Nearly 1,000 Volunteers Build 24 Homes in 5 Days for Families

Nearly 1,000 volunteers joined forces in Atlanta last month to build 24 affordable homes in just five days, turning what once was a vacant lot into a neighborhood full of new possibilities for local families.

The massive build was part of Habitat for Humanity's Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project. Volunteers worked around the clock to create Langston Park, a new community in Atlanta's southwestern Sylvan Hills neighborhood designed to expand homeownership access for families priced out of the market.

For Ashley Westbrook, a local schoolteacher, the week meant watching her first home rise from the ground. Her mother Salita couldn't hold back the emotion. "This is her first home, her first time leaving the nest," she said. "It's truly exciting for her and exciting for us as well."

Among the hundreds of volunteers were employees from U.S. Bank, which contributed $250,000 as a gold sponsor. For accounting manager Yolanda Heard, the project hit especially close to home. "I live in this community, so I love to see that they're doing a lot of great things in this community," she said.

The work went beyond hammering nails and painting walls. Michael Femiano, a senior vice president who volunteered, said the experience strengthened bonds between coworkers while helping neighbors in need. "It's an opportunity for us not only to help the community, but also to bond as co-workers," he explained.

The Ripple Effect

The Atlanta build represents just one piece of a much larger commitment to affordable housing. Since 2008, U.S. Bank has provided more than $148 million to Habitat affiliates nationwide, helping create over 4,900 housing units across the country.

Habitat for Humanity's model makes homeownership possible through affordable mortgages based on income and sweat equity contributed by future homeowners. Celebrating its 50th year, the organization has helped build or repair more than 70,000 homes worldwide and assisted over 3 million people globally in 2025 alone.

Last year, U.S. Bank employees volunteered more than 7,000 hours on Habitat projects in communities across the nation. The bank also provided over $3.6 million in corporate contributions and matching gifts to support the organization's mission.

Erica Opstad, who leads community affairs at U.S. Bank, summed up what drives this work: "Home is the starting place of hope, dreams and reality."

Twenty-four families in Atlanta now have that starting place, built by neighbors helping neighbors in less than a week.