Habitat for Humanity has a longtime connection to President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter; the Carters volunteered with the organization for over three decades. In June 1998, the Carters joined Houston Habitat with some 6,000 volunteers to lead an ambitious 100 home-build in one week in Houston’s Fifth Ward neighborhood as part of the Carter Work Project, an annual Habitat for Humanity home-building event alongside its affiliates. The 1998 Houston event was the first U.S. Habitat for Humanity affiliate event to build 100 homes in one week.
In late 2023, aware of Carter’s decision to receive hospice care, Houston Habitat engaged Elmore to prepare communications for an eventual public memorial event for the president that would take place mere days after his death — whenever that may be — held in conjunction with the City of Houston. The event would honor his lifetime commitment to service and provide attendees the opportunity to pay personal tribute to Carter by signing a memorial Habitat wall and door with their name or personal message.
In early 2024, we drafted a day-by-day action plan of communications activities to be activated upon Carter’s death. The plan outlined daily communications- and event-related assignments for Elmore, Houston Habitat and the City of Houston. When Carter died on Dec. 29, 2024, the memorial event was set for Jan. 7, 2025. We immediately updated and activated the action plan.
The plan included responsibilities and timelines for notifying key stakeholders (homeowners, board of directors, partners and elected officials); planning and managing memorial event logistics; inviting a Bush family representative to participate; drafting remarks for event speakers; and relaying event details to media and coordinating advance and day-of interviews. The memorial required careful coordination across civic partners to ensure a mission-aligned public moment under a compressed timeline.
Elmore’s efforts from Dec. 31, 2024 through Jan. 7, 2025 earned meaningful media coverage for the Carter memorial celebration, strengthened Houston Habitat’s position as a trusted and essential resource in our city, drove attendance to the event, and, most importantly, honored Carter’s legacy and impact in Houston.
