Jaffe: Homeless folks at home in the Obamas' neighborhood
By: Harry Jaffe
Examiner Columnist
October 2, 2009
If first lady Michelle Obama wants to connect with the community and get a glimpse of the homeless problem in her new hometown she won't have to venture far from the East Wing.
On any Wednesday evening, she can stroll across Lafayette Square, past the tourists snapping pictures of her house, around the statue of General Lafayette on his rearing steed, across H Street to the foot of 16th Street. To her left she can see the limos pulling in and out of the Hay Adams Hotel, as swank an inn as you can get in the capital. To her right she can admire St. John's Episcopal Church, with its canary yellow exterior set off by the six white columns. It is the church of presidents, who would walk there on Sunday mornings.
The first lady might wonder why a gaggle of men and a woman pushing a cart are waiting in front of the historic church. She would understand at 7:30 sharp, when a white van pulls up, opens its doors and the homeless folk line up for a hot meal.
For the past 20 years the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church of Alexandria has been sending its van to corners in Washington to feed and clothe folks in need. It has stops at Dupont Circle and 12th Street -- and in the first lady's 'hood.
"We're here every Wednesday but during the holidays," a church member tells me. She asks me not to use her name. "We don't need to come when everyone else comes to be humanitarian on Thanksgiving and Christmas."
She's taking a break from dishing dinners and commiserating about the miserable Redskins. I ask if she's seen a change in the numbers of homeless over the years.
"Up significantly," she says. "We serve about 200 meals a week. That's up about 25 percent. I see the same people, and more are showing up."
I tell her Mayor Adrian Fenty has programs to handle homelessness and drop the numbers.
"Does he?" she asks.
The answer depends on who you ask.
Terry Lynch, executive director of the Downtown Cluster of Churches, has been working to ease homelessness for 30 years. "The number of street homeless is down somewhat," he says. "More people are in need, but they are finding permanent housing, under Fenty's programs."
Nassim Moshiree, a staff lawyer with the Washington Legal Clinic For the Homeless, sees a shelter crisis. "Homelessness is on the rise because of the economy," she says, "and there isn't anywhere for people to go."
The city just told homeless providers their budgets would be cut $9 million.
"Winter is coming on," Moshiree says, "We're headed for a disastrous situation."
The generous folks from Mount Pleasant Baptist will be working to avert the disaster every Wednesday night. If the first lady wants to see how her hometown works, she can show up and serve a few meals -- to her neighbors.
E-mail Harry Jaffe at hjaffe@washingtonexaminer.com.
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