Winchester Area Newcomers Club

John Conrad

President, Kiwanis Club of Winchester

John Conrad, President, Kiwanis Club of Winchester, VA https://winvakiw.org/ John Conrad is the newly elected President of the Kiwanis Club of Winchester. The Kiwanis Club of  Winchester is a non-profit organization whose mission is to “Change the world one community and one  child at a time.” The Kiwanis Club is focused on the community. It is non-political and has a primary  focus on helping children in the community. The Club distributes funds to community causes (primarily  to help children). In addition, the Club provides $10,000 in scholarship money which is used in area high  schools. John described the membership of the Winchester Kiwanis Club as being a wide spectrum of  people. The Kiwanis Club has weekly (Wednesday) lunch meetings at the Moose Lodge on Cork Street.  The only requirement of members is to pay the $160 annual dues.  

The Kiwanis Pancake Day feeds about 6,000 people twice a year which brings in approximately $30,000.  These funds go back to the community, primarily for children. Many non-member volunteers help with  Pancake Day. John has served as the head of the Pancake Day Committee. Pancake Day was cancelled in  Spring of 2020 due to COVID. Subsequently, Pancake Day was moved to a drive-through event during  COVID which was very successful. The next Pancake Day (which has returned to an in-person event) is  scheduled for April 20. 

The Kiwanis Club puts on a Christmas party each year for approximately 70 elementary school children.  Each child receives a bag of presents specifically chosen for that child.  

The Club is looking for volunteers (even if you are not a Kiwanis member). Volunteers participate in such  activities as Pancake Day, road clean-up, and packing lunches for Bright Futures. Anyone interested in  volunteering should contact Patty Maples who will pass the information on to John.  

April, 2024

Speaker: Lauren Clouse

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Winchester Rescue Mission (WRM)

434 N. Cameron Street, Winchester, VA

Lauren Clouse serves as the CEO and supervises approximately 15 staff members at the 

Winchester Rescue Mission,  a faith-based, non-profit organization that has been serving people experiencing homelessness and poverty since 1973. In March 2022, it was named the “Non-profit of the Year” by the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber. Since its inception, WRM has experienced tremendous success in providing food, shelter, mental health services, and vital community engagement to numerous individuals experiencing challenges such as homelessness, job insecurity, and poverty in their lives. 

Lauren spoke passionately about the work of the Mission and the needs of their clients. Lauren asked us what we thought caused homelessness, and our  list included; medical expenses, divorce, loss of employment or under employment, domestic abuse, cost of housing, addiction, mental health. Lauren pointed out that these were all important factors, but the key to understanding the homeless was to realize that they often suffered from broken relationships, and unlike many of us who might suffer from some of the above, we most likely have a family support structure to help us out.

The Rescue Mission creates a space that is designed to reflect their clients innate dignity. The  current capacity is 10 women and 20 men. The Mission provides 3 meals a day and operates a food pantry. The Mission evaluates a client in order to determine the best way to meet their needs and get them back to independent living. The average stay for a client is 12 to 18 months. The Rescue Mission is renovating a property on Valley Road that will increase their capacity, but the need is great and they have to turn people away.

There are over 200 children in the Frederick County school system who are homeless! There are no homeless shelters for families in this area. Families are welcome to eat at the Rescue Mission, but there is only limited help from some area churches who will do temporary hotel vouchers. 

The Rescue Mission relies heavily on volunteers, and there is always a way they can use your volunteer help. Lauren is happy to give anyone who is interested a tour of their building on Cameron St.

May 2024

Tina                                          Kate

Speakers: Tina Stevens Culbreath and Dr. Kate Simpson of the I’m Just Me Movement  (https://www.imjustmemovement.org) 

Dr. Kate Simpson joined the Board of the I’m Just Me Movement in the early stages of the organization  because she was (and continues to be) inspired by the mission and vision of the movement. The  organization’s mission is strengthening youth, families and communities through mentorship, education  & training, and community collaboration. Kate told us about the “Triumph over Trauma” summit event  that was held the day before at Laurel Ridge Community College. The I’m Just Me Movement is the  convening organization of “Triumph over Trauma.” There will be book discussion groups on the book  “What Happened to You, Conversations on Trauma, Resilience and Healing” written by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey. Amongst other places, this book discussion group will take place at the Winchester  Book Gallery. Other events include a fundraising run at Sherando Park. The organization also runs a  summer camp at the Discovery Museum in Winchester. Kate remarked upon the fact that youths are not  referred to as ‘at-risk’ youths in California. Instead, they are referred to as ‘at-promise’ youths. The I’m  Just Me Movement is looking for volunteers and board members. 

Tina Stevens Culbreath is the founder and President of the I’m Just Me Movement. She spoke movingly  about the ways in which mentorship changes lives. Tina told of some of the challenges she faced as a  youth. She had a mentor as a youth who made all the difference to her. Tina started the I’m Just Me  Movement in 2013 (now a nonprofit organization). The mentorship program (One Life Forward) started  in 2015. The organization helps young people gain the skills to cope and to learn that they’re not the  only ones facing this kind of difficulty. Tina stressed the importance of being preventive (proactive)  rather than reactive. 

Tina’s heartfelt message is that it’s possible to overcome childhood trauma. There are currently 78 young  people in the mentorship program. Tina proudly shared with us that one of their mentored youths who  was graduating from high school that evening is enrolling in Laurel Ridge Community College on a full  scholarship. Tina shared that they are looking for board members (in particular, people with fundraising  expertise). The board meets monthly and participates in the organization’s events. 

Tina stressed how one person can really make a difference in a child’s life. She shared a personal story  about a school bus driver who every day would tell her she was beautiful and make other positive  comments that meant a lot to her. Tina shared stories of the challenges that she and her siblings faced as well as the successes in their lives. She and her husband raised two of their own children as well as  raising her sister’s children (a total of 8 children).  

September, 2024

Scott Trivette possesses 25 years of experience in health care as a Critical Care Paramedic,  Patient Liaison, and Chaplain. In the past 10 years, Scott has been developing and building  volunteer programs and is now the Program Manager of Volunteer Services with the  Winchester Medical Center and the Warren Medical Center. Scott described the following  volunteer opportunities at Winchester Medical Center: 

• The hospital now has a new courtesy shuttle (electric vehicle) that is used to shuttle  people between the parking lots and the hospital. In its first four weeks, it has provided  over 1500 shuttle rides. Volunteers are needed to drive the shuttle which currently  operates between 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM (with the hope of expanding these hours).  Volunteer shifts for this role are in 3 hour blocks.  

• The critical care unit at the hospital needs volunteers to assist inside the unit to facilitate  the flow of things and make things more efficient for patients and their families. (e.g.  open door for family members). 

Tootie Rinker is a volunteer with the Winchester Medical Center and is President of the WMC  Auxiliary. She worked as an audiologist for many years, then for the American Red Cross, and  also as the Executive Director of the Top of Virginia Chapter. Tootie organizes the Lights of Love  Program. Tootie described the following volunteer opportunities at Winchester Medical Center  and its Auxiliary: 

• In the Lights of Love Program (started in 1989), trees are lit in December to honor the  people you love or to remember those you lost. The donation is $5.00 per light.  Proceeds of this Program this year will go to the Valley Health Cancer Center and Blue  Ridge Hospice. (Usually, each charity receives approximately $20,000 each from Lights of  Love.) Volunteers are needed to help with this Program. Duties include writing out  thank you notes for the donors and for people being honored.  

• Located on the WMC campus, the Hurst Hospitality House is a home away from home  for families that have loved ones in the hospital and live more than 40 miles away from  Winchester. The house is able to offer the stays for free with the community's help, the Winchester Medical Center Auxiliary and Foundation, and its caring volunteers.  Volunteers are needed to facilitate operations at the House. 

• The Attic Thrift Store (now located on Jubal Early Drive) is operated by the WMC  Auxiliary. Volunteers are needed to assist in many ways. Volunteers help with shop  upkeep, working the cash register, and assisting customers as they shop. Volunteers also  assist with receiving, sorting, pricing, and displaying donated items. The Attic provides a  fun environment, friendly team, and opportunities to connect with many members of  our community. Proceeds benefit the WMC Cancer Center and other projects to support  the care of our community. 

Scott answered questions from our members about the specifics of volunteering from which we  learned the following: 

• Health screening and flu shots are required for all patient-facing volunteers. (If someone  can not get a vaccine for medical reasons, that person needs to wear a surgical mask.) • Specific training is provided to all patient-facing volunteers. 

• Volunteer opportunities at WMC can be found at the Valley Health website at the  following link: Volunteer Opportunities at WMC. 

• The application process is done online. 

• They generally look for a 4-hour time commitment, one day a week. But they are trying  to be more flexible with the schedule where possible. 

• Scott encourages anyone interested in finding out about additional volunteer  opportunities at WMC to contact him directly at ttrivet2@valleyhealthlink.com or at  540-536-8156.