MINNEAPOLIS, November 16, 2009 – Sixteen board members and staff from Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCHFH) are in Thailand this week to volunteer alongside former U.S. President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn. TCHFH volunteers have joined thousands of other volunteers to build and rehabilitate 175 homes during the 26th annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project in Southeast Asia.
In addition to sending volunteers, Twin Cities Habitat will support Habitat’s Carter Project with a $175,000 sponsorship made possible through the organization’s annual tithe. Each year, TCHFH tithes 10 percent of its unrestricted gifts to support Habitat for Humanity International’s global mission, and this often results in building as many homes abroad as are built or rehabbed in the Twin Cities.
During this year’s Carter Project, volunteers will build houses along the Mekong River region, which includes Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, China and Laos. The event will launch Habitat’s five-year Mekong Build campaign to serve 50,000 families throughout the region.
Photos and updates from the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity volunteers will be posted throughout this week on www.facebook.com/tchabitat.
The Carters are Habitat’s most famous volunteers. Each year since 1984, the Carters have given one week of their time to build homes and raise awareness about the need for simple, decent and affordable housing. The 2009 Carter Work Project will mark the fourth time the former U.S. president and his wife have built with Habitat for Humanity in Asia. Previous Carter Work Projects were held in India in 2006, in South Korea in 2001 and in the Philippines in 1999.
26 Years of Building with the Carters
Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, have been helping Habitat for Humanity shine the spotlight on the need for affordable housing since 1984. That year, the Carters led a small team of Habitat volunteers to New York City to help renovate a six-story apartment building with 19 families in need of decent, affordable shelter. A quarter of a century later, that modest effort has grown into an internationally recognized annual event that has taken place in communities around the world.
About Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
The mission of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity is to eliminate poverty housing from the Twin Cities and to make decent, affordable shelter for all people a matter of conscience. An award-winning nonprofit housing developer, Twin Cities Habitat is committed to building the quality of life, health and economic prosperity of the region by producing, preserving and advocating for affordable homeownership – because homes and families are the foundation of successful communities. For more information, visit http://www.tchabitat.org.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built more than 300,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1.5 million people. For more information, visit http://www.habitat.org.
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