A Special Thanks from A Special Forces Family

September 29, 2021

Maggie Worthington loves being involved in her special forces military spouse community, currently serving as the Fleet Readiness Group (FRG) president and ombudsman to her spouse’s command. As a Navy Seal, her husband spouse, Chief Petty Officer Rhodes Worthington deploys frequently as a Navy Seal, leaving Maggie with their two daughters, Madeline, six, and Mackenzie, one.

While serving on the FRG, Maggie became aware of United Through Reading. “It’s made a huge difference in our lives,” Maggie says of the program. “We use it all the time.”

The Worthington kids love watching videos of their dad and hearing his voice while he’s deployed, especially since both girls love reading. “My 1.5 year old loves books,” says Maggie. “That’s one of the only words she can say: book, book.” She continued that the videos are especially helpful with her toddler because they allow Mackenzie to hear her dad’s voice and feel that they have a connection without using video chats, which can be difficult for tots to use and understand. 

Maggie’s older daughter, Madeline, also benefits from the videos. “My 6-year-old has a very hard time when her daddy is leaving,” says Maggie. “It’s huge for her to have that connection to him and hear his voice still while he’s gone.” 

During COVID, Maggie found another unique way to utilize UTR’s services. Prior to COVID, the special warfare community in San Diego had held an annual kid’s holiday party each December that unfortunately had to be cancelled in 2020 like so many other events. Undaunted, Maggie helped to organize a drive- through Candy Cane Lane event that included UTR’s Mobile Story Station participated in. Staff and volunteers handed out a total of 444 books donated by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt along with information on how to use UTR to make video-recordings to help service members stay connected to their families. “I think it was really nice because it brought awareness about the program to the community and, of course, the families loved the books,” Maggie shared. 

Contact us today to have United Through Reading at your next military event.