Since 2016, U.S. Bank has been a continuous volunteer and financial sponsor of Workshops for Warriors (WFW), a non-profit organization that teaches veterans manufacturing skills.

In 2021, U.S. Bank quadrupled its charitable support to Workshops for Warriors, with the additional funds going to outreach, scholarships and living stipends for female veterans.

"We want our community investments to foster diversity and inclusion, and we're pleased to support Workshops for Warriors to reach out to more women veterans,” said Rockette Ewell, the vice president and director of community affairs for U.S. Bank in San Diego.

WFW was a passion project founded by husband-and-wife team Hernán and Rachel Luis Prado. The non-profit organization specializes in training and empowering veterans.

However, the surge of wounded warriors brought the devastation of war home in a very personal way. Hernán spent 15 years in the Navy, including three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. After observing first-hand how enhanced combat medical treatment allowed deployed U.S. military members to return alive to their home countries, he was inspired to launch WFW.

WFW began in Hernán's garage in 2008, after he noticed that when he opened up his home workshop to his peers returning from war, the new skills they were gaining seemed to give them a renewed sense of purpose and eased their transition back into civilian life.

Students earn credentials that are transferable once completing the 16-week training course in both machining and welding. Nearly 1,000 veterans and transitioning service members have completed or are actively enrolled in the program, and they have earned more than 9,000 certifications.

"WFW is working to power the potential of veterans and transitioning service members, and U.S. Bank is glad to be a part of it, on Veteran's Day and every day," said Greg Altman, a U.S. Bank district manager in San Diego.