06 10 2009 by Street Sense Media

S treetS ense.org

June 10 - June 23, 2009

Where the poor and homeless June 10 - June 23, 2009

earn and give their two cents

D STE GE ON G S U N AT I DO

Volume 6 Issue 16

65 cents for the Vendor

35 cents for production of the paper

The Chain Reaction of Poverty Beloved Clinic Founder Retires Page 4

Shelter Building Future Debated Page 12 and 13

An interview with Pulitzer Prize Winning Author David Shipler, see page 5

Vendor for A Day Highlights Page 14

June 10 - June 23, 2009

1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 347–2006 Fax: (202) 347–2166 info@streetsense.org www.streetsense.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kristal DeKleer Lisa Estrada Ted Henson Mary Lynn Jones Sommer Mathis Brad Scriber John Snellgrove Michael Stoops Martin Walker David Walker Kathy Whelpley EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Laura Thompson Osuri EDITOR–IN–CHIEF Mary Otto VENDOR MANAGER Gregory Martin ASSOCIATE EDITOR David S. Hammond (volunteer) VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS

Sherry Antoine, Laura Arico, Robert Basler, Robert Blair, John Brandt, Jane Cave, Carol Cummings, Rebecca Curry, Katie Edson, Andy Freeze, Lisa Gillespie, Cassandra Good, Joanne Goodwin, Roberta Haber, Erica Hall, Carol Hannaford, Justin Herman, Annie Hill, Dan Horner, Phillip Hoying, Kayne Karnbach, Michael Kelly, Maurice King, Geof Koss, Brenda K. Lee-Wilson, Starlett McNeill, Kim O’Connor, Gabriel Okolski, Robert Orifici, Michael O’Neill, Jon Pattee, Katinka Podmankzy, Sarah Pope, Diane Rusignola, Cara Schmidt, Jamie Schuman, Jesse Smith, Christna Sturdivant, Matthew Taylor, Robert Trautman, Eugene Versluysen, Linda Wang, Denise Wilkins, Marian Wiseman, Corrine Yu

VENDORS

Jake Ashford, Lawrence Autry, Glenn Baldwin, Daniel Ball, Carlie Banks, Kenneth Belkosky, Tommy Bennett, Phillip Black, Reginald Black, Corey Bridges, Michael Brown, Bobby Buggs, Melody Byrd, Cliff Carle, Conrad Cheek, Aaron Conner, Pamela Cooper, Anthony Crawford, Louise Davenport, James Davis, Chino Dean, David Denny, Ricardo Dickerson, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Jerome Douglas, Charles Eatmon, Eric Ellis, Randy Evans, Tanya Franklin, Samuel Fullwood, Roger Garner, Robert Gregory, Barron Hall, David Harris, Dwight Harris, John Harrison, Patricia Henry, Shawn Herring, Michael Higgs, Philip Howard, Lester Irby, Joanna Jackson, Patricia Jefferson, Jewell Johnson, Carlton Johnson, Donald Johnson, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, DeRutter Jones, Clinton Kilpatrick, Brenda Lee-Wilson, Michael Lyons, Kina Mathis, John Matthews, Charlie Mayfield, Herman Mayse, Robert McCray, Jermale McKnight, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jeffery McNeil, Virginia Moore, L. Morrow, Tyrone Murray, Charles Nelson, Sammy Ngatiri, Evelyn Nnam, Larry Olds, Moyo Onibuje, Gregory Phillips, Thomas Queen, Ash-Shaheed Rabbil, Michael Reardon, Jeanette Richardson, Tyrone Rogers, Ed Ross, Chris Shaw, Veda Simpson, Patty Smith, Gerald Smith, Yvette Smith, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens, James Stewart, Garland Stroman, Leroy Studevant, Sybil Taylor, Steve Thomas, Eric Thompson, Francine Triplett, Carl Turner, Patsy Uzzell, Martin Walker, Joseph Walker, Lawless Watson, Gregory Wells, Michael J. Welsh, Darrell Whitmyer, Edna Williams, Ivory Wilson, Charles Woods

Our Mission

S treetS ense.org

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.

The Story of Street Sense

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

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

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

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

We are proud members of: North American Street Newspaper Association

International Network of Street Papers

Vendor Code of Conduct 1.

4. 5.

6. 7. 8.

10.

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

Thank you to all donors in the last month!

S treetS ense.org

June 10 - June 23, 2009

IN OTHER NEWS By: Jon Pattee Indian Gov’t Bulldozers Return ‘Slumdog’ Star to Streets Indian authorities demolished the home of “Slumdog Millionaire” child actor Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, according to a May 15 CNN article that described how his home shanty town was demolished. An official told CNN that the shanties were razed as part of a municipal drive to clear encroachment on public land. According to the official, bulldozers leveled the slum because it was built on a municipal garden. According to the report, “Despite the hit movie’s mega-millions in box-office receipts, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail’s life changed little after he returned home to Mumbai” – and that was before he was made homeless. Homeless Americans Flood Banks of Colorado River Camps of homeless people are swelling along the banks of the Colorado River, according to a June 2 article in the Grand Junction Sentinel by Mike Wiggins. With shelters filled, city officials report finding and cleaning up more camps, which have “spread beyond river banks, islands, and bridges.” One city official reported that municipal workers had discovered over 15 homeless camps on a single vacant parcel of land. “I think we are seeing a steady increase in the numbers and sizes of camps, and we’re certainly seeing it being a little more widespread throughout the community as to where they’re showing up,” she added.

Michigan Readies $8.4 Million Complex to House Homeless Veterans Michigan’s population of homeless veterans is poised to benefit from an $8.4 million apartment complex that will provide them with transitional housing. According to a June 3 report in the Kalamazoo Gazette, the complex is scheduled to open in late summer and the first veterans may move in as early as September 1. The completed complex will feature 75 fully furnished units, and will be subsidized by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. According to reporter Jeff Barr, veterans will pay 30% of their adjusted gross incomes for the transitional housing, and nothing if they have no source of income.

Desailly Stars in Run-Up to 7th Homeless World Cup French soccer hero Marcel Desailly played in an exhibition match in Rome May 26 to mark 100 days until Milan hosts the 7th Homeless World Cup, according to the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) website. The UEFA-backed tournament uses soccer to mobilize homeless people to change their lives. Afghanistan won last year’s cup. This year, the tournament will involve 500 players from 48 national teams. According to the article, “More than 70 percent of players at the Homeless World Cup experience a significant life change – coming off drugs and alcohol; moving into homes, jobs, education and training; repairing relationships; becoming coaches and players with semi-pro teams or social entrepreneurs.”

Salt Lake City Opens Gates of ‘Paradise’ for Homeless Some residents are calling the new Palmer Court, a 200-unit apartment complex for chronically homeless people and families, by another name: “Paradise.” Opened in March in Salt Lake City, the complex calculates rent at a third of each resident’s monthly earnings, while the unemployed pay $50 monthly. According to Matthew D. LaPlante, who reported on the apartments for the Salt Lake Tribune on June 2, the complex cost $21 million to renovate and will cost millions to run. Advocates informed him, however, that it is more cost effective to provide services this way because it keeps homeless people healthy and out of emergency rooms.

Cambodian Government Sweeps Up Homeless Cambodian rights advocates are blasting the government’s detention of at least 25 Phnom Penh residents, many of them homeless, in the days preceding an international summit. According to the Phnom Penh Post, the crackdown included detention of an HIV-positive woman who had her antiretroviral drugs confiscated by district authorities. “The authorities … have to clear [these people] in order to make our city more attractive, and we don’t want them to sleep on the street because it can make them sick,” one government official sais. Amnesty International’s 2009 global human rights report relates that in 2008, the city’s detention centers saw “at least three” detainees beaten to death and the gang rape of women by center guards.

Donate to Street Sense My Information

I will donate:

Name:_______________________________________________________ Address:_____________________________________________________ City/State/Zip:_______________________________________________ Phone:_______________________E-mail:_________________________

___ $50 for two vendor awards each month

Please make checks payable to Street Sense Street Sense is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible. Mail to: Street Sense, 1317 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20005. You can also donate online at www.streetsense.org

___ $70 for food for vendor meetings ___ $100 for postage each month ___ $200 for the vests of 15 new vendors ___ $500 for rent for vendor office ___ $1,200 for the printing of one issue ___ Another amount of $_______ ___ Another amount of $_______ for vendor: ________________

In Kind Donations Needed * Messenger and tote bags and backpacks for vendors

* Laptop computers with at least Windows 2000

* Bottled water to hand out to vendors

and 10 GB of storage space

* Food for vendor meetings

* Laser color printer

S treetS ense.org

June 10 - June 23, 2009

Founder of Free Dental Clinic Retires

Photo by Cliff Carle

By Mary Otto

Dressed up for her retirement party instead of wearing her usual scrubs, Kutscher, together with volunteer dentist Dr. Robert Lange examine one last patient.

Now Providing Quality Dental Services for D.C. Medically underserved and homeless persons

….We treat you well

Dental hygienist Betsy Kutscher tended to a last patient. Then she quietly closed the door of the tiny dental clinic she founded 11 years ago. With that, she also closed the chapter of her life spent volunteering at N Street Village. Down the hall in the community room of the Northwest Washington women’s shelter, Kutscher found a crowd of admirers gathered to give her a standing ovation and wish her a happy retirement. Among them were patients, homeless and formerly homeless women, who said their lives had been changed for the better through her care. For people living with homelessness, even the urgent need for dental care can be eclipsed by the pressures of everyday survival. And for the indigent, care can be hard to find. The homeless women who came to N Street’s one-chair clinic said that through Kutcher’s kindness and skill, she and the other volunteers helped them learn to smile again and to rebuild their broken lives. “I didn’t have a lot to smile about when I got here,” said Audrey McMorrow, a domestic violence survivor. “When I finally found something to smile about, I didn’t want to smile. I was ashamed of my teeth.” After McMorrow’s teeth were restored, she said, she got the confidence to build a career as a massage therapist and get a place of her own. “It doesn’t get any better than this, “

FOUNDRY A Reconciling Congregation Invites you to join us in worship on Sundays at 9:30 and 11:00 AM Homeless Outreach Hospitality: Fridays 9:00 AM

Foundry United Methodist Church

For one of Unity Health Care’s Medical Homeless Service Sites Call (202) 255-3469 For an appointment at any of our Community Health Centers Call 1(866) 388388-6489

said McMorrow, beaming. In the years since Kutscher begged dentist friends to donate equipment and free services, more than a thousand homeless women have received free dental care at the N Street Village dental clinic. Patients have gotten infected teeth extracted, and crowns, bridges and dentures made. They have been relieved of pain and given a new sense of selfworth. The idea of starting N Street’s dental clinic came to Kutscher at a meeting at her suburban church, Redeemer Lutheran in McLean, Virginia. She was listening to a talk about N Street Village, a city shelter, founded in 1973 by a sister congregation, Luther Place Memorial Church. Dixcy Bosley-Smith was making the presentation, looking for volunteers for the new Wellness Center she was opening at N Street. “A lovely woman raised her hand,” remembered Bosley-Smith. “She asked ‘do you have dental services there?’” Kutscher explained that she felt suddenly moved to help. “I really felt a call from God,” Kutscher said. “People here needed the care that – without being conceited – I knew I could give.” She knew that if N Street was to fulfill its mission of helping women to rebuild their lives, they would have to help to catch up on their dental care. “If you are trying to put people back together and make them part of society,” she said, you can’t send them back out with holey teeth.”

Increase your direct marketing response rates with 1 TO 1 MARKETING ______________________________ My clients are using “Web to Print” solutions like “Personalized URLs” and “Variable Data” to develop targeted messages for their prospects. Ed Bracken 703-587-7582 M ebracken@graphtec.com www.CGXSolutions.com

Try something new.

1500 16th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 332-4010

www.foundryumc.org

A CONSOLIDATED GRAPHICS COMPANY

S treetS ense.org

June 10 - June 23, 2009

Noted Author Ponders Poverty’s Causes, Solutions By Robert Blair David Shipler was a journalist with the New York Times from 1966 to 1988, when he concluded his newspaper career as the paper’s chief diplomatic correspondent in Washington, D.C. He is also a Pulitzer Prize winning author of four nonfiction best sellers, including his latest, The Working Poor: Invisible in America. Shipler will be a featured speaker at the David Pike “Excellence in Journalism” award ceremony on June 17. The award is given annually by Street Sense to honor mainstream journalists’ coverage of poverty issues. The award was established to keep alive the memory of Pike, a journalist and Street Sense board member who died in November, 2007. Q: In your early years as a reporter you covered housing issues. What topics were you writing about then? A: In New York housing is a complex issue because of the laws that restrict what landlords can do. That was also the period in which the Johnson Administration’s Model Cities Program was active, and the tail end of the War on Poverty. The housing beat carried me into a lot of interesting areas, like labor relations, politics, poverty, and drug addiction. It was a real education. Q: You became well known for your work as a foreign correspondent in Saigon, Moscow and Jerusalem, and for your books about the latter two. What led you to switch to a domestic focus on race relations and poverty? A: I came to feel that covering foreign policy from Washington was too vicarious; interesting but unsatisfying. What I really enjoyed most was writing about the country I was in. So I turned to writing about my own country. It was my way of coming home. I write by following the lines of my own curiosity, and for my own education. Race relations had interested me since my undergrad days when I wrote my senior thesis on a fair housing group in New Jersey. And while poverty impacts minorities disproportionately, it is an area in which whites, too, share many of the same problems. Q: How long did it take to research “The Working Poor,” and what D.C.-based organizations did you look at? A: I worked on it over a period of five years. Not exclusively, because I had a number of other projects as well. But it was a good thing that it took so long, because it gave me a chance to go back and see how peoples' lives developed. If you’re with someone when they’re going through traumatic times, you’ll recall things that they might forget later. The centerpiece of my D.C. experience was my time at So Others Might Eat [SOME], and particularly their Center for Employment Training. I met a lot of people that I wrote about at the Center. I also visited an H&R Block storefront office during the tax season, which for

the working poor begins in late January when they get their W-2 statements. I looked at how that company priced their services for the poor. Q: You describe “poverty” as a constellation of inseparable, interactive problems – employment, housing, education, parenting, health care, etc. And you’ve criticized the formula by which the government defines poverty. How do you think government should define and address poverty in America? A: After 9/11, we were told that if only we had been able to “connect the dots” among the scattered information we’d had, we might have been able to prevent the attack. It’s the same in understanding poverty. Poverty is not one problem, but a series of problems that create a chain reaction. Housing problems can lead to health problems that create bills that cause credit problems. There’s a cascading effect that is not that obvious to most people. If you attack each problem in isolation, the other problems will undo your efforts. So Balkanized service provisions that only address discrete problems aren't effective. What we need are “gateways” to multiple services. SOME is an example of this to some extent, as is Bread for the City. As for defining poverty, the federal poverty line is based on the cost of a basket of food. That’s out of date, especially because of the rise in housing costs. Some poor working families pay as much as 50% to 70% of their earnings on housing. To be realistic, a formula needs to accurately reflect nonfood costs, certain benefits not now included, and make regional adjustments. The National Academy of Sciences has developed an alternative formula. Also, poverty is not just about income. Debt is a strong element of poverty. If someone accumulates debt, he can still find himself in poverty even if he finds a decent job. If you want a true measure of poverty, you need to look at net worth. Q: The recession has led to greater press attention to housing and employment issues. What sort of job do you feel the press is doing in covering the circumstances of the working poor? A: The press tends to cover government. If the government is active in an area, you get stories about it. In the 1960s there was lots of federal money flowing into antipoverty programs, so poverty was news. During the last eight years we haven’t seen much of an anti poverty effort. You can now read the New York Times regularly and barely know that poverty even exists in New York City. With the recession, problems of poverty are spilling up into the middle class. The recession may have a silver lining if it leads to health care reform and job training programs that help both the newly unemployed and the underpaid and underemployed poor. Q: Are you working on another book? A: I’m writing a book on civil liberties. It’s part of my quest to discover my own country. I’ve had a fascination with constitutional law since college, and living in Moscow got me reflecting on America as an antithesis of autocracy. But I really decided to do a civil liberties book at about 10 a.m. on September 11, 2001. I knew we were going to be in for a rough ride. I hadn’t finished with the poverty book yet, but I began taking notes. The new book is not only about counterterrorism. It’s about how the main elements of the Bill of Rights play out in everyday life.

S treetS ense.org

June 10 - June 23, 2009

DC Proposes Hate Crime Bill WASHINGTON, DC – D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh introduced legislation last week to provide the homeless with protection under District hate-crime laws. “By passing this bill, the District of Columbia would join other jurisdictions such as Maine, Alaska and Seattle in working to help further protect some of the District’s most vulnerable residents,” Cheh said in introducing the bill. “Being classified as a hate crime potentially enhances the penalties for acts against homeless persons and in addition adds civic causes of action in specific circumstances.” The “Homelessness Bias-Related Crime Amendment Act of 2009” would modify the “Bias-Related Crime Act of 1989” to increase fines and jail time by up to 50 percent for attacks against homeless people. Cheh’s legislation follows the May 7 signing by Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley of a similar bill, which made his state the first to officially extend hate-crime laws to the homeless. The D.C. Department of Human Services estimated last year that of the District’s 6,228 homeless residents more than 30 percent have been attacked. Nationwide, more than 774 attacks against the homeless, more than 200 of which resulted in death, were documented from 1999 to 2007, according to Michael Stoops, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. “Attacks against the homeless continue to be a problem,” Stoops said. “There has been an increase not only in Washington D.C. but also nationwide.” Cheh, councilmember for Ward 3, noted three incidents in introducing her amendment: A homeless resident was repeatedly struck in the head while sleeping in McPherson Square last October; a month later, another homeless person was attacked while sleeping on the 2100 block of K Street NW; and on Christmas Eve, 61-year-old Yoshio Nakada was killed after being struck in the head while sleeping across from the Watergate complex. The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless has collected reports of homeless persons being beaten with pipes, spit upon, pelted with projectiles and kicked by passers-by, Cheh said. “We strongly support the legislation and adding attacks on homeless persons as a hate crime,” said Michael Ferrell, executive director of the D.C. Coalition for the Homeless. “Typically the victims were asleep and were attacked – it was completely unprovoked, unwarranted and unjustified.” In addition, separate anti-crime legislation sponsored by Councilmember Phil Mendelson includes a provision for extending hate-crime protections to homeless people. That bill will be voted on later this month. Still, Stoops said, Cheh’s bill represents a significant step forward in the struggle to assure the security of men and women sleeping on the streets or in shelters. “By introducing a stand-alone bill, it lets members of the city council know that there’s broad-based support for its passage,” he said. “It’s a historic moment and D.C. could become the second jurisdiction in the country to add the homeless to its hate-crime statute.” Cheh’s amendment moves next to the council’s Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary, chaired by Mendelson. The timetable for passage or implementation of the legislation remains uncertain.

On The HIll Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), who in April introduced the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2009, praised the benefits of the bill while visiting DC. Sen. Reed, at a recent event with D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, remarked: “This bipartisan bill combines federal investment with new incentives to help local communities assist families on the brink of becoming homeless. It is a wise use of federal resources that will save taxpayers money in the long run by preventing homelessness, promoting the development of permanent supportive housing, and optimizing self-sufficiency.”

are about to be evicted, live in severely overcrowded housing or are at risk of becoming homeless.

The HEARTH Act is designed to help prevent homelessness by simplifying and consolidating three U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) homelessness assistance programs into one program. It would also:

According to Sen. Reed’s office, this bill is especially necessary right now because “As a result of the recession, 1 million additional Americans nationwide are likely to experience homelessness over the next two years. This means more trauma for children and adults, more dislocation from schools and communities, and more of a drain on local community services.”

• Create a new grant program that would allow cities and towns to address situations where people

In Memory Friends gathered to lay flowers on a park bench outside the CCNV shelter and to remember the woman who died there on Sunday, June 7. Someone set an umbrella on the bench, because the woman they remembered as Page, or Paige, or Renee Paige sat outside on the bench in all kinds of weather. She sometimes spoke about having AIDS. People offered different versions of her story. A few said that when she stayed inside the shelter she was stigmatized by others because of her disease. Shelter official Bernard Robinson said that though she stayed at CCNV during the winter, she moved to another shelter when the winter beds closed. Robinson said he thought she had a place at the John Young Center. However, friends said when she wasn’t in the hospital, she slept on the CCNV bench. “She didn’t want shelter,” said homeless activist and CCNV resident Eric Sheptock. “She wanted housing.” In spite of her failing health, remembered one friend from the shelter, Kenneth Brant, “she was fun. She laughed. She was a loving person.” Others remembered her generosity, how shortly before she died, she bought a birthday cake for a man who said he hadn’t had one since he was a child. Sometimes she drank to cope. She knew she was dying. “On Sunday, when we went to church, she said ‘light a candle and pray for me,’” said shelter resident Clarissa Coates. Mary Ann Luby, an outreach worker for the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless said she hoped a “root cause study” would be done to find out more about the woman’s life and death.” “Where was she going for health care?” asked Luby. “ Were efforts made to get her into a place where she could die with dignity?” On a recent evening, an informal memorial service unfolded on the sidewalk. Brant wheeled his wheelchair up to the bench and joined hands with others to say a prayer. He said he trusted her suffering was over. Another friend, Lashawn Lewis, studied the flowers and shook her head. “She deserved so much better.” — Mary Otto

• Require HUD to provide incentives and flexibility for communities to implement programs that are proven to reduce and prevent homelessness. • Expand the definition of homelessness - which determines eligibility for homeless assistance funding in the United States - to include people who will lose their housing in 14 days (current law is 7 days) and people fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence.

Police Investigate Homeless Beating District police are investigating the beating of a man who was attacked late June 1 or early June 2 while sleeping on a sidewalk grate near the bus stop at the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station. They say that Alex Lascaris was struck several times with a blunt object. He was taken to an area hospital where he was treated for head trauma. Friends of Lascaris, who describe him as a well-loved figure at St. Peter’s Catholic Church on Capitol Hill, say he is now recuperating from the head injuries and a broken arm. Police say they are seeking a black male with a light complexion, about 6 feet tall in connection with the attack. They say the beating bears similarities to attacks last year on homeless men, including the fatal assault of Yoshio Nakada, who was bludgeoned to death while sleeping on a Foggy Bottom street on Christmas Eve. They urge anyone with information to call Sgt. Thomas Boone at 202-299-3420.

S treetS ense.org

Street News Service

June 10 - June 23, 2009

At Home in Myself

younger. The whole high was about recreating the fear I felt during the assault, perhaps an attempt to control hey say it takes a commuthe fear I had of dying that night. nity to raise a child. Well, I had made a serious suicide atit has taken a whole comtempt in 2005, but this time the munity to raise me, too. I am a diagmemories of coming out of it made nosed paranoid schizophrenic and me really try to follow my prescribed suffer from depression. But I recently medications and get well, even won a Courage to Come Back Award though I was very scared to take my from Coast Mental Health for having meds at first. done well in the face of adversity (in I am pretty sure that I hear the my case, mental illness) and for besame things that other people hear— ing a role model in my community. just differently. I find hidden meanI want people to know that the ing behind words, get messages from same road that led me here can lead what I hear and constantly question them to a better place for themselves, my reality. I think too much.The even in the Downtown Eastside. I Portland Hotel Society runs both was homeless for two years after bethe hotels I have lived in (the Stanley and the Pennsylvania) and has provided medical professionals, services and the plain and simple encouragement that Th has enabled me to beeJ come healthy and proub ile ductive again. eS The Carnegie Street in : Program latched onto ge rs me and, by hosting an art program in my hotel once a week, I got or paid to discover that I f t r e c have artistic abilities. I Con use needed those mentors t i e f h Ho n in my life at that time. e A B a nn a The Carnegie program H helped me start collecting a real paycheque again and provided me with the knowledge of ESBIAN AY HORUS OF ASHINGTON art as a tool to deal with my mental illness. The reason I started volunteering was because I wanted to get back into life. I wanted to fill in the blanks about where I had been The LGCW’s Spring concert features a musical coast-to-coast trip from Broadway to Hollyfor four years, in case I wood and will be followed by a spaghetti dinner for the audience. The concert is a benefit for ever intended to work Hannah House, a DC non-profit organization that provides structured, caring homes and again. supportive services for homeless women with and without children. Just before I quit crack, and after I began Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Capitol Hill Presbyterian seriously adhering to Available: www.lgcw.org, TICKETplace, or call 202-546-1549. Church my medication treatSome complimentary tickets are available for those who cannot 4th and Independence Avenue ment plan, I started easily access the arts. SE Our concert is sponsored in part by a grant from the DC volunteering as a Pivot Near Eastern Market and Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported in Capitol South Metro stations. receptionist. Pivot has part by the National Endowment for the Arts. always been a place by Tina Tomashiro

ing viciously attacked and dragged to what I thought would be my death, by a man in 2002. Being homeless was the perfect breeding ground for my mental health and trauma issues to go unchecked. I was diagnosed with depression in 1999, but I never experienced the level of mental disturbance that plagued me after the assault, and it resulted in my schizophrenia diagnosis in 2005. Within 30 days of the assault, I had lost my job of almost three years at BCIT. I ran away to Calgary. After the assault, I fell back into smoking crack as a coping mechanism, as I had smoked it when I was

ci pe S

G al

s st ue

The L &G C W , DC Proudly Presents its Spring 2009 Concert Sunday, June 21, 2009 -- 4:00 pm Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church Washington, DC

where I could be useful and stay busy, which helps lessen the time I have to really think about things. At first my mental illness had me convinced that if I stopped volunteering I would somehow die, so I stayed out of fear. But now, I stay because I feel a sense of accomplishment. The community at the Stanley Hotel (staff, residents, visitors) accepted my good days and bad days, and I theirs. There is a commonality of having suffered various degrees of loss that bonds us in the DTES uniquely. There are so many individual people in the neighbourhood who have cheered for me along the way. For me, having a safe home of my own is the most important factor in getting my health and life together. My hotel room may be small, but it is a place of my own. For some reason, my three cats have forced me to reevaluate relationships and teach me to trust others more. When she was in heat a year-anda-half ago, Momma, who actually adopted me, jumped and hung off my doorknob to let me know how badly she wanted out. In my paranoid thinking, I thought someone had trained her to open the door while I slept—so I kicked her out. It took a week for me to realize she had nothing against me. I know it’s absolutely a horrible thing to have kicked her out, but she survived and I now have her and her two babies, Brother Bear and Sister Bear. They are a major source of support and unconditional love that I couldn’t find again. It’s important to me that everyone knows from my lips that I don’t claim to be living a perfectly normal life. I don’t pretend to be someone I am not. I have a mental illness that acts up when I let my defences down. I just keep moving forward with the help of my community. What is the best advice I can give a person suffering from mental illness? See a doctor and tell them how you are really feeling, take your prescribed medications, sleep (at least a little bit) every night, keep your fluids replenished and eat regularly. Reprinted from Megaphone © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org

June 10 - June 23, 2009

S treetS ense.org

A Day in the Life: Vendor Joseph Walker 6:30 am: I wake up and sell at 15 & K. I catch the early morning rush . . . you never know who you will run in to. 7 am: sell. 8 am: sell. 9 am: sell. 10 am: The morning crowd disperses and I get something to eat at a restaurant. I wait for the lunch crowd. 11 am: On certain days, I look for jobs at newspapers, stores, restaurants, office buildings ... whoever is hiring. 2 pm: sell. 3 pm: sell. 4 pm: sell. 5 pm: sell. 6 pm: sell. 7 pm: Quitting time.

“Aside from selling Street Sense, I want to create movies, videos and picture collages. That’s my goal . . . for the future, to get me off the streets.”

Joseph sells papers to friendly customers around 15th and K streets. Though people are often busy during the morning rush, customers sometimes stop to say “Hi” and chat with the vendors.

“Customers are important. Without the customers there wouldn’t be Street Sense.”

“I was trying to find something exciting and different. I wanted to go to the aquarium but it cost money so I went to the Natural History Museum. If I go to the museum it’s usually on my day off . . . The fishes are so funny. The blue fish got in front of the camera like he wanted to have his picture taken.”

I enjoy seeing my customers buy papers from me because I feel free and independent, and most importantly, the customers care about helping me.

S treetS ense.org

June 10 - June 23, 2009

Stacy from Malibu Part II: The Case of the Missing Person By Ivory Wilson Tina’s a young, hot fire cracker. Sexy, hazel eyes, hair cut short. See-through tight short dress, breasts pointing straight like two covered peaks. Tina, at the bar making a martini, lighting a cigarette, turns and asks her mother, “Who’s this? Another one of your boy-toys?” Mrs. Fine Taylor says, “Why no, dear. Mr. Stacy is an insurance salesman. “ Tina, looking Stacy up and down, says “Mmm hmm, insurance salesman. You can come over to my house and sell me insurance anytime.” Taking her finger, licking it, pushing it in her mouth and pulling it out, slowly smiling at Stacy, her eyes saying, Come on, baby. Mrs. Fine Taylor interrupts Tina to ask her, “Why are you here?” Tina says, “I came over to see if you wanted to fly with me to Paris today to do some shopping.” Mrs. Fine Taylor says, “No, not today. When is Charles due back from New York?” Tina says, “Charles is still there with his parents on their yacht, fishing. He’s due back in a few days.” Mrs. Fine Taylor says, “In a couple of days? He has a business to run here and in New Orleans!” Stacy picks up on Mrs. Fine Taylor’s changed tone of voice when she spoke of Charles’ business in New Orleans. While they are talking Stacy walks around the room and looks on the table at pictures of the Taylor family and out the window at the pool. He sees a pool boy cleaning it. Stacy notices that the pool boy keeps looking up at the window. He walks back and sits in a leather chair. Tina finishes her drink and says, “A man like Stacy. I would have something to do, also.” Mrs. Taylor says, “Please close the door behind you.” Tina says goodbye to her mother, walking out the door, smiling at Stacy. Mrs. Taylor walks over to the bar, makes herself a drink, lights a cigarette, sits down in a chair in front of Stacy with her legs wide open so Stacy can see up her dark canyon. Mrs. Taylor says, “Mr. Stacy, I came up very poor. I was born on a farm near a small town in Louisiana. When I was 16 I left home, moved to the big city of New Orleans with big dreams, like every small town girl. There I met a young man named Paul. A few months later I became pregnant. Paul was working, then he was drafted into the army and sent to Viet Nam. I went to the hospital to have my baby girl Sam. When I came out I received a telegram saying Paul was killed in action. I was left alone with no one and nowhere to turn. “I needed money fast for myself and my baby. I went to the French Quarter on Bourbon St and took a job stripping and dancing for money. I had been dancing for six months when a well-dressed, man came in, watched me and asked to take me out for dinner after I finished work. His name was George. He took me to a fine restaurant. He was kind, he

treated me with respect, like a lady. The next day he took me shopping. We dated and he told me he was there on vacation for 30 days and that he was from Washington, DC. “Later, he came in and asked, could we sit and talk, he had something to ask me. George asked me, did I like this kind of life I was living, dancing? If I had a chance at a better life, would I take it? I thought, this may be my chance to get out of here. If I turn it down it may never come again. A better life for me and Sam. George took out an envelope and put it on the table and said, ‘This is $10,000. It’s yours to do whatever with, if you say no to what I’m about to ask. I want you to come back with me to Washington, DC. I’m a senator there.’ Then he asked me, ‘Is there someone I could leave Sam with, to be raised?’ “I asked, ‘Why?’ “George said that if it got out to his Republican friends that he was raising a half black child, it would hurt his career.” Stacy’s t houghts were: And you married him? Mrs. Taylor kept talking. “I told George, ‘I don’t know if I could do that. I could not leave Sam.’ George said he understood, said he was leaving in two days. That night I went to my apartment and sat looking out the window. I had a big decision to make. The next day I went to the Catholic Church to talk to the sisters. I made a promise that if they took Sam and raised her I would make generous monthly dona-

tions. I gave them $8,000 and told them to tell Sam I died long ago. I said when I got to where I was going I would call and give an address they could use if an emergency came up concerning Sam. I opened a PO Box in Virginia under a fake name. “It’s been 26 years since I’ve seen my baby. George died in a plane crash 5 months ago, and I thought, Now is my chance to go get Sam. When the lawyers came for the reading of his will they asked me to come in the room first, before reading it out loud to Tina. It said the estate is mine, his fortune is mine, but if I bring Sam into his family, everything will automatically go to Tina. I would be left with nothing except for a small bank account in Switzerland with money I managed to save over these many years. “Two days ago I got a letter saying Sam is missing.” Stacy asks, “Do you have a picture of hee?” Mrs. Taylor hands him a picture. She says, “Yes. It was taken when Sam was two.” Stacy looks at it and gives it back. Stacy’s street wits tell him that this dame is not telling him the whole story. Stacy says, “I heard you mention that Charles’s business is in New Orleans. What type of business?” Mrs. Fine Taylor says, “Charles, that little twit. I have been supporting him over the years in many failed business ventures. Now he’s in the import and export business, dealing in rare pieces of furniture and rugs. Charles’ main office and warehouse is there, where he should be now. “ Stacy thinks, It seems like I’m not the only one that’s interested in on Mrs. Fine Taylor’s daughter Sam. Mrs. Fine Taylor asks, “How much is your fee?” Stacy says, “$500 a day plus expenses.” Mrs. Fine Taylor gets up, walks over to a desk, opens it, takes out an envelope, walks over to Stacy, gives it to him and says, “There’s $30,000 in here. That should get you started.” Stacy stands and puts the envelope in his inside suit pocket. Mrs. Taylor asks, “Aren’t you going to count it?” Stacy grins. “No. Should I?” He walks over to the table with the family pictures on it and asks, “Would you mind if I take this picture of Tina and Charles together?” Stacy just wants Charles’ picture but he doesn’t want Mrs. Fine Taylor to catch on to what he is thinking. Mrs. Fine Taylor says, “Yes.” Then she drops her robe to the floor and asks, “Mr. Stacy, could I convince you to go for a swim in the pool with me before you leave?” Stacy smiles, thinking about the pool boy. Three is a crowd. “No, Mrs. Fine Taylor. I have to go pack for my trip.” He walks out the door, closing it behind him. Mitch is at the bottom of the stairs waiting for Stacy with his hat. Stacy doesn’t go pack. He goes straight to the airport again. Ivory can be found at the corner of 7th and E streets, NW and he has written dozens of short stories.

S treetS ense.org

June 10 - June 23, 2009

gREGORY’S gREAT gAME Vendor Manager Gregory Martin loves to create seek-and-find puzzles and drive the Street Sense staff crazy trying to find their answers. Below is his latest puzzle. Good Luck!

N S

T S

E T

E R

S E

T E

R T

E S

S E

R N

S S

E E

Who’s Who of the Homeless The experience of formerly homeless celebrities and where they are now

Ti f f a n y Ev a n s, St a r Search 2003 grand champion in the junior vocalist category, lived with her family in the family van. She was born on Aug.4, 1992 and was raised in the Bronx, N.Y. She has lived through some tough times with her belief “if you can dream it you can achieve it.” Along with her musical career, she also has TV and film work to her credit – such as “The Diary of a Mad Black Woman.”

By Carlton Johnson Daniel Craig, actor (born Nov. 11, 1968), was faced with homelessness while struggling with his acting career. During this time he had to sleep on the park benches of London. His father, Tim Craig, was a former merchant seaman turned steel erector, and his mother, Carol Olivia, a teacher. It goes to show you there’s hope if and when you work on getting off the street. Follow your dreams: may you too can go from the park bench to the silver screen and say: “The name is Bond ... James Bond”

Shannon “The Cannon” Briggs was born Dec. 4, 1971 in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he was raised. He was a homeless crack cocaine addict for a period in his childhood. At age 17 Briggs began training at Jimmy Farrow Starrett City gym, a place where champions are made. Briggs debuted his acting career on “New York Undercover” in 1995 and has since not returned to his old way of life. He also appeared in feature films like “Bad Boys II,” “Transporter 2,” and “The Wackiness.” He also appeared ringside for ESPN commentating on Friday fight nights.

Find Street Sense!

Last Issue’s Answers N

M E F

N I A

D L M

A F E

L S O

A U L

T I A

W O I

A R Y

R F B

P T E

I M T

S treetS ense.org

June 10 - June 23, 2009

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

Reggie’s Reflections: Copy Cat??

Inspired Sometimes inspiration comes from our readers. Here are some of those times.

When I Think of U

by Sean-Christopher Riley A smile spreads across my face and displaces all feelings of deep-seated hate. When I’m with you there is no struggle or strife just a reason to pursue love of life. With you and your daughter I fantasize about life on Earth without the mass slaughter of innocent lives caught up in the drug trade from corner to border. I think about raising children in an environment that is not perpetrated by violence and government quotas instead of cotton candy and sodas. Love reigns supreme for all mankind deemed by our Lord God Almighty, not by the whims of presidents, congressmen, senators and local governments whose decisions always come out faulty. I feel your love even through my heart is stricken with the pain of the afflicted and addicted that are hopelessly depicted worldwide. When we spend time together, any kind of weather, I hold these truths to be self evident: that together we can concur the world’s woes without stepping on the afflicted toes or smacking anyone’s elbows just to get our feet in the higher class’s doors. Even through struggles continue, with your presence in our lives, true happiness is not out of sight. Babylon is here and present but I can’t be left out of God’s grace, without the acknowledgement that you in my life is heaven sent. I hold on for the miracle to take total control as life’s saga unfolds to relieve the stresses that depressions, poverty, incarceration and addictions bring to destiny’s toll. When I’m about to think about my life with you it’s no longer a decision for me to make alone, it’s a decision I make for the love I have for life when I’m with you. This way I learn to love me the way your essence makes me love you. I thank God that we are one. These are the feelings that flow through my body when I think of you ... Sean is a new member of the Writer’s Group. Contact: Sean.riley@rocketmail.com

In The Valley

by Robert Warren In the valley where you can’t see the sun set when the height of stone blocks not the sun rise always rising for those who are in the valley of hope for ours is a short walk to the sun as it gave light to the moon for the moonlight we work and pray that we will have sunny days of days at home homes not shelter when the stars bring on the nite nite dangers for those who do not pray who’s home are outside with the stars at nite pray or be the prey is the code of the street for the homeless at nite always praying that you may see another sun set giving light to the noon in the valley of hoping for a place to call home

By Reginald Black Confused as ever, I entered the room not knowing what to expect. But there she was in her consumed state. No, it wasn’t my crush I’m talking about, it was someone who was crushing over me. The whole thing seemed weird. It seemed I had done what the girl I was chasing did to me. She made online names to rival mine; even the avatars were the same color as mine. Curious – what did this girl see that my crush didn’t? It was like I was headed into a triangle situation. I was amused by her seemingly obvious flirts but whenever my interest stepped into the room, I broke her heart. I didn’t mean to, I just missed a familiar screen name. This dance continued for quite some time. This consumed friend was addicted to me. Maybe she was confused also. Something about me caught her eye, but could she really move in on my affections like another already has? Will I have to settle for who shows me more love, or could I win over my heart’s desire? I just couldn’t find the solution. Reggie cohosts the Writer’s Group. Contact: roninworrior@yahoo.com

Revival From ashes like a Phoenix rebuilding from obscenities the world’s meanest are not enough built Ford tough durable like a ten-year-old Tonka truck having to deal with the corrupt who is going to reach down reach back and pull me up yup … I know who he is, it’s a no-brainer no one special but the world’s creator went to rock bottom but later reborn like his son all were told not to mourn one of the most pro of the prolific rose up once more tooting blowing my writer’s horn calling to arms all those that live on the edge a step up for dead for survival is one’s revival Reggie Black. See Reggie’s Reflections for contact infomation..

Robert is also advocate. Contact: RobertWarren47@yahoo.com

Dearest Sobriety:

Hello, hello, glad to meet you. I’ve been searching oh so long. I’m tired of the past, sure hope that this will last. No longer on the run, I’ve prayed this day would come. I finally get a break, I know you can relate. Free at last, free at last, I thank my higher power that I’m free at last. I’m so happy to be free, good times ahead me. After all I’ve been through I’m really glad to meet you. My days were filled with gloom, now recovery is in the room. Recovery, recovery, stay with me, stay with me. I’ve come a long way, all I have is today. Today there’s sunshine, so glad you are mine. Serenity is the way to go, lead me and I will follow. After all is said and done, I’d be a fool to try another run. Peace of mind, that I have found. You, I want always around. Higher power, lead me through the day, let me not forget yesterday. If I forget yesterday my sober mind might go astray. Keep me rooted where I should be, clear the path ahead of me. Let me chill in your arms, where my disease can do no harm. In times of peace I prepare for war. Where I have been, don’t want to go anymore. You have already given me the tools, take me away from the crowd of fools. Now that you’re here, I have no more sorrow. Sobriety is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Sincerely, Lester Myers

The Power Trip to Doom The illegal excavation of land, speech, and nations of old was your fore-fathers’ blindful quest for power, lustful acts of control just a little below a grave robber’s nightly quest for riches of silver and gold. The Dukes of Destruction and Warlords of Demise with the conductors of the nightmares and the brainwashing of fools who just sit back and go for the ride. The one an’ only fast-track, the all-time high. The power trip to Doom. Carlton “Inkflow” Johnson. Contact: inkflownation@gmail.com

Lester is new to the Writer’s Group

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

S treetS ense.org

June 10 - June 23, 2009

Franklin Shelter: The Struggle and the Saga By Eric Sheptock

pHOTO BY cLIFF CARLE

In the past, homeless advocacy in the District has been limited in its effectiveness due to people's tendency to react to specific situations as opposed to creating a sustained movement. Many are they who will rise to the occasion so as to solve a problem when there is a sense of urgency. Few are they who will remain involved so as to change the system that created the problem, thus solving it for once and for all. Such was the case with the threat from then-D.C. mayor Anthony Williams to close the Franklin School Shelter in 2006. Scores of people came out to support the homeless men who would've been left without shelter or housing. However, once the threat was gone, so were all of the activists who stood with us against the Williams administration. As it turns out, Franklin School Shelter was closed by the present mayor, Adrian Fenty. There is a lesson in all of this: that the problem is with the system, not the individual politician. Therefore, while appreciating the small victories for what they're worth, we must not stop there but must vie for a completely new system. The fact of the matter is that it has been extremely difficult to keep morale up and to keep the homeless fighting for their rights and for comprehensive solutions to homelessness. They are an extremely disenfranchised lot of people, and not without good reason, considering the treatment they often receive from the general public and government in particular. But the good news is that I see a sustained fight beginning to take place in Washington, D.C. There are new homeless advocacy groups rising within our nation's capital. More and more people are angered by how the homeless get treated. With our economy being what it is right now, people are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that we are all "just a paycheck away" from being homeless. While my time is consumed in going to many meetings, I remind myself constantly that it's all part of building a movement. After the Committee to Save Franklin Shelter (CSFS) won its victory in March of 2007 following a nine-month fight against former D.C. Mayor Tony Williams, it was incorporated as a nonprofit under the name Until We're Home, Inc. (www.untilwerehome. org) , which went belly up in late January 2008. On April 2, 2008, Mayor Adrian Fenty announced plans to close the same shelter. Taken together, this means that CSFS/Until we're Home, inc's time had come but they'd already disbanded. In late July 2008, a new group of homeless people pulled together and reused the name of the Committee to Save Franklin Shelter. Though Franklin has been closed since September of last year, the committee has broadened its goal to one of addressing all mistreatment of D.C.'s homeless. However, there are other groups and individuals with similar goals. A couple of pro bono lawyers

have joined forces with CSFS. Yet another group, By Jesse Smith the Homeless Emergency Response Workgroup, has formed to address the injustices involved in D.C. GovLike a bad ernment having shut down other shelters, thus forcpenny, the issue ing even more people into the elements. A group of of the Franklin homeless advocates has begun to meet with the DisSchool building trictâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Department of Employment Services (D.O.E.S.) in downtown to develop an employment program that is tailored Washington to helping the homeless find jobs. My church (the keeps coming Church of the Epiphany, at www.epiphanydc.org) back. The fate has created a Justice Ministry Team that is designed of this property, to interact with the homeless, learn about the issues which until fall and develop a plan to bring them justice and possibly 2008 offered end their homelessness. emergency shelThen there are the agencies that have been around ter to over 300 for five years or more. My friends at Empower DC are homeless men, is fighting for affordable housing, and they have a camstill unknown. paign to make D.C. government use public buildings On April 7, the District's Office of Property and land for public needs rather than giving it away and Management (OPM) issued a Request for to greedy developers. The Fair Budget Coalition is inOffers (RFO) for the Reuse of District of Cofluencing government to allocate funds for various lumbia Public Schools (DCPS) Excess Space, social services including shelter, housing and literacy specifically the Franklin School building. It's programs. The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homegreat to see things happening in downtown less offers free legal services and legal advice to the Washington. But the decisions the District homeless. The list goes on. makes about using this prime downtown I'd be remiss were I to fail to mention all of the property, and what we do for poor people concerned citizens who don't belong to a named and young people across the city, will say a group or agency. Many do-gooders go to the parks to lot, too. feed the homeless. Of late, these groups have been When I received an e-mail announcing that making it a point to stay and talk to the Franklin building the homeless at length about their was being offered to issues and to get to know them. It Charter Schools, I was reminds me of the song Mr. Wendelighted. For this dal (http://www.youtube.com/ building to morph watch?v=R9pfxI1p3v8) in which the from a shelter, a use group Arrested Development adfor which it was not vised Americans to get to know the designed, into an inhomeless rather than looking down strument of education on them. Add to that the number of had me raising my fist people that view my blog and other in triumph, proclaimhomeless blogs. Many people have ing that this is truly a googled "homelessness in DC," good thing. found my blog (www.ericsheptock. This is certainly a com) and interviewed me about the positive and muchhomeless situation in our nation's needed step to incapital. This has enabled me to give crease the level of the mayor a lot of bad publicity. education for our I recently received what might be children here in D.C., the final word on yet another shelter I thought. closure. The CCNV shelter has been But my friends at in a contract dispute with the city EmpowerDC checked since February of this year. The latinto the implications est word is that the contract might of the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not be renewed. If this proves to be The line lengthens as homeless men wait action and did not true, D.C. Mayor Fenty will have the outside of the Franklin School Shelter. The take it at face value as fight of his life on his hands. Those shelter was able to provide emergency beds did I. people who need an urgent situation for over 300 men per night. To show how we to react to in order get involved may got to this point, I soon have what they need. should give a bit of Washington, D.C. has a rich history of the homebackground. less fighting the powers that be. As it turns out, only An organization called the Committee to a few of the fighters from that era are still with us. Save Franklin Shelter, and a few other activNonetheless, I see many components coming toist groups, were involved in a long effort to gether so as to rebuild the movement. Hopefully this prevent the closing of the Franklin shelter in time around we'll be able to effect complete systemic continued on next page change. La lucha continua.

S treetS ense.org

June 10 - June 23, 2009

continued from pg. 12 2006. Mayor Anthony Williams had proposed leasing the building to a developer who wanted to operate a luxury hotel within the historic Franklin School building. His idea as it turned out was received with stiff opposition from many advocacy groups as well as the general public. We succeeded in keeping the facility functioning as a shelter for some two years. Now our new mayor, Adrian Fenty, has done what Mayor Williams never did: Franklin School sits idle and unoccupied in a highly desirable location in downtown Washington, D.C. In a masterful bureaucratic stroke, Mayor Adrian Fenty has relieved D.C., for the sake of the tourist industry and a few supportive City Council members, of what they would consider an eyesore to the image of Washington. Still, many advocates and organizations have been keeping a watchful eye on the sale or disposition of public property. And the City Council is thinking about legislation to make the process more open. And if Franklin does go to a charter school, there will still be serious questions about how this will work. For example, the District government might have to allocate funds to bring the building up to code for use as a school. Would those funds be taken from our already deteriorating public schools? Money spent on a charter school at Franklin would do nothing for a public school in far Southeast or Northeast. I also want to point out that the city is legally bound, by congressional mandate, to offer the Franklin School property to charter schools first. So it isn't as though the mayor had some epiphany that he should offer this property to charter schools. It is in fact mandated that he do so. To put it another way, this was an automatic move. And we don't know how effective it is in supporting education. The city could very well be just fulfilling a legal obligation by putting the property up for charter school bid first. That doesn't guarantee that it will end up as a charter school. Given that our mayor has exhibited time and time again that he prefers to act in a dictatorial fashion, ignoring on many occasions the City Council itself, we should keep a watchful eye on the new proposed action concerning the disposition of the historic Franklin School. A lot of people have expressed their concerns about public property at hearings. They're looking for an open process and for decisions that help everyone in Washington. And we still haven't solved the problem of shelter in downtown Washington, D.C.

Your thoughts and editorials are welcome. Please e–mail content to editor@streetsense.org or mail to 1317 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005.

Diary of an Alcoholic By Jeff McNeil To all my customers who haven't seen me lately, I haven't disappeared. I am transforming my life in ways I never imagined I would. May 1, 2009, is the day my life changed. Yogi Berra once said, “When you see a fork in the road take it.” I guess I found the fork and had to make some tough decisions. No more lying, deceiving and pretending to be fine, while hurting many people who loved me and feeling guilty and ashamed. You see, the day before, I got in a fight with another Street Sense vendor. Even though I knew what my fate would be, which was a suspension, I felt relieved. I had wanted to retire but circumstances and the economy couldn't let me retire. So I held on longer than I needed to sell my newspapers. I had everything vendors could wish for, I had popularity, an audience and a steady clientele. But in spite of my smile and personality, which appeared to be O.K., underneath the surface I was near suicide. I would go to Rock Creek Park with a rope and some pills thinking about killing myself. I thought I was a loser, destined to be alone, with no one. I hated my life, and my job. Just taking a shower or brushing my teeth took enormous amounts of energy. I was in a major depression, and nothing worked. I tried healthy foods, which led me to beer, and I exercised with a couple of shots. Alcohol was my solution, not my problem. I didn't equate alcohol with my joblessness or my not having any real friends or love life, or not being invited to any social events. I never blamed my drinking for missing paydays or opportunities. I blamed other people for my failure. And the only relief I had was my friend Velikoff vodka, or some marijuana. They kept me company when I was lonely. They made me witty even if I was cruel, which I enjoyed by inflicting my venom because I was lonely and miserable. I never realized how ugly and unpleasant I became. I needed that feeling of being buzzed or that high to psych myself to sell newspapers. I hated being rejected so I thought that by drinking myself drunk I would be more likeable. Until one of my regular customers, who had a high regard for me, told me I smelled like vodka. I felt embarrassed but that didn't stop me from picking up a six-pack after a day's work. I felt I had earned it – I had a stressful day, so why not indulge myself with some alcohol? But I was never happy, and instead downright depressed because I was liquored up, sleeping on trains and park benches with nothing but the clothes on my back. My blackouts were frequent and I never knew how I blacked out. What was even worse was I didn't know how to quit. I would quit for a day or two, I would get the shakes, my heart would cramp up and I would get chest pains. I would get very testy and agitated, and I felt like death was around the corner. I wasn't healthy, and after a couple days I would start drinking again, even more. I had low self-esteem and hated the way I looked, and I didn't care if I smelled like urine or didn't bathe. I thought I was on a collision to hell because this world was hell to me. God was never in my life because all I ever knew was hurt and pain and rejection. The people who tried to befriend me usually fit the profile, too. So I didn't know how to be intimate with anyone. Eventually my fight got me suspended from Street Sense with a threat of termination. I didn't really care – I was going to see my family, party and trick with some prostitutes till the storm cleared. So I did what I normally do: I picked up some cheap beer. Then I went to Dupont Circle and tried to drink myself to death, because it was going to be my birthday and I didn't want to see my 42nd birthday. I was a loser, and had never amounted to much, so I cried to God to kill me. I saw a guy who I had seen at the Street Sense Writer's Group. I started bitching to him and he said the liquor was coming out of my pores. He asked me, “Ever tried Alcoholics Anonymous?” My first thought was, "f------- frauds." But I was bored and I didn't want to serve my suspension drunk all the time. Plus I had started to hate alcohol and the way it made me feel. I hated blacking out in the middle of the Trinidad neighborhood of George Washington hospital. I wanted to be sober but all kinds of thoughts went through me, like "How do I deal with life sober? How do I not let people irritate me?" What happened next will be revealed in future articles.

S treetS ense.org

June 10 - June 23, 2009

A Mile in Their Shoes: Street Sense Vendor for a Day What it’s about

Hoping to get a glimpse of President Obama, Sibyl and her group make a stop at the White House.

Vendor for a Day Poetry Street Sense! Street Sense! Help us help the homeless! Workin’ people walk by and they seem too careless They don’t understand that so little can help so much The simplest handshake feels like a healing touch If I were you I’d be thankful you have a home with a door, Because the struggle of homelessness is like fighting an endless war. Think of what these people endure every day just to survive The next time you start to wish you were never alive. –Heath Sevy

You guys taught me a huge lesson in humility and completely morphed my perspective. –Kenneth Shaevel Sybil Says: My experience with the students was wonderful. Working along

with the Y.S.O.P. group was outstanding. The church dinner was great, and meeting new friends was a lot of fun. Eating and mingling with new friends – they were a part of me. (Sybil Taylor has been selling Street Sense for almost a year)

Thank you for giving us the insight into homelessness–it was an experience I won’t ever forget. –Kaitlin Photo courtesy of sybil taylor

Tell me, do you know what the homeless go through? I have a nice life and I know you do too, But do you ever worry about that person on the street Sellin’ Street Sense just to get money to eat. Some people I know work hard just to survive But it’s hard when they don’t have a home in their lives. You know the homeless life has to suck When all the fortunate people are too greedy to spare a buck The way people treat the homeless sure is a pity, But to me, the homeless people are the toughest in the city. –Jonathan Barnett

Street Sense would like to offer a special thanks to our recent Vendor for a Day Groups: Bethel College, Y.S.O.P., St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, Civic Education project, Evanston, Ill.,Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana – Richmond, Clackamas Community College, Ore., Davidson College, Concord University

Photo courtesy of sybil taylor

The Vendor for Day program began rather informally after several student groups inquired about volunteering for Street Sense during their 2007 spring break. Since Street Sense does not have any one-day volunteer opportunities, we just told these students they could come in and learn about Street Sense and how the vendors sell the papers … And the Vendor for a Day program was born. Over the course of 2008 the program became more formalized. The way Vendor for a Day now works is the students come to our office and learn about the history of Street Sense for about 30 minutes and then spend another 30 minutes watching the vendor training video and listening to vendors share their sales techniques. All the students then get a temporary badge and a loaner vest and hit the streets selling the paper with vendors (typically in groups of three or four.) In the last year alone, 215 students from 14 different colleges and high schools from all over the country have participated in the program. And this summer there are already 14 more groups signed up to take part in Vendor for a Day. If you have a group interested in participating in Vendor for a Day, contact vendor manager Gregory Martin at 202347-2006 or email him at gregory@streetsense.org. Dates are filling up fast!

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

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

June 10 - June 23, 2009 www.churchofthepilgrims.org

mental health services

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MARYLAND

VIRGINIA

SHELTER

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shelter Hotline: 1–800– 535–7252

S treetS ense.org

June 10 - June 23, 2009

THe Last Word

Volunteer Inspiration I’ve always felt that I’ve wanted to do more. There are plenty of organizations that do good work, and I’ve desired to work for one. At Street Sense, I found it. The organization has really done some amazing work. Being there, I learned more about myself and in which directions I want my life to take. The vendors were so kind and helpful and desired to live for more than they had. However, there is another part of the organization that works tirelessly and happily behind what everyone sees. The volunteers and staff inspired me each and every day. By the time I left, it was the volunteers, Laura, Ted, and especially Mary that I was the most sad to leave. They take time out of their schedules every week to help the homeless and formerly homeless people. There are some that go in to the office and help keep it running, there are others that edit and write stories, there are others who help laying out the paper, and plenty of other tasks that are attributed wholly to those who desire to help those who desire it. I was astounded to see how many people were so giving. The only thing that I would change was that I would have loved to be there longer. I came in halfway through the semester, which left me with only a little over a month to learn the ropes. Interning there changed my life. Laura and Mary are amazing people. I wish I could express how inspiring they were, and how amazing the vendors were. I feel as if none of my words will ever be able to describe what I feel. The entire experience was so rewarding and enriching. I will never forget my time there. I was in DC for a short time, and I am so glad I spent half of my time with people who really make a difference. — By Natalie Yu

Daniel Ball

Vendor Profile By Lee Davis Daniel was born on October 25, 1960 at Prince George’s Hospital Center in Cheverly, MD. He went to Bladensburg High School but dropped out in the 11th grade with only two credits needed for graduation. Daniel lived in Washington, D.C. until he was 13 years old and then moved with his mother to Seat Pleasant, Md. He currently spends much of his time at Farragut West and 19th and K Streets, N.W. How did you become homeless? I lost my job at Wendy’s. What is your favorite book? The Bible. What are your favorite foods? Oodles of Noodles and hamburgers. What is your favorite music? James Brown.

One Year Vending Strong

caramel