L. Morrow By Mara Schechter L. Morrow was born in Southwest D.C. in 1947. “I thought we had it hard,” he said, because his family lived in the projects and had little money for anything aside from basic needs. However, he was lucky to have a loving family and a place to live, he said. After graduating from Jefferson High School, Morrow went to college and then worked for the People’s Involvement Corporation as a community consultant, where he ran a free lunch and after–school program. Morrow decided to travel after his grandmother died, and ended up working at a daycare center in Chicago geared toward low–income families. The hardest part of the job, he said, was turning down children whose parents had not complied with the agreement to attend parent–teacher meetings. After five years there, he moved back to the East Coast, where he worked for a variety of service organizations. While a working as a tenant coordinator for Tenants United for Public Housing in Boston, Morrow tried to empower low–income residents of the Rosedale Housing Project, who had been threatened not to bring lawsuits about maintenance issues against the owners of the building. He worked hard to find them a pro bono lawyer. As a community consultant for the Roxbury Community Health Center in Massachusetts, he collected 40,000 signatures from the community to have a vacant property donated as a local clinic. He wants his work to make an impact even after he is gone. “I plan to give something back to humanity,” he said. Morrow said he loves working at Street Sense. A vibrant and energetic person, he explained that one of his favorite parts about this job is his interaction with people. “If you don’t have money, give me a smile,” he often tells the people who pass him on the street. He has another message to his audience: “For all the people who listen to me at Dupont Circle and Connecticut and Q, I want to thank you for buying the Street Sense paper and listening to me. Keep up the kindness, because the world needs more of it.” How did you become homeless? Homelessness is a state of mind; you don’t have to look or smell bad. If you have self–respect and dignity, others will respect you. I live in a homeless castle; my ceiling is the sky and my bed is the soft sheets of heaven. I give thanks in the morning for wisdom and spirit, which are my riches. Money was once my God, but now I see that the Lord will always provide a way if He sees that you are trying to lift up yourself. Why do you sell Street Sense? I agree with the paper’s mission. I want to spread the word that we’ve all got to help one another: spiritually, mentally and financially, if possible. Where do you see yourself five years from now? Spreading human kindness to uplift the downtrodden, giving praise to those who are trying to make a better life, exploring business concepts to expand Street Sense. Favorite book? The book of knowledge, which is composed of all that you take in and learn from your experiences in this life. Then you can use it to go to the next phase of your life, and pass it on to people. Favorite movie? “The Message,” a movie about Muhammad. They never show his image and it is a very deep story of how he spread Islam across the Middle East. When he conquers you, he makes you his friend. Favorite food? Oatmeal and cream of wheat. You can add honey and sugar to it, sit back with a stack of toast and watch TV.