Northwest military members and their families have another great option to access services and programs: the new USO Camp Lewis Center. The center opened in November on Joint Base LewisMcChord in a space donated by and shared with America’s Credit Union. Ken Leonard, CEO of ACU, donated the 1,911-square-foot space and also presented the USO-NW with a check for over $12,000 to help fund programs at the new facility.
The primary mission of the USO is to support America’s troops. It has developed a wide range of programs and services to meet the ever-changing needs of today’s military and their families. For service members from Lewis Main or Lewis North, the bustling USO Shali Center on McChord Field can be challenging to access, so the new Camp Lewis Center is a welcome option.
The new center features a troop lounge with multiple televisions, computers with free internet, an Xbox gaming system, support to base operations during troop deployments and an information hub for USO programs. The center also offers United Through Reading, part of the Bob Hope Legacy Reading Program. This story time programming helps military families stay connected by assisting deployed service members to record themselves reading their child’s favorite story and then have that recording shipped home.
The Camp Lewis facility is the fourth USO Northwest location, after McChord Field, Sea-Tac International Airport and Portland International Airport. With the help of more than 600 volunteers, USO Northwest serves over 750,000 military service members and their families annually.
USO Northwest provides support to those who need it most. This may include troops deploying overseas and returning home, military families, wounded warriors and their families, and families of the fallen. The new center expands the reach of the USO to more service members and families, who have shown an increased demand for the important services provided through the USO.
HILARY RYAN
For additional information:
northwest.uso.org/camplewiscenter
northwest.uso.org/sponsors/america-s-credit-union