One of the things I enjoy about my career at Southwest Airlines is endless opportunities for learning and growth. I am proud to be a participant in one of these transformative opportunities, the Manager in Training Program (MIT), a dynamic learning experience for top-performing Managers, Supervisors, and Team Leaders. I’ve enjoyed every aspect of the program, but the Servant’s Heart project is something I’m especially proud to have been a part of.
For 14 years, Southwest MIT participants have immersed themselves into a community service project with Shared Housing Center, a non-profit organization that provides affordable options in the Dallas area. At Southwest, we talk about “Living the Southwest Way,” which means having a Warrior Spirit, Servant’s Heart, and Fun-LUVing Attitude. From the start of this project, our MIT I spring 2018 cohort realized there was a great need to be filled in the community Southwest Airlines calls home, and our Servant’s Hearts were stirred.
We go big at Southwest Airlines, and on average, our MIT classes raise between $15,000 and $20,000, in addition to the home repair or landscaping project they complete. There’s always a friendly competition to top the previous class’ achievements, and this year our class worked hard to raise the bar!
In total, we raised more than $52,000, providing new furniture, bedding, a library full of books for the children living in the group residence, a new stove, and full landscaping for the home along with a complete renovation of the first floor restrooms and bedrooms. We also spent a day embracing our Fun-LUVing Attitude, taking over a dozen children from Shared Housing Center to the zoo.
The project evolved into a two-week effort that expanded to include partnerships with McCarthy Building Companies and Hensel Phelps Construction, with both companies taking on two bedrooms and two bathrooms in the home, gutting the rooms to the studs, and completing a total remodel. Countless Southwest Employees, local businesses, and Southwest partners generously donated time and funds, with 600+ volunteer hours spent by Southwest Employees and 416 labor hours by external contractors.
Special thanks to those partners who greatly contributed to the tremendous success of the Shared Housing Center Project: Pandora Electric, Cummings Electric, Carpet Services, Cherry Paint, Brightview Landscape, Baker Drywall, MIINC, and Sigma Title.
I am extremely proud of this year’s Shared Housing Center project! We truly tapped into our Warrior Spirit and were able to give back in an impactful way. I am so thankful to be part of a Company like Southwest Airlines with a strong commitment to both its People and its community.
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10-20-2015
02:11 PM
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Preparing the new international terminal at Houston Hobby (HOU) has been three years in the making, and its doors (and skies) are now officially open for business thanks to the help of more than 800 hardworking People. Being Southwest’s first international terminal, the Southwest Facilities Team faced new obstacles, including the question “what does it take to open an international-capable terminal?”
The Team had to prepare typical airport needs: TSA security, chairs, outlets, restrooms, jet ways, and gates (among many others). But they also had to consider something else: Federal Inspection Stations (FIS), also known as “Customs.” Without this element of security, Southwest would be unable to fly internationally from the terminal.
When most people think of Customs, they picture a booth where they check your passport and you claim items. Little do they know what’s going on behind the scenes. In order for a terminal to clear international flights for take-off and landing, the facility has to have appropriate spaces designated for photo kiosks, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Wildlife Commission, dog kennels, passport stations, and luggage scanning.
What does the FDA have to do with travel? Why are there dog kennels at an airport? The answer is simple: Passenger Safety. It’s illegal to transport agriculture, weapons, certain medicines, and various paraphernalia from other countries. These agencies search and prevent these items from being brought into the country. Their presence in the terminal is vital to ensuring the safety of our land and skies.
The Customs area in the international terminal of Houston Hobby is approximately 70,000 square feet and completely separate from the domestic terminal baggage claim. It can accommodate 800 travelers per hour, has three baggage carousels, and four dog kennels. It’s designed to prevent any illegal or potentially dangerous items from coming into the country.
Next time you go through Customs at an airport, take a look around you at all the moving pieces. It’s hard to believe so much is going on behind-the-scenes!
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