Jenspiration
House of Hope continues to serve thanks to community support
The House of Hope continues to serve our local homeless men even through the pandemic, currently at 76% capacity. We are so proud to announce the House itself has experienced a series of improvements. We are so thankful for the community support and volunteer efforts that have grown throughout the past several months.
HOUSE
The home now has brand new wood flooring! It looks absolutely amazing. The men also now have a new door installed in the shower stall/bathroom space. If you look at the before and after pictures you will see how necessary these improvements were. Drywall work, kitchen storage solutions and paint, have created a much cozier vibe in the House of Hope.
GRADUATE
Recently, there has been new community support helping a House of Hope graduate set up his new apartment space. The search started on Facebook looking for just a microwave and day bed. The donations grew resulting in linens, special basket of household necessities, blanket, very generous Walmart gift card, pots & pans, Dutch oven, huge box of food, futon, and TV. The donations were made by EVERYONE in the community including churches, businesses, and individuals.
A Special Note: As we have been helping find donations for his apartment, our House of Hope graduate has been thinking about how he might be able to help two other gentlemen in need. The ripple effect. Isn’t this what we want to see in this world these days? Those who have been helped now helping others.
As you read this article, is the House of Hope new to you? Wondering what is the House of Hope? Well….
The House of Hope is a program we have available in Warren County for local homeless men. The program requires the men to be ready to make a permanent change to get back on their feet. The House is a place they can live while saving money, creating a budget, learning new life skills, and more! The men live together very much like how a family would operate. During the day the men are out at work. There are volunteers who help organize house chores, cook meals, organize donations, and work with the Executive Director.
What happens AFTER the gentlemen graduate? It became obvious that the community was very interested in donating to help set up new independent living space for graduates. Jennifer Avery will help continue this enthusiasm and momentum. Watch for future donation requests as more graduates prepare for independent housing. We have storage space! If other non profits discover a need for household items as they transition their own participants into independent living, let’s talk!
Jennifer Avery
540-683-0790
jenaveryrealtor@gmail.com
Community Events
Rotary Club of Warren County sponsors Community Shred Day
Come out and take advantage of this free service. Clean out those offices and filing cabinets and join us! The Rotary Club of Warren County makes it easy to drive right through the parking lot at the fire station.
- October 23, 2021
- 9am – 12pm
- Volunteer Fire Department on Commerce Ave.
- No limit No charge
- Event Link
Call Michelle Smeltzer with questions: 540-892-6108
Community Events
Parent’s Night Out at Ruby Yoga – drop the kids and find some peace!
Would you enjoy a night out with no children? Check out Ruby Yoga’s parent’s night out, a Halloween edition. The children will be led by instructors Laura Ruby, and long time local educator Joey Waters.
Ruby Yoga hosts parent’s night out, a Halloween Edition:
Kid’s Yoga | Mindfulness | Stories | Snacks
- Date: Saturday, October 23
- Time: 6pm – 8:30pm
- Location: 17A S Royal Ave, Front Royal VA 22630
- Register: Click Here
Jenspiration
RMA Interact students help clean up our community
Our local RMA Interact Club had a great experience cleaning up Kendrick Lane last week. 17 RMA middle school students participated with our very own Nancie Williams, Arnold Williams, and two faculty members. One of the most interesting items they collected was a old piece of metal, featured in a picture below!
Do you have a student in one of our local schools and want to learn more about Interact? Contact us: www.warrencountyrotary.org
Jenspiration
FRWRC Center Stage: Tina Culbreath with I’m Just Me Movement
FRWRC CenterStage with Tina Culbreath, Executive Director of I’m Just Me Movement. Watch this episode to learn the Who, What, Why, and Where behind Tina and her passion for helping our community. Two important take-aways from this video:
- Please consider volunteering to be a mentor for the I’m Just Me Movement.
- Celebrate the I’M JUST ME BECAUSE national holiday the whole month of October.
October is the “I’M JUST ME BECAUSE” national holiday month!
The entire month of October focuses on promoting individual development, creating environments that break down stereotypes, and embracing who we really are. By doing so, we also recognize the diversity around us, and we move beyond simple tolerance to celebrate humanity. Our movement starts by giving voice to the things that make us unique and outstanding and recognizing that acceptance helps change the culture. (reference: imjustmemovement.org/contest)
Tina Stevens-Culbreath
- Trauma-Informed Practitioner
- Founder/Executive Director of I’m Just Me Movement
- Winchester Area Trauma-Informed Community Network Coordinator
- Forensic Peer Support Specialist Supervisor
- Certified Family Peer Support Specialist
- Councilwoman, Town of Stephens City, VA
TINA STEVENS-CULBREATH BIO:
Tina Stevens-Culbreath is Founder/Executive Director of I’m Just Me Movement, a nonprofit 501 (c)3 organization, and a Councilwoman on Stephens City Town Council. Tina is a trained Trauma Informed-Practitioner, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, & Forensic Peer Recovery Specialist Supervisor. Tina Stevens grew up with the struggles of being a bi-racial child, raised by a single mother doing her best to raise three young girls in Section 8 Housing Assistance in Alexandria, VA. Her father died from a drug overdose when she was only seven years old, and her mother turned to alcohol to self-medicate. By age 8, Tina was helping her mother care for two younger siblings.
Tina Stevens and Rodney met in high school and became pregnant. They worked hard to support a new family and graduate high school. By age 19, Tina and Rodney were the proud parents of three children. Both vowed to stay together and raise their children in a two-parent home. Already juggling raising their own three young children, attending school and working, Tina was advised by the adoption agency she would have to quit school to focus on raising the sibling group in order to qualify as an adoptive candidate. Four years later the adoption was finalized and Rodney and Tina, still in their twenties, were the parents of 6 young children. She is very proud of her family and husband.
Tina has faced adversity and barriers that have prepared her both personally and professionally to rise above challenges and excel. Her experiences have instilled a deep sense of commitment to making a difference in her community for children, adults, and families. She knows how hard it is to raise a family. She is so passionate about ensuring people have the opportunity to achieve their goals and aspirations. Today, she has been presented with a bigger purpose in life, through her roles that empower people, especially youth and their families through IJMM Live Life Forward programs
I’m Just Me Movement
411 North Cameron Street. 2ND Floor | Winchester, VA 22601
PO Box 4283 | Winchester, VA 22604
(703) 344-6206
tina@imjustmemovement.org
www.imjustmemovement.org
nationaldaycalendar.com/im-me-just-because
MISSION:
Strengthening youth, families, and communities through mentorship, education and training, positive development, and community partnerships. LIVE LIFE FORWARD!
Front Royal Women’s Resource Center is featuring a new series called CenterStage. This is a chance for women in our community to share information about business, causes, events that are special to them. Host Jen Avery makes it fun, easy, and “empowering.” Contact the FRWRC for more information. Are you a member of the FRWRC? Consider membership too!
Jenspiration
11,000 bandages donated by the Rotary Club of Warren County
Ever wondered what 11,000 bandages look like? Now you know! In June of 2021, Hope for Appalachia put out an ask for bandages for their mission trip in December of this year. The Rotary Club of Warren County answered the call!
Known for their delivery of Hope Boxes to schools in the Appalachian Region of Eastern Kentucky, mission leaders Mike & Liesa Dodson weren’t quite sure what to do with a donation of small, empty plastic boxes earlier this year. They were too small to fill with the normal supplies and goodies that go into a traditional Hope Box, but they didn’t want to cast aside the donation. Mike reached out to several schools in Appalachia for suggestions and the unanimous answer from the teachers was… bandages!
Jen Avery connecting with children during lunch break at one of the Kentucky schools in 2018.
Hope for Appalachia runs its mission out of Mike & Liesa’s church in Culpeper. Rotary Club of Warren County members Ellen Aders & Jen Avery have been helping Hope for Appalachia since 2018 when they crossed Black Mountain into Eastern Kentucky for the first time. The group travels in the spring, bunks up at Red Bird Mission, and pulls out around 4:00 every morning for a week to travel to schools all over the Region.
Ellen Aders teaching children about the Easter story at a middle school during Hope for Appalachia mission trip in 2018.
The Rotary Club of Warren County has been involved with Hope for Appalachia for several years, beginning with collecting items for 100 Hope Boxes and partnering with Interact students from Skyline Middle School to stuff them. Not only does Rotary seek to find projects that help our local community, Rotary also extends its help to national and international efforts.
More information on Hope for Appalachia can be found on their Facebook page.
Story by Ellen Aders, Rotary Club of Warren County
Jenspiration
FRWRC Center Stage: Michelle Smeltzer with One Stop Resource Center
FRWRC CenterStage with Michelle Smeltzer, Warren County Social Services Community Liaison! Watch this episode to learn about a new resource center that is available to the community. Women are specifically helped through visiting with the Phoenix Project, Front Royal Women’s Resource Center, and the Pregnancy Center. Do you need help applying for food stamps or a job? People will be on standby waiting to assist you for just about anything you might need or at least will be able to point you in the right direction.
One Stop Resource Center
- First Baptist Church – 14 W 1st St. | Front Royal, VA 22630
- First and third Wednesday of the month.
- 1pm – 3pm (In the video Michelle says until 4, but the correct time is until 3pm)
Front Royal Women’s Resource Center is featuring a new series called CenterStage. This is a chance for women in our community to share information about business, causes, events that are special to them. Host Jen Avery makes it fun, easy, and “empowering.” Contact the FRWRC for more information. Are you a member of the FRWRC? Consider membership too!
