Census shows a decrease in homeless vets S treet S ense.org SUG GEST ED DON ATIO N Where the poor and homeless earn and give their two cents 65 cents for the Vendor 35 cents for production of the paper Volume 7 Issue 11 March 31 - April 13, 2010 March 31 - April 13, 2010 Page 12 Page 14 Page 6
S treet S ense.org Unemployment Health care Poverty Crime Racism Homelessness Ken pitches the Pay it Foward Program to Readers Page 14 Group makes feast out of garbage Page 12 Census shows a decrease in homeless vets Page 6 35 cents for production of the paper 65 cents for the Vendor March 31 - April 13, 2010 Where the poor and homeless earn and give their two cents Volume 7 Issue 11 SUGGESTED DONATION a See Page 5 & 13 The skinny on health care reform and how it will affect the homeless
Where the poor and homeless earn and give their two cents
Volume 7 Issue 11
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March 31 - April 13, 2010 StreetSense.org
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BOARD OF DIRECTORSKristal DeKleer Lisa EstradaTed Henson Mary Lynn Jones Sommer Mathis Brad Scriber John Snellgrove Michael Stoops Martin Walker David Walker Kathy Whelpley
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VOLUNTEERS/WRITERSRobert Basler, Robert Blair, Jane Cave, Katie Edson, Robert Fulton, Jane Goforth, Cassandra Good, Joanne Goodwin, Ro-berta Haber, Erica Hall, Annie Hill, Dan Horner, Phillip Hoy-ing, Maurice King, Brenda K. Lee-Wilson, Kim O’Connor, Ga-briel Okolski, Michael O’Neill,, Katinka Podmanickzy, Sarah Birnie, Diane Rusignola, Jesse Smith, Denise Wilkins, Marian Wiseman
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Our Mission Street Sense aims to serve as a vehicle for elevating voices and public debate on issues relating
to poverty while also creating economic opportunities for people who are experiencing
homelessness in our community.
Street Sense began in August 2003 after two volunteers, Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson, approached the National Coalition for the Homeless on separate occasions about start-ing a street newspaper in Washington, D.C.
A street paper is defined as a newspaper about poverty, homelessness and other social issues that provides an income to the homeless individuals who sell it. About 28 street papers op-erate in the United States and Canada in places like Seattle, Chicago, Montreal and Boston, and dozens more exist throughout the world.
After bringing together a core of dedicated volunteers and vendors, Street Sense came out with its first issue in November 2003, printing 5,000 copies. For the next three years the paper published on a monthly basis and greatly ex-panded its circulation and vendor network.
For the first year, Street Sense operated as a
project of the National Coalition for the Home-less, but in October 2004, the organization incor-porated and moved into its own office space. In March 2005, Street Sense received 501(c)3 status, becoming a nonprofit organization.
In October 2005 Street Sense formed a full board of directors, and in November the orga-nization hired its first employee, a full-time ex-ecutive director. A year later in November 2006, the organiza-tion hired its first vendor coordinator and began partnering with several service providers. In February 2007, the paper started publish-ing twice a month and to support the increased production brought on its first full-time editor–in–chief in April. As of January 2010 the paper had 72 active ven-
dors and prints about 30,000 issues a month.
The Story of Street Sense
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1. Street Sense will be distributed for a voluntary donation of $1. I agree not to ask for more than a dollar or solicit donations for Street Sense by any other means.2. I will only purchase the paper from Street Sense staff and will not sell papers to other vendors (outside of the office volunteers).3. I agree to treat all others – customers, staff, other ven-dors – respectfully, and I will not “hard sell,” threaten or pressure customers.4. I agree to stay off private property when selling Street Sense.5. I understand that I am not a legal employee of Street Sense but a contracted worker responsible for my own well–being and income.6. I agree to sell no additional goods or products when selling the paper.7. I will not sell Street Sense under the influence of drugs or alcohol.8. I agree to stay a block away from another vendor and respect the space of all vendors. I understand that my badge is the property of Street Sense and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing the papers and display my badge and wear my vest when selling papers.10. I understand that Street Sense strives to be a paper that covers homelessness and poverty issues while providing a source of income for the homeless. I will try to help in this effort and spread the word.
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March 31 - April 13, 2010StreetSense.org 3200 rally against homeless project
in Hawaii
Residents of Honolulu’s Chinatown rallied to show their opposition to a city proposal aimed to help chronically homeless people, the Honolulu Advertiser reports.
The project is a 100-unit residence, which has a goal of getting homeless people into housing and providing help to address their problems, such as alcohol and drug addic-tion and mental illness. Opponents of the project say they’re worried that the project will lead to increased crime and bring more homeless people into the area, the Advertiser reports.
Area resident Harry Palmer told the Advertiser that the project should stay away from “a residential area like this with schools, churches and cultural sites.”
Opponents say they would prefer if senior housing were built in the same area, as opposed to the homeless assis-tance facility.
Fort Worth faces financial crunch to help homeless
In Fort Worth, Texas, more than 250 homeless men and women have been housed through the city’s Directions Home program, a project that hopes to eradicate homeless-ness during the course of the next 10 years, the Fort Worth Business Press reports.
And while the program has clearly had positive results, some are worried that an anticipated budget shortfall later this year will mean problems for funding the project.
“It is clear to me that our mission, while not fully accom-plished, is certainly in the process of being addressed. And
as I visit with my colleagues I will continue to try to make certain they have accurate information on which to base their decision to continue to support this effort,” said Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief.
The impact of the recession and the sluggish economy won’t be seen until the end of 2010, the Business Press re-ports.
Advocates concerned L.A. census will undercount homeless
Los Angeles has begun its homeless census, but local ad-vocates say that they’re a difficult population to fully count, the Los Angeles Examiner reports.
“The best workers to count people living on our streets are skilled homeless outreach workers,” said Rudy Salinas, a 10-year veteran of street outreach. “They know where all of the encampments are, and can encourage people to be willing to come out from their hidden places.”
But the census only allows official workers to count the homeless, not outreach workers.
Advocates from around the country echo Salinas’ senti-ments.
According to the Examiner, David Gomez, a homeless advocate in Austin, Texas, said, “How do you count the homeless when their existence depends on their ability or desire to remain unseen?”
World Cup officials move homeless from stadium areas
About 300 homeless have been moved from Cape Town, South Africa, in advance of World Cup festivities, Metro.
co.uk reports.They have been moved to Blikkiesdorp camp on Cape
Flats, an area filled with roughly 1,450 families, though the area is designed for 450 people.
Ruth Tanner, campaigns director at War on Want, told Metro.co.uk that, “Rather than temporarily cleaning up for the World Cup, the South African government needs to tackle the problem of housing and improve living condi-tions for South Africans.”
“Homelessness and begging are big problems. You have to clean your house before you have guests,” a Johannes-burg local government spokesman said.
Once the tournament is over, the homeless will be al-lowed to return to the World Cup site.
N.Y. falls short on monitoring non-profit agencies
New York City has handed out more than $152 million in “handshake deals” in 2008 to non-profit service providers that did not have contracts, according to an audit released on Thursday by John C. Liu, the city controller, The New York Times reports.
NYC’s Department of Homeless Services had zero con-tracts with providers that operate more than 10,000 units used to house homeless or poor families. Now, about 60% are controlled by contracts, the audit found.
The audit also found occurrences in which agencies were estimating how many homeless, making it difficult to de-termine if the agencies deserved the money they received. There were about $953,000 in questionable payments, the New York Times reports.
Compiled by Dianna Heitz, from previously published reports.
Every homeless person has a name, a story and a hope for something better.
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Kenneth came to Street Sense to work, write
and support the homeless. He also spends time
volunteering for the Pay It Forward Project in D.C.
Kenneth lives in a community residence facility but
hopes to one day live independently and publish a
book of his Street Sense articles.
Help Street Sense help people like Sybil restore their dignity, get back to work and improve their lives.
Ken
March 31 - April 13, 2010 StreetSense.org 4
By Maya Srikrishnan, editorial volunteer
In an effort to incorporate the concerns of local communities in their plan to end homelessness across the country, an interagency council has con-ducted stakeholder meetings with everyone from government workers and homelessness advocacy groups to homeless individuals in attendance.
“It’s the first comprehensive plan by the federal government that will look at preventing and end-ing homelessness in the entire country,” said Jason Kravitz, spokesman for the United States Interagen-cy Council on Homelessness (USICH).
Kravitz said the stakeholder input part of the plan creation was intended to help the interagency council collect views from across the country about what local communities are doing to address home-lessness and what they feel are the biggest issues in addressing the problem.
“I think everyone is very passionate about the issue of homelessness,” Kravitz said. “If they’ve worked on it in their locality, they are very passion-ate about what works and what doesn’t work. We are trying to make [the process] as open and transpar-ent as possible.”
Jeremy Rosen, the executive director of National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness, said the process represents a much better effort that the interagency council has done before to get feedback
on homelessness issues – issues that received little attention under the previous White House administration.
“It’s commendable t h a t t h e y a re a c t u -ally getting something done,” Rosen said.
It is important that the federal officials take into account the opin-ions and advice of those people who have the ex-perience working on the problem of homeless-ness in their local areas every day, he said.
Rosen said the next step is to see if every-one’s ideas are actually incorporated into the final plan and how the
plan is implemented.Stephen Thomas, a speaker with the National
Coalition for the Homeless and the director of Com-munity Outreach and Development of STREATS, a non-profit project, attended a meeting in Wash-ington, D.C. “Everyone thought we have the same dilemma through the country, which is lack of fund-ing,” he said.
Thomas said that everyone agreed that even though funds are set aside for homelessness, when other departments in city governments need extra money, they almost always take funds from social services, especially those funds earmarked for so-cial services. “There is always something that needs to be paid for, but why do you have to always take from those in the greatest need?”
Thomas, who used to be homeless, said he was probably the only person in the meeting who had actually experienced homelessness, but he was amazed at the commitment and knowledge of the other people in the room. He sometimes had to explain to government officials from some agen-cies, like the Department of Transportation, how they played a role in helping to stop homelessness though.
He said, while in a smaller discussion group with a high-ranking official from the department, the of-ficial looked at him and said it was his first time being involved in the process of addressing home-lessness and he was not sure what part transporta-tion could play in helping.
“I had to explain to him that just because people are homeless doesn’t mean they don’t need ways to get places,” Thomas said. “They need it to seek education, job training, employment opportunities, and even just to get a meal.”
Thomas said overall, what he saw in the meet-ings was a genuine attempt from the Obama ad-ministration to address the issue of homelessness and that the facilitators of the meeting from the U.S. Interagency really listened and encouraged positive discussions on the problem.
“As a homeless advocate, I found it quite an honor to be invited,” he said. “And I was even more honored that in being the only homeless person in the room, I wasn’t looked down upon and they en-gaged me in every step of the way.”
These meetings, in addition to a Web forum, are an effort by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. The plan is being formulated as part of the HEARTH Act. The “stakeholder input” portion of the plan creation ended March 22, so the interagency council could compile all the in-formation they collected and incorporate it into the plan.
The HEARTH Act passed on May 20, 2009, al-located millions more dollars to homelessness prevention, quickly re-housing homeless families and providing permanent supportive housing for homeless people with disabilities. The bill, which was included as part of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, re-authorized the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s McKinney-
Vento Homeless Assistance programs, which rep-resent the largest federal investment in preventing and ending homelessness.
Stakeholder forums were held in Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and Seattle. More than 900 people participated in the forums across the country, ac-cording to USICH. The website allowed users to submit comments and vote on other people’s sub-missions, comments and suggestions. The site at-tracted more than 7,000 visits and more than 2,000 recorded individual comments.
Elizabeth Curtis, the executive director of the Massachusetts Interagency Council on Homeless-ness, attended a meeting in February in Boston, where interagency workers gathered from across New England. There were about 40 attendees at this particular meeting, who sat at small tables of four to seven people, while a facilitator from the U.S. Inter-agency asked them a series of questions for discus-sions. After each set of questions, individuals would switch tables so everyone could have the chance to exchange ideas with all those present.
“It was absolutely fascinating,” Curtis said. “Even though we all live in different places and are day-to-day focused on different things, there was broad agreement on what works.”
Curtis said that common themes that arose dur-ing the meeting included improving prevention and re-housing resources, increasing affordable hous-ing stock through a variety of programs targeted to different types of households, developing a shared definition of homelessness, and eliminating of agency silos – barriers in exchanging information between agencies – in order to better share goals, targets and accountability.
The meetings stressed that the greatest hurdles the USICH would face in creating its plan would be coordinating the different agencies that address homelessness in some way, she said.
Homeless Advocates Come Together for Solutions
Comprehensive plan to address homelessness
developed on the national front
I had to explain that just because people are homeless doesn’t mean they don’t need ways get places. They need to seek educa-tion, job training, em-ployment opportunities and even get a meal.-Stephen Thomas, speaker with NCH
Even though we all live in dif-ferent places and are day-to-day fo-cused on different things, there was broad agreement on what works. -Elizabeth Curtis, execu-tive director of the Mas-sachusetts Interagency Council On Homelessness
March 31 - April 13, 2010StreetSense.org 5
A Reconciling Congregation Invites you to join us in worship on Sundays at 9:30 and 11:00 AM Homeless Outreach Hospitality: Fridays 9:00 AM Foundry United Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 332-4010 www.foundryumc.org
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By Sonja Doty, editorial intern
With the passing of H.R.3200, “America’s Affordable Health Choic-es Act,” millions of people across the U.S. will be affected by the sweeping changes, from the middle-class to the low-income community.
Previously, those either homeless or without financial security who were not covered under Medicaid would either have to choose between medical care and other necessities, forego it entirely or face bills they are unable to pay.
A 2009 study of hunger in America by the non-profit Feeding America found that 24.2 percent of food pro-vider clients were without health in-surance, while 46.5 percent reported having unpaid medical bills.
In the bill’s provision for an open market, everyone would be required to get insurance. Certain groups
would be excepted, including reli-gious groups, Native Americans and people in prison. Insurance can be ei-ther employer-provided or purchased at newly-dubbed “exchanges”—in-surance marketplaces that have not yet been fully organized.
In 2008, 46.3 million Americans (15.4 percent) were without health insurance at least part of the year, an increase from 45.7 million in 2007. As of 2008, according to the U.S. Cen-sus Bureau, 255.1 million Americans had insurance of some sort, either government-provided or private.
Government aid in the new pur-chases is still available to those at a certain level of income. The cutoff for aid is four times the federal poverty level of the individual or group.
In 2009, the poverty line for a fam-ily of four was $22,050. For an indi-vidual, it was $10,830.
Providing aid to those above the
federal poverty level assumes that even those not technically in poverty would be subject to financial stress in the case of a medical emergency.
According to Jenny Reed of the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, 16.9 per-cent of D.C. residents in 2008 were below the poverty line, increasing in 2009 to 18.9 percent. She estimated, however, that those “at-risk” of pov-erty and financial insecurity was 106,000.
As the income of the recipient decreases, the amount of additional government subsidies increases. Those who make the least receive the greatest amount of aid in order to buy in the competitive required insurance market.
If someone makes under 133 per-cent of the federal poverty level, he or she can enroll in the expanded Medicaid program. As of 2005, more than 56 million people received Med-
icaid benefits. Recent numbers are not yet available, but with a higher unemployment rate the projection of current recipients is expected to be higher.
The formula for aid is complex, but in the highest bracket of aid those who make three to four times the poverty level will effectively pay after subsidies about 10 percent of their income. As the income goes lower, so does the percentage owed, making the individual who has an approximate income of $14,000 a year only have to pay three to four percent.
No specific language in the bill refers to homeless people, but the steadily decreasing rates of taxation dependent on income levels recog-nizes that the health-care overhaul spans from the depths of middle-class, well above the poverty level, to those who are barely surviving.
Health Care for the Homeless: The Facts
March 31 - April 13, 2010 StreetSense.org
By Sonja Doty, editorial intern
Businessmen, residents, workers and advocates asked their local politicians to lead the way in ad-dressing issues of poverty in the District to begin the Defeat Poverty D.C. campaign on March 22.
Tom Sherwood, a local political reporter at NBC Channel 4, insisted the campaign’s goals were re-alistic. “Saying ‘we’re going to end homelessness…and hunger’ has not worked,” he said. “It’s a bold initiative, not realistic.”
Instead, the coalition stressed it is helping to raise awareness in the local government, and is pushing politicians to take firm stances on this issue.
Andy Shallal, the owner of Busboys & Poets, dis-cussed why politicians often overlooked poverty issues. “It’s not about money, it’s about priorities,” he said. “The money is there.”
The panelists cited a deal proposed by the city for defense contractor Northrop Grumman, which would give them 25 million dollars in abatements and grants. “Again, its priorities,” Shallal said.
Jenny Reed of the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute ran down the results of a recent study done on pov-erty in D.C. “It’s a line like a ski jump,” she said, describing unemployment rates. Rates have gone from 5.6 percent to 11.9 percent, doubling be-tween January 2008 and December 2009.
Approximately 16.9 percent of residents fell below the federal poverty line in 2008, rising to 18.9 percent in 2009. This number was brought to about 11,000 residents, according to Reed; howev-er, the total of those at risk of poverty is more than 106,000. “Declines in poverty could be years away,” Reed said. “It takes a long time to recover.”
Valarie Ashley, the executive director of South-east Ministry, emphasized the need for employ-ers and job trainers to communicate about what skills are most needed. “We’re sort of training in a vacuum,” she said. “We don’t know what employ-ers are looking for.”
Denise Rolark-Barnes, a publisher of The Wash-ington Informer, said businesses need to look inside the community for its workers. “We can em-ploy our own people,” she said. “Grow our own.”
Many D.C. businesses employ non-residents. The District’s unemployment rate is at 12 percent, according to Reed.
The business done by companies has always been flawed, Shallal said. “It’s not just profit as a
bottom-line.”The panelists highlighted the importance of
community, especially among businesses, non-profits, and religious initiatives. “Religious com-munities have a rich tradition of being active in social services,” Ashley said. “They can raise awareness at a congregational level.”
Rolark-Barnes pointed out that non-profits and faith-based often “competed” for dollars. She called out those in churches who did not “step be-yond feeding the spirit.”
“It becomes a question with some, to minister to the spirit or provide social services,” she said. “An effort must be made to break the cycle by training the young.”
“We need to knock on the doors of the elected officials,” she said. “People not in poverty increase the tax base and the vitality of the city.”
6
By Caroline Hopper, editorial volunteer
On March 10, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that the number of military veterans homeless on a given night had decreased 18 per-cent last year. VA’s Community Homelessness As-sessment, Local Education and Networking Groups (CHALENG) conducts an annual census of home-less veterans.
Results show approximately 107,000 homeless veterans each night last year, compared to 131,000 in 2008 and 154,000 in 2007. However, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV), over the course of a year twice that many experience homelessness. Only eight percent of the general population can claim veteran status, but nearly one-fifth of the homeless population are veterans.
The number of veterans that are homeless on any given night indicates successful progress in VA’s five-year plan, now entering its second year, to eradicate homelessness for veterans. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Erik Shinseki stated in order to eliminate homelessness, VA has to prevent home-lessness from occurring.
“To eliminate homelessness, we must help more
than veterans currently without a place to live,” Shinseki said. “We must prevent approximately 27,000 new veterans who are at risk of becoming homeless from crossing that tragic line each year.”
A joint effort among federal, state and indepen-dent organizations has provided momentum for this effort. In fact, according to the VA, more than 4,000 community partners have contributed to the goal of decreasing veteran homelessness, providing a 15 percent increase in veterans served through these organizations.
VA has also partnered with the Department of Housing and Urban Development. While VA pro-vides case management for homeless veterans and their families, HUD provides housing vouch-ers. According to HUD, 79 percent of those who successfully transitioned from VA-funded housing programs to permanent housing remained housed after one year.
Veterans, in addition to the multifaceted set of factors influencing all homelessness (extreme shortage of affordable housing, livable income and access to health care) are homeless because they live with the lasting effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse, according to the NCHV.
“It will take dedication, creativity and hard work of many parts of American society to end homeless-ness among veterans,” Shinseki said. “But mostly it takes the resolve to say, ‘It is unacceptable for a single veteran to spend the night on the streets of America.’”
Census’ Success in Preventing Veteran Homelessness
Politicans Urged to Put Poverty on Top
It’s a line like a ski jump.-Jenny Reed, the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, describing DC unemployment rates between 2008 and 2009
We can employ our own people and grow our own. -Denise Rolark-Barnes, pub-lisher of The Washington In-former
To eliminate homeless-ness, we must help more than veterans currently without a place to live. We must prevent 27,000 new veterans who are at risk.-Erik Shinseki, secretary of Veterans Affairs
March 31 - April 13, 2010StreetSense.org
7
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Thank you Street Sense Supporters!Street Sense wishes to thank its recent donors who make it possible to enable homeless men and women
in DC to earn an immediate income, restore a sense of dignity and get on a path toward financial self-sufficiency. Your donation makes a difference!
By Melany Bendix
The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has called on government to ban the sale of HIV home testing kits to private individuals.
While emphasising that HIV testing is key to both prevention and obtaining life-saving treatment, SAMA said rapid HIV tests—where the result is immediate with-out having to send the test to a laboratory—should only be used by regulated facilities, and not by individuals at home. This, ac-cording to the association, is due to “the danger of people committing suicide after being informed of their HIV positive status, or even following misinterpretation of the results of the home test kit”.
“The danger of similar tragic incidents happening once people are encouraged to conduct home testing cannot be excluded. Similarly if a person goes for counselling before they do their own test they might as well be assisted in doing the test,” said
SAMA chairman Dr. Norman Mabasa.“Let us not create a situation where we
wait for disaster to happen by encouraging potentially risky practices where people discover their HIV status at home unmoni-tored.”
The association acknowledged that the home testing kit could be preferred by those who are concerned about being tested at their local clinic or hospital for fear of be-ing recognised by family or colleagues, but argued that it is crucial rapid HIV testing be conducted according to the same ethi-cal standards as laboratory HIV testing, and this includes pre and post-test counselling by a trained professional.
“Although SAMA fully supports testing as it is essential for people to know their status, we do not support the ad hoc sale of home testing kits. We will do everything in our power to make presentations to govern-ment to ensure that devices of this nature are distributed responsibly,” said Mabasa.
He added that the association will lobby
for it to become compulsory for merchants selling the rapid HIV tests to make counsel-ling available with each sale.
The National Department of Health has also discouraged people from using the kits, while the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) has weighed in on SAMA’s call to gov-ernment, saying the home testing kits are “too risky.”
“We encourage people not to utilise them. When doing an HIV test it’s very im-portant o know why you are doing it, and to have a proper support system,” said TAC General Secretary Vuyiseka Dubula.
She also raised concerns about the effi-cacy of home testing, as a confirmation test is needed. “All HIV tests must be confirmed. The worry with self-testing is that it’s not al-ways possible to confirm the results. Some people may not be able to afford to buy a second kit to confirm their results.”
However, the medical head of an HIV and AIDS organisation in KwaZulu-Natal has said home testing will help fight the
spread of HIV in South Africa where, ac-cording to researchers, less than 25 percent of adults have been tested and only one in ten people needing treatment are receiv-ing it.
Dr. Krista Dong of iTeach—which is overseeing a rapid HIV testing pilot pro-gramme in the Umgungundlovu district of Pietermaritzburg under the guidance of the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s bioethics committee—maintained that it is possible for people to be home-tested and still re-ceive adequate counselling.
“A free HIV self-test, similar to a home pregnancy test, supported by counsellors accessible by cell phone, will empower patients to test in private when they are ready,” she said.
Photos by Jane Cave, office volunteer and photographer
March 31 - April 13, 2010StreetSense.org 9
I stumble onto this train;the stench of yesterday follows me.I am tired and struggling.
Every eye in the car shifts towards me with a judging glance.I carry bags filled with my hopes and dreams of yesteryear dreams that never came true because life's wrath intervened,forcing me out of my apartment and into the bitter cold
where I now live alone,
not only by myself but away from the grasp of humanity.
Because few take the time to actually see me,I set up shop to live outside even in the coldest seasons.
My skin, filled with many cuts and lesions,exposes my flesh in its truest fashion
and takes away most of life's satisfaction.
Now people stare at me,causing the pink, black and blue scars to show.My shoes lean from the weight of the stares coming from my fellow peers.Is it pity, sorrow or disgust?
Maybe all three, but I digress.Who really knows?They just look at me and see a societal failure
in a crowd of winners.
And while they're on this train going home to perfectly cooked dinners,
I sit trying to find a way out of this winter
where the snow has piled up and forced me on this trainthat is starting to grow colder than the streets
by the minute.
Train Ride By Joaquin M. Turley, Jr.
Photos by Jane Cave, office volunteer and photographer
March 31 - April 13, 2010 StreetSense.org
The restaurant offers a wide variety of burgers in a sporty atmosphere
10
William G. Morgan1.
James Weldon Johnson2.
William F. Lamb3.
Jean Baptiste Pointe Du Sable4.
Shigeru Miyamoto5.
I invented volleyballA.
I was the founder of the city of Chicago B.
I designed the Empire State Building C.
I wrote the lyrics to “Lift Every Voice and Sing”D.
I designed the popular video games Super Mario E.
Bros. and The Legend of Zelda
By Patricia Jefferson, former ven-dor
It wasn’t the green awning and
patio seating, but the picture of the huge hamburger covering the win-dow next to the entrance that drew me in.
I saw the menu with the differ-ent fixings for the burgers. They are called the “Mighty Thirteen Burgers of Character.” The Greene Turtle of-fers these unique burgers with their own names and toppings to match.
This sports bar and grille originat-ed in Ocean City, Md., in 1976. The D.C. location opened in the spring of 2007, next to the Verizon Center. There are several locations in other cities as well.
The place is spacious, dimly lit and sports-oriented. Jerseys and pic-tures of our favorite players are hung on the walls. There are plenty of tele-vision sets (including in the booths)
for watching games. In addition, the waiters are welcoming.
You will want to return, especially after trying their thick and juicy burgers. I have tried and enjoyed all 13. The sauces are flavorful and memorable. My favorite is the tangy “Californian, Dude” with bacon, melted cheese and avocado sauce.
The “Big Turkey” is a delight. The “Black-n-Bleu” and the “Cowboy” are wonderfully spicy. The “Big Ka-huna” is sweet and will keep your taste buds bursting.
Located at 601 F Street North-west (202-637-8889), the hours are from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. In ad-dition to burgers, the restaurant of-fers chicken wings (which come with several mouth-watering sauces), piz-zas and a variety of sandwiches that will brighten your day as you watch your favorite sport.
And, of course, there is a bar to get you in the right spirit.
R E V I E W
The Greene Turtle Adds Pizzazz to Hamburgers
A’s W
ord
Match
By Patrick Azarius
Match the innovator with their product!
4 1 5 1
6 4
7 5 3 8
6 3 9 4
7 2 2 9
2 8 3 7
8 5 3 2
5 9 6
3 7 4
Street SudokuBy David Rubin
This week’s answers
934168275
856972134
271453896
683729541
745316982
129845367
468531729
597284613
312697458
March 31 - April 13, 2010StreetSense.org 11
4 1 5 1
6 4
7 5 3 8
6 3 9 4
7 2 2 9
2 8 3 7
8 5 3 2
5 9 6
3 7 4
Will Write For Food: Writer’s Groupmeets every Wednesday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Street Sense office.
The Writer's Group needs laptops; email: [email protected] if you can help
Reggie’s Reflections- Offer Accepted!By Reginald Black
PRODUCTION, HOSTING, LAYOUT AND SUPPORT: Patty Smith, Reginald Black
April Fools Day
Derieved from BBC WWII archives where we can all play a fool about April fool day.The landlady was a Nazi spy defying Sir Francis Bacon famous statement,'Information is power'.In this case,'Mis-information is power!'.Characters are welcomed the lead role defined by Chris Foulkes,an engineer.
David volunteers and is working on his own novel. Contact: [email protected].
I pity the fool of fools. They perch on garbage cans like pigeon stools.
Sitting around with nothing to do.
Who Who are you? The fools cry. '' Look at us we work.'' The people reply.
And in the blink of an eye, it all changed. Now those fools I pity are standing in the rain.
'' Look at those fools playing in the rain.'' That's what I heard the people saying.
Little do they know, I am scheming something in my brain. In a bed one of
these fools will not be laying.
Breaking, breaking down the street. There is a shelter bus I got to meet.
Or I will end up like that April fool, who played so long they missed their chance for a bed to sleep.
I was forced to leave the hood. My hideout was locked and I couldn’t access the apartment. The whole day I was worked dreading the end of the day, but soon it was time to close. As I waited for the area to die down, a friend came by. His offer sounded reasonable, but what would his spouse say? He told me she would understand, and that they had helped another. As we departed I couldn’t help feeling nervous. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was still hopeful. We arrived and they talked it over. She agreed and I began to unpack. Finally, I thought. '' I have a roof again.'' Would this last I wondered, and if so, how long would I have the option of this place being my home? But most of all I knew for one night I had a home.
Reggie hosts The Writer's Group Meetings. Contact: [email protected].
The Fool of Foolsby Reginald Black
APRIL WHO IS REALLY THE FOOL. COULD IT BE THE BUD OF THE FLOWER THAT BLOOM TO SOON, ONLY T0O HAVE COLD APRIL WINDS
BLOW IT AWAY. IF ONLY IT HAD BLOOMED ANOTHER DAY. COULD IT BE THE FOOL WHO THINKS HE CAN CHANGE, GOD
CALENDER DAYS, HIS TIME WILL COME ANYWAY. COULD THE FOOL BE THE FARMER WHO PLANTED HIS CROPS TO
SOON, ONLY TO HAVE HIS CROPS LOST TO RUIN. MAYBE THE FOOL IS THE MAN WHO TOLD ME THAT LIE. THAT WAS THE
DAY HE SAID MARVIN GAYE DIED.COULD THE FOOL BE THE MAN WHO THOUGHT HE KNEW THE DAY
THAT CRHIST WILL RETURN TO YOU. DON’T BE FOOLED BY WHAT PEOPLE SAY, MAKING FOOLS OUT OF US
THAT IS THE DEVIL’S WAY. COULD THE APRIL FOOLS BE KIDS GROWING UP TO SOON? NOT
GOING TO SCHOOL IN APRIL. SPRING THE GOOD DAYS APRIL BRINGS!
NEVER TO LEARN THE LORD'S GOLDEN RULES, DON'T LET APRIL MAKE FOOLS OUT OF YOU.
Robert is a member of The People for Fairness Coalition. Contact: [email protected].
The new building,on fire,
Everyone is running,no tire,
Exterminator is coming,on hire,
Fooled by alarming,no mire,
Plan of waking,on wire.
David volunteers and is working on his own novel. Contact: [email protected].
APRIL WHO IS REALLY THE FOOL
by Robert Warren
BUGS OR FIREby David Rubin
MIS-INFORMATION IS POWERby David Rubin
While the first of April is all about fun and jokes, we hope that you understand that what makes
you laugh, can also make you cry.
March 31 - April 13, 2010 StreetSense.org
By Maria Stoyadinova, editorial volunteer
The room was quiet—the quiet that precedes a public event. The lull did not last long. While the audience waited for the arrival of speakers from the Community Defender Division of the Public Defender Service, Eric Sheptock, an event coordinator for the Franklin Shelter Street Law Series, invited them to share any personal concerns regarding the ex-pungement (permanent removal) of criminal records. And that’s when the quiet ended.
In Washington, D.C., and across the country, people with criminal records are often denied employment, making it difficult for them to begin a new life. A criminal record can include records of arrests that did not result in convictions. One person shared that his record of an offense committed more than 40 years ago still haunted him.
The overarching theme emerging from every corner of the audito-rium was exasperation with a law that stamps people with the label “criminal” and does not allow them to erase that label for the rest of their lives. The inability to expunge past offenses was said to be another contributor to the “mental illness of poverty,” in which people deprived of the chance to start over become trapped in perpetual deprivation. Some said this poverty trap could be forcing many to return to crime, creating a vicious cycle. Others referred to the criminal records conun-drum as a problem that transforms the homeless shelter into an exten-sion of prison—a place where you are ultimately trapped, this time not by bars and guards, but by a label. Still others dubbed it the new wave of discrimination holding back people and communities.
When the Public Defender Service speakers arrived, the discussion shifted to the D.C. law that permits some criminal records to be sealed, meaning that private (but not government) employers are prevented from accessing them. However, the Record Sealing Act can only be ap-plied to people who were found innocent, people who have not had a felony conviction (except for a Ball Reform Act felony), people who have never committed a misdemeanor classified as ineligible and people who do not currently have a pending case (unless it is for a minor offense).
The personal accounts of many audience members seemed to sug-gest the Act would not apply to most with criminal records. Some told stories of legal complexities and numerous procedural hurdles they faced when trying to have their records sealed, claiming that even if you are among the small number who qualify, you may still have a long battle ahead of you. The chances of having a record expunged might be even slimmer.
Another legal development discussed at the event was a pending bill that would not allow employers to discriminate against a candidate based on his or her criminal record until after a job offer is made (at which point they could still choose to dismiss the candidate), unless the offense or arrest is directly related to the job in question. Many thought such a law would be a step in the right direction, as it would allow people to represent themselves based on their current skills and aspirations, rather than on their past activities (at least during the in-terview and application process).
The speakers also educated the audience about housing assistance, mentoring, job training and other services the Public Defender Service provides to people struggling to re-enter the workforce. As many said throughout the afternoon, someone who has already paid their debt to society should not repeatedly get penalized for the same mistake their whole lives. Everyone deserves a chance to develop their true po-tential, and we should ensure that the law provides people with that opportunity.
12
By Bryan Yannantuono, editorial volunteer
It is only fitting that an organization called Food Not Bombs has its D.C. headquarters in the shadow of a military installation-turned-entertainment complex. Founded in 1980 to protest the rising vio-lence and militarization of society, Food Not Bombs chapters now span the globe, feeding vegetarian and vegan meals to the homeless and hungry.
Their unifying belief is that society promotes bru-tality far more than it promotes compassion. From the media’s obsession with violence to the billions of taxpayer dollars spent on military equipment, the group believes that society is plagued with death all around. Noting that millions of people starve every day even though enough food exists to feed them, Food Not Bombs rejects the status quo for practical idealism.
With chapters in more than 1,000 cities world-wide, the D.C. chapter had previously been dormant when a couple of friends kick-started it again in July 2009. Like other chapters, all members are volun-teers and the group is leaderless. Members are free to come and go as they please with no strict commit-ment. As one member, Kennedy Nadler, describes it, Food Not Bombs is an “anarchist picnic.”
Most people are not aware of the tremendous amounts of food thrown out every year, fewer still that a group like Food Not Bombs exists to reclaim it. Having recently moved to the District, I have found the waste painfully obvious. That said, I was pleased to help put a stop to this madness by pre-paring, distributing and later eating some of the District’s squandered sustenance.
In the spirit of activism and waste reclamation, chapters typically do not buy the meals that they prepare. Instead, they collect from donations or dumpster-dive. Yes, much has been salvaged from the trash, a testament to industrial waste. And I dare you to find more satisfying food in the city.
One day we ate banana bread, salad, Italian bread, roasted bell pepper stew, fresh hummus, ap-ple sauce and fruit salad. Another time we had veg-etarian chili, fried rice with garbanzo beans and a
rich, hearty stew of potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and broccoli.
Food is for all who pass by, and a number of the city’s homeless population takes advantage of it. Reveling at the genuine generosity and respect for the community, a friend of mine said, “Instead of having a clear line between the giver and the receiv-er, everyone felt equal and welcome.”
Though I’ve only just started to volunteer my time with Food Not Bombs, I already feel a strong sense of camaraderie with the people I have met: nonprofit workers, local students and even a high school teacher. Just recently, a dozen students from Colorado State University offered their time as part of their Alternative Spring Break, which focused on homelessness in America. And that doesn’t even be-gin to cover the homeless.
In short, Food Not Bombs is about extravagance without waste. It is about recycling waste into pro-ductivity. It is about rebelling against the status quo. And it is about having fun.
Food Not Bombs prepares meals every Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at 1834 A St. S.E., directly across from the Stadium-Armory Metro Station. The group then convenes at the fountain at Dupont Circle around 4 p.m. to pass out food. All are welcome.
Criminal Records a Large Roadblock for the Homeless Community
Food From Trash at the ‘Anarchist Picnic’
Members of the D.C. chapter feast on scavenged food.
PHOT
O CR
EDIT
March 31 - April 13, 2010StreetSense.org 13
Now, That’s ReformBy Maurice King, editorial volun-
teer
After 100 years of trying to imple-ment health care reform, finally HR 3590 has become a reality and has heralded in a new era in the United States. It was the topic of discussion in the government and the media for over a year before its passage. Some unrest over the bill still exists in the Republican Party, which op-posed the bill from the outset, and John McCain said that the Repub-licans will repeal the bill. For now, however, the bill is law.
Some people have already said they are glad the struggle is over so that it will be possible to discuss something else for a change. Many people express doubt as to what
impact the bill will practically have. The only real way
to know what the bill means is to
r e a d i t , a n d that is quite an undertak-ing: its 10,909 sections span
o v e r t h o u -sands of pages.
The bill does not currently provide for
a public option, which is a disappointment to many. The bill specifies that purchasing health insurance is mandatory, but for persons who cannot afford the in-surance, subsidies will be available. At least that is what the summary of the bill seems to imply, but my ex-perience has been that some people always fall between the cracks, so I have a “wait and see” status. I would
like to see that everyone will have health-care, so I am hoping to see an improvement.
Enough nay-saying went on dur-ing the bill’s history. The Republican Party remained unswerving in its opposition to the bill throughout. We heard talk of the United States becoming a socialist nation because of the health-care bill, although I felt that such talk bordered on hysteria. The bill did not provide for a single-payer health-care system similar to the systems in European countries; it empowered insurance companies by requiring everyone to have health insurance. My own sentiments were for a single-payer system, as I lived with such a system for 22 years while living abroad and had no problem with it, but detractors tried to say that such a system would lead to rationing of care and, as Sarah Palin herself put it, “death panels”. I fail to see how these ideas did not apply to the existing broken system; insur-ance companies also deny coverage and drop persons from coverage as they see fit.
I truly would like to believe that the passage of this bill will improve health care in the United States. The status quo was untenable and demanded change long before now. The bill is law now, and the talk of a socialist state resulting from the bill’s passage has proven to be so much hot air. Some dissent still ex-ists; I wonder if that will intensify or dissipate with time. The real test will be in the implementation of the bill, and it is too early to judge that. I am hoping for the best; it’s the only sen-sible way to be.
By Joaquin M. Turley, Jr., editorial volunteer
The debate on health-care is cur-rently raging. Millions of people are getting sick every day and they don’t have enough money to afford it. These people fall victim to the big insurance companies, while the companies get rich off the people’s unfortunate circumstances. The field has continuously shown no compassion when it comes to pro-viding affordable health care. Some-thing as imperative and necessary as health insurance should have been fixed decades ago, but now there is finally a plan to help people.
As we all know President Barack Obama has been pushing and push-ing for a type of universal health care reform, where everyone will be able to have health insurance. This idea is extremely revolutionary in a time where a recession is in full effect and lower income families have to choose which necessities of life are more important than others. This bill will help their dilemma because it gives people the option of not only choosing their health insurance, but also deciding how much they want to pay to gain that insurance.
Why the GOP has been fighting Obama every step of the way has baffled me. This type of resistance to a plan that is going to help millions of uninsured Americans is telling of the GOP mindset.
Their mindset is selfish, as they would like to see the rich get richer and the poor become only poorer. I am speaking of their actions as a whole. They have done nothing but try to block or distract the President in order to delay the vote; they have become the party of “No.” Obama even had to delay trips to Indonesia and Australia, where he would work to improve relations, in order to stay in Washington and push through the bill.
It is sad that Obama has had to deal with such bitter partisanship in his tenure as president. My question to you as a reader is why? Is the pub-lic missing the underlying message that the Republican Party is sending with their actions? Perhaps Obama is actually trying to help Americans without a hidden agenda of his own. Republicans say they support
health-care, though not this bill. Why is it then that they did not do anything while Bush was in power for eight years?
People need the government, but the government also needs the people. So it is almost safe to say the government could possibly be rigged in such a way that people will always need to run to this institution for help. Obama’s plan is liberating the public to a degree. This plan will give people the freedom to choose their insurance instead of being locked into a situation where they deal with an insurance company that will raise premiums to an impossible height. In addition, now Americans do not have to worry about being dropped from their insurance because they have preexisting conditions.
We all understand the plan to end the strife regard-ing health-care is not perfect (nothing is) but it is defi-nitely a step in the right direc-t ion. What is Obama as the President of the United States of America supposed to do? Sit around as some other presidents have done and watch people live their lives hanging by a string called hope? No! A president should be a fearless leader willing to go the extra mile for the people that put him in his position. In my view this is what we finally have. We have a president willing to work in the people’s favor, who is willing to put his reputation on the line to fight for something he believes in. He has endured bitter criticism and spent countless hours over the past year debating health care, though his determination and vision has finally brought hope for the American people.
It is about time someone in the political arena fulfills their campaign promises. It’s about time someone in a powerful position really cared about what is happening in America instead of unwinding at his private ranch when disasters occur.
Maybe this is the beginning of a great change in the faulty govern-mental thinking that has plagued America for far too long.
Mending the System
Making Sense of the Health Care Bill
Health Care & the Homeless
O v e r a thousand sections and five binders o f h e a l t h care legisla-tion make up the new bill.
March 31 - April 13, 2010 StreetSense.org 14
There are many ways to catch fish. There are all kinds of theories discussing what works best. Some prefer lures, others prefer jigs. Outdoor vending is a lot like fishing; you need skill, technique and experience. The more you cast your line the more skillful you become.
The best fishermen become aware of their surroundings. They are passionate and strive to become better fishermen. They know the environment, what lures to use and how to catch trophy fish.
Sales are no different, if you really want to move mer-chandise and get your product flying of the
shelf.These are some sales tips I learned sell-
ing papers;Recreational fishing is fun, commercial
fishing is work. To sell many papers you have to radiate enthusiasm. Show inter-est and joy. When you show a passion for what you do it becomes contagious and draws people to you. When you look sad, desperate and only out there to make money, you should consider finding an-other path. Selling Street Sense newspa-pers helps people become aware of the
homeless situation. Happy people are buying people. When there is lots of
laughter and happiness, this is a good place to set your bag down and cast your line. People are not in a hurry and are in the mood to hear what you have to say. I learned a few positive words can turn a frown into a smile. Be pleasant and approachable and say “good morning.” This can result in a lifelong customer. When the crowd is smiling, there will be buying.
Find which lures will work. There are some days when you can’t sell enough papers; there are some days you have to grind it out. Try many lures like a nice outfit, or a perfor-mance, such as a jingle or a poem. When all else fails, signs and poems usually do the trick. It is also important to be versatile and adapt to the trends of the crowd; this makes selling papers fun and entertaining.
Fishing the current to sell papers—timing is everything. Knowing what times to sell is knowing the tides. The morn-ing crowd: People are on their way to work. Depending on the weather, their mood will be different. If it is raining, they will most likely be grumpy. To get morning sales you usu-ally have to get people out of their lethargic state. Subtlety works better to convince someone to buy papers.
The afternoon crowd: Sales get a little easier during this time of day, as people are in a better mood. Many are having lunch, and will buy the paper after they are done eating.
The evening rush: This is my favorite time. People are on their way home, and want something to read. This is the best time to find customers. I sometimes arrive early for the evening rush and wait for the high tide. Five o’clock to seven o’ clock is a great time to sell. Fridays are a great time to sell; Mondays and Tuesdays are usually much harder.
Finding where to fish: You can’t make sales, if you don’t know what you are looking for. I look for corners where there are traffic stops, where people cannot pass too quickly. Look for hot dog stands, grocery stores, drug stores, book-stores, and places where musicians are playing.
Last but not least: It is not the paper, it is the person be-hind the paper. People come up to me all the time and ask what areas I go to. I learned it doesn’t matter; if you are friendly and approachable, you will sell papers.
By Kenneth Belkosky, Vendor 225 I know I’ve written many times about the Pay It
Forward Project, which works around the world and here in the U.S. On the weekend of March 13, I had fun working at a book fair. That Sunday, I worked with Wendy Farrell, one of the founders of the PIFP.
The two of us and another volunteer passed out pil-lows to homeless individuals around Union Station. Then we went to the shelter at 2nd and D Street to pass out more items to homeless people.
The PIFP still needs help with what they do. Right now they have a fundraiser selling bracelets for $2 each.
You can order them by calling Wendy Farrell at 703-627-6377 or Denise Bobba at 703-405-5795. You can send a check or money order, with a letter stating how many you want, to Pay It Forward, P.O. Box 903, Ash-burn, VA 20146. They would love to have your help.
Ken’s Take on The Pay it Foward Project
Ken and project members handed out pillows and other items at Union Station
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OS b
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Fishing for SalesBy Jeffrey McNeil
March 31 - April 13, 2010StreetSense.org WASHINGTON, D.C.SHELTERCalvary Women’s Services110 Maryland Ave, NE (202) 289-0596 (office)(202) 289-2111 (shelter)www.calvaryservices.org
Central Union Mission (Men)1350 R Street, NW(202) 745–7118www.missiondc.org
CCNV (Men and Women)425 2nd Street, NW(202) 393–1909users.erols.com/ccnv/
Community of Hope (Family)1413 Girard Street, NW(202) 232–7356www.communityofhopedc.org
Covenant House Washington (Youth)2001 Mississippi Ave SE(202) 610–9600www.covenanthousedc.orgHousing, education, job prep
John Young Center (Women)119 D Street, NW(202) 639–8469www.catholiccharitiesdc.org
My Sister’s PlacePO Box 29596Washington, DC 20017office (202) 529-526124-hour hotline (202)-529-5991shelter and other services for domestic violence victims
N Street Village (Women)1333 N Street, NW(202) 939–2060www.nstreetvillage.org
801 East, St. Elizabeths Hospital (Men)2700 MLK Avenue, SE (202) 561–4014
New York Ave Shelter (Men 18+)1355–57 New York Avenue, NE(202) 832–2359
Open Door Shelter (Women)425 Mitch Snyder Place, NW(202) 639–8093
FOODCharlie’s Place 1830 Connecticut Avenue, NW (202) 232–3066 www.stmargaretsdc.org/char-liesplace
Church of the Pilgrims (Sundays only)2201 P Street, NW(202) 387–6612www.churchofthepilgrims.org
Thrive DC (breakfast Mon-Fri, 9:30-11, all welcome/dinner for women and children, Mon-Fri, 3-6 pm)1525 Newton Street, NW(202) 737–9311www.thrivedc.org
Food and Friends219 Riggs Road, NE(202) 269–2277www.foodandfriends.org
Miriam’s Kitchen2401 Virginia Avenue, NW(202) 452–8089www.miriamskitchen.org
The Welcome TableChurch of the Epiphany1317 G Street, NW(202) 347–2635http://www.epiphanydc.org/ministry/welcometbl.htm MEDICAL RESOURCESChrist House 1717 Columbia Road, NW(202) 328–1100www.christhouse.org
Unity Health Care, Inc.3020 14th Street, NW(202) 745–4300www.unityhealthcare.org
Whitman–Walker Clinic1407 S Street, NW(202) 797–3500; www.wwc.org
OUTREACH CENTERSBread for the City1525 Seventh Street, NW (202) 265–2400 AND1640 Good Hope Road, SE(202) 561–8587www.breadforthecity.orgfood pantry, clothing, legal and social services, medical clinic
Community Council for the Homelessat Friendship Place4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW(202) 364–1419; www.cchfp.org housing, medical and psych care, substance abuse and job coun-seling
Bethany Women’s Center1333 N Street, NW(202) 939–2060http://www.nstreetvillage.orgmeals, hygiene, laundry, social activities, substance abuse treat-ment
Father McKenna Center19 Eye Street, NW(202) 842–1112
Green Door(202) 464–92001221 Taylor Street NWwww.greendoor.org
housing, job training, supportive mental health services
Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless600–B East Gude Drive,Rockville(301) 217–0314; www.mcch.net emergency shelter, transitional housing, and supportive servicesVIRGINIASHELTERAlexandria Community Shelter2355 B-Mill Road, Alexandria(703) 838–4239
Carpenter’s Shelter930 N. Henry Street, Alexandria(703) 548–7500www.carpentersshelter.org
The Arlington–Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless3103 9th Road, North, Arlington(703) 525–7177www.aachhomeless.org
FOODALIVE!, Inc.2723 King Street, Alexandria(703) 836–2723www.alive–inc.org
Our Daily Bread10777 Main Street #320, Fairfax(703) 273–8829www.our–daily–bread.org
MEDICAL RESOURCESArlington Free Clinic3833 N Fairfax Drive, #400, Arlington(703) 979–1400www.arlingtonfreeclinic.org
ADDITIONAL RESOURCESAbundant Life Christian Out-reach,5154 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria(703) 823–4100www.anchor–of–hope.netfood, clothing, youth develop-ment, and medicines
David’s Place Day Shelter930 North Henry Street, Alexandria(703) 548–7500www.carpentersshelter.orglaundry, shower, workshops, hy-pothermia shelter
Shelter Hotline: 1–800–
535–7252
15
March 31 - April 13, 2010 StreetSense.org
By Sonja Doty, editorial intern
Gwyn Smith was born in 1945 in Salisbury, North Carolina. Smith has been homeless in California, Massachusetts and D.C. She recently found an apartment to live in, but says it’s hard with the high rents.
Expecting to find a job and get her own place, Gwyn volunteered to leave her house after her mother died to allow for her sister’s family to move in. She lived on the streets and soon began drinking and experiment-ing with drugs.
Gwyn has been clean for 17 years. “I went through a lot of counseling and
am quite proud,” she said.In Delaware, she worked as a substitute
teacher in the ‘90s. Recently, she worked with homeless people in a shelter in D.C. She broke her ankle, and hence had to stop working. She hopes that her ankle will heal within the month, so she can get another job, whilst still selling papers part time.
Gwyn also writes poetry and hopes to contribute to Street Sense. She sells papers in the Northwest sector, near L Street.
“It’s supportive, nice, friendly. It’s nice to have a job again,” she said about working
at Street Sense. Gwyn shared with us some of her
favorites. Favorite movie: The Bourne series with
Matt Damon. Favorite food: Homemade corn muffins Favorite music: R. Kelly
Unpaid and working hard
By Sonja Doty, editorial intern
Interning at Street Sense has its shares of ups and downs. I’ve learned more about the homeless community, politics, service providers and human dignity than I have in my whole life. On the other hand, it can be chaotic and hard-fought. Sometimes the greatest deterrent is being unpaid.
I never really considered myself poor or financially lower-class. We never went hungry in my house, and there was never a real choice between doing one thing or another.
It was only when I went to college that I had a real sense of making tough finan-cial choices. Especially in registration and exam time, the added stress of making payments and taking out loans made me fear ever talking to my father about money because it would stress him out. The excitement of starting or finishing the semester was almost constantly dampened by the knowledge that debt was accumulating beyond control.
When I attended Campus Progress’s panel on financing internships for low-income college students, I went in there looking for a story. I came out feeling hopeful, and more than a little invested in the topic. As I said above, Street Sense has been a wonderful experience, but I came close to never experiencing it be-cause it wasn’t paid.
My semester-long program is half-internship, half-classe and I have a paid-for apartment, but transportation, school materials and food are all on my own bud-get. I have a $40-a-week income from cleaning a house, which I thought would be enough.
What’s striking about this is, as the panel brought up, the slanting allows for high-income students to get into the avenues of power, thus marginalizing those of different backgrounds and perspectives. Low-income students are prevented from rising in influence—and the low-income community suffers from it.
I’m from the middle-class, and the growth that Street Sense has given me re-garding the lower-class only emphasizes how much more could be done, how much more those of lower-income have to say. Internships are great things, so let the great things be shared with those who have the potential to do something innovative with them.
March 31 - April 13, 2010 • Volume 7 • Issue 11
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