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kpete

(71,996 posts)
Mon Feb 1, 2016, 10:37 AM Feb 2016

19 years later, single mom writes Open Letter to Pres. Carter about her 'Habitat' home

Dear President Carter,

I need to tell you how much my Habitat house means to me...My family (2 sons & 1 daughter) moved into out house Christmas Eve 1997. As a single parent raising children & working 2 jobs, this was a significant milestone in my life. Now, 18 years later, the children are grown, the house has aged, I have aged, and am now 2 years away from paying off my mortgage. During those 18 years, I went back to school and earned my MA (Religion & Culture) in an effort to obtain a better paying job - no such luck.

After 2 decades of Human Services work, I now work 2-3 days a week in a hospital emergency room registering patients. I was forced to begin to collect social security early due to an employment lay-off and termination. My social security check is $840 after my student loan and Medicare deductions. It turns out that working with the differently abled as an attendant, working with low income, first-generation college students, and assisting economically and educationally deprived teens and young adults to earn high school diplomas and learn trades does not fit the ever-shrinking circumstances for eligibility for loan forgiveness. If it were not for my little home, I would be unable to afford to rent an apartment these days. I know that no matter what, I have a home, a place where I can grow old, familiar and comfortable and mine. And you, Mr. President, made this possible. For that, there are no words to describe my thanks.

God bless you, Mr. President

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/1/31/1477991/-19-years-later-single-mom-writes-Open-Letter-to-President-Carter-about-being-a-Habitat-Homeowner

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19 years later, single mom writes Open Letter to Pres. Carter about her 'Habitat' home (Original Post) kpete Feb 2016 OP
Sounds like she's been failed by nearly everyone annabanana Feb 2016 #1
Jimmy Carter is a true American treasure Gothmog Feb 2016 #2
Agreed. Our most decent president. n/t FSogol Feb 2016 #9
Its a shame that "decency" is not a higher regarded atribute for Presidency LiberalLovinLug Feb 2016 #23
And what is W's legacy? randys1 Feb 2016 #26
Amen! Scurrilous Feb 2016 #28
Absolutely. tabasco Feb 2016 #30
There is a habitat community in sorefeet Feb 2016 #3
but by all means, let us vote for the status quo tk2kewl Feb 2016 #4
Student loan repayment taken out of modest SS checks. SammyWinstonJack Feb 2016 #7
A wonderful man, a decent president. mountain grammy Feb 2016 #5
I would have to say: chervilant Feb 2016 #33
Yes, true. Entirely too many are delusional rather than mean. mountain grammy Feb 2016 #34
Carter has been the best ex-President this country has ever had. LonePirate Feb 2016 #6
John Quincy Adams and Herbert Hoover exboyfil Feb 2016 #14
Can I nominate Bill Clinton for third place? oberliner Feb 2016 #22
God bless you, Mr. President K&R Hiraeth Feb 2016 #8
Carter has done more for ordinary folks than Washington will ever admit malaise Feb 2016 #10
The man I cast my first vote for has done a fuckton of good in this world. Half-Century Man Feb 2016 #11
My first vote too. redwitch Feb 2016 #19
Jimmy Carter SandersDem Feb 2016 #12
My first vote also. Scurrilous Feb 2016 #29
President Carter rocks! FailureToCommunicate Feb 2016 #13
Carter is a great man. gvstn Feb 2016 #15
What a wonderful human being, is Jimmy Carter nevergiveup Feb 2016 #16
Thanks for posting Omaha Steve Feb 2016 #17
My granddaughter has a habitat home. However her family jwirr Feb 2016 #18
The greatest *human being* to ever hold the office of the Presidency. Tommy_Carcetti Feb 2016 #20
Thank you, President Carter! Thank you, kpete! Enthusiast Feb 2016 #21
He is a role model kpete Feb 2016 #24
Maybe the better approach is free homes instead of free education. lumberjack_jeff Feb 2016 #25
Wow are you way off. I suggest you read up on Habitat if you think they are free homes. rhett o rick Feb 2016 #31
A man with a vision, his Habitat for Life organization provided Thinkingabout Feb 2016 #27
religion and culture? Skittles Feb 2016 #32

LiberalLovinLug

(14,174 posts)
23. Its a shame that "decency" is not a higher regarded atribute for Presidency
Mon Feb 1, 2016, 01:42 PM
Feb 2016

Where talking Nationalistic bravado, even if it is all bs, is applauded and evokes the go-to chant: "USA USA USA..."

Americans have been so conditioned to accept the easy way, at least in the movies. It is always so much messier in a real situation, and the "good guys" do not always win. Why negotiate, why talk, why try and understand the other side when you have an automatic assault arsenal? I am just catching up to the series "The 100". and on the first season. I enjoy sci-fi and the premise of the story is intriguing. A hundred young people stranded on a future earth, sent down by a space station on its last legs, after 100 years after some type of war related, and toxic destruction and contamination of the planet.

But of course they run into some savage humans, and lo and behold they find a stash of working automatic assault weapons. Might is always right. The writers make sure to pound home the fact that those that want to "just get along" are obviously naive and stupid and killing the "other" is the only way.

The reliance on violence, an unnatural lust for firearms, is unfortunately what many think of now when someone says "USA". It is relied on, even in TV shows, as the only answer to any problem. Jazz music, rock n roll, movies, even the famous American spirit of innovation and self determination, is no longer American's legacy.

sorefeet

(1,241 posts)
3. There is a habitat community in
Mon Feb 1, 2016, 10:52 AM
Feb 2016

Billings on the interstate. One home facing the interstate has a 4x8 piece of plywood that say STOP OBAMACARE. I felt that they must be some ungrateful people in that home. I surprised a neighbor hasn't removed it by now.

mountain grammy

(26,624 posts)
5. A wonderful man, a decent president.
Mon Feb 1, 2016, 10:56 AM
Feb 2016

Replaced by mean and greed, the path preferred by the majority of American voters.

chervilant

(8,267 posts)
33. I would have to say:
Tue Feb 2, 2016, 09:15 AM
Feb 2016

"...the path preferred by temporarily embarrassed millionaires."

(By this, I mean that --despite ample evidence to the contrary -- entirely too many Americans still believe the wealth carrot meme.)

LonePirate

(13,426 posts)
6. Carter has been the best ex-President this country has ever had.
Mon Feb 1, 2016, 10:58 AM
Feb 2016

Taft is a distant second and I cannot even think who might be third. Nonetheless, Carter is a true American patriot and hero who has made our country and the world a better place for millions of people.

 

oberliner

(58,724 posts)
22. Can I nominate Bill Clinton for third place?
Mon Feb 1, 2016, 01:37 PM
Feb 2016

His foundation has done a lot of work on HIV/AIDS programs and bringing attention to climate change.

Half-Century Man

(5,279 posts)
11. The man I cast my first vote for has done a fuckton of good in this world.
Mon Feb 1, 2016, 11:59 AM
Feb 2016

I too say, Thank you President Carter.

SandersDem

(592 posts)
12. Jimmy Carter
Mon Feb 1, 2016, 12:02 PM
Feb 2016

if there was ever a man who walked this earth deserving of being made a saint, it is this man. My first vote for President and evry year he confirms to me that I cast the right vote back then. His work throughout the world with the Carter Center is the gold standard for former Presidents, sadly no other ex President's work has come close to what Carter has done.

He is a shining example of how politics matter and can either improve lives or damage them forever.

gvstn

(2,805 posts)
15. Carter is a great man.
Mon Feb 1, 2016, 12:35 PM
Feb 2016

Not mean enough for Washington but a great man.

I would put Obama in the same camp if it were not for the TPP.

nevergiveup

(4,762 posts)
16. What a wonderful human being, is Jimmy Carter
Mon Feb 1, 2016, 12:40 PM
Feb 2016

I realize that years following a presidency can not be considered when determining the greatness of a president but if they could, no one, including Lincoln, would come close to this man.

jwirr

(39,215 posts)
18. My granddaughter has a habitat home. However her family
Mon Feb 1, 2016, 12:44 PM
Feb 2016

has not outgrown it and she is hoping to move with her husband and three children into a bigger one. She to is thankful for this program, its volunteers and Jimmy Carter and his wife.

Enthusiast

(50,983 posts)
21. Thank you, President Carter! Thank you, kpete!
Mon Feb 1, 2016, 01:32 PM
Feb 2016

I'm proud to say that I voted for President Carter twice.

 

rhett o rick

(55,981 posts)
31. Wow are you way off. I suggest you read up on Habitat if you think they are free homes.
Tue Feb 2, 2016, 01:02 AM
Feb 2016

Education should be free, but I understand how conservatives hate that. They hate educated people that call them on their bullcrap.

Thinkingabout

(30,058 posts)
27. A man with a vision, his Habitat for Life organization provided
Mon Feb 1, 2016, 05:49 PM
Feb 2016

Opportunities and this lady has made the best possible. In two years her him will be paid and she will have shelter in the future, she supported herself, created a SS account for her future, and is thankful for having the opportunity.

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