ATLANTA, Dec. 29,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Habitat for Humanity joins the
world in mourning the death of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. A champion for affordable and
decent housing, he and Rosalynn
Carter donated their time and leadership each year to build
and improve homes with Habitat around the world. President Carter
died peacefully Sunday, Dec. 29, at
his home in Plains, Georgia,
surrounded by his family.
"We are deeply saddened by President Carter's passing, and our
prayers are with the Carter family," said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity
International. "President and Mrs. Carter began volunteering with
Habitat for Humanity near their home in southwest Georgia more than 40 years ago, and soon
brought worldwide attention to the need for decent and affordable
housing. We are grateful for the incredible impact the Carters have
had on Habitat and on the families who have benefited from their
shining example. The Carters put Habitat for Humanity on the map,
and their legacy lives on in every family we serve around the
world."
After leaving the White House, the Carters sought out meaningful
ways to continue their commitment to social justice and basic human
rights. They first volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in
Americus, Georgia, near their home
of Plains, in March 1984. Later that same year, the Carters
joined Habitat volunteers in New York
City's Lower East Side to renovate an abandoned building in
partnership with families in need of affordable housing. That trip
marked Habitat for Humanity's first Jimmy Carter Work Project
(later renamed the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project). Each
year since then until 2019, the Carters volunteered with Habitat to
build or improve houses alongside homeowners in communities across
the United States and around the
world. President Carter also served as a member of the
organization's board of directors from 1984-1987.
"I think every human being has within himself or herself a
desire to reach out to others and to share some of our blessings
with those who are in need," President Carter has said. "What's
opened up that avenue for me and my wife and hundreds and thousands
of others is Habitat for Humanity. It makes it easy for us to reach
out and work side by side with the homeowner who's never had a
decent house, perhaps. I haven't been on a Habitat project that I
wasn't thrilled and inspired and wept."
Over the last three decades, the Carter Work Project has touched
lives around the world by inspiring more than 108,000 volunteers
across the U.S. and in 14 countries to build, renovate and repair
4,447 Habitat homes. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has served
more than 62 million people around the world.
In 2016, Habitat named President and Mrs. Carter as the
inaugural Habitat Humanitarians for their extraordinary dedication
to service in alignment with Habitat's vision of a world where
everyone has a decent place to live.
Habitat for Humanity will be celebrating President Carter's life
of service with local observances. To learn more or to share a
tribute, visit habitat.org.
For photos and videos of President and Mrs. Carter volunteering
with Habitat for Humanity, visit habitat.ngo/cwpphotos.
About Habitat for Humanity
Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live,
Habitat for Humanity found its earliest inspirations as a
grassroots movement on an interracial community farm in south
Georgia. Since its founding in
1976, the Christian housing organization has since grown to become
a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all
50 states in the U.S., Puerto
Rico, and more than 70 countries. Families and individuals
in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or
improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build
their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable
mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice
to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve
the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better
lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more,
visit habitat.org.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/habitat-for-humanity-mourns-the-death-of-former-us-president-jimmy-carter-302339975.html
SOURCE Habitat for Humanity International
