Lending a Hand
Angel
flight is an organization of pilots that provides flights for patients in outlying
areas who need medical treatment and are unable to travel on commercial flights
or on long road trips. When Kashif Husain, a Continental reservations supervisor,
was asked to join the group by a pilot friend, he didn't hesitate. "I have
been working with disabled children in Pakistan and India but wanted to work with
children in the United States," Husain says. When his pilot friend told him
about Angel Flight, which transports cancer patients to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
for treatment, Husain was ready to help. "I go along for support and to help
the families with anything they might need before or during the flight,"
Husain says. The pair travels mostly on Sunday to get patients to Houston to begin
treatment on Monday.
"It's nice to use my airline experience to help
patients as they board a much smaller plane to take them to the hospital,"
Husain says, adding that sometimes the families and patients have never flown
and might be nervous about the flight. But Husain is not only dedicated to helping
Angel Flight; he also uses one vacation week a year to volunteer. "My dad
was in public service in Pakistan, so I saw how he worked to help others."
Husain says he never did volunteer work as a child, but through his dad's public
work, he realized the importance of giving back to your community. Husain also
credits his wife for her support in his volunteer efforts.
After the 2005
earthquake in Kashmir, Husain spent time in Pakistan helping out in the recovery
process. He has since returned to both Pakistan and India, bringing school supplies
and other items needed in small cities and villages.
Husain encourages anyone
visiting an impoverished country to help the schools. "Even if it's just
crayons, it's like gold to the schools and the kids," he says.
–
Lora O'Riordan
In a day when travel is accessible
to almost everyone, Continental's manager of Customer First and regulatory programs,
Bill Burnell, created a new program to help people with disabilities have an easier
time at the airport.
Partnering first with TIRR Memorial Hermann, The Institute
for Rehabilitation and Research, Burnell put together Project Airport.
TIRR sends a small group of volunteers undergoing rehabilitation to Houston's
Bush Intercontinental Airport, where the group participates in a simulated airport
experience in a relaxed and informal setting.
"We start with a detailed
tour of the check-in area," says Burnell. "The group then gets an overview
from TSA on the requirements for handling customers in wheelchairs. The volunteers
then board an airplane where they transfer from an aisle chair to an aircraft
seat."
"The volunteers get to 'practice' in a calm environment
that instills confidence when they come out for an actual trip," Burnell
explains.
The program has expanded to Continental's hubs in New York/Newark
and Cleveland. "We now have Project Airport programs with the Kessler Institute
for Rehabilitation in West Orange, N.J., and the MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute
of Ohio in Cleveland," says Burnell.
Continental is committed to continue
improving the customer experience, and partnering with the community provides
a great opportunity to make sure Continental meets the needs of all customers.
– L.O.
