40 Years! Celebrating 4 Decades of Service

We are so proud of our rich history.

The Roark-Sullivan Lifeway Center was formed in 1981 as the Charleston Men’s Emergency Shelter through an initiative led by the City of Charleston to address the local issue of homelessness. Over the years we have grown in tremendous ways increasing and diversifying our services with the goal of ending chronic and Veterans homelessness.

The center was named after Mike Roark and Leon Sullivan.

Mike Roark was a Marine Corps veteran, former Kanawha County prosecutor & mayor of Charleston, W.Va. He passed away in 1999.

Leon Sullivan, born in Charleston, WV, became a Baptist minister, a civil rights leader and social activist focusing on the creation of job training opportunities for African Americans, a longtime General Motors Board Member, and an anti-Apartheid activist. Sullivan died on April 24, 2001.

We are undergoing a transformation under the direction of new President & CEO, Jess McGuire. She was hired by the Board of Directors in March 2021.

We are coming off the heels of a sucessful fundraising event titled 'Brews & Bites: To Support of Veterans'.

We look forward to our next 40 years being the 'boots on the ground' for those in need.

If you would like to contribute to our cause, please go here: https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=NRwl_FDL7V64j6ujsRe9WH4J2WeYtyZ98DtkJxVbfir-IscO0DfDuHqyq4ecj-iqNSW6KtuCYheh2mrY