ABOUT

Michelle Smeltzer was born and raised in San Diego, California.  She has spent much of her career in Executive Management positions primarily in Direct Sales and Marketing for companies that specialize in Nutritional Products.  Upon coming to Front Royal, Michelle found her passion and has become a relentless advocate for the homeless population in Warren County.  She works at the Warren County Department of Social Services serving as the Community Liaison and is instrumental in coalescing community resources in order to increase access for all Warren County residents. 

Michelle is very active in the community.  She serves on several boards including the House of Hope, Hope and Rest Temporary Shelter.  She is a member of the Rotary Club of Warren County as well as the SALT/Triad and the Warren Coalition. 

Michelle has been a resident of Front Royal for twelve years and resides with her husband Mark and their dog Clementine.

I have always had a passion for helping others, but my journey started by taking trips to DC to feed the local city homeless population there with my church youth group when I was just 12 years old. I always looked forward to those trips monthly, but I naivily believed the homeless only resided in big cities. I had no idea they were right here in my hometown. 

When I first learned about the Thermal Shelter of Front Royal in 2017, I knew I HAD to be involved. For the first several years, I coordinated dinner preparations and donations within my church for the week we housed the guests, but gradually became more involved until coming on the board in November 2020. 

Currently, my main areas of focus within the shelter are coordinating volunteers, fundraising, social media, and staff scheduling. When I'm not at the shelter, I enjoy spending time with my husband and 4 children. 

I am honored to have the privilege to work with such a dedicated group of individuals to help make a difference in the lives of those we have grown to know and love. I have been so blessed by many of the people I have met at the shelter and so thankful for the huge community of support. I trust that God has a plan for our shelter now and in the future. 

Luke 10:27, Love God. Love others. And that's just what I'm going to do!

Nichole Johns is a Program Manager for Warren County Department of Social Services, where she has served for 4.5 years. She takes pride in assisting those who are most vulnerable, advocating for those who cannot speak for themselves, and befriending those in need.

Nichole’s passion is led by her Christian faith. She is a wife and mother of three. She attends Dynamic Life Ministries where she has served in the Children’s Ministry for many years. In addition to serving our community, Nichole enjoys raising her chickens and collecting coffee mugs.