04 02 2008

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Where the Washington area's poor and homeless earn and give their two cents April 2, 2008 – April 15, 2008 • Volume 5, Issue 11

www.streetsense.org

april fool’s announcement

Nationals Stadium to Welcome Overnight Guests

Jacqueline Dupree/JDLand.com

Homeless residents can apply for full-season, half-season or 20-game overnight plans. Applicants must prove they are homeless, come from the D.C. area and support the Nationals.

By Matthew Taylor Opening Day has taken on new meaning in the nation’s capital this year as the Washington Nationals are opening the doors of their new southeast D.C. stadium to the

city’s homeless population for overnight stays throughout the season.

Under the “Open Door Policy” unveiled on April Fool’s Day by Team President Stan Kasten, the homeless are invited to sleep in stadium seats or on the concourse at Na-

tionals Park but must stay off of the field, a compromise brokered by Head Groundskeeper Doug Lopas, who stressed the need to protect the stadium’s new turf.

“This generous plan will keep displaced residents from having to leave the city in

a futile search for low-income housing options,” said Barbara Silva, the Nationals director of community relations. “The last thing this organization wants to do is give

See

Stadium, page 4

would we kid you?

Lunar Real Estate Set Aside for Homeless

By Robert Blair

A blue-ribbon panel headed by former Vice President Dan Quayle unveiled plans yesterday for a 10-year program to end chronic homelessness in America by establishing a self-supporting colony on the far side of the moon.

“This program will be one small step for bureaucracy, but one giant leap for homelessness,” Quayle said at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The proposed Chronic Homeless Resettlement in Space Program (CHRSP) is the result of a six-month study conducted by federal officials and private sector leaders representing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Coalition on Homelessness and the Washington Nationals baseball team.

In honor of NASA’s 50th anniversary, the space agency now intends to move beyond space exploration and scientific discovery to embrace social justice missions as well, Quayle said.

LOCAL NEWS What began as a modest proposGraveyard Shift al for a “Homeless in Space” shuttle Homeless residents with night jobs often can’t flight patterned after the earlier find a place to sleep during the day, page 6 “Teacher in Space” initiative grew into a long-term program to end

Inside This Issue (For Real This Time)

“NASA has a huge budget and lots of cool gadgets but no real mission. The Nats have a spring training facility that they don’t need during the summer, fall and winter. And we at the Coalition have lots of chronically homeless folks to contribute to the cause,” said Mike Karaoke, director of the National Coalition’s Sci-Fi Division.

The original brainstorming session was scheduled for 2 to 5 p.m. on a Wednesday afternoon in late September so that NASA could spend down its remaining public relations budget before the close of the fiscal year.

However, the planning effort ended up lasting two full days.

“It was worth it,” said Charles Nim-

See Moon, page 5

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERT ORIFICI/STREET SENSE

chronic homelessness by utilizing unused lunar real estate, explained Dr. Jonathan Swift, head of NASA’s Space-Time Continuum Center and the panel’s chief technical expert.

After preliminary discussions with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in September, Quayle brought together key players to brainstorm ways to raise public awareness and stimulate innovative, cost-effective solutions to homelessness.

“The core idea is that NASA will provide the funding and technology, the Washington Nationals will provide training facilities, and the National Coalition will recruit chronically homeless single men and women to serve as space cadets, as the new astronauts will be known,” Quayle said.

Advocates enthusiastically called it a “win-win” proposition.

Street Sense will recruit vendors from the new colony.

FEATURES

STREET SENSE NEWS

A poet helps homeless women write their way out of their pain, page 7

Meet the latest Street Sense baby, Isaac Quentin Osuri, page 14

EDITORIAL

INSERT

Moyo Onibuje argues that conditions at shelters break human rights laws, page 12

A showcase of art by prisoners around the country, insert

Split This Rock

The Debate Over Torture

It’s a Boy!

Prison Art

ALL ABOUT US

Street Sense . April 2 – April 15, 2008

Our Mission

1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 347-2006 Fax: (202) 347-2166 info@streetsense.org www.streetsense.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS James Davis Robert Egger Ted Henson Barbara Kagan Brad Scriber John Snellgrove Michael Stoops Francine Triplett David Walker Kathy Whelpley EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Laura Thompson Osuri EDITOR IN CHIEF Kaukab Jhumra Smith VENDOR MANAGER Rita Renee Brunson AD SALES MANAGER Larie Edwards Jr. ASSOCIATE EDITOR David S. Hammond (volunteer) INTERNS Brittany Aubin and Jessica Elliott VOLUNTEERS Matt Allee, Robert Basler, Robert Blair, Jane Cave, Jason Corum, Carolyn Cosmos, Rebecca Curry, Rick Dahnke, Colleen Dolan, Jessica Gaitan, Joshua Gardner, Genevieve Gill, Joanne Goodwin, Carol Hannaford, Justin Herman, Annie Hill, Dan Horner, Aimee Hyzy, Mary Lynn Jones, Maurice King, Geof Koss, Jessica LaGarde, Jeff Lambert, Karin Lee, Brenda K. Lee-Wilson, Claire Markgraf, Mandy McAnally, Sam McCormally, Kent Mitchell, Kim O’Connor, Robert Orifici, Swinitha Osuri, Mara Schechter, Jamie Schuman, Dan Seligson, Kat Shiffler, Jennifer Singleton, Katie Smith, Kathryn Taylor, Matthew Taylor, Robert Trautman, Eugene Versluysen, Linda Wang, Dan Weingarten, Marian Wiseman, Corrine Yu VENDORS Willie Alexander, Michael Anderson, Katrina Angie, Jake Ashford, Lawrence Autry, Tommy Bennett, Emily Bowe, Corey Bridges, Bobby Buggs, Conrad Cheek Jr., Walter Crawley, Louise Davenport, James Davis, Bernard Dean, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Barron Hall, David Harris, John Harrison, Patricia Henry, Phillip Howard, Jo Ann Jackson, Michael Jefferson, Patricia Jefferson, Jewell Johnson, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson, L. Morrow, Charles Mayfield, Lee Mayse, Jennifer Mclaughlin, Jeffery McNeil, Charles Nelson, Moyo Onibuje, Therese Onyemenon, Thomas Queen, Kevin Robinson, Ed Ross, Dennis Rutledge, Gerald Smith, Patty Smith, James Stewart, Gary Stoddard, Archie Thomas, Ingrid Thomas, Francine Triplett, Carl Turner, Jerry W., Martin Walker, Mary Wanyama, Lawless Watson, Inell Wilson, Ivory Wilson, Tina Wright

We are proud members of:

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

Our Editorial Policy

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

North American Street Newspaper Association

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

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

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

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

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

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

To support the increased production, Street Sense brought on its first fulltime editor in chief in April 2007.

CORRECTION Gregory Rich

The vendor profile on the back page of our March 19 issue incorrectly identified vendor Gregory Rich. Street Sense apologizes to Gregory and to its readers for any confusion this error may have caused.

Did we get something wrong? Please tell us at editor@streetsense.org.

International Network of Street Papers

Street Sense Vendor Code of Conduct 1.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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I will not sell Street Sense under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

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There are no territories among vendors.

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

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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.

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

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

Street Sense . April 2 – April 15, 2008

PROFILE

SERVICE Profile

A Former Insider With an Outsider’s Zeal for Reform As executive director of DC Appleseed, a nonprofit public policy organization, Walter Smith aims to hold the District government accountable for its actions while helping public officials address city problems.

“We’re not interested in criticizing,” Smith said. “We’re not interested in hollering and saying, ‘Let’s burn the place down.’ We’re interested in solving problems in a creative and constructive way.”

A former deputy attorney general for the city, Smith has an insider’s view of how the government tries to fix city problems and addresses legal challenges.

“It’s one thing to rail about all of the screw-ups of the city government – and we all do it,” Smith said. “But it’s another thing to be in the government trying to fix the problems.”

Smith has experience on both sides of the fence: he has also worked as partner at a law firm that sued the District government for not providing services to residents. At DC Appleseed, Smith uses these experiences to offer creative solutions to legal and policy issues facing the city’s residents, including its large homeless and low-income population.

Simultaneously a community partner and critic of the District government, DC Appleseed has made recommendations on topics such as reforming the health care system, cleaning the District’s drinking water, halting the spread of AIDS amongst D.C. residents, and making sure that people receive child

courtesy of dc appleseed

By Jamie Schuman

Walter Smith, a former deputy attorney general for the District, advocates on behalf of city residents.

support if they need it. The nonpartisan organization taps into the city’s vast network of lawyers, accountants and other professionals for pro bono help.

Smith came to Appleseed in 2001, after a long legal career in D.C. with jobs as a lawyer

“It’s one thing to rail about all of the screwups of the city government.

But it’s another thing to be in the government trying to fix the problems.” for the Navy and at the international law firm Hogan & Hartson. That firm has one partner who does pro bono work full time, a role that Smith held for four years.

After his stint in the government, Smith biked across the country to publicize D.C.’s lack of voting representation in Congress.

When Smith was asked to run DC Appleseed, he was hesitant at first because he didn’t want to be immersed in nonprofit tasks like fundraising.

“I’m very interested in issues, but I don’t want to be an administrator,” he said. Appleseed leaders, however, persuaded Smith to relent.

James Jones, senior program associate at

DC Appleseed, said Smith is a natural for the position because he knows people within the District government and balances persuasion with diplomacy.

“He can be dispassionate when he needs to be and passionate when he needs to be,” Jones said.

DC Appleseed has gotten a lot of publicity for the report cards it issues with recommendations on how the city should respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

When lead was found in D.C.’s drinking water in 2004, the organization issued specific recommendations, including starting a “department of the environment” to investigate the situation. The city took that advice and has been working with DC Appleseed to address the water problem.

“We’re addressing some of the most difficult and most systematic issues facing the city,” Smith said. “We’re in the business of trying to come up with practical next steps that could be taken simply to make the lives of the people who live here better.”

For instance, DC Appleseed has called for the nonprofit CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, the area’s largest health insurance provider, to stop piling up surpluses and, instead, spend more on clients. The center is working with the D.C. Council to pass legislation on this topic.

On these and other issues, the center receives pro bono support from lawyers and other professionals.

“I’ve got a staff of eight,” Smith said. “But I’ve got an army out there of people who want to work on these things.”

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

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

4 APRIL LOCALFOOL’S NEWS

Street Sense . April 2 – April 15, 2008

Stadium, from page 1

“It almost brings a tear to my eye just thinking about some homeless guy eating nachos in my seat 82 nights a year.”

Jacqueline Dupree/JDLand.com

the impression that economic progress in depressed regions has a detrimental effect on the poor.”

“Around the office we refer to it as our ‘No Low-Income Resident Left Behind’ policy,” Silva added. “We like to think of it as one big slumber party.”

Ballpark gates will open to local homeless residents two hours after the final out on game nights and at 10 p.m. when the team is on the road.

“We made promises that the city’s $600 million investment would bring jobs to the area; now we’re going to do one better by providing shelter as well,” Nationals owner Ted Lerner said. “This stadium is funded with public money, so the least we can do is give back to the public.”

Lerner, who made his fortune as a real estate developer, stressed that having a home is part of the American Dream, so he’s “proud that our team’s new home will help make that dream come true for thousands of people, if only indirectly.”

“I didn’t get into the Washington Business Hall of Fame by accident,” Lerner said.

Lerner was named to the Washington Business Hall of Fame in 2003 by Junior Achievement of the National Capital Area.

“He really puts the ‘gent’ in gentrification,’ said Edward J. Grenier III, president and CEO of Junior Achievement, of Lerner. “He is a true gentleman.”

Homeless residents can apply for fullseason, half-season, and 20-game overnight plans. While all of the overnight plans are

Stadium luxury boxes will be off-limits to homeless guests.

free, the team is utilizing a lottery system due to what it anticipates will be an overwhelming demand for each of the stadium’s 41,222 seats. Priority will be given to those who apply for the full season plan.

“Our thinking is simple, we want to provide assistance to those who need it the most,” Kasten explained.

In order to qualify for the homeless ticket lottery, applicants must prove that they are homeless, that they have an existing connection to the D.C. area, and that they are Nationals fans. Special consideration will be given to Ward 6 residents who have been displaced by the stadium project or related development efforts.

“The last thing we want is people from outside of the D.C. region taking advantage of this deal,” Kasten said. “In other words, we don’t want any bandwagon fans of this program.”

The Nationals will offer overnight resi-

a series of difficult circumstances and setbacks to become a winner, maybe they can do the same.”

Another ballpark tradition will remain intact as part of the Open Door Policy. The Nationals’ overnight guests will awake to the familiar strains of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” each morning at 6 a.m.

Nats fans will have the opportunity to demonstrate their empathy for the local homeless population as well. Under the related “Adopt the Homeless” initiative, season ticket holders can purchase vouchers to be used at the stadium’s concession stands during the overnight stays. Fans can also request that their homeless adoptee sleep in the very seat where they watch the games themselves.

“This really is the least I can do,” season ticket holder Steve Woodruff said. “It almost brings a tear to my eye just thinking about some homeless guy eating nachos in my seat 82 nights a year.”

The team has assured fans that the stadium’s luxury boxes will be off-limits to the homeless guests. Some season ticket holders had expressed reservations that allowing the homeless full access to the stadium would “take the luxury out of luxury box.”

“This is why I came to D.C.,” Nationals outfielder Elijah Dukes said. “This organization really takes care of its own.”

dents a variety of entertainment options during their overnight stays. The new 4,500 square foot high-definition scoreboard will show game highlights and baseball bloopers, which are “always a favorite no matter your income level,” according to Kasten.

Homeless fans will also enjoy the popular President’s Race promotion, a fixture at Nationals home games. The traditional fourth inning promotion features mascot versions of four former presidents – George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt – in a sprint competition.

A running joke associated with the promotion is that the costumed Teddy Roosevelt character never wins the President’s Race.

However, Kasten indicated that the fixed outcome may change during the overnight stays.

“We think the symbolism would be really meaningful to our homeless friends,” Kasten said. “If a giant costumed figure can overcome

For more on the Washington Nationals’ efforts to help the homeless, see “Lunar Real Estate” on page 1 or call 1-800-APRILFOOL.

Street Sense . April 2 – April 15, 2008

APRIL LOCALFOOL’S NEWS 5

Moon, from page 1 by, a congressional staffer who participated in the planning sessions. “We were able to develop an indepth, consensus-based, bipartisan, integrated, holistic, environmentally friendly, sustainable, multicultural, biodegradable, free range, transfat-free 10-year plan and still make it home for the weekend.”

Phase one of the three-stage CHRSP will be a “Homeless in Space” pilot project. The project, a multi-year effort, will train chronically homeless pilots to fly the space shuttle Recovery 200-plus miles to the earth-orbiting International Space Station, dock it and return to earth.

Later flights will be manned by “all homeless” crews. When enough experienced space cadets are available, the program will move to more challenging tasks.

Phase two, Transitional Stationing, will involve sending four-person crews of qualified space cadets to live, rent free, for an extended period of time in designated modules at the International Space Station.

NASA scientists will assess the space cadets’ performance during this period to determine when they are “colony-ready.”

“The fact that the participants will be used to cramped, austere and inhospitable living quarters with little in the way of recreation outlets should be a major plus,” Karaoke said. “The adjustment period at the space station should be minimal.”

Colony-ready space cadets will be moved directly from the space station to the far side of the moon – producing an estimated dropout rate of zero or better.

Asked how a dropout rate could be better than zero, Swift noted that since the primary

“The adjustment period at the space station should be minimal. The fact that the participants will be used to cramped, austere and inhospitable living quarters with little in the way of recreation outlets should be a major plus.” recreation at the transitional station will be Internet porn, back issues of Street Sense and sex, there is a statistically significant probability that human procreation could produce a positive drop-in rate.

The final phase of the program, Permanent Self-Supportive Colonization, will involve the establishment and incremental expansion of a network of refurbished Quonset huts, called Camp Floyd, along the rim of Crater Daedalus.

Camp Floyd, named after the British progressive rock group whose concept album “Dark Side of the Moon” inspired the choice of this location for the final phase of CHRSP, is intended to eventually become a self-sustaining enterprise.

Agency scientists are already at work on insulation, oxygen and lighting systems for the proposed colony’s living quarters, said William Karel Jr., head of NASA’s Kubrick Documentation Center.

Biologists at U.C. Berkeley have also been

Put a “Face” to Homelessness Hear personal stories from people who have experienced it!

Who is homeless and why?

What are the causes of homelessness?

What can I do to help?

Get the answers to these and other questions from the REAL EXPERTS! Bring our “Faces of Homelessness” panel to your place of worship, school or community center.

National Coalition for the Homeless “Faces of Homelessness” Speakers’ Bureau

Michael O’Neill Director, Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau National Coalition for the Homeless phone: 202-462-4822 x20 fax: 202-462-4823 email: moneill@nationalhomeless.org

awarded a substantial research grant to genetically engineer Franken-food vegetables that can grow in sand and rock, are resistant to solar wind damage and thrive at extreme temperatures.

“Camp Floyd will initially be stocked with ample supplies of Tang, dehydrated ice cream, tofurkey and surplus MREs from the first Gulf War to sustain the pioneer space cadets until they can establish agriculture fields, technology industries and an intergalactic trading post,” Swift said.

A management team from Wal-Mart will be assisting NASA with supply chain logistics for the trading post.

“There’s a major role for corporate America in this effort,” Quayle declared.

A separate HUD-financed study conducted jointly by the Urban Institute and the University of Pennsylvania estimates that, because of cost savings on emergency medical services, court and law enforcement, construction of low-cost housing, incarceration, disability payments, social worker salaries, food, clothing and medication, CHRSP will pay for itself well before the 10-year program is completed.

That study, entitled “Tomorrow’s Homeless: Out of Sight, Out of Mind, Off Budget,” predicts that strong returns on investment from the CHRSP colony should be enough to fully offset projected U.S. combat and nation building expenditures in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan and the Greater San Francisco Bay Area for 2009 through 2013.

A Pentagon spokesperson, Capt. Donna Rumpole, later clarified that “those are only contingency plan estimates, dude. No actual decisions have been made yet. Chill out.”

The UI/UP study is at http://www.hud. gov/aprilfoolsday.

NoVA Plans Housing Under Highway Bridges

By Jerry W. Virginia Department of Transportation officials have secretly confirmed an initiative to create affordable housing under the new highway bridges.

An official said that given the high cost of living in the Washington, D.C., area, the Wilson Bridge project is considering putting housing underneath the new bridge ramps.

VDOT would compensate for the inconvenience caused by recent bridge construction by integrating housing more tightly with the highway system upgrades, officials said. Many neighboring apartments have experienced problems with their roofs during the making of the bridge foundation.

Local residents were asked what they thought of the idea. Many said that as they had lived with construction for so many years, and trailers with construction guys were there anyway, they didn’t foresee any NIMBY issues.

A local homeless person who refused to be named for fear of retaliation, decried, ‘There goes the neighborhood!’

The waiting list will open soon. Please bring your valid VA drivers license, as a vehicle will be required to access housing.

Street Sense vendor Jerry W. blogs on novapeers.pbwiki.com. He can be contacted at novapeers@gmail.com.

PLACE YOUR AD HERE! With Street Sense now coming out every two weeks and reaching nearly 12,000 people each issue, now is the perfect time to promote your business with us.

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

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

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

DISCOUNTS Discounts offered to nonprofits and to those that prepay for multiple ads.

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

LOCAL NEWS

Street Sense . April 2 – April 15, 2008

The Graveyard Shift: Not Enough Shelters Help Night Workers

By Carolyn Cosmos Donna is trying.

She works as an inserter at The Washington Post in College Park, Md., from 11 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., the so-called graveyard shift. As for her belongings, she says, “Everything goes with me.”

Donna, who didn’t want her last name used, stays at a downtown shelter on her two days off. The rest of the week, she says, “I catnap here and there during the day.”

Donna is among many homeless residents in the D.C. area who work nighttime hours but find it difficult to find a shelter where they can sleep during the day. Most shelters accept clients only for overnight stays from 7 p.m. to about 7 a.m., although a few are beginning to accommodate night workers.

Michelle Durham, program director at Rachael’s Day Center for homeless women, says that there are more job opportunities at night for her clients. But a lot of shelters still stick to their traditional evening timings, which don’t meet clients’ needs, she said.

Durham estimated that about 10 of the clients who come to her day center work nights as home health aides, child care workers or as cleaners for small companies while spending their days sleeping on the streets or staying temporarily with friends.

Ruth Cummings, homeless and working night shifts, is one of the lucky ones.

A graduate of DC Central Kitchen and New Course Catering, Cummings gets kitchen jobs through the Food Team employment agency — and has a bed waiting for her at a northwest D.C. shelter for women when she leaves work.

“At John Young, they allow you to sleep there [during the day] if you show a pay stub. They’ll keep your bed,” Cummings said. Once she finds a room she can afford, she’ll move out of the shelter, she said.

Donna, the woman who works nights at The Post, also wants to find a place of her own. “I’m saving money,” she said.

“But D.C. needs to come up with more affordable housing, not only for families, which are a priority, and that’s good, but also for those of us who are single.”

And then there’s a woman who was sleeping in Union Station. “I heard of a night job at a book store doing inventory, but I didn’t apply because I had no place to stay during the day,” she said. She doesn’t want to be identified.

Michael Stoops, acting executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, puts it bluntly. “Most shelters are not 24 hours a day, but homelessness is,” he said. “Agencies who kick people out during the daytime are preventing them from getting off the street.”

Some overnight shelters allow employed residents to claim a bed after curfew but still require them to leave early in the morning. For example, the 90-bed La Casa Men’s Shelter, open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., can sometimes accommodate “regulars” who get a job and come in late, according to a staff member.

However, the 350-bed overnight shelter for men at St. Elizabeths Hospital doesn’t do that, said Charles McCrimmon, the program manager there.

The 25-bed Calvary Women’s Shelter will sometimes “hold dinner and a bed” past curfew, Durham said, and the N Street Village women’s night shelter, with 31 beds and a 10 p.m. curfew, “works with employed residents on an individual basis,” according to Kristyn Carrillo, night shelter manager.

“Shelters are beginning to accommodate the working poor who are homeless, and most shelter operators try to be supportive,” Stoops said. “However, historically, most have done shelter and food, and not that many have taken on an employment focus.”

Catholic Charities’ programs like the John L. Young women’s shelter support night employment, Michelle Durham said.

“If a woman is working, I accommodate her. There’s no dif-

“I heard of a night job at a bookstore doing inventory, but I didn’t apply because I had no place to stay during the day.” ference between night jobs and day jobs,” said John Young’s senior program manager, Kenyatta T. Brunson.

Open Door is another pioneer that offers support for night workers, Durham said. “It’s a trend I’d like to see continue, but some don’t have the capacity or staff.”

The Community for Creative Non-Violence (CCNV) shelter does.

It has a 2 a.m. curfew and bed check, and residents can remain inside during the daytime. With case worker approval and proof of employment, a graveyard-shift worker is welcome, said David Mincey, program director for the men’s floor.

“You want to give residents hope,” Mincey said. “Suppose that’s the only job they can get? You tell them they can’t work at night, you break their spirit.”

“Every shelter should loosen up its rules so all its homeless are able to both work and stay in the facility,” Stoops said.

“A janitor, a security guard could oversee daytime sleepers, or a volunteer, a formerly homeless person. If we are ever going to end homelessness, we need to help those able to find work,” he said.

Transitional housing programs, as opposed to overnight shelters, usually take homeless people with night jobs. Such programs include the Emery House work program for 100 men, the 25-slot work program at New York Avenue’s 360-bed men’s shelter, an 18-bed program for women at Open Door, and N Street Village’s shared apartments for 20 women.

Child Care for Parents Who Work at Night “Our evening care program takes children from six weeks of age to five years and runs from 2:30 in the afternoon until 11:30 at night,” said Sandra Dupuy, center administrator for Bright Beginnings, a child care program located in the Perry School Center north of Union Station. It serves homeless infants, toddlers and preschool children whose families are living in shelters or transitional housing.

Bright Beginnings’ day-time child care program has 45 families on its waiting list, but spaces are available in the evening program right now. “It’s open to everyone,” Dupuy said. The fee for each child is $40 a night.

However, “if anyone is homeless or in a transitional program, D.C. will pay for the slot.”

The preschool program was recently praised by an official, Dean Klein, who works for one of its funders.

A senior manager at the Freddie Mac Foundation, Klein said Bright Beginnings “has a good curriculum and offers more than child care. It provides services to the whole family.”

Klein also noted that Bright Beginnings director Dr. Betty Jo Gaines is “a leader in the community. She was just named a Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian magazine.”

If you are interested in getting more information or want to apply for the night program, call Sandra Dupuy at (202) 842-9090. [Her name is pronounced Dew-PWHEE.] She’ll walk you through the process.

— Carolyn Cosmos

in other news By Mandy McAnally Alabama: Report Finds 5,000 Homeless Statewide Each Night The first statewide survey of homelessness in Alabama shows that on an average night there are 5,391 homeless people on the streets or in shelters. The report shows that 2,177 of the homeless are substance users, 1,077 are in families with children, 1,494 are severely mentally ill and 974 are military veterans. The survey also found that 70% of Alabama’s homeless are men, about 65% of the homeless are black and 34% are white (Johnson, AP/Birmingham News, 3/25).

California: Thousands Homeless in Los Angeles County There are 3,000 to 4,000 older homeless adults living in Los Angeles County on any given night and 60% have a disability, a new report has found. Homeless adults age 62 and older are among the fastest growing and most at-risk homeless populations in Los Angeles. The majority of disabilities reported were dental problems, eye problems and hypertension. Others included arthritis, back problems, diabetes, heart problems and depression (United Press International, 3/21).

Oregon: Portland Shelters Open for Severe Weather Winter shelters in Portland are opening their doors for the homeless in preparation for an unusual bout of cold and snow. City officials are working with shelters, hotels and the Red Cross to provide an additional 200 to 300 spaces for homeless people without shelter. Several shelters are providing overflow spaces and hotels are giving vouchers to homeless families and the disabled.

The Red Cross also has opened temporary warming centers. Advocates say that no one seeking shelter during severe weather would be turned away (Waldroupe, Willamette Week, 3/27).

North Carolina: Homeless Numbers on the Rise The number of homeless people in South Carolina’s Wake, Durham and Orange counties increased to at least 1,929 this year, a report says. The figure has increased in each of the past three years from 1,720 in 2006 to 1,806 in 2007 to this year’s figure. The survey counted chronically homeless, veterans and those living without shelter assistance. The counties are part of a 10-year plan to end homelessness. Advocates say there has been success in moving families with children and other at-risk groups into permanent housing (Triangle Business Journal, 3/27).

Massachusetts: Economy Causing Long Waiting Lists for Shelters The downturn in the economy, high living expenses and a national crisis of home foreclosures has increased the waits to stay at family shelters to more than a month. The state Transitional Assistance Department said its caseload of homeless families has increased from about 1,160 in fiscal year 2005 to more than 1,900 by last month. The agency has about 2,900 beds for people, plus nearly 1,900 housing units for homeless families, at a cost of $120 million annually (Hillard, Millford Daily News, 3/22).

Street Sense . April 2 – April 15, 2008

LOCAL NEWS

Poet Helps Homeless Women Write Their Way Out of Crisis

By Brittany Aubin Rosemary Winslow peers from the upper story window of the Chinatown Starbucks, a hot cup of tea on the ledge imposing steam tendrils onto Wednesday morning commuters and last night’s puddles. Now is a time for looking and listening, she says.

Walt Whitman was known to be a great listener, she notes with a touch of idolatry in her voice. He, too, observed this city, filtering reality through his words and returning it to the people.

A similar power of observation and listening brought Winslow to N Street Village about a decade ago. She volunteered with the women’s shelter, which is adjacent to Luther Place Memorial Church.

“I’d go to the Metro, and I would see homeless people,” Winslow says, speaking of her initial move to Washington. She had grown up on a dairy farm and taught in inner city schools.

“I couldn’t be part of the city and not be part of the healing of the city,” she says. “You can’t solve the whole problem, but you can find something you can contribute.”

In 1995, Winslow had just started a post as an English professor at Catholic University.

Raised as a Lutheran, she sought out Luther Place Memorial Church and offered her services to the adjacent shelter. A colleague who was also volunteering pointed out Winslow’s skills as a wordsmith, and a poetry group was formed.

Winslow’s hour-long poetry sessions at the shelter lasted three years before health problems forced her to cut back on her activities. The minutes spent sprawled out on the shelter’s floor, surrounded by poems and

paperwork, became a favorite weekly ritual.

The poetry sessions spawned dozens of stanzas, two collaborative anthologies (although only one was published), trips to the Folger Shakespeare Library, a reading by famed poet Gwendolyn Brooks and a research article. More importantly, the act of poetry, with its acceptance and ability to express ineffability, brought changes to the lives of the women and to Winslow.

Now, a dozen years later, Winslow is preparing for the Split This Rock poetry festival, a convergence of poet-activists organized by D.C. Poets Against the War, the Institute for Policy Studies, Sol & Soul and Busboys and Poets. Her Saturday afternoon workshop will focus on writing out (of ) crisis, using poems to express and to recover.

Poetry works for the homeless because it allows for contradictions and acceptance, while giving shape to traumatic events and the ineffable, says Winslow.

“You can never quite say it,” she says.

“That keeps you writing more.”

At N Street Village, the women continued to write. A core group of about six regulars became close friends, and women came out of their shells. Some contacted estranged husbands and former boyfriends and found ways to speak to them differently.

Perhaps inspired by a college professor in their midst, some began studying for their GED exam. One woman who couldn’t sit still gradually learned to write a poem, then complete a crossword puzzle, and finally fill out a job application.

The women learned that their lives had value. “Everyone is complex. Everyone screws up their lives,” says Winslow. “Poetry holds all of that honest complexity.”

Understanding that aspect of poetry, Win-

One woman who couldn’t sit still gradually learned to write a poem, then complete a crossword puzzle, and finally, fill out a job application. slow initially worried that the work would take women to places they couldn’t handle emotionally. “I’m not a therapist. I’m a poet,” she tells the group gathered for her Saturday workshop.

Co-facilitators Davi Walders and Laura Madeline Wiseman expressed similar fears and stressed the need for therapists or social workers who could address crises as they arise.

Walders, whose Vital Signs Poetry Project at the National Institutes of Health serves parents and guardians of children with HIV/ AIDS, says such institutional support, along with funding and good timing, is critical to success when working with communities in crisis.

Wiseman, who taught poetry to women at a domestic violence center, steered clear of examples that overtly referenced violence or abuse. Still, she says, such issues littered the women’s verses.

“Those are things that are most under the surface,” Wiseman says. “Those are the things they want to write about.”

Heart of the Oasis Soft warm blood – The kind of passionate flow

that makes us all human The rush of living pumping The experience of toes

squishing through mud

pumping to a rhythm

The ocean is rough, the waves are

merciless. Upon it a little ship trying to survive. Struggling for the peace it can find

in a soft landing

on the shores of an island Loved.

Protected.

Encouraged.

Strengthened.

A place of solitude, discovered at last.

Not an illusion.

In the midst of the unjust, unfeeling waves of the city – The poets at Bethany Women’s Center, N Street Village, Washington, D.C.

Split This Rock: Public Poetry on a National Stage

By Robert Blair Several hundred activist poets held a threeday festival in D.C. over Easter weekend, marking the fifth anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. They came to the nation’s capital to assert and celebrate a growing role for politically engaged poetry in America.

Split This Rock Poetry Festival featured workshops, readings, panel discussions, films, networking, parties, and walking tours through the city’s poetically significant neighborhoods.

The festival’s name comes from Langston Hughes’ poem “Big Buddy,” a portion of which reads: “Don’t you hear this hammer ring?/I’m gonna split this rock/And split it wide!/ When I split this rock,/Stand by my side.” The name evokes twin themes of strenuous individual effort, in both poetry writing and social activism, and collective solidarity among the participating poets.

Those themes were reflected in the festival’s objectives and content. The festival’s announced goals were to celebrate the socially engaged poetry being written in America today and help give it a wider audience, and to call on poets to take a greater role in public

life. It aimed to give them the tools they need to accomplish that.

The content of festival workshops and panels included both the creative and the practical. There were yoga and poetry sessions; workshops on how to organize peer writing groups; and discussions on how to facilitate poetry workshops for prisoners, victims of abuse, hospital patients and their families, and the homeless (see story above). In addition, there were hours of poetry readings with featured poets and open mic events.

Mornings and afternoons were devoted to poetry workshops, discussion sessions, or presentation panels. Participants could sample everything from poetry and storytelling by Iraqi children, to a panel discussion by state poets laureate from Maryland, Rhode Island and South Carolina, to a session on media skills training.

For example, on Friday morning, Tamiko Beyer, a poet and freelance writer from Brooklyn, N.Y., helped present a workshop on how to create and sustain writing groups on Friday morning. “The goal,” she said, “is to bring out the best writer in each of us, nurture our voices as writers.”

That afternoon, she sat in on a panel on

the Iraq war and other foreign policy issues and spoke about how poets could help effect change. Saturday afternoon found her in the audience at the Writing Out (of ) Crisis panel seeking advice on the weekly writing workshop she leads for homeless youth.

The diversity in programs was matched by the geographical diversity of the participants.

There was, of course, a strong contingent from the greater D.C. metropolitan area. But the rest of the country was also represented.

There were poet laureates from Maryland, South Carolina and Rhode Island, a poet therapist from California, an arts program organizer from Goldsboro, N.C., three community college teachers from Miami, a graduate student from Nebraska, etc.

The question of the appropriate public role for poets in America today was directly addressed in several festival events.

Largely ignoring W.H. Auden’s famous remark, in his elegy of Yeats, that “poetry makes nothing happen,” festival participants variously proclaimed their art as a way to clarify political discourse, an antidote to moral blindness, and a tool to broaden democracy by helping to articulate the marginalized among us.

The more political among them asserted that poetry could help readers come to grips with America’s history and political reality.

Others saw it as a way to maintain a sense of humor and humanity in trying times. And, despite the occasional references to Amiri Baraka’s infamous rhetoric in “Somebody Blew Up America,” or Ezra Pounds’s WWII treason, the general consensus seemed to be that activist poets could indeed help stimulate positive change, and more should attempt to do so.

The festival closed with a silent march from George Washington University to the White House, and the collective reading of scores of individual lines to produce a patchwork poem – called a cento – against the continuation of the Iraq war.

At the final event on Easter Sunday, Sarah Browning, lead organizer of the festival and head of D.C. Poets Against the War, announced that Split This Rock would soon be applying for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. That should allow its volunteer organizers to create an ongoing organization.

A more permanent Split This Rock will aim to build a nationwide network of activist poets and sponsor future festivals and public poetry events.

LOCAL NEWS MARYLAND NEWS

Street Sense . April 2 – April 15, 2008

Foreclosure Crisis Straining Nonprofit Counselors

By Laura Schwartzman Capital News Service (UMD) ANNAPOLIS – Housing counselors can significantly reduce a family’s chance of losing a home to the recent spate of mortgage foreclosures, but a high demand for the service in Maryland is straining some nonprofit agencies.

Clients, who often receive counseling for free, are facing longer waits and some organizations are considering charging for some services. The General Assembly is also considering a bill to require counseling for subprime loan buyers, which could add more clients to a growing caseload.

Despite those challenges, counselors are still urging people to call immediately before their problems worsen and require several extra hours to work through.

Carol Anne Gilbert, assistant secretary for neighborhood revitalization at the state Department of Housing and Community Development, said nonprofit counseling gives homebuyers neutral, nonjudgmental advice about what to expect from any kind of loan package. “[Counseling] really is the best way in for the consumer for a safe and sustainable situation,” she said.

Counselors can help refinance loans, identify predatory lending and advise potential homebuyers before they set up mortgages. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approves different agencies for specific services,

which can range from pre-purchase counseling to loss mitigation to debt management.

But qualified counselors can be hard to find. Funding for salaries can be tenuous, and night and weekend hours are often required.

The Department of Housing and Community Development said there are 20 agencies in Maryland that receive partial funding from the department and specific training in its loan programs.

HUD lists more than 40 certified agencies in Maryland on its website, although many are part of larger organizations that have multiple offices in the state or nationwide.

Certain agencies are certified for different services and programs, so clients are encouraged to consult the state or federal government to find an appropriate agency for their needs.

Lisa Evans, deputy director of the St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center in Baltimore, said foreclosure counselors are a challenge to recruit due to the narrowness of the field and difficulty in determining who, exactly, is qualified.

HUD certifies only counseling organizations as a whole. Some nonprofit agencies like NeighborWorks America, a national nonprofit created by Congress, run training and certification programs in specific topics like foreclosure, but no license for individual counselors exists.

A background in underwriting is ideal, Evans said, but most of the training is done on the job.

“We need them to walk in the door and start seeing clients [immediately],” she said.

Counseling for future homebuyers is strongly recommended by most lenders and housing officials, but the surge in foreclosures is creating a demand for counselors to assist in their prevention.

The state saw 9,722 foreclosures in the fourth quarter of 2007, a jump of nearly 40% from the third quarter, according to the Department of Housing and Community Development. Faulty loans are one cause, as customers unqualified for regular loans get trapped into exotic mortgages they eventually can’t afford.

Raymond Skinner, Maryland’s secretary of housing and community development, said the state deployed $1 million last year to 17 counseling agencies to help hire staff and pay for foreclosure prevention training.

“Before, most counseling agencies focused on helping people buy their first homes,” he said. “But they’ve had to shift what they’re doing and really focus on sustainability, homeownership preservation and helping people stay in their homes.”

He acknowledged that demand is high and counselors are “working harder and getting many more calls,” but is confident existing agencies can handle the demand.

Evans, from St. Ambrose, said the stress of dealing with clients in crisis and a sometimes-unpredictable work schedule can easily lead

Counselors are still urging people to call before their problems worsen.

Preventing a foreclosure is far more effective than trying to stop one already in progress. to burnout.

“Over 30 years, we haven’t done this kind of volume before,” she said.

Temple Hills counseling agency Roots of Mankind hired two more counselors last month to help meet demand, said Executive Director William Johnson. The agency now has four counselors and sees an average of 850 clients a year, he said.

The agency is open on Saturdays and offers weekly homebuyer education workshops. Johnson said Roots of Mankind is facing a “heavy, heavy workload,” but estimates the average client wait is only 24 to 48 hours.

“I can’t predict the future,” he said. “But so far we’re maintaining, because we added more days during the week.”

Amelia Young, a housing counselor with the national nonprofit

ACORN Housing Corporation, said smaller community-based counseling agencies are more likely than national organizations to be overwhelmed by recent foreclosures.

Young works in ACORN’s Prince George’s County office, which has two counselors. They can get assistance from other ACORN offices if demand soars, she said.

Joe Baldi, a housing counselor with the Frederick Community Action Agency, said dealing with problems earlier can save time for everybody involved because it allows counselors to help more clients and better negotiate with lenders.

Preventing a foreclosure is far more effective than trying to stop one already in progress, he said.

“It’s easier to deal with the lender than it is to deal with the attorneys,” he said.

Web-based counseling could be another way to increase capacity.

Garrett County Community Action’s housing services director, Cynthia Sharon, said concerns over more clients as a result of mandatory subprime loan counseling could possibly be addressed with an online counseling course.

It’s not as good as face-to-face counseling, she said, but “at least it’s something” to help avoid subprime loan-related fallout.

Assistant Secretary Gilbert said nonprofit counseling is playing a vital role in this difficult mortgage market.

“I think that the housing counselors really are the heroes of this issue,” she said.

Low-Income Students Lag Behind Others in Maryland

By Veena Trehan Capital News Service (UMD) ANNAPOLIS – Maryland school superintendents met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Raymond Simon on March 26, asking him to consider changes to the No Child Left Behind law for disadvantaged students.

“Special education students, English language learners and our poverty students – those are the issues most of us are grappling with,” said Kevin Maxwell, superintendent of Anne Arundel County Public Schools, at a roundtable discussion with 13 county superintendents, Maryland Schools Superintendent Nancy Grasmick and other state education officials.

Maryland schools placed in the top three states nationwide in an Education Week survey this year and showed an upward trend in several key performance measures since

2002. Yet Maryland still has a way to go before all children pass basic math and reading proficiency tests by 2014, the absence of which may trigger state takeovers of schools or reduced federal funding.

In a state scorecard distributed at the panel, poor Maryland students lagged behind white, black, and Hispanic students.

State data shows that among lowincome students, 76% of fourthgraders and 50% of eighth-graders are proficient in reading, versus 93% and 82% of white students in the same respective grade levels.

Math proficiency was at 76% and 35% in the fourth and eighth grades respectively for poor students, versus 93% and 74% for white students in the same grades.

Carl Roberts, Cecil County superintendent, said a nurturing environment for little more than half their day is insufficient to help these disadvantaged students. Schools

should get credit for helping these students graduate in five-to-seven years, rather than see their metrics reflect a drop in on-time high school graduation.

“We should credit our perseverance and the school’s perseverance,” said Roberts. “School systems need to be recognized for how many children get a diploma.”

Karen-Lee Brofee, Somerset County superintendent, said the 68% county poverty rate shows students should have greater access to career and technical programs, both of which have taken funding cuts.

But Simon said these programs exhibit low performance standards and often teach less important skills than reading, writing and math fundamentals.

Special education students and those with limited proficiency are often poor, and experts say they may require greater accommodation.

Harford County Superintendent Jacqueline Haas said delays to the 2014 goal should be considered for special education students.

“Why don’t we fix the root of the problem versus being in a situation where there is misalignment of (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and (No Child Left Behind)?”

A significant minority of special education students are subject to waivers, Simon said, and he is not willing to delay No Child Left Behind requirements past 2014.

Superintendent Sydney Cousin said students in Howard County come from 85 different countries and speak 70 languages. Often, he said, teachers cannot make students proficient within a year, the point at which they must take the assessment.

“It’s just not realistic – nor a fair standard – to have teachers deal with our requirements,” he said.

Simon talked of opportunities for testing in another language, an option that took Cousin and other superintendents by surprise.

Down the line, Simon said, states could see administration support for flexibility in measuring teacher “effectiveness,” restoration of the considerable budget cuts to Reading First programs, and reworking the definition of violent high schools.

Grasmick concluded the panel by telling Simons that the state would apply for “differentiated accountability,” a pilot of up to 10 states to separate schools close to meeting their target from those requiring significant reform. The administration has called for this measure in the reauthorization of the expired No Child Left Behind law.

But Simon sounded a warning note. “It would be great if all states could get differentiated accountability. But they don’t all qualify.”

Visit the Prison Art Gallery, 1600 K Street NW, Suite 501, Wash. DC. Open 7 days until 5pm. 202-393-1511

Prison art Prints Beautifully matted

Only $20 each.

See pages 2-3 for selection.

Art for Justice is published monthly in conjunction with Street Sense

Sponsored by Prison Art Gallery

Funded in part by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts

April 2008

INSEPARABLE PAIR by Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, Umatilla, GA; Cardboard, Colored Pencils, Floor Wax, Napkins, Toothpaste, Coffee Creamer, 7 by 8”, Suggested donation $220 (A102)

SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTER by David Reese, California State Prison; Pen and Ink and Colored Pencils, 7” by 7”, Suggested donation $80 (A105)

Now on sale for only $10 (the CD, not Mayor Fenty who is not for sale at any price, although this photo of him as an enlarged framed or matted print is.

See page 2)

All art can be viewed and purchased at the Prison Art Gallery, 1600 K Street NW Suite 501 Washington DC or purchase by phone 202-393-1511 or email (PayPal payment address Dennis@PrisonFoundation.org).

Please add $10 shipping and handling for each order. All major credit cards accepted. Thank you for viewing and purchasing this beautiful art in support of our program of prisoner rehabilitation, re-entry and victim assistance.

Your tax deductible donation is greatly appreciated. 202-393-1511

UNTOLD SECRETS by Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, Umatilla, GA; Cardboard, Napkins, Colored Pencils, Floor Wax, Paper Clippings, Blue Ink, Toothpaste, Coffee Creamer, 10” by 11”, Suggested donation $300 (A101)

PORTAL TO ETERNITY

by Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, Umatilla, GA; Cardboard, Floor Wax, Paper Clippings, 14” by 17”, Suggested donation $420 (A103) RAINBOW

FLOWERS by David Reese, California State Prison; Colored Pencils, 10” by 8”, Suggested donation $40 (A104)

Beautifully matted Prison Art Prints just $20 each Limited edition, numbered Prison Art Prints (11” by 17”) Only $20 each.

Also available framed (16” by 20”) for Only $35. All credit cards accepted.

To order, call 202-393-1511, email Staff@PrisonsFoundation.org, or visit Prison Art Gallery, 1600 K Street NW, Suite 501, Washington, DC (entrance on 16th St)

Mayor Fenty by Dennis Sobin, Petersburg Federal Prison, VA (#P52)

Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, GA (#P32)

John Grubb, State Prison, SC (#P20)

Ras Mosi, Evans State Prison, SC (#P19)

Lynda Baker, Scott State Prison, MI (#P2)

Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, GA (#P33)

Michael Jewell, Powledge State Prison, TX (#P27)

Brian Cole, Rivers Prison, Winton, NC (#P21)

Ronna Baer, Federal Prison, FL (#P4)

B.K. Nash, Brushy Mountain State Prison, TN (#P22)

Brian Cole, Rivers Prison, Winton, NC (#P5)

Tito Parra, El Paso County Jail, TX (#P38)

Larry Walker, Trenton State Prison, NJ (#P23)

Ras Mosi, Evans State Prison, SC (#P36)

George Bozeman, State Prison, KY (#P34)

Ritchie Weatherspoon, Ionia State Prison, MI (#P1)

Frederick Benjamin Thompson, South Woods State Prison, NJ (P49)

Michael Jewell, Powledge State Prison, TX (#P10)

Sudan Paul Miller, Ionia State Prison, MI (#P11)

Francisco Gonzales, Arizona State Prison (#P8)

Ras Mosi, Evans State Prison, SC (#P18)

Tammy Williams, Federal Prison, WV (#P15)

Tenola Gamble, California State Prison (#P42)

Russ Luncsford, Iowa State Prison (#P43)

Tenola Gamble, California State Prison (#P44)

Dwayne Murray, Minnesota State Prison (#P46)

Ritchie Weatherspoon, Michigan State Prison (#P48)

David Porter, Roxbury State Prison, MD (#P13)

Russ Luncsford, State Prison, IA (#P12)

Derrick Steilman, Washington State Prison (#P31)

Larry Walker, New Jersey State Prison (#P47)

Anita Winston (mother of prisoner), DC (#P30)

Frederick Benjamin Thompson, South Woods State Prison, NJ (#P14)

Carolyn Cosmos, DC Jail (#P6)

Rene Vu, Gatesville State Prison, TX (#P26)

Ras Mosi, Evans State Prison, SC (#P37)

Richard Seymour Jr., Auburn State Prison, NY (#P35)

Ted Berkey, Federal Prison, AZ (#P3)

Laura Crescio, Federal Prison, IL (#P7)

Ras Mosi, South Carolina State Prison (#P45)

Brent Fategoni, Rikers Island Prison, NY (#P28)

Timothy Burleson, Coffield State Prison, TX (#P40)

Selvyn Tillett, Maryland State Prison (#P39)

Richard Hinger, High Desert State Prison, NV (#P9)

Cannon Hubbard, Snake River State Prison, Oregon (P50)

Larry Walker, Trenton State Prison, NJ (#P24)

Brian Driggers, Snake River State Prison, Oregon (P51)

Curtis Easton, Southeast State Prison, IL (#P25)

Kevin Smith, Rikers Island Prison, NY (#P29)

Tenola Gamble, California State Prison (#P41)

Larry Walker, Trenton State Prison, NJ (#P17)

Brian Driggers, Snake River State Prison, OR (#P16)

ON THE MOVE by Robert Turpin, Dooly State Prison, Umatilla, GA; Graphite Pencils, 9” by 12”, Suggested donation $160 (A111)

KACHINA RITUAL POTTERY by James Riva, Old Colony State Prison, Bridgewater, MA; Colored Pencils on Heavy Paper, 8 1/2 by 11”, Suggested donation $150 (A127)

PARADISE by Rudolf Hunt, Buckingham State Prison, Dillwyn, VA: Colored Pencils, 8 1/2 by 11”, Suggested donation $35 (A134)

THE ALL-SEEING EYE by Rudolf Hunt, Buckingham State Prison, Dillwyn, VA: Colored Pencils, 8 1/2 by 11”, Suggested donation $35 (A135)

ATTENTION ARTISTS GREATER KUPU ONE by Jerry Lee Hagle, Snake River State Prison, Ontario, OR; Ink and Colored Pencils, 14” by 17”, Suggested donation $240 (A107)

TINY DANCER by Jerry Lee Hagle, Snake River State Prison, Ontario, OR; Graphite and Ink, 14” by 17”, Suggested donation $200 (A108)

PREGNANT MOTHER NATURE

by Rudolf Hunt, Buckingham State Prison, Dillwyn, VA: Collage, 8 1/2 by 11”, Suggested donation $40 (A133)

You can make a difference in the lives of struggling prison artists. Enroll in our FREE workshop to become an art mentor for prisoners in local jails. This FREE training will take place on a Saturday and could lead to both volunteer and paid positions in prisons.

Contact Staff@PrisonsFoundation.org or call 202-393-1511

UNTOUCHED by Anthony Dye, Dooly State Prison, Umatilla, GA; Cardboard, Napkins, Colored Pencils, Floor Wax, Toothpaste, Whiteout, Coffee, Coffee Creamer, 8” by 8 1/2”, Suggested donation $330 (A110)

HOW MANY MORE? by Jahi Daoud L. Foster-Bey, Connecticut State Prison: Collage, 16 by 20”, Suggested donation $175 (A132)

STUCK by Jahi Daoud L. Foster-Bey, Connecticut State Prison: Collage, 16 by 20”, Suggested donation $150 (A131)

ALAN JACKSON by Robert Turpin, Dooly State Prison, Umatilla, GA; Graphite Pencils, 9” by 12”, Suggested donation $100 (A113)

CAT HAT by Jerry Lee Hagle, Snake River State Prison, Ontario, OR; Graphite and Ink, 14” by 17”, Suggested donation $180 (A109)

Funded in part by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanites, an agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts

DAYDREAMER by Jeffrey Lee Voss, Boyd State Prison, Teague, TX; Colored Pencils and Watercolors, 15” by 20”, Suggested donation $300 (A125)

Become a Friend of the Prison Art Gallery Yes, I want to become a friend of the Prison Art Gallery and support its program of prisoner rehabilitation and victim assistance. My tax deductible donation in the amount of _________ is enclosed (or you may charge my credit card in this amount.)

Card type_________ #_________________________________ Exp_____________________ I understand that as a friend of the Prison Art Gallery I will be invited to free special events and receive other benefits.

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Prison Art Gallery 1600 K Street NW, Suite 501 Washington, DC 20006 202-393-1511

Prisons Foundation President and ex-prisoner Helen Thorne Design: Katie Smith President: Helen Thorne Development: James Tracy Music Ambassador: Dennis Sobin Outreach: Jahi Daoud L. Foster-Bey and Shatha Almazyed Tel. 202-393-1511

Webmaster: J.B. Pruitt Jr. Special Events: Bryan Parker Art Consultant: Lloyd S. Rubin Photographer: Laura Brown Gallery Curator: Anita Winston Correspondence: Nduta Kamau

www.PrisonsFoundation.org

Street Sense . April 2 – April 15, 2008

POETRY

April Reality Dolores, true lady of sorrows blows me kisses from her rolling chair; I had breakfast with a distant princess; a world of green, just outside thick glass; verdant spring taunts me, visible, but out of reach Today, I will step into reality; Canadian breezes will bring thick gray clouds which will kiss my face with drops of chill Reality will come on the shoulders of a cloud–shrouded moon dimly lighting my way to Seventeenth Street; reality will bring pints of fluid comfort sipped while watching passersby – beautiful and oblivious

Peace and hope found here will be slowly sluiced away – pure life–bearing water swirling into a drain, gurgling through rusted pipes into rivers, oceans of reality Five days of safe comfort will end soon and I anticipate the chill of leftover winter breezes and icy stares My breakfast princess will turn into the grinning imp who faces me on normal mornings; Dolores, with her clutching hand fever–warm will continue to flirt, and want, and dream from her rolling chair and I will wander, step by step toward the slow death that awaits me.

— David Harris

The Jungle Creed

Odd Couple

The Jungle Creed Is the strong must feed On any prey he can I sat at the feast And was branded a beast Before I became a man

What a pair black and white, I wonder which is right.

— D.K., age 16, an inmate at D.C. Jail

Side by side, walking together, people looking at the color.

They talk and point, shake their heads.

Say it’s not a match.

It doesn’t matter what they think.

It’s just a pair of socks.

— Mary Jane Owens

10 FEATURES

Street Sense . April 2 – April 15, 2008

About Town

By Patricia Jefferson

Theatre Review

April Flowers

By Daniel Horner

“The Process”: Fighting Off the Demons

Patrick Smith

S

noon at the Tidal Basin, ranging from martial arts to choirs from around the country, and a fireworks display at 8.30 p.m. on Saturday, April 5.

There will also be a big parade for the National Cherry Blossom Festival on Saturday, April 12 at 10 a.m. The parade marches along the historic Constitution Avenue corridor beginning at 7th Street, N.W. There will be an array of activities consisting of the traditional balloons, and floats, as well as horses, antique cars and clowns.

Of course, there will be marching bands for your thrill and entertainment representing different states.

While attending the festival, you can view extraordinary sites from the water by renting a paddle boat. Don’t miss out on D.C.’s most historic event. For more information, visit www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.

Vendor Patricia Jefferson regularly writes about happenings around town.

courtesy of kathy CREEK-vann

pring has sprung and flowers have bloomed. That’s how the old saying goes when spring arrives. The cherry blossoms have opened! They can be admired and appreciated by people from all walks of life from March 29 to April 13 at the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. The National Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates the blooming of the cherry blossom trees which were a gift to the United States from Japan in 1912. Only a few of the original 3,000 trees still exist, even though the total number of trees has expanded to 3,750. The gift was a symbol of friendship between the nations.

The trees make for fantastic scenery when the flowers have blossomed to their beautiful colors of pink and white. It’s an intoxicating experience to stroll along the Tidal Basin, view the peaceful flowers and enjoy their wonderful scent penetrating the air. You may imagine yourself in heaven. The festival includes daily cultural performances at

An evil spirit (Stephanie Foster) hovers over many of the scenes of alcohol and drug abuse in “The Process.”

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Gregory’s Great Game: Solution to March 19 Puzzle M

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art vaudeville, part slice of life, part self–help tract, Str8–N–Up Productions’ “The Process” is an odd mix. But it works.

The play is a series of scenes about several groups of people whose lives intersect with drugs and alcohol.

The play is the signature piece of Str8– N–Up Productions Inc., a theatre troupe that focuses on drug addiction and recovery. According to Kathy Creek–Vann, the head of Str8–N–Up, most of the company’s members are in recovery from some sort of addiction.

There isn’t a lot of plot suspense. When a Howard University professor – played

by Shelton Price – goes to buy drugs (for friends, he claims) and complains that “you can’t trust junkies,” you know that before long he’ll be one himself.

In Str8–N–Up’s lively production, such self–delusion is played for laughs – part of a strong comic streak in this portrayal of a grim subject.

But the play never lets you forget its focus. Spirits dressed in angelic white

and devilish black and red appear in many of the scenes.

In that way and others, watching “The Process” often feels like being in church – though you’ll hear and see some things that aren’t common in most churches.

Among the many high–quality performances are Price as the professor; Devonte Baucum as the neighborhood dealer “Big Daddy”; and Kai Jamal, equally convincing as a party–loving vamp and an addicted mother who tries to sell her children’s toys when Big Daddy comes calling for the money she owes him.

The show also features a number of strong singing performances.

Creek–Vann said that because of the show’s production costs, she can put it on only about once a year. But she said she is “desperately” looking for sponsors so that it can be produced more often.

The most recent performances were March 15 and 16 at THEARC – Town Hall Education, Arts & Recreation Campus – on Mississippi Avenue in Southeast.

Street Sense . April 2 – April 15, 2008

FEATURES & GAMES 11

Gregory’s Great Game

Cryptogram

Simply find the following words in the grid below. The solution to the last puzzle is found on page 10.

BVTN YCN SB SY DTBBTR BQ DT ZQQR CHG VCZZN

Baseball NCAA Vendor Fourth Rain Sunshine Street Sense

BVCH RSWV CHG ASYTRCDFT, DLB VQI CDQLB C WQAZRQASYT FSET AQGTRCBTFN RSWV CHG XLYB AQQGN? – ZRSHWTYY GSCHC

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WANTED Street Sense Board Members

Hint: Q = O

March Solution: “All we see of someone at any moment is a snapshot of their life, there in riches or poverty, in joy or despair. Snapshots don’t show the million decisions that led to that moment.” ~Richard Bach

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

6 4

Street Sense is calling all qualified readers to consider joining the Street Sense board of directors. We are looking for people who have a passion for helping empower homeless individuals and who have innovative ideas to help our organization succeed.

All board members are unpaid and requirements include board meetings and work team meetings every other month, and about three to six hours of work outside the meetings each month.

We are looking for potential board members who are: • • • • • •

Attorneys Accountants Journalists Marketing Specialists Members of the Small Business Community Leaders at Nonprofits That Serve the Homeless

If you are interested, please send your resume and a cover letter explaining why you would be a great addition to the Street Sense board to board president Ted Henson at ted@streetsense.org

March Solution

April Showers Fool’s Day Earth Day Spring Flowers Cherry Blossoms

Street Sense vendor Gregory Martin loves creating puzzles.

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

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PLACE YOUR AD HERE! With Street Sense now coming out twice a month and reaching nearly 12,000 people each issue, now is the perfect time to promote your business with us.

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

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

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

DISCOUNTS Discounts offered to nonprofits and to those that prepay for multiple ads.

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

Street Sense . April 2 – April 15, 2008

12 EDITORIALS

MOYO’S CORNER

By Moyo Onibuje

Are We Sanctioning Torture?

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an living in a homeless shelter be called torture?

Most people equate torture with serious physical injury. So life in a shelter may be cruel, inhuman or degrading, but because there is no physical injury it may be assumed that residents of shelters are not being tortured.

But sanctioning such an environment is not conducive to progress.

The goal of eliminating homelessness seems to justify the creation of shelters where people are packed like sardines. The idea behind shelters is quick elimination of the problem, but a majority of shelter users remain chronically poor and homeless even after living in shelters for an extended sixmonth stay.

We all remember Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad which became a focus of world attention when photographs of humiliated prisoners were distributed. What would happen if we were to publish pictures of conditions in some of Washington’s worst shelters?

In an age when a city’s image is very important, we need to consider the plight of the poor and homeless and the environments we place them in.

Such experiences, whether on the street or in a shelter, damage an individual but also damage the city. The shelter conditions matter – bed spacing, food quality, the state of bathrooms, infestations, the quality of counselors, the presence of weapons and illegal drugs – the list goes on and on and on.

There is very little visual difference between a prison cell and a shelter. In prison, you get three meals a day, while in a shelter you have hundreds vying for a meal usually served in a 45-minute period once every 24 hours.

That meal is often cold, flavorless cuisine cooked by recovering addicts with two weeks of cooking experience at a local kitchen, with ingredients mainly collected through donations.

So what we have here is an environment of fear and poverty. This is why some homeless people absolutely refuse to go into shelters.

There appears to be no classification system whatsoever. The person in the bunk on top of you might be a recently paroled murderer, beside you an armed robber, op-

posite you a schizophrenic and behind you someone who hasn’t seen water or changed clothes for three months.

In exchange for an extra few hours of sleep time, homeless people are used as free labor in shelters. We see homeless people carrying bags, because homeless shelters have no storage facilities. We see some local shelter bosses luring employer contractors to shelters with the promise of unlimited labor at $4 an hour. It is a daily occurrence.

What is the argument for the government establishing these shelters? Does their very existence constitute a violation of human rights? Are people not entitled to a safe, clean environment surrounded by sane companions?

The decision to create such an elaborate shelter system raises questions about the spiritual cost and damage to the character of the city. Is there any human rights convention in respect to the treatment of individuals in these shelters? What recourse do these residents have?

Of course we may claim that we didn’t really know that the conditions in these shelters were extremely oppressive, but someone, somewhere, did know. Will anybody face prosecution for the way people are suffering in these shelters?

Everyone at some point tries to defend the indefensible, but how can we have citizens living this way? Have we lost our sense of direction?

People are suffering. The only way change is going to come is if we as readers of Street Sense push for better conditions.

After examining the issues I am not at all sure if poor and homeless people have any rights. We need to go to court and demand decent living conditions in shelters.

We need to put pressure on to house people faster than the decades-long waiting lists that homeless people face.

Even if we say we are going to make somebody pay for the conditions we face as homeless people in shelters or on the street, where do we point the finger? It appears the enemy doesn’t have a face. But he does – all we have to do is find him.

To continue the current strategy of housing people in uninhabitable environments such as we see in these shelters is a blueprint for disaster. Many of these shelters have become breeding grounds for radical views, ideologies ranging from extreme Islamism to radical socialism to race hatred.

Is the government surprised?

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

Looking for a past story or poem?

Visit the Street Sense online archives!

Click on www.streetsense.org/archives.jsp to read past issues or use our internal search engine at www.streetsense.org

ELECTION 2008

By Jeffery McNeil

It Takes More Than Words

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s someone who has an interest in politics and other social topics, I look at this presidential election with a little uncertainty and cynicism.

This election is different from any other in American history: it boasts a candidate whose father is an African–American and a candidate who is a woman, both running for the highest office in the country. You would think everything about America is changing, that we are one diverse melting pot and there are no inequalities or racist elements in our country.

It’s great to see the day when someone who isn’t a white male can win states not known for their tolerance of diversity and cultural difference as New York or California are, and a woman can debate with people who look like the other 43 presidents. We can say it’s long overdue.

But there remain many unaddressed social issues that never come up for discussion until someone runs for office. It seems wealthy people who seek political office fool the people for votes then throw away their platform once they get elected.

I like to show readers what is going on when I walk the streets of the nation’s capital. Seeing Barack Obama and D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty getting photo ops together, you would think those in

the African–American community are pleased about the “change” everyone talks about.

What you do not see are the many Americans, especially those African– Americans, who are not benefiting from change.

I dare any candidate to walk through the Anacostia Metro station or through our parks in the heart of the nation’s capital and see all the homeless plus those who are mentally ill or have some kind of addiction.

I wonder if all those who been homeless and in the shelter system are happy with all this talk of change that is being thrown around. I wonder why no politician goes to take photos with those around southeast Washington or tries to canvass Southeast voters to join in this great change.

The reason I point this out is not because I am for or against any candidate.

I think it’s great to see someone different than the past 43 presidents, but the truth is we have not yet begun to approach true equality.

You can look at the Forbes 500 and count how many African–Americans are on the list. You can look at any shelter or those who are homeless in America and see the makeup of the shelters or on the sidewalk.

Truth is, mere eloquence is not going to change anything. It’s going to take action and deeds to make me a believer because I have seen this song and dance too many times in my brief life.

Jeffery McNeil regularly puts on a suit to sell Street Sense. He can be reached at jeffery_mcneil2000@yahoo.com.

POWER… How do you use yours?

A workshop on activism for people who are or have been homeless Tuesday, April 8, 2008 12 to 2 p.m. Food will be provided.

Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless True Reformer Building 1200 U Street, NW For language interpretation, child care or accommodation for a disability, please call Kristi at (202) 328-1262

Street Sense . April 2 – April 15, 2008

IN MY OPINION

EDITORIALS 13

By Eric Sheptock

MAURICE SPEAKS

March 19: A Day of Protests

A Primary Focus

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courtesy of isisimagery.com

arch 19 marked the beginning of the sixth year of the Iraq war. As I said in my Aug. 1, 2007, article in Street Sense, it was this unjust war that brought me to Washington D.C. to begin with. I hitchhiked here from Florida to protest the Bush regime.

I spent the fifth anniversary of the war protesting on the streets of D.C. While I’ve lent my voice, time and energy alongside literally hundreds of thousands of Americans and foreigners in an effort to end this war, the atrocities of the Bush regime continue with no end in sight.

The war protests began, as scheduled, at 7:30 a.m. in McPherson Park. A large protest scheduled by United For Peace and Justice was cancelled so that it wouldn’t conflict with and draw participants away from an event being held

by Iraq Veterans Against the War. I was there within 10 minutes of the start time.

By 10:45, the crowd had grown considerably. There were at least 200 people in McPherson Park and many more spread throughout K and L streets between 13th and 17th. I encountered a Green Party friend named Jane and the two of us would end up walking together to several antiwar demonstrations throughout northwest D.C. over the next hour and a half.

Later, we ran across Students for a Democratic Society at 14th and K. Dozens of them managed to block the intersection for approximately 20 minutes before it was broken up by the cops.

Once back at McPherson, I was able to get some mike time and perform my song, “Bush Has Gotta Go,” which I also sang on WPFW 89.3 on March 15 last year. Then it was on to the White House for us.

As we reached the northern edge of Lafayette Park, we met Elaine of World Can’t Wait – Drive Out The Bush Regime, the organization that I was working with when I wrote that song.

Elaine had dozens of graphic pictures of maimed and dead Iraqi civilians as well as photos of the notorious degradations of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison spread out on the ground along the H Street side of Lafayette.

It was shortly thereafter at approximately 12:30 p.m. that the real action began.

We saw a crowd gathering near the fence on the north side of the White House and approached to see what was going down. As it turned out, our friend Elaine was being arrested, apparently for attempting to tie “Crime Scene” police tape to the White House fence.

The police were making their own rules. It is legal to tie ribbons to the fence of the White House, as long as the person removes it before leaving.

A couple hundred people, myself included, began following the police toward the paddy wagon while shouting at

Eric Sheptock protests the Iraq war at a March 19 rally.

them to let her go. About a dozen cops were escorting her to the vehicle on foot.

As the crowd encircled the officers who were on foot, the mounted police rode up from the rear on their horses. They caused their horses to dance back and forth and side to side, in an effort to back people away from the officers who were putting Elaine into the paddy wagon at this point.

When this incident was all over, I had shouted for at least 15 minutes at the top of my lungs and would remain extremely hoarse for several days thereafter.

Having lost that battle and my voice in the process, I walked with her to 17th and K, where SDS was blocking the intersection, this time with hundreds of other protesters.

This time the cops allowed us to block the intersection for about two hours as they rerouted traffic. It was then that Isis informed me that the cops had been repeatedly touching her breast while doing crowd control. Once again, the police had crossed the line, while trying to keep others from doing the same.

Finally, at about three o’clock, we ended the roadblock.

I returned to the tent at McPherson, where several disposable cartons of coffee were on display for those who wanted something with which to warm up. There were also some snacks. I took advantage of both.

As I stood in this 30–foot–diameter dome tent in an attempt to warm up, I ran across an older lady whom I’d met at a previous protest. She was so impressed with my work that she gave me $25. I needed it. It was a beautiful ending to a hectic day.

Then it was back to Franklin School Shelter. Time to be homeless – again.

Eric Jonathan Sheptock, an advocate for homeless people, lives at Franklin School Shelter. He loves to sing and perform and can be reached at ericsheptock@yahoo.com.

I’m a Payaholic

By Mim Brown

A

large group of individuals living in the D.C. metropolitan area go to work every day and get paid regularly, yet do not move ahead financially. I have named them “payaholics.”

My name is Mim Brown. I am a payaholic. I live from paycheck to paycheck.

This illness began for me at age 17, when my father got jobs for my sisters and me at Howard Johnson’s restaurant. The owner was a business acquaintance of his. I usually earned $15 per shift in tips. The money – mostly coins – was heavy and literally “burned a hole in my pocket.”

At the end of the evening shift at midnight, my sisters and I would walk quickly to the bus stop praying all the while that the coins would not jingle loudly and draw unwanted attention to us.

By Maurice King

Thirty years later, with a bachelor’s degree in information systems, I have little to show for more than 20 years of sweat equity in the workforce.

According to Benjamin Franklin’s proverb, “a penny saved is a penny earned.” I have earned little in 30 years.

I have saved a jar of coins, some of which are indeed pennies. The reality is that I live from paycheck to paycheck.

My goal this year is to recover from “payaholism” by using God’s strength and by saving $20 per pay period. I work as a temp right now, but if my permanent employer has a 401(k), I will contribute to it. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

I will keep the money in a jar in my closet. By the end of the year, I will have earned $440. It’s a start!

ince I began writing about the presidential primaries, I have received a number of responses from readers, many of whom have voiced their opinions about the elections.

Some of the responders seem to read my mind, while others appear to be campaigning ferociously for one candidate or the other.

I greatly appreciate the feedback that I get, as it shows me that people are indeed reading my column and not using it for packaging material. Insofar as persuading me to vote for one candidate or the other goes, I admit to being a little confused by the current uproar for each candidate.

In the end, however, I think I know what will determine my choice.

The issue that will remain in the forefront for me is the stand that each candidate takes to dealing with homelessness and poverty.

For the past seven years, the United States has been led by a government for the wealthy only and I would oppose any candidate who would support such policies.

All the presidential candidates, including Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, understandably seem to be distancing themselves as much as possible from the unpopular Bush administration.

Unfortunately, the candidates have failed to popularize the elimination of homelessness and poverty – specific statements on this issue have not been that plentiful in the campaign trail. This would seem to indicate that the homeless and poor can expect to remain an afterthought for whichever candidate is elected. There’s not a lot to be cheery about with such a thought.

Everybody knows by now that the United States is facing very difficult times financially as a nation. The debate over whether a recession is in the offing or already in force is a moot point; hard times have already arrived. President Bush has been known to build his budgets so that the poor always have had to bear the greatest burden of any cuts.

Hitting the segment of the population that is least able to fend for itself with further economic hardship only creates greater problems, but helping this group has not been of any concern for the Bush presidency.

Additionally, many veterans have returned from war in Afghanistan and Iraq to homelessness and poverty in the United States – they soon discover that they are on the bottom rung of their government’s priorities. One question that the poor are probably asking is: “Will this trend continue as the nation grapples with its financial woes?”

It is impossible to know when the current financial doldrums will pass. Considering the massive debt that the United States has accumulated, I would not assume it to be a short period of time. I know that whichever candidate gets elected to the office of president will have a huge clean–up job to do that goes far beyond the budget.

While a candidate’s ability to complete these tasks is critical, I would still place major consideration on policies pertaining to homelessness and poverty when making my choice.

If a candidate has not clearly vowed to stand up for these issues, I see that as a negative sign – homelessness and poverty remain facts of life in the United States, no matter who occupies the White House.

Maurice King has been writing for Street Sense since January 2004 and is in the process of publishing his own book.

E–mail him at benadam@cyberdude.com.

Street Sense . April 2 – April 15, 2008

14 STREET SENSE NEWS

Introducing Isaac Quentin Osuri!

Announces the First Annual David Pike Excellence in Journalism Awards On June 12, Street Sense will give out the first annual Excellence in Journalism Awards at the National Press Club in memory of its late 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: • address homelessness or the causes of homelessness (affordable housing, mental illness, domestic violence, health care, for example) • focus on the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area • be published in a local or national print media outlet in 2007

Categories • • • • •

Investigative Reporting. Entries may be a single article or a series of articles and may include additional materials such as sidebars or illustrations.

Editorial Writing. Entries may be one opinion piece or a series.

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 • • • •

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 biography about yourself.

The deadline for the receipt of all submissions is April 30, 2008.

Please send all submissions and any questions to awards@streetsense.org.

Get Twice as Much Street Sense Each Month Delivered Right to Your Door!

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Order a subscription today.

Not only will you receive 24 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 24 issues. ___ YES! I want to give half of the cost of a subscription to my favorite vendor: ____________ Name: __________________________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________________ City: _____________________________________ State:_______________ Zip: ______________ Phone: ___________________________________ Email: ________________________________ Please make checks payable to Street Sense.

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

Thanks for your support!

Little Isaac was born to Street Sense co-founder and executive director Laura Thompson Osuri and her husband Sameel at 9:32 p.m. on March 26. Born 7 lbs 1 oz. and 20 inches, Isaac is thriving and so is his mom! Street Sense is thrilled at this addition to its family and wishes the Osuris the absolute best!

From The ad Sales Manager

The First Pitch

By Larie Edwards Jr.

H

i, my name is Larie Edwards and I’m the new advertising sales manager for Street Sense.

It is an honor to be on this staff taking part in a mission to eliminate poverty and homelessness.

Let me give you a little bit of my background. I used to work as a radio announcer and advertising salesman for Newsradio WRVA 1140 in Richmond, Va. While there, I also produced a popular talk show, “The Jack Gravely Show.”

I also worked as a fundraiser for organizations like the ACLU, NAACP and the Democratic National Committee.

But sales have been my long–standing interest since I was a teen. I have been in sales since 17, when I took my first job as a telemarketer. Most recently, I worked at the Shakespeare Theatre for the sales subscription team.

It is always been my passion to have a career that helps people and implements change.

Though I come from an urban working class background and have had my struggles, I have never been homeless. But I have seen the struggles of those that are homeless firsthand.

I have seen the ills to which a lot of homeless citizens fall prey – drugs, alcohol, depression and violence.

We as a community and nation have to put an end to this epidemic of homelessness.

It is easy for us to walk among them and frown when we see them panhandling or carousing or acting intoxicated.

The reality is it could be any one of us.

Just look at the economy with astronomical housing prices, a mortgage foreclosure crisis, record–high gas prices and more and more outsourced jobs plaguing the country. Homelessness could hit any one of us.

The reason I’m here is to get more businesses to advertise in our paper. This not only helps the paper but it also helps our mission to provide solutions to end homelessness.

I will be reaching out to you, the readers and supporters.

Please feel free to write and let me know what types of local businesses or organizations you would like to see advertising in our pages. I will also be reaching out to small businesses willing to offer discounts to our readers and supporters.

Street Sense would not be what it is today without the help of area businesses that have advertised with us, and all of those that have bought and read the paper.

I have watched Street Sense develop in the four years of its existence into a paper that really sheds light on the problems and challenges of homelessness throughout the D.C. area. I am thankful to be a part of this and look forward to helping Street Sense grow.

Please feel free to contact me at larie@streetsense.org.

FEATURES 15 SERVICE PROVIDERS & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Street Sense . April 2 – April 15, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

Shelter Hotline: 1-800-535-7252

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

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

Samaritan Ministry 1345 U Street, SE , AND 1516 Hamilton Street, NW (202)889-7702 www.samaritanministry.org HIV support, employment, drug/alcohol addiction, healthcare St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 1514 15th Street, NW (202) 667-4394 http://stlukesdc.edow.org food, counseling St. Matthew’s Cathedral 1725 Rhode Island Avenue, NW (202) 347-3215 ext. 552 breakfast, clothing, hygiene Travelers Aid, Union Station 50 Mass. Avenue, NE (202) 371-1937 www.travelersaid.org/ta/dc.html national emergency travel assistance Wash. Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U Street, NW (202) 328-5500 www.legalclinic.org legal services

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Street Sense . April 2 – April 15, 2008

humor STREET

VENDOR PROFILE

By Courtenay Lewis

Alicia Jones

By Jessica Elliott

“Humor Street” is a new monthly comic feature for Street Sense by artist Courtenay Lewis.

Can you guess which story this comic refers to? Hint: see page 1.

Please send comments or suggestions to editor@streetsense.org.

StreetFact Many emergency shelters in D.C. do not take people who work the night shift and need a place to sleep during the day.

See story on page 6.

How did you become homeless?

When I left my career in the postal service I had no income.

Why do you sell Street Sense?

I like to put the word out as to the plight of the disadvantaged, and inform the general public about the services available. It allows the general public to peek into a world that may be unknown to them, and helps push the door open to awareness, donating and possible participation.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I see myself on the path to completing a bachelor’s degree in mortuary science.

Favorite movie?

“Philadelphia” with Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, because it forces people to investigate further. My favorite scene takes place in the library when Tom Hank pushes the book across the table toward Denzel Washington.

Favorite music?

Nina Simone and “ The Wonder of You” by Elvis Presley Favorite food?

Anything that has levels of deliciousness

April 2, 2008 – April 15, 2008 • Volume 5 • Issue 11

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005

Alicia Jones was born in Queens, N.Y. She came from an average family, including her father, mother and several brothers and sisters. Her father thrived on taking his family to sunny Florida, including Disney World. So every December, the family packed up the station wagon with suitcases, tents and camping equipment. Her mother loved opera and was accepted to The Julliard School, but her husband wanted her to stay home and be a homemaker.

In 1974, Alicia and her family moved to Washington, D.C., where she attended Woodrow Wilson High School. After high school, she and her family moved to Miami where several siblings moved out as they grew old enough.

In 1981, Alicia moved to New York and became a dental assistant and then went into the postal service for the next 16 years, eight as a letter carrier in Brooklyn and another eight as a window clerk in D.C. In between her time as a dental assistant and postal worker, Alicia’s son was born. Alicia continued to work fulltime and single–handedly raised her son, who is now 23 and going to school to become an electrician.

In 2003, when her son was 17, Alicia was still working in the postal service. This was the year the anthrax scare broke out. Alicia says that everything at that time was crazy. She was forced to wear gloves and a face mask, as well as take antibiotics as a precaution. The anxiety of the anthrax scare is what pushed Alicia to leave the postal service.

Ever since leaving the service, Alicia has been struggling, moving around to different shelters.

Alicia is trying to find her niche, and until she is able to do so, she sells Street Sense. She is very appreciative of the general public and those who contribute and support her in selling Street Sense.

“I hope the general public finds the articles to be helpful and enlightening,” she said.

Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Washington, DC Permit #568

Mail To:

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

Favorite book?

“Arthur Ashe: A Biography” by Richard Steins

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Give this issue to a friend or coworker. Thanks!

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