Hamp, Ian 2014Wells Fargo Community Affairs Representative Iain Hamp of Mesa has been awarded a Volunteer Leave Award from Wells Fargo, and will receive his full pay while volunteering at Phoenix Community ToolBank.  Volunteer Leave Awards are presented to selected Wells Fargo team members, enabling them to take up to three months of paid leave to focus on a community-based volunteer project of their choice.  Hamp is one of 11 Wells Fargo team members across the country to receive an award so far in 2015.  He will begin his five week long project at Phoenix Community ToolBank on March 2.

The Phoenix Community ToolBank stewards an inventory of tools for lending to charitable organizations to increase the impact of their mission-related efforts in the community. The organization also provides the staging area for all of the equipment and coordinates efforts with the nonprofits. Hamp witnessed first-hand the power of a local market ToolBank while in Charlotte, N.C. in June 2011. When he returned to Phoenix, he called ToolBank USA to begin the process of bringing a ToolBank to the Phoenix area.

“Every day, Wells Fargo team members like Iain are out in our communities making a difference in the lives of others,” said Pamela Conboy, Lead Region President for Wells Fargo in Arizona.  “Each year thousands of our team members volunteer their time and talent in communities across the country, helping thousands of individuals, families, and nonprofit groups. Our Volunteer Leave Program is one way that we honor this community involvement, and recognize our most exceptional team member volunteers.”

Wells Fargo’s Volunteer Leave Program was established in 1976 and is open to team members who have been with the company for five years among other criteria. Winners are chosen annually based on their personal commitment to the organization, their proposed project, and the potential impact that their project goals will have on addressing a specific social issue. In addition to being paid their full salary during the volunteer leave, recipients also receive full benefits as well.

Wells Fargo encourages team members to get involved in the communities where they live and work. More than 50,000 team members volunteer annually on projects such as Habitat for Humanity builds, restoring parks and public land, helping to collect and sort food to be provided to the homeless or those with low incomes, and delivering financial education to individuals and families using Wells Fargo’s Hands on Banking® program.