Habitat For Humanity

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The organization, Habitat for Humanity, is a global volunteer organization that focuses on providing adequate housing in poverty stricken regions in the world. It was founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller, and boasts members such as Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn. HFH has rehabilitated more than 300,000 homes, to provide a shelter for more than 1.5 million people around the world, in the past 33 years. Volunteers are able to provide their knowledge and experience to help build houses and communities in countries such as Egypt, Indonesia, and the United States. Some of the volunteer activities include administrative duties, managing the finances of trips, construction management, research, and volunteer coordination. All of the volunteers must pay a membership due, which is used to fund the construction activities. Many of the assignments run a week to two weeks long and afford the volunteer with a life changing experience. The idea for Habitat for Humanity was spawned out of the original group of Christian farmers in Americus, Georgia. Back in 1942, Clarence Jordan, owner of Koinonia Farm, began “partnership housing” where volunteers and the poor worked together to build simple homes. All of the funding came from donations and fund raising activities. To maintain their dignity, Jordan posed the donations as gifts from those that believe they have more than they need. In this way, the donors had a sense of giving back to the community and the less fortunate did not feel as if they were charity cases. Seeing the success of the original endeavor, the Fullers decided to expand their idea to foreign countries. The HFH organization gained presidential recognition and popularity grew. Most recent developments also consider energy efficiency, healthy indoor air quality, and accessibility. These are important considerations when we see that many of these houses

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