Former U.S President Jimmy Carter is known for his advocacy for social justice, healthcare, environmental protection and humanitarian work, particularly with Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing safe, affordable housing for people in need around the world.
Here are some things to know about Habitat and the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project:
1. Habitat for Humanity’s Mission
Founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity is an international nonprofit organization with a mission to provide safe and affordable housing for individuals and families in need worldwide. The founders, Millard and Linda Fuller, introduced a unique concept of “partnership housing,” which involved individuals and families working alongside volunteers to build their own homes
The organization’s operational headquarters is in Americus, Ga., while the administrative headquarters is in Atlanta. Habitat for Humanity works in partnership with volunteers, donors and local communities to construct and renovate homes, with a goal of breaking the cycle of poverty and achieving greater stability through home ownership.
2. The Carter Work Project
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter began volunteering with Habitat in 1984, launching the annual The Carter Work Project. During this week-long project, the Carters, along with volunteers, come together to build and repair homes for families in need. The project has worked across the U.S. and abroad. After the 2019 event in Nashville, Tenn., the project was paused during the COVID-19 lockdown. It resumed this year in Charlotte, N.C., hosted by country singers Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, who have joined a number of Habitat builds alongside the Carters, according to previous AJC reporting.
3. Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter volunteered for 35 years.
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter have dedicated 35 years of volunteer work to Habitat for Humanity. Their commitment to hands-on involvement has helped them make a positive impact on communities and played a pivotal role in raising awareness about the importance of affordable housing.
“As Habitat for Humanity’s most famous volunteer and one of our inaugural Habitat Humanitarians, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has often urged everyone from world leaders to the general public to include adequate housing as one of the fundamental elements needed to live with dignity and thrive,” said Habitat, in an article about the Carters’ advocacy for home affordability.
The article also included this quote from Jimmy Carter: “To have a decent place to live is to have a chance to live in peace and to have adequate health care and adequate education, so you can take advantage of your talents.”
4. The Carters built, renovated and repaired homes in 14 countries.
Through their partnership with Habitat for Humanity, the Carters have helped construct homes in 14 countries around the world including: Hungary, South Korea, India, South Africa, Haiti and China. Their efforts typically involve hands-on participation in construction projects, alongside volunteers and local communities, providing shelter and hope to countless families who were previously living in inadequate conditions.
5. One of the earliest Carter Work Projects was located on the east side of Atlanta.
Located in Edgewood are 20 sturdy homes built from the official Carter Work Project in Atlanta back in 1988. The Carters’ decision to build homes in Edgewood stemmed from their belief in the potential and resilience of the local community. This year, ahead of Jimmy Carter’s birthday, the AJC visited the neighborhood and interviewed one of the original homeowners. To this day, 85-year-old Sally Hollis keeps a framed Habitat for Humanity poster, signed by the Carters and all of the other volunteers that helped build her home.
“We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes—and we must."
