Jimmy Carter didn't start Habitat For Humanity but no one has done more through or for the organization. The group's timeline reveal that they built their first house in 1969. The Carter's joined the group shortly after leaving the White House in 1984. Habitat celebrated building their 500th house around this time. 6 years later they celebrated their 10,000 house! In 2000 it was their 100,000 house! Today more than 15 million people have lived in homes built by Habitat For Humanity! Not only has Jimmy done so much to raise Habitat For Humanity's profile and funds, he actually goes out and works on the homes. Since 1986 he takes a week a year to do a Habitat blitz in a community. In 1987 Jimmy was in Charlotte and had a hand in each of the 14 homes that were built on 19th street.
But Jimmy isn't resting on his laurels, he is still fully devoted to building these homes. He fell at his home in Plains, Georgia on Sunday morning while leaving the house to go to church, but that didn’t stop the 95-year-old from getting to Nashville for Habitat for Humanity in Tennessee the next day. He had to get 14 stitches above his eyebrow and had a black eye, but he still came to help the nonprofit organization he’s devoted to.
“I had a No. 1 priority and that was to come to Nashville and build houses," the oldest living U.S. president explained. And despite being bandaged up and bruised, he kept his word and participated in his 36th Habitat for Humanity building project.
Jimmy and his 92 year old wife Rosalynn , will be working on the porches of each of the 21 homes that will be built in Nashville this week.
The Carter's were introduced to the Habitat volunteers in Nashville by Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood.