Customers will also be invited to download a bookmark template for children to decorate. 

The completed bookmarks will then be sent to United Through Reading for distribution to recording sites around the globe.  The campaign will run through July 4, 2013.

 For more information about this campaign, please visit OshKosh B’gosh’s website here.  

by National Military Appreciation Month (www.nmam.org)

As a nation, we observe and participate in various national cultural and social awareness events through mass media attention and educational curriculum. However, we have not allocated appropriate recognition of the most important presence in the world today, an entity that impacts each and every American in a significant way, the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

National Military Appreciation Month (NMAM), as designated by Congress, provides a period encompassing both the history and recognition of our armed services with an in-depth look at the diversity of its individuals and achievements. It allows Americans to educate each generation on the historical impact of our military through the participation of the community with those who serve encouraging patriotism and love for America.

This month gives the nation a time and place on which to focus and draw attention to our many expressions of appreciation and recognition of our armed services via numerous venues and also to recall and learn about our vast American military history. National Military Appreciation Month and American Military History Month are now synonymous to this website.

National Military Appreciation Month for May 2013 includes Loyalty Day (1st), VE Day(8th), Military Spouse Appreciation Day (10th), Armed Forces Day (18th), and Memorial Day (30th). This very important month honors, remembers, recognizes and appreciates all military personnel; those men and women who have served throughout our history and all who now serve in uniform and their families as well as those Americans who have given their lives in defense of our freedoms we all enjoy today.

It recognizes those on active duty in all branches of the services, the National Guard and Reserves plus retirees, veterans, and all of their families – well over 90 million Americans and more than 230 years of our nation’s history. Let us celebrate them just as we celebrate the other important entities that make up this wonderful country of ours.

Find Out More

Supporting our mission, over 850 volunteers gave of their time to promote literacy and maintain the connection between physically separated service members and children they love in 2012.  Nearly 25,000 volunteer hours were spent making almost 50,000 DVD recordings and directly reaching nearly 220,000 service members and their loved ones.   Our regional volunteers and homefront coordinators attended briefings, gave speeches, conducted training, and provided many other means of support to ensure that our programs were well promoted and well run. 

This year we would like to spotlight the following: 

 Jen Patrick

Jen was introduced to United Through Reading as a recipient of a video during her husband’s deployment in 2006.   In 2011, Jen, a reading specialist and military mom, found volunteering for United Through Reading to be a perfect fit.  ”I think the biggest benefit of my time is knowing that through our work, military kids can stay connected to their deployed family member – that makes every effort to spread the word and gain support well worth the time.” 

Ursula Morales

Ursula has been a United Through Reading volunteer for two years and is the Library Technician – Program Coordinator for the Lifelong Learning Library at the USMC Base at 29 Palms.  Ursula is great with the Marines who come in for recordings, and works through the Family Readiness Officers to arrange filming opportunities for units preparing to deploy. Through her efforts, many Marines and Sailors have been able to make recordings prior to deploying.

HM1 J. Kleve   

HM1 Kleve has been the United Through Reading representative at a forward deployed location for about six months and loves it.  When asked why, HM1 Kleve responded,  ”It allows me to meet new folks on the base, help others connect with their children, and share the love of reading.” 

SPC Kyle Gallagher 

SPC Gallagher has been working with the United Through Reading program in a forward deployed location as a volunteer since November 2012.  He says,  ”It brings me joy knowing I get to be a part of something that unites family and loved ones.  This program provides a ray of sunlight in such a dark place.”

Chaplain Thomas Bingol

After serving as a volunteer for United Through Reading for three years, Chaplain Bingol says, “As a Chaplain, I often get to see the ‘unvarnished’ emotions of our Sailors. Whether reading “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’” for a son or daughter because they are deployed over the holidays, or the young Sailor or officer who is expecting their first child and reading children’s stories in hopes that their unborn children will hear their voice and participate more fully in their pregnancy during deployment, is ‘AWESOME!’  I have seen a ‘salty’ old Senior Chief, put on a Dr. Seuss ‘Cat in the Hat’ – hat and red bow tie and book in hand say to a group of shipmates (who couldn’t remember ever seeing him smile), “What? Have you got a problem with this?””  

Laura Hunt 

Laura has been a Regional Volunteer Coordinator for United Through Reading for five years.  While stationed at Fort Bragg she facilitated resource tables for family deployment fairs and gave command briefings on the benefits of the program.   In the last two years she has helped develop a quality driven United Through Reading booklist for parents and family members to share with their children.   Laura says,  ”As a former teacher, I have a love of reading and enjoy sharing it with families through the United Through Reading website.  Over the past few years I have heard from many Fort Bragg families on the success they have had staying connected during deployment because of United Through Reading.  Their success is what drives me to continue volunteering.”   

MA1 (SW/AW) Steve Pabon 

MA1 Pabon was introduced to United Through Reading during his deployment on USS Carl Vinson from December 2010 – June 2011 and has been an active volunteer for over a year. In that time, he’s been an invaluable spokesperson at predeployment briefs, resource fairs and family readiness briefings. MA1 Pabon said, “I volunteer because I know the hardship our sailors go through when they are deployed for I have been in their shoes. I take any opportunity I get to educate our sailors on how they can benefit from UTR and their families as well.”  

Carol Raiter

Carol is the Founding Chair of the Storybook Ball, United Through Reading’s annual black tie gala and fundraiser.  She has provided inspiration, vision and guidance for the event, now in its fifth year.  Carol’s boundless energy and dedication to United Through Reading have helped to create a significant source of revenue for the organization, and a beautiful opportunity to celebrate our donors, our volunteers, and the families we serve.  

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for United Through Reading (UTR) there are many ways you can help.   

• Become a Regional Volunteer and spread the message about our program within your community
• Hold a Virtual Book Drive to collect money to provide books to our participants 
• Introduce UTR to your command and become an Active Duty Coordinator
• Help your command’s UTR program at home by becoming a Homefront Coordinator
• Volunteer at your local USO and help our service members make memories for the children they love

Find out more about how you can get involved.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, the Senior Leadership Council, and the staff of United Through Reading, THANK YOU for your faithful and devoted service to
supporting the men and women of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and National Guard and their families.

We feel it is important to acknowledge your accomplishments during the 2013 National Volunteer Week. That said, we also hope you will accept our deepest gratitude for your contribution to United Through Reading throughout the year. Your volunteer service to our organization is in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States military.

Supporting United Through Reading’s mission, over 825 volunteers gave of their time to promote literacy and maintain the connection between physically separated service members and children that they love in 2012. Nearly 25,000 volunteer hours were spent making almost 50,000 DVD recordings and directly reaching nearly 220,000 service members and their loved ones. Our regional volunteers and home front coordinators attended briefings, gave speeches, conducted training, and provided many other means of support to ensure that our programs were well promoted and well run.

We are pleased to announce new recognition programs for you, our valued volunteers, in appreciation of the gift of your time and talents in support of our mission. This recognition will come in many forms – your ability to obtain the Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA), recommendations for the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal (MOVSM), and the ability to earn newly created awards specific to United Through Reading. Your National Program Managers will have information about the paths toward receiving this recognition which they will share with you in the coming months.

Mere thanks are not sufficient to convey how honored and humbled I am by your support of United Through Reading.

With gratitude

Sally Ann Zoll, Ed. D.
CEO

Related:

United Through Reading Celebrates National Volunteer Week April 21 — April 27
National Volunteer Week (PDF)

Here’s How United Through Reading is making a Difference

Jenny Lynne Stroup, spouse of LTJG Matthew Stroup, holds her son Braydon, while speaking at UTR’s 2011 Capitol Reception

By Eric Brandner, @USO.org

“I’m a giraffe and I bend my neck. Can you do it?”

It’s not what you expect to hear from a public affairs officer. But this isn’t a normal briefing.

Despite communication advancements, deployed troops still face the challenge of staying connected with family back home. Even officers who communicate for a living – like Navy Lt. j. g. Matthew Stroup – can struggle to find a personal touch from afar that his two young boys will understand.

The USO and United Through Reading® are working together to change that.
Read Full Article

Navy Lt. j.g. Matthew Stroup recorded himself reading a book to his children during a United Through Reading event on Jan. 18 in Afghanistan.

In 2011, Charity Navigator evaluated 5500 charities-ten times the number of charities that any other rating agency evaluates. Charity Navigator has always assigned ratings based on financial health, but recently added a second dimension to their evaluation: accountability and transparency.

This additional criteria set decreased the number of Four-Star ratings by 20% this year. United Through Reading was not among them. Our Board of Trustees takes seriously its fiduciary responsibility and has policies and practices in place that provide for exceptional accountability and outstanding transparency in governance. Only 4% of charities have received five consecutive four-star ratings from Charity Navigator. We’re proud to be among them.

Pictured are board members Fran Holian, Sally Ann Zoll, Cathy Spetter, Debbie Bell and Dwayne Junker.

Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, CA is celebrating its 125th birthday in 2013 and the kick off birthday celebration was held on the Windsor Lawn of the hotel yesterday.  

Barry Brown, Director of Marketing for the hotel, RADM Dixon Smith, Commander Naval Region Southwest, United Through Reading CEO Dr. Sally Ann Zoll, and Coronado Mayor Casey Tanaka, spoke to the crowd of 200 celebrating the hotel’s long supportive relationship with the military and its commitment to supporting United Through Reading throughout its birthday year.

 A newly released history book, Hotel del Coronado History, features over 440 images, most of which have never been published.  The hotel will donate $1.25 from the sale of each history book to United Through Reading!

Veterans are entertained during National Salute week.

Every day, some 98,000 veterans are treated in Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, outpatient clinics, domiciliaries, and nursing homes.

And every year, during Valentine’s Week, a call goes out to the public to visit and honor these hospitalized veterans during National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week.

This year, the event runs from February 10 – 16, 2013.   Click here  to learn more.

Related: 
Learn how United Through Reading supports hospitalized combat veterans.
Bob Woodruff Foundation

Sailors and soldiers from the PRT and other units on FOB Farah volunteered their time to read books to their loved ones and to students at Birch Elementary school in Idaho during a short operational pause.

The read-a-thon’s goal was to raise awareness of the United Through Reading Program, connect deployed service members with their families and develop a love of reading for children who received books on DVD. PRT Farah is in its third month of a deployment in western Afghanistan where they train, advise and assist Afghan government leaders at the municipal, district, and provincial level.

United Through Reading enables deployed parents to share their love and support with their children by reading books aloud on DVD. Service members can also read to younger siblings, nieces, nephews, and other extended family members as well as to other children whom they mentor.

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Jennifer Kleve is the command’s United Through Reading coordinator and organized the read-a-thon for all service members on base. In addition to reading to family members, the read-a-thon provides an opportunity for service members without children to read to students at Birch Elementary, a school that the command partnered with in Idaho.

“One way we’ve tried to encourage UTR participation is by partnering with a school,” said Kleve. “Many people don’t participate because they don’t have kids, but there are plenty of elementary school students who would love to have someone read them a book. This is a great chance to do just that.”

Cmdr. Louis McCray, commanding officer of PRT Farah, fully supports the program and recognizes its benefits to service members and their families.

“Personal fortitude is a big part of our command philosophy, and United Through Reading supports the strong family connections that foster personal growth and fortitude. We all know that reading to children in their developmental years is of great benefit, and this program not only helps to connect deployed families, but it helps children grow as well,” said McCray.

“Military commands love this program,” said Sally Ann Zoll, Ed. D., chief executive officer of United Through Reading. “It minimizes deployment miles and helps military personnel parent from afar. The reassurance of seeing the deployed service member and having them talk to their children provides immense relief to the child and the spouse at home. The morale of the whole family is boosted.”

Through United Through Reading deployed parents get a chance to share their love and support and children receive essential communication and literacy skills. While in the past, military personnel have been able to write letters, e-mail and send audio cassettes, United Through Reading offers children a chance to see their parent’s face, listen to their voice and read along as their parent reads them a children’s story. It also allows them to spend as much time with the deployed parent as they wish by watching the DVD over and over again.

U.S. Army Capt. Jacob Estrada, security force commander for the PRT, took the opportunity to read to his girls during the read-athon.

“United Through Reading is a great way for me to connect with my three daughters. When not deployed or in the field training I read with them every night as part of the bedtime routine. While I can’t be there to read with them right now United Through Reading fills in some of the gap,” Estrada said.

“Deployment doesn’t only affect those who have volunteered for service. It affects hundreds of thousands of children as well,” said Zoll. “Our goal is to lessen the strain of separation and increase bonding through the positive, educational experience that reading aloud provides.”

Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah currently deployed to western Afghanistan and trains, advises, and assists Afghan government leaders at the municipal, district, and provincial level in Farah province, Afghanistan. Their civil-military team is comprised of members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). 

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