Community Cafés are monthly gatherings designed to bring residents of the Charleston Westside community together in a culturally respectful and community-led way. These Cafés provide resources, training, and discussions that empower residents to address their challenges and work toward self-sufficiency. The project aims to address how the community could grow their own food specifically. By enhancing the community’s capacity to grow nutritious food, the Cafés can foster stronger connections among members, establish a supportive network, link individuals to essential resources that will help enhance their daily lives, and contribute to the resolution of health disparities. The project team plans to bring in both a Social Scientist and Agricultural Scientist that will help towards the final outcomes of the project. The Cafés can facilitate informal dialogue between researchers, physicians, and community members, building understanding and affecting health and science literacy. Beyond their nutritional impact, Community Cafés offer marginalized groups a safe space for inclusion and mental health support.
The Charleston, West Virginia, community is characterized by dozens of concerned citizens and organizations striving to improve the quality of life for all residents. It is a city of around 48,000 people, featuring an ample open space on the river owned by the city where events are held, called Magic Island. Community Cafés will focus primarily on Charleston’s “Westside,” home to roughly 15,000 residents. Because of the small size, there are numerous opportunities for diverse individuals to connect, a mix of different economic backgrounds, and easier access to lawmakers. The community strongly believes in self-determination – making changes in one’s life and self-responsibility, seeking to become a self-sustaining, healthy community. The Community Cafés have been around for a few years. Agencies such as Wild, Wonderful, Healthy Westside (contracted through the Center for Rural Health) shared a community framework with hopes of introducing to the community in a comfortable way.
To learn more about the Wild, Wonderful, Healthy Westside, please go to: Wild, Wonderful & Healthy Charleston West Side REVIVE – The Center for Rural Health Development
The project aims to transform the Community Café into a vibrant hub that fosters unity, empowerment, and self-sufficiency. By increasing attendance and productivity, the Cafés will provide a safe space for collective problem-solving and engagement. Through informal settings, this project will help community members build resilience skills such as problem-solving, conflict resolution, and stress management techniques while fostering peer support networks where they can share experiences and offer advice.
Using the CARES framework (Connection, Awareness, Resources, Education, Support), this project will foster connections through networking events, collaborative projects, and open dialogue. Regular updates and informational sessions will raise awareness about community issues, resources, and opportunities, ensuring access to the tools needed for self-sufficiency. Hands-on workshops will focus on gardening, improving soil quality, soil testing or sustainable food practices, financial literacy, wellness, and personal development that will further enhance community capabilities, supported by other community programs and peer organizations.
Recognizing the importance of geological factors in food security, the Cafés will address issues like soil quality, urban land use, and sustainable agricultural practices. By collaborating with an agricultural expert or educator specializing in soil health and food production, this project aims to empower the community with the knowledge and skills for sustainable farming. This will be complemented by a social scientist who will study interactions, identify barriers, and help develop actionable solutions.
The project will gather qualitative and quantitative data to measure the Cafés’ impact. The social scientist will track community participation, perceived barriers, and effectiveness of interventions, while the agricultural expert will assess soil quality improvements in various areas, crop yields, and adoption of sustainable practices. Participant feedback will further refine the program and inform future efforts.
Working closely with local leaders, residents, businesses, and under-resourced groups, the project will ensure the Cafés address the community’s needs and interests. Curated monthly resource lists, communication strategies, and inclusive engagement will keep members informed and connected.
By documenting successes and challenges, the Cafés will serve as a model for similar initiatives in other communities, demonstrating the power of community-driven actions to effect large-scale change.
The project is expected to run for approximately 18 months. Below is an outline of key activities:
Dr. Octavia Cordon, Ed.D was born and raised in New York City and later migrated to Charleston, West Virginia approximately 20 years ago. She is a mother of 4, friend to many and a community advocate. She also owns her own business, Phat Daddy’s.
Octavia has spent the last decade of her career working in education, early intervention, and community outreach. Coming from a big city like New York, her goal was to bring her family to a new environment that would offer a safer alternative to what she experienced in NYC. West Virginia offered a slower pace her family was looking for to raise her babies at the time.
Since moving to West Virginia, Octavia has volunteered in many spaces as well as served on many boards including KCS Pre-K. She has obtained her Regents Bachelor of Arts degree from WVSU, Master’s in organizational management from Ashford University and Doctorate in Education, Specialization in Curriculum & Instruction from Capella University.
Hi I’m Azelah Cordon; I was born in New York and raised in Charleston, West Virginia. I have worked closely with my mom on many endeavors since childhood. I am currently a student at Mountwest Culinary School. I enjoy giving back to the community, just like my mother. I firmly believe that it’s not what you know but who you know. So I love meeting new people and making connections, and seeing how I can be beneficial to those I’m around. I look forward to growing our Community Cafes, which will create swift change within our community.
Mavery Davis is a husband to Chamear and father to four children—Amaree, Averi, Amir, and Aiden, affectionately known as the A-Team. These roles are his primary responsibilities and greatest joy. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) dedicated to building community wealth, Mavery serves as Director of Lending for New Economy Works WV/Seed Commons, supporting cooperative businesses in achieving their goals. Mavery is also the founder of the Financial Literacy Bootcamp, teaching financial basics and the psychology of money, particularly to youth. Recognized as a Top 40 under 40 Black CPA by the NSBCPA (2021) and a Hometown Hero by WV Can’t Wait (2022), Mavery holds degrees in accounting from West Virginia State University and Strayer University. In addition to his professional work, he is an adjunct professor, a board member of multiple organizations, and a community organizer committed to collective prosperity.
Lora Davis is the Technical Project Manager for the Water Power Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She lives in Knoxville, TN, with her husband and their two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Before moving to Knoxville, Lora spent most of her life in the DC metro area. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She is pursuing a Master of Science in Energy Policy and Climate at Johns Hopkins University. Her interests include affordable clean energy, workforce development, advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. In her free time, Lora enjoys knitting, crocheting, and volunteering. Before transitioning into project management, she worked as an administrative assistant in the Biosciences division and taught middle school math.
The project is looking to bring on 2 scientists, an agricultural/soil health expert to empower the community with the knowledge and skills for sustainable farming and a social scientist to study interactions, identify barriers, and help develop actionable solutions, via Community Cafes. Recognizing that the built environment is a major determinant of health, the Cafes aim to serve as a central hub for information and community support. To achieve this vision, the social scientist and agricultural expert will help improve the community’s commitment to local food growth and overall resilience.
Social Scientist:
The community seeks a Social Scientist who can foster the organic growth of the Community Cafes and contribute to stronger community dynamics. The scientist’s role includes studying social structures and cultural factors to enhance community collaboration, engagement, and cohesion.
Key responsibilities include:
Agricultural Expert (Soil):
The community is also seeking an Agricultural Expert with a background in soil science to support food security initiatives within the Westside Charleston community. This role focuses on educating residents about soil health, improving growing conditions, and ensuring sustainable food practices.
Key responsibilities include:
Desired Skills and Qualifications:
Thriving Earth Exchange asks all scientific partners to work with the community to help define a project with concrete local impact to which they can contribute as pro-bono volunteers and collaborators. This work can also position the scientists and communities to seek additional funding for the next stage.
Westside Together
The Westside Collaborative is a growing network of community partners and resident leaders working together to provide increased opportunities for families, youth and small businesses on the Westside.
NEW WV – To provide support and finance for self-governing co-op businesses in communities experiencing economic extraction.
Risen City/Step By Step – Step by Step is dedicated to people working together to achieve their dreams in kindred communities across Southern West Virginia through dialogue, education and the arts, wellness, local leadership and resources, and service.
City of Charleston
Charleston, West Virginia government under the leadership of Mayor Amy Goodwin works for the community. We are proud partners with the Westside and here to provide support with efficient government services to assist residents living, recreational, work, and business needs.
ASPIRE – To foster successful young adults and create healthier communities.
