People for Fairness Coalition

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Nearly four years ago, the People for Fairness Coalition got its start.

The group was founded by a few homeless individuals concerned about heat and hot water problems at one city shelter and the closing of another. They were frustrated by a feeling that they lacked a voice at the city’s Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) meetings.

During the summer of 2008, they joined together, selected a name, wrote a mission statement and set goals for campaigning to protect the housing rights of impoverished people.

And ever since PFFC has worked to promote an ongoing dialogue and discussion on the issues involving homelessness, housing, jobs, job training, low-income affordable housing, out-reach, advocacy and peer mentoring.

A major mission for the group is to serve as an effective voice for the poor and homeless in city government. Members of PFFC have testified at hearings of the City Council Committee on Human Services, effectively speaking out against budget cuts that would impact homeless services. They have joined Save Our Safety Net rallies and marched on the Wilson Building. Very recently, PFFC members joined more than 250 people to attend the Housing for All rally at the Martin Luther King Library, where this writer read his poem titled “What HOME Means to Me.” He was presented with a first place prize for his work.

PFFC members also regularly attend and participate in meetings of larger groups and organizations including the ICH, the Coalition of Housing and Homeless Organizations and the Fair Budget Coalition.

Group members are also involved in the community. At the Occupy D.C. Protest Encampment, members of PFFC have lent assistance in serving meals and establishing connections with those involved. PFFC members have also joined with staffers at Miriam’s Kitchen to engage in a voter registration campaign, encouraging homeless people to fill out a voter registration card and vote for the candidate they feel could best help them to make the transition from the streets to stability. A total of 24 people have been registered, including eight from the recent voter registration campaign at the New York Avenue Shelter.

PFFC members have even expanded their spirit of empowerment by beginning additional groups. Members John McDermott and Paul Lee Taylor are now facilitating an advocacy group with the clients of Thrive D.C. in the Columbia Heights area. PFFC Director Robert Warren, and Eric Sheptock organize meetings for Shelter, Housing and Respectful Change (SHARC), an organization they founded at the Community for Creative Non-Violence shelter.

Director Robert Warren, together with Yolanda Bynum, John McDermott, Junior Almozard, O.B. Black, Eugene Sanford, Paul Lee Taylor, Richard Emb- den, Anthony Davis, Carlton Harris, Todd Wiggins, and other volunteers run our advocacy meetings and discussion formats at Miriam’s Kitchen, located at
2401 Virginia Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. Meetings are held every Tuesday morning from 8:15 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. All are welcome to attend.

You can look up PFFC on Facebook, Yahoo, LinkedIn, and Blogger.

Members of PFFC have grown as individuals since 2008 and we continue to grow.


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