Habitat for Humanity breaks ground for Jimmy Carter build Event: April 28, 2005, 10:00 am Windsor local time WINDSOR, ON, April 27 /CNW/ - International and national sponsors,
community volunteers, partner families, civic leaders and representatives from
Habitat for Humanity International, Habitat for Humanity Canada and the local
Habitat for Humanity Windsor-Essex affiliate, gathered to officially break
ground signaling the start of the historic 2005 Windsor house build.
This build is part of the official 2005 Jimmy Carter Work Project (JCWP)
and will include a visit from former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on June 23rd.
The JCWP is held at a different location each year, and attracts volunteers
from around the world. This year's JCWP will be the first Canadian bi-national
effort, involving home construction in Windsor, Ontario, Detroit and Benton
Harbor, Michigan, and almost fifty other locations in Michigan, with a total
of 225 new homes.
"Habitat for Humanity shares a vision with our sponsors and volunteers
that building homes builds hope," stated Habitat for Humanity Canada President
and CEO David Hughes. "For more than twenty years, President Carter has
continually demonstrated committed leadership in making this vision a
reality."
The Windsor component of the JCWP build involves the construction of six
simple, decent, affordable semi-detached homes and will be orchestrated by
Habitat for Humanity Windsor-Essex. The Windsor build will take place from
June 11-June 24. The build site, located at the corner of Bruce Avenue and
Tecumseh Road West, has received favorable comments from families and
sponsors.
"The Government of Canada, through Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation, is proud to support the 2005 Habitat for Humanity Windsor-Essex
Build," said the Honourable Joe Fontana, Minister of Labour and Housing.
"Affordable housing is an important part of our commitment to build healthy,
sustainable communities, and we are dedicated to working in partnership with
organizations like Habitat for Humanity to address housing needs in Windsor
and across the country."
The selection of new families is always a difficult task, but six
families were finally selected this spring from numerous applicants.
"We are very excited to have been chosen as a partner family," declares
Mohamed Farow, one of the parents. "We will now own our own home, no longer
having to move from one place to another. We feel like true Windsorites and we
are very grateful to Habitat for Humanity for giving us this opportunity."
Candidates for homes are selected on the basis of: a need for affordable
housing; the ability to repay a Habitat no-interest mortgage and carry the
normal expenses associated with home ownership; and a willingness to partner
with Habitat. Homeowners must demonstrate a willingness to partner with
Habitat for Humanity by contributing 500 hours of volunteer labour ("sweat
equity") towards the building of their home and/or those of others.
According to Habitat for Humanity Windsor-Essex Executive Director Gerald
Sykes, being selected as a city to participate in the JCWP is quite an honour.
"Our participation in the 2005 JCWP allows us to partner with international
and national sponsors," reports Sykes.
President Carter states, "Combined with our work at The Carter Center,
where we focus on peace-building and health-building, Rosalynn and I have
found great joy in serving those who have too few advocates, too few friends,
in this world. As long as we are able, we will keep on building, hammering out
love and hope and houses, doing what we can to help Habitat for Humanity build
a better and more caring world."
President Carter's longstanding relationship with Habitat for Humanity
began in 1984 when he spent a day donating his carpentry skills and manual
labour at a work site in Americus, GA, home of Habitat for Humanity's
international headquarters. The Jimmy Carter Work Project is now Habitat's
largest annual event. The Carters have personally been involved with the
construction of more than 10,000 Habitat for Humanity houses worldwide.
Habitat for Humanity Canada (HFHC) is a non-profit faith-based charitable
organization, founded in 1985, operating as a membership association which now
consists of 65 member organizations operating in all 10 Canadian Provinces and
in the Yukon, engaging over 30,000 volunteers from coast-to-coast.
HFHC is an active and contributing member of Habitat for Humanity
International (HFHI), which delivers its programs through an extensive
worldwide network of community-based affiliate organizations that span more
than 3,000 locations in 100 countries. Through these affiliates Habitat for
Humanity has built and rehabilitated more than 180,000 houses around the
world, has provided safe and affordable housing for close to 1 million people
since its inception, and is building a new home somewhere in the world every
24 minutes.
Event wide sponsors for the 2005 JCWP are: Whirlpool Corporation, Lowe's,
Dow Chemical Company, Great Lakes Capital Fund and MASCO Corporation. House
sponsors for the Windsor-Essex blitz build are: The Home Depot Canada;
Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC); Genworth Financial/MCAP; Weyerhaeuser
Company; Whirlpool Corporation; and the Fund for Humanity - HFH Windsor-Essex.
For further information: Gerry Sykes, Executive Director, Habitat for
Humanity Windsor-Essex, (519) 969-3762 Ext. 25 |
