Partnership Profile: John O'Donnell & Allstate

USO of Illinois is proud to announce that John O’Donnell – President, West Territory has joined the Board of Directors.

John is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy where he earned his BS in Mathematics. After graduation, John served as a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. He deployed on missions to Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar, Eritrea and Thailand.

“I have had a passion for the military my whole life - starting when I was young, hearing my father talk about his time in the U.S. Marine Corps Infantry,” said O’Donnell “When I got out, I knew I wanted to use the skills I developed in the military such as leadership and teambuilding to help my fellow service members get ahead in their post military careers.”

John is very proud to have established Allstate’s Military and Veterans Program that has evolved to earn Allstate recognition as the #1 Military Friendly Employer by G.I. Jobs. By educating hiring managers on the skills and experience veterans can bring to the workforce and building veteran-friendly recruiting and onboarding capabilities, Allstate has increased veterans hires from 2% to 10% over a four-year period.

In addition to the Allstate Military and Veterans Program, last year Allstate hired over 1,000 veterans and military spouses as well as launched a Military Mentorship Program to help new military hires get acclimated to their roles in the civilian community.

John has been married to his wife, Anastasia, for 21 years and they have two children, Katie (17) and Ryan (15). When not volunteering with the military community, John enjoys playing with his new golden retriever puppy – Scooby, running, skiing and traveling.

Welcome John and Allstate to the USO of Illinois family!

USO Great Lakes find Success in First Drive Thru USO No-Dough Dinner

In honor of Military Spouse Appreciation Day and Military Appreciation Month, USO of Illinois hosted its inaugural Drive Thru USO No-Dough Dinner for our service members and their families on Friday, May 8th. The event was held in partnership with the Gary Sinise Foundation with support from PepsiCo. The Drive Thru No-Dough Dinner served over 350 military members and their families and by the 5PM start time, there were over 50 cars lined up and ready to receive their individually packaged meals! In addition, USO’s Mobile Unit, Big Blue, stopped by for a visit to hand out USO swag and spa care packages for Military Spouse Appreciation Day. USO of Illinois has pledged to do four Drive Thru No-Dough dinners in June and four in July to ensure our military and their families continue to receive support from the USO of Illinois during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic has made a huge impact on the lives our military and their families. Travel restrictions, spouses deployed to the frontlines of the pandemic, and the lack of access to needed supported – now is the time to step up for our military communities,” said Chris Schmidt, USO of Illinois Executive Director. “Our teams have pivoted operations to ensure we are still supporting our men and women in uniform and their families with the programs and services, like our USO No-Dough Dinners, that they have come to expect from the us.”

USO No-Dough Dinners are a year-round program, offered at the USO Great Lakes Center, that provides the civilian community an opportunity to express their appreciation by supporting homestyle dinner events that offer free meals the evening before payday to service members and their families.

Thank you to Gary Sinise Foundation and PepsiCo for their continued support!

Illinois Army and Air National Guard Support

USO of Illinois staff and volunteers are proud to support the more than 1,150 members of the Illinois Army and Air National Guard deployed on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis in Chicagoland and statewide.  

• In Bloomington, IL, we dropped off enough Gatorade, Propel, Monster Energy drinks, and chips for more than 100 Illinois Army National Guard and Illinois Air Guard who are performing COVID-19 testing in Bloomington. 

• In Chicago, IL, we provided snacks, hygiene supplies, drinks and more to Illinois National Guard members working at McCormick Place and numerous other locations in the Chicagoland area. This Thursday our team will be dropping off supplies in Rockford and Aurora. 

• On Saturday, April 11th, USO of Illinois hosted Illinois National Guard families for a morning of fun, imagination, and creative storytelling during USO Discovery Kids: Puppet Palooza! Mr. Puppet entertained the online audience with a live, web-based puppet show. He then led the group in a puppet-making workshop using a DIY kit that was shipped to each family prior to the workshop.  

• USO previewed a new program Spouse Social: Snack ‘n Chat. Snack ‘n Chat session was open to 24 Illinois National Guard Spouses, each of whom receive a Snack Crate shipped directly to their home  prior to the live webinar. Each box contains snacks dedicated to a specific country or culture to broaden their snacking horizons. During the live webinar, all guests open the boxes together -- no one is allowed to peek prior to the session!  The USO webinar moderators introduce the sessions program and activities before they breakout into small group discussions to get one another. Some of the activities include trivia about the snack’s country, table topics, “caption this photo”, name games, and general conversation.   

• In Springfield, IL, our Pathfinder Scout, Megan Philpot, joined the Airman and Family Readiness Program Manager, Julie Flynn, at the Air National Guard 183rd Wing and dropped off Monster Energy Drinks, Gatorade, Propel, Juice, Chips and Popcorn for Wing, Camp Lincoln and the Emergency Operations Center at the airport to support 200 service members.  

• In the future, USO of Illinois will providing virtual programs such as virtual Bingo, online family scavenger hunts, and Coffee Connections for Military Spouses to connect over coffee, have meaningful conversations and make new friends. 

USO of Illinois hosts first Drive Thru USO No-Dough Dinner

In honor of Military Spouse Appreciation Day and Military Appreciation Month

WHAT: In honor of Military Spouse Appreciation Day and Military Appreciation Month USO of Illionis will host its inaugural Drive Thru USO No-Dough Dinner for military and their families on May 8.  The event will be held in partnership with the Gary Sinise Foundation with support from PepsiCo.

USO of Illinois plan to have seven Drive Thru USO No-Dough Dinners, one every Friday through June, to ensure our military and their families continue to receive support from the USO during the COVID-19 pandemic.

WHEN: Friday, May 8, 2020         

5 – 7PM or until meals are gone

WHERE: Forest City Community Center

2007 Virginia Ave., Great Lakes, IL                                                              

WHY: USO No-Dough Dinners are a year-round program, offered at the USO Great Lakes Center, that provides the civilian community an opportunity to express their appreciation by supporting homestyle dinner events that offer free meals the evening before payday to service members and their families. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, USO of Illinois will be adhearing to strict health protcols to ensure all military and their families are able to enjoy a USO No-Dough Dinner from the safety of their own vehicles. Families will drive up to the Forest City Community Center and will be handed prepackaged meals, one for each member in their vehicle. In addition, USO’s Mobile Unit, Big Blue, will be stopping by for a visit to hand out USO swag and spa care packages for Military Spouse Appreciation Day.

In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Mobile USO centers and Sprinter vans are being deployed into the field to support those who have been activated to assist in COVID-19 military support efforts throughout the United States. USO teams are working closely with the state-specific military leadership and abiding by CDC guidance on health safety practices. The USO is working diligently to get supplies and programming to those service members working on the front lines of the pandemic during this time.

We invite area media to join us at the Forest Community Center on Friday. USO represenatitives will be standing by for interviews. If you wish to cover this event, please RSVP to Rachel Feinberg, rfeinberg@uso.org, by 9AM Friday, May 8.

About the USO:
The USO strengthens America's military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country, throughout their service to the nation. At hundreds of locations worldwide, we are united in our commitment to connect our service members and their families through countless acts of caring, comfort and support. The USO is a private nonprofit organization, not a government agency. Our programs, services and entertainment tours are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff. To join us in this important mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit www.usoofillinois.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

USO Star-Spangled Salute Gala to Raise Money for Local Military and Celebrate Nonprofit’s 75th Anniversary Milestone  

Evening will honor Mr. Robin Williams and the Pritzker Military Museum & Library  

WHAT: USO Star-Spangled Salute Gala

WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016
5:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.  

WHERE: Navy Pier Grand Ballroom
840 E Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60611

WHO: Special Guests

• General Carter Ham, U.S. Army Retired, who enjoyed a 38-year career in the U.S. Army and served as the Director of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon

• Mrs. Susan Williams, who will accept the USO Angel Harvey Heart of a Patriot Award on behalf of her late husband Mr. Robin Williams

• Captain Florent “Flo” Groberg, U.S. Army Retired on 75 Years of USO Connections

• MG James H. Mukoyama, U.S. Army Retired, who will accept the USO Salute to Leadership Award on behalf of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library (PMML)

Medal of Honor Recipients

• Captain Florent “Flo” Groberg, U.S. Army Retired

• Colonel Harvey C. “Barney” Barnum, Jr., U.S. Marine Corps Retired 

• Captain Thomas G. Kelley, U.S. Navy Retired

Featured Entertainment

• Military pageantry by the USO Show Troupe and USO 75th Anniversary Dancers

WHY: On October 22, 2016 the USO of Illinois will host its annual Star-Spangled Salute Gala at Navy Pier in the Grand Ballroom. More than 800 guests will be in attendance to honor and support those who bravely serve our nation and to celebrate the USO’s 75th anniversary. The event raised approximately $1,071,205 million in 2015, which funded USO of Illinois programs and services dedicated to supporting the lives of our nation's military and military families.

This year, the USO of Illinois is privileged to honor Mr. Robin Williams with the ‘USO Angel Harvey Heart of a Patriot Award’ for his dedication to the United States Armed Forces. Williams was among the first group of entertainers to travel to Afghanistan and Southwest Asia with the USO. After his first trip, he was a regular on the USO circuit, where he traveled to 13 countries and performed for approximately 89,400 troops throughout a span of more than a decade of USO tours. Robin’s wife, Mrs. Susan Williams will be in attendance to accept the award on behalf of her late husband.

Pritzker Military Museum & Library will be awarded the ‘USO Salute to Leadership Award’. As the USO celebrates its 75th anniversary, there is no other honoree that shares the USO passion of support of our military community than Pritzker Military Museum & Library (PMML) and Colonel (IL) Jennifer Pritzker, IL ARNG (Retired). PMML is an “organization that attempts to increase the public understanding of military history and the sacrifices made by the men and women who have served,” while the USO of Illinois works to raise that same awareness of sacrifice and provide services to those who serve today and will do so in the future.

Auction donations from the Chicago Blackhawks, Seadream Cruises, Best Travel Gold, Emirates Airlines, James & Williams Jewelers and many more will ensure a record-breaking auction, generating revenue to help support the USO of Illinois programs and services.

NOTE: For more information about the USO Gala visit http://usoofillinois.org/uso-gala/. All media inquiries should be directed to Rachel Feinberg, USO of Illinois Marketing and Communications Manager, rfeinberg@usoofillinois.org by Friday Oct. 21 at Noon. 

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ABOUT USO OF ILLINOIS

The USO strengthens America’s military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country, throughout their service to the nation. Supporting over 330,000 troops and their families every year, the USO of Illinois is a civilian 501(c)(3) non-profit that is supported solely by the generosity of the American people. For more information about the USO of Illinois, visit: www.usoofillinois.org.