Check out the news coverage from our Sacramento training below:
KCRA Channel 3 News
Many thanks for support from Lisa Stanton, COO Sacramento Airport, Betty Ann Boeving of the Bay Area Anti Trafficking Coalition and Ashlie Bryant from Run for Courage
See below thank you note from one of the participants::
I wanted to thank you for allow us to learn more about the Human Trafficking problem that we have in this area. As well, as learn how to be more observant of our surroundings and the people that are around us. I am never going to look at people in the same way anymore. I thank you for everything that you are doing for these innocent victims and applaud your efforts. I do plan to share this information with my co-workers as well as our shuttle van drivers and counter agents.
Thank you again so much for the opportunity to learn more and to help stop Human Trafficking!!
Kindest Regards,
JULY 16th AND 17th, 2015
2-DAY ART WORKSHOP EVENT IN HAITI!!!
Come join the fun this year as the children of various orphanages design, paint and put in their signature logo on their own unique backpack and tennis shoes. Also introducing our newest workshop: Art In All, the kids will be working with crafts to create a beautiful collage, as well as jewelry making. As customary, the event will culminate with a beach party for the children of Kominote Ti Fanmi Nou de Diakonos and the volunteers on the 18th of July.
About Art Day Celebration (ADC)
Art Day Celebration is a collaborative program of Diakonos International developed to uplift, empower and nurture vulnerable children through explorations of the creative arts. Its mission is to bring healing, and restore hope to vulnerable children by nurturing their creativity via quality artistic activities to include the visual arts, theater, movement and music, and showcasing their artistry.
This 5-days/4-nights trip to Haiti begins July 15th, returning to the US on the 19th. Cost this 5-day travel to do give back trip is $550 (which includes a $50 donation to KTFN). CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
About Art On Canvas Workshop
This workshop is designed to nurture self-expression and self-confidence in underprivileged and vulnerable children through the visual art of painting. With your continued support, we will be implementing our quarterly workshops:
Art of Movement – exploring all forms of artistic movement, i.e. choreography, dance Art of Music – exploring music, singing, instruments, etc.
Art of Drama – exploring acting, writing, poetry, etc.
Art in All – working with crafts, jewelry making, artisans, and more
AA flight light attendant Martine Longchamp lost her brother in the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. As a result, she founded Diakonos Foundation and has taken on the responsibility for 34 orphans. Airline Ambassadors is supporting her and partnering to identify sponsorship for the kids on-going education and future.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
She launched ART DAY Celebration….an annual event, involving 150 children and led an amazing mission to provide art kits for these children who will have the chance to express their creativity in artistic expression. After a two day event even the Mayor of Port au Prince visited to see the festivities. See a wonderful video montage of the event HERE
Hello team,
or check out the Facebook page HERE
American Eagle flight attendant Martine Longchamp lost her brother in the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. As a result, she founded Diakonos Foundation and has taken on the responsibility for 34 orphans. Airline Ambassadors is supporting her and partnering to identify sponsorship for the kids on-going education and future.
She launched ART DAY Celebration….an annual event, involving 150 children and led an amazing mission to provide art kits for these children who will have the chance to express their creativity in artistic expression. After a two day event even the Mayor of Port au Prince visited to see the festivities. See a wonderful video montage of the event HERE
The last day we brought kids to the beach to enjoy Martines Birthday! Help sponsor a child HERE
or check out the Facebook page HERE
AAI Human Trafficking Awareness training’s have previewed the SOLD Trailer since 2012, and now you can join screenings in London or New York. This remarkable film is based on the best-selling novel “Sold” by Patricia McCormick , Executive Producer, Academy Award winner Emma Thompson, Producer, Jane Charles and directed by Academy Award-winner Jeffrey Brown.
London July 10 New York June 24 or 26, 2014 Asian Arts Festival
SOLD – ABOUT THE STORY
Every year, millions of children disappear; trafficked and sold as slaves, for sex, for labor. This is happening in every country, on every continent around the world, yet this industry is largely invisible, its victims hidden. This is their story.
Based on the acclaimed and award-winning international best-seller by Patricia McCormick, SOLD tells the story of one girl who becomes a victim of human trafficking. The story is set in India and Nepal, where many such stories take place. SOLD is about an extraordinary thirteen year old girl named Lakshmi who lives in a poor village in the mountains of Nepal.
When her stepfather accepts an advance for her to work as a domestic servant in Kolkata, India, Lakshmi becomes obliged to work off the debt. This practice is common among traffickers and is known as “debt bondage.” Lakshmi goes willingly, believing she will work as a domestic and hoping to earn enough money to buy her mother a tin roof. She is trafficked across the border to India by a city woman who tells Lakshmi to call her Auntie Bimla. They embark together upon the long journey to India walking, hitch hiking, taking a bus and finally a train. At first, it seems like an adventure, but when they arrive in the big city, Lakshmi is handed over to Mumtaz, a Madam who presides over a brothel known as “Happiness House.” To her horror, Lakshmi discovers that she has been sold into prostitution.
With no means of escape or communication with the outside world, Lakshmi resists until she is duped and drugged into submission. Though she has lost her freedom and must cope with degradation at the hands of both clients and captors, Lakshmi retains her personal sense of honor and dignity. Gradually, she makes friends with other residents of Happiness House and we see that her strength, kindness and keen wits help her survive despite the circumstances.
She quickly learns the risks and dangers of working in a brothel, but soon realizes death would be better than continuing to work as a prostitute at Happiness House. Lakshmi begins to put a plan in motion, and hopes to become one of the lucky ones to break the chains and escape – but first she must be willing to risk her life.
For clips, images and other press materials, please visit:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7lp1spce51gj5qs/2OS1Sqrgvq
facebook.com/soldthemovie | twitter.com/soldmovie
Flying High: Airline Ambassadors Help Bring Critically Ill Children to U.S.
When Soad Hamdan first met Osvaldo at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala, he was a shy, introverted 9-year-old boy.
He wore his hat low on his head, hiding his widespread eyes and other cranial deformities caused by a birth defect known as a nasal encephaloceles. He barely talked. He didn’t make eye contact. He didn’t have any friends.
Hamdan felt an immediate connection. “I was really attached to him,” she says.
As a medical escort for Airline Ambassadors, a nonprofit organization that leverages connections in the airline industry for humanitarian aid, Hamdan accompanies critically ill children like Osvaldo as they travel to the United States for medical treatments. Since many families cannot afford to fly with their children, Airline Ambassador escorts travel with the kids and make sure they meet up with their host families.
Hamdan, who lives in Rogers Park, has been a flight attendant with American Airlines for 17 years and began volunteering for Airline Ambassadors in 2009. When she talks about Osvaldo and the other children with whom she has traveled, her eyes well with tears.
“These kids are the best kids ever,” she says. Many are scared of the attention they get from fellow passengers, or are anxious about traveling to a new country, so they often become attached to their escort. “You get emotionally involved, and so do the kids,” she says.
Airline Ambassadors was founded in 1996 when American Airlines flight attendant Nancy Rivardsaw an opportunity for flight attendants to travel with boxes of supplies for needy children. Since then, the nonprofit has also created the medical escort program, as well as an initiative to help train flight attendants to recognize and prevent human trafficking.
“You get so much more back than you’re giving,” says Julie Riley of Winnetka, who has been a medical escort for Airline Ambassadors since 2003. “These children, with their deformities and awful setbacks… you still see a wonderful spirit in them. It’s been a really great experience.”
Riley has a light blue folder at least an inch thick, bursting with photos, ticket stubs and drawings from kids with whom she has traveled. An American Airlines flight attendant since 1985, Riley became involved with the program after finding out about it in a company newsletter.
“This was a perfect fit for me,” Riley says. “I know the industry, travel abroad, understand the airports, [and] love kids. I saw it as an opportunity to do something, to give back.”Beyond using their travel perks to help kids in need, flight attendants are also well equipped to deal with the unpredictability of air travel. With the help of Margaret Whitehead, the director of the children’s medical escort program for Airline Ambassadors, volunteers figure out how to deal with missed connecting flights, miscommunications with host families, and handling children who might be scared or anxious about leaving home for the first time.
After one particularly rough trip full of weather delays, Riley even brought a young girl to her home with her after they missed their flight from Chicago to Grand Rapids, Mich.
“It was, on multiple levels, the best experience for myself and my family,” Riley says about the night the young girl, Maya, stayed in her home. Riley’s daughter, Jenna, was so moved by the experience that she sent Maya home with two extra suitcases of her old clothes and talked about the visit during her church confirmation.
When you help one person, then they help someone else, says Riley. “It’s one beautiful, touching thing.”
It’s a spark that sets off another spark, and it’s not uncommon for volunteers to experience the generosity of others during their trips. Hamdan has received help from fellow passengers who can navigate the language barriers between her and the children, and one traveler even gave Riley $20 to give to a child who was traveling home after surgery. Additionally, fellow airline personnel, including pilots and flight attendants, take great steps to ensure a child has a positive travel experience.
Most flight attendants who participate in the program work for American Airlines, but there are a few attendants from Delta and United Airlines. The program relies heavily on American Airlines because the company ensures the flight attendants receive positive space—or confirmed seats—on the flight. Additionally, the kids can get tickets through the company’s Miles for Kids in Need program, which allows donated miles to be used for children seeking medical treatment. According to Whitehead, there are roughly 150 to 175 active American Airline volunteers.
Hamdan often tries to recruit fellow flight attendants to join the program. She was introduced to it through a friend who was actively involved and has been impressed with the organization and its directors.
“I have a lot of respect for [Whitehead] and for Airline Ambassadors in general,” she says. “We’re the people who bring the kids, but they organize it. It’s an amazing program.”
When Hamdan and Osvaldo reunited at the Richmond International Airport in Virginia after he spent months getting corrective surgeries, he was a different person. The silent, introverted little boy who refused to make eye contact ran into her arms when he saw her at the airport. “He wasn’t the shy boy I knew,” Hamdan says. “He wouldn’t stop talking. He was happy and smiling.”
“You see that smile?” she asks, pulling up a photo on her iPhone. “He was a different person. He felt good about himself.”
Find out how to donate your miles to Miles for Kids in Need
Mayan Families, Airline Ambassadors partner in Guatemala was a beneficiary of our United Nations event – Global Officials of Dignity Awards.
We provided them with an iridology machine to children, families or “ancianos”, who have fallen through the cracks in the social system. It is very expensive to go to the doctor, get a blood test or a physical. Having this machine will allow Mayan Families to quickly assess who does need to see a medical professional. The machine is portable, so it can be taken into villages, homes, schools or community centers.
AAI missions are planned there every month starting in November. Here’s a LINK to the itinerary
See this basic video introduction as well as this presentation.
Click here to learn more about the GOD awards, 2014.
Highlighting airline social responsibility
Airline Ambassadors was honored to be a partner with We Care for Humanity in the 2nd Annual G.O.D. Awards at the United Nations on June 20, 2014 and to provide Awards for five airlines for corporate leadership.
The 2nd Global Officials of Dignity Awards (GOD Awards) on June 20, 2014 honored individuals and corporations who have made substantive contributions to local communities in the fields of Business, Philanthropy, Arts and Entertainment. Three days of events were kicked off with a Meet and Greet at South South News. Partners networked and shared their visions for a truly caring Humanity.
The following day, at a Humanitarian Summit, partners shared projects, making a tangible difference to those in need, AAI presented about our efforts to raise awareness on the issue of Human Trafficking.
That evening, June 20, 2014, at a Gala event at the United Nations in New York. Guests enjoyed the evening on the deck and were privileged to witness 20 Circassian dancers in a demonstration of their ethnic traditions…..a truly multi-cultural experience.
Princess Maria Amor, Founder of We Care for Humanity, welcomed the crowd, and introduced partners. Nancy Rivard, announced the presence of 4 airlines and representative of the beneficiary project – Mayan Families
Guests Rebecca Holden and Joel Diamond co-hosted the event and performed their inspiring new song, Dreams Come True
Nancy accepted the Award for her great mentor, the late, Congressman Tom Lantos – the Human Right Legend Award, and presented the Awards for American Airlines for the Miles for Kids in Need Program; Delta Air Lines and Silver Airways were acknowledged for Human Trafficking awareness: and Southwest and Virgin Atlantic were honored for Humanitarian and Sustainability programs.
“ Airline Ambassadors is proud to partner with We Care for Humanity, and highlight leaders in the airline industry who are modeling corporate social responsibility and building global cooperation, understanding and goodwill.” said Nancy Rivard, President of AAI. “We are also thrilled to have actor Chris Hansen and Rebecca Holden as spokespersons for our work and that our partner NGO in Guatemala, Mayan Families, is a beneficiary charity of this year’s event and that they will join us personally”
HH Princess Maria Amor Torres, WCH creator of the 2nd Annual GOD Awards shared her goal to set the highest standards of humanitarian recognition and honor. “This year, we have phenomenal line-up of Honorees, among them are US Senator Diane Feinstein, Former Adigah President Arsen Kanokov, Love Boat’s Jeraldine Saunders, South South News President- Ambassador Francis Lorenzo, China-US BA President-Ben Lai, Mayor Ayodele Adewale of Nigeria, National Ccouncil of Women US president, Mary Singletary and many more. This event will benefit NGO’s in the Philippines, Indonesia and Guatemala who will receive IRIDOLAB by VITLABS INC, a medical breakthrough, iris-based biometric health evaluation system.
The event also featured celebrity couturier-Tatyana Peter’s Fashion Couture Show, the launch the Family Film and Olympia Awards, Art Exhibit by HH Duke Michael Peschka, Book Signing by HIRH Prince Gharios of Ghassan, Silent Auction, and performances by Narts Dance Ensemble and Jazz band by Robert Mwamba & group.
The three (3) day event ended with a brunch and fruitful networking meeting for collaborators in strategizing on how to move forward on a global agenda based on caring for all humanity.
Thanks for unprecedented support from American Airlines Miles for Kids in Need!
We Care for Humanity awarded Nancy Rivard, Founder of Airline Ambassadors Global Woman of the Year at the G.O.D. Awards in 2013. This year, AAI was a partner in the event with China-US Business Association, National Council of Women of US, Southern Philippine Unity Development Association Inc. , African Kingdom Federation, Black American Political Association of California and Circassian Benevolent Association.
Richard Branson was the only airline CEO who responded to Airline Ambassadors UN Round table on Sustainable Tourism in 1995, and now Virgin Atlantic will be honored for corporate leadership, commitment to environmental sustainability and humanitarian initiatives by AAI at the United Nations Global Officials of Dignity Awards on June 20, 2014 in New York.
Virgin airlines take pride in moving millions of customers around the planet each year, “Change is in the Air” and awareness that flying comes with some bigger social and environmental challenges.
Burning jet fuel from fossil sources means more climate-warming, ocean-acidifying carbon dioxide ends up in the atmosphere.
Keeping people comfortable at 30,000 feet and managing a fleet of aircraft can generate a fair amount of waste if you’re not careful. Plus, the communities, societies and opportunities being opened up thanks to international air travel sometimes have costs as well as benefits.
Reflected in their in-flight video Change is in the Air, Virgin Atlantic shares a commitment to building a better world and support communities they serve. Employees visit and support projects of Free the Children, in an inspiring program of employee engagement helping children throughout the world. VIDEO ON FREE THE CHILDREN
Bravo Virgin
UNITING for the Global GOOD!
Southwest Airlines was presented with a Gold Heart Award for Corporate Leadership at the United Nations in New York on June 20 as part of the Global Officials of Dignity awards. Airline Ambassadors chose Southwest Airlines because of outstanding philanthropy and support of humanitarian efforts.
Kim Rex, a Southwest Airlines flight-attendant supervisor, received the Award on behalf of her airline. This mother of three doesn’t use her vacations to sunbathe at exotic locales. Beginning on an Airline Ambassadors mission to Mexico in 2008 , for the past seven years, she and fellow flight attendants have pinpointed areas around the globe where they can do good. “Although the goal of mission work is to positively affect someone else’s life, the person serving is equally rewarded.” said Rex, “Taking the time to share your blessings, talents and time creates a travel experience rewarding and meaningful” Read full story HERE
“I’ll never forget when Kim arranging for the donation of 200 shirts and 160 pairs of pants and shorts (from Southwest Airlines) transformed from airline uniforms to “school uniforms” for the kids. This is exactly what Airline Ambassadors is all about”, said Nancy Rivard, AAI founder. See pic to right: Kim Rex and Vicki Casper promote child sponsorship’s to SWA employees.
Southwest Airlines was also recognized with awards by the American Red Cross and Airlink in March 2014.
‘Southwest Airlines is known for sharing the ‘LUV, said T.D. Smyers, of American Red Cross North Texas Region. “They’ve collected hygiene supplies for families burned out of their homes, hosted lifesaving blood drives, encouraged employees to volunteer with the Red Cross and given significant financial support in advance of emergencies since 2011.”
“We would like to recognize Southwest Airlines for their tremendous response to humanitarian crises in 2013,” commented Bob Brown, President of Airlink for help mobilizing 151 disaster responders from numerous origination points in the U.S. in the aftermath of the tornadoes in Oklahoma, and flooding in Illinois.”
Southwest Airlines – Sharing the LUV!
Silver Airways was honored by Airline Ambassadors on June 20 at the United Nations for corporate leadership and educating employees on the issue of Human Trafficking.
“We received a call from Richard Goodstein, Corporate Training Manager at Silver Airways last year, with interest in our Human Trafficking Training for flight crew. Silver utilizes the on-line module of the Blue Campaign in addition is the first airline in the US to supplement that training with AAI’s Recognize It Report It training for the classroom.” said Nancy Rivard, AAI President 
Silver Airways’ launched as an independent airline on June 8, 2013, and one year later Silver has grown its network to offer flights between more Florida cities than any other airline and more flights between Florida and the Bahamas than any other U.S. carrier.
Air Transport World named Silver Airways its Regional Airline of the Year in February 2013, citing its “strong leadership and a passion for providing safe, upscale and reliable service.” “The thing that impressed us about Silver is it’s unique in the U.S. airline market right now,” said Aaron Karp, senior editor for ATW. Most regional carriers operate larger planes under capacity agreements with major airlines, he said. Read more Here:
Silver Airways Corp. (IATA: 3M) is a U.S. owned and operated airline operating approximately 170 daily scheduled flights to/from 38 destinations in Florida, the Bahamas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio. Silver offers flights between more Florida cities than any other airline and more flights between Florida and the Bahamas than any other U.S. airline, and has valued partnership and codeshare agreements with United Airlines and interline agreements with American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, US Airways, Bahamasair, Hahn Air, and All Nippon Airways.
Congressman Chris Smith, author of the National Victims Protection Act, sent these words of congratulations:
“I would like to offer my congratulations and appreciation to Delta Airlines and Silver Airways for the corporate responsibility they have taken and the leadership shown in their response to human trafficking. No airline is immune from abuse by traffickers—but, to date, only a few airlines have decided that they will actively seek to detect victims on their flights. Only a few airlines have decided that they will be part of trafficking relief and protection. Thank you, Delta and Silver Airways, for your efforts to set a new airline industry standard of identification and reporting of potential victims. Nancy and other observant members of flight crews have saved scores of people from disaster and likely death just by being observant and knowing who to call. And I have no doubt that, as a result of Delta’s and Silver Airway’s new policies, more lives will be saved.” Congressman Chris Smith
