Our Community Place

About Us

Our Community Place's mission is "to build a safe, loving community with those experiencing food and housing insecurity by providing a gathering place and support for all." OCP is an anchor institution and an integral part of the social fabric of Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, and the Central Shenandoah Valley region. OCP originated in 1992 when Ron Copeland closed the Little Grill Restaurant every Monday to host a cooperative community meal called The Free Food For All Soup Kitchen. During the following decade, volunteers in the soup kitchen established a non-profit organization called Our Community Place to relocate from the Little Grill and create a community center that would honor the dignity of all who walked through its doors. OCP opened the community center in August 2008 and began to live more deeply into its mission. OCP has grown into a thriving community center that supports low-income and homeless individuals. The community center serves over 14,000 hot meals annually and serves as a hub for connecting resources and providing vital health services. In response to the needs of the community's underserved population, OCP established programs to provide housing support, case management, a culinary pathways initiative, and access to essential services. To meet the rising demand for affordable housing, OCP launched a four-unit low-barrier apartment building in Harrisonburg in 2022. Since its inception, this initiative has enabled OCP to assist individuals previously overlooked by other housing options in Harrisonburg due to their personal backgrounds.