Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity and Wells Fargo teamed up at the Iowa State Fair to build ramps for accessibility and fund modular homes.
Wells Fargo volunteers sawed and drilled to assemble wooden ramps on Monday, Aug. 17, for Habitat’s efforts to help people safely and self-sufficiently stay in their homes. Company leaders, U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson and Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer also announced a $1.5 million donation from Wells Fargo that included $500,000 for the local Habitat chapter.
The $500,000 for Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity’s home construction and rehabilitation work will be focused in areas including Des Moines, Indianola and Perry, said Jason Rosenberg, Wells Fargo’s head of public affairs.
The other $1 million is for Habitat for Humanity International, supporting the nonprofit’s work in communities across the country, including the use of modular construction to speed up building while using less labor.
Modular homes are partially assembled off-site and then transported to a home’s foundation site, according to a news release from Habitat.
“This is a national push. With the support of Wells Fargo, we have the opportunity to prove this can work in rural, suburban and urban communities,” J. Edwin Hensley, Habitat for Humanity International’s director of U.S. construction said in the release.
Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation have donated more than $105 million to Habitat for Humanity since 2015, according to Habitat’s release.
The accessible ramps Wells Fargo volunteers assembled Monday are for Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity’s rural initiative.
Phillip Sitter covers the suburbs for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at PSitter@usatodayco.com. Find out more about him online in the Register’s staff directory.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Wells Fargo builds, donates to Habitat for Humanity at Iowa State Fair
Reporting by Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
