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Southwest Airlines Community

Operation: Recognize and Celebrate Our Veterans

Ana
Employee
Employee

Southwest Airlines is proud to support the brave men and women who have served our country.  In honor of Veterans Day, this year we teamed up with Help Heal Veterans, a Repurpose with Purpose partner, to distribute therapeutic craft kits to veterans and Customers traveling in November.

 

 

 

 

At Southwest, we believe in living responsibly, respecting our resources, and sharing our Heart with others—and our Repurpose with Purpose initiative is a great example of how we put those principles into action. Through this initiative, we partner with like-minded organizations to upcycle, downcycle, and recycle thousands of pounds of our discarded items and materials into useful products that change lives.

 

Help Heal Vets.jpgSince 2016, we have repurposed more than one million pounds of our aircraft seat covers through the program, helping to minimize our environmental footprint while maximizing our social impact. Through this partnership, Help Heal Veterans utilizes the leather from our aircraft seat covers to create craft kits for veterans, allowing them to make items including footballs, belts, wallets, and wristbands. To date, more than 100,000 veterans have received therapy art kits and more than 300,000 pounds of aircraft seat leather has been given a new life.

 

Founded in 1971, Help Heal Veterans has provided more than 31 million free therapeutic arts and crafts kits to hospitalized and homebound veterans. The kits give veterans a creative outlet and offer important therapeutic and rehabilitation benefits. Help Heal Veterans works with clinicians and veterans to make sure that the kits address veterans’ unique needs, and the kits often become part of formal rehabilitation treatment plans.

 

Our Heart is to take care of People because we are more than an airline; we are your neighbor. We are honored to partner with Help Heal Veterans and other organizations dedicated to supporting and championing our active and retired military. With respect, honor, and gratitude, Southwest thanks all veterans for their bravery and service on this Veterans Day and every day.