SNS – An Interview With INSP’s Maree Aldam

By Eleonora Terrile

Petali Rossi: What is the Street News Service and what is its purpose?

Maree Aldam: The Street News Service plays a crucial role in our work to build a strong independent media movement. It’s an alternative online news agency which brings together the best of street paper journalism from around the world. It’s a valuable editorial resource for street papers, and it helps to increase their capacity to be diverse, challenging and sustainable independent media in their local communities.

The SNS is a web-based forum for street papers to exchange and circulate content. Through the service, street papers can also access news, features and photographs contributed by our external media partners Reuters and Inter Press Service (IPS). Being part of this editorial network allows their voices to be heard through wider republication throughout their own country and across the world. In the long term, the increased exposure and profile gained through use of the SNS, enables street papers to gain recognition from policy makers, potential funders and local and national governing bodies.

The Street News Service also aims to challenge public perspectives on poverty and injustice by offering exclusive commentary on important social issues from 37 countries around the world.

P.R.: When was it created?

SNS – OSU programs help improve poverty and more

Efforts to confront homelessness in Columbus, Ohio are often driven by church groups or independent shelters, so it is easy to forget the involvement of one of the city’s oldest and most influential institutions: The Ohio State University (OSU).

The university helps combat homelessness in a unique way by conducting academic research on local problems and efforts, attempting to improve the quality of care for the homeless. According to the OSU website, the sociology department ranks first in the nation for publication production. Dr. Natasha

Dr. Nathsha Slesnick

Slesnick is one researcher in the OSU Human Development and Family Science department, whose work focuses on dealing with families facing substance abuse problems as well as runaway adolescents. This work led her to the issues of homelessness, as some children who flee their homes never return and end up living on the streets.

Dr. Slesnick’s research suggests that homeless youth require more care than simple substance abuse – one of her studies from last year states that “creating more opportunities for work, education and medical care were the most important factors in reducing homelessness.” Comprehensive treatment, including therapy and education sessions, can help elevate homeless youth from poverty to stability. Such information is vital to those working directly with homeless children.

The Ohio State University’s Center for Urban and Regional Analysis (CURA) takes a different approach to researching homelessness. According to its website, CURA conducts scientific analysis on a broad spectrum of topics, such as the spread of disease or the distribution of different ethnicities in the city. Homeless issues are also the subject of CURA research. A study carried out by Erick G. Labao and Alan T. Murray in 2005 used a geographic information system (GIS) to explore the placement of homeless shelters in the Columbus area. This information lends new insight for the placement of shelters, healthcare and other resource facilities. Before the research was conducted, shelter operators had little detailed information to use when planning or making decisions about where to place new shelters in the future.

Street News Service – Israel a major destination for human trafficking

Human trafficking is a world-wide problem, with 600,000 to 800,000 people trafficked annually across the globe. It is also big business, earning the criminals involved more than $6 billion a year. One country that we do not usually associate with trafficking is Israel, as most of our attention is focused on the ongoing problem of Palestinian and Israeli politics.

Media and law enforcement can miss human trafficking when they see prostitution. Photo by Kay Chernush via US State Department.

However a recent report from the US State Department has found that Israel is a major destination for trafficked men and women, where they are used as either forced labor or suffer sexual exploitation. Organized crime groups use the borders with Egypt to traffic hundreds of people, mainly women, from the former Soviet Union and as far away as China every year; once they are in the country they are forced to work as prostitutes in the sex market in both Israel and Cyprus.

Street News Service – More Loopholes

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama as a comprehensive government response to the national economic recession. The ARRA expanded the budget for the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) nationally in order to offset increased food costs for families in a time of extraordinary financial need.

SNAP, also known as the food stamp program, has been in existence for decades. The program has specific guidelines for determining persons in need of assistance. According to the SNAP eligibility rules, persons with more than $2,000 in liquid assets are not qualified to receive assistance, however low their income.

In late 2008, however, the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services (ODJFS), which administers SNAP in Ohio, broadened eligibility standards and failed to address fundamental loopholes that existed previously. The ODJFS states that it does not review an individual’s assets if they receive government assistance such as Supplementary Security Income or unemployment benefits. Jeanne Carroll, deputy director of the Office of Family Stability, explained that this “new policy that eliminates the resource limit for all food stamp assistance groups” was enacted by the ODJFS primarily because “[d]etermining the correct application of the resource limit can be complicated, and mistakes can result in high dollar errors in quality control reviews.”

Police, “Cops” intrude on St. Francis diners

Shortly after 5 p.m. on Sept. 10, at the height of the Thursday evening dinner at St. Francis, diners were disrupted by a slew of police and a camera crew who entered from either side of the dining hall with camera’s rolling. The camera was for the show “Cops,” filming the police pursuit of a man wanted in a homicide. Staffers told the officers the man was not there, but according to people at the scene, the camera kept rolling and officers continued to question diners at the charitable meal for the homeless and poor.

‘Great Idea’ Leads Graphic Designer Down a New Path

October 15 is quickly approaching for Amanda Moore and a group of volunteers in Toledo, Ohio.  It is the day they will launch Toledo Streets.  Toledo Streets will be the 26 street newspaper in North America.

Almost one year ago to the date, Amanda was researching homelessness online when she came across street newspapers.  Intrigued by the idea, she thought someone should start one in Toledo.

Fast forward to April of 2009 when a friend sent Amanda a story that ran in the New York Times about the effectiveness of street newspapers in cities across North America and around the world.  “I again thought this was a great idea and believed someone should start a street newspaper in Toledo” Amanda explains, “but this time I began thinking this person could be me.”

How to keep your newspapers dry when it rains?

Do your sales plummet when it rains? Do your vendors ask for a bag to put their papers in every time they purchase papers? Do you end up exchanging a lot of papers because of weather related issues?

Street Roots faced a similar problem and came across uline.com. Uline has all sorts of bags and Street Roots came across these.

Clear bags with handles, and cost about 16 cents each.  Street Roots (biweekly publication) gives each vendor a new one on the day the paper comes out and charges 25 cents after that.  Lots of different options available and most important they do a solid job of keeping the papers dry which helps vendors battle the weather.

Do you have a creative way to deal with the weather, if so let us know?

(top photo courtesy of flickr user cproppe)

Interest in Street Newspapers Grows

NASNA is contacted frequently by groups and individuals interested in starting a street newspaper.  Check out the map after the jump of people/organizations interested in starting a street newspaper.

A street newspaper is a newspaper that primarily addresses issues related to poverty and homelessness and is distributed by poor or homeless vendors. Vendors sell the newspaper for a set price, usually $1, and have to pay the organization a fraction of the price (20% to 40%) for each paper up front. The self-employed vendor sells the papers on the street and keeps the money he or she makes. For many people, this is the opportunity they need to get back on their feet and into permanent housing.

Also check out the previous blog post “39 questions to answer before you start a street newspaper” and also sign up to receive our email newsletter.

View the map after the jump.

Everyone is getting a phone call

Following up from the conference, every NASNA member will be or should have gotten a call about starting editorial partnerships.  Most of these ideas came from the Editorial Partnerships roundtable discussion at the 2009 NASNA conference.  If you missed it check out the notes.

Photo by Peter Freeze

Specifically NASNA is looking to find a group of editors to come together for a monthly/bi-monthly/quarterly phone call to discuss story ideas and possible collaborations.

Secondly, the call is a chance to gauge people’s interests in a mentorship program, either as a mentor or mentee.

We are working on the mentorship program first with editors and if that is successful moving on to other positions.

If you have questions let us know and if you want to think about the questions before you get the call, they are after the jump.

Ukraine defeats Portugal 5-4 in Final

On Sunday September 13 Ukraine defeated Portugal 5-4 in the final of the Milan 2009 Homeless World Cup, the annual international football tournament that gives people who are homeless the opportunity to change their own lives. 48 nations, 500 players from all 5 continents of the world were united in the Arena Civica, Milan, Italy for the 7th Homeless World Cup from 6-13 September 2009.

Mel Young, President, Homeless World Cup, closing the competition said: “Congratulations to the players. Your spirit of fair play, courage and determination is a true example to the human race. This is what the united nations can look like. People standing together creating real significant change in their lives. A ball can change the world.”

Milan officials handed over to Brazil for the Rio 2010 Homeless World Cup in a high energy display of samba and colour with the Brazilians promising to deliver the best tournament ever next year.

77% of players involved in the Homeless World Cup experience a significant life change; no-longer using drugs and alcohol, moving into homes, jobs, education, training, repairing relationships and becoming coaches or players with semi-pro teams. 94% claim to have a renewed motivation for life.

(Courtesy of Homelessworldcup.org)