Delta Employees Sleep Out Across the U.S. and in Mexico

Sleep Out season kicks off on Thursday, Nov. 3, with longtime Covenant House partner, Delta Air Lines. Our partnership began when one Delta executive participated in the Sleep Out at one Covenant House location in 2014, and this year Delta has set a goal for 300 participants to Sleep Out! They are hosting and supporting Sleep Out events across the country at some of their major hubs in New York City (JFK and LGA), Ft. Lauderdale, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Mexico City in addition to their headquarters in Atlanta.   

Since the beginning, Delta has emphasized that they are committed to playing their part to ensure that every young person has a safe place to call home, free from exploitation and harm. 

“We believe that every young person deserves caring adults to protect and guide them, and opportunities to create their best future. That’s why Delta supports Covenant House’s mission in eight cities across the U.S. and in Mexico. It’s the reason why we piloted our Career Readiness program and brought it to three Covenant House locations, to provide young people with a runway to a successful career,” says Stephanie Asbury, Senior Vice President of Global Talent Management at Delta Air Lines.

Former resident, Octavia, was one of the first young people enrolled in the Delta program at Covenant House New York. When we interviewed her about her experience, she shared that Delta was providing her with “all of the basics I need for a successful career: resume writing, how to handle real-life work situations, and practice interviewing for a job. We spent a day at the Delta terminal at LaGuardia Airport and got to see everything that happens and all the jobs available, ‘above and below the wing,’ as they say at Delta: customer service, baggage handling, guiding the planes, management—everything!”

At the end of the program, Delta hosted interviews for entry-level jobs. Octavia secured a position and is proud to share that she’s been gainfully employed by Delta for four years.  Today, she is a 24-year-old ticket/gate agent, residing in Atlanta.

“I am so thankful to Delta and Covenant House for the chance to have not just a job but a career, and one that allows me to see the world! I will also never forget the love and respect I felt from the moment I arrived at Covenant House and how good it felt to finally have some stability in my life when I joined the Delta program,” Octavia shared.  

Tonight, Stephanie and Octavia will unite at Delta Air Lines headquarters where they will stand up and remind their colleagues, and fellow Sleepers, that no youth should ever be without a home — period.