USO Center Relies on Donor Support to Serve Our Heroes

For many travelers, stepping into an Airport Club or Lounge offers a welcome break from their hectic travels. A credit card or a membership fee is usually required.

However, a spot at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) stands out as even more “exclusive,” and guess what? It’s free and reserved for our active duty, reserve, or retired military members. It offers a space for them to relax, grab a snack, use the restroom or even enjoy gaming.

Record-Breaking Visitor Numbers

CLT Airport’s USO (United Service Organizations) Center is one of three Airport USO Centers in North Carolina, along with Fayetteville Regional Airport (FAY) and Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU). Additionally, CLT is the busiest USO Center among over 250 worldwide.

It opened in 2006 in the space previously occupied by a British Airways and Lufthansa Lounge. With a capacity of just 100, it often has lines out the door during peak travel times and averages 500 guests daily. July 2024 was one of its busiest months on record, with one guest checking in every 45 seconds!

Center Operations Specialist Peter Amendola attributes this to Charlotte’s location. “You have Camp LeJeune, Fort Bragg, Fort Jackson, and so you have all these installations nearby, number one,” Amendola said. “And with Charlotte being a hub for American Airlines, that brings a lot of traffic from other areas.”

All that foot traffic means many hungry soldiers, sometimes accompanied by family members. Rebecca DelPrado and her husband, Trevonn Smith, traveled through CLT from Guam after his three-year deployment to visit family in Florida.

“We’re exhausted... and we have found that being able to stop at a USO is very comforting,” said DelPrado. “The availability of snacks and coffee, and that it’s free of charge, is very helpful.”

CLT Partners Pitch In

While the USO budgets for water, soda, snacks, and coffee, it heavily relies on bulk donations from Airport partners. The Center uses about 2,400 bottles of water and forty cases of soda in just one week.

Paradies Lagardère sponsors “USO Support the Troops” at more than twenty of its Travel Essentials/Brand locations and provides donation boxes in stores, allowing travelers to purchase items such as candy bars or hygiene products.

“We have over 20 Travel Essential/Brand concepts that help support the USO, totaling $750K in-kind donations yearly,” said Sam Willhite, Paradies Lagardère Regional Director of Operations & Business Development.

Meanwhile, HMS Host provides essential food staples such as lunch meat, cheese, milk, along with other retail items and refreshments, according to Matt Wissman, HMS Host's Executive Director of Operations. "We also support the USO's holiday event Operation Victory Block when thousands of service members pass through CLT as they head home for the holidays.”

The CLT USO Center states that it would often run low on supplies if it had to rely solely on its budget. They note that donations have a significant benefit for service members and their families.

“It does a lot, I mean just being a retiree or active duty, you know sometimes they fly or have layovers for 36 hours and they are trying to get home, or wherever they are going to, and they come here and it is just like a sigh of relief,” said Isaac White, USO Center Operations Specialist. “And if they can get a recliner or a free bottle of water instead of paying $6, it makes a big difference…it’s a morale booster!”

How To Help

Neck pillows, earbuds and accessories such as adapters and charging cords are also needed. Anyone who wants to help can donate at participating Paradies retailers or contact the CLT USO Center on the upper level of the Atrium.

CLT’s USO Center is open 365 days a year, from 6 am to 8 pm, and is staffed by about 300 volunteers. For more information, visit CLT USO Center or USO.org. A Valid Military ID is required for admission.