USO Metro Earns 4-Star Rating Just in Time for #GivingTuesday

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 01, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore (USO-Metro) announced that it has once again earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, the highest rating possible from the nation’s largest charity evaluator, for its sound fiscal management practices and its commitment to accountability and transparency. According to Charity Navigator, only 21% of charities rated have received at least 2 consecutive 4-star evaluations. The announcement comes on the day of the worldwide #GivingTuesday campaign in which people are asked to give to charities following shopping frenzies on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

“We’re incredibly proud to once again achieve a 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator,” said Elaine Rogers, President and CEO of USO-Metro for nearly 40 years.  “It is extremely important to us to be good stewards of our donors’ generosity by ensuring that their donations are being used for services directly benefiting our nation’s troops and their families.”

In 2014, 86.1 cents out of every dollar donated to USO-Metro went directly to serving single military members, military families and the nation’s wounded, ill and injured and their caregivers. USO-Metro provides services to not only to troops and their families in the Washington-Baltimore region, but to wounded, ill and injured service members and their caregivers from around the world who are recovering at local military hospitals. In addition, through four USO-Metro airport lounges, dedicated USO volunteers provide services to traveling military families relocating around the globe or troops deploying overseas in defense of the nation.

The state-of-the-art USO Warrior and Family Centers at Fort Belvoir and Bethesda, the two largest USO Centers in the world, are strategically located near military hospitals and temporary military housing for those wounded, ill injured troops receiving long-term treatment. In 2014, these two centers served 230,330 guests, about 40% were wounded, ill and injured.

USO-Metro relies solely on the generosity of the American people and business community to support the men and women who wear the uniform and defend the United States of America. The USO receives no funding from the Federal government. 

USO-Metro operates 10 locations throughout the Washington-Baltimore region including six USO centers, four airport lounges and a “deployable” Mobile USO. USO-Metro’s long history has allowed it to build strong relationships with military members and their leaders to ensure that the needs of the nation’s troops and their families are being addressed, making it one of the most trusted and recognized military nonprofit organizations in the country. 

Chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1941, USO is one of the oldest military nonprofit organizations serving active duty service members. As it has for nearly 75 years, USO continues to provide the American people a direct way to thank the nation’s troops and their families for their service and sacrifice, while providing them the support they need to meet the ever-changing challenges of the military lifestyle.

For more information about USO-Metro please contact Michelle Shortencarrier at 703-864-6429, email at [email protected] and visit www.USOMetro.org.

Michelle Shortencarrier
(703) 864-6429, 
[email protected]