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“Chip’s dad just passed.” That’s the text that lit up my phone on December 29. Time seemed to pause for a moment, the way it does when someone you care deeply about passes. That pause in time was soon felt across Habitat for Humanity, the US, and indeed, the world.
“Chip” in this case, is the nickname of James Earl Carter III, second eldest of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s four children. Chip’s dad is known to the world as Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, founder of The Carter Center, and Habitat for Humanity’s most notable volunteer.
The media and our newsfeeds have been filled with stories of President Jimmy Carter in the weeks since his passing. People have told of meeting him, voting for him, campaigning for him, shaking his hand during a flight, attending Sunday School to listen to him preach, or swinging a hammer next to him on a Habitat build site. Many relayed how they were impacted by his work; how the former leader of the free world built their home and took a moment during their interaction to ask after their children, to listen to a story, or to share a cold drink. The world rightfully delighted in him. He was a good and decent man. He was a man driven by his faith to “…do whatever I can, wherever I can, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have, to try to make a difference,” a quote he shared often and that he truly lived by.
That I received this global news in such a highly personal way is a blessing in more ways I can count. I have spent considerable time with President Carter, Rosalynn Carter, and many members of the Carter family during my 20-plus year career at Habitat for Humanity. This is among the greatest honors of my life. Working side-by-side on Habitat houses in locations around the world, we have shared so much; joy and happiness, of course, especially for the families and their new homes but also loss, most recently following the passing of Rosalynn Carter on November 19, 2023.
Karen building at the Carter Work Project in Nashville, 2019
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter at a Carter Work Project in Memphis
Undoubtedly, it was that commitment to making a difference that brought President Carter to the work of Habitat for Humanity. And yet, ever since I received that text, I’ve been struck by the fact that while President Jimmy Carter was many things to many people, he was, at his core, Chip’s (and Jack’s, and Jeff’s, and Amy’s) dad. A family lost their dad on December 29 after one hundred long and impactful years on this earth. As a father, he wanted nothing more than to make the world a better place for his children, and for all our children. On Habitat build sites, far from being a figurehead, he was the hardest worker among us, often the first to arrive and the last to leave.
To be sure, he accomplished more toward his desired goal of making the world a better place than most. But he would be the first to admit, he did not do it alone. Ms. Rosalynn built alongside him on every project, and they were singular in their invitation to others to join in. And join in they did. It is a virtual certainty that Habitat for Humanity would not be the organization it is today without the engagement, support, and personal passion of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. They will be missed.
The work, of course, is far from over. What they helped to begin and grow and champion over these many years will continue. On any build site, after any pause in the action, President Carter was known for one clarion call: “Let’s get back to work!” And that, I believe, is what he would urge us to do.
Getting back to work will be the best way to honor him. I hope you’ll join us.
Karen Haycox, CEO & Principal Strategist, Haycox & Associates is a seasoned nonprofit leader and strategic consultant with an extensive career across the Habitat for Humanity network, including most recently providing fund development and strategic planning assistance for Habitat for Humanity of Greater San Francisco. Passionate about equitable housing solutions, she currently serves on the Housing Advisory Commission in Berkeley, California, where she resides with her wife, their son, two dogs, and three cats.
If you would like to volunteer you can find out more here, of if you would like to make a donation to Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco in honor of President Carter, you can do so below. Thank you for your support.