Like many others, I was saddened to read the news of former President Jimmy Carter’s death.
In June 2005, I photographed and published stories for Habitat for Humanity Detroit on their website about the 2005 Jimmy Carter Work Project (now called Carter Work Project) in Detroit.
The project is an annual worldwide Habitat for Humanity International event, where former President Jimmy Carter and wife Rosalynn Carter joined volunteers to build homes in one week.
In Detroit, the Carters joined over 1,500 volunteers from the US and around the world to build 30 new homes in one week for Detroit families in need.
The house Jimmy and Rosalynn worked on, sponsored by the Baptist Pastors Council of Detroit, would become the new home for the Wilson family in the southwest Core Cities neighborhood.
At the press conference on the fourth day of the weeklong build, Jimmy Carter said:
We’ve helped build houses in 22 years in 30 different cities around the world. We’ve seen the dedication and the generosity and the unselfishness and the humility of many volunteers and many sponsors.”
We’ve also seen the gratitude and the emotion and the ambition and family values of the homeowners.”
What Rosalynn and I have seen is that there is really not much difference between them.
We all want the same life for our children; a better life, full of excitement and challenge with a better prospect for the future.”
At the end of the build, I photographed the Carters when they handed out Bibles to each of the 30 new homeowners and overheard Jimmy Carter’s friendly conversation with homeowners and volunteers.
His kind words brought a smile to everyone, including me.
Such a humble, thoughtful person who lived out his faith through his actions.
I own and have read several of his books; admired his work and writings for years.
Jimmy Carter will be missed.
