The History of Travelers Aid at Newark International Airport
Travelers Aid was founded more than 165 years ago as a social service agency to assist people in transit, primarily women and girls traveling alone as they moved westward. In the 1920s, Travelers Aid began helping the homeless and setting up shelters. The organization became known for assisting stranded travelers in transportation stations.
Some Travelers Aid programs began to fall on hard times, and New Jersey’s program, formerly based at Penn Station in Newark, closed in 1965.
In 1992, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey saw the need to enhance its customer service and a Travelers Aid program was instituted at Newark International Airport.