Jimmy Carter was the same person under the glaring light of politics as he was under the streetlight’s soft glow in Plains. A good and decent man, he lived with integrity no matter the circumstance.

In the 1950s, when others heeded the call to boycott Koinonia—refusing to sell to or buy from us—he did not. Our neighbor sold us fertilizer to keep our farm going, even when it meant his business became the next target of boycott. He did not back down.

When his presidency ended sooner than he hoped, his values held firm. Our paths crossed again. Koinonia Partnership Housing built 192 homes in Sumter County, planting the seeds of what would grow into Habitat for Humanity. President Carter and Mrs. Rosalynn Carter did more than lend their names and voices to the fledgling organization; they rolled up their sleeves and worked on countless Habitat builds themselves.

The stories of Koinonia’s friendship with Jimmy Carter are many. At the heart of them all is a shared commitment to peacemaking, service, faith, equality, and common decency. Koinonia was founded as a demonstration plot for Christian living, but often, we only had to look seven miles down the road to see someone demonstrating it for us.

Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Jimmy.