08 17 2010 by Street Sense Media

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August 18 - 31, 2010

Where the poor and homeless August 18 - 31, 2010

earn and give their two cents Volume 7 Issue 20

READ THIS Street Sense brings you our Summer Reading Issue

D STE GE ON G I S U N AT DO

65 cents for the Vendor

35 cents for Production of the Paper

A New Library Opens Amidst Hard Economic Times Pages 4

Tim Young Weighs in on the Changing Media World Page 7

Ivory Wilsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Last Installment of Feathers The Parrot Page 12

August 18 - 31, 2010

Our Mission

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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.

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.

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 28 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 full-time 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 brought on its first full-time editor– in–chief in April. As of January 2010 the paper had 72 active vendors and prints about 30,000 issues a month.

Vendor Code of Conduct 1. Street Sense will be distributed for a voluntary donation of $1. I agree not to ask for more than a dollar or solicit donations for Street Sense by any other means. 2. I will 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 all others – customers, staff, other vendors – respectfully, and I will not “hard sell,” threaten or pressure customers. 4. I agree to stay off private property when selling Street Sense. 5. I understand that I am not a legal employee of Street Sense but a contracted worker responsible for my own well–being and income. 6. I agree to sell no additional goods or products when selling the paper. 7. I will not sell Street Sense under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 8. I agree to stay a block away from another vendor and respect the space of all vendors. 9. I understand that my badge is the property of Street Sense and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing the papers and display my badge 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.

1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 347–2006 Fax: (202) 347–2166 info@streetsense.org www.streetsense.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS Lisa Estrada Ted Henson Brad Scriber Michael Stoops Manas Mohaptra Sommer Mathis Kristal DeKleer Robin Heller Jeffery McNeil Jordan Rummel John Snellgrove Dameon Philpotts

We are proud members of:

North American Street Newspaper Association

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR International Abby Strunk Network of EDITOR–IN–CHIEF Street Papers Mary Otto MANAGING EDITOR & NEW MEDIA DIRECTOR Lisa V. Gillespie COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & PROGRAM MANAGER Amy Vokes INTERNS Adam Sirgany, Cathy Bueker, Priya Anand FOUNDERS Ted Henson, Laura Thompson Osuri VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Robert Basler, Jane Cave, Robert Fulton, Steve Gilberg, Jane Goforth, Joanne Goodwin, Roberta Haber, Erica Hall, Annie Hill, Dan Horner, Phillip Hoying, Maurice King, Brenda K. Lee-Wilson, Kim O’Connor, Gabriel Okolski, Lisa Razzi, Diane Rusignola, Willie Schatz, Jesse Smith, Sara Kruger, Jami-Lin Williams, Marian Wiseman, Tim Young, Mandy Toomey

VENDORS Charles Armstrong, Jake Ashford, Lawrence Autry, Daniel Ball, Donna Barber, Cyril Belk, Kenneth Belkosky, Tommy Bennett, Phillip Black, Reginald Black, Emily Bowe, Andre Brinson, Melody Byrd, Cliff Carle, Percy Carter, Peggy Cash, Conrad Cheek, Virginia Clegg, Aaron Conner, Anthony Crawford, Louise Davenport, Charles Davis, James Davis, David Denny, Ricardo Dickerson, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon-El, Roger Dove, Charles Eatmon, Deanna Elder, Richard Embden, James Featherson, Craig Fleming, Samuel Fullwood, Roger Garner, David Ger, Barron Hall, Dwight Harris, John Harrison, Patricia Henry, Shakaye Henry, Phillip Howard, James Hughes, Richard Hutson, Margaret Jenkins, Carlton Johnson, Donald Johnson, Alicia Jones, Mark Jones, Clinton Kilpatrick, Hope Lasister, Brenda Lee-Wilson, Michael Lyons, Jonnie Malloy, Kina Mathis, John Matthews, John C. Matthews, Charlie Mayfield, Herman Mayse, Robert McCray, Marvin McFadden, Jermale McKnight, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jeffery McNeil, Kenneth Middleton, L. Morrow, Tyrone Murray, Charles Nelson, Sammy Ngatiri, Evelyn Nnam, Moyo Onibuje, Franklin Payne, Edward Perry, Gregory Phillips, Tracey Powell, Ash-Shaheed Rabbil, Ed Ross, Melania Scott, Chris Shaw, Ronald Simms, Veda Simpson, Gwynette Smith, Patty Smith, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens, James Stewart, Garland Stroman, Leroy Studevant, Beverly Sutton, Sybil Taylor, Paul Taylor, Steve Thomas, Larissa Thompson, Deborah Tibbs, Carl Turner, Christopher Walker, Jeanette Walker, Joseph Walker, Martin Walker, Robert Warren, Lawless Watson, Paul Watson, Gregory Wells, Michael Welsh, Edna Williams, Wendell Williams, Susan Wilshusen, Ivory Wilson, Charles Woods, Tina Wright

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August 18 - 31, 2010

Stimulus Funds Target Needs of Homeless School Kids About $70 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or the stimulus bill â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is set aside to buoy a federal program that serves homeless children, McClatchy Newspapers reports. The money will assist cash-strapped school districts in complying with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, a federal mandate to help remove some of the obstacles that prevent homeless students from attending school. North Carolina received about $1.6 million in stimulus money under the McKinney-Vento Act. Nash County which includes the city of Rocky Mount, used most of its $44,248 allotment to hire a case manager to help connect homeless students with services. The problem of homelessness is real in Rocky Mount, a former manufacturing hub. About 564 homeless students were enrolled in the 2009-â&#x20AC;&#x2122;10 school year, up 9% from the previous school year. The figures put the school district among the ninth worst state in the country for the risk of child homelessness. School officials are already worrying about how to keep the case manager after the stimulus funds are gone. Meanwhile, critics say the stimulus funds arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough to address the problems of homeless students.

Diane Nilan, the founder and president of the homeless youth advocacy group HEAR US, charged that the federal government is â&#x20AC;&#x153;almost cluelessâ&#x20AC;? and has largely ignored Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s estimated 1.5 million homeless children in dealing with the recession. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you look at what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting and what the need is, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pathetic,â&#x20AC;? Nilan said.

United Wayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stuff the Busâ&#x20AC;? Helps Homeless Students with Supplies In Ventura County, Calif., United Way helped raise school supplies for homeless students and those struggling with getting supplies, the Ventura County Star reports. Among the items that the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stuff the Busâ&#x20AC;? project collected included more than 13,147 new school supplies. About 300 homeless students will receive backpacks filled with pencils, pens, notebook paper, rules, calculators and other must-have items for school. A total of 28 organizations, libraries and corporations helped support the endeavor, according to the Ventura County Star. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Stuff the Busâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; campaign was a great opportunity to show that everyone can make a difference to help advance the common good in the area of education which is part of United Wayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three-pillar approach which also includes income and health,â&#x20AC;?

said Susan Englund, United Wayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vice President of Community Impact. â&#x20AC;&#x153;United Way considers these three focus areas as building blocks for a good life.â&#x20AC;?

Number of W.Va. Homeless Students Jumps The number of children defined as homeless in West Virginia grew from 4,233 in the 2008-â&#x20AC;&#x2122;09 school year to about 5,000 for the current academic year, the Charleston Gazette reports. Students are considered homeless if they have no permanent housing and also those who live in motels, a house with more than one family or those in foster care. Students who are considered homeless get free meals from West Virginia schools, free school supplies, and up to five sets of school clothing. They also receive additional tutoring if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needed and transportation to school.

Mass. Schools Work to Ser ve Homeless Students On any given night, more than 12,000 Massachusetts children donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know where theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be sleeping. They have to do homework at shelters, campgrounds or even motels. The number of homeless students in the state has nearly doubled from what it was five years ago â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a statistic that gener-

ally mirrors the trend across the nation, the Patriot Ledger of Quincy reports. Homeless youth are more likely to score below grade level, repeat grades, and have poor attendance, according to the Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis. So Massachusetts schools are upping the ante to help these students achieve academic success through additional services, including providing emergency housing and college prep.

Washington Government Cutting $51M in State Welfare Fewer people will qualify for Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s state welfare program under cuts announced by Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, Businessweek reports. Among the programs that will be hit hardest is the WorkFirst initiative, the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s welfare-to-work program because matching funds from the federal government have remained flat since the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;90s. Other cuts will include granting fewer extensions to families who reach the five-year limit and lowering the income eligibility for the child care subsidy. Education, employment and training services will also see cuts. The cuts will begin to take effect in October. Compiled by Dianna Heitz, from previously published reports.

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August 18 - 31, 2010

Spirit of Library is Alive

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Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library opens, filling a two-year-long void In an age in which the printed word is increasingly replaced by technology – books by e-books and newspapers by blogs – the public libraries of Washington continue to promote literacy and learning. More than a century ago, in 1896, Congress established the District’s public library system to “furnish books and other printed matter and information service convenient to the homes and offices of all residents of the District.” A single man, Theodore W. Noyes, was largely responsible for the new system. Noyes, like his father, served as editorin-chief of the Evening Star and used his editorial pages as a sounding board to promote various initiatives to improve the quality of life for Washingtonians, including the founding of a public library system. After his tireless work to create the system, Noyes went on to serve as chair of the library’s board of trustees for 50 years. Throughout its history, the library system has shown growth to better serve the metro community through the efforts of vocal advocates like Noyes. Early on, it was through the philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie – a major supporter of public libraries – that the system expanded, with the construction of a number of new libraries, including three that still stand today. Today, a total of 23 buildings stand in the system, yet expansion efforts still continue. The library system has eight buildings either opening or currently under construction, including the new $15 million

Flickr/Robertagthe

By Jami-Lin Williams, volunteer

The site of the future Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library (1630 7th St. NW) stood for almost two years before the library was built. A trailer was set up to serve as an interim site close by.

Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library that opened Aug. 2 in a ceremony attended by Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans, Chief Librarian Ginnie Cooper and Mayor Adrian Fenty, a continued advocate of the library system. Two new libraries are expected to open later this year: the Georgetown Neighborhood Library and the Tenleytown Neighborhood Library in October and December, respectively. The system has grown not only in number of branches, but also in the services it offers. The term “literacy” refers not only to traditional reading and writing, but also to competency in the use of modern technology and business training. The Adult Literacy Resource Center offers basic literacy classes to residents aged 16 and up and provides resources and materials for teachers, tutors and students. City libraries also offer free first-come, first-served com-

Thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the public library system will be able to upgrade its Internet connections and add more than 1,000 computers at 30 locations for public access.

puter skills classes, ranging from basic typing to a tutorial on how to use Monster.com to search for jobs. Such offerings, which cater to the increasingly inter-dependent relationship between technology and literature, are indicative of the system’s work to keep with the times while preserving its commitment to reading and learning. Thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the public library system will be able to upgrade its Internet connections and add more than 1,000 computers at 30 locations for public access. Not only is the library improving its technology to serve the changing needs of its patrons, it is also morphing to meet the demands of the changing climate. The new Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library, for example, is expected to be LEED Silver certified for its environmentally responsible features, such as its EPA-funded vegetative roof. However, the growth that has become a hallmark of the library system is endangered by budget cuts. This year, the library was forced to reduce its hours, with all neighborhood libraries closing on Sundays and reduced hours at the Martin Luther

King Jr. Memorial Library on Mondays and Tuesdays due to a $4.8 million budget cut. Because the library system relies on tax revenue and private donations, its funding has been hit doubly hard during the recession, and the immediate future does not look much better. The fiscal year 2011 budget of $35.7 million is a decrease of more than $4 million from the 2010 budget, while the system will experience cost increases for the operational costs of new libraries, salaries and employee benefits. June 1, the system began staff reductions to eliminate the equivalent of 23.5 positions, laying off 40 employees. No new library construction is planned for 2011. The library, a familiar symbol of community and lifetime learning, may be facing fiscal plight, but it is making strides to adapt to the needs of D.C. residents, indicating that this is an institution that will not be phased out in the 21st century. After all, the public library offers two virtues that, though timeless, are hard to come by: getting something for free and the joy of losing oneself in a book.

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August 18 - 31, 2010

A Primer on Homelessness By Jeffery McNeil, vendor Having been on the street for a period of time, I have heard all kinds of comments and opinions about homelessness. Some people view the homeless as bums who are lazy and don’t want to work. Others believe that most homeless people are mentally ill or that they are panhandling to get alcohol or drugs. Then there are the folks with horror stories. They say they were once sympathetic toward the homeless but because an un-

pleasant incident occurred when they were trying to help a homeless person, they now label all homeless people as savages. The way I see it, the truth is this that most people don’t understand what it is like to live on the streets, so they suffer from a fear of homelessness and misunderstand homeless people. You must first understand that homelessness is not just sleeping on the sidewalk. Homelessness is a life-and-death situation. Homeless people are at risk of freezing, starving and even dying if they are not aware of their environment. Homeless women are even more vulnerable than men. They not only have to worry about freezing or starving, they can get attacked, raped or forced into prostitution. Some of them, too, end up dead. Another important thing to remember is that people living on the streets abide by a

Reflection

Spin or Lose By Paul Berry, correspondent Living on the streets of Norfolk, Va., I try to find beauty when I can. Nature seems to be the best source. I can often see a hawk soaring overhead or a rainbow. I once tried to stop and smell the roses. I was told if I didn’t leave immediately, I would be arrested. But, of all the beauties I’ve seen, one stands out. One morning, I had finished my breakfast at a soup kitchen and was walking back downtown when I saw a spider web in a tree by the sidewalk. It was the most perfect web I had ever seen: Each strand was perfectly spaced, and the sunlight shining on it made it look as if it were spun from gold. After a few minutes, I decided to find the artist, so I went looking for the spider. People must have thought me crazier than usual as they watched me walk around the tree, staring at its branches. I didn’t find the spider, but what I did find was that the web would only glow if you stood precisely where I stood when I first saw it. If you looked from any other angle, the web was nearly invisible. From this, I knew that in a few minutes

You spend your life making something perfect and then something comes along and takes it away.

the sun would rise too high to make the web glow. With the web being nearly invisible, someone would probably walk into it and it would be gone the next day. I gave it one long look and continued on my way. The next morning, I hurried back to check on the web. As I had feared, it was gone. Isn’t that the way it is? You spend your life making something perfect and then something comes along and takes it away. I sulked away, ready for a day not much better than the spider’s. I spent most of that day and a good part of the night thinking about the spider and its web. As I was about to fall asleep, I was struck with something I don’t often have: hope. The next morning, I was up bright and early to get back to that tree. Maybe the spider had survived the destruction of its home. I asked again, as I had asked over and over the previous night, “If the spider is still alive, what will it do?” I pictured it giving a spidery shrug, sighing, and starting to spin again. As I turned the corner and saw the tree, I didn’t see a web, but as I walked past the tree, I saw the most beautiful thing nature has shown me to this day: a new web. It wasn’t as perfect as the other: it was smaller, the strands were at irregular spaces, and the angle was wrong. It would never catch the sunlight. But it had caught a fly. Paul Berry is a homeless writer living in Norfolk, Va. He is involved in the Catholic Worker program there.

If you lie to an old lady for a couple of dollars to get a bite to eat, it’s nothing personal, it’s simply survival. different set of laws, the chief one being this: use any means necessary to survive. If you lie to an old lady for a couple of dollars to get a bite to eat, it’s nothing personal - it’s simply survival. If you sleep in an abandoned building you are not intentionally trespassing, you are just trying not to freeze to death. If you sneak into McDonalds for a couple hours of sleep you are doing what is human to get some rest. If you want to help a homeless person but are unfamiliar with the many complex issues surrounding homelessness, it is best to contact a local organization that is dedicated to dealing with homelessness rather than to try

to help that person directly all by yourself. Also reading up on the causes of homelessness and statistics concerning homelessness will help you understand more about the problems homeless people face. Whether you are for or against homeless people as a group, you need to realize that the condition of homelessness isn’t going away. In fact, with more people losing their jobs because of the economy, there will be more people ending up on the streets. If you truly want to help your homeless neighbors, spend some time learning about homelessness. Let understanding be your guide to how you can become more involved.

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August 18 - 31, 2010

By Adam Sirgany, editorial intern Harold Barnum was awakened to a wet touch on his scaling arm. His eyelids snapped violently open like the roll-up maps his classroom had when some jackass kid tugged on one of them too hard because he was too big of a moron to figure out how the damn things worked. His head leapt off the shoulder it was dribbling drool on. By the time Barnum’s body parts had arranged themselves into working positions and he began to search the living room for what had awakened him, the scene had emptied. The tan-brown worm hairs of the antiquated carpet and the wrap-around davenport that Hattie loved so much, that reminded Barnum of cat shit in color and in shape, were devoid of movement or life. Harold stewed on this for a moment, staring absently into the room as he came to. “God dammit, Porter.” Barnum pivoted his head scanning for the German shepherd’s blackish back, the color of the ale he was named for. “Where the hell are y-” Porter, who had settled himself at the man’s feet to await his wakening, had heard the first call for his name and thrust his forepaws into the space on the TV chair between Barnum’s knees. Porter smiled at the man. “Jesus Christ. Where’dya come from?” The man frowned at Porter. A drop of sputum fell from the lines that sheared away from Barnum’s mouth and onto his unwashed undershirt. Porter continued to smile, his tongue bobbing loosely to one side as he breathed, a little drool of his own preparing to fall. “Get on, Porter.” Barnum’s frown dug into his face until it turned into that of a ventriloquist’s doll. Porter smiled. “Come on now. Sit. Sit.” Porter sat. His mouth closed. His ears perked up. The skin around his eyes stretched inward and upward, as if trying to form eyebrows to animate his disappointment. The skin around Barnum’s eyebrows skewed up and in and down, until what was left of them turned from perturbed to P.O.ed Porter, confused, pulled his head back into the fan of his neck and chest fur. Barnum sighed throatily. He closed his eyes, his head dropping onto his damp shoulder as he fell back asleep. Porter cocked his head to square it with the man’s. The dog sat stilted for a moment, staring into Harold Barnum’s face before lying down and resting his head on his paws. The dog could only manage an attempt at rest. Returning to a seated position, Porter began pumping his neck like a desperate lung and whimpering the sounds of ungreased pulleys. Barnum remained asleep, mouth ajar and unmoved. Porter came to all fours

and walked his face to the side of Barnum’s left knee, the one the man favored. Porter rubbed his nose at the rumples in the man’s dungarees. They moved up his thighs in aimless waves. Porter whimpered faster. Barnum breathed slowly, steadily. Anxious, Porter rubbed his head in broader and broader strokes against Barnum’s leg. His whimper worked up his throat and escaped in a cry. His jaw dropping open and cracking shut as if to lap up much needed water from the air surrounding Barnum’s hip. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Owoo. Barnum’s eyes shot open. His head spun around the room following some imaginary fly. “What? What is it?” Ow. Ow. Ow. Barnum looked at the dog. The dog barked on. The man couldn’t discern a need for this much commotion. The damn dog was yelping as if Earhart had flown home. The house wasn’t on fire for Christ sake. “Shut up, Porter. Shut up.” The dog didn’t shut up, though. Porter’s head rolled up the joint of his neck so far Barnum thought the dog would dislocate his skull. Ow. Ow. Oww. He kept on. Oww. And on. Oww. Oww. Until Barnum had his fill. Oww. Had it right up his arm and across Porter’s yapping snout. The force of the blow sent Porter yelping and stumbling away from Barnum’s hand. As the dog slumped into the next room, the man immediately began to regret hitting him. His hand stung from the bone out. And Porter probably hadn’t deserved it. The damn thing didn’t know when to quit though. The law had to be laid down somewhere or the fucking mutt would walk all over you. Besides he’d only hit the dog once. Porter would get over it. Harold had only hit Hattie once too and she had. It was once when he was drunk and she made some snide comment about his strut. The slap was sloppy and hard. She’d forgiven him in a couple of days. He’d promised he wouldn’t do it again. And, he hadn’t - except for the time when they were lying in bed and he was resting satisfied and she’d asked if he’d wasted any worthwhile energy on his whore. He’d slapped her then too – for Tammy, who was a lady, and no one’s whore. That time Hattie’d slept on that shitty yellow couch for more than a week. Until he’d started coming home early in penance. Slowly she forgave him or stored her bitter to burn a colder day. She didn’t light it up again until they started fighting about children, or the lack thereof. She’d maintained that it was his

Flickr/robertagthe

An Introduction to Harold Barnum

fault. She’d been to the doctor and he said she was fine. He probably did. The guy probably checked her twice just for the look, too. When Harold Barnum was in Korea he’d knocked up some Moose who tried to get him to take her back to the States. She probably just wanted out of that hell hole. But he was still fine. He knew that for certain. Unless Hattie suggested he might’ve worn shorts too tight, or not eaten enough red meat, or wasted his milk on Tammy. Then, sometimes, he wondered. After a while, the bickering got tiring. There was one more bruise than bruises were worth. Hattie moved to the couch on a more permanent basis. From time to time she’d stay in the guest room. There was no bed there. They never had overnight guests and thought money would be better spent on a crib. It was a three-pack-a-day period, for both of them. Harold had to stop off at the store before school and after just to keep in stock. That was alright. It did him good to shoot the shit with the stock boys. He hadn’t seen much of them since they’d gone on to high school. And he liked to know who played on the football team and how many strike-outs Dickerson or Michaels had thrown in last night’s ballgame. Besides, heaps of people came in and out of the store and now and again something interesting would happen. Some broad

would come in, dressed bright as a bunting and fat as a titmouse, parading around and make for a couple minutes of entertainment. A few times somebody broke a carton of milk all over the floor. And once there was a boy, a little younger than the ones that Barnum taught history to, outside carrying around rusty paint buckets in his hands, each draped with the curious paws of beaglemutt puppies. “What goes, kid?” Harold asked the boy. “My mom said I could only keep one.” The boy lifted a bucket sadly and shrugged his shoulders in feigned indifference. “What’dya askin’ for one?” “Not askin’. Just givin. I can’t keep ‘em and I don’t have time to go into business sellin’ pets.” Harold picked one of the dogs up by the skin of its neck and caught its bottom with the palm of his other hand. He liked it. It was a little underfed but a good looking dog. Hattie’d like it too. “You take a dollar for it?” “Told you I was givin’ ‘em away.” “I’ll give you a dollar for one.” “I don’t need your charity.” The boy was as bewildered as bothered. “Just take the dog.” “It isn’t charity. I’m buyin’ your dog.” Barnum pulled the dog to him with one hand and took a dollar out of his pocket with the other. He stuffed the money in the boy’s breast pocket. To Be Continued...

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August 18 - 31, 2010

IN MY OPINION

The Evolution of the Publication By Tim Young, volunteer When you stop to think about it, Street Sense is one of the only remaining physical newspapers in town that people still buy. Our sales people represent the face of publications past; the newspaper vendors who died out with the rise of those nifty unmanned boxes on the street corners. Then those boxes died out too, once the news services started giving away what they once sold, on the Internet. So aside from what you are currently holding, many of you probably do not read news from a physical paper unless itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s forced into your hands when walking onto the Metro by the free competitors, The Washington Postâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Express, or The Washington Examiner. Street Sense is unique in its success-not only in its mes-

sage and service, but also in its acceptance in the District of Columbia. Unfortunately, the same does not hold true for many other print publications, booksellers and news vendors, not only in this city, but in the country as well. The e-book has taken the nation by storm, replacing the wild inconvenience of having to actually walk into a store and browse books, or the more convenient inconvenience of having to go to a website to browse books. You can order your favorite books now from your e-book with almost no effort at all. Similar to the flip cell phone, the e-book itself was a concept stolen from Star Trek: The Next Generation. On the lateâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;80s through early â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;90s television show, crew members would read books from a Personal Access Display Device (PADD for short). And similar to the cell phone, since breaking onto the scene just a few years ago, this â&#x20AC;&#x153;space agedâ&#x20AC;? concept has begun to eliminate the need for landlined or paper-based competitors. The New York Times, which I read online for free the other day, reported that the e-book is quickly becoming a major contributor to the downfall of bookseller Barnes & Noble. The company, which 20 years ago was the premier seller of all things literary, was last to catch on to the e-book trend; Amazon, Sony and now Apple lead the way. Barnes &

Nobles response may very well be too little too late. E-books, which pride themselves on mimicking the old school paper books in text and color of display, find themselves falling behind the curve of technology with the sudden upswing in sales of magazines and comic books, which have been re-popularized by the iPad. So now even the e-book needs to evolve with ever-increasing rapidity in order to stay competitive. Sports Illustrated became one of the first hybrid multimedia publications when it released an electronic â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;test versionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of its â&#x20AC;&#x153;Man of the Yearâ&#x20AC;? issue last year that involved video and highlights alongside its articles. Current e-books cannot handle that presentation. What does all of this mean for the future of print? Only time will tell, but I have a feeling that if it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t extraordinarily flashy and convenient, it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make a lot of money. I guess we should be happy though, because regardless the form, America is reading.

Regardless of the form, America is reading

2010 Reader Survey â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what we heard, and hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing!

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Your ideas for improving and growing the paper (following are suggestions that we heard from many of you):

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Summer Reading

August 18 - 31, 2010

S treetS ense.org

Volunteer Jami-Lin Williams Theft Peter Carey

Vendor Susan Wilhusen The Alchemist Paulo Coelho

Managing Editor Lisa Gillespie A Russian Journal John Steinbeck

Vendor/Board Member Martin Walker The Taking Dean Koontz

in Stre

A few favorites from to add to y

Executive Director Abby Strunk Extremley Loud & Incredibly Close Jonathan Safran Foer

Editorial Intern Cathy Bueker 60 Stories Donald Barthelme

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ead

Summer Reading

August 18 - 31, 2010

Office Volunteer Maggie Smith Peter Pan J.M. Barrie

the eet

Editor-in-Chief Mary Otto Remembrance of Things Past Marcel Proust

m the Street Sense team your summer

Development and Program Manager Amy Vokes The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde

Vendor Phillip Howard Editorial Intern Priya Anand Eat, Pray, Love Elizabeth Gilbert

Holy Bible

August 18 - 31, 2010

Street Sudoku

By David Rubin, vendor

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

www.foundryumc.org

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August 18 - 31, 2010

Man Chooses to Become Homeless to Challenge His Faith By Mary Yost, editorial intern Mike Yankoski became a homeless man under particularly uncommon circumstances – he chose to be one. In his book Under the Overpass, Yankoski uses an easy-to-read narrative describing his experiences with homelessness to challenge readers to think philosophically about religion, ethical dilemmas and how to lead a Christian life. Yankoski’s idea to become a “homeless” individual came to him while he sat in church and listened to a sermon on the Good Samaritan parable. The night before, he had passed two homeless men and cracked a joke about them. “If I don’t have to look at these two human beings, then I don’t have to respond,” he said. Under the Overpass is Yankoski’s journal of his journey of faith on the streets of the United States following this potentially controversial decision. The six cities he visited – Denver; Washington, D.C.; Portland.; San Francisco; Phoenix; and San Diego – are described in separate sections of the book. Each city is given sufficient coverage to let readers grasp a small sense of what it feels like to be a homeless individual in that city. The story of Yankoski and his friend and traveling companion Sam Purvis has a local touch, as the pair spent 28 days in Washington, D.C. “We hung mostly around the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, just eight blocks east of the White House,” he wrote. “It’s an area where two worlds collide. Walking from one side of the street to the other was like walking across the burn line

of a forest fire. In one block He makes it clear that he presthe scenery morphed from ents his ideas from an evangelical, new high-rise protestant Christian persepctive. office buildings and luxurious cars to ence was fundamentally different from the old buildings and dirty streets. Two worlds, side by side, lives of other homeless.” Despite his apoloeach pretending the other didn’t exist.” The gies, these disquieting sentiments add a familiarity of this image engages the read- somber tone to his book. er’s interest throughout the section. At the conclusion of his book, Yankoski Yankoski makes it clear at the beginning of his book that he presents his ideas from encourages readers to become involved in an evangelical, Protestant Christian per- addressing homelessness in a manner that spective. He encourages readers to discern appeals to them. He believes that acknowlhow the American church responds to the edging homeless individuals is the best gift needs of the individuals who are on their one can give. However, he also provides a cities’ streets, no matter what the readers’ multitude of other methods to encourage different personalities to become inreligious beliefs may be. The book takes on controversial topics, volved. Yankoski’s book is an appropriate length such as anger and addictions, and Yankoski’s view is that homeless individuals because it keeps readers engaged by jumpshould not be condemned for these being from city to city. The same themes are haviors. Throughout the book, Yankoski presented in the description of his experiis conversational and seems to welcome ences in each city. However, his anecdotes and the introreader’s feedback on this idea. Some readers may challenge Yankoski’s duction to colorful characters provide actions or be offended by his decision to readers with the opportunity to analyze become homeless and “steal” resources each experience with different perspecmeant for truly homeless individuals. tives. This is a must-read book for someYankoski recognized that his homeless one who wants to question how religious situation is fundamentally different from beliefs affect the way we treat the most vulliterally homeless individuals. “Sam and I nerable members of our community. In the end, readers are left pondering became homeless,” he said. “We chose to step into this and then we chose to step many questions: What do I think of Yankoout of it. ski’s actions? Were they ethical? Do I think And the fact that we knew that it was go- he is portraying an accurate picture of ing to end someday meant that our experi- homelessness? How can I be involved in

finding out the answers to his questions? Yankoski and his wife live in Vancouver, British Columbia, and are both studying at Regent College for their Masters of Christian Studies degrees. He serves on the board of directors for World Vision US and the board of advisors for Kilns College. For more information on Yankoski and his book, visit www.undertheoverpass.com. “Under the Overpass” (2005). Multnomah Books. 30 April 2005. ISBN: 1590524020.

A new issue comes out every two weeks, but you can stay connected to Street Sense every day:

acebook : www.facebook.com/streetsense : www.youtube.com/streetsensedc and witter : streetsensedc ...and, as always, ﬁnd us online at www.streetsense.org.

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August 18 - 31, 2010

The Parrot Who Knew Too Much: The Final Chapter By Ivory Wilson, vendor

“Tom, I have evidence on tape and a bloody ink pen as proof that Judge Brooks has killed Kathy.” Tom asked if she had them now. Becky said, ”yes.” Tom said, “I’m on my way.” Becky asked, “Tom, can you meet me in an hour in front of the Chop House?” Tom said he’d be there. Becky put the ink pen in the bag for DNA testing. Joyce was on her phone, arranging for her news crew to meet her in front of the Chop House. Then Becky looked at Feathers, smiled and said, “Feathers, you’re go-

Flickr/GeoffPenaluna

Joyce rushed and picked up Feathers, saying, “my poor baby. That’s impossible, Becky. I don’t have any alcohol here.” But Joyce smelled Feathers’ breath and said, “It’s alcohol.” Becky said, “I told you, Feathers needs AA!” They laughed. Then Becky took out her cell phone and made a call to Tom, a top agent at the FBI. Tom answered and said, “hello.” Becky replied, “It’s Becky.” “Oh, hi, Becky,” said Tom. “How are things at the Attorney General’s office?” “Things are good,” Becky replied. Then she asked, “Brooks, have you been reading the Post lately?” “Do you mean about Kathy Brooks’ disappearance?” Tom responded. “Why, yes. I understand that Kathy is one of your lawyers.” “I’m worried about her,” Becky told Tom. “It’s not like Kathy to just disappear.” “Ok, Becky,” said Tom. “Give me 24 hours.” Becky said, “Thank you, Tom.” Tom hung up and Becky hung up. While they were talking, Joyce was thinking about where her career was heading and that she needed a big story. She had covered stories throughout the city but nothing with a high profile that would put her elbow-to-elbow with her peers. Feathers was starting to feel better, moving around in Joyce’s arms. She put him back on the bed and said to Becky, “I think I should take Feathers to the vet.” Becky said, “girl, all that alcoholic needs is some fresh air. It works for me.” Joyce laughed and said, “okay. Let’s go downstairs to Starbucks for coffee and to sit on the patio and later we’ll come back up and I’ll clean Feathers’ cage. I’ve been putting off cleaning it for a week. I’ll shower and get ready for the Caps game tonight.” They were sitting on the Starbucks patio having coffee and chattering in the sunshine while looking at people and watching them have fun. Judge Brooks came out of Fennell Place to walk to the Chop House for dinner and saw Feathers sitting on Joyce’s shoulder. Judge Brooks came rushing across the street and slowed down when he saw Becky the DA. Judge Brooks said “hello” to Becky. Becky smiled and replied by saying, “hello, Judge Brooks. This is Joyce, a Channel 4 news reporter. She’s a friend of mine.” Judge Brooks spoke to Joyce and asked the name of her parrot. “Feathers,” Joyce told him. Judge Brooks reached out to Feathers and Feathers tried to peck his hand. Judge Brooks pulled his hand back fast. Feathers looked him in the eyes and said out loud, “I’ll kill you first, I’ll kill you.” Judge Brooks blew up inside like a volcano. “Get that bird away from here!” he shouted. Joyce quickly defended her bird. “Don’t do that,” she told the judge. “You’re scaring Feathers.”

“Yes,” added Becky. “You’re being very rude, Judge Brooks.” Now everyone sitting on the patio was listening. Judge Brooks gave Feathers an evil look and started to walk away, looking back over his shoulder at Feathers. He almost got hit by a car because he was hurrying. He walked into the Chop House. Joyce thought something was wrong with Feathers because he never acted like that with people and he only repeated things he had seen or heard before. Becky was thinking well now, Judge, you’re ready to crack. She grinned. Getting back upstairs in the condo, Joyce said, “Becky, you know where everything is. Make yourself at home.” Joyce went to her bedroom, taking Feathers with her. “I’ll be a few minutes,” she called out to Becky, “then I’ll clean Feathers’ cage.” Becky sat down on the couch and reached for the TV remote while sipping her coffee. She saw one of Joyce’s practice tapes on the table beside her camera. Becky picked it up and said out loud, “Girl, you better watch yourself. I’ll start doing this too.” Becky put the tape in and let it play, looking on smiling. Then the tape went blank and she reached to turn it off. But then she thought she saw Feathers and turned it back on to let it play. Becky’s eyes got large and she shouted, “Joyce! Joyce! Girl, have you seen this tape?” They both sat looking at the tape. Joyce said, “I left for work and I forgot to turn it off. When I came home the batteries were dead. I just took the tape out and left it on the table.” They both got up and went to Feathers’ cage. Feathers was standing there looking up at them. Joyce opened the cage and looked inside; moving a blanket she saw a gold tennis bracelet filled with diamonds. There was more jewelry too, platinum rings, and gold chains. Becky recognized Kathy Brooks’ gold ink pen that had dried blood on it. Becky said, “Joyce, don’t touch them! Get me a plastic bag.” Joyce knew this was her breaking story, the one that would put her on top. Becky got on her cell phone and called Judge Paul Williams and said she needed a search warrant for Judge Brooks. Judge Paul Williams said, “Becky, I’m at the 18th hole playing golf. Can’t it wait?” Becky said, “No! He may catch on and run.” Judge Williams said, “Ok, Becky. You better know what you’re doing.” Becky thanked the judge and hung up and then she called Tom.

ing down for this.” The women looked at each other laughing. Then they were on their way. One hour later Judge Brooks came out of the Chop House, picking his teeth with a toothpick, when he saw the news team. The Judge laughed and said, “You even got the FBI here over a bird?” Becky said, “Judge Brooks, you’re under arrest for the murder of your wife, Kathy Brooks.” Tom handcuffed him and took him away. Kathy Brooks’ body was never found. Feathers’ tape and the DNA from the ink pen were all they needed to convict the judge. Monday morning, Joyce was leaving for work and said “bye” to Feathers. Feathers repeated this as he was looking at the sliding door. Joyce smiled and walked over to lock it. When she was walking out the door, Feathers hopped out of his cage, hopped down the hall to Joyce’s bedroom and turned on the radio. Joyce heard a voice coming from her bedroom. It was the radio saying, “What’s the deal, Pickles? Is everything kosher?” Joyce screamed, “Feathers!” He turned off the radio. THE END

S treetS ense.org

August 18 - 31, 2010

Friends in the Seaweeds At the Outer Banks, on a muddy cliff, where grasses grow tall and sharp and thin to be whipped by the wind, there is a blue bungalow rental house. Three friends in it are sitting around and drinking. Out the kitchen window, they watch the sun set on the last of their four nights there. “This one has some nice purples going on,” says Jeanie, sitting closest to the picture window. “I’ve never seen a bad sunset,” says Rick. “Or a bad sunrise.” He leans back in his chair and puts his feet up on the table. “It’s physically impossible,” adds Laura. Jeanie gets up to go the fridge, avoiding the fake Tiffany light over her head, and takes out another Coors. “Good! The coldness window turned blue – that says it’s cold, so I can be sure.” The other two giggle. She leans over the table and says, “Let me refill those,” picking up their sweating glasses to go refill with gin and tonics. This move, the arching, the gripping, the swooping away, comes naturally from her muscle memory after waitressing for more than five years. Lamplight wraps them in a circle apart from the dusk outside. They will disband tomorrow, in just half a day: Rick to his big-city conservatory, Laura to her New England college, Jeanie to Minneapolis. This ritual of cohesion has been observed twice a year for the last three years, ever since high school graduation. There’s the buzz of the drink and the buzz of expectations to pack up and melt away. But in this day, with its light-speed innovations, no true friends have to bear total absence. They walk out onto the house’s back porch. Yesterday morning, Laura and Rick walked into town to get some food, and when they did, Jeanie laid face down at the house path’s end. It wound slightly up for a hundred feet above her. From here at eye level the grasses seemed to swell and shrink the house into a green haze. “So this is what life is like in the ocean’s seaweeds,” she thought. “I’m a seahorse and that anemone is my friend.” And if your friend is a human, you can kiss the person with much less sting. Each of the three had done it to one another. Among their circle of friends, they were the trio closest to each other, the brightest constellation. When Laura showed up to them in Richmond, transplanted from Colorado, hadn’t Jeanie and Rick welcomed her with open arms? They couldn’t have been separated, for every passing moment together

Flickr/DSharonPruitt

By Cathy Bueker, editorial intern

made the sacred glue stronger. All their jokes made an infinite pattern. They’d had ineffably perfect experiences. Nowadays, though, Jeanie has to initiate phone calls that usually get missed and not returned. Drinks taste better on the house porch, they agree. Laura turns its light on, and Jeanie wants it off but she keeps quiet. “Do you remember,” Rick asks, “when Steve put that rat in that girl’s bag because she’d laughed at him?” Laura gives a loud and short laugh. “Yes! Oh my god! That was so great. And she had rotted guts all over her books. So messed up. Freaky-weird. Where is he? Is someone keeping an eye on him?” Jeanie slumps a little. They didn’t have to bring up the schizophrenic ex. They’d stood by after months and months when Steve played cruel pranks on classmates, devised elaborate mind games to play with Jeanie and other girls, like claiming he had fatal pancreatic cancer. And he was still sewn into her life, in places. “He said he’ll keep staying in New Mexico some more, I guess,” Jeanie says. “I have to admit,” Laura says, leaning forward over the railing, “I never really liked him.” Rick murmurs his agreement. “What were you thinking? Really? He should come with a warning label. It’s like he was raised by aliens or something.” “Oh, thanks for the news, thanks, you guys!” Jeanie bristles. “Thanks for warning me about him right away. So you’re too sharp to ever get involved with a creep? Cool, thanks, good to know. Must be nice hanging around with perfect people in perfect seminars.” She finishes off her fifth

beer. Rick tries to soothe her. “No, it’s not like that --” but Laura talks over him. “No, don’t worry, you have plenty of great ideas,” she snaps. “All your plans are really great.” “Fine. Whatever. Anyway I barely talk to him anymore.” Jeanie tries to remind herself that her move to Minneapolis was great, that being hostess at The Cheesecake Factory at the Mall of America is exactly what she needs, that the way the snow muffles life is perfect. It didn’t mean she was an illiterate idiot. She would work her way up to something better, she could make her own money, even if her friends didn’t need to. They could once share secrets, the three of them. The other two were there when Rick’s uncle passed away, and they were aware of his excellent inheritance. Their quirks were familiar, like how Laura wore the same underwear for a week even after taking showers, or how Rick was afraid of pickles. And the other two were there when Jeanie’s parents split up and she and her mom had to get shelter at friends’ houses for a month, and she had to look after her mother’s alcoholic spells. As the world starts reeling, they get into the surf. All their sunburns sting. Rick brings his vodka straight down and mixes the saltwater into it. Laura stumbles over the incoming waves. Jeanie splashes her in fun, but she won’t play, not like all the other great water fights they’d had. What about the pool party they’d put on once? “Now, this ethics thing,” Rick announces, “so we read this – but I just play

trumpet – but this textbook we have. Got a summer paper about some hypothetical situation.” “Oh! We had to do Plato in a class,” Laura says, “he’s Plah-to? Play-to? That guy? Yeah, so -–” Jeanie moves too far away to hear them chatter about their sameness. Why should she join in? She sits down; the waves rush over her at shoulder height, and she chokes a little on seawater. The stars are so bright here. Everything is bright. The sun shines unbearably bright. The water flashes bright, almost gaudy, under the moon. Getting a splinter hurts brighter here. And always the sharp heat that sweated you after the fact, that you’d find sticking to your scalp even indoors. But somehow the water was too cold and they would have to go inside. And there would be a screaming fit over the starfish Laura, in all her affectation, had brought inside only for it to start decomposing and stinking, and some choice words would come out, and some snarls, and Rick would give her a look Jeanie knew only too well, and everyone would go to bed, and wake up to find things still ripped. So life must be pruned, then redrafted. But Jeanie couldn’t know all this, minutiae that sloughed off her skin. And she could not see farther than the other two, so no one could see the accidental manslaughter Rick would commit in nine years, or Laura’s rejection of her family in a month so she could fail at being a playwright. I am as far from you as the east is from the west, Jeanie thought without realizing it. Good to admit it sooner.

S treetS ense.org

August 18 - 31, 2010

VENDOR PROFILE Franklin Sterling A meager snack and a paltry one at That, time. Limp awe, this zone Is grathered as though alone. -Poem by Franklin Sterling

Franklin Sterling began selling Street Sense two years ago, after some other vendors encouraged him to look into the program. Sterling has had three sets of poems published and now is revising those works. He said the publication of these poems in 2008 was one of his proudest moments. People he meets on the street continue to ask him if he will have more poems published in forthcoming issues. One of Sterling’s favorite aspects of Street Sense is the writers’ group, which is a collection of vendors who meet weekly to learn about poetry techniques and to workshop their own creative writing. “I love to see dedicated vendors creating their own stories and poems,” Sterling said. In terms of his own writing, Sterling thinks his poetry offers readers a break from more traditional forms. “I want to give people access to the types of poems they might not have access to in the library or bookstore. My poetry offers readers a chance to read poetry that doesn’t adhere to traditional English lexicon.”

Jake Ashford

Edna Williams

By Mandy Toomey, volunteer

Hope Lassiter

In his writings, Sterling likes to mix medieval and modern English poetry. He generally avoids free verse and includes a variety of poetry devices, such as alliteration and internal rhymes. Inspiration for his poems comes from different aspects of life around him, including literature, politics and culture. “Mankind is my inspiration,” he said. For Sterling, poetry is a source of validation. “It’s a way to say my life is meaningful, and to be recognized,” he said. “It’s a way to show myself as someone of value.” Looking ahead, Sterling hopes to live in his own place and to continue working on his poetry. In the meantime, he is seeking work and grateful to Street Sense patrons for their support. “These are harsh times. Customers really help us stay together because they are encouraging and help us to see that we are all human.”

Melania Scott

Happy Birthday July Birthday Vendors!

Michael Reardon

Richardo Dickerson

James Davis

David Rubin

Finding A Way Through Chronic Homelessness man·da·mus man-dey-muh s a writ from a superior court to an inferior court or to an officer, corporation, etc., commanding that a specified thing be done. –verb (used with object) to intimidate or serve with such writ. Origin: mandmus-we command By David Rubin, vendor Street Sense newspaper is about the homeless people in Washington, D.C. I have found it opens doors in associating with the community when all else has failed. Once I started interacting with the community in my volunteer services at the hospital, I thought my homelessness was resolved. But that was not to be my last experience of homelessness. I was to find myself homeless again, even after Street Sense

newspaper helped me resolve my biggest obstacle of fitting into society normally. The problem for me was that other issues that caused homelessness arose. These factors were beyond the scope of case manager and legal judgments made in the law courts. A need for well-defined mandamus is the probable solution in order to stay focused and end homelessness through employment.

Gwynette Smith

Robert McCray

What Makes Watha T. Daniel Interim Library So Good By Patty Smith, vendor When I started going to my local library, the Watha T. Daniel Interim Library, just next door to where I live, I went to do my classroom lessons on their computer. I have since found so many other useful reasons to visit. The staff and clientele are very friendly. We have become a small gathering place. I sometimes watch DVDs on the computer and also go to the reference section. The members of the staff have been invaluable. My favorite is Eric – he actually lets me look on his computer and shows me how to research different categories of what I might need. The Watha T. Daniel Interim Library has been a good place for people with babies. The little ones enjoy playtime and singing songs. And if that isn’t precious, I don’t

know what is. As this library closes and makes room for our new Watha T. Daniel Library just down the block, I hope we can find that same kind of enjoyment.

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The District SHELTER

Calvary Women’s Services 110 Maryland Ave, NE (202) 289-0596 (office) (202) 289-2111 (shelter) 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

August 18 - 31, 2010 9:30-11, all welcome/dinner for women and children, Mon-Fri, 3-6 pm) St. Stephens Parish Church 1525 Newton St, NW (202) 737–9311 www.thrivedc.org Food and Friends 219 Riggs Road, NE (202) 269–2277 www.foodandfriends.org 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

John Young Center (Women) 119 D Street, NW (202) 639–8469 www,catholiccharitiesdc.org

Unity Health Care, Inc. 3020 14th Street, NW (202) 745–4300 www.unityhealthcare.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

Whitman–Walker Clinic 1407 S Street, NW (202) 797–3500; www.wwc.org

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 18+) 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 (Sundays only) 2201 P Street, NW (202) 387–6612 www.churchofthepilgrims.org Thrive DC (breakfast Mon-Fri,

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 mental health services Friendship House 619 D Street, SE (202) 675–9050 www.friendshiphouse.net counseling, mentoring, education, youth services, clothing Georgetown Ministry Center 1041 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (202) 338–8301 www.georgetownministrycenter. org laundry, counseling, psych care Martha’s Table 2114 14th Street, NW (202) 328–6608 www.marthastable.org dinner, education, recreation, clothing, child/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 (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 Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW (202) 332–4010 www.foundryumc.org ESL, lunch, clothing, IDs Gospel Rescue Ministries drug, alcohol program (Men) 810 5th Street, NW (202) 842–1731; www.grm.org 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 Massachusetts Avenue, NE (202) 371–1937 www.travelersaid.org/ta/dc.html emergency travel assistance Washington Legal Clinic for the

Homeless 1200 U Street, NW (202) 328–5500 www.legalclinic.org

WVSA Literacy for Life 1100 16th Street, NW (202) 296-9100 www.wvsarts.org GED preparation and work force education

MARYLAND SHELTER Interfaith Works 114 W. Montgomery Avenue Rockville (301) 762–8682 www.iworksmc.org The Samaritan Group Inc. 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 Avenue Bethesda (301) 907–9244 www.bethesdacares.com Community Place Café 311 68th Place, Seat Pleasant (301) 499–2319; www.cmpgc.org Manna Food Center 614–618 Lofstrand Lane, Rockville (301) 424–1130 www.mannafood.org

MEDICAL RESOURCES Community Clinic, Inc. 8210 Colonial Lane Silver Spring (301) 585–1250 www.cciweb.org Mobile Medical Care, Inc. 9309 Old Georgetown Road Bethesda (301) 493–2400 www.mobilemedicalcare.org

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Catholic Charities, Maryland 12247 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring (301) 942–1790 www.catholiccharitiesdc.org shelter, substance abuse treatment, variety of other services Mission of Love 6180 Old Central Avenue, Capitol Heights (301)333–4440

www.molinc.org life skills classes, clothing, housewares Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless 600–B East Gude Drive, Rockville (301) 217–0314; www.mcch.net emergency shelter, transitional housing, and supportive services

VIRGINIA SHELTER

Alexandria Community Shelter 2355 B-Mill Road, Alexandria (703) 838–4239 Carpenter’s Shelter 930 N. Henry Street, Alexandria (703) 548–7500 www.carpentersshelter.org The Arlington–Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless 3103 9th 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 #320, Fairfax (703) 273–8829 www.our–daily–bread.org

MEDICAL RESOURCES Arlington Free Clinic 2921 11th Street South 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

Shelter Hotline: 1–800– 535–7252

YouAugusthelped your country. 18 - 31, 2010 Now your country can help you. Have you served your country in the military? You could qualify for no-cost health care, housing and employment assistance, and other benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Call 1-877-222-VETS (8387) or visit one of these local VA facilities:

VA Medical Center 50 Irving Street, NW Washington, DC 20422 Metro: Brookland/CUA or Columbia Heights (Free shuttle bus from both metros)

VA Community Outpatient Clinic 820 Chesapeake Street, S.E. Washington, DC 20032 Metrobus routes A6 and P12

Washington DC Vet Center 1250 Taylor St, NW Washington, DC 20011 Metro: Columbia Heights

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From a Reader Dear Editor, I am a regular reader of Street Sense and especially enjoy reading vendor Jeffery McNeil, from whom I used to regularly purchase issues of the papers when I saw him selling them near 19th and L Street. I am no longer employed in the area, so now I buy the papers from various other vendors whom I happen to see hawking downtown. I commend Jeffery on his inspiring article â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Dry Yearâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? in the August 4 issue of Street Sense, and also congratulate him on his anniversary of one year of sobriety. Street Sense is an extremely valuable publication , and the poems and essays written by the homeless confirm that although many of them are caught in unfortunate circumstances, they are also blessed with God-given talent. Editorial intern Adam Sirganyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s article about Mitch Snyder went straight to my heart. I had the opportunity to meet Mitch and Carol Fennelly when I was a strong supporter of affordable housing in the District, and began volunteering periodically with CCNV, during the 1980s. One of the highlights of my brief service with CCNV occurred on Thanksgiving Day, when alongside numerous other advocates and volunteers,

THE LAST WORD

I served Thanksgiving dinner to countless homeless people gathered for the occasion on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. What I clearly remember is that although that was a frigid winter day, it was a heartwarming experience to be able to do my small part to help feed the homeless who lined up on one side of long folding tables, waiting their turn for volunteers on the opposite side to fill their paper plates with turkey, ham, green vegetables, yams, corn, rolls, pies and just about every other Thanksgiving menu item you can think of. Much of the food was donated by empathetic residents in the Washington Metropolitan area, and I believe that some restaurants and churches also contributed to the event. Mitch, like all of us, was imperfect. However, were he alive and pursuing his fight to help the homeless, I feel sure that some would describe him in the contemporary vernacular as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;cultural icon.â&#x20AC;? He was also a Godsend, and may be remembered by others among his supporters as well as myself whenever we hear these words of a popular song, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Like a comet blazing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cross the evening sky, gone too soon.â&#x20AC;?

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