LEXINGTON, Ky. — The country continues to mourn the loss of former President Jimmy Carter. Only serving one term in the Oval Office; Carter is more often remembered for his impact as a humanitarian across the globe.

What You Need To Know

  • President Jimmy Carter began volunteering with Habitat for Humanity more than 40 years ago 

  • In 1984, Carter and Habitat For Humanity held its first "Jimmy Carter Work Project," a tradition held annually until 2019 

  • Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, helped build homes in eastern Kentucky with local Habitat leaders, Lyle Hanna and Sara Coppler 

  • Carter will be remembered with two services, one in Georgia and one in Washington D.C.

Up into his later years, President Carter continued to make an impact through his work with Habitat for Humanity.

“Once he got involved, it really jettisoned Habitat to a global platform,” said president of Kentucky Habitat for Humanity, Lyle Hanna.

Hanna first met Carter in 1995. The former president agreed to help build homes in eastern Kentucky. From there, a relationship existed between Hanna and his wife, Fayette County Judge Executive, Mary Diane McCord Hanna and the Carters.

“I knew he started the Appalachian Regional Commission when he was in the presidency, and he got a lot of attention on Appalachia where there was a ton of poverty it’s one of the most severe poverty influenced places in the nation,” Hanna said.

Sara Coppler was the first full-time executive director of Lexington Habitat for Humanity. She met with and worked with Carter on multiple Habitat projects, including in Kentucky, the Philippines and Vietnam.

“He was very hands on and very aware, very intentional and sweet,” Coppler said.

Carter’s first Jimmy Carter Work Project was in 1984 in New York City. It became an annual effort in multiple countries until 2019. Coppler said for Carter, it was his passion.

“It really was service, giving back, making a difference; that’s his legacy,” Coppler said.

Hanna said regardless of party affiliation, Carter taught people to care about others and honoring his legacy is simple.

“How can I care about, share with, spend some of my resources; my time and energy to help other people that are less fortunate. That’s what he cared about. He did it every day and set a great example for all of us to follow,” Hanna said.

President Carter was 100, the only president to live to that number. His wife of 77 years, Rosalynn died last year.

A funeral service in Carter’s home state of Georgia is this Saturday. Carter will then lie in state at the U.S. Capitol from Jan. 7-9, 2025, ahead of a national funeral service next Thursday Jan. 9, 2025.

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