BG Habitat honors Carter’s legacy
Published 6:00 am Friday, February 7, 2025
A memorial door honoring the life and legacy of the late former President Jimmy Carter stands in Bowling Green’s ReStore run by Habitat for Humanity/Bowling Green and Warren County on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, for visitors to sign and write tributes to Carter for his decades-long work with Habitat for Humanity. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter first started working with Habitat in 1984 in Americus, Ga., and created the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, which has built, renovated or repaired over 4,400 homes in 14 countries since then. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
A memorial door honoring the life and legacy of the late former President Jimmy Carter stands in Bowling Green’s ReStore run by Habitat for Humanity/Bowling Green and Warren County on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, for visitors to sign and write tributes to Carter for his decades-long work with Habitat for Humanity. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter first started working with Habitat in 1984 in Americus, Ga., and created the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, which has built, renovated or repaired over 4,400 homes in 14 countries since then. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
Signatures, messages and tributes to President Jimmy Carter begin to fill a memorial door honoring the life and legacy of the late former president as it stands in Bowling Green’s ReStore run by Habitat for Humanity/Bowling Green and Warren County on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter first started working with Habitat in 1984 in Americus, Ga., and created the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, which has built, renovated or repaired over 4,400 homes in 14 countries since then. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
The late former President Jimmy Carter smiles while on a Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project in 2014 in Fort Worth, Texas. PHOTO BY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL
The late former President Jimmy Carter works alongside his wife Rosalynn on a Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project in 1987 in Charlotte, North Carolina. PHOTO BY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL
Rodney Goodman, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Bowling Green/ Warren County, (middle back row) stands behind the late former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn during a trip to Haiti in 2011. PHOTO PROVIDED BY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF BOWLING GREEN/WARREN COUNTY
The late former President Jimmy Carter works while on a Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project in 2011 in Léogâne, Haiti. PHOTO BY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL
Signatures, messages and tributes to President Jimmy Carter begin to fill a memorial door honoring the life and legacy of the late former president as it stands in Bowling Green’s ReStore run by Habitat for Humanity/Bowling Green and Warren County on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter first started working with Habitat in 1984 in Americus, Ga., and created the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, which has built, renovated or repaired over 4,400 homes in 14 countries since then. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
Signatures, messages and tributes to President Jimmy Carter begin to fill a memorial door honoring the life and legacy of the late former president as it stands in Bowling Green’s ReStore run by Habitat for Humanity/Bowling Green and Warren County on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter first started working with Habitat in 1984 in Americus, Ga., and created the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, which has built, renovated or repaired over 4,400 homes in 14 countries since then. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
A memorial door honoring the life and legacy of the late former President Jimmy Carter stands in Bowling Green’s ReStore run by Habitat for Humanity/Bowling Green and Warren County on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, for visitors to sign and write tributes to Carter for his decades-long work with Habitat for Humanity. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter first started working with Habitat in 1984 in Americus, Ga., and created the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, which has built, renovated or repaired over 4,400 homes in 14 countries since then. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
A memorial door honoring the life and legacy of the late former President Jimmy Carter stands in Bowling Green’s ReStore run by Habitat for Humanity/Bowling Green and Warren County on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, for visitors to sign and write tributes to Carter for his decades-long work with Habitat for Humanity. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter first started working with Habitat in 1984 in Americus, Ga., and created the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, which has built, renovated or repaired over 4,400 homes in 14 countries since then. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
Aside from the four years he spent as president, Jimmy Carter is perhaps best known as a decades-long volunteer with and advocate for Habitat for Humanity.
To honor his life and legacy with the organization, Habitat facilities across the United States have set up memorials for Carter, including the ReStore run by Habitat for Humanity/Bowling Green and Warren County.
“Him being a U.S. President and supporting (Habitat) … just shows how important affordable housing is in the nation and in the world,” ReStore Manager Jared McDuffy told the Daily News.
The memorial consists of a white house door inside a blue frame. One side of the door holds a large photo of Carter. On the other side, visitors to the ReStore can write tributes to Carter.
A description on the door states that Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter, “helped to open doors for people all over the world by raising awareness of the critical need for affordable housing.”
McDuffy said a similar door was set up at Habitat’s office at Western Kentucky University’s Innovation Campus. Over 100 tributes have been left on both doors, and both will be displayed in the ReStore.
The door at the ReStore was set up earlier this month. McDuffy said as long as there’s space available, people can continue writing tributes on it.
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter first started working with Habitat in 1984 in Americus, Georgia. Together that year they created the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, which has built, renovated or repaired over 4,400 homes in 14 countries.
The Carters never visited Bowling Green to build Habitat homes — the closest they came was Nashville in 2019, the last year the Carters themselves participated. However, McDuffy said there are still fond memories here of the couple’s service.
“I’ve had a lot of people come in who were around during his presidency and have a lot of good things to say,” McDuffy said. “We wouldn’t be the Habitat for Humanity that we are today without Jimmy Carter’s early work.”
Jack covers city government for the Daily News. Originally from Simpson County, he attended Western Kentucky University and graduated in 2022 with a degree in journalism.
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