Members of United Interfaith Action (UIA) held its third meeting in 2011 at St. Michael's parish hall on June 13, 2011 with Mayor William Flanagan, representatives of the Fall River Police Department, and State Representatives David Sullivan. Over 300 people came out to voice their concerns about safety and the need to improve North Park. A highlight of the meeting was the participation of youth from the neighborhood who voiced the need to improve the skate park, basketball court and to rid the area of drug dealing. The meeting was organized by leadership teams from St. Joseph's and St. Michael's Catholic parishes with the assistance of UIA. A cleanup of North Park was announced for June 18th before the meeting ended. UIA is a congregation-based community improvement organization that has been active in Fall River for over ten years. Click here for a video of the meeting.  Click here for photos from the previous meeting. Click here for the Herald News story. For more information about UIA, contact Rev. Scott Spencer..
 

(Top row, left) Director of Neighborhood Outreach Perry Long gets directions from UIA organizer Rev. Scott Spencer. (Top row, right) Music for the event was provided by a group from the parish. (Middle row, left) Parishioners get ready to give testimony about neighborhood concerns. (Middle row, right) A parishioner testifies about safety concerns of neighborhood seniors. (Bottom row, left) Audience members, including Joe Carvalho, listen to the testimony. (Bottom row, center and right) Older and younger youth testify about the need for greater safety and an end to drug dealing in North Park as Mayor Flanagan and Representative Sullivan listen.