$1.00
Deputy Mayor Brenda Donald Walker Starts A New Monthly Column, page 5
Suggested Donation
Where the Washington area's poor and homeless earn and give their two cents May 15, 2006 -- June 14, 2006
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Volume 3, Issue 7
www.streetsense.org
The Complex Link: Mental Illness and Homelessness Health Care for the Homeless There are more than 9,000 homeless people on the streets in Washington, D.C. and most of them have their own sets of problems and challenges. And while most of these difficulties were contributing factors to their homelessness, one common problem is both a catalyst and a result of life on the street: mental illness. In D.C. alone, 15% of the homeless people that use the city’s homeless services are “severely mentally ill,” according to the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness. These psychiatric illnesses include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression,
post-traumatic stress syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, all of which can cause significant disability. Nationally, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has reported that 40% of people nationwide who experience chronic homelessness have substance-abuse disorders, 25% have some form of physical disability or disabling health condition, and 20% suffer from serious mental illness. In July of 2005, the National Coalition for the Homeless found that 20% to 25% of the single adult homeless population suffers from some form of severe and persistent
See
MENTAL, page
7
Vendor Voices
By Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson
Rules Do Not Apply Here
For two years and almost three months, I have been homeless within the District. During this time I have also become a member of a sorority that did not exist when I went through “rush week” at the University of Texas in Austin, at the ripe age of 16. Unlike them with their Greek symbols and mathematical names and the recruiting process to get your blood line associated into a lifetime organization, this one requires no pedigree, education or money. We are the “Sisters of the Shelter System” and like all sorority sisters we are bound to each other for life through that which we have experienced as members. Although we on the whole, do not like all our members, I have noticed we sisters
are there if possible, to assist each other no matter what the dilemma as our hearts know the same pain of homelessness. Therefore, I am obligated to bring to light the plight that we continually encounter from many Catholic Charities (now called Catholic Community Services -- CCS) employees and their total disregard for us in the public shelters that they claim to manage on our behalf. What we sisters all have in common is that we have all lost the foundation that is necessary for one’s ability to function in this world. Secondly, we have now become dependent upon services that we use to provide for ourselves, making us more vulnerable to our
See
RULES, page 17
Kris Thompson, the executive director of Calvary Women’s Services, assists a client in her office. Thompson is just one of dozens of homeless service provider executives that are making less than their peers elsewhere.
Local Service Provider Executives Shortchanged on Compensation By Trish Savage “They’re making a million on us,” a District homeless man was recently overheard commenting on the directors of nonprofit organizations. But after a close evaluation of the data, millions is hardly the case. Most all of the heads of the 62 D.C.-based homeless service providers surveyed, particularly those of the smaller nonprofits, are underpaid and many of them are nearing poverty levels themselves. The average CEO salary for local homeless service providers in 2004 was $76,408, according to analysis of the most recently available data. This is 45% lower than the average for all nonprofits in Washington, D.C., and nationally it’s 7.6% lower than the average for nonprofits serving the homeless, according to CharityNavigator.org, an online ser-
vice that rates 501(c)3 organizations throughout the country. When you break down the numbers even further into budget sizes, the smaller nonprofit executives in Washington D.C. are losing out even more when it comes to compensation. The average for the 27 nonprofits that serve the homeless with budgets between $500,000 and $3.5 million was $60,531, compared to the average of its peers throughout the country of $69,207, according to CharityNavigator.org, which does not look at nonprofits below $500,000. And for all nonprofits in Washington, D.C. in this budget range, the average was $116,154. To be sure, the local midsize homeless service providers are faring better than those in other parts of the country. The local average for nonprofits between $3.5 million and $13.5 million was $109,484 and the median was $95,385. Nationally
for homeless service providers these figures were $97,707 and $91,337, respectively. Still the average for all nonprofits in this budget range is $169,702. These low executive salaries come despite the fact that the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region ranks fourth when it comes to income per capita for all workers with $46,782, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and that “very lowincome” for the D.C. area is defined at $54,000 by the District’s Comprehensive Housing Taskforce. So why are nonprofits serving the homeless getting so shortchanged when it comes to their national peers and other local nonprofits? Sandra Miniutti, director of external relations for CharityNavigator.org, said that it’s a mix of image, donors and the long history of those
See
SALARY,
page 4
INTERVIEW
EDITORIAL
Canidates voice their opinons on affordable housing, page 6
August Mallory travels to Birmingham to observe homelessness there, page 16
Budget Update
NATIONAL
FEATURES
The D.C. Council approved a new budget with lots of new affordable housing and homeless services, page 7
Evacuees in the D.C. area are still struggling to find permanent housing, page 9
Cliff Carle ask readers about the leading cause of homelessness, page 15
Inside This Issue LOCAL
DC Mayoral Candidates
Katrina Housing
Back to Birmingham
Vendor on the Street
2 ALL ABOUT US
Street Sense . May - June 2006
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 August Mallory John Snellgrove Michael Stoops Kathy Whelpley
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Laura Thompson Osuri SENIOR EDITOR Ted Henson ASSOCIATE EDITOR David S. Hammond AD SALES MANAgERS Jake Ashford Donald Brooks James Davis Alvin Dixon El Muriel Dixon Michelle McCullough
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 journalism, opinion, fiction and poetry, hoping to create a means where a multitude of perspectives on poverty and homelessness can find expression. Street Sense reserves the right to edit any material.
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 men and women who sell it. About 25 street papers operate in the United
States and Canada in places like Seattle, Chicago, Montreal and Boston, and there are dozens more 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. Since then, the paper has published consistently on a monthly basis and has greatly expanded its circulation and vendor network. For the first
Street Sense Vendor Code of Conduct
VENDOR OUTREACH COORDINATOR Wendell Williams VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Gwen Arnold, Don Gardner, Donald Brooks, Karen Brooks, Laura Cahill, Cliff Carle, Gabrielle Coppola, Alvin Dixon El, Muriel Dixon, Michelle Gaudet, Jake Geissinger, Leo Gnawa, Carol Hanaford, David Harris, DeWayne Harrison, Enoka Herat, Annie Hill, Maurice King, Jessica LeCompte, Brad McCormick, Mike Melia, Amy Orndorff, Susan Pearce, Jen Pearl, David Pike, Diane Rusignola, Patty Smith, Trish Savage, Derek Schlickeisen, Isabel Toolan, Francine Triplett, Robert Trautman, Linda Wang, Jessica Weis, Valerie Wexler, Marian Wiseman, Irene Wu, Mark Youssef, Trinity Zan VENDORS Sean Barbonus, Robert Beecher, Tommy Bennett, Donald Brooks, Kanon Brown, Bobby Buggs, Cliff Carle, Conrad Cheek Jr., James Chisholm, Doug Crawford James Davis, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Kerwin Dowell, Don L. Gardner, Kevin Garnes El, Leo Gnawa, David Harris, John Harrison, DeWayne Harrison, Patricia Henry, Phillip Howard, Michael Jefferson, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, Wayne Kern, David McCullough, Michelle McCullough, August Mallory, Rodney Morris, Charles Nelson, Therese Onyemenam, Eddie Singer, Patty Smith, Harvey Thomas, Francine Triplett, Wendell Williams, Brenda Wilson
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 full board of directors and in November the organization hired its first employee, a fulltime executive director.
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May Donors Thomas Block TENAC Joni Miller Jennifer Amy Mandel Sarah Combs Andrea Howe Adrienne Fields
Lynn and Tom Hommeyer Gale Stieler Thomas and Patricia Fitzgerald Diana Strelow Pamela Blumenthal
Thank you!
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WANNA HELP?
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or a vendor, please contact Laura Thompson Osuri at Street Sense.
OUR NEXT EDITORIAL MEETINg
June 14 at 6:00 p.m. 1317 G Street, NW (near Metro Center)
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Street Sense will be distributed for a voluntary donation of $1. I agree not to ask for more than a dollar or solicit donations for Street Sense by any other means. I will only purchase the paper from Street Sense staff and will not sell papers to other vendors (outside of the office volunteers). I agree to treat all others – customers, staff, other vendors – respectfully, and I will not “hard sell,” threaten or pressure customers. I agree to stay off private property when selling Street Sense. I understand that I am not a legal employee of Street Sense but a contracted worker responsible for my own well-being and income. I agree to sell no additional goods or products when selling the paper. I will not sell Street Sense under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 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. I understand that my badge is the property of Street Sense and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing the papers and display my badge when selling papers. I understand that Street Sense strives to be a paper that covers homelessness and poverty issues while providing a source of income for the homeless. I will try to help in this effort and spread the word.
Street Sense . May - June 2006
PROFILES
Three Formerly Homeless Activists to Join Interagency Council Three Washingtonians, who know homelessness from the inside out, are set to join Washington, D.C.’s new Interagency Council on Homelessness, which will be responsible for planning and oversight of the District’s homeless programs. Cheryl Barnes, Darryl Belcher, and Jackie Lee Chandler have been appointed to the 15member council that also includes service providers, advocates, the deputy mayor overseeing homeless services, and agency heads. All three spoke to Street Sense recently about their experiences with homelessness and their plans for the Interagency Council.
Cheryl Barnes
Cheryl Barnes was born and raised in D.C. She was homeless for 30 years, but now has housing of her own and is a freelance advocate. Her activism started with Mitch Snyder, the leader of the Community for Creative NonViolence (CCNV) back in the 1980s. “We did some protests with him, and we went up on Capitol Hill. He cared about everybody, and he never judged us,” she says. Barnes is a Board member of both the National Coalition for the Homeless and the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, and is also active with the Coalition of Housing and Homeless Organizations and the Fair Budget Coalition. She also often testifies before the City Council, and works with the Department of Human Services. On the Interagency Council she plans to “always listen, and maintain a fair voice at the table.” But she noted that the Interagency Council should play more than an advisory role; it should also prompt action. Barnes also says that the Council should better address the provisions in the Homeless Services Reform Act that discuss the relationship between shelters and other service providers and their homeless clients. “There’s work that needs to be done on the things that are missing,” Barnes says. “We have to make sure that both sides are satisfied – both service providers and homeless people.” “I’m ready for the challenge and ready to get to work,” says Barnes.
Jackie Lee Chandler
Darryl Belcher
Darryl Belcher and his children have lived at D.C. Village, the city’s main shelter for homeless families. He has been an advocate for homeless people, particularly families, and has testified a number of times before the City Council’s Human Services Committee. Belcher said that when he became homeless, he realized how little help was available and that the services at D.C. Village were not enough. “You’re pretty much on your own when you find out that the resources don’t exist. So you need to advocate for yourself,” he says. To Belcher, the biggest problem causing homelessness in D.C. is affordable housing. He believes that the city needs to provide more affordable housing so that low-income residents are not forced out. “Right now it’s not mixed – it’s a city that is exclusively for the rich,” he says. “It shouldn’t be that way.” He is happy to be part of the Interagency Council but wishes that such a body was not necessary. “We shouldn’t have to have a board that advises on the issue of homelessness. It should be something people do because it needs to be done,” he said. “My appointment meant that someone is not doing what they should do. But if I need to be on a board to advise on that issue, so be it. “
Jackie Lee Chandler is a native of Richmond, Va. who came to Washington D.C. in 1994. He has lived at the CCNV shelter and now lives at the Anna Cooper House, So Others Might Eat’s (SOME) single-room occupancy house near Logan Circle. Cooper works as a donation aide, helping SOME collect clothing, furniture and food. He became a homeless activist because he wanted to find out what was at the root of homelessness in D.C. His first taste of activism came when he became involved with a group called Citizens About Real Empowerment (CARE) , of which he is now co-convener. He also became involved with the National Coalition for the Homeless. Chandler said that his biggest concern about homelessness right now is the growing number of shelter closings. “Closing down shelters is not going to solve the problem at all – they need to open more shelters,” he says. Chandler is excited to learn the perspectives of other Council members on shelter closings and other issues facing the homeless. “I’d like to know if they are full-fledged ready to combat this problem,” Chandler says. “We need 100% cooperation with the IACH, and I want to see if we have that.” But, he notes, in order to be effective the council needs funding and legislation to back their initiatives. “It’s not going to be fixed with a Band-Aid – we need some finance behind us, and we need some muscle behind us,” Chandler says.
Donate to Street Sense I will donate: ___ $50 for food at one vendor meeting ___ $70 for one restaurant review ___ $100 for postage each month ___ $200 for the vests of 15 new vendors ___ $500 for monthly rent and insurance ___ $1,000 for 5 months of job training workshops ___ $1,400 for the printing of one issue ___ Another amount of $_______ ___ Another amount of $_______ for vendor: ____________________ Additional items that Street Sense needs: * Messenger and tote bags and backpacks for vendors * Bicycles and hemlets for vendors * Basic laptop computer with at least Windows 2000 OS for office
My Information Name:_______________________________________________________ Address:_____________________________________________________ City/State/Zip:_______________________________________________ Phone:_______________________E-mail:_________________________ Please make checks payable to Street Sense Street Sense is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible. Mail to: Street Sense, 1317 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20005. You can also donate online at www.streetsense.org
LOCAL NEWS
Street Sense . May - June 2006
Salary Split 250000
Non-Profit Organization
Executive
Community for Creative Non-Violence
S. Watkins
Parklands Community Center, Inc.
CEO Salary
Budget 0
223,704
B.Jones
25,457
174,115
Christ House
K.Feltz
27,571
2,749,554
Miriam's House
C.Marsh
29,511
798,278
Jobs Partnership, Inc.
Rev.S.Tucker
33,767
303,658
Capital Interfaith Hospitality Network, INC (2002 Data)
J.Thomas
39,000
120,838
Safe Haven Outreach Ministry, Inc.
M.Richerson
39,408
1,529,304
New Endeavors By Women
M. Popit
40,000
657,374
Columbia Road Health Service, Inc.
A.Goetcheus
41,440
2,793,725
Samaritan Inns, Inc.
D.Erickson
42,977
2,509,968
Georgetown Ministries Center
G. Stern
44,168
269,621
Dinner Pgm for Homeless Women
K. Kirwin
45,250
303,062
Mary House
W.Murphy
47,600
363,562
Joseph's House Inc
P.Wudel
48,672
971,790
49,000
654,116
Median CEO Salary
200000
150000 100000 50000 0
$500,000 to $3.5 million
$3.5 million to $13.5 million
$13.5 million and above
Budget Size All D.C. nonprofits
Nonprofits serving homeless nationally
SALARY, from p.1 serving the poor also living among the poor. “I think there is a different perception for that kind of organization in the market place,” she said. “When a board has to set pay for an executive, they have to look at peers. And if everyone else in the market place is willing to pay a homeless [organization’s] CEO less, then it’s hard to raise that bar.” Minutti added that “the base of donors that are giving to the arts and educational institutions are often bigger donors and unfortunately charities that provide services to the less fortunate are often forgotten by large donors.” When comparing homeless service providers in D.C. to other parts of the country, it comes down to the large pool of candidates in the nation’s capital. Daniel Borochoff, president and founder of the American Institute of Philanthropy, said that in evaluating appropriate salary level a board has to ask itself the question, ‘Can we find someone comparable if we paid less?’ And in D.C. unlike in many other parts of the country, this answer is more often than not ‘yes’ as the city attracts thousands of qualified candidates looking to make a difference. Brian Carome, the executive director of Project Northstar (The Homeless Children’s Tutorial Project), has worked at homeless service providers in Washington for the last two decades and has also seen this trend. “This sector of the nonprofit world continues to attract committed and idealist individuals who are willing to put the needs of others far ahead of their own career advancement,” he said. Though Carome, who is also an active member of the Coalition of Housing and Homeless Organizations, added that this idealism should not be taken advantage of. He said that better compensation and more competitive wages would encourage executives to stay around longer and would also limit burnout. In his book “Begging for Change,” Robert Egger, the CEO of D.C. Central Kitchen, promoted the idea that nonprofits should be structured more like corporations, including paying executives more competitively. “Inside the sector, the vast majority of leaders are under-compensated, and the growing assumption is that we’ll need to up salary levels to attract and retain talented executives,” he said. “But the public thinks ‘administrative overhead’ is a bad thing, leaving us stuck in the middle.” In the meantime, many executives are still working for a stipend, or as part of their religious
nonprofits serving homeless in D.C.
commitment, or in exchange for living arrangements. And most heads of homeless service providers are working 50- and 60- hour weeks. In its March 2006 issue, The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported a survey revealing “three-quarters of charity CEOs are so fed up with their jobs that they plan to quit within the next five years” and pointed to low salaries as a strong factor fueling their discontent. Moreover, few of these homeless service providers offer health insurance or retirement benefits, which contribute further to CEO burnout. In DC, about half of the 62 nonprofits surveyed do not pay their directors any benefits; and even fewer low-budget nonprofits include benefits. (All of the salaries came from 990 tax forms, which all 501(c)3 organizations have to file with the IRS, that are posted on www.guidestar.org. The local organizations analyzed were all those D.C.-based nonprofits that mentioned serving the homeless on their IRS 990 form or website.) Still, some clients question the worth and financial compensation of executives providing them with basic human services, like shelters, meals, food distribution, literacy education, job training, housing and counseling, especially when some CEOs are making around $200,000. On any given day you can hear homeless people at soup kitchens and in front of shelters talking about how organizations are “pimping the homeless” or “getting rich on the poor.” Nevertheless, while executives are necessary to oversee the organization the most important employees to most homeless people are the frontline case workers and managers that interact with clients day to day, according to Cheryl Barnes, who recently worked her way out of homelessness and has been on the board of the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless for the last nine years. She said that these men and women are not paid enough and “first-line workers also need a cost-ofliving increase each year.” And Carome, with Project Northstar, agreed. “I think a more important issue is the poor pay for our front line staff,” Carome said. “If resources can be found to provide more competitive and fair wages, in most instances, I would like to see that allocated to these front line employees first.” This is the first in a series of articles that will review local nonprofits that offer any services to the homeless. Later articles will evaluate the nonprofit services, their overall budgets and their fundraising efficiency. Laura Thompson Osuri contributed to this story.
Jobs for Homeless People (JHP) Calvary Women's Services
K. Thompson
50,099
750,549
Women Like Us
B. Richardson
51,000
224,868
Scruples Corporation
S. Yorke-Cyrus
53,833
416,278
Damien Ministries
J. Nickel
54,480
569,290
Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place
A. Morris
56,358
987,019
Northwest Church Family Network, Inc.
S. Stain
56,846
469,025
Bethany, Inc
S.Waiss
57,273
235,379
Project Northstar (Homeless Children's Tutorial Project)
B. Carome
60,432
319,297
Neighbors' Consejo
N.Shana'A-Salvador
60,542
1,386,166
Mi Casa, Inc
F. Lemos
61,374
397,928
DC Central Kitchen
R.Egger
61,462
2,934,688
Central Union Mission
D.Treadwell
65,000
4,708,799
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Street Sense . May - June 2006
Let’s Talk About Homelessness By Brenda Donald Walker, Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth, Families and Elders
Reform Act, Shelter Rumors I am very pleased to introduce a regular column with news and insights about homelessness and homeless services in Washington D.C. from the view of the District Government. In this space, I will “talk about homelessness” and the plans, programs, legislation and any other topics that affect our homeless citizens and their well–being. I pledge to be open, transparent, informative and forward–looking. As the Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth, Families and Elders, I am committed to increasing homeless prevention efforts using local and federal resources; to developing or subsidizing new units of affordable, supportive housing; and to coordinating mainstream social services for homeless residents. In the District, we are striving to prevent and end homelessness one person and one family at a time by taking creative steps guided by a clear vision and sustained leadership. One approach to dealing with homelessness is through legislation, and the Homeless Services Reform Act of 2005 is the most recent example. Effective Oct. 22 this law, among other things, formalizes the rights and responsibilities of the homeless in shelters and supportive housing, establishes service standards for providers, and sets out procedures for resolving disputes between homeless citizens and service providers. Additionally, the Homeless Services Reform Act calls for establishment of the Interagency Council on Homelessness, a group of government and citizen stakeholders that will advise the government on all matters affecting the District’s homeless population and homeless services. Among the stakeholders will be at least two homeless or formerly homeless individuals as well as a minimum of two homeless advocates. We want to be sure that the voice of the homeless community is heard clearly. Bringing targeted and tailored services to particular homeless groups is a way to ensure that their actual needs are being served well. In December, the Department of Human Services and a group of service providers sponsored a housing fair at D.C. Village for families currently residing in shelters in the District. Fifty families were identified to receive assistance that will enable them to seek out housing and maintain independent lifestyles. This “service fair” concept was used again to target services to homeless youths and young adults from 16 to 24 years of age during an event at the Emery Recreation Center on Georgia Avenue in Northwest in April. The services available included employment, drug treatment, mental health, child care, financial and legal assistance. Nearly 100 youths and young adults enjoyed food and drink, friendship and direct access to needed services during this daylong fair. In each column, I also want to provide updates on projects of high importance to the homeless community, including news about shelter operations, the programs and services available, success stories, improvements and new construction. There is great concern about the availability of downtown shelter space, and I want to talk about a number of projects that may ease that concern. One project currently under construction is the former Gales School at Massachusetts Avenue and G Street in Northwest. This brick building, dating from about 1887, is a local historic landmark. It is slated to receive new plumbing, mechanical systems and other work to make it a model for homeless services and living accommodations. When completed in September 2007, this shelter will have sleeping areas for 150 clients, central air conditioning, space for group activities, individual storage and a full range of services on–site. The Gales Shelter represents our commitment to serve homeless citizens with appropriate living space and services in an accessible and central location. I know that there have been many rumors about the possible closure and sale of the Franklin School at 913 13th Street in Northwest. Please be assured that there has been no closure date established for the Franklin School Shelter. According to the D.C. Office of Property Management, the District is aggressively trying to locate space for a new shelter to replace this building, which will eventually be sold. At this time, however, the Franklin School Shelter is open and serving those citizens who are homeless. Another location of concern has been La Casa, and we want to emphatically state that it is still on the map! Because of development in Northwest on and around Irving Street, La Casa will temporarily be relocated until the new La Casa shelter is built. The substance abuse treatment program at the present La Casa site will temporarily move to 1311 Spring Road, NW I do not yet have the date, but it is projected to be within the next two to three months. The La Casa relocation and redevelopment are among the important ongoing shelter projects that I will update as more information becomes available. I hope that this first column has been informative and helpful to your understanding of the efforts that are being made on a daily basis in the District to serve our homeless population. See you next month when we can “talk about homelessness” again.
LOCAL NEWS
In BRief
SOME Offers SROs to 30 Homeless Adults So Others Might Eat (SOME) opened its fourth single-room-occupancy facility in May to provide permanent housing for 30 low-income single adults, most of whom are now living in emergency shelters. The facility, Freedom House, at 2125 18th Street, SE, in Ward 8, comprises six five-bedroom suites that share a kitchen, bathroom and community space. SOME purchased the home in the autumn of 2005 and made renovations to accommodate the 30 adults. Similar to other SOME programs, Freedom House will offer a balance of independent and supportive services for its residences. The move drew praise from Council members Marion Barry and Linda Cropp. “I admire what you are doing. We need more organizations like this (SOME), more affordable housing in Ward 8 and the rest of the city,” said Barry at the ceremony. One of the home’s first residents, Henry Cubbins, said he was happy with his new home because having gone through SOME’s addiction recovery program, Exodus House, he was now alcohol and drug free, and “Freedom House offers a foundation for recovering persons to stick close to a drug-free environment.” SOME’s president, Fr. John Adams, said SOME is committed to ensuring people have a decent and dignified place to live.”
Central Kitchen Ends Food Strike, Contract Imminent After a week of District administrators scrambling to provide meals to the more than 1,200 people living in city-run shelters and a seven-day protest fast by D.C. Central Kitchen executives, everything is nearly back to normal -- at least for now. On Monday May 8, The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness, the private group that oversees the city shelter system, and D.C. Central Kitchen, came to an understanding on the contract process. Stephen Cleghorn, The Community Partnership’s deputy executive director, told Street Sense on May 11 that a decision should occur in the next week and that a contract could be awarded to more than one provider. And D.C. Central Kitchen is back to providing meals to about half of the ten city-funded shelters. A company called Nutrition Inc. is providing meals to the rest. This conclusion came after a nearly month-long delay in the contract process, which prompted D.C. Central Kitchen to go on strike May 1 and stop providing food to city-funded shelters as well as to the 700-bed shelter run by the Community for Creative Non-Violence, which does not get city funding but does have a contract for its space with the city . To coincide with the strike, Egger and Michael Curtain, D.C. Central Kitchen’s chief operating officer, went on a hunger fast.
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VEGAN VEGETABLE CURRY
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ROPA VIEJA Pulled flank steak with spicy sofrito sauce, served with black beans and Spanish rice
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Fresh Start Catering 425 2nd ST NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 234-0707 | freshstart@dccentralkitchen.org www.dccentralkitchen.org
INTERVIEW
Street Sense . May - June 2006
Mayoral Forum
Affordable Housing Challenges Ahead for Next Mayor
What incentives will you offer developers to build more affordable housing? And what rules will you support to require more affordable housing in new developments? Please be specific about your plans to help set, and enforce, affordable housing requirements. Michael Brown: I think actually creating more affordable housing is one of the easier, though very challenging, things to fix. It is a political will issue – do you have the political will that you want a middle class in your city, or do you not? With my city finance and municipal finance experience, I understand that the strength financially of any city is not how many rich people you have in it, it’s how strong the middle class is. And as we continue to lose our middle class because there is no affordable housing or because our schools don’t work, that is not a good recipe for a sound economic footing for a city. ... [G]ive [developers] an opportunity and [an] incentive: ... “I don’t care how much you sell your condos on the upper couple floors or whatever – but for the other floors, you’re almost making it inclusionary housing.” And then our teachers, our firefighters, police officers, folks on the middle end or low end of the economic totem pole, are also able to live in that building. At the same time you have to make sure that those folks can walk into a bank and get a loan. So it’s several steps – it’s not just one – but I do believe it’s more of a political will issue than anything else. And I have the political will to make sure that we have a middle class in this city. The developers are in this to make money. I don’t want them not to make money – I want them to make money, that’s good! ... But at the same time, how do we make sure that there’s affordable housing? I think we need to sit down with the stakeholders and figure out a formula. Linda Cropp: I have strongly supported and will continue to support tax and zoning incentives to maintain and increase the stock of affordable housing. I am fighting for a requirement that low and moderate income housing be included in any housing project built on property bought from the District government. Further, I will fight for a one-for-one replacement of public housing for existing residents so that people who live in the neighborhood can return when the property is renovated. Also, I support workforce housing and market rate housing with neighborhood-serving retail uses. Finally, I have urged the Zoning Commission and the Mayor to adopt a mandatory inclusionary zoning program that requires affordable housing set-asides in exchange for increased density for residential developments. Adrian Fenty: A Fenty Administration will not simply sell District land to the highest bidder. Principally, we will mandate inclusionary zoning to ensure that all new development includes a significant portion of affordable housing. Tax incentives for inclusionary development will be a strong part of our program. A Fenty Administration will also encourage living wage initiatives for all new and current development projects including current development opportunities, particularly those major ones downtown and along the Anacostia. Marie Johns: As Mayor, I will aggressively promote the full utilization of all “below market” financing tools currently available to the District which include, but are not limited to: tax exempt bonds, low income housing tax credits, tax increment financing, and community development grants. Tax exempt bonds and low income housing tax credits have legal requirements that a minimum of 20% of housing units produced are provided to persons with incomes of 50-60% of area median income or lower. I will direct the Housing Production Trust Fund to develop a large portfolio of Dis-
trict property assets that will be contributed to affordable and workforce housing production. In addition, I will work to establish best practices for District services to affordable and workforce housing developers to save them time and expense. I will demand that any request for District resources for new or rehabilitated housing incorporate a mixed income plan with enforceable land covenants. The Johns Housing Platform contains some initiatives that either complement the recommendations of the Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force or offer alternatives [including] matching the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit to allow low-income households to have more money to pay for housing. Vincent Orange: I have cointroduced legislation to establish a commission on poverty one of whose many mandates is to review housing in the District of Columbia and to propose ways of expanding and enhancing affordable housing for residents in the District of Columbia. As Mayor, I will be committed to exploring all avenues to provide affordable housing to the populations that are most in need in the District of Columbia. Additionally, I am on record most recently of supporting the rental housing reform legislation that will ensure the District of Columbia maintains access to affordable rental housing. The Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force has recommended restoring the previous level for the tax the city imposes on real estate transactions (back up from 1.1%, to 1.5% on deed recordation), and using the restored proceeds to support affordable housing through the Housing Production Trust Fund. Do you support this proposal? Why or why not? Brown: I do. It’s in a more comprehensive plan, related also to property tax reform, which to me is all rolled up into one thing. I want to cap property taxes and eliminate it for seniors. Cropp: Yes, I just set aside $65 million for affordable housing in this year’s budget from an increase in the deed recordation and transfer tax. However, I targeted the increase to those who can most afford it and exempted home purchases of $400,000 or less. This action raised an additional $15 million for the Housing Production Trust Fund (on top of the $60 million already dedicated each year). In addition, I earmarked $8.7 million for rent supplements and $7.5 million in emergency assistance to prevent evictions. In addition, I included significant funding for several other affordable housing programs, including workforce housing aimed at teachers, police officers and fire fighters, mental health housing, and low income home energy assistance.
ing Strategy Task Force, which calls for increasing the supply of housing units by 55,000 over the next 15 years, with 19,000 of those units targeted to low, very low, and extremely low income households. My administration will continuously search for new and creative ways to raise funds for and reduce costs associated with affordable housing production and isustainability. Orange: As a member of the committee on Finance and Revenue I have supported the increase on the deed recordation tax level. On Tuesday May 9, 2006 I cast my vote in support of increasing this tax to increase affordable housing in the District of Columbia, which is vitally necessary. The mayor’s ten-year plan to end homelessness calls for the creation of 6,000 housing units for homeless and at-risk people. Will your administration support this goal? Brown: As usual with these kinds of plans, they’re always a good start and they sound good, but I would like to expand on them. First of all the one thing we have learned is ... what [homeless people] want, are services. When they’re cold, they want to get warm. When they’re hungry, they want to eat. If they need a shower, they need to be able to get one, if they need to get medical services, they need to be able to get those. So I don’t think I would disagree with the number, 6,000 units. You could say 10,000, you could say 20,000, you could say 5,000. I think the issue is making sure the services are available for folks that need them. Cropp: Yes, I support the Homeless No More program and put $10 million in next year’s budget. In addition, I set aside $1.7 million to address youth homelessness. I will advocate locations of housing throughout the District. Fenty: My administration will enthusiastically support a tenyear plan to address our homeless care throughout the city. Cities throughout the country, led by Denver and San Francisco, have shown that creating temporary and permanent housing for our homeless neighbors can actually be a cost-benefit – although indirect. My adminstration will look to follow best practices laid out by these cities as well as the federal government. Housing for the homeless will be created downtown in my administration. Johns: Yes. As a D.C. resident, I have supported the goal of developing permanent housing solutions for our homeless. As Mayor, I will aggressively pursue policies that take this effort further by directing a District-wide effort to address some of the key factors driving homelessness, such as mental health, employment, substance abuse and training.
Fenty: I have been the leading supporter of the Housing Production Trust Fund and maintaining and increasing our affordable housing opportunities throughout the District. I also introduced the Comprehensive Housing Strategy Act of 2003 that established the Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force. That said, I believe that we can achieve the recommendations set out by the task force without raising taxes. By tightening our belt, rooting out waste in government, and identifying inefficiencies, our government will be able to improve the District’s affordable housing stock as we live within our $7.4 billion budget.
Orange: I am in support of the Mayor’s goal to end homelessness. And as Mayor, I will work to foster a public-private partnership to increase housing opportunities for the homeless population in the District of Columbia. I am not in support of the District of Columbia disposing of its land trust. I support the District of Columbia reviewing its current inventory of land and identifying from that particular source property that is eligible to be utilized for affordable housing for our homeless population.
Johns: Yes, the Johns Housing Platform generally supports the recommendations outlined by the Comprehensive Hous-
Compiled by David S. Hammond, Diane Rusignola, Michelle Gaudet and Trish Savage.
Street Sense . May - June 2006
POLITICS
DC Budget Funds More Housing And Homeless Initiatives By Gabrielle Coppola The D.C. City Council recently approved a $5.06 billon local budget for fiscal year 2007, up 5% from the previous year, with new funding directed toward affordable housing and education and the continuation of many initiatives created last year. And when it came to homeless services, the amount of money allocated toward these programs increased to $37.9 million. Funding was also finally approved to support two of the city’s recent initiatives to improve homeless services and end chronic homelessness. Included in these funds is $1.7 million from the increase in the real estate sale and transfer tax, which will go toward shelter beds and educational assistance for homeless youth and emergency family case management. An additional $1 million was also added to the budget to bring new case managers to the Federal City shelter. The Mayor allotted $10 million for his Homeless No More program, but advocates discouraged full funding of the initiative, citing a lack of detail in the plan. The Mayor responded by sending a letter to advocates and council members explaining where the $3 million in new Homeless No More funds would go: $1.5 million in rent subsidies for families transitioning out of shelters, $1 million for case management, and $500,000 for
MENTAL, from p.1 mental illness. Mental disorders are a strong predictor of homelessness because they prevent individuals from carrying out the essential tasks of daily life, according to mental health experts. As the National Coalition noted, mental illness can cause people to neglect self-care, everyday household responsibilities, and relationships. This diminished capacity to cope with life’s responsibilities can create a slippery slope that can end to life on the street. “[Homeless people] start developing symptoms of the mental illness … then they cannot get to work on time, they make mistakes, they cannot concentrate, they get in fights,” said Dr. Robert Keisling, associate medical director of mental health at Unity Health Care Inc., an organization that provides healthcare to D.C. residents whether or not they are able to pay for treatment. “Because of their mood instability, they lose their jobs … then they cannot pay the bills, [and] this precipitates to homelessness.” Whether someone with a mental illness follows the slippery slope to homelessness depends on factors such as the severity of the illness, the individual’s awareness of the prob-
a “Family Assistance Center” that has yet to be created. There is also money in the Department of Human Services’ budget to implement pieces of the Homeless Services Reform Act that was passed last summer, which is supposed to improve oversight and client rights at D.C. shelters. “Homelessness isn’t so much a matter of funding as planning and implementation,” said Ed Lazere, executive director of the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute. “It’s, ‘Are they going to do what they said they were going to do?’” While much of the rest of the budget was unremarkable, with few new programs, the biggest change was in the significant new resources devoted to affordable housing. Mayor Williams relied heavily on the recommendations of his Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force to shape affordable housing in the budget. He raised taxes on the sale and transfer of residential properties from 1.1% to 1.5 % to generate revenue to implement the recom-
mendations, including funds for the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF), which was created in 1989 to finance the construction and renovation of affordable housing in the District. After heated debate, the Council agreed to levy the tax increase on commercial as well as residential properties but lowered the rate to 1.45%. The tax increases will create $88 million in new revenues, $56 million of which will go to affordable housing initiatives. The Council allocated $15 million for the HPTF and $41 million for the housing task force trust fund, which has allotted $7.5 million for emergency assistance for families behind on rent, mortgage or utility bills, $6 million for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and $4 million for mental health housing (this represents the maintenance of existing funding). $5.8 million was set aside for the “New Communities” initiative to convert distressed neighborhoods into mixed-income areas, and another $5 million will go toward rental assistance for moderate-income workers. Another
lem, and the additive effects of other medical problems, according to Keisling. “Most of the patients I see have a pre-existing mental illness, substance abuse or both,” he said. “Some condition exists that contributes them to becoming homeless.” Sasoura Movazeji, director of social services for Unity Healthcare, agreed. “In most of the cases, the person already has an underlying mental illness,” said Movazeji. “In 75% of the cases there is a co-occurring disease or disorder…symptoms are [often] exacerbated after the person becomes homeless.” Many homeless people who struggle with mental illness experienced a life-altering break that precipitated their loss of housing. These life-altering events are stressors that can both induce mental illness and complicate its management. Researchers Dr. Kathleen Brady and Dr. Rajita Sinha observed in The American Journal of Psychiatry that “one of the bridging constructs between psychiatric and substance-use disorders is the role of stress in the development and relapse of … disorders.” Patty Smith, a 52-year-old woman who has experienced homelessness and mental illness, explained her turning point: “[I suffered] depression over the loss of the person
who raised me … I did not know how to cope with that loss and loss of her income.” Only after becoming homeless was Smith diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The experience of Maurice King, a formerly homeless D.C. resident, is similar. King once held various prominent jobs as a technical writer and contractor. He supported his family financially and helped care for his autistic son. However, King was forced to take a major pay cut and then experienced severe marital problems that involved systematic emotional abuse and physical violence. These eventually led to divorce. After the divorce and his subsequent loss of custody of his son, King’s downward spiral into depression ended with him living on the streets. The nature of life on the street often only worsens the stress-related problems homeless people face, said Keisling. “Being homeless is a stressful situation,” he noted. “People have stuff stolen from them, they get robbed, beat up, and raped. [This] does not make the situation any better; it compounds the difficulty of getting treatment and obtaining medications.” But there have been recent efforts to try and provide more than just the rudimentary treatment to homeless people suffering mental illness. In the academic community, research continues about the mental illness-homelessness connection. In the article “Housing First, Consumer Choice, and Harm Reduction for Homeless Individuals with a Dual Diagnosis,” Drs. Sam Tsemberis, Leyla Gulcur and Maria Nakae discuss strategies for housing homeless people with mental illnesses and substanceabuse disorders. Their research suggests that it is better for service providers to provide housing and then address a person’s psychiatric struggles, rather than offer housing contingent upon an individual’s committed participation.
“ No- and low-income community members did pretty well in the budget this year.”
StreetFact Throughout the country, 20% of those experiencing chronic homelessness have some form of severe mental illness.
Soure: U.S. Department of Health and HUMan Services
$250,000 was earmarked to hire a “housing czar” to coordinate affordable housing initiatives in the city and $80,000 to commission a study on links to commercial growth. And in a last-minute change, $7 million was diverted from the fund to pay for 100 new police officers. Critics noted that Mayor Williams should do more to fund implementation of the ambitious recommendations of the housing strategy task force, which advocates a $3 billion increase in funding and 50,000 new affordable housing units by 2015. Still, Martina Gillis, advocacy coordinator for the Fair Budget Coalition, said that the budget sufficiently addressed most of the needs of the city’s low-income residents. “Overall, I think no- and low-income community members did pretty well in the budget this year, but we are disappointed that they diverted $7 million to the police, because a rent supplement is really important for residents who are being squeezed out of the housing market,” Gillis said. On June 6, the council will vote on the Budget Support Act, the legislation that supports the budget, before submitting it to Congress. The budget must receive congressional approval before it can take effect Oct. 1. David S. Hammond contributed to this story.
Patty Smith became homeless after suffering depression that lead to bipolar disorder
Some cities are also addressing the link between mental illness and homelessness, establishing “assertive community treatment teams,” initiatives that employ case managers to do home visits with formerly homeless people who grapple with mental illness. The case managers check to be sure their clients have medication and food and pay rent. King, who is getting treatment but is still homeless, said that his experience navigating services offered for homeless people with mental illness in D.C. involved many hoops and few direct paths. But despite his long struggle, his message is a hopeful one for the thousands of homeless people in D.C. that grapple with similar problems, “Treatment is out there,” he says. George Washington University’s ISCOPES Health Care for the Homeless is a voluntary student community service learning group.
LOCAL NEWS
Street Sense . May - June 2006
Street Politics By David S. Hammond
On the Hill
Saving A Way Out of Poverty The Bill Savings for Working Families Act (H.R. 4751.IH) What Can the Government Do With Extra Workers? This year, the District is increasing spending for emergency homeless aid like shelter and rent support, as well as longer-term efforts like affordable housing. But the chance to earn a paycheck goes beyond the programs that are debated in budget season. A recent discussion in the Street Sense office came back to the government’s role in making that possible – by spending public money to create jobs. Vendor Allen Jones mentioned the jobs created by upgrades to the District’s Blue Plains sewage treatment plant. And, he said, money the federal government is spending in Iraq could go to projects like that here at home. Jones recalled the legendary Pride Inc., an organization Marion Barry helped create in 1967. “You had young men put to work cleaning up the city, and that was a good financial opportunity for them,” Jones said. Vendor Wendell Williams chimed in with praise for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who answered the massive unemployment of the Great Depression by spending money on public works. “That created jobs for people who needed them,” Williams said. “My dad was in the CCC – the Civilian Conservation Corps.” The CCC planted trees, built roads, strung telephone wire, and improved national parks. “If the government had not created those opportunities, a lot of unemployed people would have fallen through the cracks,” he said. In the Washington area, the CCC and similar programs were responsible for Skyline Drive in the Blue Ridge, classic murals in many government buildings, and the Langston Terrace Dwellings on Benning Road in Northeast, a modern public housing project designed and built by African-Americans. “FDR was a saint who saved the working people in this country,” Williams said. And he proposed today’s biggest projects as a chance to do the same. “Are we going to set aside some of those jobs on the new baseball stadium for people who are homeless in this community? They’ve talked about setting jobs aside for D.C. residents but those are high-skill construction jobs,” he said. “It would have more impact if we set the unskilled jobs aside for some of the homeless people looking for work. Every construction site needs people to clean up debris, and those jobs could go to homeless people.” What Can the Government Do With Extra Money? When more money is in play, budget season is just as busy as it is in lean years. Instead of scrambling to avoid cuts, advocates see a chance to do more, and for agencies that help needy people, it goes beyond a wish list: a budget hike can also mean a higher starting point for next year’s budget talks. But there is no guarantee of success for anyone. Deferred necessities like school improvements, and big-ticket investments like the new baseball stadium, move up the agenda. Still, the District finds itself able to do more for human needs. In Montgomery County, Maryland, County Executive Doug Duncan and the County Council have been steadily exploring new programs. New rent support for homeless and vulnerable families kicks in next year, and the County Council is considering new spending on housing placements and health care for homeless families, couples and singles. The tax revenues generated by economic growth and the real estate boom help with front-line efforts like these. But that same growth still leaves too many people behind, and drives housing costs too high for too many. The homeless people we’ve gotten to know at Street Sense support adding to services like emergency shelters. But they also want what everyone wants: to earn their own way. What’s on your mind? E-mail StreetPoliticsDC@aol.com.
Purpose The Savings for Working Families Act (H.R. 4751) was introduced to the House on February 14, 2006 by Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA). If signed into law, this bill will allocate $1.2 billion over 10 years towards the creation of Individual Development Account (IDA) programs that will give lower income families and individuals an incentive to save money to put towards education, homeownership, and small businesses enterprises. Many supporters of IDA’s believe that the accounts will help to stabilize families and communities. Background An IDA is a tax-exempt account into which qualified financial institutions deposit funds that match the savings
We
care.
of an individual or family enrolled in the program dollar for dollar, up to $500 per person per year. Across the country there are around 50,000 IDAs that states and organizations have created to help citizens save money for certain qualified expenses including spending towards a home, a business and education. The $1.2 billion over 10 years that this act would allot to such accounts would make IDA’s available to 900,000 qualified US citizens. Enrolled citizens must be between 18 and 61 years of age, and must have incomes that do not exceed $20,000 for individuals, $30,000 for heads of households, and $40,000 for married couples. The individual holding the account can withdraw funds from the IDA after accumulating the goal amount, and taking an educational finance course. Those financial institutions that offer IDA’s will receive
We
help.
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a tax credit to cover the administrative costs and matching funds. Sponsors Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-Pa.). Co-sponsors Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (RN.Y.), Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.), Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.), Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.), Rep. Phil English (R-Pa.), Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), Rep. Melissa Hart (R-Pa.), Rep. Stephanie T. Jones (D-Ohio), Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (RMich.) Rep. John McHugh (RN.Y.), Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) Status Pending in the Committee on Ways and Means. -- By Jill Merselis
heal.
Quality Primary Care Services for D.C. Medically Underserved and homeless Individuals……
For information on medical services in homeless shelters call 202-255-3469. For an appointment at any of our community health centers call 1-866-388-6489
We want to help. We want to help you.
Street Sense . May - June 2006
NATIONAL NEWS 9
Katrina Evacuees in DC, Nationwide Struggle for Housing By Michael Melia In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many people whose homes were uninhabitable were forced to look outside of the Gulf Coast area for temporary housing. Nearly a year after the hurricane struck, more than 850,000 evacuees living outside of Louisiana and Mississippi are having to make tough choices about housing as contracts for temporary and donated residences expire. In the Washington, D.C. area alone, there are nearly 6,000 evacuees andfor most of them, housing continues to be a major challenge. “We really are at that place where a lot of families find themselves again homeless. The temporary and donated space is drying up,” said Karrie Wilson, executive director of Reston Interfaith, a nonprofit organization working with evacuees in Northern Virginia. “The immediate need is housing. They are staying in motels or donated space and recreating their identities and lives.” And case manager, Joan Wise, said There are 15 to 20 families [we work with] whose free housing ends at the end of May and another five to ten at the end of June.” Initially, the D.C. Armory housed about 300 people and others who made it to the area began to find family members to stay with, hotel and motel vouchers, and temporary federal housing assistance. Now most of the federal funding for hotels has expired and the federal government is looking to fund more long-
term housing solutions. At the end of April, evacuees occupied 820 hotel units around the country, down from a peak of 53,000 last November, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). If evacuees had permanent Section 8 housing before the storm they were allowed to transfer it to the area. There are nearly 1.5 million people nationwide receiving housing and rental assistance through FEMA’s Individuals and Housing program. There have been many complaints, though, that the process has been slow and ineffective. A recent report put out by the White Ho us e s tate d , “The federal government’s capability to provide housing solutions to the displaced Gulf Coast population has proved to be far too slow, bureaucratic, and inefficient.” In addition to FEMA, federal financial assistance for housing for those displaced is available through the Small Business Ad-
ABC and Public Safety
Meets 2nd Wednesday each month Next meeting: June 14 at 7:00 p.m. Kalorama Park Recreation Center Columbia Rd. and Belmont Rd. (concurrent with PSA 303 meeting)
ministration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). More than 700,000 households have received rental assistance under the Individuals and Households Assistance Program and there are 15,000 HUD-assisted or homeless families that are receiving up to 18 months of housing through the Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program, according to FEMA. In the Washington area there are also federal, local, and nongovernmental organizations with programs that provide comprehensive case management. The needs of the evacuees and dislocated families have ranged from immediate concerns like temporary housing, food, and shelter to more long-term comprehensive assistance with permanent affordable housing, child care, access to health care for chronic conditions, and comprehensive case management to help rebuild their lives, according to Stephanie Lewis, head of the Katrina project for Lutheran Social Services in D.C.
“We really are at that place where a lot of families find themselves again homeless. The temporary and donated space is drying up.”
Planning, Zoning, and Transporation
Meets 3rd Wednesday each month Next meeting: June 21 at 7:30 p.m. 3rd District Police Station 17th St and V St. , NW (Snyder Room)
And now that the initial housing solutions are ending, the evacuees must start the process again of finding a place to live and coping with the problems that accompany their unsettled situation. And there is the added burden for of not knowing if or when they will return to the Gulf Coast. Housing and rental prices there have gone up, in some cases by as much as 300%. “Some clients we have were underprivileged to begin with and paid $300 a month rent before the storm. Now the landlord is asking $900. One family had rented their house for $500 a month and it is now $1,300,” Wise said. While organizations helping evacuees in D.C. have numerous other stories to report of Katrina evacuees looking for housing in the Washington area, all of these evacuee families working with these organizations declined interview requests. Those who owned homes or cars that were destroyed continue to pay loans and mortgages for that property while trying to adjust to the cost of living in their new community. “Cost of living has hit them hard,” said Wilson of Reston Interfaith. “Anyone who is homeless because of a natural disaster or other issues in your life faces the same types of decisions and resources.” Months ago, these evacuees needed assistance when the storm first ended. Now they need assistance again as they try to reach a permanent solution that will give them a place to call “home.”
Public Services
Meets 4th Wednsday each month Next meeting: May 24, 6 p.m. Kalorama Park Recreation Center Columbia Rd and Belmont Rd
10 PHOTOS & POETRY
Street Sense . May - June 2006
Thoughtfulness Homeless folks are visible, we see them every day. Because we’re so preoccupied, we look the other way. You may not think we see your face or manufactured smile. So be yourself and keep it real – buy Street Sense for a while. Our paper is informative and interesting too, street politics and poetry, especially for you. I wrote this poem to wake you up, in hopes that you will see, another Street Sense vendor homeless man like me. We strive for independence, we want to pay our way – when you buy a paper; you brighten up our day. Next time you see our vendors selling “Street Sense” on the street, fust take time out to say hello, donate a special treat. Have you forgot Katrina, it touched so many lives. Some children lost their parents – some husbands lost their wives.
This is a view of the canal near the Geo shot of this plant even though it is com
Homelessness awaits us all, the timing is unknown a natural disaster may leave you with no home.
Moose’s
Stop looking down on people and help them when you can. All of us fall short sometimes and need a helping hand. To those who fit this profile, I hope I’ve made you see, if you don’t have a fixed address – you’re homeless just like me. - Alvin Dixon El alvindixonel@yahoo.com The shadowing in this picture is great. It makes the girl on the Circulator bus in the middle of the day look so mysterious.
The Streets Times have changed since I left home I wonder why I find myself so all alone. Trials and tribulations abandon my way – I know that it’s time I must pray.
Vendor Cliff “the been taking dozens last few weeks all His hope is to give spective of the cit beauty and energ
As I walk up the church steps I can hear the choir singing “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me I once was lost but now am found was blind but now I see – ‘Twas grace that set me free.” Now you know skid row Is not a pleasant place to be. There is hustlin’ – money – cars and women And they all run free. Funning and running for your life Is the streets’ decree. Stop, I can hardly breathe! As the sirens pass me by, you see another laid to die at the hands of the gun. That was her only son – A young sixteen-year-old Handcuffed with no friend to trust. Tears streaming down her face – Lord knows I was touched. Down on my knees I fall As I hear the altar call. And I say “Lord, It’s a blessing to be alive. You see today I have known envy and tomorrow there will be no strife. Now to the streets I owe that much, but to God I give my life … .”
This is a view from the top of the Old Post Office at sunset. The sky’s color is so striking against the mammoth monument.
– Don L. Gardner
I took this photo lying down under a sculpture at Hirshorn Gallery garden. It’s
PHOTOS & POETRY 11
Street Sense . May - June 2006
Judge Me
Wear my cross, walk in my boots, bear my burdens, and then judge me. Hold my hand, break bread with me, read my story, and then judge me. Work for my wages, sleep on my box spring, ride my bicycle, and then judge me. Two for Tea Chilly autumn sunrise,
orgetown Mall. I like that I could get a mpletely submerged in the murky water.
a cup of tea to warm four hands…
s Mirror
e Moose” Carle has s of photos over the over Washington. e readers his perty, focusing on the gy in the District.
Pray my prayer, sweat and bleed as I have, laugh when I laugh, and then judge me.
Nearby, Admiral Farragut, stalwart among his cannons, gazes over a sea of grass and concrete.
This is an unusual view of the U.S. Capitol at night. See the dome through the tree? I also like how the moon is so stark.
s great depth of field and I like how the crosses seem to go on forever.
Beneath his gaze, two figures huddle on a park bench, swaddled in layers against the chill.
Die how I die, cry my tears, live my life, and then judge me. Hate what I hate, love what I love, believe as I believe, only God can judge me. -- Dewayne Harrison BrotherDewayne@yahoo.com
She holds ungloved hands around a cylinder of cardboard, grateful for a gift of radiant heat; she passes her gift to him, while she listens. Her companions have wandered off to a sidewalk grate which pours surplus warmth into the morning. She sips through the cup’s lid; he sips from the rim as she reads the pages of his life by dawn’s thin light; as she listens to chronicles of a life lived on grass and concrete beneath the admiral’s steely glare. Blanket shrouded figures amble along adjacent pathways; she sees each one in the clear bright light of his words. Hot tea warms both from within; the companions return from their grate, This is a tower in Georgetown at dusk. I just love the lighting effects and how the sky is peeking through the columns.
oblivious to an autumn moment etched into two lives.
-- David Harris ballpointbeacon@yahoo.com
Street Sense . May - June 2006
12 FOOD and FINANCE Where’s the restaurant review? Due to a last minute emergency vendor Muriel Dixon could not get her review in on time. She went to Mark and Orlando’s, a new restaurant in Dupont Circle, and you will be able to read her eloquent review of this fine establishment next month. Don’t worry the restaurant reviews will continue.
Cook’s Corner
Shrimp Caesar Salad Ingredients • • • • • • • • •
10 medium size shrimp 2 Tbls. oil 1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped 3/4 c. Caesar salad dressing Six cherry tomatoes, halved 1/2 a red onion, thinly sliced 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese 1/4 c. fried onions Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation • • • •
Peel shrimp and cook in a skillet with oil on medium heat for about three minutes. Combine lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, salt and pepper and dressing until vegetables are covered. Toss in cheese. Put salad onto plate and top with fried onions and shrimp. This recipe was created and prepared by Dawn Bowen. Dawn is a student at Community Family Life Services culinary arts training program. These students work at Third and Eats Restaurant and at the U.S. Tax Court cafeteria. Many also work for New Course Catering. New Course caters all events from corporate lunches to weddings to 500-person galas. For more info visit www.newcoursecatering.com or call (202) 347-7035.
Saving for Change
It Pays to Read the Fine Print
Almost everyone wants to save; but when you’re making just enough to live, or maybe not enough, it’s sometimes tough to figure out exactly where to cut corners. In today’s economy, people need to think creatively and be disciplined if they want to stretch a dollar. There are many different ways that you can save money and one of the easiest is to look at the fine print. Financial institutions offer an array of products and services that may seem confusing, but if you inform yourself and know what you’re looking for the selection process becomes a lot easier. Below is a list of points you should be aware of . DID YOU KNOW … Some financial institutions charge you for actually going into the bank? Recommendations: Deposit checks and withdraw money through the bank’s ATM, check your balance online or by phone, set up direct deposit so that your salary goes directly into your bank account. Most financial institutions charge you monthly “maintenance” fees just for having an account with them? Recommendations: Shop around to see if there are any financial institutions offering accounts with no monthly maintenance fees. Many banks new to town offer this feature as a way to initially bring in customers. If they all have fees, pick the account with the lowest fee, which still fits your needs.
Some accounts require a minimum monthly balance and will charge you if your balance goes under that figure? Recommendations: Find out if there are any minimum balances that need to be maintained in your account. If there are any minimum balances, make sure to keep that amount in your account at all times. Better yet, shop around for an account that has no minimum monthly balance requirement. Many banks will waive monthly maintenance fees if you direct deposit your paycheck? Recommendation: Go ahead and set up direct deposit, it can only help you. Some financial institutions only allow a certain amount of checks to be drawn from your account for free and start charging for every extra one? Recommendations: Shop around for the best checking account terms. Plan ahead and figure out about how many checks you will write per month in order to choose an appropriate account. Keep track of the checks that you’ve written, so that you don’t exceed the limit. If you write a bounced check, you will get charged an overdraft fee (usually $30) and will also have to pay the vendor you gave the check to? Recommendations: Create a weekly budget and stick with it. Keep track of the money you spend and write everything
down. If you find yourself getting charged overdraft fees, ask your financial institution about overdraft protection. Financial institutions can charge you for using ATMs, both in and out of their network? Recommendations: Only use ATMs that are in your bank’s network (find out their locations). Look for ATMs that charge a nominal fee (no more than $0.75). You can be charged every time you check your balance at an ATM? Recommendations: Call your financial institution’s phone center to find out your current balance or go online to check. Also, keep good records of your transactions so that you know exactly how much money you are able to use. The best way to save is to put money away automatically? Recommendation: Figure out how much you can afford to save each month and have it automatically transferred from your checking account to a savings account.
The regular financial column is presented by Capital Area Asset Building Corporation (www.caab.org). Send your questions or thoughts on this topic to saving@caab.org and we’ll publish a few of the best.
LITERATURE
Street Sense . May - June 2006
Marvin Hammerman A mystery novel in parts BOOK 3 PART 5
By August Mallory As midafternoon approaches, Marvin Hammerman and Anna Jackson arrive at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis Hotel. They check in and are greeted by the resident manager, who describes all of the various services provided for their needs. They are escorted to their rooms by the bellhop on duty. Their rooms face each other. Hammerman, who stands around 6 feet 1 inch tall, towers over the bellhop’s 5-foot6-inch frame. He gives the bellhop a $7 tip. “Thank you, Sir,” says the bellhop. “You are most welcome, young man,” says Hammerman, who then turns to Anna. “Anna, I will see you downstairs in an hour.” “Sure, Marvin.” Meanwhile, in New York, private eye Russell Jamison is wrapping up a cheater’s case. As he leaves court, his testimony against the person who cheated on his wife is filed on record in the evidence room. “Jamison,” says lead prosecutor Wilton Patrick, “good work. So, what’s next for you?” “Well, Patrick, I am en route to Atlanta.” “ATLANTA!” says Patrick loudly. “Now what in Sam Hill are you going down there for?” “Well, it’s a rather complicated story, but I am meeting with another attorney,” Jamison explains. “Oh, really, anyone I know?” “I don’t know,” Jamison answers. “Does the name Marvin Hammerman ring a bell?” “HAMMERMAN! Are you kidding? That bulldog. His bark is a heck of a lot more vicious than his bite. If he ever gets you on the witness stand, he will rip your behind wide open. Forward, backward, sideways and any other way that he can tear it open,” Patrick says. “I know, I know, I have attended many of his trials. Listen, Patrick, I really have to get going.” “Yeah, sure. Tell Hammerman hello for me, huh?” “You bet.” Jamison rushes to the airport and meets his flight to Atlanta an hour before takeoff. Back in Atlanta, a ghostly figure roams the back alleys of many neighborhoods, searching for victims to assault. The body of Billy Joe Biddle has been transferred to the county coroner’s office for further investigation. At the Marriott, Hammerman gets a call from Russell Jamison. “Marvin Hammerman speaking.” “Hey, Sharpshooter. I just arrived and am en route to your hotel,” Jamison says. “That’s great, Russell. I am in room 1634. Just give me a ring as soon as you arrive.” “Will do, Partner.” Suddenly, there is a knock. It’s Anna at the door. “Marvin, D. Morgan Slater just called me. They have found more information concerning William Biddle. I need to get there to examine what they have.” “Sure, do that, and Jamison and I will meet with you later,” Hammerman replies. As the ghostly figure slips around corners and away from large crowds of people, he manages to go unnoticed by other local homeless men congregating at the Atlanta Union Mission. At the D.Morgan Slater office, Anna is in conference with Patricia Ramsey and looks over all of the new information concerning William Biddle. “Ms. Jackson, I am so happy that you and Mr. Hammerman were able to make it down here to Atlanta. By the way, where is Mr. Hammerman?” asks Patricia. “He will be along later; he is meeting with a private investigator who will be helping with this case.” “A private investigator, oh my. Does he feel that things could get that serious?” “Well, Ms. Ramsey …” Anna begins. “Please, call me Patricia.” “OK, Patricia. We have found that many people who have disappeared like Mr. Biddle have ended up homeless and in a terrible situation. Marvin and I and the private eye we have hired will be working on this thing from now until we wind it down to the last string.” The phone rings. It’s Hammerman. “This is Marvin Hammerman. May I speak with Anna Jackson, please?” Anna takes the phone. “Yes, Marvin?” “Anna, Jamison has just arrived, and we are on our way. Have you found new developments?” “It seems that we are making progress.” “Very good. We should be there shortly.” Next month: Hammerman and Jamison are on the case. The person who murdered Biddle gets drunk and talks too much about his involvement in Biddle’s disappearance.
13
Book REview
The Last Years of MLK Retold The story of Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement has been told before, but the three-volume recounting by Taylor Branch is likely to become the benchmark document of that monumental time in American history. Branch’s final volume of this history, At Canaan’s Edge, America in the King Years 1965-68 (Simon & Schuster 2006), is as masterful as his first two and as sweeping in telling the story of those turbulent times. The first, Parting the Waters, spans the time from the Montgomery bus boycott to John F. Kennedy’s assassination and the second, Pillar of Fire, from the Mississippi Freedom Summer to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. At Canaan’s Edge opens with the historic march from Selma to Montgomery to demand voting rights. It closes with King’s assassination in Memphis. In between is the story of America during those years, including President Lyndon Johnson’s relations with King, which was shifting from support to confrontation. At the same time the president was trying to cope with the worsening ordeal of Vietnam, The 54-mile march from Selma to Montgomery was a story of frustration at first, with the many disagreements within the civil rights movement surfacing over tactics and goals, but in the end, it was a success. Throughout, King’s philosophy prevailed, noted Branch: “King balanced an imperative for equal votes with the original prophetic vision of equal souls before God. He grounded one foot in patriotism, the other in ministry, and both in nonviolence.” And President Johnson was behind this, although reluctantly, at first. Branch points out that he encouraged King to press forward, and to think big. He told King, “There’s not going to be anything, though, doctor, as effective as all of ‘em voting. That’ll get you a message that all the eloquence in the world won’t bring. I think this will be bigger, because it will do things that even the ‘64 [civil rights] act couldn’t do.” The voting rights march went on to be a success, but not without several dramatic setbacks, with King all the while urging his activists to violate a federal court decree against marching. He saw, rightly, that Johnson was behind him and that in the end the courts would be, too. The first attempt to march from Selma was blocked by a court order and King obeyed. But the second try, on March 21, was successful, despite the opposition of Gov. George Wallace and his state troopers. Five months later Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act. Branch does not paint King as an untarnished hero, but as a man with the flaws inherent in all humans. He details King’s extramarital affairs as well as his battles with other civil
At Canaan’s Edge By Taylor Branch
(Simon & Schuster 2006) rights groups that had overall goals similar to King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference, but often differed with King’s pacifistic approach to gain those goals. Branch also goes into details of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover’s wiretapping of King’s telephones and his planting of agents in King’s entourage on the grounds that the civil rights leader was a threat to America. In Memphis, where King was to meet his end, there was a trash collection regulation that the trucks could not stop in residential districts for “shelter stops” in case of rain the residents complained about the black garbage men “picnicking” near their homes. One day, in a heavy rain, four members of a crew of six were able to take cover in the truck’s cab. But the other two were left to find shelter somewhere on the outside of the truck, and crawled too near the loader. In a fluke accident, they were drawn into the compactor and crushed to death. The two became the anonymous cause that brought King to Memphis. There, he rallied in support of the garbage men as well as against the city’s racial practices. A march was set, but a court had ordered it not go forward. Uncharacteristically, King said he would march in defiance of it, if necessary. Rallying the protestors, King in his final speech recalled threats against him, but said, “I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will.” He said he had seen the promised land, adding “I may not get there with you, but I want you to know, tonight, that we as a people will get to the promised land.” A day later, on April 4, 1968, on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, he was shot and killed. Branch tells King’s story, and what King stood for, in epic fashion: the writing is crisp, fact-filled and dramatic. This are destined to be the civil rights leader’s final testament. - Robert Trautman
Decluttering and Custom Carpentry for your Home
202.742.5763 www.tidy-up.com If you mention this ad, 10% of the job goes to Street Sense.
14 PUZZLES
Street Sense . May - June 2006
Cryptogram
Leo’s Planet Puzzler
Solve the message below to discovery a famous, meaningful quote on poverty and homelessness.
Fill in the blank spaces in the grid so that every vertical column, horizontal row and every 3x3 box contains the name of each of the 9 planets in the solar system.
SCC EQH ASGX FASCC FQOX ISE YX
Leo, who has been a vendor since November 2004, proposes next issue to finally start writing again, but will continue with the Su-Du-Ko-like game.
PTGXD; BAXKXUQKX PTGX DQM, BASB
Venus
BAX FXSFQD QU PTGTDP OSE YX
Uranus
Mercury Jupiter
Hint: Y= B
Uranus
If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. -- John F. Kennedy
Mars
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www.CrosswordWeaver.com
Win a Free Street Sense Subscription! Complete two of the three puzzles above and mail this page back to Street Sense
Mail to: Street Sense, 1317 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20005.
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April’s Answer Key
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Wake up South southeast Cat cries Work fussily
DOWN 1 2 3 4 5
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by June 14 and you will be entered into a drawing to win a free subscription.
Name: _____________________________________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________________________ City: ___________________________________ State:_______________ Zip: ___________
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Last Month’s Solution:
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A M P A F O O T R O I L O A E H A N S Q U I T E U S D A A H S C R S I T O T H B U R N M E R E E R E D T Y T U E L G
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FEATURES & EDITORIALS 15
Street Sense . May - June 2006
Vendor on the STreet By Cliff Carle Question of the Month: What is the leading cause of homelessness? Mental illness: those that have not been clinically treated and individuals who have been cast aside. -- Deana An unsympathetic government. -- Steven The loss of jobs and economics. -- Maleha Tough question. I think mental illness has lot to do with it and job situation has a lot to do with it. I also think it’s just hard for people to find their way. -- Jackie Vendor Cliff Carl took to the streets of D.C. with a tape recorder looking for answers.
I think the government has neglected to consider that there are people that need some care and special attention. -- Pete
Unequal distribution of wealth, caused by greed, and in some cases, a lack of compassion. Something also needs to be done. If someone does a fair day’s work, they receive a fair day’s pay, and it should be enough that they can live comfortably and have something left over. -- Laverne A reason for homelessness is a lack of help from others. I would also say ignorance and not knowing how to get started again after losing everything. Let’s see, other causes of homelessness: our President. -- Shannon Mental illness. I think most of the homeless people I see appear to be mentally ill, and are in really public places. Also there is sort of an economic inevitability to the way our economy is set up. In a capitalist system we have low earners and high housing costs, and someone is going to pay the price. -- Rachel A lack of economic security. People fall on hard times and can’t afford to keep what housing they have. They get kicked out and then they can never recover economically to find secure housing. -- Ila
Answer of the Month: The leading cause of homeless throughout the country is “low-paying jobs,” according to the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s 2005 Hunger and Homelessness survey.
Minimum Wage: Common Ground for College Students and the Working Poor By Derek Schlickeisen Being strapped for cash is part of the college experience, particularly for students who receive financial aid. An education at some of the nation’s better private colleges and universities now tops $40,000 a year, putting this dream beyond reach for many without some form of financial assistance. Like many colleges nowadays, Middlebury College, where I go, offers an on–campus employment program as part of its financial aid package to students in need. The typical job available to first-year students, however, pays only $7.50 an hour, or 25 cents above the state of Vermont’s minimum wage. For those looking to offset their tuition by working the average 10 hours per week such a low wage does not even make a dent in the college’s $44,330/year price tag. The result is that many students on financial aid have to watch how they spend every dollar, from pinching on textbooks to looking for cheap weekend entertainment. At private colleges, where many students come from wealthy families and elite prepatory schools, students looking to save as much money as possible may find themselves shut out of campus life. The irony in all of this, of course, is that even the neediest student at Middlebury College has two things
going for him or her: guaranteed meals and housing and a state minimum wage much higher than the national standard. These two facts alone make any complaints about a tight college budget trivial when compared to the plight of America’s working poor. With a federal minimum wage of $5.15/ hour that has seen its purchasing power steadily decline since it was last increased in 1997, more than two million workers nationwide must find a way to get by. Congress is unlikely to support any minimum wage increase in the near future – the most recent effort, mandating a $1 hike to $6.15, failed in late 2005 in a largely party-line vote. The working poor must now look to a living wage movement within the states. Responding to calls for wages that support a family at or above the federal poverty line, 18 states and the District of Columbia have set their own standard and example for the rest of the nation to follow. Washington, D.C.’s own minimum, $7.00/hour, represents the sixth-highest wage nationwide. This localized minimum wage movement is recent. In addition to the District, 11 of the 18 states set their minimum wages above the national average from January 2004. Maryland represents the most recent addition,
with a $6.15 minimum wage barely four months old. Voters in both Nevada and Ohio will consider ballot initiatives this November that could make them 19 and 20. As with many social initiatives, the movement towards supporting a living wage must find its momentum among America’s youth. The common ground among college students and the working poor – that we have shared the experience of working for roughly a minimum wage – can provide young people with the incentive to get involved. If money seems tight at school, where a hot meal and shelter are given, then imagine what life is like outside of the “college bubble.” After taking that perspective, it isn’t so hard for college students to empathize with America’s working poor. Young people in Ohio, Nevada, and across the nation ought to support living wage initiatives and help continue this trend toward socially responsible minimum wage laws. They can look right here in the District of Columbia and Maryland for examples of how better wage benefits can make the difference between making a living and living in poverty. The author is a student at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont.
What our REaders are Saying... Street Sense Editor: I am writing to respond to the article on the front page of your April 15, 2006 edition titled “Homeless People Hired to Evict Tenants.” SOME (So Others Might Eat) has been feeding hungry and homeless people for the past 35 years, as well as providing clothing, medical, dental care and counseling to homeless who come here. SOME’s purpose is to restore hope and dignity to the homeless. And I hope we are doing that in our programs throughout the city that include a job training school for 60 adults, alcohol and drug treatment, and most importantly permanent housing for nearly 300 folks. You note that the trucks pull up in front of SOME to hire people leaving our dining room after they have finished breakfast. They are hired for the day to evict people. However, this is something that we do not cooperate with and in fact we strongly discourage. Recruiters are not allowed on SOME’s property and we have consistently asked the trucks to go elsewhere. Since they recruit on the block in front of SOME, and not on SOME’s property, we have had to ask the police regularly to ask the trucks to leave the block (since they block traffic on the street). The reason we do not cooperate with the recruiters is that it is taking advantage of homeless people. It is hiring homeless people to make other people homeless, particularly families. The wages paid for heavy difficult work are unfair and are illegal. The District of Columbia’s minimum wage is $6.60 an hour. And thankfully DC is seriously considering instituting a living wage that will be more around $11.50 an hour. Thank you for your article that demonstrates the exploitation of the homeless. Fr. John Adams President, So Others Might Eat
Below is a sampling of the more than 200 comments (so far) we have received from ihe First Annual Readers Survey. “The vendor [Muriel Dixon] is courteous and has a positive attitude. She is trying to improve her situation and I am impressed by her effort. There are at least a dozen panhandlers within a six block area, and she is the only one making an effort to rise above her situation.” “Street Sense continues to be a unique and exciting way for people to learn about homelessness, and contribute to solutions to eradicate it.” “Surprisingly well-written.” “Conrad [Cheek, a vendor,] is such an inspiration. He’s bright, friendly and a dynamo.” “Street Sense is a great program. I admire the concept and respect the product.” “Street Sense is a great publication, offering important news that is not covered in the mainstream media. I would gladly support businesses that advertise in the paper.” “I think this paper is a worthwhile cause that provides a sense of accomplishment to those who otherwise may feel as though they have neither a voice nor an impact.” “The vendors are doing an excellent job. [Phillip Howard] is friendly and professional.” “I think Street Sense is great! It’s a way for the broader community to learn about homelessness in the District while contributing to constructive support of the homeless (i.e. I feel a lot better about buying a newspaper than handing someone money).”
16 EDITORIALS
On the Road By August Mallory
Birmingham: The Historical Link
As I begin this story from Birmingham, Ala., I must explain why I focus on issues in the Deep South, where homelessness and poverty rank the highest in the nation. As one gentleman once explained to me, it’s the Jim Crow attitude that is still there, only it is institutionalized now. It is early Saturday afternoon and as I make my way to the Jimmie Hale Mission, in downtown Birmingham, I see many homeless men sitting around outside, waiting to check in. So I decided to wait with them, and I have a good conversation with a few of them. I was expecting to hear quite a few rude and arrogant remarks, but believe it or not, these men were quite polite and friendly. But many expressed their anger and frustration at the system that was supposed to assist them but only drove them deeper into the rut they were already in. And it is this matter of red tape and bureaucratic behavior by the city and the federal government, in the Deep South, that triggers the hostile grudge against the system and toward each other. As dinnertime rolls around, I listen to some of the men talk about how they are harassed by the local police, who do body searches. One man was telling how he was just standing talking to two other men and a patrol car pulls up on him and the officer gets out and demands ID because he was wearing military-type fatigues. The officer wanted to find out if he was AWOL. I don’t know where that officer had been the last several years, but the military no longer uses the phrase absent without leave. You are now considered an UA – an unauthorized absentee. Police departments take note of this. Update your information! However, moving on, after dinner we prepared to bed down for the night, and after the lights were out, it is still chatter, chatter, chatter, until a staff person orders us all to keep it quiet. Finally, silence. The next morning is Sunday, and I am very anxious to see the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. I make my way to Kelly Ingram Park, and I spot the church. For those who are not familiar with the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, this is the church that was bombed by the Kux Klux Klan on Sunday, September 15, 1963. Four young girls died in the bombing. As I was speaking with an older gentleman there, he gave me the details. He saw the whole incident. I end my conversation with this man, and he directs me back downtown, to the corner of 19th Avenue North. There was a reason to go there. On May 14, 1961, civil rights freedom riders were en route from Washington to New Orleans to protest against court ruling that decreed that segregated public transportation was not unconstitutional, it was O.K. They were met by the Ku Klux Klan and mobbed, beaten and kicked savagely while the Birmingham police just stood by and watched. As I am reading a memorial plaque on the site, a woman shouts out and says, “I remember that!” I nearly jump out of my skin, and as I turn to face her, I ask, “do you remember this.” She says that she was 19 years old when it happened, and she was proud of all the students. They stood their ground well. She goes over all the details of that day in 1963. I just take a deep breath and silently thank those students for their courage. And I thank that lady for her information, and make my way to the Brother Bryan Mission to chat with people there. But en route I meet another homeless gentleman who told me more of the horrifying events that took place in the 1960s in Birmingham. I am thinking today that despite the laws that were passed during those days and after, why haven’t conditions for the homeless improved? I guess it still goes back to institutionalized Jim Crow. To bury the racist past of Birmingham and places elsewhere will take much work. For America to become a whole nation will take much work. For America to care for its poor and homeless will take even more work. American says it is a caring nation, and if this is true, then let’s show it. August has been selling Street Sense since it first appeared in November 2003, and he now serves on the board of directors. Please e-mail August Mallory comments at carriergroup2009@yahho.com, and please tune into the More Betterman Show on WOL-AM 1450 to listen to August on “Voices from the Corner.”
Street Sense . May - June 2006
through a vendor’s eyes By Donald Brooks
M is for Mother
As another Mother’s Day descends upon us, I reflect on the term “Mother” and how it is used to express different concepts. To express power we use the term “Mother Nature”; to express largeness in great amount we might mention “the mother lode”; to show our displeasure with an individual we may use the profane expression “Mother******.” I have used the term mother to mean the individual who birthed me and reared me to be the caring, loving, respectful, and knowledgeable human being I have grown to be. I remember watching mothers such as mine who worked two or even three jobs to make ends meet. Mothers who took jobs that their own children would not accept. Mothers who found time to attend their children’s sports activities, plays, recitals, and other after-school activities. I even watch mothers go into homeless shelters, just to make sure their children have somewhere to stay. Mother’s Day also reminds me of some of my mother’s favorite sayings such as, “If you make your bed hard, then you have to lie in it,” and “You reap what you sow,” and “Education is one key to freedom that you can get with a little effort.” I have six sisters, and I watched my mother instill her values – humanity, motherhood, and most importantly, her love - in her children. My mother also showed all of us discipline – the type of discipline which is greatly needed and should be exercised today. But due to the advice of Dr. Spock and others, parents started trying to be friends to their children, instead of parents. My mother showed love but also reminded us who was providing the food, shelter, and clothing, and paying the utility bills – and who had primary responsibility for us (sorry fathers – but that’s another column – maybe next month). So with those responsibilities comes the authority to make decisions without input from her charges who are reaping the benefits. The term mother is used to describe the highest level of respect, such as Rosa
Parks (Mother of Boycotts), Mother Teresa (Mother of Human Rights), and Coretta Scott King (Mother of Civil Rights). As we glance around the world we see women in dual roles as mothers who are ruling countries, such as Queen Elizabeth (a mother and queen) and Indira Gandhi (prime minister of India). But the title of mother will always supersede any other title. It gives access to places and individuals who otherwise would be unreachable. Among humans as among animals, the mother is the one who is usually responsible for launching the young into life. Mothers teach their charges how to walk, talk, eat, love, hate, feel, and maybe most of all, how to survive. Mothers’ influence can influence how their charges treat others – and themselves. I used to tell my sisters and other women that, with males with whom they might start a relationship, they should watch how he treats his mother or sisters. That shows how you will be treated by that person. So as another Mother’s Day comes and goes, I would like to say Happy Mother’s Day, and appreciate the ones who still possess one, condolences to those who have lost theirs. I encourage others to adopt a cause and express some of the motherly love and guidance and discipline to those under your care. The term mother belongs to the women wearing hand-me-downs, and to the women wearing Brooks Brothers attire. It belongs to the woman who lives in a mansion, a house, a shelter, and even on the street. Remember – MOTHER stands for May Others Treat Her Ever Respectful! And as my main man Isaac Hayes would say, “That mother is a bad mother! (Shut your mouth!)” which was his way of saying – that mother is a GOOD one! Thanks, Mom!
The title of mother will always supersede any other title. It gives access to places and individuals who otherwise would be unreachable.
Donald is a longtime vendor for Street Sense, and a can often be found near Metro Center. If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail him at DLBrooks54@ hotmail.com.
EDITORIALS 17
Street Sense . May - June 2006
RULES, from p.1
MAURICE SPEAKS
Sound of Silence
As I have mentioned in my monthly column, I have written a novel that I am currently trying to publish. I have been sending it out to agents and publishers. So far, the responses have been mostly, “It doesn’t sound right for us.” The reason? I can only assume it’s the same reason that most people give when dealing with the topic of homelessness: the It-Can’t-Happento-Me-So-Leave-Me-Alone Syndrome. The novel tells the story of a middleclass man from the suburbs who finds himself on the streets of the inner city, fighting to rebuild his life in an uphill battle with the realities of homelessness. (Am I talking about myself?) While most people would like to believe it can’t happen to them, the novel makes it quite clear that it could easily happen to far too many people now living in relative comfort and security. The publishers and agents are very much like the people who pass by on the streets and do not know how to react to the sight of homeless people. It’s just easier to pass by without taking further notice. Not all the agents and publishers have passed over me, I must mention.
At least one person showed enough daring to tell me in plain, simple language that, although he admired my attitude, he felt that for the most part, people had an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality about homelessness. As long as they keep turning away, the problem will not exist, at least for them. That seems to be true about the vast majority of the population. If homelessness does not affect the people themselves, they show little or no interest in dealing with the problem. We have seen the same sort of mentality here in the District of Columbia. While on the one hand, the Homeless Services Reform Act has brought a new era of dealing with homelessness to the District, the current administration also has stated clearly that homelessness is not a priority. Clearly, homelessness is not a topic that would give politicians a lot of pleasure, because it points out the system’s failings. However, ignoring the problem does not make it go away. As the person who expressed his opinion to me said, maybe it would be better if more people could get more verbal and start a movement to get “in the faces of ignorants.” I did not write a novel to start a movement, but the initial reactions have made me wonder if the book would meet with the same sort of reaction as a homeless person on the street. Would a reader glance at it and pass by without looking further just because the story was about a homeless guy? Whatever the case may be, the novel is written and I will be seeking to have it published regardless. If that means that I’ll be initiating some sort of movement
as a result of having it published, so be it. It was not my intention, but I’m not above doing it if it gives some attention to the plight of the homeless people in the United States. As the novel tells it, it’s no fun to be homeless. The list of broken promises, betrayals and disappointments seems endless to a person who hopes to rebuild a shattered life. Rebuilding a life is an uphill struggle. Too often, the case managers and others who are supposed to help assume that any person who has ended up homeless is too stupid to know what is needed to rebuild his or her life. So, these people turn a deaf ear to any pleas or protests the homeless person may make. The result is quite often less than productive. The homeless person loses big time. Maybe we need a movement, but my concern is just to have a novel published. Another book that has been published that I have not yet read, but have been told that very effectively captures the essence of the homeless experience is Another Bullshit Night in Suck City: A Memoir. It’s by the poet Nick Flynn, published by W. W. Norton and Company, and tells the story of Flynn’s homeless father on the streets of Boston. Perhaps if more books of this genre make it into print, public awareness will increase enough to generate positive results. It’s something to hope for at least. Maurice King has been writing editorials for Street Sense since January 2004, If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail him at benadam@cyberdude.com.
CONVERSATIONS By Phil Stead
www.philipstead.com
circumstances. Third, the laws that protect every citizen of these great United States are quite often denied us because of who we are. In addition, since we are homeless we are considered mindless but what we are truly is the most misrepresented, misunderstood and misplaced in society. This being an editorial and not a documentary forces me to consolidate issues that once again we sisters are struggling to deal with at the shelters at John Young and in the D.C. General Hospital cafeteria (now called Harriet Tubman). Upon entering the shelter system for the first time every client -- as we are called -- must sign and receive a copy of the rules and regulations for that facility. However, these rules, which are constructed to regulate the clients’ behavior and activity, are abused by the majority of the staff, not the clients. When one of us sisters questions or complains about this, we are threatened with the loss of our bed by not being allowed back into the shelter. Or we are removed physically from the property with the assistance of the District’s protective police and or by being unwilling committed into the mental evaluation center. In mid-May the newest program administrator for these shelters and the fifth of such type of title since my arrival in February 2004, held a meeting with the clients of Harriet Tubman, and asked we sisters what our needs and wants were for this shelter. Once again, we vocalized the same matters: the enforcement of the rules and the services that CCS “claims” to provide for us. Whether this new kid on the block will have the heart as her predecessor Louis Vasquez, whom was not able to get CCS to deliver, or she will follow in the troglodyte tradition as George Jones, Stephen Prue and Elaine Bennet is yet to be determined. Though, if what she said at the meeting is any indication, I believe we sisters are in for some more troubled times. The discussion on hygiene is always the forerunner of these meeting with the emphasis on struggle between those of us who keep ourselves clean and those of us who do not. Although there are sanitary and health issues for all of us, not everyone wants to comply. The stench that can permeate those that refuse to care for themselves can overpower the entire shelter. The rules do not mandate removal in any capacity of their funk. What the rules do state is that the bed which is assigned to you should remain the same provided you comply with the nightly check in process that begins at 7:00 p.m. This tiny mattress is our only foundation. Now the new kid says we sisters have to change beds every two weeks. This is unnecessary and cruel treatment as it forces us who bath regularly, maintain our own linens and are drug and alcohol free to sleep on someone else’s stink infested and sometimes torn mattress. Not to mention that two-thirds of us will have to tow our linens around on the day they select to play “musical” beds, as we are not permitted to leave any personal property behind. Further discussion on beds by the new kid also contradicts other rules, which totally escapes my understanding of the need for a bed at a shelter. So, for we sisters, again our environment is controlled not by they set public shelter rules but by personal opinion. Our only recourse to being persecuted for standing and speaking out about our situation is to go through the chain of command and since the one in charge of our newest nightmare is also the one who plans to create it, it’s a tricky situation. Though the one to contact next is Rick Lyles at the Department of Human Services, and that has, thankfully been effective. The voice mail messages I have left at his office over other circumstances have met with a better understanding and enforcement of we sisters rights and needs under CCS. Hopefully, his phone will not have to ring over this. Brenda, who dearly loves dogs, has been a vendor for Street Sense for more than a year and often sells new Farragut North.
Comings and Goings Street Sense . May - June 2006
18 COMMUNITY PAGE
Question of the Month How do you choose which nonprofit you make donations to each year, usually in December? Many have a favorite cause which has gotten its message of good works out to the public. Some pick charities based on some personal connection -- a parent who died from Alzheimer’s or a friend with breast cancer. Still others choose to contribute to a nonprofit organization because a friend asked them. Maybe you feel loyal to a particular institution, like your college. Street Sense would like to know how and why you pick the nonprofits to contribute to. How do you judge a charity’s effectiveness? Do you check out the charity’s finances? Do its brochures impress you or does it take a personal contact to persuade you? Let us know what you think by going to www.streetsense.org and clicking on the “Question of the Month” link.
Saving Renters’ Rights
Street Sense in Baltimore
Vendor Notes Brenda Wilson, the Street Sense vendor of a year-and-a-half who used to have a dog named Rowdy, has started a part-time job. Now, three days a week, she does basic chores and cooking for an elderly couple in northern Virginia. While she enjoys her new job, she is still selling Street Sense on occasion. She is also desperate for a room to call her own. And she said she “would do any legal labor in exchange for a room.” Brenda is a great organizers and cleaner and loves animals, especially dogs. Vendor and poet DeWayne Harrison has found a long-term job through a temporary agency. He now works in the parking lot at a bank in Silver Spring, and is looking sharp in his new suit and tie. He also recently got a room of his own in Southeast D.C. Street Sense is proud that DeWayne has made such a turnaround and is also happy that he is still committed to selling Street Sense when he can. As DeWayne said, “I will never forget those that helped me out when I was truly down.”
At the beginning of May TENAC, the tenants’ rights association in D.C., held a protest in Freedom Plaza to try and protect rent control and tenants’ rights in the city. Despite its efforts the council the biggest overall of rent control in two decades, including the elimination of the rent ceilings. TENAC will be addressing these changes as well as other tenant and affordable housing issues at its mayoral candidates forum on May 17th at 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Charles Sumner Museum School at 1201 17th Street, NW.
Vendor Tom Taylor [in plaid coat] recently joined volunteer Dan Andersen [in blue shirt] in downtown Baltimore to spread the news about Street Sense coming to Baltimore. Frank Bonner [identify] and Downtown Shorty [identify] were among the people who checked out the paper. Dan works with Project Jumpstart (www.umbprojectjumpstart.org), a student-run project at the University of Maryland, Baltimore that helps homeless people get back on their feet. If you’re interested in signing up in Baltimore as a Street Sense vendor, writer, or volunteer, call Dan Andersen at 410-962-0207, or at 410-706-1735. You can e-mail Dan at dananderse@epi. umaryland.edu, and at info@umbprojectjumpstart.org. You can also call Street Sense in D.C. at (202) 347-2006.
If you were wondering what happened to Jim Chisholm, the super-polite vendor with a briefcase who used to sell at 18th and K streets, NW, there is less positive news. After being put on a long list of medications for his liver. Jim became rather sick and could not sell papers. However, he reports that he is feeling better, has not forgotten about Street Sense and hopes to back soon. Veteran vendor and Eastern Market fixture Conrad Cheek Jr. will celebrate his birthday the day this paper comes out, May 15. And while he will not reveal his age, with all the creativity he displays when sellling the paper, he has the energy of a 22-year-old. Though, we suspect he is a little older than that.
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Happy Birthday Conrad!
And we are happy to report that the number of vendors continues to climb as we now have 50 active vendors. Our most recent addition is Kevin Garnes El.
Correction: The last edition of Vendor Notes incorrectly said why Christine Moore, the former program manager of the Dinner Program for Homeless Women, left. She resigned and was not forced to leave. The same paragraph should have said that Kari Kirwin will continue to help homeless people in other cities, not Christine. This was due to an editing error.
Street Sense . May - June 2006
Community Service Index SHELTERS
SOUP KITCHENS
Calvary Women’s Services 928 5th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 783-6651
10th Street Baptist Church 1000 R Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-232-1685
Central Union Mission (Men) 1350 R Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 745-7118
Charlie’s Place 1830 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-3066
CCNV 425 Mitch Snyder Place, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 393-1909
Church of the Pilgrims 2201 P Street, NW Washington, DC 20037 (202) 387-6612
Community of Hope (Family) 1413 Girard Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-7356
Dinner Program for Homeless Women 945 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 737-9311
Dorothy Day Catholic Worker (Family) 503 Rock Creek Church Road, NW Washington, DC 20010 (202) 882-9649
Eofula-Spanish Senior Center 1842 Calvert Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 483-5800
Franklin School (Men) 13th and K streets, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 638-7424
McKenna’s Wagon 2114 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 328-6608
Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men) 810 5th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 842-1731
Miriam’s Kitchen 2401 Virginia Ave, NW Washington, DC 20037 (202) 452-8926
House of Imagene Shelter 214 P Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 518-8488
So Others Might Eat (SOME) 71 “O” Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 797-8806
House of Ruth: Madison Emergency Shelter (Women) 651 10th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 547-2600
Washington City Church of the Brethren 337 North Carolina Ave, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 547-5924
SERVICE PROVIDERS & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES 19
Food and Friends 219 Riggs Road, NE Washington, DC 20011 (202) 269-2277 The Welcome Table Church of the Epiphany 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 (202) 347-2635 MEDICAL RESOURCES
John Young Center (Women) 117 D Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 639-8469 La Casa Bilingual Shelter (Men) 1436 Irving Street, NW Washington, DC 20010 (202) 673-3592 N Street Village (Women) 1333 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 (202) 939-2060 New Endeavors by Women 611 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 682-5825 New York Ave Shelter (Men) 1355-57 New York Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 832-2359 Open Door Shelter (Women) 425 Mitch Snyder Place, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 639-8093
Zacchaeus Community Kitchen (“9:30 Club”) 10th and G Streets, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 393-9144 EMERGENCY FOOD Bread for the City 1525 Seventh Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 265-2400 AND 1640 Good Hope Road, SE Washington, DC 20020 (202) 561-8587 Covenant House of Washington 3400 Martin Luther Ave., SE Washington, DC 20032 (202) 610-9630 Father McKenna Center 19 Eye Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 842-1112
Christ House 1717 Columbia Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 328-1100 Community of Hope 2250 Champlain Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-9022 Unity Health Care, Inc. 3020 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 745-4300 Whitman-Walker Clinic 1407 S Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 797-3500 OUTREACH CENTERS Bethany Women’s Center 1333 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 (202) 939-2060 Georgetown Ministry Center 1041 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20007 (202) 338-8301 Martha’s Table 2114 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 328-6608 Rachel’s Women’s Center 1222 11th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 682-1005 Sasha Bruce Youth Work 741 8th Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 675-9340 Friendship House 619 D Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 675-9050
Catholic Charities Homeless Services of Washington, DC 924 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 772-4300 Catholic Charities Emergency Center 1438 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 526-4100 Coalition for the Homeless 1234 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005 (202) 347-8870 Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness 801 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 543-5298 Downtown Services Center 945 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 393-5400 Catholic Charities NE Community Services 1438 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 526-4100 Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 347-0511 Hermano Pedro Center 1501 Park Road, NW Washington, DC 20010 (202) 332-2874 JHP, Inc. (Jobs and Housing) 1526 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 544-5300 Jubilee Jobs 1640 Columbia Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 667-8970 Samaritan Ministry (job training & support services) 1345 U Street, SE Washington, DC 20020 AND 1516 Hamilton Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 202-889-7702
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Travelers Aid Union Station (train level) 50 Mass. Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 371-1937
Byte Back (computer training) 815 Monroe Street, NE Washington, DC 20017 (202) 529-3395
Virginia Williams Family Resource Center 25 M Street, SW Washington, DC 20024 (202) 724-3932
Capital Area Food Bank 645 Taylor Street, NE Washington, DC 20017 (202) 526-5344 x223
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 328-5500
VENDOR PROFILE
PHOTO FINISH
Secure Enough By Linda Wang
Don L. Gardner
Don, 48, was born and raised in Washington D.C. along with three brothers and one sister. He said of his childhood, “My mother reared us and gave us everything possible to be successful in today’s society.” Don attended Largo Senior High School and the University of the District of Columbia. He then transferred to Miami Dade Junior College in Miami, Fla., where he majored in elementary education but never got his degree. Don has had a variety of jobs, including working for the YWCA, substitute teaching and working for a FEMA project in D.C. He also plays the drums and sings and has been in several groups in the South Florida and Washington D.C. areas. He moved back to Washington D.C. in 1997 to be closer to his family. How did you become homeless? I was recently released from federal prison, on April 17, 2006, with three years incarceration for bank fraud. I am presently homeless and living at the Gospel Rescue Mission in the Washington D.C. area. Why do you sell Street Sense? Being an advocate and activist for the homeless, low-income and the downtrodden, God has given me a passion, heart and desire, to serve those in need and to educate and inform the public on our present situation and conditions.
In an attempt to display some type of security, a homeless man in downtown D.C. “locks” a cart full of all his posessions to a parking meter with a cloth scarf.
StreetFact Approximately 2,400 veterans in Washington, D.C. were homeless in 2005. And nationally there were nearly 195,000 homeless veterans last year. Soure: National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
May-June 2006 • Volume 3 • Issue 7
Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Mail To:
Interested in a subscription? Go to page 18 for more information.
What advice would you give someone who is homeless? Put God first in all that they do, learn to love God with their whole hearts, souls and minds and love their neighbors as themselves (Matthew 22:37-40). Therefore God will never leave nor forsake thee, as you continue to do everything you do with his love. In my own experience, I would like to thank Dr. Ruth E. Crockett (Mother Ruth) and the Outreach of Excitement church for giving me a door to walk through for my spiritual and physical deliverance. I would also like to give a special thanks to the men, women, and children of the Metropolitan AME Church and to the Reverend Ronald E. Braxton, especially the Mighty Men of Metropolitan for their God-given vision—Reclamation ministry—which helps ex-offenders in all areas of their lives when reentering society. 7-Christ was also a tremendous inspiration. Where do you see yourself in five years? With Almighty God’s guidance and direction, I see myself serving in the ministry, helping the homeless and ex-offenders reconnect their lives, and being a mentor and inspiration to the youth. I hope to accomplish this with a successful Christian clothing line and several books of published poetry. Favorite Music? I love all music that has a message, both instrumentally and vocally, but my preference is gospel and jazz. Favorite Food? Anything my mama cooks. Favorite Movie? “The Passion of the Christ.”
Don reminds customers to only buy from badged vendors and not to give to those panhandling with one paper.
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