04 15 2009 by Street Sense Media

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Where the poor and homeless April 15 to April 28, 2009

earn and give their two cents

April 15 - April 28, 2009

D STE GE ON G S U N AT I DO

Volume 6 Issue 12

65 cents for the Vendor

35 cents for production of the paper*

*For more info on this change see page 14.

Nonprofits in Peril Winter beds disappearing Page 6

A radical call for change Page 12

Financial Crisis Issue To support the Street Sense bailout See Page 3

See the Street Sense Annual Report Pages 8 and 9

April 15 - April 28, 2009

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Our Mission

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. 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 347–2006 Fax: (202) 347–2166 info@streetsense.org www.streetsense.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kristal DeKleer Lisa Estrada Ted Henson Mary Lynn Jones Sommer Mathis Brad Scriber John Snellgrove Michael Stoops Martin Walker David Walker Kathy Whelpley EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Laura Thompson Osuri EDITOR–IN–CHIEF Mary Otto VENDOR MANAGER Gregory Martin ASSOCIATE EDITOR David S. Hammond (volunteer) VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Sherry Antoine, Laura Arico, Robert Basler, Robert Blair, Cliff Carle, Jane Cave, Carol Cummings, Rebecca Curry, Lisa Gillespie, Cassandra Good, Joanne Goodwin, Roberta Haber, Carol Hannaford, Justin Herman, Annie Hill, Dan Horner, Phillip Hoying, Kayne Karnbach, Michael Kelly, Maurice King, Geof Koss, Brenda K. Lee-Wilson, Starlett McNeill, Kim O’Connor, Gabriel Okolski, Robert Orifici, Swinitha Osuri, Michael O’Neill, Jon Pattee, Katinka Podmankzy, Sarah Pope, Cara Schmidt, Jamie Schuman, Jesse Smith, Matthew Taylor, Robert Trautman, Francine Triplett, Eugene Versluysen, Linda Wang, Denise Wilkins, Marian Wiseman, Corrine Yu VENDORS Willie Alexander, Jake Ashford, Kenneth Belkosky, Tommy Bennett, Reginald Black, Corey Bridges, Bobby Buggs, Cliff Carle, Conrad Cheek Jr., Louise Davenport, James Davis, Bernard Dean, Muriel Dixon, Patrick Ebitit, Alvin Dixon El, Charles Eatmon, Randy Evans, Roger Garner, Robert Gregory, Tanya Franklin, Barron Hall, David Harris, Patricia Henry, Phillip Howard, Lester Irby, Jo Ann Jackson, Michael Jefferson, Patricia Jefferson, Carlton Johnson, Jewell Johnson, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, Brenda Karyl LeeWilson, James Lott, Kina Mathis, Robert McCray, Charles Mayfield, Lee Mayse, Jennifer Mclaughlin, Jeffery McNeil, L. Morrow, Charles Nelson, Sammy Ngatiri, Eveykn Nnam, Moyo Onibuje, Thomas Queen, Jeanette Richardson, Kevin Robinson, Tyrone Rogers, Chris Shaw, Franklin Sterling, Sybil Taylor, Eric Thompson, Francine Triplett, Carl Turner, Patsy Uzzell, Martin Walker, Lawless Watson, Ivory Wison.

The Story of Street Sense

Street Sense began in August 2003 after two volunteers, Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson, approached the National Coalition for the Homeless on separate occasions about starting a street newspaper in Washington, D.C. A street paper is defined as a newspaper about poverty, homelessness and other social issues that provides an income to the homeless individuals who sell it. About 25 street papers operate in the United States and Canada in places like Seattle, Chicago, Montreal and Boston, and dozens more exist throughout the world. After bringing together a core of dedicated volunteers and vendors, Street Sense came out with its first issue in November 2003, printing 5,000 copies. For the next three years the paper published on a monthly basis and greatly expanded its circulation and vendor network. For the first year, Street Sense operated as a

project of the National Coalition for the Homeless, but in October 2004, the organization incorporated and moved into its own office space. In March 2005, Street Sense received 501(c)3 status, becoming a nonprofit organization. In October 2005 Street Sense formed a full board of directors, and in November the organization hired its first employee, a fulltime executive director. A year later in November 2006 , the organization hired its first vendor coordinator, and began partnering with several service providers. In February 2007, the paper started publishing twice a month and to support the increased production, Street Sense brought on its first fulltime editor–in–chief in April. As of January 2009 the paper has 80 active vendors and prints about 30,000 issues a month.

Do you want to continue to support Street Sense throughout the year? Order a subscription today! Not only will you receive 26 issues packed with all our latest news, poetry and photography, you will also help raise awareness about poverty in the D.C. area. ___ YES! I want to subscribe to Street Sense for just $40 a year for 26 issues. ___ YES! I want to give half of the cost of a subscription to my favorite vendor: ________________________________ Name: _______________________________ Address: ______________________________ _____________________________________ City:__________________________________ State:__________________ Zip: __________ Phone: _______________________________ E-mail: _______________________________ Please make checks payable to: Street Sense.

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

We are proud members of: North American Street Newspaper Association

International Network of Street Papers

Vendor Code of Conduct 1.

4. 5.

6. 7. 8.

10.

Street Sense will be distributed for a voluntary donation of $1. I agree not to ask for more than a dollar or solicit donations for Street Sense by any other means. I will only purchase the paper from Street Sense staff and will not sell papers to other vendors (outside of the office volunteers). I agree to treat all others – customers, staff, other vendors – respectfully, and I will not “hard sell,” threaten or pressure customers. I agree to stay off private property when selling Street Sense. I understand that I am not a legal employee of Street Sense but a contracted worker responsible for my own well–being and income. I agree to sell no additional goods or products when selling the paper. I will not sell Street Sense under the influence of drugs or alcohol. I agree to stay a block away from each another vendor and respect the space of all vendors. I understand that my badge is the property of Street Sense and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing the papers and display my badge when selling papers. I understand that Street Sense strives to be a paper that covers homelessness and poverty issues while providing a source of income for the homeless. I will try to help in this effort and spread the word.

Thank You to All Our Donors!

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April 15 - April 28, 2009

Bill Would Allow Newspapers to Turn Nonprofit By Charitha Adikariarachchi United States Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) has introduced new legislation that would allow newspapers to operate as nonprofits. This act, called the Newspaper Revitalization Act, means participating newspapers would operate under U.S. tax code 501(c)(3) status. The publications would still be free to report on all issues, including political campaigns, but they would be prohibited from making political endorsements. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says around 15,554 journalism jobs have been cut throughout the past year. “We are losing our newspaper industry” Cardin said. Decline of circulation, the drop in advertising, and the epochal transition to Internet are seen as the major causes for this downfall of the newspaper industry. Furthermore due to the crisis, newspapers such as the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune filed for bankruptcy protection in December, while the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Rocky Mountain News, the Baltimore Examiner and the San Francisco Chronicle have ceased daily publication or announced that they may have to stop publishing. Senator Cardin believes that the new bill will make life easier for the newspapers to survive with

the help of the tax exemptions. Speaking on the Senate floor, Cardin added, “As local papers are closing, we’re losing a valuable tradition in America critically important to our communities, critically important to our democracy”. The bill would offer newspapers the choice to opt out of paying taxes on advertising and subscription revenue in return for agreeing to avoid political endorsements. Newspapers could still cover political issues and elections and would include articles on local, national and international news stories valuable in educating the public. An especially sad aspect of the crisis is the rising unemployed status of journalists. According to American Journalism Review, only a handful of journalists who lost their jobs found other newspaper jobs. The rest are facing under-employment, doing everything from public relations, to bus driving, to clerking in a liquor store. American Journalism Review also revealed that journalists who were once making $50,000 to $59,000 are now working at reduced salaries, ranging from $40,000 to $49,000. Some say newspapers will have a hard time in going nonprofit since the tax officials will be scrutinizing all the newspapers. However, the nonprofit newspapers are finding it hard to survive in the economic turbulence.

Moreover, newspapers will lose the opportunity to include political endorsements except for political adver ts which could be construed as “indirect participation” in the election. And the ne w busi ness would permit publishers to claim other advertisement revenue as “tax exempt.” The bill is still in its initial stage, read twice U.S. Sen. Benjamin Cardin and has been referred to the committee. How much this would save newspapers and how much it would cost the federal government still remains unclear.

Support the Street Sense BailOut Since Street Sense will not be getting a bailout from the government anytime soon, we need support from donors like you more than ever to get through these tough economic times. So please donate today! Any small amount you can give will be greatly appreciated and you can be assured your dollars will be put right to work, enpowering the homeless and educating the public.

My Information Name:_______________________________________________________ Address:_____________________________________________________ City/State/Zip:_______________________________________________ Phone:_______________________E-mail:_________________________ Please make checks payable to Street Sense. Street Sense is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible.

Mail to: Street Sense, 1317 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20005. You can also donate online at www.streetsense.org

I WIll Donate ___ $50 for two vendor awards each month ___ $70 for food for vendor meetings ___ $100 for postage each month ___ $200 for the vests of 15 new vendors ___ $500 for rent for vendor office ___ $1,200 for the printing of one issue ___ Another amount of $____________

Spread Your Contributions Throughout the Year: Set up MONTHLY donations at www.streetsense.ORG

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April 15 - April 28, 2009

Obama Invited to Address Antipoverty Gathering By Robert Blair Antipoverty activists often assert that poverty is a moral issue. If so, then the federal budget is as much an ethical as an economic document. This month, a coalition of faith-based, social justice groups and secular antipoverty organizations will convene the Mobilization to End Poverty, a three-day education and

National Plan to End Poverty: 1. Reduce domestic poverty by 50% between 2010 and 2019, including expanded and improved health care, housing, education, and food and nutrition programs. 2. Help to implement the UN Millennium Development Goals, including eradicating extreme poverty, achieving universal primary education, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health care, and combating HIV/AIDS.

advocacy rally, to proclaim that view. Scheduled for April 26~29 at the Washington Convention Center, the mobilization is expected to bring between 1,500 and 2,000 antipoverty activists to the District. The purpose of the event, hosted by Sojourners, a D.C.-based pro-

gressive Christian ministry, and cosponsored by a half-dozen other religious and international aid organizations, is to call on President Barack Obama and Congress to establish a national plan to sharply reduce U.S. poverty levels over the next 10 years. Participants will also be pressing national political leaders to promote U.S. leadership in global efforts to end extreme poverty. Kristen Erbelding, associate city director at the Center for Student Missions in D.C., said that she and several colleagues will be participating. “We want to create greater awareness about these issues,” Erbelding said. “We hope to make a statement that, as Christians, we're serious about poverty issues and about holding [politicians] accountable.” Adam Taylor, Sojourners' senior policy director noted that, so far, “efforts to get poverty on the political agenda have had mixed success.” However, he did note that Obama, during the Democratic primary, made a public commitment to support the goal of reducing U.S. poverty by half within 10 years. Now, in the post-election period, Taylor said,”we have to get candidates who were elected to follow up on their commitments, and to demonstrate to them that there is an active constituency willing to act. It is a priority, not just a time-to-time thing.” The Mobilization organizers have planned a variety of workshops, training sessions, and Capitol Hill lobbying activities beginning on Sunday, April 26. That afternoon and evening will be devoted to volunteer training and a worship service at Shiloh Baptist Church.

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The main events begin on Monday the 27 with a series of plenary sessions at the Washington Convention Center. The president has been invited to make an address on poverty at the 10:30 a.m. session. Other plenary speakers include economist Dr. Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University, director of The Earth Institute, special advisor to the UN Millennium Project, U.S. Representative and civil rights activist John Lewis, and Sojourners’ cofounder and political author, the Rev. Jim Wallis. Tuesday the 28th will be devoted to preparing for and lobbying Capitol Hill on several specific issues. Short-term, the Mobilization's sponsors and partners want the president to direct the Office of Management and Budget to revise the way the government measures poverty and to create an up-to-date and accurate baseline of the number of Americans living in poverty. Currently the measure is based solely on a multiple of family food needs, and misses the effects of the escalating costs of health care, transportation and housing. It also fails to include the positive impact of various federal tax credits and cash assistance programs. Another of the event's short-term goals is to voice support for those parts of the federal budget that are aimed at promoting employment, preventing homelessness, and providing greater assistance with health care, housing foreclosures, and subsidy programs to those most in need. With a modern poverty baseline in place, Mobilization organizers note, it will be easier to identify useful anti-

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poverty policies and to measure the success of existing or new ones. And that will support the organizers' longer term goal, the creation of a national plan to: •Reduce poverty by 50 % between 2010 and 2019, including expanded and improved health care, housing, education and food and nutrition programs. •Help implement the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, including eradicating extreme poverty, achieving universal primary education, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health care, and combating HIV/AIDS. Also on Tuesday, Taylor explained, participants will be attending a prayin at a park near the Senate and a reception/rally at the courtyard of the Rayburn House Office Building with congressional leaders on poverty issues. Individual participant groups will visit their members' congressional offices to express support for a revised poverty baseline and the 10-year national plan. On Wednesday morning, April 29, there will be a series of workshops that address the relationship between poverty and the economy, health care, immigration, women, peace, race, and international development. The afternoon will be devoted to sessions on organizing and advocating for social justice issues when the participants return home. Details, and the latest news on the Mobilization can be found at www. sojo.net.

Place Your Ad Here For more information, contact Street Sense at 202-347-2006 or visit www.streetsense.org

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April 15 - April 28, 2009

Economic Hard Times May Force Homeless Agencies to Merge, Close by Jonathan Rubin How is a D.C. homeless shelter like General Motors? Both might need a complete overhaul to stay afloat in the current economic crisis. From Virginia to Maryland, homeless services are feeling the economic squeeze in two places: decreased donations from cash-strapped citizens and a spike in food and shelter requests. Some nonprofits are even seeing former donors line up at soup kitchens or food pantries, this time with their hands out. There is a nonprofit crisis brewing: Organizations that lack a diverse number of funding sources ~ those that rely primary on government grants, for example ~ may not be able to survive the more difficult times ahead. Up to 30% of all nonprofit organizations in the greater D.C. area may up and disappear in the near future, according to analysts at the Nonprofit Finance Fund. They call the phenomenon “compressing the sector.” A March 2009 report by the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers saw givers in a weakened position~ 86% of respondents announced a decrease in assets. More than 50% of foundations reduced their own giving budgets. On top of this, a survey of nonprofits showed that nearly one-inthree had a salary freeze in effect, while 13% had laid off staff. And all the while, requests for funds have gone through the roof. Glen O’Gilvie, CEO at the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, said that one-third of the nonprofits in the area have cut programs, including homeless shelters and other providers. He said organizations are making staff take unpaid furloughs, mandatory vacations and layoffs. To make mattes worse, the end is nowhere in sight. These challenges come at a time when social service needs are at an all-time high. Thrive DC, an agency in Northwest D.C. that offers meals, laundry services, beds and job training, says they have been serving an additional 1,000 meals a month. At the same time, foundation giving and individual donations have dropped 20%. “Many of the individuals we serve are used to being marginalized, forgotten, or having their trust broken, and I think they worry or assume that their needs will again fall to the bottom of community and policy priorities,” said Erika Barry, Thrive DC’s executive director. So Others Might Eat, a group that provides food,

Up to 30% of all nonprofit organizations in the greater D.C. area may up and disappear in the near future.

elder services and other programs, has seen an 8% increase in meals served in just the last two months. They now serve about 800 people a day, many of whom have “jobs, suits, construction uniforms, and ID badges,” according to spokeswoman Tracy Monson. Monson said that while foundations are “sticking with us. it’s impossible for them to support us like in the past.” Some social service agencies and nonprofit leaders are calling for a “paradigm shift” to keep their own organizations in operation. Robert Egger, founder of DC Central Kitchen, said that nonprofits are “trapped in a fundraising cycle” where directors spend more and more time fighting for dollars and “everyone is out for themselves.” He calls this self-preservation “the Achilles’ heel of the nonprofit sector. “We have a large number of organizations… many duplicating services,” said Egger. The other issue is the financial instability of many social service agencies. Homeless organizations that have only one or two sources of income “are very vulnerable... and, sadly, [are] very common,” said Garvester “Gar” Kelley, vice president for the Mid-Atlantic Region at the Nonprofit Finance Fund. For the time being, governmental funding for D.C.’s homeless efforts seems to be stable. A spokeswoman from the Department of Human Services that she didn’t foresee cuts to homeless services in the D.C. area next year. While there will be “necessary budget reductions” in the 2010 budget, she said care will be taken so these cuts will happen “without reducing homelessness services to residents.” Personal donations to nonprofits, however, are unpredictable and can change extremely quickly. Nonprofits received two warning signs that their service model was shaky~ 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. While people panicked, nonprofits that weren’t the cause célèbre suffered. “The people who didn’t have diverse funding streams... they really felt it,” said O’Gilvie at the Center for Nonprofit Advancement. He said some organizations have spent “some or all of their reserves” and one A February 2009 survey of nonprofits across the region revealed that 46% of respondents had not met their fund raising goals through December of 2008. O’Gilvie says his organization is trying to provide some new models for the service providers of the future. The key, he says, is cooperation: a group of 830 nonprofits have already banded together to leverage their buying power when purchasing retirement plans and health insurance. Now, he is trying to create “shared back-office services” where accounting, bookkeeping and human resources can be centralized at a significant savings. “The sector needs to evolve,” said Egger, who also co-founded the Nonprofit Congress, a strategic

Many of the individuals we serve are used to being marginalized, forgotten, or having their trust broken, and I think they worry or assume that their needs will again fall to the bottom of community and policy priorities. - Erika Berry, Executive Director of THRIVE DC

planning group for nonprofits. “We’ve got the biggest pot of untaxed revenue in the U.S.... [Politicians] are coming for us.” Egger said that people need to wake up to this new reality, and fast. In the 1980s, he said, homelessness was en vogue. More recently, he said, “largescale fundraisers have shifted to AIDS… and now breast cancer.” “The era in which we can be service providers has passed. We should be developers. I need to become an employer.” That’s exactly what Egger did. Rather than teach low-income people job skills and hope someone will hire them, Egger created a culinary job training program to train his clients as chefs and caterers, whom he then employs. He makes a good deal of revenue from the business, which lessens his need for outside resources. And his employees? They get $12 an hour and health benefits. The Nonprofit Finance Fund’s Gar Kelley said while innovation is important, collaboration will be the saving grace at the end of the day. And sometimes this means stopping turf wars over funding and joining forces. “The number of organizations will be reduced,” he said plainly. “The fundamental question is not ‘Will my organization survive?’, but ‘Will the people my organization was established to serve continue to be served?’ ”

April 15 - April 28, 2009

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“I Have Always Viewed Hypothermia as an Opportunity” Advocates and homeless mark the closing of the small winter havens Story by Mary Otto Photos by Natalie Yu Winter is over. The roughly 300 extra hypothermia beds that were opened up for cold weather in homeless programs large and small across the District are being stowed away. And with them, places that felt familiar and safe are disappearing for another year. With the loss of the winter beds, advocates say, there can also be a loss of bonds formed with the most solitary folks, who only come in when it is cold. “I have always viewed hypothermia as an opportunity,” said Mary Ann Luby, an outreach worker at the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless. “It is the time people don’t normally come in. You have a chance to connect with people.” District officials assure that the more than 1,400 year-round shelter beds remaining in the city system will be adequate now that winter weather is ending. With hypothermia beds disappearing, nightly counts show that the emergency shelters are full but that no one has been refused a place to stay, said one official who did not wish to be named. “To the best of my knowledge, beds are still available within the system,” agreed Michael Ferrell, executive director of the nonprofit D.C. Coalition for the Homeless, which operates a number of programs across the city. Yet some insist that with the end of winter, the system is feeling the strain. “I don’t even know where to send someone,” said Erika Barry, executive director of Thrive DC, formerly the Dinner Program for Homeless Women. Her staff recently spent an entire day seeking shelter for a woman and child fleeing domestic violence. “Capacity is a real problem right now with the closing of hypothermia season,” added Skip Watkins, a staffer at the Community for Creative Non-Violence shelter and a leader of the city’s Coalition of Housing and Homeless Organizations. “We don’t have enough bed space.” And with the loss of the winter bed capacity, they say that a measure of extra care only found in winter is also being lost. For besides the major city-funded hypothermia efforts, some smaller charities also find ways to offer their own winter havens. And for homeless people suffering from mental illness or trauma, or who have other reasons to fear or avoid most shelters, these programs can have a special appeal.

Top: Bill McNeil, shelter resident, and Allen Greenberg, shelter volunteer drink coffee and share stories after dinner at Epiphany Catholic Church.

Capacity is a real problem right now with the closing of hypothermia season. We don’t have enough bed space. -Skip Watkins, a staffer at the Community for Creative Non-Violence shelter

Left: Anton Laubert comes into Epiphany for the night.

Above: Allen Greenberg checks in with a resident before night’s end.

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April 15 - April 28, 2009

my heart when we close.” Bill McNeil agreed to participate in the shelter program this winter, after he was slashed and bludgeoned by an unknown assailant while sleeping in a doorway in the nearby Foggy Bottom neighborhood. "The program here is really fantastic," McNeil said quietly one recent night, grateful to be safe and healing. On Christmas Eve another homeless man was killed while sleeping in Foggy Bottom. Yoshio Nakada, who had mental illness, had been coaxed into staying at the church shelter when it was housed at Grace Church, where he often prayed. But Nakada had been reluctant to move along to the next church on the rotation. His death has highlighted the nightly concerns for those living without warm, dry and secure indoor shelter. Around the city over the winter months at least four other homeless people died outdoors of less obvious causes. Autopsy results have not yet been released.

The Warmth of a Church Hall On the last Saturday of March the men of the Georgetown shelter spent their final night of hypothermia season in the warmth of a church hall. And when Sunday morning came they drank their coffee and packed their things. For these men and other homeless people across the District, the fragile security of a hypothermia shelter bed ~ and the extra help tied up with winter ~ was coming to an end. Time to leave. "Thank you for your hospitality," said McNeil. He slung his bag over his shoulder and headed off into the foggy chill of an uncertain spring morning.

Dr. Juan M. Montero offers medical exams in the Unity Health van to shelter residents.

Cold Weather: A Chance to Connect The Father McKenna Center, which normally offers meals and other day services at St. Aloysius Catholic Church on North Capitol Street, used its own funds to provide beds for 25 men this past winter. At the approach of spring, center director Tom Howarth saw the difference the cots were making. “The guys looked at me with pleading eyes,” he said. “What are we going to do on April 1?” A majority of the men made progress in coping with some of their problems during the winter spent sleeping indoors, he said. “There’s a touch of sadness in it all,” Howarth said. “Fifteen of the 25 would have advanced some if we could have kept them here.” Running the night shelter was demanding but the benefits were real. “We’ve had the suggestion ‘why don’t we have hypothermia year-round?’ ” Howarth said. In Georgetown, the 10 men who were coaxed in from the cold this winter to sleep under cozy blankets and quilts in neighborhood churches also showed signs of progress, said those who helped them. The men normally would have slept under bridges and in alleys, shunning social contact. “They like to isolate” is how Georgetown Ministry Center outreach director Roy Witherspoon put it. “I don’t do shelters,” one of the men, Anton Laubert, explained. But he, like the others, found himself drawn in by the comforts of the church shelter program, hosted by neighnorhood churches on a rotating basis. The program was started in 1987, following the freezing death of a neighborhood homeless man. Along with the cots, the men are offered meals, friendly conversation with church volunteers, medical attention and counseling. During the rest of the year, the Ministry Center provides drop-in services out of its offices at Grace Episcopal Church on Wisconsin Avenue. But the wintertime is always special, said staffer Delores Jackson, who has helped supervise the church shelter program for the past 16 years. “I am truly grateful these churches open their doors for us.” she says. “It breaks

Bill McNeil returns to the streets.

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April 15 - April 28, 2009

ANNUAL REPO

Director’s Letter

Dear Street Sense Supporter, Street Sense had big plans for 2008. We went into the year with a 55% increase in our budget, with plans to support 22% of this spending with S S a big push for advertising revenue. We had also hoped to get vendors involved in ad sales and do $2 ● Changed newspaper design a little advertising of our own. ● Added Writer’s Group news And then the “financial crisis” happened and by vendors Street Sense had its own staffing crisis. The financial crisis prompted businesses to cut back ● Hired new editor, Mary Ot B aosevere ld drastically on advertising, causing ● Changed vendor manager po Headl strain on that revenue stream. Additionally, i ● Added new fundraiser: Fir n e with much of their money in the stock market, B o Veteran hikes l d to raise Journalism Awards foundations were extremely tight with funding. $3,700 for hom eless vets And our staffing crisis caused meH to e focus my adine ● Joined the United Way giv attention on filling the vacant positions rather ● Formed partnership with Y than fundraising, and also caused all staff and Day” volunteers to spend extra time covering to makefunlittle blurb about the story ● Established professional Tiny investment sure day-to-day operations continued smoothly. Page 3 changes lives in Bangladesh ● Added a second office at Consequently, Street Sense ended 2008 in the red for the first time since we opened our ● Expanded Board of Directo doors. However, while Street Sense’s financial outcomes were disappointing for 2008, the programNon-profit atte ELP TREET ENSE EA mpts to viate CH NE ILLION holialle matic outcomes were much better than expected. day burdens Our average number of monthly vendors soared The cover of our firs from 60 to 91 and the biweekly circulation t redesign issue on No ed vember 12. jumped 40% to 14,000 papers a month. This caused income from paper sales to increase 42% and also spurred a record number of individual donations. Though year-end donations were down, throughout the year giving was consistent and general individual donations were up 20% from 2007. Last year was also filled with a record number of vendor successes as well – from a handful of vendors reconnecting with long lost family to dozens of vendors finding housing through D.C.’s Award ee Housing First initiative. Additionally, several in Jo s and spea u ke r vendors discovered their talents for writing and (cent nalism Awa rs at our e r r first ds in ) , performing, and became public figures in their for ended E J up as merly with une. Mary xcellence own right. our e O t tt h e Was ditor hingt o And editorially, the articles were more just o n P a mon thoughtful and revealing than ever, particularth la ost, ter. ly with the addition of Mary Otto as editor in July. Several small news outlets even picked up a few of our stories, including articles about hate crimes against those living on the streets and the push to get homeless people registered to vote. Jan. 23: Hearing Voices: My Hour of Schizophrenia, Mandy McAnalSo despite the red in our bottom line at the ly (editorial) end of 2008, Street Sense continued to make its mark – in all types of colors – in the WashingFeb. 6: Childless Couples Lack a Spot in Shelters, Brittany ton area and throughout its homeless community. Aubin (news) For 2009, we have taken a much more conservaMarch 5: Drugs Money and Women, Freddie Smith (editorial) tive approach to our finances and actually plan for a 0.2% decrease in our budget from 2008, and April 30: Path to Recovery for Drug Addicts Littered with Obwe are tightly monitoring these numbers on a stacles in District, Brittany Aubin (news) month to month basis. Still, we hope to accomAug. 20: A New World, An Office, Maurice King (editorial) plish even more in 2009 when it comes to empowSeptember 3: Life Lessons from Street Sense and the Poker Table, ering the homeless and educating the public. And I hope individual donors and other funders will Jeffery McNeil (editorial) continue to support us through the next year, so Oct. 1: Homeless Vote: Making It Count, Lisa Gillispie (news) we can see both our mission AND our finances on Phillip Oct. 29: ANC Commissioner’s Service Cut Short by Eviction, Mary an upwards trajectory again in 2009. treet ense.o rg

November 12-2

Where the poor and home

6, 2008

less earn and give

November 12-26 2008

2008 Acc

their two cents

Volume 6 Issue

Brother, an Yo u Spare SomC e Change?

Page 8

Page 15

H S

S R O M

See page 3 for detail s

Page 6

Top 10 Articles

Sincerely, Laura Thompson Osuri Executive Director

Otto (news) Nov. 26: Kidnapped Carjacked and I Stole My Car Back!, Conrad Cheek Jr. (editorial) Dec. 25: Homeless Families Caught in Crunch, Mary Otto (news)

December tended fa

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Top Five Vendor Successes

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April: Ivory Wilson connected with his daughter after 31 years and now visits with her regularly. May: Lee Mayse graduated from Streetwise Partners corporate executive mentoring program. September: Vendors Don Johnson, Phillip Howard, and Allen Jones moved into their own apartments thorugh the Housing First initiative. November: Mark Jones, who started working at Safeway in May, moved into his own place. He sells Street Sense on the side as is still one of our top vendors.

r 2008: Jeffery McNeill reconnected with his father and examily after more than 10 years of no contact.

Paper Sales 22%

Grants 20%

Contributed Goods and Services 7%

Fundraisers 7%

Advertising Sales 9%

Individual Donations 35%

Annual IncomeTotal

Income

$250,000 $200,000 $150,000 Revenue

$100,000

Expense

$50,000 $2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

S treetS ense.org

April 15 - April 28, 2009

gREGORY’S gREAT gAME

Vendor manager Gregory Martin loves to create seek-andfind puzzles and drive the Street Sense staff crazy trying to find their answers. Below is his latest puzzle. Good Luck! 5 Across: 4. Type of Board 5. Used for shade 7. Bench or Police 8. Partner 11. Fire or # 9 Down: 12. Dot 1. In Hand 2. Cliff’s _____ 3. Comes in a ‘Bag’ 6. Communicate 9. “_________Goes to Camp” 10. Elephants, Clowns, ETC...

2 3

4 6 7

11 12

Street Sense

Announces the Second Annual David Pike Excellence in Journalism Awards In June Street Sense, DC’s nonprofit newspaper that empowers the homeless, will give out the second annual Excellence in Journalism Awards. The awards are in memory of late Street Sense board member and journalist David Pike. The awards honor print journalism that changes perceptions about homelessness, draws attention to the factors affecting homelessness, and influences social responses to homelessness.

Criteria

Submissions must: x address homelessness or the causes of homelessness (affordable housing, mental illness, domestic violence, health care, for example) x focus on the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area x be published in a local or regional print media outlet in 2008.

Categories x

x x x

Investigative Reporting. Entries may be a single article or a series of articles and may include additional materials such as sidebars or illustrations. Breaking News. Entries must showcase deadline reporting of a single event. Feature Stories. Entries may be personality profiles, trend stories, human interest stories, or any feature that is not a breaking news story. They can be a single story or a series. Photography. Entries may be a single photo or a series of no more than three.

Submission Guidelines x x x x

Anyone can submit a story, whether you are a reader or the writer(s). Please submit the article electronically as a text, PDF or HTML attachment. Please include the name of the category you are submitting to, your contact e-mail, phone number and address. If you are the writer of the article, please include a brief bio about yourself.

The deadline for the receipt of all submissions is May 8, 2009. Please send submissions and questions to awards@streetsense.org.

Last Issue’s Answers A

B R

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B C

T R

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R H

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1 8 6 7 3 2 5 9 4

7 2 3 4 9 5 1 8 6

5 4 9 6 8 1 7 2 3

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6 7 5 3 2 9 8 4 1

2 3 8 1 5 4 6 7 9

4 5 1 2 7 6 9 3 8

8 6 7 9 4 3 2 1 5

3 9 2 5 1 8 4 6 7

Puzzle by websudoku.com

S treetS ense.org

April 15 - April 28, 2009

Will write for food: Writer’s Group Writer’s Group meets Wednesdays 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Street Sense office. A poetry after party is 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Financial writing exercise

Reggie’s Reflections: Horrible A.M.

By Reginald Black

I was feeling confused - screen friends and hood alike, they acted the same. There As America has struggled with the global market, so has Main Street. Explain how, if your job or Street Sense was not around, you would go about surviving America’s economic woes.

Economic Reality By Miles Keller

I side with feeling empathetic. Being around people who had been to college and have their degrees and success, I have investigated their feelings of euphoria about having this first job, making a bundle of money their first year and feeling independence from family. The idea of moving to a new location, putting hopes and dreams ahead of reality, betting a plan of family and future. Impulsive spending on luxuries and relationship. Only to lose it because of the situation of economies and resorting to reverse life and going back to basics. Basics, meaning asking for help from family and seeking help from family and possibly the government.

were those who truly wanted to see me hurt. I had to chase for the one who made me happy, and all the time I got plotted on. My sorrow was possibly their only desire. But on and on I continued, believing maybe in time she will come around. It was a bright sunny day the night before my self-dubbed angels visited me at my house. ... I decided to take them to a friend’s house and from the start everything went wrong. My couch-surfing hood friends wanted to get involved in something I didn’t agree with. Undaunted I then took off to get ready. After success on the getting-fresh department I went back to the boiler room to wait. Suddenly I was interrupted by some guys I knew from the block who were eager to proceed with scheme for some cash. I showed them away and continued to wait. My angels didn’t take long to arrive. I met them and immediately things were not right. “They taking pictures of us” they exclaimed. I looked back and it was the guys that I had just left with phone cameras in hand. Distracted by another call everything went downhill. Every attempt to get them to stay and hang with me failed. The fact that a cousin of one of the girls also from the chat room relayed rumors people spread didn’t make things better. After their departure I thought “What a horrible morning, I am crosstown alone stuck around an ex-con who is just as homeless as me but totally in denial. I wondered would any aspect of my life change, or was it all gone down the tubes? Reggie helps with layout. Contact: roninworrior@yahoo.com

Miles sells papers and is from New York. Contact: Princekeller2@aol.com

What a Thought By Reginald Black

Without Street Sense? Wow! What a hard question to ask. I am only 23 and also homeless. If Street Sense didn’t exist I think I would be still in Southeast panhandling. Another depressing part of that thought would have to be that I could also be deceased right now if it wasn’t for the Street Sense newspaper. Although that sounds heartbreaking it is one of two realities. If Street Sense was not around, another option would be temporary jobs, and sideline day labor work. That being said I am so thankful to Jehovah God that a homeless person can empower themselves through advocating for themselves and others using the paper sales of a newspaper. See Reggie’s Reflections for contact information

Catherine’s Remedy

Who’s Who of the Homeless By Carlton Johnson The experience of homelessness by famous individuals and where are they now. There just happens to be (1) Nobel Prize winner (2) nominees (6) Oscar winners (10) nominees (8) Emmy winners (11) nominees (9) Grammy winners (13) nominees, and in fact six best-selling authors to date, also one recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, moreover one knighthood, who have been homeless at some point in time. Now for the Who’s Who of the Homeless award winners: John Drew Barrymore ... actor and father of Drew Barrymore ... He was homeless and also lived in shelters ...

by Patty Smith

I would open a business in my home selling food and all sorts of knickknacks. I would do just like my mother did years ago when we were trying to make money. What we did was clean the house - clean the kitchen and cook a lot of food, go to our selling spot and sell everything that we cooked. We did that all day, counted our money and went home.

Charlie Chaplin ... Oscar winning actor-writer-directorproducer ... British-born author; Knighted; lived on the streets of London during his childhood after his father died and he had suffered a mental breakdown ...

Patty is a longtime vendor. Contact: pattyscoffee@netzero.com

Intuition Finds the Answer by Wallace Boyd

I am a multitalented writer who inspires others with poetry and music. I will always have a job of service in the world, because encouraging creative ideas in the world is of greater importance than the state of the world. Reason raises questions; intuition finds the answer.

D-Vine ... U.S.-born rapper and star in his own right ... Was homeless and lived in a shelter after his mother died ...

Wallace performs musical poetry. Contact: curvingblessings@gmail.com

PRODUCTION, HOSTING, LAYOUT AND SUPPORT: Cara Schmidt, Carlton Johnson, David Hammond, Patty Smith, Reginald Black

S treetS ense.org

April 15 - April 28, 2009

Redesigning Capitalism and Charity By Robert Egger

few weeks back, First Lady Michelle Obama paid a surprise visit to Miriam’s Kitchen, one of Washington’s most dynamic service organizations. In subsequent media coverage detailing her visit and documenting the growing demand for services at front line programs throughout the country, a controversy arose over a guest of Miriam’s capturing the moment on a cell phone camera. From across the country, the cry arose—“If he’s “homeless”, then how come he has a cell phone?” This simplistic, yet understandable lament reveals America’s deeply flawed understanding of philanthropy, and it offers an opportunity to re-explore the way we seek to address seemingly intractable issues like poverty, addiction and unemployment. So much of charity is based on the historic values of an “agri-culture”, when members of small, landbased economies depended upon each other in times of flood, fire or famine. It was a time we recall often romantically, when neighbors and kin cared for each other without thought of tax deductions and nobody asked for help unless it was truly needed. But it was also a time of horrors like debtors’ prisons, orphanages, mental asylums and work farms for those who could not or would not conform to societal standards. Those times are gone, yet we still cling to economically simplistic, and often emotion-based notions of charity. One idea is that a person must hit rock bottom to merit society’s support. Another is that the organi-

RFD’s

zations which serve the needy must be “charities” run by earnest, low-paid staff that focus 100% of their incomes on immediate necessities. Personally, I hope those ideas crash and burn alongside some of the similarly antiquated economic policies that have all but ravaged our shared economy. Now is the time to redesign BOTH capitalism and charity. We can begin by divorcing ourselves from the outdated preoccupation with trying to determine who “deserves our help.” From there we can move on to marrying two profound new concepts—1) that nonprofit organizations can actually create wealth, and that 2)the way you spend your money every day is a far more powerful tool than charity. First of all we must help our fellow citizens understand the economic folly of waiting for folks to fall all the way down before we extend a helping hand. Frankly, it took me a while to get over these often counterintuitive notions. Take the idea of Housing First for example. As a person who has spent his entire nonprofit career in immediate proximity to people in addiction or wrestling with mental illness, I had concerns about the viability of placing people in permanent supportive housing versus the shelter system I grew up with. The economic cost of the shelter system is huge, however, in comparison to the cost of getting folks into a home. And because the chronically homeless make up such a small percentage of people seeking sporadic housing support, it makes huge sense to advance this tactic and then use the money saved to strategically focus on the targeted needs like addiction services, job training and mental health care. Then comes the task of taking a more economically-educated view of the ill-named nonprofit sector itself. A recent economic impact study by the Philanthropic Collaborative (of which I am a member) conservatively concluded that the $43 billion that private and community foundations invested in their com-

1st Annual Sounds for

Street Sense

POLITICKS

Monday April 27, 2009 7pm RFD’s Back Room 810 7th Street, NW

(Just a half block from the Gallery Place Metro)

$15 Donation for all-night happy hour prices

munities in 2007 (which represents a fraction of the sector’s $1.5 trillion annual revenue) yielded $500 billion in household income and an additional $150 billion in government revenue—equaling an almost a nine to one return on investment. This smashes the notion that nonprofits are a drag on the economy and puts the sector in Washington, and in every American city, at the forefront of our country’s economic engine. As such, those who proudly serve our communities must stand together to advance the sector’s enormous contributions as well as advocate for our inclusion in every dialogue about the future goals of any community. But as more and more groups move from managing shelters and building affordable housing or, in the case of DC Central Kitchen, evolve from training to actually employing those we train in revenue-generating business, we must also help donors learn that the power of daily commerce far outweighs the limited power of once-a-year contributions. Simply put: the more we frequent businesses that provide a solid wage, healthcare, and childcare, the less we will need to donate to charity to make up for those that do not. Therefore, the future of philanthropy does not lie in more nonprofits, or even in nonprofits run like businesses—it lies in citizens electing people who understand the promise of new philanthropy and consumers who support businesses that reinvest in the community. And those are ideas you can take to the bank. Robert Egger is the founder and president of DC Central Kitchen. He’s a former Street Sense board member.

What’s a Guy to Do? By Robert Warren

ard time in America ~ what’s a guy to do? Sell Street Sense – although that’s not always so easy to do with the way things are right now, when people have to watch every dime they spend. Dollars are hard to part with for a newspaper, but when you think about how you are helping people who are doing just as bad as you, that’s when the LORD blesses you even more. So you be a blessing and you receive a blessing. And that’s what Street Sense is all about – understanding people and what they are going through, and helping them not have to beg for a dollar or two to get by. It’s about making them feel that they have some self-worth. That is so important to people who are going through hard times and that’s what Street Sense is all about for me. Without Street Sense, I’m not one to beg or panhandle my way through life, but I have come to trust in the Lord and know He will make a way. Robert Warren is a vendor who is active in the Writer’s Group. He also advocates for the homeless as a member of the People for Fairness Coalition.

S treetS ense.org

April 15 - April 28, 2009

What Street Sense Means to Me By Jeffery McNeil

he financial crisis has hit many workplaces, big companies and small nonprofits alike. Unfortunately, Street Sense is also feeling the grips of the economy. Street Sense has been around for five years and has helped numerous people in financial turmoil. Without Street Sense, just imagine what the homeless situation would really be like. I have been to numerous cities like Philadelphia, New York, and Baltimore. Like me, those who have been to those cities have seen numerous people who are on the streets. With no hope or opportunities, their only alternatives are to beg, panhandle, sell drugs or beat someone over the head to get some money. A street paper gives a homeless person an opportunity to do something legal and legitimate instead of maybe getting locked up in jail because no one gave a damn. Not only does Street Sense help the homeless, it also allows young people and many college students and volunteers to get involved and to do internships to get

their degrees. These hard workers realize the challenge of poverty and the effects it has on the community. They don’t get paid, but work tirelessly to make sure the papers are distributed. What I like best about Street Sense is not my articles, it’s the very back page, which tells people about the resources for the homeless in a particular area. Street Sense teaches people how to be businessmen, not beggars and panhandlers, and how to get up and work instead of waiting for someone to give you something. We are out in the rain, snow, high humidity and all events that go on in Washington. We make sure those who are tourists get the right information about our homeless situation. Without Street Sense, many would have been too proud to say I am homeless, and might have died on the streets, literally and figuratively. Without Street Sense, I would have never found my father and my relatives, whom I love dearly. Without Street Sense, we vendors would not meet all the people who tell us about town hall meetings, jobs and other resources to connect us with loved ones and events. I love all the customers I have encountered over the years. Street Sense is not perfect. We have disagreements and arguments, but without support we can’t fix the problems to make the paper better. I hope as you continuously support our paper, you imagine those cities that don’t have a street paper, and

see how sad their homeless situation is. Our city is the standard because with Street Sense, homeless people have a chance to write, speak out, and learn the process of printing a newspaper. I have seen with my own eyes as I train people who came in dirty, smelly and homeless, the transformation from being hopeless to having optimism. I myself was one of the homeless who came with just a bus ticket, a t-shirt and my dirty jeans, who after selling papers became enthused, excited and hopeful for the future. Without a paper I might be lying in a park or doing something illegal like selling drugs for a way to survive. Right now, more than ever, we need your support, whether you give a little or can place an ad, take out a subscription or grant. With more and more people becoming homeless, we can’t afford not to have a Street Sense. We all as citizens need to pitch in and save our paper from going extinct. To all my customers or future clientele, if you wish to help or volunteer you can contact or email me, or call the office. We cannot procrastinate or delay. Help is needed urgently. Jeffery has been a vendor for 15 months and he recently started working at Comfort One Shoes in Chinatown.

Letters to the Editor To Whom It May Concern, I just wanted to take the time to commend Jeff McNeil for living up to his own standards when it comes to winning sales. I ran into Jeff this morning as I was walking to work, at the intersection of 18th and K streets. I was already interested in purchasing the latest Street Sense, but in the few minutes it took for me to retrieve four quarters from my wallet, Jeff further had me sold. He asked me about my St. Patrick’s Day, pointed out his editorial on page 13, then told me about the Chinatown shoe store where he works. Just a few minutes later, I began reading his”Techniques for Winning Sales” ~ and I couldn’t help but to smile, especially when I read, “When I sell papers I never have an exact amount, I just go one sale at a time.” Not only had he demonstrated what he preached, but he also became a clear reason why I will continue to purchase the paper and contribute to its cause. I hope that other Street Sense vendors learn from his example, and I wish Jeff all the best in his current and future endeavors. Sincerely, Christina Lee

Dear Street Sense, I am an American University student and an avid supporter of Street Sense. I read the the January 7, 2009 issue and was absolutely blown away by a poem by David Harris entitled “My Room.” This poem has to be one of the most beautiful, amazing, poignant poems I have ever read. I cut it out and it is hanging in my room. If you could pass this message along to Mr. Harris, I would be greatly obliged. I am a Secondary Ed/ Literature major, so I have read a lot of poems, and none of them has touched me in the way this one has. His words moved me and inspired, and I just wanted to let all of you at Street Sense know. Please keep up the good work, and please tell Mr. Harris to keep writing because he will always have at least one enthusiastic supporter and reader. Thank you to everyone at Street Sense, and to Mr. Harris for filling my life with these words. Always, Georgie Stephens

S treetS ense.org

April 15 - April 28, 2009

Vendors, Can You Spare A Dime? By Laura Thompson Osuri “An extra dime is nothing. We want Street Sense to stick around and if it means an extra 10 cents on our part, no problem.” I’ll never forget that comment from a vendor, whose name I don’t even recall, but who was sitting by the door at a very crowded vendor meeting at the end of March. Though the subject was the harsh realities of money, the comment deeply touched my heart. Here was a roomful of vendors, many who still sleep on the street and struggle to pay for basics such as food, and here they were, ready to lend the little financial support they could to make sure Street Sense stays strong. I had come to the vendor meeting that day armed with a one-sheet proposal for all vendors to review. The topic: increasing the cost of the paper – to the vendors and to the readers. We were trying to find ways we could quickly increase income here at Street Sense during these difficult financial times. I was honestly quite nervous about broaching such a taboo topic; besides on special issue last November the cost of the paper has always been $1 and for the past four years the vendors have paid 25 cents to the organization for each paper.

After explaining to the vendors how the staff and board were making sacrifices and cutting expenses and finding ways to raise more revenue, the three options I laid out were: 1. Raise the cost to the vendor to 35 cents, keep the reader’s price $1. 2. Raise the cost to the vendor to 35 cents, raise the reader’s price to $1.50. 3. Raise the cost to the vendor to 50 cents, raise the

reader’s price to $2. The vendors overwhelmingly went with option #1, and it took very little convincing. While the other two options would have kept their percentage of profit about the same as the 25/$1 set up, the vendors were not in favor of those options because they had readers like you in mind. They said that readers might not be willing – or able – to pay the extra 50 cents or $1. A few vendors mentioned they have plenty of customers who recently lost jobs or had pay cutbacks. The vendors also argued that an extra dime a paper is nothing much to them, but multiplied by 90 vendors can really help Street Sense. In expressing their votes, many vendors said how much Street Sense means to them or has helped them, so they were perfectly fine to do their part to help the organization succeed so it could assist more homeless individuals. I was touched by their votes in favor of 35 cents and gained a new respect for many of the vendors. Rather than asking the public the classic phrase of “Brother, can you spare a dime?” they were all proclaiming to the public. “Sure, we can spare a dime.” And they were doing so readily, out of love, respect ,or combination of the two for Street Sense.

THURSDAY — APRIL 23, 2009

FRIDAY — APRIL 24, 2009

National Observance and Candlelight Ceremony

National Crime Victims' Rights Week Awards Ceremony

Time: 6:30—7:30 pm U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Time: 1:30—3:00 pm Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC

1615 H Street, NW Washington, DC

FEATURED SPEAKER:

Quincy Arrianna Lucas, Homicide Co-Victim and Founder of Witney’s Lights, Inc.

Online RSVP for both events required at www.ncvrw.org

Reception immediately following ceremony. Each year the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Awards Ceremony honors and awards the remarkable individuals and organizations that significantly contribute to the success of the discipline of crime victim services.

For more information about these events, visit www.ovc.gov

Free and Open to the Public Sponsored by: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE • OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS • OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Accessibility: Designated seating area near video presentation with captioning and ASL interpreters will be provided.

S treetS ense.org WASHINGTON, D.C. SHELTER Calvary Women’s Services 928 5th Street, NW (202) 783–6651 www.calvaryservices.org Central Union Mission (Men) 1350 R Street, NW (202) 745–7118 www.missiondc.org CCNV (Men and Women) 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 393–1909 users.erols.com/ccnv/ Community of Hope (Family) 1413 Girard Street, NW (202) 232–7356 www.communityofhopedc.org Covenant House Washington (Youth) 2001 Mississippi Ave SE (202) 610–9600 www.covenanthousedc.org Housing, education, job prep Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men) 810 5th Street, NW (202) 842–1731 www.grm.org John Young Center (Women) 117 D Street, NW (202) 639–8469 www,catholiccharitiesdc.org My Sister’s Place PO Box 29596 Washington, DC 20017 office (202) 529-5261 24-hour hotline (202)-529-5991 shelter and other services for domestic violence victims N Street Village (Women) 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060 www.nstreetvillage.org 801 East, St. Elizabeths Hospital (Men) 2700 MLK Avenue, SE (202) 561–4014 New York Ave Shelter (Men) 1355–57 New York Avenue, NE (202) 832–2359 Open Door Shelter (Women) 425 Mitch Snyder Place, NW (202) 639–8093

FOOD Charlie’s Place 1830 Connecticut Avenue, NW (202) 232–3066 www.stmargaretsdc.org/charliesplace Church of the Pilgrims 2201 P Street, NW (202) 387–6612

April 15 - April 28, 2009 www.churchofthepilgrims.org

mental health services

Dinner Program for Homeless Women AND the “9:30 Club” Breakfast 309 E Street, NW (202) 737–9311 www.dphw.org

Friendship House 619 D Street, SE (202) 675–9050 www.friendshiphouse.net counseling, mentoring, education, youth services, clothing

Food and Friends 219 Riggs Road, NE (202) 269–2277 www.foodandfriends.org

Georgetown Ministry Center 1041 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (202) 338–8301 www.georgetownministrycenter. org laundry, counseling, psych care

Miriam’s Kitchen 2401 Virginia Avenue, NW (202) 452–8089 www.miriamskitchen.org The Welcome Table Church of the Epiphany 1317 G Street, NW (202) 347–2635 http://www.epiphanydc.org/ ministry/welcometbl.htm

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

OUTREACH CENTERS Bread for the City 1525 Seventh Street, NW (202) 265–2400 AND 1640 Good Hope Road, SE (202) 561–8587 www.breadforthecity.org food pantry, clothing, legal and social services, medical clinic Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW (202) 364–1419; www.cchfp.org housing, medical and psych care, substance abuse and job counseling Bethany Women’s Center 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060 http://www.nstreetvillage.org meals, hygiene, laundry, social activities, substance abuse treatment Father McKenna Center 19 Eye Street, NW (202) 842–1112 Green Door (202) 464–9200 1221 Taylor Street NW www.greendoor.org housing, job training, supportive

Martha’s Table 2114 14th Street, NW (202) 328–6608 www.marthastable.org dinner, education, recreation, clothing, child and family services Rachel’s Women’s Center 1222 11th Street, NW (202) 682–1005 http://www.ccdsd.org/howorwc. php hygiene, laundry, lunch, phone and mail, clothing, social events Sasha Bruce Youthwork 741 8th Street, SE (202) 675–9340 www.sashabruce.org counseling, housing, family services So Others Might Eat (SOME) 71 “O” Street, NW (202) 797–8806; www.some.org lunch, medical and dental, job and housing counseling

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Academy of Hope GED Center 601 Edgewood St NE 202-269-6623 www.aohdc.org Bright Beginnings Inc. 128 M Street NW, Suite 150 Washington DC 20001 (202) 842–9090 www.brightbeginningsinc.org Child care, family services Catholic Community Services 924 G Street, NW (202) 772–4300 www.ccs–dc.org umbrella for a variety of services D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 1234 Massachusetts Avenue, NW (202) 347–8870; www.dccfh.org housing, substance abuse treatment, employment assistance DC Food Finder Interactive online map of free and low cost resources. www.dcfoodfinder.org Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW (202) 347–0511

www.cflsdc.org housing, job and substance abuse counseling, clothes closet

MARYLAND

VIRGINIA

SHELTER

Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW (202) 332–4010 www.foundryumc.org ESL, lunch, clothing, IDs

Comm. Ministry of Montgomery Co. 114 W. Montgomery Avenue, Rockville (301) 762–8682 www.communityministrymc. org

Alexandria Community Shelter 2355 B Mill Road, Alexandria (703) 838–4239

Hermano Pedro Day Center 3211 Sacred Heart Way, NW (202) 332–2874 http://www.ccs–dc.org/find/ services/ meals, hygiene, laundry, clothing JHP, Inc. 1526 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE (202) 544–9126 www.jobshavepriority.org training and employment Jubilee Jobs 1640 Columbia Road, NW (202) 667–8970 www.jubileejobs.org job preparation and placement National Coalition for the Homeless 2201 P Street, NW (202) 462–4822 www.nationalhomeless.org activists, speakers bureau National Student Partnerships (NSP) 128 M Street NW, Suite 320 (202) 289–2525 washingtondc@nspnet.org Job resource and referral agency Samaritan Ministry 1345 U Street, SE , AND 1516 Hamilton Street, NW (202)889–7702 www.samaritanministry.org HIV support, employment, drug/ alcohol addiction, healthcare St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 1514 15th Street, NW (202) 667–4394 http://stlukesdc.edow.org food, counseling St. Matthew’s Cathedral 1725 Rhode Island Avenue, NW (202) 347–3215 ext. 552 breakfast, clothing, hygiene Travelers Aid, Union Station 50 Mass. Avenue, NE (202) 371–1937 www.travelersaid.org/ta/ dc.html emergency travel assistance Wash. Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U Street, NW (202) 328–5500 www.legalclinic.org

The Samaritan Group P.O. Box 934, Chestertown (443) 480–3564 Warm Night Shelter 311 68th Place, Seat Pleasant (301) 499–2319 www.cmpgc.org

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

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

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Catholic Charities, Maryland 12247 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring (301) 942–1790 www.catholiccharitiesdc.org shelter, substance abuse treatment, variety of other services Mission of Love 6180 Old Central Avenue Capitol Heights (301)333–4440 www.molinc.org life skills classes, clothing, housewares Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless 600–B East Gude Dri Rockville (301) 217–0314; www.mcch.net emergency shelter, transitional housing, and supportiveservices

Carpenter’s Shelter 930 N. Henry Street, Alexandria (703) 548–7500 www.carpentersshelter.org Arlington–Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless 3103 Ninth Road North, Arlington (703) 525–7177 www.aachhomeless.org

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

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

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Abundant Life Christian Outreach, 5154 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria (703) 823–4100 www.anchor–of–hope.net food, clothing, youth development, and medicines David’s Place Day Shelter 930 North Henry Street, Alexandria (703) 548–7500 www.carpentersshelter.org laundry, shower, workshops, hypothermia shelter Legal Services of Northern Virginia 6066 Leesburg Pike, Ste. 500 (703) 778–6800; www.lsnv.org civil legal services

Shelter Hotline: 1–800– 535–7252

April 15 - April 28, 2009

THe Last Word

By Ted Henson

Saving a Stepping Stone Street Sense is a stepping stone. We are not a service provider, but a means to an end. So when I became chair of the board of directors a year and a half ago, I hoped to focus on the newspaper’s mission. Despite all the amazing things that happen here every day, some fundamental questions deserved more attention. I’ve always hoped the paper can give our vendors the tools to improve their lives. We should help them get on the road out of poverty, or to freedom from addiction, or to managing a mental illness, or to sustainable employment elsewhere. And as much as I love them, I want our vendors to move on (unless they are coming back for a visit). Our goal is to help people to earn and learn, and then graduate to something bigger. Our collective success depends on broad-based solutions to these challenges. Sometimes life has other plans for us, though. As board chair I’ve worked to grow the board, and also acted as interim director while our executive director took maternity leave. That meant handling personnel issues, vendor disputes, and a rising budget deficit. It was tough! And even now, Street Sense faces a serious budget crisis. Individual donations are down from last year, and significantly under projections. This means we cannot properly meet the needs of our vendors. And while we have an aggressive line-up of fundraisers in the next two months, there is still uncertainty looming over us. The entire nonprofit sector is taking it pretty hard now. But there are bright spots. Our editor, Mary Otto, came to us from the Washington Post, bringing a passion for writing and compassion for our vendors. Gregory Martin has brought a new level of organization to the job of vendor manager. And as for Laura – just take a look at the New York Times, Voice of America, and many other news stories that highlight her. I’m impressed with vendors like Reggie Black, whose writing and other work is all over the newspaper. It’s good to still see Cliff Carle’s photography in color, and Jeff McNeil always has an idea that he’s willing to share. And there are long-time volunteers like Marian Wiseman and David Hammond, and newer ones like Kim O’Connor, and interns like Alecia Peterson and Natalie Yu. I want to thank all of them immensely. Laura and I started the paper as volunteers and I know how thankless it can feel. The board of directors has grown in the past year and we are active and engaged. The new energy has really boosted my own morale. And for our supporters in the community – you who are reading this now and who have gotten to know and support our vendors – you have been the backbone of the paper’s success. Your financial support from newspaper sales and individual donations literally keeps the paper running. Without all of these people, there would be no Street Sense. But to keep our doors open, we need to give it all we’ve got right now. So I feel compelled (although uncomfortable) to ask for your support. If you can, please make a contribution, no matter how small, and help us weather these tough times. I’d love to be able to go to our next board meeting and focus on the bigger issues I raised above. And I’d like to close by inviting you to join the conversation about Street Sense. If you are interested in volunteering, or joining the board, or learning more about the paper, please contact me. Street Sense started as a conversation between community activists and homeless people. Let’s continue that dialogue. E-mail me at tedehenson@hotmail.com

StephenS treet Thomas S ense.org

Vendor Profile By Charitha Adikariarachchi Stephen Thomas was born in 1955 in Southeast DC. He graduated from Eastern High School. After graduating he started working and later joined the Air Force Reserve. He has worked in many places and has traveled to a number of countries. He became homeless about two years ago due to alcoholism and for awhile, he slept on a park bench. After a generous Unity Healthcare staffperson directed him to an intensive recovery program, Steve started doing well. And the best thing about Steve is that since he knows the difficulties of the homeless, he has started working to the betterment of the homeless. He has started his own nonprofit organization S.T.E.V.E (Striving To End Vagrancy/Homelessness Everywhere). And he works with the National Coalition for the Homeless. He goes around the country making people aware of the homeless.

What is your favorite food? Seafood, lobster tails and crab legs. What kind of music do you like? Old School, R&B. What is your favorite movie? The Ten Commandments When did you become homeless? About two years ago. But now I’m not homeless. Why did you join Street Sense? Working with the National Coalition for the Homeless, it is my duty to make the voices of homeless heard. I go around the country speaking about homelessness to colleges, schools and religious groups. Then I can sell Street Sense at all those places. Steve likes to say Street Sense to readers “Allow Christ to be your guiding light.”