Fuller Center hometown gearing up for eventful weekend

This weekend marks an exciting fund-raising event and a meaningful landmark in the housing ministry’s history — all happening in the Fuller Center’s hometown of Americus, Georgia!

Fuller Center Fish Fry – Americus, Ga.

On Saturday, the Americus-Sumter Fuller Center is holding a fund-raising event — the first annual Fuller Center Fish Fry and 5k race — in honor of Millard Fuller, that aims to raise $100,000. That amount would cover the cost of two homes in the town Millard began Habitat for Humanity and the Fuller Center.

“We’ve been delighted by the outpouring of support for the mission of a man who infused our local economy with not only jobs, but a spirit of doing good,” Kirk Lyman-Barner, who chairs the board of the covenant partner, said. “So many people who were influenced by the life of Millard are helping to make this event successful.”

The event begins at 8 a.m. Saturday with a Mile Fun Run in front of First Presbyterian Church in Americus, Ga. A 5k Walk/Run begins at 8:30 a.m. Price of registration gets participants a ticket into the fish fry dinner happening that evening. 

Donations have been pouring in from local community members and businesses for the evening event which will include live music, a guest speaker, and the best southern cooking that Americus residents can fry. Visit the Facebook event for the menu.

Clarence Jordan Inducted to Walk of Fame – Americus, Ga.

The very next day, Sunday Nov. 15th, the city of Americus is honoring theologian and Civil Rights activist Clarence Jordan with a star on the Americus Walk of Fame. The cement in front of the local theater, Ryander Theatre, contains names and hand prints of local people the mayor and city council agree to honor.

Jordan, who founded Koinonia Farm, was a great inspiration to the Fullers, and his theology was and continues to be used throughout the years of the housing ministry.

Some of Jordan’s family will be in town to attend the ceremony happening at 2 p.m. Linda Fuller plans to attend also. She reflected on the coincidental timing of the two Americus events:

Little did we know when the date was set for the Fish Fry Fundraiser that it would juxtapose with an historic event. This weekend, Dr. Clarence Jordan will be honored in the City of Americus “Walk of Fame.” (A few years ago, Millard and I also, along with Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, had concrete tiles placed in the sidewalk outside our historic Rylander Theatre with hand prints and signatures inscribed.’’)

Beth Alston of Americus Times Recorder newspaper, writing about Clarence Jordan being chosen for the Walk of Fame said, “That shows how far we have come from the ‘dark ages’ of the late 1950s when the fine leaders of Americus and Sumter County asked Jordan and his follows to just go away.”*

Indeed, our city and county have come a long way. In the 1990’s, the mayor and city council, businesses, churches, organizations and individual citizens gave full support to Habitat for Humanity’s Sumter County Initiative to rid our area of poverty housing by building or renovating 500 houses during an 8-year period. The last milestone house was dedicated in mid-2000. That Sumter Country initiative inspired many other communities around the world to set their own goals to eliminate poverty housing, including the Fuller Center’s Chattahoochee Valley project.

The Fish Fry this weekend is just one more example of this continuing support of Millard’s vision of “No More Shacks,” not only in Americus and Sumter County but all over the world.

*See the award-winning 57-minute documentary, “Briars in the Cotton Patch: The Story of Koinonia” by Faith Fuller.