USO South Carolina and Verizon Wireless Unveil New United through Reading Room for South Carolina National Guard

United through Reading Military Program allows deploying service members to read a bedtime story to their children

COLUMBIA, SC – Today, thanks to Verizon Wireless, the USO South Carolina opened a United Through Reading® room at Joint National Guard Base McEntire. The space and the USO partnership with United Through Reading®will provide the deploying members of the South Carolina National Guard an opportunity to read their kids a bedtime book and virtually be there, even when they can’t be there in-person.

The United through Reading program, just one of many family-strengthening programs offered by the USO, helps to ease the fear, uncertainty and anxiety felt by children in military families by enabling deployed parents around the world to share their love and support by reading storybooks aloud on DVD.

“I had the opportunity to use the USO’s United Through Reading program in 2012 while I was deployed to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. It’s an incredible program, and one I will always be grateful for since it allowed me to stay connected with my 2-year-old son while I was away. I cannot say enough good things about the USO and United Through Reading.” LT Stephen Hudson, Public Affairs Officer, South Carolina Air National Guard.

While the United through Reading program is a simple concept, the impacts are lasting. For a little while, a faraway hero is back home, which eases the stress of separation; makes reunions and homecomings easier; allows parents to share parenting responsibilities from wherever they are in the world; boosts morale of our troops serving in the field; and cultivates a love of reading in children.

“The United through Reading Military Program makes a lasting impact on our nation’s youngest heroes; military children. Thanks to our partners Verizon Wireless and the troops of the South Carolina National Guard for making this connectivity possible!” Joanie Thresher, Director, USO South Carolina.

Because of donations from corporations and the community, the program is completely free for service members.

“The work the USO South Carolina is doing in support of our military and their families to make every moment count is tremendous and we are blessed to be part of it.  Verizon is in business to keep people connected to the things that matter most, so it’s a perfect fit to support the United Through Reading program designed to keep families connected when separated by countless miles.  We’re thrilled to partner in this initiative,” Karen Schulz, Public Relations, Verizon Wireless.

About the USO South Carolina

The USO South Carolina lifts the spirits of troops and their families thousands of times each year across the state. We provide a touch of home through centers at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport and McCrady Training Center. USO South Carolina also offers morale-boosting and family-strengthening programs, deployment and redeployment supportto help servicemen and women adjust to the duty ahead, resiliency training for families facing multiple deployments, discreet and compassionate escorts and other support for Families of the Fallen, as well as passenger terminal assistance for troops and loved ones alike. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs and services are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.

In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President’s Circle Partners: American Airlines, AT&T, BNSF Railway, Clark Construction Group, LLC, The Coca-Cola Company, Grand Canyon University, JCPenney, Jeep, Johnson & Johnson, Kroger, Northrop Grumman Corporation and TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Worldwide Strategic Partners: BAE Systems, BIC, The Boeing Company, ConAgra Foods, FedEx, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Procter & Gamble, TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern GmbH & Co. KG and Wawa Inc. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381).  To join us in this patriotic mission, and to learn more about the USO South Carolina, please visit www.uso.org/southcarolina.