05 12 2010

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Where the poor and homeless May 12 - 25, 2010

May 12 - 25, 2010

earn and give their two cents

D STE GE ON G I S U N AT DO

Volume 7 Issue 14

65 cents for the Vendor

35 cents for production of the paper

Photo Essay: Save Our Safety Net Rally Page 6

The Anacostia River Cleanup: Dirty & Daunting See Page 4

An exploration of the choice between living on the streets versus the shelter system Page 4

Page 4

Poverty is More than a Number Page 12

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May 12 - 25, 2010

Our Mission

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

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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 28 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 full-time 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 per month and to support the increased production brought on its first full-time editor–in–chief in April.

As of January 2010 the paper had 72 active vendors and prints about 30,000 issues per month.

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.

9. I understand that my badge is the property of Street Sense and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing the papers and display my badge 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.

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

We are proud members of:

North American Street Newspaper Association

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR International Abby Strunk Network of EDITOR–IN–CHIEF Street Papers Lisa Gillespie VENDOR MANAGER Gregory Martin Founders Ted Henson & Laura Thompson Osuri VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Robert Basler, Jane Cave, Katie Edson, Robert Fulton, Jane Goforth, Cassandra Good, Joanne Goodwin, Roberta Haber, Erica Hall, Annie Hill, Dan Horner, Phillip Hoying, Maurice King, Brenda K. Lee-Wilson, Kim O’Connor, Gabriel Okolski, Katinka Podmanickzy, Sarah Birnie, Diane Rusignola, Jesse Smith, Denise Wilkins, Marian Wiseman, Meredith Wilson Chang, Matt Gornick, J Deveaux, Ellen Gilmer, Lawrence Howard, Diana Heitz, Robert Trautman

VENDORS Charles Armstrong, Jake Ashford, Lawrence Autry, Daniel Ball, Donna Barber, Cyril Belk, Kenneth Belkosky, Tommy Bennett, Phillip Black, Reginald Black, Andre Brinson, Robert Broome, Melody Byrd, Cliff Carle, Percy Carter, Peggy Cash, Conrad Cheek, Virginia Clegg, Aaron Conner, Anthony Crawford, Louise Davenport, Charles Davis, David Denny, Ricardo Dickerson, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon-El, Roger Dove, Deana Elder, Richard Embden, James Featherson, Craig Fleming, Larry Garner, David Ger, Barron Hall, Dwight Harris, John Harrison, Patricia Henry, Shakaye Henry, Shawn Herring, Phillip Howard, James Hughes, Richard Hutson, Carlton Johnson, Donald Johnson, Jewell Johnson, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, Clinton Kilpatrick, Brenda LeeWilson, Michael Lyons, Johnnie Malloy, Kina Mathis, John C. Matthews, Charlie Mayfield, Robert McCray, Marvin McFadden, Jermale McKnight, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jeffery McNeil, Kenneth Middleton, Steven R. Miller, Jr., L. Morrow, Tyrone Murray, Charles Nelson, Sammy Ngatiri, Evelyn Nnam, Moyo Onibuje, Franklin Payne, Gregory Phillips, Ash-Shaheed Rabbil, Michael Reardon, Jeanette Richardson, Sean-Christopher Riley, Lawrence Rogers, Ed Ross, Melania Scott, Chris Shaw, Ronald Simms, Veda Simpson, Gerald Smith, Patty Smith, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens, Leroy Studevant, Beverly Sutton, Paul Taylor, Sybil Taylor, Eric Thompson, Larissa Thompson, Deborah Tibbs, Carl Turner, Joseph Walker, Robert Warren, Lawless Watson, Paul Watson, Edna Williams, Howard Williams, Brian Wills, Ivory Wilson, Charles Woods.

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May 12 - 25, 2010

California Law May Give Homeless Hate-Crime Protections A bill in California’s state assembly would give homeless men and women increased civil rights protection, The Associated Press reports.

The legislation would add California’s roughly 157,000 homeless to the list of groups protected from hate-based violence; it would also allow the homeless to sue for larger sums of damages, if it’s proven that they were targeted in an attack, the AP reports.

The bill, which the state House approved in early May, was a mostly partisan vote, with Republicans saying that homelessness isn’t in the same category as race, sexual orientation and gender.

The bill still requires state Senate approval and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s signature before becoming law.

N.J. Tent City to Close, Tenants Receive Trip to the Spa A long-standing New Jersey “Tent City” is closing, but the 50 residents who have stayed there for months or years will receive a day of pampering before being moved into housing, the New York Daily News reports.

The residents will be transported to a high-end hotel in Mount Laurel to receive manicures, pedicures, facials, haircuts and massages, all courtesy of Nehemiah Group, a nonprofit. Nehemiah Group raised more than $250,000 to help the tent city residents. In addition to a spa day, the homeless will receive medical and mental health attention before being placed into housing.

The tent city residents who have resisted leaving in the

past are now less reluctant to leave, the Daily News reports.

Authorities in Camden are aware of the shuttering of “Tent City” but say that there haven’t been any plans for permanent housing for the residents.

City spokesman Robert Corrales said that "the city has not signed off on any entity or group seeking to relocate the residents of tent city."

Man Receives Life in Prison for Setting Homeless Man on Fire A Los Angeles man will serve life in prison after being convicted of setting a homeless man on fire using an emergency flare, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ben Martin, 31, reportedly disliked homeless people loitering around the barber shop where he worked. Co-workers say they saw Martin shouting at the homeless and occasionally strike out at them. His behavior led to his dismissal from the barber shop. When Martin returned to the shop months later, co-workers say he sought revenge.

Martin brought a bucket of gasoline and an emergency road flare back to the barber shop and used it to kill John McGraham, 55.

“My brother had a life --he was a human being,” Susanne McGraham Paisley, the victim’s sister, told the court.

Delaware Clinic Offers Help to Homeless A temporary clinic has opened in the Sunday Breakfast Mission in Wilmington, Del., before a permanent clinic to help the homeless can be established, The News Journal reports.

The clinic has been open two days per week in a front office at the men’s shelter since the beginning of March. A 33,000-square-foot shelter being built for women and children will house a permanent medical clinic for the homeless, and the building carries a price tag of $7.6 million. The clinic should be close to done by the end of November.

Maurice Egnor, a registered nurse, regularly helps at the clinic.

“The clinic provides some medical care they can’t get anywhere else, at least without referrals. We can’t really do a lot of medical stuff here, but we can refer them out,” he said.

“There has to be a level of trust set up, and I think that’s what the Sunday Breakfast Mission is able to do,” Egnor said. “The underserved people sometimes are afraid of going to the doctor’s office because they don’t know what’s there.”

Utah Launches First Newspaper Focused on Homeless The Salt Lake Street News launched in early May to help homeless men and women earn a small sum of money, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. About a dozen participants helped sell the inaugural edition, joining dozens of newspapers aimed to help the homeless around the nation.

The paper is currently being produced by the staff at the Salt Lake City Mission, a homeless service organization.

"This is a way for them to earn an honest income and to help educate the public about the homeless, too," said Brad Jaques, assistant director of development.

The goal is to have 100 to 200 homeless individuals participate in the program, the Tribune reports.

Compiled by Dianna Heitz, from previously published reports.

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.

I want to donate:

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Help Street Sense help people like David get back to work and improve their lives.

My information:

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With a $60 donation, we can provide food for six Writer’s Group meetings.

Name: __________________________________

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May 12 - 25, 2010

Benefits at Shelter Outweigh Inconveniences for District Homeless John Horsey Jr., 52, complains about the conditions and restrictions imposed by one of Washington's many homeless shelters, but he says that he stays there because it offers a bed, a shower and "decent" meals.

After being unable to pay the rent for his apartment on O Street, Horsey moved to the Community for Creative Non-Violence (CCNV ) long-term shelter on 425 Second Street NW where he has been a resident for eight months.

Even though residents have criticisms, every night the shelters provide a relatively safe place with food and services for hundreds of the District's homeless.

Evette Smith, 51, a resident of Open Door, an emergency shelter located next to CCNV, said, "There are so many different attitudes you have to deal with. My mother used to tell me two women in a kitchen didn't get along. Imagine everybody in one place."

Smith was living in Section 8 housing, a type of federal assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for low-income individuals and families, until she was evicted from her Temple Hills apartment because she could not pay her electric bill. Smith has been a resident of Open Door since 2008.

Residents of CCNV who have been living at the shelter for a long time can become staff members. Staff members help homeless people become self-sufficient so that they can re-enter mainstream society.

Horsey said that he has had to deal with the moods of not only other residents but also the staff.

“If they have been in the same position as you,” he said, “they should show understanding instead of feeling as if they're above the clients just because they've made it to the upper echelon.”

Many shelter residents have mental illnesses or experience stress because they are homeless. "You have hundreds of people living in one small place," said Neil Donovan, executive d i re c t o r o f t h e National Coalition for the Homeless.

"It makes all the sense in the world that somebody would be resistant to [living] in those conditions."

The CCNV shelter has three floors. The first and third floors are Terry Gibbs for men, and the

Photos by Shivan Sarna

By Shivan Sarna, volunteer

CCNV and Open Door shelters (pictured) provide meals and shelter for homeless residents of D.C. Some homeless people, however, choose to sleep on the street because of the conditions in shelters, including bed bugs and curfews.

second floor is for women. 300 men live on one floor, with 28 men to a room. Brawls often break out because of concerns about relationships and respect.

Shelters such as CCNV and Open Door have rules and regulations to create a structured environment. Residents at CCNV, for example, are not allowed to loiter outside the building and cannot visit floors occupied by members of the opposite sex.

Dinner is served at 5 p.m. and lasts until the food is gone (D.C. Central Kitchen sends the shelter 675 meals every day of the year).

Bed checks are carried out every night, and if a resident has been out for anywhere between 10 to 15 consecutive nights, he or she will no longer be allowed to stay at the shelter.

When Horsey arrives at CCNV late after work, the kitchen is closed. He said that this is an understandable rule, because if the kitchen and television lounge were still open, people would stay up all night, causing disruptions. Yet he still feels that it is an unjust rule for those individuals who work at night.

Horsey said, “If you have been to prison, this is the environment it projects. The only difference is, you have the freedom to come and go on certain days.”

CCNV also makes its residents leave the shelter on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in order to encourage them to find work.

Jobs Have Priority ( JHP) is a nonprofit organization that provides shelter residents with free access to computers, the Internet, phones, office equipment, case management, counseling, employment and housing assistance.

Individual counseling sessions are held weekly and provide information on budgeting, career opportunities and employment skills, focusing on overcoming specific challenges that the counseled individual faces.

JHP provides services to more than 300 people per year in the District and Prince George’s County, placing 140 people in jobs and 70 in permanent housing per year.

"Residents have the tools to find a job and housing," said Margaret Sobert, one of the three JHP case managers. "It's whether they have the drive to go out or not."

Horsey has two part-time jobs, one as a tourism vendor and the other working for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters. Before he started working, he would go out and look for jobs. "It all depends on the individual," he said. "If you have the motivation to go out, find a job

and do the things you need to do to get out of this place, then the shelter is the place to be."

CCNV also offers drug and alcohol rehabilitation and medical, mental health and dental care.

Open Door offers case management, individual counseling, psychiatric assessments, referrals and transitional services.

According to the Washington John Horsey Legal Clinic for the Homeless, at least 17,800 people are homeless in the District over the course of a year, which is one of the highest numbers in the country, yet there are only about 2,300 emergency shelter beds.

Donovan said a shelter’s focus should be to provide the services needed to help people become self-reliant. A shelter is "basically the final safety net when all other resources fail."

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May 12 - 25, 2010

One Purpose, One River ... Almost Along the river’s edge in Southeast D.C., early on a chilly but beautiful Saturday morning, many people from diverse backgrounds and nonprofit groups gathered with one purpose in mind: to collect trash from the banks of the toxic Anacostia River.

T h e a n n u a l c l e a n u p, p a r t o f the Anacostia Restoration Project, brought a brigade of volunteers armed with plastic gloves, trash bags, picks, shovels and wheelbarrows, which removed more than four tons of trash from the river and its banks at Kingman Island, adjacent to RFK Stadium.

Braced with two wooden bridges spanning sections of the river, idyllic Kingman Island is relatively secluded, and even the most frenetic would find it hard not to be affected by its Zen-like beauty and tranquility.

The volunteers who gathered to help restore that promise removed broken furniture, car parts, bicycle parts and buried trash. Children as young as three years old participated with their parents. Teen groups by the dozen, from Anacostia and other D.C. neighborhoods, picked up garbage from the target area.

Beth Gunter, an Earth Share organizer, was pleased with the turnout after months of preparation and hard work by other key personnel from various nonprofit organizations.

“What a way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day!" Gunter said. "Over 400 volunteers from D.C. communities came out here to participate in our Earth Day celebration.”

Gunter said that more than 250 bags of trash were collected, along with 150 bags of recyclable materials. Other organizations that contributed significantly were AARP DC; Living Classroom DC, Sierra Club, Tommy Wells; State Radio; SRC: Accenture and Dickstein Shapiro.

Many Earth Day volunteers were concerned by D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty's recent proposal to divert funds previously earmarked for the Anacostia River's cleanup. D.C.'s nickel grocery bag tax, which allows a cent or two for the grocery store and the rest for Anacostia River cleanup, generated $150,000 in January.

According to the Mayor's office, some if not all of these funds may be diverted to street maintenance within

PHOTO CREDIT

By Lawrence Howard, volunteer

Volunteers bag trash and remove garbage from the Anacostia River. Photos by Lawrence Howard

the District. Volunteers were particularly concerned that the environmentally conscious appeal of the tax would be undermined.

But for the volunteers who removed so much trash from the river on Earth Day, their achievement could not be overshadowed. It's a beautiful thing

when a plan comes together, when the accomplishment of a common task prevails over political conflict or hidden agendas. Or maybe not so surprising, given the outcome.

For those who look forward to a day when people can enjoy nature's gift after the full restoration of the eightmile Anacostia River and the Anacostia park, it's worth the effort. The river that runs through the heart of the District and stretches as far as Prince George's County is still receiving much local and federal attention.

More than two billion dollars' worth of restoration funds are earmarked for the Anacostia Restoration Project via several government agencies and nonprofits.

The Anacostia may be dwarfed by the 383-mile Potomac River, but as a place of access to one natural special encounter, it's second to none.

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May 12 - 25, 2010

Is There an Alternative to Cutting Social Services with the City Budget Crisis?

SOS-DC Believes There is an Easy Solution Health care provider reimbursements will be cut by $12 million in the proposed budget by Mayor Fenty’s office for 2011.

Interim disability assistance will be cut by $7 million. Adult Job training will be cut by $4.6 million, according to the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute.

May 5, 2010, a rally was held by D.C. residents and advocates along with the Fair Budget Coalition and Save Our Safety Net (SOS-DC) to protest against these and other budget cuts.

“We’re made up of D.C.’s higher earning individuals seeking to make sure that there is a balanced and fair economy,” Podshun says of SOS-DC, a grassroots effort of concerned District residents working to protect crucial city services by establishing a more progressive tax structure. “And we are here to protest cuts in the FY 11 budget.”

Legislative Director for the office of Councilmember At-Large Michael A. Brown, Kilin Boardman-Schroyer, says that the District is suffering from a $523 million deficit.

“We believe that there should be programs more focused on the underrepresented,” Schroyer says. “Councilmember Michael A. Brown proposes two new income tax brackets. One for individuals that make upwards of $250,000 and one for individuals that make upwards of $1 million.”

The Fair Budget Coalition and SOS-DC support a sliding-scale income tax on the wealthy, according to Kristi Mathews, Grass Roots Advocacy Coordinator for Washington Legal Clinic.

“In D.C., if you make more than $40,000 a year, you will be taxed the same as someone that only makes that much,” Mathews says.

“We just want a more fair taxing system.”

Peter Edelman, Faculty Director for the Center on Poverty, Inequality, and Public Policy, spoke at the rally.

“There is always a discrepancy between the rich and the poor. The gap is the largest in D.C.,” Edelman says. “Tax isn’t a dirty word, when you have this level of poverty in our city.”

Present at the rally, Corey Hooks, 32, lives in Ward 3 and participates in programs provided by So Others Might Eat (SOME).

Being homeless, Hooks relies on the programs provided by SOME for job training and housing.

PHOTO CREDIT

By J. Deveaux, volunteer

Members of Save Our Safety net (SOS-DC) show their disapproval in signage. Photos by J. Deveaux

“We need a chance,” he says. “How will we be able to receive benefits and return to school?”

SOME is one of the organizations that depend on government funding to pay their employees and provide services for people like Hooks.

The Fair Budget Coalition presented solutions to the Districts deficit on May 5

including contributions to a housing production trust fund, a cost of living adjustment to the standard deduction, and other key tax benefits, along with homeless services and To Assist Needed Families (TANF) cash assistance.

In the words of Corey Hooks, “It’s not fair.”

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May 12 - 25, 2010

Pregnancy Centers Ready to Assist Homeless & Low-income Moms-to-be

By Matt Gornick, volunteer

Pregnancy, whether expected or not, can be overwhelming – its costs, its responsibilities. And for many women experiencing or on the brink of homelessness, motherhood may seem like an adversity. Many organizations in and near the District, however – including pregnancy clinics and maternity homes - are staffed with medical personnel, case workers and volunteers who are eager to turn these anxious situations into welcome realities for homeless mothers-to-be.

The Northwest Center, based in the Adams Morgan neighborhood, provides a number of services “to promote the dignity of women and a respect for all human life,” according to its website. The center provides two primary programs: the Pregnancy Center, described as a community outreach program, and a Maternity Home program.

The latter program offers housing to homelessness-affected mothers and their children as well as parenting and household management skills instruction. The home is nestled amongst brick row houses on a tree-lined street near Columbia Road NW and served six women and six children in 2008.

Anthony Masalonis started volunteering at The Northwest Center “about eight or nine years ago

[The Northwest Center] truly walked the walk by helping women, babies and families in practical ways.”

Anthony Masalonis, Northwest Center volunteer

through some series of clicks that I no longer remember,” he said, referring to his discovery of the center online. This particular center shared his personal ideals and happened to be located only a few blocks away from his home. “I found it appealing that this center didn’t just talk about being ‘pro-life,’” Masalonis said. “It truly walked the walk by helping women, babies and families in practical ways, both before and after the babies are born.”

At the center, Masalonis considers himself a “kind of jack-of-all-trades,” but notes that his most rewarding work has been with the center’s Career Connections program. “[That’s] where we help clients with job and education searches, resume preparation and revision, and short- and long-term career planning,” Masalonis said. “Seeing a client get a job or make progress in their career planning is very satisfying.”

The Northwest Center, like many other D.C. pregnancy centers, cares for its clients beyond pregnancy, helping them achieve self-sufficiency.

Its clientele resembles that of other local centers – women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The Capitol Hill Pregnancy Center, for instance, serves homeless women as well as “women whose pregnancy puts them at risk of homelessness,” said Executive Director Janet Durig.

The Forestville Pregnancy Center in Marlow Heights, Maryland – located only a few miles outside of the District – hasn’t served any homeless clients before but would be able to, in addition to providing housing referrals.

Maryland’s Rockville Pregnancy Center has served many homeless clients.

“We have a number of shelters near us and they often bring their clients to us for testing or baby clothing,” said Founder and CEO Gail Tierney.

In its assessment of its clients, Rockville Pregnancy Center acknowledges the three options for

The Northwest Center (202) 483-7008 www.northwestcenter.net/ Capitol Hill Pregnancy Center (202) 546-1018 www.capitolhillpregnancycenter.org/ Rockville Pregnancy Center (301) 770-4444 www.rockvillepregnancycenter.org/ pregnant women – “parenting, abortion or adoption” – and strives to inform a woman so that she can make as sound a decision as possible. When that decision has been reached, the center is capable of assisting her in many ways.

“We’re different from some pregnancy centers because we’ve been a medical clinic for 11 years,” Tierney explained. “We offer free ultrasounds for pregnant women who are uncertain about what to do about their pregnancy, STD testing and treatment, and cervical cancer screening.”

The center also offers pregnancy testing and counseling, post-abortion counseling, and prenatal and life skills classes, all free of charge. But perhaps one of its most interesting services is the Baby Boutique.

“Clients can have baby clothing and accessories, car seats, strollers, diapers, formula, books, toys, etc. and shop four times a year [at the boutique],” Tierney said. The program benefits approximately 500 families each year.

Rockville Pregnancy Center – much like The Northwest Center and other local groups – depends heavily on volunteers, who comprise 97 percent of its staff. There are always opportunities to become involved with one of these centers, no matter how much time you have to donate.

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

Follow us

on

acebook : www.facebook.com/streetsense and witter : streetsensedc ...and, as always, find us online at www.streetsense.org.

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May 12 - 25, 2010

Praise Song for the Homel

By Francis Gantt, Cardozo High School student The poem is a praise song for the homeless, written in the style of that prese Alexander for President Obama’s inauguration.

Each day we lay here on the city grates Warmed by who knows what To get lil’ warmth on the cold nights that are too cold for the h All about us is survival Never knowing what the next minute holds Never knowing anything Someone is praying for us on their hands and knees Hoping we see a new day Wishing the best for us Someone is trying to find me Help me get back on my feet Better than I was before We encounter each other in the never-ending subway On the corner bumming a little change In the soup kitchen getting a bit to eat We share our boxes on those cold wet nights We care for those who don’t care Say it plain I’m homeless and I can change Say it plain I have to believe even when I can’t Praise song for the hopeless Praise song for the hopeful Praise song for the careful Some live by regret Some live by worry Some live by others In today’s streets walk tall Walk with pride Walk with pride for the pride-less Praise song for the homeless

A young woman sitting near a wooden podium with a glass front reflecting her mimage

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May 12 - 25, 2010

less

ented by Elizabeth

hottest lava

Sprinkles of a Fountain

He Cares for You

By Lawless Watson Sometimes in life things get you down Seems like you’ll never get off the ground But GOD cares for you, and HE will see you through When times are cold and life gets hard All you gotta do is look towards GOD ‘Cause HE cares for you, and that’s what HE wants you to do And when you feel that nothing good will come your way Seems like things fall apart on you day by day And when you feel that ain’t nobody all around He’ll put your feet on the ground, on HIS solid ground Don’t let nobody make you feel that the Love of GOD ain’t for real You see, HE cares for you, The Creator really cares for you

When you think that you don’t know which way it is you’re gonna go Your backwards life is running, running to and fro Hey, now don’t you know, the Lord, HE loves you so Now, let me tell you once again, don’t throw away your life to sin Don’t live your life desensitized, when on Calvary, my Lord, HE died GOD’s Word says in John 3:16, HE’ll take our filth and make it clean Don’t you know, it’s true, my Lord HE cares, HE cares for you

Photos by Cliff Carle

And when you feel like friends and loved ones… naw, they just don’t understand Then fall on your knees, lift up your head, and HE’ll give you a hand So put your life in HIS hands, in HIS Holy, Holy Hands And when you feel you don’t know how You’re gonna get the answers you’re lookin’ for, now Let me tell you that HE cares for you, my Lord, HE really cares for you

A colorful metalwork statue

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May 12 - 25, 2010

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A’ s Word Match

by Patrick Azrius

Match your favorite god/goddess!

1. The god of thunder in Celtic Mythology 2. The goddess of grain and fertility in Greek Mythology 3. The goddess of fruit trees in Roman Mythology 4. The god of trickery in West African and Caribbean Mythology 5. The Goddess of war in Sumerian Mythology A. Ambisagrus _____ B. Pomona ______ C. Eshu ______ D. Demeter _____ E. Ninurta _____

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

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Will Write For Food:

Writer’s Group

May 12 - 25, 2010

meets every Wednesday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Street Sense office.

The Writer's Group needs laptops; email: info@streetsense.org if you can help

Reggie’s Reflections- Pretty Management One Place or Another?

People have always asked Why would a person choose to live where they live? You will understand a little more after following our experiences.

My Own

by Robert Warren

In the time that I have been homeless in Washington D.C. I have slept on my friends couches, in a shelter but when the weather was alright to do so, mostly on the streets. I believe I’m like most people who want to be able to bring something to the table in the place that one might be staying. Like most, I believe the lord blesses the child who has their own. So whenever you are one experiencing homelessness there are always uncomfortable days and nights. Case in point, I am now staying with a friend sleeping on the floor. Which is very uncomfortable, but I do have hot water and a place to keep some of my things. Which wouldn’t be possible in most low barrier shelters. I know it can’t go forever. So I have to keep praying to the lord to bless me with my own.

Robert is a member of The People for Fairness Coalition.

Contact: Robertwarren47@yahoo.com.

By Reginald Black After a pleasent time at a hip hop summit, I returned to work. There was a lot of talk of new management. She came in, and she was attractive. Her first act was securing photographs of a fellow vendor and myself at the summit.

I couldn’t help but notice how good she looked. '' Who are you? , and Where did you come from?'' I wondered. It was like a breath of fresh air. Although new to the office, I knew there was something about her. I found myself talking to her a great deal. What did this mean? I wondered. Looks like I found the new management pretty, but could I engage a working relationship with her? I wanted to keep things professional. Alas, my lonely eyes wouldn’t let me. She was out to make an impression, and her first was a good one. I didn’t know what was coming down the pipeline, but I remained ready to find out.

Reggie hosts the Writer's Group meetings.

Contact: Rblackstreetreporter@gmail.com

Rooming Houses

by Patty Smith In the 70’s and the 80’s I lived at The Tourist Inn, a rooming house on 13th and I streets NW. There, I met and married Chris. After the marriage ended, I went to 1212 Massachucetts Avenue. I stayed there until the building closed. Then I lived at C.C.N.V. for year. While living there, I had a friend that provided for me. Now I live at the Ywca. I have been living there for 10 years.

The rooming house was a place of comfort. I would recommend rooming houses to others that need them.

Patty loves creative writing. Contact: Pattyscoffee@netzero.net

Just Reach Out

Hidden Place

Homelessness the pit of humanity. You can see why a person would resort to unusual tactics just to get a good place to sleep. Personally I slept in a boiler room for nine months. Although dirty, it had everything I needed except a working restroom. I only resorted to this place of refuge because a friend advised me not to sleep outdoors. If you asked me Where I preferred to stay?

I would have to say where I am staying now. I have a family and a loving place to call home. For now, being with them is great, but I know there will come a day we all will have to move on. For those that are new to the streets, I am giving you also the same advice. Do not sleep outdoors. You never know what may happen next. If you can find a hideout or place of seclusion go there, or to a local shelter. But if you rather have some freedom, just look around. There are humanitarians all around us. We just have to reach out.

Here in this quiet space I feel completely safe.

A haven where my thoughts roam free.

Going on a mission to free me from the world’s daily insanity.

Daily life can be trying.

Several days where giving up is more than an option but a yearning.

That you want to explore and live.

Sometimes life will catch you off guard and have ya crying because life tore off a limb.

Feeling as though you’re going to die, and is it fair?

To live in a world which no one seems to care?

Life can damage a person to the utmost degree.

But when I come to my hidden place I am free.

So oh yes, I go to my hidden place.

I go to my hidden place.

I go, I go, I go to my hidden place.

I go to my hidden place.

And in this place I am free.

Free to roam and be me.

Free of all the hazards and ailments that usually plague me.

In my hidden place, I don’t get lost in a crowd of negativity.

Because it is just me, sitting on my balcony.

Breathing in earth’s fresh scent.

Wow, what a safe place to be.

by Reginald Black

In and Inn

By David Rubin.

The homeless shelter provides a sense of sanity when the concept of in and out is established in the subconcious,continuously indeed which one had since youth.Coming in you feel secure,coming out feels like going to an inn.

David volunteers and is writing his own novel.

Contact: stonepotts2000@yahoo.com.

By: Joaquin M. Turley, Jr.

Joaquin also attends Morgan State University.

Contact: Joaquin.Turley@yahoo.com.

Learn good writing from Lee McAuliffe Rambo. 35 years as a print and broadcast journalist working for media outlets in Paris, New York, Los Angeles and the District.

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

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May 12 - 25, 2010

Four Great Migrations Mold African American Culture

By Robert Trautman, volunteer

Time to Face Reality

Federal government’s calculated poverty level doesn’t add up in real world standards

By Robert Fulton, volunteer "So three statisticians go hunting. The first hunter shoots at the deer and misses to the left. The second one shoots and misses to the right. The third one jumps up and down and says 'I hit it!' " Sometimes numbers are used to explain, to clarify, or to provide context. How many home runs did Ryan Zimmerman hit in April? How many people voted for Mayor Fenty in the last election? How many blocks do I have to walk to the nearest Five Guys?

Numbers make the world easier to understand. But sometimes they blur and undermine what regular folks might consider common sense.

The above joke is from an old episode of the television show "The West Wing". The episode "The Indians in the Lobby" featured a pair of Native Americans and their civil protest, and President Josiah Bartlett calling the Butterball Turkey Hotline. But there was a plot line that always stuck with me.

The federal government did not want to reformulate how the poverty level is determined. If authorities raised the poverty level, the thinking went, more people would be classified poor. And for an administration to increase the number of poor doesn't look good come election time, even if it's just the result of changing a formula.

I was reminded of this episode a few weeks back while reading an issue of Street Sense. There was a piece about who qualifies for the Earned Income Tax Credit, and I was struck by just how little money families and individuals are expected to get by on. I did some digging, and the numbers are sobering. According to the website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Planning and Education, the 2009 poverty guidelines for the contiguous states and the District of Columbia are striking.

According to HHS, if an individual makes

more than $10,830 annually, he or she is above the poverty line. Think about that.

That's about $900 a month. I'm embarrassed to say that's approximately half my rent. The poverty guidelines go up $3,740 for each additional person in the household. The HHS guideline for a family of four is $22,050.

The U.S. Census Bureau has slightly different, but still daunting, numbers. According to its website, an individual earning $10,952 per year meets the Bureau's poverty threshold, and for a family of four the Bureau's threshold is $21,947. The numbers are based on the Consumer Price Index, and the way these groups get to these numbers goes beyond the understanding of a mere writer.

The numbers are used to determine assistance for people and help paint a picture of the country as a whole.

It seems that anyone with common sense, who has ever lived a minute in the real world, could recognize at a glance that $11,000 a year is hardly enough to get by on in a place like Washington, D.C. or New York. Maybe in Little Rock, Arkansas, or Tulsa, Oklahoma. Maybe. But $11,000 in D.C. will not cover safe, comfortable shelter; nutritious food; transportation costs to get to work, school or the doctor; necessary health care, both emergency and regular checkups; and anything else we take for granted day to day.

Perhaps the way poverty is defined should be reassessed. I realize that having more people receive government assistance adds additional strain to an already ballooning budget. But the first step in grappling with a problem is to face the reality of the situation. To say that a person who makes $11,000 a year in the United States of America is out of poverty is ridiculous. The numbers aren't honest.

Robert Fulton is an Arlington-based freelance writer, grad student and Street Sense volunteer.

Ira Berlin, historian and Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, has taken a fresh look at African America.

In his book “The Making of African America: The Four Great Migrations,” published in March, Berlin provides powerful and sweeping treatments of the four "great migrations" of Africans to and within the United States.

According to Berlin, the first great migration occurred when millions of Africans were brought to the American eastern seaboard to grow tobacco and rice; the second involved the transport of millions to the southern interior to grow cotton and sugar; the third was the migration north to the factories of Chicago, Detroit and other cities; and the fourth is the ongoing immigration to the United States from Africa, South America, the Caribbean and elsewhere. All of the migrations, explains Berlin, were spurred by the need for workers, enslaved or not.

In “The Making of African America,” Berlin recounts these movements and their profound effects, both negative and positive, and explains how the movements shaped Africans and America. He writes, “Whether the transit was from Africa to America, Virginia to Alabama, Biloxi to Chicago, or Lagos to the Bronx, the upheavals that accompanied the physical uprooting would touch the lives of generation after generation of black people. For perhaps the vast majority, it was the single most important event in their lives, a moment that would mark them and their descendents forever."

The forced passage from Africa to America split families, both at embarkation points and slave markets. No longer could sons follow their fathers or daughters their mothers, an important source of cohesion in African society. So new families had to be formed, and they were: on the plantations, male slaves cared for female slaves, they paired, and had children.

The families that emerged remained together as families sometimes for only a few years until members were sold to other slavers. Other families were able to remain together despite the forced migrations.

Berlin says, "the struggle for place was an ongoing part of the African American experience." And the migrants found this place where they lived and in the community they brought wherever they settled.

As an insatiable world demand for cotton and sugar developed, there was another forced passage, this one from the eastern seaboard to the Black Belt of the lower South, to the deep fertile soils of Alabama and Mississippi. Emancipation freed slaves from their masters, but where could they go? The old masters still owned their plantations but had no one to farm them. And the former slaves, sometimes alone, sometimes in families, possessed their freedom but no land. So a new form of slavery grew: sharecropping and tenant farming.

The third movement began with World War I, this time to the north, as blacks were lured by high-paying factory jobs. This migration waned during the Great Depression but picked up again with the advent of World War II. The fourth great migration came from overseas, spurred by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 that gave foreign countries quotas of 20,000 immigrants, not including family members of legal immigrants already in the country. A massive influx of people followed, as countries rejected colonial rule and became independent states.

Berlin paints a tumultuous picture of these four great migrations, with families torn apart and new families formed. However, he illustrates how a center remained. Wherever they went, either forced or voluntarily, Africans in America kept their churches, their music, and, despite their continual uprooting, their sense of place. They congregated around their churches, Masonic halls, barber shops and even street corners. Berlin argues that African Americans developed this sense of place because of their migrations. "As a people often forced to be on the move, black men and women developed a firm attachment to place. They became, in succession, archetypical agriculturists, with a deep knowledge, appreciation, and love of the land, and then the quintessential urbanites, with a streetwise understanding of city life."

Berlin concludes that the Civil Rights Act, which legislated African Americans' right to vote, changed everything-it meant that when immigrants came, they were no longer second-class citizens and could marry outside of their race. The Immigration Act also had a profound impact. “The large-scale mixing of diverse peoples of African descent, some newly arrived and some deeply rooted in this country, once again began to remake the way African Americans saw themselves collectively. The old story of movement and rootedness was about to play itself out yet once again," Berlin writes. America became a home for African Americans, and not just a place where they had been forced to move, which set the stage for the civil rights movement and for the movement for equality in pay and social status.

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The Bum Years: Casinos Bring Downfall; Vending Brings Hope

By Jeffrey McNeil, vendor It has been almost two years since I landed in Washington, D.C. for a new beginning after the casinos of Atlantic City, N.J. I can remember the date and time I arrived. It was noon on the Fourth of July, 2008.

I started navigating my way around Washington. I flagged a police officer and told him that I was homeless. He directed me to the shelter on 2nd and D Streets NW, not far from Union Station. When I went there the administrators told me there were no beds, and directed me to Franklin Shelter.

There I met a couple of administrators who told me how to get help and where to find work. They said if I mopped the floors, I could stay there overnight. It was very hot and humid outside. The temperature that day was over 100 degrees, but inside Franklin, it was air-conditioned.

After a few days of sleeping at Franklin, I started craving alcohol to get over the emptiness of my life. I walked up and down 14th Street to find a job. It was very humiliating. A couple of years before, I had had a high paying job, a nice apartment and many friends. I wasted my life for the pursuit of material possessions, only to give it up to Mr. Trump and the casinos.

I used to laugh at the panhandling drunk in front of the liquor store. Like Nebuchadnezzar who was put out in the wilderness because of his pride, I ironically became a bum who stood at the liquor store begging up a few dollars to get drunk.

For almost two months I lied, got fired from jobs, and got banned from public places. I stunk so bad people would walk to the other side of the street just to avoid me. I had so much shame because alcohol and drugs were my master and I was held captive where I couldn’t escape.

I went to soup lines, slept on benches, and stayed in shelters where I was covered with bed bugs. I was in the sea without a life raft. I tried getting into a rehab center and kept not being admitted. I thought this was how I was going to end up.

Rebuilding I would like to say I got out of the shelters on my own, but I would be telling a lie. I had a lot of people pulling for me and they still pull for me to this day. I heard about Miriam’s Kitchen, and met a couple of social workers who told me where to get help. Through good fortune I met a psychiatrist who evaluated me and told me I was bipolar. A Unity Health Care truck came once a week and I started to take medication, which stabilized me for a period of time.

I was an addict in the grips of hell. I gambled and paid for sex all wrapped up in shame. I still had two years to go for my

I used to laugh at the panhandling drunk... I ironically became the bum who stood at the liquor store.

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May 12 - 25, 2010

FOUNDRY A Reconciling Congregation

Master's and Ph.D. on Living in the Streets. I was unemployed, unemployable, looked like I was beaten by an Ugly Stick, and little kids called me a crack head. I couldn’t fix myself because I had no G.O.D. - good orderly direction. I was rebelling from the reality that my way had destroyed me and my ego was going to leave me lonely and destitute. I had no god or guidance; I knew everything but actually knew little.

Invites you to join us in worship on Sundays at 9:30 and 11:00 AM

It is often hard to distinguish between the hard knocks in life and those of opportunity. ~ Frederick Phillips

Foundry United Methodist Church

Homeless Outreach Hospitality: Fridays 9:00 AM

1500 16th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 332-4010

At my bottom, hopeless and clueless on how to get out of my situation, I saw people standing outside wearing a yellow vest, yelling “Street Sense!” I was so desperate and hungry I was willing to try anything.

Even though I had never sold a newspaper, I was hungry and I didn’t want to continue eating at soup lines, wearing dirty clothes, and having to carry all my belongings day and night from a shelter.

I wasn’t going to be labeled a loser, someone to be pitied. I wasn’t going to reinforce any stereotypes.

The reason I say this is so the customers who buy from me and also the vendors know that I struggled for almost two years.

I was out selling in the rain, snow, and with the chicken pox, but I never wavered from my overall purpose.

Some people look down on people who sell newspapers, but I used it to develop human relations. I was timid when I first started selling; I almost quit because no one was buying, and they were passing me by.

For some reason I started selling by the Borders Bookstore.

It seemed always busy and it would be a good location because it was a place where people read books. I wasn’t interested in negativity. I was sleeping on a box behind a dumpster at the West End library.

www.foundryumc.org

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The fear of being laughed at makes cowards of us all. ~Mignon McLaughlin I was never afraid to take risks. I had nothing to lose. I didn’t want to hop up and down hollering. I found a suit that fit me. I made a couple signs, I wasn’t intimidating or aggressive. I never got discouraged even when I wasn’t selling papers.

I learned that like poker, you’ve got to play your rushes. I learned about patience, appearance and presence. There are some days when everyone’s happy and you have to keep going back to the office to buy more papers. I have had days when even the police and panhandlers bought papers.

Then there are days when you have to grind out sells, when people curse at you.

Regulars stop buying, panhandlers and drunks want to fight you. I once had a man in a wheelchair try to run me over, and another threw his prosthetic leg at me.

I never get discouraged, because I realize where I am today is a hell of a lot better than where I was.

I say thank you, Jesus, for rescuing me from sleeping in the park drunk, stinking, and with everyone passing me by like a leper.

And I say thank you for the many blessings I have received.

MON., MAY 31ST, 9PM DANCE VIBES FREE ADMISSION BEFORE 11PM $10 AFTER TIMEHRI 2439 18TH ST. NW, DC DESIGN/PRINT BY

202.239.0643

FOR MORE INFO:

WWW.DCREGGAEAWARDS.COM Art credit: T.E.P. Entertainment - 202.239.0643

202.640.0565

May 12 - 25, 2010

Please complete this survey and return it to a vendor, mail it back to us at Street Sense, 1317 G Street, Washington, DC 20005 or save a stamp and fill it out online at www.streetsense.org.

A Message from Street Sense

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2010 Readership Survey

12. How often do you pass on the paper to someone else? � Every other week � Once a month � A few times a year � Never

13. How often do you recommend the paper to someone else? � Every chance I get � When a new issue is released � Once a month � A few times a year � Never

17. How could the vendors reach more customers (select all that apply)? � A louder, clearer sales pitch � Neater appearance � More knowledge of the paper � Signs explaining the paper � Marketing materials about the paper � Other: _____________________

Thank you for your continued support of Street Sense! Street Sense distributes 18. How do you perceive businesses about 30,000 copies to readers each month, and we want to make sure that and organizations that advertise we are providing you with valuable information that you can’t get anywhere in Street Sense? else. In an effort to make sure the paper is meeting your needs and helping � Very positively to put our vendors on a path out of homelessness, please take a few minutes � Positively to participate in this short survey. We appreciate your feedback and your 14. How often do you visit � Neutrally recommendations for the future. www.streetsense.org? � Negatively � Multiple visits a month 19. What changes/improvements � When a new issue is released By participating in this survey, you will be entered into a raffle to win: would you like to see to the paper? � Once a month _______________________________  4 Tickets to the National Museum of Crime & Punishment; � A few times a year _______________________________  2 Quarts of Soup from TheSoupergirl.com; or � Once or twice ever _____________________________________________  A 6-class Pass from Tranquil Space Yoga � Never _____________________________________________ � I did not know Street Sense had a website 20. Are there new locations where 7. Why do you buy the paper?

1. Please select your age you’d like to see Street Sense � To support the vendor � Under 21 15. Rank your section preference vendors selling the paper? � For current news I can’t get � 21 – 30 from most (1) to least (8) favorite. _______________________________ anywhere else � 31 – 45 � Local News _______________________________ � To learn about homeless issues � 46 – 65 � Pics n’ Poems & Writer’s Group _____________________________________________ � Curiosity � 65+ � National/World News _____________________________________________ � Other: ______________________ � Politics 2. Your gender � Editorials 21. What suggestions do you have for 8. How often do you buy Street � Male � Vendor Profiles increasing awareness of Street Sense?

Sense? � Female � Reviews _______________________________ � Several papers each issue � Other � Games _______________________________ � One paper each issue (two per 3. Your zip code ____________ ____________________________________________________________ month) 16. How would you rate the balance ___________________________________________________________ � One paper every month or two between, on the one hand, 4. Your household income � I’ve only bought a few times news and stories relating to 22. I am interested in: � Under $19,999 homelessness/poverty, and, on the � Volunteering for Street Sense. � $20,000 – $39,999 9. How long have you been buying other hand, human interest stories, � Receiving periodic updates on � $40,000 – $79,999 Street Sense? vendor art and “lighter” content.

Street Sense. � $80,000 – $119,000 � I just bought my first issue � Hosting an event to introduce � I’d like to see more hard-hitting news. � $120,000 – $199,999 � 3 months – 1 year Street Sense to my personal � The hard-hitting news is � $200,000 or more � 1 – 2 years and/or professional network. important, but I like to see more � 2 – 3 years 5. Your employment � Making a donation in the amount “lighter” content. � 3+ years � Government of _____ to Street Sense. � I like the current balance. � Legal 10. How much of the paper do you read? � I think Street Sense should � Purchasing a subscription for � Media � Nearly everything $40 so I can receive every issue expand its content to include: � Non-profit � About half of the paper of Street Sense at home. ___________________________. � Retail � Mostly the news � Business � Mostly the vendor features � Education � My favorite section(s) only, which � Student are ________________________ Name (required): _________________________________________________ � Unemployed ___________________________. Email (required): _________________________________________________ � Retired � I usually just glance at it Phone: _________________________________________________________ � Other: ______________________ � I usually just throw it away Address: ________________________________________________________ 6. Your education level 11. Do you purchase from the same Please share any additional comments you have about Street Sense with us: � Some high school vendor? ________________________________________________________________ � High school graduate � Exclusively ________________________________________________________________ � College student � Usually ________________________________________________________________ � Bachelors degree � Periodically Thank you for participating in this survey and providing your contact � Masters/Doctoral degree information so we can enter you in our raffle!

Contact Information

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

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

May 12 - 25, 2010 Thrive DC (breakfast Mon-Fri, 9:30-11, all welcome/dinner for women and children, Mon-Fri, 3-6 pm) St. Stephens Parish Church 1525 Newton St, NW (202) 737–9311 www.thrivedc.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

John Young Center (Women) 119 D Street, NW (202) 639–8469 www,catholiccharitiesdc.org

Unity Health Care, Inc. 3020 14th Street, NW (202) 745–4300 www.unityhealthcare.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

Whitman–Walker Clinic 1407 S Street, NW (202) 797–3500; www.wwc.org

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

www.greendoor.org housing, job training, supportive mental health services

www.cflsdc.org housing, job and substance abuse counseling, clothes closet

Friendship House 619 D Street, SE (202) 675–9050 www.friendshiphouse.net counseling, mentoring, education, youth services, clothing

Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW (202) 332–4010 www.foundryumc.org ESL, lunch, clothing, IDs

Georgetown Ministry Center 1041 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (202) 338–8301 georgetownministrycenter.org laundry, counseling, psych care Martha’s Table 2114 14th Street, NW (202) 328–6608 www.marthastable.org dinner, education, recreation, clothing, child/family services Rachel’s Women’s Center 1222 11th Street, NW (202) 682–1005 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 Bright Beginnings Inc. 128 M Street NW, Suite 150 (202) 842–9090 www.brightbeginningsinc.org Child care, family services 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

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

DC Food Finder Interactive online map of free and low cost resources. www.dcfoodfinder.org

Green Door (202) 464–9200 1221 Taylor Street NW

Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW (202) 347–0511

Gospel Rescue Ministries drug, alcohol program (Men) 810 5th Street, NW (202) 842–1731; www.grm.org Hermano Pedro Day Center 3211 Sacred Heart Way, NW (202) 332–2874 www.ccs–dc.org/find/services/ meals, hygiene, laundry, clothing JHP, Inc. 1526 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE (202) 544–9126 www.jobshavepriority.org training and employment

www.legalclinic.org

WVSA Literacy for Life 1100 16th Street, NW (202) 296-9100 www.wvsarts.org GED preparation

MARYLAND SHELTER Interfaith Works 114 W. Montgomery Avenue Rockville (301) 762–8682 www.iworksmc.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 Employment, 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 Massachusetts Avenue, NE (202) 371–1937 www.travelersaid.org/ta/dc.html emergency travel assistance Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U Street, NW (202) 328–5500

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 Mission of Love 6180 Old Central Avenue, Capitol Heights (301)333–4440 www.molinc.org life skills classes, clothing Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless

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600–B East Gude Drive, Rockville (301) 217–0314; www.mcch.net shelter, transitional housing

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 2921 11th Street South Arlington (703) 979–1400 www.arlingtonfreeclinic.org

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Abundant Life Christian Outreach, 5154 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria (703) 823–4100 www.anchor–of–hope.net food, clothing and medicines David’s Place Day Shelter 930 North Henry Street, Alexandria (703) 548–7500 www.carpentersshelter.org laundry, 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

S treetS ense.org

May 12 - 25, 2010

THe Last Word “I feel like things are moving in a positive direction.”

By Abby Strunk, executive director These are the words of Phillip Black, Street Sense vendor of 17 months. Phil is a licensed plumber who became homeless after an extended illness and hospitalization. Phil saves his remaining money in a bank account, picks up plumbing jobs on the side, and sleeps outside or in a shelter most nights. He gives the bulk of his weekly earnings to his two daughters, one of whom is physically disabled.

For many of us, spring brings about a sense of renewal, of new beginnings.

This couldn’t be more true for Phil. The generosity of his regular customers in D.C.’s Tenleytown neighborhood have Phil feeling hopeful about his future.

Joining Phil are more than 100 homeless vendors who are able to earn an immediate income, feel a restored sense of dignity and have hope about their future selling D.C.’s only newspaper covering issues of homelessness and poverty.

This past winter was an extraordinarily difficult time for our homeless vendors, but they persevered with strength and courage. Street Sense supporters stepped up in a big way, making a statement – Street Sense is part of our city’s social fabric, and we are going to do our part to make sure it thrives.

Like Phil, I feel things are moving in a

positive direction since joining the organization at the end of 2009. Over the past few months, Street Sense: 1. Rebuilt the Board of Directors to include five talented new members with a range of skill sets 2. Painted the office “spring green” to give the vendors a more welcoming environment 3. Partnered with businesses like the Washington Wizards, Plexus Consulting and Tranquil Space to spread awareness of homeless issues in DC. 4. Strengthened ties with local service providers and provided vendors with sales training.

5. Engaged vendors, volunteers & supporters in new ways through social media and events.

As we embark on this season of renewal, there is much more to do. Street Sense is focused on building organizational capacity and professionalizing operations to broaden our reach, enhance the vendor experience and improve our newspaper so more homeless men and women can join Phil in moving toward financial self-sufficiency.

We cannot do this without you. Please make a donation at www.streetsense.org today. If you’d prefer to send your donation by mail, please address it to 1317 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20005. Together, we can work to address the challenges of homelessness in D.C.

Lawless Watson

Vendor Profile Lawless C. Watson, Jr. continues to be relentless, even while experiencing success and frustrations, while pursuing his goals.

His vendor profile was first published early in 2007 and again in September 2009. This is a continued update of the progress he has made since joining Street Sense.

Born in 1952 in Washington, D.C., Lawless thanks his former music teacher, Miss G. Jackson, for encouraging him to learn as many musical instruments as he wanted, which kept him in school as long as he was.

A former running back for the D.C. Stonewalls, a semi–pro football team, Lawless has worked in the sales, medicine, construction, food, transportation and entertainment industries. He even spent about six years as a freelance recording studio drummer.

How did you become homeless?

After four years of what I considered to have been a “role reversal” situation where I found myself the victim of mental, emotional and financial abuse, I walked out of the house when physical abuse returned to our marriage. During the divorce proceedings I left everything to her.

What are you doing now?

As well as beginning to lay the foundations of starting a street paper in the Baltimore

metropolitan area, I am currently using the proceeds from my ‘3-song, personally autographed, fundraising demo CD’ (which is the story of my life, good and bad, set to music) to help launch a multifaceted, full service, street–based music outreach ministry in the Washington/Baltimore areas.

Contact: LawlessWatson7@yahoo.com. He would be honored to send you Mp3 previews of his upcoming CD.

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