ATLANTA — The celebration of the nation's oldest-living president continued into the weekend.
This past Tuesday on Oct. 1, former president Jimmy Carter, born in the state of Georgia in Plains, celebrated a milestone: 100 years of life.
On Saturday afternoon, Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, in partnership with Wells Fargo, dedicated six new homes in the organization's planned Browns Mill Village development in honor of the centenarian and 39th president of the United States.
Since 1984, Carter and his late wife, Rosalynn, spent decades championing Habitat for Humanity, personally helping build thousands of safe and affordable houses for people in need. The last project they personally worked on was in 2019.
The Browns Mill Village, situated on the appropriately-named Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Way, just about two miles south of Browns Mill Golf Course, aims to have 134 affordable homes built for first-time buyers in southeast Atlanta.
Rosalyn Merrick, President and CEO of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, which just celebrated its 40th anniversary, called it an "amazing day" to honor "two of the greatest champions we have ever had for Habitat's mission to create additional affordable housing for working families in our communities all over the US and the world."
Jameka Gray, one of the future homeowners in the development, was present at the event and said she was "so excited" to be selected.
"Like a dream come true," she said. "It's like a fairytale, like I made it."
Gray said she tried to get into the program for four years, and in February, "that dream came true." Now, she says she's focused on her next steps, which include "working hard, and join interest free and continue to save money."
