ATLANTA and PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico, April 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) completed its 13th Global Build with Habitat for Humanity this week with the construction of six homes in Chulavista, a small community 35 miles north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Sixty-five volunteers participated in the joint build with Delta's alliance partner Aeromexico – a lineup of 45 Delta employees from 23 stations across five countries, two SkyMiles customers, two Delta retirees and 16 Aeromexico employees.
The effort marks the first in a series of 2017 Delta and Habitat for Humanity initiatives, including a second Global Build in Mexico slated for October, where a volunteer team will return to the community of Chulavista to build six additional homes. In addition, Delta volunteers will build seven homes across U.S. cities this fall, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York City and Seattle, marking Delta homes 242 through 248 in partnership with Habitat for Humanity throughout the airline's 15-plus years of support. Delta's partnership with Habitat for Humanity supports the airline's commitment to contribute 1 percent of its net income from the previous year to key charitable organizations.
"As a global carrier, we continue to expand our long-standing partnership with Habitat for Humanity across global communities and 2017 will be a remarkable year for deepening this commitment," said Tad Hutcheson, Delta's Managing Director – Community Engagement. "There is no greater testament to the Delta Difference than our employees, customers and partners coming together to build a stronger community."
The joint Delta and Aeromexico team worked alongside future Habitat homeowners in Chulavista to begin the early construction of six new homes. Volunteers constructed the foundation, bathroom, kitchen facilities and two rooms. Habitat for Humanity Mexico will provide families with the training and guidance to complete their new home with help from local volunteers, architects and engineers.
"This effort marks Delta and Aeromexico's third Delta Global Build together and complements 23 years of partnership," said Mike Medeiros, Aeromexico's Chief Operating Officer, who participated in the build. "A commitment to serving others and giving back to the communities where we live, work and serve is a shared core value among both Delta and Aeromexico. This build allows us to deepen our servant leadership model, while working together for families in Chulavista."
For the seventh consecutive year, a SkyMiles customer who bid for the opportunity to participate through Delta's SkyMiles Experiences online auction was embedded as a volunteer. Diamond Medallion member Ron Berg from Edina, Minn., won the experience with a bid of 321,000 miles, and was joined by his wife, Julie Berg.
"The extraordinary commitment of partners like Delta helps families break the barriers to securing decent and affordable housing," said Colleen Finn Ridenhour, senior vice president of Development at Habitat for Humanity International. "We are grateful for the continuous support of Delta and its employees to make a difference in helping families around the world have a decent place to live."
The latest homes in Mexico marked Delta's 236 through 241 home builds across 12 countries in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Employees have previously participated in Delta Global Builds in Argentina, Chile, China, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, India, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa and Thailand.
Delta and Aeromexico collectively offer 75 codeshare destinations that represent over 1,000 daily flights in six countries.
About Delta
Delta Air Lines serves more than 180 million customers each year. In 2017, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the sixth time in seven years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented six consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 322 destinations in 58 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs more than 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading transatlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products and services, and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta, and Facebook.com/delta.
About Habitat for Humanity
Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity has grown from a grassroots effort that began on a community farm in southern Georgia in 1976 to a global nonprofit housing organization in nearly 1,400 communities across the U.S. and in over 70 countries. People partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering, or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.
SOURCE Delta Air Lines
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