More than 50 Delta Air Lines employees traveled to the town of Haina to help 15 families build new homes in partnership with Habitat Dominican Republic. The weeklong build jump-started Habitat’s larger revitalization plan for the region, which includes new construction, home repairs and rehabilitations, as well as microfinance assistance, financial education and land-rights training.
The Haina trip marks Delta’s ninth international build with Habitat. “One thing I always walk away with is a stronger appreciation for what I have,” says Barry Matthews, a Delta team leader for the trip. “But more importantly than that, a stronger appreciation for what happens when you do for others. I always tell my fellow volunteers to never underestimate the impact they are having on the lives of those we serve through Habitat for Humanity.”
This trip, Delta’s crew of volunteers worked alongside local partner families to build healthy, concrete-block homes in Haina. The new housing replaces the makeshift, dirt-floor structures that previously served as homes for these families. “Delta’s donations and volunteers will help improve the living conditions of many in Haina,” says Cesarina Fabian, Habitat Dominican Republic’s executive director, “and provide critical support to our ongoing efforts aimed to serve more than 100 families in the region.”
