As the executive director of Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity for ten years, a member of Habitat’s Urban Affiliate’s Advisory Team, and a Global Partner Affiliate, providing funds for Habitat’s work overseas, I had the honor of meeting and speaking with President Jimmy Carter on multiple occasions.
I worked on a site with him in Vera Cruz Mexico in 2004 and was asked to serve on the Jimmy Carter Work Project team with New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity after Hurricane Katrina in 2008. It rained most of the week, and we slogged through the steaming mud to the Salvation Army tent for our daily meals.
President Carter stood in the pasta and salad line with the other vegetarians, chatted with people in the coffee line, and sat with the volunteers at every meal. He didn’t tell many stories, preferring to lead the most natural, relaxed, and inclusive conversations, asking people where they were from, what motivated them to be here, what were their favorite moments over the past few days. He worked a full shift every day, and I think that after 10 days, at three meals per day, he managed to break bread with all of us in small groups. He also had an amazing ability to remember everyone and everything. I was stunned when he looked at me across our cupcake dessert and said, “How are things up in Cleveland?”
His dedication to helping people, to making the world a better place, to working with people instead of for them, to encouraging others, to asking great questions and then listening intently to the answers, to approaching each moment with grace, gratitude and an open heart, were truly inspirational.
As we wonder how we will ever move through the darkness that currently divides us, there is much hope and inspiration in the life and work of our greatest president, who simply said, “I would like to be remembered as someone who was a champion of peace and human rights!”
You certainly are, Mr. President.
Peace be with you…
Jeffrey Bowen is a poet, percussionist, journalist, healer, and teacher with multiple publication credits, and is a long-time contributor to Cool Cleveland. Jeffrey’s career as a nonprofit professional includes working as a counselor, caseworker, Development and Public Affairs Director, and as the Executive Director of Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity. Jeffrey is the College Lecturer in Organizational Leadership at the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.