Former President Jimmy Carter helps build houses after suffering fall

A day after falling and receiving stitches, 95-year-old Carter and his wife participated in a Habitat for Humanity project in Tennessee

Published: Oct 8, 2019, 9:20 a.m. MDT

Former President Jimmy Carter walks across a porch at a Habitat for Humanity project Monday, Oct. 7, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. Carter fell at home on Sunday, requiring 14 stitches, but he did not let his injuries keep him from participating in his 36th building project with the nonprofit Christian housing organization. He turned 95 last Tuesday, becoming the first U.S. president to reach that milestone. Mark Humphrey, Associated Press

Valerie is an assistant editor for the Deseret News.

After a fall at home and stitches above one eye, former President Jimmy Carter showed up on Monday to help build homes for Habitat for Humanity in Tennessee, according to Fox News.

Carter fell at his Georgia home on Sunday, requiring 14 stitches above his brow, Fox reported.

Nevertheless, the 95-year-old former president attended the opening ceremony for a Habitat for Humanity project Sunday night, according to HuffPost.

“I had a number one priority and that was to come to Nashville and build houses,” Carter said at the Sunday night event, HuffPost reported.

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Both pictures and videos showed the former president hard at work at the Habitat for Humanity site on Monday, with a white bandage on his head, according to Fox.

With a bandage above his left eye and a large, red welt below it, former President Jimmy Carter builds corbels at a Habitat for Humanity project Monday, Oct. 7, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. Carter fell at home on Sunday, requiring 14 stitches, but he did not let his injuries keep him from participating in his 36th building project with the nonprofit Christian housing organization. He turned 95 last Tuesday, becoming the first U.S. president to reach that milestone. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) | AP

Every time I start to feel down about the world Jimmy Carter marches out of his house with a hammer https://t.co/bORThvz36y
— Alisha Rai (@AlishaRai) October 7, 2019

Carter, who served as United States president from 1977 to 1981, celebrated his 95th birthday earlier this month, making him the longest-living president, according to Fox.

Carter and his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, have volunteered for 36 projects with Habitat for Humanity, Rowena Sara, a Habitat for Humanity International spokeswoman, told The Hill. In the course of those projects, the Carters have helped to build and repair 4,331 homes in 14 countries.

“Since 1984, President and Mrs. Carter have been champions and strong voices for affordable housing for all, donating their time and leadership to build and improve homes through the Carter Work Project,” Sara told The Hill.

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