Our Mission
RISE-WV exists to Restore, Integrate, Support, and Empower West Virginians transitioning from incarceration, recovery, homelessness, and crisis. Through comprehensive reentry services, housing support, workforce development, healthcare navigation, family stabilization, and community-centered initiatives, we create opportunities for individuals to rebuild their lives while fostering stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities across West Virginia.
Our Beginning
Although officially incorporated on October 21, 2025, RISE West Virginia was not founded in a boardroom. It began on a sidewalk in downtown Huntington, WV on a cold fall night in 2015.
Four fraternity brothers were walking back to their house in the early morning hours after a Saturday night out when they noticed a young man sleeping on the sidewalk with a dog curled beside him. He was painfully thin, visibly exhausted, and trying to stay warm against the concrete. Most people had walked past him without a second glance.
But that night, someone stopped.
The young man’s name was Jacob. He was 18 years old.
The group invited Jacob to a nearby Speedway to get food and coffee. What started as a late-night conversation would ultimately become the foundation for what is now RISE West Virginia.
As they listened to Jacob’s story, the reality of his life became heartbreaking. Abandoned by his family at just 8 years old, Jacob had spent much of his childhood moving in and out of the foster care system. At times, he lived in the woods for months at a time. Other nights were spent under bridges and on sidewalks throughout the Greater Charleston and Huntington areas.
“He didn’t need someone to pity him,” said RISE Founder Clayburne Stevens. “He needed someone to believe in him long enough for him to believe in himself.”
What happened next was not a program or a project. It was a family forming in real time.
Jacob began staying at the fraternity house while the brotherhood worked together to connect him with critical support services. What they quickly discovered was that escaping homelessness was far more complicated than simply finding a place to sleep. Jacob had no birth certificate, no Social Security card, no diploma, and no roadmap for adulthood.
Obtaining the basic documents most people take for granted became one of the first battles.
At the time, Clayburne was working as a Graduate Assistant at Marshall University and was able to help Jacob secure a job as a janitor in the building where he worked. That opportunity became a turning point. Through employment, mentorship, housing support, and a stable support system, Jacob slowly began rebuilding his life.
The fraternity brothers became more than friends. They became family.
“We showed him life outside of poverty,” Clayburne said. “Not just survival, but possibility. We wanted him to see that the world was bigger than the streets he grew up on.”
One of the defining moments came during a trip to New York City. The photo featured on this page captures Jacob and Clayburne standing together there, a moment that symbolized something much larger than travel.
For Jacob, the world suddenly expanded.
“I never thought I’d leave West Virginia,” Jacob said. “I didn’t think people like me got to see places like New York. It made me feel like maybe my life could actually be something.”
With continued support and access to resources, Jacob earned his GED, secured full time employment, and is now completing his culinary degree. Today, he mentors youth and individuals recovering from addiction, helping others navigate many of the same struggles he once faced.
“I just want people to know they ain’t stuck,” Jacob said. “I thought my life was over before it even started. But people stayed around long enough to help me change it.”
That experience became the blueprint for RISE West Virginia.
RISE was founded on the belief that services alone are not enough. Real transformation happens when people are surrounded by consistent support, community, accountability, and compassion. Housing matters. Food matters. Education matters. But so does having someone who refuses to give up on you.
“Relatives are chosen for us,” Clayburne said. “But family is chosen by us. Jacob may not share my DNA, but he is family. And that belief became the heart of RISE. We exist to be the family so many people never had.”
Today, RISE West Virginia continues that mission by connecting individuals and families to housing assistance, workforce development, education, food support, digital literacy programs, mentorship, and pathways to long term stability.
Jacob’s story is proof that when resources are connected and people are surrounded by support, hope becomes possible.
And when hope becomes possible, lives change forever.
EXTENDED BIOS
Clayburne Stevens is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of RISE-WV. Driven by a deep conviction that family matters and that every individual deserves a safe and stable place to rebuild their life, he leads with a vision of a stronger West Virginia where opportunity, dignity, and support are accessible to all and no one is left behind. With more than 15 years of leadership experience across housing, healthcare, transportation, and complex operations, Clay brings a people-centered approach grounded in strategic planning, financial oversight, and human-centered program design, enabling RISE-WV to deliver integrated services including housing, food security, education, healthcare access, and pathways to long-term stability. He holds an MBA from Marshall University and has led multi-site care operations, managed substantial property portfolios, and built high-performing teams focused on measurable impact. Recognized as an Emerging Leader of the Year and holding multiple professional certifications, Clay pairs professional excellence with a lifelong commitment to service through volunteer work with organizations such as West Virginia Special Olympics, domestic violence shelters, Boys & Girls Clubs, and the American Legion. Driven by compassion and accountability, he is committed to mobilizing partnerships, empowering volunteers, and scaling solutions that help individuals rise above hardship, strengthen families, and rebuild communities across West Virginia.
Wesley Dorcas serves as the Chief Operating Officer of RISE-WV, and is a trusted face in the Greater Charleston community, bringing years of dedicated local service and professionalism to our mission. A West Virginia State University graduate with a degree in Communications, Wesley has built a strong track record in organizational leadership, case management, and youth mentorship serving as a Child Protective Service Worker and Family Support Specialist with WVDHHR, and earlier managing community programs at the South Charleston Recreation Center. He is deeply committed to empowering young people as coach and mentor for school athletic teams, advocating for families, and fostering positive relationships across Charleston. Wesley’s passion for service, grounded in integrity and empathy, ensures RISE-WV delivers compassionate, effective support to individuals and families facing homelessness or poverty.
Jack Moore serves as Chief Financial Officer at RISE-WV, bringing a powerful blend of financial acumen, technical expertise, and a deep-rooted commitment to community transformation. With an MBA from Marshall University and a B.S. in Computer Science from West Virginia University, Jack has spent nearly two decades supporting both public and private sector innovation, including key roles with the Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. His experience as a full-stack developer and systems analyst informs his strategic approach to financial management, ensuring transparency, efficiency, and long-term sustainability. At RISE-WV, Jack applies his skills to support the organization's mission of empowering individuals and families facing poverty and homelessness, viewing every budget and system not just as operational tools, but as pathways to meaningful, lasting change.
Dr. Wendellena Mays is a highly respected physician specializing in internal and emergency medicine, bringing more than 30 years of clinical experience to the RISE-WV Board of Directors. A graduate of the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University, Dr. Mays embodies a deep commitment to medical excellence and community service. She successfully owned and independently operated a thriving medical practice in Clermont, Florida for many years, providing comprehensive, patient-centered care across a wide range of acute and chronic conditions. Dr. Mays has since brought her decades of medical expertise back to West Virginia, where she is dedicated to strengthening healthcare access for communities across the state. Her extensive frontline experience, leadership in private practice, and lifelong understanding of real-world healthcare challenges provide invaluable guidance to RISE-WV’s mission.
Sarah Hinkle serves on the Board of Directors of RISE-WV, bringing a grounded, real-world perspective shaped by family, work, and community life in West Virginia. A lifelong West Virginian, Sarah is a mother of two children in the public school system and the wife of a coal miner, giving her firsthand insight into the challenges facing working families, education, and the state’s labor force. Her professional background in the banking industry contributes valuable experience in financial responsibility, accountability, and sound decision-making, while her experience caring for the elderly provides a deep understanding of the needs of seniors and their families. Sarah represents the everyday West Virginian, and her lived experience allows her to help guide the organization’s mission with practical, common-sense solutions focused on real-world impact and meaningful support for the communities we serve.
Tyler Lafferty is a Board Member of RISE-WV and a subject matter expert in criminal justice, regulatory compliance, and public sector oversight. He holds a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from West Virginia State University and brings extensive experience from his work with the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office, where he investigated Medicaid fraud and helped safeguard public resources through complex regulatory and investigative processes. Tyler currently serves as an Energy Security Lead with the West Virginia Office of Energy, providing critical expertise at the intersection of federal and state compliance, program integrity, and risk mitigation. His background navigating highly regulated environments strengthens RISE-WV’s commitment to accountability and sustainable program design. Deeply aligned with RISE-WV’s mission, Tyler is a dedicated advocate for reducing recidivism and homelessness across West Virginia and contributes a systems-level perspective focused on long-term, measurable community impact.