Behind the Red Cross: The Volunteers, Planning, and Prep That Make Disaster Relief Possible
Release Date: 04/06/2026
Let's Be Friends: An Affair to Remember
The Valley Today
Let's Be Friends: An Affair to Remember Video - Recorded at An Affair to Remember | Walking Mall, Winchester, VA Guests: Ian Rushing — Owner, An Affair to Remember (AATR Video) Brady Cloven — Executive Director, Friends of Old Town Winchester What We Talked About: An Affair to Remember (ATR Video) Located at 39 South Loudoun Street on the Walking Mall Offers media digitization: VHS, 8mm, 16mm, reel-to-reel audio, slides, and more Photo printing on-site — standard sizes up to large format prints Wedding videography with multiple price packages Corporate branded storytelling /...
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Bring Your Wagon: A Guide to Blandy's Garden Fair
The Valley Today
Host Janet Michael sits down with Melanie Mullinax, Communications and Event Manager at , to get all the details on the — one of the Shenandoah Valley's most beloved Mother's Day weekend traditions. Event Details 📅 May 9th & 10th, 2025 ⏰ 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM both days 📍 Blandy Experimental Farm / State Arboretum of Virginia 🎟️ Tickets: $12/car online | $20/car at the gate 🌧️ Rain or shine Buy Tickets: Members & Volunteers Preview Night - Friday, May 8th | 5:00 – 7:30 PM Open to Blandy members and volunteers only (~250 tickets) Includes a charcuterie...
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If You Can't See It, You Can't Be It: Arising Leadership Program
The Valley Today
Host Janet Michael sits down with Missy Spielman to discuss the 's Arising Leadership Program (ALP) — a free, two-week summer program designed to expose local high schoolers to career opportunities right in their own backyard. What You'll Learn in This Episode What the is and how it got started How the ALP differs from the Chamber's Community Leadership Program (CLP) Why exposing students to local industries matters — "If you can't see it, you can't be it" What industries students will explore: manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, government & public safety, nonprofit, and media...
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Liberty, Legacy, and Quilts: What's New at Belle Grove Plantation
The Valley Today
Host Janet Michael chats with Kristen Laise about an action-packed spring and summer season at Belle Grove Plantation in Middletown, Virginia. From a moving community quilt project honoring the enslaved to a traveling American Revolution exhibit, there's something for history lovers, nature enthusiasts, and families alike. Topics Covered Memorial Quilts Two quilts honoring 270 enslaved individuals at Belle Grove, each name hand-stitched on individual quilt blocks Quilt blocks arranged into family trees to symbolically reunite families separated by slavery A three-year project involving 113...
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Opening the Hood: Inside Winchester's Civic Leadership Academy
The Valley Today
In this episode, host Janet Michael chats with Kit Redmer, Communications Director for the , and several of her fellow Civic Leadership Academy (CLA) classmates about their experiences in this immersive, nine-month program designed to connect residents with their local government. What is the Civic Leadership Academy? The CLA is a program run by the City of Winchester that gives civically minded residents an inside look at how their city operates. Participants tour city departments, learn about the budget, meet city staff, and discover ways to get more involved. The program runs September...
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Archery, Horses, and Tie-Dye: 4-H Overnight Camps in the Shenandoah Valley
The Valley Today
Host Janet Michael sits down with Emily Shultz, Extension Agent, to talk about everything you need to know about 4-H overnight camps in the Northern Shenandoah Valley. In This Episode: What 4-H overnight camps are and who they're for Camp dates, locations, and county clusters Age requirements and the 4-H age cutoff explained What a typical camp week looks like (no screens!) Activities offered at camp The teen counselor and CIT (Counselor-in-Training) program Cost, registration, scholarships, and deadlines Why 4-H camp stands out from other overnight camps What kids take home beyond the fun...
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Community Health: Healthy Families NSV
The Valley Today
Host Janet Michael sits down with Jodi Young, Executive Director of , and Tracy Mitchell, Manager of 's Wellness Services and Risk Reduction, to explore a free home visiting program that supports new and expectant parents from pregnancy through a child's fifth birthday — and why April's Child Abuse Prevention Month makes this conversation especially timely. What You'll Learn What Healthy Families is and how the home visiting model works Who qualifies for the program and how to enroll Why the first five years of a child's life are so critical for development How Valley Health supports...
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From Rescue to Resource: Join the Winchester SPCA
The Valley Today
Host Janet Michael visits the — the original home of her own dogs, Briscoe and Miller — for a conversation with Executive Director Lavenda Denney about the organization's growing campus, April membership drive, and the community programs that make them more than just a shelter. Topics Covered The Winchester SPCA Campus — Located at 111 Feathered Lane in Winchester, the campus includes an adoption center, a 10,000 sq. ft. thrift store, a small vet clinic, an intake building, and a free coffee bar (with a second one coming soon to the lobby, courtesy of Timber's Cafe) What They Do...
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Building the Field of Dreams
The Valley Today
Host Janet Michael welcomes back Guy Curtis — wearing his Little League hat this time rather than his one — along with Terra Walker, 's information officer, to discuss the organization's ambitious capital campaign to expand and improve youth sports facilities in the Winchester and Frederick County area. About Frederick County National Little League Established in 1984 Serves Winchester, Stephens City, Middletown, and the southern end of Frederick County Nonprofit 501(c)3, fully volunteer-run organization Currently 25–35 teams per spring season with over 350 active players Fall season...
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Art & History in Clarke County
The Valley Today
Host Janet Michael talks with Nathan Stalvey about the 's spring Art at the Mill show, upcoming VA250 events in Clarke County, and behind-the-scenes updates on the historic . Art at the Mill – Spring 2026 Dates: Saturday, April 18 – Sunday, May 3, 2026 Hours: Sunday–Friday, 12–5pm | Saturdays, 10–5pm Location: Burwell-Morgan Mill, Millwood, VA Admission: $5 adults | $3 seniors | Children 12 & under free Free admission with a show postcard or print advertisement Submissions: 300+ artists, nearly 950 works Media: Oils, acrylics, pastels, pencil, charcoal, glass...
info_outlineFeaturing Deb Fleming, Executive Director, Greater Shenandoah Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross
Episode Summary
Host Janet Michael continues her year-long disaster preparedness series with a return visit from Deb Fleming of the American Red Cross. This episode goes behind the curtain to reveal the extensive planning, training, and funding that makes local disaster response possible — before a single disaster ever strikes.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
- Why the Red Cross can't just "show up" — and what preparation really looks like
- The 30+ volunteer roles that must be trained and ready before any disaster hits
- How the Red Cross builds relationships with local governments, fire departments, EMTs, and emergency planning commissions
- What a "Thunderbolt" exercise is and why it matters
- How mock disasters (plane crashes, mine incidents, nuclear scenarios) keep volunteers sharp
- Why 90% of Red Cross responses never make the news
- How donations stay local when you give to the Greater Shenandoah Valley chapter
- The real cost of disaster relief — broken down dollar by dollar
Dollar Breakdown: Where Your Donation Goes
| Amount | Impact |
| $20 | Provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner for one person |
| $22 | Installs a 10-year battery smoke alarm in a home |
| $124 | Covers travel, meals, and one day of shelter for one person (including shelter worker training) |
| $135 | Provides cleanup kits for five families after a flood |
| $670 | Delivers immediate assistance (hotel, clothing, food, shoes) to a family after a house fire |
Ways to Support the Greater Shenandoah Valley Red Cross
- One-time or monthly donation: redcross.org
- Contact Deb directly for larger gifts, customized giving plans, or corporate partnerships
- Corporate matching programs — even small businesses can double their team's impact
- "Bring your checkbook" dinners — host friends, raise funds
- Point-of-sale roundups — grocery stores and gas stations can collect spare change at checkout
- Board giving — all Greater Shenandoah Valley Red Cross board members donate financially to the mission
Key Takeaways
- The Greater Shenandoah Valley chapter covers 11 counties with only 3 paid staff — volunteers are the backbone
- Money donated locally stays local
- Disasters don't wait — the Red Cross operates on call 24/7/365
- Every dollar counts, no matter the size
Connect & Learn More
- Website: redcross.org