Volunteers

Our volunteers have always been the heart and soul of our organization,“ states Elaine Rogers, "Without them, we simply would not exist.”

In Fiscal Year 2016, 1,200 individuals volunteered more than 110,000 hours of service with USO-Metro! Next to our corporate sponsors, our volunteers are to thank for keeping our doors open, putting smiles on the faces of weary troops and making this new station feel a little less strange for so many military and their families.

USO-Metro Center Volunteers

After almost three decades in the military, this Sergeant Major has dedicated his golden years to help young servicemen and women through the USO-Metro’s programs and services.

USO-Metro Event Volunteers

Shirley, a USO-Metro volunteer and military mom supports with her community by making special, heartfelt connections with the children of local service members.

Thank you to Boeing for highlighting our incredible volunteers in the Boeing HOME&AWAY campaign.

More Than Sitting at a Desk

No matter what capacity our volunteers serve in, the one thing they all have in common is that they are there for our troops when they need us most, like USO-Metro volunteer, Debbie on December 12, 2015:

Young guy comes in looking totally worn out. Says he will need a hotel room as he is on Sunday night rotator. I got him to go back and get something to eat and relax for a few minutes and then made the call to the hotel he picked. […] As he waits, I am trying to get him to smile or something (he just looked so worn out and somber). So I asked what he was going to do on Sunday during the day while he waited and said there was Arundel Mills or the Inner Harbor and told him about the light rail and stuff. He tells me, “Nope, no time for that I have a paper to write … it’s my last paper.” Discussion ensued and he ended up telling me he missed his own graduation to make the flight he had come in on and that he needed to get the paper done because he had just earned his MBA. I congratulated him and told him I was sorry he had missed such an important event […] Without missing a beat, he thanked me for the thought but said it had been worth it and he had no regrets. He then told me that the reason he missed the graduation was that he had been selected to participate in a dignified transfer and that accompanying that soldier home was more important than the graduation to him. As he left, I thanked him for his service, for what he had done for that other soldier and for his awesome attitude. He turned around and smiled (finally) and thanked me for being there to take care of him… I swear I am crying now as I write this to you. I am so humbled and thankful to be involved in taking care of these very special men and women and getting to learn from them.

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