Check out photos from some recent RAPPP events.

September 21, 2006 | Unfuneral

On September 21, 2006, the Southcoast Hospitals Group RAPPP Youth Council held an "unfuneral" at the Community Garden located on Maxfield Street in New Bedford.

The event, titled "The Rebirth of New Bedford ~ New Bedford Resurrected," took place after working on this project for many months. At the ceremony the issues that face our youth in the community on a daily basis were "laid to rest."

Members of the RAPPP Youth Council discussed and chose which issues they felt are dealt with amongst our community teens. Some of these issues include racism, gang violence, teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, date violence and several others.

Each member was assigned an issue and was responsible to design and construct a tombstone. The stones were then permantley placed in the community garden, and the "Rebirth of New Bedford ~ New Bedford Resurrected" took place where the ills were recognized and "laid to rest."

This event was very positive and very well received in the community. Over 60 people including agency as well as youth and members of the community were in attendance. The goal of this project was to inform and have the tombstones serve as a constant reminder of the negative issues that are in and around the daily lives of youth today.

The members of the RAPPP Youth Council hope that youth as well as adults will remember that these issues are present and, without action, they will continue to be there and get worse.

Members of the council adopted a quote stating that "Alone we can do so little ... but together we can accomplish so much."

May 10, 2006 | RAPPP Male Conference

RAPPP hosted 260 young males from Fall River to Wareham at its 8th Annual Male Conference on May 10.

This year's theme was violence awareness and featured the acclaimed filmmaker, Byron Hurt, creator of the award-winning documentary, "Beyond Beats and Rhymes: Masculinity in Hip-Hop Culture."

Hurt spoke to the youths about the importance of being a responsible man with inner and moral courage.

"When you realize who you really are, you let your individual light shine across the world," Hurt told the teens. "Your generation of boys and men has the ability to set a standard across the nation and not fall into the trap of being hard and tough."

Read highlights from the 2006 Male Conference

Documentary filmmaker Byron Hurt, the keynote speaker at the 2006 RAPPP Male Conference, is interviewed by NBC 10 reporter Larry Estepa.

Documentary filmmaker Byron Hurt addresses more than 200 youths at the 2006 RAPPP Male Conference.

January 23 ~ February 15, 2006 | Food Drive / Cook & Serve

The RAPPP Youth Council completed two community service projects — a food drive from January 23 through February 8 and a "cook & serve" with the Salvation Army on February 15.

The RAPPP Youth Council is made of of youth from greater New Bedford aged 11 to 18. The council members represent New Bedford High School, Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, Bishop Stang High School, Dartmouth High School, Fairhaven and Roosevelt Middle School in New Bedford.

The teens collected more than 1,500 pounds of food from their communities and schools to benefit the Basic Needs/Solanus Casey Food Pantry.

The "cook & serve" took place at the New Bedford Salvation Army, where RAPPP Youth Council members purchased, prepared, cooked and cleaned after the meal for 65 homeless men and women. The meal consisted of mixed salad, spaghetti, garlic bread and ice cream cones for dessert.

Food Drive | James Baptista, RAPPP Peer Liaison and Youth Council Member, Michelle Guilbeault, RAPPP Youth Council Advisor and RAPPP Staff, and Ian Donaghy, RAPPP Peer Liaison and Youth Council Member, during the food drive at the RAPPP Family Education Youth Resource Center.

Cook & Serve | Priscilla Sa, RAPPP Youth Council Member, Nathan Macedo, RAPPP Peer Liaison and Youth Council Member, and Adriana Giraldo, RAPPP Peer Liaison and Youth Council Member, serving food at the Salvation Army.

Cook & Serve | Amber Lavalley, RAPPP Youth Council Member, and James Baptista, RAPPP Peer Liaison and Youth Council Member, serving food at the Salvation Army.