CARENET:Caring Beyond the Yellow Ribbon has begun engaging people, community agencies, businesses, and military members(to be deployed or previously deployed) and their families into a process that identifies and establishes the mechanisms for needed support in the areas of stress management, addictive behaviors, children needs, family dynamics, financial education and financial support. This project will also offer information to families and caring community partners about the welfare of all our military members and their families. CARENET:Caring Beyond the Yellow Ribbon, is named as a reminder that support of our military and their families cannot end when they return from deployment and the yellow ribbons are untied.

The state of West Virginia supports a military complex of Army and Air National Guard, Army and Air Reserve Components, plus Navy and Marine Reserve Units. The West Virginia Army National Guard currently has units supporting operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo. More than 7,000 West Virginia National Guard personnel have served in the Iraq war. West Virginia has sustained 29 fatalities (22 in Iraq and 7 in Afghanistan) and 194 wounded as of December 3, 2008 this number includes both active duty and National Guard.

West Virginia Council of Churches will perform fiscal oversight of funds received from the named organizations above. The West Virginia Council of Churches will use mini-grants awarded to organizations that are capable of delivering desired and required services to our veterans and their family members in one or more of the four areas of the grant. Mini-grants will be awarded using the "peer to peer" review method. The peer to peer method uses like agencies to review applicants and rate their ability to deliver. The review instrument will contain relevant questions with a point value attached to each question. See attachment.

Scheduled Activities to Support Carenet:Caring Beyond the Yellow Ribbon 2008

• Governor's Conference (statewide attendance of appropriate agencies)
• Schedule state regional conferences presenting CARENET:Caring Beyond the Yellow Ribbon
• Awarding of Mini-Grants
• Regional Equipping the Church: A Seminar for Pastors
• Maintain relationship with West Virginia National Guard and Components
• Maintain membership in Inter-Service Family Assistance Program (ISFAC)
• Develop and maintain relationship with regional helping agencies (such as Tyrand Cooperative Ministries in Elkins, WV) etc.
• Website Carenetwv.org launched to provide information, and links to helping resources.
• Sustain statewide partnerships and networks with Vet Centers, and VA Transition Counselors.
• Continuing updates to the West Virginia Council of Churches newsletter.
• Develop networks and partnerships with state regional ministerial alliances
• Conduct regional informational briefings to introduce CARENET to local communities