The United Service Organizations (USO) began in 1941 when several service organizations came together to support military personnel and their families. BUMC staffs the USO lounge at O’Hare Terminal 2 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. the 4th Sunday of each month and most recently, will begin staffing an additional USO lounge in Terminal 3 from 2:00-6:00 p.m. every Wednesday. Volunteers greet incoming military personnel, assist with travel arrangements, and provide snacks / refreshments. Volunteers are needed! For more information on volunteering, contact the church office.
USO Volunteers Help Our Troops Travel
Delays at O’Hare airport occur with regularity, but for traveling servicemen and women there is a place of refuge where they are greeted by a friendly face, a turkey sandwich and a place to rest while waiting for the next flight. One of the ways Barrington United Methodist Church reaches out to our troops is through the USO program.
The United Service Organizations (USO) began in 1941 when the YMCA, YWCA, National Catholic Community Service, National Jewish Welfare Board, Salvation Army, and National Travelers Aid Association came together to support military personnel and their families. It is a civilian 501 (c) (3) registered non-profit that is funded by the American people, not by the United States Government.
Church member Ron Schneider has volunteered the Wednesday night shift for the past two years and finds that the young troops appreciate the guidance, friendship and food he has to offer. Ron’s first USO experience was a Bob Hope Show he saw during his service in Vietnam. His volunteer service at O’Hare began more than two years ago, staffing the USO lounge on a Sunday with other church volunteers.
George Gill coordinates the Barrington United Methodist Church (BUMC) volunteers to work the fourth Sunday of each month. In a story on the WGN news, Sunday, November 28 about holiday travel, George was interviewed as he and his wife Sallie volunteered at the USO. On that busy travel day after the Thanksgiving holiday, at least 100 military personnel stopped by the USO. George said, “All types of military personal stop by and it is a real inspiration to help them on their travels.”
BUMC provides coverage in the USO lounge located in Terminal 2 on the Mezzanine Level from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on the 4th Sunday of each month. Many individuals from the church have volunteered to assist USO staff in extending hospitality to the traveling troops. On the 4th Sunday of each month, two people volunteer from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and two people from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. They greet incoming military personnel, provide snacks in a clean and neat place to relax between flights or before an initial flight. . George reports that, “These church members have been very reliable in undertaking their volunteer assignments. Our members are generally there by themselves and have performed enthusiastically and with distinction! If there are people who would like to volunteer to participate in this program, they would be most welcome! We can always use a few more volunteers.” Call the church office at 847-836-5540 for contact information for George Gill.
Phone Cards for the Troops Campaign
Our Nation’s defenders answer the call to duty selflessly, without hesitation. But all too often, deployments can be incredible financial and emotional hardships for them and for the families they leave behind. You can assist our servicemen/women with a donation to Barrington United Methodist Church’s Phone Card for the Troops Campaign.
Your donation will purchase phone cards that will enable the troops to call loved ones over the holiday season. Phone cards will be distributed via C Company, 2nd Platoon, Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion currently based in Afghanistan. Checks can be made out to Barrington United Methodist Church with “Phone Cards for the Troops” written in the memo line. Contact George Gill or Pete Wesley for additional information.
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