Firm Attorneys Build Homes in Thailand as Habitat for Humanity Volunteers
12/11/2009

Attorneys Michael Gruber and Mark Shank were among nearly 3,000 volunteers from around the world who built and repaired 166 homes along the Mekong River as part of Habitat for Humanity's annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project on Nov. 15-20.

The two attorneys were part of a team building a community of 82 houses with families in Chiang Mai province of Thailand. Other volunteers worked on projects in Cambodia, China, Laos and Vietnam, each bringing attention to the need for simple, decent and affordable housing in partnership with low-income families in a region where nearly one-fifth of the population lives in poverty—many on less than the equivalent of one U.S. dollar per day, according to the CIA World Factbook.

Former U.S. President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn led the build bearing their name, which has been conducted annually since 1984 in countries around the world. Country music stars Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood were also among the volunteers.

“This week caused me to consider what is important; a week doing physical work and being half a planet away from my regular life will do that,” says Mr. Shank, a board member of the Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity. “Many times, as I watched the week unfold, I felt compelled to count my blessings. The inspiring nature of these people and their work ethic makes me want to redouble my efforts in my own life.”

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