Delta Volunteers Build 15 Houses with Habitat for Humanity in Chile

More than 80 employees volunteer for second "Force for Global Good" project in South America

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Oct 26, 2010, 09:27 ET

ATLANTA, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) and Habitat for Humanity will join forces Nov. 1-3, to build 15 Habitat houses in El Monte, Chile, as part of Delta's Force for Global Good program to effect positive local and global change. The group leaves on Friday evening from Atlanta.

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This will be the second time Delta volunteers and Habitat for Humanity will work together in Chile. Two years ago, 60 Delta employees traveled to Chile to build 15 houses in Casablanca. This year, more than 80 employees will build houses in El Monte, where many families are in need of housing following the Feb. 27 earthquake and its aftershocks. El Monte is 34 miles southwest of Santiago, Chile's capital.

"At Delta, we have a responsibility to help communities in need, especially those communities we serve. The need for safe, affordable housing is still great. It is our privilege to help Chilean families rebuild and improve their living conditions," said Ed Bastian, president—Delta Air Lines, and Habitat for Humanity International Board Member.

Delta volunteers will be joined by Mary Beth Witzel of Petaluma, California, a Delta SkyMiles® member who bid 338,000 miles in an online auction to win the opportunity to go on the trip. The miles will be donated to Habitat for Humanity. Mary Beth Witzel invited her daughter, Lisa Witzel to accompany her on the trip and participate on the build.

"The generous partnership of national and international volunteers provides great support for Habitat Chile's affordable housing work," said Luis Santibanez, national director for Habitat for Humanity Chile. "We appreciate Delta's dedication and contribution to helping us improve the living conditions of families in El Monte."

Delta has supported Habitat for Humanity for more than 20 years, and strengthened the partnership in 2006 when the airline unveiled the first 767-300 featuring a unique Habitat for Humanity livery and a Delta "Force for Global Good" decal.

This is Delta's sixth international build with Habitat for Humanity. Delta employees from around the globe use vacation time and pay a portion of their expenses to volunteer on the international builds and help those in need of simple, decent and affordable housing, while also taking the opportunity to know more about the country and its culture. Delta has been involved in similar projects in South Africa, Ghana, India and Thailand. Within the United States, Delta's volunteers also have built houses in New York, Mississippi, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Minnesota, Michigan, Florida and California.

About Habitat for Humanity International

Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built, rehabilitated, repaired or improved more than 350,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1.75 million people. For more information, or to donate or volunteer, visit habitat.org.

Habitat for Humanity has been working in Chile for eight years, helping build adequate housing with families in need. Today Habitat Chile is working with the Chilean people in rebuilding Chile after the earthquake on Feb. 27, 2010.

About Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 351 destinations in 64 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs more than 75,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. A founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance, Delta participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 13,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. The airline's service includes the SkyMiles frequent flier program, the world's largest airline loyalty program; the award-winning BusinessElite service; and 50 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com.