12 23 2009 by Street Sense Media

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December 23, 2009 - January 5, 2010

Where Your Dollar Goes:

Where the poor and homeless

earn and give their two cents Volume 7 Issue 4

December 23, 2009 - January 5, 2010

D STE GE ON G S U N AT I DO

65 cents 35 cents for the Vendor for production of the paper $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $$ $$ $ $ $$$ $ $$$ $ $$

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Government Funding Chaos:

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Are Beds Being Wasted? Page 6

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Finally Resolved?

Homelessness on Center Stage in Musical

See Page 4

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The District government directs money to those in need Unexpected Help Keeps Us Warm Page 14

Give a Vendor a Gift That Will Last All Year, details see page 3

December 23, 2009 - January 5, 2010

1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 347–2006 Fax: (202) 347–2166 info@streetsense.org www.streetsense.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kristal DeKleer Lisa Estrada Ted Henson Mary Lynn Jones Sommer Mathis Brad Scriber John Snellgrove Michael Stoops Martin Walker David Walker Kathy Whelpley EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Abby Strunk EDITOR–IN–CHIEF Lisa Gillespie VENDOR MANAGER Gregory Martin Founders Ted Henson & Laura Thompson Osuri

Our Mission

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.

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 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 a nonprofit organization. In October 2005 Street Sense formed a full board of directors, and in November the organization hired its first employee, a fulltime executive director. A year later in November 2006 the organization hired its first vendor coordinator and began partnering with several service providers. In February 2007 the paper started publishing twice a month and to support the increased production, Street Sense brought on its first fulltime editor–in–chief in April. As of January 2009 the paper had 80 active vendors and printed about 30,000 issues a month.

VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Robert Basler, Robert Blair, John Brandt, Jane Cave, Carol Cummings, Rebecca Curry, Katie Edson, Andy Freeze, Robert Fulton, Jane Goforth, Cassandra Good, Joanne Goodwin, Roberta Haber, Dan Horner, Phillip Hoying, Kayne Karnbach, Michael Kelly, Maurice King, Geof Koss, Brenda K. Lee-Wilson, Starlett McNeill, Kim O’Connor, Gabriel Okolski, Robert Orifici, Michael O’Neill, Jon Pattee, Katinka Podmankzy, Sarah Birnie, Diane Rusignola, Cara Schmidt, Jamie Schuman, Jesse Smith, Christna Studivant, Matthew Taylor, Robert Trautman, Linda Wang, Denise Wilkins, Marian Wiseman, Corrine Yu, Marcus Williams, J. Deveaux, John McNamee, Caroline Hopper

VENDORS

O’Jango Amen, Michael Anderson, Jake Ashford, Lawrence Autry, Daniel Ball, Ernest Ballard, Carlie Banks, Kenneth Belkosky, Tommy Bennett, Phillip Black, Reginald Black, Corey Bridges, Michael Brown, Melody Byrd, Cliff Carle, Percy Carter, Conrad Cheek Jr., Aaron Conner, Pamela Cooper, Anthony Crawford, Louise Davenport, James Davis, Chino Dean, David Denny, Ricardo Dickerson, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Charles Eatmon, Eric Ellis, Richard Embden, Randy Evans, Craig Fleming, Tanya Franklin, Roger Garner, Robert Gregory, Barron Hall, Dwight Harris, John Harrison, Patricia Henry, Shakaye Henry, Shawn Herring, Michael Higgs, Phillip Howard, Lester Irby, Michael Jackson, Patricia Jefferson, Jewell Johnson, Carlton Johnson, Donald Johnson, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, DeRutter Jones, Clinton Kilpatrick, Kevin Lasister, Brenda Lee-Wilson, Michael Lyons, Kina Mathis, John Matthews, Charlie Mayfield, Herman Mayse, Robert McCray, Jermale McKnight, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jeffery McNeil, Frank Mearns, Virginia Moore, L. Morrow, Tyrone Murray, Lester Myers, Charles Nelson, Sammy Ngatiri, Evelyn Nnam, Charity Ogbonnaya, Moyo Onibuje, Gregory Phillips, Harry Powell, Ash-Shaheed Rabbil, Forrest Rainwater, Michael Reardon, Jeanette Richardson, Sean-Christopher Riley, Tyrone Rogers, Ed Ross, Denise Sanders, Melania Scott, Dan Seligson, Chris Shaw, Veda Simpson, Patty Smith, Gerald Smith, Yvette Smith, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens, James Stewart, Garland Stroman, Leroy Studevant, Sybil Taylor, Steve Thomas, Eric Thompson, Deborah Tibbs, Carl Turner, Patsy Uzzell, Martin Walker, Joseph Walker, Robert Warren, Lawless Watson, Darrell Whitmyer, Edna Williams, Brian Wills, Ivory Wilson, Charles Woods

Cover art by John McNamee www.piecomic.com

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Do you want to continue to support Street Sense throughout the year? Order a subscription today! Not only will you receive 26 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 26 issues. ___ YES! I want to give half of the cost of a subscription to my favorite vendor: ______________________________ Name:_________________________ Address:_______________________ City:____________State:__________ Zip: ___________________________ Phone: ________________________ E-mail: ________________________ Please make checks payable to: Street Sense. Mail to: Street Sense, 1317 G St. NW,

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Vendor Code of Conduct 1. 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. 2. I will only purchase the paper from Street Sense staff and will not sell papers to other vendors (outside of the office volunteers). 3. I agree to treat all others – customers, staff, other vendors – respectfully, and I will not “hard sell,” threaten or pressure customers. 4. I agree to stay off private property when selling Street Sense. 5. I understand that I am not a legal employee of Street Sense but a contracted worker responsible for my own well–being and income. 6. I agree to sell no additional goods or products when selling the paper. 7. I will not sell Street Sense under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 8. I agree to stay a block away from another vendor and respect the space of all vendors. I understand that my badge is the property of Street Sense and will not deface it. 9.I will present my badge when purchasing the papers and 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.

Last Month’s Donors

Thank you to all our donors!!

Washington, DC 20005.

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S treetS ense.org Student’s Book Helps Homeless A nine-year-old in Fredericksburg, Va., is selling a book he wrote when he was eight, with some of the profits going to a homeless shelter, The Free Lance-Star reports. The book, “A Home for Max,” was written by Aiden Doughty, who intended to help his friend Max cope with living in two separate homes as a result of his parents’ divorce. The book is about different types of homes people can come from. Doughty’s family published 150 copies of the book, with 15% of the profits going to Thurman Brisben homeless shelter in Fredericksburg. Doughty’s book dedication shows his compassion for the homeless, “This story was inspired by a special boy named Max, and is dedicated to him and to all boys and girls who feel a little lost, or who might think that they don’t have a place to call home.”

Homeless Man Takes Aim at New Chicago-area Law A homeless man from Naperville, Ill., plans to fight a new ordinance that would prevent him from sleeping or storing possessions outdoors, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. “They’re restricting me from being out where I would rather be and intimidating me with this. I think they’re infringing on my first amendment rights to be out there,” Scott Huber, 59, told ABC 7.

December 23, 2009 - January 5, 2010 A judge has already heard Huber’s case, and a court date has been set for January 7, 2010, though Huber is still seeking legal counsel.

Few Services Available for Homeless Female Veterans Female veterans may face a tougher battle when returning from the battlefields than their male counterparts, The Associated Press reports. Female veterans, who are generally younger and may have children, have seen their numbers double in the past decade. There are an estimated 6,500 homeless female vets, constituting about 5% of the total homeless veterans population. “People think we’re just coming out of the military and we should have our stuff together,” said Tiffany Belle, 33, a former Navy sailor who served in the Philippines after the Sept. 11 attacks. “It gets really hard. Some people don’t know where to go or what to do.” Because of their unique situations, women-only programs are hard to come by. “It is always hard to find a place or resources or help when you are homeless,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, to AP. “It is almost impossible if you are a woman. Most of the V.A. facilities cater to men, and you can’t take a mom with two little kids and put her in the middle of a homeless center with 30 or 40

male veterans.”

Report: 42 Homeless Deaths in Las Vegas in 2009 The Clark County, Nev. coroner announced that 42 homeless men and women died in 2009 in Las Vegas, MurceryNews.com reports. Of the 42, 39 were men and three were women. Most were in their 40s or 50s. Thirteen died of natural causes, while drugs or alcohol were contributing factors in 11 of the deaths. Four were homicides and five were due to exposure to the elements. There are nine cases still pending.

Formerly Homeless Man Gives Back to the Homeless Shoppers in Lorain, Ohio, will be giving back to the homeless this season if they make a purchase at the Christmas Shoppe, WTAM1100 reports. Owner Kevin Salisbury, who used to be homeless himself, says that 25 cents for every dollar spent will go to the full-service homeless shelter Haven Center in Lorain County. The Haven Center faces a $25,000 budget deficit by the end of 2009 and all of the cash raised will go toward its general fund. Salisbury says that so far he’s been able to donate about $500. Compiled by Dianna Heitz, from previously published reports.

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December 23, 2009 - January 5, 2010

HPRP Transitions Out Homelessness

The Department of Human Services uses legislation to coordinate homeless prevention

By Caroline Hopper Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and the Department of Housing and Community Development director Leila Edmonds announced the availability of $7.5 million in Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) funds, part of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The District will use these resources to re-house and assist residents struggling with homelessness. “Through the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, the District is both preventing and responding to urgent housing needs in the District,” Mayor Fenty said. “We look forward to supporting District residents’ efforts to secure safe and comfortable homes.” To receive funds, a person must be currently homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, a District resiHomeless Prevention: $1,040,000 Case Management of Households: $1,440,000 dent, and receiving less than 50% Part of 7.5 unaccounted for: $2,605,500 Rapid Re-housing Services: $2,412,500 of the median income, according to Vanessa Benoit, Department of Human Services (DHS) homeless coorganizations, including Cathoentitled to up to 18 nancial assistance programs, similar dinator. months of rental assis- to the HPRP funds, have proved sucAccording to the mayor’s office, a lic Charities, Community of Hope, Housing Counseling tance. Each member cessful. total of $1,040,000 will be directed Services (HCS) and The Comreceiving assistance “The city has the Emergency toward homelessness prevention. will be reassessed ev- Rental Assistance program,” Siegel Residents experiencing temporary munity Partnership for the ery three months to said. “It has met tremendous needs housing dilemmas, such as recently Prevention of Homelessness, will help implement these determine the validity of hundreds of families assisted.” becoming unemployed, may access funds. of his or her eligibility the $2,412,500 of the HPRP funds “It’s been quick,” said Kelly for financial support. For more information on receiving that are available for rapid re-housing According to Mc- funds and the distribution of resourcservices. To guarantee that residents McShane, Executive DirecAdrian Fenty Shane, the timeline is es, visit www.dc.gov. remain housed, $1,440,000 in HPRP tor of Community of Hope. the biggest challenge. funds will be directed to “There was a large response “The hard part is that these are case management of of 75 to 80 people just within the first week.” short term funds,” McShane said. households. According to Benoit, interested “Participants are expected to con“HPRP provides an residents must undergo a screening tinue on their own afterwards.” excellent supplement to Marian Siegel, executive director of our existing programs,” process at one of the four community A Reconciling HCS, is hopeful about the new availE d m o n d s s a i d . “My organizations. Congregation “This is to make sure the family or ability of these funds as her organizastaff and I will take full advantage of this oppor- individual meets the criteria to re- tion works to screen individuals and Invites you to join us in tunity to ensure stable ceive a fund,” Benoit said. “Also, the families. worship on Sundays “My hopes for this project are that at 9:30 and 11:00 AM and affordable housing eligibility provider needs to see that McShane for families in our city.” the family has a plan after the end of tenants who have had a temporary emergency can be put onto a better Homeless Outreach The D.C. Department the subsidy.” Hospitality: According to the mayor’s office, trajectory for financial health,” Sieof Housing and CommuFridays 9:00 AM both individuals and families are gel said. “That will happen through nity Development (DHCD) and the financial assistance, housing DHS will provide financial Foundry United counseling, and case assistance, housing counThe District is both preventing Methodist Church management.” seling, and legal services 1500 16th Street, NW and responding to urgent housStill, Siegel said she is to D.C. residents who Washington, DC 20036 ing needs in the District. We look forward concerned “that needs struggle to afford hous(202) 332-4010 may outweigh resources.” ing. These services will be to supporting District residents’ efforts to www.foundryumc.org Though homelessness paid for with HPRP funds, secure safe and comfortable homes. remains an outstanding according to the mayor’s Adrian Fenty problem in the District, office. previously unstated fiCertain community or-

Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing (HPRP) funds

FOUNDRY

Kelly

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December 23, 2009 - January 5, 2010

Shortfalls of TANF Dollars Position paper puts out limitations of D.C. Program By J. Deveaux There are an estimated 16,000 families, 6.4% of all District families, involved in the District’s welfare to work program, or To Assist Needed Families (TANF). “Helping people on TANF get adequate paying jobs with a definite career path will improve life for everyone in D.C.,” said Joni Podschun, an advocacy associate with So Others Might Eat (SOME). The federal government allots $92 million to the D.C. government every year for the program, according to Podschun. The D.C. government will allocate $75 million in money from taxes for the same purpose, according to Katie Kerstetter a policy analyst for DC Fiscal Policy Institute (DCFPI). “The DC Fiscal Policy Institute looks at government policies to help improve the fiscal health of the economy. We spend time working on communication with the DHS,” says Kerstetter. The Department of Human Services (DHS) is responsible for the TANF dollars that the D.C. government receives according to Kerstetter, but there are still problems with the implementation of the funds. “We work with focus groups in every ward of D.C. In 2008 at least 1,000 families per ward were on TANF assistance. One in every three kids in D.C. is on TANF,” says Podschun. Among the need for transparency in communication between DHS and the public, according to Kerstetter, there is also a need for a more individualized

The carry-over ofd the TANF dollars not spent the year before is usually used for cash assistance for needy families. -Katie Kerstetter, DC Fiscal Policy Institute policy analyst

DC TANF program should provide financial support that offers at least a minimal level of stability -Perspectives on Strengthening Welfare-to-Work From DC TANF Recipients Report approach to helping families on TANF. “DC’s TANF program should provide financial support that offers at least a minimal level of stability, and it should provide services that build employmentrelated skills and address barriers to work,” the report states. Families that receive TANF assistance are limited to a cash benefit of $428 a month according to Kerstetter and Podschun’s report. On page five of the report there is a break-down of the normal monthly expenses of a family of three that receives child care assistance, food stamps, Medicaid and housing assistance. This chart shows that there is a discrepancy of $113 still needed by families that receive TANF support in order to meet the poverty line. “The carry-over of the TANF dollars not spent the year before is usually used for cash assistance for needy families,” Kerstetter said. “The money goes to service the under serviced—anything that helps families with an income up to 200% of the poverty line.” The report outlines the short-comings of welfare to work when it comes to it’s “one size fits all approach to employment services.” According to Poschun, TANF money helps families transition from government help to taking care of themselves. “They have you on the computer all day. Nobody in there saying, ‘Well, let’s come on, let’s go get on the phone, call a couple of these jobs’ or, ‘We gonna help you out as you go along with the conversation.’ You never get none of that. So, basically, you doing it on your own,” said a TANF recipient quoted in the report.

Save the Date

Street Sense Game Night at the Verizon Center

Washington Wizards vs. Miami Heat Friday, January 22 @ 7pm

Proceeds from tickets will support Street Sense. More info to come in the January issue.

Save the Date

Save the Date Save the DateSave the Date

On The HIll On October 8, 2009, Sens. Ben Cardin (DMD.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) led a group of lawmakers in introducing the Hate Crimes Against Homeless Statistics Act (S. 1765). The bill would require the United States Attorney General to collect data on crimes against the homeless. “Homeless people are part of America. Every day, we see veterans, fathers, mothers, children and families who have been forced by circumstances to live on the streets. They are among our nation’s most vulnerable, but too frequently they find themselves the target of violent crime simply because they are homeless. This behavior should not and cannot be tolerated in our society,” Cardin said. The bill would amend the Hate Crimes Statistics Act of 1990 which classifies hate crimes as those motivated by race, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity, and which was later amended to include disability, as well. “This bill will help determine what, if any, resources and tools are needed by local communities and law enforcement to protect our citizens from such senseless, bias ‐motivated violence,” he said According to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, there has been “a disturbing rise in unprovoked violence against homeless people since 1999…Victims included men and women, veterans, children as young as four, youth, and elders.” The Center also emphasized that “though these statistics are troubling, they do not represent the full extent of the problem, as countless acts of violence against the homeless go unnoticed or unreported.” According to the senators supporting this legislation, “Data collection is the best way to measure the level of bias‐ motivated crimes.” The bill now awaits debate in the Senate Judiciary Committee, where consideration has already been postponed several times. It is co-sponsored by Sens. Sherrod Brown (DOhio), Roland Burris (D-Ill.), Bob Casey (DPenn.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). H.R. 3419 was introduced in the House of Representatives in July by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30). At the time of introduction, she noted that, “It is clear that homeless people are targeted simply because they are homeless, and it is time for the federal government to start tracking the number of violent attacks more closely.” The bill still awaits debate in the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Save the Date Save the Date Save the Date

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December 23, 2009 - January 5, 2010

PhotoS by Robert Fulton

‘An Empty Bed Serves Absolutely No One Left, Michael Ferrell, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless and Dr. Madye Henson, president and CEO of Great DC Cares met to talk about the disconnect between emergency shelters and transitional housing. Below, an emergency shelter.

Because of the nature in which organizations emerge, you weren’t developed as a team...one of the best ways to do it (come together) is to look at how you share some of those resources and partners. -Madye Henson, president & CEO of Greater DC Cares

Conference addresses better communication between emergency shelters, transitional housing By Robert Fulton Representatives from organizations that assist local homeless people gathered last week in Washington D.C. to address the growing disconnect between emergency shelters and transitional housing facilities. “While everyone is doing great work in their own space, they often do not know what their neighbors are doing, or that they have neighbors that could be in a close proximity because you’re focused on what you’re doing,” said Madye Henson, president and CEO of Greater DC Cares. Attendees discussed the issue of local emergency shelters that are at or above capacity. However, transitional housing facilities are below capacity. There is a lack of communication between the District’s various resource providers, according to Henson. “What we know, with resources shrinking, [is that] one of the best ways to do it is to look at how you share some of those resources and partners,” Henson said. “Because of the nature in which organizations emerge, you weren’t developed as a team. People and entities, particularly emergency shelters, open the doors as they saw the emergency need right there in their immediate community.” Henson said emergency shelters

focus on the immediate demand for services. Some of these organizations may have neither the time nor the manpower available to process those who qualify for the next step of moving into transitional housing. Another challenge is that emergency and transitional housing groups may not be aware of potential partners in their own neighborhoods. Henson proposed better communication between the various community groups so they can inform each other of available resources. “We’re all in this together and we work smarter together in this process,” Henson said. “I think there are a lot of opportunities,” Henson continued. “Ideally what should be happening, if the system were working perfectly, is that individuals who come into the emergency shelters, those that are candidates for transitional housing, should be identified in the emergency shelter and should be moved and transitioned over to the next step. It’s moving from tactical to strategic and getting back to how this system should work.” Michael Ferrell, executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless, said no particular group is at fault for the disconnect between emergency and transitional housing. He said emergency shelters should work more Our goal is to prevent any on moving those who qualify into loss of life during this transitional housing. He also states transitional housing orgahypothermia season. nizations need to practice better Mike Ferrell, executive outreach to emergency shelters. director, NCH “It’s important for transitional programs to make regular out-

reach to shelter programs,” Ferrell said. “Emergency shelter providers need to know where the transitional resources are and what the requirements are [for transitional housing programs].” Ferrell also stressed getting needy

people into beds as a priority for the upcoming winter. “Our goal is to prevent any loss of life during this hypothermia season,” Ferrell said. “An empty bed serves absolutely no one.”

Help Bring the Homeless in from the Cold

THE CALLthe Call

Shelter Hotline 1 800 535-7252 o r C a l l 3 11

Adrian M. Fenty, Mayor, Government of the District of Columbia

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December 23, 2009 - January 5, 2010

Over $1 Trillion Invested in Green By J. Chandler

TORONTO, Canada - Private investors from industrialised and emerging economies have invested a record amount of more than 1.248 trillion since 2007 in promoting technological innovation and resource efficiency that will accelerate environmentally and socially sustainable industrial growth and economic development throughout the world. These investments have been undertaken by finance institutes and corporations in North America, Europe, China, India, Japan and Brazil, says a new report launched by the Ethical Markets Media (USA and Brazil) and The Climate Prosperity Alliance. The Global Climate Prosperity Scoreboard, which tracks private investment in companies growing the green economy globally, indicates how investors and entrepreneurs are leading governments in promoting sustainable growth. The scoreboard totals investments in solar, wind, geothermal, ocean/hydro, energy efficiency and storage, and agriculture. “We purposefully omitted nuclear, ‘clean coal’, carbon capture and sequestration, and biofuels. We indicate which investments have been publicly announced and committed by major companies for 2010 and beyond,” note the Scoreboard analysts. Dr. Marc A. Weiss, chairman and CEO of Global Urban Development and chair of the Climate Prosperity Alliance, said: “This $1.248 trillion of investments are not only from North America and Europe, but also from China, India, Brazil and other developing countries. They indicate that the private sector currently is ahead of governments in understanding that during the 21st century, people, places, and organizations can only get richer by becoming greener and only earn more money by using fewer resources and reusing more.” Dr. Hazel Henderson, a futurist and author of ‘Ethical Markets: Growing the Green Economy’ and president of said, “Ethical Markets Media’s mission is reforming markets and growing the green economy globally.” “Our Global Climate Prosperity Scoreboard will be updated regularly to show progress toward the ecologically sustainable economies that are vital to our common future. Societies are transitioning from the 300-year old, polluting, fossil-fuelled Industrial Era to the advanced technologies of the information-rich Solar Age,” she added. Henderson serves as the vice chair of the The Climate Prosperity Alliance, together with global network of financiers, businesses, economic development authorities, scientists and NGOs is based

A man sprinkles insecticide over a field used to grow hay for livestock on the outskirts of Lahore December 7, 2009. REUTERS/Mohsin Raza (PAKISTAN ENVIRONMENT) on earth systems science, showing the widespread evidence of destruction caused by the now-obsolete technologies of the combustion-based Industrial Revolution and its extraction and exploitation of the Earth’s capital: oil, coal, gas, minerals, forests, water, land and biodiversity. “Human societies are now gradually re-industrialising our economies using the Earth’s income -- the renewable energies of sun, wind, ocean/ hydro, geothermal and non-agricultural biomass -- based on human capital: new knowledge of planetary processes and ecosystems, designing our economies with Nature,” a statement posted on www.ethicalmarkets.com said. The Climate Prosperity Alliance uses the Climate Solutions 2 computer model of Australia’s Climate Risk Pty., showing how $1 trillion invested every year for the next 10 years can assure the global transition to sustainable prosperity and job growth. This $10 trillion is less than the bailouts of failed banks in the United States and Europe and less than 10% of the world’s pension and institutional funds of $120 trillion. Institutional fund managers can shift 10% of their assets away from hedge funds, risky derivatives and commodity speculation to real investments in a greener global econo-

my, thereby assuring their beneficiaries a healthier future, adds the statement. “While we encourage progress toward directly investing in growing the green economy, we urge government officials meeting in Copenhagen to follow the lead of these private investors that have already committed $1.248 trillion. We applaud our pension fund colleagues of the UN Principles of Responsible Investing who have joined in pledges to allocate more of their members’ $19 trillion of assets into similar green companies,” Dr. Henderson said. The new Global Climate Prosperity Scoreboard is researched and compiled by the Ethical Markets Media expert team: Timothy Nash, M.Sc., principal, Strategic Sustainable Investments, Toronto; Rachel Tubman, M.Sc., senior researcher/futurist; assisted by The Cleantech Group and members of the Ethical Markets Sustainability Research Group. As these investments increase, the scoreboard will track totals, providing investors and governments with tangible evidence of the growing green economy. Courtesy of InDepth News. © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org

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December 23, 2009 - January 5, 2010

POEMS BY DAVID DENNY

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JANE CAVE

Last month, I had the privilege of escorting a group of student volunteers from Penn State University who were on a quest to help raise donations for Street Sense. As we walked through the streets of downtown D.C. I pointed out the benches and storefronts that I used to call home. The students were so curious and intrigued. It seemed they wanted to experience the homeless lifestyle vicariously so that one day they could help cure the disease of homelessness. In my stories, I return to places in my past that make me shudder: the early morning on a park bench; a homeless soul slumped over, syringe still in arm.

O.D. Don’t you look real odd Half bent over stuck in a nod Burt the world seems straight to you Everyone else just looks like a fool With track marks running down your arm You still think you’re Mr. Charm Can’t find a vein can’t get a hit Praying that one day you’ll quit Each morning wakes you up in pain The need drives you almost insane Struggling and trying to cope Until you get that first shot of dope Now your mother is hurt and filled with shame As she buys the gravestone that carries your name You cry out to make one last plea But it’s too late my brother you just OD'ed.

The storefront where I arranged the cardboard boxes as my bed and the huge pane glass window where I used to stare and reflect at twilight:

Self Reflection We meet here often at this same old place And the tears you cry wet my face The pain I feel you’ll never grasp You’re just a reflection an image on glass You claim to reveal every fact But image without substance is not exact You are limited to what you can see Stuck in a mirror and can never be free So don’t you even try to hide All your faults and failures inside For all the things you hide I feel The things a reflection can never reveal.

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December 23, 2009 - January 5, 2010

The restless cold winter nights with no particular place to go:

Cold Wind Like cold wind in the night Blowing off course Changing directions on a whim Following a subtle voice In tune to the night cries Distraught by the lies Seeing a life that withers and dies Nothing seems real everything untrue Looking into eyes that are laughing at you Confusion is bliss and happiness is blue A legacy now bestowed on you Hate is a prerequisite pain is not a choice Hope is a mute that has no voice Love is a lie and god is a ghost And Satan falls short of being a host

I only hope that these students, the future of our society, will be able to change the mindset of those who consider any human being insignificant.

Insignificant Others Insignificant others are The ones we never mention Even though they nod and wave We never pay attention In close proximity Still we cannot see Nor hear their voice Nor hear their song Nor even hear their plea So when you cross the path Of that insignificant other Stop one moment, take your time And say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hello My Brother.â&#x20AC;?

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December 23, 2009 - January 5, 2010

Santa in the Green By Davie McInally, Vendor # 329

The other day, I wondered how it is that Santa Claus wears the same red suit each and every year. At first I thought that maybe it was to alert the air traffic and birds that always seem to fly about, just as Rudolf used his nose to shine the way ahead. But as I got to the bottom of this question, it seemed that I had just opened up an encyclopedia of information that had been collecting dust over all these years. I shall share some of the information I have learned with YOU, our loyal readers: This story begins in the far-off Christian city of Myra in the province of Lycia, in Byzantine-era Anatolia (Modernday Turkey). The records stated that the basis for Santa Claus was a 4th-century Greek Christian bishop of that city, who was famous for his generous gifts to the poor, in particular presenting the three impoverished daughters of a pious Christian with dowries so that they would not have to become prostitutes. This bishop’s name was Saint Nicholas. Originally, Saint Nicholas wore green and

white bishop’s robes. The Dutch called Saint Nicholas “Sinterklaas,” a name that was Americanized as Santa Claus in Washington Irving’s History of New York. Irving pictured Santa Claus as a heavy Dutch sailor smoking a pipe and dressed in a green winter coat. Clement Clarke Moore also contributed to the modern image of Santa Claus with his poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” which was later changed to “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” This is the origin of Santa in a sleigh landing on the roof with a huge

sack full of toys and entering houses through the chimney. This is also the first time that the reindeer and their names were mentioned. In the poem itself, though, Santa Claus is made out to be an elf, instead of a large man with a white beard. It was not until 1881 that a German immigrant named Thomas Nast drew Saint Nicholas or Father Christmas as fat with white hair and beard, a white belt, and mistletoe on his hat, and carrying a sack of presents, smoking a pipe, and living in the north pole. Lyman Frank Baum also furthered this legend into immortality when he wrote The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus in 1902, in which Santa owned a workshop. Santa Claus stayed that way until the 1930s, when Coca-Cola used this legend to further market its advertising, and dressed him up in their company colors of red and white. Well, I would like to thank you, reader, for reading along with those of us at Street Sense, and getting to know better how this legend came to be. Have a happy holiday season.

Davie’s Santa Facts: - Historically, Santa wore green, the color of Saint Nicholas’, 4th century bishop’s robes. - Santa didn’t wear red until he was used in a Coca-Cola advertisement in the 1930s. They thought he looked nicer in their corporate colors.

A’s Word Search Can you find all the words hidden below? Hint: They might be forward, backward, upward, or downward. 1. EMINENT

2. REPLETE

3. SOMMELIER

4. LAVISH

5. TEEM

6. AWASH 7. PRODIGAL

Comic by John McNamee, a new Street Sense volunteer and freelance writer for The Onion. More of his work is available at www.piecomic.com.

Will Write For Food:

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Writer’s Group

December 23, 2009 - January 5, 2010

meets Wednesdays from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Street Sense office. The poetry after party is from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

The Writer's Group is in need of laptops; email: info@streetsense.org if you can help

The Birth of Christ

It is almost December 25th, and we think of this as the Christmas season, but do we really know the meaning of this season? We hope our words will move you more into the Spirit of Christ.

Just another Day

by Reginald Black For decades people have told the great story of Santa clause aka Saint Nicholas. What I don’t understand is, Why we do not rejoice because it is Jesus Christ’s birthday? We pride ourselves on gifts and fruit cake, when we should be thinking and praying for those who need us. All year round folks ignore the homeless and then right around Black Friday, all of a sudden, folks see the man who has been begging them for change all summer. We need to stop doing these things we should be noticing them every day. I never had a present for Christmas until I was 21. I always believed it was just another day of the week. In all honesty, all of humanity shouldn’t be worrying about the gifts they can buy, but rather the love and compassion that you can give. We all won’t be perfect but we can at least try to be.

The Best Christmas I’ve Had

by Patty Smith What Christmas means to me? this small lady remembers spending all day and night mixing cakes and pies. I put on the turkey and ham all the other food to be cooked. Remembering back, when my mother had my brothers and me clean the house. That night we would put up the Christmas tree and put out all the presents. A couple of days later, we would go to church. One year I had a small part to play in the nativity scene. I curtseyed and bowed. Then it was my brother and sisters turn to say their part, then we all ate at church, and mingled for a short time. Finally, mother brought us home. At home, we opened all our presents with all of our relatives and friends. Later that night, we ate, and watched football. That was about one of the best Christmas’ I’ve had. Patty, a veteran vendor, loves creative writing. Contact: Pattyscoffee@netzero. net.

FORGIVENESS

by David Rubin When I became homeless, I learned early that the majority of the people have some trouble with the law causing them to be homeless. This could be criminal or non criminal as in my immigration case . A pardon or legalization would be the true spirit of Christmas, comparable to Wilhelm Canaris (1887-1945), a German military intelligence official in the Abwer. The German Nazi spy saved victims of the Nazi persecution such as the Jew Lubavicher Rebbe in Warsaw, who went to become a brilliant private eye in ending the war. David volunteers and is writing his own novel. Contact: stonepotts2000@ yahoo.com.

Christmas Reflection

by Joaquin Turley This year our world has changed in many ways. Ways that most of us never imagined because supplies are in such short supply. It is now more important than ever to take care of your fellow brothers and sisters. Recognizing this, I finally understand the true meaning of Christ concerning Christmas. The beginning of the world is taken from his name because it is the holiday for and of Christ. It involves him and his selflessness in saving our sins that took place on this earth. Please people, don’t let jolly old saint commercialism brainwash you into thinking this holiday is not about Chris Joaquin attends Morgan State University Contact: joaquin.turley@yahoo.com.

Reggie’s Reflections- Appearances..... By Reginald Black Home was very uncomfortable. It was a boiler room but it did save my life on more than one occasion. It wasn’t until I learned the effects, and even feeling them that hypothermia can kill, even if you are standing up. But the invader incident reoccurred nightly, and each night not knowing if I would survive, I left in search of a place all to myself. I even slept on the dormant car in my father’s driveway. Finally a neighbor decided to move from his apartment. I helped with the heavy lifting, and he let me use it as a place to stay. It was a generous gesture, and I still am not sure how I could repay him. But it felt good to have a place of privacy. One night we headed off for groceries. After grabbing the grub, we encountered two females in a minivan. The driver’s conversation went smoothly. Knowing my situation I drew into a shell. The girls seemed interested in both of us. But wait, why would someone be suddenly interested in me? They asked my name, and I told them. I didn’t understand. Was it the truck we were in? Could that be the sole attraction of the female of the new millennium? Does what you have determine who you can talk to? Confused I drifted off to sleep on the wooden floor. Reggie hosts The Writers’ Group Meetings. Contact: Rblackstreetreporter@ gmail.com

Homelessness in the Beginning

by James Fetherson He was homeless in the beginning. The birth of Jesus Christ. It was not long ago, I saw on International News Israel’s U.S. built armed gunship firing on Palestinian civilians in the biblical town of Bethlehem. I thought “Oh my God, They are fighting in the birthplace of Jesus Christ.“ Have we lost the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Christ? I am a forty year old combat veteran who has been on this earth many a Christmas. They always say during the holidays, “Peace on earth and good will toward men.“ It’s never been peace in my lifetime. Let’s just remember the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Christ.

James is a veteran of the U.S. Army. Contact: James_Fethersen@yahoo.com

This Christmas Dream

This is the time of year when thoughts of God’s word being born is here. The gift of living God’s word, the joy it will bring. Who will follow the Christ, and not the thought of the superficial tree.The thought of making money you see, receiving things you really don’t need Will this be another good year you believe? Only retail sales will tell, the devil wants me to believe in things. Not the word of salvation Christ brings. Or will this really be about the word God gave Christ to bring? Will the homeless find the gift of a home under the Christmas tree? Will the poor have enough to eat? Will peace finally conquer war? Will man learn to hate no more? Will a baby be born for sure, and an orphan become homeless no more? Will your heart receive the glad tidings of the word Christ came to bring? This time this year, will we receive these things? God’s gift, Christ, a word to live and believe. Will hearts sing of the joy the Word Christ brings? On Christ’s word, if we only could believe in God’s gift of love, peace on earth. A Christmas dream. by Robert Warren

Robert is a member of People for Fairness Coalition. Contact: Robertwarren47@yahoo.com

PRODUCTION, HOSTING, LAYOUT AND SUPPORT: Patty Smith, Reginald Black

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December 23, 2009 - January 5, 2010

What You Weren’t Taught in Business School By Jeffery McNeil I have been many places. I have lived in swank suites and also lost everything many times. In retrospect, I believe that if I had managed my life responsibly I would have been a millionaire twice. I have been selling newspapers for a long time, and now I must pass the torch to someone else. I will give you my game book on what I have accomplished and how I did these things, so that other people can learn and profit in the same ways that I have. It Started with a Desire for Steak There are many factors when it comes to homelessness. Some are psychological, mental, physical and social. So I learned not to judge; we all have crosses to bear. However, I got sick and tired of being homeless. I didn’t want to eat in soup lines, wait for a free meal or accept dirty blankets. I didn’t want to eat bologna and cheese sandwiches or half eaten food. The homeless life was not what I wanted on my epitaph. I wanted to eat a steak and a home-cooked meal. So I made a plan to get out of the shelter, and I was willing to work for a long time. Many people have special talents, but if they are not motivated, they are wasting their full potential. Feeling hungry and thirsty will ignite a motivation within you, as it did for me. Set Up a Game Plan Being from New Jersey, I have learned about generating income. Whether I had a job or not, I asked questions, read books, went to classes. I did whatever it took to make a little money until things got better. Making excuses will make you broke. There are many unexpected ways to make money in Washington. You can sell newspapers, pick up cans or junk, send out business cards and work in the library. In my opinion, making a game plan proves that a person has the ambition that is necessary to change a bad living situation. Little Things Lead to Big Things I started selling newspapers because I had nothing left. I was unemployed and to most, unemployable. I was broke and desperate with no friends and no prospect of finding relationships. Street Sense was a chip and a chair for me: one last shot to earn income. I took advantage of that opportunity. I always showed gratitude when selling papers. I didn’t complain about receiving small donations or being ignored. I wanted to get out of the shelter, so I just kept selling. Save Your Money I was an ex-gambler before I came to Washington. This habit actually helped me learn about saving and investing. You can’t move out of the homeless mentality unless you save money and get a bank account. Saving money gives you an advantage over competitors who are borrowers; you don’t have to be a slave to a creditor when you have capital. I am frugal and diligent about profit margins. I don’t shop at Macy’s. I am a bargain hunter. I don’t believe in lavish waste of money.

Stay Away, I Really Mean Stay Away, From Vices Nothing destroys a bankroll more than partying, drinking and the temptation of women. I’ve seen many men lose their bearings double dipping, drinking, smoking and partying. Every time I fell and went broke was because I was chasing after flesh. This mistake led to depression and drunkenness, so I learned to abstain from these actions. This behavior can put your whole bankroll in jeopardy. It’s good to have a woman and a little wine, but keep it in moderation and you will be a lot more prosperous. Magnetism and Attractiveness Growing up in the I-95 corridors, you have a lot of competitors. You must stand out to win. You’re not going to sell much looking pitiful and standing like a statue. I create curiosity by wearing nice clothes, bathing and knowing my customers. I like to wear bright colors and signs to get people to stop. It takes time to be a brand-- you can’t become one overnight. You have to bring flair. If your fastball has no zip, take a day off, because you have to be enthusiastic to be successful. Competition Ruins Profits Nothing destroys a bankroll more than a competitor. They are the parasites of business. They water down profits, steal customers and dirty up good areas. Some even try to bully and intimidate other people, and some are just plain vulgar. You have to wipe out competitors before they cut into sales. Tactics and Strategy When I see a weak vendor, one trick is the buyout. Never fight or argue. Be friendly. Most of the time they want money, so give him a few bucks, buy their papers, and they will be happy to make a few bucks. Panhandlers This strategy always works when you see a lot of panhandlers, and it is also potentially lucrative: Don’t be threatening. Instead, give him a couple dollars and start asking questions; squeeze information for what’s a good time to sell. They will gladly tell you. All is fair when it comes to competitors. Never Show Your Hand The reason I am so detailed about competition is because of experience. I keep selling areas a secret because many go to the same areas like the Metro Center, Whole Foods, Farraugut North or Eastern Market. They line up, crowd areas, swarm and are aggressive with customers. I keep a good area quiet so these problems don’t destroy my work. Selling is easy when you take the quiet stream and it stays pristine and profitable. Last But Not Least, Show Some Progress People do not buy newspapers to flash around their money and feel good about donating. People buy the paper to see you get out of your bad living situation. If you are making money, you should have something to show for it, like new shoes and new clothes. If you are not selling papers, you are doing something wrong. You wear out your welcome when you stand on the same corner looking filthy and like you came out of hibernation. I never have a problem because I show buyers that I am a good product. I don’t come out sloppy and raggedy. I don’t waste what customer a gives me.

Happy Holidays My Holiday Wish for the Nation’s Capital By Maurice King Once again, the holidays are upon us. This is the sixth holiday editorial that I have written. I am just hoping that for all the readers of Street Sense, the holidays will be a joyous season. There is so much that can be written about the holidays that one editorial would never suffice to cover it all. It is a season shared by three holidays: Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. The dates of these holidays do not overlap this year. New Year’s Day wraps up the season, leading us into a new year of activity. Being homeless for the holidays may be somewhat of a disappointment for many. However, during these holidays, people are more generous than they are during the rest of the year, and there are many programs in the city that do their best to give the homeless as much of the holiday spirit as possible. Efforts are made so that nobody has to feel left out. These efforts come as some consolation for people who may feel that they have been forgotten. With the recent drop in temperatures, the hypothermia shelters have opened their doors to the persons who otherwise would have to cope with inclement weather. This opening usually coincides with the holiday season and the heralding of the winter season. For persons who rely on hypothermia shelters, the seasonal shelters give them a greater measure of security from the elements. When it comes to wishes for the season, the homeless are wishing to be housed. That is a wish that has gotten shuffled around because of bureaucracy and claims that funds are not available. Recently, I met with someone from the Boston area who is dealing with housing and foreclosures in that area. He quoted to me some staggering figures of grants that have been given to his agency to help keep homeowners from losing their housing as well as help tenants find and keep apartments that may have been foreclosed upon. The project using these funds is also giving classes to new homeowners to educate them about how to avoid foreclosure and to tenants to teach them how to be good tenants so that they will not lose their apartments, with funds available to pay for the first month’s rent and security deposit to be paid to the respective landlords. The program is being executed in cooperation with Housing and Urban Development, a federal agency. As I listened to him tell me about the work he is doing, the question kept coming into my mind: how is it that the Boston area has received such generous funding while Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital, has gone begging for help? What a holiday gift it would be to have a program that actually invested in ending homelessness! So far, that remains only a wish, but it shouldn’t be just a wish. Even in these economically plagued times, the cost of keeping people homeless outweighs the cost of housing them. Shouldn’t the government be concentrating on how to reduce costs and how to improve the overall quality of life of the population? This question needs an answer – now.

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December 23, 2009 - January 5, 2010

Homeless Veterans Bring Life to the Stage in ‘Truly Dually’ By Keith Rogers Jeff Northrup is a homeless veteran and a recovering alcoholic who suffers from anxiety. He has lived in shelters and on the streets of Las Vegas for 10 years. Despite attempts to get his life on track, he has left and returned to a veterans’ shelter three times. This weekend, though, for a few hours, he’ll be a star. Northrup and six other homeless veterans are bringing their real-life experiences to the stage at the production of “Truly Dually,” a musical about the hardships and challenges faced by people like them. “I’m trying to turn my life around,” said Northrup, who plays the starring role as Park Man in the 1-hour, 45-minute production at the West Las Vegas Theatre. An audition notice seeking actors for the play was posted at the U.S. VETS shelter downtown. The homeless vets then spent more than two months rehearsing with a cast of community actors and members of the U.S. VETS staff under the direction of Tara Unger, a U.S. VETS intern and graduate of the Las Vegas Academy of the Performing Arts. “It all came together just as I had visualized it,” Northrup, a 48-year-old Navy veteran, said after a preview of the musical Thursday night. “We had fabulous camaraderie.” Written by Michael Ullman, who holds a doctorate in social welfare, the two-act play features 25 scenes and 19 songs. With no musical training or background as a lyricist, his inspiration for the script came from his experience working at a homeless shelter in Honolulu in 2005. “I was frustrated with the public’s lack of understanding of solutions for homelessness,” Ullman said Thursday. Those solutions can be “as simple as giving them permanent supportive housing or long-term care to keep them housed. Instead of warehousing them in shelters, help them get permanently housed and medication and substance abuse recovery. Help them get reconnected to their families.” Ullman made slight adaptations when bringing the production to Las Vegas this year for the first mainland performance. He added a new song, “Wall of Remembrance,” to highlight the plight of the estimated 500,000 nationwide homeless

veterans. The script is about a young boy and his parents who encounter a throng of homeless vets and other homeless people in a park near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. While the boy is comforted by his mother, the boy’s father is offended by the homeless vets, whom he refers to as “these people.” Northrup’s

Park Man advocates respect for displaced veterans while he puts himself last to help a non-veteran homeless man become a tenant in an apartment owned by the boy’s parents. Northrup spent his childhood in Lafayette, Ind. The last time he appeared on stage was in high school in Phoenix. A self-described 30-year-alcoholic, Northrup said he came to Las Vegas in 1999. He spent five weeks rehearsing the musical’s lead role after another cast member dropped out to take a job. Northrup said his biggest challenge was “overcoming the notion that I couldn’t sing.” The message he wants to get across is that “no matter what, we all deserve respect and dignity.” A character called Grocery Cart Man is played by David Rath. On stage and in life, Rath is “truly dually,” the term for having been diagnosed with mental illness and substance abuse. Rath, who is not a veteran, said he hopes the musical enlightens the public that “there is hope for people who are mentally ill and homeless.” “[The play] made me a stronger person than I was before my nervous breakdown,” Rath said. “It has helped me become more of who I wanted to be and was capable of being. ... It’s helped me work with others much better.” The cast of homeless veterans includes “Wall of Remembrance” soloist Larry Cooks, a 50-year-old Las Vegan who joined the Marines in 1970. “I don’t look

like I’m homeless,” he said. “There are so many out here like us.” Joe Battaglia, known in the play as Wheelchair Man, served as a Marine from 1973 to 1976. He has dedicated his performance to his two brothers who were also Marines and who both died of complications from exposure to Agent Orange, a poison spread by U.S. forces in Vietnam. “Two years ago I was a mess,” the 55-year-old from Rochester, N.Y., said. “Now I’ve got a job and an apartment.” Disabled veteran Brian Barkley, 47, plays the parts of a psychiatrist and a new tenant in the musical. He was an Army truck driver from 1982 to 1984. Barkley said being a character was difficult at times because of his real-life experiences. People who look down on homeless veterans should realize that “they’re human beings that just have issues. They’re not worthless bums. They need help. They can be productive in society,” Barkley said. Like Northrup, he hopes to find a career in acting. Jerry Miller, who plays Bench Man in the musical, served with an Army tank unit in Germany from 1976 to 1980. After his Army service he worked as a carpenter until he suffered a brain aneurysm 10 years ago. He said he could not work after the aneurysm and “lost everything.” “I lived on the street for four years and walked the entire state of Florida homeless,” he said. With just 20 dollars in his pocket, Miller came to Las Vegas. “I lived three months in a ditch here,” he said. Thursday’s performance “meant everything,” Miller said. “My eyes watered over a lot. It hurt to see it because I lived it.” Bill Rahm, from Washington, who served in the Army from 1974 to 1976, plays two characters: “Gate Man” and a transgender street person. Terry Harmdierks, an Air Force veteran from Iowa plays a park policeman. Donna Dokes-Walker, a Salvation Army case manager, said the musical rings true after seeing Thursday night’s performance. “The mental illness, the sleeping in the parks, harassment by children, the insensitiveness of the general public. It’s very true to life,” she said. Copyright (c) 2009, Las Vegas ReviewJournal

Your Unemployment Insurance Rights! By Ray Avrutis Every U.S. citizen and green-card holder has unemployment insurance (UI). Sometimes, you may even quit and still collect UI because DC/MD/VA courts accept good legal cause –what an average person would do in similar circumstances. Because so few people understand their rights, I want to explain some of the rules. There are a lot of reasons to collect UI. If you are able to prove you explored all alternatives to quitting, you may be eligible. Sexual or other harassment (including domestic violence in DC and Maryland), illness, or illness in the family may be valid circumstances to file for benefits. In all states, you must be able and available and actively seeking some type of work to be eligible, but you don’t have to take just any job, just suitable work that is related to your prior work, earnings, and training. Expect to take a pay cut, but don’t take just anything. Many people don’t realize you can also apply for partial benefits while you still have your job! If your wages and/or hours are cut by at least 10 % in D.C., this may be good employer-related causes to quit. If hours or wages are reduced, keep your job, and file a claim for partial benefits. People who want to work full-time but can only find part-time work may still collect UI in all states. If in doubt, apply for UI! You will have to prove you had “good cause” when/if you file for benefits. If you are fired, your employer must prove you committed misconduct to disqualify you from benefits. You or your employer may appeal any decision you consider unjust. Usually, only 4 ½ to 5 months of work, even in non-consecutive months, in your year-long “base period,” sometimes even less, is required to get some benefits. Ask for a “Monetary Redetermination” if you believe you earned more than your employer said you did. You must show pay stubs and income tax statements and all reported restaurant tips count toward UI benefits, up to the maximum weekly amount. In 1954, Republican President Eisenhower asked Congress to pass a bill to increase all state UI weekly maximums to 2/3 of the state’s annual weekly wage, adjusted annually. Congress balked. Only about eight states have or exceed this Federal standard today. If this standard were in place, D.C.’s $359 weekly maximum would be $895, Maryland’s $410 would be $604 and Virginias $378 would be $579.

To apply for UI in DC, call (202)724-7000 or visit www.dcnetwork.org; in MD call 1(800) 827- 4839 or visit http://www.dllr.state.md.us/employment/unemployment.shtml ; in VA call 1-(800)-828-1120 or visit http://www.vec.virginia.gov/vecportal/unins/ insunemp.cfm .

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December 23, 2009 - January 5, 2010

New Ideas, Same Mission

Taking Street Sense to the Next Phase About Our New Executive Director Abby was born and raised in Reading, Penn. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Penn State University and her Master’s Degree in Media and Public Affairs from The George Washington University. Prior to Street Sense, Abby was the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for BBYO, Inc., the world’s leading pluralistic Jewish teen movement. There, she revamped an eighty-year-old brand and contributed to a significant increase in involvement in BBYO’s leadership, service and advocacy experiences. Previously, Abby was the Director of Communications for the GW Graduate School of Education and Human Development. She’s also worked at marketing firms and advertising agencies in San Francisco, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. When Abby is not working, she is likely running, reading or doing yoga at Tranquil Space, where she is also a yoga teacher.

By Abby Strunk For months – maybe even years – I would approach the top of Metro escalators throughout the city and see men and women wearing bright yellow vests holding a stack of newspapers. I knew they were selling something, but I didn’t know what. Like so many Washingtonians, I was probably in a hurry to get wherever I was going. And then one day, something was different. Perhaps I heard the word “homeless,” was walking at a slower pace, was more aware of my surroundings or was simply curious. I can’t remember what it was, but something made me stop. When I picked up my first copy of Street Sense and realized it was a newspaper created to empower the homeless to earn an income and have their voices heard, my own voice said to me, “This is a mission I want to be involved with.” Having surpassed its six-year milestone this past fall, “Street Sense” has become a part of D.C.’s social fabric. It was through two visionaries – co-founders Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson – that D.C.’s homeless were given an opportunity to believe in themselves and their futures. As I assume the role of the new Executive Director of Street Sense, I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. I am looking forward to building community among Street Sense vendors, readers, volunteers and supporters; working hand-in-hand with local business and community leaders; and, most important, empowering Street Sense vendors to take steps toward financial independence. I am asking all of you – our Street Sense readers – to join me during this next phase of the newspaper’s history. Share the Street Sense mission with someone you know who is walking too quickly past the person in the yellow vest. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of so many here in Washington, D.C. Please share your ideas for taking Street Sense into this next phase. E-mail Abby with suggestions: abby@streetsense.org.

Street Sense Keeps Warm

Coat Drive for Vendors, Just in Time for the Snow By Reginald Black On Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009, Street Sense received an unexpected gift from the U.S. General Services Administration. GSA put together a coat drive to help the vendors of Street Sense. The whole event was held in the front lobby of the Church of the Epiphany on 13th and G. GSA leverages the buying power of the federal government to acquire best value for taxpayers and federal customers. It was established by President Harry Truman on July 1, 1949, to streamline the administrative work of the federal government. GSA consolidated the National Archives Establishment (NAE), the Federal Works Agency (FWA) and its Public Buildings Administration (PBA), the Bureau of Federal Supply (BFS) and the Office of Contract Settlement (OCS), and the War Assets Administration ( WAA) into one federal agency tasked with administering supplies and providing workplaces for federal employees. The original mission of this administration was to dispose of war surplus goods,

manage and store government records, handle emergency preparedness and stockpile strategic supplies for wartime. GSA also regulated the sale of various office supplies to federal agencies and managed some unusual operations, like hemp plantations in South America. Today, through its two largest offices,

the Public Buildings Service (PBS) and the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), and various staff offices, GSA provides workspace to more than one million federal civilian workers, oversees the preservation of 425 historic buildings, and facilitates the purchase of high-quality low-cost goods and services from quality commercial vendors. And it influences the management of $500 billion in federal assets, as well. Shaking hands with some of the officials of GSA was none other than former Street Sense executive director Laura Thompson Osuri. The coat drive itsself would be her last outing as executive director. It was great to see that the government pays attention to the growing problem of homelessness in Washington D.C. and has decided to do something about it. While a coat will not end someone’s homelessness, it will help that person to hold on just one more day or night. With a lot of luck, hopefully all of the world will come together to eradicate homelessness for good; until then, prayers will go out to those in need.

To: The North Pole From: Street Sense Dear Mr. and Mrs. Claus, We realize it is a lot to ask for more when we already have so many generous customers, but secret Santas make the season of giving better for us all. Here is a list of all the things Street Sense would like for Christmas because we feel we’ve been extra good this year. The office staff has toiled over issue after issue of our paper. Our jobs would be so much easier if you could just check your list twice and make room in your sleigh for: For our editing staff: • A flat screen monitor to better use our layout programs like Indesign and Photoshop • A new computer, Mac or PC, that is light weight that has Indesign and Photoshop on it or at least room on the hard drive for it • A license for Photoshop and/or Indesign to add onto a separate workstation For our volunteer office staff: • General office supplies; o Pens o Copy/printer paper o Stamps o Reporter notepads o Tape o Scissors o Paper clips o Rubber-bands • Paint and other painting supplies so we can repaint the office For our vendors: • Book bags and plastic bags • Your continued cupport Thanks, Santa. Street Sense

Correction: David Pirtle was never incarcerated, never accused or convicted of mail fraud, and was six years old in 1980. He spoke to students about the ties between mental illness and homelessness as part of the Georgetown/ National Coalition for the Homeless Speakers’ Bureau partnership.

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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 Covenant House Washington (Youth) 2001 Mississippi Ave SE (202) 610–9600 www.covenanthousedc.org Housing, education, job prep Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men) 810 5th Street, NW (202) 842–1731 www.grm.org John Young Center (Women) 119 D Street, NW (202) 639–8469 www,catholiccharitiesdc.org My Sister’s Place PO Box 29596 Washington, DC 20017 office (202) 529-5261 24-hour hotline (202)-529-5991 shelter and other services for domestic violence victims N Street Village (Women) 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060 www.nstreetvillage.org 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 Mitch Snyder Place, NW (202) 639–8093

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

December 23, 2009 - January 5, 2010 Church of the Pilgrims (Sundays only) 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 Food and Friends 219 Riggs Road, NE (202) 269–2277 www.foodandfriends.org Miriam’s Kitchen 2401 Virginia Avenue, NW (202) 452–8089 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 Father McKenna Center 19 Eye Street, NW (202) 842–1112

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, 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 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 events 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

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 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 DC Food Finder Interactive online map of

free and low cost resources. www.dcfoodfinder.org 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

www.travelersaid.org/ta/ dc.html emergency travel assistance

www.molinc.org life skills classes, clothing, housewares

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

Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless 600–B East Gude Drive, Rockville (301) 217–0314; www.mcch.net emergency shelter, transitional housing, and supportive services

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

FOOD

Jubilee Jobs 1640 Columbia Road, NW (202) 667–8970 www.jubileejobs.org job preparation and placement

Bethesda Cares 7728 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda (301) 907–9244 www.bethesdacares.com

National Coalition for the Homeless 2201 P Street, NW (202) 462–4822 www.nationalhomeless.org activists, speakers bureau

Community Place Café 311 68th Place, Seat Pleasant (301) 499–2319 www.cmpgc.org

National Student Partnerships (NSP) 128 M Street NW, Suite 320 (202) 289–2525 washingtondc@nspnet.org Job resource and referral agency 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

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) 493–2400 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

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 The Arlington–Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless 3103 9th 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 #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 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, Suite 500, Falls Church (703) 778–6800; www.lsnv.org civil legal services only

Shelter Hotline:

1–800– 535–7252

December 23, 2009 - January 5, 2010 THe Last Word

S treetS ense.org

Vendor Profile By Jane Cave

Ten Ways You Can Support Street Sense This Holiday Season By Abby Strunk

1) Did you check your list twice? If you didn’t give the gift of a Street Sense subscription, it’s the perfect last-minute stocking stuffer. 2) Make your end-of-year donation to Street Sense to help us support our vendors all year long. Donate at www.streetsense.org. 3) Update your Facebook status to show your support for Street Sense. 4) Give your favorite vendor a gift that they’ll remember forever – submit an article about him/her to the paper. 5) Our vendors need help selling the December issue. Buy extra copies and give them to your co-workers after the holidays to introduce them to Street Sense. (Better than re-gifting chocolate.) 6) Find out what your vendor needs to stay warm this winter. 7) Make your New Year’s resolution stick – support DC’s homeless by buying every issue of Street Sense in 2010.

Phillip Howard, 58, is Street Sense vendor number 14. In other words, he has been selling the paper from its very beginning, six years ago. “I was getting breakfast one day at Miriam’s Kitchen, when they were over on 14th Street, and I met this guy who was selling the paper and decided to check it out,” he says. Phillip was born in DC and has lived most of his life here, although there was more than one occasion when he spent time in jail away from the city. “But that’s all in the past.” During the nineties he worked a succession of jobs that he found through an agency in Virginia. In 2003 he took a job as a maintenance technician at the DC Convention Center, but was obliged to quit the following year because of severe arthritis. Phillip became homeless five years ago when the person from whom he was subletting a room failed to pay the rent and utilities. For over three years he shuttled from one shelter to another until he was allocated an apartment in 2008 through the city’s program to provide permanent housing to the long-term homeless. He has an eight-yearold daughter, whom he helps support, and he remains optimistic: “I’m grateful to God and all the wonderful people I’ve met at Street Sense.”

Phillip Howard Favorite movie? Tombstone. Favorite music? I like all kinds, but especially jazz and gospel. Favorite food?

CFC# 28233

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