robert Blair, Karen Brooks, Cliff Carle, Jane Cave, Jason Corum, Rebecca Curry, Rick Dahnke, Jennifer Dunseith, Darcy Gallucio, Joshua Gardner, Arielle Giegerich, Genevieve Gill, Joanne Goodwin, Carol Hannaford, Justin Herman, Annie Hill, Dan Horner, Brooke Howell, Jo Ann Jackson, Mary Lynn Jones, Maurice King, Jo Knight, Geof Koss, Jessica LaGarde, Karin Lee, Brenda K. Lee-Wilson, Katie Leitch, Claire Markgraf, Kellie Marsh, Mary Catharine Martin, Mandy McAnally, Sam McCormally, Jeffery McNeil, Kent Mitchell, Moyo Onibuje, Swinitha Osuri, Michael Patterson, David Pirtle, Diane Rusignola, Jamie Schuman, Dan Seligson, Eric Sheptock, Kat Shiffler, Jennifer Singleton, Katie Smith, Patty Smith, Kathryn Taylor, Matthew Taylor, Robert Trautman, Margaret Thomas, Francine Triplett, Eugene Versluysen, Linda Wang, Dan Weingarten, Kelly Wilson, Marian Wiseman, Corrine Yu VENDORS Willie Alexander, Michael Anderson, Katrina Angie, Jake Ashford, Lawrence Autry, Tommy Bennett, Emily Bowe, Corey Bridges, Bobby Buggs, Leonard Cannady, Cliff Carle, Conrad Cheek Jr., Walter Crawley, Louise Davenport, James Davis, Bernard Dean, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Ronald Franklin, Barron Hall, David Harris, John Harrison, Patricia Henry, Phillip Howard, Jo Ann Jackson, Michael Jefferson, Patricia Jefferson, Jewell Johnson, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson, L. Morrow, Charles Mayfield, Lee Mayse, Jermale McKnight, Jennifer Mclaughlin, Jeffery McNeil, Charles Nelson, Moyo Onibuje, Therese Onyemenon, Thomas Queen, Kevin Robinson, Ed Ross, Dennis Rutledge, Gerald Smith, Patty Smith, James Stewart, Gary Stoddard, Archie Thomas, Ingrid Thomas, Francine Triplett, Carl Turner, Jerry W., Martin Walker, Mary Wanyama, Lawless Watson, Inell Wilson, Ivory Wilson, Tina Wright

We are proud members of:

Street Sense aims to serve as a vehicle for elevating voices and public debate on issues relating to poverty while also creating economic opportunities for people who are experiencing homelessness in our community.

Our Editorial Policy Editorials and features in Street Sense reflect the perspectives of the authors. We invite the submission of news, opinion, fiction and poetry, hoping to create a means in which a multitude of perspectives on poverty and homelessness can find expression. Street Sense reserves the right to edit any material.

North American Street Newspaper Association

The Story of Street Sense Street Sense began in August 2003 after two volunteers, Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson, approached the National Coalition for the Homeless on separate occasions about starting a street newspaper in Washington, D.C. A street paper is defined as a newspaper about poverty, homelessness and other social issues that provides an income to the homeless individuals who sell it. About 25 street papers operate in the United States and Canada in places like Seattle, Chicago, Montreal and Boston, and dozens more exist throughout the world.

After bringing together a core of dedicated volunteers and vendors, Street Sense came out with its first issue in November 2003, printing 5,000 copies. For the next three years the paper published consistently on a monthly basis and greatly expanded its circulation and vendor network.

For the first year, Street Sense operated as a project of the National Coalition for the Homeless, but in October 2004, the organization incorporated and moved into its own office space. In March 2005, Street Sense received 501(c)3 status, becoming an independent nonprofit organization.

In October 2005, Street Sense formed a board of directors, and in November, the organization hired its first employee, a full-time executive director.

A year later, in November 2006, the organization hired its first vendor coordinator.

In February 2007, the paper started publishing twice a month as the network of vendors expanded to more than 50 homeless men and women.

And to support the increased production, Street Sense brought on its first full-time editor in chief in April.

International Network of Street Papers

Street Sense Vendor Code of Conduct 1.

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Dec. 27 – Jan. 8 Donors The following people donated in memory of DAVID PIKE Alliance for International Reforestation Janet Andrew Andrew Fahlund Barbara Gilmore Eric Glitzenstein Susan M. Hecht Mac and Ethel McGee Larry and Deede Snowhite Please also see page 6.

Thank You!

10.

Street Sense will be distributed for a voluntary donation of $1. I agree not to ask for more than a dollar or solicit donations for Street Sense by any other means.

I will only purchase the paper from Street Sense staff and will not sell papers to other vendors (outside of the office volunteers).

I agree to treat all others – customers, staff, other vendors – respectfully, and I will not “hard sell,” threaten or pressure customers.

I agree to stay off private property when selling Street Sense.

I understand that I am not a legal employee of Street Sense but a contracted worker responsible for my own well-being and income.

I agree to sell no additional goods or products when selling the paper.

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I will respect the space of other vendors, particularly the space of vendors who have been at a spot longer.

I understand that my badge is the property of Street Sense and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing the papers and display my badge when selling papers.

I understand that Street Sense strives to be a paper that covers homelessness and poverty issues while providing a source of income for the homeless. I will try to help in this effort and spread the word.

WANNA HELP? If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, or have a great article or feature idea, please contact Koki Smith at 202-347-2006 or e-mail editor@streetsense.org If you are interested in becoming a vendor, contact Laura Thompson Osuri at the same number or come to a vendor training session on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2 p.m. at our office (1317 G Street, NW - near Metro Center).

Street Sense . January 9 – 22, 2008

PROFILE 3

SERVICE PROFILE

A Refuge For Women and Families in the Loudoun Woods

By Mary Catharine Martin

MARY CATHARINE MARTIN/STREET SENSE

The path winds over a river and through the woods, but it doesn’t lead to Grandma’s house – it leads to Hebron.

The shelter, run by the Christian nonprofit Good Shepherd Alliance, opens its doors to women and children and rests on 10 acres in Loudoun County.

“In the Bible,” said Vickie Koth, the operations and financial manager, “Hebron was a city of refuge. This is a house of refuge.”

At first glance, Loudoun County, which in 2005 had a brief reign as the wealthiest jurisdiction in the nation, may not seem a place in need of a homeless shelter. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) annual national homeless count, however, in January 2007 there were 93 homeless people in Loudoun County.

Of these, 70 were sheltered and 23 were unsheltered. A large percentage of those 70 were sheltered with the Good Shepherd Alliance, which, in addition to Hebron, runs a shelter for pregnant women, a shelter for married couples and a drop-in center and assists those living on the edge of homelessness with its thrift store. But it still isn’t enough.

“We turn away hundreds of people every year,” Koth said.

The organization states on its Web site that it offers unconditional love to those in need; it’s a mission that is evident after interacting with employees, volunteers, and “guests” even for a short while.

“It really renews your faith being here,” Pat Davenport, a current Hebron resident, said. “People are so giving. I never saw so much of it until I came here.”

It is easy to forget, upon entering Hebron, that it is a homeless shelter. On a Wednesday in late December, there was a Christmas tree in the living room. A little girl lay asleep on the sofa next to it. Stockings crowded around the fireplace, spilling over onto the walls behind the tree.

There are six bedrooms that together can sleep between 18 and 24 people; a Girl Scout has painted them different pastel

Gabby and Keshaun, Hebron residents, enjoy the Christmas party.

colors. There are also a kitchen, a large dining room table and three computers. A tutor comes on Fridays, Tuesday night is “camping night” when the kids make crafts, and Wednesday is usually Bible study night with voluntary attendance.

On this day, there was a Christmas party planned, so we found chairs and filled our plates with cookies and pasta. Christmas music played as a little boy ran into the room trailing tinsel from his shoes. Santa made a surprise visit on a fire truck, throwing candy canes to the kids. Gabby, a four-year old guest,

styled Pat’s and my hair. Her mother, Mary Beale, fed Destiny, the month-old daughter of Sandra, another resident.

“She’s all of ours baby,” Beale said as she pulled her own oneyear old daughter up on her knee. A month ago, Beale walked Sandra back and forth across the driveway, helping the baby to come. Grace Major, the shelter monitor, drove Sandra to the hospital, staying with her until her family arrived.

“Miss Grace will bend over backwards to do things for you,” Beale said. “If you need someone to talk to, you can really rely on her.”

Major lives in an apartment adjacent to the shelter and oversees its day-to-day activities. She makes sure that chores (assigned by bed number) are done, that the women and children are in bed by curfew, and deals with any issues that might arise, giving warnings (guests are allowed a maximum of three) if necessary, although she says that for the majority of the year, she’s had an easy time of it.

Once admitted to Hebron, guests can stay up to 89 days. They have weekly meetings with a caseworker, who helps them set and evaluate their progress toward individual goals, as well as with the organization’s “Six Step Program to Self-Sufficiency.”

The six steps are emergency services, personal development and education, job training and placement, housing assistance, securing housing and self-sufficiency.

The Good Shepherd Alliance assesses clients’ medical situation and helps get them either insurance or Medicare, as well as any necessary counseling. It helps with transportation issues, assesses life skills and offers classes ranging from budgeting to parenting, as well as job placement resources.

“Eventually,” Koth said, “we want them to pursue something they like… maybe a skill they don’t even know they have.”

The first quarter of 2007 saw 15% of guests move to permanent housing; the second, 90%, the third, 75%, and the fourth, 85%. “It’s an honor to work here,” Major said, “because it’s just the Lord’s house.” Beale recently secured a voucher for housing and is looking for a place for her and her seven children. “I’m going to miss it,” she said.

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Please call 202-347-2006 or send an e-mail to info@streetsense.org if you have any of these items to donate.

4 LOCAL NEWS

Street Sense . January 9 – 22, 2008

Deer Hunters Turn Over Bounty to Area Food Pantries

By Kat Shiffler

HUD, from page 1 Consequently there is a need to identify and understand the different Housing First models that are being developed, and evaluate their possible client impacts.

The HUD report, entitled “The Applicability of Housing First Models to Homeless Persons with Serious Mental Illness,” was characterized as “exploratory.”

It included both a broad canvassing of nine Housing First programs from around the country that focus on clients with serious mental illnesses, and a more systematic, 12-month tracking of the outcomes of 80 new clients of three specific programs in Seattle (25 clients), New York City (26 clients), and San Diego (29 clients).

The three programs evaluated in the study differed as to housing location and the intensity of services offered. For example, the New York program, Pathways to Housing, offers housing in scattered locations that are secured through a network of landlords.

The Pathways model offers clients more choice in housing type and neighborhoods, limits the numbers of clients in any building, and is said to encourage community integration. Case management assistance is provided by teams assigned to neighborhood-based

PHOTO COURTESY OF HUNTERS FOR THE HUNGRY

As hunting season gears up in Maryland and Virginia, sportsmen are doing what they do best: dressing up in camouflage and safety orange and hunting deer by the thousands. Some unique area organizations are making sure that families in danger of going hungry are receiving part of this natural bounty.

Urbanites may not be used to this somewhat-wild food source. But deer have been a great food source for a long time: venison is a very lean, high-protein meat.

The beginning of hunting season means that an abundant source of protein is now available for working-poor and homeless families. In some rural areas where people grew up eating venison, receiving meat can bring back special memories of family.

“We’ve even had some people cry upon receiving the meat,” said Laura Newell-Furnis, director of Hunters for the Hungry in Bedford County, Va. Last year, the organization provided 350,000 pounds — or 1.1 million servings – of venison to distribution points throughout Virginia. Families in northern Virginia received 82,750 pounds of meat.

In Virginia, and across the country where suburban areas are growing, there is also a noticeable increase in the deer population.

Some attribute the growing numbers of deer to the relatively mild winters that nullify any natural attrition of the birthrate.

Area hunters have traditionally shared their surplus with friends and neighbors. So it made sense to David Horn, the late founder of Hunters for the Hungry, to share with those in need.

“The reason it got started was it’s a real win–win situation. It makes sense to use this bountiful natural resource and get it to people who are hungry,” Newell-Furnis said.

Donating extra venison to food pantries can curb a growing deer population while supplying poor families with a lean, high-protein food source.

The deer are field-dressed by the hunters, cut and packaged at local meat processors, and then distributed through regional hubs like the Capital Area Food Bank or directly to ministries and food pantries.

Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry is a national “venison feeding ministry” that started in Maryland. The organization now has chapters in 30 states and eight chapters in Maryland alone. David McMullin, coordinator of the Anne Arundel county chapter said that in the last three years an average of 2,500 deer were donated in Maryland, representing 3% of the total deer hunted.

“We’re trying to do God’s work here. We’re encouraging hunters to give back to less-fortunate people,” said McMullin.

“Not surprisingly, the jury is still out on whether Housing First is the most effective, or most desirable, strategy for meeting the needs of people who are hardest to help.”

– Darlene Williams, HUD assistant secretary offices – so they can maintain regular contact with clients and landlords.

The Seattle program, the Downtown Emergency Service Center, owns or controls the housing it offers and is the primary support service provider. That allows for a high level of supervision, as staff is located at the site and can respond quickly.

But with a small number of buildings in a limited geographical area, the DESC model

As the meat is processed locally, venison can also be a very cost-effective food. A mature deer provides an average of 50 pounds of meat, and the cost of processing on average comes to about $40, making the cost of venison about 80 cents a pound.

Yet McMullin said the No. 1 thing that keeps his organization from donating more meat is not a lack of hunters, but a lack of funding for processing fees. “We just wish that we didn’t have to turn away any hunter that wanted to donate, but we’re not at that point yet,” he said.

SERVE Inc., an emergency services provider for Prince William County, has been distributing venison for the last eight years.

About 650 families in its program receive limits client housing choice and is said to minimize community integration.

The San Diego program, Reaching Out and Engaging to Achieve Consumer Health (REACH), does not own or control any of the housing offered to its clients. REACH separates housing assistance and case management assistance. REACH case management staff is based in a central office, but work with large caseloads that are geographically dispersed.

The study did not evaluate long-term client outcomes, compare Housing First with the implementation or outcomes of other programs that serve the chronically homeless, or assess the costs or offset savings of the three programs.

Additional research in those specific areas was among the recommendations made by the consultants, Walter R. McDonald & Associates and Abt Associates, who conducted the study for HUD. “Not surprisingly, the jury is still out on whether Housing First is the most effective, or most desirable, strategy for meeting the needs of people who are the hardest to help,” HUD Assistant Secretary Williams said.

The HUD report is available at http://www.huduser.org/publications/ homeless/hsgfirst.html.

two portions of meat a month, enough for two meals for a family of four. Food closet manager Mary Jo Dick said of the families receiving aid, most are “working poor” individuals and families who maintain regular employment but remain in relative poverty.

“As resources for frozen meat have fallen to the wayside, [venison] has become a staple,” she said.

Last year SERVE received 35,000 pounds from Hunters for the Hungry. It can usually stretch the supply through the off-season, Dick said, sometimes receiving extra meat from managed hunts in places like Dulles airport and other over-populated zones.

“There’s a whole population that hunts for sport and they can benefit the community,” Dick said. SERVE recently collaborated with the Prince William County Cooperative Extension to create a venison cookbook published in English and Spanish.

Venison has even made its way to the District.

“In the protein category, we don’t get enough,” said Mark Kiriakou, senior director of food services at the Capital Area Food Bank.

In the upcoming year, he said, the food bank will be moving into a new warehouse that will have a facility for repacking bulk foods and possibly meat products.

But for now, he said, “There’s always a shortage in meat donations” and venison on a seasonal basis is a welcomed supplement.

Tom Carroll, operations manager at the Capital Area Food Bank in northern Virginia, said that since the start of the deer season, they’ve received 2,500 pounds of venison.

Carroll said there hasn’t been a reaction one way or another to venison being served.

But he said, it makes sense.

“We’ve got a lot of deer out here.”

Foundry

United Methodist Church

A Reconciling Congregation

Invites you to join us in worship on Sundays at 9:30 and 11:00 AM Sign Interpretation at 11:00 Homeless Outreach Hospitality Fridays 9 AM

Foundry United Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 332-4010 www.foundryumc.org

Street Sense . January 9 – 22, 2008

LOCAL NEWS 5

District Gets New State Health Plan After 18 Years

By Sam McCormally The District hadn’t had a city-wide health plan in 18 years.

The new State Health Plan, released in November, lays out the District’s top health priorities as a guide for future health spending and accountability and calls for regular data gathering and debate so that city health officials, advocates and care providers can keep the District’s health policy updated for the future.

Using data on illness and mortality by city ward, the plan lays out the most pressing health needs facing residents of the District.

The leading cause of death in D.C. is heart disease, followed by cancer, homicide, essential hypertension and HIV/AIDS, according to the plan.

One way to combat these causes of death is to focus on reducing the health disparity between white and black residents, the plan advises. The plan notes that life expectancy for white residents of the district is 77.3 years, almost six years longer than that for black residents.

And because a significant portion of that gap is due to a relative lack of health information among minority populations, the health plan emphasizes the need to provide educational classes in public schools.

“Health habits are usually developed early and health education programs aimed at the

adolescent population provide an excellent opportunity to encourage positive behaviors and support students in management of their health,” the plan reads.

Complicating the distribution of health information is the fact that black Americans have historically been skeptical of medical institutions, said Barbara Ormond, an expert on D.C. health policy at the Urban Institute who contributed to the plan.

“There needs to be a better mechanism for getting out this information in a culturally appropriate way,” Ormond said.

The plan also focuses on a number of goals on the administrative side of health care. These include an improvement in the collection of health data and a city-wide assessment of quality of care based on national standards.

The plan notes that a large proportion of D.C. residents have health insurance, thanks to legislation passed by the city council in 2006 that expanded eligibility for the DC Alliance health plan to people with incomes as high as three times the poverty line.

The plan calls for research into the characteristics of population enrolled in the DC Alliance, as well as greater efforts to enroll residents who are eligible for DC Alliance and Medicaid, but who remain uninsured.

But the plan’s supporters say its biggest strength is its recognition of the need to continually evaluate health care in the District,

Supporters say the plan’s biggest strength is its recognition of the need to continually evaluate health care in the District and to regularly review health priorities. and regularly review health priorities.

Since the last State Health Plan was released nearly two decades ago, the city has consulted with city health leaders and published several documents, including the Healthy People 2010 plan, written in 2000 and updated numerous times. But there has not been a regular review of the city’s health care priorities. Such a systematic approach to health planning is key, said Ormond.

“Planning is not a document; it’s a process,” she said. Ormond added that she’s optimistic that the publication of the plan represents a commitment to institutionalized health plan-

ning on the part of D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty.

Calvin Carter, spokesman at the D.C. Department of Health, said he wasn’t sure how the plan will affect the department’s day-today operations, especially given the recent interim appointment of Carlos Cano to replace director Gregory Pane. But Carter predicted that regular revision of the plan “will be on the list of priorities for the incoming director.”

Vincent Keane, President and CEO of Unity Health Care, said that the plan’s calls for holding providers accountable to health outcomes are crucial.

“It’s not enough that we see 100,000 people,” said Keane. The right question, he said, is “Are we improving the health status of patients?”

Keane was also excited about the plan’s focus on preventive care, which the plan notes leads to better health outcomes and reduces health care costs. He also praised the plan’s focus on the city’s racial disparities.

But despite what he saw as the plan’s strengths, Keane expressed this note of caution: “Any state health plan is only as good as its implementation.”

Long-term goals have a tendency to get bogged down in “the crisis of the day,” he said. But he remained hopeful.

“If nothing else,” he said, the new DC State Health Plan “brings health to the forefront of the agenda of the mayor.”

Street Sense . January 9 – 22, 2008

6 LOCAL NEWS

Hospital, from page 1 health provider would have bought the hospital. It was not a bankable deal,” said a spokesman for Councilman David Catania (D-At Large).

But others see a realistic chance for good management to revive Greater Southeast.

Randy Bovbjerg, an expert on health care in the District, says that Greater Southeast’s difficulties have not been the result of any inherent difficulty with the hospital’s location. Although residents of Southeast are poorer than residents living elsewhere in the District, the DC Alliance program offers health insurance to individuals at up to 300% the poverty line.

“Greater Southeast didn’t have a high level of uncompensated care” relative to other hospitals, he said.

“They have some, people who are undocumented and so forth, but there are 50,000 people on DC Alliance south of the river.”

Instead, Bovbjerg cited chronic mismanagement as the reason for the hospital’s misfortune.

A spokesman for David Catania’s office pointed out that the deal leaves the city as a co-owner, which will make oversight of the hospital far easier. And a lack of oversight is one factor that led to the hospital’s troubles in the first place, said Bovbjerg.

“They need to do more than yell at them once in a while.

And I hope they do oversight on the administrative side rather than from the council,” he said. “They need to do something to make sure they get their [$79 million] worth, not just throw money at the wall and hope it sticks.”

Other critics pointed out that the new owners have no experience running a full-service hospital. Specialty has bought and operated two long-term care facilities in D.C. over the past two years, for which it has received generally positive reviews, according to the Washington Post.

In addition, the morning of the City Council vote, D.C. Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi delivered a report to

the council shedding doubt on Specialty’s financial health.

That assessment was dismissed by David Catania’s office. “We strongly dispute his analysis,” said Catania’s spokesperson.

In December, as expected, the hospital had its national accreditation revoked. But the loss of accreditation comes from inspections conducted in October, when Greater Southeast’s previous owner, Envision, was still operating the facility.

Private insurance companies often refuse to compensate care given at unaccredited hospitals. However, most of Greater Southeast’s patients don’t have private insurance, and Specialty’s owners have said they’re confident that public insurers, like Medicare, Medicaid, and DC Alliance, will continue filling claims.

Catania has stated publicly that he is very pleased with Specialty’s operation of the hospital so far. The owners have conducted top-to-bottom inventories and assessments of the hospital’s facilities, and have begun the process of replacing the building’s roof and shell. Greater Southeast never got that kind of attention under previous ownership, said Catania’s spokesperson.

Health workers and city officials agree that having a functional hospital in Southeast is important to improving the health of District residents. Kathy Gold, a nurse and expert on diabetes with Unity Healthcare, notes that losing a hospital in Southeast doesn’t just mean longer ambulance rides; it also means longer commutes for people who need follow-up care or routine hospital visits.

But, says Randy Bovbjerg, an in-patient hospital isn’t the be-all and end-all for boosting health care in Southeast.

“Most people don’t need hospital care most of the time.

They need it for emergencies,” he said. Bovbjerg called for more out-patient clinics to address more routine health needs. Such advice is echoed by D.C.’s new Comprehensive State Health Plan, which calls for more resources dedicated to preventive care and health education.

See related story on page 5.

The deal leaves the city as co-owner of Greater Southeast Community Hospital, which will make oversight far easier.

Street Sense thanks the following donors for their generosity Dec. 27 – Jan. 8 Saudi Abdullah Aetna Foundation Elisa Joseph Anders Julie Anderson Ellen Athas Michael Beck and Cynthia Laangwiser Robert and Margaret Blair Kilin BoardmanSchroyer John Burd Teresa Cahalan Mary and Jim Campbell Renae and Chad Campbell Clare CrawfordMason John Cutler Patricia M. De Ferrari

Lois Dunlop Barbara Flotte Viola Gienger Patricia Ann Goldman Gertrude Gongora Michael Hamilton Kirsta L. Hanson and Burke Standbury James P. Harold Roberta Hertzfeldt Michael and Marylin Hickey Jane Holmes Dixon Daniel J. Horner Harrison John Anna Karavangelos Susa Kassell and Lee Schwab John Killpack Frank Lortscher C. Peter Magrath

Jill Morrison Elaine M. Murray Kristin Neubauer David Orlin Jennifer E. Park Donna Patroulis Leslie Patykewich Arne C. Paulson Karen Pence Patricia Polach Project Energy Savers Wiley Rein Kathleen Roso Martha Sherman Debra Silvestrin Neil and Jodi Simon Denise Studeny Andrew Sullivan Jean M. Sutherland Wendy Taylor

Edward Tefft Bernie and Becky Thompson Jane Thompson Eugene Versluysen and Jane Cave Allison Succa Vertiz Cecila V. Wexler Marian Wiseman Special thanks to: Caroline D. Gabel Ann H. Franke R. Scott McNeilly and Sharon Goodman Samuel D. Meals Patricia Powers Tracy Roman Bernie and Becky Thompson

Maryland Suburbs Score Poorly on Pedestrian Safety

By Danielle Ulman Capital News Service LANGLEY PARK – Tara Harden made it halfway across University Boulevard on a recent afternoon, stepped off the median into the crosswalk and immediately jumped back when several cars barreled by her.

When the cars passed, Harden hesitantly made her way to the other side of the street, looking slightly defeated.

Harden, in her 50s, said she rarely sees drivers yield to pedestrians when she crosses the particularly dangerous stretch of University near New Hampshire Avenue in Montgomery County, where the crosswalk is not at an intersection.

Montgomery is one of four jurisdictions in Maryland that combined to make up 70% of 96 statewide pedestrian fatalities last year according to a Capital News Service analysis, but it’s the only county with a comprehensive plan to combat the problem.

Walkers and drivers have had a troubled relationship in Montgomery, where 18 pedestrians died in crashes last year, and 16 more have died so far this year. The deaths prompted an initiative to build several miles of sidewalks, improve pedestrian signals and target jaywalkers and careless drivers over the next six years.

But little is being done in Baltimore and Prince George’s counties and Baltimore City, which combined for 49 pedestrian fatalities in 2006.

Maryland law requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, said Chuck Gischlar, a State Highway Administration spokesman.

“It might be good to put up signals at crosswalks,” Harden said. “That doesn’t mean the cars are going to stop, of course.”

Montgomery County officials hope the right amount of education, engineering and enforcement will make streets safer for walkers.

The initiative is an attempt to make a cohesive plan out of existing efforts, said Sonya Healy, chief of staff for Councilwoman Valerie Ervin, who helped put together the plan.

“What it’s basically going to do is take a systematic, comprehensive approach to pedestrian safety,” Healy said.

“We’re going to take a snapshot of where we are today and see what needs to be done.”

The plan, announced Dec. 5, builds on the recommendations of Montgomery’s 2002 blue ribbon panel on pedestrian safety. It will evaluate high-incident areas for engineering and other improvements, said Tom Pogue, a county transportation spokesman.

“We feel like if we focus on a handful of areas each year then that gives us a means to evaluate the difference that we might be making,” Pogue said. “So they’ll be like little test tubes.”

Montgomery will work with state agencies on statemaintained roads within the county. Many pedestrian accidents occur on state routes like University Boulevard, Connecticut Avenue and Georgia Avenue.

In Prince George’s, there is less willingness to work on state roads, where Susan Hubbard of the county’s Department of Public Works and Transportation said most fatalities happened in 2006.

“We only do county-maintained roads,” Hubbard said.

“The state is responsible for all things pedestrian as well as driver safety on state roads.”

A forthcoming report from the Coalition for Smarter Growth, which tracks development and transportation, will rate Prince George’s the worst-performing district on pedestrian safety in the metropolitan Washington region.

MY TWO CENTS 7

Street Sense . January 9 – 22, 2008

This Time Around, the Holidays Were Happy

By Francine Triplett

Francine helps with the food at the Street Sense holiday party.

D

o you know that the holiday season is usually a sad time for me? This Thanksgiving, that changed.

This Thanksgiving was a great day in my life. I got to spend that day with my sister-in-law and one of my brothers with whom I hadn’t spent time in 15 years. I was so grateful to see him. God has been good to me.

I consider my church to be my family, even though I still have my own family.

I have been up and down, worrying about my health and other problems, and I now realize that my prayers worked. I have been patient and knew that one day I would be spending time with my family again.

When I was homeless I didn’t tell my family about it. Yet, in

a sense I am still homeless. God puts people in the right direction, but I know within my heart that I will find a place of my own. So, I keep praying and thank God every day.

Every holiday I used to be on my own, with nobody to share the time. Every holiday, my brother’s widow used to call me to invite me to spend the time with her family but I always had an excuse not to go as I didn’t want to spend time with other people.

But this time I did go and I sat down and talked with my sister-in-law for the first time and it felt so good to be with her before Christmas. So things weren’t so bad. I was invited out but didn’t go even though being with other people is better than being alone.

I have only two brothers left and I love spending time with them. Since Thanksgiving my brother has been calling me regularly.

I now know that someone had something to give me and I felt good about it at Thanksgiving, just sitting, eating and talking with my brothers. It felt like a load had lifted off me and I had prayed for that moment.

So, if you have family please get involved with them. If you have family and don’t get involved with them, you are missing something. I know that because after spending Thanksgiving with my family I got more faith in life.

So, if you are mad or angry with someone in your family, please make up with them. Time is too short and life is beautiful so do try to enjoy it.

I also want to take this chance to thank Street Sense and the volunteer who gave me that wonderful Christmas present.

And congratulations to the Vermont Avenue Baptist Church for the most beautiful story about the birth of Jesus. I enjoyed

it so much and found the music awesome.

Congratulations to the children and the wonderful deacon.

You were all fantastic. May God bless you all. And, above all, thank you to all the people who are buying Street Sense from me. They give me more confidence in life.

Have a Happy New Year!

Francine Triplett has been a Street Sense vendor since 2003.

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Quality Primary Care Services for D.C. Medically Underserved and homeless Individuals‌‌

For information on medical services in homeless shelters call 202-255-3469. For an appointment at any of our community health centers call 1-866-388-6489

We want to help. We want to help you.

Join the Street Sense Facebook One-Day Donation Challenge on Jan. 10.

And help Street Sense win $1,000. (and possibly $10,000.)

If Street Sense gets the most donors LQ RQH GD\ ² ZKLFK RQ DYHUDJH LV GRQRUV ² ZH ZLOO ZLQ IURP )DFHERRN $QG LI 6WUHHW 6HQVH LV LQ WKH WRS IRU PRVW GRQRUV IRU WKH FRXUVH RI WKLV FKDOOHQJH ² ZKLFK ULJKW QRZ LV RQO\ GRQRUV IRU WKH th SODFH ² WKHQ ZH ZLQ

Help Bring the Homeless in from the Cold

$OO ZH DVN LV \RX GRQDWH MXVW RQ -DQXDU\ DQG SDVV DORQJ WKLV IO\HU WR GLIIHUHQW SHRSOH How to Donate: ,I \RX DUH D )DFHERRN PHPEHU x 6LJQ LQ DQG JR WR KWWS DSSV IDFHERRN FRP FDXVHV DQG VHDUFK IRU ´6WUHHW 6HQVH¾ x &OLFN RQ WKH GRQDWH OLQN x (QWHU WKH DSSURSULDWH DPRXQW LW RQO\ KDV WR EH DQG DOO \RXU LQIR x &OLFN GRQDWH WR FRPSOHWH

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So remember $10 on Jan. 10, and email 10 friends, to help Street Sense win $1,000.

CALL THE

Shelter Hotline 1 800 535-7252 Adrian M. Fenty, Mayor, Government of the District of Columbia

8 NEWS 8 LOCAL PHOTOS

Street Sense . January 9 – 22, 2008

Cliff’s Pics:

As the Wheels Turn

Street Sense vendor Cliff “the Moose” Carle takes hundreds of photos all over Washington every week. Here, inspired by everyday shapes and objects, his camera captures the passage of fall into winter, night into day, and the old D.C. into a new cityscape.

Can you tell if this is the morning or the evening?

With the sun on the horizon and the crane looking like a cross, this reminds me of the Boy Scouts song, “Day is done, gone the sun.” Although, to be honest, the sun was rising here.

Street Sense . January 9 – 22, 2008

PHOTOS & POETRY 9 What am I

As a mathematician, I see formulas and equations for spheres, lines, triangles, rhombuses – all the geometric shapes in this photo.

I been here since the beginning of day Make a strong man weak Turn women into slaves A lot of people love me Cuz I can get them paid You got the blues Or need shoes Just come around my way I’m on damn near every block So I’m not hard to see I’m like Tupac Because all eyes are on me Sometimes more than a pound Best believe I get around I’m pushed all over your town All over this country But don’t get me wrong I’m even hotter overseas I can make your heart stop Especially when I’m as hard as a rock Lace me up, Or shoot me up, Main line, Or skin pop.

I made the GNP I’m the biggest commodity But the cops are clocking me Cuz I got so many friends Plus I send a lot to jail A lot of others die for me I’ve sent so many off to hell So what, farewell!

I’m like the front page news Everybody knows me I can mess up your life Like nothing you’ve ever seen I’m no lame to the game And they all know my name If you don’t just hit the block Cop me in shake or rock And I’ll make you regret you came They all call me – Cocaine.

— Maurice Davis

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. But junk is junk.

Used To Be I used to be that person That would stand on the corner selling drugs To try to keep up with the Joneses I used to be that person That would do anything to survive In that jungle out there called the streets I used to be that person That was going to end up dead ‘Cause I didn’t know any better I used to be But now I am That person that’s willing to make a change That person that has finally opened up his eyes And seen that now I really have something to live for That now I have another way out And not having to be That used-to-be person I used to be a boy but now I’m a man A man with goals And a man that plans to live And not to ever become That used-to-be person again

:KHUH ZRXOG \RX OLNH WR VLW" 7KLV LV WKH YLHZ RXWVLGH WKH OXQFKURRP ZLQGRZ RQ WKH WKLUG ÁRRU DW WKH VKHOWHU CCNV, where I stay.

— By G.D., age 17, an inmate in D.C. Jail

10 FEATURES

Street Sense . January 9 – 22, 2008

PRETTY RED’S FICTION By Ivory Wilson

Black Cowboys W

hen I was a young boy, I would sit on the fence and watch my daddy break some wild horses.

One Sunday morning, my daddy called me.

“Son,” he said, “Those boys at the ranch told me you rode a top-rank bull last night, are you hurt?”

“No,” I said, “Just my ribs are a little sore.”

“Son,” my dad sighed, “You have gotten too old to still be riding bulls; you don’t have anything to prove. I’ve been scared for you since I seen that bull fall on you. I mean, he almost killed you, son!”

There was an awkward silence. Then he said: “I’ve been sick, too sick to ride a horse, but I have a horse that was dropped off. Would you ride him for me?”

“Fine,” I grumbled.

The next morning, I went off to the ranch. When I got there, Hickie, an old horse trader and crook, was waiting for me at the fence. Hickie asked with a snake grin, “How’s your old man feeling?”

I puffed and said, “If he would stop chasing all them young women, he’d feel much better.”

Hickie laughed and said: “Are you goin’ to ride that horse today? I came to see you, because I hear he’s a bad one.”

I felt anger building up in me. I thought to myself, “That’s why you’re here?” Then I looked at him and said with a fake grin, “No, no, not today.”

He looked at me, kind of startled, but after a pause just said, “Fine, that’s okay with me.”

My daddy never showed him how to break a horse, and I was not going to, either. Hickie got in his truck and zoomed away with a trail of dust following him.

I looked down the road, just to be sure he didn’t park out of sight and creep back down through the woods.

After I made sure he wasn’t coming back, I walked over to the round pen and there, prancing along, was the 3-year-old, halter-broke colt my dad had told me about.

I went back to my truck to fetch my “Haggmo,” saddle and my 8-foot-long, blue cotton rope.

I came over to the fence and threw my saddle over top of it, and then clambered over myself.

The colt was just standing and staring at me with big curious eyes, and pounding the ground with his left front hoof.

As he stood there, I felt like I knew he was thinking that I couldn’t possibly ride him, but I knew he was wrong. I

managed to hook on his lead rope and pulled him close to me, so that we were eye-to-eye. He didn’t move as I rubbed his nose and his shoulders. I could see, though, that if I made one false move, he wouldn’t hesitate to hurt me.

I took my cotton rope out and tied a loop over his shoulder and then another so that it would not slip. When I was young, I was told that when you are breaking a horse, always watch his ears because they will let you know what he is going to do before he does it. If his ears are pointing to the front of his head, he’s listening.

If his ears are crossed, he’s ready to fight. If his ears are pointed back, he’s going to buck.

Taking some of the excess rope that was looped around his shoulder, I put it on the ground, making a loop beside the horse’s back left hoof and keeping the excess rope back in my right hand. I put the lead rope that was hooked to the halter in my left hand and pressed that hand on his shoulder. If he moved to kick me, the movement would then push me out of the way of his kick.

I pulled the lead rope gently with my left hand, making him take a step forward into the loop on the ground. I pulled the slack out of the rope that was in my right hand.

Now the rope was between his back legs. Keeping the lead rope in my hand, I pulled the rope in my right hand, raising the horse’s left back leg. When the horse raised his left back leg, I took my right hand and grabbed his hoof. I took the rope and made a loop above his hoof. Keeping the rope in my hands, I quickly tied it to the loop around his shoulder. Now, he was standing on three legs.

Saying, “Whoa, whoa, Bill,” (I call all horses I break Bill), I walked to the front of the horse’s head. Taking the lead rope in my hands, I took three steps back from him, giving him slack in the lead rope.

I stopped and then took four steps to the left. Then I pulled the lead rope hard, making the horse move by taking one step on three legs, hopping. When he quit hopping, I walked back to his head. I stopped and then took three steps back from him, giving him slack in the lead rope. I stopped, took four steps to the right and

pulled the lead rope, making the horse hop again on three legs.

I heard a truck coming up the road as I finished fastening the horse’s leg with the rope. I turned around and saw the truck hissing and billowing blue smoke everywhere.

I could smell the burning motor oil. I heard country music blasting from the truck as Jim stepped onto the dirt road, spitting into his small metal spittoon.

I asked him, “Where did you get this junk?”

He just smiled and sighed, “Ahhhhhhh, Redddddddd.”

Pausing only to spit, he said, “That truck got a new motor in it.”

I looked at him skeptically and laughed. Then he spotted the horse and ran to the fence.

Jim had never seen me break a horse, either.

Still spitting, he said, “Ahhhhhhh, Redddddddd, you is goin’ to jail.”

“What for,” I asked.

“For killing a horse,” he spat. “I know things; I watch TV and if those white folk catch you doing this, they’ll hang you with the very rope you have on that horse. I’m leaving before they catch you, otherwise they might kill me, too!”

Laughing, he jumped back in his truck and drove off, with that same blue smoke rising off as he went.

I went back into the pen, released the horse’s leg and let it touch the ground, then raised it back up and tied it back. I put my Haggmo over his halter, put my saddle on his back and girted him tight. I walked to his left stirrup and raised it up. I pulled it hard and put my left boot in the stirrup, stepping up in it but not going up all the way over the saddle. Then I got down.

I walked to the right side of the horse, raised his stirrup up and pulled hard on it. I didn’t go all the way over the saddle because if I did, he could fall. I was told that when breaking horses, you must teach them on both sides of their body.

When I was done, I pulled my cowboy hat on tight. I YR[VETTIH NYWX E PMXXPI XLI GSXXSR VSTI EVSYRH XLI PSST I tied over the horse’s shoulder. I took some of it, making a loop around the saddle horn, and pulled myself up on the left side. Then I tapped on him with my heels, and the horse hopped on three legs.

Hop, hop, and then I let go of the rope I had looped around the saddle horn. He walked around the pen and never bucked.

I stopped him. I got off and then stepped back into the saddle. He never moved on the right side as I did the same thing. I rode him for 10 days, and each day he improved a bit more. Finally, he was ready for pickup.

When I called my dad, he said, “Don’t leave, there’s another horse to be broke.”

I just laughed, said, “Hell no!” and hung up, still laughing.

I knew he was thinking I couldn’t possibly ride him, but I knew he was wrong.

Ivory Wilson has been a vendor for a year and has written dozens of short stories. He grew up on a ranch in Texas and this story is based on his real-life experience.

Street Sense . January 9 – 22, 2008

FEATURES & GAMES 11

ABOUT TOWN

Cryptogram

A New Courtyard at the Gallery

Solve the message below to discover a famous, meaningful quote on poverty and homelessness.

ZRDYA DIBHZYX PZWZG NZQL JPAIPZ SJBH. IPQA ZRDYA NZJLX JPL ZRDYA NZJGYX BJP LI YNJY. – PIGRJP WMPBZPY DZJQZ Hint: Z = E

December’s solution: The common argument that crime is caused by poverty is a kind of slander on the poor. – Henry Lewis Mencken

December Solution

Street Su-Do-Ku Just fill in the numbers 1 through 9 without repeating a number in any column, row or box.

LAURA THOMPSON OSURI

The courtyard of the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum opened on Nov. 18, 2007.

By Patricia Jefferson The National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum recently held a friends and family festival in honor of the opening of the new courtyard donated by Robert and Arlene Kogod, art collectors from Washington, D.C. A large crowd gathered in the new courtyard on a pleasant November day for the array of activities of the festival. The enclosed courtyard, which had been in the making since the museum opened a year ago, is very large with greenery planters and trees, tall granite walls and a beautiful curvy glass rooftop. A stream flows from beneath the rooftop and lets you walk in and out of the water to refresh your soul.

The courtyard is designed for performances and special events. There is a cafe within the courtyard that features specialty sandwiches, coffee, dessert and other delightful foods.

The courtyard’s opening festival consisted of activities throughout the courtyard such as arts and crafts and hat-making, in which participants made their own historic hats in different designs and colors and afterward strolled along the courtyard to happily display their creations. There was also bead making and drawing famous people of your choice. I made a colorful drawing of Marilyn Monroe.

The kids who participated in the activity were patient and excited while creating their own masterpieces. I was delighted by an excited boy who was seated next to me and who wanted to give me his drawing, but I declined.

Other attractions included a juggler and a band that played a mixture of jazzy music along with a singer while guests mingled and conversed in the courtyard while enjoying apple cider.

This new year, visit the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, two museums in one building that opened a year ago after years of renovations. The museum displays wonderful art. After a tour of the museum, take a peek at the beautiful courtyard.

The museums are located at 8th and F streets, NW, Washington, D.C. The hours are 11:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. The number is (202) 633-1000.

Patricia Jefferson, a Street Sense vendor, regularly writes about things to do around town.

Sign up for the Street Sense e-mail newsletter!

We’ll deliver our top stories to your inbox and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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PLACE YOUR AD HERE! With Street Sense now coming out twice a month and reaching nearly 11,000 people each issue, now is the perfect time to promote your business with us.

DEMOGRAPHICS And who your business will be reaching can’t be beat.

Our typical reader is a 35year old woman who lives in D.C. and works for the JRYHUQPHQW RU D QRQSURÀW earning $70,000 a year.

RATES Rates are about half the cost of the neighborhood monthlies and are as low as $57 for a 1/16 page ad that runs multiple times.

DISCOUNTS 'LVFRXQWV RIIHUHG WR QRQSURÀWV DQG to those that prepay for multiple ads.

Call Laura at 202-347-2006 or email info@streetsense.org for more information and to get a copy of our new advertising brochure. Or ask your local vendor, who can earn 20% commission from ads sales.

Street Sense . January 9 – 22, 2008

12 EDITORIALS

MY TAKE

STREET NEWS SERVICE

By Moyo Onibuje

Reading Body Language

R

ecently, while watching a Charlie Chaplin movie, called “The Gold Rush,” I got the idea to look into body language for the benefit of Street Sense readers, homeless and homeowners alike.

Mr. Chaplin personified the body language of homeless roamers and drifters so well that it made me think if we can understand and improve our body language, we can improve our behavior, change our attitudes, impress people more, get more sympathy and ultimately improve our lives.

What goes through the public’s mind, when they see a homeless man with dirty fingernails, filthy coat-sleeves, shabby trouser knees, calluses on forefingers and thumbs and movements which might be misunderstood? Do these things plainly reveal this person’s predicament?

When we start paying attention to body language, are things really what they seem? A man in a crisp three-piece suit, holding a phone and panhandling outside a bank would provoke a different conclusion than would a ragged individual outside McDonald’s.

One of the issues that plagues the giving community at large is evaluating who is really needy and who isn’t, and this depends on body language communication to a large degree.

Sending out contradictory body language signals is definitely a stumbling block for needy people trying to get help.

The cues and signals we look for are really in the movement of the body, its expressions, and most importantly gestures.

Our goal should always be to improve our insight into our communications with our fellow human beings. What better way to do that than by improving our understanding of body language?

The Bible teaches us to give according to each person’s needs. One person might be in need of independent living, another might need addiction counseling, and another shelter and money for food. We shouldn’t just give; we should also make sure that what we have observed reflects the real underlying issue.

Let us look at some areas of body language that can tell us something about needy persons. For example, most homeless people never shake hands, but their hands really paint a clear

picture of their living conditions. The hands will tell you if they’ve had a bath in the last couple of days, if they are sick or well, and what their state of mind is. Please try to shake their hands. If we really want to change society, we need to learn to love the unlovable.

Homeless people rarely smile. We could, however, smile when we see them, just to see what their response is. Because of the circumstances of their lives, most homeless people are automatically on the defensive and a smile can make them more amenable.

Many homeless people copy their gestures from other homeless people without knowing it – a process called mirroring. For example, the purposeful lack of body language to look more submissive than they are. A lot of homeless people feel that the less they reveal about their state of mind or their sobriety, the easier it is for people to give them something.

We can’t automatically assume that all homeless people are American, and what we assume to be negative gestures, expressions and orientations may just be the way they act in the country where they come from. In Spain, for instance, homeless people rarely look people in the eyes.

Most of us would grimace at touching a homeless person, but sometimes even a light touch on the shoulder could have the miraculous effect of bringing a rarely seen smile to a homeless person’s face.

Moving into the intimate zone of a homeless person, usually under two feet with a deep concerning gaze while giving or talking is therapeutic, because we need to bear in mind that most afflicted individuals tend to keep their distance out of self pity and embarrassment.

So in short, the way a homeless person looks tells us a lot about his predicament, and the degree to which he needs someone to care for him.

Responsiveness of the individual is also a great indicator of the level of desperation in a person’s life. If the individual doesn’t nod or move his head or smile, it means that he is on the defensive or distracted. You should still try to reach out to him. Usually if the person nods when you speak to them, it means he is in agreement.

The more inclined we are to notice body language, the easier it is going to be to open up the true warmth of charity that lies in a person’s heart.

Street Sense vendor Moyo Onibuje grew up in Nigeria and England and loves to read.

Have You Ever Met Any of These People?

By Jo Ann Jackson

H

ave you ever met any of these people: Grandma, Speedy, Bubblegum, Auntie and Sugar Pie? Think carefully before you answer. If you are on the National Coalition for the Homeless Speakers Bureau you know them very well.

Now, the hard question is, are these men or women? Do they appear together on speaking gigs?

Why hasn’t Director Michael Stoops said anything about them?

Jo Ann has been here the longest and has never mentioned them. Are they a special group of speakers? Where do they speak? Why, hasn’t anyone met them? Well, I’m not going to let you pull your hair out.

These people are one person and everyone knows her.

It’s me, Jo Ann Jackson.

These are names that neighbors and residents in my

building have given me.

Grandma – because I’m old enough to be grandma to most of the young people in my neighborhood.

Speedy – because I walk so fast and can outwalk or -run just about anybody.

Bubblegum – I also chew a lot of gum. Even the owners and employees of our neighborhood store call me this but a lot of times I’m given it or people will buy bubble gum for me so the name is cool.

Auntie – The neighborhood teenagers call me this. I don’t know why.

Sugar Pie – Most seniors that I help by going to the store for them, reading and helping them clean up, call me this.

What a lot of names for a 60-year-old lady. Sometimes if someone says Jo Ann, I have to remember that they’re talking to me. But I feel good that they care enough to respect me and give me these names. But I think these are enough!

Jo Ann Jackson is a vendor and proud grandmother.

Forgive Me If I Cannot Remember Their Names

By Carol Hall

M

ay 8, 2000, is a day I shall never forget. I was homeless, staying under a bridge in Portland, Ore. During those days there were so many people living, if that’s what you want to call it, under the bridges. It was dark and dirty and the stench of feces was everywhere, and people were dying under those bridges quite often.

People were dying quite often all over the city at that time for various reasons, or no good reason at all. There were people dying from overdoses from various drugs, heart attacks, or from being attacked. It didn’t seem like there needed to be a reason.

My point is that I was scared to death that I would be next. Nobody was exempt from the threat of being killed, especially the homeless. Who would miss them?

I came out from under the bridge on the morning of May 8, 2000, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of fear. It wasn’t just being afraid; it was something I can’t explain other than being scared to death of death. I asked myself, “What the hell am I doing here?” I have a very large family, 12 siblings, and most of us are real close. I have four children of my own and at that time I had 8 grandchildren. (Now I have 13!)

I am an addict, and I used for most of 30 years, hiding the pain of all the hurts of my past. I wouldn’t let my family see me like that, so for the last few years I isolated myself from them and things really started to spiral downward. I didn’t even know who I was anymore, and I later found out that I never really did know who I was, ever. I went to the homeless outreach office of a local organization and asked for help, and I’ve been in recovery ever since.

Since I’ve been in recovery I’ve had a few friends die while being homeless. Some of them died from exposure, others from the sicknesses made worse from being homeless, and some of them died from cancers, or liver or kidney disease. Some committed suicide because they couldn’t live like that anymore.

I knew that I didn’t want to live like that, even though taking my own life was not an option. Some of us really have a hard time dealing with things, because of depression. We have a hard time accepting the fact that we aren’t the same as we used to be.

Not that we aren’t as smart, but being homeless really takes a toll on a person’s self esteem, confidence, and ideals. The dreams just aren’t there anymore.

I remember Larry, who was mugged and beaten to death for his paycheck. He, his wife and family were homeless and living under a bridge. I remember Mo Simmons, and his nephew Marcus, who were both homeless. They died a few months apart, suffocating, choking on their vomit while sleeping under a bridge.

I remember Allan Rice, also homeless, who died from alcohol poisoning and was found in a doorway on an early morning in November 2005. A homeless woman who used to come visit a friend here where I live was found beaten to death under the Burnside Bridge in 2004. On Nov. 21, 2005, a man died outside of the Portland Rescue Mission while sleeping on the sidewalk.

I woke up to the radio and heard them talking about the Feed the Hungry Meal Drive, and how well that was going, and I felt so thankful to God for that.

But the next thing the voice said was that this man wasn’t so lucky. He died from exposure in the early morning hours. I felt like I had been hit by a boulder and I couldn’t get out of bed. I just started sobbing for the man. I had no idea what his name was, but I knew was that he was my brother, and it made me feel such sorrow to lose another family member that way. A lot more homeless people have died since then, and forgive me if I cannot remember the names of them all, but I will not forget why they died.

Reprinted from Street Roots, Portland’s street paper. © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org

Street Sense . January 9 – 22, 2008

MAURICE SPEAKS

EDITORIALS 13

Story, from page 1

By Maurice King

Trying to Remember

R

ecently, I saw a televised montage of events from 2007 that was supposed to evoke memories of the year completed. I tried to find some meaning in the images that passed by on the screen, but to me, the montage came largely as a reminder of how much of life I have been missing out on, partly because of the very difficult circumstances I faced in 2007 with the loss of my father, but certainly because of being homeless.

The experience of being homeless has taken me out of my former realm of existence, which was much closer to mainstream, and has made daily survival a primary concern. The events represented in the montage might have appealed to a national audience, but they seemed to me to be a series of isolated images and nothing more.

When a person faces a challenge that threatens the person’s survival, quite frequently the necessity to focus on the needs the challenge imposes makes everything else seem insignificant, so a person in such a situation might easily be unaware of major events taking place at the same time.

The homeless face such challenges quite frequently.

Just finding a safe place to sleep, sufficient food to eat and decent clothing to wear are thoughts that plague a large number of homeless people on a perpetual basis.

The stress of having to fend for oneself in the face of such adversity on a daily basis takes its toll.

People who deal with persons who have lived with this reality for any length of time may attribute a homeless

person’s failure to relate as a sign of mental illness, but that may well be a sweeping generalization. Sometimes it is just too much to handle in addition to the stress of trying to stay alive.

I am aware that I speak from the standpoint of someone whose situation is relatively comfortable. I know that the stress levels for those persons who are less fortunate are far greater. They surely have even more reason to find it difficult to relate to events that had no bearing on their daily survival. It seems that looking forward is a much more practical approach than looking backward.

So what can we expect in 2008?

That is a very loaded question. The election in November has everyone’s attention, and quite rightly so.

Whatever the outcome of that election, it will mean the end of the Bush administration, and that in itself will be a change.

The result will determine how much of a change we will see. The homeless are hoping for a significant change from the “on your own” policies that have dominated the last seven years; the election will be the key factor in whether that change will come about.

In light of the fact that only one of the presidential candidates – John Edwards – saw fit to respond to Street Sense’s query regarding views on the issues of homelessness and poverty, it is somewhat questionable just how great the results will be should any other candidate be elected.

Nevertheless, there is still hope for 2008 to be a good year for all of us. It is with that hope that we face the future with whatever it may bring.

Maurice King has been writing editorials for Street Sense since January 2004. Please e-mail comments to benadam@cyberdude.com.

It’s rare to bare one’s soul; to let down all the defenses. We communicate through a protective veil, and I had one up.

I realized this too late, only after the man in front of me slammed his water down on the table, saying “You’re not listening to me!”

“I am!” I protested.

“It’s in the eyes,” he said. “It’s not in the words that come out of your mouth, it’s in your eyes. This is more than a story, you know. This is a life.”

I was thrown by the man’s accusations and by his anger, and I was hurt. He began to pace around in circles, calmed down long enough to get his picture taken. He wanted his children to see it, to see what had become of him. His family had kicked him out of his house.

After he went to get his picture taken, he came back to me and began to recite mathematical equations. “E=mc squared,” he said. “I have an education too, you know.”

“I never thought you didn’t.”

He patted my arm and walked away, then circled back, clarifying again, seemingly torn between his repentance at having yelled and his desire to make sure I understood – not just on a rational level, but on an emotional one. That I understood. That I really knew. That I really comprehended the magnitude of what he was saying, the sadness of his situation, the pain it caused him.

Earlier in the day, I had asked a different man, “What would you like to tell people who aren’t homeless about homelessness?”

He sat back in his chair and looked at me. “I am you and you are me,” he said. “It could just as easily be me sitting in that chair asking you questions. Sometimes circumstances get the better of people.”

I am you and you are me. My parents were alcoholics. My house burned down. I lost my job. I was angry. I have an addiction. I dealt drugs. I need medicine, but I can’t afford it. I am cold. My feet hurt. I was a prostitute. I was raped. There’s no room at the shelter. I don’t have any money. No one looks at me. I don’t have a safety net.

I am you and you are me, and this isn’t a story, it’s a life.

You Can Climb Out If You Want To

By Jeffery McNeil

I

am writing this article because adversity and stress can lead to depression, which can lead to mental illness. Plus, if you don’t address these issues, they could lead to substance abuse, neglect and homelessness.

I have been a top Street Sense salesman for the last three months. I know a little about people and selling from my experience with Street Sense.

I write many articles so others can learn and not make excuses.

No one likes pain and rejection; it doesn’t feel good when someone gets the wrong impression about you, especially loved ones and peers. Many people, especially those in the homeless community, face these issues and stare adversity in the face every day. A wise man once said, “The strength of character is when you’re tested by it.” The book of James describes how nothing comes to you without your being tested.

This journey into my next phase of life from being a laborer to an entrepreneur has been an emotional rollercoaster. I have quit some jobs, been fired from others, slept out on the sidewalk and been so hungry that I had to eat out of garbage cans.

All signs said give up. What I’ve learned is, just when you’re ready to throw in the towel, a rope might come your way.

When I first started selling papers I was ready to quit be-

cause I had neither faith nor confidence. In addition, I was too proud to tell people that I needed help. You see, loneliness is egotism, obsession with yourself, narcissism. You are too proud to let your guard down, you are afraid to bare your soul.

Fear and rejection are on your mind.

Nevertheless, people with character persevere no matter how extreme their situation might be. They find a way to overcome and to adapt. They believe in doing what’s right in their heart, and they have the integrity to follow through with whatever they want to achieve.

The reason some people are in their situation is that they need a game plan to stay the course and not give up. You need to analyze everything in your life and make tough decisions or life will pass you by. You can’t run from your problems and sleep in a tent or hide somewhere. I know because I’ve been there and done that.

When I decided to get my life back together, I still had tickets to pay, bills to cover and the reputation and stigma of being a derelict. My journey into the street will always be on my mind because it taught me that if you scream for help there will be an angel to rescue you.

Even though I’m unemployed, I never lost my work ethic. I meet many people who say they were locked up and can’t find a job, so that’s why they beg. The biggest reason people don’t

have what they want or a life they enjoy is that they quit when adversity comes and obstacles block their path.

I’ve missed loved ones. I’ve been lonely for the holidays, had no family around and dealt with other personal issues. It would be easy to go to a liquor store or buy some drugs to forget about some of the pain I feel.

The reason I got better is that I went out to greet people and be myself, to tell the truth and never lie. I became comfortable writing and chatting. Even though I couldn’t find a job, I worked sun up to sun down selling newspapers. If they wouldn’t buy today, I said to myself, they will buy sooner or later. I never gave customers a pitch, just plain honesty and hard work.

I also would like to say that you need to use your God-given talents and creative skills. God gives everyone some gift or blessing. Search for it, develop it and you will have the life you want.

Don’t blame others. Take responsibility. Look at obstacles as challenges that bring you one step closer to obtaining your goals. Stay the course, because whatever doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.

You can’t run from your problems and sleep in a tent or hide somewhere.

I know because I’ve been there and done that.

Jeffery McNeil regularly puts on a suit to sell Street Sense and he can often be found at many suburban Metro locations.

Street Sense . January 9 – 22, 2008

14 STREET SENSE NEWS

VendorNotes

By Laura Thompson Osuri

Tommy the Techie Veteran vendor Tommy Bennett recently enrolled in classes through the District’s Department of Employment Services to learn the basics about computers and computer repair. This training, which will take about six months to complete, will hopefully lead to a job in the computer repair business.

Tommy said that at first the class was frustrating because he knew nothing about computers to start. “I had to learn about the keyboard, the mouse, everything,” he said. But Tommy said now he is getting the hang of it and is quite excited about the class.

Ivory in the Post Vendor Ivory Wilson will be featured in a story in the Washington Post’s Sunday Source section on Jan. 20. The story will be an interview with Ivory about his life and his involvement with Street Sense. Ivory said the reporter, Dan Zak, talked to him for nearly two hours and a photographer took several pictures as well. “It was real nice and the reporter guy was excited about my stories as well,” Ivory said.

A Month of Birthdays January is a popular month when it comes to vendor birthdays. So we just wanted to wish “Happy Birthday” to all the Capricorns and Aquariuses in our vendor ranks.

• Vendor Gerald Smith turned 37 on Jan. 5 • Vendor and photographer Cliff Carle has a birthday on Jan. 15 (though he won’t reveal his age) • Vendor, volunteer and board member Francine Triplett turns 58 on Jan. 30 Please join us in wishing these vendors a very happy birthday and many, many more.

Correction The vendor notes in our Dec. 12 issue incorrectly stated that vendor Ivory Wilson would appear in a national AARP commercial.

AARP communications specialist Ayan Ahmed said: “AARP

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

is collecting millions of voices across America as part of their Divided We Fail campaign. These collected testimonials will amplify the voices of millions of Americans who believe that healthcare and lifetime financial security are the most pressing domestic issues facing our nation. Ivory was a willing participant by signing a release form and had shared his experiences and concerns of the homeless. His story may be used on AARP’s Web site or for other usage.”

Top Vendor Sales: December Mark Jones.......................1,649 Jeffery McNeil.....................951 Conrad Cheek Jr.................880 Leonard Cannady...............595 Phillip Howard...................558 Martin Walker.....................527 Lawless Watson..................494 Charlie Mayfield.................459 James Davis........................456 Allen Jones..........................452 Moyo Onibuje.....................450 Bobby G. Buggs..................401 Top vendor Mark Jones

WANTED Street Sense Vendor Manager We are looking for a fulltime staff member to recruit and train vendors, expand vendor sales territory, help vendors connect to service providers and track vendors’ progress.

The position is paid through Americorps VISTA for WKH ÀUVW \HDU DQG ZLOO EH VDODULHG DIWHU WKDW Interested? Please contact Laura Thompson Osuri at laura@streetsense.org or 202-347-2006.

For more information on the Americorps VISTA program, visit www.americorps.gov.

Get Street Sense Delivered Right to Your Door Every Other Week!

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Order a subscription today.

Not only will you receive 26 issues packed with all our latest news, poetry and photography, you will also help raise awareness about poverty in the D.C. area. ___ YES! I want to subscribe to Street Sense for just $40 a year for 26 issues. ___ YES! I want to give half of the cost of a subscription to my favorite vendor: ____________

Name: __________________________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________________City: _____________________________________ State:_______________ Zip: ______________ Phone: ___________________________________ Email: ________________________________ Please make checks payable to Street Sense.

Mail to: Street Sense, 1317 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20005.

Thanks for your support!

A Year-End High

By Laura Thompson Osuri

T

wenty-four thousand dollars. When I set this goal for our “Four More Years” end of the year donation push, I honestly did not expect us to reach this goal. We had only budgeted for $11,500 in donations for November and December, and while I thought we could beat that, $24,000 felt like quite a stretch.

To tell the truth, I picked the number because it sounded good; we were raising money for “Four More Years” after achieving our first four years of success, so I thought, “Two times four years, why not combine that for 24 or $24,000?”

But then the donations started coming in. Then more and more donations started coming in. There were days that there were 15 to 20 different hand-addressed envelopes in our mailbox. I was absolutely amazed.

By mid-December, we were well on our way to reach this goal. And as of Jan. 4, we have exceeded our goal, reaching $25,080.

And this did not come from just a few large donors.

In total we had 180 donors, with donations ranging from $10 to $1,000. And about 45% of these donors were first-time donors.

I was really touched by the number of people who donated to Street Sense for the first time. It’s great to see so many readers putting their faith in our mission through financial support, and helping the continuation of Street Sense long into the future.

The repeat donors amazed me, too, increasing their donations from past years, and sending back a request form within a week after we sent it to them. (And we did not even include a pre-stamped or pre-addressed envelope!)

The only problem with so many donations was that I did not have time to express my appreciation of them all. Yes, I sent out (and continue to send out) thank you cards, but most of them were written in a rush.

And I really do feel badly that by the end of December my reaction was not elation when we received a handful of $100 donations in one day, but quick recognition during the course of a busy day.

Usually when we get such donations at any other time of the year, I announce it to the whole office, look up the past giving history of each donor, and then sit down to write thoughtful thank yous.

But I am truly grateful for all the donors who contributed in the last two months. With your support, we are really on our way to achieve “Four More Years” of success. This will soon become a reality in February when we plan to hire an advertising sales manager.

And it will continue into March and April when we have the first advertising campaign of our own to better promote Street Sense.

Thanks to everyone for their support over the last two months under our “Four More Years” campaign!

I hope you continue to support the organization and our vendors in 2008 as well.

FEATURES 15 SERVICE PROVIDERS & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Street Sense . January 9 – 22, 2008

Community Service Index WASHINGTON, D.C. SHELTER Calvary Women’s Services 928 5th Street, NW (202) 783-6651 www.calvaryservices.org Central Union Mission (Men) 1350 R Street, NW (202) 745-7118 www.missiondc.org CCNV (Men and Women) 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 393-1909 users.erols.com/ccnv/ Community of Hope (Family) 1413 Girard Street, NW (202) 232-7356 www.communityofhopedc.org DC Village (Family) 2-A DC Village Lane, SW (202) 561-8090 www.dccfh.org/DCVillage.html Franklin School (Men) 13th and K streets, NW (202) 638-7424 Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men) 810 5th Street, NW (202) 842-1731 www.grm.org John Young Center (Women) 117 D Street, NW (202) 639-8469 http://www.ccs-dc.org/find/services/ La Casa Bilingual Shelter (Men) 1436 Irving Street, NW (202) 673-3592 N Street Village (Women) 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939-2060 www.nstreetvillage.org 801 East, St. Elizabeth Hospital (Men) 2700 MLK Avenue, SE (202) 561-4014 New York Ave Shelter (Men) 1355-57 New York Avenue, NE (202) 832-2359 Open Door Shelter (Women) 425 Mitch Snyder Place, NW (202) 639-8093

FOOD Charlie’s Place 1830 Connecticut Avenue, NW (202) 232-3066 www.stmargaretsdc.org/charliesplace Church of the Pilgrims 2201 P Street, NW (202) 387-6612 www.churchofthepilgrims.org Dinner Program for Homeless Women AND the “9:30 Club” Breakfast 309 E Street, NW (202) 737-9311 www.dphw.org Father McKenna Center 19 Eye Street, NW (202) 842-1112

Food and Friends 219 Riggs Road, NE (202) 269-2277 www.foodandfriends.org Miriam’s Kitchen 2401 Virginia Avenue, NW (202) 452-8926 www.miriamskitchen.org The Welcome Table Church of the Epiphany 1317 G Street, NW (202) 347-2635 http://www.epiphanydc.org/ministry/ welcometbl.htm

MEDICAL RESOURCES Christ House 1717 Columbia Road, NW (202) 328-1100 www.christhouse.org Unity Health Care, Inc. 3020 14th Street, NW (202) 745-4300 www.unityhealthcare.org Whitman-Walker Clinic 1407 S Street, NW (202) 797-3500 www.wwc.org

OUTREACH CENTERS Bread for the City 1525 Seventh Street, NW (202) 265-2400 AND 1640 Good Hope Road, SE (202) 561-8587 www.breadforthecity.org food pantry, clothing, legal and social services, medical clinic Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW (202) 364-1419 www.cchfp.org housing, medical and psych care, substance abuse and job counseling Bethany Women’s Center 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939-2060 http://www.nstreetvillage.org meals, hygiene, laundry, social activities, substance abuse treatment Green Door (202) 464-9200 1221 Taylor Street NW www.greendoor.org housing, job training, supportive mental health services Friendship House 619 D Street, SE (202) 675-9050 www.friendshiphouse.net counseling and mentoring, education, youth services, clothing Georgetown Ministry Center 1041 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (202) 338-8301 www.georgetownministrycenter.org laundry, counseling, psych care Martha’s Table 2114 14th Street, NW (202) 328-6608

Hypothermia Hotline: 1-800-535-7252

www.marthastable.org dinner, education, recreation, clothing, child and family services Rachel’s Women’s Center 1222 11th Street, NW (202) 682-1005 http://www.ccdsd.org/howorwc.php hygiene, laundry, lunch, phone and mail, clothing, social activities Sasha Bruce Youthwork 741 8th Street, SE (202) 675-9340 www.sashabruce.org counseling, housing, family services So Others Might Eat (SOME) 71 “O” Street, NW (202) 797-8806 www.some.org lunch, medical and dental, job and housing counseling

Samaritan Ministry 1345 U Street, SE , AND 1516 Hamilton Street, NW (202)889-7702 www.samaritanministry.org HIV support, employment, drug/alcohol addiction, healthcare St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 1514 15th Street, NW (202) 667-4394 http://stlukesdc.edow.org food, counseling St. Matthew’s Cathedral 1725 Rhode Island Avenue, NW (202) 347-3215 ext. 552 breakfast, clothing, hygiene Travelers Aid, Union Station 50 Mass. Avenue, NE (202) 371-1937 www.travelersaid.org/ta/dc.html national emergency travel assistance

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Bright Beginnings Inc. 128 M Street NW, Suite 150 Washington DC 20001 (202) 842-9090 www.brightbeginningsinc.org Child care, family services Catholic Community Services of D.C. 924 G Street, NW (202) 772-4300 www.ccs-dc.org umbrella for a variety of services D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 1234 Massachusetts Avenue, NW (202) 347-8870 www.dccfh.org housing, substance abuse treatment, employment assistance Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW (202) 347-0511 www.cflsdc.org housing, job and substance abuse counseling, clothes closet Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW (202) 332-4010 www.foundryumc.org ESL, lunch, clothing, IDs Hermano Pedro Day Center 3211 Sacred Heart Way, NW (202) 332-2874 http://www.ccs-dc.org/find/services/ meals, hygiene, laundry, clothing JHP, Inc. 1526 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE (202) 544-9126 www.jobshavepriority.org training and employment Jubilee Jobs 1640 Columbia Road, NW (202) 667-8970 www.jubileejobs.org job preparation and placement National Coalition for the Homeless 2201 P Street, NW (202) 462-4822 www.nationalhomeless.org activists, speakers bureau available

Wash. Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U Street, NW (202) 328-5500 www.legalclinic.org legal services

MARYLAND SHELTER Comm. Ministry of Montgomery Co. 114 W. Montgomery Avenue, Rockville (301) 762-8682 www.communityministrymc.org The Samaritan Group P.O. Box 934, Chestertown (443) 480-3564 Warm Night Shelter 311 68th Place, Seat Pleasant (301) 499-2319 www.cmpgc.org

FOOD Bethesda Cares 7728 Woodmont Church, Bethesda (301) 907-9244 www.bethesdacares.com Community Place Café 311 68th Place, Seat Pleasant (301) 499-2319 www.cmpgc.org Manna Food Center 614-618 Lofstrand Lane, Rockville (301) 424-1130 www.mannafood.org

MEDICAL RESOURCES Community Clinic, Inc. 8210 Colonial Lane, Silver Spring (301) 585-1250 www.cciweb.org Mobile Medical Care, Inc. 9309 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda (301) 493-8553 www.mobilemedicalcare.org

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Catholic Charities, Maryland 12247 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring (301) 942-1790 www.catholiccharitiesdc.org

shelter, substance abuse treatment, variety of other services Mission of Love 6180 Old Central Avenue Capitol Heights (301)333-4440 www.molinc.org life skills classes, clothing, housewares Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless 600-B East Gude Drive, Rockville (301) 217-0314 www.mcch.net emergency shelter, transitional housing, and supportiveservices

VIRGINIA SHELTER Alexandria Community Shelter 2355 B Mill Road, Alexandria (703) 838-4239 Carpenter’s Shelter 930 N. Henry Street, Alexandria (703) 548-7500 www.carpentersshelter.org Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless 3103 Ninth Road North, Arlington (703) 525-7177 www.aachhomeless.org

FOOD Alive, Inc. 2723 King Street, Alexandria (703) 836-2723 www.alive-inc.org Our Daily Bread 10777 Main Street, Ste. 320, Fairfax (703) 273-8829 www.our-daily-bread.org

MEDICAL RESOURCES Arlington Free Clinic 3833 N Fairfax Drive, #400, Arlington (703) 979-1400 www.arlingtonfreeclinic.org

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Abundant Life Christian Outreach, 5154 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria (703) 823-4100 www.anchor-of-hope.net food, clothing, youth development, and medicines David’s Place Day Shelter 930 North Henry Street, Alexandria (703) 548-7500 www.carpentersshelter.org laundry, shower, workshops, hypothermia shelter Legal Services of Northern Virginia 6066 Leesburg Pike, Ste. 500 (703) 778-6800 www.lsnv.org civil legal services Samaritan Ministry 2924 Columbia Pike, Arlington (703) 271-0938 www.samaritanministry.com social services, employment services, HIV/AIDS services

Street Sense . January 9 – 22, 2008

PHOTO FINISH

You Call This Justice?

By Cliff Carle Photographer and Street Sense vendor

This is down by the courts between 3rd and 4th on D Street, NW, on Jan. 4, with temperatures near freezing. It was weird to see someone lying down at two-thirty in the afternoon. Justice is not justice for us if you see someone lying in the cold near the district courts in the richest country in the history of civilization.

StreetFact

VENDOR PROFILE

Kevin Robinson

By Kellie Marsh Kevin Robinson was born in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 16, 1954, and has lived in the city his whole life. He grew up with his mother and three older brothers.

As a teenager, Kevin was actively involved with the Boy Scouts and attained a brown belt in karate. In the 1970s, he served as a lifeguard at Fort Dupont, a job he remembers well and describes as one of the most fun he has had.

After graduating high school, Kevin also worked as a security guard and as a building maintenance employee at W.M. Calomiris. He worked on 47th Street as well as St. Luke’s Catholic Church on East Capitol Street.

After his father’s death, his mother sold his childhood home and bought a new place in College Park. Soon after, Kevin moved out. He still keeps in contact with his brothers and speaks to his mother on the phone every day.

Throughout his ordeals, the most difficult have been Kevin’s four operations as a result of appendicitis. His strongest memory is a recording of Charlotte Church’s Silent Night, one of the many Christmas songs played during his stay in the hospital. “I thought I had died and gone to heaven,” he said.

Today Kevin stays with his mom and brother during holidays. He loves to be outdoors and would still swim and canoe if given the chance.

How did you become homeless?

After my dad died, I gave up on everything. I didn’t care as much as I used to. I got married at a young age and that didn’t work out—it wasn’t the kind of marriage you see on TV. After my wife left with my son, I started doing drugs and associated with people who were only my friends if I had money.

Why do you sell Street Sense?

It keeps me occupied, and I like the people. I meet a variety of interesting people, and I enjoy meeting people that care.

Forty-one percent of clients across three cities in HUD’s “Housing First” program returned to the streets, some for extended periods, according to a 12-month study.

(See the story on page 1.)

SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

January 9 – 22, 2008 • Volume 5 • Issue 5

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Mail To:

Interested in a subscription? Go to page 14 for more information.

:KHUH GR \RX VHH \RXUVHOI LQ ÀYH \HDUV" I would like to have a good job and a nice place to live. I would also like to see my son, whom I haven’t seen since he was five years old.

Your favorite music?

A little bit of everything, especially jazz, oldies, and singers like Mick Jagger and the Isley Brothers.

Your favorite food?

Any kind of meat. I love chicken, no matter how you prepare it. I also like seafood.

Your favorite movie?

Horror movies like “Alien Versus Predator.” My favorite is a little-known movie called “It! The Terror from Beyond Kevin Space.”

Favorite poem?

Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven,” particularly James Earl Jones’ performance of it.

reminds customers to only buy from badged vendors and not to give to those panhandling with one paper.

Remember Street Sense comes out every other Wednesday.

Look for the next issue Jan. 23.