A “Royal” experience in Copenhagen

Christina Andersen is a JFK-airport based American Airlines Flight Attendant and “Champion for Children” Volunteer for UNICEF’s Change for Good Program on American Airlines. 

Christina Andersen and Kurt Stache at UESC Copenhagen

On November 2, Kurt Stache, Vice President – International, for American Airlines, and I flew to Copenhagen for a unique opportunity to tour UNICEF’s Emergency Supply Center (UESC).  The UESC is an enormous warehouse where lifesaving supplies such as medical kits, nutritional supplies, therapeutic food, water, and vaccines are packed and distributed worldwide.  UNICEF staff members gave us a tour, which I found particularly interesting.  I was impressed to learn that one single packed UNICEF emergency supply box can help 1,000 people!

The UNICEF team also gave us a briefing about the dire situation in East Africa.  This region is experiencing its worst drought in decades, and over 13 million people are in urgent need of lifesaving supplies.  Over 320,000 children in Somalia are at risk of starving to death if they do not receive immediate care.

We also had the unique privilege to personally meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Crown Price and Crown Princess of Denmark, who participated in this event to help draw worldwide attention to this crisis.  Their Royal Highnesses toured the UESC and helped pack supply boxes that were flown to Kenya later that evening.  They were so gracious to take the time to speak with us about this desperate crisis and the immediate need for support.

We also had the opportunity to share our involvement as supporters of U.S. Fund for UNICEF through UNICEF’s Change for Good on American Airlines – a UNICEF program which converts travelers’ donations of currency into lifesaving services for the world’s children – and the important role of flight attendant volunteers known as Champions for Children.  Champions dedicated August and September Change for Good collections (approximately $286,000) to specifically support UNICEF’s relief efforts in the Horn of Africa.  Most people I met were impressed to learn that flight attendants volunteer to collect for Change for Good on American and annually collect more than $1 million to support UNICEF’s lifesaving programs for children!

It was truly an honor to represent American Airlines as a Champion for Children volunteer for UNICEF’s Change for Good program on American.  This was an unforgettable experience for me.

I would like to encourage everyone to support UNICEF’s relief efforts in East Africa by visiting http://eastafricacrisis.org/.  And I urge all current Champions for Children to recruit at least one friend or fellow colleague to sign up as a Champion so we can increase our total collections for UNICEF even more.  Think of the potential we have to make a powerful difference in the lives of many more children!