South Charleston Fire Chief Virgil White (left) is pictured with Brylee Wilson (center) and Mayor Frank Mullens at the March 20, 2025, City Council meeting. Wilson, 19, received an award for extinguishing a fire at the South Charleston Community Center in February.
Sherri Hughes (background) and Sierra Sovine are shown on March 13, 2025, preparing meals for Dunbar Middle Schoolers at the Dunbar Community Partners headquarters, 340 18th St. in Dunbar.
Across the Kanawha Valley, everyday people are making a difference in big ways. Whether it’s feeding hungry students, rallying a community around a holiday cause or simply stepping up in an emergency, these stories highlight the heart of the valley. Here’s a look at some of the uplifting moments that made an impact this month.
Sherri Hughes (background) and Sierra Sovine are shown on March 13, 2025, preparing meals for Dunbar Middle Schoolers at the Dunbar Community Partners headquarters, 340 18th St. in Dunbar.
SIERRA MARLING | Gazette-Mail photos
Every week, Sierra Sovine, Matthew Broyles and Sherri Hughes gather to prepare meals for low-income Dunbar Middle School students. Their operation, based at 340 18th St. in Dunbar, is stocked with canned goods, granola bars and other nonperishable foods — including special treats like pudding cups and spicy Taki chips.
While the school only gives them a tally of how many meals they need, they said they fill every bag with care knowing it’s going to a youth in need.
“Each child receives two drinks, two breakfast items, two lunch items and a handful of snacks,†Sovine explained. “If there’s a long weekend, we make sure to include extra so no child goes hungry.â€
Dunbar Community Partners’ footprint has grown since it began in 2017. The middle school food program alone started with 25 food bags per week, and now they distribute more than 45.
The group also assembles emergency food boxes for families and elderly residents in need and provides holiday and summer food packages for the community. It’s common to see them feeding sports teams before their ball games.
For Sovine, this effort is about more than just food — it’s about community. With at least 20 volunteers and local organizations supporting Dunbar Community Partners’ largest events, she sees the initiative as a way to bring people together while addressing an urgent need.
Tinsley Pickens, an eighth grader at Dunbar Middle School and president of the Junior Honor Society, has also taken up the cause. She’s leading efforts to support Dunbar Community Partners’ upcoming Easter event, the group’s largest of the year. All 12 Junior Honor Society members were invited to help assemble Easter baskets with gifts.
“We’re collecting toys for kids that don’t have parents who can afford toys,†Pickens explained. “We’re going to donate them and then we’re going to hold a drive where kids can either pick out pre-made Easter baskets or their own toys.â€
Having gained experience from her first volunteer toy drive last Christmas, Pickens is applying those lessons to this year’s Easter event. So far, she’s collected at least six large garbage bags full of donated toys.
“I think it’s important to make a difference,†she said. “And I don’t think kids should be judged whether they have the best toys, or the coolest toys, or the most expensive.â€
South Charleston Fire Chief Virgil White (left) is pictured with Brylee Wilson (center) and Mayor Frank Mullens at the March 20, 2025, City Council meeting. Wilson, 19, received an award for extinguishing a fire at the South Charleston Community Center in February.
SIERRA MARLING | Gazette-Mail
At its regular City Council meeting on March 20, the City of South Charleston recognized a heroic act by Brylee Wilson.
The 19-year-old lifeguard was on duty for a Feb. 4 water aerobics class at the South Charleston Community Center when a woman alerted her to a potential fire.
Upon investigation, Wilson discovered another woman attempting to splash hot tub water into the dry sauna, where thick smoke was already billowing out. Staying calm, she immediately notified her manager and retrieved a fire extinguisher.
Despite smoke from the fire burning her throat, Wilson worked to contain it while her manager and the center’s director evacuated the building. When the fire department arrived, they extinguished the remaining flames.
“I thought it was pretty fun,†Wilson said with a smile. “It’s definitely not something you experience every day.â€
She credited her training as a lifeguard for preparing her to act under pressure.
“In life guarding, you always have to be ready to save somebody’s life,†she said.
Officials and community center employees found her levelheadedness in the situation impressive and humorous.
Mayor Frank Mullens, who began his career as a lifeguard at the Community Center, praised Wilson’s composure. “I don’t know if I could have been that calm or not,†he said. “I hope so.â€
Fire Chief Virgil White chuckled, “Most of the time, people run away from fires. She kind of ran toward it.â€
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