Millard Fuller Tribute Video

Don't just say it, do it.  Show that you care in your actions.

Recently I was approached by a longtime friend, Faith Fuller, to produce a video project telling the life story of her father Millard Fuller. She told me that the video tribute would be used in an opening ceremony to kick off a special build in Lanett, Alabama. The Millard Fuller Legacy Build was to be held for one week, building 14 houses with over 300 volunteers starting August 24, 2009. The goal of this build would also be to celebrate Millard’s legacy of eliminating poverty housing and giving families a hand up and not a hand out.

For those of you who are not familiar with Millard Fuller, he started Habitat for Humanity (1976) some 30 years ago and later went on to build The Fuller Center for Housing (2005) with the same aspirations, to eliminate poverty housing worldwide. The demand for safe, decent affordable housing is enormous and what touched me most while producing this 7.5 minute tribute, was how Millard Fuller gave up a very wealthy lifestyle to follow his calling of helping those in need and living his Christianity not just in words but in an incarnate way through actions.

As I produced this video I started to see, hear, and even feel the man and his life’s ambitions, as told from his voice, from friends, and from family members. It made me really start to understand what kind of person he was and had developed into over his life. It was inspirational. I became emotionally involved, vested in the words that were spoken, and it had a real impact on me.

I’m proud to have had the opportunity to work on this important tribute video of the life of Millard Fuller. But more importantly it makes me feel good to have met the man while he was living and to know that I helped to carry on his legacy through my contribution of time and skills. As you will see if you watch the video link, Millard was such a thoughtful and self-giving individual.

I can say that I definitely got more out of this project than I put in to it and that I am a better person for having known him and learning how he lived his life. What a wonderful example of how we all should treat each other.