USO Hawaii Helps More Than 1,100 Displaced Military Families Over the Holidays

By Juliet Bucayu-Domingo, USO Hawaii Area Director

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Coffee/snack area for Service Members working the processing line.

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One location for families to pick up snacks and beverages at Pearl Harbor as they waited in line for processing.

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HONOLULU (Dec. 24, 2021) U.S. Army Veteran Francene Tolliver, USO Hawaii Area Operations Manager, Kaneohe, Hawaii, prepares for a holiday party supported by the USO and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) program for service members and their families, displaced by current water related health and safety concerns. The Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) water quality recovery is a joint U.S. military initiative working closely with State of Hawaii, Department of Health, Honolulu Board of Water Supply, U.S. government and independent organizations to restore a safe water delivery system to JBPHH military housing communities through testing, treatment, and repair. For detailed information, including available resources and locations, and news, go to www.navy.mil/jointbasewater. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Christopher Thomas)

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HONOLULU (Dec. 24, 2021) U.S. Army Veteran Francene Tolliver, USO Hawaii Area Operations Manager, Kaneohe, Hawaii, hands out crafting supplies at a holiday party supported by the USO and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) program for service members and their families displaced by the current water related health and safety concerns. The Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) water quality recovery is a joint U.S. military initiative working closely with State of Hawaii, Department of Health, Honolulu Board of Water Supply, U.S. government and independent organizations to restore a safe water delivery system to JBPHH military housing communities through testing, treatment, and repair. For detailed information, including available resources and locations, and news, go to www.navy.mil/jointbasewater. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Christopher Thomas)

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HONOLULU (Dec. 24, 2021) A service member and his family, displaced by current water related health and safety concerns, take photos at a holiday party supported by the USO and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) program. The Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) water quality recovery is a joint U.S. military initiative working closely with State of Hawaii, Department of Health, Honolulu Board of Water Supply, U.S. government and independent organizations to restore a safe water delivery system to JBPHH military housing communities through testing, treatment, and repair. For detailed information, including available resources and locations, and news, go to www.navy.mil/jointbasewater. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Christopher Thomas)

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HONOLULU (Dec. 24, 2021) Service members play soccer with families, displaced by current water related health and safety concerns, at a holiday party supported by the USO and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) program. The Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) water quality recovery is a joint U.S. military initiative working closely with State of Hawaii, Department of Health, Honolulu Board of Water Supply, U.S. government and independent organizations to restore a safe water delivery system to JBPHH military housing communities through testing, treatment, and repair. For detailed information, including available resources and locations, and news, go to www.navy.mil/jointbasewater. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Christopher Thomas)

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Facing an extraordinary situation where more than a thousand military service member families were suddenly displaced from military housing, the USO team in Hawaii sprang into action to provide support throughout the holiday season.

As a result of ongoing environmental concerns in their housing area, service members and their families needed to find immediate housing and support – including a visit from Santa Claus, gifts, and activities for children.

“We were able to immediately respond to the military leadership’s request to provide assistance,” said USO Pacific Regional Vice President Scott Maskery. “The impactful support provided through essential donations was foundational to our successful efforts. We are appreciative of support we received from the community that allows us to execute our mission.” The military leadership teams across the affected areas contacted the USO for immediate support as they know the non-profit organization has a proven track record of providing during times of need. Through coordination with several USO centers on Oahu, the team provided essentials, beverages and snacks that evening at Aliamanu Military Reservation (AMR) housing base to families waiting to be processed and service members supporting the relocations efforts who were working late into the evening. This was done all within two hours of the initial request and support continued for several days to include multiple locations on Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam.

“We are so grateful for the USO’s support to our families. This has been a challenging time for them, and for it to happen at Christmas makes it that much more difficult,” said Master Chief Petty Officer Misty Flynn, Joint Information Center Senior Enlisted Leader. “The USO’s donations and volunteer time were incredibly helpful in making sure this (Christmas Eve) event was a success.”

In addition to providing snacks, beverages, and toiletry products to the families relocated to eleven different hotels across Oahu, the team joined several community partners to provide a festive event on Christmas Eve at the Hale Koa Hotel for the displaced families. A visit from Santa, kid’s activities, games, and giveaways provided relaxation during an uncertain time and helped families connect with one another.

“The USO team does what it always does when duty calls – it jumped into action once we received the call for support. They did it without hesitation and they made a difference in the lives of so many who needed it so quickly,” said Juliet Bucayu-Domingo, the Hawaii director for the USO. “Our relationship among the military community in Hawaii is strong and it’s times like this that demonstrate those open lines of communication and the trust we have among each other to help and support our community.”

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