The Family of Rhonda A. Lewis and LISC Announce Legacy-Building Activities

The Family of Rhonda Lewis and LISC Announce Legacy-Building Activities to Memorialize the Lifetime Achievements of Rhonda Lewis

“Rhonda A. Lewis Inspirational Community Advocate Award” as Annual Tribute

NEWARK (October, 2021) – The Greater Newark office of LISC (GNL) and the family of Rhonda Lewis – the former, long-time Executive Director of GNL – today announce establishing the “Rhonda A. Lewis Inspirational Community Advocate Award”. After a courageous battle with a serious illness, Rhonda passed away just over a year ago on September 7, 2020. In addition to her ten years of leadership as GNL’s fierce Executive Director, Rhonda’s community development experience spanned nearly 40 years of groundbreaking and innovative impact in numerous low-income neighborhoods and communities, with an expansive reach benefitting countless New York and New Jersey families. A link to Rhonda’s biography can be found here.

“Our family continues to mourn and grieve Rhonda’s far-too-soon departure from us and acknowledge that her shoes can never be filled, but we are deeply committed to work with GNL and the so many other organizations and communities impacted by Rhonda to exhaust our best efforts to sustain her legacy well beyond her days”, says Andrea Lewis, one of Rhonda’s three sisters.   

Rhonda Lewis

The “Rhonda A. Lewis Inspirational Community Advocate Award” will serve as a standard award presented at GNL’s annual New Jersey Neighborhood Achievement Awards event, scheduled for March, 2022. This standard award will be provided to one select and especially elite community leader who best exemplifies Rhonda’s character and qualities as a community champion.

“Long before joining GNL, Rhonda’s impact and imprint as a leader of people and as an innovator in the community development space was well-established”, says Jorge Cruz, GNL’s current Executive Director. “There is absolutely no comparison to the pain of her loss to Rhonda’s family and loved ones, but the community development sector also suffers a massive void left by the strength & power of Rhonda’s intellect and voice”.

“Rhonda's life made a difference in the lives of others. She championed causes through which a vast number of people's lives were altered in many meaningful and tangible-ways, creating systems of empowerment and self-reliance, providing opportunities for personal and community growth and development. Her list of professional accomplishments is comprehensive”, says Janice Lewis-Wilson, Rhonda’s sister.

“Rhonda not only expressed deep love for her family, but she was truly altruistic. She put the concerns of people in all communities first so that they would benefit economically and socially”, says Grace Lewis, Rhonda’s third sister.

Numerous corporate donors have responded rapidly to supporting the NJNAA event in large part to contribute to ensuring this annual tribute, including TD Bank, Prudential, the New York Giants Foundation, and the Victoria Foundation. 

“I lost a dear friend with Rhonda’s passing, but supporting this award and tribute in her name helps the countless lives she touched to always remember the power and impact of her leadership”, says Craig Drinkard, Co-Executive Director of the Victoria Foundation and current Chairperson of the GNL Local Advisory Council. 

“While we certainly cannot fully match the gravity of Rhonda’s work in Bridge Street Development Corporation (BSDC), serving Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant community to here in Greater Newark, it is so important to place our best foot forward and to ensure Rhonda’s vibrant spirit lives on through the legacy-building award mentioned here”, added Andrea Lewis.  

Additional information and details regarding the NJNAA event and the award please reach out to cjohnson@lisc.org. For further information, please contact Candace Johnson.