WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ In its ongoing effort to boost the morale of our men and women in uniform, USO World Headquarters is distributing 50,000 AT&T pre-paid phone cards to U.S. service men, women and their families who were affected by Hurricane Katrina in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. Each card contains 100-minutes of talk time, and is just one of many ways the USO is helping service members connect with their loved-ones as relief efforts continue.

Hurricane Katrina displaced more than 136,000 military personnel and family members in the Gulf Coast region. In a show of support for the troops, the USO expanded its U.S. operations by opening temporary satellite centers in the affected areas. Through those centers as well as other USO centers in Florida, military families from destroyed or damaged bases are able to find a temporary home, food and clothing, in these stressful times.

«In times like these, families need to stay connected, and giving a phone card to a service member to call a loved one to say ’I’m OK’ is only one of the ways the USO is helping those involved in the Katrina relief efforts,» said USO president and CEO Edward A. Powell.

USO centers and officials from around the country have volunteers in the Gulf Coast to assist military personnel and their families. Recently, entertainer Wayne Newton led a USO tour to the Gulf Coast, featuring country music singer Neal McCoy and comedian Jeff Ross. The group performed shows in New Orleans and Gulfport, Miss.

About the USO: For more than 64 years, the USO (United Service Organizations) has been providing morale and recreation-type services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by World Partners Avon Products, Inc., AT&T Corporation, BAE SYSTEMS, Bass Pro Shops, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Computer Systems Center, Inc., Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, Military Channel, Morgan Stanley, National Football League, Northwest Airlines, Inc., Reader’s Digest, Sara Lee, S&K Sales Co. and TriWest Health Care Alliance. Other organizations, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-0600), have joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO. For more information on the USO, please visit our Web site at [ >>> ]

CONTACT: Christine Phillip of USO, +1–703–908–6485, or CPhillip@uso.org.