| As one of the City of St. Louis' 79 neighborhoods, the Old North St. Louis neighborhood is an area rich in historical importance and cultural diversity. Founded by German immigrants in the early 1880s, many of the neighborhood's nearly 1,500 residents today demonstrate continued strong community pride as they face growing problems related to poverty, housing deterioration, health concerns, and out-migration.
Building on this sense of community involvement, the University of Missouri-St. Louis will establish a Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) to support revitalization efforts in this urban area that is located within St. Louis' Empowerment Zone. Among the goals of the COPC are to create services to: - Develop a strong base for the community by training community leaders and facilitating an assessment of community assets and resources.
- Offer home maintenance and financial literacy assistance for low- and moderate-income residents.
- Develop community-based health prevention strategies to address growing incidences of lead poisoning and asthma.
- Assist residents in neighborhood stabilization and historical preservation activities to attract visitors and investment to the neighborhood.
Joining the university will be a wide variety of partners, including the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, Gateway to Financial Fitness, Parent Link, City of St. Louis Health Department, St. Louis Lead Prevention Coalition, Missouri Historical Society and Grace Hill Neighborhood Services.
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