Contributions will support International Medical Corps efforts in Sierra Leone and Liberia
SAN FRANCISCO (BLACK PR WIRE) – (BUSINESS WIRE) – Wells Fargo & Company is donating $150,000 to International Medical Corps to help fight the Ebola crisis in the West African countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia. Since the initial Ebola outbreak in the region in December of 2013, the virus has spread, with more than 9,000 confirmed cases of infection and more than 4,000 deaths. International Medical Corps has been delivering humanitarian support in West Africa since 1999 and is currently deploying medical professionals to treat patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola infection.
“Wells Fargo has team members who have family and friends living in West Africa,” said Tim Hanlon, head of Strategic Philanthropy and Partnerships for Wells Fargo. “As Ebola continues to be a concern in West Africa and elsewhere, we feel it is vitally important to support the ongoing efforts to stem the outbreak and to bring relief to those who are direct and indirect victims of it.”
International Medical Corps, which was established in 1984, is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization that works to relieve suffering and save lives through health care training, relief, and development programs. With headquarters in Los Angeles and offices in Washington, D.C., London, and field offices in more than 30 countries, the global first responder has delivered more than $1.8 billion of assistance in more than 70 countries over 30 years.
Team members from the Wells Fargo Black/African American Connection (B/AA Connection) are researching opportunities to assist communities with family members affected by the Ebola epidemic. B/AA Connection is an enterprise-wide team member network that helps provide insights about the African American segment to influence Wells Fargo’s business strategies and impacts that can make a difference in the community.
“Caring is a core part of our culture. We are all concerned about the devastation of this global epidemic,” said Jimmie Paschall, Wells Fargo’s head of Enterprise Diversity and Inclusion. “Our Black/African American team member network was instrumental in recognizing that we as a company could offer some level of support to help make a difference.”
“The Ebola epidemic touches all of our team members personally, through family members affected by it, and through concern for those who are on the front line, caring for those affected,” said Lisa H. Robinson, Wells Fargo’s head of Risk Management, Virtual Channels and Enterprise President of the B/AA Connection. “We continue to look at how we can partner and support these efforts through volunteerism and education in our local communities.”
