On November 10, 2023, an American Water Company high-pressure water main break infiltrated the gas distribution system of the West Side flats. For several weeks, gas was shut off as Mountaineer Gas Company removed water from 46 miles of natural gas lines. A state of emergency was declared. Over 1,000 families were left without heat, hot water, or working stoves. Many families’ appliances suffered water damage, requiring service or replacement resulting in cold nights even after gas service was restored. Some residents continue to face challenges that stemmed from the gas outage crisis.

Last winter, Shayla Leftridge and Martec Washington were honored with Westside Together’s seasonal Best of the West Award for their compassionate and swift actions during the crisis. As community workers and West Side residents, they played pivotal roles in disseminating crucial information about the outages through social media and brought direct relief to their neighbors.

Martec worked with volunteers to collect donations and distribute space heaters, water, food, and supplies throughout the neighborhood. He reached out to the Governor, state, and local officials, advocating for a state of emergency declaration and voicing the community’s needs. After driving home from work in Parkersburg every day, Martec assisted with WV Health Right’s initiatives as well.

Shayla dedicated herself to personally feeding her neighbors with volunteer Chef Keaton Contini. Serving as WV Health Right’s West Side Site Coordinator, she orchestrated daily dinner services at the CommUNITY Center at Five Corners. They averaged 350 people a night, hosting meals and relief every evening until gas was restored with the help of the National Guard, City Councilors, Partnership of African American Churches, the McGee Foundation, and countless other donors and volunteers.