The mission of the Community-Academic Impact Coalition is to end poverty in the Rockbridge Area through efforts aimed at access to health services, obesity and food security, and early childhood literacy and education. This coalition represents a partnership between the Shepherd Program for Poverty and Human Capabilities Studies at Washington and Lee University and community-based programming including a public health planning coalition, hunger relief agencies, and the United Way of Rockbridge County. This coalition brings considerable anti-poverty experience to the table, and aims to develop new initiatives, improve coordination of existing efforts and more effectively impact poverty.