Table Of Contents Airport Restaurant Week Pg 1 TRAVELERS AID CHICAGO .

TRAVELERS AID CHICAGO February 2016 VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER Airport Restaurant Week Table of Contents Airport Restaurant Week Volunteer Anniversaries Upcoming Events iPad Training Volunteer Spotlight PTS Corner Welcome and Farewell 24/7 on WGN Tips and Tricks Happy Birthday Kiss ‘N’ Fly Update Staff Spotlight Stories from the Trenches Thank you! Pg 1 Pg 1 Pg 1 Pg 2 Pg 2 Pg 3 Pg 3 Pg 4 Pg 4 Pg 5 Pg 5 Pg 5 Pg 6 Pg 6 O’Hare held its annual Airport Restaurant Week January 22 through February 4! The week featured specials and discounts at many restaurants and concessions as well as cooking demonstrations and tastings from airport restaurants, including kale salad from Goddess and the Grocer, ancho chicken tacos from the upcoming Summer House, and “Building the Best Hot Dog” from America’s Dog. A special event, “Ticket to Taste O’Hare,” was held in Terminal 5, offering non-passengers the chance to taste food inside security! Recipe books featuring some passenger-favorite recipes were also distributed throughout the week. Happy Anniversary, February Volunteers! Mary Quinnert—2 years Burl Cohn—7 years Carol Graves—10 years Chris Ryder—9 years Ronald Potempa—4 years Donald Clark—5 years Evelyn Binz—11 years Jo Ann Bednar—9 years Henrietta Gallagher—9 years George Martiny—8 years Harriet Potempa—4 years Mary York—24 years Joan Barott—3 years Elisabeth Adams—3 years Mark Your Calendars: Upcoming Events iPad Training - Wednesday, February 24 - 5p - 6p - Not able to make it to a morning session but still want to learn? Join us to learn more about using this technology to supplement your volunteering! Pi Day - Monday, March 14 - 10a - 7p - Bring your favorite pie (savory or sweet) and join us for our annual Pie Potluck! Socialize and sample different pies throughout the day in the Terminal 2 office!

Page 2 TRAVELERS AID CHICAGO iPad Training Thanks to everyone who participated in our first iPad training classes! 19 people attended four training sessions throughout January and February, mingling with other volunteers and learning lots of new skills! We reviewed basics like turning on the iPad and checking that the wireless internet is on, how to use new iPad applications like maps and translators, and how to sign in to Boingo! We even learned how to use TAC eBinder! If you missed iPad training and would be interested in learning, please let the volunteer staff know! Volunteer Spotlight Tim Bogard has been volunteering with Travelers Aid Chicago since October 2015. He was drawn to the program because he enjoys helping and interacting with people! His most memorable moments are when passengers are genuinely grateful for the help he has provided them. Outside of TAC, Tim is planning to enroll in the business enterprise program through the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind. In his spare time he enjoys watching movies and video games, as well as going bowling and hiking. Recently Tim enjoyed a road trip across the country with friends, making stops in Detroit and Atlanta. One day Tim hopes to cruise to the Bahamas and go skydiving! Thanks for all your help, Tim!

Page 3 TRAVELERS AID CHICAGO Spotted at O’Hare Judy Laxer spotted Canhead in T1C on January 6! Larry Wilson spotted Andrew Kurka, US Paralympic Alpine Skier, on January 10 in T2! Pat Campbell and Mary Fitzgerald saw hip hop and graffiti artist Felicia Dunson on January 12 in T3! Marty Joyce saw ABC7 anchor Ben Bradley and CBS This Morning anchor/Oprah’s best friend Gayle King on January 13 in T2! Kim Heiferman saw actor Jon Voight on January 31 in T3! Protective Travel Service Corner We want to take this opportunity to remind you about a unique volunteer opportunity at Travelers Aid Chicago. Travelers Aid Chicago volunteers have the opportunity to participate in our Protective Travel Service (PTS) program. The Protective Travel Service program is an airport assistance program for a variety of vulnerable passengers including arriving refugees, people with disabilities, military severely injured veterans, first time travelers, people with mental health needs, and many others. PTS volunteers accompany these passengers through TSA security, wait with them during layovers, guide them from gate to gate, and provide “teachable moments” to assist these passengers to be the most independent travelers they can be. Our PTS volunteers complete a one hour training in the office and then shadow PTS meets with veteran staff and volunteers. There is no minimum participation requirement for serving as a PTS volunteer and PTS meets can be scheduled around regular desks shifts. Let a staff member know if you would like to be a part of this program. Travelers Aid Volunteer Welcome and Farewell Travelers Aid would like to introduce Harold Hayes, Sid Roth, Greg Slowikowski, Gary Whelpley, and Jon Ziomek as new Volunteers! We’d also like to thank and say farewell to Marianne Cozzone, Alma Lizcano, Ana Lucati, Jean Mitchel, Michael Mooney, and Honario Morales for their years of service!

Page 4 TRAVELERS AID CHICAGO 24/7 on WGN Travelers Aid Chicago was featured on an episode of 24/7 Chicago that aired in January! 24/7 host Catie Keogh interviewed TAC staff member Emily Thompson about what services TAC offers to travelers and how our volunteers are an integral part of our organization! Watch the interview (TAC feature begins at 8 seconds): rminal-2-pt-1/ Below is a transcript of the feature: Catie: What is Travelers Aid? Emily: Travelers aid is a non-profit organization within the airport. It is everything from simple airport questions – where is my baggage? Where are bathrooms? – to helping people who have disabilities. We have eight customer service desks throughout the airport. We have about 180 volunteers who speak over 30 languages. Tips and Tricks: Travelers Aid Updates TAC Stories from the Trenches Johnny Rockets (T2 Main Hall) is now closed. A new restaurant Summer Santa Monica - will be replacing it at the end of Email staff/check House monthly report—Lindsey February! Green Market (L3) is replacing Windy City Carvers beginning February 12. A new Mother’s Room is now open in T2, located in the hallway Volunteer Thank You between E5 and F8. Tech Showcase is now called Headphone Hub. Its product offerings have not changed. ACE Car Rental and Firefly Car Rental are now closed. Xtra Airways is a charter airline that operates flights for Apple Vacations out of T5. They share a check-in desk with LOT Polish Airlines. McDonald’s at K9 is closed for renovations. A reminder: Kiss ‘N’ Fly is now closed! The Pace buses still run from the south end of the ATS building.

TRAVELERS AID CHICAGO Page 5 Happy Birthday! We would like to wish a very happy birthday to the following volunteers: Mary Fitzgerald — Pramod Thomas February 1 — February 2 Tina Magnuson — Robert Dirmish — Carol Graves — February 5 February 12 February 19 Sheldon Weiss — Christopher Ryder Sydney Smith — February 20 — February 23 February 23 Richard Masinter — February 26 Kiss ‘N’ Fly Update We recently received this update on the “Kiss ‘N’ Fly” parking lot from our friends at the CDA Landside office: Since the Kiss-N-Fly was closed there have been many questions about where to drop off and pick up their friends/family. While we are still under construction, we encourage you to share these simple procedures with your employees [and passengers!]: Drop-Off: Proceed to the E Lot parking main entrance and drop your party off at the south end of the E Lot Airport Transit System station. There is a 10 minute grace period to allow you to leave without paying the 2.00 charge. Pick-Up: Vehicles should park at the new Cell Phone Lot, located on Bessie Coleman Drive and across from the main entrance to the E Lot, and wait to hear that their party has arrived at the E Lot. Once the two parties have confirmed arrival at the E Lot, the party in the cell phone lot should then proceed to the main entrance of the E Lot to pick up their party. There is a 10 minute grace period to allow you to leave without paying the 2.00 charge. Welcome Bryan Van Rees! A big welcome to Bryan Van Rees who joins us this month as a Social Services Supervisor! Bryan has a Bachelors Degree in Political Science from Colorado State University and also a Masters Degree in Political Science from Brooklyn College. Bryan is half Dutch (Netherlands) and half Irish. Before working at Travelers Aid, he counseled students with special needs at the Chicago Public Schools. Bryan strongly dislikes onions. Bryan’s hobbies are running, reading, watching the Bears, and getting ordered around by his cat! Bryan grew up in Iowa and Colorado, but he has spent most of his life in New York. He is very excited to join us here at TAC! Welcome to the team, Bryan!

Page 6 TRAVELERS AID CHICAGO Stories from the Trenches TAC staff encountered a distressed passenger in the T3 Rotunda. The passenger stated she was at the end of her rope and did not know where to go for an AA flight on which she had been rebooked from United. Staff assisted PAX to her gate with the help of a passing electric cart, but once there the flight was already closed. The PAX started crying profusely and swearing. The cart driver escorted her to the next departing flight, where the gate agent told them United had not transferred her ticket over to American. A supervisor came out and was able to get the PAX on the flight. The PAX was extremely grateful for all the assistance! Thank You! We received a thank you from former volunteer, Colette Lasinski. She reminds us that, while sometimes our interactions are challenging, we are creating lasting memories for both travelers and volunteers!

Kiss 'N' Fly Update Pg 5 Staff Spotlight Pg 5 Stories from the Trenches Pg 6 Airport Restaurant Week Thank you! Pg 6 O'Hare held its annual Airport Restaurant Week January 22 through February 4! The week featured specials and discounts at many restaurants and concessions as well as