By Chris Johnson
Director of communications

I remember the first time I met Fuller Center for Housing founder Millard Fuller. I wasn't involved in any way with the affordable housing movement. I was merely an overworked sportswriter with high blood pressure at the age of 23.

I was covering a Futures Tour golf tournament (sort of the minor league of women's golf) at the Brickyard Plantation golf club outside of Americus in 1994. Among the notables in the tournament was Australian Karrie Webb. She was unknown at the time, but she has since earned more than $16 million and won 38 times on the LPGA Tour, more than any other active player. She finished third at the Brickyard that year, but I'll remember her more for glaring at her caddie during the final round for laughing when a pig on an adjacent farm loudly squealed as she attempted and missed a short putt. Judging by the look she gave him, he's lucky to be alive.

Only in Americus can we mix pigs and golf.

Anyway, I'd been covering the tournament and had spent a good bit of time putting together the program for the event, which that year benefited Habitat for Humanity. On the final day, Millard came up and hugged me and told me what a great job I'd been doing.

That he may or may not have actually been following what I was doing and had any basis to give me credit for a good job wasn't the issue. He hugged me. This man who had changed the world and redefined what charity meant hugged me. I wasn't the touchy-feely type, and I'd have been perfectly fine with a handshake, but the man was a hugger. My compliment came with a hug, and compliments are very hard to come by for small-town sportswriters, so I had to take it.

Which leads me to our Save a House/Make a Home initiative. Well, in a roundabout way. Our Fuller Center covenant partner in Louisville, Ky., will have a home dedication at 10 a.m. CDT Wednesday for Carolyn Mayes. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer will be there to present the keys. It's a home that was foreclosed upon, sat vacant for a year and was refurbished into a simple, decent home for Ms. Mayes, her daughter and two grandsons through the hard work of FCH Louisville, supporters, volunteers and partners.

Grace Patterson, who leads FCH Louisville's family selection committee, told me of Ms. Mayes, a cancer survivor and long-time FCH supporter: “She gives great hugs.” Actually, Grace told me much more about Ms. Mayes' amazing spirit that you can read later this week, but I found it interesting that Grace pointed out the hugging.

By Chris Johnson
Director of Communications

This past weekend in McDonough, Ga., the Henry County Fuller Center for Housing, which will host the U.S. portion of the 2012 Millard Fuller Legacy Build in September, held a spaghetti dinner that served as both a fundraiser and an awareness event to promote their past, current and future work.

Henry County FCH President Shane Persaud was fortunate enough to land a special guest for the event, a woman whose life of service has literally changed the lives of millions of people -- Linda Fuller Degelmann.

Of course, it's easy to forget that Linda has done so much for people around the world because she's so darn down to Earth. But one thing I've noticed about our co-founder is that something a lot of people say about her is not true. She does not treat everyone equally.

Allow me to explain: Linda has rubbed shoulders with celebrities and heads of state. She's met famous folks left and right and treats them as if they're just normal folks. She's not awed by others' power and fame. After all, she's pretty famous and she sees herself as just a normal person.

However, I've noticed that, on the other hand, Linda does give homeowner partners star treatment. It's not some calculated effort on her part, and I suspect she hasn't noticed it herself. But nothing seems to touch Linda more than having relationships with volunteers, supporters and, more than anything, homeowner partners (who often become supporters and volunteers themselves). They are the “stars” to Linda.