Fall River Extends Supportive Hands (F.R.E.S.H.), a youth leadership group organized under the Mayor's Youth Council and the Healthy Youth Task Force, celebrated national Make a Difference Day on October 25, 2008. FRESH teens worked with St. Vincent's staff to organize art projects in the game room, storybook reading and outdoor sports. This project was one of several held throughout the city on that day as part of the national Make a Difference Day, promoted throughout the United States to encourage people to take an active role in serving others. Thousands of projects are either begun or concluded on the last Saturday in October. Click here for photos of a clean-up project at the Doran Elementary School. Click here to see photos of one of two FRESH car washes held earlier in the year to raise funds for the project. Click here to see pictures of the 2006 event and here for the event in 2005. For more information contact Fall River Youth Services Coordinator and Co-Chair of the Healthy Youth Task Force Christian McCloskey at 508-324-2419.

(Top row, left and right) Team FRESH members display their banner along Elsbree Street as part of the Dollars for Scholars Parade of Dollars walk to Bristol Community College. (Top and middle row, center) Carina Chun, Kristina Marchand, Jamison Souza and Lillian Phoung have fun at the walk. (Middle row, left and right) Stephanie Hou, Shela Carreiro and Belinda Teixeira read to children at the St. Vincent's Home. (Bottom row, left and right) Courtney Melo, Nicholas Farias, Stephanie Hou and Jennifer Benjamin work on craft projects for children at St. Vincent's Home. (Bottom row, center) Linda Rim and Catherine Cabral practice face painting as Mei Yu Fang and Jennifer Souza get some of the materials ready for a craft project at St. Vincent's.