Speaker 1 (00:00):
Whether he was in the White House or in his post-presidential years, as was discussed, President Carter was willing to roll up his own sleeves to serve and get the job done. We all know about his work with Habitat for Humanity that was mentioned. And the origin story goes that it was in 1984 when he first became aware of the work. He was in New York for a friend's anniversary. Millard Fuller, the founder of the fledgling charity at the time, called President Carter and asked if he wanted to visit a site in Brooklyn during his trip. President Carter agree and he found his way down to the Lower East Side. Standing on the roof of a dilapidated building, he looked out on the wealth of Wall Street to the south and to the power of Midtown Manhattan to the north. And then he looked down and he saw an image he'd never forget, an elderly woman cooking breakfast over an open fire in the rubble of the building there in the heart of the richest city in the world.
(01:03)
The Habitat for Humanity worker that was there with him turned to President Carter and said, "If there's anything that you can do, we would take it." He said, "If there's anything I can do, let me know." The worker said, "Well, maybe you can send some volunteer carpenters from your church." It was the very next day that President Carter called Habitat for Humanity and told them he was going to send some carpenters all right and that he himself would be one of them. And thus began his famous tradition of donating one week every year to build and restore homes for his fellow Americans. It's remarkable to think that one of the 45 men who has served as president and one of the only 13 who held the role in nuclear age would humble himself to such service.
(01:50)
We all know that his care for humanity didn't stop at building homes. In the face of illness, President Jimmy Carter brought life-saving medicine. In the face of conflict, he brokered peace. In the face of discrimination, he reminded us that we are all made in the image of God. And if you were to ask him why he did it all, he would likely point to his faith. I'm reminded of his admonition to, "Live our lives as though Christ were coming this afternoon." And of his amazing personal reflection. "If I have one life and one chance, to make it count for something." We all agree that he certainly did. So today in these hallowed halls of our Republic, we honor President Carter, his family and his enduring legacy that he leaves, not only upon this nation, but upon the world.