General Meeting Guest Speakers
At our General Meeting, we strive to showcase speakers from organizations from Winchester and our surrounding communities. These are a great way to learn about our community. These may be of interest to you as opportunities to enjoy their services or to volunteer.
2026
January: Amie Fuller, Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator, gave an overview of the Emergency Management Operations of Frederick County.
2025
January: From Belle Grove Historic Plantation, we were introduced to Kristen Laise and Elizabeth Dalton who shared the deep history of Belle Grove and how it offers a view into our past through volunteerism.
February: Elise Stine-Dolinar serves as the Program Coordinator for Bright Futures, which is an affiliated program of the Winchester-Frederick County Schools. This organization helps schools meet the important needs of its students with resources that already exist in the community. They partner with businesses, human services agencies and faith-based organizations and parent groups to meet the needs of our students.
March: Lisa Fisher, Associate Executive Director of ShenArts (Shenandoah Arts Council) shared the many up and coming artistic opportunities throughout our community. They strive to make the arts accessible and to enrich the community of the Northern Shenandoah Valley with diverse and immersive art experience for people of all ages — bringing art to the people and people to the art. Shen Arts fosters artistic growth and making art a part of everyday life.
April: Nathan Stalvey, Executive Director for the Clarke County Historical Association (CCHA) which owns and operates the Burwell-Morgan Mill, a fully operational 18th century grist mill located in Millwood, VA. Volunteer millers grind a variety of grains and give tours of the historic site every Saturday from May through November. CCHA also hosts two extraordinary art shows a year featuring the work of over 300 local artists.
September: Susana Calley of Blue Ridge Care (rebranded from Blue Ridge Hospice) talked about the transformation of their organization to support the community across the spectrum of care. While they continue to offer hospice services, they also offer palliative care, stay-at-home services, 8 thrift shops and grief counseling services. She encouraged anyone interested in volunteering to reach out to their volunteer services office.
October: Tim Toumans from the Winchester Frederick County Historical Society spoke on the multiple local organizations which focus on the history of Winchester and the surrounding areas, He highlighted organizations to volunteer and get involved
November: Representative from the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, Millwood, VA
2024
February: Sarah Young is the Rec Manager at County of Frederick Parks and Recreation. Sarah works with active adults which includes two social clubs with a focus on Mystery trips (the Gad Abouts in Stephens City and a club in Gainsboro) Mystery Trips have included a llama farm, the Green Valley Bookfair, a camera museum, and a Lavender Farm.
The focus of their programming for active adults is to help people stay active and healthy. Facilities include walking trails at Clearbrook Park and Sherando Park as well as pickleball courts at Frederick Heights Park, Clearbrook Park and Sherando Park.
WANC has partnered with Frederick County Parks & Recreation for events and has a strong collaborative relationship.
March: John Conrad is the newly elected President of the Kiwanis Club of Winchester with a primary focus on helping children in the community. The Club distributes funds to community causes and provides $10,000 in scholarship money, which is used in area high schools. Other events include a Pancake Day which feeds about 6,000 people twice a year and raises approximately $30,000. These funds go back to the community. 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)participate throughout the year in Pancake Day, road clean-up, and packing lunches for Bright Futures.
April: Lauren Clouse serves as the CEO at the Winchester Rescue Mission (WRM), an 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.
The Rescue Mission creates a space that is designed to reflect their client's 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.
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.
May: Kate Simpson and Tina Stevens Culbreath came to share the message of the It's Just Me Movement. There are currently 78 young people in the mentorship program. 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 trauma. Tina stressed the importance of being preventive rather than reactive. 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.
September: Scott Trivette has been developing and building volunteer programs and is now the Program Manager of Volunteer Services with the Winchester Medical Center (WMC) and the Warren Medical Center. He is looking for volunteers to drive the courtesy shuttle, assist with patient flow and efficiency
Tootie Rinker is President of the WMC Auxiliary. Tootie organizes the Lights of Love Program. Tootie described volunteer opportunities at Winchester Medical Center and its Auxiliary such as the Lights of Love Program, support at the Hurst House and the Attic Thrift Store.
October: In 2022, Martha Reynolds joined the Barns of Rose Hill (BRH) and in 2023 was made their Executive Director. Martha provided an overview of the Barns of Rose Hill followed by a Q&A. Horace G. Smithy donated the “Rose Hill” estate to the Town of Berryville in 1964 in honor of his late wife, Rosalie McCormick Smithy, to be used for “the educational, recreational and cultural benefit of the community.” The estate consists of a Victorian mansion as well as two dairy barns and 3 1/2 acres of land dedicated to the arts and the community needs.
BRH is always looking for volunteers to support events and be part of the community.
November: Tim Poole is on the Board of Celebrating Patsy Cline and has written two cookbooks for sale as fundraisers for the Patsy Cline house. Prior to joining the Board, Tim was a docent at the Patsy Cline house (which opened to the public in 2011). Tim described the importance of Patsy Cline in his life as “the person with the biggest influence on his life who he’s never met.” Likewise, Tracie Dillon was influenced by Patsy's music and started the Always Patsy Cline fan club in 1987. Volunteers are needed as docents at the Patsy Cline Historic House. The docents tell the story of Patsy Cline along with the history of our area.
Tim and Tracie are co-authors of Patsified! (to be released in September 2025) in which Patsy’s fans honor her memory through their personal recollections and stories of how Patsy’s life and music have influenced their lives. The proceeds from the book will be contributed to a new scholarship fund that is being established by the Patsy Cline Estate in memory of Patsy’s mother, Hilda Hensley.