SAN DIEGO and SAN ANTONIO (April 8, 2026) — United Through Reading (UTR) and USAA are proud to announce a series of employee engagement events in honor of the Month of the Military Child.

Observed each April, the Month of the Military Child celebrates the resilience and sacrifices of the nation’s youngest heroes—the children of service members and veterans. Military-connected children often experience frequent relocations, extended separations from loved ones, and unique emotional and academic challenges. With approximately 1.4 million military-connected children worldwide, this month serves as an opportunity to recognize and thank them for their service.

Through this partnership, USAA will collaborate with United Through Reading—a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening military families by fostering connection through shared storytime—as part of its USAA Serves campaign.

“For more than a century, USAA employees have been dedicated to serving military families on both their professional and personal time. Over the past decade, our USAA Serves campaign has empowered employees to show up for the military community in moments that matter,” said Susan MacCabe, head of civic engagement and belonging at USAA. “As we celebrate this milestone, there is no better way to honor that legacy than by providing 10,000 literacy kits and recorded stories to help military children find a sense of home and continuity, no matter where they are stationed.”

Throughout April, UTR and USAA will assemble and distribute 10,000 Literacy Kits to military families. Sponsored by USAA, each kit includes a children’s book, stickers, bookmarks and handwritten messages of encouragement.

Over the course of the month, eight Literacy Kit packing events will take place at USAA campuses nationwide. The kits will be distributed at Month of the Military Child community events, including:

  • Fort Hood, Killeen, Texas (April 10)
  • Joint Base San Antonio, Texas (April 11)
  • Fort Bragg, North Carolina (April 18)
  • MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida (April 29)

In addition, USAA will host four storytime recording events featuring United Through Reading’s Mobile Story Station (MSS). These events will give USAA employees the opportunity to record storybook readings for military children around the world. Using the UTR Mobile App, families can access and revisit these recordings anytime, helping build a growing digital library of shared stories.

Storytime recording events will be held at:

  • USAA Headquarters, San Antonio, Texas (April 7 & 8)
  • USAA campus, Charlotte, North Carolina (April 15)
  • USAA campus, Chesapeake, Virginia (April 22)

Penney Letrud-Samons, UTR’s Director of Special Programs, will lead the series.

“I’m excited to travel across the country and work with the incredible team at USAA,” said Letrud-Samons. “These literacy kits are filled with fantastic resources, and we know military families are going to love them.”

“We’re deeply grateful to USAA for partnering with us on this impactful employee engagement series,” said Carrie Valentine Fuller, CEO of United Through Reading. “Providing 10,000 literacy kits to military families during this special month is incredibly meaningful. And having employees take the time to record stories for children around the globe makes an even greater impact. We truly appreciate USAA’s generosity.”

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About United Through Reading

Formed in 1989, United Through Reading is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps military families stay connected through the power of shared storytime. UnitedThroughReading.com

About USAA

Founded in 1922 by a group of military officers, USAA is among the leading providers of insurance, banking and retirement solutions and serves 14 million members of the U.S. military, veterans who have honorably served, and their families. Headquartered in San Antonio, USAA has offices in eight U.S. cities and three overseas locations and employs more than 38,000 people worldwide. Each year, the company contributes to national and local nonprofits in support of military families and communities where employees live and work. For more information about USAA, follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X (@USAA), or visit usaa.com.

Service members: Use the UTR App to record reading to your child. https://UTR.org/app

MEDIA: Please contact Bethe Almeras (UTR) at bethealmeras@utr.org or Jonathan Younger at jonathan.younger@usaa.com with questions or to schedule interviews.