1 10 11 https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/d998ccae980f1d9749f4d748ce8818cf.pdf d1b1058d16e236224c5992f8c21456b4 PDF Text Text Welfare Policy Changes Are Encnutaged Update from the Hamllton CountyHuman Sen1ces Planning Committee Contact Center Staff update ­ The Human Services Planning Commit­ tee has agr eed to support several policy changes or at least look into policies that the Welfare Rights Coalition urged be adopted. Policies include: The Committee supports eliminating a mandated exit level for being able to get child care subsidies. They support dropping the 150% of poverty level for exit . The Committee supports dropping the sanction on child care subsidies from the state sanction policy. Members were unanimously in sup­ port of this policy being changed. This means that if a household is under sanction, they would not lose their child care subsidy if they are working (and complying). HSPC will be Contluned on page 10 OEC Calls For Emergency Repeal of Sanctions w ith their state legislators in their home districts. We are advocating that sanction policy, in addition to the emergency repeal and moratorium, also include the following: by Lynn WI/I/ams The Ohio Empowerment Coalition calls for an emergency repeal of the harsh sanctions under Ohio Works First. The OEC, at its March 12th meeting in Columbus, also de­ cided to call for a moratorium on all sanctions being issued in Ohio until legislators reconvene to revise sanction policy. We are urging each area coalition of the OEC to set up meetings Walled Community Homeless Dog Shelter Recovery Native-American Struggle HCHSUpdate Word On The Street Nationwide Interview Editorials Crossword and Games MadWomyn Cleveland News Vine Street Debate Classifieds Page2 Page3 Page3 Page4 Pages Page6 Pagel Page Page JO Page11 Page12 Page13 Page14 Page15 a · a minimum (reasonable) cut in cash assistance instead of harshly cutting the full cash benefit. · food stamps should remain the same instead of cutting the adult portion. If food stamps remain the same, this is still an allow­ able sanction under Federal law. (Formerly, food stamps increased with a cut in cash assistance.) · child care subsidy should not be cut; this will allow sanctioned recipients to con­ tinue working. · job searches continue to be allowed so unemployed recipients can still actively look for employment. · a sanction should end as soon as a recipient complies. Federal law does not dictate length of sanction. · sanctioned households should not be counted in caseload reduction numbers, as this encourages caseworkers to apply sanc­ tions instead of trying to work out solutions with recipients. In addition, urge your state legislator to advocate that Federal legislators completely remove sanction policies against recipients from the Federal welfare law. We have recently learned that the "official" OOHS sanction numbers for Ohio are wrong. Sanctions are much higher than the· "offici al" count. For some unknown reason, many sanctions have been counted in the "case closings" category instead of documented as sanctions. Representatives of the Welfare Rights Coalition and O EC plan to meet with OOHS officials to get a clearer picture of what OOHS is doing and to voice our concerns. If you are interested in meeting with your legislators on the OWF sanction policies, call one of the OEC local coalition members in your area. For more information: Cincinnati, Contact Center/Welfare Rights Coalition: (5 13) 381-4242 Columbus, Mark Stansberry of the Community Organizing Center (614) 231 ­ 9654 or Shirley Peoples of the State Organiza­ tion of Client Advocates (614) 252-2160 Cleveland, Marcelle Kidd of the Empow­ erment Center of Greater Cleveland (216) 241-5926 Dayton, Logan Martinez of the Miami Valley Employment Council (937) 274-7703 Warren; Geneva Reed (330) 397-7678 Findlay, Sharon Weis of Hope House (419) 425-4673 �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES TheTriState's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for and about the homeless. It is compiled by the Greater C incinnati Coalition for the Home­ less. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and then sell it fo r a dollar donatio n to get back on their feet. All vendors sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. T he G reater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, age ncies and individuals committed to ending home ­ lessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. T he Streetvibes Committee meets monthly to plan o ur issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a comment, please call 421 -7803. Staff Donald Whitehead, Di rector Frank Carri no, Vendor Support Ron Cart er, Vendo r Support James Heath, Administrative Coordinator Photographer James Oimmy) Heath Writers Ro n Carter Brian Davis James Heath Andy Hutzel Lemuel Israel Berta Lambert Paul linden Judith Mendriski Patrick Mosolf Gregory Payton Mark Salter Mataka Sanders The Shadow Donald Stark Penelope W elz Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Volunteer Editors Pat C lifford Lemuel Israel Paul linden Pat Morris Tam my Nettles Bonnie Neumeier Mataka Sanders Editorial Policy: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, com­ ments or editorials. W e will print every­ thing we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please se nd all material to t he following address: Streetvibes c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 (513) 421-7803 fax (513) 421-7813 . e-mail: homecoal@primax.net http://cinci.com/gcch Page 2 Want a Walled Community? Move to Onel by Eunice Timoney-Ravenna, resident of West McMicken Many residents of West McMicke n Street were quite surprised last year to find a sign posted next to our steps asking for o pinions on their closure. Of course, many of us called in o ppo sition. With the quick thinking of Carrie Jo hnson, residents were able to support the o pposition by a petition. We, the residents, heard little after that because we were excluded from the dialogue. As stated in John Hamner's {Public Works Director) report, the Klotter Homeowners Asso ciation who proposed the closure sought neighborhood support from CUF (Clifton, University, Fairveiw) even though Klotter is within the boundaries of OTR. Both the W . McMicken Improvement Association and the O ver-The-Rhine Commu nity Council o pposed the closure. Resident spoke out at the Public Works Committee meeting on March 16. It seemed obvious that the decision had been made before anyone spok~. (Cissel and Stern were fo attendance, Portune and Yates were absent.) T he report to close the steps was to be approved and filed. Resi­ dents were still determin ed to have their voices heard and planned to attend City Council on Wednesday, March 18. Being misinformed by both Portune's and Yate's office, we arrived too late, and only two of us · were granted two minutes to speak. O ur concerns are clear. W E USE THE STEPS, and no matter how much money you have cannot buy a city t hruway closure. If crime is a problem, seek creative alternatives from the police or other criminology specialist. DON'T ISOLATE NEIGHBO RHOODS. Isolating one neighborhood street from another is not practical in the long term. Isolation will not help community relations, is not wise for city planning, nor will it have any long term effect on crime statistics. Isolation is a reaction that is not well thought out. In fact, this isolation; removing the steps, is a form of classism which is devisive and dangerous to ~ny form of community. At­ tempting to limit access from a low-income street to a mid/high income street is a form of segregation. Economic segregation already exists in Cincinnati between urban and subur­ ban residents fo r many r easons. But if one has chosen to live on Klotter Street or Conroy Alley, one has chosen low-income neighbors. Simply because Klotter Street has been gentrified and Conroy Alley aspires to, doe~ not warrant privilege to those residents. Although City Council has made a decision, the topic is not yet dead. We plan to raise the discussion again at the Council Meeting on March 25. Also, a prayer service on those steps is in the making; and many media sources have helped to keep this topic alive, including: the Post, Channel 5 News, W CIN Radio and Streetvibes. Thanks for your interest and support. The K/otter Street Steps UPDATE-Since the original writing of this article the fight has continued. After repeated attempts to be heard at committee meeti ngs we decided to again to speak to City council at large. ORCC, residents, NAACP, Lincoln Wear, and many other concerned folks are trying to keep this issue alive and call for a re-vote. T he Klotter Street argument of safety issues is true, but whose safety are we talking about? I believe this issue of safety fo r the residents of Klotter Street is about fiscal safety, not physical safety. In the Klotter Street Ho meowners Associatio n Proposal they state that what is at stake for the City of Cincinnati is an investment of more than three quarters of a million dollars of taxpayer money they spent to improve the infrastructure of Conroy Alley which, by the map I was given, has merely ten houses on it. In bold print, the proposal states "Crime prevention is far and away the most important issue needing resolu­ tion, to allow continued prosperity of the Klotter/Conroy neighborhood." For me, prosperity is more than dollars signs. For me a flourishing successful neighborhood is based on neighborhood relations, social activism and civic responsibility. Having the City again pour more tax mo ney to make a walled community meets none of my criterion of a prosperous neighborhood - but rather isolates gentrified areas creating more economic segregation. T his is an insult to taxpayers whose money is spent to guard a few private inves­ tors on Klotter Street. T his is an insult to the police by saying the only way to promote safety is to wall yourself off. We ask City Council to reconsider, and be creative to­ gether so that security measures can benefit the larger community as we ll. We thank everyone for their support on this issue. �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 3 Dog Shelter Welcomes Homeless Peopl e? San Francisco-In a twist in dealing with homelessness, an animal shelter is volunteering to provide overnight lodging for homeless adults alongside the dogs. The city's chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which recently opened a $7 million shelter, is seeking to work with an agency to offer adults nightly shelter in "dog apartments." "It would give our dogs a chance to know what it would be like to have an ove rnight roommate," said the pres ident of the San Francisco S. C. P. A , Richard H. Avanzino. "For the homeless people it's an offe r t o get the m off the street and give them shelter with a dog buddy who will be their best friend overnight." The organization has proposed the plan to six agencies in the city. The S.P.C.A. shelter, the privately fi ­ nanced Maddie 's Pet Adoption Ce nter, opened last month and is not t he standard animal shelter. It has "home style" quarters for dogs and cats, with television sets, Persian rugs, skylights, couches and tables. The shelter also provides obedience training and toilet training. "What is missing from the equation," Mr. Avanzino said, "is having an overnight room­ mate. That's where the idea comes in." Any agency that works w ith the shelt er would have to provide cots. Because the shelter was not designed for humans, the accommodations will strictly be for overnight stays. The homeless people will niot bathe, eat or receive clothes there. Homeless people w ith their ow n pets would also not be allowed to stay the night. The homeless coordinator fo r Mayor Will ie L. Brown Jr., Terry E. Hill, said he had not seen the proposal and could not co mment on it. "I don't understand the concept," Mr. Hill Said. "So I have to speak to the Mayor before I can take a position." The Rev. Cecil Williams of the Glide Memorial United Methodist Church, which has 4 1 programs for the homeless, said the idea had merit. "The rooms look very livable, and probably they're bett~r than most rooms for homeless folks ," he said. "Dogs and animals tend to get more love and care than humans, especially those that are on the fringes of society, like the homeless." An estimated 15,000 people live on the streets, in cars or in shelters here. When he took office here in 1996, Mr. Brown said homelessness would be a top· priority. A year later he said the problem "may not be solv­ able." Mr. Brown and other of:lcials have offered proposals that include the mildly odd and the ridiculous. In the fall, Mr. Brown began a crackdown on homeless camps in Golden Gate Park and suggested borrowing a helicop­ ter from Oakland that was equipped with heat­ sensing equipment to detect campsites at night. Next, a member of the Board of Supervi­ sors encouraged chopping limbs off trees where the homeless had taken refuge. In a shift, the supervisor later recommended that supermarkets donate old shopping carts to the homeless. Advocates for the homeless see the S. P. C. A plan as another strange idea. But at least, they said, it is not intended to hurt the home­ less. The director of the San Francisco Coali­ tipn on Homelessness, Paul Boden, said the animal shelter was nicer than a shelter for the homeless that the city recently opened in a building in China Basin. In that shelter, 600 people share space with roving raccoons and o ther nocturnal creatures. Some homeless people, Mr. Boden said, are quite likely to take advantage of the S. P. C. A offer. "It's condescending, it's weird and it's a little creepy," Mr. Bo den said. "But there's nothing punitive about them saying, 'Well, if people want to come here and stay with the animals, they can. The more you think about it, the more bizarre it beco mes, because of the statement it makes that the nicest shelter in tow n is going to be the one for animals." Progression of Recovery by Don Stark Sr. Now that the recovering addict, (such as myself) is a fu nctioning human being again; now that he has connected with life within himself and with life around him, (his proper nature and destiny), the road to growth in recovery is wide open and without limit. This unlimited characteristic of recovery should come as no suprise when one reflects on the experience of the disease itself. One hears with frequency recovering alcoholics and addicts speak of "having hit my bottom." In general, "bottom" refers to the moment in their addiction that was the most painful...in fact, so painful that it motivated them to seek help. The story of myself, when I first entered treatment, best illustrates this wretched experience. Things began, I must admit, at my botto m, at my loss of worth and consistency. Even the drug want working anymore. It ju ~t seemed to give me more pain. If only I could have been certain that life and living wouldn't get an worse. There didn't seem to be any end to it. That's why I wanted to die and would just as soon have been dead. But even the thought of death was less consoling. It just added to the despair. For certain, the pain experienced in addiction is such that one reaches "bottom" only to find that there is no bottom. Rather, the disease leads to a bottomless pit. Hence, the indescribable despair. Similarly, the experience of reclaiming one's life is with out ceiling. It is without end. Recovery from the disease is not a recovery from some physical ailment like smallpox wherein one recovers a smoothness of skin. Nor is it a recovery from a mental incapacity in which one becomes able to distinguish sanity from insanity. Rather, it is a recovery from a spiritual disease in which one is in the process of reclaiming one's very life. Like life, this recov­ ery defies conscription, limitation, and prior dimensions of an kind. Like life, it is eternal and infinite. It is the real hope, finally, of an echo that the addict has heard in the bowels of his soul, however faintly, since birth-an echo that made him know beyond knowledge that His gift was without limit and that He was made to have it all. In a very real sense, the real hope of recovery is found in the real possibility of finally becoming the God that his nature calls him to be. "Called to be the Son's of Go d ...and true heirs of the Kingdom ..." (Romans 8: 14­ 17). At last t he recovering .person sees the reality o f his calling. It is a call to be the recipi­ ent of life, first, and then to be the giver of life. The human being, through the experience of living o ut his humanity which includes life at its worst, becomes, in a word, divine. He be­ co mes the God of his world! To speak of the progression of what I call spiritual sobriety is not easy. As for all things spiritual, there exists no accurate words. Allow me to speak around the concept with the o nly wo rds that I have. When considering spiritual so briety, I reflect on those things that make for the most perfect happiness that man can imagine. They consist of those realties that answer to the secret yearnings of the human heart- those yearnings that never leave us, that are always present however much they seem out of reach most of t he time. From personal experience, I believe that life, to be whole and fully nurturing, must be creative, exciting, loving and humble. Not surprisingly, these four ingredients are ob­ served to be the main arteries around which growth in recovery takes place and thrives. This growth does not o ccur instantaneously. It is gradual and progressive like a journey in which one advances mile after mile toward the final destiny. Subscribe to Streetvlbes Subscriptions to Streetvibe s can be pur­ chase d for $12 per year. Plea.se se nd a che ck to the below addre ss and the pape r will be mailed to you e ach issue . Streetvibe s 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Ple ase make che cks payable to the Gre ater Cincinnati Coalition for the Home less--Stree tvibes. If you have any que stions, call 421- 7803 . �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 4 History Repeated - Oppression of Native-Americans Occurlng Today by Andy Hutzel Last month several Over-The-Rhine residents had the opportunity to hear a Native-American named Chris Interpreter speak about the ongoing destruction of his Navajo (also called Dineh) people and their land in Big Mountain, Arizona. Issues of dis­ placement, demolicion, the interests of big business, and ultimately oppression, are operating in an attempt to "relocate" his Navajo people. It is such a desperate fight for survival, not just for Chris and his family, but for the generations of Navajo who have lived there for over 1,000 years. Genocide is a commonly used term to describe the recent situation. Chris gave a history lesson to us, describ­ ing his ancestors, their struggles, and way of life. One significant event occurred in 1864 when the US Government forcibly removed nearly I0,000 Navajo in what became America's first concentration camp - Fort Sumner. As a result of this ethnic cleansing, thousands perished form illnesses brought on by physical and spiritual diseases and malnourishment. It ended after 5 years only when "taxpayers" became angry over learning of the corruption going on among the white soldiers. Would history be repeated? In I 882, Chester Arthur created the reservation, calling it "worthless land." In the I 900's, the government forced children to assimilate into society, thus losing their native languages and culture. The 1934 Reorganiza­ tion Act created the Bureau of Indian Affairs and "Tribal Councils." The Act was actually the brainchild of the mining companies in a long range plan to make the people disappear and get the land. In I 964, the "Bennet Freeze" Act passed by Congress made it illegal for the Navajo people to repair their homes, increase livestock, or build new structures. These would all have a negative impact on the N avajo people. But in I974 the " Relocation Act" passed in Congress as "a group of mining and power companies deceived the US gov­ ernment into thinking there was a range war between the Navajo and Hopi tribes. These mining companies convinced the US govern­ me nt that the solution was to evict everyone who lived in the areas they wished to mine." As in 1864, another I 0,000 Navajo people have been forcibly relocated (displaced) to Sanders Arizona - site of one of the worst nuclear accidents in the country - with radia­ tion and pollution causing further suffering and death. They now have the highest rate of birth defects in the country. Congress spe nt a half billion dollars to section off (displace) the Navajo's with the Relocation Act. Chris says "relocate" means "to make disappear" to business and Congress people. As decades of compromises were reached by the government and the Navajo and the Hopi people, the interests of coal, oil, uranium, and natural gas destroys that history in a heartbeat. The I00+ year-old Navajo Hogans or "permanent homes" have become so-called barriers to progress. Peo ple will lose their land, homes, and their souls - ultimately their lives. "The Odd Cookie 11 Play The Odd Cookie, a children's musical, is taken from the book The Odd Cookie. It is a story that only life itself can inspire. This great musical captures the spirit of an age and tells a contemporary story that touches a generation. The result is a triumphant experience, a musical event that moves the audience with excitement and humor. It fills the heart with joy until it is ready to burst. Chris Interpreter Photo by Jimmy Heath Oginga Khamisi, radio talk show host for Ta/king Drum, on WAIF FM says that the show But despite all of these efforts at reloca­ tion, a few hundred families have stayed and are determined to fight for their ancestral lands. Chris is one of those who chose to stay. Chris and his uncle struggle each day. He witnessed his aunt being dragged from her home by the police when he was 7 years old. Having to attend a boarding school, Chris and other Navajo's were called "prairie niggers." Harassment is common today. They are watched constantly by the police and con­ fronted often. He has witnessed the sacred homes of his family being destroyed. Some have set up cardboard boxes next to their destroyed homes because it is illegal to build/ repair homes which have stood for over I00 years. So how did President Clinton add ress the situation? ln l 996, he signed the Navajo-Hopi Resettlement Act, allowing the forced relocation of the thousands of traditional Navajo remaining on their land ! ., A 79 year-old Navajo woman testified before the United Nations..."from where I stand, I believe the land was stolen. Our livestock are stolen. Even our very being is being stolen as they threaten to throw us off of the land. They put fear in our hearts and this is the way they are killing us. This land that I am sitting on, this earth here, there are many minerals underneath that could bring wealth to people. That is why they crush me with their laws to tell me that I do not belong here. For these reasons, I am resisting. I was born here. Big Mountain is my mother. I cannot just walk away from my mother...The rights which we request are only the minimum granted to all people under the United Nation's Declaration of Human Rights." Having seen much of the Midwest for the first time, Chris can't believe how we ignore so much suffering. Being able to relearn some of his native language and culture brought pride back into his being. But only 2 years into this struggle, feelings of despair often overwhelm him. Witnessing oppression and destruction of people on a daily basis affects a person. And he emphasizes business has bought our rights from under us - we are losing o ur voices. Chris challenged us on "what are our respon­ sibilities? First we just need to wake up! And ultimately it is to recognize and tell the truth!" For more information coll the Big Moun­ .'toin Hotline at (612) 361-5964 is already a legend. Mark Pastor, co-owner of Black World Products International, says that The Odd Cookie is "the best musical that I've ever seen." Mr. Ronnie X '31ack, school teacher at Bond Hill Elementary School, says "The Odd Cookie should be mandatory viewing for all children." Andrea Ross plays the Odd Cookie. Justin Haley plays the Vanilla Cookie. Karama Butler plays the Chocolate Cookie. Each child was superb at performing their character. William Jackson does the choreography for the Ants. Mr. Donnie McFinley does a fantastic job of directing this great production. He also designed all the costumes and the props. Mr. Donnie McFinely has designed wardrobe for the movies Rage in Harlem and The Shawshonk Redemption, as well as several other Hollywood movies. Mr. Donald Whitehead, Director of the Greater Cincinnaci Coalition for T he Home­ less, says ''The homeless in America have become a national crisis. It is an honor and privilege to accept the proceeds from the play, The Odd Cookie, for the homeless". America can become a stronger nation by eliminating this crisis. Support the homeless by support­ ing The Odd Cookie play. The Odd Cookie will be held at The Arts Consortium, April 4th and 5th, I 998, at 5:00 PM each day. The cast also includes Joseph Stevens, Steve Bester, Nathaniel Heffman, Kyle Hughes, Maurice Brooks, Katie Mullalley, Neriah Holley and The New Prospect Baptist Church Youth Choir. Tickets are $8.00 per person through Children's Classics by calling 221-51 I 4. Tickets at the door from The Arts Consor­ tium will be $I 5.00 per person. The Odd Cookie, the play, was written by The Shadow and Mr. Donnie McFinley. Also directed by Donnie McFinley. Support Your Local Vendor ... Tell A Friend About Streetvibes ! �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page s The Vlslble Homeless... "Sanctions" from Page 13 their lifetime eligibility. Cuyahoga County is currently debating whether to send women to work when a child is six months old. The State has exempted mothers with children under I year old. The County may not accept this exemption, and require women to enter the workforce six­ months after giving birth. In Cuyahoga County, there were 2,334 families sanction during the months of October 1997 through January 1998, accord­ ing to statistics compiled by the Federation for Community Planning. The report stated, "the most common reasons cited for sanctioning OWF participants are for Child Support; noncooperation and for failing to show up for Job Club after having signed the self-sufficiency agreement." Update from the ~H_ amllton Counb Human Services Plannlng Commltee Contact Center StaH update The Human Services Planning Committee has agreedto support several policy changes or at least look into policies that the Welfare Rights Coalition urged be adopted. Policies include: the Committee supports eliminating a mandated exit level for being able to get child care subsidies. They support dropping the 150% of poverty level for exit . · The Committee supports dropping the sanction on child care subsidies from the state sanction policy. Members were unanimously in sup­ port of this policy being changed. This means that if a household is under sanction, they would not lose their child care subsidy if they are working (and c;:omplying). HSPC will be urging the state legislators to make this policy change. This issue will be worked on at the next Sub-Committee on Child Care on April 7th 3 P.M. at 4Cs. WRC member Malaka Sanders com­ ments, "How does taking away childcare on a sanction help a family to "self-sufficiency? If the parent was working, they can't now; if they wern't, they can't start~" The HSPC · has agreed to discuss including domestic violence victims in an alternative work category. This issue will be discussed at the next HSPC meeting on April 23/ Thursday. We have advocated that domestic violence victims be placed in this category so their work requirement can be flexible. The "work" requirement could include getting abuse counseling and finding housing. HSPC is also considering policy that would allow a recipient to quit a job before being fired,"Job quit versus job fire." A firing is bad on a person's employment record and would hurt the prospect of getting another job. The WRC supports policy that would allow a recipient to quit a job if the job is not working out and not be sanctioned. Next meeting of the HSPC will be April 23, a Thursday, at I 0:00 AM. at the Hamilton County Department of Human Services. The meetings are open to the public. Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Looking for a place to call home? Call the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority ... Affordable rent that never exceeds 30o/o of your income ... Many buildings equipped with security systems ... Units located on buslines and near stores, schools, hospitals, banks Rental units are available in these family and senior communities: Avondale ·Hopple Street/Fairmou~t West End Winton Place For more information, call 421-8190 today. �, STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 6 Words From Maryann lam I am my daddy's little princess I wonder where he is I hear his voice in my head I see his face in my dreams I want for him to be there when I wake up I am my daddies little princess I pretend that he is with me now I feel his love for me I touch his picture in distress I worry if he is alive I cry because I feel rejected from him I am my daddy's little princess I understand why he couldn't tell me I say that he is on his way home I dream about how it was before I try not to cry in public I hope that he returns soon I am my daddy's little princess Downtown Downtown is full of garbage Downtown is full of crud Downtown isn't fit for a dog Downtown is so depressing It makes me wanna' cry The trees are full of death, not an ounce of life I hate it here, I wanna' go away I wanna' go someplace far T he police barely care about over here Nobody's important enough I don't feel safe in this place Yet I know the people are nice I need a better neighborhood Where everyone's my neighbor And they can call me their's I need a place with sunshine fi elds full of green grass and t rees Where I can roam free of any danger And fee l a happiness t hat I have known before. Spirit Eyes by Penelope Welz We are souls Traveling the universe Separated at birth Into bodies on the earth With earthly eyes We cease to see The e~sence of you The essence of me With spirit eyes I see the real you Not black, nor white But the color of~pure light Hi, my name is Maryann. I was born and raised in New Jersey, and my life wasn't easy growing up. I have been in and out of domes­ tic violence. relationships since I was 17 years old; I have been homeless off and on since 17 because o f the relationships I had. Three years ago I met a wonderful man, his name was Jesse, and he proved good for me. He done a lot for me that no other man did. When he passed away June 22, 1997, I said to myself what am I going to do now I am homeless because of his death? I let everything go, I came to Cincinnati to start a new life. I prayed to God every night, and I met a loving, caring, man, his name is Mark, in Cincinnati. He has a warm and caring heart; besides Jesse, Mark is the best thing that ever happened to me. If I didn't come to Cincinnati, Mark and I would have never met. I came to Cincinnati and started to sell "Streetvibes"- that's how Mark and I met. When Jesse passed last year I thought that I was not going to love again, but I was wrong. Praying to God every night has helped me through Jesse's death. I came to Cincinnati to start a new life. When I came to Cincinnati, I stayed at the Drop Inn Center for a few days. I met Mark at the library, where we occasion­ ally .met by chance because I was selling Streetvibes, where we became friends; and eventually I fell in love with Mark because he is kind and has a good heart and t he way he walks ...he is a caring man. I never met a man like him. It was not easy for me because he lived somewhere else. I left the center and found an apartment. Mark is a angel from God. Mark and I are doing wonderful. I am so glad that I am sharing life with Mark. My life has changed so much in the past year, my life is full again and I am so happy. Man's Glory By: Bernard Waters T he glory I was born to seek Is t he glo ry I shall find. For each man seeks glory on·e and every kind. No r shall t here ever be another such as me. Perhaps you wonder If that glory will be Somewhere I hope to see. But since I came to VISTA that should be the glory I seek In the work that I put forth In the service of my VISTA term Within that time limit Should be that glory That I Seek Presented by: The HarMony T earn at the 1998 VISTA Training Graduation: Bernard Waters, Wanda Houd, Sam Smith, Josh Grey, Regina Gardner, Michael Ballenger. Do• You Know Me? Do you know this guy? Weil I do, and I'm here to tell you he's back. Those who know him may wonder where he has been if not in full-time ministry, and those who don't may wonder just the same. Take a seat and I will tell you a story. The guy I'm going to tell you about went away from the army of God. He laid aside his full armor and attempted to fight the battle of grief over the death of a loved one alone. Then came the battle of marital discord, financial instability, job security, and the battles went on and on. His fellow soldiers attempted to help, but t he enemy was st ronger than they knew. This was a battle for the most high. Prayer warriors from all over began to come together, and the power which was unleashed on the enemy was remarkable. T he result of this unleashing of power was the reawakening of a soldier. The guy this in the picture began to win some battles and with the victories came the remembrance of past battles won in the name of God. When Rodney Sutton returned to active duty there was not the confinement and discharge which occurs in man's army when an a war soldier returns. He was granted a pardon by the most high and greeted with joy by his fellow soldiers. Now that I am back by the grace of God. I would like to develop a program which I would like to call "A Way O f Life Ministries," (AWOL) I would like to help other soldiers of the Lord who have went AWO L. If you can help me with o rganization, donations, sponsorship, office space, etc. please call 2 10-4 18 1. In His SerYlce Evangelist Rodney Sutton, Sr. Help Wanted Now Hiring Floor Staff and Maintenance · Drop by or Call Drop Inn Center Shelterhouse 217 West 12th Street Over-The-Rhine 721-0643 �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 7 Ranch, stated that Contreraz had been coop­ erative and fulfilled his role on a work crew. " His performance was positive and without jncident," the report said. Contreraz spoke with his probation officer by phone and was informed that he would have to stay longer than first indicated at the Ranch. At that point he refused to pick up leaves. Because ANOTllRR CLASS PRODUCTION Contreraz refused to walk, a staff member Olsc-Joclley S..W:. carried him. Contreraz refused to do exercises CLIFFORD JONES with other boys and staff put him in isolation. (513) 781-3484 When Contreraz struck his head on the bed, the staff put him in a "control position," or restraining hold. Contreraz threatened to kill the staff members once put in the hold and bit t hem. Contreraz calmed and asked to use the bathroom. Before he could reach it, he def­ ecated on himself. Staff members carried Contreraz back to his barracks, stripped him, and put him in the shower. They then dressed him and took him to the dinning hall. Before Nast-Trinity United Methodist Church letting him eat, they asked him to finish his 1320 Race St Cincinnati 721-7339 exercises. Contreraz reftJsed. According to the report, staff: "continued to help him" with his ,,__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __, Community Celebration. live Music! ANOTHER DEATH AT ARIZONA BOYS RANCH. by Mike Fontana Sixteen year old Nicholas Contreraz of Sacramento, California, died on March 3, 1998 at the Arizona Boys Ranch. This is the second death at the ranch in less than four years. At least I 3 substantiated cases of abuse have taken place there during the same time period. Approximately 20 Hamilton County boys are currently placed at the Ranch by FCF Manage­ ment, using taxpayer dollars. According to the March 7, 1998, edition of the Arizona Republic newspaper, initial reports from the ranch to authorities indicated that Contreraz had died during "recreational activity." Secondary reports from the Ranch stated that Contreraz had refused all day to walk or participate in activities. A third, written report from the Only $5 for T's, $10 for Sweats. ,,,,,-------::::::: STREETVIBES TheTriState's Homeless Grapevine Every Sunday -6PM Free of Charge exercises. The report did not specify what the "help" entailed. Contreraz asked for water but refused to walk. The two staff members carried him to the water and splashed water in his face. At that point, the staff reportedly realized Contreraz was not breathi_ng. Contreraz had just passed a physical from an RN earlier that day. Arizona law enforcement and child protective services officials were still investigating the death as of 3112/98. An autopsy was also being conducted on Contreraz. State officials reporte d t hat they had received a complaint that Boys Ranch staff was abusing Contrera. Santa Cruz In late January the Citizens Police Review Board and City Council that appointed them upheld the Santa Cruz police slaying of "Happy" John Dine without public hearings or an independent investigation. Dine, a disabled man who had frequently marched in homeless protests, had been targeted by some police officers for his outspoken hippie manner downtown and was shot twice after allegedly brandishing a toy gun [see Street Spirit De­ cember 1997 and January 1998]. The Board's decision was taken without a formal vote after several months delay with no criticism for the police chief and district attorney, who issued a still unrepudiated statement sixteen hours after t he shooting, that the Board found to be false. On March 15th, SCPD shot a second man, Brian Andrus, five times front of his wife at the door of his home. Santa Cruz activists are gathering signatures for the initiative to repeal the Sleeping Ban. Contact Homeless Unite.d for Friendship & Freedom (HUFF) 309 Cedar St. #14B, Santa Cruz 95060 ph: 408-423-4833 fax: 408-429­ 8529, e-mail: wmnofstl@cruzio.com 100% White Cotton Shirts and Lon Sleeve Sweat Shirts XL Purple logo T-shirts and .Sweat Shirts are available at our office at I 506 Elm Street. Please stop by and see us. More Natlonal News On Page 10... In Memory of "Mac" Who Believed In . Human Rights For Everyone & Who Founded Justice Watch ... Because 'Everyone' included Prisoners and Former Prisonors . Ci~cinnati ­ (513)564-9856 E-Mail· jimmy_heath@juno.com Friends and Neighbors of Over-the-Rhine An Organization Seeking Justice for People in Cincinnati's Most Endangered Community Subscribe to STREETVIBESI For only $12 per year you can have STREETVIBES delivered to your home every month. National and local Stories on Issues regarding homelessness and the poor. News, Information, Personal Stories and more, written every month by homeless and formerly homeless persons... Send Check or Money Order for $12 to: Streetvibes C/O Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 �• STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 8 STREETVIBES INTERVIEW Donald Whitehead by: Lemuel Isreal SV: There are a lot of people who have been reading this paper for a while now and still don't know who Donald Whitehead is. They've seen your name in a lot of articles as author of those articles, yet know nothing of the regular columnist who they enjoy reading so much of. So, just for the record can you tell us what you do with the National Coalition for the Homeless? DW: The National Coalition for the Homeless? SV: What I mean is The Greater Cincin­ nati Coalition for the Homeless, which is a member of the National Coalition for the Homeless. DW: Well, basically, I'm just one of two staff people, I guess I have the final responsibil­ ity on all the projects we do here. Our educational projects, the coordination of services, and the advocacy projects that we do. It's my responsibility to make sure that they get done, basically. SV: You've been with the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless now how long? Is it three years? DW: It's about three years. When I first began, I began as a vendor. I sold, at that time, The Homeless Grapevine. . SV: That is the same as the STREETVI BES of today? DW: Yes. SV: I notice that we always put on the paper, under the title, 'The Tri-State's Home­ less Grapevine. Now, who's idea was it to get the newspaper as a Cincinnati based opera­ tion? (Interviewer's Note: ThP STREETVIBES newspaper formerly known as the CINCIN NATI HOMELESS GRAPEVINE originated in Cleveland, Ohio as the HOME- ' LESS GRAPEVINE. With the help of the Cleveland editorial and production staff, Cincinnati now runs its own homespun street newspaper for the homeless. Thank you very much, Northeastern Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, for your tireless effort to bring a blaze of hope to us folks here in the South­ western Ohio Region!) DW: I would have to give the credit to Pat Clifford. SV: Pat Clifford is the person whose position you now hold, correct? DW: Yes, Pat held this position up until January fifth of this year. SY: What was your position with the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless before you became the director of the opera­ tions here? DW: Well, basically my title then was Outreach Coordinator. I was pretty much in charge of all the projects that were outreach projects. The paper, and getting stories, actually putting the paper together was my responsibility. The talks, the TV show, and the radio show were all my responsibility. SV: So, you've actually been able to reach out to the community and inform all of us about the plight of the homeless as the Out­ reach Coordinator. How successful are these outlets you are speaking of? The STREETVIBES TV show, radio show and STREETVIBES street newspaper? DW: It's somewlhat put homelessness back on the radar screen. Other than some of the negative things that have been said on TV about the homeless, the true picture disap­ peared from the radar screen. As a matter of fact, when I got here, the ·office was basically an answering machine. So what we've done, and it's not just been me, it's been a variety of a lot of different people, is we've brought homelessness back to the front page. Aware­ ness of homelessness has increased. There's been a lot of people working hard for a lot of years to do things for the homeless, but there's been that sector of the population who did not get that message. I think what we've don~ is increase the ability for, not limited just portions of Cincinnati, but most of Cincinnati to know about homelessness. SV: That's the "Don" still not willing to toot his own horn but would rather give recognition out to everyone else, but I want to let you know that this man is a tireless worker who will sacrifice a lot of his leisure time working here in the office making sure ;he paper gets out on time, making sure people are contacted that need to be for whatever event that's going on. All in all, we do appreciate your attitude as far as the fact that this is a team effort and not a one man show. I need to let our faithful readers, listeners, viewers and supporters of STREETVIBES know that a lot of these activities that are being sponsored by the Coalition for the Homeless here in Cincinnati ar<.: being spearheaded by Donald. A lot of the r"ort that you see in the STREETVIBES newspaper comes from Donald Whitehead, whom I affectionately call "The Don". He is the ruler here. He's sitting on the throne and yet he's willing to share his seat with everyone who's willing to pitch in and get their hands dirty. This is truly a case in point where ". ..he who will be a servant of all will be the greatest of all." One of the things that I've constantly observed at Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is the sincere desire and effort of the volunteers who come in. Talk to us about your volunteer support group. DW: Well, we've had some wonderful volunteers! Just to name a few if I can: Kim­ berly T enni did a lot of volunteer editing for the first year, Katherine Sevantes who is one of our volunteer editors, Tammy Nettles who just started, Bod Holby, Becky Renaldo. All have come in and done volunteer work as far as editing. Although the ultimate responsibility has lain in my hands and Pat's (Pat Clifford) hands before, a lot of what happens with the paper as far as the editing and some of the typing that is done, a lot of the volunteers are responsible for a lot of the work that is done. And those are just some of the volunteers. There are a lot of volunteers from different agendes that also ar.e a big part of what we do nere. Jimmy Heath is a staff person now, but, during the first year of STREETVIBES he volunteered his photographs which .were a llig part of the paper. Bonnie Neumeier volunteers her time as a story writer and an editor. There's been countless others: Jennifer Summers, Andy Hutzle. We always get a couple of stories from the Welfare Rights Coalition. Some of the people in the live-in treatment program at the Drop-Inn Center. All of t hose people have..., you know, so it's not a one-man-thing. It's a lot of people working together. And nobody except myself gets paid for doing this paper so it is a big volunteer effort. So. Malaka Sanders I didn't .;ay, Ron Carter, Gregory Payton, I could name about seventy-five peo~le and you probably wouldn't have enough space in your article for seventy-five people but, ... SY: Well, that's just like you to continue giving credit .to whom credit is due. I'm sure that all of the people you've ~e-ntioned are appreciative of you recog­ n1z1ng them. Yet I know that this effort is not for gaining recognition for any specific individual. DW: Definitely not! SY: The whole Idea is.... , what do they say the definition of charity is? It is when some- one gives of themselves and doesn't expect anything in return. And that takes me to another point that I wanted to make that even goes beyond just the newspaper itself. You have many jobs here besides the newspaper and outreach programs going on now. The charity organizations in Cincinnati. My experiences with some of them have been genuinely very, very good. The effort that is being made by a lot of the nonprofit social organizations in Cincinnati, who are a part of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, can be categorized as being truly charity organizations because of the peoples efforts which are tirelessly and selflessly being continuously employed in constructive ways. However, I know that there's the downside. What I want to do before we get to the end of this interview is to see if we can come to some· solutions to the downside. First of all I was wonder­ ing if we could talk a little bit about the problems. There are some that I'm aware of and there are some that I know you are aware of more than I. My reason for putting some of these problems out here is that the readers of STREETVIBES need to know and see both the positive and the negative sides, as there may be someone out there who will be willing to pitch in and help bring about some of the solutions to the overwhelming problems we face everyday, concerning homelessness and �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Donald Whitehead, Director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition fo,. the Homeless poverty in Cincinnati and all around America and yes, even around the world! My reasons for bringing up these problems is not to knock organizations, but that maybe we can put the problems out here where we can all see just what is going on. Then, through dialogue, as well as an active apprpach, we just may be able to solve some of these problems. One of the problems that is very, very evident is a lack of money. OW: Yes! SV: Can you address the state of affairs - concerning the finanCial situation that is going on with the Coalition as a whole and the limitations imposed due to the lack of proper funding? OW: Well, there are a lot of limitations and a lot of them are related to finances. First, you can never do as much as you actually want to do to help the homeless. You work within the realms of the constraints of your budget. There's a lot of programs that we would definitely like to implement however we don't have the funding to do them. Funding for all of our member organizations is drying up. There's welfare reform, there's public housing reform, basically most of the funders have their priorities mixed up. The funders I'm speaking of being the Federal Government's legislators have their priorities mixed up. Because of that, funding is being cut off in a lot of different places. And not only is funding being cut off, we've made some critical mis­ takes in housing. Legislation back in the early eighties with the Reagan administration stopped funding public housing. When you stop funding public housing you increase homelessness. When homelessness increased, when it became a big blip on the radar in the early eighties, we started putting money into shelters. However shelters aren't the answer. The answer is housing and supportive services. The biggest answer is to put money into housing even though we have to have shelters right now because the homeless population is increasing. We would definitely be better served to put money into housing. Until we start funding housing at the levels t hat hap­ pened before the Reagan administration we're going to continue to have a homeless problem. And not only do we need that housing, we also need supportive services. A lot of people, even if you gave them a house, wouldn't be able to get out of homelessness. That's a reality we have to face and sometimes we try to shy away from those realities. Because of some of the other conditions that they have, mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence, and lack of education, those people need some other services. Until we start creating a model like some of the models that we have here, like the Recovery Hotel, the perfect model, and some of the exhale devel­ opment mentally challenging facilities which supportive services offer, until we start doing that on a regular basis, we're going to always have a homeless problem. Unfortunately, we're not going to see an increase in funding for that problem until we start seeing some kind of tragic occurrences. Until we start seeing families freezing outside, because that's who's being denied shelter right now, families! Until we start seeing a wholesale increase in crime, those priorities aren't going to change. What I'm basically saying, we won't get a change unless something horrific happens. That's an unfortunate reality. And that's what usually happens with social justice. SV: I 'have a question for you dealing with the employment situation. You look in the newspaper and you see a lot of jobs available. Why is it that we still have so much unem­ ployment? . OW: First of all, there's a misconception with unemployment because the unemploy­ ment statistics are statistics they use only for people that apply for unemployment. That's not actually how many people are unem­ ployed. The jobs we see in the·paper, ...there's a lot of barriers to those jobs. A lot of them are skilled positions, probably ... I don't know, maybe a third of them are skilled positions where you need more than just basic high school education just to do that job. You need some kind of other training or secondary skill. Another barrier is transportation. A lot of Page 9 those jobs are in Mason or Blue Ash or some other area where you can't get to through public transportation. That's why a lot of those jobs go unfilled. The other reason is basically most of those jobs that you see are service related positions that are generally low paying, generally have no benefits attached and generally have high turnover. A person can't survive on those types of jobs. Fair market rent in Cincinnati for a one bedroom apart­ ment is seven dollars an hour. Most service related jobs don't pay seven dollars an hour. While, they have jobs that provide minimum wage, what we need is livable wage jobs. SV: So your saying livable wage comes out to about seven dollars an hour. Is that for a single person you' re saying, or... OW: That's for a single person. SV: Just for a single person?! OW: Right! Fair market value for a three bedroom family is more like nine do llars an hour. So for a family... SV: That would be like a man and his w ife, and a boy and a girl? OW: Right. Or, even a woman and two children, or a man and two children, or a man, woman and one child. A three bedroom apartment, well, a man and two children of different sexes need separate bedrooms and he needs a bedroom or a family with enough children which requir~s three separate bed­ rooms. So, it would be a three bedroom home. That takes at least nine dollars an hour and over nine dollars an hour actually. That's what the fair market rent is. SV: That's the fair market, but they're not being very fair out here in the real world. OW: (Cynically laughing) Ha! SV: What hope do people have? While we're getting knocked off of welfare, without the hope of getting one of these seven dollar or nine dollar an hour jobs?! What hope do we really have?! Is there any shining light for the future? What I'm trying to ask, can you paint us a prettier picture than you're paintin' here? As far as for the numbers of people who are increasingly showing up in the soup kitchens and the homeless shelters? OW: Unfortunately, to paint a prettier picture would be deceiving because there is no pretty picture. This is reality! This is what's about to happen. This is what's happening! While people are being forced into jobs, those jobs aren't able to sustain them for any length of time at all. So those people that are being forced into those jobs are destined at some point in time to end up in a homeless shelter, or homeless and in the street or in a doubled­ up situation because they won't be able to afford the Housing. They can afford the housing for a short period of time, but sooner or later it just doesn't level out. They don't have en_ough money or they just have to sacrifice. They'll either have to pay the rent this month or eat this month. That's what people are being forced into. That's the real picture! That's reality! To be continued... Look for more of the Interview with Donald Whitehead In next month's issue of STREETVIBES. I I "I �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Urban Ministry's morning homeless facility­ now struggling to survive in a truck parked near the Transit center. More info: call Perusha at reports 650-843-0333 X3663. We need .to get Involved to make a difference. We, the people of America, want a better world to live in, but some of us have no interest in making this happen. If you want something you have to also give a little in order to get what you want. You do this by voting in the elections, attending open neighborhood meetings, responding to issues of concern from flyers given to us from street vendors or even through the mail. Our voices can be heard but we first have to speak out when given the opportunity to do so. Don't just sit around and think about what could have been if we had taken action: We can make the difference, so let's get together and take Spike Lee's advice and Do The Right Thing!! Ron Carter Natlonal News from page 7 (Callfornla) San Jose: Food Not Bombs successfully challenged a merchant/police smear campaign against the homeless on March 22nd, when they picketed the home of a resident whose quotes had been used by the San Jose Mercury News in a March 16th story; De Blackman ( St. James Square Neighborhood Association). The "round the bums up" story focused on St. James Park, where Food Not Bombs serves food in spite of police harassment, following complete fencing off of the downtown Cesar Chavez park and a misdemeanor downtown sitting ban {Steer Spirit 5/97). Food Not Bombs can be reached at: 408­ 257-9424 (contact: Lennox). Also fighting for shelters in San Jose is the Community Homeless Alliance Ministry (408­ 345-2353). Palo Alto: There has been only one ticket under the city's I 0-block sit/lie qan, according to Food Not Bombs worker Perusha Obluda-due in significant part to the large protest against the law at City Council and a candlelight civil disobedience on University Avenue last spring. Authorities in the city of 60,000 (with an estimated 150 homeless population) barred Victor Frost, a local homeless man, from setting up a weekend First Amend~ent camp­ out protest at City Hall in search of a city­ sponsored or tolerated campground. Low-key police pressure has apparently reduced the visible homeless population downtown. Rains and official indifference have washed away the San Francisco: Judy Appel, Coalition on Homelessness attorney, notes t hat the Parks and Recre­ ation Department has ste pped up pressure· on the homeless with daily sweeps in Golder\ Gate Park. Mayor Willie Brown's 'bumbasher' squad is giving its victims five minutes to move, or if they aren't on the site, t hey will take people's left-behind survival gear and discard it. Victims are responding with small claims and administra­ tive claims against the City. COH activists turned an anti-homeless attack on "shopping cart theft" in Supervisorial hearings by Supervisor Amos Brown into a partially­ successful proposal to Lucky's Supermarket to set up a donated shopping cart program for the poor. Police have reportedly slowed their seizure of homeless shopping carts, though Civic Center Parks and Recreation squads have stepped up. COH receives about I complaint a day about police tow-aways of vehicular residences, (i.e. vans and cars that folks use to sleep in), has approached the Police Commission to put a moratoriumon on the tows, and has asked the Mayor's qffice to set up a special permit program for folks to be able to stay in vehicles. COH has been in neg~tiations with the city since the fall of 1996 to use a lot where people in vehicles can have a community, secure some basic amenities, pay rent, and be free from police harassment. A Port of San Francisco site has been identified. Fall hysteria generated by Ken Garcia's Chronicle article denouncing the homeless in Golden Gate Park as arsonists, parolees, and drug users, has resulted in a fencing off of a portion of the park. Citations in the park have decreased, but citations of folks in nearby doorways has increased. No real discussion is happening in law-making circles of criminalizing the poor so COH has put forth a Covenant Campaign to neighborhood groups seeking other alternatives to addressing homelessness other than calling in the police. An emergency shelter in an industrial area of 400-600 beds was recently opened after N IMBY pressure closed three successful community shelters. Meanwhile the winter death toll has increased through the winter, in part because of the police policy of confiscating homeless prop­ erty. For info on the Covenant call COH at 4 15-346-3740. Candlelight vigil for police victim Mark Garcia, 7 pm Wednesday April 15 at 7PM at St. Peter's Church at 24th Steet and Alabama to support family and demand justice. • Buena Park (Southern California) Reverend Wiley Drake of the First Southern Baptist Church reports ground­ breaking for a church shelter there which finally secured a conditional use permit after a two-year fight with the city, in which he was jury-tried and found guilty of four misdemean­ Page 1o ors for housing homeless people in his church. Drake has refused to evict the homeless, though he has directed people not to sleep in their vehicles in the parking lot and use his church's indoor facility instead. The city's draconian sleeping ban (even on private property) has driven many homeless into unsafe places. Info: contact Drake at 7 14-552­ 720 1. ·san Diego Since March I5th.homelessness support­ ers have held a Vigil for Year Round Shelters outside City Hall seeking shelter for an esti­ mated 2000 homeless of San Diego's 4500 homeless population. Due to activist pressure, "illegal lodging" arrests under the arcane 1872 state misdemeanor law 647i-have been dropped. A hunger fast by Urban Safari's Larry Milligan shamed the city into opening two 24-­ hour restrooms, which it had refused to do in spite of years of urging. Forrest Curo's Street Light paper has been publishing monthly for over a year and covering local protests in vivid detail. Contact Street Light, 917 E San Diego 92 10 I ph: 619-338-9.081 Sacramento Loaves and Fishes is now feeding without harassment (Street Spirit 4/97), but new security guards hired by the city carry fire­ arms. The local homeless paper, Hom~e.ward 'is in its 5th issue. Eddie Harris of the Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee may be planning protests at the California's Homelessness and Housing Conference in early May against the City Council's new law barring the holding of "Will Work for Food" type signs on freeway entrance ramps. Call Harris at 1-9 16-442-7376 for more info. [Next month: Eureka, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, San Rafael, and Berkeley/Oakland + more!] Subscribe to Streetvlbes Subscr ipt ions to Streetvibes can be pur­ chased for $ 12 pe r year. Please send a check to t he below addr ess a nd t he pa pe r will be m a ile d t o yo u each issue. St reetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable t o t he Gre ate r Cincinnat i Coalit ion for t he H o m eless--Streetvibes. If yo u have a ny quest io ns, call 421 - 7803 . �STREETVIBES TheTriState's Homeless Grapevine Streetvlbes Crossword Page 11 by Paul linden 1 "Welfare Polley... " from Page One urging the state legislators to make this policy change. This issue will be worked on at the next Sub-Committee on Child Care on April 7th, at 3 P.M. at 4Cs. WRC member Malaka Sanders com­ ments, "How does taking away childcare on a sanction help a family to "self-sufficiency? If the parent was working, they can't now; if they wern't, they can't start!" The HSPC has agreed to discuss includ­ ing domestic violence victims in an alternative work category. This issue will be discussed at the next HSPC meeting on Thursady April 23. We have advocated that domestic violence victims be placed in this category so their work requirement can be flexible. The "work" requirement could include getting abuse counseling and finding housing. 60 64 Answers to this month's puzzle on back page.. _.Indicates clues from March Issue Across 1. HOUSING PROVIDERS• 2. DOWNTOWN STREET 7. DOWNTOWN STREET 11 . MONTHLY EXPENSE 14. GUIDED 15. TOO 17. SHOCKING WATER SNAKE 19. BRIT STREET RAG • 21. POSITIVE EXPECTATION 22. RELIGIOUS SEASON 25. DOWNTOWN STREET 26. BROADWAY LANDLORD • 29. URBAN VERMIN 32. DOWNTOWN STREET 33. SPANISH GREETING 35. IRISH FATHER AFFECTIONATELY 36. KIND OF POWER BY 5 DOWN * 42. MOUTH PART 43. WESTERN STATE'S CAPITAL 45. DOWNTOWN STREET 46. REALLY WIDE SHOE 47. SIBLING'S DAUGHTER 48. STUBBORN EQUINE 49. FLIGHTLESS BIRD 50. EYE PART 51 . GERMAN RIVER 53. ESKIMO BOAT 55. DOWNTOWN STREET 57. PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRY 59. 2000 LBS. 60. ALIEN'S INITIALS 61. GOV. THOMPSON'S STATE • 64. FORMER W . GERMAN CAPITAL 65. UNIVERSITY'S NEIGHBORHOOD Down 1. PLWA RESIDENCE• 3. CELEBRATED 16YRS AT DIC• 4.... 5. STREETVIBES WRITER'S NICKNAME* 6. COLLECTED ANIMALS HOME 8. LYRICAL POEM 9. PRICE HILL CO-OP • 10. LONG-HAIRED OX 12. WHITEHEAD DREAMS AT THOUSAND FEET* 13. HEART OF IT ALL 16. KITCHEN 18. PERMITIED BY LAW 20. ATLANTA'S TIME ZONE 21. STREETVIBES PHOTOG • 23. HESTON'S GUNNERS 24. DOWNTOWN STREET 27. GLORIOUS GOAL 28. CLEVELAND STREET RAG* 30. BOOT BOTIOM 31. U.C. ANIMAL 34. FALSEHOOD 35. HOUSING LOSS • 37. METAL TELLER w Find these words in the puzzle: M A L p H 0 I T E G E G y E T s L A A s s s 39. MORE PAY 40. BEATS KING 41 . CLASS TALK 44. BEAT U.C. 48. XAVIER TEAM AFFECTIONATELY 52. INERT GAS IN COLORED LIGHTS 54. FLIGHTLESS BIRD 55. SLEAVELESS OVERSHIRT 56. MIDDAY 57. 2NDMO. 58. JUICE'S JUDGE 59. GRATUITY 62. _0NLY 63. BUSINESS GROUP (ABBR.) HSPC is also considering policy that would allow a recipient to quit a job before being fired,"Job quit versus job fire ." A firing is bad on a person's employment record and would hurt the prospect of getting another job. The WRC supports policy that would allow a recipient to quit a job if the job is not working out and not be sanctioned. Next meeting of the HSPC will be April 23, a Thursday, at I 0 AM. at the Hamilton County Department of Human Services. The meetings are open to the public. Scramble Search Word by Gregory Payton A D N u s c H u R c 0 R A B B L H I T 0 E G G s R C .A N D s B B R E G s T E K B I R T H L 0 0 F L 38. COFFEE POT B 0 E s v A E A B R D A y s I R p A Candy Colors Easter Eggs Basket Baseball Palm Sunday Birthdays Good Friday Passover White Rabbit Church April Fools by Ron Carter Try to unscramble these popular Movie related words: OULS ODOF YENOMATLSK MAOBR IWNST OCKYR OYRGL TITANCI OGDHTREFA ANTICTLA ITCY TTONAP Answers on page 15. �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 12 Ravings of a Mad Womyn a monthly attempt to chip away at the rule of the Establishment by Ma/aka It seemed to the mad womyn that just the truism expressed in the title was more relevant than any book tide in popular culture (if middle class Black wimmin are, ''Waiting to Exhale" over some man, like Terry suggested, then their low-income sisters are in need of a good boo-hoo over what their families will be subjected to under the snatchin' of the safety net by high-income men...) The book.For Cryin~ Out Loud:Women's Poverty in the United States, edit.ed by Diane Dujon, a former welfare mama and welfare rights activist and Ann Withom, a professor ofsocial policy. is a collection ofessays by activists, economists,and experts from all over the country, with varied socioeconomic backgrounds, givingtheir very "radical" views about the welfare state: that every family has a right to eat,a place to stay.and enough resources to live in stabiftty; that government (especially in a capitalistic system that creates poverty) has a responsibility toaid low-income people; and that the interests of the workers at the bottom ( the parents raising children with governmentaid) are the same interests ofall workers. VVr""1 Most liberalswould agree with those first two points, butwhataboutthatlastone: what interests do the employed share with "WOmen"on" welfare? In fact,don't"they" undermine our interests? Rrst,a bit of history. The animosity between the employed and unemployed has notalways existed, in fact, it was paid workers, as early as the 30's that fought hard for benefits for both groups- to reduce their vulnerabilityto exploitation. As Diane Dujon wrote in her essay"We'reAll V\brlcers","The Great Depression served to edueate the suddenly unemployed working class to the fact that people are impoverished by outside forces that impact their lives. This universal understandingfoStered a change in the debate from blamingand reformingthevictim tothinkingabouthow to change the strucrures ofour society." It can't possibly besaid enough that the reason most peoples' real earnings (that is, how much can acrually be done with how much we make) continue to plummet in this country is because I 0% percentofthe population continues to hold 90% ofthe wealth- not because 5% of the population receives a negligible amount of aid (between 1­ 4% of the national budget- depending on if food stamps, subsidized housing and Medicaid are included and most folks in this population don't getall of these!). And which population does your government and mainstream media ...vorkfor? I'll give ya one guess. Allright, but some ofy'all are outthere sayin',"I have .children and I work. It's hard.but I manage". Sandy Felder, in her essay'Welfare:the basement of the wage scale" responds that while it is important for all to appreciate this sentiment, it is also important for the employed to fight the realfight, "the challenge is_to create a society where people can work and also care for their children...create well-paid jobs and also have health care and day care..." lsn'tthatwhatunionsfightfor? Here's somethin seemingly ironic the same attitudes faced by welfare rights activists,"They're tryin toget over on us","They'reaskingforto much" or"Why should they receive those benefits" are the same ones faced by, you guessed it, union organizers. In fact, in an economic climate where most employees are one or two checks away from needing aid themselves, Dujon asks,"Don't they know that sometimes it's your employer that decides whether or notyou applyfor welfare!' "What about unemployment?" you ask. well it has limits.To receive it you must make a certain amount, work a certa.in number of hours, and a certa.in length of time. So even though a significantamount of the workforce are low­ wage. part-time, or seasonal- too bad. Also, unemployment doesn't provide nearly~ much as what you were making did, regardless as to why you're unemployed. And of course. unemployment runs out- then what? Now ya know why some of us refer to welfare as a safety net: now the question is, who's ever really safe- so safe that you can watch it be dismantled? Welfare rightsactivists and conscientious union leaders around the country are fighting for compassionate reform because they,like Felder,realize that,"a rising tide raises all boats". Or, viewed in lightof the"reform",withou an insured basic livingstandard we 're all more vulnerable to exploitation by those at the top! This is class war plain and simple. and the fact that most low to middle income Americans are in solidarity with those at the top is simply a sad commentary on how pervasive the propaganda system (the media) is -WAKE UP!!! And when all ofus, as voters allow welfare to be cu thereby undermining our own wage base and standard of living. it sort of begs the question, "How low will we digou own basement?" Hope a storm doesn't come through ... (the book is ·available from South End Press at 1­ 800-533-8478. For more info about local welfare rights organizing.give us a call over at the Contact Center, 381­ 4242 or come to our monthly potluck. atnoon, the Ist Thursday of the month at 1641 Vine- see ya there...) Corrections: The book quoted in last month's "Ravings of a Mad Womyn" wasThe Celling ofAmerica Also,Joe Urgo's quote should have appeared as follows,"...when thousands of us vets read about imperial­ ism we knew what it was, because we did the murder, torture. and rape, and imperialism gave us the explanation why. Just like the Gls that went to Panama,the GulfWar, and Somalia...theytoo must figure it out. Many...talkabout imperialism...like it was a policy of the government, like somehow this government could decide not to be imperialist...NOT!Wake up and smash those illusions. In a world where the U.S. is the biggest among powerful nations, squeezing the life blood out ofoppressed peoples, U.S.troops will continue going'round the world and we will be complicit in our silence orour confusion. The local contact (or WAWAI is Sonny Williams at 241-8014.· Malaka can be reached by email at: homecoal@primax.net Jame.s James is a homeless man who is 40 years old. James was interviewed at the Mary Magdeline House on Main street in Over the Rhine. This division of the Franciscan at St. ·john provides a safe place to take showers and to wash clothes for homeless people. James described the current job market as improving after about three months of reduced job referrals from the temporary employment agency where he works. James has been living at the Drop In Center for about three months during this slow period but he said " I never give up because things will get better". " Most homeless people able to talk among themselves to share information about jobs and services. Most people think homeless people do not care about anything but this is not true"he said. Even though James 1-ias not had enough income to find decent housing he has re­ mained current on his child support payments. James also plans to be out of the Drop In Center in a few months. Written by Nathaniel Johnson, Streetvibes Intern I Remember Do you? •• by Gregory Payton Thirty years ago, April the 4, the plans were in the making for the Poor People's Campaign, a plan to help both needy white and black Americans. But that came to a halt because Dr. Martin Luther King was killed. Today I feel I know why and I would like to tell you about it. I am not a scholar or historian so you can relax, it's just my thoughts that I write about. D r. King was just a man but he had a conscious, he expressed what he thought out loud. It started with the bus boycott, after that he then went to jail in an attempt to end "Jim Crow" laws. Dr. King's actions helped to bring about desegregation . Next came the "Civil Rights Act". This was a law that would guaran­ tee equal rights for all citizens. regardless of the color of their skin. This includes the right to vote. Dr. King, with the help of many others- · white and black, was successful in changing the so called American Way . T he thing that strikes me the hardest is the fact that I can look back and see that the churches and schools were involved. Black and white college and high school students were involved. "These H~ro.e·s --w II Be The Students... " Martin Luther King I read a few things that I know Dr. King would want us to remember. Dr. King. you awoke a new spirit of social inquiry throughout the land to the benefit of all Americans. Never before in the United States had such a large body of students joined in a struggle. Dr. King wrote to his fellow clergymen from the Birmingham jail that one day the south will recognize the real heroes of the struggle for freedom. These heroes will be the students, young ministers, church elders and everyday people. These people helped carry our nation back to the great wells of democracy that were dug by the authors of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Today I wonder what the Poor Peoples Campaign was all about. In my heart I know that it must have been one of the greatest movements of all time. People from every race and denomina­ tion were joined together because they all felt that the change was needed. Dr. King prepared students to look at the needs of all people.. Sadly , I know it was inevitable that some people would target Dr. King for death be­ cause of the movement he was leading. I also look at others that had to die through con­ spiracy like Malcolm X, the Kennedy's and buddy gray. All these people stood for the people. It makes me wonder where did all the students go that would be ready to make social change. What are they teaching the children about the poor and homeless. I remember, Do You?. �-----------------------~----~----------------------------------------~--- ­ STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 13 Cleveland's Homeless Grapevine Cuyohoga County from Brian Davis, of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless Cuyohoga County will be signing its Partnership Agreement with the Ohio Depart­ ment of Human Services on the last week of March. Cuyohoga's welfare plan includes a mandate that all applicants have a drug test within 90 days of applying for assistance. If they are unwilling to comply. to a drug test, they will not be able to.get Ohio Works First . assistance in Cuyohoga County! Cuyohoga County also plans to count the months that a household is under sanction as part of their time clock ticking on welfare. In one month alone in 1998, Cuyohoga County sanctioned 1500 households! Of those households, 1400 have not returned to Ohio Works First. Mark your calendar now for the OEC Statewide Grassroots Welfare Empowerment Conference: MAY 15th & 16th, Columbus, OH. The Conference will have informative workshops, great speakers, and entertain­ ment! A brochure will be sent to you soon. For more information call the OEC rep. in your area. .Trubull County Welfare Rights Coalltlon by Geneva Reid The Trumbull County Welfare Rights Coalition held "Welfare Reform Round Table II" on March 20th. They had very good attendance. A lot of information on Ohio Works First and the EBT card was given out. Panelists included Jerry Vandegrift of Trumbull County Department of Human Services JOBS Program, Jean Maurice of the Department's Income Maintenance, Dan Subula of the Department's EBT card, and Pat Duricy of Northeast Ohio Legal Services. The next Round Table will be April 7. Trumbull County will be one of the last counties of Ohio to convert over to the EBT card. Trumbull County will also be one of the last counties to complete a Partnership Agree­ ment with the Ohio Department of Human Services. Geneva ~eld a meeting with Trumbull County Commissioner Michael O 'Bryan to discuss when Trumbull County will complete its county welfare plan. She plans to be included on the Trumbull County Human Services Planning Committee when it is formed. Ohio Works -first Levies Sanction Agal~st Fa ml lies by: Jean £ laddi e OWF recipients receive a" Sanctions" notice from the Department of Entailment and Employment Services. It explains that some sanctions are assessed on a three-tier sched­ ule. The first time someone in the family does not comply with a requirement, a family will their OWF check and can lose their cash benefits and possibly foodstamps , for at least three months. If there is a third violation, the family loses it's cash benefits and possibly its foodstamps for at least six months. In addi­ tion, adults may be ineligible for Medicaid. The letters detailing the sanction at this time do not mention the status of Medicaid or other non-cash assistance. Many sanctioned households assume that a sanction means all benefits are cut, which is not usually the case. The three-tier punishment method is .disregarded if a family member quits their job. Under the sanction rules, if any adult who is required to work quits their job " without just cause" the entire family will lose their cash benefits, and possibly foodstamps, for six months. This six-month sanction will occur even if the violation was the family's first. The Department of Human Services is also requiring a drug screen within the first 90 days of applying for cash assistance. If they test positive they will be given treatment. If they refuse treatment they will be sanctioned. At this time, the family is punished - twice when they are sanctioned. A family can only receive assistance 'for 36 months in their lifetime. When a fami ly is sanctioned the clock continues to tick. A fam ily that receives a six month sanction will also lose six months of Ohio Works First (OWF). which replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), is Ohio's latest attempt at reforming welfare. Although rules for welfare have changed repeatedly over the past year, this latest law went into effect October I, 1997. In addition to new rules, Ohio Works First creates stiff penalties for families, called sanctions. A sanctions is punishment for not complying with the new Ohio Works first requirements. Under the new rules, an entir:e family will be sanctioned if any member of that family fails to comply with requirements that are set forth by the department of Employ­ ment and Entitlement services. For example, Julia and her two children were penalized when her husband refused a II n work assignment. The family had no car and, since they lived in Medina county which has no public transportation, getting to work was hard. Julia walked to her job as a janitor, but her husbands job was farther away and he could not find a way to work. Julia's entire family lost their cash OWF benefits. Julia was told that the benefits would not be reinstated until the "total household was in compliance" or one month whichever was longer. In order to be eligible for public assistance benefits, each adult or minor head of household must sign the Ohio Work first Participation Require­ ment contract. The contract requires OWF recipients to work or volunteer at least 30 hours per week in order to keep their public assistance - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - , benefits. The contract stresses that any work or volunteer absences must be for "good cause", must be reported within one hour, and ·the reason for the absence must be documented in writing. Failure to do any of these, will result in a sanction. Sanction also result when OWF recipient miss a meeting with their caseworker, or for not complying com­ pletely with child support require­ ments. One individual's family was sanctioned for quitting a job without just cause. He was burned at the fast food store that he was working at. He claimed that it was unsafe working conditions. The fast food shop refused to comment for fear of a worker's comp~nsation claim, and so the Department of Human Services declared the indi­ vidual had quit w ithout just cause and he was sanctio ned. Sanctions... continued on page 5 Answers to Streetvlbes Crossword From Page 11... i I �STR EETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page J4 Two-Way Vine Divides Neighborhood Two-Way Vine Street Conversion Raises Concerns Among Residents And The Over-The-Rhine Community Council Slot}' and Photo by Jimmy Heath In March of 1974, Richard Winbush was struck down w hile walking on a green cross­ walk light by a car that also had a green light. This accident occurred at the infamous "Five Points Corner" {Findlay, McMicken and Vine). Richard Winbush spent almost two years at General Hospital .and eventually died from complications due to the accident. That intersection, with mis-timed lights, had taken many victims. A movement to change Vine Street in order .to make it safer for the neigh­ borhood began with that incident 25 years ago: Vine Street was made one-way, Five Points Corner improyed somewhat, new traffic lights were installed, and most crosswalks in Central Over-T he-Rhine were repainted. As it stands, Vine Street today is still dangerous: Many trucks use Vine Street as a thoroughfare to Liberty Street arid eventually 1-71. Many cars pass through Central OTR from Downtown Cincinnati to points north during rush hour. It is a continuing challenge to keep our school-going children, seniors and disabled persons safe while crossing this busy street. Developers and some landlords want to return Vine Street to two-way under the guise of economic development. Some business owners on Vine Street have been convinced by these developers that Vine Street operating 'two-way' will be good for their businesses. On the other hand, some might argue that conges­ tion is not good for business; "If I need to travel from point A to point B, I'm not going to go out of my way to get stuck in traffic. And I'm not going to pullover and go shopping if I'm stuck in traffic," says one commuter. "If I really need to travel by car to Downtown, I'll use 1­ 71, Reading Road or Central Parkway. I'm not going to use a congested Vine Street through . Over-The-Rhine." Because of a myriad of physical restric­ tions on· Vine Street, many on-street parking spaces will have to be given up and used to accomodate traffic flow for a two-way conver­ sion. Police and Fire services have also ex­ pressed some concern over the two-way plan because the movement of emergency vehicles may be difficult. And the City's Traffic Engi­ neering Department feels that given present day traffic flow, congestion is inevitable. Problems include the halting of traffic for left.­ hand turns. Statitics show that busy two-way traffic in a residential/business thouroughfare will also result in more automobile accidents and increased danger to pedestrians. A signifi­ cant number of bus stops along present day Vine Street will have to be eliminated because of parking restrictions during peak hours and the necessity for maintaining loading zones for trucks. Public transportation (buses) for low­ income persons, senior citizens and school children is important and necessary to the neighborhood of Over-The-Rhine. Also, are taxpayers willing to continue to subsidize business interests in OTR? Who will pay for this street conversion other than this City's taxpayers? Is this expensive conversion also good for the taxpayer living, working and shopping in another community? Another aspect is the result of the change on other neighborhood businesses on adjoining streets in OTR, especially the Findlay Market area. If the theoretical Two-Way Vine is good for Vine Street business, wouldn't that diminish busi­ ness opportunities on adjoining streets? A recommendat.ion in a report by the Urban Land Institute, a Washington DC based­ urban development think-tank, started the recent debate over the Two-Way Vine initia­ tive in a report to the City. (The Urban Land lnsitute group flew in for a one week stay at an expensive downtown hotel, gave a cursory glance to the Over-The-Rhine neighborhood, and submitted a report on how to 'improve' the neighborhood of OTR, which included a recomendation to convert Vine Street to two­ way). Another report, developed and written in 1995 and initiated by the City's Public Works Department to look at this issue, was completed by an independent consultant hired by the City, to determine the feasibility of the conversion of Vine Street to two-way. The report determined that a two-way conversion would not be a good idea: the change " ...will also result in more accidents, more congestion, less curb side parking, and an increase in the potential for more pedestrian accidents. At the same time this analyses could not verify the effects of street direct!on on business and economic development opportunities." [Pflum, Klaumeier and Gehrum Consultants, Inc.] This extensive report was rejected by our City Council, and the Public Works Department was ordered to come up with alternatives once again for looking at the issue of convert­ ing Vine Street to two-way. Late in 1997, a Vine Street Task Force was formu lated, composed of Vine Street residents, business owners and concerned citizens. Task Force members were given the job of looking at the issue again and formulating a plan that would find a way to make a two-way conversion. Many Task Force members were led to believe that they would be given a chance to lo~tl the alternatives for Vine Street including keeping it one-way. But the meetings contin­ ued to center around how two-way Vine alternatives could be implemented. Keeping Vine Street one-way as a safety or tax-sav· measure was not considered as e alternative to the ~ s Force members were direct-e-d-roTook only at two-way alterna­ tives. Although the Task Force members were in agreement over making Vine Street safer for neighborhood residents and traffic, while keeping costs of improvments within reason, some of the Task Force business representa­ tives rejected Vine Street as it is today. And the City representative made it clear that looking at alternatives to one-way was the only purpose of the Task Force. One Task Force member resigned because he felt that he was there only to rubber stamp decisions that were going to be made regardless of the Task Force recommendations. He felt that residents on the Task Force were there only to appease neighborhood objections to a two-way con­ version plan, and that he was, along with other residents on the Task ~orce, only tokens. The Over-The-Rhine Commun ity Council has continued to make it clear that it is opposed to the conversion of Vine Street fo r the many reasons given previously. Residents fearing this loss of a voice on the Task Force as to how their neighborhood should be treated in regards to this issue recently began a campaign to make City Council aware of its objections to two~way Vine. Petitions and flyers have been circulating around the OTR neighbor­ hood rallying support for keeping Vine Street as it is today: One-Way. Some business-interest Task Force members have managed to come up with an idea for a two-way alternative despite neigh­ borhood and resident objections.The Public Works Department will submit a proposal to City Council sometime early this summer. �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine ANNOUNCING A new Group at AVOC... For Heterosexuals living With Aids M. 0. M. S. Are you looking for a broader knowledge of the challenge of living with HIV/AIDS? Would you /Ike lo meet people who share similar experiences and hear their coping strategies? Are you looking' for peers with who ou can discuss and plan for the future? Page 15 Dear Homeless... by Myron Dear Home less...acce pts letters. Please Mothers Of Murdered Sons need send your questions to: your help. There is 80% starvation Myron in Haiti! Non-perishable food c/o Streetvibes I506 Elm Street items are needed for Haitian COME MEET WITH US STARTING ON C incinnati, OH 45210 Children and families. No dona­ ~/!B We will attempt to answer all letters in tion too large or small. Monetary Where: AVOC "Gray Room " time ly manner. donations are also needed. Call When: 1st and 3rd Thursdays 351-7854 for more information. 6:30 PM lo 8:PM a More Information: Susan or Judy 421­243 Ba n d Looking for Work · Streetvibes (the band). We like to party. R&B. Oldies. Blues/jazz. Reggae. Helping the homeless to help themselves through free enterprize. Call 421-7803. Streetvibes is now accepting Classified Ads for items such as Help Wanted, Items for Sale, Apart­ ments for Renr and other non-personal items. T he rate is only $1 per line, approximately four words per line. Classified ads are due by the 20th of the month. People below the poverty level will be allowed five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Otherwise, payment must be received before the ad will run. No refunds will be made. Also, if there i:-. an error, notify us after the first printing. You will be given an extra month of ad time. Mail the ad copy to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 or fax it to 421-7813 Scramble Answers from page 11••. Soul Food Money TalkS Rambo Twins Rocky Glory Titanic God Father Atlantic City Patton for sale N a tive America n cookies; orders being accepted: R. C. Janus. (Fax) 891-8663. position wanted Office worker seeks 20-30 hour sit down job on bus line, within 2 miles of the river in either Kentucky or Ohio; non-medical terminology. non-filing cabinet office work; social services. sales. public Information , crafts, and other background, some computer experience; contact Box 2, Streetvibes, 1506 Elm St., Cincinnati, 45210. Laborer Looking for a laborer! Has worked at Riverfront. Is will ing to do any kind of work. Call Sonia Craig at the Drop In n Center, 721­ 0643. Elderly or C h ildren Looking for a community oriented job dealing with elderly or children. 3 year ourteach worker/ counselor aide at YMCA. 13 years typ ing. Computer and cashier experience including Windows, Lotus. Any Word Processor. Cal l Anjail Madyun at the Drop Inn Center:-n1 -Oo4r. Degreed, s u ccessful grant s administrator/ writer seeks commissioned, free lance position as same; ten percent commission per award. Contact J. Janus, Jr. (Fax) 891-8663. N ative Am erican­ Hispanic female seeks sit down, slow-paced · industrial FACTORY position; physically challenged. (Fax) 891­ 8663 . STRE.E.TVIBE.S provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only$ I per line. Call 421-7803 for info. Straetvlbes Vendor c·ode of Conduct Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. l. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for donations more than $1. I also understand that l will be able to keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. Future issues of Streetvibes will be purchased from the Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. 2. l agree that l will never distribute Streetvibes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 3. I agree that l will not ask for donations after 12 midnight. 4. l agree to treat others with respect. l will not use abusive language or force someone to give a donation. I will not give a "hard sell" or make someone feel threatened. 5. I agree that I will not supply copies of Streetvibes to persons who are not registered distributors. 6. I agree not to deceive the public by saying that l am collecting for a not-for-profit charity or that l am collecting for the "homeless" in general. l will be honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvibes will go to the individual vendor. 7. I agree that I will not contest territories with other distributors. 8. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a self supporting paper created by people who are homeless or former ly home less. To help in this effort, l will try to spread the word and write stories if possible. 9. l understand that the fai lure to comply with any of the above statements will result in me no long~r being able to distribute Streetvibes. ' Sales Representative Looking for position as sales re presentative or management. Has good bookkeeping. typing and supervisory skills. Has experience in retail management, customer service and sales. Is available to work immediately. Call Dea Harris at 552-9351. &.ttaw:ant W ork Responsible older man able to work any shift.. Has had experience as a cook and as a janitor. Would prefer work as a busser at a restaurant as well as work as a dishwa.s her or cook. Is very dependable and avai lable immediately. Please contact Wiley Powell at 831 -8 404. office hours and name of law school on letterhead paper to I I 11 Elm Street. No. 432, Cincinnati, OH 45210. Streetvlbes Radio Hour On WAIF 88.3 fm The Homeless Coalition has a live radio program which can be heard on WAIF radio on the second Saturday of each month at noon. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Pat Clifford, Gregory Payton and Donald Whitehead. The show mixes talk focusing on the stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates. WAIF 88.3 fm Saturday, April I lth. 1998, noon to l pm Advertise In Streetvlbesl Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to 4,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. Business Card Size 2" x 3 1/2" $1 0 per month Two Business C ard Size 4" x 3 112" $20 p er month A check or money order must accompany the ad copy. We reserve the right to deny any ad, especially those which promote alcohol or tobacco products. You will receive a full refund should your ad be denied. For larger ads, call the number below. Ads are due by the 20th of each month. If you need assistance in preparing your ad or have any other questions, call the Homeless Coali­ tion at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 452 10 -- �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Hom eless Grapevine Vendor Proflle: Terrlal Pratcher Streetvlbes TV The Streetvibes TY Show is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video. Some viewers might not see the show appear at the right channel or time during the next couple months as Warner Cable changes programming and channels. T errial has been a regular vendor for Streetvibes since July of '97. She is the mother of six children and one on the way. T errial graduated from W ithrow High School in 1981. She is a former resident of the Drop Inn Center. T errial says she was formerly chemically dependent and has been clean now for a year. Hang in there Terrial, keep up the good work. We can always count on Terrial to stop by the office at least two or three times a week to pick up more Streetvibes to sell and she is pretty good at it too. She always comes in to the office with a big smile on her face and in a hurry to get more Streetvibes out to her customers. I had to almost tie her down to get this profile on her as she has a lot of energy. Well Terrial, we hope you have a happy and healthy baby. Al~o. we hope all of your goals and dreams come true. Don't give up the ship, Terrial! Page 16 Streetvlbes TV Apr/I Schedule This month's LIVE show address issues of Welfare Reform... Channel I0 (rebroadcast)s Saturday, April 4, 1998, 4 PM Friday, April I0, 1998, 11 am Friday, April 17, 1998, I I AM Monday, April 27, 1998, I0 PM Saturday, April 25, 1998, 4 PM If you have any ideas for future STREETYIBES TY shows please contact our office at 421-7803. We always enjoy hearing from our veiwing audience. Ideas should address subjects related to homeless­ ness and poverty in our city. We are always inter­ ested in viewer ideas, so please give us a call... Streetvlbes Wish List Streetvibes is published monthly on a shoe­ string budget. We depend heavily on the goodwill of many volunteers and donors. If you can help out with some of the items on our wjsh list please give us a call... >Adobe Photoshop Software for IBM to save scanning costs >Computer Monitor Channel 7 LIVE Monday. April 20. 1998 7 PM Broadcast schedules are subject to change ­ consult your local TY directory. >VCR to Show Streetvibes TV Show Episodes to Groups >Volunteer Copy Editors and Stories >Advertisers to help supp~rt the paper > Fax Machine r >Decent Typwriter Vendor: 80 cents >Computers for Streetvibes layout and writing C a ll 42 1-7803 if you can he lp! Printing and Streetvibes has a minimal Production: 20 overhead cost so that the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. If anyone selling Streetvibes claims to be collecting for a private charity, please call our office at 421-7803. Thanks for your support. 8 If for some reason you find yourself homeless, contact a Coalition Member Agency for Shelter, Treatment., Housing or Services. If you have any questions, feel free to call the Homeless Coalition at 421 -7803. SHELTERS: W omen and Child ren Alice Paul House (abuse) 241-2757 YWCA Transitional Living Program 28 1-5770 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome House 431-8717 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (veterans) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 381-4941 661-4620 381-1954 SHELTER: Both Caracole (AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (singles) Friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) 761-1480 821-5100 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center St. John's Temporary Housing HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies (Mental 111) Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: W o m e n O.D.A.A.T First Step Home T REATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over T REATMENT: Both NA Hopeline A.A. Hotline C.C.A.T. Talbert House Transitions, Inc. VA Domiciliary OTHER SERVICES AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati Appalachian Identity Center 244-7226 961-4080 651-6446 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381-0954 721-8666 961-4555 241-7343 921-7324 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 421-2437 621 -5991 Beech Acres 23 1-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 591-2246 Churches Active in Northside 961-0600 Cincinnati Health Network 569-1840 Community Action Agency 381-4242 Contact Center 241-25 63 Emanuel Community Center 241- 1064 Freestore/Foodbank 771-4800 Goodwill Industries 621-7149 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 632-7186 Hamilton Co. TB Control 357-4602 Health Resource Center 352-2902 Homeless Mobile Health Van 221-3679 House of Refuge Mission 241 -9400 Legal Aid Society Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271-550 I 721-4811 Mary Magdalen House 621-0248 Oral Health Council 621-6364 Our Daily Bread 621-5514 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 721-7660 Travelers Aid 721-7900 United Way 559-6656 VA Homeless Program 491-3335 Women's Crisis Center \ � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1998 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource April 1998 Vol 2, Issue 15 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Page 1: Welfare Policy Changes Are Encouraged OEC Calls For Emergency Repeal of Sanctions Page 2 Walled Community Page 3 Homeless Dog Shelter Recovery Page 4 Native-American Struggle Page 5 HCHSUpdate Page 6 Word On The Street Page 7 Nationwide Page 8 Interview Page 10 Editorials Page 12 Mad Womyn Page 13 Cleveland News Page 14 Vine Street Debate Page 15 Classifieds Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project (curated by Katelyn Lusher) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 1998 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ron Carter Brian Davis James Heath Andy Hutzel Lemuel Israel Berta Lambert Paul Linden Judith Mendriski Patrick Mosolf Gregory Payton Mark Salter Malaka Sanders The Shadow Donald Stark Penelope Welz Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-sa/4.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a<span> </span><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a>. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF addiction Andy Hutzel Berta Lambert Brian Davis Donald Stark Donald Whitehead Gregory Payton James (Jimmy) Heath Judith Mendriski Lemuel Israel Lynn Williams Mad Womyn Malaka Sanders Mark Salter Native American Patrick Mosolf Paul Linden Penelope Welz Ron Carter The Shadow the visible homeless vendor profile welfare reform https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/46dfb2aafa3521911388ffa6df93677e.pdf 8adf6ecc1406db7266561dd8a76e97ee PDF Text Text ---­ Study Finds A Major Affordable Housing Gap in Ohio; Nationwide Shortage Of Affordable Housing At Record Level Submitted by Coalition on Homelessness and Housingin Ohio Ohio faces a serious lack of affordable housing, according to a study released by the W ashington DC-based Center on Budget and Policy Pr iorities. The study found that the shortage of low-cost housing versus low-income renters in Ohio's major cities has reached an enormous disparity. In Cincinnati, there are approximately 59,000 low­ income renters and only 52,000 low-rent housing units, resulting in 19,000, or 48 percent, of Cincinnati's poor renters spending more than half of their income on shelter. In Cleveland, there are 84,000 low-income renters for 50,000 units, resulting in 31,000 or 66 percent of low-inc~me renters spending more than half of their income on shelter. In Columbus, 53,000 low-income renters are competing for 33,000 low-income units. This results in I 5,000 or SO percent of Columbus' poor renters paying more than half of their income for shelter. Throughout the United States the number of low-cost apartments was 4.4 million fewer than the number of low-income renters needing affordable housing, resulting in the widest housing affordability gap on record. The report on affordable housing conditions nationally and in 45 metropolitan areas is based on data for the Census Bureau's American Housing Survey. The study found the stock of low-rent units in the private market dropped 43 percent between 1973 and 1995, from 4.9 million units to 2.8 million. During the same period, the number of low-income renters rose, as poverty rates have remained at relatively high levels even in periods of economic Continued on page 12 Submitted by The Contact Center The Ohio Empowerment Coalition, our statewide welfare rights organization, has successfully influenced Ohio House legislators to introduce a bill, The Welfare Corrections Bill, that will soften Ohio Works First sanction policy. (Ohio Works First is Ohio's welfare law which took effect on October l, I 997.) We are requesting your endorsement of The Welfare Corrections Bill. It also includes the following sanction policy changes: * A $50 cut in cash assistance instead of harshly cutting the full cash be nefit. Contents Cleveland News Portman Plan Welfare News Visible Homeless Hope VI Arts & Poetry Nationwide News Housing Conference Prisoners News San Diego Sleep-In Teen Role Model letters & Editorials Crossword & Games Azerbaf/an Update TB Information Vendor Profile ACTION ALERT Page2 Page3 Page4 Pages Pages Page6 Page 7 Page 7 Page Page9 Page9 Page10 Page11 Page 12 Page 13 Page16 a Current law eliminates the entire cash assistance of a family under sanction. This punishment will not help families.become "self-sufficient" when they lose their entire benefit cash assistance to pay for basic necessities of rent & utilities. * When a family is sanctioned, food stamps should not be reduced (which is aJlowable under Federal law.) Current law cuts the "adult portion".of food stamps. * Child care subsidies should not be include d as part of the sanction. Current law makes the sanctioned household ineligible for a child care subsidy. This is counter productive to helping recipients retain employment and fulfill the OWF work requirement. * A sanction should e nd as soon as a recipient complies. Federal law does not dictate length of sanction. Recipients should not continue to be punished after they comply. * Due to the harshness of sanctions and the high rate of caseworker errors, we call for a moratorium on all sanctions being issued in Ohio until legislators reconvene to revise sanction policy. In addition to the sanction policy changes, the bill also included the following amendments: * Allow Ohio to request the food stamp waiver for single adults without children. This waiver would exempt this population from being denied food stamps in a high unemployment area. Currently the federal law allows these adults food stamps for only 3 months out of every 36 months unless they are working. Authorize Ohio to request the Federal money available for work training programs for this population. * Require a wage match between the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services and the Ohio Department of Human Services. This requirement will provide data on whether or riot recipients are employed after leaving welfare, and provide informa­ tion on the salaries provided by these jobs. * Allot $40 million fqr the following: $20 millibn for non-profit organizations to do outreach to recipients and for training of Department of Human Services caseworkers . . The other $20 million will go to substance abuse programs. Please contact The Contact Center at l 64 l Vine Street, Cin~innati, Ohio or call The Contact Center at (5 l 3) 38 l -4242. �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES HAYESTRY The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for and about the homeless. It is compiled by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Home­ less. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and then sell it for a dollar donation to get back on their feet. All vendors sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organiz­ ing. The Streetvibes Committee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a comment, please call 421-7803. Staff Donald Whitehead, Director Jimmy Heath, Coordinator Brett Zwolinski, Vendor Support Ron Carter, Vendor Support James Hobbs, Vendor Support Photo2rapher Jimmy Heath Writers Te' Tro Amaru Maryann Bravo Dan Cahill Ron Carter Pat Clifford Denise Crew Brian Davis Dan Gibbons Jimmy Heath James Ho~bs Lynn Ki lbane Paul Linden Judith Mendriski Steven Michael Aaron Pitchford James W. Pryor Steven M. Rutherford Mark Salter Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Sonny Williams Brett Zwolinski Editorial Polley: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, com­ ments or editorials. We will print every­ thing we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send all material to the following address: Streetvibes c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 (513) 421 -7803 fax (513) 421-7813 e-mail: homecoal@primax.net http://cinci.com/gcch Quote of the Month: "Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. " Mark Twain by Thomas Hayes My first contact with The Homeless Grapevine newspaper was of secondary, even tertiary impor­ tance to what I was doing at the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) at the time. In 1995, I was an Americorps*VISTA (Volun­ teers in Service to America) sponsored by the Corporation for National Service, .a nd was being tran_sferred from a backwater outpost in Chillicothe, O H, to Cleveland. The transition, I knew, would be startling- from Appalachian poverty to inner city poverty: the conditions, surroundings, and finally, the actual people--one must admit to having different images of a poor rural Southern Ohioan and a poor urban Northern Ohioan. However, one thing remained constant at least: poverty. Poverty is poverty wherever rou go. and the intangible, soulful feel of it-and the facial expressions of those squashed under its weight are uniquely alike. Being one who likes to be prepared for a situation, I took time in reading various materials on homelessness-an oversized photographic work from Los Angeles, ·v-,:hich sought to capture the homel~ss in some Diana Arbusian style; as well, I had some essay by Andrew Cuomo, then deeply immersed in New York City's homeless problems. But strangely, the objective photographic viewpoints and the raw statistics shoveled at me by Cuomo gave me, as a reader, no real sense of any personal element-that is, what it feels like to be homeless. In Chillicothe, I had worked with an adult li~eracy program. Through various writing experi­ ments, as well as the close, proximate experience tutoring provides, I was able to get a feeling for and understanding of the Appalachian experience of poverty-but it was not homelessness. In C:.:hillicothe, one got the mother who was paid by the state to get her GEO, who went home e.very night to an out-of­ work husband who called her "stupid" or "useless.'' This, in order to keep her self-esteem low, out of the belief that she would leave him as soon as she was educated-a not unwise assumption, no doubt. In Cleveland, I read for the first time about the usband hwo called his wife "stupid': and "useless" and then beat her senseless, until finally she fled home. I learned that there were colonies of women in this situation, huddled together in shelters for the pur­ pose-a communal society built on fear and anxiety. For me, The Homeless Grapevine newspaper was my first intimate experience with homelessness­ far more so than any of the booRs-pictures or not­ 1 had seen previously. And this, I guess, is the first realization I have made-the singular opportunity that the Grapevine provides ~o its reC\ders: the view of life on and from the streets. As I settled in to work at the Coalition, I noted that beyond all other duties I would have, one set was recurrent; dealing with the Grapevine's vendors-and I do mean dealing. For anyone who has had any extensive interaction with the homeless, one learns quickly that, in general, these people are far from stupid. That may seem a rather dull way of putting it, but the homeless men and women I worked with knew the position they were in keenly, knew what they needed to get along, how to get it, and what they were up against daily. Let me put it this way, a person in the shelter once talked with me about the homeless gathered in the meal sites and shelter systems. They were described to me, largely as a group which had given up. In the "system" they languished. They knew where their meals were and when, where the shelters were, their staying rotation (that is, a homeless person may only stay a given amount of time-a week, say-and then must move on) and that this was all the majority cared about. He said they had given up any hope for a better life, these homeless men and women, and were content As some contrast, the vendors of The Homeless Grapevine were filled with energy; and more than anything else, took an active role in their own lives­ the first step of which was going out on the streets everyday and earning money on which to live. Even more, the nature of the business required skills of Page 2 which society approved: budgeting, planning, looking toward future goals, and affective manners that showed a respect for the customer. To be a success­ ful vendor required participation in the community; to make money, one had to sell- to me, and to all of you who are reading this. So my second realization was, in an idealistic sense, that the Grapevine serves as a bridge between two very different communities occupying the same city- the paper, in essence, forces a dialog between people, a conversation. Eventually. I began working on the paper myself. I had in the past some rudimentary experi­ ence with journalistic writing, and had an under graduate degree in writing and English. At Chillicothe, I had improv~d on a newsletter that the· literacy program issued using a desktop publishing program and some simple graphics. Here, however, the process increased in complexity, not just in the software used, but in the layout and design, as well as the generation of copy. The articles in the Grapevine were, at once, more serious and elevated. Beyond the recipes and insipid biographies that were gener-. ated for the newsletter consistently in a predictable order and format, the Grapevine included autobio­ graphical stories, displaying the subjective lives of its homeless associates; it examined local funding issues and priorities-how federal moneys were allocated, distributed, and spent; the Grapevine studied how people in need of housing gained entrance to metro­ politan housing, and how the law regards metropoli­ tan housing tenants differently than it does housed persons; the newspaper challenged local organiza­ tions, such as We Share, and how their administra­ tors abused aid to the poor for personal profit; in some of its toughest battles, the Grapevine took issue with local shelter providers in their policies-such as distribution of homeless money whether a certain location for a shelter was in the best interests of the homeless people who would have to travel there. From the location of check cashing operations next to bars and liquor stores, to the profit gouging tactics of Helth Maintenance Organizations (HMO's), The Homeless Grapevine has balked at produdng the cliche story and angle and ignored the repetition inherent in today's media. And so my third re,alization is the integrity of The. Grapevine its dedication under the editorship of Brian Davis to pulling out realities and jolting the willing reader out of the grey journalism clouding all of our heads today. Finally, it is best to mention the obvious and by far the most important gap filled by the Grapevine: its providing a voice to the thousands of homeless men and women who, out of fear or torpor or lack of access to a system they did not create and which doesn't represent them, cannot be heard. This is one of the key reasons for the existence of The Homeless Gra~evine, and a reason it needs to keep on existing. The Grapevine has cctme a long way since its· birth in 1913 as a photocopy paper. Its distribution has grow to over 11.000 readers. but its commitment to its mission of providing a voice to the voiceless and an income to the incomeless has not changed. With a bit of luck, support, and with the continuation of the strong guidance it has right now, in ten years or more these most important of goals still will be a constant. FACTS ABOUT HOMELESSNESS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: *A recent study by the National Coalition for the Homeless showed that 13.5 million people across the count!}' lived in shelters or on the street at some time in their lives. *The United States Census Bureau made a poor atf!Jmpt at estimating homelessness that even the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development won 't use. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine BANC ONE TO LEAVE OHIO WITH NO COMMITMENTS FOR THE FUTURE Submitted by COALITION on HOMELESSNESS and HOUSING in Ohio Banc One, who is in the process of merging with First Chicago/NBD Bank, has refused to commit to future community development projects for Ohio's low and moderate income consumers. In addition, while Banc One prepares for the largest Midwest bank merger in history. their existing practices hurt low-and moderate income and minority Ohioans, according to the Ohio Community Reinvestment Project (OCRP). . OCRP made an official protest with the Federal Reserve Bank yesterday to oppose the merger and called on the Federal Reserve to delay the merger and to hold a public hearing in Ohio to assess the potential impact this merger could have on Ohio consumers This proposed merger could have dramatic consequences for financial services consumers throughout the State of Ohio since the corporate headquarters of Banc One (currently based in Columbus) will move to Chicago. This merger could result in substantial disinvestment in Ohio communi­ ties," said Bill Faith. executive Director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio and a OCRP steering committee member. The Ohio Community Reinvestment Project (OCRP) is made up of organizations representing hundreds of non-profit organizations throughout the state who are concerned with fair lending, community development, affordable housing development, community reinvestment and economic development issues to build healthy, strong communities. Members from OCRP began meeting with representatives from Banc One Corporation several months ago to address their concerns over the impact the merger would have for low-and moderate income Ohioans, as well as minorities. The primary concerns were focused on securing commitments from the bank to continue and build upon some of the positive community development initiatives Banc One has provided in Ohio in the past. OCRP also sought commitments from the bank to offer products to meet the credit needs of low and moderate-income Ohioans that they currently have failed to offer. Although Banc One is one of the largest banks in the state, it provides almost no home purchase loans to assist first time home buyers. The bank has sold their mortgage servicing operations, which further indicates their intent to disengage in the home purchase business. OCRP has concerns that this disinvestment in Ohio will only continue to grow once the merger occurs as the Banc One headquarters move to Chicago. After several meetings with Banc One, the bank recently ceased discussing the possibility of making any specific commitment for Ohio. "This is simply unfair to Ohio's consumers" said Bill Faith. "Banc One has committed to honoring agreements in Chicago and Detroit, but refuses to be accountable to the community it has called home for years." Not only does Banc One refuse to make commitments to Ohio, it also has several aspects o f its banking that hurts minorities and low and moder­ ate-income citizens. According to OCRP, there is Page 3 . LOANS ORIGINATED BY OHIO MAJOR MARKET AREAS Banc One Mortgage Company Banc One Financial Ser-rices While Blacks fili1e Black Akron 164 7 14D 27 Cincinna ti 196 21 190 46 Clevela nd 367 40 273 133 Colu mbus 6 18 47 \w~ J<o Dayton 328 33 151 4-1 This chart clearly demonstrates that the predatory lending practices of Banc One Financial Services h as a negative Impact on African American borrowers. As you can see, Banc Ohio Mortgage Company denies African Americans at a higher rate than Banc One Financial Services which disproportionately targets African Americans for higher Interest rate credit. In some Ohio markets, Banc One Financial Services almost exclusively targets African Americans while Banc One Mortagage Company disproportionately targets whites. disparate treatment of African Americans in accessing credit for mortgage loans from Banc One, low and moderate-income consumers are denied access to mortgage loans more frequently than by other major lenders, and Banc One lacks aggressive marketing efforts to African American and low and moderate­ income applicants particularly by the bank affiliates and Banc One Mortgage Company. While Banc One Mortgage Company does not have an aggressive lending record to minorities and low and moderate-income applicants, Banc One Financial Services (a B and C lender), which charges customers with higher interest rate loans compared to rates offered by Banc One Mortgage Company, is engaged in extremely aggressive marking practices throughout direct mail and phone solicitation which targets low and moderate-income and minority census tracts. A chart is attached that details the number of loans originated by the Banc One Mort­ gage Company and Banc One Financial Services by minority status. Other areas where Banc One may be shirking their responsibility include community development efforts which are likely to see a dramatic decrease in funding following the merger and the abandonment of branches in many communities. Within the last two years, Banc One has closed or sold over I00 branches hitting hard in rural communities and low and moderate-income areas. OCRP believes Banc One works to discourage the participation of low-income customers in engaging in a relationship with the Bank. Banc One's policy around casing government checks certainly causes concern. The bank normally charges up to $8.00 for both customers and non-customers to cash govern­ ment checks. OCRP arguers that this is a policy which hurts low-income customers disproportion­ ately. In addition, the Basic One chei:king account from Banc One disproportionately impacts elderly and disabled consumers who often require assistance by a teller by charging a financial penalty anytime a customer is assisted by a teller to do a transaction that could be completed at the ATM. According to OCRP, Banc One is already neglecting some of Ohio's lending and se.rvice needs, particularly for low and moderate-income consumers. The proposed merger could make this neglect mor:e pronounced. "There are no safeguards in place to prevent potential disinvestment from Banc One," said Bill Faith, COHHIO director. "W e asked the Bank to make some basic commitments to minimize the potential negative impacts and after dragging us along for several months, they refused despite the fact that they are planning to honor similar commitments to the communities of Chicago and Detroit where they are expanding their presence. This is simply unfair to Ohio's consumers" Faith said. OCRP works on issues covered by the commu­ nity Reinvestment Act which requires financial service institutions to provide lending, services and invest­ ments particularly for low and moderate-income consumers within the bank's areas. OCRP's concern is focused on the service area of Ohio. Members of the OCRP steering committee included representa­ tives of numerous organizations including: The Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, Columbus Housing Partnership, Columbus Urban League, Community Action Agency of Scioto County, Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, Metropolitan Strategy Group-Cleveland, Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies, Ohio CDC Association, Ohio Fair Housing Congress, Ohio NAACP State Confe rence, Ohio Regional Develop-· ment Corporation, Ohio State Legal Services Associa­ tion, Rural Opportunities, and the Toledo Fair Housing Center. Subscribe to Streetvlbes Subscriptions to Streetvibes ~an be pur­ chased for $12 per year. Please send a check to the be low address and the pa pe r will be maile d to you each issue. Streetvibes I506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make che cks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless--Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Welfare News SAVE THE SAFETY NET! STOP WELFARE ·REFORM! ACTION WEEK AUGUST 16-22, 1998. By Logan Martln11z and Tim Burc111 Miami Valley Full Employment Councll In St. Louis, Welfare Rights groups have compared welfare reform to being on the USA Titanic with the women and children being thrown overboard without a lifeboat. On August 22, 1996, Bill Clinton put his signature on the new Welfare Reform Bill, in his memorable words "ending welfare as we know it." This is indeed th'e most signficant change affecting low income families in 30 years. Over 4 million people have left or have been off welfare. A small percentage have found good jobs with a real future, but all the indications are that most people affected by Clinton's women-children­ first- into-the-sea-policy are faring badly. Welfare rights groups are planning activities in cities across the country the Week of August 16-22 with the aim to bring to the public attention t he true impact of welfare reform and the need for a new safety net. The People's Network For A New Safety Net is made up of local groups fighting welfare reform and grew out of a conference call among these groups. We have agreed to organize a week of events August 16-22. The network is calling on groups to I) sponsor news conferences with local organizations demanding an end to welfare reform, 2) have a town meeting and panel discussions on the impact of welfare reform, and 3) to stage a public.demonstra­ tion/rally to protest its impact on low income families on August 22. The network is also asking for input from other groups into an outline for a national bill to be introduced in Congress; a new improved welfare safety net that will help raise people out of proverty. We feel it is very important that all groups work towards a unified bill. The impact is being felt coast to coast from Ohio where 18,000 families have been sanctioned by being cut off, to a. few counties of Wisconsin and Florida where time limits are in effect. This month, July 1998, time limits come into effect in all of North Carolina. In all, 19 states will have time limits kicking in over the next 2 years. Three myths have been fostered in the public's p_e rception to gain support for this reactionary reform. I) There are jobs for everyone. 2) The U.S. economy is recession proof. 3) The States can be trusted with the care for their poor, uninsured, unemployed, and indigent. Even at a time of comparative boom there are large portions of our population who are unem­ ployed in inner cities and in rural counties all across America. It is simply not probable that the economy will grow enough to provide jobs for all the 3.7 million jobless adults on welfare and the 6.4 million "officially" unemployed. (Only during the first two years of World War I I did that happen.) The safety net, with benefits at its core is a pillar o f and a major legacy from the FDR's New Deal response to the Great Depression.· The Ne..; Deal has been a social contract between the American people and the government. W elfare reform is ~ key plank of the "Replubican Contract With America," a new social contract replacing New Deal with the support of Bill Clinton and the majority of Democrats. The New Democrats and Old Republicans have formed an unholy alliance on the decks above, while below welfare recipients are being forced to work as indentured servants at union displacing jobs as thousands are being thrown overboard. Groups involved so far: The Welfare Reform Network, New York; Mon Valley Unemployed Committee, Pittsburgh; Welfare Warriors/Welfare Mothers Voice, Milwaukee; Hospitality House. Hinckley, Maine; South Side Welfare Rights Organi­ zation, St. Louis; Welfare Rights Coalition/Contact Center, Cincinnati; Miami Valley Full Employment Council, Dayton; Empowerment Center of Greater Cleveland; Coalition of California Welfare Rights; San Diego Welfare Warriors; Independent Progres­ sive Politis Network; Jobs for All Coalition, USA. For more information, call Logan Martinez at 937-274­ 7003. PATIENTS BILL OF RIGHTS By Lynn Williams The young mother rushed her small child to the emergency room_ He was bleeding heavily from a gash near his eye. It looked like his eye had been cut out! There was no time to stop, make a call and get a referral from the doctor. She ended up being socked with an emergency room bill, punished because she had done the right thing. Another mother took her 2 year old to the doctor. The 2 year old had a prolonged high fever of I04 degrees. The doctor looked the child over briefly, did no throat culture tests, and sent the child home without even an antibiotic! Furious at the lack of treatment or a referral, the concerned parent took the listless child to the emergency room for treat­ ment. (Diagnosis: strep throat). She promptly received the $300 bill in the mail. These situations actually happened, along with many, many other similar ones in Hamilton County alone! Now there is a bill in Congress that offers some hope for fair treatment. It's about time! The Patient Bill of Rights legislation was introduced in Congress this last March. Now both the Democrats and Republicans are wo rking out a compromise. Both parties agree that the bill should: * give women direct access to an obstetrician and gynecologist * not penalize consumers if they need emergency room services and don't have a referral from their doctor * keep health records confidential * allow doct?rs to discuss the full range of treatment options without "gagging" them * provide the right to appeal a managed-care decision by going to an outsider In addition, the Democrats' plan would: * allow st.ates to let patients sue health plans for improperly denying coverage * give patients access to specialists * assure that patients will be treated even if their doctor leaves the plan * mandate that coverage be provided for reconstruc­ tive breast surgery after a mastectomy The Republican Plan includes: * capping the amount that doctors can be sued for medical malpractice * expands medical savings accounts, tax-deductible savings plans to encourage people to save for their ow n coverage * encourages the growth of health care supermarkets, "HealthMarts," for people to shop for their insurance If you have been denied health care in any way, now is the time to get your story to the U.S. Representatives and Senators who represent you. A spokesperson for Rep. Chabot stated that his office did not think a Pat.ient Bill of Rights was an impor­ tant issue because they had received few letters or calls about health care abuses. · Even though many in the U.S. Congress appear to be supportive of a Bill. all of us who are con­ cerned should encourage people to get their stories in the public eye. We do n't want this issue to just be a ploy to get votes, only to fade away after the elections without any real commitment to a Patients Page 4 Bill of Rights. If you or family members hav!? ever been denied care, socked with an emergency room bill, etc.. ., now is the time to share your story! DISABLED OWF .RECIPIENTS FIGHTING BACK By Carla Plts/ng11r Dear Newsletter Readers & Members of the Ohio Empowerment Coalition, I have realized that welfare reform sanctions can have damaging effects even months later, not only to myself and others but agencies and organizations. I was finally put on Alternatives Work in late May. However, I am being required to pay back my assistance money for Jan uary and February. If you lose a state hearing you have to pay back the amount they gave you until your hearing decision. I am still being punished for not doing my "ten days of compliance" (Montgomery County's welfare policy) because the ten days were,not in a row. The welfare department is not consistent to recipients with this rule. Sometimes caseworkers will honor missed hours or days with verification, and other times they won't. In my case, my caseworker, when my daughter was sick, said I could make up that day by working on another day. Likewise, with a day when my husband was sick. So I feel misled and lied to by my caseworker and the Department and the State Hearing officer! I felt that I had burdened my family enough with trying to do compliance. I had bent over backwards (the Department had not!) I cannot do compliance on my worker's terms or the Department's terms. I had worked over 60 hours doing compliance, only to be told I had to start over again and not get credit for those hours. This has affected my family's health (stress related mental and physital well being) and my children's education (school attendance and perfor­ mance levels.) An employer does not take away your entire paycheck for missing a day with justified verifi.cation, but the Department of Human Services can and does take away your whole month's benefits for missing a day, even with justifiable verification. Sincerely, Carla Pitsinger MISTER WEL FARE By Beverly A. Kidd Welfare was formed out of the Depression o f 1920. World War II proceeded this New Deal Act. 0r idea, to help survivors get back on their feet, Many families were devastated or throw n into poverty, struggling to make the best out of a bad situation; pulling ¢emselves up by thier own bootstraps was the given solution, of the ones that owned boots, never counting the ones who were bootless. Seventy-eight years later , the problem still exists. The name has changed, it is now called "Welfare Reform," the notion remains the same , the helpless or have-nots have only themselve s to blame in America,"the land of the free, the home of the brave." �STREE.TVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine The Vlslble Homeless... Page s the same effort to find minority people for higher­ level jobs. "There ought to be a basic assumption that black people, Latinos, Asians, native Americans and women, for that matter, can do something other than carry bags, make beds and wash dishes," Mfume said. The NAACP said Cendant Corp. included Days Inn, Howard Johnson, Knights Inn, Super 8 Motel, Travel Lodge, Villager Lodge and Wingate Inn hotels. Promus Corp. included Doubletree, Guest Suites & Resorts, Embassy Suites. Hampton Inn & Suites, Homewood Suites, and Club Hotels by Doubletree. "If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favour freedom and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without ploughing up the ground; they want rain w ithout thunder and lightning; they want the ocean without the awful roar of its mighty waters. Power concedes nothing without a demand!" -Frederick Douglass Tactics· By Robsrl Fl'tlklnl Closi~g The Wage Gap by Winton Pitcoff Though there is talk in Congress of raising the federal minimum wage again, for many low-income families and individuals even a two-dollar an hour increase would not be enough to meet all their basic needs. Where minimum wage workers in 1968 earned 11 I percent of the federal poverty level, in 1998 chose earnings measure up to only 78 percent of the amount the government says a family of three needs merely to survive-$13,650. Today's federal minimum wage of- $5.15 per hour - has 20 percent less purchasing power than the minimum wage of $1 .60 did in 1968. It would have to be $7.21 today to keep pace with inflation. To address this gap. coalitions of community groups. labor unions, and some local government officials in cities around the country are campaigning together to pass living--wage ordinances requiring companies that do business with or recieve subsidies from the city to fix a higher minimum wage for their employees. often one tied to an annual salary equal to the federal poverty line. The 1996 campaign led by BUILD in Baltimore is one of many campaigns either underway or that have already had sucess. More than 20 municipalities and counties have such laws on the books. And coalitions in at least another 35 locations are working toward such measures. Countering the Critics Chambers of Commerce and other business associations have opposed measures and argued that they stifle competition and cause businesses to relocate to cities w ithout such requirements. Advocates maintain that the investment living wage laws create within the city actually strengthens the economic base, and makes the climate better for businesses to thrive. Based upon the example of Baltimore, where the law has been on the books since 1995, there's no evidence to support any such concerns. Portions of this article were reprinted by the permission of the editer of Shelterforce Magazine. A subsciption can be purchased at a cost of $18. NAACP ANNOUNCES BOYCOII OE~~ THREE HOTEL GROUP.S Submitted By John C. Lindsay WASHINGTON (Reuters)- The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) said Monday it would boycott three hotel chains that had failed to provide enough business opportunities to blacks. NAACP President Kweisi Mfume said at a news conference that Omni Hotels, Adam's Mark and Best Western chains had received D grades for their performance. Omni is privately held, Adam's Mark is subsidiary of HBE Corp. and Best Western Hotels are operated by several lodging companies. "We will take every opportunity to inform consumers of our decision and urge them to make similar decisions to boycott those hotels who take their money but refuse to provide them economic opportunities," Mfume said. To be sure, the second d NAACP annual report on the lodging industry showed some chains had improved their scores. Cendant Corp. and Promus Hotel Corp. were the best of I 4 companies reviewed with B grades, and both showed progress on their 1997 scores ­ up from C and D grades, respectively. Marriott International Inc.. Still at a C grade, but rated last year's best chain was also cited by Mfume as making a credible effort co offer advance­ ment to blacks. Asians, Latinos, and women. .The report rates hotel companies on how closely black participation in management, franchis­ ing, and supply of materials matches the 13 percent that African-America11s represent of the total population. "We believe, quite frankly. that our corporate friends ought to be rewarded with our business," Mfume said of NAACP's conference and convention planning. He also said the hotel industry should make We are getting squeezed. Those with money. power. and friends in high places want our land, our building, our neighborhood. and our dignity. It is time to take the gloves off. It is time to get personal. It is time to let the displacers. the develop­ ers, the demolition men and those who dream of palaces at the expense of the poor to pay a price. I say: move the battle to their turf. We must attack with pamphlets, mass demonstrations , and pickets where they live, where they work, where they go to church, where they eat, where they golf. We must investigate. Its not against the law to find out what kind of car someone drives. Likewise, it is not against the law if I spot one of our enemies driving if I decide to change my plans and go where he or she is going. I find out, make a note, and file it. We must investigate. Let our enemies know that every time they walk out of their church, we might be there. We will be vocal. We will be passing out fliers that detail what a scum bag attends their church. We will strip away their squeaky clean reputation. Their family will be ashamed. Our. enemy will be off balance. The enemy will no longer have his safe suburban life. Our enemy will never know what to expect. Eventually, our enemy might tire of the battle and decide to leave. Even if our enemy wins, we must vow to never let them rest. We don't have their money, power, or influnce, but we have the People Power and the time to make them miserable. Take the battle to where they live, eat, drink, play, worship. If they want to take from us, they must pay a very personal price. They don't want us to live in their neighborhood. Yet, they want to push us out of ours. Put away the softbaUs-its time to play HARDBALL!!! �\ STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 6 COMMUNITYSHARES AN ECLECTIC AM ERi CORPS POEM MESSAGE FROM A BLACK MAN 3RDANNUAL Change creates the opportunity For serendipitous events. While the fluctuation of events Passes us passers-by, We, ourselves can know Only one thought... featuring: D«UMS FOR PEACE. MUSE by Sir Charles Bailey AND SISfER FIUENDS Who am I presently? To all my brothers and sisters Who use drugs & crack & shit How can you get what you want When you won't quit using it You blame the white man for all the Things he did and did not do But you put the drugs in your body And it is making a fool out of you I'm a black man And my life is filled with nothing but hope I might be able to achieve whatever I want Because my body is not filled with dope But you want to sell this dope to the Brothers and Sisters Because you say you have no shame You let them put it in their systems And now you are destroying your Brothers and Sisters brain So...Please Quit It!!!!!!! MT. AUBURN PRESBYTERIA.'l, 103 W'~t HO\l/A:RD TAFT RD. time: 8:00P,\t date: SAT. AUGUST 29TH Then, the next thought... Who am I about to become? TICKET L'ffO: CALL THE DROP L'i~ CE.;VTER AT 721 ·0643 I sit.and turn into a stone And eventually the stone splits And a flower grows from the crevice, The flower of my incipient being. The evanescence of our existence Becomes the bane of our present reality When once we resolve to stop listening And follow the mercurial nature of the wind. "MARY" FORGOTTEN, YOU ARE NOT! by Sir Charles Bailey 4 DAYS TO MISSISSIPPI The Devil sent one of his followers and Took you Mary awayBut you will never be forgotten In the hearts of millions Each day. by Denise Crew COMEDY CORNER Though Mary your life Here on Earth was cut so very Short- and it put Tears in so many eyes­ But you are really Protected now that you are standing By Jesus' side Tossing and turning Waiting and yearning Popping aspirin like pez calms the pain in my head The only pleasure to seek In the food I eat I can't wait for the day When pain goes away I feel so weird, so strange A little deranged Almost insane I don't understand why My heart's in my hand After all, he's just a man And from all of us who love you little Mary­ Spread your Wings and take to The sky- You may be gone But we who love you will Never say Goodbye.......... . STREETVIBES Sweatand T-Shirts! The Judge And Mr. Jones By Ron Carter Mr. Jones went to court. The Judge asked him, why did you do what you did Mr. Jones? He replied, because of this and that. The Judge: Where do you live? Mr. Jones: Here and there. The Judge: Do you work? Mr. Jones: Some­ times I do and sometimes I don't. The Judge: How old are you? Mr. Jones: 45 or 46. The Judge: How do you plead? Guilty or not guilty? Mr. Jones: One or the other. The Judge: Well Mr. Jones I find you guilty as charged. Mr. Jones: But why Judge? The Judge: Because of this and that and the other, I sentence you to time in jail. Mr. Jones: Your honor, how much time in jail? The Judge: Ohhhhh, I don't know. Mr. Jones: Can you give me a hint? The Judge: Maybe or maybe not. Mr. Jones: Please Your Honor? The Judge: Probably in a few months or so. Mr. Jones: But Your Honor when will I get out? The Judge: Sooner or later. Only $5 for T's, $10 for Sweats. HAIKU by Brett Zwolinski STREETVIBES The Tri State's An unrhymed Japane se verse form of Homeless Grapevine three l ines cont aining usually 5,7,5 (or 7,5,7) ~yll abl es res pectively . Please submit y our suggestions for monthly Ha iku to Brett Zwolinski at STREETVIBES . Now, Matt 'Mitchell's Haiku: when you are not here only the walls look at me they do not smile back 100% White Cotton Shirts and long Sleeve Sweat Shirts Xl Purple logo T-shirts and Sweat Shirts are available at our office at 1506 Elm Street. Please stop by and see us. �- STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine News From Seattle by Anitra Freeman Ted Shirley, the last of the people arrested Monday at the Seattle homeless encampment known as Tent City 2. was released tonight with all charges dismissed. Judge Judith M. Hightower said (as quoted by SHARE/WHEEL members who were there). "The City of Seattle can start prosecuting people for being homeless when it starts providing shelter for all of them." Yeeee-hah! age further development of the encampment idea or encourage Mayor Schell to lock us all up and throw away the key so we won't come back to Beacon Hill. We of SHARE/WHEEL went prepared to answer a number of hostile questions that had been emailed to us ahead of time, questions like, " Isn't it true that your strategy was to annoy the neighbors so much that they would pester the Mayor to give you more shelters and get you out of our hair?" Instead, most of the pointed questions were directed at the representative of the Mayor's office from neighborhood residents who are incensed that the Mayor's office is dragging its feet when a low­ cost solution to the dangerous encampments in the Jungle has been handed to the City by people who are highly motivated to make it work. Several residents extended open invitations to SHARE/ WHEEL to move back to the Reservoir. Several took up our arguments for us, saying that develop­ ing new shelters takes time and that emergency exists with people outside and at risk tonight. They exclaimed, something must be done now! Even Roger Pence, the person who had been our most vocal opponent - because we violated process which is the worst thing you can do in Seattle ­ was arguing several points in our favor. When another Council member brought up a recent battle to "prevent" farmers from housing migrant workers in tent cities, Roger pointed out that in this case it is the homeless themselves who are organiz­ ing their own Tent City, not the Man. (Yes, he said The Man.) Tuesday night is the nex.t regular meeting of the Community Council. They already have other urgent items on their agenda - we will be men­ tioned but there won't be much time for discussion that night. However, the Community Council plans to schedule a special meeting within a week (or at most two) to move forward on getting together a proposal from the Beacon Hill Community to the Mayor and City Council, stating Beacon Hill's stand on organized encampments and proposing action. · Exactly what that stand and that action will be is still iffy. There is strong feeling for an encamp­ ment, but there is also strong feeling out there against it that may become more active as a move toward a sanctioned encampment becomes more organized. But we definitely took a big jump forward tonight. I'll keep you .posted... North American Street Newspaper Association: Light at the End Advertise In StreetvlbesI ·of the Tunnel byAnltraFreeman, 7/ 13/98 The North Beacon Hill Neighborhood council held a special forum tonight on the homeless encampment recently put up by SHARE/WHEEL and basically, on whether the community should encour- Subscribe to Streetvlbes Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per year. Please send a check to the belo w addr e ss ~nd the pa pe r will be m a ile d t o you each jssue. Streetvibe s . I 506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Plea se m a ke checks paya ble to the Great e r Cincinnati C oali­ tion for the H o m e le ss-­ Streetvib<.5. If you have a ny questio ns, call 421-7803. Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to 4,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. ***Business Card Size 2" x 3 I /2" $10 per month ***Two Business Card Size 4" x 3 I /2" $20 per month A check or money order must accompany the ad copy. We reserve the r ight to deny any ad, especially those which promote alcohol or tobacco products. You will receive a full refund should your ad be denied. For larger ads, call the number below. Ads are due by the 20th of each .month. If you need assistance in preparing your ad or have any other questions, call the Home­ less Coalition at 421-7803 . Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 452 10 , . -; Page 7 WILLIAM R. WA.L~CE, D.O.S. 5258 MONTGOMERY RO. NORWOOD. OH 45212 Telephone 1513) 531 -2338 ANOTHER CLASS PRODCCTJOX Disc-Jockey Service CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761·3464 (513) 230·6353 payroll and human resource management TRANSCON EMPLOYMENT COMPANY Angle E . Strunk, CEO 1-888·841-7900 P.O. Box 12545 (513) 841-5550 Cincinnati, Ohio 45212 Fax: (513) 841-5545 angie_strunk@msn.com Friends and Neighbors of Over-the-Rhine An Organization See king Justice for People in Cincinnati's Most Endangered Community Subscribe to STREETVIBESI For only $12 per year you can have STREETVIBES delivered to your home every month. National and local Stories on Issues regarding homelessness and the poor. News, Information, Personal _ S tories and more, written every month by homeless and formerly homeless· persons••. Send Check or Money Order for $12 to: Streetvlbes C/ O Greater Cincinnati Coalltlon for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine INFORMAL COMPLAINT RESOLUTION Dear... I am writing this letter in regards to the poor conditions at the New State Super Max here in Youngstown, Ohio. I am one of the 12 inmates who has been transferred here to The Ohio State Penitentiary from Mansfield's Death Row. My name is Bi&!ohn Stojetz, one of the first 12 inmates who has opened the doors here at the New Super Max since may the 7th. Myself and others have been denied access to our legal work and our property such as law books, case laws and religious materials. Also, the Hospital Administrator named Miss Sandoor has denied me medical treatment. As my medical file has written inside by a podiatrist doctor that I have my gym shoes because of medical problems that I have with my foot, I filed an informal complaint to the hospital administrator Miss Sandoor. She answered and said, well, try some insoles when she should have hon­ ored my medical file as the order from Mansfield's podiatrist doctor is only? months old and she should know that any doctor's order from prison to prison is known as a pre-existing condition in a medical file. Still at this date and time I still have a problem with this medical administrator. I also spoke to the Dept. Warden Mr. Ode\ Woods on this date 5-20-98 . about the conditions here at The Ohio State Penitentiary such as not issuing state issue T-shirts, socks, tooth brushes, they have 3 battery operated razors for the whole B-Block which is 8 cell blocks with 3 Razors. I spoke to him about getting my legal books out of my property. I spoke with him about the medical problems that I am having with my foot and some of the same problems of other inmates. There is also no hot water in the cells. I've asked the staff about it and they said they ·couldn't do anything about this. And the food trays the food portions are so small that a 5 year-old boy couldn't get full . I also filed an informal complaint on the food portions also, and all the other issues. And still at this date 5-26-98 we don't have any T-shirts, socks. or our legal books form are property, as I am trying to assist my appeal lawyers in my death penalty case. Also, I still have this medical problem with my foot. This is cruel and unusual punishment. I am hoping and praying that some o ne will print this letter in the newspaper and get in contact with a Mr. Peter Davis, Executive Director of the General Assembly Committee in Columbus, Ohio. Phone N umber: ((>14) 466-1 990. fa><: (61 4) 466­ 201 4. Also, I have no problems with this being printed. I pray that it does get put in the newspaper. Thank you for any and all help, take care Respectfully. Big John Stojetz A255365 Ohio State Penitentiary 878 Coitsville-Hubbard Rd Youngstown, OH 44505-4635 Jimmy Heath Photography Cincinnati - (SU) S64-98S6 E-Mail - jimmy_heath @juno .com By John Perotti Submitted to: Cheryl Jorgenson-Martinex, Chieflnspector, 5/ 19/ 98 I have been charged $3.00 for a medical co­ payment in violation of Administrative law in that AR 5120-5-13 dealing with this does not specify the amount of the payment to be taken from prisoners, nor has it been filed with, or approved by the Joint Committee On Agency Rule Review QCARR) as required by Ohio Administrative Law thus this administrative regulation (5120-5-13) is n.ot yet law and confiscation of my funds in violation of state and federal law confiscated from my account must be reinstated with interest. this covers medical , dental and psychiatric care. This has been ve rified by counsel, and the director of JCARR that the Administrative Regulation must be filed and approved by them before it can be enforced, thus I request my money be reimbursed with interest immediately. cd Atty Lynds Alphonse A Gerhardstein, Atty JCARR Dayton AFSC, Criminal Justice Program CllC Page 8 Dan Cahill #251-641 . P.O. Box511 Columbus, Ohio ·43216 July I0, 1998 Sonny, Hey Bro! Received your letter and it's good to hear from you. Also, Received the issue of STREETVIBES. Thanks, Bro! I appreciate it. Well. they raised my security status from Minimum II to Medium II this week. My Unit Manager, Richardson, has been dogging me out, and having me shook-down every chance he gets. But, I'm trying to ride it out. I'm use to being dogged out and harassed. I saw Martha Zanetis of the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee yesterday, and talked to her about the failure of the grievance procedure, not being able to get a decision from the warden on an RIB appeal which I filed in November of last year. I told her about my security status being raised without any explanation, and the lack o f meaningful programs here... Take care and keep in touch. In the Struggle, D. LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE I CINCINNATI'S HOTTEST COMEDIANS FOLLOWED BY A DANCE FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 1998 8: 00 PM TO1 :00 PM CHABAD HO USE BINGO HALL 1750 SEYMOUR AVE: $10.00 AT THE DOOR FOOD, LAUGHTER , DANCING All proceeds benefit The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �--STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Federal Government Pays Associates to Teach Reading Skills forHomeless Children in Cincinnati Submittedby Genevieve Sanzi, Project Connect On an average, homeless children are two to t hree years behind in school; often they have become the innocent victims of difficult situa­ tions. It's a sad reality, but true. Genevieve Sanzi and Shelley Rothenbusch are two young teachers working with Project Connect in order to make a difference in the lives of these innocent victims. They are dedicating a year of their lives to serve asAmeriCorps*VISTA members. Currently. Project Connect has ·seven America Reads summer asso ciates. They work throughout a nine week program at local homeless shelters and at community centers. Five of the asso ciates are AmeriCorps*YISTA's. They are as follows; Kristin McNa[Tlara. LaToshia Pratt, Jeffrey Sanders, Kristine Schellhous, and Blake W illiams. In addition, we are also grateful to have two interns from Miami Ur:iiversity: Co lleen Phillips and Elisabeth Wilson. They are participating in the "Urban Leadership Intern­ ship Program." All of our associates are giving nine weeks of their summer to work with Cincinnati's homeless children. AmeriCor ps*VISTA is a federally run program that is similar to the Peace Corps and stands for Volunteers In Service ToAmerica. AmeriCorps*VISTA members have a long tradition of providing services to thousands of low-income communities across the nation. Each member is given the goal to help their community by planting a seed. This means they are to bring about awareness and encourage the public to voluntarily participate in and carry on community development long after the year of service has ended. Project Connect is Cincinnati's only program that addresses and strives to eliminate the educational barriers for homeless children and youth. This is accomplished by providing transportation, food service, enrollment and tutoring opportunities for these children. The direct and supportive services offered are essential to reduce the traumas experienced by homeless children. Project Connect provides equal access to educational opportunities to the faceless victims who fall through the cracks of the traditional educational system. · The team ofAmeriCorps*VISTA's and interns agree that having this experience with Project Connect is a once in a lifetime opportu­ nity. Many of the team members wanted to work with "at risk" children in an urban setting. They found this to be a very rewarding chal­ lenge.. LaToshia expressed that, "Reading is fundamental to ones survival in an informational society such as this." That is why the AmeriCorps*YISTA's and interns work so hard to teach young individuals to read. Several of the summer associated and the Children Jeamabout frogs, enjoyanoutlngatlnwoodPark. year long AmeriCorps*VISTA's are in the field of educa­ tion. Actually, Shelley Rothenbush will complete her one year as an AmeriCorps*YISTA in August and she will pursue an elementary education position. She is certified to teach from grades one through eight. This experience has helped all of the future educators. Some of tlie summer programs highlights have been the recent picnic that Project Connect had at Inwood Park. Donatos was very kind to donate pizza for every­ one that attended. The children-were excited to see and touch the live animals that Erin brought. She is a naturalist from Cincinnati Parks and Recreation. Other highlights include the trips to the water park and pools. Beth find s it rewarding, "knowing that the children really look forward to seeing me each day and that our program is often the best par~ of their day." On the other hand, Blake is excited by watching the children's interest in reading grow. If you o r so meone you know wo uld like to volun­ teer to tutor some of Cincinnati's 3,053 (survey taken in 1994) Homeless children or donate some supplies, please call Genevieve Sanzi at Project Connect, (513)357-5720. Stop to take the time to make a difference in a child's life, give a homeless child a chance to see a brighter future. THIRD ANNUAL AMER.ICORPS ALL MEMBER GATHERING ATHENS, OHIO1998 ByBrettZwolinski . From July I5-17, 1998 there was an Ohio AllMemeber Americorps Gathering. In attendance from Over The Rhine were Americorps members Emmanuel Green, George Niles,Tammy Nettles, and Brett Zwolinski. The gathering was held on the campus of Ohio Univer­ sity where lodging was also provided. Members interactivly engaged in ecclectic workshops throughout the gathering's endeavors. In addition, there existed two service projects in which Americorps volunteers worked to turn limited resources into unlimited success for Page 9 PhotobyJimmyHeath Athen's surrounding community. The service projects entailed a playground refurbishing as well as a creek sweep clean-up. All Ohio Americorps members received a certificate from Governor George.V.Voinovich honoring our time and service to The State Of Ohio. NA"ONAl SERVICEIN THE21st CENTURY: What do you think? During the Third Annual Amcricorps All Member Gathering last month in Athens, Ohio an important discussion was broached concerning the progeny of America. The topic was entitled National Service in the 21st Century: What do you think? Ensuing, a soliloquy was spawned within my own mind that said to me, "Hold on!" This soliloquy represented itself as a dichotomy between the messages we.America, are sending our youth. Hello America, we are sending out mixed messages! On one hand, we are educating our youth in a competitive manner which tells them to only look out for "number one." And then, we go on to incorporate them into a capitalistic society which further strengthens the message to be a self-seeking competitor: According to Webster, capitalism is "an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods and by prices, production, and' distribution of goods that are ~etermined mainly by competition in a free market." This is competition in a free market where the determination of the market is anything but free to the masses. Greed and avarice are deeply engrained into our lives, so deep it essentially keeps our economy growing. Without competition we are taught that the production, distribution, and quality of goods would not improve. Indeed it is competi­ tion that drives people to crank out better quality goods. We are encouraged from our childhood that it is favorable to have more and better goods than our peers. And our eductaional system can be seen as a reflection of our American capitalistic system. Throughout elementary, high school, and college we "are taught to achieve the highest grades by compet­ ing for superiority with our classmates. The ones who advance and receive scholarships, grants, and jobs are those who have out competed the rest. We are being taught from our inception to indulge in ourselves at the expense of others. The focus has become the competition, rather than education itself for the betterment of humanity. Competition is engrained in our culture, in fact, dishonest competit.ion coupled with greed and Support Your Local Vendor... Tell A Friend About Streetvibes! Continued on Page14 �-STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine the first immigrants of this country. I read this quote the other day - "Today, if there is a dominant culture, it is border culture. And those who still haven't crossed a border will do it very soon. All Americans (from the vast Continent America) were, are, or will be border crossers ... " (GuiUermoGomez-Pena) Ialso Mexican read that for the last month, iIleual . . b 1mm1grants have died about one a day from the heat, trying to cross the border. But that number isn't included in the national death toll. Their deaths don'tcount to the United States. They don't count as people... (Excerpts of a letter from a UP!. .. from the friend In Texas streets: The to a Streetvl/Jes Voice of the staffer) -Colleen Melange Stanton Today I received a copy of Streetvibes and Citybeat sent by my father. The image on the cover of Citybeat looked quite familiar...[Ed. Note: Recent Citybeat cover story on the repeal of the anti­ panhandling law, a pair of cupped hands.] I wonder if it was influenced by anything in particular. Their implied meaning of the hands in that position seems to contaminate the purity of the act of giving and receiving, (something that should come naturally to human beings, don't you think?) Cincinnati now associates such an image with begging? and with the typical attitudes of the upper class elite all worried about their own damn self-interests, of course the theme of the article is that panhandling is a hin­ drance to their schedule. that they rarely give money because it is not their problem, and -a warning to be careful of panhandlers because 'you never know, they might be dangerous'. I find such conversation to be superficial, not getting at the root of the problem, instead perpetuating fee lings of animosity or worry. "How do you deal with those people?" Well s#@&, why's the problem there in the first place? Why don't we ever deal with issues of poverty? There is a staggering unequal distribution of wealth in this country, in the whole world. Wealth and resources are finite, so long as ce,rtain individuals horde unnecessary amounts of money, property, etc., others will go without. It's about balance and this country hasn't figured that out yet. And I'm scared to think what it will take to wake everybody up: I feel like writing that stupid newspa­ per a letter. What was the reaction in OTR, in Streetvibes? Streetvibes directly contradicts the main underlying points of that article. 1feel clear here: Strong in what I believe. Inspired to act, to.educat~, to be ed~cated, to work for change. It 1s alarming to realtze the extent that this country not on ly perpetuates slavery not only throughout the Third World but in its own fields its ow~ c?rporations. I~ does this by keeping ' the maJonty ofthe workmg class "illegal," easy to exploit. Not even considered to be human beings but rather"''aliens." Laws are changing, the border is tightening so that less and less immigrants can become legal and those that are already citizens are permanently deported if they are even accused of a crime. It is a racist systematic approach to maintain a specific ' percentage of the population which is al ways desperate for work, but willing, no matter what t~e conditions or how low the pay, because it is either that or starve. As is typical of our si lent history, our silent present - no one even thinks about the serious abuses that continue to plague the workers in this country - rarely do they even r~cogni.ze who the workers are, that they have nghts. The descendants of the native peoples of this continent are forbidden to move freely across this land, this continent. And the people who mandate that power are all descendants of Homeless of Santa Barbara County Hello Donald; My name is John Gibbs and I am starting a new homeless newspaper in Santa Barbara, CA I previously edited a homeless newspaper in Eugene, Oregon, called "Oikos." I also attended last year's NASNA convention in Seattle, Washington. I am presently preparing for some upcoming fund-raising presentations and have an urgent need for samples of homeless newspapers in other cities. If it is at all possible. could you please send me some back issues of "STREETVIBES'?" Our first issue will hit the streets of Santa Barbara the first week of August. I would like to initiate a monthly "swap" with your newspaper, so I can keep up on the latest issues in your city. I will send an issue of "UP!...from the streets" when it is printed. Thanks to your example, I feel confident that our newspaper will succeed here, where the home­ less have had little voice in the past. I look forward to a constructive relationship with you and your staff. Thank you, John Gibbs, Editor "Up!...form the streets" ONE DREAM CAME TRUE Page 10 OVER-THE­ RH INE STEEL DRUM BAND · GEARS UP FOR SUMMER FUN And Buckles Down For 10th Anniversary Celebration Submitted By Peaslee Neighborhood Center The Over-The-Rhine (OTR) Steel Drum Band gears up for summer fun with their unique blend of Caribbean, pop, jazz, and classical music. Saturday, August I, there is a performance at the Over-The­ Rhine Community Festival in Washington Park. Come to the festival for a family fun-filled day of games, entertainment, food and-newly added this year-the arts! Ther'll be art displays by neighbor­ hood artists, art activities for the kids. drama and music. All activities are low-cost. and many are free. The festivities begin at 12 noon and culminate with a high-energy performance by the steel drum band beginning at 5 p.m. The band has a special finale planned that will have audience members dancing and adding their own musical talents. This is a new work entitled Can You Picture Yourself, written by local composer David Kisor, arid will be a collabora­ tion with Drums For Peace, The Bucket Boyz, and Bi­ Okoto African Drum and Dance Ensemble. The arts portion of the festival is made possible with a donation form the Sisters of Charity Ministry. Wednesday, August 12, The OTR Steel Drum band goes to Greenhills to perform a concert at 7:30 p.m. as part of their summer concert series and then to Bellefontaine, Ohio on Sunday, August 16 to play at 7:00 p.m. for their Concerts in the Park series. After their busy summer fun concert schedule. the Band buckles down for s0me intense practicing as they prepare for their I0th Anniversary concerts Saturday, September 26 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 27 at 3:00 p.m. at the School for Creative and Performing Arts. Both concerts will be re­ corded, and CD's and cassettes will be available by the holidays! Tickets for the concerts may be purchased for$ I0 at Peaslee Neighborhood Center. 215 E. 14th Street in Over-The-Rhine, Monday­ Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Call 621-5514 for further information. The music programs of Peaslee Neighborhood Center are supported in part by The Ohio Arts Council; The Community Arts Fund; Cincinnati Bell; The Cinergy Foundation; The Dater Foundation; The Martha McGee Charitable Trust, Fifth Third Bank Trustee; The Jack J. Smith, Jr. Charitable T ru~t. PNC Bank and James S. Wachs. Co-Trustees; and The Keyboard Club. Help Wanted by Maryann Bravo I had so many dreams in the past couple of years. I was so busy doing for others and not doing for myself. But I have changed all of that. I started doing more for myself and that's why one of my dreams came true and that's going back to school and getting my GED. Once I get my GED, I will go from there. My Higher Power is telling me I can. I can do it. I am going to work hard and do the best I can. I have a very good friend. His name is Ron. I could not ask for a better friend than Ron. He is so sweet and kind. Somew here down the line the rest of my dreams will come true. I will just take it one day at a time. The first thing I am going to do is finish school. Now Hiring Floor Staff and Maintenance Drop by or Call Drop Inn Center Shelterhouse 217 West 12th Street Over-The-Rhine 721-0843 �- STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine st·reetvlbes Crossword by Paul Linden Page 11 Scram bI e by Ron Carter Try to unscramble these related words: TRMAK EANELSWGR REKOGR WYHTIRFTA VREOC SASER N NYPES SESYPLA MWTARAL MSSA Answers on page 15. Across 1. in the crowd 6. capital Is Port-au-Prince 11 . animal doctor 14. Brazilian city 15. in baseball, a pitchers quality rating 16. Beanlown 19. Spanish response 20. mental picture 21 . phone device for the Deaf 23. desert illusion 24. crime stoppers(abbr) 26. western college, the Huskies(abbr) 27. bathroom 2&. domolitlon 33. writer cumming<l 34. adequate amount 35. satisfactory 39. capital of Poland 41 . national newswire(abbr) 42. what they call you 44 . car for hire 45. farm vehicle 46.appendage 48. positive response 50. harvest product 53. equal 54. froglike amphibians 57. shelled reptile 58.weare 60. type of street(abbr) 61 . second planet from lhe Sun 62 . really wide shoe 63. filled pasta 66. Canadian territory(abbr) 67. group of workers 69. to slowly take from 71 . hospital department 72 . pledge 75. ripped 76. sauce for fish 78. lecture stand 80. college in Berlln(abbr) 81. tree cutter 82. famous clow 84.season 86. list 90. spring formal 91 . two in cards 93. negative answer 94. African country 95. 2000 lbs is a short one of these 31 . fearful person 32. 'heart of it all' 35. seperate 36. i think therefore 37. major car company(abbr) 38. paradise 40. honesl name 43. freedom 47. to show again 49. scattered 50. to desire 51. 1ype ol margarine 52 . gym class(abbf) 53. female sheep 55. present age 56. male Ct:1N 57. _ _ isfairplay 59. speak to a class 60. woodland animal 61 . type bridge(pl) 64. Iridium (symbol) 65. unattached 68. mechanical person 69. candle material 70. Aslatine(symbol) 73. progression or events 74. low murmur 76. large Atlantic fish 77. unchangeable computer memory 79. males 83.smell 85. spoiled 87. tear severely 88. formal clothing item(men) 89. a long, long time 90. 'city oflighf 92. fathefs brother to you 95.speak 97. Chromium (symbol) 102. to accompli.s h 103. either_ 96. affection(abbr) 9$. city in Nevada 99. snitch 100. a spark or bolt electricity 101 . respectful term 102. female deer 104. southern state{abbr) 105. give a command 106. not Mrs. but 107.joint nearfoot-­ 108. paradise or or Down 1. method of being cooked 2. to direct 3. warm clothing(pl) 4. to look 5. prosecutor 6. type of fever 7. computer company 8. to labor, work hard 9. Jewish nation 10. robe of ancient Rome 12. spirit 13. clean and orderly 17. restaurant or pub 18. a trap or snare 21. ballet dancer garb 22. small branch 25. of the moon 29. Bronco leader 30. to stop working Subscribe to Streetvlbes Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per year. Please send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed to yo u each issue. Streetvibes I 506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make che cks pay­ able to the ·Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Home less-­ Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421 -7803. Community Celebration. !I live Music! Every Sunday -6PM Free of Charge Nast-Trinity United Methodist Church 1320 Race St. Cincinnati 721-7339 Advertise In Streetvlbesl Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses co help a good cause while promoting themselves co 4,000 concerned people each month. The races are shown below. • I 111c.rdsa. rx1112"' Sl8pa11w•1 ......... ,,.. . . 5 . . . . . . . . . 4""xl 112"' A check or money order muse accompany the ad copy. We reserve the right to deny any ad, especially chose which promote alcohol or tobacco produces. You will receive a full refund should your ad be denied. For larger ads, call the number below. Ads are due by the 20th of each month. If you need assistance in preparing your ad or have any other questions, call the Homeless Coali­ tion ac 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Screecvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 LOST & FOUND By James Hobbs Several years ago, after I retired, I was lost. After twenty years of marriage; I was lost after having raised six children. I became depressed and started drinking and chasing women. At one time, I was living in the Drop-Inn Center which is a place for the homeless. At this point, I had reached the bottom of the pit. Then I started going to AA meetings regularly and began reading the Bible and good literature. I started going to church and met my present wife. Being homeless is really a terrible situation co be in after living at home for twenty years. It's a bad situation. But you want to know something...this is when I found out about the different places that feed individuals. Thank God for people like Buddy Gray and the ocher people that run the Drop-Inn Center! �~- ......--..-----------~----~~~-----------------------.........._._________________ ~~ ~- ------~~--~~--~~~-------- STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine "Study..." from page 1 growth. As a result, subsidized housing has .become a vital source of affordable housing, however, families seeking housing assistance often wait two years or more before a subsidy becomes available. "It is unfortunate that at a time when the economy is booming, the need for affordable housing is greater than ever," said Bill Faith of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO). "It is clear that economic growth will not solve our nation's affordable housing problems." In light of these findings, COHHIO expressed hope that Congress would enact proposals to fund new housing subsidies for families making the transition from welfare to work and for homeless families. President Clinton proposed in his budget to Congress for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to receive money that would be earmarked for new resources for housing assistance to low-income working families. COHHIO also expressed concern about legislation now moving through Congress that would move in the other direction and limit access to housing assistance for working families with severe housing problems. Social Service Worker. Help wanted. Only people who want to help others need to apply. Applicant needs to be able to work flexible hours, some weekends. Must be a team player. Honest, hard-working, and fair. Strong organizational and interpersonal skills needed. Fair wages. High school diploma/GED required. Send resume to: Bethany House Services/ 1841 Fairmount Ave./ Cincinnati, OH 45214/ Attn: Darlene. FRIENDS FEST '98 Submltt11d by Community Shat'lls It is that time of year again. Saturday night, August 29th, Community Shares is sponsoring the 3rd annual Friends Fest and this year it is the biggest than ever. Starting at 8:00pm Mt. Auburn Presbyte­ rian, 103 William Howard Taft. Community shares will kick off the full campaign with musical groups MUSE. Sister Friends and Drums for Peace. Inspired by a chance meeting at a percussion instrument making workshop, the idea of an interactive concert between the three groups came into being. The concert, innovative in itself, promotes the Commu­ nity Shares focus on diversity and cooperation. All 17 organizations will be represented Saturday night and information and opportunities will be as readily available as the great music! Dr. Catherine Roma and Lois Shagag. director and assistant director of MUSE, are coordinating the program. Mary McCoy. Community Shares director, is coordinating the event. The years of dedication to social change and rights for all found within the careers of these women is seen clearly in the interactive program and its progressive music. Community Shares volunteers a~d supporters have doubled at this event in the last two years, and 300 people are expected this year. Food and door prizes will be coupled with the music to create an environ­ ment that is relaxing and fun. This is so important because Friends Fest is a unique opportunity to foster relationships and further understanding of each other and of our service organizations. MUSE, Sister Friends and Drums for Peace attract a broad spectrum <?f people, from all walks of life. Friends Fest continues to reflect Community Shares growth and outreach as the member organization move forward in their individual efforts to create ground breaking solutions to difficult problems. Our Community is for the vision we share for a better future. Come and join us August 29th, for good music, food and good people! For ticket information please call MUSE @ 221-1118 Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Looking for a place to call home? Call the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Affordable rent that never exceeds 30°/o of your income ... Many bulldlngs equipped with security systems ... Units located on buslines and near stores, schools, hospitals, banks Page 12 Rental units are available in these family and senior communities: Avondale Hopple Street/Fairmount West End Winton Place For more information, call 421-8190 today. Jimmy Heath Photo by Brett Zwolinski JIMMY HEATH EXHIBIT: THE BROKEN CITY By BrettZwolinski STREETVIBES photographer Jimmy Heath has humbly remained out of the spotlight for some time. He has been working to uncover the "mystery" of homelessness through his refined photographic techniques ... he's a behind the scenes type of guy. However, his ethereal existence is now going to be materializing only to grace our presence at upcoming North Americ.an.Su:e~ spaper Association (NASNA) Conference. The conference will be held in Montreal from August 6th through the 9th, 1998, where Jimmy Heath will conduct a workshop on the utilization of photographic tech­ nique and style within the context of street newspa­ pers. . Jimmy Heath has been a photographer for STREETVIBES since its inception and has played a central role in the development and stabalization of the paper. Jimmy has endured the trying times and circumstances that ineluctably surround a non-profit organization backed street newspaper. Accolades and approbations for Jimmy Heath. And don't miss the Jimmy Heath Ex hibit The Broken City, at Xavier University's annual Shantytown Eve nt where his photographic artwork will be on display. The exhibit will take place in the University Center on Xavier's main carrpus from September 20th through the 26th. This will be his opportunity to share with you, through his photo's, what he has been doing to bring about awareness of homelessness and poverty in the Greater Cincinnati Area and beyond. Jimmy's work has been featured in numerous local mainstream publications as well as many national and worldwide publications. He endeavors to create aw~reness of homelessness and engages in activism by means of his unaffected photography which has a voice of its own. DON' T MISS THE JIMMY HEATH EXHIBIT: THE BROKEN CITY!1! �STREETVIBES I The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 13 News From Cleveland's Grapevine "WORK FARE" Submitted By Northeastern Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) I thought you might be interested in how Work Fare implementation is going out here in the trenches. I spoke with the man in charge of impos­ ing sanctions at our local Human Services Depart­ ment again today. After mentioning the words "state hearing" and implying that I probably wouldn't to be jumping to come in and sign their compliance form stating that any "further infringements" would result in more sanctions. he said that there might be an "alternative." He spoke with his supervisor and they agreed that if I was to get statem~nts from all my instructors verifying my attendance and that they saw and signed my time sheet that they would be willing to take those statements into consideration for good cause. He also told me that he had checked with their financial person and verified that I had indeed sent her a check for which she had written me a receipt for 4/3/98 which means that chances are I did send in my time sheet in on the same day and on time. It looks like my sanction should be dropped after I turn in my instructors statement. I am a welfare recipient who recently went up against the Ohio Department of Human Services in an attempt to get them to. comply with Minimum Wage Laws and the Fair Labor Standards Act. When it was all said and done the state did decide to comply before we got to the point of class action. Unfortunately for me they weren't very happy with me for making them look bad. W ell they finally found a way to get even! I got a sanction letter in the mail today out of the blue saying that I am going to be sanctioned from cash assistance for the month of May three days before I am supposed to get a check! I should have known better but I mailed my time sheets to them this month instead of dropping them off in person and getting a receipt so that I had proof I turned them in. I complied with every Work Fare hour and school hour I was required to do but because my time sheet for school was conveniently lost in the mail and they supposedly didn't receive it by the 7th we lose over $400. I called the jobs supervisor to ask him what was going on and told him that I had mailed it to my caseworker. He hadn't even checked with her to see if she had seen it. He just looked in my case and it wasn't there, so even though I have never had a time sheet even late in 24 months, I lose 2/3 of our income for now ,he says, the month f June. They can't even get their dates r ight on their own paper­ work, but I have to make sure I get every piece of paper to them on time. W ho is going to sanction all of them for the mistake on my paperwork making me think that in three days we won't be getting a check. These people should at least have to call you to see why they don't have your time sheet when this has never happened before! Some democracy. I suppose I'll have to file for another state hearing. I can't just let this go without a fight. IT ISN'T FAIR!! Are they so perfett? I could see if I had missed hours, but I didn't. So much for. a case by case basis!!!!! Good news, bad news. I finally received a letter from the Sandusky County Department of Human Services on Saturday voiding my sanction. guess they just wanted to let me sweat a little since my reap was today. The bad news is they were able to assign me to an additional 39 hours per month when I s·igned my new contract today. Since my daughter's father isn't keeping up on his child support, the new minimum wage calculation we got them to comply with came out to 9 hours more per week t han I was doing. Just when I was trying to get ahead some in schoolwork because my daughter is going to need another ear surgery. I think it's pretty bad t hat when we as mothers don't "do what we're supposed to," we get nailed, but when the father don't do what THEIR supposed to, we get nailed as well. I got a thought... why not make the fathers do the extra Work Fare hours when they don't pay instead of us. · It's something to think about. MANAGED CARE by Brian Davis Managed care gets bad reviews from customers for placing a dollar figure on health care and warring about the bottom line before the life line, but how does managed care impact the homeless? Imagine havine a breast removed, and told to change the bandages in a sh~lter. Imagine walking around with AIDS looking for a shelter that will allow for all day bed rest. Imagine being turned away from a stay in the hospital with only a one day prescription because your condition was not serious enough for admittance and then being turned away from the shelters because your condition was too serious to risk infection the other customers. This is managed care for homeless people. Those who exist on the steets and the shelters cannot recuperate in their homes. They do not have the luxury of bed rest, and cannot expect help from shelter staff to change dredding or assit with other bodily functions for those barely able to walk. Officals at Harbor Light shelter in Cleveland said"They (hospitals) just want people out." They use shelters as a dumping ground. They are releasing a lot of people too early without a lot of medication. A Harbor Light staff preson r eported that one client fell down the stairs and had to go to the hospital. Instead of putting in a rod in his elbow and attempting to reconstruct the bone, the doctors decided that it would be cheaper to remove the bone so the individual had only half the strenght in his arm. Another person at Harbor Light w.as burnt. He received a minimum level of care at the hospital and was released with some Tylenol aspirin. And before the law was changed a women delivered cesareanand was released within twenty four hours. This staff member who did not want to give his name said,"Homeless people are not treated the same. It is not like it is on TV." A Harbor Light officals reported that social Worker oft.en lie about a patients condition to g~t­ them out of the hospital. He said, "We don't even deal with St. Luke's. They aren't straight with you. Officials from St. Luke's said,"Harbor Light is accepting referrals from us. In February, we placed someone in Harbor Light for Detox and we put someone in there in the last two weeks. They may question us more, but it would not be accurate to say that they are not accepting our referrals. West Side Catholic in Cleveland, a women's shelter, said that they arw usually full so have a hard time accepting customers from area hospitals. Thay recently had a women who had brest cancer and needed a room to recover. They allowed the women to stay two weeks and she got to know shelter staff and residents as her only family. Aggie Hoskins, Director of West Side Catholic, said,"lt is a real dilemma for sheltres and services on the whole." We are not extend the hospital stay for homeless people who cannot take care of them­ selves." Both St. Vincent Hospital and St. Luke"s co nfirmed that there are no special rules with regard to admitting or keepinng homeless people fo r extened stays. A spokespreson from St. Vincent emphasized that each preson is treated I individually, but there are no special rules for homeless people. "Our mission is to take care of peaple no matter their ability to pay. We do not extend the hospital stay for homeless people," St. Luke's said we do not differentiate between someone who is homeless and someone who is not homeless. A St. Luke's offical said homeless people can be referred to residential care or a skilled nursing facility, but they cannot stay at St. Lukes. They confirmed that there are stringent guidelines for being admitted to the hospital at the emergency room, and housing does not play a role. Because there are no special protocols for homeless people, organizations like Cleveland Health care for the Homeless get people with full blown AIDS who are discharged and told to medicate and take care of themselves through CHCH. They saw that managed care is a serious problem that is forcing shelters to provide health care to people with serious illnesses. He characterized the problem as a increasing othe the past year. He says that without the proper recovery time people have a relapse and are back in the hospital or at the clinics operated by CHCH. There is also the possiblity of developing an infection, which could lead to losing a body part or death. In Cleveland, there is one hospital left, MetroHealth Medical Facility. Despite their pubilc mission they do not offer any longer stays or better care for homeless poeple. Hilinski said,"they don't operate any different than the other hospitals." After one week of trying, no one from Metro Health returned repeated requests for comment. Hilinski did not fault the doctors who he said were as "frustrated as the rest of us," He laid the blame squarely on the managed care system. He said, "I think it would be optimun to allow homeless . peopole to be exempt from the rules. Ti is my opinion that manages care drove this process. Let people providing health care do their job." There was a proposal on the table to pro vide care to homeless people who are discharged from a hospital and who need some health care. The Sisters of Charity decided to put together a program called Joseph's Home to serve homeless refugees of Continued on next Page Answers to Streetvlbes Crossword from Page 11... �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page /4 "Managed Care" IMPORTANT CANCER INFORMATION FOR MEN from Page 13 the Managed Care system. They surveyed homeless service providers in the area with twenty five organizations responding. All twenty five said that a shelter for homeless people to recover was neces­ sary. The services reported between two and sixty people needing an augmented health care shelter each month. Sister Joan Gallagher of the Sisters of Charity said that they found that a lot of homeless people were not admitted to the hospital, but were given medication ana told to come back later. She said, "The shelters could not handle these people especially those with respiratory problems because they were contagious." When asked how this situation developed, Gallagher laid the blame squarely on the changes in the managed care system. Gallagher said, "In the past, the hosp_itals would admit these individuals. They had more funds to cover it. They cannot handle these situations (with homeless people). Hospitals these days really have no plans for people without homes." The project sought fereral funds, but was turned down due to the regulations regarding the use of Hosing Funde. The Sisters intend to put the project on hold for one year, and refocus the program to be more of a transitional facility to accommodate Federal requirements. Hilinski summed it up by saying, "It is my belief that we qre not saving aany money (under managed care). We are paying twice, three times because thet didn't fix the condition correctly in the first place." "Third Annual Americorps... from Page 9 11 avarice is what America was founded upon. When once our forefathers took it upon themselves to claim these lands from the native peoples by insidious means, the formation of our capitalistic society was conceived. Competition for the land and all the byproducts thereof has been the source of our wealth and our present superpower status. And upon this foundation our present existance rests with all of its concomitant problems. A house built upon an unsturdy foundaton will not stand. In effect, we have established a society of competitors who are vying to gain superiority with each other, rather than working together for the betterment of all. Finally, the brunt of this self-seeking competitveness is experienced by the majority of people who have low-incomes and who are increas­ ingly becoming homeless. On the other hand, our government is sending out the message to become involved in national service which raises the question: What inspires individuals to devote themselves to national service? When we dig deep for the answer to this question we cannot help but stumble upon the cornerstone and foundation which our country was built upon. Logic tells us that a demolition and reconstruction of our societal framework is in order if we are to synchronize America's dichotomous messages. To care for others is to first care for yourself. If we are not caring for others, then we must not be caring for ourselves because our future depends upon the care of everyone. The future of our lives.upon the earth is a result of all people playing their unique roles to insure the collective growth and survival of human­ ity. SubmittedBy Mike Shryock, Health Counselor Prostate cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in America today. Every three minutes, a new prostate cancer is diagnosed. Every 13 minutes, another American man dies of prostate cancer. In fact, this second-leading cause of cancer death in men has already singled out and attacked more than 334,000. And it has caused an estimated 40,000 deaths annually. As with any type of cancer, the origins and causes still remain a mystery. However, researchers continue to narrow the possibilities every day. We do know that age, race and genetics play a part in contracting prostate cancer, but little scientific research can explain why. As you grow older, the chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer increases. About 80 percent of all prostate cancer patients are over the age of 6S. In addition to age, the race of an individual significantly increases the chances of prostate cancer. African-American men have the highest prostate cancer incidence rates in the world. An individual's genetic makeup or family history also increases the chance of prostate cancer. There is a great deal of circumstantial evidence that supports the idea that diet and environmental conditions are key to avoiding prostate cancer. However, nothing has been scientifically proven. What this does mean is that African­ American men, those over the age of 40 and those with a fami ly history of prostate cancer should make a point to have regular checkups. Every man over the age of 40 should have a digital rectal exam as part of his regular annual physical. In addition, the American Cancer Society recommends that men age· SO and over have an annual prostate-specific antigen blood test (PSA). The PSA tells the doctor the level of prostate­ specific antigen in the blood, just like a cholesterol test can tell how much cholesterol is in the blood. An average SO year-old male is generally believed to have four nanograms per milliliter, one of which is prostate cancer. The good news is that S8 percent of all prostate cancers are discovered while they are still localized, and the five-year survival rate for patients with tumors diagnosed a this stage is 99 percent. Over the past 30 years, the survival rate for all stages has increased from SO percent to 87 percent. There are no clear symptoms of prostate cancer which an individual can easily assess- such as with breast self-examinations for cancer. These include: frequent urination (especially at night), inability to urinate, trouble starting to urinate or holding back urination, pain during ejaculation, a weak or interrupted urine flow, pain or burning during urination, blood in the semen or in the urine, and frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs. If you experience any of these symptoms, be sure to schedule an appointment with your primary care physician. Only a physician can accurately tell you whether these symptoms are, in fact, associated with the possibility of prostate cancer. Subscribe to Streetvlbes Subscariptions to Streetvib es ca n b;purc~ for $12 per year. Please send a check to the below address and t he p a pe r will be m ailed to you each issue. Streetvibes I 506 Elm Street _Cincinnat•' Please make che cks payable to the Greater Cin­ cinnati Coalition for the Homeless--Streetvibes. If you have any questio ns, call 421­ 7803. "Don't worry. It won't get far." �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine ANNOUNCING A new Group at A VOC ..• For Heterosexuals living With Aids FREE POLITICAL PRISONERS by Sonny WI/I/ams Early this year 27th, hundreds marched in front of the White House to demand the freedom of political prisoners in the United States. We have two political prisoner's in the Ohio Prison System that should be supported: Dan Cahill at Orient 'Prison and John Perotti at Lucasville Prison, If you are interested in writing these prisoners, write to: Ohio Prisoner's Rights Union P.O. Box 1746 Cincinnati, Ohio 45201-1746 Are you looking for a broader knowledge of the challenge ofliving with HIV/AIDS? Would you like to meet people who share similar experiences and hear their coping strategies? Are you /ooklngfor peers with whom 'OU can discuss and plan for the future? Where: AVOC "Gray Room" When: 1st and 3rd Thursdays 6:30 PM to B:PM More information: Susan or Judy 421-2437 for sale N ative A merican cookies: orders being accepted: R. C. Janus, (Fax) 891-8663. position wanted Office worker seeks 20­ 30 hour sit down job on bus line, within 2 miles of the river in either Kentucky or Ohio: non-medical terminology, non-filing cabinet office work social services, sales, public information. crafts. and other background, some computer experience: contact Box 2, Streecvibes, 1506 Elm St., Cincinnati. 45210. Laborer Looking for a laborer? Has worked at Riverfront. Is willing to do any kind of work. Call Sonia Craig at the Drop Inn Center, 721­ 0643. Elderly or Children Looking for a community oriented job dealing with elderly or children. 3 year ourteach worker/ counselor aide at YMCA. 13 years typing. Computer and cashier experience including Windows, Lotus, Any Word Processor. Call Anjail Madyun at the Drop Inn Center. 721 -0643. Degreed, successful grants administrator/writer seeks commissioned, free lance position as same; ten percent commission per award. Contact J. Janus, Jr. (Fax) 891-8663. N ative American-Hispanic female seeks sit down. slow­ paced industrial FACTORY position; physically challenged. (Fax) 891 -8663. Scramble Answers from page 11. .. K-Mart Walgreens Kroger Thrlftway Revco Sears Pennys Payless Walmart Sams STREETVIBES provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only $I per line. Ca/1421-7803 for info. Streetvlbes Vendor Code of Conduct Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. I. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for donations more than $1 . I also understand that I will be able to keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. Future issues of Streetvibes will be purchased from the Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. 2. I agree that I will never distribute Streetvibes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 3. I agree that I will not ask for donations after 12 midnight. 4. I agree to treat others with respect. I will not use abusive language or force someone to give a donation. I will not give a "hard sell" or make someone feel threatened. 5. I agree that I will not supply copies of In Memory of 11 Mac 11 Who Believed In Human Rights For Everyone & Who Founded Justice Watch ••• Because 'Everyone' includes Prisoners and Former Prisoners. COME MEET WITH US STARTING ON2/5/98 Band Lookjne for Work Streetvibes (the band). We like co party. R&B. Oldies, Blues/Jazz Reggae. Helping the homeless to help themselves through free enterprize. Call 421-7803. Streecvibes is now accepting Classified Ads for items such as Help Wanted, Items for Sale, Apart­ ments for Rent and other non-personal items . .The rate is only $1 per line, approximately four words per line. Classified· ads are due by the 20th of the month. People below the poverty level will be allowed five free lines for six months to adv!rtJs.~ their skills or products to our readers. Otherwise, payment must be received before the ad will run. No refunds will be made. Also, if there is an error, notify us after the first printing. You will be given an extra month of ad time. Mail the ad copy to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 or fax it to 421-7813 Page 15 Streetvibes to persons who are not registered distributors. 6. I agree not to deceive the public by saying that I am collecting for a not-for-profit charity or . that ,...am collecting for the "homeless" in general. I will be honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvibes will go to the if'!dividual vendor. 7. I agree that I will not contest-territories with other distributors. 8. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a self supporting paper created by people who are homeless or formerly homeless. To help in this effort, I will try to spread the word and write stories if possible. 9. I understand that the failure to comply with any of the above statements will result in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. Sales· Representatjye Looking for position as sales representative or management. Has good bookkeeping, typing and supervisory skills. Has experience in retail management, customer service and sales. Is available to work immediately. Call Dea Harris at S52-935 I. Restaura n t Work Responsible older man able to work any shi~ Would prefer work as a busser at a restaurant as well as work as a dishwasher or cook. Is very dependable and available immediately. Please contact Wiley Powell at 831-8404. Baby Sitter Need a babysit.ter? Former child-care worker with day­ care experience. Call Mary Ann at 665-4375 or pager at 610-8527 · Contineency Fee ~ Not afraid of Catholic Church or PUCO. Send office hours and name of law school on letterhead paper to I 11 I Elm Street. No. 432, Cincinnati, OH 45210. Streetvlbes Radio Hour On WAIF 88.3 fm The Homeless Coalition has a live radio program which can be heard on WAIF radio on the second Saturday of each month at noon. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Donald Whitehead and other monthly guest hosts. The show mixes talk focusing on the stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates; WAIF 88.3 fm Saturday, July 11th, 1998, noon to I pm Advertise In Streetvlbes I Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to 4,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. ***Business Card Size 2" x 3 1/2" $10 per month ***Two Business C ard Size 4" x 3 I /2" $20 per month A check or money order 111ust accompany the ad copy. We reserve the right to deny any ad, especially those which promote alcohol or tobacco products. You will receive a full refund should your ad be denied. For larger ads, call the number below. Ads are due by the 20th of each month. If you need assistance in preparing your ad or have any other questions, call the Homeless Coali­ tion at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 �' STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine VENDOR PROFILE: Streetvlbes TV The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video. Some viewers might not see the show appear at the right • channel or time during the next couple months as Warner Cable changes programming and channels. Streetvibes TVJuly Schedule Rodney Sutton Sr. He came to Cincinnati in March of 1993, and was homeless because he was paroled. Having no place to go, the Arrington House gave him a chance to get back on his feet. He soon had an apartment of his own and was able to attend Cincinnati Bible College and graduated with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Bible in May 1996. Furthermore, he was one of the first graduates of the Build Your Own Business (BYOB) program sponsored by the Over­ The-Rhine Cooperative Fiscal Services. He was given many chances by the grace of God and because of these chances he is now developing A.W.O.L. Ministries to help others have a chance to overcome homelessness, chemical dependency, domestic violence, etc. which bind us and keep us captive. Page 16 This month's LIVE SHOW will feature a panel discussion on tenants rights. Guests will include long time tenant organizers, reps from legal aid, and tenants. Tune in to learn about your rights as a tenant. Channe l 7 LIVE CALL-IN SHOW. Auiust 17th at 7PM. Rebroadcast Dates for Show on Channel 10: Saturday, August I, 1998. 4 PM Friday, August 4, 1998, I I am Friday, August 21 , 1998, I I AM Monday, August 24, 1998, I 0 PM Saturday, August 22, 1998, 4 PM Broadcast sche dules a re subject to change - consult your local TV directo r y. If you have any ideas for f~ture STREETVIBES TV shows please contact o ur office at 421 -7803. We always enjoy hearing from our veiwing audience. Ideas should address subjects related to ho meless­ ness and poverty in our city. We are always inter­ ested in viewer ideas, so please give us a call... Streetvlbes Wish List Streetvibes is published monthly on a shoe­ string budget. We depend heavily on the goodwill of many volunteers and donors. If you can help out with some of the items on our wish list please give us a call... >Adobe Photoshop Software for IBM to save scanning costs > 35 MM Film fo r Streetvibes photo's >Laser Printer >VCR to Show Streetvibes TV Show Episodes to Groups and Vendo rs >Advertise rs to help support the paper Where Your , Vendor: 80 cents Dollar~ > Fax Machine ----- >Office Supp ies >Supplies for Vendors e tc.) Goes Printing and Production: 20 cents ' -­ Streetvibes has a minimal overhead cost so that the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. If anyone selling Streetvibes claims to be collecting for a private charity, please call our office at 421-7803. Thanks for your support. - - - -!!!!! !!!!! !!!J !!!!! !!!J !! !! !! !!!!! - I!!! I!! !!!! Need Help or Want to Help? If for some reason you find yourself homeless, contact a Coalition Member Agency for Shelter, Treatment, Housing or Services. If you have any questions, feel free to call the Homeless Coalition at 421 -7803. SHELTERS: Women and Children Alice Paul House (abuse) 241-2757 YWCA Transitional Living Prog. 281-5770 557-2873 Bethany House 762-5660 Salvati.o n Army Welcome House 431-8717 ....__ SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (veterans) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 381-4941 661-4620 381-1954 SHELTER: Both Caracole (AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (singles) Friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) 761-1480 821-5100 72 1-0643 381-5432 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center St. John's Temporary Housing HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies (Mental Ill) Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: Women O.D.AA.T First Step Home TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over TREATMENT: Both NA Hopeline A.A Hotline C.C.A.T. Talbert House Transitions, Inc. VA Domiciliary OTHER SERVICES AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati Appalachian Identity Center 244-7226 961-4080 651-6446 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381 -0954 721-8666 961-4555 241-7343 921 -7324 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 421-2437 621-5991 Beech Acres 23 1-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 24 1-2600 591-2246 Churches Active in Northside 961-0600 Cincinnati Health Network 569-1840 Community Action Agency Contact Center 381-4242 241-2563 Emanuel Community Center 241-1064 Freestore/Foodbank Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 621-7149 632-7186 Hamilton Co. TB Control 357-4602 Health Resource Center 352-2902 Homeless Mobile Health Van House of Refuge Mission 22 1-3679 241-9400 Legal Aid Society Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271-550 I 721-4.811 Mary Magdalen House 621-0248 Oral Health Council 621-6364 Our Daily Bread 621-5514 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 721-7660 Travelers Aid 721-7900 United Way 559-6656 VA Homeless Program Women's Crisis Center 491-3335 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1998 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource August 1998 Vol 2, issue 19 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg. 1: Study Finds A Major Affordable Housing Gap in Ohio; Nationwide Shortage Of Affordable Housing At Record Level Pg 2: Cleveland News Pg 3: Portman Plan Pg 4: Welfare News Pg 5: Visible Homeless Hope VI Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg 7: Nationwide News Housing Conference Pg 8: Prisoners News Pg 9: San Diego Sleep-In Teen Role Model Pg 10: Letters & Editorials Pg 12: Azerbaijan Update Pg 13: TB Information Pg 16: Vendor Profile Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project (curated by Katelyn Lusher) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August 1998 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Te' Tro Amaru Maryann Bravo Dan Cahill Ron Carter Pat Clifford Denise Crew Brian Davis Dan Gibbons Jimmy Heath James Hobs Lynn Kilbane Paul Linden Judith Mendriski Steven Michael Aaron Pitchford James W. Pryor Steven M. Rutherford Mark Salter Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Sonny Williams Brett Zwolinski Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This work is licensed under a<span> </span><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a>. Aaron Pitchford affordable housing Brett Zwolinski Brian Davis Dan Cahill Dan Gibbons Denise Crew disability Donald Whitehead James Hobs James W. Pryor Jimmy Heath Judith Mendriski labor rights Lynn Kilbane Lynn Williams Mark Salter Maryann Bravo Pat Clifford Paul Linden Ron Carter Sonny Williams Steven M. Rutherford Steven Michael Te' Tro Amaru vendor profile visible homeless welfare welfare reform https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/11e4f613bdda55b9f579b37bc0f0a355.pdf d6454d43a595681b86cb208332f43e76 PDF Text Text Streetvibes Celebrates A Birthday Looking Back Twenty Years: January 11th 1978--The People Move Streevibes Staff The staff, writers., vendors and supporters of Streetvibes would like to thank all of our loyal readers for helping us make it through our first year of existence. One year ago, Streetvibes first hit the streets. We are very proud of the progress it has made; since our humble beginning. we have come to distribute almost '4000 copies per month. We currendy have over 200 subscribers, and we have had 145 vendors attempt to sell Streetvibes at least once. Of the 145 vendors that have given Streetvibes a chance, many have become regular vendors. Among these regular vendors, Streetvibes has had a I00% success rate; all vendors who have tried to sell Streetvibes and have continued to do so on a regular basis have gone on to find permanent or transitional housing. In the second year of Streetvibes' existence, we hope to continue its growth by increasing our distribution to I0 ,000 copies per month by February of 1998. The attainment of this target will allow us to reach our other goals: to have Streetvibes become completely self sufficient by opening a Streetvibes office run by hired staff and to increase our vendor services. We are extremely grateful for the many volunteers who have been a part of Streetvibes. Our doors are always open for those who wish to find a way to give of themselves. Lasdy, we thank all of our subscribers - you have made all of these accomplishments possible. We hope that the quality of our little paper contin­ ues to improve. If you are buying Streetvibes for the first time, we hope you enjoy our paper and realize that by reading it you are helping to improve the lives of other human beings. Contents Page3: Page 4: Page6: Page B: Page 12: Page14: Page 16: _. News: EBTCards arive in Cincinnati. Tender Mercies open new building. Streetvibes Poetry. Streetvibes Celebrates Black History Mon/h News from around the world Announcements and ClassifiedAds Need Help Want Help Years ago on a cold blizzardy Friday night a momentous event occurred whkh has gone down in our Over-the-Rhine history as THE PEOPLES MOVE The ShelterHouse Volunteer Group, operators of the Drop Inn Center Shelterhouse, consciously planned and organized a secret. "illegal" midnight move from its second home at 1324 Main Street to our current location at 217 W . 12th Street, which had been owned and not too long vacated by the Team­ sters Union. This group decision of conscience f. was made deliberately to get out of a dilemma we believed to be inhumane. Our story unfolded like this.Drop Inn Center began in 1973 as a volun­ teer people's program in a one room storefront at 171 I Vine Street, a much needed place' in our neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine for men who were homeless and suffering from the disease of chronic alcoholism. As numbers grew and government money secured to build a program and hire paid staff, Drop Inn moved to a five room place at I324 Main Street in 1974. In the following couple of years the program got into the hands of social professionals who were not based in our neighborhood and had different ideas about the direction of the program. The community was angered when a decision was made without community input to dose the Drop Inn on weekends in Spring of 1976. We were angered further by talk of eliminating the overnight shelter and running a daytime program only. The winter hawk would soon be upon us and we did not want to see our people freezjng to death out on the streets or in abandoned buildings. People had to be alive first before any hopes of recovery from chemical addiction. This pushed us into organizing a grassroots effort to reclaim our D rop Inn Center, we named our­ selves the ShelterHouse Volunteer Group. We were determined to keep the shelter open on weekends even if we had to do it ourselves. And we e nded up doing it ourselves with food donations we husded and use of only two of the five rooms. During that winter of 1976-n the ShelterHouse Volunteer Group raised more grievances and these conflicts resulted in the professional staff quitting. On March 31st, 19n the community, through the ShelterHouse Volunteer Group, took back control of the Drop Inn Center and have been running it seven days a week ever since. Those were hard times, for when we got control the funds were withdrawn and it took a long lobbying effort to get those state funds restored. From that day forward we would stand firm on the principle that neighborhood people had the right to staff and run their own shelter. And residents of the shelter had the right to participate and give their strong voice to the operations of their ~ry home. AND EVEN HARDER TIMES WERE TO COME Within a very short time the Health Department threatened to close down the Drop D rop- Inn­ Center has chang\e a lot since the midnight m o ve Inn Center. They claimed our kitchen and building had 36 code violations even though this very same kitchen two months earlier was approved for a food license. We were given no reasonable time to comply. Many of the major building violations were the responsibility of the landlord, Leslie Fox, who for years neglected the building and now in much need of repair. We were being blamed for the slumlord's neglect. We marched to City Hall and pleaded with City Council to not carry through with the close down orders. We were willing to comply with the orders, but we needed more time. The inspectors came in like storm troopers. When we had complied with all orders, new violations were cited. Inspection after inspection, and we still could not pass the test. It was clear to us that we were selectively being harassed by the Health Depart­ ment. We would never pass inspection because the powers at be did not support community people running a corrmunity program at Drop Inn Center - we were not professional enough in their eyes. By this time we were feeling the c.r unch of overcrowdedness. We were getting nowhere with the landlord. Nowhere with passing inspections. Rat holes, water leaks, sewage backup were every­ day problems. Conditions in the building were unlivable for persons homeless sleeping there, many on the hard cold floors. We could not see surviving another winter in this rundown place where icicles dangled from the walls in the back storage room. The requirements demanded of our shelter by the Health and Building Departments could never be met by the I324 Main Street facility. We started dreaming of a better and bigger facility. We wanted a place big enough to house men AND WOMEN. �STREETVIBES T/~c Tn St,11e's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES The Tri Slo le 's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for and about the homeless. It is compiled by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Home­ less. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and then sell it for a dollar donation to get back on their feet. All vendors sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending home­ lessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. The Streetvibes Committee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a convnent, please call 421-7803. Staff Donald Whitehead, Coordinator Frank Corrino, Vendo r Support Ron Otrter, Vendor Support Photographers James Heath Writers Stacey Adams Raymond Avrutus Frank Carrino Ron Carter Pat Clifford Denise Crew Brian Davis John Dietz Matthew Eisen Mike Fontana Sherri Franklin Darlene Guess James Heath Max Johnson David Miller Leonard Odom Gregory Payton Mataka Sanders Mark Salte r The Shadow Don Stark, Sr. Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Sonny Williams Volunteer Editors Pat Clifford James Heath Bonnie Neumeier ·TammyEackles Malaka Sanders Becky Renalo Katherine Servantas Editorial Policy: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, comments or editorials. We will print everything we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send all material to the following address: Streetvibes do Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless I S06 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4S2 I0 (S 13) 421-7803 fax (Sl3) 421-7813 e-mail: homecoal@primax.net http://cinci.com'gcch Quote ofthe Month "Ifyou just believe all things are ossible" Page 2 Hamilton County Sends 11 11 Troubled Boys To Ranch by Mike Fontana Arizona Boys Ranch has three sites in the Arizona desert between Tucson and Mesa, near Phoenix. They focus on "troubled" boys from ages 8-18, including those whom they describe in their literature as "emotionally disturbed." As of Thurs­ day, December 18, 1997, 20 boys from Hamilton County had been placed at the Ranch. Representa­ tives from the Ranch and other agencies. Local referrals to the Ranch come from the Hamilton County Juvenile Court System, the Hamilton County Department of Human Services, and the Hamilton County Community Mental Health Board. These entities pool taxpayer funds of $12 million through Hamilton County Family and Children First Management. The focus of Family and Children First Management is to place kids in community-based (as in their own communities) and keep families together, neither of which the Ranch appears equipped to do. According to the Ranch's own literature, parents are invited to visit only once a year, for football homecoming weekend, and letters and phone calls from kids to parents are allowed on a ''weekly" basis. Hamilton County spends approximately $122 per day for each boy referred to the Ranch. According to the agency's own 1997 annual report, the Ranch collects 97 cents of every operating dollar (over $20 million in FY 1997) from govern­ ment sources. ~ccording to the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger Ouly 1994), a 17-year-old Fulton, Mississippi boy drowned while trying to escape from Arizona Boys Ranch. In its November 14, 1996, edition, the Los Angeles Times reported that "On June 22, 1994, Lorenzo Johnson went AWOL and drowned in a canal after being pursued by three staffers." Out of this incident, the Mississippi Department of Human Services ceased referrals to the Ranch. According to the March I0, 1996, edition of the Arizona Republic, a California family filed a million-dollar lawsuit against Arizona Boys Ranch. The suit alleges gross negligence in training and supervision of staff. It was filed after an Arizona Boys Ranch staff member allegedly o rdered a boy to put his foot in a bucket of hot water. Parents claim that the boy was burned so badly he required a skin graft. In its September 25, 1996, edition, the Arizo na Re public reported that the Arizo na Department of Economic Security renewed the license of the "controversial" Arizona Boys Ranch over protests by Arizona Children's Protective Service social workers who had visited the site. One allegation made by social workers was that an Arizona Boys Ranch staff member had broken a young man's thumb. The Los Angeles Times, November 14, 1996, story continues by saying that Arizona Children's Protective Services "alleged 30 cases of abuse" "including one that claimed a boy was hit on the head with a shovel." The state of Arizona was able to substantiate 13 of the abuse allegations against the Ranch. The Times states that "As a result, Alameda County, California pulled S9 kids out of the program..." A Gannett News Service story, dated June 17, 1996, places the number of kids withdrawn from the Ranch by Alameda County at "67." The Gannett News Service story quotes a letter written by Alameda Chief County Judge Wilmont Sweeney which states that, "I detennined that there was systematic child abuse by ABR staff as an intrinsic part of their rehabilitative program." Arizona Boys Ranch conducted its own investigation of the allegations, which concluded that n aforementioned incident of a boy being forced to put his foot in boiling water "had merit." Another issue at the Ranch appears to be an unwillingness to separate different populations of residents. The Los Angeles Times reported staff describing one guest at the Ranch as having "killed a lady." Others were described in the article as " being charged with strong-armed robbery and grand theft auto" and "assault to attempt great bodily injury." The story notes that " ...at last count, there were boys representing SS gang affiliations." Yet according to its own literature, the Ranch also takes boys who are "School Failures," "emotionally disturbed," and "Pre­ Delinquent/At-Risk." According to the Gannett NeW's Service, June 17, 1996, Alameda County "hired University of Tennessee psychologist William Murphy to look at the sex-offender programs (at the Ranch), but he largely was denied access. Even with limited access, Murphy learned unqualified counselors conducted therapy sessions mixing offenders and victims. 'It does not appear that there is any recognition of the controversy surrounding this or the significant issues involved clinically when one mixes victims and offenders in a sex offender/victim specialty group,' (Murphy) wrote." The same article quotes Arizona Boys Ranch President Robert Thomas as affirming that the Ranch does "occasionally get" sex offenders and victims. "'We don't call it sex offender treatment,' said Thomas. 'We call it socialization, and it's part of the overall treatment. You can't put kids in little boxes and say he's this, he's that. Everyone wants to find little boxes to put youngsters in."' This attitude would seem to substantiate a willingness to place sex offenders with sex abuse victims. The Gannett article also quotes " Donna Noriega, who oversees juvenile programs for the Arizona Supreme Court." Ms. Noriega states that "'We never know who Boys Ranch has contracted with until the (complaint) calls start coming in...They're not licensed (in Arizona)' to conduct sex-offender therapy." Ronald Davidson, a consulting psychologist with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, says in the same Gannett article that "W e had one Illinois kid (at Boys Ranch) when I did my review. He said he had been physically abused, and we pulled out." In terms of outcomes for Arizona Boys Ranch services, I mosd y found Ranch materials which talked about it changing boys' lives. The only outside view I could find on the subject was from the January 22, 1997, edition of the Arizona Repub­ lic, which told the tale of a 16 year old boy who was killed in a shoot o ut with police just three weeks after his re lease from the Ranch. Free Testing Offered The Early Prevention and Intervention Project (EPIP) will be offering free anonymous testing and counseling for HIV, at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Office located at I 506 Elm Street. EPIP is a collaborative project of the Central Community Health Board and the Drug and Poison Information Center. This project provides prevention, education, and counseling for persons in chemical dependency treatment or at high risk for substance abuse. For questions about the counsel­ ing and testing dates call EPIP offices at 961-9930. Ask for Uz ,Priscilla, or Paula. �STREETVIBES Tt:p T11 St jre'~, Homeless Grapevine p 1ge 3 STREETVIBES News They•re Here.'.. EBT Card Comes to Hamilton c·ounty by Lynn Williams The 1996 federal welfare law requires all states to have the EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card by 2002. Ohio is starting to implement this requirement. In Hamilton County, food stamp recipients will be required to get their "Ohio Direction Card" sometime between January and July of 1998. Required, that is, if they want to continue receiving food assistance. If you have concerns about when you will be required, call 946-5526 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. When a recipient is required to make the changeover, she will receive a notice in the mail of the training date. If you receive an appointment date and can't attend at that time, you can call 9461582 to reschedule. Some Saturday trainings will be available. All new food stamp applicants will automatically be enrolled in the training and receive Loveland Residents Win Eighteen Month Battle To Save Park by David Deitz Loveland voters won a victory when The Drees Company announced their decision to return the deed to the Simpson Farm. The 4 I acre farm was acquired by the City in I994 to more than double the size of Loveland's Philips Park, but in a turn-around was sold to the Drees Company for a condo project in 1996 after residents circulated an Initiative Petition to dedicate the farm a "Conserva­ tion District". , In response to the petition drive. city council met behind closed doors with the Drees Company and then declared a public emergency, selling the property to Drees in a special session of council. The initiative petition passed overwhelmingly at the polls, but a judge later upheld the emergency sale. Citizens were unthwarted, and when Drees asked for the necessary zone change for the condo project, again turned to the ballet box. The zone change was soundly defeated and Drees was then faced with only being able to build single family homes on _fairly large lots. Drees has now opted out of the purchase agreement which leaves Loveland residents who battled for eighteen months to save the parkland, smiling. The residents still face the huge legal debt they incurred defending their right to vote and encourage fellow voters to help pay down the bill, but offer proof to the contrary for those who say you can't fight city hall and unpopular development. The Human Services Department has begin placing the new EBTCards their Ohio Direction Card. ,Each recipient will select three grocery stores where she can "load" her benefits each month. When she first gets her card, she will have to wait 72 hours (3 days) before she can use it. If she tries to use it earlier than this, the card will "lock," so that the card will have to be reserviced again at the Welfare Department. She will need to call the 24­ hour Helpline at 1-800-944-3273, not her case­ worker. When she gets her card. she will oecide on 5 numbers (that she alone knows the combination of) to use on the EBT machine to access her benefits. This is her "PIN" number. The idea behind this is, that it will make it much harder for her food "stamps" to be stolen. She alone will know the PIN combination and anyone else whom she authorizes. The EBT machine will state how much she has in her benefits "account" when she dials in her PIN number. It is recommended to also save food receipts from stores, which will record the amount currently available to use. If, at any time, the card becomes " locked", she will need to go back down to the Welfare Depart­ ment to have her card serviced. She must then wait another 72 hours to use her card again! Cards can become "locked" if the wrong PIN number is used a third time in a row. The Ohio Direction Card can ONLY be used in Ohio, and only in counties that are currently EBT card ready. You will not be able to use it over the border in Kentucky. You will be out of luck' if you work in Kentucky and live in Ohio, and rely on food "stamps" for your meals! You will be out of luck if ·you travel to other states in the country. especially if you will be gone for any great length of time. It is possible that your benefits can be exchanged to food stamps, but this will be permitted only after you call the Help-Line and explain in great detail why you need this special assistance. It is not likely this will be allowed too many times without drawing down a full-fledged investigation of your household and your travel destination. All groceries that currently accept food stamps are given the option of having the EBT machine installed in their store. Stores that have this will have a sign posted of a lighthouse, reading "Ohio Direction Card. In large stores, some check­ out lanes wilt also have this sign to show which aisle the food stamp recipients can use. Hopefully, food stamp recipients will not be singled out and further stigmatized by this system. by stores having only one check-out lane designated for recipients! There is also ~oncern that some outdoor vendors, lacking electricity, who sell fresh produce, will not have access to the machine. These vendors offer highly nutr··ious produce af"ld food stamp recipients should have access to it. We have also had concerns about the elderly with poor eyesight, or anyone with incorrectable poor vision, will not be able to use the card. We have been assured that anyone with this disability will be permitted to stay on food stamps. If they are denied this right, they may request a Hearing. They will have a right to keep their food stamps, and all efforts must be made to ensure they get it! The Federal government appears to be particularly eager to require the EBT system be used throughout the land. We can only wonder what kinds of corporate interests a.r e invested in this major change. Who is going to be making huge profits with the government's blessing? Eventually, all government assistance programs are expected to use the electronic transfer system. Let's just hope the computer systems don't go into overload and massively breakdown. Coming To America The Big Issue, a London -based paper is ready to print it's paper in Los Angeles by April. Members of the North American Street Newspa­ per Association (NASNA) fear this publication will infringe on and threaten the current street papers territory. Jennafer Waggoner, editor of Making Change, a Los Angeles street paper, points out "...with TBl's lack of communication and planning, TBI violated the INSP charter they helped to create. Provision 7 of the· ISPN Street Paper Charter forbids the competative challenge on an existing street newspaper, the likes of which TBI is currently mounting against Making Change''. Although NASNA sources admit that " a respectable percentage of articles in TBI are advocacy related. Tim Harris ( Chair of the NASNA Executive Committee). after a visit two years ago to TBl's London offices, has commented that he was impressed with the quality of services TBI offered to vendors and the number of groung­ level staff that had been hired from among them" (Paul Murphy). The real argument seems to be one of David vs. Goliath. The street papers that boast NASNA membership are mostly written by the homeless, from their perspective and have limited resources and distribution, whereas, TBI is seen as a large corporation with nearly unlimited resources. It's papers "persue business with a socially respon­ sible edge" (Paul Murphy), �STREETVIBES ---:: -. ~, ." '- Homeless Grapevine How To Get Free Food From AQuality Resturant Page 4 STREETVIBES Services by RaymondArtivus The following information is a survival strategy for having a full belly. Do not abuse my system! Ifyou can aHord to buy food after paying rent. do so. Those pretending to be poor and eat at one time! needy who really aren't may have the reality of Walk into your city's finer hotels. poverty thrust upon them in their next life, perhaps Every large hotel has a good restaurant, in a foreign country. Amen. whose workers are not as far removed from your own economic situation as you Every day, restaurants throw out enough might think. I'm sure that more than one food to feed both you and many other people who, restaurant employee takes food home for just like yourselves, are hungry but don't have the the family, for example. money to pay for their food. I( you go to I0 restaurants and With a $ 7 or $8 investment - spare (shudder!) get no food - this shouldn't change actually- for a 3-liter plastic container happen- change your image. Buy (gasp!) a with a tight-fitting lid, sold in hardware stores, and business outfit or two at the local thrift by acting humbly and politely, you should get enoughstore -again, for spare change. Tell the free food to feed both yourself and those who thrift store manager that you need the depend on you. Here's how. clothing for job interviews and that you're Knock on the back door of any restaurant broke. You may get a discount or free after the mealtime rush (If the place has no back clothing. But never steal ! door, or if no one answers, go in the front door. Showing up in good clothes (which I've done this.) you could wear only for food gathering Just say you're hungry, "ma'am" or "sir'', purposes) makes you look more respectand would (s)he please give you some leftover food able. Middle-class looking people usually that will otherwise be thrown out. If the person get a better, more willing response from refuses, ask to speak with the manager. If you're others than do those who look like told to, "scram", merely say, " God bless you", in a bumslobs. Anything you do to improve nice voice, encouraging them to have guilt pangs, andyour appearance may help your chances of perhaps making it easier for the next person who getting free food (actually, even if I dressed tries to get fed for free from that restaurant. well, I would ~till look like a beatnik). If you have small children, taking a child or You do people a favor by allowing them to be generous. It costs a restaurant worker nothing two with you will generate symathy and should to give you food that would normally be thrown increase the amount of food you receive. out. And I'm sure we all have had a minimal In November, 1996, President Ointon exposure to religion, i.e. by helping poor people you signed an Executive Order making organizations that get into heaven (this is not the only item the feed the homeless and hungry eligible for all Federal Creator considers, but I sense it is a very important cafeteria leftover food that would otherwise be factor in the Final Analysis!) thrown out. Even though you're not an "organiza­ lf you're able-bodied, offer to mop the tion," show up S or I0 minutes before breakfast or floor in exchange for a meal. This can tum a " no" lunch ends at your nearest Federal building's cafete­ into a "yes''. and if you mop up for a few minutes, r ia. and see what you can get for nothing. Whatever you do, don't argue with anyone! you may be rewarded with more food than you can Don't create a scene. .That would sour everything eat. Sometimes, you are fed anyway and are not for others, including for XQY the next time. Talk in a asked to work. If you go to a restaurant at, say 8:00 p.m, reasonable tone. Ask for the supervisor. If you get and it doesn't close until 11:00 p.m or so, and you fed, fine; if you don't. just go to the next place. are refused food, ask if you should show up a few Lunch buffet places usually have many leftovers. At the end of the day, there is usually very minutes before closing time to mop up. If you're traveling, or have no container for litde left in any of the more delicious bowls, but your food, just ask to work for food. If the person there should always be something that the restaurant shakes their head no, negotiate, say something else. staff can pour into your container. Beggars aren't supposed to be choosers, but Encourage personal interaction. You may be fed. If you can, go to a different restaurant one hippie place gave me a lot of zucchini squash; I every day of the week. Vegetarianism places and don't like that particular vegetable. so I asked not to eateries staffed by hippies are often good for many be given any more of it when I went there again. free meals. Often, your container is f~led with They happfiy obliged. more than you can eat in a day - so you'll have to Again, vary your routines. Go to more than manage your own leftovers. one place that will help you out. If they're friendly, Be sure to clean your plastic container after3Sk them for free food more often; if they serve you each successful free.food foray. I was once refused but aren't friendly, go less often. Go where you get food because my container was dirty. Oeanliness is service with a sincere smile. And always, always, say, very, very important to restaurants (ever heard of "Thank you" and/or "God bless you," except if the Board of Health?). you're atheist or an agnostic. Then say something Vegetables ~ be refrigerated within two like, "Thank you very, very much, and when you hours after they're cooked, or hanrlul bacteria will need a favor, ma'am. I hope someone gives it to grow. If your container has veggies in it, don't let it you." stand at room temperature! If you can't refrigerate Eat well! it. eat all you can within two hours, dump out or give away the rest. wash out your container, and go Raymond Avrutis, currendy unemployed, coout again when you're hungry. authored, " How to Maximize Your Unemployment Don't go to fast food joints. They only Benefits: Complete Information for All SO States" make sandwiches to sell them, and at the dose of (Garden City Park. NY: Avery Publishing. 1994. 216 business, they make 'em only as fast as people order PP· $8.95. l-800-S48-S7S7.) Mr. A.vrutis, who holds a BA in sociology from American University them. But you can go to a donut or bagel shop and an MA in sociology from New York University, did his field research in Washington, D.C. and kind, you may get a bagful - more than you can and ask for free donuts or bagels and coffee. The worse they'll do is say no, and if you're gende and nice Crews Continue Work On Tender Mercies Expansion. Tender Mercies Expands Program by John Dietz Do you know someone who needs a home? Does this person have a history of emotional or mental disabilities? If so, Tender Mercies can provide housing for him or her. Tender Mercies is a non-profit housing agency located in Over-The-Rhine. In February 1998, TM will open its new housing facility at 2S W . 12th Street. This newly-rehabbed expansion building is designed to house thirty-nine adult males and females. Its unique features include handicapped­ accessible rooms, 2.._hour staffing and kit.chen facilities. Tender Mercies exists to serve homeless persons with histories of emotional or mental disabilities by providing them with housirng and related services. To fulfill its mission, Tender Me rcies is convnitted to the goals of security, dignity, and community for its residents. In addition to housing, Tender Mercies offers professional, individualized supportive seTVices including medication monitoring, financial planning. living skills and stress management. For more information, call John Dietz or Chris Engle at 9n-4473. �STREETVIBES ~;"~ -. Food by Mary Ann l11derer If an evil person wanted to destroy the United States from the inside, he could simply alter the food supply: I) by destroying the nutrients in the food (nutrients give us our vitality) and 2) by adding a large variety of chemicals (drugs) which wouldcombine in the body in billions of unpredictable ways. Number I would weaken; number 2 would poison. This method is guaranteed to create an increasingly inferior society with slowly accelerating problems, a myriad of new diseases, brain damage and learning disabilities, ·w eight problems including obesity and other eating di.s orders, a drug epidemic, immune deficiencies, lack of emotional control over anger, fear, and hatred, depression, and more. Slowly America would destroy herself.Now that is exactly what the major food companies have done to America. Slowly and increasingly over the last fifty years, some of our most prosperous citizens have made a fortune destroying our food. Each generation of Americans has more problems than the last, as the cumulative effects of devitalized drugged foods are\genetically inherited. America is now producing "kids without conscience" and their kids will be even worse A large percentage of the U. S. population is employed in the food destruction business. Most Americans are " hooked.. on processed or junk food. Most have no idea what good healthyfood is. WHAT IS HEALTHY FOOD? Quite simply, healthy food is WHOLE LIVING FOOD. Whole food is still alive (or as near alive as possible). Eating directly from the garden is best. The human race survived throughout history by eating directly from the land. Every minute that the food leaves its source, it loses its vitality, its vitamins, its minerals, its strength. EAT FROM THE GARDEN! RULE#I : EAT WHOLE LIVING FOODS. All the drug programs, diet programs.teaching programs, and crime programs will not have lasting solution until people return to eating fresh foods as Nature intended. Processed foods - which include all over-cooked foods, canned foods, frozen foods, partial foods - are pure junk. You might aswell eat plastic. RULE #2: DON'T EAT PROCESSED FOODS. RULE #3: EAT ORGANICALLY GROWN FOODS, foods free of drug additives. Fruits and vegetables should be grown in drug-free soils, richly composted, and free of chemical pesticides. Animals (if you are not a vegetarian) should be raised on drug-free foods. So RULE #4 is: NO DRUGGED FOOD. So many children are born with drug addiction problems, not because their parents took illegal · drugs, but because their parents ate the legal foods obtained in the supermarkets and most restaurants. Do not buy frozen, canned, or packaged foods.Ask in restaurants to what extent the food is prepared from scratch. Legally obtained drugs are the predecessors of fuwre drug problems. Addicted adults were hooked long before they ever took illegal drugs, by the enormous number of drugs accumulated in their bodies. RULE #:4 Eat a broad diversity of foods, though not all at the same meal or on the same day. Over time try each and every fruit, vegetable, grain, bean, seed, and nut available to you. No food has all the nutrients you need. Eat a wide selection. Therefore, RULE # 4 is DIVEl(SITY. EAT A BROAD DIVERSITY. RULE #5: Seek to know the truth about how your foods are grown and treated. If you feel you must eat animals, then be sure they were treated kindly and raised naturally. Be sure they ran freely. Eating anything raised with cruelty can only lead to physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual problems. Understand how your vegetables are grown. The sooner they are eaten after being picked and harvested, the better for your health and well being.The source of all food is the earth. How is our food grown and treated~ RULE #5: TRY TO S1 .r.~\ Hon1e/ess Grapevine TRACE THE HISTORY OF THE FOODS YOU EAT. Understand and appreciate the source of food. Then RULE #6 is: EAT SIMPLY, SLOWLY, AND DO NOT OVER-EAT. Simple meals are easiest to digest. Relax. Take your time. CHEW. Meals should be attractive, delicious, and healthy. ENJOY AND BE GRATEFUL THANKS FOR OUR FOOD. There are so many wonderful books with a wide variety of nutritional philosophies which are available in the high quality natural food stores and public libraries. RULE #7 is: OPEN YOUR MIND to whole new experiences and a wonderfully improved life style. So strongly do I believe that devitalized­ drugged-dead-processed foods are destroying the bodies, minds, and hearts of Americans, and particularly of each new generation of children, that I am conducting my own personal boycott. I neither allow these products in my home nor do I purchase them under any circumstances. Moreover, food processing companies will not change - they will not produce healthy fresh drug-free foods ­ until the people of our nation join together and demand it. Only when Americans replace their three junk food meals each day with a diet of whole living foods will the bodies, minds, and spirits begin to revitalize. However, time is running out. As children can nolonger sit still in our classrooms, as youths are shooting each other over a mere article of designer clothing, as the rape rate soars on college campuses and elsewhere, and America is nolonger on the forefront of intellectual progress, this situation must not be taken lightly. We must each endure th initial struggle with drug·withdrawal from an addictive diet. We must tum our lives and our nation around. And we must return to the intimate relationship with the earth that our ancestors had. We must team to live in harmony and peace with our planet. WHATS GOOD TO EAT~ The diet of history is grains, beans, seeds, nuts, vegetables.and fruits. I've heard it said that there are not enough food choices on a vegetarian or plant based diet, so here are a few suggestions: GRAINS: Amaranth, barley, brown rice(short,' medium, long),buckwheat, toasted buckwheat groats (kasha), bulgar wheat, kamut, millet, oats, quinoa, spelt, teff, whole wheat berries. BEANS: Aduki, black, black eyed peas, garbanzo (chick peas).great northern, kidney, lentils, limas, navy, pintos, soy. SEEDS: Sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, pinenut, ' flax. NUTS: Almonds, Brazil, hazel, peanut. pecan, walnut. VEGETABLES: Artichoke, arugala, asparagus, beans (green, pole),beets, bok choy, broccoli, brussel sprouts, burdock, cabbage(green, red, savoy), carrots, cauliflower, celery, celerycabbage. chard, cilantro, com, cucumber, daikon, dandelion, eggplant, endive, escarole, garlic, ginger, greens (collard,kale, mustard, turnip), herbs (basil, chives, dill, mint.oregano, rosemary, sage. thyme), kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce (bibb, Boston, greenleaf; iceberg, redleaf, rOl'Tlilin), mushroom.mushroom-portabella, mushroom-shitake, napa, okra, onions(green, red, yellow, Spanish, vidalia, white), parsley, parsnip.peas, English peas, gingersnap peas, peppers (green, banana hot,jalepeno, red, yellow, orange), potato (Idaho, red, sweet, Yukongold), radichio, radish, rapini, rutabaga, snowpeas, squash(acom, butternut, spaghetti, yellow, zucchini), spinach,tomato, turnip, watercress, yams. Sprouts: Alfalfa sprouts, mung bean sprouts, lentil sprouts,sunflower sprouts. Many grains, beans, and seeds can be sprouted. Seedweeds: Arame, hijiki, kelp, kombu, nori, wakame. FRUITS: Apple (braebum, fuji, gala, golden delicious, grannysmith, ida red, jonathan, macintosh, rnutsu, paula red, red.delicious, rome, winsap). apricot, avocado, bananas, blackberry, blueberry, cherry, grapefruit, grape (black. concord, green.red), kiwi, lemon, lime.mango, melon (canta­ loupe, honeydew.Indiana, crenshaw, watermelon), nectarine, orange, tangelo, tangerine, papaya, peach, pear (bardett, bosc, d'anjou, red), persimmon, pineapple, plum. pomegranate, raspberry, straw­ berry. Dried fruits: apple, apricot, fig (black mission, calimyma),currant, date, pear, prune, raison. Pages SAMPLE MEAL SUGGESTIONS (Meals may be in the order you prefer. The fruit meal does nothave to be the first meal. Find your own comfortable lifestyle.) DAYI : BREAKFAST: Fresh fruit and/or dried fruit. LUNCH: Raw salad with dressing. MILLET: I cup dry Millet 3 cups water I chopped onion I chopped carrot Bring to boil and simmer on low flame forapproximately 40 minutes Season with Tamari Soy Sauce. Sprinkle I tsp. or tbsp. of granulated Lecithin oversalad or millet. SUPPER:Raw Vegetables for dipping: Oean and cut carrots, celery.broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, or any vegetables. --Bean Dip or Spread Soak I cup of dry Gar­ banzo Beans (Chick peas) or anybean in 3 cups of water over night or for noless than 6 hours. Add onion, garlic, parsley and cook until tender, approxi­ mately 2 to 3 hour Place in blender and puree with: Sesame Tahini - I or 2 tbsp. Spices: coriander, nutmeg, thyme (or your choice) - I tsp. each Tamari Soy Sauce to taste Note: If you're in a rush, simply dip the fresh vegetables in the Sesame Tahni and forget the beans; forget cooking and eat! Or forget the Tahini and just eat the beans. DAYl: BREAKFAST: Fresh fruit, banana, your choice. LUNCH: Raw salad with choice of dressing. Lentil Stew or Soup: I cup lentils with 3 or 4 cups water Add vegetables: onion, garlic, carrot, what­ ever. Bring to boil and simmer for I hour. Add Tamari Soy Sauce as desired. Note: Never add saJt or tamari to beans until almosttotally cooked. Salt will slow down cooking time.) SUPPER: Salad with choice of dressing. GRAIN: Cool< any grain, brown rice, for example. Boil one cup of rice in two cups of water for one hour. VEGETABLES: Place small amount of olive oil or sesame oil infrying pan. Saute onion and garlic and any vegetables you like Add grain to mixture and continue sauteing. Add a little Tamari Soy Sauce and spices of your choosing. Sautee a little more. Sprinkle with a few pine nuts and serve. Note: Tamari Soy Sauce should be used with the same concern as salt depending on individual health needs. ECONOMICS The meat industry currently receives enormous government subsidies, in spite of the fact that nutritionists advise peopleto eat far less meat and far more vegetables. Not only is our meat industry horribly unhealthy, but it is perhaps the cruelest institution ever on the planet. The torwre of animals for profrt is immoral and unconscionable. Were the government to subsidize organically grown vegetables and fruits instead of meat, we would all be much healthier and happier. For many people the cost of healthy food is too high. However.grains such as brown rice, millet, and barley and beans such as chickpeas, black beans, pintos, navy beans, soy beans, lentils.and split peas are actually not as expensive as meat. Fresh vegetables are often less expensive than canned and frozen ones.and fruits are less expensive than most desserts and soda pops. Healthy food is a birthright. It is an essential ingredient in the making of healthy happy people. And since it is notaffordable for many, it is a political issue. We must stand up and demand healthy food for all of us. For more information on healthy diet. nutrition, cooking, vegetarianism, call 929-236] �STREETVIBES The Tn State's Homeless Grapevine . Page 6 WORD ON THE America You Just It's ADream STREET Don't Seem To . by Belinda la/ham Arts and Poetry Understand by Darlene Guess Martin Poem by Bea/rice BurseWooten CounneyEvans Shawn/el Evans Von Shae James David Smith Marched for peace Always worked hard Respected people Told people not to fight It was good that he changed the laws Never lied Loved all people Understood people Took care of poor people He had a dream that white people and black people could live together America you just don't seem to understand America you just don't want to see. I thought I lived in the land of the free. How could this be so, Regardless of your income rent is too high and pay is too low. The pfaces I could afford, most decent people their dogs they would not board. Tonight where do I tell my children to lay their heads, That tomorrow they might not be fed. I'm not looking for things to be free, An equal chance is all I need. I want to pay my way, But rent is too high, even you would have to say. If we can rescue other people in other lands, Why oh why, can we not rescue our own, Why oh why, can we not provide them with a home. . Let's not close our eyes, While men, women, and children die. A dream coming true is a joy to life a hope a far sought vision given breath but if I dream and it passes away not truly to belong just the taste of a sweet longing How sweet the taste has been For if I dream and it passes each memory will linger in sweetness but if I dream, and this is a dream I am not ready to be awaken for whether it passes or stays I right now enjoy the dream Let me sleep Do not awaken me Homeless People Have Feelings Too by Ron Caner You know that Roses are Red And Violets are Blue But do you ~ow That Homeless people have feelings too Equal rights for all Reasoned with people Kind to people In 1968, he was shot Never mean Homelessness is not by choice, If it were something to choose most people would choose to be rich of course. · Concerning our Vendors you see on the street Let's get together help our neighbors and friends until this disgusting situation ends, Making sure it doesn't happen ever again. Selling their papers to get something to eat Or even a place to stay from day to day Do somethin•go.-----Speak out­ ----~Reach out While trying to rebuild their self esteem And waiting for that Precious Dream Great speaker Justice for all And want to be treated the same as you So Joe So That some day someone will open the Door And there will be Homelessness no more Responded to people's needs Peaslee Neighborhood Center's writing group wrote this poem in response lo a story about Manin Luther King Jr. by Denise Crew So self described, reaching for a dream Living in the moment because there is no promise for your tomorrow Not a word about love, and commitment Nor of being the one for anyone, shall pass your lips Sweet maneheld from the Grim cold street, I give you room to grow I see in you what no one else can see Can you stop cursing that barking dog to all damnation Get a grip on your actions, stop seeking a reaction from women you meet Feed your ego if you must, Do the dramatics if you must. But stop the destruction Strive to survive, drive the vehicle of life you've led. into your next action for reaction, in attraction Spi.rit Of Over­ the-Rhine by Sonny Williams, 1997 \Black, Latino, White 12th Street is the People's right. Cincinnati rulers tried to shut it down, but the Homeless rebelled in that town. Letters of support from N.Y.C. Spirit of Soweto is the national call, It's Right to Rebel Down with displacement, Gentry out of 0.T.R. �STREETVIBES Tre Tn St1Jre ' ~ Homeless Grapevine Page 1 °' It~ '")/(ae 11 1U"'- &/wed ~""'4# ie¥u ?i'M ~ & CoRPoR~ WELFAR~ CAl>ILL.AC 1U"'- 7~ ~ 1flatd g'eca"4e ~ ~ p~ 41«1. ?"OIUHeli ~ Paid tor by Friends ofJustice Walch Women on Track Helping empower people through sewing. "Sam .....! trust you 're keeping up with the payments." The Shadow Reviews ''Amis/ad'' I highly recommend this work of art for those who respect their history and culture. It is not recommended for Arnold Schwartenegger fans, who I think should be jailed for acting. The star is Djimon Housou, who portrays Joseph C inque. His performance is unforgettable. Morgan f reeman does an outstanding job portray­ ing Theodore Joadson, a Northern abolitionist. The film tells the story of 53 brave Africans who killed their captors. As a skeptical country and world watched, their case was tried before the United States Supreme Court. The movie touches upon an important factor that no one will discuss ...._ how Black people sold their own brothers into slavery. The only difference today is that we sell one another out for a Lexus, Mercedes Benz, position etc. The movie shows that working collectively with faith and hope, the impossible can be possible. I was disappointed in the long drawn out courtroom drama. That element prevented it from entertaining the audience. I wrote some­ thing years ago that best describes this movie; "What I like or dislike isn't important, what's important is that my success be in making the world a better place". We as African Americans must support Amiscadbecause it is an important and positive movie and the story must be told. I would like to thank Debbie Allen and Steven Spielberg for not ignoring Black history. Dnly$5each 100% While Collon Shirts and long Sleeve Sweat Shirts XL Purple logo T-shirts and Sweat Shirts are available t our office at I 506 Elm Street. Please stop b and see us. We Should Just Start Over by Frank Carrino That this government for the people, by the people, of the people , shall not perish from the earth, shall be changed to for the govern­ ment, by the government , and of the gov­ ernment, shall continue on indefinately. There are so many laws a person cannot go a day without breaking one. The government is so enmeshed in it's own web that it must create a committe to untangle a committe, to investigate a committe and so on , with each committe there must be a well paid staff that does little or nothing who sit around in tailored suits, polished fingernails , styled haircuts and stand around trying to look important to justify the high salary they tkink they deserve. We the people are the govern­ ment but this has slowly changed to where the peopleare the servants and the goyern­ ment is the master. The best thing to do is junk the whole thing and start from scratch which will take hundrd years or more to reach the level of incompetence that now prevails. Streeetvibes Wish List The staHand friends ofStreelYibes would like to thank each and evefY person who has contributeditems to our wish list. Your kindness has contributedgreatly lo what we believe is a wonderful/project. The Following is a list of items we stil badly need. Adobe Photoshop Software for IBM to save scanning cost Zip Drive VCR to Show Streetvibes Episodes to groups Volunteer Copy Editors Stories Advertisers to help support the Paper A Vehicle to transport vendors and members of our newly forming speakers buruea, New Ideas 727 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cincinnati, OH -45203 513/333-0288 Jimmy Heath Photography Cincinnati. ­ (513)564-9856 E-Mail - jimmy_heath@iuno.com Friends and Neighbors of Over-the-Rhine 1e~~s~~IM p~ Ue ~·.i U4t ~~ Clittord Jones Represent11lve 8075 Reading Rd.. Suite 1 • Cincinnati. OH 45'"37 Res. (513) 761·3464 • Bus. (513) 821 ·3332 Vo:ce Mail· (5131230.6353 A ~ltmbtr orTta1't:trsGroup An 1'1tt ptlldlAC rtPrtW!Ullift o4 '"mtflC.I F111andll Sel'W'Ut RcpftHn11t1~ · Ptimtntl lli! l:"•Wfinct Comu'""~ !1~11\''t Otticu· 0. ;;- 6to:Ol'J A ..... OT H E U ('L,\.l-'l-i PROI >t "CTIO~ Disc-Jockey Service CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761-3464 Whitehead Brothers Productions Inc. orAll Your Entertainment Needs 81-058-4 or 221-1537 Let us entertain you •' �STREETVIBES T,1-:e Ti. ~f . .'re 's Homeless Grapevine PageB Streetvibes Celebrates Black History Month Where Are We Now Is America Making The Grade ???? ANight To Remember by Donald Whitehead! It has been 30 years since we lost Rev. Or. Martin Luther Kjng Jr. to an assassins bullet in Memphis Tennessee on April 4th, 1968. It was the assassins belief that, to kill the dreamer was to destroy the D ream As we celebrate Martin Luther King day around the country many wonder if the assassin may have been right. This article is an attempt to find an answer to the question on the minds of many African-Americans today: How close are we to Or. King's dream becoming a reality? In order for us to answer that question, we must first examine "The Dream". As on many occasions historians and journalists have condensed Dr. King's dream, in order to make it more socially acceptable. Children today learn parts of Or. King's dream, they are spared the seemingly more contro­ versial parts. The immortal words, "I Have a Dream" will always be associated with substantial gains of the sixty's Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 opened doors that have seen many African-Americans achieve parts of the American D ream His call for the end to the war in Vietnam and an equal distribution of wealth are less frequendy mentioned in writings about Dr. King and his great accomplishments. In this article I will try to examine other parts of Dr. King's dream let us first address the most popular part. On many days in America, freedom does ring from the prodigious hilltops ofNew Hampshire, freedom rings from the mighty hilltops ofNew York freedom rings from the heightening Alleghenies ofPennsylvania, freedom rings from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. And not only that. some days freedom rings from the Stone Mountain ofGeorgia, freedom rings from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee, freedom rings from every hill and molehill of Mississippi, from every mountainside, freedom does ring. America has come a very long way towards making those immortal words a reality. Yet on close inspection we still have a mighty long way to go. While acts of institutionalized racism, like the infamous tapes from the board rooms of Texaco still occur in today's America, they are now met with outrage and are not simply business as usual. While African-Americans are still the number one victim of hate crimes in America, these actions are usually performed by individuals or loose-knit groups of hatemongers. While organized hate groups still exist, their membership and effectiveness has fallen on hard times. Today racist are of the more subde variety. They hide behind loan denials, fair lending discrimination and red lining, instead of the pillow cases of the fifties and sixties. On many days litde black girls and litde black boys walk hand in hand with litde white girls and litde white boys. Dr. King would be pleased about a lot of what has transpired in America, but we still have a long way to go. It is still an uneasy feeling to be an African­ American in today's America The other less publicized part of Dr. King's Dream, the struggle to end poverty, continues to be far from reality. When D r. King was assassinated he was planning the Poor People's Campaign and a March on Washington. The batde to e nd poverty, a noble cause indeed, has proven to be an even bigger challenge than racism While African-American people were unified in their efforts to end racism, something that effects us all, unanimity ended when whispers of economic equality were heard. Dr. King would be astonished by recent trends in this country. As some of our people have moved up the economic and social ladder others have been left behind to "pull themselves up by the bootstraps". Poverty continues to di.s proportion­ ately affect African-Americans. More and more African-Americans are finding themselves homeless in the richest country in the world. Recent trends in legislation have placed the blame for poverty on those that are in poverty. In a sane, civil, intelligent, and moral society you don't blame the poor people for being poor. "I predict that 25 years from now America will be just as embarrassed about home­ lessness as we are about racism", said Andrew Young, former member of congress, United Nations Ambassador.for Jimmy Carter and two term Mayor of Adanta, Georgia and Dr. King's right hand man. While we constandy hear about the economic boom that America is experiencing, the boom has some­ how avoided most of inner-city America. Shordy after Dr. King death we did see an end to the Vietnam War. War still plague much of the world. On the eve of Martin Luther King Day young men stand alert poised for yet another encounter with Saddam H ussein and the people of Iraq. This conflict pales in comparison to Vietnam, however people still die and Martin would not be pleased. This part of Dr. King's dream has pro­ gressed. Vietnam has ended but the need for bloody conflict has not. Hopefully, in our lifetime, we will find a way to setde conflicts without the loss of lives. To grade the progress of Dr. King's Dream would be impossible on a normal grading scale; the scale must be expanded to include an I for incom­ plete. America still has a lot of unfinished business when it comes to the first part of Martin's dream The day will come when there be an equal amount of CEOs of all races. Soon we will be able to stop documenting hate crimes. There will be a time when my walk across the street is not accompanied by the sound of automatic doorlocks. I truly believe that America will become a land of harmony between people of all colors. The other part of the dream can receive a conventional grade. It is hard to believe that we haye failed so terribly in making this country equal along economic lines. Not only have we failed, we continue to slip farther apart. As the gap between CEOs and workers continues to increase, housing becomes out of reach for more and more of America. Affordable housing is becoming more and more scarce with each new housing reform law. Welfare reform will set this nation back farther than any single piece of legislation in the history of America!! An Fis the grade possible for the other part of the dream In conclusion the assassin was wrong, the dream did not die. Although it is incomplete in parts and fajling in others, America still has a chance. Let us just pray that we don't wait too long to exercise it. by Don Stark, Sr. It truly brings me great pleasure to share with the many readers of Streetvibes the joy I received when I was asked to attend the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration on January 18, 1998. This event was sponsored by The Committee for Outreach to African Ameri­ cans, Diocese of Covington. My counselor and friend, Mr. Thomas lee, was a guest speaker in the program The scripture that was so well read by Mr. lee was Revelations 4: 1- 11. I must say that I was somewhat scared when I first ar rived, and it was because I didn't know just how I would be accepted in such a very large Catholic diocese. After the program opened and the welcoming prayer was given by Bishop Muench, plus the readings as well as the wonderful gospel groups that were there, I truly felt apart of the celebration. I could feel the love in the church, and it was a joy to see so many walks of life come together with so much love. My highe r power is just that, a power greater than thyself. I would like to thank Sr. Ruth Kettman for inviting Mr. Thomas lee, and I would like to thank my friend and counselor for giving me the honor of going to such a meaningful event. Thank you, Mr. Thomas Lee. and may your higher power bless and keep you always. Struggles by Gregory Payton God help open my eyes. I struggle with the term Black History Month. Just twenty eight days to teach, remember and to be thankful for a few things. Things like freedom, civil rights, voting rights, human rights, fair housing, educa­ tion, voices from the past, that say, "free at last, f~ at last, thank God Almighty, free at last.". I look at today and I cry- you ask why. They wanted fair housing. where is affordable housing~ They wanted voting rights; how many times have they changed precints, and voting districts, to help who, and to take the power from who? When we think about civil rights, we look at rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States, I say one thing look at the homeless and see the numbers growing in the United States. We look at human rights- no, let's look at the humanitarian; after all, he or she stands to protect and ensure human rights. Humanitarian means a person devoted to promoting the welfare of humanity, especially through the elimination of pain and suffering. When will we open our eyes? God help me. Next month: Struggles II �STREETVIBES The Tr )r The Pain Of Drugs Leonard Odom (Photo By James Heath) This article is co-authored by an alcoholic and drug addict, who share a room together at their recovery center. It's a great pleasure for the both of us to share with other addicts our story. The addicted person is in great pain. It is a pain that he/she doesn't share with anyone because he/she is already convinced that nobody experienced life in quite the way he/she does. As far as the addict i.s concerned, the people he/she comes into contact with, whom he/she observes on the streets, in the supermarkets, in his/her home, all seemed to have found the key that he/she thinks we all must find in order for life to work. Little does he/she realize that life, once given, works by itself . .. except when someone decides to take matters into his/her own hands and becomes convinced that finding a magic formula will solve life's problems. Our addict is now an adult in his teens, in other cases he's aged 20-90. This spiritual disease knows no race and no age. It can appear anywhere, anytime, and in anybody. From an imperceptible, invisible, and at times unconscious, beginning in the spirit of the person, the disease gradually progresses by surfacing to the emotions and the mind. At whatever the age this occurs, the addicted individual is now more and more alienated from his/her feelings. There are some feelings he/she doesn't like and doesn't think he/she should have. He/She has the same feelings, and he/she experiments with ideas that cross his/her mind. In his/her way of looking at things, some thoughts are justifiable and others are not. In the latter case, he/she believes he/she should simply not have them. A recovering alcoholic's thoughts and feelings only increased his/her guilt and low selfesteem No, the addict never shares this strangeness with anyone. A mistake... but an understandable mistake when you consider that the addict, as much as he/she would like to unburden him'herself, decides to retreat into an ever-increasing and destructive silence. He/She has to do this because there is no word to express the pain that he/she feels. The addict is, by instinct, keenly aware on the level of experience that his/her pain is inexpressible. If a friend were to ask him'her, "What's wrong?" he/ she couldn't answer except to say, " I don't know." For a lot of us, and especially for the addict, not to know, not be able to express in human words, is tantamount to being out of control, to being odd, which invites the sneer, the judgment, the conde~ nation ... the alienation of the rest of the human race and ultimately the condemnation of oneself. So the addict doesn't share his/her pain. As a result, the pain intensifies. By now, he/she is a walking time bomb - going through the motions of living, but really unliving, disconnected from the very situations and people with whom he/she is interact­ 11,_: ' _) Homeless Grapevine ing. It's a little like being dead while alive. The worst of the worst. Not only is the drug a strain, the drug is the connection that makes all other connections with people, places, events, or things totally unmeaningful and inconsequential. The process is fascinating. From seeking out isolation to avoiding connections that don't work and cause pain, the addicted person makes a connection with a drug that takes him'her out of his/her isolation by making other connections painless, to immerse him'herself finally into an isolation so terrible that only more of the drug can conceal and remedy. The addict declares war with the tools used by the disease itself. They are lies, hate, concealment, denial, manipulation, violence, crime, and destruction of the unlimited kind. May the God of his/her understanding comfort him'her in his hour of need and show him'her the way of life. Time To Face The World With My Higher Power By My Side by Mark Saller Well, it's finally come down to the wire; graduation is six months nearer. Now I will put to use the coping skills I've developed from the program - living life on its own terms. Perhaps there are some people who fee! that if one is in a program, one had it made, or those people may think to themselves, "Wait until they got out. I bet they feel it then." Who knows? I've watched others who have had jobs and clean time, and I have seen those who have had no drug addiction problem whatsoever. I have also seen active users, and I prefer not using. I can seem to do without the stress that seems to burden the recovering addicts and some of the holier-than-thou attitudes of those who have not experienced drug addiction. I am not address­ ing anyone's issues nor taking stock and inventory of another; I'm just sharing my observations, the ones that have helped me. It would be unfair to name one person who has helped me thus far, indirectly and directly. Thank you to all of you. The thing that bothers me is that people criticize the Drop Inn Center program openly and verbally. Yet, never once have I heard them openly and verbally criticize themselves. Go figure. To me, this indicates that these people think they are perfect and have all of the answers. Yet, if that was truly the case, they'd be I ) running a program or 2) wise enough to know everyone on this planet that was born, without any guide books. We should all do the best we can when we have the capacity to do so. We should all recognize that everyone is a reflection of each other. Think about those days when you're feeling down. Or the days when you feel good and have energy. Or those days when you make shortcuts or other days when you don't mind the long form. Multiply them by a million and double it; for any given day you'll meet someone who feels like you felt yesterday, who thought as you thought yesterday, or vice versa. This is just in observation. I used to think like that; I used to think, "I can run it better than they can," until I Page 9 STREETVIBES Sou/2Soul Whereis the Safety Net I am a forty-seven year old female who has had, on a couple of occasions, needed to use the welfare system. The first time was when I was nineteen and bore my first child out of wedlock. had moved away from home at that point and needed money for survival because I had no job skills. Having a desire to do more for myself in a round-a-bout way led me to marriage. My marriage ended up in an abusive relationship. I stayed at this marriage for ten years and it ended up being either get out or be killed. I had lived in Virginia when I was married To get away, I sold everything so I could get back to Cincinnati. I was frantic. By this time, I had two small children to care for and I tried to find help from anywhere I could think of, includ­ ing the Red Cross. I ended up staying at the Salvation Army for a limited time. They only allowed people to stay three weeks and then you were out. Because of my need for money and a place to stay, I applied for help at the Welfare Department. I didn't fee! bad about applying because I had been working at jobs since I was IS and a half years old. I had worked summers since dlen when I was a teenager. I always viewed welfare as a tool you could use whenever situations arose warranting the need for welfare assistance. Not being a person to stay home for any long periods of time and having worked since I was IS and a half, I looked for jobs and job-training pro­ grams. Previously, before I went to Virginia with my husband, I had taken a year of nursing training at Bethesda Hospital. I had already taken a nursing exam while in Virginia, but that was the same time I had a broken arm from my abusive relationship. They thought it was a "motor dysfunction" and tried to deny me entrance in the school for this reason. I persevered and got in! In Cincinnati, I saw an ad for the WIN Program. They offered professional skills and training positions. They offered the nursing profes­ sion as an option and I took it. WIN helped finance the schooling. Another program, CETA. also helped by providing school uniforms, books, shoes, and even buying my graduation uniform and cap. I graduated! It took a year and a half for me to finish, but I became a licensed practical nurse. I graduated August of 1982. I was pregnant at the time with my third child. I graduated on Thursday, and I was offered a job at Jewish Hospital on the following Saturday! However, I didn't take the job. It was only for part­ time work. and I couldn't feed my family on part­ time work. I was afraid I would lose everything, including health benefits, if I took a part-time job. Back then, going to job-training and working was voluntary. It wasn't required in order to get welfare assistance. I just had a lot of drive to go out and do something. I started applying all over the city and finally got my first job at Manor Care Nursing Home. It paid $6.95 an hour and was full-time work. When I took the job, I immediately lost all of my benefits. It was quite a transition for me. Our family lost its health care coverage because the job did not provide it. I remember there were times when I said I wished I was back on welfare because of the medical needs of my children. Fortunately, my children were healthy most of the time. It did hurt my oldest daughter in her schoolwork. She did not Continued on page 14 Continued on page 11 �-- --- - - - - STREETVIBES ~. ·· - '..··' STREETVIBES Editorials and Letters Police Need Better Training Hon1e/ess Grapevine Advocates Promote Increased Housing Opportunities January 7, 1998 To the Editor of the StreetVibes I am writing you in regards to the newer police officers who are coming into the force and replacing the old school officers. I am writing to you with both respect and concern. The police force here in Cincinnati is creating a ~ster through lack of training in diplomacy, a new 1~erance, and a Robo Cop mental~._ They are bu1ld1ng the foundation for an explosive atJnO­ s~here. The problem with our youth is bad enough without Cincinnati's finest resorting to physically and verbally abusing our children while in custody, under restraints. There are some officers who are currently doing this, and they include officers from a variety of different racial backgrounds. ...... I mourned for Officers Jeters and Pope; they were good men and what happened to them was appalling. However, taking it out on everyone else is not the answer. We must come to an under­ standing on what is acceptable restraint and force ­ this is Cincinnati, not Nazi Germany. Too many cases are arising with the police having to make a disclaimer. Sincerely, Sherri Franklin 1750 Fairmont Cincinnati, OH What Makes A Good Drug Rehabilitation ,, Program _? by Mark Saller What makes for a "good" drug rehabilita­ tion program? or a successful one? I think that, in essence, they are all good. However, a place of " recovery" is different where recovery is possible and growth inevitable. The Drop Inn Center has a live-in drug treatment program that lasts for six months and has only one requirement to stop using. Three people graduated in November 1997 and are still going strong. Truly, no matter how good or bad a drug tteatment program is, not everyone graduates. Yet, three graduates at one time is something to behold. I suspect the counselors and program coordinators feel responsible for the ones that leave, perhaps even questioning themselves, "What did I do wrong?" or "Could I have done more?" Although their professionalism tells them that it's not their fault, they still have feelings. They prob­ ably don't even care about recognition; the mere knowledge that a person sought, found help and that the Drop Inn Staff was able to assist that person can mean a whole lot to all involved. It's your choicde. If you come to the Drop Inn Center for help, you will receive the help you desire because help is here. An Editorial from the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless President Ointon is expected to release his Administration's fiscal year 1999 budget request to Congress on February 2. 1988, for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The budget request includes important increases for housing and community development dollars. The President will request an increase for HUD Home­ less Assistance Programs from $823 million to $958 million. The impacts on local communities of the HUD budget should not be underestimated. HUD's housing and corrrnunity development programs have been the key to success for many local programs. Indeed many corrrnunity-based services and pro­ grams would not exist if HUD funding was not available. Local communities take advantage of these federal opportunities for increased home ownership, dece nt rental housing, increased employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. For example, Tender Mercies utilized funds from the Stewart B. Mc Kinney Act (a HUD program) to create more units of permanent housing this year for people who are mentally ill. Their efforts will ensure that over two dozen homeless people have a supportive and caring place to stay instead of wandering the streets of Cincin­ nati. The fiscal year 1999 HUD budget request allows the Department and Its local partners to build upon these successes and embarl< on helping new families. For example, the President has requested I00,000 new rental assistance vouchers34,000 of which will be used to house homeless persons and 50,000 set aside for welfare to work programs. The budget also includes increased public housing operating subsidies. Adequate funding for public housing authorities will help house families with the most need. Operating subsidies are supposed to cover the difference between manage­ ment and maintenance costs and the rents paid by low income residents. The budget request continues and moderately expands programs that are vital to enabling corrrnu­ nities to better address their housing and convnu­ nity development needs. Many families making minimum wage in our convnunity continue to need housing assistance. Rental assistance will enable families moving to work and from homelessness to have a place to call home. Local programs are working. Federal pro­ grams that support our efforts and encourage partnerships with other state and local efforts are critical. We are optimistic that the President's 1999 budget will help us continue our work and that it will be supported by Congress. You can Subscibe to Streetvibes for $12 a month Call or write us at 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati Ohio 45210 or call us at 421­ 7803 Make any Check payable to Streetvibes P.7gc 10 The Government Continues to Play The Shell Game by Max Johnson Let me tell you a litde secret about a con game played by the Federal Government. It is called Block Granting or turning control and decision making over to the locality. It is a big lie, because in the end the Feds don't think a bunch of Yahoos from Iowa can decide where millions of Federal dollars go. We have played this con for the last two years and have been stung. We were told that there was a new sheriff in Washington and money for homeless services would be distributed to the country based on local decisions in what was touted as a "Community Gaps Analysts" process to deter­ mine which projects were funded. What it turned out to be was a summer of folly to distract us from the real work that needed to be done-getting American citizens into housing. While the homeless and the local providers were busy filling out surveys 3nd ~uating programs, the Congress was taking the Housing out of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and removing the word entidement from our dictionaries. First, they told us that money would be set aside for communities based on their need. Since we do not accurately keep track of the need how would this be possible. Also, some of our local communities deny they even have homeless people so how would that need be reflected. The formula for the amount of money was secret so that we would not get our hopes up. Next, we are told that we can use this money for new or expanding programs and those programs that are requesting a renewal of funds. The only problem is that we were not allowed to see the audit of the existing programs. We did not know what impact the existing programs were having on reducing the homeless population. Our only infor­ mation was from the programs that were asking for renewal funds. " Did you serve your community over the last year, Homeless Shelter Xt' They answer, "Yes we did and we did a darm fine job. Can we have some more money?" Then we go through the time of identifying the largest gaps in service. We ask for submissions of grants in areas that we see as those of the greatest need. We (the homeless of Cleveland) rank the programs in order of importance, and submit that to Washington. When it comes back we see that the rankings did not mean anything. Not all projects were funded and many projects, including some of our highest priority projects, were skipped and lower projects were chosen. We say, "A pox on your house you faux block granters." We will never again fall for your "local control" tricks. We will ask for the check first and we will give you the details later about how we spent the funds. Pass the money on to those on the streets and we will make it work. Don't tempt us with community oversight, and then go back to business as usual. If you want homeless input then you better damn well use our decisions. We get enough of government lying to us from local politi­ cians and case workers.,need, how would this be possible?,the results We have better things to do than evaluate programs-like standing in long lines for food, checking on affordable housing opportunities, and looking for work in a job that pays the same as our parents made when they graduated from high school. �STREETVIBES The Tn Stute 's Homeless Grapevine King's Image Whitewashed? by Ma/aka Sanders Word Search stubborn extremists of what the whole country new was right. At least that's the message I got from school, the mainstream media. and others who, in not talking about his whole vision for a new world effectively whitewash his image. Is it any wonder that today's kids prefer the strength of Malcolm X as compared to this watered­ down visionary~ Another negative effect of this whitewashing is the grave disservice it does to today's activists; one in glorifying past activists after they're dead and only highlighting their gains without the benefit of the whole picture (knowing only what they got as compared to what they wanted and why), the status quo asserts that all the battles are wt:7f1 and that today's followers of King, the anti-poverty, anti­ war, and anti-racism (or, basically, anti-status quo) activists still kickin' around today ( and here in OTR!!!) are simply "radicals" disrupting things. Or, as Ani Difranco sang. " ...they'll sing you right to sleep and then they'll screw you just the same." Also, by popularizing them after their death, people are encouraged to forget that only a small segment of the population helped to bring about lasting change- because with that knowledge could possibly co me the will to fight now. At present people feel that "things'll never change" l:iecause we don't have the numbers that "they had then"; but when ya look at how folks are organizing all over the country, ya see that that's simply not true. So let the great myth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. be put to rest : his goal was not simply to integrate African-Americans into the status quo, but to challenge it (lest we forget that integration at that time was one huge challenge to it...). King was a radical And for those present day radicals out there, let his words help sustain you. "We must come to see that human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this hard work time becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do the right thing." Ha/aka Sanders can be e-mailed do the Homeless Coalition at homecoa/@primax.net G I N s u 0 H K N B E M 0 D E E I L T B R I G H H Al G N I T 0 c C H B T s IC N KWO R c Ml y R E V A L s 4 L TT 0 c y 0 B 0 p p 0 R T U N E D U C A T 10 Continued from page 9 get adequate eye care, and we found out she needed glasses. My third child now needs glasses. Besides eye care, we didn't get dental care. I couldn't afford it. I'm sitting here toothless as I say this! I stayed in that job for two years. Then I started working at another nursing agency in 1984 for $9 to $11 an hour starting out. I'm very thankful that I could rely on welfare assistance to complete my nursing training. I'm thankful that I didn't have to worry about basic survival while trying to finish my job training. It would have been much harder if I would have had to do a work requirement at some minimum wage i<>b while trying to complete it. and take care of three small children at the same time! Now they are making it much harder on people! They are punishing these people by putting them out into the work force at any job paying minirn.tm wage! The system is very corrlortable about putting people in jobs with no future, and even mothers with 12 week old infants! It's very upsetting for me to see all these work forces coming in here who think people will be happy with a minimum wage job and no health beneftt.s. You're just working for the sake of working if you take a minimum wage job. The syst.em is creating a short fuse for people. The sanctions are saying, "It's OK to put people out on the street, but your kids will get their food stamps. You won't have a place to cook your kids' food, but they will get their food stamps. You, of course, will not eat!" It's hard enough for a single mother to successfully uphold her household, let alone if she has an infant three months old. It's irresponsible of the government to make these mothers work. A mother wants to take care of her children. What kind of care can you get from a mother working all night, trying to go to school for her G.E.D. to better herself, and then trying to nurture and care for her children in the time left. Many single mothers, especially those living in poverty without support netWOrks of family & friends, won't be able to handle it all. Do you know how hard it is to find quality child care for your children, especially infants~ Who will be taking care of these infants when their parents will be forced to leave them with someone else~ To support yourself and your children, you must get a skill. You have to be allowed to get education and training to be able to get independent of the system I'm thankful for the schooling I was able to get while on assistance. I've landed many excellent jobs in nursing homes and through private duty. My present job pays $1 S an hour; with the potential to make $18 in a nursing agency. The government is being very short-sighted to not allow the work requirement to be fully used for getting an education & job training. Interview with Pam McBride . January 1998 by Gregory Payton K K R F T s v T A R J u 6 G s G E L N E ~ "Safety Net" Ravings of a Mad Womyn With the observance of Martin Luther King Day this year, as in recent years, there was lots of press coverage on King day events, Coretta Scott King's activities, and pundits and newscasters discussing lots of old film of lots of old speeches by King, Or should I say one old speech. Ya see, it's not just mere oversight that explains why the words, " I have a dream my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." are well known to every American, but not the words, "And one day we must ask the question, 'Why are there forty million poor people in Americat [ it's over twice that number now...) And when you begin to ask that question, you are raising questions about the economic system, about a broader d istribution of wealth. When you ask that question, you begin to question the capitalistic economy. And I'm simply saying that more and more, we've got to begin to ask questions about the whole society. We are called upon to help the discouraged beggars to life 's marketplace. But one day we must come to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restr ucturing." In fact, these " news" accounts often get so nostalgic, they make it easy to forget that everyone wasn't on King's side, in fact most weren't. We now know that the FBI followed King very closely throughout the 1960s.; in October of 1963 King's home and office were bugged, and in November, the SCLC wiretaps were activated in Atlanta and New York. In the book, The FBI an Martin Luther King Jr., author David B. Garrow talks about Hoover's plans to plans to plant a beautiful woman in the SCLC office in order to entrap King. In explaining these actions, the author wrote, "Though nowadays most reformers would prefer to ignore that point,... the enemies chosen by the FBI were the same targets that much of American society would have selected as it's own foes. American popular thought long has had strong themes of nativism, xenophobia, and ethnocentrism These very same qualities were writ large in the FBI.". So in presenting the only one of his goals, institutional integration, achieved in his lifetime as his o nly cause andby ignoring most people's fear of his actions at that time (even that of , what he called, 'moderates' who he said in his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" [ 1963) • " ... are more devoted to order than justice... who constantly say, "I agree with you in the goal(s) you seek, but I can't agree with your methods of direct action.") King is presented, not as the revolutionary that he was, but as sort of a nice guy who had to convince some Page II Scramble by Ron Carter opportuns EDUCATION Try to unscramble these HOUSING h.oliday words: LYCHING SLAVERY itUNOEYAW RACIST REFEREOST BLACK OERSOSRC WHITE VAOTINLSA YMHA FREEDOM LESRVARTJOA VOTING EROCTS KKK CTATNOC JIM CROW AA NE/LOTH RIGHTS A.C. T.C 19-­ 19-­ ANSWER ON PAGE 15. �STREETVIBES ~. :. ~. News From Chicago Federal Judge Wayne Anderson will hear closing arguments on a motion for a temporary injunction on Wednesday designed to stop the City of Chicago from discarding on the personal prop­ e rty of homeless Lower Wacker Drive residents. Judge Anderson is likely to rule in the case following closing arguments on Wednesday, January 2 I. The homeless people flied the motion after the city allegedly vio lated court-supported, temp<> rary procedures for off-street cleaning of Lower Wacker Drive on December I, 1997. On that date, police and sanitation worke rs conducted a "sweep" of the homeless, told them to leave without their belongings, and used racial slurs and threats of arrest to intimidate them In violation of the agreement, homeless people were not allowed to move their belongings. When people tried to leave the scene with their property, it was taken out of their hands. City workers allegedly discarded blankets, important documents including a marriage certificate, asthma and diabetes medicines, and personal remembrances including family photos. In January, I996, homeless residents of Lower W acker Drive flied a class action lawsuit against the City of Chicago alleging that the city's "sweeps" violated their rights by seizing and/or destroying their personal property. In March 1996, lawyers for the homeless and the C ity of Chicago developed court-supported temporary guidelines for carrying out cleanings of Lower W acker Drive. Pursuant to the guidelines, the city must · Provide 12-hour advanced warning of the sweeps by posting signs and making verbal an­ nouncements under Lower W acker D rive. · Give homeless people the opportunity to move their belongings fifty feet from the area to be cleaned. Possessions not moved will be discarded. Prohibit Streets and Sanitation cleaning personnel from disposing any possessions moved by the homeless individuals The homeless have been organized by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH). CCH believes that housing is a basic right in a just society. With the current cr itical shortage of affordable housing in C hicago, CCH supports the right of homeless people to live on Lower W acker Drive. Through systematic research and intensive organiz­ ing of homeless people, CCH is working to end homelessness in metropolitan C hicago. CCH focuses on the root causes of the problem, including a serious shortage of affordable housing, the increasing scarcity of living wage jobs, and a lack of health and supportive services for poor people. News From Washington State Inquiries into Washington States Workflrst plan have revealed many problems with the state's welfare reform plan. Many of their DSHS social workers were poorly trained in the new program and find themselves unable to address client's needs. In addition, client's have found industry unwilling to provide jobs with livable wages. "By flooding the wo rkforce with people who can be hired without fai r wage or benefits, and simultaneously removing the safety net of welfare and Medicare, welfare " reformers" and employe rs will be able to offer less to workers everywhere. Put in classic supply and demand terms, there aren't e nough jobs for all those who must be moved from welfare to work. This makes workers less valuable and they will be t reated as such."(Real Change Vol. 5 N o. I, Jan 1998 Hearing Faults Workf.ire) ' ..:.-' Hon1e/ess Grapevine What to Do For Fun If You're Homeless Well John and Joyce spent Chr istmas under the Detroit Street bridge. I walked to John's 'stick'. The homeless substitute the word stick for home. "I said Hi, Joyce and John s houted Hi there as I crawled through the ho le in the fence and walked up they slope to whe re I saw a mattress surrounded by garbage and r ubbish. John and Joyce tell me Christmas is depressing. They say people would pull up in cars and vans Hi Me rry Christtnas and hand them bags of groceries, cooked dinners usually cold and shopping bags full of clothes. Joyce says none of the clothes flt. The only thing that frts out of about fifty pieces of apparel was a red knit skull hat in which she was still wearing. We went to the comer where people were passing out Christmas lunch and we got one for each of us. A little brown paper sack, like you take to school when you were a kid with you're lunch. Two hot dogs, ketchup and mustard packets were in it and then we got this other good stuff. Joyce reached somewhere underneath the mattress they lived on this mattress. Clevelands Homeless Grapevine The British Are Coming!!! Yet another aspect of ho melessness has gone corporate. Street newspapers. The Big Issue, glossy paper started in England and sold by homeless people has landed on the shores of Los Angeles. Having already spread throughout Europe, South Africa, and Australia they have turned their greedy little eyes on here. The paper calls itself The Big Issue leaving people (especially advertisers) with the impression that the big issue is homelessness. Yet homeless issues by their own admission is only about 20% of the paper's content and homeless people are an even smaller percentage of the paper's multi­ national staff. The vendors, who are charged per issue to sell this product, don't reap any of the economic benefits of the millions that are brought in annually through the vendor charges, advertising sales, and foundation support. Instead, the Big Issue has established their own foundation so as to dole out grants and gifts in communities (countries) where they plan to set up shop. If they have this kind of money, why can't they pay the salespeople (ven­ dors) a living wage with benefits, etd You can bet their advertising staff are paid and paid well. The Big Issue is about big bucks pure and simple. Dishing out a few nickels and d imes to some ho meless people doesn't change that and doesn't make them any less of a "Poverty Pimp" . They are exploiting homelessness to sell their advertising and homeless people as a cheap (charged) labor source to sell their product. For The Big Issue to claim, as they do, that they lift people out of poverty through the sale.s of their paper is nothing short of bullshit. No street newspaper can claim the vendors leave poverty with the money they get from selling the paper. That kind of life is right up there with "the wealthy panhandle r" and "the Cadillac-driving AFDC recipient ". Paoe 12 0 STREETVIBES Nationwide Everything they needed could be reached fro m there. They were C hristians. We've got two toothbrushes. Both John and Joyce's teeth are rotting and they say they never use them. They offer me the two new · brushes, after all they say you've go t teeth. We share a laugh. Then they continue their inventory. I got a little plastic razor, it would take about thirty of these to get rid of this beard. Joyce pulls out a really fancy bar of soap, the kind they have at hotels. She says she likes the way it smells. A little bit later, John describes life's philosophy. You are born - you live and you die. And I'm just putting in my time. That's what you do between being born and dying, he explained. It's all meaningless to me. Who cares? Joyce speaks of loneliness. One night Joyce wakes John and he says well what are you waking me for? She looks me straight in the eye . She was upset 'Tm lonely, will you talk to me~" So I looked at her and oh! all right let's have fun it's Christmas, I'll talk to you. So we talked about how much fun people were having in the cars, trucks and vans hurrying to and fro probably in a hurry to make it home this C hristmas day. Joyce and I can taste the depression and despair in our th roats. Oh well, tomorrow is another day. Bob .. .. The inevitable consequence of this corpo­ rate move is the liscencing of the sale of homeless street papers and thus less opportunity for homeless people to vend them. Street papers in their simplicity benefit everyone involved. The organization that publishes them gets to present to the gene ral public homeless and poverty issues from a perspective/depth that will never be in the mainstream press or even the alternative press. Homeless and poor people have an opportunity to positively express themselves through writing, artwork and poetry and to see their works and feeling out in the convTitmity, while at the same time others are able to panhandle with their dignity intact. The general public gets the best benefit of all: They get to learn about an issue that people seem to universally agree is tearing this country apart. And they get to learn about it without the barrage of cOl'TVTlercialism and sensationalizing so comnon in the mainstream media today. ''The Big Issue" corporate approach to this important social contract severely threatens to kill it. Please don't buy one and please write them at The Big Issue, Fleet Ho use, 57-61 C larkenwell Road, Farringdon, London EC I MSNP o r e-mail them at London@bigissue.co.uk and tell them that their exploitation of poor people will never sell he re. Volunteers Rewarded On December 17 in the Veteran's Adminis­ tration Hospital Auditorium, 75 V. A Standown emloyees and volunteers received an a.p preciatlon award - a pen with "Standown '97" on it from Judy Bacon, Chairperson of the Standown Committee. Thanks for serving at least 1,000 homeless men and women in the T ri-state area, including '400 veterans at the Drop Inn Center. �STREETVIBES --;.-.: ~-. ,, . 1 • '- Hon1e/ess Grapevine Body of Disappeared U.S. Priest May Be Exhumed in Honduras by Paul Jeffrey Tegucigalpa, Honduras, January 14 (ENl)­ Honduran human rights activist hope to dig up the body of a U.S priest who disappeared here more than 13 years ago , Berta Oliva, director of the Committee of Relatives of the detained and Disappeared in Honduras (COFADEH), told ENI that her group has received information that will allow it to locate the remains of James Cam ey, a priest who disappeared in September 1983 while accompanying a guerrilla column that entered Honduras from neighboring Nicaragua. Oliva said three people have approached her group in recent weeks with new information about Camey's whereabouts. All three contacted COFADEH following a 45-day fast late last year in front of the embassy here. That protest, conducted by three U.S. Catholics who demanded that the U.S. gover nment release classified information regarding Carney's di.s appearance, generated renewed interest in the case throughout Honduras. Oliva refused to name the new informants. She said that while they approached COFADEH independently of each other, they all agreed on the spot where Cam ey was buried, O liva declined to identify the location where Carney is allegedly buried, though she did admit that it was located in the eastern province of O lancho. "We've got to be very careful how we manage the informa­ tion about Father Carney," she told ENI. "There are a lot of military officers with desi res to rise in the ranks who would be negatively affected by these revelations.". O liva's concern for the safety of the informants appears well founded. In the last two years, several former low-ranking military officers have been killed in what appear to be incidents of common crime. Yet according to Ramon Custodio, president of the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras, many of the dead were "living archives" who were assassinated to prevent them from revealing secrets from the government's "dirty war" during the eighties. Oliva said that one of the new informants is a former soldier who partici­ pated in the capture and torture of Ca.rney. Oliva revealed that members of a Honduran army unit participating in "Operation Patuca" - a counterinsurgency operation designed to capture carrying U.S. $50,000 in cash, and that members of the unit which captured him would be allowed to split the money among themselves. " Yet following Camey's capture, the head of the patrol didn't keep his word," Oliva stated. "Some members of the patrol are still angry." . Oliva said the former soldier's testimony collaborates that of Florencio Caballero, a former member of the Honduran army's elite U.S.­ trained counterintelligence unit, Battalion 3-16. Before his death in exile in Canada last year, Caballe­ ros had testified that heard from associates that Camey had been thrown alive into the jungle from a military helicopter Oliva said that at least one of the new informants reported Carney was tortured on the ground and then thrown alive from the helicop­ ter, but that army troops then landed the aircraft to make sure the priest was dead. He was reportedly buried on that spot. Oliva said the former soldier also revealed how his unit participated in raping and torturing women members of the guerrilla column before killing them. Oliva indicated that one of the new informants possesses a map that indicates the exact location where Camey was buried. It is reportedly beside a river, though Oliva llefused to reveal which one. Besides Carney, a Jesuit who submitted a resignation letter to the Society of Jesus on the eve of his departure into Honduras, Oliva said three other guerrillas are reported to be buried at the site. She said one is possibly Jose Maria Reyes Mata, the leader of the hapless guerrilla group, which Wcl.S affiliated with the Central American Revolution­ ary W orkers Party. O liva said COFADEH is con­ tinuing to investigate the information. When that is finished, O liva said they will follow established legal procedures and contact the judge in whose jurisdic­ tion the burial site is located. " But doubt the judge will want to he lp us," Oliva said. "So we'll ask the Special Prosecutor for Human Rights to instruct the Department of Criminal Investigation to protect the area.". Such protection necessary prevent tamper­ ing with the evidence, Oliva explained. Oliva also said COFADEH planned to contact Camey's family for medical information that would help identify the priest's remains. She said her group would invite foreign forensic specialists to Honduras to conduct the exhumation. Oliva has. already had initial conve rsations about the matter with one of the persons who supervised the exhumation of Enersto "Che" Guevara in Bolivia last year. Oliva said she hoped the ex humation could get underway by April at the latest. "After that, the rain will make the area inaccessible until at least August," she said COFADEH has carried out the e xhumation of three of the 184 persons that the Honduran government's national convnissioner for human rights, Leo Valladares, claims were "disappeared by government security forces dur ing the 1980s. Cam ey is one of the 184. Oliva is the widow of another of the 184 disappeared. Her husband, T ornas Nativ Galvez. a professor and union organizer, was kidnapped June 11, 1981, fro m the couple's home in Tegucigalpa. Oliva was beaten and knocked unconscious dur ing the kidnapping. C OFADEH has also taken a leading ro le in demanding that military officials res ponsible for the disappearances be punished. Currently, 13 high-ranking Honduran military officers are fugitives, wanted by Honduran courts for human rights violations committed during the 1980s. Oliva predicated the exhumation of Camey will, " put to a test the political will of the new government" of President Carlos Flores, who takes office here on January 26. Human rights activists are worried Flores will thwart their efforts to bring military officials to justice. The Camey case plays a major role in a new report by Valladares to be released simultaneously in Washington and Tegucigalpa later this month. The 200 page report, "In Search of Hidden Truths", will criticil:e the Ointon administra­ tion for its "exceedingly frustrating" response to Valladares' request four years ago for U.S. docu­ ments on six disappeared persons, including Father Camey. The U.S. government has released more than 3,000 pages of declassified documents related to the Camey case, but most have been heavily censored, and are characterized in the forthcoming Valladares report as "scant, fragmented, and vague." P.1,ge IJ Solutions by Brian Davis In our on going communication with our readers, we have heard the criticism that we only complain about the problems and do not offer any solutions. So in an effort to address the concerns of our readers in 1998 we are featuring a series called Homeless Solutions in cooperation with the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. The staff of the Coalition will take on this issue with the assistance of homeless people to put forth ideas that if implemented would show a reduction in the homeless population. ISSUE I Stability First Services Second This seems such a simple concept, but it is rarely followed in the current landscape of social services. N o matter how many services are thrown at an individual they rarely stick if a person does not have a stable place to live. All locaJ se rvices need to establish a person in a long tenn stable place to live first and the n treat them for their disability or health concerns. As an American citizen, we should expect o r demand a minimum level support. N o matte r if a person is lazy, rude, a criminal, smelly, ugly or dumb, they still have a r ight to life and othe r liberties oudined in the Declara­ tion of Independence and the C onstitution. If a person lives on the street they are being denied a right to life. Therefore all services need to esta.blish housing or long tenn shelter as their primary focus, and build support services around the housing. The housing rnJSt be a healthy environ­ ment that allows an individual to grow to indepen­ dence. The housing cannot be contingent on the services. Stability should be the primary focus for the County, and services revolve around the housing. Specifkally, areas such as the Alcohol and Drug System need place people in stable housing then treat their addiction. Currendy, the treat­ ment is offered for a period of time, and then the person is released back into the world. If Alcohol­ ism and Drug Addiction are truly a disease, then why don't we treat it as a health issue. A policy of releasing an individual back onto the streets after treatment is a waste of resources, and bad public policy. Bad News From Massachusetts My Higher Power The demise of rent control in Massachu­ setts has had a dramatic effect on homelessness in that state. Many landlords are now choosing to evict current residents when their leases expire and rent to new tenants at exhorbitant rental rates. This move has affected residents of all ages as well as families. Many residents report being forced to move after 2S years of occupancy in the same place. Despite Chapter 239, (a just cause to evict law) a record 7, 158 evictions were filed in Suffolk County Housing Court last year alone. An increase in the minimum wage and/or bringing back the rent control laws is viewed as the only viable permanent solutions. Subscribe to Streetvibes Streetvibes can be mailed to you each month for a very reasonable $12 per year Please send a check or money order to The Greater Cincinatl Coalition For The Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati Ohio 45210. Continued from pace 9 thought about my life now. I can't criticize any program simply because miracles are being reborn in them every day. To my knowledge, there has not been any group of people entering a program and seeing it through to the end. It would be grand if each year programs could boast group graduations. You can't blame the programs or the coordinators; you can't even blame the people for not making it. If you do, you are wrong and for that, I'm sorry because it means that there is a hard lesson left for you to learn. This, again, is only my observation. God is the ultimate authority. God is looking out for us when we can't look out for ourse lves. My graduation occurred with the help of everybody at the Drop Inn Center. I could not have made it without them. However, first and foremost, I thank my higher power, God, for being God. �STREETVIBES -·he '1i St 1te's Homeless Grap evine Page 14 Drop-Inn-Center Wins Title Congratulations to the Drop-Inn-Center for the recent victory in the inaugural Recovery Basket­ ball League Tournament. The Drop-Inn-Center team lead by player coach Donald Whitehead won a hard fight championship game against a feisty N.A squad led by Player Coach Courtney C. The D.I.~ team made up of D.l.C alumni and other supportive individuals also claimed the regular season Recovery League Championship with an almost perfect 9win I loss record in I0 regular season games. The Recovery league will begin the second half of the season on February 14th with an All-star Game. The Game will feature the Recovery League All-stars -Vs- Lexington Recovery All-star Tearn. The regular season will begin February 2 1st. The league hopes to expand to I0 teams for the second half of the season. If you have a team that is interested in joining this league please contact Donald Whitehead at 42 1-7803. The cost of the league is $30 per team The Drop-lnn_center has come a long w ay since the"M idnight Move" (Phot o by James Heath) People's Move Continued from Page One We wanted a warmer, safer, dryer place. W e wanted out from under this landlord who refused to do needed repairs. So we started scouting around the neighborhood for a building large enough to meet our needs. (We were not interested in going out to Lunken Airport where it was suggested we look. We were determined to find a place in our own neighborhood.) Of all the buildings we looked at, the former Teamster Union Hall at 2 17 W . 12th Street had the best possibility. We started negotiat­ ing with the Teamsters on a rental leas~ agr~ment. We kept the site quiet for we knew this location would be controversial, being one of the top spots for future profit-making development so close to Music Hall. But it was our top spot for a home for the homeless, and that was top priority. We were not making headway fast enough with the Teamsters, and feeling the moral urgency to get out of the unsafe environment, we plotted THE PEO PLES MOVE for midnight on January 13th, 1978. We did not plan for the blizzard. Though the blizzard made the move more treacher­ ous, it was a blessing in disguise.. It gave us time to get somewhat settled in before the City discovered we were there. The City's reaction to our move was to wage a vicious campaign to close us down. On January 20th we were forced into court. The Building Department ordered our immediate eviction and our leadership was threatened with cr iminal charges. That day with 14 inches of snow on the ground and zero temperatures, the 120 homeless residents of. the shelter were waiting with intense anxiety their fate as buddy gray on the witness stand defended our decision to "illegally" move into our new home. The prosecutors grilled him unmercifully. The Spirit moved with us that day. Judge Outcalt ruled on behalf of the homeless. It was a victory for the people. THE PEOPLES POWER RAN THROUGH OUR VEINS T HAT DAY As I reflect on our courageous action twenty years ago I can still feel the peoples power that ran through our veins that day. It was no small feat to do what we did. Many people, including the resi­ dents, staff, neighborhood and community-wide volunteers, participated in the midnight move. We were taking control of our lives and detennining our own history. We were actors, not victims. We were powerful, not powerless. We were hopeful'. not despairing. We were risk-takers and not afraid to stand our ground. We stood our ground despite obstacles and determinedly weathered many torrential rains that came pouring down on us as a result of the location we chose and the City feeling threatened by our i>eoples action. Inspired by the Spirit of our peoples just anger I wrote this song during that rumultuous time in our history. 1rs TIME YOU REALIZE THAT WE ARE ORGANIZED CHORUS: It's time you realize That we are organized And our spirits can't be killed By your lies and underhanded .... deals We've worked ·t oo long and hard To have our program busted By your cold e ncrusted...bureaucrats. You claim you understand But still it's NO to our demand As you debated, studied more Flooding waters drenched our floors. Just look at where your money goes To f0< up stained glass windows And you pay your Manager More than double what we asked for. Does this say that one man's pay Can mean more to you today Than a YES vote for a place For hundreds of people to stay. Now that Donaldson has staged To care for animals in a cage We know that monkeys in a zoo mean More to him than homeless people do. On a cold and blizzard night We moved into an old union site Our Peoples Move was bold and wise Ha-Ha...we caught you by surprise. You tried so many dirty tricks To trap us by your code-stick Your midnight raids and fire drills Failed at the Board of Appeals. Every move that you did make Help~d our cause, was YOUR mistake Every plot that you designed Brought more people to our side. Your underhanded Master Plan To force us fol ks from our land It will never go your way Cause we will fight you day after day. There are many more chapters to our Drop Inn Center story. My hope is that we continue to remember the fighting spirit that was a part of our beginnings...and never lose sight of that. The story and the spirit needs to be passed on so those who join our effort along the way can feel and claim in their own veins the power of the people and carry this struggle forward...so that someday all our sisters and brothers will be afforded a safe and decent place to call home. I believe to remember and honor our peoples history reminds us that where we are today was made possible by those who labored and loved before us. Our participation in this important work is our ticket on the Freedom Train which has been going down the track for centuries. Once aboard we must continue to tell the stories of people seeking justice and freedom. by Bonnie Neumeier (This story is dedicated to all those who gave their hand and heart to The Peoples Move.) �STREETVIBES T11e Tri Sr J1e ' ~. Homeless Grapevine FebruafY 7 STREETVIBES Announcements Please Send your annoucements to Streetvibes Announcements. 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati Ohio 45210 or fax them to 513-421-7813 by the 20th of each month. FebruafY4 Streetvibes Planning Meeting, Spm, The Homeless Coalition office 1506 Elm Street, call 421 -7803 for more info FebtU8fY 4-5 "Building Support for More State fonding: Affordable Housing, and Homeless Programs." State wide conference sponsored by the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio at the Hyatt on Capitol Square. Columbus Ohio for info call 614­ 280-1984 STREETVIBES Classified Ads The Odd Cookie Awards for reading will be presented at the Cincinnati Black Book Fair at the C incinnati Convention Center. Guest Speaker will be Edna Howell of WIZF FM radio station. FebruafY8 The A Philip Randolph Institute is sponsoring a Black History Month program and tour of the Randolph Exhibit. Tickets: $5 ($2 for age 17 and under). For more info, 621-8882 FebmafY 14/h The Over-the-Rhine Steel Drum Band will perform Saturday, February 14th at l:OOp.m at Memorial Hall. For more info., call the Peaslee Neighborhood C enter, 621-5514. FebruafY 16 Entertaing Angels a Paulist Press Movie about the life of Dorothy Day. The movie will be followed by a discussion on the Catholic Worker Movement! Xavier University Campus, Alter Hall Kelley Audito­ rium 7:30 pm. Donations beniflt ST. Francis/ St. Joseph Catholic Worker House. Labol'W' Band looking for wortc Streetvibes (the Band. We loke to party. RAb. Oldies. Blues. Jazz. Reggae. Helping the Homeless. Hetp themselves king for laborer? wortcecl at Rivwfront. s willing to do any kind of ork. Call Sonia Craig at DroiMnn-Center, 721· 3 Scramble Answers from page 11 UNITED WAY LegalAid FREE STORE RED CROSS SALVATION Army Travelers Aid ReStoc Contact Center AAHodine C.C.AT orChilclren for sale Native American Cookies: orders beind accepted: R. C. James (fax) 891-8663 .rientatecl · ·Icing forjoba Community du.ling th etderty or c hildren. 3 ear outreach wortcerf ounseler aide at YMCA. 13 years typing Jelll>eri·enc,e. Computer Cashier experience udlng Windows, tus, and any word cesser. Call Anjul adyun at 721-0643 Construction - · Workers .'. Do you have a High School Diploma. GED or do yo need to obtain your GED? Do You Want to earn a special trade would learn a skittecl trade? Local Union trades are now taking applications for apprenticeship programs. Starting pay $8.00 to $ 11.00 an hour depending on the Trade. (pay incntase every year. For more information stop by the West End Community Council 15•43 John Street Cincinnati Ohio 45214 or call 381-4280. Degreed successful grants admlnistratorlwriter - 0 commissioned, r.... lance position as same; ten percent commlsion per award. Contact J. Janus Jr. (fax) 891-8663 Native American Hispanic female seeks sit down slow paced factory position; physically c hasHenged. (fax) 891 ­ 8663 STREETVIBES provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only $1 per line. Ca/1421-7803 for info. Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. I. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $I voluntary donation. I agreenotto ask fer donations more than $1. I also understand that I will be able to keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. Future issues of Streetvibes will be purchased from the Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. 2. I agree that I will never distribute Streetvibes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 3. I agree that I will not ask for donations after 12 midnight. 4. I agree to treat others with respect. I will not use abusive language or force some.one to give a donation. I will not give a " hard sell" or make someone feel threatened. S. I agree that I will not supply copies d FebruafY 19 1998 Stand Down Planning Committee Meeting 12 pm at the Drop-Inn-Center. Everyone is encouraged to attend. Please help us recreate last years success. FebruafY 19 The Annual joint meeting of the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati Coalition For The Homeless. I :30 pm at the Drop-Inn-Center. Discussion on the simillarities in our struggles. We will also be joined by Micheal Stoops from the National Coalition for the Homeless. Febma,,21 Tentative date for the CMHA Homeless Coalition Strategy Conference. The Conference will be held at the CMHA leasing office at 1621 Western Avenue ~2pm. The Conference wil;I explore ways to speed up ithr transition to Public Housing Februa,,21 Homeless Think Tank. 2 pm at the Drop­ inn-Center. Sales Representative mUSIC call 421-7803 Streetvibes is now accepting Classified Ads For items for Sale, Apartments for.Rent and other non personal items. The rate is only $1 per line, approxiamately four words per line. Classified ads are due by the 20th of each month. People living below the poverty level will be allowed five free lines for six months to advertise their skills o r products to our readers Otherwise payment must !be recieved before the ad will run. No refunds will run. No refunds will be made. Also, if there is an error, notify us after the first printing. You will given an extra month of ad time. Hail the ad copy to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati Ohio or fax to 421-7813 Page /5 Streetvibes to persons who are not registered distributors. 6. I agree not to deceive the public by saying that I am collecting for a not-for-profit charity or that I am collecting for the "homeless., in general. I will be honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvibes will go to the individual vendor. 7. I agree that I will not contest territories with other distributors. 8. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a self supporting paper created by people who are homeless or formerly homeless. To help in this effort, I will try to spread the word and write stories if possible. 9. I understand that the failure to comply with any of the above statements will result in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. Looking for a position as a sales ,..,,_,.c:ative or Manapr. Has excellent bookkeeping skills. Has experience in retail managen-.t, customer service and sales. Is available to wortc immediately. Call 0ea Harris nt-1976 Resturant Work Responsibte older pnan looki111 for position In a resturant. Has extensive experience as a cook, diswasher, and maintenance person. .He is very dependable and available • help wanted Condnseng F- Lawxer t afraid of the Catholic Chwch or PUCO. Send office ho..-s and name of law school on letterhead paper to I 111 Elm Stnet No. 431 Cincinnati Ohio 45210 Qftke Worker Seeks 10­ 30hour s.it down job o n Bus line. Either Ohio Or Kentucky. Contact Box lStrMtvibes 1506 Ehn Call Wiley Powell at 831-8404 Stneet Cind Oh 45110 Streetvibes Radio Hour On WAIF88.3 Im The Homeless Coalition has a live radio program which can be heard on WAJF radio on the second Saturday of each month at noon. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Pat Oifford, Gregory Payton and Donald Whitehead. The show mixes talk focusing on the stories in this paper·and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates. WAIF88.3 fm Saturday. January I0, 1998, noon to I pm Advertise in Streetvibes! Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to 4,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. Business Card S ize 2" x 3 112" $I 0 per month Two Business Card Size 4" x l 112" $20 per month A check or money order must accompany the ad copy. We reserve the right to deny any ad, especially those which promote alcohol or tobacco products. You will receive a full refund should your ad be denied. For larger ads, call the number below. Ads are due by the 20th of each month. If you need assistance in preparing your ad or have any other questions, call the Homeless Coali­ tion at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Bm Street Oncinnati. OH 45210 �STREETVIBES- -.~-=' '. ~· ... '. Hon1e/ess Grapevine Page 16 Vendor Profile: Shalom Davis by O,onald Whitehead Up to this point we have featured adult Streetvibes Vendors. As a matter of fact we only had adult vendors. A couple of weeks ago a very bright articulate young man came to the drop-inn­ center were his Mom worked and saw a copy of Streetvibes. He talked to longtime Streetvibes vendor/writer Gregory Payton. He asked Gregory a question that we had never encountered before at Streetvibes, "Can children sell Streetvibes? " This question was not easily answered. After all this would probably set a precedent for Street Newspa­ pers, we hadn't heard of it being done any where else in the country. We were forced to examine the mission of our paper. The mission of Streetvibes is to empower people, be a voice to the voiceless and help individuals begin to earn an income again. Chidren are becoming an ever increasing segment of the homeless population, they are certainly voiceless at times. I asked several people Shalom's question. Should children be allowed to sell Streetvibesl I recieved many different opinions. It became apparent that the question would have to be answered by me, noone was willing to make the decision for me. After careful! consideration I reached a decision. Any person who lives at or below the poverty level Check us out, We're on TV! Streetvibes is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video. Some viewers might not see the show appear at the right channel or time during the next couple months as Warner Cable changes around channels on us. Shalom Davis Streetvibes first Child Vendor Should have the opportunity to share in the success of Streetvibes. We have decided to let Shalom or any other child sell Streetvibes as long as their parent or guardian agrees with the code of conduct and they abide some additional rules to protect them. Children will not be allowed to sell Streetvibes during school hours or after dark. We prefer that they be accompanied by a parent or Adult. Shalom and the rest of Streetvibes were featured on the 19 in the morning show we hope to show the tape at the next Streetvibes meeting lease ·oin us. Vendor: 80 cents Printing and Production: 20 Where Your Goes SHELTERS: Women and Children 241-2757 Alice Paul House (abuse) 557-2873 Bethany House 762-5660 Salvation Army 431-8717 Welcome House SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (veterans) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America 241 -5525 241-0490 241-2965 381-4941 661-4620 381-1954 SHELTER: Both Caracole (AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (singtes) Friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) Interfaith Hospitality Network 76 1-1480 821-5100 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 244-7226 Channel 10 Saturday, February 7, 1998, 4 pm Friday, February 13, I998, I I am Slreelvibes TVFebruary February show will be filmed on the streets. We hope to interview individuals who have suffered harassment because of there homelessness. The show will have interview from people willing to speak up about the abuse that to often is associated with the everyday life of those living on the street. Channel 7 (Sb Basic in most of Hamilton Streetvibes has a minimal overhead cost so that the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. If anyone selling Streetvibes claims to be collecting for a private charity, please call our office at 421-7803. Thanks for your support. Need Help or Want to Help? If for some reason you find yourself homeless, contact a Coalition Member Agency for Shelter, Treatment, Housing or Services. If you have any questions, feel free to call the Homeless Coalition at 421-7803. Streetvibes TV January January Streetvibes was a rebrodcast of the June Streetvibesa program. This show was called faces II it was our second program that showed people that have recovered from homelessness and have gone on to lead happy productives lives. The show guest were Glen Collins a Representative from the l.R.S: Darlene Guess Director of the Bethany House Shelter. Gregory Payton Streetvibes vendor and writer , and Don Sawyer director of the mens treatment program at the Drop-Inn-Center. The show highlighted the personal journey of these four individuals from homelessness to housing. The show also featured the first live performance from Streetvibes the Band. Ughthouse Youth Center St. John's Temporary Housing 961-4080 651-6446 HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies (Mental Ill) Tom Geiger House 721-4580 241-9683 241-0504 369-0004 381-0954 721-8666 961-4555 TREATMENT: W omen 0 .0.AAT First Step Home 24 1-7343 921-7324 TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 TREATMENT: Both NA Hopeline AA Hodine CC.AT. Talbert House Transitions, Inc. VA Domiciliary 820...2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-501 I Monday, February 16, 7 pm Channel 10 Friday, February 20 I I am Monday Februa~y 23, 10 pm Saturday February 28, 4 pm Please help us make our T elivision Show better. If you have a subject or would like to be a guest please don't hesitate to give us a call. At 421-7803 or fax us at 421-7813 OTHER SERVICES 421 -2437 AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Center for Independent Uving Options 241-2600 591-ll46 Churches Active in Northside 961-0600 Cincinnati Health Network 569-1&40 Comnunity Action Agency 381-4242 Contact Center 241-2563 Emanuel Conmunity Center 241-1064 Freestore/Foodbank n 1-4000 Goodwill Industries 621 -7149 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bel. 632-7186 Hamilton Co. TB Control 357-4602 Health Resource Center 352-2902 Homeless Mobile Health Van lll-3679 House of Refuge Mission 241-9400 legal Aid Society Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 27 1-5501 721-4811 Mary Magdalen House 621-0248 Oral Health Council 621-6364 Our Daily Bread 621-5514 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 721-7660 Travelers Aid 721-7900 United Way 559-6656 VA Homeless Program 491-3335 Women's Crisis Center � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1998 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 1998 Vol. 2, Issue 13 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Page 1: Streetvibes Celebrates A Birthday Looking Back Twenty Years: January 11th 1978--The People Move Page3: News: EBTCards arive in Cincinnati. Page 4: Tender Mercies opens new building. Page 6: Streetvibes Poetry. Page 8: Streetvibes Celebrates Black History Month Page 12: News from around the world Page 14: Announcements and Classified Ads Page 16: Need Help Want Help Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project (curated by Katelyn Lusher) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 1998 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Stacey Adams Raymond Avrutus Frank Carrino Ron Carter Pat Clifford Denise Crew Brian Davis John Dietz Matthew Eisen Mike Fontana Sherri Franklin Darlene Guess James Heath Max Johnson David Miller Leonard Odom Gregory Payton Mataka Sanders Mark Salter The Shadow Don Stark, Sr. Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Sonny Williams Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-sa/4.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a<span> </span><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a>. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF addiction Brian Davis Darlene Guess David Miller Denise Crew Don Stark Sr. Donald Whitehead Drop Inn Center Frank Carrino Gregory Payton HIV James (Jimmy) Heath John Dietz Leonard Odom Lynn Williams Malaka Sanders Mark Salter Matthew Eisen Max Johnson Mike Fontana Pat Clifford People's Move Raymond Avrutus Ron Carter shelters Sherri Franklin Sonny Williams Stacey Adams Tender Mercies The Shadow vegetarianism welfare https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/bf612dd08effa7583c1a8f5a841383c7.pdf 4ad7b1feb71074e67c73ae351605bb26 PDF Text Text e s emorial Remembers ineteen Letter Gives Thanks for ac• Fr1endshi by Bonnie Neumeier Dear Mac, by James Heath On the celebration of your 90th birthday we knew that each day you were here with us it was a gift we treasured. Over the years we slowly witnessed your body, legs, eyes and heart giving you troubles. But you would not let these troubles trouble you. Your determined will reached out even to befriend the pain so that it would not control your life. It was not going to stop you. The energy you mustered up to put your ailing body at places your spirit wanted to be amazed us. We won't forget the day you shocked us at buddy's memorial march. We were not expecting you for you were so sick and flat on your back the night before letting us know your regrets you could not make it. When you wheeled into the park in your chair, covered with a blanket, with face pail and thin, your presence was a healing soothing salve which moved us deeply. I remember the night just after Easter in '93 we carried you up the dark staircase, to keep watch through the chilly night, getting a few winks of sleep, to be awaken by the sound of the bulldozer, already spraying forceful water hoses up to the second floor where we were holding out to make our last attempt to save the housing owned by Phillipus Church from being turned into a parking lot. Mac, you so much understood our fight to save low Income housing. You believed what happened In Over-the-Rhine was a thermometer of what could happen in other low income communities. You held up our effort as a lightening rod, wanting it to spark the hearts and minds of citywide people, preservationists and politlclans to do the just .a nd right thing for the poor and oppressed. In the midst of sound principled actions we would risk together, there were always those moments of sweet support. On that day when we were carried off to jail. The sexes were held In separate holding cells. Four men and one woman. I won't forget how I called out to you, buddy, Wilbur Page 3: Page 4: Page 5: Page 12: Page 13: Page 14: News: City of Miami Settles Homeless Dumping Case Whal Is Your New Year's Resolution Santa Lands at Local Family Shelters Freedom loses Its Meaning tor Cleveland Homeless Working Poor Trapped in Homelessness Announcements and Classified Ads Rev. Maurice McCracken attended the Homeless Memorial Day Vigil on December 21, 1997. He passed away on December 30th. Photo by James Heath and Berta. and you responded in kind with singing voices. That sweet support lifted me. Mac, you gave our effort such consistent support over the years. Your friendship felt very special. We knew you held us In a speclaJ place In your heart. You were with us at City Hall time and time again. Your voice for the homeless and 111­ housed was relendess. You fasted so that we might win negotiations with the City in regards to replace- See "McCracken" Continued on page 2 Memorial Service for Rev. Maurice McCracken Saturday, January 17, 1998, 2 PM, Mount Aubum Presbyterian Church. On Sunday, December 21st, advocates for the homeless, shelter providers and neighborhood activists gathered in Over-the-Rhine's Washington Park to commemorate homeless and formerly homeless men and women who died on the streets of Cincinnati in 1997. Mourners gathered around a barrel fire as the names of the people who died were read. Everyone who knew an individual who died was provided with the opportunity to relate a personal story or anecdote. The symbolic and somber nature of this gathering was also on the minds of the participants: How can human beings die on the streets poor and homeless, in this, the world's richest nationl It Is dearly a quesdon of misplaced morality. As this country experiences an economic gold rush, poor folk freeze in alleys, die because of the lack of proper health care or even destroy themselves out of desperation. As each year passes, and the list of names read at this memorial grows longer, we must begin to look in our hearts for solutions to these problems. The solution does not come from money or government but from humans taking care of, and really ca.ring for, each other. These are the names of the persons who died homeless or were formerly homeless: Willie Hudson, William Waddell, Vernon "Chico" Stanford, Henri Robinson, Ronnie Smith, Eddie Edwards, "Lee Ann", Alan "Chief' Lynch, Ray Worst, Dale Lyons, Vanessa Fisher, Jackie Bamer, Antoinette Slaughter, John Quinn, Beth Ann Hill, Tony Shaw, Eric Gagnon, Rob West. and Sandra Lewis. Will Cincinnati Nuke Its Children? by Tom Mulroy In its off-handed, nonchalant way the City of Cincinnati has allowed yet another atrocity to be committed against its poorer dtizens..'.in this case the 500 over-the Rhine and Mount Aubum children attending classes at the Rothenburg elementary school. Recently the city issued a permit for the construction of a microwave relay tower about fifty feet from the comer of the Rothenburg school. My first thought was that the people trying to. run the city would have to have been living in a vacuum to be unaware of the intense ongoing debate in the scientific community about the health effects linked to microwave exposure. Lawsuits are pending filed by cell phone users who have come down with brain tumors. Some years ago the Soviets were able to sicken much of the staff of the U.S. embassy in Moscow by beaming microwaves through the building. All evidence suggests that children are the most susceptible to the harmful effects of microwave exposure. Surprisingly the fault is not entirely with the city. Councilman Todd Portune's office was quite helpful on the subject. The major culprit in this case is the Federal T elecommunicatlons act of 1996. Prior to the federal law City Council had voted a moratorium on new microwave towers. The federal law however specified that local govemments could not take health considerations into account when deciding on the placement of microwave towers. This seems like the functional equivalent of the tobacco industry pushing through legislation preventing local governments from taking health into consideration in deciding whether to make schools non-smoking areas. There are notification requirements for the zoning variance required by microwave towers. One requirement is that adjoining landowners be notified. The adjoining landowners are primarily absentee owners and didn't complain. Since Rothenburg Elementary is across the street the school was not notified. The appropriate Community Council was also required to be notified. There is, however, some question about the border of the Over-the-Rhine border. I have seen maps issued by the planning commission that show the site well within the OTR area. All the OTR Community Council members I have spoken to believe the site to be within the OTR area. The Zoning Commission however states that the area in question is in the Mount Auburn area and so the Mount Auburn Community Council rather than the far more activist OTR Community See "Will Cincinnati Nuke Children" Continued on page 2 �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 2 STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for and about the homeless. It is compiled by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Home­ less. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and then sell it for a dollar donation to get back on their feet. All vendors sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending home­ lessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. The Streetvibes Committee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a comment. please call 421-7803. Staff Donald Whitehead, Coordinator Frank Corrino, Vendor Support Ron Carter, Vendor Support Carolyn Meszaros, Vendor Support Photographers James Heath Writers Ron Carter Pat Clifford Denise Crew Brian Davis Ron English Alex Grabtree Tom Hayes James Heath Richard Kiefer Aaron Lawrence Carolyn Meszaros Tom Mulroy Bonnie Neumeier Gregory Payton Sue Watlov Phillips Shelley Rothenbusch Mark Salter Elizabeth Shockley Don Stark, Sr. Streetvibes Inquirer Two Bit Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Volunteer Editors Pat Clifford James Heath Bonnie Neumeier Editorial Policy: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, com­ me nts or editorials. We will print every­ thing we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send all material to the following address: Streetvibes do Greater Cincinnati Coalition for thP. Homeless I 506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 (513) 421 -7803 fax (513) '421-7813 e-mail: homecoal@primax.net http://cinci.com/gcch Quote of the Month "Be Kind" Microwave Tower Located Right Next to Rothenburg School in Over-the-Rhine. Photo by James Heath. Will Cincinnati Nuke Children C·ontinued Continued from page I Council was notified. Mount Auburn had no objection to the tower. The debate over the harmful effects of micro­ waves resembles in many ways the debate over the . harmful effects of tobacco. Microwave exposure is defended by scientists in the pay of a multi-billion dollar Industry. Industry sponsored studies are insidiously skewed to defend the industry that subsidizes the studies. Those underfunded critics of microwave exposure who are not stifled by the industry still present convincing statistical evidence. Why then would the city allow the building of a microwave tower so close to an elementary school without protesting loudly or better yet challenging the constitutionality of the telecommunications act's ban on discussion of health questions? The con­ spiracy minded among us would like to blame the City Council for having a genocidal attitude toward the poor. Possibly the same office in the defence department that sponsored the Infamous U.C. Hospital whole-body radiation tests in the I950's is paying off the city for the right to study the effects of harmful radiation on small children. Unfortunately the answer is much simpler...apathy. Except for vigorous protests against microwave towers in the Columbia-Tusculum area there seems to be very litde awareness of or interest in the issue. There is no requirement that the city council or the school be Informed of the erection of a tower near a school. Councilman Portune's office only knew about the tower because some concerned parents called his office when they saw the tower going up. I haven't seen any mention of the Rothenburg elementary school microwave tower in any other publications. Greed is another Important element in the equation. The towers can only be situated on commercial or church property. The typical lease pays between one and five thousand dollars a month and runs for fifty years. So lucrative are the leases that some churches are said to have allowed the building of microwave towers disguised as bell towers. McCracken: From Page One ment housing when we lost the Milner. You helped us evict the Governor's furniture from his office in Columbus so that we might make a point about the mean spirited cut off of General Assistance. You always stood with us when Drop Inn Center and ReSTOC were under political attacks. The list is long. You were always there for us. Your presence was powerful. You possessed a gende strength. We listened to your stories and learned from your long life. We marvelled at your memory and how you could pull up so many quotable quotes. Your mind so sharp, taking every opportunity In circles you encountered to put the challenge out there that we need to work for a kinder, gender nation where all people could live free and with dignity. You humbly ... -:cepted the St. Francis Xavier medal on December 7th at Xavier University and spoke so eloquendy and challengingly on so many of the issues that were dear to your heart and life. We from Over-the­ Rhine were so happy to celebrate with you that day. We felt proud of you, but somehow you made us feel proud of ourselves, too. For when you speak you call up the long history of struggle and freedom which connects us to a spiritual source that deepens our conviction that someday justice will roll down like the rivers. When many of us last saw you, on December 21st in Washington Park for the annual remembering of those persons dying homeless on the street, we were not thinking that you, MAC, so soon would be joining your sisters and brothers whose names we called out that day. Thank you for being with us around the fire barrel . I shall not forget that hug. And I know that when you went from this world to the spirit world on December 30th, our Over-the-Rhine effort e mbraced you with welcoming arms with a hug from buddy. We trust you are resting in peace but be assured your spirit is in our hearts. And we know our lives and our neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine benefitted a hundredfold from having you sojourn with us. We shall not forget you. Many of us are graced with poems that you wrote on occasions of our birthdays or special anniversaries. We enjoyed singing and partying with you. And thanks too for all the phone calls and visits you made to check in about our health or our families lives. Most of all, Mac, thanks for your years of friendship, personally and commu­ nally. You were always there for us. with love, Bonnie Neumeier For the Over-the-Rhhe Peoples Movement �. STREETVIBES 1 The Tri State s Homeless Grapevine Ohio ·Empowerment Coalition Resists Food Stamp Cuts by Lynn Williams Cincinnati members of the Ohio Empower­ \ ment Coalition left early in the morning of December 16th, in a last effort to stop the JCARR Uoint Committee on Agency Rule Review) from voting through acceptance of an Ohio Department Of Human Services policy to cut off the adult portion of food stamps when sanctioned. We went knowing that the JCARR was heavily in favor of this sanction. H.B 408, Ohio welfare policy for families that was signed into Law in July, made no mention of cutting off food stamps to children or adults if under sanction, only that food stamps would not increase. We already had a partial victory. JCARR had voted to not cut food stamps for an assistance group under sanction. Arnold Tompkins, Director of the Ohio Department Human Services (OOHS), un­ happy about the JCARR members not supporting him in cutting off food stamps for children designed a compromise. Even though we lost this issue, it was very close. The final vote was a tie: 4-4. It required another vote to overturn the OOHS policy of sanctioning adults with the loss of food stamps. What was very encouraging for us was the fact that the legislators who sided with us stated they did so after hearing testimony from our side. Senator Greg DiDonato made the motion to overturn the OOHS policy, saying he has changed his mind after listening to our testimony! We had enough influence to sway four legislators to vote against the OOHS policy!! The vote was 4-2 with 4 for us when the JCARR hearing en~d at 12:30. The four legislators who voted for us were Senator Greg DiDinato, Represen­ tative J. Donald Mottley, Senator Leigh Herington, and representative Michael Verich. When a reporter questioned Rep. Joan Lawrence about how the last two committee members would vote, she retorted, "They aren't here , but I know they will vote on my side." (That is, with OOHS policy). The final two deciding votes were from non-present legislators who had until 5:00 PM to vote. Cassandra Barham a WRC member later commented, " It was like (Cincinnati) City Council, with legislators walking out on us while we were testifying!" Right before the vote, the J~RR chair asked the representative of OOHS if she had any final comments on our testimony. She had the final say and refuted nearly all the truths we had spoken out about. Even though 374 assistance cases of single­ parent households and 14 2-parent households HUD Starts a National Homeless Hotline by the Slreetvibes Inquirer You've read or heard of the new national "homeless hotline," 1-800-HUD- I0 IO? Forget it. According to the information we were able to obtain (some may or may not still arrive in the mail), the number is to be used primarily for volunteers calling in and donations, although it can possibly be used as an emergency number for services by a homeless individual at a loss somewhere in the United States. The number is for the Homeless Outreach Information Center in Maryland (suburban Washing­ ton). Reportedly, there is someone on duty to answer the telephone after 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (which, of course, is much earlier in the day according to Pacific Coast Time). According to the information given, if a homeless person calls the number, the individual answering the telephone will connect that person to an organization that will help the homeless person find an organization close to the area the person is in. If anyone wishes to write to this gro~p. the address is as follows: Homeless Outreach lr1forma­ tion Center, Post Office Box 7189, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20898-7189. (after a massive termination's oftwo-parent families) occurred in Hamilton County in October alone of this year, she testified that no loss of food stamps had occurred in Ohio during October or November due to sanctions. She also refuted our testimony that many recipients do not know they can win a hearing if they appealed. She did not understand our testi­ mony. We had stated that many times recipients do knot know when caseworkers make mistakes on policy rules. Cassandra Barham had testified, "People are coming to us who have been sanctioned by mistake, but how many people are out there who don't know their caseworker made a mistake? They don't think they could win an appeal against the authorities. So they don't bother to try." One of the legislators questioned the OOHS Legal Advisor who testified. Why, If OOHS knew the federal government did not require children to lose their food stamps under a sanction, did OOHS adopt such a harsh policy? If the Feds did not require it, did OOHS initially wa.nt to cut off children from food stamps? The OOHS official was at a loss for words. Welfare ·Rights Coa.lition members believe OOHS officials knew full well what the government require­ ments were, but OOHS wanted to use as large a stick as possible to punish recipients into compliance (or submission). Other members of our statewide welfare rights coalition, the Ohio Empowerment Coalition, testified at this hearing, Including Logan Martinez of the Miami Full Employment Council (Dayton) and Mark Stansberry of Columbus. They spoke out on the effects that food stamp cuts (and all the sanctions) would have on Ohio's poorest citizens. Gregory Page J STREETVIBES News Payton of the Ohio Empowerment Coalition and staff at Cincinnati's largest shelter, spoke fervently against the cutting of food stamps and the other sanctions, as well. "At the Drop Inn Center, I see mothers and children coming in who are on the streets with no place to go. What do we do about them? The family shelters are·full and have waiting lists." The Drop. Inn Center is a shelter for single men and women without children. Margaret Hulbert of United Way and Lisa Hamler-Podoloski of the Ohio Food Policy & Anti-Poverty Action Group testified strongly against the food stamp cuts. The Ohio Empowerment Coalition held a successful Press Conference before the Hearing in the Statehouse Atrium. At least three TV stations, the Associated Press, and two major newspapers did interviews with members of OEC. The TV stations filmed our skit, "The Christmas Carol" with Cassandra Barham starring as Scrooge (Mr. Tompkins). "The Columbus Dispatch" reported on our play depicting Arnold Tomkins as Scrooge. Even though we didn't "win" a complete victory on the food stamp sanctions, the Welfare Rights Coalition and Ohio Empowerment Coalition made a powerful impact. Recipient voices were heard, and swayed the vote to a tie. Because of our united testimony on this issue, and the many calls and letters from our supporters to JCARR, sanctions have been softened. Families will not lose all of their food stamps. We will continue to monitOr these sanctions and work for policy changes that are a hand up, not a big stick to beat down. City of Miami Settles in Homeless Dumping Case from the Homeless Grapevine On December 18 Mayor Xavier Suarez signed a resolution approving a settlement with the Ameri­ can Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) ending a nine-year lawsuit filed on behalf of a class of 5,000 homeless persons who sued the city of Miami In 1988 for violations of their civil based on their homeless status. The Settlement Agreement is the result ofthe collective efforts of ACLU Attorneys on behalf of the homeless plaintiffs, the City Attoneys' office, and numerous other community leaders, homeless activists, and homeless persons over the last two years. The Agreement provides for: (I) police training regarding the circumstances a.nd rights of homeless people; (2) a protocol for law enforcement contracts with homeless be arrested for merely living in public; (3) the creation and maintenance of records regard­ ing police contracts with homeless persons that ensures that people without shelter cannot be arrested for merely living in public; (4) an advisory committee to monitor compliance with the Agree­ ment; (5) a $600,000 compensation for homeless persons who were injured by the unconstitutional conduct that was condemned by the federa.I courts; (6) attorney fees for the plaintiffs' lawyers. The Agreement must still be approved by U.S. District Court Judge C. Clyde Atkins after all affected plaintiffs have an opportunity to be heard. "This is a landmark settlement recognizing that homeless persons cannot be denied fundamental constitutional rights simply because they are homeless," said cooperation ACLU attorney Ben­ jamin S. Waxman, who has worked on the case for the past nine years. The settlement reached showed the best of what can be accomplished when two sides of a dispute work together to find common ground to accomplish a mutual goal and may serve as a model for how other cities treat the homeless. The lawsuit Pottinger v City of Miami Charged that the city's policy was to arrest and harass involuntarily homeless residents of Miami based on little more than their public presence, for the purpose of driving them out of the city or otherwise rendering them invisible. The case was tried in 1992 before the honorable Federal District Judge C. Clyde Atkins who found that the city of Miami's mistreat­ ment of homeless persons violated various provisions of the bill of rights and ordered that the city estab­ lish two safe zones·· (sleeping. sitting. standing. eating. etc.) without fear of arrest or police harassment. The city appealed the ruling to the eleventh circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Adanta which sent the case back to Judge Atkins for a determination whether, based on projects undertaken by the newly formed Dade county community homeless trust to assist homeless persons circumstances had changed to render the court's injunction unnecessary. Following another extensive hearing In 1994, Judge Atkins concluded that while the homeless trust's programs had certainly improved conditions for homele.ss persons in Dade County, there were still involuntarily homeless persons living on the streets who were being arrested based on nothing more than their homeless status. The city appealed this rl!ling. This time the court referred the case to the eleventh circuit Mediator and directed the parties attempt to negotiate a settlement. This is similar to a City of Cleveland policy that was challenged in 1993. The three homeless people settled this lawsuit in I997 with the named plaintiffs each receiving $3 ,000 from the City. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 4 Streelvibes Asks: What Is Your New Year•s Resolution? STREETVIBES Services Interviews by Mark Saller Photos by James Heath This month, Streetvibes writer Mark Salter interviewed three homeless or formerly homeless people and asked them what their plans were for 1998. Don Sawyer Program Coordinator for the Live-In Drug Treatment Program atthe Drop Inn Center Q. How are you today, Don? A Tired. Q. Where are you from? A I was born in Cincinnati. Q. Tell us a little about yourself. A. I used to work at the Milner Hotel. When they tore it down, they tore down my job and home. I am an alcoholic. I came to the Drop Inn Center and went through the program (live-in alcohol and drug rehabilitation program). I had been drinking for 40 years; I thought it was about time I quit. I made it through in seven months, graduated, then started working here. I worked as a floor worker, then cook, and now program coordinator. Going on four years, clean and sober; it works if you want it to work. Q. What would you like for people to know about you? A That I'm a good guy and I try to help others if I can. Q . Name one thing you do for yourself. Tony Smith (Mark's note: This interview was done the day after his 45th birthday.) Q . How do you feel, Tony? A. I feel alright now that I have a purpose; that is, to save money. I came here (to the Drop Inn Center) by myself, a choice I made to get my life in perspective. I consider this a safe haven. My fiance uses crack. I chose not to, so I left home. Q . How do you feel about yourself? A. I have mixed feelings about myself; also, I have things I know I need to do, but never seem to have enough time to do it, like see my kids. Q . Where are you from? A. Originally from Newark, New Jersey (East Orange). I visit there once a year; but, I prefer Cincinnati because it's laid back, a slower pace; and, not to mention, I need to stay away from old people, places, and things, bein' that I used heroin; I don't use any more. Q. What would you like for people to know about you? A Basically, I'm a good guy and a hard worker, and that I would do anything for anybody within reason. I had a good marriage and came from a good family; my wife is my best friend. Q. Name one thing you are doing for yourself and others. A Staying clean and working as much as 70 hours a week. For others? I help them get jobs. Q. What are your dreams? A I have dreams of remarrying a woman who's not In active addiction or simply does not indulge. Also, one who wants something more and someone good out of life. Q. What is your New Year's Resolution? A. My New Year 's Resolution is to move into my own apartment and keep working with the blessing of God. M. S. Thanks, Tony. Don Sawyer, Coordinator for the Live-In Drug Treatment Program at the Drop Inn Center. for all. A Help others help me. Q . And, finally, what is your New Year's Q . Name one thing you are doing for others. Resolution? A.. Working at the Drop Inn.Center Live-In A. Stay clean one day at a time and have all Program. my guys graduate. Q . Do you have a dream? Thanks, Don. A. No more hunger or homelessness, and jobs Faye Palmer (Mark's note: Faye is a Drop Inn Center resident who smiles and says "Hello" to everyone). Q . How are you today, Faye? A Fine. - Q . Where are you from, Faye? A. I'm from Nancy, Kentucky. (A small town Faye Palmer some distance away.) Q. Will you tell us a little about yourself? A. I am 61 years old, divorced; I have one son and six grandkids. I had a 4-way bypass in July of this year. I like playing pool, watching TV, and I like to walk. I work at Frisch's, and I love it. I've been there off and on for four years. I love helping other people. It makes me feel nice. I used to be [in nursing] and am certified as a nurse's aide. I am waiting for my health to get better so I can continue in my field. Since my surgery, I can't lift anything heavy, and sometimes a nurse's aide is required to lift heavy things. I like the Drop Inn Center because it gives me a chance· to see how people live(d), when I never knew or experienced homelessness until now. Living here teaches me to not take life for granted. I came here because of a disagreement with my roommate, then the surgery, and ended up here. Q. Name one thing you are doing for yourself. A Working. Q. Name one thing you are doing' for others. A Being a friend and trying to be a friend to all the girls here. Q. Do you have a dream? A My dream is to be as healthy as I can be and as happy as I can and hopefully to get myself a nice used mobile home. Q. What is your New Year's 1 Resolution? A. Be the best I can be at whatever I do whether I'm a waitress, cook, or nurse's aide. Just be the best. Thank you, Faye. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 5 Santa Lands at Local Family Shelters by Shelley Rolhenbusch As you reflect on the past year; what are the memories that you most cherish? This year I have memories which will last a life dme. Just before Christmas, with bells in hand and Santa at my side I went with the Project Connect T earn and U. C. volunteers to deliver gifts to twelve shelters for the homeless. Pencil boxes filled with school supplies, food coupons and books; Then wrapped with care and lovingly held by a big fuzzy bear. The children giggled as Santa pulled up; His big red truck was spattered with Cincin­ nati muck. That didn't discourage the children a bit; As they run to his side waiting to sit. "Oh, Santa," they cried, "We're so glad that you're here. We've been good little children all through the year." The children waited patiently all in a row; As parents stood by absorbing their glow. As Santa said good-bye we saw a tear in his eye. The children were homeless yet they still believed; This the reason Santa and his helpers strive to succeed. I am lucky. Helping homeless children in need is part of my job. I work for Project Connect which provides educa­ tional services for homeless children and youth. With the help of many communit)' volunteers and donated Items, we were able to provide presents for almost two hundred children living in shelters for the holiday. The project Connect Team was also able to enjoy a.Christmas dinner with children at Over-The­ Rhine Community Center. Children were dressed in their best and were dazzled by the magician who provided entertainment before the dinner. Protests Launched· Regarding Public Assistance by Carolyn Meszaros Protests and rallies objecting to the curtailment of public assistance continue both locally in Cincinnati and In the Ohio capital city, Columbus. Verification of client compliance with new proposals, among other things, has renewed public actions by both individuals and organiza· tions who frequently defend public assistance recipients. Only a percentage of homeless individuals and low income individuals are affected. Social and economic fluctuations make It impossible to determine what, if any, repercussions might be. But, with enough reductions in cash In hand among affected public assistance recipients, It is assumed that there will soon be an Increase in the numbers of homeless people and others needing help from non-public sources. Among the key issues is the "verifying" aspect of the matter. Protesters believe there is sufficient poor casework - lost papers, Inaccessible personne~ etc. ­ to warrant public action, there being enough govemmen· tal mismanagement to cause unnecessary hardship In many cases. On the other hand, some caseworkers and social service organizations have long held the idea that the original grants themselves are insufficient to meet essential needs (proof being in band-aJd welfare pro­ grams). As a result of this most recent action, welfare rights officials have been told by at least two of the legislators, including the committee chairman, that they have changed their positions from the more hardline approach toward the clients (public assistance recipients). Although the Ohio Legislators were not scheduled to be In session until January 6, 1998, committee meetings were still being held in December of 1997, notably in this regard the Joint Committee on Agency Rules and Regulations OCARR), with a meeting scheduled for December 16. (One of the committee members is from the Greater Cincinnati area; see below.) In anticipation of the hearing/meeting. the Welfare Rights Coalition and friends planned a "Street Action" in Cincinnati for December· 12 and a group trip to Columbus for the 16th. The Ohio Empowerment Coalition, Ohio's statewide welfare rights organization, scheduled a press conference at the statehouse for December 16. The scheduled public activitie.s also included street theater and carols. In general, the essence of the matter involves several points, Including some new procedures in the human services department, a thing called sanctions a~d food stamps, as well as verifications and compliance. Reportedly, policy has been in effect since December I. Reportedly, it is statewide administrative policy, in which case information should be readily available in human services departments in all 88 counties as well as district human services offices In both "communications" offices and in the information offices of at least the appropriate elected officials. A check with the Hamilton County Human Services Department as well as the state district office (on 8th Street) and the governor's constituency services office on December 16 (the day of the scheduled welfare rights activities in Columbus) found no information readily available on a simple Inquiry about an explanation regarding the "sanctions." A call to a number given for a legislative member of the committee netted a message recorder. The available Information on the committee lists five state· representatives and five state senators from various parts of the state, Including both northeastern and southwest.em areas. The person listed nearest to · Oncinnati geographically Is Rep. George Terwilleger (722­ 33+4, a local call from Cincinnati). The committee chairman is listed as Rep. Donald Mottely of West Carrollton (Dayton), and the nearen state senator is listed as Sen. Merle Grace Kearns of Springfield. Current lists distributed are not necessarily up to date as state legislature Information personnel have a replacement name for one of the senators, who reportedly resigned December 6. The other committee members are listed as Gary Suhadolnlk, Larry Mumper, Greg DIDonato, Leigh Herington, Joan Lawrence, Dan Brady and Michael Verich. All state government individuals can be reached with local telephone calls by calling state Information. In Cincinnati, state information is 852-3 I 00 (in the telephone book at the beginning of the State of Ohio listings). Support Your Local Vendor Tell A Friend About Streetvibes Children thrilled with Santa at Tom Geiger Guest House. One of twelve stops at shelters made by Project Connect, Cincinnati Public Schools Program for· the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. After dinner Santa took the time to hand out presents to all the children and wish everyone a Merry Christmas. As you begin the year remember to take time and reflect on the memories you are creating for yourself and those around you. American Dream Eludes Homeless Woman in Ohio by Richard Kieler Mindy Menton is trying to survive a divorce. When she developed psychological problems • her husband asked for a divorce. Since she was in treatment, he told her to trust him and he handled everything legally. She lost her home and her money In the divorce proceedings. She has been homeless for six months now because she followed her former husband when he moved north from Forida with their children. Menton is 37 years old , 5'7 tall and has blond hair and blue eyes. She likes children. She used to own and operate a successful day care center down in Florida called "Mindy's Munchklns." Because of her psychological problems she Is no longer able to run a day care business. She had the American Dream. Her husband worked in sales for General Motors. She was a suburban wife and mother and she was a self-employed business woman. Her worst nightmare has come true. She lives life in hell. But things don't always necessarily get better. She remarried recendy. Menton thought she was moving to greener pastures. Her new husband woke up one day and decided to rob a bank. Now he is in jail. Menton said , "This is a riches to rags story. This a woman who should be being paid $1 ,000 dollars a month in alimony wandering around sleeping in front of churches." "My husband wanted the woman in the long evening gown with the long glass of champagne on his arm at the business functions. He didn't want to have to be visiting the mental hospital and he used it (my psychological problems) to his advantage." �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 6 WORD ON THE Heaven's Grocery Store STREET Arts and Poetry Life's Meaning Cleo's Dream by Denise Crew One day while I lay praying The Lord did speak to me A message filled with so much love It brought instant peace to me I was walking down life's highway a long time ago. ~ne day I saw a sign that read, " Heaven's Grocery Store." As I got a little closer, the door came open wide, and when I came to myself, I was standing inside. I saw a host of angels: they were standing everywhere. One handed me a basket and said, "My child, shop with care." Everything a Christian needed was in that grocery store, and all you couldn't carry, you could come back the next day for more. by Ron Carter Listening & learning Engaging in positive thinking Finding the way to succeed Enjoying what you have accomplished Winter Winds by Denise Crew The winter is my foe yet you embrace it as a friend; you've come to me for reasons I don't understand. Should I stop, or accept this as wonderful? What is the attraction Or is it infatuation? Do you intentionally enter my secret spaces opening doors of forbidden places to bring about the pounding of a resounding echol I know all too well Winter is my foe further isolating me from me but most of all putting distance between me and you. Hey, Mom and Dad, Look--No Life!! (The tide of. this a rticle is to be sarcastic.) . To be nice is to be stupid because o bviously being nice ls not working. This story is about drugs: not just o ne drug. but all drugs. In a survey that was taken the later part of the year 1997. It's a fact, seniors in High School, high schoo l. I re peated High School thre e times to get your attentio n. Your future is testing drugs. All drugs: Alcohol, Mar ijuana, Stimulants, Cocaine, and Herion. Oh, and it's O K to start with cigarettes, because their use is increasing too. Hey Mom and Dad, we use to ask, do you know where your children-are? Now we w ill ask, do you know what your children are doing? O K, guess what? They are not doing drugs in classrooms. So let's ask: where are they do ing it? I can see it now - a future president saying he lit his crack pipe , but he didn't inhale. He put LSD in his mouth, but he didn't swallow it, or a judge who o nly had one double before he heard a murder trial. I think you understand, so I won't keep going. In your busy schedule, can you make time to go see your child in jail? Or maybe a mental institu­ tion? Or even a grave yard? Mom, Dad - Drugs don't just kill the user. It kills us all... Streetvibes Online http: cincy. com/gcch We have just added a searchable interface for our Streetvibes articles. Websurfers can index our stories by date or subject. Volunteers needed for updating stories. I could not see beyond it Even when I looked around So clean, so smooth I walked it without my feet on solid ground For two who love and care for He always found a way To keep a watchful eye oe'r them While I earned my daily pay First I got some patience; love was in the same row. Further down was understanding; you need that everywhere you go. I got a box or two of wisdom, a bag or two of faith. I just couldn't miss the Holy Spirit, for it was all over the place. I stopped to get some strength. and courage to help me run the race. By then my basket was getting full, but I needed some grace. I didn't forget salvation, for salvation that was free, So.... I tried to get enough of that to save both you and me. My life's near complete I am so satisfied He kept a watchful eye oe'r me and placed a good friend by my side She is like no other I've met in my whole life So strong and independent I feel her zest for life I worry and I wonder Yet the truth the blind can see She too is a blessing A gift for only me Then I started up to the counter to pay my grocery bill. for I thought I had everything to do my Master's will. As I went up the aisle, I saw prayer and I just had to put that in. Fo r I knew when I stepped outside, I would run right into sin. Peace and joy were ple ntiful!; they were on the last shelf. So ng and praises were hanging near, so I just helped myself. Then I said to the angel, " No w, how much do I o wel" He just smiled and said, "J ust Take t hem e ve rywhere you go." Again, I smiled and said,"How much do I r eally owel" He smiled asin and said, " My child, Jesus paid your bill a long time ago" STREETVIBES Sweat and T-Shirts! Author Unknown Only $5 lor T's, $10 for Sweats. Subscribe to Streetvibes STREETVIBES if,,· I r1 ',1u :· , Homeless Gt .1pevme Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per year. Please send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed to you each issue. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless--Streetvibes. Ifyou have any questions, call 421-7803. ;_ .. The voice said please be patient For with great power - I am here To smooth out the rough road you walk And clear a path right here .· ....,.... - . . . -:·· 100% While Collon Shirts and long Sleeve Sweat Shirts XL Purple logo T-shirts and Sweat Shirts are available at our office at I506 8m Street. Please stop by .and see u~. . ·t ,, . -· '· ~ �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 1 Union Donate·s a Roof Over Some Heads Story and Photos by James Heath On a recent cold and windy Saturday morning. Butch Stockelman, Business Agent for the Roofers Local #42, along with his crew of roofing appren­ tices, donated materials and time to Install a new roof on a ReSTOC apartment building in Over-The­ Rhine. The Roofers Union conducts an intensive 3 year training program that allows apprentice workers to work full time in the roofing industry during the week. On weekends, these apprentice roofers and Butch and his instructors bring their expertise to a building that serves as an opportunity for "real world" training. Also, this is a way to give some­ thing to a community in need. Thanks to Butch Stockelman and his crew, the benefits of this project extend to both the Roofers Union #42 and ReSTOC: apprentice roofers gain experience and training and ReSTOC receives a badly needed new roof free of change for a low­ Income apartment building. The crew of three instructors and six appren­ tice roofers completed the project at 1424 Republic Street in OTR in one day, installing a new roof that will last for up to 20 years. Roofer Butch Stockelman helps lead a crew to roof 1424 Republic Street In Over­ the-Rhine. Photo by James Heath. The Henchman by Johannes Van Din/er A Short Story from Spare Change: New England's Journal of the Streets-Of and For the People . (Editor's Note: This Is the second work of fiction we have published by Van Dinter. He is currendy residing at the 17 Court Street Shelter and writes from the heart about what it is like to be without a home.) It was a perfect weekend for late August in the Northeast. A cloudless sky, bright sun and tempera­ tures in the upper seventies. In Boston, throngs of people were filling up the Common. They knew that the summer was nearly gone and the cool and windy fall days would seen be here. The schools would soon be open, a nd life would become more serious. So on this weekend all they wanted was to enjoy their free days outdoors. The last tourists of the season were also in the park, patiently walking in large groups, following their guides, the Park Rangers, who (boringly) were explaining the history of the Common, the statues and surrounding buildings. Most of these tourists however didn't seem to be much Interested in lectures, rather they seemed to want to explore the Commons on their own. The majority put their focus on several old Vietnamese women, who were poking into garbage cans with short tree branches, trying to find empty bottles and cans between the debris. When found, they put their prey into large garbage bags slung over their tiny shoulders. When one of these bags was filled to capacity, they deposited that bag Into a shopping cart to be transported to a nearby supermarket and cashed Into nickels. These old women were not the only persons searching through the garbage cans. Many times per day an array of characters from the silent and somber homeless to the mentally disabled went through them. The Commons has hundred of different sized benches, which on this weekend were occupied to capacity by thousands of people from different backgrounds. There was an exception to this; however, several benches were occupied only by a single person, mosdy the homeless, simply because ~one of the general public wanted to be seen sitting next to a person who was poorfy dressed, mentally disabled or simply depressed. In other words, not looking or acdng like the main stream of the population. Somewhat strange in a so-called equal and classless society, with exception for the different economical classes. Money after all rules our society. More or less like a religion and success in life is all that it's about today. The people, most of whom were simple minded, were partly brainwashed by the old American saying. "You see wh!lt you get and you get what you seen." The media in this country for instance, rarely mentions the so-called lost classes. The near invisible people, the outcasts of society as they seemed to be looked at by them. Only a handful of stories are emerging now and then. Mainly for humanitarian reasons. The fail ure of success and total poverty, seem to be major sins. No one ever speaks about these classes and when they do it usually isn't done in a friendly or brotherly way­ Even for those who have been in the main stream of society and who are now bankrupt or impoverished by bad luck, divorce, drugs or alcoholic addictions. They are not able to climb back up the economical ladder out from the hole in which they had fallen Into. One of these, a man In his early fifties was sitting by himself on a bench he had occupied every day since the beginning of the summer. He had chosen this particular bench because no trees were near-by and so he did not have to worry about the flocks of birds and treir droppings. Pigeons he disliked the most. In his mind they were the lowest IQ'd birds in the Common. Once he fed them bread and the sparrows would be between them and every time the sparrows would be able to get the pieces .first, fly off with the pieces, only to return In second to grab more from the pigeons who were sdll looking around trying to find the pieces he had thrown at them. He also liked his bench, because from Its position he faced the sound of the bells from the State Street Church. however, he was a bitterly depressed man, not just because he was in this awful situation, but also because he had started to hate society in general. He had observed the crowds everyday and the more he watched them, the more they seemed to look like herds of animals in his eyes. They totally ignored him, he felt as if he was nonexistent. Yes he was homeless, now but was sdll better dressed, better educated, and had lived a more exciting life than most of the general population had. He was mad at the crowds because they were so dumb he thought, to fall prey to all the slick tricksters taking advantage of chem. There were dozens of gypsy women from Eastern Europe making bundles of money, by approaching couples handling the male flowers, then when that person thanked her, asking for a two dollar contribution to help American Indian children. In order not to embarrass his date, the majority of males gave or handed out money to the gypsies. When they took breaks they talked in their foreign tongue, laughing and counting the money they had made every few minutes while smoking at the same time. It sure was a gold mine for them, he thought. He was also annoyed at the perfume sellers with their bottles of fake perfumes and colognes ripping the public off at an amazing speed, and because everyday there were other sellers, they would approach him several times a day. You also Please See "The Benchman" Continued on page 14 Please Support Our Advertisers Jimmy Heath Photography Cincinnati • (513)564-9856 E-Mail. jimmy_heath@iuno.com Friends and Neighbors ot Over-the-Rhine An Organization Seeking Justiae for People in Cincinnati's Most Endangered Community �STREETVIBE.S . ' . The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Finding Myself a New Life And How To Live Again by Elizabeth Shockley You couldn't have told me five years ago that I would have ended up at the door of the Drop Inn Center for any help. Not me. You see, I was out partying with some so­ called dear friends. However, when the money, the alcohol, and the drugs were gone, they had no use for Liz, so they put me in the street in the middle of the night. I a complete mess. I was only going to stay overnight at the shelter; it was around the Christmas holidays in 1995. And, you know - I ended up staying for five to six months. Buddy (Gray), Gail (Holley), and Kathy (Nolan, more recently working at a shelter in Kentucky) talked to me as if they had known me all my life, and I give a lot of gratitude to them for helping me find myself and getting in touch with my Higher Power and AA anti NA programs once again. After staying for almost six months, I worked and went to AA and NA meeting$; and I saved my money through the 50-50 plan at the Drop Inn Center while I was staying there. I was able to accept responsibilities and get on with my life. I got an apartment through ReSTOC, a low-income housing corporation connected with the Drop Inn Center (which helps with the homeless.) You see, I was not only homeless, per se, but also "lost." So, I want to thank my so-called friends for that night and for my new life - for throwimg me out in the middle of the night. There is more in me to be forgiven than in any of you. I think I must be rather like the woman who loved much because she was forgiven much. And, as my grandma always says, "God loves you and so do I." I'm going on two years of recovery today, "one day at a time." And, by the grace of God, I truly want to thank God, whom I choose as my Higher Power, the Drop Inn Center: ReStoc, AA a.nd NA, and the prayers and love from my mother and grandmother for my new life today. Happy New Year. Thank you. Trying to be Domestic! In the Midst Of Confusion I Am My Brother•s Keeper was by Aaron Lawrence I was twenty-five years old. Having been on my job for only six months, I was promoted to head of the Maintenance Department. They gave me a gas card and put me in charge of a crew of six, with access to two company trucks and unlimited time. I could get a truck and come and go as I pleased. That made the job very easy. During this time with the company I got a few small contract jobs. I met a young lady who had three kids, a girl and two boys. Our relationship was great even though the kids weren't mine. She worked a part time job when she wanted to. As time went on, she moved in with me; the kids would come and stay on the weekend. We started doing more and more family-oriented things, meeting more ofeach other's families, becoming a bigger family. I never knew why we could only have the kids on the weekend. We moved one more time and the kids came home. She would go off and stay for one or two days at a time. This became very disruptive and confusing. In the midSt of ;di of this, I met a couple more people in her family, and one of them was famous and prestigious. During these meetings, there were disruptions and confusion. Duffie bags with something in them were being moved in and out of the house. Nice sums of money were changing hands. She won custody of the kids, and we moved one more time. I spent many a night sleeping and waking up to :>. peculiar smell in a smoke filled room, not knowing what "crack" was or what an addict was. Opening up one of the duffle bags, I found out what crack was. Not knowing she was addicted, waking up to see her take a hit would make me fascinated as to what made her so fascinated with it; this would make me take that first hit. That's how I became an addict, with my drug of choice as crack. Over the next few years, often in treatment centers, I found out about AA and NA. I am learning about a program that will help me work to get clean, stay clean, and deal with the disease that allows certain issues in my life to lead me back to this drug. by Ron English To Abraham Swanson and Reverend Davis and to Bibleway Church of God in Christ and to Calvary Methodist. TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: I have had a dream of hope for freedom, ·of love of man rejoicing, of salvation against devil's sin and temptation of not having peace, of trying to find peace and love with Jesus the Almighty Saviour, of people praising their souls so they won't go to damnation, of preacher's respect, for honoring the Almighty Saviour, God, Lord, Kings of kings for all mankind. ....Of gracefully develop respect for leadership, of Adam's sin and the devil's hatred for Eve to bear Adam's child and to live in the garden of Eden. ....To find love and happiness and to build a world of peoples living together worshiping almighty God, Continued on page 9 . Page 8 . Looking to lmpr,ove in 1998 by Gregory Payton I look back at 1997 and tha.nk God because I feel as if I let Him come into my life once again. I knew it was a God, because everybody told me it was one. I went to church and prayed before last year. But, last year I needed Him more than I ever did in my life. I've been struggling all my life; but, I struggled with life itself last year. I had some close calls, and I came through them. I didn't struggle with anything ma~rially. I struggled as I tried to live without dope - physically, mentally, and spiritually. Dope, for me, was some­ thing I needed to alter my mind so that I could face life, as I saw it through my eyes. I also struggled with the dope I could hear; this is something you could only understand if you did the stuff. In 1997 I met people like myself, and I got help from them because they listened to me when I told them about my struggles. Besides the m, I think God was liste ning, too. I learned how to pray because I took the time to do it. However, I must say, it was easy because I prayed for the things I wanted and God gave me the thing I needed. I know you wonder why I use the word "easy." I can only reply that I paid attention, waited, and prayed; and, He sent or put someone or something in my life. All I had to do was seek f:lim and desire Him, and God was there. I never saw God, but God allowed me to see and feel His messages. After this happened, my struggles became mere events or challenges. All I had to do was remember who was with me. After feeling God's presence and seeing His works, I now feel as if I have a whole lot of trust in God. One of the things I learne d in 1997 was that I was not the only one who needed God. There are more people to think about than just me. I learned about an idea called "selflessness." Selfless people have no regard for themselves or their own interests. I le;i.rned that it's okay to think, help with, share in, and care about the needs of other people. Some­ times I just listened, like someone once did for me. On every first day of the year, it's a tradition to look back and remember the past year, while at the same time making a resolution for the new year. My resolution for 1998 is as follows: I want to be a better listener; I want to pray a little more; I want to reach out and help more people. I want to continue to reach my goal and dream: to end homelessness in a drug free city called Cincinnati. I thank God for 1997 and for helping me make it to 1998. Happy New Year. PS: I'd like to lose another thirty pounds, too. Th~ MINlM\1\frt WAGE CookBool< �STREETVIBES The ~ri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 9 Addiction and a My God's Gift: Call to Life An Instinct of by Don Slark, Sr. Faith STRE-ETVIBES , Addiction, to me, is a call to life identical to the experience of being born. At birth, nature in her loving relationship with us answers a whole and decisive "yes" to the invitation of life. In addiction we answer for ourselves. If the answer is no, we continue on the path of the living dead. If we say yes, we recover our lives, the gift of gifts, and we grow. The disease of addiction is not a physical or mental disease. It is much more a spiritual disease ­ a disease of life -with various components attached to it. These components are physical, mental, psychological, social, financial - the list is unending. Nothing is left untouched once this disease establishes itself in the human spirit. It's a discon­ nection from within that with time effects a discon­ nection with everything that the diseased person touches and loves. I said very little throughout of what we now call co-dependents: the family and friends of the addicted person. Yet, these wonderful people are present throughout. Since this is a spiritual disease, the method of transmission is also spiritual. It is transmitted through love. The-spouse, the lover, the child, the parent, the relative, and the friend do not need to have a physical contact with the disease or with the diseased person. To become a co-dependent, all that one needs is to have a loving relationship, a caring relationship, with the addict. In fact, it is my experience that the co­ dependents' pain is greater still than that of the physical alcoholic and drug addict. It is greater · because it is all spiritual and, therefore, deeper. Another significant factor that maximizes the pain is that the co-dependent finds no relief from it. The alcoholic and the drug addict can always get high and, in that fashion , experience temporary respite from the pain. The co-dependents of this addict would have, without a doubt, paid their dues. As a result, they, perhaps more than the addicts themselves, have a right to recovery. Efforts to procure treatment for the families and friends of addicts are being made. We can only hope that opportunities of treatment for them become greater still. If our society is to become more humane and loving, we must find some way to offer treatment In a caring and effective way. One thing is for sure: caring attention to the treatment of this disease will contribute to the preservation of the addict's life. At the same time, it will tum a sometimes sick and tarnished world to health and brilliant gold. Blessed are the addicts.... Brother's Keeper Continued from page 8 praying for the joy that they go to heaven so that they won't go to hell. I am my brother's keeper. ....Of miracles because I believe in them, of their honor and their respect for sister's love and their mother's respect, of understanding what is wrong them 'cause my heart is a pain of wondering ·about them, of my hopes of salvation, freedom of speech one brother to another, of wishing all the happiness for them, in the world peace be with them, let freedom ring, marriage of brothers and sisters of God in Christ Bible, peace be with you, let freedom ring. ....Of temptation overcoming, having peace of job, worhsipping nothing but your love and your loved ones here on earth, so that you may grow stronger, having your eyes on nothing but Jesus Christ for him to come down and take us to heaven away from damnation and not to die. Soul2Soul by Don Slark, Sr. It is a fact as old as life itself that we first become aware of the outside of things before the inside. The baby, once again, is a good example of this phenomenon. As the process of growth take,s place, the baby, little by little, turns inward to contemplate himself. He first discovers his body ­ his outside self. He then connects with his feelings, his imaginings, and his thoughts. Lastly, and only if fortunate enough to reach a desirable maturity, he discovers his soul - the part of him that is spirit. , Again, the disease of addiction is very much a spiritual disease. It's a disease of life. Consequently, its devastation is centrally located in that place where life is found in us. To reverse its direction - that is, to recover - one must replay the experience that takes place from birth on. In the beginning, the process was unconscious. With time, it surfaced into consciousness. In the recovery from addiction, the same process takes place. The instinct of love is an unconscious experi­ ence, not conjured up by the individua.I. It occurs spontaneously, independent of the addict's will and intention. The consciousness awakens, and the It is a truth that penetrates be­ yond anything that the human being could ever know... hopeless addict asks for help. The response, indirect as it sometimes may be, is inevitably loud and clear. It is a promise of help and a guarantee of hope even for him - th~ addict - who considered himself hopeless. With that, we embark on the third stage of recovery. This is where the addicted person is told the truth about himself. For the first time in his life, he is told that he is powerless over alcohol and drugs. In the beginning of the recovery process, the addict establishes first a communication and a connection with God - life inside of himself, for those who don't believe In a God. Second, he connects with the world around him, with life outside of himself, another human being. Now, he is ready to establish a deep spiritual connection with himself. This connection is beyond any other the addict has ever known. It is a knowledge that surpasses all previous knowledge - of his name, his way of being, his taStes, his dislikes, his way of feeling, or his way of thinking. The addict now receives, as a gift for the connections he made with life and with his·peers, the knowledge that he is powerless. It is a truth that penetrates beyond a.nything that the human being could ever know about himself. He receives the communication and the impetus to admit, to accept, that he is powerless over drugs physically, mentally, and spiritually. He is powerless physically because his body can't take drugs; they have become a poison to his system as it Is constituted. He is powerless mentally because his mind and his feelings cannot handle drugs; the addict becomes nonfunctional or, rather, falsely functional, not only when the drug is ingested, but even when the drug is merely contemplated prior to ingestion. And, finally, he is powerless spiritually because the drug disconnects the person from his very spirit after it enters the body, from the thing in him that makes him alive and that gives him life - his very self. Yet, there ls still more. As a direct consequence of making the first two connections - with life and-then with a human Don Stark, Sr. Photo by James Heath. being - the recovering addict is told a still deeper truth about his ·nature. The addict is told that he is not only powerless over the drug, but that he is also powerle.ss over God and life, over others, and over things. Finally, he is told that he is powerless over even himself. In learning this liberating truth, he is urged, with love and caring, to admit it and make it his own, to connect with it as he connected with his pain. Why is the concept of powerlessness so essentia.I to the struggle toward spiritual recovery from addiction? Very simply stated, powerlessness is so important for spiritual recovery because it is so essential to physical recovery. We can't know spiritual realities. They are beyond our grasp. Our only access to the spiritual is through the physical ­ the only level of reality that we can know by seeing and touching. Remember, the disease Is not in the drug. Rather, the drug is the symptom, the outward and visible sign of the real problem, which is found within the individual. Since the addict becomes physically sick from use of the drug, he finds out that he is sick from something else. In the caSe of the drug, the addict begins to recognize that It is a tool that allows him to exercise power and control. If the addict gets up In the morning and fears the day, all he has to do is pop a pill or down a drink, and the problem is fixed for the moment. Eventually, the addict begins to recognize that as long as he attempts to fix his life - that is, to exercise control over It - he rapidly begins to lose it. The addict feels that God has given up on him. Yet, all the great religion.s say that mankind's prayers are, in fact, always answered: "Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him." In brief, the relationship that life and God have with us is one of love and caring. It is a gift that makes us precious and, as a result, all the more fragile and powerless. In time; provided the recovering addict is willing, the gift of the God of his understanding will be revealed to him. Not only will he know a relief, but, he will be healed and at last be made able to live. May the God of your understanding walk with you throughout the new year. " ...Just for Today...." �STREETVIBES The 111 \tot(:.'s Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Editorials and Letters Cincinnati Should Save Washington Park and Gazebo by Two Bil - As I walk past the gazebo I think, "That's all they have." In fact, that's about all "they" will ever have unless some rather Ignorant and ruthlessly forceful Individuals manage to flatten the rest of "the old city," in which case there won't be any "they," either. The statement Is not meant to be snooty. I come from Dayton, which through some obscure but quite possible logic was started where three smaller rivers and a creek meet. all of which natu­ rally overflow in a good rain onto some portion of the flood plain. The community did have the good sense to build reladvely litde on the most immediate parts of the flood plain, letting that sit, instead, as parkland. There's quite a bit of parkland near downtown Dayton and beyond, maintained and prettied up now and then out of practicality rather than out of any wise social or archltectual planning. And, In many cases the expanse of green space is ofdefinite sociological and psychological benefit. The same thing is not readily possible in or near downtown Cincinnati for several reasons. Consequendy, every inch of "green space" apart from the few blades of grass growing between the cracks in the sidewalk here and there is valuable. Trees and flowers don't naturally grow in pots; they merely manage to survive to some extent that way, and while some life is better than no life, it is an unnatural view of nature, no matter how well kept. The gazebo is a pretty thing in a pretty setting with enough pigeons and squirrels around to make Washington Park at least a reminder of the natural world that is fast disappearing from the entire area. To stir up everything with construction Is of ques­ tionable value, like a bandshel; this is not a social benefit. And, I speak knowledgeably about "bandshell": Dayton maintained a bandshell, a big one, for years on a part of that flood plain described above in an area called Island Park. And, people have gone to events there, such as Fourth of July celebrations, by the thousands. But. several things need to be kept In mind 1n regard to the activity; namely, things like the fact that the park Is part of a flood plain. People have sat on the river bank to fish or meditate; the connection to the natural world remained. Admittedly, Cincinnati has avallable some marvelously arranged notions of the natural world, provided one wants to get on the bus or in the car and travel to'them as If they were something apart from the real world that's the foundation of our existence. Why I'm In Cincinnati Is beside the point here. The fact is, I am here, and there are only three small areas of "green space" In my immediate area: the patch of grass and shrubs that runs down the middle of Central Parkway for a couple of blocks, the suburban type atmosphere around the police station, and Washington Park. To someone who spent a lifetime In a big city where people sat on the riverbank and fished, stood on a woody, grassy hill and watched the fireworks across the river, and took "nature pictures" almost downtown, the three patches of grass around are precious jewels. And, I can leave, but some people won't Page 10 Citizens Should Start Now to Capture City Hall by Tom Mulroy This past election the people of Cincinnati got precisely what they deserved...the same o ld city council. However this time the most pro-develop­ ment and anti-people members of council banded together to strip Mayor Qualls ( the biggest vote getter in the election ) of all chairmanships and other powers. Under the leadership of Phil Heimlich (whose vote per dollar ratio slipped considerably this election ) and a majority assured by the two lowest vote-getters in the election The City Council Gang of Five have declared themselves anointed by some higher power to run the city. Never mind that their combined vote counts fail to Indicate that they represent a majority of anything but the nine­ member city council. This is business as usual in a company town like Cincinnati. People figure that big money will determine everything. What use is there In working for candidates? This sheep-like thinking eXtends even to the people who work everyday to improve the condi­ tions of the poorest citizens of Cincinnati. Prior to the last election I asked around among people who I know care about the poor and the homeless. The only candidate who everyone agree upon as being worth election was Forest Buckley. A tour of Over-the-Rhine the day before the election showed a whole lot of posters for Tarbell, the bald headed darling of the developers. didn't see more than one or two posters for Forest Buckley. And this was in the heart of the area that would benefit most from having a friend on city co uncil. During the ave rage year activist in Over­ the- Rhine spend hundreds of man hours testifying before and protesting against a city council which contains no one who is unashamedly friendly with their concerns. If the same amount of effort had been spent working in the last campaign there might be one person on council who would work with the advocates of housing for the poor and related issues. With the gang of five fi rmly entrenched, activists for the poor face the worst two years in Former Student Remembers buddy gray by Eric Fryxell Today marks the anniversary of the passing of Buddy Gray, one of our city's great leaders, killed by a mentally ill man he had helped. Although the headlines he created In this newsoaoer were often controversial, It is clear that he was motivated in his successful activist career by the highest visions of justice and compassion. Buddy has influenced me gready for many years since we met in April 1981 on my first day of exploring Over-the-Rhine for Mr. Powers' 12th grade government course. (No one else in that big Indian Hill class chose Over-the-Rhine for their neighborhood project.) The first person I met that sunny day was Dan O 'Connor as he posted block club meeting announcements around Old St. Mary's Church. He referred me to the neighborhood office, the Drop Inn Shelter, and to Buddy, whom I later followed along Republic Street and nearby alleys to the Voices newspaper office, through the Drop Inn, around that part of town familiar to me only from attending concerts so often ~t Music Hall. But this was different. Even now in Minneapolis years later, I remember emerging from suburbia Into the vivid sounds and smells, the crowded cluttered pathways, the closeness of the beautiful run down brick apartments, the bustle of human activity - all recent memory. There will be plenty of reasons to go down to City Hall and protest. He re's a novel idea - How about we start acting like we have good sense. Let's at least try to get a sympathetic city council. The time to start is now. W e nee d to set o ur sights o n the 1999 elections. There is a prece dent for such early action. In Washington D.C. in 1978 an organization called Target '80 was formed by conservative Republicans. Their goal was to assure that the most liberal Democratic senators were not reelected. They targeted I 0 senators and seven failed to be re­ elected. The organization supported people they liked and brought out all the negatives they could dig up o n the targeted enemies. You may not like conservatives but that doesn't mean you can't steal their ideas...especially the ones that work. Target '80 eliminated tJ\e ability of the Democrats to over­ ride vetoes in the Senate and led to the eventual Republican majority. We need our own organization. If we're in the mood to steal let's call it Target '99. This is a perfect time to start Four members of Council will be forced to retire under the term limit law, so there should be four relatively easy targets right there. Liberals who lost last time should be interested in participating. Forest Buckley intends to run again and his staff intends to stay together. Some ener­ getic new people should be encouraged to run. Even a small informal group such as Target '99 should be able to get some new names in the news and Into the mind of the electorate. And when electio n time comes we may be able to tum out the o ne thing that can win elections that money can't buy...volunteers...election workers...foot soldiers. Meanwhile Target'99 can be researching and exposing the machinations of the Heimlich Gang. Two years of negative advertising may have a wonderful effect. making me excited and a bit apprehensive. But within that first day I was at ease, having met so many stimulating. friendly neighbors working hard for their vision of a better place to live, a purpose that seemed to bring diverse people together into a vibrant community. (How different from growing up in Indian Hill, where although I knew many good people, I had never witnessed such fervor outside of a school football game, nor had been drawn Into something larger than life, like the concepts of justice and community, like the work of political activism and running a shelter.) Alone with his colleaeues Bill Kasherslcv. Bonnie Neumeier, uerald, and many others, Buddy was a beacon all over his neighborhood. Through his Invitation, I served supper at the Drop Inn, learning to be comfortable with "street people," engaging in many conversations while doing the dishes, teaming the rocky history of the place. (At Stengers' on Vine Street, I watched the first landing of the Space Shutde on TV.) Buddy and Bonnie spoke to my class later that spring; and I joined them for my first political rally, holding hands and singing for the TV cameras, protesting the closing of Peaslee School. Buddy's spirit touched everyone and Infused passion Into his fellow workers. His ability to speak and organize against the status quo for the cause of his community was a refreshing example of the democratic Ideals of our city and nation actually in process, rather than just engraved In another mission statement or Statue of Liberty. Since moving from Cincinnati In 1981, I kept in touch with Buddy, who was always dose to me In Continued on page 16 �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine by National Coalition for the Homeless SlaH by Two-Bil Word Search R A E y w E N "Too many holidays" is certainly not a rare thought. An example of an attempt to do something about the matter has already been made into a law ­ namely, the creation of "Presidents' Day" out of the minor holidays of Washington's Birthday and Lincoln's Birthday to commemorate (as a matter of justice, perhaps) all of the U. S. Presidents. Enterprising local public officials could also carryout some small actions toward such an end. Even if they're not interested, systems could be devised (let's pretend it might start to happen) where there could be consideration for things that are now "celebrated" without there being a declared "closed" day. One way to approach the matter would be to enact something either officially or legally to make "holidays" amatter of "time periods" - the official term would be "holiday time period" or "holiday time" rather than "day." I.e. "Thanksgiving Time" rather than "Thanksgiving Day." · The "time periods" would consist of different designated lengths - two days, half day, etc. - that would be appropriately determined. Again, there's a notion that's already been established in regard to such things as "moments of silence" and "long weekends." If someone wanted to become picky or fancy, there might even be special designations such as "Meditation Time" (referring to an hour to be set aside to commemorate or remember a certain event.) Such a system (and the ruling or enactment of it) would require some clarification of "time off." Presently, there are often distinctions such as authorized unpaid as weH as authorized paid sick leave and vacation time. This refers to time off from work, calculated at different percentage rates. Sometimes one must use a week of vacation in place of sick leave, making it impractical to even consider using vacation for something of choice, like an important, yet short, religious holiday. Regardless, all of this seems to be a matter deserving at least some thought, if not action. E D N E L A s E p 0 T A B c s B E E T E p c E T ...... \ u x H Good Luck Streetvibes Dear Streetvibes: I'm so glad to see that there's a Cincinnati version of this paper and this concept. It's one that I support mightily. I was in Chicago recently and found the enclosed article. May you find the same success. Sincerely, Christopher Harris, MD (Editor's Note: Dr. Harris enclosed material from Reader, Chicago's Free Weekly. Dr. Harris is affiliated with Children's Hospital Medical Center in the Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy and Clinical Immunology.) E p H x u B E A y K 0 R R 0 L w c s T E N 0 A I I 0 I D p s s L s M I L w 0 R K E E E y R A u N A H G I E w E s 0 .. •' .' . B I L L s J L This year marks the I0th anniversary of the signing of the McKinnney Act. It is an occasion worthy of our reflection. This article examines how we have fared in our efforts to address homeless­ ness, what we have learned, and where we need to go to close this grim and shameful chapter of this nation's history and to ensure that homelessness is not part of America's future. This was written to jog the memory of those who have forgotten and to educate those who never knew, to combat the short­ sightedness of current policy-making. and to renew the call for a national response to end homelessness. The massive increase in homelessness that this report documents is a stinging indictment of a failed approach. The research and interviews presented here remind us that homelessness is neither inevi­ table nor acceptable. In Cincinnati, as across the nation, homeless­ ness has its roots in the simultaneous decrease in affordable housing and increase in poverty. Cincinnati affordable housing shortage emerged in the mid- I970s. In 1975, Cincinnati had a surplus of 12,700 low-income units: by 1986, that surplus had turned Into a shortage of 16,900 affordable units (Center On Budget and Policy Priorities, 1992). Between 1970-1980, the number of SRO's in downtown Cincinnati dropped from 2, I04 to 994 (Community Ministry Committee, 1987). At the same time, stagnating wages and the erosion or reduction of public assistance put housing out of reach for many poor households in Cincin­ nati. Between !975 and 1992, the value of the average welfare grant (AFDC) for a family of three In Ohio decreased by 37% (Center on Social Welfare Policy and Law, !993). In 1997, the average welfare grant (TANF) for a family of three in Cincinnati fell $170 short of the amount needed to rent a two­ bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent (Nationa.I Low Income Housing Coalition, I 997) The reduction in the va.lue of public assistance is one of the ~ontributing factors to the areas increase in poverty: between 1980 and 1990, the poverty rate of the Cincinnati area doubled from 12% to 24% of the population (Applied Information Resources, 1993). In 1990, 42% of Cincinnati's children under five years of age fell below the poverty line. Public assistance in Ohio has also been sharply reduced for low-income individuals. In 1991, Ohio cut its General Assistance program in half by reducing benefits by 32% for most single individuals and time-limited benefits to six months out of a 12­ month period. In 1992, 18 months after the GA reported an increase in demand, 83% of the shelters reported an increase in demand, and 63% of the rent assistance programs reported an increase in demand (Applied Information Resources, 1993). Scramble by Gregory Payton J 0 Page 11 10 Years Of McKinney There Are Too Many Holidays!! "The food pantry will be closed Tuesday­ Legal Holiday." And, what, exactly, is the exceptional reason behind the great commemoration of whatever legal holiday it is? · For example, why, exacdy, is anyone celebrating New Year's Day? St. Patrick's Day...? At least there probably WERE some very good reasons for the assorted doings about such and such a day at one time; but, are those reasons still valid? For example, since New Year's was mentioned: Ancient Chinese proverb (it seemingly is/was) says, "Pay all debts before New Year begins." Well, if, as of January I someone has managed to pay all debts, that's a lovely reason to be celebrating. However, that really doesn't seem to be very close to any sort of universal condition. If the notion involved has some relationship to notions about "getting rid of the past," that's not possible. One can easily substitute the words "office", "school", and "important services" for the words "food pantry" in the opening statement. The point is that the· "holidaying" of others can become an actual matter of life and death for the homeless - a grave situation to many, and a sizeable inconve­ nience even to the well-to-do people. This seems to be an excellent time to take a good look at the whole matter of holidays. Now, some people may disagree with the following analysis, and everyone is certainly free to disagree. But, if anyone has a better idea, the rest of the world should certainly be advised of it. As a people, as a nation, we really should not be dealing with any more than perhaps three or four "holidays" a year. That's plenty if one accounts for all of the personal interest days one may have: vacations (which are considered to be holidays, too) and religious meditation days (i.e. Easter), not to eQ~ time off for snow days and sick leave. The latter, wlilch are not-exactly "holidays", are also legitimate reasons for the pantry to be closed.. It is in the best interest of society as a whole (since there are hundreds of millions of Americans believing in the importance of various events) that, apart from our own personal interests, none of us should be expected (or inclined) to keep in mind, look to, figure in, plan on, etc., anything except three or four exceptional "celebrations." These events should be more or less common to all of us. How­ ever, there should be opportunity to commemorate privately things important to us both individually and as members or "parts" of groups. Obviously, my few paragraphs will not redesign calendars, alter established activities, or even persuade the food pantry or office to open on "holidays." I cannot change thoughts about issues such as holiday pay; but, as individuals we can act according to this concept as much as possible. . by Ron Carter Find these .words in the puzzle: NewYear Broke PayBills LoseWeight School Work Overtime Diet Exercise Help Sales Taxes January Calendar Debt Job Returns Listen Hope Try to unscramble these holiday words: WNE ERASY TYRAP MESIT ERSQUA DIM GHTIN ONUTCWOND STSMERREA ROUWC SAOTT IONTOSERLO BRAELECITON Answers on page 15. ·. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1998 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource January 1998 Vol. 2, issue 12 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Issue covering:<br />Homeless memorial<br />Rev. Maurice McCracken's passing<br />Food stamp cuts<br />Washington Park<br />Public assistance protests Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project (curated by Katelyn Lusher) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource January 1998 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ron Carter<br />Pat Clifford<br />Denise Crew<br />Brian Davis<br />Ron English<br />Alex Grabtree<br />Tom Hayes<br />James (Jimmy) Heath<br />Richard Kiefer<br />Aaron Lawrence<br />Carolyn Meszaros<br />Tom Mulroy<br />Bonnie Neumeier<br />Gregory Payton<br />Sue Watlov Phillips<br />Shelley Rothenbusch<br />Mark Salter<br />Elizabeth Shockley<br />Don Stark, Sr.<br />Streetvibes Inquirer<br />Two Bit<br />Donald Whitehead<br />Lynn Williams Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-sa/4.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a<span> </span><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a>. Aaron Lawrence Alex Grabtree Bonnie Neumeier Brian Davis Carolyn Meszaros Denise Crew Don Stark Donald Whitehead Elizabeth Shockley food stamps Gregory Payton James (Jimmy) Heath Lynn Williams Mark Salter memorial Pat Clifford protest public assistance Richard Kiefer Ron Carter Ron English Shelley Rothenbusch Sr. Streetvibes Inquirer Sue Watlov Phillips Tom Hayes Tom Mulroy Two Bit https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/dea0e4ff67cb51640222986f247d5816.pdf 1c040bfd54ba4a20ef7133583163d3c5 PDF Text Text Lincoln Court residents get 'HUD' -winked View of Lincoln Court complex 'Stigma' of poverty at core of redevelopment By Ma/aka Sanders The Lincoln Courts Resident Council (LC RC), t he official representative of the residents of Lincoln Courts, has finally signed off on Cincinnati Metro­ politan Housing Authority's (CMHA) application for a HO PE VI Grant, a federal grant that would provide funds to "redevelop" that area, with some particular goals in mind. And what goals are those? Well. as with any agreement, that depends on who ·you ask. C MHA states its "Overall Objectives of HOPE VI" for the Lincoln Courts area in it's "Redevelop­ ment Application Summary." In it they say that they would like to, among other things: Reintegrate public housing physically, socially, and economically into "our" neighborhoods, lessen "concentration of poverty" and increase income Contents CleYeland News Portman Plan Welfare News Visible Homeless Hope VI Arts & Poet!}' Nationwide News Housing Conference Prisoners News San Diego Sleep-in Teen Role Model letters & Editorials Crossword & Games Azerbajian Update TB Information Vendor Profile Page2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Pages Page6 Page 7 Page 7 Page B Page9 Page9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 16 mixing throughout the neighbor hood, and stimulate "neighborhood redevelopment'' and overall eco­ nomic development opportunities for all residents. And why is this needed now? Well, in the summary. after making reference to the current Lincoln Court stairways. " ...that have become breeding grounds for drugs. vandalism. prostitution and other illegal activities," it's con­ cluded that, "The redevelopment will afford public housing residents the best opportunity to shed their stigma, blend directly into the broader community and actively pursue self-sufficiency." And how do the residents feel about being "reintegrated?" Their attorney. John Schrider Jr. of Legal Aid. said that· it "remains to be seen" whether or not the socioeconomic background of most residents of the area will be changed much after development. "CMHA is governed by the Uniform Relocation Act and HOPE VI regulations. I think that they (the residents) are satisfied with the agreement and will be very satisfied once the project is completed." To find out how the residents felt, the LCRC surveyed 450 of the 700 families that currently reside in Lincoln Courts. Schrider says that about half of those surveyed want to move (to other units with only year-long Section 8 vouchers that won't necessarily be renewed) and that half want to stay-­ but can they? Currently there are 886 p ublic housing units. HOPE VI calls for: I00 partially subsidized apartments, 50 market rate apartments, SO partially subsidized houses, SO ma_rket rate houses, 250 public housing units. Elementary math shows that the loss can be counted two ways: I) the plan only calls for SOO total units of housing, a net loss of almost 400 units 2) the plan only calls for 250 units of affordable housing units (the only type of housing, by the way, where there is a severe shortage), a net loss of 536 a ffordable h o u sing units as all of the units, remember, are affordable right now. Such a loss is staggering to the 4.000 households who are on the waiting list for Section 8 vouchers now (according to HUD 5/98) because of the already severe deficit. But is this a loss for current Lincoln Courts resi­ dents? When asked, Schrider refers to the Memoran­ dum of Understanding signed recently which stat es, "No resident living in Lincoln Courts at the time of the HOPE VI applicat ion or thereafter will be required to permanently relocate off site unless he or she desires to do so." Schrider said that "400 rental units will be made available to current residents for as long as they want to stay. This is a binding agreement. We don't know how serious C MHA is about it's goals for mixed income housing." It seems the LCRC. headed up by Marquicia Jones. herself a C MHA employee, is going along with the plan because they think the new housing w ill be for them. Though CMHA's stated plan is to remove the " stigma" of poverty in that area by removing the poor people there (though their tone is openly hostile). Lincoln Courts' residents remain hopeful C MHA and the government will do the right thing. So, we have another situation where the government wants a piece of oc.cupied land where the occupants don't mind sharing. So. the governmet promises to do so fairly. And well, we've heard that before. Cincinnati Coalltlon partners with NCRC In Treasury Program By Mal}' Ann Gleason, Director of NCH As you may know, Electronic Funds Transfer is an initiative of the federal government to convert the process of sending recipients of federal cash pro­ grams (Social Security, SSI, SSDI) funds in the form of a check, to making electronic transfers to financial institutions (banks, credit unions, etc.) in the recipients' names. The Treasury Department is concerned that some vulnerable populations may have difficulty understanding, accepting. or effectively utilizing the electronic transfer process since they are so used to receiving a check in the mail. One of the vulnerable populations is those who are or have been homeless. The Treasury Department has awarded grants to four groups nationally to assist in making this change to e lectronic transfer work effectively for targeted populations. The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) is a subcontractor with one of those groups - the National Community Reinvest­ ment Coalition (NCRC). !'NCH will identify local partners who have the capability and desi re to 'Treasury' continued on page 5 �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes. the Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a newspaper w ritten by. for and about the homeless. It is compiled by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Home­ less. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and then sell it for a dollar donation to get back on their feet. All vendors sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters. agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services. educating the public and grassroots organiz­ ing. The Streetvibes Committee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a comment, please call 421-7803. Staff Donald Whitehead, Director Jimmy Heath, Coordinator Brett Zwolinski, Vendor Support Ron Carter, Vendor Support James Hobbs, Vendor Support . PhotoeraJ>her Jimmy Heath Writers Te' Tro Amaru Maryann Bravo Dan Cahill Ron Carter Pat Clifford Denise Crew Brian Davis Dan Gibbons Jimmy Heath James Hobbs Lynn Kilbane · Paul Linden Judith Mendriski Steven Michael Aaron Pitchford James W. Pryor Steven M. Rutherford Mark Salter Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Sonny Williams Brett Zwolinski Ed/tonal Pol/1:y: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, com­ ments or editorials. We will print every­ thing we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send all material to the following address: Streetvibes c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 (513) 421-7803 fax (513) 421-7813 e-mail: homecoal@primax.net http://cinci.com/gcch Quote of the Month: 11 Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. 11 Mark Twain Page 2 News From Cleveland's Grapevine The (Cleveland) Homeless Grapevine Celebrates 5th Anniversary cians in 1995. The paper provided in-depth reports about the death of General Assistance in Issue I0 (May/June 1995) by analyzing the GA program and fi ndings fro m research studies. In additio n, all State Senators and Representatives from Northeast Ohio were surveyed about their role in the elimination of GA. A copy of Dennis Kucinich's speech to the state House of Representatives was also included. The Adult Emergency Assistance voucher program was uncovered as a bad alternative to GA. Issue 14 (March/April 1996) exposed the program as experimental, haphazard, and arbitrary. The article explained how the program was seriously lacking in planning and fraud controls. One-time grants were awarded without standard criteria. Clients were not By Jean E. Taddie told what the eligibility requirements were and they felt the system showed favoritism to people who were Five years ago. the first Homeless Grapevine liked by the agencies distributing the money. Issue 11 issue was created in partnership with the Northeast (August/September 1996) reported that in spite of the Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH). Since fact that distributing agencies fai led to distribute all of then, The Homeless Grapevine has focused on giving the money, a new pool of money totaling $625,382 a public voice to homeless and formerly homeless · was given o ut in September, 1996 with minimal citizens. It has also provided a forum for activists, improvements to the program. concerned citizens, politicians, and service providers. The Homeless Grapevine has reported stories Volume I, which was named The NEW of fraud by agencies trying to make money off Homeless Grapevine, premiered Spring 1993. The homelessness. Issue 13 Oanuary/February 1996) idea of The Grapevine, however, began two years uncovered WeShare, a telemarketing scam that put before. The newspaper was first created in 1991 by homelessness and low-incon:ie people on telephones the residents of Project HEAT Shelter "Site E." which soliciting more than $I million a year. The donations at the. time was located in a temporary Classroom were supposed to go for job training and other building of Cleveland State University. The shelter programs to help homeless people. Instead, roughly residents received guidance and production assis­ 90% of.the donations went to administration costs, tance from a Kent State University student who was which included paying workers less than minimum working on his thesis research. Unfortunately, the wage. WeShare v.:as investigated by FBI and fledgling newspaper did not survive. Channel 3's Paul Orlowski. One of the founders has After about a year-long suspension, The since been jailed for harassment. Grapevine re-started production with the financial Another agency, Project Homeless, was uncov­ and technical support of NEOCH. Throughout this ered in Issue 16 Oune/July 1996). The agency five-year, 28-issue partnership, The Homeless Grape­ solicited donations by telephone, mail, and promo­ vine has focused on homeless involvement and public tional events and claimed to provide a wide variety of education. Brian Davis, Editor of The Grapevine and services to alcoholic and destitute clients. The director of NEOCH has been with the paper since Grapevine investigation found only limited food Issue 7. He explains,."We are a journal about local distribution, no shelter, transportation or rehabilita· poverty issues. We provide a unique product that tion services that were claimed. The organization was you can't find anywhere else in town." investigated further by the Ohio Attorney General. Each Grapevine issue focused around a central Throughout t'.he past issues, The Grapevine theme. Early issues were written and produced include.d the perspectives of many homeless and mainly by homeless and formerly homeless people. formerly homeless people. Issue 26 (April 1'998) and They shared their opinions, experiences, and poetry. 27 (May/June 1998) focused on shelter lift:, as told by These issues told the stories of individuals such as the people who live it. Shelter residents doled out homeless children, displaced workers, and shelter praise and criticism for different shelters and service residents. As time went on, The Grapevine contin­ providers. The organizations were also provided an ued to feature stories, poems and artwork by home­ opportunity to respond. "We received a big and less men. women, and children. The paper also consistent response from readers who told us they added more stories about important local poverty really liked these articles," Davis explains. issues. Over the past five years, The Grapevine has "Vendor licensing has been a big issue that has used a wide variety of writers to express their gone all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court," explains knowledge and opinions of local poverty issues. Davis. The story. which was first covered in Grape­ Grapevine staff, volunteers, and vendors want to vine Issue 7 (September/December 1994). revolves continue and expand this tradition. Stories and input around the City of Cleveland's policy for vendor's from the homeless community will continue to be permits. After several Grapevine vendors were emphasized. "In the future, we want to feature more ticketed for not having a $50 vendor's permit, the stories from runaway children and kids who are living American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit in shelters," explains Davis. "Ideally, we would like to against the City of Cleveland claiming this policy create a newslette.r that covers stories specifically for violated the First Amendment right to Freedom of homeless readers." If The Grapevine could consis­ Speech. tently cover the costs of t his newsletter, shelters and The ACLU won in district court on May 3, other sites could distribute it to clients for free. 1995 (Issue I0). Unfortunately, the U.S. Federal Appeals Court reversed the decision on February 3, 1997, the Court refused without comment to hear Facts About Homelessness in Ohio and the appeal, thereby upholding the City of Cleveland's licensing policy. The Grapevine reported the Cleveland: Supreme Court's ruling and the local response in Issue 24 Oanuary, 1998). Even though the City of *locally we find that in Cuyahoga County Cleveland had not officially worked out a policy for alone 20,000 people go homeless each Grapevine vendors, some were ticketed by police. year. Grapevine readers respondect enthusiastically to this issue. Davis noted that The Grapevine received cash donations from around 40 people and organizations, * The Ohio Coalition for the Homeless a figure he says is four times more than average. estimates that 140,000 people find The Grapevine has focused reports on welfare themselves homeless each year throughout reform since the issue became popular with politi­ the the state. �I 1 STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Portman plan treats Inmates for addiction by Biii Straub, Post Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Rob Portman, one of the leading anti-drug voices in Congress, has unveiled legislation intended to enhance treatment programs in the nations' jails and prisons. "Our prisons should be places where drug problems are solved not created," said Portman. R­ Ohio, of Terrace Park, co-chairman of the Task Force for a Drug~Free America created by House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga. "This legislation combines national leadership with innovation by state and local authorities to get prison inmates into treatment programs rather than sending their drug problems back to our streets." Portman said 70 to 80 percent of inmates wind up behind bars because of drugs or alcohol. "More than half of the parole violations are directly related to drug or alcohol .abuse," he said. "We're never going to get out of this revolving door unless we treat people who are incarcerated." , The legislation would create a model program within the criminal justice system. The idea, Portman said, is to reduce drug abuse. drug-related crime and costs associated with incarcerating those involved with drugs. It must be formulated so it can be easily replicated by state and IC?cal govei:nments. Grants will establish!five local and five ·state ~ Page 3 treatment programs with the funds going to court supervised treatments and treatment alternatives to jail for non-violent offenders, in-jail treatment pro­ grams and supervised early release programs. A recent Federal Bureau of Prisons study, he said, shows that inmates who receive treatment are 73 percent less likely to be rearrested as opposed to untreated inmates. Portman introduced the proposal during the annual meeting of the National Association of Drug Cou rt Professionals, which brought 2,000 experts, including Hamilton County Drug Court Judge Deidra Hair, to Washington. Citing Hamilton County's success, Portman said, "Now it's time to take the underlying principles of the drug court concept and apply it to the rest of our criminal justice system." Homeless Fundraiser Bus Trip •t ~ •. This year's Scrimmage on August 1, 1998, promises to be e~citing. Tbis.,is the ~econd scrimmage to be held at the new training camp 1'1 ·Ge_o~get9wn, KY. We have a package which will let you enjoy the event'if! style . . 0 ., r ' Each ticket includes: • .Bus Trip from Dick Clark's American Bandstahd Gri1l :Parking_ lot to the· Bengals New Training Camp in Georget9wn, i¥ritucky ' Leaves at 10 am. ~u· : Box Lunch provided by the Kroger Company '"" ~ Meeting with Coach Bruce Coslet including a pre-game analysis and question and answers ·t Preferred seating in the new training stadium ·.: Return Trip to Dick Clark's American Bandst~d Return around 5 or 6 pm. J ' • ) l 'l. H , ,­ We will arrange the trip so you can j~st sit back and have fun! Tickets for the entire day cost $50 each. Proceeds go to:the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homel.ess a 68 member agency dedicated to ending homelessness in Cincinnati. Call our Hotline Number: 659-6887 to pay with your credit card. Tickets will be mailed to your home. If you wish to pay by check, send a check payable to ~he "Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless" to: Bengals Scrimmage Bus Trip 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please include your phone number and the number of tickets you are ordering. Co-sponsored by the Cincinnati Bengals, the Cincinnati Enquirer, Kroger's, Airtouch Cellular and WBOB Radio 1160 AM. Grea1e:I Cincinnati Coalition For ', The Homeless 1 I ' �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Welfare News OHIO EMPOWERMENT COALITION'S BILL INTRODUCED educating the public and legislators on the effects of sanctic1ns. Please contact us if you yourself have been sanctioned or terminated. Your story will be kept confidential unless you give us permission to share your story with the public. Contact the following OEC member coalition in your area: Contact Cen~er/Cincinnati Welfare Rights Coalition: 513-381-4242 Miami Valley Full Employment Council, Logan Martinez: 937-274-7003 Empowerment center of Greater Cleveland, Showa Omabegho: 216-241-5926 Columbus Organizing Project, Mark Stansberry: 614-231-9654 State Org. of Client Advocates, Shirley Peoples: 614-252-2160 Summit County Welfare Rights Organization, Theola Anderson, Mary Stephens: 330-438-8954 Hancock County, Sharon Weis of Hope House: 419-425-4673 Trumbull County Welfare Rights Organization, Geneva Reid: 330-392-7678 Highland County Welfare Rights Organization. Terry Kessinger: 513-875-23 17 By Lynn Williams On June 23rd, the Ohio Empowerment Coalition's Emergency Repeal of Sanctions policy was introduced as a bill at the Ohio House. The bill has been renamed the "Welfare Corrections Bill." Rep. Tom Roberts of Dayton and Rep. C.J. Prentiss of Cleveland are the sponsors. Co-sponsors include the following Representatives: Sam Britton of Cincinnati, Mark Mallory of Cincinnati, Vernon Sykes of Akron, Dale Miller of Cleveland, Charleta Tavares of Columbus, John Bender of Elyria, Dale Allen of Dayton, Darrell Opfer of Oak Harbor, and Vermel Whalen of Cleveland. At the June 23rd press conference which Rep. Roberts and Rep. Prentiss held, members of the Ohio Empowerment Coalition spoke out fervently for the need to change the harsh sanction policy. Some of our members were sanctioned themselves and spoke about the painful ordeal they went through under sanction, scraping by to pay bills. Carla and Jay Pitzinger spoke about what their family went through under sanction. Carla stated. "At no time did a sanction help us become more self­ sufficient. It only drove us further into debt. I was punished because I made a decision to miss work a couple days to take care of my disabled husband and my "Special Needs Child." Her husband has a spinal cord injury and is confined to a wheelchair. Rosalind of Hamilton County spoke about how she has completely given up on trying to get any help from 'The Department" because of frustration with all the endless paperwork requirements. Her sanction first began with not being able to _provide a birth certificate for one of her children. The endless round of red tap frustrated her so much that she gave up trying. She is now scraping by on small jobs and living below poverty level. She and her children receive no supports such as food stamps or Medic­ aid, and frequently go without necessities of food or medical care. She is fed up with how she was treated by caseworkers. She may be one of the statistics of recipients who leave the welfare rolls for a job (although temporary, unstable jobs that pay below poverty level wages), but nonetheless her life and her children's lives have not improved because. of it. A sanction did not move her towards ··self­ sufficiency." Rep. Prentiss stated, "The current system of sanctions is unforgiving...We need to remember that the goal of welfare reform is not simply to drive down the number of people on the welfare rolls...The goal of welfare reform is to lift families out of poverty and into self-sufficiency. Taking assistance group's benefits and potentially undermining the quality of life of children whose mothers lose their cash assistance, food stamps, childcare, and job training will not accomplish this goal. The only impact will be to further qepress recipients and children's standards of living and undermine our long term goal of success." The Ohio Empowerment Coalition urges our members and other concerned citizens to continue IMPACT OF WELFARE . REFORM: An Advocate for Poor Women By James Ramage, The Chronicle of Higher Education The world of poor. single mothers can be bleak: a house with no power and no heat, and children who are sick or malnourished and have only one caregiver to rely on. Those are images that Gwendolyn Mink fears are lost in the current debate over welfare reform, ·with policy makers sparring over what percentage of welfare recipients must have a job by next year, and after that, and the year after that. Ms. Mink, a professor of politics at the Univer­ sity of California at Santa Cruz, argues in her new book, Welfare's End (Cornell University Press), that the continuing movement to overhaul federal and state welfare programs is stealing important civil rights from poor women. Meanwhile, she singles out traditional women's-rights organizations, along with white, middle-class feminists and some Democrats, as having not fought hard enough for economic and social justice for those on welfare. " I want to awaken people to the adverse consequences of the new laws," she says. "and to shift the emphasis of the discussion over to those who are burdened most by them." 'WORKING' CAREGIVERS Considering the current political climate-in which a Republican Congress and a Democratic President agreed in 1996 to restrict welfare benefits and have shown no signs of returning to welfare as we knew it-Ms. Mink makes some arguments in Welfare's End that may be hard to swallow for the politicians and voters whose attitudes she hopes to change. She writes that women who have children are "working" caregivers, and should be paid as such by federal or state agencies. Those paychecks would allow women to pay for day-care costs, so that they could choose to work outside of the home. Ms. Page 4 Mink also suggests overhauling federal Survivors' Insurance, which distributes the Social Security benefits of deceased workers to their spouses and young children. She argue.s that such insurance should be expanded to include all single parents, allowing them to focus on raising children. Ms. Mink believes that welfare is the guarantor of poor women's equality, and she is skeptical of attempts to change the system. "Why we end welfare dictates how we end it,"· she writes. Many politicians want to reform welfare not to improve the economic status of women, she argues, but because they see recipients as wastrels who ought to be employed. By Ms. 'Mink's lights, the primary obstacle to such progress for single mothers and poor women is the sweeping federal welfare overhaul of 1996, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (known as P.R.A.). It put time limits, employment requirements, and other condi­ tions on those who receive welfare benefits. One criterion that angers Ms Mink is that single mothers who want benefits must establish contact with the biological father of their children. Lawmakers believe that fathers should help raise the children, providing financial and paternal support. But that requirement, Ms. ~ink says, forces welfare mothers to deal with-and perhaps become depen­ dent on-men who may have been physically or emotionally abusive to them and their children The law also demands that most women work outside of the home in order to receive benefits. That stipulation. the professor says. values "wage earning over caregiving" and also serves to push women into financial dependence on the children's fathers . As both a political scientist and a political activist, Ms. Mink is especially disappointed with what she sees as the failure of white, middle-class feminists and members of th~ Democratic Party to unite as advocates for economic and social justice for poor. single mothers. She argues that such issues as abortion rights and domestic violence bear on the minds of middle-class people more than does welfare reform. What's more, she sees many women's rights groups supporting solutions, such as child care and access to jobs; that she says won't solve the financial problems of the poor. single mothers who may have few job skills. Ms. Mink was attracted to political movements in the early I970's as a student at the University of Chicago and then at the University of California at Berkeley. She was drawn to civil-rights groups and their opposition to restrictions on welfare entitle­ ments, limits that she saw as depriving poor women and mothers of what she calls their "individual rights." She spent years working with poor single mothers, learning from them as they grappled with one welfare reform after another, one day to the next. Subscribe to Streetvibes S ubscriptions to Streetvibes can be p ur ­ c hased for $12 per year. Please send a check to the b elow address and t he paper will be mailed to you each issue. Str eetvib es I 506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to t he G reater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless--Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421- 780 3. �5TREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page s ------ now and then is when a bulk of the outreach work will need to occur to "get the word out" to those who currently get checks about what this means, what their options are and why electronic transfer may work more effectively for them than receiving a check. We will use homeless service and housing providers as principle conduits to reach the individu­ als who a~e the current, actual recipients of the checks. The Vlslble The following is a list of responsibilities required of local partners: .. Folks sleeping on park benches and on the street during the summer Is on the Increase In Cincinnati. Welfare reform measures and the scarcity of affordable housing continues to push people Into the street. This bench in Washington Park faces the entrance to Music Hall, an enclave for the city's privileged. Hope VI Scam (Lesson In Deception?) By Steven Michael Recently, Lincoln Courts gave a function in the parking lot behind the Public Relations Building on Cutter. The event was supposed to update the residents on the " Hope VI Project for Renovations" that is projected for the Lincoln Courts Projects. There were games for the children, prizes. free food ... hot dogs, hamburgers. and soda there also. There was Bingo, where prizes were awarded in a drawing. Residents went around and got a card they gave you to fill out with stars and dots. You put the cards in a box they held for the drawings at the end of the event. Prizes were VCR's, 19" televisions, fans, a glass set, bicycles, etc. This is where the deception began. Lets start with Bingo. You were only supposedly allowed two cards. Some people had four to six cards. The lady issuing the cards must have previously checked the Bingo balls and cards because she knew exactly what cards to give to who ever she wanted to win. The same people kept winning. The Bingo game was fixed from the beginning; she held the winning cards and gave them to a selected few. You could see right through the scam. The prizes for the drawing for the other prizes . was the next big scam. The box for the drawing held cards that were supposedly selected at random. Selected at random means to take 3 to ~ cards at a time, put them down on the table, and read the names of the people you are familiar with? You still didn't know who the other cards' names were that she held up under the box. This was very disgusting seeing this going on right in front of your face. "Hope VI" is supposed to place residents in a selected apartment until the renovation process is finished. Well, I hope and pray they don't select the residents the way the parking lot function was run or a lot of people are in for a rude awakening. I "hope" this doesn't happen. MEETING WONDERFUL PEOPLE IN A STRANGE TOWN By Maryann Bravo I came to Cincinnati six months ago. I did not know anybody. I wondered how I was going to meet people. Well. I have met some wonderful people. As the days went on. I got a chance to know them better day-by-day. I have met Donald at the offiice, where I went to get some STREEVIBES papers. He is a good man... he is warm, kind, and good-hearted. I have met Lisa at the Drop-Inn Center where I stayed. Lisa is like my big sister I never had. Betty is a wonderful person. Jimmy is wonderful and kind. Jennifer...she has helped me find a place to live. You never know where you will go, but wherever it is you might just meet wonderful people like I did. My higher power has helped me meet this kind of people. 'Treasury' from page 1... I. Assign specific staff to work on the EFTITP and designate one person who will serve as the contact person for the lead partner - the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC). 2. Disseminate EFT 99 information to ind i­ viduals and at public locations throughout your community. 3. Identify. contact, and encourage other homeless organizations to participate in the in-touch ­ program and provide them with EFT 99 materials (which will be sent to you by NCRC and/or the Treasury Department). 4. Contact public officials, media, and other highly visible spokespersons in your community to request their assistance in announcing/advertising public education events about the ITP. 5. Design and implement .in-touch activities in your communities. This means making presentation /sending information to local homeless providers and coalitions. shelters, public housing ~omplexes, transitional/permanent housing facilities, day centers, health centers and other service sites that directly reach individuals who are/have been homeless or are very low income. 6. Encourage support for the EFT '99 initiative and promote full awareness by beneficiaries of their options with regard to how they receive their funds, by asking homeless shelter/housing/service providers and local/state coalitions to inform benefidaries of the pending changes. Use your own newsletters, fliers, posters, public service announcements (radio/ TV), in addition to direct contact with beneficiaries to "get the word out." 7. Provide a written monthly progress rei::iort to NCRC outlining your outreach activiti~s. num.ber of organizations publishing fliers/posting notices so that beneficiaries can see them/learn about their options (including approximating total circulation) 8. Attend two regional meetings (first one is July 20th) in either Birmingham or Chicago, ex­ penses for which will be paid for by the Treasury Department. and identify others form your state who should be invited to attend this meeting which will focus on how to effectively implement outreach programs. 9. As possible and desirable, work with local financial institutions to have them part icipate in creating successful outcomes for the EFT initiative, and preferably at no cost to the individual receiving the federal funds. Each local partner will be compensated a total of $5,000 to be paid out on a monthly basis after the monthly reports have been received and as long as you meet your designated responsibilities. We look forward to working with you to implement an effective outreach/information program that will benefit those who are recipients of federal cash programs. Please call with any questions you may have. Thank you. participate in this EFTITP in a way that insures solid outcomes for currently/formerly homeless recipients of federal cash programs. To determine your capability and desire to become a local partner, please find below a list of responsibilities required of local partners. As you may know, October 14th has been designated as the day on which individuals who currently receive checks form the federal government will be asked to sign up to receive their funds via elec­ tronic transfer. starting in January, 1999. Between �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Missing You Denise Crew Mother's Honor By Denise Crew Don't cry little one I am here to protect you These children can't hurt me With mean words, I am sorry they hurt you How you must love me To cry so hard And look sad so long Filled with tears I draw you near And hold you, Until your pain is gone Tell me all about it Then sleep, for tomorrow will come Hopefully you will have forgotten All the mean things The hard words, that punch you around But remember, when you grow to be a man My. touch, my ~~rds ' ' And how warm The moment was here With your mom Anonymous i feel like running wild in a pasture, feeling the wind against my skin, pretending that i'm the child of the wind­ hence just as wise, just as knowing. just as silent, but expressive­ and just as free make believe but it's only a paper moon. Sometimes I don't understand what I'm to do. I wrote a letter yesterday, And I mailed it off to you. Inside the letter went my heart which is aching Almost to the point of breaking. You called while I did shower. I tried to reach you for an hour But there was no answer there. You told me you had to go. I told you I had to stay. We vowed in love we would remain. Could it be, I'm now insane. I'm glad I have you for my friend. I worry that our love will end. Will the distance take its toll On this poor and battered soul. To me you say there is no other. You want and need me as a lover. So I sit and pine away Waiting for the very day When the pain will go away And I can stop missing All the things I _count as blessings. Summertime By Denise Crew My Sons First Line Party ,Reading One day I'll know summertime To rest in his book crate I see in my mind again and again (unforgettably) How I saw into his soul Through the wonder in his · eyes A small peaceful face Set in a blind trance As the poetress read her verse She touched him, made him go With her, to a far off place Where he could wander and dream How wonderful it must be To veiw the world so innocently Listening, and living · Through the prose of the poetress . By Denise Crew By Brett Zwolinski An unrhymed Japanese verse form of three lines containing usually 5, 7, 5, (or 7, 5, 7) syllables respectively. Please Submit your suggestions for monthly Haiku to Brett Zwolinski at STREETVIBES. Now, this month's Haiku: . beneath silent fears weeping willows lean and loom the moon cries...madness Things of Cincinnati By Steven Michael The seven hills that surround a valley There are factories and mills and clumped alleys It has a southern atmosphere from long ago That has touched my past with fun and soul A steadfast dream Came true at last We all knew that It would be a task A river flows along The edge of the city That people come there to view The busy night lights And its solid hues Caught between a Mason Dixon line The thing that made her shine With Buckeye trees That stand so proudly These are the things of Cincinnati Tilted houses run along slanted slopes Vivid occurrences of new hopes. A square that pours gleaming lights Towering above all to see a queen who has become More refined That we all knew it was time. Round arenas where spectators can gather To hear and see its special matters The zoo that's been rated Above so many The people pour there In so plenty A vine that stretches north and south A Washington park on Race too see The things of Cincinnati. 1 Jason HAIKU Page 6 There is one more mouth to feed Put another potato in the stew Add an extra carrot or two After dinner call your house Let them know you are fine Safe right here with me and I I more of mine. I know you cannot go home The air is too thick to breathe now Let it air and Figure out What the mess was all about When mother calls you Do not shout She too has lots Figure out · A mother's love will never die Believe me, I would never lie STREETVIBES Sweatand T-Shirts! Only $5 for T's, $10 tor Sweats. STREETVIBES TheTri State's H omeless Grapevine 100% White Cotton Shirts and long Sleeve Sweat Shirts Xl Purple logo T-shirts and Sweat Shirts are available at our office at 1506 Elm Street. Please stop by -and see us. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Poor people to spotllght human rights vlolatlons In .the Capltol Washington, DC - On Monday. June 29 at 12:00 PM, poor and homeless DC residents joined by local union members, students and anti-poverty activists w ill hold a tribunal in front of the White House to highlight human rights violations in the nations capitol. Demonstrators will testify about the impact of welfare reform and other cuts affecting poor and working people, calling attention' to how ~' the resulting hunger, homelessness, and poverty constitute violations of the United Nations' U niversal declaration of Human Rights. T he rally is part of a national campaign spearheaded by the Philadelphia-based Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU) to reaffirm the Universal Declaration of Human Rights' guarantee of basic economic human rights like food, housing, health care, education, and a job at a living wage. T he Declaration was ratified 50 years ago by the United States. "This campaign forces us to take a good hard look at the human rights abuses in our own commu­ nities and to o rganize to stop them," said Jessica Alvarez, a rally organizer with the Latino Leadership Institute. " It's unacceptable that here in one of the richest cit ies in the richest country on the planet. people can't meet basic needs." The White House rally comes near the end of a month-long·tour of the U. S. by the Freedom Bus, whose poor and homeless passengers are carrying the message of KWRU's Economic Human Rights Campaign '98 to thirty cities nationwide. Freedom Subscribe to Streetvlbes Subscriptio ns t o Streetvibes ca n b e purchased for $ 12 pe r year. Please send a check t o the b e low a dd ress a nd the pap e r will b e m a iled t o yo u each issue. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinna ti, OH 45210 Please m a ke che cks paya ble t o the Greater Cincinnati Coali­ t ion for the Ho m e less-­ Streetvibes. If yo u have any que stio n s, <..&II 421 -7803. Bus riders have documented thousands of violations of the Universal Declaration of Human rights. Local campaign organizers have spent recent months collecting documentation of economic human rights violations to present to the Freedom Bus riders upon their June 29th arrival. At the rally, participants will place the documentation into a coffin in reminder of the toll violations have taken. The Freedom Bus riders will carry this documenta­ tion to ?New York City. where on July I. KWRU and its supporters will present the collected documentation to the UN. "We're throwing into sharp focus the ugly picture of what is happening in out city and country-deepening poverty amidst extreme wealth." said Clark McKnight. a local campaign organizer and child counselor at Community of Hope. "The documentation helps show the world what is happening to poor people in our communities, and we as poor people are doing this documentation ourselves. We are learning to be our own leaders and representatives." emphasized McKnight. Speakers at the rally w ill discuss the damage to their lives and communities caused by the recent confluence of budget cuts, welfare and immigration reform, and educational failure in Washington, DC. Testimony will be presented by McKnight; Je~ica Alvarez. a grassroots organizer;· a mother on public assistance; a Vietnamese refugee and DC Public ' School student; a formerly homeless poet; a Nicaraguan immigrant and school teacher; and Michelle Tingling-Clemmens. a founding mem ber of the W elfare Rights Union and a board member of DC Hunger Action. Also featured will be Cheri Honkala, KRWU Director> and the only welfare recipient to testify b~te ~opg~s~ iu"ri~gh"earings for the 1996 welfare 'eform bill. • • "The message is clear: poor people are staking a claim to a ~etter life," said Doria'ti Bell, a • campaign organizer J.,iMi the Dt' Elonom1c Human Rights Committee. Housln·g Counsellng Conference ­ September 14­ 15, 1998 (, COHHIO (Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio) will be sponsoring a statewide Housing Counseling conference on September 14 and I 5, 1998 at the Crowne Plaza in Columbus. The conference will explore standards that make sense for housing counseling organizations, best practices. developing methods to increase funding, and pre- and post purchase counseling. Participants will include housing counseling organizations, lenders, banks, Fannie Mae, and state and federal governmental agencies. Invited speakers for the conference will include representatives from Fannie Mae, Karen Hill of the American Home Ownership Education and Counsel­ ing Institute from W ashington, DC, local and out of state counseling organizations and representatives from major Ohio banks. Registration will begin approximately at 9:30 am on Monday. September 14, and will conclude around 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15. Registration fees will be $60, which includes lunch both days, a reception Monday evening, a continen­ tal breakfast on Tuesday and the materials. Rooms at the Crowne Plcua have been reserved at the special rat of $60. Registration materials will be available in late July or early August. If you have any questions or want to make sure you receive registra­ tion materials, please call COHHIO at 614/280­ 1984. Page 7 WILLIAM R. WALIACE, D.D.S. 5258 MONTGOMERY RD. NORWOOD, OH 45212 Telephone 1513) 531 ·2338 AKOT ITE R <'LASS J•RODUC T I ON Disc-Jockey Service CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761-3464 (513) 230:6353 ... i i i payroll and human rcsource'managementJ • 'Ii~ TRANSCON EMPLOYMENT COMPANY' 3qr. • A ng Ie E . S t r u n k , C E O i.1 h I :;-, 1·888-841-7900 P.O. Box 12545 (513) 841-5~50 Cincinnati, Ohio 45212 Fax: (513) 84lll-5545 angie_strunk 0 msn.com Friends and Neighbors of Over-the-Rhine An Organization Seekin Justice for People in II Cincinnati's Most Endangered Community Subscribe to STREETVIBESI For only $12 per year you can have STREETVIBES delivered to your home every month. National and Local Stories on Issues regarding homelessness and the poor. News, Information, Personal Stories and more, written every month by homeless and formerly homeless persons... Send Check or Money Order for $12 to: Street vibes C/ O Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine TO THOSE IN THE STRUGGLE In Struggle, By James W. Pryor I've been a prisoner off and on in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (O.D.R.C.) since 1979, all resulting from parole violations, no new crime committed. However, I am just now becoming fully aware of the severe oppres­ sion existing within it's system. There are many areas in which this oppression is expressed, or carried out by the O.D.R.C. First, we can look at the inadequate medical care that is provided for prisoners. An example would be the u:iqualified medical personnel that treat the prisoners. We as prisoners have no other choice but to be at the mercy of these individuals and the treatment they offer. ft has been statistically proven that prisoners utilize prison medical facilities more frequently than individuals on the outside utilize public medical facilities. The quality of the care prisoners receive indicates that it is grossly inadequate, and yet the legislat~re wants to charge him for this same type of medical treatment. The type of medical treatment received coupled with the deplorable conditions that the prisoners are forced to live in are the major cause factors for the poor health of the prisoner. Yet. it is played up politically as a ploy to obtain further funding by the O.D.R.C. when these expen­ ditures could be eliminated by offering adequate medical care in the first instance. Secondly, another area in which the prisoner is oppressed and forced to be passive is through the adult parole authority and the fear of retaliation. The fear of retaliation keeps the majority of today's prisoners from fifing complaints. grievances. or civil complaints concerning the mistreatment they receive. I've seen prisoners attacked and sexually assaulted by their fellow prisoner and even mal­ treated by the correctional staff. Yet, the prisoner will ~ay nothing because of the fear of retaliation. This form of abuse creates today's passive and submissive prisoner on the outward appearance, but is actually a volatile situation waiting to explode. We must consider the hope the prisoner has placed in expecting to see an uncallus parole board, possibly receiving a parole, and returning home to his family and friends . A parole would take him away from the deplorable conditions and.situations he is forced to face on a daily basis. One example of this form of passive oppression comes in the false hopes created by the possible legislative enactment of Senate Bill 182 which augments no real changes or creates no form of commitment by the adult parole authority. The crucial moment in the prisoner's life is his hearing before the adult parole authority which will determine whether or not to se t his sentence and whether or not to grant a parole date. The adult parole authority is under no legal o b ligation to set the time and in practice it does not do so until it is ready to grant parole. By keeping the prisoners in perpetual sus­ pense, never knowing from year to year what portion of his sentence he will serve, the adult parole authority maintains maximum control over the prisoner for the entire period of his incarceration. Do you think that an executive branc~ of the Government (the same government who incarcer­ ated you in the first place) is going to change policies, guidelines, or anything else that would relinquish the maximum control they have now by keeping you in constant suspense? Lastly. another way the O.D.R.C. keeps adequate control over the prisoner is through mismanagement. This is evidenced by their failure to follow their own policies and procedures. They maintain no set of policies or procedures in which they adhere to. What may apply to one prisoner does not apply to the next. This also helps them create a balance of strife and tension between the . prisoners. just as they do with a limited number of phones. televisions, recreation equipment, or any other product used to keep the prisoner passive. This allows them to control you when they threaten to take away these little luxuries, just as it does when you fight among yourselves over them. This keeps you too busy to challenge the inadequacies of the administration. The answer I believe. is to change where necessary the ways in which these institutions are organized and managed. Poor prison conditions are produced by poor prison management. Cruel and unusual conditions are the product of failed management.. And the reverse is also true: prisons where prisoners can "do time" without fearing for their lives or being pressured by their peers for sex, money or drugs; without fear of retaliation by the AP.A. and where there exist standard policies that are adhered to; without fear of being abused physically or emotion­ ally by their officers and abandoned to their educational (or other basic life skills) deficiencies, these are the products of sound prison management. An example is the severe lack of educational programs and security that exists within the Ohio prison system. The administration and correctional staff are improperly trained and cushioned in their jobs. No group of prisoners is unmanageable and no combination of political, social, budgetary, architec­ tural, or other factors makes good management impossible. Difficult, yes; fatiguing, always; thankless. mostly; impossible, never. Even overcrowded maximum security facilities can be improved simply by changing the ways in which they are organized and managed. However. the O.D.R.C.'s AP.A, psychologists, case managers, and unit managers seem. to be unmotivated individuals who muhge their con­ sciences or "weak egos" by patronizing what they would call us prisoners, such as disadvantaged people or human waste, as they portray in their actions. And whom they solicit for their own personal gain. The mind-boggling arrogance of these individuals is utterly beyond my belief. but it truly exists within the State of Ohio and it's prison "industrial system.'' MEDICAL CO­ PAYMENT Submitted by Sonny Williams for the Ohio Prisoners' Rig hts Union In Senate Bill 11I of the I22nd General Assembly at lines 8,097 to 8,099 is a very broad sentence in which to implement the Medical Co­ payment for medical services in all the State Correc­ tional Institutions under the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. This very broad sentence will effect every inmates health and well being, and life in all the State of Ohio, especially those with health problems. Inmates only receive an average of $16.00 to $18.00 state pay per month to purchase Hygiene and necessities, which the state fails to provide. The majority of inmates come from the lower incom~ class, therefore receiving what little money their families can provide. Now every inmates family is being forced an additional burden on them in order for their loved ones to receive adequate health care by paying once through their hard earned tax dollars and now again by money which they will send their loved ones through the mail. DRC was crying to the legislatures to pass the Page a Medical Co-payment law, and the law makers allowed it to be amended to Senate Bill I I I along with 4 other issues, when the Ohio Constitution Article fl. section IS(D) specifically states that all Bills are to be of one subject. See State ex rel. Dix vs. Celeste ( 1984). I I Ohio St. 3d 141. The Medical Co-payment did NOT pass by itself two years ago for these same reasons and issues. Senate Bill I I I passed because of the other issues contained within the Bill. not Medical Co-payment. Therefore. Senate Bill I I is in complete violation of the Ohio Constitution Article II, section IS(D), One subject rule. Due to the very broad language in Senate Bill I I I, line 8,097 stating, "Any user fee or co-payment for services at a detention facility, including, but not limited to, fee or co­ payment for sick call visits." DRC is charging for anything and everything they can, when they know very well that our income is so limited. DRC is charging for dental (even each tooth). medications, foot doctor, X-rays. which is creating worse health problems for us inmates. If someone is sick or has the flu and cannot afford the Medical Co-payment, that inmate will not seek medial attention, thus spreading it to the rest of the inmate population. Or if I go and get treated for the flu, as I can afford it, then I will again catch the flu by someone who refuses to seek medical attention, thus wasting my $3 .00 for nothing. Mental Health is charging $3 .00 for Stress Management Classes. and Anger Management, which in turn will effect society, because no inmate will pay $3 .00 for stress management, when we only have so little in which to buy our hygiene, coffee, and smokes, which are addictive. This takes away rehabilitation that the tax paying citizens are paying for and want to see be done. The same amount of people in Mental Health are still employed regardless of Medical Co-payment. Senate Bill 11 I, effective March I I. 1998. Since then a lot of inmates are refusing to go to the inmate hospital due to this $3.00 co-payment to receive adequate treatment, or paying and being refused to see the physician by orders of the nurse abusing their authority and refusing to listen to the patient violating standard code of ethics. Now. due to this new law to save a little bit of money. it has created a severe problem. THE WEEK AFTER THE CO-PAYMENT STARTED. A WHOPPING 27 INMATES DIED THROUGHOUT THE STATE. Is this the legislative intent of Medical Co-payment? DRC and the medical staff are stating that we have to pay for anything that is not life threatening, or that they do not have a chronic clinic for. If our symptoms are not chronic, then we have to pay for it. But they are refusing to use anything prior in our medical fifes which shows that our symptoms are persistent. other than blood pressure, epilepsy. and diabetes. The definition of Chronic in the Webster's II New Riverside University Dictionary 1994 is: ::.L...Qf long duration: 2. Subject co a habit or disease for a lengthy period. syn: continuing. lingering. persistent, prolonged. protracted." Therefore, DRC is misconstruing lines 8,097 of Senate Bill 111 and charging for almost everything. when they should only be charging for one time only "SICK CALL VISITS." The doctors that we are provided with, who receive excessive salaries of hard earned tax payers dollars, seem to have a chronic (persistent. continu­ ing) habit of failing to listen to the patient as re­ quired by the Ohio State Medical Board's code of ethics. Therefore, we are forced to pay for someone who will not even listen to us, thus creating unethi­ cal and more severe medical problems for inmates throughout Ohio's prisons who are required by law to provide adequate medical care, and adequate living standards. Inmates can not obtain nor purchase products such as Band-Aids, Hydrogen Peroxide, Disinfectants to help kill the germs in here, thus spreading germs everywhere. Our showers are cleaned with soap and water, not Limeaway.or C.LR. cl~aners. The soft scrub cleaner was taken away because it was messing the locks up by getting in the �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 9 . 'Medlcal' continued from previous page keyholes. . I ask for an investigation by your office and the State Inspector Generals Office. If you would contact them as well to look into the health violations occurring within DRC regarding medical co-payment, thus creating worse health conditions a we are required to even serve more time under the Truth-and­ Sentencing of 85% of our sentence, and bringing DRC below adequate living standards within Ohio's prisons. I ask that you share this letter with other law makers to show them what Senate Bill 111 , O.R.C. section 5120.56 is causing. I request that you will consider repealing the Ohio Revised Code. section 5 120.56, or make it a more precise and accurate definition of the Medical Co-payment standard's here in Ohio's prisons. The language of the statute is too vague and broad. Thank you for your time and consider­ ation of this request. and I appreciate anything and everything that you do to help us here with this huge problem affecting all the inmates regarding our health care. It should be about saving live~. not money. SAN DIEGO CONCOURSE SLEEP-IN ENTERS 3RD MONTH Noith American Street Newspaper Associati on San Diego- The People's Establishment, a San . Diego City Hall concourse encampment that has drawn more than I00 people each night, has entered its third month of protest for year-round shelter. The self-managed encampn:ient began on march I 5th when three emergency winter overflow shelters in that city closed down. Protest organizers estimate that approximately_2,000 people are sleeping on the street because the shelters are full. According to a recent US Conference of Mayors report, 78% of requests for shelter in San Diego are unmet. Protest organizers say local shelters are referring turnaways to th~ir encampment. Roger Scott, an organizer of_ the protest, says the encampment is demanding year-round transi­ tional housing and the establishment of-a safe area for people to sleep. "There are a lot of handicapped and mentally ill people staying in the encampment right now," said Scott, "and a lot of people have earned back their self-respect and dignity." The encampment is entirely self-managed, and has formed it's own Board of Directors along with several committees that keep the camp running. Scott estimates that more than 2,000 people have stayed at the camp. "The City is very concerned," said Scott. "and they're getting to the point where they're so mad they're going to try to get a court order to get rid of us. I refuse to give up hope though, because I think the Good Lord is going to get us transitional housing." TEEN A ROLE MO.DEL AT CLUB by Edward de la Fuente, The Cincinnati Enquirer Just past'the top of the stairs inside the entrance to the LeBlond Boys and Girls Club in Over-the-Rhine is a wave of children, of all ages and heights. ready to overwhelm anybody who has just made their way up. This is Donnell Kelly's world. This, outside of school. is the T_OSt important part of this 16-year­ old's life. Everyone at the club knows it and respects him for it. "What's up, Dante?" Donnell s:iys to a small . boy standing iJ"!;'i hallway as Donnell pa...sses by. The two high-five the child unable to suppress a smile. Now that school is out, this is Donn-ell's day job. A member of the club since age 7, he spends the entire afternoon there. As a junior·scaff member, he watches over·'the younger members. As a participant in the club's .Big Buddy cpn2gram. he serves as a mentor to one of the club's children ... As one of six youths randomly se.lected in a nationwide cont~st, Donnell will participate as a ball boy during the World Cup soccer match between Chile and Cameroon on June 23 in Nantes, France ... 'The experjence of going to France, that's what's exciting to me," he said. "it's a once-in-a­ lifetime dream." Donnell, who just finished his freshman year at St. Xavier High School, was nominated for the Coca­ Cola sponsored contest by the Boys and Gir~s Club Support Your Local Vendor... Tell A Friend About Streetvibes! after earning the chapter's "Yo.uth of the Year" award for the second straight year. The determination that earned him that distinction also prevails at his Over-the-Rhine home, where he lives with his grandmother, Ellen Varner... "He's seen both the good and the bad of this area," Mrs. Varner said. " He chooses the good route. He's never out late. He goes to school, he goes to the club, and then he comes home." 'There are a lot of kids here who want to be just like him," said Sharon Montgomery, unit director at the LeBlond club. "T hey see that Donnell's going to a private school and they ask me how tJ:iey can do that" ...Donnell passed the sc;hool's entrance exam with ease. Meanwhile, Miss Leroux found that asking people to help pay Donnell's tuition was surprisingly . easy. "I hardly had to ask." said Miss Lerou-x, the primary donor. "It was a neat thing to be a, par t of. People really want to help children in the i ~ner city. They were so excited to be a part of it" ­ ., ' Free legal help .... suffers by Richard Carel/I, The Associated Press WASHINGTON - The Supreme Cour t, by the narrowest margins, endangered multi-state programs that for two decades have provided the nations poor with up to $ 100 million worth of fr.ee legal help each year. Voting 5-4 in a Texas case, the justices ruled Monday that the interest earned from short-term trust accounts lawyers hold for their clients are the private property of those clients. While a big victory for the protectors of priv·ate property. rn?st such clients likely won't see a dime of enrichment. And the decision could be a huge setback for providing legal servkes for the poor. "We're probably 90 percent home," said Richard Samp, the lawyer for the conservative Washington Legal Foundation that challenged the programs' constitutionality and sued to end them. �' STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine . ·· . Page 10 Vying For Rights WORDS FROM With Animals? THE iEVANGELIST... Dangers Of Blood Banks ~.· I think someone should know about the dangers of going to blood banks. Frorn seeing my roommate's arms, I can bearwitness that after going to blood banks over five times, there would be dark spots made on both arms. After approximately five months there would be indentations made in the arms that never go away. My advice after five times is to use emery boards and soap...(in a later letter)... Hello. My name is Aaron Pitchford. I've got something to share with you. I'm signing in to you because I1told you that people know blood banks for life as the'at;lvertisements·go on T.V. But they are deeper tltciW.that! I would prescribe a few times as long as it d~esn 't start to make holes. What I am relating to .you is that blood banks could be very addictive. I went a few times and I saw other people...they have C1ark marks. When it be like this, use an emery board, rub on soap, and it will replenish the skin to its natural skin color, not Ambi! So, Aaron is signing off now and God bless you. ~lie Dear Streetribes: c. I have previously sent you articles asking that you consider printing them. There have been j rumors that you may have printed one. Would you kindly send me a copy of the paper in which the article was printed? Furthermore, I have done bits of research on education and rehabilitation. There is a criminal justice program that does extensive research on it, who· has given the right to me to have anything of theirs reprirted. Therefore, after I compile this, would you please consider printing it? It's a great benefit to be able to create awareness of some of the social ills. Also, I would like to thank you for whatever considerations you give my submissions. Ypur time . and cooperation has been greatly appreciated! Sincerely. James W. Pryor (Editors Response: Dear James, yes we have received your letters and yes we have published one story in June's edition of STREETVIBES. We are· happy to receive any suggestions you have for upcoming editions of STREETVIBES. In fact, we encourage this activity and opportunity for those whose voices go unheard to be heard via our media. As you said, "It's a great benefit to be able to create awareness of some of the social ills." And look for this quote along with your recent letter to us in the Editorial Section of the July issue of STREETVIBES: we have added you to our mailing list and you should expect to commence receiving STREETVIBES on a monthly basis. Consider your submissions a blessing to those whose voices goes unheard.) Hello. My name is Aaron Pitchford and I am writing a story similar to the story about the article entitled "Dog Shelter Welcomes Homeless People?" (STREETVIBES April '98). ,Let.me share with you how I was thrown out of a shelter because of kicking a cat. First. I never kicked the ~at. I raised my foot in a playful manner to maybe make him bite my shoe or paw it. I have been written up in the shelter resident manager's log for inciting a riot for turning over a picture and knocking over some paneling purposely. Nobody knocked over a picture or pan~ling. Quoting the statement, befo!'e I sig11 off,_ on page ten in May's STREETVIBES "Editorials and Letters," "Dogs and animals tend to get more love and care than humans ..." I am not no stupid liver!!! Slave La.bor i . .i Conti n.ued ...J t : Editors Note: In the Jur!e' 98' issue of STREETVIBES, there was an article written by Dan Cahill. Dan wrote, "The· Governor re~~ntly signed into law Senate Bill Ill. This is an opp~~sive piece of legislation that will have a":. negative fmRitct on many aspects of the criminal (in)justice syst~..." . ')S The June 98' iSsue of SfEETVIBEtS was mailed I I G to Dan Cahill at the Orient Correction~ Institution (OCI) in Columbus, OH. Da'r?_·has be~~ receiving STREHVIBES for about two yea'rs no'w at tbe OCI unde-r the exact same conditions. On June 26th, 1998 we received an env~lope acco,mpanied only by th~ June 98' issue of STREETVIB~S. 'Sonny Williams said that OC/'s explanation_'or such • -~1 behavior was a result of the senders qgdress (GCCH). Sonny was '/nfo~inea" _the ad<!Jess need be from the publisher, "ST~EETV/BES:" ~~$n though Dan Cahill has been receiving the palf'¥. from GCCH now for about two years. It Is interesting to note that this questionable scree'!ing by th~pc1 has only occurred with Dan Cahill since his arqc,Je appeared in June 98' STREETVIBES. There existed no accom­ panying letter of explanation, Such an approach · towards communication seems awkward and evasive. Wliat is going on behind the confines of "our" prison system here in America. Gradually, the prjson systems in America are being turned over to the private industry where the government grants money to be used at their discretion. What does the privatization of this system entail...what does it mean? The public, "we the people." have somehow indirectly played o role in imprisoning ·convicts through the "balances of power." It therefore follows that the public, not the private sector, . should play a role insuring the proper maintenance of our prison systems. Prisons are set up to serve the purpose of protecting the general public's freedoms. So, why is the prison system being transferred into the private sector's hands? justice is the servant of truth and fairness and as such should work to elucidate rather than veil the activities lurking behind the bars of "our prisons." .... Free Dyslexia screenings for children The Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati will conduct free screenings for dyslexia from July 20 to July 31. The screenings are for children who have reading problems and will be entering grades 2-4 in the fall. After-school classes for those students who qualify will begin in September. For more information, call the Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati at 621-7323. "Open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to the poor, and the needy, .in thy land." Deut. 15:11 By Rodney Sutton, Sr. Many are wondering what services will be provided by A Way of Life Ministries, and when th'ese services will be available. Well. A.W. 0 . L. Ministries plans to provide services for youth who are at-risk because of economic status, geographical location, and ethnic background. There will also be lim ited services for the homeless a~d families. Services for youth will be such programs as summer camp through the YMCA and .other Christian oriented programs as they are developed and sponsors become available. The YMCA Camp Felicity Program has already' • begun and I will be working with representatives from the Ca"mmunity Councils in Low;~ Price Hill, the West End. Over-The-Rhine, and the · Fa~ ·Apartments to send the maximum .:n umber of kids ages 11-14 to camp this summer. ~ · There is a plan to begin a Kids 'Bibi'~ Club in August in conjunction with the State ~venue Church of Christ. More jnformation wilL~e 1 forthcofn ing. • - ~ . ") Services for the homeless and famil1es will primarily be consulting and referral-servi.ces to assist those individuals and families :,.;~o~~ve spiritual needs. However, we do plal"! to nold Alcoholic Victorious Meetings and Bible Studies for individuals and groups. and some par.e'Oting and chemical dependency seminars. Nevertheless, A.W.O.L. Ministries and the services which it will provide to our community can not exist without the help of those who are financially able to support us. We are a, small ministry. but without your support the needs of the at-risk youth. the homeless, and dysfunc­ tional families will go unmet; therefore, V(e ask that you bless us according to the measure which God has blessed you. We are still in need of folding chairs, tables, a podium. and miscellaneous items which can be used in our ministry. • · - - .,,_ ••f A.W.O.L. Ministries c/o Evangelist Rodney Sutton. Sr. 2305 W. 8th Street. Cincinnati. OH 45204. And if you have any questions or would like to volunteer your services. please call 251­ 4101 or 210-4181. Help Wanted Now Hiring Floor Staff and Maintenance Drop by or Call Drop Inn Center Shelterhouse 217 West 12th Street Over-The-Rhine 721-0643 �____,_ -- := :::::: ,,.. STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvlbes Crossword 8 by Paul linden 9 10 11 14 . ·:· ~~~:.:!·. · ·.·_·.··· Page Sera mble 11 . by Ron Carter Try to unscramble these related wo rds: TRMAK EANELSWGR REKOGR WYHTIRFTA VREOC SASER NNYPES SESYPLA MWTARAL MSSA 17 Answers on page 15. 38 39 40 'A~erbaijan' 42 page 12 48 51 April 1, 1995 Across 1. Cold and damp 4. lnfonnal talk 8. Autos 12. Tunnoil 13. Sharpen, as a razor 14. Upon 15. By means of 16. Colorful agate 17. Scotia 18. Gloomy 20. London river 22. Biblical fruit 24. Medicine bottle 25. Taurus' symbol 26. Cash drawer 27. What person? 30. Memorable age 31. Mannequin 32. Concealed 33. Endeavor 34. Lyric poems 35.Heed 36. Foolish prank 37. _in , interferes 38. Emotional 'rush' from 41 . Wise one 42. Garden tools 43. Black 45. Food fish 48. Heroic 49. Highway · 50. Exist 51 . Longs (for) 52. Nimble 53.. Signer's tool _ Down 1. Knock sharply ,2. Fruit beverage 3. Repartee, puns, etc. 4. Routine task 5. Goose call 6. Some 7. Woven fabrics 8. Artifical waterway 9. Tiny particle 10. Wander about 11. Health resorts 19. Totality 21. Corridor 22. Help in crime 23. Feline murmur 24. TV picture 26. Small fry 27. Foamy wave 28. Clue 29. Chances, as in a bet 31. Drudge j s _Tankard 36. Phonograph records 37. Toss back and forth, as words or Jdeas 38. Those people 39. Wish 40. Harness strap 41. Fly high 44. Punch: slang 46. Native metal 47. Lair Answers to Crossword on Page 13 Subscribe to Streetvlbes Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per year. Please send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed to you each issue. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, ~H 45210 Please make checks pay­ able to the Greater Cincinn~ti Coalition for the Homele ss-­ Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. Community Celebration. live Music! Every Sunday -6PM Free of Charge Nast-Trinity United Methodist Church 1320 Race St. Cincinnati 721·1339 also fears she may have tuberculosis, which is intensified by the measles- she fears it will result in pneumonia. The Mom is also sick. It is a pathetic situation. One half of the families income.is Ayten's begging. So. now, as if they did not already hav too little. their income is cut in half. The reason. of course, Ayten is malnour­ ished. is because they did not have enough money to buy them food . Now they have half of that. Yesterday, Jill and I went shopping for them and bought a bunch of food for them. We spent clo se to $90.00 at the doctor-visit plus anitbiotic. Ayten and Elshan are probably as likely to be exposed to Hepatitis and whatever else is out there as anyone. and their little imn:iune systems are probably not able to withstand much-especially without a decent diet, you should see how skinny they are. W e are going to get them as many immunizations as possible-but all this costs money and you know that the amount we have is pretty limited. If you two think of it. pray. I will keep you updated on everything. I love both of you. Chad Update: Ayten and Elshan's health is begin­ ning to stabilize. Chad took Ayten to the doctor and bought her antibiotics. He continues to bring salubrious food to those who are ill or in danger of becoming ill. The doctor said that Ayten is fortunate Chad brought her on the day he did. Chad and his American friends continue in their benevolence, making visits to the doctor to acquire vaccinat~ons and medications for their refugee friends. COMEDY CORNER "Seen Us" Trouble by Ron Carter A Man died and went to hell... The Devil asked, "what happened to you?" The man replied, "I had seen us trouble." The Devil said, "what did you say?" T he man repeated, "I had seen us trouble ­ I was coming out of a Hotel with a woman and her husband seen us." (Do you want to know how the · husband found out? Yes, I knew you would, well, it was like this: A Pig Squealed!?) �-- AMARU'S FA.REWELL ADDRESS By T11'IT0 Amam, The Xavier Newswire After three years of writing for Perspectives, the reviews are finally in. First the good: "His articles always allow me co take time and think ." "I like them." "He makes me understand concepts never imagined." And now the bad: "Why does he spell America with three K's ?" He's immature." "Doesn't he hate all white people?" "He's very hostile and violent; what's this 'Peace or Rest in Peace' crap anyway ?" "Is the 'Hit Squad' a black thing?" "Is he the black guy with the funny hair?" Throughout my quest of writing I've always sought to enlighten and/or educate people while denouncing ignorance (the lack of knowledge). Unfortunately, I have long since discovered that there is not a middle ground when pleasing the audience. You can either write to please everyone or write about what you feel is real" (much respect to the editor) . Since I cannot please everyone, I've always chosen to write about what's real- what affects our "Xavier family" and the world around us. When­ ever I submit an article and impose on a reader's time, my goal is to make that person think and, if capable, take some positive action to resolve the problem or give credit where it's due. Provoking positive thoughts and problem-solving actions is always at the top of my priorities. The comedy is best left in the capable hands of Jeff Davis. (Business tip: Philadelphia sewer water nationally rated #I.) With so many positive attributes. why am I viewed as such a radical writer? Is it because I speak up instead of shutting up when discussing controver­ sial issues? Is it because I provide the readers with the uncut truth? Well, if at any time the truth has caused some discomfort. have a period pill (Motrin) and deal with it. Why should I be termed a menace to society because I ask "Why is that" like Chris Parker (KRS-1 of Boogie Down Productions F Should I ignore being harassed by safety and security and mistaken for a bum (now there's a reason to always carry Xavier identification )? And should I over look how Jeffery Dahmer brutally killed and digested minorities only to receive lifetime sentences, while Gregory Resenover (a black male) of Indiana murdered a white police officer to receive the death penalty? Or should I be overjoyed that the prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Susan Smith of North Carolina for the murder of her four month and eleven year old sons, and forget how the townspeople were ready to lynch the allegedly black car jacker? Furthermore, am I supposed to believe that the federal government who so dislikes black activists now appears unconcerned whether the most influential black man alive, Minister louis Farrakhan, lives or dies after the government 's involvement in the murders of Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X. and Martin L. King? But don't get me wrong; everything is not always in black and white. My mind transcends the specific to comprehend the injustices of everyone. For instance, why is it that people of all races and religions are leaving AT&T because they support homosexual rights? Better yet, why did the city of Cleveland, Ohio deny Farrakhan a forum solely due to his political and religious beliefs, while allowing Reverend Billy Grahai:n a similar forum months . before? And why is it that women acquire the same occupations as men, but are paid less? Also, if you truly believe that Christopher Columbus discovered America, allow me to enter your home and discover some items. Why is' it that from our births to our deaths we taught that Jesus Christ was of pale skin (white), blond or brown hair (depending on the ... • artist) and blue eyes? In fact: the Bible states Jesus had "skin of bronze" and "hair of wool." but when confronted with the truth, our pastors, popes, priests, fathers, and nuns maintain it doesn't ma(ter. Is it my writing of the truth or is it T e'tro, the black person, you have a problem with? We were all sent to college to gain useful knowledge. Xavier presented us with the opportunity to form a basis of communication between various cultures, which can only result in a much needed understanding of all races. religions, and people of different backgrounds. In doing so. we are expelling the massively negative stereotypes that place shackles over our minds. Should I be viewed negatively because of my skin color, because of my background, and because I've brought valuable understanding and diversity to the "white picketed fences"? Besides, doesn't our beloved institution preach and practice diversity, or is that conducted in the same manner in which Amerikkka practices democracy ? My solution is to stop writing for Perspectives. I hope my man Soren and John McHale will continue to enlighten and educate those whom I couldn't. As a black person, my goal to put some heat under the melting pot can never be accomplished as long as people know who I am and discredit my writing by stating. "He's just another angry black person." Am I angry? Yes. I'm angry that ignorant stereotypes, prejudices, and racism exist. And just because a person's parents are closed minded doesn't mean that he or she has to follow in stride. There are good people of all races and back grounds who've proved that two racists (negatives) can make a non-racist (positive)-ask "Cleaver"; she can verify this. In addition. when attempting to figure me out .you more than likely miss the content of the article. Thus, for the analyzers, my mind is more laced than shoelaces and more complex than a j!gsaw puzzle with no pieces. Peace, farewell and may the next person to denounce ignorance be white. A LETTER FROM AZERBAIJAN CONT... Tuesday, June 9th, 1998 The following letter is actually a follow-up letter from last month's issue of STREETVIBES. Mom and Brett. Hey, I have some not so good news about Ayten and Elshan. Earlier in the week we were talking to Ayten and Elshan's M9m and she told us that Ayten is really sick. They thought it was "guzulja," what we call rubella. We went to visit her and-she is terrible. She is BURNING UP with a fever and her Mom doesn't know what to do. and so when we got there, she'd not eaten or DRANK ANY­ THING in 2 WHOLE DAYS. Her Mom and older sisters have no idea what they are doing. they think that cold water is bad for her as well as putting a cold rag on her head-so she just sits there and dehydrates and burns up. You can see how serious this is. We got her to drink a little bit-keep in mind she is already malnourished and has absolutely NO access to medicine. etc.. and lives in this tiny, little, always dirty house (as seen in June edition of STREETVIBES). One Year Ago Today Jesse Passed Away (6-22-97) By Maryann Bravo When Jesse passsed last year I struggled hard to try to build a n.e w life. It was not easy, but I took it one day at a time. I left Lousville, Kentucky and went to Trenton, New Jersey and left there and came to Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati, Ohio is where I was gong to stay and get my life back together. When you have some one close to you and you are sharing life with that person and that person passes, it's so hard to have life without that person. but you get a life of your own. I prayed to God to help me through the tough times that I had in my life. I have made a good life for myself here in·Cincinnati. All I did was take it one day at a time and my life is full again because I had patience and I knew one day that all my hopes and dreams that I had with Jesse will never come true. But after all, my hopes and dreams are coming true one day at a time: I. I believe in my higher power 2. I trust my higher power. IF YOU WRITE POETRY AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR WORK IN STREETVIBES, CALL 421-7803 OR FAX US AT 421-7813 Ayten and Elshan {right) with Chad Zwolinski. Photo by Brett Zwolinski We went back the next morning and con­ vinced her Mom to let us take her to a western doctor here. So. Ayten, Elshan, their Mom, Jill, Nicole (Chad's college friends) and myself all went early yesterday (Friday) to the doctor. The doctor was very worried about her. She believes it to be measles, which can result in death- how much !110re so in a child w°ithout medical care, malnutrition, etc. She said if she'd known how sick Ayten was, she (the doctor) would not have had any children in her office for atleast 2-3 hours after Ayten left. As if this is not sad enough in itself, consider how contagious measles are. Elshan will likely get it, if he doesn't already ·have it. He also is malnour­ ished and will need to go to the doctor. From listenting to Ayten's chest and what not, the doctor 'Azerbaijan' cont. on page 11 �- - - - -- good health. TUBERCULOSIS How would I feel if the T B germs grew without stopping and became TB d isease in the lungs? By Lynn Kilbane, RN, BSN; Clinical Coordinator HCTBC You would feel very sick. tired all the time, and generally run down. Most often a person has a cough that lasts more than three weeks and will often cough up blood. A person with active TB may also experience night sweats, weight loss. fever, and shortness of breath. An unexplained weight loss of twenty pounds o r more in a sho rt time is a major concern. You may have seen recent news articles about TB. It is an old disease that continues to rear its ugly head. The purpose of this article is to answer the questions most frequently asked about TB. What is Tuberculosis? Mycobacte ri,µm Tuberculosis is the name of the germ which can cause TB infection and disease. T uberculosis can grow anywhere on or in a person's body. How does the doctor know it is TB and not just a ·"bad cold?" A positive skin test is prese nt in most persons who have active TB. in addition to the symptoms mentioned above. The chest X-ray will show the growth of TB in the lungs. The nurse will ask you to cough up phlegm into a jar so that the lab person can look at it under a microscope to make sure that the problem is indeed TB. How do you get TB? 'Mac' at Homeless Memorial Remembrance, Washington Park, December '9 7. Photo by Jimmy Heath McCRACKIN'S W·ITNESS By Kyle Childress (Nacagdoches, Texas Newspaper) I read in the recent issue of the ·d eath of Maurice ("Mac") McCrackin. Your words and memories sparked my own ("Hea rts & Minds.'' by Jim Wallis, March-April 1998). He was an amazing man who in my brief enco unter with him made an important impression upon me. I remember the Peace Pentecost of which Wallis wrote-Mac's quiet refusal to cooperate with the authorities and how they quickly separated him form the rest of us. When we were in the holding cells in the basement of the courthouse. a couple of marshals dragged Mac into the cell, twisting his fingers and thumbs backward trying to force him to cooperate and punishing him at the same time. Mac was crying and telling them to stop but never giving in. We were all loaded on buses and taken to the D.C. jail under the intimidating care of the U.S Marshal Service and then crowded into more holding cells just inside the jail. waiting to be officially fingerprinted and processed. Just down from me were several guys shooting up last-minute drugs. We waited and waited. Finally. the front door opened with che two mar shals dragging in Mac. Still they were bending his fingers and thumbs. Still he was crying for them to stop. st ill he would not cooperate. They dragged him to the fingerpr int cable and w hen he would not voluntarily put his fingers on the ink stamp-pad. they fo rced his fingers into the pad by fu rther twisting and bending them. At the same time. the holding cells had erupted with cries and sho uts from the other prisoners. The guys near me, who had been so inte nse o n their drugs, were jumping up and down screaming ac the marshals and yelling for Mac not to give in to them. One fellow climbed up o n the bars shouting "Hey man! Do n't give in! Don't let them break yo u!" He jumped back down onto the floor near me and said, "Hey man, w ho is that old guy. anyway? He's something." I told him that he was arrested fo r protesting the U.S. support of terrorists in Central America and that he was a preacher who had spent his life fighting for peace and justice. The fellow looked back th ro ugh the bars at Mac and said, "He's a real man." I will never forget w hat he said about Mac and what it means for the church. There I was. a middle-class white preacher having a conversation with a young African-American from a very different kind of life on the streets of D.C. W hat could I say to him? What could the Amer ican middle-class church say to him? Nothing. But Mac could say plenty. In fact, he had alr eady said plenty. The germ can only be spread by someone who has it growing in their lungs. When a person with T uberculosis disease in their lungs coughs, sneezes. or laughs, the germs float in the air. If you are nearby and share the same air space. you w ill breathe in the TB germs. A healthy person's body will fight the infection. The germs are able to grow easily if yo u have an illness such as Diabetes, Cancer, or o ther chronic disease or conditions which would put your body in a run down state. Even a healthy person can get the disease if a large number of germs are inhaled. You cannot get TB from sharing a cup o r food with someone (you may get a "strep th roat" o r another infection - but not TB). · How is TB disease treated? Can it be cured? Yes, TB can· be treated and cured. It requires that you take 3-4 kinds of anti- TB medications for 6­ 12 months! This is a long t ime! W e t ry to stop the spread of TB as soon as possible because people often have difficulty remembering to take their medication for such a long time. The clinic's job is to make sure that persons with TB are on the correct medicine and taking it as prescr ibed by the doctor. Sometimes. the nurses will take medicine to a person every day until they complete treatment ­ just to make sure they receive the ir medication correctly. How common is TB? The number of persons with TB in the United States is decreasin.g. TB ra tes co ntinue to be high if you are a homeless person. immigrant. drug or alcohol abuser, living in a prison, if you are HIV positive, or have a disease such as AIDS which would cause you r body co be "run dow n." These groups of people have two things in common. They often stay crowded in group living situations with "shared air" space. The other factor is that these persons' bodies are very stressed due to disease, running their body down with drug use. or living witpout proper nourishment and comfort. What happens w hen a person has active TB disease and do·es not take their medication correctly? A person will not get better as fast, or at all, when medicatio n is take n incorrectly. That means the person is still contagious and can infect many more people. Not taking all of your medication at the right time may actually help the germ to become "stronger." When this happens, the first drugs given may not work at all. This is called drug resistance. Other medicines may have to be used. This means If I have some of che germs in my body. does that mean I have TB disease? 'Tuberculosis' cont. on-page 14 NO! A person can have some of the germs living in their body (TB infection) and not have it in their lungs (TB disease). When the body is strong. it can fight off the TB germs and not lee them grow into disease. A TB skin test shows that the germs are present in che body. Because your body has "walled off' the infection you will not fee l ill and cannot spread the germs to anyone else, but will have positive skin test. A chest X-ray is done at this time to make sure you do not have active TB of the lungs. O nce it is determined that you have· o nly TB infection and not disease, it is often - -- -- - - - -- - - -­ - - - - - - -- -- - - , r ecommended that you take TB medica­ 5 6 9 10 11 1 2 H A A R S R A tion once a day for six months to kill the 12 remaining germs. You and a clinic docto r A D 0 N T 0 P will make that decision together. Remem­ ber- once your skin test is positive, it is 0 V A always positive; even after you take the medication! Answers to Streetvlbes Crossv1ord from Page 11 ... W hy should I take medication w hen I am not sick? 25 B U 30 The germs can, and often do become active if yo ur bo dy becomes stressed and weakened. Yo u can prevent the remaining germs from becoming active by taking anti- TB medication (most often you would be given the medication called INH). Taking the medication keeps 90% of people completing their medica­ tion from ever developing the disease. The medication must be taken as directed by the physician. Monthly visits are recommended to monitor o ur continued E R 42 H 48 E 0 D E p N D 0 0 A R E R R E N 51 y E N l \ -T I �Klotter Street Steps deteriorate, closlng continues to outrage OTR Residents Update and photo by Jimmy Heath Despite protests from community leaders and local activists, the City of Cincinnati used taxpayer money to install a chain link fence across the Klotter Street steps, closing the steps to public access. Residents along this r ight-of-way on Klotter Street cited crime and easy access for criminal activity as reasons for demanding the closing of these steps. Many residents. that are now denied access to the steps, and community leade rs feel that some Klotter Street residents were motivated by racism and · elitism. While Klotter Street residents continue to seal off their community from 'those people' in the neighborhood below them, crime statistics in Over­ The-Rhine continue to be the wors t in the city. Should Over-The-Rhine close and deny access to its public streets, alleyways and right-of-way's as a crime fighting measure? Believe it or not. some say yes! Plans and discussions are being made to close a number of alleys in OTR. Walking is a comf'!'l<:>n mode of transpo rtation for many residents of OTR. Closing public walkways and other means of access is not the answer to crime. When .looking closely at viable alternatives to closing the Klotter Street seeps (such as crime awareness and Block Watch. im­ proved lighting, and increased police pre-sence) the choice to close the steps altogether. and at taxpayer expense, seems a poor one. The City. by this action, has effectively endorsed isolationism for its more privileged residents. City Council has promised to look at this issue, and revigw the crime statistics again after one-year. Howevg r:. the steps are already beginning to deterio­ rate jusm few weeks after being closed. 'Tuberculosls' cont. from page 13 . 01:: ., () the persen !s ill longer. This is why the TB clinic tries -so1very hard co make sure people are taking their me.lilicine every day as ordered. . Hpw can we protect ourselves from TB? F,irst and foremost, w e can try to take good care of ourselves by eating healthy meals and trying to decrease our stress as much as possible. This is a very difficult task for homeless people and that is why the homeless are vulnerable to this rotten disease. If the TB clinic knows you have been exposed to someone with active pulmonary (lung) Tuberculo­ sis w e ~ill do everything we can to notify you. Meanwhile, a yearly skin test can tell you from year to year whether or not you have been exposed to someone with active TB. If your skin test becomes positive- take the medicine if it is offered to you! A yearly X-ray for those persons who have positive skin tests is a good idea if you are homeless and staying in a shelter. Turn your head when you cough and use tissues to catch sneezes and coughs! Encourage others to do the same! Watch yourself and others closely. If you or someone you meet develops signs and symptoms of TB. tell them to come on down to the TB clinic. We are here to help! What is the role of the Tuberculosis clinic in Cincinnati? The clinic does skin testing to identify TB infection, chest X-rays, laboratory tests, provides medications. physicians, and follow-up services for the prevention and treatment of Tuberculosis. We are a resource center for inforf!lation and teaching regarding Tuberculosis-. We are here to serve you' Let us know how we can help' • AT THERE ARE FRIENDLY FACES I() EVERY TURN IN OUR CLINIC! WE WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE CLINIC! IT IS SIMPLE AND EASY AND WE TRY REAL HARD TO BE QUICK! Questions or concerns? Please call if you have any questions or concerns- 632­ 7 196 3 Clinic hours - Monday througb Friday: 8:00am - 4:00pm , NO APPOINTMENT NEED~IO FOR SKIN TESTING TB skin tests are free to those persons unable to pay: .all treatment for positive skin tests and for active TB disease is free . Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Looking for a place to call home.?"' Call the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Affordable rent that never exceeds 30o/o of your income ... Many buildings equipped with security systems ... Units located on buslines and near stores, schools, hospitals, banks Rental units are available in these family and senior communities: Avondale Hopple Street/Fairmount West End Winton Place For more information, call 421-8190 today. �STREETVI BES The Tri State's H_Ometess:c;riipevine ANNOUNCING A new Group at AVOC... For Heterosexuals living With Aids FREE POLITICAL PRISONERS by Sonny Williams Early this year 27th, hundreds marched in front of the White House to demand the freedom of political prisoners in the United Scates. We have two political prisoner's in the Ohio Prison System that should be supported: Dan Cahill at Orient Prison and John Perotti at Lucasville Prison, If you are interested in writing these prisoners, write to: Ohio Prisoner's Rights Union P.O. Box 1746 Cincinnati, Ohio 45201-1746 Are you looking for a broader knowledge of the challenge of living with HIV/ AIDS? Would you like to meet people who share similar experiences and hear their coping strategies? Are you looking for peers with whom ou can discuss and plan for the future? Where: AVOC "Gray Room" When: 1st and 3rd Thursdays 6:30 PM to 8:PM More information: Susan or Judy 421-2437 Band Lookin~ for Work Streecvibes (the band). We like to party. R&B. Oldies, Blues/ Jan, Reggae. Helping chc homeless to help themselves through free enterpriie. Ca.II 421-7803. for.sale ~~·· Native Am erican cookies: orders being accepted: R. C. Janus. (Fax) 891 -8663. Office work~r seeks 20 · 30 hour sit down job on bus line, within 2 miles of the river in ·either Kentucky or Ohio: non-medical terminology. non-filing cabinet office work: social services. sales. public information. crafts. and other background. some computer experience: contact Box 2. Streetvibes. IS06 Elm St., Cincinnati. 4S2 I 0. Laborer Looking for a laborer? Has worked at Riverfront. Is willing to do any kind of work. Call Sonia Craig at the Drop Inn Center. 721 ­ 0643. Eld e rly or Children Looking for a community oriented job dealing with elderly or children. 3 year ourteach worker/ counselor aide at YMCA. 13 years typing. Computer and cashier experience including Windows. Lotus. Any Word Processor. Call Anjail Madyun at the Drop Inn Center. 721-0643. Degreed, su ccessful grants administrator/writer seeks commissioned, free lance position as same: ten percent commission per award. Contact J. Janus, Jr. (Fax) 891 -8663. N ative American-Hispanic female seeks sit down, slow­ paced industrial FACTORY position: physically challenged. (Fax) 891-8663. Scramble Answers from page 11. .. K-Mart Walgreens Kroger Thrlftway Revco Sears Pennys Payless Wa/mart Sams STRE.E.TVIBE.S provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only $I p er line. Call 421-7803 for info. Streetvlbes ·Vendor Code of Conduct Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. I. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for donations more than $I. I also understand that I will be able to keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. Future issues of Streetvibes will be purchased from the Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. 2. I agree that I will never distribute Streetvib~s while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 3. I agree that I will not ask for donations after 12 midnight. 4. I agree to treat others with respect. I will not use abusive language or force someone to give a donation. I will not give a "hard sell" or make someone fee l threatened. 5. I agree that I will not supply copies of In Memory of 11 Mac 11 Who Believed ·In Human Rights For Everyone & Who Founde d Justi ce Watch •.. Because 'Everyone' include s Prisoners and Former Prisoners . COME MEET WITH US STARTING Olf2/5/98 ::r Streetvibes is now accepting Classified Ads for items such as Help Wanted. Items for Sale, Apart­ ments for Rent and other non-personal items. The rate is only $1 per line, approximately four words per line. Classified ads are due by the 20th of the month. People below the poverty level will be allowed five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Otherwise, payment must be received before the ad will run. No refunds will be made. Also, if there is an error, riotify us after the first printing. You will be given an extra month of ad time. Mail the ad copy to: Streetvibes I 506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 o r fax it to 421 -7813 - ~~·~~ 1s Streetvibes to persons who are not registered distributors. 6. I agree not to deceive the public by saying that I am collecting for a not-for-profit charity or that I am collecting for the ··homeless" in general.. I will be honest in seating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvibes will go to the individual vendor. 7. I agree that I will not contest territories with other distributors. 8. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a self supporting paper created by people who are homeless or formerly homeless. To help in this effort, I will try to spread the word and write stories if possible. 9. I understand that the failure to comply with any of the above statements will result in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. Sale s Re presentat ive Looking for position as sales representative or rn:rnagcment. Has good bookkeeping. typing and supervisory skills. Ha s experience in retail management. customer ser.Yice and sales. Is available to work immedia tely. Call Dea Ha rris at S52-93S I. Restaurant Worl< Responsible o lder man able to work any shift. Would prefer worl< as a busser at a rescaurant as well as work as a dishwasher or cook. Is vl!ry dependable and available immediately. Please contact Wiley Powell at 831-8404. Baby S itte r Need a babysitter! Former child-care worker with day­ care experience. Call Mary Ann at 665-4375 or pager at 610-8527 Contineency Fee Lawyer Not afraid of Catholic Church or PUCO. Send office hours and name of law school on let.terhead paper to 11 I I Elm Street. No. 432. Cincinnati, OH 452 10. Streetvibes Radio Hour On WAIF 88.3 fm The Homeless Coalition has a live radio program which can be heard on WAIF radio on.the second Saturday of each month at noon. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Donald Whitehead and other monthly guest hosts. The show mixes talk focusing on the stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates; WAIF 88.3 fm Saturday. July 11th. 1998, noon to I pm Streetvibes ! Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to 4,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. ***Business Card Size 2" x 3 I /2" $I 0 per month ***Two Business Card Size 4" x 3 112" $20 per month A check o r money order must accompany the ad copy. We reserve the right to deny any ad, especially those which p.-omote alcohol or tobacco products. You will receive a full refund should your ad be denied. For larger ads. call the number below. Ads are due by the 20th of each month. If you need assistance in preparing your ad or have any other questions, call th e Homeless Coali­ tion at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes I 506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 .~ �-~· .,. . r VENDO R PROFILE: Streetvibes TV If you have any ideas for future STREETVIBES TV shows please contact our office at 421-7803. We always enjoy hearing from our veiwing audience. Ideas should address subjects related to homeless­ ness and poverty in our city. We are always inter­ ested in viewer ideas, so please give us a call ... The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video. Some viewers might not see the show appear at the right channel or time during the next couple months as W arner Cable changes programming and channels. Streetvibes Wish l ist Streetvibes TV July Schedule Maryann Bravo Maryann, STREETVIBES Vendor of the Month, talks about her experience here in Cincinnati.' I came to Cincinnati six months ago. I didn't know anybody. I ~ondered how I was going to meet people. Well, I have met some wonderful people. As the days went on. I got a chance to know them better. I have met Donald at the offiice, where I went to ge~ some STREEVIBES papers. He is a good man... he is warm. kind, and good-hearted. I have met Lisa at the Drop-I nn Center where I stayed. Lisa is like my big sister I never had. Betty is a wonderful person. Jimmy is wonde rful and kind. Jennifer...she has helped me find a place to live. You never know where you'll go. but wherever it is you might just meet wonderful people like I did. My higher power has helped me meet theses kinds of people. This month's LIVE SHOW w ill feature a review of various job training and life skills programs aimed at assisting homeless persons in shelters gain self­ sufficiency. Scheduled.guests will include shelter personnel and directors of these successful pro­ grams. Cha nne l 1 LIVE CALL-IN SHOW, July 20th at 7PM. Re broa d cast D a t es fo r Show on Cha n­ n e l 10: Saturday, July 4. 19..9 8, 4 PM Friday, July I 0, 1998, I I am Friday. July 17. 1998, 11 AM Monday. July 27.1998. I 0 PM Saturday, July 25, 1998, 4 PM Streetvibes is published monthly on a shoe­ string bu dg~t. We depend heavily on the goodwill of many volunteers and donors. If you can help out with some of the items on our wish list please give us a call... >Adobe Photoshop Software for IBM to save scanning costs >35 MM Film for Sueetvibes photo's >Laser Printer >VCR to Show Streclvibes TV Show Episode s to Groups and Vendors B r o adcast sch e dul es are s ubject to c h a n ge - c ons ult your loc al TV dire ctory. >Advertisers to help support the paper > Fax Machine ~nJhere >Office Supplies Your - Vendor: 80 cents Dollar Printing and Production: 20 cents - SHELTERS: Wome n and Children Alice Paul House (abuse) 241-2757 YWCA T ransitional living Prog. 281-5770 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome House 431-87 17 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Jo'seph House (veterans) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America 241-5525 241-0490 241 -2965 381-494 1 661 -4620 381-1954 SH ELTER: Both C<1racole (AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (singles) Friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) 761-1480 821-5100 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 >Compute r fo r- Streetvibes layout and writ ing ~ Goes Call 421-7Z03 if you ca n h e lp! Streetvibes has a minimal overhead cost so that the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. If anyone selling Streetvibes claims to be collecting for a private charity, please call our office at 421-7803. Thanks for your suppor t. Need Help or Want to Help? If for some reason you find yourself homeless, contact a Coalition Member Agency for Shelter, Treatm ent. Housing or Services. If you have any questions. feel free to c:ali the Homeless Coalition at 42 1-7803. >Supplies for Vendors Lounge (coffee , cups, etc.) · h H osp1ta · 11ty • N etwor k 1nte rfa1t L'1ght house y outh C enter St. Jo h n,s T emporary H ousing · HOUSING CMHA Excel D evelopment Miami Purchase OTR Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies (Mental 111) Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: Wome n O.D.A.A.T First Step Home TREATMENT: Me n Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over T REATM ENT: Both NA Hopeline A.A Hotline C.C.A.T. Talbert House Transitions, Inc, YA Domiciliary O THER SERVICES AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati Appalachian Identity Center ~ .,_.... ... . -~"""'...... . 244-7226 961-4080 651-6446 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381-0954 721-8666 961-4555 241-7343 921-7324 784- 1853 921-1613 751-3260 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 421-2437 621-5991 ..... - .. ~-- - ··----·....----.. ---- - .. -... ' .-·· -·~ ---- · Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independen t living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 59 1-2246 96 1-0600 C incinnati Henlth Network Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381 -4242 Emanuel Community Center 24 1-2563 241-1064 Freestore/Foodbank Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Hamilton Co.Ment:i l He;:i lth Bd. 62 1-7149 632-7186 Hamilton Co. TB Control 357-4602 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 22 1-3679 241-9400 Legal Aid Society Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271 -5501 721-4811 Mary Magdalen House 621 -0248 Oral Health Council Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee N e ighborhood Center 621-55 14 Travelers Aid 721-7660 United W ay 721 -7900 YA Homeless Program 559-6656 Women's Crisis Center 49 1-3335 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1998 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource July 1998 Vol 2, issue 19 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Lincoln Court residents get 'HUD'-winked Cincinnati Coalition partners with NCRC in Treasury Program Pg 2: Cleveland News Pg 3: Portman Plan Pg 4: Welfare News Pg 5: Visible Homeless Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg 7: Nationwide News Housing Conference Pg 8: Prisoners News Pg 9: San Diego Sleep-In Teen Role Model Pg 10: Letters & Editorials Pg 12: Azerbaijan Update Pg 13: TB Information Pg 16: Vendor Profile Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project (curated by Katelyn Lusher) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 1998 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Te' Tro Amaru Maryann Bravo Dan Cahill Ron Carter Pat Clifford Denise Crew Brian Davis Dan Gibbons Jimmy Heath James Hobbs Lynn Kilbane Paul Linden Judith Mendriski Steven Michael Aaron Pitchford James W. Pryor Steven M. Rutherford Mark Salter Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Sonny Williams Brett Zwolinski Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="results-preview"> <div><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-sa/4.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a<span> </span><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a>.</div> </div> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/" style="border-width:0;"></a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Aaron Pitchford addiction Brett Zwolinski Brian Davis Dan Gibbons Dan Cahill Denise Crew Donald Whitehead HUD immigration James Hobbs James W. Pryor Jimmy Heath Judith Mendriski Lynn Kilbane Lynn Williams Mark Salter Maryann Bravo Pat Clifford Paul Linden poverty protest redevelopment refugees Ron Carter Sonny Williams Steven M. Rutherford Steven Michael Te' Tro Amaru the visible homeless vendor profile welfare welfare reform https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/8536aa31fa44b645a1bc1bd03d40a847.pdf d1d7f4ffc5ee18e50ea4244ca86911b4 PDF Text Text Panhandling Ordinance Ruled Unconstitutional by Judge Sherman by Donald Whitehead Since 1995 homeless advocates, homeless individuals and lawyers from the ACLU have argued that measures to strengthen a 1992 aggressive panhandling ordinance were unconstitutional. The two ordinances restrict where and when panhan­ dlers can ask for money and ban people from sitting or lying on business-district sidewalks between 7 a.m and I I p.m. While advocates for the homeless understand the need for restrictions against those that are aggressive in demands for money. it is common knowledge that most panhandlers are not of the aggressive variety. In addition, while we don't advocate panhandling in any form, we understand that because of economic conditions along with the lack of affordable housing and many other factors, people are forced into this behavior. Our resources should be used in providing safe, sanitary, affordable housing and not to prosecute individuals forced into panhandling. Steve Stuhlbarg. who with Scott Greenwood represented the panhandlers said, "We're delighted. We think this is a rigorous and proper applkation of the First Amendment prin­ ciple. These laws were designed to target peaceful, non-coercive and non-disruptive panhandling. These ordinances were targeted at people who are peaceful. The City doesn't have the power to intervene in what people say on a public sidewalk," Jesse Johnson exercising'his F!1St Amendment right to Free Speech he said in a Pose interview. "People have a right to peacefully ask for money. The seated purpose of these laws was to make panhandling disappear," Greenwood added. "The ordinances, in flat and total violation of the First Amendment, ban an entire type of speech based on·its content from the most sacred area for public speech: the public sidewalk. The Court recognized that the poor and homeless have the same First Amendment rights as business people and corporations." 'Panhandling' continued on Page 5... New University Hospital Policy Threatens Health of Poor by Dr. Bob Donoran, Health Care for the Homeless Program On May 17th, the Cincinnati Health Care for the Homeless Program was alerted to a gentleman who was living at the Denison Hotel. He was recently discharged from University Hospital and had a handful of prescriptions with no insurance to cover the cost. Usually when this happens. the problem is that the person didn't stop at the University Phar­ macy to get the prescriptions filled . However, when we spoke with him we found out he had gone there Cleveland News Students Perspective Welfare News Visible Homeless Drop Inn Center Arts & Poetty Nationwide News Azerbaijan Refugees Needle Exchange letters & Editorials Prisoners News Crossword & Games MadWomyn Recovery Hotel Vendor Profile Page2 Page3 Page4 Page5 Page5 Page6 Pagel Pages Page9 PagetO PagetO Pagett Paget3 Paget4 Paget6 and was told he couldn't get prescriptions there unless he could pay for them o r had insurance coverage. After several other calls, I found out that on May 18, a new policy went into effect at University Hospital; Patients would not be given medications on discharge, but only prescriptions to be filled elsewhere. This policy seriously jeopardizes the health of poor and indigent people who are hospitalized at University Hospital. This gentleman had a heart procedure, which cost several thousand dollars, and then could not get the medications which would help make sure it would continue to function for him. This policy is certainly short-sighted and cost­ ineffective, as well as being thoughtless and heartless about poor people. Fortunately, because someone at the Denison Hotel was able to reach us, we were able to get this man his medications. I'm certain that there will be many, many folks who will simply do without their much-needed medications because of this policy. At the time of the privatization of University Hospital, the citizens of the city were assured that the care given to the city's poor would not suffer because of it. This is yet another indication that we were not being told the whole truth of the effects of privatization. Privatization at UC Hospital... by a concemed citizen Remember back about two years ago when UC Hospital was a public hospital? Anyone could go there for medical care even if you did not have a job or insurance coverage. Then came privatization of the hospital. People fought against this, concerned that folks without jobs or insurance would be turned away for medical care. The hospital went private anyway. The hospital administrators promised people WOl.fld not be turned away; Well guess what? They lied. The ugly effects of this privatization are about to appear. The Alliance who runs UC Hospital is targeting Holmes Pharmacy to begin this process. As of May 18th, people will have 30 days to sign up for programs to cover their prescript ions or else be refused medications. Holmes Hospital has people available to sign folks up for the Hamilton County Discounted Care and Medicaid. These workers are very considerate in signing people up for programs and attempt to make the paperwork easy. The true 'UC Hosp.' continued on Page 5... �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for and about the homeless. It is compiled by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Home­ less. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and then sell it for a dollar donation to get back on their feet. All vendors sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed co ending home­ lessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. The Streetvibes Committee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a comment, please call 421 -7803. Staff Donald Whitehead, Director Jimmy Heath, Coordinator Brett Zwolinski, Vendor Support Ron Carter, Vendor Support James Hobbs, Vendor Support Photo iraphe r Jimmy Heath Writers Te' Tro Amaru Maryann Bravo Robert Brown Dan Cahill Ron Carter Pat Clifford Denise Crew Brian Davis Dr. Bob Donovan Dan Gibbons Jimmy Heath James Hobbs Paul Linden Bobby Lyles Judith Mendriski Mark Salter Malaka Sanders Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Sonny Williams Brett Zwolinski Editorial Polley: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, com­ ments or editorials. We will print every­ thing we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send all material to the following address: Streetvibes clo Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 (513) 42 1-7803 fax (5 13) 421-7813 e-mail: homecoal@primax.net http://cinci.com/gcch Quote of the Month: "I don 't mind the non-aggressive panhandlers•••they don't bother Downtr1wn business-person me" Page 2 News From Cleveland's Grapevine Gaps in Services: by Brian Davis There are many shelter beds in Cleveland, but some facilities are not appropriate and a family has no where to turn. One hard to serve population in Cleveland is the man who has custody of his children. There is only one space available for a man and his children. The women's shelters cannot accommodate a man, because some of the female residents are struggling with domest.ic violence issues. There are a couple of units available for intact families in which the rules say that one parent must go out and work. In April, Chris (not his real name). had struggled to work and keep his three children, but was not making it. Finally, he decided to quit his job and give up his apartment and come back to Cleveland to be with his parents. When he got to Cleveland, he found that his parents were in jail and so he had no where to tum. He went to the Department of Human Services to sign up for cash assistance. They told him that if he signed up he would have his children taken by the County. Unlike a women who could go to a shelter, he could not take his children into the men's shelters or the women's shelters. The County said that he had no effective way to shelter his children, and so they would have to be placed in foster care until he could get on his feet. He decided not to sign up for welfare. The one space for a man with his child was full. The other shelters were not an option. By working in the system, he was going to loose his children. He took his children to the streets and stayed under a bridge to keep his family together. After a short period of time, one of the neighbor­ hood centers was able to help him find an apart­ ment. He is now looking for a job, and trying to get his life back together. The Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Waiting List: by Alex Grabtree Editor's Note: The most frequent and vocal complaint that we at the Grapevine (Cleveland) hear is with regard to housing, and one of the last options especially for homeless people is to apply for public housing. Setting aside the stigma associated with living in "the projects", applying for a public housing apartment is one of the most frustrating and difficult bureaucracies to overcome. What follows is one individual's story, William Russell. This is not an isolated story: This is typical of the process for a single homeless individual. William Russell lives under a bridge in Cleveland. He works at least 30 hours a week, but has no credit background and has a felony drug conviction in his past. In Chicago, he was caught at the wrong place at the wrong time and was the only person 18 years old. The police decided that it would be a waste of time to bust the juveniles in the group so they laid everything on Russell. Actually, growing up in a drug infested neighborhood. Russell was the exception, never having served time as a juvenile. He spent six months in jail at 18 and left Chicago for Cleveland. He was too "independent" to get a traditional job. He could never follow directions. and dreamed of setting up his own business. For a few years, he worked in a temporary service driving a tow motor. He found that after two years. he still was making minimum wage and he never had enough money to get a place. He did smoke some dope in his spare time for enjoyment, and he had an expensive cigarette habit. Russell did not drink or take hard drugs, so was not qualified for traditional shelter programs that catered to drug addicted individuals. He spent his money on two good meals a day in an attempt to remain "independent." He did not go in for social services or meals for homeless people because he was too proud. Russell made half-hearted attempts to sell street papers, flowers , and anything else he could find . At 28, he looked back and saw chat this independence was taking a toll and he wasn't really going anywhere. Russell came to the conclusion that he needed a house or a base of operation to set up his business. He knew he could never get a tradi­ tional paycheck so therefore no landlord would rent to him. Russell was making around $600 a month and could afford a $200 apartment. In late 1997 (before I I/ 1/97), Russell applied (or an apartment with Cuyahoga (Cleveland) Metropolitan Housing Authority. He went back and applied a couple of times because he did not hear anything. He stayed in a shelter for a period of time and got a shelter referral letter. Russell found a place that would be willing to accept his mail, and he secured the necessary identification. He got a letter verifying his income, and a letter verifying that he was staying under a bridge. After six months, he was notified that he needed to attend an orientation class for low income housing. Russell cook the day off and went to the seven hour class. The CMHA employees went over the rules and regulations of living in a public housing unit. They talked about what CMHA expected from those that live in a unit. There was the basics of cleaning and some good housekeeping tips offered. But what Russell came away with was the discussion of preferences. He dearly remembered the talk about three preferences for public housing: the homeless. the involuntarily displaced and those that were trying to unify their family. Russell said, "It is my understanding they gave me reason to believe that homeless people had priority over everyone else as long as they can prove that they live on the streets or in a shelter. I provided that information and It is true. I felt that I had a good shot." Russell took a certificate of completion away from the class. As described in Grapevine issue 24. CMHA abolished its policy giving priority to homeless people for available public housing. Russell did apply for public housing before this policy went into effect, and so he felt he had a good shot. He was contacted again to sign paperwork and sign release of information forms. He interpreted this as another good sign. T hey were reviewing his application and it was moving through the system. He left a letter with the staff person at CMHA that he wanted to live in one of the high rises because he felt the townhouses were drug houses. After a few more weeks, Russell received a letter "telling me that I have no priority." The letter reflected the new preferences that the CMHA Board 'Russell' cont. next Page... �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine A Student's Perspective on Working With Homeless People Budding Teen Photographers To Exhibit New Work at Images Center for Photography By Wendie Morgan (Social Work Intern} Homelessness effects a large number of people in our society. One is considered homeless when they do not have a place to stay and have no means of getting their own place. I have been working with the homeless population in the Cincinnati area for approximately six months, as part of my social work internship for graduate school. Within that time, I have gained a lot of knowledge about the roles of a social worker. However, I have also learned about the real world. The most important thing that I have learned is how fast and easily one's life can change. Since January, I have had the opportunity to talk to many homeless Veterans with various needs. When I interview people and inquire about how they became homeless. they have responded with various reasons. Some of those reasons include: unemploy­ ment, divorce/separation from spouse. overdue child support. lack of education, mental health issues, substance abuse. and alcoholism. Many of the people that I talked to had a combination of chose problems that resulted in their homeless situation. From a student's perspective. I respect how some people utilize the resources available to them in the community. I also admire those who have gone co treatment programs to work on their issues in efforts to change their situation. When I started working in January at my internship, I was worried that people would not cake me seriously because I was a Social Work student. However. I was wrong. I thank the people who I talked to, worked with. and who patiendy sat through all of my questions, for giving me the opportunity to learn from their life experiences. Without hands-on experience. I would have only been exposed to book knowledge about theories of how everything is supposed to work. When talking to one Veteran about their treatment program, he informed me that he was kind of like my 'Russell'... had adopted in November 1997. It was absolutely contradictory from what he had been told in the orientation. "I thought that I was going to get an apartment," until he was briefed on the meaning of this letter from his contact at CMHA "Now I am never going to get into one of these houses," Russell said. After eight months and an all day class, he received a letter that said that his application was complete and he was on the waiting list. CMHA officials say that the active waiting list is around 5.000 people. W ith an "X" through the box next to "no priority," Russell may be right chat he has no shot at a C MHA unit. Russell was angry when talking about his frustration in trying to get into a place. He said that he has no chance of getting a place if "they are talking thats#@& that homeless people don't have no priority. What the f$#@ does that mean? Homeless people don't have priority? Thats@#$ is f@#$ed up!" He claimed it was discrimination for single men to not have the same preference as homeless families. He asked, "Is this leading single women into getting pregnant just to get some of the services and to get their own apartment? That is why a lot of their lives get messed up." Russell did have suggestions for improving the program. He felt that "public housing" should be for homeless people, un-doubling people, and getting people out of substandard housing. Russell Page 3 Two budding new photographers, Malaka Sanders and Brian Taylor, from Peaslee Neighbor­ hood Center's Teen Photography Club will exhibit recent works at Images Center for Photography, May 29- June 20. There will be an opening reception, Friday evening, May 29, from 6- I 0 PM. Images is located on the sixth floor. Suite 610 in the Pendleton Arts Center at 1310 Pendleton Street in Over-The­ Rhine. The reception and exhibit are free and open to the public. Wendy Morgan science project. I would like to change the myths of social work students wanting science projects. We are just here to learn and assist our clients in their various needs. Trust me. my experience as a student working in the field and my experience as a student with knowledge from a book are totally different. When you read books, articles, and research studies on why homelessness occurs, you think it will not happen to you. If everyone had the opportunity to sit down and work with a homeless individual, one could realize how easily it can happen. After all, the majority of people I have talked to thought that it could not happen to them. Editors Note: Wendie Morgon is o graduate student at the University o( Louisville's Kent School of Social Work. She hos been working under the direction of Iola Green, Program Coordinator of Health Core for Homeless Programs ot the Cincinnati Veterans Medico/ Center. Wendie plans to graduate witlt her Master's degree in Socio/ Work in July. All the best to her and her endeavors. also suggested that one person on staff should be available to answer questions or respond to con­ cerns about applications. This Is a suggestion mentioned by many on the waiting list who were willing to talk. What came out was a fundamental lack of communication between those seeking housing and the staff at CMHA and an unwillingness on the part of CMHA to bridge this gap. Russell is at a crossroads. He has resolved himself to the realization that he will never get a public housing unit, and is worn down from spend­ ing the winters under bridges. He will either breakdown and slowly and quietly die in a traditional labor job or he will move co another city with the hope of starting a new life. He said, '"If homeless people have no preference, and I am homeless what can I say?" Malaka Sanders is a 19 year-old graduate of Walnut Hills High School. She is a regular columnist for Streetvibes, a newspaper written by, for, and about the homeless. Malaka became involved in Peaslee's Teen Photography Club after doing a story on the program in the Streetvibes paper. She plans on pursuing a degree in photojournalism this Fall. Brian Taylor is a 15 year-old freshman at Hughes Center High School where he is a "B" Honor Roll student. His hobbies are photography and music, particularly singing. Brian hopes to study voice at San Diego University and become a singer after graduation. He also hopes to do a lot of traveling. The Teen Photography Club at Peaslee is led by Dawna Mayerson, a downtown Cincinnati portrait and people photographer specializing in black and white work. She's been volunteering at Peaslee since this past Fall, offering a weekly photog­ raphy class for teens in the neighborhood. The class focuses on the basic workings of a 35mm camera, such as shutter speed and depth of field. as well as instruction in light, composition and expression in photography. The photography club originated a few years ago with a grant from the Greater Cincin· nati Foundation, and had been discontinued until chis Fall when Dawna reinstated it. Participation in the club is free and is open to any teenage residents in Over-The-Rhine or West End. Anyone interested in further information on the Teen Photography Club or the exhibit should contact Brenda Zechmeister at Peaslee Neighbor­ hood Center, 621-5514. Subscribe to Streetvlbes Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be pur­ chased for $12 per year. Please send a che ck to the below address a nd the paper will be mailed to you e ach issue. Streetvibe s 1506 Elm Stree t Cincinnati, OH 4521 0 Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Home le ss--Stre etvibes. If you have a ny questions, call 421 - 7803. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Welfare News OEC Statewide Conference by Lynn Will/ams The Empowerment Coalition's Second Annual Grassroots Empowerment Conference was held May 15th and 16th in Columbus. It was very successful with participants from across the state, including Athens, Findlay, Dayton and Cincinnati. 179 people attended. Highlights of the Conference were our keynote speakers: Pat Gowan of the Welfare Warriors, Ann Withorn of the University of Boston, Barbara Leyser, EBT consultant. and Donald Whitehead of the National Coalition for the Home­ less. The speakers were both informative and inspiring. Pat Gowan gave an especially moving talk when she spoke on the welfare deform of Wisconsin, W-2. People in the audience were very moved when she talked about how small children have died in Wisconsin because of inadequate child care. The mothers were forced to leave their small children or be sanctioned or cut off by the welfare department. Children died screaming in a house fire because they were not being supervised while their mother worked. She was forced to work by the Wisconsin authorities even though she lacked adequate child care. In a similar story. one baby suffocated inside a car while his mother worked. She had nowhere to leave him. The mothers were prosecuted, but isn't the real criminal the Society that allows W-2 and other states' harsh welfare rules to be accepted as the law? Aren't the real criminals the legislators who pass these draconian laws? President Clinton & the U.S. Congress are equally guilty of those children's deaths because they approved the federal safety net being destroyed. All citizens who refuse to speak up about what ls happening to the poorest families in America share in the guilt. If a baby dies in Wiscon­ sin because of welfare deform, all these people share the guilt of a crime. One baby dying affects all of us. We have a community responsibility to speak out! Sadly. it is not just one baby's suffering. but how many babies across America to be made hungry, homeless, permanently scarred for life and even killed because of the slashing of America's safety net for the poor? Ann Withorn, author of For Crying Out Loud. shared how she and co-writer, Diane Dujon. came to write their book, published by South End Press. This book is about the lives of welfare recipients and how far the realities are from the blasphemous myths propagated by the mainstream media. She spoke on the organizing work recipients, together with advocates (and recipients are included as advocates too). are doing in Massachusetts, espe­ cially fighting against the Massachusetts two-year time limit. The cut-off they are facing is December 1998, so it is very near. She spoke of the immense pressure recipients are facing to somehow support their families after the ax falls. She spoke of the very important need to get out the stories of the real people affected by these draconian laws, so that state legislators, the U. S. Congress and yes, even Presi­ dent Clinton, will hear at least part of the truth and not just the propaganda garbage published by the corporate-owned media. There was a strong feeling at tbis conference that we must unite and build on the momentum of this conference. We must fight together to get our "Emergency Repeal of Sanctions Bill" passed. We must join up with the Welfare Warriors of Wiscon­ sin and Welfare Rights of Massachusetts, and many others across the country, to fight for a repeal of the 1996 welfare law. We must replace bad law with a positive welfare plan for America where all will be treated fairly and equitably regardless of which state they happen to live in. Locally. we must continue to speak out so all will hear whenever a person is cut off erroneously by the local departments. We must spe~k out loud and clear so all can hear when we know the anguish a family is going through because of the harsh Ohio sanctions! The powers that be are not going to like us, so don't think you will win friends in high places by speaking out! The truth hurts those in high places because they don't like being held accountable for the evil laws they have written. Some of the themes that came out of the conference were that "motherwork" (parentworl<, because fathers are important, too) must be recog­ nized as socially valuable work, and the real struggle recognized as ending poverty. Every parent forced by the state to leave her/his small children to work outside the home must be guaranteed safe, super­ vised and quality child care. Every person who works should get a livable wage that will pull her/his family out of poverty. As the saying goes, we must " Fight the war on poverty and stop the war against the poor." For more information on how you can get involved in the Ohio Empowerment Coalition, call the Contact Center at (513) 381-4242. Welfare and Work: let's Stop Buying Into the Violent Attack on Government Child Support- and Start Challenging It by Pat Gowens, Welfare Warriors Milwaukee Wisconsin (note: Ms. Gowens was one of the keynote speakers at the Ohio Empowerment Coalition's Statewide Conference, organized in part by the Contact Center/Welfare Rights Coalition at 1641 Vine St. For info on local welfare rights organizing, call 38 1-4242) Corporate America, with the help of their political lackeys, has succeeded in creating, once again, a forced no-wage and low-wage workforce right here in the USA When Clinton and the Democrats joined Republicans on August 22. 1996 to eliminate that part of the 1935 Social Security Act that provided support to "deprived" children, replacing it with a forced work program for the children's caregiver parent. they in effect legalized slavery... again. It is impossible to discuss workfare or welfare by "putting aside the questions of whether women in need of welfare should be required to work." That is how we have arrived at this shameful period in our country's history. During nine years of very controlled welfare "debate" (actually superficial propaganda), we heard that welfare was a broken system that needed to be fixed with an effective work program. The welfare P.R. experts, whether working for politicians, corporate media, feminist profession­ als, or union activists aggressively silenced a crucial truth: the welfare that they all spoke of is simply a very punitive, meager child support program (or children "deprived" of a dad's support Was this child support system as defective as the private system where only 20% of dads support their children three years after leaving them? Absolutely not. Was this child support system as effective as that other child support program created by the 1935 Social Security Act, the plan that guarantees government support to children until the : Page 4 age of 18 if they are "deprived" of a dad through death or disability, whether mom stays home or works for pay? Hardly. We were never allowed fo compare AFDC child support to these other two child support systems in an effort to improve it. On the contrary, we were led to believe that child support plays absolutely no role in this debate or program! Child support became so invisible, it was never even included in the routine list of "solutions" proposed by the right, the left, the middle, the feminists and the socialists: job training, jobs, child care, health care- for the caregiver mothers. If the U.S. American people could be con­ vinced to forget about child support (and never acknowledge motherwork). then our policorp (politicians working for corporations) "leaders" would be free to replace a child support program with a forced work program- for the mothers who cared for the "deprived" children, not the fathers who had abandoned them. But why require mothers to work off the (other's debt to society? Why spend millions of dollars and hours outlining petty details of barbaric methods to force mothers to work off a puny $370 child support check each month while limiting that support to 2-5 years of the child's 18 dependent years? Why insist that the caregiving mothers are "dependent," when it is the fathers who depend on the government to pay their child support and depend on the mothers to raise their children? Why create a forced work program for highly responsible, single. overworked mothers instead of the irrespon­ sible, abandoning debtor dads? A simple answer is: we live in a patriarchy i.e. a father-run society. But even many of our anti­ patriarchy feminist-run institutions have been willing to "put aside the question" of forcing women to work for welfare child support. (They would no doubt feel differently about a law co force the 20% of women who receive private child support to work it off.) And too many of our leftist friends accept the concept of women forced to work for welfare child support- as long as they can organize the victims into unions. So maybe misogyny isn't the only answer. The five million moms who in any given year are desperate enough to go through the degrading contortions necessary to secure some puny, govern­ ment child support are vulnerable to nearly any blackmail scheme created by the policorps who need slaves to increase their profits. And our country became wealthy on the backs of forced no-wage. African American workers. (Didn't the P.R. policorps experts argue in those days that the slaves were merely working off the shack and food slop given them by their owner-bosses?) Single mothers are vulnerable in ways that few non-mothers can fathom . Socially, legally. emotionally assaulted (and yes. often physically assaulted as well because cowards prefer the vulnerable), single mothers quickly discover that we are at the mercy of anyone who wants use us. We watched in horror politicians used single mothers to get elected, to avoid dealing with real problems, and to receive money from corporations. We trembled when corporations learned they could use single moms as low-wage workers by having politicians threaten us with no-wage work, and as no-wage workers when we could not find or continue paid work. We cried out in dismay and despair when professionals and non-profits (including feminists) discovered that they, too, could use single moms to easily maintain their secure, suburban life-styles, by providing mandatory "job training," "job search," ''parenting classes," "job orientation," "therapy," and unpaid "work experience." Finally we grieved and raged while watching the legal social work professionals earn huge salaries by separating and removing our children from us while alleging that we were child abusers. When we fought back with words and actions, we were silenced by friend and foe who told us that "work will set you free." (A sign over Auschwitz' gate) In Milwaukee one of our most oppressive "JOBS" programs. run by Goodwill �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Pages 'UC Hospital' cont. from Page 1... problem is going to be getting folks signed up. When you are living on the streets or do not have the mental capability to comprehend things well, you probably will not follow through with signing up for programs. The folks who will be hit the hardest are the chronic homeless and the mentally ill. As concerned citizens we need to address this issue now. Do not wait until it affects large numbers of people. Holmes Pharmacy is just the beginning. Their next target is certainly the main hospital pharmacy. This will affect a large number of people in the Cincinnati area. What will be next? Don't we all have a right to medical care? The city still has a lawsuit going on this issue. So, call your city council members and express your concern! The homeless use Downtown 's Washington Park as a place to rest during the day. Industries, advertises on the side of our buses, "Believe in the power of work." Anonymous callers to the Welfare Warriors Mothers Organizing Center curse us and sing "Get a Job." Poor mothers are the targets for this new slavery because our children make us susceptible to vile blackmail while most absent fathers' indifference to their children makes them immune to it. What's more, mothers world-wide make better slaves than fathers because we have so many responsibilities at home that we rarely find time to organize for better working conditions. (And this is an international phenomena. In our multi-policorp world of NAFTA, GATT and SAP, women are the majority of workers in all low-wage, dirty, dangerous jobs.) Finally, by forcing poor fathers out of the workforce and thereby out of the home, there are few male allies/ obstacles to stop the policorps from forcing poor mothers into slavery. The class attacks cause most of our profes­ sional feminist sisters to "set aside the question of whether" caregiver moms should be forced to work for child support. And the class attack allows professional African Americans to agree that "work will set (poor, black women) free." The race attack (aren't most moms on welfar e black?) allows the misinformed whites of all classes (except the welfare class) to join together with the ruling Euro-policorps to attack single (black) moms. The sexist attack allows the union fellows to believe the solution is not to eliminate slavery, but to organize the slaves. And of course the mother-hatred allows everyone to indulge in the age old habit of blaming the mother. Such a lethal combo of hatreds can only b combated by NOT setting aside the question of whether single mothers should b forced to work for government child support. We will only begin to stop the ruthless unity of our policorps when we challenge the lies and omissions that pretend that "work" is the god that will set poor, single mothers free- any work but motherwork: forced work, unpaid work, low-wage work or slave work. Money, not work, is what sets the rich free. Money, not work, is what provides the professionals with security and leisure time. Money, not work, is what a child needs to be assured of a childhood and loving one-on-one care. Money, not forced work, is what a single mother needs to effectively do the motherwork alone and the father's work when she can. Whether we call it "Mothers' Pension" (the name for welfare from 1920-1935), or "Family Allowance' (as in European countries), or simply "government child support," the solution is guaran­ teed child support for all dependent minors- not forced work "programs" for their caregiving moth­ ers. 'Panhandling' continued from Page One... Deputy Solicitor Robert Johnstone and Councilmember Phil Heimlich, who sponsored the ordinances said the city will likely appeal the ruling to the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Heimlich said that the decision goes against decisions in other cities. However, as usual, Mr. Heimlich has not done his homework. Recently, judges in Atlanta and Miami have also ruled against ordinances that violate the civil rights of homeless individuals. The National Coalition For the Homeless continues to monitor these discriminatory laws through the Civil Rights Monitoring Project. Mr. Heimlich's statement claiming that this ordinance was originated because of safety has no validity. In an unscientific poll done by Streecvibes r eporters on 4th street, most people that agreed to talk had little or nothing bad to say about panhandlers except that they were annoying at times; not one person even mentioned safety. Judge Sherman sighted five reasons why the ordinances fail the constitutionality test: the City did not have a significant interest in enacting the ordinances: even if the city did have significant interest the two ordinances are not tailored to serve that interest: the ordinances are not content neutral; The city restrictions on speech are unreasonable; The ordinances do not leave open alternative means for panhandlers to communicate. We hope this ruling finally puts an end to attempts to criminalize those that already suffer the day to day horrors of being poor in this city. We hope that this also puts to rest concerns about this nonexistent safety issue so that more attention can be placed on real safety issue's, such as crumbling school buildings, and open air drug trafficking. Finally if our city leaders pay a little more attention to the poor and push for a livable wage instead of giving wealthy tax breaks, (Just last week the city voted to stop caxing stock options), there wouldn't be a need to panhandle. "Drop Inn Center" Opens New Program June 26 by Pat Clifford, Director The Drop Inn Center is celebrating its twenty­ fifth anniversary by opening up a new program for homeless women. On Friday, June 26th, an Open House will be held for the Women's "Full Circle" Program at the Center. Between eight and sixteen women will participate in this intensive program of personal growth. Once a woman completes all the phases in six to eight months, they will be eligible for our new Transitional House at I 126 Elm Street. This newly rehabbed building will house six women who are working to maintain social and financial stability. The name "Full Circle" is meant to symbolize the wholistic approach being used in the program. Annie Coleman, the Coordinator of the Women's Program said, "The program will reflect a continuous effort to provide an enriching and educational experience. W e intend to work together to see that people do not continue to be displaced, that jobs are created and that all opportunities become accessible and possible." The Open House falls on another significant date for the Drop Inn Center: the twenty fifth anniversary of opening the one room storefront Drop Inn on Vine Street. At that time, the Drop Inn was only open part of the day and provided limited services to 20-50 males. The current Drop Inn Center serves 250 people each day with not only food and shelter but men's and women's programs and transitional housing. To commemorate the day, the Drop Inn Center will host tours of the new facilities starting at 2:30 PM. They will then have a dedication cer­ emony at 3:30 PM in the McCracken Room on the third floor of the women's section. The room is handicapped accessible with an elevator for all who wish to attend. The ceremony will include songs, talks and an award ceremony. If you have any questions about the Drop Inn Center Women's Full Circle Program or would like to volunteer or donate anything. call Annie Coleman at 721-0643. �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine WORD ON THE "Fly By's by STREET Others a·nd Arts & Poetry Hale-Bopp" WASHINGTON PARK by Steven Michael Rutherford T he Sounds of Children Bring a Joy o f Laughter The re in Summers Sweet Magic World Pool of Fun. Children Echo Cries That Cover Subtle Whispers of Life Moments of Reality That Rest Inhabitants Therein. Pillars of Buckeye Trees Stand As Tall Monuments to a Hidden World Shaded by Nature's Blend of Men. Birds Huddle and Disperse On a Secret Command. Chasing Seeds. Granted. Especially For. Them. End of the Road for Some A New Beginning for Others All in One Place Page 6 Compassion For The Poor by James Hobbs (thinking on Hale-Bopp and shooting stars in general) As we have therefore the oppotunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them "':'ho are of t he household of faith: Gal.vi. I 0. by Dan Gibbons Aw ake, my charity, and feed The hungry soul, and clothe the poor; In heaven are found no sons of need, T here all these duties are no more. Neon red a comet lasered across my sight, A Promethean arrow incising a velvet black night. "Are you here lost, tracing fire across our endless ebony sky?" "How, and in what millennia were you born, and W hy?" "Are you whiter hot magma or methane­ chromed ice?" No matter, I think not from here will I see you twice. "Do galaxian travelers like you numbly suc­ cumb in flight?" Or as Dylan said do you "Rage at the dying of your light!" At the end, "Will we fly by a glimpse of fire in a sky?" Musing mankind's flirt with immolation makes me cry. Or when the end comes, "Will we float alone and cold?" It seems legions of red-hot meteors 0 knew once flashed old. Maurice I've never met anyone like you I'm not sure what to do When I speak, you cannot listen But I'm sure you want to You try to do what's right Somehow it all goes wrong You do t he strangest things And try to get along Others have no patience that I can understand It's hard to be a little boy When you feel like such a man Still all in all I love you and I won't turn away I'll just keep on praying for the things to do and say I've never met anyone like you I'm not sure what to do So I'll just keep on reaching out till you start reaching too Washington Park. IF YOU WRITE POETRY AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR WORK IN STREETVIBES, CALL 421-7803 OR FAX US AT 421-7813 RACHAEL by Denise Crew Little Ballerina Poised and sure As graceful as a feather Gently blown on a soft wind A more beautiful sight I shall never see God has given a gift to you That I must take from thee How will I tell you Will you understand The problem I face is No cash on hand I see the other children Will be in class next week I will keep on hoping A reduced or classes free Keep dancing, I will find a way Keep your dream alive And if not... I shall remember how you danced Until the day I die. Our Apo logies.... Last Month, long-time Streetvibes writers Denise Crew and Judi Mendriski were not given credit for the poems they submitted. Please forgive this error. Guidance I have to pull myself together or decide to be with you forever I know your needs were for your two but now your children are mine too T hey've told everyone their mama is coming to meet your family. I want so much for you and me to make a happy family. But not deep down in Mississippi What to do I have no clue I can't see being without you You want to take me as your wife Make a commitment to you for life You don't understand the strife All this has brought into my life I have my work, my fri ends, my goals but I want your hand to hold. I don't want to live alo ne I want my ho use to be a home My children- will they understand leaving home to love a man So I'll just sit and pray to see what is in God's plan for me STREETVIBES Sweat and T-Shirt:s! Only $5 for T's, $10 for Sweats. STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine 100% White Cotton Shirts and long Sleeve Sweat Shirts XL, Purple logo T-shirts and Sweat Shirts are available at our office at I 506 Elm Street. Please stop by and see us. �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Hom eless Grapevine grant for "support services." The bill also tries to "eliminate duplication" by requiring federal depart­ ments to coordinate their efforts to assist the homeless. Sponsored by Rep. Rick Lazio (R-NY) and backed by several housing groups, the measure also authorizes Congress to spend up to $1 billion year on homeless assistance through the year 2002, which is an increase from the current level of $823 million. Lazio was quoted as saying that homelessness and hunger have gotten worse even though federal funding for homeless programs have more than doubled during the 1990's. Spare Change Newspaper, April 8 - April 22, 1998 Report Documents Rise In Homelessness Bums/de Cadillac, vol.3 no.4, Aprll 1998 The Washington Post Company Welfare-to-Work Since January of 1995, the number of people on welfare rolls in Maryland has dropped by 39 percent, apparently because of a "Work. not Welfare" cax-incentive program. The program offers a financial incentive for Maryland businesses if they hire welfare recipients- two tax credits: one for a portion of the amount paid out in wages and the other for child care expenses. Employers who hire a person who has been on welfare at least three months can claim a tax credit of a maximum of $1 ,800 during the person's first year of employment, $1 ,200 during the second, and $600 during the third. Additionally. employers who pay for or provide child care to the employees can receive a taX credit of as much as $600 in the first year of employment. $500 in the second, and $400 in the third. Credits are not available for an employee hired to replace an employee who is on strike or has been laid off. Maryland says taxpayers are also benefrting, since the state is realizing a savings of roughly $2 in welfare payments for every $1 in tax credits taken under the program. The program, however. will end July I, unless legislators and the governor extend it for another three years. 1998 Associated Press Streamllnlng Housing and Urban Development (HUD} Seven programs that aid the homeless may be consolidated into a block grant for states and local governments, according to legislation the House approved March 3, 1998. The bill is part of the Republican-controlled Congress' effort to "stream­ line" HUD. The Clinton administration, however, has "concerns." It objects to provisions that would preserve approximately one-third of the funds for developing permanent housing, and discourages states and local officials and others who serve the homeless from using more than 35 percent of any Subscribe to Streetvlbes Subscriptions t o Street vibes can be purcha se d for $ 12 pe r ye ar. Please send a check to the be low address and the pape r will be maile d to yo u each issue. Streetv ib e s I 506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Great e r C incinnati Co ali­ tion for the Home less-­ Streetvibe s. If you have any que stions, call 421 -7803. 1997 marked the I0th anniversary of the signing of the first comprehensive piece of Federal homelessness legislat.ion, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. In an effort to examine how this nation has fared in its efforts to address homelessness over the past decade, the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) completed detailed research on homelessness in IS geographic locations - 11 urban, rural, and suburban commu­ nities in 4 states. The results of this research, as well as interviews with local, state, and national service providers and advocates, are contained in NCH's new report, Homelessness in America: Unabated ­ A Ten Year Perspective. The report documents a dramatic increase in homelessness over the past ten to fifteen years. Most of the communities studied doubled or tripled their shelter capacity in order to respond to increasing homelessness.. A second finding from the report is that despite the tremendous expansion of the shelter system, demand for emergency shelter far exceeds supply. The report also documents significant increases in the number of children who are homeless. Other findings from the report include increases in the number of employed persons who are homeless and the increasing prevalence of policies restricting access to shelter. Real Change Newspaper, Seattle Congress Slashes legal Aid In 1996, Congress slashed funding for Legal Aid to two-thirds of its previous budget, leaving many low-income citizens without the legal services they need. For fiscal year 1998, only $238 million is being distributed to 275 programs across the U.S. Lawyers for Legal Aid have found themselves able to assist in only the most desperate cases, forcing many low-income citizens to attempt to navigate the legal system on their own. {Studies have shown that those who attempt to represent themselves in court usually do so poorly.) Over one-third of the cases brought to legal Aid clinics are of a domestic nature, from divorce to obtaining restraining orders against abusive spouses. Housing and battles over public benefits make up the bulk of the rest. Without help. the poor are receiving less than equal justice in our nation's courts. Handsnet U.S. Economic Divide Widens A report called "The Millennium Breach" says the economic and radical divide in the United States not only has materialized. it's getting wider. "While leaders and pundits talk of full employ­ ment, inner-city unemployment is at crisis levels," said the Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation, "The rich are getting richer. the poor are getting poorer, and minorities are suffering disproportionately." "People need to become aware that things are getting worse again," said the new report's co­ Page 7 .-'1..'XOTllER C'L .\ SS PRODt:CTIO~ Oise.Jockey Service CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761 ·3464 (513) 230-6353 Community Celebration. Live Music! Every Sunday -6PM Free of Charge Nast-Trinity United Methodist Church 1320 Race St. Cincinnati 721-7339 In Memory of 11 Mac 11 Who Believed In Human Rights For Everyone & Who Founded Justice Watch .•• Because 'Everyone' included Prisoners and Former Prisonors. Jimmy Heath Photography Cincinnati - (SU) S64-98S6 E-Mail - jimmy_ huth @juno . com Friends and Neighbors of Over-the-Rhine An Organization Seeking Justice for People in Cincinnati's Most Endangered Community Subscribe to STREETVIBESI For only $12 per year you can have STREETVIBES delivered to your home every month. National and local Stories on Issues regarding homelessness and the poor. News, Information, Personal Stories and more, written every month by homeless and formerly homeless persons... Send Check or Money Order for $12 to: 'National News' continued on Page 9 Streetvlbes C/ O Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Hom eless Grapevine Page B REFUGEES IN AZERBAIJAN: An Internal Displacement byBrettZwollnskl Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in late 1991 , Azerbaijan became an independent country. It is situated on the west coast of the Caspian Sea between Russia. Georgia.Armenia. and Iran. Comparable in size to the state of Maine. Azerbaijan has a population of approximately 7.5 million. Last month I had the chance to visit my brother, Chad Zwolinski, in the capital city of Baku. It is located on a peninsula which juts out from the west coast of the Caspian Sea. Chad is a student at Baku State University who has maintained friendships with several Azerbaijani (Azari) students. Particularly, he has befriended refugee children who spend much of their time at the campus requesting alms from passersby. As a result o f a week long visit, I was able to share in Chad's experiences with the refugees and even interview o ne refugee studying at the University. For personal reasons, the interviewee's name has been changed to Alshan Rahimi. Alshan is a 19 year-old male majoring in International Relations and is Vice President of the Student Union at Baku State University. Being a refugee himself, I found Alshan helpful in providing insight to the problems surrounding the refugee crisis. For purposes of simplifying an actual complex problem, he at­ tempted to explain the crisis in Azerbaijan by grouping it into three problem areas: Territorial Integrity, Refugees, and International Relations. Foremost, there is the problem ofTerritorial Integrity. Armenia, a neighboring country on the western border, now occupies 20% of Azerbaijan's western region known as Karabakh. Their ominous presence poses a threat to Azerbaijan's integrity and security in what was once a peaceful region. Comparable in size to the state of Mary­ land. the po pulation of Armenia is o nly about 3 million. It has been suggested that Armenia's interest could be highly motivated by the fertile land as well as mineral wealth in gold located in the Karabakh region and not from the lack of living space. Since 1989 the two nations have been at war over the Armenian Occupation. Alshan said that since 1994 there has been a cease-fire between the two countries and negotia­ tions for a peace settlement have been moving slowly. Armenia's appropriation and occupation of the Karabakh region has been the cause for the vast majority of refugees in Azerbaijan. Despite Azerbaijan's unequaled refugee problem, the world knows almost nothing about it. The President, Heydar Aliyev, stated that "The world should know that of all the countries on earth.Azerbaijan has the highest ratio of refugees per capita. No other country in the world has such a great proportion of refugees." About one of every seven people living in Azerbaijan are refugees (about 1.3 million today). There are two categories of refugees in Azerbaijan. First, there are the refugees from Armenia who were living in there native homes as Armenian Citizens up until 1988. Despite their vehement opposition.Armenian and Soviet troops forcefully deported them from Armenia because of their Azari ethnicity. There are approximately 300,000 people fitting this category. Alshan was one of these 300,000 and this is his personal account from our interview: Alshan Rahimi was living in Armenia in 1988 at the age of 8 years-old, whereupon the deporta­ tion of Azaris commenced. He was living in a large village near the border ofAzerbaijan, when the Armenian Government announced that all Azaris must leave the country. Alshan said that, "Upon seizing the people of the village, the troops didn't say anything." Armenian and Soviet troops took up arms against the defenseless villagers in November 1998. Alshan said, the troops "...came to the village in one night shooting and five were killed. We were forced to agree to leave, losing all property behind just saving ourselves." Alshan and the people of his village walked about 3 miles to the border where they were received by the Chad wi th 'stacked-up ' Azar/ refugee family. Azari government. The second category consists of refugees who are citizens ofAzerbaijan. Approximately I million of Azerbaijan's 7.5 million people are refugees that have been internally displaced as a result of the Armenian appropriation and occupation of the Karabakh region. The internal displacement Azari people have known is unthinkably tragic. These refugees have known great sorrow: they have been forced to abandon their native homeland, watch their lives and homes destroyed, and lose many relatives during Armenia's ethnic cleansing. (Nearly 50.000 innocentAzari civilians were killed during this ethnic cleansing.) The fate of many Azaris in the last I 0 years has been similar. However, the situation for refugees has been exacerbated due to the lack of resources and international support. As a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union in late 1991, Azerbaijan lost the little support it was receiving to absorb and provide for the needs of refugees. Most refugees are forced to live in refugee camps. stacked up, or in the streets with no shelter o r food. Ultimately, there is the perpetual problem of International Relations as Azerbaijan's economic potential is disputed by members of the international arena. Baku is home to a burgeoning petroleum industry largely exploited by western warlords of the oil industry. Considering our heavy reliance upon petroleum for life in the modern age.Azerbaijan has great potential for continued energy e.xploitation in the future. Already.Azerbaijan has entered into contrac­ tual agreements with several transnational American and European oil companies estimated at $30 billion! Paradoxically, Baku is the most densely refugee populated city in a country holding claim to the highest ratio of refugees per capita. Approximately 250,000 take refuge in the city of Baku. Now, the myriads of refugees who are displaced throughout the land can only sit back and hope for the economy to "trickle down" to them. Furthermore, during the process of Westerniza­ tion, Azerbaijan has encountered much opposition with neighboring countries. For example, the regional power houses of Iran and Russia are traditionally and at most times vehemently opposed to western influ­ ences. Particularly, Iran's past relations with Western petroleum industry have seen unparalleled opposition. As a result of its West centered policies.Azerbaijan is experiencing a strong amount of pressure to meet varying expectations. Support from theWest has not been tantamount in stature to the extent which Azerbaijan has sacrificed its relations with neighboring countries. For example, The United States has been particularly lacking in its support, even relinquishing support by means of solicited sanctions. Alshan was explaining .to m e the U.S. Government's Freedom Support Act with which many Americans are unfamiliar. Alshan said that the Freedom Support Act is a U.S. Government program to provide aid to the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union. However,Alshan stated that. Photo by Brett Zwollnskl "The 907th Amendment prohibits Amer ican aid to Azerbaijan. This Amendment was adopted in the U.S. Congress in 1992 under pressures of the Armenian Lobby." The pretext for the 907th Amendment is that Azerbaijan is keeping Armenia in a blockade and therefore prohibiting trade and transportation through Azerbaijan. Alshan was outraged that such impudence would be allowed to prevail in the United States. Even though economic sanctions aimed at Azerbaijan have been frowned upon by several U.S. Officials including "President Clinton, President Bush, Madeline Albright," Alshan believes that injustice has run its course through the U.S. Congress. The irony is thick. Ambassador Hafiz M. Pashayev o f Azerbaijan shed light on this irony in The Washington Post on March 12, 1997 stating: I) "Armenia receives the second-largest per capita aid from the United States. while at the same time Armenia's ethnic lobby groups in Washington are responsible fo r a ban on any direct U.S. assis­ tance [to the Azerbaijan government] to about I million refugees in Azerbaijan." 2) "Armenian forces now occupy 20 percent of Azerbaijan, which has no territorial claims against Armenia or any other country. But because the U.S. Congress favors the Armenian aggressor, that created a million refugees and punishes the victims of aggression." 3) " Despite Armenia's flawed election and drift toward autocratic rule, the administration and Congress-atArmenia's behest-.-prevented U.S. Officials from assisting in Azerbaijan's init.ial presiden­ tial and parliamentary elections and from promoting democratic institutions." 4) "America responded in World Wars I and II to Korea and Iraq to prevent territorial expansion through force. At a recent Lisbon Summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).Armenia was the only country out of 54 that opposed a statement affirming Azerbaijan's territorial sovereignty. America's response: contin­ ued aid for Armenia. Foreign policy experts say countries always act in the ir own best interest. In this case, I wonder." Alshan asked me the question, "What if a neighboring country of the u.s: w: re to declare war on the states and occupy it (leaving one of every seven U.S. Citizens a refugee)!" He said that in such a state of war, "it becomes necessary to blockade the aggressor in order to maintain security." To impose such sanctions as the U.S. has upon Azerbaijan "...even a child can understand this is not just," exclaims Alshan. A Letter From Azerbaijan: The following letter was sent by my brother, Chad Zwolinski, from Azerbaijan. Soon ofter receiving this letter, I was on my woy to visit him in this country of burgeoning refuge. I had the fortunate opportunity to share in my brother's experiences by visiting some of the �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine refugees In Baku. I found them to be warm and congenial people who shared ofthemselves well beyond their means. I consider it an honor and a gift to have been enlightened by their meek and charitable spirits. The word for refugee in the Azari language is "gachgin," meaning "one who runs." It is my earnest hope that one day providence will allow them refuge and security from their long suffering pain: Brett. Every other Thursday, the American Embassy shows a movie in the evening and anyone holding an American passport is able to attend. Thursday is otherwise one of our basketball nights, but we skip it if the movie is worth watching. Last Thursday the movie was not so good- G.I. Jane-but we were feeling lazy and decided to go anyway. The place we play basketball is near the Embassy, and so we take the same route to both the Embassy and to play basketball. Often, on the way to basketball, we will see our refugee friends from the Un iversity in the streets, between cars, asking for money (while the light is red of course). I've said for weeks that if I see them again, I will get out and play with them instead of playing basketball-but we've not seen them since saying this. So. we're on our way to the Embassy. and I'm not even thinking of this possibility, and suddenly we see one of the older girls, Gunay (Goo-nigh). I did not want to stop if it was just her, but then we also see Ramin (Rahmeen). And a few seconds later, we see Ayten (Eye-ten), and her brother Alshan. So Jill and I became terribly excited and had the taxi pull over. We told the others to go on and that we'd meet up with them at the movie. As usual, their faces lit up when they saw us, they came running to us, hugging us, etc. And, as usual, they asked us to buy them a Coke or Fanta or Sprite, and we did. I was trying to talk to Ayten, which is difficult when you don't really know the same language, when she said that we were near her house. So, here we are. walking down this street, and then more down an alley. then behind buildings, etc.- Ayten and Gunay holding Jill's hands. Ramin and Alshan holding on to my hands (Alshan holding his 1.5 litre Coke in his other hand, hardly able to keep up with me, and hardly able to hold on to his Coke. We get to their house (see photo, page 8), if it can be called a house, and it is just one little room (which we later discovered that Ayten,Afshan, and their FOUR other sisters live with their Mom, their Dad is in prison). They sat us down on the bed, there was only one for all six people that live there (there was no room for another bed), while they either sat on the floor or stood. They served us tea and cookie/pastry things and bread (and more tea, and more tea, and more tea). Evenc:ually more of the kids we know from the university showed up. and when they would come in and see us there, they just couldn't believe it. It was one thing for us to befriend them on campus. but I suppose they were surprised to see us at their house. We just sat there on the bed-all of the kids wanted to hold our hands and hug us. Alshan, normally shy, was talking up a storm and hugging me the entire time. There are perhaps 5 or 6 families represented in the kids we know at the university-and most of their mothers were also there when we arrived, along with other kids we didn't know, and more eventually showed up. At one point, there had to be close to 20 people in this one little room. I have not enjoyed myself more since I've been here. These little kids, with no dads, and moms not doing so great a job of showing them love. It is about the saddest thing I've seen in my life. No money, always wearing the same clothes, 6+ people living in one house (one room!). made by their parents to beg for money, nearly everyone treating them like second class people (make that people without class). It is painful to look at their pictures. it hurts just to think about them. Anyway, I have been praying for a chance to get to know their mothers so that either they could visit our house or we theirs. And this was better than anything I could have prayed for. When we left, they walked us to the street and Alshan asked me to pick him up and carry him. He put his little head on my shoulder and hugged me, as if holding on for dear fife, all the way to the street (about two blocks away). They were all hugging us and kissing us good­ bye. It was such a fun time. I am honored that they would invite me to their home, and the moms invited us to come back whenever we want to (and of course the kids asked us on Friday if we were coming over again that night). Chad Page _9 NEEDLE ­ EXCHANGE ADVOCATES GET TO THE POINT Capital CoWJrage: Media In the Pub/le Interest 'National News...' from Page 7 cont. author, Fred Harris, a former Democratic senator from Oklahoma and member of the Kerner Commis­ sion. "They need to see their own self-interest in this - That it doesn't make sense to have these underutilized regions in the country and these underutilized people whose lives are being wasted." The report says an estimated $56 billion would be needed to carry out its recommendations: Expand funding for successful programs like Head Start. reduce investments for ineffective programs and cut corporate welfare and military spending. The report cites mountains of statistics: while the national jobless rate is below 5 percent, unem­ ployment rates for young in places like south-central Los Angeles have topped 30 percent; the child poverty rate in America is 4 times the average of Western European countries; the incarceration rate of black men in the U.S. is 4 times higher than the same rate in South Africa under apartheid; and 43 percent of minority children attend urban schools, usually where more than half the students are poor and more than two-thirds fail to reach even basic levels of national tests. The Homeless Grapevine Issue 26 United Nations Accused of Violating UN Charter Patricia Ireland, President of the National Organization for Women (NOW), was granted a hearing with the United Nations Human Rights Committee and the International Labor Organization. Frustrated by the repressive stance taken by fede ral, local, and state governments regarding the problems of the poor and homeless people, activists across the United States are beginning to demand that their human rights, under international law, be respected and protected. This year will mark the 50th anniversary of the United Nations "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" which states: "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well­ being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing. housing. and medical care." (Article 25). When the United States signed the United Nations Charter, the terms of that Charter became the supreme law of the land. Therefore, it is the duty of the federal, state, and local governments to protect any and all rights granted its citizens under the U N Charter. Support Your Local Vendor... Tell A Friend About Streetvi bes! Greater Cincinnati health activists and officials are in a full court press to air the importance of local needle exchange programs to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C virus, and other blood-borne illnesses. In the wake of recent media attention on the Clinton Administration's endorsement of exchange programs, but failure to fund the controversial medical protocol, three substantive forums are scheduled here to air the issues. Ken Vail, founder of C leveland's Xchange Point and an internationally recognized expert on AIDS prevention and harm reduction, will hold a work­ shop on his efforts at the POZ Life Expo on Friday (May I) at 2.:30 p.m. in Room 4 12 o f the University of Cincinnati's Tangeman University Center in Clifton. Participants will critically examine their own personal philosophies of drug use, treatment, needle exchange, and their interconnections, says Vail, w ho has masters degrees in arts and public health and co-founded a California needle-exchange program in 1989. In all, I0 workshops ranging from spirituality to stress reduction will round o ut the May I POZ event co-sponsored by Everybody's News and AIDS, Medicine. and Miracles. A second session is sched­ uled at Covington's Riverview Hotel May 2. Call AIDS Volunteers of Northern Kentucky (483-5757) for details. T he following Friday, May 8, the Cincinnati Health Department and Council memberTyrone Yates will convene a roundtable of local health leaders and a viewing of a satellite broadcast from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on HIV surveillance and prevention. Cleveland Needle Exchanger Arrested last year, DRCN et members wrote to officials and media outlets in the city of Cleveland on behalf ofThe Xchange Point, a privately funded needle exchange program which had shut down under threat of prosecution by the city government. The city had issued an emergency order permitting needle exchanges to operate, but then revised it so as to specifically prohibit The Xchange Point, despite efforts by the program to work out mut ually accept­ able ·conditions (http://drcnet.org/rapid/ 199711- 19­ 1.html). In May '97,The Xchange Point resumed operations, thanks in part to the many letters from DRC Net m embers and other supporters (http:// www.drcnte.org/rapid/1997/5-2- I.html}. We have more than four times as many readers now as we did 'Needle Exchanger' cont. on Page 13 �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Hom eless Grapevine I hope our participation was what you were shooting for. I look forward to the next workshop. hope to hear from you soon. Thanks, Eugene M. (Prospect House) UNFULFILLED AS A WOMAN By Lisa Baker I think that as a woman I need a child to feel motivated and that that need is unfulfilled. And I think the need to have kept my child would have been a means for the man who forced me co access me. I felt the pull of him, because if I had a man to protect me and my child, then I wouldn't have been so vulnerable to having people move in on me... to convince me I wasn't going to be able to keep my bond with my baby so alone like that. People like him abuse the necessity of their role and people are there to rob me of the notion that I can make it without a man. I'm not sure, but I think women still have some very serious rights issues to address. I have to motivate myself without a child and I'm not convinced its natural. My admitting I experienced depression and receiving assistance for it lead me to being open prey for the adoption agency I'd looked into. But. I decided not to follow through with it, to persist. Children Services whom I asked for two weeks of foster care from potentially would never return my child. My therapist fore­ warned me that Children Services might never return my child and evenwally adopt him out themselves with no consent from me and my case manager. I strategically gave my baby up for adoption. It was the best choice given the circumstances, but my question is if circumstances like that should be allowed to continue to people like me? People who just asked for a little help. who care about their baby, and who wouldn't have asked for help if they didn't love their baby and showed it by asking for help. I wasn't told when I received assistance, due to my depression, that I was in a roundabout way forfeiting my right to mother the baby I nurtured in my womb and gave birth to. So, if you would need even a little help, especially in the initial care for your baby, then make sure your family can help you before having a baby. Or, come to terms with adoption or abortion and consider a method of contraception that would protect you form becom­ ing pregnant under the circumstances of rape, incestual molestation, or domestic abuse. This is an issue to be addressed by all women once they menstruate and any woman or man who may need in any amount some form of help regard­ ing childcare. Keep your bases covered because no one can help you clear your conscience if you don't and there will easily be someone to advantage form your mistake. Continuum of Care Mr. Donald Whitehead, I want to thank you for letting us participate in che Homeless Coalition Workshop. It allowed me to be of service in my community. This is a very big part of my recovery. That is getting out of myself and helping another person. {Ed. Note: Eugene was one of the participants in the Continuum of Care Workshop held at Peaslee Neighborhood Center, April 27th, and sponsored by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. This workshop allowed participants, which included homeless and formerly homeless individuals and service providers, an opportunity to discuss and strategize funding programs and priorities for HUD {Housing and Urban Development} allocations. By listening to client needs and priorities, service providers can then structure programs that meet those needs. HUD and the Homeless Coalition encourages client participation in these discussions with the belief that know one knows the needs better than the poor and homeless that these programs will serve. Lost year, successful participation in these discussions by clients brought millions of dollars to the dty in program development funding.) Page 10 individuals pay their state employees sixteen to twenty plus dollars an hour to help further corrupt the prisoner so that he returns to the syttem once he is released. They are actually taught the art of dehumanization in classrooms. I would love to be sitting behind a desk waiting for the returns on my investments, but not at the detriment of society or its children. I have seen a lot of things take place on the inside, and it's all manipulated by the administra­ tion at the cost of the prisoner and society. I am currently and adequately stressing that their is an extreme abuse and waste of millions of dollars of taxpayers money by a defunct system. They bleed you for taX dollars to currently invest in a penal system that is not only nonproductive in its goal, but does not receive all of these tax dollars. However, the real conditions existing within the prisons are hidden form society by smooth talking and manipulative bureaucrats. It is bleeding the laborer, small businessman. and the elderly, instead of building a solid tomorrow through your children! These wastes of resources need to stop, but I, as a prisoner. can do nothing. It must be you, the one who the system is really hurting. A prisoner who speaks out is threatened, abused, or retaliated against and sometimes even stopped by a system that is corrupt. This same system is supposed to change the cognitive process of the prisoner from the idea of criminal activities and work to change them into being productive citizens. Think about your children and the future of society. And cake a stand against a corrupt system. It doesn't accom­ plish anything by pretending chat it does not exist. Instead you must contact your state officials and voice your concern. Or change your voting issues the nexc time you visit the polls. You can contact your district representative or senator. WHAT'S OHIO'S CONCEPT OF REHABILITATION? SLAVE LABOR by Dan Cahill In Struggle, James W. Pryor Does the State of Ohio have a concept of the word Rehabilitation and it's fundamental purpose? Ohio has developed a billion dollars a year business that is steadily growing, while educational opportuni­ ties for your children greatly dissipate. We must ask. why has the penal system become a system full of revolving door prisons while today's kids are shooting and killing their classmates? The right to rehabilitation is defined as the right to an opportunity to return to society with a better chance of being a useful citizen and staying out of prison. This right requires not only education and therapy. but also a nondestructive prison environment, and when possible, less restrictive alternatives to incarceration. However, in Ohio, the prisoner is warehoused in a corrupt and dehumanizing system. Education and counseling are virtually nonexistent. Yet drugs, homosexuality, overcrowding, maltreatment, and many other forms of abuse exist within today's prisons. Society is kept in the dark about these abuses and the form of prisoner it creates for return into society. They are kept in the dark so that the bureaucrats can capitalize off of the misfortune of the prisoner by receiving federal grants. Yet schools within society are not receiving appropriate funding to properly educate your children. I advise that you watch the news and see what society's children are being turned into by the individuals who run the system and why they are implementing tougher laws for juveniles. They are being made the future prisoners of Ohio because its become a billion dollars a year industry that's growing even larger. Tell me of any businessman that doesn't want a large rewrn on his investments. Ohio mass produces prisoners who leave a system angry and wanton for vengeance upon a system that has abused them during their entire incarceration. These same The Governor recently signed into law Senate Bill 111. This is an oppressive piece of legislation that will have a negative impact on many aspects of the criminal (ln)justice system. Part of this bill will enable prison officials to charge prisoners a fee for medical services. The fee will automatically be deducted from prisoners' "state pay." State pay is the amount of money the prison system gives prisoners each month to purchase necessary hygiene articles that the state does not supply prisoners with. State pay ranges from $3.00 to $22.00 depending on a prisoners status. What this means is that prisoners will literally have to choose between buying tooth paste or paying for medical care. A severely ill prisoner will have to pay all his/her state pay for medical care and will have nothing left for hygiene articles. · Another part of the bill will allow the state to charge prisoners for their cost of imprisonment. and will virtually ensure that prisoners will never be able to break out of the cycle of poverty and imprison­ ment. This debt will follow prisoners out into the free world once they're released and will result in indentured servitude for many years, if not for the remainder of their lives. The bill further encourages prison officials to establish "work programs" and aggressively market the slave labor of prisoners to private industries, and severely limits the safety requirements that prisoners must work under. This new law also requires the state prison system to establish an involuntary testing of prison­ ers for HIV/AIDS, and also enables the state to test people outside the prison system involuntarily for contagious diseases. It's ironic that this piece of oppressive legislation was supported by Senator Eugene Watts, who was recently convicted himself of pancaking honorarium fees to avoid reporting this · source of income. The real criminals never make it to prison, and they're the ones governing our lives and freedoms . Slavery is alive and flourishing in America! �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvlbes Crossword by Paul linden Page 11 Findlay Market Outreach by Ron Carter Across 1. Christian Sabbath Day 5. Month of Ground Hog Day 11 . Tire Nuts 13. At Any Time 14. Double Stuffed Cookies 15. Island of Immigration 16. Seller of Streetvibes* 18. Cherishes 20. Recovery Group 21 . Flightless Bird 24. Keystone State{abbr.} 25. School Group Fighting Drunk Driving 26 . Longhorn State 28. An Equal 30. A Command or Request 32. Having Uttle Money 33. Path for Vehicles 34. Type of Tree 35. Writing Fluid 36. Smallest State 38. Colorfull Season 40. 24 Hours 41 . A Beverage 42. A Stone 44. Season for Blooming 45. Buckeye State Capital 49. Calif. City 50. Coldest Season 52. Mardi Gras Day of Week 56. Beware of the Ides or 59. 1st State to Ratify the Constitution 62. Season of Schoollessness 64. Roc.ky Mountain State{abbr.} 65. Dairy State of the East 67. AMa.rsh 69. Japanese Currency 70. Charged Particle 71 . State with Columbia as Capital{abbr} 72. Sewing Material 73. Carries Blood Away From Heart 74. Buckeye State 75. ... 76. To Splice n . A lie 78. FormerSuperPower .••upon this rock I will build my church••• Matt.16:18 by Evangelist Rodney Sutton, Sr. Answers.Jo Crossword on Page 13 HAIKU Scramble 1. Half a School Year 2. Sun's Rays 3. Carson City is the Capital or_ _ _ __ 4. Intense Fear 5. To Predict 6. Hospital Department 7. Gentlemen Callers 8. Spare the_; Spoil the Child 9. Entertained Military 10. Beatles' Song 11. Mouth Part 12. You and Me Subs criptions to Streetvibe s can be purchased for $12 per year. Please send a che ck to the be low address and the pape r will b e m aile d to you each issue . Streetvibes I506 Elm St reet C incinnat i, OH 452 10 Please m a ke ch ecks pay­ a ble t o t he G reater Cincinnati C oalitio n for t he Hom e less-· Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421 -7803. Words From The Evangelist I want to begin by thanking you all for your prayers and calls of support. Because of your prayers God has blessed AWOL Ministries with a building at 2305 West 8th Street. It is on the corner of West 8th and State Avenue. I have spent the last part of May cleaning the building, and with your continued prayers, support, and pledges. I hope to spend the month of June meeting with community leaders and ordinary people to assess the co mmunity needs and how AWOL Ministries can meet those needs. However, I am in need of folding chairs, religious pictures, a po dium and other miscellaneous church items. Please call 2 10-4181 for information and to help. · Down Subscribe to Streetvlbes 17. Entrance 19. Two of Clubs eg. 22. Mythical Sea Creature 23. Rainy Month 24. Summit 27. Secret Agent 29. A Very Long Time 30. Northwestern Coast State 31 . Office Table 37. A Round Object 38. Very Well Known 39. Heartland State 40. Winter Month 41. Holds Water 43. Hawaiian Dance 44. Weekend Day 46. Mother's Day Month 47. Fish Fry Day{abbr} 48. Summer Month 51 . Not Here 53. Recent Olympic City 54. Settlements of a Dispute 55. Fake 56. I, Myself 57. Military Branch 58. Little Jack_ _ 60. To Avoid 61 . A Great Lake 63. Great lake State{abbr} 66. Additional 68. Cereal Grains 71 . To Weep Uncontrolably Since the last issue o f Streetvibes was printed I have still been collecting signatures for my O ne-Way Vine Street petition. It has been going really well, I must say. I have been able to talk a lot of people into signing the petitio n after they had told me t hat they had no interest in doing so. A lot of the shoppers never knew that Vine St. was fo rmerly two­ way in O ver-the-Rhine. After I explain to them how much of a problem it was with all the accidents and congestion, they really can't understand why anyone would want to change it back. So me of the shoppers said they remember how it was or heard stories of how it was on two-way Vine. And they think it would be a disaster to change it back. As far as anyone losing business on Vine because of O ne­ Way as it is, in my o pinio n, is a bunch o f bull. Because if I wasn't doing well if I owned a business because the direction of the street that my business was located on was changed then I think I would have to find me a new location. On the other hand, if you are selling a product that I want in your store I would still come to your store no matter how the street had been changed if you have been fa ir with me as far as prices are concerned, etc. I know I am not the only one who feels that way. So let's think hard about what is more important; two-way or O N E-WAY VINE. l'll leave you with this thought. Until next time please try to Keep One-Way Vine On Your Mind. T hank you. by Brett Zwollnskl by Ron An unrhymed Japanese verse form of three lines containing usually 5, 7, 5, (or 7, 5, and 7) syllables respectively. Please submit your suggestions for monthly Haiku to Brett Zwo linski, at STREETVIBES. Now, Anna Mitchell's Haiku: a defiant child white knuckled for redemption searching for a self Carter Try to unscramble these related wo rds: LUQLAS PORCOE SLECSLI MIHLCHIE TONUREP ENTESR LRYIRTL TEYSA N BIRNUW NEO YWA NEIV TERSET Answers on page 15. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Homelessness: handouts not the answer by Te 'tro Amaru Have you ever thought about homeless people, other than wishing they would bathe and stop damaging your nostril tissues? Better yet, do you even truly care about homeless people? Come on, be honest with yourself. It's just you and me here and I can't even hear you. Well, I'm going to keep it real. I'm not losing any sleep over America's homeless situation. And depending upon my mood on any given day, I'm likely to walk on or over a homeless person lying in my way. I don't give to charities because there's no telling whose pockets are being filled and I don't believe that Jerry even has any kids. Also, Sally Struthers has gained at least 300 pounds since she initially asked people to send money to help feed little Juju and other starving children. So I'm sure you can conclude for yourself whose been eating the children's meals and why they're still starving. I don't give hand-outs or spare change because it really doesn't get a person anywhere. It's the same concept as the Black Republicans: tokens only take you for a ride and then you're quickly back to where you started. Don't get me wrong, I love all my peoples with a passion from the down and outs to the sell-outs. And although the homeless dilemma transcends all racial and cultural barriers, the question is, how do we find a meaningful and effective solution to the problem? Is developing soup kitchens, temporary shelters and passing out gifts of spare change du ring the holiday seasons the answer? Or is the Personal Responsibility and Work Reconciliation Act of 1996, the answer? Is having college students sleep outside decorated cardboard boxes at Shantytown and promoting homeless awareness for a week, the answer? Have you ever contemplated how and why it is that homeless people have come to find themselves at such a low position in life? Not every homeless person is lazy or lacks the motivation to seek and secure a job. The reason could be as simple as having some slumlord not accept your rent when it's five days late and evict you as a result. With family twelve hours away, limited friends who you don't wish to intrude upon, and an independent nature and will to succeed- becoming homeless arrives very easily. Other factors for the cause of homelessness may occur through the shortage of affordable rental housing, mental illness, domestic violence and chemical dependency among others. The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty used a projected annual rate of increase of 5 percent to produce a 1996 estimate of 760,000 people homeless on any given night and 1.2 to 2 million people who have experienced homelessness during one year. For the last seven to eight weeks I was one of the homeless, camping out on the Herald train tracks and under the Victory Parkway bridge. or sleeping in the study lounges of various dormitories I could get into. I used to joke about being homeless and maintain that I would rob and steal before ever living on the streets. I suppose a lot of white people are fortunate for my changed state of mind, since I refuse to rob and steal from my own people (call it a "black thang.") Being virtually jobless and with limited funds. affordable housing became a major issue and a problem. Sure I could always rent a house on Winding Way and return to the infamous entrepreneurialship to pay the enormous and outrageous rent. But with so many prep kids acting like cool kids, constantly wanting to get high on credit, get busted and then wanting to narc on you. I'm not with it. I'm too close to fulfilling my dreams and in three to four years, I'll hopefully be racking in the dough anyway. Hard times make you distinguish and realize who your true friends are from the every day hi-bye rumor spreaders. The public could learn a lesson from my family for their undying love and uncondi­ tional support (you'll have your BMW before you know it, Mommy), or from Sherwin Anderson (who I love like family) who was always there for me. The public could also take a few cues from all the cool kids who let me duck the cruel weather by periodically crashing out at their places (when I'm knocking heads professionally, I'll remember who all helped finance my education over the years). And I thank open-minded people like Pudgy and DMK who took down the "No Niggers Al­ lowed" signs and gave me a place to sleep for about two weeks. So as I continue to journey on a mission for success while not allowing anyone nor anything to block my dreams (even if it means working at McDonalds, cha-ching). I'm left clueless as to the answer to the homeless situation in America. The research I've gathered shows there are more or less hand-outs and financial assistance given on the federal level. But it's time someone, somewhere stopped providing governmental dependency programs for the homeless and begin guiding and teaching homeless individuals how to provide for themselves. There is an old saying that if you give a man a fish he'll eat for a day, but if you show him how to fish , he'll eat for life. I'm just one person with a lot of questions and few answers to a problem that affects all of us (humanity) whether we acknowledge it or not.. Editors Note: Mr. Amoru is a former colum­ nist (or the Xavier Newswire. Some of the views represented in this article could be interpreted by some as separatist, even racial. In no way are the views set forth in this article meant to be representa­ tive of those working or serving here at Streetvibes. Our intent is merely to publish articles to be read at each individuals discretion. Finally, we here at Streetvibes encourage your responses and input regarding articles published in Streetvibes. Finally, upon receiving your comments, we will toke into consideration publishing them as well. Mark Salter Celebrates Recovery Nine months ago I could not even imagine living and enjoying life drug free . Today I "cel­ ebrated" 9 months clean, thanks to God, the fellowships, and the desire to stay clean and sober. graduated from the Drop-Inn Center live-in drug rehabilitation program. I imagine for some the word "graduated" may seem kind of paradoxical because one doesn't quite graduate in "recovery." So let me clarify: To graduate from a substance abuse program means to me that one has followed the rules and suggestions related to learning to live life on life's terms without the use of drugs. It means to me, after developing a foundation rooted in honesty. open mindedness and the willingness, one has become prepared to face life one day at a time. For me that was the hard part. I used drugs to boost my self esteem, to medicate self-pity and sadness. It didn't stop there. I used drugs always to celebrate something, anything, and everything. However, using drugs robbed me of my true Page 12 happiness. When I graduated, I graduated from an atmosphere of recovery, perhaps to some a safe­ haven. To an independent life, where I am respon­ sible and held responsible for the life I have now to live. In a sense, I've finally grown up. But oh! Don't get me wrong. The process doesn't stop. Living in a program helped me to develop a habit of being aware of my thoughts, feelings, actions, and reactions while giving me some tools to discern from the positive and negative ones. Then putting to use those tools. My life is still a life, just like many others. But for me it is truly a blessing never having to worry and wonder how am I going to get high Today. And truly some days being clean is "as good as it gets" (to quote another). For me, the greatest gift is being clean. Everything after that is a blessing. For me, the day I stopped using was relatively easy. the hard part was not picking up again... from habit or conditioning, barding the compulsion. I remember an addict saying this: There are 3 things co remem­ ber that will help in recovery: I) Don'-t use. 2) Don't use. 3) Don't use. I accept this, because I'm finding as long as I don't use. I've got a chance. Now I'm discovering that life has more to offer than just having a job, a relationship, and a little money. But I choose not to disclose that. Because that is some­ thing that is between you and your higher power. Besides. I can't explain it. Life has a lot to offer. I know some days when its the "Same ?#?!, different day" syndrome. But it's our perspective that makes it so. The closedness of our minds that makes life seem so monotonous. Make a change! Cut back on the coffee, cut back on the meat. Read a book. go to a play or concert. Do something different! Join a gym, learn a new language or a new skill. Stop building yourself a prison wall around your life! Give yourself a break, cry something new. One day at a time. There is a passion that dwells within, which is ignited by love, honesty, and God. Make your tomorrow by planting seeds of kindness, patience. and understanding. Simply because it doesn't hurt anyone when you say it's OK, I understand. A Relationship With an Addict by Maryann Bravo Living with addicts is not easy because you never know when the person is going to change on you. last year I met a recovering addict. We became friends lacer on down the line. I fell in love with him. I fell in love with him for so many reasons. I) He has changed his life for the better. 2) He is trying so hard to stay clean. After a few months being with him, I didn't understand why he was going to these meetings. I find thatALANON meeting groups help me better my life and understand the man I love and going through our relationship. It's going so good. When I got into this relationship I knew this was not going to be easy. After being with him for a few months, I can see the difference in his life. If you get into a relationship with a recovering addict, you have to go to your own meetings to understand the person you love. And going through, I thank God for giving me a chance with this man. Being a part of his life makes me happy and joyful. �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Ravings of a Mad Womyn a monthly attempt to chip away at the rule of the Establishment .• by Ma/aka "the personal is political'' is a theory that Black people definitely know (though feminists were the first to put it that way). I chink that we know that better than anybody. My grandmother (like many Black grandmothers) expressed this to me early when she·d talk about "racism" by talkin about growing up poor and Black in the South in the '30s. In face. it was these experiences- of being called "nigger", of having to go to segregated schools, of not getting certain jobs- that fueled the Civil Rights Movement of the '60s. The masses then were empowered. because the idea was, "my first-hand knowledge makes me an expert." But is that the truth? ls personal experience and political consciousness the same thing? Black feminist scholar bell hooks addressed this point in her book, Ain't I a Woman (notice she spelled womyn wrong) when she wrote,"to experi­ ence the pain of race hatred or to witness that pain is not to understand it's origin, evolution, or impact on world history." Oh, so that would.be the difference between the militant activist and the wino who blames "da white man": consciousness comes from the examination of the structures of domination (no. I didn't steal that from Jesse Jackson). Which means that seeing how oppression plays out in our own lives is an important step in the process toward "politicization"- but it shouldn't end there. When it does end there, that is when we think of racism as only what we "see" and what "affects" me, we don't even begin co realize the magnitude of the problem or the magnitude of our strength. And, of course, by denying two key facts , that there is a problem and that power, even to the point of revolution, lies within the hands of the masses, things continue to go. ya know, "business as usual"; so I'd like to comment on where I see that certain knowledge has been "sanitized". We know the history of this country right? As related to theyAfrican-American experience, basically we were slaves until the Civil W ar. However, two things that aren't often discussed related to this are I) the economic system that thrived o n exploitation then is the same one that we are under now (capitalism) 2) slavery did not happen peacefully. That's actually an understatement. Slaves were known to burn fields and even kill their masters (Angela Davis discusses this in Women, Race & Class). Knowing this history would be to understand the "origin" that hooks speaks of. And to have knowledge of the history of anything is to gain perspective about it and to get a glimpse of it (racism in this case) at it's most basic level. So how has racism evolved? Oh, where to begin... the Blacks who were slaves then are "wage slaves" today, making much less than Whites on average, and that's if you can even get a permanent job. Many permanent jobs have moved out of the country where others, people of color elsewhere, do the work for much less than even their standard of living, because capitalism still rewards the exploita­ tion of the masses. Also. for profit prisons combined with for sell politicians are making a killing ware­ housing the poor. And of course. it's still very easy to make something look bad by attaching a dark face to it (welfare must be abolished! we need cameras on every corner! keep out those immigrants!) The greatest lesson of slavery, though is that overt repression does not work. So. co-optation, rewarding individuals instead of conceding to the demands of the masses. is now the preferred method. That's why there are prominent Blacks everywhere­ in politics, sports. on the police force, on your T.V.­ but little improvement of the Black condition. And those who won't put personal gain over collective relief, (Mumia Abu-Jamal, Leonard Peltier,Assata i 1 ·;.· Shakur, etc.) put 'em in jail and hope that the masses forget about them - which is real easy to do when it doesn't get in the paper somehow. The economic plans that will help bring about the "new world order" (NAFTA, GATT & MAI), are overtly racist and will serve to keep the "third world" far behind for quite a long time. But of course, this isn't newswor­ thy either. So, in keeping with it's history. America continues to tell us that: I) there is no problem (by denying that the growing number of prisons, growing resentment of non-white immigrants, and the "world economy" that's only working for a small minority is connected to race-based oppression) and that 2) we have no power (that our, "da man is just screwing us" attitude is just a hallucination, and that most people are doing fine). But of course, that I, a 19 year old African­ American womyn is writing this is proof, in my mind, that the resistance movement is still alive and kickin'. That you have to hunt down a homeless person sellin a paper in order to get these ideas is proof that we still have a long ways to go. Alright so now that you realize that racism still exists and it still has a real impact on people's lives (you can find other specific examples yourself by just reading between the lines) what do you do? Well, I say go out and make some noise, but I have faith that the noise will be made eventually- it's too hard to believe that humanity could continue along it's present course for much longer. 'Needle Exchanger' cont. from Page 9 then and The Xchange Point needs our help again. This morning (4/28), Ken Vail, founder and Executive Director ofThe Exchange Point. Cleveland's second needle exchange program, was arrested, only two days after returning from the North American Syringe Exchange convention, where attendees were warmly welcomed by Baltimore's mayor and commissioner of public health. Ken has been charged with an "unclassified misde­ meanor," a pretty minor charge, but is being held in jail with ball set at $ I 0,000. His lawyer is working to get him released. Ken was arrested for violating the City's health emergency order on syringe exchange that was revised earlier this year. The revised regulations had asked programs to desist from syringe exchange until they had demonstrated widespread community support through a variety of mechanisms such as community forums. Ken has been working on increasing the community support. but has been vocal in criticizing the desist component of the order. A warrant was issued for his arrest. and he turned himself In this morning. The city's accion threatens to increase the spread of drug-related HIV/ AIDS, hepatitis and other diseases. The timing of the arrest, and the unusually high bond for an offense that would typically carry no bond, raises the suspicion that the arrest was politically motivated - not only, perhaps. as individual retaliation against Ken Vail, but as a backlash against the headway that needle exchange has made during the last several days: Eight days ago the Secretary of Health & Human Services endorsed needle exchange in principle for the first time. and three days ago several members Page 13 of the Congressional Black Caucus called for drug czar Barry McCaffrey's resignation because of his covert maneuvering to undermine other members of the Clinton administration who support needle exchange (more about this in the next Week Online). CAL L THE FOLLOWING PUBLIC OFFICIALS: Mayor Michael R. White: (216) 664-2000 (switchboard open from 8:30am-4:30pm EST) via fax: (216) 664 28 15 via mall: City of Cleveland City Hall 60 I Lakeside Avenue Cleveland, O H 441 14 Public Health Director Robert 0 . Staib: (216) 664-4370 via fax: (216) 664-2197 via mail: City of Cleveland 1925 St. Clair Avenue Cleveland, OH 441 14 City AIDS Czar Bob Bucklew: (2 16) 420-8504 Subscribe to Streetvlbes Subscr iptions to Streetvibes can be p u r­ chase d for $ 12 pe r ye ar. Please se nd a che ck t o the be low address a nd the pape r will be m aile d to you each issue. Streetvibes I506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please m a ke che cks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coa litio n for the Home le ss--Streetvibes. If you have any que stio ns, call 421 -7803 . Answers to Streetvlbes Crossword from Page 11... �' STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 14 The RECOVERY HOTEL makes a difference in lives and the community The Recovery Hotel is a 20 unit SRO (Single Room Occupancy) apartment building for individuals seeking a sober living arrangement in a secure building. Most of the Recovery Hotel residents hove completed some kind of treatment program and ore looking for the kind of continued support offered by living in a drug and alcohol-free building, while taking steps to get their lives back in order. Located at 1225 Vine Street in Over-The-Rhine, the building is a formerly abandoned tenement that required a lot of hard work by volunteers and community activists. Thousands of hours of volunteer labor were needed to completely gut the old structure and make it ready (or rehab. Community activists fought long and hard (or funds and city approval of the project. The struggle to complete the project took nearly a decade. Finally completed in December of 1995, the Recovery Hotel stands as a notional model (or programs of its type. Living in the Hotel allows residents to adjust to independent living after leaving a structured recovery program. The Recovery Hotel by Robert Brown The Recovery Hotel provides the atmosphere of recovery. It is just about in the heart the Over The Rhine niehborhood of Downtown Cincinnati. At the Recovery Hotel you have access to a lot of places within walking distance. Like churches. 12 step meeting places, stores, the library. Community Centers, and o ther services. We are located at 1225 Vine Street. Across from us is a bus swp that can connect you to UC (University of Cincinnati) College, UC Hospital, and other hospitals in that area. The Recovery Hotel is secure. We have desk managers on duty day and night just in case you need to speak to someone about anything. W e have 20 units for men only. They are furnished w ith refrigerators, stoves, and bedroom furniture. The electric. bills are reasonable, if you like them like that. We have a nice large lobby with a recreation room which we are in the process of improving. You will have access to a washer and dryer in a large basement where you can work out if you like. The only requirement is 6 months clean and an honest desire to stay that way. If this is your idea of a place you can work your program, call us today at 421­ 0227. The Recovety Hotel, at 1225 Vine Street in Over-The-Rhine To live at the Recovery Hotel... by Bobby Lyles The Recovery Hotel, located at 1225 Vine Street in Over The Rhine, is a recovery facility for housing twenty adult men in recovery from sub­ stance abuse. The hotel is a shelter plus care program and is SRO (Single Room Occupancy). It was opened in 1996 by the Drop Inn-Center and ReSTOC. It is staffed by three house managers and coordinated by Bobby Lyles. The basic requirement is recent completion of a treatment program of a 5 to 6 month period of time. We are currently accepting applications that can be obtained at the hotel. The hotel is Section 8, meaning that for those who qualify, CMHA (Cincin­ nati Metropolitan Housing Authority) will pay the part of their rent above thirty percent of their gross income. There is a refundable security deposit of $297. After completing the application process, Recovery Hotel staff will guide you through the interview and Section 8 procedure. While in the program, residents have daily rap sessions with a house manager and attend both in­ house and outside AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) or NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meetings as well as weekly house meetings. Any additional information can be obtained by calling 421-0227 or the Drop-Inn-Center (721-0643) located at 217 West 12th Street. Cincinnati, Ohio 45210. Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Help Wanted Catholic Worker House 1437 .Walnut Street, OTR Shelter for 15 homel ess men needs house staff member. Should be able to Interact with formerly homeless men and be willing to work flexible hours. For more Information, call Patrick at 381-4941 or send resume. Looking for a place to call home? Call the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Affordable rent that never exceeds 30°/o of your income ... Many buildings equipped with security systems ... Units located on buslines and near stores, schools, hospitals, banks Rental units are available in these family and senior communities: Avondale Hopple Street/Fairmount West End Winton Place For more information, call 421-8190 today. �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine ANNOUNCING A new Gro up at A VOC... For Heterosexuals l iving With Aids Are you looking for a broader knowledge of the challenge of llv/ng with HIV/ AIDS? Would you /Ike to meet people who share slmllar experiences and hear their coping strategies? Are you looking for peers wi th who ou can discuss and plan for the future? FREE POLITICAL PRISONERS by Sonny Wiiiiams On March 27th, hundreds marched in front of the White House to demand the freedom of political prisoners in the United States. We have two political prisoner's In the Ohio Prison System that should be supported: Dan Cahill at Orient Prison and John Perotti at Lucasville Prison, If you are interested to write these prisoners, write to: COME MEET WITH US STARTING ON2/5/ 98 Where: AVOC " Gray Room" When: 1st and 3rd Thursdays 6:30 PM to B:PM More Information: Susan or Judy 421-2437 Ohio Prisoner's Rights Union P. 0. Box 1746 Cincinnati, Ohio 45201-1746 Lalwn Band Look!pc Cor Work Street,•ibes (the band). We lik to pally. R&B. Oldies. Blues/ Jazz. Reggae. Helping 1h.: horneless t.ll help 1hen1selves through free enterprize. Call 421-7803. Streetvibes is now accepting Classified Ads for items such as Help Wanted, Items for Sale, Apart­ ments for Rent and other non-personal items. The race is only $ 1 per line. approxrmacely four words per line. Classified ads are due by the 20th of the month. People below the poverty level will be allowed five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Otherwise, payment muse be received before the ad will run. No refunds will be made. Also, if there is an error, notify us after the first printing. You will be given an extra month of ad time. Mail the ad copy to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 or fax it to 42 1-78 13 Scramble Answers from page 11. .. Qualls Cooper Cissell He/ml/ch Portune Sterne Tiiiery Yates Winburn One Way Vine Street 1 forsale Native American cookies: orders being accepted; R. C. Janus, (Fax) 891-8663 Looking for a laborer? Has worked at Riverfront. Is willing to do any kind of work. Call Sonia Craig at the Drop Inn Center. 721­ 0643 . Elderly or Children Looking for a community oriented job dealing with elderly or children. 3 year ouriench worker/ counse lor aide at YMCA. 13 years typing. Computer and cashier experience inc luding Windows, Lo1us. Any Word Processor. Call Anj:iil Madyun nt the Drop Inn Center. 721-0643. o m ce worker aeeks 20-30 hour s it down job on bus line. wiLhin 2 miles of the river in either Kentucky or Ohio: no n-rnedical terminology, non-filing cabinet office work: social services. sales. public information. c rafts, and other background. some computer experience: contact Box 2, Streetvibes. 1506 Elm St., Cincinnali. 45210. Degreed, succesaful grants administrator/writer seeks commissio ned. free lance posi1ion as same: lcn percent commission per award. Contact J. Janus. Jr. (Fax) 891-8663. Native American-Hispanic female seeks sit down. slow­ paced industrial FACTORY position: physically challenged. (Fax) 89 1­ 866'.I. I . Streetvibes will be distributed for a $ 1 voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for donations more than $1 . I also understand that I will be able to keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. Future issues of Streetvibes will be purchased from the Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. 2. I agree that I will never distribute Streetvibes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 3. I agree that I will not ask for do nations after 12 midnight. 4. I agree to treat others with respect. I will not use abusive language or force someone co give a donation. I will not give a "hard sell" or make someone feel threatened. 5. I agree that I will not supply copies of Maurice Mccrackin Day Saturday, June 27th. Come and Celebrate Mac 's l ife and Work · at The Commons, Ezzard Charles Drive. Picnic and Potluck 1 to 6 P. M. Speakers 1:30 P. M. Open Microphone Story Hour Starts at 3:30 (Anyone Who Cares to Share a Mac Story) Throughout The Afternoon Music Mac Memory Book Other Events Bring a blanket, some food for your family and the potluck••• SaJq .Repn;acptative Looking for pos ition as snles representative or management. Has good bookkeeping, typing and supervisory skills. Hns e xperience in retail management, c usto mer service nnd sales. Is available to work immediately. Call Dea Harris at 552-9351 very dependable and available immediaLely. Please contact Wiley Powell ill 831-8404. ~cpcy Restaurapt Work Responsible older man nble to work any shift. Has had experience as a cook :ind as a janitor. Would prefer work as a busser at a restaurant as well as work as a dishwasher or cook. Is Fee Lawyer N ol afraid of Catholic Church or PUCO. Send office hours and name of law school on letterhead paper to 1111 Elm S1reet. No . 432. Cincinnati, OH 45210. Streetvlbes Radio Hour On WAIF 88.3 Im The Homeless Coalition has a live radio program which can be heard on WAIF radio on the second Saturday of each month at noon. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Donald Whitehead and other monthly guest hosts. The show mixes talk focusi ng on the stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates. WAIF 88.3 fm Saturday, May 9th, 1998, noon to I pm STREETVIBES provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only$ I p er line. Call 421-7803 for info. Streetvlbes Vendor Code of Conduct Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. Page 15 Streetvibes to persons who are not registered distributors. 6. I agree not to deceive the public by saying that I am collecting for a not-for-profit charity or that I am collecting for the "homeless" in general. I will be honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvibes will go to the individual vendor. 7. I agree that I will not contest territories with other distributors. 8. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a self supporting paper created by people who are homeless or formerly homeless. To help in this effort, I will try to spread the word and write stories if possible. 9. I understand that the failure to comply with any of the above statements will result in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. Advertise In Streetvl bes I Advertising in Str eetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to 4,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. Business Card Size 2" x 3 1/2" $10 per m onth Two Business Card Size 4" x 3 l /l" $20 per month A check or money order must accompany the ad copy. We reserve the right to deny any ad, especially those which promote alcohol or tobacco products. You will receive a full refund should your ad be denied. For larger ads, call the number below. Ads are due by the 20th of each month. If you need assistance in preparing your ad or have any other questions, call the Homeless Coali­ tion at 42 1-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, O H 4521 0 �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine VENDOR PROFILE: Streetvlbes TV The Streetvibes TY Show is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video. Some viewers might not see the show appear at the right channel or time during the next couple months as Warner Cable changes programming and channels. Streetvlbes TV June Schedule Earlene Moreland This month's LIVE SHOW will feature the Over-The-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati. Guests will feature activists and residents from this vital downtown Cincinnati community. Earlene is a 48 year-old young woman and Graduate of Hughes High School. She has one son and four grandchildren. She was raised in Corryville. Earlene has been a vendor since March and has become our most successful lady vendor. She enjoys selling the paper and talking to her customers about the paper. She has hopes of being able to travel all over the world some day, A dream she has had for a long time and keeps holding on to. Keep holding o n Earlene, dreams do come true. Earlene was a little shy about doing this profile, but I managed to get it out of her. Continue to spread the word, Earlene, and we wish you all the best. ...by Ron Carter Page 16 Saturday June 13, 1998, 4 PM Friday, June 12, 1998, 11 am Friday, June 19, 1998, 11 AM Monday, June 22. 1998, 10 PM Saturday, June 27, 1998, 4 PM Channel 7 Check your local TY listines for our LIVE Broadcast next month. Broadcast schedules a re subject to change - consult your local TV directory. If you have any ideas for future STREETYIBES TY shows please contact our office at 421-7803. We always enjoy hearing from our veiwing audience. Ideas should address subjects related to homeless­ ness and poverty in our city. We are always inter­ ested in viewer ideas, so please give us a call... Streetvlbes Wish List Streetvibes is published monthly on a shoe­ string budget. We depend heavily on the goodwill of many volunteers and donors. If you can help out with some of the items on our wish list please give us a call... >Adobe Photoshop Software for IBM to save scanning costs >Computer Monitor >Computer Printer >VCR to Show Streetvibes TV Show Episodes to Groups >Volunteer Copy Editors and Stories >Advertisers to help support the paper Vendor: 80 cents > Fax Machine r >Office Supplies >Computer for Streetvibes layout and writing Printing and Production: C all 421 -7803 if you can he lp! Streetvibes has a minimal overhead cost so that the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. If anyone selling Streetvibes claims to be collecting for a private charity, please call our office at 42 1-7803. Thanks for your support. t If for some reason you find yourself homeless, contact a Coalition Member Agency for Shelter, Treatment, Housing or Services. If you have any questions, feel free to call the Homeless Coalition at 421-7803 . SHELTERS: Women and Children 241-2757 Alice Paul House (abuse) 281-5770 YWCA Transitional living Prog. 557-2873 Bethany House 762-5660 Salvation Army 431 -8717 Welcome House SHELTER: Me n City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (veterans) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt.Airy Center Volunteers of America 241 -5525 241 -0490 24 1-2965 381-4941 661-4620 381-1954 SHELTER: Both Caracole (AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (singles) Friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) 761-1480 821-5100 721-0643 381 -5432 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality Network 244-7226 961 -4080 Lighthouse Youth Center St.john's Temporary Housing 651 -6446 HOUSING 721-4580 CMHA 632-7149 Excel Development 241-0504 Miami Purchase 369-0004 OTR Housing Network 381-0954 ReSTOC Tender Mercies (Mental Ill) 721-8666 961-4555 Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: Women 241-7343 O .D.AA.T 921-7324 First Step Home TREATMENT: Me n 784-1853 Charlie's 3/4 House 921 -16 13 Prospect House 751-3260 Starting Over TREATMENT: Both 820-2947 NAHopeline 861-9966 A.AHodine 381-6660 C.CAT. 684-7956 Talbert House 491-4435 Transitions, Inc. 559-501 I VA Domiciliary OTHER SERVICES 421 -2437 AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 621 -5991 Appalachian Identity Center 231-6630 Beech Acres Center for Independent living Options 241-2600 591-2246 Churches Active in Northside 961-0600 Cincinnati Health Network 569- 1840 Community Action Agency 381-4242 Contact Center Emanuel Community Center 241-2563 Freestore/Foodbank 24 1- 1064 771-4800 Goodwill Industries 621-7149 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 632-7186 Hamilton Co.TB Control 357-4602 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 221-3679 House of Refuge Mission 241-9400 Legal Aid Society Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 27 1-5501 72 1-481 1 Mary Magdalen House 621-0248 Oral Health Council 62 1-6364 Our Daily Bread 621-551 4 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 721-7660 Travelers Aid 721-7900 United Way 559-6656 VA Homeless Program Women's Crisis Center 491-3335 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1998 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource June 1998 Vol 2, issue 18 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg. 1: Panhandling Ordinance Ruled Unconstitutional by Judge Sherman New University Hospital Policy Threatens Health of Poor Privatization at UC Hospital Pg 2: Cleveland News Pg. 3: Students Perspective Pg 4: Welfare News Pg. 5: Visible Homeless Drop Inn Center Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg. 7: Nationwide News Pg 8: Azerbaijan Refugees Pg. 9: Needle Exchange Pg. 10: Letters & Editorials Prisoners News Pg 13: Mad Womyn Pg 14: Recovery Hotel Pg 16: Vendor Profile Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project (curated by Katelyn Lusher) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 1998 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Te' Tro Amaru Maryann Bravo Robert Brown Dan Cahill Ron Carter Pat Clifford Denise Crew Brian Davis Dr. Bob Donovan Dan Gibbons Jimmy Heath James Hobbs Paul Linden Bobby Lyles Judith Mendriski Mark Salter Malaka Sanders Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Sonny Williams Brett Zwolinski Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-sa/4.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a<span> </span><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a>. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF addiction Bobby Lyles Brett Zwolinski Brian Davis Dan Cahill Dan Gibbons Denise Crew Donald Whitehead Dr. Bob Donovan Drop Inn Center health care HIV immigration James Hobbs Jimmy Heath Judith Mendriski Lynn Williams Mad Womyn Malaka Sanders Mark Salter Maryann Bravo panhandling Pat Clifford Paul Linden recovery refugees Robert Brown Ron Carter Sonny Williams Te' Tro Amaru The Recovery Hotel the visible homeless vendor profile welfare https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/c09bca00b4b9a10a4ac6912938a74018.pdf d79d49c78b9d5a66076d6d486a13871e PDF Text Text Landlord Attempts Demolltlons Again and Again and Again... by Andy Hutzel Clifford Rydell, owner of 1105-09 Broadway, has again applied for a demoliti.o n permit to destroy three of his. buUdings for a parking lot. This is the third time Mr. RydeH has tried to demolish them (fegaUy) since he acquired the buildings in r991. He tried in 1991, f994, and now rn 1·998. Mr. Rydell is well known for his mass evictions of I.ow-income residents in the adjoining Huntley Apartments upon its acquisition at the same time. It's his way of ..making a difference''. The.i r were two hearings in front of the City Historic Conservation Board this month, as the buildings sit in the OTR South Historic District. Although staff recommended on both occasio ns to deny the "certificate of appropriateness" for the proposed demolition, the Board gave an extension to Mr. Rydell each time. This despite the fact that the buildings remain OJJen to the weather with missing or deteriorated roofs (since 1'99l) and Mr. Rydell admitted he onfy wanted to demolish the buildings from the outset for a profitable parking lot, not to mention the insults against the residents of the neighborhood. The community must stand up against this injustice. The Conservation Board has granted a six month delay in order to seed alternatives. One · alternative is for the community to take control of :#~~~~~~:~::::;;~:::::::;~*=:::~m~~~. Buildings at 1105-1109 Broadway by Jimmy Heath remain unlniiablted as.owner"'i11iimpts demolition. Photo Are The Homeless Becoming More Vlslble? Contents WESTCO Struggles Building a· Movement Word on the Street Run for City Coun'c il The Odd Cookie Awards Editorials & letters Puzzle Page Page4 Pages Page 6 Pages Page9 Page 10 Page 11 Ravings of a Mad Womyn News Nationwide Cleveland News Page 12 Page12 Page 13 Annoucements and Classifieds Page 15 Yes, according to preliminary Welfare Reform Studies and interviews with local Cincinnati home­ less-shelter staff personnel. Shelters are as full as ever and there are increasing numbers of homeless families. Approximately 35% of the women with children interviewed in she.lters are there due to tightening restrictions on Welfare and so-called sanctions. Sanctioning, for example, involves restrict­ ing people from Welfare benefits or subsidized housing because they did not follow through with appointments or other obligations. Reasons given by the client for the lack of follow-through was the inability to find child care, unanswered phone calls at the Department of Human Resources, or lack of transportation. Individuals may also be ineligible for subsidized housing because of money owed for past rents. or even drug related criminal records. These sanctions result in poor persons, especially families, bei ng forced to live on the streets or crowded into homeless shelters. A recent New York Times article cites a growing presence of homeless people on the streets of Manhattan because of the easing of restrictions against hanging out on the streets in so-called 'public' places. These are chronic homeless individu­ als that avoid the crowded shelters in New York City. Some of the homeless in that city avoid the shelter systems, chose not to seek housing or assistance and have learned to be as unobtrusive as possible. Major crackdowns had sharply reduced the presence of the homeless in that city for a time, while homelessness in Ohio continues to be a growing concern. The State of Ohio is playing it's part in creating the new wave of homeless people with restrictions on we lfare for people who are seeking help from the system. Now families are left with nowhere to go except the shelters. In this county, new ways are being found to waste the taxpayers money- previously low-income subsidized housing projects are being torn down to make way for market-rate housing, while families seek shelter at over-crowded shelters. Ohio is now enjoying a windfall in money saved by these restrictions while innocent children, desperate families and disabled persons suffer. Photo on page five ••• �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for and about the homeless. It is compiled by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Home­ less. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and then sell it for a dollar donation to get back on their feet. All vendors sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. The G~eater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending home­ lessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. The Streetvibes Committe~ meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a comment, please call 421-7803. Staft" Donald Whitehead, Director Frank Carrino, Vendor Support Ron Carter, Vendor Support James Heath, Admin istrative Coordinator p~ James Oimmy) Heath Writers Junior Baughn Ron Carter James Heath Gail Frazier-Holley Andy Hutzel · Lemuel Israel Berta Lambert Judith Mendriski Patrick Mosolf Gregory Payton Mark Salter Malaka Sanders Donald Whitehead Volunteer Editors Pat Clifford Lemuel Israel Tammy Nettles Bonnie Neumeier Malaka Sanders Editorial Polley: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, comments or editorials. We will print everything we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send all material to the following address: Streetvibes do Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless I506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 (S 13) 421-7803 fax (513) 421-7813 e-mail: homecoal@primax.net http://cinci.com/gcch Page 2 Bring on Britain• s Street Paper By Brian Davis, from Cleveland's Homeless Grapevine What is the big deal with the Big Issue? Whi le there are currently 40 homeless street newspapers in North America, the street newspaper industry has exploded in Europe with approximately 90 papers from Scotland to St. Petersburg, Russia. There is a newspaper sold by homeless people with its main office in London, England called The Big Issue. It has a couple pages reserved for homeless issues, but features many entertainment and current-event type stories. It is a smaller Ufe magazine with some progressive thought thrown in , and its sold by homeless people. It is slick with splashy headlines and a solid base of advertising. (The Grapevine in Cleveland and Streetvibes in Cincinnati allows vendors to make most of the profit-about 80 cents per issue.) The Big Issue allows the vendors to make 40 pence. They buy the paper for 40 pence and sell it for 80 pence. They sell a ton of papers each week. This is a big business. The Big Issue supports a foundation that supports other social service organizations. The paper is not an organizing paper, but a solid job for homeless people. The paper has a wide audience, and it is pretty easy to sell. The Big Issue has expanded to Edinburgh, South Africa, Australia, and many cities throughout t~e mother country. They now have decided to come to the Los Angeles market with its over 8.5 million possible customers and its burgeoning home­ less population. The one problem is that there is a new, small street paper based out of Santa Monica that publishes every other month that may be hurt by The Big Issue. Santa Monica is just outside of LA. This has caused quite a stir in the street newspaper movement. 1997, the North Ameri­ can Street Newspaper Association was born. The group has taken on this issue as a primary focus over the last two months. I say 'forget it and move on.' There are far bigger problems to tackle than attempting to control other media outlets. If this was actually a grassroots street newspaper that focused on local issues about poverty then there might be a cause for some action. But not in a huge city like Los Angeles and not with a paper that has very few stories about homelessness. I think that it can only help the street newspaper movement. I say come to Cleveland. We would love to have England's Big Issue. Both of our papers would improve. The Big Issue would have to cover local stories if they wanted to compete with our paper, and we would be forced to improve the look of our paper to compete with The Big Issue. There are enough homeless people to support both papers in Cleveland, and there are enough to support 6 to 8 papers in Los Angeles. I feel as though if there were more businesses that attempted to hire homeless people, the world would be a better place. Make no mistake, The Big Issue is a business venture first with a twist of social concern to add a little flavor. Those people who want to trudge through a bunch of advertisements to read about the night Diana died or the Resur­ . rection of Sid Vicious' musical career will pick up The Big Issue. Those who want to read the words of homeless people and find out about what is going on in the homeless community but don't mind the somewhat archaic layout style will but the papers that are like the Grapevine. Those who want to provide some direct assistance to the homeless and very low­ income people will buy both papers. I have a sneaking suspicion that this frenzy that has arisen because of The Big Issue has a lot to do with a back-handed way to thrust a litmus test on the North American street newspapers by the most progressive elements of our movement. In many progressive move­ ments there are those who want their com­ rades in arms to be "pure." They wake up in the morning after the battle is won with those who have stayed true to their convictions and have taken the moral high ground. In the homeless organizing move­ ment, the extreme progressive element wants only those people who live, breath, and eat poverty. They want the white-male dominated, corporate, morally bankrupt system to fall. They isolate themselves from those peopfo and organizations t hat "sleep wit h the enemy." Organizations that survive by using corporate dollars or are o rganized like the big bad multi­ national corporations w ith a white-male at the head look too much like the perceived enemy. The problem with all of this is t hat th ere are not enough of those organizations of such high character in existence. They isolate them­ selves to the point that there are only a select few that can pass the purity test. Those select few who can pass the test are so battle worn from fighting for every single cause with a fol k song attached to it that the movement peters out and dies. The reason that the multinat io nals are kicking our asses is t hat they have one single thing in which they rally around - money. Everyth ing revolves around the mo ney. If an organization wants to be a part of the dub, all they have to agree to is that profit is the reason for existence. From selling medicine to prison oversight to art to ice cream, all of the corpora­ tions have profit in common. A_ writer in the Nation noted recently that the system of keeping the progressive move­ ment weak could not have been designed by conservatives to work better than it does. There are thousands of organizations that fight -for women's rights, trees, homeless people, children and animals, and never do they meet at a common table. If progressives are ever going to succeed they have to ·come together and stop putting up barriers to forming alliances. We have to figure out what we have in com­ mon and send t hat ship into battle. {A side note: The t r ue progressives hate when organizations use war metaphors. It is cold, violent and demonstrates a clear lack of understanding and ill will toward the women of the movement or something like that.} I say bring on the British. They are not the competition for most North American papers. They competition to the so-called "alternative media." Our grandfathers in the progressive movement fought against the monopolies of Morgan and Rockefeller, and today we are fighting to corner the market on employing homeless people. We have room for all who are fighting for human rights - no matter how that manifests itself. See related story on page 13: 11 Homeless Industries••• 11 �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Over-The­ Rhine Residents Celebrate Through Song at Nast Trinity Church. Photo by Jimmy Heath Neighborhood Celebratlon by Rev. Bruce Hinckley Celebrate the week that's past and gear up for the week ahead at Nast-Tri nity United Methodist Church, Sundays at 6 PM The community is building on a wide variety of gifts from many lives to lift up our gratitude in music and song. We're taking time to recog­ nize with joy, that higher power in our lives. The Sunday afternoon celebration is Nast­ Trinity's gift to the neighborhood. In it we reflect many faith traditions and we open up th e time to receive everyone in their own way. The six o 'clock event just began in February and welcomes help from all in the community. Music is our main thing but much more will be added to a multi-media time together. We need musicians, technicians in sound and lighting, poets, actors, greeters, ushers, singers, and performance artists. Whoever you are and what ever you do we need you to help us celebrate. We aim to have a good time as we greet the week ahead with energy and enthusi­ asm. All of us look to the future with hope for better things in our lives and this is the spring­ board we're going to use each Sunday at 6. If you want to sing in the choir arrive for practice at 5:30. If you have special ideas or gifts to offer to the celebration call Bruce Hin ckley at 721­ 7339 o r 38 1-0298. We're having a lot of fun and you don't want to miss out. Nast-Tri nity United Method ist C hurch is located at 1310 Race Street, across from Music Hall on Washington Park. Thanks For The Mllllon Bucks; Now Get Outl by Farr Carey MAHT VISTA Coordinator After over a year of struggle to win money for repairs for her bu ilding, Thelma Hairston and her two children face the threat of eviction from their two bedroom apartment at Milliken Apartments. In early September, Hairston received a notice from the court awarding "possession" and $142 to the Milliken Apartments Management Company despite her success in winning $1.1 million dollars in repairs for the building. The eviction action was sta.rted by t he National Housing Partnership (NHP), the nations' largest owner of HUD-subsidized housing, with 85,000 units. NHP has since "sold" the building to Milliken Affordable Housing, Ins., a NHP spin-off created to take advantage of federal T itle VI grants for sales. Boston 's HUD office refused to process t he sale at first, because the purchaser was a "sham non-profit," but their decision was overruled by HUD's Washington office. Deserves A Medal "This is probably the most outrageous case of t enant harassment I've seen in 25 years The nation 's largest subsidized landlord is evicting a low-income mother who just won them a million dollars for repairs. T hey shou ld give Thelma a medal, not an eviction notice!" said Michael Kane, Director of the Mass. Alliance of HUD Tenants (MAHT). Hairston joined the Milliken Apartments Tenants Association in the Spring of 1996, when the MAHT got involved. Milliken Apartments was for sale under the Title VI Preservation Program, and tenants were in a position to make some changes in the building. Many were concerned about the physical condition of the building: water seeps into the apartments, every t ime it rains, soaking tile and ca rpeting. Tenants chose Hairston as the president of t he tenant association t o hold the owner ac­ countable fo r repairs. Over the next year, Hairston worked closely with the tenant steering committee and MAHT to develop some solutions. U. S. Representative Barney Frank became actively involved, writing letters to HUD an d funding agencies. At first NHP and their sham purchaser refused to meet with residents. Meanwhile, the Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants obtained a grant for the tenant association, which was used to hire architects to asses needed repairs. Last summer, tenants got HUD and Congressman ­ Barney Frank to bring the purchaser to the table. Page 3 The te nants eventually secured $1.1 million addi­ tional do llars for repairs in th e building. This is the only known case in the country where HUD actually increased the Title VI grant amount over the amoun t originally approved . Management Wages W ar on Tenant Leader Hairston has played a vocal role in her leadership of the tenant group by raising security issues, criticizing management practices , and ex­ pressing concern about the condition of the building. But the real trouble began in June 1997. The Tenants' Association demanded that HUD cut over $1 million in Title VI grant funds scheduled for windfall profits for the "seller," and to invest the funds on needed repairs instead. In an article published in the Herald News, Hairston was singled out and open ly criticized by then-Milliken site manger Ellen Fisher. Soon afterwards, Hairston rece ived a "Thirty Day Notice to Quit." Management alleged that she had failed t o pay the correct amount of re nt fo r a period of three months and that sh e had mis­ reported her income. But Hairston 's rent is paid directly to the management office by the state. The record shows that management error led to a $142 underpaymen t by the state. Instead of settling the matte r with Hairston, manageme nt hauled her into court. Owner to Tenant: Out on the Street! In August, Hairston appeared in court twice without legal counsel, as she could n't afford a lawyer. She agreed to pay the disputed $142 to settle the matter. Management refused to accept the money and said they just wanted he r off the pre­ mises. Despite the evidence presented, an d Hairston's willingness to comply, th e judge ruled in favor of the management and Hairston was issued a court order in mid-September. Very few tenants in the buildi ng we re aware of the severity of the situation unti'I a tenant associa­ tion meeting in September. Managem ent showed up uninvited, and tried to announce that they were responsible for the recent funding successes. V\lhen Hairston asked them to explain the meaning of t he court order, they told her she had t o be o ut of he r apartment by the next day. Tenants Outraged The tenants present at the meeting were outraged. Mary E. Conforti, a forme r president of the Milliken Tenants association and 24-year resident of the building, was shocked at the actions taken against Hairston . "She worked so hard fo r t he build ing to get the mo ney for repairs and no one can un de rstand w hy they are evicti ng her." "There are many people who have bro ken house rules and are creating proble ms who should have been evicted but are still here. Manage ment is not pushing to get them out," added Ed De pin, also a former tenant association president and 17-yea r resident. Neighbors and MAHT Fight Back Tenants initiated a petition opposing Hairston's eviction, and demanded a apology t o Hairston and the Tenants Association. T enants and MAHT staff circulated th e pet itio n and secured over I00 signatures. "If t he people d idn't think she was a good tenant and doing a good job, they wouldn't have signed the petition," Mr. Depin added. MAHT staff assisted Hairston in obtaining a lawyer through legal services. The lawyer was able to put a hold on the eviction until a new cou rt date could be scheduled in March. In the meantime, MAHT has asked HUD to get involved to punish National Housing Partnership's "sham" buyer for this obvious case of tenant harassment. �, STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Bulldlng a Movement by Patrick 'Tree' Mosolf What would a better world look like and feel like? Many of us have been exploring this question, and are beginning to try to put our vision into reality. Out of this desire for a better world for all people is born a movement. This article explores the dynamics of a healthy movement of people. It asks the question: "What are the attributes of a healthy and successful movement for social change?" In particular, the focus is on the internal dynamics of a movement - the structure of it and the relationships between the people in it. A reader may be surprised to read something written about such a large topic by a person who is so yo ung and inexperienced. Isn't such an attempt a bit presumptive? In response, I say that these ideas are offered humbly, and should be treated with constructive criticism. At the same time we should be wary of discarding the ideas of the young. Sometimes the young, who are less socialized into the systems of the world, are more flexible in perceiving creative solutions to our problems. The best movement will balance the experience of the old with the imagination of the young. What is a Movement? A movement, at its most fundamental level, is a group of people who share some or many over­ lapping goals. A movement also refers to the specific configuration of relationships between people in the movement. On a more structural level, it is mani­ fested in the existence of institutions like the Peaslee Neighborhood Center and the Drop Inn Center. It also refers to a set of overlapping beliefs which are made material in various forms of media like speech, song and the Streetvibes newspaper. Finally, a movement is a series of actions taken together, and a sharing of time and space. Communication - Because the primary material of a movement is people and their relation­ ships, it is not surprising that communication is extremely important for the success of a movement. First, I want to establish that some forms of commu­ nication are more effective in accomplishing the goals of a movement than other forms of communi­ cation. Many people are resistant to this idea because they are purely relativistic in their approach to life, or because they think that this implies some kind of uniformity or conformity in communication. A person who is a relativist can be addressed by insisting that there are values in the world such as the preservation of life. These values are inherent, and come from the needs of people - such as food, shelter and nurturant social relations. Further, effective communication does not mean enforcing conformity to a set of rules. In fact, communication which helps to strengthen a movement can take many different shapes and styles, and represent diverse cultural traditions. Communication could be compared to an art - there are many great artists, but their art is extremely different despite the skill each artist expresses. The most basic skill in communicating and understanding is recognizing one's own thoughts and feelings. Even if one has an eloquent style of speech, this is not helpful if a person cannot understand their own motives and feelings. This skill of recog­ nizing what one is feeling/thinking, and hence what to communicate, is ongoing. To see beneath the web of thoughts on the surface may require that a person slow down, and listen carefully to their own body and mind. Once one develops this skill, one can begin to critically evaluate what one feels, and decide what and how to communicate it. Especially when disagreements occur, it is helpful to slow down during a conversation. It seems t hat many discussions escalate into arguments partly because of an increase in the pace of the exchange. Under these circumstances, a person will not be as likely to choose their words carefully, and negative emotions may become overwhelming. Accelerated exchanges indicate a desire to dominate the other persons viewpoint, and are marked by frequent interruptions. Slowing down may sometimes involve listening to an extended statement from another person. Slowing down may also mean accepting that a resolution will not occur on that day, or even in a week. However, it does pay off in stronger relation­ ships, which are the foundation of a movement. Tolerance - Because a movement becomes strong when it involves the work of many people, it becomes necessary to tolerate different viewpoints . As activists we have probably developed strong beliefs about the world. The strength of our conviction, however, becomes an obstacle when we alienate or exclude people who could help the movement. People with different beliefs can cooper­ ate in taking certain actions, and perhaps along the way they will come to some understanding. Diversity within a movement is also helpful because people with different beliefs can teach us something about the world. Further, discussions with people who think differently than we do challenge us to more carefully articulate our viewpoint. Also, it is more likely that a wider pool of ideas will generate the most effective strategies for accomplishing our goals. A final advantage of diversity is that .it makes a movement more appealing to people outside the movement. Outsiders who sense a dogmatic approach will likely be repelled if they are not completely in line with the dominant ideology. Because a movement can accomplish more with a greater amount of human power, a movement should be configured in such a way as to welcome people who are not yet involved. In this way the most people can grow to the greatest understand­ ing. Power inside a movement - It is important to realize that we are not immune to issues of power because we desire social change. We may wish to avoid the issue by hiding behind ou r "good inten­ tions" of changing the structure of power in the wider society. This wish is strengthened by the difficulty of dealing with and understanding issues of power. But the movement to change power structures must begin at home. It is helpful to distinguish between two kinds of power - structural power and natural power. Structural power is created by specific social structures - usually hierarchies. In a corporation, the CEO's power is created by the existence of the hierarchical structure, which was created thousands of years ago and is only manifested again in the modern corporation. The CEO's power is main­ tained by both the cooperation of other people in the hierarchy, and by the flow of resources into the corporation. The CEO's power does not come from their own attributes but from the pre-existing structure. Natural power comes from skills which a person develops over time and which are voluntarily respected by their peers. This person may not be able to dismiss a person, but they have power because of the respect others have for them. Natural power may take the form of charisma, communicative ability, conceptual understanding, a strong work ethic, and healthy psychological development. Different people have differing amounts of natural power and it may be repre­ sented in different areas. One person may be an excellent communicator while another may be very well organized. At this point I should reveal that I am not in favor of hierarchical forms of power. Ideally, people with structural power also have a great deal of natural power, but often this is not the case. Further, our experience shows that class, race, and gender, not the amount of one's natural power, often determines how much structural power one has. Perhaps worst of all, hierarchical structures maintain the unskilled status of persons lower in the hierarchy. The executive director is not willing to let others in an organization learn his/her skills because this eliminates the executive director's reason for continued on page 7 Page 4 Ohio Empowerment Groups Fast to oppose Unfair Sanctions The Ohio Empowerment Coalition organized an Ash Wednesday fast, the Ohio's Fast for Justice, across Ohio to draw public attention to the harsh­ ness of Ohio's Works First sanctions. On February 25th , concerned citizens fasted for 24 hours in solidarity with the poor who have been 'punished' by the state welfare policy. In Cincinnati, an action was held in front of the Department of Human Services in Downtown Cincinnati. More than I 00 people attended the rally to express opposition to the harsh sanctions. Music , street theater, and speakers roused the crowd!! The Miami Full Employement Council, Dayton area coalition member of the Ohio Empowerment Coalition, led an action at the Jobs fair in Dayton, Ohio. Speakers included, among others, Logan Martinez of the Miami Full Employement Council, City Commissioner Bootsie Neal of Dayton, Rev. Steven Camp of the Faith United Church Of Christ and a representative of Montgomery County SCOPE Advisory Council. They spoke out strongly against Ohio's sanction policy and its disastrous effect on poor families. In Akron, the American Friends Service Committee fasted in solidarity. The Empowerment Center of Greater Cleveland and the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless of Cleveland, an Community Organizing Center of Columbus joined the fast. Currently sixty-four organizations across Ohio are endorsing this campaign to oppose Ohio Works First Sanctions. We continue to urge other groups to endorse this campaign. Our next steps will be to send letters to each state legislator and arrange meetings. We encourage people to call and write area legislators, and join us in meeting with the legislators. If you are interested, call OEC area coalition for more information on ways you can· get to fight the sanctions!! Help Wanted Now Hiring Floor Staff and Maintenance Drop by or Call Drop Inn Center Shelterhouse 217 West 12th Street Over-The-Rhine 721-0843 �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine The Vlslble Homeless... Page 5 Get Involved With Your City by Richard Kiefer, Cleveland Volunteer oppo rtun it ies are availab le in the homeless community. If you fee l like ex pe riencing commun ity service first-hand, don't be scared. A homeless shelter can, in truth, be one of the most boring places on earth. A few hours spent volun­ teering at a soup kitchen can really make a diffe r­ ence, Don't worry, you can feel like you are acting out your faith . Homeless people are shunned in public and often brighten cons id e rably w he n someone finds time for them and treats them w ith decency. No one can solve the problems of home­ lessness , but if people get invo!vcd in t heir neighbor­ hood they can change a little co rne r of the world. Continued on page 13 Sleeping on the street while buildings stand vacant. Photo by Jimmy Heath WESTCO Struggles With Culture Clash In Price Hiii by Andy Hutzel Having been involved in homeless and hou sing struggles in Over-the-Rhine for several years, I had been following the efforts of other community groups in other neighborhoods to get accounts of their struggles. The following story was writte n after a conversation with Ma rgaret Singer, fo rmer director of WESTCO-West Eighth Street Tenant Cooperative in Lower Price Hill. In the end, I found the struggle for housing in Lower Price Hill just as political, and lacking in the desperate need to acknowledge housing as a basic human right for all as in OTR. As a comm unity o rganizer w ith Santa Maria Services, it didn 't take long to recognize the need fo r additional safe, affordab le housing fo r low­ income peo ple. Margaret discuss ed this with other commun ity workers and they decided t o create a low- income housing group t hat would be grassroots, asking the res idents to contribute to the rehabbing of vacant units in exchange fo r affordable rents . It wou ld be a comm un ity-based effort t hat woul d make a mod est attempt at add re ssing a desperate situat ion in t he neighborhood. So WESTCO began in 1989 with help from resources such as buddy gray, ban ks, and a local loan fun d. T he "struggle" was qu ickly realized. Building acquisition began slowly, residents attempted t o make repairs, and the budget was very tight. The daily tragedies of addiction and poverty became more apparent. But WESTCO persisted o n. Eventually I I buildings were acquired and contrac­ tors worked with residents to rehab the units. It was in 1996 that the local media covered a story of I 00 Hispanic individuals (most from Guatemala) living in a single building in Lower Price Hill that was owned by a private landlord. The city, after discovering this, inspected the site and immedi­ ately shut the building down, evicting the families. After finding these families in a desperate situation, Margaret, who happens to be fluent in Spanish, began referring those who sought help to various places for assistance. The need for housing was immed iately apparent. As 2 buildings were being acqu ired, 2 families Hispanic families offered to help repair the units if they could live in them for a modest rent. The apartments were eventually brought up to living .standards. The apartments were clean and in good repair, a lo ng way from wh at the families had experienced previously in Lower Pri ce Hill (and Guatemala). But it was only days later, w hile Margaret was on vacation , that the building and fire inspectors were called by somebody in the neigh­ bo rhood to inspect th e bu il ding. After going thru t he entire buil ding, they ordered the building to be vacated . It became apparent to those at WESTCO t hat there was resentment among some in t he neighborh ood for these new res idents. The fam ilies were forced onto the street s again . The day to day operating struggle of the cooperative continued. The pove rty was ext remely visible among differe nt cultures and races. Giving witness to cr ises we re a dai ly o ccurrence. A number of Hispanics sought o ut Margaret for her ab ility to communicate and assist in th eir situations. Where had t hey come fro m and how did they get here? They were escaping a vi o lent ho me land, requesting political asylum (5-6 mo nth process), seeking t o live simp le lives without th e fear of repressio n. In dividuals were spe nding their life savings to reach this place of opportunity, willi ng to suffe r t o get here and stay he re. Over time, W EST CO assisted several people with housing and th e new residents helped rehab the units , paid rent, and participated in the mission of WESTCO. But life in Lower Price Hill wasn't easy. T he Hispanic residents were of a differen t race and culture, enter ing into the lives of many people who have experienced displacement and broken prom­ ises. Being asked to share what little land resources t hey had access to (as they saw it) didn't improve the situation. The community council, as leaders in the neighborhood , were not in favor of supporting or accepting this new group and most neighbors responded in the same manner. Accusations and Support Your Lo­ cal Vendor Tell A Friend About Streetvibes harassm ent fo llowed. Rumors spread that "drop in centers " fo r Hispan ics were being planned, with WESTCO involved in their development. Open resentment and anger began to show itself on a daily basis as fa lse threats of being "taken over" spread. At one point, WESTCO was thought of as rec ru it­ ing these "i nvaders" from forei gn lands to Lower Pri ce Hill. Th e intens ity grew - vandalism, int im idation ­ t o the point t hat made people reevaluate their posit io ns and roles. One night in September 1997 Margaret was driving to her home in Lowe r Price Hill with her daughter in t he back seat. As she t urned a corner, the next thing she heard was her rear window shatte r all over the back seat and onto her daughter. It was t hen t hat she knew she had t o leave W ESTCO and Lower Price Hill. T he mi sun­ derstandings had grown too great, w hile sol utio ns and alternatives were not being provided by city o r commun ity leaders. One major problem Margaret had was ga ining su pport from th e local comm un ity co uncil. The community council had plans for the neighborhood of Lower Price Hill and wou ld develop it as t hey wanted to. Margar et and WESTC O ran into opposition from the co mmun ity council on several projects and qu ickly became disheartened by t he politics of low-in come housing. With re sident s openly crit icizing WESTCO staff, t hose in leade rsh ip positions in the comm unity did littl e to alleviate the hard feelings . Although Margaret has since moved on, WESTCO continues to operate a grassroots low­ income housing cooperative in Lower Price Hill. I imagine the real tragedy is having to witness poor people battling poor people. Th ose with few resources wanting to hold on to what little they have. Histories and pasts full of violence, evictions, displacement, unemployment, etc. The broader injustice of the situation, the violation of basic human rights, is not being dealt with truthfully. The politics involved in lo w-income housing can be paralyzing. The situation of /ow-income communities at the whim of wealthy business people, a political system that caters to the wealthy, and a national inability or unwillingness to deal with the suffering of the poor is all too real. In th e end, creating division among the poor with few alterna­ tives can and does lead to violence. �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine "Thirty Days" /)y Josh Gray So I have to vacate within thirty days If I don 't stop fighting for my rights If I don't change my ways. The Other Side of the Desk So I guess you think this letter Puts me in my place Well I guess were not communicating Because that's simply not the case by Anonymous So you don't thin k that I have rights That I am entitled too. That you can push me around and shove me down. Just someone you can screw. Have you ever thought just a wee little bit, Of how it would seem to be a misfit, And how you would feel if you had to sit, On the other side of the desk? So now you want to reel me in, and be the catch of the day. Well you're dead wrong, cause I'll stay strong I'll have it no other way. Have you ever looked at the man who seemed a bum, As he sat before you , nervous-dumb-­ And thought of the courage it took to come, To the other side of the desk? Now that we've been educated You'd better get out of our way. We've been empowered, it's not just me. We all plan to stay. Have you thought of his dreams that went astray, Of the hard, real facts of his every day Of the things in his life that make him stay, On the other side of the desk? Did you make him feel that he was full of greed, Make him ashamed of his race or creed, Or did you reach out to him in his need, To the other side of the desk? May God give us wisdom and lots of it, And much compassion and plenty of grit, So that we may be kinder to those who sit ON-THE-OTHER-SIDE-OF-THE-DESK. When people look at the homeless­ What do they see? a "faceless" group up to No Good? people- who fall between·the cracks! "those 'poor' crazies" begging for money a "mist" of drunks, weaving in and out of existence­ "addicts" ruining their livespeople not getting a chance to prove them­ selves Are they really People? They ARE all up to No Good! "Faceless! Shameless! Nameless!" Why can't we "hide" them! They ALL should be Locked UP! Why don't they go home? Where can they go? HOM E'S - a place I want to run from! A lonely, desolate spot! Streets littered and dirty with- Low rent, sleazy, trashy, corner stores selling joy and happiness!!! by Ron Carter Oh give me a home that I can call my own A place I can go if I want to be alone Oh give me a home that's filled with love That was sent from the angels from above Oh give me a home in a peaceful place Where the sun is always shining And you can see a silver lining Oh give me a home where I can lay my head On a nice warm comfortable bed Oh give me a home and I'll be grateful to you And I would pass on this blessing to someone else that needs it too. Once Was Enough by Denise Crew YOU HAD NO REAL WAY OF KNOWING THE FIRST TIME I HEARD YOUR VOICE ALL THAT HAD BOUND ME SIMPLY FADED FROM MY WORLD We know there will be a fight But we're tried & true And this time we'll be the driver Turning every screw. I KNEW .......... AND ONCE WAS ENOUGH FOR ME Choices (for all the comrades who have had to make real ones) by Judith Mendriski Oh, Give Me A Home So you've made your threats and your demands But I have one for you. You've thirty days to change your ways And the evil things you do. by Gary Hicks Homeless Page 6 to decide for writing a poem rather than going to a be-there-or-be-square event. to place proofreading as a priority over getting to read your stuff and blessedly it works out that you can do both-this time. to run ragged when common sense demands your health for the struggle. to be open, accessible-or even to try when everything points to the need to hide out and silence is given the dignity of being politically correct. to decide, period, when hedging is in vogue, and there really is a good chance you'll make a mistake. maybe a big one. there's nothing quite like figuring out the ways in which to kick imperialism dead in its ass. THE LONG CONVERSATION THAT T URNED MY ALL INSIDE AND THEN OUT SEEMED ONLY A MOMENT IN TIME FEELING YOUR SOUL TOUCH MINE WARMING MY SOUL I .KNEW .......... AND·ONCE WAS ENOUGH FOR ME TIME WHICH TO BE SO LONG AGO YOU BECKONED ME POURING ALL YOU HAD TO GIVE GENEROUSLY, UNCONDITIONALLY, INTO THE VERY DEPTHS OF ME I KNEW......... . AND ONCE WAS ENOUGH FOR ME LOOKING DEEP INTO YOUR BABY BROWN EYES YOU SWEPT ME AWAY FOR THE FIRST TIME FEARING NOT YOU BUT, WHAT SAY MINE LONE DID ENTWINE I KNEW.......... AND ONCE WAS ENOUGH FOR ME SINGING THE SONG OF LOVERS REMEMBERING THE BEAUTY I COULD ON'LY SEE IN YOU RELEASING THE PASSION LOCKED, DEEP WITHIN ME SURRENDER DID WE TO THE FREEDOM OF ECSTASY AND I KNEW......... . ONCE WAS NOT ENOUGH FOR ME (DEDICATED '!°O GEORGE HENDERSON) �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine -•Movement ••• • continued from page 5 being. For this reason, unskilled people remain unskilled. In the best movement, people would be encouraged to increase their skills at all levels. This way, the natural power of both the movement and the people in the movement would be increased. This is not intended to imply that there are not natural ·power differen:es between people. In our society, which distributes its resources very un­ equally to the poor and rich, African American and Caucasian, female and male, vast differences in capability result. However, in the best movement, those with natural power would devote their ener to the advancement of the whole movement, instea of working for their own advancement. Given that it would be difficult to fully explore the issue of hierarchy here, it may be necessary to propose some guidelines for making hierarchical structures less hurtful to a movement. When a movement becomes solidified in institutions like ReSTOC or the Drop Inn Center, they often take on hierarchical forms. In these circumstances, the people with more structural power in the hierarchy need to act in such a way that reinforces the dignity and importance of other people in the organization. Further, the organization should be structured in a way to allow all employees to increase their skills, t develop new forms of power. Finally, all people in the organization should be included as much as possible in the process of making decisions and guiding the organization. If these steps are taken, th movement will be strengthened in spite of the existence of hierarchical structures. Issues of power are important to consider in order to strengthen a movement. As people who want social change, our aim should be to empower each other as much as possible. This may involve questioning traditional power arrangements. Conclusion - I've only been able to touch on a few of the complex aspects of a movement for change. But the fundamental thesis of this article is that the internal workings of a movement are extremely important in determining the success of the movement in the context of the wider society. Thus, we need to direct our attention to the featu res of the inside of our movement. By doing this, we can establish a strong foundation with whic to realize our vision of a better world. STREETVIBES Sweatand T-Shirts! Only $5 for T's, $10 for Sweats. STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grope·<ine 100% White Cotton Shirts and Lon Sleeve Sweat Shirts Xl Purple logo T-shirts and Sweat Shirts are available at our office at 1506 Elm Street. Please sto p by and see us. Page 7 Bringing Home Housing Strategies by Donald Whitehead As the pilot announces "we have just reached our cruising altitude of 30,000 feet" I gaze out my window at the sight of endless rows of clouds as far as the eye can see or the mind can imagine. I am overwhelmed by feelings of peace and serenity. How wonder­ fully uncomplicated life is at 30,000 feet no pending wars, no housing crisis, no homeless hate crimes, no sex scandals in the White House. I begin dreaming of a kindlier gentler World, housing for all, no racism, no hunger, no... just then I am startled by the captains next announcement "Ladies and Gentlemen we have been cleared for landing please make sure all packages are stowed beneath your seat or in the overhead compartment, fasten your seat belts and make sure all tray tables are in the upright position." In Albuquerque it does not take very long before reality brings me out of the clouds. I am handed an article that talks about a campaign to displace a homeless shelter. Incredibly, I have been on the ground for ten minutes and already I am confronted with homeless discrimination. My mission here is to learn about the pending crisis in subsidized housing. I am here as a guest of the Corporation for National Service, the Administrators of the Vista and Americorps Projects. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless will supervise a Vista volunteer to help in homeless prevention. This position will be part of a Nationwide group of organized HUD tenants called the National Alliance of HUD tenants (NAHT) NAHT was formed in March of 1992, NAHT is the first national membership organi­ zation of resident groups advocating for the 1.9 million lower income residents in privately owned, HUD assisted multi-family housing. NAHT goals are to protect affordable housing; develop tenant self-empowerment; promote tenant ownership and control; and make HUD accountable for its constituents: HUD tenants. We have tried to share with our readers the seriousness of the housing shortage in th is country. Affordable housing in this country is under an assault of historic proportions. React­ ing to the 1994 congressional elections, the Clinton Administration has proposed radical measures to de-fund, deregulate, convert to "market" rents, and replace 3. I million units of public and subsidized housing with a smaller number of housing " vouchers". Congressional Republicans and the Clinton Office of Manage­ ment and Budget have proposed even deeper cuts ahead on the road to a balanced budget. Taken together, these proposals threaten millions of low income families with mass displacement and the literal destruction of t he enti re national system of affordable housing. This loss of ho using has al ready begun to strain an already stretched homeless provider com­ munity. The upcoming project with NAHT and The Corporation for National Service will help the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Home­ less to begin much needed prevention strategies in an effort to end Homelessness in our city. ANQTHER CLASS PRODUCTION Oise-Jockey Service ·cuFFOAO JONES (513) 761-3464 Community Celebration. live Music! Every Sunday -6PM Free of Charge Nast-Trinity United Methodist Church 1320 Race St Cincinnati 721-7339 11 11 In Memory of Mac Who Believed In Human Rights For Everyone & Who Founded Justice Watch••• Because 'Everyone' included Prisoners and Former Prisonors. Jimmy Beath Photography Cinci.nnati - (513)564-9856 E-Mail - jimmy_heath@juno.com Friends and Neighbors of Over-the-Rhine An Organization Seeking Justice for People in Cincinnati's Most Endangered Community Subscribe to STREETVIBESI For only $12 peryear you can have STREETVIBES delivered to your home every month. National and local Stories on Issues regarding homelessness and the poor. News, Information, Personal Stories and more, written every month by homeless and formerly homeless persons.•• Send Check or Money Order for $12 to: Streetvibes C/O Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 �STREETVIBES 11 The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page a Nead A Good Job? Run For City Councll 11 by Raymond Avrutis If you're homeless, unemployed, or have a BA or better and are performing menial work (i.e., are underemployed), run for public office on the platform of wanting a good job, and of helping the poor. I'm serious! In 1996, I collected 337 petition signatures to get on the ballot for City Council but was thrown off the ballot because only 228 of the signatures wer~ "valid." I needed 250 valid signa­ tures (but no money was required as a filing fee), to register as a candidate. Incorrectly, I assumed that having 130% of the required number of signatures would put me on the ballot; obtaining 150%, just to make sure I had the minimum, would have been adequate. Learn from my mistake! Get 150% of the signatures you will need to run for~ public office you wish to run for. This need not be a "big-time" federal job, such as Congressman or Senator, but you should find plenty of jobs that pay salaries, as City Councilperson, State Representative, Mayor, even Dogcatcher if you have the ability to catch stray dogs. Go places where people congregate to get your petition signatures, i.e., outside of supermar­ kets and public sidewalks in busy commercial areas. Problem: The $ I00 to $250 it costs to file for, say, City Council (if your city requires a cash payment and not signatures to get on the ballot), is more than many people can afford. You may have to panhandle many spare coins that you put into a bank and DO NOT SPEND until you have enough money to file your papers. Or, distribute your platform and ask for spare change. People may be impressed by your being a different type of panhan­ dler. ward - even at a homeless shelter), and you 5) are a with the problem of people tortured to ,confess registered voter who has 6a) filed enough valid signa­ when they were .reaHy innocent, the founding tu res, or who has 6b) paid the filing fee, or both if fathers simply enacted the fifth Amendment to the required in your jurisdiction. . . . . . h ... - . . U.S. Constitution, stating that no one need test:1fy Establ1s ment po 11t1c1ans, sometimes acting .. , . ·If . . f . d th ff agamst one s se .. th rough th eir B th b r nen s, w1 11 try to row you o the ba11 ot, d . .h . . . . .. ut tru s can e 1oun wit ·out torturing even 1f you have enough vahd signatures , etc. How can S f th . . . ...i· • · , peep 1e. ome o e peop1e m your 1ur1su1ct1on - .. h a home Iess person have a Iega I resi d ence.1 t ey wi1 1say. h d . h k . . ..... bl. . b . b hb r c arge wit · eepmg me pu 1c trust may not . e A sk at t he Board of Elect1ons . . . · . . ot e1ore simply incompetent, but may be liars. th1ev·es and and after you file - about this. Many civil servants, as corrupt people who themselves belong in jail (see distinguished from elected officials, are honest in telling next suggestion). you what your rights and responsibilities are, if you just 5. Cocaine only grows in a few p:laces in ask politely. Remember, as a citizen, you have the right B 1. . C 1 b" d p p h c . . o 1v1a, o um 1a an eru. ropose t at ongress to run for any pubhc JOb for which you are qualified, and d 1 1... (. ) d . 1 an station ·ec a·r e war on tue coca me pant the bureaucrats in charge of the election machinery have a1rcra . ft . ff th W C f -s ..iL - earners o · e estern oast o ouu 1 the ~ obligation to answer your questions honestly. America, whose job it wiH be to s·end over .airplanes In fact, after interviewing a public servant, you to drop: I) defoliant. 2) insects that eat on1y should ask, "Is there anything of importance I didn 't ask coca(ine) plants, and 3) seeds of plants that effec­ that you believe I should know, or that would help me tively choke off the coca{ine) plant's abi'lity to get on the ballot?". flourish. If you face a legal challenge, you may repr,esent Send over a spy-in-the-sky satellite, with yourself in court. Much better is having a lawyer help infrared detectors that sense where the stuff is you: from a homeless organization, the ACLU. your growing. Keep up the good work until there are local law school (or even a law student); a friend who is zero, as in, "zero tolerance", coca(ine) plants a lawyer, or the local branch of the Legal Services growing on earth. Corporation. Then free atl cocaine prisoners, giving them Write out a platform of what you would do if jobs or training with money formerly used to you got elected. Here are some suggestions: warehouse them. Peo.pl1e with relatives who are or I. Find a way that poor, unemployed or homeless have been in jail may tend to vote for you. people are being treated poorly, then propose to either Finally, have a program to ,gjve food and change their treatment if you are running for a job that other necessities to dispossessed South Americans. sets policy, or to ask for legislation to rectify the Have fun, and good 'luck! "If you don't have a campaign man­ ager, don't worry. Ididn't." If someone gives you $I 00, take $5 and give the rest to charity... When I solicited signatures, I didn't ask for any money and wasn't offered any. That's all right with me. I'm not beholden to any special interests. In my campaign literature, which I didn't distribute because I had been kicked off the ballot, I refused to accept money from welfare and food stamp recipients, and my literature stated that I would accept a $5.00 maximum contribution per person (implying $10.00 from a couple). You will need an address for your cam­ paign. Get a PO Box. If you don't have a "campaign manager", don't worry. I didn't. No law says you must have one. You may act as your own manager. If someone gives you $100, take $5 and give the rest to charity. Don't let yourself be bought off. Keep your check receipts to show later that while you cashed a $100 check, you sent a $95 check to a charity. If you are offered a job you want when you're an official candidate, by all means accept it! But don't drop out of a political race just because you have a job. You can be fired just as fast as you were hired. The power structure may have offered you a job just to tempt you to drop out, lulling you with a false sense of security. Take part in debates! And ask your local newspaper to endorse you. Maybe you can better your economic situation and improve your commu­ nity. Oh yes, if someone else is running as a homeless candidate, run with him or her claiming you can represent the poor more effectively. Go to your local city hall - NOW; filing deadlines are often in the winter and early spring ­ and ask, "What elected jobs are available on the ballot? What is required of someone to become a candidate? What do these jobs pay?" You have the ri~ht to run for any public job you please, jf: I) you are a U.S. citizen, 2) aged 18 or older, who has, 3) never been convicted of a felony, who 4) meets the residency requirements (usually one year living in the state/county/city or situation. Example: Increasing the unemployment insurance tax on employers, so that maximum weekly benefits can be set at 2/3's of the state's average weekly wage, adjusted annually. This suggestion was first proposed by the old Social Security Board during WWII and was first recom­ mended as legislation by president Eisenhower in 1954. More than 40 years later, the Federal government still hasn't enacted this long overdue reform. If your state legislature says, "we've already done this" (a few states have), make sure that aH industries are included in computing this weekly maximum. You see, a few states that claim to have the 2/J's maximum count only the lowest-paid workers in their taxing formula, so benefits are still kept lower than they should be - often by $I 00 a week, or more. 2. Buy modern textbooks for the schools. Volunteer to commit civil disobedience by staging a sit-in at the local Board of Education with a teacher. Have his or her students carrying their ancient textbooks. All you want is the same exposure to quality education that rich people now receive. Make sure you get newspaper publicity for this action! 3. Hire grant-writers to apply for every potential benefit from every possible federal and state program that can help poor or homeless people. A large amount of money doesn't get spent each year, simply because the Feds and the states don't receive applications. Shame! 4. Require that all elected politicians in your locality - including yourself - submit to an annual truth serum injection, and answer one simple question, "Who takes bribes or is otherwise corrupt?" Also, administer truth serum annually to every member of the narcotics police. You may be amazed at the corruption this will uncover. Hypodermic needles were not invented in the 18th Century, much less truth drugs. Faced Raymond Avrutis was elected a Junior Class Senator and also Senior Class Presi­ dent at American University in the late I 960's. Struggles II by Gregory Payton God, when you open my eyes, t see peop1e struggle, for who you say? For them and somet;imes others; for what? A need, a cause, a wish, a dream. The most important thing I have and I need is a desire. Something I have to do anything, and to be somebody my desire is good, my intentions are great. , My motives I check eve'ryday. Desire, intentions, enthusiasms. AH these I need. But most of aH your guidance, your order, your direction on the way. I like to start and yes with your strength and mercy finish. I like to began by saying. Take me, show me, 'lift me, and ho1d me. For I want to betong to you. It is by your wiH that I am here, that I am seen, and that I am heard. Please lead me. The journey can be great for I known you ar,e greater. If it is a trait I wiU follow if it is a path, I will make it today J know t am not alone. Your :purpose for me 1do not know, Yes indeed I chose to go. If no one is tlhere I know you are. Sometimes it's lonely at the top, and when I try to do right. Sometimes it's ~ one'ly when ,J am behind and I don't know what to do.. But I know who to ca.II, I know who to look for. and today t know who to pray to. Yes I struggle wit my eyes open my desire is to you my jo-umey is yours you give me hope please show me freedom. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 9 Aren't You T:ired? by Mark Salter The Odd Cookie Awards by The Shadow The 1998 Odd Cookie Awards was held at the Cincinnati alack Book fak on February 7, 'I '998.. This was the first time for these Awards which wiH become an annual event. The pro­ gram wiU be aired on Warner Cab1e TV. Ms. Edna How.eH of the WIZf FM radio station has been very 1instrumenta~ and supportive in promoting this unforg,e ttable event. Ms. Edna HoweU and freddi.e Suggs, of Talk Magazine wer,e 'S pecta,c ular guest speakers. The Odd Cookie Awards is reading award for chi.idren. To be eligible for the Odd Cookie Awards children must belong to dle Odd Cookie Book Club. The mp reader was Randi L Bipps. She won the Odd Cookie Award, $ IOO cash, the Odd Coo'ki,e Book, and a free photo session with Cfatties Moorer, pho~ographer, an Odd Cookie T-sbkt and a pass to The Odd Cookie Play. The s.e cond winner, Asia B'l adanon, won the Odd Cookie Award, $75 cash, the Odd Cookie Book. and a free photo session with Clatties Moorer. The third winner, Robyn Jones, won dle Odd Cool~i<e Award,, :$ 50 cash, the Odd Cookt,e Book, and a free photo s ession with Clatties Moorer. The nominees were pres,e nted widl Certificates of Achiev,e ment in readin,g. The nominees a4so included Ryan Po,p e. Marquis Foster, Mia N:uby. Justin Powell and Rashad Shabazz. Terry Taylor ~eceived a Certificate of Achievement for writing. 1 1would like to give s;pecia:I dianks to Mr. 1 Ronnie X. B:lack who founded The Odd Cookie Book Club. The nominees and winners were selected from his 5th grade class. The students were required to read various books that he selected. write a rev;iew of the book, and answer questions to be sure they understood the matenial. Mr. Bfack is a Sth and 6th g,r ade teacher at Bond Hill Elementary School. He has been teaching since 197·9. Jf I could give an award away for be,ing a dedicated school teacher he woutd get one. Un1 ike s·o many scho:ol teachers and prindp.les who perpetrate, Mr. R,o nnie X. B1ack is dedicated to educating and inspjring our chitdren to r.ead. 1 Mr. Ronnie X Bfack and I dis·ciussed The Odd Cookie Book Ctub ,in December but, unfortunate~y. on Januairy 3rd h e was in a head­ on coHtsion accident on Central Pankway. De~ermined to stiill make The Odd Cookie Awards a success, Mr. Black attended the Awards Program ,o n crutches. His body was wounded, but not his spirit. I wou1d also :like to give speda' thanks to Mark Pastor and Bomani Tyehimba for another successful 8fack Book Fair for the City of Cincinnati; and Mr.. Cfatties Moorer for donat­ ing his talent as an artistic photographer.. We are entering a wot.Id of computerized automation whe.r e mach,ines and numbers are more important than .o ur children. There i:s nothing mo,r e important thao ,o ur 'children.. let's prove that by sup,p orting and promotin,g The Odd Cookie Awards. I remember a movie titled Jacob's Ladder, and what an interesting movie it was. You had to see it from the beginning and pay close attention. I wou1d like to share this memory as best I can. Believe it or not, there was a message in it, one which I hope to never forget. It started with Jacob on a hospital bed during Vietnam. He hac;I been mortally wounded, and whatever consciousness he possessed, brought back an .image, of his only son who had died while he was on a tour of duty. It began there with a flash back of his son being struck down by a car, in his absence. From there the story began, and Jacob found himself in a world of chaos with men ,in b'lack suits trying to capture and kill him -even amongst all the insanity of the picture, his mind perh~ps . Ther,e were moments, when trying to regain some sanity or even clarity, that he found himself in session with a psychotherapist, who gave him bits of insight during the insanity and chaos. Finally we get to the crnx of the storyline, where Jacob informs the therapist that men are trying to kill him. 1t was one line that the therapist sa.id that stuck with me and urweiled the whole meaning of that movie. He said, "What you think is evil and trying to take you, is very likely angels coming to take you home." Jt was then that reality hit Jacob and his memory came back to him. He realized he was on his death bead, and had not come to terms with his feeHngs of not being there for his son. Where feelings of guilt, shame and pain had set the tone and perception of his mind as he lay dying, it was only when he accepted that he truly loved his son and just wasn't able to be there and that he had no ,c ontrol ove·r past events; only then did he recognize the "men" as angels. I hope it ,came across to you, because I know that our fee'lings can set the tone for our perceptions. Guilt can make us paranoid, and 'lying makes us distrustful of others as well. I guess cliat's what it means to '"I. . ~eep our L~ 1ouse m ord er" or " dean house"- getting rid of excess bagga,ge. What are you feeling as you read this? Why do we become so defensive? The way we feel makes a difference in how we s,e e the world around us. k can hefp or hinde.r us. Cripple or fre.e us. But sometimes the fear .o f being free keeps us from being fr·ee. Free to have a nice -day. We may even feel we don't deserve it, because of all the latent guilt. shame or even pain from the losses, for whatever the ireasons were. Today :I'm 37 yea.rs old, and I'm tired of the pain. I'm tired of !lhe suffering- especially that I've created for mysetf. Aren~t you tired? �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine In his farewell speech President Eisenhower said, "In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence wh ether sought or unsought by the military­ industrial co mpl ex. The potential for disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.". THE PURPLE TURTLE (THE JANGLE OF JINGOISM: CLINTON'S MURDEROUS POLICY vs. IRAQ) by: Berta Lambert The rhetoric of the war hawk: "age-old appeasement", "slack-jawed college students", " rogue nations", "human shields on military sites", "cheat and retreat game", "remove Saddam Hussein" (the latter an endorsement of the murder of a head of state despite a 1975 congress_ional law specifically outlawing such a deed). Of course the U. S. Chief Executive would bomb all military targets of value, i.e.: communications, command and control installations, the Mukhabarat or general intelligence service , the Special Security Organiza­ tion, and the Republican Guard. No people here, only bureaucrats, technicians, and soldiers who one should understand don't have families, wives, husbands or children. Targeted also are: suspected sites of weapons of mass destruction , atomic production facilities, missiles, chemicals and bio-tech labs. Never mind that not so "smart bombs" will be delivered by the planets largest producer of these tools of war. Since the combination of dumb and smart bombs might not always destroy only physical targets there just might be "collateral damage" or plainly speaking, the death of thousands of civilians. The pre-bombing rhetoric suggests Iraq has " ... 5,000 gallons of botuli, ... 2,000 gallons of anthrax, 25 biological-filled scud warheads, and 157 aerial bombs, "which one writer suggests U.S./ British policy can save the world from by "...making a congenitally duplicitous Mideastern Caligula abide by his promises". Not mentioned " ...the two dozen deve lop ing countries now have weapons of this kind." or that six of them are in the Mideast region. Nor is it said Israel is in defiance of 69 UN Security Council resolut ions and has been protected fro m 29 more by U.S. veto es. But, one would bomb Saddam Hussein's Takrit i clan. One-and-a-half million child ren have di ed in Iraq since the early shooting in the continuing Iraq war. The cold-blooded among us say the sanctions­ caused death are Hussein's fault as will be our bombing of his country. Th is is the illogic of those who would make war. If a person were to hold a gun to another person's head and demand the second party strip naked, and if the first party said if the second party did not comply then it would be t he second party's fau lt if t he first party shot the second party, no jury would find th is reasonable. W ar is peace, peace is war. Or is it, tolerance is racism , racism is tolerance. The would be warriors - Albright, Cohen and Berger are shown th e illogic of their bellicose ways by t he Ohio State University community. The January 1998 issue of t he Pro~res sive Magazine in a two-page editorial about November's media war blitz gave a' sense of how out-of-joint the public discussion is, wherein: the liberal view is Hussein should be killed, the centrist view bombing is right and the conservatives say land invasion. At this moment UN Secretary General Koi Annan appears to have struck a deal which pre-war voices decry as not the product of diplomacy but the threat of force. On the Outside looking In, ''Judge and Ye Shall Be Judged" By Gail Frazier-Holley This is what people all over the United States do. Many people judge and comment on th.ings that they nothing about, and being homeless is just one of the issues. Homelessness is caused and created by many different factors. All the people that gather daily into the many shelters all across the world gather for one reason only, and that is that "they need help". Now there are also different reasons why they are there - they may have been involved in domestic violence, fire, mental illness, just released from prison, or alcohol or drugs, or just are fed up with being "sick and tired" of being sick and tired. There are everyday struggles that sometimes makes us feel that we are :losing our minds". They just need someone to listen to them and guide them in the right direction for a more peaceful and enjoy­ able life, if possible. I don't have all the answers to why people feel the way they do, nor do I have the answer to the question that has been asked by many: Do I think homelessness will ever end? But people stand from the outside looking in and try to analyze. Misunderstanding can and has caused great pain for individuals that somehow landed into homeless ness. Un less we have walked t he walk and talked the talk, we need to get some understanding and learn to love and help those less fortunate than ourselves. So before we set out to judge others let us at least try to be a little more understanding and show compassion. In Romans 12:3, Jesus said: 'For I say...to everyone who is among you, do not think of yourself more highly than he ought to think'. This is what Jesus said; this is what I say: 'the only time we should look down on someone, is when we are picking them up'. Page 10 Quallty OF Life We in the city of Cincinnati should be ashamed ·of not stepping up and speaking out for the poo r and anyone living close to the poverty level. How can we stand by and let sanctions go unques­ tioned. We all are one o r two checks away fro m th is kind of treatment. You can not stand by and th ink that th is can not happen to you or someone in your family or even a neighbor. Mistakes are being made every day and the consequences are painful. Every citizen of Cincinnati should have a chance at improving their quality of life. We are letting attitudes and mistakes run peoples lives. We are letting someone's decision's cause domestic violence, homelessness, and more crime. The people over­ seeing these mistakes and acts of cruelty can not be given this power. Who is in charge of training and education? You teach change, not force change. Can we expect more of this from these legislators. We must stand and fight with a vote. This is a city, not a plantation. I say drop the whip now. These are people not slaves. This is 1998, not slavery. Stand against sanctions of welfare reform Gregory PaYt:on Subscribe to Streetvlbes Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per year. Please send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed to you each issue. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street C incinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Greater Ci ncinnati Coalition for !he Homeless--Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 42 1-7803. letters To Streetvibes Dear Streetvibes Collective: February's issue was a blockbuster! Ms. Neumeier's story was a real inspiration (as was its content too, of course). Congratulations on one year. Enclosed is a check for a year's subscription. I wou ld also love to help out with copy editing as is requested on your wish list most every month. My address and phone numbers follow. Sincerely, Chris Hudson To Whom It May Concern: My name is Mona Malik and I am a fourth year student at the University of C incinnati's Schoo l of Social Work. Grego ry Payton came to my class a few weeks ago and shared his life story with us. This was my first time speaking to anyone who has ever been homeless and he truly touched my heart. Not only is Gregory an excellent writer, he also has exceptional speaking skills. I learned so much from Gregory that I shared his story with my family and friends. I just wanted to congratulate you all on your excellent work with Streetvibes, and thank you for helping Gregory so he could get the opportunity to enlighten myse lf and my classfellows. I think it wou ld be t o your causes benefit to send Gregory to o the r schools and organizations to bri ng people to the reality of the situations of the home less in C incin­ nati. It is amazing how ignorant I was on this issue. I have gotten a subscription to th e newspaper and am really enjoying the articles. Keep up the good work! Sincerely, Mona. From the Editor: Thank You, Mona. Streetvibes and the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless appreciate the kindness and positive response shown to our vendors. Many of the vendors take the time to share their stories so that other people are informed and educated about the issues surrounding homelessness. Ve ndors like Gregory show the public the human side of these problems - the wasteful tragedy of homelessness in our country. Streetvibes and the Coalition is currently in the process of developing a program, called The Speakers Bureau, that invites homeless and formerly homeless vendors into public forums, such as schools, churches and civic grou ps to speak on their lives and these issues. The Speakers Bureau will hopefully bring these messages of hope to many mere people. �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 11 tioned; they were terminated completely. A Tufts University study," Are States Improv­ ing the Lives of Poor Families," released on February 23, 1998, cites sanctions as being an ineffective and detrimental method in helping recipients reach economic stability. Sanctions are making it more difficult for Ohio's poorest families to move out of poverty. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, Ohio has recieved one of the worst ratings by the Tufts University study. Ohio is placed in the bottom 14 worst states for welfare policy that helps families reach economic well-being. Pam McBride, a former recipient, stated, " this system is creating a short fuse for people. The sanctions are saying its okay to put people out on the street. People are not going to be able to take the pressure." The Ohio Empowerment Coalition is opposed to sanctions completely. However, we realize that the requirement to sanction recipients in some manner was mandated by the federal government. At this time we are urging our state legislators to change sanction policy as much as allowable under Federal Law so that TANF dollars are coming to Ohio. We are advocating that our state legislators change the following sanctions: Bobby Lyles. Photo by Jimmy Heath Bobby Lyles celebrates 17 years on the job at the Drop Inn Center Bobby Lyles, Recovery Program Coordinator at the Drop Inn Center and Recovery Hotel celebrates 16 years on the job this month. Bobby first came to the Drop Inn Center as a floor worker in the early days and since has risen through the ranks. Bobby remembers well those early days: volunteers worked most of the shifts because there was not enough money for paid staff workers. Volunteers and the few paid staff had to work hand­ in-hand in order to keep the shelter open and serving the needs of all of the homeless people that came to the shelter on a daily basis. The faces of the homeless have changed too, recalls Bobby. "The shelter population at that time was mostly older, white street alcoholics. What was then known as 'hobos'." Bobby remembers the ongoing struggle with the city and the state over funding and law­ making issues concerning the homeless. "We were always going to City Hall and Columbus, fighting for money and our rights," recalls Lyles. "It was important that everyone stuck together through the rough times to provide basic needs and rights-doing the right thing for other people-basic fundamental rights. We were made to feel good about doing the right thing for human rights. It wasn't always perfect. There were up's and down's. But when it came to the residents, everyone was I 00%," says Lyles. p E L 0 A M N 0 T 0 p L F B p 0 N G 0 H c w E R A c 0 I 0 s 0 0 R 0 D A D R H M s E wN A 0 w N M c E I N p s 0 A I N E L D p R N N R A A 0 M G E s y y G N I w 0 K G 0 I Second Punishment: Three month's loss of: cash assistance, adult portion of food stamps, child care & job search. Third Punishment: Six months' loss of cash assistance, adult portion of food stamps, medicaid for the adult, child care and job search eligibility. For each additional sanction, the household will continue to be sanctioned for a six month period or until compliance. The Ohio Department of Human Services released data that 9,549 households were under sanction between October I - January I, 1998. Between that same period, the number of house­ holds dropped from the roles (called "caseloads reduction") was 13,822. Based on OOHS statistics, it is estimated that 69% of caseload reduction was because of sanctions. In Hamilton County, 50% of the caseload reduction was due to " closings for unknown reasons". These families weren't sane- Find these words in the puzzle: p R I E I First Sanction (Punishment): One month loss of all cash assistance, adult portion of food stamp, child care eligibility & job search eligibility. >A minimum cut in cash assistance instead of cutting full cash benefit >Food stamps remain the same >Job search be allowed >Also, the sanction should only last until the recipient complies. >Sanctions households should not be allowed to be counted in caseload reduction numbers. >In addition, we urge the State Legislators to lobby the Federal Government to completely remove sanction policy from the Federal Law. OECMeeting Thursday March 12 I0:30 a.m. at Sullivan Gardens Community Center 755 Remick St. Columbus, Ohio A Mother's Story of Sanction My nname is Robin Sutherland and I live in Wiinton Terrace. I use the Metro bus for transpor­ tation and it was hard getting getting my children back and forth every day on the bus. I found two separate home providers in Northside for two of my children, but I could not find child care for my two year old. I was sanctioned because I refused to leave my child home alone. I was doing the right thing as a mother to not leave a two year old home by herself! My caseworker said this wass not a good enough reason. She sanctioned me. This was wrong. Because I was being a responsible mother to take care of my three year old I was punished. Scramble Search Word by Gregory Payton s What Are Sanctions??? March Spring Womens Day Flowers Growing Gardening Baseball Picnic: Showers Bloom Rain Plant Seeds New Care Warm Play by Ron Carter Try to unscramble these sports-team related words: ENBLSGS MRAS IDRRSAE OLSCT ANTGIS LASLDA NGSKVll TOWASINGHN OOSBRNC NAS OCSICANRSF Answers on page I 5. �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 12 Ravings of a Mad Womyn a monthly attempt to chip away at the rule of the Establishment... by Malaka So tell me, just when are you planning to wake up? Open your eyes and see that you do not live in a "free" world? That just about everything you've ever been told is a lie? No, n_9J all welfare recipi­ ents live in the inner-city, many live in quite large homes in quiet neighborhoods and can downsize you out of existence. No, not all criminals are in jail or are on death row, many run the jails. No, Saddam Hussein isn't the biggest holder of "weapons of mass destruction"- can you guess who is? But knowing the truth about these three situations isn't enough - when will you ·become truly conscious and see the connection: that both the domestic and foreign attacks, in a massive war on the poor, are simply the outgrowth of an imperialistic white power structure that only has it's self interests in mind? As this government isn't in the least bit legitimate (that is it doesn't truly represent the masses they, with the help of the media, manufacture consent; because their interests will, more often than not, conflict with yours-which means that you will suffer, no matter what color you are. However, if you are a poor person of color, your suffering will come fastest and with the most intensity and, often you will be scapegoated for the suffering brought to the others. Still proud to be an American? Let's begin with "welfare reform" shall we? This subject got a lot of hype (including lots of media images of the Black mother with ten kids...), and a bill to, "get people to work" was quickly passed at the federal level, and made way for the harsh mandates at the state level here in Ohio, which include taking away all cash, most food stamP.s, and childcare benefits from families that don't, "'comply" with various requirements. In every article in the mainstream press locally (The Enquirer, Post and I would include City Beat) when talking about "non-compliance'', always cited the work requirement as the example of why families are cut. Of course, this isn't the reality. Your perception ofreality is being manipulated­ recognize this. At the Welfare Rights Coalition (where I work) the reason most women (that's really who we're talking about) give for being, "sanctioned" is their refusal to submit to a paternity test. In instances of domestic violence (which is more prevalent in low-income-communities), it 's obvious why a woman would not want this man to know where she and the child(ren) live. The Welfare Law Center, in their 1996 publication, Welfare Myths: Fact or Fiction? accurately states that, "Even if their were .no deadbeat parents, most poor children would still be poor, and most children who need TANF would still need it." So, then the question becomes, what does establishing paternity for the state have to do with a singl e mother being an effective parent anyway? Why are poor WC?men being targeted for this action, when studies show that since poor women don 't usually get wit rich men, there is little financial benefit to this intrusion? Of course, when looking at the facts, it's seen that people who receive public benefits and the grassroots organizations that represent their interests were (and continue to be) kept out of the decision making process as much as possible. Now, can you really hold on to the illusion that "welfare reform" was done to aid poor people? How does taking away childcare, for example, help a family to "self-sufficiency"; if the parent was working, they can't now, if they weren't, they can't start! This was done for middle class people (those lazy, greedy, poor people are the real problem!)- to distract them from the reality of capitalism at work: which has meant for them a decrease in real earnings in the past 20 years, more downsizings and lay-offs, and a higher cost of living which results in, for example, families that have never had financial trouble going into debt to send their children to college. The Congressional Budget Office disclosed in 1992 that 77% of before tax income growth of U.S. families went to the top I%. But the economy's booming you say, after all, that's what my favorite corporate­ owned mainstream paper told me. Booming for whom, I ask? Then there's crime, ahh, crime. "Put the fear of crime into them. Splash crime on the front page of every _newspaper. Make it the lead in every broadcast.", Dan Pens wrote in, The Sellin~ of America, on how the media maximizes fear. Your perception of reality is being manipulated­ recognize this. Study after study has shown that violent crime has been decreasing since 1991, which isn't surprising since the population is aging. The same age group (youth) are still committing most crimes, but now there are less of them (well, us, I'm 18). All of the polls that are always cited that show crime to be one of the nation's biggest fears don't reflect reality, but again, our perception of it. People, young African-American men caught in what Stokely Carmichael called the "poverty cycle" of being, "denied good jobs, and therefore stuck with a low income and therefore unable to obtain a good education with wh ich to obtain good jobs," are the most likely victims. By the year 20 I0, it's been projected that most Black men (2/3) will be behind bars. Why? Because of laws like mandatory minimum sentencing, which doesn 't allow a judge to decide a case based on it's individual merits, "Three Strikes, You're Out" legislation all over the -country that put people away for life for petty theft, and of course,-the biggestreason why Black men are in jail, the racist, classist, drug laws that give someone with possession of particular type cocaine jail time, and someone else, with the same stuff, in the same amount just of a different type, a fine . When the larger societal factors are added, that our sanctions against South American countries encourages their increased growth of the coca plant (it's the only one that's profitable), the CIA's involvement with saturating the inner-city with the drug, and again, few economic opportunities for many coming out of poverty (and all that it means in this country) it's easy to see that this more covert institutional raci sm is nothing but entrapment of poor, Black men. The "correctional facilities" in this country are nothing but warehouses of the poor and who, if felons, cannot vote, will be in a colonial situation, much like that of the inner-city, where the decisions are made for them by the white power structure that runs the country. Did I say, "runs the country"? I meant, "runs the world". Most of us have heard a lot lately about Hussein's alleged store of biological weapons. Your perception is being manipulated- recognize this. The "Revolutionary Worker", a prominent alterna­ tive weekly, stated, "There seems to be little actual evidence that Iraq has significant amounts of such weapons..."The massacre in Iraq, don't forget, this is a third world country, is nothing short of imperial­ ism at work. Joe Urgo, a member of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War Anti-Imperialist (WAW Al), spoke to this, " ...when thousands of us vets read about imperialism we knew what it was, because we did the murder, torture, and rape, and imperialism gave us the explanation why. Just like the Gl's that went to Panama, the Gulf War, and Somalia ...they too must figure it out. Many...talk about Continued on page 14 Wisconsin last Welfare Checks Printed The Governor of Wisconsin, Tom my Thomp­ son was at the control button of the printing press that printed the last batch of 50 Welfare checks, signaling the end of the Aid to Families with Depen­ dent Children program in that state. The checks, the last of I, I 00 checks issued to serve families in the state of Wisconsin, will be replaced at the end of the month by the new Wisconsin Works program. Albuquerque Residents Protest Homeless Shelter by Troy Goodman, Albuquerque Journal . , ·: ' - • ,1.-.. _· Wells Park residents didn't let snow and cold temperatures Saturday stop them from protesting the existence of a homeless shelter in their Albu­ querque neighborhood. About I0 people gathered at the Wells Park Community Center for th e "Human Defecation and Urine Press Tour" to talk about problems they say are caused by homeless people. Many of the homeless, they say, often use St. Martins Hospitality Center, a private, non-profit shelte r on Third Street a short distance from the Community Center. After the gathering, a few resi dents escorted news reporters to a First Street appliance store, in the shadow of Interstate 40, and next t.o a shanty town th at borders the Downtown railroad tracks. Feces lay on the sidewalk in front of the store. Jeffrey Rich Munoz, a member of the W ells Park Neighborhood Association, said he bel ieved it to be human feces . The neighborhood association and many business owners believe the homeless attracted by St. Martin's are responsible for public defecation, crime and vandalism in the area from Mountain Road to the interstate, and from the railroad tracks to 12th Street. The group has launched a campaign to close the shelter and convince city councilors to locate homeless shelters in other parts of the city. "I agree with what (St. Martins) is trying to do," explained Andy Gutierres, who owns a pawn shop in the area. "But if the city wants to spend billions of dollars redeveloping this area, they have to get rid of the transients." Tony Louderbough, executive director of St. Martin's, who didn't attend the news conference, said in a phone interview that his group of social workers and homeless counselors don't want to be in the business of providing overnight lodging. The center's primary mission is to provide meals for the home­ less, counseling, and job assistance. Yet, the area's other homeless shelters just can't hold the increas­ ing number of transient individuals and homeless families, he said. "We want out of the she lter business," Louderbough said. "But it's more inhu­ mane not to do it." St. Martin's, which costs about $375,000 a year to run, receives about a third of its operating money from the city and the rest from health-care sources and non-profit organizations, Louderbough said. �STREETVIBES The!riState's Homeless Grapevine ( Better Late Than Never by Brian Davis The business element of downtown Cleveland sought to clean up the city. They built a number of playgrounds for suburbanites and tourists with money to have a reason to come to Cleveland. We built a Science Center, a new sports complex, and that crown jewel, that legacy to the kingdom of Mayor White, that great glass pyramid known as the Rock' n 'Roll Hall of Fame. For the past twenty years, we had sent all our mentally ill, drug addicts, and those too poor to be able to afford a stable place to live to that empty shell known as Down­ town. Little did the business element know that they would want that area back someday. It was painfully obvious that it would be difficult to attract people downtown if they had to step over people sleeping on the streets and turn away from the faces of poverty begging for some change. Despite the messages that poor people were the cause of all our problems, some people clung to the doctrine of our holiest of men that commanded that we care for the poorest among us. With visibly homeless people seeking answers and finding only stream grates, visitors to our fair city came away with a sense of fear, apprehension, and sadness. Business got together to forward a policy of out of sight/out of mind. Get rid of the visibly homeless people and the problem is solved. First, we believe, that the business leaders sought the assistance of a "man of the people," Michael White, to clean up the streets. We alleged in a lawsuit that was settled out of court that the city implemented a policy of kidnapping and dumping homeless people out of the area and off of a busline. This policy was stopped after our lawsuit. There was also a great . deal of attention paid to pan handlers and various groups attempting to get a handle on the situation. Also, the Mayor placed the Grapevine (Cleveland's homeless newspaper) vendors in the same category as pan-handlers and targeted both for elimination. We at the Grapevine believe that he ordered police to begin to ticket our vendors for selling the paper without a license. This is a unique strategy that had not been tried in the 30 other U. S. Cities where street papers are sold, and was rather ingenious. It was the same strategy that was used effectively against the Black Panthers in the I 960's. They did not dispute the fact that our vendors had a right to distribute their words. They limited their enforcement to the commerce that was taking place on the streets. They said that commerce did not enjoy the same constitutional protections as speech, and the city has a legitimate interest in regulating commerce. But we won at the district level. Despite how much Mayor White has said that he found our vendors so courteous and admirable, he chose to appeal the decision. He could have dropped the issue, but he made the decision to dedicate staff time to appealing the case. In the Appeal, the decision was reversed, and Mayor White had the upper hand. The U. S. Supreme Court refused to hear our case, and so the Mayor won. He could have gotten so much "personal pleasure" by doing "a little thing" like sitting down with the homeless who run the paper and "making a small potential difference" in their lives. He could have decided to not rub our noses in the court's decision, and instead acted as a leader to come to the best outcome for all. Instead Mayor White sat down in a closed door meeting with me (no wit­ nesses) and said basically, "It is my way or no way." He was willing to exempt the fee, but our vendors had to get a city issued license which meant follow­ ing all the rules and restrictions associated with a license. Then he mat up with one of our vendors, we will call him Greg, the day before his inauguration in Cleveland Heights. This vendor was actually kind and courteous. A couple of points of clarification: I. The vendor was not homeless when he met the Mayor, 2. The Grapevine is not a magazine, 3. The vendor did not say that he had not worked in years, 4. And finally, this vendor that the Mayor met is typical of the professional men and woman that we attract. Greg, who avoided the harassment from the Cleveland polic~. sold his paper in Cleveland Heights, usually without incident. Greg was held up as an example of the best of what Cleveland has to offer. A formerly homeless person who fled Cleve­ land for the better business environment of the suburbs was featured in the Mayors speech champi­ oning Cleveland. When all the facts are presented, the speech has an ironic tone. Greg, (who is not that young) did show up at the Mayors office. He has been interviewed twice, but after almost a month has not been offered anything. One positive outcome was that the Mayor did not carry this political stunt further by inviting the media to see if Greg actually showed up. He also did not offer his new friend, the stereotypical poverty job like cleaning out the Police horse barn or street cleaner. I have yet to understand why he chose the Grapevine, a newspaper that he has basically tried to shut down for years, in his speech. Why were we singled out of all the organizations on the long Mayor White "Coal for Christmas" list? Did he feel he could score political points by stressing his concern for homeless people in the holy setting of Olivet Institutional Church? The White administra­ tion has had only contempt for homeless people, ad has shown an unwillingness to actually take the lead in reducing the homeless population. I do have to say that the City Hall staff has been amazingly willing to assist the Grapevine. They have treated the paper very professionally and with a refreshing degree of respect. In fact, I was sur­ prised how they were willing to balance the Mayors demands_ with tbe...needs .of the p_aper. I hope that after we let it be known that someone in City Hall was accommodating to a homeless org;rnization they won't be fired. The city has not come forward with a plan yet, but we have done all that we can to negotiate something that our vendors can live with and the city will accept. We did get another ticket in January from the police, and we still do not have the ability to buy a license. If the police routinely take it upon themselves to issue tickets to our vendors at this time, how can we expect a system created by our government bureaucracy to license our vendors to ever work? We will abide by the decisions if the U. S. Court of Appeals, but we have little hope of it working. Cleveland's Homeless Grapevine 'Get Involved' continued from page 5 Remember not to have any preconceived assumptions about homeless people. Don't push your faith. Don't throw money at the problem. Do take time to hear a story and try to be a patient listener. Do dress in less expensive clothes. Some homeless shelters attract street crimi­ nals who will waste your time. They are not really looking for help, just a hand-out. Nevertheless, volunteering is still all right for youngsters if they are accompanied by an adult. The world is an imperfect world. Expect to do volunteer work which is practi­ cal. If you have skills such as dishwasher, truck driver, cook - you can make a difference. A home­ less shelter needs the help of all of its volunteers. Page 13 Homeless I ndustrles Not An Oxymoron by Jennifer Waggoner This year, street newspapers all over the United States are discussing the impact that the negotiations between Making Change and The Big Issue will have on the face of the street newspapers and homeless people. The issues that these two street papers have been confronting are heralded as the lightning rod of the street paper movement. Making Change is a newspaper written and sold by homeless people in Santa Monica, Los Angeles. Upon the publication of the second edition of the paper, The Big Issue, (London's top rank entertain­ ment magazine > sold by homeless people) made public its plans for a TBI version in Los Angeles. This move sparked a controversy in the street paper move­ ment and has burned holes through the North American Street Newspaper Association. The move into Los Angeles was initially viewed as hostile by the smaller paper edited by a 28 year old formerly homeless woman who jumpstarted a former failing paper into Making Change out of the cab of her pick-up truck that she was living in. Jennafer Waggoner had attended the NASNA conference in Seattle during September, financed by two national homeless groups. The Big Issue, who had sent a representative to observe the conference, said that they had no plans for the US. Previous plans for the US had failed in major cities like New York and San Francisco because other street newspapers existed there. The Big Issue is a member of the Interna­ tional Network of Street Newspapers and in its charter under the number seven, it states that no INSP member will enter the selling territory of another street paper. Internet traffic and confer­ ence calls ensued with debates centered around the ethicality of TBI entering Los Angeles under such terms and whether or not Los Angeles was a big enough market for two street papers. The two street papers are currently in negotiations, although INSP and Big Issue are still silent about the Charter issue. The larger issues that enter into this debate, is the corporatization of homeless services and its impact upon homeless people. Widespread home­ lessness is a social issue that is hitting the legal system on all levels. The poverty spectrum is no longer limited to ethnicity. It is a combination of environmental, social, business, political and health ­ physical/mental issues all wrapped into a giant web. It has become a municipal problem, a state problem, a national problem and an international problem and is visible on all levels of society. This is why Waggoner feels that homeless services should no longer be about serving homeless people, but incorporating homeless people into the process of becoming the policy makers and planners for relief efforts. "If it is about product, anyone could have homeless people out selling things like toothpaste or laundry deter­ gent. It's about having a voice". The Big Issue, however feels that its mainstream media entertain­ ment approach creates a product that is profitable for a person to sell to derive an income and is a socially acceptable alternativ_e to begging. The Big Issue donates its profits into a foundation that provides social services to its vendors. Of the 550,000 homeless in London, the Big Issue serves approximately 7,000; and the Big Issue distributes approximately 300,000 magazines a week to prove its mainstream acceptance. Making Change would like to be sure that such a large takeover of the LA market does not in fact drown whatever chances it may have in serving the homeless population through the street newspaper tool. The Street Paper Movement at large is a challenge to multi million dollar social service agencies who have created a vortex for corporate begging and have traditionally squelched the smaller more grassroots initiatives in the larger grants funding circles. Street Continued on page 14 �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 14 "Homeless Industries Continued from page 13 Junior Baughn at the Drop Inn Center. Photo by Jimmy Heath Junior Baughn I live here at the Drop Inn Center. I take people on tours and tell th em how the Center is run. It makes me feel real good that I can tell people how we run the place. I have a lot of friends here. These people are like brothers and sisters to me. For we all cut up and tease each other. I have been living here at the shelter for seven years. I have gone on trips with people here at the shelter. And it makes me feel real good that we can stand our ground fo r t he homeless. I haven't touched any drugs or alcohol in ten years. I quit smoking five years ago. This makes me feel real good about myself. And I am going to keep looking up, for there . is nothing to look down on ... Editors note: Junior is a permanent resident of the Drop Inn Center Shelterhouse in Downtown Cincinnati. He enjoys giving tours of the Drop Inn Center and likes receiving letters. Write to Junior: clo Drop Inn Center, 2 I 7 West I 2th Street Cincinnati, Ohio, 452 I 0 ' "Ravings••• II Continued from page 12 imperialism ...like it was a policy of the government. Like somehow this government could decide not to be imperialist ....'We'll vote for change, they govern­ ment in a world where the U.S. is the biggest among powerful nations, squeezing the life blood out of oppressed peoples ...U.S. troops will continue going 'round the world and we will be complicit in our silence or our confusion ." The facts are that the U.S. governme nt is the biggest manufacturer, distributor, and user of "weapons of mass destruc­ tion" - the only user of nuclear weapons! Combined with the economic sanctions that are starving them , this "War of Shame II" (VVAW Al) is genocide of the Iraqi people and a message to the other major powers, as written in the "Revolutionary Worker" (2-22-98), "that it (the U.S.) still controls the oil lifeline of the imperialist world economy" With that in mind I encourage everyone to find out more, and do more. Be aware of the forces at work to keep you silent- your silence is deadly. (Activist alert: Our efforts have not been in vain- Wilford Berry, the poor, mentally ill man on death row still lives! Let's keep the pressure on the state!) Ma/aka Sanders can be emailed at homecoal@primax.net. Newspaper generate an inco me practically indepen­ dent of the charity circl es and combine Freedom of Speech and entrepreneurship to create a way to get an immediate income in a crisis situation such as homelessness. In cities ac ross the United States like Los Angeles, where municipal governments hav~ enacted a vari ety of laws that target homeless people; it will be interesting to see the impact the Big Issue will have upon American political opinion of homelessness. Already in Los Angeles and in Santa Monica, two major court battles over "Free Speech Vending" papers coming into these areas. Making C hange, a street newspape r which has the tin iest of ope rating budgets will struggle to keep afloat in a world where the market place encourages a capitalistic approach to small business ventures. "Everyone ke eps asking me why our paper isn't reaching the same goals as the Big Issue and it comes down to two things, we are really young as paper and we have no money. Geezuks , we are a homeless paper, it kindamakes sense. If we were left in a pristine environment, we may have been able to produce what the Big Issue provides for it's customers and its vendors. Now we have to do more with what we have and we have to do it by April, when t hey begin publishing. What that means to us, is that we will now have to "compete" with another paper. Solving homelessness shouldn't be about competition, it should be about working together. I am hoping that what we are negotiating will ensure that our paper won't go under, despite thei r presence her e. The Big Issue is plan ning on McDonaldizing the street paper market by offering their paper in every city. We in NASNA were hoping that there could be a street paper in every city by the year 2,000. Some of us were hoping t hat homeless people would be enabled to do it, not to have it done for us, like what always happens. They provide an income, we provide an income and a voice. Who is to say which is better? Sales or Social Justice? If they have come here to help the homeless, I hope we don't lose the voice of the homeless.'' For information , contact: Jennafer Waggoner, Editor Making Change ...a community newspaper empowering the poor and unhoused with an income and a voice ... (310) 289-7446 John Bird, Executive Director, The Big Issue ­ (310) 587- 1537 Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Looking for a place to call home? Call the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority A«ordsble rent that never exceeds 30% of your income ... Many buildings equipped with security systems ... Units located on buslines and· near stores, schools, hospitals, banks Rental units are available in these family and senior communities: Avondale Hopple Street/Fairmount West End Winton Place For more information, call 421-8190 today. Tim Harris, Chai r, No rth American Street Newspaper Association, Real Change of Seattle (206) 441-3247 Robert Norse, Commercialization Sub Committee, North American Street Newspaper Association, Street Shit Sheet of Santa Cruz - (408) 423-4833 �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine - ANNOUNCING A new Group at AVOC... For Heterosexuals living With Aids M. 0. M. S. Mothers Of Murdered Sons need your help. There is 80% starvation in Haiti! Non-perishable food items are needed for Haitian Children and families. No dona­ tion too large or small. Monetary donations are also needed. Call 351-7854 for more information. Are you looking for a broader knowledge of the challenge of living with HIV/AIDS? Would you like to meet people who share similar experiences and hear their coping strategies? Are you looking for peers with who ou can discuss and plan for the future? COME MEET WITH US STARTING ON ~5/!fJ B~Jazz,Reggae. Helping the homeless to help themselves tfvough free enterprize. Call421-7803. for sale Streetvibes is now accepting Classified Ads for items such as Help Wanted, Items for Sale, Apart­ Native American cookies; orders being accepted: R. ments for Rent and other non-personal items. The C.Janus, fFaxJ 891-8663. rate is only $1 per line, approximately four words per line. Classified ads are due by the 20th of the month. People below the poverty level will be allowed five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Otherwise, payment must be recei¥.e,d befor:e:__,.......,.--'-'.Dllrta~ntrseelr"-2~30 · hoursitdownjobonbus the ad will run. No refunds will be made. Also, if line, within 2 miles ofthe _ there is an error, notify us after the first printing. riverineitherKentuckyor You will be given an extra month of ad tim e. Ohio;non-medkal Mail the ad copy to: temlinology,non.filing Streetvibes cabinetofficewortc;social services, sales. public 1506 Elm Street information..crafts,and Cincinnati, OH 45210 otherbackground,some or fax it to 4 21- 78 13 computer experience; position wanted contact Box 2, Streetvibes, 1506 Elm St., Cincinnatt Bengals Rams Raiders Colts Giants Dallas Vikings Washington Broncos San Fransisco 4521Q. Laborer Looking for a laborer? Has worked at Riverfront. Is willing to do any kind of work. Call Sonia Craig at the Drop Inn Center, 721­ 0643. Elderly or Children Looking for a community orientedjob dealing with elderly or children. 3 year ourteacb worker/ counselor aide at YMCA. 13 years typing. Computer and cashier experience including Windows, Lotus, Any Word Processor. Call Anjail Madyun at the Drop InnCenter, 72 l.o643. Degreed. successful grants administrator/ writer seeks commissioned, free lance position as same; ten percent commission per award. ContactJ.Janus,. Jr. (FaxJ 891-8663. Native Alllerlcan­ Hispanic female seeks sit down,slowpaced industrial FACTORY' position;physicaly challenged. (Fax) 891­ 866i. STRE.ETVIBES provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only $1 per line. Call 421-7803 for info. Streetvlbes Vendor Code of Conduct Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. I. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for donations more than $1. I also understand that I will be able to keep 80 cents of each dollar tollected. Future issues .o f Streetvibes will be purchased from the Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. 2. I agree that I will never distribute Streetvibes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 3. I agree that I will not ask for donations after 12 midnight. 4. I agree to treat others with respect. I will not use abusive language or force someone to give a donation. I will not give a "hard sell" or make someone feel threatened. 5. I agree that I will not supply copies of by Myron Dear Homeless•••accepts letters. Please send your questions to: Myron 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45Z 10 We wlll attempt to answer all letters in a Where: AVOC "Gray Room" When: 1st and 3rd Thursdays 6:30 PM to 8:PM More information: Susan or Judy 421-243 Streetvibes fthe band). We like to party. R&B, Oldies, from page 11••• Dear Homeless••• cfo Streetvlbes Band Looking for Work Scramble Answers Page /5 Streetvibes to persons who are not registered distributors. 6. I agree not to deceive the public by saying that I am collecting for a not-for-profit charity or that I am collecting for the "homeless" in general. I will be honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvibes will go to the individual vendor. 7. I agree that I will not contest territories with other distributors. 8. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a self supporting paper created by people who are homeless or formerly homeless. To help in this effort, I will try to spread the word and write stories if possible. 9. I understand that the failure to comply with any of the above statements will result in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. timely manner. Sales Representatbre dishwasherorcook. ls Looking for position as sales representative or management. Has good very dependable and bookkeeping.typing and available immediately. Please contact Wiley Powellat83 l-8404. supervisory skills. Has experience in retail management.. customer service and sales. Is available to work immediately. Call Dea Harris at 552-9351. Restaurant Work Responsible older man able to work any shift. Has had experience as a cook and as a janitor. Would prefer work as a busserat a restaurant as well as work as a office hours and name of law school on letterhead paperto 1111 Elm Street. No. 432, Cincinnati, O H 4521Q. Streetvlbes Radio . Hour On WAIF 88.3 fm The Homeless Coalition has a live radio program which can be heard on WAIF radio on the second Saturday of each month at noon. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Pat Clifford, Gregory Payton and Donald Whitehead. The show mixes talk focusing on the stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates. WAIF 88.3 fm Saturday, March 14th, 1998, noon to I pm Advertise In StreetvlbesI Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to 4,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. Business Card Size z·xa 11z· s10 per ftlOlllll Two Business card Size 4·xa 1/Z. szo per 1110111111 A check or money order must accompany the ad copy. We reserve the right to deny any ad, especially those which promote alcohol or tobacco products. You will receive a full refund should your ad be denied. For larger ads, call the number below. Ads are due by the 20th of each month. If you need assistance in preparing your ad or have any other questions, call the Homeless Coali­ tion at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 �STREETVIBES TheTriState's Homeless Grapevine Page /6 Vendor Prof:lle: Stree·tvlbes TV Aaron Pitchford If you have any ideas for future STREETVIBES TV shows please contact our office at 421-7803. We always enjoy hearing from our veiwing audience. fdeas shoutd address subiects related to homeless­ ness and poverty in our city. We are always inter­ ested in viewe·r ideas, so piease give us a calf... The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video. Some viewers might not see the show appear at the right channel or time during the next couple months as Warner Cabfe changes programming and channels. Streetvibes TY March Schedule Aaron was born in Chicago and raised in Ctncinnati, Ohio. Aaron has a six year old son. Aaron heard about Streetvibes through another vendor. He figured it would be a good way to help get his life back in order. Aaron also plays the guitar. Aaron said, "I took about four lessons then began to teach myself'. He has played on subways and at airports to make money to help support himself. Aaron is a very pleasant person and hopes to overcome his homelessness soon. Aaron has been working at a temporary job services with hopes of find ing a regular job through a job training program. Good luck Aaron, I'm sure you will reach your goals. We at Streetvibes wish you well. Ron Carter This month•s show address tss.ues of subsidized housing and housing in the US. Channel 10 Saturday, March 7, I 998, 4 PM Friday, March J3. t998, t I am Friday, March 20, 11998., 11 AM Monday, March 23, 1·998, tO PM Saturday, March 28, 1998, 4 PM Streetvlbes Wish List Streetvibes is pubHshed monthly on a shoe­ string budget. We depend heavily on the goodwill of many volunteers and donors. If you can help out with some of the items on our wish list please give us a can... >Adobe Photoshop Software·for tBM to save scanning costs >Zip Drive Channel 7 LIVE Monday, March 1·6, 1998 7 PM >VCR to Show Streetvibes Epi's odes to Groups >Volunteer Copy Editors and Stori.es >Advertisers to help support the paper Where Your -"---­-1 ' Goes Vendor: 80 cents > Fax Machine , : 1 >Decent Typwriter >Computers for Streetvrbes layout and writing Ca 1421-7803 ifyou can help! Streetvibes has a minimal overhead cost so that the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. If anyone selling Streetvibes claims to be coflecting for a p.rivate charity, please call our o·ffice at 421-7803. Thanks for your support. Need Help or Want to Help? If for some reason you find yourself homeless, contact a Coali.tion Member Agency for Sheker, Treatment, Housing or Services. If you have any questions, feel free to call, the Homeless Coalition at Lighthouse Youth Center St. John's Temporary Housing 421-7803. Alice Paul House (abuse) Bethany House Salvation Army W elcome House S HELTERS: Women and Children 241-2757 557-2873 762-5660 431-8717 CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies (Mental Ill) Tom Geiger House SHELTER: Men TREATMENT: Women City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (veterans) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Vol unteers of America 241-5525 241 -0490 241-2965 381-4941 661-4620 38 1-1954 9·61:-4080 65 f-6446 HOUSING O.D.A.A.T First Step Home TREATMEN:T : Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over 721-4580 241-968.3 24~-0504 369'- 0004 38 l-0954 721-8666 961-4555 241-7343 921-7324 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 SHELTER: Both Caracole (AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (singles) friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) Interfaith Hospitality Network 761- 1480 821-5100 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 244-7226 TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline A.A. Hotline C.C.A.T. Tarbert House Transitions, Inc. VA Domiciliary 820-29'47 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 49 t-4435 559-501 1 OTHERSERVICES AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421 -243.7 Appal:achian Identity Center 62 f-S99 I Center for Independent Living Opti.o ns Churches Active in Northside Cincinnati Health Network Community Action Agency Contact Center Emanuel Community Center Freestore/Foodbank Goodwill Industries Hamilton Co.Mentar Health Bd. Hamilton Co. TB Control Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van House of Refuge Missi.o n Legal Aid Society Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. Mary Magdalen House Oral Health Council Our Daily Bread Peaslee Neighborhood Center Travelers Aid United Way VA Homeless Program Women's Crisis Center 241-2600 591 -2246 9611-0600 569-1840 3'81-4242 241 -2563 241-1064 771-4800 621-7149 632-7186, 357-4602 352-2902 221-3679 241-9400 271-5501 721-4811 621-0248 621-6364 621·-55"4 721-7660 721-7900 559-6656 491-3335 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1998 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource March 1998 Vol 2, Issue Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Page 1: Landlord Attempts Demolitions Again and Again and Again... Are The Homeless Becoming More Visible? Page 4: WESTCO Struggles Page5: Building a Movement Page 6: Word on the Street Page 8: Run for City Council Page 9: The Odd Cookie Awards Page 10: Editorials & letters Page 12: Ravings of a Mad Womyn News Nationwide Page 13: Cleveland News Page 15: Announcements and Classifieds Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project (curated by Katelyn Lusher) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 1998 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Junior Baughn Ron Carter James Heath Gail Frazier-Holley Andy Hutzel Lemuel Israel Berta Lambert Judith Mendriski Patrick Mosolf Gregory Payton Mark Salter Malaka Sanders Donald Whitehead Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-sa/4.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a<span> </span><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a>. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF affordable housing Andy Hutzel Berta Lambert city council Donald Whitehead Gail Frazier-Holley Gregory Payton James (Jimmy) Heath Judith Mendriski Junior Baughn Lemuel Israel Malaka Sanders Mark Salter Patrick Mosolf Ron Carter social movement street papers the visible homeless vendor profile welfare reform https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/5b243391ecc5f898ee983d5637b43e65.pdf d2a4166b7502298a565126ab1bb9a1e2 PDF Text Text Hypocrisy Running Rampant At All Levels of Government! 11 by Donald Whitehead In all my time as an advocate for the rights of low-income people, I have never been as discouraged as I am today. I have witnessed unprecedented hypocrisy at work. The most unsettling fact about this hypocrisy is it runs rampant, not unlike some deadly bacteria throughout Local, State and National Govern­ mental bodies. The extremely discouraging part is that, the effects of this hypocrisy will only continue the all out assault on the poorest among us. The first hypocritical decision comes from the national level. In several cities across the U.S. Public Housing Authorities (PHA's) have started demonstra­ tion projects that insure that the problem of homelessness will continue to increase. In several cities across the country new design funded by HUD's HOPE YI program. The HOPE YI program, which after a decades long ban on demolition, is making $2.6 billion available to raze I00,000 dwelling units that house the section of the housing population with the biggest gap in housing. While the name itself is Hypocrltfcal (how can we call any program HO PE that demolishes much needed housing). The most contro­ versial aspect of the HO PE VI program is that it will reduce the number of public housing units. In nearly every case the government is demolishing more units than it is replacing and, in order to achieve a mixed population, is allotting only about one third of the new units to public housing. Low-income renters who are denied replacement units will receive vouchers or certificates to supplement rents in the private housing market, where a tremendous gap in affordable units already exist. Along with the scarcity of units, with congress continuing to slash HUD budget since 1995, the federal housing budget has shrunk by 25%. Public housing alone has been cut fro m $8 billion per year to $6 billion. Congress is at this moment considering eliminating a rese rve fund targeted to renewing expiring project based section 8 contracts and using those funds for disaster relief: in effect trading one disaster for others. The second and possibly the biggest and most troubling incidence of hypocrisy comes at the state level. Ohio became the first big state to turn grants from President Clinton's new program to create job opportunities for the hardest-to-employ welfare recipients. Ac­ cording to Governor George Voinovich the money is not needed for: a 'new", somewhat duplicat­ ing grant with a lot of red tape. Labor Secretary Alexis M. Hermann was "very disappointed" by Ohio's decision: "We know that $88 million in welfare-to-work funding could be very helpful in areas like Cleveland, Toledo and Youngstown." Labor Department Officials said they expect most states to sign on to the 'welfare to work" program, but they were surprised when Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota and Mississippi decided to pass up on a slice of the $3 billion set aside for needy families. Since this money was targeted to the hardest-to-employ welfare recipients, the decision not to take the set aside adds weight to the assumption that improving the quality of life is me rely an afterthought to policy makers behind welfare reform in Ohio. Money from the set aside could have been used for very innova­ . tive programs for the hard to serve. In Michigan, Continued on page 13 Homeless and Others Exploited In Hazardo.us Jobs WASHINGTON (CNN)- U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno on Friday stepped up her agency's fight against the "criminal" and "cruel" labor practice of hiring homeless men and others to remove toxic asbestos and do other hazardous jobs without proper training and equipment. Contents Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 2 2 3 4 5 6· 7 8 10 11 14 15 Steps Update NCH Meeting News Welfare News National Civil Rights The Visible Homeless Arts and Poetry Nationwide Opals Story letters and Editorials Crossword and Games Elsen Update Announcements She said there have been a series of inci­ dents in which homeless men, teenagers or workers hired by the day were used to carry out hazardous jobs, such as stripping asbestos from buildings. Asbestos is a hazardous substance known to cause cancer in humans. (281 K/24 sec. AIFF or W AY sound) Reno announced the indictments of three contractors in Madison, Wisconsin, on charges of improperly removing asbestos from a manufactur­ ing plant. The contractors transported untrained homeless men from a Tennessee soup kitchen to Wisconsin and used them to remove asbestos," she said. The indictment also included charges that the cont ractors fraudulently used other people's social security numbers for the homeless men, so they could carry out the asbestos removal. Federal authorities have tightly regulated the removal of asbestos, which Reno described as a "deadly pollutant." "Knowingly removing asbestos improperly is criminal. Exploiting the homeless and other vulnerable people to do this is simply cruel," Reno said at a news conference in Washington. "That's why we are so serious about stopping this type of crime and preventing it from happening elsewhere." A worker, wearing protective clothing, removes asbestos in accordance with Federal Standards and Local Laws. The Wisconsin case is the latest in a series of such incidents that have been reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In January, the owners of a warehouse in Miami were sentenced to five months in prison for illegally using homeless men to strip 1,600 square feet of asbestos ceiling. The men, who had no special training or equipment, apparently were unaware of the dangers posed to their health. "You might be abl~ to get away with one exposure and not have any negative r esults, but we cannot guarantee that. And the more often you are exposed, the higher your likelihood of developing cancer," the EPA's Cindy Fraleigh told CNN. It is common practice for homeless people to be recruited to do unskilled work, even though some of it is clearly dangerous, authorities said. The reason is simple: The homeless are anxious to work and accept low pay. But federal agencies hope their increased vigilance and aggressive prosecutions will help stop such abusive, hazardous practices. Reno appealed to the public to notify authorities if they learn about such incidents. CorrespondentJeanne Meserve contributed to this report. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 2 STREETVIBES 1heTriState's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for and about the homeless. It is compiled by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Home­ less. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and then sell it for a dollar donation to get back on their feet. All vendors sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending home­ lessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. The Streetvibes Committee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a comment, please call 421 -7803 . Staff Donald Whitehead, Director Brett Zwolinski, Vendor Support Ron Carter, Vendor Support James Heath, Coordinator Photo~ Concerned citizens turn out to protest closing ofKlotter Street Steps. Update On Hlllslde Step Clo.sure James Oimmy) Heath Writers Ron Carter Brian Davis James Heath Andy Hutzel Lemuel Israel Berta Lambert Paul Linden Judith Mendriski Patrick MosoJf Gregory Payton Mark Salter Mataka Sanders Penelope Welz Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Brett Zwolinski Volunteer Editors Lemuel Israel Paul Linden Pat Morris Bonnie Neumeier Editorial Polley: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, com­ ments or editorials. We will print every­ thing we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send all material to the fo llowing address: Streetvibes c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 (S 13) 421-7803 fax (513) 42 1-7813 e-mail: homecoal@primax.net http://cinci.com/gcch Quote of the Month: "In 20 years America will be as ashamed of homelessness as we were 30 years ago about civil rights... " by Eunice Revena On Thursday April 9th, a Holy Thursday prayer service was held at the Baymiller steps to pray for all those effected by poverty, racism and segregation in our city. Over fifty concerned citizens braved the rainy weather to voice their concern over the step closure. Rev. Bruce Hinkley led us in prayer and invited all to step forward and share their witnes·s. Speakers included representatives of the ORCC (Over the Rhine Community Council), residents of West McMicken and the West End Community Council. The mantra was clear- OPEN HEARTS, OPEN MINDS, OPEN STEPS! Upon returning home from our celebration of community at the Baymiller steps, many of us received phone calls from Todd Portune's office regarding the Public Works Committee recommen­ dation for the proposed method of step closure. A mailing followed . From the desk ofJoseph Charlton, acting director of Public Works, and approved by city manager john Shirey, the city engineer, Mark Ginty, requested the following: *On the Baymiller steps an eight foot chain link fence to be erected across the right of way. midway between W. McMicken Street. and Klotter. Resi­ dents are concerned about loss of park space and potential loss of the basketball courts which are on the "Klotter side" of the park. The city will also REMOVE five flights of steps on the upper level and grade the area. Again, concerns are raised. If this is a temporary measure, why would steps be removed? Sounds permanent! *On the Freeman Avenue stairway , an eight foot chain link fence will go across Atlas Alley at the bottom of the steps. This will limit all access to the steps from McMicken Street.. *On the Kress Alley stairway, the top flight of steps will be removed and the lower portion will be railed off. The letter states that the Public Works staff worked closely with the KHA (Klotter Homeowners Association) to determine safe and secure measures of closure. This effort will cost city caxpayers $10,000. What's next? The police division of the safety department will evaluate crime statistics for a year to determine if the closure has been effective. (There­ fore, if you witness a crime on Klotter St. in the next year, then be sure to report it just to make sure the stats are not manipulated by anyone's agenda!). They will report back in June 1999. Anyone with questions can call Mark Ginty (city engineer), at 352­ 5291. As can be expected, this report was unsatisfac­ tory to the Over-The-Rhine residents. A delegation of ten went to the Public Works Committee Monday, April 13th, to express disapproval and suggest a creative compromise such as a gate which should be opened during the day and closed at night. And once again, Community Council left city hall feeling unheard and disappointed. Remember these occurrences when you vote. The public works committee is comprised of the following: Portune (D) 352-5302 (chair); Cissell (R) 352-3646 (vice chair); Sterne 352-3604; Yates (D) 352-3643. News From Natlonal Coalltlon Board Meeting by Barbara Anderson An exciting trip to Washington as those of us with the National Coalition for the Homeless traveled for the annual Spring Board Meeting. Several key things happened, among them was my appoint­ ment to the Executive Committee to the Board of Directors. This will require four face to face meetings per year and monthly conference calls, so the updates from Indiana will involve a monthly newslet­ ter. The following resolutions were made and should be require some input from you for me to carry to the next Board meeting: I) Civil Rights: a resolution committing to seeking protected Class status for all those persons who are homeless and for those living under I00% of poverty. The latter to include homeless not meeting federal definitions because lack of shelter as 'Natlonal Meeting' cont. on page 7 �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Athens County: Impact of Welfare Reform on Rural Communities to happen. Caseworkers are required to try to work with the recipient to avoid having to issue the sanction. They notify recipients by mail that a sanction will be imposed unless the recipient takes action. Kathryn Madd, Director of APAC, informed us, "We have a good relationship with the Athens County Welfare Department. They really try to work hard with the recipients to help them. We used to have to do battle with them all the time." However, the county welfare department is still required to enforce policy that is mandated by the Ohio Department of Human Services and the Federal welfare law, regardless of its harshness. Education First by Lynn Williams of the Ohio EmpowermentCoafiffon by Lynn Williams On April 6th, members of the Ohio Empower­ ment Coalition traveled to Athens County to meet with APAC (Appalachian People's Action Coalition), Rural Action, and an ABLE program of the At.hen's Department of Human Services. We were very interested in hearing about how welfare "reform" under Ohio Works First is impacting welfare recipients in the southeastern part of Ohio and in a mostly rural area of the state. We were able to meet with workfare participants at APAC and Rural Action. APAC has a program to train welfare recipients in practical job skills (building mainte~ nance, drywalling, and repairing furniture) that will potentially lead to employment. Jerry Dickerson, who leads this program, is a recipient himself. Rural Action also trains recipients in a similar manner, only in fields of office work, including computer skills. Curt Barnes, a former recipient, oven- rhe program. We asked questions about what kinds of workfare jobs recipients are being assigned elsewhere in Athens County. Jerry stated that some workfare recipients he knows of are being assigned to do road repair: filling in roads in back­ breaking work while the paid workers supervise them from air-conditioned trucks. He stated that the workfare participants are jeered at by the paid supervisors. From reading over the Athens County Welfare Plan which recently went into effect, and from speaking with Warren, a caseworker, it appears that the Athens County Department of Human Services places emphasis on education for recipients. An ABLE program teacher, Joe McGowan, who showed us around his center, spoke enthusiastically about the importance of ABLE programs to the county welfare department. Athens County has allowed as many recipients as possible to stay in G. E. D. programs and higher education, counting as part of the work requirement. Caseworkers are clear ly trained to inform recipients of the allowable hours for education. Warren stated that the education of recipients is extremely important to the local department. However, along with Curt Barnes of Rural Action, he stated that unemployment is very high in Athens County. Most jobs are in the "ser­ vice" area of fast food. He added that Ohio Univer­ sity was also a major jobs provider. To this, Jerry and some of his staff replied that the University jobs do not go to recipients, but to college students from outside the area. Time limits are a real threat to the recipients of Athens County due to the scarcity of jobs. What will happen to these people? Jerry of APAC stated that many people live at far below poverty level in jobs that don't even pay a minimum wage. They are eeking out an existence through a variety of odd jobs. It is a hard life. If their transportation falls through, such as a car breaking down, it can be extremely tough surviving out in the rural areas of Athens County. Some other thoughts: The Athens County Department sends out a pre-sanction letter to a recipient warning them that a sanction is about . . The young mother shared her story with us. "I was able to get almost through college by living on what welfare provided my baby and me to live on. I've got ambition. I want $30,000 a year building a career in what I want to do with my life. Now my caseworker has given me such a hard time about going to college, that I can't take it anymore." She broke down into sobs at the thought of the ordeal she had recently gone through. "He said I shouldn't be going to college if I'm on welfare. That I didn't need welfare if I was in college. I know I am doing the right thing for myself and my daughter by trying to get my college degree." Now that the Federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act was enacted into law in 1996, only 20% of welfare recipients are permitted to count education and vocational training as the full work requirement. By this rule, it appears that the Federal Government is actively discouraging welfare recipients from getting an education, whether a GED or a college degree. Teenagers on assistance who are trying to get their High School degree or GED are included in this 20%. Individuals who completed their college degrees in the past before the "we lfare reform" movement, who were allowed to go to college and be on assistance, describe that they could not have succeeded without the assistance. One woman, Judi Mendriski, shared with us, "Way back when I was on welfare, I wanted to do something to become more employable. I was able to stay on welfare for the six years it took me to get my degree. Because of welfare, I was able to get my education and support my daughter and myself at the same time." She added, "It was not a rosy time though! Even though I was doing what I want ed to be doing, going to college, it was still rough. The benefit checks were very small. The welfare caseworkers were very dehumanizing. I felt degraded the whole time I was on welfare." She too is drawn to tears at the memory of the ordeal of fighting for her and her baby's survival. The idea that recipients are raking in the money while on assistance is ill-founded and far form the reality. In 48 states, welfare payments and food stamps combined only come to a total of approxi­ mately 75% of the poverty line. In some states, especially the South, the percentage is more like 40­ 50% of poverty. Only two states pull families out of poverty while on welfare: Alaska and Hawaii. Another woman, Cassandra Barham, who is now employed full-time at a job she loves, was able to get her GED while on public assistance. The income support helped her to focus her energies on her edut"ation in a way she couldn't have done without the income support. Ohio Works First requires a recipient to work at least twenty hours each week at a job, and allows only IQ_hours for education. On top of this, many recipients are Page 3 par~nts with small children; they must work in Hamilton County if their children are as young as three months old. Cassandra strongly believes that these policies should be changed. " It should be reversed with education, including post-secondary education, given the priority over minimum wage jobs," she emphatically states. " It's called 'Ohio Works First,' not 'Education First'," she adds. With the passage of Ohio Works First, Ohio's welfare law that went into effect on October I st, 1997, what is being practiced and what is in the law, which includes the 1996 Federal mandate, are two different stories. Recipients are contacting the Welfare Rights Coalition stating that their casework­ ers never mentioned they could include education hours as apart of their work requirement. One caseworker told a mother of two that she could include education hours to get her GED only if she had exhausted all search to fill up the 30 hours with work. This mother ended up in a temporary minimum wage job without benefits at a fast food restaurant. Another woman, who has dreams of becoming a beautician, is now told she must drop out of her beauty college to attend the CASH program. She is already going to college full-time, six days a week. She is understandably angry that she must leave this commitment to attend CASH, which is full-time for two weeks. In a phone conver­ sation, she asked, "How do caseworkers get this much power to decide what I will or won't do with my life?" Our answer is this: APPEAL! APPEAL! APPEAL! Do not hesitate to demand a hearing. If you are unhappy w ith a caseworker's decision o r do not t hink it is fair, APPEAL! Personal Responsibility Agreements are supposed to be contracts between two parties, both in agreement, who have worked out a plan TOGETHER. Otherwise they should be renamed, Pe rsonal Responsibility Coercion. One fi nal point to recognize: if you want to go to college, you are legally allowed I040 hours {the first year) of college to count as the full work requirement. You will probably have to fight hard to be allowed to do this. After the first year, you can legally use a ratio of 15 hours work to 15 hours post-secondary education. It is almost a surety, given the current atmosphere, to push work as a priority over education, that you will have to bring your choice to a hearing. It will be a struggle. One thing is for sure: it will be a struggle to get any benefits of any kind every step of the way. Subscribe to Streetvlbes Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be pur­ chased for $12 per year. Please se nd a check to the below addre ss a nd the paper will be maile d to you each issue. Streetvibes I 506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Ple ase make checks payable to the Greate r Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless--Streetvibe s. If you have any que stions, call 421-7803. c • �__ r..,<-::--0____ ,.._,__~ STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine NATIONAL HOMELESS GROUP STARTS CIVIL RIGHTS. PROJECT Staff people at each location will work to bring together the efforts of a ll local homeless advocacy groups and to fortify efforts in communities that are resource­ poor. People who are or were homeless will be hired to fill all field staff and AmeriCorps VISTA positions created by NHCROP. It is too often the case that the harsh­ est anti-homeless attacks occur in those communities that lack t he resources to organize an immediate, effective response. NHCROP will make it much easier for such locales to hook into the knowledge, experiences and resources of other civil rights efforts in order to improve their ability to best protect the civil rights of people who are homeless. Washington, DC - The N ational Coalition for the Home less ( NCH) is la unching a N ational H o m e less Civil Rights O rganizing Project (NHCROP). Mary Ann Gleason, NCH Executive Director, recently outlined the civil rights concerns of homeless Americans in a meeting with officials of the US Department ofJustice. Ultimately, NHCROP will: *Show the simila.rities between tactics used by different local governments, ·*organize a well-planned counter-campaign against existing or proposed anti-homeless laws, and, *support groups attempting to set up or expand documentation efforts. The Pro ject will star t with e ig ht orga­ niz ing posts in diffe re n t r egions of the country: East, Midwest, Southeast, North­ west and Southwest, plus a natio nal office in W ashington, DC. Proposed field offices include Atlanta, Chicago. Cincinnati. Los Angeles, Portland, OR., San Francisco, Jeffersonville, IN., and Washing­ ton, DC. NHCROP Committee Members urge local communities to document and forward any anti­ homeless activities in local communities to the National Coalition for the Homeless. " By defi nition, pe ople who are homeless live in public. A lack of housing forces them to do in public what everyone prefers to do in private. This indignity is one of the many reasons we seek to end homelessness," says Gleason. "Unfortunately, it has also become the battleground for the most fundamental defense of people who happen to be homeless: the right to exist." In cities with an admitted lack of day shelters and few jobs that pay a living wage, people who are homeless sometimes rest at bus stops or on side­ walks. " Our primary objective is to publicly build suppo r t for our e fforts to stop anti­ homeless legislation in our cities while building a fram ework in which home lessness is e r a d icated from our nation," said G leason. Always with you, Always with· me by Brett Zwollnskl *Tucson, Arizona, has made it unlawful to be at a bus stop for more than 30 minutes. *Police in Seattle, Washington, have been instructed to fine or arrest people who are homeless for sitting on the sidewalk. mountains we climb and seas we traverse time we buy and life passes by in my mind there is but only o ne thought... maddening horror, pent up fear illusions, inebriating crimes told again and again, the story of mine whose life are we seeing? how and when did it all begin? In cities with an admitted lack of affordable housing, people who are homeless are forced to carry t.heir worldly goods with them wherever they go. *In Beverly Hills, California, it is a crime punishable by a fine or jail time to set baggage down on the sidewalks. *In Georgetown, a trendy part of Washington, DC, an archaic part of the District Code is being applied to fine or arrest people for storing property (including people themselves) in doorways. There is an estimated 24 million people on the waiting list for public housing in this country. Despite this acknowledgment of insufficient housing options, the city mothers and fathers of Dallas, Texas, and many other cities across this country (including Phoenix, Jacksonville, Columbus, Boston, Austin, New Orleans, Long Beach, Virginia Beach, Atlanta, Sacramento, Tulsa, Miami and Buffalo) have made it illegal to camp or sleep in a park. times immemorial, death unveiled empty and bleeding, caroused and cheating to let go... Now we hold on even t ighter grasp for breath of fresh air; ahhh... the spirit released ... earth inhaled to our nostrils becoming one with yourself in passionate fit rage and rancor, tearing at flesh killing me softly, taking my breath love is liberty, love is freedom love is mercy, love is justice . . ... . ,,. ,1- · • . • • . ~. --":'.::. :-...- · ' The Cruclble by Mark Salter On February 19, 1998 I was invited to Finneytown High School to see the play " The Crucible." The play was performed by Finneytown High School students-some of these students are regular volunteers at the Drop Inn Center and ReSTOC. I would like to give a special thanks to Steve Elliot. for his dedication and consistent endeavors at the Drop Inn Center and ReSTOC. I would also like to give an extra special thanks to the students. The team of students that Mr. Elliot has assembled are sincere and have great potential to become our future leaders. The students who volunteer at the D.l.C. played the following parts in Arthur Millers, "The Crucible." Katy McHugh portrayed Abigail Williams, David Dewar portrayed Giles Cory, Emily Kuschner portrayed Mary Warren, and lohn Proctor was played by John Rotterman. Now the characters themselves were personified as people with strength, wisdom, and integrity. Some people living today don't have these qualities. I was amazed by the fact that I know the people who portrayed the characters. The students did a very good job. I was appalled, angry, befuddled, empathetic and saddened because these events actually took place: people lives were forfeited in God's name and what they believed was right. One paradox of the trials regarding the witch hunt, to see if a woman was a witch, they would tie her in a burlap sack and throw her in the river. If the woman floated she was deemed a witch. And if she drowned she was not a witch. Do witch hunts still exist today? Are there any para­ doxes of this type today. I feel that the witch trials had something to do with a certain class of people. As for Abigail, I didn't see her as insane, but as a young woman with passion for her beliefs. Abigail noticed the hypocrisy of those who were in control of the society in which she lived. This stuck out for me because I can relate to her experience. Some­ times it is class, elitism. and hypocrisy which makes the call. Abigail had to exorsize some demons, however a human life was forfeited. In today's society how often is a human life forfeited or sacrificed because someone else deems it necessary? I felt as if all the role-players in the play were expressing actual sentiments, having a chance to act out some of those feeling and emotions. _ The tn.Je blessing was having Mr. Elliot transport me to and from the play. The additional blessing was watching Katy McHugh perform, to see her smile with satisfied exhaustion at the end was a real treat. Once again I would like to thank Ms. McHugh, Mr. Dewar, 'Ms. Kuschner and Mr. Rotterman for giving I 00% of themselves and having the courage to go where only a few dare to go. Thanks Katy for not wanting to be anyone other than yourself. I shall keep a special place for you all in my prayers, my mind, and my heart. May God bless you all. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• " The fl aws in this effort to c riminalize home lessness are as numerous as t hey are obvio us. Though no one should ever have to sleep in a park or beg for food, making those acts into criminal offenses does not help the people driven by desperation to commit them. These city ordinances (and similar state statutes) are misguided because they seek to hide homeless people, not end homelessness," said NCH Board Member and Civil Rights Committee Co-chair Paul Boden from San Francisco. • • :.- . ;, ;J" Page 4 CHECK OUT MORE POETRY ON PAGE SIX. •. IF YOU WRITE POETRY AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR WORK IN STREETVIBES, CALL 421-7803 OR FAX US AT 421-7813 •.... :. .. ·- ·•o I ... ~ \ .... - .,. ,rt, Support Your Local Vendor... Tell A Friend About Streetvi bes I r• . �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page s to see me become another statistic? The Vlslble Homeless... It's not the end, though; the cycle will remain broken in my family. I look at this as just a huge hurdle to get over. All of us here have our own perso nal problems and reasons to succeed in life. guess this is just a wake-up call to remember where you come fro m and why you're here, to think about your future and everyone else who helped you to this point. Jail is no joke. If any of you ever want to t ruly have a sense of what slavery was like, do so mething to get arrested. After a trip to the general popula­ tion, jo ining Shantytown and sleeping o utside is nothing. W hatever happens, as long as I can dream, I'll survive, because I know there will be a to morrow. Peace, and let's go o ne step fur ther than our parents to put an end to the cycle. Flndlay Market Outreach by Ron Carter View of the Stadium from the now-closed Dixie Terminal. Bringing an End to the Cycle by Te 'tro Amaru W ith so much knowledge. so much talent, and so many opportunities, why does it seem as if I'm destined to live in prison? So what if I'm young. black, and AmeriKKK's public enemy number one? Is there a law which states that if some other nigga hasn't killed him by age twenty-one, please lock him up? Loni and my Pops worked too hard to make a better life for me. My whole family has struggled and is still struggling for me. My younger brother and I are the last hope for the fam ily t~ live without worrying whether the next paycheck will cover all the bills or not. Where does the cycle end? I thought my father broke the cycle by raising two boyz on his own and sending us to college. Now it seems it was only temporary, since his oldest son is facing one co five years in the state penitentiary. How many times must I say, "No, I don't want to fight" ? How much must I allow myself to be manhandled before I say enough is enough? Obvi­ ously I have to let myself be pushed, shoved and grabbed around the throat without responding. Who's to blame for my skill with my fists and my "ghetto" sense to make sure you don't get up when you go down? So should I blame it on society, my north Philadelphia ghetto upbringing? Or should I blame it on my friends who said, "Yes, that's him, officer"? Ultimately, I have to blame myself fo r trusting the wrong people and trying to help someone I thought was a frien d in need. No one e lse in the place seemed to mind that a yo ung woman was being treated very disrespectfully. But it's not in my nature to join the crowd or be a leader- I'm just T e'tro. I should've known better; seeing that I had no intentions of laying that kid out, especially not w ith a slice o n his dome that Photo by Jimmy Heath needed eight stitches. For some reason, I thought I could be diplomatic and talk all the drama out of him. Now it seems I'll be going out like O .J. The most disappointing part about it is that we were both brothas, young black men. After seeing Minister Louis Farrakhan in the Omni Center in Atlanta, Georgia over the summer, I took a vow of peace- especially on behalf of my brothas. Farrakhan made me realize that there is no need for tension among anyone (white people included), no matter what color, but especially not amongst o urselves. And this man is portraye<I as an evil menace of some sort. Therefore, I devised a motto, "Peace or Rest in Peace." This simply means that if anyone feels that we can't sit and talk o ut our differences , coming to some sort of understanding, but is compelled to lay his hands on me- "God bless you, and rest in peace." I figure that if I have to send Someone to 6th and Green, that's less corruption and tension someone else has to deal with. There's no need for violence, tension, drama or whatever. It may sound corny, but "Why can't we all just get along?" One minute I'm signing autographs for little youngsters during the "Colored Museum" reception, telling them to stay strong and realize that knowl­ edge is the key. The next minute I'm sitting in a jail cell telling myself that one to five years isn't the end of my life, believing I can still make things better for my "fams" and thinking about what 's going to happen with "Colored Museum" without me. Stuff like this makes you realize how easy it is to go from that top-of-the-world feeling to the low-man-on-the­ totem-pole one. . On the loud note, much respect goes to Cathy Kuhlman as a friend and a director for going against the grain and giving Xavier some needed culture with the all-black play. And to everyone who was against the play and even threatened to petition against it, thanks for the generous support , and don't even part your lips to speak 'cause I know who you are. And it doesn't even matter whether it was due to greed o r racism; save it! Anyway, where does the cycle end? O bviously not when you get to college, although a lot of us would like to think we're separate form the outside world. Pops al...;ays says, "Success breeds success," but when? And what will determine my success? Everyone was proud to see the first generation of the family make it to college. How many will be proud My first day at the Market wasn't a very pleasant day. It was cold and people were not too friendly. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry to get what they came to the market for and to get out of the cold. That day I was trying to get some signa­ tures on my Klotter Street steps petition, but the people I tried to talk to said that either they didn't live down here in OTR or they didn't know where Klotter Street was. One lady did listen for a few minutes and then said to tell them to leave the steps open because closing them would not help the crime rate anyway. Some of the people thought I was t rying to sell them something and didn't give me a chance to let them know why I was there. So, I decided to get a new plan of act.ion for the following week since I knew I would have a table set up in the Market House. I made some signs to hang on the walls around my table so everyone would know my reason for being there. When I went back the following weeks with my "Keep Vine Stre et A One Way Street" petition and my signs on the wall, it was a different story. The weather was nicer and so were the people. At this point, I have collected over four hundred signatures from the shoppers at Findlay Market, all in favor of "One-Way Vine." One young lady said that when Vine was a two-way street, she was hit by a car there and certainly didn't want to have part in a two-way Vine. From talking with a lot of people, their main concern was the safety of their kids crossing the street and thinking that cars are coming from one direction instead of two. Residents in the general community and none of the OTR residents seem to be in agreement that the money could be or. should be used to improve the looks of Vine Street. Well, I think I will sign off for now because it's time to get my game plan ready for my next visit to the market. I'll be writing a new report in June, so until then, fairwell. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine A Trio In a Gazebo One Night by Dan Gi bbons NOW, WHO WILL LEAD THE WAY? buddy, you led the way to help the downtrodden people, who could not help themselves; Homeless, Low-Income Housing, you, with "in-your-face­ confrontational-attitude" Now, who will lead the way? Earnest, you led the way with the Civil Rights Movement, bussing and discrimination, you, w ith your quiet & yet, steadfast attitude; Now, who will lead the way? Mac, you led the way, empowered people for a peaceful planet; fought for arms disarmament, you, w ith your quiet voice, put up a hard & strong fight; Now, who will lead the way? All of you, were branded Radicals, T roublemakers, Renegades; All had the strength of giants; NOW, W HO WILL LEAD THE WAY? Walk A Llttle Plalner Daddy Walk a little plainer daddy, Said a little boy so frail I'm following in your footsteps And I don't want to fail. Sometimes your steps are very plain. Sometimes they are hard to see; So walk a little plainer daddy For you are leading me. I know that yo once walked this way Many years ago. And what you did along the day I really like to know. For sometimes when I am tempted, I don't know what to do. To walk a little plainer daddy For I must follow you. Someday when I'm grown up You are like I want to be. T hen I will have a little boy Who will want to follow me. And I would wnat to lead him right And help him to be true. So walk a little plainer daddy Fo r we must follow you. I hear their magic. their music ever so faintly, A rhythmic tap, tinkle, a complex jingle. It wafts as softly to me as a summer whisper From an angel granddaughter surrendering to sleep. An alto fiddle song brightens my midnight silence, While the plung-De-plung-plung guitar blends and fills The hearing spaces '"".ith gracious supporting strums. Twang-a-pluck, pluck, twang a banjo tempts me to Come- Find- Dance! Dance the ageless reel! Brindle leather boots tap, hop in rhythm, On the work worn wooden planks of a real America. I want to dash, leap dance into the midst of this trio And throw my head like the morning-fresh horse. But I stay back, embraced all by the night To watch, listen, and solitary dance While this trinity of musicians melodically soars, Celebrating each other and their-our music. Long stood I, but never did I leap into their midst. It would seem a noisy pratfall in St. Paul's Cathedral, Or a sticky hand on Michelangelo's ceiling to do so. I thank God then and now .that I happened On this small band that soft midnight this summer. T heir magic, their music, still live for me; "Can you hear it?" Page 6 Undying Love by Larry Ushby She speaks to me in hushed tones. I look to the heavens to seek her face. But I cannot find her. She speaks once again. I look once more to seek her... But still I cannot find her. I close my eyes and she speaks I hear her. The small, still voice says she loves me. My heart beats wildly when I hear those words That is when she gives to me her Undying Love I Hear You On the phone...all alone You had the nerve to say "I miss you in a special way" Explained all that you did today The unpacking was going well Talked about the drive from hell I thought, he is crazy He must be. 'Though I'm glad he arrived safely" So you say there are plans for us. I bought a ticket for the bus Packed a bag and off I go Because I miss you- and you me so. You had so much to say About us two when times were gay, There is only one thing left to say I hear you! Thank you Russ, Judy, Warren and Barbara. Never surrender a smidgen ~f your specialness. A Slngle Woman's Prayer Dear God, I've faced another day, Praying true love would come my way. I give my cares, and woes to you. Knowing you will see me through. Praying you will send a brother, Who wants more that a convenient lover. Someone who is kind, and gentle Softly sweet, sane not mental. Someone who can see in me All the reatness that's in me. Who will be a guiding light, When I can't sleep late at night. Who will give me space to work things o ut, Whenever there is even far doubt. He who'll be my perfect mate, I'd prefer that he be straight. Accept my strength and never fear Or cause my ~ye to black and tear. But most of all, before I end, Make this man my dearest friend. STREETVIBES Sweat and T-Shirts! Only $5 for T's, $10 for Sweats. STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine 100% White Cotton Shirts and long Sleeve Sweat Shirts XL Purple logo T-shirts and Sweat Shirts are available at our office at 1506 Elm Street. Please stop ~y and see us. �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Homeless Man turns out to be ploneerl.ng dancer 'Natlonal Meeting' continued from page 2 in small and rural communities. 2) A statement of commitment to deal with the census: as the-census approaches what will we do as a coalition commu­ nity. Will we again attempt to count or boycott the count:? Please forward your thoughts on this issue. 3) Please contact your local legislators representing you in Washington: HR 3206 is on the Hill and will do significant damage to Fair Housing if passed. Please encourage a NO vote to 3206 so that Fair Housing is maintained at the level. it is today. 4) Please ask your Indiana legislator to sign on to HR 74 and SB 1503, (Lugar and Coats). This is the Voting Rights for the Homeless bill. It is time for the rest of the country to get on board. 5) OSCHA Testimony was interesting: the NCH position was reinforced and we basically as a group said one size does not fit all. Please look at Tuberculosis as the disease it is and avoid a panic. The Judge and panel were very responsive and we feel they will at least attempt to listen to the development of rules that will be responsive to the homeless community in a general sense and not confine us to a "blanket" approach to dealing with a very serious problem. 6) NCH and Staff and Board Members met with Bill Lee of the Justice Department and discussed including homeless people in current actions involving hate crimes: they have assured us that we could begin to make our case but there were ho promises made. 7) An old friend, Ira Peppercorn is now with HUD. He, Bill Faith, Andrew Cuomo and I met recently. Bill Faith has been working with Mark St. John and ICHHI on a Balance of State Super NOFA. (Federal Funding Availability). Secretary Cuomo encouraged us to make the process happen. Please call me (Barbara Anderson) at (812) 284-3373 for further discussions on these matters. Help Wanted Catholic Worker House 1437 Walnut Street, OTR Shelter for 15 homeless men needs house staff member. Should be able to Interact with formerly homeless men and be wll/lng to work flexible hours. New.York- Arthur Bell, a 71 year-old man, was found homeless and disoriented on a Brooklyn street last month, barely standing, his feet frozen. He told paramedics that he was once a ballet dancer in Paris. "And they went, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah,"' recalled social worker Maria Mackin. Bell's medical chart after all, noted possible signs of dementia. But during the days that followed, Bell would tell Mackin tales of Paris and London, Frederick Ashton, Margot Fonteyn, Olga Preobrajenskaya, Katherine Dunham and James Baldwin. " He started telling me things that only some­ one who was really in the dance world would know. And I thought, 'This is not dementia,"' said Mackin, who happened to have been a ballet photographer at one time. She also saw that Bell was "incredibly graceful...slender, sleek." The accuracy, the richness of detail and the clarity with which he spoke led her to the New York Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. Bell's story checked out. He had been a pioneering black ballet dancer. Though he was no star, he left his artistic mark on the I940's and 50's, "when there was no place for African-Americans in classical ballet," said Madeleine Nichols, curator of the dance collection at the library. Bell worked odd jobs after his dance career ended but can't remember how he wound up on the street, where he had been living for months in the dead of winter. His last address was a men's shelter. He would have been sent back there had Mackin not intervened. Now he's in a nursing home, recuperat­ ing from frostbite on his feet and legs. "I convinced them that he needed a higher level of care," Mackin said. " I said, 'This is a guy who was a pioneer in the dance world. He's special, he's an important part of African-American culture. We should go out of our way to help him."' Before she became a social worker, Mackin was a photographer for Capezio, the dance shoe com­ pany. She took photos of dance greats such as Rudolf Nureyev and Bob fosse. When Bell was rescued off the street, "the very first thing I asked was, 'Do you have Medicare?'" Mackin recalled. "And he said, 'Oh, I'm not really sure. We didn't have to worry about these things when I lived in Paris and London; it's a different medical system.' And I thought, oh, this is a very sophisticated man. That was an awakening from my usual clients." "I asked, 'What were you doing in Paris?"' And his story began to unfold. The eldest of a Florida preacher's nine children, Bell finished high school and got on a bus to New York. He quickly found a job in the garment district and started taking dance classes with Dunham. He moved to Paris in the early 50's, where, he said, he lived in the same rooming house as Baldwin, the writer. He danced with the Ballets de la Tour Eiffel while studying with Preobrajenskaya. the retired Russian ballerina. In 1950, Ashton the great British choreographer, chose him as a guest soloist in the New York City Ballet's world premiere of "Illuminations." Page 7 ANOTHER CLASS PRODUCTION Disc-Jockey Service CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761·3464 (513) 230-6353 Community Celebration. live Music! Every Sunday -6PM Free of Charge Nast-Trinity United Methodist Church 1320 Race St Cincinnati 721-7339 11 11 In Memory of Mac Who Believed In Human Rights For Everyone & Who Founded Justice Watch••• Because 'Everyone' included Prisoners and Former Prisonors. Jimmy Heath Photography Cincinnati - (SU) S64-98S6 E-Mail - jimmy_ heath@juno . com Friends and Neighbors of Over-the-Rhine An Organization Seeking Justice for People in Cincinnati's Most Endangered Community ~------------------1 Subscribe to STREE'TVIBESI For only $12 per year you can have STREETVIBES delivered to your home every month. National and Local Stories on Issues regarding homelessness and the poor. News, Information, Personal Stories and more, written every month by homeless and formerly homeless persons.•. Send Check or Money Order for $12 to: StreelYibes C/0 Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Bm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 For more information, call Patrick at 381-4941 or send resume. I • �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 8 OPAL STANDS HER GROUND TO SAVE HOME Streetvlbes lnterYlew by Bonnie Neumeier The following is an interview by Streetvibes (SV) reporter, Bonnie Neumeier, with Opal Martin, a life time resident of Over-the-Rhine. She recently received a "Notice to Vacate the Premises" from the Cincinnati Department of Buildings and Inspections. Under local ordinance, a Notice to Vacate termi­ nates a tenant's obligation to pay rent Beginning in February, Opal placed her rent in escrow with the Hamilton County Municipal Court. The Over-the­ Rhine Community Council joined as a plaintiff in this case against the landlord, Wally Ebert (Phoenix Enterprises), because one of its top priorities is the improvement of housing conditions in Over-the­ Rhine. Together with Opal we are working to pressure Mr. Ebert to fix up his building or appoint a receiver who will take good care of the building and allow Opal and her family to stay. There was a court date set (or April I 7th, at which time Mr. Ebert did not show. judge Melba Marsh set a continuance date (or May 8th. Streetvibes feels this story is important to print because this kind of neglect can potentially make a family homeless. In this case, Opal is standing up (or her rights. SV: H ow long ha ve you lived in Ove r­ the-Rhine, Opal? OPAL: All my life. I started renting from Wally in 1986. Twelve years now. I live at 21 I Woodward Street. I've lived in four of his buildings. SV: W e've heard that you w e re willing to escrow your r e nt re ce ndy and I'd like to get yo ur st o ry and sit uation for the STREETVIBES N e wspaper . Would you t e ll me about your story? OPAL: It started back when I came into my yard from the schoolhouse. I found a note on my door telling me to get out by March Ist. It was coming from the City. And I was going: "Why did the City want me out for?" It got me scared and everything. So I went over to Peaslee and talked to this lady named Bonnie. Bonnie talked to me about getting a lawyer from Legal Aid. We met him. His name is Gary. And I told Gary it got scar1 when I came home and found a note on the dcor. So me and Gary tried to look for the Landlord. We did find the Landlord. He was pulling in, in his truck. I handed him the rent money. He acted like he didn't want it. So I took it down and put it in escrow. SV: C o uld yo u tell me a litde bit about the conditions of your building? Do you think Wally has taken care of your building w e ll in the last seve ral years? OPAL: Well, I think that the roof needs to be fixed better. Peoples telling me now it ain't really on top of the roof, but it's beside of the building. That's still dangerous though. The porches look pretty scary but I don't go up on the porches, so I don't know how strong they are. My apartment's okay. We keep it updated. We do it our own selves. SV: Who's the one doing the work mostly in your apartment? OPAL: The kids' father is. SV: So the Landlord hasn't done much lately? OPAL: Well, he's the type of Landlord who wants to run off and fool with other buildings instead of worryin' about his good tenants. He knows us being good tenants to him we'd be more willing to fix up the apartment 'cause we like it there where we live at. Opal Martin (right), with lntemewer Bonnie Neumeier . SV: Why w e re you willing to put your mone y into the Court instead of giving it to him directly? Why did you want to do that? What did you think would happen if you did that? OPAL: Okay. The only reason why I was willing to put my money anto escrow for, this way I want to stay in my neighborhood. I want to s.tay in my apartment. And I warnt to see what the judge will say about it and everything. And see how far it will carry on. 'Cause school is here too. My daughter's last year up at Rothenberg. That's another reason I went ahead and put my money in escrow. 'Cause she's in the 6th grade. Her last year up there. And I want her to be proud of all the work that she did. All the hassle that she went through, and be proud of it. It seems like they want to kick us out of downtown and put us somewhere else where we might not even want to go. It seems like they are taking our rights away from us... SV: So are you hoping that putting your rent in escrow it will pressure Wally to d o som e needed re pairs? OPAL: Oh I hope so. I hope that he under­ stands that ! am a good tenant. I want to stay in his building. I'm not a type of tenant that would tear up his property or destroy it or cheat him out of his money. Or do something terrible. I'm not like that. I just want to stay in his building. I like it here. SV: And you want to have a safe apartme nt, to have things fixe d up? OPAL: Yes. SV: Were other t e nants in the building willing to e scrow the ir rent? OPAL: They was but they weren't really sure how they was going to push Wally. They wasn't for Wally before. I don't know what all that agreement was about. Oh, I took my chance and put my money into escrow. SV: Whe re did you ge t the energy to stick your neck out? OPAL: 'Cause I see alot going on in my neighborhood and I like it. And I wish there was time where I can be a part of my community where I live at, but I don't know really how to go about it, to talk to other people about it. SV: You're doing fine, Opal. Can you say a little bit about why you like your neighborhood and what it means to you? OPAL: Well, everything is convenient for me to walk. I can walk to school. I can walk to my Photo by Jimmy Heath clinic. I can walk to Krogers. I can walk downtown to shopping centers. I don't have to worry about catchin' buses or taxi cabs. Or spend my money out on gas to just come down here to do all that. At least I live down here and I'm proud of it. Every­ thing is convenient for me. SV: Yo u've lived near Peaslee Ne igh­ borhood C e nte r fo r awhile. Have you done anything ove r the r e? OPAL: I came over to the Homework Room with my kids. And I found that there is some really nice people over there at Peaslee. My daughter started at the Homework Room back in 1989. And she done real good with it and everything. She started the steel drum band. too. That was wonder­ ful for her. SV: I know that you w e re active with a group of Mothers fighting for Ziegle r Park be hind Peaslee a n d next to yo ur house. Why did you put e ne rgy into Z iegle r Park? OPAL: Well, it's for the kids. I'm doing it for the kids downtown. I'm not just doin' it for one color. I was doin' it for all colors. 'Cause I've seen little bitty kids come in over there. Even my own kids. People'd be there playin' basketball. The ball would blow over there to the swings and slides. There would be a big argument over it. "Why don't you get your kid out of the way. Move your kid then." These were older kids. I mean eight or seven didn't have no where to play except for the rocket and fire truck. But the way it is now they have somethin' to play on. It looks a lot better. SV: What did yo u learn when you he lped to organize Mo m s t o go down to see the Mayor about Z iegle r? OPAL: I found out alot about the other parents who lives 'round here. They even stuck there neck out too. They seen J wasn't just pickin' on my own kids, but I was helpin' their kids too. SV: What w e re they going to do to the park if yo u hadn't fought for it? OPAL: I guess they were going to close it down and make a parkin' lot out of it. Or tear it down and build somethin' else there. SV: Yo u live right in the backyard of Main Street. Can you just t e ll me a little bit about what goe s o n a round the re and what's been happening the last several yea rs and how you feel a bo ut it? OPAL: At first Main Street was okay. It was real quiet. But now since they started buildin' these bars down here, you wouldn't believe what's goin' on around here at night time. At least around I :30 to 2:30 AM it's gettin' noisy. People throwin' their garbage out of their cars on to your street or in your yard. Anywhere they want to put it at. They don't use no garbage can. And they walk down the street with their bottles in their hands, wide open, act like they live down here. And mouthin', hollerin' and hoopin' carryin' on. I don't think that's right. Everybody should have respect for people. I don't �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine care where you live at. What kind of neighborhood you in. They should realize it. SV: So you feel t hey are not respecting the neighborhood p eople? OPAL: No they are not. • SV: What have you seen that t h ey have not resp ected? · OPAL: 'Bout two o'clock at night throwin' garbage in peoples' yards. I used to get up and clean up their mess, too. I mean it's terrible when you had to go out there and look in your yard and find somebody else's garbage layin' there from McDonald's or wherever. SV: Are you able to sleep at n ight? OPAL: Sometimes we are, unless they get too rowdy with their cars out there in the parkin' lot. Everybody will hot ride it. And act like they own the world. And we get out there and try to say somethin' to 'em. Heh! Calm your car down whatever. They drive on and holler out the window at ya. SV: Have you noticed anyt hing abo ut t he h o using on t he street since this change occurre d ? Have you been concerned about what's going o n ab out housing? OPAL: Well that housing part though. I'm glad we are getting more housing down here. Hopefully we can, so we can get more mothers to live and communicate with their kids and with other kids down here. SV: Are they having re nts tha t people in o ur n e ighborhoo d can afford? OPAL: No. Everything that I heard down here is going over $400 dollars. $450 to $500. I think that's ridiculous. If you got kids, it's somethin'! SV: Have you had a hard t im e finding low income housing? OPAL: Yeh. Definitely. Denharts wouldn't accept me in their buildin' cause of my income. They was tellin' me I have to go through a police report check. Background of who all is livin' in your house, social security cards and stuff. No, I couldn't get in their building 'cause I had a washer and a dryer. That's before I got my cat and dog. They told me no. But I got four kids. I'm thinkin': "Why are you turnin' me down for?" And then I went to Housing Projects over on Race Street. They turned me down. They told me no 'cause by then I had a cat and a dog and a washer and dryer. They don 't want to come down to poor. They figure us poor people don't got nothin'. But we might have somethin' better than what they got. SV: So it' s har d to find a pla ce for kids an d animals. OPAL: Right. Plus me and the kids' father really not married. So this lady assumin' that me and him is only boyfriend and girlfriend. And she goes: "Well, I need to see both of y'all police report checks to make sure he ain't no violent person or you not no violent person." I agree with the lady. I say, "Okay, fine." I took everything back in there to her then she said, "No, she was all filled up." But at first she acted like she was really in to it, wanted to see me. SV: What do you think's happe ning in t he ne ighbo rho od with a ll the n ew changes? Does it worry you a t all with what's going to happe n to ne ighborhood folk? OPAL: Yeh. It seems like they want to kick us out of downtown and put us somewhere else where we might not even want to go to. It seems like they are takin' our rights away from us. It's all right for them to come on down here. Buy build­ ings, fix 'em up, put bars in 'em. Yeh, we'll put a bunch of bars here, that's all right, we'll make everybody happy. BUT what about us? We was here first before the bars even started up. Before these other people moved in, makin' their projects happening. We's the first one here. Why can't somebody say "Heh, you want a h~lpin hand? Or how do you feel?" I had never heard nobody say that before. It just seems like everybody just movin' in. Tryin' to push us out a little bit at a time, you're gain'. We're gonna buy your buildin'. We're gonna kick ya' out. SV: Why do you think they want to do t hat? Why do you t h ink they t reat us that way? OPAL: I think it's somethin' to do with, ah, they try to be high class. But they don't want to scoop down low. They don't want to come down to poor. They figure us poor people don't got nothin'. But we might have somethin' better than what they got. So who's victim me? Who's this person gonna stand here with a note tellin' me to get out? I got four kids. SV: W hat do yo u think we have as a p eople? OPAL: Well we got respect. We got honesty. We got love for each other down here. We don't have to be scared to walk out our door. Everybody's friends down here. SV: So m o ney isn't everything? · OPAL: No it's not. On Easter I bought four big bags of candy. There was kids over in the park. I gave out candy to 'em. They was happy little kids. I mean kids that we knew and stuff. And they went back tellin' their Mom where they got the candy from and everything. SV: That was sweet of yo u to do that. OPAL: Well, it was Allen's idea. Allen had his little friend from school in the yard with him. His name is Alphonzo. Phonzo, I gave him some candy; then Phonzo had SOllu:; moro fri<>nds in the park, so I gave them some candy. When you share somethin' with other kids, just cause they're kids, they still need that little feelin' there too, and a little touch from other people instead of one person. SV: What keeps yo u having such a positive attitude all the time? OPAL: My kids. I want my kids to show, don't be scared of nothin' cause there ain't nothin' in the world to be scared of. If there's somethin' you're scared of, pray to God. And God will help ya. Like we had that big old rain storm that came through here. Albert woke up in the middle of the night. It was lightenin' comin' through the window. He goes: "Mom, I'm scared." I go well I can't hug ya. Well, I can hug ya and love you, BUT if God's gonna take us, he's gonna take us. Only thing we need to do is pray. So the next mornin' he told me he prayed. I said, "See, we alive!" SV: So whe n yo u got that not ice o n your door that must've been really scary to say you got to be out by a ce rtain date . What did you do not to get sad abo ut that or just give up? OPAL: Well, only, thing what really hurt, not really hurt my feelins but kind a like shocked me. Cause I'm walkin' in, I'm findin' this note on my door and its tellin' me to get out. Now wait a minute! I just paid my rent. So who's victim me? Who's this person gonna stand here with a note tellin' me to get out. I got four'kids. I got no where to go, I figure, okay, I just pray to God. Let God be my strength. That's what I did. I prayed and see how things worked out? Things is workin' out okay now. SV: So yo u think you're going to win t his battle of getting W a lly to fi x up that building so t hat yo u can stay there? OPAL: Oh yes! I hope I can. Hopefully he'll realize what kind of tenants he's got. I'm a good tenant. He knows it. I deal with all kinds of the rest of the tenants. We never get in to it though. None Page 9 of our tenants, we have never argued. But we say words to each other. Like heh, "Why don't you come down here and help us clean up the yard. You live here in the building just like we do." And they did. They came down and helped. SV: Do you think h e should stay the o wner of the building if he's not going to fix it u p? OPAL: No, if he don't fix it up. I don't want him to be the Landlord. SV: So yo u'd rathe r have somebody e lse? OPAL: Yes, I would. But I mean I want to stay. I want the other Landlord almost treat me like Wally is. Wally is a nice landlord. He stick by you when you really gets down where your income has switched over to somethin' e lse. You can't pay on that day. Wally always waited to the next day, or next week. Then come back and get his money. SV: So if we're succe ssful in Court in ge tting some one else t o take the building if W a.lly doesn 't do what he's suppose t o do, you're hoping ..somebody will get it that will cha rge low income re nt? OPAL: Right. Right. Cause my rent is only $ 1SO. I'm proud of that. I'm hearin' everybody else say $200 or $300. At least mines o nly $1 50. I do pay my own gas and 'ledric. SV: Whe n you get up eve ry day where do you get your stre ngth? OPAL: My kids. Cause a four year o ld and a five year old, you have to show them to get up and do things just like they do. Cause I'm a type of Mother that take 'em to school, come back and pick 'em up, feed 'em and go do the shoppin' and stuff. ••.if you got a landlord that don't want to do nothin' on the build­ ing, or you got a City people com in' and puttin' notes on your door, DON'T BE. SCARE.D. YOU ALL CAN GCT '-'~lP OUT HE.RE. SOME.WHE.RE.S. You all can turn to a friend. Or go to· your neighborhood center. SV: There's a lot of people that re ad STREETVIBES now and when they r ead this sto ry they are going to re ad abo ut your fight and your struggle. What would yo u like them to know. What e nco urage m e nt wo uld you give to people who read your sto ry? OPAL: My statement is that if you got a Landlord that don't want to do nothin' o n the building, or you got a City people comin' and puttin' notes on your door....DON'T BE SCARED. YOU ALL CAN GET HELP OUT HERE SOMEWHERES. You all can turn to a friend. Or go to your neigh­ borhood center and ask them to help you too. SV: So sitting down and doing nothing isn' t going to get yo u anywhe re . OPAL: No. That gets you out the door quicker....on the streets. That's mainly what the Landlord might want. Heh. Fine. "I can do this." Or the City can come and say "I can do that." Then will you go...on the streets! And the streets ain't good for nobody. "Opal" continued on page 12... �STREETVIBES . The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine same. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Heidi Beth Sahrbacker Dear Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, On behalf of the Miami Service Network, I am pleased to present you and your organization (the enclosed donation). Thank you for speaking at our Hunger and Homelessness Week coffee house last Fall. Your help was greatly appreciated and Hunger and Homelessness week was a remarkable success. We hope this donation will assist your work in the community. Sincerely, Kimberly Hull, Treasurer (Editors Note: Many thanks to the Miami Service Network for the donation and the support! Sharing our experience and hope about the tragedy of homelessness is important to our goal of ending homelessness as we know it.) Dear Mr. Whitehead: I am writing to you in response to an article I read in the most recent addition of STREETVIBES. The article entitled, "Dog Shelter Welcomes Homeless People?" expresses a common analogy I have hearq expressed by homeless advocates on several occasions. I attended a presentation several years ago given by Michael Stoops form the Natio Coalition and he used n etween ·~ omeless shelters that I find ~necessary, inapplicable, and frankly, quite offen­ sive. I wrote to him about my concerns as well. By comparing the need for animal shelters and the need for human shelters you are a) comparing apples and oranges and b) attempting to value one as more important than the other. The issue of homeless pets and homeless people are entirely separate and BOTH should be given proper atten­ tion. Advocates of the homeless have no right to belittle the needs of animals. Unwanted pets are innocent victims of man's irresponsibility and lack of stewardship. In this vein, they deserve more help than humans who have choices. I have worked with homeless families as my profession for several years now, as well as volunteering at local animal shelters. I see no difference and I am highly offended by · statements such as, "Dogs and animals tend to get more love and care than humans..." This is purely a value judgment and not at all factual. Most animal shelters are not nicer than human shelters- many are horrendous. The animals are trapped and most await a sure death. Acting as if no money should be spent on sentient beings that do nothing to contrib­ ute to the dire straits they are in is both cruel and ignorant. If we do not condone racism, classism, sexism, etc., why should we support speciesi'sm? You can be both and advocate for human and animal rights in an effort to end oppression. At­ tempting to gain favor for a cause by belittling another is insensitive and ineffective at best. I don't know if you wrote this article or if it was gleaned form another source. In either instance, I hope that better judgment will be used by your agency in the future . I would not support or want to be affil aced with any agency that makes such a value judgm nt and I know many others who feel the (Editors Response: Thank you Heidi for taking the time to write to us in regards to this somewhat controversial subject. We agree that ill treatment of any creature is unacceptable and that all living beings deserve and have the right to be taken care of. And we don't want to pit animal rights against human rights in this particular context. However. if you read the article again, you will see that the animals at this particular shelter had TV's, rugs, couches, etc, and that is what we found outrageous about the report. In some communities, humans live under bridges and freeze on the streets and not always by choice, as you say in your letter. What constitutes a good life for a dog, in the dirt, under a bridge i.s pure and simply unacceptable for human beings. A percentage of the homeless humans in our city 'choose' to live this way because of many factors, including mental illness, fear, drug or alcohol abuse ­ many reasons that are not always by choice. Animals, unlike humans, do not have a so-called 'system' in place for the c~re of their own species and each other. We try to provide for these animals the best that we can, and sometimes, even to extremes. But when it comes to taking care of our own human species, we feel that we sometimes fall short. And as humans, we should know better. Beyond the "Call of .Duty": A Soclal Injustice by Azar/ya Israel On April 17, 1998 · t o tee epartment, District I, stopped at the intersection of and Main St. While sitting in the Police Vehicle, officer Little began a cordial conversation with an associate that was either an employee or a patron of _ __ During this time (I 2:05am), I was talking to a supporter of StreetVibes, The Homeless Grapevine. Offic.er Little seemed to be startled when he saw me, so he called me to his vehicle and aske my name and social security number. After Officer Litt.le saw the computer screen showed no warrants on me. he began to lecture me about a state vendor's permit. He threatened to arrest me if he saw me soliciting StreetVibes on Main St. later that evening or any other time. He noted that Main St. is a business district and said, "You are not wanted in this area with StreetVibes." The threat of being arrested a third time involving StreetVibes newspaper was quite stressful to say the least. On February I Ith, 1998, Officer Little arrested me on University Plaza in front of Krogers and charged me with tresspassing and soliciting without proper permit (for StreetVibes). I was bonded out jail three days later. Page 10 more bogus than the first arrest. Officer Little informed me of the term "Selective Arrest." In his words, someone selling Girl Scout cookies doesn't have a vendor's permit, so technically they could be considered in violation directly parallel to my "violation." This is going beyond the call of duty. Something New­ Comedy Corner Was He Loved? I Don't Think So... by Ron Carter I had a friend who came home from school one day to find out that his parents had moved. They did leave a note that read: Dear what's your name, we went back to sleep after you left for school this morning. We both had the same dream. We dreamed that you had left town and was never coming back, so we moved. After we realized that we had only been dreaming, it was too late, we had already moved to our new house. Sorry about that, your name I have forgotten. At that point, my friend had nowhere else to go. So, he quit school, lied about his age, and joined the army. He never received any mail for a year. Finally. one day he did receive a letter and it was from his mother. It read as follows: Dear Son, now we remember who you are. How are you1 We have really been having a ball since you left! When you get your furlough don't waste it by coming to see us. because we won't be home anyway. When are you going to get your furlough/ I need to know so your father and I can arrange to be on our vacation? Write back soon so we will know what to do. Our address is P.O . Box 123 Forget Us Avenue. Well, that's all I have to say Son. Good-bye forever ...Mom. I was going to send you some money. but I have already sealed the envelope. Sorry. P.S. This is a fictional story. Just thought you needed a laugh. --­ Words From The Evangellst (James 2:14-16) by Evangelist Rodney Sutton, Sr. Last month you read of my return to full-time ministry after being engaged in some serious spiritual warfare and you were introduced to AWOL (A Way Of Life) Ministries. I would like to take this opportunity to expand on my vision of AWOL Ministries. The Lord blessed me with many experiences which exposed me to a wide range of personalities; from the homeless, the chemically dependent, the social service agencies, and those who advocate change for such individuals. On February 17, 1998, I was walking through the plaza parking lot with the the intention of going to BW3 restaurant on Burnet Ave. However, Officer Little observed me passing by and arrested me again for tresspassing. He asured me that he wouldn't charge me with soliciting because he didn't observe me selling StreetVibes. I could not afford another bond charge, so I remained in jail I0 days until the due process of the court of law was completed. However, the Lord has also shown me that these advocates and their agencies are mostly putting bandages on the wounds of society. AWOL Ministries proposes a cure. It is my desire to become the link between the homeless. chemically dependent, and the agencies, because most often our agencies fail because we fail to network and properly introduce those in need to the services available. What AWOL proposes is to become the go-between for individuals who need assistance in finding employment, housing, detoxification, and rehabilita­ tion. Not only does AWOL plan to assist you, but to hold your hand until you can sustain yourself as an independent and productive part of society. In consideration of my three encounters with Officer Little, I am of the opinion that Officer Little is going beyond the call of duty concerning myself and StreetVibes. Furthermore. the second arrest was AWOL Ministries is still in the birth stage. Therefore. all who wish to help with organization, donations, sponsorship, office space, etc... please call me at: 210-4181 �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvlbes Crossword Page 11 by Paul linden Struggles Ill by Gregory Payton Today I look at you because I see what has come true. I see education and I see struggles. For who you say? For those who can't pay. When I was young, we wanted it. So, we had to go somewhere different. Because to get it, you had to get it. The best was not in my neighborhood. We went to the teachers. We only had the preach­ ers. Only after the discussion, did we get bussing. That was what I had on my young mind. Because we were looked at as a certain kind. Was education free? For everybody but me. How could my dream come true? I really didn't what to do. With a good education, I learned to have good dreams. With good dreams, I learned good steps, goals, and most of all good reasons to live with my soul. Now that I have the basics, I thirst for r;oore. But today there is no bussing; just my fussing. Across 1. CHILDREN"S MUSICAL AT CONSORTUIM* 7. LOCAL FIRE CO. 11. ARID 12. SACRAMENTO'S AND FISHES* 16. THArSMY 17. PATI-fNAY BETWEEN SEATS 18. CANADIAN CITY 19. DAY TO Pl.ANT A TREE 20. ROAD TYPE 21 . EXPLOSIVE 22. YEARS IN DECADE 24. TO STOP (OFTEN FORCCl'UU.Y} 27.0NEWHO SELLS(STREETVlBES)' 29. BANNED FORMER RED 30. CHICAGO STYLE PIZZA PARLOR 31. UNCOOKED 32. LOCAL PARK 35. OCEAN INLET 36. TO CONFINE DURING WAR 37. DIRECTOR OF THE ODO COOKIE* 40. RIVERSIDE POINT 41 . HESTON'S L.E GION 42. ISLAND COUN TRY 45. EXPLOSIVE 48. DOGINOZ 49. LOCAL HOMELESS COALITION DIRECTOR* 52. A WANOl:RER 55. TOP OF THE LINE 57. HOLY CITY OF ISL.AM 58. HOCKEY SURFACE 59. CANDLE MATERIAL 61 . FED. OR ST. PROSECUTOR 62 . COLLEGE'S SPARTANS 64. CONDITIONED 66. COOLING OEVICE(ABBR) 68. A CONTINENT 71. A CONTINENT 73.MAKESYOUSCRATCH 74. PAVAROTTI FOR ONE 75. NOT LIGHI 76. HONEST STRAP FOR PANTS 78. A CONTINENT 79. POSITIVE ANSWER n. Down 1 . TREATMENT PLACE FOR WOMEN* 2. TO TEE-OFF 3. INTESTINAL DISEASE 4. STEPS TO BE CLOSED* 5 CHARGED PARTICLE 6. TO HAVE A MEAL 7. TREATMENT PLACE FOR 50. REFERRING TO A MALE 51. CLIFTON THEATER 53. LOCUST TREE 54. ROMAN FOR 610 56. LEGENDARY BOXER 60. A CONTINENT 61. 63. A ROOM FOR ONE(ABBR) 64. KLINGER ON M*A*S*H 65. 'DIAMOND' COVER 67. NOT GENUINE 69. REMOTE WAGERING PLACE(ABBR) 70. COOK ON ALICE SHED TEARS n. All* Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per year. Please send a check to the be low address and the paper will be mailed to you each issue. Streetvibes I 506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please m a ke checks pay­ able to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless-­ Streetvibes. If you have any que stions, call 421-7803. HAIKU I want to see and feel freedom. I want knowl­ edge. I want to grow. I want life and a chance to live. I want education and whatever it can give. How can I get this when you charge~ The price is too high for me. Is the price higher for my children? Is freedom in the sky, when I am on the ground? We have children, not birds. Tell me how 4 - - · ~hi~ '>ound? What will you tell your children when they want to Ott: '' - - > l"\h vou were too busy to listen to me. 8. APARTMENT NEED 9. MONEY OWED 10. OILY ROOFTOP COVERING 13. STAR WARS' VILLAIN 14. HOSPITAL DEPARTMEN T 15. FEMALE RELATIVE 23. STREETVIBES' MONTHLY RAVER* 25. LOCAL PARK 26. DOWNTOWN LANDMARK 28. RECOVERY GROUP 33. OF THE MOON 34. TO EYE 38. OFFICIAL DOCUMENT 39. PANIC EXCITEMENT 40. CURRENT SEASON 43. SMALL PARTICLE 44. SACRAMENTO'S STREET PAPER 46. URBAN APARTMENT BUILDING 47.SNITCH 49. ROUND DECORATION Subscribe to Streetvlbes Because the price is so high, I'm not in the sky. I'm on the ground. Can't you hear how I sound! Community Consultant Looking for community oriented job. Have desire to promote and coordinate involvement with community activities. Also interested in raising support for community agencies such as those within the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Please leave a m essage for Isaac Israel at 421-7803. by Brett Zwolinski Scramble by Ron Carter An unrhymed Japanese verse form of three lines containing usually 5, 7, 5, (or 7, 5, and 7) syllables respectively. Please submit your suggestions for monthly Haiku to Brett Zwolinski, at STREETVIBES. Now, this months Haiku: HAIKU (in 7,5,7) Desultory we have lived Immemorial Unrelenting death our fear Try to unscramble these Automobile related words: CIKBU RVLTEOHER HTUOPLYM AH NOD TAOYOT ROOF SILRO YERCO GDEDO LIMDOEOSLB LICALDAC Answers on page I 5. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine "Opal" continued from page 9... SV: What would you want to tell t he neighborhood about all the changes that you've seen on Main Street? What would be your advice? OPAL: Well, only part about it is that it's just the bars. I mean the bars mainly at night. That's when you want to lay in your bed and be comfortable. Not hearin' no hot riding or people going down the street hollerin' and c~ssin' and breakin' bottles. Or throwin' t heir garbage in your yard. You don't want to hear none of that. But if you really have to put up with it, try to do it the best way you know how. Or go talk to your Center. Or talk to somebody who owns the place. That's what I'm about ready to do. Go find the owner say: "Excuse me, you need some rules that need to be changed." SV: If you could really talk to some of these people that have moved in and trying to make a ll these big changes that aren't for us folk here in the neighborhood who have lived here a long time...what would you want to tell them, the newcomers? OPAL: To have respect for the people who lives around 'em. And show that we are trusty too and worthy. We're not here to make a lot of noise to get on your nerves. If somethin' did happen out of the bars onto your street then you could come back and contact me and let me know. See what they can work out, and things like that. SV: So you t hink you've had a fair c ha nce to tell yo u r story today? Is t he re something we for got t h at you would like to say? OPAL: I just hope that everybody can get along. SV: You still got a little ways to go to work with W ally t o get him to fi x up that then the cops can see how the people really acts down here. Cause its gonna start bein' like a riot down here. I already seen it. Cause the people comin' in from out of the bars and how they gotta attitude on 'em. That makes it look sad. Everybody should treat everybody equal downtown. Everytime I go walking down the streets II hear people sayin': "Well, she's a white girl on welfare, or on SSI, or whatever." But you should look at people just by lookin' at 'em. You should not judge 'em. If you really want to be nosy about their income then that's up to you and them. Cause some people who lives down here is not on welfare. They might get food stamps and a medical card, but that's good! Everytime you walk down a street you all the time hear "she's a welfare bum, or them are for welfare people." But they should not judge people like that. Some peoples got it hard. Where they turn to the churches for help and stuff and the Free Store. SV: Is there a ny special quote from the Bible, or a song or anything like that, that you look to sometimes for strength? OPAL: 'Lean on me'. Cause everybody's gonna have problems in this world so we all need somebody to lean on. SV: Thanks Opal. We really appreci­ ate hearing about your story. Local Neighborhood Leader Represents Emanuel Community Center. Cincinnati, Ohio- M. Helen Hogue, Executive Director of Emanuel Community Center, was one of the neighborhood leaders from across the United States who met last week for a three-day conference Page 12 giving away of services or goods that can create a wide gulf between givers on the one hand and receivers on the other. M.O.R.E. casts the very same people as providers as well as recipients. Each person is encouraged to give what he or she can and to receive what others give. A mutual-aid support system fosters feelings of self-worth and of true membership in the community." John H. Judd, MBA. Principal of Judd & Associates in Bloomington, Minnesota discussed funding issues for neighborhood centers in a presentation entitled "Fund Raising: Whose Job Is It Anyway?" Open forum discussions addressed issues such as, Diversity/Multi-cultural Issues, Welfare Reform Employment Programs, and Fair labor Services Act: Its Impact on Neighborhood Centers and Privatization of Services. Emanuel Community Center is located at 1308 Race Street in Over-The-Rhine and offers programs that strengthen the family unit and move the family adult to economic self-sufficiency: Computer Technician training and 'Computer Basics for Seniors-Only' classes. Nutrition Certification in conjunction with The Ohio State University, JOBS board and career skills sessions. free twice-monthly FED practice tests, the Academy of Boys & Girls, organized team sports for youth, the first and longest continuously licensed daycare program in the State of Ohio- an education program for parent and child, Motivational Reading for Preschool and school age children, Homework and Computer Clubs, Summer Enrichment, a daily community coffee hour, and so much more! United Neighborhood Centers of America is located in Cleveland, Ohio and provides services such as executive training and regional andn--;tiona1 ----...._ conferences. In addition, UNCA provides accredita-......._ tion services to its 156 settlement houses and neighborhood centers located in 52 cities in 24 states. It was founded in 191 I by Jane Addams, who was the first American woman to receive the Nobel ~~~~---~aSt~th;~e~C~h~a~tta~~n~o~o=g~a~C~h:o~o~C~h~o~o~H~o~lid:a~~n~n~i~n~:.:---~ea~c~e~P~r~ · iz~e~in~:~==~=~==== ocus on "Building our building t h ough . right. I think he will. Next O PAL: Yeh, Court date, we got W ally. now t hat ~___.,r-R1i::1:''fyv.l: 1BES and t h e neighborhood people in Ove r-the-Rhine are really p ro ud of you fo r st icking your neck ou t to t ry and fight fo r t his building. OPA L: I'm fighting for my building. If Wally fix the building up, we still got another floor to rent in the building. If Wally go ahead and fix it up, I got somebody in mind for the fourth floor. She's a young mother like I am. She does got kids. But she's only got two kids. And she'd be more happy to take the building. She'd be happy to rent the apartment. But right now, like I told her. No, I'm not about to put nobody up there cause that place is not fit. Paintin' need to be done. Maybe somethin' wrong with the plumbin' needing fixed . Like I told her, I won't even discuss it with my landlord to rent the apartment out to her. · SV: So yo u' re do ing this not o nly for yo u but.. OPAL: Everybody. Yeh, even the people upstairs over me. If they move out I'll be happy to have somebody else to move back in. But the plac;e needs to be decent. Yeh. I'm not just talkin' 'bout downtown people. I'm talking 'bout people that lives out on Price Hill, up in Harrison Avenue, on Queen City Avenue. See I know other people that l"!eed a place to stay. Where they rent now, the rents too high. Like I told them. If Wally fix up his building and get it more nicer, yeh, I'll come and get you and let you know the place is empty. People downtown lookin' all the time for apartments. SV: So what's your hope for O ver-the­ Rhine for the people in the future? OPAL: My hope is that these bars get their rules. And we get cops on the streets when the bars do get ready to close. That's the only time we really need 'em. When the bars really get ready to close, National Presence- Serving Our Neighbors." Hosted by Chattanooga's Northside Neighborhood House, the 1998 Executive Director's ROUNDTABLE of United Neighborhood Centers of America, Inc. (UNCA) began on Thursday April 2, 1998 and attracted professionals in the areas of human service, neighborhood development, and community planning to discuss issues that affect urban commu­ nities nationwide. M. Helen Hogue reported, "This is a very significant meeting in terms of radical changes in human service programs and implementation of welfare reform. Neighborhood and community centers are experiencing the impact on America's poorest neighborhoods. Now is the time for us to return to social action and create a national aware­ ness of our efforts to build the capacity of residents in the community to solve their own problems. Many neighborhood centers are powerful institutions in their communities, but it makes more sense for the community to be powerful." Conference highlights included a panel discussion with Rodney S. Wead•. Ph.D.. the Presi­ dent and CEO of Grace Hill Neighborhood Services in St. Louis, Missouri. The discussion was about a proposal to develop a national model for UNCA, . based on the Member Organized Resource Exchange (M.O.R.E.) System in St. Louis. M.O.R.E. is a multi­ faceted network of residents who work together through a variety of program initiatives to address both community and individual concerns. Through community boards, members investigate the needs of the neighborhood and individual residents. Dr. Wead said, "M.O.R.E. develops ways of providing direct services to some members of the community, but avoids, when practical, the simple For more information about Emanuel Commu­ nity Center contact: Helen Hogue at (513) 241-2563 or UNCA at (216) 39 1-3028. Recovery at the Drop-Inn Center by Gregory Payton My name is Gregory Payton. I would like to share a story with you. I've tried to share a lot of events with you the reader and supporter that have happened in my life. I've talked about homelessness, getting an apartment, getting a job, and developing an understanding with powers greater than myself. People have come into my life who have been customers (StreetVibes) as well as other people I've met and learned to love. You and others have enriched me with feelings I never knew anything about. I've talked about being in recovery and about drugs and alcohol. Some things I learned were thinking and caring about others, helping another human being by giving away something that was so freely given to me. Not being selfish, but selfless. Not being self-centered, but God centered. Showing and having good-will to another person. Today I work at sharing these special qualities with others. Today I work at the Drop-In Center Recovery Program as a full-time counselor. This position is new, but again, I have and get help from others who are making a smooth transition for me. I always tell people, 'The blessings you need are the one's you receive." Today I thank God and others for the privilege to help other human beings. Thank you God, thank you friends. �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page / 3 reached by calling 352-3000. For State Legislative information call (614) 466­ 8842 or 1-800-282-0253. Governor Voinovich can be reached at (614) 466-3555. All Congressmen can be reached at (202) 224­ 3 I 21. The President can be reached at (202) 456­ 1 I I I. You may also write to your elected officials at any of the following addresses: City Council 808 Plum Street Cincinnati Ohio 45202 Senators: U.S Senate Washington, D.C 20510 "There's no DISCARDED food here...just discarded campaign promises." 'Hypocrisy' continued from page 1... much of the set aside will be used to help non­ custodial parents find work: "When absent fathers are alienated, embarrassed and can't provide support it hurts the children" stated a labor depart­ ment official in a recent Washington Post article. While many recipients are expected to shuffle through mountains of paper work on a monthly basis, Governor Voinovich of Ohio complains about red tape attached to the set aside to ensure that money. goes only to the mo,t needy familiP.s. In the highest spirit of hypocrisy the Governor explained that the State of Ohio has $400 million just sitting in a pot waiting to be spent: this fact would be hard to explain to the many people sitting in homeless shelters whose benefits are inadequate to cover the cost of daycare, transportation, and other job related activities. "States are flush with money," said Jack Tweedie, Children and Families program director for the National Conference of State Legislatures, 'They have money they need to build up programs for the hard-to-serve, but they don't know what works. They can't do it instantaneously." Another hard to explain concept for those recipients is the ever­ present ticking of term limit time clocks as they are forced to comply with self-sufficiency contracts. Another surprising part of the. whole situation is that these decisions along with decisions not to take waivers are being made without consultation from other members of the State Legislature. Hypocrisy is not reserved for State and National Government officials." Our local politicians have been known to engage in decisions that should raise the eyebrows of citizens throughout Cincinnati. The first decision is the seemingly never-ending stadium saga. City council has decided that Broad­ way Commons in Over The Rhine is the perfect location for the new Reds stadium. To insure that the stadium will be placed there, the Council voted to offer the Reds 20 million dollars in tax incentives to build there. It is incredible how fast money can be found for projects like the stadium, while money is hard to find for other projects like our crumbling school buildings. On the same day, council also agreed to give 9 million dollars to former Mayor Arn Bortz to develop the old Lazarus building. Several years ago the city spent I 1.8 million dollars to acquire the property, which they sold to Bortz for little or nothing in a very complex financial deal that only calls for the city to receive funds after the project shows a profit. A real ironic twist to this Representatives: U.S House Of Rep resentatives Washington D.C 205 15 The President: TheWhite House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue story is that the school board must OK tax abate­ ments. In a positive note, the school board recently annou.nced a moratorium on tax abatements. In another rather bizarre ruling the City decided not to approve funding for the Courage House, a family treatment facility. "Although we know about the need for treatment facilities, putting them on top of each other won't solve the problem" stated one council person. "There's a treatment facility for men right next door, when (sic) male addicts mingle with female addicts they have llttlt: vc:av 7 .. .i.i:.~ •." c.,;r1 another. The reason for not approving funding was because of strong opposition by the East Walnut Hills Assembly, an extremely conservative neighbor­ hood group. W hile neighborhood opposition seems to be the determining factor for the placement of some facilities, it is not always the case. For the past several years the Over-The-Rhine Community Council h4s protested liquor licenses being given to countless Main Street bars. Over-The-Rhine has more liquor licenses than any other community in the City of Cincinnati. As we struggle to find an end to homelessness it becomes an increasingly tough task when rules are not applied consistently. It i~ our hop_e that _a(ti~les like these and others in Streetvibes will bring th-ese­ instances of blatant hypocrisy to your attention. The struggle must not end there however: we must make our elected officials accountable for the decisions that they are making. Politi­ cians are making decisions that are negatively impacting thousands of poor people daily. They like to place blame on voting records. This in part is true. Voting records among the poor and minority's are terrible. This must not continue: many people have lost faii:h in the system, believing that their vote has no bearing on the outcome of elections. The truth is, voting is our only defense, we have to fight injustice with a loud voice. Please get out and vote, it does make a difference. I know the day-to-day struggles of poor people in this country leave very little time for anything more than survival, but that is what voting is all about right now, our very survival. last year we buried 28 homeless people -lets not bury any more. Subscribe to Streetvlbes Subscriptio ns to Streetvibes can be pur­ chased for $12 per ye ar. Please send a check to the below address and the r - ........ will be mailed to you e ach issue . Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless--Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803 . · Answers to Streetvlbes Crossword from Page 11... All members of City Council can be . -1:-r- ~ - • ... ~..:· ~ --· . .... ,.. ...... • < -·~'¥ �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Mathew Elsen brings hope to El Salvador youth ••• What went wrong? We should be saying this when we wonder about what we hear, see and feel today. As children of the Baby Boom we stood up and fought against things that weren't right, that we didn't believe in and that we didn't trust...anything that took o ur freedom from us. Matthew Eisen is a 2 6 year-old native of Cincinnati-Delhi Township and has lived and worked in Over-the-Rhine since 1993. Since January, 1997 Matthew has been living and working in El Salvador (Central America) at a youth organization working with gang-members. Many of you may know him through a 45-day fast and vigil late 1997 in Hondu­ ras concerning the disappearance of Fr. Jim Carny in 1983. -- For the past few weeks I have returned to my country- the USA- to spend some time talking with folks in our community about a tiny country in Cen;ral America that doesn't often get the spotlight from local or national media. El Salvador is the smallest yet most densely populated country in Central America ( 6 million). A twelve year civil war ended in 1992 after claiming the lives of nearly I 00,000 people. Though the war ended, El Salvador remains the most violent country in the Western Hemisphere. Our country has a long history in participating in this violence, first through billions of dollars of our taxpayer's money to fund a war " drawing a line against Communism'', which in turn created a wave of refugees seeking ''. peace" in the USA. only to never be truly welcomed or integrated, and then to deport their children after teaching them the gang life. The two main gangs in El Salvador are the "Mara Salvatrucha-13" and the "Mara Dieciocho- 18". The numbers are streets in Los Angeles. We as US citizen's do not like to consider ourselves exporters of military and war-making machines, nor do we like to believe we are in the business of exporting gangs. We must face the cold hard truth and look to create a new kind of solidar­ ity with the ;Salvadoran people, one which includes a space to learn from them. As for myself, the experience of working at the "Generation XXI" youth project has been a true i . what I h opted-community of ~_,,,,..-er-;; -1me-Rhine when I return to the US after finishing my service as a volunteer for CRISPAZ (Christians for Peace in El Salador), a commitment that will run through, at least, March of 1999. I want to offer my work to the youth of Over-the­ Rhine (ages 15-25), and open a space/organization for them to o rganize themselves and fight for their rights- to work for productive life that so many of us dream of. Unfortunately, I see a similarity in the oppression that exists in Over-the-Rhine, and El Salvador, but I also see a wonderful spirit that exists in both communities- a spirit of hope, love, and I determination. What follows is a short reflection of how I see just one of these amazing connections. " I re turned to El Salva dor a few days afte r the assassination of Bishop Rome ro*. The news hit me between the eyes. I could neithe r be lieve nor accept it. I was a paci­ fist. I worked with YSAX (the Salvadoran Catholic radio station) because I was con­ vinced that Romero could find a way out of the country's disastrous crisis. A whole lot of people shared that same hope. When they killed him, that was when I said yes to everything the "compas" (rebels) proposed. I said yes to armed-struggle. The death of Rome ro helped clarify my be liefs. Not only in my case, I think the same thing happene d to many others." -quote above is take~ from Rebel Radio (The story of El Salvador's Radio Venceremos) . The assassin's bullet took the life of Arch­ bishop Romero much like that of our own buddy gray. And so too, has it affected our movement in Page / 4 Today as parents we say, "I only want the best for my child." I ask, The best of what? Children don't get to see mu"ch due to a number of reasons: parents having jobs, working hard, going to school, children having only one parent in the house, being raised by baby-sitters, being latch-key children left alone. Children are unable to talk about there feel ings due to parents not being around. These situations cause some children to rebel in a number of ways: grades go down, lack of involvement in extracurricular activities, no dreams or interests for the future, disrespect for authority, refusal of chores, fights and cries for help, acts of violence, legal and physical problems, lying. cheating, stealing, drugs. and even running away. Photo by Jimmy Heath Mathew Eisen Over-the-Rhine and pushed us into armed-struggle, yet our weapons are not violent- they are hope, love and determination. We too have a hope, like the Salvadoran people, that we will lead ourselves out of a "disastrous crisis." Romero V(as very prophetic in calling attention to his assassins, saying that if he was silenced, he would be resurrected in the Salvadoran people. We in Over-the-Rhine do not just have buddy in our veins, but also Mac, King, Dorothy Day, Malcom X, and many more. We shall over­ come, and we invite you to be there with us. *Bishop Oscar Romero was a Salvadoran assassinated in 1980 for speaking out for justice and human rights for the oppressed people of his country. There are many books e. A Society In Denlal by Gregory Payton First- Society: A group of people living together under the same environment collectively, forming a system or condition as a community. Second- Denial: A denying; say "no" to a request; opposed to compliance; a refusal to believe or accept. We only war:it the best for our children. What went wrong? We ask, what can we do? First we need to look at ourselves. Did we lose patience? Did we forget why we are here? ·For some of us, we could have saved a little more: before we bought that new car, moved in that new house. took that vacation, signed up for that vacation, signed up for that class, went to that party. asked them to go to camp or took that second job. tired~. Are you too time, listen, watch, sha ..e, care about what they do, say or feel? Do you get mad when they don't give you what you don't give them? Is it that they don't know how and you do and won't? Or is it that you don't have time and you want too? at ever the reason may be or whatever problem may arise, in our society today we all must look and find a solution. What is the most impor­ tant thing in our society? What were our parents most important concerns? How can we recover from this dilemma? Let's come out of denial. Let's understand what our parents had to. The most important thing to them was raising their children, making sure the basic essentials were met. Making sure that good habits were formed along with manners, respect for people, community and authority. Education was important because their belief in something was brought to the front. As a nation, they stood for what they thought was right. Their children's well being was focused as the most important thing for the next generation to come Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Looking for a place to call home? Call the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Affordable rent that never exceeds 30°/o of your income ... Many buildings equipped with security systems ... Units located on buslines and near stores, schools, hospitals, banks Rental units are available in these family and senior communities: Avondale Hopple Street/Fairmount West End Winton Place For more information, call 421-8190 today. �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine ANNOUNCING A new Group at AVOC... For Het erosexuals living With Aids Page f 5 Dear Homeless••• Are Y<JU lookfng for a broader by Myron knowledge of the challenge of living with HIV/AIDS? Would you /Ike to meet people who Don• t Forget Your Mom I share similar experiences and hear their Dear Homeless•••accepts letters. Please You Know Mother's Love Flower coping strategies? send your questions to: Are you looking for peers with who Baskets. If You Can Help As­ Myron 'OU can discuss and plan for the future? semble Baskets For a Mother's cjo Streetvibes I 506 Elm Street Day Sale, Call the Contact COME MEET WITH US STARTING ON Cincinnati, OH 45210 Center•.. Sale Will Be at the Con­ tact Center Friday, May 8th and Findlay Market, Saturday May 9th. Also Accepting Donations... C o ntact : C assandra Ba rha m , Organ izer, at 3 81-4 242... ~5/!B Where: AVOC "Gray Room " When: 1st and 3rd Thursdays 6:30 PM to B:PM More Information; Susan or Judy 421­243 Liiborer Sand LookJng for Work St reetvibes (the ban d). W e like to party. R&B, Oldies, Blue~Jazz, Reggae. Hefping the homele ss to hefp themselves through free ente rprize. call 421-7803. Streetvibes is now accepting Classified Ads for items such as Help Wanted, Items for Sale, Apart­ ments for- Rent and other non-personal items. The rate is only $1 per line, approximately four words per line. Cbs3ified ads are due by the 20th of the month. People below the poverty level will be allowed five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Otherwise, payment must be received before the ad will run No refunds will be made. Also, if there is an error, notify us atter the TlrH I'' i .. ~ir.6• You will be given an extra month of ad time. Mail the ad copy to: Streetvibes I 506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 or fax it to 421-7813 Scramble Answers from page 11.•• Buick Chevrolet Plymouth Honda Toyota Ford Rolls Royce . Dodge Oldsmobile Cadillac forsaJe Native American cooldes; orders beingaccepted: R. C.Janus, (Fax) 891-8663. Lookingfor a laboret1 Has worked at Riverfront. Is willing to do a nykind of work. Call Sonia Craig at the Drop Inn Center, 721­ 0643. Elderly or Children Looking for a community onemectjobdealing wfth efdertyorchildren. 3 year owteachworker/ counseloraide at YMCA. 13 yearstypng. Computer and cashier experiettce 91d&dng Windows, Lotus. Any Word Processor. Call ~MadyunattheDrop lrvlCenter, 721-0643. Ofllce wwker seeks 20-30 ._,,sitdownjobon bus line, within 2 milesof the nver1n eiiner KenQ!Cky u • Ohio; nori-ft1edical tenninology, non-filing cabinet offlcewOftf; social services, sales, public Information. aafts, and other background. some computer experience; contactBox 2, Streetvibes, 1506 ElmSt., Cincinnati, 45210. Degreed,successful grantsadministrator/ Wl'Rl:I" .a~.... commissioned, free lance positionas same: ten percent commission per award. ContactJ.Janus, · Jr. (FaxJ891-8663. Native Amertai,.. Hispanic female seeks sit doWI'\. slowpaced Industrial FACTORY position; physically challenged. (Fax) 891­ 8663. STREETVIBES provides Classified Ads free t o low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only $I per line. Call 421 -7803 for info. Streetvlbes Vendor Code of Conduct Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. I. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $I voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for donations more than $ 1. I also understand that I will be able to keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. Future issues of Streetvibes will be purchased from the Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. 2. I agree that I will never distribute Streetvibes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 3. I agree that I will not ask for donations after 12 midnight. 4. I agree to treat others with respect. I will not use abusive language or force someone to give a donation. I will not give a "hard sell" or make someone feel threatened. 5. I agree that I will not supply copies of Streetvibes to persons who are not registered distributors. 6. I agre e not to deceive the public by saying that I am collecting for a not-for-profit charity or that I am collecting for the "homeless" in general. I will be honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvibes will go to the individual vendor. 7. I agree that I will not contest territories with other distributors. 8. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a self support.ing paper created by people who are homeless or formerly homeless. To help in this effort, I will try to spread the word and write stories if possible. 9. I understand that the failure to comply with any of the above statements will result in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. We will attempt to answer all letters In a timely manner. Sales Representative Looking for positionas safes representative or management. Hasgood bookkeeping.. t.YJ*'gand supervisory skills. Has experience In retail management, customer se rvice andsales. Isavailable t o work i mmediately. cau DeaHarrisat 552-11351. dishwasherorcook. Is very dependable and availableimmediately. Plea se contact Wiley Powell at 831-8404. Restaur•nt Wodc Responsibleoacterman able to work any shift. Has had experience as a cook and as ajanitor. Would preferworkasa busser at a restaurant as wenasworkasa Streetvlbes Radio Hour On WAIF 88.3 rm The Homeless Coalition has a live'radio program which can be heard on WAIF radio on the second Saturday of each month at noon. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Donald W hitehead and other monthly guest hosts. The show mixes talk focusing on the stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates. WAIF 88.3 fm Satu~day, May 9th, 1998, noon to I pm Advertise In Streetvlbesl Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves t o 4,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. Business card Size z·x31;z· $10 per monlll Two Business Card Size 4• x31;z· $20 per month A check or money order must accompany the ad copy. We reserve the right to deny any ad, especially those which promote alcohol or tobacco products. You will receive a full refund should your ad be denied. For larger acts, call the number below. Ads are due by the 20th of each month. If you need assistance in preparing your ad or have any other questions, call the Homeless Coali­ tion at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 �STREETVIBES . TheTriState's Homeless Grapevine Streetvlbes TV Vendor I I. Proflle: Grady Cook The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video. Some viewers might not see the show appear at the right channel or time during the next couple months as Warner Cable changes programming and channels. I I I ' j' j ~ i l I Grady is a thirty-six year old man and a graduate of Woodward High School. He has two sons and two daughters. His youngest daughter is graduating from Aiken High School this year. Grady grew up in Bond Hill. Grady has been a vendor for Streetvibes since March of this year. Grady is also a good public relations man. He has spread the message to many people about the Greater Cincin­ nati Coalition for the Homeless and has gotten some good response from his efforts. Grady's goal in the future is to one day start his own business. He is uncertain at this time about what type of business he is planning to go into but we know Grady will be successful in whatever he chooses to do; he has the gift of knowing how to succeed. That's one of the ­ reasons he is a good Streetvibes vendor. If we had a few more like Grady selling our paper we would have to get more issues printed each month! Thank you Grady for all your hard work and if you know of anyone else that will be a good vendor for Streetvibes send them or bring them in. Streetvlbes TV May Schedule This month there will not be a LIVE SHOW due to holiday schedule. This month wil be a rebroadcast of a previous month's program. Saturday May 9, 1998, 4 PM Friday, May 8, 1998, 11 am Friday. May 15, 1998 , 11 AM Monday, May 25, 1998, I0 PM Saturday, May 23, 1998, 4 PM Channel 7 Check your local TV next month. Ii listin~s for LIVE Broadcast Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consult your local TV directory. I I Page 16 Vendor: 80 cents If you have any ideas for future STREETVIBES TV shows please contact _our office at 421-7803. We always enjoy hearing from our veiwing audience. Ideas should address subjects related to homeless­ ness and poverty in our city. We are always inter­ ested in viewer ideas, so please give us a call... Streetvlbes Wish List Streetvibes is published monthly on a shoe­ string budget. We depend heavily on the goodwill of many volunteers and donors. If you can help out with some of the items on our wish list please give us a call... >Adobe Photoshop Software for IBM to save scanning costs >Computer Monitor >Computer Printer >VCR to Show Streetvibes TV Show Episodes to Groups Where Your - Dollar >Volunteer Copy Editors and Stories > Fax Machine >Office Supplies >Computer for Streetvibes layout and wri · eetv~ib~e~s ----- -~s:~==;;;;;q:'.jiiij~+-__J~St~r=~~ has a minimal ca11421-7803 lfyou can help! overhead cost so that the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. If anyone selling Streetvibes claims to be collecting for a private charity, please call our office at 421-7803. Trnanks for your support. Need Help or Want to Help? Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Networ.k 96 1-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Community Center 241-2563 Freestore/Foodbank 24 1-1064 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 62 1-7149 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Resource Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-3679 .Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 Oral Health Council 621-0248 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless Program 559-6656 Women's Crisis Center 491-3335 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1998 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource May 1998 Vol. 2, issue 16 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Page 1: Hypocrisy Running Rampant At All Levels of Government!!! Homeless and Others Exploited In Hazardous Jobs Page 2: Steps Update NCH Meeting News Page 3: Welfare News Page 4: National Civil Rights Page 5: The Visible Homeless Page 6: Arts and Poetry Page 7: Nationwide Page 8: Opal's Story Page 10: Letters & Editorials Page 14: Eisen Update Page 15: Announcements Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project (curated by Katelyn Lusher) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource May 1998 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ron Carter Brian Davis James Heath Andy Hutzel Lemuel Israel Berta Lambert Paul Linden Judith Mendriski Patrick MosoJf Gregory Payton Mark Salter Mataka Sanders Penelope Welz Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Brett Zwolinski Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-sa/4.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a<span> </span><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a>. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF addiction Andy Hutzel Berta Lambert Bonnie Neumeier Brett Zwolinski Brian Davis civil rights displacement Donald Whitehead Drop Inn Center education Gregory Payton James (Jimmy) Heath Judith Mendriski Lemuel Israel Lynn Williams Malaka Sanders Mark Salter outreach Patrick Mosolf Paul Linden Penelope Welz Ron Carter the visible homeless vendor profile welfare reform https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/159c520a8287b55d4dc88ee013255c04.pdf 740d7ca3ee3da8dc791bf9c5781aea5d PDF Text Text 11 1 11 STANDDOWN 98 A BIG SUCCESS Hundreds of Homeless Persons Served During Cincinnati's _,_ Two Day Event -··. Over 1,200 homeless persons and veterans attended this years Standown on October 15th and 16th, hosted by the Drop Inn Center and organized by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and the VA. Dozens of volunteers including military personnel pitched in to bring the cities homeless a temporary respite from the rigors of homelessness. "Standown" is a term used by the military during times of war to bring troops in from the front lines to rest and recuperate. The analogy is made between war and the battle of survival while experi­ encing homelessness. The' two day event afforded participants the opportunity to speak with represen­ tatives from service agencies, seek the services of medical personnel and receive clothing and food. There was also a Standown Court. presided over by a Hamilton County judge. Community service hours were given out to persons who had outstanding warrants o r pending court cases for minor offenses. The Stan down was topped off by a community cookout in Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine sponsored the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. This years' Standown event was consid­ ered by all to be a great success. Hundreds of people attended the Standown at the Drop Inn Center. Photo by Jimmy Heath • IN MEMORY OF BUDDY GRAY •~ WE REMEMBER • FEBRUARY 19TH, 1950 - NOVEMBER 15TH, 1996... : by Bonnie Neumeier, : From the Pleasant Street Garden, Over-The­ Rhine I sit here on this wooden bench surrounded by your favorite colors the browns, yellows, oranges and reds wishing you were still here instead The sunflowers now bending far over stood tall, proud, bright and yellow dried up and drooping the seeds they fall feeding the birds that follow What a short life like yours, Buddy But we know the warmth and the wonder of the Sunflower is You still with us. We will always remember you season after season for YOUR seeds have fallen deep nourishing our peoples' movement giving us feet. buddy gray leads protest marchers in Over-the-Rhine 4 Photo by Jimmy Heath This day won't go by unnoticed 'cause the fruits of your labor are planted all over Yes, you are still here with us in your colors of brown. yellow, orange and red Friend we.miss you and love you. ­ �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 2 STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for and about the homeless. It is compiled by d)e Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Hom.e­ less. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and then sell it for a dollar donation to get back on their feet. All vendors sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homeles.sness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organiz­ ing. The Streetvibes Committee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a comment, please call 421-7803. Staff Donald Whitehead, Director Jimmy Heath, Coordinator Brett Zwolinski, Vendor Support Ron Carter, Vendor Support James Hobbs , Vendor Support Photo1:r.whe r Jimmy Heath Writers Ron Carter Denise Crew Brian Davis Julia Fischer Lolonta Foster Barry Grosheim Patrick Harmon jimmy Heath James Hobbs Vikki Lynn Bonnie Neumeier Theresa Nye James W . Pryor William Stone Do nald Whitehead Lynn Williams Diane Young Brett Zwolinski Editorial Policy: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, com­ ments or editorials. We will print every­ thing we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send all material to the following address: STREETVIBES I506 Elm Street Cincinnati, O H 45210 (513) 421-7803 fax (5 13) 421-78 13 e-mail: homecoal@primax.net http://cinci.com/gcch Fact of the Month, from the ·National Low-Income Housing Coalition (N LIH C): Number of deaths associated with problems in housing, annually: 5.000 Nurr;t:Jer of r:- • 1.4 million Donald Whitehead (far right) in Portland, Oregon. THE TRAVELER Not Just Another Trip by Donald Whitehead I've really enjoyed this column - traveling is sometimes a little lonely and it has been great to have you guys along. Each trip I've taken has opened my mind to new experiences I never imagined just a short time ago. For the most part my travels have been pleasure filled learning experiences. Sometimes though, learning is not a pleasant experience. I started out on this trip on the morning of Thursday, October I st. On this morning as is stated in the ad for the United States Army, I did more before six than most people did all day, that day. I actually prefer traveling early morning rather than late night. On the first leg of my journey I traveled with longtime activist Bev Merrill who works at the Welcome House in Northern Kentucky along with her very handsome son Shawn. We traveled to the Louisville Airport where we were joined by Kat Clark, National Coalition Board Member from West Virginia. Our final destination for this trip is Portland, Oregon. Our first stop is St. Louis where we were joined by several other National Homeless Coalition Board Members: Bill Faith President of the Board and Director of the Coalition on Housing and Homelessness in Ohio, Roosevelt Darby from Philadelphia and Don Jean from Maine. Most of my travels are a little lonely but this one was not. The flight to Portland is uneventful, a fact that is increased by my sleeping three of the four hours. The period I am awake I experience the works of the best artist that man will ever know. Mountain ranges perfectly sculptured in ways that boggle the mind, body's of water carving beautiful landscapes, never to by matched by the hand of any mortal artist. The purpose for this meeting is the National Coalition Board Meeting. I have found these meetings to be very useful in learning new strategy's for fighting homelessness. We meet twice yearly, once in Washington and once.in another City. Oregon has been chosen as this years' location so that we can explore rural homelessness. We were treated as special guests, part of our rooms were paid for by the City of Portland. We are part of a press conference addressing Civil rights violations against the homeless population in Portland. Another focus of our meeting is an opportunity to discuss the year 2000 Census. The Census bureau has not done a good job of Photo by Donald Whitehead counting homeless, poor or people of color in the past - our hope is that this will not be the case in 2000. We also present the Ma Curtis Award to individuals who have done outstanding work in Oregon. The award is even more symbolic this year because Beverly Ma Curtis did most of her wonderful work in Portland. My custom on trips is to interact with local homeless people. I do this for many reasons. some personal, some professional. I understand that the easy way to learn about conditions are to speak to those involved in that condition. I walked along a river bank close to my hotel were there were several people camping: I tried to strike up a conversation but there was no desire to talk, there seemed to be an edge to this group. I walked around the corner to the Gospel Mission - it was closed. All the while I passed people on the street. I do not scare easily but I did feel uncomfortable here. I finally did get a chance to talk to a young lady who reluctantly offered conversation in exchange for some change. Even this was unlike the warm conversation I have experienced in the rougher homeless populations back east. I felt uneasy because people kept looking down at my shoes with a look that said you must be a cop or something. In the midst of the incredible beauty that is Portland I am surrounded by uneasiness. anger and despair. I learn that there are no family shelter here during the summer, probably a large contributor to despair. I go back to my hotel a bit puzzled - its seems that for the first time I was not excepted by the population from which I came. Am I so far removed that.I can't relate or make contact anymore! Maybe I'm making a mole hill into a mountain, maybe I just didn't meet the right people. Ireflect back on the despair I felt on the streets of Cincinnati. I wasn't always friendly or open or nice. Sometimes I just wanted to be left alone. No matter how good intentioned or respectful the person approaching me, sometimes I just simply didn't want to be bothered. Homelessness is the most extreme form of poverty. It's a reality too harsh for most to imagine, sometimes the darkness is so dark that not even a shred of light can get through. These are the times when those that are homeless want and have the r ight to simply be left alone. A good traveler will always remember this. Good Tidings. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 3 OTR LOSES VINE STREET BATTLE by Jimmy Heath Over-The-Rhine residents, business and community leaders lost the hard fought battle over keeping Vine Street one-way between 5 Points Corner and 12th Street. In October. Cincinnati City Council voted 5 to 4 for the conversion to two-way despite community protests and declarations from community leaders, schools and Vine Street businesses. Over one hundred persons who attended the public hearing at City Hall carried signs and spoke out against the conversion to two-way. The debate centered around the safety of the residents and school children who frequent this OTR thoroughfare. Vine Street in Over­ The-Rhine was made one-way nearly 25 years ago because of the accident prone and dangerous nature of this formerly two-way street. The recent debate over the conversion began over two years ago when a private consulting team visited the neighborhood of Over-The-Rhine and recommended the recvnversion to two-way as part of an overall urban revitalization plan for the community. Community protests centered around this plan and subsequent report because of how it disregarded the concerns and well- Protestors gather at Cincinnati's City Hall to demonstrate against Vine Street conversion to Two-Way. Photo by Jimmy Heath being of the neighborhood residents, especially the disabled, the elderly and the children. The plan to convert one-way Vine Street to two-ways is supported by a minority of business interests who have pitted themselves against residents of this predominately low-income community. The community of Over-the­ Rhine lost this battle because of the power of money and politics over reason. The conversion to two-way will begin during the 1999 construction season. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• You are invited to the fourth annual OHIO EMPOWERMENT COALITION MEETING: l 998 HOMELESS COALITION HOUDA'/DENNER, NOV. 11, Wednesday 10:30 AM Sullivant Gardens . 955 Remick St. Columbus, Ohio The Ohio Empowerment Coalition is the statewide welfare rights coalition. We welcome new members. Come and·learn what recipients and other low-income, grassroots groups from different areas of the state are doing to change welfare laws. Join us in the effort to change Ohio's punitive welfar~ policies. For a ride from Cincinnati, please call the Contact Center at (513) 381-4242 at least ·by No­ vember 9th. Contents Welfare News Broken City Arts & Poetry Haiku Nationwide Prisoners' News Letters & Editorials Mexican Border News Homeless Veterans Cleveland News N. Kentucky News Movie Review Announcements Classifieds Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 4 5 6 7 7 8 9 10 12 13 13 14 15 15 . Tuesday, November 17, 1998 7-9PM St. F rancis Seraph Soup Kitchen 14 E. Liberty Street at Vine $15 per person at the door Parking In Rear MUSIC, DOOR PRIZES, Al'JD RAFfl.E. DINNER SERVED BY POWER INSPIRES PROGRESS VEG£TARIAN E.NTREES AVAILABLE. ·PRE.5£.NTATION Of JIMMY RENDER AWARD The Homeless Coalition Holiday Dinner gives us a chance each year to focus on this year's positive accomplishments and share hopeful stories of the future. Anyone in the community is invited to participate. The Jimmy Render Award is given each year by the Homeless Coalition to honor a homeless or formerly homeless person who has struggled to help those still on the street. Power lnspires Progress is a non-profit job training organization designed to empower low income communities through job development. Greoter Cincinnati Coalttion For ","' The Homeless ; If you would like to sponsor a homeless. person for the dinner, please send $15 per person to: Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, ~ 506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210. Call 421-7803 for more i¢'o. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Welfare News WELFARE SANCTIONS IN HANCOCK COUNTY by Theresa Nye, Intern at Hope.House Inc. These are real situations that happened to welfare recipients in Hancock County, which includes Findlay, Ohio. The first family has three children 6, 7, and I 0. They were applying for emergency assistance (PRC) because they were being evicted from their home. The family was sanctioned due to being given the wrong voice mail number for the caseworker. This has happened more than once because she is constantly being seen by different caseworkers. This caus~s messages and gocumenta­ tion to get all mixed up on her case. It's a nightmare of missed communications! The second case was a women who·applied for a medical card. She was hospitalized so she left messages with caseworkers and never srot a reply < <j l ' . back. She sent her husband to finish the paperwork, but the case worker claims he did not fill out all the paperwork. Because of this, they now have a $10,000 medical bilrinstead 'Of a me<ilc'al card. ~ ..--" In 'tht!1hird liou'sehold's situatien, a gentleman found work the day before his-appointment with the caseworker. He catted and told-the caseworker that 'He 'cduld nb~a~e the meeti1;ig~:l:fe was•sanctioned anyway. This caused his whole family t0 lose 'their assistance. The last case I·am listing here, although ·there are more sanctioned households out there, is a single mother with children, aged 2 and I year old. She is facing being sanctioned. She does hot have a car. She was told that she has to put in 60 hours of work before the welfare department would help her with transportation. The caseworker.told her she had to work first, then after 60 hours, she could get help with transportation. This is like putting the cart before the horse. In a rural county such as ours, a car is nearly a basic necessity for getting to work. OHIO SANCTIONS VIE FOR HARSHEST by Lynn Williams, Ohio Empowerment Coalition Ohio is notoriously known for being one of the fourteen states with the harshest sanction (punish­ ment) policies in America. These fourteen states impose a complete cut-off of cash assistance for households under sanction. This includes even on a first sanction. Thirty-six states reserve the full cut-off punishment for the last level of sanction. Ohio cuts families off immediately for a first time offense. When the entire cash assistance is cut-off, this sanctions the children right along with the adults. Thirty-eight states are only cu tting off the "adult" portion of the check or less for a first sanction. Surely this is a more humane policy. Why should the children's portion be cut? Any reduction is going to hurt them as well. In addition, it should be remembered that families receiving welfare cash assistance are receiv­ ing checks putting them at 35% of the Federal poverty level. With food stamps added, it is 75% or less of Federal poverty level. How many families of three can survive monthly paying rent, utilities, heat and diapers on a $361 check? This is Ohio's benefit check for a family of three to live on monthly. How may legislators have spent a month living on that kind of money? If a family is sanctioned, the house­ hold most likely does not have savings to fall back on. How do you save money on $361 a month? Ohio also requires recipients to wait out the entire length of sanction or until compliance, "which ever is longer" before lifting the sanction. This is not true for twenty three states. These states lift the sanction as S?on as the recipient complies. This also is a far more humane approach. In addition, individual caseworkers and county welfare departments vary in h"ow they apply the "letter of the law." Here in Ohio, in Athens County, caseworkers are being trained to work with the recipient to avoid issuing a sanction and to use "commonsense." Is a recipient trying in good faith to meet the requirements? They also give th~ recipient a warning letter 15 days in advance of a sanction, warning that a sanction will ·be enforc~q unless they meet the requirement. r1 From what our OEC members across t\ie state are telli(lg usi this policy is a rarity. In SanduJ ky county, a woman was sanctioned for not calling to notify.a cas.Py.-orl<er: wtiy sh~ missed· h~er app9J_nt­ .. T 1 .; j ment. The reason: layino in the hosoital giving birth! \ r. i• ~ ' • (), ~ 'ti~ . 0 She ended ·u'p:sanctioned fo r not thfcu.<i'ng to make ' •. . . • . ti\i 11. this .ca~I afieac;l 'Of time~ ·' / .. , ~ In Montgomery County, sanctioned households can~o~ g~t r~~nction.tff~~d \J.ntil they;~~" I~days of complianc'e." This means a reci~i~n:~/\1~.~t {~ ten ~· fr; ,: , q~r.~pJJ'!~Or (6 ~.'? ~.~o\Jrs. d~~fY,) 11.n a. CO..QSeCU­ tiv;.~rper. ,J~ey are '!?t workmg of(~tieir b~nefit checks" because the.y're·under sanction & don't have a benefit ch~ck to work off. If the reb~ient rflfsses f ' :;· even on.~ day, the I 0 days starts all ov~,r aga1~! This happened to Carla Pitsinger of Montgomery County, who could not do the I0 days in a row because of two disabled family members needing her care. Incredulously, Carla ended up working 60 days of free labor before she got her sanction lifted! Where are the unions and labor activis·.:s to take outrage at this? We are hearing dismal accounts across the country about how sanctions are being applied. the sanctions are being used as whips and threats to subdue the poor into compliance. House Bill 793 will soften the welfare sanction policy here in Ohio. It would allow for a $50 cut in cash assistance for each sanction instead of cutting off the entire check. It would restore the adult portion of food stamps. It would restore the child care subsidy to families under sanction. It would restore a sanctioned household's eligibility for other support services from the welfare department, such as PRC (what use to be called emergency assis­ tance." The sanction would also end upon compli­ ance, instead of requiring the recipient to wait out a progressively longer sanction time. Current law requires a sanction period for a I st sanction to last one month or until compliance, whichever is longer; for a 2nd sanction to last three months or until compliance, whichever is longer; and for a 3rd sanction to last six months or until compliance, whichever is longer. Currently recipients who are sanctioned are counted in "caseload reduction numbers." They are counted in the official numbers of recipients who have left the roles. They left the roles·unwillingly if I '\ ' "1 1 ' ' i 4 - Page 4 they were sanctioned! According to the Ohio Department of Human Services September 16, 1998 Progress Report, 22% of the total caseload was sanctioned at some point since October I, 1997 when the law took effect. This is over one in five households! These families with children lost all their cash assistance! [For more information on how to endorse this bill and to get involved in working for its passage, call the Ohio Empowerment Coalition (Cincinnati contact) at 513-381-4242.] REAL STORIES by Diane Young It is one thing to hear about welfare reform and quite another to look at it in the faces of real live human beings. These people are not numbers on a page, but living, breathing people caught between the cracks. One of these real people is a 47 year old woman names Susan . Just laying eyes on this woman, it was obvious to see that she was very ill. Susan relayed to me that she was sanctioned because of her refusal to work. The reason for her non-compliance was her congestive heart failure and the effects of having surgery to have a lung removed. Because she refused to work at a recycling center, Litter Landing, sorting through trash and lifting heavy bundles which required health and strength, she was sanctioned. Susan applied for SSI, but because her husband is on disability for numerous health problems. she was turned down. Another situation involves a termination. Sam is a 3.~ year old ,kind hearted gentleman who w~s recendy diagnosed with diabetes and had suffered a s~r."c;ke thit left him wea~';;n his le.ft side. He was ­ waitipg for his SS!'to be p.rocessed. At this t\Te· th7 only assistance ne was receiving was a smiifl amount 1 of food stamp~ ·~nd a ~edlcal 2a~d: How~ver. both the fo'i?fstaf!'ps and hi~ Medicaid we~e, taken away becaus~ he rr)fssed 1~ ap,POintment Wit~ liis tase­ WQrker. The ~e'ason that he didn't make his appoint­ ment was th~t he d'id n't have access to'a car. With Findlay being a rural comrhunity there is no public transportation· available; with Health and Human Services being way out in the country where it is too far to walk, especially for a stroke victim, Sam couldn't go to his scheduled appointment. Waiting for his SSI to be processed was taking too long and this gentleman gave up. In spite of his health problems, he started working at a fast food restau­ rant. This restaurant hardly meets his basic ex­ penses, and furthermore, provides no medical benefits. Therefore. because of his medical card . being removed, Sam h~s no idea of how he can get his life sustaining insulin and other medications. 0 �- STREETVIBES _.,..~---.--~----""'-------- The Tri State's Hom eless Grapevine The Broken Citv. • • .. Mourners march through the neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine to commemorate the life and work of buddy gray. FU GAZI by Vikki Lynn I'm writing this article as a public awareness. In September of 97, I was recovering from my third nervous breakdo.¥n that year.When I became Mrs. Gregory George Neumeister. my life had changed k>r the worse. My husband had taken a job as a night manager at a tri-county Skyline. He worked there for three months before deciding to go to the west. My daughter had left home shortly after we were ma rried,so I left with him. On our Waof he told me he had stolen eight hundred to one thousand dollars from that company. I listened as he bragged about how he did it. Here we were out in the desert when he wants to tell me his indiscretions only to begin to see him for what he really is. On December 6, '97, it was late and raining terribly when I was being forced off the road by two semi tractor trailers. I avoided a collision due to having defensive driving experience. He took CNer the wheel at that point and we stayed in FlagstaffArizona for the night. That was the beginning of a series of things that I had went thro ugh while married to this individual. Upon our arrival. we both looked for employment. He was rehired at a Jewelry Store he had worked at before . I got a job at a deli. I was hired to become a night manager while in training. O n Decembe r 26, '97, when I was leaving work two vehicles attempted to run me over in the parki ng lot of the place I worke d .A little later in that same even ing as I was nearing the parking area of the apartments I lived in, again two different cars tried . I quit that job because of the night.There was only the people I worked with and my husband who k new I was working that day. Luckily another place I put in an applicatio n at called me. I worked there t hrough t he holidays until I was laid off. From time to tim e I did te mporary work.W e started argu ing a lot CNe r money more and more. He wouldn't buy the necessary things needed .W hen I got paid, I'd buy food and what was important. One day he phoned me from his job, request­ ing that I mCNe out because we weren 't getting along. I followed up on whether he could do that and no he couldn't . I stayed anyway. January rent was three weeks late and we had to move into a rundown motel. I fixed it up the best I could with limited resources.Two weeks into February, I threw him o ut of the roo m. He moved into another motel roo m n ext doo r: I had started doing o dd jobs like painting the vacant rooms where I lived. He paid difference in rent. Later into that month, again he was complain­ ing about the money saying he wouldn't Pao/ two rents. I moved into his room because of more amen ities.The next daoj after mCNing in,I was ch'lnging the room around to have more space when I found women clothes under his bed. It took him tv.Q daots to tell the truth about them. He skipped work to make for it but to no avail. Earlier that same week a woman knocked on the door looking for him. On the Saturd aoJ follo.¥ing February 27, '98 she called his room. I answered the phone knowing by her voice who it was. I invited her over but she declined. Before he got off of work, I checked into an emergency shelter: I stayed there for remainder of our trip. March the tenth, I was leaving work from the same place I had worked before where that incident had occurred. I was expecting him to be waiting for me because he had came by my job to tell me he got fired for unprofessional behavior: I noticed he had parked at the back of the parking lot where it was somewhat darker. I walked along the sidewalk towards his car.As I approached him ,a car drove throwing a bottle at me and as I was ducking I felt fast heat going past my right ear. I stayed dOY>1n.near the ground besides a parked car while I heard shattered glass from a windOY>I break.When I looked at him, he just watched my expression on my face. I countered by yelling" so meones shooting" pointing past h im.but he v.Quldn't look around. My adrena­ line kicked in but I remained neutral. He told me then that he was going back to C incinnati. He let me drive myself to the shelter. My reply was good-bye. The next day I called in to talk to my boss abo ut working daot ho urs because of the circum-' stances but he was peeved and that kind of made up my mind about staying out west any longer.We hooked up that day and got drunk and were packed to leave when once again his girlfriend from Ken­ tucky shows up and he called security on her. Two days later we we re back in C incinnati.We got into a fight immediately upon arrival. I was e sco rted by Cheviot police to the Drop Inn Center. T hats ho.¥ I became homeless in Cincinnati for two weeks. In that time he searched everywhere loo king for me. He called my two closest friends and my aunt feverishly trying to apologize for all the wrong he had done. He finally caught up with me one morning walking to.vards the center. He started a mass campaign to win me CNe r. Even the employees there were sick of him. I agreed ~o talk to him so he would stop aggravat ing every­ o ne. He had bought an apartm ent o n Vine Street. I hung o ut t he re until my apartment was available through Metro po litan. I mCNed in o nApril the 16th of '98~wo days before that, I was at H&R Block Page 5 finding out he had went downtown to Social Security verifying information p ertaining to my daughters nu mber. I was crimson. I neve r did tell him w here I cnoved to. I wo rked through a temporary agency here while trying to get on my feet again. He sh<:M'ed up there lurking around until I wasn't being given any assignments. So I joined a workshop to better myself. I sought employment in Kentucky. I was hired and was paid better than any job I ever had.The sixth day of my employment,he shCM'ed up on my job filthy drunk and acted foolishly.That night, I paid him a visit. I never wo re my wedding ring again after t hat night. He called my employer trying t o get me fired .T hey just laughed at him to me. His doing that caused me to lose the profes­ sional respect that I had when I first started there. After two months of constant teasing and taunt ing, I quit.T he death threats had st opped whe n I returned to Cincinnati because he didn't have anyone to help him manipulate me. I decided not to work while being married to him any longer. He kept promising me heo give me a di'r'Orce but those are lies to get me to come over his apartment. On September 23rd '98, he admitted to the three attempts on my life and to t rying vigorously to have me fi red on all my jobs.When I first met him, I told him I didn't want to be bothered w ith a relat io n­ ship. I had my own problems to wo rk out. He promised me he would be good for me and help me through whatever because we had been treated so poorly by other people.This is what I get for being polite and giving someone a warm place to stay. TESTING THE THEORY by Vikki Lynn. I want to write about when I was homeless. It isn't the most comfortable situation to be in, but the opportunities are endless. Once I was in a new town and I didn't have any friends and I was broke. I went to an emergency shelter and slept on the floor when I stayed there until a bed was issued to me. I got a job working in a submarine sandwich store. They start you minimum wage and after I was there a week or two, I got a raise. I also worked through temporary services. The state I ventured in, you had to have union cards, and sheriff cards. That way you make more money by the hour. I also was due to start working at a trucking company, but it didn't come before I decided to return to Cincinnati. When I came back, I was temporarily homeless at the Drop Inn Center for two weeks until I got an apartment through Metropo litan Housing. Then I worked here in temporary employment until I applied for another job as a professional driver. So my point is, just because you are homeless, doesn't mean being hope less. I d idn't like some of t he rules but to stay in a warm place out of the cold was reasonable. I didn't have any clothes, shoes, or money. My options seemed limit ed. I never gave up and now I have all the amenit ies necessary in my apartment and plenty of clothes and shoes. My secret is I believe in God and I pray frequently. I know I couldn't have made it without him in my life. Foundation is everything. Then you can build yourself up. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine ~ Page 6 WORD ON THE MY PRAYER FOR I AM A YOU PRISONER STREET by Rick Ashcroft by James W Pryor Arts & Poetry LIFE LESSONS by John Chetuck Sometimes things aren't what they seem, F.or we all have free will and do as we please. Papa's hands are the ones that guide Only his words can you trust for. all others lie. One must often question what one can believe For words and deeds too often deceive. Friends are those we choose to hold close to heart. Times like these pull them apart. A teacher or mentor is one from whom we learn, But even t hat must be tempered or one might get burned. A lesson learned is one that cannot be erased. So choose your lessons well, and learn them, but fall not victim to fate. Because one must trust; not follow by blind faith. Because even the words of a mentor or friend can be faded, And the wounds left behind can remain for a time, As can the scars on ones heart and mind. So take these words to heart and heed them well, That what is reality and truth only time will tell. DIVERSITY by Wanda (OTR resident) The money people are attacking my home. On the west, their tearing down homes and the symphony wants Washington Park, in the name of cultural diversity On the east, the businessmen and the rich landlords push for a ballpark and intervine district, in the name of economic diversity On the north, a new coalition is rehabing apartments for the wealthy and taking over a historic market, in the name of economic diversity On the south, the downtown council wants to expand north and change all the streets to two-way, in the name of diversity In the center is my home and yours, the poor, working poor, handicaps, homeless, all live & survive, day to day The powers want diversity. We all ready have it. They should help, not attack. I will stand up for the right to live where I want, I won't be in the Middle of Diversity. May you always stop and think Before you relapse, and start to drink May you find your "higher power" And let him be with you each passing hour May your road to happiness be lined with gold And may all your dreams, somehow unfold May each of you find success along the way And may your road to recovery, start each day For tomorrow is not promised, it is said May relapse never, enter your head Always stop ~nd think, from where you came May your troubles, never remain the same May you find peace of mind at heart God has given each of us a new start So my prayer for each of you is the best He has showed us the way, we just have to do the rest. So good luck, in everything you do I say goodbye, the best of luck to each of you. I am a prisoner confined behind the razor wire of Orient Correctional Institution; I am a pr,i soner of the corruption of a system that is to terrifying to mention; I am a prisoner to judicial bias created by my ex-wife's greeds; I am a prisoner of the pain of my love for my four year old son, which makes up my hearts needs; I am a prisoner to a life without family, because my family are prisoners of their own lives; I am a prisoner to all of my wrong choices, and m yown mistakes; I am a prisoner to love, because it escapes me everyday; UNTITLED. I am a prisoner who longs to live and be free. by James Curry The Beast is indisputable Because it is immutable. It uses reason in its quest, So simple recognition's best. It knows not time, but looks ahead For any time it may be fed. A day, a year, a century, Is fine in its eternity. You know your Beast is treatment-wise; You'd now be better, otherwise. "Treatment" means, "When you fee l well, Then tell your Beast to go to hell. " The Beast knows well you'll not feel well Enough for long enough to tell Just when it's finally time to yell, "It's time for you to go to hell." And when you do feel well enough, The reason's lost; you'll want your stuff. But "Never!" sets the Beast aflame. That word alone can win the game. Say "Never!" now, and feel the view Of freedom-joy, with hope anew. Say "Never!" now, and step ahead To sober living. Treatment's dead THE QUESTION by John Chetuck The !onliness inside feeding my pain The constant rejection feuling my rage, T his feeling I know, sadness is its name. A heart with no wings that wants so b~dly to fly; Eyes that wish to lend tears, But cannot for they've run dry. A prayer to the heavens as the dreams slowly fade, I have nothing left John Doe is my name. Searching through life, Hoping to find the answers to the riddles that puzzle my rriind. A soul that is lost searching for peace; A body full of desire wanting release And the heart of the dreamer wanting eternal sleep, Why is it that faith is so hard to keep. INADEQUATE by Lisa Webster It smells like something has just died. Down on hands and knees, I search the rug. My fingers rake the plush. Under these nails there is some dirt and blood, but no hope. Digital and vacant, a voice reaches me. Solace to silence. It reminds me how close I am to becoming a simple whore. I want to tear that need from my skin, to expose what lies beneath. It just gets muted by a desperate quiet that scares even me. I bring my knees to the floor, come eye to eye. Rolling and rolling, covering myself with something, more pure. Something perhaps, human. �-- - - - - --- ---.. STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Nationwide STREETSMARTS October 9, 1998 Dear Fellow Member ----~- of NASNA, Here in Miami.we 're about to publish our first issue of StreetSmartsWe need your help in~ areas: I .The city and county governments here in South Florida have told us that they plan to ban t he sale of StreetSmarts any way they can.They do not want our paper drawing attention to the 15,000 homeless here.Tourists might be offended.The ACLU.of course, will help us. But they've asked me to ask you if you've had similar problems in your a re a.And if so, can you send me a copy of the complaint as well as a copy of the decision on the complaint. Please share with us any experience you've had with government agencies arresting·or; harassing vendors, req uiring vendor licenses, etc. And their outcomes. 2. Part of our vendor strategy here is to work with clients of agencies such as the Rescue Mission, the SalvationA r my.and other homeless-helping organizations. Most demand to knCM' if there 's a precedent of street papers in other cities working with agencies like theirs. Just this morning l".tiami's SalvationA r my Captain told us that he would need specific information about other cities Salvation Armies selling street papers before he would commit t o working w ith us.T his is a conserva t ive and often fearful place; no o ne wants to be first. If you can help w ith any of the above, please write the address below (enclosing any supporting documents). fax 305.757.2448 (again, with support­ ing documents), email streetsmarts@kaisercom.com (attaching supporting documents) or call 305.754.8833 . We need answers as s~on as possible. In return, once we get through this first push, if I get a body of legal decisions, I'll compile everything and distribute it to the NAS NA membership. Thank you for your help in this matter. Cordially. Frank Kaiser THE 1999 HUD BUDGET Submitted by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo, the 1999 Budget is the best in I0 years for HUD. In a video conference in early October, Cuomo and Assistant Secretary Harold Lucas said we are "back in the housing business." There were increases in the Section 8 program, the homeless assistance McKinney programs, and there was a public housing bill. Cuomo said that HUD has spent years reforming itself and was viewed as an "obstacle to housing policies." He credited reform begun under ­ previous Secretary Henry Cisnaro and the progr ess made by the C linton administration in obtaining such a healthy budget. He also thanked advocacy and housing groups for making housing a prior ity. The HUD appropriation} bill also contained a new Public Housing bill, which was touted as . making public housing better. "fhe bill will at cord:.' ing to HUD officials help reduce crime by tearing down "failed projects" and replace them with mixed income communities. They were able to rebuff Republican attempts to make tenants volunteer for the housing authorities in exchange for living in subsidized units. There are new caP;i1;QI funds to build scattered site housing. In the Section 8 program, there will be an additional 90,000 vouchers nationwide with 50,000 going for welfare to wo r k programs. T his is the first increase in more than two years. The troubled Cleveland program which is currently under oversight of an outside consulting firm will receive an additional 150-200 vouchers. Cordell Cooper, Community Development Director, said the 1999 budget will raise the FHA loan limits. The FHA insurance program insures loans made by private banks to lower income families. The new increases will allow more families to enter the world of home ownership. Cooper also reported an 18.5% increase in funds for homeless programs. Cooper said, "We would hope that we can deliver a quality year in serving the public. The Fair Housing Department o f HUD will also receive an increase to do more investigations of minority discrimination in housing. STREETSMARTS COALITION INC. 780 NE 69 STREET/ SUITE I 709 MIAMI, FL 33138 Subscribe to Streetvibes HAIKU by Brett Zwolinski An Un.rhymed Japanese v erse f o rm of three li n es containing usually 5 , 7 , 5 (or 7,5,7) syllables respectiv ely. Please submit your suggestions for monthly Haiku to Brett Zwolinski at STREETVIBES, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 Now, Matt Mitchell ' s Haiku: jumping note to note laughing above city ligh ts; steps in harmony Page 7 Subscriptions t o Streetvibes can be pur­ chased for $12 pe r ye ar. Plea se se nd a check t o the be low address and the pa p er will be maile d to you e ach issue. Streetvibes I506 Elm St reet C incinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Great er Cincinnati Coa lition for the Homeless--Streetvibes. If yo u have any questio ns, call '421-7803 . WILLIAM R . WALLACE, D.D .S. 5258 MONTGOMERY AO. NORWOOD. OH 45212 Telephone (513) 531· 2338 payroll and human resource management TRANSCON EMPLOYMENT COMPANY Angle E. St r unk, CEO 1-888-841-7900 (513) 841-5550 Fax: (513) 841-5545. P.O. Box 12545 Cincinnati, Ohio 45212 angie_strunkOmsn.com · Phone: 921-1231 STATE AVENUE SALVAGE HISTO RI CAL BLDG. MATERIALS ' EARL (CHARLIE) MATIINGLY A~OTHER C L.\ S S 1958 S~ate Aye. Cinti., OH 45204 P~ O O CCTIO=" Disc-Jockey Service CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761-3464 (513) 230-6353 FACTS ABOUT HOMELESSNESS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA : * In Cuy ahoga County, Ohio alone 20,000 people go homeless each year. *The Ohio Coalition for the Homeless es t ima tes t h at 1 4 0 , 000 people f ind t h e mselves ho meless each year through ou t the states *A recent study by the National Coalition for the Homeless showed that 13.5 million people across the country lived in shelters or on the street at some time in their lives . *The U.S . Census Bureau made a poor attempt at estimating homelessness that even the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development won't use. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine TURN THE PAGE by 0. Moneyhon ALLOW YOUR VOICE TO BE HEARD by James Pryor, In Struggle Being a prisoner in the State of Ohio, I have learned many valuable lessons. One is that, to the system and society, I do not mean anything, because I've committed a crime. It wasn't a violent crime, just one committed by an eighteen year old boy, twenty years ago, who car:ne from a lower class family. Now I am a product of a corrupt capitalistic system that profits off of my misfortune. Due to my peril, I can offer empathy to the homeless, because I've been without, I receive no medical care, and society has turned its back on me and others like me. It really hurts to be isolated from a world in which you once belonged. One that you long to be a part of, and one you held tight to in your dreams. However, that world has cut me off, and now I am a prisoner of an enemy, from whom I receive constant maltreatment and harassment. The food is minimal and poor, medical care is next to no nexistent and the living conditions are deplorable, not much unlike being homeless. Society has ostracized the homeless and prisoners as though they are diseases they want no part of. They fail to see that we are human beings, just as they. These thoughts are created by a media dictated to by the upperclass, who are self-centered and uncaring. Th is is a social illness in itself, created by ignorance and power. We must create defenses against these entities. This can be done by our voting power, creating agendas and asking ou r legislators to enact laws or pass bills to heal the illness. The majority of local elections are won by a slim margin of votes. Organization of the agencies and networks that support prisoners and rights of the homeless, needs to occur. There is a voice in unity. and it must be spoken before this illness gets further out of control. Politicians running for office have overlooked an important constituency that can be influenced by felons. For every man and woman in prison, there are 3.4 husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, grandfa­ thers, sons, lovers, friends, and others who care about the welfare and safety of the prisoner. This is the same for the homeless of Ohio. There are agencies, some churches, family, citizens and others who care greatly about the welfare and safety of the homeless. All of these folks must be convinced to vote for the candidate who stands for social change, rehabilitation, redemption, restorative justice, and human compassion. I would like to bring this together, and hope for your support. As is very evident, I have plenty of time to work on it. I would like all churches, agencies, organizations, and individuals of compas­ sion to write me. In your letter, inform me of your concerns and views. From these I will take the majority of similar issues and concerns, and thus, create an a·g enda to present to our legislators. Also, I will inform them of the number of votes they can receive by acting on our behalf. There can be no justice in today's social ills until we take a stand. It is important to realize the power we have to influence elections and we should study the record of candi­ dates and advise our families and friends accordingly. Please contact me, James W . Pryor R# I09988, P.O. Box 51 I. Columbus, Ohio _43216. Please send a self-addressed embossed envelope for a reply! It was yard day. A black man wearing state issued powder blue pajamas was sitting alone near the inmate band in the prison hospital's courtyard. The rest of the crowd - infirmed prisoners, healthy prison workers, and staff - were scurrying about for more fresh grilled hot dogs, hamburgers, and fo r blobs of baked beans and potato salad served ·on Styrofoam plates. Many of the inmates were in wheel chairs. One had an l.Y. tree with one clear bag overhead and one bag of blood which matched the ketchup on the condiment table. The people who were finished eating were talking and smoking cigarettes as the band played another country song. The old man was positioned on an elevated patio which was like his own little stage just a bit lower than the band. The bass player walked deep notes around the scratchy, whining, gentle moaning of guitars. The drummer thumped predictably to the simple melodies. The old patient had a distin­ guished lo9king curly gray beard and hair. He was leaning back in a turquoise molded fiberglass seat. His eyes were closed, head tilted slightly to one side, as though drifting to the music. In the background, the blue-gray smoke from the grills drifted lazily but steadily upward. The charcoal smell mingled with the cigarette smoke in the not-so-large circular courtyard surrounded by tall brick walls. The old inmate seemed to be waltzing inwardly like the dancing smoke. After awhile, the band acquiesced to a requested side trip from country songs. Several people had asked the band to play Bob Seger tunes. Just then, !'Turn the Page" seemed to perfectly fit the scene of the meditating prisoner. For a moment that seemed rich enough and reverent enough for an eternity, the soulful words " O n the road again, up on the stage. H.ere I go again. Turn the page," seemed to move the man far from the confines of his low place in prison and far from his chronic, possibly terminal, illness. For the first time all afternoon, no one clapped at the end of the song. The peaceful old man's eyes remained closed as he drifted in silence. EDUCATION AS CRIME PREVENTION: .Providing Education To Prisoners by James Pryor, In Struggle There is a strong link between low levels of education and high rates of criminal activity, and one of the best predictors of adult criminal behavior is involvement with the criminal justice system as a juvenile. With so few resources devoted to the education of juvenile offenders, it is not surprising that so many remain involved in the criminal justice system well into their adult lives. Like their juvenile counterparts, adults involved in the criminal justice system are severely undereducated. Nineteen percent of adult inmates are completely illiterate, and 40% are "functionally illiterate," which means, for example, that: th.ey would be unable to write a letter explaining a billing error. Comparatively, the national illiteracy rates for adult Americans standards at 4% with 21 % function­ ally illiterate. The rate of learning disabilities in adult correctional facilities runs high, at I I%, compared to 3% in the general population. Low literacy levels and high rates of learning disabilities within this population have contr ibuted to high dropout rates. Page B Nationwide. over 70% of all people entering state correctional facilities have not completed high school, with 46% having had some high school education and 16.4% having had no high scho o l education at all. Nationally, reported rates of recidivism for adult o ffenders in the United States are extrao rdinar­ ily high, ranging from 4 1% to 60%. The difficulty in pinpointing specific rates of recidivism is often due to a confusion of terms. The national re-arrest rate, around 63%, is different from the re-imprisonment rate, which averages around 41 %. Programmatic efforts to reduce recidivism have ranges from boot camps and shock incarceration fac ilities to prison­ based education efforts. The effectiveness of these programs varies, but research shows that prison­ based education and literacy programs are much more effective at lowering recidivism rates than either boot camps or shock incarceration. For example, in a recent report on crime prevention programs conducted at the request of the U.S. Justice Department researchers at the University of Mary.land found that teaching reading skills to juveniles worked significantly better to reduce crime that boot camp programs. "Correctional Education Appears To Be The Number One Factor In Reducing Recidivism Rates Nationwide." - Alabama State Board of Education. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, there is ari inverse relationship between recidivism rates and education. The more education received, the less likely an individual is to be re-arrested o r re­ imprisoned. A report issued by the Congressional Subcom­ mittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency estimates that the national recidivism rate for juvenile offend­ ers is between 60% and 84%. For juveniles involved in quality reading instruction programs, the recid i­ vism rate can be reduced by 20% or more. A five-year follow-up study conducted by the Arizona Department of Adult Probation concluded that probationers who received literacy training had a significantly lower re-arrest (35%) than the control group (46%). and those who received GED educa­ tion had a re-arrest rate of 24%, compared to the control group's r:ate of 46%. Inmates with at least two years of college education have a I0% re-arrest rate, compared to a national re-arrest rate of approximately 60%. Research studies conducted in Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, and other states have all reported significantly low recidivism rates for inmate participants in correctional higher-education programs, ranging from I% to 15.5%. As with all research on prisons and jails, data on correctional education tends to focus on specific localities or states. Texas is on jurisdiction which has done extensive research on the success of correctional higher education. The overall recidivism rate for degree holders leaving the Texas Department of Criminal Justice between September 1990 and August 1991 was I5%, four times lower than the general recidivism rate of 60%. A two-year follow-up report found that the higher level of degree awarded was inversely related to the level of recidivism - individuals with associate's degrees had a recidivism rate of 13.7%, those with bachelor's degrees had a rate of 5.6%, and those with master's degrees had a rate of zero. One must wonder as to the reluctance, nationwide, to implement educational programs into the United States prisons. It is evident by statistics and the rate of recidivism, that such practices greatly reduce the reoccurrence of crime by ex-offenders, greatly reducing the need for new prison construc­ tion. Yet, our legislators sign laws into existence which have opposite effects. Again, one must question their objective in filling prisons and returning prisoners to society who will recommit . . Taxpayers, especially here in Ohio, suffer financ ially due to such mismanagement. It's no longer a silent entity to be ignored, it is evident everywher e! [Source: Center on Crime, Communities & Culture. (1997, September). Education as Crime Prevention Providing Education To Prisoners. New York: NY: OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTEJ �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine 11 BORDER AWARENESS IN MEXICO .. . 11 From the Journal of Patrick Harmon 9/17/98 The college of Mt St Joseph is now in its third year Qf sending students down to the U.S./Mexico border. This "Border Awareness" trip is hosted by the "Women's lnterculturo/ Center" in Anthony, New Mexico. Students visit Anthony, El Paso, Texos and Juarez, Mexico. On the trip in Moy of 1998, the group visited cooperatives, unions, parishes, devel­ opment projects, and border patrol agents. We each spent time with families on both sides of the border. The following is a journal entry about a fomily I stayed with on the other side of the fence. Chabela's father Hector has very bad hearing, when she introduced me to him it was hard for us to understand each other. His shiny eyes would squint and his weather beaten cheeks would scrunch up as he cupped his hand around his right ear. I had to get in his face and speak very loud and clear, and through he could understand, it always looked as if he were trying a little too hard. He would return my questions and talk about his life in a very loud voice. almost as though he was yelling. exaggerating the expressions on his face to make up for his lack of hearing-sending all the children who had gathered around into fits of laughter. We were sitting down at the kitchen table drinking instant coffee and eating deep fried tortillas covered in sugar as.the sunset began to fade off the mountains in the desert of northern Mexico. Outside the cinder block house, I could hear mothers calling their children home from the dirt streets and tr.ails that snake through the community of Centro Santa Catarina. Through the kitchen window I saw electricity being turned on in the houses and shanties up the ravine, light streams out into the night through open windows and gaps in walls. A light breeze drifted in and out of curtains, everything smells of burning garbage and dust. Chabela kept an eye on her 5 children while she cooked on the propane stove and smiled, listening to Hector and I yell : teach other. Her long black hair was tied in a ponytail and fell over her broad shoulders down as she fried up rice. beans and potatoes. Hector, tired of yelling. gets up and announces that he was going to get "the apparatus." He returns frqm the other room with a large, old school hearing aid that he swears hurts him to wear. He tells me that he lost his hearing working on a job at a filling station in Texas some years ago, and that he has been to "curas" all throughout northern Mexico to no avail. "At one point," he tells me, " I was eating 40 pills a day." He shrugs his shoulders with a disgusted look on his face , "40 pills" he repeats, "Que Va?" While Chabela cooks, she tells me that she was born in Juarez. and although s)le has traveled to other towns and cities in the Mexican deserts, she has come back here to raise her children. Her husband works at an auto parts plant in Chicago and sends home small amounts of money. " He comes home when he can, if God will it he will return home in August for a visit," she says. looking away from me. " He has to get his papers together." The way she tells me this betrays deeper feel ings within her, as though she talks about him coming home only for the sake of her young children. She says her husband wants to gather enough funds together and send for the whole family-to pay for their passports to come live with him-"but this is a dream, it is not secure enough." Till that time they decided to buy this small plot of land here, at the old dump, so they have something to fall back on. She smiles and mentions that she built this kitchen room all by herself. It is an impressive project, w ith the materials she could afford. There is a small piece of land in the back that is level before the hillside tumbles over into a trash ravine-she wishes to build another addition on that. "When the summer months come, the kitchen is too hot for her children to sleep in, with the sun coming in through the window-a place in the back would provide much more space. and be a lot cooler." When dinner is ready everyone crowds around the table to chow down. Chabela serves Hector and I first, then the children. She fixes a small plate for herself but there are not enough seats at the table for her to eat. I hate machismo culture, but I remain silent and practice eating by tearing off pieces of a tortilla and scooping up the food by hand. I eat more than I should to show respect. Chabela explains to me that the women's group at church has given her so much. Before she joined, she was isolated, most of the time she stayed at home with her children or by herself, introverted or sad. Now that she has a group to meet with, she has been learning how to express herself, sharing with other women of the neighborhood. She went into the other room and returned with a book of poetry, written in both English and in Spanish, by a woman who was a refugee from Guatemala. " I used to think that I was poor," she said with a d istant look in her eyes, "that I was the only one who suffered. Now I see that we are not alone, and that there are so many people who suffer more than us." She talked of a passage in the book that told of a village being burned by the army, of a mother shot down with her baby in her arms. "What about Chiapas?" I ask. "How do you, as Mexicans feel about what is going on here in your own country?" It seems as though I keep asking this quest ion of the people here. One woman I had talked with earlier told me that everyone feels the pain. Her husband swore that if he had the money, he would assist them. If he had arms he would send them, and if he had no.family he would go and fight. Chabela tells me that she doesn't understand why the military is there, why they have to go into the indigenous villages and kill people. She says that most people here feel a profound sadness about the whole thing. There have been demonstrations in Juarez, all the way at the other end of this large country, for peace in Chiapas. But Chiapas is not the only region in which there is suffering-perhaps in all parts of Mexico people live life as a daily struggle to put food on the plates of their families. Juarez and the whole border area are a perfect example. If you were to go look around both Juarez and El Paso you would see that the only resource that this area has to offer, is cheap labor-labor at exploitative wages. The workers might migrate here to the "maquiladoras" or sweatshops, to feed their families-yet they are not so stupid as to fail to see that the reasons the maquilas are here is to exploit. As for a factory in the U.S.. it is a question of paying an average of $25,000 a year in salary, benefits and security; or three or four dollars a day in northern Mexico. With the passage on NAFTA in 1994, the market has been flooded with cheap corn from U.S. agribusiness. Small-scale farmers can't compete against the productivity of industrial farming. All throughout Mexico, families have been steadily losing their jobs and their land; many are forced to migrate to the sweatshops or attempt crossing the border to find work. When the dishes are taken from the table, Hector lights a cigarette and begins to sing ranchero songs for the whole family. He prides himself, telling me that he knows a song for every person's name. I walk outside to the faucet to wash up, listening to his deep, lonesome cowboy voice, singing a song about Patricio, who got cheated on some job and left without enough money to even get drunk. After returning I ask him to sing a song about Hector, but he tells me that the only ones he knows are sad. I ask him if he knows any of the legendary "Ojo de Vidrio" songs. They are about the Mexican man who was wrongly accused of stealing horses and murdering an U.S. Marshall. Ojo de Vidrio see out alone on a horse for months riding in circles around gringo posses who had been sent into the desert to get him. Only when the burden of missing his family became too great did he return as a hero to be captured. A man who swore that Vidrio's only Page 9 crime was that of being an excellent horseman defended him in court. Hector smiled and tried to remember one of the ranchero songs about this, then laughed, explaining that the singer who sung those songs had a worse voice than his. It's getting late. I take a break from the conversation and relax on the small bed that they have offered me beside the window in the kitchen. One of the children with a look of wonder struck across his face shows me the two-week old kitten that he holds in his hands. Chabela asks me if I need anything before she goes into the other room with the rest of the children to watch late night soap operas on the TV. As I try and reflect over the last few days, I watch hector unfold an old spring bed and prop it up on some concrete blocks. " For my back," he explains, as he rolls out his bed roll. I bum a smoke and try to relax: images rise up like sand dunes blown across the desert. I think of droughts and fires, of migrating peoples, of a river and a thin line. The boarder through El Paso is the Rio Grande, channeled to control its tendency to carve out and erode its banks. On the U.S. side there are double fences with razor wire, motion detectors, cameras, boarder patrol trucks within sight of each other and a chopper in the air at all times. On the Mexican side I saw a mural of Che Guevarra as I walked across a bridge. A few months ago the b.oarder patrol pulled over a large moving truck out in the desert with a 14-year-old kid driving. When the officers were approaching they heard screaming and banging coming from the back. When they cut off a padlock and opened the door, over 70 people spilled out dehydrated, gasping for air. They had used boots and belt buckles to bust holes in the sides of the truck so they could breathe. Mothers often are exposed to hazardous substances while working in the maquiladoras. Children are being born with birth defects, others never mature; some mothers have lead in their milk. I walked up to the fence and stared at the shacks and the children, who stared at me, a train rolled by full of goods going north. 150 years ago people risked their lives against the system to ~muggle slaves to freedom . I sit in the kitchen while the blue desert morning grows outside the window. The bare light bulb casts a circle of light over the space where I write. Flies dance on the edge of coffee cups, looking for grains of sugar. I hear roosters up and down the hillside, calling out to each other, some­ where in the distance a dog barks as a car engine starts up. Hector, my grandfather companion has left, he finished his tall cup of coffee, put his tortillas and beans in a sack, shared a cigarette w ith me and headed out toward the bus route. He works as a laborer, manually loading construction trucks with concrete, sand and stone. He told me that they were poor, but their door was always open. I follow him outside and watch him leave, walking up the dirt road over a little rise, then disappearing. I look down the ravine toward Juarez at all the lights scattered out like a bag of stars busted in the sand. remember waking up, as if in a dream, the Chihua­ hua Desert wind ripping down from the mountains, in through the open window where I slept. There is something in the desert, slow, unmoving, suddenly breaking into a storm. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Hom eless Grap evine STREETVIBES Editorials & Letters HOMELESSNESS IS REAL .. . by Julia Fischer, Ursaline Academy 12th grade While clutching my mother's hand and trying to fight back tears, I closed my eyes to avoid the scene before me. A homeless man sat on the street corner. His clothes were ragged, his face dirtx. and his eyes were heavy with sadness. In front of him sat a.can with a few coins,.but all these im'a&es escaP,~d my eyes. This five-y.ear old couldn't stand the-tragic scene. When I closed my eyes, I believed what I couldn't see, didn't exist. At that moment, for me~ homelessness didn't extst. It was not until my sehior year that I again had a head-on collision with the homeless, but my attitude hadn't changed. The images in the newspa­ per or TV could have been scenes from a foreign country- they weren't real to me. Homelessness was not present in the suburbs; I never went into the city to find it. Poverty wasn't my problem. As a new project of my school's Mission Club, the members were expected to work beside, eat with, and talk to people who didn't have a place to go home at night. I wasn't sure if I could handle the challenging situations ahead: poverty, illiteracy, illicit drugs. and abuse. I had no experience with such topics and felt very uneasy. After my day was done, I could return home to a full table and a loving family. I worried that I would be resented, a well-off "do-gooder", in downtown Cincinnati for a few hours only to return to my flawless life in the suburbs. As I continue to work downtown, my concerns are slowly easing. Forgetting my anxieties, I focus instead on the people I encounter and the insights I have gained. One such person that has left a definite impression on me is a young boy living in downtown Cincinnati named Damion. One afternoon, Damion crept into the Children's Community Center. He looked longingly at the food on the table, but did not say a word. "Would you like anything to eat?" I asked. "A bagel? Apple? Coke?" " No, no thank you." "Are you sure? Would you like any Starbursts?" A smile. Bingo. I know what Damion likes. " Have as many as you like. We don't need them," I said with a smile. Three handfuls of Starbursts later Damion was feasting on apples, bagels, and Coke. Food was the bridge between Damion and me. The bond grew stronger as we played games on the computer. "What does that say?" he asked. "Um, Funny Faces. You wanna play that?" "Nah, that one?" "Wheel of Fortune..." "Yah, that one." A few minutes after playing Wheel of Fortune on the computer, I realized Damion couldn't read. "You know what that says?" he asked. "Um, I don't know. What do you want to guess?" I replied. "I don't know." R_VER,1:he computer screen read. Why doesn't he say "I?" Isn't it obvious what the answer is, I thought to myself. He's ten years old. It's not like he can't read... Oh no, he can't. For a moment I forgot where I was. In some ways. I was playing a game with a toddler for whom I Page 10 baby-sit. Tears filled my eyes. Never before had I met a fourth grader who couldn't read. "Why don't you try an ''l'T' I said . "Great job! We won the round!" For the rest of the day Damion clung to me. Each time I looked at him, I felt sad, but his enthusi­ asm warmed my heart. At such a young age, he has endured more hardships then I will probably ever face. Yet Damion helped me understand the impor­ tance of education. love, and service. Education will teach him to read, write. add. subtract, and take. charge of his life. Love will shield him from negative influences that hinder his life. Service will provide the foundation for building self-worth and confidence not only in Damion, but in myself. Dear Friend: I 0/10/98 I received the STREETVIBES and my request was printed in it. It was my hope and prayer that someone would hear my cry and distress through my request. However. there was no P.O. Box SI I. Columbus. Ohio 43216 Where I can be rea'c;hed. Make no mistake. your great concern is more than appreciated. Would you please re-print my ad or run my address in the paper- or however you see it! May God keep blessing you in your struggle. In Solidarity, lee Crum WARNING! Job Seekers I 0/22/98 Dear Friend: Should it be possible, prease place my address with my ad, so I can receive letters or pen pals. I also wish to thank you for printing my ad. Also, I mailed you-a.letter and it rewrned to ~ me- stating 45210. Incorrect- 45202/ I0 ac.ceptable. by Vikki Lynn l always read through-the want adS w~en­ looking-for a.job or just seeing what's available: What I've noticed on the last company I applle.q ~ ! was badly treated by a few oi the employees. "fhe second day on the job, I was calleda "bitch'1 and ' ! "nigger" by one of the workers. I don't know what I could have done while working th.ere tp that 1 individual, but nevertheless I suffered what is called . ''restraint of trade." I did resign to avoid a very badcf scene. The supervisor that I spoke to·said that that>, J person is difficult and try to work beside them anyway. I don't think so! At another j9b Iwas .) employed at, I was sexually accosted by an employe~ and my superiors did nothing about it.· I quit and they offered me my job back saying they were givini. me a second chance. Behavior like that wouldn't be tolerated because it was bad for the company as if it was my fault. How ironic! In 97', I got a job as a school bus driver for 'I special children. On the last day I worked there someone pulled up besides me and tried to run_me -> off the road. Get this, the training instructor was on the bus at the time and didn't do one thing about it. She didn't radio for help, she just sat there with a stupid look on her face. Iwrote down the license number, called the police, and contacted the director of transportation. I called an attorney I knew who suggested several avenues of defense, but to no avail. I was fired three weeks short ofbeing eligible for unemployment which you get if you don't work over the summer. So I say to you,"lf you are looking for a job or want to better yourself circumstances, Isuggest watch the company you choose closely before cosidering working there. It may not be worth your while. Read how often their company is seeking help. It may be something wrong with their picture."Photo by jimmy Heath - Thank you and Ma.y God' Continue bressing you ·alf.! In Solidarity, > A lee Crum 239-589 P.O. Box 511 (OCI) - - Columbus, OH 43216/0511 .' Dear Mr. Crum: Regretobly, we here at STREETVIBES were unable to locate your ad. However, it is our hope that the inclusion of your address here will render you solace in your endeavor to maintain contact with those on the outside. furthermore, your address .exists in the announcements section of REEETVIBES on page I5. If you hove any concerns please write to us again here at STREETVIBES. sf RESPECTING YOUR PEOPLE by Lolonta Foster Today I want to talk about respect.. Today in this world people have been disrespecting people by using words and actions in ways we people don't like. See people. when you disrespect other people, you know someone will disrespect you back. I know a lot of you out there know about respect, so you can just stop reading this. So, the people that don't know about respect you need to listen up. So for those of you that don't know about respect, there isn't nothing to it. Well, respect is when you go tell someone you love them or how beautiful they are, not by going up to them and trying to go mess up their face because you're jealous. Now, those of you that are on the streets and you know you disrespected your parent, I feel sorry for you because I would never disrespect my parent so that I would be where you are. So, one day you will look back and say, "Well, I think I disrespected my mom or dad!" Then you get on your feet and go find your family that you are sorry and please and beg them for forgiveness. Well. I was giving you all that are out a little something to think about. Good luck to you all!! �- - - - -- - - - - --- -------- - - STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page II Scramble byRancarter T ry to unscramble t hese related ~ COME ONE COME ALL TO THE -"MEETING ON THE OLD CAMP GROUND" SATURDAY r..- NOVEMBER 7, 1998 r..- 6:30 P.M. words: LEW EONLAH MPUPIKN SAMTIRCHS OWSN WNEAREYS ARTPY AVEENINLTS AYD DYCNA GHANKSTGIVIN KUTEYR at FIRST NEW SHILOH BAPTIST CHURCH 710 SOUTH CRESCENT AVENUE CINCINNATI, OHIO 45229 MICHAEL K. CASH, PASTOR Answers on page I 5. ANONYMOUS GUESTS AT THE MEETING: UNITED PRAISE VOICES OF HOPE FIRST NEW SHILOH MASS CHOIR TRIBE GOSPEL CHOIR THE VOICES FROM HEAVEN ·M s. BURNETTA PRICE, SOLOIST OLIVET ANGELIC YOUTH CHOIR MS. TASHIA HANKERSON, SOLOIST ELDER & MRS. CLARENCE PRINGLE NORTHERN KENTUCKY BROTHERHO.O D-SINGERS Sister & Bro ther, put do wn your d rugs. So o ur children can put down the irs. You old drug use r, is getting our young ones into the drug game. You are creating new drug users, w ife beate rs, fatherless children, mothers who... Leave their children It's time to stop. You are and w ill be held accountable. AS.KING ALL THAT WILL TO WEAR DEN IM OR BLUEJEAN A1TIRE MRS. ANNIEBELL RILEY, COORDINATOR Subscribe to Streetvibes Subscriptio ns to Stre etvibes ca n be purchased for $12 per ye ar. Please se nd a check to the below addre ss and the paper will b e mailed to you each issue. Stre etvibes I 506 Elm Street Cincinnat i, OH 45210 Ple ase make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless-­ Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421 -7803. r.J 272-0 90 3 Community Celebration. Live Music! Every Sunday -6PM Free of Charge Nast-Trinity United Methodist Church 1320 Race St. Cincinnati 721- 7339 Subscribe to Streetvibes COMEDY CORNER by Ron Carter There once was a cop named Smife, who carried a gun and knife. His gun was all dusted and his knife was all rusted, becuase he never caught a crook in his life. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Hom.eless Grapevine Page 12 FORMERLY HOMELESS: VETERANS ARE D.OING WELL by William Stone Submitted by Iola S. Green, HCHV Coordinator My name isW illiam Sto ne and I have been a compulsive gambler fo r ove r 30 years. In October 1996, I ent ered and completed the PTSD Program at theVAMC in Cincinnati, Ohio and began to deal w ith my problems from Vietnam. I was also attending GamblersAnonymous (GA) ,which I had off and on since 1976 when I got out of prison the first time. In January 1997, my life finally began to turn arou nd. Homeless and no where to go from the halfway house I had been sent to from prison, I was placed into the 6 month ResidentialTreatment Program at Joseph House by theVA HCHV Program With the help of Iola Green placing me into Joseph and the dedication and devotion from Sister Kateri M. Koverman.Clinical Director of Joseph House and Dr. James Ryan, the consulting psychologist, I started to hear and listen about my addiction, its strange hold on me, and how to work a successful reco.'ery. But I'm a slow learner and it didn't come right w:Nay. For the first three months of the Program. I continued to gamble,but didn't tell anyone at Joseph House.Then, guilt ridden and shamed of how I was and what I was doing. I told the staff at Joseph House. Iwas immedi- William Stone ately put on a Behavioral Contract, but felt relieved t hat everything was now in the open. Although I still have temptations often and have to deal with casino ads, lottery billboards, and the constant advertisements throughout the entire media, I no longer want to gamble.Through the Joseph House Program, my Ga mblersAnonymous fellowship, and my new relationship with my Higher Power, God, I am happy with who I am and with what I'm doing. I've gone from resident at Joseph House to Resident Manager at Moses House, a transitional housing program run by Joseph House, Inc.,to theAdm in istrativeAssistant at Joseph House. I am also on the Board ofTrustees as the first former­ graduate on the Board to represent the resident view in the decision making processes so vital to the homeless veterans Joseph House serves. I'm proud of who I am and as I help other recovering addicts at Joseph House, I continue to help myself. I consider \Jou Y\now +hose~ h.0Mons core about·as :f'\uch ~or euc:h . oth~~a~the~~ · -~~:~~~ do USo ..... -1·~- myse lf to be successful now but realize that wit h the illness of co mpulsive gambling, I must continue t o attend my GA meetings, keep totally surrendered to my Higher Fbwe r; Go d.and keep total honesty with my communities both at Joseph House and in the GA fellowship. I understand that I have a life lo ng mission to continue and am willing to do whatever is necessary to abstain from gambling. I'm also proud to say that I am beginning to recO'/er the relation­ ships with my five ch ildren and nine grandchil~ren which I almost destroyed during my addiction days. That will require life long humility and work too, but that which is worthwhile takes time and patience, both of which I have plenty to give. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 13 -News From Cleveland s Grapevine 1 LIFE AFTER WELFARE REFORM by Brian Davis After one year bf reform of welfare in the state of Ohio, there have been dramatic changes, but activists wonder if at the end of the day the commu­ nity is better-served .The Department of Human Services has split into two separate fields. One is known as Health and Nutrition which coordinates Medicaid, child care, and the food stamps program. The other is theWork andTraining Department which administers the cash program and works with the participants to assist in self sufficiency skills including finding a job. The Department has decentralized its services by setting up seven satellite offices in the community with four more in the works.They have reassigned · almost every case manager and provided training to almost fNery worker in the department.The case workers are in the community in an attempt to be more convenient to their clients. In the past two months, the department has started to convert · ' individuals from pape; fo~~d s~mps to electronic stamps that work in much the same way as a bank card. In Cuyahoga county. the welfare caseloads receiving cash assistance has dropped to 16,000 families down from 27,000. Cuyahoga County is actually behind other counties in reducing the welfare caseload with some counties cutting as much as 80% of those who were previously receiving assistance. CaseWorkers Reserve University Center for Urban Poverty studied those who left the welfare roles between 1996and 1997.Theyfound that46% were not making any money one year after leaving welfare, and another I I% were making less that $4,000 per year.They found that only about one third of the population was making $12,000 or more a year after they had left the welfare roles. With the number of worker in training, the new phone systems, and the confusion over the changes.both the Welfare Department and the County Ombudsman, and independent mediator and arbiter; report dramatic increases in complaints from recipients. Joe Gauntner. Director of Health and Nutrition, feels that those problems are in the past. He said," We feel we are on the downward curve (of complaints)'.' Rosalinda Denore, Special Projects Coordina­ tor of the Empowerment Center of Cleveland, is·not so sure that the worst of the problems are in the past. "There certainly is a lot of confusion:' Denore said. "They have set it up to make it easier, but they . have still not put in the i:ieces in place.They need training about being respectful and empathetic to the clients:· Denore said,"There are some who are really trying hard. Overall there is a lot of confusion and missing information and they cannot take time to help their clients:· 1 S ~eteWerheim,the County Ombudsman.said tl;iat they are finding it difficult to refer a women to the department·to sign up for assistance."f,hey are finding tha< they have to send~ social worker-with 1£. the client to be able to ask the right questions and know the direction a women must take to get the correct benefits.This is creating an additional hardship on the shelters who have to expand staff time to get women with children the benefits that they are entitled to receive. Gauntner defended the program changes saying that its natural to expect some confusion when a new system is iniroduced. Gauntner said that the training was almost complete."I think that things are starting to settle down. I would say that we try to be responsive to our customers'.' Werheim said," ( don't have a problem with having patience with the system. Basically, the people who are paying are those in the program . They tell us to'have patience: We need to hold them to the same standard that they are holding the community and their customers to:· The people receiving cash assistance are being sanctioned and dropped from the program at an alarming pace while their time clock continues to tick.The County will not accept" have patience" when a client shows up having voluntarily quit from their job because they had to quit to care for a sick child.They are given a three month sanction. Cleveland News Continued PaUe "14. v hr ..p n<.: > No-rth errr·-IE·Etn-tncky ~Hou·s ing~amr=· ·-· Homelessness Coa,lition (NKHHC) CITY OF NEWPORT DETERMINED TO DEMOLISH 202 UNITS OF ·PUBLIC HOUSING by Barry Grosheim Publi'c housing on Newports riverfront faces the wrecking ball if a still determined City of New­ port has its way. Using a combination of funding sources including Federal grants, HOME funds, l ow­ Income and HistoricTax Credits and private financ­ ing the City wants to clear the riverfront property for future development. In a letter to MayorTom Guidugli onAugust 27, 1998 the Steering Committee of the Northern Kentucky Housing and Homeless Coalition once again outlined its position on the proposed demoli­ tion.The letter; in part, stated: The NKHHC Steering Committee has ex­ pressed its concerns about plans to demolish 202 units of public housing on several occasions, both in writing and verbally at public meetings.The con­ cerns which needed to be addressed before the NKHHC Steering Committee could support any plan that calls for the demolition of existing units of public housing have been outlined, also in writing. This is to reiterate those issues and to raise specific obj.ections to the announced plan. In the past the NKHHC Steering Committee has stated that it could support the proposed demolition only if: · New units of housing are produced, on line and ready for occupancy before any demolition occurs. · One new unit of housing is built for each unit to be demolished. · Replacement units have affordability guaran­ teed for the life of the building. ·Any new units achieved through the ren(7(a­ t ion of existing buildings does not cause displace­ ment of current low-income tenants. Renovation of abandoned houses and of buildings not currently used for housing is acceptable, renovation of houses that are currently occupied is not. ·Any use of Section 8 subsidies is by new certificates, not part of the current allotment. The plan announced last month brings up two additional issues of great concern.The NKHHC Steering Committee opposes any residency require­ ments that differ from the guidelines for existing public housing units. Specifically, these new units of housing must be available to households with incomes below 30% of the median income for Northern Kentucky.Also, the plan calls for the use of Low-Income Tax Credits as part of the financing. package. Low-IncomeTax Credits were established by Congress to foster the development of much needed low-income rental housing.The intent of Congress did not include their use to replace existing affordable housing and certainly not for a project which would actually reduce the number of units of affordable housing available in Northern Kentucky.The. NKHHC Steering Committee opposes the use of Low-IncomeTax Credits in this project. The Mayor has not responded to the letter or the concerns expressed. Subsc.ribe to Streetvi bes Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchase d for $12 pe r year. Please se nd a che ck to the be low address and the paper will be m ailed to you each m o nth. Streetvibes I 506 Elm Street C incinnati, OH 452 10 Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coali­ tion for the Homeless-­ Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 42 1-78 03. �I STREETVIBES The Tri State's Hom.e/ess Grapevine Cleveland News My Early Life In Continued The West End by James Hobbs From Page 13... A number of different activists raised the concern that at the same time the County is making huge cuts in the number of people being served, they a re expanding their CNerhead by opening neighbor­ hood centers. Denore raised the question that if the roles keep decreasing, will the neighborhood centers be open and the staff trained and there will not be anyone left receiving assistance. Is the money that was going to families being used to pay rent,addi­ tional staff, and security for the new centers? Gauntner said the Department still has not reached the estimated number of staff budgeted in January of 1998. He said that in comparison to years such as 1990 when there was a large welfare caseload, the department has hundreds of fewer employees. Gauntner said this was a legitimate concern,but cautioned that the task of theWork and Training office is to support people who have left cash assistance and support them so that they don't have to come back to cash assistance. The changes that will have the impact on the largest number of people is the conversion of food stamps from paper to an electronic benefit card. In the next 6 months, 40,000 people will need to begin to use the benefit card in Cuyahoga County. Gauntner said that most of the stores have con­ verted to the electronic benefits, and 5,000 people have started using the system.The problem with the new system noted by both the Ombudsman's Office and the Empowerment Center was the delay in getting the benefits when a problem arises. It takes sometimes as much as 48 hours to correct a problem when a card does not work.This is 48 hours the family goes without food or must make other arrangements. I remember moving in the Lincoln Courts shortly after they were built. I attended Washburn Elementary School. During the summer, my brothers and sister would swim and play basketball at Lincoln Center. One Christmas Santa brought me a new bike. On this same Christmas, one of my brothers caused the Christmas Tree to burn. The next summer Iwent on long bike trips. for example, Mt. Airy Park. Mt. Echo, the Cincinnati Zoo, and Lunken Airport. I remember picking apples up in Clifton Heights and taking them home where my mom prepared cooked cobblers. They were delicious. To me at that time, the Lincoln Courts were a wonderful place to live and play. 11 le:J IAlX)N MOVIEREVIEW ­ Page 14 apparent reason it ju,st couldn't deliver: It was a flop. LarenzTate,one of my favorite actors and who I IOYed in" LCNe Jones",carried the mCNie in his portrayal of Frankie Lymon. Halle Berry played a classy and glamourous lady who saw the talent in Frankie. She loved him but she tried desperately not to. Like so many sisters she believed she could do better but she was blinded by Frankies charisma. VivicaA. Fox known in the smash hit;' Soul Food", did an outstanding job. Her character made me weak. Her life was filled with pain, poverty and dominated by the blues. Like many young Black women who give their hearts to their men, she wound up being victimized in the name of ICNe.Th e gentleman that had been locked inside Frankie came out when he met Lela Rochan,who played the naive good girl.With no one to turn to and no one to love, Frankie Lymon took a journey into a dark world of self destruction that developed into a drug habit. Like a writer who loves to write, his passion for music which was no longer at the core of his life led him deeper into drugs. Music was what he lived for: It was his pass ion.his world.When Frankie was no longer appreciated by the public, he could no longer sang; he died even though he was alive.A very important element in the movie was exposure of the record company.They made four million dollars off the hitWhy Do Fools Fall In Love, while Frankie and his wives were cheated out of royalties. If this movie does nothing else, it enforces whatThe Shadow believes in .That self-publishing is the future. The movie was about his relationships but what I got most out of the movie is that Blacks need to self­ publish or produce their own works. People will probably get many different messages from the m CNie, butThe Shadows message to my beautiful Black sisters is when somebody ICNes you.its no good unless they ICNe all the way. WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE by The Shadow CMHA PROJECTS It was a story that was almost too sad to be told.The movie was based on a triangle involving three women who all claimed to be married to Frankie Lymon . He was a rock star in the SO's and was known for his classic hit that he wrote"Why Do Fools Fall In Love". It was one of those movies that built you up only to let you down. For unknown by Vikki Lynn I would like to enlighted people on the living in the Metropolitan Housing Devlopments. I was homeless when I applied for housing through the shelter I stayed at. I've been living there since mid April. I didn't have anything but as time went by. I accumulated what I needed. Since my stay, I have observed the environment I live in. The apartme.nt is a one bedroom. I don't pay utilities and they go by your income. Which can be helpful when you are not employed. Or between jobs. The downside of the projects is the noise. They play basketball at all hours of the night. Drinking acohol right outside the main door. Standing in the way when you are trying to get in or out of the building. Hollering for people. I feel that it's not where you live, but how you live. I go to the store, I keep my house clean, I take out the garbage when necessary. Basically, I stay. to myself. I'm polite to my neighbors and speak when i'have to. I don't visit or socialize. The other day. my neighbor was riding me to the store and she asked why I don't visit, my response was simple, I perfer to keep that way. Everywhere I have lived in this city, I stay to myself. I don't think it's proper for me carry on with folks because everyone does. There are pluses and minuses no matter where you go but, if you don't know the lifestyle that you're entering, it can pull you under or suck you dry. I have no idea how long I'll be there, but I sure am glad I have a place to lay my head and call my own home. I like it. Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Looking for a place to call home? Call the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Affordable rent that never exceeds 30°/o of your income ... Many buildings equipped with security systems .. . Units located on buslines and near stores, schools, hospitals, banks Rental units are available in these family and senior communities: Avondale Hopple Street/Fairmount West End Winton Place For more information, call 421-8190 today. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 15 · ' TRIBE GOSPEL CHOIR PRESENTS "GOSPEL FROM THE HOOD" A YOUTH & YOUNG ADULT WORKSHOP NOVEMBER 12, 13 , & 14, 1998 FREE POLITICAL PRISONERS by Sonny Williams There·are several political prisoners in Ohio's prisons. If you are interested-to write to them. like James Pryor or Dan Cahill, please contact: ' UNDER THE DIRECTION OF ELDER TIMOTHY PRICt of CHARLOTTE, NC & IVA DURAND of CINCINNATI, OH AT In Memory of 11 Mac 11 Who Believed In Human Rights For Everyone & Who Founded Justice Watch ••• Because Every­ 0ne1 includes Prison­ ers and Former Prisone rs. 1 Ohio Prisoner's Rights Union P .O . Box 1746 Cincinnati, Ohio 45201 ­ 1746 FIRST NEW BAPTIST CHURCH 710 SOUTH CRESCENT AVENUE CINCINNATI, OH 45229 MICHAEL K. CASH, PASTOR Write to prisoner Lee Crum at:: OCI #329-589 PO BOX Sii Columbus, OH 43216 For more information, please contact: MRS, ANNIEBELL RILEY at 2 72-0903 or 2 72-0911 Band Lookin& for Work Streetvibes (the band). We like to party. R&B. Oldies, Blues/ Jazz. Reggae. Helping the homeless to help themselves through free enterprize. Call 421-7803 . Streetvibes is now accepting Classified Ads for items such as Help Wanted, Items for Sale. Apart­ ments for Rent and other non-personal items. The rate is only $I per line, approximately four words per line. Classified ads are due by the 20th of the month. People below the poverty level will be allowed five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Otherwise, payment must be received before the ad will run. No refunds will be made. Also, if there is .an error, notify us after the first printing. You will be given an extra month of ad time. Mail the ad copy to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 or fax it to 421-7813 for sale Native American·cookies; orders being accepted: R. C. Janus, (Fax) 891-8663. position wanted Office worker seeks 20­ 30 hour sit down job on bus line, within 2 miles of the river in either Kentucky or Ohio; non-medical terminology, non-filing cabinet office work; social services, sales, public information, crafts, and other background, some computer experience; contact Box 2. Streetvibes, I506 Elm St., Cincinnati, 45210. Laborer Looking for a labored Has worked at Riverfront. Is willing to do any kind of work. Call Sonia Craig at the Drop Inn Center, 721­ 0643. Elderly or Children Looking for a community oriented job dealing with elderly or children. 3 year ourteach worke-r/ counselor aide at YMCA. 13 years typing. Computer and cashier experience includin.& Windows, Lotus, Any Word Processor. Call Anjail Madyun at the Drop Inn Center, 721-0643. Degreed, successful grants administrator/writer seeks commissioned, free lance position as same; ten percent commission per award. Contact J. Janus, Jr. (Fax) 891-8663. Native American-Hispan ic female seeks sit down, slow­ paced industrial FACTORY position; physically challenged. (Fax) 891-8663. Scramble A·nswers from page 11... HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN CHRISTMAS SNOW NEW YEARS PARTY VALENTINES DAY CANDY THANKSGIVING TURKEY STREETVIBES provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only $I per line. Call 421-7803 for info. Stre·etvibes -Vendor Code of Conlluct Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. I. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $I voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for donations more than $I. I also understand that I will be able to keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. Future issues of Streetvibes will be purchased from the Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. 2. I agree that I will never distribute Streetvibes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. . 3. I agree that I will not ask for donations after 12 midnight. 4. I agree to treat others with respect. I will not use abusive language or force someone to give a donation. I will not give a "hard sell'' or make someone feel threatened. 5. I agree that I will not supply copies of Streetvibes to persons who are not registered distributors. 6. I agree not to deceive the public by saying that I am collecting for a not-for-profit charity or that I am collecting for the "homeless" if! general. I will be honest irr stating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvibes will go to the individual vendor. 7. I agree that I will not contest territories with other distributors. 8. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a self supporting paper created by people who ar'e homeless or formerly homeless. To help in this effort, I will try to spread the word and write stories if possible. 9. I understand that the failure to comply with any of the above statements will result in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. Sales Representative Looking for position as sales representative or management. Has good bookkeeping, typing and supervisory skills. Has experience _in retail management, customer service and sales. Is available to work immediately. Call Dea Harris at 552-935 I. Restaurant Work Responsible older man able to work any shift. Would prefer work as a busser at a resta~rant as well as work as a dishwasher or cook. Is very dependable and available immediately. Please contact Wiley Powell at 831-8404. Baby Sitter Need a babysitter? Former child-care worker with day­ care experience. Call Mary Ann at 665·4375 or pager at 610-8527 help wanted I Contineency f ee ~ Not afraid of Catholic Church or PUCO. Send office hours and name of law school on letterhead paper to I I I I Elm Street. No. 432, Cincinnati, OH 45210. Streetvibes Radio Hour On WAIF 88.3 fm The Homeless Coalition has a live radio program which can be heard on WAIF radio on the second Saturday of each month at noon. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Donald Whitehead and other monthly guest hosts. The show mixes talk focusing on the stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates; WAIF 88.3 fm Saturday. Nov. 14th, 1998, Noon to I pm ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Advertise in Streetvibes! Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to 4,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. ***Business Card Size 2" x 3 1./2" $10 per month ***Two Business Card Size 4" x 3 I /2" $20 per month A check or money order'must accompa,ny the ad copy. We reserve the right to deny any ad, especially those which promote alcohol or tobacco products. You will receive a full refund should your ad be denied. For larger ads, call the number below. Ads are due by the 20th of each month. If you need assistance in preparing your ad or have any other questions, call the Homeless Coali­ tion at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes TV STREETVIBES Sweat and T-Shirts! Only $5 for T's, $1 O for Sweats. The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video. Some viewers might not see the show appear at the right channel or time during the next couple months as Warner Cable changes programming and channels. STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes TV November Schedule This month's show will feature a round table discussion with homeless pe rsons, forme rly homeless perso ns and service provide rs. Homeless issues will be discussed by pane l m e mber s in an ope n forum.. Channe l 7 LIVE CALL-IN SHOW. Mo nday. Novembe r 16th at 7PM. 100% White Cotton Shirts and Long Sleeve Sweat Shirts XL Purple logo Re broadcast Dates for Show o n Chan· ne l 10: T-shirts and Sweat Shirts are available at our office at I506 Elm Street. Please stop by and see us. Satl•rday. November 7, 1998, 4 PM Friday. November 13. 1998, 11 AM Friday, November 20. 1998, 11 AM Saturday, November 28, 1998, 4 PM Monday, November 23, 1998, I0 PM Broadcast schedules are s ubject to change - consult your local TV directory. Where Your Dollar Goes Vendor: 80 cents Printing and Production : 20 cents Streetvibes has a minimal overhead cost so that the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. If anyone selling Streetvibes claims to be collecting for a private charity, please call our office at 421-7803. Thanksforyour support. Need Help or Want to Help? If for some reason you find yourself homeless, contact a Coalition Member Agency for Shelter, Treatment, Housing or Services. If you have any questions, feel free to call the Homeless Coalition at 421-7803. SHELTERS: W o men and Children Alice Faul House (abuse) YWCA Transitional Living Prog. Bethany House Salvation Army Welcome House 24 1-2757 281-5770 557-2873 762-5660 431-8717 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (veterans) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 381-4941 661-4620 381-1954 SHELTER: Both Caracole (AIDS) C habad House Drop Inn Center (singles) Friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) 761-1480 821-5100 721-0643 38 1-5432 863-8866 Page 16 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center St. John's Temporary Housing 244-7226 961-4080 651-6446 HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR Housing Network ReST OC Tender Mercies (Mental 111) Tom Geiger House 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381-0954 721-8666 961-4555 TREATMENT: W o m e n O.D.A.A.T First Step Home 241-7343 921-7324 TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 TREATMENT: Bo th N.A. Hopeline A.A Hotline C.C.A.T. Talbert House Transitions, Inc. VA Domiciliary 820-2947 861-9966 38~-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 OTHER SERVICES AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati Appalachian Identity Center 421-2437 62 1-5991 If you have any ideas for future STREETVIBES TV shows please contact our office at 421-7803. We always enjoy hearing from our veiwing audience. Ideas should address subjects related to homeless­ ness and poverty in our city. We are always inter­ ested in viewer ideas. so please give us a call... Streetvibes Wish List STR££VIB£S is published monthly on a shoe­ string budget. We depend heavily on the goodwill of many volunteers and donor s. If you can help out with some of the items on our wish list please give us a call... >Adobe Photoshop Software for IBM to save scanning costs >Adobe Illustrator Software for IBM > Adobe Pagemaker Software for STREETVIBES layout >35 MM Film for STREETVIBES photo's >Laser Printer >Advertisers to help support the paper >Office Supplies >Supplies for Vendors Lounge (coffee, cups. donuts , etc.) >Computer for STREETVIBES layout and writing C a ll t h e STREETVIBES o ffi ce at Al 1­ 7803 if you c a n help! 231-6630 Beech Acres Center for Independent living Options 241-2600 591-2246 Churches Active in Northside Cincinnati Health Network 961 -0600 569-1840 Community Action Agency 381-4242 Contact Center 241-2563 Emanuel Community Center 241-1064 Freestore/Foodbank 771-4800 Goodwill Industries 621-7149 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 632-7186 Hamilton Co. TB Control 357-4602 Health Resource Center 352-2902 Homeless Mobile Health Van 221-3679 House of Refuge Mission 241-9400 Legal Aid Society Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271-5501 72 1-4811 Mary Magdalen House 62 1-0248 Oral Health Council 621-6364 Our Daily Bread 621-5514 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 721-7660 T ravelers Aid 721-7900 United W ay 559-6656 VA Homele ss Program 491-3335 Women's Crisis Center � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1998 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource November 1998 Vol 2, issue 21 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: 'Standown '98' a Big Success: Hundreds of Homeless Persons Served During Cincinnati's Two Day Event In Memory of Buddy Gray: February 19th, 1950-November 15th, 1996 We Remember Pg 2: The Traveler: Not Just Another Trip Pg 3: OTR Loses Vine Street Battle Pg 4: Welfare News Pg 5: Broken City Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg 7: Nationwide Pg 8: Prisoners News Pg 9: Letters & Editorials Pg 10: Mexican Border News Pg 12: Homeless Veterans Pg 13: Cleveland News N. Kentucky News Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project (curated by Katelyn Lusher) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource November 1998 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ron Carter Denise Crew Brian Davis Julia Fischer Lolonta Foster Barry Grosheim Patrick Harmon Jimmy Heath James Hobbs Vikki Lynn Bonnie Neumeier Theresa Nye James W . Pryor William Stone Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Diane Young Brett Zwolinski Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <span>This work is licensed under a</span><span> </span><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a><span>.</span> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Barry Grosheim Bonnie Neumeier Brett Zwolinski Brian Davis buddy gray Denise Crew Diane Young Donald Whitehead immigration James Hobbs James W . Pryor Jimmy Heath Julia Fischer Lolonta Foster Lynn Williams Patrick Harmon prisoner Ron Carter Theresa Nye veterans Vikki Lynn welfare welfare reform William Stone https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/0c2a653943f01157719c7b088828b44f.pdf bb48d2aeed32a732fc988ea473100998 PDF Text Text JESSE JACKSON VISITS CINCINNATI: Forging Along the Appalachian Trail by Motorcade by Brett Zwolinski The Reverend Jesse Jackson has joined hands with the Appalachian community as his Rainbow/ PUSH Coalition forges its most recent friendship in the struggle for justice and equality for "red, yellow, brown, black, and white" of all social statuses. He said, "The real issue for us is to build coalitions and pull down walls. This is not about black and white! This is about wrong and right!" The Rainbow/PUSH Coalition is collaborating with the Appalachian community to incite organized labor and bureaucrats to improve the conditions and finance of Appalachians in areas such as health care, education, housing. and work environment. Reverend Jackson ardently proclaimed, "Lets talk about health care, in YOUR house! Let's talk about poverty, in YOUR house! Let's talk about unions and a right to organize, in YOUR house!" Jesse Jackson and his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition are in the midst of a bus tour rally for the Appalachian movement spanning Ghio, Kentucky. West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The Rainbow/PUSH Coalition led by Reverend Jesse Jackson rallied at the University of Cincinnati last week. Looming over an ebullient crowd from the .steps of McMicken Hall, he was accompanied by numerous community leaders- pastors, unionists, and politicians among them. United M ine Workers Cecil Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers, addressed the crowd bewailing the wretched conditions of former mine workers. He and the Reverend Jackson recently visited Pikeville, KY where they encountered ailing coal miners who are dying of black lung disease. Referred to by Reverend Jackson a~ his "soul mate," Cecil Roberts said definitively. "Jesse Jackson cares about mine workers." M ayor Roxanne Qualls Mayor Qualls accompanied Reverend Jackson throughout the Cincinnati portion of the bus tour rally for Appalachians. In the midst of her struggle for a congressional seat in the House of Representa­ t ives, Mayor Qualls seized the opportunity to rally for her campaign against incumbent Steve Chabot. After his fierce and choleric speech, JUE (Interna­ tional Union of Electric Electrical Salaried Machinist and Furniwre Workers) President Ed Fire beseeched God, " Make Qualls our next congresswoman." Mayor Qualls began by declaring, "Jesse Jackson is the conscience of America! He speaks out for those who can't speak out." She said, "Coal miners have been forgotten by a right wing congress (not to mention the left and the middle), but not by Jesse Jackson. Continuing her diatribe on the misgivings of coal miners, she conjured up images in o~r minds by way of her Titanic analogy. Chastising a profligate American culture, obsessed with quixotic notions of death and grieving, she chided mordantly, "There is a Titanic sinking every year in Appala­ chia!" 'Jackson• Cont. on Page Two... F~ed Shuttlesworth (left} and the Rev. Jesse Jackson address attendees at UCrally. Photo by Jimmy Heath Rally Held at Chiquita Headquarters Concerned Citizens Vocalize Plight of Banana Workers by Odi Goodman · On Friday, September I Ith at 12 noon, different groups concerned with labor, human r ights, and the environment gathered to protest in front of the Chiquita Center at Sth anc;I Sycamore in down­ town Cincinnati. The Action was coordinated by the Justice for Banana Workers Coalition of Cincin­ nati, and launched a series of similar non-violent demonstrations across the globe. Unified workers, activists and concerned citizens from d!fferent parts of Latin America, the United States and Europe publicly requested that Chiquita begin dialogue with their workers. COLSIBA (Latin American Coordination of Banana Worker Unions), which encompasses roughly 22,000 workers, has been requesting since early August to rryeet with Chiquita in order to address "serious concerns" over work and living conditions on their plantations. Many who live in Cincinnati are aware of the articles published by the Enquirer in early May of this year, as well as the papers withdrawal, payment and public apology to Chiquita. The Justice for Banana Workers Coalition has n~thing to do with the Enquirer or its present or former employees. We consist of a broad range of concerned citizens, many of whom have visited or lived in Central or South America. We are in contact with the people at the grassroots level, the banana workers and their families, and we keep our commitment to them. As a result of the Friday 11th protest, two of our group met with Steven Warshaw, president and chief operating officer of Chiquita Brands Interna­ tional. Warshaw declined to meet with COLSIBA. on a technicality arguing that COLSIBA does not represent the workers, and that the company would rather meet with unions on a country to country basis. SITRAT ERCO. a Honduran union whom the company agreed to meet with this summer, has since sent a letter to Chiquita that acknowledges COLSIBA as the union that represents the united international concerns of all Latin American banana workers. The following is a speech given by one of the protesters at the September I Ith protest. "I would like to thank you all for coming out on this Friday on behalf of the banana workers of Latin America. I send this message out to all those who can hear, whether you are protesting, walking down the street, or especially if you are working inside the Chiquita Center. I think that I can speak. for everyone here when I say that we do not · represent the newspapers, neither their staff, nor do we represent any big business. We are not fanatics who get our kicks out of protesting and being in the limelight. We come here because we are concerned citizens. Many are here. because we understand that sometimes you have to be a voice for those who 'Chiquita• Cont. on Page Three... �STREETVIBES The Tn State 's Homeless Grapevine Page 2 STREETVIBES •Jackson• Cont. On The Road The Tri State's From Page Again Homeless Grapevine Donald Whitehead One••. by Streetvibes, the T~i-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for ·and about the homeless. It is compiled by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Home­ less. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and then sell it for a dollar donation to get back o n their feet. All vendors sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organiz­ ing. The Streetvibes Committee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a comment, please call 421-7803 . Staff Donald Whitehead, Director Jimmy Heath, Coordinator Brett Zwolinski, Vendor Support Ron Carter, Vendor Support James 'Hobbs, Vendor Support Photoirapher Jimmy Heath Writers , Maryann Bravo Ron Carter Denise Crew Lee Crum Brian Davis Lalonta Foster Robert Freking Odi Goodman Jimmy Heath l eni Hochman Michael Nelson Jam es W. Pryor Aaron Pitchford Rodney Sutton Jessica Wallace. Gloria Wiggins D o nald Whitehead Lynn Williams Brett Zwolinski E'ltorlal Pa/11:1: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, com­ ments or editorials. We will print every­ thing we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send all material to the fo llowing address: STREETVIBES 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 452 10 (513) 421-7803 fax (513) 421 -7813 e-mail: homecoal@primax.net http://cinci.com/gcch Quote of the Month (by Lora Joi/is, Hamilton County Dept. of Human Services regarding her staff}: "I hope they love their jobs here too much to want to go. This is the best laboratory you could ever work in." Evidently, Roxanne Qualls is a tutor in our Cincinnati community. She advertently stated, 'The kids I tutor are not concerned about Sex, Lies, and Videotapes, but their education, health, and future." Questionm Then why is it that our culture is saturated with the sale of Sex, Lies, and Videotapes. fronically, only moments later, Jesse Jackson urged that we are too concerned with the- Sex, Lies, and Videotapes as evidenced by our coverage of Bill Clinton's infidelity in the mediam Indeed, it seems our youth are imbued and preoccupied with Sex, Lies, and Videotapes as evidenced by escalating crimes of sexual harassment and assailment, as well as increased teen birth control and pregnancy. And the problem is much more profoundly embedded in our culture than our community leaders comprehension. It seems they are more concerned with treating the symptoms of the "war on the poor," rather than struggling with the inherent problems within our media saturated culture that breed greed and avarice: the quick fix. "There is a Titanic sinking every year in Appalachia." -Mayor Roxanne Qualls Diffused throughout.his speech, Reverend Jackson dropped parables and quotes from Jesus Christ's teachings, conjuring up analogues of moder­ nity. As he spoke, cries of affirmation came pouring from his flanks where several outstanding ministers girded the Reverend- Shuttlesworth, Dwight Wilkins, Damon Lynch Jr.. among them. At a particularly climactic point in Jesse Jackson's speech, in the words ofJesus, he urged, "You measure character by how you treat the least of these." His biblical analogues culminated in the classical parable of the Good Samaritan in which he spurred the crowd on towards love and good deeds. LEAVE NO AMERICAN BEHIND! This is the motto of the Rainbow/PUSH Coali­ tion, enunciated incessantly by Reverend Jackson throughout his speech. Sunday September 27, 1998 from 12:00 noon to 6:00pm, amidst the Wayne National Forest in Nelsonville, Ohio Reverend Jackson led a March For Appalachia. From wh~re was the phraseology, "Leave no American behind," culled? And what exactly is the March for Appalachia all about? ''This is not about black and white! This is about wrong and right!" -Jesse Jackson Revere nd Jesse Jackso n's Statment:: "Let us march and say to the nation that the children born here are just as precious in God's sight as the children who are born to the wealthiest of households. There is no gap between Appalachia and the rest of the nation when it comes to willing­ ness to work, when it comes to patriotism, or creativity, or love and respect for one's family. Let us march, then, to close the gaps that still persist-gaps in decent health care, quality education, housing, transportation, and financing for business growth­ gaps that prevent.too many people of this region from fully realizing their God-given potential. Let us march in the finest American tradition with a message taught to us by the Marines in time of war: Leave no Ameri­ can behind!" The best thing about traveling is the learning experience gained from exposure to different meth­ ods in different regions of the country. My most recent trip was a great source of valuable information that I can hopefully use in the effort to end homelessness here in Cincinnati. I will get to that a little later. First let me tell about my first trip, this trip was a journey to almost every city in the U.S in less than three hours. This trip was impossible before our route was invented- it now happens on a regular basis. I was accompanied on this trip by some of Cincinnati's most well known residents. My compan­ ions came from all walks of life. There were; clergy­ men, politicians, radio and television personalities, advocates, students, families and business leaders. Our trip was made possible by The National Broad­ casting Company(NBC). Our mode of travel was the nations airwaves. We were guests on a Town Hall Meeting The topic of this mee~ing was leadership in America. I was poised to talk about important issues such as homelessness, welfare reform, poverty, healthcare and all the other burning issues facing America at this time. The true focus of the meeting became clear at the beginning when panel members were steered into a conversation about the ongoing saga of the affair involving the President. I was almost embarrassed to be a part of the feeding frenzy around this issue. When finally given the opportunity to speak 1·was able to try to shift the focus back to real issues, my comments were quickly interrupted by one of what seemed like a million commercial breaks. That's the last' I will talk about this trip because I refuse to use the pages of Streetvibes to promote this issue consuming so many pages and so much airtime in so many other Media sources. W ednesday Se ptember 23, 1998 Once again I am at 30,000 feet gazing at the clouds-things are so peaceful here, far from the day to day struggles I encounter on the ground. My destina­ tion on this trip is Brooklyn Park Minnesota. I am in Minnesota to present at the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless's State Conference. It is my second opportunity to present at this conference. It always make you feel special when someone asks you back a second time. My presentation entitled "Helping Homeless People Advocate For Themselves" is very fulfilling for me personally. The audience consisted of former and currently homeless residents. I have done this workshop in several places; Washington D.C, Cincinnati, and Minnesota. It is always fulfilling to see homeless people reclaiming their lives. I am joined in this workshop by my co-presentors Mary Ann Gleason, Executive Director of the National Coalition for The Homeless, and Greg Horan, President of the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless. The Work­ shop is a series of role play exercises, discussions and dialogue that thoroughly engages its participants. The second day of the conference provides me with an opportunity to learn. This unique opportunity allows me to observe different methods of addressing the many needs of the population we serve. I attend one workshop called "Living On The Edge" which focuses on people who do not utilize the shelter system. The title alone sends chills up my spine considering what I know about the harshness of weather ~nditions in Minnesota. I also learn from Mary Ann Gleason's keynote that it is very likely that HR.2, the very damaging public housing legislatiori attached to HUD Appropriations is likely to go through. This legislation is likely to cause the loss os subsidy's for 270,000 low-income people. This coupled with Welfare Reform, Hope VI demolitions 'Road' Cont. on Page 7••. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 3 'Chiquita• Cont. From Pg. One... cannot be heard. This is what we are doing today, as different groups concerned with labor, human righ.ts .and the environment gather acro ss the globe. W ithin the next three days t here will be non-violent demonstra­ tions similar to this from different parts of Lat in America, the United St.ates and Europe. We ask that Chiquita begin Dialogue with the union CO LSIBA.· We believe that as a multinatio nal corporat ion, Chiquita needs to meet with their w.o rke rs who are also united across many nations. Many peo ple who work at Chiquita might say that the co mpany treats its workers better than any other company that operates in Latin America. I think that it in o rder to understand the present you have to look into the history of the countries in which United Fruit o perat ed and in which Chiquita now operates. Brutal civil wars have wrecked many of these countries, from Colombia to Guatemala. Those who have historically run Chiquita's plantations abroad play a part in a power structure, an oligarchy, that sustains savage inequalities between the minority rich and the majority poor. In Latin America, the governments, land owners and military are the oligarchy. These are synonymous with secret police, death squads, private armies, massacres, disappeared persons, torture, rape, illegal detention, and other forms of intimidation and abuse. Guatemala, one of the most violent countries in Latin America, had their democratically elected government overthrown in 1954 by the CIA in part on behalf of United Fruit. This kicked off a decades long civil war leaving some 140,000 to 200,000 dead. This was a war waged against civilians. Some would call it genocidal in the magnitude of which indigenous peoples were targeted and slaughtered. I ask you, do you think that by . changing headquarters, changing cities and changing names you can change the past? You have not convinced me, nor have you convinced the people of Latin America. Not when organizers such as Medardo Varela are gunned down for filing suits on behalf of workers who have gone sterile from pesticides used on plantations that are banned in the U.S., not :-'hen private company secur ity guards carry assault rifles and intimidate workers, not when families are evicted from their communities for taking part in a strike. Maybe Chiquita should put more effort int~ changing the conditions of their workers and their families than changing names and silencing newspa­ pers. I would prefer it if you would invest your profits into improving lives, not building public works in a foreign country. I t hink that you need to talk with your workers, as one big union, united interna­ tionally as you are international. In this age of global economics, we need global corporate responsibility. It would be a beautiful thing if C incinnati could be instrumental in sett ing a global standard of better conduct for wo rkers abroad". Contents Welfare News Livable Wage Update Visible Homeless Arts &Poetry Haiku · Prisoners' News Tactics Letters &Editorials Findlay Market Update Homeless Veterans Cleveland News Movie Review Announcements Classifieds Vendor Profile Page 4 Page4 Pages Page6 Page7 Pages Page9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 15 Page 16 ••••••••••••••••••••••••• Protestersgatherin front of Chiquita Building in downtown Cincinnati. OUR YOUTH byGloria Wiggins Are the youth responsible for their attitudes, and trouble they get in? The answer is, No, No, No! We the adults of our neighborhood are. We are the role models that they copy. Because they are young, they think their new fashions , or should I say todays fashions, are for young folk. Fact of the matter, nothing in the world is new, especially not fashion. The is a pony keg that I used to live very close to that would sell just to be selling. The youth in the neighborhood ask adults to buy their beer, cigarett~s, or Black and Mild cigars. The adult would say yes 1f the child bought him or her a beer, or cigarette, or gave them a dollar or two. I was approached by one of the youth, who asked if I would buy him a beer as I was entering the pony keg. I said no. I wanted to ask ~he kid ~here he lived and talk to.his parents. I decided against my quest.ion since I knew the child would not tell me. Behind half, more or less, of every youth's trouble is an adult not taking a good look in the mirror. If you don't like what you see in a child its only because they watch these grown folks that are supposed to be responsible. They are not. I blame TV for the violence of children. Also, daddies beat mommies. Little boys grow up thinking this is the way to treat women who cook, clean, and bring their children into this wor ld. And little girls think that its okay that the father of their children beat the crap out of them. If a man beat a woman like me he can never expect to sleep in bed with me and make love o r anything else. Even though I'd be 150% behin~ my man. I cannot and will not take verbal or physical abuse from my lover. Of co urse we all have lovers quarrels from time to time. Basically only 20% of men are even 50% behind women. They belittle our hard work, taking for granted that she makes it look so easy and it is not. I est imate 2% of men can take care of a new­ born. It takes being maternal in a way that a man will never understand unless someone like me write a book about it. Wake up ladies, smell the coffee that you have been brewing that he too drinks. There is a lot of cream and no sugar. Use the mind GOD gave you a little more. Maybe then you will see the fear you put in your child's eyes. If mom can't trust da~, ~r vice versa, not to hurt each other with domestte violence, who can that child trust. Nothing from nothing leaves nothing. The hoodlums come from adults, who's parent are not always on the job or at work while their child screams and mess up because they are unsupervised. What happened to the GOOD O LD DAYS when children were taught and 1.earnt good deeds from the community of adults. To respect any adult even if they are wrong. And parents communicate to teach an understanding. When I was growing up, disrespecting an adult would get your butt spanked or grounded. I'd also have to apologize and say yes mam and no mam or sir. I will never disrespect any adult. One time I boarded a bus, paid my fare. At the front of the bus sat a young girl of about 15 years old with her legs stretched out and crossed, slumped in her seat blocking the aisle. The bus pulled off as I . , politely asked her to move her legs. She looked at me as if I were crazy and d1dn t move. One false move by the bus driver as I stepped over her legs and I'd be floored, I tho ught to myself. And there was no room to walk around. I again asked her to move her legs. She gave me a dirty look , then moved her legs. The young lady did not realize I knew her mother. One day I saw her mother shopping in the same neighborhood we both lived, Peeble Corner. . The little girl was with her. I told the mother of the incident on the bus. Her mom said to me, "KIDS WILL BE KIDS." When I was 15 my mom would never st.and for that, disrespecting an adult the slightest bit. She'd correct me in such a way that I knew she meant business. She did not be abusive verbally or physi­ cally. So see, there is more than one way to skin a cat. For Mothers Day 1998, I bought my mom a Mothers Day card that read, "Thanks mom for making me clean my room. And teaching me how to cook. And making me eat my lima beans." Todays mom generally don't make a child do much that they don't want to do for fear that child may call 241 ­ KIDS. Then there are parents who say screw 241­ KIDS and chastise a child when needed, not brutally however. "Spare the ro d and spoil the child." Schoo ls are talking about corporal punishing kids once again. W hat about 241-KIDS. Mothers yo u ho ld a nation in the palms of your hand. Don't you want your child to be safe. And dead beat dads, I feel so sorry for you, 'cause nothing good will come to you 'til you take responsibility for your seed. Of course, child support is unfair. Sure men should pay for making a baby just like women do. But come on. Men need food to eat and a roof over their head too. There should be a limit to all the madness. You can't squeeze blood out of a turnip can you? Men should pay what can be affordable and reasonable. That's why we have as many dead beat dads going to jail. What can he do in there? Pay child support. •our Youth' Cont. on Page 14•.. �STREETVIBES The Tn State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Welfare News YEAR 2 OF 3 YEAR COUNTDOWN by Lynn Williams October Ist marks the start of Year 2 of the three year countdown of time limits for welfare recipients in Ohio. The pressure is on Ohio's unem­ ployed to find a job that is going to provide for one's family, have stability, provide health care, and get one's family out of poverty. With the time limits in effect, there won't be any cycling on and off welfare as jobs come and go. Welfare will no longer be able to be used as 'employment compensation' for the many people ineligible for the real unemployment compensa­ tion. The pressure to find jobs intensifies for recipients who have extra barriers, such as disabilities, children with disabilities, domestic violence victims, poorly educated in Ohio's public schools with low reading and math skill levels, and middle aged persons. (employers state that they prefer young workers over middle-aged ones). The prospect looks really bleak for recipients with borderline IQ's or with an undiagnosed mental illness. A lot of people with children are going to be left out in the cold, literally, when the final month's check is a memory. •••business 'leaders' are praising welfare reform, because it is creatingareadysupply ofcheap, disposable workers who will work under almostany working conditions. With the pressure of time limits on recipients, businesses are having a field day with the labor market for entry-level, low-skill positions. Facing the time limits, recipients are forced into any job that comes along, regardless of labor violations, inadequate pay, inadequate safety and health standards. As the three year limit comes even nearer, recipients will be willing to accept any job that they can get for survival, regardless of pay rate and working conditions. Wel­ fare reform is creating a whole new underclass of workers, people frantic for any job to survive. Busi­ nesses know that if they let entry-level workers go, that there will be a ready supply to replace them. This is why business 'leaders' are praising welfare reform, because it is creating a ready supply of cheap, dispos­ able workers who will work under almost an working conditions. Does this sound like a Third World Country? An overseas country? In Ohio, starting October Ist, recipients will be allowed to use even fewer hours for education. The 20/ I0 ratio of work/developmental activities is reduced to 25/5. This allows recipients a grand total of one hour a day to get an education! The rug is also being pulled out from under recipients who want to get a solid college education first. Currently the federal law limits recipients to one year for counting college classes as the total work requirement. Only 20% of the caseload is allowed this option, and teenagers trying to get their high school degree or GED are included in the 20%. Before federal law went into effect, recipients could survive (or try to survive on welfare) while they made it through college. With a degree they were far more likely to obtain a livable wage job to escape the welfare roles forever. Currently there is a bill in Congress, the Higher Education Act, otherwise known as the Wellstone Amendment, that would permit recipients two full years of college to coun·t as the work requirement. Many legislators staunchly oppose this bill. They don't view it as an opportu­ nity for welfare moms to get a degree and then get off of welfare for good. Instead, they view it as depriving Big Business of entry-level workers with low skills who will accept any job that comes along. A college degree might make them 'uppity' about accepting low-skill positions. As one business owner put it, "Why should they get a degree? They don't even need a high school degree to work in my business." Yes, they just have to be willing to do mindless, grunt work for 40 hours per week, 160 hours per month, one thousand and twenty hours per year, not counting overtime, be willing to have a two hour commute, rarely see their children, and get an inadequate wage. One woman who left welfare for work, lacking a college or high school degree, shared with me her life's work. "What I do now is stand on an assembly line for eight hours a day, zapping a laser at a bolt. I'm a little afraid of the electric volts. In case I do it wrong, it might hurt me pretty bad." This is what she has to look forward to at the start of the work week, 4 am on Monday mornings when she rises to take the children to the sitter and a long commute to work in the suburbs. Welfare reform with its time limits has been depicted as the Titanic, with women and children being thrown overboard. Welfare reform also resembles another ship, the Slave Ships coming to America. Human beings are still being forced and coerced to work the jobs on America's 'planta­ tions' that no other workers will do. Page 4 studies done by WOW (Wider Opportunities for Women) and ACORN. Utilities are included in rent, clothing and laundry are included in Miscellaneous. There is no longer a "with or without car" distinc­ tion. Instead, there is one averaged modest figure. Federal, state, and payroll taxes are included, so the figure is Gross Wages. Some see it as a moral issue;1it is only fair that someone who works all day and all week should be paid enough to support themselves. To determine the livable wage, such essentials as rent, food, transportation, and health care were considered, plus a few quality of life "extras," such as, recreation and savings. $ 16,500 was determined to be the cost of living in Tompkins County for an individual. A person with dependents would need to earn more. Childcare costs vary depending on age of the child. Family day care costs average $4432 per year, or $4678 for an infant. At a child care center the range is $4680 for a child to $7800 for an infant. Other expenses, such as, food and health care would almost double, while rent would go up to $678/month. There are many variations in family structure and life-style choices, leaving the livable wage insufficient for some employees and generous for a few. Nonetheless, the livable wage figure is a useful benchmark for employees and employers. • •••••••••••••••••••••••••• NATIONAL COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS STREETVIBES Nationwide LIVABLE WAGE UPDATE byL11nlHochman, Alternative Currents, Ithaca, NY Alternatives Federal Credit Union took a new look at how much money it takes for an individual to live in Tompkins County. The bottom line? $16,500. In 1994, the Alternatives Credit Union did its first Livable Wage Study to address the question: What does it take to live decently, but frugally in Tompkins County? Different than minimum, competitive, or comparable wage, the goal of livable wage is to pay all full-time workers a high enough wage that they are able to support themselves without living in poverty. When the Alternatives Credit Union introduced a "livable wage" in 1994 it was a unique idea. Since then, many in this community have taken up the call for livable wages. Some see it as a moral issue; it is only fair that someone who works all day and all week should be paid enough to support themselves. We also see it as a good policy. A livable wage fosters good morale and less employee turnover. Data for our study were collected in January 1998 by Yat-Che Shum, an intern from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University. The latest swdy has been simplified, with fewer categories, more closely matching NCH is leading an initiative to establish a federally-funded targeted homeless addiction disorder treatment program. As part of t his e ffort, N CH is seeking information about the substance abuse t reatment needs o f hom e­ less p eople in states and communities across the country. Homeless people, advocates, housing and health service providers, researchers. and others are requested to provide NCH staff any information that you can obtain. Thank you for strengthening our case for a targeted substance abuse treatment program for people experiencing homelessness! · ACTION ALERT Ask the Clinton Administration to Request Full Funding for Homeless Assistance Programs in Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) FY 2000 Budget. STATUS: Senior HHS staff and the budget and domestic policy advisors to the President are currently reviewing budget requests that have been submitted by HHS's component agencies. These officials will decide the funding levels that the President will include in the Fiscal year (FY) 2000 budget in the Fall. ACTION: Write the President's HHS, Office of Management and Budget, and Domestic Poticy Council leadership and request that they ensure that the Administration's FY 2000 budget request includes fun~ing for the HHS homeless assistance programs at the levels recommended below. It is c r itical that' yo u w r ite letters immediat e ly because the w indow of opportunity for the public t o impact the FY 2000 budget is closing. For more information please contact Bob Reeg. Please send any written information to Bob Reeg at NCH, I012 14th St. NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005-3406; FAX: 2021737-6445; E-Mail: nch@ari.net. Call Bob at 2021737-6#4 :x.31 '4 if you have information to share by telephone. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine The Visible Homeless... .. .. •..,. ,,,., , ,, , by Rev. Douglas May Everyone in substance abuse counseling has at one time or another pointed to the "skid row bum" and said, "you don't have to be like him to be an addict or alcoholic." While this type of person may represent only 5% of all addicts, Christians who are in recovery have a lot more in common with him than they may think! A drive through the streets of any major city reminds us that the·"skid row bum" has not disappeared. Alarmingly, he has been joined by hundreds of th~usands of people now called "the homeless." Who are they? 18-53 year old men and women who are 16-30 years of age, and single parents with children now represent the bulk of the homeless population. Most are minorities and local people, not transients, who have been homeless for one year or less. On today's "skid row" we find 1 people who are dependent on a variety of drugs, emotionally dysfunctional, mentally ill, and medically at-risk, especially for HIV/AIDS. A high percentage of them have been sexually and physically abused. Addiction and Ho m e lessness Besides not having a home to call their own, most of the 500,000 to 3 million people identified as homeless have something else in common-addiction and mental illness. According to one study, up to two-thirds of homeless adults suffer from alcoholism and at least half suffer from drug disorders. In their book, A Nation In Denial, Alice Bum and Donald Burns shatter many of the myths surrounding the root causes of homelessness, which have little to do with the economy, governmental social policies, lack of affordable housing, and ·so forth. According to t heir research at least 65-85% of all homeless adults suffer from chronic alcoholism, drug addition, mental illness, o r some combination of the three, often complicated by serious medical problems. At least s dent on spotty AOL and e-mail from you all, it appears that the environment in Washington is increasingly disinterested in the important issues o f community and place. No netheless, I thought a different frame of reference might be of value. In the past week I have been participating in a tour of community lending activities in Romania, Russia and the Caucasus. While not directly related to work in housing domestically, I have learned from the struggles, strategies and problem solving approaches. Before I came on this trip a couple of friends asked me why I thought it was relevant for any community developer and houser in the United States to spend any time building capacity in other parts of the world given the conditions at home. My initial response was that we live in a global economy and the economic condition in Russia or Costa Rica or Romania has a real impact on America. I remain convinced that this is true and I would now both expand the answer and understand thequestion'scomplexity. Many of the challenges surrounding generating private capital investment, finding ways to maintain housing stock, the influences of race and class issues and costs of government regulations and policies are similar. Manwith shopping carton Vine Street. HOMELESSNESS ADDICTION RECOVERY: A LASTING SOLUTION Page I/3 of the homeless suffer from severe and persistent chronic psychiatric disorders. Forty to fifty percent of these individuals are "dually diagnosed"-suffering from addiction to alcohol and/or drugs, as well. Ultimately, the condition labeled "homelessness" is best described as a state of "disaffiliation" or complete alienation from meaning­ ful human relationships and the social support systems most people have working for them. Most homeless people are either addicts themselves or are the products of dysfunctional families and broken homes that were significantly impacted by addiction. These are root problems and unless they are adequately addressed, any other help we provide will not be effective. While millions of dollars may be spent on education, housing, and employment for the homeless, these efforts do little to improve their lots if they are unable to stay sober by working through the very same recovery issues that many of us are dealing with in our own lives. Sadly enough, while these problems are on the rise, the resources that are available are usually priced beyond what those who need help the most can afford! Between 1978 and 1984 there was a 17% de'Crease in treatment beds for the indigent (those without insurance or funds to pay for care). According to recent congressional figures, only 12.5% of the nations 6.5 million drug users have access to publicity funded treatment. Christian Recovery and Hom elessness Is it possible that what we've called the "Christian Recovery Movement" could be helpful in solving this problem? Recovery in the Christian community is still largely a phenomenon of the middle-class. Most Christian support groups meet in predominantly white suburban churches, usually outside of the reach of inner city people who could greatly benefit from them. Additionally. almost all of the Christian self-help literature is written with a cultural and educational bias aimed at this social status. There are, however, some encouraging signs. POINT OF VIEW by Helen Dunlap It seems slightly out of context to take this space to share some observations and reflections from a week in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, especially while housing advocates in Washington are attempting to. make sure that the 1999 Budget is sufficient. From half way around the world, depen- To be more specific, I have spent the week visiting USAID and IFC (International Finance Corporation) development$ where the United States and the World Bank are investing resources to build local capacity to do small business lending. The objective is not just to make loans but to build the infrastructure to do so. This is ironic at a time when the entire infrastructure in Russia disappeared almost overnight in the past month. Imagine an environment with ATM machines and credit cards that all broke down at once. Imagine a place where traveler's checks can't be cashed. If you are in Russia right now that is the environment. Sounds like some neighborhoods in America dependent oR check cashing outfits. While relevant observations are endless here are a few which I hope are of interest. I have been fascinated with what is happening with the privatization of the publicly owned stock. As you are aware, housing was typically publicly owned until the disillusion of the Soviet Union and the democratization of Eastern Europe. Much of the stock is or has been made available to current occupants for a nominal price. T his is not to say that there isn't then value. Resale has real market value. Of course, one needs a place to live so the value is not liquid but it is collateral for business and not having a mortgage payment is interesting. On the other hand, since most of the buildings are multiunit buildings and there are few cooperat.ive arrange­ ments, when the roof leaks there is no association to repair it. When the elevator breaks down, repair happens only when someone takes the initiative to collect from their neighbors and get it fixed . In discussing the various lending programs I have found repeated illustrations of something which is called the taX police. Few folks pay taXes unless they get involved in the organized system. Tax collection is irregular and often corrupt. When someone uses a bank or other organized lending program they find themselves in the system and subject to taxation. This does not necessarily mean that they just pay their taXes however. Since the system could well not be consistent some end up paying more than they owe with the consequence that the business they just started or tried to build goes bankrupt because of taXation. l oan repayment is at risk of the "taX police". I leave it to you to think about the similari­ ties between this situation and the growing second economy in the United States, one which if fo lks had 'VIEW' Cont. on Page Nine... �., STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine GIVE IT UP LIFE IS by Denise Crew by Lee Crum, 239·589 Orient CorrectionalInstitution Y9u are a clinging vine, digging in deep becoming a part of all that has been created LONESOME ME by Denise Crew I couldn't wait until I had time to myself no little ones outside the bathroom door doing a battle royal about a pair of socks No book fairs to scrounge up money for so that my little ones could be privileged to a book or two of their choosing no lunches to pack for school and complaints about what was in them or discovering them uneaten the following day Worrying who will do child care next week because the new baby-sitter just isn't working out now my mind is on other things · how are the children are the grandchildren doing all right Why don't they call why don't they visit some things never change one it was just poor me ,now its just poor lonesome me ARITHMETICIAN byAaron Pitchford If you have a potato and divide into halves, then into quarters, then eighths, then into sixteenths, what would be the correct answer? Potato salad! STREETVIBES Sweat and T-Shirts! Only $5 for T's, $1Ofor Sweats. You want to be a earth woman, protect all things that live, as well as all things are precious to you Kind woman of spirit you can live gently on this earth, at one with all that's good an right Soothing words come form your heart. But YO';! do not know their impact on my being. As forceful a blow that could be deadly if connected with fatal violence You keep only that which you are in need if to survive. When it comes time for you. Without hesitation or reservation, you give it up MOTHER THORITOI by Denise Crew Surely you are the matriarch of the family putting all you have into yours is what you do being all to those who are, and bringing each one through It must be a thankless task sometimes I dare say, but you are the woman who made the tireless way I know you must get tired with all you have to do the care, the love and a stern talk or two You've always been a mother now your grands are true because they see, and they will keep your legacy come true Press for education, is focus for the day This you do encourage in every single way so proud you are, I know it Because you are the Matriarch STREETVIBES The Tn State's Homeless Grapevine God knows you do your best so He brings you peace at night when you lay down to rest you wake early in the morning and do your daily thing do people know or even care that you are crowned a queen 100% White Cotton Shirts and Long Sleeve Sweat Shirts XL Purple logo T-shirts and Sweat Shirts are available at our office at 1506 Elm Street. Please stop by and see us. Page 6 What is life, a meaningful thing More precious than money; I do mean! A Prisoner Of War That still have dreams, No chance for parole Is how its seems Incarcerated! No help from the outside, Behind the walls of a prison Is where I lye_. In need of friendship thats no lie, For many of reasons and this says why? Confined with envelopes, pens, and paper But no o ne to write, It seems as though a long last fight! ''HE DON'T WAIT TO SEE YOU'' Aaoa1111oa1 She visited as often as possible. Sometimes with her husband john, sometimes alone, as today. She sent postcards, stamped envelopes, cards and letters. She bought him an electric typewriter for school. A good friend to a prisoner, to an old friend. Now the man at the check-in window said she could not visit. Her name and her husband's was scratched off the visiting list. "Yes, my husband's name was taken off so my mother could visit since you only allow 2 friends at a time. She was to put on in my husband's place for now. She's been to ill to come. My nam~ was not to be removed." "Well, it's off the list and he don't want to see you anyway so you can't go in." "There must be some mistake. I've been here before and there was no problem. Please check to see if my mother is on the list." "How would I even know if she was your mother? You're just a liar and you might as well leave now!" "Her name is Bessy Stevens. Is she on the list? Why would they remove her name?" "That name is here but I have no way of knowing if that is your mother. I wouldn't make any difference anyway. You were only on as the wife of a visitor. When your husband is off, you are off." 'This just is not right! I've visited before on my own, without my husband." "No you haven't, you're lying, you're not even on the list!" The officer at the other window stepped over and verified that she had visited before, quite often. said he'd seen her and she had been signed in. "Don't matter, she's not on the list now. With her attitude she shouldn't even bother trying to get on the list again. She won't make it, so forget it." Shaken by the threat, and feeling the anger rise in her throat after being called a liar twice, she hesitated. Then she answered, "You may be allowed to talk to the prisoners like that, but I am not locked up, so you don't have the right to treat me so!" "Get on out of here and don't bother to come back!" She turned quickly, her face flushed. She saw the faces of other waiting visitors, now apprehensive and threatened also. As she pushed the door open she said, not too softly, 'This really sucks!" The desk sergeant grinned at her, before he called the next visitor number. ' �SJREEJVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 7 • Phone: 921· 1231 STATE AVENUE SALVAGE HISTORICAL BLDG. MATERIALS EARL (CHARLIE) MATIINGLY 1958 State Ave. Cinti., OH 45204 (:C~ $1i HAND UP .\~OTHER C LASS PRODvCT I O~ Disc-Jockey Service NOT a CLIFFORD JONES {513) 761-3464 (513) 230-6353 payroll and human resource management HAND OUT TRANSCON EMPLOYMENT COMPANY Angle E. St runk , CEO 1-888-841·7900 P.O. Box 12545 (513) 841-5550 Cincinnati, Ohio 45212 Fax: (513) 841·5545 angie_strunkOmsn.com WILLIAM R . WALi.ACE, D.D.S. 5258 MONTGOMERY RO. NORWOOD. OH 452 12 OCTOBER 15-16, 1998 DROP INN CENTER 217 W. 12TH STREET Telephone (513) 531 ·2338 CINCINNATI, OHIO ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Subscribe to Streetvibes HAIKU by Brett Zwolinski An Unrhymed Japanese verse form of three lines containing usually 5,7,5 (or 7,5 ,7) syllables respectively . Please submit your suggestions for monthly Haiku to Brett Zwolinski at STREETVIBES, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 Now, Jessica Wal lac e' s Haiku: such an endless glass you drink such an image kept such sour endings you swallow Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be pur­ chased for $12 per year. Ple'ase send a check to the below address and the paper will be m ailed to you each issue. Streetvibes I 506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Home less--Streetvibes. If you have a ny questions, call 421-7803. 'Road' Cont. From Page Two.... and a stagnant minimum wage make for a very bleak next few years for poor people. The next speaker offered a ray of hope. Brooklyn Park was chosen as a sight for very good reason. Residents there had saved over I000 units of housing from demolition. The housing was in very-good condition, similar to Newport Publi~ Housing. Just like Newport, Lincoln Courts and just about anywhere else in the U.S., the land had suddenly become valuable for developers. My host Sue Watlov Phillips is A-1 as far as hosts go, took me on a very extensive tour of Minnesota that focused on social services. Minne­ sota has a slightly different emphasis than we do here in Ohio. With a lot of state-wide support, legislators have been able to produce a substantial amount of scattered sight transitional and permanent housing. Conversely they have less emergency services. It a shame in the richest country in the world that providers have to make difficult choices about who to serve. If you read this NBC, how about that for a Town Hall Meeting. Happy Trails. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page B • EDUCATION AS CRIME PREVENTION:~ PROVIDING EDUCATION TO PRISONERS by James Pryor, In Struggle Ohio's prison population is rapidly increasing. and current statistics place the number of people incarcerated in Ohio to be over fifty thousand. This -estimate is over thirty three thousand more people incarcerated today than there was fifteen years ago in 1980. The United States has a higher proportion of its population behind bars than any other nation. Yet, proportion-wise, Ohio ranks among one of the highest (states). and still its public schools are faltering. I would like to demonstrate the history of education in prison. and the changes in crime rates contributed to it; a measure that Ohio needs to consider at a fraction of the cost that it takes to build only one new prison. However, the taxpayers money is spent ludicrously. as thought it flows from a never ending fountain. In 1965, Congress passed Title IV of the Higher Education Act, which explicitly permitted prisoner's to apply for financial aid in the form of Pell Grants to attend college. The passage of Title IV allowed for the expansion of what had been a smattering of higher education programs in correc­ tional facilities. The number of programs peaked in 1982 at over 350 available in 90% of states. Ohio's prison population is rapidly increasing, and current statistics place the number of people incarcerated in Ohio to be over fifty thousand. In the 1970's, studies were conducted to determine the achievements of correctional higher education. Success was measured by the rate of rearrest and the offenders ability to obtain and maintain employment upon release. The results were overwhelmingly positive, indicating that higher education was responsible for reducing an individu­ als chances of returning to crime. In turn. this resulted in savings by reducing the costs of incar­ ceration and victimization, and by providing skilled workers to the economy. In the early I990's, elected officials began introducing legislation to prohibit federal tuition assistance to prisoners. A counter-effort started by educators, correctional officials, prison advocates, and prisoners themselves managed to stave off the legislation until 1994, when the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act effectively dismantled correctional higher education. Since 1994, the crime rate in ·Ohio has d'rastically increased according to law enforcement officials. The prison population alone has increased from around forty one thousand in 1994 to over fifty thousand prisoners currently. These types of increases reflect a downfall in the rehabilitative measures incorporated by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. We could theoreti­ cally predict that by the year 2002, more than seventy thousand individuals in Ohio alone will be incarcerated. The United States has to seriously reconsider its approach to criminal justice, and incorporate legislation to bring about change. especially in states like Ohio. Ohio truly warehouses its prisoners, with no rehabilitative goals in mind. It has merely eliminated any form of quality educational programs. They are currently employing vocational programs which are based on outdated curriculum that is so outdated, that it serves no fundamental purpose. One could not use it upon return to society. They have a landscaping and tree care program which is insti­ tuted by an outsider college. They go through instructors regularly. In these programs, there are courses that prisoners will receive full credit for, but attending only two or three courses a semester. This is because the college has no instructors to teach the program. Yet, this does the prisoner no good, as he will still be unqualified to obtain the job, because he is still undereducated and doesn't have the skills required to perform the job. This is one of the many ways in which the Ohio prisoner is exploited to show the paperwork to generate funds. I had, through diligence and maintaining an institutional record of adjustment, been allowed to be lowered to minimum security and placed in an honor status dormitory. About a month ago, I went before the unit manager and case manager of this honor status dormitory to be asked to consider a voluntary job. I did not accept it because I wanted to remain in a vocational program. Approximately two weeks later, I was transferred out of the dormi­ tory for refusing to give up my educational opportu­ nity to push a broom and do menial labor! These are the rehabilitative strategies of the Ohio Depart­ ment of Rehabilitation and Correction. What is their goal? [Statistical Source: The Center on Crime, Communities & Culture; (Se ptember I 99 7). Educa­ tion A Crime Preve.ntion: New York, NY, Open Society Institute.] THE ONGOING CONCERN OF PRIVATIZATION ethics! We must consider the capitalistic drive of the Ohio bureaucrats to build more prisons. They legitimize this need by building up the public with get tough on crime tactics. They down play the Ohio prisoner as scum for their own political gain. The Ohio state system, systematically abuses their prisoners who are harsh and bitter for return into society. What form of rehabilitative initiatives would private prisons employ? It's time for questions and answers as a people, instead of as an unheard voice! The state system should be fully scrutinized before you so eagerly downgrade privatization. This is the t.ime to seek prison reform of Ohio State Prisons, because they affect you in a lot of ways and society as a whole. What form of rehabilitative initiatives would private prisons employ? It's time for questions and answers as a people, instead of as an unheard voice! The Ohio bureaucrats hide behind a barrage of media tactics. This allows them to keep hidden the abuses that exist within the Ohio prisons. With their strategies they have the public believing they are running a tight ship, when in actuality it's sinking. Myself, I've suffered enough, and am ready for some positive change. What changes can be guaranteed us by private firms ; education. proper diet, proper medical care, and adequate security? We need to know the answers to these questions. There seems to be a lot of abuses by private prison corporations nationwide. How much more existent are these abuses than the ones suffered regularly by state prisoners in a state prison? The main issue should be prison reform, not who operates them. When we compare and contrast private or state run Prisons, who comes out ahead? What exposure have the state prisons received on their abuses as compared to private prisons? There exists a lot of hidden applicable factors that must be considered before we are swayed by the media into accepting what a biased individual wants you to believe. We as a people, society included, need to take back our voice, and not let capitol hungry bureaucrats dictate what affects us. I would like my State Representative and the representatives of the private firms to give me answers and assure results towards reform. ••••••••••••• • •• • •••••••••• by James Pryor Does the public have an ongoing concern of privatization of Ohio prisons, or is it a concern played up by the media? The Youngstown incident, or recent incidents, have been the focus in opposing privatization. Yet, one must consider the numerous incidents taking place regularly in the Ohio state prisons that do not receive media coverage. During my brief stint here at Orient Correctional Institution (OCI), there have been numerous incidents of violence that were not publicly reported, nor were they checked by the prison administration. Ohio prisoners' concerns are focused on the standards in security and care privatization can offer. They can consider that your legal resources would be more readily available, because a private firm is not exempt from certain liabilities as is a state prison. Therefore, private prisons would have to provide you a higher standard of medical care, something nonexistent in a state prison. What other ar~as would one worry about with privatization/ Do Ohio State Prisons offer any positive form of rehabilitation in educational programs, do they offer you standard food .or adequate living conditions? These are decisions you are going to have to decide o n yourself based on yo ur own set of values and Subscribe to Streetvibes Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be pur­ chased for $12 pe r year. Please send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed to you each issue. . Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for t he Home less--Streetvibe s. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine OLDER ADULTS DEVE·LOP LEGISLATIVE ACTION PLAN basis. Men can join Genesis or other similar groups that help to find you work and provide a place to "let it all out," if you feel the need. Remember, we are not responsible for our disease, but we are responsible for our recovery. Don't take your recovery lightly, but don't try to work it alone. Don't be too proud to share your inner-feelings, or.they may lead you to relapse. "Just for today," don't pick-up. Trust in the Lord, He too is a great help in troubled times. Submittedby Greater Cincinnati Joint Council On Geriatric Care CHILDREN'S DAY Recommendations made by older adults during the follow-up to the White House Conference on Aging on April 29 include keeping choice of doctors for Medicare, maintaining Social Security at current levels, and reauthorizing the Older Americans Act with suffiCient funding. The Older Americans Act is three years overdue of reauthorization. Without reauthoriza­ tion, no increases can be made in programs funded by the Act. These programs include home delivered meals, transportation, and many other services ne~ded to help older adults stay in their own homes. In spite of the dramatic rise in this population as more people live longer, the increasing needs of frail older adults, and the growing costs of providing services, federal funding for these programs has remained the same since 1992, resulting in long waiting lists for essential services. Work-group sessions during the conference identi·fied several other recommendations including stricter sentences for crimes against older adults, nationwide recognition of advance directives, better communication and funding for adult protective services, more police involvement with older adults, and greater collaboration for transportation services. Conference participants, including more than 130 older adults, developed an action plan to address their major areas of concern as well as other strategies to spread the word about the needs and issues facing older adults. Those interested in volunteering to get involved with this advocacy effort are asked to call the Hyde Park Center for Older Adults, 321-6816, or Senior Services of Northern Kentucky, 292-7968. Sponsored by the Kentucky Association for Gerontology and Greater Cincinnati Joint Council on Geriatric Care, the conference was based on the results of a survey completed by more than 600 individuals over 65. LIFE AFTER REHAB? by MichaelNelson Six months rehab at the Drop Inn Center Live­ In Program and seven months at the Recovery Hotel. What happens after this? I guess it's up to the individual. There are many books to read: Living Sober, Life Without Liquor, and Be Happy. Also, the Big Book and Twenty-four Hours A Day. Go to meetings, call your sponsor, get phone numbers, and call these new acquaintances. But, is this enough for us? Does all this keep us clean and sober? I think not. What to do with all of those idle hours in­ between meetings and reading? I'm beginning to understand why so many in rehab return again and again to one program or another. I think they find a sense of security there they don't seem to find living o n their own. "Living Life on Life's Terms," is easier said than done. Now, I can't seem to find enough to do with myself many times. "One Day at A Time, 'Live and Let Live."' These all make sense when we read them, but how to live them is another story! We all have the same disease, but some of us are sicker than others. This is true, I'm sure of it. Find someone you can talk honestly to on a regular No one proclaimed it. No one said it was a day for children in the Prison Visit Room. It just happened. Many more than usual were visiting that day. One, across form us, I titled, "Boy with Bangs." Neatly cut in an old-fashioned style, his dark bangs were straight and silky. The collar on his stylish gray and white striped shirt was open. Its tail tucked snugly into stone-washed jeans. Snappy brown eyes darted here and there with curiosity. He ran over to check out the vending machines. He gazed through narrow window panes at chain fence and razor wire. Abruptly he turned, flashed a grin that lit up his face, then da~hed back to burrow his head in father's arms. Jest then a wee, pudgy girl came hopping down the aisle hugging a candy bar to her yellow shirt. Rumpled jeans hung low. Her tummy pooched out a bit. Floppy scuffed sandals plopped as she bounced along, swinging one lone pigtail and humming a tune. Nearby sat three girl children all surely under five years old. Littlest girl baby had chubby choco­ late cheeks. Perky pink bows nipped tiny hair tufts. Middle girl wore deep purple with matching beads on each braided corn row. Big sister's gold slacks and blue jacket, sporting red sleeve emblems, looked very military. Gold barrettes clasped her long plaits. Soft words and gentle smiles flitted throughout the murmurs I heard. These young ones sat politely on hard plastic chairs, watching their grandpa. At a far table a three year old wiggled on her Daddy's lap. Reaching up to caress his face, she gave his neck a quick poke, then giggled. After seeing him kiss her mother she grabbed his chin, pulled it down, and planted a fat kiss right smack on his lips! Embarrassed, she ducked her head, then peeked out. He smiled and winked down at her. She snuggled close, content. A boy, maybe eight years old, wore a long sleeved, silky shirt. Vertical lines of turquoise, purple and mauve ran down the sleeves. His legs. not long enough to touch the floor, dangled and kicked impatiently. Opening his popcorn bag he crunched the last kernel before leaning his head against his father's blue uniform. Visiting hours ended. Visitors lined up, waiting to be released to freedom. A slender young woman cradled her flaxen-hair daughter in one arm. By her side huddled a young son, trying to hide his sobs in her skirt. Great tear drops popped from his sister's eyes, and rolled down rosy cheeks. Over mother's shoulder she stretched out stubby hands to reach across the room. Their Daddy stood there help­ lessly, waiting in lin~ to be returned to his cell. She called to him with a whine, then raised it to a plaintive chant. Brother added his plea. "Dad-dy, Dad-dy, Daddy," they mourned. Other children heard their cries. Recognizing those sounds, sounds of their own anguish , they joined the chor us. The room pulsed with their hurting hearts. "Daddy come with us! Daddy come on! Daddy, Daddy, Please Daddy! Please, come home!" Tears filled our eyes as our heavy door banged open. Children's Day was over for us. As fathers waited to be stripped and body searched, fists rubbed grown-up eyes, sobs were muffled. People in prison aren't thought to be human. Everyone there is supposed to be a brutal, hardened criminal. On a Children's Day that doesn't seem to ring so t rue. Page 9 TACTICS by.Robert Freking This is my final column on tactics. I don't have much more to add to the first two columns. What I've been discussing in my last columns is that we have to 'get in. their faces'. We have to make them uncomfortable. We have to make them think: "Oh no, we don't want to mess with them!" I'm not advocating doing anything illegal. I'm saying what we are doing now is not working. We need to change the offensive play book. I'm not criticizing. All I'm saying is please, sit back and take a fresh look. Hannibal crossed the Alps with an invincible force. Fabius met Hannibal on the battlefield but quickly withdrew. Time after time Fabius withdrew until when he finally attacked, Hannibal was demor­ alized and suffered defeat. A new tactic prevented Rome from being destroyed. Can we prevent the slow and steady removal of low-income housing and poor people from Over­ the-Rhine? Are those who care willing to come together, open the process, and work out a winning strategy that the neighborhood can get behind? Can we come up with new ideas that will shatter the forces who want to convert the neighborhood to luxury homes and BMW parking lots? 'View• Cont. From Page Five.. to pay taxes would result in them being unable to support their family, thus increasing the government's welfare burden. My favorite observation was the relationship between having electricity and paying for it. When I arrived in Tblisi I was told that the electricity was off much of the time including in offices there because folks don't pay their bill. After learning more however I found out that people don't pay their bill because they don't have electricity much of the time and they have no way to influence the quality or quantity of the service. Alternative systems are of course developing and the sale of generators is a great business. They have been experimenting in some places with privatizing the utilities, offering electricity 24 hoUf's a day and cutting it off specifi­ cally to the folks that don't pay. Guess what, people pay and they are involved in those situations. As I reflect on this visit my overwhelming observation is how much emerging markets, rural and very vrban America have similar challenges and similar problems in other parts of the world. Comparisons are valuable not to create choice between limited resources but to build knowledge and a recognition that when we discuss the value of healthy communities to each of us that we think as broadly as we can. �STREETVIBES The Tn State's Homeless Grapevine POINTLESS POINT LIVABLE WAGE Dear STREETVIBES: I read your recent article on a livable wage with some interest, as I belong to a credit union in Ithaca, New York which is concerned with facilitating opportunities for low-income members of the community. Interestingly enough, many members of Ithaca and staff are affiliated with Cornell university, and elite private university that co sts about $20,000/ year (minimum) to attend. Yet, Ithaca has pioneered concern for wage equity and developed an " Ithaca Hours" barter system (copied by groups in Athens, Ohio and elsewhere) which values all labor at a minimum of $1 O/hr - whether restaurant service or legal work, consulting or housecleaning. In addition, the Women's Rights National Historic Site in Seneca Falls, New York, which is within the National Park Service, was visited by Hillary Rodham Clinton in July, and which celebrates the efforts of early suffragettes and anti-slavery activists including Frederick Douglass, ha.s an exhibit dealing with the efforts in the state o f Minnesota to develop equitable wages for undervalued work* (which is often done by women and/or minorities), rather than allowing the extremes of income inequality typical of most of the U.S. (we are the WORST industrialized nation in this regard, if you didn't already know - Canada has much less severe inequality) and of our own city of Cincinnati. Best wishes on following up on these ideas! I wish somebody besides the articulate secretaries organizing at UC (UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI) would deal with this issue. Where's some socially responsible business/leadership in this community? *Interestingly, Minnesota raised the waies of some so-called low-skilled jobs and valued them for their necessity to be done instead of for how much private profit they earn for particular individuals as we do as a society. As only one example - I have OFTEN wondered why selling real-estate for example , is so grotesquely QYIB paid. What does sales - of any kind - do to better our world? Sincerely, C indy De nton A Subscribe r (and member, Alte rnatives Fe d eral C redit Union) ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• DEAR DONALD: Thank you for coming Monday to speak about the Coalition for the homeless. Your story touched the hearts of many. I'm sure the subscription to STREETVIBES will continue to be a reminder to the TACKLERS. Wishing you blessings as you continue your work for the poor and homeless. Thank you. Sincerely, Joanie Schaffer and The TACKLE STAFF Well you people, So, now I've been to a conference, and I've' emailed you guys. I believe the concept was to learn from each other and unify the voice of the homeless and their advocates. YAKITY YAKITY YAK. Creating my own paper, be it ever so limited, did help me get off the street. From it I learned to socialize and to open my mind to a continual search of understanding. I saved my ass fro the streets. As was mine, your papers ·a re vehicles for self-serving indulgences. They help only to create beer money for bums. Whoops, am I wrong? Then why the lack of true communal spirit among the papers? As I am off the street I no longer need the paper. Oh, I continue to write. Perhaps someday I'll have my own column somewhere. Still, the only one I can thank for getting off the streets is myself. Kevin Barb ieux (N orth American Street Newspaper Confere n ce participant) • •••••••••••••••••••••••••• Page 10 A PLACE FOR EXPRESSION Dear Readers: I would like to take time to thank you for your dedicated contribution to STREETVIBES. ram merely a reader myself, because of the variety of material printed by STREETVIBES. Yet, I can be assured that your character is compassionate. That's why I encourage you to pay heed to the issues brought forth by STREETVIBES, which create a sincere conscience of our social injustices. Being a prisoner myself, I can truly say that the opportunities to express the injustices of Ohio's prison system shows that we can have a voice through those who care at STREETVIBES. It would be inhuman to ignore the sufferings of our fellow man. Please continue to read STREETVIBES and allow your heart to guide you towards whatever actions you may take towards the pains of those portrayed on the pages of STREETVIBES. Furthermore, encourage your friends and associates to read this paper and subscribe if it be their choice. Healing our society is a step by step process, so please take a step and may God bless you in so doing! In struggle, Jam es W . Pryor •••• • • • •••••••••••••••••••• WORDS FROM THE EVANGELIST..• LEVONNE FAMILY by Mary Ann Bravo I have met this family last year, December of lames 2:1 4- 17 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful for the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Last month I told you about the merger which has become Helping Hands Community Services/ A.W.O.L. Outreach Ministries, and I introduced to you Pastor Leonard Williams, Sr. Pastor Williams is a man of God who believes in putting his faith to work, and because of thi$ he is a blessing to all who come to know him. Presently we are offering a multitude of referral services and programs such as: "W omen of Vision," w hich is held on Saturdays in South Cummingsville and facilitated by Evangelist Cordelia Nowell. And there program assistance to the Fay Community Center's Afterschool Program. The Whole Life Church of Jesus Christ will be dedicating the month of October to the women of the church, November to the men, and December to the family. If you do not have a church home, come fellowship with us at 1814 Powers Street in South Cummingsville. We will have a blessed time in the Lord. If you would like to contribute in some way, or if you would like to learn more about our ministries and services call 681-5537. We are a growing ministry, but we challenge the man who says, "Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works Oames 2: 18)." In His Service, Evangelist Rodney Sutton, Sr. 1997, by the grace of God. I could not have met a nicer family than this. This is a wonderful family to be around. She has grown around the crime. She is now living in Lincoln Heights. She has four beautiful children. They are very smart and well behaved. She has three girls and one boy. She is a single parent and she is working very hard for her children. She is a grandmother. One of her oldest daughters has a beautiful child named Sky. You can notice this family anywhere because of their smiles, and the way they carry themselves. One of her daughters looks just like her, they look like twin sisters, them, mother and daughter. I am glad I have met this family. This is a warm, caring family. God bless them all. • •••••••••••••••••••••••••• COMEDY CORIER by Ron Carter The Steak: There were three guys rooming together and their food was all gone except for one steak in the refrigerator. Everyone wanted the steak and didn't want to share it. Lets say their names were Brett, Jimmy, and Don. They decided that they would go to sleep and who ever had the best dream would get the steak. So they all went to sleep and woke up when their alarm clock went off. Brett said, "I dreamed that I go t the job that I applied for that pays well and has very good benefits." So, they all agreed that was a good dream. Jim said, " I dreamed that I hit the lottery real big and I donated a lot of the money to the Home less C oalition." Brett and Don agreed that was an excellent dream. Jim asked, ''What was your dream about Don?" Don replied, "I dreamed that you two guys had left town and wasn't coming back, so I woke up before you two did and ate the steak." �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 11 Scramble The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless presents the 3rd Annual a gospel music performance, featuring some of Cincinnati's finest talent. Please help us help those less fortunate. Saturday, October 17, 1998 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. Mt. Auburn Presbyterian C·hurch Auburn & E. McMillan Ave efeaturin§Sdm& efcrindmtatis c:finesl c2J11spcl rc'alml Joel Davis Saint Anthony Catholic Church Choir, Gail Ho.lley Burnetta Price David Mizell Angie Pepper Denise Wilburn 'The Voices Of Hope" "Tribe Gospel Choir" and more !!!! otr<? Donald Whitehead & c:f;uest Ant1dllt1eetr or send a check made out to "Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless", 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210. ••• • •• •••• ••• •• •••• • • ••••••• •••••• •••• •• • ••••••••••• •••• Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per ye ar. Please send a check to ·the below address and the paper will be mailed to you each issue. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street C incinnati, OH 45~ I 0 Please make che cks pay­ able to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless-­ Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. Try to unscramble these related words: TROCOD REYWAL EILOPCMNA RANMFEI REHCAST EGJED GSNSNCRMAEO ROTASNE LICONUCAMN RENIGENO STSNATMPO Answers on page IS. FINDLAY MARKET UPDATE byRon Carter For tickets contact Donald Whitehead at 421-7803 Subscribe to. Streetvibes byRancarter Community Celebration. The Findlay Market is as always the place to go on Saturday for whatever you need. Not only will you find good meats, fruits, and vegetables, there are a lot of other stands with numerous items of interest to you. Findlay Market is expanding and getting better all the time. Come and check it out if you haven't lately and see for your self. You too can sell items you think the people would like. Just come down and discuss it with the Fin!:llay Market Manager and you too .can be part of it all. I have been doing outreach work at Findlay Market since February for the Over-the-Rhine Community. Mainly getting petitions signed for the One-Way Vine Street situation. I have collected around 1400 to I500 signatures in favor of One­ Way Vine. I enjoy talking to the people and explaining why Vine Street should remain a one-way street. I think a lot of the shoppers get a big kick out of me talking them into signing my petition. Some of the shoppers, both young and old, that I talked to never knew that Vine was formerly all two-way and can't believe anyone would want it that way again. We are very much c;;oncerned about everyone's safety on Vine and that's why we're fighting so hard to keep in that way. And from the response that I have gotten from the Findlay Market shoppers, the majority of them feel the same as we do at the Over­ The-Rhine Community Council (OTRCC). Hopefully by the time this story gets to the press, a decision will have been made in our favor. Let's keep our fingers crossed. And remember, We Are Doing Fine With One-Way Vine. Thank you all who signed petitions. We really appreciate your support. Live Music! Friends and Neighbors Every Sunday -6PM Free of Charge ot Over·the·Rhlne Nast-Trinity .United Methodist Church 1320 Race St. Cincinnati 721-7339 An Organization Seeking Justice for People in Cincinnati's .Most Endangered Community �STREETVIBES The T1-i State's Homeless Grapevine Page 12 HOMELESS VETERANS FIND HELP by Iola Green Since 1987, the Department of Veterans Affairs 01 A) has addressed the problems of homelessness among veterans through a wide range of specialized programs. These pr~grams are known as the Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV). The core of the HCHV program is to reduce homelessness among veterans by conducting outreach in the community to those veterans who are not currently receiving services and engaging them in treatment programs. The Cincinnati VA HCHV team consists of a Master Level Social Worker, a Nurse Practitio­ ner, a Program Specialist and administrative support from two part-time clerks. The HCHV outreach activities include identify­ ing veterans in shelters, soup kitchens, parks and other community locations. Once a veteran enters into the program; the veteran is placed in one of three community-based contracted residential treatment facilities. They are the Prospect House, Droege Transitions for men and WRAP for women, and Joseph House. Through the outreach efforts of the Cincinnati VA HCHV team, there are veter.ans who have found their way off the streets and into jobs, careers, school and housing. Howard Turner is one of those veterans. Here is Howard's' story in his own words: I first became homeless in June of 1993 after being released from prison for drug trafficking. It was my third time doing time in prison, 't he other two times for drug abuse, and the one for trafficking in drugs. Well, the only reason that I wasn't homeless before my last imprisonment was because Howard-Turner my dad had passed away a couple of years prior, and left me a nice three family home, to be shared with my brother. Needless to say, when I got out, or just before my release, we sold the house and I proceeded to spend all the money on drugs and treating my so-called friends. Staying here and there, and before I knew it, all my money was gone and so were my so-called friends. So I tried working out of tempora,.Y labor services to get back on my feet, but I could never make it. I was caught up in the drug scene. I found myself not knowing what to do. I knew that there was a 28 day p~ogram at the VA Hospital, and being a vet it would be free of charge, and I would have a place to stay. Well I did that and went from there to a long term treatment program at the 'Dom.' I stayed clean for a while but I didn't work the program like they suggested. I thought that I could do it by myself, that's stay sober. I went back out and again I was homeless, once again I returned to treatment. It took me another long term treatment program and I still 'went back out'. But I remembered two things; the Photo byJimmy Heath lady at the furlough board saying "we're going to release you and give you a chance to save your life", and the members of AA telling me to keep coming back. From 1993 until November 3rd, 1997, which is my sobriety date with the exceptions of when I was in treatment, I slept in parks, abandoned buildings and shelters. I walked in the Prospect House on November 3rd, 1997 and I thank Mrs. Iola Green from the bottom of my heart for believing in me. Also my counselors and the staff at the Pros­ pect House, and above all, I thank God for allowing me to be a productive citizen. I work for a company where I started nine months ago through a tempo­ rary service and worked hard. I was hired on full time with the company. I am presently living in transitional housing paying $255 per month for rent. My job pays $8 an hour with good benefits. Today I am up in the morning at 4:30 AM getting ready to leave for work at 5:25. I thank God for the VA Homeless Program and Mrs. Green, the Prospect House, and of course AA. ,I­ ,{ .r.1 ~·-·- ­ . . .. .. - •M -·­ I~-':-~ =-~-~\ r-- . __ ·­ : L J- .. ­ \ ~-:- ~--- i : I -·--­ -·-· . i : I ·1 \ - ­ l lI I .. . ·-l­ . . \ • .,....-..;;..;;;;;....,.........-~1" I . I.. ._____.. I - r­ j 10: .. �STREETVIBES The T1-i State's Homeless Grapevine Page 13 News From Cleveland's llraperine ARefugee of the New Health Care System by Brian Davis On September 24, a young man 21 years old showed up at the shelter doors with burns over three fourths of his body. He was dropped off at the men's shelter by the only public hospital lett in Cleveland. The hospital social worker did not check with the shelter ahead of time, but just dropped "Ray" off. There was no room at the shelter as is the case every night of the year in Cleveland. Ray had to spend the night on the floor. Only 24 hours earlier Ray had tried to commit suicide by lighting himself on fire. He had second and third degree burns. He spent 24 hours in the Psychiatric Ward, and was discharged to the streets. He was given four paper prescriptions for pain and antidepressants and dumped at the Volunteers of America shelter. The staff at the VOA were out­ raged. Officials from MetroHealth hospital could not be reached for·comment. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Homeless Man Lost But Not Forgotten There are a group of people in our society who always seern to be in the way. Those people who find solace in a bott le. Society calls them "drunks" and "bums." They are arre sted by the police on a regular basis, and swept away. Pedestri­ ans see them sleeping in a doorway and forget about them as soon as they pass. But in a memorial service for Charles "Boogie" Akers those who remembered Charlie repeatedly mentioned "God's way", and this is "what God wanted for Boogie." As Ron Reinhart, Director of Salvation Army's PASS program said, "As a provider, even being an alcoholic myself, what we may think is best for someone, like sobriety, may not be what God. meant for this person." There was a great deal of mythology associated with Charles Akers. Some said that he was a college graduate who lost everything. Others claimed he was a former well paid business executive who had lost everything. In reality what was known about Charlie was that he had a great sense of humor, and was a kind and feisty individual. He loved to dance and he loved Hank Williams. He would go to dances and ask everyone to dance until he found someone who WJ.S willing. Akers was born in 1933. He was educated through the sixth grade. He used to say the only Subscribe to Streetvibes Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per year. Please send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed to you each month. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coali­ tion for the Homeless-­ Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call '421-7803. BP thing that'kept him out of high school was 8th grade. He was just learning to read in the past few years. He loved to sing, and he was fond of Mad Dog 20/20 alcohol because of its cheap price and intoxicating effect. He did have a mental illness, ar:id had received funds from his father's railroad pension fund. He had interaction with the Cleveland Police over 400 times in the last 30 years: most were calls that involved Charlie's public drunkenness. He was struck by a drunk driver on Saturday August 22 and died early on Sunday morning. Police records indicate that the driver was tharged with vehicular homicide for striking and killing Charlie near W. S2nd and Lorain. In 1997 and 1998, he had some success in his lifelong battle with alcoholism. He had obtained 43 consecutive days of sobriety while in the PASS program. Reinhart believes that given the opportu­ nity and the time, he "absolutely" would have made progress with his drinking problem. 'The only way to reach him was through patience and tolerance," Reinhart said. "He was like a kid in a toy store when he was sober," according to Reinhart. There were many new experiences that he discovered at PASS, ii:icluding going to Bob Evans Restaurant. He found the joy of sitting down at a meal and being served. He also was so proud to be able to buy thi!'gs, even food, for people with his own money. Reinhart said, "We were fortunate to be a part of that. He went to Bob Evans regularly while sober." David Simmons, a friend of Charlie and social service provider, described how proud Charlie was of his clean suit that he got while at PASS. He would show off his clean clothing and his new life-style. This is a life foreign to most people, but he lived o n the streets for thirty years from one bottle to the next. He reportedly said, "Live life to the fullest, because no one else is going to live it for you." In fact, he got his nickname from a song that he use to sing about bogeying all night with the ladies. He would pan handle or scrape together money to buy alcohol to cover up some childhood trauma or abuse, and then sleep it off. He lett no family or history that can be verified. His parents did buy him a cemetery plot years ago, which local homeless service providers were able to find in Akron where he was buried. The Cleveland Fire Department who had to come to his assistance on many occasions came to pay their respects. Members of the Second District Police unit also visited Charlie's memorial. Homeless service providers from both the East and West Side who had helped Charlie and had been touched by Charlie came together for his memorial service on August 28 on the near West Side. His friends from the streets were well represented. His drinking buddies remembered him. One gendeman said that he was going to drink a bottle of Mad Dog for Charlie, and then he was never going to drink that kind of alcohol again because it made him sick. Another man said that no one again would pan handle on the corner of W . 40th and Lorain. Eric Wolf, a hard core homeless man who never came in for services, said before he was homeless when he first got to Cleveland he met Boogie. He said that he allowed Charlie to baby sit for his kid. When Eric got home he said, "the kid • came running out saying that Charlie was going to sell him for a bottle of wine. He was a hell of good man." Charlie wasn't much of a baby-sitter. Mark Budzar, Outreach Director of Volun­ teers of America said, "He was one of funniest people you could know. He was a good guy. Like a member of the family." Budzar said you could look past his faults and take care of him when he was in need. Budzar will miss Charlie saying, "My name is Jimmy. I'll take whatever you give me." (Boogie's rap that he used while pan handling.) Reinhart said, "He didn't lie about who he was. He knew who he was and what he wanted." Simmons said, "He kept getting back up. He is a testament to man's ability to pick themselves up and continue." Simmons, a recovering alcoholic, said he met Charlie in the drunk tank at the Justice Center. "He wa.s so annoying. He was singing and telling jokes, and you just wanted to kill him." David grew to enjoy Charlie, and tried to help him when he could. "He was a rare individual, a truly honest human being. The only people who could communi­ cate with him was those he was drinking with," David said. The death of Charlie is fraught with irony. He was struck by a drunk driver while he had spent his life drinking and staggering along the Cleveland streets. He had never stepped out in traffic in all those years of drinking. His service was held across from where he spent many years pan handling. In fact, he wa.s known to cause some disruption for the funeral home in the past because of his irreverent behavior. For social workers, Charlie is the person that they wake up nights in a cold sweat worrying about. Service providers extend every effort to get an individual to a point of self reliance as dictated by societal ne>rms. There was a great deal of anguish by many providers over Charlie Akers, but Charlie ' survived and woke up everyday. He never gave up . the struggle. As Reinhart said, "He opened my eyes to not try to run things in neat squares when you are working with human beings. He changed my outlook on how to deal with people." Budzar said he agreed w ith the sentiment expressed at the Memorial Service that, "Charlie taught us how to take care of each other." ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Dealing With Welfare byCrystal W. Speaking as someone who really knows just what it is like dealing with the welfare department, I'm here to say that they are so far off base and poorly trained to deal with human beings period. The entire system is going through some sort of massive change over in the computer software or something of that nature, until the phone system isn't letting any phone calls reach workers and supervisors. People who have appointments and have a legal reason for needing to reschedule are quickly whisked onto the sanction list because their phone calls aren't reaching their caseworker. I've overheard a worker say, "well too bad" they should have made their first appointment. The workers take personally the power that they hold over a client and their way of living (or should I say way of surviving.) It is to the point that they think nothing about how much they hurt people. I was sanctioned by my caseworker in May and June. When July rolled around, I didn't receive my health card, my food stamps weren't listed in the system and when I tried to talk to my worker, of course the phones were out of service. I traveled down to the building on Payne Ave., and was taken through a thousand changes until I was finally understood. By then they told me that my case­ worker was gone on vacation and there wasn't anyone covering her caseload. My worker, I believe, on purpose did not update my file, she neglected me and my case, leaving me in the wind so to speak. They don't care if you suffer or not! Nothing is ever their fault, nor will they bother to look into situations that obviously don't seem right even to them. It is like they are afraid that they might have to do some extra work, or actually help someone! They need some help badly. �STREETVIBES The Tt~i State's Homeless Grapevine •••·our Youth• Cont. from Page Three The solutions are right under everyone's nose no one will look. Men cut off their face to spite their nose when they don't work...when simply they can set up a back payment plan if child support laws were fair. Women reading this probably are saying who is she, she must not have children. Yes, I do. And believe me the law is not helping to get child support for them. Believe it, we women should work for a solution. And of course there are men who say, I'm not giving my money to that women, she'll spend it on herself. You are darn right she should because after all sooner or later she will have to come out of her pocket to buy those $200 Reeboks or Nikes. Let us not forget Air Jordans. Men your money is only allowing her to put food and a roof over your child's head. Believe me when I say, your child benefits more than· that women. On to a crucial topic. Mommies who curse their children calling little girls little B's and little boys Little MF's. Get real. When they grow up they will curse you. If you want respect you have to give respect. Every adult lives long enough to know right and wrong. So for Christmas I wish Santa Claus would let me see adults be more responsible in how they raise their child. Rap music is cool, but what is not so cool is the profanity. Women are not hoes or B's. If you ask me some men act mor e like a "B" than I ever will. Come on! Capitalist society that we are, should think more on morals than dqllars. All that slang in rap is raising our children to be little ghetto te rrorists of the ir own neighborhood. I could go on and on about adults teaching children to be or do abusive things that are harmful to themselves as well as society. Whether you believe me or not, it is easier to do right than wrong. Wrong begets more wrong. It is easier to love than hate. Hate torments the soul. Kindness should be more asse rted. When I was a kid dad used to say, "If you can walk away from a fight do so." When I grew up I learnt the hard way that what he meant was use my mind instead of my fists. We as parents should learn to teach our children that. I mean that just as it is written. Parents should learn to teach our children. I repeat. Don't we as parents want the best for our children? Therefore watch what is said or done to our children. And remember adults, we are all role models for. our youth one way or another. Be moral. God doesn't like ugly. Ugly is racism, drugs, domestic violence to name a few. It is time to teach our gun toting children to respect themselves first ~o that they will learn to respect others. It is also time for the law to let the parents whoop some behind. And only take parents who brutalize children to jail. Kids need more restric­ tions today. And the belt is a good place to start. "Peace out," they say. I say PEACE IS IN. If the law is going to stop parents from spanking their children then maybe the law should raise the children. I'm not saying beat the child. I'm saying when necessary spank them. I find that talking to a child and what you say is most important. And ask or make the child repeat what you say to make sure they heard you. And you have to reinforce everything you say 'cause even if they hear what you say, they will forget in the next 5 minutes. So check again and again. Make sure what you say sticks. I love all kids. If you love your children, show them and teach them. They need you. Children are like balls of clay. If you mold them properly they will make great sculptures. It's up to parents. I know even when you t each them the best you can they still won't be good. So remember different tactics are necessary. And as Malcolm X use d to say, "BY ANY MEANS NECES­ SARY." But raise your child to be a good man or good woman. ~nd THE SHADOW REVIEWS: ''HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK'' by The Shadow Terry McMillan, playwright and author of this bestselling novel, admitted she was involved with a younger man and that relationship inspired her to write this romantic but controversial book. Movie Review Angela Bassett portrays Stella Payne, a successful San Francisco stockbroker. Although she is 40, she displays a hardrock body that makes men weak in the knees. Bored with her life, she decides to take a trip to Jamaica, where she discovers romance in the name of Winston Shakespeare who is portrayed by T aye Diggs. He is the perfect gentlemen-supportive, caring, and romantic. Plus he's a hunk. But there's one problem. He's twenty years younger than her. Diggs, who graduated from Syracuse University starred in the hit Broadway musical, Rent. When he discovered that he got the role as Winston, he got so excited that he took off all his clothes, and streaked around the theater screaming at the top of his lungs, "I got the part! I got the part!" Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis co-wrote and _ produced the album for their Flyte Tyme Produc­ tions for Flyte Tyme Records. It also features a host Page 14 of artists who include Boyz II Men featuring Chante Moore, Shaggy featuring Janet Jackson, K-Ci and Jojo, Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler, and Jazzie B. Also, Stevie Wonder and Wyclef Jean. It also had a funky reggae flavor that was perfect for the movie with its two settings, America and Jamaica. Terry McMillan wanted to make the movie as close to the novel as possible, so she features artists that were included in the book like Mary J. Blige, Diana King, Maxi Priest, and Beenie Man. Regina King who starred in the NBC·sitcom "227" kept me laughing as Stella's sister, Vanessa, but it was Whoopi Goldberg (Stella's best friend in the movie) who not only 11dded humor, but drama. Suzzanne Douglas played Stella's bourgeois sister, Angela, who didn't believe or support her relation­ ship with a younger man. Most men cannot relate with this movie. Some. even feel intimidated. It's all right for older men to date younger women, but they feel threatened when older women date younger men. But men who have been in this situation know that love has no color or age, and it doesn't matter what position one holds. I feel good to review a movie that instills hope, and faith in love, romance, and relationships. This powerful movie subtly encourages Black men to stand by and support the Black women who has suffered heartache and pain like a beautiful flower in the frozen rain. I know that the greatest war is not the war among men who fight with guns, atomic bombs, and jet bombers. Yes, my brothers and sisters, the greatest war is the war among the sexes. --Contributed by The Shadow, author of "The Odd Cookie." Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Looking for a place .to call home? ·Call the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Affordable rent that never exceeds 30°/o of your income ... Many buildings equipped with security systems ... Units located on buslines and near stores, schools, hospitals, banks Rental units are available in these family and senior communities: Avondale Hopple Street/Fairmount West End Winton Place For more information, call 421-8190 today. �STREETVIBES The Tt-i State's Homeless Grapevine ANNOUNCING A new Group at AVOC••. For Heterosexuals Living With Aids FREE POLITICAL PRISONERS by Sonny Williams There are several political prisoners in Ohio's prisons. If you are interested to write to them, like James Pryor or Dan Cahill, please contact: Areyou looking for a broader knowledge ofthe challenge ofliving with HIV/AIDS? Would you like to meetpeople who haresimUarexperiencesandheartheir copingstrategies? Are you looking forpeers with whom ou can discuss andplan for the future? Page 15 In Memory of 11 Mac 11 Who Believed In Human Rights For Everyone & Who Founded Justice Watch ••• Because Every­ one includes Prison­ ers and Former Prisone rs. 1 Ohio Prisoner's Rights Union P.O. Box 1746 Cincinnati, Ohio 45201-1746 Phone: (513) 241-8014 COME MEET WITH US••• 1 Where: AVOC ''Gray Room" When: 1st and3rd Thursdays 6:30 PM to B:PM More information: Susan or Judy 421-2437 Band Lookinz for Work Streetvibes (the band). We like to party. R&B, Oldies, Blues/ Jazz, Reggae. Helping the homeless to help themselves through free enterprize. Call 421-7803 . Streetvibes is now accepting Classified Ads for items such as Help Wanted, Items for Sale, Apart­ ments for Rent and other non-personal items. The rate is only $1 per line, approximately four words per line. Classified ads are due by the 20th of the month. People below the poverty level will be allowed five free lines for .six months to 'advertise their skills or products to our readers. Otherwise, payment must be received before the ad will run. No refunds will be made. Also, if there is an error, notify us after the first printing. You will be given an extra month of ad time. Mail the ad copy to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 or fax it to 42 1-7813 for sale Native A mer ican cookies; orders being accepted~ R. C. Janus, (Fax) 891-8663. Office worker seeks 20­ 30 hour sit down job on bus line, within 2 miles of the river in either Kentucky or Ohio; non-medical terminology, non-filing cabinet office work; social services, sales, public information, crafts, and other background, some computer experience; contact Box 2, Streetvibes, I506 Elm St., Cincinnati, 45210. Laborer Looking for a laborer! Has worked at Riverfront. Is willing to do any kind of work. Call Sonia Craig at the Drop Inn Center, 721­ 0643. Elderly or Children Looking for a community oriented job dealing with elderly or children. 3 year ourteach worker/ counselor aide at YMCA. 13 years typing. Computer and cashier experience including Windows, Lotus, Any Word Processor. Call Anjail Madyun at the Drop Inn Center, 721-0643. Degreed, successful grants administrator/writer seeks commissioned, free lance position as same; ten percent commission per award. Contact J. Janus, Jr. (Fax) 891-8663. Native American-Hispanic female seeks sit down, slow­ paced industrial FACTORY position; physically challenged. (Fax) 891-8663. Scramble Answers from page 11••• DOCTOR LAWYER POLICEMAN FIREMAN TEACHER JUDGE CONGRESSMAN SENA TOR COUNCILMAN . ENGINEER SPORTSMAN STREETVIBES provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only $1 per line.· Call 421-7803 for info. Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct Each vendor has to sign the foll0wing code to be able to sell the paper. I . Streetvibes will be distributed for a $I voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for donations more than $1 . I also understand that I will be able to keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. Future issues of Streetvibes will be purchased from the Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. 2. I agree that I will never distribute Streetvibes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 3. I agree that I will not ask for donations after 12 midnight. 4. I agree to treat others with respect. I will not use abusive language or force someone to give a donation. I will not give a "hard sell" or make someone feel threatened. 5. I agree that I will not supply copies of Streetvibes to persons who are not registered distributors. 6. I agree not to deceive the public by saying that I am collecting for a not-for-profit charity or that I am collecting for the " homeless" in general. I will be honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvibes will go to the individual vendor. 7. I agree that I will not contest territories with other distributors. 8. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a self supporting paper created by people who are homeless or formerly homeless. To help in this effort, I will try to spread the word and write stories if possible. 9. I understand that the failure to comply with any of the above statements will result in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. Sales Re presentative Looking for position as sales representative or management. Has good bookkeeping, typing and supervisory skills. Has experience in retail management, customer service and sales. Is available to work immediately. Call Dea Harris at 552-935 I. Restay rant Work Responsible older man able to work any shift. Would prefer work as a busser at a restaurant as well as work as a dishwasher or cook. Is very dependable and available immediately. Please contact Wiley Powell at 831-8404. Baby Sitter Need a babysitter? Former child-care worker with day­ care experience. Call Mary Ann at 665-4375 or pager at 610-8527 Contlnzency Fee Lmui: Not afraid of Catholic Church or PUCO. Send office hours and name of law school on letterhead paper to 11 11 Elm Street. No. 432, Cincinnati, OH 45210. Streetvlbes Radio Hour On WAIF 88.3 fm The Homeless Coalition ha.s a live radio program which can be heard on WAIF radio on the second Saturday of each month at noon. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Donald Whitehead and other monthly guest hosts. The show mixes talk focusing on the stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates; WAIF 88.3 fm Saturday, Oct. I0th, 1998, noon to I pm Advertise in Streetvlbes! . Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to 4,000 concerned peopfe each month. The rates are shown below. ***Business Card Size 2" x 3 1/2" $10 per month ***Two Business Card Size 4" x 3 1/2" $20 per month A check or money order must accompany the ad copy. We reserve the right to deny any ad, especially those which promote alcohol or tobacco products. You will receive a full refund should your ad be denied. For larger ads, call the number below. Ads are due by the 20th of each month. If you need assistance in preparing your ad or have any other questions. call the Homeless Coali­ tion ·at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cindnnati, OH 45210 �STREETVIBES- The Tri State's Hom eless Grapevine Page 16 VENDOR PROFILE: James Hobbs Streetvlbes TV The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video. Some viewers might not see the show appear at the right channel or time during the next couple months as W arner Cable changes programming and channels. I spent my early days growing up in the West End. As a kid, I remember playing army in the cement squares when Lincoln Courts was being built. I was living with my aunt and uncle on 14th street up from the burlesque bar called the Pink Pussycat and around the corner from the State Theater. Later, I moved to West Eighth St., where I sold the Cincinnati Herald and Cincinnati Post, where I froze my fingers off. I was robbed by some thugs. My pride was hurt, but with time I healed. I built and operated my own shoe-shine stand. All this time I never missed a day of school, played sports and belonged to the Cub Scouts Pack 64. Nowadays, I'm the fella who was homeless and lived at the Drop-Inn Center. I'm selling STREETVIBES which covers issues concerning the homeless and poor community. I'm glad to be part of the Homeless Coalition. Streetvibes TV October Schedule This month's LIVE SHOW, on October 19th at 7PM, will discuss the many issues surrounding Breast Cancer. Teresa Adair from the YWCA is scheduled to appear along with other guests. If you have any ideas for future STREETVIBES TV shows please contact our office at 421-7803: We always enjoy hearing from our veiwing audience. Ideas should address subjects related to homeless­ ness and poverty in our city. We are always inter­ ested in viewer ideas, so please give us a call... Streetvlbes Wish List Channe l 7 LIVE CALL-IN SHOW. Monday. O ctober 19th at 7PM. STREEVIBES is published monthly on a shoe­ string budget. We depend heavily on the goodwill of many volunteers and donors. If you can help out with some of the items on our wish list please give us a call... Rebroadcast Dates for Show on Chan­ nel 10: >Adobe Photoshop Software for IBM to save scanning costs Saturday, October 3, 1998, 4 PM Friday, October 9, 1998. I I AM Friday, October 16, 1998 , 11 AM Saturday, October 24, 1998, 4 PM Monday, October 25, 1998, I0 PM Broadcast schedules a re subject to change - consult your local TV directory. > Adobe Pagemaker Software for STREETVIBES layout > 35 MM Film for STREETVIBES photo's >Laser Printer >Advertisers to help support the paper Where Your Dollar Goes Vendor: 80 cents Printing and Production: 20 cents SHELTERS: W omen and Children Alice Paul House (abuse) YWCA Transitional Living Prog. Bethany House Salvation Army Welcome House 241-2757 281-5770 557-2873 762-5660 431-8717 ..JHELTER: Men -ity Gospel Mission Street House seph House (veterans) . Francis- St. Joseph House :. Airy Center ,lunteers of America ·~ arden 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 381-4941 661-4620 381-1954 i ELTER: Both racole (AIDS) abad H:;·..ise :>p Inn Center (singles) i rs Club ven House ti-; 1. :. :i~on) 761-1480 821-5100 721-0643 381-5432 86J ·8866 >Supplies for Vendors Lounge (coffee, cups, donuts, etc.) >Computer for STREETVIBES layout and writing Call the STREETVIBES office at 421­ 7803 if you can h e lp! Streetvibes has a minimal overhead cost so t hat the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. If anyone selling Streetvibes claims to be collecting for a private charity, please call our office at 421 -7803. Thanks for your support. Need Help or Want to Help? If for some reason you find yourself homeless, contact a Coalition Member Agency for Shelter, Treatment, Housing or Services. If you have any questions, feel free to call the Homeless Coalit ion at 421 -7803. >Office Supplies Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center St. John's Temporary Housing 244-7226 961-4080 651 -6446 HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies (Mental 111) Tom Geiger House 721-4580 632-7149 24 1-0504 369-0004 381-0954 721-8666 961-4555 TREATMENT: W o.m e n O.D.A.A.T First Step Home 241-7343 921-7324 TREATMENT: Me n Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Oyer 784- 1853 921-1613 751-3260 TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline A.A. Hotline C.C.A.T. Talbert House Transitions, Inc. VA Domiciliary 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 Beech Acres 23 1-6630 Center for Independent living Options 241 -2600 591-2246 Churches Active in Northside 961-0600 Cincinnati Health Network 569-1840 Community Action Agency 381-4242 Contact Center 24 1-2563 Emanuel Community Center 24 1- 1064 Freestore/Foodbank 771-4800 Goodwill Industries 621-7149 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 632-7186 Hamilton Co. TB C~ntrol 357-4602 Health Resource Center 352-2902 Homeless Mobile Health Van 221-3679 House of Refuge Mission 241-9400 Legal Aid Society Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271-5501 721-4811 Mary Magdalen House 621-0248 Oral Health Council 621-6364 Our Daily Bread 621-5514 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 721-7660 Travelers Aid 721-7900 United Way 559-6656 VA Homeless Program 491-3335 Women's Crisis Center OTHER SERVICES AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati Appalachian Identity Center 421-2437 621 -5991 ( --- � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1998 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource October 1998 Vol. 2, issue 21 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Jesse Jackson Visits Cincinnati: Forging Along the Appalachian Trail by Motorcade Rally Held at Chiquita Headquarters Pg 3: Our Youth Pg 4: Welfare News Livable Wage Update Pg 5: Visible Homeless Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg 8: Prisoners News Pg 9: Tactics Pg 10: Letters & Editorials Pg 11: Findlay Market update Pg 12: Homeless Veterans Pg 13: Cleveland News Pg 16: Vendor Profile Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project (curated by Katelyn Lusher) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource October 1998 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Maryann Bravo Ron Carter Denise Crew Lee Crum Brian Davis Lalonta Foster Robert Freking Odi Goodman Jimmy Heath Leni Hochman Michael Nelson James W. Pryor Aaron Pitchford Rodney Sutton Jessica Wallace Gloria Wiggins Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Brett Zwolinski Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <span>This work is licensed under a</span><span> </span><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a><span>.</span> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Aaron Pitchford Brett Zwolinski Brian Davis Denise Crew Donald Whitehead Gloria Wiggins James W. Pryor Jessica Wallace Jimmy Heath labor rights Lalonta Foster Lee Crum Leni Hochman Lynn Williams Maryann Bravo Michael Nelson Odi Goodman prisoner Robert Freking Rodney Sutton Ron Carter vendor profile veterans visible homeless welfare welfare reform