Joi Oden is embracing her role as Community Programs and Outreach Manager at Westside Together with a clear focus: building relationships, strengthening connections, and helping the West Side thrive. 

A native of the Institute/West Dunbar area, Joi’s roots are grounded in what she calls “small community living,” shaping her understanding of connection, culture and care. That understanding would later guide her work across Charleston, especially on the West Side. 

Though she spent several years at West Virginia University in Morgantown, Joi ultimately found her way back home, seeking something more fulfilling. She completed her Bachelor of Arts at West Virginia State University, a place that holds personal significance. As a self-described “campus kid,” she grew up immersed in the culture and history of the university, where her father worked for three decades. 

Joi says her early experiences at West Virginia State, an HBCU, showed her how Black communities come together to build prosperity. Now, Joi is bringing a perspective of unity and prosperity into her new role as Community Programs and Outreach Manager at WST. 

Her connections to the West Side run deep. As early as age 19, she has worked in the neighborhood in various roles. From supporting youth intersession programs to working with Bream Memorial Presbyterian Church, Step by Step, Cabin Creek Health Systems (CCHS), and the Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council, Joi has consistently found herself returning to the West Side. She enjoys the people, the conversations and the history among the community. 

“So I tend to gravitate over here,” Joi says. “I really am drawn to the people and the connections that are over here.” 

Her work has also taken her into neighborhoods across Charleston, including time spent connecting residents to care via the CCHS mobile clinic, coordinating large-scale community events, and contributing to DEI trainings and crisis response efforts. Through it all, one theme has remained constant: building relationships that matter. 

That aspect is exactly what Joi is most excited to focus on in her current role.. With a background in public health, she has always enjoyed being out in the community, asking residents about their needs, and getting people connected to resources. 

At WST, Joi also is dedicated to strengthening relationships with residents and local businesses, expanding outreach efforts, and helping develop programs that serve both youth and adults. Her passion for working with young people, in particular, continues to guide her approach. 

“Anytime that I can incorporate children or youth into something, that’s always going to be the route that I take,” Joi says. “I just feel like when I was young, older people in my community poured into me and were good mentors for me, and that I should be doing that for the generation after me as well.” 

That commitment has already had a lasting impact. Young people who Joi worked with years ago still reach out today. One called for help with completing a FAFSA after deciding to go to college, and another reached out after having a baby. Joi says these types of connections are what mean the most to her. 

In addition to her outreach work, Joi also serves as the youngest board member on the Sub Area Planning Committee, where she brings a fresh perspective to community development and advocates for inclusive decision-making. 

As Joi continues to step into her role at WST, she is mindful of the importance of trust. She notes that although she was not raised on the West Side, she shares the community’s ambitions and hopes to be seen as a committed partner rather than an outsider. 

“We all have the same common goal, and it’s collaboration and strengthening the West Side,” Joi says.