Celebrating our 10th Mission Trip to the Andes of Peru

By Inflight Onboarding

In September 2022, Southwest Employees and their family and friends traveled together for a special 10th mission trip to Peru. The trip combined humanitarian service while taking in the wondrous sights of the country. Over the past decade, in partnership with Global Legacy Programs (GLP), I’ve been privileged to lead mission trips to Peru. During this most recent trip, we visited two villages in the Andes—Quehue and Callatiac.

Upon arrival in Cusco, our group attended a welcome meeting to organize supplies before enjoying dinner together and heading to the remote villages the next day. Many of us met in person for the first time. We quickly became a family … bonding over our desire to help others as this is a unique experience to serve and connect with people. In fact, one of the villages we visited had never received prior visitors or assistance.

In the cold climate of the Andes, a stove is important in a home as it provides warmth during cold winters and prevents respiratory illnesses. Without stoves, the families use an open fire pit that can negatively affect air quality. In a continued effort to provide every family with a stove, this year’s group provided and installed 20 adobe (mud) stoves for families. We transported donations of supplies and medical equipment courtesy of Medical Bridges to improve the medical care in the villages. Other items purchased by our participants included school supplies, soap, shampoo, and dental and hygiene items.

The children and village leaders embraced our group with music and dancing, and they invited us to spend the day with them. They shared their challenges and future needs so we could look toward our ongoing efforts. It was a surreal experience that our group will never forget, hopefully impacting them forever.

HOW ARE THESE MISSIONS FUNDED?

Each participant pays a mission fee that covers the costs of the mission’s supplies, arrangements, and transportation to the villages. Another major contributor of money is a fundraiser using Southwest tickets earned by Employees logging their volunteer hours supporting GLP with the Company’s Tickets for Time program. Our group raised close to $5,000 through the raffle alone, which allowed us to provide additional stoves to the villages we visited and a replacement water pump for a GPLsupported village in Uganda.

The Tickets for Time program honors and appreciates our Employee volunteers who give their time and talents to 501c3 nonprofits and schools. Southwest donates one roundtrip ticket (up to six per calendar year) for every 40 hours that an Employee volunteers with that organization. If you volunteer for a qualifying organization, I encourage you to log your hours. Check out this previous LUVLines article about Employees who used the Tickets for Time program to help the organizations they love

The Incredible Sights Of Peru

Peru is one of my favorite destinations, offering so much variety and culture—the charm of Cusco, the adventure of crossing over the hand-woven Q’eswachaka suspension bridge, and of course, the wonder of the world: Machu Pichu. Some participants extended their trip and hiked the 4-day Inca Trail, and others enjoyed the Peru Rail train to Machu Pichu. Unseasonal rain and snow left the roads to Peru’s famous Rainbow Mountain undrivable. Our group still made the most of the experience by visiting the incredible hikes and sights back to Cusco.

HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE?

We’d love you to join us for our next trip to Peru or another scheduled destination. Want to make an impact with other Southwest Employees using your benefits? Email Kim.Rex@wnco.com to receive information about upcoming opportunities. Global Legacy Programs is a nonprofit organization that connects people with projects to make a difference in the health, education, and progress of communities around the world. Visit Global-legacy.org for more information.

PARTICIPANTS THAT JOINED THE PERU 2022 TRIP:

Inflight Onboarding Flight Attendant Supervisor Kim Rex

DEN Flight Attendant

Sherry Cummings

DEN Flight Attendant Cherstin Jones

DEN Flight Attendant Jennifer Porch

HOU Flight Attendant Hector Marquez

HOU Flight Attendant Jeannie Tran

LAS Flight Attendant Erica Fernandez

MDW Flight Attendant Julie Jerzyk

MDW Flight Attendant Brad Rogers

MDW Flight Attendant Mitch Young

PHX CSA Sherri Peterson

PHX Flight Attendant Debra Undhjem

PHX Flight Attendant Nycole Wilkins

PHX Sky Cap Dana Lee

Family/friends who joined: Jill Sponder, John Harmon, Misty Harmon, Jodie Neily, Jeff Fersch, Tanner Jones, Korah Jones, and Lupita Marquez