Thanks! Plain and Simple

GOALS

“Thanks, Plain and Simple” is a state-wide West Virginia effort to communicate to West Virginians in the military that we care about you, to remind you of home, and to help you realize your ability to contribute when you return.

Goals are to:
- Show we care about you, no matter where you are;
- Remind you of home, in ways that see authentic to you;
- Work with you when you return, if you want help, to adapt reenter civilian life and to contribute to our communities and state;
- Give citizens throughout West Virginia new avenues for communicating our basic concerns, pride and actions for our young people in the military;
- Find ways for West Virginians in the military to know about the web site, events, DVD and total mission;
- Be apolitical and nonpartisan, with plain and simple that we care about people, regardless of current political arguments;
- Provide ways for West Virginia’s unity to be strong and visible–through photographs, writing, songs, coming together from different regions.
Milestones are:
- This web site. We aim for a high-quality, well-publicized site, with full sponsorship by March 4th, 2006 (likely before). It will include 1) photos and messages from the 55 counties, 2) audio and video, and, 3) eventually, an open letter to our troops. It will be known about and accessible to many West Virginians in the military and at home.
- Thanks! Plain and Simple Day and other events that show unity of West Virginians around the well-being of our people in the military. Citizens will have ways to interact, such as contests, singing along, plenty of local artist as well as known West Virginia musicians, history and hopes.
- A DVD to many of our troops in 2006, Delivery may be to families, since military personnel addresses are not made public.
- Constant education, including articles and interviews, sponsorship advertising in print and electronic media, announcements, working together to achieve milestones.
- Follow-up long after the concert and DVD, to focus public awareness on 1) helping our returning military people adapt to home and show their own skill and motivations to contribute, 2) keeping the project going into the future, 3) being a model project for the nation, as well as the state, by unifying around basics.

We will work with numerous other organizations, as we put together many pieces for a total, positive picture of West Virginians.

In this “age of communications,” we seem to communicate less, one-to-one. There is no better state to lead America in showing that we support our people in the armed services, as people - without taking sides on this war or other issues.

Our Mission: Phase I and II

Phase I: “We Value You!”- Overall Objectives

Excerpt from Grant Request

This Proposal is to establish seminal work and tools to show clear, apolitical support of West Virginians before, during and after military experience by guiding people and communities to be engaged in expressing, “We value you.” It will 1) continue Phase I, to increase public involvement and 2) help prepare for Phase II, so that public acceptance will be high when TPS employs new veterans in VITAL at HOME program that helps them transfer military experience to community and state improvement. The work forms a practical, tangible commitment to three kinds of capital: individual, communities and human. At the same time it stresses belonging and caring. November 15, 2007 is the target to begin a year of action and of creating and using valid assessment and delivery tools.

Tested, positive ways for people to express respect without ideology. People appreciate being involved, which educates about and strengthens the whole mission.

Project Name

Problems Addressed

Objectives

Activities

Target Population

“We Value You!”

West Virginians need to:

1. See opportunity in leading to say, “We value you1” without political argument.

2. Change stigma to good image (tragedy/ hopeless vs. “We can do it!” via action.

3. Succeed at VITAL at HOME program to transfer training to alleviate poverty and improve people, communities, state.

4. Cooperate across boundaries (regions, politics)

1.Soldiers valued as people;

2. WV character is seen. Creativity, positive acts seen. Home is stressed.

3. Prepare for solid, visible work to reduce poverty.

4. Public will participate and be ready to support additional work

Communities participate, create.

Encourage veterans to take a role (e.g. to plan National Monument for parents

TPS work to grow its capacity and to deliver our promises, well and long-term

All West Virginians (urban and rural),
soldiers, families, vets, leaders, followers.

Twelve Projects Tested and Ready in Phase I: Expand Community Engagement

Project Name	Problem Addressed		Objectives		Activities		Target Population
Service as Ambassadors	Poor WV image; low return of trained young adults to WV s		Teach before, during and after military pride; encourage return		Train/orient Recruits/ROTC to handle WV stigma and to improve community		State-wide military personnel
Thanks! Plain and Simple Day annual event	See WV with talent. Need for locations say, “We value you, as people.”		Talent, caring, respect, variety and good times help WV image		Show off WV, caring, respect the fallen and their families		State-wide
Design & Sign Banners	Same		Soldiers’ morale will be lifted. WV seen by all soldiers		Communities create, sign, and send banners with sense of home.		Local organizations or communities
Books		Need for permanent record of VITAL and history, for soldiers’ pride in past and future..		Improve the image of WV and to develop needed leadership		Write two books1) Voices of WV Veterans, 2) VITAL at Home	State-wide –military personnel and their families
DVD Event, other		Soldiers can’t attend, events. People see comprehensive work.		Soldiers and others not present will experience.		Produce and distribute a DVD	Selected groups (families, musicians)
MARBLES for Remembering		People want to say, “I care.” WV not seen as creative, positive tone		Soldiers will feel appreciated, that family is included.		Distribute packets via meeting, events, web groups, mail, fairs	State-wide. Most people take them and say know a soldier to give them to.
National Monument		Need for veterans to manage project with high profile, as a statement for WV and TPS’s mission.		Celebrate WV as home of Mother’s, and Father’s Day.		Recruits and Veterans (e.g. Williams) key in raising funds, feasibility study, etc.	State-wide Nation-wide
Hear “Home” In WV Music		Need easy, positive way for people to join in and understand mission		Citizens here and away will feel part and enjoy.		Produce original music in respect for TPS and home	State-wide
Lark in a Park		Need for a simple, happy image of WV veterans encouraging cooperation to build good things		Better communities. Give all vets a chance be constructive.		Veterans manage, volunteer, raise funds, teach children marbles, encourage cooperation.	Communities around the state.
Rosie the Riveter		Few case histories of women’s contribution.		Recognize women Impart motto, “We can do it!”		Collect stories on war-factory women. Get the phrase commonly used.	State-wide
U.S Ship H.. Woodrow Williams		Lack of recognition of the state’s contribution to national security.		Recognize Woody Williams appropriately. Pride in WV.		Over 30,000 signatures obtained now to name a navy ship for Williams.	State-wide
Web Site		Difficult to communicate with military, w/o addresses. Communities don’t have common way to engage in a WV effort.		Soldiers will see home and show others (pride)		To be contributed to by citizens, maintained by students.	State-wide and military personnel elsewhere

People often suggest new projects, so numbers will grow. We do not include memorial services for fallen soldiers because the mood and time must be right. Scheduling them depends on circumstances.

Phase II. “VITAL at HOME”

Veterans in Transition and Leadership, at Home.
We are beginning a model program for new veterans who want to return to their home region and apply their leadership, training and motivation to improving their own communities or West Virginia, overall. “VITAL at HOME” veterans will both teach and learn while they transition back to civilian life by working a year for Thanks! Plain and Simple to make real progress on a project they chose that will yield them a year of serious successes in community improvement.

Some of goals are:

Achieve successful transitions for veterans, with emphasis on their productivity and positive energy, as individuals and in groups.

Improve communities.

Show that leadership and management potential in new veterans can be tapped and developed, so that their training and education is not wasted.

Improve the image for West Virginia and its communities by making this a nationally recognized program of thoughtful action.

Partner with nonprofit and other organizations in West Virginia.

Encourage veterans from West Virginia and other locations to volunteer in West Virginia on projects that show pride and productivity.

Focus on positive outcomes and continuous improvement for peoplepower, including that VITAL at Home veterans will learn management and other skills will continuously contribute.

Teach us and other Americans how military training can count at home.

Focus on sincere and unpretentious effort to continuously improve peoplepower.

First "VITAL at HOME" Work

Do ground work for a national monument in West Virginia
Improve West Virginia Communities
Unify people across regions of West Virginia by cooperating and learning together from projects and overall mission.

America is ready. West Virginia is the right place to show,
“We value you, as a person, and you are VITAL at HOME.”

FEIN #: 42-1684691

WHAT WILL WE ACHIEVE LONG TERM?

IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY, NOW, BUT HERE ARE SOME FORECASTS AND THOUGHTS.

AS WE FOCUS ON OUR STRENGTHS, AND NOT LET OTHERS FOCUS ON OUR PERCEIVED WEAKENESSES, WE WILL MAKE NEW WAYS – WAYS RIGHT FOR US.

SEE FORECASTS BELOW

IT TAKES OPEN, GENUIINE EFFORT AND A SHOW OF PUBLIC AND UNITY.

FORESTS?
GAS AND OIL?
TECHLOLOGY DEVELOPMENT?
COAL?
TOURISM? ENTERTAINMENT?
THE ARTS?

ENTREPRENEURIAL BUSINESSES?
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES?
MANUFACTURING?
RAILROADS?
FOOD PRODUCTION/PROCESSING?
TECHNICAL PROFESSIONS?

WHAT’S THE FUTURE OF WEST VIRGINIA? ECONOMIC FORECASTERS NAME THESE INDUSTRIES. MANY COLLEGES IN THE STATE SEEK VETERANS AS STUDENTS, AND MANY CARE ABOUT SUCCESSFUL PLACEMENT.

YOUR RETURNING HOME DEPENDS, IN PART, ON HAVING A JOB WHERE YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE YOUR TRAINING AND NATURAL SKILLS. WE CANNOT PROMISE YOU JOBS, BUT . . .

CONTINUOUS CONCERN IS OUR MISSION. WE’RE HERE FOR THE LONG TERM.

WE HOPE TO HELP ASSURE THAT WORK IS HERE FOR YOU. WE BELIEVE THAT YOU WANT TO CONTRIBUTE. IF YOU MUST GO TO ANOTHER PLACE, KEEP COOPERATING WITH US SO THAT PEOPLE LIKE YOU DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE WEST VIRGINIA.

WE ARE NOT A LOBBYING ORGANIZATION. PROGRESSIVELY WE WILL WORK WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO STAND WITH WEST VIRGINIA AS ONE OF THE MOST BLESSED STATES IN THE UNION.

STAND WITH US AS WE STAND FOR YOU, IN UNITY AROUND REACHING OUR BEST. PHONY, LOUD BRAGGING ARE NOT WHO WE ARE.

WE DO NEED TO SHOW BETTER WHO WE ARE AND TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE RIGHT FOR US. ALL PEOPLE NEED TO DO THIS. FORTUNATELY, WEST VIRGINIA IS BLESSED WITH MANY RESOURCES. PLAIN AND SIMPLE, OUR BASICNESS IS OUR GREATNESS.

HELP US SHOW THAT YOU HAVE SKILLS AND MOTIVATION TO BE BETTER, FOR YOU, WITH YOU. LET US HEAR FROM YOU.

Our Mission: Phase I and II

Phase I: “We Value You!”- Overall Objectives

Project Name

Twelve Projects Tested and Ready in Phase I: Expand Community Engagement

Project Name

Phase II. “VITAL at HOME”

First "VITAL at HOME" Work

Do ground work for a national monument in West Virginia

Improve West Virginia Communities

Unify people across regions of West Virginia by cooperating and learning together from projects and overall mission.