| The "Gratigny" neighborhood in Miami-Dade County, Florida, surrounds Barry University. The area lies within three municipalities: the City of North Miami, the Village of Miami Shores, and unincorporated Miami-Dade County. Over the last 15 years, the area has experienced a decline in population as well as a shift in the population age. During the 1990 census, population was reported as 94,837. The neighborhood is now home to 60,626 people, 82 percent of whom are Haitian. The area was formerly populated by retirees from northern states. Today, 49 percent of the population is under the age of 14. Median household income was $29,008 in 1995 and 28 percent of households earned less than $16,000. Due to limited language and skills, and other cultural and discriminatory barriers, the Haitian residents work in mostly menial jobs. Yet these residents tend to be "self-sufficient," with only 7.3 percent of them receiving public assistance and only 9.7 percent receiving food stamps. The area has some of the most problematic family violence statistics in the county, with high rates of child abuse claims and certified cases and police calls for domestic violence.
The Community Outreach Partnership Centers (COPC) program at Barry University emphasizes the independence of the Haitian community but at the same time will work to ameliorate the effects of poverty and cultural tensions. Barry's program will focus on three urban problems: crime and violence prevention, community organization, and neighborhood revitalization. Crime and violence prevention includes prevention seminars and groups for victims of family violence. Community organization includes the establishment of a Leadership Development Institute and the establishment of a free-standing community-based organization. The neighborhood revitalization component includes the planning and execution of annual housing fairs and a process for establishing a housing and commercial revitalization program. The COPC program will help further Barry University's mission of creating a "caring community" both within and outside its campus walls.
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