Habitat Builds 54 Homes with Jimmy Carter

By Pauline J. Chang, Christian Post Reporter Friday, July 22, 2005

Habitat for Humanity’s 2005 Jimmy Carter work project ended with 54 new homes built in the Detroit and Benton Harbor regions of Michigan.

Hundreds of volunteers from across the nation gave their time to support the Jimmy Carter project – a movement that began in 1984 – including the top executive of the National Council of Churches.

"The Council and its volunteers try to follow the model President Carter represents -- a man who has already given so much and is always willing to give more when people are in need,” said Rev. Bob Edgar, General Secretary of the NCC, who contributed to the need. "As always, it was as rejuvenating as a vacation.”

The houses were built in less than a week last month by the volunteers, and their progress was filmed and recorded in a scrapbook. The films, photos and blogs of the workers are made available at the Habitat website: www.habitat.org.

Jimmy Carter's involvement with Habitat for Humanity International began in 1984 when the former president led a work group to New York City to help renovate a six-story building with 19 families in need of decent, affordable shelter. That experience planted the seed, and the Jimmy Carter Work Project has been an internationally recognized event of HFHI ever since.