Articles
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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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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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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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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…
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Westside Wellness: WV Health Right
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In Spring 2021, West Virginia Health Right opened a medical clinic at 511 Central Ave in the historic Five Corners area. Health Right CEO Dr. Angela Settle says she saw a need for a free clinic on the West Side – there was also an increase in Kanawha County HIV cases at that time. Dr. Settle says…
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Westside Wellness: Cabin Creek Health Systems
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In August, Cabin Creek Health Systems (CCHS) opened a comprehensive medical center on the Westside of Charleston offering multiple healthcare and community services. The building, which was originally a Kroger and then a post office, is located at 303 Ohio Ave. CCHS was established in 1973 by “coal miners who wanted healthcare close to home by providers…
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Charleston’s Glow Run 4 Recovery 5K: A Vibrant Celebration of Support
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Supporters of the recovery community will illuminate Charleston’s Westside with hope and camaraderie at Glow Run 4 Recovery 5K on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. For its sixth year, West Virginia Alliance of Recovery Residences (WVARR) will host the event at Magic Island Park to include a 5K race, dance party,…
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Westside Health Center Opens July 2024!
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By summer of 2024, Cabin Creek Health Systems is set to open its most comprehensive health center yet on Ohio Ave in the former Kroger/USPS building on the West Side. The Westside Health Center (working title) will house 12 primary care rooms, 2 behavioral generalists, 1 psychiatric room, and 5 dental chairs. Its sliding scale…