Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh and New York Mortgage Bankers Association (NYMBA) staff and volunteers joined together for a celebration of the life and contributions of President Jimmy Carter for Statewide Build Day. The first-time collaboration was held on Friday, September 29.

Undeterred by rain showers, volunteers painted wooden beams and rails, stained staircases, painted trim for sponsor signs and worked on various sections of worksites in the City of Newburgh. Volunteers began work at eight in the morning on Friday working at 157 North Miller Street and 125 Washington Street.

“It brings joy to me to be part of this and to see, and to work with all these people and see how hard they work,” said Phillip Kimball, Engagement Coordinator for Habitat Newburgh. “You’re building homes, but you’re building homes for families.”

A longtime supporter of the organization and its mission, President Carter celebrated his 99th birthday on Sunday, October 1. Several accolades of Carter, read by Habitat Newburgh Executive Director Jill Marie, included building homes in 14 different countries, volunteering with over 104,000 different volunteers and he has repaired/renovated 5,000 homes since becoming affiliated with Habitat for Humanity.

“We don’t see every former president out building houses and lifting hammers,” said Paul Brothe, President of Habitat Newburgh’s Board of Directors. “There’s something very physical about what he was doing in terms of supporting the community, not just lending his name, but actually going out and doing the work.”

Since 2010, Habitat affiliates have built 800 new homes, rehabilitated 361 homes, and repaired 633 homes across New York State. In the city specifically, Habitat Newburgh seeks to address the housing insecurities and needs of the community as part of the on-going resolution to the state housing crisis.

Habitat Newburgh currently has a record of 23 families enrolled in its homeownership program. Habitat Newburgh has also completed 104 homes since its establishment in the summer of 1999, 24 years ago. Volunteers worked for several hours before regrouping for a coffee and refreshment break and making their way back to their sites.

“It’s an exciting day, because we have a really good group of volunteers,” Brothe continued. “When we think about building houses, you know, we rely on volunteer labor, we rely on volunteer planning, and it’s a volunteer board. There’s so many activities that are needed to make a house and put a family in that house.”