Celebrating the Season of Giving, JetBlue Donates Blankets, Pillows, Amenity Kits, Headphones and Other Supplies to Communities in Need

-- As Part of the Airline’s Mint Refresh, Gently and Unused Retiring Products will Receive a Second Life and be put to Good Use by Local Shelters, Soup Kitchens, and Other Service Organizations, While Helping Divert Waste from Landfills --

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--JetBlue (Nasdaq: JBLU) today announced significant product donations to local homeless shelters, missions, soup kitchens and education partners. In celebration of the season of giving, JetBlue is providing supplies to a variety of organizations and agencies including the City of New York and its Department of Social Services; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County, Fla.; United Way of Broward County in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Tacoma Rescue Mission in Seattle; Long Beach Rescue Mission in Los Angeles County, Calif., and local soup kitchens in Boston.

Last month, JetBlue announced the first major refresh of its Mint^® service, the airline’s premium travel experience including the introduction of new products. As part of JetBlue’s focus on sustainability and its JetBlue For Good platform, retiring Mint items will be revitalized in an impactful way. The airline is providing unused and gently used and cleaned items like blankets, pillows, dishes and cutlery to those who need them most, while also diverting waste from landfills. JetBlue is also providing unused amenity kits and toiletries to homeless shelters, and headphones to some of the JetBlue Foundation’s education partners to assist students in virtual learning.

“As we refresh our Mint service, consistent with our mission to inspire humanity, it was important to us to put our previous product to additional good use,” said Icema Gibbs, director of corporate social responsibility and diversity, equity and inclusion for JetBlue. “Giving back is in our DNA. Instead of sitting in a warehouse or sending these gently and unused items to the landfill, we’re giving them a second life and helping the most vulnerable. Although this holiday season looks much different for many of us, we wanted to keep our tradition of giving back, especially as we ourselves have received help to survive the pandemic. Our resources are just one way we’re helping our charitable partners and assisting our neighbors in need.”

JetBlue’s donation of blankets, pillows and amenity kits to the City of New York and its Department of Social Services were coordinated through a collaboration with the Partnership for New York City – a nonprofit organization dedicated to the betterment of the city through its work with civic, business, labor and government leaders – will go directly to local shelters. This fall, JetBlue’s CEO Robin Hayes signed a pledge along with other business leaders across industries making a commitment to the city and asking the current administration to take on public safety and other quality of life issues that jeopardize economic recovery.

“This program reinforces JetBlue’s commitment to the city and supporting underserved communities,” said Kathryn Wylde, President and CEO of the Partnership for New York City. “JetBlue’s leadership during this challenging time and thoughtful approach to sharing resources with our public partners should serve as a model for the city’s economic recovery and how the private sector is currently filling gaps and extending public sector efforts.”

“Since the outset of this pandemic, DSS-DHS has moved mountains to prioritize the health and safety of vulnerable New Yorkers while ensuring that they continue to receive the vital resources and services they need to stabilize their lives,” said Department of Homeless Services Administrator Joslyn Carter. “We thank JetBlue for this thoughtful donation and are grateful for the support we continue to receive from private partners as we work to support and uplift the New Yorkers who we serve, especially during this unusual holiday season.”

Additionally, dishware and cutlery will be donated to local soup kitchens through partnerships with the United Way of Broward County in Florida and local soup kitchens in Boston, among other organizations throughout JetBlue’s network, while headphones will be donated on behalf of the JetBlue Foundation to its education partners and grantees who will use them for virtual school and programming.

“We’re excited to present hundreds of kids in our program with headphones, thanks to the JetBlue Foundation, as part of our Share the Season celebration,” said Malena Mendez-Dorn, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County. “While our kids will use the headphones to listen to their favorite tunes, they’ll also plug them in to stay focused in their virtual classrooms, which is particularly important as many navigate school in an online setting. We’re thrilled that JetBlue has joined us in defending the potential of the young people we serve and appreciate their generous support.”

JetBlue is known for its unique culture and award-winning service as well as its focus on service and sustainability. Similarly, in 2014 when introducing the first uniform refresh in the airline’s history, JetBlue made sure that both its unworn and previously worn uniforms were put to good use after they had served their initial purpose. The airline donated more than 18.5 tons of uniforms, clothing and fabric to several non-profit partners including Planet Aid, a 501(c)3 organization that collects and recycles worn clothing and shoes. For information on JetBlue’s sustainability platform, visit www.JetBlue.com/sustainability.

Giving back is part of JetBlue’s DNA and is core to its mission of inspiring humanity^® – Centered around volunteerism and service, JetBlue For Good focuses on the areas that are most important to the airline’s customers and crewmembers – Community, Youth/Education and the Environment. JetBlue’s core programs and partnerships directly impact the areas where its customers and crewmembers live and work by enhancing education and providing access to those that are traditionally underserved. JetBlue’s signature programs include its award-winning Soar with Reading initiative which has provided more than $3.75 million worth of books to kids who need them most; its Blue Horizons For Autism program which helps introduce air travel in a realistic environment to families and children affected by autism; and its “GreenUp” campaign which highlights the airline’s commitment to local environments. Join the #JetBlueForGood conversation on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, check for regular updates, and get involved. 

About JetBlue Airways

JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline®, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles, Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries customers across the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America. For more information, visit jetblue.com.