A WARM HELLO to friends, old and new, of the Coming Home Project. It has been an
exciting time of growth.

Retreats
In June, we held a 5 day retreat for families with a deployed loved one at the Angela
Center in Santa Rosa. We had so many applicants that we stretched from 60 to 120.
With 30 support staff, that made a total of 150 people. In July we welcomed
veterans, service members and families and again expanded from 60 to 100, given
the high level of interest. This year we have had 3‐10 times the number of applicants
as spaces at our retreats. We know we're tapping into a need when 600 female
veterans apply for the 60 spaces at our recent retreat for women veterans.

Interested in Facilitating?
In November we're planning a facilitator's training conference for mental health
professionals and military chaplains to develop adult and child facilitator pools in
our three new locations around the country. Registration is currently open.

Expansion
In 2010 we will be holding veteran and family retreats in Santa Rosa and San Diego,
CA; San Antonio, TX; and the Washington DC metro area. We are also concluding
discussions with Operation Homefront about partnering to assist in developing
pools of logistics volunteers in our new regions. We hope to be able to accommodate
more service members, veterans and their families. Plans are to eventually increase
the number of regional retreats for service providers as well. We are learning how
to better organize our resources so we maintain the warm, welcoming and
supportive atmosphere that characterizes our retreats.

Networks of Care
Referrals to our psychotherapist cohort in Northern California are increasing, as is
the number of volunteering therapists. One of our cohort members, Maureen Devine
MFT, has developed a support group for parents. Plans are in the works for an
integrated continuum of care to include classes and support groups that
complement our retreats and the psychological counseling we offer. The programs
will include instruction, interaction, practice and building resilience, cultivating
strengths, offering support, informing, teaching new skills, providing a safe place,
and improving communication. Here is a sampling of possible programs‐ Resilience
101: Practical tools for reducing stress and increasing wellbeing (and maybe
sleeping better); Self‐care for military spouses; Parenting skills (including selfcare);
Couples communication skills; Singles communication with family and
friends.
We will cultivate such interconnected networks in our three new regions with our
retreats as a portal and a hub, building new partnerships as we expand. We will
continue to grow connections
· Within the individual (body and mind, heart and soul)
· Among peers (service members and veterans, as well as their
  family members and service providers)
· Among family members
· Between families and veterans and their community / services

Travels
Kasee and I have been traveling to San Diego and San Antonio to lay the groundwork
for our retreats there in 2010. I continue to visit Washington DC exploring retreat
centers and developing relationships with new partners. LTC David Rabb and I
attended the Force Health Protection Conference in Albuquerque where we
presented on the Coming Home Project programs. I presented at a CIAV summit in
DC aimed at educating legislators and funders about the current needs of those we
serve. CIAV is the Coalition for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, a coalition of the
grantees of our major funder, the IADIF. Kasee recently returned from another trip
to San Antonio exploring retreat centers for 2010.

Resources
We are grateful to the organizations that have supported us to date: the Shinnyo‐en,
Kalliopeia, Threshold, McCormick, Sandy, and May and Stanley Smith Foundations, as well as the Iraq and Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund/California Community
Foundation for its three year grant which runs out next year.
At our recent deployed families retreat a participant came up and asked "How much
does it cost you to run a free retreat for 5 days for 150 people from 25 states?"
Another participant told us about someone he knows in the Public Health Surgeon
General's Office who could be of assistance. After our last service providers retreat
three nurses volunteered to help as part of the logistics team when we come to San
Antonio. We have never asked our participants to help us financially, and, people are
becoming interested in giving back. Our programs are free and we want them to stay
that way. And because they are free they cost a great deal. Help comes in many
forms: strategic, human energy, expertise, elbow grease, spiritual support, financial
assistance are a few. We welcome all of them.
Given the current economic situation, we want to make opportunities available to all
of our friends and our participants to be of assistance. If you or someone you know,
perhaps from your family or your circle of friends, acquaintances and colleagues, is
able to help, we welcome your assistance. Feel free to let people know about our
programs and to enable those who are able to assist the Coming Home Project.