Today is a big day at the USO of Missouri we are celebrating our 39th birthday with a special 24-hour social media fundraiser and virtual silent auction to celebrate nearly four decades of serving active duty military, reserves, National Guard units, and military families.

On September 21, 1981, the USO of Missouri, Inc. celebrated its grand opening at the flagship St. Louis facility, the James S. McDonnell USO at Terminal 1 in St. Louis Lambert International Airport. The organization has since grown to include a second facility in Terminal 2, a USO center on post at Fort Leonard Wood, two mobile units that travel throughout the state of Missouri and four counties in Illinois (serving Scott Air Force Base), as well as several military and family support programs.

This year's 39th birthday celebration will focus on the USO's past, present, and future while raising critical funds for our annual Thanksgiving program, USO Operation: Give Thanks, which provides complete Thanksgiving meals for service members and their families with economic hardship. Last year, the USO distributed 2,317 Thanksgiving baskets, and this year, we are will provide over 2,700 Thanksgiving meals to military families across the state of Missouri! We cant do this alone this year's program will cost approximately $95,000, and due to Covid-19, food collection and donations are down. You can help support a military family this Thanksgiving with your donation of only $39 (on our 39th birthday) or by hosting a fundraiser and sharing with your family and friends to raise money for this program!

Over the past 39 years, and with the help of thousands of dedicated volunteers and supporters, the USO of Missouri has served over 5 million military personnel and their families (over 230,000 last year alone), keeping them connected to family, home and country throughout their service to the nation. And the USO is still going strong, despite the limitations of the current Covid-19 crisis, resuming limited operations in early June in accordance with federal, state, and local government guidelines. We are taking steps to expand operations in phases while ensuring the safety of service members and families, volunteers, and staff, and to reduce risks to the broader community.

We are so grateful for your support of USO of Missouri on this happy occasion and throughout this unprecedented time. Our nations armed forces rely on our support from the moment they enlist, through their assignments and deployments, and as they transition back to their communities. The USO strives to keep them connected to everything that gives meaning to their service.