On Friday, September 20th Wells Fargo held the first-ever Wells Fargo National Day of Service in Central Iowa, with massive success. More than 1,000 team members volunteered in the community, which is roughly 1/14 of their Central Iowa employee base. With the help of United Way of Central Iowa’s volunteer coordination, Wells Fargo was able to have a transformational impact on the community we call home.
HOME, Inc. was one of the lucky organizations chosen as a volunteer site. Though our building is only 10 years old and we have only been here for the last 2 years, our exterior needed a facelift. The trim was rotting, paint was chipping and there were tons of scratches on the metal awnings and railings. Wells Fargo provided two groups of volunteers, 12 for the morning shift and 15 for the afternoon shift. They worked through the heat under the hot sun with the most positive attitudes. All of the volunteers were willing to jump in and help where needed. As we wrapped up the painting in the afternoon the second shift asked for more work. So naturally, we got the chainsaw out and started hacking away at some trees and bushes that had become overgrown. Every one of the volunteers was dedicated to making this Day of Service a success for HOME, Inc.!
In addition to providing volunteers, Wells Fargo leaders made their rounds to the various organizations to present each of us with a giant $5,000 cardboard check. (Side note, does the bank accept these giant checks for deposit? Asking for a friend…)
But our partnership does not stop there. We worked together during the 2018-2019 Wells Fargo NeighborhoodLIFT program to help 262 families become homeowners. HOME, Inc. provided the required homeownership education and counseling for families to qualify for Wells Fargo’s down payment assistance.
Wells Fargo has also committed to being a lead sponsor for our 1st Annual Hunt for Housing event that will be held Wednesday, October 23rd at West End Salvage from 5:30-7:30 pm. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased here: http://bit.ly/30k2MUG
Our sincerest thanks to Wells Fargo and their commitment to HOME, Inc. and helping overcome the affordable housing crisis in our community. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Wells Fargo to help families find and keep their HOME!