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The Salvation Army Partners with Habitat for Humanity's 'Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project' to Help Build Affordable Housing Across the Gulf Coast
The Salvation Army Partners with Habitat for Humanity's 'Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project' to Help Build Affordable Housing Across the Gulf Coast
JACKSON, Miss., andATLANTA, May 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The
Salvation Army is proud to join Habitat for Humanity for the 25th annual Jimmy
and Rosalynn Carter Work Project, which will run from May 11 - 16, 2008, in
Alabama,Louisiana,Mississippi, andTexas. As part of the project, The
Salvation Army has allocated $7.4 million in disaster assistance funds to
support construction and rehabilitation of up to 370 homes in the four states.
The Army also will provide food services for Habitat volunteers and staff at
construction and build sites throughout the week-long build event with the
Carters. More than half of The Salvation Army's $155 million long-term plan
has been budgeted to address housing, the No. 1 concern for clients recovering
from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
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"Getting people back into a stable home will be a foundation from which
they can re-establish their lives," said Major John R. Jones, Division
Commander for The Salvation Army's ALM Division. "We have allocated the
largest portion of our long-term recovery funds to housing because it is such
an important component for rekindling hope."
The Salvation Army's $7.4 million will be awarded in the form of $20,000
per home grants to up to 370 Habitat applicants for down-payment assistance.
It will support the construction and rehabilitation of 60 houses and the
framing of approximately 48 more in the Carter Project host cities ofBiloxi,
Gulfport andPascagoula, Miss. Other build sites will be spread out towns and
cities fromMobile, Ala., toNew Orleans, La.
"The Salvation Army has been working hard since the 2005 hurricanes to
help families cope and recover from the devastation. They have been a vital
partner with Habitat for Humanity in the region, and the tremendous support of
the Carter Work Project is another extension of their commitment to helping
Gulf Coast families rebound for the long term. We're deeply grateful for that
support," said Jonathan Reckford, CEO, Habitat for Humanity International.
The Army also will provide meal services at each Carter Project build
site, as well as at the opening ceremonies for 2,500 people at The Salvation
Army's Yankie Stadium inBiloxi on Sunday, May 11. In total, the Army plans to
serve more than 44,000 meals for breakfast and lunch at more than 100
worksites during the weeklong build.
In 2006, a research poll conducted by Leadership 18, a coalition of 18 of
the largest charities inthe United States, more than 60 percent of people
affected by the hurricanes listed housing as their primary concern.
Habitat's Carter Project is an annual, internationally-recognized week in
which the former U.S. President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, along with his
wife, Rosalynn, join thousands of volunteers to build and renovate simple,
decent and affordable housing in partnership with low-income families.
President Carter's longstanding relationship with Habitat for Humanity began
in 1984 when he donated one day of his carpentry skills and manual labor at a
work site inAmericus, Ga., home to Habitat's international headquarters.
Later that same year, the Carters led their first weeklong work project,
renovating a six-story, 19-unit building inNew York City.
The Salvation Army's participation in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work
Project is the continuation of a partnership begun in January 2006 to provide
down payment assistance and case management services to victims of hurricane's
Katrina and Rita. To date, The Salvation Army has provided more than $2.6
million in down payment assistance to 200 qualified Habitat homeowners as part
of its long-term Community Recovery Plan. The Carter Project will bring the
total partnership dollars to approximately $10 million.
In addition to the Habitat partnership, The Salvation Army has joined with
other organizations in over 2,100 home repair and reconstruction projects in
Hurricane Katrina affected communities. The Salvation Army has budgeted $82
million to deal directly with housing issues for people who were displaced by
the storms. More than 800,000 have received long-term recovery assistance--for
housing, employment and basic needs--through The Salvation Army's long-term
plan.
About The Salvation Army:
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church,
has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination since
1865. Nearly 29 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army
each year through provides food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims,
assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing,
shelter and opportunities for underprivileged children. About 83 cents of
every dollar raised is used to support those services in nearly 9,000
communities nationwide. For more information go to
http://www.salvationarmyusa.org, call 1-800-SAL-ARMY, or send a check to your
local Salvation Army earmarked for disaster relief.
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
250,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for
more than 1 million people. For more information, visit www.habitat.org.
SOURCE Habitat for Humanity International
Copyright © 2008, PRNewswire
Copyright © 2008, NewsBlaze,
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