12 22 2010 by Street Sense Media

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Volume 8: Issue 5 December 22, 2010 - January 4, 2011

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Read more and get involved at www.streetsense.org | The D.C. Metro Area Street Newspaper | Please buy from badged vendors

SHOPPING CART

Offering sandwiches and other blessings. Page 6

CHURCH

D.C. C e feeds ntral Kitch e t over he homele n th s and a e holidays s ll yea rlong . Pag e7

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.

3 4

Homelessness and Poverty News Briefs Mourning the Homeless Who Have Died this Year

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Check out our blog! streetsense.org/topics/blog/

Bringing Church to the Street

D.C. Central Kitchen Brings New Meaning to Food

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Read all stories online at www.streetsense.org

Pics and Poems from Volunteers and Vendors

Look at Pictures from our Holiday Party!

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View more pictures online from the Holiday Party!

Jeff McNeil: Is the Stimulus Helping?

An Introduction to our New Layout

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

From the Executive Director The Best Dishes I Ever Washed

Doug Knight, executive director

ay one on the job as the new executive director at Street Sense was an exciting thing. I got to review documents, meet fantastic volunteers, start up a new e-mail address (doug@streetsense.org) and see the incredible Street Sense staff (Amy, Lisa and Mary) in action. Oh yeah, I also washed the dishes from our vendor holiday party. And they were the best dishes I ever washed. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to join this organization. With the groundwork established by our co-founders, Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson, along with the momentum built by the work of my predecessor, Abby Strunk, Street Sense is steadily moving in a positive direction. As a resident of the District of Columbia, I have seen the progress first hand. And I can tell you, our future is going to be tremendous. While I was in the kitchen soaking the plates and trays, I thought about that action. Washing those dishes is a great analogy of what happens here every day. Everyone pitches in to get tasks accomplished. Street Sense has built an organization that celebrates that kind of collaboration. It is not enough for us to be just a group that produces and sells a newspaper. It is not enough for us to assist our wonderful vendors with improving their lives. No, most importantly, I believe our strength is the value of the community that springs from this organization. Our vendors, staff, volunteers and partner organizations are the ties that bind this community together. Those ties need to be working together and toward the same goal. No one is more important or more essential than another. All are essential. Like being sure that the dishes get done. It may not be the most glamorous of jobs, but imagine a party with no dishes. Periodically, I will join our conversation here with some thoughts and perspectives. Some will be funny, some will address more serious topics. Hopefully, all will be insightful. And I hope you know you are invited to join in the conversation as well. Please offer your thoughts about our mission and our work by e-mailing us, visiting us online at www.streetsense.org, or by taking a few short moments to speak with one of our vendors in the community. You’ll be glad you did. Want to do more? Outstanding! I knew you were the go-get-’em type! Consider supporting us with a financial contribution or contact us to volunteer. Or maybe next time you can help me wash some of those dishes. That’s my two cents.

While I was in the kitchen soaking the plates and trays, I thought about that action. Washing those dishes is a great analogy of what happens here every day. Everyone pitches in to get tasks accomplished.

ADDRESS 1317 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 PHONE (202) 347 - 2006 FAX (202) 347 - 2166 E-MAIL info@streetsense.org WEB streetsense.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS Lisa Estrada, Ted Henson, Brad Scriber, Michael Stoops, Manas Mohapatra, Sommer Mathis, Kristal Dekleer, Robin Heller, Jeffery McNeil, Jordan Rummel, John Snellgrove, Dameon Philpotts EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Doug Knight EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mary Otto MANAGING EDITOR/NEW MEDIA DIRECTOR Lisa V. Gillespie COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER Amy Vokes FOUNDERS Ted Henson, Laura Thompson-Osuri VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Rhonda Brown, Holly Caesar, Margaret Chapman, Tracie Ching, Nikki Conyers, Carol Cummings, Adam Dangelo, Sara Dimmitt, Rachel Estabrook, Sarah Ficenec, Robert Fulton, Andrew Gena, Steve Gilberg, Jane Goforth, Rhonda Green, Roberta Haber, Elia Herman, Sharon King, Trisha Knisely, Vicki Ann Lancaster, Elle Leech-Black, Lisa Leone, Sean Lishansky, Elsie Oldaker, Rachael Petterson, Katinka Podmaniczky, Mike Plunkett, Willie Schatz, Jesse Smith, Maggie Smith, Mandy Toomey, Brett Topping, Mary Yost, Robert Corrigan, Marian Wiseman VENDORS Michael Anderson, Charles Armstrong, Jake Ashford, Lawrence Autry, Daniel Ball, Donna Barber, John Bayne, Kenneth Belkosky, Patricia Benjamin, Tommy Bennett, Jimmy Bigelow, Reginald Black, Emily Bowe, Debora Brantley, Andre Brinson, Cliff Carle, Percy Carter, Peggy Cash, Conrad Cheek, Virginia Clegg, Aaron Conner, Avram Cornel, Theresa Corbin, Anthony Crawford, Floarea Caldaras, Kwayera Dakari, Louise Davenport, Charles Davis, James Davis, Michael Dawson, David Denny, Ricardo Dickerson, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Deana Elder, Richard Embden, James Featherson, Tanya Franklin, Samuel Fullwood, Larry Garner, David Ger, Marcus Green, Barron Hall, Dwight Harris, John Harrison, Lorrie Hayes, Patricia Henry, Shakaye Henry, Shawn Herring, Derian Hickman, Phillip Howard, James Hughes, Richard Hutson, Margaret Jenkins, Donald Johnson, Alicia Jones, Mark Jones, Clinton Kilpatrick, Hope Lassiter, Brenda Lee-Wilson, Mary Lisenko, James Lott, Michael Lyons, Johnnie Malloy, Kina Mathis, John C. Matthews, Charlie Mayfield, Herman Lee Mayse, Robert McCray, Marvin McFadden, Jermale McKnight, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jeffery McNeil, Kenneth Middleton, L. Morrow, Saleem Muhammad, Tyrone Murray, Charles Nelson, Sammy Ngatiri, Evelyn Nnam, Moyo Onibuje, Franklin Payne, Edward Perry, Gregory Phillips, Tracey Powell, Frank Pruden, Ash-Shaheed Rabbil, Michael Reardon, Melania Scott, Chris Shaw, Ronald Simms, J. Simpson, Veda Simpson, Gwynette Smith, Simona Ciurar, Patty Smith, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens, James Stewart, Leroy Studevant, Beverly Sutton, Paul Taylor Sybil Taylor, Steve Thomas, Larissa Thompson, Louise Thundercloud, Deborah Tibbs, Ronald Turner, Christopher Walker, Jeanette Walker, Martin Walker, Robert Warren, Lawless Watson, Paul Watson, Michael J. Welsh, Edna Williams, Sherle Williams, Wendell Williams, Susan Wilshusen, Ivory Wilson, Mark Wolf, Charles Woods, Tina Wright

STREET SENSE December 22, 2010 - January 4, 2011

NEWS IN BRIEF End Homelessness Campaign Led by Solis, Sebelius Labor Secretary Hilda Solis was elected to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness to lead the federal plan to end homelessness. Solis will serve as chair of the agency, while Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius will serve as vice chair. The cabinet secretaries are first tasked with the implementation of Opening Doors, the first federal strategic plan to both prevent and end homelessness. Nineteen government agencies have teamed up with state and local partners to work on the Opening Doors project. “Ending the continuing tragedy of homelessness demands thoughtful and focused efforts,” Solis said in a press release. “I look forward to building upon [Housing and Urban Development] Secretary [Shaun] Donovan’s leadership of the Council to promote the importance of interagency collaboration as we implement Opening Doors. The bottom line is that the best defense against homelessness is a job that pays. That is why the Department of Labor is leading efforts to prevent and end homelessness with job training and employment services for this underserved population.” The mission of the Interagency Council

on Homelessness is to coordinate the federal response to homelessness and to create a national partnership with every level of government and the private sector to address homelessness in the nation.

Homeless Melbourne Man’s Stolen Dog is Returned In Melbourne, Dougie Walker, who is homeless, thought he would be spending Christmas alone. His best friend, a wolfhound-German shepherd mix, was stolen from outside a restaurant, the Melbourne-Leader reports. Just 48 hours after he went missing, the dog is back in his owner’s arms. He was found outside the Melbourne Aquarium. “He seems OK, but I don’t think he understands what all the fuss is about and why so many people were out looking for him,” Walker told the Melbourne-Leader. “I never sleep without him and I haven’t been able to sleep since he went missing. I just don’t know why anyone would take my dog.” Police are still investigating the case, but no charges have been made.

Public Libraries Providing Refuge for Homeless Librarians in Columbus, Ohio, said the

soft economy and the chilly winter temperatures have driven more people to use the public libraries as a place of refuge, the Columbus Dispatch reports. “I think some of our employees fall into that category of what could be perceived as social work,” said Kim Snell, Columbus library spokeswoman. But Columbus isn’t alone in the trend. In San Francisco, a full-time social worker is stationed in a library to refer individuals to agencies. Meanwhile, in Florida, a library holds a Monday movie matinee complete with popcorn for homeless people. Sol Hirsch, library director of the Alachua County Library in Gainesville, Fla., defends the movie program. “We’re just trying to serve the public in any way we can, to entertain them or offer them relief from a stressful situation. If we show them the movie to normalize their lives, why not? Where would you rather they be? They’re not roaming the streets and they may be improving their literacy skills,” Hirsch said.

Fresno Feeds 1,500 Homeless The Fresno Bee reports that Santa paid a visit to the Hope for the Holidays event in Fresno. Volunteers from several agencies and groups served a holiday meal to

nearly 1,500 homeless children and their families during the annual event at the Ernie Valdez Exhibit Hall. The event also featured games, informative exhibits, live entertainment and a photo with Santa for the children. Hope for the Holidays began in 1988 at a homeless shelter when social workers realized the children living there had no holiday celebration. The event has been held every year since then and has grown to include all homeless families with children in Fresno County.

Homeless Kansas City Teens Get Holiday Help The Christmas Tree Fund, a project that normally helps seniors and the disabled in Kansas City, will open its arms to help homeless teens in the area, the Kansas City Star reports. This year, 320 of the 1,200 $25 gift cards will go to homeless high school students, according to Jackie Powell, the board secretary for the Christmas Tree Fund and manager of the city’s human services division. The gift card count was buoyed by a last-minute donation from a local Walmart. There are about 300 homeless teens in the area. Compiled by Dianna Heitz.

Every homeless person has a name, a story and a hope for something better. David came to Street Sense in March 2009 to work, write and support the homeless.

David

writes poems regularly in Street Sense about love and his experiences being homeless. He hopes to one day get a job that pays a living wage so he can afford his own apartment.

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STREET FACT: 43 homeless people were killed last year nationwide, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless.

Below are the names of 37 area people who died while homeless this year, according to NCH.

CHARLOTTE BLACK

HAZEL EDMONDS

GEORGIA MCKENNA

ALVIN RICHARDSON

LINDA BOUKNIGHT

PAT EDWARDS

ANGELA MOSA

ROBERT ROVERELLA

MOHAMMED BUTT

JOHN HILL

WANDA MURRAY

WILLIAM D. SAVAGE

RODNEY COCHES

ARRON HUGGINS

YUSEF NAZEMI

EUGENE SMITH

MARY COSTELLO

ANTONIO JAMES

MARTIN PEDROW

SALVADOR VALENCIA

JAMES DIGGS

JAMES JOHNSON

JOHN PETERBARK

SEBASTIAN WIEDEKER

HARRINGTON DIXON

SHARON KELCHA

MARIAN POGE

MACELLUS WILKERSON

JANE DOE

YVONNE LEWIS

MARIAN PRICE

MARTHA WILLIAMS

JOHN DOE

VALERIE LOFTON

NARVELL REAVES

VIVIAN WILLIAMS

JOHN DOE

Marking Lives and Deaths of Homeless By Ellen Gilmer Volunteer writer A grassy corner on the outer edge of Thomas Circle is a makeshift burial ground of sorts. It is the final resting place for the ashes of more than dozens of area homeless people who have died over the years and had nowhere else to go. Some were estranged from their families; others’ relatives had no money for a proper funeral. Instead, about 50 churchgoers at Luther Place Memorial Church gathered on Sunday morning to honor those lives. It’s a commemoration that takes place every year. For 2010, church staff read the names of 24 homeless who died. But tracking is difficult and many more were uncounted. Kristen Kane-Osorto, program coordinator at the Steinbruck Center for Urban Studies, led the group in a procession around Luther Place, tucked between 14th Street and Vermont Avenue, NW. As they walked, they sang Hymn 882 from their songbooks, “My Soul Does Magnify the Lord,” and stopped to read prayers and share testimony. It was the least they could do to honor the dead, Kane-Osorto said. “Not only does every human being matter, every soul deserves to have people celebrate the life they had on Earth,” she said. For Debra Green, the service was

personal. Green, 46, became homeless a year ago after her mother died. She moved into N Street Village, a housing ministry of Luther Place, and met Wanda Murray, who lived with her in Dorm 3. Murray became like a mother to her. Green didn’t know much about her because Murray didn’t talk much about herself. Instead, she was a nurturing voice and looked after Green. Murray was admitted to Providence Hospital in August, “Mommy’ll be home

the Department of Housing and Urban Development to aggregate more complete data on homeless people. The department began relying on Homeless Information Management Systems, local databases designed to confidentially collect characteristics and needs of homeless people. To compile a list of homeless people who died in D.C. this year, the National Coalition for the Homeless relied on newspaper clippings, reports from the medical examiner’s office and names

Just because you don’t have a home doesn’t mean you don’t have a community.

-Neil Donovon, Executive director of The National Coalition for the Homeless

Wednesday. And Mommy’ll owe you three hugs,” Green remembers her promising on the phone. But instead, she was moved to the intensive care unit and died on Aug. 13. She was 59. Murray’s name didn’t make the list that was read on Sunday. In fact, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless, that list represented probably only a fraction of those who died around D.C. this year. Data on homeless communities is historically unreliable. Although meticulous records are kept of shelter occupancy, people who are transient or do not seek help often fall through the cracks. In the late 1990s, Congress directed

provided by clinics and agencies. It’s an unscientific process, said Neil Donovan, executive director of the coalition, but homeless advocates do all they can to make sure deaths don’t go unnoticed. As Street Sense was going to press on the evening of Dec. 21, the coalition was scheduled to begin its own commemoration of homeless deaths at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. By that time, the list grew to 37 names, including that of Green’s friend, Wanda Murray. Also listed was Sharon Kelcha, who died less than two weeks ago when she was struck by a car as she walked on the Anacostia Freeway.

The service was coordinated with more than 150 other cities for National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day. Since 1990, the coalition has held a vigil every year on the evening of winter solstice, which is the day of the year with the shortest time of daylight. Last year, the participating cities read the names of more than 2,000 homeless people who had died. “It’s our responsibility to spend a little time and space when we can think about them,” Donovan said. “Just because you don’t have a home doesn’t mean you don’t have a community.” And it’s that call to community that brought Green to the service outside Luther Place on Sunday in 30-degree weather. “I didn’t get a chance to go to a funeral for Wanda,” she said. “This was my chance to say goodbye.” The congregation returned to the warmth of the church sanctuary, singing, “He cast the mighty from their thrones. He has lifted up the lowly. He fills the hungry with good things, while others turn away.” The service was beautiful, Green said, but she hopes for more when she dies. “I hope that at the end of my life that I will have a funeral,” she said, “and that people will remember me for what I did in my life.”

STREET SENSE December 22, 2010 - January 4, 2011

City Council Passes Residency Bill By Mary Otto Street Sense Editor After an impassioned debate that elicited references to the Christmas story, the DC City Council voted 9 to 4 to approve a bill that requires homeless families to present evidence that they are District residents in order to stay more than three winter nights in the city’s overwhelmed family shelter system. “As we celebrate the birth of Christ who was homeless,” said Ward 5 council member Harry Thomas, Jr. before the Dec 21 roll call on the measure, “I am not even going to try to amend this act. I am going to vote against it.” The bill was one of many austerity measures targeted at closing a $188 million budget gap. It was also portrayed as a necessary way of addressing the chronic shortage of shelter space for homeless families, according to its chief sponsor, council member Tommy Wells (Ward 6). “Unless the city is ready to fund social services for the whole region, we have to try to ration them for residents of the District of Columbia,” said Wells, who chairs the council’s human services committee. DC General Hospital, a closed and aging medical facility located in Wells’ ward, currently serves as the city’s family emergency shelter. City officials are anxious to avoid a repeat of last winter’s debacle, where 200 families were crowded into space at the hospital facility that was actually intended for 135 families. The city’s annual 2010 homeless enumeration found a total of 800 homeless families living in the District, an increase of nearly 14 percent over last year. But of the hundreds of families that applied for shelter throughout several recent months, officials estimated that roughly 10 percent came from other jurisdictions. Under the new law, families will be given three days to produce documentation of city residency; a District mailing address dated within the past two years; evidence that a member of the family has applied for or is receiving public assistance in the District; evidence that a member of the family is enrolled in a

District school, or a statement from a District resident or a nonprofit organization vouching for the family’s residence in the city. The residency requirement will not apply to single men and women seeking beds in low barrier emergency shelters, or to victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault or sexual trafficking. Advocates for the homeless and the three members of the council who joined Thomas in opposing the measure—Jim Graham (Ward 1), Mary Cheh (Ward 3) and Phil Mendelson (at-large)— said they worried about the possible impact of turning away families in extreme need, whether or not they are able to show they are District residents. “I feel strongly this legislation is a mistake,” said Mendelsohn who called the residency requirement “cruel.” He said the city should work with surrounding jurisdictions to provide more homeless services so families would not be required to come to the city in search of emergency shelter. Cheh said that though the bill targeted families coming from outside the city, she worried those DC families unable to prove their residency would also face new barriers to getting shelter. Wells accused those protesting the measure of making “a hollow call for justice.” “The council refused to raise taxes,” Wells said. And efforts to open new shelters are strongly resisted, he said. “Don’t put a shelter in my ward or near my ward.”

NEWS

Street Sense wishes to thank our corporate sponsor

CAMRIS is a dynamic international development consulting firm with more than 50 years of experience designing and managing complex, large-‐scale projects in all regions of the world.

CAMRIS joined Street Sense at the 2010 Help the Homeless Walkathon in Washington, DC

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STREET FACT: People at The Street Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., promote the use of technology (cell phones, e-mail) to preach on a new level. They send out weekly e-mails containing Bible verses.

Bringing the Sacred to the Streets By Shadaye Hunnicutt, intern The lunch is a simple one, usually just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, served up with chips, applesauce, crackers and cheese. In the wintertime, there is sometimes a little soup. Frank Anderson and other volunteers meet every Tuesday morning in the old kitchen of the Church of the Epiphany near the corner of 13th and G Streets, Northwest, and make the sandwiches on a long steel table. They pack the food and everything else they need for the service into a couple of shopping carts. They wheel those carts a few blocks north, up to Franklin Square Park, where people are waiting for sandwiches and other blessings, too. “We try to provide enough to feed at least 70 people,” Anderson said. “You never know if this is the only meal someone may eat today.” When the church volunteers arrive at the park, there are about 10 people gathered around. As they take the tables out, set up for the service and sing hymns such as “Amazing Grace,” more and more people join the crowd. “I see a lot of the same people each week, but it changes, especially since the economy has a lot of people struggling lately,” Anderson said. Street Church has been a volunteerrun ministry since its first gathering on Feb. 17, 2006. Many of the original volunteers still help out, such as William Person, who left D.C. for about a year and a half but wants to be here for good. “Everything I want is right inside the church,” he said. He makes it his task to bag up lunches for anyone in the park who may be sleeping on a bench during the service or who may not be able to join the group. He said he has missed only one Tuesday in the park, when he lingered in the sanctuary after preparing lunches to listen to one of the afternoon concerts hosted by the Church of the Epiphany. When the Street Church began, many homeless men staying at the nearby Franklin School Shelter came for the sandwiches also joined in the singing and prayers.

Above: Street Church volunteers prepare to serve lunch for the homeless in Franklin Square Park as a Tuesday midday ritual. Right: “Special Ed” attends the lunch regularly to see his friends. JANE CAVE | STREET SENSE

After the Shelter closed in 2008, the men were dispersed, some to permanent supportive housing, others to other shelters far from the park. Many haven’t come back to Street Church. But one man, who goes by the name “Special Ed,” did not let his relocation to Anacostia get in the way of his returning to Street Church every Tuesday. “I keep coming back to see people who are happy to see me, which is uncommon in my situation,” he said. Special Ed isn’t the only person who found kindness and fellowship at this church without walls. Samuel Powell said he attends many churches and makes sure to not miss Street Church. “You want to go where people know and believe the same things you do,” Powell said. Other attendees desire a change of scenery, such as Scott Keyes, who works around the corner from the park at the Center for American Progress.He said stepping outside the comfort of a church to pray reminds him about the

I keep coming back to see people who are happy to see me, which is uncommon in my situation.

-“Special Ed” Street Church Regular

power of worship. “Jesus intended worship to be something more like this, when we can all get together and forget the hardships of the world and just come together in praise and worship,” Keyes said. The service, offered amid the trees, is as simple as the lunch. The Church of the Epiphany draws clergy from all over the D.C. metro area to lead a 20-minute “celebration” consisting of Psalm 23, a message from one of the Gospels, a couple of prayers and communion, made with plain, sliced

bread and grape juice. They close with the hymn “We Shall Overcome.” Nick Myers, a priest from Christ Church Episcopal in Alexandria, has led the celebration four times this year and believes it is a blessing for both the volunteers and those who gather in the park. “We’re a community,” Myers said. “We’re meeting together as a group, connected through the church, and we’re letting people know that they are a part of that community even in a world that tells them they’re not.”

STREET SENSE December 22 2010 - January 4, 2011

LOCAL NEWS

Turning Leftover Food into Meals and Leftover People into Professionals By Ben Rheault, volunteer Darnell Herndon’s razor-sharp knife slices and dices vegetables as it gleams against the stainless steel table with each precise and deliberate chop. Herndon is one of many chefs that work in the D.C. Central Kitchen. He spends his days cutting vegetables, deboning chickens and wrapping meals. It sounds like a tough job, but he prefers it to the alternative. Herndon was one of thousands of Washington’s drug-addicted homeless in 1999. Soup kitchens were how he survived long, cold days on the street. “My life was on the street, doing drugs, out there doing anything just to get money,” Herndon said. “D.C. Central Kitchen gave me a whole new life.” The organization believes solving hunger is only half the battle. It turns leftover food into meals while providing culinary training for those at risk in D.C. Ex-convicts, former homeless and the unemployed work in the kitchen and have done so since Robert Egger created it in 1989. Egger, a former nightclub owner, came up with the idea when he and his wife delivered food to the homeless with a local church group. The experience was an epiphany for Egger. He realized there was ample room for improvement to the structure of traditional soup kitchens. He knew from his experience in the food industry that food is often wasted because it may have blemishes or other defects that will not sell in a supermarket. Egger also knew the food industry was always looking for workers, and Washington had a surplus of unemployed people. He recognized that the traditional soup kitchen allowed those who received handouts to simply come back the next night with little gained in the long run. “Our goal is to waste nothing,” Egger said. “Not food or money or lives.” With this mantra, Egger set up the D.C. Central Kitchen. Today the kitchen recycles about 3,000 pounds of food and sends out about 4,500 meals per day, 365 days a year.

Darnell Herndon prepares macaroons at D.C. Central Kitchen for a catering order. Herndon used to live on the streets in 1999 and now works turning leftover food into meals. WILLIAM NEUHEISEL | D.C. CENTRAL KITCHEN

Its partners are nonprofit human service organizations, providing social services to people who are low-income or homeless. Shelters, substance abuse homes, halfway houses, schools and other soup kitchens regularly receive food from the D.C. Central Kitchen. The kitchen, on 425 Second St. NW, bustles with activity. Pallets of unloaded food lie stacked outside the building while volunteers cut vegetables. Volunteers stir large pots of soup and the kitchen is filled with a multitude of aromas. Hustling chefs and the banging of pots and pans fill the cramped space. The chefs of the D.C. Central Kitchen are trained through its culinary arts job training program. The program runs 12 weeks and includes hands-on training with both staff chefs and visiting chefs who volunteer to give seminars to teach more specific skills. The class also gives internships in which students work with professional cooks to gain real-world experience for a future in food service.

Much of kitchen’s food is recycled. The founder said he rescues prepared and perishable surplus food from hundreds of restaurants, hotels, university cafeterias, caterers and other concerned businesses in the Washington area. At D.C. Central Kitchen, everybody wins, Egger said. Food is recycled that would otherwise be wasted; disadvan-

taged people are given an opportunity for jobs, money and a new life; and food is distributed cheaply to organizations and places that help others. “We use food that was thrown away, people our society undervalues, volunteers who wanted to be part of something powerful,” Egger said. Egger’s mantra holds true. Nothing will be wasted in his kitchen.

Holiday Meals for the Needy

Central Union Mission will offer dinner at 5 p.m. on Christmas Day. The mission is located at 1350 R St., NW, Washington D.C. Thrive DC is throwing a holiday party for women and children, complete with gift bags, on Dec. 22 from 3 to 6 p.m. Dinner will be served at 5 p.m. A holiday breakfast celebration for men, women and children is scheduled for Dec. 23. The party will be held from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., with breakfast served at 9:30 a.m. The events will be held at Thrive DC, which is located at St. Stephen’s Parish Church, 1525 Newton St., NW, Washington D.C. The Shepherd’s Table will serve dinner on Christmas evening from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The program, which has offered nightly meals for more than 24 years, is located at 8210 Colonial Lane, Silver Spring, Md.

What Christmas Means to Me

By Sybil Taylor, vendor

on Christmas Eve.

Christmas food, what a joy!

What a jolly holly Christmas!

Building snowmen, playing,

Honey ham, turkey, chitterlings, corn,

What a wonderful season.

making and throwing snowballs,

sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, greens,

All beautiful Christmas trees

sliding down the hill on a sleigh,

potato salad, string beans, fruitcake,

shining with ornaments, light bulbs,

enjoying fun in the snow.

Christmas candy, Christmas cookies,

garlands, tassels and a Christmas star,

Singing Christmas carols, Christmas music.

stockings full of candy and presents.

all so bright and shiny.

Sitting by an open fire with hot chocolate or cof- Christmas melodies, songs by the tree

Toys for Christmas

fee.

full of cheer and happiness

under the tree, so nice.

Christmas joy and fun for everyone.

all the winter season of Christmas love.

Santa coming from the North Pole.

Christmas morning, full of love and happiness,

Merry Christmas to everyone and to all a good

Santa coming down the chimney,

opening presents and full of smiles.

night!

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ho ho ho,â&#x20AC;? with all his gifts,

A new King born in the manger

going from house to house with his reindeer

by Mary and the Lord on Christmas Day.

By Craig Hudson Street Sense

STREET SENSE December 22, 2010 - January 4, 2011

Pics & Poems

Budget Cuts, Budget Cuts

(Sung to the tune of “Jingle Bells”) By Chris Sky Shaw, vendor O, budget cuts, budget cuts, cut ‘em all the way, kick a homeless person to the curb, see what they have to say. Ohh! Budget cuts, budget cuts, twist knife all the way, tear out body along with soul dig the deepest hole! Bashing all the way in a one-seat cabriolet, show no mercy, no, that would be passe! Hell on wheels for us let’s starve ‘em out for fun Say that trees and broad boulevards far more uplift D.C. than... Well-fed kids, well-housed folks, nourished in every way, why can’t all our city pols Recraft priorities. Oh! Well-fed kids, well-housed folks, nourished in every way, let’s reach out and help someone and build a better new day! And build a better new day!

10 10

Our News

Vendor Achievement Street Sense vendors Reggie Black and Deana Elder (now Deana Black), were married at City Hall on Dec. 13 after meeting at Street Sense!

A festive afternoon for Street Sense

Above: Former vendor Jesse Smith greets vendor David Denny. “It was so great to see so many people there,” Smith said. “It was really a nice party.” Right: Vendor Richard Embden shares his musical talent with partygoers. CRAIG HUDSON | CRAIG HUDSON PHOTOGRAPHY

By Amy Vokes, community manager On a bleak and cloudy winter day, the holiday spirit radiated from the parish hall of the Church of the Epiphany. About 100 Street Sense vendors, volunteers and supporters gathered for a meal, conversation and celebration of the holiday season during the 2010 Annual Vendor Holiday Party. As many people experiencing longterm homelessness do not have their family close by for a variety of reasons, the holiday season can be a particularly lonely time. The afternoon allowed the Street Sense community to focus on the joy and warmth that are so often forgotten amidst these cold and lonely days. A small, committed group of volunteers worked together to bring party supplies to the church, transforming the hall into a festive holiday room. Supporters pitched in to bring food, drinks and decorations. Three area schools contributed to the event’s success: Ridgemont Montessori School of McLean, Community Academy Public Charter School Rand Campus of D.C., and Matsu-

naga Elementary School of Germantown. The students created handmade holiday cards for vendors. Unexpected special guests made an appearance. They turned out to work for a company with the same name as ours: Street Sense. The Bethesda-based company, an integrated brokerage, design and development firm kept receiving calls from people interested in becoming vendor. When they found out about their nonprofit counterpart, they ended up sponsoring a coat drive, which collected over 90 coats, hats, gloves and outerwear for vendors. All vendor attendees received one or two coats upon completion of a vendor survey. Bethesda’s Street Sense employees volunteered as greeters and monitors of the arts and crafts table. They brought enough nonperishable food to provide snacks for the writers’ group and vendor meetings for the month of January. A Well-Fed World, an organization that empowers people to eat green, provided fresh, healthy food. Street Sense raffled items that ranged from gift cards

to Safeway to a Redskins Snuggie to a real Christmas tree, given to a vendor who recently moved into her apartment. Merit awards were given to Tommy Bennett, Anthony Crawford and Daniel Ball. These three vendors, along with a team of others, volunteer every other Wednesday morning to bring the new issue of papers from the delivery truck into the storage closet. They have not missed a Wednesday in at least six months. Vendors eagerly shared their talents, including musical selections from Richard Embden on the harmonica and Veda Simpson on vocals. Members of the writers’ group shared poetry. A crafts booth provided holiday cards and stamps for vendors to connect with family or friends along with glass ornaments, ribbon and tinsel to assemble. Vendors also signed cards for Street Sense vendors unable to attend the party due to ongoing health problems. Grab bags included handmade holiday cards, candy canes, notepads, toiletries and coupons for free newspapers. They were all nestled beneath the lighted Christmas tree.

Above: Vendor Tanya Franklin enjoys the delicious food provided by WellFed World and volunteers at the party. Below: Vendor James Hughes is given a raffle prize by former executive director Abby Strunk. A wide variety of raffle prizes were donated. JANE CAVE | STREET SENSE

Look for additional holiday party photos at StreetSense.org

STREET SENSE December 22-January 4, 2011

OP-ED

SPEAKING OUT

Starving for Stimulus Help By Jeffery McNeil, vendor The recent extension of the Bush tax cuts will cost the United States $860 billion, mainly borrowed from China and oilrich nations such as Saudi Arabia. I have mixed feelings about the philosophies of supply-side economics and stimulus. It’s like giving a junkie some drugs because he will get sick if he doesn’t get his fix. The approach of Congress and past presidents on giveaways and entitlements while not addressing the debt is a cowardly way of not offending anyone in order to win re-election. President Obama did what was popular, but not right, by giving tax breaks at a time when corporations made $1 trillion in profits last quarter. Stores like Neiman Marcus are seeing robust sales. No wonder Street Sense and other vendors consider areas like Eastern Market as potential bonanzas. Washington, D.C., is not the only city

If we are going to spend government money, we shouldn’t let our politicians sell us out with this supply-side theory of giving to the rich while the masses stay poor.

that benefits from Congress giving away gifts like Santa Claus. I recently went to Times Square in New York. Broadway plays are not doing too badly in this rough economy. Sometimes you cannot even find a ticket for a play. This is happening when the unemployment rate stands at nearly 10 percent and fiscal conservatives are complaining about the debt being around $14 trillion. From a poor person’s perspective, it doesn’t make sense when you see someone willing to spend $4,000 a month for an apartment and then people walking over a guy sleeping on a sidewalk like he doesn’t exist. What is more appalling is hearing politicians defend tax cuts while complaining about Social Security and Medicare causing a drain on the budget. The sad part about capitalism and government is that neither the corporation nor the politician see or understand the human side of their decisions. They only see numbers, not consequences. There is a human side when you cut social services. To borrow $900 billion from China and Saudi Arabia and then give it to the wealthy so they can sail around the world is unsettling. If we are going to spend government money, we shouldn’t let our politicians sell us out with this supplyside theory of giving to the rich while the masses stay poor. As Americans, we need to be better watchdogs on how government spends our money. Americans ranked 17th in reading, 31st in math and 23rd in science, according to the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment, a test that ranks student performance worldwide. We are to blame. More Americans know who won the Super Bowl than what is in the tax bill. In the 1960s, people rioted on the street for change. Today we have news organizations like Fox and MSNBC, which are more interested in defending an issue than reporting what is really happening. In order to get the money back to the people who need it, rather than to the ones who are doing well for themselves, we need more activism than passivism.

Thank you to our November donors! Beverly Bufkin

Frederick P. Waite

C. Peter Magrath

Jesse and Carrie Sandra Yarrington Sanders Sara Willis Joan Hennel Sarah L. Shamley Joanne Growney Sarah Wolf John Kang Terri Nally and Rick Karen Reed Weibl

Caitlin Corcoran Cole Roofing David A. Sellers David I. Tevelin David Kessel Diane S. Shea Eddie Harris

Robin Ropar

Marc T. Grinberg

Theresa B. Ruth

Mark Ginsberg

Yelee Kim

Norman T Roule

A special thanks to our recurring contributors who make it possible for Street Sense to depend on monthly funds to support our important strategic initiatives. Alysha Chadderdon

Lara Thornely Hall

Bill Perkins

Melani McAlister

David Martin-McCormick

Michael Mavretic

Heidi Schoenberger-Cobert

Sharyn Meister

Holland Banse

Valorie Lee

Jason Corum all people are

Welcome

here

Join us in worship on Sundays at 9:30 am, 11:00 am, 5:30 pm Homeless Outreach Hospitality Fridays at 9:00 _____________________________

30% off 1st massage with this advertisement! Massage Therapy Elizabeth Bourne, LMT Adams Morgan 202.253.0941

www.listentothebody.com

Foundry United Methodist Church A Reconciling Congregation

1500 16th Street NW | Washington DC | 20036 202.332.4010 | foundryumc.@foundryumc.org

www.foundryumc.org

12 Writer’s Group

Street Sense and Miriam’s Kitchen have partnered to offer Street Sense vendors the chance to share their stories and poetry. They meet Monday-Friday at Miriam’s Kitchen from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. at Street Sense Mondays from 10-11 a.m.

Worst Christmas Ever

By Gwen Smith, Vendor

The Homeless and the Holidays

y worst Christmas days had nothing to do with being homeless, although I was almost broke as a homeless person. Being divorced and alone, with friends elsewhere with their families, underscored a bad situation.

I was living off Georgia Avenue on a quiet, dead-end street, in a rooming house occupied by the owner. She and the other roomers had plans, but I didn’t. That was sad.

Robert Warren

eing homeless but employed is hard. So is being jobless but not homeless. But being homeless and jobless at the same time is the most depressing of all. I have been all three, so I know. However, we do experience some joy during this difficult season. The kindness of people lifts your spirits and gives one the sense that things are not all bad. Those people bring food, gifts and clothes. Their generosity enables me to give presents to loved ones as well as providing some of the small things that help me out during the winter season But even with this, there are still many down days during the holiday season. I think being unemployed is worse than being homeless. But being either, and certainly being both, adds a lot to my down days during the holiday season. I don’t know what people in other cities may go through. But in Washington, D.C., we always have people who do so much to make the holiday season just a little better for the poor and the homeless. That’s what it’s all about to me: Being thankful for people and knowing that my day is coming to end my joblessness and homelessness if I work hard and keep the faith.

To top it off, I thought that the young lady across the street was seeing an older man- I thought it might be the one I’d had a fling with and still had a crush on. And I still hoped something would happen. But the phone did not ring. And I had no Christmas decorations. I could have called my folks, out-of-state collect, or called relatives here. But I didn’t want to bother them, or see their hurt for me in their eyes. Didn’t they know that I never really loved my husband? We were just tremendous friends. And he might have never really loved me. Even after all that, I am grateful for many things. I am most grateful that I don’t have what Mark Twain called “the worst loneliness:” Not being comfortable with myself.

Excuse Me, I’m Stupid Richard Embden

Excuse me, I’m stupid. I’m an erudite idiot. My friend told me I’m stupid. You see, he is smarter than me. He is an imbecile, the second lowest grade of mental deficiency. I’m the lowest grade of mental deficiency. I have a degree. A B.S. in B.S. Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science. I studied for the M.A.T. in History, too. I used to be homeless. People called me lazy and crazy. But might be you could learn something from me. I ain’t got too much sense But I got some StreetSense.

Happy to be Clean Jeffrey McNeil

his holiday season has been pretty good. Since I stopped doing hard drugs, I have been able to save my money and put it to good use. I recently traveled to Ohio, New Jersey and Philadelphia to see relatives I had not seen in two years. Traveling is one of my favorite hobbies. I love going to different places and to different states. I like seeing the various skylines. My favorite skyline is New York. My second favorite is Philadelphia. I like that city because it is historic, like Washington. The libraries, the museums and the nightlife are awesome. However, Philadelphia is far removed from the City of Brotherly Love. What once was one of the more progressive cities in America is now the poster child of urban blight. Like Washington, the first-class folks do really well. They dine at the finest restaurants, go to the hottest nightclubs and carry bags from Nieman-Marcus. But going up Broad Street toward Temple University is another world. Many talk about the horrors of Iraq and Afghanistan, but I think that urban decay is much worse. Drugs overrun many neighborhoods. One mishap might get you killed, and racial division is widespread. Whites and other ethnic groups have fled to the suburbs. Nevertheless, what makes me happy this holiday season is that, rather than judging my past, people see my progression from sleeping in the Philadelphia subway tunnels, looking for crack and not caring about living or dying. I no longer have to be sick and resent those who harmed and humiliated me. Now I feel sympathy for those who live beneath the subway. I am most grateful that I am not an addict and that I can call Washington home.

STREET SENSE December 22-January 4, 2011

Non-Fiction

I resolve in the New Year to... Be happy.

Stay alive. Perform random acts of kindness.

Talk to my neighbors more.

By Mandy Toomey, Volunteer

Tommy Bennett

Be better informed about current events. Lose more weight. To never make another New Year’s resolution again. Stay in contact with my family.

Working as a career specialist for workforce training programs at an awardwinning charter school for adult learners, I hear the following quote often. “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.” William Arthur Ward Maybe the reason this quote echoes through the halls of the school like a mantra is because goals play an integral role in the success of individuals trying to improve their situation in life. Street Sense deals in imagination and dreams. The paper offers vendors a perfect opportunity to build stability in their lives while providing relevant information about their community. The newspaper is a voice for those who are often silenced. This holiday season I connected with a few vendors to learn about their resolutions for 2011. “My New Year’s resolution is to be a better person in the new year. I hope to be respectful, helpful and understanding of others’ needs.” Ronald George “I hope to finish school and continue with my seven years of sobriety (this year will make eight). I hope to help another person. And I plan to continue with Street Sense because it makes me happy: meeting people and helping the customers. My New Year’s resolution is to be happy. I hope others will be happy, too. Happy New Year!” – Tommy Bennett

Philip Howard

Be better at time management. Be a better person. Quit smoking.

“Stay alive and continue to obey the Lord above because without him none of us would be here.” – Philip Howard “I plan to stay with the paper and to stay in contact with Kevin and Pamela Belkosky. I hope I never lose contact with them again.” – Kenneth Belkosky “My New Year’s resolution is to increase my computer skills and to do more outreach and advocacy. I enjoy helping the impoverished, the homeless and anyone in need with attaining their goals. Street Sense is at the forefront of the homeless cause for fairness. The heavenly staff members are angels bringing light, hope and understanding to the world!” – Paul Lee Taylor

Increase my computer skills.

As you wade through the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I encourage you to reflect on the important role you play in helping Street Sense vendors who are working to achieve their dreams. Happy Holidays!

Kenneth Belkosky

Get my finances in order.

Do more yoga.

Paul Lee Taylor

About Us

Vendor Code of Conduct 1. Street Sense will be distributed for a voluntary donation of $1. I agree not to ask for more than $1 or to solicit donations for Street Sense by other means. 2. I will only purchase the paper from Street Sense staff and will not sell papers to other vendors (outside of the office volunteers). 3. I agree to treat all others – customers, staff and other vendors – respectfully. I will not “hard sell,” threaten or pressure customers. 4. I agree to stay off private property when selling Street Sense. 5. I understand that I am not a legal employee of Street Sense but a contracted worker responsible for my own well–being and income.

6. I agree to sell no additional goods or products when selling Street Sense. 7. I will not sell Street Sense under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 8. I agree to stay a block away from another vendor and respect the space of all vendors. 9. I understand that my badge is the property of Street Sense and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing newspapers. I will display my badge and wear my vest when selling papers. 10. I understand that Street Sense strives to be a paper that covers homelessness and poverty issues while providing a source of income for the homeless. I will try to help in this effort and spread the word.

Volunteer of the Month

Favorite Music: Classical music Favorite Food: Pickled beef, it’s a German dish, which you eat with a hot potato salad and sauerkraut Fovorite Movie: Star Trek, because it gave science fiction a positive spin and a better name

Jane Goforth

Congratulations to December’s Volunteer of the Month: Jane Goforth! Our vendors know Jane well, as she works in our office two mornings each week selling papers and providing administrative support in the office. She also meticulously enters daily sales data into our spreadsheets. Most recently, Jane was a member of our volunteer planning committee,

which coordinated logistics and donations for our holiday party. Serving Street Sense in several different capacities, Jane brings a sense of neatness and order to everything she does. She also has a warrior spirit, taking in stride the myriad of challenges and changes that come with volunteering in a small nonprofit office.

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 with the idea to start a street paper in Washington, D.C., as a means of empowering the area’s poor and homeless. A street paper is a newspaper about poverty, homelessness and other social issues which provides an income to the homeless individuals who sell it. More than 30 street papers operate in the United States and Canada, including in cities like Seattle, Chicago,

65%

Directly aids the vendor

Montreal and Boston. Dozens more exist throughout the world. After bringing together a core of dedicated volunteers, Street Sense published its first issue in November 2003, printing 5,000 copies. About a dozen vendors sold the first issue of the paper. For the next three years, it published on a monthly basis and greatly expanded its circulation and vendor network. Street Sense initially operated as a project of the National Coalition for the Homeless. In October 2004, the organization incorporated and moved

into its own office space. In March 2005, Street Sense received 501(c)3 status, becoming a nonprofit organization. In October 2005, Street Sense formed a full board of directors, and in November, the organization hired its first employee, a full-time executive director. A year later, Street Sense hired its first vendor coordinator and began partnering with several service providers. In February 2007, the paper increased the frequency of publication to twice a month. In order to sup-

35%

Supports printing costs

port the increased production, Street Sense brought on its first full-time editor-in-chief in April. Today, Street Sense has four professional staff, more than 100 active vendors and nearly 30,000 copies in circulation each month. The newspaper has become a major source of news for Washingtonians, providing content on issues which often go uncovered by the mainstream media. Street Sense is a member of the National Association of Street Newspapers (NASNA).

YOUR DOLLAR Every vendor makes a personal investment in Street Sense by purchasing issues at a rate of 35 cents per copy. This money helps cover our production and printing costs for the paper, while still allowing the vendors to sell the paper at a low price and substantial profit.

STREET SENSE December 22-January 4, 2011

Community Service Service Spotlight: Byte Back Byte Back is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve economic opportunities for low-income residents of the D.C. area by providing computer training and employment readiness skills. Their goals are to provide high-quality computer courses to unemployed and underemployed D.C. residents and the surrounding communities, to supply job readiness assistance and to assist unemployed and underemployed residents in obtaining employment that pays a living wage. In 2010, Byte Back won an Honorable Mention for the Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management from the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, as well as a spot in the 2010-2011 Catalogue for Philanthropy. Their instructors pro-

DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH ACCESS HOTLINE 1-888-7WE HELP (1-888-793-4357) www.dcfoodfinder.org

SHELTER Calvary Women’s Services 110 Maryland Ave, NE (202) 289-0596 (office) (202) 289-2111 (shelter) www.calvaryservices.org

vided computer training to over 1,000 students. In 2011, Byte Back hopes to increase enrollment and retention, and to continue to provide training for skills needed in the current job market. “The majority of our students are in homeless shelters, in foster care or are staying temporarily with friends and families,” said Kelley Ellsworth, executive director. “We provide them skills to get a job and to get themselves a home.” With the aid of a stimulus grant, Byte Back continues to serve our community in partnership with D.C. Public Libraries. The organization focuses on seniors, youths in the foster system, Spanish-speaking adults and disabled individuals.

My Sister’s Place PO Box 29596, Washington, DC 20017 (202) 529-5261 (office) (202)-529-5991 (24-hour hotline)

801 East, St. Elizabeths Hospital (Men) 2700 MLK Avenue, SE (202) 561–4014 New York Ave Shelter (Men 18+) 1355–57 New York Avenue, NE (202) 832–2359

Open Door Shelter (Women) 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 393–1909 www.newhopeministriesdc.org/id3.html

FOOD

Covenant House Washington (Youth) 2001 Mississippi Ave., SE (202) 610–9600, www.covenanthousedc.org John Young Center (Women) 119 D Street, NW (202) 639–8469, www.catholiccharitiesdc.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MEDICAL RESOURCES 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

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Academy of Hope GED Center 601 Edgewood St., NE 202-269-6623, www.aohdc.org Catholic Community Services 924 G Street, NW (202) 772–4300, www.ccs–dc.org D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW (202) 347–8870, www.dccfh.org Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW (202) 347–0511, www.cflsdc.org

OUTREACH CENTERS N Street Village (Women) 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060, www.nstreetvillage.org

Central Union Mission (Men) 1350 R Street, NW (202) 745–7118, www.missiondc.org

Community of Hope (Family) 1413 Girard Street, NW (202) 232–7356,www.communityofhopedc.org

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

Charlie’s Place 1830 Connecticut Avenue, NW (202) 232–3066 www.stmargaretsdc.org/charliesplac Church of the Pilgrims (Sundays only) 2201 P Street, NW (202) 387–6612, www.churchofthepilgrims.org Thrive DC Breakfast served Mon.-Fri., 9:30-11 a.m. Dinner for women and children, Mon.-Fri., 3-6 p.m.

Bread for the City 1525 Seventh Street, NW (202) 265–2400 1640 Good Hope Road, SE (202) 561–8587, www.breadforthecity.org Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW (202) 364–1419, www.cchfp.org Bethany Women’s Center 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060, www.nstreetvillage.org Father McKenna Center 19 Eye Street, NW (202) 842–1112 Friendship House 619 D Street, SE (202) 675–9050, www.friendshiphouse.net Georgetown Ministry Center 1041 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (202) 338–8301 www.georgetownministrycenter.org

Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW (202) 332–4010, www.foundryumc.org Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men) 810 5th Street, NW (202) 842–1731, www.grm.org Hermano Pedro Day Center 3211 Sacred Heart Way, NW (202) 332–2874 http://www.ccs–dc.org/find/services/ JHP, Inc. 425 2nd St, NW (202) 544–9126, www.jobshavepriority.org Samaritan Ministry 1345 U Street, SE 1516 Hamilton Street, NW (202)889–7702, www.samaritanministry.org

SHELTER HOTLINE: 1–800–535–7252

THE LAST WORD

Government of the District of Columbia • Department of Human Services

A new look, future for Street Sense By Eric Falquero Former Graphic Design Intern I began working as a graphic design intern at Street Sense in June 2010. I worked mostly on marketing materials, especially rebranding the organization. Roughly two weeks before leaving Street Sense to finish the last semester of my degree, we began working on a new layout for this publication. I say “we” because this layout was by no means a one-man effort. The former executive director, Abby Strunk, showed me many examples of other street newspapers and gave me a lot of direction, especially with our new logo. She also helped organize a focus group for the logo and layout efforts. Volunteers Mandy Toomey, Tracey Ching and Mike Plunkett’s opinions, suggestions and ideas were vital for the final outcome that you see before you. Mike Plunkett, a news/features designer at The Washington Post, was especially instrumental in finalizing the design and ensuring all the elements were addressed. He continued to look over the design and make suggestions and his own changes. I also worked with editors Mary Otto and Lisa Gillespie to get their in-

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fashion in MidCity

Eric Falquero will begin working as Shop | Eat a graphic designer in the D.C.