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Volume 9: Issue 2 December 7 - 20, 2011

Street

sense

Read more and get involved at www.streetsense.org | The D.C. Metro Area Street Newspaper | Please buy from badged vendors

A Doorway Between Worlds pg 5

Occupy update DC pg 11

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

4 Bridging the Language

(Street Sense economics)

Barrier with Blankets

the Pavement 6 Hitting With Street Torah

12 Vennie Hill finds a

son she never had

16 Meet Our New

Executive Director

COVER ART

North American Street Newspaper Association

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@streetsensedc /streetsensedc OUR STORY 1. Street Sense will be distributed for a voluntary donation of $1. I agree not to ask for more than a dollar or solicit donations for Street Sense by any other means.

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mary Otto MANAGING EDITOR Eric Falquero

VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Rhonda Brown, Jane Cave, Margaret Chapman, Tracie Ching, James Clarke, Nikki Conyers, Bobby Corrigan, Irene Costigan, Sara Dimmitt, Joe Duffy, Lilly Dymond, Ashley Edwards, Garrett Epps, Rachel Estabrook, Sarah Ficenec, Grace Flaherty, Andrew Gena, Steve Gilberg, Jane Goforth, Jonah Goodman, Roberta Haber, Cherilyn Hansen, Jesse Helfrich, Elia Herman, Melissa Hough, Adam Kampe, Maurice King, Trisha Knisely, Vicki Ann Lancaster, Elle Leech-Black, Lisa Leona, Sean Lishansky, Elsie Oldaker, Ashley Perkins, Katinka Podmaniczky, Mike Plunkett, Willie Schatz, David Sellers, Kate Sheppard, Jesse Smith, Lilly Smith, Kelly Stellrecht, Mandy Toomey, Brett Topping, Charlotte Tucker, Marian Wiseman

@ STREETSENSE.ORG

Street Sense began in August 2003 after Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson approached the National Coalition for the Homeless on separate occasions with the idea to start a street paper in Washington, D.C. Through the work of dedicated volunteers, Street Sense published its first issue in November 2003. In 2005, Street Sense achieved 501 ( c ) 3 status as a nonprofit organization, formed a board of directors and hired a full-time executive director.

Today, Street Sense is published every two weeks through the efforts of four salaried employees, more than 100 active vendors, and dozens of volunteers.

Nearly 30,000 copies are in circulation each month.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Brian Carome

INTERNS Mary Clare Fischer, Sarah Fleishman, Jill Frey, Sarah Hogue, Nicole M. Jones, Case Keltner, Randy Meza, Hannah Morgan, Anna Katharine Thomas, Hannah Traverse

PHOTO BY LUCIAN PERKINS

/streetsense

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Yebegashet Alemayehn, Margaret Chapman, Kristal Dekleer, Lisa Estrada, Robin Heller, Sommer Mathis, Jeffery McNeil, Manas Mohapatra, Brad Scriber, Michael Stoops

VENDOR/VOLUNTEER MANAGER Allen Hoorn

Ajax the dog peers into the room of a patient at Joseph’s House.

A New Issue Comes Out Every Two Weeks, but You Can Stay Connected to Street Sense Every Day!

International Network of Street Papers

6. I agree not to sell any additional goods or products when selling the paper.

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STREET SENSE December 7 - 20, 2011

3

NEWS IN BRIEF Vacant Fort to be Converted into Housing for Homeless Veterans Five buildings at the Upper Post of Fort Snelling in Minnesota will be converted into apartments for homeless veterans. The $10.2 million project, led by St. Paul-based developer, CommonBond Communities, will create 58 units, potentially as soon as 2013. The buildings, all over 100 years old, are currently either vacant or used as storage facilities, according to a report by the The TwinCities.com, Pioneer Press.

Two former stables and a warehouse will become efficiency apartments for single individuals, while two buildings that formerly housed noncommissioned officers will become three-bedroom units for homeless veterans and their families. Two highways separate the Upper Post from the old Fort Snelling Historical site.

Homeless Veterans More Likely to Die, Study Finds According to a recent study conducted by the 100,000 Homes Campaign, homeless veterans tend to remain homeless longer than civilians and are more likely to die from their lack of shelter. The study attributes the high

death rate among homeless veterans to the fact that many veterans have permanent psychological scars from their combat experiences. These scars lead to serious mental disorders and high rates of substance abuse.

Street papers Bucking the Trend Street newspaper sales have increased across the world for a second year, helping alleviate poverty for tens of thousands of poor and homeless vendors, according to new figures released by the Scottish-based International Network of Street Papers (INSP.) The announcement, which coincided with the launch of INSP’s new ‘Vote for Dignity’ campaign, showed that the more than 100 publications sold by homeless people across the world now have a combined readership per edition of 6.2 million, up some 160,000 from 2010. The increase runs counter to the downward sales trend experienced by many mainstream newspapers.

INSP officials attributed the success to the street press model, which combines independent journalism and social support to aid some of the world’s poorest people.

Lisa Maclean, executive director of INSP, said: “Street press offers dignified employment and social support to tens

of thousands of people experiencing homeless and poverty in 40 countries,” said Lisa Maclean, executive director of INSP. “ It is also a wonderful source of quality, independent journalism. Street press is in a unique position to uncover untold stories and share the perspectives of people and issues not typically discussed in the mainstream press. And it reaches out to an incredible 6 million people across the globe every edition.

In the coming year, we will stay ahead of the game by exploring a range of exciting new initiatives, including a global digital project.”

Female Agricultural Workers are Often Dispossessed Women toil in the fields for most of their lives producing food and strengthening the largely agricultural economy of African countries, but when their fathers, husbands or older sons die, they are no longer welcome on land they may have tended for years.

This observation was made by Hillary Rodham Clinton, United States secretary of state, at a special session on the status of women at the ongoing Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF4) held in Busan, South Korea.

Some 2,500 delegates, including

members of ministerial teams from 160 countries, civil society leaders, experts from multilateral organization and academics attended HLF4 to discuss international principles and rules to improve development co-operation, according to a report distributed by the International Network of Street Newspapers.

Many, including Michelle Bachelet, executive director of U.N. Women, an entity concerned with gender equality and women’s empowerment, agreed with Clinton’s call to improve the status of women in Africa and Asia who earn their livelihoods from natural resources.

“Women still account for at least 70 percent of the 1.3 billion people living in abject poverty,” said Bachelet. “ Women work two-thirds of world working hours, produce at least half of the food. Yet, they only earn a paltry 10 percent of world income and own a negligible one percent of world property,” she added.

In return, Clinton supported Bachelet’s plea for change.

“I can sense the same frustration in Bachelet’s voice as she made a case for gender equality. The same frustration that I feel. I ask myself, how much longer do we have to make this case?”

Clinton said.

Conversational Things being said ‘round here.

- Eric Falquero, Graphic Design Intern

STREET FACT: A certain statistic or extra fact that relates to the current spread in some way or that takes the reader’s thinking an extra step from the story can go here.

Local Group Aids Latino Homeless

By Hannah Morgan Editorial Intern Hispanic residents of the District who are coping with poverty, illness and homelessness may not know about the help that is available to them. Language and cultural barriers, fears about immigration status and traumas in their lives may hinder them from learning about social services, medical care and shelters.

But Renzo Gonzales, outreach director at Neighbors’ Consejo, is dedicated to bridging those gaps. The organization’s name means “Neighbors’ Council” and is intended to evoke a sense of cooperation and dignity. Gonzales spends his days patrolling the Hispanic communities within the neighborhoods of Columbia Heights, Mount Pleasant and Adams Morgan, working to get assistance to people who might otherwise go without it.

With winter approaching, Gonzales has plenty of emergency supplies in stock and ready to be used. When temperatures drop below freezing, he loads a van with donated blankets, pants, gloves, scarves and hats. Gonzales distributes the warm gear to people huddled on street corners or sleeping in parks, and offers many a ride to a shelter.

Gonzales sees a sense of urgency in his work. He knows people can die in the cold. He says his goal is to “cover more area in less time, giving out more blankets and being more diligent.”

One recent afternoon, Gonzales printed and folded dozens of fliers, printed in both Spanish and English, listing the names and phone numbers of clinics, agencies and shelters that provide bilingual services. When the weather is milder, he distributes the fliers and spreads the word about the mental health, substance abuse and outreach services that Neighbors’ Consejo offers. He also goes beyond his immediate neighborhoods to visit programs such as Miriam’s Kitchen, seeking Spanish-speaking homeless people who might need help.

“I look for tables with Latino men, and I talk with them and let them know about us,” Gonzales said. Many within the community find Neighbors’ Consejo by word of mouth.

The organization was started back in 1994, when a few Mount Pleasant residents, alarmed by the increase in homelessness and addiction in their neighborhood, decided to band together and try to address the problems.

Neighbors’ Consejo’s first home was in the basement of a local church. Its present headquarters, located at 3118 16th Street, NW, is a tiny, renovated townhouse. It houses Neighbors’ Consejo’s six-month-long addiction recovery program during which residents learn to stay sober while gaining work skills and getting help infinding housing. Inside, the brightly painted walls are decorated with cheerful, tropically inspired artwork and flyers for charities and social service agencies “We help every person,” said program director Milton Sanchez. But currently, the program can house only 15 residents at a time. Sanchez said he hopes that through fundraising, Neighbors’ Consejo will be able to purchase an empty house down the street and expand the rehab center.

Despite their common cultural heritage and history, Sanchez understands the differences that exist within the Hispanic immigrant community. For example, he recognizes that many homeless men from El Salvador are survivors of the country’s civil war and frequently are coping with post-traumatic stress disorder or war injuries. Immigrants from Argentina are usually well-educated and struggling to find stable work and housing.

The complexity keeps life at Neighbors’ Consejo very interesting, Sanchez said.

“Every culture brings its own story. Every day is totally different.”

If there is not photographer to credit the photo to, or no organization, or neither of them, you can say PHOTO COURTESY OF SOMEONE : or PHOTO COURTESY OF PERSON : , FILE PHOTO : , etc.

Renzo Gonzalez drives through Columbia Heights, Mount Pleasant and Adams Morgan looking for homeless people who need a ride to nearby shelters.

PHOTOS BY HANNAH MORGAN

For more information about Neighbors Consejo, visit the group’s website at http://www.neighborsconsejo.org

One of the services of Neighbors’ Consejo is distributing donated clothing and blankets to the homeless in the surrounding communities. As temperatures drop, the organization steps up these efforts.

STREET SENSE December 7 - 20 , 2011

5

NEWS

A Welcoming Final Home When the hospital was discharging Anthony, a social worker told him that he had two choices: a homeless shelter or Joseph’s House, a hospice for homeless HIV/AIDS sufferers in Northwest D.C. Anthony did not hesitate. His father had lived for seven years at Joseph’s House—and died there.

“I visited him every day,” Anthony said. “It scares me that I’m in the same place. But he was a fighter to the end, and I’m going to carry the legacy on.”

Joseph’s House, a three-story brick townhouse in a leafy residential section of Adams Morgan, has been providing compassionate care to the dying for 21 years. The building has accommodations for nine residents at a time and serves about 40 residents each year.

Founded in 1990 by Dr. David Hilfiker, then working at a nearby medical recovery shelter for the homeless, Joseph’s House originally served AfricanAmerican men with end-stage HIV/AIDS. As more effective treatments became available for those who could afford them, the hospice evolved.

“Today we welcome women as well as men,” says Patty Wudel, the organization’s executive director, “and people with end-stage cancer and other terminal diseases.”

Wudel also notes that in recent years, the house’s residents are more likely to suffer from mental illness and active addiction.

Also, higher numbers of nonEnglish and non-Spanish speaking residents have created a need for volunteer translators.

According to Bill Burns, a Navy retiree and a member of the hospice’s board, Joseph’s House has three primary goals: providing physical nurturing, offering spiritual companionship, and promoting a sense of self-worth and dignity. That spiritual companionship runs both directions, he says, benefiting the staff and volunteers as well.

Burns, who has been volunteering for the last two and a half years to help cook breakfast on Friday mornings, says: “I find it inspirational.”

The nursing care at Joseph’s House is high-quality, and the facilities are clean and comfortable.

The first floor houses a large dining room centered on a long polished wood table where residents share communal breakfasts and evening meals. A large colorful mural illustrating scenes from hospice life fills most of one wall. And at the far end is a mantle piece containing cards of remembrance for the recently deceased.

The spacious living room contains several stuffed couches and A patient at Joseph’s House talks with a nurse on the steps outside. Patients withend-stage armchairs, a widescreen HIV/AIDs, end-stage cancer, and other terminal illnesses receive treamtent at the hospice.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSEPH’S HOUSE television, a small piano tucked into one corner located in the basement. and a computer on the opposite side of than $1 million, suddenly found itself References to family and community the room. It serves as a meeting room, facing serious financial challenges two come up often in conversations with the entertainment center and the place years ago. residents and staff.

Until 2009 it had relied on govern“These people here are my famment grants and contributions for up to ily now,” Anthony says. “They’re 75 percent of its funding. The recession concerned about you as a human, reduced that assistance, with governnot as a walking disease.” ment funding now accounting for only Yared, an Ethiopian refugee about 45 percent of total expenses. who has been at Joseph’s House To help make ends meet, the orgafor nine months, agrees with Annization’s board turned to foundation thony. “The food here is good. grants and individual donations. They The people are good. They treat worked to increase online donations and you like family.” became more innovative in their private For Yared that includes the fundraising. For example, the hospice opportunity to participate in developed an unusual and innovative Anthony, Joseph’s House the communal kitchen where he outreach program by sponsoring educaresident sometimes prepares doro wat tional breakfasts for visitors interested (chicken stew) and shiro wat (a in learning more about the hospice and chickpea curry) for communal meals. where memorial services are held when its work.

Eric Ogden, who served as a Jesuit a resident passes away.

Twice a month over coffee, juice, volunteer at Joseph’s House 10 years ago A long, L-shaped kitchen, leading muffins and fresh fruit, small group of and now teaches fourth grade in New out to a side porch, completes the first staff and volunteers spend an hour or York City, returns each summer for two floor. The kitchen is one of the most so talking with visitors about life and weeks to fill in for the regular volunteers popular rooms in Joseph’s House. Resideath at Joseph’s House. on vacation. “Joseph’s House is the defidents, staff and volunteers share the Street Sense readers interested in cooking; snacks are available in the relearning more about Joseph’s House can nition of community,” he tells a group of frigerator; and it’s a place people just find additional information, including a visitors. “It’s so easy here to love everylike to hang out.

10-minute PBS video documentary, at one around you. It recharges me.”

The second floor has four bedrooms the hospice’s website: Joseph’s House, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with five beds. Additional bedrooms are www.josephshouse.org. with an annual budget of slightly more

These people here are my family now. They’re concerned about you as a human, not as a walking disease.

-

By Sarah Fleischman Editorial Intern

As part of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, a group of University of Maryland students prepared lunch at Community Vision, a center that provides supportive services, education and training to homeless men and women in Silver Spring Maryland. The students were all a part of the Beyond the Classroom program at the university.

PHOTO BY HANNAH MORGAN

By Jill Frey Editorial Intern On a recent trip to Washington sponsored by the Panim Institute, the Jewish learning institute of B’Nai B’rith Youth Organization, a group of Jewish high school students from an uppermiddle-class Chicago community had the opportunity to change their perspective on homelessness.

The students were here as part of the Street Torah Project, created to engender awareness and activism on the serious issue of homelessness. As an alumnus of the program who took part two years ago, this reporter wanted to tag along and see the reactions of a new crop of teens.

Before the group headed to McPherson Square, three of the students, Remy, Zachary and Aaron, discussed their preconceptions of homelessness.

Aaron described a ragged old man on the street, “struggling with health, struggling to survive and asking for money or food; often disabled, not

Every year as the holidays approach, hundreds of schools, colleges and universities across the country host events for National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness week.

The events, sponsored by the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness and the National Coalition for the Homeless, are designed to teach students about the needs that exist in their communities and to encourage volunteerism and involvement.

Here In Washington, D.C., Georgetown University students volunteered at the Capital Area Food Bank for an afternoon to sort food donations into large bins.

“I’d for sure do it again,” said Stephanie Wolfram.

“It’s good to get out of the Georgetown bubble.”

Her fellow student, Will Cousino agreed.

“So often we encounter poverty in the Capital, but rarely are we in a position to better understand it or the projects working to alleviate it,” he said. ”It matters to me because in the city it’s a very visible reality for so many and it deserves the

looking healthy and certainly dirty.”

Remy and Zach acknowledged their fear of homeless people. And it was evident that the vibrant faces of each teen turned nervous and apprehensive as the group approached McPherson Square. Program staffers assured the students that they were not in danger.

They said that if the teens viewed the conversations they were about to have as conversations with friends, their nervousness would disappear.

The park was dramatically transformed by the Occupy DC. encampment, and the first challenge the Street Torah students faced was distinguishing the homeless people from the protesters.

Many interesting discussions ensued. The Occupy protesters spoke about how they had joined the encampment and what they stood for as a part of the movement. The homeless described their experiences and lives on the streets.

As the staff hung back to let the teens find their organic experience with Street Torah, it wasn’t difficult

attention of those who can make a difference.”

Meanwhile, George Washington University hosted two Faces of Homelessness panels featuring speakers from the National Coalition for the Homeless.

Speaker Jackie Grimball was impressed by the questions students asked her. They wanted to know if homeless people were getting the help they needed and how students could play a part in strengthening policies intended to assist the homeless.

“All of them have cared and that’s blown me away,” said Grimball.

Another Faces of Homelessness panel spoke to two groups of 7th through 12th graders at the Field School in Northwest D.C. First, David Harris and Andre Colter spoke to a group of 25 students in the community service club, then to a larger group of middle school students.

Colter was honest with the students about his apprehensions about sharing his story with them.

“This is the age group that set my blankets on fire … this is the age group that I don’t want to label and I don’t want you to feel labeled because this is also the age group that can change everything,” said Colter.

to see that relationships were forming between complete strangers in a matter of minutes. And in those minutes, life-long views and long-held opinions began to melt away. The park may have looked different from two years ago, but Street Torah was working just the same. The students were moved by the stories they heard. “People from anywhere can experience homelessness through tragedy or accidents that happen to them,” said Aaron.

Remy realized she had been stereotyping people.“I’ve opened my eyes a little more,” she said.

“People are people and you can’t change that or take that away from them,” she added. No one deserves to be judged on whether he or she looks healthy or clean, she said.

In Street Torah, participants always seem to have one “aha!” moment, an experience that comes to stand for their entire time with the program. For Remy, that moment happened the day before she went to McPherson Square, when she

was listening to the speakers on a Faces of Homelessness panel sponsored by the National Coalition for the Homeless. One speaker in particular struck a chord with Remy because he spoke of growing up in a prosperous home. “He lost everything and was stuck on the streets for a really long time and didn’t tell his family,” she explained. The shame experienced by the man, the fact he never told his family, came through to her in a very powerful way.

She left the Street Torah program with a better understanding of the pain of homelessness and also with a sense that people experiencing homelessness want “to be independent and get back on their feet.”

Zach said that thanks to Street Torah, he would be returning to Chicago with a new perspective on poverty, and the world.

“I used to live in this bubble,” he said. “Now it’s just great to be aware of everyone around me. This was a great opportunity.”

STREET SENSE December 7 - 20 , 2011

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HOMELESSNESS TODAY

By Sarah Fleischman Editorial Intern By this time next year, the venerable Central Union Mission, long a refuge for homeless men, may itself be homeless.

The 126-year-old mission sold its facility at R and 14th Street NW five years ago for $7 million and must leave the building by Oct. 1, 2012. Yet work on the shelter’s future home, the historic Gales School near Union Station, is not scheduled to be completed until June 2013.

“We’re not looking forward to being the homeless homeless shelter,” said David Treadwell, the executive director of the mission.

Treadwell says the mission is working with the District of Columbia to locate vacant space to temporarily house the mission’s guests, but the quest is not a simple one. Central Union mission needs space somewhere that will accommodate 140 beds and a kitchen.

Allen Babin, who has been coming to the mission for 13 months, said he hopes to have his own home by the winter of 2012. He is wary of following the shelter to a new location. It would not feel familiar to him.

“This is my neighborhood,” Babin said. “I’ve been here 10 years.”

On the other hand, Vernell Jones said he plans to stay with the mission wherever it goes during the next 18 months in order to complete his parole requirements.

“Wherever they move will be fine,” Jones said. “They work well with the people and work for the people.” But the corner of R and 14th just won’t be the same without the shelter, he added.

“It will be missed in this neighborhood.”

Treadwell says the new location, near the city’s train and bus stations, will be a positive move.

“People in desperate situations tend to congregate in the downtown area,” Treadwell said.

Architectural drawings of the new shelter show a bright, state-of-the-art facility, very different from the old location, with its antiquated kitchen and long rows of bunks. The dormitory at the new shelter will include partitions that will grant the residents some privacy. New dining and exercise areas,

dental and medical offices, a lawyer’s office, meeting rooms and a day room will complete the project.

But it has been a long and complex journey to get this far.

It was back in 2006 that Central Union Mission first announced its decision to move from the rapidly gentrifying U Street corridor. Originally, the plan was to build a new shelter on Georgia Avenue, but the following year, opposition from the Petworth and Columbia Heights neighborhoods put a stop to that idea. The mission then began exploring the use of the city-owned Gales School as an alternative site, but that plan also stalled, in part because the American Civil Liberties Union, joined by others, sued.

In the lawsuit, which was eventually dropped, the ACLU asserted that a deal resulting in city support for the mission would violate the constitutional principle of separation of church and state, because the mission has a history of requiring men to participate in religious services in return for help.

The shelter, envisioned from its Civil War-era beginnings as a gospel rescue mission for needy and homeless people, still holds daily prayer services and Bible classes. But the men also have the option of spending that time in quiet contemplation, and attendance at worship has not been required since 2007, Treadwell said.

Central Union mission will lease the Gales School property from the District of Columbia for $1 per year for 45 years with a 25-year extension.The building is currently a hollow shell. Before any construction is done, the work must be approved as meeting historical preservation requirements.

With some battles behind him and others still lying ahead, Treadwell’s outlook is positive. He remains excited about the mission’s future home.

“It is extremely difficult to locate a shelter in a city, and this location is believably heaven-sent,” Treadwell said.

“This is no accident.”

LEGAL NOTICE: William Dixon, et al - v - Vincent C. Gray, et al 1.

The purpose of this notice is to inform you about a proposed settlement in the Dixon lawsuit. The settlement may affect the rights of certain people in the District who use or need public mental health nal. In order for the settlement to Honorable Thomas Hogan, will hear from different people and decide if the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. If this notice applies to you, you will have an opportunity to tell the judge what you think about the settlement before the judge decides whether to approve it. The rest of this notice explains the Dixon lawsuit, how to determine whether this lawsuit applies to you, the key terms of the proposed settlement, and how you can give the judge your opinion about the proposed settlement.

2.

This notice may apply to you if you are in a psychiatric hospital or psychiatric residential treatment facility. This notice may also apply to you if you are a resident of the District of Columbia with a serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance and you are receiving, want to receive, or are on a waiting list for mental health services and supports in the community.

What is this lawsuit about?

3.

4.

The Dixon lawsuit was brought in 1974 by a group of people who had serious mental illnesses and wanted to receive mental health services and supports in the community and not in a psychiatric hospital or institution.

The people who brought the lawsuit, called the “named plaintiffs,” were William Dixon, Sarah Crenshaw, Oscar Holt, Robert Archibald, Willie Maw Rogers, Mary Wood, Lillian the lawsuit on their behalf and on behalf of all other persons like them (“plaintiffs”).

The plaintiffs sued state and federal officials responsible for running Saint Elizabeths Hospital and responsible for the development of

community-based mental health services and supports for people who need them. The people who were sued are called “defendants.” Today, the defendants are the District of Columbia, including the Mayor and the Director of the Department of Mental Health.

5. In 1975, the judge who was assigned to this case decided that the named plaintiffs and their lawyers would fairly represent all people who want to live and receive mental health services and supports in a community setting, making this case a “class action.” Because this is a class action, the people to whom this notice applies are also called “class members.” The judge also ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and directed the defendants to create a community-based mental health system so that class members could receive mental health treatment and supports in the least restrictive setting.

6. From 1980 through 1997, the parties agreed to various plans to develop a community-based mental health system. The judge approved those agreements, which are called “Consent Decrees” and have the force of law.

7. From 1997 to 2002, the judge appointed a receiver and a transitional receiver to make sure that the plans were implemented.

8. In December of 2003, the judge approved the most recent agreement between the parties. The 2003 Consent Decree contains what are known as the “Exit Criteria.” The Exit Criteria measure the District’s performance in 19 different areas related to community-based mental health services that the District agreed to improve. According to the Consent Decree, if the District met the goals in these 19 Exit Criteria, the judge would dismiss the case and end court supervision.

9. Starting in 2003, an expert was approved by the Court to ensure that the defendants did what they agreed to do. This expert, called the Court Monitor, made regular reports to the judge about the defendants’ progress in meeting their obligations, and he worked with the defendants to achieve the goals in the Exit Criteria.

10. By July 2009, the defendants had

the defendants to take several steps designed to improve the provision of community-based mental health services and supports. The defendants have roughly two years to meet their obligations under the agreement. The key terms of the Agreement are:

met the goals in 6 of the 19 Exit Criteria.

11. In September of 2009, the defento dismiss the case. The defendants made three primary arguments to support their motion: (1) that they had remedied the original violation of the law that plaintiffs complained of in 1974, and so it was no longer fair to require them to meet the remaining goals; (2) that they were very close to meeting many of the remaining goals (or that they were in “substantial compliance”); and (3) that children and youth were no longer class members and, so, the goals related to children/youth were no longer applicable. Plaintiffs’ lawyers opposed the motion, arguing that the defendants had not

What are the key terms in the 15. The Settlement Agreement requires

•

DMH will increase the provision of certain evidence-based and promising practices to children/youth over two years. DMH will increase the provision of Multi-Systemic Therapy and Functional Family Therapy by

•

•

•

•

•

The Department of Mental Health (“DMH”) will ensure that at least 300 new supported housing slots will be available to class members.

Of those 300 new slots, at least 200 will be in the form of vouchers or subsidies for supported housing.

DMH will also seek funding to build or renovate housing units that will be set aside for DMH use for the supported housing program.

DMH will ensure that those who need supported housing are given the appropriate priority based on the most urgent needs.

DMH will make a plan to learn about the need for supported housing and to learn about ways to obtain resources to meet that need. The plan will be written after obtaining the opinions and ideas of class members and their advocates.

•

Continuity of Care •

Supported Employment •

•

DMH will require Core Service Agencies (“CSAs”) to follow a whether adults with serious mental illnesses need supported employment services.

DMH will ensure that 60% of those who need supported employment services are actually referred to those services, and DMH will increase the provision of supported employment services by 10% in ond year.

•

•

Services to Children and Youth •

DMH will reduce the total number of bed days that children/youth spend in Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (“PRTFs”) 30% by September 30, 2013. DMH will also track and report important information about children/youth in PRTFs, such as: length of stay, reasons for discharge, community-based services after discharge, and outcomes.

•

• second year. Multi-Systemic Therapy and Functional Family Therapy are evidence-based practices. DMH will increase the provision of High Fidelity Wraparound services, a promising practice, by 10% in the first year and 20% in the second year. These evidence-based and promising practices are ones that have been proven to be effective in the past to help children/youth and their families manage behavioral and mental health challenges and receive appropriate treatment in the community.

DMH will continue to conduct Community Services Reviews (“CSRs”) for children/youth for two years, and will achieve an overall system performance score of 70%. DMH will also provide coaching and targeted interventions to providers in order to improve their practices and their CSR scores.

Supported Housing

Dixon Consent Decree. There has not been a hearing, and the judge has not decided the motion.

12. As of the Court Monitor’s report to the judge in July 2011, the defendants had completely met or came very close to meeting the goals of 15 of the 19 Exit Criteria.

13. Given the progress that the defendants made on meeting more of the goals in the Exit Criteria, the challenges to meeting the goals in the remaining four Exit Criteria, and the uncertainty of not knowing whether the judge would grant or deny the defendants’ motion, the parties decided to discuss whether there was a way to resolve the remaining issues without more litigation.

14. The plaintiffs and the defendants have written down their agreement in a document called the “Settlement Agreement.” Although, on September 12, 2011, the judge preliminarily approved the agreement, the settlement is NOT FINAL. The the judge approves it after holding a public hearing called a “fairness hearing.” Before the judge decides to approve it, you can tell the judge if you do not like any part of it and you can ask the judge to let you speak at the fairness hearing.

[ Civil Action No. 1:74-cv-00285 (TFH) ]

DMH will ensure that at least 70% of children, youth, and adult consumers who are discharged from an inpatient psychiatric hospitalization receive a non-crisis service in a non-emergency setting no later than 7 days after discharge.

DMH will ensure that at least 80% of children, youth, and adult consumers who are discharged from an inpatient psychiatric hospitalization receive a non-crisis service in a non-emergency setting no later than 30 days after discharge.

DMH will ensure that CSAs follow certain performance guidelines designed to improve the follow–up mental health services provided to children, youth and adult consumers after discharge from an inpatient psychiatric hospitalization.

Other Key Provisions •

•

The District will restore $3.5 million of the funds that were cut from the DMH Fiscal Year 2012 budget.

The District will provide progress reports to class counsel every

three months during the twoyear term of the Agreement.

The judge will retain jurisdiction over the case to decide any disputes about compliance with the Settlement Agreement.

The Settlement Agreement contains more detail about each of these service-related commitments, and includes various enforcement provisions.

16. You may obtain a copy of the entire Settlement Agreement on the Department of Mental Health’s website at www.dmh.dc.gov.

17. Plaintiffs’ lawyers believe that this Agreement is fair, reasonable, adequate, and is in the best interest of the class because it substantially increases the resources for community-based mental health services and supports, and eliminates the possibility that the judge will grant the defendants’ motion to dismiss.

18. The lawyers for the plaintiff class are: Mark H. Lynch, Iris Y. González, and Christian J. Pistilli. They are & Burling LLP. Class members do not pay any fees to these lawyers. If you have questions for the plaintiffs’ lawyers, you can write to them at:

•

The Honorable Thomas F. Hogan U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse 333 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20001 •

You must also mail copies of your letter to the lawyers for the plaintiffs and defendants at the following addresses: Dixon Class Counsel Attn: Iris Y. González Covington & Burling LLP 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004 Attorney General for the District of Columbia Attn: Grace Graham, Chief, Equity Section 441 Fourth Street, NW, 6th Floor South Washington, DC 20001

•

•

Dixon Settlement Inquiry Attention: Iris Y. González Covington & Burling LLP 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004

Now that you know the key terms of the Se lement Agreement, what can you do next?

19. If you agree with the Settlement Agreement, you do not have to do anything.

20. If you disagree with any part of the Settlement Agreement and you want to tell the Judge, you have to do these things: • You must write a letter to the judge telling him what you do not like about the Settlement Agreement.

Include your name, address, phone number, and signature in the letter.

• in large or underlined letters: “Civil Action No. 1:74-cv-00285: Objections to Settlement Agreement in Dixon v. Gray.”

Mail your letter to:

If you need help writing your objections, you may ask someone to object on your behalf. The representative must state in the objection that he or she is your representative and explain the nature of the representation and the name of the class member.

If you have a guardian or you are under the age of 18, your parent, guardian or court-appointed representative may object on your behalf. The guardian must state in the objection that he or she is your representative, the details of the appointment by the probate court or relationship to you (if parent) and explain the nature of the representation and the name of the class member.

21. You must do all of this to be sure that the judge will read your letter.

You must send your letter on or before December 31, 2011.

22. DO NOT CALL THE COURT. THE COURT WILL NOT ACCEPT PHONE CALLS ABOUT THIS. YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR OBJECTIONS IN WRITING.

When and where will the judge decide whether to approve the Se lement Agreement?

23. on February 16, 2012, at 10:00 AM before the Honorable Judge Thomas Hogan of the U. S. District Court

for the District of Columbia, at the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse. The courthouse is located at 333 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20001. The hearing will be held in courtroom 25A. 24. At the final fairness hearing, the judge will consider whether the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. The judge will consider any objections that were made according to the procedures described above.

Plaintiffs’ and defendants’ lawyers will be available to answer any questions that the judge may have.

25. You may speak at the hearing only if you sent your objections to the judge in writing.

26. If you would like to speak at the hearing, you must also request in writing the judge’s permission to speak. To do this, send a letter to the judge and send copies to the lawyers for plaintiffs and defenpage in large or underlined letters: “Civil Action No. 1:74-cv-00285: Notice of Intention to Appear at Final Fairness Hearing.” In the letter, you must include your name, address, notice of intention to appear, and signature. You must also include a statement indicating why you oppose the terms of the settlement and demonstrating that you are a Class Member. If your letter is sent on your behalf by your guardian or representative, the letter must include proof of the person’s status as your guardian or representative.

Any request to appear at the Fairness Hearing should be made on or before December 31, 2011.

27. If the judge decides to approve the the lawsuit will end. The defendants will withdraw their motion to vacate and dismiss and class members will no longer be able to petition the courts for the same thing that they sued about in the Dixon lawsuit.

28. If the judge does not approve the settlement, the 2003 Decree will continue in effect and the judge will decide the defendants’ motion to vacate and dismiss. It is possible that, if this settlement is not approved, the judge will grant the defendants’ motion and dismiss the case. If this happens, the defendants will not have any obligations under the 2003 Consent Decree or any other Dixon court order.

LEGAL NOTICE: William Dixon, et al - v - Vincent C. Gray, et al 1.

The purpose of this notice is to inform you about a proposed settlement in the Dixon lawsuit. The settlement may affect the rights of certain people in the District who use or need public mental health nal. In order for the settlement to Honorable Thomas Hogan, will hear from different people and decide if the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. If this notice applies to you, you will have an opportunity to tell the judge what you think about the settlement before the judge decides whether to approve it. The rest of this notice explains the Dixon lawsuit, how to determine whether this lawsuit applies to you, the key terms of the proposed settlement, and how you can give the judge your opinion about the proposed settlement.

2.

This notice may apply to you if you are in a psychiatric hospital or psychiatric residential treatment facility. This notice may also apply to you if you are a resident of the District of Columbia with a serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance and you are receiving, want to receive, or are on a waiting list for mental health services and supports in the community.

What is this lawsuit about?

3.

4.

The Dixon lawsuit was brought in 1974 by a group of people who had serious mental illnesses and wanted to receive mental health services and supports in the community and not in a psychiatric hospital or institution.

The people who brought the lawsuit, called the “named plaintiffs,” were William Dixon, Sarah Crenshaw, Oscar Holt, Robert Archibald, Willie Maw Rogers, Mary Wood, Lillian the lawsuit on their behalf and on behalf of all other persons like them (“plaintiffs”).

The plaintiffs sued state and federal officials responsible for running Saint Elizabeths Hospital and responsible for the development of

community-based mental health services and supports for people who need them. The people who were sued are called “defendants.” Today, the defendants are the District of Columbia, including the Mayor and the Director of the Department of Mental Health.

5. In 1975, the judge who was assigned to this case decided that the named plaintiffs and their lawyers would fairly represent all people who want to live and receive mental health services and supports in a community setting, making this case a “class action.” Because this is a class action, the people to whom this notice applies are also called “class members.” The judge also ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and directed the defendants to create a community-based mental health system so that class members could receive mental health treatment and supports in the least restrictive setting.

6. From 1980 through 1997, the parties agreed to various plans to develop a community-based mental health system. The judge approved those agreements, which are called “Consent Decrees” and have the force of law.

7. From 1997 to 2002, the judge appointed a receiver and a transitional receiver to make sure that the plans were implemented.

8. In December of 2003, the judge approved the most recent agreement between the parties. The 2003 Consent Decree contains what are known as the “Exit Criteria.” The Exit Criteria measure the District’s performance in 19 different areas related to community-based mental health services that the District agreed to improve. According to the Consent Decree, if the District met the goals in these 19 Exit Criteria, the judge would dismiss the case and end court supervision.

9. Starting in 2003, an expert was approved by the Court to ensure that the defendants did what they agreed to do. This expert, called the Court Monitor, made regular reports to the judge about the defendants’ progress in meeting their obligations, and he worked with the defendants to achieve the goals in the Exit Criteria.

10. By July 2009, the defendants had

the defendants to take several steps designed to improve the provision of community-based mental health services and supports. The defendants have roughly two years to meet their obligations under the agreement. The key terms of the Agreement are:

met the goals in 6 of the 19 Exit Criteria.

11. In September of 2009, the defento dismiss the case. The defendants made three primary arguments to support their motion: (1) that they had remedied the original violation of the law that plaintiffs complained of in 1974, and so it was no longer fair to require them to meet the remaining goals; (2) that they were very close to meeting many of the remaining goals (or that they were in “substantial compliance”); and (3) that children and youth were no longer class members and, so, the goals related to children/youth were no longer applicable. Plaintiffs’ lawyers opposed the motion, arguing that the defendants had not

What are the key terms in the 15. The Settlement Agreement requires

•

DMH will increase the provision of certain evidence-based and promising practices to children/youth over two years. DMH will increase the provision of Multi-Systemic Therapy and Functional Family Therapy by

•

•

•

•

•

The Department of Mental Health (“DMH”) will ensure that at least 300 new supported housing slots will be available to class members.

Of those 300 new slots, at least 200 will be in the form of vouchers or subsidies for supported housing.

DMH will also seek funding to build or renovate housing units that will be set aside for DMH use for the supported housing program.

DMH will ensure that those who need supported housing are given the appropriate priority based on the most urgent needs.

DMH will make a plan to learn about the need for supported housing and to learn about ways to obtain resources to meet that need. The plan will be written after obtaining the opinions and ideas of class members and their advocates.

•

Continuity of Care •

Supported Employment •

•

DMH will require Core Service Agencies (“CSAs”) to follow a whether adults with serious mental illnesses need supported employment services.

DMH will ensure that 60% of those who need supported employment services are actually referred to those services, and DMH will increase the provision of supported employment services by 10% in ond year.

•

•

Services to Children and Youth •

DMH will reduce the total number of bed days that children/youth spend in Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (“PRTFs”) 30% by September 30, 2013. DMH will also track and report important information about children/youth in PRTFs, such as: length of stay, reasons for discharge, community-based services after discharge, and outcomes.

•

• second year. Multi-Systemic Therapy and Functional Family Therapy are evidence-based practices. DMH will increase the provision of High Fidelity Wraparound services, a promising practice, by 10% in the first year and 20% in the second year. These evidence-based and promising practices are ones that have been proven to be effective in the past to help children/youth and their families manage behavioral and mental health challenges and receive appropriate treatment in the community.

DMH will continue to conduct Community Services Reviews (“CSRs”) for children/youth for two years, and will achieve an overall system performance score of 70%. DMH will also provide coaching and targeted interventions to providers in order to improve their practices and their CSR scores.

Supported Housing

Dixon Consent Decree. There has not been a hearing, and the judge has not decided the motion.

12. As of the Court Monitor’s report to the judge in July 2011, the defendants had completely met or came very close to meeting the goals of 15 of the 19 Exit Criteria.

13. Given the progress that the defendants made on meeting more of the goals in the Exit Criteria, the challenges to meeting the goals in the remaining four Exit Criteria, and the uncertainty of not knowing whether the judge would grant or deny the defendants’ motion, the parties decided to discuss whether there was a way to resolve the remaining issues without more litigation.

14. The plaintiffs and the defendants have written down their agreement in a document called the “Settlement Agreement.” Although, on September 12, 2011, the judge preliminarily approved the agreement, the settlement is NOT FINAL. The the judge approves it after holding a public hearing called a “fairness hearing.” Before the judge decides to approve it, you can tell the judge if you do not like any part of it and you can ask the judge to let you speak at the fairness hearing.

[ Civil Action No. 1:74-cv-00285 (TFH) ]

DMH will ensure that at least 70% of children, youth, and adult consumers who are discharged from an inpatient psychiatric hospitalization receive a non-crisis service in a non-emergency setting no later than 7 days after discharge.

DMH will ensure that at least 80% of children, youth, and adult consumers who are discharged from an inpatient psychiatric hospitalization receive a non-crisis service in a non-emergency setting no later than 30 days after discharge.

DMH will ensure that CSAs follow certain performance guidelines designed to improve the follow–up mental health services provided to children, youth and adult consumers after discharge from an inpatient psychiatric hospitalization.

Other Key Provisions •

•

The District will restore $3.5 million of the funds that were cut from the DMH Fiscal Year 2012 budget.

The District will provide progress reports to class counsel every

three months during the twoyear term of the Agreement.

The judge will retain jurisdiction over the case to decide any disputes about compliance with the Settlement Agreement.

The Settlement Agreement contains more detail about each of these service-related commitments, and includes various enforcement provisions.

16. You may obtain a copy of the entire Settlement Agreement on the Department of Mental Health’s website at www.dmh.dc.gov.

17. Plaintiffs’ lawyers believe that this Agreement is fair, reasonable, adequate, and is in the best interest of the class because it substantially increases the resources for community-based mental health services and supports, and eliminates the possibility that the judge will grant the defendants’ motion to dismiss.

18. The lawyers for the plaintiff class are: Mark H. Lynch, Iris Y. González, and Christian J. Pistilli. They are & Burling LLP. Class members do not pay any fees to these lawyers. If you have questions for the plaintiffs’ lawyers, you can write to them at:

•

The Honorable Thomas F. Hogan U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse 333 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20001 •

You must also mail copies of your letter to the lawyers for the plaintiffs and defendants at the following addresses: Dixon Class Counsel Attn: Iris Y. González Covington & Burling LLP 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004 Attorney General for the District of Columbia Attn: Grace Graham, Chief, Equity Section 441 Fourth Street, NW, 6th Floor South Washington, DC 20001

•

•

Dixon Settlement Inquiry Attention: Iris Y. González Covington & Burling LLP 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004

Now that you know the key terms of the Se lement Agreement, what can you do next?

19. If you agree with the Settlement Agreement, you do not have to do anything.

20. If you disagree with any part of the Settlement Agreement and you want to tell the Judge, you have to do these things: • You must write a letter to the judge telling him what you do not like about the Settlement Agreement.

Include your name, address, phone number, and signature in the letter.

• in large or underlined letters: “Civil Action No. 1:74-cv-00285: Objections to Settlement Agreement in Dixon v. Gray.”

Mail your letter to:

If you need help writing your objections, you may ask someone to object on your behalf. The representative must state in the objection that he or she is your representative and explain the nature of the representation and the name of the class member.

If you have a guardian or you are under the age of 18, your parent, guardian or court-appointed representative may object on your behalf. The guardian must state in the objection that he or she is your representative, the details of the appointment by the probate court or relationship to you (if parent) and explain the nature of the representation and the name of the class member.

21. You must do all of this to be sure that the judge will read your letter.

You must send your letter on or before December 31, 2011.

22. DO NOT CALL THE COURT. THE COURT WILL NOT ACCEPT PHONE CALLS ABOUT THIS. YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR OBJECTIONS IN WRITING.

When and where will the judge decide whether to approve the Se lement Agreement?

23. on February 16, 2012, at 10:00 AM before the Honorable Judge Thomas Hogan of the U. S. District Court

for the District of Columbia, at the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse. The courthouse is located at 333 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20001. The hearing will be held in courtroom 25A. 24. At the final fairness hearing, the judge will consider whether the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. The judge will consider any objections that were made according to the procedures described above.

Plaintiffs’ and defendants’ lawyers will be available to answer any questions that the judge may have.

25. You may speak at the hearing only if you sent your objections to the judge in writing.

26. If you would like to speak at the hearing, you must also request in writing the judge’s permission to speak. To do this, send a letter to the judge and send copies to the lawyers for plaintiffs and defenpage in large or underlined letters: “Civil Action No. 1:74-cv-00285: Notice of Intention to Appear at Final Fairness Hearing.” In the letter, you must include your name, address, notice of intention to appear, and signature. You must also include a statement indicating why you oppose the terms of the settlement and demonstrating that you are a Class Member. If your letter is sent on your behalf by your guardian or representative, the letter must include proof of the person’s status as your guardian or representative.

Any request to appear at the Fairness Hearing should be made on or before December 31, 2011.

27. If the judge decides to approve the the lawsuit will end. The defendants will withdraw their motion to vacate and dismiss and class members will no longer be able to petition the courts for the same thing that they sued about in the Dixon lawsuit.

28. If the judge does not approve the settlement, the 2003 Decree will continue in effect and the judge will decide the defendants’ motion to vacate and dismiss. It is possible that, if this settlement is not approved, the judge will grant the defendants’ motion and dismiss the case. If this happens, the defendants will not have any obligations under the 2003 Consent Decree or any other Dixon court order.

2Comics & Games

STREET FACT: A certain statistic or extra fact that relates to the current spread in some way or that takes the reader’s thinking an extra step from the story can go here.

Courtesy of Krazydad.com

SOLUTION:

SUDOKU

KLEVER’S COMICS #2: HAPPY HOLIDAYS

By Chino Dean Vendor

STREET SENSE December 7 - 20, 2011

11

OCCUPY D.C.

“Movements Obviously Can Take a While”

By Nicole M. Jones Editorial Intern The Occupy movement that has spawned campsites and protests in city centers across the world has arisen out of a sense of urgency and frustration with the power structure as it is, a Columbia University political scientist told an audience gathered for a Dec. 2 forum.

“I think that we’ve been in that moment of crisis for a long time and finally we have a sense that the political system is broken and we have to go outside of the routine channels,” said the speaker, Dorian Warren.

The afternoon forum, held at at the Busboys and Poets cafe located on K Street, was hosted by the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor at Georgetown University, an organization with a goal of developing creative ideas and practical solutions for working people.

Warren shared the conclusions of a study group he worked with over the summer that explored how such movements are built. The group came up with five components that mark successful social movements. They have clarity of purpose, relentless outreach, they provide space for authentic conversation and debate, engender leadership and master the use of the media.

The Occupy movements have used social media to send out demands for change. In spirit, some parallels can be drawn between the Occupy movement and earlier campaigns, such as the civil rights movement, the women’s liberation movement and the fight for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. Yet in the case of the Occupy movement, the goals are somewhat broader and harder to define, Warren acknowledged.

“I’ve had multiple conversations with different people and they’re always asking ‘where is the movement going?’ or ‘what are the demands?’” But the movement is still new and still evolving, Warren said.

“The civil rights movement was roughly 14 years—we’re two months in and movements obviously can take a while.”

Among its far-reaching goals, the movement has committed to working for fundamental changes to the structure of society, incremental changes to national policy and a redefinition of democracy that would give people who have been disenfranchised a voice, Warren said.

And even if those goals may be broad and sweeping, Warren suggested that Occupy can already claim success in raising serious questions about justice and democracy.

“Another accomplishment of Occupy has been to challenge and transform political discourse,” said Warren. “ If you look at counts of the words ‘inequality’, and ‘greed’ in the media, there’s a flat bar of zero in the media until Sept. 17 when it shoots up just like that.”

The movement’s reclaiming of public space has helped dramatize its push to redefine democracy, Warren added, speaking just two days before 31 Occupy DC protesters were arrested for attempting to erect a wooden shelter at McPherson Square park, not far from the cafe where the forum was held.

“The occupation is a tactic. It may not be a popular one, but it is a tactic,” Warren said. “A lot of people keep asking—‘Why occupy the parks, why the tents?’—it opens up the space to be creative and innovative. We have to keep pushing on occupying public space…no matter where it is—that’s what is going to push society…push the world to think differently…no matter how unpopular the tactic.”

Paul Adler, a Georgetown University history major, spoke of the need to set shorter term goals so that progress might be more easily measured.

“People want to see change. Perhaps if they win smaller and more concrete victories that give people more hope for the future, such as stopping foreclosures, reopening public spaces, aiding community groups of labor in struggle to push over to victory,” Adler said.

Sheika Reid, a supporter of Occupy DC, acknowledged that confusion might

remain about the ultimate goal of the occupations, here in the District and across the country. She tried to state that as clearly as possible.

“I feel like we live in a society where a majority of the people who make decisions that affect the rest of society

My first encounter with Occupy DC was about a month ago when a group of protesters bought papers from me.

I periodically went to their encampment because I was curious about the movement. I got to know many of the protesters and even spoke at one of their rallies. Although I sympathized with their cause, I wasn’t aligned with the movement.

Even though I wasn’t active, I saw many did good work. Volunteers supplied food and clothing. Group assemblies discussed strategies and topics affecting the nation. I was impressed by how some of the homeless people I regarded as low-lifes transformed themselves into activists.

However, not all was well. I befriended a few who were becoming disillusioned about the movement’s ultimate goals. Women would come to me and tell me they felt uncomfortable camping out because men constantly tried to grope them. Many with whom I talked have returned home or moved on to other encampments in other cities. I also saw some established protesters become annoyed with youths who were more interested in stirring up anarchy and revolution than in protesting corporate greed.

I also watched the news and saw the events around the country, the growing unrest between the police and protesters. I was appalled at the brutality in some cities, such as Oakland and New York City. And I went on watching our own local occupation with interest.

After selling my newspapers I found myself going to the park frequently.

Over the weeks of the occupation, I watched the movement’s complexion gradually become younger. I also noticed that rather than living in the

are paid off and a lot of them are making decisions in ways that would benefit a very small group rather than the larger group,” Reid said. “Occupy is about leveling out our power structure so that there is more power within the people instead of centralizing at the top.”

park, some of the most vocal protesters would leave when it became dark . The General Assembly meetings became more about chaotic and unfocused. As time went on, many of the protesters conversations seemed incoherent and irrational. I began to distance myself from many of the Occupiers.

Because Occupy is an inclusive movement dealing with troublemakers has remained a challenge.

However, at McPherson Square the protesters’ de-escalation team has been able to temper hostile participants,. But on Sunday tensions culminated when protesters clashed with the police after building a wooden structure in the park . The structure was deemed unsafe and a violation of the District’s building code. The police warned the protesters that if they didn’t take the structure down they would be arrested. The demonstrators refused, so the police began arresting the defiant ones.

The standoff was not a coordinated movement by all the protesters; it was a few rogue hoodlums who decided to break the law. Their actions were insensitive and cowardly.

Worse, what really pissed me off was that these people were not the face of the movement.

I commend the police for using restraint because many were antagonizing and provoking them. I condemn the protesters for not providing a voice of reason to prevent a potentially tragic ending.

Apparently the rogue Occupiers have not learned that you don’t endear people to your cause by being defiant and rabble-rousing. Eventually, that becomes old and tired.

My Love, My Life, My Son

Whose law is it?

By Vennie Hill Vendor

I got pregnant at the age of eighteen.

I don’t know exactly who the father is because I was cheating on my boyfriend at the time, who was also cheating on me. I was young and had decided that what was good for the goose was good for the gander. For real, I just needed some attention.

I went to Providence Hospital where they confirmed my pregnancy. I told the other guy, who was very upset, and I told my boyfriend. Standing in the hallway of our project apartments, he was angry. He was younger than me and not ready to have a child. He tried to push me down a flight of stairs. I fought back, but started to bleed internally.

Back at the hospital, I found out I had miscarried. He had really scared the life out of me: he really was trying to hurt me. Anyway, I haven’t been pregnant since, although I have tried.

Today my mom tries to tell me that the hospital made a mistake, that I never was pregnant. All I know is I’ve never missed a menstrual period in my life and at that time I missed two.

Skip ahead to a few years ago when my girl friend and I got our very own apartment. Both of us were spoiled and taken care of by our families. We found the worst apartment in the hood that could have been afforded. My best cousin moved in with us. He met these ladies up stairs and one of them had his personality. She was really funny, and

By David Rubin Vendor she lived with two sisters. She had a daughter that I remember - the sisters had kids too, but I can’t picture what they looked like as children. We became very close and friendly neighbors. There was not a day that passed that they didn’t come down to see us.

That connection was gone 3 years later, after losing the apartment and moving out. One day I ran into two cousins: children of one of the sisters I had met.

The older one was about fifteen by now.

I was strung out on drugs and almost at the point of asking for help, but too dumb to know how. The youngest one must have remembered me. He knew I worked, would never spend my money on drugs and wasn’t tricking, yet he would not help me out. His older cousin didn’t like it or me - so they would argue about me from time to time.

A few more years passed, and the next time I talked to the older cousin, somehow things were different between

the holy hell out of me. His best cousin was killed in a car accident the night before. Oh man he was almost like someone I didn’t even know. But in the end he apologized and I understood.

Still standing strong, our relationship that is. He started taking time out of his busy schedule just to talk to me.

All of a sudden the question came up about me getting high. He looked me in my eyes and asked, why don’t you quit?

I said I’m trying and he said don’t try; do it. I can remember walking out of that hallway feeling so damn good. Like there wasn’t anything that could stop me from quitting. I held on to that feeling for about 7 years until I finally quit.

Today he is very much still in my life.

He doesn’t appreciate my smoking so I still try and not do it. He’s like my hero.

I talk to him almost every day and he is still my son. It’s called unconditional love and unconditional strength to fight for someone when you really can’t fight

us. He had changed. He was loving and giving and very understanding. One day it just happened, I began to look out for him and him for me. About two more years passed and I remember walking toward him. He called me Ma. With no kids of my own and a belief in the relationship we had, it went straight to heart. I began to call him son. There wasn’t a day that passed that I didn’t long to see him. I started dressing better, eating better and feeling better about myself. I’ll never forget our first falling out: when he scared

for yourself. I really want to say to him, “thank you so much for believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself.

Thanks for all the times you’ve been there when I had no one else. Thanks for loving me like no one else has. And thanks for caring like only you could. I love you so much I can’t even say it. For the day you brought me shrimp which is my favorite food, I knew you were okay.

Being homeless, you found a place for me to stay. You are my life, my life and my son. And in my eyes through God you are the only one.”

When I think about the fundamental differences among German, Chinese and U.S. laws, it seems crystal clear that there is a new need to redefine freedom and happiness.

Take the differences between German law and U.S. law regarding contracts, especially between landlords and tenants.

Where in the U.S., contract agreements are required to be expressly stated between the two parties concerned, in German law, the government’s judiciary branch spells out those contracts and there are fewer complications in housing matters. The end result is homelessness in the U.S. because housing issues are not under full government control.

Chinese law speaks of virtues and ethics as main pillars of the nation’s legal system, more important than personal wishes and individual lives. Thus, it becomes irrelevant what one desires in life or whether one is individually successful, so long as one is virtuous.

Poverty as a way of life has never been so acceptable as it is in the U.S. The English law has resolved my immigration case, yet I cannot find employment or housing.

I believe the U.S. can learn from the Chinese and German legal systems. I say it would be the end of homelessness and poverty, and not a return to British imperialism.

STREET SENSE December 7 - 20, 2011

153

VENDOR WRITING

Diseases of the Heart

Not a Cyber

Christmas

By Chris Shaw ‘Cowboy Poet’

By Jaamill Hipps Vendor As I sell my Street Sense, I watch the traffic of people pour from four sides of the street, people of all nationalities, ages, social status and creed. The eyes, I love the eyes, for the eyes are definitely the windows to the soul. They are full of expression and sincerity as well as negative emotionless, cold and hard thoughts. The men in their best business suits and the women in their seductive business suits, hugging the contours of their design while some dress more conservatively than other ones.

As I watch the sea of eyes droning through the streets, going about their everyday lives, I wonder, and then ponder, what causes these expressions, the good and the bad. When a person who doesn’t even know me from a can of beans, walks past me and looks at me, I can almost identify the ones who will give charitably and the ones who won’t. I wonder what moves them to feel the way they do; the ones that give and the ones that don’t.

So, if the eyes are the windows to the soul, then where does the soul lie?

My guess is in the heart. And if the heart moves the soul, then the heart moves the eyes, and as the eyes move, expressions form on the face which stems from the heart. What makes the heart express itself in this manner?

Some people are full of sincere kindness and others the latter.

Know oh beloved reader of Street Sense news and the whole wide world, how important it is to spend one’s time and energy in treating the ‘heart’ to recognizing the needs for a charitable response to the needs of others, and in hastening to correct and purify it from sickness. This is due to the heart occupying a great and lofty place in God’s eyes; it is the place where the Lord looks and the storehouse of faith and sincerity.

The heart forms the foundation. The owners of the limbs are the soldiers for the heart’s intentions. They carry out the will of the heart. And when the owner becomes purified, its soldiers become purified and when its owner becomes sullied, its soldiers become sullied. That is why I love the poet who said “I saw the sins killing the hearts, breeding ignominy due to their addictions and in the leaving of sins and lies, its life and what is best for your soul, it is best that you preserve it.”

The heart is in need of being nurtured, so that it may mature and increase until it becomes complete and correct. Just as the body needs nourishment that is good for it, along with this there is a need to prevent anything from harming it. So as the body will not grow until it gains that which will benefit it, it must also be prevented from that which harms it.

Likewise the heart will not become pure that if might grown and become complete with respect to it correction, until it attains that which will benefit it and repress that which harms it. Just as the flower will not grow without the factors of light and water, so the heart needs charity to grow into a blessing to others.

Extinguishing sin causes the heart to be purified. So my love to all my beloved Street Sense customers for several reasons, the chiefest being for loving God enough to nourish his kaleidoscope of love, emotion, compassion and sincerity. Kudos. Lead by example.

Keep in your mind’s eye that greed is a sickness of miserliness just as jealousy is the work insecurity. Jealousy eats away at your deeds, just as fire eats away at what it touches; giving charitably extinguishes sins. Just as water extinguishes fire.

J

ust by chance, it’s the holiday season. Seems the well-heeled are ignoring the “Tiny Tims” and “Bob Cratchits” among Downtown’s human ebb and flow.

A simple thought: Isn’t the hungry smiling face on the corner equally valuable alongside the stockbrokers and hedgefund managers dressed in purple

silks and woven tweeds? We all pull part of the load. In Heaven there is no “Black Friday!”

Be mindful of those for whom you pray, For Ye may enjoin them ‘pon the way.

I celebrate, but not in a Cyber-ly style.

For me, Black Friday was in 1929, they say.

Now come the execrable displays.

Default balls, And Baubles. Anon, I heard a forlorn donkey Bray, for his heart is frayed.

In the town square the Christ Child calls forth, “How ‘bout some hay?”

(I would even welcome a Dreydl for my children.)

This season is about humble and genuine Faith.

No Filthy Lucre here.

No Ocelot Throw Robe or Platinum Encrusted Sundae.

My friend, this Season is about a belief that transcends prognostications Of rivers and lava, hematite and clay, And a lovely death by the rogue Helios’ Blazing Rays.

Glory be, and adore the one for whom You meet and for whom ye Pray, Upon the Sacred Way!!

On the Road

By James Davis Vendor

In the wake of the sex abuse scandal that shocked its community, a somber yet reflective mood pervaded the campus of Penn State University.

It was the evening of Nov. 14, and Faces of Homelessness speakers’ bureau members had come to talk about homelessness.

Sheila Melvin, Alan Banks and I, along with Megan Hustings, our moderator from the National Coalition for the Homeless, were expecting a somewhat larger audience than the dozen or so people who showed up for our discussion at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center.

The center is located directly across from a library named for Joe Paterno, the school’s former head football coach, fired just four days before our arrival for not doing more to stop the alleged child abuse being carried out by his coaching assistant Jerry Sandusky.

Those who came that evening listened to our stories and learned about the mission of the speakers’ bureau and the advocacy work of the National Coalition for the Homeless.

The next day we spoke to a much larger audience at DeSales University in Allentown.

Several students shared their observations about homelessness that they gained while participating in the National Coalition’s Homeless Challenge, which gives students the chance to spend 48 hours on the streets of Washington, D.C.

I told one student that we had just spoken at Penn State, and he seemed ashamed and apologized to us for having to go there.

Would you like to continue support of Street Sense throughout the year?

Would you like to continue support of Street Sense throughout the year?

Order a subscription today!

Order a subscription today!

Not only will you recieve 26 issues with all our latest news, poetry and photography, you will also help raise awareness about poverty in the D.C. area.

____ YES! I want to subscribe to Street Sense for just $40 a year (26 issues).

____ I would also like to give half the cost of my subscription to my favorite vendor: _____________________________

all people are

Not only will you recieve 26 issues Welcome with all our latest news, poetry and

here photography, you will also help raise awareness about poverty in the D.C. Join us in worship on Sundays at 9:30 am, 11:00 am, 5:30area. pm Homeless Outreach Hospitality Fridays ____at 9:00 I want to subscribe _____________________________

YES!

to Street Sense for just $40 a year (26Methodist issues).

Foundry United Church A Reconciling Congregation

____ I would also like to give half to my www.foundryumc.org favorite vendor: _____________________________

th 1500 16 Street NW | Washington DC | 20036 the cost of my subscription 202.332.4010 | foundryumc.@foundryumc.org

That last speaking engagement marked my 150th with the National Coalition for the Homeless speakers’ bureau. My work for the bureau has taken me all over the country over the past eight years and it has been enjoyable for me to enlighten people about poverty and homelessness.

Service Spotlight: Georgetown Ministry Center

By Case Keltner Editorial Intern In 1984 Freddy could not escape the grips of a harsh DC winter. Elderly, homeless, and hopeless, Freddy’s life and death came to personify the struggle of the chronically homeless.

In The resulting community reaction led the Georgetown Clery Association and Georgetown University to establish the Georgetown Ministry Center in 1987.

More than two decades later, the GMC is “seeking lasting solutions to homelessness one person at a time.”

GMC operates a drop-in center at 1041 Wisconsin Ave. NW where homeless people can get help obtaining housing, benefits, mental health services and employment opportunities.

The center also includes shower and laundry rooms.For homeless people who are reluctant to ask for help GMC staff members visit campsites under bridges or on the streets, offering

DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH ACCESS HOTLINE 1-888-7WE HELP (1-888-793-4357)

SHELTER Calvary Women’s Services 110 Maryland Avenue, NE (202) 289-0596 (office) (202) 289-2111 (shelter) www.calvaryservices.org Central Union Mission (Men) 1350 R Street, NW (202) 745–7118, www.missiondc.org Open Door Shelter (Women) 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 393–1909 www.newhopeministriesdc.org/id3.html Community of Hope (Family) 1413 Girard Street, NW (202) 232–7356,www.communityofhopedc.org Covenant House Washington (Youth) 2001 Mississippi Avenue, SE (202) 610–9600, www.covenanthousedc.org John Young Center (Women) 119 D Street, NW (202) 639–8469, www.catholiccharitiesdc.org

psychiatric help and social services and distributing blankets and other supplies to protect against weatherrelated illnesses and deaths.

GMC also coordinates a winter shelter program, housed in neighborhood churches on a rotating basis .

The shelter program operates from November through mid-April and provides an opportunity for shelter residents to establish supportive relationships with staff and church volunteers. The program employs a “safe-haven model” encouraged by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The model, with its homey, friendly and comfortable low-demand environment, is designed to appeal to vulnerable and serviceresistant homeless people.

STREET SENSE December 7 - 20, 2011

COMMUNITY SERVICES St. Stephens Parish Church 1525 Newton St, NW (202) 737–9311, www.thrivedc.org

Martha’s Table 2114 14th Street, NW (202) 328–6608, www.marthastable.org

Food and Friends 219 Riggs Road, NE (202) 269–2277, www.foodandfriends.org

Rachel’s Women’s Center 1222 11th Street, NW (202) 682–1005, www.ccdsd.org/howorwc.php

Miriam’s Kitchen 2401 Virginia Avenue, NW (202) 452–8089, www.miriamskitchen.org

Sasha Bruce Youthwork 741 8th Street, SE (202) 675–9340, www.sashabruce.org

The Welcome Table Church of the Epiphany 1317 G Street, NW (202) 347–2635, http://www.epiphanydc. org/ministry/welcometbl.htm

So Others Might Eat (SOME) 71 “O” Street, NW (202) 797–8806; www.some.org

MEDICAL RESOURCES

Academy of Hope GED Center 601 Edgewood Street, NE (202) 269-6623, www.aohdc.org

Christ House 1717 Columbia Road, NW (202) 328–1100, www.christhouse.org Unity Health Care, Inc. 3020 14th Street, NW (202) 745–4300,www.unityhealthcare.org

My Sister’s Place PO Box 29596, Washington, DC 20017 (202) 529-5261 (office) (202) 529-5991 (24-hour hotline)

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

OUTREACH CENTERS N Street Village (Women) 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060, www.nstreetvillage.org Samaritan Inns 2523 14th St., NW (202) 667 - 8831 http://www.samaritaninns.org/home/ New York Ave Shelter (Men 18+) 1355–57 New York Avenue, NE (202) 832–2359

FOOD

15

Bread for the City 1525 Seventh Street, NW (202) 265–2400 1640 Good Hope Road, SE (202) 561–8587, www.breadforthecity.org Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW (202) 364–1419, www.cchfp.org Bethany Women’s Center 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060, www.nstreetvillage.org

Charlie’s Place 1830 Connecticut Avenue, NW (202) 232–3066 www.stmargaretsdc.org/charliesplac

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

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

Friendship House 619 D Street, SE (202) 675–9050, www.friendshiphouse.net

Thrive DC Breakfast served Mon.-Fri., 9:30-11 a.m.

Dinner for women and children, Mon.-Fri., 3-6 p.m.

Georgetown Ministry Center 1041 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (202) 338–8301 www.georgetownministrycenter.org

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Catholic Community Services 924 G Street, NW (202) 772–4300, www.ccs–dc.org D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW (202) 347–8870, www.dccfh.org Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW (202) 347–0511, www.cflsdc.org Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW (202) 332–4010, www.foundryumc.org Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men) 810 5th Street, NW (202) 842–1731, www.grm.org Hermano Pedro Day Center 3211 Sacred Heart Way, NW (202) 332–2874 www.ccs–dc.org/find/services/ JHP, Inc. 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 544–9126, www.jobshavepriority.org Samaritan Ministry 1345 U Street, SE 1516 Hamilton Street, NW (202) 889–7702, www.samaritanministry.org

SHELTER HOTLINE: 1–800–535–7252

VENDOR PROFILE: CHINO DEAN

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

By Tori Vogel Volunteer

From Phillip Black The ‘Cat in the Hat’

Vendor Chino Dean likes to be known as the “Grand Baby Bugs Bunny” and from his cartoons you may agree. When creating one of his cartoons, the first thing he does is think about his character. Once he has a character formed in his mind and drawn on his tablet, he will imagine speaking to the character which is how he creates the dialogue for his cartoons.

When not drawing, Chino likes to stay active by playing street soccer. In 2008 he was honored with a medal for his outstanding performance playing for the San Francisco team in the competition for the Street Soccer USA Cup here in Washington. Street Soccer USA draws homeless players from 20 cities across the country to compete for goals both on soccer fields and in their lives. The program not only encourages players to stay physically and mentally fit but helps them to improve their social skills and self-esteem.

Chino says that working for Street Sense was the reason he had the opportunity to participate in soccer and that the paper has opened other doors for him as well. . One of his favorite things about being a Street Sense vendor is that he has had the chance to meet with the famous and not-so-famous people of the United States government.

Chino also served in the United States Navy. So if you see him selling papers by the Capitol or over on 12th and G streets he would love for you to, “start up a conversation about his naval career.”

Vendor Chino Dean working on his new comic strip, Klever’s Comics.

PHOTO BY ALLEN HOORN

December 7 - 20, 2011 • Volume 9 • Issue 2

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW

Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Washington, DC

Washington, DC 20005

Mail To:

Permit #568

Remember, only buy from badged vendors and do not give to those panhandling with one paper.

Interested in a subscription? Go to page 3 for more information.

Holidays are the best times of the year. Thanksgiving and Christmas are wonderful times to be around family and friends. However, they can also be difficult and trying times when you are homeless. As a father of two children, Javonna and Rasheeda, fourteen and eleven, I lost contact and communication with them about four years ago. I had major surgery and when I was released from the hospital I found myself without a job and unable to pay my bills. I became homeless.

Before I knew it, my wife had packed up the children and moved to Greensboro, N.C. For awhile, I didn’t even know where my children were. But luckily for me, with the help of Street Sense and the Community Council for the Homeless, I spent Thanksgiving with Javonna and Rasheeda. So don’t be afraid to ask for help around the holidays. You will be surprised how much help you can get when you’re homeless.

Happy Holidays to all.

MEET OUR NEW DIRECTOR: BRIAN CAROME In November, Brian Carome joined the staff of Street Sense as the new executive director. He arrives with more than 20 years of senior and executive management experience at local nonprofit social service organizations. Previously, he served as executive director at Housing Opportunities for Women, Project Northstar and A-SPAN. Carome also completed a program in nonprofit management at Georgetown University’s Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership.

Reporting to the organization’s board of directors, Street Sense’s executive director oversees fundraising, budgeting and financial management, public relations, staff development and strategic planning.

“I look forward to building on the work that founders Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson began,” says Carome. “Public education is an important, although often overlooked, aspect of the struggle against poverty and homelessness, and Street Sense plays a central role in that effort.”

When asked about his vision for the future of Street Sense, Carome indicated that his top priority is bringing long-term financial sustainability to the organization and improving its internal infrastructure. He added that he hoped the newspaper could expand both its readership and coverage into the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs.

“Homelessness is a regional problem, and understanding and solving it will take a regional approach,” he said. “I hope that we can inform the conversation amongst policymakers and elected officials as they grapple with the affordable housing and health needs of persons who are homeless and living in extreme poverty.”

Carome received a bachelor’s degree in history from Boston College. Upon graduating, he moved to Washington in 1985 and took a job at the Father McKenna Center, a drop-in center for the area’s homeless and low-income residents. In addition to running the Center’s winter emergency shelter, he also oversaw its advocacy efforts.

“When I began my career, homelessness was the issue. There were daily stories in The New York Times and Washington Post. Led by a few charismatic leaders like Mitch Snyder and Bob Hayes, there was a tangible, vibrant movement to end homelessness. And that movement was fueled by a sense of outrage that homelessness even existed in such a wealthy nation. Over time, we have become desensitized to the outrageousness of homelessness and extreme poverty and we have accepted it as just part of the landscape. Street Sense exists to elevate voices of public debate relating to poverty, including the issue of homelessness. In that way, it serves as a mechanism to remind all of us that these are issues that deserve and demand our attention.”

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Carome resides in Arlington, Va., with his wife and children.