| The Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) at the University of Memphis in Tennessee is helping the residents and students of the Greenlaw neighborhood address the problems in their community. These problems include housing, transportation problems, unemployment, poverty, low education attainment, and lack of basic resources.
The neighborhood of Greenlaw-Manassas (Greenlaw) began in the mid-1800s as a residential area that was an extension of the central city. A century later it was home to people employed in downtown businesses and the surrounding manufacturing companies. As the cities' economy shifted in the late 1900s to service and technology, the once dominant and stable manufacturing sector began to dwindle. This led to a general decline in cities like Memphis, whose economy depended on manufacturing. Greenlaw became severely distressed due to this trend. Current residents have very low incomes, housing quality and home ownership rates have declined, crime is high, and there is a general isolation of this area from the rest of the city. To combat these challenges, revitalization efforts are underway to benefit residents of Greenlaw and not simply displace them. As a result, Memphis is experiencing an economic resurgence.
Through the COPC, residents and students will not only be able access information on their neighborhood but also participate in its collection and analysis. The information collected will be used to help shape the community. The COPC is working on issues that the residents feel are the major concerns facing the neighborhood, and will use COPC and University of Memphis resources to address those issues. Affordable and decent housing, economic development, and sustainable living environment issues are all addressed through the programs offered by the COPC. The University of Memphis COPC, in partnership with the Greenlaw neighborhood, the City of Memphis, and other agencies will also create a Community of Scholars and Academy for Community Building located within the neighborhood. The partnership will ensure that these efforts are realized and result in a better community for the residents of Greenlaw.
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