People around the world are mourning the death of the former president of the United States Jimmy Carterdied Sunday at the age of 100.
Seven years ago, the 39th president visited Edmonton as part of his work with Habitat for Humanity (HFH).
In the HFH Edmonton office, a hammer hanging on the wall is no ordinary tool.
“(It’s) our hammer of hope, which President and Mrs. Carter signed as a dedication,” said Ann-Marie Reddy, president and CEO of HFH Edmonton.
“Their voices and their real work have had an impact, and we can see and experience it every day. It’s pretty incredible.
The gavel and a helmet near the wall were used during President Carter and his wife Rosalynn’s visit to Edmonton in 2017.
After Carter’s death, the tools both men used and the homes they built now serve as reminders of their important post-Oval Office legacies.
The wall dedicated to President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn at the Habitat for Humanity Edmonton office.
Global News
“The impact was enormous, the excitement of having thousands of people show up in a week to participate and work alongside President and Mrs. Carter,” Reddy said.
“He took this work to heart. Put his heart and soul into every hammer he swung and every tape he measured, you name it. It was just a feeling, it was a motivation for people to get involved.
In 2017, the Carters traveled across Canada alongside HFH for the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, building 150 homes to mark Canada’s 150th birthday.
Of these, 75 were built in Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan.
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“We heard that Edmonton has, like Winnipeg, a housing organization that is extraordinarily well organized, hardworking, ambitious and very successful. The need for housing, low-income housing for people in need has not changed, in fact, more people may need housing now than in the beginning,” he said. Carter told Global News in July 2017.
There were approximately 14,000 volunteers involved in the Edmonton project, including the owners, who were required to contribute at least 500 hours of work.
Country music superstar Garth Brooks and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, joined the Carters on building Edmonton.
With the help of these volunteers, the 39th president built “Carter Place” which has 58 townhouses. The project helps hundreds of Edmontonians, including Amanda Alleyne.
“My son and I bought our house together. So we can say, “Hey, I bought my son a house. » My son can say he bought me a house. But they were very helpful and very knowledgeable,” Alleyne said.
Alleyne says she and her neighbors have become family and it wouldn’t have been possible without the work of HFH and Carter.
“It was really sad to hear. Just knowing that he was such a humanitarian, that he was a catalyst for us having homes. It was heartfelt,” Alleyne said.
The public can pay tribute to the late president by signing the doors of Habitat Restores. HFH will then hang these doors, so everyone can remember the work the Carters did.
Reddy also hopes this will serve as an inspiration to get more people involved in supporting HFH.
“The home isn’t just about helping one family, it’s helping multiple families. Every time you drive past a place like Carter Place, you see 58 townhouses and you know hundreds of families are going to benefit,” Reddy said.
“When we think about creating long-term, stable, vibrant communities, the bottom line is that individuals have access to affordable homeownership and that you can get involved, whether through a donation or by giving your time.
The door the public can sign to honor the late President Jimmy Carter at Habitat for Humanity ReStores.
Global News
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