Remembering Jimmy Carter

While President Carter has left our earthly plains after a century of a life of service, his values and demonstrated life lessons have the opportunity to shine brighter than ever before.

His greatest philanthropy was to use his hands, his words and his relationships to make our world a better place. He made evident that each of us can be a philanthropist, without regard to wealth or status, by impacting the lives of others’ in our communities, and by living out the values of peace, human rights and justice – which all provide hope for tomorrow.

When he accepted the Nobel Prize for Peace, he shared that his high school teacher, Ms. Julia Coleman, taught him this motto – “adjust to changing times and hold to unchanging principles.”

As we honor his life and his legacy over the days to come, we encourage everyone to realize that they to have the opportunity to live lives of significance and follow in the President’s footsteps – “to do whatever I can, wherever I can, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have, to try to make a difference.”

Godspeed, good and faithful servant.

– Frank Fernandez, president and CEO, and Doug Hooker, Community Foundation Board Chair