Jimmy Carter Work Project 2007

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles is proud to be the host of the Jimmy Carter Work Project 2007. Click here for the official press release.

About President Jimmy Carter and the JCWP

As president of the United States, Jimmy Carter was deeply committed to social justice and basic human rights. He and his wife Rosalynn left the White House in search of meaningful ways to contribute in these areas. In addition to promoting peace and human rights through the nonprofit Carter Center in Atlanta, they lead the Jimmy Carter Work Project (JCWP) for Habitat for Humanity International one week each year. Please click here to visit the Habitat for Humanity International website for details on other JCWP projects.

Jimmy Carter's involvement with Habitat for Humanity International began in 1984 when the former president led a work group to New York City to help renovate a six-story building with 19 families in need of decent, affordable shelter. That experience planted the seed, and the Jimmy Carter Work Project has been an internationally recognized event of HFHI ever since.

Each year, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter give a week of their time—along with their construction skills—to build homes and raise awareness of the critical need for affordable housing. The JCWP is held at a different location each year, and attracts volunteers from around the world. The Carters and more than 4,000 volunteers built 92 houses in Anniston, Ala., and LaGrange and Valdosta, Ga., during JCWP 2003. The 2002 JCWP took place in Africa. One thousand houses were built in 18 countries, with the final 100 houses constructed in a five-day build in Durban, South Africa. In 2001, JCWP built 136 houses at six sites across South Korea with more than 9,000 volunteers participating from around the world. Other recent JCWP builds have taken place in New York-Florida-Georgia (2000, 157 houses), the Philippines (1999, 293 houses) and Houston, Texas (1998, 100 houses). JCWP 2004 took place on two sites in Mexico—Puebla and Veracruz—Oct. 24-29, 2004, and JCWP 2005 was held in Detroit and Benton Harbor, Mich. The 2006 Jimmy Carter Work Project will take place Oct. 29 through Nov. 3 in Lonavala, India. More than 2,000 volunteers from India and abroad will join President and Mrs. Carter in the construction of 100 homes.

"We have become small players in an exciting global effort to alleviate the curse of homelessness," Carter said. "With our many new friends, we have worked to raise funds, to publicize the good work of Habitat, to recruit other volunteers, to visit overseas projects and even build a few houses."

Since leaving office, Carter has gained a reputation as a tireless champion for social justice. "Habitat has successfully removed the stigma of charity by substituting it with a sense of partnership," Carter said. "The people who will live in the homes work side by side with the volunteers, so they feel very much that they are on an equal level."

For more information on Jimmy Carter and Habitat, click here.

For more information on the Jimmy Carter Work Project, click here.