Jimmy Carter’s Legacy

The Cornerstone Newsletter February Issue | 2025

Dear Friends of Habitat,

I hope this message finds you warm and dry as our cold and rainy season is here. We do much of our work outside, and although we love the much-needed rain, we need to keep building. So many people are living in a housing affordability and availability crisis. Our phone rings every day with calls looking for solutions, nearly all urgent situations. I appreciate with wonder and admiration the way this community supports Habitat in our work addressing this very clear need.

We are unwavering in our commitment to bring people together and do our part. We know we are stronger than the obstacles that we face. Through collective action and devotion to help our neighbors we can change the lives of families, and extended families, and beyond. I just wish we could do more, and do it faster.

In the midst of so much change and uncertainty, one thing remains true – our effectiveness as a result of your support and generosity. As we gear up to start our latest building projects, and explore other sites that we can ready for more homes we look forward to rolling up our sleeves with you throughout the year and making this community a great place to live. Thank you, as always, for all you do to make a difference.

With gratitude,

Lorraine Larson

Executive Director

Honoring Jimmy Carter:

A Visionary Leader in Service and Humanity

President Jimmy Carter’s service to Habitat for Humanity was a powerful expression of his personal faith—one rooted in compassion, fairness, and a deep commitment to helping others.

For decades, President Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter rolled up their sleeves to build homes and bring awareness to the importance of having a stable place to call home. In 1991, he called Habitat for Humanity a “singular, divine concept that has opened a vision to me.” That vision—a world where people come together to build, support one another, and create stronger communities—

inspire him to build across the United States and around the world. Continue Reading

Visit habitat.org/honoringcarter to sign a memory book and read about the Carters' remarkable legacies.

President Jimmy Carter Day Declared in California

The Habitat family lost an international treasure on December 29th with the passing of our most famous volunteer, President Jimmy Carter. In honor of his remarkable legacy, the California State Legislature has declared December 29th as President Jimmy Carter Day in the State of California. This significant recognition, championed by Senator Anna Caballero (D-Merced) and Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) and sponsored by Habitat for Humanity California, highlights Carter’s profound impact on housing and community development.

On Thursday, February 20th, both houses of the California State Legislature will officially announce the designation, bringing further awareness to the need for financial support of CalHome and homeownership production in the state.

ReStore Staff Spotlight

Loyalty Peeps meet Brad!

He is an amazing example of a ReStore Staff Member that does IT ALL! Brad is one of our amazing drivers, is on our extremely helpful Donations Staff, and is an outstanding cashier for the ReStore!

Brad lives here in Grass Valley and has been a part of our staff for 10 months. He loves the idea building a sustainable community by taking in donations, and helping each item find it's new purpose and continued use with a new family here. Keeping usable things out of our landfill is the goal. We are so gratefull to have Brad along with our entire staff working to facilitate this exchange!

Your Nevada County Habitat for Humanity ReStore takes in tons of gently used materials that may have ended up in the landfill, just like the full set of kitchen cabinets Brad picked up last week, now on our showroom floor! Come In and say hi to Brad and let him help you find that thing that you are looking for, here at your ReStore!