Everyone who works for Southwest knows that having a Servant’s Heart is one of our core values. But have you ever tried to find the definition of “Servant’s Heart”? I looked in both online and book dictionaries and never found the definition. So, I thought what better place than the walls of Headquarters to understand the true meaning of a Servant’s Heart?
Just by wandering through Headquarters, I found that a person with a Servant’s Heart follows the Golden Rule, treats others with respect, and puts others first. People with a Servant’s Heart also give back to the community by using their gifts and talents to help others. That’s what the People Department’s “Servant’s Heart Day” is all about.
This Spring, the Employees of the People Department across the system volunteered for a day of giving back. In MDW, DAL and BWI, we used our skills as HR professionals to teach those less fortunate how to write resumes, search for jobs, and identify and capitalize on their skills to help them find employment.
- In MDW, we went to A Safe Haven, an organization that assists the homeless with housing and life skills.
- In DAL, we held a career workshop that included a “dress for success” session complete with makeovers and new clothes for young single mothers at Arms of Hope, an organization that helps single mothers escape difficult circumstances and transition into successful, independent futures. We also painted, cleaned, landscaped, and transformed an unused room on the Arms of Hope campus into a resource room to help the young women in their job search.
- In BWI, we went to International Rescue Committee, an organization that assists refugees who enter the United States with nothing, some with just the clothes on their backs.
- In DEN, we spent the day prepping and painting the halls at Mi Casa, a resource center dedicated to helping Latino’s achieve economic success.
- In ATL, PHX and OAK, we helped organize, sort, and pack medical equipment and supplies for two organizations, Medshare and Project CURE. These organizations ship much needed medical supplies to less fortunate countries around the world.
- In MCO we were elbow deep in discarded soap collected from hotels, to be recycled and distributed to impoverished people around the world, helping to prevent deaths caused by hygiene related illnesses every day.
In all, over 150 Southwest People Department Employees mentored, painted, packed, and planted. But the common theme was not what we gave, but what we got back. Comments such as “inspiring organization,” “eye-opening experience,” and “I’m truly blessed” were heard throughout the department. Knowing that we made a difference in someone’s life makes me very thankful to work for a Company with a Servant’s Heart.