by David Chapman
Staff Writer
KC McCarthy has seen firsthand the difference the United Service Organizations can have on military personnel.
The retired Navy commander (after 21 years of service) has been in the shoes of the men and women who have been stationed in the area or are just passing through to the next location.
That’s why McCarthy jumped at the opportunity to join The Greater Jacksonville USO as the organization’s executive director over four years ago. She saw it as an opportunity to continue to make a difference.
“I was thrilled when I received the offer,” she said. “We really want to focus on the young men and women and their families and help them when we can.”
The Greater Jacksonville USO is an independent affiliate of the worldwide organization, a non-profit organization that provides welfare, morale and recreation services to military personnel through various means, and is one of 3,000 such organizations across the U.S.
The local organization — independently funded through charities, service grants, volunteers and the general public — provides “a touch of home” to troops through care packages, facilities, entertainment and more.
It was the lack of one facility that caught McCarthy’s eye when she first took over, and she made it one of her first priorities: a USO welcoming center for troops at Jacksonville International Airport.
Mission accomplished. A facility was opened shortly after and renovated in 2007 with the help of the Northeast Florida Builders Association and its non-profit division, Builders Care.
The center’s volunteers assist troops coming through Jacksonville with everything from directions to NAS Jax and transportation to providing information about the city. The troops can even get a hot cup of coffee and a snack.
Two dedicated volunteers have been manning the volunteer center every Monday (the center’s busiest night) since its opening.
“This is the best service a person can give if they can’t be in the military,” said Rebecca Lockhart, a retired Duval County school teacher. “It’s a wonderful feeling.”
Lockhart and her husband, George, a retired civilian with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and retired officer in the Army, start at 5 p.m. and don’t stop until the last flight has landed – sometimes as late as 2:30 a.m.
Her son, Greg, is enlisted in the Army and as the wife and mother of military personnel, she wanted to know there were facilities available that could help her son with anything during the time of transition.
“I wanted to know who was going to be there for him (Greg),” she said. “I realized there needed to be something.”
Lockhart said she mainly takes care of the personnel needs while George handles paperwork. The best compliment they receive is a simple ‘Thank you’ from the troops they’ve helped along the way.
“When we come home at night and the heads hit the pillows, the sleep comes easy,” she said.
McCarthy said on an annual basis, the organization has 240 dedicated volunteers. But during special events the number can balloon as the need arises.
While the JIA welcoming center is one of the newer facilities, McCarthy has also renovated the Mayport center, which serves as a community center for military families.
Built in the 1980s, McCarthy said the center had seen better times and with the help of a large donation, further renovations could take place.
The local USO also provides military care packages on a quarterly basis to troops stationed here and traveling abroad. Filled with reminders of home, the packages usually include personal care items, snacks, playing cards and baby wipes that troops don’t receive regularly. They can’t provide the packages full time, said McCarthy, but every little bit helps.
The biggest challenge the local USO faces, much like other area non-profits, is raising funds. McCarthy said they have golf tournaments and fundraisers planned, but are always looking for in-kind gifts from the public.
“Financial donations, phone cards, DVDs, non-perishable foods,” said McCarthy, “they are all a great help in our mission.”
Postage for the items can also be a concern, as the fees must come out of pocket from the organization.
Both McCarthy and Lockhart remain dedicated to the cause, though, and don’t plan on quitting anytime soon.
“Never,” said Lockhart, laughing.
For information on the Greater Jacksonville USO, go to www.uso.org/jacksonvilleflorida or call 246-3481.