“From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.” - Arthur Ashe
One of the core philosophies at CJ Affiliate is to make connections. Yes, I could be referring to advertisers and publishers, but we also place importance on connecting with our local communities. Here’s how we did just that with the generous folks at Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County.
Last month, our parent company ADS encouraged us to leave our desks and grab a brush, and we spent the day painting the exterior of a historic home in downtown Santa Barbara. As the homeowner uses her house to run a local daycare, she’s so busy taking care of the children and her own son that she’s often unable to maintain its upkeep. This is where we got to lend a big, helping hand.
Along with knowledgeable and fun team leaders from Habitat, our office brought 16 volunteers spanning nearly every department, including Advertiser Development, Engineering, Client Support, and Integrations. In the sun and through our workday, spirits were kept high by the lovable (and well-behaved) dog of one of our volunteers, drinking plenty of water, and a delicious and needed pizza break!
While the day was tons of fun, it also helped us embody our corporate values. At CJ Affiliate, as part of the Alliance Data family, we strive every day to hold up values that go beyond our business goals. Taking a step back, three stand out:
- Service: Our work is not about ourselves, but rather in the service of others. This can mean providing the best software and service to our clients, or a fresh coat of paint to a local homeowner.
- Ownership: Success is realized by taking action. In choosing to set up the service day, choosing to volunteer, and choosing to pick up our brushes, we achieved our goal and made that day a success.
- Passion: At the root of it all, the “why” drives our actions. While this is true in our business efforts, on this day Habitat for Humanity’s passion to empower families through shelter motivated us to do a stellar job.
I can’t sum it up any better than how one of our volunteers described her experience: “It was a great feeling, not only to get out of the office and work as a team and grow our relationships, but to know that you were truly making a difference in someone’s life. What seems like a small token can actually make a huge impact on someone.” - Ashley Hardy, Account Manager
Learn more about all the great work Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County is doing. We look forward to getting our hands dirty with another project soon. Follow our service efforts and other #CJCulture initiatives on our Instagram page @CJNetwork!
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