Washington, D.C.  – United Through Reading launched their new app last night at the sixth annual Tribute to Military Families in Washington, DC. Celebrating 30 years of service to military families, United Through Reading (UTR) honored Representative Rob Wittman (VA-01), Mrs. Ellyn Dunford, and Mr. Cal Turner Jr., former Chairman and CEO of Dollar General, for their support of military families and the organization. BAE Systems was the Title Sponsor for the night and USAA was the Presenting Sponsor.

“For 30 years United Through Reading has helped service members video record stories for a child in their life. As technology has changed, our program has gone from VHS tapes to DVDs to SD cards and now to cloud storage with our app. We are thrilled to introduce our app so service members can video record storytime anywhere and anytime!” said Dr. Sally Ann Zoll, United Through Reading’s CEO.

The free app allows service members to video record stories on their mobile devices for their children or any child they love so they can watch anytime during a military separation. Caregivers then receive the video link via email to view the video recordings online in their web browser or download to their PC, Mac, or Android devices.

Recordings are safe and secure with a login from Id.me’s TroopID; users register with TroopID before logging into the app. The book service members read can be requested and sent for free to the families at home thanks to a donation from American Legion Child Welfare Foundation. The app is available on iOS and Android devices.

United Through Reading video recordings allow service members to be present when duty calls, be it deployment, training, or overnight shifts. The recordings help maintain daily routines for children, reduce anxiety, create family connections, and increase interest in reading.

United Through Reading has over 200 recording locations around the world, embedded in military units around the world, available at military-focused events, on location at their program partners in military communities, and “on the go” with the Mobile Story Station.

For more information go to unitedthroughreading.org/app

ABOUT UNITED THROUGH READING

United Through Reading is a non-profit 501(c)(3) public benefit organization founded 30 years ago. UTR’s mission is to unite military families facing physical separation by facilitating the bonding experience of reading aloud. United Through Reading offers service members the opportunity to be video-recorded reading storybooks to children at home which eases the stress of separation, maintains positive emotional connections, and cultivates a love of reading and early childhood literacy. At more than 200 recording locations worldwide at any given time, service members can read to the children who are special to them on military bases and outposts, deployed U.S. Navy ships, U.S. Coast Guard cutters, and at select Armed Services YMCAs and VA in-patient clinics. Since its inception, more than 2 million military parents, spouses, and children have benefited from the program.