03.22.2023

How It Works

Each vendor functions as an independent contractor for Street Sense Media, managing their own business to earn an income and increase stability in their life.

$.50

NO CASH? NO PROBLEM.

VENDOR CODE OF CONDUCT

Street Sense Media publishes the newspaper

YOUR SUGGESTED

$2.00 DONATION

goes directly to your vendor, empowering them to overcome homelessness and poverty

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

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. I understand that I am not an employee of Street Sense Media but an independent contractor.

4. While distributing the Street Sense newspaper, I will not ask for more than $2 per issue or solicit donations by any other means.

5. I will only purchase the newspaper from Street Sense Media staff and volunteers and will not distribute newspapers to other vendors.

6. “I will not distribute copies of “Street Sense” on metro trains and buses or on private property.”

7. I will abide by the Street Sense Media Vendor Territory Policy at all times and will resolve any related disputes with other vendors in a professional manner.

8. I will not sell additional goods or products while distributing “Street Sense.”

9. I will not distribute “Street Sense” under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

10. I understand that my badge and vest are property of Street Sense Media and will not deface them. I will present my badge when purchasing “Street Sense” and will always display my badge when distributing “Street Sense.”

INTERESTED IN BEING A VENDOR? New vendor training: every Tuesday and Thursday // 2 p.m. // 1317 G St., NW

The Street Sense Media Story, #MoreThanANewspaper

Originally 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 with us do much more than sell this paper: They use film, photography, theatre, illustration, and more to share their stories with our community.

Our media channels elevate voices, our newspaper vendor and digital marketing programs provide economic independence. And our in-house case-management services move people forward along the path toward permanent supportive housing.

At Street Sense Media, we define ourselves through our work, talents, and character, not through our housing situation.

1317 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 (202) 347 - 2006 streetsensemedia.org info@streetsensemedia.org

VENDORS

Abel Putu, Aida Peery, Akindele Akerejah, Amia Walker, Amina Washington, Andre Brinson, Andrew Anderson, Angie Whitehurst, Anthony Carney, Archie Thomas, August Mallory, Beverly Sutton, Brianna Butler, Carlos Carolina, Carlton Johnson, Carol Motley, Charles Armstrong, Chon Gotti, Chris Cole, Chon Gotti, Conrad Cheek, Corey Sanders, Daniel Ball, David Snyder, Debora Brantley, Degnon (Gigi) Dovonou, Don Gardner, Donté Turner, Doris Robinson, Earl Parker, Eric Thompson-Bey, Erica Downing, Evelyn Nnam, Floyd Carter, Franklin Sterling, Frederic John, Freedom, Gerald Anderson, Greta Christian, John Alley, 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 Alley, John Littlejohn, Josie Brown, Juliene Kengnie, Katrina Anige, Kenneth Middleton, Khadijah Chapman, Kym Parker, L. Morrow, Laura Smith, Lawrence Autry, Levester Green, Mango Redbook, Marcus McCall, Mark Jones, Marc Grier, Mars, Martin Walker, Mary Sellman, Maurice Spears, Melody Byrd, Michael Craig, Michael Warner, Michele Modica, Michele Rochon, Morgan Jones, Nikila Smith, Patricia Donaldson, Patty Smith, Phillip Black, Queenie Featherstone, Rashawn Bowser, Reggie Jones, Reginald Black, Reginald C. Denny, Ricardo Meriedy, Rita Sauls, Robert Warren, Rochelle Walker, Ron Dudley, Ronald Smoot, Sasha Williams, Sheila White, Shuhratjon Ahmadjonov, Susan Westmoreland, Susan Wilshusen, Sybil Taylor, Vennie Hill, Warren Stevens, Wendell Williams, William Mack

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mary Coller Albert, Blake Androff, Nana-Sentuo Bonsu, Jonquilyn Hill, Stanley Keeve, Clare Krupin, Ashley McMaster, Matt Perra, Michael Phillips, Daniel Webber, Shari Wilson, Corrine Yu

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Brian Carome

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

Doris Warrell

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS

Darick Brown

DIRECTOR OF VENDOR EMPLOYMENT

Thomas Ratliff

VENDOR PROGRAM ASSOCIATES

Aida Peery, Clifford Samuels, Chon Gotti

VENDOR PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS

Roberta Haber, Ann Herzog, Madeleine McCollough, Dylan Onderdonksnow, Amelia Stemple, Tyler Bruno

MANAGER OF ARTISTIC WORKSHOPS

Maria Lares

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Will Schick

DEPUTY EDITOR

Kaela Roeder

PRODUCTION EDITOR

Athiyah Azeem

STAFF REPORTER

Annemarie Cuccia

EDITORIAL INTERN

Alexia Partouche

ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE

Ariane Mohseni (Film), Bonnie Naradzay (Poetry), David Serota (Illustration), Lalita Clozel (Film), Willie Schatz (Writing), Leslie Jacobson (Theater), Roy Barber (Theater)

ARTS EDITOR (VOLUNTEER)

Austine Model

OPINION EDITORS (VOLUNTEER)

Rebecca Koenig, Emily Kopp, Bill Meincke, Candace Montague

EDITORIAL VOLUNTEERS

Josh Axelrod, Ryan Bacic, Katie Bemb, Lilah Burke, Chelsea Ciruzzo, Lenika Cruz, Alison Henry, Kathryn Owens, Nick Shedd, Andrew Siddons, Jenny-lin Smith, Rebecca Stekol

JAMES DAVIS.

PHOTO BY WILL SCHICK, DESIGN BY ATHIYAH AZEEM

THANK YOU, VENDORS!

“It’s such a privilege to be surrounded by so many talented and hardworking vendors at Street Sense Media. What we create together is helping to make this a stronger community.”

BRIAN CAROME Chief Executive Officer

“What I appreciate most about our vendors is how they are such a strong advocate for each other. Their commitment to ensure their voices and stories are heard and told is very much appreciated.”

SSM FAMILY UPDATES

DARICK BROWN Director of Programs

RATLIFF Director of Vendor Employment

“Week by week, our artist-vendors bare themselves to the world through the art section while our newspaper vendors face the skeptical stares of the public on city streets. I am amazed by them. I am most grateful, however, for how these same busy people welcomed me into their community. I did not deserve it. I was lost. But when I open wide these offices in the morning, I am found.”

“I have met beautiful and talented people at Street Sense Media. I love being surrounded by creative people who are always eager to learn. Vendors — thank you for teaching me so many things!”

• The next vendor meeting will be this Friday, March 24, at 2 p.m. Come for pizza and fellowship!

• The March winners of the 20th Anniversary Sell-a-Thon will be announced in the admin office Wednesday, April 5, at 10 a.m.! The competition continues until then. Remember to pick up Customer Kudos flyers in the admin office.

• Street Sense Media has lots of events coming up, including a poetry slam in April! Check out the poster in the admin office.

“I am constantly in awe of all of the hard work our vendors do at Street Sense --- from selling the paper to writing stellar stories, poems and essays. It’s been an honor to work with them.”

The Street Sense Media 20th Anniversary

SELL-A-THON MARCH LEADERBOARD

HIGHEST SELLERS OF THE MONTH

“I appreciate what rays of light our vendors are — no matter what they’re experiencing, they come into Street Sense smiling and laughing, they ask how my day’s going, how the weekend was, and they write amazing pieces and poems that no one else could.”

• Receive extra newspapers for referring someone you know to new vendor orientation. Every Tuesday and Thursday at 2 p.m.

• Vendors continue to receive free papers for proof of vaccination.

BIRTHDAYS

Joe Jackson March 24 ARTIST/VENDOR

A new month, a new leaderboard! The Sell-a-Thon challenges vendors to sell as many Street Sense newspapers they can in one month. The highest and most improved sellers are awarded $50 at the end of February. We will update this leaderboard for each category every week. You can boost your favorite vendor’s numbers by giving them a “customer kudos” — ask a vendor to learn more!

M OST IMPROVED SELLERS OF THE MONTH

THOMAS

MARIA LARES Manager of Artistic Workshops

What it takes to sell a newspaper

Behind the scenes of Street Sense Media’s new ‘Sell-a-Thon’ contest

WILL SCHICK Editor-in-Chief

It’s around 9 a.m. on a Sunday morning and Aida Peery, 66, is bundled in a gray hoodie and knee-length purple coat, folding stool over one arm, pushing a stroller filled with canvas tote bags and a bundle of newspapers. She’s on a mission. Today, she plans to sell 50 papers.

For the past 18 years, Peery has sold newspapers to supplement her income. She works as an independent contractor for Street Sense Media, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., that produces a weekly paper filled with art and journalism. Most of the vendors who sell the paper have had some experience with homelessness. Peery started at Street Sense when she fell behind on bills while caring for her partner, who developed lung cancer and died. Today, she lives in a subsidized apartment.

With a master’s degree in information systems, Peery is also a member of the paid staff at Street Sense Media and coordinates sales of the paper to vendors. Still, she finds that selling the paper on weekends is an easy way to make some

extra cash and to keep up with old acquaintances. She makes her way past a florist, colorful displays of fruits and vegetables, and about a dozen food stalls pumping out coffee, bagels, croissants, and other baked goods before she finds her way to her usual spot. It’s at the end of a parking lot at a farmer’s market at the intersection of 20th St and Massachusetts Ave. in a neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C. The sky is clear, cerulean. Standing at the edge of a labyrinth of stalls, where hundreds of people are streaming through it, she reflects on the way the pandemic had changed everything.

“Everyone wants to go to the smaller Saturday markets,” Peery says. “I run into my customers there sometimes. They say they don’t like the crowds. Besides, it’s gotten too expensive. It’s all tourists now.”

Selling newspapers in a time when newspapers are dying

For nearly 20 years, vendors from Street Sense Media have sold newspapers outside Metro stations, farmer’s markets, and heavily trafficked intersections as a means to make an income. They buy the papers wholesale for 50 cents a piece and sell them for $2, keeping all the profits for themselves.

I became the editor in chief for the paper in December 2021, following an incredibly challenging time. In March 2020, print sales fell to zero as the organization temporarily shifted all of its operations online due to the pandemic. After resuming print publication, Street Sense made the move from publishing the paper twice a month to weekly, in an attempt to help our vendors recuperate lost income stemming from the changing commuting habits of their customers.

In 2021, we also began paying our vendors for all their published editorial contributions and writing, a necessary

Vendors John Littlejohn and James Davis stand on the corner of 11th and G Street Northwest during a recent “Beat the Streets” training session. Photos by Will Schick

move also intended to help increase their income. (Previously, vendors received free papers in exchange for their work).

The new challenges brought on by the pandemic also came during a time when less people feel inclined to read newspapers. In 2019, the local Express newspaper run by The Washington Post that was distributed for free for 16 years on the Metro stopped printing, citing financial issues. The following year, the city’s alt-weekly newspaper, Washington City Paper, transitioned from printing weekly editions to monthly editions due to declining interest induced by the pandemic. By 2022, it stopped publishing print papers altogether and reduced its editorial staff.

Vendors were able to recuperate up to 75% of the sales volume they made pre-pandemic in early 2021. But it has since reached a plateau. Part of the stagnant sales is due to forever changed commuting habits. Many federal government and private sector office workers used to commute in-person to their offices downtown, but have since shifted permanently to remote working. However, this year we’ve begun to finally see a new upward trend. Even as January and February tend to be low sales months, overall volume is increasing thanks to the launch of a new sales contest.

Inside Street Sense Media’s 2023 sales contest, the ‘Sell-a-Thon’

Consulting with a group of long-time vendors, Thomas Ratliff, our director of vendor employment at Street Sense Media, began considering reviving an old idea.

Years ago, Street Sense Media used to host a monthly sales contest that awarded the vendor with the highest grossing sales with a cash prize. Aside from the gratification of winning an additional monetary bonus, the contest also came with its own bragging rights. However, this year’s contest, which is set to continue throughout the year, follows a different model.

It is designed around a point system to account for the top-grossing and most improved sellers. Since vendors keep all the profits from sales of the paper to themselves, Street Sense is unable to keep track of how many papers vendors actually sell. Instead, the nonprofit keeps track of the number of papers they purchase, which suggests sales. But this is not the only way vendors receive papers. They also receive free copies of the paper for many activities, including attending workshops, receiving a Covid-19 vaccination, or achieving something special such as finding a new job. These papers are also included in the calculation to determine the top vendors for both categories.

However, early on, Ratliff realized there would need to be a third variable to balance out the points received by vendors who followed different strategies for selling.

“We have a few vendors who were actually relatively engaged with their customers and get a lot of the incentive papers. But we also have vendors who only buy papers from us and go out and sell us papers and don’t come to our workshops,” he told me.

To encourage both groups another opportunity to score points for the contest, he introduced a third element known as the “customer kudos.” If a vendor manages to convince a customer to call or write to Street Sense Media, they earn extra points for the sales contest.

Making sale is harder than it looks

On her first day, new vendor Josie is standing on the corner of 11th and G Street. Northwest, learning the basics of the business from two longtime vendors James Davis and John Littlejohn. Like most newcomers, she is a little apprehensive and nervous. She is also eager to make sales.

Aida Peery (left) poses with a longtime friend and customer Linda Houghton. The two have known each other for close to two decades.

Amid the din of traffic and people in suits and zip-up Patagonia vests, AirPods plugged into their ears, stare at their phones and pass by, Davis and Littljohn give her helpful advice. “Customers are not going to come to you,” Littlejohn says, “You got to go to them.” The pitch — whatever slogans a vendor uses to attract customers — he says should be focused on something beyond selling the paper. Instead, Littlejohn says it’s important to emphasize “the movement.”

“That helps them feel special because they’re now a part of something,” Davis chimes in; whatever you want to use as a pitch, the first rule is that you must say something to make a sale.

Davis has trained many vendors in the art of making sales since coming to the organization in 2003. Boasting a personal best sales record of 1,925 papers in a month in 2007, Davis is one of the best. The crew sets up along a bustling intersection a few blocks from the White House at 11th and G St Northwest. Each person takes a corner of the intersection. “Stay closer to the end of a block,” Davis says, “it’s better because you get more foot traffic.”

Obvious tourists – parents with children, a group of teenagers staring at their phones, and a couple on a scooter zip by in the opposite direction of the National Mall and the monuments. Josie waves at each person; makes eye contact, and says “Hello,” as she gives her sales pitch. Self-doubt is in the air, it’s palpable.

Davis says that if there is a single reason why a new vendor fails, it’s because they give into it. “Do you know how many game-winning shots Michael Jordan made?” Davis asks. “Less than the number of game-losing shots he made.” Part of being a vendor, he says, is learning to look past the challenges. “You’ll make a sale, don’t worry about it.

Josie closes out the day with a smile after making her first couple sales.

Persistence is key to selling

It’s been an hour, and Peery has yet to make a sale. Yet, she’s unfazed. A long time vendor, Peery understands the importance of location. She trusts the process.

Michele Rochon, a longtime Street Sense vendor, who’s made it to this month’s top ten most improved seller’s list, says that many newcomers can feel discouraged after spending hours on end without making a sale.

“If you’re not selling anything where you are, you need to move,” she says. “I’ve been out to Reston and Tyson’s Corner (suburbs of Washington, D.C.) selling the paper.”

Recently, Rochon says she was out selling papers in a new location, a suburb, when a man inside the top of an office building peered out his window and saw her waving the newspaper. He came rushing out of the building and breathless, told Rochon, “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to see a vendor. Are you going to be back?”

However, even seasoned vendors such as Rochon run into difficulties. Once in 2021, she says she spent an entire day where she made no sales. She was ready to give up, but then a voice inside her encouraged her to go back to a previous location near a retail store where she met a customer who bought all 20 copies of the paper she was carrying.

Before long, Peery moves her spot. She makes three sales within minutes. Two of them are regulars. One is a tourist from Colorado, intrigued by the idea of street papers. Most of her customers, she explains, are people she has known for years. She finishes her day 25 papers short of her 50 paper goal.

Winning strategies

For Abel Putu, the vendor with the top-grossing sales from

Abel Putu, a wheelchair basketball player, won the title of Street Sense Media’s top-grossing seller in its Sell-a-Thon last month.

February, the Street Sense newspaper is a primary platform for raising awareness on an issue that is close to his heart — wheelchair basketball.

He uses every opportunity possible to inform his customers about the latest developments in the sport. It is also what he spends most of his time writing about. Having this passion, he says, also helps him with closing sales with his customers who are also interested in learning more.

Putu, who received by far, the highest number of “customer kudos” points than any other vendor, likened the sales contest to a political election. He says he approaches his sales like a politician would a campaign. At each opportunity, he seeks to raise awareness amongst his customers about his campaign to bring back wheelchair basketball to D.C. The paper offers him a means to do this.

But when it comes strictly to matters of winning contests – no matter whether they are in politics, sports or sales – Putu says it all boils down to combining the right ingredients.

“The way you act, the way you behave, the way you show character, your personality, because personality wins the game,” he says. You got to win a game before you can win a championship and I’m going to win it again this month,”

Corey Sanders, the vendors with the most-improved sales from last month, never thought he stood a chance at winning.

“I was nervous because there’s just so many people that sell the paper,” he says. But in the end, he says that he pursued a strategy much similar to that of Putu.

While many people approach sales from a strictly economic standpoint, trying to convert customers to make cash; Sanders says that he finds much more success when he “speaks from the heart” and explains to people what he’s trying to accomplish.

He credits the contest with helping motivate him with a newfound purpose. “It really showed me how much I could do,” he says.

Editor’s note: nearly 10 years ago, Street Sense volunteer editor Jonathan Comer chronicled his experience selling newspapers alongside vendors for a day in an article published on Nov. 16, 2013. This article is inspired by the earlier version.

Jeffery McNeil is one of the top selling vendors for Street Sense. In addition to selling the newspaper, he also works as a manager at a local sports bar and restaurant.

Corey Sanders won most-improved vendor for the month of February.

GIGI DOVONOU Artist/Vendor

JACKIE TURNER Artist/Vendor

MARC GRIER Artist/Vendor

JEFFREY CARTER

Artist/Vendor

MARS Artist/Vendor

Being disrespectful

AIDA PEERY

Artist/Vendor

Being disrespectful is thinking I’m homeless without asking if I am or not.

Being disrespectful is to assume I don’t have a higher education without you asking or doing your research on who I am.

Being disrespectful is lying to people you have authority over. Being disrespectful is to take frustration out on others you have authority over.

Being disrespectful won’t gain my respect back towards anyone even though I gave you the benefit of the doubt.

Being disrespectful is berating someone for 20 or more minutes because they tell what or why something happened. A leader doesn’t always have to have the “last word.”

Vendor experience

DANIEL BALL

Artist/Vendor

We have new vendors and old-school vendors, too. Yes, the old vendors have more experience with the papers than the new vendors today. Why?

Because the new vendors don’t have an everyday corner to sell their Street Sense papers seven days a week.

But the old-school vendors already have their regular customers. So you new vendors, don’t be jealous of the old-school vendors. So just come down to 13th and G Street where we show vendors love for five days a week.

Wardrobe city

LEVESTER GREEN

Artist/Vendor

I thought long and hard about a good way out of my fashion clothing fiasco. I just so happened to come across a Red Wolf Jeans company in Gaithersburg when I first moved out there in 2009. I hadn't rebuilt my wardrobe since 2006 until I ran across that company's affordable sale of khakis — $10 a pair and five for $35. It was a great deal and a bit of a God-send! I took full advantage. As I proudly wore my several colored outfits, I recalled the underlying belly of a Richard Pryor joke in which he jokes about being in five gangs, in the Tupac song, “Heartz Of Men.”

George Queen, my fellow bulldog and hometown fella kindly brought that song to my attention once we began bonding better upon returning home here. Sam Jackson, another fellow Washingtonian bulldog and fellow radio broadcaster, did the late-night shows smooth talking, but it was George who pointed out the soft tones of Tupac whispering ever so faintly "Suge shot me..." We all wondered in amazement at this cleverness. I could also recall having my fresh Howard and Georgetown sweatshirts when I first arrived there fresh and how my Georgetown hoodie didn't make it back home with me. Anyway, that pretty much summarized how I was feeling as I began healing from that 2006 episode and living on my own in Montgomery County, finally. There was no way around the fact that the retailers I had accumulated my gear with over the years were systematically not catering to my big and tall-sized market, essentially shutting down my tag-popping progress with the threat of regular prices.

So I've come to the realization that it's gonna take a miracle! I haven't exactly been able to crosscheck “marry rich” up off of my bucket list just yet or instantly won sweepstakes, or the combo of the two of winning the heart of a hot rap chick or R&B honey just yet, so I’m going to have to continue to shop around piece by piece! I put in my subscription to Vogue and Harper's Bazaar so there's hope! The good news is that I've recently discovered Amazon's online big and tall merchandise so it's on...eventually.

The new season begins

AMINA WASHINGTON

Artist/Vendor

The bees are buzzing in the wind the trees are tangling right along with them. All of the green grass blazing in the sunlight sweet as honey. While I wake up with the fire-lit clouds as the birds bring a new sweet song I feel flattered as the new season awakens a beautiful warm breeze. I love a wildflower blooming its unique blossoms, but most of all a dreamy midday shower of rose petals raining upon my shoulders. When the sun sinks into the horizon of clouds and city buildings I dream of dancing meadows. Looking at the late sunset and early sunrise I can only imagine a season of lovely songs with a short night of comfortable dreams. The new season begins.

Latin

MARS

Artist/Vendor

Modern acceptance of the fall of the angels, Jesus and Lucifer himself, can all be translated better from a pre-1688 Bible from Scandinavia and a Strong’s Concordance, Fifth Edition. One misconception about the phrase “thou shalt not kill;” it actually translates to “thou shalt not murder.”

Latin is the basis for our language. For example, “tempus fugit” means time flies. Another phrase that comes from Latin, “judge not, lest you be judged” can simply be translated by using these books.

What's your phone number?

YOLANDA ARMSTRONG

Artist/Vendor

You ever break your phone

Like all the time.

Everytime I do

I forgot that other number of mine.

Lost my contacts, My numbers. Pictures lost.

Thank goodness for backup where is the adult phone class?

Because I'm tired of saying Yo, what’s your number?

MELODY BYRD Artist/Vendor

Home is where the heart is: A look at DC’s housing crisis

In January 2021, days after the insurrection, I moved to D.C. to study film. Driving into the city felt like a scene from a movie. D.C. was on a double lockdown, and there were armored trucks flanking the entrance from the highway into the city.

I previously studied economics at the University of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. Back then, I lived above Albert Heijn, a local supermarket, and was often greeted there by a man with a toothless smile inviting me to buy Z! — a newspaper run by people experiencing homelessness. Growing up in Pakistan, I had a specific perspective on poverty, and hearing his experience in the west was new to me.

I ultimately specialized in human development economics, guided by brilliant and practical Professor Jacques van der Gaag. After graduating, I worked to craft stories with international and humanitarian organizations to galvanize resources and action for good. Now I was in D.C. at American University, trying on a different lens. I wondered what it would be like to live in the home of such an immense global power.

I took a photojournalism class with the great Professor Bill Gentile. An esteemed war photographer, he brought grit and high expectations to our training. He took us to the streets to find our stories. I loved walking around D.C.; the avenues were wide and tree-lined, the neighborhoods bursting with food, art and music. But poverty cut through this pristine image sharply.

In 2022, D.C.’s Point-in-Time (PIT) Count showed 4,410 people experiencing homelessness in a single night. While this is the lowest number seen in 17 years, progress has been slow. Experts say this number is a gross underestimation. To my surprise, even steps from the White House lawn, people without homes staked their tents in protest, suffering silently in plain view of the politicians. The juxtaposition of the two confused me, and I sought to learn more.

I meet Jet, 53, in Dupont Circle one afternoon early December. We’re introduced through Street Sense, a street paper with a mission to end homelessness, for which she writes and sells. We sit on a bench together, and share delicious Krispy Kreme donuts. She hasn’t been back since she stopped sleeping here regularly, three years ago. It’s a busy day in the park.

“It was like living in a glass menagerie. Everybody on the outside, constantly looking in,” she says.

Jet observes the world. She is vibrant, positive, and eloquent. We love the same classic rock bands — the Doors, Fleetwood Mac. She often pauses during her stories to point out memories — where she and her pomeranian Bella slept, where she panhandled, what someone said to her once, “I’m glad I’m not homeless, I couldn’t do that. Why don’t you work?”

Jet used to work as a political strategist and telemarketer. She also studied acting at Duke Ellington High School. She tells me how to close a sale.

“You become the person you’re selling to. Give them a bit

ANYA RAZA Street Sense Media

Jet lights a Black & Mild cigar at Dupont Circle.

Tents provide shelter in Dupont Circle during the holidays. Photos by Anya Raza

OPINION

of themselves, and you’ve got a sale.”

Jet, charming and great at her job, was beginning to enjoy life after a tough youth. Growing up in Northeast D.C., Jet’s mother was a heroin addict, which led to dangerous situations, eventually landing her in and out of the foster care system. She had worked hard on turning her life around.

It all changed when she was hit by a car in 2016. Jet received a small cash settlement, but was laid off soon after from her job as a telemarketer, when her company closed during Trump’s presidency. She faced a series of health issues and challenges with getting unemployment. Slowly buried in medical bills, she became unable to afford rent. Finally, when Jet’s roommate became violent, she moved out of yet another dangerous situation. Jet’s family turned their nose up at her because she is gay, and she eventually found herself without a place to live.

“I remember the first time. I was sitting with a friend outside Duane Reade, clutching my pearls as she asked for money.” Jet was aghast at the idea of panhandling.

D.C.’s Mayor Muriel Bowser has allocated $31 million towards ending chronic homelessness through funding Permanent Supportive Housing vouchers in the 2023 budget. President Joe Biden aims to reduce homelessness in the U.S. by 25% in 2025. While these are positive developments, housing services are currently met with confusion — processes are rigid, complex and cumbersome.

Jet speaks of the generosity of churches and organizations like So Others May Eat (SOME) and Bread for the City. Bread for the City provides food, clothing, medical care, and legal and social services to D.C. residents living with low income. A “one stop shop,” if you will. I visited their location in Shaw and am astounded by their scale, speed and efficiency. Big-hearted Willette shows me the food distribution center, where between 500 to 1000 bags of food are distributed each day. Willette hugs a client as she offers her two bags of food for a family of four. This client is a regular, and Willette’s worked here for nearly a decade. During the pandemic, the number of people needing food doubled, and Willette’s shifts went late into the night. She loves her job, and finds the work she did during the pandemic especially rewarding. “I remember what it feels like to be on

the other side.” Poverty is closer than you think.

“We’re all one paycheck away from being homeless!” Jet says.

Across the country, people are being priced out of their homes because of the voracious appetite of capitalist forces. Furthermore, the short-sighted stigma of the low-income housing market in the real estate business prevents realistic and holistic societal needs from being met. The result? A constant shortage of affordable homes.

But the problem stems much deeper. In D.C., Black women

make up 75% of women who are homeless, whereas they make up only 52% of adult women. The majority of the women I spoke to shared similar themes of poverty and abuse, which led to trauma, depression, mental illness and drug addiction.

I meet Anita, 64, at New Endeavors by Women (NEW), a nonprofit that supports women and children with housing and case management. I wanted to find a safe space, and NEW was just that. We sit in a quiet living room of a four bedroom apartment.

Anita is a gentle and personable soul. A former bus driver, her favorite part of working was interacting with people. Anita started using drugs in the 1980s. This was the beginning of the crack epidemic, which led to disastrous public health consequences.

“My whole family is addicted. Even my grandmother, back in the day.”

Why? I ask.

“Depression. It numbs the pain.”

It is not hard to see the cause of depression, when the trauma of poverty is enough to cause that, not to mention the erosion of social fabric it causes when ignored.

“You can’t treat the addiction, if you don’t treat the trauma,” Anita tells me.

In 1995, Anita was diagnosed with a chronic illness, and has since been battling multiple medical issues. She relapsed four times, the last time when her mother passed away. NEW provided Anita shelter, a little over three years ago. It took her 10 months for the paperwork to come through. In the meantime, she slept on her boyfriend’s mother’s couch. For people trying to get out of a bad situation, waiting adds to frustration and fear of relapse. Getting housing is a complex, time-consuming process — there is no easy A to Z of how to get out of homelessness.

As we wrap our conversation, Anita shows me photos of her 3-year-old grandson Jackson, beaming with pride, dressed as a SWAT agent for Halloween. A consistent case worker, therapist, sponsor and her place at NEW means she finally has stability and feels safe, so she can focus on her future.

“You can’t treat the addiction, if you don’t treat the trauma,” Anita says. “The system is designed for you to fail.”

It’s not just about bad crowd or bad luck, Moira,

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Jet remarks.

Willette shows an average bag of food supplies for someone living on the street.

communications manager at NEW reminds me, as we walk out of the shelter. This housing crisis is, simply put, the direct result of decades of structural racism resulting in negligent policy and planning, where the vulnerable in an economy are not seen as a priority. The housing crisis in the capital shows, in a microcosm, the vast spectrum of structural issues that need to be addressed in the United States.

There is an immediate need for more resources, more trauma-informed support, more outreach, clearer information on shelter and housing processes, a reduction of the burden of bureaucracy, and a desperate need for flexibility. There are a million ways to become homeless, and therefore a caredriven, innovative and multi-pronged approach is necessary to get people out of homelessness, and permanently out of the poverty trap. As there are radically different ways to become unhoused, there must be radically different solutions out.

As a community, small actions can make a difference. For instance, during my interview, students from George Washington University came to drop off hygiene kits. There are incredible volunteer programs available in D.C., such as with NEW and Bread for the City. As Moira and I say goodbye, she invites me to Back on my Feet, a morning running club helping with building routine and work placement for people experiencing homelessness. The work doesn’t stop, and everyone does their part.

I had wondered what it would be like to live so close to the seat of power, yet here on the street I was proximate to the powerless, and reminded how poverty prevails in so many ways when you have the odds stacked against you.

Jet now lives in her grandmother’s home — the home she grew up in. However, yet again, Jet is facing a dangerous situation, this time where the bank is trying to reclaim her

home. It never stops.

It’s dusk now; Jet and I sit on the steps of a building overlooking Dupont Circle, a corner where Jet and Bella often used to sleep at night. Above the hustle and bustle of the busy square, she reflectively gestures,

“We used to call this spot the Stage. We were invisible. But we’d look down at the people passing by and think: you could be me, and I could be you.”

Anya Raza is a writer, filmmaker and economist, based between New York and Islamabad. Connect with her on @anyarazaofficial on Instagram.

Antoinette, New Endeavours for Women (NEW) director of programs, shows us her busy office.

At NEW Shelter in Northeast D.C., Anita shows us her roommate’s art.

Anita shows us her grandson’s Halloween costume.

FUN & GAMES

Across

1. “____ Moon Rising” (1969 CCR hit)

4. “___ the season to be jolly”

7. Subsidiary route

13. Thurman who played Cecile in “Dangerous Liaisons”

14. Aardvark’s fare

16. Place to begin to connect the dots (2 wds.) (5,1)

17. Yang’s opposite

18. WMD associated with theoretical physicist

J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Los Alamos Laboratory (3 wds.) (3,4,4)

20. Adjective used to denote greatness that literally means not believable

22. Bellicose deity

23. Lacking an aptitude for singing or musical performance, familiarly (2 wds.) (2,3)

24. Japanese computer giant (abbr./acron.)

25. In the style of (2 wds.) (1,2) (Fr.)

26. Forensic TV shows ltrs. (abbr./initialism)

28. One who’s part of a highly privileged, maledominated “network” (2 wds.) (3,3)

31. Milieu for Colonel Mustard and Professor Plum

34. California desert named for a bygone Native American tribe

38. “Bravo!” to a banderillero (Sp.)

39. Devotional accessories used by worshippers of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva (3 wds.) (5,6,4)

42. Small batteries or community college degrees (abbr.)

43. TV’s Buffy, or James Fennimore Cooper ‘s Natty Bumppo, for two

44. @@

45. Like Sunday-go-to-meeting garb

47. Keyboard key with reverse-facing arrows

49. Env. contents (abbr.)

50. Half of a 1955 wrkrs. grps. merger (abbr./ initialism)

53. One typically takes pains not to drop this before it’s time (1-4)

57. U.S. fin. inst. with a patriotic logo, briefly (1,2,1) (incls. abbrs.)

59. Like gains in the value of an asset that are not yet monetized (RUINED ZEAL anagram)

61. Confederate involved in many heists...or a literal description of the circled letter groupings? (3 wds.) (2,6,3)

63. Harem room

64. Hero’s forté

65. Word after test, toothpaste, or torpedo

66. Word aptly found in “Not in a yea frame of mind”

67. Moderate yellow-orange to orange shades (CHORES anagram)

68. Like the egg in a prairie oyster cocktail

69. Chicago trains, briefly

Down

1. Support; agreement; blessing (3-2)

2. ___ acid

3. Tango or twerk

4. Spuds

5. How some TV shows are viewed (2 wds.) (2,2) (incls. abbr.)

6. Oktoberfest souvenir

7. Fraternal gp. ltrs. (abbr./initialism)

8. ___ Kippur

9. Bawdy and off color

10. Words of approximation (2,2,5)

11. “Well, don’t look ____!” (“Hey, I didn’t do it!”) (2 wds.) (2,2)

12. Small amounts, as of cream

15. “Kemo ___” (the Lone Ranger, to Tonto)

19. R.N.’s forte (abbr./acron.)

21. Sped

25. A Mariner is one, but not a Marlin or a Pirate (abbr.)

27. Suggest, but not quite say

28. Completely unhidden (TROVE anagram)

29. Olympics gymnast legend Korbut whose “dead loop” move was eventually banned as too dangerous

30. 24 hrs. ago (abbr.)

31. Neighbor of Libya, Niger and Sudan

32. Make-up artist?

33. Like Scrooge after his spectral visits

35. Blessing - curse link (2 wds.) (2,1)

36. Raucous flier that’s often blue

37. “Yes, cap’n”

40. Cold war initials

41. Torah teacher

46. Golf or baseball batting lesson topic

48. 100% original in every respect (2 wds.) (3,3)

50. What’s more

51. Worry about/something found on the neck

52. Large-eyed nocturnal primate of Madagascar

54. Atmospheric layer adversely impacted by fossil fuel hydrocarbons

55. One awarded by the IOC is gold, silver or bronze

56. Annual celebrations usually occurring at the same times for twins, briefly (abbr.)

57. Prefix for weather related meter

58. Another street name for ten sawbucks or a Benjamin (2 wds.) (3,1) (abbr.)

*This crossword puzzle is the original work of Patrick “Mac”McIntyre. It is provided to us courtesy of Real Change News, a street paper based in Seattle, Wa. Learn more about Real Change News and the International Network of Street Papers at realchangenews. org and insp.ngo.

Illustration of the Week

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

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

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

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

Community of Hope // 202-232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

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

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

Food and Friends // 202-269-2277 (home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc)

219 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1500 Galen Street SE, 1500 Galen Street SE, 1251-B Saratoga Ave NE, 1660 Columbia Road NW, 4414 Benning Road NE, 3924 Minnesota Avenue NE, 765 Kenilworth Terrace NE, 555 L Street SE, 3240 Stanton Road SE, 3020 14th Street NW, 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, 1717 Columbia Road NW, 1313 New York Avenue, NW BSMT Suite, 425 2nd Street NW, 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 1333 N Street NW, 1355 New York Avenue NE, 828 Evarts Place, NE, 810 5th Street NW

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

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

Kitchen Team Member

MOM’s Organic Market // 1501 New York Ave NE

Full-time / Part-time

Maintain the produce section, operate the register and help customers find what they need.

REQUIRED: N/A

APPLY: tinyurl.com/momsteammember

Seafood Team Member

Wegmans // 41 Ridge Square NW

Part-time

Keep shelves stocked, take orders, package product, and help customers find what they need.

REQUIRED: N/A

APPLY: tinyurl.com/wegmans-seafood

House Cleaner

Please Assist Me

Part-time

Perform deep cleaning duties with attention to detail and care to maintain private residences and carry out essential household chores.

REQUIRED: N/A

APPLY: tinyurl.com/cleaner-assistme

Whitman-Walker Health 1701 14th St., NW // 202-745-7000 2301 MLK Jr. Ave., SE // 202-797-3567 whitman-walker.org Hiring? Send your job postings to editor@StreetSenseMedia.org

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

All services listed are referral-free

A child’s tears

KYM PARKER

Artist/Vendor

When I cry in the morning, when I think about her death

When I think about her passing that pain, that ailing grief

Sometimes I can’t sit up in the morning

Sometimes it’s so unbearable

It hurts

When I cry in the morning, when I can’t get up in the morning

A child’s tears helps, gets me through

Lets me know I’m alive

Gives me strength

To know God’s there, always helping,

Always believing in me and raising

Me like the Phoenix

To love, to understand, to know why

That pain’s there

To grieve

But God told us to talk to her

When we are at that point

I know that she’s listening, I

Know that she’s there

Because the pain goes away

The grief is lessened

To light

A child’s tears

It gets us through

It helps us

And it cleanses our soul

Once we believe, we know that her Grace, mercy and love gets us through

Even through the darkest of days

She’s there

I was told by her not to ever let her go, so I never have

So I know not to

I know God’s love has never given up on me, on any of us

She loves us all, and respects us all

There is so much there

Godliness and grace

When my mum passed, both grandparents, my twins, my family - I was lost

I tried to take my life, but she gave it back to me

Everyday she makes me feel beautiful, strong, and worthy

My tears, my pain

I know that I’m here to help others

A child’s tears

Even in my absence

DONTÉ TURNER

Artist/Vendor

Even in my absence, I leave behind my good deeds and good works

I also leave behind words you’ll never forget

I leave you with the knowledge and tools you have to succeed and conduct a better future with

I leave behind the memories of smiles throughout the hard times and cold turmoils

I leave behind the image of the good you I always know you can be

R.I.P Marcellus Phillips

A.K.A Marc/Cellus

Marcellus Phillips, an artist/vendor with Street Sense Media, died in February. He will be missed. Photo courtesy of Melissa Phillips