06 08 2011 by Street Sense Media

Volume 8: Issue 15 June 8 - 21, 2011

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

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Study shows discrimination in housing choice voucher program

City spending plan restores funding for service programs

ADDRESS 1317 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 PHONE (202) 347 - 2006 FAX (202) 347 - 2166 E-MAIL info@streetsense.org WEB streetsense.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS Lisa Estrada, Ted Henson, Brad Scriber, Michael Stoops, Manas Mohapatra, Sommer Mathis, Kristal Dekleer, Robin Heller, Jeffery McNeil, Jordan Rummel, John Snellgrove, Dameon Philpotts ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Kristal DeKleer

Thrive DC showcases homeless artists

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Ivory Wilson’s last installment of “Nina the Detective” Read all stories online at streetsense.org

Op-Ed: Politics or Politricks?

Vendor supporting his family through Street Sense

WEB EXCLUSIVE

Implications of wage theft and job discrimination in D.C.

Incoming vendor manager on how his Army background influences his work Vendor Profile: Anthony Crawford

A new issue comes out every two weeks, but you can stay connected to Street Sense every day! /streetsense @streetsensedc /streetsensedc Cover art by Simon Girty

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mary Otto MANAGING EDITOR/NEW MEDIA DIRECTOR Lisa V. Gillespie VENDOR AND VOLUNTEER MANAGER Robert Weaver INTERNS Hannah Traverse, Zachary Davidson, Erin Durkin, Ashley Hemmy VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Rhonda Brown, Margaret Chapman, Tracie Ching, James Clarke, Nikki Conyers, Bobby Corrigan, Irene Costigan, Sara Dimmitt, Joe Duffy, Lilly Dymond, Ashley Edwards, Garrett Epps, Rachel Estabrook, Sarah Ficenec, Andrew Gena, Steve Gilberg, Jane Goforth, Jonah Goodman, Roberta Haber, Elia Herman, Cherilyn Hansen, Adam Kampe, Trisha Knisely, Vicki Ann Lancaster, Elle Leech-Black, Lisa Leona, Sean Lishansky, Elsie Oldaker, Katinka Podmaniczky, Mike Plunkett, Willie Schatz, Jesse Smith, Lilly Smith, Mandy Toomey, Brett Topping, Melissa Hough, Kate Sheppard, Marian Wiseman, Kelly Stellrecht, Jane Cave VENDORS Michael Anderson, Charles Armstrong, Jake Ashford, Lawrence Autry, Daniel Ball, Kenneth Belkosky, Tommy Bennett, Reginald Black, Deana Black, Harmon Bracey, Debora Brantley, Andre Brinson, Floarea Caldaras, Conrad Cheek, Theresa Corbino, Avram Cornel, Anthony Crawford, Kwayera Dakari, Louise Davenport, James Davis, Charles Davis, Devon Dawkins, Michael Dawson, Chino Dean, Daivd Denny, Richardo Dickerson, Alvin Dixon El, Charles Eatmon, Richard Emden, Pieus Ennels, Betty Everett, Joshua Faison, Larry Garner, R. George, David Ger, Marcus Green, Barron Hall, Dwight Harris, Lorrie Hayes, Patricia Henry, Shakaye Henry, Derian Hickman, Vennie Hill, Anne Holloway, Phillip Howard, James Hughes, Patricia Jefferson, Carlton Johnson, Donald Johnson, Mark Jones, Evanson Kamau, Mike Leach, Michael Lyons, Johnnie Malloy, Kina Mathis, John C. Matthews, Authertimer Matthews, Charlie Mayfield, Robert McGray, Marvin McFadden, Jermale McKnight, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jeffrey McNeil, Kenneth Middleton, Gary Minter, L. Morrow, Jai Morton, Saleem Muhammad, Tyrone Murray, Darryl Neal, Charles Nelson, James Nelson, Sammy Ngatiri, Evelyn Nnam, Moyo Onibuje, Douglas Pangburn, Franklin Payne, Michael Pennycook, Ash-Shaheed Rabbil, Michael Reardon, Chris Shaw, Veda Simpson, J. Simpson, Patty Smith, Gwynette Smith, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens, Leroy Sturdevant, Beverly Sutton, Sybil Taylor, Paul Taylor, Archie Thomas, Larissa Thompson, Carl Turner, Jacqueline Turner, Joseph Walker, Martin Walker, Robert Warren, Terry Warren, Lawless Watson, Paul Watson, Wendell Williams, Edna Williams, Sherle Williams, Susan Wilshusen, Ivory Wilson, Mark Wolf, Charles Woods, Tina Wright

STREET SENSE June 8 - 21, 2011

NEWS

Charges Dropped Against Wheelchair User By Erin Durkin and Zach Davidson Editorial Interns Charges have been dropped against the wheelchair user whose scuffle with Metro Transit Police was captured on a YouTube video. The May 19 confrontation with the two officers left Dwight Harris, a Street Sense vendor who relies on a wheelchair for mobility, lying face down on the sidewalk grate. According to the Metro police charge report, the “flailing of (Harris’) arms caused the Defendant to fall out of the wheelchair.” However the video appears to show the two officers lifting Harris out of his chair. Originally Harris was charged with assault and having an open alcoholic container in public, but those charges have been dropped, said Harris’s attorney Damon Catacalos. According to U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesperson Bill Miller, there is currently an internal investigation reviewing the incident. Metro spokesperson Dan Stessel said the two officers involved have had their police powers suspended and have been assigned administrative duties. “This is not a disciplinary action. This

happens whenever the attorney’s office is reviewing a case,” he said. An internal investigation was started when police chief Michael Taborn saw the video and had issues with what he saw, according to Metro spokesperson Angela Gates.

Salt Lake City Sees a Rise in Homeless Youth From January to May this year, 903 homeless youths came to the Volunteers of America’s Homeless Youth Resource Center compared to 837 last year. About 42 percent of Utah’s homeless people are gay, which is higher than most places in the U.S., according to Fox News. “For some reason, parents think that once you come out of the closet, you’re different,” said Ginger Phillips with Operation Shine America, which helps LGBT homeless youth. “You get kicked out on the streets. I’ve heard that story over and over and over again.” The Volunteers of America of Utah is working to build a shelter for homeless youth with state and local grants.

Activists Arrested for Feeding Homeless A total of seven members of Orlando Food Not Bombs have been arrested for serving food in Lake Eola Park.

Three group members were arrested in one incident, and then a week later four members were arrested after a separate event, when they served doughnuts and pancakes to about 30 homeless people in Lake Eola Park, the Orlando Sentinel reports. According to a controversial Orlando ordinance, a permit is needed to serve food in the park and groups can only hold events twice a year. “Free speech two times a year? That’s what the ordinance says. I believe in liberty, so I will get arrested if I have to,” 20-year-old Brock Monroe said to the Orlando Sentinel as he was being handcuffed.

Alumna Pays for Homeless Student to Attend Prom A Senn High School alumna who couldn’t attend her prom in 1960 decided to pay for someone who can’t afford it this year. Straight-A student Shanika Harris burst into tears when her principal said alumna Fran Plusker paid for the $120 prom ticket, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The Harris family moved to a Chicago city shelter after they lost their home to foreclosure. Her mother, who suffers from congenital heart failure, is in and out of the hospital.

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 with the idea to start a street paper in Washington, D.C. They saw it as a means of empowering the area’s poor and homeless and decided the paper would cover homelessness and other social issues. After bringing together a core of dedicated volunteers, Street Sense published its first issue in November 2003, printing 5,000 copies. About a dozen vendors sold the first issue of the paper. For the next three years, it was

published monthly as a project of the National Coalition for the Homeless. In October 2004, the organization incorporated and moved into its own office space. In March 2005, Street Sense received 501(c)3 status, becoming a nonprofit organization. In October 2005, Street Sense formed a full board of directors, and in November, the organization hired its first employee, a full-time executive director. A year later, Street Sense hired its first vendor coordinator and began partnering with several service providers. In February 2007, the paper increased the frequency of publication to twice a month.

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New Orleans Group Finds Housing for Homeless UNITY of Greater New Orleans works to place the homeless in housing and has reduced New Orleans’ homeless population by 12 percent since 2009, according to WWLTV. The group continues searching for permanent housing as the homeless population remains at 9,200. “It’s attributable to the effects of Hurricane Katrina – the loss of so much affordable housing, rents that have skyrocketed, the destruction of extended families and neighborhood infrastructures, to rely on sofas to sleep on when money got tight,” said Martha Kegal, exectutive director of Unity, WWLTV reports. UNITY continues to use donations and federal, state and local grants to convert buildings into apartments. Compiled by Ashley Hemmy, from previously published reports.

Vendor Code of Conduct

In order to support the increased production, Street Sense brought on its first full-time editor-in-chief in April. Today, Street Sense has four professionals, more than 100 active vendors and nearly 30,000 copies in circulation each month. The newspaper has become a major source of news for Washingtonians, providing content on issues which often go uncovered by the mainstream media. Street Sense is a member of the National Association of Street Newspapers (NASNA).

YOUR DOLLAR Each vendor makes a personal investment in Street Sense, by purchasing is- Directly sues at a rate of 35 cents per copy. This aids the money helps cover our production and vendor printing costs for the paper, while still allowing the vendors to sell the paper at a low price and substantial profit.

Prom night mirrored a fairy tale as the excited teen went in a donated dress. “I want it to be the one night that we always remember,” she told the Chicago Sun-Times. “The one we can look back and say, ‘That was one of the best days of our life.’”

35% Supports costs

1. I agree not to ask for more than $1 or to solicit donations for Street Sense by other means. 2. I will only purchase the paper from Street Sense staff and will not sell papers to other vendors (outside of the office volunteers). 3. I agree to treat others respectfully. 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 Street Sense. 7. I will not sell Street Sense under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 8. I will stay a block away from another vendor. 9. I understand that my badge is the property of Street Sense and will not deface it. I will display my badge and wear my vest 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.

About 11,000 families are in the Housing Choice Vouchers program and about 35,000 remain on the housing assistance waiting list in D.C. this year.

Vouchers & Discrimination Study puts housing discrimination practices under the microscope By Ellen Gilmer Volunteer Reporter D.C. fair housing advocates are working to call attention to discrimination against residents who use vouchers to subsidize their rent. A near majority of Housing Choice Voucher holders are likely to face discrimination by landlords, a recent report says. At 45 percent, that’s a stride from the 61 percent discrimination rate cited six years ago in a similar study, but still considered by advocates to be staggering. “It won’t ever meet our expectations until those numbers are zero,” said Don Kahl, executive director of the Equal Rights Center (ERC), the civil rights nonprofit that released the report. “It lessens us all when this [discrimination] happens.” Housing Choice Vouchers, formerly known as Section 8, are offered through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and make up the largest federal housing subsidy program. Those in the program contribute 30 percent of their income to rent. The vouchers supplement that amount, with specifications based on income and family size. In the District this year, about 11,000 families are in the program and about 35,000 remain on the housing assistance waiting list, according to the D.C. Housing Authority, which administers the vouchers locally. For the study, “Still in Search of Decent Housing,” ERC staffers posed as apartment hunters seeking to use vouchers. The researchers documented discriminatory behavior by landlords or property management companies in 41 out of 91 cases, in all quadrants of D.C. This ranged from higher rent and extra lease stipulations to the outright refusal to rent to voucher holders. Complete refusal of vouchers happened in 14 of the 91 cases. One landlord, for example, said he “did not believe in vouchers,” according to the report. Linda Couch, senior vice president for policy at the National Low Income Housing Coalition, calls the discrimination ac-

Tonya Gonzalez

This Google map shows Section 8 housing rentals in the NW quadrant. COURTESY ROBERT GOODSPEED

counts “quite flagrant.” “This is not a matter of a misunderstanding [of the law],” she said. “[All the discriminatory behavior] is tantamount to outright refusal.”

Enforcement Needed All this despite the fact that Washing-

ton, D.C. residents are protected by the gold standard in civil rights statutes. The D.C. Human Rights Act of 1977 prohibits housing discrimination based on sex, race, religion, etc.—but also based on source of income. That means turning away prospective tenants based on their reliance on vouchers is just as illegal as turning away a Latino family or Hindu

The landlord community has the responsibility to educate itself to laws and tenants have to be educated about their rights. -Linda Couch, senior vice president for policy at the National Low Income Housing Coalition

couple based on ethnic and religious background. But enforcement of the robust law falls short, says Couch. “There is obviously an understanding among owners that this law doesn’t warrant compliance,” she said, adding that the Human Rights Act is hard to litigate. Local housing discrimination complaints typically fall to the D.C. Office of Human Rights. When a complaint is filed, interviews and an investigation follow. Tonya Gonzalez, public affairs specialist for the office, said most cases are resolved in mediation. Couch says the city should take more proactive measures to address housing discrimination. “I hope that the Office of Human Rights takes this [report] as a call to action,” she said. Gonzalez refused to respond when asked about that statement. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also handles a hefty caseload of complaints. In each of the past five years, HUD has documented more than 10,000 housing discrimination cases, for cited reasons varying from race to disability. Source of income is not tracked as its own category because it is not recognized under federal law as a basis for complaint. HUD often follows up on studies like ERC’s by further testing a “targeted area,” said Maria Bynum, public affairs Continued on Page 5

Because of the lengthy waiting list, it often takes more than six years for a family to receive a housing choice voucher.

Bias Still a Road Barrier Continued from Page 4 director for HUD’s Region 3 office, which includes the District of Columbia. HUD announced in April that the ERC will receive a $325,000 grant to do a broader study of housing discrimination in D.C., with an emphasis on disability and national origin. HUD estimates that millions nationwide face housing discrimination each year but that most incidents are not reported.

Transcending Bias Discrimination against voucher holders stems from a variety of biases. The ERC report blames “stereotypes about the households who participate in public assistance programs.” That sentiment boiled to the surface quickly on the online comment section of a recent Washington Post story about vouchers. Some commenters argued that voucher holders were property “destroyers” and “more trouble than they are worth.” Dena Michaelson, public affairs and communication director for the D.C. Housing Authority, says such perceptions of voucher holders are simply untrue. Because of the lengthy waiting list, families often wait six years or more for a voucher. It is a golden ticket, of sorts, that at least provides housing stability. Michaelson says this makes voucher holders unlikely to squander the provision. If they lose their vouchers and reapply to the program, their names land at the bottom of the waiting list. About 3,500 landlords and property

Dena Michaelson

management companies participate in the program in D.C., and Michaelson says they see benefits from renting to voucher holders. This is because families in the program are usually long-term tenants. Rent payments are reliable, she said, because the housing authority pays the landlords through direct deposit. Gregory Squires, sociology professor and acting chair of the department at George Washington University, worries that source of income discrimination is just another manifestation of racism and ethnic prejudices. At last count, 78 percent of voucher holders in D.C. are racial minorities, according to the report. Kahl, of the Equal Rights Center, hopes the study will play a role in influencing federal and local policy and that the District will “zealously enforce the laws when discrimination is taking place.” The center’s HUD grant will also fund outreach and education programs Gregory Squires to teach landlords and here, no final detenants about fair housing rights. “The landlord community has the re- cisions have been sponsibility to educate itself to laws,” made by the ERC.” In 2005, followsaid Couch, the fair housing advocate. “And tenants have to be educated about ing the last study, the group reached their rights.” The Equal Rights Center has not yet agreements with said whether it will take follow-up legal m o r e t h a n 2 0 action on the new report, or whether it l a n d l o r d s a n d property manwill release company names. “Only where a party refuses to do the agers to ensure right thing would the ERC consider us- apartments are ing an enforcement action either in the open to voucher courts or before an administrative body,” holders. the nonprofit said in a statement. “While we hope that this will not be the case

STREET SENSE June 8 - 21, 2011

Local

About $17 million will be used for housing and shelter support, according to the 2012 city spending plan.

Funds Restored in New Budget By Hannah Traverse Editorial Intern They marched, they rallied and they spoke out against proposed budget cuts that threatened safety net programs. Now, many advocates for the poor and homeless are expressing relief over the preliminary passage of a city spending plan for fiscal year 2012 that restores at least $20 million in funding for human services. The budget, put forward by City Council Chair Kwame Brown and passed in a preliminary vote by the City Council on May 25, puts back $17 million for shelters and housing support in the homeless “continuum of care,” funds that were eliminated under a spending plan submitted by D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray. The approved budget also puts back money for a range of other anti-poverty initiatives while attempting to close a $322 million gap through increased revenues. A final vote on the budget is scheduled for June 14. The advocacy work done by and on behalf of poor and struggling city residents had an impact on budget negotiations, Brown said. He began the May 25 hearing by thanking those who had made their voices heard. “Your comments and concerns were extremely important and helpful. In fact, many of the changes to the mayor’s proposed budget come directly from the responses and suggestions of our citizens,” said Brown. “I’m confident that history will record this budget as a defining moment in this city.” As compared to the mayor’s budget, Brown’s budget increases funding by $7 million to allow homeless shelters to remain open year-round and restores $10 million in funding to provide “continuum of care” services such as supportive housing and rental assistance. Ed Orzechowski, president and CEO of Catholic Charities, praised the restoration of the funding, saying it was crucial to organizations such as his. Catholic Charities currently operates five D.C. emergency shelters. “This is a huge relief for all of us and a big win for our city,” said Orzechowski. “These shelters already operate on very tight budgets to meet even the most basic

HANNAH TRAVERSE I STREET SENSE

Above, advocates and service providers listen to city council budget debates. Many in the crowd were relieved that chairman Kwame Brown’s budget for 2012 will restore many of the funding cuts to human services proposed in Mayor Vincent Gray’s budget. of human needs. Today the council confirmed that we need to be doing more for our homeless neighbors to help them recover.” The chair’s budget also restores $1.5 million for the Interim Disabilities Assistance program, which provides benefits to city residents unable to work who are awaiting federal disabilities benefits. The budget would also delay by one year any further reductions to welfare benefits, known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, to allow time for the program to be reevaluated and for beneficiaries to seek jobs. The council voted to use anticipated new revenues from the city’s economic recovery to further restore funds for programs that help the poor. Kristi Matthews, who attended the budget hearing on behalf of the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development, as well as for the Fair Budget Coalition, expressed her relief over the council’s efforts to revise the budget. “Overall, I would consider this a win, and it’s great there’s a promise for more

in June with revenue coming in,” Matthews said. “I’m happy.” In preliminarily approving Brown’s $10.8 billion budget, the City Council rejected a proposal by the mayor to raise income taxes on wealthy residents, but did vote to approve tax increases on alcohol and parking. Several proposed amendments to the chair’s budget went down to defeat, including a move by Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) to restore the progressive income tax rate, in which the highest tax bracket would see their rates go up from 8.5 percent to 8.9 percent. Graham’s amendment lost in an 8-5 vote in which a majority of council members supported taxing out-of-state municipal bonds as a preferred source of revenue. Also defeated was an amendment, proposed by Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) to put 67 percent of the city’s new revenue toward safety net services, leaving about 33 percent of revenue to go toward rebuilding the city’s fund balance. The amendment lost in a 7-6 vote, thus maintaining Brown’s proposal to put half of new rev-

enue toward safety net services and half toward the fund balance. Because of depletions to the fund balance in recent years, the District’s borrowing for fiscal year 2012 reached $900 million, the highest amount ever. “We need to rebuild our savings,” said Council Member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2). “Back in the early ’90s when I was on this council, we didn’t have savings. When we got in trouble we went bankrupt.” In spite of the relief expressed by many in the audience about the restoration of funds for homeless shelters and other human services, there were those who left the hearing saying the budget for the new year still does not go far enough to address the needs of the city’s poorest residents. “I’m outraged. I’m sad that we even have to come down and advocate,” said Faye Williams, a homelessness activist from Ward 4 and the owner of Sisterspace and Books. “We should not have to beg [the council] to provide money for the homeless. They’re guided by developers, not the residents.”

Globally, around 1.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water and around 2.6 billion people do not have adequate sanitation.

STREET SENSE June 8 - 21, 2011

INTERNATIONAL

Learning the Importance of Handwashing in Senegal By Amanda Fortier Street News Service Think hand washing can’t be fun? Think again. In Senegal, a unique water system offers people an easy, cheap and environmentally friendly way to wash their hands frequently, reducing the spread of hand-borne transmittable diseases. It is recess at Clair Soleil elementary school in Dakar. Young boys and girls are chasing each other around in oversized, faded blue vests, playing in the sandbox, kicking up dirt and pushing their classmates on swings. It is just another school day in what could be any other schoolyard around the world. And then he walks through the front gates. The kids go wild. Like a celebrity, Dr. Benoit Vanhercke is swarmed by an onslaught of clambering. The kids jump up and down and start clapping their hands in tune with a song they have obviously sung countless times before. It has not been that long since Vanhercke paid a visit to the school, and yet the kids are ecstatic. They lead him over to three colorful wrought iron boxes that are filled with water and hang from a mosaic-tiled wall. A young girl named Anta grabs a small bar of brown soap and lathers up her tiny hands with suds. A classmate pulls up and down on the lever three times and a shimmering line of water comes shooting out. The kids cry out with laughter. “Canacler”! Washing up has never been so fun. Canacla is the name of the unique ceramic and wrought iron hand fountains that are popping up in schools, restaurants, hospitals and even outside mosques throughout Dakar. Its name is derived from the word “canari”, which refers to the earthenware jugs commonly used to store water in many parts of Africa, and “clapet” the French word for “valve”. It is the brainchild of Vanhercke’s eldest son, Jacques, who one day pulled his father aside, and with a finger in the sand drew out the design for a system

BENOIT VANHERCKE I STREET NEWS SERVICE

Students from Clair Solei learn how to use the canacla. The children enjoy the procedure: 30 seconds of hand washing while singing and dancing, without wasting water. One of the canacla rules: while being washed, the hands don’t touch anything. that could help Africans around the continent overcome issues of water scarcity and hand-borne transmittable diseases, while reducing environmental impact, using local resources and employing local artisans. “I had been mulling over this problem for 30 years,” admits Vanhercke who specializes in tropical disease and has been working throughout Africa. “I wanted to address issues of public health and sanitation in Africa in a way that is convenient, cheap and good for the environment.” The Canacla system may possibly offer such a solution. According to Benoit, by strategically placing the canaclas in convenient places, people do not need to think twice about washing their hands “at the right moment”. But they also have to make lathering a conscious act.

Benoit says it takes 30 seconds to correctly free the hands of the bad bacteria. “But the water doesn’t stay running at this point,” says Vanhercke as he scoops up a chunk of Marseille soap and begins vigorously rubbing his hands together. “Normally we use up to 3 liters of water every time we wash our hands,” he explains. “The amount of water it takes to wash with the canacla is 30 times less than with a tap. This is important because it means water conservation, but it also reduces the overall cost and is more hygienic.” When his hands have been rinsed, Vanhercke shakes them about in the air and brings them up to his ears as he quickly rubs his fingers together. A squeak, squeak sound rings out. “The sound of happy hands,” he says,

with a big grin. The kids follow suit, each passing the soap around and taking turns lifting the lever. They dry their hands in the air flecking drops at one other. Leonie Sadio, assistant director at Clair Soleil, looks on in approval. She says since they brought in the five canaclas, in 2007, she has seen a change in the kids’ habits. “For us, the main issue is educational,” says Sadio. “Today we talk a lot about sustainable development and water plays an integral part in this process. The lack of water in Africa is a problem that we have to tackle, and one of the ways we can do this is by educating them about the importance of water conservation. It’s also about hygiene and if we start them young they have a greater chance of continuing these habits when they are older.”

STREET SENSE June 8 - 21, 2011

ARTS

Going Outside “Homelessness” With Art

Creating art at Thrive DC offers an outlet for clients By Hannah Traverse Editorial Intern

PHOTOS BY HANNAH TRAVERSE

Above, “The Big Dream,” a painting by Yohonny “Pedro” Galindo, a participant in Thrive D.C.’s art therapy program for the homeless and disadvantaged. Pedro is one of the many members of the Art Group who never had the opportunity to try art before coming to Thrive, but has come to enjoy painting as a relaxing pastime.

Once breakfast is cleared away and the tables are scrubbed, out come the art supplies: a rolling trolley laden with paint, freshly sharpened colored pencils, markers and crayons. This is just another morning at Thrive DC. Art therapy is among the long list of services Thrive DC provides for the city’s homeless and disadvantaged. Along with two daily meals, showers, laundry facilities and job training, Thrive DC, located at St. Stephen and the Incarnation Church in Columbia Heights, has been holding “Art Group” meetings up to four times a week since the fall of 2010. “Some people really blossom and make it their own,” said Nathan Mishler, volunteer and community resources manager at Thrive. Mishler says Art Group allows him and other staff members to better know some of their shyer clients. “It’s just a good way for them to express themselves–any frustrations they may have.” The program started with the guidance of Jessica Girard, an intern at Thrive studying art therapy as a graduate student at George Washington University (GW). With the help of ArtWorks, an advocacy group at GW that provides art workshops for the homeless, Girard was able to obtain supplies for Art Group. In the past, ArtWorks has put pieces from Art Group for sale online, providing a potential source of income for the artists involved. At Thrive, the majority of members don’t want to sell their art. “They’re creating art for themselves,” said Girard. Each hour-and-a-half session tends to draw six to eight people. Many come from off the streets or from various city shelters. Participants, ranging in age from 18 to 86, represent a wide range of skill; some participants have never had the opportunity to create art, while others consider themselves art-

ists. From May 23 to May 27, however, all who were interested could display their work in the Art Group show in the corner of Thrive DC’s dining room. “We tell people it doesn’t matter what their work ends up looking like. What matters is that you put yourself out there and you tried,” said Girard. “They feel such a sense of accomplishment.” One of the more experienced members of Art Group is Maxine Avyomicole, known at Thrive as Ms. Maxine. With a B.A. from the University of the District of Columbia in art education and advertising design, Ms. Maxine taught art classes in D.C. public elementary schools for some 30 years before having to retire due to illness. “Everyone is a creative individual. You know, art is the beginning of everything,” said Ms. Maxine. “[Art] takes my mind off my pain, off the daily stuff we have to deal with.” Ms. Maxine cheerfully shows others how to create one of the projects she once taught her students, all the while rattling off the names of her favorite artists, “Salvador Dali, Gauguin, Matisse…” Tacked up in the art show is a series of paintings titled “The Big Dream.” They each carefully depict scenes from a little town surrounded by lush, green mountains. The artist is Yohonny “Pedro” Galindo, an immigrant from Honduras who has lived in America for seven years. Pedro had never painted before coming to Art Group, but his work suggests the skill of someone who has known art his whole life. His profile from the show states that he “likes art because it allows him to relax his mind and focus.” Relaxation seems to be the most appealing aspect of Art Group for many of the participants. One such participant, 49-year-old John Pitt, colored in a sheet of paper with markers while his clothes were drying. “I’m just doodling,” said Pitt. “It’s

Above, artwork created by members of the Thrive DC Art Group was on display in the Thrive dining room during the week of May 23rd. Right, a piece created by Thrive Art Group member Maxine Avyomicole, a former D.C. elementary school art teacher who found herself homeless after needing to retire due to health complications.

just something to pass the time.” Girard will finish her Thrive DC internship soon, but she hopes someone will be around to keep Art Group going. “Everyone can come, everyone can experiment,” said Girard. “Art has become really important in the lives of some of these individuals.”

10 10 NINA THE DETECTIVE: PART 3

Fiction

Harry has the Last Word,Case Closed By Ivory Wilson Vendor Summary of Part 1: Nina is a tough and gorgeous police detective. She has lived with her grandparents for many years, since her father died and her mother Stephanie, a stripper, was murdered. One evening she’s sitting at her desk in the police station, examining a file on a cold case, when she senses that a fellow detective, an old-timer named Warren, does not want her to look further into this particular death, labeled Jane Doe. Warren was the officer who declared Jane Doe’s death a suicide. She decides she is not going to let this case go unsolved. Summary of Part 2: At home that night, Nina realizes the dead woman in the photo looks like her mother. She rushes back to the police department to take another look at the file, but it is missing from her desk. She sees Warren driving away. The next day Nina goes looking near Clark Street for Shagg Nasty, a small time crook she sometimes leans on for information. She sees Shagg making a drug sale, commandeers a taxi from its driver, and tricks Shagg into getting into the back seat so that she can question him about the murder. To avoid being arrested, Shagg gives her some information; Shagg tells her that the motel where the unsolved murder happened, 15 years ago, was a place where cops used to go to get their freak on. The night of the murder, Shagg saw an old cop leaving, before some other police came to investigate. Nina thought, That old cop that Shagg saw near the murder scene could be Warren. The taxi driver drove up in Nina’s car, stopped, and said, “OK. Can I have my taxi back?” Nina said, “I’m coming. Keep your pants on.” The taxi driver got out of Nina’s car and Nina got out of the taxi driver’s car. They walked past each other and when the taxi driver was passing Nina he put his hand on

her ass. Shagg Nasty saw the move and covered his face with his hands. Nina turned, took the taxi driver by the arm a ippe him o his a i to the street. Shagg laughed and said, “Ouch. She has done that to me.” Nina ot i her ar p t it i first ear a peeled out, shifting gears. Nina drove to Motel 6, got out of her car and went inside. She pulled out her badge and asked the man behind the desk what his name was. He told her it was Murray. Nina said, “Murray, I’m investigating a 15-year-old homicide.” Murray looked at Nina strangely and said, “Lady, this motel has changed owners four times in 15 years. All the records from that far back have been destroyed or lost.” Nina thought, Well, that was a shot in the dark. She said, “Thank you, Murray.” She went out of the motel to her car. Her pager went off and then her car phone sounded. It was Warren. He asked, “I’m at the epartme t i aptai ewto s offi e. We have a homicide on the waterfront. Lake Shore Drive. Where are you?“ Nina said, “I’m on Clark Street. I’ll be at the Department in eight minutes. Warren said, “Good. I’ll be standing out front waiting for you.” Nina hung up, drove to the Department and stopped. Warren got into her car. Nina drove away. She asked, “Do we know the victim’s name?” Warren smiled and said, “Yes.” He looked at Nina and said, “The victim’s name is Tyrone Petersen, a.k.a. Shagg Nasty. He was shot multiple times.” Nina closed her eyes and thought, Warren, you bastard! Then she thought, Shagg, I’m so sorry I got you killed. Nina knew Warren had been following her. Playing it like it didn’t matter, she asked, “Were there any witnesses to the shooting?” Warren said, “No. And I believe he was one of your snitches. Am I right?” Nina looked at Warren and said, “Yes.” She drove up to the waterfront park and they got out of her car and walked over to Shagg Nasty’s body. The police were on the scene blocking off the area. Warren looked down at Shagg Nasty’s body and said, “People like that scum don’t know when to keep their mouths shut.”

KELSEY OSTERMAN, STREET SENSE

Nina said, “Is that what got him killed, Warren? Shaggie didn’t know how to keep his mouth shut?” She said, “I think Shagg saw you, Warren, leaving the Motel 6 the night that woman was murdered, before the police on duty got there.” Warren was so bad - he wanted to take out his gun and shoot her right there. Nina could see it in his eyes. She walked away, got into her car, and started the engine. She looked at Warren, shifted i to first ear a p lle off spi i the tires like she was drag racing. Nina slowed her car down. She thought Should I go to Captain Newton with this? But she didn’t have proof. Nina knew that now Warren would try to kill her, before she could get to Captain Newton. One hour later Nina looked in her rearview mirror and saw Warren following her. Nina mashed the clutch and shifted into third gear. She pressed on it, came to a corner, slowed a little going into the turn, and went back up to fourth. She came up on a stop sign and stopped. Warren turned the corner behind her and Nina pulled off with Warren following her, going around cars, shifting gears, ducking i a o t of traffi . he stoppe at a traffi li ht. here were some cars between her and Warren. She saw the interstate ahead and peeled out again, heading for the freeway. Eventually, she saw an exit and she took it, but going down the ramp she saw that Warren was still behind her. She drove to

an abandoned industrial area and parked. She got out of her car, pulled out the long-barreled handgun she called Harry, and waited for Warren. Warren saw Nina standing by the building and he pulled out his gun. He shot at her until the gun was empty, missing her. He drove around the building, picking up speed, turned the corner, and headed straight for the metal building that she stood behind. Nina jumped out from behind the building, stood in the middle of the street, pointed her gun and pulled the trigger, hitting Warren’s windshield. He lost control of his car and it hit a pile of iro pipes. he ar ippe o er a Warren crawled out of the window on his knees. Nina walked over to him, pointing Harry at his head. Warren, still on his knees, leaned back on his car and said, “I didn’t mean to kill Stephanie, your mother.” Nina started to cry. Warren said, “We were having an affair. I was married at the time, but dating a stripper. I wanted to break it off. Stephanie said no, that if I broke it off she would tell my wife about us. I could not let that happen.” Warren reached down his leg for his backup gun strapped to his ankle. Nina saw him and said, “You son of a...” She pulled the trigger of her own and killed him. Nina put Harry back in her shoulder holster. Harry was still smoking.

STREET SENSE June 8 - 21, 2011

Testimony to the Non-Believer I had no way to get to New Jersey to be with him. Fortunately, I ran into one of my Street Sense customers and told him that my dad Nine years ago I was sick, and he offered to drive fell into the abyss. me to New Jersey. We went to my There were many father’s apartment in Asbury Park. reasons I wanted to He looked awful—his leg was swolleave my father, and len, he was vomiting blood from inlooking back I beternal bleeding, and he could not lieve it was the best go to the bathroom. But he didn’t thing for me. If I had want to return to the hospital. stayed with him in New Jersey I would It was a tough I took the first bus to have ended up in an situation. I drove alinsane asylum or I most six hours to see Ohio, where I was would have commitmy dad dying, and he reunited with my ted suicide. didn’t want to seek relatives. I remembered c a r e . I c a l l e d m y So I came to Washthere were people who uncle, who was close ington and tried to start my life over. to him, and told him cared about me. And I had no contact about the situation. with my family until He convinced my fa2008, when, by chance, at Dupont Circle, ther to go to the hospital, so my friend I met a church group from my mother’s and I drove him to the emergency room hometown in Ohio that happened to be and stayed there with him for almost 8 visiting D.C. They located my aunt, and hours. on Christmas day I heard from her for the He was in intensive care, but eventually first time si e m mother passe awa i stabilized and is now at home resting. I 1992. Upon hearing her voice, I literally am distressed, though, about his ongoing ro e ow a rie . too the first s battles with doctors and hospitals. I am to Ohio, where I was reunited with my rel- not wealthy, nor am I living near enough to atives. I remembered there were people take care of him. Among his last requests who cared about me. is that tr to fi m o er rother. Then I began to look for my father. Honestly, I had been afraid to look for Eventually, I was able to reach my 94-year- my brother. I feared he might be dead. old grandfather for the first time in 30 For years I dealt with guilt and depression years. I was so happy to be connected over my brother. I abused tranquilizers once again to my father’s side of the fam- because I didn’t want to have nightmares ily, though none of them knew where to about him. fi m father. But as I was preparing to leave New In January 2009 I found him. I got an e- Jersey and heading home I decided to mail from my uncle telling me my father check a few emails. In my inbox I found a was in the hospital, alive, but struggling message from my brother. I was so overwith prostate problems. joyed—it felt like a manhole cover had The two years since I have reconnected been lifted off of me. with my father have been extremely emoIt turns out that he lives in New Jersey, tional for me. He has been in and out of not far from my father. I found out that my hospitals. Every day I fear I’m going to brother is also a writer, and has currently get a phone call with bad news about him. been sober for 90 days. I now feel relieved On May 22, 2011, I was at the farmer’s that there is somebody close by who can market in Dupont Circle when I got one of keep an eye on him. I look forward to visthose distressing calls. My father called, iting him soon, and I am convinced that informing me that he might need to be re- there is a God! admitted to the hospital. I wept, because

By e ery Vendor

Op-Ed

Politics = Politricks?

c eil

Planning Committee, and the advocacy community put into creating Concerning the mayor a process to move and the recent budget people out of process, many questions homelessness has come to mind. been lost because What was won by of a new mayor those of us who advocatand his budget. ed for funding for human Now everyone services? Did we really is supposed to feel win at all? Was the maygood about being or’s budget just a shell game between the city council and able to keep shelters open during the mayor? Was it really just politics non-hypothermia seasons, maintainas usual, political theater, giving ev- ing some services. All the time and eryone a chance to say how hard the taxpayer money spent putting a profi ht was a tha ea h other for cess in place has been lost. No one even spoke on it during the budget their hard work? I once asked a homeless friend hearing. The one time someone comwhat he thought about some of the mented on the proposed intake cenpeople who were elected to serve ter during public comment period of us. His comment was “politics, po- ICH he was disrespected by the city litricks, what’s the use? They’re all administrator Mr. Lew. If no one else is going to ask the question, “What going to hell.” happened to the After sitWhen will we learn, the c e n t r a l i n t a k e ting in the Wilson Buildfirst part of moving peo- center plan?” The plan took ing and lisple to self-sufficiency is two years to fortening to all a stable living place and mulate and was the council case management. moving forward. members We were startcongratuing to connect lating the the dots so that advocacy community and the other concerned people would not be falling through citizens in the community on coming the cracks. We would begin to do out and speaking out on the mayor’s better with city tax dollars and not budget, and how it made a big dif- see families and individuals accessing ference, I couldn’t help but wonder multiple city services costing the city was this a lot of politricks at hand? more money. he will we lear the first part It just didn’t feel like the money and the plan we need to move people out of mo i people to self s ffi ie of homelessness and joblessness was is a stable living place and case manever addressed. We are right where agement. The shell games and poliwe’ve been and all the gains we have tics as usual will only make things made with the stimulus dollars are worse for the most needy people in our city. getting ready to be lost. Maybe it is as my homeless friend We still don’t have a local and federal government that is willing to said, “What’s the use, politics, poconnect the dots. All the time and litricks, they’re all going to hell, the work that the Interagency Council door is open.” on Homelessness (ICH) -Strategic

By Robert Warren Vendor

STREET SENSE June 8 - 21, 2011

Funnies

BARNEY & CLYDE IS A COMIC STRIP ABOUT AN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN A HOMELESS MAN AND A TYCOON. IT’S ABOUT OUR MODERN, POLARIZED ECONOMY OF HAVES AND HAVE-NOTS. IT RE-EXAMINES TRADITIONAL MEASURES OF SUCCESS, FAILURE, AND THE NATURE OF HAPPINESS.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: GENE WEINGARTEN IS A COLLEGE DROPOUT AND THE NATIONALLY SYNDICATED HUMOR COLUMNIST FOR THE WASHINGTON POST. DAN WEINGARTEN IS A FORMER COLLEGE DROPOUT AND A CURRENT COLLEGE

STREET SUDOKU By David Rubin Vendor

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STUDENT MAJORING IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. MANY THANKS TO GENE WEINGARTEN AND THE WASHINGTON POST WRITER’S GROUP FOR ALLOWING STREET SENSE TO RUN BARNEY & CLYDE.

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all people are

Welcome

here

Join us in worship on Sundays at 9:30 am, 11:00 am, 5:30 pm Homeless Outreach Hospitality Fridays at 9:00 _____________________________

Foundry United Methodist Church A Reconciling Congregation 1500 16th Street NW | Washington DC | 20036 202.332.4010 | foundryumc.@foundryumc.org

www.foundryumc.org

Our News

No more “One Paycheck Away” By ichael Davidson Vendor My wife, Nema, and I were living in a drug recovery program. On leaving the program, we were lesse to fi a room. t we were not sure how we would pay the rent. Thank God for Street Sense. Now Nema and I both sell the paper. It has allowed us to be responsible and keep a roof over our heads and take care of our daughter. Selling Street Sense allows me to meet all kinds of people. I am learning that life is not to be taken for granted because the way the economy is, one day you are up and the next day you are homeless. The way I see it, lots of people are just one paycheck away from being homeless. I continue to strive forward and pray that one day I will be back working full time so my family and I will not have to worry about being homeless anymore. I thank vendor Charles Woods for introducing me to Street Sense. And I speak for my family in saying thank you for reading Street Sense.

Let There be Light False Promises By ichael ee Vendor

a hews

Today’s date is Monday the 18th of April 2011. I no longer smoke, drink or use drugs. I have been clean for more than 30 years! It has been six years a fi e mo ths of homeless ess. t is not easy or comfortable living in a homeless shelter, nor is it easy to get yourself out of this “lifestyle.” Any time spent living in a shelter is a long time. Thank you to Dallas Williams and Ted Joseph, and the Department of Human Services, the D.C. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the D.C. Housing Authority, the Department of Veteran Affairs and the HUD-VASH program. I am so very thankful and indebted to these two gentlemen and the government departments they represent. It is thanks to them that I am no

By Barron Hall Vendor

longer an innocent, unjustifiable, very low-income and homeless veteran in my hometown. They rescued me. My situation is so much better at this time in my life. It is such a blessing to have a place to go to at the end of the day.

We of the homeless community don’t have too many choices when it comes to housing. Most of the Section 8 housing is in drug- or gang-infested hoods. These hoods are most dangerous to seniors, women and disabled people who can’t protect themselves. I just happen to be a 63-year-old ex-soldier who won’t just lie down. It’s a shame that poor, defenseless people in this country have to live in fear like we do. The United States commits itself to protecting the whole world before it commits to protecting the real American people. If I were living in Israel or Saudi Arabia or Europe, there would be soldiers on every corner. I’m tired of seeing my people being taken advantage of. Do I

have to come to the point of enough is enough and do the job our paid police are supposed to be doing? Do I have to become a mercenary contract police for hire like the United States government is using? his o tr rafte me to fi ht a no-win war. I wonder what would the ones whose names you so proudly put on a wall do, knowing that they died for a country that has fake ideals, and that stands up for some but is manure in the face to many? A lot of times I wish I had died in the country that I fought to save, instead of coming back to a place that I’m ashamed of. So many young American sons gave their lives for nothing. The people we went to protect ended up with more opportunities than us veterans have been offered. I mean, whose freedom did we go to protect and whose lives are better? Surely, not ours. Surely, not those who died so disrespectfully in filthy rice paddies in the muck, face up and face down. If not for the grace of God, I would not be here.

14 Our News

Education Helps Sobriety By Erin Durkin Editorial Intern

Long-time vendor Reaches Goal On May 11, 2011 at 10:00 a.m., James Davis, vendor number 20, met his goal of selling 75,000 papers. The journey took him seven and a half years, and now, he says, he is looking forward to reaching 100,000. “Thank you all for making this a reality and could have not been accomplished with-

out the support of my customers and their generosity,” said Davis. o e attor e i har a fiel o ht the th paper. a fiel sai a is is a great salesman and I like to get a sense of what’s going on in the streets.

Grilling for Good By Robert Weaver Vendor and Volunteer Manager On Thursday night, June 2nd, the HR Source Foundation, an affiliate of HR Source, a professional services firm, held its inaugural grill-off, silent auctio a wi e tasti to e efit lo al charities, including Street Sense. The event featured a competiton among rill masters who fire p their oals to ie for first se o thir a eople’s Choice awards. Their entrees were judged by a panel of professional chefs. Street Sense was honored to be represented by grill master Curtis Edwards, who said he was proud to be cooking for the newspaper and looking forward to a continual partnership. Despite his excellent grilling skills, Edwards did not win the grill-off but the foundation awarded Street Sense with a consolation prize of $500. And the food was absolutely delicious.

ocated in pper arlboro aryland, this historic house, Billingsley ouse useum, was the scene of the une charity grill o , silent auction and wine tasting event.

Street Sense vendor Tommy Bennett celebrated his eight-year anniversary of sobriety on May 27. Reaching that milestone was wonderful, and it came at nearly the same time as another achievement; an award from the Literacy Volunteers and Advocates program (LVA). LVA is a local nonprofit organization that provides classes for adults in the D.C. area who are illiterate. Bennett received the award for participating in LVA classes for one year. This puts him one step closer to getting his GED. “It is important for me to get my GED because I could say I accomplished that. I went back to school and I did something positive,” said Bennett. When he was young, Bennett confessed that he did not recognize the importance of education. He recalls being told, “The mind is a terrible thing to waste,” but he did not understand why school was importa t. e ett oi e the arm efore he fi ishe s hool a served in Vietnam. Now that he is older, Bennett said earning his GED would not only be important for a potential career, but to assist in his sobriety as well. “My drug counselor told me it is important to do something, to ha e a pla a sta s he sai . o m pla is to fi ish s hool. e ett first starte e perime ti with r s whe he was years old, and after he served in Vietnam he turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with the depression that ensued. He tried to stay off drugs before, but relapsed after one year. “Being sober means giving up people, old places, and things I used to do,” he said. “I know what my old friends are still doing and I can’t let them bring me down.” Bennett said that even after eight years, it is still a big challenge to remain sober. Though he does not get high anymore, he said that when he is not busy, he is consumed by what he calls “sick thinking.” “It is when I think about the things I used to do and how it made me feel, which is why I have to stay away from certain people because it only takes one time and I could lose everything,” he said. Eventually Bennett would like to be a drug counselor or a volunteer for those who are still suffering from addiction. He said that the knowledge he gained from becoming sober needs to be passed on to others. “The key is if you don’t pick it up and use it, then it won’t bother you,” he said.

STREET SENSE June 8 - 21, 2011

Service Spotlight: New York Avenue Shelter By Erin Durkin Editorial Intern The New York Avenue Men’s Emergency Shelter, a Catholic charity run by the Archdiocese of Washington, provides shelter to homeless men who need a place to sleep. Every night, the shelter opens its doors at 7:00 p.m., allowing men above the age of 18 to come in. Beds with sheets are availa le o a first ome first ser e asis. Beyond offering a place to sleep, the shelter also provides soap, towels, lotion, a shower and a change of clothes. In the evening, a hot meal is served and in the morning a snack is offered to each man before he leaves. In an effort to help the men move out of homelessness, men staying at the New York Avenue have access to case managers who help them seek and keep jobs and learn how to manage their money. Two programs run by the shelter are also focused upon these goals. An employment program helps men who already have jobs to save enough money to move into permanent

DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH ACCESS HOTLINE 1-888-7WE HELP (1-888-793-4357) www. foo fi er.or

SHELTER Calvary Women’s Services 110 Maryland Avenue, NE offi e (202) 289-2111 (shelter) www.calvaryservices.org Central Union Mission (Men) 1350 R Street, NW (202) 745–7118, www.missiondc.org Open Door Shelter (Women) 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 393–1909 www.newhopeministriesdc.org/id3.html Community of Hope (Family) 1413 Girard Street, NW (202) 232–7356,www.communityofhopedc.org Covenant House Washington (Youth) 2001 Mississippi Avenue, SE (202) 610–9600, www.covenanthousedc.org John Young Center (Women) 119 D Street, NW (202) 639–8469, www.catholiccharitiesdc.org

housing. A work detail program allows clients to work in the shelter for part of the day and then meet with a case worker to arrange employment outside of the shelter. Both programs give clients 24-hour access to the shelter. The shelter runs a clothing store where clients may receive clothes for free. The store relies on donations from the community and accepts clothing suitable for a variety of needs, including job interviews. Unity Health Care, a program that provides health services to homeless people in the District., works on-site at the shelter Monday through Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Unity provides primary health care to men, HIV testing, psychiatric services, TB screenings, services for substance abuse, and medical referrals. The New York Avenue Shelter receives funding from the Archdiocese of Washington but also depends upon donations and volunteers. The shelter can be contacted at (202) 8322359.

My Sister’s Place PO Box 29596, Washington, DC 20017 offi e (202) 529-5991 (24-hour hotline) N Street Village (Women) 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060, www.nstreetvillage.org Samartian Inns 2523 14th St., NW (202) 667 - 8831 http://www.samaritaninns.org/home/ New York Ave Shelter (Men 18+) 1355–57 New York Avenue, NE (202) 832–2359

FOOD Charlie’s Place 1830 Connecticut Avenue, NW (202) 232–3066 www.stmargaretsdc.org/charliesplac Church of the Pilgrims (Sundays only) 2201 P Street, NW (202) 387–6612, www.churchofthepilgrims.org Thrive DC Breakfast served Mon.-Fri., 9:30-11 a.m. Dinner for women and children, Mon.-Fri., 3-6 p.m.

Community Service St. Stephens Parish Church 1525 Newton St, NW (202) 737–9311, www.thrivedc.org

www.georgetownministrycenter.org Martha’s Table 2114 14th Street, NW (202) 328–6608, www.marthastable.org

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

Rachel’s Women’s Center 1222 11th Street, NW (202) 682–1005, www.ccdsd.org/howorwc.php

Miriam’s Kitchen 2401 Virginia Avenue, NW (202) 452–8089, www.miriamskitchen.org

Sasha Bruce Youthwork 741 8th Street, SE (202) 675–9340, www.sashabruce.org

The Welcome Table Church of the Epiphany 1317 G Street, NW (202) 347–2635, http://www.epiphanydc. org/ministry/welcometbl.htm

So Others Might Eat (SOME) 71 “O” Street, NW (202) 797–8806; www.some.org

MEDICAL RESOURCES

Academy of Hope GED Center 601 Edgewood Street, NE (202) 269-6623, www.aohdc.org

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 1640 Good Hope Road, SE (202) 561–8587, www.breadforthecity.org Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW (202) 364–1419, www.cchfp.org Bethany Women’s Center 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060, www.nstreetvillage.org Father McKenna Center 19 Eye Street, NW (202) 842–1112 Friendship House 619 D Street, SE (202) 675–9050, www.friendshiphouse.net Georgetown Ministry Center 1041 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (202) 338–8301

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Catholic Community Services 924 G Street, NW (202) 772–4300, www.ccs–dc.org D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW (202) 347–8870, www.dccfh.org Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW www. s .or Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW (202) 332–4010, www.foundryumc.org Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men) 810 5th Street, NW (202) 842–1731, www.grm.org Hermano Pedro Day Center 3211 Sacred Heart Way, NW (202) 332–2874 www. s .or fi ser i es JHP, Inc. 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 544–9126, www.jobshavepriority.org Samaritan Ministry 1345 U Street, SE 1516 Hamilton Street, NW (202) 889–7702, www.samaritanministry.org

SHELTER HOTLINE: 1–800–535–7252

VENDOR PROFILE: ANTHONY CRAWFORD

THE LAST WORD

Sense of Duty

Not a Job, but a Joy By achary Davidson Editorial Intern

By Robert Weaver Incoming Vendor Manager

Anthony Crawford, vendor number six, has been selling Street Sense since the newspaper got its start, back in 2005. Crawford became homeless after his grandmother died in 2000. He was sleeping and panhandling on the corner of 15th Street and I Street when a young lady asked him if he had ever heard about Street Sense. To Crawford this was the opportunity he needed. “I didn’t like panhandling. If you have the will to panhandle you have the will to sell newspapers,” said Crawford. For Crawford, the best part of selling the paper is “meeting people.” “A happy person attracts happy people,” he says. “They know they are going to get a ‘good morning’ from me.” wo l t sa this is a i e to fi e job,” Crawford continues. “I would say this is a joy to make people smile. If I miss one day selling Street Sense I hear about it the next day from the people that missed me.” Crawford also enjoys working for the National Coalition for the Homeless, which has allowed him to become an advocate for his community, correcting stereotypes and connecting people to needed services. According to Crawford, most people who walk by homeless people view them with ignorance, assuming that they are all drunks. Crawford said, “It’s not always that they give up on life, sometimes life gave up on them. Some people live hand to mouth and they could eas-

Loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, personal courage: these are the seven values of the United States Army, the values drilled into my head day one of basic training. My name is Robert J. Weaver. I am a Lieutenant in the United States Army. The values I listed are values I do my best to live by. They must be applied while serving in uniform, as a father and husband, and while serving as the new vendor/volunteer manager at Street Sense. Here I have the honor of one-on-one interactions with both our dedicated volunteers and our hard-working vendors. I am inundated with men and women of various ages, races, and experiences who surprise me every day with new demonstrations of the Army values. Just a few of many rewarding examples include the following:

ily become homeless. We have doctors, lawyers and veterans out here.” Crawford sells Street Sense near Dupont Circle at 19th and M Street, between 7:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Fun Facts about Anthony Where do you see yourself in five years? In my own house, married with a couple of kids. Fa v o r i t e m u s i c ? J a z z . K e n n y G especially. Favorite food? Any seafood, but I love shrimp. Favorite movie? “Die Hard” Favorite author? Sidney Sheldon

June 8 - 21, 2011• Volume 8 • Issue 16 Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Washington, DC

Street Sense 1317 G Street,

ashington, DC

Permit #568

Mail To: Remember, only buy from badged

vendors and do not give to those panhandling with one paper. Interested in a subscription? Go to page 14 for more information.

Selfless Service This one is saved especially for our volunteers. There are a special handful of volunteers, without whom, I do not know how this transition would have been possible for me. Street Sense volunteers sacrifice several hours throughout each week to work with o r e ors a eep the offi e running. They are the back bone to this organization and their role will soon expand even further. All of this they do without much public recognition and I am grateful. Integrity Integrity is to do what is right, legally and morally, even when no one is watching. We now have over 400 registered vendors. It is quite the task to follow every single vendor to see if they are following the Street Sense guidelines. Therefore, we rely on their integrity and, despite a few occurrences, our vendors have proven trustworthy. Just the other day I received a great phone call from a kind lady praising a polite and personable vendor who was selling near the supermarket she frequents.This is a great example of how our vendors

represent Street Sense well. Personal Courage Personal courage is to face fear, danger, or adversity and you can count on adversity to be a part of every vendor’s day-to-day operations. Citizens across America have severe opinions about what homeless men and women are and they have no problem expressing these harsh opinions to our vendors on the street. Despite such adversity, our vendors remember that the Street Sense paper exists to rid these perceptions and in good time all will learn that homelessness is a stage in life that anyone of us can experience. Duty It is our duty to the nation that when we see something wrong in society we do not walk by with our ear phones blasting and our heads looking down to avert our eyes. Everyone working for or with Street Sense believe it is their duty to spread awareness across Washington, D.C. I am proud to join an organization that displays the very values that guide our soldiers in war. I promise to follow the example Street Sense has set and look forward to the further impact we can make in our neighborhoods. I am thankful to Street Sense staff, volunteers, and vendors for their guidance during my transition and especially thankful to my wife, Christine, and daughter, Lilly, for their continual love and support.