05.18.2022 by Street Sense Media

VOL. 19 ISSUE 26

MAY 18-24, 2022

Real Stories

suggested donation goes directly to your vendor

Real People

Real Change

“My body! My choice!” Thousands march for abortion rights in the District Inside this edition: - What will happen to PEP-V? - Latest news on the city budget - Photo Essay on recent march - Art, Poetry and More! STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

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BUSINESS MODEL

How It Works

Street Sense Media publishes the newspaper

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.

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VENDORS Abel Putu, Abraham Aly, Aida Peery, Amina Washington, 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, Chris Sellman, Conrad Cheek, Corey Sanders, Cortney Signor, Daniel Ball, David Snyder, Debora Brantley, Don Gardner, 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, Joshua Faison, Juliene Kengnie, Justin Blakey, Katrina Arninge, Kenneth Middleton, Kym Parker, Lawrence Autry, Levester Green, Malcolm Scott Jr, Marcus McCall, Mark Jones, Maurice Spears, Melody Byrd, Michael Warner, Michele Rochon, Mildred M. Hall, Morgan Jones, Patricia Donaldson, Patty Smith, Phillip Black, Queenie Featherstone, Redbook Mango, Reggie Jones, Reginald Black, Reginald C. Denny, Ricardo Meriedy, Rita Sauls, Robert Warren, Rochelle Walker, Ron Dudley, Sasha Williams, Sheila White, Shuhratjon Ahmadjonov, Susan Westmoreland, Susan Wilshusen, Sybil Taylor, Warren Stevens, Wendell Williams BOARD OF DIRECTORS 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

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DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT AVAILABLE

Doris Warrell

DIRECTOR OF VENDOR PROGRAMS Darick Brown

VENDOR CODE OF CONDUCT

CASE MANAGER

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. I will treat all others, including customers, staff, volunteers, and fellow vendors, respectfully at all times. I will refrain from threatening others, pressuring customers into making donations, or engaging in behavior that condones racism, sexism, classism, or other prejudices.

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

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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

MANAGER OF ARTISTIC WORKSHOPS Maria Lares

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Will Schick

DEPUTY EDITOR Kaela Roeder

STAFF REPORTER Annemarie Cuccia

INTERNS

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

The Cover Protestors gather at the “Bans Off Our Bodies” protest at the Washington Monument. PHOTO BY SHEILA WHITE Artist/Vendor

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 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.

Hajira Fuad, Nick Pasion, Ashleigh Fields, Ingrid Holmquist, Amanda Oliver

ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE Willie Schatz (Writing), Bonnie Naradzay (Poetry), David Serota (Illustration)

ARTS EDITOR (VOLUNTEER) Austine Model

OPINION EDITORS (VOLUNTEER) Rebecca Koenig, Emily Kopp, Lydia DePillis

EDITORIAL VOLUNTEERS Ryan Bacic, Katie Bemb, Megan Boyanton, Lilah Burke, Lenika Cruz, Roberta Haber, Alison Henry, Kathryn Owens, Priya Rhoehit, Nick Shedd, Andrew Siddons, Jenny-lin Smith, Rebecca Stekol

DESIGN VOLUNTEERS

character, not through our housing situation.

Dylan Presman (Graphic Design), Julie Mazur (Graphic Design)

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NEWS IN BRIEF

AT A GLANCE

Washington Lawyers Committee to present awards to two local organizations INGRID HOLMQUIST Editorial Intern

The Washington Lawyers’ Committee recently announced the winners of this year’s Alfred McKenzie Award and Vincent E. Reed Award. Every year, the committee presents awards to recognize the work of people or organizations who have been This year’s ceremony is set to take place at the downtown JW Marriott on June 1 where the committee will honor DC Justice Lab and Digital Equity in DC Education. criminal justice reform and Digital Equity in DC Education is a parent coalition tackling the digital divide. The Alfred McKenzie award is named after a World War II veteran, who fought against racial discrimination in the military.

McKenzie was a Tuskegee Airman who later worked as a more racial discrimination. He later became the chief plaintiff in a lawsuit that would pay $2.4 million in back wages to employees passed over for promotions because of their race. This Vincent E. Reed award is named after a former D.C. principal of the predominately white Wilson High School in the seventies. Reed has made a series of reforms during his tenure as superintendent that have made long lasting impacts to public school education in the city.

for Asian American Heritage Month AMANDA OLIVER Editorial Intern

The Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs will host its 15th roundtable discussion to celebrate Asian American Heritage Month on May 26. This event, free of charge, will connect veterans with resources, organizations, and information. It will be offered in-person at the Marion Barry Building and virtually on Microsoft Teams. This discussion will highlight the achievements of Asian

Americans in the military; it will also cover challenges that the Asian American veteran community faces in D.C. MOVAroundtableMay22.

Resident group urges city to transfer land to a community land trust

VENDOR PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS • Vendors, come join us for a community celebration on Thursday, June 2, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. We will have food, awards, and a celebration of the lives of those we’ve lost. • The next Vendor Meeting will be Friday, May 27, at 2 p.m. Come give input on the design of the new vests! • New Workshop! Watercolor (painting) workshop is every Thursday at 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. • “Beat the Streets” has been changed to every Thursday at Street Sense at 3 p.m. • Papers for vaccinations? Show us your CDC card and get 15 papers for being fully vaccinated plus 10 more for being boosted.

AMANDA OLIVER Editorial Intern

Two plots of land in southwest D.C are up for sale and a local resident group is urging the city to purchase it. Located at 425 and 375 Street SW, the land has historically been used as a community gathering space. It has been the location of the DC State Fair and a local farmers market. The SW DC Action group is asking the city to purchase the land and donate it to the Douglass Community Land Trust, which would establish a chapter consisting of southwest D.C. residents to collectively oversee the land. “I’ve lived in southwest since 1976, and in recent years, the

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open lots at 375 M St. and 475 M St. SW have really been the heart of the community. We’ve gathered, celebrated, and protested in this space. If a new luxury building comes in, Thelma Jones, a volunteer member of SW Action. 475 M. Street is scheduled for redevelopment and no alternate

BIRTHDAYS Reggie Black May 23 ARTIST/VENDOR

release from the SW Action resident group.

Follow more headlines at StreetSenseMedia.org/news

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NEWS

What’s next for PEP-V? Lessons learned from DC’s pandemic-era emergency housing program SARAH TRUE The DC Line

Encampment Connecticut and Q St NW from June 2021. Photo by Sarah Watson

Dr. Catherine Crosland, medical director of emergency response sites at Unity Health Care, remembers an older man Emergency Program for Medically Vulnerable Individuals, or PEP-V, in the early days of the public health emergency. Prior to being housed in a PEP-V hotel, the man “spent his life” going back and forth between Adam’s Place shelter and its day center, lacking the resources to go anywhere else that was safe. He would traverse the alley separating the two buildings in his wheelchair, with a backpack containing his many medications slung across the back, she said. The man suffered from various debilitating health conditions. Consistently short of breath, he was a stroke survivor with congestive heart failure, Crosland says, with chronic swelling in his legs and feet as well as oozing, infected ulcers that refused to heal. Both his age and his health made him an obvious candidate for a city-funded private hotel room with steady access to meals as well as on-site health care and social workers — all in an attempt to protect unhoused and medically vulnerable people from a virus that would likely kill them. The PEP-V program, which grew to four hotels at its peak in 2021, was designed to keep individuals like Crosland’s patient out of congregate shelters and off the streets during the pandemic while providing them with wraparound care. It’s

now two years old and still going strong, but faces an uncertain future. Though Crosland knows PEP-V is “not forever,” she and other advocates say some of the lessons learned during its tenure are too critical to be abandoned and should inform how the city administers homeless services and housing programs in the future. PEP-V has helped illuminate the ways in which private, temporary housing programs — collectively known as “bridge housing” — can help people transition from shelters or the streets to permanent supportive housing, according to Christy Respress, executive director of Pathways to Housing, a homeless services provider in D.C. At the beginning of the pandemic, Pathways to Housing and Unity Health Care, a community health network that operates clinics at several D.C. shelters, joined with D.C.’s Department of Human Services, and the Interagency Council on Homelessness to conceptualize and implement PEP-V. D.C.’s PEP-V program has achieved a high success rate in getting people placed in permanent housing fairly quickly. As of May 15, 674 residents had moved into permanent housing, and 269 had been matched to a housing voucher but had not yet moved into their own place. Once D.C. added a fourth hotel in April 2021, the program’s capacity grew from more than 600 residents to over 800. PEP-V

has been federally funded with various extensions over the last two years. Funding had been set to expire on April 1 until the most recent extension was announced one month prior. There is currently no end date for Federal Emergency Management Agency funding, but it will drop to 90% as of July 1, with local funds covering the difference. One of D.C.’s PEP-V hotels – the Holiday Inn on Rhode Island Avenue NW – recently closed as the result of a “business decision” by the management company, according to an email Program Support. Residents who did not move into permanent housing prior to the closure were placed in one of the remaining three hotels, Hasan wrote.

Urgency and innovation Respress said PEP-V’s success in connecting residents with permanent housing stems largely from the stability it permanent housing as well as the process of procuring the apartment. “They’re starting off on more stable footing,” Respress you because you’re moving around just to survive,” it’s harder

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for case managers to locate their clients and complete needed steps. “It just makes much more sense that it’s going to be a faster smoother process that way, when people are stable and getting three meals a day, and having access to health care that they need,” Respress said. Pathways to Housing case manager Tisha Wright helps clients matched to Emergency Housing Vouchers, assisting them through the process of securing housing and providing continued support services thereafter. Wright said it typically takes between six weeks and six months to get clients placed in permanent housing from PEP-V, depending on each client’s particular needs and responsiveness. According to a DHS representative, the average time between receiving a housing voucher and signing a lease is four to nine months, with PEP-V residents falling on “the shorter end of that range.” Still, having a more stable platform to jump from is not the only factor that has sped up the process of moving from of federal funding from both the Coronavirus Aid, Relief,

vouchers available but also came with streamlined procedures. Respress described the reduced time it takes to get someone into permanent housing as a “phenomenal” development that The ARPA-originated EHV program — which has supplied D.C. with 707 vouchers — incentivized housing organizations, tenants and landlords alike to participate by expediting the process. Changes included reduced ID requirements and funding to cover security deposits and application fees, Respress noted that the DC Housing Authority has worked to apply many of these innovations across voucher programs, whether an individual or family is receiving an EHV, federally funded Housing Choice voucher, or a locally funded voucher — all of which cap recipients’ contribution to their monthly rent at about 30% of their income. This allows low-income residents of cities such as D.C., where housing costs are especially high, to remain stably housed. In addition to instilling added urgency among city leaders to place people experiencing homelessness into stable housing, conditions sparked by the pandemic led to other positive changes. It necessitated conducting housing inspections and shortened wait times in D.C., Respress said.

to get there Respress noted that bridge housing such as PEP-V differs from so-called “transitional housing” because it is designed to be low-barrier and is focused on harm reduction — in keeping with the approach of the widely accepted Housing First model. Transitional housing, on the other hand, typically refers to rules-based programs where residents must “prove themselves ready” for permanent housing by overcoming various hurdles such as addiction, untreated mental health issues and lack of employment. Housing First, meanwhile, is built on the premise that positive change is best achieved from a position of stability, and that people have the capacity to address challenges more effectively once housed. Housing First became best practice for housing the chronically homeless during President Barack Obama’s administration, according to Hilary Silver, professor of sociology, international affairs, and public policy and public administration at George Washington University. Nonetheless, the U.S. Department of fund shelter providers largely rooted in the charitable sector. These providers were absorbed into local “continuums of care”

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established to address a growing need for homeless services in the U.S. in the 1980s because they comprised the bulk of existing homelessness infrastructure at the time. Historically, Silver said, charitable shelter providers generally embraced the transitional “staircase method” wherein people must prove that “they’re deserving, rather than just entitled” to permanent housing. . D.C. was an early adopter of Housing First beginning in 2004 when Pathways to Housing began using the model, and it has since become foundational to the provision of most homeless services in the District, including those administered by DHS. Regardless, due to the entrenched model of an emergency shelter system embedded with other homeless services — and a wish to do away with the hoop-jumping required by traditional transitional housing — Emergency shelters and traditional notions of transitional housing have remained entrenched, however, and it took nothing short of

by recent expansions of permanent supportive housing,” as well as conducting focus groups with people experiencing homelessness, he said via email. Once HUD has approved a plan, developers will be invited to submit proposals. For her part, Crosland would like to see PEP-V continue

“Let’s face it, people were dying during COVID, and there wasn’t much that shelters could do about that, because shelters concentrated all these people who could get sick. So, what COVID did was undermine shelters, in a sense. So the search for alternatives was strengthened,” Silver said. “And so they put people in hotels and discovered that lo and behold, it’s easier to place people in permanent housing from a hotel” than from a shelter or the streets. Respress agrees that PEP-V represents yet another “creative solution” that arose from the pandemic. “It’s a great tool in our toolkit now,” she says But “it’s also very expensive, so we have to decide how to use it.” Most of the District’s funding to end homelessness should be used for permanent housing, Respress said. She envisions PEP-V continuing on a smaller scale once federal funding ends — perhaps as bridge housing for people who are “highly medically vulnerable” and waiting to be permanently housed.

to live in a community setting and tend to be more successful under those circumstances. She also predicts some cost savings in site-based housing where staff can tend to several individuals at once, versus having one home health aide for each person. Crosland calls this model “Permanent Supportive Housing Plus,” or site-based housing for a medically vulnerable population with meal service, health care and support staff on premises. She notes that Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Homeward DC 2.0 Plan to end homelessness includes the development of just such a model — a “more intensive … site-based PSH to ensure individuals with the most extensive barriers receive the supports needed,” according to the document. Crosland explains that the only current option for individuals who need and prefer this level of care is assisted living, which is more intensive and restrictive than the PEP V-like model. In addition, Medicaid-funded individuals in assisted living must contribute all but $100 of their income to pay for their care — a rule that Crosland says sometimes deters people

housing

residents would contribute a third of their income, just like other voucher recipients. When Crosland saw her now-former Adam’s Place patient a week after he moved to PEP-V, he was transformed and “looked amazing,” she says, with no shortness of breath, reduced swelling in his legs, wounds clear of infection, and his medications “lined up on his dresser where he could see them.” Nothing had changed with regard to his medical care, Crosland says — the difference was “that he had a safe place to sleep, to elevate his legs, to put his medications, and to shower.”. “That’s just an image I keep in my mind of how housing is health care,” she says.

Within the last year, DHS has expanded bridge housing in the District by contracting two local organizations — Community of Hope and Friendship Place — to provide this service to people experiencing homelessness who have already secured a housing voucher and are working with case management on housing placement. Since December 2021, the Community of Hope has operated the Bridge at Girard program in Northwest in a single room occupancy-style building for individuals or couples without children. The program’s goal is transitioning residents to permanent housing within 90 to 100 days, said Kalifia Thomas, the group’s senior director of temporary housing programs. At a DC Council budget oversight hearing on March 31, DHS Director Laura Zeilinger cited the recent creation of bridge housing as one way the successes of the PEP-V offered. She said the agency also intends to partner with the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development to develop single room occupancy housing with on-site services. In terms of the future of PEP-V itself, a DHS representative subsequently told The DC Line and Street Sense Media that discussions are “in the infancy stages and we don’t have any plans or ideas to share at this time.” DHCD received a portion of the $5 billion allocated by the ARPA to reduce homelessness and increase housing stability nationwide. Richard Livingstone, DHCD deputy chief of staff and communications director, said the agency expects to release a plan in July laying out how these funds will be used. Currently, the Interagency Council on Homelessness Housing Solutions Committee “is working through the needs of people in the homeless services system that are not met

vouchered permanent housing, where chronically homeless individuals are housed in an apartment on their own, with visits twice a month from a housing case manager who provides support. For a subset of PEP-V residents, Crosland says, this level of support is simply not enough. These individuals, while usually able to care for themselves at a basic level, typically struggle with what are called “independent activities of daily living,” or higher-order tasks such as grocery shopping, cleaning, paying bills and taking medications, which are necessary to maintain a household as well as one’s health. If they want to live alone, they might

This article was co-published with The DC Line

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PHOTO ESSAY

SHEILA WHITE Street Sense Media

“Bans Off Our Bodies” means to me that you should have the choice to choose and not be judged for having an abortion. Some people need to have an abortion for health reasons, incest or rape. Some don’t have an abortion because of their beliefs. Either way, it should be up to the individual, not the law.

Look at how people show their feelings in this shot. My deputy editor Kaela Roeder interviewed two women while I took their photo: Khristine Smith (left), 52 and Abbie Ellicott (right), 63. “We are outraged, appalled and furious,” Ellicott said. Their sign says it all.

This picture caught my eye simply because I used to be a foster parent.

This is what this event looked like. This is how a group of people can use their voices in a peaceful manner. Being there was a very moving, personal and educational adventure for me.

People of all walks of life have different feelings about abortions. I love this photo of Pat Lonardo, 72. “We can’t go back to the dark ages,” she said.

Wow, this says it all. Taking this shot made me realize how guns have more rights than women.

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Taking this photo, I tried to capture the feeling of the moment when the march started.

Back-alley abortions aren’t safe. Why force someone to have an unsafe abortion?

There is so much strength when we come together. I’m really feeling the crowd. “My body! My choice!” Yes, it’s my body, so I should have the only say.

Choosing to take this photo had me thinking. Why do men make choices about other people’s lives? Congress needs to rethink some things about abortion laws.

This woman caught my attention. I was really feeling her words “We will not go back,” meaning going back to life before the Roe vs. Wade decision.

I took this photo to show strength in numbers. I felt the unity of how people care about health care and women’s rights. It was very educational and moving.

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ART

QUEENIE FEATHERSTONE Artist/Vendor

ABEL PUTU Artist/Vendor

The Feast JAMES DAVIS Artist/Vendor

I’m cooking for the priest, crepès stuff with crabmeat; should I also do dessert?

A poem RONALD SMOOT Artist/Vendor

Anyway, I hope he likes this dish. Will I be cooking all the time? Are the others cooking for him worth a dime? I’m a great cook; I’ve cooked all my life. I was thinking, maybe the priest needs a wife! Hmmm! Inspired by Bonnie at Street Sense poetry workshop

Things I see every day in the community, some people are very like dice and white rice. As the beautiful sky was blue, I felt brand new. A poem should be nice and understanding, that’s what my mind tells me about a poem; some poems are very nice and lovely, some are not, like a drought.

Jennifer’s poem JENNIFER MCLAUGHLIN Artist/Vendor

There are things in this world people can't control — the cloud moving forward, trees blowing in the window, time in space. We can't control the things in the world, our action in mindset.

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for Corona JERMALE MCNIGHT Artist/Vendor

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Squash Cucumbers Onions Potato chips Corn chips Ibuprofen Tylenol Coca-Cola Sprite Benadryl Garlic Chocolate Tobacco products Turkey Fish Salad Exercise is still great

RITA SAULS Artist/Vendor

gracefully back and forth, here and there some of the water looks blue, some looks clear, always full year after year. If of the seven seas, or the bodies of water that spell “HOMES” exclusively. That includes rivers, lakes and oceans. You can get in, but you can not swim, because they are vast and deep; you may sink or drown, so stay on dry ground, especially that are kin. They are Lake Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. They all reign supreme and none are inferior.

‘P.M.T.T.F.F.’ FREDERIC JOHN Artist/Vendor

Punch my ticket to full freedom and I’ll hop on board. Yet choking over the notion distant as an ocean, of leaving poor “fools” behind — gulping state opal suffering worse suffused stools. But let me pray for you Lifting away emotional hounds.

on lakes BRIANNA L. BUTLER Artist/Vendor

actually lift their leaves up higher to collect the rays of health to them. Flowers do a dance called the wave and believe they’re worshiping God. They wave, they whistle pleasant songs of joy. The lakes feed them by streaming through their stems and roots. Flowers remain standing strong like we ought to be as human beings. They will lead you to the porch that’s higher than us. Through and speaks like new with God. Lakes cleanse and release. How about you?

ROCHELLE WALKER Artist/Vendor

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OPINION

AIDA PEERY

I got my last vaccine shot a few weeks ago. The other past three shots I had gotten just caused a throbbing in my arm. For the fourth shot, I only felt the pinching sensation from the needle itself. a.m. my left arm started hurting where I got my shot. Then on the right side of my head, I started to get a slight headache, and it was very tender to touch. I got really scared when that

happened and called my doctor, who didn’t pick up, so I called the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hotline. They told me if my side effects continued during the day, to call 911. Well, I fell asleep for an hour or so and all the side effects were gone by the time I woke up. I was very reluctant about taking that 4th shot! I really wish I had followed my gut feeling. It would be nice if they gave people a heads up on the side effects after receiving certain

doses of the vaccine. Most people, including probably myself,

the last one was going to be so painful. I and most adults can make our own decisions. I wish I had known those side effects before getting my last dose! Aida Peery is a vendor program associate with Street Sense Media.

To give or take a life JACQUELINE TURNER

If life starts when sperm meets egg, then it’s more of a spiritual thing, because it takes at least three weeks to be more than just two cells. After a month, it’s a blood clot. Only then does it take a vaguely human form. By six weeks, some spots appear that could be called eyes and a top that might be called a head. But it’s still a blood clot. After six weeks, some doctors will not perform an abortion. After two months it’s clearly forming. Three months and you are getting into danger because it is too attached to the walls to be sucked out like they do when you are six weeks along. In my opinion, this is when it becomes taking a life, because after two months maybe you could think about some other

alternative. There are times when, for some medical reason, you can get abortion up to six months. I don’t know about those circumstances, perhaps if the child is dead inside the mother or something. At six weeks or under, you can tell the mother it’s a blood clot, therefore not really killing a child. A lot of women make those decisions because time went by too fast and they wound up with a lot of problems. These days, there is the morning after pill if you accidentally got pregnant. There’s also birth control, but so many bad things are associated with this subject, like putting 12 year olds on the pill. I started taking birth control pills when I was 19 until I was 25, when the doctor said I should consider changing to

something else, because I could become unable to have a baby later if I continued. Humans were made to reproduce, and no one wants to kill or give away their child, but the choice is yours. Cases of incest or rape add a whole other layer of complication. So, what if you have an unwanted pregnancy? Please talk to someone — God, or a friend. If you feel that it was a mistake and want

part of my human body and the government does, how is that different from the chains of slavery? That is not an overreach. To be clear to all women on all sides, from pro-choice to right-to-life, understand that no matter your stance, when the government controls a woman’s body, that is slavery. The issue is not about abortion. It is about freedom from control and ownership.

Perhaps one possible defense for women is to eliminate the situations that create unchosen, unwanted pregnancies. Or, take a page from the nonviolent protest by the women of Liberia in 2003. They called for a sex strike, dressed in white and threatened to disrobe in public in the name of peace.

your side. God don’t make mistakes. Humans do. Jacqueline Turner is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.

ANGIE WHITEHURST

Rethinking Roe vs. Wade and justice seems like a regression to rethinking slavery. The Supreme Court’s deference to the power of the states as it stood before the Civil War feels unsavory — it reeks. part of my body except for the womb. Outrageous to human nature and to myself, in my own brain. If I do not control one

Angie Whitehurst is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.

DANIEL BALL

The D.C. government should always help unhoused people who don't have a place to call home. But this is what unhoused people deal with when summer time keeps getting hotter and hotter every year. People who oppose voucher holders in their neighborhood should come pass my tent and help me to get a voucher for a place to stay. When you talk about richer neighborhoods, you are talking about people who have lots of American money. My experience with job training programs is that they help

was the most helpful job I ever had. The unemployment rate is really low right now. But it's not true when people say that almost everyone living here in America has a good job. Daniel Ball is an artist and a vendor with Street Sense Media.

DANIEL BALL Artist Vendor

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Jesus

Are you strong?

Artist/Vendor

KYM PARKER

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VENNIE HILL

Unconditional love– when we cry out, he answers, he saves us. Death and rebirth– Jesus When I wake up in the morning, I pray for understanding, for all the pain and hatred that I go through. Jesus– no pain, no hate, nothing is unattainable by Jesus’ standards, Jesus– When we love, when we pray, he shows us the only path to her is to talk, to ask her. He was her son, he died for us, and he took away all our sins

We l l , t o d a y I have to be. I'm not looking forward to all these damn doctor appointments; plus, I work. But, at the end of the day, my Lord still has me. He's trying to keep me as still as he can, but all I wanna do is go, go, go! I'm afraid to give up. I'm afraid to stop trying to save myself. I keep my head up high, and I still try to hold on to the strength I have left. I know sooner or later that strength is going to be gone and lost forever, and I will never get it back because once your liver goes bad, it cannot heal itself. So, what I'm doing for myself is trying to eat more and healthier. When I drank, I didn’t eat. I go days without eating. Now, I eat at least three times a day, sometimes more. When catching the train, I used to ride up, now I'm walking

up the escalators. I'm keeping busy with Street Sense and work. The only thing I can’t do right now is go and visit my mom, which I'm dying to do. I know she misses me, but I’m keeping busy. I call her every morning and every night, sometimes during the day. All she needs to know is that I'm okay. It truly makes her sleep better. My family is very worried about me, but I let them know I'm doing fine, God’s got me. Last night, I dreamed that my doctor said that it was all a mistake and I'm not going to die. In Jesus' name, I hope that comes true. I see the doctor again in May. All I can do is pray. I'm asking someone out there to pray for me, too. Sometimes, I listen and cry to myself. This, what I’m facing, and so many others is not easy.

LEVESTER GREEN Artist/Vendor

My dear sweet, kind, landlady, Ms. Rose had to help me buy two shirts and a pair of khakis because some people had stolen my clothes from a shelter in Norfolk, Virginia. Rose was a tremendous help in my recovery. She used to be an accountant for the Philippine Embassy so she was good at helping me try to get back on track. I reluctantly accepted Rose’s thrift store clothing offering because I was so used to popping my own tags off of brand-new gear. It was all quite the humbling experience! Eventually, I moved on out with “the Rev.” for a little while before heading out to Montgomery County in Maryland. I continued to rent a room on my own until we came across a housing code violation (no what you pay for.” No victory. No lawsuit or nothing. I was kind of convinced that I couldn’t or wouldn’t win with the system but who else did I have as they eventually salvaged me from

for DVDs I pawned without his permission after the fact! I also apologized to him for my behaving like that. But I was still mad at him, so I’d address the letters I wrote to him to as around the world or something and he needed help. I do believe I sent two $200 money orders for those three letters and none were returned to sender. In the end, I was just glad to have made it back to my hometown city of D.C.! Hoorah!

Photo by Levester Green

pills yet. But, I have gotten much better. I had a full-time schedule, but I had to stop working on them for so long. It was very painful. Now, I soak them every night, now I'm working on getting my 40 hrs back. I'm up to 34, not including lunch breaks. facing, it has gotten a lot easier for me. Not knowing was the problem. It took them two months to let me know my problem, but knowing is half the battle. Now, I will be going to the doctor every six months, so that they can see my progress. Maybe, just maybe, I'll get a transplant. Wouldn't that be a blessing? Well, guys, my time is up. So as usual stay safe and stay clean.

1 2 // ST REET SENSE ME DI A / / MAY 1 8 -2 4 , 2 0 22

NEWS

ANNEMARIE CUCCIA Staff Reporter, Street Sense Media & The DC Line

D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson leads the vote on the draft budget.

The D.C. Council last week gave initial approval to the city’s new housing vouchers sought by advocates but far fewer than they recommended.

prevention, homeless services, public housing and voucher budgets. DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson then presented

the urgency with which we must reform Rapid Rehousing,” At-large Councilmember Robert White said during the budget deliberations. “This program is not working.” Mendelson also referenced wanting to more comprehensively reform RRH, but said he was not able to get approval from

and made some further revisions.

impact.

her $19.5 billion budget proposal. Over the last month, council committees offered their own input on the budget,

which passed unanimously May 10, also expands D.C.’s Funding for families exiting Rapid Rehousing and increases funding to District public schools that have a high number of at-risk students. The Local Budget Act, which allocates the funding, will have a second vote May 24. The Budget Support Act, which consists will have a second vote in early June. Mayor Muriel Bowser then go to Congress for review. Here’s what’s funded and unfunded in the latest iteration

The budget process began in March when Bowser released

Mendelson’s draft included an additional 380 TAH vouchers that are designated for families exiting RRH, which provides a short-term housing subsidy for families experiencing homelessness. The Committee on Human Services funded 20 TAH vouchers, which provide a permanent housing subsidy, to help some of the 913 families set to be terminated from the RRH program in September of this year. An additional $13.6 million in Mendelson’s draft and approved by the council brings the total to 400, though housing advocates have pushed for enough vouchers to cover all 913 families. Families who have been in the program the longest will be given priority. “This does not meet the full need, but it does highlight

Funding for excluded workers Councilmembers also allocated just under $4 million to make the city’s EITC available to undocumented immigrants, who were not eligible for federal stimulus checks and a coalition of excluded workers asked for $200 million in aid from the D.C. government and received just $41 million. This year, they asked for the remaining $160 million. 5,000 households have at least one family member who is undocumented, which currently makes them ineligible for the D.C. tax credit. This expansion would enable any of those households earning less than $53,000 to receive an average of $300 a month, according to a statement from Ward 6

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

Councilmember Charles Allen. Still, several councilmembers have signaled they’d like to see more money in the budget to • “We know that the negative impacts of the pandemic continue to be felt by a much larger community of excluded workers than those that would qualify for the EITC,” Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau said. “And while we cannot make these families whole, any assistance would help to ensure they're on a path to recover.”

provide housing to people who have experienced chronic homelessness. An increase of $5 million in FY 2023 for new project-

// 13

as long as they identify a funding source to keep the budget

LRSP vouchers: The current budget funds 60 new LRSP vouchers, administered through housing providers • •

Funding for at-risk students

A total of $75 million for the RRH program, similar to the amount spent this year. $750,000 to D.C.’s Department of Human Services that provide emergency housing and intervention for survivors of domestic violence.

Another substantial change made by Mendelson increases

individuals, 20 returning citizens, and 20 families on D.C.’s 37,000-person voucher waitlist. Given the size of the waitlist, advocates are asking for $17.33 million for a total of 800 new vouchers. TAH and RRH: The current budget allocates $75 million for RRH plus approximately $14 million for 400 new TAH vouchers for people exiting RRH this year. However, this

Shelters: risk” if they are experiencing homelessness, in foster care, qualify for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or are a year behind in school. While DCPS and charter schools already receive additional funding for students who are at-risk through a funding formula, a 2019 D.C. auditor’s report budget gaps, not to provide additional resources to students. In an attempt to avoid repeating this problem, the new funding will go directly to schools, rather than to the central administration for distribution. Schools where at least 40% of students are at risk will get an increase of 0.05 to a school’s funding weight, with a 0.1 increase for schools where over 70% of students are at-risk. The increase will cost just over $10 million annually, with the money split between DCPS and D.C. charter schools. Mendelson’s smaller increases

•

• •

•

participants in the Shallow Subsidy for Unsubsidized Seniors Program. The program provides up to $600 a month to seniors who don’t receive any other housing support and make less than 60% of the area median income.

to fund the creation of affordable housing in D.C., has not met the affordability targets set by the DC Council, leading some advocates to argue that providing vouchers and subsidies like TAH is a more effective way to end homelessness.

What made it in Bowser’s budget submission and the subsequent committee recommendations included several notable investments in housing and anti-poverty programs that remained in

Vouchers: • vouchers for 500 families, 260 individuals and 10 youth, costing a total of $31 million. PSH vouchers

and 2024 to modernize and renovate D.C.’s shelter system. $2 million to fund property tax exemptions and retroactive debt forgiveness for the Conway Center, an affordable housing property run by So Others Might Eat; two affordable housing properties owned by Habitat for Humanity; and the downtown shelter operated by the Community for Creative NonViolence.

Affordable and public housing:

•

District, and this increase will help more seniors stay here,” Councilmember Robert White said. The money to fund these increases came from a variety of sources, most notably a $54 million reduction from the mayor’s proposed $500 million investment in the Housing

money for all families exiting RRH to have permanent housing support, and a separate $27.7 million for TAH vouchers to serve 1,040 families.

•

The budget approved by the D.C. Council also includes several new allocations for housing and homeless services. nursing and support to people experiencing homelessness with advanced HIV and cancer, is set to receive a $250,000 grant. The budget also includes $1.3 million for the D.C.

An increase of $1.7 million for shelter diversion programs for singles and families.

$446 million to the HPTF to create more affordable housing in the District. $219 million to continue the redevelopment of public housing units at Barry Farm, Park Morton, Bruce Monroe and Northwest One, all part of the New Communities Initiative. $40,000 to allow D.C.’s Department of Housing subsidized affordable housing. A subtitle increasing the council’s oversight of the HPTF by requiring DHCD to request a waiver if the agency cannot meet statutory requirements because of a lack of development proposals with deeply affordable units. The agency would also have to notify the council when projects are funded and submit a written report including data on affordable units and the rationale for project selections.

Employment: •

•

$606,000 for the second year of the Jobs First pilot employment quickly through grants to Friendship Place and Byte Back, the groups selected in a recent Department of Employment Services solicitation. A subtitle moving $113 million of this year’s surplus to the Unemployment Fund, which funds local unemployment insurance. According to the council’s budget report, this is needed to make sure the fund has enough money to support all people who might

What stayed out DCFPI and the Fair Budget Coalition led other housing advocates in pushing for additional spending on housing programs that, as of now, are still unfunded or partially funded. Before the second vote on the budget, councilmembers will have the opportunity to add money for any of these programs,

Rental Assistance: The Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which provides money for residents facing eviction because of unpaid rent, sees an increase of $120.3 million in the budget. Advocates are calling on the city to fund the full $187 million that Bowser estimated last fall was needed to help households at risk of eviction. The cost to fully repair all public housing in D.C. is $2.2 billion, according to a 2019 estimate by the DCHA director at the time. Based on these numbers, advocates have pushed for repairs to be funded at $60 million each year for the next decade. The current funding level is a total of $111.1 million over the next three years, falling about $70 million short. Homelessness services: Worried about potential service cuts, homeless advocates are calling for funding to ensure that all existing non-congregate shelters are maintained for the remainder of the pandemic and that all shelters have 24-hour access. There is no money for these policies in the budget. Youth employment: Criticizing current options as inadequate, housing advocates are calling for the establishment of a new workforce program for youth experiencing homelessness. They’re asking for $1 million; so far no money has gone toward the program. This article was co-published with The DC Line.

14 // ST REET SENSE ME DI A / / MAY 1 8 -2 4 , 2 0 22

FUN & GAMES

Across

Sudoku #4 2

8 9

2 8

2 1

collaborative saw

Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-3 block contain Sudoku #3 all of the digits 1 thru 9.

Sudoku53. #4Forearm bones If you without guesswork. 4 2 154. 8Bakery 7 use 6 logic 3 you 4 can9 solve 5 the 2 puzzle 1 8 7 employee 6 5 9 Need a little help? The hints page shows a logical order to solve the puzzle. 55. Egg 7 5 3 1 4 9 2 8 1it to4identify 6 square 2 5you3should 9 the 8 next 7 solve. Or use the answers page Use 57. Monster if you really get stuck. 2 5 8 3 7 1 4 9 6 >> This crossword 8 6 9 2 3 5 1 7 puzzle’s answers: 2 9 4 6 1 7 3 5 3 8 6 2 5 4 9 7 1 59. Really upset https://tinyurl.com/SSM5 4 2 1 7 8 9 6 5 3 1 3 4 2ending? 8 9 6 60. Song cross-05-18-2022 6 8 761. 9Court 5 defense 3 4 1 9 7 5 1 3 6 8 4 2 62. Passe << LAST 5 1 2 7 8 4 6 3 6 3 7 9 4 8 1 2 5 EDITION’S Down 8 9 2 5 1 7 3 6 4 9 4 8 3 6 1 7 2 PUZZLE cloth SOLUTION 3 7 61. Cleaning 5 1 4 6 2 3 7 8 9 5 9 2 8 4 Sudoku #5 6 1 3 9 9 2 8 1 7 5 4 3 4 8 2 7 3 6 7 5 1 9 5 8 2 3 1 4 5 4 6 2 8 7 9 6 Sudoku #7 9 3 6 5 4 2 1 8 7 5 8 3 1 4 2 7 8 6 9 4 3 7 5 1 2 1 3 6 6 9 7 2 5 8 4 9

2. Norwegian royal name Frank server Sudoku3.#6

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

1 2

Every Titanic has its iceberg.

7 6 5 9 18. Veronica of “Hill Street Blues” 1 4 8 6 22. June honoree 9 2 5 1 23. Legislative assemblies Answers Easy Sudoku Puzzles by KrazyDad, Volume 12, Book 26 2 #1 3 5 Sudoku Sudoku30. #2Knitting stitches 8 9 2 1 6 5 5 231. Send to cloud nine 1 3 7 54 3 9 1 8 6 7 1 4 632. 5Band piece 7 3 4 35. Assists 1 6 5 83 7 6 2 2 7 836. Pince-__ 7 8 3 5 4 1 5 2 137. China 6 setting 9 3 44 6 6 338. 1R-V hookup? 8 2 4 22 7 39. Instant 4 7 6 8 5 3 8 3 6 1 7 41. “__ Tag!” 9 47 5 6 1 1 8 1 4 3 9 4. Whitewater and Watergate 6 3 2 4 9 8 6 744. Hallowed3 1 4 8 7 6 5 9 4 5. Leave the Union 5 1 8 7 9 2 5 7 46. Yes, to Hideki

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

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

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8 6 2 5 4 7 8 9 6

6. Head locks 7. Romain de Tirtoff, familiarly 8. Pinnacle 9. Situated 10. Restrict 12. Prefix with photo 15. Holy sanctuary 20. Needlefish 21. Blue-pencil 24. Rejuvenating locales 25. Discontinue 26. An official language of Pakistan 27. Nigeria neighbor 28. Put in office 29. Eye shade

32. Italian wine region 33. Bearing 34. Distressed feeling 37. Year-end visitors 39. Like much salad 40. Funny Rudner 41. Minuscule pest 42. Educated show-off 43. Brian of “A Night to 44. Contradict 45. Pool divisions 47. Sulking mood 48. Berlin’s “Puttin’ on the __” 49. Repeat 50. Coffee source 51. Iniquity 52. Hold sway 56. Litter cry

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

Easy Sudoku Puzzles by KrazyDad, Volume 12, Book 26

1. Towel holders 5. Where Seaver played 9. Land map 13. Actor Guinness 14. O.K. Corral figure 15. “Ghostbusters” goo 16. Festive

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

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COMMUNITY SERVICES

SHELTER HOTLINE Línea directa de alojamiento

YOUTH HOTLINE Línea de juventud

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE Línea directa de violencia doméstica

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOTLINE Línea de salud del comportamiento

(202) 399-7093

(202) 547-7777

1-800-799-7233

1-888-793-4357

Housing/Shelter Vivienda/alojamiento

Education Educación

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Legal Assistance Assistencia Legal

Case Management Coordinación de Servicios

Food Comida

Employment Assistance Assitencia con Empleo

Transportation Transportación

Showers Duchas

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

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

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

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

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

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 Charlie’s Place // 202-232-3066 1830 Connecticut Ave., NW charliesplacedc.org Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 marthastable.org Christ House // 202-328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd., NW christhouse.org

2375 Elvans Road SE

2204 Martin Luther King Ave. SE 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

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,

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

Laundry Lavandería

JOB BOARD

samaritanministry.org

Cashier Wegmans // 41 Ridge Sq. NW

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

Part-Time

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

Scan and bag grocery items, complete

monetary transactions and engage customers in friendly conversation

REQUIRED: 16+ APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/Wegmans-cashier

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

Restaurant Host District Winery // 385 Water St SE

Full-Time / Part-Time G

restaurant and bar areas, answer phones, schedule reservations, perform light housekeeping duties and address guest concerns.

REQUIRED: Ability to stand for prolonged

periods of time and to bend, stoop and lift at least 25-50 pounds

APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/district-winery

Cookie Crew Insomnia Cookies // 2318 18th St. NW

Part-Time Greet guests, help customers understand

the menu, take orders, bake cookies, handle payments and sanitize the bakery

REQUIRED: 18+, legally eligible to work in the United States

APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/insomnia-cookieThe Welcome Table // 202-347-2635 1317 G St., NW. epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable

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

crew

Restaurant Team Member Potbelly // 409 3rd Street SW

Full-time/Part-time Prepare food and keep the restaurant clean REQUIRED: 16+

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

// 15

APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/potbelly-crew

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

Hiring? Send your job postings to editor@StreetSenseMedia.org

We laugh

Lifting my head

Artist/Vendor

ANDRE BRINSON Artist/Vendor

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We laugh, We pray We want to have a good day The most I can say Is we like it our way Highlights delights Cat got your tongue Cause your dog ain’t bite What are rituals! And are they right?

“To be institutionalized”: An in-depth take on just what it means to be “institutional” JUSTIN BLAKEY Artist/Vendor

I have heard the term all of my life. I have been labeled “institutional” since the age of 14. It was a year before I’d ever seen or lived inside a juvenile prison. Why was I given this label? all of my hygiene products neatly aligned in a categorized row. My bed was made tight and tucked on all four corners and

After Li Po

Lifting my head, I watch the bright moon. Lowering my head, soon. One day, I lift my head off my own room. Home is in sight. My eyes are very bright to see the white light of the moon. The moon, so bright, seems so close, yet far away. I watch the moon it gives me comfort at night. Forever distant, sight for another night.

Thank you for reading Street Sense! From your vendor, MAY 18-24, 2022 | VOLUME 19 ISSUE 26 NO CASH? NO PROBLEM. WE HAVE AN APP! SEARCH “STREET SENSE” IN THE APP STORE

I kept to myself mostly, looking down at pedestrians outside the window along the streets. I had already punched another boy my age while awaiting my bed downstairs in the emergency room. The middle-aged African-American woman did one wall-to-wall scan of my room and diagnosed me with the term “institutional.” Even as a young teenager, I found this word to be offensive. I knew it was completely wrong! Looking back, I think I can agree with this woman in some ways. Being “institutional” begins far before juvenile detention or adult corrections.

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