Carter Work Project, St. Paul, MN, 2024

Each year, usually in the fall, somewhere in the world, The Jimmy and Rosalyn Work Project with Habitat for Humanity happens. Volunteers from the local area and around the world converge for a week-long push to get started on as many homes as possible.

Here is a summary from the news…

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The 2024 Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, took place in St. Paul, Minnesota during the first week of October.

The Carter Work Project is a remarkable initiative by Habitat for Humanity, and this year’s event was particularly special—it marked the project’s 40th anniversary! Back in 1984, former President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter rolled up their sleeves and got to work alongside homeowners and volunteers for the very first Carter Work Project in New York City. Their hands-on involvement ignited an incredible legacy of advocating for affordable housing.

Now, fast-forward to 2024: Habitat Humanitarians and country music superstars Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood hosted the event in St. Paul from September 29 to October 1. They were joined by fellow Habitat Humanitarian Jonathan Scott of the Scott Brothers, who lent his time and hands to the project. 

President Carter himself celebrated his 100th birthday during this momentous week. His decades of work continue to inspire millions around the world. 

This year’s project was at The Heights, a new development in NE St Paul on the site of a historic golf course. It is being redeveloped to bring new housing, business opportunities, and jobs to this area of East St Paul.

What Went Down at The Heights:

• The Carter Work Project brought together about 1,000 volunteers each days (all donning hard hats, of course!) to start building 30 new homes during the week.
• The project supported Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity’s long-term efforts to construct 130-150 affordable housing units in a neighborhood called The Heights. The name was chosen by St. Paul East Side residents.
• What’s cool about The Heights? It’s designed to be a walkable community with nearby trails, parks, public art installations, and community-gathering spaces.
• Sustainability is the name of the game: The Heights aims to be an all-electric community, working toward LEED Platinum Certification (which is like the gold star for super-efficient and cost-saving green buildings). The Habitat homes feature solar panels or shingles, air source heat pumps, water conservation measures, and more.

Local Heroes:

• GAF employees also rolled up their sleeves to help build these affordable and sustainable homes at The Heights during the Carter Work Project. Kudos to them! 
• And let’s not forget Andersen Corporation employees, who volunteered to advance affordable housing in their local community as part of this fantastic project. 

So, in a nutshell, the Carter Work Project isn’t just about hammers and nails—it’s about building hope, community, and a brighter future for families.

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Our 3M crew had many of our volunteers involved. Several of us (like me) were Crew Leaders and worked every day. We worked with the House Leader to coordinate with the volunteers at our house each day. I worked a day before the CWP got underway and then all five days. Up before 5, get ready, drive about 45 minutes, catch a ride to the building site and be there by 6:30.

We saw the dawn every day.

Every morning started with at least 1000 volunteers and more than 200 support staff in a big tent for breakfast, a message from the Twin Cities Habitat Leadership, a short devotional from a faith leader from our local community, usually some inspirational message from a Habitat Home Buyer, the Safety Talk, and then as Jimmy Carter would say, “Let’s get building.”

Here are some of the 3M crew.

Our House Leader in the yellow shirt was from South Carolina. The Crew leads wore white hard hats, and the blue hard hats were all volunteers. Many in my crew were from New Jersey. We had a fellow from France working with us one day.

Each house project usually starts with some confusion as we get organized and proceeds in cooperation as we get walls assembled, and everyone lends a hand to lift.

One side and then the other, then the ends and the stairway going up to the second floor.

With 30 homes getting built simultaneously it was a very busy work site.

We were at the far end of the site, a long walk for lunch and even longer at the end of the day when we were worn out.

The second-floor trusses went up at the end of the second day. Floor decking went on, second-floor walls went up on Wednesday and Thursday, Roof trusses went up Thursday afternoon and evening, and Friday was finishing up all of the exterior wall sheathing.

We were closing in on the end of Friday and the end of a busy and rewarding week. Obviously, we did not finish building 30 homes but got a good start on them. Work will continue on them over the winter and with many more Twin Cities Habitat crews getting busy over the summer.

Rhonda is a Senior Project Manager at TCHFH that I have worked with for more than 20 years. She was driving a high lift fork truck almost all the time moving lumber, building materials, walls, and trusses.

And another good friend, Jake. He stated at TCHFH as an Americorp volunteer, became a Site supervisor, and is now the Vice President of Field Operations. He had overall construction and logistics responsibility for the CWP 2024.

The efforts of Jake and Rhonda and all of the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity staff were huge and made the week move along so well. Thanks to all of them.

We also had Medical support from all over the country and a big Emergency Medical Team from the University of Minnesota including a mobile Emergency Room. I think they had a fairly uneventful week.

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This was the second time I had worked on a Carter Work Project. The first was in 2010 also in St Paul. I was working with St Andrews, a church group building a single-family home. President Carter stopped by our house twice that week. I met him both times.

Jimmy Carter recently died. He was honored for all that he was and what he had done. He had worldwide acclaim for his efforts to promote democracy and healthcare initiatives. Most of us Habitat folks remember him for his efforts to build affordable homes all around the world, more than 4000 by some accounts.

This is how I will remember him. He was kind and gracious with his time, genuinely interested in what we were doing, willing to lend a hand, and always with a smile and warm handshake.

He led a purposeful and meaningful life and lived one day and each day at a time. And always for the betterment of us all, all of us, everyone.

With a hammer in his tool belt, love in his heart, and always ready to do the work that needs to be done, he goes home to God.

Jimmy Carter, Bless his heart and soul.

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We ended our week, especially those who worked every day, tired, very tired, sporting a few scrapes and a bruise here or there, nothing major, knowing we had participated in another special event. More than just honoring Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter, we worked to build homes, better lives, family legacies, and generational wealth. I have worked on Habitat homes for 31 years. Some early years may have only been a few days to as many as 75 days or more. We are gone half the year now so it is fewer days but every day helps a family towards a better future, better health, better schools, and better jobs.

We have often had the chance to meet the families moving into the homes we have worked on and to work with them. It is very rewarding to see the opportunities owning a home brings to each of them.

Working with the 3M Retirees Regular Crew has made it special too. It is always more than just the work, it is the friendships we make with the people who are all working together towards the same goal. People leave the crew and new people join. Our average age is more than 70. In 2024 our crew volunteered 1883 days of work. It is more than Senior Day Care as it is often called, it is Seniors caring for our community and for each other.

More Later, Much Love,

Roger, Susan, and Maggie