October 20, 2007
More than 100 advocates, service providers, and community members attended a Grassroots Community Cookout on Saturday, Oct. 20, at the First Parish in Malden, Universalist.
Participating groups included Bread of Life; First Parish in Malden; The Great Wall Center; Housing Families, Inc.; Malden Area Communities Against War; Malden Asian Pacific American Coalition; Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health; Multicultural Affairs Committee, Everett; Moroccan American Civic and Cultural Association; Service Employees International Union, Local 509; Tri-City Community Action Program; the Mass. Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition; the Refugee Immigration Ministry; Mass. Bay District of Unitarian Universalist Churches; Friends of Oak Grove; and the Oak Grove Improvement Association.
The cookout and gathering enabled local individuals and organizations from ethnically and linguistically diverse communities working on such issues as affordable housing, community inclusiveness, poverty, hunger, war, immigrant rights, and more to meet and talk about pressing social and economic issues and actions that can be taken. Representatives from each group spoke and provided information on their programs and services. Medford and Malden State Representatives Christopher Fallon and Paul Donato attended as well.