Community Impact
Strengthening communities through inclusion
United strives to promote a culture in which acceptance and appreciation are the standard across our offices, airports and the communities where we operate.
Horizontal bar chart representing hours volunteered from 2021-2025.
- 2021: 11,627 hours
- 2022: 26,143 hours
- 2023: 50,045 hours
- 2024: 64,024 hours
- 2025: 63,314 hours
Special Olympics partnership
Our relationship with Special Olympics began in 2018, and we continued to grow our relationship in 2025. The heart of this collaboration lies with the athletes supported by Special Olympics, and we’re proud to foster opportunities for them to realize their leadership potential.
Our Special Olympics Service Ambassador (SOSA) program launched during National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) in 2019 at Chicago O’Hare Airport (ORD). SOSAs are part-time employees who welcome customers, assist with wayfinding and help deliver a more accessible and inclusive travel experience.
As sponsors of the 2025 Capitol Hill Day, United supported Special Olympics athletes advocating for unified sports funding for high schools. These athletes led more than 300 face-to-face meetings with members of Congress in both the House and Senate, requesting support for education and health initiatives for people with intellectual disabilities (ID).
In 2024, we celebrated the program’s fifth anniversary by hosting all SOSAs for a professional development summit at ORD. With the program’s expansion to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) completed in 2025, United now proudly supports 28 SOSAs across our hub network. Building on this momentum, we will host the next SOSA Summit in March 2026.
We also funded a summer internship program with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). It provides opportunities — paid summer internships with congressional offices, federal agencies, nonprofit and for-profit organizations — to people with all types of disabilities, including college students, graduate students, law students and recent graduates.
Our commitment to inclusion
In 2025, Toby Enqvist, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, was appointed to the Special Olympics International Board of Directors. His leadership further strengthens United Airlines’ commitment to inclusion and to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities on a global scale.
Key highlights
28Special Olympics Service Ambassadors working in our airports
7hubs participating in the Special Olympics Ambassador program
7years of partnership with Special Olympics and 6 years of SOSAs and United working together to deliver a more accessible, inclusive travel experience
Supporting Make-A-Wish: Bringing hope to life through travel
United Airlines has partnered with Make-A-Wish for close to 40 years. Our support spans every part of the United ecosystem, from flights that make wishes possible and employees who volunteer as wish-granters to operational teams who care for families at each step of the journey.
Our pledge to make an impact
In 2025, Kate Gebo, Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Labor Relations, was appointed to the Make-A-Wish America Board of Directors. More than 75% of wishes involve air travel, and Kate brings valuable, industry-specific knowledge to the board, solidifying our commitment to making a lasting impact in the lives of children and their families.
Beyond transportation, United employees show up in meaningful ways — volunteering their time, creating unforgettable moments at community events and designing custom send-offs that make wish travel feel truly special.
Make-A-Wish partnership: Four core impact areas
Creating joyful, once-in-a-lifetime experiences
United brings wishes to life through immersive, memorable moments that center joy, imagination and family connection. From Fantasy Flights and Wings Over Houston to festive activations like Trunk or Treat in Denver, employees help transform aviation into a world of magic for wish kids and their siblings.
Personalized wish travel and send-off moments
Travel is at the heart of many wishes, and United goes beyond transportation to create meaningful send-offs. Employees have delivered hundreds of customized wish send-off gifts, gate greetings and special touches, ensuring families feel celebrated and supported from the moment their journey begins.
Employee-powered volunteering and community engagement
United employees actively show up for wish families through hands-on volunteering and community events. This includes Holiday Wish Store in Denver, Trees of Joy in Chicago and the Walk for Wishes in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, where teams directly support families while building strong local connections with Make-A-Wish chapters.
Sustained fundraising and chapter support
United supports the long-term mission of Make-A-Wish by participating in and backing signature fundraising events, including the New York and Illinois Galas. These efforts help ensure chapters have the resources needed to grant more wishes and expand their impact.
Through every interaction — from granting wishes to guiding families through the travel journey — United helps turn wishes into powerful moments of hope, reminding families that they are supported by an entire community.