Kristen Cummings

When a magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Jan. 12, 2010, the impact was catastrophic. Nearly 190,000 houses were damaged; of those, 105,000 were completely destroyed. Of the more than 2 million affected survivors, more than 500,000 are still displaced today.

Habitat for Humanity has set a goal of serving 50,000 families by 2015. With the support of donors, partner organizations and volunteers, Habitat has reached more than 40,000 families through its earthquake recovery program. This includes emergency shelter kits, transitional and upgradable shelters, repairs and rehabs, permanent core houses and land reform advocacy. Our urban reconstruction program and training initiatives have benefitted many more.

Habitat for Humanity has more than 28 years of experience serving families in Haiti. Not including its disaster response program, Habitat Haiti has provided more than 2,000 families with housing solutions. This has been accomplished through a variety of initiatives, including projects for new home construction, progressive building, home improvements and land reform advocacy. Habitat Haiti also builds capacity in construction skills, disaster mitigation and financial literacy, and works in coordination with local communities and government agencies.

About the volunteers

For this year’s weeklong Carter Work Project, President and Mrs. Carter will join approximately 600 volunteers to build 100 earthquake-resistant homes in Léogâne.   Among the volunteers are longtime, skilled laborers, some of whom have taken part in more than a dozen Carter Projects, including last year’s project in Haiti, and many newcomers who will learn building skills as they help Habitat reach its long-range goal of serving 50,000 Haitian families by 2015.

About Habitat for Humanity Haiti

Habitat for Humanity has more than 28 years of experience serving families in Haiti. Not including its disaster response program, Habitat Haiti has provided more than 2,000 families with housing solutions through a variety of initiatives including projects for new home construction, progressive building, home improvements, and land reform advocacy. It also builds capacity in construction skills, disaster mitigation and financial literacy, and works in coordination with local communities and government agencies. Visit Habitat.org/Haiti for more information and like us on our Facebook page.

About Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity International is a global nonprofit Christian housing organization that seeks to put God's love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Since 1976, Habitat has served more than 500,000 families by welcoming people of all races, religions and nationalities to construct, rehabilitate or preserve homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions.  For more information, or to donate or volunteer, visit www.habitat.org.

About the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project:

Since 1984, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, have dedicated one week a year to building alongside Habitat for Humanity volunteers and partner homeowners around the world. 

In 2011, volunteers at Habitat for Humanity’s 28th annual Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project — along with volunteers from the Irish nonprofit Haven — helped build 155 permanent houses in the Santo community of Léogâne, Haiti, about 18 miles from Port-au-Prince and considered to be the epicenter of the 2010 earthquake.

This year, the Carter Work Project returns to Haiti Nov. 23 – Dec. 1 to strengthen and support Habitat’s ongoing work to help families left homeless by the earthquake.  The project is part of a larger Habitat shelter program funded by the Multilateral Investment Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank and many other donors.  

The Carter Work Project will be the culmination of a two-month observance of the need for safe, decent and affordable shelter, and the pivotal role of housing in community development, beginning with special events on World Habitat Day, Monday, Oct. 1.