ANNIVERSARY
Two thousand marchers gathered July 31 to celebrate “Habitat for Humanity Day” in Washington, D.C. The event was the midway point of “House Raising Walk 88,” a fund-raising effort sponsored by Habitat for Humanity, an ecumenical housing ministry.
The walk, which began in Portland, Maine, will end in Atlanta later this month where the ministry will celebrate its 12 years of providing housing for the homeless. In the past dozen years, Habitat supporters have built nearly 3,000 houses for the needy, and they hope to build an estimated 2,000 more by the end of this year. Currently, the ministry is building homes in 280 cities in North America and at 59 sites in 25 countries overseas.
Executive director Millard Fuller hopes the walk will attract attention to the problem of homelessness. “And in that process we hope to take a giant step forward in making shelter a matter of conscience, which will help us eliminate poverty housing and homelessness,” Fuller said. He expects 5,000 people from 30 countries at the Atlanta celebration.
Also attending that event will be former President Jimmy Carter. Handy with a hammer and saw, Carter has led four work projects for Habitat for Humanity, including two this summer in Philadelphia and Atlanta. About his experiences with Habitat, Carter says, “I’ve learned more about the needy than I ever did as a governor or as a candidate or as a president.”
By Ron Smith.
