Volunteer Spotlight: Habitat for Humanity’s “Frame Up on the Square”

Madison’s Capitol Square is usually a bustling place, filled with cars, suits, cyclists, and farm stands with fresh produce. On a rainy day in late June, however, the square was filled with something else entirely: stacks of lumber, ringing hammers, and nearly a dozen Dairyland employees ready to get to work. 

 

Habitat for Humanity, a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing homeownership, closed down a portion of the square for their “Frame Up on the Square” event. These volunteer-supported events bring community members together to build houses for families who would not otherwise be able to afford them. Dairyland has partnered with Habitat for many years and was honored to work alongside the Habitat crews once again to “frame up” walls for Habitat homes in the Madison area.  

This experience showed me how much we can achieve when we work together. I feel blessed to have made a direct difference in someone’s life today, and I am so thankful my company supports and sponsors such a life-changing mission. — Govind

Despite many of us not having any construction experience, we donned hard hats and safety glasses and got to work. The Habitat crews helped us learn the basic skills so that even the most unwieldy hammer found its nails in the end, and ensured that all finished frames were safe and sturdy for final construction. As a parting gift, we each signed our names on the frames and wrote good-luck messages to the families who would one day make these houses their homes. 

Habitat’s work creates ripples of impact far beyond building houses. They help create stability, opportunity, and a stronger foundation for families across our community. We’re grateful for the chance to join Habitat, along with many other dedicated community partners, in supporting this important mission. — Amy

 

The walls we helped build are destined for the Owl Creek neighborhood, where the city of Madison has set aside space for Habitat’s affordable housing. Dairyland’s “Business as a Force for Good” inspires us daily to make a positive change in the lives of others, and it’s events like these that drive home the importance of caring for our community members—one nail at a time. 

Ripple Effects: A Year of Purpose, Service, and Shared Impact

If this year showed us anything, it’s that our community continues to creatively and passionately demonstrate what it looks like to use business as a force for good. Across departments, locations, and roles, our team and our partners consistently chose to show up with generosity, curiosity, and compassion. Together, we created ripple effects of impact that reached far beyond our walls and into neighborhoods, nonprofits, and communities across the country.

Our story is one of movement, of a culture taking deeper root, of people modeling service in a way that inspires others, and of the ways we are becoming more connected through purposeful action.

Bright Spots From a Year of Service

The spirit of Business as a Force for Good (BFG) comes alive in the stories of our collective action. Each partnership and volunteer moment illuminated a different side of what it means to care deeply for our community and for one another.

Partner Spotlights

Our partnership with Camp Daniel supported a community centered on joy, empowerment, and belonging for individuals with disabilities. Connecting with the Camp Daniel team and campers challenged us to see things from different viewpoints, deepening our understanding and empathy.

My niece has been a camper at Camp Daniel for most of her life; it is special to be able to be part of her experience in these behind-the-scenes kinds of ways.  Dairyland could choose to give only money to various groups to be a “force for good” but it chooses to also send its people, on the clock, to do the tangible work the organization needs to accomplish its mission; it helps to connect us to our community in a deeper way. -Jon Kavanagh

 

Our ongoing relationship with Habitat for Humanity brought similar meaning. From hands-on work at the build site to supporting the Habitat ReStore, employees experienced firsthand what it looks like to equip people to flourish. Habitat for Humanity Dane County CEO, Hillary Parker reaffirmed that every hour we contribute helps make that future possible for a family:

 Habitat’s work creates a powerful ripple effect. When people have a safe, stable home, they gain the strength and stability to flourish in other parts of their lives. For example, we know that children of homeowners are 25% more likely to graduate high school and 116% more likely to graduate college. That growth doesn’t stop at the front door; it extends into schools, workplaces, and communities, inspiring the kind of lasting change that transforms generations.

Volunteer Week: Showing Up Together

Volunteer Week remains one of our most energizing traditions. This year, Dairyland employees joined with industry peers, family, and friends to mobilize in service within our communities. In addition to spending time volunteering together, we incorporated a “Spirit Week” to foster some extra fun and camaraderie.

Dairyland Volunteer Week 2025 Recap

I genuinely look forward to volunteer week each year—especially since Dairyland incorporated spirit week into the mix. Spirit week brings out the competitive side of Dairyland employees, and it’s always so much fun getting to see the creative ways that everybody has participated. This week not only serves as a week to give back to the community around us, but fosters even more connection in the office (which is one of the things I love most about working for Dairyland). I already can’t wait for next year’s! -Megan Aasby

Individual Stories That Inspired Us

Some of the most meaningful moments this year came from employees who found personal ways to serve, aligned with their passions and community needs. Whether by mentoring local youth, supporting community safety efforts, delivering meals and connection, or advocating for animals in need—these stories remind us that service isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s deeply personal.

Upward Intuition represents what I believe real community impact looks like. It’s local, relational, and rooted in creating opportunity rather than charity. It’s about investing in people and places with intention, and trusting that when you do that well, the impact carries far beyond what you can measure. -Jarret Brelsford

Celebrating Our Collective Impact

This year, our industry came together to show how small, intentional actions can create meaningful change. By dedicating hundreds of hours to volunteer service during volunteer week and beyond, and supporting both local and national nonprofits through generous financial contributions, we amplified our collective impact. Notably, our collaboration at the Camp-themed AMPP lounge during the Annual Conference + Expo 2025 in Nashville resulted in a $1,100 donation to Camp Daniel, reflecting the power of partnership and shared purpose among all Camp Dairyland participants.

Finding the Feeling

Throughout the year, one theme kept surfacing: when we serve, not only are we a part of meaningful changes for others, but something in us also changes.

Working together reminded us that generosity is energizing and deeply satisfying. It draws us into the lives of others, strengthening connection, empathy, and joy. Listening to our partner organizations reinforced that our efforts truly matter, while personal stories reminded us that we are surrounded by people doing quiet extraordinary things every day.

This is how generosity can change us: one action at a time, multiplied across people who care. What an encouragement to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, in service to others, and for the sake of human safety and flourishing.

Generosity is both an others-focused practice and a self-enriching experience. When we give, we always hope that the person on the other end flourishes. But what we often underestimate until we give is the joy and fulfillment that floods us during and afterward. It isn’t uncommon for me to experience or hear from our team about how much fun they had on a Habitat build or meal distribution. Generosity is a gift that multiplies, bringing abundance in our lives and the lives of others. -Kailey Tachick

Looking Ahead to 2026

As we look towards 2026 and beyond our goal is simple: keep the momentum going.

There is no finish line to this kind of work. Just the next opportunity to step forward, take action, and practice generosity.

Thank You

To everyone who volunteered, donated, shared a story, helped shape this path, or offered encouragement – thank you. Your actions matter. They ripple outward in ways you may never fully see, shaping a culture of compassion, purpose, and impact.

This year, Dairyland is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and we wanted to make our lounge sponsorship at AMPP Annual Conference + Expo a sweet spot for celebrating and thanking our customers while making an impact together.  

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If you attended the conference in Denver this March, you may have seen the line for mini pints of ice cream or heard the sound of bean bags landing on cornhole boards while onlookers offered playful taunts or cheers. In the Dairyland lounge, we thought the best way to celebrate our 40th birthday was surrounded by friends, enjoying cake and ice cream, and getting competitive for a great cause. Thank you to all who stopped by and helped to make the week special. 

 

The Count is In  

This year we partnered with a nonprofit in Colorado—the site of our conference—that is doing great work to care for people. We easily settled on Sky High Hope Camp, a camp for kids with pediatric cancer and their siblings. Campers who attend Sky High Hope Camp are not treated like cancer patients. Instead they are given the opportunity to act like ordinary kids having a fun, safe, and action-packed week while enjoying SHHC’s many amenities and supportive community. And, for these families, it’s all free of charge.  

Dairyland committed to making a donation on behalf of each attendee who scored in cornhole by tossing the bags through the hole or landing them on top of the board. Thanks to the impressive skills of our participants, we’re donating $1,550.00 in unrestricted funds to Sky High Hope Camp to support their work and camper experience. For the record, we were impressed by how many people maxed out their donation by scoring 5+ points!   

 

Thank you to everyone who stopped in to say hi, participate in the cornhole challenge, and celebrate with us. We wouldn’t be here without you, and it’s no fun to celebrate alone. Cheers to 40 years of making a safer world together and many more to come!  

 

To protect IJM survivors, we have used pseudonyms, obscured some images and included photos that do not depict actual victims where appropriate. Consent gathered for all images.

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Dairyland is committed to using business to make a safer world through rugged and reliable products as well as in our partnership with leading nonprofits working to combat suffering around the world. This year, Dairyland has focused our giving on four quarterly initiatives (read about quarters one and two here). This quarter, Dairyland allocated funds to combat forced child labor in Ghana, working with longtime partner International Justice Mission (IJM). Here we will share how IJM is working to reshape an environment once ripe for exploitation into a nation committed to protecting its vulnerable children. 

The Wrong Kind of Growth 

The UN recently noted a dramatic rise in modern slavery taking place over the last five years, with ten million more people trapped in exploitation ranging from forced labor to sexual exploitation. Of the 27.6 million people forced to work against their will, 3.3 million are children (BBC, 2022).   

Zooming In: Lake Volta, Ghana 

Human exploitation is occurring in large cities and small rural villages around the world, in both affluent and socioeconomically disadvantaged nations. One such setting is Ghana’s Lake Volta, the largest human-created reservoir in the world by surface area (for reference, it’s the size of the two U.S. States – Delaware and Rhode Island – combined). Lake Volta is teeming with fish, attracting many fishermen who use child labor to increase their own financial profits. While not all children fishing on the lake are trafficked, many are and they receive none of the benefits – like education, medical care, and pay – that were promised to their caregivers. Some children are as young as three years old when they first arrive on the lake. Many do not return for years if at all.   

International Justice Mission (IJM) has become a recognized international leader in addressing modern slavery and exploitation of children. They intervene through strategic partnerships and programming to address symptoms (like a six-year-old child working from dawn past dark) as well as the systems (such as an absence of legal precedence or process to convict criminals) that perpetuate them.  

In a recent presentation to the Dairyland team, Will Lathrop and Rochelle Lashley, both members of IJM’s Ghanaian field office, described the situations their team encounters on and surrounding the lake. “It is overwhelmingly common that children are beaten daily. It’s not uncommon that some are sexually abused, and almost all are suffering from malnourishment or some form of disease.” A week prior, they had rescued a five-year-old girl who was immediately admitted to the hospital with a life-threatening illness.  

“It’s a bleak industry,” said Will, “but it’s only bleak until the point of intervention and the stories of success are quite high. When we intervene, we see these kids get freedom.”

IJM has built a robust team and partner network to address the issue of child exploitation from prevention through investigation and rescue, to aftercare and criminal prosecution of traffickers. What is different about their model is that they equip and empower local lawyers, police departments, community members, judges, and government officials to address the issues of their own communities.

One big area of impact: Training judges.  

Why Judges? 

According to Will, children were going to court to testify against their traffickers and finding themselves being further victimized by the process, after escaping the abuse of their original traffickers. This often led to victim blaming and secondary trauma without consequences for the abusers. For example, one boy was forced to sit next to his trafficker throughout the entire court process, another was berated and told his mother couldn’t have loved him to allow this, and the stories continue.   

As IJM has invested their efforts in judges, they have seen a clear shift. Judges that were initially skeptical or under-equipped have become champions of justice. They now better understand cycles of abuse—long-term effects of trauma, trauma-informed care, and best practices for presiding over cases with abused minors—and they are using this information to change the environment within courts across the country.  

In 2018, the IJM team was told they would never be able to secure convictions for child trafficking in Ghana. But exactly the opposite has occurred. In the years since, the team was able to secure the first conviction and follow it with over forty more. Will describes the reality of working toward a seemingly overwhelming problem. “We can’t catch everyone; we just need to catch enough and broadcast their captures to deter others, amplifying the long-term effect.” It sends a signal to traffickers that what they could once do openly can now land them in jail. ”Things have been [getting] better and we’re hopeful that someday they will be good,” Will said in his closing statements.   

Dairyland’s partnerships involve financial support of humanitarian organizations that demonstrate highly effective and compassionate engagement to eliminate poverty and suffering around the globe.  Our quarterly contributions are investments in specific regions, programs, and/or initiatives that are determined in partnership between Dairyland and the organizations according to need. We also strive to actively learn from these partners, regularly welcoming them to speak at team meetings and broaden our worldviews.  

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