In Atlanta last month, U.S. Bank employees joined nearly 1,000 volunteers to help build 24 affordable homes in five days as part of Habitat for Humanity’s Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project. 

The effort is helping transform a long-vacant site in the city’s southwestern Sylvan Hills neighborhood into Langston Park, a new community that will expand access to affordable homeownership for local families. As a gold sponsor of the event, U.S. Bank committed $250,000 to support the project, which also aligns with the bank’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. 

The U.S. Bank volunteers brought not only their readiness to do hard work, but a strong sense of purpose and community.

“This is very important to me,” said Yolanda Heard, an accounting manager for global financial operations. “Being out here with Habitat for Humanity, I live in this community, so I love to see that they’re doing a lot of great things in this community.”

“It’s always the best part to come out and build,” said Michael Femiano, senior vice president in portfolio management. “It’s an opportunity for us not only to help the community, but also to bond as co-workers.”

That impact was especially clear for future homeowner Ashley Westbrook, a local schoolteacher whose home was part of the build. Her mother, Salita Westbrook, said seeing the home come together was an emotional milestone for their family.

“This is her first home — her first time leaving the nest,” Salita Westbrook said. “It’s truly exciting for her and exciting for us as well. It’s bittersweet, but I’m so happy for her.”

Celebrating its 50th year, Habitat for Humanity International has helped build, rehabilitate or repair more than 70,000 homes worldwide. Additionally, the organization has assisted millions of people—over 3 million globally in 2025 alone. Its model helps make homeownership possible through affordable, income-based mortgages and sweat equity contributed by homeowners. 

The Atlanta build continues a longstanding relationship between U.S. Bank and Habitat for Humanity affiliates throughout the country and reflects a shared commitment to strengthening communities through stable, affordable housing. 

Since 2008, U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance has provided more than $148 million through the federal New Markets Tax Credit Program to Habitat affiliates across the country, contributing to the creation of more than 4,900 housing units. Many U.S. Bank employees have participated in Habitat projects in their communities over the years, with more than 7,000 hours volunteered in 2025 alone. And in 2025, U.S. Bank provided more than $3.6 million in corporate contributions, U.S. Bank Foundation giving and employee matching gifts nationally to Habitat.

For Erica Opstad, head of community affairs at U.S. Bank and president of the U.S. Bank Foundation, the impact starts with what home makes possible.

“Home is the starting place of hope, dreams and reality,” she said. “It’s where everything comes together. Purpose and possibility.”

The U.S. Bank Foundation is a tax-exempt private foundation described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Foundation is funded primarily through contributions from U.S. Bancorp’s affiliates and subsidiaries. The Foundation’s mission is to close the gaps between people and possibility in the areas of work, home, and play.