10 01 2007

Intern Matt Johnson finds personal relevance in the firestorm raging in Jena, La., page 14

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Where the Washington area's poor and homeless earn and give their two cents October 1, 2007 – October 14, 2007

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Volume 4, Issue 20

www.streetsense.org

The Irony of Life Head to Head on the Hill serve, federal attention and funding. As a result, the first federal task force on homelessness was created in 1983 to provide information to local municipalities, and the early 1980s saw a shift toward more local efforts to aid the homeless.

As awareness of homelessness rose, so did the demand for federal intervention. It wasn’t until 1986 that legislation was introduced in Congress, yet the aid package that would finally pass was a significantly trimmed version. Advocates began to push for stronger legislation.

The McKinney Homeless Assistance Act was formally signed into law by President Reagan in July 1987. Since then, it has been amended four times: in 1988, 1990, 1992 and 1994. The legislation was renamed the McKinney-Vento Act

By Matthew Allee

Eric Sheptock’s parents raised their 32 children in a 13-bedroom mansion under the glare of TV cameras and a book deal.

COURTESY OF ERIC SHEPTOCK

It has been more than 20 years since the first and only federal aid legislation aimed at addressing homelessness was passed by Congress, and many advocates and officials say it’s time for an update.

Two pieces of legislation, one each in the House and the Senate, have been introduced so far to reauthorize the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987. Both proposed bills increase the amount of federal funding homeless programs receive but vary significantly in their definition of homelessness – a key point of contention that has split the support of many advocacy groups.

The Reagan administration viewed homelessness as a local problem that did not require, or de-

“My life is full of contrast”: Eric with his brother.

By Matt Johnson

I

n the past, the personal facts I’ve inserted into my articles have given people a window into my mind and life. This article will address some of the unusual, if not amazing, happenings in my life as well as some of the sadder events that have come to define me.

Mine has been a life full of ups and downs. Whose isn’t? But in my case, the ups contrast ever so sharply with the downs.

I was born Eric Gooden in Atlantic City, N.J., on Feb. 15, 1969. When I was eight months old, my parents tried to kill me by beating my skull open and leaving me to die in a motel room. When my hair is cut, one can see the large scar at the back of my head where I had three craniotomies.

I don’t know which one of them did it, what they did it with, why they did it, where they are now, if they ever got caught and convicted, or even the name of the person who found me. People ask me those questions often, as I’ve told my story hundreds of times. It has even been suspected that it may have been an accident after which my parents got scared and abandoned me. After all, it isn’t all that difficult to kill an eight-month-old baby if you really want to.

I, of course, was too young to remember anything. I was told about the incident by my adoptive mother when I was five or six years old.

See Irony, page 12

In cities where the percentage of American Indians is relatively high — 2% to 10% compared to less than 1% in the country as a whole — the homeless American Indian population is disproportionately higher, said Janeen Comenote, coordinator for the National Urban Indian Family Coalition, a network of urban Indian organizations working to strengthen families and cultural identity.

Her organization is headquartered in Seattle, where American Indians make up just 2% of the total population, but represent 40% of the city’s homeless.

Comenote said this disparity can be seen in other American cities of similar size, and that it’s even higher in cities such as Anchorage, where American Indians make up 10 % of

The poverty rate for American Indians is more than double the U.S. average.

POLITICS

EDITORIAL

DC Voting Rights Blocked Again

Mining for Gold

U.S. senators block vote to grant city residents a seat in the House of Representatives, page 6

Vendor Jeffery McNeil explains why businesses should hire homeless employees, page 12

“This is My Dream Job”

LOCAL

SPECIAL INSERT

Mike O’Neill leads homeless speakers around the nation and breaks some tough stereotypes, page 3

Know Your Rights

Prison Art

Learn what all tenants should know about dealing with their landlords, page 8

The Prisons Foundation showcases art from prisoners around the country, insert

Inside This Issue PROFILE

See Bills, page 5

American Indians: Displaced, Invisible

COURTESY OF ISTOCKPHOTOS

By Eric Sheptock

in 2000 to pay tribute to Rep. Bruce Vento (D-Minn.), a leading supporter since its original passage.

Excluding the modification to the name, there has been little done by Congress over the past 13 years to modernize and strengthen the only federal aid package for the homeless. Funding for programs has fluctuated over the years, peaking in 1995 and then steadily declining afterwards.

From 1995 to 2005, homelessness funds reached nearly $1.5 billion and then fell by 28% in a decade.

“For over a decade now, the main problem has been getting any bill to move through Congress to improve policy for our nation’s homeless population,” said Steve

the total population. Yet homeless American Indians are an invisible subpopulation, often lacking stable communities and tribal support because of their relatively recent entry into urban life and their nomadic lifestyles.

Citing census data, Comenote said that 65% of American Indians now live outside of reservations.

This figure largely reflects the results of the federal Relocation Act of 1952, which set up the Voluntary Relocation Program to encourage the movement of American Indians from reservations to cities. The program provided housing and employment assistance to over 30,000 of the 122,000 American Indians who migrated between 1940 and 1960.

Comenote said this mass relocation contributed to the scattering of the population and “the breakdown of families … [and] social cohesion” thereafter.

These unintended negative consequences led to even more problems. In 1999, the poverty rate of American Indians was more than double that of the total population, according to U.S. Census data.

The most recent numbers are also daunting: The U.S. median

See

Indians, page 4

Street Sense . October 1 – 14, 2007

2 ALL ABOUT US

Our Mission 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 347-2006 Fax: (202) 347-2166 info@streetsense.org www.streetsense.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS James Davis Robert Egger Ted Henson Barbara Kagan David Pike John Snellgrove Michael Stoops Francine Triplett David Walker Kathy Whelpley

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Laura Thompson Osuri VENDOR MANAGER Jesse Smith Jr. EDITOR IN CHIEF Kaukab Jhumra Smith ASSOCIATE EDITOR David S. Hammond (volunteer) INTERNS Matt Johnson, Melanie Lidman, Desiree Perez VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Matt Allee, Robert Basler, Robert Blair, Sonya Butler, Cliff Carle, Jason Corum, Diana Cosgrove, Mary Cunningham, Rebecca Curry, Rick Dahnke, Genevieve Gill, Joanne Goodwin, Carol Hannaford, David Harris, Annie Hill, Brooke Howell, Jo Ann Jackson, Kathy Jones, Mary Lynn Jones, Maurice King, Jessica LaGarde, Jeff Lambert, Karin Lee, August Mallory, Mandy McAnally, Sam McCormally, Kent Mitchell, Andrea Molino, Joe Morris, Mike O’Neill, Swinitha Osuri, David Pike, David Pirtle, Diane Rusignola, Matt Seimen, Eric Sheptock, Katie Smith, Terry Snead, Francine Triplett, Dan Weingarten, Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson, Marian Wiseman, Corrine Yu

We are proud members of:

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

Our Editorial Policy Editorials and features in Street Sense reflect the perspectives of the authors. We invite the submission of news, opinion, fiction and poetry, hoping to create a means in which a multitude of perspectives on poverty and homelessness can find expression. Street Sense reserves the right to edit any material.

North American Street Newspaper Association

The Story of Street Sense Street Sense began in August 2003 after two volunteers, Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson, approached the National Coalition for the Homeless on separate occasions about starting a street newspaper in 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 consistently on a monthly basis and greatly expanded its circulation and vendor network.

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

In October 2005, Street Sense formed a 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.

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

And to support the increased production, Street Sense brought on its first full-time editor in chief in April.

International Network of Street Papers

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VENDORS Willie Alexander, Michael Anderson, Jake Ashford, Patricia Benjamin, Tommy Bennett, Kanon Brown, Bobby Buggs, Cliff Carle, Alice Carter, Conrad Cheek Jr., Elena Cirpaci, Louise Davenport, James Davis, Bernard Dean, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Michael Douglas, Don Gardner, Leo Gnawa, Stephanie Gooden, Barron Hall, David Harris, John Harrison, Donald Henry, Patricia Henry, Michael Higgs, Phillip Howard, Jo Ann Howard, Michael Jefferson, Patricia Jefferson, Allen Jones, DeRutter Jones, Mark Jones, Arthur Mathis, Charles Mayfield, Lee Mayse, Craig McKoy, Jeffery McNeil, Jermale McKnight, Charles Nelson, Synthia North, Moyo Onibuje, Therese Onyemenon, Forrest Rainwater, Kevin Robinson, Gerald Smith, Patty Smith, Francine Triplett, Alexander Tutt, Martin Walker, Ivory Wilson, Tina Wright

Sept. 14 – Sept. 30 Donors Linda & Michael Caudell-Feagan Chester River Association Eileen Findlay J Frank Robin Goracke Peter Johnson Robert Keller C. Peter Magrath Mary Grace A. O’Malley Ranjeev Purohit

Thank You!

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.

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I will respect the space of other vendors, particularly the space of vendors who have been at a spot longer.

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

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

WANNA HELP? If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, or have a great article or feature idea, please contact Koki Smith at 202-347-2006 or editor@streetsense.org If you are interested in becoming a vendor, contact Jesse Smith Jr. at the same number or come to a vendor training session on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2 p.m. at our office (1317 G Street, NW - near Metro Center).

Street Sense . October 1 – 14, 2007

SERVICE PROFILE

PROFILE 3

By Terry Snead

“This is My Dream Job”: Breaking Homeless Stereotypes I’d be an investigative journalist, or the general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays.

who is a senior at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, and a brother who is a firefighter.

“I have a cat named Charlie and a dog named Koby. My hobbies include getting autographs and pictures with professional baseball players. The whole family likes baseball.

My favorite team is the Toronto Blue Jays.”

TS: What motivates you in your work?

I’m very passionate about people and can’t stand the way that many people who are experiencing homelessness are treated. People need housing, health care, livable incomes and their civil rights protected. The stories of our speakers motivate me every day. They are amazing people!

TS: What impact has homelessness had on you and your family?

I had a relative that was homeless for a short time. I would always see people panhandling in Boston and I would always give them money and say hi. My parents volunteer with a shelter and church and even held a barbecue at their house for the men from a local shelter. My dad also has contributed to a shelter in Boston. I was raised with great values, to always help others.

KAUKAB JHUMRA SMITH/STREET SENSE

I met Michael O’Neill a year and a half ago while I was living on the streets of D.C. I was introduced to him by a man named George, a member of the speakers’ bureau at the National Coalition for the Homeless.

I told Michael my story. To cut a long story short, I, too, became a speaker for the National Coalition, and a friendship began between Michael and me. Michael is a passionate advocate for the homeless and says he wishes he could do more. Knowing Michael as I have, he really means it. He’s made a difference in my life. He is a class act!

Michael was born in Carver, Mass., in 1980 and moved to Plymouth, Mass., when he was five. When he was 15, his family moved to Cape Cod. Michael went to college at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut and graduated in 2003 with a double major in mass communications and political science.

After graduating he joined AmeriCorps and worked at Stonehill College in Easton, Mass., for a year. At Stonehill, he advised community service organizations and organized a postgraduate service fair and a civic engagement campaign. He invited a panel of speakers from the National Coalition for the Homeless to speak at Stonehill. That’s when he met Michael Stoops, currently the Coalition’s acting executive director. After some time, Stoops hired O’Neill as the director of the speakers’ bureau for the coalition.

“This is my dream job!” O’Neill said. “I love this job because it gives me satisfaction, and allows me to help bring change to people’s lives. I have two supportive parents who are simply wonderful. I also have a sister

TS: Have you ever been homeless?

No. TS: What was the most heart-wrenching experience in your work?

That happened when a personal friend who was homeless and living in Dupont Circle died in 2006. He played the guitar and had so much to live for. That was tough!

Also, helping people who are depressed and homeless takes a toll on you emotionally. Some even ask for financial help and I just don’t always have the resources to help.

That’s tough as well! As best I can, I direct them to organizations that can help and try to be there as a friend they can talk to.

Mike O’Neill leads groups of homeless speakers to public engagements all over the country.

TS: What are some of your most gratifying experiences working with the homeless?

It’s great when speakers get housing! Also when groups come up to you after speaking engagements and give great comments to our speakers about what you are doing. It’s great to know the impact we are having on thousands of youth across the country.

TS: What would you do if you were not in your current job?

TS: What are your aspirations for the future?

For the National Coalition for the Homeless to grow. To lobby for local, state and federal legislation that combats homelessness and hate crimes against homeless people. To reach as many people as we can by opening more speakers’ bureaus across the country.

We’re planning to start between 10 and 12 new speakers’ bureaus in Florida.

TS: Any last comments for us?

As the director of the speakers’ bureau, I feel very honored to work here. I love to work with the amazing people who speak and work with the coalition.

The speakers really make an impact and break stereotypes and put a human face to homelessness all across the nation.

Terry Snead was homeless for 10 years. He lives in his own apartment, volunteers for the Prisons Foundation and is on the speakers’ bureau for the National Coalition for the Homeless.

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4 LOCAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

Street Sense . October 1 – 14, 2007

household income for the past 12 months was $51,429 in 2006 inflation-adjusted dollars, but only $33,762 for American Indian households.

Comenote said that many American Indians leave reservations to continue their education or to find housing and job opportunities previously unavailable to them. But there are differences in the way they approach city life.

Settling down to buy a house is not feasible for many American Indians, Comenote said.

Cultural differences also make it difficult to objectively assess the situation of homeless and impoverished American Indians. “What’s really interesting is that Native populations don’t define poverty as having no job or education,� Comenote said. “But as a lack of family, a lack of culture.�

These findings came from a study conducted in four cities — Seattle; Billings, Mont.; Rapids City, S.D.; and Portland, Ore. — where 1,000 interviews of homeless American Indians were conducted in two rounds between 2004 and 2005. The No. 1 definition of poverty given was homelessness, but in each city, the interviewees strongly emphasized lack of culture as a symbol of poverty.

American Indians do not share the urban culture of other minority communities in the United States. They lack equivalents of neighborhoods like Chinatown and Little Italy — only Minneapolis is known for having a concentrated geographical area for indigenous peoples, said Comenote.

But even if American Indians had a concentrated geographical area, their miniscule representation in some cities — here in D.C. the Native community consisted of only 2,161 people, according to July 2006 census figures — renders them virtually invisible. Nationwide, American Indians represent less than 1% of the population. “The less visible they are, the better it will be [for them],� said Bryan Pollard, former managing editor of Street Roots, the homeless newspaper in Portland, Ore. “Nobody wants to live their life in the public eye except Paris Hilton.�

Speaking from his experiences in Portland and now in Oklahoma, as the editor of the Cherokee Phoenix, he said that American Indians prefer to be invisible and many who live off the reservations still live in very rural areas, out of the public eye.

He said this preference is shared by the homeless population. “We see them basically out in the woods ‌ down by rivers, under bridges. ‌ Places where they feel like they’re safe and can pretty much fend for themselves but still be able to come into town when they need to,â€? he said. “They’re going to migrate to where they can get their needs met.â€?

He said American Indian Centers, which have been established in almost every major metropolitan area, are the major service providers that the indigent Native population seeks out. In a recent study the heads of service providers in 12 major U.S. cities agreed

on one key solution to the problem of homelessness among American Indians: more affordable housing.

Lack of affordable housing and insufficient

housing assistance programs are the leading causes of all homelessness in the country, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless.

COURTESY OF LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, PRINTS & PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION,

Indians, from page 1

President Calvin Coolidge (fourth from the left) poses on the White House lawn with members of the Sioux Indian Republican Club of the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. (1925)

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Street Sense . October 1 – 14, 2007

Bills, from page 1 Berg, vice president of public policy for the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

“There now seem to be the leaders in Congress who are ready to act and work to see legislation move forward.”

The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2007, H.R. 840, known as the HEARTH Act, was introduced in the House of Representatives in February by Rep. Julia Carson (D-Ind.). It has since acquired 74 cosponsors. The bill has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity.

The Community Partnership to End Homelessness Act of 2007, S. 1518, was introduced to the Senate in May. It is sponsored by Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and has picked up 19 cosponsors. The bill was recently considered by the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, where hearings and a markup were held. The bill was voted out of committee on Sept. 19 and should head to the floor of the Senate soon.

Both proposed bills address the amount of federal funding homeless programs receive.

The authorized funding for fiscal year 2007 was at $1.44 billion. The House version increases this amount the most, to $2.5 billion for 2008. The Senate version does increase funding, but only to $1.8 billion. Both versions would extend the increased amounts through the 2012 fiscal year.

A key area where the two bills vary greatly is how they define a homeless individual.

The current McKinney-Vento Act authorizes programs that are administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD has a more narrow definition of homelessness than other federal agencies, such as Health and Human Services and the Department of Education. Complications can arise when allocated funding cannot be used due to the misaligned definitions.

The Senate version does not change the current HUD definition. However, the House version would expand the definition to align with the other federal agencies; a definition that includes living arrangements that are typical for homeless families, youth and

Foundry

United Methodist Church

LOCAL NEWS 5 adults, as well as people in rural areas. These arrangements include an individual sharing a house with another person, or living in a motel or an emergency shelter.

The issue of definition will surely prove to be a significant area of discussion if legislation is to pass through both chambers of Congress. Although few could disagree that widening the definition is a good thing, unless that new definition is met with significantly increased funding, a watering down effect would take place.

“We definitely support a broader definition of homelessness to be in alignment with the other federal agencies,” said Laurel Weir, policy director for the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. “But it doesn’t help to expand the definition without a significant increase in funding.”

The last issue of importance to be examined will be the differences between the bills regarding homelessness prevention. Both bills take up the issue but go about doing so in different, yet noncompeting, ways. Each bill hopes to prevent further homelessness by addressing those individuals most at risk of becoming homeless in the near future.

The House version creates new funding for prevention programs but puts a limit on the percentage of funds that can be used towards prevention. The problem here is the fact that individual communities need to be able to look at the issues surrounding homelessness in their area and decide how to best allocate the federal funding they receive. If preventing vulnerable people from becoming homeless is the best use of funding, they should be able to make that decision.

The Senate bill also needs to be modified, in that it requires a matching of funding at the local level for federal funding to be allocated. Although it requires only a 25% match, this can be too much considering how much must be accomplished with a scarce amount of funding.

Although there may be significant differences between the two proposed bills and edits need to occur to make them more effective, it is still a very positive sign that Congress is taking up the issue of homelessness in our country.

“This is a golden opportunity to make significant gains for the homeless population,” said Michael Stoops, the acting executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, who added he hopes to see further action on the bill this fall.

A Reconciling Congregation

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

Foundry United Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW

What’s in a Definition?

By Jason Corum Is someone who is sleeping on friend’s couch homeless? How about a family, kicked out of their apartment, living in a motel?

With Congress considering the reauthorization of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act – the only federal legislation to address homelessness – national advocacy organizations are hotly debating these questions behind the scenes.

Currently, the Department of Housing and Urban Development says that people are homeless if they are not living in a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence or if they are living in a shelter or transitional housing. This definition excludes those living doubled-up with friends or family members and those living in motels or campgrounds.

With government resources to help homeless people as limited as they are, national advocacy organizations like the National Alliance to End Homelessness and the National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness (NPACH) are debating whom the government can afford to help and assisting lawmakers in drafting substantially different bills.

The National Alliance, one of the most influential advocacy organizations, is a strong supporter of the Senate’s Community Partnership to End Homelessness Act. One of the primary reasons, says the National Alliance and other advocates,

is that the bill would greatly help rural communities in their efforts to combat homelessness.

Under current law, the longer an organization is funded it is likely to get more funding, explained Nan Roman, executive director of the National Alliance. Urban homeless assistance providers have been working longer than their rural counterparts.

While the Community Partnership bill expands assistance to those doubled-up or living in motels, it limits the number of people eligible by requiring someone to log three address changes in a year or two changes in 21 days to receive assistance.

After a Senate committee marked up and passed the Community Partnership Act, NPACH, a small, behind-the-scenes advocacy organization, sent out an alert to its network, saying that NPACH believes a House bill it helped to draft, the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act, provides a better framework to address homelessness.

The HEARTH Act would increase funding for homeless programs to $2.5 billion, $300 million more than the Community Partnership Act, make the prevention of homelessness an eligible activity for funding, and ensure that community groups are involved in how their local governments address homelessness. The HEARTH Act has been endorsed and supported by more than 200 national, state, and local organizations, according to NPACH.

Fannie Mae is proud to have been a sponsor of “The Many Faces of Street Sense” Reception and Silent Auction.

Striving to end homelessness in Montgomery County based on the belief that every person is entitled to the dignity of a home.

To learn more about homelessness, its solutions and what you can do to help, please contact us at:

We salute your commitment to changing lives, improving communities, and ending homelessness.

600-B East Gude Drive, Rockville, MD 20850 301-217-0314 • 301-217-0824 (fax) • www.mcch.net

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Street Sense . October 1 – 14, 2007

6 POLITICS

Street Politics “When is a building more important financially than it is to people’s lives? When does the human element come into play? When do we start thinking about our neighborhoods?”

Mike McFadden posed those questions a few weeks ago to demonstrators at the Wilson Building, who where calling for a slow-down on the sale of city-owned property. McFadden is president of Until We’re Home, formerly the Committee to Save Franklin Shelter, which has for now stalled the redevelopment of Franklin as a boutique hotel.

Franklin residents have been asking these questions for years, echoing disputes over unused public school buildings and libraries facing renovation. And shelter residents citywide sometimes say that when they look at abandoned buildings and shuttered schools, they see potential homes for the homeless.

The city’s highest-profile case right now is the West End Library sale, but according to Parisa Norouzi, co-director of Empower DC, “Every public property is at risk.” Norouzi’s group organized the Wilson Building rally, and has been pushing for a moratorium on public property sales and for formal public input into use and sale decisions.

At least some of those ideas are also finding support among D.C.’s ANCs and neighborhood associations, several of which have recently passed resolutions asking the city to put the brakes on sales and create more transparency and accountability.

And organizations that work with homeless or at-risk Washingtonians are weighing in, too. George Jones, who heads Bread for the City, told Street Sense that concerns about affordable housing prompted his group to support the rally. He said he’d like to see a more well-thought-out policy on public property.

“How does it benefit the folks we really care about?” he asked. “The District has a huge problem with affordable housing and displacement ... and this might be one place the District can address this problem.”

The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless supports a change of course because “D.C. should be using its public property for public uses (such as shelter, or supportive services),” said WLCH’s Andy Silver. And, he said, locating shelters and similar services in private buildings instead of public ones exposes them to the pressures of gentrification and NIMBYism.

The monetary potential in some properties will always be tough for the city to pass up, and public opinion is generally energized only by individual cases. But the broader issue is in for a more thorough airing.

The Council’s Government Operations Committee is planning a hearing this fall.

Living Wage Update On Sept. 15, Fairfax County joined the area jurisdictions that have adopted a “living wage,” with a new pay rate of $12.75 an hour for county employees. That means raises for several dozen county employees, mostly maintenance, custodial, and administrative.

“Living wage” laws promise government employees and the employees of government contractors pay rates higher than minimum wage. The measures are meant to help public-sector workers meet the cost of lilocal ving, especially housing. Other area jurisdictions that have adopted some form of living wage include Baltimore City, Alexandria, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, Arlington County, the State of Maryland, and Washington, D.C. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors cannot set government contractors wages, but is urging them to match the county’s pay rate. The Fairfax pay rate will be reviewed annually.

Showdown Over Kids’ Health Care Spending Congress has just approved a significant expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), bringing in one-third of the nation’s remaining 9 million uninsured children. SCHIP covers kids’ check-ups, shots, glasses, prescriptions and hospitalization for families with incomes too high for Medicaid, but too low to buy private insurance.

President Bush has said he’ll veto the bill because it goes beyond the increases the administration supported, and would help less needy families at the expense of the very poorest. Supporters say the expansion simply brings coverage to more who need it.

The bill passed the Senate 67 to 29 – remarkable bipartisan support for spending more on a human-needs program. That, plus support from state governments, has made for a lively, noisy fight, which is expected to reverberate in the 2008 congressional campaigns.

What’s on your mind? E-mail StreetPoliticsDC@aol.com.

MELANIE LIDMAN/STREET SENSE

By David S. Hammond

More than 125 city residents rallied on Capitol Hill in advance of the U.S. Senate vote. “What do we want? The vote! When do we want it? Now!” they chanted.

DC Voting Rights Blocked

By Melanie Lidman Residents of the nation’s capital have struck another roadblock in their quest for a seat in the House of Representatives. For the first time in 30 years, a bill providing voting rights for District residents passed through the House of Representatives and made it to the U.S. Senate.

But the Senate fell three votes short of the 60 votes needed to continue pursuing the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act. “We’re disappointed… but also very optimistic and determined,” said Kevin Kiger, the communications director for D.C. Vote, the main advocacy group pushing for a representative for the District. “The bill wasn’t defeated, and it will be around to fight another day and we’re confident it will pass.”

The bill, which would have permanently expanded the number of members of the House from 435 to 437, included provisions for a representative from Democratic-leaning Washington and Republican-leaning Utah, the next state in line for another seat in the House.

Lawmakers in favor of the bill hoped this new approach, in which the new seats would essentially balance each other out, would encourage more Republicans to vote for the measure.

D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, who attends congressional sessions but does not have a vote, is still optimistic that the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act has a chance to pass in the current senate.

“Too many have done too much to throw in the towel, with one year of this session of Congress still to go and a critical election year ahead in 2008 to work with,” she said in a press release after the bill was killed.

At a rally in support of the measure the day before the vote, supporters had been optimistic the bill would not be killed by a Republican filibuster.

“I think the stars are aligning. A lot of hard work has been done and a lot of people have been speaking out in D.C. and across the country. Hopefully, Congress is listening to us,” said Angela Canterbury, the field and outreach director at Public Citizen, a nonprofit public interest organization founded by Ralph Nader, the day before the vote.

At the rally, supporters said a vote against the measure was a throwback to the days of segregation. “Not since segregation has a senator blocked a voting rights bill, and this is a

voting rights bill,” said Mayor Adrian F. Fenty, referring to the 1965 Voting Rights Act that gave blacks the right to vote.

More than 125 people, mostly political activists associated with organizations such as D.C. Votes, the League of Women Voters, and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, attended the rally on Sept. 17. The rally was held to encourage Senator and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) not to block the cloture vote. A cloture vote is a vote to determine whether the Senate will vote on the bill, and a minimum of 60 votes are needed to proceed with a final vote. By blocking the cloture vote, the measure was ended before lawmakers could accept or reject it.

“I was at the Kentucky State Fair, and you should have seen the expressions on people’s faces when I told them 600,000 D.C. residents don’t have representation in Congress,” said Teena Halbig, president of the League of Women Voters of Kentucky who came to Washington the day before the vote specifically to meet with Senator McConnell. “They were just in shock, they asked me, how could this happen in 2007?”

The day after the vote was killed, Sen. McConnell’s office released a statement that the senator had “protected the integrity of the constitution,” by killing the bill.

“Senator McConnell is not the authority on the constitution. The Supreme Court is,” said Kiger in response to McConnell’s statement.

“He is a coward hiding behind the idea of protecting the constitution… and he blocked the authorities from even discussing it.”

Some Republicans supported a representative for D.C. residents and voted in favor of the measure. Former Rep. Jack Kemp, who served nine terms in the House, has been a vocal supporter of representation in D.C. At the rally on Monday, he urged lawmakers to support the bill and “get on the right side of history!”

Activists have long condemned the discrepancy that D.C. residents pay federal taxes and yet get no voice in the federal process. One of the newer, poignant reasons for D.C. residents to have representation in Congress is the current conflict in Iraq. “I have gone to funerals for young men who have fought and died in Iraq in my district, and yet I cannot cast a vote against this war,” said Holmes Norton.

With additional reporting by Desiree Perez.

Street Sense . October 1 – 14, 2007

IN OTHER NEWS

NEWS IN BRIEF 7

By Mandy McAnally

Florida: Church Sues County to Allow Homeless to be Fed A West Palm Beach attorney has filed a lawsuit in a Florida district court on behalf of a local church. The Westgate Tabernacle church has housed and fed area homeless despite objections and fines from the county. The county says the church is violating zoning codes by serving as a homeless shelter in a neighborhood. Church officials argue they’re acting on faith and thus are protected by the First Amendment. A circuit court judge in February ruled in favor of the county (Isger, Palm Beach Post, 9/26).

Maryland: Shelter Offers Voicemail System to Homeless The Arundel House of Hope in Glen Burnie, Md., has launched a program offering free voicemail to help the homeless with their job searches. The outgoing voicemail message is personalized and clients may access their mailboxes from any telephone. The new program is serving 40 of the shelter’s 500 clients. Program coordinators say the program will help reduce the stigma related to homelessness when a potential employer

MARYLAND IN BRIEF

calls for a job (Beisel, Maryland Gazette, 9/25).

North Carolina: Number of Homeless Women Rising The number of homeless women in Charlotte is rising. The Salvation Army’s shelter for women and children has nearly 250 clients every night and several churches have begun providing emergency shelter for women in need. Advocates and church leaders say the main reason for the increase in the homeless population is a lack of affordable housing in the city. They are meeting to develop a long-term plan to reduce homelessness among women (Peluso, News14, 9/25).

South Carolina: City Residents Protest Shelter Plans Residents of downtown Columbia are protesting a proposed homeless shelter in the area. The $15 million project, which would be located on four acres in the city’s downtown, could serve as a shelter or a clinic for the homeless. The project has been controversial because it coincides with a $40 million street-scaping project in the same area (Smith, WisTV, 9/25).

Tennessee: Homeless Encampment to be Razed The Norfolk Southern railroad company said it plans to raze a homeless encampment on its property in downtown Chattanooga out of concern for public safety and liability. A company spokesman said some of the homeless have bothered railroad workers and the railroad police have been unable to manage the problem. The tent city has existed since 2004, and about 30 people live there at any one time. Railroad company officials say they will visit the encampment soon to let residents know when they have to leave the lot (AP/KnoxNews, 9/23).

Texas: Ft. Worth Mayor Develops Plan for Homeless Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief has said he is developing a comprehensive program to help the city’s homeless. Advocates have criticized the city for lacking a structured homeless plan.

Moncrief’s plan includes working with Ft. Worth businesses and residents to provide services, including shelter, clean clothes, transportation to jobs and basic identity cards (Thomas, CBS11tv, 9/25).

By Capital News Service

Van Hollen to Join Food Stamp Challenge Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., will live on $21 worth of food for one week in October to experience the hunger hardships of an average food stamp recipient and to “raise awareness of the difficult condition people live in,” he said at a news conference about his participation in the Food Stamp Challenge.

It’s the first time to join the challenge for Van Hollen and two other members of Congress, Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., and Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz. The challenge, issued by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, kicked off its multi-year poverty awareness campaign, said Rabbi Steve Gutow, executive director of the council. The council’s goal is to boost the $5.8 billion increase for nutrition programs, including food stamps, contained in the Senate version of the Farm Bill Extension Act of 2007.

The bill comes up for reauthorization every five years, and Congress has not raised the $21 per week food stamp benefit since 1977, he said. According to the Census Bureau, more than 36 million people lived below the poverty level in 2006.

That’s an income of less than $20,444 for a family of four. Maryland’s 2006 poverty rate was 7.8 %, according to the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin. – Anju Kaur Lawmakers See Rosewood’s Flaws, Demand Changes Legislators touring Rosewood Center in Ownings Mills demanded improvements at Maryland’s largest residential facility for people with developmental disabilities, just two weeks after the state released a scathing report on conditions there.

Rosewood Director Robert Day, who took over the facility May 30, agreed that conditions at the facility are “completely unacceptable,” but also asked members of health subcommittees in both the House of Delegates and the Senate for more time to make changes.

His call met with skepticism. “It’s troubling that more couldn’t have been done” during Day’s tenure to correct deficiencies found in the state’s August survey of Rosewood, said Delegate Mary-Dulany James, D-Harford, chairwoman of the House subcommittee on Health and Human Resources. The state’s Office of Health Care Quality found “life-threatening health or fire safety conditions” at Rosewood, including sewage leaks, dangerous prescription errors and sometimes violent behavior by the facility’s residents.

Day said he knew Rosewood “had problems for a long time,” but added he had already hired behavioral specialists to help create positive environments for residents and made direct care staff more involved in residents’ treatment. “We do need time, but we’re headed in the right direction,” Day said.

State Health Secretary John Colmers added that if Day had been given another six to eight weeks at the helm before the survey was conducted, fewer infractions would have been found. – Bernie Becker

Chlamydia Rates Soar Across the State Reported chlamydia cases in Maryland jumped by 57% from 1997 to 2006, and one state health official called it “the tip of the iceberg” for the often symptomless sexually transmitted disease. Diagnosed chlamydia cases increased in all but Talbot County, and the rate per capita grew in all but Talbot and Worcester counties, according to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

“To me, chlamydia is one of these tip-of-the-iceberg things,” said Barbara Conrad, the state health department’s sexually transmitted disease director. “If there were more testing, I think we would find more of it.”

The number of cases statewide grew from 13,965 in 1997 to 21,859 last year, while the rate grew from 273 cases per 100,000 people to 389 per 100,000 in the same period. Baltimore City had the state’s highest 2006 rate at 989 per 100,000 population, followed by Somerset, Dorchester, Prince George’s and Wicomico counties. Carroll County had the lowest rate, at 86 per 100,000 people.

“It’s prevalent. It’s probably one of the most frequent STDs we encounter with our patients,” said Dr. Donald Shell, the Prince George’s County health officer. Shell said reported cases are up primarily because new urine testing methods are less invasive than the other type of screening, a genital swab. It is easier to get people, particularly men, to agree to the voluntary urine test, Shell said.

Chlamydia is the most commonly reported bacterial STD in the country, but it remains considerably underreported because three-quarters of infected women and half of infected men show no symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health experts estimate that as many as 3 million new cases occur nationwide every year, but only one-third are diagnosed. – Andy Zieminski Governor Calls for $1-a-Pack Tobacco Tax Hike Gov. Martin O’Malley proposed doubling the tobacco tax to $2 per pack, with one-third of the estimated $255 million in new revenue going toward health care initiatives. The rest of the $1-a-pack increase would go to the general fund to help offset Maryland’s projected $1.7 billion budget deficit, part of O’Malley’s plan to fix the budget through legalized slots and a series of tax adjustments.

As he has done in previous budget appearances, O’Malley promised some tax cuts Wednesday along with his tax increases. Speaking to a group of senior citizens, he announced plans to double the tax exemption for seniors, from $1,000 to $2,000, and to offer a $50 sales tax rebate to help low-income households cope with his plan to raise the sales tax. O’Malley said his goal with the tobacco tax is to use some of the new revenue “as a down payment” to expand Medicaid limits and offer incentives for small business owners to offer their employees health insurance. – Andy Zieminski

Poor Areas Shunned In Federal Contracts The federal government has failed to live up to its commitment to devote more of its contracting dollars to poor areas nationwide, a Rockville businessman told a congressional panel Wednesday.

Ronald Newlan, chairman of the HUBZone Contractors National Council, urged the House Small Business Committee to ensure the government makes giving contracts to firms located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones, or HUBZones, a priority. The government is required to set aside contracts for HUBZone businesses when at least two firms in the program are qualified to compete for the contract with a reasonable price, Newlan said.

“Unfortunately, the government often doesn’t follow the HUBZone statute because they would rather have 10 firms compete,” he said. “Every time the government ignores this statute, they contract outside of the HUBZone program and the community is not awarded procurements it should receive.”

The state of Maryland has four counties qualifying as HUBZones, and areas of 12 other counties also meet the requirements based on unemployment rates or low household incomes. For a firm to qualify, its largest office must be in a HUBZone and at least 35% of its employees must live in a HUBZone, ensuring that people who live in those areas benefit from the program. – Danielle Ulman

8 8 LOCAL LOCAL NEWS NEWS

Street Sense . October 1 – 14, 2007

As Section 8 Leases Expire, Tenants Seek Their Rights Walking through the Shaw area, it is easy to see why developers find it attractive. With its close proximity to the Convention Center, Howard University, three Metro stations, a multitude of small businesses and more than one grocery store, the location sells itself.

“The problem we’re having in Shaw is the same problem we’re seeing in many D.C. neighborhoods,” said Rebecca Lindhurst, a lawyer with the District nonprofit Bread for the City. “Developers look at this neighborhood and they see financial opportunity.

What they don’t see, or what they don’t want to see, are the current residents that make up the fabric of the neighborhood.”

Under the Section 8 Housing Program passed in 1974, the government agreed to subsidize certain housing developments and in return those went under contract as lowincome housing for a period of 30 years.

All around the District, those 30-year contracts are beginning to expire, and landlords are choosing to “opt out” of Section 8, choosing instead to rent their units at market prices.

Coupled with the recent trend of developers deciding to renovate their once affordable buildings into luxury or high-income condominiums, few units remain for those of limited means.

Tenant Resources General Resource Information: Bread for the City www.breadforthecity.org 202-386-7606 Legal Aid Society www.legalaiddc.org 202-628-1161 Neighborhood Legal Services www.nlsp.org 202-678-2000 Landlord/Tenant Resource Center www.dcbar.org 202-737-4700

The result of these changes is that longtime residents of Shaw and other neighborhoods can no longer afford to live in the units they occupy. A large part of Lindhurst’s job at Bread for the City involves protecting the rights of the low-income, often long-time, residents of these buildings.

“Many landlords think that they can push low-income folks around because they don’t know their rights or don’t have the money,

time or energy to fight for their rights,” says Lindhurst. “That’s why we’re seeing so many tenant associations that need assistance.”

In the case of a condo conversion, District law requires an owner to give the tenants an opportunity to vote against the conversion.

To circumvent opposition, building owners will occasionally use cruel tactics to force tenants to leave.

“Ignoring necessary repairs, allowing infestations of roaches or mice, harassment— many of our clients deal with these tactics,” Lindhurst says, “and most don’t know there is legal recourse until they walk through our doors.”

Bread for the City, with locations on 7th Street NW and Good Hope Road in Anacostia, offers free legal advice and assistance to low-income residents in the D.C. area. Landlord-tenant disputes currently make up 58% of the cases the two legal clinics handle and that number is on the rise.

“There are certain issues that disproportionately affect poor communities,” Lindhurst said, “Tenant rights infringements consistently make our priority list.”

After almost eight years advocating for tenant rights, Lindhurst said there are five basic things that every tenant should know, especially low-income renters: 1. Tenants cannot be thrown out of their apartments by their landlords. The landlord

Thanks for making the

“Many Faces of Street Sense” Silent AUction a big success!

Golden Donors Anonymous Tho Bella Dinh-Zarr Caroline Gabel John Hoffman Barbara Kagan Katharine Kravetz Lucinda O. McConathy

Swinitha & Michael Osuri David Pike Martha Phillips Becky Thompson Bernie Thompson Marian & Tom Wiseman Robert Zarr

must bring a court action against a tenant and a judge must authorize the eviction. An eviction can only be enforced by the U.S. Marshals’ office.

2. Tenants do not need a lease. You can create a tenancy through an oral agreement.

3. Tenants get to stay as long as they pay their rent. Even if your lease expires a landlord must have a good reason to evict you, and in Washington, D.C., there are very few reasons that can be a basis for a legal eviction.

4. Tenants have a right to live in a habitable environment. Mold, insect infestations and rodent issues that go unresolved are all in violation of a tenant’s basic rights.

5. Tenants have the right to form or join a tenant organization. They may hold meetings free from harassment or punishment from the landlord.

Tenants who believe their rights have been violated can get advice from a number of free legal service providers. Bread for the City, Legal Aid Society, Neighborhood Legal Services, Landlord/Tenant Resource Center and the Attorney of the Day Program located at the Superior Courthouse serve low-income residents who cannot typically afford the representation they need.

Matt Siemer works as volunteer coordinator for the nonprofit Bread for the City. He can be reached at msiemer@breadforthecity.org.

Bidding from the Heart On Sept. 27 volunteers, donors, readers, vendors, staff and friends of Street Sense gathered at the Josephine Butler Park Center for the second annual silent auction and reception: “The Many Faces of Street Sense.”

By all accounts, the event was a success and everyone enjoyed themselves! In attendance were 133 guests who bid on 93 different items. And in the end the reception and auction raised nearly $14,500 to support Street Sense.

Event Support Dennis Sobin Fresh Start Catering Cafe St. Ex and John Snellgrove

MIKE O’NEILL

Sponsors

MIKE O’NEILL

By Matt Siemer

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

Outdoor Prison Art Exhibit Corner of K Street and 16th Street NW Washington, DC 202-393-1511 Mon-Fri 2pm to 7pm

Free Gift $20 value Book of Prison Poetry Handsome book of prison poetry in a dramatic softbound anthology. Receive this free gift with your purchase of $10 or more at the Prison Art Gallery or our outdoor prison art exhibit at the corner of K and 16th Streets NW Washington, DC. Both locations feature original prison art, prison art prints, sterling silver justice jewelry, handcuff key chains, famous mug shot playing cards, prison art clothing, and much more. Call 202-393-1511.

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

Sponsored by Prison Art Gallery

Funded in part by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts

October 2007

30 TO LIFE by Larry Walker, Trenton State Prison, New Jersey; Acrylic on canvas, 22” by 28”, Suggested donation $400 (Oc328)

All art can be viewed and purchased at the Prison Art Gallery, 1600 K Street NW Suite 501 Washington DC or purchase by phone 202-393-1511 or email (PayPal payment address Dennis@ PrisonFoundation.org). Please add $10 shipping and handling for each order.All major credit cards accepted. Thank you for viewing and purchasing this beautiful art in support of our program of prisoner rehabilitation, re-entry and victim assistance. Your tax deductible donation is greatly appreciated.

RAY CHARLES AT THE PIANO by Brent Fategoni, Rikers Island Jail, New York, NY; Oil on canvas, 30” by 39”, Suggested donation $550 (Oc308)

SNOOP DOGG by Kevin Smith, Rikers Island Jail, New York, NY; Pastel, 30” by 39”, Suggested donation $400 (Oc309)

CAT ON BIRD HOUSE by Larry Walker, Trenton State Prison, New Jersey; Acrylic on canvas, 22” by 27”, Suggested donation $125 (Oc315)

SIDNEY POITIER by Larry Walker, Trenton State Prison, New Jersey; Acrylic on canvas, 22” by 30”, Suggested donation $250 (Oc316)

WAGON BY WATER by Larry Walker, Trenton State Prison, New Jersey; Acrylic on canvas, 26” by 28”, Suggested donation $350 (Oc319)

TRANQUILITY OF GOD’S LOVE by Reginald Harris, Connecticut State Prison; Acrylic on linen, 25” by 26”, Suggested donation $160 (Oc312)

MEMORIES OF 911 by Richard Hasselburg, Prairie State Prison, Minnesota; Acrylic on canvas, 26” by 37”, Suggested donation $800 (Oc320)

HEART IN HAND by Robert Riley, Florida State Prison; Color pencils on typing paper, 8 1/2” by 11”, Suggested donation $40 (Oc323)

BRAIDS AND CROSS by Larry Walker, Trenton State Prison, New Jersey; Acrylic on canvas, 24” by 28”, Suggested donation $250 (Oc313)

SWORN TO PROTECT by Reginald Harris, Connecticut State Prison; Acrylic on linen, 22” by 23 1/2”, Suggested donation $300 (Oc311)

BABY BUBBLES by Larry Walker, Trenton State Prison, New Jersey; Acrylic on canvas, 20” by 27”, Suggested donation $125 (Oc314)

RAY CHARLES UP CLOSE by Jordanny Vega, Rikers Island Jail, New York, NY; Oil on canvas, 30” by 39”, Suggested donation $550 (Oc307)

WINE SCENE by Frederick Thompson, New Jersey State Prison; Ball point pen, 11” by 14”, Suggested donation $275 (Oc336)

STILL LIFE 2 by Alfred Smith, Maryland State Prison; Oil on canvas, 12” by 18”, Suggested donation $50 (Oc331)

WAITING FOR THE END by Armenta Lopez, Federal Prison, Arkansas; Acrylic on canvas, 36” by 30”, Suggested donation $500 (Oc318)

INCREDIBLE MINDS by Reginald Harris, Connecticut State Prison; Acrylic on linen, 22” by 29”, Suggested donation $300 (Oc310)

MOMMY, CAN I SLEEP IN YOUR BED by Anita Winston, Washington, DC (son is DC prisoner incarcerated in Texas); Acrylic on drawing paper, 18” by 24”, Suggested donation $200 (Oc317)

MORNING CITY by Sudan Paul Miller, Michigan State Prison; Magic marker and chalk on legal envelope, 10” by 15”, Suggested donation $60 (Oc324)

WHITETAIL by Derrick Steilman, Washington State Prison; Graphite on bristol, 13” by 17”, Suggested donation $250 (Oc342)

STEVIE WONDER by Larry Walker, Trenton State Prison, New Jersey; Acrylic on canvas, 23” by 31”, Suggested donation $250 (Oc327)

FIVE WHAT by Tenola Gamble, California State Prison; Pastel, 12” by 16”, Suggested donation $50 (Oc334)

MY SOUL ON FIRE by Albert Miller, Maryland State Prison; Mixed media, acrylic and salt on gameboard, 11” by 8”, Suggested donation $55 (Oc332)

RESCUED BY LOVE by M. Willy, Texas State Prison; Pen on bedsheet, 14” by 14”, Suggested donation $130 (Oc326)

VASE by George Pluas, New York State Prison; Pen and pencil on manila folder, 9” by 12”, Suggested donation $125 (Oc335)

RISING SON by Ros Mosi, South Carolina State Prison; Oil pastel and color pencils, 15” by 21”, Suggested donation $350 (Oc343)

EYE OF HOPE (detail) by David Porter, Maryland State Prison; Acrylic on canvas, 15” by 18”, Suggested donation $225 (Oc346)

STILL LIFE 1 by Alfred Smith, Maryland State Prison; Oil on canvas, 12” by 18”, Suggested donation $50 (Oc330)

MY LOVE IS MAGIC by Albert Miller, Maryland State Prison; Mixed media, acrylic and salt on art paper, 15” by 23”, Suggested donation $75 (Oc333)

IN SEARCH OF A MATE by Freddie Sierra, Texas State Prison; Color pencil, crayon and pastel, 9 1/2” by 14 1/2”, Suggested donation $35 (Oc338)

KEYS OF PASSION by Reginald Harris, Connecticut State Prison; Acrylic on linen, 18” by 17”, Suggested donation $250 (Oc329)

THE VOICE OF SPRING (detail) by George Bozeman, Kentucky State Prison; Acrylic over white glue relief on canvas panel, 14” by 18”, Suggested donation $200 (Oc321)

THE FARM by Timothy Burleson, Texas State Prison; Watercolor, 15” by 10”, Suggested donation $100 (Oc345)

MARY MOTHER OF JESUS by Cruz Adame, Texas State Prison; Watercolor, 16” by 20”, Suggested Donation $100 (Oc344)

MOTHER MARY by M. Willy, Texas State Prison; Pen on bedsheet, 11” by 14”, Suggested donation $130 (Oc325)

WANTED SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS $1200 weekly cash potential

ALERT by Derrick Steilman, Washington State Prison; Sand, acrylic, canvas board, 14” by 18”, Suggested donation $250 (Oc341)

BLUE FISH REEF (detail) by George Bozeman, Kentucky State Prison; Mixed media, acrylic and oil, 14” by 18”, Suggested donation $200 (Oc322)

Make Money While Making a Difference HORSE by Freeman Payne, Missouri State Prison; Pencil on manila folder, 5 1/2” by 8 1/2”, Suggested donation $50 (Oc337)

TOP CAT by Andres Mares, Texas State Prison; Color pencil and pen, 9 1/2” by 14 1/2”, Suggested donation $50 (Oc339)

I’LL BE BACK by Douglas Hanna, Michigan State Prison; Acrylic, 11” by 14”, Suggested donation $80 (Oc340)

Become a Friend of the Prison Art Gallery Yes, I want to become a friend of the Prison Art Gallery and support its program of prisoner rehabilitation and victim assistance. My tax deductible donation in the amount of _________ is enclosed (or you may charge my credit card in this amount.)

Card type_________ #_________________________________ Exp_____________________ I understand that as a friend of the Prison Art Gallery I will be invited to free special events and UHFHLYH RWKHU EHQH¿ WV Name___________________________________________ Address_________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Email____________________________________________

Prison Art Gallery 1600 K Street NW, Suite 501 Washington, DC 20006 202-393-1511

If you have $2500 to invest and a car or van, you can operate your own Prison Art Gallery Portable Outdoor Prison Art Exhibit/Sales Display

Employ the Jobless/Homeless or operate yourself Prime Exclusive Locations Now Available For more information, please contact Dennis Sobin at 202-393-1511 or Dennis@PrisonsFoundation.org Design: Katie Smith Webmaster: J.B. Pruitt Jr. President: Helen Thorne Special Events: Bryan Parker Development: James Tracy Art Consultant: Lloyd S. Rubin Art Preparation: Emelinda Crabbe Music Ambassador: Dennis Sobin Outreach: Anita Winston Photographer: Laura Brown Logo: TAKK takkdesign@gmail.com Tel. 202-393-1511

www.PrisonsFoundation.org

Street Sense . October 1 – 14, 2007

PHOTOS & POETRY 9

Rose–Colored Evening It’s not the same between us, yet sometimes it is In 1998 I sat with you on park benches, closely watching your fascinating drunkenness; I heard your stories every evening, told between sips of strong malt as you awaited your man (gone on some mysterious mission) As darkness fell, I’d ride home to the suburbs; while you slept in some dark secret hole I’d write your sorrows, regrets and anger in spiral–bound pages I kept you in a desk drawer, hidden beneath the day’s clutter, bringing you to light only on lonely drunken evenings During summer storms, I’d wonder, hope, and wish for you then I’d sip from my nightly beverage and scratch your voice into a book I’d made It’s not the same between us, yet, today it is

Four years later, as I wander past your park bench your eyes catch me, like an insistent tug on my sleeve; you have more tales for me but the timeless loop of your stories rolls on, just like 1998, just as if it were still the same between us I now live close to you and when I leave your realm I will sit among the stones of home and scratch a life that’s just like yours into a book I’ve made; somewhere, I might find a chapter just for you For one still moment on a humid evening late in spring rose–colored light bathes the ceiling of your home and mine; an approaching squall makes dancing flashes to the west; but you don’t run for shelter, you are absorbed in the chronicle of all your evenings.

I’ve heard it all before, and yet I sit and listen, just like four years before The first cold splats of rain speckle our faces (still, I listen); yet, you don’t hear, I have a story of my own, and you are there, tucked between my pages.

Staying Strong Only the strong survive and wise prevail But what about a lost soul in jail When on my left is doom And to my right is death How do you expect me to perform my best When I’ve already failed life’s test How do you expect me to stay strong When my hope is all gone And every single little thing I do Backfires like déjà vu How can I keep my head up When my spirits are down How can I think positive when there’s nothing but negative energy all around How can you tell me to stay strong Without lending me a helping hand How can you expect me to stay strong When you’re no longer around How can I ask God to listen When I have little faith How can I ask him to forgive me When my heart is filled with hate How can I love when I can’t stand myself How can I fake a win with this hand I was dealt Tell me where can I find the courage to stay strong Tell me when will my heart heal So I can move on

— David Harris

As I look forward to everyday tasks I hope and wish for the strength I don’t have “Be strong.” I hear these words a thousand times a day They say believe and God will make a way Staying strong is not an easy thing to do But maybe one day I’ll build myself up to be as strong as you – A.C.

10 FEATURES

Street Sense . October 1 – 14, 2007

Looking for Professional Help with Your Investments

By Donna V.S. Ortega Getting started with investing can be a daunting process. There’s a lot to learn and at the end of the day, it’s your money on the line.

Some people are happy with a more “do–it–yourself” approach, investigating their options and investing on their own. There are many resources, online and offline, for information and help.

But licensed professionals can also help you with your investing decisions. While these professionals can be a good resource, you’ll still need to do some prep work to make sure that you find a competent professional who fits your investment goals and planning needs.

Here is a list of basic questions to ask before hiring a financial professional.

What are their credentials?

There is a veritable alphabet soup of certifications and standards for financial professionals. Two of the more common are CFP (Certified Financial Planner) and CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst).

Each designation is certified by an organization and requires specific training, tests and adherence to ethical standards. You can learn more about some of the different designations and what they mean by visiting the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Web site at www.cfp. net/learn/knowledgebase.asp?id=5.

How do they get paid and how much do they typically charge?

ABOUT TOWN

Some professionals charge a fee – only, meaning an hourly rate or a flat fee for the service provided, while others charge a commission based on the types of products they sell to you. Still others charge a combination of fees and commissions. All professionals should be able to tell you what a typical engagement for their services will cost based on the type of services you want and your goals.

Many personal finance experts recommend that you try to work with a fee – only professional in order to ensure that the professional does not have something to gain by getting you to invest in a specific product.

What kind of experience do they have?

Don’t just ask about the professional’s years of experience, but also about the type of work experience he or she has had. Check to make sure that he or she has worked with people with goals, assets to invest and desired services similar to yours. Once you determine his or her experience with clients like you, request a list of those references and then check them out.

What can they do for you?

A professional’s services are limited by several factors, including their credentials and licenses, the company they work for or their expertise. Think about the services you want to receive.

Do you want someone only to help you map out a plan to achieve your financial goals but keep the freedom to choose your own specific investments?

Or do you want someone who will not only help you plan but also help you put your money into a specific vehicle?

Think about whether you need someone with a specific area of expertise such as taxes or estate planning.

How will they work with you?

For example, ask if you will be meeting face–to–face on a

regular basis to formulate your plan and monitor activity, or if you will respond to a questionnaire and then have regular check–in calls. There is no right or wrong process, but it is important to find someone whose services and style fit with what you are looking for.

Lastly, do your own research to check on a professional’s disciplinary record and credentials. You can contact the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (www.cfp.net, phone: 888–237–6275) to confirm whether a professional holds the CFP credential and to check the CFP’s disciplinary record.

Investment advisors must register with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), http://sec.gov, or the state securities regulator in order to do business. You can contact the SEC at 800–732–0330 to verify their registration, or contact the North American Securities Administrators Association (www.nasaa.org, phone: 202–737–0900) to find the appropriate state regulator, who can verify educational background and licensing.

This is just a basic checklist. For more information on what to look for when considering professional financial help, visit www.cfp.net/learn/knowledgebase.asp?id=6.

The Investor Protection Trust also provides a free publication called “Getting Help With Your Investments” that you can download for free from www.investorprotection. org/pdfs/Getting_Help.pdf.

This regular financial column is presented by Capital Area Asset Builders, www.caab.org, a nonprofit organization that helps people of all incomes to improve their financial management skills, increase their savings, and build wealth. Send your questions or ideas for future topics to saving@caab. org.

By Patricia Jefferson

Fast and Wholesome at Halal Luncheonette

The sign above the cart proclaims the owners “The Vanguards of peace, love, and deliciousness.” Customers seem to agree! ay goodbye to hot dog stands. You can now enjoy an unusual and filling meal at the “Halal Cart,” Delle & Campbell’s Halal Luncheonette.

Halal means “according to Islamic dietary law, no pork, more organic,” according to Folarin Campbell, who is co– owner of a new and different food stand in the D.C. metropolitan area.

Campbell’s food cart, as reported by the Washington Post, is the “first of 21 food carts that will be coming to the area in the coming months.” The Halal Luncheonette, which serves Middle Eastern food, opened August 13 and is located at 14th and G streets, NW. Other major cities like New York and Chicago already have halal carts and serve Middle Eastern food. “You get a good

S

deal for your money, the food is delicious [and] something different,” Campbell said.

The sandwiches are filling and served on pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, condiments and different meats such as marinated chicken, lamb sausage, Moroccan–style lamb and Turkish–style marinated skewered chicken.

The sandwiches come with Kettle chips. Soft drinks, vitamin water and a non–alcoholic malt liquor drink are also available.

While I was there, a customer approached the cart and was excited to order because this was his first time. He ordered the hummus wrap, which is a thick, assorted veggie wrap, with tangy ground chickpeas. It looked very filling and appetizing.

In addition, baklava, a Lebanese–Greek–style pastry, is available as a dessert and is a delight with coffee. Another dessert, called Lebanese Sweets from Beirut, is available and made with sesame seeds, cream, cashews, almonds, pistachios and honey.

Folarin Campbell grew up in Nigeria and came to the United States eight years ago. He met his co–owner Akindele Akerejah at Howard University and while attending school, they had an idea about a food stand that would be totally different and would serve Middle Eastern food.

When the other food vendors enter the area, there will be different foods such as pizza, soul food and Korean barbeque, Campbell said.

The Halal Cart is open Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Campbell said he will soon be accepting major credit cards.

Patricia Jefferson has been selling Street Sense since August 2006 and regularly contributes articles about happenings around town.

Put a “Face” to Homelessness Hear personal stories from people who have experienced it!

Who is homeless and why?

What are the causes of homelessness?

What can I do to help?

Get the answers to these and other questions from the REAL EXPERTS! Bring our “Faces of Homelessness” panel to your place of worship, school or community center.

National Coalition for the Homeless “Faces of Homelessness” Speakers’ Bureau Michael O’Neill Director, Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau National Coalition for the Homeless phone: 202-462-4822 x20 fax: 202-462-4823 email: moneill@nationalhomeless.org

FEATURES & GAMES 11

Street Sense . October 1 – 14, 2007

October Crossword

Marvin Hammerman A mystery novel in parts BOOK 4, PART 9

By August Mallory The police were now on the scene at Pier 48 in downtown Seattle. Jamison and Hoffman were being questioned by police. Jamison identified himself as a private investigator, working undercover, and introduced Hoffman as the assistant district attorney working with him.

“We have been called to Seattle to investigate the disappearance of a former CPA, who we now believe was murdered,” Jamison said. “If you will contact Major William Neilson, senior watch commander from the 15th precinct, he will verify who we are. We are also working with a district attorney by the name of Marvin Hammerman.” ”Did you just say Marvin Hammerman?” the officer asked.

“That’s right,” Jamison responded.

“For crying out loud, man! Why didn’t you say so in the beginning? I’ll get Major Neilson on the line!”

As the policeman put in a call to Major Neilson, the killer continued to run amok. He was now frantic and his mind wandered. He was not sure what to do, but he knew he must try to lay low for a while.

But how could he? He had been identified as the person who stole items from a store, and video cameras had caught him on tape and his picture was probably being shown all over the city — and all over the country, too, for that matter.

The killer could not stop his dastardly crimes. He was now hooked on drugs and had become a serious alcoholic. To satisfy his need for alcohol and drugs, he had to hurt or kill somebody.

The killer ran to an undisclosed location on the outskirts of Aurora Avenue, where many homeless congregate. He knew he would not be recognized there.

The killer reached into his pocket for the ink pen he stole off Mark Richards, only to discover he had dropped the ink pen while he was fighting with Jamison. The killer took a deep breath. He suddenly realized that if his fingerprints didn’t get him nailed, his DNA would most definitely hang him.

Meanwhile, back at Pier 48 Major William Neilson was now on the scene, and getting details on what happened between Mark Richards’ murderer and Jamison.

At the residence of Darlene Richards Johnson, Marvin Hammerman broke news of her brother’s death to Mrs. Johnson. Hammerman couldn’t help but shed tears himself. He could not count out the number of times he had delivered bad news to family members. It truly hurt Hammerman when he had to do this. Being an investigative DA could be a crummy job at times like this, but Hammerman did it for people who weren’t able to fight for themselves.

“Mr. Hammerman, you find this person! I mean it!” sobbed Mrs. Johnson. “You find that filthy rat who killed my brother and you put him away! Put him away for the rest of his life! He should never be allowed to walk the streets of this city again!”

Hammerman responded with a combination of compassion and caution. “I will do everything possible, but please understand I am from a different state, and laws differ from state to state. However, this is murder, so I should be able to get a conviction and make it stick.”

They were interrupted by a call from Jamison. Hammerman learned Jamison just had a run-in with the alleged killer.

Hammerman told Mrs. Johnson what had occurred.

Meanwhile, at the King County Medical Examiner’s office, fingerprints and DNA was taken from the body of Mark Richards, and sent to the forensics lab for examination.

Across town, police investigators were at the store where the killer stole various food items. They had the videotape and picture of the killer, which they would compare with their book of mugshots. If they are lucky, there would be outstanding warrants on the culprit.

But as the examiner’s office continued its work, the killer assaulted another person and ran off with his personal effects. This time the killer did not cover his tracks: the assault victim can identify the assailant.

Coming next month: The killer makes another narrow escape but the police, Hammerman, and his team are now hot on his trail.

August was the first vendor for Street Sense and was with the organization for three years. He now lives in Seattle, and is on the editorial board of the street paper there.

You can reach August at: carriergroup2009@yahoo.com.

ACROSS 1 Brew 4 Tel __ (Israel’s capital) 8 Adheres 14 2,000 pounds 15 Dry 16 White vegetables 17 Cub 18 Vexation 19 Outreach ministry program, ______ Church 20 Applies holy oil 22 Ball holder 23 Stitched 24 American state 27 Stuck up people 31 Please respond 33 Fear 35 Sign of the zodiac 36 Conger 38 Be incorrect 39 Pile 40 Biting 44 Devious 46 Want 47 Extremely high frequency (abbr.)

49 Move away

50 Is 51 Wrest 52 Account (abbr.)

55 Piers 58 Equal 61 Region 63 North American Indian 65 Sixth canonical hour 67 Opp. of sealed 70 Work the soil 71 High-school club 72 Jewelry 73 American Civil Liberties Union (abbr.)

74 East southeast 75 American _______, “invisible” urban population 76 Object 77 __ Francisco

8 Army camp 9 Bets 10 Signal 11 Foot extension 12 Compass point 13 Supersonic transport 21 $ FHUWLÀHG ÀQDQFLDO planner helps do this 25 Wrath 26 Belongs to us 28 Fake butter 29 Swain 30 Drenches 32 Cat 34 Canal 37 Legal claim 39 Wheel cover 40 Dig 41 Halo 42 Consumer 43 Converse 45 BB association 48 National police 53 French pancake treats 54 Mother __ 56 Mold 57 Stone 59 A landlord needs a court order to do this 60 _____ & Campbell’s 62 Birch-like tree 64 Eve’s garden 66 Ghetto 67 Kimono sash 68 Wok 69 Last 70 Thai

October’s Answer Key

DOWN 1 Reference 2 Replacement car 3 Gives a present 4 Association (abbr.)

5 MicKinney-______ Act 6 Scots’ neighbors 7 Ex-serviceman

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

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

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

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

DISCOUNTS 'LVFRXQWV RIIHUHG WR QRQSURÀWV DQG to those that prepay for multiple ads.

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

Street Sense . October 1 – 14, 2007

12 EDITORIALS

Irony, from page 1 While I don’t know many of the details, this is my story and I’m sticking to it. I obviously spent a considerable amount of time in the hospital, and then went to a foster home, also in Atlantic City. My foster mother, Esther Racks, who is now deceased, was a nurse. As the only child in the home, I was spoiled. But my foster mother, in her 70s at the time, expedited the efforts to have me adopted or placed in a different foster home.

Many pairs of prospective adoptive parents considered adopting me. However, the doctors gave me very little hope. They said I probably wouldn’t finish school. I did. And I was a straight-A student at that.

They didn’t think I would be able to socially adapt. Take it for what it’s worth to you, but I’m one of the most outgoing people in the world.

The doctors said I wouldn’t be able to hold a job. I worked at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida for six years. I’m known for my diligence and accuracy at pretty much any place that I work – when I work.

In August of 1974, a Polish man and an Italian woman named Rudy and Joanne Sheptock decided to adopt me. They took me into their house in Chester, N.J., when I was five years old. As for Esther Racks, she would die four years later in 1978.

My sister Mary Elizabeth joined the family at the same time, having come from Morristown, N.J. We were the ninth and tenth children in the Sheptock family. At that time they had six natural children and four that were adopted or would later on be adopted. She and I were adopted at the courthouse in Elizabeth, N.J., a year after entering the Sheptock household.

That same year, 1975, we moved to a mansion in Peapack, N.J., which is in Somerset County. This mansion had 13 bedrooms, two living rooms, a library, seven bathrooms, a three–car garage and sat on five acres of land.

It was the former library for the Kate Macy Ladd Convalescent Hospital.

My parents would eventually have a seventh biological child and adopt a total of 25 children, for a grand total of 32 children — 10 girls and 22 boys.

There was never a dull moment. There is more to tell about living in a large family than I can possibly tell in a single article. However, the aspect of it that stands out for me the most is of always being in the public eye.

My parents were often guest speakers at different churches and pro–life meetings. My father took great pride in putting us up on stage to sing “Jesus Loves Me” or “Jesus Loves the Little Children.” We were on the news and in newspapers many times. I grew up under TV cameras. I even made a commercial for Pro–Player sneakers.

On one occasion, we were visited by the then–governor of New Jersey, Thomas Kean.

What was intended to be a five–minute visit turned into a five–hour visit, as he had so much fun in the first few minutes of being there that he cancelled his next meeting.

On another occasion, a Japanese TV crew came over to make a documentary on our family after reading about us through the Associated Press. We’d previously been in an Associate Press article that ran in The New York Times.

One might ask if there was a downside to it all. Like anything else, I could find a few things to complain about.

One thing that comes to mind is that do–gooders often chose to donate their old, out–of–style clothing to us, some of which I can be seen wearing in the book “Our Growing Family,” which was written by my mother in collaboration with a professional writer and published in 1980.

I was 11 when the book came out. My mother had boxes and boxes of free copies.

Nonetheless, I figured that since I was living it, I didn’t need to read it. Then this past July, I met a woman named Julie while at a YSOP dinner. YSOP is a nationwide youth organization begun by Quakers, which has groups that periodically come to D.C. and, among other things, serve dinner to the homeless.

Julie and I established e–mail correspondence. She found a copy of my mom’s book and mailed it to me. So I’m reading it now.

In my life, I’ve been abused and almost killed, adopted into a mixed–race family, raised in a mansion and become homeless. These are just a few of my experiences, of course.

If I could tell you more, then you’d agree that my life is full of sharp contrast.

The irony of life. Sometimes it just baffles me.

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

Nothing is Sacred

By Patty Smith

S

omething has to be done about how the case manager does inspections at the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA on Rhode Island Ave, NW. This time, they went too far.

Last week, they went in my room without telling me they were coming. A surprise inspection. They didn’t give me time to clean my room or nothing. After looking in the

room, they went into my bathroom and saw my panties.

It is an outrage. You have no privacy. Someone has to stop them. They could at least let you know when they are coming for inspections so you can at least hide your panties.

That’s all I want to say on the matter of my privacy being violated.

Readers, do you feel me?

A Good Son

By Kim Sou-Sung

M

y name is Kim Sou–Sung. I’m a former journalist and politician from Korea, and my passion is fighting for social justice. I am a new resident at the Franklin School Shelter, and am very excited about resuming my work as a journalist to write for Street Sense.

I was born on Jan. 1, 1943, in the North Korean city of Shineujoo. I lived there until 1950 with my family and four sisters. I’m the only son. When the Korean War broke out, my mother led my family out of North Korea and we escaped to South Korea. We moved first to the city of Pusan and then, after a few years, to the capital city of Seoul.

I lived in Seoul for 40 years, completing

high school and a bachelor’s degree at Sungkyunkwan University in political science. I worked as a journalist for many years, covering issues of social justice and politics.

In 1979, I decided to run for office, where I was elected for a four–year term. I decided to go into politics because I’m for human rights — of the people, by the people, for the people.

My mother moved to Maryland in 1974 and in 1990, I decided to join her. Some of my family also moved to the area. After arriving in the States, I worked at Giant Food and then in construction and painting. But my passion remains in writing. I am currently preparing my diary for publication.

I have been living in the Franklin Shelter for less than a year, after various problems with my landlord. My mother died in May at age 94. I was a good son to my mom. They even wrote about me in a local Korean newspaper, which ran a profile of her life. I have a daughter in Virginia named Boyoung and a son in Hong Kong named Andrew. I am also the proud grandfather of Rea, Andrew’s daughter, whom I like to call Princess.

Intern Melanie Lidman helped Kim Sou– Sung tell his story.

There is Gold in Them Thar Hills

By Jeffery McNeil

W

hat is greater than silver, more precious than gold and more valuable than real estate? It is people — particularly the homeless and poor.

I remember watching the movie “Seabiscuit” about a cheap underdog of a horse who made a fortune for his owners. A little common sense and love could transform your fortune, too.

I have been a Street Sense seller for a month. I also was a small business owner and part–time gambler. Was I not a visionary? But in the Northeast, business is cutthroat and competition is downright ruthless, with everyone fighting for the same profit margins.

I was not a very successful salesperson because I was not willing to cut someone for the sake of fattening up my wallet. Therefore, I took up gambling for the quick cash and it was not profitable for me either. It made me homeless.

I discovered Washington by accident.

What I learned is that I had the same address as many of the homeless on the street. I always thought that having a job and getting a paycheck would allow me to live happily ever after. But I learned that many homeless people were also from the workplace and had lost their jobs through some crisis in their life, by developing a mental illness or be-

ing laid off. When they applied for jobs, they were hemmed in by bureaucratic paperwork, elaborate screening procedures and other hiring delays.

I miss the good ole mom and pop stores who say put your clothes on and go to work and we will see what you can do. What I am telling the business world is that there is an untapped reservoir of talent on the park benches and shelters looking to go back to work.

It would not cost you any more than maybe a pair of shoes or a suit. Like Seabiscuit who was claimed on the cheap, many homeless could be mined and transformed into assets that help your bottom line.

Many businesspersons go for the sexy pick but the bargain bin is very good shopping. The greatest investors like Warren Buffet and George Soros made their fortune buying stocks when people thought they were junk.

Many homeless are also considered junk, but after taking a deeper look, maybe they just fell out of favor and need someone to restore their confidence.

They could help your bottom line. People are the best resources and many businesses should shun the latest technological gizmos and follow the examples of the old school businesspeople. Go to the trenches and see how the business is actually doing. You can’t study business in a high office or a Lear jet.

You have to mine if you want to find gold.

Jeffery McNeil moved to Washington, D.C., from Atlantic City, N.J., and regularly puts on a suit to sell Street Sense.

Street Sense . October 1 – 14, 2007

EDITORIALS 13

Empower Clients, Don’t Alienate Them

By Joe Morris

I

am an anthropology student from Asheville, N.C., a city in the Blue Ridge Mountains. My studies in Asheville confront the question: Why are homeless shelters run like prisons? I’d like to point out a few observations that I have made during my time here in D.C. Homeless shelters tend to treat homeless people as if it is their fault for being homeless. And the homeless are punished as a result because they are perceived to be a threat to society — as if all homeless people are criminals. As a result, some homeless people avoid taking advantage of the services that shelters offer, often to their detriment. A solution to this problem is to include homeless people and those who have experienced homelessness in the business of poverty relief.

Despite Asheville’s idyllic setting, it struggles with the same problems facing many cities, including homelessness. In Asheville, there aren’t many groups that provide services for homeless people, not like the plethora here in D.C.; the people running these groups also lack experience in homelessness and poverty. Homeless people in D.C. are very involved in aid organizations, legislative actions and shelter administration.

There are some very good shelters in Asheville. There was one shelter called A Hope Center. It was a great example of a shelter fulfills needs specific to homeless people. It was principally a day shelter providing breakfast, phone kiosks, secure storage spaces and lots of coffee.

A Hope Center was also a gathering place and a community center. After breakfast, people would hang out and smoke cigarettes until the day shelter closed at lunch. People would meet there and drink coffee before going off to the park or the library. Those who were new to town could meet new people there. The only restriction on the use of services at the center was to be civil and sober.

Unfortunately, the last time I was there I found their policies to be radically different. There was a new sign that said that people were only being admitted 20 at a time, only on the hour, and could only stay for an hour.

The new restrictions were brought on by a few bad apples who started showing up intoxicated and fighting the other patrons.

My friend Terry, who I could usually count on being there, stopped going. When I was finally able to catch up with him he told me he didn’t like the new restrictions, hated waiting for an hour in the Blue Ridge cold and he didn’t like the new scrutiny. He wasn’t planning on doing anything wrong but didn’t like the way everyone was now supervised and viewed with suspicion.

Sadly, this places A Hope Center in the norm of shelters.

Rather than an open climate like in a community center, many shelters and aid organizations seem to automatically suspect impoverished people of some moral deficiency.

I also volunteered at the Salvation Army in Asheville for a while but had a problem with the way they judged and sorted people. I worked distributing food bags to people who were at risk of starving to death. Often I would have to turn down food to people that I thought deserved it.

A record producer from New Orleans came in to ask for food. She didn’t have a recent bill or proper identification because most of it had been lost as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

According to the Salvation Army’s requirements, she couldn’t receive food.

The strategy used by shelters and aid organizations is heavily influenced by popular American ideas about the trustworthiness of the impoverished. The strategies, forms and disciplines of aid spaces serve to set up a hierarchy that is connected to American attitudes toward capitalism, success, ownership, responsibility and work ethics.

When people like my friend Terry are offended by this, they just go elsewhere. Of course, when people forego shelters they miss out on many useful resources. This alienation is bad for the people who need these services. It doesn’t have to be this way.

If shelters and aid organizations include homeless people and formerly homeless people when making decisions, that can make a big difference.

It is the main difference I see between the organizations in Asheville and Washington D.C. Many more homeless people are participating in D.C. Rather than telling homeless people what they should or should not be or be doing, groups like Street Sense, the National Coalition for the Homeless Speakers Bureau, The Center for Creative Nonviolence and Until We’re Home, to name just a few, are empowering homeless people to take their lives into their own hands.

Empowering homeless people and giving them opportunities is far more effective than judging people and dictating to them what they can or can’t do. Working with people, rather than just for them, makes a huge difference because you have their expertise and experience.

Joe Morris, an anthropology student from North Carolina, interned with the Fourth World Movement, located in downtown Washington, D.C., this summer.

WHAT OUR READERS ARE SAYING...

To the editor: I would like to commend and recognize vendor Mark Jones for his friendliness and professionalism, and for the assistance he provided me on Monday, Sept. 24. Mark was selling papers on the 1400 block of P Street near the Whole Foods when he saw me lugging home more bags of groceries than I could comfortably carry by myself.

Although I normally stop to buy Street Sense, I was unable to because of my heavy load, and I told Mark I would purchase a paper the next time I was out in the neighborhood.

Mark noticed me struggling and said that he wasn’t going to ask me to buy a paper but rather that he was going to ask me if he could help me with my bags. I gratefully accepted his help. Mark left his busy spot to help me down the block, and would not accept any payment for his assistance, although I did buy a couple of papers for myself and my friends.

I sincerely appreciate Mark’s help. He is a true gentleman.

Anne Newton McFadden, Washington, D.C.

Dear Jesse, I just wanted to take a moment to say that I love Street Sense. I knew that homeless people were out here, but I never understood their plight until I started reading Street Sense.

There are so many talented and amazing people on the streets who just need our support and understanding. Homelessness can happen to anyone and Street Sense made me aware of this. It puts a face on the situation in D.C. and everywhere. When I read stories about people surmounting obstacles, I rejoice. It is good to know that there are successes to be told.

On another note, I’d like to recognize Charlie Mayfield, my favorite vendor at Union Station. Charlie is an amazing man, so kind and wonderful. I smile every time I see him and I stop to talk to him every morning and afternoon during the week.

He is dedicated to the paper and a good spokesperson for the cause.

I wish all of you well at Street Sense and hope only the best for the future.

Best, Tiffani J. Church, Baltimore, MD

An Influential Woman

By Jesse Smith Jr.

R

ev. Anne-Marie Jeffery is a very quiet and unassuming woman who could blend into any social gathering and would hardly be noticed with the exception of her height.

She is quite tall, perhaps six feet. Her mannerisms and stride display confidence without her uttering a word. The first time I noticed her was about a year ago when I was in the Franklin Square Park, hoping some good seminarian would come along with food or clothing to serve the poor and homeless persons who congregate there.

All of a sudden, I spotted an entourage approaching with this striking robed figure at the lead. Sheer curiosity led me to the area where they were conducting their activity. My eyes became fixed on the person clad in the priest habit... it was a woman!

I know very little about the personnel that comprise religious organizations, but my experience made me think that generally men were in that position. Further, to be conducting a religious service to the poorest of the poor on a downcast day was in itself somewhat of an anomaly. And yet here she was acting as though we were in some magnificent edifice replete with pews and shelter from the impending rain.

I later discovered this was a program sponsored by the Church of the Epiphany called the Street Church. It is an outdoor worship where lunch is provided every Tuesday at Franklin Square Park in downtown D.C. I am honored to say that the Reverend and I have become good friends and I have since learned quite a bit about her.

First of all, she insists on being called Anne-Marie. She says titles mean nothing, actions do.

She has a PhD in physics and was employed by a government agency for seven years. Given that the discipline of physics demands ideas to be presented in terms of cold hard facts and numbers, it perplexed me to make the connection between that and religion. She was born in New York City and lived most of her life in the West Indies. If you listen closely you would detect a bit of an accent.

Her father was a minister, which would account for much of her moral and religious values. She said she grew up in a society where she witnessed a considerable amount of economic destitution so she was constantly concerned with, as she stated, “the persons left behind.”

She said, “There are no kings and queens, no rich or poor, only people. People have needs beyond the material. Religion is one of those things that fill a non–physical need.” She says she gets a lot of her inspiration from the people she serves.

Her humbleness is truly an endearing quality.

I have mixed emotions to know she will be leaving our community to join Bowie, Md., as the Priest in Charge at the St. James Church and as the Episcopal Chaplain at Bowie State University. That community is truly fortunate to receive such a talented and gifted person.

We, of this community, won’t say good luck because we know God is with her and that is much more precious than luck.

Street Sense . October 1 – 14, 2007

14 STREET SENSE NEWS

VendorNotes

Thank you, Barron, for referring L to Street Sense. He certainly demonstrates that even though you have little or no money, you can still have class. I was so engrossed in our conversation that I forgot to ask L. where he usually sells his papers; I will find out and report that in the next issue.

I will say that wherever it is, the customers are attracted to him — he is doing a great job.

Welcome L. Morrow We wish to welcome Vendor No. 145, L. Morrow, who was recruited by vendor Barron Hall Jr. L. Morrow chooses to use the initial of his first name rather than a name like Lawrence, Leroy or Larry. I teased him about keeping his first name a secret, and he said, “In case I hit the big one, my sudden new friends and family won’t know it’s me until I wire them from Jamaica.”

He is a very interesting person chock–full of ideas, and his enthusiasm about Street Sense’s mission and for selling the paper is certainly refreshing. He told me in training he was willing to help out in any way he can —“Just call.”

He said he and Barron grew up together and had been friends for a long time. It was typical of L. that at our monthly vendors’ meeting he was dressed to the nines in a suit that looked to be tailor–made. “Just because you are broke and poor doesn’t mean you have to look like it,” he told me.

INTERN INSIGHT

By Jesse Smith Jr.

Gerald Smith Here is another very interesting vendor who takes care to dress in what I consider an exceptional way for what the job requires. We do ask that all of our vendors dress as best they can; however, we take into consideration that many in our community do not have the pleasure of choosing much of what they can wear, mostly because they have no place to store these items.

Those who do have closet facilities are recognizable by their frequent change of dress.

Gerald shows up to get his papers in a dress shirt and tie. I asked

him what the special occasion was, and he replied, “I have Sweat Friday, where I dress in jeans and tennis shoes, [but] most of the time I plan to dress like this.”

He also said that if he gets an immediate job interview invitation, then he is already dressed properly.

Good thinking, Gerald.

He usually sells his papers during the morning and afternoon rush hours at the Dupont Circle Metro station. On Saturdays, he can be found at the Ballston Metro station near the Ruby Tuesday restaurant.

Thanks, Mayor Fenty Vendor Jeffery McNeil reported that Mayor Adrian Fenty purchased a paper from him when he was selling at 17th and L streets one day last week. I had some business at the Wilson Building later that week and happened upon the mayor. I thanked him for purchasing the paper and he said, “I buy it all the time.” It is nice to know that our new mayor uses many materials to stay in touch with the people. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

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By Matt Johnson

Stifling Injustice

L

ast month, a noose was strung on a tree limb just outside the Nyumburu Cultural Center, a campus center for black organizations at the University of Maryland, College Park. At first I was in disbelief at the news. This was my campus. It just didn’t seem right. Then I made the connection to Jena, the little Louisiana town where white students hung nooses from a tree, called the “white” tree, the morning after black students sat under it.

Why would somebody do this? Has this country not changed since the days of Jim Crow?

We seem to rub salt on old wounds all the time. This Oct. 8, we once again celebrate Columbus Day, an undeserved tribute to a slave trader responsible for the deaths of masses of Native people and their culture.

American Indians have to suffer through this tradition every year.

I, in turn, suffer through the comments of my peers about the Jena Six, the group of black teenagers who allegedly beat up a white classmate in response to racial tensions created by the nooses, and who were in turn charged with his attempted murder. “Why are we defending six black boys for beating up one defenseless white boy? What if it were the other way around? Those guys would get charged with a hate crime.”

My peers don’t ask how the designation of “hate crimes” historically began. They don’t mention what set off the initial sparks in Jena – the three nooses in school colors roped around the “white” tree last year and the school superintendent’s refusal to expel the white students responsible. In contrast, the black Jena Six were expelled and charged with the attempted murder of a white classmate who felt well enough to attend a school function after their fight that night.

And my peers don’t talk much about history. It’s regrettable that an all-white jury convicted Mychal Bell, one of the six teenagers, for aggravated battery. Although the conviction was later thrown out, Bell has not been released from prison. This is certainly not unprecedented.

In the past, all-white juries in the Deep South not only ensured swift “justice” for black suspects but total immunity for white lynch mobs.

This is not a history lesson or a critique. It’s a clarion call to privileged whites in America – people who look like me and talk like me but don’t often think like me or walk like me.

I walk with the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know that’s not realistic, yet I also know that somewhere along the line we need to take responsibility for what we’ve been given – that we haven’t earned – in this society.

To fellow students at the University of Maryland: We need to think about the slaves who built our university and why our president won’t admit it. We need to question why last year’s commencement speaker was the first African-American to receive the honor in 150 years.

Perhaps, most of all, we need to take a good look at our own lives and how we contribute to white supremacy each day, whether it’s by wearing our Redskins jersey with the stereotypical Indian chief head on the chest or by telling an eloquent black man that he “talks white.”

We can take several positive actions to change the situation. We can join our black friends as they march for justice in Jena, New Orleans or right here in D.C. We can give back to the less fortunate in our communities by volunteering our spare time. We can choose social impact instead of salary when pursuing a career. We can talk to that person across the street who looks different from us. We can start today.

I humbly joined Street Sense as an intern because I wanted to use my skills for a good cause while fulfilling a graduation requirement.

Typically, students strive toward the mainstream corporate media. I wanted to advocate for the homeless through writing. I considered it the logical next step after two years of activism.

I’m personally connected to the issue: My own father is homeless.

I want to give a voice to the voiceless – to men like my father – and I want to give hope to the hopeless.

Sometimes I’m the one in need of hope. Sometimes I envy people on the streets because they don’t have to deal with overflowing inboxes, thousands of commitments, boring classes and term papers. But then I remember my privilege. I remember my passion and obligation. That’s when I write. That’s when I fight.

Matt Johnson is a senior journalism major at the University of Mary-

Street Sense . October 1 – 14, 2007

SERVICE PROVIDERS & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FEATURES 15

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

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

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

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

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

Shelter Hotline: 1-800-535-7252

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

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

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

Wash. Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U Street, NW (202) 328-5500 www.legalclinic.org legal services

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Street Sense . October 1 – 14, 2007

Barron Hall Jr.

VENDOR PROFILE

PHOTO FINISH

By Matt Johnson

D.C., Watch Out for This Washington!

MATT JOHNSON/STREET SENSE

By Melanie Lidman

Barron Hall Jr. was born April 14, 1948, in Washington, D.C. His mother died of a brain tumor when he was five years old. His father, despite a crippling alcohol addiction, was his guiding light and best friend.

Hall graduated from Cardozo High School in 1966 and was immediately drafted into the military – at the height of the Vietnam War. He reported to active duty in July 1967 and served until 1969. He returned home a changed man. “[The war] turned us young men, mostly poor and underprivileged, into people that when we came home had a hard time,” Hall said. “Some of us couldn’t even adjust to this society and still haven’t adjusted.”

While collecting disability for multiple mental illnesses, Hall studied drafting at a local junior college and married the woman he had been engaged to since before Vietnam. The marriage was annulled after a year. “The person she knew when I went overseas wasn’t the person she knew when I came back,” he said.

He married his second wife, Marilyn Johnson, in 1972. The marriage lasted 13 years and produced two children before Hall’s post-traumatic stress disorder got the best of him. He shunned professional help and resorted to street drugs, primarily heroin, for medication. During that time he was working for the federal government.

Hall ceased government work in 1980 and went to Charlotte, N.C., to study to be a Christian minister. He said he felt like he was called to preach the word of God. He performed his trial sermon in Flint, Mich., in 1996 but was back on drugs within the same year. That’s when he checked himself into a Veterans Affairs hospital for the first time. “Before then I never went for my mental illnesses, I just dealt with it,” he said. “I was ashamed. I always thought I was an unjustifiable killer.”

Today Hall is in treatment for schizophrenia and other illnesses while seeking Section 8 housing assistance. He first applied for Section 8 housing five years ago.

Ricky Washington, winner of the mayor-for-a-day contest, discussed the DC voting rights measure with Mayor Adrian Fenty during a rally on September 17. After the rally, Washington delivered sandwiches to the homeless with the Urban League Senior Citizen Service Center.

How did you become homeless?

When I became disabled, I was living with my sister and getting help every month through the [Department of Veteran Affairs] and social security. My sister got married, and I relapsed and went back to the VA hospital. When I came out, my sister and I had a little confrontation and I started staying at the shelter.

StreetFact The average food stamps recipient lives on just $21 worth of food per week. Congress hasn’t raised the weekly allotment since 1977.

SOURCE: OFFICE OF REP. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D. MD.)

Why do you sell Street Sense?

It’s good, not so much to earn a living but it helps me with my self-esteem. I used to panhandle, now I sort of work. It makes me feel like I’m truly getting back to myself. I know if the right person reads what I sell them or what I give them, it’ll help them. I want to give back the little bit I’ve been given or have accepted from others.

What is your favorite book?

The Koran and the Bible What is your favorite music?

Gospel music What is your favorite movie?

“Tupac: Resurrection” and “Malcolm X”

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

What is your favorite food?

Crocker fish and salad

October 1 – 14, 2007 • Volume 4 • Issue 20

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Mail To:

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