Amanda Barber
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Rooted in the Neighborhood: Tiffany Tyson’s Journey to Leading Westside Together
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As Executive Director of Westside Together, Tiffany Tyson is guiding the organization’s next chapter with decades of lived experience, community service and advocacy. Tiffany’s story is deeply rooted in Charleston’s West Side. In the early ‘90s, she moved with her mother, Sandra Pope, to a family home on Grant Street and has stayed connected to…
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From Institute Roots to West Side Impact: Joi Oden’s Community-Driven Path
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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.…
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At the Table Together: West Side Community Dinner Supports John 6 Food Pantry
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On Nov. 13, 2025, the Westside Farm-to-Table Community Dinner Experience took place at a A More Excellent Way Life Center Church. The gathering brought together neighbors, friends and organizations to celebrate community and build support for A More Excellent Way’s John 6 Community Food Pantry. Dr. Shanequa Smith, a restorative practitioner in Charleston, was deeply…
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Best of the West: Dr. Shanequa Smith
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Dr. Shanequa Smith of Restorative Actions was presented with Westside Together’s (WST) Best of the West Award (BOWA) at the Westside Champions Celebration on Dec. 9. As a restorative practitioner in Charleston, West Virginia, Dr. Smith’s work centers around joy, education, and connecting people to their desired opportunities. She says that through joy, people feel…
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Best of the West: Ashley McElwee
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Ashley McElwee was presented with Westside Together’s (WST) Best of the West Award (BOWA) at the Westside Champions Celebration on Dec. 9. Ashley is a Peer Recovery Support Specialist (PRSS) and PEERS Manager with West Virginia Sober Living (WVSL). Elizabeth “Liz” Neal, who also works at WVSL, introduced Ashley to the crowd at the Champions…
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Westside Wellness: FamilyCare Health Centers
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FamilyCare Health Centers has several operations on the West Side of Charleston. These include a medical clinic, two school clinics, and the only free-standing birth center in West Virginia accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers (CABC). “FamilyCare started out in 1989 with four midwives that wanted to give women options in…
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Best of the West: 5 Students
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This fall, five young men were given Westside Together’s Best of West Award (BOWA) for their good deeds in the community. The students’ names are Kash White, Owen Aldridge, Ja’Mahri Davis, Brenden Shirriel, and Kamron Sims. Charleston resident Jamaal Davis nominated the children for the award in recognition of their positive contributions and for being…
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More than a Market: Miss Ruby’s grows food, pride, and possibility
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Miss Ruby’s Corner Market, located at 739 Central Ave., has a mission to offer fresh, locally grown food at affordable rates to the West Side of Charleston. The market sells produce, seasonal products, healthy snacks, pantry staples, farm-fresh eggs and meats, and homemade jams, sauces and spreads. Miss Ruby’s was formed by the Keep Your…
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Best of the West: Carol Hines
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Carol Hines was presented with the “Best of the West” award at the Westside Collaborative Meetup this summer. Carol is the founder and operator of a soul food business, Carol’s Soul to Soul. She is also a passionate mentor for the West Side community. When COVID-19 hit, Carol was laid off from her job as…
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Westside Wellness: CAMC Mobile Care Connect
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Charleston Area Medical Center’s (CAMC) Mobile Care Connect provides health care treatment, telemedicine services, screenings, and emergency response care to rural areas throughout West Virginia. Two years ago—largely in response to the Kanawha County HIV outbreak as well as rising numbers of syphilis and Hepatitis C—they identified the need among people using drugs, people experiencing…