03 13 2013 by Street Sense Media

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Volume 10: Issue 8 Month 13 - 26, 2013

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THE STRUGGLE TO MAKE E N D S

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

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COVER ART In spite of a variety of jobs, Andre Colter has found himself chronically homeless in the District for years. PHOTO BY ANNA KATHARINE THOMAS

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OUR STORY Street Sense began in August 2003 after Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson approached the National Coalition for the Homeless on separate occasions with the idea to start a street paper in Washington, D.C. Through the work of dedicated volunteers, Street Sense published its first issue in November 2003. In 2005, Street Sense achieved 501 ( c ) 3 status as a nonprofit organization, formed a board of directors and hired a full-time executive director. Today, Street Sense is published every two weeks through the efforts of four salaried employees, more than 100 active vendors, and dozens of volunteers. Nearly 30,000 copies are in circulation each month.

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STREET SENSE March 13 - 26, 2013

Homeless Man Expelled From Ancient Campus The ejection of a homeless man from a library at Cambridge University’s largest college has highlighted the city’s shortage of shelter space, the UK’s Guardian newspaper reported. The mysterious library user, described as having a collection of supermarket bags and a habit of napping, had been the subject of speculation at St John’s College over several weeks, students told the newspaper. Staff asked the man to leave the facility after he failed to show that he was entitled to use the library or the college’s other ancient premises. Access to St John’s “working library”, which is separate from the 17th-century Old Library where rare books are kept, is available 24 hours on a card access system which means that students are often going in and out. The man is thought to have slipped in during busy periods, including at least one visit late at night. The city has had serious problems in providing emergency overnight beds for the indigent. A report late last year suggested that attacks on homeless people had also increased by five times in the previous 12 months. The college, whose alumni include six prime ministers and three Catholic

NEWS IN BRIEF saints, said: “The presence of a male in the library was reported to the porters who asked him to leave when he was unable to identify himself as a student of the college. He has not been seen in St John’s subsequently.” Historically, St John’s has reason to be sympathetic: a former master, Dr James Wood, was so poor as an undergraduate that he slept in straw in his unheated room, couldn’t use candles as a result and so studied on the staircase outside.

Cardboard Village to Fight Homelessness In an hour long “demonstration through art” scheduled for Friday, March 15, homeless advocates plan to set up 540 cardboard houses in downtown Washington, D.C. The display is part of a campaign to end chronic homelessness in the District in the next five years, according to organizers at Miriam’s Kitchen, a program that provides meals, counseling and other help to the needy. The houses, constructed by homeless people, will be in place from 9:00 am - 10:00 am at Freedom Plaza, a small park located at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW, directly across the street from the District’s Wilson Building.

Spectators will be invited to create and deliver personalized art and messages to local officials and listen to speakers addressing topics such as the importance of programs such as Housing First, which moves chronically homeless people from the shelter system into stable homes while offering services to address the causes of homelessness. The District’s 2012 homeless count identified 1,870 chronically homeless men and women living in the city.

Inequalities Widening in Silicon Valley Thanks to the rebounding tech industry, California’s Silicon Valley’s economy is booming again, but poverty and homelessness are also on the rise. The region is adding jobs faster than it has for a decade and fortunes are soaring, yet at the same time, food stamp participation just hit a 10-year high, homelessness has risen 20 percent in two years, and the average income for Hispanics, who make up one in four Silicon Valley residents, fell to a new low of about $19,000 a year. Near San Jose’s international airport, authorities are trying to clear out a sprawling and trash-strewn 28-acre tent city. But tent residents told Fox News that times are so tight they have

nowhere else to turn. “This is the most ridiculous place ever,” said Kristina Erbenich, 38, clambering onto her bike, a heavy pack on her back. The former chef said she spent $14,000 on hotel rooms before her savings ran out. “If everyone around here is so rich, why can’t they do something to help?” United Way Silicon Valley CEO Carole Leigh Hutton said she wondered the same thing. “How is it that in an area so very rich, we have so many people so very poor? Why can’t we break that cycle? With all the brain power in the Silicon Valley, we should be able to solve these problems. But what we need is the collective will.” Experts blame the region’s high cost of living. The median home price is $550,000, and rents average just under $2,000 a month for a two-bedroom apartment in this region that is home to many of the nation’s wealthiest companies including Facebook, Apple Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co. and Google. For a family of four, just covering basic needs like rent, food, childcare and transportation comes to almost $90,000 a year, according to the nonprofit Insight Center for Community Economic Development. - Briefs compiled by Mary Otto

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Addressing the State of the District’s Poverty

Making a point at the “State of the District’s Poverty” event. PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY’S CENTER

By Shonette Reed Editorial Intern A D.C. city council decision to delay cuts to welfare benefits and give struggling beneficiaries more time to rebuild their lives won praise from advocates gathered for March 5 “State of the District’s Poverty” forum. The move will allow long- term recipients of Temporary Assistance For Needy Families or (TANF) to receive assessments under a city program geared toward moving poor residents from welfare to work. Forum participant Momauwi Woods, a homeless mother living at the city’s DC General shelter said cuts in TANF benefits that had been scheduled to go into effect April 1, would have made it more difficult for poor parents to care for their children and in some cases, leave the shelter system. “We believe in rights, we believe in responsibilities. We want to work. We need you to get behind us and get us out of [DC General]. We want a home. We are not lazy, we are tired,” said Woods, a panelist at the forum hosted by the nonprofit DC Fair Budget Coalition and held at the District’s Wilson Building. In 2011, the District of Columbia implemented a 60-month lifetime limit on welfare benefits, similar to measures put in place by many jurisdictions years ago after President Bill Clinton signed the 1996 welfare reform law. After the Dis-

trict limit took effect, more than 6,000 families who had been on the rolls for more than five years saw their monthly stipends cut. For affected households, the average monthly payment for a family of four went from $523 to $418. Out of concern that children were being adversely impacted by the cuts, the council acted last fall and then again on March 5 to grant six-month benefit extensions while poor parents receive case management, job readiness and placement services under the city’s redesigned welfare-to-work program. “We have to reduce poverty! We’re gonna reduce poverty!” said Councilmember Marion Barry, one of several council members who joined in to welcome participants to the “State of the District’s Poverty” event. The forum also addressed problems with the city’s system for helping homeless families. The District’s family shelter, which operates out of a former hospital building, currently houses more than 200 families, including approximately 600 children. Conditions at the shelter are far from ideal, but preferable to the streets. Panelist, Nkechi Feaster, who like Woods stays at the shelter, said she waited three months to get a room there. Families such as Woods’ and Feasters’ in need of help often make repeated visits to the city’s Virginia Williams Family Resource Center, the only center available for

families requesting emergency housing in the District of Columbia. The pressures on families and the system intended to serve them have increased since the recession began, said DC Fiscal Policy Institute Executive Director Ed Lazere. He said currently one in three children and one in five adults live in poverty in the District. Beyond extending welfare benefits, the city needs to take additional steps to help its most vulnerable families escape homelessness and move up the economic ladder, according to Lazere. He said that in the budget for Fiscal Year 2014, the city should spend more to support affordable housing, job training and child care. Ta x r e form is also necessary according to panelist Keshini Ladduwahetty of the group DC for Democracy. She produced a chart showing that currently, the wealthiest city residents, those earning more than $250,000 a year, are taxed at roughly the same 7 percent rate as those earning less than $20,000 a y e a r. S h e said the regressive tax structure puts

the poor at a further disadvantage and makes it harder for them to improve their lives. Aaron Brooks, owner of Power to Become Childcare, spoke of his efforts to meet the needs of working poor parents and children even as childcare subsidies have been reduced. He said the city needs to streamline the application process for childcare vouchers and increase its investment in childcare subsidies. “We cannot continue to subjugate the impoverished,” stated Brooks, “There is no possibility that this city can continue to function like this.”

STREET SENSE March 13 - 16, 2013

NEWS

Minimum Wage Hike Could Still Fall Short By Jeff Gray Editorial Intern In his State of the Union address, President Obama spoke of factory towns, where the jobs have disappeared, and communities where poverty is so entrenched work seems like a distant dream. And he spoke about people who are working hard, and still not earning enough to live. “Today a full-time worker making the minimum wage earns $14,500 a year. Even with the tax relief we put in place, a family with two kids that earns the minimum wage still lives below the poverty line,” the president said. “Tonight, let’s declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty, and raise the federal minimum wage to $9.00 an hour.” Obama asked Congress to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 in stages by the end of 2015 and automatically adjust for inflation thereafter. The plan would help 15 million workers, according to the White House. “It could mean the difference between groceries or the food bank; rent or eviction; scraping by or finally getting ahead,” said the president. But if you ask T. Sanders, a formerly homeless woman working a low-wage job in Montgomery County, Md., struggling workers like herself will need a bigger raise to make ends meet. She contends that the president’s proposed $1.75 increase would do little to change the condition of the homeless and working poor in the D.C. region. “I think we need to be clear on what its really going to do… Will it provide some extra dollars? Yes. Will it allow someone to move into a new place? No. Its not enough money to make that kind of change.” Sanders, whose job as a residential counselor at the Jubilee Association provides her with an apartment, said she would not be able to afford her own housing on her $10.50 per hour wage, which is already $1.50 above the proposed increase. “My wage still isn’t a living wage,” said Sanders, who despite holding a master’s degree from the University of

Baltimore spent over a year unemployed and living out of shelters and a friend’s car. “If I hadn’t got an apartment with the job I would still be homeless.” In the District, where the D.C. Minimum Wage Act Revision of 1992 sets the wage floor one dollar higher than the federal rate, the national increase would mean a jump from $8.25 to $10. For many of District residents unable to afford their own housing, however, the increase is not enough. “That $10, its nothing,” said Andre Colter, who has been chronically homeless in D.C. since high school and has worked a long list of low wage jobs. “You can’t live comfortably off that.” Colter’s most recent employment came over a three-month period last summer, when he was contracted through a temp agency to do house cleaning and maintenance for George Washington University. During that span, he made an hourly rate of $9.25 working 40 hours a week plus optional overtime. “I was already a dollar over the minimum, and that still wasn’t enough,” Colter said, contending that even had he sustained the work indefinitely he would never have been able to afford housing. Colter was paid every two weeks, with checks generally amounting to around $700 for a total of roughly $1,400 per month after taxes. Subtracting a monthly food expenditure of $400 and a modest entertainment budget, Colter says he was left with about $900 per month, excluding any emergency costs “That’s not enough to rent anything in D.C.,” he said. “Maybe a closet or a storage shed.” According to an annual report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the fair market value of a one-bedroom apartment in the District is $1,191 per month for the fiscal year of 2013. In its Out of Reach 2013 report, the National Low Income Housing Coalition estimated that an individual living in D.C. must earn $56,472 to afford the market rate of a two-bedroom apartment. That equates to $27.15 per hour, nearly three times the proposed minimum wage rate. A $1.75 raise would provide a 40-hour a week laborer with a yearly increase of only $3,640.

“We need something that’s compatible with the cost of living in this jurisdiction,” said Colter. “We need to get out of the mentality of saying there’s a minimum wage and start saying there’s a living wage.” The District does have a living wage rate, set at $12.50, but applies only to employees of businesses receiving government contracts or assistance of $100,000 or more. Though they insist the increase will do little for those trying to afford housing, both Sanders and Colton do agree that the plan is a step in the right direction. “Every little bit helps,” said Sanders, who believes the additional $280 a full-time minimum wage laborer would see per month make a difference in paying a light bill or avoiding reliance on a food bank. “We’re talking about people that could be at the bottom of the working class. An increase of even a small amount may help those families.” Colter believes the benefit would be more emotional than financial, with the increase serving to boost the morale of the working poor. “It’s a start. It would give us hope that things are getting a little better.” With economists divided over the effect of an increase on a struggling economy and Republicans concerned over potential harm to small business, it is unclear whether the proposal will be able to make it through Congress. Regardless of the fed's decision, however,

some have suggested that the District move forward on its own initiative. When questioned by members of the press in February about the District increasing the minimum wage without federal prompting, Mayor Vincent Gray left the possibility open. “We might,” Gray said. “We’ll consider that.” Whether the District’s wage floor is raised or not, Colter and Sanders stress that for the homeless community, a minimum wage adjustment is ultimately a superficial fix, and that more expansive governmental initiatives are necessary to promote real change. Colter contends that increasing the amount of affordable housing is a much more prominent issue. “We have become a nation comfortable with the term ‘affordable housing,’ not realizing who it's actually affordable to. We’ve phased out low income housing,” he said. As an educator, Sanders believes the answer lies not in adding dollars to income but rather in the training and development of the working class. “In most cases, these minimum wage jobs require fewer skills and less education. If you want to put money somewhere, put it into training people so they can go out and take care of themselves,” she said. “People becoming more self-sufficient helps everyone in the long run.”

Housing Wage is the full-time hourly wage needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment at a federally estimated Fair Market Rent (FMR) while spending no more than 30 percent of income on housing costs. DATA COURTESY OF NATIONAL LOW INCOME HOUSING COALITION

Homeless Community Battles Shelter Dependency Lanie Rivera Editorial Intern Families at the repurposed D.C. General Hospital shelter said bedbugs, mold and rodents were the least of their concerns. A much bigger worry, they told city officials, are the barriers they face when they attempt to overcome homelessness and leave the shelter behind. “It’s not supposed to be comfortable,” former resident Sharisse Baltimore told City Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) and others gathered for a Feb 28 oversight hearing at the shelter. “It’s not supposed to be a place to live and stay. You come here, you take care of your business, and you move out. You get out.” But getting out is not always a simple process, Baltimore said. She and her five children stayed at the shelter for seven months before they managed to move into a home. Her story and many others highlighted the difficulty homeless families face in getting back on their feet. Many stay at the shelter for far longer than the average residence of 3.2 months before they find a way to move on, according to a city report. Those who spoke at the hearing stressed they did not want to remain at the shelter. But they said they confronted major difficulties finding jobs and affordable homes. Resident Tiara Davis said she has ap-

plied for many jobs over the past five months she has spent at the shelter but she has yet to be hired. “It just makes me feel like a prisoner sometimes,” said Davis, whose goal is to own a home. “I just want to take care of my daughter.” Marta Beresin, a staff attorney at the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, said the residents’ testimonies indicated that the lack of affordable housing is a central contributor to homelessness. “Resident after resident got up and spoke about working full time, pounding the pavement for jobs, going to school themselves and ensuring their kids don't miss a day of school,” she said. “But they struggle to find child care, living wage jobs and housing they can afford.” The rate of homelessness in the District has risen 9.3 percent since the recession year of 2008, according to an annual point-in-time count , conducted in the city each January. As in many other communities across the country, the rise in family homelessness has overwhelmed the shelter system. Last winter, the shelter reached full capacity with 286 families of which 367 were adults and 591 were children, according to statistics reported by Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) at the hearing. Once the shelter was filled, many other families were placed in motels.

District council members met with homeless families at D.C. General shelter to hear their testimonies of the facility’s conditions on Feb. 28. PHOTO BY LANIE RIVERA

Reggie Sanders, a spokesperson for the Department of Human Services (DHS), said the department’s efforts would begin to focus on expansion of the low-income housing availability in the District. “Any new funding should be directed to housing and other needed resources to help families exit homelessness and move towards self-sufficiency,” she said. “DHS will continue to work toward diverting families from shelter by providing appropriate assessment, referral and resources to enable families to stay within their communities.”

Graham, who also serves as the chairman of the Committee on Human Services, said low-income housing in the District is essential but funds from housing initiatives such as Mayor Vincent Gray’s $100 million proposal should be allocated to improve the current shelter system. “We’re going to work to improve what we have and then figure out how to make what we have better,” said Graham. “This is all better than a stairwell or a bus station or a couch, but we can do much better than this.”

ing. For some reason these foods seem to make it more difficult for bed bugs in using their internal navigation skills in locating you. When you decide to kill all the bed bugs at one time there are some basic steps you must take. First, you can use a simple roach defogger; make sure all clothes are put into a plastic bags before defogging. Second, wash all clothes and dry them at a very high temperatures after defogging. Water and heat kills these bugs instantly. Third, spray alcohol over the entire mattress and boxspring cover. Then let it dry before covering with a washable mattresses cover Third, keep a spray bottle of water or hot pepper water around. Bedbugs

are horrible swimmers and just a small amount of water will drown them. Hot pepper impairs their abilities in detecting you and stops them in their tracks. Once you’ve located these parasites make sure you kill them. If you don’t they’ll breed quickly. Their eggs look like tiny black dots so once you’ve located these eggs just spray some bleach or alcohol on them. Unfortunately these bugs are not friendly to humans or animals therefore, you must kill them. These particular bugs are definitely a threat to human beings and animals so stay alert and aware and be informed when it comes to bed bugs!

FROM MY EXPERIENCE: THE TROUBLE WITH BED BUGS By Cynthia Mewborn Vendor, “C=MB” Bed bugs were eradicated in 1940 through the use of DDT but have recently resurfaced. They can live for five months to a year and usually like to live in dark crevices like in your closet, wall boards or in the cracks of your mattress. They are excellent hitchhikers and may transport themselves on clothing. These parasites’ favorite food is human blood but will bite any animal as a last resort. They can go unnoticed until they bite you. You will start twitching profusely until your antigens destroy their antigens. Though bed bugs are mostly nocturnal, if given an opportunity they will bite you during the day. Their favorite body parts are usually your veins but will settle for arms, legs or feet.

These parasites’ intelligence leaves a lot of unanswered questions. But the most pressing question to be answered is how do you get rid of them? While there are a lot of ways to deal with bed bugs in your home, some of the most useful ways are very simple. First once you’ve noticed that you have bed bugs the first thing to do is to contain them. Seal off all doors in your home. Put door guards at each door and seal them around the edges with masking tape. Second spray the edges of your wall boards with a eucalyptus spray, red pepper and water spray or boric acid. Bed bugs find garlic or hot spices in your blood unappetizing or if you drink something lemony even more disgust-

STREET SENSE March 13 - 26, 2013

NEWS

Arlington County Shelter Update By Mark Rose Volunteer Plans for a comprehensive yearround shelter for homeless adults in the heart of downtown Arlington, VA have moved one step closer to fruition. On March 7, the Arlington County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of a special “dormitory” residential use permit for the facility. The special use permit comes up for final approval by the Arlington County Board on March 16. Plans call for the shelter and service center to offer round-the-clock services from a renovated office building located walking distance from the Courthouse Metro station. The county board purchased the seven story Thomas Building at 2020 14th Street North late last year for just over $27 million. The county expects to spend $42.6 million renovating the building over the next five years, and to open the shelter, which will occupy the second and third floors by November 1, 2014. In addition, the redeveloped building will include floors of office space for Arlington County government, as well as retail shops and other commercial offices. The shelter and homeless services facility will replace a winter emergency shelter that has operated down the street for the past 20 years. The Homeless Services Center will be designed to address the needs of single homeless Arlington County residents aged 18 to 75, seeking to move them toward permanent housing and selfsufficiency. The center will have 50 year-round beds and an additional 25 beds during the colder months from November through the end of March. There will be five extra beds for medically fragile residents who need nursing care. Homeless families with children, as well as those with domestic violence problems, will be directed to other county facilities that are staffed and equipped to deal with their needs. Advocates for the new facility say that a comprehensive year-round shelter like the one planned offers a “best practice” response to homelessness. They expressed relief that another

Overhead map of Arlington. COURTESY OF ARLINGTON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

milestone had been reached in making it a reality. “It’s been a goal for 20 years,” said Anita Friedman, division chief of the Economic Independence Division of Arlington’s Department of Human Services, which has spearheaded much of the county’s work in finding the site and directing the project. “It’s the fulfillment of an important piece toward ending homelessness (in Arlington County). It’s a relief,” Friedman said in an interview. The existing county emergency shelter for single adults, which is located a block and a half away, was never intended or designed to be permanent, officials have said. But among some neighborhood residents, opposition to the project lingers. Kenneth Robinson, president of the nearby Woodbury Heights Condominium Association, has been outspoken in his criticism, expressing worries about dangerous criminals and sex offenders being admitted to the new shelter and calling for stepped up security around the building.

Robinson said the county’s new willingness to add a security guard on the premises in the evening between 4 p.m. and midnight, and a surveillance camera outside the building to pan the premises, “shows progress” in helping

ensure condominium and apartment dwellers in the neighborhood are able to ‘feel safe in their own houses.’ Yet he and other residents have continued to press for more extensive security measures and to express concerns about the facility’s impact upon their property values. The nonprofit A-SPAN, or Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network,

which has run the nearby emergency shelter for 20 years, will run the new center. A-SPAN Executive Director Kathy Sibert has offered repeated assurances that the new shelter will be a “good neighbor,” just as the old one has been. She and A-SPAN colleague Meg Turcillo said that over two decades, the existing shelter has never been the cause of a serious disturbance. And they sought to counter fears that homeless people would pose a danger to the neighborhood. Homelessness can strike anyone, said Sibert. “It happens to so many people. It could be you or me,” she said. “It doesn’t mean you are a criminal; it just means you are without a home.” She told the story of a 70-year-old man who suffers from dementia who ASPAN staff had successfully housed on a recent day. The security of housing often helps alleviate other problems homeless people are experiencing, she said. “When they move in they actually have a home; it really makes a difference,” said Sibert.

STREET SENSE March 13 - 26, 2013

FEATURE WITH THESE HANDS By L. Morrow Vendor With these hands; I pass out hope, faith, charity and an everlasting smile to all who I encounter, every day of my life as I walk on God’s Earth! We as a society have many hands around the world. Sometimes I think there are more hands on the trigger than hands helping one another. Why? Have you ever seen a picture of Jesus with his hands straight out? If you have, you will notice He is handing out the ‘food of life’. With these hands come charity, hope and passion for all of us on his earth! There are many words that begin with the letter H but one stands out of all of them. Do you know the word? The word is HUNGER. Why, in our society, in America do half a million Americans go to bed hungry at night? Why do 2.5 million have no food? Ask yourself, how much food do you throw away in a day, a week, a month or even a year? With these hands, in our society, why can’t we do what Jesus did? You do remember what he did? If not, let me tell you once again. Do unto others, what you would want them to do for you. Let me tell you how I see it. You have two hands. Or maybe one, or none at all, but that doesn’t stop you from handing out food of life. Bread, faith, charity, hope and passion. That soul that you walk by every day, every morning, evening, that soul that is cold, hot, sick or even hungry at times. With these hands: We use our hands for many things: to pray, to dress ourselves, to pay our bills. But most of all to feed ourselves. One day use your hands to help someone. Aint God Good? Bless you all. And keep that smile!

CHILDREN’S ART: SPACE MONTH AT PLAYTIME

- Alexis, age 4 New Beginnings There are 1,880 children experiencing homelessness in the District. The Homeless Children’s Playtime Project visits 6 different transitional housing and emergency shelter programs to provide weekly activities, healthy snacks, and opportunities to play and learn to as many children as possible.

Courtesy of the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project

COMICS

Do Not Judge Me

h’s Meet Glarp y Cousin,” Browl “Countr

By Rashawn Bowser Vendor Do not judge me for I am like you, I eat sleep talk and walk just like you do, I take care of my kids and go to work just like you. Do not judge me for we breathe the same air and walk the same earth, although we are different we are still of one race, we are all human and we need one another. Do not judge me for you do not understand me, come get to know me and you will see.

Do Not Fear Me By Rashawn Bowser Vendor Do not fear me for i will not judge you, come sit and talk with me and I will listen. Do not fear me for i will not lead you astray, take my hand and let me help you on your journey. Do not fear me for I will not harm you, let me guide you to where you want to be. Do not fear me.

STREET SENSE March 13 - 26, 2013

Danger Zone? By Eric Thompson-Bey Vendor The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing started its season on February 23 with the National Cup race at the Daytona Raceway. Tony Stewart won the race, but his victory was overshadowed by a crash in which fans were injured. Thirty-three fans were injured, 19 taken to area hospitals. When these kind of accidents happen questions must be answered. My first question: is it a risk for fans to be at the race? And second, are the fans too close to the track? I’m not a big NASCAR fan, but after hearing and reading about the crash at Daytona, I think that it is somewhat of a risk for a fan to be at the race. But it also depends where you are seated. Many of the injured fans were really close to the track, making it more of a risk to be injured. If I were a big NASCAR fan I would like to be as close to the action as possible. Since I’m not a big NASCAR fan I’d probably sit further

Street Sense away. It’s not like attending a football, basketball or baseball game, where you’re less likely to be injured. Fans want to get as close to the action as possible. Basketball fans including actor, Jack Nicholson, who has been courtside at the Los Angeles Lakers games since I can remember and actor and writer Spike Lee who is regularly at New York Knicks games pay top dollars for their courtside seats. NASCAR fans should be given the same opportunities as any other fans. The opportunity to get as close to the action as possible, as long as they are not put at risk of injury or death. In professional sports the players take the risk of injury, not the fans. But professional sports organizations pay good money to keep the game and players as safe as possible. So the same should be done to keep NASCAR fans safe. It might be a good idea if NASAR moved fans farther away from the track. Maybe they should restructure the track. But something should be done so these accidents

From Victim to Victor By Jeffrey McNeil Vendor Whenever I’m in a poverty mode, I listen to the song “We Fall Down” by Donnie McClurkin to make me strong. “We fall down but we get up / For a saint is just a sinner who fell down / But we couldn't stay there and got up.” I’m never one to blame circumstances for failure. I am not a fan of preference or diversity. I don't want to get ahead because I am different; I want to succeed because I am qualified. I believe if a club or business doesn't want you, you should find like-minded people and form your own. If they won't allow you in the Boy Scouts, form a gay scouts. If a club does not admit women, form a coalition and make a better, more diverse organization. I never kiss ass, I kick ass. There is a Chinese proverb that says 1,000 shrimp can bring down a dragon. If capitalism is the dragon, you need organizations and communities to defeat it. One person is an island, but 100 can be a community and a 1,000 people make a movement. Hating on the rich is wasted energy. The oligarchs and Wall Street are always

going to find loopholes and ways to advance themselves, so instead of doing battle with them, learn how to play the game. Buy newspapers and educate yourself on finance, pick up the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal or a copy of Black Enterprise. I don't know anyone that made a fortune on government assistance. The riches come from grants, loans and tax incentives. Do what the oil lobbies do and form a poor people’s lobby. Have fundraisers, influence policies and find candidates who serve your interest, or you will be poor and dependent on the government. Poverty is complex, and many want what's best. However I feel their strategy is flawed. This is the main reason the poor stay poor. They go to the same politicians who come from Wall Street and big business hoping they will show mercy and create programs for the unfortunate. They march and raise hell, and programs get cut anyway. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. No group has used this strategy more than the black community. We've asked every president since the days of slavery to provide for us. Many have denied us or simply done cosmetic measures.

121

OPINION

By Barron Hall Vendor This article is dedicated to my youngest daughter, Keeter Harper. Keeter struggled to make ends meet with her six children and husband. She did what I and a lot of black families don’t do, she stuck with her husband. She didn’t use any mind-changing chemicals or drink. Keeter passed on to the next life on Jan. 18, 2013. Now she’s with her Lord. President Obama, where’s our 40 acres and mule? While you and your so-called lawmakers are so busy murdering people in other countries around the world, there are people right here in your own backyard slowly being starved. Your CIA and people of high influence pump drugs and guns into our hoods and daily drain us of life, dignity and self-respect. But we have a God that tells us the same thing He told us

when Cain killed Abel: Leave them to me and hold on. If we only had what your racist, corrupt government owed us, we wouldn’t need you. How can I call myself an African-American when I don‘t know about any ancestor or village I can claim my heritage with. I can claim my heritage right here, born in slavery on some plantation, suffering more crimes against humanity than any Jew can imagine. When will the United States be tried for her crimes against humanity as she brings everybody else to justice? One day your own daughters will rise up and understand what their father had a chance to do but didn’t. Our problem is so easy to solve. Why is America so afraid of its black citizens? Thank you.

These half measures availed us nothing. Our neighborhoods have gotten more violent, our children are less educated and our dignity has been erased. I am not saying abolish government. What I am saying we need is to get out of the mindset that the government needs to help us. It has been proven to be incompetent, and we need to find ways to help ourselves. I feel there are too many who spend their time defending poverty instead of finding ways to end it. They plant the seeds of helplessness and despair among our less fortunate rather than encourage them to tap into the gifts God gave them. The reason these strategies are flawed is because all their eggs are in one basket. The poor look to the wrong leadership instead of banding together; they're not engaged with the issues. They don't push back at businesses who don't hire in the neighborhood, or go to town-hall meetings. The rich know this and they use it against the poor and impoverished. Until we know how to work the system instead of the system working us, we will always be disenfranchised and dependent on people who don't share our interests. I speak not on statistics but from experience, because I’ve been there. I know what its like to live on spam sand-

wiches, live with no heat or electricity in my room. I’ve been on assistance and slept under bridges. However, just because you been there doesn't mean you have to stay there. Is the world awful? Absolutely! Is there racism, classism and sexism? I believe so. However, I have one life and want to make it count. I don't have time to be blaming the white man, the Republicans or whatever forces I face. I want a better tomorrow than today. While I believe in help I feel there’s no better joy than when you are able to help yourself. I refuse to believe my life will be a life of food stamps, subsidized housing and special assistance. I am not talking about the old, disabled, and mentally ill who need assistance. I am talking about those who can but believe they can't. Those who have been patronized and pitied into believing they are inferior and helpless. I know I succumbed to that treatment but broke that state of bondage. History has shown shelters, food stamps and welfare don't alleviate poverty but create conditions of generational dependency. I don't have the answers on poverty; however, I think I am getting to the root. I believe the solution starts with the mindset of ending poverty, not defending it.

The Mysterious Masonic Ring Chapter 2: Getting Cleaned Up (Cont’d)

By John “Mick” Mathews Vendor IN THE LAST INSTALLMENT, Bill and Kittie are awakened early in the morning by Homeland Security at their crash spot, so the two decide to head to Miriam’s Kitchen for breakfast. After enjoying coffee, tea and a bowl of Cheerios, Bill puts in an order for dress clothes in preparation for his meeting with Ms. Bell regarding Frank’s estate. I looked over and noticed that the clothing line had started to form. If I was to meet with a power lawyer like Ms. Bell, I needed to upgrade from the dirty T-shirt and jeans I’d been wearing the last few days, so I got in line. When I got to the volunteer standing behind the lightweight wooden podium, I put in an order for a button-up collared shirt, tie, slacks, dress shoes and socks, as well as a clean pair of drawers. As I went back to my seat, the roll-up blind in the window that separated the kitchen from the dining room slid up, and Catherine announced the breakfast menu in a loud voice. “Thank you for coming to Miriam’s Kitchen. Today’s breakfast is buttermilk pancakes, with your choice of strawberry or maple syrup; scrambled eggs, plain or with ham and cheese; your choice of homefries or grits; salad, fruit, and your choice of pastries. Thank you again for coming to Miriam’s everyone, and enjoy your breakfast.” Tyrone walked over to the front of the line to call numbers and collect the

plastic number cards from those who were in line to eat. When my number was called, I got maple syrup on my pancakes, eggs with ham and cheese, grits, and a chocolate muffin with chocolate chips. As Kittie and I devoured our breakfast, a volunteer dropped off my clothing order in one of those reusable grocery bags you get from Safeway for a dollar. After I washed down the last bite of my muffin with a hefty swallow of coffee, I walked toward the bathroom with clothes in hand. I stopped by the hygiene cart stationed next to the bathroom, where the volunteer manning it handed me a hotel-sized bar of soap, a washcloth, and a disposable shaving razor. I also got a multivitamin and a couple of Tylenols while I was there. The Tylenol was to help dull the ever-present aches and pains which come from sleeping on concrete and marble every night. Walking into the men’s bathroom at Miriam’s Kitchen for the first time can be a bit of a shock. A row of men in various states of undress were spongebathing in front of the row of sinks to the left as I opened the door. I saw that the sink at the end of the row was vacant, so I walked over,

stripped down to my birthday suit, and cleaned three days of filth off myself. I put on the fresh pair of boxers, slacks, socks, and shoes, but remained topless as I shaved the slightly-more-than-stubble of my facial hair, using the wall-length mirror behind the sinks to guide me. Freshlyshaven, I buttoned up my new shirt and fastened the tie, which was emblazoned with images of hundred-dollar bills, in an over-and-under knot around my neck. “Got a hot date tonight, Snowflake?” the naked man next to me spoke without taking his eyes off the mirror in front of him. “‘Cause if you do, I can show the Ms. Pussycat of yours a real good time.” Without blinking an eye or skipping a beat, I grabbed him by his right wrist, wrapped his arm across his back, and slammed his hand between his shoulder blades, applying a perfect hammerlock. He instinctively bent over the sink to try to relieve the pain shooting through his left shoulder. With my other hand, I grabbed his right elbow, and yanked it away from his back, making the pain unbearable to most. Times like these make me glad I wrestled back in high school. “If you EVER say another derogatory

word about Kittie in my presence, I will rip this arm out of its socket, and you’ll be jerking off southpaw for the rest of your miserable life!” I threatened in a low, intense voice that would scare the bejesus out of Batman himself. “Do I make myself clear?!” “Yeah man, yeah. Just let me up, please!” he begged. The pain in his right shoulder flared one more time as I yanked his elbow again to make sure the message sunk in. Then I let him go. “Make sure you do,” I told him as I lft the bathroom before Tyrone decided to make a sweep of it. I went back to the table and found that Kittie had been nice enough to get me a fresh cup of coffee. We grabbed our bags and headed out the door for a cigarette. While we were smoking, Kittie told me she was going to Georgetown while I kept my appointment with Ms. Bell. Knowing her, she’d come back with at least 20 bucks. I’ve seen her charm a guy literally out of his shirt before, just because she thought it’d look better on me. I figured she might have a surprise next time I saw her. We agreed to meet back at Miriam’s in the late afternoon when it reopened for dinner. Tossing the butt of my cigarette to the ground and crushing it with my heel, I gave Kittie a goodbye hug and a quick closed-mouth kiss before I headed off to Ms. Bell’s office to get down to the bottom of Frank’s mysterious estate. (To be continued)

BEFORE THE RAIN PT 17: A FORESHADOWING OF THINGS TO COME AND THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE By Chris Shaw The Cowboy Poet “This is the city that Care forgot, a flow of eglantines, and lagniappe, and Sazerac sybaritics. Cockles and Mussel Men and Strawberry Ladies, and Italian Ice Boys, darting in and out of the quarter amid the cacophony of “Spasm” Bands, and what the vulgar populace refer to as ‘Jass’ music. Everyone shakes and quakes, ad infinitum...” T h e f a t h e r o f L o o m i s Re a d e r gleaned something along those lines from the FDR-era Guide Book to New

Orleans and environs, and decided back in the late 1950s that, were his beloved namesake (not yet known as Loomis) should befall mishap; then the family should in whole or in part relocate to the Crescent City! Loomis you see, is actually the namesake of his true father, Johnathan Akula Havisham. Loomis’ salvation is truly threefold: New Orleans, his music and Lyndsey Patterson. (To be continued)

“A Spasm Band.” PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE GROSET AND DUNLAP GUIDE TO NEW ORLEANS, 1938

STREET SENSE March 13 - March 26, 2013

1743

FICTION

PART FOUR

ISOTOPIA

A place where the people care for no one but themselves... By Ibn Hipps Vendor IN PART 3: Josh lived a dark childhood, trapped by the wrath of his strict and abusive father. However, despite the violence he endured as a child, Josh was able to grow into a caring man, with his wife Melissa relieving him of his pain. One night as Josh is leaving work after receiving his paycheck, he is confronted with trouble. Taking that shortcut nearly cost him, but this time - as Josh saw three figures creeping towards him, he was armed. Black gloves. Black Masks. Black clothes. Brown boots. Josh saw it all. He pulled his 9mm quickly, and fired several shots at the thugs trying to rob him. Shots rang out back and forth between Josh and the robbers. He was more experienced with his hand gun. “Cowards!” Josh yells out, squeezing several shots. He hit two of them. They all ran away empty handed. “Get a job!” Josh calls out as the robbers flee the scene. Josh worked too hard to hand his money over that easy. Everything happened so quickly that an officer showed up 20 minutes later. He was member of a group called the Secret Circle of Love, and Josh’s uncle. Josh explained to the officer what happened. “Okay Josh, go home. Just stop by the station and give a statement,” said his uncle (the officer).

“Thanks, will do,” replied Josh. As he continued towards his car, Josh hears the humble cry of an infant. It’s coming from the alley next to his car. Josh’s first thought is “not again.” (it could be a setup in a city like Isotopia) He clutches the 9mm as follows the cries into the alley. “Hello?” Josh yells. “Is anyone there?!” The humble sound of that baby’s cry gets closer and closer as he goes deeper into the alley. “Wow!” Josh exclaims, “It’s a baby boy.” He picks up the baby with a smile and looks around. “Hello?” he yells once more. The baby is wrapped in a bright green blanket covered in curious words from a language unknown. The baby is tan with brown eyes, curly thick hair and smells like musk. He has a dark black mark in the middle of his forehead. Josh quickly calls Melissa as he heads out of the alley, back towards his car. He explains everything to Melissa over the phone. “Wow!” Melissa exclaims. “Stop playin’” “I’m not playing honey,” Josh says, “ I found a baby in the alley, crying, alone.” “I better not find out you cheated on me with those Isotopia hoes” Melissa teases. Josh says with patience, “I really found a baby abandoned in the alley by my car. I was just robbed. Or, put it like

this boo. they tried to rob me. But you know baby, the police got involved.” “What!” says Melissa. “Yes. But the officer that showed up was my uncle from the Secret Circle of Love.” “Damn boy, you have people everywhere!” “Yes baby, I’m connected. But anyway - that’s what just happend.” With the robbery still on his mind, Josh pulls up to his home with the baby in his arms. “Awww - so cute!” Melissa screams as she grabs the baby from his arms. “Shhhh...” Josh says, “We don’t want to wake the kids.” But it was too late. The kids heard their father and came running down the stairs. “Hi daddy!” say the girls, Susan and Sharon. “Hi daddy!” say the boys, Mike, Joseph and Dean. “Hey kids,” Josh replies. “Whatcha go there?” asks Sharon and Susan. Josh replies, “Nothing, nothing.” “Your daddy’s found baby boy abandoned in the alley near the place where your daddy works,” Melissa tells the children. “Wow dad, what a day huh?” says Mike. “You can say that again,” replied Josh. (Isotopia) (To Be continued)

street sense

StreetSense.org/NewOffice

The Street Sense Writers’ Group is led by two writing professionals and meets every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. The group’s goal is to develop ideas and collaborate on the next great issue of Street Sense.

The End of Days

City of Lost Angels

By Robert Warren Vendor

By Victoria Beaumont Vendor

So, the Mayans said that 12-21-2012 will be the End of Days. If you really knew, What would you do If today were your Last Day? Would you party the hours away with laughs and play? Or, would you hurry to and fro Looking for loved ones you know? Maybe you’ll stay in prayer all day and night Holding your babies tight. Would you then be able to live in heaven and hell and tell the unseen? Or would you not believe and not change a thing. If today were our Last Day, Who would look for nightfall to sleep and to hope ‘twas all a dream when you awoke the next day? What would you do if today were your Last Day?

They say passion is good for the soul. Would you look for a priest And confess your sins away? Bow your head and pray? Surely only the Lord of Days knows What will be your Last Day. You know what the scientists say: there are meteors in sight. Once again, what would you do on your Last Night? Try to make love until That Day comes? If so, you’re not the only one. Will there be another new life After the Last Day of known life? For those who believe, there is always a new life. as with a leaf, when a raindrop falls and brings forward a new Tree of Life.

Profound Wisdom to Inspire the Best in You By Carlton Johnson Vendor, ”InkFlow” If only I could captivate you with some lines of wisdom to inspire the best in you... First, I would take control of your ear, word for word, hopefully altering your mind,carefully entangling your heart and soul, line for line… Secondly, taking your eyes on an intellectual journey devoted to captivation, following the predictable pattern, possessing powerful, deeply rooted passion… Influenced by parables, enhanced with prolific enigmas followed by some afforded enjoyment, twisted word play, a dash of mental quickness All for captivation and inspiration, Powered by a perfect picture and word-for-word stimulation… Finally, the totality and discovery unlimited Immeasurable enlightening, InkFlow manipulated word embracing your ear and soul Word for word, line for line… If only I could captivate you with some lines of profound wisdom to inspire the best in you…

Good news, my loyal Street Sense readers. As many of you know I finally went back to Los Angeles for a visit. It reminded me of the life I used to have, a past birthday when a boyfriend I had at the time was doing his best to impress me. We were walking down Hollywood Blvd looking at the names of stars. There was even a star for Kermit the Frog. To the right of us was the Frolic Room, a dive bar that attracted the Who’s Who of Hollywood. Everyone from Tommy Lee to Kid Rock to Pam Anderson went in there. Well anyway we went in for a quick drink, and the place was full of famous people. When I went up to the celebrities, they gave me that weary “OMG another-personbugging-me-when-I-just-want-to-havea-beer look.” But instead of asking for an autograph or a picture I just said, “so you know that Kermit has a star outside?” It made people laugh. All of a sudden famous people were buying me drinks. As we went outside the celebs were taking pictures of me and Kermit the Frog. I remember seeing a residence-free person sleeping next to my cultural icon. At the time I didn’t give it much notice. Hell, here I was the fat ugly duckling

from my high school, turning into the sexy beautiful vivacious swan, the life of the party. But recalling that person sleeping next to Kermit’s star brings me to the main point of my story. There is not a street paper in LA. I have had this confirmed in the past few days from everyone, from the very wealthy to very good friend of mine who is on SSDI and who just got out of a mental hospital. I need, must, want to start one. That is my 2013 goal -- to get off my fat ass and on my feet and then help others do the same. Honestly, I don’t know how many residence-free they have in LA. As you may know I’m not a fact or figure writer. But personally, I have watched many people move to LA seeking a future and fame only to end up sleeping on the boulevard of shame. I believe that if there was a Street Sense in LA it would give many a chance to be heard, published and make honest money. They could get credit for a resume as writer, model, artist, photographer. Some even might develop self-esteem. So why should you care? The same damn reason you all buy the paper from us, give food to us, talk to us. So in closing, my angels of our nation’s capital, please donate to Victoria Beaumont #438 to help our lost angels in the city of angels find themselves and their talent.

Reality TV By Gwynette Smith Vendor What makes people watch reality shows? Do they think they will learn something about life? Or is it just entertainment? Should a person starring in one of these shows have accomplished something that can be validated? The shows demonstrate many things. Some facts are even sad. On one show, a woman’s husband gave up her father so that he, apparently, would get less time in jail. One woman on another show had the desperate need to know that the man buried in her father’s grave was actually her father. Who did she think it would be?

Women, especially, seem to have a hard time getting along with each other. A trip out of town is a promise of a shouting and screaming match. To their favor, though, they do seem to love their husbands and children. My problem with this genre is that it is misleading about financial survival. Unless they have been married to a rich person, or are a member of a rich family, they are doing the show to earn a living, or possibly get customers for an interest they are pursuing. They have to know that making a CD like “Money Can’t Buy You Class” or “Don’t Be Tardy for the Party” sure won’t pay the very real bills.

STREET SENSE March 13 - 26, 2013

Service Spotlight: Georgetown Ministry Center By Laura Lindskov Jensen Editorial volunteer For those without a home, finding a shower at the end of the day can be hard. There are places to go, though. In an alley on the side of Grace Episcopal Church in Georgetown, Georgetown Ministry Center provides a variety of services, among them shower facilities. The drop-in-center at 1041 Wisconsin Avenue is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m., and each day up to 20 people can shower. Also it is possible for five people a day to do laundry. For both laundry and showers, you sign up on the daily list when the center opens. The drop-in-center also has caseworkers that help with housing applications, obtaining IDs and birth certificates, among other things. Though the

Calvary Women’s Services 678-2341 (shelter) 1217 Good Hope Road, SE calvaryservices.org Central Union Mission 745-7118 1350 R Street, NW missiondc.org Open Door Shelter 639-8093 425 2nd St, NW newhopeministriesdc.org/id3.html Community of Hope 232-7356 communityofhopedc.org Covenant House Washington 610-9600 2001 Mississippi Avenue, SE covenanthousedc.org John Young Center 639-8569 119 D Street, NW My Sister’s Place 529-5991 (24-hour hotline) mysistersplacedc.org N Street Village 939-2060 1333 N Street, NW nstreetvillage.org Samaritan Inns 667-8831 2523 14th St, NW samaritaninns.org

COMMUNITY SERVICES

space in the center is scarce, there is room for fun. The drop-in-center has free computers, and each day there are activities such as the knitting class, chess club or the weekly movie showing. The center’s existence can be traced back to 1984 when an elderly homeless man died on the streets of Georgetown from staying outside in the cold. The citizens of Georgetown were moved to search for an appropriate community response and in 1987 the Georgetown Clergy Association and Georgetown University founded the Georgetown Ministry Center. Shortly thereafter, a still ongoing winter shelter and drop-in-center was established. Today the neighbors are still caring – not only do many volunteers help out at the center, each day neighbors also bring sandwiches for those that come to the center.

New York Ave Shelter 832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave, NE Catholic Charities 772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp Charlie’s Place 232-3066 1830 Connecticut Ave, NW charliesplacedc.org Church of the Pilgrims 387-6612 2201 P St, NW churchofthepilgrims.org/outreach food (1 - 1:30 on Sundays only) Thrive DC 737-9311 1525 Newton St, NW thrivedc.org Food and Friends 269-2277 219 Riggs Rd, NE foodandfriends.org (home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc) Miriam’s Kitchen 452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave, NW miriamskitchen.org The Welcome Table 347-2635 1317 G St, NW epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable Unity Health Care 745-4300 3020 14th St, NW unityhealthcare.org

Housing/Shelter

Clothing

Outreach

Transportation

Education

Legal Assistance

Food

Showers

Medical/Healthcare

Laundry

Employment Assistance

DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH ACCESS HOTLINE 1-888-7WE HELP (1-888-793-4357)

SHELTER HOTLINE: 1–800–535–7252

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

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

Whitman-Walker Health 797-3500 1407 S St, NW whitman-walker.org

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

Bread for the City 265-2400 (NW) 561-8587 (SE) 1525 Seventh St, NW | 1640 Good Hope Rd, SE breadforthecity.org

Academy of Hope 269-6623 601 Edgewood St, NE aohdc.org

Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place 364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave, NW cchfp.org Father McKenna Center 842-1112 19 Eye St, NW fathermckennacenter.org Georgetown Ministry Center 338-8301 1041 Wisconsin Ave, NW georgetownministrycenter.org Martha’s Table 328-6608 2114 14th St, NW marthastable.org Rachel’s Women’s Center 682-1005 1222 11th St, NW rachaels.org

D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 347-8870 1234 Massachusetts Ave, NW dccfh.org Community Family Life Services 347-0511 305 E St, NW cflsdc.org Foundry Methodist Church 332-4010 1500 16th St, NW foundryumc.org/ministry-opportunities ID (FRIDAY 9-12 ONLY) Gospel Rescue Ministries 8421731 810 5th St, NW grm.org Jobs Have Priority 544-9128 425 Snd St, NW jobshavepriority.org

YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE VALLEY TO GET TO THE MOUNTAINTOP! By Veda Simpson Vendor Why do we as vendors, writers of Street Sense, fill the paper with so much negativeness? Out of every two articles, there is one sad, miserable one. People put the blame on everywhere but where it belongs. What part did we play? Thinking if someone read it they would feel sorry for you. NO! Stop feeling sorry for yourself. So

you’re homeless, do something about it. When I started, I lived in a vacant apartment. Sleeping under a sink, fixing my body shape on the pipes so security could not find me. I stood out there maybe making $1.00 in six hours, continuing until I had enough to eat. But I made good out of the bad that happened to me because joy comes in the morning. Be grateful you were not woke up by a bomb or a tornado this morning. Let people see where their money is going. Save, buy a change of clothes. Nobody working every day

should be sleeping outside when there’s shelters. It’s a roof over your head, so it’s home. You’re not panhandling, you have a job. Stop carrying 10 bags, you have enough money to get a storage bin. Show you’re working on something. If you’re looking the same after six months, where is your money going? You have to give to get. I give as much as I get. A child passing by, bread for the birds, or a peanut for the squirrel. We’re all on this earth together. I get so many blessings, I can’t hold them all. Thanks to God for bringing Street

Sense my way. I have my own apartment, my veterinary assistant’s certificate and many new friends. I sing “Old McDonald” to classes of children. This goes for everyone. How can you walk past someone laying on the street on a cold, rainy day and not be concerned? Remember Hurricane Sandy...everyone was in the soup line. There was no rich or poor. From this day on, live by LEAN ON ME. When you’re not strong, I’ll help you carry on. Tho’ it won’t be easy, going to need somebody to lean on! MUCH LOVE.

to say “well, you can’t have guests to sleep over.” I told her that wasn’t true, because I just did an intake with the social worker and in my lease agreement it says I can have an overnight guest in my apartment. While I was listening to her rivaling on and on, the one sentence that struck a chord in my mind was when she said to me “if moving into that building is so great as you say it to be, than I would have signed my name to the list.” When she made that remark to me I only said it to myself, “you should have put your name on that list for an apartment because you just missed a great blessing and opportunity to have placed you can call a home and not a shelter”. Making assumptions or just plain gossip is very dangerous because you

are missing out of great opportunities and blessings. Say there is a promotion or a position that comes up in your company and you get excited and want to talk to a co-worker about it. You talk with one co-worker about it and he or she says “go for it.” You talk to another co-worker about the position and that person says to you “I’ve been in my position in this company for 15 years and you don’t want that position or promotion because you will be doing three people’s tasks for less money”. Go to the source: the person who nominated you for a promotion or the person who posted the open position. Then you will realize how misinformed the others were in their assumptions and gossip.

ASSUMPTIONS OR GOSSIP - WHICH IS WORSE? By Aida Basnight-Peery Vendor For a week I’ve been through assumptions with 20 different people. I’m hoping they don’t know each other but sometimes I wonder: is God is testing me as to how well I’m going to handle assumptions or gossip? I was in a CVS store the other day and asked one of the clerks in the self check out area if she could please bring me a pack of cigarettes. Then I got in line to wait to check out. There was a man in front of me in the same line. Well, in the meantime, I noticed a lady was finishing in the self-check out counter. I knew that the man in front of me was going over to that selfcheck out so I proceded to go over to where the clerk who had my cigarettes in her hand was standing, by another self-check out counter. I stepped towards the clerk and she started yelling at me as to say “It’s not your turn

to come over here”! I asked her as to why not? Then she turned around and realized the man in front of me had finished paying for his item at the selfserve counter. So, I sure my readers can imagine what I said to her. Making assumptions of a situation only makes an !#!$ out of one’s self. To be honest I felt kind of bad for saying that to her. But, she came back by asking me for my birthday to make sure enough I was old enough to buy cigarettes, knowing I could be her grandmother. I was so elated when I was offered an efficiency apartment two weeks ago, that I wanted to share it with some of my friends. Of course some of my friends were very happy that I got an efficiency apartment and were very sincere and congratulated me. Then I shared it with another person, who said to me “why would you want to live in that building when they have so many rules”? I said to her when you rent anywhere, whether it is an efficiency apartment or a condo that you own there are rules attached to it. But she went on

Harriet Tubman By Evelyn Nnam Vendor

March 13 - 26, 2013 • Volume 10 • Issue 8

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW

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Remember, buy only from badged vendors and do not give to those panhandling with one paper. Interested in a subscription? Go to page 3 for more information.

“Harriet Tubman didn’t take no stuff Wasn’t scared of nothing neither Didn’t come in this world to be no slave And wasn’t going to stay one either…”

This is just the first verse of a poem, by Eloise Greenfield that reflects on the life of the great woman Harriet Tubman, how she was raised up in slavery and how she didn’t like it. She experienced many hardships but she still had her courage. Harriet Tub-

man expressed herself with her mighty, powerful words. Harriet Tubman was a very intelligent woman. Using the underground railroad, she saved all her people from slavery. She is admired today with other famous black Americans. They remind us that we can change the world. Thank you and God bless you all.