Author: Celeste Brooks

  • Warren Coalition Receives GDU Community Award

    Warren Coalition Receives GDU Community Award

    FRONT ROYAL, VA—In the midst of preparing for Celebrate Kids Day, Warren Coalition’s Community Outreach Coordinator, Celeste Brooks, received some fun news: she and the Warren Coalition had been selected to receive the Global Day of Unplugging’s “Community Award” in honor of their work on “Warren County Unplugged” this past March!

    “In 2025, in Front Royal, you helped create something rare: space for people to step away from screens, look each other in the eye, and feel the power of real connection,” the letter accompanying the award reads. “That’s no small thing. This certificate isn’t just paper. It’s a testament to your part in a growing movement to reclaim our time, attention, and presence — and to the difference that simple, human moments can make.”

    With over 40 businesses, agencies, and nonprofit organizations participating in some way, the Coalition’s second year of encouraging Warren County residents was considered a resounding success by Brooks and the rest of the committee. But they didn’t expect national recognition for their efforts.

    “We were just focused on creating the awareness,” Brooks said. “And obviously the more organizations we have engaged, the greater the awareness.”

    Heather Rollins was taking photos during the Youth Unplugged Party and caught Celeste Brooks darting around. The Youth Unplugged Party was an event geared towards kids K-12 and was part of Warren County Unplugged this past March.

    This isn’t the first time that the work of Brooks and the Coalition was noticed by the Global Day of Unplugging (GDU) staff. The GDU staff were so impressed with the social media work on the first event held in 2024, called “Warren County IRL (In Real Life),” that they named Warren County an honorary “Unplugged Village.” That first event had mixed attendance at events, but signed up over 100 people to forego screens for at least a few hours during the 24-hour challenge, thanks to Brooks and Michael Whitlow of Over 50 Media. This year, the Coalition teamed up with Warren County Parks & Recreation and Warren County Public Schools to provide a stronger emphasis on youth, sending out educational materials through the schools and online, and organizing a “Youth Unplugged Party.” It is estimated that over 800 people participated in events throughout the weekend, and nearly 250 signed up to “unplug” for at least a few hours.

    A blind-folded volunteer, Jason Neale, chases children with a foam sword. The children had rubber chickens strapped to their feet. The goal was to not get hit with the sword, but if the chickens didn’t give away the kids, their happy squeals and laughter did!

    “If we can get folks to think about their phone use, even for just one day, it can help them recognize unhealthy dependencies,” Brooks pointed out. “In many of the post-event surveys, people say they didn’t realize how much time they spend on their phones. Those who participate enjoy the break, even if they find it challenging.”

    The committee has already begun to plan for the 2026 event, which will be held March 6th-7th. If you would like to learn how your business or organization can participate, contact Celeste Brooks at celeste@warrencoalition.org or 540-660-3367.

    Warren Coalition, celebrating 30 years of service to Warren County, is a nonprofit agency established in 1994 to help fill the gaps in health care and substance abuse awareness to the community. The Coalition began under the guidance of Warren Memorial Hospital as an outreach project, but it has since grown and was incorporated in 2001.  The office is currently located in the Warren County Community Center.  Their mission is to make Warren County a safe, healthy, and drug free community through many programs and in collaboration with 15+ member agencies.

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  • Teens Choose Health Over Alcohol

    Teens Choose Health Over Alcohol

    The promotion of drinking among teens in TV shows and movies might have you thinking that most teens are drinking alcohol on a regular basis, but that idea is not backed up by statistics. According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, only 6.9% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 reported drinking alcohol within the past 30 days. The majority of middle school and high school students under 18—93.1% of them—are making healthy choices.

    When you factor in students 18 to 20, that percentage does jump to 14.6%, but that still means that most people under the age of 21 (85.4%) have not had any alcohol in the past 30 days. That statistic surprises most people.

    Why Teens and Young Adults Choose Not to Drink Alcohol

    At one of our local high schools, National Honor Society members asked various students why they choose not to drink. As you can see in the video, the answers varied, but the two most common responses are:

    • Because I’m an athlete.
    • It causes health problems.

    More teens are making the choice not to drink alcohol, and this trend is not limited to the U.S.  A 2023 study in New Zealand found that social media and spending time online are replacing drinking and partying. In addition, not drinking has become more normalized and accepted. And a greater respect for personal choice has also decreased the social pressure to drink.

    Health Risks Presented by Underage Drinking

    There several health risks that are reduced by waiting until you are 21 or older to drink alcohol. They include the following:

    • The brain continues to develop until age 25 for men and age 22 for women. Drinking as a teenager can adversely affect this development, potentially impacting memory. Waiting until later helps protect the brain.
    • Drinking alcohol can inhibit growth.
    • Each year, approximately 4,000 people under the age of 21 die from excessive alcohol use.  
    • Alcohol has a negative impact on your ability to make sound decisions. This can lead to a variety of negative consequences. For example, it may cause a short temper, which in turn can lead to fights and injuries. It can also lead to sexual violence.
    • Alcohol is a depressant. If you are trying to self-medicate because you are in emotional pain, alcohol will make it worse, even if that doesn’t seem true at first. This can lead to lower grades, missing school, or even suicide.
    • People who start drinking before the age of 15 are at a higher risk for developing alcohol use disorder (AUD) later in life. (See the NIAAA website for more information.)

    Many people are surprised to learn that alcohol has also been linked to various types of cancer, including mouth and stomach cancer.

    Making Healthy Choices

    You have the right to choose what goes into your body. Don’t let anyone pressure you into drinking. Decide on your reasons to not drink ahead of time and keep your focus there. If you are feeling unsafe or pressured to drink, call your parent or a trusted adult to come get you.

    If you are tempted to drink (or do already) due to emotional or physical pain in your life, reach out to someone for help. Learning other coping mechanisms, such as exercising, gardening, singing, painting, talking with others, and journaling, can help. It can be hard to work through the pain, but with support from others, you can do it. You are not alone.

    Additional resources:

    https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/underage-drinking/index.html

    https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/underage-drinking

  • Record Celebrate Kids Day Ends with Surprise Honor

    Record Celebrate Kids Day Ends with Surprise Honor

    Warren Coalition’s Celebrate Kids Day just keeps getting bigger (and better!) every year, and that trend continued this year for the 12th annual event held in Warren County. Hosted by Warren Coalition at the Health & Human Services Complex, Celebrate Kids Day welcomed 539 children and their families, setting a record attendance for the fourth year in a row! It also featured a surprise twist at the end that even Executive Director Christa Shiflett wasn’t expecting.

    This year’s festival offered the traditional favorites: various inflatable rides (sponsored by Giles B. Cook American Legion #33), pony rides, face painting, free pumpkins to paint (sponsored by Front Royal Dental Care), and games (with prizes!) provided by the Warren Coalition. It also featured a few new activities, including inflatable racing orbs and a giant rocking horse (the latter was borrowed from Sue and Chris Laurence of White Picket Fence and Key Move Realty). An expanded outdoor area allowed Celebrate Kids Day to welcome 20 agencies, organizations, and nonprofits that provided their own games or activities. There were even a few businesses that joined in the fun, including Lowes!

    Warren Coalition was excited to welcome Jig ‘n’ Jive and All Star Legacy Cheer back to the event. The students performed beautifully, to the enthusiastic delight of their audiences. (One toddler was so excited by Jig ‘n’ Jive that he tried to gallop out onto the dance floor with them!)

    A major change this year occurred in the way the Coalition provided prizes, which were sponsored by Front Royal Kiwanis Club and Northwestern Community Services Board. Traditionally, the Coalition awarded a prize as soon as a child wins a game. This year, they decided to go counter to the idea of “instant gratification” and used a stamp card that was marked whenever the child won a game. Children could earn as many stamps as they wanted. At any time during the day, they could visit the prize table in the gym and use their stamps to “purchase” one or more prizes.

    This approach allowed the Coalition to provide higher value prizes, providing each child with a few popular and or/resilience-based prizes, such as Squishmallows, crafts, and board games, rather than a collection of inexpensive toys (that often wind up in the trash). More importantly, it provided children with a small lesson in resilience—keep playing the game until you win, so you get a stamp—and saving for a larger reward, a self-discipline that is often lost in today’s electronic-based culture.

    For the hard-working fundraisers, the heat of the day was broken up by a chance to sit in the Pitch Burst. A total of 13 people were challenged to raise funds for the Coalition and in return, they had 11-inch water balloons popped over their heads. While not every person met the $500 goal, the group swept by the overall goal, raising a total of $7,660! The Rotary Club of Warren County especially took the challenge to heart; they had four people sitting in the Pitch Burst and together they raised $3,575! Included in that group was the top fundraiser, Warren County Sheriff Crystal Cline, who gathered $1,945 in donations. Jody Lee, Skyline Middle School Principal, took second place with $1,250. For her triumph, Crystal received a gift bag of goodies, the Pitch Burst Traveling Trophy, and, of course, bragging rights for the next year.

    During the last few minutes of Celebrate Kids Day, the Coalition staff gathered in the gymnasium, with only Community Outreach Coordinator Celeste Brooks knowing that they were there for a presentation by Delegate Delores Oates. Delegate Oates had been looking for a chance to recognize the Coalition with a Commending Resolution since late last winter, when it was passed by the Virginia House of Delegates. With an emotional Christa Shifflett at her side, Delegate Oates read out some of the highlights of the resolution, recognizing the Coalition for its 30th anniversary in 2024 and for making a positive difference in the community. Delegate Oates also praised Christa for her leadership and the ways in which she personally has made a difference in Warren County.

    Mark the calendar for next year’s Celebrate Kids Day on September 27, 2026!

  • Warren Coalition’s Celebrate Kids Day September 28th

    Warren Coalition’s Celebrate Kids Day September 28th

    Warren Coalition’s popular event “Celebrate Kids Day” has grown in attendance every year, and the community has responded! Thanks to generous donations and robust participation from local organizations, this year’s event promises to be the biggest (and hopefully the best) yet!

    Celebrate Kids Day 2025 will be held from 1 pm to 4 pm on Sunday, September 28th, at the Health & Human Services Complex at 465 W 15th Street. The cost for a bracelet that provides unlimited access to all activities is $1 per child (no cost for parents). Participation in one of the Sports or Cake Walks is an additional $1 per participant. 

    Celebrate Kids Day broke attendance records again last year, drawing in over 300 children. The popularity of the festival is undoubtedly the fact that it includes all the activities kids love. This year’s inflatable rides, sponsored by Giles B. Cook American Legion Post 53 and Northwestern Community Services Board, will feature a moon bounce with slide, an obstacle course, a football target throw, a climbing wall, and racing orbs! There will also be a petting zoo (sponsored by City National Bank), and face painting.

    Coalition staff and volunteers will host games with amazing prizes sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Front Royal. Instead of winning small prizes at each game, children will receive tickets and can use those tickets to go “shopping” at the prize tent, where there will be a variety of board games and toys to choose from.

    One of the activities the event is known for is the opportunity for children to paint a small pumpkin (included in the price of the bracelet and sponsored by Front Royal Dental Care) while supplies last. In addition, there will be various games and activities provided by organizations from across Warren County, including a large bowling mat from Royal Family Bowling. More than 20 agencies and businesses have signed up to participate so far! A DJ sponsored by Rotary Club of Northern Shenandoah Valley will be accompanying demonstrations presented by students at Jig ‘n’ Jive, All Star Legacy, and Mountain View Music.

    In addition to the sponsors already mentioned, Wells Fargo Advisor George Karnes, Rotary Club of Warren County, Front Royal/Warren County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #33, and Front Royal Elks Lodge No. 2382 have chipped in funds to help make this event possible, covering non-sponsored costs such as the pony rides, face painting, and promotions.

    Refreshments will be available for purchase. Unity Masonic Lodge No. 146 will be grilling the hot dogs and hamburgers.

    In conjunction with the event, the Coalition hosts a fundraiser featuring the Pitch Burst, a machine similar to a dunking booth, except that it drops an 11-inch balloon full of water on top of the “volunteer.” Community members have been challenged to raise $500 each to earn the “honor” of sitting in the Pitch Burst on the 28th. To see who has accepted this challenge, and/or make a gift to ensure that they get to sit in the “cold” seat, visit https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/peer-to-peer/pitch-burst–2025.

    For more information, email wc@warrencoalition.org.

    Warren Coalition, celebrating 30 years of service to Warren County, is a nonprofit agency established in 1994 to help fill the gaps in health care and substance abuse awareness to the community. The Coalition began under the guidance of Warren Memorial Hospital as an outreach project, but it has since grown and was incorporated in 2001.  The office is currently located in the Warren County Community Center.  Their mission is to make Warren County a safe, healthy, and drug free community through many programs and in collaboration with 15+ member agencies.

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  • Warren Coalition Adds Free Trauma-Informed Certification Class

    Warren Coalition Adds Free Trauma-Informed Certification Class

    Due to overwhelming demand, Warren Coalition will again offer a free Trauma-Informed Certification Class (Course 1) on September 18, 2025, from 9 am to 3:30 pm at Warren County Community Center (538 Villa Ave).

    We all interact with others on a daily basis, and we may be left wondering why we snapped, or why the other person acted so rudely. Sometimes we feel lonely, insecure, or as if we aren’t good enough, but we don’t know from where those feelings originate.

    Trauma-Informed Training provides you with a different perspective, allowing you to approach yourself and others from a place of understanding. The class will help you understand the biological science of trauma, the lifelong impacts trauma can have on your mental and physical health, and how to approach others whose trauma history is unknown.

    Attendees must be present for the full session to receive a Trauma-Informed Certification. (There will be an on-your-own lunch break of approximately 30 minutes.) This course is offered free of charge to community members. It will be taught in person by Christa Shifflett, Executive Director of the Warren Coalition and will not be recorded.

    To complete the required pre-registration, visit bit.ly/ti18sept (note the link is case-sensitive). For more information about Trauma-Informed Training and whether it can help you in your personal and/or professional life, email Christa Shifflett at christa@warrencoalition.org.

    This training is presented by Warren Coalition, a nonprofit agency established in 1994 to help fill the gaps in health care and substance misuse awareness to the community. The Coalition began under the guidance of Warren Memorial Hospital as an outreach project, but it has since grown and was incorporated in 2001.  The office is currently located in the Warren County Community Center.  Their mission is to make Warren County a safe, healthy, and drug free community through many programs and in collaboration with 15+ member agencies.

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