The Elkhorn Man recounts his experience building houses with Jimmy Carter
OMAHA, Neb. (Nebraska) – Don Browers of Elkhorn has been a Habitat for Humanity volunteer for 15 years. One mission stood out more than the others: Haiti in 2012 after a devastating earthquake.
Browers was part of a team of 400 volunteers who set out from Atlanta, Georgia, on their way to Haiti for a Carter Work project led by former President Jimmy Carter. The night before the big trip there was a banquet. A moment Carter socialized with the volunteers, then the flight.
“I’m sitting in my seat on the plane just trying to wake up and I look up and in the aisle is Jimmy Carter,” Browers said. “This is such a tribute to the man. He got off that plane and shook hands with all the volunteers on that plane and thanked them personally for coming.
Once in Haiti, Browers says it was all work as he and other volunteers built about 100 homes in a week. He provided 6 News with images showing what appears to be a small village of newly built houses under construction.
Browers says Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter worked alongside them in searing heat.
“It was so hot. They weren’t there for the photo shoot. They were there to work. We saw them every day. They were there all day hammering and sawing just like everyone else.
Browers summed up his experience with the 39th President of the United States by saying he was a kind and generous man who tried to make the world a better place.
The Sarpy County – Latest News:
Omaha Local News || Nebraska State News || Crime and Safety News || National news || Tech News || Lifestyle News
