Through my work with the United Nations, I had the great honor recently to meet Nancy Rivard, President and Founder of Airline Ambassadors International (AAI) the only non-profit working with the airline industry to facilitate humanitarian efforts. In addition to being recognized by the UN, the organization has also been recognized by the US Congress for the work they began (helping orphans and vulnerable children) and continue to expand, including providing for international medical care and educating travel professionals and the public on human trafficking.
Nancy founded this inspiring organization in1996 while working as a flight attendant for American Airlines. Nancy was an executive on a management track at American, but returned to her original position as a flight attendant upon the unexpected and sudden death of her father. She was looking for meaning, and after seeing the dramatic divide between the developed and developing world, started AAI as a way to provide opportunities for people to help narrow and close the divide.
Now, ten years later, AAI has brought over $60 million of aid to children in 62 countries, impacting over half a million young people.
Medical volunteers have escorted over 3,000 children to other countries for life saving and life changing care. Take a look at this short video documentary that follows one of AAI’s ambassadors bringing two young girls from El Salvador to Los Angeles for medical care:
With her unstoppable energy and tremendous heart, Nancy continues to honor her father’s life and bring joy not only to the children and families AAI supports, but to the volunteers whose own lives are changed with every take-off and landing they are fortunate to be part of.
Nancy was honored with the 2015 Human Rights Hero Award by the Foundation for a Slavery Free World in 2015 and dozens of other awards, and with the AAI team has been one of the most successful contributors addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals adopted by world leaders in 2015 which offer a blueprint to eradicate poverty. These goals evolved from the earlier UN Millennium Development Goals.
Thousands of members volunteer their skills, time, finances and effort as part of three volunteer programs:
- Providing for orphans and vulnerable children via our Humanitarian Aid program
- Protecting children traveling via our Medical Escort Program
- Educating on child protection via our volunteer training on Human Trafficking
In 2015, volunteers contributed over 89,000 hours of volunteer service and spent $500,000 of personal income. They helped establish orphanages, schools, clinics, feeding programs and vocational training, and agricultural programs and inspired a law in the US Congress.
Please join me and Nurses With Global Impact in supporting Nancy’s vision and programs. In a future post, I will share more with you about the work AAI is doing in anti-trafficking, a cause NWGI also cares deeply about.
Thank you Nancy, your team, your thousands of volunteers and your corporate sponsors including American Airlines for lifting up so many! This is how the world heals.
– Deb
