The first Monday of October is World Habitat Day, the UN’s annual call to provide affordable, adequate shelter for everyone. This year’s theme, “Better City, Better Life,” targets the urban environment and asks us to consider the future of our homes and cities.

In honor of the day, Habitat for Humanity is rolling out dozens of events worldwide. Throughout the week of Oct. 4, they’ll need people to write checks and fill seats in meeting halls and living rooms. So, they’ve asked for help from E4C. The activities will span education to fundraising, and some E4C members may be particularly suited to volunteer in building projects.

Here’s what you can do.

Build

World Habitat Day coincides with the annual Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter Work Project, taking place Oct. 3 – 9. This year, the Carters, other celebrities and families that own Habitat homes will work alongside volunteers in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore and Annapolis, Md.; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.; and Birmingham, Ala. to build and rehabilitate 86 homes. Search Habitat’s Special Events Directory for information on projects near you.

This video shows the Carter Project building a home for a Cambodian family in 2009.

Advocate

For people in the United States, Habitat suggests several ways to talk to political representatives about housing. You can support Habitat’s Build Louder advocacy campaign, or advocate for decent housing by sending a message to your members of Congress to urge them to support affordable housing initiatives.

This is a slideshow of striking images from a Build Louder project in Guatemala in Jan. 2010.

Fundraise and educate

Volunteers are launching both fundraising and education initiatives during World Habitat Week, and E4C members can contribute. Check the events page for activities near you.

Resources and information

Find brochures and other online resources to download here.

To join Habitat’s World Habitat Day Photo Wall, click here.

See the the 2011 Shelter Report on the connection between healthy homes and healthy people worldwide.

Explore the Take Action pages on Habitat’s Build Louder site, where you can find more ways to reach your representatives and find out about work to revitalize neighborhoods.

To donate to Habitat online, click here.