ATLANTA — Delta Air Lines has donated one million pounds of food (and counting) to communities around world in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The surplus came after Delta temporarily adjusted its services on board and in Delta Sky Clubs. Over the past several months the carrier has donated food and other provisions from warehouses around the globe to hospitals, schools, food banks and other organizations.

“My daughter is a nurse in the New York Area Hospital, so this really hits home for me,” says Delta’s Elaine Schlaeger, Manager – Catering Operations. Schlaeger is one of many Delta people helping to distribute food to their local communities. “Throughout this pandemic our healthcare workers are putting their lives at risk every day to save others. Being a part of a company that is helping healthcare workers and so many others in need around the world with food donations is really touching, and I am glad to be a part of it.”

The airline is donating food and beverages that would otherwise go unused and the number of donations increases each day. Delta is also donating food service items like utensils, bowls, napkins and packaging materials.

“We are so proud of our people who have seen the needs in communities around the world and acted with the resources Delta has to offer. That is what we like to call the Delta spirit,” said Allison Ausband, Senior VP – In-Flight Service. “Especially during the ongoing pandemic, we see our people going above and beyond the call of duty to serve others. One million pounds of food is astounding, and we will continue to give as long as we have resources to do so.”

Delta is working with its longstanding U.S. partners including Feeding America, whose local organizations are distributing food to those in need. The airline has also developed new relationships with local organizations and chefs in communities seeing a significant need for food resources.

Delta says its teams are similarly helping the communities in which they work, live and serve. In the Philippines, Delta donated more than 39,000 packs of snacks, 25,000 drinks, almost 5,000 packages of coffee and 600 packages of tea to COVID-19 frontline workers and first responders. Delta has also made donations in Senegal, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, El Salvador, Peru, Japan, Greece, Spain, France, Netherlands and the U.K.

In April, Delta started providing free flights to medical professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis. Delta TechOps and Delta Flight Products will also deliver up to 76 rapidly deployable pods to help military troops infected with COVID-19 return home.

Additionally, Delta manufactured a total of 70,000 face shields to help protect hospital workers utilizing Delta’s wholly owned aircraft interiors subsidiary.