Delta Air Lines Volunteers Partner with Habitat for Humanity to Build Homes in Ghana, West Africa
40 Delta employees join Ghanaian homeowners in the second Habitat for Humanity build in Delta’s Force for Global Good campaign. ATLANTA, June 15, 2006 – Forty Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) employees will put the airline’s words into action this week by volunteering with Habitat for Humanity International in Ghana, West Africa, to build houses in partnership with families in need of safe, decent shelter. The project is part of the airline’s new philanthropic program Delta's Force for Global Good, which focuses on uniting employees and customers in support of philanthropic efforts throughout the world. Habitat for Humanity is the airline’s first partner in this effort.
As part of the Ghana build, Delta’s volunteers will be delivering needed school supplies to Mowrie near Kumasi, a village approximately a five-hour bus ride from the capital city of Accra. Items donated by hundreds of Delta employees and shipped to Ghana in advance include:
• Text, composition, activity, coloring and story books
• Back packs and school bags
• Math sets (protractors, etc.)
• Pens, pencils, rulers and writing paper
• Construction paper
• Small scissors
• Colored pencils and crayons
• Glue sticks
• Puzzles
“The Delta Force for Global Good leads our company in corporate citizenship and establishes meaningful partnerships that will promote and confirm our mission for global good,” said Scarlet Pressley-Brown, general manager for Delta Community Affairs and leader of the Delta Force for Global Good. “Our employees and partners worldwide form a force for positive change dedicated to improving standards of living and quality of life for all mankind.”
Since its formation in 1987, Habitat for Humanity Ghana has housed thousands of families in safe, affordable homes. They work in eight of the country’s 10 regions, representing 135 communities. The Delta Air Lines volunteer team is working in the Offinso Habitat affiliate in the Ashanti region. Most of the homeowners are farmers
“Habitat for Humanity Ghana is extremely delighted to have Delta as a partner in this mission of eradicating poverty housing in Ghana,” said Emmanuel Kwaa, Habitat for Humanity Ghana national director. “The need is great in this country. Through the work with Delta this coming week alone we will help put eight more families into safe, decent homes.”
Delta launched the Habitat partnership in December 2006 with the unveiling of a Delta Boeing 767-300 aircraft that features a Habitat for Humanity paint schematic and Delta’s Force for Global Good decaling and that flew the airline’s inaugural flight between Atlanta and Johannesburg, South Africa. In addition to the four houses built in the Katlehong township outside of Johannesburg, Delta employees left a lasting gift for the entire community by contributing funds for a brick-making machine that will help build many more homes and help them raise money by selling blocks to nearby townships.
“It only took a moment to collect the money needed to buy the Katlehong community a brick maker, but the gift the community of Katlehong gave us will last a lifetime,” said Tonette Eaves, a Delta volunteer and program manager of Continuing Education for In-Flight Service Training. “I’ll never be the same after such a gratifying experience.”
Delta's Force for Global Good leverages the combined assets of Delta’s network of more than 45,000 employees worldwide who volunteer, and Delta’s charitable foundation, to support the global communities where Delta customers and employees live and work. Future worldwide builds are expected to be open to Delta customers who will join Delta employees.
Delta Air Lines offers customers service to more destinations than any global airline with Delta and Delta Connection carrier service to 332 destinations in 57 countries. With more than 60 new international routes introduced in the last year, Delta has added more international capacity than all other U.S. airlines combined and is the leader across the Atlantic with flights to 36 trans-Atlantic destinations. To Latin America and the Caribbean, Delta offers nearly 700 weekly flights to 63 destinations. Delta's marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on nearly 15,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Including its SkyTeam and worldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 479 worldwide destinations in 105 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.
