Wells
Fargo – Banking on the Environment
One
in a Series of Surfrider Sponsor Stories
Sunny
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Wells Fargo, a bank that has been safeguarding valuables for 160 years, is also dedicated to safeguarding the environment – a commitment it demonstrates as a Surfrider Foundation Huntington Beach/Seal Beach Chapter Sponsor.
Known for its iconic stagecoaches and the treasure boxes
they transported across the West, Wells Fargo stagecoaches carried everything
from gold bars and coins, currency, checks and bank drafts to legal papers and
assorted treasures.
Housed in strong boxes made from Ponderosa pine and iron,
valuables were protected on their journey by Wells Fargo shotgun messengers –
“The kind of men you could depend on if you get into a fix,” said 19th
Century Wells Fargo detective Jim Hume, noting that thieves would find
themselves staring at the end of a shotgun barrel, possibly held by legendary
lawman Wyatt Earp himself.
Conducting business in the middle of California’s gold rush from its headquarters in San Francisco...
and offices spread across the western mining camps...
Wells Fargo developed a reputation as a bank you could
trust – a reputation that it carries today and is reflected not only in its
banking policies, but in its charitable activities and commitment to the
environment.
Well Fargo’s corporate website states:
“In approaching our responsibility, Wells Fargo seeks to ensure that, as we do business, natural resources are protected and environmental, social and economic needs are part of our everyday decisions. In this integrated approach to sustainability, we are committed to finding new ways to minimize our energy consumption, address climate change, use renewable sources, and inspire others to do the same so we can lower our impact on the planet.”
Wells Fargo, Irvine,
CA
In addition to supporting the Surfrider Foundation’s
mission to protect the world’s oceans, waves and beaches, Wells Fargo also
contributes to numerous other ocean-related groups, including the Huntington
Beach Wetlands Conservancy, Orange County Coastkeeper, and Algalita Marine
Research Foundation.
Manuel
Florence, a senior systems analyst, information technology, with
Wells Fargo, is also the Blue Water Task
Force Water Testing Coordinator for the Surfrider HB/SB Chapter. In these
dual roles he helps to protect Orange County’s beaches from water contaminants
and to facilitate Wells Fargo’s involvement with the Surfrider Foundation.
Florence told SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti
Kishel that Wells Fargo contributed over $11,000 this year to the Surfrider
Foundation, “which includes grant money for the Blue Water Task Force Water Testing Education Program and individual
contributions from Wells Fargo Team Members.”
The purpose of the water testing education program,
according to Florence, is to provide “an opportunity for students to learn
about the scientific methods of water sampling and analysis…and it’s a great
way for them to contribute to the environment and the community.”
According to Jack Toan, a vice president and community affairs manager of
the Wells Fargo Foundation, the bank has focused much of its giving in Orange
County:
“In 2010, Wells Fargo and our team members donated more than $5.6 million to 543 nonprofit organizations and schools. Our staff has served on nearly 100 nonprofit boards and reported 12,700 volunteer hours in Orange County.”
“In 2010, Wells Fargo and our team members donated more than $5.6 million to 543 nonprofit organizations and schools. Our staff has served on nearly 100 nonprofit boards and reported 12,700 volunteer hours in Orange County.”
In addition to the monetary support Wells Fargo provides
Surfrider, its team members have participated in numerous beach cleanups and
helped to educate the community about the need to recycle resources and
properly dispose of trash.
Since the beginning of the 2012 year, 397 Wells Fargo
Volunteers have participated in 29 Surfrider HB/SB Chapter beach cleanups at
the Huntington Beach and Seal Beach piers, South Bolsa Jetty, and other Orange
County locations.
Wells Fargo
Volunteers Beach Cleanup Bag
SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti talked to Virginia DePaola, Wells Fargo Orange
County Volunteers Event Coordinator and a 2011 Spirit of Volunteerism Awards recipient. DePaola explained that
Wells Fargo is a strong believer in the need for corporate philanthropy and the
concept of supporting local communities.
“At Wells Fargo we look for volunteer activities that
give back to our local community, support interests that our team members are
most passionate about and try to involve the whole family,” said DePaola.
“Working with Surfrider we meet all those criteria and more.”
DePaola was eager to tell SurfWriter Girls about a Wells
Fargo beach cleanup event she was involved in planning. “Manuel Florence and I
worked together to create an event that would bring team members and their
families together for a great day of fun, food and community service. This
event had us all going home feeling that we learned something important about
our oceans, made a difference, and had a good time.”
A
larger-than-life Wells Fargo Check
Florence agreed that the Surfrider beach cleanups fit
perfectly with Wells Fargo’s environmental mission. ”I’m proud of Wells Fargo
for the support that they give to our community in Huntington Beach and across
the nation. It’s one of the best things we do,” he said, adding that Wells
Fargo gives Volunteer Team Members time off during office hours to perform
community service activities.
To keep track of all the volunteer activities that are
available, DePaola told SurfWriter GIrls that Wells Fargo has an internal
corporate website that lists the upcoming events:
“It even alerts people to
opportunities that match up with their personal interests.”
After visiting Wells Fargo’s Dealer Services Center in
Irvine, SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti could see that, just as Wells Fargo’s
famed stagecoaches always found a way to deliver their precious cargos, the
bank’s volunteers today are finding ways to protect our precious
resources.
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