Delta, Northwest employees to raise roofs together

It may take two years for Delta Air Lines to complete its takeover of Northwest Airlines, but company do-gooders are already moving to work together.

Fifty-eight volunteers from Delta and 12 from Northwest will fly to Chile Friday to work on houses with Habitat for Humanity.

The volunteers will swing hammers and help raise the roofs on 12 homes in a project in Casablanca, which is 43 mile from Santiago, the capitol. The project is the latest for Delta’s Force for Global Good, through which employees, customers and community partners work together.

Employees use vacation days and have to pay for room and board, though company benefits grant them free flights.

Delta has helped sponsor other projects in South Africa, Ghana and India, New York, Mississippi and Georgia.

Northwest Airlines has had a similar program with Habitat since 1996.

Habitat for Humanity Chile has operated since 2002.