USO brightens holidays for military           

USO brightens holidays for military           

Posted on December 14, 2023 0

Thousands of U.S. military members deployed overseas – many to the Middle East in response to the Israel-Hamas war –will be spending the holidays far away from loved ones. That’s where USO comes in.

Since forming in 1941, USO (United Service Organizations) has helped connect servicemen and servicewomen to their families, homes, and country.  Want to volunteer or make donations? The chapter for Joint Base Lewis-McChord and a USO center at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport can be contacted at volunteers.uso.org and 253-589-8772.

And here is how USO programming helps make the holiday season bright:

  • Care packages. They’re a reminder that servicemen and women aren’t forgotten back home. Aside from standard USO Care Packages, which contain snacks or toiletries, USO Holidays Care Packages have festive treats and goodies, such as holiday candies and clothing that help bridge the gap between home and the frontlines. This year, USO will deliver 50,000 holiday packages to over 250 locations globally.
  • Holiday traditions. USO Centers and mobile teams host holiday meals. And dach December, USO Holidays Cookie Week celebrates the time-honored tradition of baking and decorating cookies, putting service members and military families in the holiday spirit wherever they are. Other seasonal programming can include tree decorating, arts and crafts, holiday-themed movie nights, and ugly-sweater competitions.
  • Connections to home. The USO Reading Program enables deployed service members to record themselves reading a book to their child. The recording and a copy of the book are sent to that service member’s family.
  • Happy trails. Thousands of service members and trainees from military installations across the country participate in the Holiday Block Leave period, many traveling through some of the busiest airports in the United States to be with their families during the holidays. USO airport centers provide a place to relax and unwind before the next leg of their journey, along with all the comfort items they need.

More information is at uso.org/campaign/holidays.

Source: StatePoint Media

HOW TO HELP

Want to volunteer or make donations for the USO? The chapter for Joint Base Lewis-McChord and a USO center at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport can be contacted at volunteers.uso.org and 253-589-8772.