Former President Jimmy Carter tackles a Habitat for Humanity project in Fort Worth on Oct. 6.
Photo by Betty Dillard
Braving a downpour of rain, about 500 volunteers gathered in East Fort Worth this morning for the 31st annual Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project to help build 20 new homes in the Central Meadowbrook neighborhood and paint 44 houses as part of the city’s “Cowtown Brush Up.” Joining the team of volunteers were former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, who led a devotional and prayer before starting construction began. In Dallas, the Carters will work alongside volunteers to help build 30 new homes and repair 20 houses in the East Oak Cliff neighborhood during the week long project.
The 2014 work project is hosted jointly by Trinity Habitat for Humanity in Fort Worth and the Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity. More than 5,000 volunteers from across the country are expected to pitch in during the event. “You are so exactly what makes me so proud to be mayor of Fort Worth,” Betsy Price told the crowd. Price praised Habitat and its volunteers for “building strong neighbors and strong families.” The former president, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday, is not new to swinging a hammer. In the past 30 years, the Carters have made their Carter Work Project an internationally recognized event for Habitat for Humanity International. To date, more than 88,000 volunteers have built, renovated and repaired 3,833 homes in 14 countries. “He says he can still drive a nail as good as anyone out there,” Price added. The former president proved her right as he began work on a new home for Henry and Jackie Willis. “We’ve seen firsthand the transformative effect that Habitat for Humanity can have on a community, and with the help of these many volunteers and the support of local leaders, we’ll see it again in Dallas and Fort Worth,” Carter said.
Betty Dillard bdillard@bizpress.net