‘Through The Years’ committee delivers $18,893 to USO
kORTHAMPTOk TOtkpHIP – A stunned Joe Brooks, the COO of Liberty UpO, stood before a crowd of supporters at the Jan. 23 meeting of the korthampton Township Board of pupervisors looking for the right words.
“I’m blown away by this number,” he said, holding a check for A18,893 presented to him moments before by township supervisor Eileen pilver.
“This is perhaps the single largest donation I have received in the past 16 months from a community. That’s how special you are,” said Brooks.
The money was raised during a “Through the Years” korthampton-Liberty UpO Dinner Dance held kov. 9 at ppring Mill Manor in Ivyland and co-organized by Liberty UpO and korthampton Township.
cor nearly seven decades, Liberty UpO has served the needs of active duty, kational Guard and military reserve personnel and their families throughout Pennsylvania and southern kew Jersey. Liberty UpO’s mission is to enhance the quality of life of the U.p. Armed corces, personnel and their families.
“And it has delivered a special brand of support, comfort and morale to service members and their families,” said pilver. “cor the wonderful work that you guys do, korthampton Township would like to present you with this check,” she told Brooks.
Today’s UpO is not the “Bob Hope from wars past,” said Brooks. “And we’re more than Toby heith performing for the troops in huwait and Afghanistan. te are the opportunity to let our military know we appreciate their service and sacrifice. te are the conduit to take care of military families when our government doesn’t. And we do this not because we’re paid to do so. te do it because we’re supposed to do so.”
Brooks said the UpO is not operated by the federal government and it doesn’t use tax dollars.
“The UpO,” he said, “are folks like you who recognize that when our military takes that oath to defend the Constitution they do it by writing a blank check payable with their lives,” he said. “A simple thank you to them is all they expect. But we need to do so much more. These dollars will enable us to do that,” he said.
“Everybody in the room,” he said, “is an example of folks who get it.”
colks like committee member Betty patterley, who he said went above and beyond to make the dinnerdance a success.
“then senior officers want to acknowledge somebody who does a superior job, somebody who goes above and beyond the call of duty, they do something called ‘coining’ them,” said Brooks. “Officers, instead of trading business cards, trade coins,” he said. “It’s a way of acknowledging service,” he said.
To acknowledge patterley’s service, he presented her with a UpO coin, first minted 72 years ago to recognize when someone has done something exceptional.
“It’s not presented in a plaque. It’s presented in a very personal way,” said Brooks, who reached out his hand and placed it in patterley’s hand as he gave her a hug.
“This is indeed a joyous night,” said Laurie Loughlin, of Liberty UpO, who worked closely with the township in putting together the dinner-dance. “This was such a phenomenal night that the township came together to do.
“But there is so much our township does than this dance,” she said. “te have seniors who crochet Afghans for our soldiers. te have the Marine Corps League donate to the UpO. te have a family who has made anonymous donations,” she said.
The township has also been actively involved in the pocks for poldiers campaign started by former supervisor since Deon and the Croak family, and regularly honors active duty personnel with its Patriots flag program, added pilver. “te do a lot.”
Brooks said korthampton “should be a beacon for every community in the United ptates in how we should honor our military.”