February 9, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -- Extensions of Remarks E225
For more than thirty years, Habitat for Humanity, with the help of countless volunteers ranging from the average citizen to former President Jimmy Carter, has built hundreds of thousands of homes for the world's disadvantaged. Its mission has reflected a simple philosophy, best expressed in Mr. Fuller's own words: ``We want to make it socially, morally, politically and religiously unacceptable to have substandard housing and homelessness.'' In 1996, President Bill Clinton recognized Mr.
Fuller's dedication by awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Our deepest condolences go out to Mrs.
Linda Fuller, and to all those who were touched by this extraordinary life. Let us seek to emulate Millard Fuller's passion for the good and the just, and his selfless pursuit of a better, gentler world. We should honor the life he lived by following the example he so emphatically set.
Born to a grocer in Lanett, Alabama, Mr.
Fuller refused to allow his modest beginnings define the course of his life. Always one to take the initiative, he began raising pigs at the age of six, trading livestock during his teenage years, all before founding what would become known as the Fuller and Dees Marketing Group, Inc. after law school. Although he obtained a great fortune from his tireless efforts as a businessman, he soon found that in order to live a life of fulfillment, he had to dedicate himself to a simple life of devotion and service to a higher purpose. Fuller traveled to Africa in order to observe what he could do to improve the lot of the impoverished. He became a staunch advocate for aid to Africa's poor, and traveled the United States seeking assistance for his efforts. After moving to Americus, Georgia, Millard Fuller and his supporters founded what would become the most visible and effective manifestation of his desire to make a difference, an organization dedicated to providing housing and support for the poor-Habitat for Humanity.
needs to believe in the power of the human spirit to inspire hope and lift the burdens of poverty and despair from the shoulders of one's fellow man.
Throughout his life, Millard Fuller's talent and passion were put on display in no small number of ways. He proved to be a great entrepreneur, founding a marketing company that made him a millionaire before he had turned thirty; a great lawyer, heading the Montgomery Southern Poverty Law Center; a great Christian, walking away from his hardearned wealth to pursue a life of service; and a great philanthropist, founding the tremendously successful Habitat for Humanity. He led the organization for over three decades, and, through the application of what he called the ``economics of Jesus,'' helped to provide over 300,000 homes to the destitute and the downtrodden across the globe. However, more than any of these things, Millard Fuller was a great man. His selflessness serves as an inspiration to people throughout the nation and across our world.
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