Passengers traveling through San Diego’s airport this month have donated $30,000 to provide meals for members of the armed forces, Lindbergh Field officials said Wednesday.
Since the beginning of the month, passengers have been purchasing $10 snack packages for members of the military, who often travel with little or no money, airport officials said.
More than 3,000 service members and their families pass through the Neil Ash USO at Lindbergh Field as they travel home for the holidays, more than double the traffic at other times.
The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority worked with shops and restaurants at the facility to accommodate the increased demand for services.
“The greatest need of the USO during the December holiday period is meals, as many service members travel with little to no money, often encountering long layovers,” said Angela Shafer-Payne, the airport authority’s vice president of operations.
“To help close that gap, the airport authority reached out to its airport concessionaires for a solution, and they — along with airport passengers — stepped up in a big way,” she said.
The snack pack includes a bottle of water, granola and protein bars, chips and other assorted items. Hot meals were donated by Saffron Thai, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Ryan Bros. Coffee, Pacifica Breeze Cafe and Tommy V’s Pizzeria, according to the airport.
–City News Service
