VOL. 55, NO. 7 • NOVEMBER 28 - DECEMBER 4, 2019
Remember to Give Thanks this Holiday Season.
Millions Still Have '18 Holiday Debt: Report
Returning Citizens Receive Support at Celebration
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia
By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins In the District, six out of 10 returning citizens are arrested within five years of their release from prison. Without stable housing, familial ties or drug addiction/mental health treatment, many of them stand significantly unprepared to take advantage of the District's growing catalog of resources designed for their successful transition. This conundrum inspired two returning citizens homecoming celebrations this year, the most recent of which was held Sunday at a local church. For two hours, dozens of women and men broke bread, gathered toiletries and new clothes, and engaged representatives of D.C. government agencies, financial institutions, job training and drug addiction programs in one-on-one discussions. "The last time we were here, Catholic Charities housed 14 people. Before we get into the middle part of winter, we need to get as many services as possible to our returning citizens," said Russell Patterson Jr., organizer of the event at First Seventh Day Adventist Church on 8th and Shepherd streets in Northwest. Sunday afternoon's program opened with a selection from singer Valerie Dawkins. An audience nearing 100 later listened as their fellow returning citizens, now gainfully employed, reflected on their post-conviction journey. Some of these speakers represented Regional Addiction Prevention, Inc., or RAP,
CITIZEN Page 9
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Giving from the Heart 5 Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White hands a food basket to Ward 8 resident Bernice Chatman during his 11thannual Turkey Giveaway at Union Temple Baptist Church in Southeast. Councilmember White distributed food bags at seven different locations throughout the ward. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)
Black Friday — the knock-down, drag-out, mother of all shopping days and the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season — is here. With consumers expected to dig deep into their wallets and spend as much as $1.1 trillion this holiday season, the time is now for gift buying, deals and savings. And debt. Lots of debt. A new report from the District-based personal finance website WalletHub show that 35 million Americans still have credit card debt from last holiday season, and nearly one-third of consumers will spend less this year than in 2018. The study also found that 52 percent of people don't think Black
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Church Fire Doesn't Quell Congregation's Holiday Spirit By Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer For one of the two tight-knit congregations of Brighter Day Ministries, a recent fire has only bolstered what has been perceived as a "divine message" to keep toiling on behalf of its community's most needy residents. While the Oct. 29 electrical fire destroyed the steeple at BDM's Congress Heights campus at 421 Alabama Ave., leaving behind a sopping wet balcony along with other substantial water damage, no harm was done to the sanctuary. The fire also failed to dampen
the congregation's spirit of giving as the holiday season approaches. "We're in the process rebuilding," said George Semple, a trustee at the Congress Heights campus who, along with wife Mable, helps operate its food pantry and clothes closet two days a week. "We're always about serving our community and the fire just helped us to realize the importance of what we do," Semple said. "After the fire, we were still getting food in as usual from the National Area Capital Food Bank, so we had to keep getting it out to
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5 Mable Semple works two days a week at the food pantry and clothes closet at Brighter Day Ministries' Congress Heights campus in Southeast. She says that while an Oct. 29 fire took its toll, she and her husband George still choose to come over and reach out to the people. (Dorothy Rowley/The Washington Informer)
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