Partners for a Healthier Community

The City of Fall River, working in cooperation with Partners for a Healthier Community, has embarked on a Healthy City Initiative to improve the overall health and well-being of our city. Visioning sessions are being held throughout the City over the summer. Listed below are the recommendations that have been submitted by visioning session participants to-date distilled into 42 recommendations in fifteen categories. To read more about this project, see the article in the Herald News or click on the links at the bottom of this page.
ARTS & CULTURE
	· Art & cultural opportunities for all ages · A center for artists, actors, dancers, musicians · Expand the efforts of the Narrows Center for the Arts · Activities at the library for adults & children · Preservation of what made Fall River great
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
	Youth Participation: · Youth conferences and forums · Bring gangs together Theme: to have youth forums and include as many as possible Neighborhood Participation · Neighborhood groups to get involved, enhanced communication · Get togethers, less isolation, work together as adults · Neighborhood Crime Watch · Volunteer clean up efforts · Empowerment groups Theme: create neighborhood groups who will work together Reaching Out · Welcome new people · Museums for different cultures, get to know each other, community ethnic groups Community Support · Commitment, organize, listen, giveback, work together, and take a chance · Link children with elders · More projects and active participation · Single parenting groups · Community Web Site · Adopt a group and offer time · List neighborhood associations and services · More cultural TV programs Political Support · Protest · Campaign city councilor for change, talk to officials and hold them accountable · Volunteer directors as permanent staff Theme: Political officials need to be involved and demonstrate support
EDUCATION
	HIGH ACADEMIC STANDARDS · Adequate funding · Reduced class sizes · Upgraded facilities / new schools · Re-evaluate MCAS · Address high risk areas – drug abuse, teen pregnancy, mental health, hygiene ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS · Drop-out prevention · Tutoring for low achievers · After school programs · Parenting education · Diversity programs ADULT & OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH EDUCATION · Centers for education and training · Basic adult education programs · BCC partner with CCCC & UMD, add radiology and increase nursing · Affordable higher education COMMUNITY COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION · Support and value education · Advocate for a better educated populace
EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING
	ECONOMIC GROWTH · More good paying job options · Better commercial / industrial base · Companies paying equitable share of taxes · Address Medicaid and day care issues JOBS FOR YOUTH & ELDERLY · Youth opportunities and job training · More summer jobs · Jobs for elderly VOLUNTEERISM · Programs to recruit volunteers · Volunteer directors on staff EDUCATION & TRAINING · More centers for education and training · Training for disabled
ENVIRONMENTAL
	· Green Space, Parks and Clean Water for Recreation as well as Drinking · City Parks including the Bioreserve are truly important · Bike and Recreation Paths · Access for fishing, boating and recreation · Parkland along the Quequechan River from South Watuppa to the Taunton River · Waterways are very special. Free the Quequechan where it is underground. · A Clean City · Clean Air, Clean Water and Clean Streets · No Dump No Incinerator No LNG! · Need to clean streets of litter and snow · Fear of water pollution in the reservoir by land (the dump) and by air (power plants)
FAITH & SPIRITUAL LIFE
	Slow down, learn other faiths, and become stronger in sharing congregations
HEALTHCARE & HUMAN SERVICES
	· Access to good healthcare & mental healthcare for all ages · Free or affordable healthcare, dental care and medications · Health clinics in neighborhoods · More alcohol & drug rehabilitation programs · A needle exchange program · Better mental health care especially for depressed children · Public education programs on obesity, drugs & alcohol · Support for families in financial difficulties · Support for mentally ill, shut-ins & homeless
HEALTHY FOOD
	Quality food supply A farmers market year round A supermarket downtown More major grocery stores in center of city Lunch programs Target healthy eating for all children, not just economically disadvantaged Free lunches for seniors every day, even on weekends Better Restaurants Better restaurants More restaurants - different ones Have healthier foods offered in restaurants that are quick to get Less donut shops; less hot dog restaurants, a staple of Fall River cuisine
HOUSING
	· Affordable housing needed. Rents are up. · Maintain existing public housing. · Tax absentee landlords at a higher rate than owner occupied buildings. · Big homeless problem, we need to help the churches and social agencies to do more
INFRASTRUCTURE
	Downtown revitalization Library services Urban Design · More public rest rooms, · Improving city hall · Planting more flowers and trees · Improving the waterfront More responsive utility services Better roads · including surface repair and more traffic signs Create a civic center Enforce zoning laws Accessibility & Safety · Signal lights for visually impaired · City Hall, visible colors on stairs · Repair sidewalks, improve snow removal · Speed bumps near playgrounds · Fix crosswalk lights
RECREATION
	Waterfront activities · Access to waterways for fishing, use for water sports · Activities on the battleship · Develop a beach on the waterfront Physical activities · walking and biking paths or trails · Access to gyms in neighborhood City Wide Activities · More neighborhood park activities for families · Activities at Library all ages · Senior centers – increase activities and open more centers · Cultural activities for people of diverse backgrounds Development of Recreation Facilities · New Comfort Station at Kennedy Park for walkers
SAFETY
	POLICE · Adequate funding and personnel · Increased community policing · Better protection for women and children · No gangs · Increased police presence at night, on the streets, & in the parks · More police of color FIREMEN · Increased personnel · More firemen of color DRUG-FREE COMMUNITY · Target drug dealers · Drug abuse prevention programs SAFE SCHOOLS · Safe and healthy schools · Improved facilities, health services and prevention education · Address diversity / prejudice / bullying SAFE & HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS · Clean streets / less grime · Respect for each other and property · Affordable, secure housing · Safe, nurturing homes for children, with love and guidance · Non-smoking community
TRANSPORTATION
	· Buses easier to use, more frequent trips, service at night for 2nd and 3rd shift workers. · Late Buses for Middle and High School Students · Our senior citizens use the buses most and depend upon them. · Bicycle paths and lanes are important to cut down on car traffic. · Locate industries and jobs where people can walk to work.
VALUES & ATTITUDES
	· Tolerance of those who are different and support for diversity of values. · Personal Acceptance of Individuals — respect for others and encouragement of a calmer, friendlier lifestyle which supports individuals and families, young and old. · Community Pride — the need to view positively our many accomplishments.
YOUTH
	·Conferences and forums for youth input · Bring gangs together · Activities to keep kids off streets · Programs for good and bad kids, lower drop out rate, walking clubs at school during lunch to allow fresh air healthy alternative · Child care, parenting groups for youth · Teen center or community centers · Acknowledge youth doing positive things encourage, and support · Places to play · Education – drugs, sex education, teen awareness · Jobs for teens · Adult mentors for kids · Help for who are not most gifted · Fundraising for cuts to education and sports


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