"As a global company, Delta is committed to giving back to the communities where our employees live, work and serve," said Tad Hutcheson, Delta's Vice President of Community Affairs. "I am proud of our employees for living out the Delta brand and donating their time and resources to improve the lives of others."
The 2015 Global Build volunteers include 46 Delta employees, representing 17 stations in four countries, four SkyMiles customers, two Delta retirees and 10 employees from Delta's Brazilian alliance partner GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes.
"Delta has been serving Buenos Aires, Argentina, for 10 years and we are strongly committed to the region," said Nicolas Ferri, Delta's Vice President of Latin America and the Caribbean. "For the first time we are working on a build with our alliance partner GOL and we are excited to work together to make a difference."
The joint Delta and GOL team will build the walls of six "seed houses" with families across the community. The seed house concept includes beginning the first stages in the construction of a house such as the foundations, the bathroom and kitchen facilities, and the first two rooms. Afterward, Habitat for Humanity Argentina will work with the families, providing training and guidance so that they can complete their new home with help from local volunteers, architects and engineers.
For the fifth consecutive year, Delta volunteers are joined by SkyMiles customers who bid for the opportunity to participate through Delta's SkyMiles Experiences online auction. Platinum Medallion member and Million Miler Flora Carruthers from Tallahassee, Fla., won the experience with a record bid of 601,000 miles, and is joined by her husband, Kent, who is a Platinum Medallion and a 4 Million Miler. In addition to the Carruthers, Diamond Medallion member Nhai Cao from Stoneham, Mass., also joined the build with his guest, Rick Cura, as he placed second and agreed to match the winning bid.
"Our work to help families around the world improve their shelter conditions can only be done with the support of partners like Delta," said Colleen Finn Ridenhour, Senior Director of Corporate, Foundation and Institutional Relations at Habitat for Humanity International. "We are grateful for Delta's commitment to provide a helping hand to families both domestically and internationally and encouraging its employees to join our efforts."
Through local and national support, Delta employees have helped build or rehab 207 Habitat homes in 11 countries around the world. Habitat is one of Delta's core community partners in its Force for Global Good, a program that encourages employees to make a difference in the communities where they live, work and serve. The homes in Argentina will mark Delta's 208 through 213 home builds in partnership with Habitat.
Delta employees from around the globe use vacation time and pay a portion of their expenses to volunteer on the Global Build and help those in need of simple, decent and affordable housing, while learning more about the country and its culture. Delta employees have previously participated in Global Build events in Chile, China, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, India, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa and Thailand.
Delta offers one daily nonstop flight from Atlanta to Buenos Aires. In May 2014, Delta celebrated its 10th anniversary of uninterrupted service to Buenos Aires, highlighting its continued growth in the market.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International's vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Anchored by the conviction that housing provides a path out of poverty, since 1976 Habitat has helped more than 5 million people through home construction, rehabilitation and repairs and by increasing access to improved shelter through products and services. Habitat also advocates to improve access to decent and affordable shelter and offers a variety of housing support services that enable families with limited means to make needed improvements on their homes as their time and resources allow. As a nonprofit Christian housing organization, Habitat works in more than 70 countries and welcomes people of all races, religions and nationalities to partner in its mission. To learn more, donate or volunteer, visit habitat.org.