Like other cities around the country that are experiencing chronic homelessness, Fall River has been participating in a national movement to end homelessness over a ten year period. Over the first five years of the project, plans have been put in place to address prevention, outreach, emergency shelter strategies, supportive services, and permanent supportive housing strategies. Another important step has been the recent establishment of a regional office for Bristol County charged with increasing resources for Fall River, Taunton/Attleboro and New Bedford. On August 27, 2010, the Task Force held it's first Homeless Connect event at Bristol Community College which invited dozens of homeless and at-risk persons to obtain many of the resources they need but have difficulty obtaining due to their lack of housing. Click here for the video of the event. For more information, contact Mary Camara at 508-679-0131.
 

(Top row, left and center) Kathy Wildanger of the Stone Residence signs in participants at the registration desk in the lobby of the Commonwealth Center. before Janet Richardi, Director of the South Coast Regional Network to End Homelessness, guides them to the different agency booths. (Top row, right) Stone Residence staff member Delia Abate asks Mary Camara of the Community Development Agency about some final details while Rosa Medeiros, also of the Stone Residence, greets some of the agency representatives. (Middle row, left) Terry Gomes of Southcoast Hospital tests one of the participants for cholesterol and blood sugar levels. (Middle row, center) Janet Richardi, Mary Camara, Rosa Medeiros, Brenda Viveiros of BMC Health Net Plan, and John O’Brien, New England Regional Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness pose for a photo at the event. (Middle row, right) Nicholas Christ, President of Citizens-Union Bank and Co-chair of the Interagency Task Force to End Homelessness, who donated all of the food and many of the hand-outs, talks with a participant. (Bottom row) Fall River Mayor Will Flanagan, State Representative David Sullivan and John O'Brien each thank the many volunteers for their efforts.

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