Mishawaka, Ind. -- 

Volunteers with the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Habitat for Humanity Work Project started construction Monday morning. 

Monday is the first of five days the volunteers will spend hard at work building and renovating 40 homes in St. Joseph County. 

In total, 2000 volunteers will build and renovate those homes and create affordable housing for more than 20 Michiana families. 

Former President Jimmy Carter kicked off the work day with an encouraging devotional for the volunteers. 

"You look back on the kind of person you are and you say to yourself I’m not quite the person I ought to be, but from now on you’ll still have a choice given to you by God to decide this is the kind of person I’m gonna be,” he said. 

This is the 35th year for the project. It continues through Friday.