| The city of Lynchburg is located in the geographic center of Virginia on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Identified as the second wealthiest city in the nation by the 1860 U.S. Census, Lynchburg has changed tremendously since it was first established. Lynchburg, with 66,000 residents, is a city of distinct and proud neighborhoods that possess many strong attributes. Unfortunately, too many neighborhoods have decayed into weak, unhealthy areas that are characterized by abandoned dwellings, unsafe streets, and a lack of essential institutions that have either left the neighborhood or simply don't function. The COPC at Lynchburg College focuses its activities on three city neighborhoods: Tinbridge Hill, College Hill, and White Rock. The neighborhoods are home to about 5,700 residents, 85 percent of whom are African American and 35 percent of whom have incomes below the poverty line. COPC activities focus on community organizing, neighborhood revitalization, economic development, health care, and education. The COPC is administered by the college's Center for Community Development and Social Justice, one of five centers at the college that reflect its institutional outreach commitment. COPC work is an outgrowth of a substantial grant from the Jessie Ball du Pont Fund. Matching funds are also being provided by the college's community partners, including the city, Centra Health, a local health care provider, the Virginia Bar Association, and neighborhood councils in the COPC target area.
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