CARTER / HABITAT FOR HUMANITY 2018
((Banner: Helping Hands))
((Reporter/Camera: Kane Farabaugh))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Mishawaka, Indiana))
((NATS))
((GARTH BROOKS, SINGER/SONGWRITER, VOLUNTEER, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY))
That sound you’re hearing right there man, that’s love. These homeowners, you get next to them, whew! That’s good right there.
((NATS))
((ERICKA SANTIESTEPAN, NEW HOMEOWNER))
I couldn’t believe it, that they had chose my house. I usually don’t ever win anything and today I’m winning it all. So, I’m building a house. I’ve got these amazing people to help me, Garth Brooks and Trisha are on my house and I want them to sign the inside of my walls.
((TRISHA YEARWOOD, SINGER/SONGWRITER, VOLUNTEER, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY))
Homeowners put in 250 hours of sweat equity. It’s a hand up, not a hand out.
((ERICKA SANTIESTEPAN, NEW HOMEOWNER))
There’s a lot of hours that you have to put in, but you gain so much from it. You learn so much, how to maintain your house. But you do have to, I have to buy the house, but I’m getting so much more with it with these hours. So it’s more of a treat.
((PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER, VOLUNTEER, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY))
The reason that Rosalynn and I decided to do this was when we left the White House, we were really looking for some way to utilize the fact that we had been President of the United States, the great nation, the greatest nation in the world, and we want to do something useful, and also we’re both Christians and we want to do something that was compatible with the teachings of Jesus Christ.
It’s very difficult to break down the barrier that exists between well off people and very poor people. And we found that Habitat for Humanity is the easiest and most natural way to break down that barrier because we have now two-thousand people in this project. All of them are fairly affluent. They’re able to pay their way here and even pay half of a small fee to work here with us. And, of course, the homes are being built for homeowners that have never had a decent home in their lives perhaps, and are now moving in, going to move into the first home of all.
((JONATHAN RECKFORD, CEO, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY))
And the myth is the President and Mrs. Carter started Habitat. That is actually widely known but not correct. But what is true is when the Carters got involved, worldwide lifetime-to-date Habitat had helped 758 families. Since they got involved, we’ve been able to partner with 13.2 million people to have new, rehabbed or repaired homes, and right now, we’re at a pace that we’re partnering with a family somewhere in the world every 50 seconds, and there’s really no one that has had more to do with that, in terms of building the reputation of Habitat than President and Mrs. Carter.
((NATS))
((SUZANNE TAYLOR, VOLUNTEER, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY))
And he said once that he’s going to do as much as he can with as much as he can for as long as he can because his faith demands it, and I think it’s a lesson to all of us to maybe get off the couch a couple more times and go do something to make the world a better place.
((ROSALYNN CARTER, FORMER FIRST LADY))
Personally it gives me a great deal of satisfaction to help somebody else have a better life. So many people want to do something good and don’t know how, how to start and Habitat is the perfect place for that.
((PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER, VOLUNTEER, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY))
Every human being probably would like some excitement in their life, some challenge in their life, some particular thing for which they are grateful in the future, some obstacle to overcome, something of which they could be proud. And Habitat answers all those questions for me.
((ERICKA SANTIESTEPAN, NEW HOMEOWNER))
He just sounds like an awesome man and he’s done so much for so many people and now I’m one of them.
((TRISHA YEARWOOD, SINGER/SONGWRITER, VOLUNTEER, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY))
I think they motivate us on a daily basis in our lives. You know, they’re the kind of the poster children for how you should be, how you should live your life, how your marriage should be, the way you should give back, humanitarianism, they just get it and I think they’re such shining examples of everything good.
((ERICKA SANTIESTEPAN, NEW HOMEOWNER))
Every time I think about it I just want to cry just because without them I couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t have this. I wouldn’t know where I would be next year. So, I’m so grateful right from the bottom of my heart.
((PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER, VOLUNTEER, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY))
Just to see the expression on their face, they start crying first, and then I’ll start crying right behind them. So, it’s a matter of deep emotion for me on occasion and I’m already kind of emotional about this project as you can probably tell.
((NATS))
