Wells Fargo & Company and the nonprofit The Mission Continues announced they will join forces to create community service projects designed to empower military veterans who are transitioning to civilian life.
The Mission Continues nonprofit Service Platoons are groups of veteran volunteers alongside nonprofit partners, leaders and corporations who solve some of the most challenging issues facing communities. These groups work on improving education resources, increasing access to parks, mentoring at-risk youth and more.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Wells Fargo as the lead sponsor of four Service Platoons of volunteers,” said Spencer Kympton, president of The Mission Continues. “Working with Wells Fargo allows us to engage more veteran leaders as they serve and drive positive and sustainable social impact.”
Wells Fargo team members will join The Mission Continues volunteers in Dallas, New York, San Diego and Phoenix for various service projects throughout 2018. The first collaborative project is Saturday, May 5, in Dallas, at Harllee Early Childhood Center. Volunteers will paint walls, hang pictures and revamp the teacher’s lounge.
“The Mission Continues’ volunteers are a fine example of the attributes active duty military and veterans offer: service, purpose, teamwork, dedication, hard work and leadership,” said Jerry Quinn, Wells Fargo’s Military Affairs Program manager. “Wells Fargo recognizes and appreciates these qualities and what they bring to the workforce. This is why we are looking forward to working with The Mission Continues, and why Wells Fargo has a goal to hire 20,000 veterans by 2020.”
To learn more about The Mission Continues or join a Service Platoon, visit www.missioncontinues.org.
Wells Fargo has been committed to military service members, veterans and their families for 166 years. Since 2012, the company has donated more than $100 million to support sustainable housing, career transition and financial education initiatives. Recent highlights include:
Career transition
In 2017, Wells Fargo launched the company’s ApprenticeshipUSA program for veterans. The program offers companies the tools they need to develop a highly skilled workforce and veterans the opportunity to earn a salary while learning additional skills to succeed in high-demand civilian careers. In addition, Wells Fargo offers veteran career transition initiatives, including the Veteran Employment Transition Internship Program, American Corporate Partners mentorships and scholarships and emergency grants through Scholarship America.
Housing
Wells Fargo provides financing options, dedicated service and financial education to help military members and veterans achieve homeownership. On May 1416, military and veteran families can attend free webinars on home financing, budgeting and saving, or credit. To participate, visit www.wellsfargo.com/rsvp and enter one of these codes: Mil1stHome, MilBudget, MilCredit.
The Wells Fargo Housing Foundation supports sustainable housing for veterans with programs including VeteranWINS, which granted $300,000 across six nonprofits, and $300,000 to improve 100 veterans’ homes with Habitat for Humanity. In collaboration with the Military Warriors Support Foundation, Wells Fargo donates homes and vehicles that are awarded payment-free to combat-wounded veterans.
Financial Education
Wells Fargo collaborated with the nonprofit Guideposts to create two guides: “Financial Readiness: Sound Principles for Successful Money Management” and “Building Wealth: Time to Plan for Your Future,” which includes a section devoted to the military’s new retirement system known as the Blended Retirement System. In total, Wells Fargo has distributed 650,000 copies of the guides to service members all over the world. Both publications leverage resources from the Hands on Banking for Military program.
The Mission Continues is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that empowers veterans to build stronger communities through service. Our programs in cities across the country deploy veteran volunteers alongside nonprofit partners and community leaders to improve education resources, increase access to parks and green spaces, foster neighborhood identity, and more. Through this unique model, veterans build meaningful connections and grow as individuals while creating long-term, sustainable local impact. To learn more, visit http://www.missioncontinues.org or follow us on Twitter at @missioncontinue.
