Sandvik Mining and Construction joined former President Jimmy Carter, his wife, Rosalynn, and thousands of volunteers from around the world and partner families to support Habitat for Humanity’s 25th annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project in the Gulf Coast.

During the five-day event, May 11 to 16, volunteers constructed and rehabilitated 60 houses and framed up to 48 more in Biloxi, Gulfport and Pascagoula, Miss.

In addition to building in Biloxi and Pascagoula, the Carters worked on houses and visited build sites in New Orleans and Covington, La., Bay St. Louis, Miss., and Mobile, Ala., to help raise awareness of the ongoing recovery efforts taking place along the Gulf Coast. Houses also were built and repaired by volunteers in several communities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama as part of the event. In total, more than 250 houses will be built or rehabilitated by the end of the year as part of Habitat for Humanity’s 2008 Carter Work Project.

To help build the homes, Sandvik sent 10 employee volunteers to Biloxi. The employees came from several Sandvik operations in the United States and Canada, including its Atlanta headquarters; Lively, Ontario; Kaysville, Utah; and Elko, Nev. The 10 volunteers representing Sandvik were chosen by random drawing from the substantial number of employees who offered to participate in the event.

“Sandvik is happy to have participated in this very worthy cause,” said John Remakis, the company’s marketing manager. “People all over have been moved by the determination of this region to rebuild homes and communities in the wake of the hurricanes. Sandvik’s involvement in the construction industry made it a natural fit for us to participate, and we were especially fortunate in being able to send a highly motivated group of employee volunteers from both the U.S. and Canada.”

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed or damaged more than a half-million houses along the Gulf Coast. Although recovery efforts continue, more than 12,000 FEMA trailers are still in use today throughout Southern Mississippi alone.

To date, Habitat for Humanity’s Gulf Coast Recovery program has completed or begun construction on more than 1,300 houses.

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