Habitat For Humanity International CEO Visits Former Jimmy Carter Work Project Site in Korea Where New Homes Continue To Be Built

Jonathan Reckford Also Attends Dinner In Recognition Of HFH Japan’s Campus Chapters In Last Leg Of Six-Country Asian Tour

SEOUL/TOKYO, 11th July 2008: Chief executive of Habitat for Humanity International Jonathan Reckford completed the last leg of his six-country Asian tour [1] with stops in South Korea and Japan.

	Blissful: HFHI CEO Jonathan Reckford (right) with home partner Tong-il Choi, his wife and their children in their Habitat home, Asan city, South Korea.
	Landmark: Reckford (fourth from left) and Habitat’s director of global faith engagement Raafat L. Zaki (fourth from right) with HFH Korea staff at a road in Asan named after former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
	Inspiring: Reckford addressing students from Tokyo’s Sophia University, members of HFH Japan’s campus chapters and volunteers on building hope through building homes.

In South Korea, Reckford visited Asan city, the main site of the Jimmy Carter Work Project 2001 where building work continues. The site in the western Chungnam province has been extended to accommodate 160 families, up from the original 88 in 2001.

The remaining two double-story structures and a community center are currently under construction and the last eight families should move in later this year. The Asan site, south of the Korean capital Seoul, also houses study rooms for after-hours schooling.

In Asan city’s Unification Village, Reckford visited two families who are very satisfied after moving into their Habitat homes because they have greater happiness and peace in their lives.

While in Korea, Reckford conveyed his appreciation of the leadership of Habitat for Humanity Korea. He challenged them to expand their role as a significant contributing member of the Habitat family, providing large funding resources and sending many Global Village volunteers to other Habitat countries in Asia.

Later in Tokyo, Japan, the Habitat CEO shared about his passion for Habitat and for life in a lecture at Sophia University, a well-established and top-level university in the capital city. An audience of over 110 people from Sophia University, Habitat campus chapters and clubs, corporate and individual volunteers attended Reckford’s lecture entitled “Building Homes, Building Hopes”. From the Habitat CEO himself, the audience learnt more about Habitat for Humanity and heard about Reckford’s own philosophy and beliefs in life.

After the lecture, Reckford was a key guest at a dinner in recognition of Habitat for Humanity Japan’s campus chapters, campus clubs and potential donors. During the dinner, HFH Japan presented awards to Ritsumeikan University’s Rits BLOH, a campus chapter in the Kansai area, for sending the most Global Village volunteers. Another campus chapter Shanti Shanti, from Aoyama Gakuin University in the Tokyo area, was also lauded for its group advocacy initiatives.

“It is very rare for Japanese students to interact with the CEO of a big organization like Habitat for Humanity. This opportunity to meet with Reckford demonstrates to the youth of Japan and sends a message to all youth, that each and every Habitat volunteer is seen as a strong and valued partner,” said Aya Ito, HFH Japan’s chief communications officer.