StreetSense_forweb_8.03.11

Volume 8: Issue 19 August 3 - 16, 2011

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Helpi n Prosti g Individu al tu the A es Surviv e IDS e pidem ic p6

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.

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Program for homeless women gets a new home ADDRESS 1317 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 PHONE (202) 347 - 2006 FAX (202) 347 - 2166 E-MAIL info@streetsense.org WEB streetsense.org

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FREE WATER! Network for free water bottle refills comes to D.C.

Fighting HIV/AIDS on the streets and through the cinema

Read all stories online at streetsense.org Staying in the swim with summer school

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Comics & Games

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Writing talent from our Vendors!

WEB EXCLUSIVE

Video: See what a Horizons Greater Washington Class is Like

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ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Kristal DeKleer EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mary Otto

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

New organization’s launch provides festivities for local homeless Beware of Unauthorized Vendors

A new issue comes out every two weeks, but you can stay connected to Street Sense every day! /streetsense @streetsensedc /streetsensedc Cover art by Eric Falquero

LAYOUT SPECIALIST Eric Falquero VENDOR AND VOLUNTEER MANAGER Robert Weaver INTERNS Zachary Davidson, Erin Durkin, Mary Clare Fischer, Ashley Hemmy, Hannah Traverse, Helen West VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Rhonda Brown, 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, Andrew Gena, Steve Gilberg, Jane Goforth, Jonah Goodman, Roberta Haber, Elia Herman, Cherilyn Hansen, Adam Kampe, Trisha Knisely, Vicki Ann Lancaster, Elle Leech-Black, Lisa Leona, Sean Lishansky, Elsie Oldaker, Katinka Podmaniczky, Mike Plunkett, Willie Schatz, Jesse Smith, Lilly Smith, Mandy Toomey, Brett Topping, Melissa Hough, Kate Sheppard, Marian Wiseman, Kelly Stellrecht, Jane Cave VENDORS Michael Anderson, Charles Armstrong, Jake Ashford, Lawrence Autry, Daniel Ball, Kenneth Belkosky, Tommy Bennett, Reginald Black, Deana Black, Harmon Bracey, Debora Brantley, Andre Brinson, Floarea Caldaras, Conrad Cheek, Theresa Corbino, Avram Cornel, Anthony Crawford, Kwayera Dakari, Louise Davenport, James Davis, Charles Davis, Devon Dawkins, Michael Dawson, Chino Dean, Daivd Denny, Richardo Dickerson, Alvin Dixon El, Charles Eatmon, Richard Emden, Pieus Ennels, Betty Everett, Joshua Faison, Larry Garner, R. George, David Ger, Marcus Green, Barron Hall, Dwight Harris, Lorrie Hayes, Patricia Henry, Shakaye Henry, Derian Hickman, Vennie Hill, Anne Holloway, Phillip Howard, James Hughes, Patricia Jefferson, Carlton Johnson, Donald Johnson, Mark Jones, Evanson Kamau, Mike Leach, Michael Lyons, Johnnie Malloy, Kina Mathis, John C. Matthews, Authertimer Matthews, Charlie Mayfield, Robert McGray, Marvin McFadden, Jermale McKnight, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jeffrey McNeil, Kenneth Middleton, Gary Minter, L. Morrow, Jai Morton, Saleem Muhammad, Tyrone Murray, Darryl Neal, Charles Nelson, James Nelson, Sammy Ngatiri, Evelyn Nnam, Moyo Onibuje, Douglas Pangburn, Franklin Payne, Michael Pennycook, Ash-Shaheed Rabbil, Michael Reardon, Chris Shaw, Veda Simpson, J. Simpson, Patty Smith, Gwynette Smith, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens, Leroy Sturdevant, Beverly Sutton, Sybil Taylor, Paul Taylor, Archie Thomas, Larissa Thompson, Carl Turner, Jacqueline Turner, Joseph Walker, Martin Walker, Robert Warren, Terry Warren, Lawless Watson, Paul Watson, Wendell Williams, Edna Williams, Sherle Williams, Susan Wilshusen, Ivory Wilson, Mark Wolf, Charles Woods, Tina Wright

STREET SENSE August 3 - 16, 2011

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News

British Man Demands a Home An Eastbourne, England, man has set up camp outside the Eastborne Borough Council’s main offices in southeastern England, refusing to move unless he is given housing.

Plagued by financial problems, Simon Kelly became homeless in 2006 and has spent the last five years sleeping on the beach.

When he was hospitalized three weeks ago due to hyperthermia, Kelly decided he had had enough.

The council already tried to help Kelly, attempting to give him temporary housing as part of a substance abuse recovery program.

This offer was retracted when Kelly arrived intoxicated and began verbally abusing staff members.

Colorado Homeless Plan Flash Mob to Raise Awareness Charity walks and restaurant fundraisers are old news for many homeless communities. The newest strategy: a flash mob-esque gathering of activists and victims who aim to remind everyone that anyone can become homeless.

Participants in the Homeless Flash Mob will stand at an intersection the

morning of Sept. 14, holding up signs with statements such as, “I am homeless from domestic abuse. Please don’t abuse me more.” Ten minutes later, they’ll be gone.

Jade Beaty, who was homeless for two years before beginning work as an alternative healer, came up with the idea for the flash mob as a creative way to break homeless stereotypes.

“One of the things that is hardest about being homeless is feeling invisible,” Beaty said as quoted in The Daily Camera. “This will make us visible.”

Homeless Blogger Writes about her Journey Two years ago, Brianna Karp was just a homeless blogger. Now she’s had an internship with ELLE.com, a best-selling book, a steady job and is even on her way to permanent housing.

Karp wrote a post for ELLE.com July 29 detailing what’s happened since ELLE’s popular advice columnist, E. Jean Carroll, offered her an internship where she wrote a series of guest posts revealing some of her personal experiences with homelessness.

Karp now works for South Coast Repertory, an award-winning theater in Orange County, as a marketing as-

sistant. Her memoir, The Girl’s Guide to Homelessness, won ELLE’s #1 Readers’ Prize in June as well as rave reviews from acclaimed sources such as Publishers Weekly. The book tells horror stories of her molestation and her father’s suicide as well as her downward spiral into homelessness due to the Great Recession.

She is also the co-founder of World Homeless Action Day—Oct. 10—which counted 100 countries as participants last year. When she’s not working or promoting her book, Karp still blogs at girlsguidetohomelessness.com/blog/.

National Coalition for the Homeless releases “The 10 Most Ridiculous Anti-Homeless Laws” As a preview of its newest report on the criminalization of homelessness, the National Coalition for the Homeless posted the 10 Most Ridiculous AntiHomeless Laws from 2010 through June 2011 on its Bring America Home blog No. 1 was sleeping bans in multiple cities, many of which consider sleeping in public as camping.

Other shockers included No. 3, no sleeping or lying down on San Francisco sidewalks between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., and No. 7, a Manteca, Calif., ordinance

The Story of Street Sense Street Sense began in August 2003 after two volunteers, 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. They saw it as a means of empowering the area’s poor and homeless and decided the paper would cover homelessness and other social issues.

After bringing together a core of dedicated volunteers, Street Sense published its first issue in November 2003, printing 5,000 copies.

About a dozen vendors sold the first issue of the paper. For the next three years, it was

published monthly as a project of the National Coalition for the Homeless. In October 2004, the organization incorporated and moved into its own office space. In March 2005, Street Sense received 501(c)3 status, becoming a nonprofit organization.

In October 2005, Street Sense formed a full board of directors, and in November, the organization hired its first employee, a full-time executive director. A year later, Street Sense hired its first vendor coordinator and began partnering with several service providers.

In February 2007, the paper increased the frequency of publication to twice a month.

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Massachusetts Study Finds High Rate of LGBT Homelessness Children’s Hospital Boston found that 25 percent of gay and lesbian teens and 15 percent of bisexual teens in the state of Massachusetts are homeless, a new study reports.

Hospital researchers used data from the 2005 and 2007 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which assessed 6,000 public high school students. Only 3 percent of heterosexual students surveyed identified themselves as homeless.

The study will be published in the American Journal of Public Health.

Compiled by Mary Clare Fischer, from previously published reports.

Read more homeless news at www.StreetNewsService.org!

Vendor Code of Conduct

In order to support the increased production, Street Sense brought on its first full-time editor-in-chief in April.

Today, Street Sense has four professionals, more than 100 active vendors and nearly 30,000 copies in circulation each month. The newspaper has become a major source of news for Washingtonians, providing content on issues which often go uncovered by the mainstream media.

Street Sense is a member of the National Association of Street Newspapers (NASNA).

YOUR DOLLAR Each vendor makes a personal investment in Street Sense, by purchasing is- Directly sues at a rate of 35 cents per copy. This aids the money helps cover our production and vendor printing costs for the paper, while still allowing the vendors to sell the paper at a low price and substantial profit.

that changed Library Park’s sprinkler schedule to disrupt overnight loiterers.

35% Supports costs

1. I agree not to ask for more than $1 or to solicit donations for Street Sense by other means.

2. I will only purchase the paper from Street Sense staff and will not sell papers to other vendors (outside of the office volunteers).

3. I agree to treat others respectfully. I will not “hard sell,” threaten or pressure customers.

4. I agree to stay off private property when selling Street Sense.

5. I understand that I am not a legal employee of Street Sense but a contracted worker responsible for my own well–being and income.

6. I agree to sell no additional goods or products when selling Street Sense.

7. I will not sell Street Sense under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

8. I will stay a block away from another vendor.

9. I understand that my badge is the property of Street Sense and will not deface it. I will display my badge and wear my vest when selling papers.

10. I understand that Street Sense strives to be a paper that covers homelessness and poverty issues while providing a source of income for the homeless. I will try to help in this effort and spread the word.

Calvary Women’s Services started in the basement of Calvary Baptist Church as an emergency shelter in 1983.

By Mary Clare Fischer Editorial Intern Lisa knew she needed help. She had been in prison for 14 years. The relatives who would have given her a place to stay were all dead. She had nowhere to go. Lisa was homeless. Until Calvary Women’s Services stepped in.

“I’ve heard horrible stories about shelters, but I can’t relate to that,” Lisa said. “Here, all of that gets thrown out the window. I have a great case manager, and I come to her for everything, even stupid little things. She takes care of me. Now I’ve just finished culinary school, and I’m starting two jobs. And in five years, I’d like to have a large bank account.”

And her message to the homeless community? “Stay focused, stay determined, stick to [your] goals and never be too proud to ask for help,” she said.

With programs that stress a low worker-to-client ratio and successful housing placements, nonprofit Calvary Women’s Services has been leasing space at 5th & K St NW for 15 years. But soon, like so many of its clients, Calvary will move into a lasting home. A $3 million renovation project will convert an abandoned building in Ward 8 into a new state-ofthe-art facility.

The larger accommodations will allow Calvary to expand its services, creating space for 15 additional beds, private bedrooms, a bigger kitchen and more rooms for life skills classes, which range from mental health counseling to art therapy.

“When you take calls every day from women looking for help and you know you’re maxed out and all you can do is put people on a waitlist, the opportunity to offer more services is amazing,” executive director Kris Thompson said in an interview with Street Sense. “It’s also a fantastic opportunity to go into a new neighborhood where the need is very great and there’s a bunch of service providers over there, like the United Planning Organization and Covenant House and Samaritan Ministry, so we’re excited to join with some of those organizations.”

Several local businesses have come out in support of the project, such as United Bank, which gave Calvary $1

million toward the purchase of the 14,000-square foot building that should be move-in ready by the end of the year. Other donors include Mark G. Anderson Consultants, OTJ Architects, Clark Construction group, Shapiro & Duncan, CS Consulting Engineers Inc., Walter L. Phillips Inc., Goulston & Storrs and the ever-munificent Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, which contributed $175,000.

“The women of Calvary appreciate the tremendous support that this grant from the Cafritz Foundation represents,” said Ann M. Hilpert, president of Calvary’s Board of Directors. “This funding is incredibly important to providing hope and a new home to homeless women in the District.”

Mark G. Anderson, president of Mark G. Anderson Consulting, enunciated the faith the community has in Calvary’s programs based on its glowing reputation.

“MGAC supports Calvary Women’s Services for the vital work it does for the city,” Anderson said. “Why Calvary?

Frankly the quality and longevity of its very devoted professional staff, the use of paid mental health counseling on a

low counselor to resident ratio, Calvary’s track record of success returning women to productive, independent living, and the knowledge that every dollar we use to support Calvary provides vital benefit. There is no fat on this organization. Dollar for dollar, supporting Calvary is pure muscle.”

And Calvary has the statistics to back up the reputation. Every five days, Calvary residents move into their own homes, a turnover rate so high that Calvary’s waitlist tends to be weeks, not months.

The application process does take some effort though. Prospective residents must come to Calvary between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and ask if the waitlist is open as it closes after 10 people. Once on the waitlist, women must call at least every three days requesting to stay there, or risk losing the chance to turn their lives around.

“We are committed to the client as long as they’re committed to us,” Life Skills coordinator Mary McGregor said in an interview with Street Sense.

Calvary residents have access to case management, life skills classes, mental

health and addiction recovery services, supported employment and even a savings program, where they learn how to manage their money responsibly.

Any additional help the women need is available through Calvary’s referral system, which facilitates agencies in spheres such as health care and GED training.

“There’s a lot of support, a lot of assistance and a lot of oversight, and I think that makes a difference because you have the opportunity to build relationships and a certain sort of trust that you don’t have in programs with a large number of people,” Thompson said.

In addition to short-term housing, Calvary also offers Pathways, a transitional housing program, and Sister Circle, a permanent housing program for those recovering from substance abuse.

But no matter the program, Calvary changes lives of both staff and clients every day. These changes will extend even farther in a new home with new possibilities.

“It’s opened my eyes to humanity,” McGregor said, “and how we’re all connected. In the end, we all want the same things in life.”

This new state-of -the-art facility, converted from an abandoned building, will allow Calvary Women’s Services to move and expand from its small location at 5th & K St NW. Photo by Katherine Bradley

D.C. Water recently donated 300 reusable water bottles to Street Sense for use by our vendors, see page 13 for the whole story!

By Hannah Traverse Editorial Intern Reusable water bottles have a lot of advantages. Using them is environmentally responsible, and on a hot summer day, they are a healthful, logical aide to staying hydrated. But refilling them when you are out can be a challenge.

Now, with the TapIt program, D.C. residents never need to worry about being caught in the city with an empty water bottle. TapIt, which started in New York City in 2008, is now a nationwide network of about 800 cafes and restaurants that offer people a chance to fill their reusable water bottles for free. The District launched a local TapIt network on June 1, joining 23 states already involved in the program. Already, D.C. has 77 participating eateries.

D.C. Water work to provide reusable water bottles & TapIt maps.

Photo By Hannah Traverse

“This is one way to get water when you’re out and about as opposed to buying bottled water,” said Sarah Neiderer, water communications coordinator at D.C. Water. “It’s good if you like exercising. It’s a way to get water if you’re out running, biking, walking…. It’s a very public-friendly program.”

D.C. Water partnered with TapIt in 2010 to begin looking at ways to extend the TapIt network into the District.

“We were pursuing options to improve access to tap water. We know that there aren’t very many water fountains in D.C.,” said Neiderer. “This was also a way to promote and improve public trust in tap water.”

On the TapIt Web site, www.tapitwater.com, viewers can use an interactive map to see where participating restaurants are located. The website shows whether the locations distribute filtered or nonfiltered tap water and tells users whether they need to ask for water refills at the counter or if they can just use a self-serve dispenser. The site even mentions whether the refill will be chilled or at room temperature. People with smartphones can also download the TapIt app to find participating locations on the go.

For those without easy access to the Internet, finding a TapIt location is still fairly simple: Participating locations display a TapIt decal in their windows, and the TapIt Web site provides a printable D.C. map that marks TapIt partners. D.C. Water and TapIt also work together to distribute TapIt marketing materials. D.C. Water includes TapIt flyers in its customer bills, and both organizations send representatives to restaurants and cafes to solicit interest in the program. D.C. Water is also distributing reusable water bottles at public outreach events. “We have to provide the tools to help people to make behavioral changes and start using the TapIt network,” said Naiderer.

The main objective of TapIt is to promote the environmental sustainability

STREET SENSE August 3 - 16, 2011

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Local

environmentally right thing to do but of using reusable bottles. “The goal was seemed to make good business sense. always to target people who would otherThe hope is that people who come in wise be buying bottled water,” said Wilfor a free water refill might like the atliam Schwartz, TapIt Campaign Director. mosphere of the restaurant and come Though Schwartz said that TapIt back for a meal. Hahn said that he also seems to be most popular among smartsupports TapIt for its convenience and phone users with the TapIt app, the proefficiency. gram has proven useful to low income “We try to be accommodating to evand homeless individuals. In May of this erybody. This falls in line with being a year, Seattle radio station KCPW broadgood neighborhood place...Convenience cast an interview with an at-risk youth is what makes a neighborhood.” said who uses the TapIt program. The interHahn. “This is another reminder that viewee said that he was frustrated with there are easy, inexpensive ways to be restaurants that charge for a glass of tap a good steward of the environment.” water. Going to a participating TapIt loSchwartz said that TapIt is growing cation guarantees a free refill and dealquickly in D.C. They hope to have maps ing with restaurant employees that will on street corners to point out participatnot question refilling a water bottle for ing locations. Schwartz said that TapIt is a passerby. Seeing TapIt logos on the spreading to Philadelphia and Baltimore side of restaurants will also hopefully as well as the greater D.C. metro area. remind people who spend much of their day on the streets to keep hydrated on hot days.

One of the first locations in D.C. to partner with TapIt was C o m m i s s a r y, a cafe and lounge at 1443 P Street N.W. Josh Hahn, manager at Commissary, said that when the restaurant opened in 2008, the mana ge me n t ma d e a decision to not sell bottled water. “Most fancy bottled water doesn’t even come from this c o u n t r y, ” s a i d Hahn. “That’s not very green.”

Hahn said that By providing these tools to jumpstart the program, D.C. Water joining TapIt not hopes to create lasting behavioral change. o n l y w a s t h e Photo By Hannah Traverse

3.2% of citizens in Washington D.C. over the age of 12 years old live with HIV/AIDs

Protecting D.C. from HIV one Flavored Erin Durkin Editorial Intern

en, boarded a van after midnight and made the rounds of city neighborhoods distributing condoms, sex lubricant, clean drug paraphernalia, candy and While the rest of the city sleeps, a glasses of water or Tang. When they infew are preparing for a night of work. troduced themselves to the sex workers Some might put on a pair of glittered they met, they would say, “We’re from heels, while others cover a lock of Helping Individual People Survive.” bubblegum pink hair with hairspray, fit “The word ‘prostitute’ has such a themselves into a skintight dress and loaded negative connotation,” said Jenstep out onto the sidewalk—the place na Mellor, team leader of the outreach where most of their business transacvan. “By calling them ‘sex workers,’ tions take place. people recognize that they are working The idea of sex work often provokes people like everyone else.” extreme reactions. Some people cringe, Mellor, a friendly woman known for others express interest or shock. Most her smile, is described as a “sex-poshave preconceived notions that all sex itive leader.” Sex-positivity, an adjecworkers have pimps or generally don’t tive that usually describes those open deserve respect. and understanding about sexual issues, Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive, is just one of many standard HIPS or HIPS, works with those in the sex busiterms, along with the cheer, “HIPS, ness to provide them with more opportuHIPS, hooray!” nities. The organization takes a special Meredith Zoltick, a HIPS volunteer interest in HIV/AIDS prevention, prowho has distributed condoms to many viding HIV testing and handing out free clients, explained the wide variety of condoms to sex workers. HIPS also works offerings: “Magnums,” she said, holdto break the stereotypes of the sex busiing up a gold square wrapper with the ness. The first step is changing names. well-known Trojan seal. “These are On a recent night, the HIPS outreach the most sought-out condom because team, made up of three young womthey are bigger and, quite frankly, Trojan has the best advertising.”

Then there are Lifestyles Extra Large condoms individually wrapped in blue packaging.

“These are actually bigger than Magnums, but they aren’t as well known,” she said.

Her collection also contained flavored condoms and sexual lubricants with Lifestyles flavored condoms are one of many condoms given flavors such as out by HIPS volunteers to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. mint, passion However, these cannot be used for vaginal sex because it can fruit, peach, w i l d c h e r r y, cause infection.

Photo Courtesy of Lifestyles chocolate and

vanilla. “We have to tell everybody that the flavored things can’t be used for vaginal sex, since they can cause infection,” Mellor said.

As the HIPS volunteers rode through the dark city streets, seeking sex workers out on their strolls, volunteer Alyssa Ballentine sat in what they called “the hot seat.”

“Only the person in the hot seat can talk to the clients,” said Mellor. “They must keep their whole attention on them, because this can double as counseling.”

According to HIPS volunteers, the use of sexual lubricants As the van pulled can make condoms more appealing to people while encourup to two men sit- aging safer sex. ting on a bus bench, Photo coutesy of ID one called out, “Hey, work, Mellor said, and sometimes, they it’s the condom truck.” They leaned turn to sex work to survive. “Transforward in the window and requested gender people may turn to sex work certain types of condoms in the same because it is a way for them to form manner one would order fast food. strong communities that can keep them “Give me some of them Magnums and safe and make them money,” Mellor Lifestyles,” one said. Zoltick packed a said. lunch bag full of condoms and handed it Research supports her assertion. A up front as Ballentine began explaining 2007 study done by the Williams Instithe benefits of lube. tute at the UCLA School of Law, “Bias “If you put some in the tip of the in the Workplace: Consistent Evidence condom, it can make it really pleasurof Sexual Orientation and Gender Idenable for you, and it can be pleasurable tity Discrimination,” found that 22 to 64 for your partner,” she said. percent of transgender people nationalAccording to Mellor, lube can make ly made less than $25,000 at their jobs. condoms more appealing and this will The large range of numbers is due to help prevent the spread of disease. “It the limited amount of research that has makes them sexier!” she said. Zoltick gone into transgender discrimination. added, “We like keeping things wet!”

At one stop, a group of girls flocked For most of the night, a large porto the van to say hello and receive cantion of the sex workers they encoundy and condoms. One girl complained tered were transgendered, meaning to a companion that her cell phone was their gender identity differed from almost out of charge. “You can charge their assigned sex. For example, many it at the bus station,” said her friend. of the sex workers were born with male “They’re good to our kind.” anatomies but identify with the female To help reduce discrimination, HIPS gender. workers and volunteers use terms such Many transgender people still face as “cisgender” to compliment the use of discrimination in the everyday world of

The Mpoderate Youth Center derives its name from the Spanish word for power, “poder,” and a play off the English word, “empowerment.”

Condom at a Time mone injections and drug injections,”

the term transgender. Cisgenders are individuals whose gender identity matchMellor said. “We also give out diabetic es their assigned sex. “When everyone needles in packs of 10.” has a label, no one is an outcast, so it Mellor said they give out cookers and isn’t transgender and everyone else,” packs of sterile water--if clients are going Mellor said. to use drugs, they can use them as safely Ballentine explained some of the as possible. “We don’t want them using things she has learned about this afterwater from the Potomac,” she said. dark world: how the strolls, or areas When clients come to the van for a walked by the sex workers, tend to be needle exchange, the volunteers show segregated among the cisgender and them an illustration that makes clear how transgender community. How the pimps dirty and dull a needle can get after one are more common on the cisgender to three uses. strolls, whereas The pictures transgender sex feature a needle workers tend blown up so one to look out for can see the bent one another. tip of the needle Mellor said after the third pimps also suffer use. from stereotypes As the night sky such as being vitook on a purple olent and malihue, the young cious. However, women in the she said most of

van maintained the pimps she their energy and has encountered excitement about don’t seem to - Jenna Mellor, director of HIPS helping people. be. outreach and mobile services “It is so important “There are a to make them feel like this is lot of pimps who refer their girls to us for a safe place,” HIV tests or counseling,” she said. said Mellor.

While HIPS does focus on sex workIn the early morning light, the van still ers in the D.C. area, the outreach van served as a warm place for sex workers serves anybody who approaches it. The who needed a break or a drink of water. For van is known not only for free condoms some, sex work is a long-term career. For but also as a place to exchange old neeothers, it is a last resort, something to do dles and receive fresh cookers. when they don’t have any other options.

In the back of the van, the volun“People do this to pay rent and feed teers keep a box full of different kinds their children,” said Mellor. “They do of needles. this to survive.”

“There are needles in here for hor-

People do this to pay rent and feed their children.

They do this to survive.

HIPS volunteers give out several different types of needles for hormone injections, drug use and diabetics. Providing people with clean needles will make them less likely to use old ones, thus preventing the spread of disease and infections. They also provide needle exchanges so people do not throw their old needles into the trash but dispose them safely.

Courtesy of Google Images

STREET SENSE August 3 - 16, 2011

7

NEWS

“The Other City” - La Clinica del Pueblo

By Mary Clare Fischer Editorial Intern Behind the soaring monuments and sparkling facades of Washington, D.C. ,there is another city. That other city is known for its hardships and struggles: the long waiting lists, the shortages of money and scant resources to combat a deadly epidemic. This is the other city, where at least 3 percent of the population lives with HIV/AIDS. Susan Koch’s award-winning documentary “The Other City,” which premiered at the GALA Hispanic Theatre July 12, explores this hidden part of D.C. through the stories of two local organizations and three infected victims: Joseph’s House, a hospice for dying AIDS patients; The Courage to Change Men’s Group, a support group for HIV positive men who have spent time in prison; J’mia Edwards, a 28-year-old single mother, who when facing eviction, must navigate the world of HIV/AIDS housing; Ron Daniels, a former drug addict who starts a clean needle exchange program ; and Jose Ramirez, a gay Latino man who advocates condom use and testing everywhere from schools to his job at La Clinica del Pueblo, the Hispanic health care clinic that sponsored the screening of the film.

All work to spread awareness of the disease throughout D.C., where the infection rate is now higher than that of several West African countries and far surpasses the 1 percent baseline that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designates as a “generalized and severe epidemic.”

“I don’t think people recognize how vicious this disease is,” Joseph’s House resident Donald said in the film. “It hurts in so many ways.”

The two-hour documentary hits on all these cruel side effects, from the threat of homelessness to the pain of watching loved ones suffer through their last days, helpless if the disease resists their complicated drug cocktails. Yet viewers leave with a feeling of hope. Edwards finds housing. Funding for needle exchange is passed, with Ron at the forefront of the campaign. And one of the most poignant moments: The Courage to Change Men’s Group shares their stories at an open mic night, complete with a prayer they say at every meeting.

Ramirez, who contracted HIV from a boyfriend he didn’t know was positive, embodies the movie’s message of optimism, as he chooses to actively campaign for prevention and testing despite his diagnosis.

“I knew if I was positive about being positive that I could live without worries,” Ramirez said in an interview with Street Sense. “My story is my therapy, and it helps me to help other people.”

La Clinica Executive Director Alicia Wilson said getting tested should be the first step on the path to controlling HIV. “The most important thing is to know your status,” Wilson said. “The number of patients who are diagnosed with AIDS soon after they’re diagnosed with HIV is very high, which means they’ve been walking around not knowing they have it.”

In fact, 63 percent of newly diagnosed HIV cases are “new testers,” people who have never checked to see whether they have the disease.

To combat this high statistic, La Clinica offers free, anonymous HIV testing Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Friend of the Board Olympia Sulla spoke highly of La Clinica, which prides itself on providing services to the Latino community regardless of patients’ abilities to pay.

“I’m of the belief that health care is a human right,” Sulla said. “Some of us are lucky enough to have health care, but if we didn’t, we would be left on the streets. People shouldn’t be dying because they can’t pay.”

La Clinica extends this idea to teenagers and young adults through the Mpoderate Youth Center, which gives gay Latino immigrants access to legal counsel, health care, therapists and, of course, HIV testing services.

Denny Ventura, who is involved with Mpoderate but is HIV negative, says that becoming “positive” shouldn’t change one’s outlook on life.

“You’re still part of the community,” Ventura said. “It’s just another extension of your life, like that your hair is blonde or your hair is black. You can still be successful in life and have a family. You’re still a person with feelings, and someone will love you.”

Visit www.StreetSense.org//2011/08/HorizonsGreaterGame for a web exclusive video of Josh West’s Fourth Grade Horizons Greater Washington class at The Maret School

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Second grader Julianny De la Rosa tries to decide which crayon to use during art class. That day, the second graders were drawing pictures of their homes and families.

PHOTO BY MARY CLARE FISCHER

Summer Program Brings New Experiences to Low-Income Youth

By Mary Clare Fischer Editorial Intern When summer arrives each year, children celebrate the break from textbooks and teachers. Yet the knowledge lost over those three months adds up, especially for children from low-income families, according to a study released in June by RAND Corporation.

Enter Horizons Greater Washington, an innovative program that brings low-income students to the campuses of elite private schools for summers filled with academics, art, field trips a n d s w i m m i n g l e s s o n s . L a s t s u m m e r, middle schoolers who attended Horizons Greater Washington gained an av-

and nine months of mathematics skills, school test results showed.

Executive Director Elizabeth Johnson thinks the secret to Horizons Greater Washington’s success is the sustained involvement required of families and the strict attendance policy. “Kids join our program the summer after kindergarten,” she said. “They make a committhey know the building; they know the teachers; and the first day, they just jump right into learning.”

The children know that they must put every day,” Johnson said. “If they miss for a week of vacation, they know that’s not productive; and if they miss more than a week, they know they might not

be asked back for next summer.”

In exchange for their dedication and a $25-per-family fee each summer, teacher ratio and a curriculum tailored mined by an assessment test at the beginning of the session.

Students in fourth-grade teacher Danielle Cifelli’s class needed to work on writing. Cifelli started the Horizons Gazette, Horizons Greater Washington’s very own newspaper, designed to help participants increase their skills by letting them choose the topics of their articles.

“I’d have to say my favorite memory was seeing the excitement of the students’ faces when they came in the

hit stands,” Cifelli said. “They were so happy to be able to hand-deliver it to the classrooms and show off all of their in my class, which is always something I want for my students.”

Horizons Greater Washington works with partner public schools in enrolling students in the program. “We meet with the kindergarten teachers to explain that we are looking for students who need a little extra to reach their potential,” explained Johnson. That little extra may be the extended six weeks of learning, the small group instruction or something else that Horizons Greater Washington can offer. The teachers recommend students. Horizons selects

STREET SENSE August 3 - 16, 2011

9

Greater Horizons qualifying low-income children and invites their families to register them.

Over the years, parents and teachers remain involved, helping the program to continue to meet the changing needs of the students. percent of students return for successive summers, most with a genuine love of learning.

Thirdgrader Mary said her favorite subject at Horizons Greater Washington is math. “You use numbers, and they give you hard problems, and you just keep trying,” she said earnestly.

“And you can’t use pen.”

Fourth-grade teacher Josh West, who is new at Horizons Greater Washington and teaches in the Northeast neighborhood during the school year, was amazed at the level of enthusiasm.

“They all came in so excited,” West said. “And when that happens, it’s just child’s play.”

For those few who are shyer, the program’s signature element, swimming lessons, is seen as a quick way to boost self-confidence. But there’s another,

son said. “Saying, ‘You guys could go here’—they can understand that and embrace that concept by being there and actually seeing it, especially if it’s just a few miles from where they live.”

Though Horizons Greater Washington ends with eighthgraders, Johnson said they are in talks to see if they can help graduates and also expand their sites—currently only three: Maret School, St. Patrick’s Day Episcopal School and Norwood School—to allow more children to participate in the program. Right now, there is a waiting list of children who hope to enroll. But the highest priority will always be maintaining the high quality of the experience for the students they already have.

“Our rising eighth-graders go on a camping trip to West Virginia for two nights,” Johnson said. “For a lot of these kids, they’ve never done that before.

One student a few years ago looked up

and said, ‘What’s that?’ It was the Milky Way, all of the stars, and he had never seen so many stars. Knowing that we exposed that child to something like that is just a fabulous feeling.”

We are looking for students who need a

-

Drowning is a leading cause of innercity minority death.

“We’re teaching those skills they haven’t had access to,” Johnson said.

“Even in a week, a child can get comfortable putting their head under the water and blowing bubbles. They can swim in the morning and come back in the afternoon and feel that sense of achievement and do better in the classroom.”

Yet Horizons Greater Washington extends academics far beyond the classroom. Art teacher Elaine Edwards, a 5-year veteran at Horizons Greater Washington, said she takes her students to the Phillips Collection, an art gallery on 21st Street, every year. Through a partnership with Glen Echo Park, younger children learn how to make their own puppets. Seventh- and eighth-graders visit local universities such as Georgetown, an event that helps them realize their true potential.

“Us talking about college to these -

which is owned by the Embassy of Switzerland next door to the Maret School.

PHOTO BY MARY CLARE FISCHER

at Horizons Greater Washington. “They all came in so excited,” West said. “And when that happens, it’s just child’s play.”

PHOTO BY MARY CLARE FISCHER

10 Comics & Games

Barney & Clyde is a comic strip about an unlikely friendship between a homeless man and a tycoon. It’s about our modern, polarized economy of haves and have-nots. It re-examines traditional measures of success, failure, and the nature of happiness.

About the Authors: Gene Weingarten is a college dropout and the nationally syndicated humor columnist for The Washington Post. 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 Writer’s Group for allowing Street Sense to Run Barney & Clyde.

January 9th Solution

Street Sudoku

By David Rubin

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STREET SENSE August 3 - 16, 2011

11

Writers’ Group

You guys and dolls up

lem, Do NOT get upset!

(or Carrollton Uptown

here

(You shall learn the

or Treme-- whereEVUH,

In Swamp Poodle land

knowledge yet)

Dear Child--)

Just don’t know the

Got a music problem,

We sit Chilly, Waiting

flow! Like the man says

So

‘Pon the Word,

at the Saint James

GET HOT!

From the Lord,

Infirmary, “Child when

(And the Man shall fill

F’GIT any old City

ya gotts to go,

your Pot- with Ducats,

Council, any CON-

Ya gotts to go, ya dig

child!)

GRESS--

where

So forget about the Hu-

[do not POUNCE

dat is at?”

midity,

‘Pon ME!]

We call ourselves a free

‘Cause in the Faux-

world,

bourgs Marigny, Gen-

Yet Lazy anarchy is the

tilly

better way.

Got an eddication prob-

Editorials

A Partnership in Writing Street Sense and Miriam’s Kitchen have partnered together to offer the opportunity for... and meets every wednesday from 2:30 - 3:30 pm at the Street Sense Office.

About Town:

With Burger Places, You Get What You Pay For

By Patricia Jefferson Vendor

By Jeffery McNeil Vendor, Board Member I would like to talk about the blessings I have received this August. The day this newspaper comes out, Aug. 3, I will celebrate two years of sobriety. I also just published my first book. I went to my family reunion and got a chance to see my 95-year-old grandfather. Furthermore, my father’s health is improving, and I hope to go to the Jersey shore to see my brother and do some offshore fishing. The blessings God has given me should be a reason for joy.

Unfortunately, there is a feeling of rage that is boiling deep in my soul.

Seeing the obstructionism and vindictiveness of a group of jackasses, who are trying to stage a coup d’état to overthrow our president and torpedo our government, infuriates me to the point I see red. I’ve been taught by good writers that before you write a letter laced with profanity and insults to wait a couple of days before you print it. I have waited two months and cannot wait any longer.

This rag tag group of anarchists who call themselves patriots are pissing off Americans and making us the stooges of the world. They are intent on destroying what was once considered the greatest innovation of human civilization, democracy, by pulling their pants down and urinating on it. This act of buffoonery is now spilling over to people who don’t want to be involved in a political chicken fight; they want to live in peace and be removed from the power struggles going on in Washington.

I blame the American people for this.

Countries like Libya and Egypt riot in the streets to remove leaders who govern contrary to the interest of their people. Theoretically, we have free and civilized elections. Yet we still end up with extremists in office.

The current disgraceful display in Washington reminds me of a scene from the movie Armageddon where Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, and Billy Bob Thornton try to save the world from an asteroid wiping out human civilization. Although that was fiction, this is a real-life disaster where Barack Obama, Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell, and John Boehner have to sacrifice themselves to stop the Tea Party from destroying democracy.

The only difference between the fictional disaster and the real-life disaster is the outcome. In Armageddon, the heroes found a way to destroy the asteroid.

In real life, America has a group of terrestrial asteroids headed straight for democracy without a plan to destroy them.

America has always had extremists among its elected officials. However, like tumors, they are identified and removed from office. But I feel America has a mutant strand of insanity that will be hard to get rid of. This is sending civilization back to the days of Caligula, who once named one ass as a senator; however, our country didn’t want to be outdone and decided to elect 80 to Congress.

It’s hard not to cringe when hearing yahoos like Michele Bachmann and Rush Limbaugh muck up the constitution and distort history. More frightening is that people listen to these Teavangelicals. Although the future looks dire, there are some remedies.

Use our tax dollars to invest in history books. Our education system is failing us. America’s illiteracy rate is lower than most of western Europe, and the tea party proves it.

Burgers galore, and I have tried them. There are burger places in town that are on the rise that have similarities to fast-food chains, but what makes them distinct is style. They may be a little pricier than fast-food places, yet sometimes they are worth the extra cost. While their service is slower, their environment is more stylish with comfortable seating and a relaxing atmosphere.

Over the last two years, I have experienced eating at Rogue States (now known as Black and Orange) and the Burger Joint, both on Connecticut Avenue off Dupont Circle. I found them both to be a cut above McDonald’s or Burger King. Their burgers cost more, but their taste is also more intense and spicy, and the fixings have flair. Also, both places have sweet potato fries on the menu, which sets them apart from fast food places.

The Laughing Man Tavern on G Street near Metro Center has intriguing burgers that are juicy. But the Alps Burger is my favorite, covered with mushrooms and bourbon sauce. The Laughing Man is also reasonably priced.

The Greene Turtle near the Verizon Center is my favorite restaurant. I have tried all the burgers on their menu. They are thick with a distinct mild taste, and they all have character and interesting toppings. I particularly enjoyed the Californian, with avocado spread over bacon and pepper jack cheese. The friendly host, the pleasant atmosphere and the array of television sets covering the walls made the atmosphere enjoyable. Because it is a sports bar, the lighting is set to dim ambiance.

Of all the burgers that I have experienced, however, I give my highest recommendation to the ones at Black and Orange. With their spicy fixings, the burgers there are enlightening. I especially like the way the orders are placed for the enticing and invigorating burgers at the Burger Joint. A pager is given to you, and when your order is ready, a red alarm buzzes and nearly scares you to death.

Take a break from McDonald’s this summer and try one of these burger restaurants. Experience one of these unique and delicious burgers and intensify your day!

About Nation:

To Europe With all of this Mess!

By Kenneth Belkosky Vendor This story is about how the government is messing with people’s lives. I know that the debt ceiling needs to be raised. I am also worried that my Social Security and Social Security disability insurance may be stopped if the government goes into default. I think the trouble started with President Bush. Things started to fall apart when he went against the United Nations and invaded Iraq. If you ask me, he should go to jail for what he did. Now we have the leaders in the government fighting while the poor people worry and suffer. The elderly, people with disabilities and even the homeless will be affected by this mess. It has gotten so bad that sometimes I think about giving up my U.S. citizenship, moving to Europe and selling a street paper there. That is how mad I am.

July 2011 was the hottest month in Washington’s 140 years of recorded weather history. The July temperature averaged 84.5 degrees at Reagan National Airport, more than a degree hotter than July 2010 and July 1993, which previously held the mark for hottest month.

By Hannah Traverse Editorial Intern When a significant portion of your day is spent trying to find a meal, a place to shower and a place to sleep, when do you find time to relax and have some fun? On September 24, 2011, the homeless of D.C. will have an opportunity to let their hair down for an evening at the Sundown Soulfest.

The Soulfest, which will be held in the parking lot behind the Community for Creative Non-Violence shelter at 425 2nd Street N.W., will feature a live jazz band, barbecued food and a DJ playing ‘80s and ‘90s dance music. Organizers expect about 1,500 homeless individuals to attend. The event, scheduled for the day after the fall equinox, will take place from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and end just as the sun goes down. As flyers for the event say, the idea behind the Soulfest is to celebrate fall “as the season for the homeless to rise up and move out of their plight.”

The event itself, more than just a venue at which to dance, sing and mingle, will help empower homeless people to overcome adversity. The Soulfest marks the launch of Project MASON (Ministering, Assisting, Serving Outcast Neighbors), a venture that seeks to increase the effectiveness of homeless service providers.

D.C. government employee Gregory Wragg, founder of STREATS, an organization of homeless and formerly homeless individuals “Striving To Reach, Educate And Transform Self,” also created Project MASON and the concept of the Soulfest. Part of Wragg’s inspiration to pursue Project MASON came from watching the organizations and churches that stop by Franklin Park on the weekend to serve food to the homeless. As Wragg said, the goal of Project MASON is to bring such organizations “to a higher level of service.” He sees the friendly, personable mingling at the Soulfest as a way to jump-start a new kind of relationship between service providers and homeless individuals.

Wragg said that service providers that attend the Soulfest will not necessarily be there to administer their services in a formal sense. He is looking for churches and businesses to donate and serve

food, but more importantly he hopes service providers will quite literally step out from behind their buffet tables and interact with the homeless in a more profound manner. The idea is that members of service organizations might meet homeless individuals at the Soulfest with whom they develop relationships and can help in a personalized nature.

The Soulfest is just the beginning for Project MASON. Within a few weeks of the event, service providers that attended the Soulfest will begin attending workshops, conducted by homeless and previously homeless individuals, to help their organizations approach homelessness in a more holistic manner. Wragg envisions organizations that previously limited their service to food and clothing donations learning to use their resources to help homeless individuals earn degrees, find jobs and find places to live.

To turn the Soulfest and Project MASON into reality, STREATS hopes to raise more than $15,000 in donations. About 75 percent of this money will help pay for the event, including the cost of food, plus fees for the live music, the DJ and rented tables and chairs. The remaining 25 percent of the money will go directly toward helping homeless individuals, hopefully paying the transportation and daycare expenses for a group of 10 women from the DC General Shelter who are attempting to get their GEDs. Aside from serious matters surrounding the plight of the homeless, the Soulfest is still, on its surface, a chance to celebrate. “The intention is for the homeless to drift away for those four hours,” said Wragg. “To not even worry, to not even think about being homeless.”

Retina Christian, an advocate for the homeless who is working to find churches and service providers to participate in Project MASON, believes that if nothing else, the Soulfest can be immensely successful in merely giving the homeless a chance to relax for an evening. “Rejoicing or celebrating is a requirement for abundant living for everyone,” said Christian. “Those who are considered society’s outcasts are invited even more to celebrate….

Embracing the spirit of celebration can contribute to happiness, a smile and can renew a broken spirit.”

STREET SENSE August 3 - 16, 2011

13

Community News

By Hannah Traverse Editorial Intern Summer in D.C. can be brutal; the days are hot, sunny and so humid that it sometimes feels like doing the backstroke might be more effective than walking. When late June and July brought many days with temperatures above 100 F, we inevitably became concerned about the wellbeing of our vendors.

Spending all day outside in extreme heat can be life-threatening without proper hydration. Many of our vendors are currently experiencing homelessness and others are living in very tenuous situations, making it difficult for them to access drinking water. Robert Weaver, our vendor and volunteer manager, began working with intern Helen West to find businesses to donate bottled water for Street Sense vendors to take with them on their sales routes.

Helen contacted a large range of potential donors: beverage companies, grocery store chains, major retailers. Some companies were unresponsive, some companies sent Helen through loops, but two companies, Whole Foods Market and DC Water, stood out in the way they willingly jumped to our aid. With over 260 bottles of water donated by Whole Foods and 300 reusable water bottles donated by DC Water, Street Sense vendors are now better prepared to head out in the heat.

“I greatly appreciate Whole Foods and DC Water for joining the large community of those who care about the men and women experiencing homelessness,” said Robert. “It’s important to provide our vendors with the tools to stay safe in this dangerous weather.”

Street Sense would like to thank Whole Foods and DC Water for their support. We also appreciate DC Water’s commitment to TapIt, a program that allows people to refill their water bottles for free at participating restaurants and cafés.

Daniel Thaler, Marketing Team leader at Whole Foods, commented upon the importance of helping out our vendors.

“The reason we’re donating the sports cap water bottles is because we’re hoping they (the homeless) can fill them up, reuse them, and save on plastic,” said Thaler.

“This is part of our community outreach, we sympathize with people who live in this heat and are trying to stay hydrated.”

DC Water General Manager George S. Hawkins spoke of the necessity of water during the hot weather.

“Staying hydrated is never more important than in the summer months, and especially when you spend a lot of time outdoors,” said Hawkins. “So we’re pleased to make this donation of water bottles. We also look forward to having Street Sense vendors be ambassadors for our city’s great tap water.”

And Helen West would like to thank Whole Foods and DC Water for making her efforts as an intern a little bit easier.

“Some of the larger businesses I talked with were just unhelpful,” said Helen.

“Whole Foods and DC Water were very receptive and Vendor Manager Robert Weaver receives some of wanted to help…they’re a Street Sense’s New Water Bottles part of this community, too.” Photo By Hannah Traverse

TapIt DC Water Directory Amsterdam Falafelshop (1) 2425 18th Street, NW

Aroma Cafe Bakery (2) 1320 U Street, NW

Big Chair coffee n’ grill (3)

2122 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, SE

Cakelove (4)

1506 U Street, NW

Camilles Sidewalk Cafe (5) 650 F Street, NW

Capitol Grounds Coffee

2100 Penn. Ave, NW (6) Dulles Airport, Gate B72 (7)

Columbia Heights Coffee & Cafe (8) 3416 11th Street, NW

Davenport Coffee Lounge (9) 4400 Mass. Ave, NW

Dolcezza Gelato

1704 Conn. Ave, NW (10) 1560 WISC. Ave, NW (11)

dos gringos cafe (12)

3116 Mt Pleasant Street, NW

Everlasting life cafe (13) 2928 Georgia Ave, NW

Filter Coffeehouse (14) 1726 20th Street, NW

First cup cafe (15) 900 M Street, NW

Flying Fish Coffee & Tea (16) 3064 Mt Pleasant Street, NW

J. Chocolatier (17)

1039 33rd Street, NW

Justins Cafe (18)

1025 1st Street ,SE

Love Cafe (19)

1501 U Street, NW

Mayorga Coffee

Dulles Airport, Aviation Cr, Concourse A (20) Reagan Airport, Aviation Cr, Terminal B (21) Reagan Airport, Aviation Cr, Terminal C (22) 314 Carroll Street, NW (23)

Mid City Cafe (24)

1626 14th Street, NW

Mixt greens

PotbellY (Cont’d) 1240 Maryland Ave, SW (41) 1275 1st Street, NE (42) 50 Mass. Ave, NE (43) 4300 Conn. Ave, NW (44) 1299 Penn. Ave, NW (45)

Potter’s House (46)

1658 Columbia Road, NW

Qualia Coffee (47)

3917 Georgia Ave, NW

Saxby’s Coffee (48) 3500 O Street, NW

1200 19th Street, NW (25) 1700 K Street, NW (26)

Science Club (49)

Open City (27)

Sticky Fingers Bakery (50)

Pitango Gelato

Teaism

2331 Calvert Street, NW 1451 P Street, NW (28) 413 7th Street, NW (29)

PotbellY

1445 K Street, NW (30) 1660 L Street, NW (31) 1702 Penn. Ave, NW (32) 1900 L Street, NW (33) 726 7th Street, NW (34) 1400 Irving Street, NW (35) 409 3rd Street, SW (36) 1635 Conn. Ave, NW (37) 616 23rd Street, NW (38) 1050 K Street, NW (39) 637 Indiana Ave, NW (40)

1136 19th Street, NW 1370 Park Road, NW

Watergate Pastry (59) 2534 Virginia Ave, NW

Wellness Cafe (60) 325 Penn. Ave, SE

2009 R Street, NW (51) 800 Conn Ave, NW (52) 400 8th Street, NW (53)

West Wing Cafe (61)

The Commissary (54)

101 Rhode Island Ave, NW

1443 P Street, NW

The Diner (55)

2453 18th Street, NW

The Heights (56)

3115 14th Street, NW

Tryst (57)

2459 18th Street, NW

Tynan Coffee & Tea (58) 1400 Irving Street, NW

1111 Penn. Ave, NW

Windows Cafe & Market (62) Yes! Organic Market

2323 Penn. Ave, NW (63) 3809 12th Street, NE (64) 4100 Georgia Ave. NW (65)

Yola (66)

1323 Conn. Ave, NW

STREET SENSE August 3 - 13, 2011

Service Spotlight: Samaritan Inns

By Mary Clare Fischer Editorial Intern The standard of living in Washington, D.C., is high for those who actually have jobs. For those who are unemployed, finding a home in the nation’s capital is almost impossible. Samaritan Inns, a charity that addresses the issues of homelessness and addiction, has tackled this problem in a unique way: by turning eight former crack houses into homes.

Samaritan Inns’ distinct personality extends to its three-part Recovery Continuum Program, which is tailored for homeless and addicted men and women from 18 to 60 years old. The rehabilitation begins with the Intensive Recovery Program, a 28-day unit where participants learn the 12-step Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous method, confront their problems and improve their physical and mental health through reformed

Department of Mental Health Access Hotline 1-888-7WE HELP (1-888-793-4357) www.dcfoodfinder.org

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

nutrition, exercise, sleep and counseling. The next step in the Recovery Continuum is Transitional Living, a 4- to 6-month program in which residents must find a job within 30 days and start a savings account among other things. Finally, residents enter the Single Residency Occupancies stage. Participants live in individual bedrooms but share controlled living and dining spaces, thereby building a community where they even elect “suite representatives” to leadership positions.

This program results in a 96 percent sobriety success rate as well as 98 percent employment, according to the Samaritan Inns’ website. To contact Samaritan Inns, call (202) 667-8831. To donate or volunteer, visit http://www.samaritaninns.org/ support-our-work/.

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

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 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

The Last Word: BEWARE OF UNATHORIZED VENDORS

Vendor Profile: Gary Minter

By Zachary Davidson Editorial Intern

By Robert Weaver Vendor/Volunteer Manager

Street Sense is a paper written by, sold by, and about men and women experiencing homelessness. This paper is a voice to the voiceless. Our vendors are representatives of a much larger and commonly forgotten community. The men and women writing for and selling this paper to supportive citizens of the Washington, D.C., area are informants of institutions, issues, and individuals who affect the homeless community both positively and negatively.

As vendor and volunteer manager, I especially love to celebrate the great works of our own vendors who work hard to put a good face on our organization and to dispel the preconceptions many have of men and women experiencing homelessness. However, in order to be “fair and balanced,” I must also admit that, as with society, we are not molded perfectly. Street Sense does have a few vendors or former vendors who hurt the image of Street Sense and therefore hurt their fellow vendors as well.

We pride ourselves on being an organization of second chances. I work hard to help vendors past small mistakes so we can move forward as an organization, touching hearts and changing minds. On the other hand, I also work hard to control those whose actions hold the organization back. Too often, this means that my attention must be diverted away from helping our vendors

to deal with problems created by unauthorized vendors. This has been a particular problem in cases where vendors have been suspended or terminated for failure to abide by the Street Sense Code of Conduct.

Our readers can help address this problem by looking for the Street Sense badge and vest before they buy. A vendor without a Street Sense badge and a Street Sense vest is not a Street Sense vendor. Period. And purchasing a paper from someone other than a Street Sense vendor undermines our mission and hurts the vendors who follow our rules.

We greatly appreciate our customers. You who buy papers from our vendors accomplish so much in the goal to aid men and women experiencing homelessness. You provide an income to the vendors who work hard each day to deliver important information. You provide moral support to those vendors usually facing great adversity or ignorance. Finally, you make the difficult decision to acknowledge a community so often forgotten. I am thankful to you and your good deeds. I owe you this much. Beware of unauthorized vendors.

No one should take advantage of your good deeds. Please support our authorized vendors. Please only buy from badged vendors and together we can secure the reputation of our paper, our cause, and our vendors.

July 6 - 19, 2011• Volume 8 • Issue 18 Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Washington, DC

Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW

Washington, DC 20005

Permit #568

Mail To: Remember, only buy from badged

vendors and do not give to those panhandling with one paper.

Interested in a subscription? Go to page 14 for more information.

Gary J. Minter has the look of a professor and speaks in the cadence of an academic. As a former counselor for people afflicted by HIV, he has great respect for the mission and core values of Street Sense and journalism.

Minter is Vendor 389. He started selling the paper in April 2011 after he moved from Raleigh, N.C., to the D.C. area with just a few cents in his pocket Minter was the editor in chief at his high school newspaper in the Chicago suburbs, where he grew up. After graduating from Duke University in 1972, with a degree in zoology and a strong interest in religion, Minter married and had a son who is now nearly 40. Life was ideal when he began selling insurance in the Durham area, until he moved his family to Raleigh to be near his wife’s family. There, Minter worked for the state government for 12 years. His role evolved over time to become part researcher and part counselor to recent self-aware HIV patients.

Often traveling into crack houses, strip clubs and dangerous neighborhoods, Minter interviewed people who had recently been diagnosed with HIV in order to determine how they where exposed and whom they might have infected. Minter said that though the job was difficult, he found the experience very fulfilling: “The experience was really difficult at times.

Confidentiality was really important, but it was noble what we were doing.”

In 1988, Minter’s marriage to his first wife ended. He remarried in 1990, but the marriage dissolved several years later.

Minter became a jack-of-all-trades in the white-collar world, running for political office, engaging the business community and campaigning for social justice.

In 2006, Minter had the opportunity to live in Beijing teaching English to MBA students. He is modest in admitting that he mastered only some conversational Mandarin. He described one incident when he needed to find a restroom but couldn’t ask due to an issue with dialect. “I was frantic, running around the street, and I kept pointing down there and yelling [something Mandarin]. No one was understanding me. Finally, I found someone who helped me.”

In March 2007, Minter returned to the United States to say goodbye to his mother as she passed away. This traumatic event, followed by a mysterious illness that left him feeling feverish, confused, weak and at times bleeding, put him in a

deep depression. He became so confused that at times he questioned whether or not he had AIDS. Minter moved into a Raleigh Super 8 motel for $60 a night.

His only contact with the outside world became the television, the clerks at the front desk and the staff at the local Mexican restaurant where he ate every day.

Minter said, “I remember feeling that I was losing a sense of self, feeling depressed and like a hermit.” For the next two years, he used up all of his savings and his mother’s life insurance and cashed in his 401(k).

“At some point, I realized I was running out of money,” said Minter. “I had 38 cents to my name. So I called my cousin Beth in Bethesda, Maryland, October 2010. I stayed with her a couple of months and moved into Bethesda Cares, because I didn’t want to be a burden. I had a couple of interviews, but I probably didn’t make a good impression. I was feeling down and sorry for myself.

“Whenever I had extra money, I would come down to D.C. to explore and have fun. One event was the Chinese New Year Celebration. You know, I get restless and like to wander. One time I was in D.C., I met a Street Sense vendor and bought a paper from them, because I talked with them and liked the cause.”

Minter kept coming into D.C. because he believed there were more opportunities and services available to people like him. He found a shelter where the beds were drawn by lottery, but as winter approached, his chances of getting a bed became slimmer. “I thought, ‘You know, I’m in poor health, and I’m not a young guy; I could die out here,’” he said.

Minter now lives at St. Elizabeth’s, where he is grateful for the stability. He is currently on food stamps and working on getting Medicaid.