American Welfare & Works Association (AWWA) Beefs Up USO Kinser Indoor/Outdoor Kitchen Through Grant

Camp Kinser, OKINAWA, Japan – E.J. Schulz, President of the American Welfare & Works Association presented their August 2020 grant to Kayla Stamey, USO Kinser Center Manager on Aug. 28, 2020. This donation will be used to partially fund the USO Kinser Fall Refresh Project to improve morale and enhance the overall experience at USO Kinser. “AWWA is an amazing organization that has been helping our American and Okinawan community since 1952,” Shultz said. “Through the years we have stood by our mission of making a positive impact in Okinawa. Despite COVID, we were still able to donate over $130,000 in US and Okinawan grants last year. We carry that commitment into this year of giving. All of the money AWWA donates is generated from the profits of the seven member organizations’ thrift and gift shops as well as fundraising efforts. Each organization is comprised of military spouse volunteers committed to serving their community.” The grant made to the USO will be used to purchase big ticket items such as a refrigerator and new outdoor grill, both heavily utilized appliances that will improve efficiency during meal centric programming throughout the year. In 2019, USO Kinser surpassed their record of annual total service instances since opening in 2016. USO Kinser supported over 30,000 patrons between center visits and program participants and averaged 2,000 center visits per month. “We are grateful for the contribution that AWWA has made towards our Fall Refresh Project because of the direct impact it will have on our camp as a community,” Stamey said. “Above all else, the kitchen and outdoor areas are the highest traffic areas and the opportunity to improve our venue is significant. Through the many programs we offer at USO Kinser, the ultimate goal is for our service members and families to feel connected to family, home, and country and this upgrade will provide just that. We look forward to showing off our brand-new appliances and seeing the reaction on our patrons faces, thank you AWWA!” To learn more about AWWA, check out their page at Facebook.com/AmericanWelfareandWorksAssociation. To find out what is happening at USO Kinser look it up at Facebook.com/USOKinser, Okinawa.USO.org, or call the center 637-3113.

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