It started like a church service, but it was, in fact, a victory celebration.Thousands of people filed into Jacksonville State University’s Paul Snow Stadium to celebrate their victory Friday night, as the music of the JSU Gospel Choir welcomed them. That victory was the success of turning 36 families into homeowners in just a week.
The stadium was host to the closing ceremonies of Habitat for Humanity’s Jimmy Carter Work Project, and the people were the thousands of volunteers who’d poured in from across the country and around the world to do the work of building 36 homes.
The sun had burned many of the smiling faces in the stands, and the hard work of building homes had blistered more than a few hands. If those faces and hands were tired, it couldn’t be seen.
When former President Jimmy Carter spoke to the crowd, he said it is the things that can’t be seen that are important in life.
“You can’t see humility, you can’t see service, you can’t see forgiveness, you can’t see compassion, you can’t see love,” Carter said.
The effects of those qualities could be seen throughout the crowd, however.
Four-year-old Catelynn Howell pumped her arms, clapping for the names of all 36 new homeowners as they were read aloud from the huge canopied stage on the football field below. Her mother, Misty, held her in the air as her family‘s name was read to the crowd, and Catelynn’s face beamed beneath a mass of tight, auburn curls.
Misty Howell was looking forward to moving with Catelynn and her five-year-old son, C.J., into their new house in Wellborn Manor this July. She was amazed at the week that was ending.
“I just can’t get over what happened,” Howell said. “So many volunteers from all over the world came to help build my house.”
Members of the Christian rock band Third Day wanted the volunteers to realize what they’d done for the new homeowners.
“Turn to the person next to and tell them ‘You are awesome for being here,’ ” singer Mac Powell told the crowd.
Third Day performed a three-song set for the volunteers and homeowners, before giving a benefit concert for Habitat later that night in the stadium.
The band had the crowd holding hands with arms in the air, swaying and singing along to guitar-driven ballads of faith.
As the party wound to a close, Carter, Habitat founder Millard Fuller and Calhoun County Habitat director Dana van Ekris brought a touch of solemnity to the occasion. They presented a hammer to representatives of the cities of Vera Cruz and Puebla, Mexico, where the annual Work Project will take place in October 2004.
“When you get home, take a look at the map and look at where you’re going to be going next October,” Carter told the crowd.
The crowd of volunteers cheered, including Prakash Patel, of Trenton, Mich. He was amazed by his fellow volunteers’ spirit of helping others.
“I wish a lot more people would do this. If everybody did things like this, this society would be a lot better place to live,” Patel said.
He said he plans to heed Carter’s call for the trip to Mexico next year.
“After this, nothing can stop me,” Patel said. “It’s wonderful.”
