01.26.2022

Page 1

VOL. 19 ISSUE 10

$2

JAN. 26 - FEB. 1, 2022

Real Stories

Real People

How did we do? Georgetown publishes study on Homeless Crisis Reporting Project STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

@ STREETSENSEDC

suggested donation goes directly to your vendor

Real Change


2 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // J A N . 2 6 - F E B . 1, 2022

BUSINESS MODEL

© STREET SENSE MEDIA 2003 - 2021 1317 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 (202) 347 - 2006

How It Works

Street Sense Media publishes the newspaper

Each vendor functions as an independent contractor for Street Sense Media, managing their own business to earn an income and increase stability in their life.

$2.00

YOUR SUGGESTED

$.50 Vendors pay

DONATION

per newspaper copy

goes directly to your vendor, empowering them to overcome homelessness and poverty

NO CASH? NO PROBLEM.

Pay vendors with the Street Sense Media app! S earch “S treet S ense ” in your app store .

AVA I L A B L E

Mary Coller Albert, Blake Androff, Jeremy Bratt, David Cloe, Clare Krupin, Jennifer Park, Michael Phillips, Dan Schwartz, John Senn, Aaron Stetter, Daniel Webber, Shari Wilson, Corrine Yu

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

As self-employed contractors, our vendors follow a code of conduct.

2.

VENDORS Abel Putu, Abraham Aly, Aida Peery, Amia Walker, Andre Brinson, Andrew Anderson, Angie Whitehurst, Anthony Carney, Anthony Pratt, Anton Mitchell, Archie Thomas, August Mallory, Ayub Abdul, Betty Everett, Beverly Sutton, Brianna Butler, Carlos Carolina, Carlton J.M. Johnson, Chad Jackson, Charles Armstrong, Charles Woods, Chon Gotti, Christina “Chris” Cole, Collins Mukasa, Conrad Cheek, Corey Sanders, Cortney Signor, Daniel Ball, Darlesha Joyner, David Snyder, Debora Brantley, Don Gardner, Donald Brown, Donte’ Julius Turner, Doris Robinson, Earl Parker, Evelyn Nnam, Floyd Carter, Franklin Sterling, Frederic John, Gerald Anderson, Gracias Garcias, Henry Johnson, Ibn Hipps, Jacqueline Turner, Jacquelyn Portee, James Davis, Jeanette Richardson, Jeffery McNeil, Jeffrey Carter, Jemel Fleming, Jenkins Daltton, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jermale McKnight, Jet Flegette, Jewel Lewis, John Littlejohn, Joseph Walker, Juliene Kengnie, Katrina Arninge, Kenneth Middleton, Kym Parker, Latishia Wynn, Lawrence Autry, Levester Green, Malcolm Scott Jr, Mango Redbook, Marcus Green, Marcus McCall, Mark Jones, Mary Sellman, Melody Byrd, Michael Warner, Michele Rochon, Mildred M. Hall, Morgan Jones, Morris Graham, Patricia Donaldson, Patty Smith, Phillip Black, Queenie Featherstone, Reggie Jones, Reginald Black, Reginald C. Denny, Reginald Scott, Ricardo Meriedy, Rita Sauls, Robert Warren, Rochelle Walker, Ron Dudley, Samuel Fullwood, Sasha Williams, Sheila White, Shuhratjon Ahmadjonov, Susan Westmoreland, Susan Wilshusan, Sybil Taylor, Warren Stevens, Wendell Williams BOARD OF DIRECTORS

VENDOR CODE OF CONDUCT 1.

I will support Street Sense Media’s mission statement and in so doing will work to support the Street Sense Media community and uphold its values of honesty, respect, support, and opportunity. I will treat all others, including customers, staff, volunteers, and fellow vendors, respectfully at all times. I will refrain from threatening others, pressuring customers into making donations, or engaging in behavior that condones racism, sexism, classism, or other prejudices.

3.

I understand that I am not an employee of Street Sense Media but an independent contractor.

4.

While distributing the Street Sense newspaper, I will not ask for more than $2 per issue or solicit donations by any other means.

5.

I will only purchase the newspaper from Street Sense Media staff and volunteers and will not distribute newspapers to other vendors.

6. 7.

“I will not distribute copies of “Street Sense” on metro trains and buses or on private property.”

Brian Carome

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT

Doris Warrell

I will abide by the Street Sense Media Vendor Territory Policy at all times and will resolve any related disputes with other vendors in a professional manner.

Darick Brown

8.

I will not sell additional goods or products while distributing “Street Sense.”

Leo Grayburn

9.

I will not distribute “Street Sense” under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Thomas Ratliff

10. I understand that my badge and vest are property of Street Sense Media and will not deface them. I will present my badge when purchasing “Street Sense” and will always display my badge when distributing “Street Sense.”

DIRECTOR OF VENDOR PROGRAMS CASE MANAGER DIRECTOR OF VENDOR EMPLOYMENT VENDOR PROGRAM ASSOCIATES

Aida Peery, Clifford Samuels

VENDOR PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS

Jeff Barger, Haley Gallagher, Roberta Haber, Ann Herzog, Kevin Jaatinen, Jacob Kuba, Eva Reeves, Mauricio Reyes

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

INTERESTED IN BEING A VENDOR? New vendor training: every Tuesday and Thursday // 2 p.m. // 1317 G St., NW

Will Schick

The Cover

Kaela Roeder

A homeless encampment on K Street. PHOTO BY

RODNEY CHOICE

streetsensemedia.org

info@streetsensemedia.org

The Street Sense Media Story, #MoreThanANewspaper 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 case-management 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.

DEPUTY EDITOR INTERNS

Lillian Ballantine, Hajira Fuad, Nate Kral, Nick Pasion, Ashleigh Fields, Jem Dyson

WRITERS GROUP ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

Willie Schatz

OPINION EDITORS (VOLUNTEER)

Rebecca Koenig, Emily Kopp, Lydia DePillis

EDITORIAL VOLUNTEERS

Ryan Bacic, Katie Bemb, Megan Boyanton, Lilah Burke, Lenika Cruz, Roberta Haber, Allison Hageman, Alison Henry, Kathryn Owens, Priya Rhoehit, Nick Shedd, Andrew Siddons, Jenny-lin Smith, Rebecca Stekol


STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

NEWS IN BRIEF

// 3

AT A GLANCE

ANNOUNCEMENTS • The next Vendor Meeting will be this Friday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m. Photo by Djenno Bacvic

Snowy owl sparks fundraiser for unhoused neighbors KAELA ROEDER Deputy Editor

The Snowy Owl perched at Union Station has made many headlines in the past few weeks, and a D.C. local is using the creature’s fame to make a difference. Noah Van Gilder, who works for a federal agency as a policy analyst, started a GoFundMe campaign in January to raise money for unhoused residents living in the union station area. At the time of publication, over $4,000 had been raised. Donations to the campaign will benefit Pathways to Housing DC, a local homeless services organization, which provides street outreach and operates an urgent care clinic and day services center downtown. “If you’re a fan of the owl, please give a helping hand to her human neighbors, who are also your neighbors,” Van Gilder wrote on the GoFundMe page.“Together, we can work for a city where every owl hunts in peace and every person sleeps soundly indoors.”

DHS announces workforce program for transgender, non-binary individuals at-risk or experiencing homelessness KAELA ROEDER Deputy Editor

The D.C. Department of Human Services is soliciting proposals from local organizations to establish a holistic workforce program for transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, or TGNC, over 25 experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness. One local organization accepted into the program will be granted $333,334 to provide job readiness training and trauma-informed wrap-around services like mental health aid, housing assistance and legal services support, according to the announcement. Applications are now open for organizations to apply and are due Feb. 7. A variety of work experiences should be covered in the program, including conflict resolution, time management and workplace-specific skills. The participating organization must also provide post-program assistance to help foster longterm goals. Training about transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals for employers in the organization and coordination with other service providers who have a history of working with TGNC populations will also be required. The organization accepted will conduct recruitment and outreach at drop-in centers, emergency shelters and housing providers. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, one in five transgender individuals have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. In addition, one in five transgender people have been discriminated against when finding a home, and more than one in ten have been evicted. This program is in accordance with the District’s Strategic Plan to end long-term homelessness.

NOTE TO READERS In our Jan. 12 edition, the article titled "District will receive millions to boost lead removal," is co-published with The DC Line.

• For severe weather, the office follows federal government closures and delays. Search online for “opm.gov/status” or check the Admin Desk voicemail (x101). • Vendors can bring in a complete CDC vaccination card for 15 free papers, and proof of a booster shot for 10 free papers. BIRTHDAYS Ivory Wilson Jan. 29 ARTIST/VENDOR


4 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // J A N . 2 6 - F E B . 1, 2022

NEWS

D.C. residents worry as its Chinatown risks vanishing into the past BY WILL SCHICK Editor-in-Chief

This story was first published in The Click in December 2021.

A mural painted by a local artist on a wall in D.C.’s Chinatown. Photo by Will Schick.

T

here’s something peculiar about the nineblock section of D.C.’s historic Chinatown. Here, there’s a lack of Chinese… well, everything. For the past several decades, an area that was once home to a bustling workingclass community of Chinese Americans has transformed into a place filled with major franchise restaurants and businesses that have nothing to do with American Chinese culture. But it hasn’t always been this way. For people like Penny Lee, a Chinese American documentary filmmaker who grew up in the D.C. area, the Chinatown from the ’70s and ’80s brimmed with culture. Lee immigrated to the U.S. from China in 1967. This was two years after U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a law repealing a previous immigration policy that expressly discriminated against people based on their race and national origin. When she was a girl, Lee would take a bus to Chinatown from her home on the northern end of the city to take part in kung fu and photography classes through a program sponsored by the mayor’s office. “I would stay in Chinatown from sunrise to sunset,” she told The Click, pausing to reflect on the now distant memory. “It was wonderful.”

Memories of Chinatown’s past Dr. Sojin Kim, a curator at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, also recalls what life used to be like in the D.C. Chinatown of yesteryear.

Dr. Kim, who is Korean American, also grew up in D.C. in the ’70s and ’80s. She said that DC’s Chinatown was a special place not just for the Chinese who lived in the neighborhood, but also other Asian immigrants who relied on the area for sundries that were hard to find anywhere else. “As an Asian American growing up in D.C., Chinatown was important in that way, because there was some public visibility and understanding that Asians were a part of the city,” she said. “But really, you understand that because it’s where your family goes to buy rice; it’s where they go to get certain ingredients.” However, many Asian Americans don’t consider today’s Chinatown as a true cultural enclave. Mike Kwan is a Chinese American transportation planner who moved to D.C. from San Francisco seven years ago. To him, the area feels fake. “When I want good Chinese food, or to be around more Chinese people, I don’t go to Chinatown,” he said. “I don’t know anybody that does that, to be frank.” It’s not simply the lack of Chinese American businesses driving discussions on the neighborhood’s authenticity. There’s also the issue of some questionable Chinese translations of various business names. Some Chinese American residents have said there are signs that have upside-down and backward characters or do not translate very accurately. “I kind of have mixed feelings about it because it’s kind of artificial,” said David Uy, the executive director of the newly opened Chinese American Museum in D.C., which is located about a mile and a half northwest of Chinatown. “But at the same time, at least there’s this effort to commemorate where the old borders of Chinatown used to be.” For Wei Gan, the poorly translated signs are still an outward symbol that makes her feel welcome. Gan is a PhD student

in anthropology at Princeton University and a recent D.C. transplant. “Even though sometimes I find myself rolling my eyes at these translations and kitschy Chinese-identity cultural markers, the fact that I can roll my eyes to myself makes me feel like this is a place where only me or other people of Chinese descent or Asian descent can have that kind of reaction,” Gan said.

The checkered history of D.C.’s Chinatown From early on, immigrants from China formed Chinatowns both in D.C. and across the U.S. The neighborhoods came about not out of a desire to build and preserve cultural identities, but out of a more practical necessity. “Chinatowns were formed basically as protective enclaves,” said Ted Gong, the founder of the 1882 Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes awareness of Chinese American history. “It was a protective space against all the expulsion, all the hangings, and all the lynchings that were happening.” By the 1930s, the nation’s capital forced its Chinatown residents to leave the neighborhood and make way for a new set of government buildings and office spaces, according to Tom Fong, a D.C.-area resident whose grandfather, Frank Ping Fong, helped re-organize the community. Known as the unofficial mayor of Chinatown, the elder Fong headed a group of local merchants in the 1920s and kept the Chinese community together as the government used eminent domain to seize their properties. Eventually, the displaced residents re-established themselves in the current area around H Street in downtown D.C.


STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 5

The Friendship Gate in D.C.’s Chinatown commemorates the history of the neighborhood. Photo by Will Schick.

At the time, the move of Chinatown’s residents to H Street triggered ominous coverage in The Washington Post, which characterized the move as an “invasion” that irked existing white residents and business owners in the area. “They bought this square, white, nondescript, three- to fourstory-high building on H Street between Sixth and Seventh, and he put in the architectural permits to make the building look more Chinese,” Fong said of his grandfather. Over the following years, the Chinatown community slowly recuperated, spurred on by an influx of residents who identified as Asian in the 1960s. By the 1990s, about 66% of the area’s population identified as Asian. However, the rising cost of housing and the decline in the area’s culturally specific businesses led to a precipitous drop in the number of residents with Asian heritage in the ensuing decades. The latest 2020 census data, which uses a smaller nine-block tract to define the area, shows that only about a third of the neighborhood’s 1,009 residents identified as Asian. Reports from the local NPR affiliate and The Washington Post claimed Chinatown’s population fell from a high of 3,000 Chinese residents to about 300 in the mid-2010s, though The Click was unable to confirm those numbers. Our reporting shows instead that Chinatown’s population never exceeded a total of 1,500 residents in the past 50 years. Today, the types of businesses and stores that Lee and Dr. Kim frequented in their youth have largely shifted out to the periphery of the city. They are mostly found in the large suburban shopping centers in neighboring Virginia and Maryland.

Finding a way to hold onto traditions Ten years ago, the younger Fong received an unexpected

request. The president of the Chinatown Consolidated Benevolent Association of D.C., an organization that advocates for the rights of Chinese immigrants, pulled him aside at a fundraising event to ask for help with an upcoming event. “She said, ‘Tom, I need you to come to Chinatown to help us.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, what’s goinwg on?’ She says, ‘We’re getting older, we’re just dying on the vine,’” he told The Click. Fong had been a long-time active member and leader in the local Chinese Youth Club, a nonprofit that sponsors cultural activities and sporting events. Because of this, the association asked him to help them organize the annual Lunar New Year parade. While the holiday is extremely important to Chinese Americans, the local event had not been receiving enough support. At the time, Fong estimated that the groups that participated in the parade were 95% Chinese. He felt it was time to open it up to more communities. “I felt like we needed to open this parade to be more like the cherry blossom parade where it was Japanese stuff, but you know what, there’s plenty of other non-Japanese things going on in the parade,” he said. With the approval of the association’s elders, Fong slowly expanded the annual parade’s participants to include other cultural affinity groups in the city, such as a mariachi band. Local Chinese American leaders lauded the inclusion of more participants. “‘They’re very colorful. Sound good. Get more,’” Fong recalled hearing from the association at the time. Soon, Fong said they were able to grow the annual event from several thousand participants a year to 45,000 before the pandemic. For Fong, bringing in other cultural groups was important because it showed that Chinatown and its traditions were a part of the overall fabric of the city, and part of a larger community

of diverse Americans. Celebrating activities such as this, he said, can also help break down barriers that divide people from one another. Given the recent rise in hate and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in recent years, Fong said inclusive events are much more important than ever. The annual Chinatown Lunar New Year celebration and parade, however, have been canceled for the past two years due to the pandemic. The next parade is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022. But as Dr. Kim points out, preserving a culture’s heritage and traditions is not always so straightforward. “They’re not always the things you think about when you’re making a decision about renovating a building or redeveloping an area,” Kim said. These ideas are best captured and reflected in shared community practices. These social activities might involve food, sports, or other shared customs and group behaviors. “And I think there are a number of things in Chinatown that still do that,” she said. “I think that the parade is a really important one because that’s an example of public display.” This story was first published in The Click.


6 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // J A N . 2 6 - F E B . 1, 2022

NEWS

D.C. Homeless Crisis Reporting Project news blitz analysis GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY’S MEDIA AND SOCIAL JUSTICE CLASS

Introduction According to the DC Homeless Crisis Reporting Project, at least 5,111 people in D.C. are currently experiencing homelessness—a population that is frequently overlooked and underserved in city politics and local media. Every year, the DC Homeless Crisis Reporting Project attempts to draw attention to this issue in a “News Blitz,” in which a variety of news outlets publish stories relating to the issue. Each of the involved outlets release at least one story about the homelessness crisis to “investigate barriers and solutions to ending homelessness.” The first News Blitz in 2016 was a collaboration between Street Sense Media, DCist, and ThinkProgress. The project has continued every year since and was inspired by a similar effort in San Francisco.

The blitz in numbers Since the start of the Media Blitz project, there have been 140 total stories about homelessness in D.C. published through the project. Coverage during the Blitz peaked during 2019, with 28 stories and nine participating media outlets. Stories per year increased consistently between 2017 and 2019, alongside the number of media outlets participating in Blitz coverage. Total stories fell below any other year in 2020, with only 20 published in total, though this could be attributable to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small media outlets. In 2021, the number of stories returned to pre-pandemic levels but the recovery is not aligned with the previous trend that began in 2017. Since the start of the Blitz, the number of collaborators has increased by five times. In 2016, there were only the three original collaborators participating in coverage, whereas 15 separate outlets contributed at least one story to coverage in 2021. The trend is mostly linear, but did fall back slightly in 2020, which may also be attributable to the effects of COVID19. Street Sense Media, a street newspaper that elevates the voices of people experiencing homelessness and provides them with economic opportunities, contributes a significant portion of the total coverage, ranging from 19% to 41%—as shown in the graph. While this was on a decreasing trajectory for the first three years of the project, it increased again during the peak year of 2019 and then returned to declining. As the organizers of the project, their high levels of contribution are logical, but decreasing rates of contribution could serve as another way to measure the diversity of participants. The vast majority of all stories per year are traditional news articles or feature stories. Other forms of media, like radio and video, are less prevalent. In the first year of the project, there were no radio stories, but there were two a year in 2019 and 2020. In 2021, there were no radio or television pieces available in that form on the DC Homeless Crisis website.

Past coverage evaluation The stories in the News Blitz frequently exemplify what is known as Solutions Journalism, meaning that they investigate

Photo by Maydeen Merino

what is being done to solve a particular problem and how successful these efforts are. This means that many of the stories strike an uplifting tone, but many are also critical of situations where solutions are not being accomplished. It also lends itself to many stories about specific organizations that each present their own solutions to the homelessness crisis. One of the successes of the News Blitz project has been the analysis of homelessness from a variety of angles and perspectives. Frequently, stories focus on groups that are attempting to end homelessness and on individuals who are currently or formerly homeless, but there are also many stories about policy and systemic issues that contribute to the continuation of homelessness. The coverage overall highlights the intersectional nature of homelessness, including the way that it overlaps with gender, age, ability, race, and LGBTQ+ identity. A potential downside to this wide variety of coverage is a lack of continuity, which can make it challenging to view each year’s coverage as interconnected. Another area of weakness in the coverage is the lack of inclusion of the voices of people experiencing homelessness, particularly in pieces that focus on policy changes. While articles that feature on-the-ground organizations frequently include these, readers are occasionally left lacking understanding of the perspectives of individuals who are homeless on the policies that could deeply affect them. In 2018, Street Sense Media hosted a forum for editors involved in the News Blitz to receive feedback from an audience of readers. One concern that audience members addressed was the lack of homeless voices included in the Blitz’s coverage, according to Chris Kain, The DC Line’s

editor, who spoke with a member of our class for this analysis. “It was a criticism about some media coverage not having enough voices of people who either have experienced homelessness or are experiencing homelessness, so it felt like there wasn’t enough of that first person or the accountability in that manner,” Kaine said in a phone interview. “I think having raised that at the forum is something that stuck with me.”

2021 comparison The 2021 Media Blitz Project was the most extensive to date with 15 partners. There were also more collaborations with student newspapers and, for the first time, an article from a Spanish-language newspaper—El Tiempo. The number of articles, however, did not quite reflect the overall trend of increased participation. There were more articles than published in 2020, but with 23 articles, they did not match the peak in 2019 (28 articles). The number of articles from Street Sense Media, a founding member of the project, decreased substantially from 2020. Only five of the articles are attributed, in whole or in part, to Street Sense Media. Although there are fewer written by Street Sense, one piece from Washington City Paper followed the life of a Street Sense Photojournalist, which demonstrates the continued role of Street Sense Media in the project overall. Another difference in this year’s coverage was the lack of radio, video and multimedia coverage. In the previous two years, there were two radio stories each year. This drop-off is noteworthy due to the prevalence of radio and television journalism in general.


STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 7

part of the same conversation,” which received 23 comments on the Greater Greater Washington website itself. The high engagement with this particular piece indicates that readers are possibly looking for explanations as to the causes of homelessness. Comments on The Hoya’s piece about hostile architecture, however, reflect negative attitudes about people experiencing homelessness. The paper’s Editor-in-Chief, Riley Rogerson, told our team that several comments had to be removed under the paper’s policies on hate speech. Looking at the stories that received the most attention overall, there does not seem to be any particular preference for solutions-oriented stories versus more typical news stories about community issues. Rather, solutions stories were just one piece of the overall effective coverage.

Conclusions and recommendations

Once again, however, we observed the trend that homeless voices are not consistently included in the articles. An example of this is one of the stories from Washington City Paper is about a documentary of a Street Sense photojournalist; however, the person who is interviewed in the story is the director of the film and not any of the homeless people featured in it. Similarly, an article from Street Sense Media about two neighborhood commissioners that are described as “advocates” for the unhoused population does not include any interviews with members of the unhoused community.

Target audiences In 2021, one story published was clearly targeted toward homeless communities specifically. The article, entitled “FAQ: What you need to know if you’re single and experiencing homelessness in DC.” Most of the stories, however, are written for a broader audience and thus focus more on policy issues. The intended audience of the media outlet changes based on the context. The Hatchet, George Washington University’s student paper, wrote their coverage with their university community in mind. “A large part of our audience is students, faculty, alumni, administrators so I think for the purposes of our audience it was more trying to educate them on what is going on in their community,” Editor-in-Chief Lia De Groot said in an interview for this analysis. De Groot also acknowledged that, while The Hatchet covers the local homeless community in Foggy Bottom, it is difficult to connect directly with them, particularly for journalists who are used to using their connections with pre-existing sources. Riley Rogerson, Editor in Chief of The Hoya, also told us that the fast turn-around times for the articles made it particularly difficult for their paper to find and interview people experiencing homelessness. “We tried reaching out to [Street Sense Media] to see if there was anyone we could talk to but given the time, we were unable to,” Rogerson said. “In a perfect world, we would have had voices from people experiencing homelessness, but unfortunately the stories did not have that.” On the other hand, DCist editor Ingalisa Schrobsdorff says that the coverage is intended for both housed and unhoused audiences around D.C. and that DCist aims to include the voices

of people experiencing homelessness whenever possible. “You don’t cover a group or an individual without including voices of those affected if at all possible,” said Schrobsdorff. “Of course, we speak to advocates and officials, but we always aim to include someone who is or has experienced homelessness, as our stories reflect.” Schrobsdorff’s comments reflect our findings that DCist was the outlet that most effectively represented unhoused individuals in their 2021 coverage. Although some publications like the DCist are considering the unhoused communities as they write, our reporting found that the News Blitz is not widely recognized in the Foggy Bottom encampment at 23rd and Virginia Ave. One member of the encampment that was interviewed specifically to gauge the effectiveness of the News Blitz did not recognize Street Sense Media at all, although the paper is distributed by members of the community.

Reactions to the blitz After the publication of their articles, most of the outlets involved posted them to their social media, primarily using Facebook and Twitter to connect with audiences. The tweets that received the most engagement using #DCHomelessCrisis are all from the DCist, whose top story on social media was about a tax increase to provide greater revenue for new housing programs. The same article was also tweeted out by Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George using the Blitz hashtag. Some readers also had strong reactions to Street Sense Media pieces, including Twitter user Rebecca Dzida, who called the coverage of housing vacancies “damning” to the D.C. government in a tweet the day after the Blitz. On Facebook, coverage by the DCist sparked a conversation about preferred terminology, with a comment thread that began with one reader asking, “Is ‘unhoused’ the new preferred word for ‘homeless’? Been seeing that a lot lately in news stories such as this one.” Engagement like this shows that audience members are responding to the content within the stories and possibly having lasting impacts in their day-to-day lives. Not all engagement was through social media, however. One article that gained attention amongst the local community of readers was “Homelessness and DC’s housing shortage are

First and foremost, we recommend that more people experiencing homelessness are interviewed across the board. Especially when the articles are policy-centric, those who are most directly affected are oftentimes not actually interviewed for the pieces. This not only leaves a hole in the Blitz coverage, but also takes the focus away from those at the center of the issue who deserve the most attention and airtime. In order to make the Blitz’s coverage stronger and more impactful, Street Sense Media could potentially use the connections that they have with the unhoused population to provide links to possible sources. Although this may be rejected by some media outlets who have policies about their sourcing, it would be one way to use the strengths of Street Sense Media to the advantage of the project as a whole. Additionally, stories that were written in previous years deserve some kind of follow-up in the next year’s News Blitz, especially those that tackle more difficult and complex topics like political decisions and large-scale crises. Whether the issue has been resolved or still persists, these stories exist beyond a single story, and a brief mention in another article—or even a Blitz article dedicated solely to recapping the previous year’s stories—would help keep these stories centered even as they evolve and new ones arrive. Next year’s News Blitz should also expand its coverage to include audio and video storytelling. We feel that especially given the rise in popularity of podcasts over the past few years, attempting to produce more stories in this format would improve the size of their audience. In this same vein, the News Blitz should seek to produce and promote stories written in languages other than English. This will allow the coverage to reach a wider audience than it does when all of the stories are only written in English. The final recommendation for the News Blitz is to write more pieces that are specifically directed to and written for the homeless community. Stories about policies and encampment clearings, like we observed in 2021, are valuable and deserve ample coverage. Moving forward, though, we believe that coverage should reflect the needs of the community by including the voices of people experiencing homelessness and also by including a larger number of pieces directed to the unhoused community specifically. Report created by: Meredith Miller, Jo Stephens, Eli Kales, Annemarie Cuccia, Marianna De Souza, Jem Dyson, Brian Ely, Jessica Filling, Maddie Gaeta, Clara Grudberg, Annabella Hoge, Ethan Johanson, Nate Kral, Kerry O’Donnell, Jack Pedigo, Kira Pomeranz, Nate Powers, Moira Ritter, Kelvin Santacruz, and Holden Tisch


8 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // J A N . 2 6 - F E B . 1, 2022

NEWS

D.C. completes renovation of men’s shelter on St. Elizabeths campus COLLEEN GRABLICK DCist

Courtesy of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office

D.C. completed its overhaul of the 801 East Men’s Shelter on Monday, bringing the first daytime service center East of the River and marking an expansion in the city’s services for single adults experiencing homelessness. The $56 million project on the St. Elizabeths East Campus will have 396 beds available for emergency shelter, for seniors and individuals with medical needs, and for those participating in work programs. Additional beds will be reserved for hypothermia season. The newly constructed complex will also host a daytime service center – a place where residents experiencing homelessness can access low-barrier resources. (D.C.’s Department of Human Services currently manages three other day centers: one in Ward 2, and two in Ward 5.) The service center at 801 East will have a mailroom, computer lab, and laundry facility. Residents can also be connected with case management and behavioral health support, and can access the kitchen for culinary job training program. “This is a big, big first step in the work that we will do with men who need housing,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday during the facility’s ribbon cutting. “But it is going to demonstrate … smaller, dignified, better services. People can get back on their feet, and get the housing and the second chances that they deserve.” The new shelter is a part of Bowser’s Homeward D.C. 2.0 plan, a five-year initiative aiming to eliminate homelessness in the city by 2025. Introduced in July 2021, Homeward 2.0 seeks to accomplish what Homeward D.C., her 2015 plan to eliminate homelessness by 2020, did not. While the city reached some of Bowser’s initial goals – shuttering D.C. General and replacing it with smaller family shelters in each ward, and decreasing the number of families experiencing homelessness in the city – others have gone unmet. Homeward D.C. called for an overall reduction in homelessness by 65% at the end of 2020, but the

city fell about 26% short of that benchmark. Homeward 2.0 is meant to address the shortcomings of the city’s initial strategic plan, namely its emphasis on addressing family homelessness, at times at the expense of single adults. According to the city, overall homelessness decreased by 20% from 2020 to 2021, with a “small but important” reduction in single adults. Homeward 2.0 outlines a plan to increase permanent housing availability, in part by creating on-site supportive housing units, in lieu of handing out permanent supportive housing vouchers that can be used in private rentals. It also suggests working closely on job training and career building with residents who receive rapid re-housing vouchers, in order to make sure those residents are financially secure by the time their subsidy ends. “We have fewer families experiencing homelessness in shelters today than were in D.C. General alone,” Department of Human Services director Laura Zeilinger said Monday. “The single adult system is larger and more complex. We are similarly focused on all aspects of that system. And today is a critical milestone of what we’re doing in emergency shelter for single adults.” The city introduced a plan to renovate 801 East in March 2018, to fix “deteriorating conditions” at the shelter. The new shelter was first slated to open between the winter of 2020-2021, then was pushed to Sept. 2021 amid foundational concerns and permit delays, according to Street Sense Media. 801 East is located on the St. Elizabeths East campus. Formerly a psychiatric hospital, the expanse of historical land is now a massive redevelopment project for the city, including plans for residencies and a new hospital. The completed renovation of a low-barrier center, designed to serve and ultimately house single men experiencing homelessness, comes as Bowser and her administration

face criticism for their handling of the city’s homeless encampments.The city launched a program over the summer that offered residents housing – although not always permanent placements – before clearing encampments, preventing them from returning. During one clearing in NoMa, a resident was struck and lifted by the driver of a small bulldozer. In December, emails revealed that administration officials had called for the clearing of a homeless encampment at the site of a Bowser press conference, where she announced a plan to expand affordable housing. Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau introduced legislation that would have temporarily paused the city’s encampment program, but neither her original nor amended proposals passed the council last year. Jesse Rabinowitz, an advocacy and campaign manager with Miriam’s Kitchen, said the needed renovation of 801 East is exciting news, but hopes that the mayor’s 2023 budget includes additional investments in permanent supportive housing. Homeward 2.0 outlines a plan to increase permanent housing availability, in part by creating on-site supportive housing units, in lieu of handing out permanent supportive housing vouchers that can be used in private rentals. “I’m thrilled to see that 801 East got a much needed renovation. I hope that that will mean that fewer of our neighbors sleep outside every night,” Rabinowitz said. “However, it’s not enough to have safe, dignified shelter. The goal that Mayor Bowser set up was to end chronic homelessness and all forms of homelessness, and the best way we know how to do that is through increasing investments in permanent supportive housing.” This story first appeared in DCist on Jan. 24, 2022


STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

My man Eric JACQUELINE TURNER

Artist/Vendor

The first impression I had of Eric was that he was a nerd. Oh, haha. He was an intelligent man, and it showed on the outside. He was friendly and easy to talk to. He interviewed me once about how I came to Street Sense and asked me about my background. He had patience and was always willing to help. Eric was a nice guy who worked tirelessly to make Street Sense a good newspaper. He would often bring in students to help the homeless express themselves with their writing. I will miss him because he always made time to talk and help people. I will miss him not so much because of his amazing work but because how good a person he was. God bless Eric in all his future work.

Touched by sunshine CARLTON JOHNSON Artist/Vendor

Beheld by the light of your eyes, this is why we call you sunshine. Your touch from your lifetime brings justful feelings to my heart. This is why we call you the sunshine of this family for the joy you passed on will never part. You hold the life of dreams from a dreamer in your face. I see your dreams touched by your soul. Let me dream my way out of your dream. I feel your soul and in me, I feel like a newborn in life. That’s what I am, your newborn. The blessings of your past, a soul born for you, a man with a dreamer heart, your offspring who has a dream of being a poet. I will always be a part of your dreams. You will always be in my dreams. your eyes are my sunshine, my will to live. Follow all of your dreams for me, your blessings count for a lifetime. I now have a pen name and publish. This ink flows from the life of your firstborn dream.

Facing oneself In the stretch of early morning, you believe that you can do it. Nothing comes easy unless you explore the possibilities and you investigate and ask questions. You don’t stop until you get the results you want. Until you find the answers, Act as though your life depends on it, make sure you get the results you want, Never give up.

REGINALD SCOTT Artist/Vendor

Life has crumbled beyond the crumbs as my curiousness and cautiousness have become fatal throughout my time living here on earth. Ergo My focus is challenged by the struggle of life’s bake in the bakery. I see this world as an oven or an Easy Bake. But no amount of Pam spray or olive oil will help me conquer it. Crumbs don’t seem to exist when I’m cooking. Hard times do apply.

Become a Street Sense Media volunteer and help further our mission to empower people experiencing homelessness by amplifying marginalized voices and meeting the information needs of people in poverty. You’ll support hard-working newspaper vendors by volunteering your time, four hours a week, distributing newspapers at the Street Sense Media office. If interested, please contact Thomas Ratliff thomas@ streetsensemedia.org 202-347-2006 (x103)

AYUB ABDUL Artist/Vendor

Hard times do apply

HELP! WE’RE LOOKING FOR

Sasha Williams Artist/Vendor

For more information about these opportunities and other volunter positions, visit StreetSenseMedia. org/volunteer

// 9


1 0 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // J A N . 2 6 - F E B . 1, 2022

OPINION

Local and federal efforts aim to address the digital divide in the Washington region BY JOSHUA MONTGOMERY-PATT Greater Greater Washington

I

n Washington D.C., the digital gap has been a longstanding challenge. A quarter of D.C. households do not have broadband internet connections, with those numbers being over 35% in wards 5, 7, and 8, wards with predominantly Black populations. D.C.’s disparities are greater than those elsewhere in the Washington region. In most Northern Virginia counties, less than 10% of residents lack a broadband subscription. In Maryland, 21.9% of households in Prince George’s County, 15.3% in Montgomery County, and 11.4% in Howard County are not connected to broadband. Much like in D.C., broadband adoptions rates are lower than the statewide averages for Maryland and Virginia’s Black residents. D.C. residents’ lack of high-speed internet is not driven by a lack of coverage, as inadequate infrastructure is only a barrier for 3,000 of the 53,000 households in D.C. that are not connected to broadband. Instead, it is largely driven by cost — a 2011 survey on broadband adoption from the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Technology Officer determined that low-income residents are “significantly less likely to use broadband at home.” According to the 2019 American Community Survey, 29.62% of D.C. households that make under $50,000/year do not have a broadband internet subscription. This digital divide has numerous negative effects on those who do not have broadband. Not being connected to high speed internet can “impact the fairness of remote court proceedings,” prevent people from accessing government services such as unemployment programs, and bar people from being able to attend telehealth visits. Most crucially, it has become a significant barrier to educational access, especially for D.C.’s students of color. According to a 2020 study, 27% of Black students and 25% of Latino students in D.C. do not have highspeed internet at home, compared to just 5% of D.C.’s white students, making it difficult for many Black and Latino students in the city to fully participate in virtual learning. In response to these challenges, there have been efforts at both the local

and national level in the past year to make broadband more affordable. The federal infrastructure bill’s focus on expanding broadband access has attracted attention as a potential solution for the digital divide nationwide. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocates $42.5 billion in grants that will go directly to states and territories, with the District receiving approximately $100 million over 5 years through this program. These grants can be used to expand broadband access through the construction of infrastructure and through the expansion of service to underserved communities, but they can also be used to provide subgrants that would go to encouraging broadband adoption in areas that already have access. This would enable the District to allocate its federal grant money towards helping the city transition to making broadband more affordable. The act also requires that any service provider that receives a subgrant under this program offer at least one low-cost broadband option for subscribers. What would be considered “low-cost” in D.C. would be determined by the District and by the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information. In addition to making broadband more affordable through grants and regulations, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has made the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program permanent. The EBB program began on May 11, 2021, after being authorized in the December 2020 appropriations bill, and it offered some qualifying lower-income households a discount of $50 per month off the cost of their home internet. The EBB eliminated over half of the $70 average monthly cost that D.C.’s lower-income residents pay for high speed internet, and by the end of 2021, 29,456 households in DC, 130,811 households in Maryland, and 165,014 households in Virginia were enrolled in it. However, only $3.2 billion in funds had been appropriated for the EBB program nationally, as it had been designed only as a temporary measure to last during the pandemic. A permanent extension of the program was included in the infrastructure bill, which retitled it the Affordable Connectivity Fund and allocated

$14.2 billion in federal funds towards reducing broadband costs for lower-income households. More households will be eligible under the redesigned program, but there will only be a $30 monthly discount. In addition, there are concerns that the funding will not last longer than 3 years without the further development of a framework for funding and administering universal service from the FCC. Due to these shortcomings, the work of state governments in the region to expand broadband access remains crucial. In April, 10 D.C. councilmembers introduced Bill 24-200, the Internet Equity Amendment Act of 2021. Under the bill, the Office of the Chief Technology Officer would establish a Digital Equity Division, to both determine recommended connection speeds and ensure within 180 days of the act’s enactment that all DC households be connected to the internet at those speeds at a cost of less than 0.5% of their household income. This would be accomplished through partnerships with internet service providers and through the DC-Net program, which provides access to affordable broadband for District residents. Eventually, the office would explore options including building a city-owned and operated broadband service. While there were public hearings on the bill in September and October, it has not advanced beyond this stage. Maryland has also taken steps towards making broadband more affordable. In August, Governor Hogan and legislative leaders announced the creation of the Maryland Emergency Broadband Benefit Subsidy Program, which provides an additional cumulative discount on broadband costs of up to $15/month to Marylanders who are enrolled in the EBB program. No similar plans appear to have been moved on in Virginia — both former Gov. Ralph Northam and recently inaugurated Gov. Glenn Youngkin have been more focused on expanding broadband access to rural areas of the state. This story first appeared in Greater Greater Washington on Jan. 18, 2022.

The January 6th anniversary production was a box office dud JEFFERY MCNEIL Artist/Vendor

D

emocrats have characterized the events of Jan. 6th, 2021 as the worst attack on our democracy since Pearl Harbor. Many say politics is downstream from theater, and if Insurrection Day was a movie, it might have been the biggest dud since Sex Lives of the Potato Men. Nancy Pelosi directed other box office bombs, such as Russia Collusion, The Mueller Report, and Impeachment. Insurrection Day was going to be Democrats’ Lawrence of Arabia. The one-year remembrance had all the trappings of the Oscars. The stars of the Democratic Party were there, with a performance by the cast of Hamilton, followed by shunned Republicans Liz Cheney and her war-mongering father, Dick. Vice President Kamala Harris compared Insurrection Day, where four people died, to 9/11. Then, Joe Biden delivered a disunifying speech that seemed angry and vengeful.

The plot begins with Orange Man as a sore loser, claiming election fraud, telling his base to overthrow the government. The plot thickens with names like Baked Alaska and QAnon Shaman, the faces of the great trespassing event known as insurrection. Saturday Night Live couldn’t come up with a skit as incredible as the worst attack on our Democracy. Insurrection Day was a modern-day Birth of a Nation, where the Trump supporters are ignorant. As with that film, which tapped into white America’s racism against Black people, Insurrection Day horrifies the ruling class enough to justify their tyranny over the masses. As with Al Capone or Bonny and Clyde, the real story doesn’t match the mythology. The portrayal of January 6th in Insurrection Day is entirely partisan. In overdramatizing the events of that day, democrats want to whitewash all the riots that erupted in Washington D.C. in June 2020, when rioters tried to tear down statues, and set fires at the 200-year-old St John’s church. In reality, Insurrection Day was nothing more than a pep

rally. But Democrats are politicizing January 6th as jet fuel to motivate their base. I hope Democrats make it a holiday; I like having days off. Let them bully and run over anyone who voices dissent. Usually, those who try to destroy books always are the ones whom no one remembers in the books. This attempt to turn America into 1984 is a big swing and miss. Every day, more people realize Joe Biden sold them a box of rocks. They may not vote for Republicans, but under no circumstance will they vote Democratic. Just sit back, grab your popcorn and wait for the Democrats’ next desperate attempt to destroy Donald Trump.


STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

A crazy question CHRIS COLE

Artist/Vendor

Bipolar, crazy, mentally ill Manic or depressed? Which way do I feel? Should I self medicate? Or should I take their stupid pill? My life has been marred, perhaps ruined by a series of episodes lost jobs, lost family, lost all of my control I feel alive when I’m manic, and most like myself But then manic turns to maniacal And then I need help The pills deaden my senses, steal my joy, and make me feel numb Unless you suffer from mental illness, the question of whether to medicate probably seems dumb It seems the obvious choices are being a zombie from The Walking Dead Or being the crazy girl with problems in her head.

// 11

What does writer’s group mean to me? REDBOOK MANGO Artist/Vendor

Writers group has come to be, an excellent outlet for my therapy “Each one, teach one” was so selfish, son! “Each one, teach two, how we do this boo?” “Each one teach the whole crew,” how do we do this boo?” Tomorrow’s not promised Nor is your next hour, This boy took my tooth but calls me a liar, a thief, a cheat, someone who is not me He slanders my character with no conspiracy Life does not matter

He has really hurt me, The police zoomed up and asked me if I called the cops, I looked at her and shook my head no and walked away with bloody knots.

GRACIAS GARCIAS Artist/Vendor

Happy Birthday! BY ROCHELLE WALKER Artist/Vendor

Happy birthday, happy birthday to you. It ought to be law to say Happy Birthday to you. Let’s celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King. It’s Black History month. Let us sing Happy Birthday to Dr. King. He represents peace and justice too. There’s a street named Martin Luther King. It doesn’t hurt to learn some history. To hear his voice. It is Martin Luther King. He ran the race. He helped us with grace. His date of birth is just as important as his date of death. He left a legacy. It’s Dr. Martin Luther King. Happy Birthday.

Muant I am as tha dauncer at an ingang to figours ant orbs, to al for ay ruse, and do thie okslama with mye hoonds ’nd legs! Thann up cloyss tome, spok him at musa, “He step inn lyik to meyslf, as thohh sang” BY FRANK STERLING Artist/Vendor


1 2 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // J A N . 2 6 - F E B . 1, 2022

ART

Friends DANIEL BALL

Artist/Vendor

Now first of all, a friend is someone you are supposed to trust with your life. I know for a fact that Eric had a real good heart toward us Street Sense Vendors and he always kept a funny smile on his handsome face when he worked here at the Street Sense office. So now that Eric moved

on to WAMU last year, we all feel a little bit sad in our hearts. But I will still say to Eric, thank you and may God continue to bless you at your new job at WAMU.

Be smart! MARCUS MCCALL Artist/Vendor

Untitled CARLOS D. CAROLINA Artist/Vendor

When I was growing up I wanted to be a Toy - r - us - kid, syke naw… But really though, when I was a kid superheroes and action figures were the most popular toys. As a kid, there were some action figures that you just had to have. You had to have the whole X-Men collection. You couldn’t just get Wolverine and Cyclops and not get Storm and Jean and most importantly Professor-X. If you get me, you had to get the whole team. Also, Spiderman, Superman, Batman, and of course, The Incredible

Hulk. When it came to action figures you just had to have G.I. Joe, you had to have a soldier. Old school W.W.E. was also very popular. I remember that everyone wanted to be a part of the W.W.E. It was more action packed, it had real characters and real championship belts. Yeah, superheroes and action figures were really cool back then. And I think they are still cool now.

A wise man once told me that he had something to say, so I listened to his message. He said “if you can out think a man, you can beat him!” He meant to say that the mind controls the body. No matter how strong the body is, it’s just like what happened to Samson when Delilah cut his

hair. He lost his strength. The white man never thought he could win a physical battle but he knew that in a mental battle, a Black man didn’t stand a chance. You can be tough all you want but if your mind is weak, your big tough gangster head will lose every time.

Mary KYM PARKER Artist/Vendor

To all that know the one The beauty of one woman She was the deepest It was her that understood all of our plans Past and present She loves us all Unconditional Her child gave his life to save us all

My God

Wisdom, understanding, peace, Patience, humility, selfless acts The purest of love My God She knows all of us She loves all of us She saves us all in her way

Eric our chief editor QUEENIE FEATHERSTONE Artist/Vendor

Street Sense Media has a man who wants to help others, in all the ways he can. He has a goal to publish what he’s told: stories, poems, and the headlines we read every day with ease. Our Eric God help him please. Much thanks to you our former Chief Editor Eric Falquero. Love ya! QF.


STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 1 3

Untitled RITA SAULS

Artist/Vendor

When I was growing up I was so admired and protected. I expected to be an over achiever. People would often say things to me like, “you’re going to be something else when you grow up.” I did not know then what “something else” meant, but the way it sounded, I knew it didn’t mean something other than a human being. At the time, it felt like it meant an over-achiever or a very successful person. And even if I didn’t make the honor roll or wasn’t a scholar on paper, everyone knew that I had the mind to be one. I was a social person and communicated with and hung around with people of all ages. Seniors would sometimes tell me, “Rita go home!” This included my best friend’s mom. One night she got drunk and chased me up the street telling me to “go home!” while she let her own daughter stay out late at night,

but not me. Then, there was the mom who came on every night on a commercial who would ask “Do you know where your kids are?” She would yelling R-IT-A. R-I-T-A. Next thing you know, kids, grow-ups and everybody on the block began mocking her and started saying R-I-T-A, R-I-T-A. I had a lovely upbringing, growing up on the block 14th E Corcoran Street Northwest. We had eight bedrooms and I was always surrounded by wonderful people totally committed to my welfare. And now I’m so grateful and I owe so many people for the making of the R-I-T-A you see today. Thanks to God for putting me on my bended knees and for all my pedigree.

Thankful DONTÉ TURNER

Artist/Vendor

Though homeless & less fortunate My life is beautiful & I am thankful I’ve been an alcoholic & yet My life is beautiful & I am thankful I could’ve been strung out on drugs & my alcoholism could’ve gotten worse & yet My life is beautiful & I am thankful I could’ve died long time ago but yet My life is beautiful & I am thankful Thank You Lord My life is beautiful & I am thankful

You are beautiful to me PATRICIA DONALDSON Artist/Vendor

Beauty is power. Let us live for the beauty of our own reality. There is no definition of beauty, but when you can see someone’s spirit, that is beautiful to me. Real beauty is to be true to oneself. Beauty is power. There is no definition of beauty, but when you can see someone’s spirit they are beautiful and it encourages you. There is beauty around us - we just have to open our eyes to appreciate it. If you’ve found one such person in your life who has the most beautiful soul cherish it. The beautiful thing about me is that I like to smile at people. A beautiful person is someone who stays true to themselves and their spirit, someone who is self confident and can make you smile. These people have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion and gentleness. Beautiful people do not just happen. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and never forget that. My mother is the most beautiful lady in the world not because she is my mother but because she has a good smile.

Untitled BY LEVESTER GREEEN

Artist/Vendor

Street Sense Media is a great place to get involved in everyday politics, especially in the nation's capital of Washington D.C. You can see read multiple perspectives related to homelessness issues. I appreciate Street Sense Media because it gives us a voice in the arena. It serves as a great equalizer. Street Sense Media is a major outlet for the otherwise voiceless and overlooked people. It fights for a worthy cause, provides for the needy and brings dreams and aspirations to fruition. Street Sense Media also provides pay for contributors, although not anything big. I think following up with contributing artists to build them up and them become “real world” artists with the confidence to overcoming their life’s challenges is important.


1 4 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // J A N . 2 6 - F E B . 1, 2022

FUN & GAMES

Across

Sudoku #3

1

8 2 2 4 6 7 8 3 7 8 9 1 1 7 4 9

6 4 3 8 5 2 3 6 1 7 5 2

© 2013 KrazyDad.com

Novice Sudoku Puzzles, Volume 1, Book 1

Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each Sudoku #2 all of the digits 1 thru 9. 3-by-3 block contain

9 use 4 logic 2 you 6 can1 solve 7 the 5 puzzle 8 without 3 If you guesswork.

6 a 8little 7help?5 The3hints2 page 9 1a logical order to solve the puzzle. 4 shows Need Use it to identify the next square you should solve. Or use the answers page 3 really 8 9 4 6 2 7 1 get 5 stuck. if you 2 5 8 7 6 4 3 6 9 2 7 9 1 3 4 8 2 3 1 7 5 7 4 2 8 1 6 9 4 5

1 3 4 9 8 7 1 5 5 2 6 8 6 9 5 4 9 1 3 6 3 8 7 2

>> This crossword puzzle’s answers: tinyurl.com/SSMcross-01-26-2022

<< LAST EDITION’S PUZZLE SOLUTION

Que es mas macho: `lightbulb' o `schoolbus'?

9 3 4

Down

1. Motor trailer 2. Literary conflict 3. Cad 4. Christmas bulb, e.g.

© ONLINECROSSWORDS.NET

Novice Sudoku Puzzles, Volume 1, Book 1

1. Chocolate substitute 6. Meerschaum, e.g. 10. Has the title 14. Greek marketplace 15. Mr. Roberts 16. Pull for 17. Gibberish! 19. Columba 20. Wheelhouse dir. 21. Sultanate of Arabia 22. Portable chair 23. Tiff 24. Breaks out 26. Boring thing to hear 30. Set out for display 31. Jelly for germs 32. Where truckers sleep 35. It has feathers and flies 36. Legal addendum 38. Predatory sea bird 39. Royal Leamington feature 40. Rollers with corners 41. Exhausted 42. Unsolicited opinion 46. Plays the ace 48. Pressure, in slang 49. Ransacks 50. Like many a winter sky 51. Psychic power 54. It may be drawn in the sand 55. Batman and Robin 58. Wing-shaped 59. Hardly illusory 60. Zenith’s opposite 61. “The Laughing Cavalier” artist 62. Two-master 63. Prepare parmesan, e.g.

5. Nonsense 6. Non-computer chip? 7. Zagros Mountains locale 8. Chum 9. Reindeer’s kin 10. Difficult experience 11. Boring thing to hear? 12. Astronomical phenomena 13. Brens’ cousins 18. Radiate 22. Traumatize 23. Ella’s music 24. Stropping result 25. Galactic bit 26. Youngsters 27. Envelop 28. Not reasonable 29. Weighted down 33. Rhody, in an old song

34. Cleansing vessel 36. “The Vampire Lestat” author 37. Readies the bubbly 38. Lady Macbeth’s bane 40. Morse code symbols 41. Swinging from side to side 43. Irrigates 44. Slavery 45. Garment line 46. Islamic deity 47. All done! 50. Eat like a mouse 51. Old Norse poetry collection 52. Diamonds, e.g. 53. Dermal opening 55. Thirsty 56. Aye 57. Mercury or Saturn, but not Mars

Sudoku #4 5

2

7

6 8 4 1 9 3 9 1 6 8 7 5 4 3 2 3 6 9 2 5 8 7 4 1

6 8 4 9 3 3 9 2 5 1 2 5 4 6 8 7 3 8 5 7 4 2 6 4 2 1 3 9 9 1 7 8 6 5 8 2 1 5 7 4 4 7 3 9 1 6 5 9 6 3 2 8 1

7

Sudoku #6 6 9 4 7 8 7 3 5 5 2 1 3 1 4 8 6 3 5 9 1 7 6 2 4 4 8 7 9 2 3 5 8 9 1 6 2

8 1 5 6 2 9 9 4 8 7 9 3 2 8 4 3 5 1 1 6 2 4

7

6

5 3 7

2 4 6

5 7

9 3 1 8

3 1

7 2

6 8 5 9

4

Sudoku #8 2 5 9 3 1 7 6 8 4 3 4 6 5 8 2 9 7 1 8 1 7 6 9 4 5 2 3

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.


STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

COMMUNITY SERVICES

SHELTER HOTLINE Línea directa de alojamiento

(202) 399-7093

YOUTH HOTLINE Línea de juventud

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE Línea directa de violencia doméstica

(202) 547-7777

1-800-799-7233

Housing/Shelter Vivienda/alojamiento

Education Educación

Health Care Seguro

Clothing Ropa

Legal Assistance Assistencia Legal

Case Management Coordinación de Servicios

Food Comida

Employment Assistance Assitencia con Empleo

Transportation Transportación

Showers Duchas

All services listed are referral-free Academy of Hope Public Charter School 202-269-6623 // 2315 18th Place NE aohdc.org

Bread for the City - 1525 7th St., NW // 202-265-2400 - 1640 Good Hope Rd., SE // 202-561-8587 breadforthecity.org

Calvary Women’s Services // 202-678-2341 1217 Good Hope Rd., SE calvaryservices.org

Food and Friends // 202-269-2277 (home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc) 219 Riggs Rd., NE foodandfriends.org

Foundry Methodist Church // 202-332-4010 1500 16th St., NW ID (Friday 9am–12pm only) foundryumc.org/ministry-opportunities

Friendship Place // 202-364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave., NW friendshipplace.org

Catholic Charities // 202-772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp

Georgetown Ministry Center // 202-338-8301 1041 Wisconsin Ave., NW georgetownministrycenter.org

Central Union Mission // 202-745-7118 65 Massachusetts Ave., NW missiondc.org

Jobs Have Priority // 202-544-9128 425 2nd St., NW jobshavepriority.org

Loaves & Fishes // 202-232-0900 1525 Newton St., NW loavesandfishesdc.org

Christ House // 202-328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd., NW christhouse.org

Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 marthastable.org

Community Family Life Services 202-347-0511 // 305 E St., NW cflsdc.org

Community of Hope // 202-232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

Covenant House Washington 202-610-9600 // 2001 Mississippi Ave., SE covenanthousedc.org

D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 202-347-8870 // 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW dccfh.org

Father McKenna Center // 202-842-1112 19 Eye St., NW fathermckennacenter.org

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOTLINE Línea de salud del comportamiento

1-888-793-4357

Laundry Lavandería

Samaritan Ministry 202-722-2280 // 1516 Hamilton St., NW 202-889-7702 // 1345 U St., SE samaritanministry.org

Sasha Bruce Youthwork // 202-675-9340 741 8th St., SE sashabruce.org

So Others Might Eat (SOME) // 202-797-8806 71 O St., NW some.org

St. Luke’s Mission Center // 202-333-4949 3655 Calvert St., NW stlukesmissioncenter.org

Thrive DC // 202-737-9311 1525 Newton St., NW thrivedc.org

JOB BOARD Team Member (Blockstar) South Block Juice// 2301 G St NW Full-time/Part-time South Block Juice is looking for someone to craft acai bowls/smoothies, take orders, and assist all cleaning duties. REQUIREMENTS: Must be able to lift 25lbs. APPLY: tinyurl.com/South-Block-TM

Dishwasher The Cheesecake Factory // 5345 Wisconsin Avenue NW Part-time The Cheesecake Factory is looking for a dishwasher to rinse, wash, pre-sort, and deliver clean dishes to the kitchen and dining room. REQUIREMENTS: Must be able to lift 35lbs. APPLY: tinyurl.com/Cheesecake-Dishwasher

Grocery Team Member

Charlie’s Place // 202-232-3066 1830 Connecticut Ave., NW charliesplacedc.org

Church of the Pilgrims // 202-387-6612 2201 P St., NW food (1-1:30 on Sundays only) churchofthepilgrims.org/outreach

// 1 5

2375 Elvans Road SE 2204 Martin Luther King Ave. SE

Miriam’s Kitchen // 202-452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave., NW miriamskitchen.org

My Sister’s Place // 202-529-5991 (24-hr hotline) mysistersplacedc.org

N Street Village // 202-939-2060 1333 N St., NW nstreetvillage.org

New York Avenue Shelter // 202-832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave., NE

Unity Health Care 3020 14th St., NW // unityhealthcare.org - Healthcare for the Homeless Health Center: 202-508-0500 - Community Health Centers: 202-469-4699 1500 Galen Street SE, 1500 Galen Street SE, 1251-B Saratoga Ave NE, 1660 Columbia Road NW, 4414 Benning Road NE, 3924 Minnesota Avenue NE, 765 Kenilworth Terrace NE, 555 L Street SE, 3240 Stanton Road SE, 3020 14th Street NW, 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, 1717 Columbia Road NW, 1313 New York Avenue, NW BSMT Suite, 425 2nd Street NW, 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 1333 N Street NW, 1355 New York Avenue NE, 828 Evarts Place, NE, 810 5th Street NW

Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St., NW // 202-328-5500 legalclinic.org

The Welcome Table // 202-347-2635 1317 G St., NW. epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable

Whole Foods Market // 4530 40th St NW Tenley Circle Part-time // 8hr shift Whole Foods Market is looking for a team member to receive and prepare products, maintain grocery floor and displays, breakdown deliveries, and stock shelves. REQUIREMENTS: Must be able to lift 50lbs. APPLY: tinyurl.com/WF-Grocery-TM

Housekeeping Attendant Marriott Hotels Resorts // 775 12TH Street NW Full-time Marriott Hotels Resorts is looking for someone to replace guest amenities and supplies, make beds, fold sheets, remove trash, dust walls, and vacuum carpets. REQUIREMENTS: Must be able to lift 25lbs. APPLY: tinyurl.com/Marriott-Housekeeping

Whitman-Walker Health 1701 14th St., NW // 202-745-7000 2301 MLK Jr. Ave., SE // 202-797-3567 whitman-walker.org

Patricia Handy Place for Women 202-733-5378 // 810 5th St., NW

Samaritan Inns // 202-667-8831 2523 14th St., NW samaritaninns.org

For further information and listings, gs, visit our online service guide at StreetSenseMedia.org/service-guide

Hiring? Send your job postings to editor@StreetSenseMedia.org


Thank you for reading Street Sense! From your vendor, JAN. 26 - FEB. 1, 2022 | VOLUME 19 ISSUE 10 NO CASH? NO PROBLEM. WE HAVE AN APP! SEARCH “STREET SENSE” IN THE APP STORE

WWW.INSP.NGO

4 million READERS

9,000 VENDORS

100+

STREET PAPERS

35

COUNTRIES

24

LANGUAGES


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.