11 01 2007

Page 1

The city shuts its family emergency shelter, making way for a Metrobus facility, page 8

$1.00 Suggested Donation

November 1, 2007 – November 13, 2007

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Volume 4, Issue 22

www.streetsense.org

NO VET LEFT BEHIND

LIFE AS THEATRE

Many Homeless Vets Unaware of Aid

Poignant “‘Capers” Imitates Life

By Dan Whittier

REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM KHALIL BENDIB

Despite high rates of homelessness among U.S veterans, only one in four are receiving assistance from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a situation a national advocacy organization blames on lack of awareness of federal support. Cheryl Beversdorf, president and CEO of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV ), said many of the estimated 400,000 veterans who are homeless in any given year are unaware of services offered by the VA, or fail to take advantage of the programs early enough. The problem is compounded by the fact that many homeless vets — who are estimated to number almost one-quarter of the total homeless population in the United States — do not recognize themselves as veterans, according to Beversdorf.

The VA and advocacy groups should devote more advertising and expand outreach programs to raise awareness of services available to

veterans, Beversdorf said. To address the lack of self-recognition, Beversdorf suggested running ads that begin with “have you served

in the military,” rather than with “are you a veteran.” Homelessness in veterans results from many of the same factors common to other homeless populations, Beversdorf said, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), brain trauma, lack of affordable housing, lack of education, and lack of sustainable employment. The VA estimates that 45% of homeless veterans suffer from mental-health issues, while more than 70% suffer from substance abuse. The most common mental illness found in homeless veterans is PTSD, which often leads to other mental illnesses related to trauma, as well as alcohol and drug abuse. Despite this, only half of all VA centers offer treatment and assistance for PTSD and other mental illnesses.

See

Aid, page 4

Dalai Lama Reaches Out to Women’s Shelter By Melanie Lidman

See

Dalai Lama, page 6

MELANIE LIDMAN/STREET SENSE

“At 16, I lost my freedom. At 24, I lost my country. So my first reflection is that I, myself, am also homeless,” said His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, stately in his maroon and gold robes, as he looked out at a sea of people at the N Street Village, a community center for homeless women. The crowd laughed at this statement, but the residents nodded in understanding. For all of his fame, the Dalai Lama spoke to the group gathered at the N Street Village as equals. He laughed and joked with the audience, but when he spoke about compassion and equality, the

tone of his voice changed and his hands moved emphatically. “We are the same human beings,” he said over and over in his speech. “We all have the same right to be happy.” The Dalai Lama was in Washington to accept the Congressional Gold Medal on Oct. 17 in the U.S. Capitol. President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and several other members of Congress members spoke at the ceremony after two hours of Tibetan dance and cultural celebration. Fo l l ow i n g t h e n u m e r o u s “He made me feel important,” one shelter resident said.

Inside This Issue

NATIONAL

INSERT

Outreach Growing Fast

Prison Art

Focus on Veterans

But lots of veterans still don’t have access to the programs they need, page 5

An art showcase from prisoners around the country, insert

EDITORIAL

LOCAL

POETRY

Winter is Coming

Ghost Dad

Advocates aren’t buying the city’s plan to bring the homeless in from the cold, page 8

When a father doesn’t come home, page 9

The Wrong Path A female veteran explains how she wound up homeless, page 13

By Desiree Perez

W

hat can one woman and a chair say about an entire community’s campaign to save its neighborhood? A lot. What started as a young woman’s volunteer work within the Arthur Capper community in southeast D.C. has become “‘Capers”—an emotional and wildly entertaining play about community displacement. In her one-woman show, Anu Yadav puts on an impressive performance. Lighthearted at times and heartbreaking at others, she creates a world that chronicles actual events faced by the Friends and Residents of Arthur Capper and Carrollsburg – a community rights group formed to combat the urban gentrification threatening their neighborhood. Without sets, costumes or music, and with no props save a single chair, she is able to convincingly transform herself from one character to another and transport the audience through a variety of settings simply by the way she carries herself. From a grandmother supporting her family and living in fear of being evicted, to a young mother struggling with the threat of relocation and an addiction, to Mr. Kelly of the Housing Authority, Yadav is able to present widely varying points of view. At one point she’s an older woman and a grandmother. She walks slowly and speaks in a deep raspy voice. Though her temper is short, she invokes Jesus to help her keep calm through her frustrations with the redevelopment, which brings a very real and heart wrenchingly comical aspect to the play. At another point, she’s a 15-yearold girl. Too young to be taken seriously by the adults of Friends and Relatives, she speaks out through poems and stomp dancing. Later,

See Capers, page 13

Street Sense . November 1 – 13, 2007

2 ALL ABOUT US

Our Mission 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 347-2006 Fax: (202) 347-2166 info@streetsense.org www.streetsense.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS James Davis Robert Egger Ted Henson Barbara Kagan David Pike John Snellgrove Michael Stoops Francine Triplett David Walker Kathy Whelpley EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Laura Thompson Osuri VENDOR MANAGER Jesse Smith Jr. EDITOR IN CHIEF Kaukab Jhumra Smith ASSOCIATE EDITOR David S. Hammond (volunteer) INTERNS Melanie Lidman and Desiree Perez VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Matt Allee, Robert Basler, Robert Blair, Mia Boyd, Cliff Carle, Jason Corum, Rebecca Curry, Darcy Gallucio, Joshua Gardner, Arielle Geigerich, Genevieve Gill, Cassandra Good, Joanne Goodwin, Carol Hannaford, Sean Hardin, Justin Herman, Annie Hill, Brooke Howell, Joann Jackson, Matt Johnson, Kathy Jones, Mary Lynn Jones, Maurice King, Jo Knight, Geof Koss, Jessica LaGarde, Karin Lee, Katie Leitch, August Mallory, Mandy McAnally, Sam McCormally, Jeffery McNeil, Kate Mitchell, Kent Mitchell, Mike O’Neill, Moyo Onibuje, Swinitha Osuri, Michael Patterson, David Pike, Dan Seligson, Eric Sheptock, Jennifer Singleton, Katie Smith, Kathryn Taylor, Francine Triplett, Linda Wang, Dan Weingarten, Dan Whittier, Kelly Wilson, Marian Wiseman, Corrine Yu VENDORS Nikyona Akinde, Willie Alexander, Michael Anderson, Jake Ashford, Tommy Bennett, Kanon Brown, Bobby Buggs, Leonard Cannedy, Cliff Carle, Alice Carter, Conrad Cheek Jr., Anthony Crawford, Louise Davenport, James Davis, Bernard Dean, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Ronald Franklin, Don Gardner, Richard Gerald, Leo Gnawa, Stephanie Gooden, Barron Hall, David Harris, John Harrison, Patricia Henry, Phillip Howard, Joanne Jackson, Michael Jefferson, Patricia Jefferson, Jewell Johnson, Alicia Jones, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, Brenda Karyl LeeWilson, Arthur Mathis, Charles Mayfield, Lee Mayse, Jermale McKnight, Craig McKoy, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jeffery McNeil, Lawrence Miller, L. Morrow, Charles Nelson, Moyo Onibuje, Therese Onyemenon, Kevin Robinson, Edward Ross, Michael Sanders, Gerald Smith, Patty Smith, James Stewart, Lizzie Stoddard, Francine Triplett, Carl Turner, Jerry W., Martin Walker, Mary Wanyama, Lawless Watson, Inell Wilson, Ivory Wilson

We are proud members of:

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

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

North American Street Newspaper Association

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

For the first year, Street Sense operated as a project of the National Coalition for the Homeless, but in October 2004, the organization incorporated and moved into its own office space. In March 2005, Street Sense received 501(c)3 status, becoming an independent nonprofit organization. In October 2005, Street Sense formed a board of directors, and in November, the organization hired its first employee, a full-time executive director. A year later, in November 2006, the organization hired its first vendor coordinator. In February 2007, the paper started publishing twice a month as the network of vendors expanded to more than 50 homeless men and women. And to support the increased productin, Street Sense brought on its first full-time editor in chief in April.

International Network of Street Papers

Street Sense Vendor Code of Conduct 1.

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October 15 - 31 Donors Margie Conlin Robin Goracke Rajeev Purohit Cynthia R. Woodside Laura Coletta Miranda Katsoyannis Sara Rachmeler Marcia Ramsey Theresa Thomas Holly Wiseman Thomas Zgambo And a special thanks to Terry Pelster Jennifer Rich

Thank You!

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

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

Street Sense . November 1 – 13, 2007

PROFILE 3

SERVICE PROFILE

A Woman of Infinite Variety, With a Will to Help Others By Kelly Wilson

“No one can say no to her.”

MARY FITTRO

Joy Trickett, 64, does her volunteer work as chairwoman of the nonprofit Good Shepherd Alliance from the house where she cares for her 91-year-old mother and five cats. “Really, it’s four too many,” she said. “No, I shouldn’t say that, because they each have their own personality.” Trickett has been volunteering with organizations centered on the homeless population of northern Virginia since her retirement eight years ago from the Department of Defense. That work has become a passion that extends to the formerly stray cats she now calls her own. The past two years have brought Trickett recognition for her volunteer work from the Loudoun County Office of Volunteer Services, the National Council of Negro Women in D.C. and the Virginia House of Delegates. Her commitment to the cause she loves hasn’t changed with all the accolades. “Joy walks the Christian walk,” said Mark Gunderman, vice-chairman of the Good Shepherd Alliance, the Christian organization where both he and Trickett volunteer. The organization provides shelter and other forms of support for the homeless of Loudoun County. “She leads by example.” Trickett said she follows the word of the Bible, which calls on those with enough for themselves to help those who are without. “We really need to help the have-nots,” Trickett said. “That is really, really important.” Everyone should be part of the effort to

help others, she said. “If we’re not willing to do that, I don’t know what’s going to happen,” she said. One of the influential models for Trickett’s life was her father, who always took time out of his own life to help others find jobs or get enough to eat, Trickett said. Even before her retirement, Trickett volunteered through the Church of the Brethren where she is a deacon. One of the projects she has been involved with longest is Link, which works with area churches to provide and deliver food to residents. The Link program is unique because it does not concern itself with why people need to use the service, just on the fact that they are in need, Trickett said. “I hate to think that somebody doesn’t have food for their children tonight,” she said. To see the places Trickett has volunteered would require a tour of the county, Gunderman said. He first met Trickett at a food bank meeting at the Church of the Brethren in 1999, where Gunderman was speaking about his work in homeless shelters.“I was taken by her,” he said. That first meeting between Trickett and Gunderman led to his work with a food bank the following year and by 2002 he had become so involved that he was asked to be a board member of the Good Shepherd Alliance. Trickett calls on people and makes them feel like helping her is a step toward truly making a difference in the community, Gunderman said, adding that he is not the only one pulled into Trickett’s work.

Joy Trickett of Loudoun County has a knack for drawing other people into her work for the homeless. Seen here with a volunteer award in 2005, she is recognized as a force in her community.

Trickett is able to draw in local businesses and government officials to help with donation and fundraising efforts. “No one can say no to her,” Gunderman said. “She’s a human being that’s really worth meeting.” Lyle Warner, executive director of the Good Shepherd Alliance, agreed. “She’s a very nice person, and very powerful,” Warner said That kindness and power has few boundaries — and Trickett’s resume displays that variety. For example, she and Warner

worked to establish the first Loudoun Summer Music Festival, a charity concert series in the county. Trickett has been involved with renovations to Mary’s House of Hope, a transitional house for pregnant women who need help in order to afford to keep their children. She has also worked to correct specific program issues including payment for workers and fundraising for the House of Hope renovation. Because of Trickett’s exhaustive efforts, shelters that were previously just getting by are now able to support themselves and buy their own land, which Gunderman points out as unique among nonprofit organizations. Trickett sees shelters as a way to “not just feed and clothe [the homeless] but to empower them and get them back into the work force,” Gunderman said. Trickett herself put it rather simply. “Everyone is called to do something to help others,” she said, and then told the cats to let her mother know that she’d be right there to help her to bed.

Donate to Street Sense My Information I will donate: Name:_______________________________________________________ Address:_____________________________________________________ City/State/Zip:_______________________________________________ Phone:_______________________E-mail:_________________________ Please make checks payable to Street Sense

___ $50 for two vendor awards each month ___ $70 for one restaurant review ___ $100 for postage each month ___ $200 for the vests of 15 new vendors ___ $500 for monthly rent and insurance

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

___ $1,200 for the printing of one issue ___ Another amount of $_______ ___ Another amount of $_______ for vendor: ________________

Additional items that Street Sense needs: * Messenger and tote bags and backpacks for vendors

* Office chairs

* Bottled water to hand out to vendors

* Laptop computers with at least Windows 2000

* Food for vendor meetings

and 10 GB of storage space

Please call 202-347-2006 or send an e-mail to info@streetsense.org if you have any of these items to donate.

44 FOCUS LOCAL NEWS ON VETERANS

Arsonist Targets Miriam’s Kitchen By Desiree Perez

Aid, from page 1

VETERANS DAY REPORT

Despite the VA’s annual budget of more than $70 billion, the pressures of addressing the needs of the nation’s 24 million veterans often causes homeless veterans to be overlooked. To reach more homeless veterans, the VA works with Beversdorf’s organization and other private groups to coordinate aid. For example, U.S. Vets, a program run by AmeriCorps, offers permanent housing and a clean and sober environment to homeless veterans, as well as more information on programs supported by the VA. The D.C. and Metro unit of the group has served more than 1,000 homeless veterans, providing permanent housing that allows vets to further seek mental health and substance abuse assistance, education, and job training, according to Emily Button, program coordinator for AmeriCorps. Like elsewhere, Button said many homeless veterans in the D.C. area suffer from PTSD and mental illness that stem from trauma experienced by military service or from being homeless. Many local participants are veterans of the Vietnam War, mirroring national statistics that indicate 47% of homeless veterans have served in Vietnam. With more and more veterans coming home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the VA and advocacy groups will likely face additional pressures. Beversdorf said returning veterans can avoid becoming homeless by recognizing its root causes — insufficient education, housing, employment or mental health problems. Vets should be made more aware of services offered by the VA and other organizations, she said.

Progress for Vet Housing Programs By Melanie Lidman A key program by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to help homeless veterans regain permanent housing has quadrupled its number of transitional housing beds in the past few years but still faces significant challenges in adapting to the changing veteran population, according to findings by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Transitional housing is different from emergency shelter because the majority of individuals in a transitional housing program must enroll in some kind of counseling. Advocates who work with veterans have found one of the most successful ways to help homeless veterans is through temporary housing solutions that lead to permanent housing. The Grant and Per Diem Program is a unique funding approach between Veterans Affairs and local organizations that work with homeless veterans. It allows the VA to partly privatize veterans care to smaller nonprofits. Through the program, the VA gives funds directly to the local shelter or organization, either in capital grants to pay for buildings that house homeless veterans, or a set amount of money per bed per day, called “per diem.” The idea behind this privatization is that local homeless networks, community mental health or substance abuse agencies can provide more comprehensive, individualized care due to their small size. Most transitional housing shelters that benefit from the program have less than 50 beds, and a significant portion have less than 25, according to the GAO. The small number of beds ensures that vulnerable veterans won’t get lost in the bureaucracy and will receive more personal attention from the staff. The Grant and Per Diem Program does not serve all homeless veterans, since it concentrates on transitional housing and not emergency shelter. The program is one of a multitude of programs for homeless veterans that aim to provide housing coupled with other services veterans need, such as employment or substance abuse help. One indication of success is that the number of transitional beds has quadrupled in six years since the Grant and Per Diem Program began. Despite steps in the right direction, the VA estimates that an additional 11,100 transitional beds are needed each night, above the 40,000 already available. Activists who work with homeless veterans, such as the Circle of Friends for American Veterans based in Falls Church, Va., point to transitional beds and the grant program that funds them as the most critical tools in the fight against homelessness. Transitional facilities are so successful because they target the “housing first” model, they said. “This at least gets [homeless veterans] to

COURTESY OF WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

On Oct. 30, at around 3 a.m., an arsonist set fire to a large church room where Miriam’s Kitchen, a homeless services provider, serves meals to the homeless in northwest D.C. Police are investigating. “Apparently, someone had broken into a window in our dining area...[used] some kind of accelerant like gasoline and lit it,” Scott Schenkelberg, executive director of Miriam’s Kitchen, said. A sprinkler system in the building had put out most of the blaze by the time firefighters arrived. “Fortunately, there was relatively minor damage,” Schenkelberg said. “[There was] fire damage and three inches of water from the sprinkler system.” The kitchen opened its doors about 15 minutes late the next morning as a result of the fire. “[We’ve] been able to adapt,” Schenkelberg said. Miriam’s Kitchen will try to repair damages outside normal hours of operation to minimize disruption to program guests, he said. There are no suspects at this time. “Obviously, it’s somebody that needs help,” Schenkelberg said. Miriam’s Kitchen’s services include breakfast, case management and social services for the chronically homeless.

Street Sense . November 1 – 13, 2007

Wisconsin’s “I OWE YOU” program invites YHWHUDQV WR DSSO\ IRU IHGHUDO EHQHÀWV DQG other help.

the next step where it gets them to a more stable type of environment,” said Jon Tong, director of operations for Circle of Friends. “We focus on transitional facilities because we believe the model they are providing is very successful.” Veterans’ Affairs gives money to more than 300 organizations through the Grant and Per Diem program, according to the GAO. These agencies house around 15,000 homeless veterans each year at the cost of approximately $95 million, around one-tenth of 1% of the total budget of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The increasing number of female veterans who seek transitional housing for themselves and their children is a huge challenge to the Veterans Affairs housing program and the Grant and Per Diem program in particular. Shelters cannot get reimbursement from the VA for beds occupied by children, leading the Government Accountability Office to recommend changes or a new special needs grant to serve female veterans. Local organizations also face many challenges when dealing with Veterans’ Affairs tightly regulated grant programs, the GAO reported. Organizations must complete a large amount of bureaucratic paper work in order to qualify for the grants. Short-staffed organizations find the paperwork a huge strain on their over-worked employees. Veterans’ Affairs programs have difficulties measuring their success because there is no reliable data following the veterans after they leave government sponsored housing programs. The Government Accountability Office has recommended the VA explore cost-effective ways to determine how veterans are doing months or years after leaving housing programs.

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

Street Sense . November 1 – 13, 2007

FOCUS ON LOCAL VETERANS NEWS 5

VETERANS DAY REPORT

Improved Outreach to Vets Still Leaves Some Behind By David S. Hammond

Did You Know? Nearly 200,000 veterans are homeless on any given day About 400,000 veterans experience homelessness in any given year

67% of homeless veterans served in the military for three or more years 33% served in a war zone; 28% saw combat COURTESY OF DC CENTRAL KITCHEN

John Driscoll served as an air evacuation medic in Vietnam, and he remembers a time when help was scarce for veterans facing homelessness: “Thirty years ago when Vietnam vets began realizing they needed help, there were no homeless veterans assistance programs.” But today “there are 3,000 organizations providing services to homeless veterans in one form or another,” said Driscoll, who is vice president for operations and programs at the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. “We have come a long way,” he said, “and we have a long way to go.” Community-based organizations and the Department of Veterans Affairs now commonly include homeless veterans in outreach and other programs. The VA reports providing specialized homeless services to some 70,000 veterans a year, along with health care for some 100,000 homeless veterans. And at the VA’s 207 readjustment counseling centers – a program begun in 1979 – 10,000 homeless veterans are among the 130,000 veterans served each year. At the same time, interviews with advocates, service providers, and government officials reveal that many homeless and atrisk veterans still have not been reached, do not make use of the help that is offered or find that the help available falls short of what they need. Now the VA and private groups are trying to keep pace with the needs of a new generation of combat veterans. While they worry about providing the help promised by outreach efforts, experts point to what has already been learned, and accomplished, in the last 20 years. Those lessons – that early screening and sustained outreach efforts can match veterans with the help they need – are inspiring a growing number of federal and state outreach initiatives. These include everything from providing guidance as people leave the service, to helping veterans apply for benefits and navigate the VA health care system, or simply making sure veterans know what help is available to them. That means an easier transition to the civilian world for all veterans and a better quality of life once they get there. For homeless and at-risk veterans, shelter, health care, and help finding a job can mean the difference between life on the street, or off it. For over a decade, the VA’s “Stand Downs” for homeless veterans have been a landmark strategy. These one- to-three day events are organized by local groups nationwide. They typically include referrals to employers and specialized help, as well as a break from daily hardships by offering meals, showers or even a haircut. Stand Downs are paralleled by state efforts like Georgia’s 20-year old “Supermarkets of Veterans Benefits,” which aim to reach all veterans, not just the homeless or at risk. Other states, including Missouri and Wisconsin, have adopted the same approach. Many of the larger events are coupled with efforts to get information into other places where veterans in need will see it.

89% of homeless veterans received an honorable discharge Veterans make up at least homeless men

33% of all

40% of homeless veterans seen by VA served during the Vietnam era

50% of homeless vets are between 45 30% are older than 55

Ricardo Comfort, a formerly homeless veteran, said drug addiction and mental illness can be barriers to accepting help.

About 4% of homeless veterans are women

to rural veterans, and offer more health care, mental health care and readjustment counseling. These proposals come in response to widespread concern that the VA cannot keep up with growing demands on its current resources. The VA treated nearly 5.5 million patients in 2006, up 29% from 2001. It takes on average nearly six months to process a disability claim, and meanwhile calls for other kinds of help, like counseling and housing, are on the rise. In past years, some veterans’ need for those things was met by other federal programs, according to Michael Blecker, whose group Swords to Plowshares has been helping San Francisco-area veterans for three decades. Like other experts, Blecker said the VA does a good job with the resources on hand, but he also said cuts in those other federal programs are throwing veterans’ needs back on the VA. That affects veterans from every era, and the troops now returning from overseas have special issues of their own, like the strain of extended deployment in urban combat, and IED injuries to the brain, eyes and ears. All parties report a determination to make sure today’s veterans get the help they need, and fast. According to Driscoll, however, “It’s too early in the cycle to see what the impact will be. What’s important is that when OEF/OIF vets begin showing signs of strain, they’re brought in for help. We really have a golden opportunity to do it right, because we know what works.” For all the progress in reaching out to veterans, there is more work to be done. It’s sometimes hard to get people to use the help that is available, and certain critical forms of help are still in short supply. Ricardo Comfort, who served with the Army in Korea during the Vietnam era, knows this from experience. He was homeless at one time, and half a dozen rehab programs hadn’t worked. That’s because, he said, “I

to 55;

Almost 40% of homeless female veterans served in the Persian Gulf War or later The majority of female homeless veterans have serious trauma histories: 67% had been raped and 43% of rape victims said the assault happened while they were in the military Sources: U.S. Department Of Veterans Affairs; U.S. Interagency Council On Homelessness; 8 6 *RYHUQPHQW $FFRXQWDELOLW\ 2IÀFH National Coalition for the Homeless; National Coalition for Homeless Veterans

Vermont has a pilot program that literally brings information to people’s front doors. The goal is to visit every service member who has recently been deployed, according to Jim MacIntyre, a retired National Guard chaplain who leads the “doorknockers.” MacIntyre said word of the program is spreading, and he is already receiving referrals from veterans’ friends and neighbors. “I’ve got parents who sit here and say ‘I know there’s a problem – is there something that can be done?’ ” When that happens, MacIntyre said, people can get the help they need. Proof of the state programs’ success in signing veterans up for their benefits is among the arguments for the Veterans Outreach Improvement Act, according to Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) the bill’s Senate cosponsor with Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.). The act would coordinate federal outreach efforts and give grants to expand state and local outreach. The House passed a version unanimously earlier this year. Other bills in Congress would reduce the backlog of VA claims, bring more health care

“When someone says I’m ready to stop getting high, they should get into a program right then and there. But it’s not like that right now.” – Veteran Ricardo Comfort

don’t think I was really ready – I hadn’t hit bottom.” Today Comfort does homeless outreach for First Helping, a program of the DC Central Kitchen, and has five years of similar work with other organizations under his belt. He said that mental illness and drug addiction can themselves be barriers to accepting help, and that “some [homeless veterans] know what’s in place for them, and some don’t. It’s about 50–50. And even the ones that know, don’t know everything.” But help is not always readily available to those homeless people, veterans or not, who are ready to use it. “There should be drug treatment on demand,” Comfort said. “When someone says I’m ready to stop getting high, they should get into a program right then and there. But it’s not like that right now.” And, Comfort said, persistence is a necessity. “When people hit hurdles, they can get very upset. But if you don’t stay on it, nothing’s gonna happen.”

Foundry

United Methodist Church

A Reconciling Congregation

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

Foundry United Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 332-4010 www.foundryumc.org

Street Sense . November 1 – 13, 2007

6 POLITICS

Dalai Lama, from page 1

Street Politics By David S. Hammond

Is the Middle Class Struggling Too? The debate over SCHIP, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, has been remarkable for its focus on the middle class – not poor people. The Democratic congressional leadership is promising to continue the fight over the expansion of the popular federal program, which helps families who qualify out of Medicaid to buy health insurance for some 6.6 million children. President Bush recently vetoed Congress’s five-year, $35 billion expansion, saying he favors more modest growth. A congressional attempt to override the veto fell short of the needed votes on Oct. 18. This has produced wall-to-wall talking points and news coverage, which boil down to an argument over who needs government help, who deserves to get it, and how much government can and should do. Any national debate that argues such basic questions is worth listening to – even if it is driven by politics. What’s particularly interesting about SCHIP is that the argument is not over people at society’s margins, the “deservingâ€? or the “undeservingâ€? poor. It’s about whether the federal government should start buying health insurance for families with incomes well above the poverty level. That point of contention has turned what might have been a routine Washington faceoff into an argument over direct spending to help middle-class people meet a basic human need. And that’s very different from past debates over helping middle-class Americans afford higher education, or achieve the somewhat less specific goals of economic security. Is the readiness of so many in Congress to back this bill – even against clear opposition from an administration of their own party – evidence that the middle class, too, is in real trouble? The program has meant better health and well-being for the children it covers, using federal dollars spent by the states. Everyone likes it when children can see a doctor or get eyeglasses, and it’s done with a program that’s the polar opposite of an unfunded mandate. No wonder SCHIP has so many friends. Expanding it could be good policy and good politics. Is this debate simply Act Two in the build-up to the 2008 elections, following the inconclusive arguments over Iraq, or a serious and necessary effort to help families stay afloat? It could be both. If Congress is acting on a belief that reliable, affordable health care is truly moving beyond the reach of middle-class Americans, then middle-class insecurity is more than a headline. 2IĂ€FLDO 3ULRULWLHV IRU +RPHOHVV 9HWHUDQV More permanent housing for veterans is the number one priority for the Department of 9HWHUDQV $IIDLUV¡ $GYLVRU\ &RPPLWWHH RQ +RPHOHVV 9HWHUDQV. In its 2007 annual report, the committee asked the VA “independently or in partnership with HUD or othersâ€? to create “a viable solutionâ€? to the need for permanent housing. The committee, made up of service providers, public officials and advocates, has reported on the needs of homeless veterans since its creation in 2002. Housing of every kind has been high on the list every year, and this year’s recommendation is a particularly tall order. In its response to the committee, the VA pointed out that it takes a congressional appropriation to make long-term housing a reality. The committee also asked that unused land and buildings at VA medical facilities be made more available for housing homeless veterans. Reform of the grant and per diem payment system for contractors helping homeless veterans was also among the committee’s top recommendations (see story on page 4). Other priorities included the needs of women vets, dental care, vets leaving prison, and outreach to today’s vets (see story on page 5). (YHU\ 9RLFH 2Q (YHU\ &RUQHU I recently ran into vendor Barron Hall selling Street Sense by Union Station in the pouring rain. Hall told me the paper has meant a lot to him, and I told him how proud we are to bring voices like his to the public. “You’re the voice,â€? I said, and as I walked away, I heard him calling out “Street Sense! Street Sense!â€? A few days later, I celebrated Halloween with the New England-based country-punk band Pariah Beat. They like to sing -RKQQ\ &DVK songs, and say that every voice is important and beautiful, no matter how painful the story it tells. Their performance reminded me of Hall and our other vendors, who make that point every day. Important voices can be heard on every street corner in our cities, and in every trailer home clinging to a hillside deep in the country. What’s on your mind? E-mail StreetPoliticsDC@aol.com.

speeches delivered by his hosts, the robed Dalai Lama, 72, rose to the podium and spoke of tension in U.S.-China relations over the sovereignty of his homeland, Tibet, and the importance of a diplomatic approach based on trust and mutual respect. He called for “meaningful autonomy for Tibet,� but not independence from China. “Many of the world’s problems are rooted in inequality and injustice,� he said. “[We need to address] all these global issues from the perspective of the oneness of humanity.� The Dalai Lama spent two hours at the N Street Village on Oct. 19 as part of a tour through Washington. While awaiting his arrival, the residents of the night shelter milled around outside watching the media circus from across the street with a mixture of interest and wariness. “At first I had no interest in it, but they say he’s a good person,� said Michelle, a resident at the night shelter, before the Dalai Lama’s arrival. Still, she said she didn’t think she would go into the room to hear him speak, perhaps she’d watch his speech from a large- screen monitor in the courtyard or go about her regular business at the day center. About 25 residents and 10 employees, Michelle included, lined up to meet the Dalai Lama as he entered the main building of N Street Village. The Dalai Lama went down the line, greeting each person individually. “It’s fantastic!� beamed one resident after receiving a hug from the Dalai Lama. Due to space constraints in the Multipurpose Room, not all of the residents who wanted to attend could be in the room where the Dalai Lama spoke. Those who wanted to listen were invited to watch his speech on a large screen outside in the courtyard. “We tried to let women know what was going on so they were as much a part of it as they could be or as little as they wanted,� said Kjersten Priddy, volunteer manager at N Street. But some women told Street Sense they were upset there wasn’t enough room for everyone who wanted to attend, and that members of

the media were discouraged from talking to the women. When seats opened up in the room where the Dalai Lama was speaking, Michelle jumped at the chance. Around 90 friends, board members and donors joined 35 shelter residents in the large room. The event was a collaboration between N Street Village and the Washington Humane Society, highlighting the organizations’ partnership, through which residents volunteer to help with the rehabilitation and training of rescued animals. The Dalai Lama seized on this cooperation between humans and animals in part of his speech. “Sometimes [an animal’s] affection is more honest. They don’t care about social status,� he said. Jennifer, a resident of the night shelter and a participant in the day program, said she found that statement to be incredibly meaningful. “He’s right – when you show affection, the puppy doesn’t know your status.� Among the most excited residents were the 12 members of N Street Village’s Applied Meditation Group, led by Buddhist nun Ani Tenzin Lhamo. Many of the members affirmed that seeing the Dalai Lama was a life-changing experience. “I would have never thought in a million years – with the situation I got myself into with being homeless – that I would have an audience with the Dalai Lama – not when I was in intake, not when I had to do urine testing – never!� laughed Helen Hamilton, a member of the meditation group. Sitting in the Bethany Day Center after hearing the speech, residents mulled over the Dalai Lama’s words and the rare experience of seeing him up close. Many were inspired by his speech and appreciative that the Dalai Lama spoke to them as an equal and did not “dumb down� his words for the residents. “Some of us have been in a fog for so long. We get discouraged in our own lives,� said night shelter resident Gayle Steward. “I’m so tired of hearing of alcoholism and drugs and talking about it, talking about getting high or whatever. I want to hear about harmony. It is so beautiful to have someone walk in and exude peace.� Matt Johnson contributed to this report.

“I would have never thought ... that I would have an audience with the Dalai Lama – not when I was in intake, not when I had to do urine testing – never!�

6R :KDW 'LG 7KH\ 7KLQN RI +LP" 1 6WUHHW 9LOODJHUV 7HOO $OO “I never expected him to be so comical—it was the farthest thing from my mind, thinking of His Holiness. He’s a real card.â€? – Helen Hamilton “He made me feel important, made me feel like I was on top of this world. I think N Street is the best shelter in the city.â€? – Jackie Lewis “Of all the places, he chose N Street ... Some of what he said we should all take in and do. Even though we’re homeless, I think we can do something‌Who wants to be this way? We have to be strong together.â€? – Jennifer Flowers “We’re a dot on the map of the universe and he came here ... When he said I’m also homeless, it puts him on the same level; we’re in the same family. He said this is who I am: I’m homeless.â€? ² *D\OH 6WHZDUG “I was nervous ... I didn’t consider myself to be special, but now I do.â€? ² -XGLWK +DFNQH\

Street Sense . November 1 – 13, 2007

IN OTHER NEWS

NEWS IN BRIEF 7

By Mandy McAnally

1HZ 0H[LFR 6KHOWHU 3URYLGHV 7UDQVSRUWDWLRQ IRU +RPHOHVV Joy Junction, New Mexico’s largest emergency homeless shelter, is providing emergency transportation service for the homeless in Bernalillo County as cold weather approaches. The homeless can access the service by calling a toll free number available seven days a week until midnight. The service also checks out areas where the homeless are known to gather and gives sleeping bags and blankets to people who decline a ride to the shelter. The number of people using Joy Junction’s services has doubled in four years. (Journal Chretien, 10/22). 1HZ <RUN +RPHOHVV $GYRFDWHV 3URWHVW 1HZ 6KHOWHU 3ROLF\ Advocates for the New York City’s homeless say a new shelter policy is forcing families to spend the night in parks, emergency rooms and even McDonald’s. The city recently implemented a policy that will not grant shelter stays to families who have previously been deemed ineligible for temporary housing. Sixty families with children were denied shelter stays for the first 12 days of the new policy. City officials believe these families can stay with relatives or friends instead of in a shelter. (NY1 News, 10/27). Tennessee: Council Postpones Plan for Homeless Mission Murphreesboro has postponed a plan to open a day mission for the homeless until November to allow more time to review the plan. A local nonprofit wants to use the mission to provide lunch, showers and laundry services for the homeless, as well as help them find social services. There are concerns the mission would bring more homeless to the area. Advocates have tried to allay such concerns. They say people eating at the mission also would have to meet with volunteers and counselors to determine what other services they need, such

MARYLAND IN BRIEF

as life skills classes, employment preparation or education. (Hutchens, Tennessean, 10/25). 7H[DV 'DOODV &KXUFK 7XUQV 3DUNLQJ /RW 2YHU WR +RPHOHVV More than 150 homeless people in Dallas are calling the parking lot of a local church home after authorities removed them from nearby streets. First Presbyterian Church, which raised $51,000 for security and portable toilets, started allowing homeless people to sleep in the lot several weeks ago. Dallas Deputy Police Chief Vincent Golbeck said the crowd in the lot has grown to a “critical mass� and has spilled onto the public sidewalks, which violates an ordinance against sleeping in public. Mayor Tom Leppert said the city is trying to balance the needs of the homeless with the need to attract investment downtown. The city is working to open its new homeless assistance center in April. (Horner, Dallas Morning News, 10/27).

of its plan to end homelessness by 2015. More than half of those units would be situated in towns surrounding the city. Cooperation among suburban areas is expected to be difficult but the regional council of governments’ participation in the program is an encouraging sign that the plan may be accepted by Hartford’s neighbors (Hartford Courant, 10/22).

:DVKLQJWRQ 6HDWWOH +\JLHQH &HQWHU 2SHUDWLQJ DW &DSDFLW\ A remodeled downtown hygiene center offering showers, laundry facilities and restrooms at no charge to homeless and low-income people is operating at capacity. Laundry usage increased 55% after a $660,000 expansion of the laundry facilities and an addition of a women’s restroom. More than 4,500 people use the facility monthly, with demand far exceeding the five-shower, nine-washer capacity. The center hopes to secure funding in 2008 for an onsite nurse and referral services for housing, employment and substance abuse counseling. (Iwasaki, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 10/25). &RQQHFWLFXW 8QLWV 3ODQQHG IRU &KURQLFDOO\ +RPHOHVV The city of Hartford is planning to construct 2,133 units of supportive housing for the chronically homeless as part

By Capital News Service staff

%XVLQHVVHV 6XSSRUW 3URSRVHG &LW\ %DQ RQ 3ODVWLF %DJV ANNAPOLIS – Local business owners rallied Oct. 25 in support of a city alderman’s first-in-the-nation proposal to ban plastic shopping bags in Annapolis. In March, San Francisco enacted a ban that affects large supermarkets and drug stores, but Annapolis would be the first government in the nation to ban plastic bags at all retail establishments if the city council approves the measure Nov 19. “About 100 billion plastic bags are distributed in the United States every year,â€? said Annapolis Alderman Sam Shropshire, sponsor of the measure. “Of those, 99 billion end up in landfills or the environment.â€? Supporters say plastic bags are a source of litter, take too long to decompose, are not recycled as easily as paper bags and kill wildlife that eat them. Critics argued that paper bags are not necessarily better for the environment, and said there are better ways to reduce litter, such as better enforcement of litter laws and anti-littering education campaigns, instead of a ban. Shropshire said the city would soon be handing out thousands of red reusable bags emblazoned with an “Annapolis Recyclesâ€? logo. Besides banning plastic, his ordinance would let stores use only 100% recycled paper bags for those customers who do not provide reusable bags. – Kenneth Fletcher 7UDIĂ€F &RQJHVWLRQ &RVWV WKH 6WDWH %LOOLRQV (DFK <HDU ANNAPOLIS – Traffic congestion in the Baltimore and Washington areas costs Maryland citizens $3.1 billion annually, according to a new study. The Texas Transportation Institute report, commissioned by area business groups, said Tuesday the cost of congestion in the state has increased by 1,200% since 1982 due to a rise in traffic volume without corresponding improvement or construction of roads. For drivers stuck in “peak periodâ€? traffic, the delays cost them each an average of more than $800 a year, the report said. “More and more citizens are sitting in traffic, which is harming the economy and quality of life,â€? said Johanna Neumann, spokeswoman for Maryland PIRG. Congestion also takes its toll on businesses, said Kathy Snyder, president of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. In the Washington metro area, drivers spend 120 million hours a year in traffic and burn

90 million gallons of fuel, the study found. – Kate Prahlad 0DU\ODQG 3XWV :HOFRPH 0DW 2XW IRU 9LUJLQLD ,PPLJUDQWV WASHINGTON – A resolution passed in Virginia’s Prince William County the week of Oct. 15 to crack down on illegal immigrants might bring a mass relocation to a welcoming state like Maryland, experts said. The Virginia law will bar illegal immigrants from obtaining business licenses and using services for the homeless, elderly and drug-addicted. In addition, police must check suspects’ immigration status if there is reason to believe they are here illegally. Full funding for the law has not yet been approved, so the effective date of the legislation has been delayed. Still, publicity about the law and its future enforcement may be enough to prompt some to uproot. Maryland has generally been more relaxed about illegal immigration than Virginia. For example, it is one of only nine states that doesn’t check immigration status before issuing a driver’s license. Unlike Prince William County, Maryland’s Montgomery County Council unanimously rejected immigration enforcement training, a federal program that has U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents training county police officers to conduct residency status checks on criminal suspects. – Danielle Ulman +RZDUG &RXQW\ 3ODQV WR 5HFUXLW .LGV IRU +HDOWK 3URJUDP ANNAPOLIS – Howard County officials and the state Comptroller’s Office are pushing ahead with plans to recruit more children for a federally funded health insurance program, even as the program’s future is up in the air. Congress failed to override President Bush’s veto of a bill that would have expanded the State Children’s Health Insurance Program by $35 billion over five years and could have extended coverage to an additional 69,500 Maryland children. The current SCHIP law is set to expire in November if Congress and the White House cannot reach agreement on a bill. But that uncertainty has not stopped Howard County’s plan to use state tax records to find parents of children who qualify for SCHIP but are not yet enrolled. Under the program, the Comptroller’s Office will search state tax records to identify Howard County

households that earn up to 300% of the federal poverty limit, the cutoff for eligibility in Maryland’s current version of SCHIP. The Comptroller’s Office will then notify families by mail of their possible eligibility for SCHIP and urge them to contact the Howard County Health Department for more information, said Catherine Duray, a spokeswoman for the comptroller. – Andy Zieminski 0DU\ODQG &RXOG 3D\ +HDY\ 3ULFH IRU *OREDO :DUPLQJ ANNAPOLIS - Global warming will hit Maryland and neighboring Mid-Atlantic states harder than any other region in the United States, predicts a study by the University of Maryland released Oct. 16. Nationwide, global warming will cause more forest fires and floods and will lower farm productivity due to drought, crop diseases and coastal damage due to rising sea levels, according to the report by the university’s Center for Integrative Environmental Research. But the Mid-Atlantic – including Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware and New England – may see the worst of it. “Climate change will occur throughout the entire country, but its impacts will be unevenly distributed,� said Matthias Ruth, center director and the lead researcher, in a conference call Oct. 16. The report, “The U.S. Economic Impacts of Climate Change and the Costs of Inaction,� predicts that Mid-Atlantic sea levels will rise 20 inches by 2100, leading to as much as $58 billion in damages to coastal communities. This will also cut into the livelihoods of those who depend on the sea for their livelihood. By 2025, the region’s tourism industry could be losing $405 billion to $810 billion a year due to fewer days for skiing and snowmobiling, and fewer beaches. The study based its cost estimates on previous climate studies and data from NOAA, the Census Bureau and NASA. – Rick Docksai

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

8 LOCALNEWS NEWS 8 LOCAL

Street Sense . November 1 – 13, 2007

DC Village Closure Paves Way for New Metro Garage By Melanie Lidman

MELANIE LIDMAN/STREET SENSE

After years of political wrangling, the beleaguered D.C. Village Emergency Shelter for Homeless Families, the only such facility in the District, has finally closed. On Oct. 26, the last of the approximately 106 families from the pest-infested facility were placed in transitional apartments scattered throughout the city and its doors were shuttered for good. Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty had been working to close the shelter since he was a councilmember serving on the Committee on Human Services. D.C. Village was “a premier example of how not to care for our homeless neighbors,” he said. “Bittersweet” was the word used by residents and advocates alike to describe the closing. The conditions at the shelter were appalling: mice, insects, scabies, poor plumbing and overcrowding to such a degree that multiple families were forced to live in day rooms instead of in their own apartments. As a result, D.C. Village did not meet the legal requirements outlined in the Homeless Services Reform Act of 2005, which states that every family is entitled to their own apartmentstyle space, including a private bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. Despite the conditions, D.C. Village was one of the first lines of defense for families fleeing from domestic violence or other situations. The facility’s closure, though welcomed by advocates, has raised concerns about adequate emergency shelter capacity for the winter. Kristi Matthews, grassroots advocacy coordinator for the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless,,

Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty tours the D.C. Village family emergency shelter before its closure.

said that even with D.C. Village in operation, more than 300 families were on the waitlist for family shelter during the cold season last year. See related story below. Originally a nursing home, D.C. Village was first closed in 1996 after reports of appalling living conditions and resident abuse. It reopened as a hypothermia shelter 10 years ago and quickly evolved into a year-round family shelter, even though the facilities were not equipped to handle that level of use. At a news conference announcing the closing, three residents credited the staff with

“treating us like family,” and said they received adequate information about the impending closure. Meetings lasted close to two hours detailing closing procedures and where residents would live, resident Jenetta Chandler said. However, legal advocates are raising questions about how the city intends to protect former D.C. Village residents who have moved into transitional housing and who find themselves unable to pay 30% of their income for rent or who fail to pay rent on time. Marcy Dunlap, a staff attorney at the Legal Clinic, also pointed out that families who can’t

afford an apartment after two years will simply cycle back into another shelter. Advocates have also made their dismay clear at the city’s decision to pass emergency rules for families needing shelter without first soliciting any pubic feedback. The city has said the emergency rules will expire in 120 days and that they were necessary in order to ensure a speedy closure of D.C. Village. Former shelter employees are concerned, too. Caseworkers cited worries there would not be enough jobs in the District now. “We haven’t gotten to the issue of employee assistance just yet,” said Clarence H. Carter, director of the Department of Human Services. Meanwhile, the D.C. Village campus, which sits virtually isolated in city’s southwest corner, may be reincarnated in yet another form. The District government is currently in negotiations with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to use 16 acres of the D.C. Village site to build a new 250-bus facility to replace its 70-year-old Southeastern Bus Garage. On July 10, Metro held a public hearing on the proposal. According to its Web site, Metro plans to begin construction on the new bus facility between December 2007 and March 2008, in conjunction with the opening of the new Nationals stadium. The mayor’s spokeswoman declined to comment on the proposed deal because the contract is not yet confirmed, and Metro did not return calls seeking comment. The city inspector general first released a report on conditions at the D.C. Village in December 2006. Street Sense first reported on the planned closure of the facility, and of the city’s proposal to construct a bus shelter in its place, in May.

Advocates Concerned Over Winter Emergency Plan By Matt Johnson The District government has adopted an emergency plan to ensure that no homeless person is left out in the cold this winter, although some advocates remain skeptical about its effectiveness. On Oct. 25, the D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness, made up of city agency directors, service providers and homeless advocates, voted to pass the 2008-‘09 winter plan. Advocates remain concerned about the lack of shelter overflow capacity for women and families, particularly now that D.C. Village, the city’s only emergency shelter for families, has been shuttered. See above. “D.C. Village often had like elastic walls. They could increase capacity and put people in the dining area,” said Mary Ann Luby, outreach coordinator for the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless. “At least people were out of the cold.” Although D.C. General Hospital has always provided emergency winter shelter for families, not having D.C. Village available this year was a worrying development, Luby said. “Not that I don’t approve of D.C. Village closing,” she added. The facility had been condemned for years for its poor living conditions. Under the winter plan, which is in effect from Nov. 1 until March 31, the city increases outreach to homeless on the streets, emer-

gency shelters open their doors, and permanent shelters remain open around the clock, on days when temperatures drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. There were 90 hypothermia alert days in the winter of 2006-’07. While this year’s plan does include new emergency shelter sites, Luby said that transportation to these sites could pose a problem. For example, under this year’s plan, only two out of 11 outreach agencies are available to transport the homeless to shelters in Ward 8, where at least one of the new emergency shelters, Johnson Memorial Baptist Church, is located. Last year, the homeless were transported to churches during hypothermia alerts but not from churches once the alert was over, restricting some homeless people from taking advantage of emergency shelter, Luby said. “What you want to do in the wintertime is eliminate the barriers as much as you can,” she said. Luby had other, more technical, concerns. She pointed out that the total number of beds for women was added incorrectly on the plan, which she said brings into question its reliability. The table on page three of the written plan lists 557 total beds for women, but when the number of year-round beds, 387, is added to the number of hypothermia-specific beds, 205, the figure for total beds comes out to

592. The city administrator’s office did not respond to phone calls for comment on this discrepancy. Only 407 total beds were available to women last year, compared to 507 this year. Last year, 1,761 total beds were available for men compared to 1,813 this year. The wide difference between sexes is due to the city’s higher percentage of homeless men. Fred Swan of the Family Services Administration told Street Sense that shelter capacity has increased “across the board” for women, men and families compared to last year. Even though the number of hypothermia-specific beds has decreased for men since last year, he explained, that is because those beds have been converted into year-round beds. But some advocates aren’t reassured. Men’s facilities would be overcrowded under the plan and single women and families could face a shortage of capacity, said Scott McNeilly, staff attorney for the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless and the chairman of the interagency council’s steering committee, which oversaw the amendment and ratification of the plan. Laura Zeilinger, special assistant to the city administrator, said the plan was developed by a “very collaborative process” involving all parties and cleared several committees and subcommittees since the Department of Human Services first submitted it last summer.

A first attempt to pass the plan was aborted during the Oct. 25 interagency council meeting because several city agency directors were missing. After at least two directors walked in 45 minutes late and quorum was reached, the council tried again. “Glad you’re here,” City Administrator Dan Tangherlini said to the director of the Office of Property Management, who voiced a motion to approve the winter plan. This time around, it passed. Under the Homeless Services Reform Act of 2005, which created the interagency council, at least one-third of representatives from each council category must be present in order for a vote to proceed: city agency directors, advocates, service providers and the homeless and formerly homeless. “We’re going to have a good, safe hypothermia season,” said George Shepard, policy analyst for the Family Services Administration. “The whole thing is to save lives.” Hypothermia occurs when a person’s body temperature falls below 95 degrees Fahrenheit because of exposure to cold and wet conditions. It is life-threatening and is particularly dangerous for substance abusers or the mentally ill, who may not realize their body temperature has dropped. Kaukab Jhumra Smith contributed to this report.

Visit the Prison Art Gallery, 1600 K Street NW, Suite 501, Wash. DC. Open 7 days until 5pm. 202-393-1511

Choose from these 40 stunning prison art masterpieces. Now on sale for $10 each.

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

Sponsored by Prison Art Gallery

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

November 2007

First Anniversary Super Sale Only $10 Each Your Choice of Any Prison Art in this Catalog These are high-quality limited edition and numbered prison art prints made by imprisoned male and female artists across America. You can purchase them for this special price at the Prison Art Gallery on any Saturday or Sunday from 1 to 5pm. The Prison Art Gallery is located at 1600 K Street NW, Suite 501, Wash. DC. You can also buy them at this special price from one of our outdoor exhibitors located throughout Washington. Call 202-393-1511 for locations. These beautiful pictures are also available by phone with a major credit card at 202-393-1511 or by email at staff@ PrisonsFoundation.org. If you order by phone or by email, please add $10 for handling and shipping per order. In addition to these unframed limited edition prints being on sale for $10 each, they are also available framed for the special sale price of just $25 (choose black, gold or silver framing). For more information, call 202-393-1511.

“We Too Sing America” by Ritchie Weatherspoon, Ionia State Prison, Michigan, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P1

“A Young Child” by Lynda Baker, Scott State Prison, Plymouth, Michigan, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P2

“See What I’m Saying” by Ronna Baer, Federal Prison, Tallahassee, Florida, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P4

“Vision of Miles” by Brian Cole, Rivers Prison, Winton, North Carolina, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P5

“Crossroads” by Ras Mosi, Evans State Prison, South Carolina, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P36

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“Full Moon Rising” by Ted Berkey, Federal Prison, Tucson, Arizona, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P3

“Bay Marina” by David Porter, Roxbury State Prison, Hagerstown, Maryland, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10 , in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P13

“Syro Spyro Lemons” by Sudan Paul Miller, Ionia State Prison, Ionia, Michigan, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P11

“Three Teepees” by Richard Hinger, High Desert State Prison, Indian Springs, Nevada, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P9

“The Joker” by Francisco Gonzales, Arizona State Prison, Florence, Arizona, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10 , in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P8

“Jack in the Box” by Russ Luncsford, State Prison, Clarinda, Iowa, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P12

“Inmate Holding Cup” by Carolyn Cosmos, photo of DC jail inmate, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P6

“Abstract” by Michael Jewell, Powledge State Prison, Palestine, Texas, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P10

“Untitled view from a cell bunk” by Frederick Benjamin Thompson, South Woods State Prison, Bridgeton, New Jersey, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P14

“Breathe” by Laura Crescio, Federal Prison, Greenville, Illinois, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P7

“Lois at Sunset” by Brian Driggers, Snake River State Prison, Oregon, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10 , in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P16

“Sadness” by Tammy Williams, Federal Prison, Alderson, West Virginia, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P15

“Duke Ellington” by Larry Walker, Trenton State Prison, New Jersey, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P17

First Anniversary Sale

First Anniversary Sale

“Jesus in Storm” by John Grubb, State Prison, South Carolina, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P20

“Blue Time” by Rene Vu, Gatesville State Prison, Texas, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P26

“Tony Soprano” by Larry Walker, Trenton State Prison, New Jersey, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P24

“Appeal Denied” by B.K. Nash, Brushy Mountain State Prison, Wartburg, Tennessee, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P22

“Trumpet Great” by Brian Cole, Rivers Prison, Winton, North Carolina, Numbered limited edition print (Unframed 11” by 17” $10, in 16” by 20” frame $25) #P21

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Your gift giving needs and social justice concerns at one stop! The Prison Art Gallery has it. They are also available from our outdoor exhibitors throughout Washington, DC. Please call 202-393-1511 for their locations. Choose from our sterling silver justice jewelry (earrings, pendants and charms featuring the scales of justice, handcuffs, jailhouse, etc), our prison music CDs, our mug shot playing cards of famous people arrested, and much more.

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www.PrisonsFoundation.org

Street Sense . November 1 – 13, 2007

POETRY 9

Rain Gray Mist gray mist shrouds the city glittery streets run like streams with leaves of oaks and linden drowned in gutters along walnut street and chestnut lane

Ghost Dad Here one day and gone the next Where did he go, my little voice vexed Growing up without a dad, that I did So I grew up a fatherless kid Every three years he would call me And every three years he told the same lie to me He said he was going to pick me up But he never did, so I guess he ain’t give a fuck Only time he really called was when he got locked up I was always happy to talk to him, it felt like good luck But when he finally came to see me I thought I was dreaming Wow! I finally saw my dad My feelings are no longer bad A spitting image of him, that’s what I looked like When I seen his face, I couldn’t believe my sight As soon as I closed my eyes, he was gone from under the light I could no longer see him, I tried with all my might Here one minute and gone the next Where did he go, my little voice vexed My dad, he left me, he left me to be alone So I said fuck him, I’ll learn how to be grown on my own — J. P.

lost–dog posters tacked to trees like forlorn billboards curl in the damp while in tall wet grass a collie puppy shivers people marching through downtown have no faces; they are a river of bubbles, an army of turtles colored lemon, claret floating in a sea of somber black; gutters and culverts flow like pygmy amazons, rhines, and niles even the crystal calls of church bells ringing noon are muted brick walls of houses and the bank on orange avenue gleam darkly, bleeding into rivulets and streams the leaden sky weeps ceaselessly making yellow slickers shine as your feet and mine squelch and slip along our sodden path, slogging homeward — David Harris

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Street Sense . November 1 – 13, 2007

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Street Sense . November 1 – 13, 2007

November Crossword 10 Possessive pronoun 11 Ball holder 12 Be incorrect 15 Adorned, like a hat 20 Input 22 Desert pond 26 National capital 27 Bird’s “thumb” 28 Wind toys 29 Respectful title that struck Eugene Versluysen 30 Mint __ 31 Sonata 33 Urge on 34 Hanging knot hangman’s rope 35 Drugged 36 Pepsi 39 Vendor Richard Gerald sold two papers to this former mayor 40 Swab 42 Number after nineteen 43 Small particle 46 Christmas tree decoration 48 Peon 49 Hullo 50 Amazes 51 Reddish dye 52 Lawn tool 54 Thirteen 56 Talk 57 Whiz 58 Close to the ground 59 Single 61 Hallucinogen

Marvin Hammerman A mystery novel in parts BOOK 4, PART 10

An assault victim was now at the police headquarters in downtown Seattle looking over mugshots with the hope of finding his attacker. “Mr. Wilson, I am Detective Weller. This mugbook will give us a better idea of who held up your store. Take your time and look through every page. I will be next door. Just call me when you think you have a match.” “Thank you, Detective.” Meanwhile, Hammerman was back with Jamison and Hoffman. “I got your call, Jamison. I just heard that you had a run-in with the suspect.” “That’s correct. It appears the person is the one we are looking for. He dropped this ink pen. It belonged to Mark Richards alright. Oh, Hammerman, this is Major Dan Neilson from the 15th Precinct.” “So you’re Hammerman. I have heard a lot about you. You’re quite a maverick in the courtroom.” “Well Major, my job is to get to the truth, and if it means being hostile in the courtroom, that’s what I have to do. I am concerned about what happens to everyone, but I took an oath to uphold the law just as you did, Major. My job requires me to prosecute the offenders, and to thoroughly investigate every single detail while I make a case for trial. Jamison, how much more can you fill us in on what just occurred?” “Well, it appears that the individual that I just had the tussle with not only dropped this pen but also dropped this ID card. It belongs to Mark Richards.” Suddenly an officer ran up to Major Neilson. “Major, I just got a call over the radio. The detectives just brought in a guy who says he was assaulted by the person you are looking for.” “Gentlemen, let’s go have a talk with him.” As everyone departed for the downtown precinct, the killer now knew his luck was about to run out. He could not go back to the shelter because his picture had just been flashed all across the newspapers and television. He had been listed as unidentified but very dangerous. Hammerman and team were now at the downtown police station. They were talking to the assault victim. A sketch artist had already drawn up a likeness of the suspect and passed it on to the media. “That is the guy who came in my store. He pretended to buy something, and then he attempted to run out the door. I wrestled with him for several minutes before he caught me off guard and struck me in the head with a solid object.” “Do you have any idea what the object was?” Jamison asked. “I couldn’t tell, but it was something shiny.” Suddenly a call came into the station. Somebody had recognized the suspect and given the police a name. “Gentlemen, the detectives now have a lead on who this person is. His name is Eduardo Gonzales, an immigrant from Central America. It is possible that he could be in this country illegally, but we don’t know for sure. I will be meeting with officials from the Department of Immigration, and if Gonzales is in the country illegally, he will be deported back to Central America.” Coming up next: Gonzales is caught, but he is not going down without a fight. And what a fight it will be when Gonzales and Jamison go at it one last time. August was the first vendor for Street Sense and was with the organization for three years. He now lives in Seattle and is on the editorial board of the street paper there. You can reach August at: carriergroup2009@yahoo.com.

Sign up for the Street Sense e-mail newsletter! We’ll deliver our top stories to your inbox every two weeks. You can unsubscribe at any time. Visit www.streetsense.org to join our list.

ACROSS 1 Eve’s husband 5 Destination 9 Low-cal 13 Walk through water 14 Niche 15 Christ’s disciple 16 Alack’s partner 17 Love 18 Light beam 19 Islamic month of fasting 21 Homeless persons in Franklin Square receive this hot food 23 Insult 24 Cutting tool 3URWHFWLYH 2IÀFHUV remove homeless persons from these train station 29 Eye infection 30 Paco’s friend 32 Boxer Muhammad 33 The country Moyo, Jeff and Koki got a taste of 36 Cherub 37 However 38 Dock 39 Rounded mass 40 Lad 41 Soda

42 Fairy stories 43 Tiny amounts 44 East southeast 45 Cover a present 46 Crest 47 Financial record 49 Strike 50 Her 53 Black gem 55 Founded 57 Above 60 Evils 62 Draped 63 Rabbit 64 Island 65 Green Gables dweller 66 Pitcher 67 Teen hero 68 Tyrant DOWN 1 Recognition 2 ___ Lama 3 John __ (U.S. President) 4 Tableland 5 Star system 6 Speak up 7 Request 8 Dregs 9 Sprung

November’s Answer Key

By August Mallory

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Street Sense . November 1 – 13, 2007

12 EDITORIALS

EID-UL-FITR

By Moyo Onibuje

Why Muslims Celebrate Eid

I

PATRICK SMITH

Moyo Onibuje, Jeffery McNeil and Koki Smith shared Eid dinner on Oct. 13 at the Taste of India restaurant in Woodley Park. The Muslim festival of Eid marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

MY TURN AT THE TABLE

By Jeffery McNeil

Welcoming You Like Family

T

he experience I had at Taste of India was a pleasant one. It was an honor to be invited to a get–together to celebrate the end of Ramadan, which is a month of fasting for Muslims, at this restaurant near the Woodley Park Metro station. The get-together, organized by Taste of India owner Merge Rehman, had a multicultural flavor. You could chat with a rabbi or with someone from New York or Pakistan or watch people talk in American sign language. It was a gathering I will always remember. Now let me tell you about the atmosphere. When I first came through the door and was greeted by Merge, I was astonished at how he made feel like he had been expecting me. While I waited for my colleague Moyo and the rest of the group, Merge offered me wine and other beverages. I met many of the people who were gathered around discussing interesting topics from sports to relationships to the history of Pakistan. It showed the depth of the group we had at this festival. Soon, all the other guests arrived, like our editor Koki and her husband and mother-in-law. I got to see a side of Koki’s life I didn’t know outside of work. While we waited for the meal, Merge offered us chai. As someone who had never tasted chai before, I was hooked. You could taste all

the herbs and spices and the creamy texture of chai, which Koki told me was a form of black tea. The setting for this festival dinner was buffet–style, where we had all types of cuisine like shrimp curry, kabobs – which is beef on a skewer – and samosas, which are fried dumplings filled with potatoes and other spices. Fresh salads, rice and pakora – a deep fried fritter made with onions and chick pea flour. Tandoori chicken, which if you never tried the seasonings and spices, will impress you. What made them taste good were the seasonings. While we were filling our plates there was wine and beer. We all feasted till we got full. Then there was the dessert, mango kheer, a rice pudding that had a creamy texture and was very delicious. Being here, I felt like royalty – almost like a rock star. After spending many nights on a park bench, it was an honor to be invited by such friendly, gracious people. We took photos, shook hands and exchanged goodbyes. I can’t wait for a chance to come back again. As they say in Islam: Eid Mubarak, which means Happy Eid. As salaam wa alaikum. Jeffery McNeil regularly puts on a suit to sell Street Sense.

The Right to Sleep By Sean Hardin

I

s law enforcement in D.C. really concerned about public safety? If so, I would like for someone in law enforcement to show me exactly how someone sleeping in a park or next to a building poses a threat to public safety. As a photojournalist, I normally stick to objective reporting. But at the public meeting of the D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness on Oct. 25, I found myself acting like an activist because this issue hits home for me. I directed my comments to both the metropolitan police representatives present. “Your officers need to stop harassing people who sleep outside,” I told them. “That is a violation of a person’s human rights. A person has a right to sleep. That is something that ev-

ery living being needs.” I am an outside dweller right now because I can’t afford rent. I am not an addict, as most of the general public seems to think about anyone who sleeps outside. The majority of the outside dwellers I know are all working people or people on Social Security benefits. Their incomes are insufficient to pay for nearly anything other than food. One or two I know even have their PhDs. The federal park police routinely drive in their cruisers through Columbus Circle and harass the outside dwellers there. I have seen outside dwellers on countless occasions get harassed in different buildings, both public and private, by security for no reason at all. I remember one night I camped inside

was invited to a dinner to mark the Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Fitr at the end of Ramadan by the editor of Street Sense, Koki, along with a fellow vendor called Jeffery. When our editor asked me to write an article for Street Sense readers, I thought to myself that this would be something I would do quickly and easily. To my chagrin, this turned out to be much more daunting and formidable than I expected. There were a number of reasons for this. What soon became evident was that I would have to explain the significance of Ramadan, its link to the lunar calendar and its hierarchy on the list of festivals celebrated in Islam. For a quick recap, Islam means “submission to Allah” and its main source of belief is the revelations or verses given to a messenger named Muhammad, embellished in beautiful Arabic poetry. Islam is an entirely monotheistic religion. Muhammad was born in the year 570 in Mecca and died in the year 632. He was buried in Medina. The Islamic calendar is entirely lunar and unlike most lunar calendars (e.g. the Chinese and Jewish ones), it is not adjusted to keep in step with the solar year. So, the Muslim lunar months change constantly in relation to the Western solar calendar. This, of course, means the festival of Ramadan, which I’ll define later, never falls on the same day of the solar month. It always falls on the beginning of the ninth Muslim month. It is also worth noticing that the Muslim calendar begins from the Prophet’s move to Medina in 622,which means that we are in the Muslim year of 1428. It would be too lengthy to go into the various sources, beliefs and articles of faith that embody Islam, so we’ll focus on the central point of this article, which is the Eid-ul-Fitr festival and how it relates to Ramadan, the month of fasting. It is quoted in the Quran, the Muslim holy book, that fasting is mandatory for every Muslim during this month. All adult Muslims, except those who are sick, nursing or pregnant, must refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and conjugal relations from dawn to sunset. the postal museum because it was cold that night. A federal protective officer woke me up and said, “If I see you here again, I will arrest you.” Near the Amtrak station, another federal protective officer said, “Don’t come back here tonight if you don’t bring identification.” So now you need identification to sleep in America? The million-dollar question that begs addressing is this: Is law enforcement really concerned with public safety? If they were, they would go after crack– heads who are out mugging people to support their addictions. How about these gang members in the neighborhoods who have random Wild Wild West-style shootouts and endanger everyone around them? I met a woman who lives in the big apartment complex at the end of the X8 bus route. She is moving because stray bullets flew through her window. She and her husband

The reasons for fasting are, among others, to purify the body, control appetites and desires, develop sympathy for the less fortunate and commemorate important events in Islamic history. Of particular relevance to Muslims during Ramadan are the last 10 days of the month, during which falls the Night of Power, Laylat al Qadr. It is believed that during this period the Quran first began to be revealed to Mohammed. At the end of the month of fasting comes the festival called Eid-ul-Fitr. The three-day festival, heralded by the sight of the new moon, involves congregational prayers in the morning, the preparation of special foods, the wearing of new clothes and giving to charity. In modern times, in the peaceful tradition of Islam, there is an interfaith element where most Muslims try to invite people of other faiths to Eid-ul-Fitr in order to encourage dialogue. This helps increase tolerance, starts a respectful conversation between participants and brings about new understanding of the “other.” Eid-ul-Fitr festival is the second most important Islamic holiday after Eid-ul-Adha, the festival of sacrifice. Eid-ul-Adha is the concluding rite of those performing Islam’s holiest pilgrimage, called the Hajj. The three–day festival also commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah. Eid-ulAdha falls on the tenth through the twelfth days of the Islamic month of Dhu al–Hijjah, the last month of the Muslim lunar calendar – about two months after Eid-ul-Fitr. I conclude by saying that the Eid-ul-Fitr festival is commemorated by all denominations of the Muslim faith, whether Sunni, Shi’a, Sufi or another. On a much lighter note, there are unique differences in the way the festival is celebrated in some countries. For example, in Nigeria there are horse races on Eid. I hope you had a good Eid-ul-Fitr festival. Street Sense looks forward to celebrating the next festival called Eid-ul-Adha with you. Street Sense vendor Moyo Onibuje grew up in Nigeria and England and loves to read. can’t continue living there, particularly because her husband has cerebral palsy and can’t move fast enough to escape danger. In one of the Southeast neighborhoods, a young lady walking with her child lost her life when she was caught in crossfire. She has been heralded as a hero because while she was dying she had the fortitude to slide her baby under a vehicle to shield the child from the bullets. Now if that’s not a threat to public safety, I’d sure like to know law enforcement’s definition. Where is law enforcement when incidents like these are going on? Oh right, they’re too busy harassing outside dwellers for exercising their human right to sleep. That’s a much more important function for law enforcement to play. Sean Hardin is new to D.C. and is currently homeless.

Street Sense . November 1 – 13, 2007

NO VET LEFT BEHIND

EDITORIALS 13

By Robin Denegal

A Female Veteran’s Tale

M

with the encouragement of Miss Anu (Yadav as herself ), she begins a campaign to save the community recreation center behind her grandmother’s back by putting together a petition and making an endless amount of calls to the Housing Authority. Yadav does not only represent those being forcibly relocated, either. During portions of her play she steps into the role of Michael Kelly, the head of the District’s Housing Authority. He’s clean-cut, speaks like a politician – with wide hand gestures and shiny sound bites and generally believes what he’s doing is for the betterment of the community. In his on-stage dialogues with Miss Anu, however, Kelly reveals the distress that tears him be-

MATT JOHNSON/STREET SENSE

‘Capers, from page 1

COURTESY OF ROBIN DENEGAL

y name is Robin Denegal. I was born in 1960 right here in the District. I celebrated my 47th birthday this September. I’m an Air Force veteran but not a combat veteran. I served from 1979 to 1983, a period of relative calm. I was stationed on two bases: Bolling Air Force Base in D.C. and Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. My 47 years haven’t been easy. Throughout my life I’ve struggled with mental illness, depression and homelessness with little support from family and friends. But the tides have turned in my favor the last few years. Before, I had been living on the streets and in shelters. I often preferred the streets, even though I was almost sexually assaulted once and would sometimes cry myself to sleep in the cold. I remember the exact date I was referred to a winter shelter — Jan. 16, 1999. Shelters were good for at least one thing: keeping warm. I moved into my first permanent home since 1995 on Easter weekend of 2005, thanks to Community Connections, a private, nonprofit mental health agency. I should back up and explain how I got to this point. During my time in the military, I worked as a personnel specialist, a job devoid of the glamour you might associate with the Air Force. In retrospect, I chose the wrong path. After scoring high on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test, I was guaranteed an immediate position. I took it at the urging of my father. I was in over my head. I never felt like I was qualified for the job. I had to process the various requests of my colleagues on the base, in–process those who were new to the base, re–train them and monitor performance reports. Every day I had a stack of work, and I had to keep expanding my knowledge to keep up. My depression started at Bolling. I would enter incorrect dates on reports and make silly typos. Worst of all I struggled to communicate effectively with my superiors. One day in 1980 as I was preparing to be transferred, I visited the doctor on a routine appointment. He put me on antidepressants after I told him about my difficulties on the job. This was the first time I had received medication for a mental condition. It was not

Robin Denegal served as a personnel specialist in the Air Force from 1979 to 1983. This photograph, GDWHG VKRZV KHU UHFHLYLQJ D FHUWLĂ€FDWH RI UHFRJQLWLRQ DW %ROOLQJ $LU )RUFH %DVH

Robin joined the Air Force to escape her family and now thinks she chose the wrong career.

to last. I was denied access to more medication and soon shipped off to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. From what I remember, I was a year-and-a-half into my service at Nellis before I was referred to a counselor for failing to get along with my coworkers. Even then I wasn’t given adequate treatment. Almost 20 years passed before I would be diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder by a doctor from the Partial Hospitalization Program at the D.C. VA Medical Center. In retrospect, I don’t think the Air Force was the right job for me. You wouldn’t know it to look at my performance evaluations. I scored an eight or a nine on all of them, nine being the highest. I would have liked to have gone overseas. I wish I had come out of high school knowing what I wanted to do. My reason for joining the Air Force was to get away from my family, but not much else worked out. I was honorably discharged in 1983. I had issues with alcohol and would show up late for work, which was the official reason for my discharge. But I think the unexpected discharge was in response to my reporting a female co-

worker sitting in the lap of a male supervisor. I even walked off the job at one point. I moved back in with my mother in Maryland, where I had spent much of my childhood, and struggled to find stable work. My mother kept telling me to “go to the VA,� but I didn’t know what she was talking about. I was pressured by my mother to move out ever since moving back in. I got my opportunity in 1987 when I was hired by the Headquarters Marine Corps in Arlington, Va. I begged my way into housing down the street from where I worked. I didn’t have the necessary annual income. I was depressed and had trouble during training and orientation sessions. At one point I started hearing voices and was convinced they were real. I was terminated just eight days before my probationary period ended but reinstated after I filed a discrimination complaint. I was terminated again in 1993. I was scribbling all over my face with eyeliner pencil, scratching myself until I bled and disturbing my coworkers. This time I wasn’t competent enough to file a complaint. Though unemployed, I was able to keep my

apartment until my 35th birthday in 1995. I don’t think my landlord liked my payment coming in separate forms — cash from my pocket and a check from a church — so I was evicted. I then went from one 30–day shelter to another until I was referred to the Community for Creative Nonviolence in D.C. I stayed there for a year, trying to cope with rats, roaches, fighting, noise and chores. I retreated to winter shelters in Virginia when the temperature dove below freezing. The whole time I was working as an art model. It didn’t cover me too well because of transportation costs, phone service, storage fees and credit card debt. I started receiving Social Security benefits in 2002 while staying at a House of Ruth shelter in D.C. That’s where I met the nice doctor who helped me get my VA benefits. You’re not the first to hear my story. I’m a member of the Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau, and my speaker fees add to my income. I now live off two benefit checks and see a psychiatrist once a month.

tween belief in his work and sympathy for the members of Friends and Residents. In this way, Yadav brings focus to the gray matters that cloud the conflict surrounding community redevelopment while keeping the basic human need for housing center stage. Yadav drew on the real people involved in the struggle for public housing to shape her characters. “I came to the community to work with Friends and Residents,� she said. “Originally, I was working on a play with children, young people in the community.� After witnessing what was happening to the community and the people around her, however, Yadav’s interests shifted and she began working on “‘Capers.� ‘Capers was “born out of supporting a grass roots campaign,� to save the Arthur Capper

community and others like it, she explained. “It became a way of telling a story of what happened.� Instead of benefiting those in public housing, the Hope VI community redevelopment program to reestablish neighborhoods as mixed income communities ends up kicking them out. Yadav’s performance also highlights the need for community organization. “‘Capers� isn’t theater meant for you to simply sit back and watch. Its theater made to get you involved. Audience members are encouraged to shout out, applaud and “go with it,� whenever they have the urge to react to the performance. After this particular performance, further interaction with the audience was spurred by

a question and answer forum after the show. Panelists, including Dominic Moulden the executive director of the community organizing group ONE DC took an opportunity to educate the public about the subjects ‘Capers dealt with. “Hope VI is really a national program to [get rid of ] public housing,� Moulden said. “The perception is that bad people live in these places, and to get rid of these people we need to tear down these communities.� By focusing on the feelings of powerlessness by the residents of public housing facing relocation and the successes achieved through organization, “‘Capers� demonstrates steps residents can take to safeguard their right to housing. It also provides hope to those having to stand up to the government to protect those rights.

Matt Johnson helped Robin tell her story.

Street Sense . November 1 – 13, 2007

14 STREET SENSE NEWS

VendorNotes

By Jesse Smith Jr.

0DULRQ %DUU\ $QRWKHU 6DWLVĂ€HG 6WUHHW 6HQVH &XVWRPHU Again we have been fortunate enough to have a well–known personality show interest in our publication. I speak of none other than former Mayor Marion Barry. Last week, Street Sense vendor Richard Gerald was selling his papers at Freedom Plaza, located on Pennsylvania Avenue between 13th and 14th Sts. NW. He said he was chanting, “Street Sense, Street Sense,â€? when all of a sudden two well–dressed men darted in his direction. At first he thought it was the Secret Service or maybe the FBI. “You’re selling Street Sense!â€? exclaimed one of the men. Richard said he was stunned for a moment when he realized it was Marion Barry, a person he admired. He didn’t know what to say at first, but then he said, “We ask for a donation of a dollar, but your dollar will be well-spent. The information you will receive will be worth millions.â€? With that Mr. Barry said, “I’ll take two.â€? Richard said he had a very good day selling the paper. It was something about meeting the former mayor that did wonders for his attitude the entire day. He said it’s one thing when you are used to seeing personalities on television and quite another when you see them in person. Richard does not have any set time or location where he sells his papers. He takes advantage of the mobility we have as vendors to be able to sell wherever and whenever the opportunity presents itself. He said the main reason for this is that he is involved in a program at the Serenity Inc. facility that dictates when he has time to pursue selling the paper. Also, he is job hunting and in the process of preparing a resumĂŠ to present to potential employers. He said that one of the benefits of being a Street Sense vendor is its flexibility, which allows you to do other things and still have a means of making money.

accredited by the American Standards Institute (ANSI)–Conference for Food Protection. Her completion of this program has allowed her to get her Food Handlers License, not that she needed one because she has always been very particular about how meals are displayed and who handles the distribution of the meals. Francine is a very valuable member of our family in many ways. She is a vendor, a volunteer who seems to always be available when needed, and a member of the board of directors for Street Sense. When we hold our monthly vendor meetings, many of our vendors say, “Thanks for the agenda. Is Francine cooking?� If the answer is yes, I swear I see folks grinning and producing monogrammed forks and knives in preparation for an enjoyable meal. Francine does appear to be quite gruff at times but I will say to you that she has a heart of pure gold. Congratulations, Francine, for these and your many other accomplishments.

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

By Laura Thompson Osuri

Setting the Course

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Please make checks payable to Street Sense. Mail to: Street Sense, 1317 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20005.

rom the start Street Sense has been a very grassroots organization, getting input from the homeless people we serve, making decisions on a consensus basis, and taking our successes and challenges one at a time. Consequently, besides a very rough business plan at the start and annual budgets in subsequent years, Street Sense has done very little long–term planning in its four–year existence. But on Monday, Oct. 24, Street Sense entered the strange new world of strategic planning. For five hours in a very warm conference room, the board and staff of Street Sense tossed around their ideas for the future of our newspaper. With the help of giant Post–Its, Sharpie markers, a flip chart, and several large and small group discussions, we determined our top goals for the organization. The goals for 2008 and early 2009 include: • Hiring an advertising sales manager and formalizing the ad sales program for vendors • Forming partnerships with other providers to assist vendors in finding jobs, housing, treatment and other help • Expanding the marketing of Street Sense through public service announcements and other advertising • Developing the board of directors, including creating committees, adding members and improving transparency • Expanding content to include suburban news and expanding the vendor network into the suburbs through partnerships with service providers in outlying areas • Improving internal technology and developing the Web site to make it more interactive for readers and more beneficial to vendors • Hiring a community development director and editorial assistant While this planning process made me quite excited about the future, it also showed me there is a lot of work to be done to build a strong foundation for the organization. In the past four years, we have come a long way toward developing a structure for this foundation. With a strong foundation hopefully in place by 2010, Street Sense will be prepared to creatively expand its outreach by providing vendors with micro–financing options and scholarships, encouraging local teachers to integrate our articles and poetry into their classrooms and holding regular community forums on issues related to poverty. I am very much looking forward to the next few years of developing Street Sense and building it into an innovative organization that will go even further in accomplishing our mission of empowering the homeless and educating the public. And I definitely think we have the momentum and the commitment from the board, staff, vendors and volunteers to make all of our goals a reality. So plan to be wowed by Street Sense in the next few years. If you have some ideas of your own for the organization, please share them. Though we might have crossed into the flip chart–world of corporate planning, we have definitely not forgotten our (grass)roots. As always, we seek –– and appreciate — input and feedback from all who are affected by Street Sense.

Thanks for your support!

E–mail any ideas or comments you have on the Street Sense strategic plan to laura@streetsense.org.

Congratulations to Francine I wish to acknowledge a very special member of the Street Sense family, vendor Francine Triplett, for some of her many accomplishments. The most recent is an award given to her by the Vermont Avenue Baptist Church for excellence in performing duties for their September 2007 outreach project. She also received a 6HUY6DIH &HUWLĂ€FDWLRQ for successfully completing the standards set forth by the National Restaurant $VVRFLDWLRQ (GXFDWLRQDO )RXQGDWLRQ &HUWLĂ€FDWLRQ H[DPLQDWLRQ

Street Sense Writers Group We have started a Writers Group to help vendors improve their writing skills. The Street Sense Writers Group meets Wednesdays from 2:30 to 3:30 pm at the Church of the Epiphany. The group is facilitated by Jonas Morris and David Hammond and other volunteers. We emphasize that this workshop is not exclusive to our vendors or Street Sense staff. We encourage our readers to attend and help out. Allen Jones and Jeffery McNeil Last week we entertained some students who participated in the American University Washington Session. They visited Street Sense to receive an orientation on the newspaper’s origins and operation. Vendors Allen Jones and Jeffery McNeil related their experiences of homelessness and as vendors of the paper. Judging by the response we got during the question and answer period, the students had a greater appreciation for the struggles of persons less fortunate than themselves, as well as the value of the various street papers throughout the country. I must say I was impressed, not only with the students, but with the presentations of our two vendors. Even though we have been working together for some time, I learned some new things about these gentlemen.

Get Twice as Much Street Sense Each Month Delivered Right to Your Door! Do you want to continue to support Street Sense throughout the year? Order a subscription today. Not only will you receive 24 issues packed with all our latest news, poetry and photography, you will also help raise awareness about poverty in the D.C. area. ___ YES! I want to subscribe to Street Sense for just $40 a year for 24 issues. ___ YES! I want to give half of the cost of a subscription to my favorite vendor: ____________

Name: __________________________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________________ City: _____________________________________ State:_______________ Zip: ______________ Phone: ___________________________________ Email: ________________________________

FEATURES 15 SERVICE PROVIDERS & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Street Sense . November 1 – 13, 2007

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

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

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

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

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

Shelter Hotline: 1-800-535-7252

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Street Sense . November 1 – 13, 2007

Edward Ross

VENDOR PROFILE

PHOTO FINISH

By Jesse Smith Jr.

A New Era? By Kaukab Jhumra Smith

KAUKAB JHUMRA SMITH/STREET SENSE

On March 20, 1960, Edward Ross was born in the back of a Trailways bus on 42nd Street. His story begins in the district of Brownsville in Brooklyn, N.Y. His mother was on her way to visit his grandmother when nature decided it was time for Edward to enter this world. Fortunately, he arrived quite healthy. Edward spent the first six years of his life in New York before moving to New Haven, Conn., where he attended New Haven High School. Edward excelled in school sports, particularly baseball. He was a better–than–average left fielder. He said he would have played professional baseball, but instead he had to go directly to work after school to help support his family. Edward graduated high school with honors and a 3.5 grade point average. In 1976, prompted by his father and grandfather who are retired Marines, Edward joined the U.S. Marine Corps. During his two tours, Edwards was promoted to “Marine and a Quarter” before being awarded honorable discharge. He then moved to Washington, D.C., where he earned a living as a jack of all trades in construction. He did drywalling, carpentry and bricklaying—skills he acquired while he was with an engineering unit in the service. He is also a certified cook (not a chef, Edward clarified). He got married while he was in D.C. and was doing well when all of a sudden things fell apart. His wife died of cancer and five weeks later his mother passed away. Needless to say, he fell into a depression that affected his motivation. He said each day he was looking forward to death. He couldn’t work or think clearly and fell further and further into the depths of despair. Edward checked into the Veterans Hospital to get help, but it’s unclear how much help he actually received. Edward says he aspires to become a physical education instructor for high school and middle school students. He says he loves working with kids, and if the opportunity ever arises, he will return to school to get a related degree. He is a staunch New York Yankees fan.

SEAN HARDIN

The transfer of more than 100 homeless families into apartments around the city and the subsequent closure of the D.C. Village emergency family shelter “begins the transformation of the family shelter system,” said Clarence Carter, the new director of the D.C. Department of Human Services, during a public meeting. “We usher in an era where we attempt to understand why (families) become homeless, how to support them and and how to build their capacity beyond homelessness.” See related story on page 8.

How did you become homeless? I became extremely depressed and distraught after the death of my wife and mother. For the life of me, I could not get myself together to do anything. I am a little better now. Why do you sell Street Sense? I am homeless, and it provides me the opportunity to earn some money without the headaches of a traditional employer. The money goes directly to help the homeless and poor, which is a blessing in itself. I feel that I am making a contribution to informing the public about the plight of the homeless and poor.

StreetFact One out of every three homeless men is a veteran. See story on page 5. SOURCE: NATIONAL COALITION FOR HOMELESS VETERANS

What is your favorite book? I have two: “Man on Fire,” by A.J. Quinnell, which is completely unlike the movie, and “The Unseen Hand,” by A. Ralph Epperson.

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

What is your favorite movie? “Braveheart,” starring Mel Gibson What is your favorite music? Anything by Teena Marie and Sade Adu What is your favorite food? Boneless chicken breast with hollandaise sauce, wild rice and asparagus with white cheese sauce

November 1 – 13, 2007 • Volume 4 • Issue 22

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

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