2 10 11 https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/400851ebecb966ee45d0191ffb20b1e7.pdf d2d6abeb4c87d09c155de112162c8633 PDF Text Text �•• I TRISTATE HOMELESS STUDY RELEASED ...T. Billman ..-- On December 18, St. John's (Mercy Franciscan) Temporary Housing hosted a press Conference. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless announced the release of the new Cincinnati Area Homeless Study. (The last was done in 1993.) Ed Burdell, senior member of the Applied Information Resources (AIR, Inc.) research team, listed several of the most interesting findings of the study: J) 700 women and children are without pennanent housing in Cincinnati on any given night. 2) ln 1968, racial percentages of homeless people mirrored the general population. At the time of the US Census of 1990, about 23% of the Hamilto n County popul ation was black, In the 1986 survey, 6 J % of homeless were black. In the year 2000, 68% of ho meless people are black while blacks probably still comprise close to 25% of the population. 3) The percentage 'of homeless people who voted in the last election was approximately equal to voters with a permanent residence. - 4) The study found approximately 100 people on the streets in any random night. The U.S . Census Bureau, being much Jess diligent Panelists at the Opening Press Conference of "Homeless Awareness Week" (Left to Right) : Nafisa Wali , Donald Whitehead, Alicia Beck, Ed Burdell, Rodney Sutton in their gathering of statistics, found only 2 homeless people on the streets the night they tallied . 5) The average age of homeless women was 28.5 6) The average age of homeless children was 8.5 7) The research team fo und Asian and Hispanic homeless people for the first time ever in the Cincinnati area. REMEMBERING THOSE WHO DIED by A licia Beck As the December temperatures took an icy dive and the sun set on the first day qf winter, the shortest day of our year, nearly 50 men and women gathered fo Washington Park to honor and remember our homeless friends who have paid the ultimate price for our city's failure to address this issue . Huddled around a fire barrel for warmth, those present took pause to listen to a litany..of names, recalled happy memories of their friends, and remembered those that society has forgotten. As memories of each person poured.forth, we were reminded of the travesty of this horrible reality. We heard friends, both homeless and not, express the beau ty and vitality that each person had to offer our community. These sacred human lives had been labeled as insignificant simply because they did not lock their own door at night, but gathered around the orange glow of the burning embers, each of these forgotten faces was raised up in honor and restored to glory. J:..s voices echoed out over the frigid snow covered ground and sang . .."someone's homeless, Lord ... someone's dying, Lord ...someone's crying, Lord", it was as if all present were making a pledge to commit to the task of ending homelessness. Each year since 1990, the National Coalition for the Homeless has sponsored a National Ho meless Person's Memorial Day to bring attention to the tragedy of homelessness, and to remember our homeless friends who have died. In an act of solidarity, the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless jo ined 8) One fourth of the men surveyed had had some college experience. 9) 55% of homeless men were employed. 10) For men, loss of income was the highest sing le cause of homelessness. 11) AJl of the homeless people interviewed by AIR, Inc. stated that there were See Homeless Study, page 11 over 60 cities across the nation, and sponsored this event as part of Homeless Awareness Week. In the Greater C incinnati Area, over 15 people died while they were homeless during 2000. We at the Coalition ask that you stand with us to say that no person sbould be forced to live without affordable, decent housing and help us to prevent this tragedy from happening • to more valuable lives. photo by Berta f.Amber-t Washington Park, summertime Commons for many of Cincinnati's homeless, lies silent and asleep under December's snow. Here, all who died homeless in Cincinnati' in the year 2000 recieved their final farewell by a group of faithful advocates and friends GREATER CINCINNATI COA ITION FOR THE HOMELESS �STREETVIBES LOCAL NEWS PAN OHIO STATEWIDE MEETING :-·:ciia P~respyterian Church at Ohio Ave. and Bryden Rd., Colum­ bus, Ohio., January 7, 1-5 PM. Contact #: 740-387-9152 Streetvi/Jes, the ;t'ri.-State's Hom~l~ss Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for, and about homelessness, social justice, and poverty-related issues. It is published once a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Vendors buy the papeJ for 20 cents (to cover printing costs) and then sell the paper for a do.Uar donation,. The vendor keeps the profits. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a great way for homeless and other low-income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibes Vendors are given an o rientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes Vendor badge. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed ro ending home~ lessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. GCCHStaff Alici~ Beck Susan Knight Director Administrative Coordinator TomBilJman Editor Dan Marschner Assistant Editor Ron Carte.r Outreach Coordinator Warren Perkins Tenant Organizing Pat Mitchell Oureach Volunteer MalfA. Gaffney · · Receptionist M~ Taylor Receptionist Sonny Williams Prison News Editor Mark Teegarden Volunteer Advocate Page2 STREETCJIBES TElECJISION Studio Audience Wanted!!! Streetvibes TU Second Tuesday of each month, l · 8 PM. at Media Bridges , 2114 Reading Road, Cincinnati Ohio. If you would like to be a part of our studio audience, or have ideas for shows, please call us at 421-7803 Anyone interested i h Streetvib es critique, production and planning, is invited to join the Streetvi bes Ad vi so ry Committee, which meets abo ut a week after the paper comes out. For more information, call Tom or Dan at 421-7803 Januarv Schedule Re-Broadcast Dates for December's Show on Channel 24: (Pleas~ check your schedule) Saturday, Jan. 6, at 5 PM Tuesday, Jan. 9, at 10 PM Saturday, Jan . 20, at 5 PM Tuesday, Jan. 25, at 1O AM Thursday, Feb. 1, at 1O AM Jan 77,5 PM Broadcast schedules are subject to change ­ Consult your local TV directory. Extra! Extra! Writers Mr. Lee Rodney S\Jtton Pat Mitchell Lynn Williams Dan Marscbner Warren Perkins Tom Billman Riccardo TaylQ~ Carol Ann Bell Alicia Beck Susan Huesken Maria PobJet Robert Freeking Johnny Byrd Mindy Berenyl Dawnya Ferdinandson ((enneth D. Smith Photos/Graphics Photographs by Berta Lambert, Sonny Williams, Jimmy Heath, Grady Cook, ~tie Hines, Tom Billman, Lorry Swain. cartoon by Dlshon WOOdy Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories. essays, original graphics, photos.... We will print everything we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $15 per, year. (Please make checks payable to GCCH) . Please send aJI material to the following address: Streetvibes c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 (5 13) 421-7803 fax (513) 421-7813; e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com or homecoal@primax.net web page: http://cinci.c-0m/gcch live, the Attention next meeting: is· produced Support Streetvibes by Advertising to Socially Conscious Readers} Rates: about 2 bucks per square inch . Streetvibes Vendor Code Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for donations more than $1. I also under­ stand 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 threat­ ened. 5. I agree that I will not supply copies of Streetvibes to persons who are not 6. 7. 8. - 9. registered distributors. 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. I agree that I will not contest territories with other distributors. 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. I understand that failure to comply with any of the above statements will result in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. �ST REET VI BES I L QCA L NEW S Page 3 Transition Out of Homelessness · It~ but so simple. All I had to do ~ywaoted-ferCllriStmas. I~ .,.A big new W#81_coat.,. ·My little friend told wq ~a story°" hew it felt to be h.QmCless at auistmas. me she~~ d0ll1 a&ld when she wrote I was going to lart my by.:line with S8ata she woUld'~k ~for a coat for me along with bet doll. . "Why I Hate ehriStmas" - I guess I was My heart melted, and after she left I felt feeling sorry for tn).'selt ,JJut fate ~ other plans for me. Ne~et were th~ w&ds Q~ so ashamed. For you see, it took a small child to remind me of the spirit of Christmas. paper, then I was asked by a friena if I To her it wasn't just a doll that was minded answering some questions fi::om two young grade school students and their teacher. important - it was the fact that a homeless was included in her letter to Santa. As I was introduced to my interviewer, I looked this sparkling, wide-eyed child in the In this spirit, let us all remember the true man eyes, and all through our interview her eyes never left mine. She pulled out a rumpled sheet of notebook paper and, without missing a ~at: began to ask her questions. · For 30 minutes l felt as if f was the center of her and her teacher's attention. Her final question to me was what I ' meaning of Christ.mas: that a long time ago in one of life's first recordings of the homeless, a child was born in a barn. There w,as nowhere else to go. I pray that the spirit of our young never dies, and that as adults it continues on! Merry Christmas to all! !! ....Mark Teegardell Helping the Needy, Coming from the Heart December 9, 2000, a Pre-Christmas feast was given by the 6th Street Hill Neighbor­ hood Mission. For 1O years, The House of Refuge Mission and The 6th Street Hill Club has given up Christmas Day to feed the needy and Homeless. Dinner was served at the Upper Room , now named Shanes Place. This event was at Washington Park, where the needs are greater. 6th St. Hill serves the needy here on all holidays - At first there were only a few people serving in the .neigh­ borhoods; now there are Community Cen­ ters, Churches and various groups.. So the need for serving Washington Park is greatest. Pat Mitchell, winner of the Year 2000 "Volunteer of the Year" award, vendor extraordinaire, regular columnist for Streetvibes, and volunteer coordina­ tor for the GCCH Speakers Bureau The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless had its Annual Holiday Dinner and Award Presentation on December 9, 2000 at the Pendleton Heritage House, East End, Cincinnati. Alicia Beck, Coalition Director, welcomed everyone to the dinner and MC' d a Silent Auction. Next, a delicious dinner was served, followed by some delightful dancing. After "A year in review", awards wete presented to the following people: Pat Mitchell -- "Volunteer of the Year". The Jimmy Render award --to Jimmy Heath. Alice Skirtz won the Buddy Gray · award. Presentations were also given to Mary Burke and Fannie Johnson for their faithful service on the GCCH Coordinating Committee. We thank everyone fot their support, and "Seasons Greetings"! ..... Pat Mitchell. We served hot home-cooked meals, consist(ng of soups, hot chocolate, turkey and ham, assorted sandwiches, pinto beans, corn bread , fruits , cakes.... In addition, hygiene products were given out in bags to go. I have personally been working with Darlene Hicks, President of 6th St. Hill, and can speak for the work they do helping others. This year at Thanksgiving and Christ­ mas, I was able to pick up food for the needy. I was also able to help a senior citizen who was without, and a couple of needy families that I have been working with through the Coalition. . So, please help support 6th Street Hill Club and House of Refuge Mission with their fundraising affairs. Your donation does go back into the Community. They could not do all the things they do without your help. Wishing you Seasons greetings, .. .. .Pat Mitchell By Riccardo Taylor · Transitional move­ ment from homeless­ ness to stability is in itself an entire trans­ formation. It is a movement of various stages which takes fortitude and patience. The first step .in the movement of transition is to have the willing­ ness and desire to want to make change. Many times in the homeless situation this is hard simply because we find it easier to just go along with the way things are. Change in itself is hard most often because we do not have the tools or the know how to accomplish that which we want or wish to change. Discourag­ ing as this may be, we have to come to grips with the idea that if we want such a change then we have to make sacrifices or give the effort toward making such changes. Next, we have to learn to make the right choices, choices that will effect our lives in both short term and long term affairs. The decisions based upon the changes we strive for, and the choices we make, in our effort to overcome our homelessness is the key to successful transition. The tools to transition vary Jjttle. It is usually a simple formula. After taking the first steps of overcoming our sjtuation (change, choices), we have to prac­ tice the fortitude of responsibility. This means using those tools that allow us to move for­ ward with both consistency and accountability. First in our transformation from this point we must seek out and maintain employment. The stability of employment is important. Employ­ ment has to be permanent, a full time job, as opposed to temporary or part time work. Next we must seek housing. Housing, being the ultimate goal of our transition, it is very important that we find the right place to rent or lease, meaning by price or-location. Often in our homeless situation there is a particular reason or cause for that condition, this is what we need to guard against ie., avoidance in choosing where we might live due to environ­ mental stimuli. These simple steps can lead to success in the future, yet again they must be held in relevance to where we would like to be in the future. So in summation I would like to leave this overview of what I believe is a possible success story waiting to happen. Transitional movement from homeless­ ness to main stream living is in itself a compli­ cated idea. It is movement that takes planning and specific steps in order for its success. The particulars in which one might follow to make this transition, (changes and choices) are the basis of my idea for the successful transition from the homeless condition to stability. First the idea of changes has to be viewed as the step in which one makes to enhance himself. The planning phase must be done w ith both desire and fortitude, the sincere want for . change and the perseverance and willingness to make that change. Making the right choices and maintaining the changes which have occurred in one's life are the tasks which complete the success of transition. • • • �- STREETVIBES .... J.. ()(~J\I.. NJ~l\TS Page 4 Covington's Life Learning Center Cioser to Mt. Airy : Love it ·Breaking Grou~d of homeless people to determine what it is they really want and need. Or Leave it, Part 11 by Mr. Lee This is the fourth installment of my series on Mt. Airy Men's Shelter. It is the fourth of what is a five part series, and undoubtedly wi ll be the shortest. In the words of that famous philosopher, sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't. This month I did not feel like writing, and could not get up for the downstroke. Just to review, article one, September's story, was an overview of the shelter. Octobers article, The Pick­ up point, was a fictionalized account of a homeless man going through the w·aiting, pre-interview waiting, interview, bus journey, and pre-pick-up waiting at what is known as the Pick-up point (a vacant lot at the corner of Chase and Virginia in Northside, and the final van ride to the Shelter). Installment three was Mr. Airy: Love it or Leave it, Part 1, a lengthy discourse on life in the shelter. This brief article will offer my final thought on life at the shelter. As a member of the Coalition's Speakers' Bureau, I usually speak at shelters, drug treatment programs, halfway houses and the like. One of my usual themes is the importance of continuing in long term treatment or in transitional housing for men and women in early recovery. One of my usual recommendations to the men who do not have a home to return to is to go to Mt. · Airy. It has a lot to offer, as I have strongly suggested in my first and second articles. It also has room for improvement. Humbly, I suggest that, my beloved two-stadium-building, billion­ dollar- spending, cost-overrun-approving, Hamilton County. That same county government that found it in their hearts and the taxpayers pockets to build two super sports coliseums so that two wealthy sports franchises could provide seasonal entertainment for fairly- well- off and less- traumatized fans, could afford to build a shelter and place a port-a-let on the city- owned lot used for the "Pick­ up Point". Life on the "Hill" is not easy. It is a place where sufficient resources exist so that a fallen man can pick himself up and begin to put his life back together. It is a unique facility with a storied history. It needs the support and advocacy of those who are concerned about homelessness and the thousands who have benefited from its services. As with most government-operated services it usually responds. when the voters express interest in what it does. Get interested, people. Next month: Life After Mt. Airy, or Return of the Prodigal Sons. The Social Service Center which has been facing stiff opposition from the Covington Busi­ ness Council seems now on its way to being built, after The Covington Board of Adjustment voted 3-2 on Wednesday, December 20, to approve a zoning permit change. The proposed Life Leaming Center will house offices, classrooms, meeting rooms, a health clinic, and 35 efficiency apartments in one 31/2 story brick buildJng. Ser­ vices for the homeless will be offered. Bill Butler, Covington riverfront developer, has pledged not only land but also money - at least $1 million to match federal HUD grants, for the center's constructio n. He, of course, has the support of many who work in social services in Northern Kentucky, including Rachael Winters, coordinator of the homeless services project atWelcome House. "A first-rate city needs to respond to the needs -- of all its citizens -- from those who live on Riverside Drive to those who live on the riverbank." The site of the proposed Life Learning Center is currently a parking lot used by nearby businesses. The Covington Business Counci l has opposed its construction partly because of fear of losing valu­ able parking spaces. Besides the loss of parking, others fear more social services in the area. The homeless akeady visit a number of agencies around Pike Street, in­ cluding Welcome House, the Pike Street Clinic, the Parish Kitchen, Fairhaven Rescue Mission and Storehouse Ministries. But aside from Storehouse, which is privately run by a minister, none provide basic services for men during the day. Welcome House shelters only women and children. Men who stay at Fairhaven must have jobs or physical disabilities. The development of the Life Learning Center seems to have come about in ~ unique way. Wel­ come House has actually been working with groups Many homeless people are too independent or too turned off by beaurocracy to accept rigid structure. They're unlikely to keep appointments for medical or mental health care. So~ work in day labor pools, but it's difficult to find and keep jobs without having access to showers or a place to store belongings. The Life Learning Center would hopefully pro­ vide an alternative to more rigidly structured social service programs -- a Day center with showers, lock­ ers, phone calls, help putting together resumes , etc. Artist's model of$4 million life Learning Center .... At night, apartments wou ld be available for those pursuing specific career or education goals. Services would be available right inside the struc­ ture -- medical care, mental-health counseling, job as­ sistance, even spiritual support - all designed to guide people toward safer ways of life. Many have described this idea as a "Homeless Mall", a concept which has been alternately hailed and cursed in many cities, such as Colorado Springs. We applaud the Life Learning Center's ef­ forts to include homeless people in the planning phase and wish them luck as they begin the next phase of this project. May they be able to find the proper balance that their city's homeless need ..compiledfrom articles by Jeanne Houck, Ken­ tucky Post, Karen Samples, Cincinnati Enquirer, .... with editorial editions by Thomas Billman and Alicia Beck AP Wire Service - Dec 21, 2000 Dayton City Commissioners Support Panhandler Registration Requirement DAYTON, Ohio (AP) _ A measure to control panhandling by requiring beggars to register with the police department cou ld become law by next week. Downtown business owners applauded the proposal at Wednesday's City Commis­ sion meeting as a necessary step to stop con artists from preying on people frequenting their shops and restaurants. Advocates of the homeless and mentally ill said the registration requirement would at best be ignored and at worst lead to further injury to residents least able to defend them­ selves. Business owners and city officials say it targets "aggressive" panhandlers, those who have no disability but intimidate passersby into giving tbem money. "There is not a day that goes by 'in which I do not hear from at least one of my guests about them being virtually accosted," said Glen Brailey, owner of Pacchia restaurant. Walt Lichtenberg, president of a Dayton­ area advocacy group for the mentally ill, said people with mental illnesses are the least likely to go to a police department to register. "The reason the guy is on the street is because he's afraid to interact with the community,"·Lichtenberg said. A majority of the five-member com­ mission approved the measure Wednesday, when an ordinance requiring registraton received its first reading. Another vote next week would be necessary for adop­ tion. The ordinance would ban panhandling at night, on buses or at several city tourist spots. A panhandler would Jose his regis­ tration card if he did not stay more than three feet away from people being con­ fronted, or if he blocks them or their cars, or follows them after being rejected. People found panhandling without a license the first time will be directed to register. Later violations could subject the person to a $250 fin e and 30 days in jail. HOMELESS PEOPLE'S NETWORK <http:I/aspin.asu.edu/hpn> Nothing About Us Without Us ­ Democratize Public Policy �STREETVIBES l\7 1~1.~l~i\lll~ Nl~l\7 S OHIO EMPOWERMENT COALITION PLATFORM The Ohio Empowerment Coalition has decided on the following policies to push for in the 2001 Ohio Assembly. Although the OEC still supports stopping the time limit policy for fami lies to receive public assistance, we will push for alternative ways to "stop the clock" and also help low-income workers. EDUCATION & .TOB TRAINING A LLOWANCES: • Education, including G.E.D., post­ secondary and vocational should count as the entire work requirement for Ohio Works First (OWF) recjpients until they complete their degree. (The OEC supports rec ipients concentratino their time on earning a degree or completing a vocational or job-training program. Since recipients must do at least a 30 to 35 hours/weekly work requirement, their time should nor be wasted at "workfare" sites that do not provide chem a marketable skill or degree. In light of the three year time limit, they shouJd be allowed 10 use these mandated hours in a way that will train them for employ­ ment that will support their fami lies. A degree is oftentimes the best route to leaving poverty.) Income Tax Credit would help to stabilize families moving from welfare to work whq are in low-wage jobs. (This policy would reward work and help to further stabilize a low-income family's financial situation. This would be a use of TANF funds to move low-income families farther out ofpoverty.) PROTECT CHILDREN: • Children should continue on cash assistance in the same household after their parent(s) reaches the OWF time limit. The chil.dren should receive cash assistance untiJ family income from other sources ends children 's e ligibility. Pages "WAGES" CAMPAIGN RALLY Bracing against the biting wind and bone-quivering cold air, members of the Cincinnati Welfare Rights Coalition and Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless strong in fortitude, braved the weather to take a stand for homeless and low-income families at a rally in front of the Department of Human Services Downtown. The Welfare Rights Coalition launched the WAGES Campaign to urge Ohio legislators to make changes in Ohio Works First that will benefit poor families and to include other policies to help stabilize the incomes of the working poor. (see OEC Platform on page one). WAGES is " Work After Good Education is Success. " J The WAGES Project is a campaign to promote the need for adequate education and job training for both recipients and the • The time clock should not tick for Ohio Works First participants enrolled full­ time in educational or vocational programs until they complete their degree or program. The participants must be in compliance with their selfsufficiency agreements and making progress towards completion of the.i r degrees or programs. (Jn addition to #1, recipients would be allowed to complete their educational or vocational proorams or degrees before the three year time clock even s~arted ticking. This would further assist them in finding li vable wage jobs without the additional pressure of a time clock on. top of the stresses of learning/studying and raising c hildren.) • Extend Ohio Works First exemptions at the state level for all recipients who are complying with work requirements. (Twenty states allow recipient~ to receive extensions of time on cash assistance as long as they are complying with work requirements and makincr a crood faith effort to find employment. This policy w~uld prevent the cut off of unemployed famiJies by an arbitrary time limit if they are making an effort.) "MAKE WORK PAY" POLICIES: • "Make Work Pay" policy: Ohio Works First time Limit should not tick for part­ time workers receiving partial cash benefit checks. Part-time work woul.d be 20 hours per week if feasible; otherwise 30 hours per week. (Many recipients are working at jobs that still make them eligible for partial OWF cash assistance. Currently, the time clock is counted on each month th"at a partial cash benefit check is issued. Once the three year time limit is reached, the partial cash assistance is cut off. The OEC supports work ing recipients being allowed to ··stop the clock" on partial cash assistance benefits so that the additional income can stabilize a family's financial situation and reward them for workin 0cr. In effect, this cash is a work subsidy.) • Surplus TANF money should be used for a State Earned Income Tax Credit and develop funding stream for an ongoing program. The State Earned In Ce_l~bration of Hom ~les~ Awareness Week, Members and supporters of the Ohio Empowerment Coaliti-on demonstrate in front of the Hami/Jon County Welfare offic.e. OEC believes that Ohio's welfare reform will put many families out on the street (Currently in Ohio, the en.tire family loses eligibility for cash assistance when the time limit is reached. If children are to continue to receive cash assistance (child-only assistance cases), they must be removed from their homes. The OEC supports children being allowed to continue on cash assistance as long as the .family's income or lack o.l income makes the children eligible. It is in the besr interest of children and society to keep mothers and their children united as a family if the only ''abuse" is bdng poor.) We encourage you to educate the legislators who represent you about these issues. As a reminder about the cmTent law in Ohio, our state has a three year time limit for families with children to receive public assistance (Ohio Works First). Families have been cut off each month since October 1, 2000 due to this time l imit. According to the Department of Job and Famil y Services (formerly_ Ohio Department of Human 0E C, continued on page 17 working poor to better their financial situations in order to adequately support their fami lies. The lack of adequate income (as well as the high cost of housing) is one of the main reasons low­ income families end up homeless. The Campaign will push for recipients to be allowed a more thorough education & vocational training before they are pushed off welfare cash assistance by the time clock. The Campaign ~till also push for work rewards, including "stopping the clock" on partial benefit checks if the recipient is working, and a State Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income families funded with surplus TANF (Temporary ' Assistance for Needy Families) dollars in Ohio. . At the rally, Alicia Beck, Director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, railed out, "How can we let policies continue that are making more and "WAGES" , continued page 17" �STREETVIBES NATIONAL NEWS Page 6 From: Cincinnati Zapatista Coalition mirwm'Czc@yahoo.com March on Washington planned your decision. Several political groups for Inauguration day strictly as well as people with no particular political To all concerned citizens and voters, As everyone in the country knows, after a debacle of a Presidential campaign, George W. Bush has been elected as President. The obvi­ ous election fraud and racial discrimination in Florida, has caused an awakening across the nation. From the growing opposition to the racist Death Penalty to the fight for a woman's right to choose, to the support for Gay and Lesbian rights. The next four years are certain to bring an economic slowdown. This will heighten the issue of the Welfare "Defo1m" that has been hidden by the growing economy, in which millions of people work full time jobs and still live under the poverty line. Jesse Jackson has already called for a "civil rights explosion" and is planning five days of protest, culminating on January 20th 2001. We need anyone and everyone who has a stake in sending the President Elect the mes­ sage that "We won 't go back to the politics of Reaganism!" to join us in Washington. The level of your participation in this event is affiliation will be descending on Washington D.C. on January 20th, 2001 to voice their oppo­ sition to having_an illegitimate president in­ stalled in the Whitelfouse. We will have sev­ eral buses of folks leaving from the Cincinnati area to attend the demonstrations. There are several demonstrations occurring in Washington and several different ways in which to partici­ pate. I Martin Luther King's Birthday, January 15, heralds the start of this mass message for the Bush Administration We wi11 have lots of information in the coming weeks. Right now the primary concern is getting out the message that people locally should be represented in D.C. How we get there, logistical information and D.C. contact , group information will all be forthcoming. I _Any ideas, suggestions, or help from you would be appreciated: We are already in contact with other local organizers for this protest. We have set January 6th, 200 l as a tentative date for an organizer's meeting. Tbe time and meeting place is to be announced. If you have suggestions, feel free ~o contact the below information. Simply getti ng on the bus and participat­ ing in the March is the single most important thing you can do! For more information, Call (513) 766-2000 ext. 2893; E-mail: nogood@one.net, or mrm@fuse.net, or erickerl@fu se.net and they knock on your cardboard box. That's what people are mad about because they say, 'Well, gee now, we' re out OD the Street, and you shouldn't be making life more miserable than From The Revolutionary Worker, December 3, 2000 what it is. That's what the main gripe is.' back a second time, 'If you don' t got no ID, "They come by, they shine the light and On Monday, November 20. a group of make you get up. They don't want you to have you're going to jail."' civil rights lawyers filed a lawsuit in federal Even for those who don't get hauled to ~ co urt against these LAPD practices on skid your belongings on the sidewalk. You stand up jail, the cops are making life harder. Some by your stuff, they still make you move. They row. The lawsuit exposes the constant people get their belongings ripped off by the say you can't stand up out here. They say, harassment, seizure of belongings, unjust ' You 've got to clear this area.' It just got worse police. Melvin, an older Black man, said that arrests and threats to arrest. Lawyers are dw-"ing one sweep, the cops told people, "Stand asking for a court order to stop the LAPD 's a month or so ago" next to your stuff, and anybody anti-homeless operation. else's, we're going to throw it away. Karen, a white woman in her late 30s, Don't claim nobody else's stuff." saw the front cover of the RW about the According to Melvin, "they just National Day of Protest against police brutality. start throwing stuff away. That's all The first thing she wanted to tell people '!JaS, we got in the world, is the little bit "There's no racism out here. We' re all of stuff we got in these bags. That's homeless. We stick together. Bag lunches all we got. Like I got two blankets. come here, we do what we can." Karen got That's all I got in the world." He two tickets for blocking the sidewalk. She told of others who had their few describes the cops as "very rude." She said "I belongings stolen and destroyed by had two tickets. There are codes that say I'm the cops when they went into a not blocking. Tbey said I was sitting on the shelter for breakfast, or even left to sidewalk. But you can see my stuff is tied up." go to the bathroom. A lot of the homeless people here help Dave added, "No matter ea~h other out. During the day, they collect where you go they follow you. They try to Dave, a homeless man on skid row, cardboard boxes that the import businesses make you feel uncomfortable because they downtown L.A., talking about the latest anti­ throw out. They are broken down and tied in don' t want you out here." He also mentioned people operation. ofthe LAPD - a war on the bundles until the early evening when the that the cops were especially brutal during the homeless. businesses are closed and they can set up their Democratic National Convention in August. little shelters. The next morning, cardboard ''They was really bot down here. They was LAPD cops on foot, on horseback, and L.A.'s War on Homeless , ready to take you to jail, and being obnoxious, in cars are· constantly harassing homeless continued on page 13 getting all in your face. They get their batons people. They force them off sidewalks, as early as 4:30 a.m. They write all kinds of Our Advertisers help a good cause while promoting tickets, for "blocking the sidewalk", or themselves to over 8,000 concerned peop'.e each month." "jaywalking." If the homeless don' t find some way to take care of the ticket, they go to jail. Size Two Size Dave, a Black man in his 40's, continues: "One $15 per month $30 per month day they said, 'We're going to come b~ck, and if we see anybody standing here, we're going Send your add copy to Streetvibes, 1506 Elm Street,Cinti, 45210 , (Larger.Adds to write them up'. They said when they. come liomecoal@primax.net,or call 421-7803. Also Available) War on the Homeless in L.A.'s Skid Row "VIRTISE ! ..f........ W1_,.R-l_l_, . T__... Y11 .1_1. IM Busi~~:s31c~~~ § ~ Bu;~:e;~~~rd �STREETVIBES Domestic Violence and Homelessness: NATIONAL NEWS HOUSING AID UP AGAINST TIGHT MARKET By Robert Weller, AP writer ­ DENVER (AP) - Advocates for the homeless welcomed $1 billi<;>n in grants announced by President Clinton Satur­ day, but said the strong economy and tight housing market could blunt its impact. "Most landlords would rather rent to a Background private person than go through all the When a woman leaves an abusive relationship, she often has nowhere co go. This is federal hoops like home inspections," said the Rev. Del Maxfield, executive particularly true of women with few resources. director of the Denver Rescue Mission. Lei.ck of affordable housing and long waiting Lists Maxfield said the situation may not for assisted housing mean that many women and improve until the economy sours and cheir children are forced to choose between abuse at home or on the streets. Moreover, shelters are "landlords begin lining up" to rent to frequen tly filled co capacity and must turn away subsidized tenants. battered women and their children. An estimated As the economy has boomed, hous­ 32% of requests for shelter by homeless families ing in cities across the country has be­ were denied in 1998 due to lack of resources come too expensive for many people as (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 1998). low-income units have been torn down to make room for upscale lofts, said Mary Domestic Violence as a Contributing Ann Gleason, housing analyst for the National Coalition for the Homeless. Factor to Homelessness On any given night, there are as many Many studies demonstrate the as 700,000 people homeless in the contribution of domestic violence to United States, up from 500,000 in 1996, homelessness, particularly among families with Gleason said. The total number of children. A 1990 Ford Foundation smdy found people who are homeless at least one that 50% of homeless women and child ren were fleeing abuse (Zorza, 1991). More recently, in a night a year jumped from 2 million in study of 777 homeless parents (the majority of 1996 to 3 million this year, she said. whom were mothers) in ten U.S. cities, 22% said In his weekly radio address, Clinton that d1ey had left ilieir last place of residence said most of the Department of Housing because of domestic violence (Homes for the and Urban Development grants would go Homeless, 1998). In addition, 46% of cities to 2,633 projects in more than 350 com­ surveyed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors munities nationwide to help homeless identified domestic violence as a primary cause of families move from temporary to perma­ homelessness (U.S. Conference on Mayors, nent housing, get treatment for sub­ 1998). stance abuse and gain access to health State and local stud ies also demonstrate the care, job training and child care. Some impact of domestic violence on homelessness: $150 million in grants will help 312 com­ National Coalition for the Homeless Fact Sheet In Minn esota, che most common reason for women to enter a shelter is domestic violence. Approximately one in five women (19%) surveyed indicated th at one of the main reasons for leaving housing was to flee abuse. 24% of women surveyed were homeless at lease in part because of a previous abuse experience (Wilder Research Center, 1998). In Missouri, 18% of the sheltered homeless population are victims of domestic violence (Dr. Simone et al, 1998). A 1995 survey of homeless adults in Michigan fow1d iliac physical abuse/being afraid of someone was most frequently cited as the main cause of homelessness (D ouglass, 1995). Shelter providers in Virginia report chat 35% of their clients are homeless because of family violence (Virginia Coalition for the Homeless, 1995). This same survey found that · more chan 2,000 women seeking shelter from domestic violence issues were turned away. Policy Issues Shelcers provide immediate safety to battered women and their children and help women gain control over their lives. The provision of safe emergency shelter is thus a necessary firsc step iri meeting the needs of . women fleeing domestic violence. Domestic Violence, continued p. 19 Page 7 munities maintain emergency shelters. But Gleason said for every homeless person who finds housing with federal assistance, ''two or three more will re­ place them in the line." Before Clinton's announcement, there were only enough federal housing vouchers for one-fifth of the applicants in Los Angeles alone, she said. , Even those who get federal Section 8 vouchers, which pay up to two-thirds of housing, may find themselves turned away by landlords or have trouble paying the remaining rent. ''There are many homeless people .walking around Denver with Section 8 authorization," Maxfield said. Some 44 percent of the homeless have jobs, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Teri Levy, 33, of Denver, where apart­ ment rents rose 70 percent between 1990 and 1998, works 85 hours some weeks driving around the city removing qarricades for $9.50 an hour. She sleeps in her aging Honda Accord, a gift. Her five boys, one of whom suffers from schizophrenia, stay with the baby sitter she pays $600 a month. Levy said she had rented a four­ bedroom house for $1 ,250 a month, using mostly money from a federal pro­ gram. Then, the owner sold it. "I worry about my boys, and I want to be able to spend some time with them," she said. for further information: National Coalition for the Homeless: http://nch.ari.net/wwwhome.html Department of Housing and Urban De­ velopment: http://www.hud.gov/ Get yQur Greater Cincinnati Coa\ition for the. Home.\e.ss Year JOOI CALENDAR Now! Examining Home.le.ssne.ss from a kid's point of view Featuring photos by Jimmy Heath . 5end .S 10 to GCCH, 1506 E\m 5t ., Cinti, Oh ~5.:210 �My Place in Civilization by Mindy Berenyl, Prisoner aT ORW Marysville, Ohio ''They shake their heads and they look at me as if I've lost my mind; I tell them there is no hurry I'm just sitting here doing time." John Lennon s ummed up the question of where I am going with that single lyric. Instead of beating the walls of my mjnd to find the answers to the unanswerable (Wh y? What if? Why not?), all questions at once pelted m y mind until I would nearly implode. I now challenge reality; instead of why, I ask "Who says?" I've come to realize that s uffering and death are all I'm truly promised. . . the rest is up to me. I could refuse to resist and become one of the mjnd numbed masses w ho walk zombie­ like through life questioning nothing. They accept that the sky is blue, that Good always prevails, and acceptance is better than being yourself. I question all; Is up really down? Left really right? Reality really a dream? Sometimes, in the quiet moments of the night I do wonder if perhaps I'm hollow, if I've mined my life or if life has ruined me. However, the answer always rings true : I've chosen this path. Call it Fate, Destiny, or God. This is my destiny. The person on the inside that feels so passionately, that soul that embraces heartache and happiness in each fist and screams: I AM ALIVE! Prison is of no consequence (we are all imprisoned in one way or anther) as long as I have freedom of mind and soul l can endure ALL life spews forth into my reality. A ll I've given up i_s a life with herd, (is that really g iving up anything?) or perhaps death. I could have done many things on m y walk down this narrow path, but the choices I' ve made I accept as I continue my journey for k nowledge making decisions . . . not mistakes. Legal Assistance: Unfortu nately, Streetvibes cannot help prisoners with any type of Legal Work, other than indirectly inspiring our readers. For help proving innocence by DNA testin g, contact: The Innocence Project at Cardozo Law School, 55 5th Av­ enue, New York, NY 10003. (212) 790-0354 STRIDVIBIS PtiSODIJISNIJWS contains news about the justice system and the writings of persons incarcerated in .our nation's jails and prisons. Subscribers within the walls receive Streetvibes free. If you want to support us in this effort, please sponsor someone on the inside by J' sending us $15 for a year's subscription Send your comments and questions to streetvibes@juno.com mail : STREETVIBES, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 4521O Dear publisher , I' ve only seen a couple of news articles from your publication and am very interested in your work. Being a former Ohio death row inmate, I for one know Mr. John Byrd's enduring tunnoil. A man's condemned faith on this very emotional roller coaster is an experience I personally know of, and I pray dai ly that ·no other person on earth would have to go through it. Your diligent advocacy in seekin g criminal reform and letting general society know what goes on behi nd our so called judicial system is highly p raised. H at's off to you good folks! Caroll Pless #252-991 P.O. Box 45699 Lucasville, Ohio 45699 Mumia's Neighborhood by Maria Poblet from t he December 1999 Street Sheet, San Francisco's homeless newspaper ­ we live in mumia's neighborhood we see what he saw cops swoop down on our street to frame us too we live just off east 14th 198th 24th we live in hunters point the fillmore fruitvale west oakland we rent rickety apartments trailers basements we watch ebmud cut off our water and pg&e cut off our lights we see what mumia saw we write in our journals what he wrote in the paper we send letters to our dads in prison we visit our sisters in jail we live in mumia's neighborhood he speaks to our cracked sidewalks crooked fences card board shacks he screams for the cops to stop locking us up he speaks and we hear him cause we live right next door we live in mumia's neighborhood we 'demand that he come home. ......Leonard Peltier "Prison \Yritings ... My ,,,. Life Is My Sun Dance" "My people at that very moment were at a crossroads in our history. Every one of us was needed for the confrontation at hand. Even as I sat manacled for five months in a Milwaukee jail on those phony charges, the lid blew off on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. The occupation and siege at Wounded Knee h ad begun on February 27, 1973. I wish I could have been there. Before the jail bars shut with final ity behind me, I jumped preuial bail - whjch a few friends had surprisingly managed to get for me in late April - and shortly thereafter I slipped out of town, later becoming a hunted fugitive when I missed my pretrial hearing. I felt no more guilty running from my oppressors than ·a Jew in Nazi Germany would have felt guilty running from the Gestapo. Like them, I was being targeted for being who I was. Not until 1978, after I had already been convicted and imprisoned on that other set offalse charges stemming from the 1975 firefigh t at O glala, would I stand trial on tl1ose original phony attempted murder charges in Milwaukee. I was found not guilty. Govern­ ment misconduct had been so oven and clumsy in that case that tl1e jury acquitted." You can call the White House comment line (as often as you are able) at 202-456- JJJJ and register your support for clemency for all the political prisoners. Or you can. call the toll-free number from · 9 to 5 p.m. Eastern time: 1-800-663-9566. For more info, go to the website of the Prison Activist Resource Center; http://www.priso11activist.org/ PENPAL WANTED Dawnya Ferdlnandson #27006 ORW 1479 Collins Avenue Marysville, Ohio 43040 , Muinia Update Stand with Mumia on his first day in federal court in Philadelphia (date to be announced). January 20th counter-inauguration in Wash ington, DC- demands include new trial for Mumia and an end to the rac ist death pena]ty. Start announcing the Annual Mumia Conference to take place in Washington, DC, on Feb. 24th, 200~. For mQre information, contact the International Concerned Family & Friends ofMumia Abu-Jamal, 215-476-8812. �STREETVIBES PRISONERS' NEWS Attica -A Story Unfinished, A Lesson Unlearned! Kenneth D. Smith, Orient Con-ectiona/ Institution Could It Happen Again, here? In the last week of August in Rochester, New York, a Federal Judge closed the books on the worst case of state abuse of power in decades. The Attica, New York riot, which took place in 1971, saw the slaughter of prisoners and prison guards alike at the hands of New York State Police! When the firing had ceased 43 men lay dead and another 80 lay wounded. Most today don't even remember the story of Attic.a, a story that started with political abuse by the state's bureaucrats. Deemed worth­ less, these men endured abuse after abuse at the hands of state employees until they had endured enough. When the uprising came, the prisoners captured guards and took the prison. For the most part, the guards were treated with care and protected. At least that was the case until the State Police were ordered in by New York's Governor. Then, in one gunfire-filled period of terror, society saw who were the animals and who were the heroes. As Police indiscriminately gunned down every man in sight, prisoners, who had been given the job of protecting the guards, flung themselves between the guns of the Police and the bodies of those they guarded. One prisoner, as he flung his body over the guard he protected, shouted over the bed­ lam, "If you live, tell the truth of what hap­ pened here!" Moments later that prisoner was dead, shot to death protecting his guard who lived to tell the truth of that fateful day. Twenty nine years have passed since those heroic prisoners gave their lives to fulfill their duty, the protection of those put into their charge. New York taxpayers shelled out $8 Million to pay for the deaths of 43 men and the injuries of 80 others. A paltry sum to pay for one life let alone so many. The question remains, did the politicians and bureaucrats of this nation learn anything from the sacrifice made by those forty three? Apparently, at least in ohio, the answer is a resounding, "NO!" Of course, since Attica, prisons have better food and, for a while, had truly rehabili­ tative programs. But then along came the myth of "get tough on crime" and it became fashionable to once again strip our prisons of educational and rehabilitative programs. Then to rub salt into the wound, the state decided that they were going ta REDUCE criminal sentences. To do so for everyone then in prison would have required the closing of at least eight prisons and the termination of 7,000 state jobs. This was unthinkable! So, the law was not made retroactive. The mo­ ment our legislature voted to remove the retroactivity clause from S.B.2, they created 24,000 political prisoners! Twenty- four thou­ sand human beings imprisoned for political convenience, for the saving of state jobs, and for the protection of lucrative state prison building contracts. Then paroles were dried up, repeat offenders released to commit new crimes for adverse publicity, and cries of, "Tighten up the parole guidelines". This they were more than happy to do. Today, men and Suicide Claims the Life of Young Pris­ oner at Ohio Reformatory for Women Fellow inmates say staff indifference is to blame I am writing you in regard to hanging death of a 20-year old woman here at ORW. The articles I have seen concerning this matter have just basi­ cally brushed her death off as "Oh, well, she was just an inmate". She's been brushed off in death just like she was brushed off by this institution in life! Carol Ann Bell was 16 when she arrived here at ORW. She came in very young and very afraid. She had no one she knew, in a population of over 1800 women. Carol Ann had 16-50 years; and because she was only 16, she felt it was her entire life. She felt like she was surely going to die here; and inevitably she did just that! Carol Ann Bell Carol Ann Bell had suicidal problems when she arrived here in 1996. Around March of 97 ' Carol Ann attempted to hang herself while in Lock-up. She was just placed on watch for a day or so and then brushed off and told she would be all right. By August of 1998, Carol Ann attempted to escape; she got over the first perimeter fence and was caught in the fences by Captain Burrows (who has since been transferred), Lt. Haynes and Officer Cunningham. Upon sight of her attempt to escape, Captain Burrows took a 357 Magnum from a perimeter officer and threatened to shoot Carol Ann. Carol Ann informed Burrows repeat­ edly that she didn't care, go ahead! She repeatedly said she had nothing to live for. She was then immediately placed in ARN-5, our lock-up area, on suicide watch for over 2 weeks with no psych evaluations. During that time, Carol Ann was rushed through her R.l.B. hearings, rushed through her A/C Hearings and placed in A/C. Carol Ann remained in ARN-4 for about 60 days. She then informed officers: Mr. Cunningham and Mrs. Miller that she heard voices telling her to kill herself. She was then placed in RTU from October to December. During th is time, while heavily medicated, she was raced though Union County and given an additional 4 years for an escape when it was only an attempt. The day before she was placed back in ARN-4, she slit here wrist. Tuey brushed her off again and placed her back in lock­ up with her wrist slit. Captain Tucker placed her Page 9 ., women who see little chance of release before their max-out dates, sit and watch "shake & bakes" - with one, two, or three year sen­ tences - come and go. These sentences for the exact crimes these old law men and women are doing 10, 15 or 25 years for! How long can the peace last? At what point do these old law prisoners scream, "ENOUGH!'~ and do something drastic? It may start with assaults on "shake & bakes" who are whining about their sentences. It may start when a man goes to the board for the umpteenth time and gets ANOTHER flop and decides it's time to bust some heads. It may happen in the chow line when one of these cocky "shake & bakes" jumps line and finds half a dozen men stomping him into jello. It may start with staff abuse or excessive use of force, whether real or perceived. It may happen anywhere. It may happen any time. But you can rest assured it will happen! Men are not going to stand like sheep forever and be killed for the benefit of a few bureaucratic worms and political hacks! And killing is exactly what the state is doing. Every day more men and women die behind the wire because of neglect, deliberate malice or illegal flops. Over the last four years, the number of political prisoners has dwindled from twenty-four thousand to around twenty one thousand. Still,at that rate, decades will pass before they are all maxed out or dead. Could an Attica like riot take place in Ohio? It is only a matter of time; and when it happens the politicians will parrot their same old line, the news media will mirror their views as usual, and human beings will, once again, be slaughtered at the hands of the state. And why? Because in this state your life is expendable if it's good for politics! 0 0 0 back in ARN-4 and continuously informed Carol Ann, at 18 years of age, that he would personnally see to it that she did 3-5 years in her cell for her escape attempt. This taunting caused her to go back on suicide watch in ARN-4 (1 have IOO's of letters to prove this). Then, while she finished A/C several male officers repeatedly asked her to expose herself to them or they could make it that she would do years back in the hole. Carole Ann was then released into genernl population in Sept 1999 and sent directly into a maximum security cottage! Tfiis cottage houses the worst and most notorious women in the state of Ohio! Carol Ann was 19 yeas old when she was sent there, after 13 months of solitary confinement, with no adjust­ ment program back into population. Carol Ann was scared to death of these women, due to the fact that prior to her A/C she was housed with all youthful offenders within a segregated housing unit. While she was in the Maximum housin0o- unit the women stole her things, threatened her, bullied her, and used her for her $ l 0.00 a month state pay. Her unit continually informed her that she would be getting her blue shirt (closed status); But it was to no avail. This was just one more act of cruelty toward Carol Ann, although Carol Ann's institu.: tional instrument score decreased her, the institu­ tion would not!· Jt wasn't until 2 weeks before her death that she was informed by Ms. Cardine UMA) "No, wait another 9 months." If I could only explain to you what state of mind that put her in, her whole outlook on her time here, then you could begin to understand. Had she received her decrease (which she deserved), she' d have been placed in a better housing unit, one with less violent offenders, along with the opportunities Carrol Ann, continued on page I 3 I • �. STREETVIBES Page 10 . · Homeless Awareness Week, Homeless Study, from page 1 multiple causes for their homelessness. Rodney Sutton, another panelist at the conference, spoke of his own experiences trying to find housing with a criminal record. He stated that even when one is employed, the housing market seems to discriminate sever~ly against people who have supposedly already paid their debt to society. Donald Whitehead, Board Chairman of the National Coalition for the Homeless, and former director of GCCH, stated a few national statistics: I) 3.5 mil1ion people are homeless at some time in the year. 1.35 million (39%) of these are children. 2) In no city in the United States will working at minimum wage allow you affordable housing. (percentage of income spent on housing always exceeds federal poverty guidelines) 3) (median) Welfare benefits for a family of 3 = 1/3 of Fed. Poverty level. 4) 1/3 of Hate crimes recorded in the U.S. are committed against the homeless. Nafisa Wali -- Shelter Director of St. John's temporary Housing Services - spoke of her direct experience in running a shelter. St. Johns, unlike the m,ajority of shelters, does not ..­ WORDS FROM THE EVANGELIST... On Friday, December 22 when I set out for Cranks Creek, Kentucky at noon I was accompanied by my fiance and three children. This had been the week flu had struck many of those who had planned to help during this Christmas giveaway, so instead of ten to twenty volunteers I took the family. We arrived at approximately 6pm. My son, RJ, brought along two garbage bags full of his own toys to give away ,, The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless holds a press conference to announce the results of the year 2000 study on Homelessness in Greater Cincinnati separate men and boys over 12 from their families. According to their records, Families have been staying i.n shelters 30 days longer than they were in the previous study of 1993. Even the City of Cincinnati itself says Dave Schalk, from Qreenback, Tennessee, opened the door of Bobby and Becky Simpson's' home and greeted me with; "You must be Rodney." "How many people did you bring?" I told him, and explained about the many sick who had planned to come. I could tel1 by the troubled look in this young man 's eyes that something was wrong. After I'd talked with Becky and assured her Bobby and his brother Bud should be arriving sho{tly (I had left them in Cincinnati after loading food and other Christmas items on.their trucK from Washington United Church of Christ and our · partner in C~rist, Steve ~yers of Crusaders for Christ.), then· young Dave and I went outside and over to the Survival Center's kitchen and pantry. Dave quite frankly brought me up to speed on the volunteer situation. The folks of Seton Parish in Greenback, Tennessee had been sending 45 to 60 volunteers since 1992 for these Ch1istmas giveaways. Energetic, ful1 of strength and vigor these youth ages 14-18 would sort and distribute enough food and miscel1aneous items to bless 500 to 600 families. This was that 30,000 new low-cost housing units are needed in Cincinnati. And most advocates for the homeless say that is the bottom line -- not enough affordable housing. • • • Dave's 7m year, but only his Dad (Larry Schalk) and brother-in-law (Bill Pope) were with him. Seto11 Parish had decided 10 do a Thanksgiving giveaway this year. If Larry Schalk had not come to talk with Bobby to see how the Ch1istmas giveaway was shaping up, the Schalk's wouldn 't have known that Bobby and Becky woi1ld be short handed this Christmas. However, with this knowledge, the Scbalk's were compelled to act. Dave arrived on Thursday and began sorting over 40 tons of Evangelist, continued page 17 �STREETVIBES , Page 11 . )ecember 18-22 Riccardo Taylor and Ray Jones, Streetvibes writers and vendors, are also involved the the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless' Speakers Bureau, trying to bridge the gap between the "haves" and the "have nots" with education. They crouch before our Mini-Shantytown in the Weston Hotel Lobby, which welcomed passersby with Hot Chocolate, with the hope to remind us that Christmas is closer to mere survival than to Joy for a good percentage of Cincinnati's poorest citizens .. The event took place on Tuesday, the week before Christmas, Tears freeze as Winter 2001 meets the Laurel Homes Demolition in progress ........And another one bites the dust. ....... Lincoln Court Apartments, once home to hundreds of low income families, has been an empty lot now for over a year. Now Laurel Homes' demolition leaves Cincinnati with even less affordable housing, and no one-for-one plan to replace what is lost . This West end Section-8 Project, built in 1937 was the oldest public housing community in the United States. A year ago HUC? had already decided that more income diversity was what was needed, and that Laurel Homes had outlived its usefulness. But it still remained on the National Historic Register till recently, when West End Community advocates watched hopelessly as it's historic place was traded for "a newer, shinier America" --Hope VI MAC'sASHES LAID TO REST The earthly remains of Rev. Maurice McCracken, long time peace advocate, were buried in his hometown cemetary in Storms, Ohio. A group of longtime friends and admirers stood in remembrance as his ashes were placed in the ground. (For three years, the U C Medical School,had been using his body as a teaching tool). Rev. McCracken was a lifelong supporter of the home­ less. He was arrested in 1989-- along with other commu­ nity advocates-- for occupying a Spring Street house as a squatter, to save it from demolition. Always in battle fighting for the rights of people, animals, and Mother Earth, He was an inspiration to grass roots lead­ ers throughout the Cincinnati Area and beyond. Though his body is gone, his spirit continues to guide us. photo by Berta Lambert Kees De Yong, member of the Community Church of Cincinnati, where Mac ministered, one of many who turned a spadeful of ceremonial earth The Reverend McCracken in Mexico City on a trip seeking Cancer Treat­ ment, a few months before his death �EDITORIAL STREETVIBES PAGE Page 12 · Fe.ar for a Future.Generatioll without Education By Gregory Payton .' ,; ' This article is about fear, fear of the unknown and of uncertainty. While looking at history and watching our country grow, I cap.'t help but wonder about our government handling the rate of growth. Today, education is the difference not only among nations but also among people. Civil Rights was a road through the maze of hardship and Affirmative Action was a vehicle to travel on that road. Not only the poor, but also immigrants were able to seek the bpportunity to pursue freedom and an education here in the United States. We will talk about the road becoming dark, narrow, and less traveled. From the time of slavery when a nation ruled another, one nation dreamed of equality. This nation dreamed that one day they could be Americans in America. Some people wanted to be free and some people didn't want freedom. Who would do the work if everyone had freedom? In order to be free, one had to cross the Ohio River, or so they say. Today I realize chat one nation took another nation to freedom. Some people had sympathy and empathy in order to help chose people who were seeking freedom. G ideon Wells, Abraham Lincoln's secretary of the Navy, thought he spoke for virtually all white Americans in 1871 when he said: "Thank God slavery is abolished; but the Negro is not, and never can be the equal of the Homelessness: white." However, Gideon Wells did not speak for all of white America. In July 1948, President Truman ordered the integ~ation of the Armed Forces. Ronald D. Sylvia called it "perhaps the biggest leap forward in this period". A road was being cleared , and the journey had begun. To a nation of people it was an opportunity to prove themselves worthy to be equal. This nation wanted to be accepted, called upon to protect not just one group but also all Americans, on all continents and among all people. During this period, hardship was uncovered at water fountains, restrooms, bus rides, and restaurants. Marches were formed, and many decided to speak out about what was really happening to people. These people wanted co live, not just to exist. Tired of being downtrodden, hosed down, beat down, and even hllng, there was only one direction for a nation of people to stumble. It was then chat a minority of white Americans stopped a nation of people from falling to their knees and feeling completely hopeless. It was Kennedy's civil rights proposal that aimed at ending discrimination in voting, public accommodation, public education, and federally assisted programs. Now, with a vehicle called Affirmative Action, a nation was cold to trust not just a few people, but government as well. Government stepped in and decided to A Choice or a Tragedy (Samples from an e-mail discussion over the Homeless People's Network) IN RESPONSE: .... If you look at services provided to homeless folks, they are mostly based on middle class values. All people want the American dream, a job, family and two car garage. Rather then accepting individuals for who they are and what they may seek in life. At the same flip side, why are so many people choosing to opt out of the system? Could the system be broken? I take the second approach, that our society is broken. Instead of valuing a person for talents, we value individuals for their possessions. If you do not possess or try to possess valuable "things" then your worthless to the system. Over and over, over and over, being told, "you're no good to the system" and "you're just a burden". After a while you begin to believe what the system says to you, worthless, bum, criminal, whore and junky. When faced with this, most choose to opt out of the system, a system which offers them nothing but pain, sadness and strife. Our society rejects those that do not follow traditional middle class values. It criminalizes them and pushes them to the fringe. So much so that many opt out seeing this as their on ly alternative. Why can we not just accept people for who they are and not judge then by their "things"? Not o ne person, I believe, chooses to be homeless. Some have opted out of a system that rejects them. Perhaps if society (the system) could just accept people for who they are and not what they want them to be. Putting people and community first not dollars and cents. My two cents, Anonymous Please excuse me if I go overboard a bit, but homelessness as a choice? Give me a break! What next cancer as a viable "lifestyle"? Sure there are always the expatriate types but they always seem to have money (usually family money) to fall back on and they are really only waiting for someone to drop dead so that they can move up in the family money chain. Just the other day we had a posting about the squat scene in goddamn Amsterdam. The cat had gotten there from Northern Italy. Most of that sounded· like spoiled chi ldren of the rich playing at paupers till they have to settle down in the family bank through! Yes there are plenty of people like that but I won't count them as my homeless brethren. More like distant cousins! The more distant the better as they will really suck the blood out of their "comrades at the barricades and in the struggle" once they have graduated into the ruling class. (Gwan, why do you think Stoker portrayed his vampire as a member of royalty!) Look, ask Lucinda or Harmo my if they "choose" this. Can you picture it - I'll think I'll be homeless after such and such a date (It's all the rage now!So chi~ chi) I don"t doubt you can hear a lot of "big" talk and laughing at the suits. Don't ever think that not one of those loud mouths wouldn't switch places with the cat in the suit immediately if they could. Where would you rather loaf skid row or Cozumel? I find it too much work for way to little money to be homeless! The rich work less than anybody. Go on tell me how easy it is to scrape by every fucking day and not sleep as I was worrying · enforce the civil r_ights for all poor and needy citizens. After President Kennedy was assassinated, President Johnson passed even suonger laws. H is overall intent was to bar discrimination and redistribute education and employment opportunities. The road had become bright for the journey at hand. Never uaveled by this nation but it was at this point, . where trust really began. Hand in another hand, it was safe to go because that minority of white Americans said so. On June 4, 1965, President Johnson's Voting Rights Bill gave access to freedom, to vote, to hold a job and co go to school. The road was paved and became wide. There was real change and hope was alive. In 1971, Congress enacted the Equal Employment Opportunity Act. Tl1is was enough to see if maybe, jllSt maybe, a nation was completely free. Being free co learn and be educated was a dream, you see; and now with help it just might be. Through all the hardship and conflict, the road was smooth and now bright. Sacrifices were made and education was now in sight. More students enrolled with success in mind, hoping their children wollld appreciate this time. In 1982, when the country was changing from the post-industrial era to the information See Education , continued page 18 about tomorrow. Yes I heard the same sort of talk, but it was all bravado from someone with even less alternatives than me! Always ran into the SOB at the same line in an employment office at some dipshit job we both needed. Maybe I'm over reacting to what I perceive as the tone of the question. If so I apologize. I can't see your face or hear yol;lr voice and so I may be misjudging your question. Words in my e-mail carry no inflection to clue me to your intent. This just sounds like more of that Republican bullshit so popular under Reagan - (they want to be homeless!) - (they're not starving, they're on a diet!) Now that I have a place , I resent t he implication that all I was doing was an extended "vacation". I fi nd if hard NOT to find the question personally offensive. Like I wrote, I may be misreading your intent and if so I apologize. The fact that it comes from within our community distresses me - are we about to attack each other instead of the common problems? We will only do the work of those who would crush us for their profit if we do. True there are those among us who don't want to be a part of the "greater society" But (a) that society rejected us and (b) what is so "great" about society anyway? I can't help but think such a question either screams "burn out" loudly or is a case of asking the incorrect question. People may choose to lead a simpler less materialistic life but that is not what homelessness is! Please let us discuss thus further... Joseph Reynolds, http://www.geocities. comljos_reyn (newest nominee for the "Websites that Really Suck" award) �... .. '' , ' .. .. . .... .. .. .. . . .. . .. STREETVIBES L.A. 's War on Homeless . from page 6 recyclers come and collect the boxes. Skid ro w is a 50-block area stretching from the Broadway shopping district toward the L.A. River. ft's prime real estale. The wholesale toy di strict is ri ght in the center. Up to 75% of the toys imported into the U.S. , mainl y from Asia, come through L A. Other sorts of wholesa le and import-export businesses are also here. Skid row is Lhc locatio n of wholesale fish and seafood businesses that suppl y the large Asian communities in L.A. To the south is the wholesale fl ower district. A little fu1ther south is the garment district, with its sweatshops, di scount retail stores and high­ fas hion showroo ms. Nearby there is also the Los Angeles wholesale produce mart. To the north is Little Tokyo and the downtown artists' district. But poor people and the homeless were here first. Fo r a hundred years, skid row has been home to poor people Ii ving in inexpensive hotels or on the street. Today, about 1.1,000 people live in this skid row area, any of the m on the streets. About May 1999, private security guards - called "red shirts" for the T-shirts they wear - started patrolling skid row. They were hired by the Central City East Association, one of several Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in L.A. At the same time, there was an increase in LAPD patrols, inc luding cops on horses. Activists from the Catholic Worker, which operates a hospitality kitchen to feed people, and others noticed a decrease in the number of homeless people on the streets. They were being pushed out. In o ther areas the change is even more dramatic. Pat Dunleavy, a staff attorney at the Inner C ity Law Center, said there are now Carrol Ann, from page 9 toward better programmi ng. T his is all Carol A nn wan ted, and the institution knew it! The fact remains, she earned it, her points called for a decrease. Carol A nn was trying to get through cosmetology school and had completed numerous group a a way to better herself. Needless to say, Carol A nn snapped! She aid repeated ly that she could "not" do another year with the maximum security women. Two weeks later, she hung herself During those last in her single woman ceJ I. two weeks of her life, she had repeatedly tried to find help through our residential treatment unit program ( R. T.U.) and through the outpatient psych! Carol A nn burned her left forearm several times with a lit cigarnlte from her wrist to her elbow. The burns were as deep as the tip of your finger ! When carol Ann went for help she was informed by our "Fine Psych Staff' that that was normal behavior for her, and that she should immediately return to her cotlage! Carol Ann had " never" burnt her elf before. At 3:30 on the day of her death she informed officer Brown that she needed a psych because she couldn' t handle her feelings. M s. Brown said "Oh, you' ll be OK, go to your room and sleep it off. A fter 4 P.M . count, Carol A nn was asked if she wanted to go to dinner; She said no! She was never checked on again by staff until her l ifeless body was found at 8:55 P.M . by Officer Taylor ! M any i nmates had told officers .. ,.. .............. , ... ... ..,,,, '\ Page 13 almost no homeless in the fashion district, where another BID has ecurity guards patrolling the streets. These actions are portrayed as the "Will of the merchants." But the BJDs are official organizati ons. The businesses in the area are assessed fees that they have to pay whether they agree with the policies of the BID or no t. Alice Ca ll aghan is director of Las Familias del Pueblo. She told the L.A. Times, "The row has never looked like this. They just plain and simple are running everybody out of town." We also noted that the cops struted their operation without even pre tending to consult with her or others who provide social services on skid row. She now passes out fli ers to ad vi e people whose rights are being violated. The lnner City Law Center is a little east of skid row, in an area that has actually seen an increase in homeless encampments, some with te nts and other shelters. But they are far from the missions and other services where people can get some food or take a shower without a long walk on tiered feet. Pat Dunleavy told the RW, "What we' re seeing out here is a lot more people because they' re getting rousted out of other areas and there aren't many other places where they can go. It's part of this whole trend that we've seen over the past few years of criminalizing poverty. It's just another sign of the bad state of affairs in the country as far as treatment of homeless and very poor people ... They' re getting tickets all over the place. It's a big hassle for the m. A lot of them take it very seriously. We see a lot of them coming in, wanting to clear it up and get it off their record . Especially the j aywalking ticket. There's no public safety issue, it's just a form of harassment." that Carol Ann was very upset and they should check on her. Celissa Rodgers informed them that Carol Ann was banging on her locked door for help. They brushed her off for the l ast time! Carol A nn covered the window of her door at 6:30 PM. T he offiters never checked on her from 5:30 PM on. Carol A nn died around 7:40 PM and was not found unti l 8:55 PM, .and was only found then because it was an institutional count time. This means she sl it her w rists, tore a bedsheet up, strung it up to her window latch, cl imbed up in the window seal, w hile her wrist bled, made a noose, and tightened it around her neck, while her life flashed before her eyes, and leaped to end her tragic young li fe! Had continuous rounds been done like tbe maximum security post orders state for officers lo do, her window being covered would have been discovered and she would have never had the time to slit her wrist and hang herself! Now the institution wants to point the blame at her relationship, saying she hung herself because her and her girlfriend broke up earlier that day. Staff has held meetings w ith other inmates (Juveniles, mentally ill, and maximum inm ates), telling them that this is because of Carol A nn's relationship. Bottom line - Suicide is no one's fault. However negligenl responsibilities on behalf of the instit ution are no doubt what i s in question here. The meetings consisted of slanderous remarks along with ludicrous comments by staff about her family, friends and especially her rela­ General Re lie f is supposedly the last safety net for impoverished people. J3ut ip recent years Cali fornia has cut the amount of benefits, restricted eligibility to a few months a year, and added work requirements. Karen said, "I worked eight days, and didn' t get a dime in food stamps, didn ' t get nothing. f'm out on the street because I can' t get help. I'm on a three-month waiting list." She explai ned that 15% of the shelters on skid row are for women, but women with children have primity. Without a pl ace to sleep, to take a shower and get messages, it's very hard to get a job: Karen told how she wound up on the streets: "I left someone who was beating the shit out of me." Dave is what econo mists call a "discouraged worker." He became unemployed in his 40's and couldn' t find work. Eventually, he stopped looking. Both he and Karen pointed out that it could happen to anyone. Anyone can have a crisis in his or her li fe that they can' Ljust " pull them selves out of '. Dave said, "They fall on fina~cial hardship, or have a nervous breakdown. I met a doctor down here, he's from South America somewhere." Without a license to practice in the U.S. , he became homeles.s . Actress Margot Kidder spenl several weeks on skid row streets during a bout of mental illness, and later talked of the many home less people who helped her. Karen put it very directly: "Don ' t thi nk that your ass can' t be in a sling like this too." At the end of hi s conversation with the RW, Pat Dunleavy talked about the basic human rights of the people he works with. "What they need primarily is shelter. That should be a right, that they have a place to li ve. Society should be providing that." This is certainly true, but all this system is providing the homeless is more repression and • • cri minalization. • tionshJp. Saying that had we known her better, we could have seen this coming. This is what was said verbatim. How dare they point the finger at her only mean of support? I'll tell you why: they are trying to take the focu off of themsel ves, the only ones who had the key and degrees to save her. Carol A nn was a child pushed through the cracks and forgotten. Please do not let her be forgotten now. I know ociety feels she was just a convict, but she too is one of God' children and on ly God has the right to judge her! The very system that vowed to rehabi litate her is the very system that in the end destroyed and took her life. T he true story of Carol A nn Bell needs to be told to ensure that a tragedy like this never happens again. If you need any further information andfeel compelled to be Carol Ann "s voice, please contact her mothe1; Jane Ann Zertuche, 308 Trunk Drive, Dayton, OH 45431, or cal/ 937-254-6891. Also, you can comact me, Dawnya Ferdinandsen, #27006, Ohio Reformatory fo r Women, 1479 Collins Avenue, Marysville, OH 43040 P.S. Be sure to state "legal mail" on the outside of the envelope to ensure that I get your correspon­ dence. Also, complete name and inmate number. Thank you. �STREETVIBES To yell ...... Carol Alw To yell, to scream To rant and rave With hate l loathe Lhe!>e pas.siJ18 days f\ dun3eons' depths A world away The light inside be3ins lo fade When did aJ18er A friend lo be known Leave me here bealen. broken Alone Qeal in function &Jul astray Mind afloat Now 3one away Lau3hs are heavy . Burdens abide Jusl another mask I've yel lo cast aside Bul can it still be lorn away Too late is it I fear it may Where l am meanl lo be 0urely nol here 'l'oday's misery (I broughl on myself) ls that all that's destined ? ­ An unending tale One of pain and guill and hale Can this blOod be cursed By some unknown flowin3 steadily Defealin3 Lhine own A yoke of life's evil disarray The trickery hot lo be discovered The mockery lo slay Lau8hiJ18 at false hopes feediJ18 the unendi11& lies Of stories you've told me Only Lhey're mine l will not set my mind astray &archin8 for ends LO&!' fill English maze I'll wander about f\not11er dead end 1\J.rn and keep walkin3 Time slips by again Why search for failure, destined to come Accept whal I'm Biven Not counling t11e sun To save my soul, yel one more sl.ake Driven through my heart By the blooded hands of fate. Carol Ann was an Ohio Reformatory for Women prisoner who died in Marysville, Ohio after repeated requests for psychological counseling. She took her life while in custody. ART & POETRY Page 14 IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT? If you always think What you always thought, You 'll always feel what You always felt. If you always feel What you always felt, You'll always do what You 've always done. If you always do what You've always done You'll always get what You always got. Is that what you want? ........ Anonymous YAHWEH (I AM) When you live in yesterday with all it's regrets and shameYou will not find me there. My name is not I WAS When you live in tomorrow with all it's uncertainties & fearsYou will not find me there. My name is not I Will BE. When you live in the present­ Right now-Right Here­ Let us beat them till they turn black and blue cause it's the Christian thing to do. Let them suffer, let them cry, let their children starve until they die. We won't cloth them, we won't feed them. Abraham Lincoln's the one that freed them Let them work our factories and in our mills and sharecrop for us in our fields. They'll surely struggle to pay the bills. Make them pray to god like we taught them to Cause it the Christian thing to do! You will find me there. For my name is Yahweh-I AM. Or is it? ......... A. Israel �STREE. IVl~~~S WEB VIBES /POETRY www.realehaugenews.org ) A Christmas & say, by Anitra Freeman -­ Virtual Dolnelessness by Dan Marschner Many peopJe wonder how difficult being homeless reaJly is. Some believe that homeless people simply do not take advantage of their opportunities. Few people would choose to live on the streets or stay in a shelter to find out for sure, but now a virtual game at www.realchangenews.org demonstrates a typical homeless existence. Timothy Harris, executive director of Real Change (Seattle's equivalent to Streetvibes), has developed a virtual simulation that illustrates the harsh realities of homelessness called Hobson's Choice. Harri s explains the game's basis: "When I was writing the game, I spent a lot of time talking to vendors about what sort of impossible choices they were faced with, and drew from that. What I wanted to convey most was the circumscribed options that many poor people have. Middle class people often thi.nk a homeless person should just get a job, find housing, and get off the street. I wanted to show that things are often not that simple." Homeless people often do not have the options that other people do. Whereas many people have several alternatives to life on the street, homeless people generally lose most of their o ptions. The remaining possibilities often require extremely difficult choices. Some people exhaust their will, and stop trying to get themselves out of homelessness. The frustration of this lifestyle in spired the Hobson's choice simulation. A Robson's choice is a choice between taking something offered or taking nothfog at all. . The virtual Hobson's choice game presents participants with some of the diffic ult choices they would face by living on the street. At the game's outset, participants are given a situacj9n and four possible options. After one option is chosen the game continues with another set of choices. Harris explains how the game works: "All of the choices have probabilities assigned to them, so that no matter what choice you make, there are 2-4 possible outcomes, some more likely than others. This means you can play the game over, make the exact same choices, and have different resu Its." As one becomes familiar with the game, the repetitious nature of Robson's choice becomes apparent. Several different choices lead to the same outcome. Harris wanted the boarne to reflect the daily struggles of homeless people, and " I also wanted to convey a sense of the boredom and routine of being homeless, and to create at least some sense of feeling trapped." The lack of choices confines a homeless person, and escaping the cycle can be very difficult. The game offers six possible ways to ]eave homelessness, none that leave the partic ipant safe from returning to the streets. The game argues that homeless people generally remain homeless because they have nowhere else to turn. The struggle to stay off the streets is a daily challenge. Visitors to the site can also access the archives of Real Change, one of the country's best examples of street newspapers. Reading these archives, one can appreciate how homeless people face similar difficulties throughout the country. We at Streetvibes salute the great advocacy work done by street newspapers throughout the country, especially Seattle's excellent paper. One can only hope that the coming of the new year brings with it the potential to keep homelessness-just an internet game. Special Thanks to Tim Harris, Executive Director ofReal Change. THE HILL ...... David A. Smith It's October and the sky is cloudy but fair. The leaves are glowing green, yellow, orange, brown and crimson. They lay scattered and piled along the .edges of the road that twists and turns as the van climbs upward toward the hill. Affectionately known as the Hill, Mt. Airy Shelter is a place for a man to make a new beginning. With three balanced meals a day from a Chef, not a cook a bed with a mattress, closet and drawer space and a ' . . . peace of mind un-offered by any other shelter in th.is c1~y. Here, where nights are deep and the moon 1s bnght and the skies spin stars abundantly, it's not surprising to see a black-masked mother with fami ly foraging for food. Raccoons are more friendly at times than neighbors. At dusk, deer cross the in-camp road like pedestrians; stopping, looking both ways before crossing. There is help, and many programs are offered by the shelter: chemical dependency, mental and physical health, legal problems, housing, employment, financial needs, family relationships , personal issues, education and veterans assistance. It's October when I came on the Hill. God wi lling, it's my new beginning. Page 15 "We wish you a Merry Christmas We wish you a Merry C hristmas We wish you a Merry Christmas And a H appy New Year" "I want to wish you a M erry Christmas I wane to wish you a Merry Christmas I want to wish you a Merry Christmas From the bottom of my heart" "Merry Christmas!" "H appy Holidays!" I've heard it, you've heard it, increasingly over the last weeks, peaking last night and today. If you don't send Christmas greetings to everyone in your family, all your friends, and everyone else you know, you're a Scrooge or a Grinch. I've been wishing Merry Christmas co people myselffor the lase week - although I usually stick to "H ap py H olidays!" until I gee an indication ofwheth er "Merry Christ­ mas" "H appy Hanukkah" "Blessed Solstice" or "H ave a good Ramadan" is ap propriate. This morning I fo und myself won dering, "Why do we just *wish* that people have a good Christmas?" Sure, smiling good wishes, even from a stranger, usually brighten up anyone's day. We give gifts, too. We do kind things fo r the poor. Whatever we can afford. But all chat wishing ... begins to sound a bi t wistful. There's been a sign up in Metro buses fo r the last month: "Give experiences instead ofstuff." The trad itional experiences of C hristmas are visiting loved ones, hugging, earing, baking, drinking, car­ oling, parrying, exchanging presents, enjoying the sight of seasonal decorations and lights, in some areas the seasonal carousel or sleigh ride or com­ m unity ice skating. Most of it's over the next day except for the leftover turkey and at least some of the toys (in my experience, the simpler and harclier ones last longer) and the Fruitcake T har Will Noc Die. How many times do you gee to give someone a life-changing experience for Christmas? Most of us would like to do that. Most of us think we can't afford to; don't know anyonewich a need we are capable offilling, that would ~hange their lives; it seems to cake aU the energy we have to keep our own lives on track and try to influence our child ren. .· I think that's because there's never been as concerted a markeang cam­ paign for "change your world" as there has been fo r "consume your ~odd." The commercial market goes after every depth of pocketbook. T heyd rather have your $1700 for a new computer chat will keep your daug~ter's educa­ tional development competitive with ocher six year olds, but they 11 rake your $1.95 fo r a small pack of crayons. What if chat same flexibility were applied to finding out what amount of life-change for others we can afford .ro make? *Passing .on a*com~limenc. *N~r passing on an insult - even when 1t was very, ~ery Wltty. . Making a compli­ ment. *An encouraging word for someone tryrng somethmg new and scary. *Taking time to listen. *Talking co someone you've been caught to ignore ­ like a black man, or a homeless person. *Speaking up when someone makes an abusive or dangerously inaccu rate comment. *Staying calm under attack, and ventina your anger somewhere else. *Taking the time to research a rumor, then spreading the faces to counter it. *Return ing good for evi l. *Passing on information: about job openings, publication opportunities, sales, schola~­ ships ... *Buying from companies that you know return a fair amo~~t of their profits co their workers, in wages and benefits and. workplace cond1~1ons; who don't over-pay their executives; who treat the environment responsibly. Even when that costs more. *Praising little-known artists, writers, film-makers, craft­ folk. *Considering the effect of taxes an d ocher legislation on everyone and not just on ourselves. *Voting. *Paying attention to what is happening around CHRISTMAS ESSAY , continued on page 19 �VEGGIEVIBES STREETVIBES Have a Heart By Susan Huesken Heart disease is the leading killer of men and women in the United States. Almost one of every two Americans will die from heart disease. There are 40 million people living in this country that have been diagnosed with heart disease, and 1.5 millioin a year, having heart attacks. Cardiovascular disease will kill o ver 700,000 US citizens this year, and 25% are under the age of 65. But this disease that disrupts millions of li ves and causes untold pai_n , suffering and death, and costs billions of healthcare dollars, never needs to happen! Cardiovasc~tlar d i s~ase is quite preventable ! Significant medical studies over the last forty years have proven that a high-fat, animal-based diet is the sing le most signifi cant cause of death from heart d isease. Li ving a healthy lifesty le by not s moking, reducing stress, and exercising is important, but the most effective way to stop the progress of heart disease is to switch to a plant-based diet. Americans have become prey to a disease of their own making. We h ave been p iling our plates with meats, rich creams, eggs and dairy products that are loaded with saturated fat and choleste1:01. Unfo rtunately, we are not totally to blame for our consumption of these foods. We've become brainwashed by the powerful advertising agenc ies hired by the meat, egg and dairy industries to think these foods are necessary for good health with thefr slogans like "milk does a body good", or beef is "nutrition you can sink your teeth in", or the "incredible edible egg". These industries have been remarkably successful in preventing the public from hav ing the full benefi ts of current medical knowledge. Many of their former employees have been appointed to positions in our government that control food pol icy. A former president of the American Meat Institute became a Secretary of Agriculture . In 1982 he used his influence to prevent the USDA f1:om publishing an article that was even mildly critical of diets high in saturated fat and chol esterol. Through the years, the dairy, meat and egg industry have also been instrumental in getting nutritional information, developed by them, into the schools. In 1977 Congress began the "National Nutritional Education Training Program," desig ned to educate children, teachers, and school cafeteria personnel about good nutrition. Most states had become so accustomed to the National Dairy Council as the source of thei r nutritional ANOTHER CLASS PRODUCTION ~: ( • ~' ~ (513) 230-6353 CLIFFOAD JONES (513) 761-3464 e-mail: jonesocp@tbol.net education materials, that over half the states simply used the additional federal money to buy more Dairy Council supplies. Just recently the Physidans Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) won a court decision against that the U.S. Department of Agriculture: the judge agreed that the USDA violated federal law by hiding HEART HEALTHY RECIPE 3-BEAN CHIU 0 0 0 ;::J 0 0 0 0 D Cl :I 0 0 :J 0 Cl 1/2 cup chopped onions 1/2 cup celery 1/2 cup green pepper 1 T olive oil 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes, cut up ~ can (15 ounces) tomato sauce 1 can (16 ounces) Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained 1 can (15 1/2 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained 1 can (15 ounces) garbc;nzo beans, rinsed and drained 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoons sugar or a bit more 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder 1/8 teaspoons pepper 1/8 teaspoons cayenne pepper Saute onion, celery, and green pepper in 1 T of olive oil. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. (Voila!) financi al conflicts of interest among members of a diet advisory committee. PCRM argued that at leas t six of the 11 members of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. which fo rmulates Dietary Guidelines for Americans, bad fin ancial ties to the meat ' dairy, or egg industries that may have made it more likely that unhealthy foods would re main in the government's diet plan. The dietary guidelin€S provide nutrition advice for all Americans and form the basis for all federal food programs, including the school Juoch program. Obviously, the indoctrination that meat ' eggs and dairy products are necessary for optimum health has been h appening for a long time. Along w ith this has been the acceptance of heart disease as a "regrettable" bu t more o r less " inevitable" by-product that comes w ith. living we11 and grow ing old. But societies where the average blood cholesterol is very low have virtuall y no coronary beart disease or atherosclerosjs. The risk of heart disease in Cbi1ia is only about 5 percent of the risk that Western populations face. ln over 200 studies in volving people who move from one country to settle in another, it has been shown that heart disease is largely a d isease of dietary lifestyle. New arrivals in our country who adopt the American diet, or supplement their largely plant-based meals with American fast food or ri1eat-centered dishes, often give up Page 16 their freedom from heart disease. The good news is that it i.s easy to reduce or eliminate your risk of heart disease simply by making appropriate food choices. The most effective step your can take is to replace animal foods with vegetable foods. Almost all grains, fruits, and vegetables are low in fat, and by eliminating animal foods from your diet you will eliminate cholesterol and reduce your saturated fat intake, which will eventually lower your blood cholesterol levels. Even if you have been eating a high fat diet for years, it is probably not too late to reduce your risk of heart disease. Dr. Dean Ornish, in his book titled D1: Dean Ornish ~­ Program.for Reversing Heart Disease, was the fi rst doctor to show that a change in diet and lifes tyle can reverse heart disease wi thout surgery or drugs. The diet he recommends fo r his patients is plant-based w ith virtually no animal-derived products. Gi ven the clear benefi ts of this plant­ based diet, why doesn't the U .S. Government promote them ? Part of the ans wer can be found in a paper prepared by the FDA. The paper indicates that a move of to a low-fat vegetarian diet is "severe" and "extreme" and that the average American will only "accept" and consider "palatable" the standard meat­ based diet. This paper also says that it would be desirable if cholesterol intake could be reduced by another 200 mg/day; but in practical terms, this probably is impossible for a majori ty of adult A mericans. Such a change wou ld require a severe reduction in consumption of animal products, a change that may not be accep ta ble to some persons. Dr. Dean Omish calls this sort of language "patronizing." The public is fu lly capable of making wise decisions based on sound information. Government officials now know what the most healthful diet is, and yet will not recommend it. Professor T. Co llin Campbell, a Cornell University nutrition expert, also thinks such advice betrays the public: "We, as scientists, can no longer take the attitude that the public cannot benefit from information they are not ready for. I personally have great faith in the public." The deci sion you make about what kind of di et you choose is yours, but consider thi s: The Framingham Heart Study, that has been ongoing from 1948, has found that no person whose blood cholesterol was less that 150 ever had a heart attack. This cholesterol· count is very attainable on a plant-based diet! Don ' t wait until your first heart attac k to change the way you eat; you might not get another chance. o o o Permanent Housing for formerly hom eless individuals .... at 1300 Vine Street. For information, cal 1Co~nie !Martina or . >'lg111es Mac!(, 5.13~i&4~ at �STREETVIBES Page 17 Evangelist, trom page 10 food and misce11aneous items witli a few of the Simpson grandchildren and a couple volunteers. Friday, Larry and Bill arrjved; and a truck which had a load from North Carolina carrying canned hams, individual packages of . coleslaw and chicken salad by the case. Nonetheless, when I arrived that evening there were only seven adults who had completed the task of bagging more than 500 large brown grocery bags with dry goods ranging from beans and potatoes to apples and hamburger helper. They had also prepared workstations for the next day's giveaway. They had completed a task normally done by eight times their number. So it was an exhausted Dave Schalk who informed me they expected this year's giveaway to be larger than before. Thu s, his concern there was not enough volunteers to handle the volume of people. He had been waiting expectantl y on my arrival having heard -~L..oa._.__ __---- i&. Bobby and Becky Simpson, who operate the Crank's Creek Survival Center from Bobby that I would be bringing help from Washington United Church of Christ. And help I did have, but it was in these words: "God has a purpose and expected end for all things, so He shall provide what is needed to get the job done." I advised him to get some rest OEC, from page 5 Services), 7640 families have been cut off statewide by the time limit between October through December 2000. Each coming month in the new year 2001 will bring more families to the cut off point if they have used up their three years. With warnings of a recession in 2001 , the Oh io Empowerment Coalition also is concerned about those in low-skill jobs who may be the first to be let go when layoffs happen. These former recipients who have joined the workforce cannot afford to be let go: they are mostly head of household single moms raising children. They are the breadwinners fo r their fam ilies. Without jobs, and now without the public assistance safety net to faU back on in times of crisis, where will they go to get help fos their families? Social service agenc ies, food banks and shelters are already overwhelmed in Ohio. If you are concerned, please wite Governor Bob Taft at 77 S. High St., 30lh Floor, Riffe Center, Columbus, OH 43266-0601. Call him at 614-466-3555. Urge him to support the above points and indude them in his 2001-2002 Budget. For more informatwn, call the Cincinnati chapter ofthe Ohio Empowerment Coalition at 5131381-4242. "WAGES'.' _ We went back to the main house to learn Bobby and Bud had call ed from PioeviUe, about one hour away; so we sat and talked about Dave's past experience with the Cranks Creek giveaway and his present studies at Pontifical College Josephinum in Tennessee. Someone then saw the truck with Bobby and Bud, so we headed out and met Pastor Charles Jones, his wife and another couple from Crystal Waters Baptist Church in Statesville, NC who had just an·ived to help. It had been them who had piggybacked the 700 hams, coleslaw, and other items on the se.mi-trai1er Dave and the others had unloaded earlier. We conferred with Bobby, unloaded about 30 cases of apples. Dave and I briefed the NC folks on the volunteer status and we all turned in. My family and I had the bunkhouse where a moderni zed coal stove provided warmth on this cold winter ni ght. The others drove to their motel. We missed the 5:30am breakfast, but that was okay by me because I was eager for the spiritual food that would come with serving others. When Dave woke me I learned it was 5 degrees below zero, and at least 7 famil ies had arrived before his 5am arrival. We all headed down the hill to the giveaway area. As I pulled into the field I could see cars going through the drive-thrn which had been set by Dave. and the others. At first I found myself working with Bill and Charles at the end of the line giving each family a grocery bag and miscellaneous Christmas items. As the sun pushed back the Evangelist, continued p. 1a continued from page 5 more women and chi ldren homeless right here in Cincinnati? The welfare time limit is making families homeless! Would you want to be homeless in th is kind of weather?" Forty per cent of the homeless are families with children and this number is growing. Judi Mendriski, a disability advocate in Cincinnati, stated, "I was able to get quality job training and a degree while I was on public assistance. It led to jobs that supported my daughter and me. I was able to leave the welfare rolls and support my fami ly as a single mom. I wouldn't have been able to do it with a short time limit hanging over me." Charmaign Gilden, playing the Government Grinch, even had a change of heart after listening to women's stories. Little known to the general public is the fact that welfare recipients are working at workfare sites to "earn" their benefit checks, as well as raising children. Why not invest their time in a "work requirement" that will benefit them the most: education and solid job training that will lead to degrees and livable wage jobs? The WAGES Project will promote legislation that will not kick recipients off by an arbitrary time limit, but will instead invest in families, assisting them to leave the welfare rolls for good paying jobs. 1 The rally was part of Homeless Awareness Week, which included other events planned to draw public attention to the plight of the homeless in Cincinnati, in Ohio, and across America. _ At Jobs Plus you'll get the tools to get and keep the full-time, permanent jeb you' re qualified for. If you are serious about your futu re, call us. Jobs Plus 1625 Vine Street, Cjncinnati, Ohio 45210 513/241-1800, fax 513/241-1633 email: jobsplus@core.com Your Communi t y Employment Ne twork �s , STREET VI BES l i I ' ·: ' Evangelist, trom page 17 Page 1 motivates Bobby and Becky Simpson all year long. As we prepared to leave, a few vehicles continued to pull in here and there. We shared a final moment of fellowship. This diverse group came from: Cranks Creek and Harlan, Kent~cky; Greenback, Tennessee; Statesville, NC; and Cincinnati, Ohio. Dave and Larry Schalk thanked me as we reflected on how well things had turned out. We all tha~ed God for His provision. Although, we were finished here, Bobby and Becky were not. Bobby informed me that he and his wife would spend Christmas Eve with all of their family who would be coming to get their undivi~ed attention before they went back to helping the needy of Crank's Creek. Christmas day they would de li ver 30 to 40 boxes to the elderly and shut-in. I returned home with a great feeling of accompli shment, and once again I wou ld like to darkness I could see the cars begin to line up on Highway 421; and looking over at the snow­ covered field I remembered the video I'd seen from last year of cars parked bumper to bumper, stuck in mud, and people braving the cold lining the road; and I could share Dave's concern. However, our drive-thru seemed to be working fine, and the number of volunteers seemed to be growing a11owing us to add workstations and speed up the process. My son, RJ, had brought along two garbage bags full of his own toys to give away, so he and his best friend Reggie joined the effort . They also collected all the empty boxes to be burned after we emptied the goods. As 6am became 9am Bobby and Charles brought more supplies from the main Center. Dave and I helped load flour and apples to replenish the dwindling supply at the drive­ thru giveaway. · I talked with people who were coming <dlu.{j_la.u @hannu. to Crank's Creek Survival Center for the first $122 Camden Avenue time, and those who had been coming since the Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 513-708-2228 first giveaway in 1983. They had either heard bgeaster@fuse.net of the giveaway from radio, TV, or word of www.theglosschormer.com mouth. But all agreed it was a good thing that Bobby and Becky Simpson and all the Economy and deluxe wedding invitations, birth announcements, parties and custom work. volunteers were doing, blessing so many families at Christmas and all year through. Many fam ilies have been coming to the Survival Center since the closing of the mines; continued tromp. 12 mid their Jack of education has hindered them _and technology era, panic rose and jobs froze. from new opportun ities. President Reagan was elected and opposition was Others were disabled, or newly laid off. directed toward affirmative action, which he said There were families of from 1 to 9 members, "should be disconnected. " President Reagan the average being .famjlies of four. appointed Clarence Thomas and Clarence By noon we had served 727 families; a Pendelton Jr. co the Supreme Court, who were total number of 2,622 men, women and children. We had accomplished this with only _ both hostile co affirmative action. This road is now less fright with problems in sight. President 34 volunteers, several,of whom were children, Reagan also cut funding for the Equal all led and motivated by the same love which Employment Opportunity Commission, and targeted affirmative action for constant attack, falsely labeling it a program of racial quotas and reverse discrimination. Str:eetvibes newspaper is pub-Jished T he road becomes narrow and the lack of monthly on a shoe-string budget from the faith rises when so many point co the vehicle that offices of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for was supposed to help a crisis. Lawsuits in the Homeless. We depend heavily on the California and Texas have made the vehicle of goodwill of many volunteers and donors. affi rmativ,e action weaker, and now it is a subject If you can help out with some of the items on under scrutiny by states. The number of African our wish list, please give us a call ... Americans enrolled in higher education has Q Advertisers -Classified and unclassified increased slightly, but the knowledge and resource gap between white students and African­ a Supplies for vendor's lounge (coffee, American students continues to increase. Instead tea, paper towels, cream and sugar,etc. of public outcry, initiatiyes that target immigrants such as Proposition 187 (excluding immigrants Q Office and Cleaning Supplies from some governmenr services) are created. Q Photography Help - film (400,800, Undocumented immigrants are no longer 1600), developing help, digital and/or included in any form of education in the state of California. '.fhe road is ho longer paved ahead film camera(s). and one can hardly see the bumps and dangerous Q Computers/components for Streetvibes curves. story-writing, editing, research. The Board of Regents of the University of California decided to end affirmative action Q A new vehicle (van?) programs for women and people of color in If you can help!, contac~ us at: 1997. The Regents decided chat affirmative Streetvibes, clo Greater Cincinnati Coalition action was damaging standards. T he vehicle now for the Homeless, 1506 Elm Street, disappears in one state and soon many more. Cincinnati, OH 45210 How long will the road be open? Who can pb: (51J) 421-7803, fax (513) 421-7813 afford to trust the bridges and cliffs along the e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com highway? The majority of a nation, now with the .~\ ~~··~ Education . Wish List . thank all of you who made this possible. Whether you provided financial support, goods, volunteer services, or prayer, it could not have happened without you. If you would like to help Cranks Creek Survival Center throughout the year just write or call Bobby or Becky Simpson at: P.O. Box 32, Cranks Creek, Ky 40820, (606) 573-2812. I am now a permanent fixture at Washington United Church of Christ, so please pay us a visit for Sunday morning worship at l Oam. Breakfast is served at Sam, Tuesday. Thursday evening, our family style dinner is served at 6pm, or just drop in and see what programs we offer for you and the kids. Call anytime for information 541-7757. 2001 promises to be a great time for AWOL Ministries, so come aboard and be blessed. Write or call to find out how you can get involved: P.O. Box 36065, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236 or 210-4181. In His Service, The Evangelist, Rodney L. Sutton, Sr. Streetvibes Classified PLACE your help wanted, for rent, for sale items in Streetvibes Classified. Only $ 1 per Line, free for 6 months for homeless/ low-income people help of government, has become less sensitive co a people in need of education. It's no longer a right, but a fight to ex.ist on the road called civil rights -- in darkness created by a majority that feels insecure. The anti-affirmative action initiative, English Only, and Proposition 187 seek to reverse very minimal changes coward a multicultural society. T hese policies result in minority students being excluded from some higher education opportunities, and may confirm many,students' fears that universities don't want them. Since we are now in the information and technology era, will minorities and poor people cross over from the post-industrial era or will they be left behind to service the rest of society? Today it is a struggle to be a part of middle class society; tomorrow it will only be a dream . While the road to success becomes dark, narrow, and less traveled, will we only be able to tell our children how it is, and let them read how it was? Will they be able co achieve a higher education? Or will they only be able to clean the rooms of educational institutions? Will all our children be able to grow as our country grows, or will they just exist and dream of a world that will never be? I have a lot of fear, not for me, but for my children. �STREETVIBES Page 19 Ca lendar of Eveeq 'f • Streetvibe~ has amonthly' calentfar ef event~ to keep-you ilifo~ of ha~nings "1l"Oudd the ·Greater·Cincinnafi·area. Please contact us ­ if you have an item to list. Any submission is welcome: local community councifmeetings, social justice forums, protests, community fe~tivals, art shows, etc. Pl~e call 421­ 7803, fax to 421-7813 or email streetyibes@juno.com to Jjst an event. J anuary Welfare Rights Coalition Potluck Junch and meeting, 12 noon at the Contact Center. Call 381 -4242 for more information 4 EarthSave Dining Out, 6:00 p.m. at a restaurant to be determined. Call EarthSave at 929- 2500 or Mary Aon Lederer at 591 -3003 for more information. 8 Amnesty International Ci ncinnati Group 86 meeting, I :00 at Joseph Beth Booksellers in Rookwood Pavilion. For more information, conract Amne~ty International at 221 -7659 11 Save Our Schools Committee, 5:30 p.m. at Peaslee Neighborhood Center. Call 381-4242 for more information. 4 I 7 EarthSave Vegetarian Poe Luck Dinner, 6:00 p.m. at Sc. John's Unita.rian Church, 320 Resor. - For more information, call EauhSave at 9 2 9-2 500 or call Mary Ann Lederer 591 ­ 3003. 20 Over the Rhine Parks and Recre­ ation Committee Meeting, 12: 15 p.m. at the Contact Center. Call 381-4242 for more information. 21 Greate~ Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless General Body Meeting, 1:30 p.ro. at the Drop Inn Center. Call 421-7803 for more information. CHRISTMAS ESSAY , trom page 1s_ your neighbors' house while cheyre away. *Shout­ ing loudly when yoti see someone being attacked. Reporting a crime or assault in progress. Testify­ ing as a witness. Doing jury duty. *Speaking up for someone whose character is being insulted. *Getting involved ·in your local neighborhood as­ sodacion or community council and working to make sure the ·needs of everyone in the commu­ nity are addressed - not just those of folks with the most money and le_isure rime to play politics. *Getting toxic spills and ocher p ollution in poor neighborhoods clea~ed up. *T ucoring a child. *Giv­ ing accurate directions when a scranger asks for chem. Any one of those things migh t change a life. You don't always know. O ne effect is certain, though, of doing one or more,of chem. It curs down a lot on the wistfulness ofwishing a Merry Christmas. ­ An unwistful wish for a very warm Holiday of Your Choice to all of you, people chat I know are working to make a difference in your world. Write On! I Anitra L. Freeman I http:!! www.speakeasy. org/~anitra! "Wt? can't help everyone. We can'tfix everything. It hurts. But it is better to Live with pain than to Live without caring. " Hpn maillist - H pn@p rojects.is.asu.edu hnp :// projecrs.is.asu.edu/mail man/listi nfo/ hpn Domestic Violence , FREE PELTIER! from page 7 A sizable portion of the welfare population experiences domesti.c violence at any given time; thus, without significant housing support, many welfare recipients are at risk of h omeles~ness or continued violence. In states chat have examined domestic violence and welfare recipients, most report chat approximately 50-60% of current recipients say chat they have experienced violence from a current or former male partner (Institute for Women's Policy Research, 1997). In the absence of cash assistance, women who have experienced domestic violence are at increased risk of homelessness or feel compelled to live with a currenc or former abuser in order to prevent homelessness. Welfare programs must make every effort to assist victims of domestic violence and to recogni~e the tremendous and to recognize the ·rremendous barrier to employment that domestic violence represents. Long term effects to address homelessness must include increasing the supply of affordable housing, ensuring adequate wages and income supports, and providing necessary support services. CJ Laurel Homes Demolition ( photo by Berta Lambert) 0 CJ Attend the January 6th Peltier gathering in Cincinnati, Ohio if he hasn't been granted clemency, ansl if he has, still show up and celebrate! The event will take place from l-4pm at the Hamilton County Courthouse (on Main Street) and at the Peaslee Center (at 14th and Sycamore). We will start with an outdoor rally in front of the Courthouse (lpm) and walk to the Peaslee Center with signs and flyers (-1 :30pm). At the Peaslee Center there will be snacks and Zapatista Coffee, an information and merchan­ dise booth. informational speakers, postcard and petition signing, a video showing, and a free fax to the White House. Bring family, friends; and fellow activists. If you want more information.; an exact time schedule of events, or can volun­ teer to put up flyers for us feel free to email us at miriamczc@yahoo.com or 1.513.232.0362. We hope to see you there! For more information on Leonard Peltier please visit http://www.freepeltier.org/ �• Need Iielp or Want ~o Help? If for ~om1. reason yuu find yourself homdc-.~. contact a Coalition Member \ ~Clll') for S helter, Treatment, Housing or Sl•n ices. tr you have any questions, kcl Inc to caU the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. HOUSING: CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTA Housing Network.. ~HCLTEAS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Women's Shelter 872-9259 ..a. (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 N~ Bethany House 557-2873 W Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome House 859-431-8717 : : ..... , 721-4580 632-71 49 241-0504 369-0004 0 e -I: . ' 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 TREATME.t:H~ e.2lll N.A. Hopeline 820-2947 A.A. Hotline 861-9966 C.C.A.T. 381-6660 Talbert House 684-7956 Transitions, Inc. 491-4435 VA Domiciliary ..859-559-5011 OTttt:B SERVICES; c. Ifl T R :__M gn City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Garden St: House 241-0490 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 St. Francis/St.Joseph House 381-4941 Mt. Airy Center 661-4620 Volunteers of Amer. 381-1954 .. lrLJER: Both Caracole (AIDS) 761-1480 Chabad House 821-5100 Friars Club 381-5432 Drop Inn Center(Singles) 721-0643 Haven House (Hamilton) ..863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality Ntwk ..471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 St. John's Temp Housing 651-6446 TREATMENT; .M~n Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over ReSTOC Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House 381-1171 639-7056 961-4555 TREATMENT: Women ..... 221-6937 O.D.A.A.T First Step Home 961-4663 · ..:~~ AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati ....... 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center .... 621-5991 Beech Acres ....... 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options ... 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside ............. 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Comm. Center... 241-2563 Freestore/Foodbank ... .... ... . 241-1064 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 G.C. Coalition for the Homeless .... 421-7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 621-7149 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Resource Center .......... 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van........ 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission ......... 221-3619 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721 -4811 Oral Health Council 621-0248 Our Daily Bread 621 -6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621 -5514 Project Connect -­ Homeless Kids ......... . 357-5720 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 The Emergency Food Center 471-4357 Travelers Aid ...... ..... .. 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless Program 572-6226 Women's Crisis Center ..... 859-491-3335 Women Helping Women 872-9259 Thankyouforyoursupport. � 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 2001 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 2001 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Tristate Homeless Study Released Remembering Those Who Died Pg 2: Local News Pg 3: Homeless at Christmas Transition Out of Homelessness Pg 4: Mt. Airy: Love it or Leave it Covington’s Life Learning Center Closer to Breaking Ground Pg 5: Welfare News Pg 6: National News Pg 7: Domestic Violence and Homelessness Pg 8: Prisoners’’ News Pg 9: Attica-A Story Unfinished, A Lesson Unlearned! Pg 10: Homeless Awareness Week Words from the Evangelist Pg 11: MAC’s Ashes Laid to Rest Pg 12: Editorials Pg 13: L.A.’s War on Homeless Pg 14: Art & Poetry Pg 15: Virtual Homelessness Pg 16: Have a Heart Pg 17: Words from the Evangelist Continued Pg 18: Words from the Evangelist Continued Pg 19: Christmas Essay Continued Domestic Violence Continued Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project 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 2001 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Alicia Beck Susan Knight Tom Billman Dan Marschner Ron Carter Warren Perkins Pat Mitchell Mary A. Gaffney Mary Taylor Sonny Williams Mark Teegarden Mr. Lee Rodney Sutton Lynn Williams Riccardo Taylor Carol Ann Bell Susan Huesken Maria Poblet Mindy Berenyl Dawnya Ferdinandson Kenneth D. Smith Robert Freeking Johnny Byrd Kathy Miller Berta Lambert Jimmy Heath Grady Cook Katie Hines Lorry Swain Dishon Woody Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alicia Beck Arts & Poetry Awareness Week Berta Lambert Carol Ann Bell Christmas Covington Dan Marschner Dawnya Ferdinandson Dayton Dishon Woody domestic violence Editorials education Evangelist Grady Cook Homeless Study Inauguration Jimmy Heath Johnny Byrd Kathy Miller Katie Hines Kenneth D. Smith L.A. Life Learning Center Lorry Swain Lynn Williams MAC Maria Poblet Mark Teegarden Martin Luther King Jr. Mary A. Gaffney Mary Taylor Mindy Berenyl MLK Mr. Lee Mt. Airy National News Ohio Pat Mitchell prisoners news Riccardo Taylor Robert Freeking Rodney Sutton Ron Carter Sonny Williams Suicide Susan Huesken Susan Knight Tom Billman Wages Warren Perkins Washington welfare news