80 years of the USO
In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to unite several service associations into one organization to lift the morale of our military and nourish support on the home front. Those entities – the Salvation Army, Young Men’s Christian Association, Young Women’s Christian Association, National Catholic Community Services, National Travelers Aid Association and the National Jewish Welfare Board – became the United Service Organizations.
The USO has remained busy during pandemic. It facilitated 96 USO MVP events in 2020 which are online events with celebrities to the nation’s military communities. The 2020 events were viewed with more than 31,000 attendees.
The USO has been delivering care packages since World War II and formally launched USO Care Package program in 2003. The 3 millionth care package was delivered last November to a service member in East Africa. What’s in a care package? It’s basically snack packs and toiletry packs with hygiene essentials.
To help lift the spirits of our service members and their families you can donate to the USO at USO.org.
Tax-deductible donations to the USO can be made by calling 800-876-7469.
The USO is a nonprofit, charitable corporation chartered by Congress that relies on donations. "Believe me when I say that laughter up at the front lines is a very precious thing — precious to those grand guys who are giving and taking the awful business that goes on there. There's a lump the size of Grant's Tomb in your throat when they come up to you and shake your hand and mumble 'Thanks.' Imagine those guys thanking me! Look what they're doin' for me. And for you."
— Bob Hope