The Resilience Collaborative (ResCo) at United Way of Harrison and Doddridge Counties, First United Methodist Church, and The Center for Restorative Justice (CRJ) at WV Wesleyan College are celebrating the one-year anniversary of The Circle: A Community for ALL, a drop-in community space located at First United Methodist Church in Clarksburg. Over the past year, The Circle has grown into a vital service hub for Harrison County residents facing homelessness or housing instability, food insecurity, addiction, and mental health challenges—offering support, resources, and pathways to stability.
Open four days a week in downtown Clarksburg, the center offers healthy meals, housing and healthcare navigation, restorative conversations, and meaningful daily activities in a trauma-informed environment. In its first year of operation, The Circle served 8,369 plates of food—underscoring both the scale of need in the community and The Circle’s ability to meet it.
(Photo by ResCo staff – Raymond Riley, a graduate of ResCo's Medical Respite Care program and Dr. Jess Scott, Co-director of the Center for Restorative Justice at WV Wesleyan College.)
Thanks to a One Foundation grant secured by The CRJ at WV Wesleyan College, The Circle has established customized pre-employment opportunities, offering flexible, supportive roles for individuals who have stabilized after receiving services. These positions help participants gradually re-enter the workforce while building confidence, skills, and community connections that support long-term success. In turn, these roles strengthen The Circle’s capacity to meet the growing needs of the community—a truly full-circle moment where service and opportunity reinforce one another. To date, 16 individuals have participated in customized opportunities at The Circle.
Kitchen Manager Cheryl Wilmoth reflected on the power of the kitchen: “Meal preparation at The Circle creates impact far beyond the kitchen. As skills grow, so does confidence—participants move from basic food prep to planning and leading full meals, learning by doing and lifting others along the way. When people gather around a shared meal, barriers soften, conversations flow, and connections form.”
(Photo by ResCo Staff- Antero Women’s Group volunteering at The Circle)
The Circle has also become a place of collective care and mutual support - holding space for grief after loss, celebrating birthdays with favorite meals, cakes, and candles, marking holidays with cookouts and casseroles, and offering steady encouragement for those working daily to maintain sobriety. “The Circle was created to address a gap we saw every day,” said Marissa Rhine, Director of the Resilience Collaborative. “Housing is essential, but it works best when people also have routine, supportive relationships and a place where they are known, cared for and welcomed. The Circle has become that place for many.”
Dr. Jessica Scott and Dr. Debra Dean Murphy, co-directors of the Center for Restorative Justice at West Virginia Wesleyan College, added: “The Circle is the embodiment of restorative justice practices where individuals who have been caught up in punitive systems learn to give and receive another way of being human together. In ordinary acts of mutual care, clients and service providers discover week after week what beloved community looks like.”
(Photo by ResCo staff – Debbie Cantrell, Chloe Ann Chips and Boyd Warner (left to right) of First United Methodist Church’s Shower Ministry.)
Pastor Michael Atkinson of First United Methodist Church of Clarksburg noted the impact of the partnership: “The Circle reminds us that healing happens in relationship. It reflects what’s possible when a community chooses compassion. It’s become a place where people are welcomed, supported, and given space to stabilize and move forward.”
Adapting Outreach in a Changing Environment
As the City of Clarksburg implemented a camping ban in 2025, street outreach providers experienced new challenges in safely identifying and engaging people living outdoors. ResCo staff—who have conducted street-level outreach in Harrison County since 2020—adapted their approach to prioritize safety, trust, and consistent access to services. The Circle has replaced much of ResCo’s traditional street outreach operations, serving as a primary access point for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness without compromising their location and safety. In 2025, 50 individuals secured housing through ResCo, many of whom first accessed services through The Circle.
What The Circle Offers
•Healthy Meals: A free, nutritious meal served every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 12:30 to 1:30pm
•Service Connection & Navigation: Support with housing navigation and placement, healthcare connection and coordination, medication access, addiction treatment linkage, benefits enrollment, and vital records recovery
•Restorative Practices: Circle of Friends conversations and SMART Recovery meetings that center dignity, voice, and mutual respect
•Customized Employment Opportunities: Flexible, supportive employment opportunities in a sober environment for individuals with lived experience
•Social Connectedness: A community-centered space that reduces isolation and fosters belonging
•Volunteer Engagement: Opportunities for individuals, organizations, and businesses to contribute meals, lead activities, or share skills
Community members interested in learning more about The Circle: A Community for ALL are encouraged to contact:
Marissa Rhine, Director, Resilience Collaborative
United Way of Harrison and Doddridge Counties
Email: mrussell@unitedwayhdc.org
Phone: 304-203-1252
