Pep Boys Taps Into Its Veterans Heritage by Partnering with Bob Woodruff Foundation
This week, American automotive service provider, Pep Boys, donated $100,000 to the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF). This generous donation helps BWF continue its mission to support veterans and their families especially as they transition into civilian life.
Pep Boys, which was founded by veterans who returned home after World War I, recently celebrated its 100th year in operation. The company continues to recognize the spirit of its founders by supporting veterans and organizations like BWF.
“It’s just an honor to be able to support an organization that supports our veterans,” Pep Boys President and CEO, Brian Kaner said at a recent event. “It really taps back into the heritage of our organization.”
Like many veterans, the founders of Pep Boys returned home after their military service and sought to figure out the next steps of their lives. Today, they, along with BWF understand that meaningful employment is an essential component of a successful transition. Pep Boys supports RecruitMilitary, an organization solely focused on matching veterans and military spouses with quality careers. But they are also committed to hiring veterans internally.
“With our 1000 locations, it gives an opportunity for any veteran to become gainfully employed when they come back,” Kaner said. “A lot of our veterans come back with a lot of technical training. It’s immediately applicable to our stores.”
BWF Co-Founder Bob Woodruff also understands the value veterans bring to the workplace.
“Veterans serve all over the world,” Woodruff said. “They have such amazing discipline and international experience. They’re the perfect candidates to hire. Pep Boys has figured that out and I respect them so much for that.”
Under CEO Anne Marie Dougherty’s leadership, BWF has been committed to helping veterans at the community level.
“What I love about our partnership with Pep Boys is that they are a big national company and they are able to pair veterans with employment in the towns where they have a footprint,” Dougherty said. “That is a really great match for the Bob Woodruff Foundation because we work with partners all over the country.”
