Helping Hands

USO Northwest’s Helping Hands Program is very unique as we are the only USO in the world to offer it! The Helping Hands Program was established when we recognized both the critical need for our military to spend valuable time together with their families as a unit, and also that there were minimal funds available to our military and their families to provide these much needed unit and morale building activities. Compounding the problem is the explicit regulation prohibiting our military from fundraising or soliciting support. When traditional funding sources are not available or insufficient to cover the entire cost of the unit’s activity or event, the Helping Hands Program provides small awards to help offset the cost of the activity. Welcome home celebrations, pre-deployment parties, family day picnics and holiday parties are just a few examples of the family-focused activities that our Helping Hands Program makes possible.

Helping Hands fund requests are reviewed individually and decided on a case-by-case basis. Our Helping Hands Program is supported by the generous contributions made to the USO Northwest through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). 100% of the donations that we receive through the CFC goes directly to support our military and their families through our Helping Hands Program. As our military’s need continues to grow, we look for additional funding opportunities for this program. Delta Air Lines and AT&T are both generous corporate sponsors of the Helping Hands Program.

Last year, USONW’s Helping Hands Program provided over $65,000 in support and served over 99,000 local military and their families. The Pacific Northwest is home to each branch of the military: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and National Guard – and where the military serves – so does the USO!“

Effective immediately, Helping Hands ‎checks will no longer be written to individuals but can be written to organizations such as your local FRG or Association supporting your command/event. Thank you!

To review the program guidelines or submit a Helping Hands Program request for consideration by our Programs Committee, click on the following:

Helping Hands Form Word Document

Helping Hands Form PDF