Seeking revenge, several boys tracked him down to his building. When residents refused to reveal the young man s whereabouts, the other boys threatened to burn the building down. Several residents then called the hotline. Operators at the hotline immediately translated the call and alerted the local police. The boys were never caught, but the fire was never set, either.
Organized residents feel stronger.
Before we organized, nobody would have made the call, and lives may have been lost. Nueva Esperanza has been funded by FEMA s grant program for nine years. With the funds, Nueva Esperanza has been able to hire a full-time housing assistant who educates the community about housing safety, helps find housing for those in need and stays involved in the safety of the community as a whole. This all helps the community become an environment where drug use, arson and crime are not tolerated. Inc. Rather than focusing on education, like Fall River or on development, like Nueva Esperanza, HART concentrates its efforts on ensuring that fire-prone buildings are up to legal fire code standards.