USO Supporter,

Hurricane Melissa has intensified into a category 5 storm and is projected to make landfall in Cuba late Tuesday night. This storm threatens not only civilian communities — but also the men and women in uniform and their families who serve our nation.

At the USO, we are ready to offer support and care when any need arises for our service members and their families. This includes providing support as a result of the ongoing government shutdown, and now also addressing the needs of some due to Hurricane Melissa. In Florida, our team welcomed more than 1,000 evacuated U.S. citizens from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Pensacola. Our team members from Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville are ready to provide them with the support they need. For our service members and those who support them, the combination of hurricane relief and shutdown impacts intensifies the strain.

Help us reach an emergency-response goal of $30,000 via email and text message by midnight to help ensure we’re prepared to support all our service members, no matter what. Please, will you donate $58 or more now to support our heroes at this critical moment and into the future?*

Our service members are ready to jump into action at any moment to serve Americans at home and abroad . . . even in times of uncertainty. They are a critical part of our country’s response to hurricanes, wildfires and other disasters, conducting lifesaving search and rescue missions and helping communities rebuild in the wake of emergencies like Hurricane Melissa. Even in the midst of a government shutdown.

Your support right now matters more than ever. When you give today, your donation helps empower the USO to:

1. Provide real-time relief and other critical programs like snack packs, toiletries, hygiene products and Wi-Fi.

2. Extend support to families and pets displaced by the storm, a mission that is already underway, including in Pensacola.

3. Deploy Mobile USO units — our “USO Centers on Wheels” — from Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville to the front lines of response at NAS Pensacola, ensuring critical support everywhere our military community is moved.

Because of you, we can be ready the moment disaster strikes. Because of you, service members — many leaving their own homes behind — have a place to rest, refresh and connect with their loved ones. Your generosity helps ensure the USO is fully equipped to respond.

In the words of a soldier we recently served: “As soon as I saw the USO, it brought light to my face. I already knew they were going to take care of us.”

Let’s bring that same light and care to those now displaced due to Hurricane Melissa. Together, we stand with them.

Always For the People Who Serve,

Tabitha Glenn
VP, USO

P.S. Every minute counts. Please give today to ensure the USO is ready when and where we’re needed most.