Habitat for Humanity partners with Delta Air Lines for 28th annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project
ATLANTA (Nov. 3, 2011) – Delta Air Lines is flying two airplanes of Habitat for Humanity volunteers to Haiti for Habitat’s 28th annual Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project.
President and Mrs. Carter will join hundreds of volunteers to build homes with earthquake-affected families in Léogâne, Haiti, which is 18 miles west of Port-au-Prince and considered to be the epicenter of the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake.
Delta is donating two charter flights – a Boeing 767 and a Boeing 757 – to transport the volunteers, a group that includes 11 Delta employees who will donate their personal vacation time to be part of the efforts.
“Delta people put a high value on supporting the communities where we live and work,” said Scarlet Pressley-Brown, Delta Air Line’s director of external affairs and community relations. “Our employees have a long history with Habitat, and their involvement in this project is a testament to the commitment the Delta team has for serving others.”
Habitat’s 2011 Carter Work Project will bring together 500 volunteers to build 100 core houses during the week. The build will take place in the Santo community of Léogâne, where Habitat will build a total of 150 houses this year with families currently living in tents and other temporary structures. An additional 100 houses are planned for 2012.
Habitat’s Carter Work Project is the culmination of a monthlong observance of the need for safe, decent and affordable shelter that began on World Habitat Day, Monday, Oct. 3, 2011. World Habitat Day is designated each year by the United Nations as a time to reflect on the dire need for adequate shelter around the globe.
The Carters are Habitat for Humanity’s most famous volunteers and give a week of their time each year to help Habitat build, renovate or repair homes, and raise awareness about the need for affordable and decent housing. They joined Habitat for Humanity in 1984 to help renovate a decaying building in New York City’s Lower East Side.
Today, the building is part of a thriving, reinvigorated and dynamic community. Since that first build, the Carters and thousands of volunteers have worked with Habitat for Humanity across the United States and in Mexico, Canada, Hungary, South Africa, South Korea, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Laos and Vietnam.
About Delta
Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year, and was named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2011 World’s Most Admired Companies airline industry list. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 335 destinations in 59 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs 80,000 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, a world-class airline loyalty program; the award-winning BusinessElite service; and more than 50 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Delta is investing more than 2 billion through 2013 in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com.
About Habitat for Humanity Haiti
Habitat for Humanity has been at work in Haiti for 27 years and has provided housing solutions through a variety of initiatives including new home construction, progressive building, home repairs and improvements. Habitat also builds capacity in construction skills, disaster risk reduction and financial literacy, and works in coordination with community and government agencies.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International is a global nonprofit Christian housing organization that seeks to put God’s love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope. Since 1976, Habitat has served more than 500,000 families by welcoming people of all races, religions and nationalities to construct, rehabilitate or preserve homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions. For more information, to donate or to volunteer, please visit habitat.org, or follow us at facebook.com/habitat or at twitter.com/habitat_org, or join Habitat’s blog community at habitat.org/blog.