Hoops for the Homeless is a ce-lebrity-studded day of basketball at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington, sponsored annually by mortgage giant Freddie Mac. The event benefits area organizations helping homeless families, and this year it brought in $600,000. Hoops for the Homeless provides all the short, sharp action you expect in basketball. But the story below, from longtime Street Sense vendor Brenda Karyl-Lee Wilson, shows what it can take to get out of homelessness: the patience and staying power of a marathon runner. This is the story of Mark and his young son Sammy – just one of the homeless families who inspire the team effort that is “Hoops for the Homeless.”

By Brenda Karyl-Lee Wilson

Exiting the Metro in China-town, I headed towards a sign saying “Elevator to

Street,” and I heard someone say “Is that the exit to the Hoops for the Homeless event?” I’d never used that exit before but I assured him it was. Again he spoke: “Do you have a ticket?”

I thought this was a hustle, but he surprised me by offering a ticket. And when two other people joined us in the elevator, he generously handed over one of the four he had in his hand.

I was curious to know who the

By Lisa Gillespie

Chyanne Henley, eight, belts out “what a wonderful life,” for the audience of her younger sister and mother, Marquietta. Later that day, The Convoy of Hope, a nonprofit outreach program, will give Mar-quietta three bags of groceries, enabling her to answer the weekly question of where dinner will come from.

Single mother Henley, 32, has come to the Convoy of Hope to give her children not only food for the week, but a day of family bond-ing which does not happen often because she works full-time while taking online classes at Strayer University.

“The groceries are a huge rea-

son I came here, I am the work-ing poor,” said Henley, who lives in Park Morton Public Housing. “I don’t get a lot of assistance because

I work so much and make a little money, but it all goes to bills, food,

Street Sense writers’ group page gets a new look, reports on transportation, page 13

Sept. 17 – Sept. 30, 2008 • Volume 5, Issue 23

$1.00SuggestedDonation

www.streetsense.org

Photo by LIsa V. G

ILLesPIe/street sense

See Convoy, page 5

Editorial

loCal NEWSinside FranklinAn anonymous reader gives us a peek into Franklin School Shelter, page 7

PoEtrYEndless dreamStreet Sense vendor Reginald Black shows us the darkness he sees, page 9

EditorialWatered down ExpectationsStreet Sense vendor Jeffery McNeil shares his thoughts about Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, page 12

iN otHEr NEWSHomelessness on the rise in australiaRead news from around the nation and the world about homelessness and poverty. page 6

FiCtioNtanner the lawyerMeet a man with a secret in Ivory Wilson’s latest story, page 10 Franklin shelter resident theodore Wooley, 46, celebrates receiving an apartment key through the city’s permanent sup-

portive housing program. he is one of 55 Franklin men recently relocated through the program.

Inside This Issue

By Mary Otto and Lisa Gillespie

The D.C. City Council has passed emergency legislation, stalling a plan by Mayor Adrian Fenty to close the Franklin School Shelter on Oct 1.

In action Sept. 16, the Council required Fenty to show that 300 homeless men have been placed in permanent housing and that the city has adequate replacement shel-ter space for the coming winter.

“We feel strongly that people have to actually have a place to live before we close the doors” said Council Chair Vincent Gray. “You cannot close the shelter until we know the names and addresses of 300 men who are being placed in permanent supportive housing.”

The Mayor did not respond to a request for comment.

The action followed days of ral-lies protesting the closure of the

Council Saves Shelter

Helping Hoops

See Hoops, page 10

See Franklin, page 4

Blocks Mayor’s

Plan

Convoy of Hope Delivers More Than Food

ronecqua smith, 16, receives a free manicure as a part of the Convoy of hope.

NEWS

Will

Write

for

food

Street Sense . September 17 – September 30, 20082 all aboUt US

The Story of Street Sense

We are proud members of:

north american street newspaper association

International network of street Papers

WaNNa HElP? If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, or have a great article or feature idea, please contact us at 202-347-2006 or e-mail editor@streetsense.org

If you are interested in becoming a vendor, contact Laura at the same number or come to a vendor training session on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2 p.m. at our office (1317 G Street, NW - near Metro Center).

Street Sense began in August 2003 after two volunteers, Laura Thomp-son Osuri and Ted Henson, ap-proached the National Coalition for the Homeless on separate occasions about starting a street newspaper in Washington, D.C.

A street paper is defined as a news-paper about poverty, homelessness and other social issues that provides an income to the homeless individu-als who sell it. About 25 street papers operate in the United States and Can-ada 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 consistently on a monthly basis and greatly expanded its circulation and vendor network.

For the first year, Street Sense op-erated as a project of the National Coalition for the Homeless, but in October 2004, the organization in-corporated and moved into its own office space. In March 2005, Street Sense received 501(c)3 status, be-coming an independent nonprofit organization.

In October 2005, Street Sense formed a board of directors, and in November, the organization hired its first employee, a full-time executive director. A year later, in November 2006, the organization hired its first vendor co-ordinator. In February 2007, the paper started publishing twice a month as the net-work of vendors expanded to more than 50 homeless men and women. To support the increased production, Street Sense brought on its first full-time editor in chief in April 2007.

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.

Our Editorial PolicyEditorials and features in Street Sense reflect the perspectives of the authors. We invite the submission of news, opinion, fiction

and poetry, hoping to create a means in which a multitude of perspectives on poverty and homelessness can find

expression. Street Sense reserves the right to edit any material.

Street SenseVendor Code of Conduct

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 vendors – 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. There are no territories among vendors. I will respect the space of other vendors, particularly the space of vendors who have been at a spot longer.

9. 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 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.

1317 G Street, NWWashington, DC 20005Phone: (202) 347-2006Fax: (202) 347-2166info@streetsense.orgwww.streetsense.org

board oF dirECtorSJames DavisKristal DeKleerRobert EggerTed HensonMary Lynn JonesBarbara KaganSommer MathisBrad ScriberJohn SnellgroveMichael StoopsFrancine TriplettDavid WalkerKathy Whelpley

EXECUtivE dirECtorLaura Thompson Osuri

Editor iN CHiEFMary Otto

aSSoCiatE EditorDavid S. Hammond (volunteer)

volUNtEErSMatt Allee, Robert Basler, Robert Blair, Cliff Carle, Jane Cave, Jason Corum, Rebecca Curry, Rick Dahnke, Ben Edwards, Jessia Gaitan, Joshua Gardner, Genevieve Gill, Cassandra Good, Joanne Goodwin, Roberta Haber, Carol Hannaford, Justin Herman, Annie Hill, Dan Horner, Phillip Hoying, Aimee Hyzy, Alicia Jones, Mary Lynn Jones, Mau-rice King, Geof Koss, Jessica LaGarde, Jeff Lambert, Karin Lee, Matthew S. Lee, Brenda K. Lee-Wilson, Claire Markgraf, Sam McCormally, Kent Mitchell, Kim O’Connor, Gabriel Okolski, Robert Orifici, Swinitha Osuri, Jon Pattee, Brittany Pope, Derek Schlickeisen, Cara Schmidt, Jamie Schuman, Dan Seligson, Kathryn Taylor, Matthew Taylor, Robert Trautman, Francine Triplett, Eugene Versluysen, Jerry W., Linda Wang, Denise Wilkins, Marian Wise-man, Corrine Yu

vENdorSWillie Alexander, Michael Anderson, Orin Andrus, Katrina Angie, Jake Ashford, Lawrence Autry, Tommy Bennett, Reginald Black, Corey Bridges, Bobby Buggs, Cliff Carle, Conrad Cheek Jr., Walter Crawley, Louise Davenport, James Davis, Bernard Dean, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Randy Evans, Tanya Franklin, Barron Hall, David Harris, John Harrison, Patricia Henry, Phillip Howard, Jo Ann Jackson, Michael Jefferson, Patricia Jefferson, Carlton Johnson, Jewell Johnson, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, Brenda Karyl Lee-Wilson, Robert McCray, August Mallory, Charles Mayfield, Lee Mayse, Jennifer Mclaughlin, Jeffery McNeil, L. Morrow, Charles Nelson, Sammy Ngatiri, Moyo Onibuje, Therese Onyemenon, Thomas Queen, Kevin Robinson, Tyrone Rogers, Ed Ross, Gregory Rich, Dennis Rutledge, Gerald Smith, Patty Smith, Franklin Sterling, James Stewart, Gary Stoddard, Leroy Studevant, Archie Thomas, Ingrid Thomas, Eric Thompson, Francine Triplett, Carl Turner, Jerry W., Martin Walker, Mary Wanyama, Law-less Watson, Wendell Williams, Inell Wilson, Ivory Wilson, Tina Wright

Jennifer AlandyHellen Gelband

Kirk GraySeong Hee KimSharyn MeisterJennifer E. Park

Margarete RoeberLeah Shaw

Thomas Vail

thank You to our donors!

And a very special thanks to: Leroy Pingho

Greater Atlantic Corporation

Street Sense . September 17 – September 30, 2008 ProFilE 3

SErviCE ProFilE

By Denise Wilkins

Unless one considers loading bays and de-livery trucks emotionally appealing, scenes of the inner workings of the Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) do not readily pluck at the heartstrings – or the purse strings. So funding a new facility presented challenges, accord-ing to Chief Operating Officer Brian Smith.

“We’re not a friendly sound bite,” he said.Yet the work of CAFB is crucial. The bank

is part of a nationwide distribution chain ensuring that excess food – food that would otherwise go to waste – reaches needy indi-viduals and families in the D.C. area.

In 1980, CAFB distributed one million pounds of food. Today, it distributes more than 20 million pounds of food to 700 local agencies, which give it directly to individuals. As the nonprofit’s mission has expanded, of-ficials from the bank say the need for a new facility has increased. Plans to construct a new warehouse for the CAFB are well un-derway, paving the way for the organization’s growth and increased flexibility in serving the area’s supplemental food needs.

In 2005, CAFB management secured a new eight-acre property with an existing facility that is currently undergoing demolition and renovation. By early 2010, CAFB hopes to re-locate to the new 123,530-square foot facility that will better accommodate the communi-ty’s needs. Environmental remediation on the site was recently completed, and the project is awaiting permit approval to move forward with the next phases of construction.

To date CAFB has raised $29.2 million of the $36 million needed to complete the proj-ect. The organization is relying on fundrais-

ing and individual donors, who provide 32% of funding for regular programs, along with other mechanisms to finance the new facil-ity; another $7.5 million in funding may be available next fiscal year from the D.C. De-partment of Housing and Community De-velopment. Additionally, CAFB plans to sell its current space to raise money for the new warehouse.

The renovated facility will help CAFB to fulfill its mission in many ways, officials say. The larger facility will enable the food bank to accept bulk commodities. For example, donated beans are delivered in four-by-four-by-five-foot lined boxes. According to the Department of Health, CAFB needs a sterile room where these larger lots of food can be sorted into one-pound bags for giveaway.

The facility will also help the CAFB barter with the Maryland and central Virginia food banks. Frequently, Feeding America, the charitable group formerly known as Second Harvest, offers CAFB large lots of products with longer shelf lives. Proper storage means that the CAFB, at a future date, could trade these for the spices housed at the Maryland Food Bank in Baltimore, where the McCor-mick Company has a manufacturing plant. The same would be true for chicken products held at the Central Virginia Food Bank from Tyson Foods. This is especially important since regional food banks receive food from local manufacturers, which are sparse in the capital area.

In addition, the renovated facility will allow the food bank to accept last-minute donations of perishable foods. Produce wholesalers will offer a number of pallets of fruits or vegetables for immediate delivery,

produce that grocery store chains have re-fused because the fruit will spoil in one or two days. Proper refrigeration space will al-low the CAFB to accommodate these dona-tions.

In the new commercial kitchen, the CAFB, through its Kid’s Café program, can deliver heartier meals such as flash-frozen casseroles to organizations that provide supplemental meals to children but do not have the ability to prepare hot food.

With rising fuel, housing, and medical costs, the face of hunger is changing. The working poor and the elderly have joined the homeless in their struggles to feed them-selves. Today, it is not uncommon for ho-meowners to seek out supplemental food. Alluding to the high social costs of poverty, Smith asks what would happen “to our gov-ernment’s already overloaded social services were the CAFB or its partner organizations to disappear.”

The Ambassador Baptist Church in South-east D.C. is one such partner organization. Forty years ago, its founder, Roy Settles used his own money to deliver food in his tiny Volkswagen. Over time, as Roy Settles be-came the Reverend Settles, demand for food overwhelmed his ability to supply it. He turned to CAFB, which now delivers, on a weekly basis, eight pallets of food to accom-modate Ambassador Baptist’s 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week emergency food operation.

Another D.C. organization, So Others Might Eat (SOME), receives food from the CAFB to support its programs that feed fami-lies, children, the elderly and the homeless. According to Brian Bilenki, SOME’s monetary donations coordinator, new space “. . . will allow the food bank more freedom to receive large shipments and will enable them to in-crease their menu size.”

In addition to its vital efforts to redistrib-ute food, the CAFB, also takes a lead role in

empowering and educating 700 partner or-ganizations. They do so by offering life skills training and food stamp education, and by maintaining its Hunger Lifeline, a referral service linking those who need emergency help to the agencies best able to provide as-sistance.

To learn more about the Capital Area Food Bank, visitwww.capitalareafoodbank.org. The number for the Hunger Lifeline is (202) 639-9770. If you want to help CAFB more ef-ficiently meet the growing demand for food in our community, please consider donating your money, your time or your talents.

Capital Area Food Bank’s New Facility Serves Critical Role

Quick Facts

•32% of CAFB’s funding for regu-lar programs comes from individual donors.

•Another $7.5 million in funding for the new facility may be available in the next fiscal year from the D.C. Department of Housing and Commu-nity Development.

•The CAFB owns its current facil-ity and will sell it to help raise money for the new warehouse.

•Environmental remediation on the new site is nearly complete; per-mit approval is needed to proceed with the next phases of construc-tion.

•Parts of the new facility have been designed using “green” con-cepts through recycling parts of the demolished building, and use of landscaping techniques.

•BP Solar donated $1 million to be used for solar roof panels.

America’s excess food

Feeding America * US Dept. of Agriculture * Manufacturers * Local Food Drives

National Capital Area Food Bank

Maryland Food Bank

The Richmond Food Bank Society

So Others Might Eat Churches Martha’s Table

Individuals, Schools, Elderly programs

Formerly known as America’s Second Harvest

Do you have a

message you need

to get out? A cause,

service or event to

promote?

Contact us!

info@streetsense.org

Reasonable ad rates.Friendly service.

4 loCal NEWS Street Sense . September 17 – September 30, 2008

facility, located in an historic school building on prime downtown real estate at 13th and K streets NW.

A rally in front of City Hall on the morning of Sept. 16 drew a chanting crowd of about 100. Later, one of the leaders of the protests, homeless advocate and shelter resident Eric Sheptock, celebrated the 12-1 Council vote on the “Franklin Shelter Closing Require-ments Emergency Act of 2008.”

“I think we can actually win this thing,” Sheptock said. But he added that he and oth-er advocates were now shifting their focus to a Sept. 19 meeting of the City Council’s Com-mittee on Human Services. The committee is expected to continue to discuss the city’s winter plan for sheltering the homeless as well as Franklin Shelter.

The Oct. 1 closure of Franklin was part of a larger plan by Fenty to shift the city’s chronically homeless people from emergen-cy shelters to permanent supportive hous-ing. Nationwide, cities are following similar “Housing First” strategies to end homeless-ness by providing housing to indigent people and providing them with the social services, counseling, job training and health care they need to address the problems that may un-derlie their homelessness.

The Fenty Administration has committed to placing 400 of the city’s chronically home-less people in apartments this year. The ad-ministration’s permanent supportive housing plan also calls for the placement of 80 home-less families.

But at the Sept. 16 meeting, Council mem-bers said they wanted full assurance from the Fenty administration that homeless people, including the residents of Franklin Shelter, would be adequately housed and served in

the new program.“Are their social needs being met?” asked

councilmember Yvette Alexander. “I need to know more about the program.”

Franklin School Shelter has housed as many as 300 men. But as city officials have prepared to close the shelter, beds have been dismantled in recent days and men have been diverted to other shelters and housing. On the night of Sept. 15, Sheptock said, 176 men stayed in the shelter.

On Sept. 11, City housing officials made a whirlwind visit to the shelter and arranged for the placement of 55 men in permanent supportive housing.

Theodore Wooley, 46, was one of them. Leaning heavily on a cane, he limped out of the shelter that morn-ing with the key to an apartment of his own.

“My new address,” he said with a wide smile, displaying a slip of paper with a street number in Southeast Washington. “That’s me!” said Wooley, who has been homeless for more than a decade since suffering a crippling stroke, and lives with a host of serious medical conditions.

“It’s unbelievable. I think I’ll break down and cry.”

Inside the shelter, a crowd of other men sat shoulder to shoulder at long cafeteria tables, signing one-year leases. By the end of the day the men had gathered their trunks and duffle bags and prepared to board buses bound for apartments.

“We are literally matching people with apartments,” said city Department of Human Services Director Clarence Carter. “Housing is the first step for them to get control of their lives.”

The City’s plan calls for 400 more apart-ments for singles and 80 more for families to be provided in the coming year. As City of-ficials explain, human services case workers have been assigned to each participant to

provide the assis-tance that is needed f o r i n d e p e n d e n t living. Qualifying participants, cho-s e n f r o m a m o n g the city’s more than 6,000 homeless resi-dents, receive special supportive housing vouchers to help them pay for the apartments. They are expected to pay 30 percent of their income for rent.

For Pierre Alston, 51, left homeless and badly injured by a house fire, rent will

be about $100 a month, taken from his Social Security income. The new place is a bargain – and a chance at a new life, he says.

“This morning I woke up in here, shar-ing a place with 300 other men,” Alston said. But tomorrow morning “I will wake up in my place,” he added. “I just got a great deal.”

Some of the men who did not receive apartments worried about where they would stay. So did advocates for the homeless, who said the shelter is still needed, especially as winter approaches and the economy contin-

ues to founder. Supporters of Franklin fended off a City effort in 2006 to lease out the build-ing to a developer who planned to convert it into a hotel.

“It’s wonderful to see people getting hous-ing,” said Scott McNeilly, a staff attorney for the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless. “But unfortunately, more people will be fol-lowing in their footsteps.”

Mary Ann Luby, also of the Legal Clinic, pointed out that many of the new apartments are located far from the social services, job sites and health facilities upon which the men who live in centrally located Franklin depend.

“Will you be able to get to your dialysis?” Luby asked Wooley, whose new Southeast Washington apartment is more than four miles away from Franklin, close to the Prince George’s County line.

“I’m pretty sure I can make it,” answered Wooley.

Another Franklin resident, Edgar Keener, 69, said he turned down a voucher for an apartment in Southeast. He said he was angry with city officials for suggesting he move to a neighborhood he considered dangerous.

“I gave back the scrip and told them I would be sleeping outdoors if you can’t do anything better than that,” said Keener. “This is degrading.”

Officials said he would get more choices.”We told him we’ll have another apartment

for him,” said Laura Zeilinger, deputy director for program operations at the Department of Human Services.

Patricia Handy, who coordinates home-less outreach services for the city, watched as other men climbed onto buses waiting to carry them off to their new lives.

“I feel like I’m sending the kids off to camp,” she said. “Or to college.”

Franklin, from page 1

Donate to Street Sense i will donate:

___ $50 for two vendor awards each month

___ $70 for one restaurant review

___ $100 for postage each month

___ $200 for the vests of 15 new vendors

___ $500 for monthly rent and insurance

___ $1,200 for the printing of one issue

___ Another amount of $_______

___ Another amount of $_______ for vendor: ________________

My information

Name:_______________________________________________________ Address:_____________________________________________________ City/State/Zip:_______________________________________________ Phone:_______________________E-mail:_________________________

Please make checks payable to Street Sense

Street Sense is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible.

Mail to: Street Sense, 1317 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20005. You can also donate online at www.streetsense.org

* Messenger and tote bags and backpacks for vendors

* Digital video camera

* Food for vendor meetings

* Water bottles for vendors

* Metro cards and bus tokens for vendor transportation

* Office chairs

* Laptop computers with at least Windows 2000

and 10 GB of storage space

additional items that Street Sense needs:

T h i s m o r n i n g I woke up in here, sharing a place with 300 other men. But tomorrow morning I will wake up in my place.

-Pierre Alston, former Franklin Shelter resident

Street Sense . September 17 – September 30, 2008 loCal NEWS 5

transportation and toys for the kids. I didn’t know how they were going to eat today, but it turns out they have food here.”

Convoy of Hope delivered 80,000 pounds of food, during the event, which included free medical screenings, free haircuts and manicures, a kid’s zone, resume writing and family pictures in response to the needs of the 19.6% of District residents who live be-low the poverty line.

“It’s much more productive to have a fo-cus doing something together then to sit around a coffee table and talk about race and poverty,” said Dr. Derrick Harkins, pas-tor of the Nineteenth St. Baptist Church. “For the homeless and working poor population, there will be direct material needs that a bu-reaucratic social agency couldn’t meet.”

Fifty to 60 churches participated in the event, bringing over 2,000 volunteers to as-sist over 8,000 “honored guests.”

“We live in a time where every man or woman is for him or herself and there are lines between race, gender, ethnicity, so we’re trying to move beyond barriers,” said project point person Rodney Teal from Israel Baptist Church.

“Things like a $10 haircut, for many of us are not a big deal, but some people have to

choose between a haircut and eating. Some-one may not be able to get a job because he/she didn’t have the appearance that employ-ers expect and demand.”

Henley expected to have more resources when she left her husband in 2001 with her two infant daughters and became homeless. She hopes that, “an event like this will give hope to those who were in my position at one point.”

“I’ve had people lying on my doorstep when I come home, so I usually carry around a baseball bat when I go outside of the house in the neighborhood,” Henley said, who works as a Downtown SAM and is thinking of getting another part-time job.

Henley’s daughter, Matayah, seven, went to bed with her clothes on the day before be-cause she was so excited to get up. “This day helps me to reinforce to my kids that they will be safe and always have, and if they have, I have.”

The event took seven months of planning and mobilizing area churches to donate not only food, but doctors and manicurists do-nating their services.

“It’s who we can mobilize; we have craft-ed the event around the volunteer base, to whack the socks off of this city,” said Joel Schmidgall, Convoy of Hope local coordina-tor and a pastor at the National Community

Church in Washington, DC. “It’s more than a bag of groceries; to

have someone say they believe in them is empowering.”

Phot

o by

LIs

a V.

GIL

LesP

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Homeless? Jobless?Next Step Program staff help you make positive changes

in your life. We help you set and take your next steps toward greater self-reliance.

We offer:

1516 Hamilton St., NW 1345 U St., SE Washington, DC 20011 Washington, DC 20020 202-722-2280 202-889-7702

The Next Step Program is sponsored by Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington, a community partnership supported by more than 40 Episcopal and other partner parishes

throughout the Washington metropolitan area. There are no religious requirements for participation in the Next Step Program.

Changing Your Life...One Step at a TimeFor more information on how you can participate

in the Next Step Program, call 202-722-2280, email info@samaritanministry.org or visit one of our

offices between 9:00 and 11:00 any weekday morning:

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SMGW-B&Wad_11012007.indd 1 11/5/2007 7:17:29 PM

Matayah, Marquietta and Chyanne henley enjoy a rare day of time together.

Convoy, from page 1

Street Sense . September 17 – September 30, 2008 6 NatioNal & iNtErNatioNal

Accused Murderers of Fla. Man ‘Never Meant to Do Serious Harm’

Defense attorneys for two men charged with beating a homeless man to death with a baseball bat and at-tacking two others in Fort Lauderdale claim that their clients never meant to do serious harm. Norris Gaynor, 45, was killed in the 2006 assaults that were captured, in part, by surveillance cam-era footage that helped lead detectives to defendants Brian Hooks, 21, and Thomas Daugherty, 19. According to a Sept. 4 Associated Press account, pros-ecutor Peter Holden said that Gaynor’s skull was smashed and another two homeless men were beaten in the head. Hooks and Daugherty face life impris-onment if convicted.

Charity: Irish Gov’t Budget Cuts Imperil Goal of Ending Homelessness

The Simon Communities of Ireland, whose eight communities around Ire-land deal with some 5,000 people who are either homeless or at risk of home-lessness, has warned that government budget cutbacks must not affect vul-nerable groups such as their clients. The charity organization’s executive, Patrick Burke, said homeless services needed more support if the government was to achieve its goal of eradicating homelessness by 2010. “[I]f there need to be cuts, they need to find it in other areas and not in areas where the most vulnerable are being served,” Burke was quoted as saying in a Sept. 5 Irish Times article by Alison Healy.

Homelessness On Rise in AustraliaAlmost 105,000 Australians were

homeless in 2006, a jump of about 6,000 people from 2001, according to Austra-lian Bureau of Statistics census data cited in a Sept. 5 article in The Canberra Times. Homelessness among children under 12 increased by 22% from 2001, reported the article by James Massola. The head of Mission Australia, Toby Hall, commented that “The years be-tween 2001 and 2006 were some of the best economic times Australia has ex-perienced and it was still not enough to reduce homeless numbers … [t]o have 105,000 people … homeless on any one night in a country as wealthy and as prosperous as Australia is atrocious.”

Canadian Homeless Youth Film Own Stories

An innovative film project out of Canada’s Dalhousie University is giving homeless youth the tools to tell their own stories about life on the street, ac-cording to a Sept. 5 article by the agency Newswise. For the past three months, a Dalhousie social work graduate and a local filmmaker, have been teach-ing five homeless youth skills such as camera work, storyboarding, how to de-velop characters, script writing, editing and composing. The project is funded by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Can-ada. The students are now putting the finishing touches on three short films.

Homelessness Hits Thousands of Wisconsin Students

More than 8,000 students across Wisconsin have no permanent home address, according to a WEAU 13 report citing statistics from the state’s Depart-ment of Public Instruction. The Sept. 2 article quoted a local educator as saying that some children “leave school for the day and don’t know where they’re go-ing that night, what they’ll eat, if they’ll have clothes or access to a shower.” By law, each Wisconsin school district must designate a homeless liaison re-sponsible for enrolling homeless chil-dren and youth, who must then help them succeed in school.

Filipino Authorities Plan to Move Homeless Families

Authorities for Quezon City, Philip-pines – the largest city in greater Manila – plan to re-house more than 3,500 fam-ilies in new areas by 2010. Some 200,000 families in Quezon are described as “in-formal settlers,” and they are among an estimated 4.5 million homeless Filipi-nos, according to a Sept. 3 article by Mary J. Cawicaan in The Turkish Weekly. Some 75% of the Philippines’ homeless people are believed to be squatters or il-legal settlers in the main urban centers. The top five places occupied by Quezon City’s homeless are sidewalks and open spaces; areas under the Pasig River Re-habilitation Program; and properties of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sew-erage System. Others squat in and live off the city’s garbage dumps, or along creeks, rivers, and old railway lines.

iN otHEr NEWSBy Jon Pattee

As Street Sense moves up its circulation and its vendors move up and off the street, we ask you to join us and help move on up the prices of auction items at ...

Movin’ On Up Street Sense’s Third Annual Silent Auction and Reception

October 2, 2008, 7pmJosephine Butler Park Center,

2437 Fifteenth Street, NW

Tickets start at $25 a piece for access to the auction and endless appetizers, beer and wine.

For more info or to buy tickets, visit www.streetsense.org.

And for those who cannot attend, part

of the auction will be on Ebay.

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Street Sense . September 17 – September 30, 2008 7 loCal

the shelter is convenient to public transportation. Many residents take the bus to day jobs and social services and medical care, the resident explained.

the air conditioning was added in June of this year . “yes the building is safer and healthier,” the man said. “this is in direct contradiction to (Mayor adrian) Fenty’s claims of it being an ‘old decrepit building which is not fit for human habitation.’”

New fixtures in bathroom.

The fire boxes were added in March of this year, he said.

bunks in a bedroom. Men can stay with like-minded guys in different rooms. there is a sense of ca-maraderie, he said. they keep their belongings in trunks stowed under the beds. beds are stripped each day and clean linens are supplied.

one of the cafeteria tables where the men eat dinner.

In the furnace room.

Inside FranklinSent by a resident who wishes to remain anonymous. He said he hoped they would help explain how Franklin looks inside.

PHoto ESSaY

8 LOCAL NEWS Street Sense . September 17– September 30, 20088

Street Sense . September 17– September 30, 2008 POETRY 9

The Endless Dream

Darkness is all I see So comfortable feels like home A soft pillow under my head and it’s so warmIt’s the feeling of home is the place I aim to keep a tokenSudden it seems I have awokenNot a word spoken All I see is pipes ’n’ dirt Feel cold metal under my pants ’n’ shirt The part that hurtsis I don’t know if this is real A random dream or a nightmare Swearing that home is where I wasBut that ain’t the case. How is it that I ended up this way?

All I feel is the heat, cold ’n’ destruction of character all dayIt’s not my way that is clear; an unusual path that stares at me hereWas I a fool, was I stupid or is it just dumb luck? Havin’ a never-say-die attitude is not enough Is the road this tough for me? Is it the end, or the beginning? It’s a long way to go But how, when I realize I sleep on the floor Is it a privilege to have a place to live or is it when you’re cast out of a house? Are the people that love you done? Can being on the street be fun or is it useless?All I gotta take is society’s abuse Sparking my fuse, the drive to be more than a mental statistic. I don’t get how it came to this. Is my day well or am I destined to drown bein’ this way for the first time damage done; it’s hard to see that there is a better path for me Out there looking for God, but where is God when the streets is the only home I’ve got?

— Reginald Black

’Nother homeless person jus’ died

’Nother homeless person jus’ diedan’ not one person criednot one person cried

’Cause it’s jus’ ’notherhomeless person diednot people like you and melike you and me

Someone’s dyin’ in a gutter somewheredyin’ in gutter somewherewith nothin’ but their soul laid barenothin’ but their soul laid barehomeless child eatin’ from a garbage canan’ not one person seesnot one person seeshomeless child eatin’ from a garbage can

Ol’ woman fell on the street’cause she had nothin’ to eatol’ woman fell on the street’cause she had nothin’ to eat ’Nother homeless person jus’ died an’ not one person cried

— Judy Jones

Street Sense . September 17– September 30, 2008

other tickets were intended for, as he was alone. This story, his story, shows the true meaning of helping the homeless.

August 2007. Delaware. Mark Cooper is a working man and loves his job. He had always provided for his family’s needs. But after a dis-agreement with his employer – over a matter of principle – Mark lost his job. He found a new position but a problem with his clearances – an old dispute over an automobile accident and a missed court date – lost him the new job.

Jobless and running out of money, Mark sought shelter with a family member, but it was not to be.

Mark called Johnny, a childhood friend. And for a few months, Mark and his son Sammy had a home while Mark performed “odds and ends” jobs at another old friend’s handyman business.

Mark’s income wasn’t enough to secure housing, let alone the ser-vices of an attorney to clear up his old legal troubles. But in December 2007, yet another old friend, who was changing residences, offered the temporary use of an apartment in Suitland, Md.

Mark spent the month contacting all the organizations and agencies in Prince George’s County and the Dis-trict. But virtually every one told him the same thing: his son would have to be placed into foster care, while he

went into the public shelter system, before they could provide housing.

Mark refused to give up his son, and held fast to his deep faith in God’s love to help them.

This year began with them sleep-ing in a park, on a bus, or wherever they could find comfort away from the cold.

Mark signed up for housing in Montgomery County. Every day he called. Two weeks turned into three, then four. It was slow, and it wasn’t easy. But in March 2008, Mark and Sammy moved into housing. Mark says he and Sammy had to enter a public shelter together in Bethesda, Md., called Greentree, followed by several weeks at a Holiday Inn in Gaithersburg.

Mark has again secured a well-paid job in his profession and at-tends structured, scheduled services to help him and Sammy from being victims of the trauma with which homelessness can haunt any hu-man being.

Sammy never missed a day in school thanks to a law in Montgom-ery County that ensures homeless children a bus ride to their chosen school.

And as for the other two tickets to Hoops for the Homeless – Mark had bought them for the reason of the oc-casion itself: to help the homeless.

Brenda Karyl-Lee Wilson spends her Monday mornings keeping the Street Sense office clean and cheer-ful.

Hoops, from page 1

10 FEATURES

Tanner is a successful lawyer. Tanner has watched his block develop into a wonderful place with a beautiful five-star hotel across the street from his law firm, shopping cen-ters, cafes, coffee shops, restaurants, and a basketball center. Tanner is proud of his block. It shows in his voice when he speaks to everyone on the train to work each day.

On a blue-sky morning, Tanner wakes up feeling fresh and decides to wear a blue shirt. He gets off the train and speaks to everyone he passes. Tanner notices a new shop opening next door to his law firm — and not the kind of shop he wants there. He sees a young woman and man walking up and down the sidewalk passing out fly-ers about crime and punishment and cops, wearing orange prison jumpsuits.

Tanner’s thoughts were this: “Can’t be happening. Am I losing my mind? This is an eyesore for my block, next door to our law firm; something must be done about this!”

Tanner moved to Washington, D.C. to live with his family and friends from Salem, Mass., when he was a young man.

He can’t remember too much about his childhood in Salem, but he wears a ring on his finger that his grandmother gave him when he was a child. Tanner was told that his grandmother, mother and sister died in a strange house fire. He didn’t know that his sister, Nancy, is living in Denver and that the ring on his finger is a warlock ring with evil powers.

Tanner never gets upset, but this situ-

ation has pushed his buttons and he is having evil thoughts about that shop. The ring on his finger begins to glow a bright red-orange. Tanner hurries to his office and closes the door.

He hears voices in his head talking to him and saying, “Make them pay, show them your powers.” One hour later Tanner comes out of his office and walks next door, and asks to see the manager. The man said, “Can I help you? I’m the manager. My name is Don.”

Tanner smiles and says, “Yes, you can.” Don reaches out his hand to shake Tan-

ner’s hand. As Tanner shakes Don’s hand, the ring glows a red-orange. Don looks at the ring. Tanner turns and walks away back to his office.

That day Don went mad. He handcuffed two of his workers who were wearing or-ange prison jumpsuits, and beat them while they were in the store. No one can explain what happened to Don or his actions!

The shop is closed for now. If the shop opens again Tanner will pay its new man-ager a visit.

He hears voices in his head talking to him and saying, “Make them pay, show them your powers.”

PRETTY REd’S FiCTiON By Ivory Wilson

Tanner the Lawyer 2 Yorkshire terriers

for adoption

Contact: jameswallaceltd@googlemail.com

Have a story idea? Want to write

for Street Sense? E-mail

editor@streetsense.org

By Francine Triplett

I’m back.I ’ v e b e e n o u t f o u r

months with medical prob-lems but today, I’m blessed. Mar-tin and I worked at the Hoops for the Homeless event on Saturday. Some people buy our paper and some don’t, but I’m a very patient person and it tickled me.

We had a booth next to an ATM machine. I asked a man who was at the machine if he would like to donate to Street Sense. He said, “No, but my children will, because they were blessed today.” His kids were smiling, laughing, and each one took a turn putting their money in. As I was sitting there watching people walk by, the kids seemed so happy and grateful to give something.

One lady walked by and said her daughter wanted to make a donation. It made me happy to see the little people interested in hearing about the homeless and Street Sense. I pulled them in and Martin did the pitch. We were a team.

I’ve been going to the event for a couple of years now. Our booth used to be on the outside, but this year we were next to the court; I loved every minute of it. I wanted to take a picture or get an auto-graph from Magic but he was far

from me. I’ll get him next year.You know, there’s something

funny about some people. I asked a lady if she would like to donate to Street Sense and she almost took my head off. She said, “I was homeless and I’m not going to do-nate.” That was all right because we all have a past. I’m sure some-one helped her out because when I was homeless I got a lot of help from people off the street and I

thank them for that. I wish I could see some of the people today and let them know I’m doing OK and thank them so much. Everyone needs someone. You cannot live alone in this world.

I had conversations with lots of people yesterday at the event. I ran across people I hadn’t seen in years. That was the first event where I had a sense of my recov-ery. I enjoyed myself.

Hoops for the Homeless Blessings

Francine Triplett sells newspapers at Hoops for the Homeless on Saturday, Sept. 13.

Street Sense . September 17– September 30, 2008 FEATURES & GAMES 11

Street Sense vendor Gregory Martin loves creating puzzles.

Simply find the following words in the grid below. The solution to the last puzzle is found below.

September

Grandparents

Labor Day

Relax

Constitution

Fall

Football

Redskins

Autumn

Foliage

School

Kids

Buses

Stop

Books

Teacher

Student

Paper

Study

S I S T O S T A E R H L

C T H I S T O R Y S O I

I E R A W O S H S O M C

E A L E T S E A H C E N

N C O B E P P C W R W E

C H S C O T S E T E O P

E E E L G O S B O L R E

S R I R T O K E C U K Y

O A A K S E D S T R O D

F D C T N E D U T S S R

E A R E A D I N G O E A

B E N G L I S H T A M T

R E L A X E G A I L O F

E C T E A C H E R L R S

D L A B O R D A Y A E K

S S T U D E N T C B P O

K S O P A B E S R T A O

I A U T U M N B T O P B

N L D P L E S C H O O L

S C E L S T U D Y F P R

G R A N D P A R E N T S

C F B U S E S X S D I K

T E S W E S T E E R T S

N O I T U T I T S N O C

Gregory’s Great GameStreet Sense vendor Gregory Martin loves creating puzzles.

Simply find the following words in the grid below.

SeptemberGrandparents (Day)Labor DayRelaxConstitutionFallFootballRedskinsAutumnFoliageSchoolKidsBusesStop

BooksTeacherStudentClassPaperStudy

Gregory’s Great Game : September Splendor

Back To School Answers

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Street Sense . September 17– September 30, 2008

It’s elec-tion time, a

new president will be elect-e d , a n d t h e old one will leave. Good riddance.

I hope ev-eryone who participates in the election makes sure all the votes are counted and that there are no hanging chads, voter suppression or any of the other dirty tricks from the previous elections.

We need to make sure that the popular choice is elected. Amer-ica is at a point where we need to put the right person in power to clean up the mess of the last eight years. But that’s another topic in itself.

Recently I have been watching the Republican convention and I saw history in the making.

As an undecided, unsophisti-cated political novice who is in-terested in this election, I do get a kick out of watching the tele-vision networks in the tank for their presidential pick under the disguise of balanced and objec-tive reporting.

It’s true — this is a very historic election for obvious reasons; the Democrats have picked a black as their candidate. But what’s even more fascinating is that the new Republican Party that wouldn’t be upstaged by the Democrats picked a woman as their vice presidential candidate.

Somewhere, Susan B. Anthony is teary-eyed. This is the greatest change since the music industry came up with the Osmonds as an alternative to the Jackson Five.

Overnight the Republicans have transformed their party from tax-cutting, oil-drilling, an-ti-environmental capitalists into the person of a hockey mom who happens to be a governor from Alaska. How wholesome.

What is even more remarkable is how the media did an about-face and fell in love with this new diva who is McCain’s pick. The pollsters were telling you how Obama is losing poll votes overnight.

I always wondered where they find these fickle poll voters who change their course like the wind? But the party was only be-ginning. In my opinion, I always thought going to a Republican

convention would be about as fun as going to a grandmas’ bingo tournament at your local PTA, but I was in for a surprise. It turned out to be a pep rally bash-ing the Democrats and Obama.

The climax came when they rolled out Sarah Palin, the pit bull with lipstick. I sat there watch-ing TV, hearing all the roars and cheers, but I sat there wondering whether this was all déjà vu all over again, while all these pun-dits anointed her the new queen of America. It doesn’t seem long ago that they lowered the bar for Bush by hem-hawing his agenda, telling you how folksy he is and how you can drink a beer with him.

The Republican Party talking about changing Washington - how come the best they can do is find a 72-year-old insider who has lobbyists all through his campaign and a female stand-up from Alaska?

I’m sorry that I’m old-fash-ioned. Since I’m nonpartisan, I was waiting to hear what she stood for. I tuned my ears to hear her views on health care: Nothing. Getting America back to work: Nothing. Alternative energy: Nothing.

I did hear some stingers di-rected at Obama. I must admit they were kind of funny. I heard her say how she can’t stand the elitists in Washington but some-one forgot to tell her that 19% of the people in Washington, D.C. live below the poverty line.

Some raised the question on how she would handle foreign policy. The spinmasters say her state’s right next to Russia.

The truth is that I’m a New Yorker and my experience on foreign policy was 9/11/01 when we were attacked.

After that fateful day the pub-lic still is in the dark about what actually happened. I guess the Hillary ads were right about who one would want in the White House at 3 a.m.

I have nothing personal against the governor from Alas-ka. I think she has a compelling story. I do feel she is funny and witty, and I would pay to see her doing stand-up.

But I wouldn’t want her to be vice president.

Jeffery McNeil puts on a suit to sell Street Sense.

12 EdiTORiALS

Watered-Down Expectations

By Jeffery McNeil In that drowsy state between sleeping and waking, I felt a light hand shaking my shoulder. “Wake up Tad. You’ve got a plane

to catch,” a young lady’s voice whispered. “Good luck. Make us proud!”

For a minute, I wondered why I was being wo-ken up so early, but at 3 in the morning, I think everyone is slow processing details.

And then it hit me. I was leaving the Austin Re-source Center for the Homeless to join a team. I was actually part of THE team. I had been cho-sen to represent the city of Austin and the state of Texas in street soccer, a game I wasn’t very familiar with. And without having learned everyone’s name or having practiced even an hour with my team-mates, I would be playing in the nation’s capital for the USA Street Soccer Cup.

As we traveled to the airport and away from the familiarity of the city I love, questions of doubt plagued my mind. What if I get all the way to D.C. and I play poorly? Or, to put it bluntly, what if I just plain suck? What if our entire team looks like a joke and embarrasses our city and state?

Careful to avoid showing any signs of my res-ervations to my teammates, I found myself con-tinuously checking to make sure I had all of the required forms of I.D. needed to board the plane to Washington. I had a small reason to worry – not all of our team had made it to the ARCH for transport to the airport that morning. If one more person couldn’t play for any reason, we would be at the minimum number of players and if two couldn’t play, we would be disqualified. I certainly didn’t want to risk the chance of jeopardizing the team just because of some minor paperwork. Without a hitch, I made it to the gate; airport security even smiled at me!

The layover in Atlanta proved to be a test of my patience and homeless street skills as boredom and hunger humbled proud spirits, and empty pockets left a bittersweet feeling around me and the teammate I was traveling with. I am happy to say, though, we both respectfully remained profes-sional and patient until we caught the last leg to our final destination.

Despite the difficulties of air travel, the car ride from the airport in Maryland was exactly what I needed to feel welcome. The driver stopped to treat us to a smoked dog from a busy vendor on a street corner just blocks from the brand new pitch (the rubbery field we play on) in the center of downtown D.C. I was extremely impressed by all the preparations and accommodations made for us.

Upon seeing where we would be competing, I was instantly revitalized, no longer tired from the lack of sleep or a time change. Suddenly, all I wanted to do was play soccer – street soccer! In that moment, homelessness did not define who I was. Nor in that moment was I a victim of the shortcomings that have haunted me for the past five years.

Instead, I was a competitor; I was a soccer play-er; and I was a teammate. I was going to have fun, play hard and represent Austin and Texas in my special way — loud and proud. With a little luck, my team could (and did!) even win the love and admiration of the D.C. crowd.

Despite being the most green (newest), the most withered (oldest) and at times the most win-less team on the pitch, through our determination and spirit, we were most improved and proved to be the most motivated team of definitive sports-

men at the Cup! I was very proud of my team-mates’ constant regard for the other man. Their selflessness and willingness to step up, gave me some “Tad time” to do a little dance and express sincere appreciation for all of the Street Soccer USA hospitality. And everyone knows we invented hospitality here in the South!

Near the end of the tournament, I was handed the microphone and given everyone’s undivided attention. To me, it was proof that even though they couldn’t pronounce my name correctly, they appreciated and respected this real deal and tooth-less appeal enough to listen to my thoughts and thanks. And after that, they correctly pronounced my name. That’s when I knew they heard my word. In fact, they had decided I would be one of eight players selected to represent the U.S. in December 2008 in Melbourne, Australia, at the World Cup of Street Soccer.

I consider myself a blessed man, reassured in hope, happiness, and a healthy life that began when I found Austin, my coaches, teammates, case managers, friends, and the opportunities of Street Soccer USA.

It has not always been easy to be the homeless soccer player, displayed all over the media, but I wouldn’t trade my new life responsibilities as a Street Soccer World Cup player. More importantly, I recognize that though I was always an advocate for homeless people in my area, I am now in a po-sition to advocate for homeless men and women everywhere. My new philosophy is to lead by ex-ample instead of living by excuses.

Street Soccer in D.C. taught me a lot. My favor-ite lesson is knowing I have the ability to change that which does not work in my life. It’s as simple as that even if it’s not always easy as street soccer! So to give a little advice, I believe that attitudes are contagious (so have a good one!), that kindness kills hatefulness, and even a toothless, homeless man can still make a difference in the world!

My Experience in D.C.By Tad L. Christie

Tad Christie shows off his team jersey.

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My new philosophy is to lead by example instead of living by excuses.

Street Sense . September 17– September 30, 2008 EdiTORiALS 13

Reggies’ Reflections: HerBy Chris Jablonski

Do you ride Metro often? Do you use the “SmartTrip” card, or do you use the paper Metro fare card?

I used to use the SmartTrip card, but I can no longer be of that camp. My dis-illusionment came at the end of pur-chasing nine of the SmartTrip cards in a 24-month period.

Well, I am done with the plastic, a n d I a m g o i n g b a c k t o p a p e r. T h a t ’s b e c a u s e my plastic cards have all developed cracks. And when I went to the Met-ro sales office at Metro Center I was told the card could be replaced, but at a cost of $5. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

I must be a com-plete fool, as I have spent $45 on plas-tic cards that fail at the most incon-venient times (not that there is a good time for technology to fail).

I was recently in New York City and rode the MTA subway there. I purchased a refillable plastic fare card that was valid for a year for the price of the fare. Metro’s dissolvable paper cards contin-ue to work indefinitely, but if you want a more durable card, like plastic, you must pay for it at $5 a pop.

I know I’m not alone on the problems I have had with the SmartTrip cards, because when I Googled SmartTrip, I was directed to hundreds of sites, not all, but a preponderance of which were complaining of the Smart Trip’s prob-lems. I spoke to someone at Metro Cen-ter’s sales office and was told that my complaint was shared by many other commuters daily. I was offered a form, which I filled out and posted to Metro asking for some resolution to my cards continually breaking, but I have not re-ceived any response as of yet. This was

a month ago. Upon doing some research I have

found some important differences be-tween D.C.’s WMATA and New York’s MTA. The fare for any trip on New York’s MTA subway is a flat $2.00, whether that’s at 4 in the afternoon, or 4 in the morning. But the fare on D.C’s Metro ranges from $4.50, from opening to

9:30 a.m., 3-7 p.m. and 2 a.m. to clos-ing, to $1.35 at any other time. Got that straight?

And New York’s A Tr a i n , w h i c h runs from north-e r n M a n h a t t a n through Brooklyn, to Far Rockaway in Queens, is a 31-mile r ide, while D.C.’s Red Line that runs from Shady Grove to Glenmont is a 31.9-mile ride. So it seems hardly fair to have to pay $2.50 for those last additional nine-tenths of a mile!

If you add it all up, you could ride

a total of 656 miles on the MTA for the $2.00, but here in D.C. you can only travel for 106.3 miles for the $4.50 peak, or $2.35 off-peak.

In NYC it cost about 75% more to live on a day-to-day basis than in D.C., and about 50% less to ride three times the miles of subway rails. What’s more, here you have to pay for a plastic Smart-Trip card, which, by the way, is the only way to exit a Metro parking facility. So if you park in any Park & Ride, or Metro garage, then you have no option other than to purchase a “SmartTrip” card. This is a must.

So the optimal situation would be to live in Washington, D.C. but ride the subway in NYC. However, riding Amtrak would negate any savings I might real-ize.

Chris recently wrote the Hypothermia fiction, attends writer’s group and volun-teers his computer skills with Street Sense.

Riding Metro: Paper or Plastic?

I used to use the SmartTrip card, but I can no longer be of that camp. My disil-

lusionment came at the end of pur-

chasing nine of the SmartTrip cards in a 24-month period. Four years ago, with the Olym-

pics starting up, I was planning an in-state bike tour to Richmond, along Adventure Cycling Associations and the Greenway’s Maine to Florida Bike Route 1. With an old mountain bike and a new BOB (Beast Of Burden) single-wheel luggage trailer, I ventured out about 50 miles per day, getting a late start, staying in a hotel in Dumfries after buying and activating my first pre-paid cell phone for safety.

Pre-9/11 anniversar y, people near Quantico were vary wary of a biker with bags and it got weird and suspicious.

Surviving to Fredricksburg, I found a historic inn downtown, and lived in credit-card luxury, the next night going over the big hills (with bike shop escort and an expensive stop, adding bar ends for numb hands) on to a campsite cabin with A/C.

After a foggy evening/morning in the valley, continuing on, I met a skinny, tired light-packing cross country biker ending the cross country tour (even through the desert) and stopped for a refueling break at a convenience store in the Ashland area. Energized by some-one doing a seriously crazy tour, I biked on into Richmond suburbs, stopped in at mental health centers for kicks and info. After another hotel stay, I got into downtown Richmond, and tried decid-ing what to do next.

Biking in town the next day, I finally recognized something, Bill’s BBQ (by the stadium), and talked with the Har-ley Davidson’s meeting in town. While almost joining the brotherhood with his girlfriend or wife, I was having some engine envy, and sought refuge in a church retreat center by the river when

the suburbs and most motels were full.As it started raining and lack of

sleep, I decided I wasn’t having as much fun, as it was costing and cut the tour short, I was going to head west along the river to Charlottesville then up the Shenandoah National Park to Front Royal and camp, as I had run out of most resources doing credit-card touring (staying in hotels).

I toured the state Capital building sights before closing for renovation, then rented a vehicle at the airport.

Luckily, I stopped when I did, a day or so later, the Gaston flood washed out Shockloe Bottom [River district of Richmond] and I likely would have floated down the river ...

Jerry volunteers with writer’s group over the last year. DancesWithCars.Cra-zyGuyOnABike.com contains similar tours including the C&O Canal tour with photos. He might be contacted at DancesWithCars @gmail.com, if not out biking, eating or learning at Street Sense.

DC to Richmond Bike Tour

by Jerry W.

Street Sense Writer’s Group meets 2:30 to 3:30 pm Wednesdays in the

Street Sense conference room. This fall will be its

one-year anniversary.

Will write for food: Writer’s Group

I was still pondering how I can greet someone without my situation af-fecting the other’s perception of me. It felt strange to me to be working this place and that females I encountered continued to ignore me. I figured the only way to get attention was to smell how they smell, and act how they act. I even encountered homosexual females who believed that they had better what you would call game, but I am a man and believe that no female could feel what I feel. Each day that I went by I felt more alone. Until one night something happened that started a chain reaction. For a few years I had been into a mobile phone chat room. I amassed many female companions from this venture into mobile Web dating. It was a way for me to get past hello. It

was cold and I was frustrated, but she returned and I was glad to see her. We typed for a while and then talked on the phone. She ended up learning what had happened to me. I don’t think she really cared. We were just in conversation. Nothing else mattered. We talked to the early hours of the morning. I had wished for her and she came but would this last? I didn’t know but I was ready to find out.

Reggie has been a vendor over four months and regularly participates at writer’s group.

by Reginald Black

A biker I met on the way to Richmond.

Street Sense . September 17– September 30, 2008

CLiFF CARLE MAKES A SALEPictures from our resident vendor photog-

rapher Cliff Carle are now on display at the MOCA DC Art Gallery (1054 31st St., NW) as part of the Homeless Art Project.

He has already sold photographs and hopefully other sales will come in.

We congratulate Cliff for finally getting the attention and praise he deserves.

If you cannot make it to the show and want to buy some of Cliff’s prints, some will be up for auction at our Silent Auction and Recep-tion on October 2 (see page 5 for more de-tails).

L. MoRRoW’S SCHooL SuPPLy CoLLECTion

We just wanted to commend one of our popular vendors, L. Morrow, for helping local children get ready to go back to school. At the end of August, Mr. Morrow collected about $200 worth of school supplies for children who live in his Southwest D.C. neighborhood. Mr. Morrow said that he just wanted to help the kids get prepared to go back to school, so he went around the CVS stores nearby to col-lect slightly damaged and overstocked note-books, pencils, pens and folders.

DAviD PiKE KEEPS on GivinGLast November one of our wonderful board

members, David Pike, passed away suddenly. At the end of August his widow, Caroline Ga-bel, donated dozens of items of David’s in-cluding t-shirts, shoes, socks and underwear. As we don’t typically give away clothing at our offices, our vendors were elated by these free, well-kept clothing items.

Vendor Martin Walker was floating on air as he walked out of the office in his nearly new brown suede Rockports and a bag full of new underwear; vendor Reginald Black also appreciated the underwear and proclaimed “Wow, brand new Polo shirts!” Volunteer and vendor Francine Triplett was thrilled to find so many clean white t-shirts to give to her grandsons.

Caroline, thank you so much for think-ing of our vendors when you were cleaning out David’s clothing. His memory lives on through the simplest of items.

HAPPy BiRTHDAy, PHiLLiPWe wish vendor Phillip Howard a happy

birthday as he turns 57 on Sept. 20. Phillip has been

with the paper since its second issue and is one of our kind-est and sweetest vendors.

So please wish him al l the best i f y o u s e e h i m around.

ToP vEnDoR SALESAfter a long hiatus, we are again starting to

run the top vendor numbers. Congrats to all the vendors who have been working hard to sell papers over the last few months.

Creating a Grandparent Corps

To the Editor,

To create more discipline in junior and senior high schools without au-thoritarian methods, the school sys-tem should hire retired people to take classes with students, for either full- or half-days, their choice.

Older people were in high school more than 30 years ago. What they learn today would probably be much different than what they learned in adolescence, so they wouldn’t be bored.

Have a “grandma” and a “grandpa” in every class. With people 50 or older in all seventh through 12th grade classes, teenagers would be deterred from acting up and causing trouble for the teacher – you don’t act disrespectfully towards your grandparents, you know.

Having older persons in the class-rooms would naturally benefit students, who could turn to their elders as role models and for guidance. Have elders screened to make sure they both under-stood their responsibilities and would fit in with their classes.

People in the “Grandparent Corps” shouldn’t monopolize class discussions, but older “participant observers” should be part of every school’s daily routine, including taking tests and going to the cafeteria.

Ideally, older people would spend six years, from seventh through 12th grades, going through six years of schools with many of their students,

unless they moved, died or found other work. Having older people in schools should make children more tolerant and understanding of their own parents or guardians.

Raymond Avrutis

A Reason to Believe

To the Editor,

Bernard Chino Dean (Vendor # 132) is an outstanding example of how far one can go with encouragement and a little help.

I have watched this gentleman for months as he is most often outside my office building selling Street Sense at the corners of 15th and K streets, NW.

Every time I see him, he is pleasant, very polite, but on a mission to get the word out about the plight of the home-less.

I buy papers for not only myself, but for a friend who is a social worker and uses Street Sense to find information out that may be valuable to her clients.

Mr. Dean gives me, and I am sure many others, a reason to believe that the world can truly be a better place.

I salute him, and those like him, who are determined to make a better place for themselves.

Joy HillNew Leaders for New Schools927 15th Street, NW, 2nd FloorWashington, DC 20005

14 STREET SENSE NEWS

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

___ YES! I want to subscribe to Street Sense for just $40 a year for 26 issues.___ YES! I want to give half of the cost of a subscription to my favorite vendor: __________________________

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Vendors’Notes WHAT OUR REAdERS ARE SAYiNG...

Lawless Watson 1285James Davis 886Conrad Cheek 866Martin Walker 752August Mallory 687Jeffery McNeil 678Bobby G. Buggs 590Allen Jones 555Charlie Mayfield 543Moyo Onibuje 531Carlton Johnson 514

When you buy a paper from a Street Sense vendor for the

suggested price of $1, 75 cents of that goes right

to the vendor.Help a vendor out of homelessness, buy Street Sense!

Street Sense . September 17– September 30, 2008 FEATURES 15 SERViCE PROVidERS & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNiTiES 15

Community Service Index Shelter Hotline: 1–800–535–7252WASHiNGTON, d.C.SHELTERCalvary Women’s Services928 5th Street, NW(202) 783–6651www.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 development

Franklin School (Men)13th and K streets, NW(202) 638–7424

Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men)810 5th Street, NW(202) 842–1731www.grm.org

John Young Center (Women)117 D Street, NW(202) 639–8469http://www.ccs–dc.org/find/services/

La Casa Bilingual Shelter (Men)1436 Irving Street, NW(202) 673–3592

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)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/charliesplace

Church of the Pilgrims2201 P Street, NW(202) 387–6612www.churchofthepilgrims.org

Dinner Program for Homeless Women AND the “9:30 Club” Breakfast309 E Street, NW(202) 737–9311www.dphw.org

Father McKenna Center19 Eye Street, NW(202) 842–1112

Food and Friends219 Riggs Road, NE(202) 269–2277www.foodandfriends.org

Miriam’s Kitchen2401 Virginia Avenue, NW(202) 452–8926www.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, sub-stance abuse and job counseling

Bethany Women’s Center1333 N Street, NW(202) 939–2060http://www.nstreetvillage.orgmeals, hygiene, laundry, social activi-ties, substance abuse treatment

Green Door(202) 464–92001221 Taylor Street NWwww.greendoor.orghousing, job training, supportive men-tal health services

Friendship House619 D Street, SE(202) 675–9050www.friendshiphouse.net counseling, mentoring, education, youth services, clothing

Georgetown Ministry Center1041 Wisconsin Avenue, NW(202) 338–8301www.georgetownministrycenter.orglaundry, counseling, psych care

Martha’s Table2114 14th Street, NW(202) 328–6608www.marthastable.orgdinner, education, recreation, clothing, child and family services

Rachel’s Women’s Center1222 11th Street, NW(202) 682–1005http://www.ccdsd.org/howorwc.php hygiene, laundry, lunch, phone and mail, clothing, social activities

Sasha Bruce Youthwork741 8th Street, SE (202) 675–9340www.sashabruce.org counseling, housing, family services

So Others Might Eat (SOME)71 “O” Street, NW(202) 797–8806; www.some.orglunch, medical and dental, job and housing counseling

ADDiTionAL RESouRCESAcademy of Hope GED Center601 Edgewood St NE 202-269-6623www.aohdc.org

Bright Beginnings Inc.128 M Street NW, Suite 150Washington DC 20001(202) 842–9090 www.brightbeginningsinc.orgChild care, family services

Catholic Community Services of D.C.924 G Street, NW(202) 772–4300www.ccs–dc.orgumbrella for a variety of services

D.C. Coalition for the Homeless1234 Massachusetts Avenue, NW(202) 347–8870; www.dccfh.orghousing, substance abuse treatment, employment assistance

DC Food Finder Interactive online map of free and low cost food resources.www.dcfoodfinder.org

Community Family Life Services305 E Street, NW(202) 347–0511www.cflsdc.orghousing, job and substance abuse counseling, clothes closet

Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW(202) 332–4010www.foundryumc.org ESL, lunch, clothing, IDs

Hermano Pedro Day Center3211 Sacred Heart Way, NW(202) 332–2874http://www.ccs–dc.org/find/services/meals, hygiene, laundry, clothing

JHP, Inc.1526 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE(202) 544–9126www.jobshavepriority.orgtraining and employment

Jubilee Jobs1640 Columbia Road, NW(202) 667–8970www.jubileejobs.orgjob preparation and placement

National Coalition for the Homeless2201 P Street, NW(202) 462–4822

www.nationalhomeless.orgactivists, speakers bureau available

National Student Partnerships (NSP)128 M Street NW, Suite 320(202) 289–2525washingtondc@nspnet.orgJob resource and referral agency

Samaritan Ministry 1345 U Street, SE , AND1516 Hamilton Street, NW(202)889–7702www.samaritanministry.orgHIV support, employment, drug/alco-hol addiction, healthcare

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church1514 15th Street, NW(202) 667–4394http://stlukesdc.edow.org food, counseling

St. Matthew’s Cathedral 1725 Rhode Island Avenue, NW(202) 347–3215 ext. 552 breakfast, clothing, hygiene

Travelers Aid, Union Station 50 Mass. Avenue, NE(202) 371–1937www.travelersaid.org/ta/dc.htmlnational emergency travel assistance

Wash. Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U Street, NW (202) 328–5500www.legalclinic.org

MARYLANdSHELTERComm. Ministry of Montgomery Co.114 W. Montgomery Avenue, Rockville(301) 762–8682www.communityministrymc.org

The Samaritan GroupP.O. Box 934, Chestertown(443) 480–3564

Warm Night Shelter311 68th Place, Seat Pleasant(301) 499–2319www.cmpgc.org

FooDBethesda Cares7728 Woodmont Church, Bethesda(301) 907–9244www.bethesdacares.com

Community Place Café311 68th Place, Seat Pleasant(301) 499–2319www.cmpgc.org

Manna Food Center614–618 Lofstrand Lane, Rockville(301) 424–1130www.mannafood.org

MEDiCAL RESouRCESCommunity Clinic, Inc.8210 Colonial Lane, Silver Spring(301) 585–1250www.cciweb.org

Mobile Medical Care, Inc.9309 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda(301) 493–8553www.mobilemedicalcare.org

ADDiTionAL RESouRCESCatholic Charities, Maryland12247 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring(301) 942–1790www.catholiccharitiesdc.orgshelter, substance abuse treatment, va-riety of other servicesMission of Love6180 Old Central AvenueCapitol Heights(301)333–4440www.molinc.orglife skills classes, clothing, housewares

Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless600–B East Gude Drive, Rockville(301) 217–0314; www.mcch.net emergency shelter, transitional hous-ing, and supportiveservices

ViRGiNiASHELTERAlexandria Community Shelter2355 B Mill Road, Alexandria(703) 838–4239

Carpenter’s Shelter930 N. Henry Street, Alexandria(703) 548–7500www.carpentersshelter.org

Arlington–Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless3103 Ninth Road North, Arlington(703) 525–7177www.aachhomeless.org

FooDAlive, Inc.2723 King Street, Alexandria(703) 836–2723; www.alive–inc.org

Our Daily Bread10777 Main Street, Ste. 320, Fairfax(703) 273–8829www.our–daily–bread.org

MEDiCAL RESouRCESArlington Free Clinic3833 N Fairfax Drive, #400, Arlington(703) 979–1400www.arlingtonfreeclinic.org

ADDiTionAL RESouRCES

Abundant Life Christian Outreach,5154 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria(703) 823–4100www.anchor–of–hope.netfood, clothing, youth development, and medicines

David’s Place Day Shelter930 North Henry Street, Alexandria(703) 548–7500www.carpentersshelter.orglaundry, shower, workshops, hypother-mia shelter

Legal Services of Northern Virginia6066 Leesburg Pike, Ste. 500(703) 778–6800; www.lsnv.orgcivil legal services

Samaritan Ministry2924 Columbia Pike, Arlington(703) 271–0938www.samaritanministry.comsocial, job and HIV/AIDS services

Street Sense . September 17– September 30, 2008

By Bobby Gene Buggs, Jr.

I’m originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I started my homeless journey in August 2000.

At the time, I was experiencing a lot of mate-rial persuasion and the equation was: How will I obtain the finer things in life from a legitimate perspective?

I migrated from Wisconsin to Missouri, from Missouri to Memphis, from Memphis to Georgia, from Georgia to Florida, from Florida back to Mis-souri, from Missouri to Massachusetts, and from Massachusetts to Washington D.C.’s vicinity.

I needed to return to the area because I had some unpaid fines with the DMV that hindered me from obtaining my driver’s license in other parts of the country.

While here, I have numerous venues on how to achieve. I learned a lot about life’s experiences. Exo-dus Ch. 20 v.1-20. Thank you, Street Sense

How did you become homeless?I got robbed.

Where do you see yourself in five years?With my family, hoping to establish a C or S corporation as the boss.

Favorite music?Reggae, hip hop, Gospel, jazz

Sept. 17 – Sept. 30, 2008 • Volume 5 • issue 23

Street Sense1317 G Street, NWWashington, DC 20005

Mail To:

VENdOR PROFiLE

Bobbyreminds customers to only buy

from badged vendors and not to give to those panhandling with

one paper.

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

Bobby Buggs

Nonprofit Orgus postage paidWashington, DC

permit #568

Save the date:Thursday October 2, 2008

Movin’ On UpStreet Sense’s Third Annual

Silent Auction &Reception

For more information see page 10.

If you are interested in donating goods or services to be auctioned off,

please send an e-mail to info@streetsense.org.

PHOTO FiNiSH

Living Wage WarriorsBy Mike O’Neill

The 4th Annual “Bridge the Economic Gap” Day Rally was held on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 and groups in all 50 states plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia participated. In D.C. supporters from the National Coalition for the Homeless and students from George Washington University advo-cated for everyone’s right to a living wage by hanging a sign above the Souza Bridge in Southeast.

StreetFactThe Capital Area Food Bank provides 20 million pounds of food to 700 local agencies who give it directly to individuals.

sOuRCe: the CApitAl AReA fOOD BAnk

For more information, see page 3.