Case Study: United Airlines achieves 300,000+ emergency meals and global employee engagement during COVID-19 with YourCause

United Airlines Community Engagement During the Pandemic

United Airlines, whose community engagement centers on disaster relief, inclusion, youth leadership and sustainability, faced the pandemic challenge of sustaining nonprofit partnerships and keeping employees engaged when in-person volunteering and meal-packing were disrupted. Rise Against Hunger had paused packing and depleted inventory, so United needed a safe way to reintroduce events, mobilize volunteers across airports, and run virtual outreach—coordinating recruitment and communications through the YourCause platform (CSRConnect).

Using YourCause/CSRConnect to recruit and manage volunteers, United executed socially distanced packing events at EWR, IAD and SFO that produced over 300,000 emergency meals and filled three containers shipped to Nicaragua and Vietnam, and ran a Miles on a Mission drive that generated 2.5 million donated miles (1,999,853 from members and 501,000 matched by United). They also launched a virtual Well Being Check‑in text-banking program with Chicago Cares to connect isolated residents and boost employee morale. YourCause enabled global participation, streamlined sign-ups and communications, and helped United deliver rapid, measurable community impact.

United Airlines

Michaela Hrbacek

Global Community Engagement