Delta Reaches 250th Home Build with Habitat for Humanity and Aeroméxico

ATLANTA, November 3, 2017 /3BL Media/ — Wrapping up this week, Delta and Aeroméxico volunteers built the 250th home in Mexico as a part of the 14th Global Build with long-standing partner Habitat for Humanity. A supporter of local Habitat organizations since 1995, Delta became a national partner in 2006. Through the national partnership, Delta volunteers have helped build or rehabilitate a total of 253 homes in 12 countries around the world.

“It has been a monumental year for our partnership with Habitat for Humanity, and I am thrilled about all the employees and customers who have donated not only their time and talents, but a piece of their hearts, in helping to build 19 homes with families in need of affordable housing in 2017,” said Tad Hutcheson, managing director of Community Affairs at Delta.

This year alone, Delta volunteers have built or rehabilitated in Mexico and cities across the United States:

• Chulavista, Mexico: Just this week, a team of 70 volunteers, including 47 Delta employees, two of which are retirees, 16 Aeroméxico employees and seven SkyMiles customers, traveled to Mexico to help build six more homes in Chulavista, including the 250th Delta home. Working with the families, volunteers focus on building the foundation, kitchen and two rooms of the homes in Chulavista. Following the April trip to build six homes during the 13th Delta Global Build with a team of 65 Delta and Aeroméxico volunteers and customers, Delta has built a total of 12 homes in this small community near Puerto Vallarta. 
• Atlanta: In partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Atlanta, Delta volunteers built two new homes in southwest Atlanta, near Delta’s home base at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Additionally, a group of 40 Delta volunteers representing the Women’s Employee Network business resource group participated in the Atlanta Women Build, a unique project where houses are built by women for women.
• Los Angeles: Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles and Delta built Delta’s seventh Habitat home in the Los Angeles area and Habitat L.A.’s 800th home since its inception in 1990. The home was funded by Delta’s In-Flight Recycling Program and is part of a multi-year $900,000 pledge by Delta to help build affordable housing in Los Angeles.
• New York City: Delta partnered with Habitat for Humanity New York City to rehab a home that had been abandoned for about 15 years in Queens, just 5 miles from John F. Kennedy International Airport and 10 miles southeast of LaGuardia Airport. The home was originally built in 1925 and Habitat purchased it from the New York City Housing Authority for $1. During the project, Habitat honored Delta for a decade of support at its annual House Party gala, where Delta employee Nadia Seebrath was named Habitat NYC's corporate volunteer of the year.
• Minneapolis: Delta volunteers helped build a new construction home in Minneapolis, approximately 9 miles from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. This is the first home Delta has built inside the city limits of Minneapolis. 
• Seattle: Delta built its second home in an all-Habitat development designed specifically for military veterans and their families in partnership with Habitat South King County. The home is located in Pacific, Washington, in south King County, which is the area of the county where the largest number of Veterans with disabilities, living in poverty or experiencing emergency financial needs live.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. Being here provides a unique opportunity to build this house from the ground up a whole lot quicker than they would be able to on their own, not just because we are here lending a hand but also financially with Habitat. It’s a unique experience to work alongside them. It’s one thing to come here and put in our time, but it’s a completely different experience to be here with the family working side by side sweating together,” said Ian Argumosa, revenue management specialist at Delta and volunteer on the 14th Global Build.

Delta employees have now helped build or rehab 253 Habitat homes in 12 countries around the world.

Employees have previously participated in Delta Global Builds in Argentina, Chile, China, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, India, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa and Thailand. Habitat is one of Delta’s core community partners as it helps secure safe and affordable shelter around the globe. For more information on Delta’s efforts in the community, visit the Force for Global Good page on Deltanet.

About Habitat for Humanity

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 1,300 communities throughout the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up 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.

About Delta Air Lines

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 306 destinations in 52 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, Mexico City, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, São Paulo, Seattle, Seoul, 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.