YONGSAN GARRISON, Republic of Korea -- In order for young home school students to have a chance for a new friendship and enjoy quality time with family, United Service Organizations Seoul celebrated National Jigsaw Puzzle Day here, Jan. 29.
When Laura Martinez, programs manager for USO Seoul, received thirty new puzzles from a local donor, she worked alongside with Melody N. Hill, the school Liaison officer for U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan's Child, Youth & School Services to figure out a fun and effective way to distribute the meaningful gift, and decided to provide the opportunity to host a puzzle building activity for the Yongsan Home Group.
Twenty-seven students and parent volunteers filled the USO Seoul at Camp Kim. The students, along with other students and their families, started to piece together a collection of puzzles given to them by the USO. The hour long activity also included a trivia game organized by the home school coordinator.
"The mission of the USO is to lift the spirits of the troops and their families," Martinez said. "This event is aligned with our goal to provide extra goodness to those stationed at home and overseas. The USO Seoul constantly looks for fresh, fun activities to provide to members of the Yongsan Garrison community. Spending an afternoon building puzzles and eating cookies on a cold winter day is just one of the many ways we can make Soldiers and their Families feel a bit closer to home."
Students enjoyed the day of putting puzzle together with their new friend and family. In addition to the puzzles, the USO provided an afternoon snack to the students and parent volunteers. After the event, students were able to keep a puzzle to complete it at home with their family.
"Doing jigsaw puzzles develops several key skills for students including the ability to reason, analyze and sequence," Hill said. "This event served as the opportunity for our home school families to partner with the USO, and learn more about the many resources available to them on USAG Yongsan."
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