Sailors and contractors chip in to help the organization

By Dave Schwab

USO San Diego’s Downtown Center just got a much-needed renovation — and it didn’t cost the nonprofit a dime.

On April 13, more than 100 volunteers from the insurance company Foresters took time out of their annual business conference in San Diego to help make improvements to the Center by painting and constructing furniture.

“We are so grateful to Foresters for their generous donation, of which none of this would have been possible,” said Judy Forrester, president/CEO of USO San Diego. “Our Downtown Center supported over 34,000 service members and military families in 2014 and was really in need of repairs.”

Forrester gave kudos to San Diego contractor Steve Doyle for his work in coordinating all the help with the remodeling project.

The improvements to the USO Center, aside from the fresh coat of paint, included new light fixtures, hot water in the bathroom sinks, better air conditioning and the construction of rooms for storage space.

Doyle rallied together 10 San Diego companies to do prep work for USO improvements, prior to painting. Those companies included Anderson Plumbing, Heating and Air, KirE Builders, Inc., Alpha Design Group, Perkins Painting Co., Performance Drywall, Cal West Lighting, Interior Specialists, Wing Millwork and Supply Company, Xacte Door and Trim and American Acoustics.

Tiana Caylor, director of the Downtown USO Center, located at 303 A St. Suite 100, said Foresters’ own donation “inspired local contractors to assist in offering free services to us [USO].”

Caylor said the bulk of the remodeling work was actually done from 9 – 11 a.m. on April 13.

The day before, April 12, to kickoff National Volunteer Week, sailors from the USS New Orleans volunteered their time to lay down paper and tape the areas where painting would be done, along with moving furniture such as heavy couches and tables.

The bulk of the renovation is now complete, though Caylor said there are a few finishing touches yet to be taken care of.

“We think of it as a revitalization,” Caylor said of the makeover, noting the USO’s Downtown facility, which the organization has inhabited since 1995, was previously a city-owned facility whose interior hadn’t been updated in 20-plus years.

Caylor said design improvements at the Center are going a long way toward fulfilling USO’s mission to serve active duty military personnel and their families furnishing them with a “home away from home.”

“USO Downtown is a place where service members and their families can come to from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., 365 days a year,” Caylor said, adding that 34,111 guests passed through the facility’s doors in 2014.

“That’s a lot of foot traffic,” she added.

The USO Downtown Center offers a number of amenities such as a lounge area, computer stations, a café, shower facilities and recreational activities, all provided free of charge to military members.

Another facility recently opened up in Terminal Two at the San Diego International Airport, named after former veteran, longtime USO supporter and Rancho San Diego resident Neil Ash.

USO San Diego Communications Director Meaghan Cox pointed out that as a nonprofit, the USO relies on donations to support military members.

“A lot of people think we must be a [subsidized] government organization, but we’re not,” Cox said, noting the organization couldn’t perform its mission without donations and volunteers.

“There are always things to do,” she continued. “We’re always looking for improvements: new furniture, donations in terms of foods and snacks, dry goods, etc.”

Caylor said more furniture will be needed in the future to continue to update the Downtown facility, particularly its dining area, which serves about 215 people dinner every Tuesday night.

The USO is thankful for all the community’s cooperation and concern.

“The amount of outreach and support we’ve received in this project — and the result — are amazing,” Caylor said.

USO San Diego’s mission is to lift the spirits of America’s troops and their families by enhancing their quality of life. USO seeks to create a cooperative relationship between U.S. military communities and involved or supporting civilian communities.

USO San Diego served the San Diego military community more than 260,000 times in 2014 through its two centers at USO San Diego Downtown Center and USO Neil Ash Airport Center.

Volunteers at USO San Diego, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, donated more than 34,000 hours of their time in 2014.

To learn more about USO San Diego visit usosandiego.org.

—Dave Schwab is a local freelance writer. He can be reached at [email protected]