Members of the Greater Fall River Coalition for Health and Well Being, an ad hoc group of Partners for a Healthier Community formed in response to the challenges posed by homeless families living in local motels, met with Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community DevelopmentUndersecretary Aaron Gornstein on March 13th, 2013. The meeting provided an opportunity for members of the Coalition to hear first-hand about the Department's policies for housing homeless families in motels and plans for drastically reducing those numbers in the near future. "We were most delighted with Secretary Gornstein's statement that he will be working with the motel that we have families in to try and make the situation there much better," reported Coalition chair Wendy Garf-Lipp, Executive Director of United Neighbors of Fall River.The group works continuously to provide resources and assistance for families with accessing  medical care, finding donations of clothing and personal care items, transportation, and options for recreation for the children who are living in very restrictive environments. Anyone with an interest in problem-solving for this at-risk population is welcome to attend our meetings. Click here for a five-minute video of the meeting. Contact Wendy Garf-Lipp at 508-324-7900 for the date and time of the next meeting.

(Top row) Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development Undersecretary Aaron Gornstein is greeted by Life Together Fellow Elizabeth Malkin and United Neighbors of Fall River Executive Director Wendy Garf-Lipp as he arrives to join the Coalition meeting held at Greater Fall River Re-Creation in Fall River. (Row two) Ms. Malkin poses a question to the Undersecretary about the status of the families living in motels. (Row three, left and center) Karen Galloway of CFC Head Start, Shirley Dixon and Rhonda Ferry of Community Care Services Focus, and Pat Zifcak of Mission Hub listen as Christen Brown of Community Care serices, center, speaks. (Bottom row, left and center) Michele Dunse of the Fall River Public Schools summarizes some of the difficulties that the children face living at the motel.