10 31 2018

VOL. 15 ISSUE 26

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OCT. 31 - NOV. 13, 2018

Real Stories

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Real Change

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As self-employed contractors, our vendors follow a code of conduct.

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Street Sense will be distributed for a voluntary donation of $2.00, I agree not to ask for more than $2.00 or solicit donations for Street Sense Media by any other means.

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INTERESTED IN BEING A VENDOR? New vendor training: every Tuesday and Thursday // 2 p.m. // 1317 G St., NW

The Cover

The Street Sense Media Story, #MoreThanANewspaper

The People’s Congress created a visual representation of their priorities for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Originally founded as a street newspaper in 2003, Street Sense Media has evolved into a multimedia center using a range of creative platforms to spotlight solutions to homelessness and empower people in need. The men and women who work with us do much more than sell this paper — they use film, photography, theatre, illustration and more to share their stories with our community.

Our media channels elevate voices, our newspaper vendor and digital marketing programs provide economic independence, and our in-house casemanagement services move people forward along the path toward permanent supportive housing.

At Street Sense Media, we define ourselves through our work, talents and character, not through our housing situation.

PHOTO BY REGINALD BLACK, A.K.A. “DA’ STREET

REPORTIN’ ARTIST” Artist/Vendor

VENDORS Shuhratjon Ahamadjonov, Dele Akerejah, Wanda Alexander, Gerald Anderson, Charles Armstrong, Katrina Arninge, Lawrence Autry, Daniel Ball, Charlton Battle, Lester Benjamin, Reginald Black, Phillip Black Jr., Clarence Branch, Debora Brantley, Andre Brinson, Laticia Brock, Donald Brown, Lawrence Brown, Elizabeth Bryant, Brianna Butler, Dwayne Butler, Melody Byrd, Anthony Carney, Alice Carter, Conrad Cheek, Anthony Crawford, Kwayera Dakari, Michael Daniels, Louise Davenport, James Davis, David Denny, Reginald Denny, Patricia Donaldson, Nathaniel Donaldson, Ron Dudley, Jet Flegette, Jemel Fleming, Johnnie Ford, Duane Foster, Kidest Girma, Chon Gotti, Latishia Graham, George Gray, Marcus Green, Levester Green, Barron Hall, Mildred Hall, Dwight Harris, Lorrie Hayes, Patricia Henry, Derian Hickman, Ray Hicks, Vennie Hill, James Hughes, Chad Jackson, David James, Fredrick Jewell, Morgan Jones, Linda Jones, Reggie Jones, Reggie Jones, Darlesha Joyner, Larry Kelley, Jewel Lewis, John Littlejohn, Scott Lovell, Michael Lyons, William Mack, Ken Martin, Jermale McKnight, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jeffery McNeil, Ricardo Meriedy, Kenneth Middleton, Amy Modica, Richard Mooney, L. Morrow, Collins Mukasa, Evelyn Nnam, Moyo Onibuje, Earl Parker, Aida Peery, Marcellus Phillips, Jacquelyn Portee, Connie Porter, Angela Pounds, Robert Reed, Henrieese Roberts, Anthony Robinson, Rita Sauls, Melania Scott, Chris Shaw, Gwynette Smith, Patty Smith, David Snyder, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens, Beverly Sutton, Sybil Taylor, Archie Thomas, Shernell Thomas, Eric Thompson-Bey, Harold Tisdale, Sussie Trivette, Carl Turner, Jacqueline Turner, Joseph Walker, Martin Walker, Michael Warner, Robert Warren, Sheila White, Angie Whitehurst, Sasha Williams, Robert Williams, Clarence Williams, Wendell Williams, Susan Wilshusan, Ivory Wilson BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jeremy Bratt, Margaret Jenny, Brian Leonard, Jennifer Park, Reed Sandridge, Dan Schwartz, Jeremy Scott, John Senn, Kate Sheppard, Aaron Stetter, Annika Toenniessen, Martin Totaro, Daniel Webber, Shari Wilson

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Brian Carome

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Eric Falquero

COMMUNICATIONS & SALES MANAGER Jeff Gray

VENDOR MANAGER Muhammad Ilyas

EVENTS & WORKSHOP MANAGER Leila Drici

CASE MANAGER Colleen Cosgriff

WRITERS GROUP ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Willie Schatz

OPINION EDITORS (VOLUNTEER)

Rachel Brody, Arthur Delaney, Sara Reardon

ADVISORY BOARD John McGlasson

EDITORIAL INTERNS

Katie Bemb, Kira Barrett, Samantha Caruso, Zachary Headings

EDITORIAL VOLUNTEERS

Ryan Bacic, Jason Lee Bakke, Grace Doherty, Roberta Haber, Thomas Ratliff, Mark Rose, Andrew Siddons, Sarah Tascone, Jackie Thompson, KJ Ward, Howard Weiss, Marian Wiseman, Howard Weiss

OFFICE SALES VOLUNTEERS

Miya Abdul, Bill Butz, Jane Cave, Emma Cronenwethe, Pete Clark, Orion Donovan-Smith, Maria Esposito, Roberta Haber, Ann Herzog, Bill Magrath, Alec Merkle, Nick Nowlan, Sarah O’Connell, Leonie Peterkin, e Versluysen, Natalia Warburton

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EVENTS

// 3

NEWS IN BRIEF Attorney general continues cracking down on unsafe tenant conditions

Karl Racine’s offices sued landlords of six buildingsover safety violations present in 812 apartments

Art Enables: Perspectives from the Sidewalk Saturday, Nov. 10 // Art Enables Off Rhode Gallery // 2204 Rhode Island Ave NE Public Workshop from 1 p.m. - 4p.m. // Opening Reception from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

The “Mixed Media Madness” Workshop is hosted by artist instructor Delé Akerejah of the Dopamine Clinic, a D.C. -based Art & Design Studio. In the class Delé guides the participants through a whirlwind of expressionistic creations utilizing objet trouvé , popular culture, paint, collage, and canvas. Collage is the crux of the workshop. Akerejah is a formerly homeless vendor/artist in a working alliance with Street Sense Media in addition to his studio work at the Dopamine Clinic.

That evening, members of Street Sense Media along with artist Toni Lane will unveil their work in the exhibit “Perspectives from the Sidewalk,” highlighting the ways in which creative expression can empower change. The exhibit will feature photography, illustration, audio and writing created by people working their way out of homelessness.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 14

UPDATES ONLINE AT ICH.DC.GOV

EVERY THURSDAY, STARTING NOV. 1

“Our Common Threads” interactive art installation

D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness Meetings

Free 10-week training for D.C. mental health consumers

11 a.m. - 3 p.m. // 1317 G Street NW Church of the Epiphany courtyard

Housing Solutions Committee Nov. 7, 1:30 p.m. // TBD, most likely 1800 MLK Jr Ave SE

Consumer Action Network To register, call (202) 842-0001

During a morning of weaving, and discussion of the individual roles we play in ending homelessness, attendees will be asked to write down one thing they can personally do.

Their responses will be woven into our tapestry. The result will be a living work of art whose completion is contingent upon every participant holding up their commitment to end homelessness.

Executive Committee Nov. 13, 1:30 p.m. // TBD, most likely 441 4th St NW *Only committee schedules are listed here. For more information about issue-focused ICH working groups, contact ich.info@dc.gov

Each class will have a presentation and a group session and is designed to aid consumers in developing resiliency and recovery via a holistic approach covering an individual’s emotional, intellectual, social, environmental, financial, and spiritual wellness. Topics include understanding and overcoming stigma, coping with trauma, service animal usage and more.

Submit your event for publication by e-mailing editor@streetsensemedia.org

We’re proud members of: MOST WORKPLACE GIVING PROGRAMS PROVIDE THE OPTION TO SELECT A SPECIFIC CHARITY FOR YOUR DONATION. PLEASE DESIGNATE “STREET SENSE”

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In three new lawsuits announced on Oct. 17, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine accused building owners in wards 7 and 8 of “neglecting their properties and forcing tenants to live in conditions that threaten their health and safety,” according to a press release from the Office of the Attorney General.

The six buildings suffer from defective plumbing, subsequent mold and water damage, broken smoke detectors and fire suppression systems, and “severe” roach, rodent and bed bug infestations, according to the complaint filed by Racine against The Bennington Corporation and Mehrdad Valibeigi — the owner and operator, respectively, of two apartment buildings located on Benning Road.

The lawsuits pertain to more than 800 units among the six apartment buildings.

Racine accused landlords of allowing gun and drug violence to worsen on their properties by not enforcing basic security measures under the Nuisance Abatement Act. This act allows the attorney general to sue properties used to illegally store guns and drugs, like the six in this series of lawsuits.

Stanton Glenn, one of the six buildings involved in the lawsuit, “has been the site of ongoing firearm-related activity and gun violence over the past year, including the execution of search warrants and seizures of firearms and ammunition,” according to the complaint filed against the building. Since January 2016, Metropolitan Police Department has responded to more than 150 calls of gunshots and gun violence at Stanton Glenn.

As allowed by the Tenant Receivership Act, because “chronic health and safety issues” must be addressed in each building, Racine wants the current owners’ rights to the building to be terminated immediately.

Racine would then appoint a “receiver,” a neutral third party, to take control of the building. The receiver would be responsible for addressing any and all health issues in the building, making it safe for tenants once again.

“The receiver must be a person or company with experience in managing rental properties,” the Office of the Attorney General said in a press release, “as well as the knowledge and skills to assess what repairs are needed at a building and hire and supervise professionals to make the repairs.”

These lawsuits resemble those served by Racine earlier this year in other parts of the District. In August, he reached settlements with two buildings and two businesses in the Deanwood area that required each location to install better security equipment.

The buildings involved in these lawsuits are listed below, according to a press release from the Office of the Attorney General: • 4559 Bennington Rd. SE • 4569 Bennington Rd. SE • 4480 C St. SE • Forest Ridge (2400 - 2424 Elvans Rd. SE) • The Vistas (2540 - 2542 Elvans Road SE; 2545 -2557 Elvans Road SE; and 2500 - 2514 Pomeroy Road SE) • Stanton Glenn (3040 - 3098 Stanton Road SE) —samantha.caruso@streetsensemedia.org

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NEWS

Nina Turner, president of Our Revolution. PHOTO COURTESY OF OUR REVOLUTION.

An offshoot of the 2016 Sanders campaign supports candidates nationwide

BY ADAM SENNOTT Volunteer

VOTING WHILE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THE DISTRICT If you live in D.C. but have no fixed address, you can still register to vote.

Potential voters can go to the D.C. Board of Elections office at 1015 Half St. SE and provide their name and either the last four digits of their Social Security Number or a full D.C. driver’s license number.

To participate in sameday registration at the polls, potential voters will need proof of residency: —rental agreement —tuition statement —driver’s license —utility bill —bank statement —paycheck/stub —gov.-issued check —statement from a homeless shelter More info: www.tinyurl.com/ DC-voters-guide

In mid-September, former Ohio state senator Nina Turner was in Oakland, California, for a campaign rally. As she walked the streets and encountered the city’s massive homeless population, she teared up.

“On certain streets in that city, homeless people are there every single step,” Turner said.

“It’s gut-wrenching that in the wealthiest country on the face of the earth, so many of our sisters and brothers have so little.”

As president of the progressive political action organization Our Revolution, Turner aims to lead a political revolution that in November will bring a new wave of left-leaning candidates into Congress, governorships, and other elected offices. The goal of the movement, according to Our Revolution’s website, is to transform the nation and advance a progressive agenda that includes Medicare for all, a $15 minimum wage, increased funding for affordable housing, and tuition-free public colleges and universities,.

“We are about the business of supporting candidates who, once they get that power, have a vision and a commitment to passing policy that will ameliorate some of the suffering of the people of this country,” Turner said.

Turner said that too many politicians and business elites “preach a gospel of good news” about shrinking unemployment and many other subjects. “There is very little good news for the working poor and middle class in this country,” she said. “When we go deeper, as we should, there’s still far too many kids going to sleep at night with no food.”

According to No Kid Hungry, a national campaign to end child hunger, 13 million children in the United States live in homes that are food insecure, meaning they regularly do not have enough to eat.

The Our Revolution movement stemmed from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign and has pulled off some stunning primary wins this election cycle.

In Massachusetts, Ayanna Pressley knocked out nine-term incumbent Mike Capuano, and in Florida, Andrew Gillum defeated former congresswoman Gwen Graham to become the Democratic nominee for Governor.

The Washington Post called Alexandria OcasioCortez’s primary victory in New York’s 14th Congressional District, the “defining upset of 2018,” after Ocasio-Cortez defeated Joseph Crowley, the fourth-highest-ranking Democrat in the House.

Candidates endorsed by Our Revolution are making history. In Georgia, Stacey Abrams became the state’s first Black nominee for governor. Similarly, in Florida, Andrew Gillum

won the Democratic primary to become that state’s first Black nominee for governor. And in Idaho, Paulette Jordan is running to become the nation’s first Native American governor.

“This is really an exciting time,” Turner said.

“To see so many talented and committed people running for some of the highest offices in this land, to be able to be the change and push the policies that will make a difference for the people, it is stunning.”

Turner said the success of Our Revolution candidates is built on the work of countless people and multiple generations who upheld these ideals.

Even when candidates didn’t win, they were sometimes able to shift their opponents to a more progressive policy stance.

In New York, actress Cynthia Nixon was not able to replace incumbent Andrew Cuomo as Democratic nominee for governor, but during the campaign, according to an analysis by FiveThirtyEight, Cuomo changed his stance on marijuana legalization and announced other new progressive plans, including voting rights for parolees.

“Our candidates are softening the soil,” Turner said. “So I argue that Our Revolution is winning every time one of our candidates steps into the arena, whether they physically win that race or not.”

Turner said she visited 35 states over the past year and the number one issue she’s heard from voters is the need for Medicare for all.

“It’s not so much a radical idea anymore to think that we as a people in this country deserve Medicare for all,” Turner said. According to a Reuters poll conducted in June and July of 2018, 70 percent of Americans — 85 percent of Democrats and 52 percent of Republicans — support Medicare for all.

She also hears from many constituents who are concerned about income and wealth inequality.

Though the unemployment rate is low, Turner said, many people in the country are suffering.

Wage growth is stagnant, slower than it was during the economic recession of 2001.

Turner said that during her trip to Oakland, she met a man who said he and his wife make a combined salary of about $100,000 a year and it wasn’t enough.

“That just crushed my soul,” Turner said. “That same amount of money, $100,000, in somewhere like the Midwest, my home state of Ohio, you would really be able to live a good life. But in the Bay Area, $100,000 is poverty.” She said it’s not just happening in the Bay Area, People all over the country are being forced out of their communities because they aren’t making enough to survive. “There is something criminal and there is something immoral about that.”

STILL MARCHING: Grassroots organizers held a mass meeting to grapple with poverty

BY REGINALD BLACK, A.K.A. “DA STREET REPORTIN’ ARTIST” Artist/Vendor

F

or the past year, impoverished people around the world have been fighting back against policies, politicians, and administrations that are responsible for the conditions they find themselves in. The movement kicked off in September 2017 with an inaugural two-day event in Washington, D.C., called the People’s Congress.

The gathering, held at Howard University, brought together “727 delegates from 38 states and 160 towns and cities,” according to the group’s website.

Workshops and focused discussions were held to build skills and resolutions were drafted to outline future collaborations and declarations to support each other’s work to alleviate poverty.

Many of these grassroots organizers would never have otherwise worked together. One idea the group tackled was imperialism. Medea Benjamin, an anti-war activist, focused on Saudi Arabia. “It is a country where you can be beheaded for insulting the kingdom,” she said.

The U.S. has close ties to Saudi Arabia because of oil and arms sales, according to Benjamin. That country is the number one purchaser of U.S. weapons and has used them in the their war on Yemen, dropping U.S.-made bombs on residential areas.

Benjamin said it was hypocritical to denounce Saudi actions without acknowledging that the kingdom would not be able to carry out its campaign without the weapons from the U.S. “We, as people who care, must build up the antiwar movement, Benjamin said. “We must end weapons sales to repressive regimes, we must close down the over 800 military bases around the world.”

She also accused companies like Northrop Grumman of “making a killing from killing” and suggested the People’s Congress move to stop imperialist policies around the world.

Two brave women from the Korean peninsula represented North and South Korea. They were also critical of U.S. policy, saying North Korea has been rebuked for threats and taunts backed by its disputed nuclear program — but the United States conducts the most military tests. “So,” the North

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 5

Adult literacy?

There’s an app competition for that.

BY ZACHARY HEADINGS // zachary.headings@streetsensemedia.org

Demonstrators from the People’s Congress in front of the White House in 2017.

PHOTO BY REGINALD BLACK

Korean delegate asked, “which party is the real threat?”

The Korean delegates proposed reunification of the two Koreas and said their people hope to create a peace treaty with the United States. In order to move forward, they suggested the U.S. end sanctions and withdraw troops from the peninsula.

During the Trump administration’s first year, four rounds of sanctions in response to graft by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro left the country feeling threatened, according to Carlos, a diplomat from Venezuela.

He suspects the sanction are “We want to tell everyone in the United States we‘re not a threat,” Carlos said to the attendees. “We are committed to social justice, Black lives, and we are committed to our brothers and sister everywhere.”

The event included a session in which organizations were able to produce resolutions with demands. The representative of the local Brookland Manor Tenant Association presented a resolution on tenants’ rights.

“We ask for 100 percent support and solidarity for the tenants that are fighting to remain in their homes, and to stop this racist gentrification scheme of realtors and the politicians that own them,” said the association’s vice president. Those in attendance ultimately resolved to help people experiencing homelessness in rich countries like the U.S. The resolution passed unanimously, and afterward the group marched and demonstrated in front of the White House.

A few months after the People’s Congress, poor people, nonprofits and clergy came together and revitalized something Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. started over 50 years ago, before his assassination in 1968. The new Poor People's Campaign embarked on a forty-week national campaign of direct

action and civil disobedience. Each action was preceded by a mass meeting featuring foot soldiers of old, like The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who spoke about actions to counter voter suppression and gerrymandering.

“As I look on your faces, we’re not going to let anything stop us,” Jackson said. “Moses would not let Pharaoh stop him. Trump will not stop us.”

Jackson said it was the new generation’s burden to continue the mission. He also described some of the last moments with King, when they discussed how to end poverty. “We are to end the war abroad and handle the war at home,” he said.

He described today’s challenges, including the fact President Donald Trump won the election despite losing the popular vote by 3 million votes.

He noted that four million African Americans in the South are not registered to vote, and that two and a half million of those registered to vote did not vote. “That alone spells doom for the crisis that we face today,” he said. But, he added: ”There comes a time you have to dry your eyes and stop mourning and start marching.”

King’s spirit lives on, Jackson said, noting that “Today, we march in his name, we march for jobs, we march for justice, we march for health care, we march to end poverty, we march to stop hate, we march to stop the weapons.

Ban assault weapons now.”

Poor people from all walks of life have been speaking up for their plight.

It is a worldwide problem that will require traditionally marginalized communities to band together and create solutions from the ground up.

Jackson said he finds joy in fighting for justice and change. He concluded by saying, “I have been marching all these years. I don’t feel tired yet. Keep hope alive and I’ll see you in the jail cell in the morning.”

Literacy is a cornerstone of modern life. Low literacy rates have been shown to have farreaching consequences, including poor health and limited individual financial opportunity, as well as reduced productivity for employers.

Thirty-two million adults in the United States are illiterate or low-literate, according to the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy. This statistic has remained about the same over the last 10 years. There are many independent programs to help educate adults throughout the country, but they only cover about 2 million people — less than 7 percent of those in need — and are generally underfunded and understaffed, making them inaccessible to most people.

The XPrize Foundation, known for incentivizing crowdsourced solutions from around the globe, partnered with the Barbara Bush Foundation and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to create the Adult Literacy XPrize, a two-stage competition to develop and distribute smartphone apps that help increase adult literacy.

The first stage of the competition revolves around the development of the apps. It started in June 2015 with 41 app submissions. In June 2018, eight finalist apps were put into a field testing phase. Twelve thousand adult learners are currently using these apps. As of October 2018, the contest had been narrowed down to five apps.

The competition’s second stage, called the Communities Competition, is all about growing the reach of these apps and getting them into the hands of more users. Any U.S.-based entity can sign up, whether a person, organization, or other group. These participants will develop a plan to promote the app to low-literate and illiterate adults. The best 50 submissions will win $10,000.

The three competitors who get the most adults to use the apps on a consistent basis during the competition period will win a share of $500,000.

“This is the way we’re going to revolutionize the way adults can learn: by going into the mobile app space. That way, people can access these apps at any time, any place, at their own discretion,” said Haneen Khalaf, a senior associate at XPrize.

“We’re basically breaking down a bunch of barriers that kind of keep a lot of the low literacy adults in the U.S. from attaining higher education services.”

Angela Gonzalez, a front-desk worker at an eye doctor in Los Angeles, is studying nursing and was invited to participate in field testing for the finalist apps. “I don’t think I would have been so confident in school without using the app,” she said. The app Gonzalez used helped expand her vocabulary, something she found very useful when applying to be a nurse with the sheriff’s department. “It really helped me in writing my three-part essay that they have you write,” she said.

While the app eventually became repetitive, its effect on Gonzalez has been long lasting. She said her language skills have improved and the app even bolstered her interest in reading.

The Learning Upgrade app, a finalist in the Adult Literacy XPrize. PHOTO BY ZACHARY HEADINGS

Renovia Holland, an adult student who is working toward her GED, was asked to participate in field testing for one of the finalist apps. Since starting with the app, Holland has moved up to an eighth-grade reading level. “The app helped me get through a lot of the things I didn’t understand before,” she said. Aside from helping with her GED classes, the app has also improved her life outside the classroom. “It’s wonderful for me.

I can read my own mail and understand what I’m reading in letters. I used to have to wait for someone to read them to me and explain them to me. I don’t have to go through that anymore.”

Learning Upgrade is one of the five app developers left in the competition. CEO Vinod Lobo said people are much more willing to try a mobile phone app before they would ever consider taking a class. “Sometimes people are embarrassed to go to a class or tutor because they’re so low level, they don’t have confidence,” Lobo said. “Let’s face it, no adult wants to go and do ‘cuh-ah-tuh, cat,’ in public. If you can do that on a phone in private, then when you finally go to school, you’re working on high school level stuff, that’s a lot more pleasant.”

Whether it is a final push to get a GED so someone can go to college or simply being able to read and write English to get a job, Lobo said Learning Upgrade can help low-literate adults make breakthroughs.

The five finalist apps—Amrita CREATE, AutoCognita, Cell-Ed, Learning Upgrade, and CODEX: Lost Words of Atlantis—are available on the Google Play Store. Cell-Ed and Learning Upgrade are also available on the Apple App Store.

“We’re hoping that by scaling up on the phone that we could get this going to millions and millions of people,” Lobo said. XPrize estimates that 77 percent of adults own smartphones.

While he acknowledged the value of existing literacy programs, especially those with one-toone personal support, Lobo sees no way to come close to meeting the existing need for adult literacy resources other than through mobile technology.

“If you give them something that’s active to the mind, they can take a chance on doing it,” said Holland, the student working toward her GED. “It keeps my mind occupied on learning.

I like that.”

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NEWS

Financial abuse is more stealthy and just as sinister as physical violence BI KIRA BARRETT kira.barrett@streetsensemedia.org

M

attie Palmore promised her ex-husband that every time she got paid, she would give him the money. But he would not pay rent and made bad investments. When she needed money to feed her kids, he refused.

“I would have to go while he was sleeping to steal it … We got evicted one time because he refused to pay. He didn’t think he owed anyone.”

Financial abuse is often not taken as seriously as other forms of abuse. However, it occurs in 99 percent of all domestic violence cases and can often force women to stay in unhealthy relationships longer than they otherwise would.

“I have yet to talk to anyone where I couldn’t find financial abuse in some context,” said Kim Pentico, director of economic justice program, a part of the National Network to End Domestic Violence. “From stealing money, to taking credit out in someone else’s name, to saying they will pay a bill and not doing it, overusing credit cards.”

Pentico said one of her client’s abusers told his victim to buy a cell phone with a two-year contract, only to have the abuser smash the phone within the first month. Pentico’s client ended up accumulating debt from the phone bill, which kept her from qualifying for state housing.

Financial abuse is a tactic abusers use to maintain power and control. Other tactics include isolation, threats, use of children and intimidation. Financial abuse can include anything from preventing a victim from getting a job, to giving him or her an allowance or just taking their money.

Palmore, co-founder of The Women’s Group of Mount Vernon and an advocate for victims, said her abuser’s friends would wait outside of her work to see how many overtime hours she was working. Then, her abuser wanted the extra income.

“He would be in the car and stop the car and slap me because I wouldn’t give him money,” Palmore said. “He thought I was supposed to give him money to do crazy things.”

In many cases, financial abuse can force women to stay in unhealthy relationships longer because they depend on their partner financially. Three out of four domestic violence victims said they stayed with their abusers for economic reasons in a 2012 survey conducted by the international cosmetics company Mary Kay. “There are a lot of the women that have significant others that have provided financial supports and gifts, and they have to choose whether to maintain the relationship or to eat,” said Lolita Mason, a program manager at New Endeavors by Women, a nonprofit that strives to end the cycle of homelessness in D.C. Even if a victim can sever a relationship with an abuser, the economic damage already done can affect her or his future financial options — from housing to credit to taxes.

Collection agencies rarely take mercy on victims who have large amounts of credit card debt due to an abuser, according to Lisalyn Jacobs, a legal expert on domestic violence and CEO of Just Solutions. Those same victims may then have their application to lease an apartment without their abuser denied when the landlord runs a credit check.

Mattie Palmore with her children in 1980, the year she escaped her abuser. PHOTO COURTESY OF MATTIE PALMORE

A similar situation can happen with employment, according to Pentico. Often an abuser will harass a victim by contacting his or her coworkers at the office, which makes the victim look like a liability in the workplace. The abuser may also force the victim to miss work. The resulting spotty employment history can make it difficult to find a new job or find a landlord who trusts the victim can keep up with the rent.

Palmore said her ex-husband came to the loan agency where she worked, and yelled expletives at her co-workers. She almost lost her job. “I was working overtime to make money to give to him,” said Palmore. “He followed me to church and called my pastor a b***.”

Money may seem less important or less dangerous than physical abuse, but financial resources have a huge impact on survivors’ access to safety, according to Pentico. When abuse survivors enter shelters to seek help, it may take a few tries to sever ties with an abuser, often because of economic abuse.

“Addressing the economics of survivors is what really helps them move from short-term security to long-term safety,” Pentico said. “Moving someone to emergency housing for 30 days is great, but if her credit is ruined and she can’t access a job, then it is all pointless and she is vulnerable again.”

In many cases, survivors rely on legal aid and financial education to escape debt. Many organizations like New Endeavors by Women will teach their clients financial literacy as well as how to budget. Other organizations, like Tzedek D.C., provide legal aid to people in debt. The organization, located at University of the District of Columbia, also launched a fellowship program in April to send attorneys to work at nonprofits nationwide to provide legal aid for victims of domestic violence and other crimes.

“I am getting ready to sign up for a financial literacy class,” said Palmore, now 38 years after her ex-husband’s abuse.

“When we [survivors] get money, if you’ve never had it to spend, you’re gonna spend it on things you don’t need. I’m getting better now: if I don’t need it, I don’t buy it.”

The more sophisticated technology becomes, the harder it is to fight economic abuse, according to Pentico.

“We have had reports that abusers have downloaded something to do keystroke monitoring,” she said. “He can see

the digits she is putting in and he can access the account.”

In some situations, abusers will prevent women from accessing legal aid, grant money or other resources. Pentico described another client who slowly saved $2,600 to hire an attorney by putting every extra dollar she could into a tampon applicator. She filled an entire box that way.

Lisa Jacobs, the Just Solutions CEO, is working with others to lobby Congress for reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act to include a definition of financial abuse. The law was set to expire on Sept. 30 originally, and was extended to Dec. 7. VAWA legally defines domestic violence and funds social service agencies that aid victims of sexual assault. By expanding the definition of domestic violence in VAWA to include financial abuse, Jacobs said offices supported by the act could then receive grants to provide financial assistance, training and support.

“We had nothing back then,” Palmore said, thinking back to 1980. After her ex-husband got fed up with Palmore’s refusal to give him her money, he drove her home from work, towards the Anacostia River.

“He said ‘b***, I don’t care nothing about you or the kids.’

He gunned his car to drive me into the river. It’s through God that I’m still here,” Palamore said.

Now, Palmore serves on the Fairfax County Domestic Violence Prevention Policy Coordinating Council, as well as the Fairfax County Region I Area Resource Team. Both committees work to prevent domestic violence. She recently met with the Fairfax Police Department to learn about new domestic violence laws and policies in the county.

Of the peer support network she fo-counded, Palmore said she will answer her phone at 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning to talk to women going through hard times.

“God kept me here for a reason,” she said. ”And I know that now.”

If you are in crisis, The D.C. Victim Hotline provides free confidential, around-the-clock information and referrals for victims of ALL CRIME in the District: 1-844-4HelpDC (844-443-5732). Resources specific to domestic violence situations can also be found on the The D.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence website, www.dccadv.org.

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// 7

REST IN PEACE: CHARLES DAVIS

Activists petition community to support a vote on public bathrooms in 2018

BY KATIE BEMB katie.bemb@streetsensemedia.org

A

fter becoming ordained as a Buddhist Monk and living in monasteries abroad for 20 years, George Olivar returned to the U.S. and settled in Washington, D.C., to continue his study of religion.

He chose the District to be near the Library of Congress’ extensive collection of literature on religion and philosophy. He had planned to mostly rely on the pension from his accounting career but could not keep up with the high cost of living in the area and soon found himself without a place to live.

Now housed, Olivar joined the People For Fairness Coalition four years ago and became a core member of PFFC’s Downtown D.C. Public Restroom Initiative, along with Marcy Bernbaum, John McDermott and Janet Sharp.

Since 2014, the small group of community activists has met weekly and pushed for access to public restrooms in downtown D.C., resulting in a bill introduced by D.C. Council in April 2017 that called for the installation and maintenance of standalone public restrooms in downtown D.C. The Public Restroom Facilities Installation and Promotion Act of 2017 has been marked up and is awaiting a vote from the two D.C. Council Committees it was referred to. If not voted into law by by the DC Council of the Whole in December, it will have to be reintroduced in 2019.

“Washington doesn’t have a public restroom safe and clean for all, as in other countries — in Europe, Asia, Australia, England, with many public restrooms open 24/7.” Olivar said.

“Among my friends who are housing unstable, some say it is a good idea for all people and some say, ‘You are crazy, the government does not care for us.’”

The number of businesses closing their bathroom doors to non-customers has increased over the last few years, according to the Public Restroom Initiative. Their research shows there are only two public bathrooms open 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the District. The team reported that in 2015, 43 of the 85 businesses they visited allowed individuals who were not customers to use their restrooms. In 2016, the number had dropped to 28. By 2017, only 11 businesses permitted individuals who weren’t customers to use their restrooms.

When D.C. Council returned from summer recess in September, the People For Fairness Coalition, along with Greater Greater Washington, launched an online petition urging D.C. Council to pass the bill. As Street Sense went to press, the petition had 349 signatures. The coalition had previously circulated a similar petition that obtained more than 1,000 signatures in 2015, before the public restroom legislation was introduced.

“Very rarely have I come across an organization like PFFC that has done the intense amount of research of organizing to work on their pitch, work on their materials,” said David Whitehead, housing program organizer for Greater Greater Washington. They are the experts on this issue.”

Sharp said she has given more than 40 presentations over the last several years, advocating for the bill and seeking buy-in from organizations, officials and community members. She had never given a presentation before working on the restroom initiative. As the members of PFFC fanned out across D.C.

One of 25 automated public toilets in San Francisco, California.

PHOTO COUTESY OF THE PEOPLE FOR FAIRNESS COALITION.

neighborhoods to share their research and raise awareness, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions started to endorse the bill. Thirteen ANCs have submitted resolutions to the D.C. Council supporting the legislation.

In the last year, the team has also distributed thousands of four-paneled cards that list when and where restrooms are open to the public, as well as whether bags are allowed inside.

“I’m learning a lot about myself, that if I put my mind to it, I can do anything,” McDermott said. “Even though I’m semihandicapped, I can get out there and do what I gotta do to get this bill passed. We’re learning from other advocates, who are helping us as much [as] they can.”

The group was inspired by the Community Toilet Scheme that is used in London and many other cities, through which the government incentivizes local businesses to open their restrooms to the public. Those businesses then place a decal on their shop window to inform the public that they have restrooms available.

Some establishments do offer bathroom access upon request, such as the Panera Bread near Metro Center station.

“Whenever you step in the door you are a customer,” said Brenton Auclair, a retail associate for Panera. “They’re open to use the restroom as long as they let us know. We do get a lot of homeless people, we treat them like our customers, we’re all human.” Auclair added that they lock the door because it is important for them to monitor the restroom for safety reasons, but staff will give anyone the code upon request.

When the manager of an Au Bon Pain with similar key-code locks on their restroom doors was asked about their policy for public access, she said her boss would not allow her to comment.

“Lack of access to public restroom facilities is an issue that affects many residents,” Councilmember Brianne Nadeau said in a statement, “but its effects are particularly felt by the homeless and people with unique restroom needs such as pregnant women, people with disabilities and the elderly.

Everyone deserves a safe, clean place to use the restroom.”

This range was demonstrated by some of the people who left comments with their petition signature: a local father with two young children, a commuter who works in the city, a local woman who frequently works outdoors, a non-resident who frequently visits the city, and a local woman whose mother has an injury from childbirth that causes incontinence.

The bathroom bill is moving through both the Transportation and the Environment Committee and the Health Committee now, according to Nadeau. She is hopeful the legislation will be voted through this session, and said she will re-introduce the bill during the next session if necessary.

“The number one problem is inertia,” Whitehead said. “It gets stuck, it’s not [the Council’s] priority.”

He suggested voters may not feel heard by the council after the June primary election where every incumbent retained their seat and the the ballot initiative voters approved to remove the minimum wage exemption for tipped workers was repealed.

“I think that this is an opportunity to chip away at this narrative,” Whitehead said. “As our petition has shown, it’s more than just a niche homelessness issue.”

PHOTO ROLAND APARICIO VELASCO

It is with great sadness that we share Charlest Davis, ##, died on Oct. 21.

He frequently wrote for us and sold newspapers in Tenleytown. A service was held Oct. 30. If you’d like to share a memory of Charles for publication, contact editor@streetsensemedia.org

BIRTHDAYS

Morgan Jones Nov. 4 ARTIST/VENDOR

Moyo Onibuje Nov. 11 ARTIST/VENDOR

ACCOMPLISHMENTS Wendell Williams

Hired as a peer recovery specialist for Phoenix House Mid-Atlantic.

ARTIST/VENDOR

Our stories, straight to your inbox Street Sense Media provides a vehicle through which all of us can learn about homelessness from those who have experienced it. Sign up for our newsletter to get our vendors' stories in your inbox.

www.StreetSenseMedia.org/newsletter

8 // ST REET SENSE ME DI A / / O CT. 3 1 - NO V. 13, 2018

ART THE HOBO, part 6

Black Fields swears, “My mind playin’ tricks on me!”

BY DUANE FOSTER Artist/Vendor

PREVIOUSLY, Black Fields heard a Chuck Brown tune playing from someone’s car and recalled what it was like to grow up going to the go-go. He remembered the friends he lost along the away, and mused over the cultural shift that has taken place since....

“I wish I were dead,” grimaced Black. He spit, then stomped his right foot to accent his statement.

The obstacles that stood in his way seemed insurmountable. He was broke: no job, no girl, no family, no friends. The hole he had dug for himself was so deep that he saw no way of getting out. He had no employable skills, bad credit and a terrible attitude problem.

He watched a black BMW 750 pull into the parking lot of the 7-Eleven. This was his dream car. He felt pangs of jealousy when he felt the glow the driver exuded. He couldn’t help but to hate. “ #$%@! that &#%$!. How that $#%&-@%#* get a 750 and I’m out here cold and hungry?”

The Geto Boys track “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” was blasting out the speakers. It was a total irony that at this very moment, these lyrics had Black’s full sympathies. “....

Day by day it’s more impossible to cope, I feel like I’m the one that’s doing dope…” rapped Mr. Scarface, as the tune cascaded across the parking lot.

Black had a beef with society and wanted to escape this earth. He didn’t necessarily want to die, but he hated the world he was forced to exist upon. He always wished that there was some type of existence he could escape to that fell in between life and death. The closest thing he had found to that in this world was jail. In his opinion, death might be a better option than sitting in D.C. Jail eating goulash and bologna sandwiches. “…I often drift when I drive, havin’ fatal thoughts of suicide…” huffed Mr. Scarface from the speakers.

Many prominent figures had sentiments that matched his, Black thought. Ernest Hemingway, Vincent Van Gogh, Don Cornelius, Chris Benoit, Robin Williams, Verne Troyer, Kurt Cobain, Junior Seau, Anne Sexton, Anthony Bourdain, Dana Plato, Kate Spade, Virginia Woolf, and many, many, many more.

If those people found life to be a curse, how could he possibly ever see it as a blessing?

The occupant of the BMW jumped out and headed for the 7-Eleven entrance. Black saw it was a young Metro bus driver that he frequently encountered. “What’s good champion! Let a good man hold something?” pandered Black.

The bus driver stopped abruptly and gave a scowl. “GET A JOB you @#$&-%$&#-#@%$-##^%!!!” reverberated from the bus driver’s lips throughout the parking lot.

Black began to respond, but out his peripheral he could see the Popeye’s manager peeping out the window. A verbal dispute could wreak havoc on his plans, so he humbled himself. He didn’t want the manager to ask him to leave, so he swallowed his pride and fell back.

Mr. Scarface continued rapping, “…bang and get it over

with, then I’m worry free. That’s bull$%^&!...”

Black felt hopeless and distraught. Just one conversation with a compassionate and like-minded person could possibly ease his mind.

He pulled out his “Obama-phone” and scrolled through his contacts. He decided to call Tim, a so-called friend, who could only be found when he needed something or wanted to get high. Tim wasn’t the most genuine, but Black could be totally candid, without shame, with other like-minded slime. The phone rang only a brief second before Black heard, “You have reached the voicemail of 202-555…”

This was no surprise.

He decided to call Jaheem, Red, Geno, Kareem and Mika; all individuals he considered to be fair-weather friends. He doubted that they would answer in his time of need, but he decided to try anyway. Each one sent him to voicemail in two rings or less. “Why do I #&@% with these people?” he asked himself.

So he decided to call the one person that he could depend on about one third of the time, his mother. The phone rang twice, and to his surprise, she answered. “Hello Black!

What’s up?”

“Well…” he stumbled. Then he took a deep breath and began to speak “I’m not feeling well…”

She abruptly cut in, “Baby, your mama getting her hair done now. Then I gotta go to Giant, Walmart, and over to Big Shirley’s. Something’s going on with her. She say her ankles swole, ‘n she can’t walk. I’ll call you back when I finish.” [click] He asked himself, “Why was Shirley’s swollen ankles more important than his life?”

Mr. Scarface continued as the tunes of Houston’s finest filled the atmosphere. “…now I’m feeling lonely-My mind’s playing tricks on me…”

“Life sucks!” Blac exclaimed while pounding his fist in his palm. He saw red as he perused the horizon.

“Ain’t no such thing as family and friends in this world,” he said to himself.

To be continued. This abridged short story is taken from the work, “The Black Fields Chronicles: THE HOBO,” by Duane Foster.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a work of fiction and is not autobiographical. However, suicidal thoughts are something many people experience but few feel uncomfortable discussing. If you are every having similar thoughts to what has been expressed in this story, here are several ways you can instantly connect with someone to talk about it for free.

• Call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) for national operators • Call 1-888-7-WE-HELP (1-888-793-4357) for D.C. operators • Text CONNECT to 741741 in the United States • Visit www.ImAlive.org to chat with someone online • Dialing 911 is alway an option if you or someone else is in danger

I would like to say thank you

BY LORRIE HAYES Artist/Vendor

I would like to say thank you to all of my customers. You have really given me a lot of love. I also want to express my deepest thanks for all of the hugs and kisses from you and for your generous donations.

I will continue to be of service to you always with a ‘good morning’ and ‘how is your day going’ greeting. I feel a warm smile will brighten your day.

Love, Lorrie.

The Edge

BY ALICE CARTER, A.K.A. “BABY ALICE” Artist/Vendor

I’m living on the edge The edge of reality The edge of life I keep getting arrested For things I didn’t do Trying to survive Trying to live my life You only live once This is my life Do what you do Do you I’m gonna do me It is what it is I just pray things work out I just pray to figure this out.

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// 9

If You’re A Beggar, Be A Chooser Too

BY COURTNEY DOWE Artist/Vendor

If you’re a beggar, be a chooser too, For less is more, and more can be a curse.

The world will offer anything to you.

You must discern the useful from the dross.

With patience, judge, for better or for worse.

If you’re a beggar, be a chooser too.

ILLUSTRATION BY DWIGHT HARRIS

My Father

BY ROBERT WARREN Artist/Vendor

I love to know But when I was 7 years old, I ran the streets ‘Cause I never got enough to eat Ben's Chili Bowl was the bomb for me And when I wanted a little something sweet The Hostess CupCake factory down on 7th and S Street Where you could get a little something sweet from the little store on the side

Within each gain there lies a hidden loss.

Some folks will give you poison for your thirst.

The world will offer anything to you.

You will be left alone to count the cost.

Beware of saints who must be reimbursed.

If you’re a beggar, be a chooser too.

Those in their homes are safe from rain and frost.

Your wisdom is your shield; uphold it first.

The world will offer anything to you.

Though some would say, “All wanderers are lost,” True wealth was never found inside a purse.

If you’re a beggar, be a chooser too.

The world will offer anything to you.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER MCLAUGHLIN

Support from my community

BY JENNIFER MCLAUGHLIN // Artist/Vendor

I was very young when I started with Street Sense in 2004. I left when my health began to decline. I was not able to stand on a corner to sell my papers. I tried bringing a chair at the time, but that did not work out so well.

In recent years, I’ve tried selling again. And two weeks ago I started selling on New York and 14th Street NW. At first, because it was very close to the Potbelly there, I thought they would say, “No you cannot sell your papers here.”

To my surprise, when I went into the store to order my favorite sandwich (The Wreck), they encouraged me to keep selling there and to write this story. They really support Street Sense Media and the hard work vendors do.

Meridian Hill Park was my playground I ran from sunup to sundown When I would sometimes stay out all night And lay back and gaze the stars at night To behold my Father’s kingdom of lights The summer of ‘68 changed my life The first time I saw my mama cry Why did the King have to die?

Them mean White folks took my mama’s King away My Mama, the only thing good in my life, even though I searched for that man I thought to be my father at night In between the marches, Mama had another night with the father I never knew to love My Grandmother knew who But I guess I turned out alright I always wanted to be a father to a son At some time in my life Like the Messiah some call Christ It would be another chance to get it right But the Lord blessed me with a little girl Who means the world to me The female child is not like the male, you see But only she will give birth to a nation You see, like my mama gave birth to me My Father, G-O-D, loves me, I believe

PHOTOS BY HENRIEESE ROBERTS, ARTIST/VENDOR

National Law Enforcment Museum opens

BY HENRIEESE ROBERTS // Artist/Vendor

I dropped by and took a few pictures at the National Law Enforcement Museum for opening day on Oct. 13. I was startled when I looked through the lens, then heard a call of gunshots, realizing how terrorized I felt just in that role play moment.

Lots of my family members are police. Therefore, I read the Blue Maven weekly and sometimes become quite distressed. It is unusual to have a job to go to that may take your life each day. Blessings to our sacred team. Let’s stop by and take a listen and look as we see what daily life is like for our Law Enforcement Team.

1 0 // S T REET SENSE ME DI A / / O CT. 3 1 - NO V. 13, 2018

OPINION

Don't sleep on this election

BY GWYNETTE SMITH

Many see this year’s elections as unimportant because a president will not be elected. On the contrary, there are many factors that make this election significant.

For example, the Dreamers — undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children — may become more active if the Democrats gain control of both houses. President Trump has attempted to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects these young people from deportation.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan is leaving. He has wanted the national food stamp program to be dependent upon recipients having a job. The Democrats might raise the allotment for people who have a reason for not working, such as age.

Congress should also address rent prices. Elderly people feel it is necessary to live in safer areas because they cannot easily fight off attacks. Parents also need safer areas to live because they don’t want their children to be harmed by violence or gang activity. Yet safer areas usually command higher rents.

Congress is deciding whether to change a program intended to help poor people pay for their medication and hospital treatment. Hospitals that serve poor people may continue prescribing medicine long after the illness could have been cured. The patient and the community served

Losing nobly vs winning ugly

BY JEFFERY MCNEIL

What lured many towards Donald Trump was the sense America wasn’t what it use to be. Trump talked about how we no longer won in anything! And under Barack Obama there was a sense that our greater days were behind us.

Now that it’s the halftime mark of Donald Trump presidency, the midterms will be his report card. As of now it looks like the Democrats' chances of a Blue Wave have been quietly receding.

Since Trump's election the Democrats haven’t run on anything other than identity politics, impeachment, and hating Trump. They banked on buyer's remorse, but now President Trump is more popular than Obama during this period of his presidency. While Trump isn’t perfect, his presidency hasn’t been a disaster as the experts warned.

When people whine to me about Donald Trump, liberals fail to realize he bothers them not me.

He isn’t stopping me from achieving anything. If you hate Donald Trump that’s your business, you can’t make me hate him. I don’t care how mad and angry you get because Trump was elected, if you don’t like it ‘Hit The Door.”

When they complain about Trump’s “Moral Character” I say, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”

Democrats don’t have moral ground to stand on when they have abusers such as Bill Clinton. I don’t look at my politicians for moral leadership. I want them to run the country and I think Trump’s doing a good job. That may not be your opinion but in 2020 you can go to the ballot box and vote. That is how Democracy works. If you don't like how Americans vote, get to steppin'.

Donald Trump is winning not because of racism but because of the blunders Democrats made. America was built on ownership. If I buy, grow or pay for it means I am

by the hospital may not always receive the discount if the hospital decides to keep the government’s reimbursement for the services it provides.

If the Democrats regain control of the House, they would decide whether House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi would become Speaker again. Rumors suggest that some members of her party do not feel she is the best person for the job. If this is true, who would replace her? Would that person lean to the left or to the middle?

Then there is the Mexican border wall that we keep hearing about. Will that issue finally be determined, at least until the end of this presidential term? Do Americans want a wall or not?

Lastly, what about the immigrant children who were separated from their parents? The government was supposed to reduce the amount of time their parents had to wait before receiving a decision on whether they could or could not remain in this country. The construction of numerous huts in Texas indicates that a large number of children do not live with their parents. The issue may still remain unsettled.

Did the children indicate to authorities that they prefer this situation? Could they have indicated that they thought their parents were irresponsible for entering the country?

Public transit needs public restrooms, too

BY MARCUS GREEN

We need public restrooms in Metro stations and in other high-volume areas. The New York subway has them, why not have them here? In some parts of town, you need to be pregnant or really sick to get the station manager to let you use the bathroom.

First of all, some station managers are too complacent or downright lazy. They are frequently either on their phones or the computer — or asleep.

Also, a lot of the station managers act like you’re bothering them. That’s a customer service issue. Hopefully Metro will hold mandatory classes for all managers so they know how to fulfill their job description.

Millions of commuters use Metro everyday. It really doesn’t cost anything to be nice. I think Metro station managers should treat people the way they would like to be treated.

Thank you and God bless.

Marcus Green is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.

Gwynette Smith is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.

the owner. I shouldn’t have to give a third of my money to the government when Washington has been incapable of spending wisely. I don’t think putting America First is racist. I want America to be number one — not like Canada, Guatemala or Honduras.

The Democrats haven’t made a case why they should be in the driver's seat. While the Democrats have doubled down on Sanctuary Cities, Abolishing ICE and refugees — many Hispanics and African Americans agree with Trump when it comes to building a wall and deporting those that come here illegally. I want my tax dollars helping America’s poor. If you want to save refugees, get yourself a van and put them in your communities.

I can barely take care of myself. I don’t have the resources to care for everyone else's problems.

It will be interesting what will happen the day after the election if there is no “Blue Wave.” Will Democrats humble themselves or will they continually listen to Hillary Clinton, Maxine Waters and several others who have called for incivility and mob rule?

How will the base react if George Soros or Mike Bloomberg in 2020 uses his money and influence to push a corporate Democrat over a socialist — such as Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren — and Donald Trump wins in a landslide?

It’s wishful thinking to assume that after the midterms, people will realize their hate has been

destructive. My hope is moderate Democrats will get some backbone and drive the radicals out of the Democratic Party.

Jeffery McNeil is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.

He also writes for the Washington Examiner.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

Where is the empathy in gentrification?

BY ILYAS MUHAMMED

/ / 11

Reader Response:

Tyrone Chisholm, Jr.'s column asked, "When I ask for help, what do you see?"

BY BERNADETTE LAMONTAGNE

Four years ago, I was on a study tour of Washington. I had to see almost all of the District. While talking to the locals, I heard comments about how some areas of the District were not safe. People said you couldn’t go out at midnight, as there might be a high chance of getting robbed. I heard these comments about underdeveloped areas such as Waterfront in Southwest D.C. When I came back this year, I had the opportunity to live in Waterfront, which scared me at first because I remembered all those comments.

Then one day, during a discussion with a neighbor, I heard the word “gentrification” Gentrification, a word devised in 1960 by sociologist Ruth Glass, is a famous subject of today’s scholars, writers, media, professionals and policymakers running urban planning and local developments. Glass first used this term when she observed middle-class people moving into London’s traditionally working-class neighborhoods.

When thinking about gentrification, words that come to mind include development, demographic change, urban planning and displacement. It is a positive word when one looks at its definition, but situations on the ground portray the opposite image.

That difference is due to people ignoring the real-time struggle in which many lose their houses and businesses they owned.

Building new infrastructure is a sign of development and development

is crucial. But there is a need for sustainability alongside development.

Developing a specific area affects its residents and, often, ultimately leads them toward displacement. Each decision affects the local people. In fact, every wise person will agree that gentrifying neighborhoods is a good thing, but the displacement of original residents is not.

Daniel, a 60-year-old homeless man, says that it’s hard to believe that this is the same D.C in which he grew up. By the time he was 30, half of the community that he had in childhood were displaced.

Today, the majority of his community members have been displaced to Maryland and Virginia.

According to Daniel, the reason was the increase in rent due to gentrification and the influx of rich people into the neighborhood.

It’s not only Daniel who is no longer able to see many of his community members because of displacement. It is the also case for many people in D.C. Most of the low-income population in D.C.’s gentrified neighborhoods has been displaced to other areas where comparative cost of living was not so high.

Ideally, gentrification is appropriate only if it brings sustainability to the area by creating more job opportunities for the locals and affordable housing, and if locals have input in the decision-making process. If it’s not sustainable, it may spell social death for many.

It is a positive word when one looks at its definition, but situations on the ground portray the opposite image.

Ilyas Muhammad is the vendor manager for Street Sense Media.

Join the conversation, share your views - Have an opinion about how homelessness is addressed in our community?

- Want to share first-hand experience?

- Interested in responding to what someone else has written?

Street Sense Media has maintained an open submission policy since our founding. We aim to elevate voices from across the housing spectrum and foster healthy debate.

Please send submissions to opinion@streetsensemedia.org.

Certainly I cannot speak for all Washingtonians. I know there are some who are rude and who make cruel statements overtly and sometimes covertly through just their expressions. I am sorry someone was acting like such a turkey to you. There is no excuse for it.

When you ask for help, what do I see? I see a fellow sibling in humanity. I see a person who is going through a very rough time at this moment. I see a person who has a history, needs, ambitions and exciting dreams for his future. One who is cognizant of — and demands — basic rights, as anyone would.

I see a person making a unique and significant contribution to this world. I see a person who wants to be heard, understood and respected, a person who wants security, comfort and love.

And the best part is that it is not just what I see, but it is the truth. These things are innate.

Because you are part of this miraculous experience of life, you have inherent worth and dignity.

Try as they may, that is something that no turkey can ever take away.

Have a beautiful day! You deserve all the best in this world!

Bernadette Lamontagne is a D.C. resident and Street Sense Media customer.

Product of Progression: Building Trust

BY TYRONE CHISHOLM

Because we in the homeless community are so vulnerable, how do we know who has our best interest at heart? Some may say, be glad for the help, but is it really sincere help that we are getting? Are we just a paycheck? Do the little SSI, medical assurance and food stamps we receive categorize us as just another buck?

We are profit margins, and due to our conditions, physically and/or mentally, we get pressured into things we may not know much about, faced with those that have victimized us.

We have to properly educate ourselves on issues that relate to our well-being, health and our overall functionality. Unity and trust among each other are big issues in our community. We have to speak truthfully about unpleasant experiences and events that have plagued us; false statements will only stop other individuals’ from rising out of poverty.

I have become better equipped to point out these problems and the parties causing them.

Even when we are at the bottom, we can find the light and bring about a brighter change, and be in a position to give back and fight back against those that hinder progress.

I have held my job since April, despite a lot of trials and tribulation, using the skills I have learned to deal with difficult situations. We have to grab the chance to move forward, despite the ideas others may have of us, due to our living status our character or any other element that makes us who we are. We can't stop a people from the fiction they make up or the false things they may say about us. But we do not have to adopt, interact or contribute to the negative views others have of us; in fact, our progress may be the reason that they are on edge.

We are a fighting civilization. Experiencing poverty is soul-shaking, mind-tormenting, a feelings-crusher and body-deteriorating.

Through all of this battery, assault and distorted

viewpoints, we are still here, and we can see clearly of a fruitful path as we continue to fight to follow the correct path.

This past week has been informative. I did some networking, now I have to keep my interest and show more action. Being back at 801 East shelter for the past week has been another step to better myself.

Being homeless has a daily wear and tear on a person. Sometimes, I get caught in the mindset of staying in my situation and don’t move forward. But I know there are things to be done. I attended the homeless event at the DC Armory and felt a calling to be more active in the struggle that is an epidemic in my city and other places. I wonder what my calling is, and how can I fit in. Everything starts as an investment of one’s time, and I have set aside a portion of time in the morning to provide hot cereal. This will be my first step into easing some tension that adds to our stress daily. Unhealthy eating hurts our day-to-day operation and adds unneeded stress that hinders our mood. We are creative people that need a little more attention.

At the homeless event, I also had the opportunity to have a quick interview with WHUR, a contemporary radio station owned by Howard University. I met some extraordinary individuals, too, at the Church of the Pilgrims. I was able to start building relationships with individuals that fight homelessness on a federal level. My journey has just started, and I am keeping you all informed of how honest assistance can transform a homeless individual’s life.

Tyrone Chisholm is a volunteer contributor who writes the ongoing series “Product of Progression” to show what opportunities exist for people experiencing homelessness and answer questions about the challenges he has faced, homeless, employed and enrolled in higher education in our nation’s capital.

1 2 // S T REET SENSE ME DI A / / O CT. 3 1 - NO V. 13, 2018

ART Relentless hate is on the run

BY ANGIE WHITEHURST // Artist/Vendor

I am free to be who I want to be I love my freedom to move about I love the ease to say what I feel There is no door that is technically closed to me.

In my world, what is in somebody else's heart and mind, is their business as long as it does not mentally, physically or maliciously encroach on my insulated and very comfortable space with contradictions reflective of an illogical unjustifiable form of adhesive abhorrence called relentless hate.

An ill will that creeps and wields its claws of anger in the derma pores of the brain And even when the change has come and the pain slips to unrecalled memory the ire of unforgiveness compulsively obsessed with keeping the fire repeatedly born with contradictions and acts of double crossing hypocrisy.

Beware that relentless hate for it will forever bury the reformed, still evolving, unrefined imbalance and not let a better, greater peace come.

And you will become like the ones you are fighting to protect your freedom from So, if you hate the bad ones whatever you define it as I say do an the ASAP and change.

Open the door, create rapport circle your wagons and let the aura and reality of the peace, do, come.

If you cannot do that, then dream it hope it, until the deed is done.

The relentlessness within the hate is not the problem, origin or root cause.

Find it, work on it and do not give up.

Chop away at each static electrified hair until each one is happily neutralized resolved, gone and social equity in practice without discords, discontent is won.

It takes Gen Xers, millennials and age-friendly life spans mixed together to unweave, recycle and manufacture the end of everything that shells out the hate.

Be relentless and dump it.

For we have too much to live for and work on, before the next generations come.

Leave a legacy of "Well Done."

Random Acts of Kindness:

Delta steps in, pt 1

BY WENDELL WILLIAMS Artist/Vendor

During the late summer and early fall of 2000, I was struggling with self-destructive behaviors. It seemed like everything I tried turned to crap. In retrospect, I was just trying to do too much on my own and getting nowhere. I was not as open as I should've been to availing myself of professional help and guidance available to me. So I still thought I could think my way into or out of anything. Boy was I wrong.

It's only looking back now that I am able to see how this common mistake crippled me, like it does so many, in our attempts to put our lives back on track — or for some, on track for the first time.

I had been out of touch with family and friends for years as I wandered from place to place, just wanting to be anonymous to the world because of the damaged and strained relationships I left in my wake. I had broken hearts, not in the romantic sense but just dashing people’s high hopes for me after they had poured themselves into me time and again. I felt worthless. I was ravaged by all of the guilt and shame that I carried surrounding my unbelievable fall from family and community hero to less than zero.

In an attempt to reclaim my past "life," I came up with yet another brilliant idea: to use what I called “the Hansel and Gretel approach.” Maybe I could find my way "home" and out of my self-created forest by retracing my steps.

But how? By going in reverse order to the cities I once lived. The places where I had experienced so much success so young and had made many personal and professional friends. After leaving Michigan because I couldn’t or wouldn’t surrender to my personal issues and inner demons, I was evicted once again. But an old Ohio friend of mine’s sister living near me in Ann Arbor, Michigan, rode to the rescue in her big SUV to pick me and my things up at the curb.

She stored everything in her garage, then drove me to the bus station and sent me on my way to Dayton, Ohio — where I’d had my greatest successes. Surely if I could recapture the magic anywhere, it would be there.

Things didn't work out as planned and soon even my old friends tired of me. They became frustrated and washed their hands of me while still praying for my return to sanity. Today they are still active in my life.

I had failed again because I was totally unaware that geographical cures almost never work. It is said that if you crate up an idiot and ship him or her to Italy, what you now have is an idiot who speaks Italian. Now I knew the enemy was ME and my thinking!

After a few weeks in a motel room provided by my friends who wanted to help I found myself homeless in Dayton. After staying at what passes for a shelter a while, I entered an ARC (Adult Rehabilitation Center) run by a religious organization and started doing well.

It gave me a sense of family to be surrounded by people just like me as we found support in our mutual

struggles. But as I had started to bond with myself and the "program," my counselor — who I believed could walk on water — relapsed and disappeared. I was shattered.

I found myself unconsciously in the stages of grief.

It wasn’t long before my inappropriate outburst in response to a mistake made by a house manager got me transferred to an ARC 40 miles away in Cincinnati, another city where I had worked.

I was able to quickly adjust to the Cincinnati ARC because I had already met a lot of the guys during regional retreats and softball games. I connected with the recovery community instantly and started to dream of a new life there.

But I made the biggest misstep a person in early recovery from mental illness or substance abuse can make: I met someone at a meeting and fell in "lust."

Very quickly I lost focus. I could think of nothing but “us” and became disenchanted and ungrateful with the ARC program. After two months, I moved in with her and her two children in the infamous inner-city neighborhood of "Over-the-Rhine." At that time, it was comparable to the worst areas of cities like New York City or Las Angeles. It was there that I really reached another kind of bottom.

After an argument over not taking her warnings to stay inside, I started to explore my surroundings little-by-little. Soon, I fell prey to what seemed like welcoming new friends. I had forgot what she said about “the setup." She was recovering herself and after my second trip to detox, we parted ways.

I then moved down the scale from recovery houses, mental health transitional houses, forced hospitalizations, seedy apartments, evictions, shelters and finally jail. The beating I was taking on the streets of Cincinnati had taught me that I was not as bulletproof as I had thought. Coming from D.C., there is this arrogance some of us have that we're real "bad asses." But some nights alone, when I’d pray I'd end with, "And God please get me out of OTR!” I began to realize I would need help. It was that “Aha!” moment you hear about people having or, as alcoholics like to say, a moment of clarity.

Like most, I didn’t accept how much time it would take. For me, it turns out it was to be a long time.

I had just lost another place when I reached out to my mentor at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless for help. Through a Goodwill program where he now worked, my mentor assigned me to my "Super Caseworker," Cheryl. She started to guide me through the maze I had turned my life into, and I started to get traction on some of the issues blocking my progress back to self-sufficiency.

To be continued. You can read how this chain of random acts continues in our Nov. 28 edition.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Thriller Man

BY TAMMY MICHELE RICE Volunteer

Thriller Man. Michael Jackson was the Thriller Man Man with the Plan Michael Jackson Spooked us with ghosts and Goblins, while dancing and wobbling Creatures were coming out of their Tombstones, with scary faces While they moaned Michael Jackson Was the Thriller Man Man with a plan.

ILLUSTRATION BY FREDERIC JOHN

// 13

Scary

BY REGINALD E. BLACK, JR. Artist/Vendor

Hollow dreams Empty spaces.

Caught up in a Matrix of deceit And stings.

Claim again you know all things.

Hopes and dreams don’t exist Yeah right, don’t fall for this.

Sometimes you get what you get.

All the while knowing they didn’t Deserve it.

How great would it be?

But I guess the same Shopping spree, The same concrete shoes Pulling on me.

That’s what to expect.

And the hell with the best.

What are some of the obstacles I face?

BY JACQUELINE PORTEE Artist/Vendor

The obstacles I face vary. I sometimes have a hard time finding a safe place to sleep at night. I am sometimes alone or with others when I go to sleep.

Water supply in certain areas can be a problem, depending on whether it is accessible to homeless people. All human beings need clean and safe water as a basic necessity for things like cooking, cleaning and drinking. Fortunately, shelter is not a big obstacle for me because I know how to build simple structures and turn them into a cozy shed.

Broken Man

BY PATTY SMITH Artist/Vendor

My Success

BY LEVESTER GREEN Artist/Vendor

I've been blessed to be able to complete a documentary on my life through Street Sense Media. I've been able to conceive concepts for Second Story Cards based on my poetry. I've also managed to salvage a fledgling sliver of a career doing freelance photojournalism.

That, along with renewed interest in illustration, has allowed me to be able to sell my artistry displayed on various products, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc. On top of all that, I've been able to acquire a gig with Baller TV as a result of my Film Co-op experience & DCTV certification!

I've always subscribed to the principle that there's nothing like getting paid for your time. That's why I can truly appreciate all this, even down to the community wanting to bless me when I'm on my down time thinking at the park, just to help keep the park clean! So, a big shout out and thanks to everyone.

Apparel featuring Levester’s illustrations can be found at https://tinyurl.com/levestergreen-let-us-pray.

ILLUSTRATION BY DWIGHT HARRIS // ARTIST/VENDOR

A Whole New Man

BY ROBERT REED Artist/vendor

I was lonely until I found someone. I found the other half of my life in a new person. Now my life has changed.

I am a new person. I can hold my head up high. I can look back on the past and say "I made it through." I have become a kind and loving person. I am a complete man!

Thank you for reading this article.

You left me all alone, Then you returned While you were gone I was a broken man One night, I just looked for you I saw you in my dreams Even in the dream It seemed I couldn't find you Without thinking You just walked up to me one day Now we are together You're under my skin I will do anything it takes To keep your love.

1 4 // ST REET SEN S E ME DI A / / O CT. 3 1 - NO V. 13, 2018

FUN & GAMES

Novice Sudoku by KrazyDad, Volume 16, Book 1

Sudoku #2

1 5 2 3 9 5 8 3 2 1 3 9 8 1 2 8 4

© 2017 KrazyDad.com

Answers Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1 thru 9.

Sudoku #1

If you use logicFill you in can solve the puzzle without guesswork.

SUDOKU: 9 1 5 4 7 2 3 8 6 the Needblank a little squares help? The hints page shows a logical order to solve the puzzle. so each the row, Usethat it to identify next square 4you8should 7 solve.

3 6Or use 9 2page 5 the 1 answers if you really get stuck. each column and 6 2 3 9 1 8 5 4 7 each 3-by-3 block contain all of the 1 5 9 6 3 4 2 7 8 digits 1-9.

6 4 8 5 7 9 3 1 3 7 8 1 2 9 6 5 4 5 9 1 7 4 6 8 2 3 7 3 2 5 8 1 4 6 9 8 4 6 2 9 3 7 1 5 2

The Strong Arm of a Lawman

On an otherwise nice Saturday. I went to Union Station to catch the Metro to my digital marketing class. Since I have my baby in a stroller, I have to get on the elevator. But as I approach, I see the gate is closed. There is a flier, but it is in the gate room where On the basis of faces that the lawman saw were I cannot read it clearly. And I have a visual impairment on top of in earnest, he smiled at me temperately in the that. So, to eliminate stress headaches that I get when things get known margins. For all with a fortissimo logic of rough on me, I ask a nearby WMATA employee what to do. luck, a spell was cast. The temperature became a The employee says I can go around to the other side of the benign midcore of the face of the West, which was station to get in at the opposite end of the platform. So I struggle triumphant and isosceles, like the arc of a triangle. my way around — only to find another closed gate and another So this story means there is a little bit of man WMATA employee who is telling another potential rider that the in all of us for the orange to remember. In-chic station is not running. More confusion. proportions gathered here are uniquely tough and I go up the escalators and talk to a third employee, who actually formidable like the Toughskins clothing line. explains what’s going on clearly so I can understand. I let her So, this is all about reciprocity and that Big Boy know that I am going to Metro Center Station and that, at this who said he’s from “A place I’ve seen before, point, I feel like it would be more reliable to walk the whole way. b***.” A nickleback man in toughskins.

I see a shuttle, but I already know big strollers and Metro buses don’t mix. I decide to walk to Judiciary Square. When we get there, a malfunctioning gate slows me down enough to miss the Novice Sudoku by KrazyDad, Volume 16, fiBook 1 I tell a WMATA employee about the gate and she lets rst train. me in through the side. I am finally on the platform with the girls, Sudoku #2 waiting for the next train, but there are no minutes on the screen.

6 7 1 9 5 4 2 3 8 Another WMATA employee loudly tells people to move to the 4 9 8 1 3 2 7 6 5 other side of the platform because they are single-tracking. I just shake my head and try not to get upset. They at least let me go back 3 2 5 7 8 6 1 9 4 through the side to use the elevator. But when we get in and I say to 2 6 9 4 1 5 3 8 7 Eboni, “Press the button.” (her favorite thing to do), nothing happens.

8 3 4 6 7 9 5 2 1 She presses it and presses it, but there’s no light and the elevator I am over soon gate-post, doesn’t move. A gentleman in a wheelchair tries to use the elevator, No caru ov the white fl ower.

1 5 7 8 2 3 9 4 6 too, but quickly presses the “call/help” button when it doesn’t work.

All thyus naes to exsist 5 8 3 2 4 7 6 1 9 Another employee answers and helps us out. I’m just worried 7 4 6 3 9 1 8 5 2 about getting out of the elevator now. Just as we’re able to exit,

BY FRANKLIN STERLING // Artist Vendor a train we can actually board is pulling up to the platform.

9 1 2 5 6 8 4 7 3 What a trip.

Dedicated to Borge Ousland

BY DEBORAH BRANTLEY // Artist/Vendor

Sudoku #3 2 8 4 1 5 6 9 7 3 7 3 1 4 8 9 2 6 5 9 5 6 7 3 2 1 4 8 1 2 8 6 4 3 5 9 7 6 7 5 9 2 1 8 3 4 4 9 3 8 7 5 6 2 1 8 4 2 5 9 7 3 1 6 5 1 9 3 6 4 7 8 2 3 6 7 2 1 8 4 5 9

Sudoku #4 8 4 1 2 7 9 3 8 6 2 5 9 1 3 2 6 9 8 6 5 4 5 7 3 3 6 8 1 2 7 9 4 5 1 4 7

Sudoku #5 4 7 5 1 6 3 8 4 1 2 9 7 7 5 2 6 9 4 6 8 8 1 3 5 3 8 7 9 5 9 4 2 2 6 1 3

Sudoku #6 5 2 9 4 1 7 8 2 4 3 6 5 9 4 1 7 8 5 2 6 3 6 7 1 2 1 5 9 6 9 3 8 7 8 4 3

8

3 6 9 5 9 7 2 1 3 6 4 5 8 9 1 8 3 4 2 3 5 1 7 7 4 2 9 6 1 5 6 4 2 6 7 1 8 3 4 8 9 7 5 2

Sudoku #7 5 2 6 8 4 1 7 9 1 9 4 7 3 2 8 6

3 5

BY SASHA WILLIAMS // Artist/Vendor

"To be interested solely in technique would be a very superficial thing to me."

-- Andrew Wyeth

1 9 2 3 8 3 2 2 6 1 9 4 9 4 1 8 7

LAST EDITION’S PUZZLE SOLUTION >>

WMATA... What’s wrong?!

FICTION

6 5 4 5 6 1 7 8 7 4 9 2 1 7 8 9 2 5 2 4 6 3 1 3

9

7 6

8

1 3

8

9

Sudoku #8 2 1 6 7 4 4 8 7 3 5

9

2 5 3 4 9 8 4 7 1 2 5 6

2

3

9 7 1 2 3 4 8 4 6

5

3 1

7 9 5 8 2 6

3 8 6 4 5 9 1 7 2 6 3 8 9 1 7 5 2 4 8 6 3 7 4 5 2 9 1

8 9

3 6

5

1

Author Gene Weingarten is a college dropout and a nationally syndicated humor columnist for The Washington Post. Author Dan Weingarten is a former college dropout and a current college student majoring in information technology. Many thanks to Gene Weingarten and The Washington Post Writers Group for allowing Street Sense to run Barney & Clyde.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

COMMUNITY SERVICES

SHELTER HOTLINE Línea directa de alojamiento

(202) 399-7093

YOUTH HOTLINE Línea de juventud

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE Línea directa de violencia doméstica

(202) 547-7777

Education Educación

Health Care Seguro

Clothing Ropa

Legal Assistance Assistencia Legal

Case Management Coordinación de Servicios

Food Comida

Employment Assistance Assitencia con Empleo

Transportation Transportación

Showers Duchas

All services listed are referral-free Academy of Hope Public Charter School 202-269-6623 // 2315 18th Place NE aohdc.org

Bread for the City 202-265-2400 (NW) // 561-8587 (SE) 1525 7th St., NW // 1640 Good Hope Rd., SE breadforthecity.org

Calvary Women’s Services // 202-678-2341 1217 Good Hope Rd., SE calvaryservices.org

Catholic Charities // 202-772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp

Central Union Mission // 202-745-7118 65 Massachusetts Ave., NW missiondc.org

Charlie’s Place // 202-232-3066 1830 Connecticut Ave., NW charliesplacedc.org

Christ House // 202-328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd., NW christhouse.org

Father McKenna Center // 202-842-1112 19 Eye St., NW fathermckennacenter.org

Food and Friends // 202-269-2277 219 Riggs Rd., NE foodandfriends.org (home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc)

Foundry Methodist Church // 202-332-4010 1500 16th St., NW ID (Friday 9am–12pm only) foundryumc.org/ministry-opportunities

Friendship Place // 202-364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave., NW friendshipplace.org

Georgetown Ministry Center // 202-338-8301 1041 Wisconsin Ave., NW georgetownministrycenter.org

Jobs Have Priority // 202-544-9128 425 2nd St., NW jobshavepriority.org

Loaves & Fishes // 202-232-0900 1525 Newton St., NW loavesandfishesdc.org

Church of the Pilgrims // 202-387-6612 2201 P St., NW food (1-1:30 on Sundays only) churchofthepilgrims.org/outreach

Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 2114 14th St., NW marthastable.org

Community Family Life Services 202-347-0511 // 305 E St., NW cflsdc.org

Miriam’s Kitchen // 202-452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave., NW miriamskitchen.org

Community of Hope // 202-232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

Covenant House Washington 202-610-9600 // 2001 Mississippi Ave., SE covenanthousedc.org

D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 202-347-8870 // 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW dccfh.org

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOTLINE Línea de salud del comportamiento

(800) 799-7233

Housing/Shelter Vivienda/alojamiento

1-888-793-4357 Laundry Lavandería

Patricia Handy Place for Women 202-733-5378 // 810 5th St., NW

Samaritan Inns // 202-667-8831 2523 14th St., NW samaritaninns.org

Samaritan Ministry 202-722-2280 // 1516 Hamilton St., NW // 202-889-7702 // 1345 U St., SE samaritanministry.org

Sasha Bruce Youthwork // 202-675-9340 741 8th St., SE sashabruce.org

So Others Might Eat (SOME) // 202-797-8806 71 O St., NW some.org

St. Luke’s Mission Center // 202-333-4949 3655 Calvert St., NW stlukesmissioncenter.org

Thrive DC // 202-737-9311 1525 Newton St., NW thrivedc.org

Unity Health Care // 202-745-4300 3020 14th St., NW unityhealthcare.org

Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St., NW // 202-328-5500 legalclinic.org

The Welcome Table // 202-347-2635 1317 G St., NW epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable

My Sister’s Place // 202-529-5991 (24-hr hotline) mysistersplacedc.org

N Street Village // 202-939-2060 1333 N St., NW nstreetvillage.org

New York Avenue Shelter // 202-832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave., NE

// 15

Whitman-Walker Health 1701 14th St., NW // 202-745-7000 2301 MLK Jr. Ave., SE // 202-797-3567 whitman-walker.org

For further information and listings, visit our online service guide at StreetSenseMedia.org/service-guide

JOB BOARD Police Dispatcher City of Falls Church, Virginia // Falls Church, VA

Police dispatchers provide the critical link between police officers and City residents who need emergency services. They operate police communications systems, answer telephones, record complaints, and dispatch and monitor police personne, monitor alarm systems and security cameras and perform related administrative duties, such as maintaining logbooks, and other record-keeping tasks as assigned. REQUIRED: High school diploma or GED. APPLY: tinyurl.com/falls-church-dispatcher

Office Assistant Child Trends // Bethesda, MD

This position helps manage the reception area, triages incoming calls and mail, provides meeting support, stocks and orders office supplies, all under the direction of the Office Manager.

REQUIRED: High school diploma or GED, 2-3 years experience working in an office.

APPLY: tinyurl.com/office-assistant-job

Pest Control Technician HomeTeam Pest Defense // Laurel, MD

Full-time This position works independently to complete a designated route, discusses and diagnoses pest problems with homeowners, and maintains a professional appearance.

REQUIRED: High school diploma or GED. APPLY: tinyurl.com/pest-control-tech

Cook Christ House // 1717 Columbia Rd NW

Full-time This position prepares meals according to a changing weekly menu, under guidelines from the Executive Chef. It is also responsible for setting up, catering and assisting with cleanup of snacks/food for anniversaries, birthdays, holiday parties, and administrative meetings, as well as following proper food safety and sanitary practices. REQUIRED: High school diploma or GED, 2 years food handling/prep experience, DC food handler certification.

APPLY: tinyurl.com/christ-house-cook

Street Outreach Coordinator Captiol Hill Group Ministry // 415 2nd St NE

Full-time, Monday - Friday // 8 am - 7:00 pm This position plans and implements the weekend activity schedule; makes regular house check inspections; maintain records; respond to emergencies. REQUIRED: Bachelor’s degree in social services, 2 years experience working with people experiencing homelessness, previous case management experience, proficiency with Microsoft Office, .

APPLY: Email resume and cover letter to hr@chgm.net, including “Street Outreach Coordinator” in the subject line.

You’ve got to have each other’s backs

The Battle

BY JARED WILLIAMS

Volunteer

BY ROBERT WILLIAMS Artist/Vendor, USMC

H

Jared and Robert Williams. PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT WILLIAMS

ey, what’s up peeps? Peace and blessings to you. You’ve been with me a minute. So, let me take ya on inside a little deeper. I’ve got a special treat for you this issue: two extensions of me. My son, who I call my seed; and my daughter, who’s my doll baby doll baby doll.

Words cannot explain the depth of love I possess for them.

As years pass, I think, “Lord, how unworthy am I of their love?” Of His, also. Like Him, they obviously possess that agape love for me. Oh if you only knew the pain I feel, sometimes day-to-day, as I recall some of the things they endured from me with their mother. Wishing I could take it back.

How, tell me, do we make up for the error in our ways? The mistakes, the hurt and the pain we cause others. What, pray tell, does one do? Man, I love and miss them so. They are both in different states now, both being adults. “Papa” am I, too, to three of the most beautiful and adorable grandkids one could imagine.

Another extension of me is their mother, my pretty ga-yal. There’s none other like her on the face of this world. Separated are we, right now. Yet, ya know she still loves me and thinks of me every day. She’ll never admit it though, so don’t tell her I shared that with you.

Watch out, parents. Daughters tend to pick a man similar to their dads and sons pick parallel to their moms. Perfect example, my son-in-law is almost as smooth as I. He has hidden potential I have peeped, though he seems oblivious to the eye I have had on him. What’s up wit ‘em, y’all?

Often I wonder if our children even realize the love and the pain we possess as a result of the errors in our ways. Ride it out offspring, mine and of parents all over.

My apoloiges for them and for me. You must love and forgive us, not for us, but for you. Whether we express it or not, we love you so, so , so very much.

I pray mine remain unified as one and have each other’s back as their mother gets older and I get younger. It’s so imperative that siblings have one another’s back no matter the journey, There are too many ups, downs and hardships on the unbalanced scales of life. You have to allow those struggles to be stepping stones in life’s preparation for the journey onwoard into your destiny.

If it were not for my children, you would never have experienced my writing.

Except for the grace of God, longing for the sight of them and the sound of their voice was the only thing pushing me forward. Their love and forgiveness was the wind beneath my wings to stay aflight.

My seed is 6’ 4” of madness with maturity and creativity — like his dad. Like pops, he doesn’t use his head sometimes. I keep telling ‘im, the best decision can’t be made without information. W act like we don’t have a damn bit of information. Still, we rise. Like the saying goes, the apple don’t fall far from the tree. This boy can write!

For your reading enjoyment, allow my seed to release some of the literary dopamine from the pleasure center of your brain.

OCT. 31 - NOV. 13, 2018 VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 26

Sometimes I battle demons, and one is inside of me, Only thing is, if it’s free it’ll be a monstrosity.

My emotions waiver from left to right, They’re all over the place, especially at night.

I’ll call the demon inside me Dan and leave it at that.

He puts my worst fears in order and yells, “There’s no turning back!”

I’m dying inside and screaming for help, Yet nothing comes out my mouth, No murmur, no whisper, not even a yelp.

I can see where this is going and I don’t like the look, I pray to God at night that my life doesn’t get took.

He’s manipulating, egotistical, a liar, and deceptive, But that’s not me, it’s Dan. The thing I fear most from him, Is that I won’t become a man.

Exposing Exploitation

BY ROBERT WILLIAMS, USMC

A Son’s Love for His Mother

BY ROBERT WILLIAMS, USMC

Artist/Vendor

It’s been five years, But when I speak of her too long, Still I come to tears I guess I’m still not that strong The day after Thanksgiving did I bury her In my heart now, do I still carry her Special, very special, is a mother’s love Similar to that of our Father God above Lessons of life did she teach me All of her love did she give free, to me Even when I would misbehave Still – she did not take, but she freely gave I love her dearly just because A model of a true woman she was I thank God for her existence To his will, she had no resistance So in actuality – she’s still in existence In my heart, she’ll always be a part of me Yes — that, she will always be

Artist/Vendor

I love you Mushie — your Bobby

Why is it you fear me?

Refuse to look at or even hear me?

You want to hold me down And keep on my face a frown.

Yet still I wear the crown And I remain in town.

With my head held high Looking toward the sky.

My help comes from above.

Though you refuse to— He always shows me love.

We already have no representation Now here you go with gentrification.

Exposing the exploitation And unjustification Returning to the mind and body Manipulation For personal gratification.

One might as well Be placed back on the plantation.

First published Nov. 30, 2016

Rise

BY JARED WILLIAMS

Volunteer

They say the best way to hide info from us is to put it in a book, So as I write this, I hope my statement isn’t overlooked.

We are a powerful people, feared among nations, They are scared, so they kill us in retaliation.

Laws set up just to restrict our freedom, But if we come together it’s no doubt we can beat ‘em.

We are strong kings, remember— Black men, we are powerful beyond means.

First published Aug. 9, 2017

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