November 03, 2025
6 min read
Wells Fargo’s veteran car donation program reaches its 10th anniversary
Celebrating a decade of service, the bank and its partners have provided payment-free vehicles and financial mentoring to veterans across the country.
Key takeaways
Key takeaways:
- In 2015, Wells Fargo launched a payment-free vehicle donation program in conjunction with its nationwide dealership network and Military Warriors Support Foundation.
- Each donated vehicle comes with two years of financial mentoring, helping recipients pay off $50,000 in debt, on average, according to Military Warriors Support Foundation.
- Wells Fargo has donated more than 135 vehicles and provided $4.5 million in value.
- The company’s annual target is 15 payment-free vehicle donations annually, though the program could contribute as many as 24 in 2025.
The SUV sitting in Eddy Kelley’s driveway outside Dallas is more than just a car. It’s the thread weaving years of service and dedication together into a new life chapter filled with financial freedom and hope.
Seventeen years ago, Kelley joined the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Soon thereafter, he was more than 7,000 miles away from home, deployed to Baghdad, Iraq where he was injured during combat.
Eleven years ago, after becoming a Military Working Dog Handler, Kelley was honorably discharged and received a Purple Heart, among other honors.
A year ago, he received a payment-free SUV from North Texas Honda Dealers through the Military Warriors Support Foundation’s (MWSF) Transportation4Heroes program, in partnership with Wells Fargo.
“I’m third generation military, so it was a rite of passage for me,” Kelley said. “A big change in my life is coming this year; I’ll be getting married. I’m looking forward to the next chapter in my life and eventually becoming a father. This is going to carry me a long way, and this vehicle is going to last me a long time.”
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Wells Fargo’s payment-free car donation program has provided more than 135 vehicles, along with financial mentoring valued at more than $4.5 million, to veterans and nonprofits from across the country.
[Video overview: U.S. military veterans Eddy Kelley, Erica Liermann, and Juan Carlos Objio talk about the impact that the payment-free vehicles they received through the Military Warriors Support Foundation’s Transportation4Heroes program and Wells Fargo has had on their lives. Sean Passmore, head of Enterprise Military and Veteran Initiatives at Wells Fargo, and Casey Kinser, executive vice president of Military Warriors Support Foundation share their thoughts on the program.]
[Music]
[On-screen text: Eddy Kelley, U.S. Military Veteran]
[Kelley]
Hi. My name is Eddy Kelly, and I’m from Dallas, Texas.
[On-screen text: Dallas, Texas]
[On-screen text: King of Prussia, Pennsylvania]
[On-screen text: Erica Liermann, U.S. Military Veteran]
[Liermann]
My name is Erica Liermann. I was a staff sergeant in the United States Army for eight years on active duty.
[On-screen text: Charlotte, North Carolina]
[On-screen text: Juan Carlos Objio, U.S. Military Veteran]
[Objio]
This is the beauty. My new baby. It’s a 2024 Ford Escape. Are you kidding me? Perfect.
My golden retriever is my service dog. I take him everywhere, and I put him up here.
I love it. I go to the store to buy all my gardening equipment.
[On-screen text: Sean Passmore, head of Enterprise Military and Veteran Initiatives, Wells Fargo]
[Passmore]
Over the last several years, we’ve donated more than 100 payment-free automobiles to combat-wounded veterans or Gold Star spouses.
[Liermann]
I wake up super early. It’s not even dawn. And I leave the house by 3:45-4:00 a.m. I come to my gym, which I started. It’s called Dub Fitness. And my purpose is to show women how strong they are.
I think the call to serve is just something you’re born with.
And I think that when 9/11 happened that triggered that DNA strand inside of me. I would still be in to this day had I not placed family values over my service. I really just wanted to be with my family and grow a family. And not that the Army doesn’t afford you that opportunity. It’s just a little different from what I wanted.
[Child’s voice]
Love you.
[Liermann]
Love you.
[Child’s voice]
Love you.
I heard about the Military Warriors Support Foundation through a friend of my husband’s, and he said that they were looking for a veteran in the Philadelphia area to donate a car to.
Give me kisses. Give me a kiss.
Love you.
I was just like, I was like, ‘Sorry, I’m sorry. What? Like, repeat that. You’re giving me a car?’
There are so many other people who are worse off than me. Like, I’m okay driving my hooptie.
[Kelley]
I joined the United States Air Force in 2008. Went to about three different bases, did two tours overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. I’m a third-generation military, so it was like a rite of passage.
The car that I was gifted is a 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid. They had me convinced that we were still doing the interview process and had a tour set up for us to go to a canine center to train Seeing Eye dogs. So, I had invited my family just to have them there. Also, just to be a part of it. That’s how they came out and surprised me with it. It was a great feeling to have my family there and be presented something.
In the military, I was military police, and I specialize in military working dogs. I work in air cargo now with explosive detection dogs.
Very rewarding.
Stay.
House.
I get to work with my best friend every day. I play with him and go out there and try to stop some things from getting on flights.
[On-screen text: Casey Kinser, Executive Vice President, Military Warriors Support Foundation]
[Kinser]
We have been honored to have a partnership with Wells Fargo for over a decade now. And they continue to show us over and over that their commitment to our nation’s heroes is absolutely unending. And we’re so grateful for their partnership and their continued support to be able to provide vehicles like this for veterans is really life-changing for them.
[Objio]
During 911, which I got called to active duty to protect the Brooklyn Bridge. After I got deactivated again, I decided to go active duty and follow my heart, do my part for the country.I have five deployments to Iraq, one to Afghanistan, one to Kosovo.
Thank you.
[Jason Rosenberg, Head of Public Affairs, Wells Fargo]
No. Thank you.
[Objio]
The Military Support Foundation they called me back, and they told me if I wanted a vehicle free. And I just started laughing. I’m like, ‘Why are you pulling my chain over here?’ And they’re going, ‘No, this is for real.’ And up to this day, I still can’t believe that I have a free car.
What I want to say to Wells Fargo and the Military Support Foundation is ‘Thank you. Thank you so much. What you do for us is incredible. You have no idea how much this means to us.’
[Kelley]
Big change in my life coming this year. I’ll be getting married looking forward to the next chapter in my life, getting married and eventually becoming a father.
To Wells Fargo, thank you so much for giving me this opportunity and selecting me to be able to receive this gift. I’ll forever be grateful and thankful always. It’s going to carry me a long way. And this vehicle is going to last me a very long time.
[On-screen text: $50,000 Average pre-existing debt reduced by financial mentoring]
[Passmore]
By not having to worry about paying for a vehicle they’re able to use those resources for other important decisions.
It’s not just about the vehicle. Through this program we’re able to increase his savings, increase his credit score. And also pay down debt.
[Liermann]
It was pretty freaking cool. Pretty rad to be told, ‘Hey, here’s this car we’re gifting you.’ That really put me in a place to stop stressing about my car breaking down in an intersection with my two babies in the backseat. Am I going to be late for class because I have to walk, which is like a five-mile walk from my house?
Emotionally, not having to have all those other worries made me a better mom, made me a better leader, made me a better business owner. It made me a better wife.
I really do just want to say to Wells Fargo — I don’t know who started it or who made the decision that this should be a thing, because it’s freaking incredible.
And when I say that it’s life-changing, that’s an understatement. It’s lifesaving.
[On-screen text: © 2025 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved.]
Watch: Eddy Kelley, Erica Liermann, and Juan Carlos Objio are among the more than 135 veterans who have received payment-free vehicles through Military Warriors Support Foundation’s Transportation4Heroes program, in partnership with Wells Fargo. (video, 06:02)
Credit: Dustin Wilson
“For veterans transitioning from active military to civilian life, research tells us a huge issue is having transportation to and from medical appointments,” said Sheri Spangler, Wells Fargo’s Consumer Lending vehicle donation program manager. “We wanted to specifically work with a nonprofit that not only cared for transportation needs but also offered financial mentoring. That is how we found Military Warriors Support Foundation’s Transportation4Heroes program.”
Wells Fargo develops an annual market strategy pinpointing where donations will occur. Veterans go through a comprehensive application process with MWSF, and vehicles are selected with dealerships, Wells Fargo, and MWSF.
There are two paths for vehicle donations: individual contributions with MWSF or directly to a nonprofit organization to help them carry out their mission.
Wells Fargo grants funding to the nonprofit, which then purchases the vehicle from a participating dealership. The process culminates in a key ceremony where the vehicle is officially awarded.
“Our dealers are such an important part of this,” Spangler said. “Through MWSF, we split the vehicle cost 50/50. So, it’s not just about philanthropy, it’s about coming alongside our dealers and working with them, as the Bank of Doing, to care for the transportation needs of military and veteran communities. We have a target of 15 donations per year, but we’re outpacing that and should end the year with around 24 payment-free vehicles being awarded. That’s only possible because of our amazing collaboration with the dealers and internal alignment at Wells Fargo.”
Before joining Wells Fargo a few years ago, Gary Schultz looked at Wells Fargo’s program with a bit of envy. He had never been part of an institution that supported veterans in this way. Today, as head of relationship management and strategic alliances for Wells Fargo Auto, he explained, “There’s support for the program across the entire organization, from the top to the bottom. From the budgeting process, to approaching partners with ideas, to planning events and donations, the single thought among everyone is, ‘How can we make this better?’. There’s not a single person I’ve come across in the organization who thinks we shouldn’t be doing this. And that sends a powerful message that we stand behind veterans and we are all in.”
A dealer’s perspective
“It was pre-COVID when we first started,” Mark Ficken said. “I’ve always thought there’s a greater calling than just coming in to work and punching a clock. You can get caught up in your day-to-day at any job and kind of lose focus. So, it was just an easy thing for us to say yes to, to support the people who have worked very hard to defend our country.”
For nearly 30 years, Ficken has taken great care to ensure customers leave his dealership comfortable, happy, and satisfied. And for the last six years, as a partner at Mark Ficken Lincoln in Charlotte, North Carolina, he’s done the same for veterans who need a helping hand.
Ficken is just one of many dealers across the country who have teamed up with Wells Fargo and MWSF to provide payment-free vehicles to veterans. In the 10 years since Wells Fargo started the program, it’s awarded more than 135 vehicles and financial mentoring, valued at more than $4.5 million, to deserving veterans, Gold Star families, and veteran-related nonprofit organizations.
In the program, dealerships and organizations like MWSF — with financial support from Wells Fargo — split the cost of payment-free vehicles. For Ficken, it’s been an additional opportunity for his dealership to further embed itself in the Charlotte community.
“I’d recommend this program for any dealer reading this,” said Ficken. “It’s a tremendous opportunity to improve their understanding of what’s meaningful to someone they might work with in the future. And then, the fact that you’d be doing something incredible for incredible people, that just makes it a no-brainer.”
Veterans share their stories of the impact of payment-free vehicles:
With big life changes on the horizon, Eddy Kelley's payment-free vehicle will help him manage the road ahead. (video, 01:05)
Getting a payment-free vehicle has has been life-changing for Erica Liermann, making her feel appreciated as a human, a mother, and a business owner. (video, 01:38)
Juan Carlos Obijo could hardly believe he was the recipient of a payment-free vehicle, which helps him with running errands and has space for his faithful travel companion: his service dog.(video, 0:48)
The program is a big part of Wells Fargo’s overall support of veterans and the military community. For more than 170 years, the company has been committed to empowering military communities to effectively navigate life’s transitions, while helping them achieve career and financial success.
Veteran-Owned Businesses — Supplier Diversity
Wells Fargo is a corporate member of the National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA) and works closely with it to identify veteran-owned businesses to compete for Wells Fargo’s procurement opportunities.
Military Talent Liaisons
A dedicated team of Military Talent Liaisons at Wells Fargo is committed to recruiting, counseling, and advocating for military job seekers. Candidates can connect with the company’s liaisons for a variety of job seeker resources, like developing a transition strategy, crafting a compelling resume, skills gap analysis, and interview performance.
Home donation/Housing affordability
Having a safe and affordable place to call home is an essential pathway for wellness, dignity, and economic opportunity. It is a great honor for Wells Fargo to serve members of the military and help them achieve sustainable housing. Since 2015, the Wells Fargo Foundation has provided millions in grants to support sustainable housing and homeownership for veterans through a suite of programs.
“I can’t express how touching the events are and what a privilege it is to be a part of the donations,” said Schultz. “We’re alleviating a major payment and financial responsibility for these families, freeing them up to think about other things. The payment-free vehicle, the financial counseling, and the boost of morale — it’s a powerful combination. We all get joy from helping deserving veterans, and I just love that this program allows us to do the right thing for our communities.”
