MILWAUKEE — President Jimmy Carter died Sunday at 100 years old.
Lighthouse Reporter Ryan Jenkins sat down one-on-one with Brian Sonderman, the CEO of Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity for an in-depth look back at the legacy Carter had on Milwaukee neighborhoods.
In June of 1989, then President Carter and his wife, First Lady Rosalynn Carter, teamed up with Milwaukee's Habitat for Humanity with the ambitious goal of building five homes in just six days. They would also rehab 8 other homes. They did this with the help of roughly 1,000 volunteers in the city's Walnut Hill neighborhood.
TMJ4's Ryan Jenkins: "First and foremost, thinking about those six days in 1989, let's begin with what you believe is most notable about Carter's work in Milwaukee. What stands out to you about The Carter Work Project?"
Brian Sonderman: "A lot. First of all, Milwaukee Habitat had never built a new construction home before that week so that was a big undertaking. When President and Mrs. Carter came to Milwaukee it was the fifth Carter work project. They would go on for 30-plus years to do that work, not only in the United States but around the world. So, we were one of the first cities that they came to."
Sonderman also spoke to the work ethic of the former President.
Brian Sonderman: "We got to the end of the week or middle of the week, and it was rainy and bad weather, and President Carter, who got into his 90s and was still volunteering, if you came and worked on a work project with President Carter you had to bring your A-Game. He demanded hard work and so there was no time off. So, when we got to a stage in the week when he thought those homes weren't going to be done — he was angry. He wanted to figure out a way to get those homes done."
TMJ4's Ryan Jenkins: "He worked into his 90's as you just mentioned. Do you think the work that was done here back in 1989 is a legacy still felt today?
Brian Sonderman: "That was really the point in time in which Milwaukee habitat took off. It was almost essentially an all-volunteer organization and from that point forward there was tremendous growth in the organization because it drew some much attention to the work we do at Habitat. He did that not only in Milwaukee but throughout the country. Through his work and his service, his legacy, we've been able to serve over 1,500 families in the 40-year history of Habitat. That wouldn't have happened without President and First Lady Carter's involvement."
TMJ4's Ryan Jenkins: What lesson do you think we can all take away from the work that Carter did right here in Milwaukee?
Brian Sonderman: "Well, I think politicians are always obsessed with their legacy. They're always thinking about 'what are historians going to say about my presidency,' and I'm sure President Carter thought about that. But, I think when people think about him, they'll think about President Carter in the White House and they'll think about him on the build site. His legacy is 'love your neighbor as yourself,' his legacy will always be to serve your neighbor and make the world a better place."
A legacy felt in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the world remembers the life of President Jimmy Carter.
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