Tribute to Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States and winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, died peacefully Sunday, Dec. 29, at his home in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by his family. He was 100, the longest-lived president in U.S. history.
“We are deeply saddened by President Carter’s passing, and our prayers are with the Carter family,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “President and Mrs. Carter began volunteering with Habitat for Humanity near their home in southwest Georgia more than 40 years ago, and soon brought worldwide attention to the need for decent and affordable housing. We are grateful for the incredible impact the Carters have had on Habitat and on the families who have benefited from their shining example. The Carters put Habitat for Humanity on the map, and their legacy lives on in every family we serve around the world.”
In 1984, the international headquarters of Habitat was in Americus, Georgia, nine miles from Plains. President Carter invited Millard Fuller, Habitat’s founder, to tell him and Mrs. Carter about the organization. The Carters quickly realized that their mission aligned with their values of social justice and basic human rights. Later that year, the Carters led a busload of Georgians to New York City to work alongside 19 families, renovating an abandoned apartment building to provide the families safe, affordable housing. This was the inaugural Carter Work Project and, since then, work projects have taken place every year in a different location all over the world.
From that trip in 1984 until 2019, the Carters dedicated themselves annually to Habitat for Humanity’s mission, building or improving homes alongside families in communities across the U.S. and around the world. Carter also lent his leadership to the organization, serving on its board of directors from 1984 to 1987.
For more than three decades, President and Mrs. Carter led annual week-long Carter Work Projects for Habitat for Humanity. The Carters were tireless advocates, active fundraisers, and firsthand construction volunteers. They rallied thousands of volunteers and celebrities, helping Habitat for Humanity become internationally recognized for its work. As of 2018, President and Mrs. Carter had worked alongside more than 103,000 volunteers to help build, repair, or renovate 4,331 homes.
“Habitat has successfully removed the stigma of charity by substituting it with a sense of partnership,” President Carter said.
In 2016, Habitat named President and Mrs. Carter as the inaugural Habitat Humanitarians for their extraordinary dedication to service in alignment with Habitat’s vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
Tributes:
“America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense, human rights invented America.” Jimmy Carter’s legacy reflects an unwavering commitment to peace, human rights, and service to others.”
Kenneth Cole – Designer
“President Carter, the legacy you and Rosalynn have left us is as beautiful as the life you lived. Thank you for your lifetime of service to our country and the world. You inspired us not just by what you said but by what you built. We love you.”
Garth Brooks – Musician
“The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”
Donald Trump – President-elect
“the longest, and most impactful, post-presidency in American history — monitoring more than 100 elections around the world; helping virtually eliminate Guinea worm disease, an infection that had haunted Africa for centuries; becoming the only former president to earn a Nobel Peace Prize; and building or repairing thousands of homes in more than a dozen countries with his beloved Rosalynn as part of Habitat for Humanity.”
Barack Obama – Former President
Famous Jimmy Quotes:
“The measure of a society is found in how they treat their weakest and most helpless citizens.”
“America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense, it is the other way around. Human rights invented America.” Jimmy Carter in his Farewell Address on January 14, 1981
“I have often wanted to drown my troubles, but I can’t get my wife to go swimming.”
“We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other’s children.”