Standley Leadership Academy Gives Back with Habitat for Humanity

On September 18, Standley’s Leadership Academy stepped away from the usual day-to-day to spend the day serving alongside Habitat for Humanity in Yukon. The group—made up of vice presidents, directors, and managers from across Team Standley—worked shoulder to shoulder to help prepare homes for families ready for a fresh start.

Throughout the day, the team tackled a variety of projects to help move the homes one step closer to welcoming their future residents. Volunteers cleaned and prepared spaces, taped and painted interior areas, washed windows, and took on other hands-on tasks throughout the homes.

Each project may have seemed small on its own, but together they supported something much bigger: helping create a safe, welcoming place a family can call home.

Working Together Outside the Office

Standley’s Leadership Academy brings leaders together to learn, grow, and strengthen the skills they use to support their teams. The volunteer day with Habitat for Humanity gave the group the chance to put those same principles into practice outside the workplace.

Instead of meetings, emails, and daily responsibilities, the team spent the day working toward a shared goal. It was an opportunity to strengthen relationships, serve alongside one another, and make a tangible difference in the community.

The experience was also a reminder that leadership extends beyond a job title. It means stepping in where help is needed, serving others, and working together toward something bigger than ourselves.

Helping Families Build a Foundation for the Future

For 50 years, Habitat for Humanity has helped families access safe, affordable housing. Its roots trace back to Koinonia Farm near Americus, Georgia, where Clarence Jordan worked alongside Millard and Linda Fuller to shape the idea of Partnership Housing—bringing future homeowners and volunteers together to build decent, affordable homes.

That spirit of partnership remains central to Habitat’s work today. Volunteers give their time and skills, while future homeowners take an active role in the process and commit to the responsibilities of homeownership.

To qualify for a Habitat home, prospective buyers must meet three key criteria:

- Be in need of safe, affordable housing

- Be low to moderate income

- Be able and willing to pay an affordable mortgage, typically less than 30% of their income

Through this approach, Habitat helps families work toward the stability and security that can come with having a place of their own.

Putting Our Values Into Action

At Standley, community involvement is one of the ways we put our values into action. Generosity, legendary relationships, and going the extra mile shape how we serve our clients and one another, and those values extend into the communities where we live and work.

To encourage employees to support causes that matter to them, Team Standley receives 24 hours of paid volunteer leave each year. That gives team members the opportunity to step away from their regular responsibilities and give their time to local nonprofits, schools, organizations, and other community causes.

The Leadership Academy’s day with Habitat for Humanity is a strong example of what that commitment can look like. By working together, our leaders were able to support an organization making a meaningful difference for families while strengthening their own relationships as a team.

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make the day a success. We look forward to finding more ways to serve, strengthen our communities, and support the people who call them home.

We’re also grateful for organizations like Habitat for Humanity that give our employees the chance to roll up their sleeves, work alongside others, and make a difference close to home. Because when we work together to help keep our communities going, even one day of service can make an impact that lasts much longer.