For the Love of CARITAS: Wells Fargo Spotlight

It all started June 2019. Audrey of Wells Fargo reached out to Tiffany Terry, our Director of Community Engagement. She was hoping to find a unique way to honor a retiring Wells Fargo leader, Janie.

“Giving back together is a tangible way to show someone how much you care,” Terry says. “We were excited to work with Audrey ad her team to create a special volunteer experience.”

Janie was a long-time supporter of the CARITAS mission. To honor her commitment, the Wells Fargo team collected items to support CARITAS. The items included brand-new kitchen items, bedding and towels. Once they completed their collection, Janie, Audrey and other Wells Fargo team members delivered the boxes and bags personally. While they were there, they took a tour of the Furniture Bank.

“Seeing the size and complexity of our programs in person really helps volunteers and supporter understand just how much we do here,” Terry says.

The next week, another Wells Fargo team member Peter reached out to say that he wanted to volunteer more regularly with us.

“He was moved by our mission and the work that CARITAS does,” Terry says. 

wells fargo presenting check to caritasAfter helping restore furniture at the Furniture Bank, Peter asked if he could spend a day assisting with a furniture build at another corporate partner’s headquarters. At the Capital One West Creek campus, Peter proudly wore his new CARITAS Volunteer t-shirt and helped the CARITAS staff lead a build with 100 Capital One volunteers. He jumped right in. He fixed tables that weren’t quite right and loaded tables onto our trucks.  It was a day to remember.

“The story doesn’t end there,” says Terry. “We received a phone call from the Wells Fargo human resources office saying that they’d like to spend and entire month sponsoring CARITAS. We were so touched.”

Our staff met with team leaders and helped Wells Fargo employees sign up for volunteer opportunities throughout the month including organizing sheet sets, dish packs and more. On campus, Wells Fargo engaged  in fun activities to collect funds for CARITAS, which eventually totaled more than $2,000.  Wells Fargo employees also held collection drives to create 102 hygiene kits, 55 workforce kits, 132 Welcome Home Kits. We also received 32 pillows from this effort!

“The power of one positive experience for a volunteer can create a great ripple effect,” Terry says. “Today, Wells Fargo sends group for tours of the new CARITAS Center, and they are having conversations about how to be further involved in the future.”

Learn more about volunteering today.