Lately, Street Sense has been my lifeline, keeping me going during this food stamps shortage. I’ve been surviving with gift cards and publishing opportunities. Street Sense has been giving me a chance at surviving and not starving. I still have to go to Martha’s Table daily and grab snack bags from All Saints in Chevy Chase Circle. Gift cards are only $20 a month. And the publishing opportunities provide me a stipend to buy cash items that even the food stamps wouldn’t cover once every week. That is if you’re even fortunate enough to be selected. I’m just glad and happy about it.
I was in a bit of a shakey rotation before. I’d be sat out at times twice maybe once a month being featured. It made me understand how our former vendor Baby Alice could fall out to her death over the Christmas break that year due to a lack of support and shelter to get through it! I had seen the slow defeat initiate as she slowly sauntered out of the Street Sense Media offices closed that final day, before the break. She had been playing videos. Something I noticed because it’s something I still do myself from time to time.
I could now understand how former vendor Duane could go for a major hostile takeover of Street Sense’s longstanding Tenleytown spot by CVS, and start up his own publication. It was survival! It made me count my blessings even more that I now have a place that I can call home. It gave me the outlook of “If he wanted that spot that bad then good.” That was the trade-off for me! I’d rather have my place than that spot 24/7, ya dig!?
I only wish I had the assistance of the other churches of Chevy Chase Circle that provided canned goods. Good ones too! They still haven’t reopened since the pandemic took place. Took over and took place seems to be the theme…
