Originally published on newsroom.wf.com.
Wells Fargo [No. 11 on The Fair360, formerly DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list in 2020] joined forces with dealerships across the country to sponsor the donation of five payment-free vehicles through Military Warriors Support Foundation’s Transportation4Heroes program
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) announced today that — in collaboration with dealerships across the U.S. — it completed a successful campaign to sponsor the donation of five payment-free vehicles to combat-wounded veterans from five military branches of service throughout November, to commemorate Veterans Day and Veterans and Military Families Month. Wells Fargo sponsored the vehicles through Military Warriors Support Foundation’s Transportation4Heroes, a program dedicated to providing payment-free vehicles and one year of family and financial mentorship to combat-wounded veterans and Gold Star families to help ease the transition from the military to civilian life.
Combat-wounded veterans and vehicles donated in the campaign include:
Retired U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant George Campbell — 2020 GMC Terrain
Former U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Lucas Thompson — 2020 Honda Passport
Former U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Jesse Odom — 2020 Nissan Frontier
Retired U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman Second Class Clint Haskell — 2019 Honda Pilot
Retired U.S. Coast Guard Boatswains Mate Second Class Gilbert Benoit — 2020 Nissan NV200 2WD
Participating dealerships across the United States include:
Mitchell Buick-GMC in San Angelo, Texas
Rairdon’s Honda of Burien in Seattle
Benson Nissan of Easley in Easley, South Carolina
Honda of Hackettstown in Hackettstown, New Jersey
Courtesy Nissan in Richardson, Texas
“Empowering military and veteran communities to succeed financially is ingrained in Wells Fargo’s values,” said Laura Schupbach, head of Wells Fargo Auto. “We want to help create an environment where they can focus on returning to civilian life and build the foundation for a successful future for their entire family and these vehicles are a way to help do that.”
Since 2015, Wells Fargo has sponsored the donation of more than 40 payment-free vehicles, valued over $1 million, to combat-wounded veterans, Gold Star families, and nonprofit organizations across the country. Many of the veterans go through a family and financial mentoring program through Military Warriors Support Foundation, who reports that participants use what they learn to pay down their total household debt by about $17,500 on average.
“Our Transportation4Heroes program offers our heroes so much more than just a vehicle,” said Casey Kinser, executive vice president for Military Warriors Support Foundation. “It is about increased access to health care, to basic living essentials, and an increased feeling of independence. These are crucial needs for our nation’s combat-wounded heroes and Gold Star spouses, across all military branches. Our program also provides vital family and financial mentoring to help ensure the family is stable and successful long-term. Especially during Veterans and Military Families Month, we look forward to continue collaborating with Wells Fargo to honor our nation’s heroes in meaningful ways.”
For nearly 170 years, Wells Fargo has helped military members and veterans succeed financially. The company is committed to supporting members of the military communities in their journey to effectively navigate life’s transitions, achieve ongoing career and financial success, and positively impact their community. Throughout the years, Wells Fargo has supported military service members, veterans, and their families through recruiting initiatives, charitable contributions, event sponsorships, vehicle donations, and financial health resources such as the Hands on Banking® program.
“I’m very appreciative. Just having that little extra burden taken off of us … it makes a huge difference,” said retired U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant George Campbell, who received a payment-free vehicle in November as part of the campaign. “Now the boys and I can travel back and forth to West Virginia to see my dad and their grandad and we won’t have to worry. We have a solid vehicle that gives us a little more freedom to do whatever we want to do. In fact, we already have plans for how to break it in on the road.”
For more about Wells Fargo’s commitment to empowering communities, read this article on Wells Fargo Stories.
According to Military Warriors Support Foundation, since 2015 they have awarded nearly 100 payment-free vehicles through their Transportation4Heroes program, and have assisted combat-wounded veterans, Gold Star Spouses, and their families in paying off over $22.8 million in personal debt through financial mentorship.
