USO Wisconsin
Year founded: 1984
Executive leadership:
- Dan Toomey, president, We Energies
- Tim Flatley, first vice president, retired
- Lee Plemons, second vice president, U.S. Army
- Scott Blazek, treasurer, Wipfli LLP
- Robin Hommel, secretary, Harley-Davidson
- Joseph Duffey, attorney, Duffey Law
Annual budget: $783,483
Who you serve:
United Service Organization of Wisconsin supports currently serving U.S. military and their families in Wisconsin. We also support families of the fallen. We had more than 100,000 touches in 2017 at our centers and programs.
What you do:
At our Fort McCoy centers and Milwaukee and La Crosse airport centers, USO keeps military connected to their families through Wi-Fi and laptops. Often, they are away from their family and unable to get a signal.
Through USO’s programs, we help military families create moments that matter to make up for missed family events. The United Through Reading program provides video of a deployed parent reading a book so their children have a nighttime story while their parent is deployed. At Operation Christmas, we provide food, presents, games and a picture of their family with Santa.
What you need:
We need a new mobile center, more volunteers and support to expand operations. We are a chartered organization and do NOT receive funding from USO national headquarters, the government or the military.
Our mobile truck helped 35,000 service members in 2017 at Fort McCoy and remote areas of Wisconsin. It offered Wi-Fi and video conferencing so military could connect with their families. It provided protein, personal hygiene items and refreshments. That vehicle is currently broken down and we need funding for a new truck.
What makes you different:
We support currently serving military. We have an agreement with the Department of Defense to be on military bases and communicate with units directly. We meet quarterly with military officials and family readiness groups to determine the greatest need. We know what type of support military need during times of high stress: Deployments, moving and around the holidays.
How to get involved:
Have you ever seen a soldier walking through the airport in their camouflage uniform and wanted to thank them for their service, but were afraid to bother them? Volunteer with USO Wisconsin and you can thank local military and their families in a way that is meaningful and helpful to them.
