American Airlines volunteers support Feeding America in Puerto Rico
American Airlines volunteers gathered at Food Bank of Puerto Rico to pack more than 46,000 pounds of food into 3,100 emergency food kits — all of which will be distributed to those impacted by the recent earthquakes that have devastated the island, the carrier said.
“American has proudly served Puerto Rico for nearly 50 years. We take our commitment to the community seriously, which is why it’s so important for us to support our neighbors,” said Jose Rucabado, American’s general manager for Puerto Rico.
“In the last several months, hundreds of earthquakes have caused significant damage, and our team in Puerto Rico wants to do its part. We are proud to continue the relief work we began three years ago after Hurricane María,” he said.
The event was a collaboration between American and Feeding America — a nationwide network of food banks.
“Our most precious resource is time and to give it generously to help others is a wonderful gesture,” said Denise Santos, CEO of the local food bank, which inaugurated its new headquarters in Carolina on Wednesday.
“American Airlines has been a partner of the Food Bank for years, always at the frontline when disaster strikes or when we need them most,” she said.
The packing event is part of American’s continued commitment to Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. In 2017, the airline transported more than 1.1 million pounds of cargo and relief items to the islands and sent more than 830,000 pounds of goods free of charge to the families of team members in Puerto Rico affected by Hurricane María.
In addition to raising more than $1.96 million in hurricane relief through a partnership with the American Red Cross, team members donated $722,445 to support their impacted colleagues through the American Airlines Family Fund.
In 2018, American held its annual Global Sales Conference in San Juan, investing more than $2 million in the local economy and donating more than 3,000 volunteer hours at local nonprofit organizations.
American has served San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport since 1971. The airline has more than 250 team members in San Juan and currently operates 13 daily flights to its hub cities of Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami and Philadelphia.
