Memorial honoring Carter available to sign through Jan. 20
For Christina Keller and Melissa Hudson, becoming homeowners through Habitat for Humanity truly was the hand up they needed to help them improve their lives and the lives of their families.
“I had support that I never knew existed,” Keller told the crowd that gathered in the rotunda at the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums on Jan. 9, at a memorial service in honor of President Jimmy Carter. “The Habitat family I became a part of as a homeowner of changed more than just my living quarters. It changed my thoughts and my future plans. I had ambitions and more to life than I thought I knew.”
She said her mindset changed, and she felt free and empowered for herself and her four daughters. Today, she is a business owner and a community supporter who works in the nonprofit sector, and her daughters are grown with their own families.
Hudson sent a letter that was read by Habitat for Humanity of Sandusky County Board President Nicole Smith, who lives in a Habitat home built in 2017 in Fremont. Her family had spent years renting a cramped two-bedroom house with two other families and was ready to take on a mortgage and have their own forever home.
“We have been blessed for this opportunity to be able to come financially secure, have the strength to go back to school, acquire stability, peace of mind and live in a safe, healthy place we call home,” Hudson wrote.
Keller and Hudson shared their stories to honor President Carter’s life of service and his years-long dedication to Habitat for Humanity. Sandusky County Habitat had the memorial service at Hayes Presidential because as a presidential site, it was a fitting location to honor a former president.
Although Carter did not found Habitat for Humanity, he and his wife, First Lady Rosalyn Carter, were very committed to the organization and accelerated its ability to garner public support for its vision where everyone has a good place to live, said Pam Kensler, executive director of Sandusky County Habitat for Humanity.
“President and Mrs. Carter’s involvement with Habitat for Humanity began in 1984 when they led a work group to New York City to help renovate a six-story building with 19 families in need of decent, affordable shelter,” Kensler said. “That experience planted the seed for what became the Jimmy & Rosalyn Carter Work Project and the Carters’ nearly 40 years of support for Habitat’s mission. Through the Carters’ own efforts and their example, the Cater Work Project has rallied 108,100 volunteers to build, renovate and repair 4,447 Habitat for Humanity homes in 14 countries, all while raising awareness of the critical need for affordable housing.”
Hayes Presidential Executive Director Christie Weininger discussed some of the things that Presidents Carter and Hayes had in common, including their dedication to serving others. Carter’s 1976 election took place 100 years after Hayes’.
“Like Hayes, Carter only served one term as president – the difference being Hayes never ran for a second presidential term. Although they only had four years to implement their visions for America, both accomplished a great deal, established policies, and made decisions that impact us to this very day,” Weininger said. “But one could argue that both men had even more successful post-presidencies.”
In addition to Carter’s work with Habitat for Humanity, he and his wife established the Carter Center, an Atlanta-based nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization to advance peace, health and human rights around the world. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
Those who attended the Jan. 9 event signed a memorial door’s adjoining panels with their names and messages of how Carter’s service inspired them and made a difference in their lives. The door symbolizes how Carter’s efforts opened doors to brighter futures for thousands of Habitat homeowners over nearly four decades.
The door was built by students in Vanguard Sentinel Career & Technology Center’s building trades department.
The ceremony coincided with the National Day of Mourning for the president and took place following the state funeral in Washington, D.C.
The door and panels will be on display and available to sign through Presidents’ Day, which is Monday, Feb. 20, at the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, during open hours. There is no admission fee to sign the panels. Artifacts and manuscripts related to Carter also are on display in the museum Presidents’ Gallery. Access to these is included with regular admission, and Hayes Presidential members are admitted for free.
Visit rbhayes.org for more details.