Delta volunteers build 10 homes with Habitat for Humanity

MANILA, Philippines -Delta Air Lines and Habitat for Humanity International joined forces last March 7-16, to help build 10 Habitat homes in Quezon City as part of Delta’s Force for Global Good program to effect positive local and global change. This year’s volunteers come from 16 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada.

“Delta has been serving Manila, Philippines, for more than 60 years, and we are strongly committed to the communities we serve,” said Vinay Dube, Delta’s senior vice president–Asia Pacific. “A total of 90 employees, retirees and customers, including 40 local Manila employees, will be building homes in Quezon City, the largest city of metropolitan Manila.”

“Giving back to the communities where Delta people live and work is a civic obligation and an integral part of our company’s culture,” said Tad Hutcheson, Delta’s vice president, community affairs. “Our long-standing relationship with Habitat for Humanity has given us the opportunity to build more than 100 affordable homes around the world.”

While building the 10 new homes, Delta volunteers will work side by side with the families who will live in the new community called Bistekville 4 when it is completed. The structures will be built to resist earthquakes, hurricanes and floods and will be primarily made from concrete block, which will require minimal ongoing maintenance for the new owners.

For a second consecutive year, Delta volunteers were joined by Dan DeRiemer of Roswell, Ga., a Delta SkyMiles Diamond Medallion member who bid a record 556,000 miles through Delta’s SkyMiles Online Auction to win the opportunity to participate in the build with his wife, Laura.

Delta employees from around the globe used vacation time and payed 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 learn more about the country and its culture. Delta has participated in similar projects in Chile, China, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Haiti, India, Japan, Mexico, South Africa and Thailand.

“We are very appreciative of Delta’s support,” said Charlie Ayco, CEO of Habitat Philippines. “We are honored to be chosen as the host for Delta’s annual international build and look forward to partnering together to help families obtain safe and affordable housing.”

Delta has supported Habitat for Humanity for more than a decade and strengthened the partnership in 2006 by becoming a national partner and unveiling the first 767-300 featuring a unique Habitat for Humanity livery and a Delta Force for Global Good decal. The special livery helps raise awareness of Habitat for Humanity’s global work and highlights the efforts of employee participation in Delta’s Force for Global Good.

Delta operates daily flights from Manila to Tokyo-Narita and Nagoya-Centrair, where customers can connect to daily flights to the U.S. More than 150 employees are based in the Philippines. Delta is committed to supporting the Philippines community, a country that Delta has served for more than 60 years. During the past 10 years, Delta has sponsored a scholarship program at Concordia College Manila to support underprivileged students and recently partnered with Ayala Foundation, a Manila-based nonprofit organization, through the SkyWish charity program thus allowing customers to donate miles to support its efforts.