Joe Cory/Key photo Sister Helen Flemington, left, and B.J. Atkinson of St. Therese Little Flower Parish are featured in an upcoming PBS documentary.

The three-hour show focuses on six groups which have worked against crime, violence and racism. Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Hedrick Smith will host the show, which will air from 7 to 10 p.m. Sept. 22 on PBS. The St. Therese Little Flower Parish Church Community Organization has been recognized for its grassroots efforts to rid its south central Kansas City neighborhood of crime and drug houses.

By working with the police and prosecutor's department, crime was significantly reduced in the Blue Hills neighborhood. Since 1993, over 200 drug houses have been shut down.

Sister of St. Joseph Helen Flemington, pastoral administrator, is one of two local people prominently featured in the show. The other is St. Therese parishioner Marvel Hodge, who lives in the neighborhood, and whose house was the target of retaliatory violence.

The title of the show, "Seeking Solutions," is fitting, Sister Flemington said. "That's what we're called to do as a church. Seek solutions, reach out with a helpful hand."

"I realize that I'm stepping in the footsteps of the many who have worked in this community," said Sister Flemington. "When I stop and think about it, it's humbling."

"I feel privileged that I can do something for this church and neighborhood," she said. "And the show will be good for the church and good for Kansas City-St. Joseph," she said.

B.J. Atkinson, the parish's emergency assistance director and neighborhood liaison, is also featured in the show.

"They filmed a lot of what was really taking place during that time," said Atkinson, referring to the meetings and activities in the parish.

"It is exciting that the Blue Hills neighborhood is being recognized for its work," she said.

The Blue Hills area's reputation is changing for the better, she said. "You hear a lot of negatives. This is definitively a positive," she said.