03.30.2022 by Street Sense Media

VOL. 19 ISSUE 19

MARCH 30 - APRIL 5, 2022

Real Stories

Real People

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Real Change

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BUSINESS MODEL

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Pay vendors with the Street Sense Media app! S EARCH “S TREET S ENSE ” IN YOUR APP STORE .

Mary Coller Albert, Blake Androﬀ, Jonquilyn Hill, Greg Jaﬀe, Stanley Keeve, Clare Krupin, Ashley McMaster, Matt Perra, Michael Phillips, Daniel Webber, Shari Wilson, Corrine Yu AVA I L A B L E

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.

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

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

Brian Carome

Doris Warrell

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

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT

VENDOR CODE OF CONDUCT 1.

VENDORS 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, Chris Sellman, Conrad Cheek, Corey Sanders, Cortney Signor, Daniel Ball, David Snyder, Debora Brantley, Don Gardner, ‘Donte’ Julius Turner, Doris Robinson, Earl Parker, Eric Thompson-Bey, 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

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

6. 7.

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

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DIRECTOR OF VENDOR PROGRAMS

Darick Brown

CASE MANAGER

Leo Grayburn

DIRECTOR OF VENDOR EMPLOYMENT

Thomas Ratliﬀ

VENDOR PROGRAM ASSOCIATES

Aida Peery, Cliﬀord Samuels

VENDOR PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS

Jeﬀ Barger, Haley Gallagher, Roberta Haber, Ann Herzog, Kevin Jaatinen, Jacob Kuba, Eva Reeves, Mauricio Reyes

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Will Schick

DEPUTY EDITOR

Kaela Roeder

INTERNS

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

The Cover Description PHOTO BY

Gayatri Malhot // Unsplash.com

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.

Hajira Fuad, Nate Kral, Jem Dyson, Nick Pasion, Ashleigh Fields, Ingrid Holmquist

WRITERS GROUP ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

Willie Schatz (Writing), Bonnie Naradzay (Poetry), David Serota (Illustration)

ARTS EDITOR (VOLUNTEER)

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OPINION EDITORS (VOLUNTEER)

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EDITORIAL VOLUNTEERS

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DESIGN VOLUNTEERS

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EVENTS

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AT A GLANCE VENDOR PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS • The FACE listening session will be April 8 at 10 a.m. Come have your voice heard! • “Beat the Streets” will be every Tuesday. Meet at Street Sense at 3 p.m. to boost your sales!

Photo by Bogomil Mihaylov // Unsplash.com

Miriam’s Kitchen Mayoral Candidate Forum April 5, 6:30 p.m. Virtual

Miriam’s Kitchen is hosting its first-ever mayoral candidate forum focused on ending chronic homelessness. Robert White, James Butler and Andre Davis are confrmed guests. The event will be moderated by Dana White, a nationally renowned speaker and homelessness advocate. Visit tinyurl.com/miriams-forum to register.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30

THURSDAY, MARCH 31

MONDAY, APRIL 4

Committee on Housing and Executive Administration Budget Oversight Hearing

Committee on Human Services Budget Oversight Hearing

Committee on Health Budget Oversight Hearing

12 p.m. Virtual

9 a.m. Virtual

The Housing Authority, Department of Housing and Community Development, Housing Production Trust Fund and Rental Housing Commission will testify.

The Department of Human Services will testify.

10 a.m. Virtual

• Papers for vaccinations? Show us your CDC card and get 15 papers for being fully vaccinated plus 10 more for being boosted. • Interested in speaking about your experience as a vendor? See Thomas for details.

BIRTHDAYS Michele Rochon March 30 ARTIST/VENDOR

The Department of Health will tesify.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS Wendell Williams ARTIST/VENDOR

Submit your event for publication by emailing editor@streetsensemedia.org

AUDIENCE EXCHANGE Kaela Roeder @RoederKaela

Wendell was a guest on Takoma Radio on March 27. Listen to the segment online at takomaparkradio.org.

Will Schick

@schick_will

Today we came out with @streetsensedc‘s 500th (!!) issue. I am so honored to work at such an amazing place. Find a vendor near you to check it out.

Yesterday, we published our 500th issue @streetsensedc. It’s an amazing milestone and I am honored to be a part of it. There are so many exciting parts of this issue that I want to share with you some of how it came together.

12:22 PM · MAR 23, 2022

10:13 AM · MAR 24, 2022

Follow more headlines at StreetSenseMedia.org/news

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NEWS

Bowser kicks off budget season with a proposal focusing on housing and public safety ANNEMARIE CUCCIA Reporter, Street Sense Media & The DC Line

Photo by Recha Oktaviani // Unsplash.com

ayor Muriel Bowser presented her $19.5 billion budget proposal for fiscal year 2023 to the public and D.C. Council on March 16. The proposal, which is markedly larger than any budget passed since Bowser took office, includes several one-time investments and increases in funding for police, emergency rental assistance and permanent supportive housing vouchers. The budget proposal does not include tax increases for residents. Officials previously expected D.C. would have a budget surplus of $566 million from FY 2021that could be allocated where needed, prompting advocates to call for much of the money to be spent to prevent evictions. Just prior to the budget’s release, this number was lowered to $184 million, according to Bowser’s budget director, Jenny Reed. The Office of the Chief Financial Officer determined that it should have marked most of the surplus as reserved in accord with the District’s previously adopted budget and four-year financial plan, and therefore not counted as part of the unallocated surplus, according to CFO Fitzroy Lee. The change led to a two-day delay in the release of part of the full budget document.

Housing The largest one-time investment proposed by the mayor is $500 million to D.C.’s Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF), which helps nonprofit and private developers create affordable housing in D.C. The city has already received applications to

the HPTF totaling $398 million, according to Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio. At a March 18 council hearing, At-large Councilmember Elissa Silverman raised concerns that not enough of the HPTF is going toward the production of deeply affordable housing, a category that generally requires more sizable subsidies than do units for people with somewhat higher incomes. A 2021 audit found that the fund once again failed to meet its legally mandated goal to allocate half its money for housing that is affordable to families making under $40,000 annually. Another large investment in the fund should come with additional accountability measures, Silverman argued. • At the council hearing, Bowser argued the fund is going toward affordable housing, including many deeply affordable units — the hardest to bring to fruition. “I don’t want anybody to think that we haven’t spent money the way we said we would on affordable housing for D.C. residents,” Bowser said. On top of the HPTF allocation, Bowser proposed $31 million in new money for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) vouchers, which provide housing to people who experience chronic homelessness. The increase is intended in part to ensure HPTF projects can set aside more of their units as deeply affordable. • People experiencing chronic homelessness are unhoused for a year or longer or have endured regular short periods of homelessness. • The $31 million would fund vouchers for 500 individuals, 269 families and 10 youth, meeting the request made by the Way Home Campaign, a coalition

to end chronic homelessness in D.C. Bowser’s budget dedicates $2 million of that money to outreach, though it’s not clear what that covers. The mayor’s proposed budget also includes $120 million over the next two years to help people with rent and utilities through D.C.’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). • This proposal falls short of the $187 million sought this year by a coalition of housing advocates — a request based on the amount Bowser estimated last fall would be needed to help households currently at risk of eviction. The proposal also includes $74.9 million for family rapid rehousing (RRH) — a $44 million increase from last year’s approved budget, but similar to the amount actually being spent in FY 2022. • RRH is a two-pronged program that serves families and single adults experiencing homelessness by providing housing subsidies that last for up to one year. • Housing advocates called for the mayor to add money to RRH to help the 350 families who have subsidies set to expire this month. Reed, the mayor’s budget director, said at the March 18 hearing that the city has been working to connect the 350 families currently facing eviction with other housing programs but that the Department of Human Services has not extended their subsidies. • Housing advocates have also urged D.C. to extend subsidies for all 931 families whose subsidies are set to terminate this fiscal year. Among the other housing investments proposed by the •

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mayor: • A $1.2 million increase for Project Reconnect, a shelter diversion and rapid-exit program for single adults. • $600,000 in additional funds for the family shelter prevention and diversion program to serve an extra 200 families. • $114 million over two years to “modernize and renovate” supportive housing and shelter services. These funds would be used to support shelters serving single adults. Part of the funding will also be used to replace the New York Avenue NE shelter; the Harriet Tubman women’s shelter; and the Adams Place shelter and day center, which currently operates in space that is leased by D.C., not owned. • $2.8 million for services at the new 801 East men’s shelter. • $41 million over several years for new projectsponsored Local Rent Subsidy Program (LRSP) vouchers, with about $5 million in FY 2023. Projectbased vouchers are administered through housing providers and nonprofits, while tenant-based vouchers are given directly to people looking for housing. There is no new money for tenant-based LRSP vouchers that are not PSH. • $219 million to continue the redevelopment of public housing units at Barry Farm, Park Morton, Bruce Monroe and Northwest One. These four properties were supposed to be redeveloped through D.C.’s New Communities Initiative, but residents say progress has been slow, and the construction has forced many residents out of their homes. This investment is not enough to complete all four projects but will enable progress, according to Reed. • $110 million for the D.C. Housing Authority to rehabilitate 1,500 units of public housing over the next three years, mainly for seniors. • $26 million to help first-time homeowners with down payments and other costs. • Legacy initiatives intended to help residents stay in D.C., including $1 million to help multi-generational families keep their property; $10 million to help more Black D.C. residents become homeowners; a 3% decrease in the property tax cap for senior homeowners; and $15.5 million to help residents fix their homes, reduce flood risk and damage, adapt to the weather, and remove lead and mold. The proposed expenditures drew praise from At-large Councilmember Anita Bonds, who chairs the Committee on Housing and Executive Administration. “The housing investments are really outstanding,” she said at the March 18 budget hearing. Many advocates, however, would like to see more. Kate Coventry, senior policy analyst at D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, is hoping to see the council provide additional funding to serve families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. She said DCFPI recommended $27.7 million to house 1,040 families with Targeted Affordable Housing and $17.3 million to provide tenant-based vouchers to 800 families.

Public safety The budget includes $1.7 billion for public safety, including $30 million to fulfill Bowser’s promise to help put the Metropolitan Police Department on a path toward 4,000 officers over the next few years by investing more in recruitment, training and retention. During her presentation, Bowser said 4,000 officers are needed for the force, which is currently down to about 3,500 officers, to ensure adequate response times. The proposal also boosts funding for alternative public safety

initiatives, including D.C.’s violence interrupters program. The mayor’s public safety proposal includes: • $1.7 million to hire an additional 23 employees for violence prevention, including life coaches. • $1.1 million for a pilot program that would provide rental assistance to people at risk of violence. • $10 million for youth violence prevention. • $251 million in the capital budget to renovate the D.C. Jail, including construction of an annex to the Correctional Treatment Facility which, combined with the current CTF, would eventually become the main jail. The new facilities would allow for the closure of the aging Central Detention Facility and enable the D.C. Department of Corrections to bring D.C. residents incarcerated by the federal Bureau of Prisons back to the District.

Health and human services Bowser’s budget proposes $5.7 billion in spending on health and human services, including: • Almost $5 million in investments for low-income seniors, including free dental services, personal tablets, free transportation and grocery card distribution for eligible seniors. • $4.2 million to extend D.C. Healthcare Alliance enrollment to 12 months and simplify the recertification process. Advocates have long sought the changes to a process they call overly burdensome for the program’s clients, who are low-income residents who are not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare. • $6.4 million to hire 68 new employees to handle higher caseloads for public benefits. At the March 18 hearing, councilmembers expressed concern about what is not funded in the human services budget. Bowser’s proposal delays until Oct. 1 the implementation of expansions to D.C.’s paid family leave program, though the money will be available on July 1, an issue several councilmembers raised. The budget proposal also cuts money for the Grandparent and Close Relatives Caregiver Subsidy Program, for which the council expanded eligibility last month. It also entirely eliminates the newly established Office of the Ombudsperson for Children, which is supposed to provide oversight of the Child and Family Services Agency, a cut Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau strongly opposes. “This reckless decision to relitigate a battle the executive lost puts at risk and takes all the guardrails off the child welfare system,” Nadeau said, referring to Bowser’s earlier opposition to the council bill that created the office. The council is in the process of recruiting the agency’s first director.

Education and youth programs The budget proposal provides $6.4 million to expand the Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program, which provides D.C. youth with subsidized summer work or training. The mayor’s budget also increases the base amount of the perstudent funding formula and allocates $46 million for schools to replace HVAC systems. Other proposals include: • $5 million in grants for out-of-school time youth programs • $13.5 million for “Recreation for A.L.L.,” an initiative that includes thousands of new slots in summer camps and programming offered by the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation. • $3.8 million to expand the school-based mental health

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program. $60 million to construct an indoor sports complex on the RFK campus starting in 2026. The facility would accommodate training as well as competitions in gymnastics, indoor track and field, boxing, and more. $434 million over the next six years to build and modernize parks, libraries, and recreation centers.

Economic access Bowser’s proposed budget also includes money for economic recovery,, transportation and the environment, including: • $2 million to increase access to fresh food east of the Anacostia River. Bowser did not clarify whether this money would be put toward a formerly proposed grocery store at the MLK Gateway when asked by Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White. • $21 million to raise wages for participants in training programs operated by the D.C. Department of Employment Services (DOES). • $780,000 to modernize the DOES call center. Residents have heavily criticized DOES’s customer service during the pandemic. The council will hold hearings on agency budgets until April 7, with a hearing on the budget as a whole on April 8. Committees will then propose changes to Bowser’s budget by April 21 before the first vote on May 10 and a final vote later this summer. This article is co-published with The DC Line

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NEWS

Two years, no change: Workers say DOES is ‘failing DC’ ANNEMARIE CUCCIA Reporter, Street Sense Media & The DC Line

At-large Councilmember Elissa Silverman and DOES Director Unique Morris-Hughes discuss unemployment benefits at a Feb. 14 oversight hearing. Screenshot of D.C. DOES hearing on Zoom

or the past two years, D.C.’s Department of Employment Services, has been a focal point of the District’s pandemic response. D.C. workers who lost their jobs during COVID-19 turned to the agency, known as DOES, for help in the form of unemployment benefits. By most accounts, these workers encountered an agency that wasn’t prepared to handle the unprecedented influx of claims, contributing to 12-hour wait times and conflicting guidance. By October 2020, some workers who first applied for unemployment in March still had not received benefits, Street Sense Media reported at the time. While most of these original claims have been resolved, the overarching criticisms of DOES have not. The same problems workers cited in 2020 — poor communication from the agency, technology issues, and delayed payments — were raised once again in this year’s DOES oversight hearings. “This experience and COVID has shown why unemployment insurance is critical — it’s the absolute best safety net we have to catch workers and their families from falling into an economic abyss,” At-large Councilmember Elissa Silverman said in an interview with Street Sense Media and The DC Line. Silverman chairs the council’s Labor and Workforce Development Committee, which held DOES performance oversight hearings in February. Despite her continuing concerns about the agency’s operations, she said she agrees with the explanations offered by DOES as to why it took so long to adjudicate claims, including an outdated online unemployment system and an onslaught of claims triple the normal amount. She also commended the agency’s employees for all the claims they processed over the last two years. But her main feeling, she said, was one of frustration — frustration that some people were still waiting for benefits, and that DOES still seems to be plagued by the same issues she identified in 2020. “For many claimants, collecting unemployment has been like banging their head against a wall,” she said. “And it just shouldn’t be that way.” The agency, according to testimony from advocates and workers, is still processing claims from at least 206 workers seeking back pay from 2020. Meanwhile, the agency has stopped accepting unemployment compensation claims by phone, and the Legal Aid Society has filed a pending lawsuit around long-standing criticisms about the quality of DOES’s customer service. DOES did not respond to requests for

additional comment by press time. “DOES has completely failed the people of D.C.,” Trupti Patel, the advisory neighborhood commissioner for single-member district 2A03 in Foggy Bottom, said at the oversight hearing on Feb. 14.

Still waiting for benefits Patel is one of 206 workers still waiting for back pay from DOES. These claimants are eligible for back pay to make up for the weeks between when they became eligible for benefits and when DOES processed their application and began paying them. (According to testimony this week, the number of affected workers has dropped from the 247 cited at February’s performance hearings.) Patel has been waiting for eight months to get five weeks of back pay, but that’s just one aspect of the problems she has encountered. While she was trying to obtain that money, DOES stopped her ongoing benefits in November 2021, though she says she was still eligible. Without prior notice, the agency listed her as ineligible for benefits and told her she owed DOES all of the money she’d received — $12,000 — up to then. At one point, a DOES representative told her she would have to be “flushed out of the system” in order to correct the problem, although an IT glitch meant that employees wouldn’t be able to backdate her claims for the benefits she’s missed since being removed. DOES acknowledges there are delays in back pay. In the agency’s written responses to the committee’s pre-hearing questions, it cited three main reasons DOES might take longer to adjudicate back pay claims. For one, the agency has to investigate disputes between the applicant and their former employer about why the employee was laid off. Second, DOES has to confirm the employee has enough qualifying wages. Finally, in cases like Patel’s, IT issues delay payment. At the Feb. 17 oversight hearing, DOES Director Unique Morris-Hughes said the agency also has to determine if claimants are eligible in D.C. if they have wages in another state. According to Morris-Hughes, DOES sent communications to all claimants instructing them to contact the agency if they were owed back pay — the source of the 206 number. However, Silverman said she is concerned the process didn’t uncover everyone who is eligible. Based on the volume of calls to her office, she said, it seems like far more workers are in fact waiting for back pay, most of them from the omicron surge in late 2021 and early 2022.

“I’m skeptical of the numbers,” Silverman said. Jen Jenkins, policy advocate with the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, agrees. The organization is still handling upward of 40 unemployment benefits cases each week, including many that involve back pay. “There’s definitely hundreds, if not thousands, that are still seeking back pay six months after CARES expired,” Jenkins said. Federal unemployment benefits offered through the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan expired on Sept. 4, 2021. While the majority of claimants are waiting for back pay, a few are still struggling to get benefits at all. David Young first applied for unemployment two years ago, after his job rolled back his hours. He said DOES initially told him he’d already received benefits — $12,000 worth. Young later learned someone he’d previously known obtained his information and fraudulently applied for unemployment under his name. Young said he never received any communication from DOES before he reached out to the agency. Upon learning about the fraud, Young filled out all of the paperwork the agency requested. DOES representatives have been slow to respond to his emails if they do at all, Young said in an interview. He has another job now, but still hasn’t received the benefits he was entitled to while he was unemployed. “It was a major setback,” Young said. He fell behind on bills and struggled to pay for presents and activities for his kids. “It was just a lot … and for them not to do anything about the situation or try to rectify the situation was just even more crazy.” Jasmine Collins, who testified at the Feb. 14 public hearing, had a similar experience. She had to leave her job in September when both she and her children caught COVID-19. When she tried to file for unemployment, she discovered someone had fraudulently filed a claim in her name. Collins told the council that she still hadn’t heard back from the agency about the fraud as of mid-February. Another resident, Jasmine Pressey, spent two years seeking the benefits she was due. After she applied three times in 2020, sent three follow-up emails, and called the agency multiple times, DOES representatives told her they had no evidence she’d ever contacted them. The agency denied having a pandemic unemployment assistance claim from Pressey until she provided the confirmation number. Late last year, still denying Pressey had contacted DOES in 2020, the agency asked her to submit her phone logs from a year and a half earlier to prove she’d called them. “People are on unemployment for a short time, but DOES’s actions have lifelong impacts,” Pressey testified.

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Screenshot of D.C. DOES hearing on Zoom

During the committee’s second performance oversight hearing, Morris-Hughes acknowledged the burden that situations like Pressey’s impose on workers. “We did not intentionally create a situation or a set of circumstances to add on to any additional hardship,” she said, pledging that DOES will ensure all D.C. workers get the benefits they are entitled to. Silverman said complaints about back-and-forth experiences with DOES are common. Several workers have reported sending in paperwork multiple times — only for DOES to say it doesn’t have it — or having to wait weeks to hear back from the agency. DOES seems to resolve issues, Silverman acknowledged, when claimants obtain assistance from her office or contact the director directly. “But if not, you end up in this purgatory,” she said. “And that’s not delivering effective and efficient government service.”

Confusing customer service Complaints about the quality of service have made it to the courts. On Jan. 5, the Legal Aid Society and Alston & Bird LLP filed a complaint in D.C. Superior Court alleging the District has “systematically violated the rights of DC workers filing for unemployment benefits,” according to a press release. The suit argues D.C. is depriving workers of the right to contest the denial of benefits by providing incomplete or delayed notices. The four plaintiffs all say they did not receive the required explanation for why DOES ruled them ineligible or stopped their benefits. They are seeking back benefits, as well as a ruling by the court that would “prohibit the District from denying, terminating, or offsetting unemployment benefits in the future without providing a written rationale,” according to the press release. When denying an application for benefits, DOES is supposed to send a written notice that includes the rationale. Jenkins said several claimants never received these notices, received them months later, or received them only with the help of an organization like Legal Aid. While any claimant who is denied benefits is technically allowed to file an appeal with the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), it’s difficult to succeed without knowing the reason for the denial, Jenkins said. “What happens is our clients just get trapped with OAH without that initial determination from DOES,” Jenkins said. “This whole time they’re reaching out to [DOES] trying to figure out why they were denied. Because they have no written determination, they’re not getting the money that they need.”

These issues did not originate with the pandemic and have been problems reported to Legal Aid since 2017, Jenkins said. Silverman said she has heard repeated complaints about poor customer service — that DOES employees misdirect claimants, lose claims, and provide inconsistent instructions. The outcry has continued, she said, despite the agency’s claims it has increased customer service training and created a “culture of excellence.” Silverman described it as the kind of issue that might make her inclined to bang her “head against the wall” out of frustration. “We have brought this up a lot,” she said in an interview. “There is a clear pattern that claimants are not being given consistent answers, which says to me that there’s a standard operating procedure issue and that there’s a training issue.” Both DOES leadership and Silverman agree on the challenge of delivering solid customer service in the early days of the pandemic. The agency was rapidly bringing on employees, including volunteers from other sectors of the government — including Silverman herself for a time. But as claims slowed, Morris-Hughes said, the agency has repeatedly trained employees in its unemployment insurance division, bringing in a quality assurance team and creating a training program called UI University. She also testified that so far in fiscal year 2022, 90% of non-unemployment insurance calls to DOES were ranked as highly satisfactory. She did not provide a percentage for calls focused on unemployment insurance. “The answers that you’re giving sound great, but they don’t jibe with what we’re hearing from claimants,” Silverman told Morris-Hughes at the hearing, referring to the increased customer service training. Silverman wants to see standardized protocols in the call center, with claims tracked efficiently and employees trained in standard resolutions. To do this, she suggested DOES bring in outside help to train call center employees. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s budget, released March 16, includes $780,000 to modernize the DOES call center. According to testimony from Morris-Hughes at a March 28 budget oversight hearing, this money will allow DOES to hire 10 employees for quality assurance and to create a modern platform to manage calls. Silverman expressed concern this would not improve overall service quality. “We have a lot of people who work for the agency who work really hard, but it’s like they’re handcuffed because they have outdated systems. They don’t have modern approaches to technology, and I think there could be more leadership when it comes to communication,” Silverman said in an interview. In addition to the quality of customer service, Silverman and advocates expressed concern about the way DOES communicates

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with claimants. The agency used to accept initial benefits applications over the phone but stopped during the pandemic as a fraud prevention measure. Morris-Hughes said the change means that identity verification takes place in person or online, adding that only a few states still accept initial claims over the phone. Both Jenkins and Silverman urged DOES to resume accepting initial applications over the phone. Would-be applicants may have inconsistent internet access, and applying in person requires workers to arrange for transportation, advocates said in explaining the extreme impact of the change for many would-be applicants. “Eliminating telephone access places an unnecessary barrier in the way of receiving benefits and ultimately puts low-income workers at greater risk of foreclosure, homelessness, and collateral consequences of job loss,” Jenkins said at the hearing. Meanwhile, the long-awaited modernization of the UI benefits computer system will take longer to implement than planned. In last year’s budget support act, the council called for DOES to finish the overhaul of the current system, which is over 40 years old, by the end of September 2022. Morris-Hughes said at the hearing she never promised she could meet that deadline, and no vendors could commit to having anything ready before February 2023, the new tentative release date. Silverman expressed frustration at this delay, especially since she has been pushing the agency to develop a new system since the 2008 recession, around the time she started working as communications director and policy analyst at the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute. At the start of the pandemic, when a broad array of workers sought unemployment assistance, many applicants were shocked to find a system that was optimized for the discontinued Microsoft Explorer browser and that would not work on smartphones. The outdated operating system also meant that relatively minor updates took weeks or even months to implement. “We cannot go through another recession or even another year with an unemployment system that to make a small change takes weeks on weeks,” Silverman said at the Feb. 14 oversight hearing, adding that applicants need to be able to access the system on their phone and view changes in real-time, neither of which they can do with the current system. “That, I have to say, was disappointing,” she said of the February 2023 timeline. This article is co-published with The DC Line

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NEWS

Inside a Kyiv homeless hostel: ‘Two weeks ago we were helping homeless people. Now we help everyone’ LIAM GERAGHTY The Big Issue (UK)

The hostel in Kyiv opened in November 2021 and was part of efforts that Pomogi Bezdomnomu says saved fives lives during the winter. Photo by Pomogi Bezdomnomu

he work of homelessness charity Pomogi Bezdomnomu saved the lives of five people in Kyiv during the last freezing winter – now, like everyone else in Ukraine, saving lives is a day-to-day necessity. The small grassroots organization, whose name translates in English from Ukrainian to Help the Homeless, celebrated its sixth birthday on Feb. 20. Four days later Russian forces invaded Ukraine. “My first reaction to hearing about the invasion was deep confusion,” says Olga Romenska, Pomogi Bezdomnomu's co-founder, from Kyiv. “My employer wrote that the office would not be open today. We knew that there had been multiple Russian troops near the border, and it was still hard to believe that this absurd war could really begin in the 21st century.” Romenska originally decided she wanted to help people living on the streets of the Ukrainian capital six years ago and penned a social media post about it. Marketing specialist Romenska expected “a lot of likes and nothing more,” but friends and colleagues responded, and they started offering food out to anyone who needed it. The first time they set up a soup kitchen, they were about to close up when a small queue of 20 people suddenly appeared. After five years of paying to help people into accommodation, the charity opened its own hostel in November last year, providing shelter for 21 people through the winter. By this February Romenska and her team were distributing hot lunches, medicines and anything else people needed to

survive on the streets. The small queue of 20 people was now 10 times bigger. On a Saturday Pomogi Bezdomnomu fed about 200 people, and another 100 people every Monday. On Feb. 15 the charity gave one of the residents a job in helping to run the hostel. Now six years of work — and the lives of Romenska and the people she supports — are in jeopardy. The hotel is still running with 14 people living there as Russian artillery continues to hit Kyiv and ground forces grow closer. But the vital life-saving work Pomogi Bezdomnomu does on the streets is on pause, as it is too dangerous to be outside in the war-torn city. This danger was underlined by reports that 10 people were killed in the northern city of Chernihiv while waiting in line for bread, according to the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv “For the first time since our organization was founded we had to stop distributing food the way we used to,” adds Romenska. “First, it is not clear how to do it safely under the conditions of a real war. Second, some of our volunteers evacuated their families. We did not stop working during the pandemic but we had to stop at that moment. This decision was very hard to make and I am really sorry that our guests are deprived of our support now.” It is unknown how many people were homeless in Ukraine before Russian forces invaded the country. Estimates from NGOs including the Ukrainian Social Fund Partnership put the figure at around 200,000 in 2015, but even at the time that was considered an underestimate. As one of the poorest

countries in Europe with an unemployment rate around 10% and around 1.5 million people living below the poverty line, the likelihood is that figure was a lot higher. But one thing is for certain, the conflict with Russia has driven even more people from their homes. The annexation of Crimea and the Donbas conflict in 2014 led to Ukraine becoming one of the countries with the highest number of internally displaced people in the world, with around 1.5 million losing their homes. Now the Russian invasion, so far, has seen around three million people flee Ukraine to find safety. It's a humanitarian crisis both at home and abroad, and one that is forcing Romenska and her remaining colleagues to adapt. “It is unfortunate that instead of working, developing and benefiting the most vulnerable, we have been forced to cut aid,” she adds. “Now we are trying to restructure the work so as to return this assistance at least to some extent. The immediate plans are to support the hostel and resume lunches for the homeless in some form. As we used to prepare hot lunches for the guests of the distribution, we also prepared them for the armed forces.” Brave frontline workers for Depaul International are also running shelters in Odessa and Kharkiv, the latter the secondlargest city in Ukraine, which has faced sustained bombing since the conflict began. Father Vitaliy Novak, chair of the trustees for Depaul Ukraine, has been organising the response and driving trucks filled with vital aid around the country, despite danger lurking around every turn.

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Pomogi Bezdomnomu is now distributing food to the armed forces defending Ukraine. Photo by Pomogi Bezdomnomu

“Two weeks ago I was organizing and working for homeless people in different cities of Ukraine. And now there is need across the whole of Ukraine and my life has changed completely,” says Father Novak. “In this war time every human being needs first of all a secure place to live, first of all safety, first of all food, to have water to drink, medical care. Now this is just what we see for everybody who is in the cities who are still under bombing. They have all these needs every day, every hour and every second. “We don't have to learn something to take care of them. We just need to have resources.” The resources Depaul does have are now centered on helping people who have been displaced by the conflict. The charity is working to fund emergency heating centers and provide food and access to outreach workers to those living on the streets as the situation worsens and more people need their support every day. Father Novak says: “We are trying to organize as much as possible to bring people, especially in the hot points in east Ukraine, to safety. There are thousands of people who are living underground in the metro underground in Kharkiv for a second week. We want to reach these people as much as possible.” Depaul is also operating at the Slovakian border — around 500 miles from Kyiv — where more than 200,000 refugees have fled to safety. The Slovak government has announced that all Ukraine refugees escaping the conflict can enter the country, even without valid travel documents. But that wasn't possible initially and led to long queues at the border, Juraj Barát, deputy director of Depaul Slovakia, says. “It was terrible for people with children – there were no toilets, and we were lucky that it was not raining. It was freezing and still is freezing overnight, and people had to wait there,” he recalls. “On the first day it was 10 or 12 hours waiting there, which

was not very pleasant after a long, long journey to the border. People were afraid, for example, to go to the toilet or to get food because they didn't want to lose their place.” The situation meant that Depaul were forced to quickly switch from providing social homelessness services in Slovakia to offering humanitarian aid. That meant venturing into Ukraine to provide support with aid deliveries every couple of days. Now Barát's team is working on long-term solutions, too, including introducing Ukrainian refugees to the “Slovak version of Housing First.” Depaul has been developing the model offering housing alongside support during the pandemic. But Barát admits it is a difficult process compared to countries like Finland, where the model is established as the Slovak social system “is not ready to fully support people on the street.” “We are a social service provider, not a humanitarian organisation, but we are transforming now,” says Barát. “We had to push a little bit aside our own services. We were under pressure after Covid, it was exhausting for us, and we had just started to recover slightly and this happened. Now after weeks of war, we are recruiting new people and we are creating this new branch of humanitarian aid. “People at Depaul are creative and open to do risky work. Working with homeless people, it has certain level of risk as well, so it is part of our job. It was not very hard to persuade people to go into Ukraine, we just asked who is willing and people raised their hands. “We know these people personally. So, for us, it was it was it was not a hard choice. We are happy to have done it.” There is no telling how long the conflict in Ukraine will last. But despite the horrors of war and the traumatic, gruelling work to help people, there is still defiance among people who have devoted their lives to helping others on the street. Ukraine's spirit has not been broken. “The heroes are the army and all the people who stay for Ukraine. They don't want to give up. Everybody is now united and doing everything possible to protect our homeland,” says

Father Novak. “We stand firm, keeping our homeless shelters and services going, taking it in turns to visit and staying safe so we can keep supporting people. It is more important than ever before. We will not leave until we have no other choice.” It's a message that Romaneska repeats from Kyiv. “We are absolutely confident that our armed forces are professional enough, our territorial defence forces are organized enough and we all are motivated enough to keep Ukraine independent and democratic and make the enemy forget its plans to invade our country.” How you can help • Depaul International is now only seeking cash donations to fund its work in Ukraine after being inundated with donations of material goods. To contribute to the fund, head to int.depaulcharity.org/fundraising-for-depaulukraine/ • Pomogi Bezdomnomu is encouraging supporters to send funds to the Ukrainian army fighting to resist the Russian invasion. Head to comebackalive.in.ua for more details. • To contribute to the Disaster Emergency Committee [DEC] appeal go to dec.org.uk/appeal/ukrainehumanitarian-appeal Translation by Sergei Vasin Courtesy of the International Network of Street Papers / The Big Issue UK bigissue.com @BigIssue

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OPINION

Please, remember history and stay out of Ukraine AIDA PEERY

It’s very heart-wrenching how Vladimir Putin has launched a preemptive strike against Ukrainian people. However, I agree with President Biden that we shouldn’t impose a no-fly zone, nor should we send American soldiers into a Ukrainian civil war. We are all aware that President Volodymyr Zelensky is not a strategic war planner. If he were, Ukrainian residents would have evacuated and sheltered away before Putin could have done all that damage he has done from February up to now. President Biden has repeatedly told Zelensky that a no-fly zone could provoke the Russians into a World War III, which could mean starting a nuclear war! Nobody wants that to happen at all! At least, I don’t want a nuclear war to happen. Now, some folks don’t know American history. They might not remember President John Kennedy sent in a few troops into Vietnam’s civil war, which turned into an outright war, and we lost that war to the communists!

In a video message to the U.S. Congress, Zelensky pleaded with America’s federal government to intervene against the madman Putin. We just got out of a war in the Middle East that lasted two decades and ended up giving the Taliban back a country we freed from them! President Biden and Congress need to stand firm and only do what the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is supposed to do for its allies. Let’s not forget what happened in Vietnam! Just a suggestion: Ukraine really needs some troops to fight against the Russians. I wouldn’t mind if we sent all the Freedom Convoy truckers and a few warmongers over there. But keep our draft doors closed! Aida Peery is a vendor program associate with Street Sense Media.

Why intervening in Ukraine would backfire on the US WENDELL WILLIAMS

For all you saber rattlers calling out "we've got to stop Vladimir Putin" from invading Ukraine, I want to ask, with whose children? My friend lost his 19 year old son in Iraq. All these years later after all the "thanks for your service" and flag waving has faded he still wonders: Was it even worth it? If you believe so strongly in stopping Putin, sign up your firstborn and send them off to Eastern Europe. Historically, U.S. intervention — or the lack thereof — has been inconsistent. In 1994, America stood by during the genocide in Rwanda while hundreds of thousands of people were killed. Could it have been about race? African Americans have a saying: "When you say it ain't about race, it means it is about race." We are watching reports coming out of Ukraine of mistreatment of Black and Brown foreigners seeking to flee. Each day on network news we see babies amid bombings, but almost no coverage is devoted to the mixed race children who are just left to kindness of others. Besides, what did we think the Kremlin was going to do? I am 71 and remember U.S. officials losing their minds when the Cubans aligned themselves with the Soviet Union in the 1960s. The fear of Soviet missiles just 90 miles away drove this country crazy. We practiced those same air raid drills that Ukraine's children now rehearse, getting under desks as if it would make a difference in a nuclear attack. We even blockaded Cuba, and unsuccessfully financed an invasion at the Bay of Pigs. Now imagine how Russia might feel with NATO forces and missiles at their borders. It’s as if there were Chinese troops in Canada. While I don't agree with Putin’s actions, I can understand them. And let there be no doubt -- this talk of war could set off a similar spark like the one that started

the “war to end all wars.” World War I was supposed to make the world safe for democracy. Please let’s not test that proposition again. I agree this is a humanitarian crisis. But I want America to understand that our hawkish attitude toward Russia will only cause more lives to be lost. And for what? Many military strategists have said the Ukrainians can't defeat the Russians in the end, but we stand on the sidelines, cheering them on to the destruction of their way of life. Some revel in the fact that they have stalled the Russian advance. I see a protracted East vs. West proxy war, almost like the Crips vs. the Bloods. In the end, Ukrainians will agree to a peace treaty, but not before their country has been reduced to rubble. There will be no jobs, housing or infrastructure as they once knew it. There will be no winner, only mothers on both sides grieving. If you need some proof of what these "wars" do, look no further than Iraq, Lebanon, Bosnia, and Libya. Think how those countries look now — in the end nobody truly wins. I wish someone would share with the Ukrainian President the Civil War story of how Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Ulysses S. Grant, saving lives, realizing that he couldn't win with fewer than 25,000 men after starting with 135,000. I never thought I'd praise a Confederate General, but Lee felt it was far more important to save his mens’ lives than to fight on in search of an unlikely victory. We think Ukrainians have to stand up to the bully, but doing so will leave those who survive with nothing to come home to. Wendell Williams is a vendor with Street Sense Media.

How the war in Ukraine can impact the low-income population in D.C. and nationwide KENRICK THOMAS

While much of America has moved on, nonprofits are still battling the effects of the pandemic. These organizations serve people who are experiencing increased food insecurity and who are struggling to maintain a consistent income. Meanwhile, nonprofits themselves are grappling with problems like running out of food, not having enough staff, and going over budget due to supply chain shortages and a lack of support from the federal government. Now Russia’s war against Ukraine could add significantly more pressure. During the first five months of the pandemic, 35% of nonprofits saw increased demand for services, and 37% percent decreased their staff due to COVID-19, according to a survey conducted by accounting firm BDO. Overall, 75% of nonprofits reported that COVID-19 negatively impacted their organization. The pandemic's negative effects on direct service nonprofits diminished their abilities to aid the unhoused population and other underserved communities, including in Washington, D.C. The war in Ukraine could create new hurdles for the low income population due to the increase in gas prices. In March, gas prices hit their highest in more than a decade in the D.C. area, averaging more than $4 a gallon, according to data from GasBuddy.com. High gas prices can

raise the cost of essential goods, which can limit access to those items for people experiencing homelessness and low-income people. If this continues, and low-income people and families can’t afford gas, how will they access food and other resources? Maybe someone has a doctor's appointment but has no way to get there. Nonprofit organizations might need to transport food to more people. The federal government needs to assist now before it gets worse. To offset high gas prices, additional funding should be available for the nonprofit organizations helping the low income population. This will help with staffing support and access to food, and also provide cash assistance to clients. Low income people are often left out whenever the United States faces crises like pandemics and wars. This time the federal government should be proactive to keep them from becoming collateral damage. Kenrick Thomas is a Maryland-based reader of Street Sense.

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Free expressions BY BRIANNA BUTLER Artist/Vendor

I was finessly planted in the spring. Rain graciously pours on my head, and I drink it in nourishment throughout my inside sketches. My arms spread out to exalt God with joy! My branches spring forth a great deal of white flowers all over me. They bloom with eagerness towards the sun and put on a show, dazzling the eye. It desires to uplift you in the spirit. I dance to the sounds of the wind. My roots are enchanted and strong and cannot be moved. Over me, soars a hawk, looking for prey. He sees it from a distance, a distance we

wish to see from. He got his fill gliding down, then stopped to rest on me. Under me, a little gray squirrel with a fluffy tail plays all over me. I protect him with my branches so no one can see him. I support his family with my trunk, giving him a sense of comfort and stability. We are made for each other: living, loving and supporting our family of life. DANIEL BALL Artist/Vendor

Lifeline BY LEVESTER GREEN

Artist/Vendor

Lately, Street Sense has been my lifeline, keeping me going during this food stamps shortage. I’ve been surviving with gift cards and publishing opportunities. Street Sense has been giving me a chance at surviving and not starving. I still have to go to Martha’s Table daily and grab snack bags from All Saints in Chevy Chase Circle. Gift cards are only $20 a month. And the publishing opportunities provide me a stipend to buy cash items that even the food stamps wouldn’t cover once every week. That is if you’re even fortunate enough to be selected. I’m just glad and happy about it. I was in a bit of a shakey rotation before. I’d be sat out at times twice maybe once a month being featured. It made me understand how our former vendor Baby Alice could fall out to her death over the Christmas break that year due to a lack of support and shelter to get through it! I had seen the slow defeat initiate as she slowly sauntered out of the Street Sense Media offices closed that final

day, before the break. She had been playing videos. Something I noticed because it’s something I still do myself from time to time. I could now understand how former vendor Duane could go for a major hostile takeover of Street Sense’s longstanding Tenleytown spot by CVS, and start up his own publication. It was survival! It made me count my blessings even more that I now have a place that I can call home. It gave me the outlook of “If he wanted that spot that bad then good.” That was the trade-off for me! I’d rather have my place than that spot 24/7, ya dig!? I only wish I had the assistance of the other churches of Chevy Chase Circle that provided canned goods. Good ones too! They still haven’t reopened since the pandemic took place. Took over and took place seems to be the theme...

CARLOS CAROLINA

CHRIS COLE Artist/Vendor

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ART

When a social justice warrior meets Alex Jones (A fictional short story) BY JEFFERY MCNEIL Artist/Vendor

It’s early morning, Cappuccino (Cappy, known by friends) rises

from his king-sized bed. Cappy lives in a plush condo in an affluent suburb in Arlington, Va. He is 38 years old, single and a video programmer. While many envy his privileged lifestyle, he feels guilt about his success. He’s a Roman Catholic and feels he lives in sin. To the outside world, he’s pleasant and courteous. However, he struggles with his success and excess. Today, Cappy has a big decision to make. He plays golf at the Chevy Chase Golf club or has Sauvignon Blancs with frittatas at the Lafayette on 16th street. As he agonizes over his decision, he decides to stop at his favorite coffee shop, Cafe Du Blanc, to order his morning Cortado and avocado toast. Cappy is a warrior for social justice. While there are many causes he’s committed to, what set his heart flutter is animal rights activism to the extreme. He wants meat banned and has zero tolerance for meat-eaters. While waiting for his morning meal, CNN is overhead, and today’s coverage is about Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Cappy also suffers from stage four Trump Derangement to the point his face turns beat red and uncontrollable rage with the mentioning of his name. As Cappy’s meal arrived, a decision was made to play golf. As he sips his morning coffee and avocado toast, out of the corner of his eye, he sees a burly man with a southern drawl. He’s not wearing a mask with a T-shirt saying “Trump Won” He’s seated in a booth next to him. Seething in rage, Cappy was curious. He overheard the conversation between the burly man and the waitress, asking her, “Is there any meat? I’m from Texas and can’t stand these avocado toast people.” She giggled, suggesting the Belly Buster, an open-faced sandwich with salted, ham, roast, beef with turkey. She also convinced him to add brown gravy over home fries and apple cobbler. The final straw for Cappy was when he said, turn the “commie bullsh*t” off and turn it to the Moose Hunter. The opening scene was the hunter and his son camping in the Adirondacks. The father teaches his son how to shoot his semi-automatic. He shows him to aim for the lungs, so he bleeds out without ruining the meat. Then they use a flipping knife to skin it, then carve the meat into cubes for a moose meal. Cappy was at his limit. Seeing an animal shot carved, and eaten was torture. He screams, “I’m a vegan and animal rights activist, and I’m witnessing animal cruelty.” The burly man says “Bug Off” and return to your soy latte. Civilization has been eating meat for millions of years and some of the greatest men such as Genghis Khan and Napolean eat meat. If eating meat is offensive then you shouldn’t eat in a place serving meat.” Then his meal comes and he washes it down with a whole milk protein shake. Cappy tried to contain his Trump Derangement, but the burly man was getting his goad. He began to interrogate him to see if he was a racist, sexist, misogynist bigot that’s against climate change. He begins asking, “why aren’t you following CDC protocol

Photo by Le Buzz // Unsplash.com

and coming here without a mask?” The man said, “I don’t believe in this Shamdemic. It’s the height of stupidity to believe that a shot can help you live forever.” Thinking he would embarrass the burly man, in an act of self-righteousness, Cappy pulls out his vaccine card to let everyone know he’s fully vaccinated. “Where’s yours?” he says. Now everyone is looking at the two argue. The burly man says in a few words “My Body My Choice” Now the whole restaurant is watching this debate, Cappy goes for the kill shot lambasting him for being an anti-vax Trump supporter. Little did he know the man he was arguing with was Alex Jones. Jones lit into him, telling him about the New World Order Agenda 21, Klaus Schwab and Biden wet his pants. Being out of his safe space bubble Cappy didn’t know what to do. Jones wouldn’t wear a mask, he’s unvaccinated, he’s not going along with Biden’s agenda and he was eating meat in front of him. Cappy, who spent years being intolerant to those that strayed from liberal orthodoxy, now ran into someone he couldn’t muscle or move. The customers wanted this social justice crusader to put

this obnoxious Texan in his place. But Alex Jones stunned the audience and red-pilled many that sided with Cappy. Cappy’s fragile feelings and a wounded pride were hurt. He passed playing golf to go back to his plush condo to wash down a few martinis and prescription drugs. In the end, Cappy learned a lesson. Whatever begins in anger ends in shame.

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Street Sense

View

MELODY BYRD Artist/Vendor

BY JACQUELINE TURNER Artist/Vendor

Can you buy some Street Sense papers? Four Food Groups: Vegetables, Fruit, Meat, Bread

My love goes on forever– My heart is open for different views; my faith endures forever. I try to be a Christian; I want to help people that I can; I want to save someone from pain. My heart is open for different views: I like to see people happy; I like for people to be without need. My love goes on forever– I know there are different kinds of people in the world, but God looks out for all My faith endures forever more–

My teacher taught me at school about four food groups. They said, “are you good at seeing, hearing, Taste, smellings, feel?” Yes, I am good at senses and food, because I am better at the four food groups.

Numbers

Bleeding heart

BY FREDERIC JOHN Artist/Vendor

BY DANIEL BALL Artist/Vendor

Twelve days of Christmas, Fifty-cent, Three hundred Spartans, Five hundred issues of Street Sense! Twenty-five thousand days of recovery – And (in Flower Drum Song): One hundred million miracles, still counting!

One time in my life my heart was bleeding too. Now, there is salt in your mouth. Next, you tell me the city was bleeding. Yes or no? Now, you want to talk about how your sister’s warm chair kept you warm. Thank you, Thomas, for class.

My mind is racing This poem is inspired by Carmen Gimenez Smith’s “My heart is bleeding”

BY CARLOS CAROLINA Artist/Vendor

My mind is racing, pacing faster Than before, I’m seeing different lives I may have lived, while altering the one that I own. My mind is racing– Am I in the past, or am I On a journey of life or just Thinking fast? Am I seeing Through the eyes of people, Who was misled by hate and evil? My mind is racing, Thinking fast, wishing That these thoughts would pass. My mind is racing on the go, As the world is moving slow; Sometimes, it hurts to know

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the Truth, and still not know what’s Right to do. My mind is racing, thinking more, As I spin through this revolving Door, waiting for the time to come, when the world goes back to peace and love, My mind is racing steady thinking of ways to save a falling nation.

Mental illness

Death sentence

MARCUS MCCALL Artist/Vendor

REDBOOK MANGO Artist/Vendor

I am trapped inside a mind that isn’t mine. With a tornado of thoughts swarming around me shouting “I’m Bad;

God is so good to us You got 24 seconds Repent your life God’s your medicine Count your blessin’ Learn your lesson In this life you will always be tested – (Test yo self)

I’m Worthless.” I’ve got nothing to give the thoughts crash through my brain and spill all over my body weighing down every muscle I have. I can’t Move I’m exhausted I feel numb all inside, yet the tornado keeps swarming around the mind that isn’t mine.

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OnlineCrosswords.net This is the Daily Crossword Puzzle #3 for Jan 25, 2022

FUN & GAMES

Find the solution at https://onlinecrosswords.net/8829

Across Across

1. Zwei 1. Zwei cubedcubed 5. Appliance 5. Appliance store store array, array, perhaps perhaps Novice Sudoku Puzzles, Volume 1, Book 2 11. Gold units: Abbr. 11. Gold units: Abbr. 14. “Aeneid” city 14. "Aeneid" city 15. Oscar Wilde play 15. Oscar Wilde play 16. It might be tipped 16. It might be tipped 17. 1944 58-Across film, with “The” 17. 1944 58-Across film, 19. John Smith preceder? with "The" 20. Romulus, vis-à-vis Rome 19. John Smith preceder? 21. Chesapeake Bay nester 20. Romulus, vis-à-vis Rome 23. Pianist Claudio 21. Chesapeake Bay nester 25. Comment on a library 23. Pianist Claudio volume?: Var. 25. Comment on a library Novice Sudoku Puzzles, Volume 1, Book 2 27. Popular chip volume?: Var. 28. Trips Sudoku #1 Sudoku #2 27. Popular chip 30. 1988 NFL MVP 28. Trips 8 5 4 1 2 9 6 3 7 5 7 8 1 4 9 6 3 2 32. Birthplace 58-Across 30. 1988 of NFL MVP 1 2 6 5 3 7 4 8 9 2 6 935. 8Little 5 1 4of 58-Across 7 stinger 32.3Birthplace 36. Cedar avoiders 35. Little stinger 9 7 3 4 8 6 1 2 5 3 1 4 7 6 2 9 5 8 37. Part a portfolio 36. of Cedar avoiders 5 3 1 2 9 4 7 6 8 8 5 7 6 9 3 2 1 4 40. 1939 58-Across film 37. Part of a portfolio 7 4 2 6 5 8 3 9 1 6 3 244. 4Loiters 5 8 9 film 1 7 40. 1939 58-Across 47. Niobe’s husband Amphion,e.g. 44. Loiters 6 9 8 7 1 3 5 4 2 4 9 1 2 8 7 3 6 5 48. “__ 47.business!” Niobe's husband 4 8 9 3 7 5 2 1 6 7 8 549. 3Lao-tzu’s 2 6 e.g. 4 9 1 5.Down Part of AARP: Abbr. 37. Long-distance relationship Amphion,“way” 2 6 7 8 4 1 9 5 3 1 4 652. 9Is48. 5 2 3 7"__8business!" durable 6. 1992 bankruptcy declarer complaint 1. Bread machine? 41. They may be grand 18. Kid 53. Loser’s catchword 7. College fund-raising targets 38. Inaction 49. Lao-tzu's "way" 3 1 5 9 6 2 8 7 4 9 2 3 5 1 4 8 7 6 2. French vineyard 42. Hose material 22. Go straight to the © 2013 KrazyDad.com 55. Digs outdurable the coffee, maybe 8.3.Negative link 39. Myrmecologist’s study 52. Is top? Self-government 43. Arrangement in folds 57. Piece 9.4.Schoolyard retort 40. Norwegian saint 53. Loser's catchword 23. "It's only __" Middle ears 44. Whatsis Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 55. Digs the coffee, bornout 2/10/1906 10. Thinks it expedient grand 3-by-3 block contain Sudoku #3 all of the digits 1 thru 9. Sudoku58. #4Actor 24. Libertine41. They may be45. 5. Part of AARP: Abbr. Total maybeopening 62. Lateral 11. 58-Across role in 17-Across 42. Hose material 26. "Psycho" actress, 6. 1992 bankruptcy 46. 58-Across role in 40If you 8 5 463. 3Less 7 1 6 9 4 use5logic2 you8 can9solve3 the1puzzle 6 without 7 guesswork. 2 57. Piece challenging 12. Start enjoying 43. ArrangementAcross in folds 1998 declarer Need 58.8Actor 4 32/10/1906 7 3 5The7hints6page2 shows 8 a4logical order to solve the puzzle.9 2 164. 6Fork 9 a little 1 help? site5 born 13. visit Whatsis 29. Amiens 44. is its capital 50. Computer acronym 7. Extend Collegeone’s fund-raising Use it to identify the next square you should solve. Or use the answers page 62. Lateral opening if you really get stuck. 65. Canonized mlle. 18. Kid 45. Total fiber targets 31. Agave 51. Rust relative 7 2 8 5 6 7 8 4 2 1 5 3 9 6 3 4 9 1 >> This crossword 63. Less challenging 66. Story connectors 22. straightlink to the top? 40-Across 33. Humid 46. 58-Across role 8. Go Negative 54.inPrecisely puzzle’s answers: 1 9 2 764.3Fork 8 5 4 6 1 9 6 3 5 4 8 7 2 site or its seat 67. Arizona county 23. “It’s only __” 50. Computer acronym 34. Flight coordinators: 9. Schoolyard retort 56. Galley crew tinyurl.com/SSM4 9 7mlle. 2 4 7 9 1 8 6 5 3 5 8 6 265.1Canonized 3 24. Libertine 51. Rust relative59. Code-breaking org. Abbr. 10. Thinks it expedient cross-03-30-2022 26. “Psycho” actress, 1998 54. Precisely 60. Road block 11. 58-Across role in 17- 37. Long-distance 3 4 7Down 566.6Story 9 connectors 8 3 5 7 6 2 4 9 1 1 8 2 67. Arizona county or its 29. Amiens is its capital 56. Galley crew 61. Nutrition no. relationship complaint Across << LAST 5 2 4 6 3 9 7 1 8 2 3 8 1seat 7 6 9 5 38. Inaction59. Code-breaking org. 1. Bread4 machine? 31. Agave 12. Startfiber enjoying EDITION’S 7 1 92. French 8 5 vineyard 7 8 9 1 4 5 3 2 6 6 3 2 4 39. Myrmecologist's 33. Humid 60. Road block 13. Extend one's visit PUZZLE study 3. Self-government 34. Flight coordinators: Abbr. 61. Nutrition no. SOLUTION 4 6 5 9 2 3 7 1 8 3 6 1 2 8 7 9 4 5 40. Norwegian saint 4. Middle ears

Sudoku #4

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

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

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

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

4 1

9 2 8 5 6

3 7

5 1 7 3 9 6 1

4 8 5 2 9 6

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

Nice going, sweetheart. -- Joe Patroni

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

4 2 8

3 5 9

3 2

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

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

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

3 9 5 4 2 6 1 8

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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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

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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

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

JOB BOARD Retail Sales Associate

Wegmans Food Market // 3900 Wisconisin Ave, NW,

Full-Time/Part-time // From $16/50 per hour Wegmans is hiring for a variety of positions in all areas for their new store on Wisconsin Avenue that will open in Spring 2022. REQUIRED: Must be over 18 and available for training beginning Spring 2022. APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/ WegmansWisconsinAve

Canine Playroom Attendant Dogtoipia // L1232 9th St. NW

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

Full-time/Part-time // From $12 per hour

Thrive DC // 202-737-9311 1525 Newton St., NW thrivedc.org

APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/CaninePlayroom

Care for dogs in Dogtopia’s award-winning

dog daycare, providing them with love and attention in a safe and fun play environment. REQUIRED: Must be over 18 and love dogs

Laundry Attendant 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

Cambria Suites Washington City Market // 899 O St NW

Full-time // Evenings // $21-$28K per year Operate and monitor washing, dry cleaning

and drying machinery in order to keep hotel clean and sparkling. REQUIRED: Must be able to move, lift, carry, push, pull, and place objects weighing less than or equal to 25 pounds without assistance. APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/CambriaLaundry

Front Counter Associate A Baked Joint // 430 K St NW

Full-time // [Days, if known] // $17-$20 per 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

hour // 8 hour shift

Front Counter Associate will assist customers, input orders and handle transactions, among others responsibilities. REQUIRED: Must have flexible schedule and weekend availability APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/ BakedJointFrontCounter

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

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

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

// 1 5

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