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WARREN -- Thomas Summers is determined to do his part to honor and carry on the legacy of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis -- even if his efforts include beige paint and a roller.
"He showed that ordinary people can do extraordinary things," Summers said about Lewis. "I hope his principles live on and on in what he stood for."
The longtime Georgia congressman and civil rights icon, who also epitomized the philosophy of nonviolence, died Friday in Atlanta after battling advanced pancreatic cancer. He was 80.
Lewis often encouraged community-improvement efforts, so Summers, president of the Trumbull County Young Democrats, was part of an effort Saturday to paint the inside of a home at 977 Hazelwood Ave. SE. He and two other Young Democrats members were working with Habitat for Humanity of the Mahoning Valley to restore and rehabilitate the one-story beige structure.
Summers said even though he's not an expert painter or contractor, he was happy to take part in the project because of his focus on fulfilling the bigger picture. That entailed reaching out to improve communities and neighborhoods, he explained.
"Both the Democratic Party and our group all believe in lifting each other up and in the value of community," Summers said.
To that end, he and fellow group members Tom Shay and Steven Slabaugh spent much of the morning and afternoon painting the walls and ceilings in the home's three bedrooms.
The vacant residence has been in Habitat for Humanity's hands for a few years. So far, the original flooring and cabinets have been removed and new appliances are being added, noted Josh Sigley, Habitat's construction manager.
Additional work that has been completed includes patching much of the drywall, repainting the basement floor with epoxy paint and getting rid of old furniture and debris from that area. Also on the to-do list is adding all vinyl flooring as well as new cabinets, he explained.
"They left a lot of stuff in here that we had to clean up," Sigley said.
In addition to the three bedrooms, the home has one bathroom and an open living room, kitchen and dining room space. It also has a small front porch and a spacious fenced-in backyard.
A side project likely will be to pressure wash the one-car detached garage, Sigley added.
"It's going to be a decent house when it's finished," Sigley said, adding he hopes the work will wrap up by year's end.
Habitat for Humanity also is working to restore a home on Youngstown's West Side, he continued.
The organization was able to enlist volunteers for such projects beginning July 1 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In adhering to social distancing guidelines, no more than five volunteers are being used at any given time, Sigley explained.
For people like Summers, the project to beautify the residence is just one of many ways to fulfill and continue the legacy of Lewis, whose civil rights work also included co-leading the famous five-day, 54-mile Selma-to-Montgomery march for voting rights in March 1965, taking part in the 1961 Freedom Rides through the South and being among those who spoke at the March on Washington for jobs and freedom on Aug. 28, 1963.
"I'm deeply committed to serving our community," he said, adding, "(Lewis) was such an icon of history and civil rights."
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