Mr. Howard Husock
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THE MANHATTAN INSTITUTE Social Entrepreneurship AWARDS 2003 Recognizing enterprising individuals who are helping Americans realize their full potential as citizens and members of society THE MANHATTAN INSTITUTE SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD DINNER 2003 FEATURED SPEAKER 2003 SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS MILLARD FULLER GERALD CHERTAVIAN SARA HOROWITZ AMY LEMLEY CHAD PREGRACKE MICHAEL TENBUSCH AND DANIEL VARNER Habitat is an organization of great complexity that developed from a simple impulse: Mr. Fuller’s desire to rid the American South of its infamous one- room “shotgun” shacks and from his own belief that he could, if he found enough people willing to help. Today, 27 years after Millard and his wife Linda founded it, Habitat for Hu- manity International has helped make it possible for more than 150,000 fami- lies to live in what Mr. Fuller calls a simple, decent home. It has provided a way for hundreds of thousands of people to volunteer to help Habitat build thou- sands of homes every year, and it is among the top 15 homebuilders (for profit or non-profit) in the United States every year. But families that qualify for help must start by helping other fami- Millard Fuller, founder, Habitat for Humanity, addresses the award winners and lies first. audience at the 2003 Manhattan Institute Entrepreneurship Award Dinner. Millard Fuller has shown that even in an era of big government a major R. HOWARD HUSOCK: thoughtful social entrepreneurs in the new, non-profit organization can be Good evening, my name is United States over the past thirty years. built and change the face of not just MHoward Husock and I am the One way to illustrate Millard one nation, but many others as well. Director of The Manhattan Institute’s Fuller’s entrepreneurial qualifications is He’s a brilliant, religiously-inspired or- Social Entrepreneurship Initiative. This to recall that before he founded Habitat ganizer, builder and marketer who has is the Initiative’s third annual awards for Humanity, he was a successful, pri- done some things that less visionary program honoring those who have vate, for-profit direct mail entrepreneur, thinkers would consider impossible. started new and effective not-for-profit someone who could have well afforded But, most importantly, he has helped organizations that help to solve social to retire at an early age. Instead, at 68, countless families around the world problems with little or limited support Mr. Fuller maintains a truly grueling become, for the first time in their lives, from government. travel schedule that would tax the the dignified owners of their own Before we recognize this year’s hon- strength of many young men. Mr. Fuller simple, decent homes. Ladies and orees, it’s my great honor and privilege is the leader of an organization, Habitat gentlemen, please join me in welcom- tonight to introduce as our keynote for Humanity International, which is ing to New York the President of Habi- speaker, someone who must surely be building homes today in 3,700 locations tat for Humanity International, Millard considered among the most effective and in 92 countries. Fuller. 1 THE MANHATTAN INSTITUTE MR. MILLARD FULLER: Thank you very much Howard. I have a great re- spect for Howard, and I want him to know and I want all of you to know that I am incredibly honored to be here to- night. Howard said that I keep a busy schedule. That’s very true. This is my seventh speech for today. But I can promise you that I’m just as fresh as a daisy and delighted to be here, along with several of my colleagues, regional representatives from Habitat for Hu- manity. First of all, let me publicly congratu- late all of the honorees that have been chosen to win one of the awards of this From left to right: Daniel Varner, Think Detroit; Millard Fuller, Habitat for Hu- evening. I’ve been in this business a very manity; Gerald Chertavian, Year-Up; Howard Husock, Harvard University; Amy long time, but I am still very eager to Lemley, First Place Fund for Youth; Michael Tenbusch, Think Detroit; Sara Horowitz, learn more about what you are doing and Working Today; Chad Pregracke, Living Lands and Waters. to learn from your experience as young social entrepreneurs. 250 houses in five days in 90 cities across thought you might find it more inter- Howard said in his remarks that I the state. Today, I flew into New York esting to hear very briefly about the keep a busy schedule, and I told you what and have been busy in Westchester motivation that gave birth to this tre- I’ve done today. Last week I was in County all afternoon. Tomorrow I go mendous outpouring of effort. Mexico City with Jimmy Carter for a to Hartford, Connecticut for a weekend I was raised in Alabama, and I was press conference and to have a reception of engagements at a conference brining raised in a very religious home. My and a big dinner in Mexico City to an- together all of the Habitat affiliates in mother died when I was very young, nounce and to kick off the promotions New England, and we’ll have about 700 when I was three years old. My dad re- for his next annual Jimmy Carter Work people at that conference, where there married. His second wife was the or- Project. President Carter has been build- will be a number of seminars, workshops ganist in the church. My dad was a dea- ing with Habitat every year since 1984, and so forth for Habitat volunteers. con in the church, and the church was a and next year will be his 21st year with us. Then I go home for two days and big, big part of our life. But when I went President Carter is turning 80 next year, I’ll be off again to Melbourne, Florida for off to university, I didn’t renounce my and it is an inspiration that he is giving a big banquet and fly straight from there Christian faith, but it was not primary so much back to the world at an advanced to New Zealand to have our fall Habitat in my life. Instead, I became very dedi- age and is a shining example to many for Humanity International Board Meet- cated to making money. people who know about him and about ing. If you haven’t noticed, my life is I met a fellow student, the man who his dedication to ending poverty hous- pretty much like a political campaign with later became my business partner for ing. President Carter will be helping us no election. But it’s a joyous work, and eight years, Morris Dees, who later build 150 houses in a week in Pueblo and there would be no way that I could sus- founded the Southern Poverty Law Cen- Vera Cruz, Mexico next October. tain this pace if I didn’t really believe in ter. Early on in our partnership we de- After our press conference in what we are doing and love it. cided on a mission statement for our new Mexico City, I went to Nicaragua for the Tonight I want to talk to you about enterprise. We didn’t know what we dedication of 31 Habitat for Humanity how Habitat for Humanity went from would say or what we would do—we just houses about an hour out of Managua. building one house to building now a knew that we wanted to be together as A few days after that, I went out to Kan- house every 26 minutes, worldwide. business and law partners—and our mis- sas, and then Texas. I spent much of We’ll build another 21,600 houses this sion statement just stipulated that we yesterday in Detroit and Benton Har- year; by the end of next year we will have were going to get rich. For the next eight bor with the Governor of Michigan to built 200,000 homes and will have years we dedicated every waking hour announce the 2005 Jimmy Carter Work housed, at that point, a million people. to making money; and we did make a Project in Michigan. We plan to build The numbers are interesting, but I lot of money. SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARDS 2003 2 SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD DINNER 2003 Somebody once said that when the student is ready to learn, the teacher appears. Shortly after we came home we were led to a small Christian com- munity near where I met the most in- credible human being I’ve even known in my life, a man named Clarence Jor- dan who, with his wife Florence, had founded an integrated Christian com- munity. Clarence was a social entrepreneur in his own right, a man with a social conscience and a courageous spirit, who went to southwest Georgia in 1942 and stood up and said I’ve got something to say to everybody — black folks and white folks are equal. Naturally, after that, all hell broke loose for Clarence. He and his fellow community members Millard Fuller congratulates Social Entrepreneurship Award winner Amy Lemley, were beaten up and persecuted, and dy- Founder, Working Today. namited, and had their buildings burned down, and were persecuted and suffered I married the girl of my dreams as a all our money away. He said, you better in a way that was just unbelievable. I senior in law school, and later moved her sleep on that. And I said, well you know didn’t know anything about this even to Montgomery, Alabama, and ensconced the Bible says it’s difficult for the rich to though I was raised less than a hundred her in a beautiful house with a Lincoln get into the Kingdom.