No human is perfect, but Jimmy Carter was perfectly honest and tried to be perfectly honorable. As a president, Carter was not the usual politician and his four years in office were guided by principles, not politics. HIs life before and after Washington was dominated by his faith and his determination to "do whatever I can, whenever I can, for as long as I can to improve the lives of others." This article intends to describe the things President Carter accomplished to better the lives of everyday people in his life. This is not going to cover the monumental accomplishments he achieved to better our country and our world. Historians have and will continue to cover that.
Being president followed Carter's time being the governor of Georgia. That was a time when racism was still a strong force in Georgia and the Civil Rights Act was less than ten years old. Jimmy worked hard to show respect for the politicians that he was forced to do business with in the role of governor. His strong animosity toward racist attitudes showed when he became president. He brought a woman from Georgia that he thought was wrongly convicted of murder and became her parole officer. She then found a job in the White House. President Carter appointed more women and people of color to government positions than all the previous presidents put together. Still, there were jokes made about him when he left office. One was made by Ronald Regan’s interior designer who stated, "I can’t get the smell of catfish out of the Oval Office."
When Carter left office, he and Rosalyn followed their passions. One was the attempt to eradicate the extremely painful Guinea worm of Africa. Having grown up in rural Georgia in the 1920s, Jimmy had no running water or electricity. Having worms and other parasites were commonplace with the people in his community, right along with racism. In the 1980s, the Guinea worm infected 3.5 million people in Africa. By 2023, there were 13 cases, partly due to Jimmy, and of course, Rosalyn.
It almost goes without saying, the huge explosion of interest and money that was blessed upon Habitat for Humanity when Jimmy Carter took up a hammer. It was not just his celebrity, but his ability to understand what people need, want, and how they could feel proud of their own contribution to improving their lives. It must have been exhilarating for the clients and the volunteers. I would imagine it brought many a teary eye.
The people working behind the scenes at Habitat for Humanity were many, and I happen to be close friends with a behind-the-scenes guy in Southern California. He’s told me a few interesting anecdotes. One being that Jimmy was always the first person up and out on the site each morning. He liked to oversee how it was all going. He also did a little quality checking here and there. Habitat houses were solid and built to last. Another great story is how the Carters would sleep with the crew and eat with them. No fancy motels for Jimmy and Rosalynn. Another less flattering story is about Jimmy when he had a hissy fit because the California homes were being built with garages (too expensive). Then he found out that they were code in the area they were building. Not so in Georgia. Oh, Jimmy and Rosalyn had their passions. They deserve my thanks and respect. I know I'll never forget them. Book stores, magazines, newspapers, TV, are begging me to learn more about his quest to make our world a better place.
Now it's the time for those of us who are left behind to pick up where the Carters left off, by volunteering to help seniors live quality lives by staying in their own homes. 15 years ago Beacon Hill Village started in Boston Massachusetts to do that very thing. The movement has spread across the United States. UpRiver Village is currently organizing in East County which includes Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview and Wood Village. Upriver Village hopes to be providing this assistance by mid summer to early fall of 2025. It’s our turn to step up to the plate.
More information about Habitat for Humanity: CLICK HERE