Southwest Airlines.
Southwest Airlines has continuously dedicated their resources to improving the San Diego community through varied efforts, known as Southwest Citizenship, including charitable giving, environmental initiatives, as well as community outreach and volunteering. Our philanthropic activities also provide us with the opportunity to get to know individuals and local organizations on a level that allows us to forge meaningful partnerships. With the end of the year being a time to reflect, Southwest Airlines would like to recognize a few outstanding partners that share our values.
Southwest Airlines recognizes that it takes a truly caring individual to donate their personal time. Helping individuals and families in need of supportive programs and services such as Casa de Milagros, a drug and alcohol recovery home for women, is MAAC. Linda and Mel Katz have also dedicated decades to activism and volunteerism to benefit a variety of initiatives. This includes the Girls Scouts of San Diego which Southwest Airlines is also proud to support, including aviation education with the USS Midway, and revere for their ongoing dedication to better the lives of young women. Holding these same values, the entire Southwest Airlines team is dedicated to becoming active members within the neighborhoods where we and our customers live and work.
Part of what sets Southwest Airlines apart from other businesses is our continued focus on development and improvement. We accomplish this through continuously innovating and fostering growth within the organization. We believe this approach is equally important for our community, as education is fundamental to the betterment of quality of life. In this esteem, we are proud to shed light on the significant contributions of UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla who has helped make great strides toward improved educational opportunities. Fellow organizations that share this same commitment are the Mariachi Scholarship Foundation and MANA de San Diego both of which focus on providing opportunities specifically to Latina and Latino students, which represent a large part of the population in need of these services. Southwest Airlines has also partnered with Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) for years to expand their initiative to help empower families by providing access to educational resources.
While Southwest Airlines is proud to provide support locally, we are also dedicated to making a global impact. Our LUV Seat program donates leather plane seats no longer in use to be upcycled in Africa. Project Concern International is also committed to helping international communities in need. In addition to our philanthropic efforts, Southwest Airlines has tied in our global initiative to our own company growth. As such, 2017 was a big year as we added non-stop flights from San Diego to San Jose del Cabo/Los Cabos, Mexico. This has helped address the needs of many locals who travel to and from Mexico frequently to visit family, work, and have fun. We are proud of our commitment to the community and we look forward to all the stories we will share in 2018.
Lidia S. Martinez
Manager, Community Affairs & Grassroots Southwest Airlines
www.southwest.com
