September is National Preparedness Month, a dedicated time that reminds us about the importance of disaster and emergency planning. Southwest Airlines is committed to supporting our Employees, Customers, and communities during times of need.
At Southwest, we’re more than an airline—we’re your neighbor, and we recognize how critical it is that we’re prepared to respond to and support unexpected events. Through our Community Outreach efforts, we demonstrate this commitment by partnering with national and local organizations to support services and programs focused on preparedness, response, and resilience throughout the year.
When disaster strikes, these organizations are on the ground and ready to help. In fact, many of our partners are currently hard at work responding to the water crisis occurring in Jackson, Mississippi. Southwest supports its recovery efforts in impacted areas by providing cash donations as well as e-passes to assist in transportation needs for volunteers and staff. We also collaborate with departments like provisioning and cargo for supply and shipping needs.
Our national disaster and crisis response partners include:
The American Red Cross
- The American National Red Cross is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States.
“Disaster Responder Program members like Southwest Airlines are truly extraordinary because they understand the importance of having vital resources in place before a disaster strikes,” shared Anne McKeough, Chief Development Officer at the American Red Cross. “We are extremely grateful to forward-thinking donors like Southwest Airlines who ensure that we stand ready to help people in their darkest hours, whenever and wherever we’re needed most.”
Team Rubicon
- Team Rubicon unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams.
- Rapid Rewards® Members can also support Team Rubicon by donating their Rapid Rewards® Points at swa.is/pointsdonation.
"Team Rubicon is ready to serve communities before, during, and after disasters. Southwest Airlines' monetary and in-kind support allows Team Rubicon to mobilize thousands of volunteers by flying them to and from disaster zones across the country. We are incredibly grateful to Southwest Airlines for their commitment to Team Rubicon and vulnerable communities, especially during critical times of need,” said Art delaCruz, Chief Executive Officer of Team Rubicon.
Feeding America
- Feeding America®, the country’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, and its network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and more than 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries, and meal programs provides meals to tens of millions of people each year.
- To support Feeding America please visit www.feedingamerica.org/donate
“The Feeding America network stages emergency supplies strategically throughout the country so we can distribute quickly when disaster strikes,” said Patrick Crawford, Senior Director of Disaster Services at Feeding America. “We are thankful to Southwest Airlines for their generous support of our work to provide food and other essentials to communities during challenging times.”
Unfortunately, as the frequency and intensity of disasters continue to increase, emergencies continue to impact our communities. We encourage you all to join Southwest in supporting these organizations and making a difference by donating through the links above. It’s an honor for Southwest to play a role in supporting these organizations and the crucial work they do. We remain dedicated to serving in unique ways that are true to Southwest to help those when they need us most.