Use these questions to think more about how you would describe your community...
  - Where do people in your community gather or socialize?
  - How and where does your community access services (healthcare, transportation, educational services, etc.)?

Examples of activities and services: Shopping areas, schools and universities, libraries, parks, lakes, rivers, places of worship, healthcare services, public transport, local nonprofit organizations, etc.

Your response: The Portuguese community gathers at church (the Catholic Church) and among social/cultural/sports clubs, especially the Portuguese men. The yearly feasts and festivals are a large social space among the Portuguese. Kennedy Park and The Gates are also sites for Portuguese festivals/events. Boys & Girls Club and the YMCA are also widely used among the community, particularly the Y. Battleship Cove attracts some tourists, with the waterfront area. The Buddhist Temple hosts a New Year's Celebration around the Lunar New Year.

Use these questions to think more about how you would describe your community...
  - What are the cultural bonds in your community?
  - If your community has a shared history, what is it?

Examples of cultural or historical interests: Religious groups, ethnic groups, languages, age groups, immigration status, historic or arts districts, etc.

Your response: Fall River has a history of large immigrant communities of Portuguese descent (the Azores, mainland Portugal) and of indigent recent immigrants and their families (immigrating within the last 25 years). Beginning in the early 1980s, a Cambodian refugee community came to Fall River, hosted by several churches, particularly St. Luke's Episcopal Church. Immigrant communities are growing from Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, El Salvador (a mixture of Hispanic populations). Each year, particularly May-September Portuguese feasts and festivals hosted by churches and social organizations are very common. The Catholic Church is still a central institution and hosts cultural events throughout the year.

Use these questions to think more about how you would describe your community...
  - Where are residents employed?
  - If there are environmental concerns in your community, what are they?

Examples of economic or environmental interests: Tourism industry, agricultural workers, mining town, manufacturing center, polluted natural resource, unemployment problem, etc.

Your response: Factories/manufacturers still employ a percentage of Fall River residents, along with the service industry and health care facilities (St. Anne's and Charlton Memorial). Also, Bristol Community College is located in Fall River. Many from the Portuguese and Brazilian communities work in infrastructure (road construction, landscaping) and/or cleaning services.

Use these questions to think more about how you would describe your community...
  - What should politicians and/or map drawers know about your community?
  - What are the needs of your community?
  - Is there anything else you want to tell us about your community?

Examples of needs or concerns: Keep community in the same district or separate into multiple districts, shared policy concerns, need for a social service, relationship to other nearby communities, issues with current district lines

Your response: Fall River is not a large city (90,000 population), but is represented at the Congressional level by two Congress people.