By Dana Roberts • The Cardinal Contributing Writer
Get to Know a Doylestownian is a monthly feature in which a Doylestown resident or person of interest helps us get to know them better by finishing sentences we provide in any way they see fit. For this month’s edition, we chatted with Jonathan H. Lewis. He is the Executive Director of Life Abundant, Inc., a registered 501©(3) nonprofit that assists inmates, ex-offenders, and their families in developing Christian principles in their social, economic, and spiritual lives and becoming productive members of society. Life Abundant primarily serves inmates at the Bucks County Correctional Facility and the Bucks County Community Corrections (aka work release).
My position as Executive Director at Life Abundant involves… coordinating all volunteer programs and services at the Bucks County Correctional Facility (BCCF), 1-on-1 mentoring of male inmates and returning citizens, facilitation of classes at BCCF, fundraising, organizational development, maintaining compliance with legal and ethical standards, interceding in prayer for all the stakeholders, etc.
My passion for prison ministry started… when I realized how much of a lasting impact a small act of kindness could have on someone’s life. I witnessed men and women live in radically different ways after being treated with decency and kindness. Soon after, I realized that I needed to do more; I needed to take those acts of service into the prison. I have been meeting with incarcerated men through teaching and mentoring since 2003.
I grew up…. in South Philadelphia, not too far from the old Veterans Stadium and The Spectrum. Yes, the home of the Philadelphia Cheesesteak!
If you had told me as a young adult what my career today would be, I would have… said, “No way.” Being an introvert and relatively private person, I could not imagine myself as someone who would be consistently in public and working with countless people and organizations. Moreover, this work requires a great deal of faith and patience, neither of which were strong attributes early in my adulthood.
I got my degree…for my undergraduate from Wheaton College, in Wheaton, Illinois, in Sociology, with a minor concentration in Urban Studies. I received my graduate degree from Eastern University in Nonprofit Management.
The best part of my work is…. that I get to see lives change. When a man or woman finally understands who they are, it is a glorious sight to behold. There is nothing quite like it.
The hardest part of my work is… trying to communicate the effectiveness of a faith-based approach to crime prevention and reducing recidivism. In short, we recognize that none of us can conduct ourselves at a higher level than our beliefs; beliefs = behavior. So, we are simply trying to influence beliefs knowing that behavior will soon follow positively.
A big misconception people have about working with those who are incarcerated… is that they somehow won’t be able to relate to someone in jail or prison. People often forget that the incarcerated population is just a make-up of sons and fathers, mothers and daughters, neighbors, local workers, etc. The prison system is as diverse as the world we live in, so there is always a point of connection that can be made.
One thing most people don’t know about the Bucks County Correctional Facility is… that it is right off 611, across from Kohl’s and Applebee’s, located in the Barn Plaza.
My biggest passions are… to be a loving husband, a caring father, a thoughtful son, and a good neighbor. The legacy of a life well-lived is what I desire to leave behind.
I am really good at… strategic planning and following through on commitments.
In my downtime, I… spend time with my family and decompress. Most days are rather hectic and unpredictable. Spending quality time with those I love helps to reduce the chaos a bit. I also enjoy spending time alone and listening to classical music.
I’m currently reading… (re-reading) Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas.
If I could only listen to one song for the rest of my life, it would be… I Can Only Imagine by MercyMe.
My favorite meal is… shrimp and some other things, e.g. shrimp scampi, fried shrimp, shrimp and grits, shrimp bisque, shrimp creole. Did I say shrimp cocktail?
I met my wife… at our former church. She and I were both chaperones and had to stay in contact with one another during a few outings with the youth of the church. After several chats and longer discussions, we were engaged and then married.
My favorite thing to do with my family is… vacation in Ocean City, MD. We traveled with family one year, and every year after found ourselves back in the same area. It has become sort of like a family tradition.
Raising my daughter is…. one of the greatest responsibilities and privileges of my life. I am beyond blessed to call Gabrielle my daughter. She is daddy’s little peanut.
I hope to teach my daughter… to be a Godly woman above all else. I hope that she will learn how to value herself and appreciate every precious moment. I hope she will know how much she is loved and will find both simple and profound ways to reflect that love into the world.
The best way to support those who are incarcerated is… to volunteer to help with prison ministries and reentry programs and services, support efforts to educate and house returning citizens and help to destigmatize incarceration, and openly talk about ways that we can help returning citizens be successful.
Life Abundant’s mission is to… assist inmates, ex-offenders, and their families in developing Christian principles in their social, economic, and spiritual lives and become productive members of society.
You can find us at: lifeabundantinc.org and on FaceBook, Instagram, and Twitter (look for Life Abundant and/or prisonANDbeyond).
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