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President Jimmy Carter urges more support for Community Renewal International

KTBS-TV Facebook

President Jimmy Carter gave the keynote address Thursday as part of a tribute event at Municipal Auditorium that marked the 20th anniversary of Shreveport-based charity Community Renewal International. Carter was moved by musical acts, including the Shreveport Community Church Singers and the Centenary College Choir.

“I flew here early this morning and I’ve had a chance to travel around in Bossier City and in Shreveport, and I’ll have to say that tonight is another night I’ll never forget,” Carter said. “The music here I’m sure couldn’t be much better than this was open for a theater and broadcasting The Louisiana Hayride, couldn’t be much better.”

In his 20-minute speech, the 39th president told the audience that he and First Lady Rosalynn Carter are still building homes every year through Habitat for Humanity.

Earlier this month, he was in Dallas wielding a hammer and helping fellow Habitat volunteers build 96 new homes and repair 49, a $12.5 million investment.

A tireless advocate for social justice, Carter said that Shreveport/Bossier needs to put more resources into Community Renewal’s Friendship House ministry founded by Mack McCarter.

“Mack McCarter told me they have 10 friendship houses now to cover all of the needy people. In these two cities, it would take about 50 more of those Friendship Houses. What would it help? it would help the poor people, yes. But it would help Shreveport and Bossier City much more economically than it would help those poor people to bring them up,” Carter said.

Carter urged local corporations, the gaming industry, and anyone with social and political capital to invest in Community Renewal’s efforts. He drew parallels to a program he started in Atlanta that helped 500,000 low-income residents in that city improve their quality of life.

Carter turned 90 this month. He received a standing ovation from the 1,200 people in the audience.

Chuck Smith brings more than 30 years' broadcast and media experience to Red River Radio. He began his career as a radio news reporter and transitioned to television journalism and newsmagazine production. Chuck studied mass communications at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia and motion picture / television production at the University of California at Los Angeles. He has also taught writing for television at York Technical College in Rock Hill, South Carolina and video / film production at Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport.