At Southwest, we are committed to honoring and thanking our service men and women who safeguard our country. Throughout the year, we work with organizations to support these heroes and give back after their sacrifices. Southwest Airlines donates more than $1.5 million to these groups. And in the month of November, we pay special tribute to the incredible sacrifices of veterans, service members, and their Families by celebrating “Military Heroes Month.”
Throughout the month, we’ll share stories to commemorate our service men and women. Stay tuned to the blog for stories from our Employees and nonprofit partners about service, how we honor the military, the sacrifice these heroes make, and how we celebrate the brave who fight for our freedoms.
Southwest is proud to be called home to more than 6,300 active duty, reservists, and veterans. And that number is growing. In just the past 12 months, we’ve hired 357 veterans. We are proud to have been recognized numerous times by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) for our commitment and support of Southwest Employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve; named a Top Military Employer by GI Jobs Magazine; and received recognition for our partnerships with nonprofits focused on active duty military, veterans, and Families of military members.
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08-15-2014
01:00 PM
2 Loves
Emergency Response Team and Friends, July 30th Volunteer Day
They say that one flame can light a thousand candles. It can start with one person’s passion, and in turn, have a ripple effect for the greater cause. For three decades, Employees of Southwest Airlines have supported Community Partners of Dallas (CPD). CPD supports Child Protective Services caseworkers in providing basic necessities, like school supplies, to abused and neglected children.
Earlier this month, Employees from Communication & Outreach volunteered at CPD’s back-to-school drive, loading caseworkers’ cars with school supplies to distribute. Though the humid, rainy weather was not ideal, Employees served with smiles on their faces.
Supporting CPD is a cause near and dear to Dora Villarreal, Sr. Coordinator, Culture & Communications. Dora has been involved with CPD’s back-to-school drive for 17 years. Her passion is serving kids, but it is the organization that brings her back year after year. During that time, she’s seen CPD grow into an organization that truly fits the size of their big hearts, thanks to fundraising and tireless hours of labor. Southwest fuels her passion by enabling Employees to serve alongside their fellow Cohearts, even earning tickets for the nonprofit through Tickets for Time. For every 40 hours one or more of our Employees volunteer for a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the benefiting organization is eligible to receive one complimentary, roundtrip ticket on Southwest Airlines for fundraising or transportation needs. Through this program, a charitable organization can receive up to six tickets in a calendar year.
In addition to back-to-school drives, Southwest has supported CPD through coat drives, assembling Easter baskets, toy drives, and through Kids in Crisis, a program that enlists the support of area businesses to assist caseworkers with administrative needs throughout the year.
While the cause is focused on children, it positively affects the volunteers, too. One person’s passion can spark others’, and create a chain reaction in the community. We see it throughout Southwest—because of one Employee’s passion, others become involved, and contribute to thousands of lives changed. This is just one example of how Southwest Airlines gives From the Heart, empowering Employees to share their passions with others to accomplish great things in the communities we serve. We may be an airline, but we do some of our best work on the ground.
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