The Family Homelessness Crisis Playing Out in Winchester Motels

family promise winchester

Family homelessness in Winchester and across the Northern Shenandoah Valley is growing faster than most of us realize.

Family Promise Winchester, the only local nonprofit serving families with minor children experiencing housing instability in Winchester, Frederick, Clarke, and Warren counties, is receiving more than 100 assistance requests a month — more than double what they received a year ago. The vast majority of the families they serve are working, often at two or three jobs. Most are part of what researchers now call the ALICE population: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. They are the families most Winchester businesses depend on. And they are increasingly ending up, when they lose their homes, in the same place: a residence motel.

On a recent episode of The Valley Today podcast, host Janet Michael sat down with Family Promise Winchester Executive Director Chris Brigante for a candid conversation – click here to listen – about what “living in a motel” actually looks like day-to-day for a working family in crisis. What follows is drawn from that conversation. It is worth understanding — because most of us, even the informed among us, have never really thought this through.

What Eviction Looks Like for a Working Family

Consider a family of four in Winchester.

Mom works two part-time jobs. Dad works a factory shift. Their older child is in elementary school. Their younger child is a toddler in daycare because both parents have to be somewhere. This is not a family in obvious crisis. This is a family whose finances are stretched tight — an ordinary reality for working families across the Northern Shenandoah Valley.

Then a car breaks down. Or a medical bill lands. Or a stretch of weeks arrives where the utility bill, the food bill, and the rent all come due in the wrong order.

Fourteen days after a formal notice, the family is being evicted.

They still owe the back rent, of course. Eviction doesn’t erase what was owed — it just means you can no longer stay. As Chris Brigante puts it, it’s like totaling your car and still making payments on the loan. And there is no cushion left to spend on a security deposit and first month’s rent somewhere new.

So the family ends up in a Winchester residence motel. And this is where the hidden cost of family homelessness in the Northern Shenandoah Valley really begins to compound.

The Cost of Family Homelessness: Why a Motel Costs More Than Rent

The first surprise is the math itself.

A family of four in a single residence motel room in the Winchester area pays somewhere between $1,800 and $2,000 a month. That is more than the rent on the apartment they just lost.

If the family has three children — pushing them past the four-person occupancy limit most motels enforce — the bill nearly doubles to around $4,000 a month for two rooms. Some Winchester motels charge extra for toilet paper. There is no kitchen. There may be a microwave. There is not a refrigerator you can rely on, a freezer, a stove, or cabinet space to store the ingredients for a family meal.

Which means every meal is a restaurant meal. Every single one.

If the family no longer has a car — a common consequence of eviction — every trip to a Winchester grocery store becomes a ride-share fare. Every grocery delivery adds a service fee. Laundry means a laundromat, plus transportation to get there. Any furniture they owned is now in a storage unit, and if they can’t keep paying the storage bill, they lose all of it.

“Did you know that being homeless is really expensive?” one Family Promise Winchester client told Chris recently. It’s a good question, and most of us don’t know the answer.

The Rule Nobody Tells You About: The 21-Day Cycle-Out

Here is one of the least-known but most damaging details of motel-based family homelessness in Virginia.

Motels are legally required, in many cases, to cycle guests out before they can be considered tenants. Which means that even if a family in Winchester is paying every week, every three weeks or so, they have to pack up every single thing they own and move — to a different room, or to a different motel entirely.

Every 21 days. Every three weeks.

For an elementary schooler, that’s every 21 days that the quiet homework spot changes.

For a working parent trying to hold onto a new job, that’s every 21 days when one full day off gets consumed by packing, transporting, and unpacking a household.

For a toddler, that’s every 21 days when everything changes.

Recent research on child development and homelessness is clear on this point: it is not the homelessness itself that damages children the most. It is the known instability. A child understands that this is not permanent and not safe. What they lack is enough context to make sense of it.

They can’t do their homework at a kitchen table because there isn’t one. They can’t invite a friend to their motel. They can’t answer honestly when a classmate asks where they live. And they can hear, through walls that are essentially cardboard, everything happening in the rooms on either side of them.

The Scarlet Letter of an Eviction Record

Now consider the parents.

Both are still working — that hasn’t changed. Mom is still doing her two part-time jobs. Dad is still at the factory. They are trying to hold everything together.

But there are now new logistical problems that most of us take for granted. The motel doesn’t provide an address that can go on a job application, a driver’s license renewal, or a utility account. Horizon Goodwill in Winchester offers mailing addresses to individuals experiencing homelessness — a genuinely useful local service — but you still can’t put a motel on most job applications, and you still need a power bill in your name to establish residency somewhere new.

And when the family finally tries to leave the motel and move into a real apartment, a new problem appears.

The eviction from a year ago is now on their record. Landlords across Winchester and Frederick County increasingly require a double security deposit for anyone with an eviction on file. Some require third-party rental guarantee apps that cost tenants money every month for the privilege of being trusted. Some just say no.

Meanwhile, affordable housing in Winchester has continued to disappear. A two-bedroom apartment in the area currently runs $1,400 to $1,500. Income-controlled housing is around $1,200. A three-bedroom pushes $1,700 to $1,900. And Virginia has no cap on rent increases between leases — meaning even if a family signs a lease they can afford today, there is no guarantee they can afford it in twelve months.

Add on top of all of this: shame.

Chris named it explicitly in the conversation. Shame is one of the biggest barriers to a family getting themselves out of the motel. In prolonged crisis, executive function narrows. Families react to the emergency in front of them. Their capacity to plan a long-term way out shrinks precisely when they need it most.

The Math That Works: How Family Promise Winchester Breaks the Cycle

Here is the twist in the story, and it’s the reason Family Promise Winchester exists.

Family Promise Winchester can, in most cases, move this same working family out of the motel and into stable, permanent housing for about $500 per child in direct assistance. The historical cap on a full move-in package is around $1,500 per family.

That is: about two months of what the family is currently paying for their motel room.

Family Promise vets the family, provides financial counseling, connects them with a case manager, helps them apply for the apartment, covers the security deposit and first month’s rent, and stays involved for 90 days after move-in — and reachable well beyond that.

Of the first 73 Winchester-area families they have moved into housing, 71 are still stably housed. That is a 97% retention rate — genuinely uncommon in this kind of work.

“We can’t case manage our way out of first month’s rent,” Brigante said on the episode. A case manager can help a family with paperwork, planning, and connections. What a case manager cannot do is come up with the $1,500 that lets a family sign a lease. That gap is the difference between staying in the motel indefinitely and getting out. And that gap, for about $500 per child, Family Promise can close.

The math, in other words, works. It works dramatically better than the alternative — for the family, and for the community.

How to Help Fight Family Homelessness in Winchester

Family Promise Winchester is not government-funded. Every move-in package, every case manager, every follow-up call is powered by individual donors, local faith communities, and grants.

Chris Brigante made two specific asks on The Valley Today.

To donors: recurring monthly giving is what allows Family Promise Winchester to plan. Not one-time gifts (though those help too). A monthly commitment, even a small one, lets Chris and his team know how many families they can commit to housing next quarter. That is the difference between reactive and proactive support for family homelessness in the Northern Shenandoah Valley.

To landlords: Chris explicitly invited any Winchester-area property owner who has been hesitant to work with a family coming through Family Promise to just call him. The families Family Promise brings are vetted, financially counseled, and have invested their own savings. Family Promise stays involved for 90-plus days after move-in. If something goes wrong, the landlord calls Family Promise, and they show up.

Break the cycle for one working family, and every downstream cost — health, education, employment, the next generation’s prospects — changes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Family Promise Winchester

How does Family Promise Winchester help families experiencing homelessness? Family Promise Winchester provides case management, financial counseling, scattered-site emergency shelter, and direct assistance (first month’s rent, security deposits) to families with minor children experiencing housing instability. Most families are working; most simply need help closing the $1,500 gap to sign a new lease.

What areas does Family Promise Winchester serve? Family Promise Winchester serves Winchester, Frederick County, Clarke County, and Warren County. Shenandoah County is served by a separate Family Promise chapter.

How much does it cost to help a family into stable housing? Family Promise Winchester provides an average of about $500 per child in direct assistance to move a family into stable housing. Total move-in package caps are around $1,500 per family. Of the first 73 families served, 71 remain stably housed.

Who is affected by family homelessness in Winchester? The vast majority of families served by Family Promise Winchester — nearly 99% — are gainfully employed. Most are part of the ALICE population (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) — working families who cannot piece together first month’s rent and a security deposit at the same time after a financial shock.

How can I help Family Promise Winchester? Donate at familypromisewinchester.org, especially through recurring monthly giving. Landlords can partner with Family Promise to house vetted families. Anyone can donate clothing to Winchester CCAP, where Family Promise sources outfits for families weekly.

Listen to the Full Conversation on The Valley Today

The full episode, “The Hidden Cost of Homelessness: Living Day-to-Day in a Motel,” is available now on The Valley Today with Janet Michael. This is the second of two episodes with Chris Brigante of Family Promise Winchester — the first covers the broader economics of family homelessness in the Northern Shenandoah Valley.

Both episodes are worth thirty minutes of your time.

🎧 Listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

How to Reach Family Promise Winchester

Address: 131 South Cameron Street, Winchester, VA 22601 Phone: (540) 323-8038 Website: familypromisewinchester.org Service Area: Winchester, Frederick County, Clarke County, and Warren County, Virginia

Family Promise Winchester is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible.

Inside a Day with the Region’s Future Leaders

2026 Arising Leader Ship Program

Sixteen rising high-school juniors and seniors from across the region spent a day at The River 95.3 as part of the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber’s Arising Leadership Program — and walked out with elevator pitches, station tours, and a whole new sense of what’s possible in their own backyard.

The first surprise wasn’t the equipment. It wasn’t the satellites beaming music from Texas. It wasn’t even the fact that doing a 15-second weather blurb is much harder than it sounds.

The first surprise, for most of the 16 students who walked into The River 95.3 on Monday afternoon, was simply that the station existed at all.

“I honestly didn’t even know we had a radio station in Front Royal,” said Emily Ramirez, a rising senior at Sherando High School. By the end of the afternoon, she was already planning her debut: “I’m gonna be like, ‘Guys, I was on the radio.'”

She wasn’t alone. The same admission came up again and again as the students rotated through the studio — from Kimberly Andrade at John Handley, from Amoni Hill at James Wood, from Brennan Carter at Millbrook. Several of them grew up only a few miles away. None of them had ever been inside.

That’s exactly the gap the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber‘s Arising Leadership Program is built to close.

A week and a half of careers they didn’t know existed

Now in its latest cohort, the Arising Leadership Program brings rising juniors and seniors from John Handley, Millbrook, Sherando, Clarke County, and James Wood together for a week and a half of immersive career exposure. Over the course of the program, students rotate through industries that span the region — radio, aviation, healthcare, law, criminal justice, hospitality, culinary, agriculture, and more — getting hands-on time with professionals doing the work every day.

“You can’t be it if you can’t see it,” said program director Missy Spielman, who guided the group through their day at the station. “We want to expose them to some of the things that are out there, especially right in their own backyard. There are so many wonderful opportunities for these students in this region — they just may not know they exist.”

Monday’s stop was The River 95.3, where the students spent the afternoon split into rotating groups across the station’s departments. Sports Director Ryan Rutherford walked them through how he assembles a local sports broadcast and what goes into selling radio. Operations Manager Lonnie Hill took them through the technical side — the equipment, the satellites, the playlist building. (Some of the music that aired the following day was selected by the students themselves.) Business Manager Kathy Willis explained the side of the industry most people never see: how a radio station actually pays its bills.

And host Janet Michael brought them, two and three at a time, into the studio to talk on air about what they hoped to get out of the program and what they were finding surprising about radio. Click here to listen to the conversation on The Valley Today.

“It’s a lot bigger than what I thought”

The misconceptions came out quickly.

“I thought it was just like a little, tiny office, and you just have like a little microphone and you’re just speaking into it,” Kimberly said, gesturing around at the multi-studio setup. “But it’s actually way bigger than I thought.”

Tiffany Yau, a rising senior at Millbrook, said the day completely reframed her sense of what radio actually is: “I didn’t realize there were so many different levels to this career.”

For Sierra Chastain, a rising junior at Clarke County, the eye-opener was the planning. “It’s been interesting learning all the planning that goes behind this — especially talking with Ryan about all the planning he has to do for the football games and basketball games.”

For Brennan Carter, the surprise was a piece of infrastructure he hadn’t thought twice about before: “Just the way that the satellites worked — like, how the music that comes through, it’s from Texas. I thought that was interesting.”

And for Noah Mandel, the lesson came from trying his hand at the booth itself. “A lot harder than what it seemed. I was over there trying to practice with Lonnie, and it was a lot harder than what I thought.”

Where they think they’re headed

The class isn’t short on ambition — or specificity.

Amoni Hill wants to be an anesthesiologist. Sierra Chastain wants to be a dentist (the host campaigned for “DJ” instead — unsuccessfully). Cole Stockli, a rising senior at Millbrook, is drawn to both medical and culinary careers. Tiffany Yau is weighing engineering against medical sciences. Jack Bruns is thinking business analytics. Noah Mandel wants to combine sports with medicine through physical therapy.

And then there’s Nyomi Coates, a rising senior at Sherando, whose career aspiration may be the most twenty-first-century answer in the bunch: she wants to be an architect — because of Minecraft.

“My friend was like, ‘You should be an architect,'” she explained. “At first I thought he was joking. But then I really looked into how much I actually like different architecture from all around the world, and it really made me want to be able to do that for different towns or cities or even other countries.”

Janet’s response captured the spirit of the day. “Careers come from the strangest places. That’s not the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Returning by choice

Not everyone in the room was new. Lucy Gluszak, a 12th grader at John Handley, went through the program last year — and liked it enough that she asked her work-based learning coach to set up an internship for her at the Winchester Regional Airport, one of the program’s host sites.

“I loved the program so much. I made really good friends,” she said. “And I loved it so much that I asked my work-based learning coach if she could set up an internship with them.”

Her favorite stop, she said with a grin, was the same one she was visiting again: the radio station.

Skills that travel

The career exposure is only half of what the program is teaching. Earlier in the day, before the students arrived at the station, they’d worked on developing their elevator pitches — a short, polished introduction that captures who they are and what they’re interested in.

For Owen Parker, a rising senior at Millbrook, that was a standout moment: “Working on the elevator pitch was nice, because that’s something I wouldn’t think about doing.” For Cole Stockli, the lesson was about something quieter but more fundamental: “There’s a big focus on communication, especially when you’re working with other people. You need to know how to communicate, or else it’s going to kind of crash and burn.”

Christiana Ekoue, a rising senior at John Handley, said the part of the day that stayed with her was something she’d heard from Kathy Willis: that listeners tune out when they hear the same voice for too many times in a row — which is why programmers stagger different voices, alternating higher and lower pitches, male and female.

“I thought that was really interesting,” she said. “And another thing that was really fun was Ryan talking about the sports marketing — all the planning and preparation that goes into just getting the highlights about sports events.”

These are not throwaway lessons. They’re communication skills, planning skills, attention to audience — the kind of skills that travel from one career to the next, whether the student ends up as a leader in a studio, an operating room, a courtroom, or a kitchen.

A different kind of network

For Spielman, the most striking moment came on orientation night, before the rotations even began.

“This group was very quiet and a little reserved at first,” she said. “Maybe that’s because their parents were still in the room. But when their parents took a little tour of the airport and were signing off on documents in the lobby, and it was just the students in the room, we started practicing — how do you do an introduction, how do you shake hands, let’s go meet one another — and they just opened up.”

What she watched next, she said, was a kind of network forming in real time. Students from rival schools introducing themselves. Phone numbers being swapped. No hanging back, no judgment about which jersey anyone wore on Friday nights.

It’s a generational shift that Janet noted, too. “We come from an era where there was only James Wood and Handley. There were no other schools. And I think the kids now — because there’s Millbrook and Sherando — it’s not as big of a deal. They’re much more open to talking to each other.”

Spielman pointed out the practical advantage: “Because of technology, sometimes we tend to see the negatives, but there are positives. When we did programs like this, we didn’t have cell phones to stay connected after it was over. These young people are meeting one another, swapping numbers, staying connected. And really, that’s what we do at the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber — that’s networking. So these students are learning to network at a very early stage, and in a very authentic way.”

Hiring, by the way

Janet wrapped up the day with what might have been the most informal job pitch the station has ever delivered.

The River 95.3 is hiring part-timers and interns. Several students were openly intrigued. Andrea Rojas, a rising senior at John Handley, was asked if she’d consider radio as a career path.

“Maybe. I don’t know. I’m open to it,” she said.

“We’re looking for interns and part-time people,” Janet replied, then looked at Spielman with a grin. “So I’m thinking half this class can leave here with a job today.”

The future, on the air

By the time the last group rotated out of the studio, the running joke of the day had become its truest statement.

“I think it’s safe to say,” Janet told her listeners as she signed off, “that at least where these students are concerned, our future workforce is bright.”

LISTEN: The full episode of The Valley Today with the Arising Leadership Program is available at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

LEARN MORE: Information about the Arising Leadership Program and the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber is available at regionalchamber.biz.

SIDEBAR — Meet the Class

The Arising Leadership Program participants featured on this episode of The Valley Today:

Clarke County High School Sam Donohue, rising junior; Sierra Chastain, rising junior

John Handley High School Lucy Gluszak, 12th grade (returning intern); Kimberly Andrade, rising 11th grader; Hudson Slaughter, rising 11th grader; Christiana Ekoue, rising senior; Andrea Rojas, rising senior

James Wood High School Amoni Hill, rising senior

Millbrook High School Owen Parker, rising senior; Cole Stockli, rising senior; Tiffany Yau, rising senior; Brennan Carter, rising senior

Sherando High School Emily Ramirez, rising senior; Nyomi Coates, rising senior; Noah Mandel, rising junior; Jack Bruns, rising junior

 

Breaking the Poverty Cycle: Winchester CCAP’s THRIVE Project

CCAP THRIVE poverty pod
From Band-Aids to Breakthroughs

For more than 50 years, Winchester CCAP has been a lifeline for struggling families in the Shenandoah Valley. Founded in 1974, the organization built its mission around a simple but powerful idea: it is far cheaper to prevent homelessness than to try to fix it. Through a food pantry, clothing ministry, and targeted financial aid, CCAP has helped thousands of families survive that brutal fourth week of the month when the bills don’t stop but the money does.

But Andrea Cosans, Winchester CCAP’s passionate Executive Director, wants more. “CCAP is what I would call a band-aid or a crisis program,” she tells host Janet Michael during a recent episode of The Valley Today. “There is certainly a need for that, but why not take it that extra level and get people out of the cycle of crisis?” That question sparked something remarkable. Click here to listen.

A Small Experiment With Big Results

About three years ago, Cosans teamed up with a therapist and a life coach from Legacy Wellness after they attended a conference and secured a modest $1,000 grant. Together, they launched a pilot self-sufficiency program with just five clients, pairing them with mental health support and life coaching to address the trauma, decision-making patterns, and structural barriers that keep people trapped in poverty.

The results were stunning. Three of the five participants thrived completely. One landed a job at Valley Health and never looked back. Another — a man who had previously spent his days cycling in and out of Winchester CCAP — got his mental health needs addressed, found steady work, and hasn’t needed CCAP’s services in two years. A third, a woman who described herself as “stuck,” found her footing and now works at Great Meadows, where she proudly won the Park Ranger Wheelbarrow Olympics. “You know, I was in a place that got stuck, and I couldn’t see my way out of getting stuck, and this program helped me get unstuck,” she told Cosans.

Encouraged by those outcomes, Cosans ran the program again with 10 clients. This time, all 10 succeeded — including a single father with no job and no idea how to pursue his dream of going back to college. Today, he’s enrolled and thriving.

The Thrive Project: Thinking Bigger

Armed with two years of remarkable data and an unshakeable belief in the program’s potential, Cosans did what great community leaders do — she brought people together. The result is the Thrive Project, a fully collaborative, grant-funded initiative backed by $112,000 from the Valley Health Foundation and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Rather than operating as a single-agency effort, the Thrive Project unites five additional organizations — Connected Communities, I’m Just ME, United Way NSV, Horizon Goodwill, and Family Promise — each contributing something unique and essential. Clients receive case management, therapeutic services, life coaching and mentoring, financial literacy classes, and access to Goodwill’s intensive week-long job training program, “Get on Board.”

Most impressively, the program doesn’t just check in for a year and call it done. Participants are followed for two full years after enrollment to track housing stability, financial health, and overall life outcomes. “It’s very easy to be successful in a program when you’re still in the program,” Janet observes. “That second year is really the true test.”

The Whole Person Approach

What sets the Thrive Project apart is its insistence on treating clients as whole people, not collections of problems. Cosans and her partners recognize that poverty rarely has a single cause. Substance abuse, domestic violence, lack of childcare, no access to education, generational financial illiteracy — these issues don’t exist in isolation, and they can’t be solved in isolation either.

“Everybody needs support,” Cosans says plainly. “I think that’s really the difference between a person who succeeds and a person who fails.”

The program’s life coaching component, in particular, gives clients what Cosans calls “room to dream” — structured, individualized sessions designed to help people set goals, map out the steps to achieve them, and envision a future that looks different from the one they’ve always known. For many participants, that kind of forward-thinking guidance is entirely new territory. Furthermore, the financial literacy component tackles deeply ingrained habits head-on. As Cosans notes, many clients think, “Great, my bills are paid — I can buy those $150 shoes,” without considering that bills come due again next month too. Breaking that cycle requires education, not judgment.

Collaboration Is the Point

Beyond the Thrive Project itself, the conversation shines a light on something the Winchester nonprofit community has quietly been doing for years: working together. Despite persistent narratives that nonprofits duplicate services and compete for territory, Cosans pushes back firmly.

“We do collaborate,” she says. “What we don’t do is toot our own horn.”

From carefully coordinated food pantry schedules — where Highland serves Tuesdays so CCAP can restock, and Hope Again picks up at 1:00 where CCAP leaves off — to a $50,000 United Way grant that pushed 50,000 pounds of produce as far south as Edinburg and north into Frederick County, the evidence of genuine partnership is everywhere. Cosans also points to the newly formed Nonprofit Collaborative, a group that spent 15 intentional months preparing to advocate for the sector, especially in the face of federal funding cuts that threaten to eliminate services entire communities depend on.

“When the nonprofit dies, the people who get served by the nonprofit don’t go away,” Cosans warns. It’s a sobering reminder that the stakes extend far beyond any single organization.

What Comes Next

Looking ahead, Cosans plans to pursue SAMHSA federal grants to make the Thrive Project a permanent fixture in the community — and potentially a replicable model for similarly sized cities across the country. “I could see a point where we could do that,” Michael says encouragingly. “There are a lot of communities the size of ours facing the same issues.”

In the meantime, Winchester CCAP continues to fund its core services through community support, including its popular Sixth Annual Benefit Bike Ride on August 22nd at the Wellness Center, 105 Campus Boulevard, and a joint fundraiser with New Eve Maternity Home, An Evening of Enchantment, on June 18th — featuring a silent auction, live auction, and entertainment by Magician Vic. Janet will serve as emcee. For tickets, registration, and more information, visit CCAPWinchester.org.

Listen to the Full Conversation

This is the kind of story that reminds you what community is supposed to look like. To hear Andrea and Janet discuss the Thrive Project in full — including the inspiring individual success stories, the nuts and bolts of how the partnership came together, and what it really takes to help people build a better life — click here to listen to the full episode of The Valley Today. 

Feeling the Wind Again: How Winchester Is Pedaling Into the Cycling Without Age Movement

cycling without age POD

Sometimes the best ideas arrive quietly — through a YouTube video late at night, or a keynote speaker at a conference in Norfolk. For a small but passionate group of Winchester locals, one such idea has grown into a full-fledged movement that is already bringing joy, connection, and fresh air to seniors across the Shenandoah Valley.

In a recent episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael sits down with three of the people making it happen. Click here to listen.

A Global Idea Finds a Local Champion

Steve Policastro first encountered Cycling Without Age in 2023 through a YouTube video, and the concept stopped him in his tracks. Founded in 2012 by Ole Kassow in Copenhagen, Denmark, the nonprofit organization operates on a beautifully simple premise: volunteers pilot specially designed three-wheeled electric bicycles — called trishaws — while seniors ride along as passengers, free to enjoy the scenery, feel the breeze, and chat with whoever is beside them.

“As soon as I saw it, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” Steve tells Janet. “I didn’t know how I was going to do it or when it would happen, but it really touched me.”

For nearly two years, Steve talks about Cycling Without Age to anyone who would listen. Then, through a fortunate connection, he meets Teresa Barton, Wellness Manager at Shenandoah Valley Westminster Canterbury — and everything clicks into place.

The Perfect Partnership

Meanwhile, Jeannie Shiley, President and CEO of Westminster Canterbury, had already caught the Cycling Without Age bug herself. At the Leading Age Virginia conference in Norfolk, she and her team watch a film about the program — and were moved to tears. Before the keynote was even over, her team was already talking about getting not one, but two trishaws.

“We were super, super excited,” Jeannie recalls. When Teresa later connects with Steve, Jeannie immediately recognizes the alignment. “We were trying to get it off the ground here at Westminster Canterbury. Steve’s trying to get a chapter here in Winchester. It was just perfect timing for both sides.”

Westminster Canterbury’s foundation swiftly agrees to fund the community’s first trishaw. Unlike many chapters around the country that spend years fundraising just to get started, Winchester’s chapter has its bike within months of that first meeting — a fact that still amazes Steve.

Built on Five Principles

Cycling Without Age is far more than a feel-good activity. As Steve explains, the organization’s global network of over 3,500 chapters — spanning more than 40 countries and six thousand bikes — is united by five core principles that guide every ride.

Generosity sits at the foundation. Every ride is free, every pilot is a volunteer, and established chapters actively help new ones get started. Slowness is equally essential — these rides are deliberately unhurried, designed to let passengers absorb their surroundings and strike up conversations along the way. Storytelling encourages pilots to draw out memories and life experiences from the people they carry. Relationships naturally follow, as bonds form between volunteers and riders. And finally, without age captures the spirit of the entire endeavor: aging is universal, but it doesn’t mean stopping.

Rolling Out in Winchester

Winchester’s chapter officially launched in style — literally. The community’s new trishaw made its public debut in the Apple Blossom Parade, banner and residents in tow, generating excitement across the city before a single scheduled ride had taken place.

Shortly after, Westminster Canterbury holds its official on-campus launch. The weather was drizzly, but that didn’t stop eight residents from climbing aboard for rides through the campus grounds, which include the main building, cottages, and surrounding villas. The smiles, according to everyone present, said it all.

“One resident walked out and looked at it and says, ‘I’m not sure I can pedal that thing,'” Jeannie laughs. “And I said, ‘The good news is — you don’t have to.'”

For now, rides take place on weekends in two-hour blocks, offered in 15-to-20-minute increments so that multiple residents can participate each session. As the program grows, the team plans to expand beyond campus — eventually taking riders to Winchester’s downtown walking mall, museum trails, and other beloved local destinations.

A Community Invitation

The vision, however, extends well beyond Westminster Canterbury’s gates. Steve envisions trishaws carrying passengers at Jim Barnett Park, outside Winchester House, and throughout the city’s growing network of bike-friendly streets. To make that happen, he is actively fundraising for a second trishaw through Cycling Without Age Winchester, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

The chapter currently has 15 trained pilots — drawn largely from BikeWalk Winchester and the Winchester Wheelmen — but is always looking for more. Importantly, you don’t need to be an athlete to participate. If you can ride a bike, you can be a pilot.

“It’s about making people happy,” Steve says simply. “And I can’t think of anything better to make them happy than a bike ride.”

Get Involved

Whether you want to volunteer as a pilot, contribute to the second trishaw fund, or simply spread the word, there are plenty of ways to support Cycling Without Age Winchester.

And to hear the full, heartwarming conversation with Steve, Jeannie, and Teresa — including what it actually feels like to glide through the streets in a trishaw — listen to the complete episode of The Valley Today here: https://thevalleytodaypodcast.com/cycling-without-age-bringing-winchester-along-for-the-ride

It just might inspire you to take a ride.

The Road Ahead: VDOT’s Bold Plan to Transform I-81 Through the Shenandoah Valley

If you’ve driving Interstate 81 through Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley lately, you’ll likely notice the orange cones, the shifted lanes, and the slow crawl through construction zones. But what exactly is happening out there — and more importantly, what’s coming next? To find out, The Valley Today host Janet Michael sits down with Ken Slack, Communications Specialist for VDOT’s Staunton District, for a candid conversation about one of the most ambitious infrastructure programs in the state’s history. Click here to listen to the full conversation.

A Project 324 Miles in the Making

The numbers alone are enough to make your head spin. VDOT is currently executing 65 separate capital improvement projects along a single 324-mile stretch of I-81 — and the Shenandoah Valley sits squarely in the middle of it all. Right now, active construction zones operate simultaneously in Staunton, Harrisonburg, Weyers Cave, and Strasburg. That’s four major work zones within roughly 75 miles of highway.

“It’s gonna affect a lot of people over many years,” Slack acknowledges during the conversation. But far from being overwhelmed by the scope, VDOT is approaching the program with surgical precision — carefully sequencing each project to minimize disruption while keeping traffic flowing on one of the East Coast’s most heavily traveled corridors.

Strasburg: Progress at 40% — With More to Come

The most visible project in the Valley right now is the I-81 widening at Strasburg, and Slack reports that the work is moving steadily forward. Crews have already poured the deck for the first new section of the bridge over Cedar Creek, and the project sits at roughly 40% completion. By around August, VDOT plans to shift traffic toward the median, allowing contractors to tackle the next phase of bridge work on the outside lanes.

So why does it take so long? As Slack explains, bridge replacements — not road widening — drive the timeline. “Widening the actual roadway is not as complicated as replacing a bridge,” he says. “We do these bridge projects in stages so that we can keep traffic moving.” Two bridges are currently in play at Strasburg: a full replacement of the southbound span over Cedar Creek and a widening of the southbound bridge over the CSX railway about a mile further south.

Winchester’s Millwood Bridge: A Massive Undertaking

As significant as the Strasburg work is, it may be overshadowed by what’s coming at Exit 313 in Winchester. The I-81 bridge at Millwood Avenue — which carries Routes 50, 17, and 522 and sees tens of thousands of vehicles daily — is due for a complete overhaul. VDOT plans to replace the existing seven-lane structure with a new nine-lane bridge, building it just to the north of the current span before shifting traffic over.

The surrounding improvements are equally ambitious. Turn lanes, auxiliary lanes, and pedestrian accommodations will reshape the roadway on both the city and county sides of the interchange. “It’s a very complicated project no matter what,” Slack says plainly. For drivers who rely on that corridor daily, his advice is clear: start paying attention now, because the changes — and the disruptions — will be significant.

Exit 317: A New Kind of Interchange

Meanwhile, just a few miles to the north, VDOT is preparing to fundamentally redesign Exit 317 at Martinsburg Pike. The plan calls for a diverging diamond interchange — a relatively new design that improves traffic flow by temporarily routing drivers to the opposite side of the road as they cross the overpass. It’s a concept that may sound counterintuitive but has proven highly effective at reducing congestion and improving safety.

“It’s a completely different kind of interchange,” Slack says. “We don’t have any on 81 in this part of Virginia.” To make room for the new design, VDOT is already relocating Redbud Road — a necessary first step before the northbound off-ramp can be repositioned. All of this work, including the widening of I-81 from mile markers 317 to 319, will be bundled under a single design-build contract.

A public meeting is scheduled for June 23, 2026, and Slack encourages anyone with an interest in the project to attend. Want to hear more about what to expect at these meetings? Listen to the full conversation at https://thevalleytodaypodcast.com/vdot-road-report-planning-public-input-and-progress 

Why Public Input Actually Matters

Speaking of public meetings, Slack is quick to push back on a common perception: that by the time VDOT holds a meeting, the decisions have already been made. Not so, he insists. “There are some things that all of the traffic studies in the world and all of the detailed engineering analysis may not be able to tell you,” he said.

Local knowledge — school bus patterns, seasonal surges, quirks in the way people actually use the roads — can shape design decisions in ways that data simply can’t capture. VDOT structures its public meetings to be as accessible as possible: no podiums, no formal testimony, just open-house style sessions with engineers, display boards, and one-on-one conversations. For those who can’t attend in person, an online survey runs simultaneously, allowing anyone to weigh in from home.

Oranda Park and Ride: A Small Project With Big Impact

Not every improvement on VDOT’s list involves a billion-dollar interchange. Near Strasburg at Exit 298, the agency is preparing to nearly triple the size of the Oranda Park and Ride — expanding from roughly 43 spaces to approximately 130. The upgraded facility will feature full paving, improved lighting, curbing, and a new crosswalk across Oranda Road.

Construction should begin this summer, and Slack is quick to reassure local commuters: the work won’t impact traffic on Route 11 or I-81. It’s the kind of unglamorous but genuinely useful improvement that often flies under the radar — until, suddenly, you need a parking spot.

The Bigger Picture

Ultimately, what makes this conversation so compelling isn’t any single project — it’s the sheer scale and complexity of coordinating all of them at once. Contractor sequencing, design-build partnerships, community outreach, resource allocation — every piece has to fit together for the program to succeed. And through it all, Slack keeps coming back to one theme: communication.

“Folks are sometimes a little more understanding about the delays and congestion on these projects if they understand what we’re doing and why we’re doing it,” he says. It’s a simple idea, but in a region where I-81 is a lifeline for commuters, businesses, and travelers alike, it makes all the difference.

To hear the full conversation with Ken Slack — including details on the diverging diamond interchange, how VDOT selects contractors, and what to expect at the upcoming public meeting — click here to listen to this episode of The Valley Today.

Stay up to date on all I-81 projects at *improve81.org or by searching “VDOT projects” online.*

Getting Your Hands Dirty: How Frederick County Is Falling Back in Love with Its Farmers

Love Your Farmer POD
A Community Reconnects with Its Roots

Something powerful is growing in Frederick County — and it has nothing to do with the weather.

On a recent episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael gathers three of the region’s most passionate agricultural advocates for a conversation that was equal parts inspiring and eye-opening. Sam Armel, founder of Frederick County Homesteaders, joins Jaclyn Mommen of Laurel Grove Wine Farm and Patti’s Place, and Kristin Tesdall of Five Roots Farm to talk about a brand-new community initiative: Love Your Farmer Week, June 14–20. Click here to listen.

The event invites volunteers of all ages and abilities to roll up their sleeves and work alongside local farmers — and the timing, the women agree, couldn’t be more critical.

What Love Your Farmer Week Actually Looks Like

Rather than simply asking the community to shop local, Frederick County Homesteaders is asking people to show up.

“We thought, what could we do to really celebrate agriculture?” Sam explains during the podcast. “You can’t complain when a farm goes for sale if you’re not supporting the farmer.”

Through two simple Google forms — one for farms, one for volunteers — the organization makes it easy for families, church groups, 4H chapters, FFA members, homeschool co-ops, and civic organizations to sign up for time slots throughout the week. Organizers have even broken down participation by age range and mobility level, ensuring that everyone, regardless of physical ability, can find a meaningful way to contribute.

Currently, five farms have signed up to participate. Volunteer spots are still open, and farms can register through June 5th at frederickcountyhomesteaders.com.

A Day in the Life — It’s Not What You Think

One of the most compelling moments in the episode comes when Janet asks Jaclyn to describe a typical day on the farm. Her answer stops you in your tracks.

“Yesterday morning, I went to the farm market, harvested scapes, worked on the schedule, went to the vineyard, pruned vines for about five hours,” Jaclyn recounts. “Then after I put my kids to bed, I went to the vineyard and put down organic calcium biological from 9:30 to 1:30 in the morning. Then we woke up at 6:00 AM to go to field day.”

Meanwhile, over at Five Roots Farm, Kristin Tesdall describes a morning that began before dawn when she thought a lamb had escaped — only to discover it was simply “screaming for no reason.” The day before, sheep had gotten out, requiring an early-morning roundup before the rest of the workday even began.

These stories aren’t complaints. They’re simply Thursday.

The Hidden Toll of Farming Nobody Talks About

Beyond the physical demands, the conversation turns to the financial and emotional weight that farmers quietly carry. Late frosts this spring devastated vineyards, peach orchards, and apple orchards across the valley. And yet, as Sam points out, many people assume farmers are protected by crop insurance — a misconception that Janet herself once shared.

“I unknowingly said, ‘Don’t you have crop insurance?'” Janet admits during the episode. “And then he explained to me how that works. It is not like car insurance.”

Furthermore, the numbers paint a sobering picture. The average American farmer is between 58 and 64 years old. Farmland is transferring at a rapid rate. New farmers are not entering the industry fast enough to replace those who are leaving. As Sam puts it plainly, “There’s more of a shot for us to fail than there is for us to succeed.”

From Fleeces to Forested Paths: What Volunteers Will Actually Do

So what does volunteering actually look like during Love Your Farmer Week? Each participating farm brings something different to the table.

At Five Roots Farm, Kristin will lead volunteers through the process of skirting raw wool fleeces — the first step in transforming freshly shorn wool into yarn. It’s hands-on, educational, and open to kids and adults alike. “I hope that people will see the work that goes into some of these products,” Kristin says. “You don’t have to have a big commercial operation. You can do something smaller and still feed your community.”

Over at Patti’s Place, Jaclyn is focused on practical projects that have long been pushed to the back burner: mulching trails, weeding garden beds, and building paths through a forested area so children can explore safely. “If you have an army of people and six wheelbarrows,” she laughs, “that’s actually really quick work.”

Both women emphasize that volunteers won’t just be helping — they’ll be learning. And crucially, if they return to visit the farms later in the season, they’ll get to witness the direct results of their own labor.

Regenerative Farming and the Return to Common Sense

The conversation also ventures into the philosophy behind modern small-farm success. Jaclyn, who farms regeneratively at Laurel Grove Wine Farm, pushes back against the idea that regenerative agriculture is somehow new or trendy.

“People have been growing grapes and making wine for thousands of years before there were any chemicals to do it,” she says. “They just forgot how to do it because they stopped doing it.” She traces the loss of generational farming knowledge back just two generations — a remarkably short window of time in which centuries of wisdom nearly disappeared entirely.

That’s precisely why initiatives like Patti’s Place exist: to normalize the kind of hands-on, knowledge-sharing culture that once passed naturally from grandparent to grandchild.

A Call to Action for the Whole Valley

Ultimately, the episode is a call to action — not just for Love Your Farmer Week, but for a deeper, more sustained commitment to local agriculture.

“We live in a breadbasket community,” Sam reminds listeners. “We have so much more, and we take it for granted.”

The good news? It doesn’t take much to make a difference. Sign up to volunteer for a single afternoon. Visit a farm stand. Buy the peaches, even if they didn’t come from the orchard you usually frequent. Follow these farmers on social media. Show up.

As Sam says, “Instead of being fearful, let’s get solutions-driven.”

How to Get Involved

Want to hear the full conversation?

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday

Is Where You Live Making You Sick?

What does your zip code have to do with your health? More than most people realize. On a recent episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael talks with with Kim Herbstritt, Executive Director of Blue Ridge Habitat for Humanity, to unpack one of the most pressing — and often invisible — issues facing the Northern Shenandoah Valley: the undeniable link between housing and health. Click here to listen.

A Coalition With a Mission

To understand the conversation, it helps to know who is driving it. The Housing Coalition of the Northern Shenandoah Valley was founded around 2018 through a partnership between United Way NSV and Blue Ridge Habitat for Humanity. Its mission is straightforward but ambitious: mobilize the community to address housing challenges across the full spectrum — from homelessness to workforce housing to market-rate homes.

“Housing is health. Housing is education. Housing is economic impact. Housing is workforce,” Herbstritt tells Janet during the interview. “All of those things end up being connected and matter for our families.”

Each year, the Coalition hosts a housing summit that shines a spotlight on a different facet of the housing crisis. This year marks the eighth annual event — and the theme couldn’t be more timely.

This Year’s Focus: Housing Is Health

The 8th Annual NSV Housing Summit, titled Housing is Health: Integrating Land Use, Public Health, and Housing Policies, takes place on Friday, May 29th at Laurel Ridge Community College. The event runs from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM, is completely free, and is open to the public — though registration is required since breakfast and lunch are provided.

Three expert speakers will take the stage to explore the housing-health connection from different angles:

  • Dr. Jenna Krall of George Mason University’s Department of Global and Community Health will present research on environmental exposure, pollution, and their health impacts related to housing conditions.
  • Dr. Antwan Jones of George Washington University will examine how housing stability and urban policies influence cardiovascular outcomes and obesity among marginalized communities.
  • Maria Daugherty, an expert in zoning policy, will explore the powerful role that land use decisions play in shaping — or limiting — a community’s housing options.

The afternoon will feature a panel discussion with all three speakers, giving attendees the opportunity to ask questions and engage directly with the experts.

When a Leaky Roof Becomes a Health Crisis

Beyond the summit’s high-level research, Herbstritt brings the issue close to home by describing the day-to-day reality that Blue Ridge Habitat for Humanity confronts in its home repair program.

Many people associate Habitat for Humanity with building new homes. However, as Janet points out, the organization’s repair work has become equally critical — particularly for seniors and veterans living on fixed incomes who own their homes but cannot afford to maintain them. Habitat currently maintains a waiting list for home repair requests, a sobering indicator of the scale of need.

“A leaking roof that potentially has turned into mold becomes extremely expensive to try and remediate,” Herbstritt explains. For elderly homeowners or disabled veterans, those conditions don’t just create discomfort — they create serious, compounding health risks.

Moreover, the challenges don’t stop with the homeowners themselves. Herbstritt shares a story about a stroke survivor whose wife struggled to help him access medical appointments until Habitat installed a ramp. “It’s not just for the person that needs it,” she says. “It’s for the caregiver, to make their life better.”

The Ripple Effect on the Whole Community

Furthermore, the housing crisis extends well beyond individual families. It reaches into local schools, businesses, and the broader economy. Janet highlights a reality that many in the valley know but rarely connect directly to housing: essential workers — teachers, grocery store clerks, bank tellers — often cannot afford to live in the communities they serve.

As a result, workers commute long distances, spending more money on transportation, arriving to work exhausted, and having less time for healthy meals or family life. “If you’re pressed for time, you’re more likely to go through a drive-through,” Janet notes. “Your mental health isn’t always at its peak.”

Herbstritt adds that families spending 40 to 50 percent of their income on housing have little left over to absorb unexpected expenses — a car breakdown, a medical bill, a home repair — which compounds their vulnerability significantly.

Zoning: The Overlooked Lever

One of the most eye-opening moments in the conversation came during the discussion of zoning. Many residents drive past empty parcels or deteriorating properties and wonder why nothing is being done. The answer, more often than not, lies in local zoning codes — the rules that determine what can be built where.

To that end, Maria Daugherty’s presentation at the summit will address Virginia’s newly completed statewide zoning atlas, which maps zoning designations across the entire state. For policymakers, planning commissioners, and curious residents alike, it promises to be a revealing look at how land use decisions shape — and sometimes constrain — housing solutions.

Looking South: The Shenandoah County Summit

In addition to the May 29th event, a second housing summit is coming to Shenandoah County on Friday, June 5th in Edinburg. Focused on connecting builders, communities, and local lenders, this summit will feature Ryan Price, chief economist from Virginia Realtors, and Mel Jones from the Virginia Center for Housing Research at Virginia Tech, among others.

While the Shenandoah County event has a more rural focus, the takeaways are broadly applicable. As Janet puts it, “It doesn’t mean somebody from Winchester or Frederick County can’t go there and glean information they could apply back home.” Both events are free.

A Community Ready to Act

Ultimately, as Herbstritt and Janet make clear, the purpose of the housing summit is not to dwell in despair — it is to build momentum. By bringing researchers, policymakers, nonprofits, builders, and community members into the same room, the Coalition creates the conditions for real, practical change.

“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time,” Janet says. “So let’s talk about the different bites.”

To hear the full conversation — including personal stories, detailed event information, and Kim Herbstritt’s insights on everything from mobile home mold remediation to veterans’ housing — click here to listen to the full episode of The Valley Today.

Housing is Health: Integrating Land Use, Public Health, and Housing Policy: Friday, May 29, 2026 / 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM 

Laurel Ridge Community College, Corron Community Development Center, 173 Skirmisher Lane, Middletown, VA – Download the flyer here.

Free to attend, registration is required. Registration deadline – Wednesday, May 20th, 2026. Click here to register.

Shenandoah County Housing Solutions Summit: Friday, June 5, 2026 / 8:00 AM – 1:30 PM

500 Shentel Way, Edinburg, VA – Download the flyer here. Free to attend. Click here to register.

Winchester’s Parks Are Having Their Best Summer Yet

Winchester City Parks Director Chris Konyar has a lot to be excited about — and after sitting down with host Janet Michael on a recent episode of The Valley Today, it’s easy to see why. From a stunning new playground to a once-in-a-lifetime drone show, Winchester’s park system is delivering an unforgettable summer for residents of all ages. Click here to listen.

A Playground Worthy of the Hype

First up, Chris takes Janet on a firsthand tour of the brand-new Familyland playground at Jim Barnett Park — and it did not disappoint. Gone is the aging “Children’s Dream” equipment that had long overstayed its welcome. In its place stands a modern, expansive playground featuring one of its most talked-about upgrades: the surfacing.

“It’s like walking on a mattress,” Janet said after stepping onto it herself.

Beyond the cushion-y ground, the new playground sits farther from the parking lot — a direct response to community feedback — and includes standout features like a sensory board and a QR code feedback station. Made possible in part by a generous donation from the JJ Smith family, the playground has already become a regional draw, pulling in school buses from Jefferson County, Loudoun County, and beyond.

Meanwhile, an exciting Abrams Creek restoration project is underway just across the parking lot. Funded by a city grant, the project will reroute the creek, add walking trails, and plant an impressive 4,000 trees to replace those lost to years of erosion. Though still in the early phases, the finished product promises to transform the entire Familyland area.

Neighborhood Parks Get Some Love Too

The upgrades don’t stop at Jim Barnett. Chris explains that Winchester manages more than 15 neighborhood park locations citywide, and his team is working through a priority plan to improve each one. The most recent addition, Patsy Cline Memorial Park, was just turned over to the city. Next on the list is Harvest Ridge in Ward 4, where crews are currently cutting a new walking trail around the soccer field perimeter and installing a playground.

“Any time we can add a few usable amenities to these neighborhood locations, it makes a difference,” Chris says.

Importantly, these parks aren’t just for nearby residents. Whether you want to grab lunch on a green space, walk a trail, or catch a pickup game, Winchester’s neighborhood parks welcome everyone.

A Memorial Day Weekend to Remember

As summer approaches, Winchester Parks is kicking things into high gear starting Memorial Day weekend. The outdoor pool officially opens, and the festivities surrounding it are bigger than ever. The Rotary Club’s Healing Fields of Honor returns to Handley, and Winchester Baseball’s annual Memorial Day Tournament is expected to draw more than 40 teams this year — along with a special 250th anniversary ceremony complete with color guard and national anthem.

Then, on May 30th, the parks department is pulling out all the stops with Splash Bash, a full-day event at the pool. New Aquatics Coordinator Noelle Callas will lead a free health and wellness fair in the morning, followed by an afternoon pool party complete with music, food, and activities open to the public.

The Drone Show You Cannot Miss

Perhaps the most buzzworthy event of the summer, however, is the 250th Anniversary Drone Show — and it’s completely free. On the evening of May 30th, hundreds of drones will light up the sky behind the War Memorial building, creating images that celebrate the history of the United States and Winchester specifically. The show is sponsored by Omps Funeral Home, and in a fitting local twist, former Mayor Larry Omps’ son Paul is the drone operator himself.

“This is new. It’s unique,” Chris says. “I’ve seen it on TV, but I want to see the actual — what it is.”

Chris is careful to note that the drone show does not replace the beloved July 3rd fireworks display, which is fully confirmed. In fact, the city has added a brand-new July 4th event in Old Town as well — more details to come. But for now, he’s urging residents to mark May 30th on their calendars. Simply bring a lawn chair, find a spot, and look up.

Something for Every Age This Summer

Beyond the headline events, Winchester Parks has assembled what may be its most comprehensive summer activity guide to date. Mailed to every city resident and available online at winchesterva.gov/parks, the guide is packed with options for kids and adults alike.

Sports camps cover basketball, soccer, volleyball, wrestling, tennis, and even a brand-new fast-pitch softball camp through Handley. A Girls’ and Boys’ Sport Sampler Camp lets younger kids try multiple sports before committing to one. On the aquatics side, swim lessons remain a cornerstone offering — with Level 1 free for city patrons — alongside a new Junior Lifeguard Camp designed to build the next generation of pool staff, and an Athlete Performance Water Camp geared toward high school athletes looking to cross-train.

Additionally, a new “Park After Dark” series kicks off June 6th with a nighttime Ultimate Frisbee tournament on the turf fields. Monday nights in June bring a free outdoor high school basketball league to the newly upgraded courts, thanks to a contribution from the Wilkins family. And for the youngest residents, Story Time Explorations returns with books, crafts, and themed activities.

As a bonus, early registration discounts — some up to 50% off — are available through mid-May. Popular programs like volleyball and swim lessons sell out, so Chris’s advice is simple: don’t wait.

Plan Your Summer Now

Whether you’re looking for a camp for your kids, a membership at the pool, or just a peaceful place to take a walk, Winchester City Parks has something waiting for you this summer. Follow the department on Facebook, sign up for the monthly newsletter at winchesterva.gov/parks, or dig out that activity guide from the kitchen counter.

And if you want to hear all of the details straight from Parks Director Chris Konyar himself — including his honest excitement about the drone show, the story behind the new playground, and a few laughs along the way — click the link below to listen to the full episode of The Valley Today. It’s the kind of conversation that’ll make you proud to call Winchester home.

👉 [Listen to the full episode here]

When Disaster Strikes, Will Your Community Be Ready?

Deb Fleming doesn’t wait for disasters to happen. As Executive Director of the Greater Shenandoah Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, she spends her days building the kind of community infrastructure that kicks into action the moment everything goes wrong. In a recent conversation on The Valley Today with host Janet Michael, Fleming pulled back the curtain on a quiet but powerful transformation underway across 11 counties in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland — and why it matters to every single resident in the region. Click here to listen.

Rethinking What “Helping” Really Means

For decades, people have associated the Red Cross with two things: blood drives and disaster relief. However, Fleming is quick to point out that the organization’s mission runs much deeper than either of those associations suggests. “We don’t want to come to the community,” Fleming explains. “We want to be part of the community.”

That distinction drives everything the Greater Shenandoah Valley Chapter is doing right now. Rather than positioning itself as an outside organization that swoops in during a crisis, the Red Cross is actively embedding itself into the fabric of local communities — building relationships with nonprofits, civic organizations, government officials, and everyday residents long before an emergency ever strikes.

This approach, known as community mobilization, starts with a simple but powerful question: What does this community actually need? And the answer, as Fleming is quick to note, looks different in every single county.

No Two Communities Are the Same

The Greater Shenandoah Valley Chapter covers a remarkably diverse geographic footprint. From the military-connected neighborhoods of Martinsburg to the rural hollows of Page County to the urban corridors of Winchester and Hagerstown, each community brings its own demographics, income levels, industries, and cultural makeup to the table.

“Every community does need something different,” Fleming says. “Certain communities are really good at mobilizing certain aspects of their community, but need support in other areas.”

As a result, the Red Cross is moving away from a one-size-fits-all model. Instead of spreading resources thin across every county in the same way, the chapter is now asking harder questions: Where is the greatest need? Who is already doing this well? And where can the Red Cross step back and simply support what’s already working?

Taking an Honest Look in the Mirror

Before fixing anything, Fleming and her team are doing something that takes real institutional courage — they’re conducting a maturity matrix, a structured self-assessment that measures the depth of their community partnerships, the inclusivity of their volunteer base, and the effectiveness of their operational strategies.

Importantly, the Red Cross isn’t rushing to fix what it finds. “Don’t try to fix anything yet,” Fleming recalls being told. “We want a realistic, honest answer to where you are.”

This kind of transparency is rare in the nonprofit world. Nevertheless, Fleming sees it as essential. Only by understanding where gaps exist can the organization meaningfully close them — and ultimately serve clients better when disaster arrives.

The Idea That Started Over Coffee

Perhaps the most exciting development to emerge from this community mobilization effort is the Disaster Leadership Academy — and it has an origin story as local as it gets.

Fleming and host Janet Michael were sitting together over coffee when the conversation turned to a gap they both recognized: community leaders, nonprofit staff, elected officials, and emergency managers were all doing important work — but they were largely doing it in silos. When a disaster hit, nobody fully understood what anyone else was supposed to be doing.

“Sometimes they know how to do what they know how to do very, very well,” Michael reflects. “But they don’t think about the other things that have to happen before, during, or after.”

Out of that conversation, a program was born. The Disaster Leadership Academy brings together people from across sectors — nonprofits, local government, elected officials, volunteers, and community members — to learn each other’s roles, build relationships, and develop a shared language around disaster response. The first cohort launches in Washington County, Maryland, with expansion to Winchester and the broader region to follow.

Why It Matters When It’s Happening

The stakes become clear the moment Fleming walks through a real scenario. When a tornado tears through a neighborhood, the immediate instinct for most people is to think about the victims — the families who need shelter, the children who need to be accounted for, the homes that need to be assessed. What most people don’t realize, however, is that there is an entire command structure that has to function correctly before any of that help can flow.

“Egos can get pretty big during a disaster,” Fleming says plainly.

When people don’t know each other, when roles aren’t clear, and when communication breaks down, the people who need help most are the ones who suffer. Furthermore, misinformation spreads rapidly — often through social media — filling the vacuum left by unclear official communication.

The Disaster Leadership Academy directly addresses this problem. By building relationships and clarifying roles before a crisis hits, participants are equipped to respond faster, communicate more clearly, and ultimately reduce the suffering that disasters inevitably bring.

You Can Be Part of the Solution

Beyond the Academy, Fleming is actively recruiting the 37 remaining volunteers the chapter needs to meet its regional deployment goals. Volunteers can sign up at RedCross.org and choose a path that fits their lifestyle — whether that means staying local and supporting their own community or eventually deploying to disaster zones across the country.

And for those who think they only have a few hours to spare? Fleming has a story for that too. One volunteer came to her saying he had exactly five hours a week and no intention of doing more. Today, he leads regional feeding operations and deploys nationally — and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“People really enjoy their experience,” Fleming says. “We have a over 94% happiness score with our volunteers.”

A Community That Takes Care of Itself

Ultimately, the vision Fleming is building toward is one where the Shenandoah Valley doesn’t have to wait for outside help when disaster strikes. Through community mobilization, the Disaster Leadership Academy, and a growing network of deeply connected partners, the goal is a region that knows itself — its strengths, its gaps, its people, and its plan.

That kind of community doesn’t build itself overnight. But as Fleming and Michael’s ongoing conversations make clear, it builds one relationship, one conversation, and one cup of coffee at a time.

🎙️ Ready to hear the full conversation? [Click here to listen to this episode of The Valley Today] — and share it with someone in your community who needs to hear it.

To volunteer with the Greater Shenandoah Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, visit RedCross.org.

 

Brothers, Sisters, and Survivors: The Story Behind Special Love and Camp Fantastic

special love pod

On a recent episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael talks with Elena Jeannotte, Executive Director of Special Love for Children with Cancer, to uncover the remarkable story behind one of the Mid-Atlantic’s most beloved nonprofits. What emerged was a conversation full of heart, hope, and a powerful reminder that community can make all the difference when a family faces the unthinkable. Click here to listen.

A Mission Born from Grief

The story of Special Love begins not in a boardroom, but in the heartbreak of a father’s loss. In 1978, Tom and Sheila Baker of Winchester, Virginia, lost their daughter Julie to lymphoma. Rather than retreating into grief, Tom Baker channeled his pain into purpose. He read about a camp for children with high medical needs in upstate New York and immediately saw what was missing closer to home.

By 1983, Baker had partnered with the National Institutes of Health and the Northern Virginia 4-H Center to launch the very first Camp Fantastic — welcoming 29 campers through its doors. Forty-three years later, that number has grown to 100, and the partnerships that made it possible are still going strong.

Camp Fantastic: Where Kids Get to Just Be Kids

At its core, Camp Fantastic is a week-long summer camp for children ages 7 to 17 living with cancer. But don’t let the simplicity of that description fool you — what happens at the Northern Virginia 4-H Center in Front Royal each summer is nothing short of extraordinary.

Because many campers are still undergoing treatment, the NIH lends approximately 50 medical staff — including oncologists, nurses, pharmacists, and social workers — for the entire week. Remarkably, staff transform a conference room into a fully functioning medical facility complete with hospital beds, ensuring that even children on active chemotherapy can safely participate.

Meanwhile, 60 volunteer counselors take a week off work, leave their families behind, and show up entirely for free — all so these kids can swim, fish, do archery, make duct tape wallets, and compete in talent shows. “A lot of work goes into it,” Elena says, “and a lot of heart goes into it too.”

BRASS Camp: The Siblings Deserve a Spotlight Too

As Special Love grew, its leaders recognized something important: the impact of childhood cancer doesn’t stop with the child who is sick. Siblings, often sidelined while parents focus on medical care, carry their own invisible weight.

That insight gave rise to BRASS Camp — short for Brothers and Sisters — held on the scenic shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Leonardtown, Maryland. Here, siblings of children with cancer come together for a week designed entirely around them. Every counselor at BRASS Camp is a former BRASS camper themselves, creating a deeply personal community built on shared experience.

The results speak for themselves. Research published in medical journals confirms that attending BRASS Camp measurably improves siblings’ mood and overall well-being. “Our job at BRASS Camp,” Elena explains, “is to make these siblings feel like they are the stars of the show.”

Beyond the Campfire: A Full Circle of Support

Impressive as the camps are, Special Love’s reach extends far beyond the woods and the waterfront. Throughout the year, the organization runs 13 programs — all completely free — designed to support every member of a family touched by childhood cancer.

For parents, Parents Weekend offers a much-needed retreat at a hotel in Tysons Corner, complete with speakers, sound baths, massages, and a dinner dance. Bereaved families — those who have lost a child to cancer — are welcome at every event. Additionally, Special Love provides financial assistance to families across the Mid-Atlantic, helping cover mortgages, utilities, and transportation costs for families who must travel long distances for treatment. For survivors and siblings ready to take their next steps, college and trade school scholarships are available as well.

“Community is the right word,” Elena reflects. “That’s what sets Special Love apart — we build a community for these families.”

How You Can Help

Special Love serves families across a wide swath of the Mid-Atlantic, from the Shenandoah Valley to Norfolk and up to Baltimore. And while everything is free for the families, none of it comes without cost. Sending one child to Camp Fantastic runs $3,500; a spot at BRASS Camp costs $2,500. Community support makes every single one of those spots possible.

Fortunately, there are several ways to get involved right now:

  • Play or volunteer at the Annual Golf Tournament on June 5th at Shenandoah Valley Golf Club in Front Royal, VA
  • Donate or volunteer year-round through the organization’s website
  • Spread the word to any family in the Mid-Atlantic with a child under 18 facing a cancer diagnosis
Listen to the Full Conversation

Elena Jeannotte’s passion for the families Special Love serves is contagious — and this article only scratches the surface of what she shared with Janet on The Valley Today. To hear the full story, including Elena’s firsthand accounts of campers whose lives have been transformed, click the link below to listen to the full episode.

https://thevalleytodaypodcast.com/brothers-sisters-and-survivors-special-love-and-camp-fantastic

For more information about Special Love for Children with Cancer, visit specialove.org or follow them on Instagram and Facebook.