SPRINGFIELD, Va. — The USO helps strengthen who they serve.
Meljun Kruk is a U.S. Space Force spouse and USO Field Program Specialist at Fort Belvoir in Virginia.
"I love to connect. I'm a people person," she said.
About once every three months, Kruk meet military spouses at the Franconia Springfield Metro station and teaches them how to master the METRO.
Kruk said, "Every place we've moved in the last 20 years I meet the most amazing friends, the last three months of our stay. It's really hard when you move to a new city, you feel alone, just kind of like isolated from everything and I don't want them to be afraid and go through what I went through."
Kruk said she created the Metro riding program to help military spouses connect with each other and with their surrounding community.
The team tackles how to use the fare machines and add money to cards. The learn how to navigate the lines and also cover METRO riding etiquette.
She told her group, "If you re going to stay still on the escalators, stay off to your right and let everyone go past you on the left."
Kruk says the trips are a good way for spouses to just be with other spouses and make memories one "stop" at a time.
"It really does give the spouses a lot of freedom and adventure. They’re really connecting with the community, and really getting to know the city. And that's what the USO is all about, connecting," she said.
WUSA9 and the USO are once again teaming up to raise money to thank our military families this holiday season. We’d like to thank them by providing Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets with all the trimmings. It’s part of a program called Turkeys for Troops.
Starting at 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 10 through 6:30 p.m. you can call 202-895-5560 to make a donation. Or, you can donate online here.
A $50 donation will feed a family of six. The holiday baskets will contain canned goods, stuffing, pie makings, corn bread mix and a gift card for a fresh turkey or ham.
The goal is to raise $30,000.
Since partnering with WUSA9 in 2009, the annual Turkeys for Troops Telethon has raised over $1.5M for a program that delivers a taste of home to servicemembers.
"Not only will your contribution fund our Turkeys for Troops this holiday season, but it will also provide resources for additional USO programming and impactful support delivered year-round," the USO said.