Legacy of 39th President Jimmy Carter lives on through Habitat for Humanity with new Phoenix homes
PHOENIX - The late Jimmy Carter is best known for being the 39th President and for his work with Habitat for Humanity.
The non-profit is nearly 50-years-old with projects all around the world, including Arizona.
Jimmy Carter didn’t fund Habitat for Humanity, but he sure did put it on the map.
Carter’s personal home-building projects date back 40 years and include around 4,400 homes in 14 countries, built by 100,000-plus volunteers.
The spotlight he brought is still helping build homes today.
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In south Phoenix, new homes are going up in the Alta Vista Ranch neighborhood.
Experienced builders are getting things ready for the weekend rush of volunteers.
Glen Forthun is getting his hands dirty, just like he did working right alongside Jimmy Carter back in the day.
"The first build I did, I was fortunate enough to go to Hungary and work on the Jimmy Carter work project," said Glen Forthun, one of the volunteer house leaders.
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"He got on the saw and showed us how you wanted everything cut to make sure that the work was done," said Forthun. "It looked good and it was a good job. He was very interested, made sure it was a good quality home."
The President himself worked well into his 90s.
Habitat for Humanity has built more than 1,200 homes in Maricopa County over the past 40 years.
New homes should be finished this summer and will include a special Jimmy Carter celebration home as the final one they finish.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 10 Reporter Brian Webb.