06 01 2007

Gilbert Arenas and other celebrities shoot Hoops for the Homeless, page 4

$1.00

Suggested Donation

June 1-14, 2007 - Volume 4, Issue 12

www.streetsense.org

STREET VOICES

Looming Crisis: Senior Housing

By Brandon Lichtinger

See

Senior, page 5

By David Pirtle

T

DANIEL JOHNSON

It’s 9:30 a.m. on the Friday before Memorial Day, and John Monte is busy ladling homemade mushroom soup for diners at the Dinner Program for Homeless Women, or as the serves casually call it, “The 9:30 Club.”

Monte, 68, has worked as a cook for most of his adult life and has worked in this kitchen for eight months. He is also homeless, and is staying with one of his sons until he can find affordable housing in the D.C. area.

“It’s difficult,” Monte said. “We can’t pay [D.C. rent], especially on a fixed income. The rent is too high.”

Monte’s younger brother, George Eskridge, volunteers at the Lutheran Church when he is needed there. Eskridge, 58, has worked in construction, retail, and the food industry in the past. He is also homeless. He takes temporary work when he can get it, and mostly works construction and janitorial jobs.

“The cost of living keeps going up, while our salary is not,” Eskridge

said. “If you’re not a professional, with a professional career and a job, you can’t make it.”

“Terrifying,” is how Eskridge describes being homeless and facing his 60s in the District. And Eskridge is not alone in his fears.

With the cost of housing increasing much faster than the minimum wage and Social Security income, and with two of the District’s largest elder care facilities slated to close, many senior citizens – both homeless and housed – are worried about future housing.

One diner over 60, who wished to remain anonymous, said getting housing in D.C. as an elderly homeless person is extremely difficult.

“A majority of people directly associated with certain programs like Section 8 have problems,” he said.

“The list is either backed up or the housing is unaffordable.”

Section 8 is one of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s housing assistance voucher programs for low-income

Heat Doesn’t Have to Kill Homeless

John Monte, 68, prepares a meal at First Trinity Lutheran Church as an assistant chef for the Dinner Program for Homeless Women. Monte, like a majority of homeless elderly, struggles to find affordable housing in the D.C. area.

Metro Gigs Leave Street Artists Playing the Blues

By Jennifer Jett Starting this month, District commuters will be treated to live performances at select Metrorail stations as part of the MetroPerforms! program. But some longtime street performers who play for tips believe the new program will cut into their finances.

More than 100 local performers auditioned last month before a panel of judges from Metro’s Art in

Transit and the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

“We had a very broad cross-section of genres, ages,” said Michael McBride, program manager for Art in Transit. “There was a gentleman there and he played, I think it was like six instruments at once. He was a one-man band.”

The one-year pilot program will cover Metrorail station entrances in the District of Columbia. Other local arts councils are planning to

expand the program into Maryland and Virginia as well.

Performances begin in mid-June and run through October, beginning again during the holiday season. Performers receive a stipend and are not allowed to ask Metro customers for money.

“We’re looking for a lot of variables,” said Lisa Richards, arts program coordinator for the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. “Technique, ability to

draw a crowd, presence – those are the three main things.”

But some musicians are concerned that official Metro performers will push out long-time street performers who are not part of the program, and that the stipend policy restricts earning opportunities.

“If I go to work and there’s somebody playing in my spot, what can I do?” said Carlton Duane Moxley,

See

Artists, page 4

he Franklin School is the only men’s shelter in the downtown corridor. It is also the last thing Corbin Newcomb III saw before dying during D.C.’s worst heat wave of 2006. The District ruled Corbin’s death a result of his liver disease, but I was there. I lay 20 feet away as he begged for relief from the oppressive heat, eventually pulling off all of his clothing before expiring in his bunk.

Unlike the majority of shelters in D.C., Franklin had no air conditioning last summer, and the city has made no move to fix this problem as this summer rapidly approaches.

If you were to ask District officials why, they would tell you that Franklin’s electrical work doesn’t allow for the type of power consumption that would be required to cool a building of that size.

However, Rich Bradley and Chet Grey from the Downtown D.C. Business Improvement District have offered to help the city work around this problem, at least until decent wiring can be installed at the facility. They are willing to work with the District to install a generator, hooked directly into the power grid that could be utilized to power portable air conditioners or chillers.

The BID has organized many events that required similar measures to be taken, and they would be happy to lend their expertise to the city.

Of course, this would only be a temporary solution. If we are indeed going to keep the Franklin School open as a shelter, we need to com-

Project2:newsletter

5/29/07

See

10:14 PM

Page 1

Free Gift

$15 value

Prison Tracks music CD

Heat page 4

Over an hour of music made in prison by outstanding inmate guitarists Dennis Sobin and Steve Andrew. Receive this free gift with your purchase of $10 or more at the following two locations that feature original prison art, prison art prints, sterling silver justice jewelry, handcuff key chains, famous mug shot playing cards, prison art clothing, and much more.

Prison Art Gallery 1600 K Street NW, Suite 501 Washington, DC Open every day until 5:30 PM 202-393-1511

Outdoor Prison Art Exhibit Corner of K Street and Connecticut Ave NW Washington, DC 202-393-1511 Mon-Fri 11am to 6pm

Art for Justice is published monthly in conjunction with Street Sense.

Sponsored by Prison Art Gallery with support from Art Appreciation Foundation June 2007

LOCAL

EDITORIAL

Thousands of District residents have avoided eviction through new program, page 5

Vendor Leo Gnawa says the way to solve racism is to fight hate and bigotry. page 13

VOLUNTEER PROFILE

POLITICS

NEW FEATURE →

John Gates has been tutoring Mekdes Abiy at Good Shepherd Ministries, page 3

Planning isn’t enough to solve the nation’s mental healthcare problems, page 6

A new monthly insert featuring art from prisoners from around the country (insert).

Inside This Issue Tutor Adds to Success

Rental Program Rescues

Mental Health Dilemma

A Moment by Cannon Hubbard

Snake River Correctional Institution, Oregon Soft pastel on canvas, 11x14 (Suggested donation $400)

Who Should be Accountable?

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

Please add $10 shipping and handling for each order.

All major credit cards accepted. Thank you for viewing and purchasing this beautiful art in support of our program of prisoner rehabilitation and reentry and victim assistance. Your tax deductible donations are greatly appreciated.

Art For Justice ISAAC HAYES by Paul Miller Iona Maximun Facility, Michigan Colored pencil on paper, 18x11, (Suggested donation:$80)

THE VOGAGE HOME by Richard Hasselburg, Prairie Correctional Facility, Minnesota Oil on canvas, 24X36 inches (Suggested donation: $500)

HEARTBREAK HOTEL by Samuel L. Harris, Estelle Prison, Texas Colored pencil and oil pastal pencil on artboard, 15x20 inches (Suggested donation: $75)

HEARTBREAK HOTEL by Samuel L. Harris, Estelle Prison, Texas Colored pencil and oil pastal pencil on artboard, 15x20 inches (Suggested donation: $75)

TOO LITTLE TOO LATE by Russ Luncs ford, Clarinda Correctional Facility, Iowa Pen and pencil on 70 lb paper, 18x24 (Suggested donation: $800 framed)

Street Sense . June 1-14, 2007

ALL ABOUT US

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 Robert Egger Ted Henson Barbara Kagan David Pike John Snellgrove Michael Stoops Francine Triplett David Walker Kathy Whelpley

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Laura Thompson Osuri VENDOR MANAGER Jesse Smith Jr. EDITOR IN CHIEF Charles D. Jackson ASSOCIATE EDITOR David S. Hammond (volunteer) ADVERTISING MANAGER Lawless Watson INTERN Daniel Johnson VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Jake Ashford, Tommy Bennett, Mia Boyd, Karen Brooks, Cliff Carle, Rick Dahnke, Daniel Flowers, Darcy Gallucio, Geneieve Gill, Michelle Gaudet, Jake Geissinger, Joanne Goodwin, Annie Hill, Joann Jackson, Jennifer Jett, Mary Lynn Jones, Jo Knight, Karin Lee, Brandon Lichtinger, August Mallory, Rita Marjandaro, John Mayberry, Mandy McAnally, Jill Merselis, Kent Mitchell, Leo Gnawa, Mike O’Neill, Swinitha Osuri, Michael Patterson, Jen Pearl, Patrice Philippe, David Pike, David Pirtle, Sarah Schoolcraft, Jennifer Singleton, Katie Smith, Eric Sheptock, Francine Triplett, Linda Wang, Michelle Williams, Marian Wiseman, Corrine Yu VENDORS Willie Alexander, Michael Anderson, Jake Ashford, Tommy Bennett, Corey Bridges, Bobby Buggs, Cliff Carle, Alice Carter, Conrad Cheek Jr., Elena Cirpaci, Anthony Crawford, Louise Davenport, Yllama Davenport, Richardo Dickerson, Allan Dixon, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Michael Douglas, Leo Gnawa, David Harris, John Harrison, Donald Henry, Patricia Henry, Michael Higgs, Phillip Howard, Patricia Jefferson, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson, Lee Mayse, Jennifer McLaughlin, Rodney Morris, Charles Nelson, Moyo Onibuje, Therese Onyemenon, Kevin Robinson, Dennis Rutledge, Gerald Smith, Patty Smith, Matesha Thompson, Francine Triplett, Amia Walker, Martin Walker, Lawless Watson, Wendell Williams, Ivory Wilson

We are proud members of:

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

Our Editorial Policy

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

North American Street Newspaper Association

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

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

greatly expanded its circulation and vendor network.

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

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

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

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

May 15 - 31 Donors Susan Marie Branting Robin Goracke Neighborhood Works Ranjeev Purohit Bernie and Becky Thompson Lorena White

Thank You!

International Network of Street Papers

Street Sense Vendor Code of Conduct 1.

Street Sense will be distributed for a voluntary donation of $1. I agree not to ask for more than a dollar or solicit donations for Street Sense by any other means.

2.

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

3.

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

4.

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

5.

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

6.

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

7.

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

8.

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.

9.

I understand that my badge is the property of Street Sense and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing the papers and display my badge when selling papers.

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

WANNA HELP?

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact Laura Thompson Osuri at 202-347-2006.

If you are interested in becoming a vendor, contact Jesse Smith Jr. at the same number or come to a vendor training session on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2 p.m. at our office.

(1317 G Street, NW - near Metro Center.)

OUR NEW VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION Wednesday, June 5, at 6 p.m. at our office (1317 G Street, NW - near Metro Center.)

Street Sense . June 1-14, 2007

PROFILE

VOLUNTEER Profile

Tutor Adds to After-School Center’s Supportive Community

By Michelle Williams

mICHELLE williams

What do a girl’s parents in Columbia Heights, a volunteer tutor living in Arlington, Va., and Good Shepherd Ministries have in common?

They all want the best for this child.

John Gates, the volunteer, has been tutoring at Good Shepherd’s After School Center (ASC) every week for the last five school years.

“The students, parents, myself, and the Good Shepherd staff – it’s a team,” he said. “The goal is to have the student learn better, and from what I can see, we’re meeting that goal.

Not only myself, but other tutors as well.”

Gates, retired from the field of computer management, learned about the program several years ago through a friend. For the past two years, he has been tutoring Mekdes Abiy, the daughter of Ethiopian immigrants. He recalled having met her parents, who left a good impression on him. Gates mentioned the importance of cultural integration for children of recently immigrated families.

“It’s a matter of helping them not only with their studies, but also with cultural activities.

“She’s a delightful student to work with,” Gates said. “She’s very intelligent, has a great personality, and can discuss a lot of things,” Gates said.

Mekdes, a bright-eyed 12-year-old Redskins fan with an infectious grin, appreciates the time spent with her tutor.

“Sometimes my parents don’t understand the homework,” she said. “He’s really patient…he never gets frustrated, he just explains again.”

Mekdes Abiy has been tutored by John Gates for two years at the After School Center.

Mekdes has been involved with Good Shepherd since she was 4. She said she especially enjoys the field trips, swimming during summer camp, and tutor-student dinners.

In the third grade, Mekdes transferred from a public school to a parochial school one, St. Anne’s Academy. Despite the heavier homework load, she loves it. She also has very long days, going directly to the ASC after school most days and staying until nearly 7 p.m.

Good Shepherd was founded in 1985. It gives priority to the low-income families living in Jubilee Housing in Adams Morgan. It also works with families in Columbia Heights and Mt. Pleasant. Besides the ASC, its other programs are the Primary Plus Center, the Teen Learning

Center and the Parent Advocacy Center.

“We offer a safe, fun, nurturing afterschool program for families,” said Suzanne Rivet, ASC program director. Rivet stressed the ASC approach of partnering with parents to support their children’s academic progress and personal development. This often leads to support in locating “best match schools,” not necessarily private, that best meet the needs of each child.

“All kids and families need a community of support gathered around them to help,” Rivet said. Some families, however, lack all of the support they need for various reasons. Good Shepherd recognizes the efforts of parents and helps bridge the gap between parents and schools.

Joe Harris III, executive director of Good Shepherd, emphasized its role in the local community.

“One of the richest legacies of Good Shepherd has been the commitment and loyalty to the children, parents, and the community,” he said.

The small numbers of children in each program allow the long-term relationships that Good Shepherd seeks to cultivate with families, as well as with teachers.

“Quality is hard to measure,” Gates said. “If you’ve got 20 students and you’re making a substantial difference in their lives, then you’re doing something worthwhile.’’

Such individual attention is possible through the help that volunteers offer the small staff. In a city where people come and go, Gates’ steady commitment is a rare blessing.

“I’ve seen substantial improvements,” said

MORE ABOUT GOOD SHEPHERD ·• Founded more than 20 years ago to help inner-city children.

•· More than 200 long-term volunteers provide a stable network for 130 children in three after-school centers that span pre-kindergarten to 12th grade •· 100% of program’s 12th graders graduated from high school last year and are now attending college.

•· Provides daily homework help; character and life-skills development; educational advocacy to place and support children in “best match” public charter, private, or parochial schools.

•· Offers weekly community service options during the critical hours between 3 and 8 p.m.

• Builds long-term structure and support to move children out of the cycle of poverty and poor education.

•· To donate or volunteer, call 202-4835816.

Gates of Mekdes. “There’s a satisfaction of having accomplished what we set out to do.”

Rivet’s vision extends beyond individual accomplishments.

“Here, families of different races, religions, and languages come together,” she said. “How do we capture that strength for the benefit of the whole community?”

Donate to Street Sense I will donate:

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.

___ $50 for two vendor awards each month ___ $70 for one restaurant review ___ $100 for postage each month ___ $200 for the vests of 15 new vendors ___ $500 for monthly rent and insurance ___ $1,200 for the printing of one issue ___ Another amount of $_______ ___ Another amount of $_______ for vendor: _______________

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

You can also donate online at www.streetsense.org Additional items that Street Sense needs: * Bottled water to hand out to vendors

* Laptop computers with at least Windows 2000

* Office chairs

and 10 GB of storage space

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

LOCAL NEWS

Street Sense . June 1-14, 2007

IN BRIEF

Arenas Puts Star-Studded Face on Homelessness

Camp Gives Kids a Break Central Union Mission is accepting registration for Camp Bennett, a summer program developed to give underprivileged inner city youth a break from the city streets and a reprieve to the country.

Located on 220 scenic acres in beautiful Brookeville, Md., Camp Bennett serves as a residential summer camp for financially underprivileged, elementary school-aged children from all over the Washington, D.C., area. Young people are offered the chance to get away from the pressures of the city and given an opportunity to enjoy swimming, paddle boating, nature trails, a petting zoo, arts and crafts, a new gymnasium, playgrounds and more.

Jacqueline Brown and her older sister Alethea Franklin can trace much of who they are today back to their experiences as children at Camp Bennett.

“We came from a low-income home, but Central Union Mission made us feel that we were somehow more than that,’’ Franklin said. “They helped you see that you could be more than you were. Camp gave me that exposure; it gave me some direction.’’

“Having been there, I know how much it can mean to those single moms with no way to provide camps or gifts for their children,’’ Brown said.

Camp Bennett was founded in 1934 when the Women’s Guild of Central Union Mission funded the mission’s purchase of a local farm that would serve as a summer camp for inner-city children. Every summer for seven fun-filled weeks counselors and scores of volunteers lead hundreds of elementary school-aged children through life-changing Bible programs.

The cost for the camp is $10. For information on enrollment or to partner with or volunteer at Camp Bennett, call 301-774-4420 or email campbennett@ missiondc.org. To sponsor a child, contact Tajuanna Patterson at 202-745-7118, ext. 235, or by email tpatterson@missiondc.org.

Chamber of Commerce Seeks Businesses to Hire Youths

Hoops for the Homeless Who: Magic Johnson, Gilbert Arenas and other celebrities.

When: Saturday, June 9, 2007 Where: Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets: $5, Children under 12 free Benefits: Community Ministry of Montgomery County, Hannah House, Reston Interfaith, Securing Emergency Resources Through Volunteer Service, So Others Might Eat (SOME), United Communities Against Poverty

all families to be able to overcome hardship and get back on their feet and into a home, much like my father did for me. Freddie Mac’s Hoops for the Homeless is a wonderful event, and I look forward to doing my part to help end homelessness.”

Proceeds benefit organizations that serve the homeless families in the D.C. metro area. Last year, the event raised more than $900,000. According to a study conducted last year, more than 12,000 individuals are homeless in the D.C. area and nearly half of those are families.

“With community support throughout our region, Freddie Mac’s Hoops for the Homeless has helped more families become self-sufficient and find homes of their own. However, with children making up a quarter of the area’s homeless population, there is always more to do,” said Ralph F. Boyd, executive vice president, community relations for Freddie Mac. “The addition of the Washington Wizards and Gilbert Arenas to our team puts a local face on a local problem, and we’re delighted to welcome them aboard.”

For more information on Arenas’ foundation, visit www.gilsarena.com.

Artists, from page 1 51. “There’s a cop right there. He’s playing in my spot. Can’t do anything about it for that day. You have to go somewhere else.”

Moxley, who has played jazz and popular music on the flute, saxophone and keyboard at various locations around the city for 22 years, said street performers assumed they would receive primary consideration.

“We thought this was what we’d been waiting for,” he said.

“They left us hanging.”

McBride said that the MetroPerforms! program does not represent a change in Metro policy.

“The position that we’re taking is to provide as much music as possible in the system, as many performances as possible in the system,” he said. “In terms of ‘kicking people out,’ quote-unquote, Metro will take its normal position of abiding by the rules that govern system use. If a performer is in an area that impedes easy access to and from the stations, then of course they should be expected to be escorted away or asked to leave.”

Auditions took place over two days and drew a wide variety of performances.

“Right now I’m not working, actually,” said Richard Harvey, also known as Snoop Luv, who attended the auditions.

“One of the jobs I’ve always wanted to be is a singer. So this would be the perfect opportunity for me to get recognition Carlton Moxley, 51, has been playing around the city for 22 years.

He said street performers assumed they would get primary considerand some more singing experience.”

Gordon Richmond had the judges in stitches with his ation for the MetroPerforms! program. comedy routine about how people react to his cerebral palsy. Using a keypad and electronic speaking device, Rich“So, anyways, after that guy pushed the button, I just did mond described what happened as he was waiting for an what I usually do in that situation: I roll over to the button, elevator one day. push it again and then say, ‘Your turn.’”

“A couple moments later this guy comes up and asks, ‘Are Washington follows other major cities like New York that you going up?’ Another frickin’ genius. And before I can say have had success with similar programs. anything, he pushes the same up button that I pushed just “I think it’s something that Washington has been waiting five seconds ago,” Richmond said. “Not only that, he pushes for, based on the response we’ve received from a lot of the it a couple of times in a row. I don’t get that. Did he think performers that have come,” Richards said. “This allows us because he’s not in a wheelchair the elevator will get there to let loose and enjoy our commutes more, and puts smiles faster? on faces.”

JENNIFER JETT

The D.C. Chamber of Commerce is making a pitch to business owners to employ youths this summer.

The Chamber recently sent emails to its members, nonmembers and nonprofits asking them to participate in the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) that will provide 400 area students (ages 17 - 21) with summer jobs, giving them the essential job skills and experience they’ll need to succeed in the future.

The Chamber will match motivated student employees with employers for a six-week internship program.

Businesses unable to offer a job can become a corporate sponsor. Donations will go to support internships at community-based organizations that have meaningful work but not the financial resources to support their own interns.

The program runs from June 25 to Aug. 3. Participants will work at least 30 hours per week and receive a minimum wage of $6.15 per hour through the District Department of Employment Services. Companies may pay the entire stipend ($6.15 per hour or higher), or may make a $1,300 tax-deductible donation to sponsor a young person’s employment in a non-profit organization Youths will be prescreened by the Chamber and Department of Employment Services and participate in pre-employment training, and their skills will be matched to a company’s needs. Job coaches will work with employers on day-to-day issues.

To participate, employers can download SYEP forms from the Chamber’s website, www.dcchamber.org, under resources.

For more information, contact Will Oler, SYEP program manager, at 202-638-6733.

Gilbert Arenas

Washington Wizards all-star Gilbert Arenas, who has experienced homelessness “first-hand,’’ will join Earvin “Magic’’ Johnson to tip off this year’s Freddie Mac’s Hoops for the Homeless charity tournament, Saturday, June 9, at the Verizon Center.

This three-on-three tournament is a daylong, family-friendly event that features round robin play with about 50 area teams. To play in the tournament, each team must raise at least $1,000, and on game day each is assigned a celebrity coach – such as Magic Johnson, members of the Washington Wizards, Washington Redskins, and other prominent figures.

Arenas has pledged to help raise both public awareness of the problem of homelessness and the dollars needed to solve it.

In addition, he will donate $200 for each 3-pointer he scores in the last home games of the regular season and all home games in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

“Homelessness is a first-hand experience for me and my personal experiences are what have driven me to establish the Zero 2 Hero Foundation,” Arenas said. “I want children to grow up safe and healthy, and I want

Street Sense . June 1-14, 2007

LOCAL NEWS

Emergency Rental Program Rescuing Thousands

By Kent Mitchell

“The amount of money we would pay for someone to avoid being evicted is far less than shelter or hotel cost, and it keeps them in their home environment,” said Sharon Cooper-DeLoatch, an administrator with the Department of Human Services Income Maintenance Division. “It is best to keep children in areas where their schools are and where they have other ties to the community.”

Denise Capaci, director of adult and family services for Catholic Charities, says many beneficiaries fall into a housing emergency after months of trying to balance food, rent, utilities, child care and other services and are desperate for help.

“Many come to us and say ‘I don’t want this to happen again and I want to keep my family safe and in one place as long as I can’” she says.

ERAP funds are available to help pay for three things: back rent that is at least 30 days overdue (including late fines and court fees for eviction proceedings), security or damage deposits and first month’s rent. The money goes directly to landlords, courts and others.

For overdue rent, up to five months and $4,250 (and in some special instances $6,000) may be provided. For security deposits and first month’s rent, up to $900 is available.

The District has a new way to fight homelessness. It’s the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), which provides funding to prevent evictions and to pay for a security deposit and first month’s rent.

Started in December, the program has already processed more than 1,900 applications and has provided more than $2.3 million to help District residents facing a housing emergency.

The program, which also requires beneficiaries to enter case management so they can get long-term assistance, evolved out of the District’s 10-year plan to end homelessness.

The District’s plan had noted the lack of resources for prevention.

“This ERAP program was a way to embody what was in the 10-year plan on prevention,” says Chapman Todd, director of homeless services for Catholic Community Services, one of the program’s administering organizations.

“It is great to have a significant resource toward prevention instead of just programs focused on helping people after they have become homeless.”

Rental and other services are perceived to be not only cost-effective, but also a benefit to families.

Eligibility is based on proof of District residency, income levels and the presence of either a child under the age of 19, an adult over the age of 59 or a person with a disability. Applicants must show proof of a housing emergency and that payment will help solve the emergency.

In addition to Catholic Community Services, the program is administered by three other District nonprofit organizations, including the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness, Housing Counseling Services and the Salvation Army.

Both Marian Siegel, executive director of Housing Counseling Services and Capaci noted the high demand they’ve seen since the program began.

“We’ve been amazed at how many families are living on the edge,” Capaci said. “We have distributed over $800,000 and that speaks volumes.”

The nonprofit organizations not only process applications but are also primarily responsible for outreach through housing and health fairs, fliers and other means. One challenge is that many of the households who could benefit from the program have never received public assistance.

Housing Counseling Services is taking extra steps to reach out to non-English speaking

audiences while Catholic Community Services, which has 28 sites across the District, often goes to where clients are to get them enrolled in the program.

Although the program is just getting off the ground, some are already advocating for its expansion.

Angie Rodgers, a policy analyst with the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute said in recent public testimony to the city that the program should be funded at $20 million (currently it is $7.5 million), eligibility should be expanded to include singles and couples without children, and eligible uses of assistance should include the costs of mortgages and utilities.

She says housing and income data shows that half of the District’s rent-burdened residents are single and without children.

“We understand there are limited resources, but it would be a mistake to continue to overlook half the people who could benefit,” Rodgers said.

For more information, contact Catholic Community Services, 202-574-3442; Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness, 202-479-2845, ext. 103; Housing Counseling Services, 202-667-7006; or the Salvation Army, 202-332-5000 or 202561-2000.

Senior, from page 1

DANIEL JOHNSON

families and individuals. Under Section 8, tenants pay a portion of their rent, typically around 30% of their income, and the local housing authority covers the remainder.

HUD determines a cap on housing costs, called the “Free Market Rate” or FMR. For D.C., the FMR for a one-bedroom apartment is $1,134. In order to afford this rental price, a D.C. resident would have to make an annual income of $45,360; at D.C.’s minimum wage of $7, a full-time employee would only make $14,560 yearly.

“I’m just trying to get a boost any way that I can,” Eskridge said. “I’m just working for minimum wage, and if you don’t have a professional career, you can’t do it. And companies are subcontracting their own employment, but if you don’t have references, you can’t get it. You have to know somebody to [get work].”

Monte receives Supplemental Security Income of $603 each month, the amount established for individuals in D.C. “An affordable one-bedroom apartment for me would be $400 [per month],” Monte said. “At least that way there’s some leeway so I can feed myself. If I get a place to stay, I can maintain it.

In a way, the older population can take care of themselves, at least the ones that [are physically able]. But those that can’t take care of themselves, they should be taken care of.”

However, D.C.’s assisted living population faces increasing difficulty in getting that care.

For many of the area’s elderly who can’t take care of themselves, a potential housing crisis looms on the horizon, as two of the area’s 20 assisted living homes are scheduled to close in the near future.

Citing a decrease in Medicaid funding, nine weeks ago, the Beverly Living Center in NW announced its plans to close. As recently as April, the assisted living home had

Kevin Holloway, manager and head chef of the Dinner Program for Homeless Women, and John Monte, assistant chef, prepare a meal at “The 9:30 Club.”

335 patients; now those patients are looking for housing alternatives. Grant Park Care Center, another area assisted living home, announced its discharge model plan last Friday.

While the center has not specified whether it will permanently close its doors, there’s a definite possibility that its 280 patients will be seeking housing in the near future.

Unfortunately, few viable options exist in the D.C. area. The city’s full-care facilities are currently running at 98% capacity, and Beverly Living Center residents have been forced to move to nursing homes in Maryland and Virginia. Available spaces in those states are also filling up. As more and more former D.C.

residents take up beds in the states’ 32 nursing homes, care centers are starting to create waiting lists for patients.

Assisted-living patients also have to reapply for Medicaid when they move out of the District, which proves to be a huge roadblock for many. Patients cannot move until they get Medicaid coverage, and D.C. nursing homes could close before patients successfully maneuver past all of the red tape.

“It’s a logistical nightmare,” said Gerald Kasunic, an ombudsman for the Office of D.C. Long Term Care Program. “My worst fear would be that places start closing their doors and leave no place for patients to go.”

Kasunic, sponsored and supported by the Legal Counsel for the Elderly, AARP, and the D.C. Office on Aging, said that if places closed their doors, many of the city’s elderly would be in need of full-time care on the streets.

“Housing providers need to understand that elderly and disabled people need low income housing,” Kasunic said.

For Monte and Eskridge, the need for cheaper housing in the D.C. area remains.

“I’m just trying to make it to Social Security and retirement, living day by day,” Eskridge said. “Housing is my biggest worry. That’s it.

Don’t ever get to my age and think you’re going to make it without some kind of help,”

Street Sense . June 1-14, 2007

6 POLITICS

Street Politics By David S. Hammond

Park Benches: Still Part of America’s Mental Health System When you see a bus shelter crammed with bags of clothing and a shopping cart, or someone sleeping on a park bench, you’re seeing part of America’s mental health care system. That’s because for some people who are not sick enough to be hospitalized, parks and homeless shelters are the living spaces of last resort. In D.C., the Department of Mental Health helps thousands of people a year with rent support, and thousands more with referrals to private outpatient care. But as elsewhere, some people simply fall through the cracks and miss their chance to find better arrangements.

That’s where “discharge planning” comes in; psychiatric facilities, prisons, foster care systems and hospitals nationwide are trying to better prepare their residents for independent living.

Last month, the District committed itself to making a fresh start on at least part of this problem, when it settled a U.S. Department of Justice investigation of conditions at St. Elizabeths, the city’s troubled public mental hospital (a separate lawsuit brought by University Legal Services and covering many of the same concerns is still active). The DOJ settlement calls for better patient assessment, treatment planning and benchmarks for progress. It also calls for renewed discharge planning, including the resources patients need outside St. Elizabeths, and stronger follow-up.

But D.C. has been down this road before. Last year a city task force concluded that between 10% and 20% of D.C.’s shelter residents come directly out of public institutions, and the task force called for system-wide monitoring and planning to combat this. But outreach workers and experts say that when there are no other options, D.C.’s shelters still become halfway houses for people with severe mental illness.

It isn’t supposed to be this way. For half a century, America has been trying not to warehouse the mentally ill in hospitals. But that drive has not been supported by the creation of enough alternatives like supportive housing, or effective ways to get people into what is available. In some ways, we’re still waiting for Part Two of this humane and sensible reform.

This problem has been half a century in the making, and that long history makes it harder for any one party to step forward and solve it. And in D.C., the issue goes on the long list of problems needing fixing – which already ranges from fire hydrants to the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and beyond.

At St. Es and elsewhere, the Fenty administration inherits a system that needs both to be untangled and rethought from the ground up. We may never know why the District agreed to the settlement – to save money, hassle or time, or simply to do the right thing. But a spokesperson at the Department of Mental Health told Street Sense that the department will take the settlement’s benchmarks as a clear guide for discharge planning.

Whatever steps the city takes in the coming year will be welcome. But even the best discharge planning in the world won’t keep people off the street if there aren’t enough other places to go.

“You’ll See It in Street Sense” One local shelter resident recently said “if you need to know what’s happening, you’ll see it in Street Sense.” We like knowing our homeless readers feel wellserved by our work. And they aren’t the only important Washingtonians who feel that way. Radio host Kojo Nnamdi gave Street Sense a shout out on the May 18th “D.C. Politics Hour” on WAMU-FM for breaking the news about D.C.’s planned day-laborer center at the Home Depot in Northeast in our May 15th issue. Street Sense asked D.C.’s mayoral candidates about a day labor center last year, and we appreciate the recognition of our continuing coverage. Nnamdi added that “if you pick up a copy of Street Sense, it’s a dollar well spent.” That’s absolutely right – your dollars help our vendors earn both dignity and spending power.

Thank you!

Send your feedback to streetpoliticsdc@aol.com.

On the Hill

Reducing Hunger Title: Hunger-Free Communities Act of 2007 Background: At the 1996 World Food Summit, the United States, along with 185 other countries, pledged to reduce the number of undernourished people by half by 2015.

As a result of that pledge, the Department of Health and Human Services adopted the Healthy People 2010 goal to cut food insecurity in half by 2010, and in doing so, reduce hunger in the United States.

National nutrition programs are among the fastest, most direct ways to efficiently and effectively prevent hunger, reduce food insecurity and improve nutrition among the populations targeted by a program. In 2001, food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens and emergency shelters helped to feed more than 23 million low-income people. Community-based organizations and charities help play an important role in preventing and reducing hunger.

Purpose: Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), introduced the bill in the Senate on April 19 as a means to reduce hunger in the United States. A similar bill has been introduced in the House.

The bill would allow the Secretary of Agriculture to offer grants in an effort to reduce hunger in the United States to a level 2% or below by 2010 and reduce food insecurity in the United States to 6% or lower by 2010.

The bill requires that the Secretary of Agriculture study major matters relating to the problem of hunger in the United States and develop recommendations on reducing domestic hunger. The bill would allow the Secretary of Agriculture to provide three types of grants to public food service providers or nonprofit organizations, including emergency feeding organizations who meet required criteria.

The first type of grant is the HungerFree Communities Collaborative Grant for distributing food, providing community outreach or improving access to food, and establishing programs to prevent, monitor and treat individuals, especially children, who are experiencing hunger or poor nutrition.

The second type of grant is the Hunger-Free Communities Training and Technical Assistance Grant for constructing, expanding or repairing a facility or equipment to support hunger relief agencies.

This type of grant could also go to an organization that assists in obtaining locally produced produce or to an emergency feeding organization that processes and serves wild game.

The third type of grant is the HungerFree Communities Training and Technical Assistance Grant for national or regional training and technical assistance that works to achieve domestic hunger goals and hunger-free community goals.

Status: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Cosponsors: Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-N.M.) Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-N.M.) Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (R-N.J.) Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.) Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) Sen. John D. Rockefeller, IV (D-W.Va.) Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) Sen. Russell D. Feingold (D-Wis.) Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.)

Sen. Blanche L. Lincoln (D-Ark.) Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) Sen. Gordon H. Smith (R-Ore.)

– Swinitha Osuri

Advocates Praise Affordable Housing Bill Housing advocates, who have been pushing for years for a dedicated source of funding for affordable housing, scored a major victory May 22 when the House of Representatives approved a new, dedicated source of revenue for a National Housing Trust Fund.

The House passed the Federal Housing Financial Reform Act by a vote of 313-104. The bill would reserve approximately $600 million a year as a dedicated source of funding for a future National Housing Trust Fund.

The National Housing Trust Fund Campaign is advocating for a fund that would support the production, rehabilitation and preservation of 1.5 million rental homes over 10 years, at least 75% of which would be affordable to extremely low income families.

Sheila Crowley, president of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said, “Finally, a solution to the housing crisis is in sight for many elderly and disabled people on fixed incomes and low wage workers who cannot afford to rent a decent home in today’s market.”

Street Sense . June 1-14, 2007

NATIONAL NEWS

in other news By Mandy McAnally California: Hospital Adopts New Rules on Discharges Officials with the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles say they are adopting new guidelines and providing more staff training on how to discharge homeless patients. The move follows the city attorney’s request to change such protocols to avoid homeless patient “dumping.” Kaiser Permanente, the country’s largest insurance provider, has announced similar policy changes (AP/News8Austin, 5/19).

nating against a client. An ACLU attorney said a female client was allegedly turned away from the shelter after she told them she was a lesbian.

The attorney said he believed discrimination is prevalent among shelters in the area. All government-funded shelters, which include the one named in the lawsuit, must comply with a non-discrimination policy (Chicago Public Radio, 5/21).

California: Camping a Fire Hazard for Community

Nevada: Developer Designing Portable Shelters

Homeless people residing in the hillsides of Ventura County this summer could be endangering themselves and surrounding communities. Fire officials say weather patterns have left the vegetation extremely dry this season and one cigarette or spark could cause a brush fire. A recent homeless count showed that there are more than 1,900 homeless people in Ventura County. The Sheriff’s Department said no forced relocations are planned for those living on the hillsides (Neeham, Thousand Oaks Acorn, 5/17).

A Las Vegas developer is working with city officials to transform large shipping containers into emergency shelters for the homeless. The shelters are designed so they can be deployed to disaster areas around the world using cargo ships, trains and helicopters.

When the containers are finished they will have windows, doors, a kitchen area, bathroom, running water and other household amenities. The city’s mayor said he thinks these shelters could be used to help with the city’s 10-year plan to end homelessness (Young, WMGT, 5/19).

Florida: Advocates Protest Clearing Encampment Advocates in Gainesville are protesting a plan to clear a 100-acre homeless encampment in the city. They say the plan could lead to the eviction of 80 to 150 people from the property, which is comprised of public and private land. Gainesville officials say the plan is intended to address public health issues and safety concerns (Adelson, Gainesville Sun, 5/19).

Illinois: ACLU Sues Shelter for Discrimination The Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against a Chicago homeless for discrimi-

New York: Professor Withdraws from Homeless Count The Columbia University professor involved in New York City’s project to count the homeless has withdrawn from the project, saying its methods will not produce an accurate figure. City officials estimate that homeless numbers have declined 15% since 2005.

The professor says that city officials were “arbitrarily adjusting” figures “based on an assumption that turns a scientifically based method into a nonscientific one.” The Department of Homeless Services disagreed, saying that the

Act Addresses School Transportation

By Michael Patterson According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, an estimated 1.35 million children in the United States will find themselves homeless over the course of a year. In a national survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, only about 87% of homeless youth are enrolled in school, and only about 77% attend school on a regular basis. While these numbers seem lower than they should be, there is current legislation that is trying to increase them.

In 2002, President George W. Bush signed the “No Child Left Behind Act,” which was part of a reauthorization of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which detailed regulations and provisions for homeless children’s education. It outlines ways to overcome barriers that can prevent homeless children from receiving an education.

One of the major problems with education for homeless children is transportation. Distance, cost and lack of a vehicle can all impact whether a child will make it to and from school.

Because of transportation’s importance, the McKinney-Vento Act specifically addresses provisions to ensure reliable transportation and cost coverage to homeless children.

The local educational agency liaisons are responsible for processes concerning enrollment and are required to provide transportation and other services to a child for the school selected by the parent or guardian.

Sarah Slautterback, a staff specialist for homeless education at the Massachusetts Department of Education, said that “transportation has been key to returning and maintaining enrollment in schools,” She also stated that “these services are very expensive; the state of Massachusetts spent $4.3 million on transportation in the ’05-’06 school year.”

The McKinney-Vento Act requires each state education agency to “ensure that each child of a homeless individual and each homeless youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education.”

By providing transportation, the reauthorized act serves to provide equal access to education. The act and the No Child Left Behind Act are in place to prevent any and every child from being deprived of an education. Even though close to 1/4 of the homeless children in America still do not attend school on a regular basis, there have been successful steps taken to promote enrollment and attendance since the implementation of these acts.

Reprinted from Spare Change in Boston.

Foundry

United Methodist Church

A Reconciling Congregation

Invites you to join us in worship on Sundays at 9:30 and 11:00 AM Sign Interpretation at 11:00 Homeless Outreach Hospitality Fridays 9 AM

Foundry United Methodist Church

1500 16th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 332-4010 www.foundryumc.org

city has “to keep with what our standards are in applying the same methodology year after year” (Chan, New York Times, 5/22).

Ohio: Advocates Voice Concerns about Hate Crimes Recent attacks on homeless people in Cleveland are raising concerns they might be the target of hate crimes. There have been six attacks on homeless people and one murder reported in recent months. City police deny any documented trend of hate crimes against the homeless and indicated that any people out on the street could be subject to such acts (AP/Beacon Journal, 5/23).

Tennessee: City Awards $250,000 for Drop-In Shelter Chattanooga is providing $250,000 to build a drop-in homeless center, respite care facility and 24-hour shelter in the city. Mayor Ron Littlefield said a transfer and training facility has been proposed and the Chattanooga Housing Authority has been asked to move forward with $600,000 in Federal HOME funds to develop supportive housing for the homeless. The Chattanooga Homebuilders Association also offered to build at no cost a new facility for the Interfaith Homeless Network (The Chattanoogan, 5/22).

Nevada: $20 Million Requested for Housing, Services Homeless advocates and the mayors of some of the state’s largest cities are urging legislators to pass a bill that would provide $20 million for transitional housing and services for the homeless, including mental health and substance abuse treatment. Nevada has 16,000 homeless people (KREN27 News, 5/25).

LOCAL NEWS RETROSPECTIVE

Street Sense . June 1-14, 2007

Lessons from a Candidate Who Sought to End Poverty Part I

“I cannot enjoy the comforts of home, and the freedom of work and recreation which I have earned, while I know there are millions of others around me suffering for lack of common necessities.”

By Michael Stoops

N

early 40 years ago in 1968, this country lost a great American who had a profound impact forwarding social justice in the United States: Upton Sinclair. He first came to national attention with the 1906 book “The Jungle,” which exposed unsafe practices of the meatpacking industry in Chicago.

Not as well known were Upton Sinclair’s efforts to be elected as a senator and governor of California.

As a socialist, he ran for a senate seat in California in 1922 and received 50,323 votes.

He ran for governor in 1930 and got 50,480 votes. He described that as progress.

In 1934, he switched parties and became a Democrat. He carried the Democratic primary with 436,000 votes, winning by a margin of some 25,000 votes.

In the general election, Sinclair received twice the number of votes of any previous Democratic candidate for governor up to that point. The final vote was Frank Merriam, 1,138,620; Sinclair, 879,537.

He died in 1968.

Unlike modern day candidates – with the possible exception of former senator and current presidential candidate John Edwards – he ran on the platform of ending poverty in California.

Similar to today’s visible homelessness, poverty and unemployment were at their peak during the early years of the Great Depression. Sinclair sought political office to stop the growth of poverty in one of the most difficult times in American history.

Sinclair once said: “I cannot enjoy the comforts of home and the freedom of work and recreation which I have earned, while I know there are millions of others around me suffering for lack of common necessities.

“Here are thousands of people wandering homeless, and thousands of homes which no one is allowed to occupy. Here are a million people who want to work and are not allowed to work.

“I say, positively and without qualification, we can end poverty in California. I know exactly how to do it, and if you elect me governor, with a legislature to support me, I will put the job through—and I won’t take more than one or two or four years.

“I say that there is no excuse for poverty in a civilized and wealthy State like ours. I say that we can and should see to it that all men and women of our State who are willing to work should have work suited to their capacities, and should be paid a wage that will enable them to maintain a decent home and an American standard of living.

“I say that every old person should be provided for in comfort, and likewise every orphaned child and every person who is sick or incapacitated. I repeat that this can be done, and that I know how to do it. If I take up the job, I will stick until it is finished, and there will be no delay and no shilly-shallying.

There will be action, and continuous action, until the last man, woman, and child has these fundamental economic rights. Again, I say: End Poverty in California.”

– Upton Sinclair

Upton Sinclair (1878-1968) •· Author of more than 90 novels.

•· Most known for writing “The Jungle,” which exposed the corrupt meatpacking industry of the early 1900s.

•· Ran for governor of Cailfornia in 1922 as a socialist and in 1934 as a Democrat.

Later on Sinclair said that the slogan, “End Poverty in California,” really meant to him, “End Poverty in Civilization.”

His “End Poverty in California” (EPIC) had 12 basic principles. Some of the more interesting, unique and prophetic ones included: 1. God created the natural wealth of the earth for the use of all men, not a few.

2. When some men live without working, other men are working without living.

3. The existence of luxury in the presence of poverty and destitution is contrary to good morals and sound public policy.

4. The cause of the trouble is that a small class has the wealth, while the rest have debts.

The first plank of his political platform was to give the unemployed productive work to make them self-supporting.

He also proposed exempting the poor from paying taxes.

“I proposed that all homes assessed at less than $3,000 shall be exempt from taxation. Anybody who lives in that poor a home in these times needs help and not taxing.

Homes from $3,000 to $5,000 pay a normal rate, and for each additional $5,000 we add one-half of 1%. That means that if you live in a $100,000 home you will pay a tax of about 11%, and if you don’t care to pay that, the state will take over your mansion and turn it into a public institution for orphaned children, or for the aged, or for those who have acquired tuberculosis by slaving 12 hours a day in a department store or a restaurant kitchen,” Sinclair said.

The Nexus of the Campaign Sinclair offered a real choice to Californians.

He said, “In California of 1934 there could only be two parties: those who wished to abolish poverty, and those who wished to

maintain it.

“We say to the voters, there are half a million persons in our state out of work. They cannot be permitted to starve. These persons can never again find work while the present system endures . . . There is no solution to this problem except to put these unemployed at productive labor.

“Our opponents have told you that we cannot put this plan through. Let me answer just this: If you should give me a chance to end poverty in California, and I should fail to do it, life would mean nothing to me thereafter.

“I say ‘abolish poverty.’ This is plain language that everybody can stand.

A special effort was made to reach the churches. Sinclair said: “It is impossible for me to understand how any group of people organized in the name of Jesus can support the continuation of poverty, with all the degradation and misery it causes to the human race.”

Dirty Campaign Attacks on Sinclair While his campaign resonated with poor Californians, he was opposed by influential enemies from major newspaper publishers to Hollywood studio owners.

Some of this was Sinclair’s own doing.

“I told Harry Hopkins in Washington that if I am elected half the unemployed of the United States will come to California, and he will have to make plans to take care of them,” Sinclair said, recounting a visit to D.C. On another occasion he said, “If I am elected governor, I expect one-half the unemployed in the United States will hop aboard the first freights to California.”

This turned out to be the worst gaffe of his campaign.

His enemies did a “Bums Rush” news reel video showing hordes of transients jumping off freight trains in California. This footage ran in movie theaters statewide.

Other billboards pictured an army of transients marching beneath the quote, “I expect half the unemployed in the U.S. to flock to California if I am elected.”

That was accompanied by a bold warning reading, “DO YOU WANT THIS TO HAPPEN?” The Los Angeles Times ran editorials against Sinclair with headlines like, “Hordes of Jobless Swooping on State.” The editorial calculated that 10 million Americans were out of work, meaning that five million indigents would swamp the state once Sinclair took office.

The editorial slammed Sinclar with the conclusion, “Sinclair expects to end poverty in California by bringing in 15 times as many poverty-stricken, jobless indigents as we already have!”

The former national commander of the American Legion branded Sinclair’s plan a “grotesque fantasy.”

In a pre-election satirical opinion piece in The Los Angeles Times, a writer using a pseud-

onym wrote that Sinclair had won and spelled out the consequences of his winning.

He wrote of how all the “paupers and ne’er-do-wells” in Florida were informed that Mr. Sinclair would keep his promises, “work for all who wished to work — incomes for those who didn’t.”

Post-election, in the satire, there was a “great Florida-to-California migration of dead-brokes and dead-beats.”

And Florida then emptied its prisons and asylums.

Forty-six other states copied the Florida measure, and in a short-time all 12 million unemployed and their families along with all the convicts and insane of 47 states were hustled over the border into California.

In the satire, these states then amended the Constitution making it illegal for poor people to travel from state to state therefore keeping all the poor inside California.

Others poked fun at Sinclair by referring to EPIC as “Every Pauper Is Coming,” “Easy Pickings in California,” “Everybody’s Poorhouse, Including Californians” and “California, Here I Bum.” One editorial cartoon showed two tramps reading about EPIC in an eastern newspaper and deciding to winter in California instead of Florida this year.

A song parody was even written: California, here we come! Every beggar, every bum From New York and Jersey, down to Purdue, By millions we’re coming, so that we can live on you.

We hear that Sinclair’s got your state That’s why we can hardly wait Open up your Golden Gate California, here we come!

Sinclair’s Legacy for the 2008 Campaign The campaign practices and public policy of Upton Sinclair should be inspirational to today’s candidates and lawmakers. Poverty in the U.S. has reached devastatingly high levels and without decisive action from public officials, will continue with catastrophic results. Hopefully, the ideas and dreams of Mr. Sinclair can educate our politicians and allow them to use his campaign to end poverty as a model for the ’08 presidential election. *First of a two-part series. The second article entitled, “I, President (___________ __--fill in the blank) of the U.S. and How I Ended Poverty: A True Story of the Future,” will be published soon in Street Sense.

Michael Stoops is the acting executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based National Coalition for the Homeless and serves on Street Sense’s board of directors

Street Sense . June 1-14, 2007

POETRY

These Times In a war plagued era where terror is the order of the day, where ordinary citizens are forced to be soldiers, From Columbine to Katrina to the horror of Virginia Tech, seems we reside in a culture of death.

A Vision of Home (for Mary Ruth)

Where homeless veterans panhandle for survival, staying alive is a full–time job,

A canvas sunset hung on the wall above me, serene in pastel hues; on Indigo water of a mirrored lake, a lonely fisherman sailed westward.

Crime is gut easy in a spiritually dead environment, where the AIDS virus seems to have gone airborne,

This scene was built by sturdy, tender hands, hands which have created a haven, a womb, a home where I lived for two days of peace, warmth, celebration.

This home is made of the clutter of three students, the cries and thumping movements of cats the color of evening, the color of autumn.

It’s made of music crafted from heartbeats; it’s made of memories— crisp evening found six of us sipping sweet milky tea, soft conversation, gentle joyous celebration.

Hunger, cold, sorrow, and loneliness were far from this door, forever banished.

Home comes in many shapes and colors; I’ve found it in a dozen furnished rooms, in a basement with bodies stacked like kindling, on couches, floors, on wood and concrete.

For two days— a savory taste of forever, I found it here, in tender eyes, in these warm rooms, in a warm and friendly heart.

— David Harris

Sexually suggestive lyrics on the radio subconsciously brainwashes already sick people into freaks.

The big “N” word is now a spin word, as the church grows further away from the state, residents in the nation’s capital are without a voice.

Today’s weather is abnormal as the gentrification rate reaches biblical proportions and squirrels mate with rats.

Obesity reigns supreme as does gun control issues, also Congress’s pocket book has U.S. troops uncertain.

The fine print reads “Roe vs. Wade, Anna Nicole, reparations, gangster hip–hop music, Paul Wolfowitz etc.”

From the Fox 5 Newsroom to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Lord forgive us for we know not what we do in these times.

— Dewayne Harrison

Caves Made on Level Ground Cement contained with wooden planks, Rock bits slushies settle into warm cuddle with Earth, Water vapor escapes this porous medium, Dry into a foundation for future free slaves.

Sticks are cut from the body of trees, Lined nicely in neat narrow rows, Linked by means of smelted ore, Sharpened teeth tear ferociously through fibrous flesh.

Stacks of regularly shaped stones traveled by trucks, Mortar mends many in sheltering sheets, Powdered earth squeezes tiny specks to nestle in the warmth of solid, And none can escape the becoming.

— Sean Michael Eldridge

10 FEATURES

Street Sense . June 1-14, 2007

My Turn At the Table By Jesse Smith

Sam & Harry’s: A Taste of “Pure Heaven”

laura thompson osuri

Jesse enjoys center-cut filet mignon.

More often than not, the restaurants we patronize reflect what we can afford. I was fortunate enough to be treated recently to a wonderful meal, not at Street Sense’s expense, at Sam & Harry’s, a steakhouse in downtown Washington that would normally not be in my price range. The cost of the meal was definitely not for the faint–hearted but it was well worth every penny.

Sam & Harry’s — which opened in 1990 and whose guests have included actors Nicolas Cage and Mel Gibson — caters to the rich and powerful. Located at 1200 19th St., N.W., the restaurant offers private rooms for those who may need a place

to quietly broker deals and dine at the same time. Even if you aren’t a high–powered lobbyist or business leader, the staff still works hard to make you feel special.

When I dined recently with Laura Thompson Osuri, executive director of Street Sense, our waiter was very attentive and made us feel at home. Besides excellent service, the food was among the best I’ve had in a long time. Laura and I both ordered the center cut 12–ounce filet mignon served with an exceptional bernaise sauce. Mine was cooked medium rare.

The first bite was pure heaven.

Perhaps that’s no surprise. Sam & Harry’s has won numerous awards, including Wine Spectator’s “Best Award of Excellence;” it was also one of Gourmet magazine’s “Top Tables.”

The restaurant serves USDA prime–aged beef and flies in fresh seafood daily.

The side dishes we chose — fried onion crisps and sauteéd mushrooms — were also cooked to perfection. The portions were so generous that we each left with a healthy–sized amount to take home with us at the end of the meal. Laura had red wine, I chose a soft drink. Dessert was out of the question. After that scrumptious meal, we were too full to take another bite of anything.

Our dinner fell under $150, including tax and tip.

I highly recommend Sam & Harry’s and suggest making reservations, given the restaurant’s popularity. The food and service were exceptional, the atmosphere exclusive.

If it’s an experience you can afford, it’s also one you will enjoy.

Managing the High Cost of College

By Patrice Philippe On May 20, 2007, I watched my sister graduate from the University of Maryland–College Park.

She earned a degree in communications and a minor concentration in finance and is in the top 5% of her class. I watched speaker after speaker give speeches that were ignored by giddy graduates occupying their time by tossing beach balls, text messaging, or throwing paper airplanes.

As I browsed through the program I read that there are about 6,500 graduates in this year’s graduating class. Although this was my sister’s big day and I am so proud of her and everything that she has accomplished, I couldn’t help but wonder how much debt accompanied these degrees.

According to the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, the average student loan debt among 2003–04 graduating seniors is $19,237 (excluding PLUS Loans but including Stafford, Perkins, state, college, and private loans). The figures are likely much higher for 2006–07 graduates.

Tuition has gone up almost 7% per year, exceeding wages, inflation, and the average financial aid award. Additionally, some colleges have admitted to taking kickbacks from student loan companies, and as a result, it has become more difficult for students to get better deals and make better choices about student loans.

I graduated college not too long ago, and like most of my classmates, I used credit cards to buy textbooks, supplies, food, and pay tuition balances. I couldn’t walk from the cafeteria to my dorm room without getting at least two to four credit card offers per week. With most college students, if you offer a free T–shirt and a coupon book to Taco Bell, KFC, or Pizza Hut. They will sign anything. And like most students, I became enslaved to the credit card companies.

So, how can you avoid some of these college debt traps?

Here are five things you should know: 1) You do not have to go to a “name–brand” college to get a quality education. Like most things, you will get out of school

what you put into it. Graduates of smaller, more affordable schools are able to compete in this job market with their Brown, Harvard and Columbia counterparts.

2) Look into a 529 College Savings Plan. Talk to an investment professional before investing in one, but with this plan your money grows tax–deferred and is tax–free when withdrawn if it is used to pay qualified education expenses.

3) There may be no place like home. Consider commuting from home. You may save money on room and board, food, and transportation.

4) When it comes to textbooks, think used. Trade textbooks with your friends, go online (boxofbooks.com, craigslist.com, amazon.com, etc), or simply check them out at your local library. Also keep in mind that some professors may require the most recent edition of a textbook (which they may have authored), but the previous edition can be just as good and may save you 50% to 90%.

5) Search for scholarships, search for scholarships, search for scholarships. I cannot emphasize this enough. Start searching for scholarships, grants, and awards at least one to two years before you plan to enroll. One of the best places to start is your local library. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library (located at 9th and G streets, NW) has a college resource center. Visit www.DC.gov and go to the District Education Office and the D.C. Education Opportunity Center websites. You can also contact Capital Area Asset Builders about matched savings accounts that you can use for post–secondary education.

In the final analysis, even with rising college costs and unscrupulous student loan companies, higher education is still a good bet as the income gap between those with college degrees and those without continues to grow. There are just more opportunities for those with college degrees. The best way to graduate college without huge student loan debt is to start planning now.

This regular financial column is presented by Capital Area Asset Building Corp. (www.caab.org), which provides financial counseling, housing and small business assistance to low–income individuals. Send your questions on this topic or ideas for future topics to saving@caab.org.

vendor voices By Tommy Bennett

Celebrating Four Years Clean

O

n Sunday, May 27th, I celebrated my four–year anniversary of being clean.

It was a blessed day.

I’m so happy to have reached this milestone.

Some have warned me not to get too happy; that’s why I do something every day to keep my mind occupied.

I feel good about it. I didn’t think I could make four years of sobriety. It was hard. It’s not easy. I just live life on life’s terms every day. But each day, I’m happy. I can’t let anything get me down.

I have to keep going on and help the next person, if I can.

I help people I sponsor; we call them pigeons.

What I learned, I give back to them. I give them strength to keep on going. When they need me, I’m there for them. That’s what a sponsor is for, to guide them through and help them.

What I’ve learned in four years of sobriety is that I can’t be around people, places or things that are not good for my welfare.

I’ve come to find out that being sober is not easy. It is a struggle each day. I am told to take it one day at a time. And that is what I do.

I keep my sobriety up front.

For me, if I don’t bother it, it doesn’t bother me.

On this four–year journey, I have lost a lot. But I didn’t use. I have gotten through it, although at times it was hard. I know I can’t give up.

I have a lot of people supporting me.

My godmother, she gives me strength. She talks to me a lot. She gives me tough love sometimes, and I need that tough love to keep me on track.

I have a friend named Reggie who gives me strength, too. I’d like to thank my friend, Christina, who helps with my sobriety and helps me stay sober.

God’s grace gives me strength to go on. But I still have a long way to go.

Tommy Bennett has been a vendor with Street Sense since September 2004. He now has his own apartment.

FEATURES & GAMES 11

Street Sense . June 1-14, 2007

Marvin Hammerman

June’s Crossword

A mystery novel in parts BOOK 4, PART 5

By August Mallory

Coming up: Hammerman, Hoffman and Jamison are on the streets once again. Hoffman gets his first real hands–on training on being an investigative DA. August was the first vendor for Street Sense and and was with the organization for three years. He now lives in Seattle, and is on the editorial board of the street paper there. You can reach August at: carriergroup2009@yahoo.com.

ACROSS 1 Often poetically 4 Tutor at after-school program 9 Grassy areas 14 Rio de Janeiro 15 List of highly desired guests 16 Fill 17 North by west 18 Biblical outcast 19 Elderly man struggling to find housing 20 Wizards star player 22 Eagerness 24 Floor covering 25 Satisfaction 27 Cheats 31 Otherwise 32 Greek island 33 French “yes” 34 Fooled 36 Become active 38 Playground toy 40 Basketball’s L.A. team 42 Groups together 43 Helper 44 Time period

45 47 51 53 54 55 57 59 62 65 66 67 68 69 70 71

______Performs!

Loosen Representatives Realm Charge card Song by the Village People Kidnap Steam room Reddish brown Take to court Cook’s garb Looking at Sea eagle Repairs Fender blemishes Adjust

DOWN 1 Intricate 2 Strand 3 Bathers need 4 Merry 5 Brews 6 End 7 Vane direction 8 ______Sense 9 National capital 10 With 11 Compass point

May’s Answer Key

As they continue their investigation into Mark Richards’ disappearance, Marvin Hammerman and Edward Hoffman pay a visit to his former employer.

“Hello, gentlemen. I’m Jonathan Willard, Senior CPA at Grimwell & Associates. I understand that you are here to get information on one of our former associates. Is that correct?”

Hammerman and Hoffman confirm the reason for their visit. “Normally, gentlemen, it is our policy not to release any information on any associate, current or former. May I inquire as to why are you seeking this information?”

“Well, Mr. Willard, we have been hired by the sister of Mark Richards to investigate his disappearance,” Hammerman says.

“Is that so? I see,” Willard responds.

“Mr. Willard, can you tell us, just exactly what kind of person was Mark Richards?” Hammerman inquires.

“Well, he was a hard worker, but he often had a temper, and he would get into arguments with his fellow associates over little things. We counseled with him on several occasions, but it didn’t seem to work. We had to terminate him after he lost control with our senior vice president,” Willard says. “He was very smart, and he knew his job inside and out, but he had a terrible temper. I heard that he went to lunch with an associate and got into an argument with another customer at a restaurant and almost went to blows with the guy.

He was barred from the restaurant permanently. I don’t know if he was having trouble at home or if he was angry with a certain associate here, but we had to hand him his walking papers,” Willard explains.

“We hate to lose good people, but Mark just took things too far. There was another incident where he actually got into a fight with a fellow associate in the parking lot. He was detained by security until the police arrived and was taken to jail. He was placed on 30 days suspension and then 60 days for another incident, and finally we said goodbye. So, there you have it, gentlemen, we haven’t heard anything from him since his termination,” Willard finishes. “So, you suspect he could be missing?”

“Yes, we do,” Hammerman replies.

“Or that he could be dead?” Willard asks.

“We don’t want to think such things, but that’s often what happens when we investigate missing persons.” Hammerman answers.

“Well, thank you, Mr. Willard,” Hoffman says. “We are sorry to have troubled you about this matter, but we felt that we had to start somewhere. Thank you again.”

Meanwhile, the suspect in Mark Richards’ death is still lurking about the city, hiding in alleyways and behind buildings. At the Seattle Union Gospel Mission, homeless men gather in the day room to take care of their personal needs. Suddenly, one man brings up Mark Richards’ name. This makes the second time someone there has mentioned Richards.

“Hey, you know something? I don’t see that one guy who would come around to work with us at the labor hall anymore,” the man says.

“What guy are you talking about?” asks another man.

“That tall white guy who would wear that Gap sweatshirt and ball cap a lot.”

“Oh, yeah, that guy. I don’t know, I haven’t seen him around for several days now. Maybe he moved on.”

At the city morgue, where the body of Mark Richards is now placed, an effort is in process to determine who this person might be. Darlene Richards Johnson and her husband are at their home with Marvin Hammerman and Edward J. Hoffman. “Ms. Johnson, we were with your brother’s former employer, and the man told us quite a bit, especially about Mark’s temper. Why do you think his temper was so violent?” Hammerman asks.

“Mark always had a short fuse. Even when we were kids, he would just lose it over tiny things. We tried to seek the help of doctors and mental–health professionals. It seemed to work for a short time, but somehow as he grew older, it was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde all over again. He lost his job over his temper and was even sent to prison for killing another man because of it. I am afraid something has happened to him. Mr. Hammerman, could you please just try to find out anything?” Darlene Richards Johnson pleads.

“We will do our best.”

As Hammerman and Hoffman leave, they make plans to take to the streets to go undercover as homeless men in search of Mark Richards. “Well, Marvin, where do we start?”

Hoffman asks.

“We start by calling our good friend Russell Jamison, the private eye. If anyone can help us get leads, he can. He is highly trained in intelligence operations. I am going to give Anna Jackson a call and have her contact Jamison. You and I will start by working these homeless shelters and community kitchens. We may be able to get some information.”

12 Crackpot 13 Perceive 21 Wanted 23 Downwind 25 Planted 26 Headed 28 Not mine 29 Baby pooches 30 Perch 32 Accountant 35 Ship initials 36 Stretch to make do 37 Look over the book, again 38 Shriveled 39 Initials for rental program 40 Italian money 41 Hoopla 42 That woman 43 Snacked 45 McDonald’s “Big __” 46 Rubbed out 48 Entertains 49 Safe 50 Magnitude 52 Council 56 Pilots 57 Am not 58 Purses 59 _______& Harry’s 60 Copy 61 Pot 63 Peeper 64 Tenpin

PLACE YOUR AD HERE! With Street Sense now coming out twice a month and reaching nearly 11,000 people each issue, now is the perfect time to promote your business with us.

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

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

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

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

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

Street Sense . June 1-14, 2007

12 EDITORIALS

Street Sense TV Gives Us Hope

By Daniel Flowers

H

ope is the first word that comes to mind. Hope that the sun will come out tomorrow, that you can believe, you can succeed, your life does matter. Homelessness robs you of that belief, no matter how you get there, through situations that may cause you to slip into an abyss and lose your perspect i v e o n l i f e.

Now I sit at the place in my life where the light is breaking through.

Greg Wragg, executive producer and creator of Street Sense TV, is the guy who says these kind words: “I believe in you, you can do it.’’

And more light shines through.

So now this broken man from Southeast starts to dream again.

Street Sense TV is a show by the homeless, intended to bring our issues forward in a medium that reaches more people than we have touched so far. The show is a light in the dark that gives a voice to the forgotten. I forgot that I love meeting people, being a part of conversations and being a light to others.

I truly believe Street Sense TV will make a difference because it’s already made a difference in my life. Through meeting my brothers and sisters who have continued battling the odds, I realize that there is light in every one of us. It is inspiring to see the compassion of others who work tirelessly

to touch lives. Street Sense TV gives me an opportunity to stand and shout, “We are worthy of being heard. We do count, and we are your brothers and sisters.”

Through the training received at DCTV under Andrius Viatekunas, I will soon become a certified technician — a new, marketable skill that can and will make a d i f f e re n c e in my life. We have learned about getting our message across — the do’s and don’ts of camera w o rk , l i g h t ing and just about everything else you need to know in a television s t u d i o. We have just about finished our first show, to be aired sometime in the near future on cable channel 95 in Washington. Watch this paper for details.

Another part of the show that has been wonderful is called pre–production, where we sit as a group, develop ideas for our upcoming shows and think about how to get them done. These sessions have been invaluable because some, if not all, of us are a little rusty on tactful diplomacy in a work/brainstorming arena. Other benefits are learning that our opinions do matter and our input is valued. Seeing something that was your own idea brought forth on the screen is a great feeling to experience.

Daniel Flowers lives at the Gospel Rescue Mission

What our REaders are Saying...

Dear Street Sense, I really enjoyed the interview with Sherman Alexie, coverage of the Eastern Market fire and the new day laborer center in northeast. I was glad to see your detailed coverage of the youth employment hearing as well.

One small note: This hearing came about because a group of high school students called the Youth Action Research Group organized on the issue of youth employment for over a year. They produced an excellent report with a full set of recommendations and have brought this issue to the city’s attention. They deserve recognition for their good work, and I hope you will continue to cover the issue in the future.

Thanks, Ann Caton

Heat, from page 1 mit to the type of thorough renovations that will make the building livable. If not, we need to move the residents into another downtown facility where they will be able to survive the coming heat.

Last Dec. 21, the National Coalition for the Homeless sponsored a Homeless Memorial Vigil in McPherson Square. I stood by as my friend Eric read Corbin’s name to the crowd of mourners.

This year more people will certainly die before making it off the street. That doesn’t mean that we have to sit back and watch it happen.

David is a member of Until We’re Home, Inc. He is a former resident of Franklin Shelter.

In MY Opinion By Eric Sheptock

Renovations at Franklin Shelter Welcomed, But Just a Stop–Gap Measure

A

pril 16 was an eventf u l d a y. It w a s D. C . E m a n c i p a t i o n D a y. I t was the day of the D.C. Voting Rights March. It was a rather sad day for Virginia Tech. But it was also the day that the first of two full bathrooms at Franklin School Shelter was opened for use following renovation. Some finishing touches were added thereafter. It is one of six bathrooms that have been renovated at this point.

All of the finished bathrooms look lovely. They have glossy white walls. They are brightly lit. It is so bright when you walk into any one of them that you might just pinch yourself to make sure that you haven’t just died and gone to Heaven. It’s as if you’re moving toward the Light. They have more fixtures than they had previously. Their designer got smart and installed urinals of which they had none previously.

When all is said and done, there will be 16 showers, eight apiece in two full baths.

That works out to one shower for every 20 men. They’ve been made more durably and have doors instead of curtains this time.

Additionally, the dirt in the courtyard has been graded, and sod laid. This should help reduce the rat population by caving in some of their burrows. And the old, abestos-laden mattresses from the basement are gone, too.

This is all fine and dandy. However, as the hit by Guns N’ Roses states, “Every rose has its thorn.” While the renovations are moving forward, it doesn’t mean that the Committee to Save Franklin Shelter/Until We’re Home, Inc. has won its fight. It has not been determined definitively that Franklin School will remain a shelter.

Through random conversation with a member of D.C. government, I’ve been informed that the renovations are being done on an emergency basis. The bathrooms were unfit for use even on a temporary basis and needed to be renovated immediately. This in no way is an indication that it will remain a shelter in the long term.

The worst thing about it all is that in the interim, we remain in limbo. That is to say that minimal repairs are being done. Outside of the heavenly bathrooms, the building remains somewhat dilapidated and needs repair. Three of the five floors are not even used.

The District government is reluctant to upgrade services due to the fact that they are trying diligently to relocate the shelter.

In the meantime, the government, service providers – and worst of all the homeless residents – lack any sense of direction.

The government wants this building to generate revenue rather than usurp it. It’s high time that they learned to put people ahead of profit. When our fight began in mid–June of last year, the residents told the Committee to Save Franklin Shelter that we didn’t matter and the government was going to have its way with us. As a group, they feel disenfranchised and irrelevant. Now they’re seeing the renovations and a few other positive changes.

The Jewish Community Center did some painting in January. Nine brand new tables were purchased several months ago along with a brand new refrigerator. And reasonable improvements have been made in the case management services which are delivered by the one case manager.

We are on the verge of convincing the homeless residents that they do matter. We are on the verge of boosting their self–confidence. We might even give them the second wind that they need to try just one more time to get their lives together. To take all of that away from them at this point would no doubt cause their sense of self–worth to plummet sharply. The latter state would be 10 times worse than the former. We have every reason to allow them to keep this building: people over profit.

At the end of the day, the District government will indeed have its way. Hopefully, they’ll consider the concerns set forth in this article. Let’s see what happens. But don’t hold your breath waiting. It could take a while. After all, this is D.C. government we’re talking about.

The District government continues to look for an alternative home for the shelter that meets the following criteria: it is located downtown near a major transportation hub and existing services, and is of comparable size so as to be capable of housing at least the 300 men that Franklin School Shelter now houses.

As it turns out, this search has been going on for quite some time. God only knows just how many times they’ve looked over the same part of town only to find nothing suitable. It is highly doubtful that they’ll find anything on a successive search. If you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always get what you always got.

However, if they choose to look again, more power to them. By law they can’t put the residents out without them having anywhere to go. When will the powers that be concede and let us have the building indefinitely?

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

Street Sense . June 1-14, 2007

EDITORIALS 13

Thanks to My No. 1 Customer

By Joann Jackson

I

would like to thank my neighbor and friend, Ms. Mildred, for being so interested in Street Sense. The first time she read a copy was last year when she went with me to Howard University to hear me speak.

I wasn’t a vendor then, but one of the speakers was selling papers. Ms. Mildred bought one and has been stuck ever since.

I like Ms. Mildred because she’s a real quiet lady who stays

to herself. She doesn’t get in any confrontations. She takes to me like I’m her daughter.

She’s the only person in my building that has taken an interest in the paper. Ms. Mildred stated that she likes to read Street Sense because it’s very interesting and informative.

The other morning she asked me if I had a new paper.

Guess what? I was on my way to pick up the new edition.

Thanks, Ms. Mildred for being my number one customer.

Joann Jackson has been a vendor with Street Sense since January.

ON CONTROVERSY By Leo Gnawa

Who Should Be Accountable?

The Racists — or Their Victim?

R

eligion and race are two issues that I never wanted to address in this column. But after reading Tom Moore’s editorial, “Racism Should Not Be Tolerated, But Neither Can a Lack of Accountability” (Street Sense, May 15) I could not help but attempt to rebut his nonsensical, bogus, nonfactual and even prejudiced comments.

I could have agreed with Tom Moore that accountability will help eradicate racism; but he’s wrong about who should be held accountable, saying it is the blacks who are victims of racism, and their leaders who are fighting racism.

I did not know whether to simply laugh or be upset when Moore (in reference to the incident with Street Sense vendor Martin Walker, who was ignored by a Hispanic cashier when he requested a token to use the restroom, while a white customer making the same request was served) wrote that the Hispanic cashier may have had “a stereotype — relating to the fact that many black young black males in Washington, D.C., statistically have engaged in criminal conduct.”

What logical connection is there between a black customer asking a Hispanic cashier for a token to use the bathroom, and crime statistics about blacks in Washington?

And D.C. is predominantly a black city. So what if most criminals in the city are black? So are most police officers and residents. And then why would a Hispanic or white cashier be afraid of a black customer asking for a token? Was she afraid that Martin Walker was going to steal the toilet paper roll in the bathroom as Laura, Street Sense’s executive director, asked jokingly?

I would find it equally foolish for any person, black, Hispanic or Asian to refuse to serve a white person because most mass murderers and serial killers are whites (Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, David Berkowitz, the Unabomber, and Tim MacVeigh, to name a few).

Tom Moore, a Catholic, must also know that the Catholic Church has its own history of criminal activities, for example the Inquisition during which Catholic monarchs were ordering the massacres of Jews and Muslims in Europe unless they converted to the Catholic faith.

At least he acknowledges the problem of pedophilia by the priests in his church. But, I would not argue that Catholics and their priests should confront the issue of pedo-

philia whenever a cashier at McDonald’s refuses to serve a Catholic.

All humans are just the same with good and bad people in their midst. So it’s ignorant to single out blacks as criminals when every group of people, without any exception, whether Muslims, Jews, Catholics, blacks, Irish or Asians, has criminals in their ranks.

Moore also wrote that “some in the black community like Rev. Sharpton would rather cry racism at every turn rather than confront the real issues.” And he goes on: “One can’t effectively joke about something that isn’t true.”

So my question to Moore is this: Are the stereotypes the real issues? Would you hold the same reasoning about the Holocaust? Do you think the Jews should have focused on the stereotypes that were used by the Nazis, who said Jews were responsible for killing Jesus. Were Jews also responsible for homosexuality, communism, economic exploitation of the German people, promoting decadent ways through their literature, and bringing down the white race?

These stereotypes were poor excuses Hitler used to justify his racial prejudice. But stereotypes are not the truth and should not be used to deny any human his right and dignity.

Tom Moore accused Al Sharpton of “documented racial conduct towards white people” and goes on to claim that Rev. Sharpton has a “built–in, time tested racism against whites” without offering any evidence of either. To my knowledge, the Rev. Sharpton has caused no harm to any white person. He has only spoken, rallied and marched against racially motivated attacks, and police brutality against black folks. So stop lynching the messenger — and listen to the message.

Last but not least, it is very ignorant to say that Sharpton never confronted black rap artists for their language.

Sharpton has, since before the Don Imus incident, taken a very active leadership role in the hip hop community in bringing decency and self–respect in that community.

Leaders like Sharpton and Louis Farrakhan have been very effective in bringing down black–on–black violence and helping negotiate a truce between rival gangs like the Bloods and the Crips, which in the past were responsible for so much urban violence.

The way to solve racism is to fight prejudice, hate and bigotry.

Leo Gnawa has been a Street Sense vendor since February 2005. Send your comments to Leo at leognawa@hotmail. com.

Police, Help the Mentally Ill

By Jake Ashford

O

n Sunday, May 13, the weather was absolutely wonderful when I was attacked by a lady with a stick. I was simply selling Street Sense at Dupont Circle near the CVS when she screamed, “Get off my corner, nigger!’’ Of course, I replied, “You don’t own the corner.” She responded, “I will bust your head with this stick.”

She then charged at me. I held my foot up so that she would run into it, but she stopped, so I put my foot down.

She then charged me again, this time hitting me with the stick. I kicked her in her behind to get her off me. Luckily, I was blessed with a witness who called the police.

The officers asked me if I wanted to press charges.

I said, “Get this lady some mental help!” But the officer said he could not get her any mental help if she refused.

It was evident that she was mentally ill, and I refuse to be a victim of the madness. If the police cannot make a judgment call when it’s evident that a person is endangering herself or the public, who can?

According to Officer Kenneth Bryson of the police public information office, law enforcement officers cannot step in and make a judgment call, because this poses a liability issue since they aren’t specialists in the field of psychiatry. They can only make referrals to centers where a person can seek help.

In Florida, police are able to make a judgment call.

The state’s Baker Act, a mental illness treatment law, allows police officers to arrest people and recommend treatment before the person’s behavior escalates into an extreme situation. Perhaps a law like the Baker Act should be made universal.

Regarding my situation, I met two great officers — Torres and Coffey — who calmed down the woman and stopped the situation from escalating. These were the most professional officers I had met since coming to Washington in 2001. I thank them for keeping us safe.

Jake Ashford has been a vendor with Street Sense since July 2004.

Street Sense . June 1-14, 2007

14 STREET SENSE NEWS

VendorNotes Donations We acknowledge the American Bar Association, especially Eric Modavan, for generously donating canvas brief cases and carrying bags, which will be distributed to our vendors. This donation will be very valuable in reducing the replacement of damaged papers due to the ever–changing weather conditions. Thank you very much.

Warning Vendors and Customers Please notify us if you may suspect someone is not a certified Street Sense vendor. There have been a number of cases reported persons selling our newspaper acting in a manner contrary to the attitudes of our vendors and the training they’ve received.

These bogus vendors have been reportedly selling back issues as current.

We ask the customer to examine the date on the paper before you make the purchase. The dates would indicate either the first or the 15th of the current month.

Legitimate vendors can be easily identified by the photo badge or the bright yellow Street Sense vest. If in doubt, please do not purchase papers from that person. Call the Street Sense office, 202–347–2006, if you have any concerns.

Street Sense TV I am happy to say that the Street Sense TV project is alive and well. I had the privilege of viewing some of the skits of the first episode. They are

From the Director’s Desk

By Jesse Smith

quite interesting. The most satisfying aspect is the professionalism of the participants who are all homeless.

What I viewed was in its raw stages, and if that is any indication of what is to come, we certainly have a winner.

Street Sense: 2012

L

Good Luck Vendor Chris Sellman who has been with us for nine months, has decided to re t u r n t o Minnesota. He has been a valuable member of the Street Sense team both as a vendor and our resident computer geek. We use this term in an affectionate manner because he has an uncanny knack to solve many of our system problems without any formal training. This can be considered another blow to the stereotype of homeless people lacking skills, formal or otherwise.

In addition to being an active vendor, Chris served as a member of the National Coalition for the Homeless Speakers Bureau. He was the treasurer for Until You are Home Inc., and just a very nice guy. We wish you all the best and hope you do well. Good Luck Get Well Soon We are wishing vendor Cliff Carle

a speedy recovery after undergoing facial surgery after being mugged on Sunday, May 27. Cliff is listed in stable condition at George Washington Hospital, recovering from blows sustained during a robbery. We have contacted Cliff and he is holding his own considering the circumstances. He is an example of a person who accepts life’s ups and downs in stride. Although Cliff was in considerable pain, he still found time to tell jokes and shoot a segment for Street Sense TV, according to Greg Wragg, executive producer of Street Sense TV. Get well soon, Cliff.

Another Assault Vendor Conrad Cheek also reported an assault a week prior to Cliff’s incident, also on a Sunday night. Conrad had stepped outside of his apartment to smoke a cigarette when a teenager passing by punched him in the face and ran away. The teen didn’t attempt to rob him. Conrad believes it was a prank because a group of teenage boys gathered not far away were watching and laughing at the ordeal.

Conrad wasn’t hospitalized, but the blow caused a temporary slight speech impediment.

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ast week I met with a volunteer who is helping Street Sense with fundraising and development.

And being that she used to be a development director for a small nonprofit that grew rapidly under her watch, the first question she asked me was, “Where do I see Street Sense in five years?” It is a twist on the typical interview question that you are supposed to have a canned answer for that reflects your determination and aspirations. But when such a question involves more than just yourself and affects several employees, dozens of volunteers, hundreds of vendors and thousands of readers, the answer is a much more daunting one.

Still, I decided to put some serious thought into this question, as I think Street Sense is finally at a place where I can at least give an educated guess.

Nearly four years ago, when Street Sense first began, Ted and I, the co–founders, could not envision what the next five weeks held, let alone the next five years. The thought of having three staff members, publishing twice a month, and launching a related television program were far too grand for even dreams. Even a year and a half ago when I came on board full-time, Street Sense was not ready for a five–year plan as I barely could get together enough ideas and numbers for a one–year budget.

But now that I have some grounding and experience and the organization has a small track record and a relatively clear direction with momentum, Street Sense in the year 2012 is now feasible to contemplate.

So my quick sketch of Street Sense: 2012 includes a budget of $600,000 and a staff of six full–time and two part–time employees, operating out of a much larger office space. The paper would be weekly with a circulation of 15,000 sold by an average number of 120 monthly vendors. The newspaper itself will be at least 20 pages with advertisements making up about one–third of the pages.

Five years from now, Street Sense will offer vendors regular writing workshops as well as a sales training program that will prepare them for (and hopefully connect them to) sales jobs outside of the newspaper.

But the noteworthy program of Street Sense 2012 will be my secret dream of the Street Sense House. In a nutshell, the house will provide single–room–occupancy housing to six vendors, who are selected based on a combination of sales and application information, for six months on a rotating basis. These vendors will pay a small “rent” but then get all their money back at the end of their stay to help pay for a new apartment, which the house manager will help them line up. Vendors in the house obviously will have to adhere to certain rules as well as to meet with a case manager and go through some sort of money management course.

That is my vision so far. I am sure there are plenty of other ideas out there that I have just not thought of that will be on the Street Sense radar in five years. Maybe we will have a segment in a mainstream paper, open up a drop–in center or grow geographically and develop a Baltimore version of the paper. The possibilities are really endless yet attainable, which is the exciting part.

So I am calling on you, the reader, to suggest any more innovative, interesting or just plain crazy ideas that Street Sense could integrate in the next five years. Send all of your thoughts and ideas about Street Sense in 2012 to me at laura@streetsense.org.

As the staff and the board of directors are going to have a strategic planning retreat in the next month or so, the timing could not be better; your idea could be taken to heart and even incorporated into Street Sense’s future.

FEATURES 15 SERVICE PROVIDERS & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Street Sense . June 1-14, 2007

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

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

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

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

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

Shelter Hotline: 1-800-535-7252

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Street Sense . June 1-14, 2007

VENDOR PROFILE

PHOTO FINISH

“Sondra’’ in Shakespeare

By Charles Jackson

Actress Sabrina LeBeauf takes a break from rehearsing for the Shakespeare Theatre “Love’s Labor’s Lost” to chat with vendors Patty Smith and Anthony Crawford outside the Church of the Epiphany where the rehearsals were taking place. The play is being performed through June 3 at Carter Barron Amphitheater. LeBeauf starred as “Sondra Huxtable,’’ the oldest daughter, on the Cosby Show.

StreetFact Since December, the Emergency Rental Assistance Program has processed 1,900 applications and provided more than $2.3 million to help District residents.

Source: district DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

Lawless C.Watson Jr.

Lawless C. Watson Jr., 54, was born on Sept. 28, 1952, in Gallahager Municipal Hospital (once known as D.C. General Hospital) in Washington, D.C. He graduated from Evans Junior High School. Lawless thanks his former music teacher, Miss G. Jackson, for seeing his love for music and encouraging him to learn as many musical instruments as he wanted, which kept him in school as long as he did. He said he dropped out of school during 10th grade to find full–time employment.

He earned his G.E.D. in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. He has since studied audio/visual technology at the community college in Lynchburg, Va., as well as radio broadcasting and sales at the Columbia School of Broadcasting in Springfield, Va., and truck, car and motorcycle repairs at the National Business School in D.C. He has spent about six years as a freelance recording studio drummer and has played with many local and world–renowned artists. A former running back for the D.C. Stonewalls semi–pro football team, Lawless also has worked in the sales, medical, construction, restaurant, transportation and entertainment industries.

Lawless was recently named Street Sense advertising sales director.

How did you become homeless?

After four years of what I considered to have been a “role reversal” situation where I found myself being the victim of mental, emotional and financial abuse, I walked out of the house when physical abuse returned to our marriage. During the divorce proceedings I left everything to her.

Why do you sell Street Sense?

I feel at home. I have found myself being very comfortable selling Street Sense at the parking lot of D.C.’s Rhode Island Avenue Home Depot. A lot of people out there do not know us, and I love being able to tell people what I’ve found.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I am currently developing a multifaceted, full service, street–based music outreach ministry in the Washington/Baltimore metropolitan areas that shall assist in providing people with the resources necessary to live a rounded life, both spiritually and physically.

Favorite Music?

Knowing that music has an unexplainable power, I tend to like songs that give us a realistic insight into life and the truth on how to overcome troubles. It doesn’t matter to me whether it’s been classified as symphony, soul, rock, rap, country or gospel. I also like the fact that instrumentals allow us the opportunity to apply our own words to them as we listen.

Favorite Food?

Seafood. I see food, I eat it.

June 1-14, 2007 • Volume 4 • Issue 12

Favorite Movie?

I can’t say that it’s been made yet. However, from what I’ve seen, I’d go with the “Shrek” series, the “Star Wars” sagas, “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “The Italian Job” and “Cabin in the Sky.”

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005

Favorite Book?

I really love that owner’s manual for mankind, the Bible. It gives the Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.

Mail To:

Interested in a subscription? Go to page 14 for more information.

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