VOL. 16 ISSUE 5
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VENDORS Shuhratjon Ahamadjonov, Dele Akerejah, Wanda Alexander, Gerald Anderson, Charles Armstrong, Katrina Arninge, Lawrence Autry, Charlton Battle, Lester Benjamin, Reginald Black, Rashawn Bowser, Clarence Branch, Debora Brantley, Andre Brinson, Laticia Brock, Donald Brown, Lawrence Brown, Elizabeth Bryant, Brianna Butler, Dwayne Butler, Melody Byrd, Antoinette Calloway, Anthony Carney, Alice Carter, Conrad Cheek, Anthony Crawford, Kwayera Dakari, Michael Daniels, Louise Davenport, James Davis, David Denny, Reginald Denny, Ricardo Dickerson, Patricia Donaldson, Nathaniel Donaldson, Ron Dudley, Jet Flegette, Jemel Fleming, Duane Foster, James Gatrell, Kidest Girma, Chon Gotti, Latishia Graham, Marcus Green, Barron Hall, Mildred Hall, Dwight Harris, Lorrie Hayes, Patricia Henry, Jerry Hickerson, Ray Hicks, Vennie Hill, James Hughes, Joseph Jackson, Chad Jackson, Fredrick Jewell, Henry Johnson, Mark Jones, Morgan Jones, Linda Jones, Reggie Jones, Darlesha Joyner, Larry Kelley, Jewel Lewis, John Littlejohn, Scott Lovell, Michael Lyons, William Mack, Marcus McCall, Jermale McKnight, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jeffery McNeil, Angela Meeks, Ricardo Meriedy, Kenneth Middleton, Amy Modica, Richard Mooney, L. Morrow, Collins Mukasa, Evelyn Nnam, Moyo Onibuje, Earl Parker, Aida Peery, Hubert Pegues, Marcellus Phillips, Jacquelyn Portee, Angela Pounds, Henrieese Roberts, Anthony Robinson, Chris Shaw, Gwynette Smith, Patty Smith, David Snyder, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens, Beverly Sutton, Sybil Taylor, Archie Thomas, Shernell Thomas, Eric Thompson-Bey, Harold Tisdale, Joseph Walker, Michael Warner, Robert Warren, Sheila White, Angie Whitehurst, Sasha Williams, Robert Williams, Clarence Williams, Wendell Williams, Susan Wilshusen, Ivory Wilson BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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The Cover
The Street Sense Media Story, #MoreThanANewspaper
Dec. 21 was Homeless Persons Memorial Day and a new report from the National Coalition for the Homeless found an estimated 13,000 people die homeless each year. Several street papers covered memorial services across the country.
Originally founded as a street newspaper in 2003, Street Sense Media has evolved into a multimedia center using a range of creative platforms to spotlight solutions to homelessness and empower people in need. The men and women who work with us do much more than sell this paper: They use film, photography, theatre, illustration, and more to share their stories with our community. Our media channels elevate voices, our newspaper vendor and digital marketing programs provide economic independence. And our in-house casemanagement services move people forward along the path toward permanent supportive housing. At Street Sense Media, we define ourselves through our work, talents, and character, not through our housing situation.
COMMUNICATIONS & SALES MANAGER VENDOR MANAGER
Muhammad Ilyas
EVENTS & WORKSHOP MANAGER CASE MANAGER
Colleen Cosgriff
WRITERS GROUP ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
Willie Schatz
OPINION EDITORS (VOLUNTEER)
Rachel Brody, Arthur Delaney, Sara Reardon
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John McGlasson
EDITORIAL VOLUNTEERS
Ryan Bacic, Jason Lee Bakke, Grace Doherty, Roberta Haber, Thomas Ratliff, Mark Rose, Andrew Siddons, Sarah Tascone, Jackie Thompson, KJ Ward, Howard Weiss, Marian Wiseman, Howard Weiss
OFFICE SALES VOLUNTEERS
Miya Abdul, Bill Butz, Jane Cave, Emma Cronenwethe, Pete Clark, Orion Donovan-Smith, Maria Esposito, Roberta Haber, Ann Herzog, Bill Magrath, Alec Merkle, Nick Nowlan, Sarah O’Connell, Leonie Peterkin, Eugene Versluysen, Natalia Warburton
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EVENTS
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CELEBRATING SUCCESS
Floyd Carter visits the Street Sense Media office while in town to film a music video.
Calling All Teen Actors, Writers and Social Activists! Rehearsals: Tuesdays, Jan. 22 - March 12; 4:45 - 6:15 p.m. Performances: March 12 & March 13; 7 p.m. In partnership with Street Sense Media, the Educational Theater Company is looking for interested local high school students to collaborate with men and women experiencing homelessness, either currently or in the past, to create a devised theatre performance piece. If you are an actor, writer and/or social activist, ETC would love to hear from you! For more infomration and to apply, visit www.tinyurl.com/ETC-hope Teen participants are eligible for community service hours! Questions? Contact Hope Lambert at: hope.lambert@educationaltheatrecompany.org. OPTIONS AVAILABLE JAN. 10
UPDATES ONLINE AT ICH.DC.GOV
THURSDAY, JAN. 17
2019 Point-in-Time Count Volunteer Training
D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness Meetings
Poor People’s Campaign Teach-In
First Congregational United Church of Christ // 945 G St NW
Housing Solutions Committee Jan. 9, 1:30 pm // Location TBD, Likely at 1800 MLK Jr Ave SE Strategic Planning Committee Jan. 22, 2:30 pm // 441 4th St NW Shelter Operations Committee Jan. 23, 1 pm // Location TBD, Likely at 441 4th St NW
6:30 p.m. // 1630 7th St NW Shaw Neighborhood Library
On the night of Jan. 23, vounteers will conduct a count and survey of people experiencing homelessness in the District of Columbia. Each volunteer must RSVP and attend one training: • • • •
Tuesday, Jan. 8 // 6 pm Wednesday, Jan. 9 // 6 pm Thursday, Jan. 10 // 11 am Thursday, Jan. 10 // 6 pm
MORE INFO: http://DCPit.org
*Committee schedules only. For issue-focused working groups, contact ich.info@dc.gov.
The local chapter of the Poor People’s Campaign will celebrate the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and provide information on the history of the organization, their current activities, and how you can get involved and help make change in our community, city and country.
Submit your event for publication by e-mailing editor@streetsensemedia.org
AUDIENCE EXCHANGE Megan McShea @meganmcshea
DC Metropolis
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@streetsensedc vendors are hurting for sales this week bc their customers are furloughed & on leave...if you’re in DC and see a vendor, pick up a copy. #ShutdownStories
@streetsensedc I loved the poetry in your Dec 26 - Jan 8 journal!! Wanted to shout out Marcus McCall, Ronald Dudley, Kedist Girma and Robert Warren #RealLifeWords #RealPoets
5:50 PM - 26 DEC 2018
8:46 AM - 8 JAN 2019
PHOTO BY ERIC FALQUERO
Artist/Vendor Floyd Carter has been working with a record label in LA and is preparing to release an album. He made the connection after local media highlighted the story of a couple that used the money they would have spent on Christmas to help him get an apartment in 2016.
BIRTHDAYS Larry Kelly Jan 12 ARTIST/VENDOR
David Snyder Jan 14 ARTIST/VENDOR
Frederic John Jan 17 ARTIST/VENDOR
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NEWS
U.S. street papers covered Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day across the country BY ERIC FALQUERO // ericf@streetsensemedia.org
D
ay s b e f o r e C h r i s t m a s , surrounding the first day of winter and longest night of the year, people gathered in at least 150 communities across the United States to remember Americans known to have died while homeless in 2018. The National Coalition for the Homeless instituted this day of observation in 1990, though each memorial service and event is independently organized. Some similar efforts predate NCH’s campaign, such as the nonprofit service provider Operation Nightwatch in Portland, Oregon, which has been holding a spring memorial service for 35 years. Each community chooses to remember the departed in different ways. Many ceremonies involve candles, name placards, or blankets to represent each individual. Some are somber and spiritual in focus. Others passionate and political. The names of people to be remembered are self-reported and assumed by organizers to be undercounted. For example, memorial service attendees in the District of Columbia mourned 48 individuals who passed away in 2016. However, a report released in May by the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner counted 76 deaths among the “homeless/undomiciled population” that year. Only one of the five years included in the report had an official death count lower than the number of names collected by community members. “John Doe” and “Jane Doe” are generally added to each memorial service as a reminder of names unknown.
In the National Coalition’s latest report on hate crimes against people experiencing homelessness, released on this year’s Homeless Persons Memorial Day, the organization estimated that more than 13,000 people die without a home in the United States every year. The National Healthcare for the Homeless Council recommends local jurisdictions investigate and provide annual reports on all homeless deaths in order to better inform policy and budget priorities. Few do, however. One exception is Multnomah County, Oregon, which began releasing such reports annually in 2012, in collaboration with and in response to advocacy by the Portland street newspaper, Street Roots. In 2017, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that the number of people experiencing homelessness had increased for the first time in seven years. On Dec. 14, a study funded by the real estate company Zillow estimated that HUD undercounted the 2017 homeless population by 20 percent, or 115,000 people. On Dec. 17, four days before Homeless Persons Memorial Day, HUD released 2018 data and reported a modest increase in homelessness for the second year in a row. Based on the HUD data, roughly 1 in every 591 Americans experiences homelessness. “Unfortunately, we have become so accustomed to deep and desperate poverty; it no longer inspires the same distress as the discrete acts of violence that too often make the headlines,” the Healthcare for the Homeless Council wrote in a statement. “Those who are so poor that they experience homelessness are three to four times more likely to die prematurely and have a life expectancy 30 years shorter than their housed counterparts.”
The District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) investigated a total of 251 deaths among the homeless/undomicilied population in the District from Jan. 1, 2013 through Dec. 31, 2017. CHART COURTESY OF THE D.C. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER
PHOTO BY SUZANNE HANNEY FOR STREETWISE, CHICAGO
Chicago, Illinois BY SUZANNE HANNEY Editor-in-Chief, StreetWise
Old St. Patrick’s Church west of the Loop was nearly filled the evening of December 18 with people who gave up the hustle and bustle of the holiday season to honor 46 homeless people who died in the past year. The ninth annual Chicago Homeless Person’s Memorial service is similar to those in more than 30 states and the District of Columbia on or around December 21, the longest night of the year. “We are called to be here to honor somebody’s son, grandson, uncle, who for whatever reason was lost but is now present with the Lord,” said the presider, the Rev. Marcus Tabb, pastor of Maywood Neighborhood United Church. “The world may have looked down on them but we do not judge their circumstances. We gave up the hustle and bustle of the season for someone we felt was a child of God, another human being.” The litany of names included people like: * Charles C., “who loved the winter months” * Jerome Wrencher, “who loved his family and was a good dancer” * Nelson Jones, a comedian, whose rhymes and jokes that made everyone laugh were missed * Raymond Ferguson, “who spent his days at State and Randolph” * Roy Davis, “a favorite StreetWise vendor at Old St. Pat’s” * and “others, known only to God.” As each name was read, a candle was carried up to the Old St. Patrick’s altar to join a central pillar flame. The music group Harmony, Hope & Healing and the Atlanta Homeward Choir sang the Walter Hawkins gospel tune, “Goin’ Up Yonder.” Earlier, the groups intoned Hezekiah Walker’s “I Need You to Survive.” Its lyrics such as, “We’re all a part of God’s body…It is His will that every need be supplied,” related to the testimony of Maxica Williams, a single mother with four children who was homeless from January to August 2016 because of breast cancer. Homelessness can cause mental and physical illness because a person becomes isolated, loses dignity and feels they have nowhere to go, said Williams, a representative of Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH). However, “Housing is a human right,” which helps a homeless person’s dignity and excitement for life. She urged the congregation to keep fighting to bridge the gaps in services, “to always see the person, not the situation they’re in.” Plans for the Chicago Homeless Memorial Service begin in September for CCH, the Ignatian Spirituality Project (ISP), Franciscan Outreach, Old St. Pat’s and Harmony, Hope & Healing, said Tom Drexler, ISP executive director. Although Cook County provides burials for the indigent, the governmental unit does not release names for the service, Drexler said. Instead, CCH Director of Organizing Wayne Richard reaches out to shelters he knows and Franciscan Outreach does the same, with input from Heartland Alliance Health Outreach. Service providers consider whether the deceased person would want their full name to be used and they also try to provide some tidbit of information for the litany of names. Generally, there are about 40 to 45 names a year at the Chicago service, Drexler said. The National Coalition for the Homeless established the event in 1990 to coincide with December 21, which is also the first day of winter; the Chicago service is scheduled as close as possible to that date, depending on Old St. Pat’s availability.
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Seattle, Washington BY ASHLEY ARCHIBALD Staff Reporter, Real Change News
On Dec. 21, the northern hemisphere experiences the longest stretch of prolonged darkness of the year. In Seattle, the sun dipped toward the horizon at 4:20 p.m. In the last dying rays of natural sunlight, a group gathered around a tall, bronze statue marked with cutouts of leaves on the north end of Victor Steinbrueck Park. The Tree of Life, as it is called, stands in remembrance of homeless people who lost their lives in Seattle and King County, and the winter solstice is the day that communities around the world do the same. Faith leaders, formerly homeless people and their housed allies stood quietly around the statue, lit by plastic flickering tea candles and read one by one the names of 114 people who died outside or by violence in 2018. It was, as it has been in previous years, a record-breaking figure — as the number of people surviving on the streets of Seattle and King County swells year on year, so does the number of people who lose the fight. “Tonight we remember 114 of our sisters and brothers. Our community – institutions, systems, governments, the people of this county — failed to provide the circle of support and resources they needed to preserve their lives,” said Kelle X. Then they began reading the names, each followed with a pause that the gathered people filled with the phrase “We remember.” “Stanley Krebs.” “We remember.” “Scott Allerhand.” “We remember.” “Bradford Oling.” “We remember.” When the list was finished, organizers passed out cups with a hole cut in the bottom
PHOTO BY MATTHEW S. BROWNING WWW.MATTSBROWNINGPHOTO.COM FOR ONE STEP AWAY, PHILADELPHIA
and fit with a candle which they lit to begin the candlelight vigil. The group marched silently through Pike Place Market, their solemnity at odds with the merriment of tourists snapping photos of Starbucks and waiting in lines for a warm piroshky. A man on a bicycle swooped around, keeping an eye on the procession and letting organizers know when vigil attendees had been left behind by a short light as they walked up Pike Street and toward the ultimate destination, Westlake Park. “If you want to go fast you go alone,” he said. “If you want to go far, you go together.” The procession arrived at Westlake Park and took up positions adjacent to Pine Street. Music from a carousel floated in the air and holiday revelers streamed by, many oblivious to the somber nature of the event. With their candles, the vigil blended into the holiday atmosphere, like a group of carolers gone silent between songs. Carol Cameron has been involved with the Homeless Remembrance Project, a project of the Women’s Housing and Equality Enhancement League (WHEEL), since its inception in 2003. The group organized to get the Tree of Life statue installed at Victor Steinbrueck Park and to spread leaves of remembrance, bronze leaves inscribed with the name of people who have died, put into sidewalks around the city. Formerly homeless herself, Cameron has lost friends from her time outside, and things seem to be getting worse, not better. “Where is it all going to end?” Cameron asked. Amy Hagopian, who stood on the opposite end of the vigil, believes that it can only end with coordinated government action. Charity can’t solve homelessness, Hagopian said, and the fact that some of the richest people in the world can share the same community
PHOTO BY MATTHEW S. BROWNING WWW.MATTSBROWNINGPHOTO.COM
as people sleeping outside galled her. “I guess I’m here because I’m mad,” Hagopian said. A similar scene played out 90 miles to the north in Bellingham. About 70 people stood with candles in front of Bellingham’s City Hall in the early evening of the longest night. In this Northwest city of more than 86,000 people, the gathering acknowledged the lives – and the deaths – of people who died homeless on Bellingham streets in 2018. Cathie Murphy, Bellingham’s Homeless Outreach Team manager, spoke to the gathering about honoring and mourning the “sons, daughters, family, spouses and friends who have been pushed to the silent margins of society.” Homeless Outreach Team members read off the names of 35 individuals who were known to have died homeless in this community. This annual memorial was Bellingham’s fourth and one of thousands across the country that communities hold to remember those who die on our nation’s streets. According to the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, an organization that advocates for homeless prevention, the life expectancy of those who experience homelessness is 30 years less than individuals who have not. Unfortunately for communities across the United States, the response to homelessness has been largely homegrown even though the
problem stems from deep, structural problems endemic throughout the country. A recent report to Congress showed that volunteer counters found 553,000 people sleeping outside on a single night in 2018, roughly flat from the year before. In that same year, the homelessness population in King County rose by roughly 4 percent, a slower increase than years past but still almost 10 times faster than the rest of the country. Rather than react with a robust overhaul of public housing and the rental voucher program, the response from the federal government has been muted. Ben Carson, the secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development has recommended that the poorest people pay more of their limited incomes toward rent and utilities if they are lucky enough to have a voucher in hand. He has reportedly told aides that he views housing and homelessness as a “local” issue, despite limited local resources to combat the crisis. And so homelessness continues to worsen, and people living outside continue to die in the richest country in the world at the peak of its material wealth and opulence. And one night a year, people stand to recognize that fact and the miscarriages of justice that have led us to this point. Becky Spithill contributed to this report.
A procession in Albuquerque, New Mexico, led demonstrators to the local Healthcare for the Homeless Memorial Garden where tiles are used to memorialize neighbors who have died without a home. BY STEPHANIE MARTIN // FOR TWO WAY STREET, ALBUQUERQUE
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NEWS
A view of the assembly from the Luther Place balcony. BY CHRISTIAN ZAPATA
Jim Sumner (left), a fifth grade teacher, joined National Presbyterian School students to show a video they made about homelessness after interviewing Street Sense Media vendors. Watch at www.tinyurl.com/nps-homeless. PHOTO BY MARCUS DANTLEY
More than 100 people gather to honor those who died on the streets of DC BY RACHEL CAIN Volunteer
A
s evening fell on Dec. 20, more than 105 local activists and community members crowded together in the Luther Place Church to memorialize the lives of at least 54 people without homes and 83 individuals recently housed who passed away in the last year in the District of Columbia. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was invited to speak at the event but did not attend. This event marked the beginning of the sixth annual overnight homeless memorial vigil hosted by The People for Fairness Coalition, a community organization dedicated to ending homelessness. “We pray that those who have gone before us know that they are not alone, that we are…still honoring their presence, still remembering that they are never invisible in love,” said Karen Brau, Head Pastor at Luther Place Memorial Church. The Vigil and related advocacy has been organized as a local supplement to the National Homeless Persons Memorial Day service that has been held by the National Coalition for the Homeless since 1990. The NCH day of observance coincides with the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year.
Karen Brau (far right), head pastor of Luther Place Memorial Church, opened the evening’s service with a prayer and song. PHOTO BY MARCUS DANTLEY
“We’re all walking in darkness, literally, [during the march], to find some kind of light,” said Rev. Laura Cunningham, Pastor and Head of Staff at Western Presbyterian Church. “In one way or another we’ve all seen it, the darkness of homelessness… may you see divine light in the human form among those who have gathered here, and may you have the courage to take the next step in advocating, speaking, and giving generously.” The life expectancy of a homeless individual in D.C. is 57, compared to the general population’s 76. When medically vulnerable populations – such as elderly people or those with mental illness or chronic health concerns – land on the streets, their well-being often deteriorates. Dr. Catherine Crosland, Medical Director of Unity Healthcare, has spent the past nine years treating homeless patients. Crosland spoke to the crowd of the experience of Wanda, her former patient. She said that at 63 years old, Wanda had multiple medical conditions but was healthy overall. Her apartment burned down, forcing her and her son into a family shelter. According to Crosland, Wanda developed shortness of breath, gained 15 pounds and had swelling in her legs within a month of moving to the shelter. It wasn’t long until Wanda passed away. “Had Wanda been in an apartment, I believe she would have been alive today,” Crosland said as she wiped away tears. “Housing is healthcare.” Another health concern brought up during the opening service was the impact of weather. Laura Zeilinger, Director of the D.C. Department of Human Services, said this is especially important this year, the wettest year on record for Washington, D.C. “The shelter hotline and outreach alone cannot find every person to make sure they are safe and dry,” said Zeilinger, emphasizing the need for community members to look out for one another. Zeilinger added that if a person comes across a homeless individual during inclement weather conditions, “Ask if they’re okay, ask if there’s something they need, ask if you can call the Shelter Hotline for them. Try to engage with them, and get them to a safe place. “We need to make sure people are seen, and that we’re using the help we have available.” The 24-hour Shelter Hotline is 202-399-7093.
Speakers also said many vulnerable individuals require additional support when making the life-changing transition into stable housing. “People are dying in wonderful new houses because there is not enough transitional support,” said Ken Martin, a member of the People for Fairness Coalition. Martin also spoke of his own struggles during his transition from homelessness to housing “Our jobs are not done with our neighbors once they move into housing,” Zeilinger said. “We need to find ways to stay connected with our neighbors, and form a community to help them with that transition into housing.” PFFC recommended several possible political solutions to homelessness. “Housing is the best form of health care anyone can have,” said Robert Warren, Director of PFFC. “[D.C.’s plan to end homelessness] can be the solution, but only if it’s fully funded. We call on Mayor Bowser to end chronic homelessness in her second term and to start by investing $35.5 million in her upcoming budget to house 1,140 individuals and 177 families.” PFFC further asked Bowser and the D.C. Council to end discrimination against people experiencing housing instability by reintroducing the Michael A. Stoops Anti-Discrimination Amendment Act during the next legislative session. Previously introduced in 2017, the statute would include homeless individuals under the protections of the D.C. Human Rights Act of 1977. While Jesse Rabinowitz, advocacy and campaign manager of the homelessness nonprofit Miriam’s Kitchen, commended the Bowser administration for increasing funding towards homelessness services, he admonished the local government for making “small-scale changes” that cannot solve the housing crisis on their own. “Four years ago, [Bowser] ran on a platform of ending homelessness,” Rabinowitz said. “That is far from realized. I would like the mayor to commit to ending chronic homelessness in the next four years.” “More investments won’t bring [the deceased] back, but we can honor them by making investments to make sure nobody lives or dies without housing,” Rabinowitz said. “D.C. can afford to end chronic homelessness. As tonight illustrates, we are very literally running out of time.”
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Protestors demand $35.5 million for housing after 54 people die without a home BY CHRISTIAN ZAPATA AND NICHOLAS SHEDD Volunteers
T
he rainfall on Dec. 20 was The procession was flanked on both sides by the first time the Homeless an escort of cars from the Metropolitan Police Memorial Vigil faced inclement Department, and marchers could be heard weather since it first started six shouting slogans as call-and-response phrases. years ago. “Housing is a human right! Fight! Fight! Members of the homeless Fight!” community with the People “What do you want? Housing! When do Members of the People for Fairness Coalition lead a march down 14th Street NW from Luther Place Memorial Church to Freedom Plaza. Participants, some using ponchos or umbrellas in the rain, carried For Fairness Coalition led a march from an you want it? Now!” placards bearing the names and ages of the individuals being remembered. PHOTO BY MARCUS DANTLEY opening service at Luther Place Memorial As the group departed from the church, Church to Freedom Plaza, where a tent set to Marcie Bernbaum, a member of People host a community dinner would double as a For Fairness Coalition, walked alongside a little bit of rain keep us out, keep us from between the ages of 15 and 34, echoed Jim’s shelter for the night. her granddaughter. This is her fifth year making noise and keep us from reminding our sentiments: “[Housing] helped keep me alive.” All of this was done to honor the 54 people attending the vigil, she has seen it evolve elected officials that it’s unacceptable when 54 It also kept him safe and allowed him to keep known to have died while experiencing from a standalone outside meeting to an people die without housing in the District,” his possessions securely in one place. He said homelessness this year. This is an increase overnight procession with a vigil and Rabinowitz said. this year’s vigil was his first and that “It’s a from last year when 45 people were reported to candlelight procession. At the back of the room, a makeshift altar good feeling to give back.” He planned to stay have died. Members of the community submit The boisterous crowd, undeterred by the had been erected with electric candles and in the tent at Freedom Plaza overnight and these individuals names every year and are rain, made its way to Freedom Plaza and then signs with the names of those who had died then attend the advocacy trip in the morning. aware of their uncertainty. into a white tent that had laid across a tablecloth with the PFFC logo. Another man, John, described sleeping in They list Jane and John Doe been erected for the vigil. As attendees settled in and filled their a church building and finding himself locked to account for people not Inside, event organizers had bellies, small groups approached the open in the kitchen for the night. The irony was known or counted. set up tables and chairs and mic, singing, talking, or laughing informally. striking, as he had spent years during the Nixon Findings from a 2018 prepared trays full or warm One man at the vigil, Jim, said he became and Ford administrations working in the White report by the D.C. Office food and drink. homeless after spending 4.5 years in solitary House kitchens, first as a dishwasher and, of the Chief Medical Rabinowitz said this confinement. Once a certified mental health eventually, as an assistant chef. After that, he David Examiner showed that in y e a r ’s v i g i l h a d a n specialist, he found himself struggling to get said, he spent thirty years as chef at the Capitol. four of the last five years, the number of incredible turnout matched by incredible back on his feet. Even staying alive while “People have to fight for what they want,” homeless deaths reported at these vigils energy. The weather, which seemed like it homeless required a stroke of good fortune. John said, reflecting on both his own life and was undercounted. In 2016, the District of was going to be an issue, spoke more to the Jim related how he almost died once, near the the negative influence he feels shelters can Columbia mourned 48 individuals when the everyday conditions people experiencing Stadium-Armory Metro station. Only timely have, as compared to permanent housing. medical examiner documented 76 deaths homelessness face, he said. medical care at George Washington University John said he has been involved in homeless from the homeless community. “I think people realize folks experiencing Hospital saved his life. activism for at least ten years, having Throughout the night, community leaders homelessness have to deal with the rain, David, who was recently housed by attended the first Interagency Council on emphasized the importance of affordable snow, heat and cold, so we’re not going to let Miriam’s Kitchen after living in homelessness Homelessness meeting and being a longtime housing in helping alleviate homelessness and member of PFFC. Nevertheless, he explained premature death. They asked Mayor Muriel why he wasn’t sure progress had been made: Bowser and the D.C. Council to invest $35.5 “Four years ago, Columbia Heights was a million in housing for 1,140 individuals and poor man’s neighborhood.” Despite some 117 families by 2020, according to a press legislative progress in terms of homeless release. They also asked for protection against services, gentrification continues in D.C. discrimination for people experiencing housing As the night wound down, Rabinowitz said by calling for the reintroduction of the Michael the overnight crew is typically a mix of people A. Stoops Anti-Discrimination Amendment of experiencing homelessness, activists and 2017, which was never given a hearing by the community members, and while he usually Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety. isn’t awake for it, he has heard of “pretty Councilmembers Brianne Nadeau and incredible” conversations. David Grosso attended the opening service After the overnight portion, attendees will and left shortly before the march began. Jesse wake at around 8 a.m., for breakfast, continue Rabinowitz, campaign manager of Miriam’s with advocacy training and take their demands Kitchen said he was not expecting Nadeau and into the Wilson Building — directly across the Grosso to make an appearance but was glad street from Freedom Plaza. they showed up for their second year in a row. “The larger goal is to raise the urgency of It is a testament to why the group considers ending homelessness and to remind people them their “greatest champions on the D.C. that in a city with a $14.5 million budget Eric Sheptock and Sheila White, both of whom have experienced homelessness, share the open mic in Council” as they push for more investment there are still people living and dying on the the tent at Freedom Plaza. PHOTO BY MARCUS DANTLEY toward ending homelessness. streets,” he said.
“[Housing] helped keep me alive.”
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NEWS
“On Dec. 21, U.S. and D.C. flags were flying at half mast to honor former president George H.W. Bush. Above the Homeless Memorial Vigil tent, this flag also appeared to be honoring our homeless neighbors.” PHOTO BY REGINALD BLACK
Named individuals who died while homeless in 2018 1. “Bobby with a capital B,” Age 59 2. C.T., Age 58 3. Clayton, Age 60 4. Clyde B 5. Curtis Price, Age 64 6. E.J., Age 60 7. G.T., Age 61 8. Gary 9. Helen Buchanan, Age unknown 10. J.H., Age 41 11. J.Y., Age 37 12. James “Twirl”, Age 34 13. Jesse James, Age 62 14. Joe Doe, Age unknown 15. John Doe, Age unknown
16. K.L., Age 35 17. Leonard Hyater, Age 59* 18. Matthew Farkas, Age 36 19. N.M., Age 56 20. P.C., Age 65 21. Pernell, Age 58 22. R.H., Age 62 23. Radcliffe, Age 72 24. Robert, Age 61 25. Robert, Age 61 26. Solomon Zawdee, Age 40 27. Susan Newland, Age 59 28. W.A., Age 71 29. Wanda, Age 62 30. Western, Age 60
Another 24 people were recognized only by age, ranging from ages 25 - 87.
Named individuals who died in 2018 after recently being connected to housing 1. A.E., Age 58 2. Alvin Dixon-El, Age 70* 3. Anthony Thweatt, Age 45 4. Arvelt Cob, Age 69 5. B.G., Age 39 6. B.N., Age 56 7. B.M., Age 56 8. C.M., Age 51 9. C.Z., Age 59 10. Carey Brown, Age 55 11. Charlene Williams, Age 55 12. Charles Davis, Age 55* 13. Christopher Williams, Age 54 14. Darryl Goodwin, Age 56 15. Derrell, Age 61 16. E.S., Age 67 17. E.T., Age 55 18. Ellan Evans, Age 64 19. G.D., Age 39 20. J.M., Age 71 21. Jackie Lawson, Age 57 22. Jeff, Age 63 23. John Thompson, Age 59 24. Kck.G., Age 53
25. L.B., Age 68 26. M.H., Age 62 27. M.H., Age 62 28. Norma Beckles, Age 75 29. P.J., Age 58 30. R.D., Age 61 31. R.Y., Age 76 32. Richard Knight, Age 59 33. R.R., Age 61 34. Ray Hicks* 35. S.F., Age 37 36. Saundra Brown, Age 64 37. Sean Anderson, Age 48 38. Shannon Scannell, Age 43 39. Stephanie, Age 54 40. Stephen Morneau, Age 71 41. T.M., Age 51 42. Thomas Taylor, Age 54 43. Wallace Henderson, Age 81 44. Wanda Burgess, Age 61 45. West Ashe, Age 66 46. W.K., Age 61 47. Younjia Sherry, Age 81
Another 37 people were recognized only by age, ranging from ages 19 - 79.
*Street Sense Media vendors.
As 2018 came to a close, activists pressured city officials to protect their most vulnerable constituents STORY BY REGINALD BLACK AND JAKE MAHER | PHOTOS BY RODNEY CHOICE Vendor // Volunteers // www.ChoicePhotography.com
A
pproximately 15 representatives from the People For Fairness Coalition canvassed the Wilson Building on Dec. 21, seeking more funding and stronger legal protections to address homelessness. The effort was part of their commemoration of National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day. The group presented councilmembers with the names of 54 D.C. residents who died on the streets in 2018, as well as the coalition’s recommendations. The People for Fairness Coalition is a nonprofit organization focused on ending homelessness in D.C. The advocacy “walkaround” was part of the coalition’s sixth annual Homeless Memorial Vigil, which includes a candlelight procession and a sleep-out in front of the Wilson Building to further draw attention to the number of deaths due to homelessness each year. The coalition called on Mayor Muriel Bowser and the D.C. Council to pledge $35.5 million for the Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and Targeted Affordable Housing (TAH) programs in order to provide housing for 1,140 people and 177 families for the next year. The group argued that the money raised by D.C.’s recent decision to collect sales tax for online purchases made by consumers in the District of Columbia should be used to address homelessness, rather than lower the tax rate on commercial properties assessed at over $10 milion. “The Mayor must fund these life-saving programs if she wants to live up to her promise of ending
homelessness in the District,” the People for Fairness Coalition wrote in a statement delivered to councilmembers’ offices. Evan Cash accepted the group’s requests on behalf of Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, but pushed back on their feasibility. Increasing funds for PSH and TAH would require decreasing funds for other programs, according to Cash, who serves as legislative director for the Committee of the Whole. The group also called on councilmembers to support the Michael A. Stoops Anti-Discrimination Amendment Act. At-large Councilmember David Grosso first introduced the legislation in 2017. It was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, chaired by Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, but was never given a hearing for input from the public or fellow committee members. “It’s very disappointing,” Grosso said. The bill would expand the D.C. Human Rights Act of 1977 to include people experiencing homelessness as a class protected from discrimination, similar to age, gender, or race. Grosso told the group he plans to introduce the anti-discrimination bill again in the next legislative session. He also noted the Office of Human Rights has been moved from under the oversight of the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee to the Government Operations Committee, so the bill will face a new committee chair. At-Large Councilmember Robert White co-introduced the anti-discrimination legislation but
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OPINION
New year, same urgency: Universal housing saves lives BY ROBERT WARREN Artist/Vendor
At-Large Councilmember Robert White
Matthew Doherty
said he could not speak about it in detail when approached by Bonds said the Council allocated some money for the People for Fairness Coalition. permanent housing programs last year and directed advocates “We work a lot of bills,” White said. “One of the things that to turn out during budget and oversight hearings this spring we worked very hard on last year was when the city was doing if they wanted more. the homeless services bill,” White said. “One of the things While the coalition demanded more action from the D.C. that the bill was doing that made me uncomfortable was that government on homelessness going forward, they expressed it was making it harder for residents and homeless people to gratitude for what the government has already done. They took access services. the opportunity to thank the council and the mayor’s office for “I told people I had members of my family who are homeless supporting the Public Restroom Initiative, which encourages and bouncing from couch to couch at the time. This is an issue businesses to open their restrooms and looks at places to install that I identify with personally,” White said. the District’s own public restrooms, to be available 24 hours “One of the things I didn’t want to have happen was if you a day. find a place to stay in Maryland because you got priced out They also thanked the council and the mayor for providing of the city, then you ask for services from funding to create a downtown day services D.C., and you are turned away. I didn’t center and for dedicating $40 million for want the city to turn its back on you and redeveloping the 801 East men’s shelter. to close the door.” Coalition members noted, however, that White also said his office worked on ending homelessness requires permanent this year’s budget with the chairman of housing, rather than temporary solutions the council and Ward 1 Councilmember such as shelters. Brianne Nadeau, who chairs the Human The advocacy walkaround was Services Committee, to increase funds for followed by a procession to the New York emergency housing programs this year. Avenue Presbyterian Church, where The “We still aren’t doing enough,” White National Coalition for the Homeless held said. “You know we are not doing enough an interfaith memorial service, followed until we don’t have anyone living on the by lunch for the community. streets.” At the memorial service, a federal White asked the advocates who had official echoed what advocates had been Robert White experienced homelessness to help him saying to local leaders throughout the At-Large Councilmember understand the intersection of mental morning. health and addiction, and how to support someone at that point. “We are not acting urgently enough and it’s not just “How do we best provide services to folks who say they don’t here,” said Matthew Doherty, executive director for the U.S. want service?” he asked. Interagency Council on Homelessness. “So we must use today At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds agreed many people to solidify and act in our resolve, and resolve to act on the choose not to go to shelter. “We give them the opportunity to knowledge that we can end homelessness.” come in. They don’t feel safe there,” she said. When asked Doherty said collaboration and everyone doing their part about the New Communities Initiative, Bonds indicated she is critical to ending homelessness. He said it is essential to understood the residents at the 801 East men’s shelter wanted involve persons who have experienced homeless, and take to find housing in the new development taking place in the advantage of that expertise. He referred to the deceased being Barry Farm Neighborhood. remembered that day as voices: Bonds shared with the advocates that she too had lost “Voices that build partnerships and make sure to focus on someone who was homeless. “You’re too young to know Al, all our needs … So many voices that could probably have who died in 1993 on the street,” she said. provided expertise and guidance into the solutions.”
“We still aren’t doing enough,” White said. “You know we are not doing enough until we don’t have anyone living on the streets.”
Looking back and looking forward, a year of advocacy here in the nation’s capital had its highs and lows. As the current director of the People for Fairness Coalition, this time of year is always hard on me and other members who have experienced homelessness. Along with the National Coalition for the Homeless and other partners, PFFC has been remembering our homeless neighbors with a memorial vigil for the past six years, in hopes that we will increase people’s awareness on how they can help prevent death in the homeless community. Sad to say, for the last six years we have been averaging more than 45 homeless deaths a year in Washington, D.C. Many in the government and advocacy community believe that to be unacceptable in a city with a $14 billion budget. This year, like past years, we had men and women, black and white, die preventable deaths. 2018, not unlike past years, was really sad for a lot of us who are also Street Sense Media vendors because we lost members of the Street Sense Media family.
PHOTO BY COLLEEN COSGRIFF
My Hope and beliefs are we must increase our commitment level in providing both universal affordable housing to people in the homeless community and better wellness and case management services to recently housed people. PFFC applauds the mayor and the D.C. Council’s work lowering the number of homeless families in the District of Columbia and building new family homeless shelters in the city. We thank those councilmembers who supported our Public Restroom Initiative, passing the bathroom bill last year. And we look forward to working with those in 2019 who believed in the antidiscrimination legislation named in honor of Michael Stoops that we’ve been trying to put forward for the last 3 years. In 2019 we will be working on a right to housing campaign with Empower D.C., the D.C. Grassroots Roots Planning Coalition, Organizing Neighborhood Equity (ONE) D.C. and other coalition partners in the city. We must bring about affordable, sustainable, and accessible housing for all those in need in the District of Columbia.
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OPINION
It shouldn't be this hard to recover from homelessness BY REGINALD BLACK
Hypothermia, hyperthermia, being called lazy and being looked down upon are all things that we without housing face on a daily basis. Let me start off by introducing myself. My name is Reginald Black. Not only am I a Street Sense vendor and advocate, but I have also been recently appointed as a consumer representative to the Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH). With a platform like this, it should be easy for those who are experiencing extreme poverty to have a voice, but I can't speak to all the feelings and emotions that come with homelessness. I can only rely on what I see and feel as people walk past my peers. While there are great efforts underway, many of us feel the effects are not reaching us. This should not be the case in the District of Columbia. We, the homeless, do not see the benefit of all the tax money being spent on our behalf, since the demand for shelter for individuals hasn’t gone down. Many have been on the city's housing voucher waiting list since the 1990s. I hope that I will not have to wait much longer, especially in a city doing many great things that I have been a part of creating. As an advocate, it pains me to see how our city is handling homelessness. Not only is homelessness detrimental to our community, but it also causes separation and isolation. No one should be without a place to live in the richest country in the world, and certainly not in its capital. We are making key investments into housing, and have now opened three of our new family facilities while planning redevelopment of an existing male shelter. But how this will go is anyone's guess. The homeless population may go down but there will still be many who suffer from housing instability. Mayor Muriel Bowser came to the ICH’s last meeting of the year to review where are we going and what we have done. I asked her whether she had any ideas about accelerating the pace of people exiting the 801 East Men's Shelter, which is slated for redevelopment. She agreed the residents there need permanent housing that will help them in the long run. But just a few weeks later, we learned a 32-year-old was one of at least 54 people who died due to homelessness and poverty in the District in 2018. I question what is next for those who are extremely impoverished and I want to work harder for solutions that really will make a dent in homelessness. The population is aging and something has to be done. The city is moving to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring. However, we should work to eliminate the root causes so that homelessness is nonexistent and non-occurring. To achieve this, there must be a universal right to housing that is truly affordable to all incomes. There can't be any more people saying “You don't make enough,” which is not inclusive to all walks of life. The phrase doesn’t help any community and needs not be uttered in a rich country like America. Being African American should not determine where I live. I should not have to be impoverished just because someone says so. I'm an artist and entrepreneur and I — like everyone else — deserve a stable place to live. I know that my skills are needed somewhere, and I am working toward my own fiscal independence. I hope that my efforts pay off and help others obtain much-needed housing and support that will make our city more attractive. Reginald Black is a Street Sense Media artist and vendor.
Let’s grow D.C. in 2019 BY ANGIE WHITEHURST
In order to meet our social responsibility to build housing, create an employable populace and provide opportunities to earn livable wages, we need to control our money better. Power and politics have been screwing up the economy for several hundred years. In an interview in a recent documentary, former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen recounted the 2008 crisis in which people lost jobs, homes and savings. “It was looking into the abyss,” she said. The government bailed out Wall Street, but not the people. The U.S. bailed itself out and survived. Still, Yellen said she was worried about another crisis. The Federal Reserve keeps raising the interest rate unnecessarily, blaming an inflation crisis that does not exist. These increases stifle business development, job availability, home purchases and the opportunity to save and spend. Yet despite the negative impact on individuals, families, communities and municipalities, we have survived. We give our public trust to others. We know that nothing is perfect. As people living in a society, we need to be more inquisitive and proactive in advocating and creating a society that meets people’s needs.
In Washington, D.C., we need to educate ourselves and increase awareness of how we can help our leadership stay on a good path. We have a lot of apartments and condos available, yet too many people remain homeless and struggle paycheck to paycheck. We need to look at how to put people in stable homes and keep them there. We should look at our budget and find ways to solve the housing crisis. For instance, we could establish a public bank instead of putting all our money in private banks that profit from the fees we pay. We might also consider renegotiating city contracts created by private equity hedge fund managers who use loopholes to retain our money. The bottom line is that we, as individuals and as a community, need to take a more active role in helping to develop a more financially beneficial city that serves the public interest Call your mayor and city councilmember today. Tell them what you want. Let’s go to work. Let’s avoid another crisis. Angie Whitehurst is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.
MOVING UP: How the shutdown will affect you BY ARTHUR JOHNSON
The latest partial shutdown of the U.S. government has been putting many people on edge. Workers in the affected agencies are worrying about how to pay their bills as they either work without pay until an agreement to end the shutdown is reached, or they remain furloughed until there is an end in sight. The shutdown has also been affecting people who use other government-run institutions; the District, for example, is getting hit hard by closures at the Smithsonian and the National Zoo. The biggest issue for the District during the shutdown should be its poor; many who depend on government assistance may find the help they need in danger if the shutdown lasts past January. Families receiving help through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will get their January funds, but it’s unclear what will happen past then. Funds for programs such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will only operate with available funds. Programs that fund school breakfasts and lunches will be continuing into February. Plus, if the shutdown continues, there could be delays in people receiving their tax refunds—a big blow to many low-income people. If you are going to be affected by the shutdown, how can you get help? The first thing to do is determine whether your employment is affected by the shutdown either directly or indirectly. If your employer has a substantial number of customers that are employed by one of the affected agencies, you should start looking for additional work immediately to protect yourself in the event that your employer has to reduce your hours or lay off employees due to a reduction in revenue. If you have any questions or comments regarding this column please email AJohnson@streetsensemedia.org.
Join the conversation, share your views - Have an opinion about how homelessness is being addressed in our community? - Want to share firsthand experience? - Interested in responding to what someone else has written? Street Sense Media has maintained an open submission policy since our founding. We aim to elevate voices from across the housing spectrum and foster healthy debate.
Please send submissions to opinion@streetsensemedia.org.
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DC is handing out tax breaks on valuable properties over housing BY CAROLYN GALLAHER
This column was first published by the nonprofit blog and advocacy organization Greater Greater Washington on Dec. 12.
insufficient to solve the problem, let alone put a serious dent in it. That's why housing advocates are so frustrated with this move.
On Dec. 4, the D.C. Council moved to divert an estimated $20 million in new tax funds it had pledged for homeless programs to instead reduce the property tax rate for commercial entities valued at $10 million or more. That money could have funded permanent supportive housing for about 730 people, or have provided long-term housing vouchers to about 1,000 very low-income families, says Jesse Rabinowitz, Advocacy and Campaign Manager at Miriam's Kitchen, a D.C. nonprofit working to end homelessness. There aren’t enough homes in the District for all the people who want to live here, and most existing homes are not affordable for low-income people. Zillow estimates that the median home value in the District in November of this year was $575,800. The average rents for one- and two-bedroom apartments are $1,996 and $2,532, respectively, which is way out of reach for those making the city’s median household income — $77,649. The city’s contribution to low-income housing production, though important, is
D.C. had decided to use half of online purchase revenue to fund housing In 2013 there was chatter that the government would finally allow states to tax purchases made online. In preparation for that possibility, the District included a section in the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Support Act of 2013 detailing what it would do with the new tax receipts if online taxation were permitted. The bill stipulated that 50 percent of the revenue—at the time an estimated at $20 million—would be used to tackle homelessness in the city. In June of this year, the Supreme Court ruled that states (and the District of Columbia) can collect sales tax on on purchases made by their residents. A month later, two councilmembers, Jack Evans and Phil Mendelson, quietly introduced a bill (The Internet Sales Tax Amendment Act) to amend how the city will spend its tax receipts for internet sales. Instead of subsidizing developers to build low-income housing or providing more rent vouchers for
low-income residents, the bill amends the original 2013 act so the money is now used for a tax break for owners of commercial properties valued at $10 million or more. Ostensibly, the move was to appease commercial interests who were unhappy with an earlier tax hike on commercial properties. Councilmembers David Grosso, Brianne Nadeau, Elissa Silverman, and Trayon White voted against the bill. Lots of people in our region desperately need homes In 2013 when the 2014 budget act was initiated, there were approximately 800 residents in the city’s family homeless shelter (the former D.C. General), more than half of whom were children. The plight of the city’s homeless families, and the shelter’s inability to meet their needs, would come to painful light in early 2014 when Relisha Rudd, a 9-year-old who lived in the shelter with her mother, went missing. When the mayor first promised to close D.C. General, she said that she would replace it with several smaller shelters located across the city’s eight wards. Flash forward five years. On November 1, the Mayor formally
shuttered D.C. General, but only two of those replacement shelters have been built. While homelessness among families has dropped nearly 40 percent since its height in 2016, it remains a persistent problem in D.C. This January, the city estimated that there were 924 families experiencing homelessness in the District, compared to 1,491 families counted in 2016. However, D.C. actually saw its percentage of homeless families increase 142.7 percent over the past decade. While the numbers may be down from 2016, they are not where they were before the 2008 recession. The city likes to say the declining numbers are due in large part to its efforts to better serve homeless families. This is undoubtedly true, but there’s still much work to be done. To provide a path to stability, D.C.'s homeless families also need affordable housing, not just shelters. As Ed Lazere and Scott Schenkelberg argue in the Washington Post, budget choices are also moral ones. If D.C. is serious about being truly inclusive, it needs to build space for people of all incomes. Carolyn Gallaher is a geographer, an associate professor at American University, and a member of the Greater Greater Washington editorial board.
Who is sticking up for the American people?
Introducing “My 2 Sense”
BY JEFFERY MCNEIL
Welcome to My 2 Sense! This advice column is dedicated to you! I am ready to provide thoughtful answers to your most pressing questions. Life can be difficult, sometimes almost unbearable, but this advice column is here to help fix any issues that just don’t sit right with you or in some cases to brighten your day just by knowing someone else cares and is listening! I am here to help in any way possible. Just ask! So, right about now you're probably asking yourself, “what should I ask about first?” or “to what subjects will she respond?” First of all, let me start by saying, I will respond to every genuine question I receive. (If your question/concern does not make it into the paper, I will respond to it personally, so you will always get an answer from me.) Go ahead and hit me with your best shot! I am looking forward to seeing how I am able to help. You can ask me about a new job offer, a big move or even a dating question. Or maybe you had a bad leg injury, you lost your job or your apartment, and you need to get off the street quickly. I am a huge fan of both psychology and journalism and took several of those courses in college. So what better way to combine the two than to create the most awesome advice
While the Left says we're a nation of immigrants, I believe we're a nation of laws. Maybe we should pause further immigration until Washington fixes our broken immigration system. After 70 years of both parties kicking the can down the road, we have an estimated 11 to 30 million illegal immigrants using our hospitals, public schools and benefits safety net while our homeless sleep outside and some military vets eat out of garbage cans. According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform, one illegal immigrant living in America today costs U.S. citizen taxpayers about $8,075 annually. In total, illegal immigrants cost American taxpayers $116 billion each year, according to the 2017 report. I grew up in a diverse area of New Jersey. I was raised around Italians, Asians, Roman Catholics, Jews, and Greeks, as well as Hispanics and Middle Easterners. I believe in the concept of assimilation — but not hyphenated identity politics. The Left says Trump is evil for wanting to build a wall but Democrats have supported increased border security in the past. And it shouldn’t be controversial
because everything has walls. Your computer has firewalls to prevent viruses from attacking. Your body has an immune system to prevent infectious diseases. Even Heaven has the Pearly Gates. Americans don’t want to hear about amnesty and pathways to citizenship until our borders are secured. I want to stop further illegal immigration. Americans see the hypocrisy of those that propose amnesty while they live in gated communities secured with walls and bodyguards and ignore people laying on the sidewalk begging for loose change. They will tell you you're heartless because you don't want all of Latin America moving into your community while they live in enclaves remote from the problems they created. Is it extreme to say maybe we should solve our problems before we go around the world solving everyone else's problems? Thank You, President Donald Trump, for putting the needs of the Jeffery McNeils over the needs of poor people in other countries. Jeffery McNeil is a Street Sense Media artist and vendor who also contributes to the Washington Examiner.
BY ANGELA MEEKS
column ever, right? Well, what my parents did not teach me, my many life lessons did. If I do not have the answer for you already, I will do my research and use my contacts to get it for you! If you would like to see your questions answered in a future edition, you can email them to me at AskMy2Sense@gmail.com or mail them to: My 2 Sense, Street Sense Media 1317 G Street NW Washington, DC 20005
What my parents did not teach me, my many life lessons did. If I do not have the answer for you already, I will do my research and use my contacts to get it!
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ART
How I get through the winter BY JACQUELYN PORTEE // Artist/Vendor
“The positive impact a dog can have on your life.”
SURVIVING THE COLD
ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLES ARMSTRONG
Winter BY REGINALD BLACK Artist/Vendor
The cold, the snow Nowhere to go How long will the wind blow? How long will I deal with cold With wind and hard concrete How many nights will the coldest be at my fingertips? The seasons of the Northern Hemisphere December to February and June to August Still the poor remain among us Ripening Late in the season of gift-giving Suitable for storage over a period of time Shifted like wheat Or treated like other crops Sown-in by dead presidents Harvested for the yearly tax return Especially for the birds Who spend in any way All in one place. The things we face As a cold set of folks Spending most of the time Alone Waiting to harvest a warm meal— A bed, a place where one can rest And be at peace As the snow falls Weatherizing my cause Though not sure what it will do I know I want more Stored up for you In June and August here it's nice To trade for December to February That's how you survive winter.
Everyone has various ways and methods of surviving the hard, cold winter. Prayer is at the top of my list. I pray it doesn't become too cold and for clothing to help me stay warm. I live in a homemade hut of plywood boards and corrugated plastic cardboard. To keep warm inside there, I have a small piece of cardboard and chopped and cut-up straw debris mixed with cardboard inside a tin can. I use alcohol for the burning fuel. I make sure the fire is small and under control. I put the fire out immediately when I don't need it. I have a sleeping bag and before going to sleep I use extra layers of blankets to stay warm. I use extra layers of clothing to keep the heat inside my body before stepping outside to travel longer distances. Sometimes people donate socks, hand warmers, and blankets to make sure I stay warm.
Hot and Cold BY ALICE CARTER, A.K.A. “BABY ALICE” Artist/Vendor
Different days Seasons change One day it's hot One day it's cold One day I'm sweating One day I'm freezing I'm tired of losing people I love First my father Then Bonnie lost Clyde Then I lost my friend Charlene Then my grandma Pam My question is Who's next? We all have to face that day I just pray Today's not my day
The illustrator’s tent. “The fire inside is from a cooking sterno can, which burns two times as long as the heat cans and is half the cost.” ILLUSTRATION BY ANGELA MEEKS
Compassion is needed in the cold BY ANDRE BRINSON Artist/Vendor
Years ago, oh God it was a very cold, icey night. I just put my blanket down and got in it, shivering. Just when my body heat started to warm me, a police came to me. I was thinking maybe he was going to ask if I was OK. Oh no. He told me to get up an’ out. I am thinking, “Out of where?” I thought I was dreaming. I was put out of underneath a subway at 2 a.m. I slept on a slab of ice. The next day, I couldn’t feel my legs at all. I told myself this is not going to happen to me again. God is always with us.
A cycle to stay warm BY ANTHONY CARNEY Artist/Vendor
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
First thing I do is dress in as many layers as necessary to respond to the temperature. If I have money, I go to a coffee shop and drink either hot coffee or hot tea. I stay until I warm up. Then I to to the library, catch up on my reading, and stay until it closes. Then I go to the shelter and spend the night. In the morning, I start the process all over again.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG
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BY REGINALD DENNY // Artist/Vendor
Thank you for a year of support
Happy New Year! BY EVELYN NNAM Artist/Vendor
BY JOE JACKSON Artist/Vendor
New is the year The New Year of new starts And fresh memories New are the hopes Of open doors and bright futures Of Great things to come New is the resolution Where everything is at peace
Happy New Year! I want to thank everyone for supporting Joe Jackson with the paper. Ever since I got my apartment some people tell me I don't deserve one. I'm tired of all the negativity that's been coming at me. But I have been staying strong. And I have been staying close to my mother because she has been sick and needs my help. Sometimes I feel like people in the street are using me and my family. Even though I don't have a lot, I try to help people in the street who are trying to help themselves, I am happy I have my apartment, so I can't worry about what people think or say. I miss my friend Charles Davis who died last year. He got a place in 2016, but only after being homeless for 28 years! I’m just going to stay positive and keep putting God and my mother first.
Making new plans To become better And make a change for ourselves New are the spirits And new are my warm wishes For you and yours Have a great New Years And enjoy the year of 2019!
New Year, New Friend BY ERIC THOMPSON-BEY Artist/Vendor
I’ve had the pleasure and honor to be a cardmaker with Second Story Cards for the past year. Second Story Cards is a D.C.-based social enterprise that makes greeting cards that are all created by currently or formerly homeless men and women. It’s been such a good experience for me that I thought it was important to let Street Sense Media readers know about Reed Sandridge, their founder, and what a great person he is. Last year when I was approached by Reed to make cards I really wasn’t into it. I was focused on finishing my culinary course that I was taking with Thrive D.C. Even back then Reed gave me advice on what kind of job setting would be good for me. As time went on and I got to know Reed better, I found out that he really does care about people, especially the less fortunate and the homeless community. Over the past year, I’ve made 10 cards. Some of them were holiday cards, others were about love. I even did a card to celebrate the Capitals winning the Stanley Cup! Sometimes I help Second Story Cards out at markets and special events. I really enjoy meeting customers and sharing my cards with them. I’ve met some great people through my work with the company. I even got to see Ted Leonsis, the owner of the Capitals, speak. If Reed hadn’t believed in me and given me this opportunity to work with Second Story Cards, none of this would have happened.
New Year Haiku BY FREDERIC JOHN // Artist/Vendor
Lying beneath a velvet gold wreath A man crawls forward for his last breath If he can suck it in, it will save him from death (As the giddy shoppers pass by)
Inspired by the author’s experience while walking to dinner. on Christmas Day.
A promotional image from the Second Story Cards Facebook page. Eric was recognized for creating two of the top-10 best-selling cards in 2018.
Priorities and wishes for 2019
IMAGE COURTESY OF SECOND STORY CARDS
Today I am in a better place than I was a year ago. I’ve met all kinds of people and I can see some doors opening for me. That said, I still struggle sometimes to make the right life decisions. Reed and the people he has connected me with are always willing to give me advice and continue to put me in positions to meet people that I can get help from. I want to thank Reed for his time and help. He is a great person that I am honored to call my friend.
BY ELIZABETH BRYANT Artist/Vendor
A Happy New Year to everyone! I have a lot of wishes but the biggest one is I would like to see my daughter and grandkids. I’ve been sick, but I’m getting better, slowly but surely, thanks to God and the Holy Spirit.
This year, remember to put God and people first. Who someone prays to is their personal business, their individual relationship with God. Please keep in mind and accept that.
1 4 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A / / J A N . 9 - 2 2 , 2019
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Sudoku #2 6 7 1 9 5 4 2 3 8 4 9 Novice 7 6Volume 5 16, Book 1 8 1 3 by2KrazyDad, Sudoku 3 2 5 7 8 6 1 9 4 2 6 9 4 1 5 3 8 7 8 3 4 6 7 9 5 2 1 1 5 7 8 2 3 9 4 6 5 8 3 2 4 7 6 1 9 7 4 6 3 9 1 8 5 2 9 1 2 5 6 8 4 7 3
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Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1 thru 9.
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"Drawing on my fine command of the English language, I said nothing." -- Robert Benchley
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Novice Sudoku by KrazyDad, Volume 16, Book 1
Horoscopes from the street!
BY ANGELA MEEKS Artist/Vendor
Horoscopes are a new addition to the Street Sense Media family of recurring articles. I truly hope you enjoy the final product of my many hours of research. This time I read six horoscope articles from different papers and websites to find the most relevant and entertaining material for you. Every time I will look through several different horoscopes to find the best and it will be from different sites, authors, and publications. Since we publish every two weeks, the horoscopes will be for that period. But when possible I will break the interpretation down into weekly information so it will be more exact. Wanderlust.com is the source of the horoscope printed here. I hope you enjoy these, they are my summation and combination of Ledford’s lengthy weekly horoscopes. Please feel free to email me at AskMy2Sense@gmail. com with any comments or if you know of a good horoscope you would like me to check out.
~Capricorn (Born Dec 22-Jan 19) It is possible you have been feeling a little confused or fuzzy lately. Making decisions may have been a daunting task. You should be seeing and thinking crystal clear now. Stay focused on the issues you find most important. Persevere, your hard work will definitely bear fruit! Your attention and energy will be affected by your material success, career and stability. Your financial security should be nurtured during this time, as well as your mental sharpness. Career-wise or creatively, you may feel as though you are in a rut, this month use your instincts and watch for new opportunities. Look into new businesses and investment ideas and go for it! Know and hold on to your own self-worth.
Author Gene Weingarten is a college dropout and a nationally syndicated humor columnist for The Washington Post. Author Dan Weingarten is a former college dropout and a current college student majoring in information technology. Many thanks to Gene Weingarten and The Washington Post Writers Group for allowing Street Sense to run Barney & Clyde.
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volunteers Paper Sales This position requires keeping our vendors supplied with the Street Sense Media newspaper in a timely and efficient manner. Paper sales volunteers work one 4-hour shift per week at the Street Sense Media office selling the paper to our vendors for a wholesale price; vendors then go out and sell the paper to the public. Each vendor runs their own sales business, which enables them to have an income. This volunteer position provides a great opportunity to get to know the vendors on a personal level as well as provide a much-needed service in our office. Volunteers must be available for at least one shift Monday through Friday, either 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. or 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Volunteers are needed as soon as possible for the following shifts: • Mondays, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. • Wednesdays, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. • Thursdays, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. • Fridays, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. To get involved, contact our Sales Manager, Jeff Gray jeff@streetsensemedia.org (202) 347-2006 x 15
Suicidal Thought, Part 2:
Suicidal Thoughts BY RON DUDLEY, A.K.A. “POOKANU” Artist/Vendor
I'm having suicidal thoughts Feel like killing myself I tried to slit my wrist But it was painful as hell
Dear God, who can I trust? These voices tellin’ me to jump in front of a bus These thoughts are overpowering I wish I knew what to do
My daughter 13 And she won’t answer her phone I wish child support court Would just leave me alone
I wish I knew what to say, what to pray Can somebody take this pain away? My momma told me that the world was big But these voices in my head saying that the world is dead
My baby momma sick, the doc said she need a heart Life or suicide why am I having these thoughts If I had two hearts she could have one of mine Every night I play Russian roulette with my nine
These voices tellin’ me To take me some pills So I can die in my sleep To get rid of the pain that I feel
My God, these thoughts, they haunt me I don't want to live with these thoughts They want me to jump off a bridge Saw my reflection saying, “Jump, you don't gotta be scared.”
One of my daughters might not be mine I just might do it this time Instead of doin’ time And putting my life on the line
When I was dreaming These demons tried to make me drink bleach But it ain't work it just brightened smile And whitened my teeth
Since my cousins died, I ain't been the same It's still a nightmare, I almost went insane Walk past a crazy house it was New Year’s Eve You believe the message that I received
Then they tried gasoline Soon as they lit the match I woke up out of my dream My soul is on fire Why the devil keep taking me higher?
I saw a man talking to hisself He look just like me He said, “Get those voices out your head “Or one day it just might be”
“What if I take me some arsenic, Die a slow death?” Who the hell could have thought this? All of these voices in my dome I’m trying to find my way home
These thoughts are real And it don't matter who you are These thoughts can kill
But the judge got a grudge They wanna separate the two of us Make it hard be a father The system kidnapped my daughter For a child support check
EDITOR’S NOTE: Suicidal thoughts are something many people experience but few feel uncomfortable discussing. If you are feeling similar to what has been expressed in these verses, here are several ways you can instantly connect with someone to talk about it for free:
I could just end this myself I still got a few in the chamber These voices in my head saying “Life is in danger”
• Text CONNECT to 741741 in the United States
JAN. 9 - 22, 2019 VOLUME 16 | ISSUE 5
“Housing solves being homeless and dealing with the cold.”
ILLUSTRATION BY CARLTON JOHNSON, A.K.A. “INKFLOW”
• Call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) for national operators • Call 1-888-7-WE-HELP (1-888-793-4357) for D.C. operators
Muant ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF PIXABAY.COM
I am as the dauncer forr an in-gang to figours inn orbs, t’ al for ay ruse, and do then okslama wi’ mye hands ant legs. Thus, at least ired, took him te musa. I make off wiÞe my seolf, als tho sang.
• Visit www.ImAlive.org to chat with someone online • Dialing 911 is alway an option if you or someone else is in danger
BY FRANKLIN STERLING Artist/Vendor
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