03.16.2022 by Street Sense Media

VOL. 19 ISSUE 17

MAR. 16 - 22, 2022

Real Stories

Real People

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Real Change

An Inside Look At The Grandparent and Close Relative Caregivers Program

MORE INSIDE THIS EDITION: MEET BASKETBALL STAR ABEL PUTU D.C. PASSES VOUCHER PROTECTIONS STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

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VENDORS Abel Putu, Abraham Aly, Aida Peery, Amia Walker, Andre Brinson, Andrew Anderson, Angie Whitehurst, Anthony Carney, Anthony Pratt, Archie Thomas, August Mallory, Betty Everett, Beverly Sutton, Brianna Butler, Carlos Carolina, Charles Armstrong, Charles Woods, Chon Gotti, Christina “Chris” Cole, Conrad Cheek, Corey Sanders, Cortney Signor, Daniel Ball, David Snyder, Debora Brantley, Don Gardner, ‘Donte’ Julius Turner, Doris Robinson, Earl Parker, Eric ThompsonBey, Evelyn Nnam, Floyd Carter, Franklin Sterling, Frederic John, Fredrick Jewell, Gerald Anderson, Gracias Garcias, Henry Johnson, Ivory Wilson, Jacqueline “Jackie” Turner, Jacquelyn Portee, James Davis, Jeanette Richardson, Jeff Taylor, Jeffery McNeil, Jeffrey Carter, Jemel Fleming, Jenkins Daltton, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jermale McKnight, Jet Flegette, Jewel Lewis, John Littlejohn, Joseph Walker, Joshua Faison, Juliene Kengnie, Justin Blakey, Katrina Arninge, Kenneth Middleton, Kym Parker, Lawrence Autry, Levester Green, Malcolm Scott Jr, Marcus Green, Marcus McCall, Mark Jones, Melody Byrd, Michael Warner, Michele Rochon, Mildred M. Hall, Morgan Jones, Patricia Donaldson, Patty Smith, Phillip Black, Queenie Featherstone, Redbook Mango, Reggie Jones, Reginald Black, Reginald C. Denny, Ricardo Meriedy, Rita Sauls, Robert Warren, Rochelle Walker, Ron Dudley, Sasha Williams, Sheila White, Shuhratjon Ahmadjonov, Susan Westmoreland, Susan Wilshusen, Sybil Taylor, Warren Stevens, Wendell Williams BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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VENDOR CODE OF CONDUCT

Brian Carome

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

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT

I will support Street Sense Media’s mission statement and in so doing will work to support the Street Sense Media community and uphold its values of honesty, respect, support, and opportunity. I will treat all others, including customers, staff, volunteers, and fellow vendors, respectfully at all times. I will refrain from threatening others, pressuring customers into making donations, or engaging in behavior that condones racism, sexism, classism, or other prejudices.

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The Street Sense Media Story, #MoreThanANewspaper

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Founded as a street newspaper in 2003, Street Sense Media has evolved into a multimedia center using a range of creative platforms to spotlight solutions to homelessness and empower people in need. The men and women who work

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EVENTS

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AT A GLANCE VENDOR PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS • 500th Issue stickers will be available for vendors at the week. • March 25, at 2 p.m. Enjoy free

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Vendor spotlight: Abel Putu shares his story KAELA ROEDER Deputy Editor

Abel Putu, a Street Sense Media vendor, has always been passionate about basketball. Putu plays for the MedStar NRH Punishers, a Division I wheelchair basketball team under the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. “I want NBA players to hear my story [on] ESPN [and] NBA TV … because I've been through a lot,” Putu said. Putu came to the United States from Ghana as a refugee from Liberia when he was 19. Now, he said he’s very proud to be

your fellow vendors. • “Beat the Streets” will be every Tuesday. Meet at Street Sense at 3 p.m. to level up your sales! • Have you collected your free vaccination papers yet? Show

died in the war, which was hard on him. “It brought a lot of pain,” he said. He’s currently trying to move downtown because the sidewalks are more accessible compared to where he lives now, he said. But through these tough times, basketball has been a positive constant in his life, he said. “That made me stronger,” he said. “I appreciate everything that Street Sense did,” he said. Harsh Thakkar, the manager of the NRH Punishers, said Putu’s passion for the team is admirable. “He's always willing to help people, always willing to grow and tell as many people as he can about the sport,” Thakkar said. Wheelchair basketball teams like the NRH Punishers are essential for people with disabilities, Thakkar said. “Teams like the Punishers and all adaptive sports components, they're important for individuals with disabilities to be able to live their life,” Thakkar said. “Sports and athletics are part of everyone's life, regardless of disability or not.” Putu’s goal is to help people around the world and “give back” to people with disabilities in Africa, he said. Kobe Bryant is one of his biggest inspirations, he said. “He was my favorite basketball player,” Putu said.

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BIRTHDAYS Ibn Hipps March 17 ARTIST/VENDOR

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NEWS

D.C. is set to expand access to caregiving subsidies. Is that enough for caregivers? ANNEMARIE CUCCIA Reporter, Street Sense Media & The DC Line

Photo by Yuri Shirota // Unsplash

can be the difference between a child being raised by their family or Kymberly Holmes had to make a choice. “It was either my rent or this little girl,” said Holmes, who didn’t feel confident she’d have enough money for both. “So of course, I chose this little girl.” Holmes started receiving a caregiving subsidy from the D.C. she first took in her niece. The money she receives every month isn’t enough to take care of all of her niece’s needs, but it helps, she said. She can get her niece toiletries, wash her clothes, and get her hair done. She enrolled her niece in dance school.

to offer similar assistance to caregivers who are close relatives. Both programs are administered by D.C.’s Child and Family Services

Howard, supervisory specialist at CFSA. The Grandparent and Close Relative Caregivers Program

Center. “We know that our kids have the best outcome when they can stay with their own family,” she said. Programs like GCP are essential in making this happen, according to Stephanie McClellan, deputy director at D.C. KinCare Alliance, an organization that supports relative caregivers. But that doesn’t mean it’s perfect.

will quicken the process for caregivers like Holmes to obtain subsidies. for a grandchild or young relative, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The Grandparent Caregivers Program (GCP) and Close Relatives Caregivers Program (CRCP) both provide money to with the goal of keeping children with their families and out of the foster care system.

even as the program is poised to grow, people currently enrolled in the program are asking for more money and support. Caring for a new child can impose a financial strain, especially for families who had not planned for it. Receiving a GCP or CRCP subsidy

When Holmes began participating, she had a care navigator she could talk to when she had questions. Now, no one has reached out for months nor responded to her inquiries, Holmes said. She doesn’t even know if her former contact works at CFSA anymore. “You have nobody calling, checking on the child, making sure the

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but that’s not true.”

Expanding subsidy eligibility The new bill makes four critical rule changes that D.C. KinCare Alliance and other organizations have long called for: eliminating the waiting period to apply, allowing disabled parents to live with the child living outside D.C. Previously, program participants had to be the child’s primary eligible for a subsidy. This requirement, McClellan argues, delays

and school supplies for children they have suddenly begun looking process itself can take two or three months, according to McClellan, this means families often wait nine months for financial assistance. requirement in practice already, McClellan said, the bill solidifies the change and will allow caregivers to apply as soon as a child is in their care. who can receive the subsidy. People caring for children and their medically disabled parents were previously eligible to receive the subsidy only if the people they were caring for were all under 18. Since disabilities aren’t related to age, McClellan said, the old rule doesn’t make much sense. The new legislation allows a household to receive the subsidy even when the parents with disabilities are older than 18. — defined as people who are not related to the child but had a relationship with them before the child came to live with them. Some D.C. KinCare caregivers were raised with one of the child’s parents or are their close friends, but aren’t blood relatives, McClellan said. Some are even a relative, but unable to prove it because of lost or incorrect birth certificates. This provision was not in the original bill but was added after McClellan recommended it at the Dec. 9 public hearing held by the Committee on Human Services. District to still get the subsidy as long as the child’s parents still live in D.C. or the child still goes to school in the District. Subsidies for caregivers who live outside D.C. will be limited to one year. “That was a hole that needed filling,” McClellan said, though she’d same needs whether that aunt lives a couple of blocks into D.C. or a couple of blocks over the border.” Taken together, these changes will have an outsize impact on D.C. residents of color, according to an assessment of the bill by the Council

participants in the GCP and all of the participants in the CRCP were Black. Kera Tyler, CFSA’s director of communications, wrote in a statement to Street Sense and The DC Line that the program is adequately funded, and if the bill leads to more families asking for the subsidy, the agency will ask for a larger budget. “The more families that can access the subsidies that need it, you know, the more kids that can stay with their grandparents and close

Can it be more than just money? While the changes approved by the council will allow more families

Plaza West building exterior. Photo courtesy of Mission First Housing Group.

like Holmes’ to receive the subsidy, they don’t address what Holmes sees as the main problem: As currently administered, the program offers money but not the necessary support. When Holmes’ niece came to live with her, she’d already been traumatized and separated from her family. But Holmes hasn’t received any help from CFSA in getting her therapy or setting up a controlled visit with her mom. “That child should receive therapeutical services. That child should have a case manager. That child should have the same services they receive in foster care,” she said. But she doesn’t. Children in the foster care system have access to case managers and mental health professionals, even if those services fall short in some instances. Programs also support children’s education and careers. Holmes doesn’t want to put her niece in foster care, but she does want her to have the same supports available to other “displaced children,” as Holmes calls them. In an email, Tyler said that CFSA works to help connect families in all of its programs to any services they are eligible for, such as Medicaid or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Many of the support services provided to children committed to the care of CFSA are funded via Medicaid, she added. In her search for a community of caregivers and other displaced children, Holmes found the D.C. KinCare Alliance. She sits on the community board, where she’s heard some of the same complaints from fellow caregivers, who often don’t know what services are available to them.

fairly recently that she found out about D.C. services for caregivers. When she first applied for the GCP subsidy, it was only because a man told her about it while she was shopping for her grandson’s elementary school graduation outfit. “Everything I learned from any of the agencies, it wasn’t because they were advertising it, that’s for sure,” Jones said. She’s since moved into the “grandfamilies” community at Plaza West, which she heard about through a friend in a senior program. This patchwork system is not an ideal model, according to broader support network, aimed at keeping kids engaged in school and

none of them are specifically linked to the subsidy.

Its community life program connects grandparent caregivers and helps them apply for other benefits, according to Jason Ellis, who manages the efforts. From what he’s seen, the D.C. government hasn’t meaning entities like D.C. KinCare Alliance and Plaza West have to provide wraparound services. systems and build community. Grandparent caregivers can attend programming, and children can make friends with peers in similar situations — an opportunity they don’t always have in school. convenient location and to be around other grandfamilies. Her grandchildren participated in a summer youth program to continue what they were learning in school. They regularly attend game and movie nights. The families help each other out with child care, bringing their children to activities.

she went around and encouraged people to sign up. — I’m not out here trying to do this all on my own. I have a support mechanism.” But similar services aren’t available to Holmes, or the hundreds of hoping D.C. will provide more help to its caregivers. “CFSA has to do better by our children,” she said. Anyone interested in applying to the subsidy program can do so here for grandparents and here for close relatives. Applicants do not have to have legal custody of the child, as long as you can prove your relationship and that you are their primary caregiver. This article was co-published with The DC Line.

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NEWS

D.C. passes new protections for voucher holders ANNEMARIE CUCCIA Reporter, Street Sense Media & The DC Line

The D.C. Council passed a comprehensive tenant rights bill on March 1 with new protections for voucher holders and for renters who have faced eviction proceedings. The Eviction Record Sealing Authority Amendment Act of rents or considering their rental history when deciding whether era tenant protections permanent, sealing eviction records after

discrimination against voucher holders. The council hasn’t yet transmitted the bill to the mayor for her signature; to become law, it must also undergo congressional review. Advocates have been pushing for these changes for years, at the Legal Counsel for the Elderly. “I think that [the council] made a tremendous stride in helping to lower the barriers for housing and that they are being treated fairly when applying to housing,” she said. protections included in the final legislation, the final iteration of a bill Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh has introduced every

thought that limiting what landlords could ask prospective tenants was against “good business practices.” In response to a question about the issue during a Q&A with constituents, he said the initial language included in the bill had been “very broadly written,” though he did not elaborate on which parts. Mendelson said on the dais that he had worked with Cheh, effort to revise the bill. He also argued that income is not the only reason someone might be behind on rent — for instance, some tenants may take advantage of loopholes when they can afford to pay. Since subsidies don’t always cover the full cost of rent, landlords may still need to consider past rental history, Mendelson argued. the payment history has some relevance and shouldn’t be completely prevented,” he said. “I think that is relevant to whether that tenant is a risk when they want to rent regardless of whether or not they have a voucher.” But Mendelson’s arguments failed to sway colleagues, who responded to a late push by activists by reinserting the protections prior to the final vote on the bill.

The impact on voucher holders Even though D.C. law already prohibits landlords from discriminating against potential tenants based on their source

“[The pandemic] forced governments to focus on the fact that everyone did not have a place to stay at home in,” said Brit Ruffin, senior counsel at the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless. This new legislation builds on the temporary protections

the D.C. Superior Court to automatically seal eviction records,

D.C.’s Human Rights Act and allows tenants to sue landlords for compensation if their rights are violated. Some of the added protections for voucher holders considering the credit score and rental history — including late rent or nonpayment of rent — that a potential tenant had before obtaining a voucher. Councilmembers argued that since subsidies are intended to assist people who are not able to afford full market rent, it’s likely they would have struggled in the past to pay rent. As approved, the bill allows landlords to consider the rental history of voucher holders for the period during which they have relied on subsidies. While the bill passed on first reading without debate, there was an attempt to remove the protections prior to the second Anita Bonds, who chairs the housing committee, asked to delay the bill. Chair Phil Mendelson then introduced an amended version removing protections for voucher holders, releasing the new draft in the days leading up to the March 1 vote. During debate on the amended bill, Mendelson said he

years afterward if they were evicted. Eviction records are created any time a landlord files to evict a tenant, even if filings in D.C. resulted in a formal eviction. Unless access is restricted, tenant advocates warn, renters face an unfair burden if a prospective landlord considers those records when deciding whether to rent to them. “Eviction records — no matter how old, and no matter whether the tenant was actually evicted — have long been used by landlords to deny tenants units, or to charge higher rents,” Cheh’s office wrote in a statement to Street Sense Media and The DC Line. Since the temporary bill went into effect, the D.C. Superior Court has sealed hundreds of thousands of eviction records, according to Cheh’s office.

evictions when deciding whether to rent to someone, and filing an eviction. Both versions also ban landlords from filing

landlord does not have a valid business license. of the permanent law. Landlords must continue to provide

regularly. Housing advocates say some landlords use vouchers tenants of color and work around the current law by setting higher income requirements to freeze out voucher holders. “It’s problematic that landlords would find the language problematic unless the intention was to continue discriminatory practices,” Ruffin said. “When we have things like voucher discrimination going on, it significantly minimizes folks’ access to housing.”

in a tenant’s primary language in accordance with the Language that they have the right to stay in the unit until evicted and provide them with information about available legal services. The bill also clarifies that the court can provide sealed eviction records to a tenant without reopening the record. It also adds

that addressed many of the same issues as the new bill. It allowed the D.C. courts to automatically seal eviction records

protections were being removed from the bill, they sent letters to the council urging reinstatement. “The whole point of having a voucher is being able to go to find housing that is otherwise inaccessible,” she said. organizations, Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen introduced an amendment restoring the protections for voucher holders while modifying the language to avoid running afoul of federal law. Mendelson called the amendment a compromise, and the council passed it unanimously. Allen argued people who have struggled to pay rent on challenge with a subsidy. ”We should not be throwing barriers housed,” he said. In this year’s budget, the council funded an unprecedented number of permanent supportive housing (PSH) vouchers homelessness. Many of these residents may not have a high credit score or a stellar rental history, but with a voucher may be able to pay their rent on time.

Building on past eviction protections

eviction. During the application process, landlords must tell prospective tenants what factors they will use when deciding whether or not to rent to them. They must also provide applicants with a reason they are being denied. The court must dismiss eviction filings from landlords who do not adhere to these provisions. needed protections to tenants, they argue that the council should do more to help them. She believes the council should outlaw or set a lower cap on application fees, which can be a burden to people who apply to multiple places. Given past and continuing inequities, allowing landlords to consider the tenant’s credit history at all can enable landlords to discriminate based on race, according to Ruffin and the Council consumers and 1 in 9 Hispanic consumers have credit scores to Forbes, a disparity based in a lack of access to generational wealth. Additionally, while the new bill allows applicants who tenants still need to find a place to live, Ruffin said. And several housing advocates suggest that eviction records ought to be sealed sooner, especially in cases where the court has ruled in favor of the tenant. “This bill is a gigantic step forward,“ Ruffin said. “It does a lot of great things, but we know this isn’t the end.” This article was co-published with The DC Line.

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Police detain man believed to be linked to attacks on unhoused people in D.C., New York BY MARTIN AUSTERMUHLE DCist

D.C. police say they have taken a person into custody who homelessness in D.C. and New York City over the last two weeks. Two of those attacks were fatal. Police sources say a man was stopped and taken into custody early Tuesday morning on Pennsylvania Avenue SE and brought to the homicide branch for questioning.

search for the man, increasing the reward for for information from surveillance cameras that clearly show the man’s face. D.C. police shared an image of a man they say may be linked and New York, two of which resulted in deaths. Metropolitan Police Department “Turn yourself in,” said D.C. Police Chief Robert J. Contee III had said during a press conference Monday evening, alongside D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell. far and wide. This person has unnecessarily taken the lives of two innocent people, and that did not have to be.” cities, involving unprompted shootings of unhoused people sleeping outside. Three attacks have been reported in D.C., including a fatal incident on March 9 where police responded wounds. Two attacks occurred in New York over the weekend, including a chilling murder of a man in his sleeping bag that was caught on video. “This person is carrying out a premeditated act of shooting innocent people,” said Adams. “The shooting in New York, he looked around. He made sure no one was there and he intentionally took the life of an innocent person. He must be watching, we are telling him to turn himself in.” The widening investigation and coordinated manhunt almost didn’t happen; Contee disclosed that it was only because D.C. Police Captain Kevin Kentish saw images on social media of the killing in New York that the two police departments realized they had a possible killer in common. And even though police have matched the gun used in the two killings, they conceded that they know very little else about the man they are seeking — including where he lives and how he got from one city to Contee said MPD had already started receiving tips, and at the press conference had said “the knot is tightening in on urged unhoused residents to go to a shelter for safety; outreach crews had fanned out across D.C. on Monday to warn people offering details on the suspect. “We’re working with our clients not only to distribute the shelter and or have a safety plan,” said Ceymone Dyce, director of homeless services with Pathways to Housing, one of three outreach teams in the city. “In D.C. we do have a high number of shelters. Many individuals choose not to go into shelters

Photo by Elvert Barnes // Creative Commons.

stay near others and to be aware of their surroundings and anyone who might be unfamiliar to them.” The attacks have also focused renewed attentions on homeless policies in both D.C. and New York City, where both mayors have been criticized for recent actions — Adams for banning unhoused people from sleeping in the subway, and Bowser for pushing to close certain large homeless encampments. Homeless advocates say those policies have margins, where they are less safe. But both Adams and Bowser defended their records on Monday.

deserve,” said Adams. “We’re looking at encampments across the District,” added Bowser. “We think we have a couple dozen. And the conditions at some of them are horrible — people living with rats, people in unsafe conditions, people who are already scared for their lives in those encampments. And we know that we can offer people permanent housing and we can offer them shelter. And that is what our home in homeless encampment situation is.” Still, homeless advocates in D.C. say the attacks should serve to sharpen people’s focus and understanding about what it’s

advocacy director for the People For Fairness Coalition. “I don’t want that message to get lost that, you know, everybody acute when you’re unhoused because you have nowhere to really run from it. You have no refuge from it.”

advocates say that unhoused people living on the street have faced increasing threats and acts of violence in recent years. said there is “a clear correlation between the growing visible presence of homelessness…and the number and severity of attacks from housed persons.” In that same report, the National Coalition for the Homeless

four unhoused people dead. Homeless advocates are now amplifying their request to which will be unveiled Wednesday — to permanently housing the already increasing funding for housing that came from a last year.

is important. “We need to provide better services and we need to make sure that people do have a place to live because ultimately that is where they’re going to be the safe,” said Reginald Black,

This article was originally published in DCist.

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NEWS

How the rise of telehealth complicates the way people access health care BY JEM DYSON Editorial Intern

During the pandemic, Queenie Featherstone began seeing her doctor on her cell phone. Photo by Will Schick

t the start of the pandemic, Street Sense Media artist and vendor Queenie Featherstone did not have a computer so she saw her doctor on her cell phone. Featherstone, who also serves on the board of directors for Unity Health Care, was still able to see her primary care physician in person. But she had to use telehealth appointments in order to be referred to specialists for her other health care concerns. “I’m not a computer genius so I did come here to Street Sense and I did ask case management to help me to connect because they’re more knowledgeable than I was at the time,” Featherstone said. Even though her appointments have now returned to in person care, telehealth remains an important way for many individuals to connect to physicians and other health care workers. However, this makes it difficult for D.C.’s most vulnerable citizens to meet their health needs. “We simply are not able to spend the amount of time clients need in

and counseling services. “Telehealth is only a small piece of the solution,” she said. “The

“There are new opportunities to use telehealth services that are pretty widely available in ways that they were not before the pandemic, but

they need to stay solely connected to providers in the virtual world.

those services.” A significant number of behavioral health services shifted from in person care to telehealth with the onset of the pandemic, he said.

The expansion of telehealth services during the pandemic Telehealth took off at the start of the pandemic when the Department of Health Care Finance authorized new rules permitting health care providers to be reimbursed for providing telehealth services to clients. this legislation made widespread telehealth possible.

behavioral health services as opposed to medical health care.

How healthcare professionals respond to the rise of telehealth Even before the pandemic, LeVota said, there was a shortage of behavioral health workers. Now, following almost two years of largely

to pay for telemedicine services delivered in a beneficiary’s home. delivered via telephone.

remaining workers overworked, LeVota said.

director of the District of Columbia Behavioral Health Association.

clinical director of mental health rehabilitation services at Pathways

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to Housing, Kathleen Smith said. Smith oversees teams which serve unhoused people with mental health diagnoses. She is also a social worker who is certified to provide mental health services. Employees at Pathways to Housing DC were especially worried

more vulnerable amid the pandemic, regardless of their housing status. typically have a history of trauma, some have medical needs and some use substances. “We would not be able to provide them care if we were not seeing them in person,” she said. Health care workers and their families also worried about coronavirus work seemed to change daily, Smith said. “Those of us in health care … as well as people in our personal

In some respects, telehealth has been convenient for health care workers with concerns about working in person. Female physicians They may need to work remotely because they have children at home as schools conduct virtual learning. But other health care workers have felt deterred by remote work. “Further complicating the workforce shortage is the substantial shift in our health care delivery models over the past several years,” said Laquandra Nesbitt at the Committee on Health’s Performance Department of Health. “Telehealth…is the preferred model of service delivery for a lot of folks who offer health care,” she said. “So they’re no longer offering Some health care workers don’t like sitting in front of a Zoom screen or being on a phone seven or eight hours a day, LeVota said. Like health care providers, patients may prefer telehealth for reasons of convenience or health concerns. In the case of students at D.C. public

Services, CSS, an organization which works with D.C. Department

“The new [telehealth] resource will minimize time off for students, minimize time off work for parents, provide additional support to

increase access to pediatric specialists and improve health and educational outcomes at a minimal burden to the family, ” she said.

The challenge of foregoing in person care when workers or patients do not have the option to choose whether to

“Interpreters are not always able to conference into video platforms easily,” LeVota said. “Sometimes the instructions for how to use video platforms are not available for people who speak languages other than English, or they’re difficult even if they’re technically available.” Hearing impairments can make in person appointments preferable over video conferencing for similar reasons. Featherstone, who is hearing impaired, said that the volume on video conferencing is not loud enough for her to hear her doctors. She also had trouble navigating the technology. “The first time I had to talk with the doctor over the internet or the video I got a little nervous,” she said. “I guess I wasn’t pushing the right buttons so I wasn’t able to see the doctor after several tries.” If the option for closed captioning was available she wouldn’t have

understood how to use it, she said. Telehealth can also pose difficulties for people who have been historically disenfranchised by the health care system because it creates barriers to building trusting relationships with health care providers, Smith said. Race and gender disparities in health care make it hard for patients to trust their doctors and to receive adequate care. Especially in the case of patients with chronic illness, she said, doctors can undermine their patients’ pain which decreases the quality of care. “I am a social worker, so I understand that a lot of this work is relational and depends on your relationships with people,” Smith said. Clients “have had medical providers dismiss them, imply it’s their fault they’re sick, ignore symptoms, so I do think telehealth can create a barrier to building a relationship where clients can establish trust with the provider.” “It does matter that they trust the doctor and believe the doctor to hear them, support them and do good medicine for them,” she said. And because many of her clients have difficulty using the technology necessary for telehealth services, they often sit with an employee who Some of the gap in internet access was initially alleviated by devices provided to D.C. public school students, LeVota said. “They were allowed and encouraged to use those devices for school purposes but also for any of their health care needs.” But now as D.C. public schools are no longer remote, and some schools have rules preventing students from transporting devices between school and home, it has become difficult for students to continue using devices as they had before, LeVota said.

How about telephone health services? Telephone health services are potentially easier to access. “For someone who may be unhoused but may have contact with a community support worker, it may be easier for them to send McDonalds,’” LeVota said. Lifeline phones have been another resource allowing people to access telehealth services, he said. They come with phone plans, and often data plans. “I think a lot of people ended up getting Lifeline plans who met the eligibility criteria who might not have known they were eligible,” LeVota said. “I think a lot of good information has been provided to the community about that.” But these phones are not a perfect solution either. “It’s a pretty barebones phone package,” Smith said. According to her, they come with the issue that, if lost, users may have to pay to replace them. Many of her clients have trouble keeping a phone and most do not have internet. “If they do access internet it is through data on their phone,” she said. “We also have clients who pretty frequently change numbers. We have clients whose phones are not set up to handle whatever web portal the doctors are using.” but broadband internet for internet resources such as telehealth appointments, should be treated as a necessary utility such as water or electricity, LeVota said. Barbra Bazron, the director of the Department of Behavioral Health, DBH, acknowledged the impact of the pandemic on health inequities, including telehealth access, in the Committee on Health Performance

is also a plan to open ten telehealth stations in community locations.

or biweekly for her high blood pressure and diabetes. In her doctors’ offices, they are able to remove their masks so she can read lips and they can speak loudly. bring my hand sanitizer and I’m very mindful of the rules.”

HELP! WE’RE LOOKING FOR

volunteers Become a Street Sense Media volunteer and help further our mission to empower people experiencing homelessness. Get to know the vendors and make a difference in their lives and yours! You’ll support hard-working newspaper vendors by volunteering your time, four hours a week, distributing newspapers at the Street Sense Media office.

If interested, please contact Thomas Ratliff thomas@streetsensemedia.org 202-347-2006 (x103) For more information about these opportunities and other volunter positions, visit

// 9

1 0 // S T REET SENS E ME DI A / / MA R. 1 6 - 2 2 , 2022

OPINION

What “culture” are critics of the Washington Football Team’s new name trying to preserve? BY WENDELL WILLIAMS

I can't take this any longer. This pushback over the latest name change for the Washington football franchise has gotten ridiculous. I, and many others, believe that everything must change. I have never seen complaining go on for so long over something so cosmetic. Facebook changed its corporate name to Meta with no protests from its millions of devoted

But when it comes to their NFL team, people are still losing their minds. I am now reluctant to visit any social media site because I'll get bombarded with passionate arguments of why a despicable name means so much to them. We could never get this cross section of people spanning class, race and age. Not to mention the time spent spilling their guts on the local sports talk stations. It's been the same damn topic each day for weeks. Whether it's the Washington Football Team, which I liked, along with progress. The issue has taken on a racist tone, even from African Americans, who you'd think would show more solidarity. It pains me deeply to hear Black fans talk of tradition. Let's

Photo by All-Pro Reels// Creative Commons.

investigation into the team's and owner's disturbing practices. But we're up in arms over the change of a disrespectful name. holding on to an inappropriate, demeaning name — based heyday. A lot of us have forgotten those glory days, and some

the "team of the South," with the nation's largest broadcast network, and was renamed a name I've come to loathe and apologize for using as reference in this piece, the R*****s.

comfortable using it as fans and don’t like change. I get that. But it's not a good enough reason to continue something once you know better. When you know better,

American person and put it on the players’ helmets. time a lot of white people were okay with the "N" word from southernmost sports franchise in the country at a time when hatred of American Indians still lingered. Remember that the Trail of Tears started in Georgia, and governments once paid individuals for scalps of Indigenous people. Also the franchise was the last professional sports team to hire a Black player.

We should know better than to support anything like that after what's happened to us as a people since 1619. It sounds

Southern pride.” And we know what kind of bull that is, don't

which Black people chose for themselves. But here's the thing that bothers me most about these supposedly dedicated fans. There is now overwhelming

True fans who are also decent human beings will still be able to root for the home team no matter the name, and others should practice accepting what they can’t change. Consider placing all this energy in service to those humans in our community who are suffering and truly need that level of concern, especially those women who for years were hurt by the demeaning actions perpetrated against them with not even a similar public show for life. Why aren't we supporting them, instead of this myth of a sports team owned by a billionaire who couldn’t care less

of its female employees — yet there's no groundswell of anger over the mistreatment of our community's daughters, sisters and mothers. In very convenient timing, the team hired the

allegations. And we still don't know the depths of the problem and level of involvement by the team, because the NFL has not supported the full public release of the Congressional

Editor’s Note: This article has been edited to remove one mention of the former name of the Washington Football Team. It is Street Sense policy to not print racial slurs, regardless of the intent. Wendell Williams is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.

BY JEFFERY MCNEIL

As the Russia's war on Ukraine drags on, I feel like Mikey in the Life cereal commercial. I can’t eat what the war machine

sacrifice and compassion. But no one asks, who will be

through the fear porn of Moscow, the Kremlin and the KGB. Children wearing masks doesn’t compare to Bert, the Turtle who taught children to Duck and Cover. Some people honestly believed hiding under a desk would shield you from a nuclear blast. While it’s obvious Vladimir Putin is brutal, and my heart weeps for Ukrainians, I hear all this virtue signaling about

day in East Baltimore, Philadelphia, and other cities. I have compassion, but it’s hard to get worked up about Ukraine when there are refugees here in America. If you want war, talk to a disabled veteran about how it feels to get their legs blown off so some billionaire can make money. This generation had it better than anyone else, and you didn’t have body bags coming to your doorstep. Nobody asked you

It amazes me how many learned nothing from Iraq or Afghanistan and are now ready to spill blood for a standup

Let’s pray we show some balls and tell the war brigade, Jeffery Mcneil is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

Amazing grace

For Yusef BY FREDERIC JOHN Artist/Vendor

CHRIS COLE Artist/Vendor

Trickling (down) (Then) plummeting

CARLOS D. CAROLINA

If today were the last time I’d see you, I’d have so much to say

Artist/Vendor

Last time I didn’t get to say goodbye Before you went away Crosses (the) Spot Light, (but)

I’d sit on your lap, I’d hug you close I’d tell you how instrumental you were for my growth

Was her name,

I’d put my hands to your cheeks, And try to capture the warmth of your smile

Matters not In th’ least (for)

I’d keep that smile in my pocket, because Heaven doesn’t have a number for me to dial

(To) ponder th’ meaning We would have planned our lives so much differently if we knew you’d leave so soon.

As the day grow old and the night start young, I gaze into the sky, and saw the moon and the sun And as I sat there – mesmerized, All in awe, How the sun and the moon share the same sky, And the same starts, and the same clouds, And they both did it at the same time, They did it the same way, In the same place, It was breathtaking, Not night not day, True meaning, of seeing. A amazing grace.

Note for “Snow Flake”:

Perhaps, its aftermath is less certain — I knew very little of this Clearly brilliant young star. But the news

Stay healthy ANTHONY CARNEY Artist/Vendor

Couldn’t recall her name as I wrote this Point being, the crystalline, lacy ice particle,

Your health is your wealth. Being healthy is a sound mind and body. I was sick for a month or so. I thank my Higher Power for restoring my health, doing what the doctor tell you to do to maintain your health. I am blessed to have my health so I pray that those who are ill, that their health returns. So remember, take care of your health.

DANIEL BALL Artist/Vendor

Now, when I was traveling in my sister’s car last year we noticed this big brown bear looking us like we were the crazy ones. I asked my sister to blow her horn at this big brown bear, but he ran back into the woods and we never seen that big brown bear again. But the following year, we went back to those same woods and now we saw some monkeys swinging from one tree to another tree, and we saw some of the monkeys eating some fresh good bananas, and one of those monkey’s name was Thomas. Photo by Thomas Lefevbre// Unsplash.com

Another Chance BY JAMES DAVIS Artist/Vendor

A chance to be a grandfather To look further and farther Standing on the cliff of life at night To have my love say “You are the breath of fresh air I needed”

To not be for the underdog always and be for the undefeated

This is what I wanted

/ / 11

1 2 // S T REET SENS E ME DI A / / MA R. 1 6 - 2 2 , 2022

ART

Don’t bully me ROCHELLE WALKER Artist/Vendor

who picks on you, teases you or calls you names. The rapper said you should be

God, help me. The bully is about to kill me. Just said don’t hate on me. Call the police. I am about to call. Tell my enemies some bully asked for money, I will give

use you. Just be nice my, my, my, you don’t have to teach a bully a lesson. The

some kind words.

JACQUELINE TURNER Artist/Vendor

I was born in the county Virginia Blue Ridge. I have lived in lots of places. D.C., in a moment to catch my breath. When I look around I saw these very tiny white

sometimes overlook the small ones. When I lived in New York I worked for the park service. The parks were terrible with things you couldn’t imagine. Me and the other workforce people along with community service people had to clean different

were called Baby’s Breath and the Yellow Buttercup. When I think of them or see them I remember that day and the beautiful nature.

Dear Street Sense Media WARREN STEVENS Artist/Vendor

It was a pleasure working with Eric, the previous Street Sense editor. He helped us with the writer’s group and gave out free

back and visit us soon. I will miss you, brother. Keep up the good work, and remember we’ll be praying for you and your people. Amen, Warren Stevens

Free game!

Daniel Ball Artist/Vendor

MARCUS MCCALL Artist/Vendor

that have formed against themselves. That’s why they can’t prosper. You can’t save everyone. Some people are gonna destroy themselves no matter how much you help them. Don’t destroy yourself trying to help the helpless. I do my best helping myself with programs and staying on top of my mental health. I also give out some papers.

So, learning to get comfortable, allowing them to come and go is where the real power lies.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

At 14: The story of innocence

// 13

Anthony Carney Artist/Vendor

KYM PARKER Artist/Vendor

my friends, love. He also stole trust. It took me a while to understand. To forgive, love, trust anyone. I needed really, really deep forgiveness. I couldn’t forgive myself, but now I love and trust people. I learned God’s forgiveness works. I also learned that she never left me. Even when I was lost. Now, I am better.

A poet’s education LEVESTER GREEN Artist/Vendor

It was a time of protest in the District in 1996. I again gravitated to the school newspaper, The Trilogy, where I became the poetry editor. The school’s welcome at that time was impressive in that during orientation, we had a trivia battle between squads with hopes of a trip to Florida for the finals. I’d say we did pretty good

my desire for photography, advertising and mass communication, as well as the newly acquired

poem. Just that she wasn’t even a student. We were the leftovers so to speak. We had a nice run up until I, unfortunately, dropped the ball when the answer of Tom Clancy got stuck in my mind. I fumbled in discombobulation as

that’s stuck with me all of these years. Can’t say that my career took off from there but I did pick up those memories and quenched

Goals

I need money

REDBOOK MANGO Artist/Vendor

REGGIE JONES Artist/Vendor

I’m going to stop cussing and look for a gig. I’m gonna write my daughter, let her know I love her I’m going back to school, I’m going to stop breaking rules

I need money, that’s my name. Ask me again I tell you the same. Every day we hustling trying to make a buck to live. We programmed way, and I don’t wanna be. So when they ask me my name, I say I need money, that’s my name. Ask me again and I’ll tell you the same. So keep chasing your paper that you’ll never have. Take care now.

I’m going to start a savings, I’m gonna make a planner, I’m gonna start behaving.

Let’s be civil JEMEL FLEMING Artist/Vendor

sections of newspapers. I don’t like how people sometimes talk about these events and how they are quick to blame someone. During the U.S. Capitol riots spurred on by former President that were killed last year.

1 4 // ST REET SENS E ME DI A / / MA R. 1 6 - 2 2 , 2022

FUN & GAMES

Across

Novice Sudoku Puzzles, Volume 1, Book 2

Sudoku #2

16. Melodious Fitzgerald

19. Title role for Jim Carrey As long as war is regarded as wicked, it will always have its fascination. When it is looked upon as vulgar, it will cease to be popular. -- Oscar Wilde

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

algebra, e.g. 33. Vicuña kin

37. Baby carriages in Southern

6. Shower sponge 7. Same old same old Novice Sudoku Puzzles, Volume 1, Book 28. Untidy condition 9. Elementary school pupils Sudoku #2

Answers

Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-3 block contain Sudoku #1 all of the digits 1 thru 9. If you 8 use 2 solve 9 the 6 puzzle 3 7without guesswork. 5 logic 4 you 1 can

Need 2 1 a 2little 6help?5 The3 hints 7 page 4 shows 8 9a logical order to solve the puzzle. Use it to identify the next square you should solve. Or use the answers page if you really get stuck. 9 7 3 4 8 6 1 2 5 >> This crossword 3

5 7 6 4 2 3

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

5 7

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

puzzle’s answers: tinyurl.com/SSMcross-03-16-2022

<< LAST EDITION’S PUZZLE SOLUTION

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

8 1 4 9 6 3 963. 8More3 prevalent 5 1 4 4 7 6 2 9 5 766. 6Armadillo 9 3 2 1 armor 267. Vacuum 4 5 1feature 7 8 1 2 8 7 3 6 5Down 3 2 6 4 9 6 9 7 8 5 2 3 5 1 4 8 7 3. Tied

7 8 4 9 1

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

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

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

Sudoku #8 3 9 2 1 8 7 1 6

4 2 8

3 2

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

5 6 4 7 4 2 5 3

13. Far from frequent

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

3 7

11. Lamb’s pen name

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

39. Fonda or Ustinov

31. Some scholarly works

61. Tarzan’s foster mother, e.g.

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

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COMMUNITY SERVICES

SHELTER HOTLINE Línea directa de alojamiento

YOUTH HOTLINE Línea de juventud

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BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOTLINE Línea de salud del comportamiento

(202) 399-7093

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Transportation Transportación

Showers Duchas

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

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

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

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

Food and Friends // 202-269-2277 (home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc) 19 Riggs Rd., NE foodandfriends.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 marthastable.org

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

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

2375 Elvans Road SE

2204 Martin Luther King Ave. SE

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

My Sister’s Place // 202-529-5991 (24-hr hotline) mysistersplacedc.org Community of Hope // 202-232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

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

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

New York Avenue Shelter // 202-832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave., NE D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 202-347-8870 // 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW dccfh.org

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

Laundry Lavandería

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

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

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

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

JOB BOARD GameDay Event Staff

DC United // 100 Potomac Ave, SW Full-time / Part-Time // Flexible availability

Event staff work on matches and events,

including set up and breakdown of stadium events, supervision of Fan Experience Programs, and various operational tasks. REQUIRED: Must be comfortable working outside in all weather, be able to lift 40+ poiunds without strain and be comfortable walking for long durations. Must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/DCUntdEvents

Food Runner / Busser Founding Farmers // 1924 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Full-time // $600-$800 per week

Food Runners and Bussers provide cutomer Thrive DC // 202-737-9311 1525 Newton St., NW thrivedc.org

Unity Health Care 3020 14th St., NW // unityhealthcare.org - Healthcare for the Homeless Health Center: 202-508-0500 - Community Health Centers: 202-469-4699 1

1 4

Saratoga Ave NE, 1 Road NE, 3 7 Terrace NE, 5 3 3 2 1717 Columbia Road NW, 1313 New York Avenue, NW BSMT Suite, 4 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 2 2 NE, 1333 N Street NW, 1 8 Evarts Place, NE, 8

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

hospitality, serve food and drink, and help keep the restaurant environment clean and welcoming. REQUIRED: Must be able to stand for extended periods, walk up and down stairs and lift up to 50 pounds. Must be capable of continuous bending, stooping, reaching, twisting and use of hands and arms. APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/FFRunnersr

Deckhand City Experoiences // 580 Water St, SW

Part-time // $16 per hour Deckhands maintain the appearance and

cleanliness of the vessel, ensure guest comfort and safety while underway and assist with docking and undocking. REQUIRED: Must be able to understand and convey written and verbal information to guests and coworkers. Must be able to work for extended periods of time without sitting and be able to lift up to 50 pounds. APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/CityExDeckHand

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

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

Hamilton Liquors // 580 Water St., SW

Full-time // 8 hour shifts // $13-17 per hour Stockers are responsible for receiving inventory, stocking shelves and maintaining daily beer, wine & liquor stock. REQUIRED: Must be at least 21 years old and be able to lift at least 40 pounds. APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/RetailStocker

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

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

// 15

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

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