The nation will join former President Jimmy Carter in celebrating his 100th birthday, and a record number of volunteers are honoring him by getting to work.
Habitat for Humanity's 38th Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project, hosted this year by Habitat Humanitarians and country music superstars Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, kicks off today in East St. Paul.
President Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter helped to put Habitat on the map when they joined the first week-long blitz build that bears their name in 1984. Since then, the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Projects has inspired more than 106,000 volunteers to build or improve more than 4,400 homes in 14 countries.
"Habitat's vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live, but we cannot reach that goal alone," said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. "The Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project serves not only as a way to honor the Carters' legacy, but also as a reminder of what is possible when people from all walks of come together to work toward one common goal."
This year's build event is Brooks' and Yearwood's 14th with the global housing nonprofit. They first volunteered with Habitat in 2007 in New Orleans to help build post-Hurricane Katrina Habitat homes on the Gulf Coast.
"The love present at each Carter Work Project is a tribute to the thousands of volunteers that come together each year to build these homes," Brooks and Yearwood said. "We can think of no better way to honor President Carter's 100th birthday and Mrs. Carter's life of service than by swinging our hammers in St. Paul."
The 2024 build event is taking place at The Heights, where Twin Cities Habitat plans to build 147 units, its largest development to date. The Heights is a model for sustainable, resilient, affordable housing, with plans to be an all-electric community working toward LEED Platinum Certification, the highest rating given to highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings. The Habitat homes will feature solar panels or shingles, air source heat pumps, water conservation measures and other sustainable endeavors.
Carter Work Project is supported by more than 60 sponsors, including the project's Diamond sponsors, Corey Sauer, GAF, U.S. Bank, and Andersen Corporation. In addition, GAF donated roofing systems for each home featuring GAF Energy's Timberline Solar Energy Shingle, the world's first solar shingle that can be nailed down; Andersen Corporation's support included in-kind window donations; and U.S. Bank will send 150 volunteers in its third year of support. Platinum sponsors — Delta Air Lines, MasterBrand, and Wells Fargo, each donated $500,000 toward the project.
