10 12 2012 by Street Sense Media

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Volume 9: Issue 24 October 10 - 23, 2012

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

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month: learn more.

A prayer from one vendor to another.

Meet featured vendor Glenn Artis.

COVER ART

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@streetsensedc /streetsensedc OUR STORY Street Sense began in August 2003 after Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson approached the National Coalition for the Homeless on separate occasions with the idea to start a street paper in Washington, D.C. Through the work of dedicated volunteers, Street Sense published its first issue in November 2003. In 2005, Street Sense achieved 501 ( c ) 3 status as a nonprofit organization, formed a board of directors and hired a full-time executive director. Today, Street Sense is published every two weeks through the efforts of four salaried employees, more than 100 active vendors, and dozens of volunteers. Nearly 30,000 copies are in circulation each month.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Brian Carome EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mary Otto MANAGING EDITOR Eric Falquero VENDOR/VOLUNTEER MANAGER Allen Hoorn advertising/communications coordinator Rebecca Stewart

VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Jane Cave, Margaret Chapman, Brandon Caudill, Lilly Dymond, Ashley Edwards, Andrew Gena, Steve Gilberg, Jane Goforth, Roxanne Goldberg, Roberta Haber, Jesse Helfrich, Maurice King, Sean Lishansky, Victoria Hatterman O’Banion, Ashley Perkins, David Piper, Mark Rose, Willie Schatz, David Sellers, Kate Sheppard, Ernie Smith, Destini Smith, Lilly Smith, Kelly Stellrecht, Brett Topping, Charlotte Tucker, Bryan Watkins, Marian Wiseman, Eugene Versluysen

photo illustration by eric falquero photo courtesy of the library of congress

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Yebegashet Alemayehn, Margaret Chapman, Kristal Dekleer, Robin Heller, Heidi Keller, Sommer Mathis, Manas Mohapatra, Brad Scriber, Michael Stoops

INTERNS Joel Barnes, Sydney Franklin, Jeff Gray, Nick Mutschler, Lauren Poole

1936 - Dorthea Lange, “Migrant Mother”, an iconic image from the Great Depression.

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

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ADDRESS 1317 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 PHONE 202.347.2006 FAX 202.347.2166 E-MAIL info@streetsense.org WEB StreetSense.org

(Street Sense economics)

director 11 Executive Brian Carome weighs in on the family shelter system.

North American Street Newspaper Association

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2. I will only purchase the paper from Street Sense staff and will not sell papers to other vendors (outside of the office volunteers). 3. I agree to treat all others – customers, staff, other vendors – respectfully, and I will not “hard sell.” (threaten or pressure customers) 4. I agree to stay off private property when selling Street Sense. 5. I understand that I am not a legal employee of Street Sense but a contracted worker responsible for my own well–being and income.

6. I agree not to sell any additional goods or products when selling the paper. 7. I will not sell Street Sense under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 8. I agree to stay a block away from another vendor and respect the space of all vendors. 9. I understand that my badge is the property of Street Sense and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing the papers and display my badge while selling papers. 10. I understand that Street Sense strives to produce 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.

VENDORS Gladys Akins, Orin Andrus, Charles Armstrong Glenn Artis, Jake Ashford, Lawrence Autry, Daniel Ball, Alan Bates, Grady Baxter, Roberta Bear, Kenneth Belkovsky, Tommy Bennett, Frosty Bibbee, Phillip Black, Reginald Black, Deana Black, Viktor Blokhine, Harmon Bracey, Debora Brantley, Andre Brinson, Kanon Brown, Reco Brown, Percy Carter, Sunny Chadwick, Conrad Cheek, Lea Ciochetti, Elena Cirpaci, Sarah Colin, Theresa Corbino, Anthony Crawford, Kwayera Dakari, Louise Davenport, Michael Davidson, James Davis, Charles Davis, Clifton Davis, Devon Dawkins, Chino Dean, David Denny, Janna Disraeli, Nema Dixon, Alvin Dixon-El, Charles Eatmon, Richard Embden, Pieus Ennels, Kristin Evald, Betty Everett, Joshua Faison, Patty Feris, Larry Garner, Anthony Gist-El, Marcus Green, Barron Hall, Dwight Harris, Dewayne Harrison, Lorrie Hayes, Patricia Henry, Shakaye Henry, Derian Hickman, Vennie Hill, Ibn Hipps, Jaamill Hipps, Anne Marie Holloway, Phillip Howard, James Hughes, Donald Johnson, Tavon Johnson, Mark Jones, Ryan Jones, Evanson Kamau, Tammy Karuza, Mike Leach, Ziang Lin, Anthony Lindsey, John Littlejohn, Michael Lyons, Kina Mathis, Authertimer Matthews, John Matthews, Charlie Mayfield, Marvin McFadden, Jermale McKnight, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jeffrey McNeil, Kenneth Middleton, Gary Minter, Anton Mitchell, L. Morrow, Jai Morton, Tyrone Murray, Darryl Neal, Charles Nelson, James Nelson, Sammy Ngatiri, Evelyn Nnam, Amen O’Jango, Moyo Onibuje, Douglas Pangburn, Ebony Pannell, Earl Parkin, Franklin Payne, Aida Peery, Michael Pennycook, Lucifer Potter, Frank Pruden, Ash-Shaheed Rabbil, Clifford Ringwald, Anthony Robinson, Andrell Robsinson, Lawrence Rogers, Melania Scott, Chris Shaw, Adira Sheinman, Veda Simpson, J. Simpson, Patty Smith, Gwynette Smith, Yvette Smith, Terron Solomon, Matt Southworth, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens, James Stewart, Billy Sullivan, Beverly Sutton, Sybil Taylor, Paul Taylor, Archie Thomas, Shernell Thomas, Victor Thompkins, Deborah Tibbs, Jacqueline Turner, Deborah Turner, Bada Umoja

STREET SENSE October 10 - 23, 2012

NEWS IN BRIEF Advocates: Cities passing rules targeting homeless Don Matyja, a homeless Army veteran, was eking out a living on the streets of Costa Mesa, Calif. until he got ticketed for smoking in the park, the Associated Press reported. But Matyja had trouble paying the original $25 fine. Now the penalty has grown to $600. The ticket is one of many new challenges facing the homeless in Orange County, where municipalities have been passing laws banning everything from smoking in the park to leaning bikes against trees. Homeless advocates say such measures are burgeoning nationwide as cities struggle with tight budgets. The homeless people themselves say the rules, which criminalize their daily activities, are intended to push them out of one city and into another.

Occupy members join police in bid to save home It has been nearly a year since the confrontation that pitted Occupy Atlanta protesters against police in riot gear

in an Atlanta park. Now the dissenters are working to help a longtime detective save her home from foreclosure, and in the process, winning support from her fellow officers, according to the Associated Press. Group members say that retired Atlanta police detective Jaqueline Barber was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of cancer, after buying the home in Fayetteville, about 20 miles south of Atlanta. She now faces eviction. Tim Franzen, one of the leaders of the group now called Occupy Our Homes ATL, told the AP that police officers are among the 99 percent of people they aim to help. The wire service could not immediately reach representatives of U.S. Bank, the firm involved in the foreclosure proceedings, for comment.

way since it was founded a decade ago in Graz, Austria, organizers said. The numbers of teams have increased every year, a women’s competition has been added and -with a growing number of high profile players, sponsors and ambassadors on board - the event has been credited with building an international reputation, SNS reported. The venue for this year’s tournament is the Zócalo, the main plaza in the heart of the city also known as Plaza de la Constitución, where three street-soccer stadiums have been specially built. The games are scheduled to conclude Oct 14. Fans can tune into the action live at the Homeless World Cup website: http://www.homelessworldcup.org/ mexico-2012

The Homeless World Cup

Costume Drive for Homeless Children

Competition is underway in the 10th annual Homeless World Cup, taking place in Mexico City. The opening day of play drew 20,000 spectators to cheer on 500 homeless players from 54 countries, according to Street News Service (SNS). The tournament has come a long

The Homeless Children’s Playtime Project (HCPP) is collecting 500 new or gently used costumes for children in shelters around the city. “Wearing a costume to school parties and trick-or-treating is an important part of childhood,” said Lana Tilley, program

and operations manager for HCPP. Costumes are needed for toddlers through 10 years old. Scary masks, weapons or violent costumes will not be accepted. Donations can be delivered to 1525 Newton Street NW between 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. by Monday, Oct. 15. Donations will also be collected Sunday, Oct. 14, from 3 to 6 p.m. at 1437 15th Street NW. Before stopping by, please e-mail info@playtimeproject.org or call 202329-4481. HCPP reaches more than 700 children each year in six different shelters around D.C. The group provides weekly activities, healthy snacks and opportunities to play and learn for children at emergency shelters and transitional housing sites. HCPP will be hosting Halloween parties for the children and families through the end of October. To learn more, visit playtimeproject.net. -Sydney Franklin

*CompileD by Mary Otto from previously published reports

#TalkPoverty and The Line By Sydney Franklin Editorial Intern Amid the drama and verbal sparring of the first Presidential debate, advocates for the poor had their fingers crossed. They were hoping that someone would take up the question of poverty. Many had used the social network site Twitter in an attempt to insert the topic into the debate, joining a grassroots media campaign meant to create a national buzz - and push the candidates to think and talk about poverty. “@NewsHour: Ask @BarackObama and @MittRomney how they will reduce poverty. We need to #TalkPoverty on Oct. 3rd debate,” Jim Wallis, an evangelical minister and president of Sojourners, a faith-based social justice organization had urged the night before, speaking to members of a national audience gathered to watch the premiere of a new film about poverty called “The Line” via live stream. The Nation magazine and advocacy groups such as Half in Ten also urged people to join the #TalkPoverty discussion. “What I want to know is: how will the words that are said and the positions that are staked out affect the 46 million people in our country living in poverty,” said Wallis on the Huffington Post on Oct. 2. Shown worldwide in nearly 1,700 venues on Oct 2, the night before the debate, The Line is a new documentary film chronicling the new face of poverty in America by Emmy Award-winning producer Linda Midgett, known for the 2003 hit series Starting Over and 2000 documentary The Kennedy’s: The Curse of Power. The 40-minute film examines the issue of poverty through the stories of four individuals. A laid off, single dad from the Chicago suburbs struggles to feed his kids through the local food pantry. A single mother on disability in Chicago’s west end tries to keep children away from violence. A Gulf Coast fisherman works in the wake of the environmental crisis that followed Hurri-

cane Katrina and the BP oil spill. And a middle-aged man faces homelessness and job insecurity in North Carolina. Work on the project began in February, and filming started in July. The film was rushed through production for release on the eve of the first presidential debate. “The film was very intentional,” said Midgett. “We produced it to see if it could impact the way people vote.” Angela Simms, who attended the D.C. premiere of The Line, thought the film would appeal only to those who already sympathize with the poor. “To reach audiences less inclined to be supportive, I believe we’ll need to make a stronger case for the inherent interdependency of all people,” she said. Still, the film and the #TalkPoverty initiative sparked a wide-ranging discussion on Twitter. Followers waiting for debate moderator Jim Lehrer to ask a question about poverty were disappointed though. As the minutes ticked by, candidates continued to battle over jobs, taxes, entitlements, deficits, health care and the role of government. The evening’s most tweeted moment, with 158,690 tweets, came at 9:53 p.m. when Lehrer interrupted Governor Mitt Romney’s segue remark, “Let’s talk about…” by saying, “Let’s not.” Greg Kauffmann, contributing writer on poverty for The Nation tweeted, “Romney creates opening to #TalkPoverty—how best to help poor? Lehrer closes it. #talkpoverty.” But did Romney plan to talk about poverty? Colorlines.com reported that between the two of them, Obama and Romney said the words middle income or middle class 31 times. The candidates mentioned Medicaid, vouchers, food stamps and unemployment, but tiptoed around the word poverty without naming it. At 10:18 p.m., Romney referred to “poor kids,” but corrected himself to say, “lower-income kids, rather.” In the same minute, Catholic Democrats, (@CatholicDems) tweeted:

“The Line,” a new documentary by Linda Midgett and Sojourners, follows four Americans living near the poverty line. images courtesy of Sojourners

Sojourners hopes to get as many people as possible involved in the election through media such as “The Line”, Twitter, and this infographic. Infographic courtesy of Sojourners

“Wow, apparently Romney has been told not to say word ‘”poor.”’ #denverdebates #talkpoverty.” The hour-and-a-half long debate produced over 10 million tweets with 160,000 per minute. Twitter called the debate “the most tweeted event in political history.” When the night was over, Wallis offered his own assessment on the Sojourner’s website. “One thing is certain about last night: there was no clarifying discussion about what the policies Obama and Romney debated will mean for the Americans

who are struggling the most.” Supporters of the #TalkPoverty campaign are not giving up. They are already directing their tweets to the moderator of the Oct. 11 vice presidential debate, Martha Raddatz, senior foreign affairs correspondent for ABC News. Reflecting upon the first debate but also looking forward, @jamdizzle said, “Well this is discouraging. Hopeful @ marthraddatz is still checking twitter regularly! @TalkPoverty #VPDebate.” Raddatz, however, told the New York Times that she planning on avoiding Twitter as she prepares for the debate.

STREET SENSE October 10 - 23, 2012

election news

Groups Rally to Improve LowIncome Turnout Rate By Nick Mutschler Editorial Intern Over 1.5 million individuals are experiencing homelessness throughout the country. Homeless voters could play an important role in the coming election. But will they? Policy decisions regarding everything from funding for welfare, housing and health care, to initiatives that create new jobs and provide educational grants directly impact people who are poor. Yet though they have much at stake, historically, low-income and homeless individuals vote at the lowest rate in the country and their turnout for the 2008 presidential election was no exception. Only 51.9 percent of the poorest voting-aged citizens actually voted, compared with 79.8 percent of the wealthiest voting aged citizens, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And now advocates worry that new voter identification laws in some states could potentially further discourage and confuse poor voters, and not just in those states but throughout the country. Before the 2011 legislative session, only two states had imposed strict photo identification requirements. Courts blocked laws in Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. But new photo ID laws will be in effect in Kansas and Tennessee this November, according to a report put out by the Brennan Center at the New York University School of Law. And while no such ID law is in effect in the District, a new law in Virginia changes voter ID requirements. While the list of acceptable IDs has grown, the law eliminates the option of carrying out an affidavit of identity when voting at the polls or applying for an absentee ballot in person. “Inconsistent messages about voting and what is required can seriously deter potential voters,” said Neil Donovan, executive director for the National Coalition for the Homeless. “Inconsistent messages deter potential voters everywhere.” In an effort to convince poor residents that they can and should vote,

advocacy groups have been busy in recent days with registration drives and educational campaigns. The National Coalition for the Homeless and graduate students from George Washington University’s Trachtenberg school joined forces for National Homeless & Low-Income Voter Registration Week. Among the featured events was a voter registration drive, held October 4‒6 at Martin Luther King Jr. Library, aimed at catching last-minute unregistered D.C. voters before the Oct. 7 deadline. “We can only register individuals who reside in D.C., which is frustrating for people in Maryland and Virginia. But we’re still able to provide voting information for their [respective] areas,” said Diane Mars, a George Washington University graduate student. Vounteers for the program helped to clarify voter rules for those with questions. A permanent home is not required to vote and when registering, the address of a temporary dwelling such as a shelter usually suffices, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. The matter of identification can be a little more complicated. Many homeless and insecurely housed people have difficulty keeping documents such as a birth certificates and identification cards safe and secure, and find the cost of replacing them prohibitive. Yet a state-issued identification number, or the last four digits of the individual’s social security number is required to register. That being said, Anamite Gall, a graduate student at George Washington University, said she had been encouraged to find out that many of the homeless people she met were not kept out by the barriers. “We have been happy to hear that many people we speak with in transitional settings are actually already registered and prepared to vote. More than we expected,” she said. Meanwhile, the People For Fairness Coalition, a grassroots organization formed by homeless people and their supporters, has also been hard at work, holding four town-hall-style meetings

stressing the importance of voting and organizing rides to the polls on Nov. 6. “We are trying to get the homeless community to come together and become self advocates for their own futures. We aren’t telling anyone who to vote for, we just want to get the homeless politically active and to know

their rights,” said the group’s director, Robert Warren, who is also a Street Sense vendor. “There are too many issues at stake. We need to come together to get people to the polls in order to have our voices heard,” says Warren.

G ra d u ate st u dents from The Georgewashington University man a voter registration table at Martin Luther King Memorial Library. Photo by Nick Mutschler

Poster made available to the National Coalition for the Homeless by The American Institue of Graphic Arts (AIGA)‘s Get Out the Vote campaign. Poster courtesy of Anthony Anaya

Homeless Film Festival Coming to Philadelphia By Paulina Malek www.street-papers.org/ips In “Pressure,” a short film by Scott Davidson, a series of people living on the streets recite the lyrics of “Under Pressure,” by Queen and David Bowie. The succession of pleading faces asks: “Why can’t we give ourselves on more chance?/ Why can’t we give love?/Love dares you to care for the people on the edge of the night/Love dares you to change our way of caring about ourselves …” “Charles and Guy,” sees a man begging for change on Columbus Boulevard strangely break into “God Bless America.” Then in “Fragile,” a woman revisits the childhood home she fled 25 years ago after suffering abuse that she describes succinctly: “You wouldn’t treat a dog like that.” These are just some of the people and their stories that will be featured in “Homeless Has a Name,” a showcase of documentary-style short films about homelessness that hopes to raise awareness about the issue. Homeless people are often treated as if they are invisible, but the stories they have to tell are often striking and compelling. This showcase will offer a place to tell them. Depaul House, an international homeless advocacy group with a local branch in Germantown, will host “Homeless Has a Name” on October 16, 2012 at the Painted Bride Art Center in Philadelphia. The birth of the film festival resulted from “Shooting Back,” the organization’s 2011 project in which residents took photos and wrote essays about their lives. “The guys really enjoyed seeing their stuff on the walls and getting attention for it,” said Sandra Guillory, program director for the organization. Guillory added that discussions about homelessness are often between service providers and advocates--not the homeless individuals themselves. But for those who may have become de-

sensitized to seeing homelessness on a regular basis, using creative methods to educate them may be more efficient. “Art is a way to bring in other people who don’t necessarily think about this problem,” Guillory said. “House” is a film by JoLynne Bremmer, a web content producer and editor at Arcadia University who made a film about One Step Away, Philadelphia’s street newspaper. The film chronicles the lives of four individuals who worked with One Step Away: Rosa and Stephanie Bermudez, a mother and her partially-blind 13-year-old daughter who lived at the Woodstock Family Center after a series of unfortunate events led them there; Claudell Edwards, a resident at Ridge Center who resisted going to a shelter for a long time; and Robertus Duncan, another resident at Ridge Center whose home was wrongfully taken by the city. “It was this group of men and women really stepping up and taking ownership over their lives and putting themselves in situations where it was going to take them somewhere else,” Bremmer said. Three One Step Away vendors Neal McLaurin, Shadeena Butler-Reed, and Calvin Helton are stepping up as judges for the “Homeless Has a Name” film festival. Neal is an aspiring actor who obtained a yearlong scholarship to study at Freedom Theatre. He studies theatre at community college and will be transferring to Temple University to study theatre in the fall. “Because of my being introverted and my vocabulary, theatre allowed me to become more of a people person. I’m not afraid to speak to people. It brought me out of my shell,” Neal said. “All the emotions in society you’re not allowed to use, in theatre you’re allowed to use.” His love of theatre extends beyond the classroom; Neal can be seen reciting Shakespearean monologues on the subway. “I am in a transition of struggling in certain ways,” said Neal, “but if I keep

“Homeless Has a Name,” a film festival highlighting the international plight of homelessness, will be hosted in Philadelphia by Depaul USA, a national homeless services provider. Photo courtesy of “Homeless Has a Name”

going, there will be success at the end of it, I need to remind myself of it.” Neal plans to audition for “The Merchant of Venice” and will soon premiere in a one-man show. He will be playing Othello in a local production of “Othello.” Shadeena Butler-Reed was born and raised in West Philadelphia’s Millcreek Section. She spent her early childhood years in placement and foster care and attended the Philadelphia public school system. Shadeena became homeless last year at the age of 19. While she was homeless, Shadeena moved from house to house, and even lived in her boyfriend’s car. She is now living with her mother and working as a vendor and poetry writer for One Step Away. Calvin Helton Sr. was born and raised in South Philly’s Greys Ferry Section. He spent his childhood in foster care and attended Philadelphia’s public school system. At the age of 57, Calvin became homeless for the first time last year. He lived in the shelter system until 2012, when he used his earnings from distributing One Step Away to pay for housing. Calvin works as both a vendor and a writer for One Step Away. “Fragile,” shot by Anders Lindwall and Ricky Staub of the Neighborhood Film Company is a four-and-a-halfminute promotional video for Project H.O.M.E, which also serves as the woman’s residence. Many of the films Guillory received thus far are person-on-the-street interviews or ones documenting an individ-

ual’s physical and emotional journies. “I’m excited to see what people produce for this,” Guillory said. Earlier this year, nineteen short films were submitted from across the nation and from the United Kingdom to compete for the festival’s grand prize of $1,500. The coordinating committee for the event included staff from Depaul USA, Bethesda Project, One Step Away and Project HOME in a unique crossagency collaboration. A speaker’s panel moderated by NBC10’s Lu Ann Cahn and featuring University of Pennsylvania Professor Dennis Culhane--the nation’s leading researcher on homelessness-will follow the film showcase. The panel includes Jane Vincent, the regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); Ned Eckhardt from Rowan University and author of Documentary Filmmakers Handbook; philanthropist Teresa Araco Rodgers; and peer support specialist Ben Mitchell. Bravette Fleet, a film festival judge, said that he “related powerfully to some of the stories. They told the story of being homeless and struggling, which is my story, too.” When he turned in his jury scorecard, Fleet said: “It was incredibly moving to watch all of the different films and see the different interpretations of homelessness. It reminds you that this could happen to anyone. And it does happen to so many different kinds of people.”

STREET SENSE October 10 - 23, 2012

Spreading the Word About Domestic Violence

news

My Sister’s Place Tackles Domestic Violence Awareness Month By Sydney Franklin Editorial Intern

Posters like this one are displayed around the city inside buses and metro stations. IMAGE COURTESY OF MY SISTER’S PLACE

Most people link October with breast cancer awareness. Few note that this month is also dedicated to raising awareness about domestic violence. My Sister’s Place (MSP), the District’s oldest domestic violence shelter, is using October to inform the public about the prevalence of the problem. Thanks to a partnership between MSP, the D.C. Department of Human Services and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, posters displayed in buses and metro stations throughout the city will let commuters know that help is available for those experiencing domestic violence. “You are not alone. We can help,” read the public service announcements, which include the telephone number for MSP’s emergency 24-hour

hotline: (202) 529-5991. The problem is not rare, organizers of the awareness campaign note. In the District, one emergency call every 17 minutes concerns domestic violence.

“We want to provide information and hope to victims.” “It is a dire public health issue that affects one in four women,” said MSP’s Executive Director Lauren Vaughan. “We want to provide information and hope to victims, who are living in fear and desperation and we want to let them know there is free and confidential help.”

Since getting its start in 1979 with 15 emergency shelter beds and a goal of helping women regain control of their lives, MSP has continued to grow and expand. The nonprofit now offers a range of services, everything from the confidential 24-hour hotline to transitional-to-permanent housing, children’s programming, counseling and case-management. In addition, MSP recently expanded its capacity as a confidential emergency shelter with its Sanctuary Plus initiative, serving up to 15 families with 45 shelter beds. In its 9,000-square-foot facility, families are provided a safe and secure environment, and help in rebuilding their lives. In other events marking Domestic Violence Awareness Month, MSP will be hosting an Oct 10 fundraiser called Power of the Purse, a silent auction of luxury handbags and accessories. And a display called the Clothesline Project will take place on the National Mall from Oct. 28-31. Families in the shelter will decorate T-shirts symbolizing their struggles and hopes for a better future. For more information, visit mysistersplacedc.org.

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C=MB on the Environment: Natural Pesticides By Cynthia Mewborn Vendor, “C=MB” Brown bats (myotis lucifugus) of North America and Canada are being afflicted by White Nose Syndrome, a fungus that is killing millions of bats. The mortality rate is reaching epidemic proportions. The fungal pathogen geomyces destructants spreads during the hibernation. The fungus grows on their wings and muzzles, and scientists speculate that it originated in Europe and has mutated since it was first discovered in the U.S. Another speculation is the bats are losing their subcutaneous fat reserves during hibernation and then need to go out and look for food during

the winter months, and are bringing the fungus back to the den and spreading it to other bats. According to the New York Times, more than 5 million bats have died already. The death of these particular species affects our biodiversity, and will be harmful for human survival if this fungus isn’t controlled. There are two kinds of bats: megachiropetera and mircochiropetera. The megachiropetera have not been affected by White Nose Syndrome. The micochiropetera hibernate and feed on insects; they are America’s greatest bug eaters. A brown bat can eat 1,200 bugs per hour, and nursing bats can consume 4,500 bugs per hour. For example, 150 brown bats can eat 33 million

cucumber beetles in less than a week, which protects farmers from spending money controlling infestation through pesticides. Brown bats can eat 600 mosquitoes per hour, which is beneficial worldwide by preventing the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. They can provide a number of other benefits for humans. According to the Organization for Bat Conservation, “bat droppings contain bacteria organisms used in detoxifying waste, improving detergents and producing gasohol and other antibiotics. The anticoagulant from vampire bats salvia is being tested for treatment for heart patients.” They also prevent the need to use pesticides, which are harmful to

the entire ecosystem and to humans. These chemicals go into our drains, streams, rivers and ultimately into our oceans and atmosphere which contribute to negative effects--climate changes, acid rain, and ozone depletion. White Nose Syndrome is threatening the survival of North America brown bats. It is imperative that we find a cure for our friends who have aided in human survival, by providing natural pest control instead of chemical pesticides. We have a moral and ethical responsibility to encourage mandates and laws that will protect our bats from this aggressive, intrusive fungal attack now and in the future.

Postcards from Lost Places By Joel Barnes Editorial Intern Artist Mark Strandquist poses a question. “Have you ever lost access to an important personal, physical, mental or metaphorical place?” He is gathering memories of these lost places, he explains, for a project he is calling Write Home Soon. On a recent visit to Street Sense, Strandquist asked the newspaper’s homeless and formerly homeless vendors to create postcards of these vanished or inaccessible places, using words, drawings or pictures cut out of magazines. Since August, Strandquist has held similar workshops at prisons, shelters, libraries, mental health and addiction recovery clinics, as well as at studios for disabled artists. He has also visited arts centers and galleries, inviting people to participate in the project, and is encouraging anyone else who wishes to create and send in a card. His project will be featured in an exhibit opening Oct. 25 at the Art Museum of the Americas.The exhibit, entitled The Ripple Effect: Currents of Socially Engaged Art, highlights collaborative, participatory and practice-based projects by artists from Latin America and the United States. The works examine issues such as the environnmental impact of illegal dumping, the social stratification of Washington, D.C. and the struggle against violence in Mexico. Strandquist’s postcards will be suspended from the ceiling, along with hundreds of others from around the country. In his project, Strandquist said he is seeking to provide a space for individuals to express themselves and to give a voice to stories that are often ignored by the popular media. His goal is to make art accessible to everyone. “Every individual featured in this project has a unique and challenging story. Our society rarely listens,” said Strandquist. “Anybody, regardless of social standing can have their art in exhibits.” Strandquist, who grew up in D.C,. has been a part of the music and punk scene in the area and says that he has strong connections to local and political

Two postcards submitted for Mark Strandquist’s “Write Home Soon” exhibition. postcards courtesy of mark strandquist

Mark Strandquist (right) discusses Chris Shaw’s lost space at his Street Sense workshop. Photo by Joel Barnes

activism. He has traditionally worked as a photographer or filmmaker. “I’ve always been drawn to art that has a social element to it,” said Strandquist. The goal of this project is to democratize the creation, exhibition and consumption of art, he said. The postcards are all anonyomous,

the viewers of the exhibit create their meanings and associations. Strandquist said that although art can sometimes seem detached and remote from the viewer, he hopes that visitors of this exhibit will enjoy the interactive qualities they find in his work. They will be able pick up the post-

cards and tangibly connect with the memories. “Theres something about postcards that have a heightened level of intimacy,” Strandquist said. He hopes that empathy and understanding will arise. It’s important for the project to provide space for viewers to interact and participate in the story, resulting in an intimate connection, the artist said. He believes many of society’s problems arise because we are alienated from one another. His work focuses on breaking down the alienation and inspiring creative discourse and engagement. The exhibit, which opens with a 6 to 8 p.m. reception on Oct. 25, will remain on view until Jan. 13.

Anyone who wishes to contribute his or her postcard of a lost place may address it to the Art Museum of the Americas, 201 18th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20006. It will be included in the exhibit.

STREET SENSE October 10 - 23, 2012

Feature

“Every child is an artist.

The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” - Pablo Picasso

“Humpty dumpty

Untitled

Humpty Dumpty

Duane is five years old. He has been living at DC General since March along with his mom, six-year-old sister, Tayania, three-year-old sister, McKayla and baby brother Anthony.

Sean, his mom, dad, and two-yearold sister moved to DC General over the summer. Sean misses living in his house on “Georgia Navenue” and he misses all the toys he used to have.

sat on a wall, Humpty dumpty had a great fall, all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again.” -Sean

Footprints and Me

- Sydnie, age 6

Childrens’ art: my paper

“I colored it first. Then I wrote my name. Then I painted it. Then I painted my name and I made polka dots. A young boy checks in for the playtime project at DC General.

-Tyonia, age 6

Photo bY MARY OTTO

The Lost Movie “This is me and I’m all alone.” - Shamar, age 6

An Ongoing Feature

Street Sense plans to make artwork from the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project a regular feature here in the corner of page 9! Please keep an eye out for this colorful box in future issues!

There are 1,880 children experiencing homelessness in the District. The Homeless Children’s Playtime Project visits 6 different transitional housing and emergency shelter programs to provide weekly activities, healthy snacks, and opportunities to play and learn to as many children as possible.

Comics & Games

Glarph The postulatin’ shark:

No More shark flicks

By Chris Shaw, “The Cowboy Poet”

Terron’s Game: Street radioStreet Radio By Terron Solomon, Vendor

Joe Madison

Cathy Hughes

Sponsor

Tom Joyner

Weather

Traﬃc

WTOP

Rush Limbaugh

Mark Plotkin

Sirius XM

STREET SENSE October 10 - 23, 2012

111

Opinion

Active Indifference: Mayor Gray’s Policy Toward Homeless Children

Working the Count By Jeffrey McNeil Vendor After watching the coverage of the first debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney, I was left wondering whether any of the pundits who live in Washington have been paying any attention to baseball this year. I know most of them are aware the Nationals are in the playoff. But are any of them actually paying attention to how the game is played? I see Obama’s debate performance much differently than the media spin. While many in the media hang on every word spoken by the candidate they back based on partisan ideologies-exaggerating every gaffe, misstep and missed opportunity- I think Obama wisely took a pitch from Romney. After working the count to his favor before the debate, he is waiting for his pitch to hit before trying to score the winning run. The media went absolutely bonkers. Chris Matthews had a nervous breakdown. Rachel Maddow sounded hysterical. Ed Schultz thought he was going to have a heart attack. Many in the media think Obama bombed. Their calculations are wrong. The way I see it, the score of the game is tied in the bottom of the ninth. This election is big. The person who wins this at-bat will go a long way in determining our country’s future path. Everyone in the audience is on their feet. With the bases loaded and one out, Barack Obama is at the plate. After two horrible pitches from Mitt Romney, the count stood at two balls and no strikes heading into the first debate, and Obama knew that. He went into the debate expecting Romney to throw him a fastball down the middle. He went into the debate expecting to give a scholarly performance dissecting many of the ideas Romney had been campaigning on for the last 18 months. As a seasoned campaigner who tends to deliver in the clutch, Obama knows he only needs

By Brian Carome Executive Director to make contact with one pitch to win the election. So, on the 2-0 pitch, when Obama didn’t get the pitch he expected, he took Romney’s curveball for a strike. Any good hitting coach will tell you not to swing at the 2-0 curveball in this situation. If you hit it, you are more likely to hit into a double play than score the winning run from third base. He knows the count is still in his favor at 2-1 and he still has a couple chances to plate the game-winner. I’d still rather be in Obama is position than Romney’s. While the Republicans are claiming victory, I see a classic setup. Romney threw his best pitch and is still behind in the count. Conservative talkingheads fail to recognize that Obama said nothing incriminating; he couldn’t strike out and he didn’t hit into a double play. Now, Obama has seen Romney’s curveball. If Romney decides to go into the second debate throwing the same junk about being a slightly Republican version of Ted Kennedy who wants to kill Big Bird, Obama will put that pitch in the visitor’s bullpen. Romney could always go back to his fastball: being the pushy, superficial corporate bully who believes 47 percent of the country are trying to destroy the other 53 percent by stealing their hard-earned money. Of course, Obama would put that pitch into the upper deck scoreboard seats in right center. Either way, the media needs to stop cheering from the press box. And they need to understand the game before they get too worked up over each individual pitch. Obama doesn’t need to swing wildly at everything thrown. He didn’t swing wildly when he took a single shot at Bin Laden. Why should he start now? I only hope Obama decides to take some of the drama out of the game and swing at the next good pitch he sees, because I don’t want to find out wheter Romney has a great slider to use as his strikeout pitch.

When it comes to the publiclyfunded emergency family shelter system in the District of Columbia, maintenance of a state of crisis is the chosen norm. As a city, we simply lack whatever it takes to ensure that children are protected from the full brunt of homelessness – be that money, political will, moral imperative, compassion or some combination of them all. This has been an indisputable fact for decades. It has been quite a while though since a mayor and his administration have been so openly callous toward the plight of homeless families. Citing budgetary shortfalls, the administration of Mayor Vincent Gray has recently closed intake to its family shelter system. As a result, families are sleeping in truly deplorable situations, including bus stations, parks, abandoned buildings and emergency rooms. At the same time, over 100 emergency shelter units for families sit vacant. The mayor has ordered them to remain so. He wants them held in reserve for the winter, when city law forces his hand, if not his heart (District law requires that families deemed homeless be sheltered anytime temperatures dip to 32 degrees or colder. In the past, lack of capacity at the city’s only emergency facility for families – located at the former DC General Hospital – has forced the government to place families in more costly motel rooms during hypothermia alerts). Mayor Gray says he prefers providing affordable permanent housing rather than emergency shelter. If that were reality, and not mere rhetoric, it would be welcome. In reality, the mayor is currently prohibiting the D.C. Housing Authority from releasing 65 fully-funded Local Rent Subsidy vouchers set aside for homeless families. If utilized, these vouchers would free even more space at the family shelter and curb the need for motels in the winter. Hard to believe, but the mayor’s policy toward parents and their children does not stop here. Under a policy that The Washington Post called a “heart-wrenching catch-22,” homeless parents who turn

to the city for help are first being refused the shelter they so desperately need to protect their children, and then, because they are homeless, referred to the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) – the city agency that investigates child abuse and neglect. (‘Heart-wrenching’ Catch-22: Homeless families who turn to city for help find no rooms, risk child welfare inquiry, The Washington Post, June 23, 2012). City officials say they are just doing their job, fulfilling mandatory reporting requirements anytime a child is in danger. This is not the first time a District mayor has employed such draconian techniques in response to family homelessness. In the mid 1980’s, the administration of Mayor Marion Barry also coupled a closed door shelter policy with a practice that intentionally encouraged family dissolution. The result? Huge increases in far costlier foster care rolls and an even costlier lawsuit when the foster care system simply collapsed. For children, homelessness is a nightmare with lifelong effects. According to the National Center on Family Homelessness, “while homeless, [children] experience high rates of acute and chronic health problems. They are sick four times more often than other children, have four times as many respiratory infections, twice as many ear infections, five times more gastrointestinal problems, are four times more likely to have asthma, and go hungry at twice the rate of other children. The constant barrage of stressful and traumatic experience also has profound effects on their development and ability to learn. Children experiencing homelessness are four times more likely to show delayed development and twice as likely to have learning disabilities as non-homeless children.” This is the likely fate of children who grow up in shelters. Immensely worse is the fate of children who grow up in cars, on park benches and in laundromats. There simply is neither compassion nor fiscal wisdom in the current policy employed by Mayor Gray. It is cruel in the present and will prove costly – in both human and fiscal terms – in the future.

The Street Sense Writers’ Group is led by two writing professionals and meets every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. The group’s goal is to develop ideas and colaborate on the next great issue of Street Sense.

Thank You By Stephanie Rodriguez Vendor Hello, D.C.! My name is Stephanie Rodriguez and I’m from Brooklyn, N.Y. I arrived in D.C. at 7 a.m., on Aug. 16. The week I decided to leave New York, I googled shelters and the Metro system so I had some direction when I arrived. The first shelter I went to was the Community for Creative Non-Violence. I was denied a bed, but was given the shelter hotline number. I made arrangements to be picked up at 9th and G streets at 6 p.m. The shelter van brought me to the Harriet Tubman shelter. There were no beds there either, but I want to say “thank you” to the Harriet Tubman shelter for giving me a hot meal and a place to rest before I started my journey. Eventually, I was introduced to the bridge on D and 2nd Streets. I want to say “thank you” to all my friends on D and 2nd streets for keeping me safe and pointing me in the right direction. Society prejudges those who hang out at the bridge as not the nicest and safest to be around. Society also assumes the bridge to be unsafe. When I arrived, all the women and men treated me with respect. The nights I spent on the bridge, I was fed and felt safe.

I also want to say “thank you” to all the African-American men in Franklin Square Park and McPherson Square Park who treated me with respect. The African-American men I have encountered in D.C. have truly been concerned with my well-being. They have been giving me advice on how to start my life over. I’m sorry to say my father never sat down and explained to me how to be a woman who society will respect and accept. I do want to say I still love him, though we never had that talk about how I can become that woman a man would love and respect. I want to say “thank you” to all those who provide the clothing rooms, as well as the service providers I’ve been to (SOME, Martha’s Table, Miriam’s Kitchen and the Goodwill, for example). I also want to say “thank you” to all the churches for having meals available to homeless persons. One of the churches that have meals provided on weekends is Franklin Square. I want to say “thank you” to the people who provide cold water, chips and sandwiches on D and 2nd street. I want to especially say “thank you” to the average American family that donates clothes, food, furniture and organic foods to these organizations. It’s always a treat when I encounter organic food. We all know how expensive or-

ganic food is. For somebody like me, it’s a treat to indulge in an organic meal. Thank you for donating your personal belongings for people who cannot provide those things for themselves. I want to individualize a few “thank yous.” “Thank you” James for introducing me to Street Sense. “Thank you” Mark, who is also sells Street Sense, for taking time to share your location. He helped me start selling the paper. He did not have to do that because he was not my mentor. He wanted to do that for me. My mentor at Street Sense is Jeffery McNeil. We all know Jeffery McNeil in D.C. He is the utmost gentleman. He has taught me a great deal and shared many locations. Anybody who knows Street Sense knows that it’s the nicest thing you can do for a new vendor in Street Sense. Jeffery also brought me to my first AA meeting located at DuPont Circle. Anybody who knows about the program knows Jeffery McNeil saved my life. “Thank you,” Jeffery McNeil, for being a gentleman and a friend. One day I was selling Street Sense across from an Au Bon Pain and a man named Troy, who is probably in his twenties, told me if I need a job I can apply to Au Bon Pain and use him as a reference. He did not know me, so that was very nice of him. “Thank you,” Troy.

Before The Rain, Part 7: Storm the Battlements By Chris Shaw, “The Cowboy Poet”

SLOP, SLOPPP... Water, and a whole lot of it, lapping over the Ponchartrain seawall. Over Algiers, the Carnival mask warehouses shook and swayed under the incessant roar of Katrina’s windy breath. Corrugated tin curled, ripped up and section by section, blew back andoff into the heavy backdraft. The big live oaks shook in the Garden District, swayed, and creaked madly, before limbs snapped on to the overheads and CRACK! SN-ZIZZLE!!, went the power lines. From his spacious serpentine porch on St Charles in the District, Theodoric Purslane felt a nauseous shaking sensation. “H’mmm. Cain’t be a Quake,” he muttered, then suddenly-irrationally-- Purslane found himself flailing and batting back immense winged Formosansfrom his face. “Dang!! Shoo, ye bas-

tids!! G-git back, y’Heah?” Fumbling in the breast pocket of his wrinkled linen overshirt, Theo cursed under his own grumbling exhalations. He pulled out a stubby Admiral Belgrano black stogie, and fought to light the blasted thing. “Aii!G--D--horizontal teardrops of Bacchus!! Damn, Vi--!!” Purslane attempted to summon his wife,but over the general high tenor of the offshore gale, she likely couldn’t hear a word he was saying. And in that same moment, both the lights and Purslane’s cigar went clean out. Now, at Charity Hospital, muddy, sludgy, dangerous slop more sewage than river water swirledever higher ‘round the darkening Deco hulk of the facility. Shrill screams of terrified patients, no more than inmates at this point, rose faintly above the meteoro-

logical noises that filled the air. Loomis Reader had tried to ask two interns and a nurse how the Hail to find a proper exit. His gurney had actually floated him to a stairwell, and a gnarly old guy named Mojo Man had flicked his Bic and grunted, poining in the dank dimness, “Up. Up, whiteboy, don’t you HEAR those Voices!!” Yes, Mojo Man, I think I hear themLoomis, half thought, half whispered to his new ‘saviour.’ “Don’t you understand? Dey’s the ones awready DEAD!! GONE!!” “Gone, sir? Well, best we be goin’ ANOTHER WAY, then!” Loomis groped for a rusted handrail, blindly hauling himself upward, to the next level with Mojo, and the few other Charity-ites who dared follow. (TO BE CONTINUED)

I want to say “thank you” to all the people who have bought Street Sense from me, who helped me a lot and lifted my self-esteem. You gave me hope. I have been able to put a deposit on a living room I rent. I hope I will be able to get my own place, so I can go to school and establish a career. I will probably major in biology, zoology or veterinary science. I love animals and science. I hope selling Street Sense will put me in the direction to make my dreams come true. Last but not least, I would like to say “thank you” to Brian Carome, the executive director of Street Sense. I am proud to say that he runs a beautiful newspaper and is a voice for the homeless. I also want to say “thank you” to all of the staff who help Brian Carome make this paper for us. I want to say to the public; don’t lose hope on the homeless, and definitely don’t stop giving. You will never know who is really going to appreciate the donations and use them to build themselves up. Enjoy your edition of Street Sense.

Letting Go of the Past By Phillip Black Vendor, “The Cat in the Hat” It’s so hard for most people to move forward in their lives because of their past. Success comes in many forms, whether it’s your health, dealing with family and friends, or financial situations. But whatever the situation may be, we have to let go of the past. Our past does not define who we are. Some people who you are around will not let you forget about your past, because they know things about what you used to do. But that was then, and this is now. As long as you know that you have changed and become a better person, it will become easier to let go. I know it might be easier said than done, but we can do it. Most people can let go of the past quicker than others, but you can always lend a helping hand to other people. The past does not dictate our future. When we stay focused, positive and healthy, it will be a lot easier to let go of our past.

STREET SENSE October 10 - 23, 2012

11 33

news

Don’t Look

The Pen that Changed My Life

By Ibn Hipps Vendor

By Morgan Jones Vendor

Don’t look, don’t look they say, but would true love ever come my way. Don’t look for love. (you don’t say)

I don’t look for love, but where in the world are you? I’m not blind. If I see her I will recognize love’s face on sight.

So I don’t, but I’m strung out on lonely days, upsidedown smiles, surrounded by unfamiliar faces. True love, she can’t hide, I will recognize her smile on first eye contact.

Love, I am lonely, Please spend a lifetime. Love, would you be mine through the dark sunlight shine?

No more lonely pillows, no sad tones from raindrops tapping my window. I’m talking sunny picnics under a rainbow! While our hearts beat a pleasant tune.

For love I don’t look, ‘cause loneliness left me blind.

Love, where you at girl?! We don’t have a lifetime, but I’m willing to spend a lifetime. Old and gray, till our lifetime together fades away.

Don’t look, don’t look for love. They say love is blind. So I’ve got my eyes closed, and my arms open wide. Don’t look for love. (a love poem)

A month ago, I went to a job fair. A man handed me a pen and said he could get me into college for free. I filled out all the paperwork and am waiting for a confirmation letter from the University of the District of Columbia, which should take about a month. I hope to start at UDC on Jan. 16. It’s funny how something like a pen can change everything for you. A report a decade ago found there were more black men in jail than in college. More recent statistics are a little more hopeful, showing that in 2010, more than 1.2 million black men were enrolled in higher education, compared with 841,000 serving time. Still, it’s sad to think about all those wasted years and lives. I encourage all black men and women and homeless people to consider college as a way out of breaking the poverty cycle. Find something you like doing. There is probably a course for you. I strongly believe that education is the key to our new world. And remember, help the homeless help themselves by buying Street Sense newspaper. Please tell a friend. P.S. Thank you, Brendan and Gretta.

Season’s End

Shaw on Sports

By Kenneth Belkosky Vendor

By Chris Shaw “Cowboy Poet”

Well, all good things come to an end. The Arlington Tigers, the Washington area’s street soccer team, finished the season on Oct. 1 with a final makeup game and a pizza party. We had a lot of fun. Our team finished in 11th place among the 22 street soccer teams that gathered in New York this summer to compete for the Street Soccer USA Cup. We are already looking forward to starting up again in the spring and are always grateful for support. Please see what you can do. If you are interested in helping us out, you can e-mail me at kenblacktiger@gmail.com so that I can link you to A-Span, the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network, the host of our team. Thanks for all the support this year and be sure to root for the Tigers again next year.

Here we are. 1933 all over again, but not Quite! My Mom and Dad were students bright, Completing their undergrads the year of Thirty-Three! Did they love the diamond game? Shame! Cowboy cannot claim knowledge of their pref’rence. Tho’ Big Train, W-J, sat on no fence The Babe could still swing for ‘em, Thought a Nat, ‘twas not one of them. Cy Young honoree of thirty-three, Georgie E, (for Earnshaw) a distant relative, was an “A” from Phil-lay. Our noble lads of the present, Shall pree-zent No grudges, Save a few bad Cards, and Phil-lie Drudges. No goat have we, and our beloved Davey Is JINX-FREE! (Let us then See!!) Photo courtesy of Flickr. Photos by Chris Trevino

Back to Bad By Eric Sheptock Volunteer SHARC, for Shelter Housing and Respectful Change, a group of homeless advocates, is planning an event that will place immense pressure on the D.C. City Council and mayor to invest in solutions to homelessness — not just maintenance of the problem. On Oct. 29, 2012, we will mobilize at least 1,000 of the city’s more than 7,000 homeless people. The event, “Occupy the DC Council: A Homeless and Poor People’s Town Hall Meeting at D.C.

A Prayer for Tommy Bennett By Veda Simpson Vendor Our thoughts are with Tommy Bennett, a very dedicated Street Sense vendor who’s been here from the very start and who has been in the hospital. “Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free? There’s a cross for everyone and there’s a cross for me. This consecrated cross I bear til death shall set me free. There’s a cross for everyone and there’s a cross for me.” Most all wise that art God. We come to you as humble as we know how to be, thank you for the many blessings you have bestowed upon us. Thank you for laying us down last night, not letting no hurt, harm, or danger come to us. Waking us up early with thy fingertips of love. Enabling us to go on our daily

City Hall,” will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with set-up beginning at 8 a.m. There will be food, music, speakers, a coat/clothing drive and much more. Throughout the day, people will be directed to enter the Wilson Building (City Hall) and make their pitch for what people need to get out of homelessness. We are reaching out to various faith-based groups, homeless service providers, non-profits, concerned citizens, etc., to contribute in any way that they can. We need partners in this new struggle, which reminds me of last year’s event. In 2011, hundreds of homeless advocates and concerned citizens came out in force to demand that the D.C. City

Council find money to fill the gap for a $20.5 million budget shortfall in the fiscal year 2012 homeless services budget. Without the funding, DC’s homeless community would only be guaranteed shelter for the five coldest months of the year. City officials found $17 million. For fiscal year 2013, the shortfall was $7 million. Again, the possibility of shelter closings has been presented, along with reductions in funding for feeding programs and transitional housing. Organizers believe the city has the money to close the gap. It was determined in the last week of September that the D.C. government’s tax revenue was $140 million above the projection.

Additionally, the Department of Youth and Rehabilitative Services (DYRS) and the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) have underspent their budgets by a combined $36 million. SHARC, which formed in April 2011 to fight against the budget cuts, holds the position that we should demand that $7 million of this money be invested in homeless services. Even in the days when homeless services were “fully-funded,” they were woefully inadequate. The shortfall has threatened to downgrade such services from “bad” to “worse.” Merely reversing the shortfall would bring services back to “bad.” We demand “better.”

journey. Even when we have not been so good you continue to bless us and I want to say thank you. If it’s not one thing it’s for another. God you’ve been better to us than we’ve been to ourselves. I know God you’re a heart-fixer because you fixed mine one day. I’ve been running ever since and I ain’t got tired yet. Here I am once more and again, as humble as I know asking you heavenly father to touch our brother Tommy in his sick bed. In your name, Jesus, lift him up like you did Lazarus, heavenly father. I know you may not come when we want to but you’re always on time. When praises to up blessings come down, Satan there’s no place for you here. You can’t win this battle we’re gonna tear your kingdom down. With the blood of Jesus we bind you today. You can set your camp up somewhere else so get your Angels and march away from Tommy’s bed. We’re coming to you like an empty pitcher to a full fountain with no merits of our own.

Your love is real for we can feel you deep in our souls. Your love is like pure gold. When we have prayed our last prayer and sung our last song, we ask you to say, “well done, thy good and faithful servant. Come on up, where everyday will be a Sabbath and Sunday will have no end.”

Veterans

Photo by Natalie Devlin

By Gary Minter Vendor At the Annual Legislative Conference of the Congressional Black Caucus, homeless veterans received a lot of attention from panelists including the Executive Director of the DC Housing Authority, and representatives from Houston, LA, and other cities. One shocking statistic came from Shaun Donovan, Secretary of HUD “Today, soldiers who died in the Vietnam War are outnumbered by the total number of Vietnam-era veterans who are homeless.” Representative Gwen Moore, ALC cochair, observed that “there is going to be a tsunami when we see the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans returning home from the war theater with PTSD, with traumatic brain injury, with lost limbs.” Reporting from the CBC ALC, this is Gary Minter for “Street Sense.”

Worm Review

Plein-aire

Epigram

Wishes

Her veil i-ete wurm-licum

What it is on? Coloris, threaten,

Things leton to Man, and they,

Westron gusts wer blowend, soth,

as trantis drag hyr grimass,

but lyghtely. Þis puffs not often

toe skies with ladders miles hey.

the small raine rain and rain.

hir principals on her face!

peint (sutch memory of wind growen

Vows of trees and breeze th’ wey.

Agaynst me my laydy beoth,

Worms is in lyht cold of speace!

icharged witht a tree) now aren!

but I on bedde enes.

Thé requeere my affet. Skyis flail.

Flights whorllds avail uutyede then.

By Franklin Sterling, Vendor

Service Spotlight: Safe Shores By Meagan Ramsay Editorial Intern Safe Shores is a nonprofit organization serving children and families affected by abuse in D.C. Children who are brought to the organization by the police department or Child and Family Services typically have experienced physical abuse, sexual abuse or witnessed violence. Many times they have seen someone assaulted or even murdered. Children receive services at the organization from the age they can talk up until they are 18. But developmentally delayed adults that function on the level of a child can also receive services. “The effects of abuse on children can be lifelong. That’s why therapy is so important — because there can be long lasting feelings of shame and guilt,” said Jada Irwin, senior communications associate for Safe Shores. “People act out, they abuse substances and they become promiscuous or even suicidal. Any of those

Department of Mental Health Access Hotline 1-888-7WE HELP (1-888-793-4357)

SHELTER Calvary Women’s Services 110 Maryland Avenue, NE (202) 289-0596 (office) (202) 289-2111 (shelter) www.calvaryservices.org Central Union Mission (Men) 1350 R Street, NW (202) 745–7118, www.missiondc.org Open Door Shelter (Women) 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 393–1909 www.newhopeministriesdc.org/id3.html Community of Hope (Family) 1413 Girard Street, NW (202) 232–7356,www.communityofhopedc.org Covenant House Washington (Youth) 2001 Mississippi Avenue, SE (202) 610–9600, www.covenanthousedc.org John Young Center (Women) 119 D Street, NW (202) 639–8469, www.catholiccharitiesdc.org

issues can affect your ability to earn a living.” What makes Safe Shores distinctive is that it coordinates a multidisciplinary team, which is responsible for responding to allegations of abuse. The team includes the Metropolitan Police Department, Child and Family Services, the Office of the Attorney General, the United States Attorney’s Office and Children’s National Medical Center. All of the team member agencies have a suite in Safe Shore’s office building, which makes it easier to assist the children and families. All services provided through Safe Shore’s three programs — victim services, forensic services and clinical services — are free of charge. The organization has helped more than 13,000 children since its founding in 1994. “We want people to know that we are here and that we’re an open resource,” Irwin said. “The child abuse issue is real and that every person has a part to play in helping to fight that fight.” My Sister’s Place PO Box 29596, Washington, DC 20017 (202) 529-5261 (office) (202) 529-5991 (24-hour hotline)

STREET SENSE October 10 - 23, 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MEDICAL RESOURCES

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

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

OUTREACH CENTERS N Street Village (Women) 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060, www.nstreetvillage.org Samaritan Inns 2523 14th St., NW (202) 667 - 8831 http://www.samaritaninns.org/home/ New York Ave Shelter (Men 18+) 1355–57 New York Avenue, NE (202) 832–2359

FOOD

Bread for the City 1525 Seventh Street, NW (202) 265–2400 1640 Good Hope Road, SE (202) 561–8587, www.breadforthecity.org Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW (202) 364–1419, www.cchfp.org Bethany Women’s Center 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060, www.nstreetvillage.org

Charlie’s Place 1830 Connecticut Avenue, NW (202) 232–3066 www.stmargaretsdc.org/charliesplac

Father McKenna Center 19 Eye Street, NW (202) 842–1112

Church of the Pilgrims (Sundays only) 2201 P Street, NW (202) 387–6612, www.churchofthepilgrims.org

Friendship House 619 D Street, SE (202) 675–9050, www.friendshiphouse.net

Thrive DC Breakfast served Mon.-Fri., 9:30-11 a.m. Dinner for women and children, Mon.-Fri., 3-6 p.m.

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

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Catholic Community Services 924 G Street, NW (202) 772–4300, www.ccs–dc.org D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW (202) 347–8870, www.dccfh.org Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW (202) 347–0511, www.cflsdc.org Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW (202) 332–4010, www.foundryumc.org Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men) 810 5th Street, NW (202) 842–1731, www.grm.org Hermano Pedro Day Center 3211 Sacred Heart Way, NW (202) 332–2874 www.ccs–dc.org/find/services/ JHP, Inc. 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 544–9126, www.jobshavepriority.org Samaritan Ministry 1345 U Street, SE 1516 Hamilton Street, NW (202) 889–7702, www.samaritanministry.org

Shelter Hotline: 1–800–535–7252

Vendor Profile: Glenn Artis By Sydney Franklin Editorial Intern Building a strong foundation is the key to success. That’s how Street Sense vendor Glenn Artis views his work sellings newspapers. “In order to attain my goals, I have to build my foundation,” said Artis, 50. “Street Sense gives me the opportunity to be a leader, a businessman, a boss, and the freedom to be able to share my knowledge of life with others so they do not fall into the same path.” Raised in the Bronx, Artis recognized his talents as a carpenter at an early age. “At five years old, I built the birdhouse and then the dog house,” Arits says. “At eight, I decided to build a treehouse. So I got the ladder, climbed up there, and got it done.” Artis is a self-proclaimed entrepreneur, having worked throughout his life in contracting, playing in gospel and R&B bands, teaching martial arts, and being a masseuse. Artis formerly owned a contracting business called “Master Building.” “I like to keep busy,” Artis said. “In my future, I want to incorporate my own company dealing with buying houses, fixing them up, and selling them. I also want to own my own studio mixing beats and making music, called Artis Productions.” Artis began working as a teenager and hasn’t stopped since. Though he now sits in a motorized wheelchair due to an accident in 2010 where he fell off a 40 ft. retaining wall, Artis uses his positive attitude and determination to move forward.

When selling newspapers, Artis tries to listen to his customers, asking them about their lives and encouraging them about the future. “Everyone tells me they like how I represent myself and Street Sense,” Artis said. “When people come up to me I sit back, relax, and hear what they have to say.” Upon moving to Washington, D.C., last January, Artis began staying in the New York Avenue men’s emergency shelter. But he left in July due to the negative energy surrounding the place, he said. “I don’t want to go down any further than I already am,” said Artis. “I had to get out because if I stayed, I wouldn’t be able to help the people that need my help out here.” Artis became a vendor at Street Sense about four months ago. He refers to the papers being “the tablet that Moses holds up.” “As I do my work, I fold my paper and hold it up like the tablets close to my heart,” he said. “That is part of my message.” When asked about his life’s message, Artis emphasized his importance on reaching the younger generation and giving wisdom to everyone he encounters. “It’s good to pay attention and read this paper, because you never know, you might be in the same situation,” Artis said. “People need to know how they can receive more sense about the streets.”

October 10 - 23, 2012• Volume 9 • Issue 24

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW

Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Washington, DC

Washington, DC 20005

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Permit #568

Remember, only buy from badged vendors and do not give to those panhandling with one paper. Interested in a subscription? Go to page 3 for more information.