2008 Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project

****Visit www.habitat.org for daily updates, stories, photos, and video of the event!***

In August 2005, the lives of Gulf Coast residents changed forever as hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated communities from Texas to Alabama. More than half a million homes were destroyed or damaged along the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Katrina caused severe damage to nearly 267,000 homes in Mississippi and Louisiana alone.  Sixty percent of the homes in Harrison County, Mississippi, which includes Biloxi and Gulfport, were damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Within weeks after Hurricane Katrina struck, Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliates had started building houses and rebuilding lives. With the help of corporate and community partners, some 70,000 volunteers, and the Habitat homeowner families themselves, nearly 1,300 homes have already been built or are under construction in the Gulf Coast Recovery Program in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas.

But there is still much to be done. There are still more than 12,000 FEMA trailers scattered throughout Southern Mississippi. Habitat for Humanity currently requires 1,000 volunteers per week in areas along the Gulf Coast. As part of Habitat’s ongoing Gulf Coast Recovery effort, and to raise awareness of the enormous needs that still exist in the region, Habitat for Humanity and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, selected the Gulf Coast as the location for the 25th annual “Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project” to be held May 11-16, 2008. Our host affiliate is Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast in Biloxi, Mississippi.

During the second week of May, more than 1,500 volunteers from across the United States and around the world will join Gulf Coast volunteers to help build 30 houses in the communities of Biloxi and Pascagoula, Mississippi. Habitat volunteers and community partners will also refurbish an additional 30 homes in Pascagoula and frame 48 more for future building in Biloxi. Churches, corporations, celebrities, civic groups, and other public figures will participate in the Carter Project.

Habitat affiliates in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Alabama will also participate in the weeklong build, constructing more than 100 houses along the Gulf Coast.

Carter Work Project PSA

25 Years of Building with the Carters

President Carter’s longstanding relationship with Habitat for Humanity began in 1984 when he donated one day of his carpentry skills and manual labor at a work site in Americus, Georgia, home to Habitat’s international headquarters. Later that same year, the Carters led their first weeklong project, renovating a six-story, 19 unit building in New York City.

The Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project is an annual, internationally-recognized week where the former US President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, along with his wife, Rosalynn, join thousands of volunteers to build and renovate simple, decent and affordable housing in partnership with low income families. For 2008, the annual, week-long event is renamed to also recognize the former first lady’s years of dedicated service to help raise awareness of the need for affordable housing.

The Carters have faithfully given a one week of their time each year since 1984 to help build Habitat homes. The Carter Work Project has been held across the United States in places such as Philadelphia, Miami, New York City, Detroit, and Los Angeles. It has also been held internationally in South Africa, Mexico, and India.

HFHMGC & Building Green

Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast is constantly striving towards Building Green and is working with several agencies and organizations to do so.

Insulation being used on Habitat homes during the Carter Project is better for the environment than most traditional insulation products because it has no formaldehyde binders, no acrylic binders, and no borates.

HFHMGC is working with the US Department of Energy’s Building America program to indentify a cost effective path achieving Energy Star, a government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. HFHMGC uses energy efficient appliances and light bulbs in the homes, two important steps towards achieving Energy Star.

HFHMGC is analyzing more energy efficient electric water heater options and higher S.E.E.R. heating and ventilating air conditioning options.

HFHMGC is working with the Florida Solar Energy Center to evaluate energy efficiency of housing models.

Volunteers working along the Mississippi Gulf Coast