PLAINS, Ga. (WSAV) – Love and support continue to pour in for former President Jimmy Carter.
Over the weekend, The Carter Center announced that the 98-year-old is spending his final days with friends and family in hospice care.
Meanwhile, people are paying a visit to his hometown of Plains.
Located about 160 miles south of Atlanta with a population of 600, this quiet hometown houses reminders of Carter’s humble beginnings.
It’s quintessential small-town America with cafes, pharmacies and general stores, many displaying Carter memorabilia.
“My mind is stepping back into time. All those stores stepping back in time,” said Beverly McDonough, visiting from Minnesota. “We are so impressed by Carter. We are so close we have to stop by.”
From near and far, tourists like the McDonough family trickled into Plains after the announcement that Carter would opt for hospice care at home.
“I never thought I would do this,” McDonough said. “This is his hometown. I am so glad I am here.”
Originally from Kenya, Abraham Korir remembers the humanitarian work Carter did in his home country.
“More so he was about refugees, climate change, election observance and guiding leaders in Africa to shape them in the right direction,” said Korir, from Albany.
“You go out, serve the world and continue to serve your people,” he continued. “That is the calling of life.”
Carter served one term between 1977 and 1981. He established The Carter Center in Atlanta after he left the White House.
