Streetvibes June 2009 Edition

Garry Quits Page 14

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J u n e 2 0 0 9 • I s s u e 1 5 5 • C i n c i n n a t i ’s A l t e r n a t i v e N e w s S o u r c e

‘Streetvibes’ Wins International Award Journalism prize for report on exploited workers

By Lew Moores Contributing Writer He spent several months working on the story, interviewing workers who had come here from Puerto Rico on the promise of a better life – lured here by a Northern Kentucky temporary-employment agency – only to find themselves trapped in a life of hellish proportions.

The piece appeared here in Streetvibes a year ago, on June 1, 2008, and ran more than 4,200 words. It begins: Your boss stops by unexpectedly, sees a mess in your apartment and punishes you by deducting $50 from your next paycheck. Fortunately, he didn’t see the beer cans in your trash – or your boyfriend hiding in the closet; either of those could have gotten you fired.

The effort has paid off, bringing not just attention to an issue of alleged human trafficking here in the Tri-state, but also international acclaim and a huge boost to the feisty and aggressive brand of journalism being practiced these days by Streetvibes.

Streetvibes is an alternative newspaper dedicated to reporting on social issues and published monthly by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH).

Gregory Flannery, Streetvibes editor who wrote the piece, “We Are Their Slaves,” received an award for Best Feature Story from the International Network of Street Papers (INSP) at a ceremony May 14 in Bergen, Norway.

INSP is a network that promotes and supports more than 100 street-paper projects in 40 countries. Flannery and Streetvibes were among a group of finalists for the features award that included street papers – dedicated to the issue of homelessness – from Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and Seattle, Wash.

See Award, p. 5

Streetvibes editor Gregory Flannery, left, and award winners at the International Network of Street Papers (INSP) Convention.

Photo courtesy of INSP.

Same Struggle, Different Strategy Coalition for the Homeless passes first quarter-century

By Gregory Flannery Editor

next year – indications are it will be worse – there’s plenty of time to celebrate later. Yet Nothing about the Greater advocates find their work at Cincinnati Coalition for the an intriguing nexus: While the Homeless numbers The Obama is fancy, as of homeadministration has Georgine less people Getty, formight conalready increased mer exfunding for low-income tinue to rise ecutive housing and programs to in the short d i r e c t o r, term, advoprevent homelessness. likes to cates point observe. to new That is as it should be, and it’s federal funding as a sign that also why the coalition’s 25th significant improvements are anniversary passed last month underway. The Obama administration has already increased without any fanfare.

People who work for the funding for low-income houscoalition and its member ing and programs to prevent agencies are too busy trying homelessness. to help homeless people.

“It’s almost as if we’re on The same thing is happen- the edge of something,” says ing at Bethany House Servic- Josh Spring, executive direces, where Sister Mary Stan- tor of GCCH. ton, executive director, says that agency won’t even try to ‘We will be heard’ celebrate its 25th anniversary, which also occurs this year.

Getting to this point has “We’ll celebrate it in 2010, been an often raucous process, though,” she says. with Buddy Gray, co-foundWith little doubt that home- er of the coalition, leading lessness will still be an issue marches on City Hall in the

early 1980s, sometimes occupying vacant buildings in Over-the-Rhine. If Gray was the nascent movement’s rhetorical muscle, the Rev. Maurice McCrackin – waging dignified, fiercely non-violent sit-ins well into his 80s – was its moral compass.

Gray is gone now, assassinated by a mentally ill man in the very Drop Inn Center that Gray had founded. McCrackin is gone, too, passing away after more than 60 years of activism in the causes of peace, ending poverty and abolishing prisons. Buddy Gray, co-founder of the Greater Significant anni- Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. versaries are useful in assessing the past and the future. Many of the See Coalition, p. 4 leaders of the Homeless Coalition in decades past are still

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The Vibe

By The Numbers

13,164

the amount of votes Brian Garry received in the 2007 city council election (See page 14.)

75

the number of the Interstate expressway whose construction devastated the West End (See page 10.)

40

the number of countries in which the International Network of Street papers is active (See page 7.)

83

the cost, in kroners, of a shot of whiskey in Bergen, Norway (See page 9.)

1300

the year some parts of Bilbao, Spain, were built (See page 11.)

46

the number of men living at the City Gospel Mission (See page 15.)

14,000

the monthly circulation figure for Virkelig, a Norwegian street paper (See page 7.)

712

the room number for “that crazy guy from the Netherlands” (See page 9.)

15

the number of men at Joseph House who volunteer at Our Daily Bread every month (See page 13.)

8

the amount of water, in ounces, used to make funnel cake (See page 8.)

Streetwise

By Gregory Flannery

‘CityBeat’ is in Trouble The decline of the newspaper industry nationwide is disconcerting, but the decline of CityBeat, once an ardent local practitioner of alternative journalism, is painful to watch.

In years past the paper won a national investigative award for a story that helped win the commutation of Jerome Campbell’s death sentence from former Ohio Gov. Robert Taft III. CityBeat won the same award the following year for an investigation later cited by a federal judge in settlement negotiations over a lawsuit stemming from the strangulation of an unarmed man who died in Cincinnati Police custody. Now the paper seems to have discontinued cover stories and is cutting its news content even further. In a May 20 memo to his staff, CityBeat Editor John Fox announced that he is laying off staff writer Margo Pierce, who is a 2009 Peter Jennings Fellow. He’s also laying off the paper’s receptionist.

But there’s more.

“We’re switching to the 44” tab size with the issue of June 17 (from the current 48” size), resulting in weekly print savings,” the memo says. “We’re reducing editorial content by at least four pages each week, resulting in weekly print savings.”

Among the cuts is Fox’s weekly editorial, another sign of CityBeat’s trajectory in recent years, backing away from important social and political issues in order to concentrate on art and entertainment. The sad irony is that many former readers now unfavorably compare CityBeat to CinWeekly, the all-fun, all-the-time weekly published by the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Over the years CityBeat has been generous toward Streetvibes. But it’s hard not to recall what Fox told The City Newspaper in Rochester, N.Y., just after CinWeekly was launched in 2003: “No opinion columns at all. This, in my mind, means they don’t want to alienate anyone, at least at this early stage. They don’t want to give anyone a reason not to read them, but at the same time the lack of personality offers little incentive to read them.”

The same words now largely apply to CityBeat.

Fox hints that CityBeat’s print edition itself could be in jeopardy. He’s given up trying to make money on it.

“We’re in the process of reorganizing resources and staff to focus on growth and profit in three key areas while trying to structure the weekly paper as a break-even business,” Fox writes. “If the weekly paper grows, it’s a bonus. If weekly paper revenues continue to erode, we continue to shift resources and staff to the growth areas.”

The growth areas, or so Fox hopes, will be special sections/custom publications, the Worldwide Web and events.

Like many newspapers, CityBeat has been trying for years to make money on its Web page. Nearly all have failed. We can only deduce from the latest staff cuts and the decision to shrink the paper even further that CityBeat hasn’t succeeded either.

But ‘Streetvibes’ is Thriving There is this good news, however: Having left CityBeat, Margo Pierce plans to continue her unflinching examination of social justice. She’ll keep writing her “Eight Minutes” column for Streetvibes.

There is also this good news: Streetvibes again sold its entire print run in May. That’s two months in a row, and four times in 2008-09. Next month we’ll double our publication schedule. Instead of publishing only on the first day of the month, watch for new editions on the first and 15th of each month.

So is Ron English So many local politicians seem to have decided the best thing to do with homeless people is to push them out – even the once unassailable City Councilman David Crowley now wants homelessness eliminated as a priority in the city’s human- services funding – that it’s refreshing when one takes time to honor the achievements of people who rise above homelessness. Ron English, Streetvibes vendor, is such a one. With lots of help from the kinds of agencies city council wants to limit, English now has stable housing.

He recently gave Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune one of his self-portraits.

Portune sent a letter thanking English.

“The art conveyed a message of hope and purpose to all on our campaign and me in performing my official duties as a Hamilton County commissioner,” the letter says. “We are all God’s children, with a purpose in life. You have served as an inspiration to many people by overcoming great challenges, yet always maintaining a spirit of youthful optimism and hope.”

STREETVIBES June 2009 Streetvibes is a newspaper that provides relevant discussions of homelessness, poverty and other related social justice issues. It is published monthly by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless.

Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@ yahoo.com Website: www. cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes. wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Gregory Flannery Art Director Lynne Ausman Contributing Writers Lew Moores, Margo Pierce, Paul Kopp, Paul Miller, George Herrell, Jeremy Flannery, Steven Lansky, Michael Henson, Dave Heitfield, Alecia Lott Photography/Artwork Andrew Anderson, Paul Kopp, Aimie Willhoite, Olga Collier, Angela Pancella, Mary Alice Flannery Proofreader Jennifer Blalock Advisory Committee Joe Wessels, Steve Novotni, Andrew Freeze, Georgine Getty, Michael Henson, Stephanie Dunlap, Steve Gibbs The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Programs include Streetvibes, “Voice of the Homeless” Speaker’s Bureau, Cincinnati Urban Experience (CUE), Homeless Curriculum, and Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project. All donations support these programs and are taxdeductible to the full extent of the law.

We are members of:

STREETVIBES June 2009

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Community News

Eight Minutes

Many people work hard to make a difference for the less privileged in the Queen City. “Eight Minutes” is an opportunity to learn who those people are and what motivates them to be a positive influence.

with a

‘Mind Kitchen’

Buddhist monastery serves up health food for the mind

By Margo Pierce Contributing Writer

Money is a national obsession on a good day, but we’ve seen it reach an extraordinary level as unemployment rises along with the price of just about everything. Applications for government assistance are also on the rise along with the number of people seeking assistance from local and naJamyang Lama. Photos by Margo Pierce. tional charities. In the midst of the worry and upset, it’s easy to develop a singular fixation displays only a small sign currence. Each part in your on individual hanging on car, the gasoline and oil that and family “Buddhist teachings a chain-link make it function, the planning survival. fence to alert and construction of roads and encourage people In Cincinvisitors to its bridges, the manufacture of to be more caring nati, a Tipresence. Led traffic lights, the maintenance betan Bud- and understanding. by two monks, of streetlights, emergency asdhist monk It is important to the monastery sistance that’s available for a is working to understand the offers a vari- car crash and everything else help people interconnectedness ety of classes, it takes to make a trip to the keep sight of or teachings, grocery store adds up to more between human the broader for students people than it’s possible to beings and the context of who are new count. And this doesn’t even the world in environment we live to study, those take into account the people which they in. Imagine living in who have been it took to make the clothes on live. a world without any p r a c t i c i n g your back or all of the prod“ S o m e Buddhism for ucts and services you used behuman beings at groups open years and ev- fore getting behind the wheel. all.” a community eryone in beIt is the effort of others that - Jamyang Lama soup kitchen tween. makes driving a car possible. to feed people This quiet, If all of those people who who are hungry. That is very unassuming mind-kitchen did that work over dozens of good,” says Jamyang Lama of serves up thoughtful fare that years chose not to share their Gaden Samdrup Ling Monas- sounds familiar to anyone expertise and work, then drivtery (GSL). “We have a com- who has explored almost any ing your car would not be posmunity mind-kitchen that will faith tradition or considered sible. And that giving is an satisfy many mind-hungry the value of life. important point, according to people. As a member of our “Buddhist teachings en- Jamyang. community, we provide mind courage people to be more “Generosity is a very imporfood. The same way we need caring and understanding,” tant practice in Buddhism,” he food for our stomach, we Jamyang says. “It is important says. “The generosity I’m talkneed food for our mind. Bud- to understand the intercon- ing about is a true generosity. dhist philosophy and Buddhist nectedness between human It is giving without strings atteaching offers the mind food. beings and the environment tached or any hope of a return.

“The most important thing we live in. Imagine living in a We must have wisdom when is the mind. The mind is the world without any human be- practicing generosity. We must basis for whatever we experi- ings at all. From a young age – differentiate between what we ence. Happiness (and) suffer- when you were born, growing need to be able to work hard ing are emotions of the mind. up and until the moment you to help others, because withBuddhist philosophy offers a are driving your car today – out the resources we need for way to be wiser, more com- you rely on the hard work of a ourselves, we won’t have the passionate, a better human countless number of people to conditions necessary to do our being, a better citizen of our make all of this possible.” work.” country.”

That interdependence beTo illustrate this last point Unobtrusively and unex- comes clear just considering Jamyang tells a traditional pectedly located in Colerain everyone it takes to make Tibetan story about a poor Township, GSL Monastery driving a car an everyday oc- family. The entire family was

“A most important teaching in Buddhism is to look beyond the characteristics of people – the color of skin or … religious affiliation – to truly understand basic human nature,” Jamyang says. “Fundamentally we are the same.

We all wish for happiness and none of us wants any suffering.”

To end suffering and experience happiness each person must work to create the conditions in her life to make those outcomes possible. Following the law of karma – or cause and effect – it’s essential to do the work necessary to receive the benefit. If flowers make you happy (effect), you must do the work of planting flower seeds, watering those seeds and caring for the plants (cause). starving, and one day a generTo enjoy flowers, you must ous person gave the family a plant flower seeds, not grass loaf of bread. seeds. While “Fundamentally A decision had this seems obwe are the same. to be made vious, it unabout what to We all wish for derscores the do with the happiness and none logic behind bread; if evthe reason for of us wants any eryone had a GSL’s mindsuffering.” small piece, it kitchen and - Jamyang Lama wouldn’t satisthe importance fy their hunger of the food it or give them serves, including generosity. enough strength to benefit “In Buddhism, we believe from that bread. So the father the outcome of generosity is decided to eat the entire loaf prosperity,” Jamyang Lama so that he would have enough says. “When you give somestrength to go out and do work thing to someone else, you that would make it possible create karma to experience for him to provide food for the prosperity.” entire family.

For a schedule of programs The story also highlights and other information, call the interdependent nature of 513-385-7116 or visit www. all beings, using one family as dgtlmonastery.org. a metaphor for the family of all beings in this world.

Jamyang Lama teaches a class at GSL. Photo by Margo Pierce.

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Community News

STREETVIBES June 2009

Same Struggle, Different Strategy (Continued from page 1)

Rev. Maurice McCrackin with peaceful protesters in the background. Photo by Jimmy Heath.

five years later, and we’re all doing the same thing.”

But Stanton is quick to point out her own overstatement. services funding.

The face of homelessness has “We met with the city counchanged, and so have the ways cil members so they know that homew h e r e less people w e ’ r e receive help. coming Diversificafrom and tion of serwe know vices and w h e r e collaboration they’re among agencoming cies within f r o m , ” the coaliStanton tion mean says. “That h o m e l ess dialogue is men, homesomething less women important and children, to celehomeless adbrate. Do I dicts, mentalalways feel ly ill homeit turns out less people, the way I homeless wanted it military vetto? No. But A sign in the coalition offices is a statement to visitors and a erans, homeI feel they reminder to veteran advocates that the coalition is not about less people are listenwho need ing.

Our waiting for change. Photo by Lynne Ausman. medical care experience and homewith the city is that we have Though just 24 years old – communicated well.” a year younger than the coali- less people who need food are It is telling that, according tion he heads – Spring readily far more likely to receive the to both Stanton and Spring, cites the history of the local City Councilman Christopher movement and the national Bortz asked if the Homeless phenomenon that spawned it.

Coalition will use “Buddy “In that era, the issue of Gray’s guerilla tactics” if it homelessness was more male doesn’t get what it wants. and addicted,” he says. “Then Stanton quotes Spring’s re- in the 1980s, with the reign of sponse: “We will be heard.”

Reagan, current-day home-

Bonnie Neumeier (left) has been a community activist and advocate since the 1970s. Photo by Jimmy Heath.

active in the cause, including Stanton, Steve Gibbs, Bonnie Neumeier, Pat Clifford, Donald Whitehead, Jimmy Heath, Katie Heinz, Mary Burke, Sister Mary Grafe, Andy Hutzel, Tom Dutton, Dave Logan, Bob Moore, Beverly Merrill and others.

“There is a significant amount of people who stuck around,” Spring says. “Their passion is very clear but it is also an indication that they have hope that homelessness will go away and is solvable.”

Many of the staff of the coalition and its member agencies are younger, of course.

But much more has changed as well – for example, the fact that more than 40 agencies now make up the coalition, the fact that the agencies have paid staff and the fact that the work is largely done by licensed social workers and administrators rather than by skilled protest organizers.

“There’s a professionalism among the members of the coalition,” Stanton says. “These are master’s level social workers and people with years and years of experience. It’s not that we are mad at city council and will sing, ‘We Shall Overcome.’ Those days are in the past.

“We’re not going away. We won’t just take whatever you give us. But we aren’t marching in front of City Hall anymore. We’re inside talking.”

Spring and directors of various social-service agencies met individually with members of Cincinnati City Council earlier this year. The meetings came in the midst of contentious arguments about zoning proposals to restrict social-service agencies, leading to a lawsuit against the city by the Homeless Coalition and other groups; proposed cuts in city funding for social services; and now a proposal to eliminate homelessness as a priority in the city’s social-

and so we change strategies.

Throughout that era, the late ’70s to the mid-’90s, the strategies changed, too.”

Even while trying to establish quiet dialogue with city officials, Spring has shown several times that he can muster a crowd on short notice, if needed. On a recent Monday he learned that a council committee would hold a hearing on a major change in funding the next day. With less than 24 hours to organize some kind of presence, he sent e-mails and worked the phone.

“A hundred and 20 people showed up on Tuesday, and that was very encouraging,” he says.

‘Never did we dream’ Spring is an interesting amalgam of the fiery origins of the coalition’s origins and the professional management of its latter days.

“In a time when there weren’t shelters, before the Drop Inn Center existed and before we had a lot of the agencies we do, it was more about going forth and occupying a building,” he says. “It was easier for a broader group of people to see that those things needed to be done.

“We should never compromise what we believe, but not everything stays the same,

lessness was created. It went from 500,000 homeless under Reagan to 3 million under Bush senior. The last time we had seen homelessness like that was the Great Depression, and it was for a limited amount of time.”

Stanton both revels in the fact that the coalition is larger and stronger than ever and rues the fact that it’s necessary work.

“I don’t think any one of us ever dreamt that we would ever have this integrated and sophisticated level of services,” she says. “But never did we dream that, in 2009, people who owned homes would be ending up in shelters. Twenty-

particular assistance they need than they were 25 years ago.

“What we have done is possible because we have built a strong coalition in the city,” Stanton says. “Clearly we are the best area coalition of agencies in the city. We always sought cooperation and collaboration.”

Looking ahead, Spring sees more work but also greater promise.

“Families and youth are the fastest growing population of homeless,” he says. “That will be on the rise. Homeless in general will be on the rise.

At least 3.5 million people a year experience homelessness in this country. That’s a vast number. But the Housing First model is gaining momentum.

This is something we should have had 25 years ago. It’s encouraging that we’re now seeing more funding to reduce homelessness.

“For future generations, at some point in the near future, ‘homelessness’ should no longer be in the vocabulary. It should be only in the history books.”

Buddy Gray (left) and former executive director Donald Whitehead (right) protesting against former City Councilman Arn Bortz, uncle of current Councilman Chris Bortz.

Photo by Jimmy Heath.

STREETVIBES June 2009

Community News

‘Streetvibes’ Wins International Award

5

(continued from page 1) Don’t dumb down

tion of journalism as competitive sport, so I’ve never put The piece chronicles the much stock in awards.” But, circumstances of Puerto Ri- he added, “this one has meant can workers encouraged to so much to our little paper…In come to the Tri-state by a tem- this case the coalition thought porary-employment agency, it would be useful to particiAble/Diverse Personnel Co., pate. If we were to get some on the promise of a better sort of acknowledgment, it life, and where some ended might be good for the develup working at a local meat- opment of the paper.”

Besides, the mainstream packing plant, Cincinnati Processing, which processes pork media, especially print meproducts for Kroger and where dia, Flannery believes, have they complained of unsanitary in some cases abandoned their working conditions and sexual watchdog responsibilities, the harassment and brought their one thing that most distinconcerns to the United Food guishes American media from media in any and Com“This award from other counmercial INSP underscores the try.

Workers importance the print “NewsUnion. are “ T h i s media has in protecting papers isn’t a the rights of individuals i n c r e a s i n g backing s w e a t - and holding accountable ly away from shop in those who would exploit longer pieca Third them. Streetvibes will es, investigaWorld tive pieces,” continue to ask the country; it’s a job difficult questions and says Flannery, who has Gregory Flannery, Streetvibes editor, accepting the Best Feature Story Award from the in suburchallenge authority been Street- International Network of Street Papers (INSP). Photo courtesy of INSP. ban Cinbecause everyone, vibes editor cinnati,” especially the most the past 15 is enterprise reporting and go- lease that, while the FBI does stands the temporary-employFlannery vulnerable in our months and ing into the kind of detail you not acknowledge any ongoing ment agency is no longer in wrote last June of society, need a reliable was news ed- don’t see on, say, broadcast investigations, “Streetvibes business. But he also said one itor of the alt- journalism. It’s more authori- has learned that allegations of the workers recruited by the the terms voice.” weekly City- tative reporting than you get of human trafficking against company has spoken with the of em- Gregory Flannery, Beat for eight on blogs or internet news ser- Diverse are being investigat- FBI on two occasions about ployment Streetvibes editor. years. “They vices. So what I hope is that ed. Additionally, the United the allegations of trafficking. at Able/ “The FBI, of course, never are dumbing the award means is that Street- Food and Commercial WorkDiverse. down, if you vibes is doing what newspa- ers union has been invited to comments,” Flannery says.

He wrote about the overparticipate in discussions with “This award from INSP uncrowded apartments workers will. I think what we’re see- pers do well.”

Cincinnati Processing to im- derscores the importance the are steered to live in and the ing in some newspapers that ‘Difficult questions’ prove working conditions at print media has in protecting exorbitant rent they pay to the are succeeding is that they’re the plant.” the rights of individuals and sticking to what newspapers personnel company for the Flannery said he underholding accountable those GCCH said in its press reprivilege; excessive charges have always done well – that who would exploit them. for transportation to places Streetvibes will continue to of employment, sometimes ask the difficult questions and within just a mile of their challenge authority because home; fines and deductions everyone, especially the most from paychecks for not cleanvulnerable in our society, need ing apartments and even fines a reliable voice.” for missing work above and Streetvibes has been in exisbeyond forfeiting that day’s tence for 14 years, and GCCH pay. is celebrating its 25th anniver“Our effort to make Streetsary this year.

The newspaper vibes an authoritative source is distributed by vendors, offor information and agencies ten homeless, who buy the parelevant to the plight of indiper for a quarter from GCCH viduals experiencing homeand then sell it on the street lessness is paying off, and for a buck. The newspaper’s this award from INSP demoncirculation has increased to strates this,” says Josh Spring, 6,000, and it plans to publish GCCH executive director, in a bi-weekly beginning July 1. press release announcing the In addition to the features international award. category, INSP also gave Flannery said that, when awards in categories such as he cut his teeth in journalism Best Interview, Cover, Phoback in the 1980s, his editor, tograph, Design and Essay.

Dennis Nichols of the Mount Award for Best Feature Story presented by the International Network of Street Papers.

Winners included newspapers Washington Press, a weekly Photo by Mary Alice Flannery. from the United Kingdom, in suburban Cincinnati, had Brazil, Canada, the Philip“taught me to sneer at the nopines, Zambia and Germany.

Want more Streetvibes? Check out the Streetvibes blog streetvibes.wordpress.com

Book Review 6 Death, Race and Place The use of capital punishment is all over the map in Ohio

Woman's Fight to Restore Justice to All.)

Entertaining executions

Instead, Welsh-Huggins tells stories, such as the public hanging in Columbus in 1844 that begins his book. From statehood in 1803 until 1885,

By Dave Heitfield when the legislature moved Contributing Writer executions to the state penitentiary, at least 84 men and Between 1981 and 2002, 43 one woman were put to death percent of all capital indict- by individual counties in ments in Hamilton County re- Ohio – including at least 15 in sulted in death sentences, the Hamilton County. The method highest in the state. In Cuyaho- was usually hanging, the site ga County, 8 percent of those was often near the scene of so indicted the crime, ended up on While television legal and often death row; thousands of melodramas have and in Frankprobably soured most people would lin County, 5 of the country on plea attend. The percent.

1844 event bargains, the fact is was a double Same state, same law, that 90 percent of all hanging, and same stan- criminal charges are despite frigid dards. resolved with a plea; early Feb“While ruary temthe courts system these three peratures, would probably counties and crowds startcollapse if it worked ed gathering their big cities,” Andrew any other way. days ahead Welsh-Hugof time. gins writes About a quarter of the specin the introduction to his fine tators were women, many new book, “have their differ- people were drinking on the ences, and while their murder day of the hanging and at least rates are not identical, there is one spectator was trampled to no evidence that the number of death by a horse. death sentences bore any relaHe tells the story of the 1837 tionship to the actual number hanging of John Washburn in of homicides committed in a Cincinnati, attended by thougiven year.” sands. Walsh was apparently Columbus Associated Press something of a character, reporter Welsh-Huggins has with doctors doing a post-exwritten something remarkable ecution examination finding in No Winners Here Tonight. a watch Washburn had stolen Not only has he meticulously from a priest who came to pieced together the first com- pray for him earlier in the day. prehensive history of the death 1867 saw the hanging of three penalty in Ohio – significant people, including a 15-yearbecause Ohio has been one of old boy, who said from the the most ardent executioners gallows, “If there was a crowd in the nation's history – but he of boys here, I might tell them has done so avoiding the ver- how to behave.” bose academia or the moralisWith the exception of 1963tic crusade that encrusts most 99, Ohio has executed people texts on the death penalty, or throughout its history, and anything to do with our penal even some before statehood. system. (In contrast, feel free Welsh-Huggins mentions a to judge this book by its cover, 1792 triple hanging in what released about the same time was then Fort Hamilton after but with a marketing cam- they were convicted by courtpaign that Ohio University martial of desertion.

Press lacks: Dreams from the “Fort life was arduous, and Monster Factory: A Tale of desertions were common,” Prison, Redemption and One 1128 Walnut St Pizza by the Slice

Tues and Thurs Buffet($7.00)-11AM-2PM Wed-Thur-Fri-Sat 9PM-3AM

Welsh-Huggins writes – a view at least some Hamiltonians would still share today.

The third chapter centers around Wilford Lee Berry Jr., the “volunteer” who did not want to appeal his conviction and who became the first person executed in Ohio in 36 years. The chapter encapsulates so much that is at stake in death penalty cases – he spares no details in telling either the gruesome murder, nor the horrible life of Berry – and the title of the book comes from a quote from then-Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery after Berry's execution.

Almost half the men on death row are black, as are about half the prison inmates – which is about four times greater than the black proportion of the population. It's clear that race matters. WelshHuggins points out that it is much more difficult to determine exactly how race matters. In his own study of people indicted for capital crimes in Ohio from 1981-2002, he found that if the victims were white, a killer was about twice as likely to go to death row. He found that when the victim was white, 17.9 percent of offenders were sentenced to death, whereas

STREETVIBES June 2009

So it is not surprising that Welsh-Huggins found that during 1981-2002 in Ohio, just over half of capital indictments ended with a plea bargain. Looking at the percentage of people receiving the death penalty at the start of this review, the disparity can be accounted for to some degree by the use of the plea bargain to resolve cases: Cuyahoga and Franklin counties led the way with 56 and 55 percent indictments ending with a plea, respectively.

Hamilton County, by contrast, has the lowest capital indictment rate of Ohio's major metro areas, but also the most people on death row – 20 percent of death row inmates in Ohio in 2007 were from Hamilton County. Deters is quoted saying, “It's a very frustrating situation when down here we take that whole area of law so seriously and apparently there's others in this state who are pretty cavalier about it.”

As these numbers suggest, geography also has something 8.5 percent received that sen- to do with capital cases, and tence when the victims were Welsh-Huggins contrasts Butblack. Perhaps more interest- ler County – which is overing, when both the offender whelmingly Republican and and the victims were white, supported George Bush in the 18.3 percent of the offenders 2000 and 2004 elections – and were sentenced to death; when Montgomery County, which voted for the offender Hamilton County has Al Gore and victims the lowest capital and John were black, 8.4 percent indictment rate of Ohio’s K e r r y . were sent to major metro areas, but E v e n death row. also the most people on t h o u g h MontgomCiting a death row – 20 percent ery County study by David Baldus, of death row inmates in has about there is dis- Ohio in 2007 were from 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 more peoHamilton County. turbing eviple than dence that Butler, prosecutors during the same 1981-2002 simply seem more willing to add aggravating circumstanc- period, Butler County filed es to trigger the death penalty 32 death penalty indictments, compared to 18 in Montgomwhen the victim is white. ery County, and each county sentenced seven people to Pleading to live death. Butler Country ProseIn the chapter on plea bar- cutor Robin Piper is quoted in gaining capital cases, Welsh- the book as saying he sees no Huggins begins with a quo- inequality in that: “I just think tation from Hamilton County it has to do with a difference Prosecutor Joe Deters: “It's al- in geography.”

There's much more in No most the lazy way to do this.”

Winners Here Tonight, and While television legal melowhile there are no easy andramas have probably soured most of the country on plea swers to our criminal justice bargains, the fact is that 90 system in general and capital percent of all criminal charges offenses in particular, Welshare resolved with a plea; the Huggins does us a wonderful courts system would probably service by presenting such a collapse if it worked any other rewarding read with immediate and local implications. way.

Are you interested in helping with Streetvibes? Are you a writer, poet, artist or photographer? If so, contact Greg Flannery at 513.421.7803 x 12 or email streetvibes2@yahoo.com

STREETVIBES June 2009

7

International News

The Street Speaks Convention shares idea, calls street papers to work harder

By Gregory Flannery Editor

“Vendors do not exist for the benefit of street papers. Street papers exist for the benefit of Bergen, Norway – People vendors. … Our work is alwho work for street newspa- ways about power and powpers would benefit from sur- erlessness, about helping and gery on their heads, according refusing to help. … Don’t let to A. John Bird, the irresistible anyone ever put you off a projforce behind ect that you the growth “The person in need believe will of the mealleviate soalways comes first. dium across cial injusVendors do not exist the globe. tice.”

Bird is- for the benefit of street sued a call papers. Street papers The big to arms at exist for the benefit of issue the 14th anvendors. … Our work nual conferThe INSP ence of the is always about power conference and powerlessness, InternationMay 12al Network 17 drew 95 about helping and of Street Padelegates refusing to help. … pers (INSP).

Don’t let anyone ever from street “If I could papers in 29 put you off a project start over, I countries. that you believe would make Workshops all of you will alleviate social focused on kneel on the injustice.” - Hildegard practical isfloor and I sues such as Denninger of BISS. would cut fundraising, a piece of editorial deyour faces,” he said. “I would velopment and fostering ventake the blood and smear on dors as advocates. the top of your heads, ‘I will Many street papers in Eudo whatever it fucking takes rope are glossy magazines, to bring an end to homeless- sometimes at least partially ness.’ ’ funded by the government; The founder of The Big Is- and many seem to sell better sue, a Scottish street paper, than their counterparts in the Bird reminded editors, writers United States. Trond Schjefand managers of street papers stad, editor of Virkelig, the of their mission. northernmost street paper in “There is nothing nicer, the world, sells 14,000 copies nothing more encouraging and a month in a Norwegian city nothing more important than of 65,000. By contrast, Streettalking to people who work vibes has recently sold 6,000 to get out of the dungeon, copies a month in Cincinnati, the Bastille, that is homeless- part of a metro area of about ness,” he said.

1.5 million.

Bird and Hildegard DenThe street papers of the ninger of BISS, a German world vary by design and constreet paper, received special tent but share a fundamental INSP awards for their con- characteristic: people who are tributions to the street-paper homeless or otherwise destimovement. Like Bird, Den- tute sell them. ninger harked back to first Journalists love to argue, principles. and so the INSP general “The person in need al- meeting featured a spirited ways comes first,” she said. exchange over what would

Papers from all over the world attended the INSP Convention.

Photo courtesy of INSP.

A. John Bird, founder of The Big Issue in Scotland. Photo courtesy of INSP.

seem to be an utterly dry topic, a charter amendment to allow proxy voting at future conferences.

Serge Lareault of L'Itinéraire in Montreal, framed the issue in terms of democratic process.

“Since the beginning of the INSP, it has been ‘one paper, one vote,’ ’ he said. “But many of them have been too poor to attend.”

Lareault’s observation was true in the case of Streetvibes.

The paper was able to send a representative only as a result of the generosity of the INSP, the North American Street Newspaper Association, the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, Hamilton County Appeals Judge Mark Painter and contributing writers Larry Gross and Margo Pierce.

The debate about proxy voting ranged into proposals for voting in absentia and via e-mail, both of which were defeated. The argument again was about egalitarianism.

“Not everyone has access to a computer,” Lareault said.

Between sessions, delegates compared procedures for managing vendors. Ilse Weiss of Strassenkreuzer in Germany, said her paper requires vendors to prove their income and to speak at least basic German. Gerda Kolb of Augustin in Vienna said her paper takes a hands-off approach to vendors’ compliance with laws about reporting their earnings.

“We don’t write anything down,” she said. ‘We have no rules about who can sell the paper.”

Many delegates enthused about Barack Obama’s election as president of the United States. A woman from Germany said her 13-year-old son’s soccer team named themselves the Obamas. Kayoko Yakuma of The Big Is-

sue Japan said her monthly paper put Obama’s photo on the front cover.

“We sold out in two weeks,” she said.

Tina Juul Rasmussen of Hus Forbi in Copenhagen marveled at former president George W. Bush’s claim that God directed his military policy.

“If the prime minister of Denmark said he was being directed by God, he would be out of office the next day,” Rasmussen said.

‘Active in democracy’ The conference opened with a reception at Haakon House, a 13th-century fortress on Bergen’s North Sea coast.

Deputy Mayor Trude Drevland welcomed delegates by highlighting the importance of street papers.

“We politicians must find a way to help the poor,” she said. “Street papers stand up for justice.”

Thomas Anthun Nielsen, editor of Megafon, the street paper in Bergen, said the city government has been a strong supporter of the paper. He expressed surprise at Cincinnati City Council’s effort to restrict emergency shelter and social services for homeless people.

The reception included a drum and dance performance by street kids from Sao Paolo, Brazil, rescued by the Children at Risk Foundation.

Are Hjelle entered treatment for heroin addiction after beginning work as a vendor for Megafon.

“When I sold Megafon, I had a unique experience: People talked to me,” he said.

“This magazine is very good.

It helps people. It really does.

Keep on doing what you’re doing. The most important thing is for the people out there to know someone believes in them.”

Megafon, like several other street papers, is affiliated with

programs to help homeless people find jobs, overcome addiction and secure stable housing.

Other papers are much smaller operations. Bill Shaw works at The Jeepney Magazine in the Philippines.

“I’m executive director,” he said. “That means I get to edit the paper, and I deliver it also.”

During a discussion of child labor, Shaw talked about Filipino children forced to dive into sewage pits to open clogged drains. He also talked about stories that his paper doesn’t pursue because of potentially violent repercussions.

Another editor said he is working in Namibia because of the press crackdown in his native Zimbabwe under dictator Robert Mugabe.

Those kinds of risks are fortunately uncommon for papers in Europe and the United States, where the movement is growing.

“More people are exploring the possibility of starting street newspapers across the United States,” said Joanne Zuhl, a member of the board of the North American Street Newspaper Association.

Matt Shaw attended the INSP conference in order to prepare for the launch of a street paper in Charlotte, N.C. Shea Davis represented Street Speech, a street paper founded last year in Columbus. Days after the conference ended, word came that a street paper is being organized in Toledo, Ohio.

Bird, the UK editor, called street papers ‘the dumbest form of social intervention ever invented.” But 18 years after founding The Big Issue, he acknowledged the value of what he’d begun, citing the notion that first inspired him.

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could find a way to get homeless people active in democracy?” he said.

8

STREETVIBES June 2009

Local News

Sexy, Yummy, Veggie Your tour guide into the steamy side of vegetarian cuisine

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour 2 tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. baking soda ¾ tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt 1 cup water Canola oil, enough to cover the bottom of a skillet ¼ inch

By Alecia A. Lott Contributing Writer As a food writer, summer is difficult for me because there are so many colorful fruits and vegetables available that are ripe and bursting with flavor and sunshine that you really don’t need a recipe to put yourself right smack in food heaven.

Sun-ripened tomatoes plucked from someone’s garden. Watermelon that drips down your chin. Corn on the cob slathered with lime juice, olive oil and salt… these are the things that I wait for all year.

There’s a certain summer food, however, that isn’t found in nature but is just as

Funnel Cakes

Toppings: Powdered sugar, pie filling, cinnamon

Photo by Andrew Anderson.

important to one’s survival and well-being as the season’s abundant produce. I’m talking funnel cake, people.

Ahh, the sizzling-hot, powdered-sugar sensual experience that is funnel cake. Pull it apart with your fingers, shove a big fluffy hunk of it in your mouth, and sigh with pleasure as the rest of the world disappears. Why is this food that everyone loves only available a few months out of the year and only at carnivals and

Front Page

fairs?

Not anymore! It’s very easy to make funnel cake yourself.

Never again will you have to wait in long lines behind couples making out or people with humongous stuffed purple teddy bears. Never again will you get sick from a funnel cake that was preceded by a corn dog, a Slushie and a spin on the Tilt-a-Whirl. OK, maybe you will, but you don’t have to anymore. I love summer!

1. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add water. Beat mixture until smooth.

2. Fill a skillet ¼ inch high with canola oil, and heat to 375°F. 3. Cover bottom opening of a funnel with your finger. (If you don’t have a funnel, try pouring the batter from a measuring cup with a spout.)

4. Pour ¼ cup batter into funnel. Hold the funnel over the center of the skillet.

5. Remove finger from funnel end to release the batter into the hot oil. Move funnel in a slow, circular motion to make a freeform design.

6. Fry two minutes or until golden brown, turning once.

Drain on paper towels.

7. Serve hot with your favorite toppings.

Front pages from the past 12 years of ‘Streetvibes’

February 1997 (first issue)

July 2001

April 2005

August 2006

November 1999

August 2003

April 2008

January 2009

! ? t a h W y a S _____________________

“The work must be political. It must have that as its thrust.

That’s a pejorative term in critical circles now: If a work of art has any political influence in it, somehow it’s tainted.

My feeling is just the opposite: If it has none it is tainted. ...

The best art is political and you ought to be able to make it unquestionably political and irrevocably beautiful at the same time” – Toni Morrison, “Rootedness: The Ancestor as Foundation,” in Black Women Writers (1950-1980): A Critical Evaluation

STREETVIBES June 2009

9

International News

Half-Moon over Norway Notes from an infrequent traveler

By Gregory Flannery Editor

giraffe meat. He hoped to sample whale before returning home.

The rainiest city in Europe High-school seniors in bagis Bergen, Norway, according gy red pants were in the throes to guidebooks I of a 30-day read before visparty, apparA Ukrainian iting. Some esently with the delegate said timates were for expectation that that his city rain 350 days a they spend the government, year – virtually month drinking every day. I saw like Cincinnati’s, beer and having is hostile to no rain in Berfun, collecting gen. decals for their homeless After only two pants at the bars people and the hours I learned they visit. The organizations that red pants mark how to turn on help them. the lights in the teenagers my hotel room. as newly legal This required beer drinkers, inserting the room’s key card and people generally tolerinto a special slot on the wall. ate their exuberance. After 30 Then the lights came on with a days of carousing, the students snap! crackle! pop! take their final exams.

Nearly all the Europeans I Bergen’s public squares are The midnight sky in Bergen, Norway. Photos by Gregory Flannery. met spoke English, including busy day and night, sometimes delegate from Germany said, A Ukrainian delegate said with a Canadian writer had a a man who advised me on traf- with music playing, frequently “You must visit me in Stutt- that his city government, bathroom so large that, as he fic safety after I came close to with broad expanses of flow- gart. The beers are so cheap! like Cincinnati’s, is hostile to put it, “You could fit a whole being run over. ers and almost always with We can get 24 for nothing.” homeless people and the orga- family in there.” This poor “If you’re not careful,” he people relaxing. The city stays A Norwegian editor said his nizations that help them. decent man arrived in Bergen said, “you’ll put an ugly dent active long into the wee hours, friend went up north. He asked A German freelance writer unaware that he’d be sharing in that man’s car, and he’ll be with pedestrians strolling and a boy where he could find li- said he’d heard of Cincin- a room with someone who very angry at you.” showing no sign that doing so quor in the village. The boy nati because of its Oktoberfest snores like an angry drunken When I arrived in Norway, is in any way dancelebration.

Hav- bear. I’d always imagined CaBergen’s public squares are busy ing thrice visited the nadians to be a hearty lot; but no one asked for my pass- gerous. An editor port or identification. I simply told me the whole day and night, sometimes with United States, he after the first night, it was clear walked out of the airport. Re- country is abuzz music playing, frequently with disagrees with what that our co-habitation wasn’t turning to the United States, about a homicide, he said is a common going to work. He’d never get broad expanses of flowers and I had to show my passport the first this year in almost always with people relaxing. perception among any sleep. twice, fill out paperwork from Norway.

Europeans.

That is why, for most of the Department of Fatherland At 1 a.m. one “Europeans, espe- the conference, I slept on the Security, take off my shoes night a flock of pointed to a church. “That,” cially in the north, tend to talk bathroom floor with the door and belt, empty my pockets seagulls flew just overhead, he said, “is the only place you to one another only if there closed. I considered it a kind and pass through a metal de- scattered by the sound of a NOT can find liquor.” is a purpose,” he said. “They of participatory journalism, a tector. red van with the sign “Boobs” The best after-party was in think Americans are superfi- small taste of the discomfort Reindeer steaks were the roaring past, techno-pop and Room 712, headquarters of the cial, but it’s not true from my that homeless people endure main course at an elegant strobe flights blaring within. I man people at the conference experience. Americans are every night. It wasn’t so bad. awards banquet for the Inter- enjoyed the seagulls but really called “that crazy guy from so friendly. They are perfect I just had to lie still until the national Network of Street wanted to be in that van. the Netherlands.” Standing on hosts. They take you to parties sun came up, or risk falling Papers (see stories on pages Beer and liquor prices are the balcony of his room, I was and introduce you to every- into the toilet. The slot for the 1 and X). A delegate from very high in Norway. A slim struck by the half moon hov- one.” key card to turn on the lights Namibia contrasted the taste shot of whiskey cost 83 kro- ering over the mountains.

The hotel room I shared was in the other room. of reindeer with elephant and ners, or about $12 U.S. A

There are many street performers in Europe.

A view of Lake Nordaas from Edvard Grieg’s House.

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Column 10 Still Struggling Over-the-Rhine is as strong as its people

I wrote this history of Over- cil, the Peaslee Center, the Although one can see comthe-Rhine in the early 1980s. Contact Center, the Over-the- fortable homes on 14th and Bonnie Neumeier recently Rhine Community Housing Broadway and other pockets resurrected it for her work Network, Streetvibes, and oth- of former wealth, the vast with Miami University stu- ers mean that the neighbor- majority of these houses were dents. How much has changed hood still has a voice, even if built to box poor people into in 25 years? the politicians and developers as little space as possible. The point was to minimize space For one thing, the neighbor- try to kill it off. and maximize rents. Over-thehood is no longer a base for Appalachian residents. Most Over-the-Rhine history Rhine workers had to endure what other urban working of those folks are scattered Over-the-Rhine is an inner class people had to endure in around Cincinnati, a great many in Price Hill and envi- city neighborhood immedi- the 19th century. The generaately north of the downtown tions of poor, working-class rons.

They have been replaced business district, one square people who have followed to today have expein part by the new cadres of rienced a similar urban pioneers, particularly history: overalong Main Street and Vine crowding, exploiStreet. The neighborhood is

By Michael Henson tation, cramped becoming where you go to lives. find the arts and, with the CinThe German incinnati Art Academy and the new School for the Creative mile in size with 12,000 low- fluence in the neighborhood and Performing Arts, will income black and Appalachian peaked in the early part of the residents. There are two main 19th century. Beginning in the continue to be.

The neighborhood has been threads to Over-the-Rhine his- 1930s, peaking in the 1950s impacted by murders. Many tory. First, the neighborhood and continuing today, the people thought the murder has been a port of entry for neighborhood began to receive of musician Michael Bany succeeding waves of migrants, new residents who migrated first from Eu- from the economically dewould slow the transformation The vast majority rope, then more pressed regions of Appalachia of Main Street. of these houses recently from and the Deep South. In the first It did for sever- were built to box Appalachia and stage of this migration, white al years. Many poor people into the Deep South. Appalachians became the Each of these major group in the neighborpeople thought as little space (and some as possible. The groups has left hood. Over-the-Rhine became its mark on the a center for Bluegrass and hoped) the murpoint was to der of Buddy minimize space neighborhood country music. Later, as major and on the city sections of the West End were Gray would and maximize itself. destroyed for urban renewal mean that the rents.

Second, the programs, which included the Drop Inn Center and the housing move- neighborhood has functioned building of Interstate 75 and ment would dry up and blow as one of the concentrations new business development, away. (They never missed a of the poor. It has been where large numbers of displaced beat.) The murder of Timothy employers have looked for blacks moved into the neighThomas (yes, I said murder) cheap labor. It has been where borhood. Black residents now the poor have looked for cheap constitute a majority in Overled to the riots of 2001.

But the dismal fact is that housing. And because resi- the-Rhine, although there rethere have been many more dents feel the neighborhood main large numbers of white murders, mostly of people has been one of the centers for Appalachians. Both groups who made the news only for exploitation, Over-the-Rhine have historically been at the a moment, and most of them has a history of resistance and bottom of the city’s economic traceable in one way or anoth- struggle that continues today. and social ladder.

The neighborhood takes its Throughout the 1960s, er to the impact on the neighborhood of crack cocaine. name from the canal, which in 1970s and the 1980s, the This is the most heartbreak- the nineteenth century formed neighborhood residents have ing change in the years since its southern boundary. People fought to change this pattern who moved north from the of poverty and I wrote this piece.

Of course, there has contin- city’s center were said to have discrimination. ued to be the slow murder of gone “Over the Rhine.” The The neighborpoverty, disease, and addic- Germans, who moved to the hood was one city in great numbers after of the local tion.

Homelessness has persisted 1894, were for many years the battlefields in in the neighborhood, but so dominant group in the commu- the war on povPoverty has the work of homeless ad- nity. They formed a number of erty. vocates, including the Greater churches, cultural and athletic won that war, Cincinnati Coalition for the clubs, and until World War I, of course, but Homeless and that damn Drop classes were taught in German a black-white Inn Center that refuses to go for a part of each day in the coalition was away, in spite of every effort public schools. Germans were formed which by city council and developers not the only immigrants, how- remains intact ever. There were many Ital- today in spite to plan it out of existence.

The neighborhood is home ians, Greeks and Spanish as of fifteen years to a growing community of well as native-born Americans of stress and struggle. Some recovering men and women, living in the neighborhood.

Contrary to a popular myth, of the areas of in part because of the work of Over-the-Rhine was not built struggle are: the Drop Inn Center.

Institutions like the Over- for a comfortable middle class • E d u c a t i o n : Residents of the-Rhine Community Coun- community of the late 1880s.

ammered H

STREETVIBES June 2009 Michael Henson is author of Ransack, A Small Room with Trouble on My Mind, The Tao of Longing and Crow Call. This column is part of a monthly series on poverty and addiction.

Over-the-Rhine have fought housing stock through specto gain recognition for black ulation and abandonment. and ApThe commuThey have been palachian nity has fought culture, im- replaced in part by to bring new provements the new cadres of housing into the urban pioneers, in the eduneighborhood to particularly along gain quality recational Main Street and programs habilitation for Vine Street. The in the comlow-income peoneighborhood is munity and ple. Demolition becoming where to prevent control and antiyou go to find the closing displacement the arts and, with ordinances have of neighthe Cincinnati Art been of some borhood Academy and the help. Several schools (six new School for have closed low-income selfthe Creative and in the past help co-ops are Performing Arts, 10 years). actively rehabIn 1982, will continue to be. bing units. But the neighdisplacement is borhood worked together still a major threat. There to keep one neighborhood has been a recent trend of school, Peaslee Elementary, “gentrification” in which open. A number of parents, upper-income speculators both black and Appalachian, are buying up properties, tried unsuccessfully to sue renovating them and rentthe Board of Education to ing them out at much higher prevent closing. rates. This is part of a na• The Drop Inn Center: Alcotional trend in which private holism and drug abuse redevelopers, in an attempt to main major problems in the attract young professionals, neighborhood. One response displace low-income famihas been the Drop Inn Cenlies and the elderly. ter shelterhouse which • Historic Designation: In houses and feeds 125 to 150 concert with the city, a street alcoholics nightly. It is group of preservationists, unique as a treatment center gentrifiers and real estate in that over half of the staff speculators are attempting are recovering alcoholics to have the entire Over-thewho have come through the Rhine community designatcenter’s program. However, ed a historic district. Overthe center has remained unthe-Rhine and its member der fire from the city’s busigroups oppose the designate ness elite because of its loas it is presently proposed cation near Music Hall and because of their belief that has had to face a number of it will only fuel the current speculation occurring in the attacks from city bureaucraneighborhood. cies. Unions, churches, proWith articles and media fessionals and concerned neighbors continue to rally coverage such as an October to work for the center. Last 1981 60 Minutes segment and year, after a major fundrais- a New York Times article, May ing drive, the center was 1983, Over-the-Rhine gains even national attention and able to buy its building.

• Housing: Over-the-Rhine recognition in its struggles. has lost a great part of its We live and grow.

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Contact Greg Flannery at 513-421-7803 x 12 or by e-mail at streetvibes2@ yahoo.com

STREETVIBES June 2009

International News

Lessons in Spain

11

Savoring the differences that matter

By Paul Kopp Contributing Writer

Time

I did not have any idea what Walking around Bilbao at I would encounter on my visit any point in the day, one can to Spain. The trip had been feel a vibrant human energy. finalized very quickly; and Lunchtime starts about 2 p.m. about a week after the arrange- and lasts several hours, with ments had been made, we most stores closing for the duwere on our way. I found that ration. Only the small bars that knowing very little about the line the streets are open, and place I was going only added most people stop in on their to the excitement and sense of lunch break. These bars serve wonder brought by immersion tiny appetizer-sized sandwichin a foreign culture. es known as “pintxos,” the Bilbao is not exactly a hot- Basque equivalent of Spanish bed of tourism, which, from tapas. my perspective, worked to the Usually topped with Iberian city’s advantage. Situated in cured ham or any number of Basque counlocal meat, The Spanish try in the north fish and cheese have the sense of Spain, capicombinations, to separate tal of the provthere seemed ince of Biscay, to be an endthemselves from Bilbao has a less variety the world of population of of pintxos at commerce long a little more a fairly cheap than 350,000. enough to relax and price.

Light eat lunch.

Surrounded by but filling, this low lying, fortype of meal est covered mountains, a walk made me think about my avin any direction leads to beau- erage lunch break at home: altiful views. ways rushed, and usually only A rather industrious city, spending about 20 minutes at Bilbao’s image was com- home or a restaurant eating pletely different until about food that makes me immedi20 years ago, according to a ately want to take a nap upon gentleman in a café. It is/was returning to work. The Spana factory town with a strong ish have the sense to separate history of class struggle. themselves from the world of The simple act of leaving commerce long enough to retown is refreshing. The expe- lax and eat lunch. riences of my trip made comWitnessing a siesta, I started ing home feel like I was, in to understand the implications some way, being cheated. New of these differences and to see questions and thoughts came some evidence that, when it to me during my time away, comes to some things, particuand even more have surfaced larly how we treat ourselves, since my return. I began to we got it wrong. think very intently about the From what I heard from many differences between the other Spaniards, the people quality of life in the United of Bilbao are known for their States and in Spain. strong work ethic, seemingly

An American in Bilbao, Spain. Photo by Olga Collier.

working all the time. Yet they didn’t seem especially stressed like most hard workers I know.

The difference might be in what is called the “mañana attitude,” holding that there will always be more time to finish work, so why rush and get worked up about it?

I met a couple from Madrid, graduate students in their mid-twenties. Both were soft spoken, and it was easy to talk about issues that can make conversations awkward: religion, politics, money. They were concerned to learn how many hours a week the average American works (twice as many as they do), let alone the vacation and sick time we receive. The Spanish generally have one to two months of paid vacation each year.

For a few days I stayed at the flat of a group of Basque students in a neighborhood

“You’re my boy, Paul,” he said. So began a spirited night drinking this licorice-like Welcome elixir.

I spent a lot of time walking With its own complex lan- through the narrow cobbleguage and deep-rooted tradi- stone streets of Casco Viejo, tions, the Basque presence in “old town” in Spanish. The orBilbao struck me as mysteri- igins of the city date to 1300. ous. The Basques I met spoke Though the buildings are very of immense pride in their old, they are filled with conculture and heritage. Unfor- temporary stores, restaurants, tunately cafés and Though the buildings it seems bars. The are very old, they are m o s t younger A m e r i - filled with contemporary g e n e r a cans know stores, restaurants, cafés tion’s culonly of the ture was and bars. The younger Basque able to generation’s culture separatexist right was able to exist right ist group, next to the next to the traditional E T A , traditional w h i c h environenvironment in perfect throughment in balance, as if it had out the last perfect always been there. half cenbalance, as tury has if it had alwaged a guerilla campaign to ways been there. gain autonomy from Spain. In Stepping into one of the fact, other Spaniards warned bars for a quick coffee is quite me of the potential hostility I a treat. The Spaniards make might experience. their coffee by grinding cofBut the Basques I stayed fee beans and putting them with were some of the nicest, through an espresso machine, most welcoming people I have making it less bitter. The servever met. They were fascinat- ing size, like all the beverages ed by American pop culture. I was served there, were sigThe flat-mates were fluent in nificantly smaller than in the Basque and Spanish, as well United States. as English, to varying levels.

Witnessing these differencOne night a flat-mate named es has allowed me to see some Garxot proudly announced he of the abnormalities of Amerwanted me to try patxaran, a ica’s culture of excess. We try Basque liquor made from ber- to do everything on a grand ries particular to this region. scale. From the 20-ounce After each of us had finished Cokes, the cars we drive and our first sampling, the bottle the big screen TVs to the mansat untouched for a few min- sions that Americans dream utes. We each had been eyeing of, we are so wired on conthe bottle during this time, po- sumerism that we can’t slow litely gauging each other’s re- down. action. As I reached in to pour We can learn something myself another, Garxot’s face from other cultures. flashed a sly smile

they jokingly deemed “the Bronx of Bilbao.”

Guest Column 12 With Craving and Mortal Fear

STREETVIBES June 2009

What Do Schizophrenics Seek?

By Steven Lansky Contributing Writer

muskiness you don’t want to get close to. It’s rough to take him into a restaurant or a car.

Well, that’s a trick question. He’s with you, so he won’t get The noun form is deceptive. asked to leave.

I don’t like it. People with Years ago I drove 3,500 schizophrenia seek commu- miles in three weeks when nity. We seek connection. We I was on a medicine hiatus. crave contact and live in mor- There’s no good way to say tal fear of it. I sicken to my this. I was stopped twice at stomach when I think of how night for driving without my cowardly I am lights on. Both when it comes Now, doubting the times I talked to sharing my very premise that I my way out truest desires. tickets. belong in this box, of My psychiaThe second trist knows this cube, this magic time the men this. She un- domed flying carpet searched me derstands. with wheels below and my car.

I was drivand a wheel to grip There is sense ing in the that the drive in fleshy fingers, snow tonight was a necesclean fingernails, and saw Eddy sary journey, droopy mustache (his real first thousands of over them. name) walking miles through against traffic snow and ice, in the fourto be kicked lane street. He walked with a out of a nightclub on Beale hitch in his step. Sometimes Street in Memphis, and later he has a cane. In the dark, it to be asked to leave a bed & was difficult to tell. He limps breakfast in Cambridge, Mass. along, a small bag clutched in I tried to contact a psychiatrist one hand. Often between fall but I couldn’t connect. There and winter I see him at the bus was this Harvard doctor. Fear stop. It’s too cold to live out- caused me to hide, walk, run side. He smells bad – urine, and seek. Desire. Stretched. feces, and the sharp pungent Me. To. My. Limit. alcohol tilt. He’s in a state of Staring through the night,

feeling the car behind creep Go to the clinic, find a psy- noia. No, don’t start reading closer, pulling at me with chologist, use tests, measure body language. Lost baggage. some essential Christian grav- the way with statistics. Speak- Luggage left by the roadside. ity, smellLuggage ing benzene with a They want to get closer, to learn about it, and knowhitch in but they’re afraid. They might catch the ing that the his step. “laziness.” The “sensitivity.” Never mind all the He smells ice falling misunderstanding about paranoia. from the bad, only sky was somesome spirit energy, and yet the ing the language might include times. reason for the pulsing craving understanding the dose. Take His house is cluttered. A desire was never clear. the dose. Take it and stick to university professor who lives Running away. Running it. alone. A lot of books. A lot of towards. Circling like some Why am I angry to be artwork. Many friends have nomadic migrating goose, dosed? Dosing doesn’t con- artwork up. Many artists are honking and looking for oth- nect me. Neither does work- friends. Schizophrenia is art ers on the highway to form ing on my own stuff while on friendly. “Right, Poet?” some streamlined pattern on the dole. That’s what they call Just want out. Want to be the wing. disability. They don’t think a man in a dark room with a Breaking ice off of a run- I’m a freeloader, but boy are woman. One at a time. Make ning car. Bitchy vibrat- they scared of what I’ve got. babies. Want to perpetuate the ing steel, humming pistons, They’re sure I’m a freeloader, species. Not just anyone. Her. coughing exhaust, trusting I could be pushing a broom, I desire her. I want to be with that some reason fuels this making sandwiches, washing her. I love her. I think about machine. Now, doubting the dishes, keeping count, selling her. No, I don’t obsess. I like very premise that I belong in tickets, washing cars, deliv- her voice. The way she dancthis box, this cube, this mag- ering pizza, driving over the es. Her eyes. I love her eyes. ic domed flying carpet with road, but I have a professional Big brown eyes. Warm as wawheels below and a wheel to job. University professor. ter from a spring. The way her grip in fleshy fingers, clean Teacher. Intellectual. That’s body moves. I’m afraid to say fingernails, droopy mustache respected. But the disability it. She walks like a waterfowl. over them. goes with that. They want to She flies like a goose. She is Do poets belong in cars at get closer, to learn about it, goose. all? but they’re afraid. They might Old sage, tell me, does Is schizophrenia so separate catch the “laziness.” The “sen- goose fly overhead? from poets that there is only a sitivity.” Never mind all the correlation once a semester? misunderstanding about para-

Call 513-421-7803 x11 to learn about Streetvibes subscriptions

Crossword

Sudoku

Across 1. Pitted 4. Pertaining to a sponge 8. Specialist in mathematics 13. Match 14. In the greatest degree 15. Find the answer 16. Virginia cape 18. Places a ball 19. Oceanic abyss 21. Bell-shaped flower 23. Semitic person 27. Without selfcontrol 31. With a quick succession of beats (3-1-3) 33. Nursemaid 34. Long, cylindrical piece of wood 35. Vehicle 36. Not fully conscious (4-9) 37. Potent 38. Intolerance of another race Down 2. Drink container

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

3. Highest mountain 5. Leading 6. Beard 7. Shrewd 9. Narrative 10. Bee dwelling 11. Cable 12. Small island 17. Agent 20. Hole

22. Cure-all 24. Most mature 25. Tiny piece 26. Striking volcanic island 28. Hawaiian island 29. Aware of 30. Whips with lashes of leather thongs 32. Hickory-nut

The fundamental goal of a Sudoku puzzle is to use the provided numbers, or givens, to discover which numbers logically fill in the empty squares. The only rule of Sudoku is that each of the nine rows, each of the nine columns, and each of the nine 3x3 subsections must contain all of the numbers from one to nine, and each number consequently can occur in each row, column and subsection only once.

Solutions on Page 15

STREETVIBES June 2009

Community News

Giving Back with Deep Voices

13

Joseph House residents serve Our Daily Bread

By Paul Miller Contributing Writer

“The guys clean, serve, do whatever needs to be done,” says Calvin Wooten, associate Started by a member of the director and treatment coordiSisters of Charity and a retired nator at Joseph House.

When Jobusinessman, “While they seph House Joseph House give back to the is a residential was unable to community, (our serve lunch in treatment cenits own kitchter for homeguys) get to look en, it partnered less veterans at themselves by suffering from seeing people who with Our Daialcohol depenly Bread for (are) living what meals. dency or drug they were living.

“I talked addiction. Bewith Kathy ginning with We’re teaching one building Our some basic living (Ray, Daily Bread’s containing skills, teaching kitchen maneight beds, them to get out ager) about Joseph House of the mentality sending 20-30 now operates of drug users.” guys over for multiple buildlunch,” Wooings with 100 Calvin Wooten ten says. “I beds. said, ‘How can On the second Tuesday of the month, we help?’ ’Cause we wanted residents from Joseph House to give back. So she said, volunteer at Our Daily Bread. ‘How about volunteering one

day a month?’ ” The partnership continues today. Once a month 15 or more men walk from Joseph House on Republic Street to Our Daily Bread at Race and Elder streets, doing any chores that need to be done.

“We’ve got a wealth of talent here,” Wooten says. “I learned from the beginning that these are some awesome guys. We’ll get trucks unloaded, we’ll send over cooks.

We try to instill in these guys a sense of responsibility to the community.”

A volunteer at Our Daily Bread, who has also volunteered at Joseph House, agrees: “It’s their way of giving back. They come down to eat. It teaches them to be humble. You gotta be humble to be a volunteer.”

Besides volunteering, Joseph House residents experience other benefits at Our

Calvin Wooten, associate director and treatment coordinator at Joseph House. Photo by Angela Pancella.

Daily Bread.

“While they give back to the community, (our guys) get to look at themselves by seeing people who (are) living what they were living,” Wooten says. “We’re teaching some basic living skills, teaching them to get out of the mentality of drug users.”

Ray appreciates the attitude the men bring to the job.

“They look out for each other,” she says. “If one of them is slipping up, the others will call him on it.”

That’s part of the message, according to Wooten.

“We tell our guys, ‘These are your brothers. Take care of one another,’ ” he says.

When weather prevents other volunteers from traveling to Our Daily Bread, Joseph

House residents are always available for the call.

“On snow days they always send someone,” Ray says.

“When they come, there’s so many of them. When we are praying the ‘Our Father,’ we have all these deep male voices. It’s great to hear.”

The men of Joseph House say the Serenity Prayer helps them focus on their path to recovery: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”

Sometimes, Ray says, one or two Joseph House volunteers end the “Our Father” with the tagline they use with the Serenity Prayer: “It works if you work it.”

Our Daily Bread, a food and hospitality ministry at 1730 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, offers a mid-day meal, serving more than 500 meals every weekday. To volunteer or donate food, call Joan or Kathy at 513-621-6364.

Letter to the Editor To the editor: I wanted to say I enjoyed your article in Streetvibes this month “Retreat to Silence,” June 1 edition). If it is any indication of good subject matter and writing, I’ve never been to Gethsemani, nor am I particularly religious, yet your description of the place was really fascinating. One of the things I most enjoy about this part of the country are places that speak to something universal but couldn’t be from anywhere but here. Nice work.

Rob Wall Ohio Justice & Policy Center 215 E. 9th St. Suite 601 Cincinnati, OH 45202

Local News 14 Garry Quits Council Race

STREETVIBES June 2009

Will focus on green efforts and 2011 race

says.

Buildings in Cincinnati could become green by improving their insulation and windows to efficiently maintain interior temperatures, Garry says. Hamilton County

By Jeremy Flannery also needs to improve drainContributing Writer age systems to more efficiently filter sewage, he says. The Losing a campaign endorseU.S. Environmental Protecment from his own political tion Agency has sued Hamparty could make a candidate ilton County and the city of feel green. That’s the reaCincinnati for water-pollution son Brian Garry has dropped violations. out of the race for Cincinnati Buildings in Cincinnati City Council as a candidate in could reduce carbon gases 2009. while creating a habitat for The Democratic Party enbirds by planting vegetation dorsed Garry in the 2007 on building tops, according to council race. He placed 18th in Garry. Chicago, San Francisco the election, receiving 13,164 and other cities have already votes. The top nine finishers implemented vegetation into won seats on council. But this building plans. year the Cincinnati DemoGreen initiatives should cratic Committee decided not Brian Garry. Photo courtesy of One Cincinnati Campaign. involve profitable work for to endorse him, despite a letter of support for Garry from ment through business, volun- you enter with this sense of ide- Low-income earners could business owners and workers Vice Mayor David Crowley. teer projects and advocacy, he als,” Garry says. “But the sci- develop new skills and find to improve the environment, Garry says he was one vote says. Garry’s platform focuses entific methods of change are higher paying jobs through Garry says. A sustainable living wage and affordable housshy of being endorsed. on creating sustainable green not as idealistic. It’s more like such initiatives.

“I’m disappointed with jobs, technology, transporta- moving the football down the Garry also wants to see new ing are essential parts of being green, he says. their decision, tion and space. field by inches – “When people but I’m choosing Garry’s platform One way to small increments “When people talk about it, sipping talk about it, sipnot to run as an work toward of compromises focuses on some green tea and saying, ‘We’re ping some green tea independent canthose goals to achieve those creating going green,’ but then choose to and saying, ‘We’re didate, to not run even without idealistic goals.” bulldoze the poor people out and going green,’ but against the party,” sustainable green being elected Garry would then choose to jobs, technology, rebuild, that’s not equitable.

It is not he says. “There to office is like to work are a lot of comGarry’s mem- with the Cincin- being green when people cannot find bulldoze the poor transportation munity leaders bership on nati Chamber of affordable places to live.” - Brian Garry people out and reand space. build, that’s not and my supportthe Hamilton Commerce to equitable,” Garry ers pursuing me to County Re- provide sustainrun this year, and I am not.” gional Planning Commission’s able living for low-income manufacturing jobs created says. “It is not being green Instead, Garry says he’ll Green Building Committee, earners through the Mayor’s for the production of genera- when people cannot find afcontinue the community ac- the Cincinnati Human Ser- Green City Initiative, he says. tors and equipment for envi- fordable places to live.”

Garry and his brother have tivism he’s been involved in vices Advisory Commission, The growing demand for en- ronmentally friendly energy throughout his adult life, and the Mayor’s Green Cincinnati vironmental initiatives is an sources such as wind turbines operated the Green City Ecohe’ll prepare for the 2011 race. Initiative and the Commu- opportunity to increase and and solar panels. Workers Struction Co. for 24 years. The His campaign team, the “Gar- nity Development Advisory improve the work force – an could also find construction company is a member of the ry Green Team,” will work to Board. opportunity Cincinnati can- employment in initiatives to U.S. Green Building Council improve the city’s environ“When you get into politics, not afford to pass up, he says. improve the quality and cost- and uses building materials efficiency of buildings in Cin- certified by the Forest Stewardship Council to offer more cinnati, he says. “(Buildings) need to be sustainable building practices made energy efficient for the for the environment and consake of the homeowners, ten- sumers.

Garry says he plans to open ants and the environment, and a store, the Green Depot, that’s especially meaningful to at 1235 Vine St. Over-thelow-income people when they have to pay $2,000 per year Rhine. to heat their homes,” Garry

Cleo’s Joke Corner

A bee was flying through the air with his legs crossed.

I asked where he was going.

He said, “I’m going to the BP station.”

STREETVIBES June 2009

15

Vendor Voice

We Are Here

Homeless people gather downtown because they must

By George Herrel Streetvibes Vendor It’s 5:30 a.m. Sunday. Most people are still snug in their beds fast asleep. Yet at Nast Trinity Church on Race Street across from Washington Park, a dozen or more volunteers have been awake for hours and are now gathered in the church’s dining room. Hands linked, heads bowed, they say a prayer over the food they’ve been preparing and begin to assemble plates to serve to the more than 100 people who will show up today.

It’s not necessarily a holiday or any special occasion.

These people repeat this same routine faithfully every Sunday morning and evening.

The people they’re serving aren’t visitors from out

of town. As a matter of fact, many of them spent the preceding night sleeping in doorways or on park benches. Others found refuge in one of the emergency shelters. Yet this is an open-invitation meal. All are welcome; homeless is not a prerequisite.

A few blocks away, the City Gospel Mission on Elm Street serves two meals a day, seven days a week. Food for the soul is offered just as frequently by way of morning and evening worship services before each meal. Forty-six men live at the shelter and participate in men’s self-help programs. In addition, the City Gospel Mission serves 100 meals daily.

The Drop Inn Center serves three meals a day seven days a week.

These organizations have

one other thing in common.

They depend upon donations to replenish their food stocks, and at times those donations are meager. At those times, organizations such as Food not Bombs and St. John’s Social Services provide less formal “sidewalk” meals.

There was a time not long ago when other organizations would gather at Washington Park and set up grills and tables or pull their pickup trucks and vans right into the park and serve bowls of steaming soups or stews to the hungry, often offering prayer as well. But the city of Cincinnati began prohibiting such free meals in the park, citing everything from health code violations to excess litter as reasons.

Now, as the new School for

the Creative and Performing Arts approaches completion on 12th Street, concerns are being raised about the safety of the students and the effect that the blight of homeless people milling around will have on their impressionable psyches.

But if you really want to change the future, what better teacher could there possibly be than “reality’? Homelessness is a problem in Cincinnati, a problem that needs to be dealt with and not hidden in the shadows.

Allow me to give you some facts and figures: • 1,300 people experience homelessness each night in Cincinnati.

• Twenty-five percent of Cincinnati’s homeless are children.

• Twenty-five percent of

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Only purchase Streetvibes from BADGED vendors.

Vendors wear their WHITE badges while they sell the paper.

Puzzle Solutions

homeless people are veterans.

• The majority of the organizations in Cincinnati that provide services to homeless people are located downtown. Therefore, the homeless population in downtown is greater than in most any other area in the city.

“We are here.”

We cannot simply be swept under a rug and be expected to go away. We don’t want to be out here, but many of us have issues that we need help with.

Let’s get together and figure out solutions to those problems, because only by dealing with them can they be solved.

George Herrell is a Streetvibes vendor.

16

STREETVIBES June 2009

Double Take “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” - John Lennon

Rally to legalize marijuana on April 20, 2009.

Homeless Standdown, a resource fair for individuals experiencing homelessness, on May 6, 2009.

National Day of Prayer on May 7, 2009.

Photos by Andrew Anderson.

Need Help or Want to Help?

Shelter: Women and Children

Central Access Point...381-SAFE Cincinnati Union Bethel...768-6907 Bethany House...557-2873 Grace Place Catholic Worker House...681-2365 Salvation Army...762-5660 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter...872-9259

Talbert House...684-7965

Treatment: Women

First Step Home ...961-4663

Treatment: Both

City Gospel Mission...241-5525 Justice Watch...241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Worker House...381-4941 Mt. Airy Shelter...661-4620

AA Hotline...351-0422 CCAT ...381-6672 Joseph House ...241-2965 Hamilton County ADAS Board ...946-4888 Recovery Health Access Center ...281-7422 Sober Living ...681-0324 Talbert House...641-4300

Shelter: Both

Advocacy

Shelter: Men

Anthony House (Youth)...961-4080 Caracole (HIV/AIDS)...761-1480 Drop Inn Center...721-0643 Interfaith Hospitality Network...471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center...221-3350 St. John’s Housing...651-6446

Housing:

CMHA...721-4580 Excel Development...632-7149 OTR Community Housing...381-1171 Tender Mercies...721-8666 Tom Geiger House...961-4555 Dana Transitional Bridge Services Inc. ...751-0643 Volunteers of America...381-1954

Food

Lord’s Pantry...621-5300 OTR/Walnut Hills Soup Kitchen & Pantry..961-1983 Our Daily Bread...621-6364 St. Francis Soup Kitchen...535-2719

Treatment: Men

Charlie’s 3/4 House...784-1853 DIC Live In Program...721-0643 Prospect House...921-1613 Starting Over...961-2256

Catholic Social Action ...421-3131 Community Action Agency ...569-1840 Contact Center...381-4242 Franciscan JPIC ...721-4700 Greater Cinci Coalition for the Homeless..421-7803 Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center...5798547 Legal Aid Society ...241-9400 Ohio Justice & Policy Center ...421-1108 Peaslee Neighborhood Center ...621-5514 Project Connect Homeless Kids ...363-3300 Stop AIDS...421-2437

Health

Center for Respite Care ...621-1868 Cincinnati Health Network ...961-0600 Crossroad Health Center ...381-2247 Hamilton county Mental Health Board...946-8600 Hamilton County TB Control ...946-7628 Health Resource Center ...357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van...352-2902 McMicken Dental Clinic...352-6363 Mental Health Access Point...558-8888 Mercy Franciscan at St. John...981-5800 NAMI of Hamilton County..458-6670 Oral Health Council...621-0248 PATH Outreach...977-4489

Resources

Catholic Social Services...241-7745 Center for Independent Living Options...241-2600 Churches Active in Northside...591-2246 Emmanuel Community Center...241-2563 FreeStore/FoodBank...241-1064 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart...381-0111 Goodwill industries...771-4800 Healing Connections...751-0600 Madisonville Education & Assistance Center...2715501 Mary Magdalen House...721-4811 People Working Cooperatively...351-7921 St. Vincent de Paul...562-8841 The Caring Place...631-1114 United Way...721-7900 Women Helping Women...977-5541

Northern Kentucky

Brighton Center...859-491-8303 ECHO/Hosea House...859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission...859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth...859-581-1111 Mathews House...859-261-8009 NKY Homeless & Housing Coalition...859-727-0926 Parish Kitchen...859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic...859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc...859-491-4435 Welcome House of NKY...859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center...859-491-3335 VA Domiciliary...859-559-5011 VA Homeless...859-572-6226

Hamilton/Middletown

St. Raephaels...863-3184 Salvation Army...863-1445 Serenity House Day Center...422-8555 Open Door Pantry...868-3276